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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Memories (Part 2)




Instead of impeachment, can House vote to overturn Obama executive order?

The White House has fueled talk that House Republicans might move to impeach President Obama if he uses executive authority to enact far-reaching changes in immigration policy. "The president acting on immigration reform will certainly up the likelihood that [Republicans] would contemplate impeachment at some point," top White House aideDan Pfeiffer told reporters Friday at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. "I would not discount that possibility."

White House spokesman Josh Earnest echoed Pfeiffer's remarks later Friday, and Democratic fundraisers seized on the topic to raise the specter of the GOP attempting to remove the president from office. In an effort to rouse the party base, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out a series of "IMPEACHMENT RED ALERT" fundraising appeals over the weekend.

Some Republicans have obliged the talk. "From my standpoint, if the president [enacts more executive actions], we need to bring impeachment hearings immediately before the House of Representatives," Rep. Steve King told Breitbart News. On Fox News Sunday, Rep. Steve Scalise, the new House Majority Whip, declined to rule out impeachment -- but certainly did not rule it in, either.

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Jury Awards Jesse Ventura $1.8 Million in Defamation Case Against Deceased ‘American Sniper’ Chris Kyle’s Estate

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A jury awarded former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura $1.8 million Tuesday in his lawsuit against the estate of “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle.

On the sixth day of deliberations, the federal jury decided that the 2012 best-selling book defamed Ventura in its description of a bar fight in California in 2006. Kyle wrote that he decked a man whom he later identified as Ventura after the man allegedly said the Navy SEALs “deserve to lose a few.”

Ventura testified that Kyle fabricated the passage about punching him. Kyle said in testimony videotaped before his death last year that his story was accurate.

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Give Low Income Americans Exit Option From Social Security

America is supposed to be the land of the free and the home of the brave.

But as we become bogged down in our many problems, I see, unfortunately, a mentality in which we are becoming increasingly a nation of the unfree – the victim – and the timid, in how we’re approaching these challenges.

Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman wrote a column this week drawing attention to the latest dire projections from the Congressional Budget Office.

CBO projects the nation sinking deeper and deeper into an ocean of red ink.

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Walmart Says Dad Can’t Buy Beer Because He’s Shopping With Teen Daughter

Back in college, I’d to the grocery store with friends and we always had to separate the beer from the other items being purchased because anyone chipping in money (yes, this was a time when most people paid by cash or check) had to be of legal drinking age. But if anyone under 21 just happened to be standing in line near the beer, no one cared. This is apparently not the case at Walmart, where a dad was told he couldn’t purchase beer and booze because he was shopping with his teen daughter.

The man tells the Des Moines Register that, along with some groceries, he took a couple of Bud six-packs and some vodka up to the register at a Walmart in Ames, IA, earlier this month.

But rather than ask the 57-year-old for ID, the cashier carded the teen girl.

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Think You're Having A Bad Day?


Want to eat U.S. meat processed in China? From Ray Wallace

This is from yesterday's Wall Street Journal:
      ...Shanghai Husi repackaged and sold chicken and beef past their sell-by dates.
     Shanghai's FDA found that beef patties produced in May 2013 were sold with the production date of January 2014....
     -- From “McDonald's Meat Supplier Pulls Chinese Plant's Products,” by Laurie Burkitt, at this July 27, 2014 Wall Street Journal site:http://online.wsj.com/articles/mcdonalds-meat-supplier-pulling-all-products-made-by-shanghai-husi-unit-1406445545?mod=yahoo_hs
__________
     The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is about to allow U.S chickens to be sent to China for processing and then shipped back to the U.S. for human consumption.
     This arrangement is particularly alarming given China’s appalling food safety record and the fact that there will be no on-site USDA inspectors in those plants....
     This process is already being used for U.S. seafood....
     Considerably lower Chinese labor costs are what make the arrangement profitable, even when factoring in round-trip shipping costs over 14,000 miles.
    -- From “Chicken from China? Your Seafood is Already Being Processed There,” by Nancy Huehnergarth and Bettina Siegel, at this March 4, 2014 Food Safety News site: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/03/chicken-from-china-your-seafood-is-already-being-processed-there/#.UxiMqNxH38s
__________
Perdue exports chicken to China:
1.     Our Export Department was formed in 1991 and in 1997 we opened our first overseas office in Hong Kong. Just one year later, in 1998, we began a joint venture project in China. 
     -- From “About Perdue Farms Incorporated” at this current Southern United States Trade Association site: http://www.susta.org/tradeshow/exhibitors/perdue.html
   
2.     Leaders from Perdue Farms and the Commonwealth of Virginia expect to see chicken exports increase dramatically as China’s seven-year-old [avian influenza] ban on poultry from Virginia comes to an end.... 
     -- From “Perdue shipment to mark end of China ban on Virginia poultry,” by Roy Graber, at this June 17, 2014 WATTAgNet site:http://www.wattagnet.com/Perdue_shipment_to_mark_end_of_China_ban_on_Virginia_poultry.html
__________
What's on your plate?:
     Did that chicken on your plate come from China? There may be no way of knowing for sure, thanks to existing U.S. food labeling rules.

     -- From “Will you know when your chicken was processed in China?”; by Tarini Parti, at this September 16, 2013 Politico site:
__________

What's on plates in U.S. schools?:

     Because no country-of-origin labeling is required on products containing Chinese-processed chicken, only school districts which expressly obligate vendors to use 100% domestically processed chicken will know exactly what they’re serving to kids.
     -- From “USDA Misinforms Parents About Chinese-Processed Chicken in School Meals,” by Bettina Elias Siegel, at this September 25, 2013 Food Safety News site: 

Is Washington In The Midst Of A Post-Shutdown Baby Boom?

