DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, April 27, 2015
MULTIPLE IMPAIRED DRIVING CRASHES ACROSS MD THIS WEEKEND
Maryland State Police Press Release
04/27/2015
(Pikesville, MD) – Troopers investigated several crashes involving impaired drivers and arrested even more over this past weekend across the state. 04/27/2015
This past weekend, April 24 through April 26, 2015, troopers investigated 12 collisions involving suspected impaired drivers. They also arrested 58 motorists suspected of operating a vehicle while impaired. Troopers remind everyone that impaired driving crashes are completely preventable by never driving after you have been drinking.
These collisions included:
Caroline Co. - Route 307 at Route 313, Federalsburg, MD – 3:20 p. m. - April 24 – Troopers responded to a single vehicle crash involving a car that ran off the roadway into a ditch after striking a curb. The driver was transported to the hospital and is suspected of DUI. Charges are pending.
Because Ladder Trucks Are Necessary To Put out Vehicle Fires In Baltimore Too
Journalist: Wisconsin Law Abuses Innocents
A chilling Wisconsin law allows prosecutors to charge into private homes and seize property — and nobody is allowed to say a word about it, says David French, a writer for The National Review.
"It's called a 'John Doe' law, and this is something that's unique to Wisconsin," French said Friday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
"It essentially allows a prosecutor with permission of a court to launch an investigation that's secret on his end, which is normal.
"But they can require the targets of the investigation, the people who are being investigated, ordinary citizens, to maintain absolute silence about the existence of this investigation."
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"It's called a 'John Doe' law, and this is something that's unique to Wisconsin," French said Friday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
"It essentially allows a prosecutor with permission of a court to launch an investigation that's secret on his end, which is normal.
"But they can require the targets of the investigation, the people who are being investigated, ordinary citizens, to maintain absolute silence about the existence of this investigation."
More
Frat Boys Spit On Wounded Vet, Urinate On American Flag
Investigations have been launched at two universities over accusations that fraternity members taunted wounded war heroes, urinated on an American flag, and spit on a wounded veteran and his service dog in Panama City Beach, Florida.
The April 17 incident, involving Zeta Beta Tau fraternity members from the University of Florida and Emory University, has infuriated residents of Panama City.
“They were being treated like the Vietnam veterans were treated,” said Linda Cope, the founder of the Warrior Beach Retreat.
The local charity provides an annual all-expense-paid vacation for more than a 100 combat-wounded warriors and their spouses or caregivers. All of the expenses are covered by Panama City Beach residents and businesses.
Cope tells me the fraternity members were staying in the same resort – and caused a night of mayhem. The college kids made derogatory comments about the warriors’ wives, threw items off balconies and desecrated an American flag.
She also said one of the warriors and his service dog were spit on.
More here
The April 17 incident, involving Zeta Beta Tau fraternity members from the University of Florida and Emory University, has infuriated residents of Panama City.
“They were being treated like the Vietnam veterans were treated,” said Linda Cope, the founder of the Warrior Beach Retreat.
The local charity provides an annual all-expense-paid vacation for more than a 100 combat-wounded warriors and their spouses or caregivers. All of the expenses are covered by Panama City Beach residents and businesses.
Cope tells me the fraternity members were staying in the same resort – and caused a night of mayhem. The college kids made derogatory comments about the warriors’ wives, threw items off balconies and desecrated an American flag.
She also said one of the warriors and his service dog were spit on.
More here
Reports of criminals looting at Mondawmin Mall
We continue to receive reports of criminals looting at Mondawmin Mall. We are moving resources into the area.
Posted by Baltimore Police Department on Monday, April 27, 2015
MEXICO ATTACKS US BORDER PATROL OVER BOAT WRECK, AGENTS FIGHT BACK
In response to the harshly worded statement, the local chapter of the National Border Patrol Council rushed to defend the name of the agency pointing out the hypocrisy of the Mexican government and stating that the agents were not at fault in the crash.
As previously reported by Breitbart Texas, a Mexican fishing boat with a family on board abruptly cut off a U.S. Border Patrol boat leading to the collision. Two agents were ejected with one of them suffering head trauma. Right after the crash, people on the Mexican side began throwing rocks at the agents who were trying to come out of the water. Texas state troopers had to use less lethal weapons to fight off the attackers.
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BREAKING NEWS: Reports Of An Armed Person At Towson University
#BREAKING Reports of possible armed person at Towson University >> http://on.wbaltv.com/1DvcWOs
Posted by WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore on Monday, April 27, 2015
Homeland Security Working Overtime to Add ‘New Americans’ by 2016 Election
President Obama’s amnesty by edict has always been about adding new Democrats to the voter rolls, and recent action by the Department of Homeland Security provides further proof. Sources at the Department of Homeland Security report to PJ Media that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is reallocating significant resources away from a computer system — the “Electronic Immigration System” — to sending letters to all 9,000,000 green card holders urging them to naturalize prior to the 2016 election.
This effort is part of the DHS “Task Force on New Americans.”
PJ Media has obtained an internal “Dear Colleague” letter written by Leon Rodriguez, the “director and co-chair of the Task Force on New Americans.” The letter refers to a White House report called “Strengthening Communities by Welcoming All Residents.”
Leon Rodriguez has a tainted history — not only was he a central player in the radicalization of Eric Holder’s Civil Rights Division, he also “undertook a purportedly illegal search” of a government employee’s computer in Montgomery County, Maryland. (Messy details are at the Washington Post.)
The Rodriguez letter states:
This effort is part of the DHS “Task Force on New Americans.”
PJ Media has obtained an internal “Dear Colleague” letter written by Leon Rodriguez, the “director and co-chair of the Task Force on New Americans.” The letter refers to a White House report called “Strengthening Communities by Welcoming All Residents.”
Leon Rodriguez has a tainted history — not only was he a central player in the radicalization of Eric Holder’s Civil Rights Division, he also “undertook a purportedly illegal search” of a government employee’s computer in Montgomery County, Maryland. (Messy details are at the Washington Post.)
The Rodriguez letter states:
Christian Printer Who Was Punished By the Gov’t for Refusing to Print Gay Pride T-Shirts Just Scored a Major Victory
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The Fayette County Circuit Court’s ruling overturned a previous decision by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission, finding that Blaine Adamson, owner of Hands On Originals, a printing company in Lexington, Kentucky, was within his rights when he declined to make shirts for the Lexington Pride Parade, according to a press release from Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal firm.
The court found that Adamson did not violate the law in citing his religious convictions as the reason for the refusal, and that his decision was based on his personal freedom not to be forced or coerced to print messages that contradict his views.
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Scott Walker Sticks to Tough Immigration Stance
After giving a version of his stump speech to a mostly gray-haired crowd in Iowa, Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin was pressed on Friday by two twenty-something Republicans about a percolating issue he did not mention: immigration.
