Koch Brothers Donate $25M to the United Negro College Fund … Sen. Harry Reid (NV-D) Was Unavailable for Comment

Because the mind is a terrible thing to waste, even though Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi do it on a daily basis

Koch Industries Inc. and the Charles Koch Foundation, which are headed by Charles and David  Koch  have donated $25 million to the United Negro College Fund to create a new scholarship program that will help motivated and deserving students not just get to and through school, but to become our next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. Oh those evil Koch Brothers. What say you Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV-D), are you going to vilify the Koch brothers for this as well, like you do as a diversion to create a GOP bogeyman?

The billionaire industrialist Koch brothers, known best for shepherding big money to conservative causes and candidates, have given a $25 million grant to the United Negro College Fund, the organization announced Friday.

The money will come from Koch Industries Inc. and the Charles Koch Foundation, which are headed by the brothers. Most of the money ($18.5 million) will go toward a scholarship program. The other $6.5 million is provided for general support to historically black colleges and universities and the UNCF, $4 million of which will be set aside for loan assistance.

The UNCF is the nation’s largest minority education group.

Just how much heat will Michael Lomax, UNCF president and chief executive, receive for the praising of the Koch brothers? He said, “UNCF is proud to announce this new scholarship program that will help motivated and deserving students not just get to and through school, but to become our next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs We are enormously grateful to Koch Industries and the Charles Koch Foundation for their long-standing support of UNCF and for helping to create new opportunities for earned success and a better future for our students.”

Statement from The United Negro College Fund:

The overarching goal of the UNCF/Koch Scholars Program is aimed at broadening educational opportunities so that aspiring African American students can better understand how entrepreneurship, economics, and innovation contribute to well-being for individuals, communities, and society. A key component of the program is based on research from UNCF’s Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute, which found that an annual $5,000 scholarship dramatically increases UNCF’s recipients’ rate of retention and likelihood of completion. Those who graduate with a college degree are expected to earn $1 million more than their peers with a high school diploma over a lifetime. And 79 percent of college-educated African Americans actively participate in the labor force, 3 percentage points higher than Caucasians. Furthermore, multiple studies show that those who earn at least a bachelor’s degree have higher rates of employment, have greater lifetime earnings, are more civically-engaged, and are more likely to establish a college-going tradition in their families. The new program will dedicate $1 million to supporting research to help understand the drivers of success for students in college and beyond.

Charles Koch said, “Increasing well-being by helping people improve their lives has long been our focus.” He went on to say, “We have tremendous respect for UNCF and we are hopeful this investment will further its effectiveness in helping students pursue their dreams.” Just curious Harry Reid, Nanny Pelosi and Barack Obama, what have you really done for African-Americans in pursuing their dreams except keep them government dependent and under this administration more unemployed?

Since Democrats cannot blame GWB anymore and cannot run on Obamacare, the economy or foreign or domestic policy … its blame the Koch brothers 24/7.

The ball is in your court Harry Reid.

First-grader Darin Simak Accidentally Brings Toy Gun To School, Goes the Right Thing, Turns It In and Gets Suspended

More elementary school ignorance with “zero tolerance” … Maybe school administrators should worry less about common core and more about common sense!!!

First-grader Darin Simak accidentally brought a toy gun to school in his backpack when his mother packed a new bag and missed the machine toy gun, he then did the right thing and notified his teacher of the toy, turned it in and then got what every child should when they do the right thing … SUSPENDED!!! The New Kensington-Arnold School District superintendent said that bringing a toy gun to school violates the district’s policy at the highest level and requires a child to be suspended immediately until a meeting can be held to discuss what happened and whether punishment is warranted. Sorry, that may be the case if the gun was found by a teacher or other school administrator, but not when the child turns in the toy gun himself. What kind of idiots do we have running these schools today?

First-grader Darin Simak is a little shy, a little upset and a little confused about why he can’t go back to Martin Elementary in New Kensington, but he knows it’s the result of him bringing a toy gun to school in his backpack Wednesday.

Jennifer Mathabel said her son left his usual backpack in a friend’s car the night before, so he packed another one but missed the toy gun inside.

“So I send my child to school. My child discovers a fake toy gun at about 1:30 p.m. He turns it in to the teacher and he’s sent to the office and suspended,” said Mathabel.

