It sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie, a bomb with an electromagnetic pulse that can take out all the lights in Los Angeles without collateral damage. It might sound like Hollywood, but this could be our reality if Iran attacks our electrical grid like they have laid out in “Passive Defense,” a secret Iranian military document.
Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) shared information about Iran’s potential electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, attack as it is described in “Passive Defense,” with Circa. And right now Franks thinks an EMP attack is “the most dangerous short-term national security threat that we face.”
According to Franks, an electromagnetic pulse attack happens when a small nuclear warhead detonates hundreds of miles over the U.S. sending out an electromagnetic wave that can instantly take out the country’s power grid without mass casualties.
Franks told Circa that “Passive Defense,” “outlined that the best way to deal with countries like America, a country that was much stronger than them, was an asymmetric strategy of attacking our electric grid.”
Franks said that one strategic strike could create blackouts nationwide. And the consequences of this could be a field day for hackers, cripple our military defense system, and that’s not even mentioning what life would be like for normal Americans if they had no power.
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, July 08, 2016
The return of political corruption
Hillary Clinton wouldn’t be the first president to track dirt into high office
With the exoneration by the FBI of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, of any email misdeeds, it brings to mind the perceptions of Scottish visitor to the United States, James Bryce (1838-1922), in the late 19th century. Like French visitor Alexis deTocqueville earlier, Bryce spent no little time in his visits, even serving as ambassador to the United States from 1907 to 1913. Earlier, he served in Parliament.
But there’s more: Bryce was one of Britain’s most distinguished public figures. He was a superb scholar at Trinity College, Oxford, and at the age of 26 wrote a brilliant legal analysis of the ancients, the Holy Roman Empire. He then served as a lawyer, returned to Oxford as a professor of civil law, then became undersecretary of foreign affairs. His initial interest in the United States began in an unusual manner — a climbing expedition in 1876.
His most famous work, “The American Commonwealth,” 1,500 pages long, published in 1888, nailed the defects of the American political system, even though Bryce was a great admirer of the U.S. Constitution. Indeed, he was overwhelmed by the fact that the United States had “already achieved many things which the Old World had longed for in vain.”
More
With the exoneration by the FBI of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, of any email misdeeds, it brings to mind the perceptions of Scottish visitor to the United States, James Bryce (1838-1922), in the late 19th century. Like French visitor Alexis deTocqueville earlier, Bryce spent no little time in his visits, even serving as ambassador to the United States from 1907 to 1913. Earlier, he served in Parliament.
But there’s more: Bryce was one of Britain’s most distinguished public figures. He was a superb scholar at Trinity College, Oxford, and at the age of 26 wrote a brilliant legal analysis of the ancients, the Holy Roman Empire. He then served as a lawyer, returned to Oxford as a professor of civil law, then became undersecretary of foreign affairs. His initial interest in the United States began in an unusual manner — a climbing expedition in 1876.
His most famous work, “The American Commonwealth,” 1,500 pages long, published in 1888, nailed the defects of the American political system, even though Bryce was a great admirer of the U.S. Constitution. Indeed, he was overwhelmed by the fact that the United States had “already achieved many things which the Old World had longed for in vain.”
More
Obama Administration Illegally Funds Obamacare
According to a report released today by House Republicans, the Obama administration has unlawfully spent billions in taxpayer dollars to fund an Affordable Care Act program without the prior prerequisite approval from Congress.
The report is the result of an extensive investigation into Affordable Care Act spending. It reveals that the Obama administration allocated over $7 billion to a cost-sharing reduction program (CSR) without Congressional authority.
“This is stealing from the American people – plain and simple. To date, the Administration has unlawfully spent $7 billion of taxpayer funding on the CSR program,” said Republican Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.
In the absence of congressional authority, the report attempts to prove that the administration violated the Constitution. “The power of the purse lies with Congress… This action is a clear constitutional violation of the most fundamental tenet of appropriations law.”
More
The report is the result of an extensive investigation into Affordable Care Act spending. It reveals that the Obama administration allocated over $7 billion to a cost-sharing reduction program (CSR) without Congressional authority.
“This is stealing from the American people – plain and simple. To date, the Administration has unlawfully spent $7 billion of taxpayer funding on the CSR program,” said Republican Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.
In the absence of congressional authority, the report attempts to prove that the administration violated the Constitution. “The power of the purse lies with Congress… This action is a clear constitutional violation of the most fundamental tenet of appropriations law.”
More
It's Time to Stop Saying – "But Cops Have A Dangerous Job"
Earlier today, I mentioned that I couldn’t muster the energy to write more words about the police murder of Philando Castile.Things have changed.
As is often the case, it was a series of tweets I composed that provided the inspiration for this piece. One tweet in particular really set things off:
Stop saying, "cops have a dangerous job." That's what they signed up for. "Protect and serve." The public, not themselves.#PhilandoCastile
I wasn’t expecting the enormous reaction this tweet generated, but I was happy to see that it really connected with so many people who had never heard of me and never read my stuff before. I continued with my tweet storm until most of my angst was out, and then realized I needed to put these thoughts into a post. So let’s start with the title of this post.
One of the tiresome things I often hear immediately after one of these inhumane police executions is that “cops have a dangerous job.” So what’s your point?
I grew up with the understanding that the role of a police officer was to “Protect and Serve,” a motto which has been used by the Los Angeles police department since 1955, and has since been adopted by police across the country. So let’s think about what that means: Protect and Serve. The first word implies courage and the second implies sacrifice. As such, we should expect police officers to first and foremost see themselves as selfless guardians of public safety. Ask yourself, do you see cops this way? I don’t.
Former Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography
Sexually Abused Two Victims and Produced Images and Videos Documenting the Abuse
Baltimore, Maryland – Christopher Michael Salisbury, age 38, of Long Beach, California, formerly of Maryland, pleaded guilty today to two counts of production of child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the Criminal Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, between 2006 and 2013, while residing in Maryland, Salisbury sexually abused two minors, beginning when each victim was approximately five years old, and produced images and videos of himself and the minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Salisbury used video and photo editing software to assemble many of the videos documenting his sexual abuse of the victims into compilation videos that included music, text, and other editing.
NSA Whistleblower: Clinton Emails Damaged U.S. National Security Much More than Manning, Assange Or Any Other Whistleblower
FBI director Comey said today that Hillary Clinton running emails containing government information on an unsecured, private server was not as bad as former CIA director Petraeus sharing classified documents with his lover.
But the highest-level NSA whistleblower in history, William Binney – the NSA executive who created the agency’s mass surveillance program for digital information, who served as the senior technical director within the agency, who managed six thousand NSA employees, the 36-year NSA veteran widely regarded as a “legend” within the agency and the NSA's best-ever analyst and code-breaker, who mapped out the Soviet command-and-control structure before anyone else knew how, and so predicted Soviet invasions before they happened ("In the 1970s, he decrypted the Soviet Union’s command system, which provided the US and its allies with real-time surveillance of all Soviet troop movements and Russian atomic weapons") – explains why Comey's statement is nonsense.
By way of background, recall that – when the American press reported that U.S. intelligence services tracked Bin Laden through his satellite phone – he stopping using that type of phone … so we could no longer easily track him.
This is exactly what government officials mean whenever they say that someone – say Edward Snowden, Wikileaks’ Julian Assange, or Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning – is threatening national security by “revealing confidential information-gathering methods or sources.”
More
But the highest-level NSA whistleblower in history, William Binney – the NSA executive who created the agency’s mass surveillance program for digital information, who served as the senior technical director within the agency, who managed six thousand NSA employees, the 36-year NSA veteran widely regarded as a “legend” within the agency and the NSA's best-ever analyst and code-breaker, who mapped out the Soviet command-and-control structure before anyone else knew how, and so predicted Soviet invasions before they happened ("In the 1970s, he decrypted the Soviet Union’s command system, which provided the US and its allies with real-time surveillance of all Soviet troop movements and Russian atomic weapons") – explains why Comey's statement is nonsense.
By way of background, recall that – when the American press reported that U.S. intelligence services tracked Bin Laden through his satellite phone – he stopping using that type of phone … so we could no longer easily track him.
This is exactly what government officials mean whenever they say that someone – say Edward Snowden, Wikileaks’ Julian Assange, or Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning – is threatening national security by “revealing confidential information-gathering methods or sources.”
