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Wednesday, April 29, 2015
How drunk sports fans helped spark Saturday night's post-protest violence
On Saturday night, following the violence that broke out near Camden Yards, a photo of me supposedly protecting a woman from violent protesters surfaced on BuzzFeed and then trickled down to the conservative armpit of the internet where it was mischaracterized. In the photo, I look strangely heroic, and the picture was quickly co-opted by those who like to present an all-too-common and easy narrative: white people being terrorized by black people.
The truth, or as much as I have been able to cobble together from my own memory and notes, videos online, video I shot, and videos from City Paper’s Managing Editor Baynard Woods, is far less interesting, though much more important than “white dude saves white lady.”
I’m not exactly sure how the violence broke out around 6 p.m. in front of Pickles Pub on Washington Boulevard and traveled up the street to The Bullpen, Sliders Bar & Grill, and Frank & Nic’s West End Grille then down Howard Street. I know a small group of protesters and a small group of baseball fans started whipping bottles at one another and brawling. When the protesters turned the corner onto Washington Boulevard from Camden Street chanting “black lives matter,” some baseball fans applauded and a few angrily chanted back, “We don’t care”—someone who worked at The Bullpen confirmed this for me. He also said that some patrons chanted “run them over,” and one yelled “go get them.” Other protestors, including City Paper contributor D. Watkins and gang members interviewed on WBAL, recall bar patrons calling them “niggers,” among other racist epithets.
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The truth, or as much as I have been able to cobble together from my own memory and notes, videos online, video I shot, and videos from City Paper’s Managing Editor Baynard Woods, is far less interesting, though much more important than “white dude saves white lady.”
I’m not exactly sure how the violence broke out around 6 p.m. in front of Pickles Pub on Washington Boulevard and traveled up the street to The Bullpen, Sliders Bar & Grill, and Frank & Nic’s West End Grille then down Howard Street. I know a small group of protesters and a small group of baseball fans started whipping bottles at one another and brawling. When the protesters turned the corner onto Washington Boulevard from Camden Street chanting “black lives matter,” some baseball fans applauded and a few angrily chanted back, “We don’t care”—someone who worked at The Bullpen confirmed this for me. He also said that some patrons chanted “run them over,” and one yelled “go get them.” Other protestors, including City Paper contributor D. Watkins and gang members interviewed on WBAL, recall bar patrons calling them “niggers,” among other racist epithets.
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Baltimore police arrest man on live TV, sparking interest on social media
Seconds later, several officers in riot gear rushed out of their line and arrested him, making social media churn with questions about what happened to the man.
The incident unfolded live on CNN about 40 minutes after the 10 p.m. curfew went into effect and as authorities tried to prevent the kind of rioting -- part of protests over the death of Freddie Gray -- that plagued the city a night earlier.
Authorities would eventually say the arrested man was Joseph Kent, held on a charge of curfew violation, according to the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
But people on Twitter already were circulating the name of Kent, a Baltimore activist, just minutes after the footage aired and before anyone announced why he was arrested, making #JosephKent and #WhereIsJosephKent hot topics for hours.
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FBI police officer killed in Stafford; man arrested, charged with first-degree murder
A Maryland man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the Monday morning slaying of an FBI police officer in Stafford County.
Jeremy Brown, 29, of 110 Abby Lane in south Stafford was gunned down as he was leaving his home at 5:01 a.m., Stafford Sheriff’s spokesman Bill Kennedy said.
Antoine Gary Johnson, 26, of Upper Marlboro, Md. is also charged with using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
According to police, Johnson confronted Brown as he came out of his home in uniform on his way to work. Police said they exchanged gunfire in the ensuing confrontation and Brown was killed.
Kennedy said the two men knew each other, but would not say what the confrontation was about. He said that was part of the ongoing investigation.
Numerous citizens reported hearing multiple shots fired and deputies and detectives flooded the area. Police immediately got a description of the vehicle Johnson was driving and a lookout was broadcast.
A King George deputy spotted the vehicle about 20 minutes later in the area of Caledon and Dahlgren roads in King George, and the suspect was taken into custody on nearby U.S. 301.
A handgun of the same caliber used in the slaying was found in the vehicle, Kennedy said.
Kennedy said detectives are confident that Johnson acted alone and that the attack was an isolated incident.
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Jeremy Brown, 29, of 110 Abby Lane in south Stafford was gunned down as he was leaving his home at 5:01 a.m., Stafford Sheriff’s spokesman Bill Kennedy said.
Antoine Gary Johnson, 26, of Upper Marlboro, Md. is also charged with using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
According to police, Johnson confronted Brown as he came out of his home in uniform on his way to work. Police said they exchanged gunfire in the ensuing confrontation and Brown was killed.
Kennedy said the two men knew each other, but would not say what the confrontation was about. He said that was part of the ongoing investigation.
Numerous citizens reported hearing multiple shots fired and deputies and detectives flooded the area. Police immediately got a description of the vehicle Johnson was driving and a lookout was broadcast.
A King George deputy spotted the vehicle about 20 minutes later in the area of Caledon and Dahlgren roads in King George, and the suspect was taken into custody on nearby U.S. 301.
A handgun of the same caliber used in the slaying was found in the vehicle, Kennedy said.
Kennedy said detectives are confident that Johnson acted alone and that the attack was an isolated incident.
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MD Citizen Soldier shares experience as history teacher
By By Staff Sgt. Michael E. Davis, Jr., Maryland National Guard Public Affairs Office?
Posted Wednesday, April 29, 2015
“One thing I try to do in my classes is to show students that history connects to what’s happening today,” Pettit said. “Now I’ll be able to give them that first-hand experience of being in the situation.”
Source
Posted Wednesday, April 29, 2015
In the midst of the sirens, fires, frustration, and vandalism recently in Baltimore, the Maryland National Guard stepped in to help, becoming a part of history in the making.
As an infantryman with the historic 175th Infantry Regiment, Sgt. Seth Pettit also became a part of this history. Along with 2,000 other Citizen-Soldiers, the full-time high school history teacher answered Maryland’s call as a Soldier to keep Baltimore’s citizens safe.
Looking back on the past, frustration from civil injustices culminating with the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., sparked the Baltimore riots of 1968. The Maryland National Guard has not been used in this capacity since then, until now.
“One thing I try to do in my classes is to show students that history connects to what’s happening today,” Pettit said. “Now I’ll be able to give them that first-hand experience of being in the situation.”
This isn’t the first time Pettit has put down the textbook to give his students a first-hand perspective of the historic events taking place present-day.
“I share stories from Iraq and what motivated me to join the Guard,” said Pettit, who joined the Guard seven years ago. “One motivation I had was 9/11, and a lot of students that I have were two, three, four years old when that happened… so I am able to relate those experiences to them.”
Pettit said he is proud to be apart of the team patrolling in the heart of Baltimore, keeping his fellow citizens safe, and that he wishes his experiences will inspire his students.
BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Bernie Sanders says he is running for president
Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announces he will seek the 2016 Democratic nomination for president in an interview with The Associated Press.
Governor Larry Hogan Mobilizes State Resources To Support Baltimore City Law Enforcement Response
The National Guard, State Police Among State Agencies With Deployed Resources (Update, 3:30 p.m.)