Mr. Walker’s apparent hardening on immigration has inspired a flood of reporting and commentary. Most recently he told the radio host Glenn Beck that he favored restricting legal immigration in tough economic times, a position to the right of most other 2016 presidential hopefuls.
He repeated that view Friday after a speech in Cedar Rapids, when Eddie Failor, 24, expressed concern “as a young Republican” that the party must make inroads to new voter blocs, including by supporting a comprehensive overhaul of immigration.
Mr. Walker told Mr. Failor that his top priority would be securing the border. He also said he favored “making sure the legal immigration system is based on making our No. 1 priority to protect American workers and their wages.’’
Alexander Staudt, the treasurer of the University of Iowa College Republicans, also told Mr. Walker in the meet-and-greet line that he was concerned that by talking tough on immigration, Republican candidates would turn off Hispanics.
“In terms of how wide or how narrow the door’s open, our No. 1 priority is American workers and American wages,’’ Mr. Walker told him. “I don’t know how anyone can argue against that.’’
Both Mr. Staudt and Mr. Failor asked the governor what he would do about the millions of undocumented workers already in the country. Mr. Walker said they should return to their countries of origin and apply for legal entry.
Mr. Staudt liked that answer. “The bigger that number gets,’’ he said, referring to undocumented immigrants, “it’s going to become less economically viable.’’
More here
Mr. Walker’s apparent hardening on immigration has inspired a flood of reporting and commentary. Most recently he told the radio host Glenn Beck that he favored restricting legal immigration in tough economic times, a position to the right of most other 2016 presidential hopefuls.
He repeated that view Friday after a speech in Cedar Rapids, when Eddie Failor, 24, expressed concern “as a young Republican” that the party must make inroads to new voter blocs, including by supporting a comprehensive overhaul of immigration.
Mr. Walker told Mr. Failor that his top priority would be securing the border. He also said he favored “making sure the legal immigration system is based on making our No. 1 priority to protect American workers and their wages.’’
Alexander Staudt, the treasurer of the University of Iowa College Republicans, also told Mr. Walker in the meet-and-greet line that he was concerned that by talking tough on immigration, Republican candidates would turn off Hispanics.
“In terms of how wide or how narrow the door’s open, our No. 1 priority is American workers and American wages,’’ Mr. Walker told him. “I don’t know how anyone can argue against that.’’
Both Mr. Staudt and Mr. Failor asked the governor what he would do about the millions of undocumented workers already in the country. Mr. Walker said they should return to their countries of origin and apply for legal entry.
Mr. Staudt liked that answer. “The bigger that number gets,’’ he said, referring to undocumented immigrants, “it’s going to become less economically viable.’’
More here
Fake Police Car Attempting To Pull People Over In Pittsville
Please Share: This vehicle attempted to pull me over on RT50 by Pittsville today. The vehicle had a blue light bar in...
Posted by Nic Hills on Monday, April 27, 2015
Potential Shift in Hostage Policy: Officials to Recommend Families Be Free to Pay Ransom
"There will be absolutely zero chance of any family member of an American held hostage overseas ever facing jail themselves, or even the threat of prosecution, for trying to free their loved ones," said one of three senior officials familiar with the hostage policy team's ongoing review.
The study undertaken by the National Counterterrorism Center on orders from the Obama White House has involved interviewing many of those with tragic experience such as the parents of journalist James Foley, who were among several families alleging they were repeatedly threatened by administration officials with prosecution last summer for moving to raise millions in ransom demanded by ISIS and other groups in Syria.
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Former Commander: Next War With Hamas By End of 2015
Hamas is definitively preparing for another war against Israel, Brig. Gen. (res.) Zvika Fogel said Friday morning - hours after a rocket fired from Gaza struck the Sha'ar HaNegev region late Thursday night.
"Rocket production continues," Fogel, a former head of the IDF's Southern Command, told Army Radio. He predicted another war by "the end of 2015 or early 2016."
Part of the problem, he indicated, is that Hamas is purposely neglecting its Palestinian Arab population, goading them into painting Israel as an even bigger scapegoat for their poverty and poor governance.
"The population in the Gaza Strip since the operation [Op. Protective Edge - ed.] has been neglected, and pressure on Hamas is growing," he noted.
The IAF launched airstrikes in Gaza shortly after the attack; Israel views Hamas as responsible given that Gaza is under its de facto control, regardless of the group's claims that it did not fire the rocket and is attempting to arrest the perpetrators.
Hamas has been actively preparing for another war with Israel, and has been conducting test launches and digging terror tunnels into the Gaza Belt region.
A recent exposé revealed that Hamas has accelerated its tunnel-building using heavy machinery in order to expedite the upcoming conflict.
More on this..
"Rocket production continues," Fogel, a former head of the IDF's Southern Command, told Army Radio. He predicted another war by "the end of 2015 or early 2016."
Part of the problem, he indicated, is that Hamas is purposely neglecting its Palestinian Arab population, goading them into painting Israel as an even bigger scapegoat for their poverty and poor governance.
"The population in the Gaza Strip since the operation [Op. Protective Edge - ed.] has been neglected, and pressure on Hamas is growing," he noted.
The IAF launched airstrikes in Gaza shortly after the attack; Israel views Hamas as responsible given that Gaza is under its de facto control, regardless of the group's claims that it did not fire the rocket and is attempting to arrest the perpetrators.
Hamas has been actively preparing for another war with Israel, and has been conducting test launches and digging terror tunnels into the Gaza Belt region.
A recent exposé revealed that Hamas has accelerated its tunnel-building using heavy machinery in order to expedite the upcoming conflict.
Court Rules In Favor Of Dollar General In Berlin Dispute; Zoning Appeals Board Hearing Granted
When representatives from Oxford Chase Development sought to appeal the Berlin planning director’s denial of site plan approval for the Dollar General in March, town officials told them they would have to take their appeal to circuit court. On April 23, a Worcester County Circuit Court judge granted the writ of mandamus filed by Oxford Chase requiring the town to give the developer a hearing with the Berlin Board of Appeals.
“It says they’re required to hear the appeal,” said Randy Coates, attorney for Oxford Chase. “We’ll hopefully have a hearing before the board in May.”
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Mount Hermon Gets 'Snow You Only See in January'
Israel's sole skiing site, Mount Hermon on the northern border, was opened on Friday morning to visitors after an unseasonably large snowfall covered the mountain in several centimeters of white over Thursday night.
Shaul Ohana, manager of the site, told Army Radio on Friday about the surprising snowfall.
"Yesterday a small amount of snow fell, but what surprised me most was that when I arrived at the site early this morning incredible snow was falling, just dry snow that you only see in January," said Ohana. He added, "the site is open to visitors."
The weather on Friday was anticipated to be partially cloudy in various parts of the country but fair, with temperatures continuing to be cooler than is usual for the time of year.