More
I-Team questions Baltimore City about high water bills
Councilman: Government at fault for many skyrocketing bills
BALTIMORE —High water bills are a common complaint brought to the attention of the 11 News I-Team, but no complaint could compare to the one involving a local church that the city billed for invisible homes and invisible water.
Norman Wiley, a trustee at Bible Way Missionary Church in east Baltimore, really wanted the I-Team to see nothing, to show that, in fact, 25 homes no longer exist.
"(There's) nothing here, and it's all paved over," Wiley said.
Wiley said the church is being billed for "every house that was originally here."
Ten years ago, the church purchased 25 mostly Port Street properties from Baltimore City, which had demolished the blighted homes, making way for three parking lots for parishioners.
More
BALTIMORE —High water bills are a common complaint brought to the attention of the 11 News I-Team, but no complaint could compare to the one involving a local church that the city billed for invisible homes and invisible water.
Norman Wiley, a trustee at Bible Way Missionary Church in east Baltimore, really wanted the I-Team to see nothing, to show that, in fact, 25 homes no longer exist.
"(There's) nothing here, and it's all paved over," Wiley said.
Wiley said the church is being billed for "every house that was originally here."
Ten years ago, the church purchased 25 mostly Port Street properties from Baltimore City, which had demolished the blighted homes, making way for three parking lots for parishioners.
More
James Comey Says Clinton's Server Put US Secrets At Risk
Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state put the U.S. government’s secrets at risk, FBI director James Comey acknowledged during a House hearing Thursday.
“Did this activity you investigated make America’s secrets vulnerable to hostile elements?” Texas Rep. Will Hurd, a former CIA officer, asked Comey during a House Oversight and Government Reform hearing.
“Yes,” Comey responded.
Comey was quizzed by lawmakers about his decision not to recommend that charges be filed against Clinton for mishandling classified information for using a private server. He defended that decision, which Attorney General Loretta Lynch formally accepted on Wednesday, saying that there was no evidence that Clinton or her aides intended to break the law by mishandling classified information.
More
“Did this activity you investigated make America’s secrets vulnerable to hostile elements?” Texas Rep. Will Hurd, a former CIA officer, asked Comey during a House Oversight and Government Reform hearing.
“Yes,” Comey responded.
Comey was quizzed by lawmakers about his decision not to recommend that charges be filed against Clinton for mishandling classified information for using a private server. He defended that decision, which Attorney General Loretta Lynch formally accepted on Wednesday, saying that there was no evidence that Clinton or her aides intended to break the law by mishandling classified information.
More
Officials form task force to address dirt bikes in Baltimore
Calling dirt bike riding on public streets a nuisance and a public safety issue, Baltimore police and the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office are teaming up to try to end this reckless and dangerous activity.
Police released video of riders weaving through traffic disobeying traffic laws.
Police are looking for one rider in particular -- Jamar Beckford, 23. Police said a surveillance camera caught him wiping bullets and then loading them into a handgun. He is wanted for handgun and dirt bike violations.
More
Congressman leads FBI through fact-check of Hillary Clinton's claims on emails
A South Carolina congressman who cut his teeth as a criminal prosecutor grilled FBI Director James Comey on Thursday in an open hearing, pushing him to concede that many of Hillary Clinton's public statements about her classified email scandal – and one statement she made to Congress – were false.
Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy, who chairs a separate Capitol Hill inquest into the 2012 Benghazi terror attacks, asked Comey a series of fact-check questions that Donald Trump's presidential campaign quickly seized on, sending a video clip of the exchange to its largest email list.
Gowdy asked whether FBI investigators agreed with Clinton's claim to Congress in October 2015 that she never sent or received any items bearing classified markings.
'That is not true,' Comey declared. 'There were a small number of portion markings on, I think, three of the documents.'
Clinton's similar claims that she never emailed 'any classified material to anyone on my email' and 'there is no classified material' also didn't strike Comey as accurate.
'No, there was classified material emailed,' he said.
More
Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy, who chairs a separate Capitol Hill inquest into the 2012 Benghazi terror attacks, asked Comey a series of fact-check questions that Donald Trump's presidential campaign quickly seized on, sending a video clip of the exchange to its largest email list.
Gowdy asked whether FBI investigators agreed with Clinton's claim to Congress in October 2015 that she never sent or received any items bearing classified markings.
'That is not true,' Comey declared. 'There were a small number of portion markings on, I think, three of the documents.'
Clinton's similar claims that she never emailed 'any classified material to anyone on my email' and 'there is no classified material' also didn't strike Comey as accurate.
'No, there was classified material emailed,' he said.
More
Brexit impacting US mortgages, home-buying
Mortgage bankers and Realtors around the country are bracing for what could be a mini-refinancing and home purchasing boom, and it's all thanks to Brexit.
While there has been some uncertainty in the financial markets in the United States concerning Brexit, one area where there is a huge opportunity is the mortgage market. Experts said they are seeing more refinancing or purchasing of new homes as mortgage rates are near record lows.
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage applications are up almost 15 percent from a week ago, and refinancing levels are the highest they have been since January 2015.
Ashley Richardson, a Realtor with Long and Foster, said low rates and a strong market recovery have helped extend the selling season in Maryland, and she doesn't see a slowdown.
More
While there has been some uncertainty in the financial markets in the United States concerning Brexit, one area where there is a huge opportunity is the mortgage market. Experts said they are seeing more refinancing or purchasing of new homes as mortgage rates are near record lows.
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage applications are up almost 15 percent from a week ago, and refinancing levels are the highest they have been since January 2015.
Ashley Richardson, a Realtor with Long and Foster, said low rates and a strong market recovery have helped extend the selling season in Maryland, and she doesn't see a slowdown.
More
One Dead After Black Gunman Shoots At Passing Cars On Tennessee Highway, Targeting Police, Whites
The worst case scenario we predicted yesterday, hours before the shocking events in Dallas had taken place, is now in play and the genie unleashed by the recent incidents of police violence - whether unprovoked or justified - and popularized by an aggressive speech by none other than the president in which he collectivized the failings of the US police force as one organic whole, is now officially out of the bottle.
Recall we said that "we believe that the current wave of anti-police sentiment will sublimate into a surge in social violence across the US, especially among blacks who target police, and sadly culminate with deadly consequences for all involved." While it is not clear if Obama's speech yesterday was the spark that accelerated precisely this sentiment, but after yesterday's mass killing of police officers in Dallas and various incidents across the US today, we are convinced that what is on the surface a surge in class/race/occupation tensions between segments of the black community and segments of the police force (because it clearly does not involve everyone in the those two respective groups), is about to escalate into a full blown war.
Case in point, the latest incident in what increasinly more are calling an all out race war was reported moments ago by AP who said that 37-year-old Lakeem Keon Scott, who is black, opened fire indiscriminately at passing cars and police on a Tennessee highway. He later told investigators he was angry about police violence against African-Americans. One woman died and three others, including one police officer, were injured in the rampage.
More
Recall we said that "we believe that the current wave of anti-police sentiment will sublimate into a surge in social violence across the US, especially among blacks who target police, and sadly culminate with deadly consequences for all involved." While it is not clear if Obama's speech yesterday was the spark that accelerated precisely this sentiment, but after yesterday's mass killing of police officers in Dallas and various incidents across the US today, we are convinced that what is on the surface a surge in class/race/occupation tensions between segments of the black community and segments of the police force (because it clearly does not involve everyone in the those two respective groups), is about to escalate into a full blown war.
Case in point, the latest incident in what increasinly more are calling an all out race war was reported moments ago by AP who said that 37-year-old Lakeem Keon Scott, who is black, opened fire indiscriminately at passing cars and police on a Tennessee highway. He later told investigators he was angry about police violence against African-Americans. One woman died and three others, including one police officer, were injured in the rampage.
More
Former White House Counsel: Hillary Clinton Should Not Get Intelligence Briefings
A former White House counsel believes Hillary Clinton should have her security clearance revoked due to the FBI’s assessment that she was “extremely careless” with classified information as secretary of state.
C. Boyden Gray, who worked in the White House as legal counsel for both President Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, said that Clinton should no longer receive daily intelligence briefings after FBI Director James Comey revealed the agency’s finding from its investigation that she was “extremely careless” with “very sensitive, highly classified information.”
“I don’t recall ever giving a security clearance to somebody that has been found to have been extremely careless in the handling of sensitive material,” Gray said to the Washington Free Beacon. “It would be impossible to do.”