REISTERSTOWN, MD – Governor Larry Hogan and Maryland officials continue to coordinate the state’s response to violent civil unrest that has occurred in Baltimore City over the last couple of days. Maryland agencies are working together at the State Emergency Operations Center, which has been fully activated at the Maryland Emergency Management Agency since this past weekend’s demonstrations, in order to provide support to Baltimore City and manage state actions.
“We are working around the clock to ensure Baltimore City remains at peace, as it has throughout the day,” said Governor Hogan. “The presence of the National Guard, Maryland State Police, and other law enforcement officials will continue in the days to come to ensure order is fully restored for the citizens of Baltimore.”
The following is a list assets that have been provided, and information related to the response:
- National Guardsmen: 277 on-mission; 1,980 authorized
- Maryland State Police: Over 400 State Troopers and other allied law enforcement officers including officers from Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Prince George’s, and Harford counties;
- 300 law enforcement from Pennsylvania, 150 from New Jersey, and 45 from the District of Columbia;
- Department of Informational Technology is providing situational awareness mapping;
- Department of General Services has deployed Capitol Police to secure state buildings in Baltimore;
- The Maryland Insurance Administration is providing information to property owners and business owners whose property was damaged;
- The Maryland Transit Administration is providing logistical support to first responders throughout the city;
- A list of Baltimore City underground storage tank locations has been provided;
- Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives organized 2,600 volunteers who volunteered for clean-up this morning on Pennsylvania Avenue. A social media campaign was led by the Governor’s Office of Service & Volunteerism;
- Last night, Governor Hogan launched a new Web page, “Maryland Unites,” as a way to provide information and encourage the public to lend a helping hand to the Baltimore community in the aftermath of rioting and looting. Click here: www.marylandunites.org
- The Maryland Department of Environment has offered assistance to the Baltimore City Department of Public Works in the event they need extended hours at their solid waste acceptance facilities to process all solid waste;
- 20,000 meals and 1,000 bottles of water, which will be provided to law enforcement and first responders;
- With public schools back in session today, the Family League of Baltimore and the Maryland Out of School Time Network (MOST) announced this morning that after-school programs for city children and youth at Baltimore’s Community Schools will resume. Afterschool snack and supper services will be provided at school and OST sites as usual.
- Because of the closure of the Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR) offices yesterday, many food stamp and cash assistance recipients were unable to come in and recertify their eligibility for benefits. To ensure that no one goes hungry, DHR is extending their benefits by one month.
- The city has an ongoing 9 p.m. curfew for juveniles and a 10 p.m. – 5 a.m. curfew has been instituted for all citizens;
- The city has reported 20 police officers injured, two of whom remain in Shock Trauma and 144 vehicle fires; and,
- Number of arrests since curfew was instituted: 41 total; 19 adults and 22 juveniles.
Twelve emergency support functions have been activated at the State Emergency Operations Center at the Maryland Emergency Management Agency in order to support the response and provide these assets, including: the Maryland Department of Natural Resources; the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center, which provides situational awareness and intelligence; the Maryland Department of Human Resources, which is the state lead for social services and humanitarian aid; the Maryland Department of General Services, which coordinates logistical support; the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems; the Maryland Department of the Environment; the Maryland Public Service Commission, which regulates and monitors utility companies and associated infrastructure; the Maryland State Police; the Maryland Department of Agriculture; the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; the Maryland Department of Transportation, which provides transportation assets; and the Maryland Military Department, which houses the National Guard.
Steve King: Baltimore Leaders 'Handed Parts of That City Over to the Mob'
The shocking violence that has rocked Baltimore is something normally seen in foreign countries, not the United States, Rep. Steve King says.
And the Iowa Republican believes the city made a bad call by apparently telling cops not to go after the rioters who looted stores, set fire to cars and injured dozens of civilians and police officers.
"It looked to me that the cops had orders that said you're not going to engage them and if they come at you, you have to back up," King said Tuesday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
"To think that ranks of officers with riot gear had to retreat from a mob and they couldn't go in there and arrest or didn't go and arrest … you have to win that battle.
"They backed up, retreated and handed parts of that city over to the mob, to the rioters, and that's the kind of thing you see happen in foreign countries, not in the United States of America."
More here
And the Iowa Republican believes the city made a bad call by apparently telling cops not to go after the rioters who looted stores, set fire to cars and injured dozens of civilians and police officers.
"It looked to me that the cops had orders that said you're not going to engage them and if they come at you, you have to back up," King said Tuesday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
"To think that ranks of officers with riot gear had to retreat from a mob and they couldn't go in there and arrest or didn't go and arrest … you have to win that battle.
"They backed up, retreated and handed parts of that city over to the mob, to the rioters, and that's the kind of thing you see happen in foreign countries, not in the United States of America."
More here
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Freddie Gray's Spinal Injury Suggests 'Forceful Trauma,' Doctors Say
Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said Monday that 25-year-old Freddie Gray died of "a very tragic injury to his spinal cord," the bundle of nerves that carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. Gray died Sunday, one week after his arrest in West Baltimore.
Details about Gray's injury and what caused it remain unknown. Police did not release results of an autopsy conducted Monday.
Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts said investigators were searching for any evidence of abuse by officers or other trauma that might have occurred during a 30-minute ride in a police van. Gray was angry and having difficulty walking when placed in the van and then unable to talk or breathe when he was removed, Rodriguez said.
Gray's family has said he underwent surgery at Maryland Shock Trauma Center for three fractured neck vertebrae and a crushed voice box — injuries doctors said are more common among the elderly or victims of high-speed crashes.
Medical experts said it takes powerful blunt force, and often damage to the vertebrae that surround the spinal cord, to tear or sever it.
When the body undergoes trauma such as a car accident, the intense forces on the body can shift the vertebrae out of place. And if they move too far out of alignment with one another, they can tear or sever the spinal cord, Newman said. In many cases, spinal cord tears can cause paralysis even though the vertebral column may bounce back into place undamaged, he said.
In other cases, hyper-extension of the neck either forward or backward can cause vertebrae to fracture, crushing the spinal cord.
While injuries to lower portions of the spinal column can often lead to some degree of paralysis, trauma to the neck can have the most serious consequences, including quadriplegia, the need for a ventilator to breathe, or death as a result of an inability to breathe.
Spinal cord injuries also can lead to what is known as spinal shock, when the nervous system is overcome by the injury and unable to maintain control of blood pressure or oxygenation of vital organs, Dr. Ali Bydon said.
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Details about Gray's injury and what caused it remain unknown. Police did not release results of an autopsy conducted Monday.
Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts said investigators were searching for any evidence of abuse by officers or other trauma that might have occurred during a 30-minute ride in a police van. Gray was angry and having difficulty walking when placed in the van and then unable to talk or breathe when he was removed, Rodriguez said.
Gray's family has said he underwent surgery at Maryland Shock Trauma Center for three fractured neck vertebrae and a crushed voice box — injuries doctors said are more common among the elderly or victims of high-speed crashes.
Medical experts said it takes powerful blunt force, and often damage to the vertebrae that surround the spinal cord, to tear or sever it.
When the body undergoes trauma such as a car accident, the intense forces on the body can shift the vertebrae out of place. And if they move too far out of alignment with one another, they can tear or sever the spinal cord, Newman said. In many cases, spinal cord tears can cause paralysis even though the vertebral column may bounce back into place undamaged, he said.