As stated at The Daily Caller, what a message this sends to a child … “I hope young Darin has learned his lesson: If you do something you know you’re not supposed to do, even if it’s an accident, don’t tell anybody or you’ll get in trouble. That’s exactly the message we should be teaching children.”

It Begins, Obamacare Enrollees Info Compromised … 400 Connecticut Health-Exchange Enrollees’ Information May Be Compromised

And so it begins … 400 Connecticut Obamacare health-exchange enrollees’ information may have been compromised. A backpack was recovered in Hartford, Connecticut that held “four notepads with personal information for approximately 400 individuals. The backpack also contained Access Health CT paperwork and it appears as though some of that personal information may be associated with Access Health CT accounts. According to the New Haven Register, Hartford Police spokesman Lt. Brian Foley said an officer responded at about 2:15 p.m. to 280 Trumbull St. to meet with an Access Health CT employee regarding an employee possibly taking customer’s personal information. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services spokesman Aaron Albright said in a statement, “This situation does not involve consumers who have used HealthCare.gov.” Of course those words are about as reputable as the Obamacare, Healthcare.gov website roll-out. These are exactly the concerns many individuals warned of with the use and potential abuse by counselors for the exchanges known as “navigators.”

The personal information of around 400 health-exchange enrollees may be compromised, according to a statement issued today by Access Health CT CEO Kevin Counihan.

The statement notes that a backpack was recovered in Hartford that held “four notepads with personal information for approximately 400 individuals. The backpack also contained Access Health CT paperwork and it appears as though some of that personal information may be associated with Access Health CT accounts. It is still unclear where the backpack came from, and we are working [with] the Hartford Police Department to investigate, and contact the individuals whose information may be compromised. … Let me be clear: we are sorry this happened. This is a very serious situation and we will hold the person or persons who are responsible to account.”

Kathleen Tallarita, the government and public affairs outreach manager for Access Health CT, told National Review Online by phone that the health exchange does not know yet whether identity theft has occurred,  but “we’re diligently looking into what’s happened.”

Statement from Access Health CT CEO Kevin Counihan:

“Earlier today, we received a report that an individual in Hartford discovered a backpack on Trumbull Street containing four notepads with personal information for approximately 400
individuals. The backpack also contained Access Health CT paperwork and it appears as though some of that personal information may be associated with Access Health CT accounts.

It is still unclear where the backpack came from, and we are working the Hartford Police Department to investigate, and contact the individuals whose information may be compromised.

Makes you wonder how many backpacks have made it out of these health-exchanges that were not found, doesn’t it?

89 Year Old British Royal Navy Vet Bernard Jordan Goes Missing from The Pines Nursing Home in Sussex, England … Found Safe at 70th Anniverary D-Day Ceremonies in Normandy, France (VIDEO)

IF THERE COULD EVER BE CALLED A GOOD MISSING PERSON’S CASE,  THIS WOULD BE IT … A MILITARY VET GOES ON ONE MORE MISSION!

We do so many missing person cases that end in tragedy, heartbreak and unbelievable sorrow. However, the following one just might be one of the more inspirational stories ever.

89 year old British Royal Navy veteran Bernard Jordan went missing Thursday, June 5, 2014 from The Pines nursing home in Sussex, England in the town of Hove. Police were called on Thursday night when the nursing home staff realized Jordan was missing. He had gone out at 10.30am and had not been seen since. However, this missing person story is not your typical one, what would one expect from a 90 year old military vet on a mission? What a story of perseverance and epitomizes yet another reason why those who fought in World War II are called our “Greatest Generation”.

It would appear that veteran Bernard Jordan was determined to get to the 70th D-Day commemorations in Normandy on Friday so he snuck away from his nursing home without warning and made his way across the English Chanel to Normandy, France.  Mr. Jordan slipped out of the nursing home wearing a gray raincoat; however, underneath he had his military jacket complete with war medals. Eventually, Bernard Jordan contacted the Hove police to tell them that he was okay and will be returning after the D-Day ceremonies.

A police spokesman earlier said: “We have spoken to the veteran who called the home today and are satisfied that the pensioner is fine and that his friends are going to ensure he gets back to Hove safely over the next couple of days after the D-Day celebrations finish.”