More
C. Boyden Gray, who worked in the White House as legal counsel for both President Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, said that Clinton should no longer receive daily intelligence briefings after FBI Director James Comey revealed the agency’s finding from its investigation that she was “extremely careless” with “very sensitive, highly classified information.”
“I don’t recall ever giving a security clearance to somebody that has been found to have been extremely careless in the handling of sensitive material,” Gray said to the Washington Free Beacon. “It would be impossible to do.”
More
Police: Slain Baltimore rapper’s manager fatally shot
BALTIMORE (AP) — The manager of a young Baltimore rapper gunned down after an anti-violence fundraiser was himself fatally shot less than two weeks later, police said Thursday.
Trayvon Lee, 24, was killed near his home Wednesday evening in what police described as a second “targeted attack.”
Lee, the CEO of YBS records, managed the career of Tyriece “Lor Scoota” Watson, a rising star who was shot in broad daylight on June 25 as he was leaving a “Pray for Peace in These Streets” charity basketball game at Morgan State University.
Police Spokesman T.J. Smith said Watson was shot and killed in response to a non-fatal shooting perpetrated by one of his friends or associates. He said he couldn’t provide details, nor could police “definitively draw a line between yesterday’s murder and Lor Scoota’s murder.”
More
Trayvon Lee, 24, was killed near his home Wednesday evening in what police described as a second “targeted attack.”
Lee, the CEO of YBS records, managed the career of Tyriece “Lor Scoota” Watson, a rising star who was shot in broad daylight on June 25 as he was leaving a “Pray for Peace in These Streets” charity basketball game at Morgan State University.
Police Spokesman T.J. Smith said Watson was shot and killed in response to a non-fatal shooting perpetrated by one of his friends or associates. He said he couldn’t provide details, nor could police “definitively draw a line between yesterday’s murder and Lor Scoota’s murder.”
More
Despite Gun Control Rhetoric, Obama Arms Federal Civilian Agencies More Than Ever
$4.7 million in high-powered weapons, ammunition and military gear during the last decade.
The U.S. Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service doesn’t seem like a Wild West sort of federal agency since its biologists mostly check on the human health impact of animal and plant species.
But it reported buying $4.7 million in high-powered weapons, ammunition and military gear during the last decade, including shotguns, night vision goggles, and propane cannons, according to federal purchasing records reviewed by the nonpartisan government spending watchdog openthebooks.com.
About $1.7 million of that spending occurred in 2014 alone.
More/Video
The U.S. Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service doesn’t seem like a Wild West sort of federal agency since its biologists mostly check on the human health impact of animal and plant species.
But it reported buying $4.7 million in high-powered weapons, ammunition and military gear during the last decade, including shotguns, night vision goggles, and propane cannons, according to federal purchasing records reviewed by the nonpartisan government spending watchdog openthebooks.com.
About $1.7 million of that spending occurred in 2014 alone.
More/Video
State commission submits final standardized testing recommendations
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. —A state commission picked to examine standardized testing in Maryland has submitted its final assignment.
Gov. Larry Hogan appointed 18 people to a panel last November. The testing commission is made up of lawmakers, parents and educators. Its recommendations could affect thousands of Maryland students and teachers.
The testing commission has made almost two dozen recommendations. At least one of them, in particular, seemed to hit home for students who are familiar with the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers assessment tests.
Students called to testify before the commission had concerns about what they did on days when they're not the ones taking the PARCC test.
More
Gov. Larry Hogan appointed 18 people to a panel last November. The testing commission is made up of lawmakers, parents and educators. Its recommendations could affect thousands of Maryland students and teachers.
The testing commission has made almost two dozen recommendations. At least one of them, in particular, seemed to hit home for students who are familiar with the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers assessment tests.
Students called to testify before the commission had concerns about what they did on days when they're not the ones taking the PARCC test.
More
Another Cop Shot
A St. Louis-area cop was shot during a traffic stop Friday — just a day after five Dallas police officers were killed while protecting an anti-police brutality protest.
The cop was walking back to his patrol car after ticketing a driver for speeding in Ballwin, a suburb of St. Louis, KSDK reported. The driver got out of his pulled-over car, shot the officer in the neck three times and fled, sources said.
The Ballwin officer was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition, police sources told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The suspect was caught shortly after the attack following a foot chase, officials said.
Source: New York Daily News
The cop was walking back to his patrol car after ticketing a driver for speeding in Ballwin, a suburb of St. Louis, KSDK reported. The driver got out of his pulled-over car, shot the officer in the neck three times and fled, sources said.
The Ballwin officer was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition, police sources told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The suspect was caught shortly after the attack following a foot chase, officials said.
Source: New York Daily News
Thugs Attack Republican Attorney General's Home
Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office says a group of 40 “thugs” attacked his Midland home Wednesday afternoon by pounding on the windows and doors while his wife was home.
“This was a cowardly assault by professional protestors whose car license plates mostly appeared to be from out of state,” Schuette spokeswoman Andrea Bitely said in a statement. “However, the source of the attackers is currently unknown.”
Schuette’s wife, Cythnia, reported the protesters poured oil-like substance on the driveway “seemingly to simulate spilled oil related to the oil pipeline issue in the Straits of Mackinac,” Bitely said.
Schuette has been part of a review of Enbridge Energy’s 63-year-old Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac.
“This was a cowardly assault by professional protestors whose car license plates mostly appeared to be from out of state,” Schuette spokeswoman Andrea Bitely said in a statement. “However, the source of the attackers is currently unknown.”
Schuette’s wife, Cythnia, reported the protesters poured oil-like substance on the driveway “seemingly to simulate spilled oil related to the oil pipeline issue in the Straits of Mackinac,” Bitely said.
Schuette has been part of a review of Enbridge Energy’s 63-year-old Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac.
Source: Detroit News
Breakdown of state legislation taking effect
New bills impacting county include issues related to liquor, amusements, safety
Sponsored by State Sen. Jim Mathias, SB 967, which passed unanimously in both chambers, allows package good stores to add spirits to the shelves by applying for Worcester County’s new Class A beer, wine and liquor license.
The county Board of License Commissioners will issue the expanded Class A licenses, for an annual fee of $4,500, and permit retail sales seven days a week week from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
The just-enacted legislation redefines the distance restriction for sales in the proximity of four retail stores operated by the Department of Liquor Control, and also permits the county to sell said retail operations. The previous 10-mile safe-zone has now been reduced to one mile, and within Ocean City the distance is 10 blocks. These distance limitations expire on July 1, 2017, or earlier if county-operated dispensaries are sold to private interests.
Also officially in effect today is another piece of Mathias-sponsored legislation, SB 130, that establishes a refillable container permit for draft beer. This means beer aficionados can now have their growler refilled at bars and restaurants that apply for the $500 annual permit.
More
Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
On 07/01/2016 Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to the Worcester County Jail for a suspicious person. Upon arrival an identified as Laura Martinez Escutia 31 of Princess Anne, had allegedly been observed attempting to gain access into numerous cars in the parking lot. Ms. Escutia was suspected of vandalizing a truck in the parking lot. Ms. Escutia was placed under arrest and then found to be in possession of a suspected fraudulent social security card. Ms. Escutia was charged with MDOP and is awaiting trial.
WICOMICO AND WORCESTER HEALTH DEPARTMENTS PARTNER TO HOST STATE ZIKA AWARENESS TOWN HALL
Zika is a disease caused by the Zika virus, spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. Symptoms of Zika can include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. Though symptoms are usually mild, Zika has the potential to cause serious birth defects during pregnancy including miscrocephaly (abnormally small head development), and other severe fetal brain defects.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated – because transmission has chiefly occurred through the bite of the aedes aegypti mosquito – that preventing mosquito bites is the best way to prevent infection. The CDC also has confirmed that people who have traveled to countries where the virus is actively transmitted (the Caribbean, Central American and South American countries) should abstain from unprotected sexual activity, especially if their partner is a woman who is pregnant or who could become pregnant.
For more information on the Zika virus, mosquito prevention and the upcoming town hall, visit worcesterhealth.org or wicomicohealth.org or call 410.632.4321 in Worcester or 410.749.1244 in Wicomico. The Tri-County Council building is located at 917 Mount Hermon Road, Salisbury, MD 21804. You can register for the town hall by visiting www.eventbrite.com/e/zika-town-hall-meeting-tickets-25316507355.