No one liked the government shutdown, but apparently, it wasn’t withoutlove. The kind of love that transpires when, say, you and your partner both don’t have to go to work. One week passes. Then two. You’re bored. You’re adults. You share a bed.

And nine months later, there you are at a hospital that seems strangely overcrowded.

“We keep getting asked, ‘What’s going on?’ ” said Sibley Memorial Hospital nurse Yulette Newman. “And we sit back and say, ‘Well, you’re in D.C. What was happening nine months ago?’ ”

According to some local hospitals, one apparent aftereffect of the 16-day October furlough has made its way into maternity wards. At Sibley, for example, an average of 9.2 births occur daily. During the past month, that number has increased by three births, or 32.6 percent, per day.

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MARYLAND STATE POLICE ANNOUNCE ACCREDITATION SITE VISIT

(PIKESVILLE, MD) – The Maryland State Police has been working for almost three years to achieve national law enforcement accreditation by demonstrating that it meets national professional standards. The next phase in the process is a four-day on-site assessment by out-of-state law enforcement representatives that is scheduled to begin on August 10, 2014.

Administered by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), the accreditation program requires agencies to comply with state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: policy and procedures, administration, operations and support services. The Maryland State Police received accreditation awards for Communications and the Training Academy earlier this year.

As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are encouraged to offer comments to the CALEA assessors during a telephone public information session on Monday, August 11, 2013, between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. To reach the assessors, please call 410-875-3900.

Those wishing to offer comments are asked to limit their remarks to 10 minutes and to address the department’s ability to comply with CALEA’s law enforcement standards. A copy of the standards is available at Maryland State Police Headquarters in Pikesville. Please contact Captain Doug Baralo, Maryland State Police Accreditation Manager, at douglas.baralo@maryland.gov with questions.

Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the ability of the Maryland State Police to comply with the standards for accreditation may send them to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155.

How 14 Things That Happened To You In Childhood Shape You As An Adult

Tons of research shows that our adult behavior stems from what we experienced as kids.

If you're extremely sneaky or suffer from obesity, it's probably an issue you can trace back to your younger days.

To help you make connections between now and then, we've compiled 14 childhood experiences that shaped who you are today.

Vivian Giang contributed research to this story.

1 In 3 U.S. Adults Have 'Debt In Collections'

Americans have a debt problem.
 

An estimated 1 in 3 adults with a credit history -- or 77 million people -- are so far behind on some of their debt payments that their account has been put "in collections."

That's a key finding from a new Urban Institute study.

It examined non-mortgage debt, including credit card bills, car loans, medical bills, child support payments and even parking tickets.

The debt in collections ranged from as little as $25 to a whopping $125,000. But the average amount owed was $5,200.

Geographically, no area of the country is untouched.

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Being President is Tough; Being Incompetent Doesn’t Help

Being President has tons of perks. Like being able to play golf any time you want to. Like going on vacation and not having to pay for it, any time you want. If you’re a Democrat, you get absolute cover from the press. There’s more, but you get the idea. There’s also a fundamental problem being President when you’re just not very bright and you’re incompetent. There comes a time when even the press can’t cover for you anymore.

President Obama got a pass running up to the 2012 elections. He wasn’t held accountable for Fast & Furious and the death of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry. He got a pass on the terrorist attack in Benghazi that cost the lives of a US ambassador and three other US citizens. He got a pass on the worst recovery in history and the fact that there are fewer Americans working today than when he took office. He got a pass on the fact that his foreign policy is a raging disaster and the world is a significantly more dangerous place than when he took office.

It looks like the days of “Get out of jail FREE” cards may be just about over for President Obama though.

Anderson Robbins and Shaw & Company did a poll for Fox News the results don’t reflect well on the President. The first thing to know about the poll is that it is Registered Voters not Likely Voters, and typically RV lean much farther to the left than LV. Here’s the overall polling results.

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GERARD DAWSON DENNIS CONVICTED OF ARMED ROBBERY, BURGLARY 1st DEGREE, ASSAULT 1st DEGREE, and FIREARMS OFFENSES

On July 28, 2014, Gerard Dawson Dennis, age 19, of Salisbury, Maryland was convicted of Armed Robbery, Burglary 1st Degree, Assault 1st Degree, Firearm Use in Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and related offenses.  The charges against Dennis arose from a home invasion that occurred on October 4, 2013, in the area of 1029 Adams Avenue, Salisbury, Wicomico County, Maryland.  Sentencing has been deferred to a later date. 
Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew A. Maciarello commended the Salisbury City Police Criminal Investigation Division, and investigating officers Det. Popovich and Det. Caputo for their work in the investigation and prosecution of this case.  Mr. Maciarello also thanked Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Kristen Schultz who prosecuted this case. 
For more information or for an interview please call the Office of the State’s Attorney at (410) 548-4880 or go to www.wicomicosao.com.

Beach Pumping’s Impact On Currents, Waves Discussed: Bach Patrol Captain Reports Research Shows No Link

OCEAN CITY – Resort officials dismissed the notion this week that there is a link between beach replenishment and swimming injuries in the ocean.