In other cases, hyper-extension of the neck either forward or backward can cause vertebrae to fracture, crushing the spinal cord.
While injuries to lower portions of the spinal column can often lead to some degree of paralysis, trauma to the neck can have the most serious consequences, including quadriplegia, the need for a ventilator to breathe, or death as a result of an inability to breathe.
Spinal cord injuries also can lead to what is known as spinal shock, when the nervous system is overcome by the injury and unable to maintain control of blood pressure or oxygenation of vital organs, Dr. Ali Bydon said.
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Mayor Jim Ireton Destroys Economic Development In Salisbury
Nothing like a drama queen going way overboard. MoJo's have also closed their doors and Cellar Door is going to play it by ear and stay open, unless things get out of hand.
Indonesia Executes Seven Foreign Drug Convicts, Defying Global Anger
Indonesia early Wednesday executed seven foreign drug convicts including two Australians by firing squad but a Filipina was spared at the 11th hour, local reports said.
Defying a firestorm of international criticism and heart-rending pleas by relatives, authorities put the seven, plus a local man to death after midnight Tuesday (1700 GMT), the reports said.
However the Filipina, Mary Jane Veloso, was spared after someone suspected of recruiting her and tricking her into carrying drugs to Indonesia turned herself in to authorities in the Philippines, MetroTV and the Jakarta Post reported.
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Defying a firestorm of international criticism and heart-rending pleas by relatives, authorities put the seven, plus a local man to death after midnight Tuesday (1700 GMT), the reports said.
However the Filipina, Mary Jane Veloso, was spared after someone suspected of recruiting her and tricking her into carrying drugs to Indonesia turned herself in to authorities in the Philippines, MetroTV and the Jakarta Post reported.
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Roadie Joe's Will Remain OPEN This Evening
You see Jimmy, this is how real men act. Now go get your nails done before you throw yourself in front of the cameras tonight and act like, because of you, there was no violence. Man this guy makes me sick to my stomach.
Governor Hogan Launches ‘Maryland Unites’ Web Page To Assist In Baltimore Relief Efforts
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today announced that his administration is launching a new Web page, “Maryland Unites,” as a way to provide information and encourage the public to lend a helping hand to the Baltimore community in the aftermath of this week’s rioting and looting.
The Web page is a resource for citizens to do three important things in support of Baltimore City:
1) Obtain up-to-date information from law enforcement officials and pertinent state agencies;
2) Donate to charitable organizations assisting community members who are in need; and
3) Volunteer to assist in clean-up and other efforts.
“We have received an outpouring of support from Marylanders and people all around the country who want to help get our beloved Baltimore back on its feet in the wake of the violence and destruction,” said Governor Hogan. “This Web page is a one-stop shop for citizens to help, and I encourage everyone to do what they can to assist Charm City at this difficult time.”
Please click here to view the Web page: www.marylandunites.org
For real-time information on services and assistance in Baltimore City, please call the Department of Human Resources’ Information Hotline:1-888-756-7836.
Hard Core Chicks: Eight Self-Defense Tactics Every Women Should Know
Society seems to dictate that women should be delicate, passive and always polite. In many cases, we give our power away because we feed into these societal norms. Crime has escalated exorbitantly and women must know when to go from passive to a fierce warrior. We cannot stand idly by waiting for help. We must rise to the occasion and know how to give someone the beat down.
Self-defense is a crucial skill that all women should know, and it takes time to develop these skills. Many women, including myself have been in situations where we looked around and didn’t feel comfortable, and in some cases the situation had the potential to quickly become dangerous. It’s important to have situational awareness and be aware of your surroundings at all times. If you do not feel comfortable, don’t feel bad about getting out of the situation all together. As well, trust your gut. When your intuition is making your spidey senses go off, it’s time to get out of there.
In many cases, predators watch their potential victims before they strike. In a study regarding how predators selected their victims, pedestrians were videotaped walking down a street and had incarcerated convicts view them. Within seven seconds of viewing the pedestrians the convicts had selected their targets. Selections were not based on gender, size, age or race, but rather on the body language exhibited. The convicts identified the following body language cues used as their basis for victim selection:
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Self-defense is a crucial skill that all women should know, and it takes time to develop these skills. Many women, including myself have been in situations where we looked around and didn’t feel comfortable, and in some cases the situation had the potential to quickly become dangerous. It’s important to have situational awareness and be aware of your surroundings at all times. If you do not feel comfortable, don’t feel bad about getting out of the situation all together. As well, trust your gut. When your intuition is making your spidey senses go off, it’s time to get out of there.
In many cases, predators watch their potential victims before they strike. In a study regarding how predators selected their victims, pedestrians were videotaped walking down a street and had incarcerated convicts view them. Within seven seconds of viewing the pedestrians the convicts had selected their targets. Selections were not based on gender, size, age or race, but rather on the body language exhibited. The convicts identified the following body language cues used as their basis for victim selection:
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MARTIN O’MALLEY HECKLED BY SOME IN BALTIMORE
Evidently some people told him to “get out,” according to a Washington Post report. As mayor, he’s said to have enforced strict police policies.
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Baltimore…
So what do we have here.
A guy who has been arrested a crazy number of times in his adult life including four times in 2015. But that rap sheet exposes two problems that nobody has addressed but I have written about several times over the years.
First, the huge majority of these “busts” are for consensual adult acts that nobody complained about. That is, drug offenses. They’re simply a matter of control of others and a “negative mandate” imposed on other people because you don’t like that person’s particular choice of intoxicant. Other intoxicants, however (beer anyone?) are perfectly fine and in fact taxed. What sort of thuggish crap is this sort of so-called “law”?
The second problem is arguably worse. How does someone get arrested and accused of all these serious criminal acts and yet is either convicted of none or, if they were convicted, are not incarcerated? At what point do such “arrests,” which fail to lead to convictions and incarcerations, turn from “law enforcement” to an act ethically and morally indistinguishable from extortion and even kidnapping?
A few years ago I wrote on a story of a federal marshal that was shot trying to serve a summons on a convicted felon here in Florida. But not just any convicted felon; this guy had first decided that carjacking was his means of employment, was caught and sentenced to prison. Then, being released, he decided that sexually assaulting a minor (the common name for that would be “rape”) was his second calling. He got caught a second time and the people of this state let him out again. Being out he was able to shoot said marshal when he came to serve him papers (for a purpose that was not disclosed in the paper at the time.)
This situation appears to be even more-egregious, given the length of the rap sheet. But unlike the three-time loser in Florida who was committing felonies against other people, and serious ones at that, this guy was committing crimes against himself.
In other words but for the pronouncement of someone who was unaffected by his conduct he was committing no offense at all.
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A guy who has been arrested a crazy number of times in his adult life including four times in 2015. But that rap sheet exposes two problems that nobody has addressed but I have written about several times over the years.
First, the huge majority of these “busts” are for consensual adult acts that nobody complained about. That is, drug offenses. They’re simply a matter of control of others and a “negative mandate” imposed on other people because you don’t like that person’s particular choice of intoxicant. Other intoxicants, however (beer anyone?) are perfectly fine and in fact taxed. What sort of thuggish crap is this sort of so-called “law”?