The town hall is free to attend, but due to limited space, registration is required.
Worcester County Feral Cats
Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
A wild feral cat from a colony of wild feral cats in the Rt. 707 area of north Worcester County tested positive for rabies in June. Three individuals were exposed to the rabid animal and are undergoing rabies post exposure treatment to prevent the development of this fatal disease. Worcester County Animal Control has been working hard to protect the community we serve by removing the other wild animals that have been exposed to the deadly rabies disease in order to reduce the risk to the community.
Attempting to approach, contact, and feed a wild animal is dangerous to humans. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the community that a feral cat is a wild animal. Leaving food out for feral cats or any other wild animal will invite the risk of potential exposure to humans of a deadly disease.
Rabid animals exhibit many different symptoms of the disease. The disease can incubate in an animal for about six months or longer. There is no way of knowing how many animals have been exposed to the disease, therefore it would be in the best interest of the community not to attempt to approach any wild feral cat or any other wild animal.
Cases of rabies have been confirmed in several different species of wild animals in Worcester County.
For more information about the risks and symptoms of rabies please contact the Worcester County Animal Control at 410-632-1340 and or the Worcester County Health Department at 410-641-9559 or visit worcesterhealth.org
A wild feral cat from a colony of wild feral cats in the Rt. 707 area of north Worcester County tested positive for rabies in June. Three individuals were exposed to the rabid animal and are undergoing rabies post exposure treatment to prevent the development of this fatal disease. Worcester County Animal Control has been working hard to protect the community we serve by removing the other wild animals that have been exposed to the deadly rabies disease in order to reduce the risk to the community.
Attempting to approach, contact, and feed a wild animal is dangerous to humans. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the community that a feral cat is a wild animal. Leaving food out for feral cats or any other wild animal will invite the risk of potential exposure to humans of a deadly disease.
Rabid animals exhibit many different symptoms of the disease. The disease can incubate in an animal for about six months or longer. There is no way of knowing how many animals have been exposed to the disease, therefore it would be in the best interest of the community not to attempt to approach any wild feral cat or any other wild animal.
Cases of rabies have been confirmed in several different species of wild animals in Worcester County.
For more information about the risks and symptoms of rabies please contact the Worcester County Animal Control at 410-632-1340 and or the Worcester County Health Department at 410-641-9559 or visit worcesterhealth.org
OC Council puts stop to directional boring
“I brought this up in the past, and one of the responses from city staff was, ‘Well, what do you want us to do, open cut it?’ Well, yeah perhaps,” Dare said to his fellow councilmembers. “There’s other things that can be done, but utility companies like to use boring because it’s cheaper and you don’t have to pave, but you end up with holes every 30 or 40 feet.”
Dare brought the matter to council after witnessing the issues with the storm drain near 93rd Street and Arctic Avenue. Sometime before the State Highway Administration started its multi-million-dollar paving project on Coastal Highway, Sandpiper Energy installed a new natural gas main under the road.
Shortly after the SHA finished paving, and Cruisin’ Ocean City had wrapped up, a sinkhole appeared near the storm drain at the intersection, officials said. Currently, a steel plate lies over the hole until Sandpiper returns to investigate the issue.
More
What Are You Going To Do About It?
Even small children recognize injustice, especially when they are its victims. “No fair” is the common schoolyard refrain. A sense of justice undoubtedly serves a host of evolutionary purposes. Imagine a world where the unjust, the wrong, always triumphed. Thieves prospered as crime went unpunished, the few stalwarts hewing to honesty and rectitude were marginalized or eliminated, and this social order evoked commendation rather than condemnation. How long would such a society survive? Cynics will say we are there now. That’s overblown, but they have a point.
A desire for political change that becomes an actual movement drip-feeds on perceived injustices. No political movement of consequence fails either to wrap its objectives in the mantle of justice or portray its opponents as evil. The Declaration of Independence is a transcendently important work of political philosophy, but it’s also a laundry list of grievances against King George. The aggrieved, not the political theorists, propel revolutions. The straw that breaks the camel’s back is often relatively minor, even trivial. However, it generally has disproportionate symbolic importance. The tea tax exacted on the colonists was a pittance, but it inspired the Boston Tea Party and the revolutionaries’ “No taxation without representation” slogan.
Eric Hoffer noted that: “What starts out here as a mass movement ends up as a racket, a cult, or a corporation” (The Temper of Our Time, 1967). The government birthed after the revolution has indeed degenerated into a racket, and those not in on it increasing recognize its injustices. It still tries to wrap its objectives in the mantle of justice, but the sole objective of government has become more government.
When the American welfare state got started during the Depression, it was sold as a humanitarian response to that crisis. That sentiment may have animated some of those who paid for the New Deal back then; those who pay now know they’re getting fleeced. The government is a giant redistributive mechanism (with a substantial portion redistributed to the government), and most of those on the receiving end are not “needy.” They are, however, desirable sources of votes and payola.
Between the low-class grifts of phony disability and unemployment and the high-class swindles of government contracting, labor racketeering, influence peddling, subsidies, tax breaks, regulatory machinations, spurious litigation, and all the other ways the denizens of America’s richest metropolitan area line their and their cronies’ pockets, those stout souls who still engage in honest and productive labor know they’re being robbed blind. Beneath the shrugs and resignation, fires of anger burn, and cauldrons of resentment bubble.
More
A desire for political change that becomes an actual movement drip-feeds on perceived injustices. No political movement of consequence fails either to wrap its objectives in the mantle of justice or portray its opponents as evil. The Declaration of Independence is a transcendently important work of political philosophy, but it’s also a laundry list of grievances against King George. The aggrieved, not the political theorists, propel revolutions. The straw that breaks the camel’s back is often relatively minor, even trivial. However, it generally has disproportionate symbolic importance. The tea tax exacted on the colonists was a pittance, but it inspired the Boston Tea Party and the revolutionaries’ “No taxation without representation” slogan.
Eric Hoffer noted that: “What starts out here as a mass movement ends up as a racket, a cult, or a corporation” (The Temper of Our Time, 1967). The government birthed after the revolution has indeed degenerated into a racket, and those not in on it increasing recognize its injustices. It still tries to wrap its objectives in the mantle of justice, but the sole objective of government has become more government.
When the American welfare state got started during the Depression, it was sold as a humanitarian response to that crisis. That sentiment may have animated some of those who paid for the New Deal back then; those who pay now know they’re getting fleeced. The government is a giant redistributive mechanism (with a substantial portion redistributed to the government), and most of those on the receiving end are not “needy.” They are, however, desirable sources of votes and payola.
Between the low-class grifts of phony disability and unemployment and the high-class swindles of government contracting, labor racketeering, influence peddling, subsidies, tax breaks, regulatory machinations, spurious litigation, and all the other ways the denizens of America’s richest metropolitan area line their and their cronies’ pockets, those stout souls who still engage in honest and productive labor know they’re being robbed blind. Beneath the shrugs and resignation, fires of anger burn, and cauldrons of resentment bubble.
More
Hillary Still Possibly Under Investigation for Clinton Foundation
FBI director James Comey would not comment Thursday when asked directly by Congress, under oath, whether his department is still investigating Hillary Clinton in connection with possible corruption related to the Clinton Foundation.
Comey had announced Tuesday that he would not recommend prosecuting Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information, despite the fact that her behavior was “extremely careless.”
However, Comey did not say anything about investigation into the Clinton Foundation, which now still appears to be ongoing.
That investigation involves suspicions that the former Secretary of State abused her role to solicit donations for her family’s private charity — including donations from some foreign governments.
More
Comey had announced Tuesday that he would not recommend prosecuting Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information, despite the fact that her behavior was “extremely careless.”
However, Comey did not say anything about investigation into the Clinton Foundation, which now still appears to be ongoing.
That investigation involves suspicions that the former Secretary of State abused her role to solicit donations for her family’s private charity — including donations from some foreign governments.
More
Q&A With Perdue Farms Chairman Jim Perdue; Poultry Leader Talks Shore-Based Past, Present, Future Of Company, Industry
Many industry experts have pointed to this sharpened focus on animal care by Perdue as something that could spark sweeping change in the poultry industry.
Jim Perdue, the third generation leader of the family business that pulled in over $6 billion in global sales last year, sat down with The Dispatch to talk about the new “forever initiative,” cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay and how the consumer is drastically changing the way companies of all sizes are doing business.