Last Thursday, The Dispatch posted to Facebook a story about a victim suffering neck and back injuries on the beach near 55th Street around 1 p.m. and being transported to PRMC in Salisbury via helicopter.
The majority of The Dispatch’s followers, as has happened in the past with reports of other rescues, voiced their opinions that beach replenishment is to be blamed for the changing dynamics of the ocean floor causing shore breaks and rip currents in higher frequencies than before.

“The surf line in Ocean City is not what it was 40 years ago when I was growing up. Back then there was always a sandbar 200 yards out from the shore … you got the nicest waves for bodysurfing, nice rollers,” posted Marty Etzel. “Now you get this ‘flop’ right at the shoreline. Is this because of beach replenishment?”

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WCSO Press Releases - July 29, 2014

Incident: Unattended Children

Date of Incident: 26 July 2014

Location: 4000 block of Tyaskin Road, Tyaskin, MD

Suspect: Anita L. Brown, 31, Tyaskin, MD
                                 
Narrative:  On 26 July 2014 at 1:54 PM a deputy responded to the report of three unattended children left in a residence in the 4000 block of Tyaskin Road.During the investigation, the deputy learned that Anita Brown left three children aged 5, 2 and 8 months without any supervision in her residence for approximately 40 minutes.  The deputy placed Brown under arrest and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Brown on Personal Recognizance.

Charges: Unattended Child (3 counts) 


Incident: Warrant

Date of Incident: 22 July 2014

Location: Wicomico County, MD

Suspect: Richard Philip Matthews, 42, Salisbury, MD
                                 
Narrative: On 24 July 2014 at 10:00 PM a deputy arrested Richard Matthews on an outstanding District Court Bench Warrant that was issued after he violated the terms of his probation. Matthews had been convicted in August 2013 on the charge of Theft under $1,000.00.  Matthews was detained on a bond of $20,000.00 pending a future court appearance.

Charges: Violation of Probation


Incident: Theft

Date of Incident: 26 July 2014

Location:  32000 block of Johnson Road, Salisbury, MD

Suspect: Randy Allen Knupp, 29, Salisbury, MD

Narrative:  On 26 July 2014 at 4:00 PM a deputy arrested Randy Knupp following an investigation into the theft of a jar of coins from a residence in the 32000 block of Johnson Road in Salisbury. At the time of the report, the owner of the property believed Knupp was a suspect as he was the only one at the residence during the time period of the theft. The deputy also reviewed video surveillance from a nearby commercial establishment that had a “Coin-Star” receptacle and observed an individual that was identified as Knupp depositing the coins into that receptacle in exchange for cash.  The deputy applied for and obtained a warrant for the arrest of Knupp and upon arrest transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Knupp on personal recognizance.

Charges: Theft under $1,000.00


Incident: Assault

Date of Incident: 25 July 2014

Location: 1200 block of Pocahontas Ave., Salisbury, MD

Suspect: Isiah J. Jordan, 25, Salisbury, MD
                                 
Narrative:  On 25 July 2014 at 11:38 AM, a deputy responded to a residence in the 1200 block of Pocahontas Avenue for a reported altercation. Upon arrival,the deputy learned that the two brothers who resided together became embroiled in an argument that turned physical when one of the brothers, Isiah Jordan,assaulted the other. During the investigation, the deputy observed signs of injury on the victim that corroborated his account. Also during the investigation, Isiah became uncooperative with the investigation.  The deputy placed Isiah Jordan under arrest for the assault and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Jordan on Personal Recognizance.

Charges: Assault 2nd Degree



Incident: Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute

Date of Incident: 27 July 2014

Location: E. Isabella Street, Salisbury, MD

Suspect: James P. Hutson, 19,Salisbury, MD
                                 
Narrative:  On 27 July 2014 at 8:11 PM a deputy stopped a vehicle operated by James Hutson on E. Isabella Street for an equipment violation. Upon approach to Hutson, the deputy observed what the deputy recognized as the remnants of marijuana on the passenger side floor. Upon a subsequent search of the vehicle, the deputy located what was identified as marijuana that was packaged into four separate baggies. Based on the packaging and the total amount observed, the deputy arrested Hutson for possession with the intent to distribute.  The deputy transported Hutson to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Hutson in the Detention Center in lieu of $20,000.00 bond.

Charges: Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute



Incident: Assault

Date of Incident: 26 July 2014

Location: 200 block of Spruce Street, Delmar, MD

Suspect: Melinda Ann Pyott, 37, Delmar,MD
                                 
Narrative:  On 26 July 2014 at 8:46 PM a deputy responded to a reported altercation at a residence in the 200 block of Spruce Street in Delmar. Upon arrival, the deputy met with a male subject who advised that he had been involved with an altercation with a female subject he resided with, Melinda Pyott that became physical. According to the male victim, Pyott punched him in the mouth during the altercation. During the investigation the deputy observed signs of injury on the victim that corroborated his account.  The deputy placed Pyott under arrest and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Pyott in the Detention Center in lieu of $25,000.00 bond.

Charges: Assault 2nd Degree



Incident: “Most Wanted” Apprehension

Date of Incident: 23 July 2014

Location: Mt. Jewett, Pennsylvania

Suspect: Christian Clayton Clark, 24, formerly of Cambridge, MD
            
Narrative: On 23 July 2014, an officer from the Mt. Jewett, PA Police, acting on information provided by the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, located and arrested a Wicomico County “Most Wanted” fugitive at a residence in that community. Clark had been profiled on various local media outlets over the course of the last three years after he absconded from the area. Clark was being sought on a Violation of Probation bench warrant that had been issued following a conviction in a felony theft scheme.