Many Israelis noted the unusual coldness, strong winds and even hail and rain in parts of Jerusalem seen on Thursday for Memorial Day, a holiday that is usually sunny in time for the traditional BBQs frequented by Israelis.
More here
Shaul Ohana, manager of the site, told Army Radio on Friday about the surprising snowfall.
"Yesterday a small amount of snow fell, but what surprised me most was that when I arrived at the site early this morning incredible snow was falling, just dry snow that you only see in January," said Ohana. He added, "the site is open to visitors."
The weather on Friday was anticipated to be partially cloudy in various parts of the country but fair, with temperatures continuing to be cooler than is usual for the time of year.
Many Israelis noted the unusual coldness, strong winds and even hail and rain in parts of Jerusalem seen on Thursday for Memorial Day, a holiday that is usually sunny in time for the traditional BBQs frequented by Israelis.
More here
[WATCH LIVE] #Baltimore Police are in riot gear moving toward protestors
[WATCH LIVE] #Baltimore Police are in riot gear moving toward protestors: bit.ly/1C9KQfL [LIVE BLOG]: continues to cover the #FreddieGray http://cbsloc.al/1A0jEvB
Posted by WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Monday, April 27, 2015
Woman Caught Using Cellphone During National Anthem Is Revealed — and You’ll Never Guess Who She Works for or Her Excuse
Her name is Helena Andrews and she pens an online column for the Post called “The Reliable Source,”Polititainment reported. After the hubbub hit, Andrews tweeted about what she was up to when cameras panned to her:
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General: China Space Threat Drives U.S. Space Warfare Buildup
China’s growing space warfare capabilities are prompting the Air Force to develop military space weapons to protect U.S. satellites and shoot down enemy systems, the commander of the Air Force Space Command said in an interview that will air on Sunday.
“It’s a competition I wish wasn’t occurring, but it is,” Air Force Gen. John Hyten, the space commander, tells CBS News.
“And if we’re threatened in space, we have the right of self defense and we’ll make sure we can execute that right.”
Asked if those defenses will involve military force, Hyten states: “That’s why we have a military … I’m not NASA.”
Hyten said some U.S. military satellites can maneuver to avoid attack but older ones cannot. “It depends on the satellite … when it was built … how old it is … when we know the threat is coming.”
The program reports that the United States has tested anti-satellite weapons in the past and spends an estimated 10 times more on space than the Chinese. The military space budget is around $25 billion annually, including spy satellites and secret programs, CBS reported.
More here
“It’s a competition I wish wasn’t occurring, but it is,” Air Force Gen. John Hyten, the space commander, tells CBS News.
“And if we’re threatened in space, we have the right of self defense and we’ll make sure we can execute that right.”
Asked if those defenses will involve military force, Hyten states: “That’s why we have a military … I’m not NASA.”
Hyten said some U.S. military satellites can maneuver to avoid attack but older ones cannot. “It depends on the satellite … when it was built … how old it is … when we know the threat is coming.”
The program reports that the United States has tested anti-satellite weapons in the past and spends an estimated 10 times more on space than the Chinese. The military space budget is around $25 billion annually, including spy satellites and secret programs, CBS reported.
More here
New Mayor of Mo. City Suspended Over Alleged Voter Fraud
Betty McCray, the newly elected mayor of the city of Kinloch, was met in the parking lot at City Hall Thursday by police officers and the city attorney holding articles of impeachment, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
“You can’t come in as mayor,” attorney James Robinson told McCray. “You have been suspended.”
McCray, however, was defiant, telling Robinson, “You may be the attorney now, but I promise you, you won’t be later.”
The city, located between Ferguson and Lambert St. Louis Airport, has fewer than 300 residents and is plagued by shady land deals and bitter political fights, according to the Post-Dispatch.
“I won. The people spoke,” McCray said, according to MyFox2Now.com. “I was sworn in by the St. Louis County. Today I take office. I want them out, I want the keys.”
Concerns had been raised to the St. Louis County Board of Elections and the Missouri Secretary of State about voters registered in Kinloch who no longer live there.
The city found that two of the apartments, where six people were registered to vote, were vacant and stripped of furniture and appliances. In one, only a jar of pickles and two used oxygen tanks remained among other debris, the Post-Dispatch reported.
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Millsboro to host Del-Mar-Va Volunteer Firemen’s Association Convention April 30-May 2
Volunteer fire service members and their guests from Delaware, Maryland and the Eastern Shore of Virginia will be heading to Millsboro to attend the annual Del-Mar-Va Volunteer Firemen’s Association Convention Thursday through Saturday, April 30-May 2. This year’s event, being hosted by the Millsboro Fire Company, will be the 86th annual installment for the men and 81st for the Del-Mar-Va Ladies Auxiliary.
Since the very first meeting of the Del-Mar-Va Association in June 1929, when representatives from 17 fire companies met in Salisbury, Md., the Del-Mar-Va Vounteer Firemen’s Association has had a long and rich history of promoting good will and fellowship among fire service personnel.
From the first convention, hosted by Rescue Fire Company of Cambridge, Md. in May 1930, to its annual Fire Prevention Queens Contest, the association has embraced the necessity for fire prevention and serves to put the worth of the volunteer fire service before the public.
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Since the very first meeting of the Del-Mar-Va Association in June 1929, when representatives from 17 fire companies met in Salisbury, Md., the Del-Mar-Va Vounteer Firemen’s Association has had a long and rich history of promoting good will and fellowship among fire service personnel.
From the first convention, hosted by Rescue Fire Company of Cambridge, Md. in May 1930, to its annual Fire Prevention Queens Contest, the association has embraced the necessity for fire prevention and serves to put the worth of the volunteer fire service before the public.
More
March for Marriage Attracts Thousands to Capitol Hill
Thousands of people gathered Saturday for a passionate, peaceful demonstration to uphold marriage “as God ordained it.”
“The people of this nation know what marriage is, and we do not want it redefined,” said Brian S. Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the main sponsor of the March For Marriage.
“Marriage is, and can only be, the union of one man and one woman. This is a beautiful truth,” said Archbisop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“Redefining marriage in law is the greatest social experiment of our time,” he added. “Children do not need experiments. They need love of their mother and father, wherever possible.”
The thousands-strong crowd included people who came in more than 150 buses, said NOM organizers. Many of the “March For Marriage” signs were in Spanish, as the crowd was diverse in ethnicity and age.
There were very few counter-protests. One man ran through the crowd saying, “You’re all on the wrong side,” and a woman silently carried a sign for marriage equality at the Supreme Court. At least one gay flag was waved at the marchers.
More
“The people of this nation know what marriage is, and we do not want it redefined,” said Brian S. Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the main sponsor of the March For Marriage.
“Marriage is, and can only be, the union of one man and one woman. This is a beautiful truth,” said Archbisop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“Redefining marriage in law is the greatest social experiment of our time,” he added. “Children do not need experiments. They need love of their mother and father, wherever possible.”