More
Report Uncovers Stonewalling of Illegal Obamacare Payments
The Obama administration has been illegally funding Obamacare “Cost Sharing Reduction” (CSR) payments for years over the objections of IRS officials, according to a report released today by the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Since Congress launched its investigation, multiple agencies have refused to provide information, selectively applied the law, and even pressured one witness not to testify.
Key findings:
-The administration initially submitted a CSR appropriations request for Fiscal Year 2014, but later withdrew it and began making payments illegally. As the report notes, Obamacare created CSR payments, but they have never been appropriated for. The Constitution explicitly makes clear that the power of the purse lies with Congress and the Executive cannot spend taxpayer money without Congressional approval.
-CSR payments were created as one way to artificially hide the true costs of Obamacare through a web of government spending programs. CSR payments would be given to an insurance company based on the income of an enrollee and the plan they purchased. Assuming certain criteria were met, the insurance company would receive federal dollars as an incentive to keep co-payments, deductibles, and other out of pocket costs low.
-After officials from the Obama Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) withdrew the CSR appropriations request, the administration begun illegally shifting funds from a separate appropriation. The administration has refused to provide the legal memorandum that led to this decision even in the face of Congressional subpoenas.
-IRS officials expressed concern that this method of funding CSR payments was illegal so were briefed on the memorandum. As the report notes in an interview with one IRS official at the meeting, they were not permitted to take notes or keep a copy of the memo:
“We were given a memo to read. We were instructed we were not to take notes and we would not be keeping the memo, we’d be giving it back at the end of the meeting.”
More here
Key findings:
-The administration initially submitted a CSR appropriations request for Fiscal Year 2014, but later withdrew it and began making payments illegally. As the report notes, Obamacare created CSR payments, but they have never been appropriated for. The Constitution explicitly makes clear that the power of the purse lies with Congress and the Executive cannot spend taxpayer money without Congressional approval.
-CSR payments were created as one way to artificially hide the true costs of Obamacare through a web of government spending programs. CSR payments would be given to an insurance company based on the income of an enrollee and the plan they purchased. Assuming certain criteria were met, the insurance company would receive federal dollars as an incentive to keep co-payments, deductibles, and other out of pocket costs low.
-After officials from the Obama Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) withdrew the CSR appropriations request, the administration begun illegally shifting funds from a separate appropriation. The administration has refused to provide the legal memorandum that led to this decision even in the face of Congressional subpoenas.
-IRS officials expressed concern that this method of funding CSR payments was illegal so were briefed on the memorandum. As the report notes in an interview with one IRS official at the meeting, they were not permitted to take notes or keep a copy of the memo:
“We were given a memo to read. We were instructed we were not to take notes and we would not be keeping the memo, we’d be giving it back at the end of the meeting.”
More here
UPDATED: Ocean City Council, Firefighters Union Spar Over Petition
OCEAN CITY — The Mayor and Council on Tuesday fired off a lengthy statement of opposition to the ongoing petition drive by the Ocean City’s firefighter/paramedics union seeking to put a referendum for binding interest arbitration before voters this fall.
In late February, the clock expired on negotiations between the town and the Career Firefighter Paramedics Association of Ocean City, or IAFF Local 4269, on a new three-year contract, resulting in the town’s “last, best and final” offer essentially becoming the new contract by default. The negotiations broke down in late February over the town’s unwavering position on eliminating the paramedics’ long-standing 24-hour shifts.
Currently, most paramedics work in 24-hour shifts, followed by 72 hours off. However, citing a variety of reasons, including potential missed calls or delayed responses, the town remains adamant about eliminating the 24-72 shift rotation in favor of an alternative 12-hour shift or some hybrid of the two. Eliminating the 24-hour shift became a point of contention in the negotiations for a new contract for the IAFF 4269, forcing the union to walk away from the bargaining table.
More
Editor's note: the update can be found at the end of the article
In late February, the clock expired on negotiations between the town and the Career Firefighter Paramedics Association of Ocean City, or IAFF Local 4269, on a new three-year contract, resulting in the town’s “last, best and final” offer essentially becoming the new contract by default. The negotiations broke down in late February over the town’s unwavering position on eliminating the paramedics’ long-standing 24-hour shifts.
Currently, most paramedics work in 24-hour shifts, followed by 72 hours off. However, citing a variety of reasons, including potential missed calls or delayed responses, the town remains adamant about eliminating the 24-72 shift rotation in favor of an alternative 12-hour shift or some hybrid of the two. Eliminating the 24-hour shift became a point of contention in the negotiations for a new contract for the IAFF 4269, forcing the union to walk away from the bargaining table.
More
Editor's note: the update can be found at the end of the article
Comey: Hillary Clinton Gave Classified Info to Un-Cleared Lawyers
FBI director James Comey admitted to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Thursday that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had given classified information to her personal lawyers, among others, who lacked security clearance.
Comey was being questioned, late in the fifth hour of the hearing, by committee chair Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), after the FBI director had been pressed repeatedly about his claim that there was insufficient evidence of “intent” to prosecute Clinton.
Chaffetz zeroed in on the question of whether people without security clearance had access to her e-mails, which included not only her attorneys, but also the administrators of her private e-mail servers.
More
Comey was being questioned, late in the fifth hour of the hearing, by committee chair Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), after the FBI director had been pressed repeatedly about his claim that there was insufficient evidence of “intent” to prosecute Clinton.
Chaffetz zeroed in on the question of whether people without security clearance had access to her e-mails, which included not only her attorneys, but also the administrators of her private e-mail servers.
More
Salisbury Company Looking To Meet ‘Greater Demand For Security’
That’s where USTASC comes in. The Salisbury business is focused on individual safety and security.
“Ultimately people’s safety is their own responsibility,” said USTASC’s Evan Avnet said. “Police can’t be everywhere all the time.”
USTASC — or Tactical American Security Consulting — handles everything from firearms training to security consulting. Avnet started the business five years ago. After working for several years as a member of law enforcement — with the Salisbury Police Department and the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, among other agencies — Avnet started teaching firearms training during his free time.
More
Statement from Governor Larry Hogan on Shooting of Dallas Police Officers
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today issued the following statement:
“This morning, I share in the grief and heartbreak that burdens members of our law enforcement community as well as millions of Americans across the country. Yesterday’s senseless violence and the shocking death of five police officers in Dallas was a tragedy unlike anything our country has witnessed in recent years.
“The city of Dallas will be holding a moment of silence at 1pm ET today, and I am urging all Marylanders to stand with the people of Texas at that time. Let us mourn the deaths of those who put their lives on the line to keep Dallas safe; let us pray for the safety of the men and women in blue all across the country; and let us take time today and every day to thank our brave officers for their service and reassure them that they do not stand alone.
“In Maryland and across the country, the obvious tensions between communities and law enforcement are real and cannot be ignored or swept under the rug. But there is so much more that unites us than divides us. Now is clearly a time for profound sorrow, but also for reflection, understanding and above all, compassion.
“The First Lady and I send our most sincere thoughts and prayers to the families and loved ones of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, as well as to those officers recovering from this horrific shooting.”
“This morning, I share in the grief and heartbreak that burdens members of our law enforcement community as well as millions of Americans across the country. Yesterday’s senseless violence and the shocking death of five police officers in Dallas was a tragedy unlike anything our country has witnessed in recent years.
“The city of Dallas will be holding a moment of silence at 1pm ET today, and I am urging all Marylanders to stand with the people of Texas at that time. Let us mourn the deaths of those who put their lives on the line to keep Dallas safe; let us pray for the safety of the men and women in blue all across the country; and let us take time today and every day to thank our brave officers for their service and reassure them that they do not stand alone.
“In Maryland and across the country, the obvious tensions between communities and law enforcement are real and cannot be ignored or swept under the rug. But there is so much more that unites us than divides us. Now is clearly a time for profound sorrow, but also for reflection, understanding and above all, compassion.
“The First Lady and I send our most sincere thoughts and prayers to the families and loved ones of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, as well as to those officers recovering from this horrific shooting.”
Chaffetz: We Will Refer Hillary Clinton to the FBI for Perjury
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), chair of the House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform, told FBI director James Comey during his testimony on Thursday morning that the committee would refer former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for investigation for perjury, given that she lied under oath before the House Select Committee on Benghazi in October.