Clark is currently incarcerated at the McKean County, PA jail pending extradition back to Wicomico County.

Charges: Violation of Probation



Incident: Flee and Elude / Leaving Scene of an Accident

Date of Incident: 26 July 2014

Location: Main Street, Sharptown, MD

Suspect: Denzel Antonio Brown, 23, Delmar, DE
                                 
Narrative:  On 26 July 2014 at 5:03 AM, a deputy clocked a vehicle that would later be found to be operated by Denzel Brown at 94 miles per hour in a 50 mph zone on Laurel Road heading towards Sharptown. The deputy attempted to go after the speeding vehicle but soon lost sight of it as Brown accelerated away. The deputy continued on to the town of Sharptown and soon located the speeding vehicle where it had crashed in the area of the dead end at the river on Main Street. The driver was no where to be found. The deputy discovered that the vehicle was unregistered and would later discover that it was uninsured.  The deputy located Brown after he walked into the State Police barrack to report he had been involved in an accident in Sharptown.  The deputy placed Brown under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Brown in the Detention Center in lieu of $20,000.00 bond.
  
Charges: Speeding, Attempt to Flee and Elude, Reckless Driving, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Operating an Unregistered Vehicle and Operating an Uninsured Vehicle

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Releasing Authority: Lt. Tim Robinson        Date:  29 July 2014

SPD Press Release 7-29-14 (Death Investigation Update)


BREAKING NEWS: Obama announces new US sanctions on Russia

President Obama announces a new round of U.S. sanctions against Russian energy, finance and arms sectors amid crisis in Ukraine.

From Fox News

WSJ: Republicans Could Win up to 10 Senate Seats in November

Republicans are running competitively for 10 Senate seats now held by Democrats, heightening chances for the party to capture a majority of the U.S. Senate in 2014, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The Republican Party is generally less popular than either President Barack Obama or the Democratic Party, according to the Journal. Those sentiments are evidently offset by a combination of appealing Republican candidates and deep public disapproval of the president.

Democrats now hold 55 seats in the Senate. Republicans need a net gain of six for a majority. Republican senatorial candidates are doing well in seven states that went for Mitt Romney in 2012, as well as several states that went for Obama.

"A lot of times, a party has to run an inside-straight to win the majority," Stuart Rothenberg of the Rothenberg Political Report told the Journal. "Instead of having five cards in their hand, the Republicans have about 10."

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SUSPECT CHARGED IN WICOMICO COUNTY MURDER

(SALISBURY, MD) – Maryland State Police have arrested and charged a suspect in connection with the murder of a Wicomico County man and an assault on his housemate that occurred earlier this year.

The accused is identified as Paul A. Tatem, 35, of Quantico, MD. A Wicomico County Grand Jury issued an indictment charging Tatem with first and second degree murder, two counts of armed robbery, two counts of robbery, two counts of first and second degree assault, attempted first and second degree murder, first degree burglary, theft between $1,000 and $10,000, two counts of wearing/carrying a dangerous weapon with intent to injure, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, and felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment ordered Tatem be held without bond in the Wicomico County Detention Center.

The indictment was served on Tatem today at the detention center by Maryland State Police Homicide Unit investigators. Tatem was originally arrested in the Salisbury area by members of the Maryland State Apprehension Team on July 1, 2014, on a parole retake warrant and a theft warrant. He has been held in the detention center without bond since that time.

Tatem is charged with the murder of Donald G. Mariner, 72, who was found dead in his home in the 27000-block of Pemberton Drive, Salisbury, early on the morning of April 16, 2014. Mariner and his housemate, a 50-year-old man, had both been assaulted when suspect(s) entered the home during an apparent home invasion. Mariner was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy determined Mariner was murdered and died from blunt force injuries. The younger victim survived.

The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit investigation developed evidence and information that was presented to the Wicomico County Grand Jury, with the assistance of the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office. The Grand Jury issued the indictment charging Tatem with Mariner’s murder and the assault of the other victim.

Multiple departments and units assisted with this investigation. They include the Wicomico Bureau of Investigation, Salisbury Police Department, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Wicomico CAC, Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force, and Maryland State Police units including the Gang Enforcement Unit, Criminal Enforcement Division, Crime Scene Unit, State Apprehension Team, and Salisbury Barrack.

The investigation into this murder and assault is continuing. Additional arrests are possible.

Maryland VA Looks To Private Docs To Speed Up Care

The medical system charged with caring for Maryland's veterans is seeking help from private physicians in the Baltimore region to address a primary-care backlog that has become one of the worst in the nation, federal officials said Monday.

With Central Maryland's veterans waiting months to schedule an initial visit with a primary-care doctor, the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System is hoping to tap into whatever reserve capacity is available in the area's extensive network of private clinics, according to a formal solicitation.

While the agency's move is unusual, it comes as lawmakers in Congress unveiled a bipartisan agreement Monday to spend $10 billion to expand access to medical care outside the traditional VA system for veterans who live more than 40 miles from a medical center or face long wait times.

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Shirtless Wade McCree May Be Heading To The Supreme Court

Judge of the Millennium Wade McCree has a special place in the hearts of ATL’s writers. The former Wayne County circuit judge had a penchant for disrobing for shirtless selfies and sex in his chambers, and was consequentlydisrobed by the Michigan Supreme Court.