The thousands-strong crowd included people who came in more than 150 buses, said NOM organizers. Many of the “March For Marriage” signs were in Spanish, as the crowd was diverse in ethnicity and age.
There were very few counter-protests. One man ran through the crowd saying, “You’re all on the wrong side,” and a woman silently carried a sign for marriage equality at the Supreme Court. At least one gay flag was waved at the marchers.
More
The New Nanny: Over a Third of Babies Use Smartphones
The research found that even a third of the babies under a year could scroll down the screen, while a fourth managed to actually call someone.
“We didn’t expect children were using the devices from the age of 6 months. Some children were on the screen for as long as 30 minutes,” says Dr. Hilda Kabali, lead author of the study, which was conducted among 370 parents and their babies at a pediatrics clinic in the Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia.
Mobile devices are becoming babysitters. Dr. Kabali found that 60 percent of the parents in the study allowed their toddlers to play with mobile media when it was time to run errands, almost three fourths did the same while they did chores. Another 65 percent used the device to “calm the child”, a third used it to put the child to sleep.
“By 1 year of age, 14 percent of children were spending at least one hour per day using mobile media, 26 percent by age 2, and 38 percent by age 4. Only 30 percent of parents reported discussing media use with their child’s pediatrician,” the study found.
More here
Family Uncovers Heirloom Jaguar E-Type After 25 Years
Well, perhaps you wouldn’t, but that’s exactly what a family in England did with theirs, which has finally come out of hibernation to be auctioned off.
Prior to a recent restoration, the 1973 Jag was last registered for the road in 1990, by which time it’d rang up just 7,700 miles on its odometer. In 1993 its original owner died and left it to his son, who himself passed away last fall and did the same.
Silverstone Auctions will be putting it on the block on May 23rd both in person at the Silverstone racing circuit in England and online, where it’s expected to fetch about $125,000, about 15 times what it cost when it was new.
More here
Gay Corporate Warrior Wants to Bring 'Full Equality' to Red America
In 1992, Tim Gill was living a Rocky Mountain version of the familiar tech dream. He’d earned degrees in applied mathematics and computer science and then, in 1981, founded the publishing-software company Quark in his apartment, with a $2,000 loan from his parents. When Quark took off, Gill became rich. He eventually sold his stake for half a billion dollars. But in 1992, he was merely the multimillionaire chairman of a successful tech company.
Gill was also gay. This aspect of his life, too, had a kind of dream-like quality. He came out to his parents as a teenager and was immediately accepted. In his early career, comfortably ensconced in the tech world’s creative class, he rarely encountered prejudice or hostility. His gayness was never an issue.
Then, in 1992, groups in Colorado began pushing a ballot measure, Amendment 2, that would prevent nondiscrimination ordinances against gays and lesbians and repeal those already in effect in Denver, Boulder, and Aspen. “It was a shock,” says Gill. What was more shocking, though, was that some of his own employees supported the ban, openly and at work.
Feeling he had to fight back, Gill donated several thousand dollars toward defeating the measure. But they lost.
The ratification of anti-homosexuality sentiment in a place where Gill had felt comfortable and accepted was so upsetting that it set him on a path to become ever more deeply involved.
Gill became radicalized. “I got depressed and angry,” he says. “But, in the end, my response was to say, ‘Well, how am I going to fix this?
On April 28, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments and may issue a ruling legalizing gay marriage this summer. For people like Gill, who’ve worked years for this moment, the victory so close at hand is a source of giddy anticipation. It also raises a big question: What comes next?
Gill and a bipartisan group of major donors will reveal the answer at the OutGiving conference on April 30 in Dallas, but they’ve given Bloomberg Businessweek a preview: They’re launching a campaign, modeled on the marriage effort, to pass nondiscrimination laws in the dozens of states that don’t have them.
And they’ll also try to halt or unwind “religious freedom” acts like those that raised a furor in Indiana and Arkansas.
More here
Gill was also gay. This aspect of his life, too, had a kind of dream-like quality. He came out to his parents as a teenager and was immediately accepted. In his early career, comfortably ensconced in the tech world’s creative class, he rarely encountered prejudice or hostility. His gayness was never an issue.
Then, in 1992, groups in Colorado began pushing a ballot measure, Amendment 2, that would prevent nondiscrimination ordinances against gays and lesbians and repeal those already in effect in Denver, Boulder, and Aspen. “It was a shock,” says Gill. What was more shocking, though, was that some of his own employees supported the ban, openly and at work.
Feeling he had to fight back, Gill donated several thousand dollars toward defeating the measure. But they lost.
The ratification of anti-homosexuality sentiment in a place where Gill had felt comfortable and accepted was so upsetting that it set him on a path to become ever more deeply involved.
Gill became radicalized. “I got depressed and angry,” he says. “But, in the end, my response was to say, ‘Well, how am I going to fix this?
On April 28, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments and may issue a ruling legalizing gay marriage this summer. For people like Gill, who’ve worked years for this moment, the victory so close at hand is a source of giddy anticipation. It also raises a big question: What comes next?
Gill and a bipartisan group of major donors will reveal the answer at the OutGiving conference on April 30 in Dallas, but they’ve given Bloomberg Businessweek a preview: They’re launching a campaign, modeled on the marriage effort, to pass nondiscrimination laws in the dozens of states that don’t have them.
And they’ll also try to halt or unwind “religious freedom” acts like those that raised a furor in Indiana and Arkansas.
More here
Candidates Warn Iowans Faith Is Being 'Criminalized'
It is not unusual for socially conservative Republicans to argue that religion is under attack, but many 2016 presidential hopefuls at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition took it to a new level Saturday, using dire police state imagery to characterize the current climate.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., concluded comments on the need to respect privacy, constitutional rights and civil rights for everyone by stating, "When they send the police to your churches — When they send the police into your church and ask your minister for their sermons, that is the time for civil disobedience," he said, to cheers and applause.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said the the country was in the midst of an "unprecedented assault" on religious freedom rights. Reacting to a recent comment by Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton that "religious beliefs ... have to be changed" for those who oppose abortion, Jindal wondered aloud how she would do that if she had the chance.
"She didn't suggest whether we should go to re-education camps or how she intends to do that," Jindal said.
More here
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., concluded comments on the need to respect privacy, constitutional rights and civil rights for everyone by stating, "When they send the police to your churches — When they send the police into your church and ask your minister for their sermons, that is the time for civil disobedience," he said, to cheers and applause.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said the the country was in the midst of an "unprecedented assault" on religious freedom rights. Reacting to a recent comment by Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton that "religious beliefs ... have to be changed" for those who oppose abortion, Jindal wondered aloud how she would do that if she had the chance.
"She didn't suggest whether we should go to re-education camps or how she intends to do that," Jindal said.