“You’ll have one,” Chaffetz said, within “a few hours,” after Comey testified that the FBI would need a referral for Congress before investigating.
As Breitbart News detailed earlier this week, Clinton lied under oath to Congress in at least three ways: first, by stating that she had turned over “all my work related emails” from her private email server to the government; second, by insisting there was “nothing marked classified on my e-mails”; and third, by telling the committee that her attorneys “went through every single e-mail.” FBI director James Comey’s statement Tuesday suggested that none of those sworn statements were true.
More
“You’ll have one,” Chaffetz said, within “a few hours,” after Comey testified that the FBI would need a referral for Congress before investigating.
As Breitbart News detailed earlier this week, Clinton lied under oath to Congress in at least three ways: first, by stating that she had turned over “all my work related emails” from her private email server to the government; second, by insisting there was “nothing marked classified on my e-mails”; and third, by telling the committee that her attorneys “went through every single e-mail.” FBI director James Comey’s statement Tuesday suggested that none of those sworn statements were true.
More
Federal funding denied for 2 Baltimore transportation projects
Maryland requested $231M from federal government
BALTIMORE —The federal government has turned down Maryland's request for $231 million to fund two large Baltimore transportation projects.
Gov. Larry Hogan and Sagamore Development confirmed that the U.S. Department of Transportation has denied grant applications that would help pay for infrastructure improvements for an Interstate 95 project and at the Howard Street tunnel.
The projects were competing against more than 200 applicants nationwide for $800 million available this year under the government's FASTLANE program. Only 18 projects were selected.
More
Governor Larry Hogan Announces Judicial Appointments Fills Vacancies on the Circuit Court and District Court of Cecil County
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today announced the appointments of William W. Davis Jr. to the Circuit Court of Cecil County, and Clara Eva Campbell to the District Court of Cecil County. The governor made the appointments after reviewing nominees from current and previous judicial nominating commissions.
“After conducting a thorough vetting process, I am confident that Mr. Davis and Ms. Campbell are the most qualified candidates to fill these vacancies,” said Governor Hogan. “Their legal experience and expertise has prepared them to be strong advocates for the law and for the people of Cecil County. I offer my sincere congratulations and best wishes.”
William “Will” Davis Jr. is currently serving as a solo practitioner for his firm, The Will Davis Law Firm, based in Elkton, and will fill a vacancy on the Circuit Court of Cecil County. He has served as a general practitioner, handling criminal law matters, serious traffic offenses, protective orders and personal injury cases. Mr. Davis also works as a panel attorney though the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, handling cases in Cecil, Kent, and Harford Counties. Since 2011, Mr. Davis has worked as an adjunct professor at the Legal Education Institute for the Delaware Law School (Widener University). He teaches courses on trial process, introduction to criminal law, criminal procedure, common law, and legal analysis. Mr. Davis graduated from the Georgia State University College of Law and received his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College.
Clara Eva Campbell is partner at the Law Office of Clara E. Campbell, located in Elkton, and will fill a vacancy on the District Court of Cecil County. Her previous experience includes working as a solo practitioner in Cecil County, working in partnership with Jennifer Hammond, Esq. from 1996 to 2008, and working as an associate for H. Norman Wilson, Jr. Esq. from 1987 to 1994. Ms. Campbell graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law, and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.
“After conducting a thorough vetting process, I am confident that Mr. Davis and Ms. Campbell are the most qualified candidates to fill these vacancies,” said Governor Hogan. “Their legal experience and expertise has prepared them to be strong advocates for the law and for the people of Cecil County. I offer my sincere congratulations and best wishes.”
William “Will” Davis Jr. is currently serving as a solo practitioner for his firm, The Will Davis Law Firm, based in Elkton, and will fill a vacancy on the Circuit Court of Cecil County. He has served as a general practitioner, handling criminal law matters, serious traffic offenses, protective orders and personal injury cases. Mr. Davis also works as a panel attorney though the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, handling cases in Cecil, Kent, and Harford Counties. Since 2011, Mr. Davis has worked as an adjunct professor at the Legal Education Institute for the Delaware Law School (Widener University). He teaches courses on trial process, introduction to criminal law, criminal procedure, common law, and legal analysis. Mr. Davis graduated from the Georgia State University College of Law and received his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College.
Clara Eva Campbell is partner at the Law Office of Clara E. Campbell, located in Elkton, and will fill a vacancy on the District Court of Cecil County. Her previous experience includes working as a solo practitioner in Cecil County, working in partnership with Jennifer Hammond, Esq. from 1996 to 2008, and working as an associate for H. Norman Wilson, Jr. Esq. from 1987 to 1994. Ms. Campbell graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law, and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Comey: Hillary's FBI Testimony Wasn't Under Oath Or Recorded, But It Would Still Be a Crime To Lie
During testimony before Congress on Thursday, FBI Director James Comey stated that the FBI’s interview with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was not under oath or recorded, but it still would be a crime to lie to the FBI.
Comey stated that he did not personally interview Clinton, and did not talk to all of the “five or six” who did interview Clinton.
He was then asked, “did she testify or talk to them under oath?” Comey answered, “No.” But added that “it’s still a crime to lie to us.”
When asked if there was a transcript of the interview, Comey stated that there wasn’t one because the interview wasn’t recorded, but there was an analysis of Clinton’s interview.
More/Video
Comey stated that he did not personally interview Clinton, and did not talk to all of the “five or six” who did interview Clinton.
He was then asked, “did she testify or talk to them under oath?” Comey answered, “No.” But added that “it’s still a crime to lie to us.”
When asked if there was a transcript of the interview, Comey stated that there wasn’t one because the interview wasn’t recorded, but there was an analysis of Clinton’s interview.
More/Video
NANTICOKE RIVERFEST 2016 is this weekend!!
Help us get the word out - share our post and encourage your friends to like us as well! If we reach 2200 likes by Opening Ceremonies on Friday night, we will give one lucky Facebook Friend (4) Box Seats to a regular season Delmarva Shorebirds Game!
Full details can be found on our website at www.nanticokeriverfest.com.
Roger Stone: Matter of Time Before Donald Trump Hits Hillary Clinton on Huma Abedin, Saudi Connections
"It’s very, very hard to understand because of her ties to the Muslim World League, and the league’s ties to extremism and to terrorism..."
Veteran political operative and Donald Trump supporter Roger Stone joined SiriusXM host Stephen K. Bannon on Tuesday’s Breitbart News Daily to discuss Huma Abedin’s relationship to Hillary Clinton and his belief that Donald Trump will eventually challenge her directly on the issue.
Asked how Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin was able to get a high level security clearance, Stone said:
It’s very, very hard to understand because of her ties to the Muslim World League, and the league’s ties to extremism and to terrorism, to an organization, a trust, which funded the actual attack on America on 9/11 are inexorable. This is a fact; this isn’t fiction. And Hillary continues to dodge all of these questions.
More
Veteran political operative and Donald Trump supporter Roger Stone joined SiriusXM host Stephen K. Bannon on Tuesday’s Breitbart News Daily to discuss Huma Abedin’s relationship to Hillary Clinton and his belief that Donald Trump will eventually challenge her directly on the issue.
Asked how Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin was able to get a high level security clearance, Stone said:
It’s very, very hard to understand because of her ties to the Muslim World League, and the league’s ties to extremism and to terrorism, to an organization, a trust, which funded the actual attack on America on 9/11 are inexorable. This is a fact; this isn’t fiction. And Hillary continues to dodge all of these questions.
More
Somerset County Sheriff's Office reports most recent arrests 7-8-16
Aaron Jason Applegate of Crisfield, arrested 6-17-16 on warrants for 2nd degree assault, 3rd and 4th degree burglary, malicious destruction of property, trespassing, and failing to appear in court. Applegate was later held on a $10,500 bond.
Jammar Darrell Roberts of Princess Anne, arrested 6-19-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Roberts was later held on a $150,000 bond.
Christopher Edward Brown of Dames Quarters, arrested 6-19-16 for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired by alcohol, failure to stop at accident scene, failure to furnish information at a unattended accident, and negligent driving. Brown was later released on signature pending court actions. The arrest was the result of a hit and run property damage accident in the area of Hodson White Rd.
Rodney William Burke of Crisfield, arrested 6-22-16 on a warrant for theft. Burke was later released on personal recognizance.
Crystal Lynn Ashbrook of Crisfield, arrested 6-22-16 on a warrant for theft under $500.00. Ashbrook was later released on personal recognizance.