On Monday, the Sixth Circuit correctly (if you mean “applying the law as it currently exists,” and “incorrectly” if you mean “adopting the better policy”) held that Judge McCree is immune from a civil suit brought by a man McCree slapped with a tether and high child support payments. The man’s complaint is that while Judge McCree was coming down hard on him, Judge McCree was also coming down hard on the child’s mother — specifically sexting her from the bench and carrying on an affair that ultimately ended in an abortion. The man and his lawyer are seeking an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Is absolute judicial immunity a doctrine worth keeping? Probably not…

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Project Pop-Up 2014

Our President Makes Us Look Like Fools


SFD Calls For Service 7-28-14

  • Monday July, 28 2014 @ 23:55Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Monday July, 28 2014 @ 23:36Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Monday July, 28 2014 @ 22:57Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Monday July, 28 2014 @ 15:08Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Monday July, 28 2014 @ 12:48Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury

Lawsuit Seeks Damages From EPA, ‘A Toxic Waste Dump of Lawlessness’

(CNSNews.com) – A conservative legal group is asking a federal judge to punish the Environmental Protection Agency for destroying or failing to preserve emails and text messages requested in August 2012 under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Landmark Legal Foundation believes the requested -- but never delivered -- messages to outside groups would have revealed EPA attempts to influence the 2012 presidential election.

"The EPA is a toxic waste dump for lawlessness and disdain for the Constitution,” said Landmark Legal President Mark Levin.

His legal group wants the federal court to fine the EPA “in an amount sufficient to deter future wrongdoing.”

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Dems pump up impeachment talk in appeal for support, campaign bucks

In a matter of days, Democrats looking to head off Republican gains in November have turned scattered talk of President Obama's impeachment into a sustained rallying cry -- even managing to fundraise off the perceived threat.

The campaign arm for House Democrats has been sending out a barrage of fundraising emails warning of the impeachment threat, and claims to have raised roughly $2 million in their latest push.

The president and first lady Michelle Obama have warned of that possibility on the stump. And a top White House official even said Friday “it would be foolish to discount” a bona fide impeachment push by Republicans.

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Missing After World War I: The Tomb of the Unknown Civilian

On 28 July 1914 the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia and set in motion the events that led one week later to the clash of nations that became World War I.

This conflict caused casualties in unprecedented numbers, with the final total of deaths approximately 17 million. The roster of battles and their military deaths remain seared into the collective memory of the major combatant nations: France at the battle of the Frontiers on 22 August 1914 suffered 27,000 dead; Britain on 1 July 1916 (to this day remembered simply as the First Day of the Somme) lost 21,000 dead; the extended battle of Verdun of 1916 at Verdun cost the French and German armies some 300,000 dead. Some battles became defining moments in national identity, such as Vimy Ridge in 1917 for the Canadians and Gallipoli in 1915 for Australia and New Zealand. Other battles are recalled for stunning defeats: the Russians at Tannenberg in 1914 and the Italians in 1917 at Caporetto.

What is often not part of this tragic story is that of the 17 million dead, about 7 million were civilians. What led to such a high number of civilian deaths and who now speaks for the civilian dead? One answer is disease, for the flu pandemic of 1918 killed worldwide. Great Britain and the Commonwealth nations had 180,000 deaths, Italy 432,000 dead of flu-related causes and both France and Germany endured 200,000 deaths. In 1915, 150,000 Serb civilians died from typhus.

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US Police have Used Fake Mobile Base Stations to Spy on Citizens

US government has concealed police use of fake mobile base stations which can spy on citizens without requiring search warrants since at least 2009

A civil liberties group has discovered emails showing that the US government has concealed police use of fake mobile base stations which can spy on citizens without requiring search warrants since at least 2009.

Emails obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union show that federal law enforcement officials insisted police in Sacramento, Florida conceal their use of the devices, known as “StingRay”, in order to prevent criminals from learning how to get around them.

Sgt. Ken Castro of the Sarasota Police Department sent emails to members of the North Port Police Department in April 2009, informing them that the US Marshals Service requested that police not disclose StingRay in court depositions, but instead refer to it as “information from a confidential source regarding the location of the suspect”.

The North Port Police Department implemented the new rules and continues to avoid mentioning StingRay, according to the emails.

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Maryland Solicits Foster Parents For Migrant Youths As O’Malley Meets With Faith Leaders

Maryland stepped up its efforts Monday to recruit foster parents and solicit other assistance from the public to help with the flood of unaccompanied migrant children coming into the country from Central America.

An appeal for help was posted on the state Web site as Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) met in Annapolis with a group of religious leaders for the second time in as many weeks to talk about ways to assist the federal government with the crisis.

O’Malley administration officials also indicated that they had passed along several potential temporary housing sites to the federal government and that Montgomery County was among the jurisdictions that could host a facility.

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Obama quietly expands government’s ‘watchlist’

You don't have to be terror suspect to be chosen

The Obama administration has quietly rewritten the rules on how it goes about designating Americans as terrorists, according to a new report by Glenn Greenwald’s Intercept online investigations project.

The report details how Obama has expanded the terrorist watchlist system, “authorizing a secret process that requires neither ‘concrete facts’ nor ‘irrefutable evidence’ to designate an American or foreigner as a terrorist,” according to a key government document obtained by the Intercept.

Instead of actual evidence, all the government needs is the nebulous “reasonable suspicion,” which is considered one of the lowest standards of proof in the American legal system. It’s less than “probable cause,” which is required to make an arrest.