The second problem is arguably worse. How does someone get arrested and accused of all these serious criminal acts and yet is either convicted of none or, if they were convicted, are not incarcerated? At what point do such “arrests,” which fail to lead to convictions and incarcerations, turn from “law enforcement” to an act ethically and morally indistinguishable from extortion and even kidnapping?
A few years ago I wrote on a story of a federal marshal that was shot trying to serve a summons on a convicted felon here in Florida. But not just any convicted felon; this guy had first decided that carjacking was his means of employment, was caught and sentenced to prison. Then, being released, he decided that sexually assaulting a minor (the common name for that would be “rape”) was his second calling. He got caught a second time and the people of this state let him out again. Being out he was able to shoot said marshal when he came to serve him papers (for a purpose that was not disclosed in the paper at the time.)
This situation appears to be even more-egregious, given the length of the rap sheet. But unlike the three-time loser in Florida who was committing felonies against other people, and serious ones at that, this guy was committing crimes against himself.
In other words but for the pronouncement of someone who was unaffected by his conduct he was committing no offense at all.
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COAST GUARD HOSTS WWII VETERAN AWARDED BRONZE STAR 69 YEARS AFTER BATTLE OF GUAM
Coast Guard personnel from units in Chincoteague hosted Richard Smith at Coast Guard Station Chincoteague to hear him speak about his Coast Guard service, including his experiences serving in WWII. Aids to Navigation Team Chincoteague, Station Chincoteague and Sector Field Office Eastern Shore personnel recognized Smith's service and presented him with a plaque. Smith, a resident of Salisbury, Maryland, and native of East Liverpool, Ohio, served in the Coast Guard from 1942 to 1945.
A medical corpsman, Smith spent five days on Guam in 1944 and tended to approximately 36 men during battle.
"The highlight of my Coast Guard career was serving as a pharmacist's mate in Chincoteague," said Smith.
Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790.
The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future.
US Economy Grinds to Halt, Q1 GDP Tumbles
And so the Atlanta Fed, whose "shocking" Q1 GDP prediction Zero Hedge first laid out nearly 2 months ago, with its Q1 GDP 0.1% forecast was spot on. Moments ago the BEA reported that Q1 GDP was far worse than almost everyone had expected, and tumbled from a 2.2% annualized growth rate at the end of 2014 to just 0.2%, in a rerun of last year when it too "snowed" in the winter. This was well below the Wall Street consensus of a print above 1.0%.
In other words, in the quarter in which the S&P rose to unseen highs, the economy ground to a near halt.
Only this time it wasn't the snow, as the main reason for the plunge in economic growth was not only personal consumption which was cut by more than 50% from last quarter, tumbling to just 1.31%, but fixed investment, i.e., CapEx, which subtracting 0.40% from the bottom line GDP number, was the lowest print since 2009!
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Only this time it wasn't the snow, as the main reason for the plunge in economic growth was not only personal consumption which was cut by more than 50% from last quarter, tumbling to just 1.31%, but fixed investment, i.e., CapEx, which subtracting 0.40% from the bottom line GDP number, was the lowest print since 2009!
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Ocean City celebrating the 25th Annual Springfest Arts and Crafts Festival
A variety of live entertainment on two stages provides music all day long with anchoring headline acts. Springfest is located in the Inlet Lot at the south end of Ocean City’s famous Boardwalk. Springfest is fun for people of all ages and admission to the four-day event is free, including all entertainment, with the exception of the headline acts.
Country music’s legendary recording artist, Vince Gill will perform to a sold-out audience Friday night in Springfest’s Entertainment Pavilion. He has been honored by the Country Music Association with 18 CMA Awards, including two Entertainer of the Year awards and five Male Vocalist Awards. Gill has also earned 20 Grammy Awards, more than any other male country music artist. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Gill has recorded more than 20 studio albums, charted over 40 singles on the U.S. Billboard charts and has sold more than 26 million albums.
House Democrats Charting a Way Back to Majority
The Democrat Party is working to develop a unified message intended to help it win back the House of Representatives, Politico reported.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and its Policy and Communications Committee have been trying to come up with a cohesive line to distinguish their party from the Republicans.
Besides criticizing the Republican-controlled Congress, Democrats are looking to present an upbeat message for 2016. "There is always going to be contrast but if it's just negative, the message is not going to work," according to New York Rep. Steve Israel, a former head of the campaign committee.
"We're going to build our message on a foundation of Republicans who continue to work for special interests and Democrats who are focused on hardworking Americans," said Israel.
More here
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and its Policy and Communications Committee have been trying to come up with a cohesive line to distinguish their party from the Republicans.
Besides criticizing the Republican-controlled Congress, Democrats are looking to present an upbeat message for 2016. "There is always going to be contrast but if it's just negative, the message is not going to work," according to New York Rep. Steve Israel, a former head of the campaign committee.
"We're going to build our message on a foundation of Republicans who continue to work for special interests and Democrats who are focused on hardworking Americans," said Israel.
More here
Tourism to Assateague Island National Seashore creates $102,346,900 in Economic Benefits
BERLIN, MARYLAND – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 2,170,681 visitors to Assateague Island National Seashore in 2014 spent $90,417,200 in communities near the park. That spending supported 1,241 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $102,346,900.
“Assateague Island National Seashore welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Superintendent Debbie Darden. “We are delighted to share the story of this place and the experiences it provides. We also feature the park as a way to introduce our visitors to this part of the country and all that it offers. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service, and it’s a big factor in our local economy as well. We appreciate the partnership and support of our neighbors and are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain local communities.”
Deadline Set for State Dept to Release Hillary's Emails
A federal judge has ruled that the State Department has roughly three weeks to propose a deadline for the release of tens of thousands of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails, Politico reported.
The deadline, mandated by U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras in an order issued Tuesday, applies to work-related emails Clinton sent or received on her personal account.
Department officials have said the email review process would take several months — with the exception of some emails, related to Libya and the Sept. 11, 2012 murders of four Americans by jihadists in Benghazi, that are supposed to be released sooner.
Contreras issued his order Tuesday in a lawsuit filed in January by Vice News reporter Jason Leopold seeking emails from Clinton's four years as secretary of state along with emails from some of her top staffers.
"At or before the May 19 status hearing, Defendant shall provide a proposed schedule of production for Secretary Clinton's emails," wrote Contreras, an appointee of President Barack Obama.
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The deadline, mandated by U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras in an order issued Tuesday, applies to work-related emails Clinton sent or received on her personal account.
Department officials have said the email review process would take several months — with the exception of some emails, related to Libya and the Sept. 11, 2012 murders of four Americans by jihadists in Benghazi, that are supposed to be released sooner.
Contreras issued his order Tuesday in a lawsuit filed in January by Vice News reporter Jason Leopold seeking emails from Clinton's four years as secretary of state along with emails from some of her top staffers.
"At or before the May 19 status hearing, Defendant shall provide a proposed schedule of production for Secretary Clinton's emails," wrote Contreras, an appointee of President Barack Obama.
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SPRING CONCERTS, LISTED BY SCHOOL
The Beaver Run Elementary spring performance took place March 26.