Justice Malique Turner of Princess Anne, arrested 6-23-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Turner was later held on a $250.00 bond.
Dewayne Larnell Horsey Jr. of Salisbury, arrested 6-23-16 on a warrant for violation of probation. Horsey was later held without bond.
Nathaniel Lee Cimpher of Crisfield, arrested 6-25-16 for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired by alcohol, DWI while transporting a minor, speeding, and failing to displaying a driver’s license. Cimpher was later released on signature pending court actions. The arrest was the result of a traffic stop in the area of Asbury Ave, Crisfield.
Arturo Garcia of Crisfield, arrested 6-25-16 for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving impaired by alcohol, and consuming alcohol while driving. Garcia was later released on signature pending court actions. The arrest was the result of an investigation of persons in a vehicle, in the area of McDonalds, Crisfield. Deputies found Garcia asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle, with open alcohol containers throughout.
Eric Eugene Wilson Sr. of Salisbury, arrested 6-27-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Wilson was later held on a $1,000 bond.
(4) juveniles charged with underage possession of alcohol on 6-28-16 in the parking lot of the Dash Inn Convenience Store, Westover. Deputies investigated a suspicious vehicle in the rear parking area of the Dash Inn, and later recovered alcohol containers from within the vehicle. The juveniles were later released to parents pending juvenile court actions.
Clayton Steven Laird of Crisfield, arrested 7-1-16 on a warrant for threat of arson. Laird was later released on personal recognizance.
Robert Lee Jefferson Jr. of Princess Anne, criminal summons served on 7-2-16 for theft over $1,000, and rogue and vagabond. Jefferson was later released on signature pending court actions.
Frank Seymour Nichols of Marion Station, arrested 7-2-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Nichols was later released on personal recognizance.
Martino Terron Jackson of Princess Anne, arrested 7-3-16 on a warrant for violation of probation. Jackson was later held pending extradition to Delaware.
Jammar Darrell Roberts of Princess Anne, arrested 6-19-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Roberts was later held on a $150,000 bond.
Christopher Edward Brown of Dames Quarters, arrested 6-19-16 for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired by alcohol, failure to stop at accident scene, failure to furnish information at a unattended accident, and negligent driving. Brown was later released on signature pending court actions. The arrest was the result of a hit and run property damage accident in the area of Hodson White Rd.
Rodney William Burke of Crisfield, arrested 6-22-16 on a warrant for theft. Burke was later released on personal recognizance.
Crystal Lynn Ashbrook of Crisfield, arrested 6-22-16 on a warrant for theft under $500.00. Ashbrook was later released on personal recognizance.
Justice Malique Turner of Princess Anne, arrested 6-23-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Turner was later held on a $250.00 bond.
Dewayne Larnell Horsey Jr. of Salisbury, arrested 6-23-16 on a warrant for violation of probation. Horsey was later held without bond.
Nathaniel Lee Cimpher of Crisfield, arrested 6-25-16 for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired by alcohol, DWI while transporting a minor, speeding, and failing to displaying a driver’s license. Cimpher was later released on signature pending court actions. The arrest was the result of a traffic stop in the area of Asbury Ave, Crisfield.
Arturo Garcia of Crisfield, arrested 6-25-16 for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving impaired by alcohol, and consuming alcohol while driving. Garcia was later released on signature pending court actions. The arrest was the result of an investigation of persons in a vehicle, in the area of McDonalds, Crisfield. Deputies found Garcia asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle, with open alcohol containers throughout.
Eric Eugene Wilson Sr. of Salisbury, arrested 6-27-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Wilson was later held on a $1,000 bond.
(4) juveniles charged with underage possession of alcohol on 6-28-16 in the parking lot of the Dash Inn Convenience Store, Westover. Deputies investigated a suspicious vehicle in the rear parking area of the Dash Inn, and later recovered alcohol containers from within the vehicle. The juveniles were later released to parents pending juvenile court actions.
Clayton Steven Laird of Crisfield, arrested 7-1-16 on a warrant for threat of arson. Laird was later released on personal recognizance.
Robert Lee Jefferson Jr. of Princess Anne, criminal summons served on 7-2-16 for theft over $1,000, and rogue and vagabond. Jefferson was later released on signature pending court actions.
Frank Seymour Nichols of Marion Station, arrested 7-2-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Nichols was later released on personal recognizance.
Martino Terron Jackson of Princess Anne, arrested 7-3-16 on a warrant for violation of probation. Jackson was later held pending extradition to Delaware.
Faulty toaster blamed for Bob Evans fire in Easton
The popular restaurant stood at 8957 Ocean Gateway.
The official cause of determination stated that the fire originated in the kitchen area where the toaster was located after the employees had cleaned up and gone home for the night.
“It was typical practice to leave the toaster plugged in and on after business hours,” the report said.
Investigators said the fire burned inside the restaurant for over an hour prior to any notification to the local fire departments.
More
FBI Rewrites Federal Law to Let Hillary Off the Hook
There is no way of getting around this: According to Director James Comey (disclosure: a former colleague and longtime friend of mine), Hillary Clinton checked every box required for a felony violation of Section 793(f) of the federal penal code (Title 18): With lawful access to highly classified information she acted with gross negligence in removing and causing it to be removed it from its proper place of custody, and she transmitted it and caused it to be transmitted to others not authorized to have it, in patent violation of her trust. Director Comey even conceded that former Secretary Clinton was “extremely careless” and strongly suggested that her recklessness very likely led to communications (her own and those she corresponded with) being intercepted by foreign intelligence services.
Yet, Director Comey recommended against prosecution of the law violations he clearly found on the ground that there was no intent to harm the United States.
In essence, in order to give Mrs. Clinton a pass, the FBI rewrote the statute, inserting an intent element that Congress did not require. The added intent element, moreover, makes no sense: The point of having a statute that criminalizes gross negligence is to underscore that government officials have a special obligation to safeguard national defense secrets; when they fail to carry out that obligation due to gross negligence, they are guilty of serious wrongdoing. The lack of intent to harm our country is irrelevant. People never intend the bad things that happen due to gross negligence.
Washington Has Been Obsessed With Punishing Secrecy Violations
Secrecy is a virtual religion in Washington. Those who violate its dogma have been punished in the harshest and most excessive manner – at least when they possess little political power or influence. As has been widely noted, the Obama administration has prosecuted more leakers under the 1917 Espionage Act than all prior administrations combined. Secrecy in DC is so revered that even the most banal documents are reflexively marked classified, making their disclosure or mishandling a felony. As former CIA and NSA Director Michael Hayden said back in 2000, “Everything’s secret. I mean, I got an email saying ‘Merry Christmas.’ It carried a top secret NSA classification marking.”
People who leak to media outlets for the selfless purpose of informing the public – Daniel Ellsberg, Tom Drake, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden – face decades in prison. Those who leak for more ignoble and self-serving ends – such as enabling hagiography (Leon Panetta, David Petreaus) or ingratiating oneself to one’s mistress (Petraeus) – face career destruction, though they are usually spared if they are sufficiently Important-in-DC. For low-level, powerless Nobodies-in-DC, even the mere mishandling of classified information – without any intent to leak but merely to, say, work from home – has resulted in criminal prosecution, career destruction and the permanent loss of security clearance.
This extreme, unforgiving, unreasonable, excessive posture toward classified information came to an instant halt in Washington..
More
People who leak to media outlets for the selfless purpose of informing the public – Daniel Ellsberg, Tom Drake, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden – face decades in prison. Those who leak for more ignoble and self-serving ends – such as enabling hagiography (Leon Panetta, David Petreaus) or ingratiating oneself to one’s mistress (Petraeus) – face career destruction, though they are usually spared if they are sufficiently Important-in-DC. For low-level, powerless Nobodies-in-DC, even the mere mishandling of classified information – without any intent to leak but merely to, say, work from home – has resulted in criminal prosecution, career destruction and the permanent loss of security clearance.
This extreme, unforgiving, unreasonable, excessive posture toward classified information came to an instant halt in Washington..
More
Prosecutors Start Case Against Rice By Establishing Police Standards
The last witness of the day was Rick Opitz, the city purchasing agent who ordered van used to transfer Gray. It was the van with seat belts that prosecutors say Rice failed to use on Freddie Gray and that contributed to his injuries and death.