Greenwald, a former investigative reporter for the U.K.-based Guardian who broke the Edward Snowden story about NSA spying on Americans, left the newspaper late last year to start the Intercept.

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The Vacant Presidency

The world is aflame and our leader is on the 14th green.

The president’s demeanor is worrying a lot of people. From the immigration crisis on the Mexican border to the Islamic State rising in Mesopotamia, Barack Obama seems totally detached. When he does interrupt his endless rounds of golf, fundraising, and photo ops, it’s for some affectless, mechanical, almost forced public statement.

Regarding Ukraine, his detachment — the rote, impassive voice — borders on dissociation. His U.N. ambassador, Samantha Power, delivers an impassioned denunciation of Russia. Obama cautions that we not “get out ahead of the facts,” as if the facts of this case — Vladimir Putin’s proxies’ shooting down a civilian airliner — are in doubt.

The preferred explanation for the president’s detachment is psychological. He’s checked out. Given up. Let down and disappointed by the world, he is in withdrawal.

Perhaps. But I’d propose an alternative theory that gives him more credit: Obama’s passivity stems from an idea. When Obama says Putin has placed himself on the wrong side of history in Ukraine, he actually believes it. He disdains realpolitik because he believes that, in the end, such primitive 19th-century notions as conquest are self-defeating. History sees to their defeat.

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The Era Of Big Government ... Is Bankrupting You

THE BLEEDING OF AMERICA CONTINUES …

“The center cannot hold.”

That’s an expression we’re fond of using as it relates to the American experiment … and when people realize it’s the truth, some things might actually start changing in this country. We might decide at that point it’s not such a good idea to continue incentivizing dependency amongst our non-working poor – or continued granting subsidies, bailouts or loan guarantees for multi-millionaire corporate executives.

Why not? Because the people picking up the tab for this largesse (a.k.a. the people in the middle) are going broke.

According to a new study funded by the Russell Sage Foundation, the rise of big government under “Republican” George W. Bush and Democrat Barack Obama has had a profoundly deleterious impact on American incomes.

(Thank your government-run schools if you need to visit Merriam-Webster for the definition of deleterious).

How deleterious?

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Americans Say Obamacare Is Hurting Families

The American people hate Obamacare and recognize the lasting damage it is inflicting, according to a new national poll.

Americans seem to recognize that the Obamacare law will boot people out of their health care plans, encourage idleness, drive wages down, increase the government’s tax take, and fail to put a dent in the number of Americans without health insurance coverage.

“Obamacare is helping some people; mostly Americans with preexisting conditions and those who are eligible for very generous subsidies,” Townhall’s Guy Benson observes. “But it’s hurting far more people. And a substantial majority oppose the law.”

Indeed, after but a wee taste of the deadly horrors of government-run health care, Americans now say by a 2-to-1 margin that it has hurt their families, according to a new CNN/ORC International poll.

When asked what impact the Obamacare law has had, 18 percent of respondents said their families were better off as a result of the law, compared to 35 percent who said Obamacare has made them worse off.

Americans continue to hate Obamacare overall, disapproving of the program by a dramatic margin of 59 percent to 40 percent.

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WIC Program Moves To Electronic Cards In Del.

Over 19,000 Delaware families who use WIC benefits will soon have the convenience of electronic transfer cards for food shopping.

The Division of Public Health Women, Infants and Children, also known as the WIC program, Monday announced a grant of almost $700,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement an electric benefits transfer system for Delaware WIC families.

The cards will replace paper food checks or vouchers for food at authorized WIC grocery stores.
The system will be implemented over the next two years.

Source

DEPARTMENT OF MARYLAND STATE POLICE CENTREVILLE BARRACK: Departmental Crash

LOCATION: MD RT 291 at River Park Rd, Millington, Kent Co, MD

Narrative:

On the above date and time, Senior Trooper E Bilbrough was operating his unmarked MSP patrol vehicle traveling on W/B MD RT 291 approaching River Park Rd when a 2002 Chevrolet Venture van driven by Donna Squires of Millington failed to yield right of way by turning left from River Park Rd to W/B MD RT 291.

S/Tpr Bilbrough received a minor injury and was transported to Chester River Hospital for observation only. Squires and her juvenile passenger were not hurt. All parties were wearing seatbelts.

Squires was charged on a traffic citation and released from the scene.

Pending Home Sales Tumble From Recovery Highs, Biggest Miss In 2014

Following last week's collapse in new home sales [6] (and last month's massive beat and surge in pending home sales), it was likely not a total surprise that pending home sales would slow, but the -1.1% MoM print is the worst in 2014 (and the biggest miss in 2014). The median existing home price continues to rise (up 4.3% year-over-year) but this is the slowest rate of gain since March 2012. NAR is quick with the excuses and this time.. no weather is to blame.

From biggest beat to biggest miss in 2014...

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Local Governments Turning Red Lights Into Green

Red light cameras are pulling in big dollars for local governments in the Washington, D.C., area, according to new data from AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Red light camera programs in cities like D.C. and Rockville, and Montgomery, Prince George's and Arlington counties raked in $21 million combined in 2013, the data show.

Montgomery County, Maryland saw the biggest boost. In 2012, its 22,616 tickets pulled in $1,919,602 in ticket revenue; in 2013, that number jumped to $2,806,690 with 43,522 tickets issued -- a 94 percent increase.

As of March, the county has earned $2,805,125 from 46,109 red light runners. That puts them on course to shatter last year's total, thanks in part to 10 new cameras.