Charles H. Chipman Elementary
The 1st grade classes at Charles H. Chipman Elementary School will present their spring program, "Our Earth," on Monday, May 11 at 6 p.m. The performance will take place on the stage in the cafeteria and admission is free. 410-677-5814
Delmar Elementary
No spring program information
East Salisbury Elementary
The East Salisbury Elementary Strings and Band Program will present a Spring Concert on Monday, May 18. (Concert was rescheduled from April 13.) The 4th and 5th grade string orchestra will perform some traditional favorites and fiddle tunes. The 5th grade band will present traditional music performed by the whole ensemble and by soloists. The concert starts at 6 p.m. in the gymnasium. Free. 410-677-5803
Giuliani: Decades of Liberal Democratic Rule Hasn't Helped Baltimore
Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said three decades of liberal Democrats running Baltimore have done little to help the plight of minorities.
Appearing Tuesday on Fox News Channel's "Hannity," Giuliani said he was able to bring communities such as Washington Heights back to prosperity after a riot in 1992 and a blackout in 1999.
"That community went from being very high crime community to being a good community," Giuliani said. "I would ask all those politicians you saw there talking about the terrible conditions, economic conditions, they have been in charge of Baltimore for the last 30 years. This is a Democrat city."
Democrat Martin O'Malley was the governor for eight years and mayor of Baltimore eight years before than, Giuliani noted.
"If those people are suffering from economic deprivation, then what the heck have they done?," he asked.
"What has (Rep.) Elijah Cummings done for his city? … What kind of economic development have they done?"
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Appearing Tuesday on Fox News Channel's "Hannity," Giuliani said he was able to bring communities such as Washington Heights back to prosperity after a riot in 1992 and a blackout in 1999.
"That community went from being very high crime community to being a good community," Giuliani said. "I would ask all those politicians you saw there talking about the terrible conditions, economic conditions, they have been in charge of Baltimore for the last 30 years. This is a Democrat city."
Democrat Martin O'Malley was the governor for eight years and mayor of Baltimore eight years before than, Giuliani noted.
"If those people are suffering from economic deprivation, then what the heck have they done?," he asked.
"What has (Rep.) Elijah Cummings done for his city? … What kind of economic development have they done?"
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Maryland Governor Says Obama Urged Him to Exercise 'Due Restraint'
(CNSNews.com) - Both the mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland said they spoke to President Obama on Monday, but the president had nothing to say publicly about the out-of-control looting, burning and police-pelting in Baltimore, a city just 40 miles north of the U.S. capital. He's letting his new attorney general handle it.
"I had a long discussion with the president about this, this evening," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) told reporters at a Monday night news conference. Hogan announced that he had just activated the National Guard, at the Baltimore mayor's request -- a request that came many hours after the looting and fires began.
"He thanked me for the action," Hogan said of the president. "Said he thought we we're doing the right thing. He said I assume that you and your team will be exercising due restraint, I assured them that we were.
"The last thing we want to do is escalate the violence, but I also assure them that weren't going to standby and allow our City of Baltimore to be taken over by thugs," Hogan said.
"And he said that the Justice Department was going to be -- the new attorney general will be coming into the Baltimore -- that we're going to sit down and work together to try to see if we can bring calm to the community and find answers in the case of Freddie Gray. But that was a separate situation, that he felt we absolutely knew to get control of our streets and he endorsed the action that we're taken tonight."
More
"I had a long discussion with the president about this, this evening," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) told reporters at a Monday night news conference. Hogan announced that he had just activated the National Guard, at the Baltimore mayor's request -- a request that came many hours after the looting and fires began.
"He thanked me for the action," Hogan said of the president. "Said he thought we we're doing the right thing. He said I assume that you and your team will be exercising due restraint, I assured them that we were.
"The last thing we want to do is escalate the violence, but I also assure them that weren't going to standby and allow our City of Baltimore to be taken over by thugs," Hogan said.
"And he said that the Justice Department was going to be -- the new attorney general will be coming into the Baltimore -- that we're going to sit down and work together to try to see if we can bring calm to the community and find answers in the case of Freddie Gray. But that was a separate situation, that he felt we absolutely knew to get control of our streets and he endorsed the action that we're taken tonight."
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Debunking Obama’s Bilious Baltimore Babble
It’s never enough. American taxpayers have surrendered billions and billions and billions of dollars to the social-justice-spender-in-chief. But it’s never, ever enough.
The latest paroxysm of urban violence, looting, and recriminations in Baltimore prompted President Obama on Tuesday to trot out his frayed Blame The Callous, Tight-Fisted Republicans card. After dispensing with an obligatory wrist-slap of toilet paper-and Oreo-filching “protesters” who are burning Charm City to the ground (he hurriedly changed it to “criminals and thugs” mid-word), the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner got down to his usual business: hectoring his political opponents and grousing that America hasn’t forked over enough money for him to make the “massive investments” needed to “make a difference right now.”
If we are “serious” about preventing more riots, the president declared, then “the rest of us” (translation: all of us stingy conservatives) have to make sure “we are providing early education” and “making investments” so that inner-city youths are “getting the training they need to find jobs.”
Narcissus on the Potomac wheedled that “there’s a bunch of my agenda that would make a difference right now.” Me, me, me! His laundry list of the supposedly underfunded cures that he can’t get through Congress includes “school reform,” “job training” and “some investments in infrastructure” to “attract new businesses.”
I’ll give POTUS credit: He can lay it on thicker than a John Deere manure spreader.
Let’s talk “massive investments,” shall we?
In 2009, Obama and the Democrats rammed the $840 billion federal stimulus package through Capitol Hill under the guise of immediate job creation and economic recovery. An estimated $64 billion went to public school districts; another nearly $50 billion went for other education spending. This included $13 billion for low-income public school kids; $4.1 billion for Head Start and childcare services; $650 million for educational technology; $200 million for working college students; and $70 million for homeless children.
More
The latest paroxysm of urban violence, looting, and recriminations in Baltimore prompted President Obama on Tuesday to trot out his frayed Blame The Callous, Tight-Fisted Republicans card. After dispensing with an obligatory wrist-slap of toilet paper-and Oreo-filching “protesters” who are burning Charm City to the ground (he hurriedly changed it to “criminals and thugs” mid-word), the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner got down to his usual business: hectoring his political opponents and grousing that America hasn’t forked over enough money for him to make the “massive investments” needed to “make a difference right now.”
If we are “serious” about preventing more riots, the president declared, then “the rest of us” (translation: all of us stingy conservatives) have to make sure “we are providing early education” and “making investments” so that inner-city youths are “getting the training they need to find jobs.”
Narcissus on the Potomac wheedled that “there’s a bunch of my agenda that would make a difference right now.” Me, me, me! His laundry list of the supposedly underfunded cures that he can’t get through Congress includes “school reform,” “job training” and “some investments in infrastructure” to “attract new businesses.”
I’ll give POTUS credit: He can lay it on thicker than a John Deere manure spreader.
Let’s talk “massive investments,” shall we?
In 2009, Obama and the Democrats rammed the $840 billion federal stimulus package through Capitol Hill under the guise of immediate job creation and economic recovery. An estimated $64 billion went to public school districts; another nearly $50 billion went for other education spending. This included $13 billion for low-income public school kids; $4.1 billion for Head Start and childcare services; $650 million for educational technology; $200 million for working college students; and $70 million for homeless children.