Much of this testimony trying to prove the state’s case that Rice failed in his duty by not putting Gray in a seat belt.
The third witness of the day was Baltimore police IT director Andrew Jaffee, who testified that Rice was sent the seatbelt policy, but he could not confirm if Rice read it.
There was some disagreement between Jaffee and prosecutors over whether a computer Rice would access was being repaired at the time the seat belt policy was released. Jaffee said he could not recall if that computer was under repair.
More
Clinton Produced Fabricated Emails to Hide Crimes Committed With Her Real Personal Email Address
The Clinton email server scandal is definitely a deceptively orchestrated hoax promulgated to the American public and law enforcement to hide the real facts involving numerous counts of treason committed by Crooked Hillary during her tenure as The US Secretary of State.
Regardless on what sources the American public may choose to believe, every media source to this date report that the fabricated story line of the Clinton Email Scandal began on March 2, 2015, when it became publicly known, that Hillary Clinton, during her tenure as The United States Secretary of State, ‘allegedly’ had exclusively used her personal email address and server for official communications, rather than an official State Department email account maintained on federal servers.
More
Paul Ryan: Congress could strip Hillary Clinton of access to classified material
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Wednesday that Congress could step in and try to deny Hillary Clinton access to classified information during the presidential campaign, if the Obama administration doesn’t take that step itself.
Given that the FBI found Mrs. Clinton “careless” in handling top secret information, Mr. Ryan said Director of National Intelligence James Clapper should deny her the regular intelligence briefings a party’s presidential and vice presidential nominees get.
But he said if Mr. Clapper doesn’t do that, Congress could step in.
“We’re not going to forego any options,” he said — though he insisted the administration should do it “on its own.”
More
Given that the FBI found Mrs. Clinton “careless” in handling top secret information, Mr. Ryan said Director of National Intelligence James Clapper should deny her the regular intelligence briefings a party’s presidential and vice presidential nominees get.
But he said if Mr. Clapper doesn’t do that, Congress could step in.
“We’re not going to forego any options,” he said — though he insisted the administration should do it “on its own.”
More
DART Identifies Officer Slain, Those Injured in Downtown Ambush
Brent Thompson, 43, was an officer with Dallas Area Rapid Transit and had joined the department in 2009, according to a statement released by DART. He's the first officer in the 27-year history of the department to be killed in the line of duty.
Thompson and four other officers died when two snipers opened fire on police during Thursday night's protest. Seven officers and at least two civilians were wounded, authorities said.
More
Press Conference With Mayor and Police Chief In Dallas
This press conference is due to start at 8:30am
EBT Blogger Stealing Articles From SBYNews Again
Original screen shot from SPD without dots.
The file we edited before posting...
Where we edited it
The guy is so lazy he doesn't even change the file name we created to save the image.
I quit, I'm back, I'll never attack Joe Albero, his Wife or his children again. I promise to change, trust me.
Hey EBT Blogger, can you say bipolar? You've Been Blogged, AGAIN.
Power Outage In Berlin Area
Judge: Punching White Woman, Shouting 'I Hate White People' Isn't Hate Crime
Judge Harry Van Harten ruled that an indigenous woman named Tamara Crowchief from Calgary, Canada, who yelled, “I hate white people,” before punching a white woman in the face, did not commit a racially motivated hate crime.
“The offender said, ‘I hate white people’ and threw a punch,” Judge Van Harten wrote in his written ruling in the case.
“There is no evidence either way about what the offender meant or whether she holds or promotes an ideology which would explain why this assault was aimed at this victim,” he said, according to the Calgary Harald.
More
“The offender said, ‘I hate white people’ and threw a punch,” Judge Van Harten wrote in his written ruling in the case.
“There is no evidence either way about what the offender meant or whether she holds or promotes an ideology which would explain why this assault was aimed at this victim,” he said, according to the Calgary Harald.
More
Pennsylvania Judge Falls During Sobriety Test
A Pennsylvania judge faces a DUI charge after she allegedly got so drunk she fell over during a sobriety test.
An off-duty trooper saw Allegheny County Judge Christine Ward driving suspiciously and decided to pull her over Sunday, WTAE reports. Another trooper arrived, and when Ward underwent a sobriety test, she fell over. She even had to have her rights read to her three times.
“As a result, I stopped the tests for fear anything further would be a danger to her safety,” Trooper Daniel Beatty wrote in the Wednesday affidavit.
According to the complaint, when a trooper asked Ward if she had a drink she said, “I did – too much.” She makes over $175,000 a year and reportedly will not be reassigned since she judges civil suits instead of criminal cases, TribLive reports.
More
An off-duty trooper saw Allegheny County Judge Christine Ward driving suspiciously and decided to pull her over Sunday, WTAE reports. Another trooper arrived, and when Ward underwent a sobriety test, she fell over. She even had to have her rights read to her three times.
“As a result, I stopped the tests for fear anything further would be a danger to her safety,” Trooper Daniel Beatty wrote in the Wednesday affidavit.
According to the complaint, when a trooper asked Ward if she had a drink she said, “I did – too much.” She makes over $175,000 a year and reportedly will not be reassigned since she judges civil suits instead of criminal cases, TribLive reports.
More
1,898 Dead Ohioans Received Food Stamps in 2015
Report also finds 173 food stamp cards had balances of more than $5,000
Nearly 2000 beneficiaries of the food stamp program continued to receive benefits after their deaths in Ohio, according to an audit from the state’s auditor.
The audit evaluated a six-month period in 2015 and found that there were 36 instances where dead people received benefits for more than a year after their death and 1,862 instances where dead people received benefits for less than a year.
“In some cases, someone was still using the card,” explained Dave Yost, the Ohio auditor of state, who testified to lawmakers on Wednesday. “Federal law requires at least an annual comparison of death records against the list of beneficiaries—so the number should have been zero.”
The report also found 1,510 cases where food stamp cards had excessive balances.
Read more
Nearly 2000 beneficiaries of the food stamp program continued to receive benefits after their deaths in Ohio, according to an audit from the state’s auditor.
The audit evaluated a six-month period in 2015 and found that there were 36 instances where dead people received benefits for more than a year after their death and 1,862 instances where dead people received benefits for less than a year.
“In some cases, someone was still using the card,” explained Dave Yost, the Ohio auditor of state, who testified to lawmakers on Wednesday. “Federal law requires at least an annual comparison of death records against the list of beneficiaries—so the number should have been zero.”
The report also found 1,510 cases where food stamp cards had excessive balances.
Read more
Comey: Asking Clinton About Lies to Congress Could Prove Intent
FBI Director James Comey acknowledged Thursday that asking Hillary Clinton why she told the FBI and Congress differing stories about her private email server would have been helpful in establishing criminal intent.
Comey said Tuesday that he would not recommend charges because the agency could not prove Clinton had criminal intent with regard to mishandling of classified material.
At the outset of his questioning, Rep. Mick Mulvaney pointed out the exchange Comey had earlier with his colleague Rep Trey Gowdy (R., S.C.) about the litany of statements Clinton made regarding her email server that were untrue. This included testifying before Congress last October that she did not send or receive email marked classified on her private email.
“When she met with you folks on Saturday last week, I take it she didn’t say the same things at that interview?” Mulvaney asked.
“I’m not equipped sitting here without the 302 in front of me … We do not have a basis for concluding that she lied to the FBI,” Comey said.
“Gotcha. Did anybody ask her on Saturday why she told ya’ll one thing and told us another?” Mulvaney asked.
“I don’t know as I sit here … I’ll figure that out,” Comey said.
More
Comey said Tuesday that he would not recommend charges because the agency could not prove Clinton had criminal intent with regard to mishandling of classified material.
At the outset of his questioning, Rep. Mick Mulvaney pointed out the exchange Comey had earlier with his colleague Rep Trey Gowdy (R., S.C.) about the litany of statements Clinton made regarding her email server that were untrue. This included testifying before Congress last October that she did not send or receive email marked classified on her private email.
“When she met with you folks on Saturday last week, I take it she didn’t say the same things at that interview?” Mulvaney asked.
“I’m not equipped sitting here without the 302 in front of me … We do not have a basis for concluding that she lied to the FBI,” Comey said.
“Gotcha. Did anybody ask her on Saturday why she told ya’ll one thing and told us another?” Mulvaney asked.
“I don’t know as I sit here … I’ll figure that out,” Comey said.
More
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)