More here
Ted Cruz Knocks Scott Walker's Immigration Position
LAS VEGAS — Sen. Ted Cruz on Friday took a shot at rival presidential contender Scott Walker for comments the Wisconsin governor has made regarding immigration policy.
Cruz opposes comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for the estimated 11-12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. But the Texan is a big proponent of legal immigration and making adjustments to U.S. law that would facilitate more legal immigration. He criticized Walker for suggesting that he supported limiting legal immigration if it has a negative impact on the wages of American workers.
"There is considerable bipartisan agreement outside of Washington that we need to improve and streamline legal immigration so that we can remain a nation that welcomes and celebrates legal immigrants," Cruz said in an interview with the Washington Examiner during a brief campaign swing through Las Vegas.
"I am the son of an immigrant who came legally from Cuba. [President Ronald] Reagan referred to legal immigrants as Americans by choice and there is no stronger advocate of legal immigration in the U.S. Senate than I am."
"I think the right approach is to secure the border, follow the rule of law and embrace and improve legal immigration," Cruz said.
More
Cruz opposes comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for the estimated 11-12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. But the Texan is a big proponent of legal immigration and making adjustments to U.S. law that would facilitate more legal immigration. He criticized Walker for suggesting that he supported limiting legal immigration if it has a negative impact on the wages of American workers.
"There is considerable bipartisan agreement outside of Washington that we need to improve and streamline legal immigration so that we can remain a nation that welcomes and celebrates legal immigrants," Cruz said in an interview with the Washington Examiner during a brief campaign swing through Las Vegas.
"I am the son of an immigrant who came legally from Cuba. [President Ronald] Reagan referred to legal immigrants as Americans by choice and there is no stronger advocate of legal immigration in the U.S. Senate than I am."
"I think the right approach is to secure the border, follow the rule of law and embrace and improve legal immigration," Cruz said.
More
Iran Threatens Saudis After Aid Planes Blocked
Amid reports of a renewed Saudi offensive against Iranian-allied rebels in Yemen, Iran's news agency reported on Friday that Saudi Arabia had stopped Iranian aid planes from landing in Yemen.
Not unexpectedly, a top Iranian official responded with threats directed at Saudi Arabia. Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian warned on Sunday that the Saudi behavior and its siege of Yemen and preventing the dispatch of humanitarian aids "will not remain unanswered."
"Saudi Arabia is not entitled to decide for others in the region," Abdollahian added.
Iran's FARS News Agency stated that Saudi fighter jets stopped Iranian planes carrying humanitarian aid on two straight days.
Sunday saw Saudi naval shelling and air-raids - at least five of them, Reuters reports – as the combat in Yemen, including ground battles, intensified. It has been about a month since a Saudi-led alliance initiated an offensive against Iranian-allied Houthi forces who have seized wide areas Yemen.
Saudi Arabia, still the world's top oil exporter, is an arch-adversary of Iran in the eastern Middle East. The Saudi kingdom is of the Sunni Muslim persuasion, while Iran is run by Shi'ite Muslims – and supports the Shi'ite Houthi advance across Yemen.
The Saudis are attempting to restore exiled Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and prevent Yemen's becoming a chaotic Al-Qaeda terrorist state. Iran denies having given aid to the Houthis.
More here
Not unexpectedly, a top Iranian official responded with threats directed at Saudi Arabia. Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian warned on Sunday that the Saudi behavior and its siege of Yemen and preventing the dispatch of humanitarian aids "will not remain unanswered."
"Saudi Arabia is not entitled to decide for others in the region," Abdollahian added.
Iran's FARS News Agency stated that Saudi fighter jets stopped Iranian planes carrying humanitarian aid on two straight days.
Sunday saw Saudi naval shelling and air-raids - at least five of them, Reuters reports – as the combat in Yemen, including ground battles, intensified. It has been about a month since a Saudi-led alliance initiated an offensive against Iranian-allied Houthi forces who have seized wide areas Yemen.
Saudi Arabia, still the world's top oil exporter, is an arch-adversary of Iran in the eastern Middle East. The Saudi kingdom is of the Sunni Muslim persuasion, while Iran is run by Shi'ite Muslims – and supports the Shi'ite Houthi advance across Yemen.
The Saudis are attempting to restore exiled Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and prevent Yemen's becoming a chaotic Al-Qaeda terrorist state. Iran denies having given aid to the Houthis.
More here
BREAKING NEWS: ACCIDENT IN WHAYLEYVILLE
George W. Bush Bashes Obama on Middle East
One attendee at the Republican Jewish Coalition session, held at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas with owner Sheldon Adelson in attendance, transcribed large portions of Bush’s remarks. The former president, who rarely ever criticizes Obama in public, at first remarked that the idea of re-entering the political arena was something he didn’t want to do. He then proceeded to explain why Obama, in his view, was placing the U.S. in "retreat" around the world. He also said Obama was misreading Iran’s intentions while relaxing sanctions on Tehran too easily.
According to the attendee's transcription, Bush noted that Iran has a new president, Hassan Rouhani. “He's smooth," Bush said. "And you’ve got to ask yourself, is there a new policy or did they just change the spokesman?”
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CIVIL UNREST HAS BEGUN IN BALTIMORE AND THIS IS ONLY JUST THE START OF SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER
On Saturday night, the city of Baltimore resembled a warzone as protests over the death of Freddie Gray turned wildly violent. One eyewitness reported watching the streets around him and his friend “turn into madness” as they left a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles. Car windows were smashed, stores were robbed, chairs were thrown and large numbers of random bystanders were attacked. One prominent Democrat claims that those committing the violence were “mainly from out of town“, but how would he know that? Today, there are approximately 2.7 million people living in the Baltimore metropolitan area. It is an area that has been known for poverty, crime and drugs for many years, and as racial tensions continue to increase in this country it is a powder keg that could erupt at literally any time. We got a preview of what can happen on Saturday night. If this is how people will act while economic conditions are still relatively stable in this country, what in the world is going to happen when things really start falling apart?