More
NFL gives up tax exemption
The National Football League has decided to give up its league office’s tax-exempt status, NFL officials announced Tuesday.
Robert McNair, owner of the Houston Texans, said the owners of the league’s 32 teams decided to eliminate what they call a “distraction.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told the owners in a memo that removing its tax-exempt status won’t have any effect on how the league operates and insisted the NFL’s arrangement with the IRS had “been mischaracterized repeatedly in recent years.”
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Robert McNair, owner of the Houston Texans, said the owners of the league’s 32 teams decided to eliminate what they call a “distraction.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told the owners in a memo that removing its tax-exempt status won’t have any effect on how the league operates and insisted the NFL’s arrangement with the IRS had “been mischaracterized repeatedly in recent years.”
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Justices torn on gay marriage
The Supreme Court appeared sharply divided Tuesday over whether to legalize gay marriage in the United States, as the justices wrestled with questions of discrimination and tradition in the most closely watched arguments of the term.
As expected, the blockbuster case fractured the high court, with liberals on the bench voicing support for gay marriage and conservatives opposing it.
But the two justices seen as the most likely swing votes — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy — asked tough questions to lawyers for both sides, leaving uncertainty about where they would ultimately land.
And even some members of the court's liberal wing questioned whether the matter should be left to voters — rather than the court — to decide.
Justice Stephen Breyer said heterosexual marriage has been the law for thousands of years.
“Suddenly you want nine people outside the ballot box to require states that don’t want to do it to change,” he said. “Why can’t these states wait and see if doing so in other states is harmful to marriage,” he said.
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As expected, the blockbuster case fractured the high court, with liberals on the bench voicing support for gay marriage and conservatives opposing it.
But the two justices seen as the most likely swing votes — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy — asked tough questions to lawyers for both sides, leaving uncertainty about where they would ultimately land.
And even some members of the court's liberal wing questioned whether the matter should be left to voters — rather than the court — to decide.
Justice Stephen Breyer said heterosexual marriage has been the law for thousands of years.
“Suddenly you want nine people outside the ballot box to require states that don’t want to do it to change,” he said. “Why can’t these states wait and see if doing so in other states is harmful to marriage,” he said.
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Drudge on Baltimore Riots: ‘America Could Fall’
Chaos continues as authorities accused of failing to deal with unrest
Matt Drudge warned that America could fall in the aftermath of riots that tore through Baltimore yesterday as thousands of National Guard troops were called up to deal with potential further unrest.
“America, and everyone in it, must take a collective deep breath. The country could fall,” Drudge tweeted.
Following widespread looting and arson attacks yesterday afternoon, the riots continued into the night, with many accusing Baltimore authorities of failing to respond quickly enough to the crisis.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake waited for around 5 hours to even make a statement as businesses burned and gangs of violent mobs ran riot, prompting Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to imply that the Mayor had waited too long to call out the National Guard, telling a reporter he was “glad that she finally did” make the decision.
During the press conference attended by Rawlings-Blake and other officials, hostility appeared to be targeted more at the media than the rioters, with accusations flying that the press refused to focus on “peaceful” demonstrators.
More
Matt Drudge warned that America could fall in the aftermath of riots that tore through Baltimore yesterday as thousands of National Guard troops were called up to deal with potential further unrest.
“America, and everyone in it, must take a collective deep breath. The country could fall,” Drudge tweeted.
Following widespread looting and arson attacks yesterday afternoon, the riots continued into the night, with many accusing Baltimore authorities of failing to respond quickly enough to the crisis.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake waited for around 5 hours to even make a statement as businesses burned and gangs of violent mobs ran riot, prompting Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to imply that the Mayor had waited too long to call out the National Guard, telling a reporter he was “glad that she finally did” make the decision.
During the press conference attended by Rawlings-Blake and other officials, hostility appeared to be targeted more at the media than the rioters, with accusations flying that the press refused to focus on “peaceful” demonstrators.
More
Governor Hogan Says Obama Urged Him to Exercise 'Due Restraint'
(CNSNews.com) - Both the mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland said they spoke to President Obama on Monday, but the president had nothing to say publicly about the out-of-control looting, burning and police-pelting in Baltimore, a city just 40 miles north of the U.S. capital. He's letting his new attorney general handle it.
"I had a long discussion with the president about this, this evening," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) told reporters at a Monday night news conference. Hogan announced that he had just activated the National Guard, at the Baltimore mayor's request -- a request that came many hours after the looting and fires began.
"He thanked me for the action," Hogan said of the president. "Said he thought we we're doing the right thing. He said I assume that you and your team will be exercising due restraint, I assured them that we were.
"The last thing we want to do is escalate the violence, but I also assure them that weren't going to standby and allow our City of Baltimore to be taken over by thugs," Hogan said.
"And he said that the Justice Department was going to be -- the new attorney general will be coming into the Baltimore -- that we're going to sit down and work together to try to see if we can bring calm to the community and find answers in the case of Freddie Gray. But that was a separate situation, that he felt we absolutely knew to get control of our streets and he endorsed the action that we're taken tonight."
According to Hogan, President Obama "supports our actions 100 percent. We talked about the fact that we got to find -- everybody believes we need to get to the answers and resolve this situation, the concern everybody has about what exactly happened in the Freddie Gray incident.
More here
"I had a long discussion with the president about this, this evening," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) told reporters at a Monday night news conference. Hogan announced that he had just activated the National Guard, at the Baltimore mayor's request -- a request that came many hours after the looting and fires began.
"He thanked me for the action," Hogan said of the president. "Said he thought we we're doing the right thing. He said I assume that you and your team will be exercising due restraint, I assured them that we were.
"The last thing we want to do is escalate the violence, but I also assure them that weren't going to standby and allow our City of Baltimore to be taken over by thugs," Hogan said.
"And he said that the Justice Department was going to be -- the new attorney general will be coming into the Baltimore -- that we're going to sit down and work together to try to see if we can bring calm to the community and find answers in the case of Freddie Gray. But that was a separate situation, that he felt we absolutely knew to get control of our streets and he endorsed the action that we're taken tonight."
According to Hogan, President Obama "supports our actions 100 percent. We talked about the fact that we got to find -- everybody believes we need to get to the answers and resolve this situation, the concern everybody has about what exactly happened in the Freddie Gray incident.
More here
Gray Family Attorney on Rioters: 'What They Are Doing Is Wrong'
(CNSNews) - Billy Murphy, the attorney for Freddie Gray's family, said the violence in Baltimore was started by teenagers -- "kids who are disconnected from the overall group of people in Baltimore who are productive in society. These kids have had bad experiences in school," Murphy told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Monday afternoon as the rioting gained momentum.
"They are frequently harassed by the police. They are unemployed because there's no summer jobs. And so this is what you would expect in a tense time like this," Murphy continued.
"That's not a justification, though, because what they're doing is wrong. And we need to stop them. And those of us who are more mature in Baltimore, black and white together, we need to have a demonstration that shows them the right way to do it, rather than permitting them to go without leadership, the way that they're going now."
More here
"They are frequently harassed by the police. They are unemployed because there's no summer jobs. And so this is what you would expect in a tense time like this," Murphy continued.