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Andrej Pejic Is No More: Introducing Andreja Pejic

Androgynous model Andrej Pejic has publicly announced her gender reassignment surgery and will now be known as Andreja Pejic.

Speaking exclusively to People, Andreja said "I always dreamt of being a girl. One of my earliest memories is spinning around in my mom's skirt trying to look like a ballerina."

"I want to share my story with the world because I think I have a social responsibility,” she explained. "I hope that by being open about this, it becomes less of an issue."

Posting on her @andrej_pejic Twitter page on Friday, Andreja wrote, “I've made som changes :) please go to ‪@andrejapejic.”

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New-Home Slowdown Pressures Recovery

New home sales plunged 8.1 percent in June, putting the decline at 4.9 percent for the first half of the year, and that's not good news for the economy.

"Housing has clearly been a notable area of persistent sluggishness beyond early-year weather disruptions," Ted Wieseman, an economist at Morgan Stanley, told The Wall Street Journal.

The economy contracted 2.9 percent in the first quarter, though many analysts expect it to grow nearly 3 percent for the rest of the year.

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Mass Incarceration: 21 Amazing Facts About America’s Obsession With Prison

Nobody in the world loves locking people behind bars as much as Americans do. We have more people in prison than any other nation on the planet. We also have a higher percentage of our population locked up than anyone else does by a very large margin. But has all of this imprisonment actually made us safer? Well, the last time I checked, crime was still wildly out of control in America and for the most recent year that we have numbers for violent crime was up 15 percent. The number of people that we have locked up has quadrupled since 1980, but this is not solving any of our problems. Clearly, what we are doing is not working.

Nobody wants more crime. And it seems logical that locking more people up and keeping them in prison for longer terms would “clean up our streets” and make our communities safer. But instead, we have spawned a “prison industrial complex” that costs taxpayers more than 60 billion dollars a year but that does very little to turn the lives of the men and women inside around. The chart posted below is a bit old, but it shows that we have a massive problem with recidivism in this country…

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'This Is a Country That Is Fatigued from this President'

On Monday’s “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, NBC chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd reacted to the news of polling datathat shows 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney would defeat President Barack Obama if the head-to-head match-up were held today.

Todd explained this was a larger indicator that the country as a whole has grown fatigued of Obama, but did not this fatigue to Democratic Party as a whole.

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Court: Doctors can’t ask about gun ownership

'A valid regulation of professional conduct'

(GUNS.COM) —
A Federal Court of Appeals overturned a 2011 injunction Friday won by Florida doctors against a state firearms owner’s privacy law.

The suit, brought in part by the Florida chapters of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics, had won an injunction by a lower court in what became known popularly as the “Docs vs. Glocks” case. That injunction was struck down this week in a 2-1 ruling by a panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta.

“We find that the Act is a valid regulation of professional conduct that has only incidental effect on physicians’ speech,” wrote Circuit Judge Gerald Tjoflat for the majority in the mammoth 161-page ruling in the case of Wollschlaeger v. Governor of the State of Florida published Friday.

WCSO Most Wanted 7-29-14 (Part 2 of 2)


Caseyana Marie Culotta
• White Female, 5’05” 160 lbs
• DOB 06/02/1990 24 years of age
• Brown hair, Hazel eyes
• Culotta’s last known address was Princess Anne MD
• Culotta is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on two District Court Bench Warrants, both issued in February 2014. One for Failure to Appear on charges of CDS Possession Not Marijuana and Paraphernalia, and DWI. The other for Violation of Probation on the charges of Theft $1000 to $10000 and theft less $1000
• There is no preset bond, she must be brought before the court
• Culotta has a history of DRUG ABUSE
• The state will extradite her from all states east of the Mississippi River


Wesley Major Brickous 3rd
• Black Male, 5’11” 215 lbs
• DOB 05/18/1971 43 years of age
• Black hair, Brown eyes
• Brickous’ last known address was Salisbury MD
• Brickous is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District Court Arrest Warrant issued for Failure to Appear in June 2014 on the charge of Felony Theft and Felony Theft Scheme
• The preset bond is $10,000
• Brickous may be ARMED, should be considered DANGEROUS, and has history of DRUG ABUSE 



Julio Escalante Bartolon
• Hispanic Male, 5’04” 120 lbs
• DOB 11/17/1986 27 years of age
• Bartolon’s last known address was Salisbury MD
• Bartolon is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District Court Bench Warrant issued for Violation of Probation in May 2014 on the charge of DWI
• The preset bond is $20,000


Rachel Tyrice Witherspoon
• Black Female, 5’02” 132 lbs
• DOB 12/05/1990 23 years of age
• Black hair, Brown eyes
• Witherspoon’s last known address was Salisbury MD
• Witherspoon is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant issued for Failure to Appear in November 2013 for a Sentencing Hearing on the charges of CDS Possess Marijuana
• There is no preset bond, she must be brought before the court
• Witherspoon has history of DRUG ABUSE
• The state will extradite her from DE and VA 


 Eugenio Rincon (no middle name)
• Hispanic Male, 5’11” 220 lbs
• DOB 10/24/1976 37 years of age
• Black hair, Brown eyes
• Rincon’s last known address was Salisbury MD
• Rincon is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District Court Bench Warrant issued in June 2014 for Violation of Probation on the charge of DWI
• The preset bond is $10,000
• Rincon is a known Gang Member with VIOLENT TENDANCIES
• The state will extradite him from DE and VA