On Saturday, April 11th, I delivered a presentation down in Dallas, Texas in which I warned about the rioting and civil unrest that are soon coming to this nation. On slide number 145 of the presentation, I specifically named the city of Baltimore as one of the cities where this would happen. But I had no idea that the rioting in Baltimore would begin so quickly. And the violence that we saw on Saturday night was at a level that was quite shocking. The following is how the Daily Mail described some of the chaos that ensued…
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On Saturday, April 11th, I delivered a presentation down in Dallas, Texas in which I warned about the rioting and civil unrest that are soon coming to this nation. On slide number 145 of the presentation, I specifically named the city of Baltimore as one of the cities where this would happen. But I had no idea that the rioting in Baltimore would begin so quickly. And the violence that we saw on Saturday night was at a level that was quite shocking. The following is how the Daily Mail described some of the chaos that ensued…
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WCSO Most Wanted 4-27-15
John Richard Billman
• White Male 5’10” 200 lbs
• DOB 02/26/1988 27 years of age
• Bald, Hazel eyes
• Billman’s last known address was Hagerstown, MD
• Billman is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District Court Bench Warrant issued for Failure to Appear in November 2014 on multiple DWI and other traffic charges
• The preset bond is $10,000
• Billman has history of DRUG ABUSE
• Black Male, 5’07” 140 lbs
• DOB 10/25/1992 22 years of age
• Black hair, Brown eyes
• Nichols last known address was Fruitland, MD
• Nichols is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District Court Bench Warrant issued in September 2014 for Violation of Probation on multiple counts of Felony Theft, Misdemeanor Theft, Theft Scheme, and attempted Theft
• The preset bond is $500 cash
Tracy Ann Minns• Black Female, 5’06” 190 lbs
• DOB 05/12/1965 49 years of age
• Black hair, Brown eyes
• Minns’ last known address was Hebron, MD
• Aliases/SMT
• Minns is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District Court Arrest Warrant issued for Failure to Appear in September 2014 on traffic charges
• The preset bond is $10,000
• The state will extradite her from DE and VA
• White Male 5’05” 150 lbs
• DOB 12/03/1982 32years of age
• Brown hair, hazel eyes
• Dow’s last known address was Salisbury, MD but he may have left the state
• Dow is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant issued for Failure to Appear in September 2014 for a Jury Trial on the charge of Armed Carjacking
• There is no preset bond, he must be brought before the court
• Dow may be ARMED and has history of DRUG ABUSE
• The state will extradite him from anywhere in the US
• White Female, 5’05” 180 lbs
• DOB 07/17/1988 26 years of age
• Black hair, Brown eyes
• Dilworth’s last known address was Federalsburg, MD
• Dilworth is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District Court Arrest Warrant issued in July 2014 for Escape 2nd for Failure to Report to the Wicomico County Detention Center to serve a sentence for Theft
• The state will extradite her from DE and VA
• Black Male, 5’11” 128 lbs
• DOB 07/07/1991 23 years of age
• Black hair, Brown eyes
• Costen’s last known address was Salisbury, MD
• Costen is wanted by the Sheriff's Office on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant issued for Violation of Probation in December 2013 on the charge of Assault 2nd
• Costen should be APPROACHED WITH CAUTION and has history of DRUG ABUSE
• The state will extradite him from DE and VA
Kumbaya: #FreddieGray protest brings together Crips, Bloods and the Nation of Islam?
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Delaware State Police Conducting Death Investigation- New Castle
New Castle - Delaware State Police Homicide Unit detectives are currently conducting a death investigation after a female was found deceased on DE Rt. 9 in New Castle yesterday.
The investigation began yesterday, Sunday, April 26, 2015, at approximately 5:30 a.m., after a call was received by the New Castle County Emergency Operations Center reporting the discovery of a female’s body lying along the side of DE Rt. 9 (River Road) south of Hamburg Road, New Castle. New Castle County Paramedics and the Delaware State Police responded to the scene at which time the female victim was located and pronounced dead. Her body was then turned over to the Division of Forensic Sciences where an autopsy was performed. The death has been ruled homicide with the manner of death still to be determined. The name of the victim is being withheld at this time pending the notification of her next of kin.
The investigation by homicide unit detectives is still in its early stages. So as to not compromise the integrity of this investigation no further information will be released at this time.
If anyone has any information in reference to this incident they are asked to contact Detective Daniel Grassi at 302-365-8441. Information may also be provided by callingDelaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."
The investigation began yesterday, Sunday, April 26, 2015, at approximately 5:30 a.m., after a call was received by the New Castle County Emergency Operations Center reporting the discovery of a female’s body lying along the side of DE Rt. 9 (River Road) south of Hamburg Road, New Castle. New Castle County Paramedics and the Delaware State Police responded to the scene at which time the female victim was located and pronounced dead. Her body was then turned over to the Division of Forensic Sciences where an autopsy was performed. The death has been ruled homicide with the manner of death still to be determined. The name of the victim is being withheld at this time pending the notification of her next of kin.
The investigation by homicide unit detectives is still in its early stages. So as to not compromise the integrity of this investigation no further information will be released at this time.
If anyone has any information in reference to this incident they are asked to contact Detective Daniel Grassi at 302-365-8441. Information may also be provided by callingDelaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."
Netanyahu Commends IDF for Foiling Terror Attack in North
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday night praised the IDF for eliminating a squad of terrorists as they tried to place an explosive device near the border fence with Syria.
"Any attempt to harm our soldiers or our citizens will be countered with a determined response, such as the IDF operation tonight which prevented a terrorist attack. I commend the vigilance of the IDF soldiers which brought a quick and precise operation," Netanyahu wrote on Twitter.
IDF forces eliminated the terrorist cell as it was trying to place an explosive on the Israeli-Syrian border on the Golan Heights.
Four terrorists were killed in the incident; no IDF soldiers were wounded in the exchange.
The incident came just hours after Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon warned that Israel will strike Iranian attempts to smuggle advanced weapons to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon, following Arab reports that an IAF airstrike the day before took out a Scud missile depot in Syria transferring weapons to Hezbollah.
More here
"Any attempt to harm our soldiers or our citizens will be countered with a determined response, such as the IDF operation tonight which prevented a terrorist attack. I commend the vigilance of the IDF soldiers which brought a quick and precise operation," Netanyahu wrote on Twitter.
IDF forces eliminated the terrorist cell as it was trying to place an explosive on the Israeli-Syrian border on the Golan Heights.
Four terrorists were killed in the incident; no IDF soldiers were wounded in the exchange.
The incident came just hours after Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon warned that Israel will strike Iranian attempts to smuggle advanced weapons to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon, following Arab reports that an IAF airstrike the day before took out a Scud missile depot in Syria transferring weapons to Hezbollah.
More here
Owners of Gay Hotel Face Boycott After Meeting With Ted Cruz
HELL'S KITCHEN — The owners of gay hotel and wedding spot The OUT sparked outrage and a boycott after meeting with Republican presidential hopeful Senator Ted Cruz Monday.
Co-owners Ian Reisner and Mati Weiderpass, who also own a large stake in gay beach resort the Fire Island Pines, faced mounting criticism both online and from hotel clients after the meeting.
AIDS charity Broadway Cares canceled a May 10 event set to be held at the hotel's club, 42 West, because of the meeting, they said in a release.
"We cannot in good conscience hold an event at a venue whose owners have alienated our community," they said in a statement.
A Facebook campaign boycotting the pair's properties had garnered over 4,500 supporters by Friday, and called the meeting with Cruz "a devastating blow to the community."
More here
Co-owners Ian Reisner and Mati Weiderpass, who also own a large stake in gay beach resort the Fire Island Pines, faced mounting criticism both online and from hotel clients after the meeting.