"That's not a justification, though, because what they're doing is wrong. And we need to stop them. And those of us who are more mature in Baltimore, black and white together, we need to have a demonstration that shows them the right way to do it, rather than permitting them to go without leadership, the way that they're going now."
More here
Mother Talks About Smacking 16-year-old Son During Riot
"I'm a no-tolerant mother. Everybody that knows me, know I don't play that," Toya Graham, a single mother of six, told CBS News. "He said, when `I seen you,' he said, `Ma, my instinct was to run."'
Graham received wide praise from people on social media and even the Baltimore police commissioner, who said more parents should have taken charge of their children like Graham after the riots started.
More here
UF's Zeta Beta Tau chapter closes amid veterans' accusations
“Vice President of Student Affairs Dave Kratzer said on Friday we would deal swiftly with this and we have,” said Janine Sikes, UF assistant vice president for media relations.
Kratzer, a retired U.S. Army general, said he was disgusted by the reports of the way the students treated military vets at the Laketown Wharf resort.
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Spring Fling Flea Market / Yard Sale Starts May 7th
Print and use the SPECIAL SBYNEWS COUPON* ($5.00 off in store purchase of $25.00 or more) and mention SBYNEWS for your chance to spin the famous “Discount Wheel” for up to 20% off your purchase.
Join in the FUN and set up your OWN (no fee) booth / table. (Scarborough Fair’s parking lot). Space still available. *For Restrictions rules and more details, plus to sign up to be a seller, please visit our website atwww.sfaircountry.com or call the store 410-749-7979.
The Wisconsin Left Tried to Criminalize Free Speech
In a blatant attempt at political intimidation masquerading itself as legitimate investigation, police conducted a series of early morning raids at the homes of several Wisconsin conservatives. Dozens of armed officers showed up for pre-dawn raids with battering rams, swarming into houses and threatening the people inside with arrest if they didn’t cooperate, even as they seized personal property.
And on the way out, the invaders gave every person they encountered the same warning: Don’t call your lawyer, and don’t tell anyone about what happened, because a gag order is in place.
How is it that people can be forced to remain silent even as police conducted large, noisy raids more suitable to taking down a drug kingpin right in front of their neighbors?
Because law enforcement officials in Wisconsin are allowed to conduct John Doe investigations, defined as “an independent, investigatory tool to ascertain whether a crime has been committed and if so, by whom.” And unlike other investigations that require probable cause to pursue, John Doe investigations are conducted to establish the existence of probable cause itself.
More here
BALTIMORE IS A DEMOCRAT PROBLEM, NOT AMERICA’S PROBLEM
Contrary to the emotional blackmail some leftists are attempting to peddle, Baltimore is not America’s problem or shame. That failed city is solely and completely a Democrat problem. Like many failed cities, Detroit comes to mind, and every city besieged recently by rioting, Democrats and their union pals have had carte blanche to inflict their ideas and policies on Baltimore since 1967, the last time there was a Republican Mayor.
In 2012, after four years of his own failed policies, President Obama won a whopping 87.4% of the Baltimore City vote. Democrats run the city of Baltimore, the unions, the schools, and, yes, the police force. Since 1969, there have only been only been two Republican governors of the State of Maryland.
Elijah Cummings has represented Baltimore in the U.S. Congress for more than thirty years. As I write this, despite his objectively disastrous reign, the Democrat-infested mainstream media is treating the Democrat like a local folk hero, not the obvious and glaring failure he really is.
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What to Say When the Police Tell You to Stop Filming Them
First of all, they shouldn’t ask.
“As a basic principle, we can’t tell you to stop recording,” says Delroy Burton, chairman of D.C.’s metropolitan police union and a 21-year veteran on the force. “If you’re standing across the street videotaping, and I’m in a public place, carrying out my public functions, [then] I’m subject to recording, and there’s nothing legally the police officer can do to stop you from recording.”
“What you don’t have a right to do is interfere,” he says. “Record from a distance, stay out of the scene, and the officer doesn’t have the right to come over and take your camera, confiscate it.”
Officers do have a right to tell you to stop interfering with their work, Burton told me, but they still aren’t allowed to destroy film.
Yet still some officers do. Last week, an amateur video appeared to show a U.S. Marshal confiscating and destroying a woman’s camera as she filmed him.
Read more
Sen. David Perdue: Obama Runs ‘Country Without Congress’
President Barack Obama’s abuse of executive power privileges has essentially frozen Congress out of the government for the past six years, leading to foreign policy disasters across the globe and systemic domestic problems, according to Sen. David Perdue (R., Ga.), who blasted the White House’s abuse of power during a speech on the Senate floor Monday evening.
Perdue, in his first wide-ranging speech from the Senate floor, blasted what he said is the Obama administration’s unprecedented abuse of the presidency and failure to set America on stable path.
“Unbridled use of executive orders and regulatory mandates has basically allowed this president to run the country without Congress for the past six years,” Perdue said, according to text of his speech.
“The abuse of executive power, the significant deterioration of American foreign policy, and our out-of-control debt” has fundamentally endangered the United States’ standing the world, he said.
Quoting Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University constitutional law professor, Perdue noted that what “we are witnessing today is one of the greatest challenges to our constitutional system in the history of this country.”
“According to Professor Turley, this sets dangerous precedents for future courts and future presidents,” he said.
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Perdue, in his first wide-ranging speech from the Senate floor, blasted what he said is the Obama administration’s unprecedented abuse of the presidency and failure to set America on stable path.
“Unbridled use of executive orders and regulatory mandates has basically allowed this president to run the country without Congress for the past six years,” Perdue said, according to text of his speech.
“The abuse of executive power, the significant deterioration of American foreign policy, and our out-of-control debt” has fundamentally endangered the United States’ standing the world, he said.
Quoting Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University constitutional law professor, Perdue noted that what “we are witnessing today is one of the greatest challenges to our constitutional system in the history of this country.”
“According to Professor Turley, this sets dangerous precedents for future courts and future presidents,” he said.
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Most Obamacare Beneficiaries Had to Repay Subsidies
Nearly two in three Americans who bought subsidized health insurance on the Obamacare exchanges this year had to pay some of the federal dollars back, according to new data from H&R Block.
That's because they presumably collected more federal aid than their income qualified them for. In that case, consumers must either pay some of it back or — in most cases — the IRS will subtract it from their tax refund.
Policymakers have expressed concern that low-income people could struggle with paying back the subsidies — or suffer if their tax refunds are greatly reduced because of overpayments.
The average amount consumers owed back to the government was $729, cutting their potential tax refunds by almost one-third, said the tax preparation company.
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That's because they presumably collected more federal aid than their income qualified them for. In that case, consumers must either pay some of it back or — in most cases — the IRS will subtract it from their tax refund.
Policymakers have expressed concern that low-income people could struggle with paying back the subsidies — or suffer if their tax refunds are greatly reduced because of overpayments.
The average amount consumers owed back to the government was $729, cutting their potential tax refunds by almost one-third, said the tax preparation company.
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Failing the Entire Class
"Since teaching this course, I have caught and seen cheating, been told to 'chill out,' 'get out of my space,' 'go back and teach,' [been] called a 'fucking moron' to my face, [had] one student cheat by signing in for another, one student not showing up but claiming they did, listened to many hurtful and untrue rumors about myself and others, been caught between fights between students…."