Some reports had stated that the nursing home would not allow the vet to attend the D-Day ceremonies; however, that does not seem to be the case. It is more like they had tried at the last minute to get him to attend on an accredited tour to Normandy, but failed. So what was any determined veteran to do but find a way to improvise, adapt and overcome. This may be the last D-Day remembrance ceremony that Bernard Jordan ever has an opportunity to attend. For his will to accomplish his mission, we say KUDOS!!! I second Patterico ‘s Pontification comment that “I love this story more than words can say.”  What a metaphor for the “Greatest Generation”.

“Mr. Jordan has full capacity, which means that he can come and go from the home as he pleases, which he does on most days” Peter Curtis, chief executive of Gracewell Healthcare told the BBC.

“At no stage was he banned from going to the commemorations,” Curtis added.

Staff members at the home had actually tried to get Jordan on an accredited tour with the Royal British Legion but he made his request too late so it wasn’t possible.

Les Hamilton, another former mayor of Hove who knows Jordan, told the BBC the vet had attended the 50th and 60th memorial services in Normandy.

“The memorial services meant a lot to him. He clearly didn’t want to miss what might be his last one,” Hamilton said.

Hero’s Welcome For ‘Great Escape’ D-Day Veteran.

A D-Day veteran who went “AWOL” from his care home to see Friday’s commemorations in France has returned to a hero’s welcome.

Bernard Jordan, 90, was cheered and hugged by staff waving Union Flags at The Pines nursing home in Hove, Sussex.

“I had a great time. I’m really pleased I did it,” he said after the Brittany Ferries ship Normandie arrived in Portsmouth.

Quizzed on whether he would go back next year, he replied: “Yes, I expect so. If I am still here, definitely!”

The former Royal Navy officer said his wife had known about his trip.

God Bless you Bernard Jordan.

Actor, Comic and Former SNL Cast Member Tracy Morgan in Critical Condition after Crash on the N.J. Turnpike … One Killed in Multi-Vehicle Accident (Update: 35 Year Old Trucker Kevin Roper Charged with One Count of Death by Auto & Four Counts of Assault by Auto)

Actor Tracy Morgan is in critical condition following a multi-vehicle accident on the New Jersey Turnpike that has left one individual dead. The 45 year old actor/comedian was traveling with six others in a limo bus on the NJ Turnpike when the accident occurred between the limo bus,  two tractor-trailers, an SUV and two cars. Tracy Morgan was traveling in a limo bus that overturned around 1 a.m. Saturday morning of Exit 7A of the Turnpike in Cranbury, NJ, just north of Trenton. One passenger aboard Morgan’s bus was killed. Morgan was rushed to Robert Wood Medical Center in New Brunswick, NJ, where he is in intensive care. Three others were in critical condition and another is listed in fair condition.

Say a prayer for Tracy Morgan and the others injured.

Comedian Tracy Morgan is in critical condition after a multiple-vehicle accident in New Jersey, according to media reports.

The former “30 Rock” and “Saturday Night Live” star was traveling with six others in a limo bus on the New Jersey Turnpike at about 1 a.m. Saturday when the accident occurred, Sgt. Gregory Williams of New Jersey State Police told the Associated Press.

VIDEO – CNN

UPDATE I: Trucker charged in crash that injured Tracy Morgan.

Wal-Mart driver, 35 year old Kevin Roper of Georgia, was charged with one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto.

The truck driver, 35-year-old Kevin Roper, of Jonesboro, Georgia, apparently failed to slow for traffic ahead and swerved at the last minute to avoid a crash, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s office said.

Instead, the big rig smashed into the back of the Mercedes limo bus, prompting a chain-reaction crash with a second tractor-trailer, an SUV and two cars, authorities said. No one in the other vehicles was injured.

So far, there is nothing to suggest Roper fell asleep or was dozing, state police Sgt. 1st Class Greg Williams told The Associated Press.

UPDATE II: Truck driver in Tracy Morgan crash surrenders to police.

 A truck driver who caused a New Jersey highway collision that critically injured actor and comedian Tracy Morgan and left another comic dead has turned himself in to face a charge of death by auto, state police said Sunday.

UPDATE III: Bail Set at $50,000 for trucker Kevin Roper.