AIDS charity Broadway Cares canceled a May 10 event set to be held at the hotel's club, 42 West, because of the meeting, they said in a release.
"We cannot in good conscience hold an event at a venue whose owners have alienated our community," they said in a statement.
A Facebook campaign boycotting the pair's properties had garnered over 4,500 supporters by Friday, and called the meeting with Cruz "a devastating blow to the community."
More here
Iran Seeking To Smuggle Advanced Arms to Hezbollah
Iran is in the midst of an effort to arm Hezbollah and Hamas, and Israel will not tolerate the transfer of advanced weaponry to its enemies, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said on Sunday, a day after a report by Al Jazeera said the Israel Air Force struck Assad regime military bases housing long-range missiles in Syria.
Addressing an audience that had gathered to mark Israel's 67th Independence Day at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Ya'alon said that "Iran is continuing to try and arm Hezbollah, including during these current days, and it is aspiring to equip the Lebanese terrorist organization with advanced and precise weapons."
Ya'alon said that Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps personnel and Hezbollah are seeking to smuggle weapons "in every way and through every route, while being aware of the red lines set by the state of Israel, and that Israel has no intention of compromising over them.
"We will not allow the transfer of quality weapons to terror organizations, chief among them Hezbollah, and we know how to reach those who send them [the weapons] at any time and place. We will not allow Iran and Hezbollah to set up terrorist infrastructure on our border with Syria, and we will know how to place our hands on anyone who threatens Israeli civilians, along the borders, or far from them."
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Addressing an audience that had gathered to mark Israel's 67th Independence Day at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Ya'alon said that "Iran is continuing to try and arm Hezbollah, including during these current days, and it is aspiring to equip the Lebanese terrorist organization with advanced and precise weapons."
Ya'alon said that Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps personnel and Hezbollah are seeking to smuggle weapons "in every way and through every route, while being aware of the red lines set by the state of Israel, and that Israel has no intention of compromising over them.
"We will not allow the transfer of quality weapons to terror organizations, chief among them Hezbollah, and we know how to reach those who send them [the weapons] at any time and place. We will not allow Iran and Hezbollah to set up terrorist infrastructure on our border with Syria, and we will know how to place our hands on anyone who threatens Israeli civilians, along the borders, or far from them."
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Maryland's first lady Yumi Hogan, a sumi ink artist, takes us inside her studio
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For an instant, the room feels empty, every desk abandoned.
About 20 students with swooshes of hair and skinny jeans cluster silently around Mrs. Hogan's workbench. They watch her dab her brush, load it with ink, then scroll on paper.
"You don't have to use the water too much today," she says. This is a lesson in rock landscapes. "Use the dry brush."
They return to their desks, and Mrs. Hogan wanders from one end of the room to the other. She puts her hand on a young man's shoulder and mimes the brushstroke in the air.
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Your iPhone Could Cause Irreversible Eye Damage
(NaturalNews) Has our obsession with electronic devices gotten out of hand? No matter where in the world you are, if you take a look around, you'll likely see a vast majority of people glued to the screen of their smartphone or tablet.
Although these electronic gadgets might seem to make our lives easier, gazing at them for hours a day could cause eye damage or even blindness.
Dr. Celia Sanchez-Ramos of Complutense University in Madrid has reported that prolonged, continuous exposure to LED screens could irreversibly damage the retina of your eye, which might lead to macular degeneration and blindness over time. The culprit is intense levels of "blue light."
According to Dr Sanchez-Ramos, LED screens produced from 2007 onwards emit up to five times more blue light than older versions did.
"Never before in human history have we exposed our eyes to light that is so intense, for such long periods, from such an early age," she says.
More here
Although these electronic gadgets might seem to make our lives easier, gazing at them for hours a day could cause eye damage or even blindness.
Dr. Celia Sanchez-Ramos of Complutense University in Madrid has reported that prolonged, continuous exposure to LED screens could irreversibly damage the retina of your eye, which might lead to macular degeneration and blindness over time. The culprit is intense levels of "blue light."
According to Dr Sanchez-Ramos, LED screens produced from 2007 onwards emit up to five times more blue light than older versions did.
"Never before in human history have we exposed our eyes to light that is so intense, for such long periods, from such an early age," she says.
More here
Boomer Esiason Slams Maryland for American Sniper Decision
Esiason, who is the host of the popular Boomer & Carton show in New York, said on Friday that he is “never donating another dime” to Maryland after it caved to pressure from Muslim student groups and canceled a planned screening of American Sniper.
Esiason said he was “deeply saddened and insulted” by the decision.
More here
NAACP RECEIVES UPDATE: CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
The April 28th meeting will be rescheduled to May 28th because our members wish to attend the Safe Street Meeting which is scheduled for April 28th.
On May 28th, the States' Attorney will give his presentation after the BOE's presentation.
Salisbury, MD … Representatives from the Wicomico County School System will discuss measures used to close the achievement gap and share how much success has been made since 2012. School system staff will share what their goals and objectives have been since 2012.
President Ashanti says, “The NAACP sees the achievement gap as an opportunity gap. It is
a missed opportunity to learn and be successful."
The public is encouraged to attend. Door prizes will be distributed. For more details, contact Mary Ashanti at 410-543-4187 or via email at wcnaacpbranch7028@gmail.com.
On May 28th, the States' Attorney will give his presentation after the BOE's presentation.
President Ashanti says, “The NAACP sees the achievement gap as an opportunity gap. It is
a missed opportunity to learn and be successful."
The public is encouraged to attend. Door prizes will be distributed. For more details, contact Mary Ashanti at 410-543-4187 or via email at wcnaacpbranch7028@gmail.com.
Baltimore Erupts Into Violence, Chaos as #BlackLivesMatter Riots Rage
Personally, I wasn’t supposed to be on the job tonight as a reporter. After a long news week and as several of my contemporaries lived high on the hog down in D.C. at the so-called “Nerd Prom,” me and my brother left D.C. to go see our Boston Red Sox play the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards I hate the White House Correspondents’ Dinner—it represents everything I think is wrong with Washington, making celebrities out of news media and politicians—and given the fact I grew up just outside Boston I figured seeing the Red Sox play in Baltimore would be a great reprieve from the political culture. Boy was I wrong.
My brother and I arrived in Baltimore just outside Camden Yards about an hour before the game, and went into Bullpen Bar—one of three iconic all-brick building bars right outside the stadium—for a beer before the Sox took on the O’s. I usually make it up here for a game or two every year, and have always found Orioles fans to be pleasant. We’re united in our hatred of the Yankees.
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Media fail to identify leader of Baltimore riots
The New York Times, the Associated Press, the New York Daily News, CBS local and other news media outlets all name Malik Shabazz as a leader of the breakaway, chaotic protests. Yet each of these news outlets only identify Shabazz only as “president of Black Lawyers for Justice.”