Horwitz said he would fail every single student. "None of you, in my opinion, given the behavior in this class, deserve to pass, or graduate to become an Aggie, as you do not in any way embody the honor that the university holds graduates should have within their personal character. It is thus for these reasons why I am officially walking away from this course. I am frankly and completely disgusted. You all lack the honor and maturity to live up to the standards that Texas A&M holds, and the competence and/or desire to do the quality work necessary to pass the course just on a grade level…. I will no longer be teaching the course, and all are being awarded a failing grade."
The same day Horwitz sent a similar email to the senior administrators of the university telling them what he had done, and predicting (correctly) that students would protest and claim he was being unfair. The students are "your problem now," Horwitz wrote.
The university has said that Horwitz's failing grades will not stand.
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Registration Open for Run to Remember Memorial Day 5K
Salisbury, MD – Honor our nation's fallen heroes this Memorial Day by participating in the Run to Remember Memorial Day 5K run/walk. The event will be held on Saturday, May 23, beginning and ending at the Wicomico War Veterans' Memorial located in front of the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. Check-in and registration begins at 7 a.m. and the race will start at 8 a.m.
Refreshments will be available following the race with awards presented to the top three male and female finishers in five age categories. Walkers are welcome to take part in all or a portion of the race.
Registration is available in person at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (M-F, 9am-5pm) or online at www.WicomicoRecandParks.org. Participants must register by May 7 to ensure receipt of a commemorative t-shirt. Advanced registration is $25 per person through May 22 at noon. Onsite registration is $30 per person. Military may register in person with ID for $20 per person. Proceeds benefit the Wicomico War Veterans Memorial at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center, which honors the citizens of Wicomico County who lost their lives while serving the United States during war.
Area residents are invited to honor those men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country at the annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 25 at 10 a.m. The ceremony will be held at the Wicomico War Memorial located in front of the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center.
Refreshments will be available following the race with awards presented to the top three male and female finishers in five age categories. Walkers are welcome to take part in all or a portion of the race.
Registration is available in person at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (M-F, 9am-5pm) or online at www.WicomicoRecandParks.org. Participants must register by May 7 to ensure receipt of a commemorative t-shirt. Advanced registration is $25 per person through May 22 at noon. Onsite registration is $30 per person. Military may register in person with ID for $20 per person. Proceeds benefit the Wicomico War Veterans Memorial at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center, which honors the citizens of Wicomico County who lost their lives while serving the United States during war.
Area residents are invited to honor those men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country at the annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 25 at 10 a.m. The ceremony will be held at the Wicomico War Memorial located in front of the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center.
Tickled Paint Flyer Saturday May 2nd Special
Tickled
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Saturday
May 2nd
7
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Tickled
Paint Studio Salisbury, Md.
$25.00
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Call
410-713-2013
America's biggest chicken producer is putting an end to antibiotics in its chicken feed
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Tyson Foods Inc, the largest U.S. poultry producer, plans to eliminate the use of human antibiotics in its chicken flocks by September 2017 - one of the most aggressive timelines yet set by an American poultry company.
The Arkansas-based chicken and meat giant also said it is working on ways to curtail such on-farm drug practices at its other protein businesses, which include pork and beef.
The move marks the latest push by the livestock and food industries to reduce the use of antibiotics crucial to human health in meat production.
Authorities are concerned that the routine feeding of antibiotics to animals could spur the creation of antibiotic resistant superbugs in humans, creating a health hazard.
Tyson's move, announced on Tuesday morning, aims to help the company meet a deadline recently outlined by McDonald's Corp. to have its U.S. restaurants gradually stop buying chicken raised with human antibiotics over the next two years.
But the company, a key chicken supplier to McDonald's, said in a statement to Reuters that its plans are part of an ongoing effort and "go beyond one customer."
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The Arkansas-based chicken and meat giant also said it is working on ways to curtail such on-farm drug practices at its other protein businesses, which include pork and beef.
The move marks the latest push by the livestock and food industries to reduce the use of antibiotics crucial to human health in meat production.
Authorities are concerned that the routine feeding of antibiotics to animals could spur the creation of antibiotic resistant superbugs in humans, creating a health hazard.
Tyson's move, announced on Tuesday morning, aims to help the company meet a deadline recently outlined by McDonald's Corp. to have its U.S. restaurants gradually stop buying chicken raised with human antibiotics over the next two years.
But the company, a key chicken supplier to McDonald's, said in a statement to Reuters that its plans are part of an ongoing effort and "go beyond one customer."
More
The Battle of Sandtown-Winchester: The police occupation of a West Baltimore neighborhood
The scene at the corner of Gilmor Street and Riggs Avenue on Saturday night is not a protest. It is an occupation. The police, wearing riot gear and holding batons and shields, outnumber the protesters more than 3-to-1 and are arranged in a circle, blocking protesters in. Except that most of them aren’t exactly protesters. They aren’t outside agitators. They live in the neighborhood and one of their friends and neighbors was killed in police custody. They know it could be them. They are sad and angry. And the police force of Commissioner Anthony Batts, who is holding a press conference a block away at the Western District precinct office, takes the opportunity for a show of force.
Saturday starts out subdued. When I arrive in Sandtown-Winchester around noon, there is a kind of calm quietness as people sit on their stoops talking, staring, smoking blunts, or drinking sodas and waiting for the world to descend on their streets.
Two brothers, both young men, sit on a low wall drinking sodas near the St. Vincent de Paul building at 1114 N. Mount St. BJ, the older of the two, says he’s glad to see people coming to the neighborhood today. “The politicians come around, we need to see ’em more often, not just something as serious as an event like this,” he says. “Come around, show your face a little more often. I vote. I’m a voter. So I would love to see their face more often.”
“I don’t like the police, I got bad experience around them,” his brother Jay says. “You can be walking down the street minding your own business and say something already happened in the neighborhood, I understand that you are more cautious about what’s going on, but you can’t just hop out on everybody weapon-ready. You hear me? You can’t just come at everybody all tough and rough. Just walking down the street and want to go to the store, peaceful.They need to build a better relationship with the community.”
A couple of blocks away, a woman who wants only to be identified as Latonya is sitting on a stoop with her neighbor, her niece, and her toddler-age daughter.
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Saturday starts out subdued. When I arrive in Sandtown-Winchester around noon, there is a kind of calm quietness as people sit on their stoops talking, staring, smoking blunts, or drinking sodas and waiting for the world to descend on their streets.
Two brothers, both young men, sit on a low wall drinking sodas near the St. Vincent de Paul building at 1114 N. Mount St. BJ, the older of the two, says he’s glad to see people coming to the neighborhood today. “The politicians come around, we need to see ’em more often, not just something as serious as an event like this,” he says. “Come around, show your face a little more often. I vote. I’m a voter. So I would love to see their face more often.”
“I don’t like the police, I got bad experience around them,” his brother Jay says. “You can be walking down the street minding your own business and say something already happened in the neighborhood, I understand that you are more cautious about what’s going on, but you can’t just hop out on everybody weapon-ready. You hear me? You can’t just come at everybody all tough and rough. Just walking down the street and want to go to the store, peaceful.They need to build a better relationship with the community.”
A couple of blocks away, a woman who wants only to be identified as Latonya is sitting on a stoop with her neighbor, her niece, and her toddler-age daughter.
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