Amanda Kay Merrell
• White Female, 5’03” 135 lbs
• DOB 11/10/1986 27 years of age
• Red hair, Blue eyes
• Merrell’s last known address was Salisbury MD
• Merrell is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant issued in May 2014 for Violation of Probation on the charge of CDS Possession Marijuana
• The preset bond is $10,000
• Merrell has history of DRUG ABUSE
• The state will extradite her from DE and VA 


Steven Rodney Howard
• Black Male 5’09” 190 lbs
• DOB 08/21/1966 47 years of age
• Black hair, Brown eyes
• Howard’s last known addresses were Cambridge MD and Salisbury MD
• Howard is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District Court Bench Warrant issued for Failure to Appear for a Violation of Probation Hearing in October 2012 on the charge of Theft
• The preset bond is $10,000
• Howard has history of DRUG ABUSE



Deborah Denise Crump
• Black Female, 5’00” 129 lbs
• DOB 09/26/1988 25 years of age
• Brown hair, Brown eyes
• Crump’s last known address was Milford DE
• Crump is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a Circuit Court Arrest Warrant issued for Failure to Appear in June 2011 for an Appeal she filed on the charge of Theft
• There is no preset bond, she must be brought before the court
• Crump should be APPROACHED WITH CAUTION and has history of Drug Abuse

Virginia motorist gets 2 years in pedestrian death

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- A former Henrico County sheriff's deputy has been sentenced to two years in prison in a pedestrian's hit-and-run death.

Media outlets report a Richmond circuit judge sentenced 52-year-old Barry E. Mallory to the maximum 10 years in prison but suspended eight years of that.

Mallory also was ordered Friday to pay $5,000 to cover burial expenses and had his license suspended for a year.

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WCSO Most Wanted 7-29-14( Part 1 of 2)



Joseph Steven Michael Steele
• White Male, 6’00” 250 lbs
• DOB 09/24/1984 29 years of age
• Black hair, Green eyes
• Steele’s last known address was Delmar DE
• Steele is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District Court Bench Warrant issued for Violation of Pre-Trial Release Conditions in June 2014 on the charges of CDS Possess Marijuana, Paraphernalia and DWI
• There is no preset bond, he must be brought before the court
• Steele should be APPROACHED WITH CAUTION he has history of RESISTING ARREST and DRUG ABUSE
• The state will extradite him from DE and VA


John Walter Donoway Sr.
• White Male, 5’08” 200 lbs
• DOB 02/13/1958 56 years of age
• Brown hair, Brown eyes
• Donoway’s last known address was Delmar DE
• Donoway is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant issued for Failure to Appear in July 2013 for a Violation of Probation Hearing on the charge of Act as Contractor without a License
• The preset bond is $25,000
• Donoway has history of DRUG ABUSE
• The state will extradite him from DE and VA 




Marcus Dwayne Harmon
• Black Male, 5’06” 150 lbs
• DOB 05/11/1988 25 years of age
• Brown hair, Brown eyes
• Harmon’s last known address was Salisbury MD
• Harmon is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant issued for Failure to Appear in December 2013 for a Jury Trial on the charge of Criminal Child Support
• There is no preset bond, he must be brought before the court


Shantell Monique Green
• Black Female 5’02” 105 lbs
• DOB 12/06/1988 27 years of age
• Brown hair, Brown eyes
• Green’s last known address was Salisbury MD
• Green is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on two District Court Bench Warrants issued in December 2013 and April 2014, both for Failure to Appear for a Violation of Probation hearing on the charge of Theft
• The total preset bond is $15,000
 
Jenna Lynn Ennis
• White Female 5’04” 190 lbs
• DOB 06/24/1988 26 years of age
• Red hair, Brown eyes
• Ennis’ last known address was Parsonsburg MD
• Ennis is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District Court Arrest Warrant issued in June 2014 for Burglary, Theft, and MDOP charges
• Ennis should be APPROACHED WITH CAUTION and has history of DRUG ABUSE
• The state will extradite her from all states East of the Mississippi River


Jerry Lane Hatfield
• White Male, 5’11” 190 lbs
• DOB 03/07/1954 60 years of age
• Brown hair, Hazel eyes
• Hatfield’s last known address was Laurel DE
• Hatfield is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a Circuit Court Arrest Warrant issued for Criminal Child Support in November 2012
• The preset bond is $15,000
• The state will extradite him from DE and VA 


Joshua Jeffrey Lehman
• White Male, 6’00” 195 lbs
• DOB 02/14/1977 37 years of age
• Brown hair, Brown eyes
• Lehman’s last known address was Salisbury MD
• Lehman is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a three Circuit Court Bench Warrants issued for Failure to Appear in June and July 2014 on Criminal child Support and multiple traffic charges
• There is no preset bond, he must be brought before the court
• Lehman should be APPROACHED WITH CAUTION and has history of DRUG ABUSE
• The state will extradite him from DE and VA


 Dean Patrick Brasure
• White Male, 6’00” 170 lbs
• DOB 11/14/1967 46 years of age
• Brown hair, Brown eyes
• Brasure’s last known address was Salisbury MD
• Brasure is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on two District Court Bench Warrants. One issued in May 2014 for Violation of Probation on the charge of DWI. The other issued for Failure to Appear in July 2014 for DWI and Failure to Remain at Accident scene
• The total preset bond is $30,000
• Brasure has history of DRUG ABUSE