The AP reported: “One of the protest’s organizers, Malik Shabazz, the president of Black Lawyers for Justice, said the crowd exceeded their expectations, adding that protesters’ anger is not surprising.
“‘This is a problem that has not been solved,’ he said. ‘When there’s no justice, they tend to want to take matters into their own hands.’”
Reported the New York Times on the Baltimore riots: “There, Malik Shabazz, president of Black Lawyers for Justice, a Washington, D.C.-based group that called for the demonstration and advertised it on social media, told the crowd that he would release them in an hour, adding: ‘Shut it down if you want to! Shut it down!’
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Indonesia Gives 72-hour Execution Notice to Drug Traffickers
JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesia notified nine foreigners and a local man convicted of drug trafficking that their executions will be carried out within days, ignoring appeals by the U.N. chief and foreign leaders to spare them.
Authorities also asked the four Nigerian men, two Australian men, a Filipino woman, and one man each from Brazil, France and Indonesia for their last wish, the spokesman for the attorney general, Tony Spontana, said Sunday.
He said the legal options of nine of them have been exhausted, while Frenchman Serge Atlaoui still has an outstanding legal complaint over the procedure followed in his request for clemency. Spontana said he expects the Supreme Court to rule on it Monday.
The 72-hour notice indicates the executions by firing squad in Besi prison on Nusakambangan Island will be carried out at the earliest on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Consular officials and relatives were arriving on Sunday at a town near Nusakambangan, the high-security prison island, for the last visit to the convicts.
Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws and often executes smugglers. More than 130 people are on death row, mostly for drug crimes. About a third of them are foreigners.
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Authorities also asked the four Nigerian men, two Australian men, a Filipino woman, and one man each from Brazil, France and Indonesia for their last wish, the spokesman for the attorney general, Tony Spontana, said Sunday.
He said the legal options of nine of them have been exhausted, while Frenchman Serge Atlaoui still has an outstanding legal complaint over the procedure followed in his request for clemency. Spontana said he expects the Supreme Court to rule on it Monday.
The 72-hour notice indicates the executions by firing squad in Besi prison on Nusakambangan Island will be carried out at the earliest on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Consular officials and relatives were arriving on Sunday at a town near Nusakambangan, the high-security prison island, for the last visit to the convicts.
Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws and often executes smugglers. More than 130 people are on death row, mostly for drug crimes. About a third of them are foreigners.
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Say that again!
Only a politician could use that many words and say absolutely NOTHING!
Quote of the day, no, of the week, make that a month, yet it probably is quote of the year!
No, DECADE. Wait a minute. It's the greatest quote EVER!
“My accomplishments as Secretary of State? Well, I'm glad you asked! My proudest accomplishment in which I take the most pride, mostly because of the opposition it faced early on, you know… the remnants of prior situations and mindsets that were too narrowly focused in a manner whereby they may haveoverlooked the bigger picture and we didn’t do that and I’m proud of that. Very proud. I would say that’s a major accomplishment.” - Hillary Clinton 11 March 2014
Could someone please tell me what the heck she just said? And she's running for President?
Governor Hogan To Sign Public Safety, Law Enforcement, Community Relations, And Tort Bills Into Law
Bills To Become Law At Next Signing Ceremony
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan announced that he will sign into law nine bills related to public safety, law enforcement policy, community relations, and easing liability limits for civil claims. He will sign the bills into law at the next bill signing ceremony, to be held Tuesday, April 28.
“These bills directly address public safety and community relations issues, including the day-to-day operations of our law enforcement officials,” said Governor Hogan. “Ensuring the safety of our citizens will always be a priority of our administration, and I am proud to sign these bills into law.”
The bills include:
SB 321: The Baltimore City and Baltimore County – Police Behavioral Health Units – Pilot Program, which would require the Baltimore City Police Department and the Baltimore County Police to each establish a behavioral unit of at least six officers who are specially trained to understand the needs of individuals with mental health or substance abuse disorders.
SB 482 / HB 533: The Public Safety – Law Enforcement Officers – Body-Worn Digital Recording Device and Electronic Control Device, emergency bills that would make it lawful for a law enforcement officer to intercept an oral communication with a “body-worn digital recording device” or an “electronic control device.” These bills would also establish the Commission Regarding the Implementation and Use of Body Cameras by Law Enforcement Officers to study and make recommendations to the Police Training Commission and the General Assembly.
SB 882: Baltimore City Civilian Review Board, which would alter the definition of “law enforcement unit” as it relates to the Baltimore City Civilian Review Board so as to increase the number of law enforcement units that are subject to review by the Board.
HB 954: Public Safety – Deaths Involving a Law Enforcement Officer – Reports, which would require law enforcement agencies to provide the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention with information about deaths of individuals in police custody, as well as deaths of officers occurring in the line of duty.
SB 413: Vehicle Laws – Race-Based Traffic Stops – Policy and Reporting Requirements, which would require law enforcement officers to record demographic information, including race, pertaining to traffic stops.
HB 771: Baltimore Police Department – Reporting on Community Policing, which would require that a report be submitted annually to the Baltimore City legislative delegation, Baltimore City Mayor, and City Council with information on the diversity of the police force, as well as encounters with officers, including those resulting in civilian injuries, and number of officers suspended.
HB 113: Increasing Limits on Local Government Tort Claims Act, which increases the liability limits for a civil claim against a local government to $400,000. This cap was last raised 28 years ago in 1987.
HB 114: Increasing Limits on State Government Tort Claims Act, which increases the liability limits for a civil claim against state government to $800,000. This cap was last raised 16 years ago in 1999.
A Letter To The Editor 4-26-15
When God Created Maryland
God was missing for six days. Eventually, Michael, the archangel, found him, resting on the seventh day.
He inquired, "Where have you been?"
God smiled deeply and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, "Look, Michael. Look what I've made."Archangel Michael looked puzzled, and said, "What is it?""It's a planet," replied God, and I've put life on it.I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a place to test Balance.""Balance?" inquired Michael, "I'm still confused."God explained, pointing to different parts of Earth."For example, northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth, while southern Europe is going to be poor.Over here I've placed a continent of white people, and over there is a continent of black people. Balance in all things."God continued pointing to different countries."This one will be extremely hot, while this one will be very cold and covered in ice."The Archangel , impressed by God's work, then pointed to a land area and said, "What's that one?"
"That's Maryland, the most glorious place on earth. There are beautiful mountains, rivers and streams, lakes, forests, hills, and plains. The people from Maryland are going to be handsome, modest, intelligent, and humorous, and they are going to travel the world. They will be extremely sociable, hardworking, high achieving, carriers of peace, and producers of good things"Michael gasped in wonder and admiration, but then asked, "But what about balance, God? You said there would be balance."
God smiled, "Right next to Marylandis Washington , D.C. .. Wait till you see the idiots I put there!"