DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, September 06, 2016
Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention and Baltimore Child Abuse Center Announce New Website
Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention and Baltimore Child Abuse Center Announce New Website
Website Will Help Professionals Across Maryland Spot the Signs of Child Abuse
ANNAPOLIS, MD – As the school year begins, the men and women who work with children in Maryland have a new resource to help them protect children from child abuse.A new website, supported by a grant from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention, provides resources for mandated reporters, who are required by Maryland law to report signs of abuse and neglect in the youngsters they work with. While mandated reporters are required to report child abuse, the website provides facts and information for anyone who comes in contact with children and should report suspected abuse to authorities.
“Our children depend on the adults in their lives to protect and care for them,” said Glenn Fueston, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention. “This website will help us as a state to do our best to recognize when something is wrong, and to report our suspicions to the proper agencies.”
Created in partnership with the Baltimore Child Abuse Center, this website can be used by anyone in Maryland who works with children, be they teachers, social workers, athletic coaches, or volunteers in youth programs.
“We encourage everyone who cares about children to visit this new website, www.ReportAbuseMD.com,” said Adam Rosenberg, executive director of the Baltimore Child Abuse Center. “The website has information on where to report suspected abuse in every county in the state. Besides tips on how to recognize and respond when abuse occurs, there are free online trainings for anyone—mandated reporters, parents, or concerned citizens—who want to understand how we can protect children from abuse or neglect.”
The funding for this program is from the federal Children’s Justice Act. The Maryland Children’s Justice Act Committee conducts a statewide assessment every three years to determine the state’s needs and makes funding recommendations to Crime Control & Prevention.
Baltimore Child Abuse Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides victims of child sexual abuse, trauma, and other Adverse Childhood Experiences in Baltimore and their non-offending caretakers with comprehensive forensic interviews, medical treatment, and mental health treatment with a goal of preventing future trauma. Baltimore Child Abuse Center is the oldest children's advocacy center in Maryland and serves more than 1,000 children annually. For more information, visit: www.bcaci.org
About the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention
The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention serves as a coordinating office that advises the governor on criminal justice strategies. The office plans, promotes, and funds efforts with government entities, private organizations, and the community to advance public policy, enhance public safety, reduce crime and juvenile delinquency, and serve victims.
Eric Greitens: Bill and Hillary Clinton have made a mockery of America’s foundation system
Here is what a foundation should do: Collect money, distribute grants, and judge the work of its recipients. Here is what a foundation should not do: Give access to high-level government officials in exchange for gifts.
That is the simple and damning case against the Clinton Foundation. By now, it is clear that the Foundation operated as a vast and corrupt market for influence. With winks and nods, Bill and Hillary Clinton sold access to the Secretary of State’s office. And because donors were giving to a “Foundation,” all parties could quietly look the other way.
Let us call this what it is: graft masquerading as non-profit work. This story has many troubling elements, perhaps none more than this: By giving their donors a private line to the Secretary of State’s office, Bill and Hillary Clinton have made a mockery of America’s foundation system—and tarnished the reputations of the non-profits who received grants from them.
More
That is the simple and damning case against the Clinton Foundation. By now, it is clear that the Foundation operated as a vast and corrupt market for influence. With winks and nods, Bill and Hillary Clinton sold access to the Secretary of State’s office. And because donors were giving to a “Foundation,” all parties could quietly look the other way.
Let us call this what it is: graft masquerading as non-profit work. This story has many troubling elements, perhaps none more than this: By giving their donors a private line to the Secretary of State’s office, Bill and Hillary Clinton have made a mockery of America’s foundation system—and tarnished the reputations of the non-profits who received grants from them.
More
MSP: Salisbury Barrack Invitation to Stuff A Truck for the MD Food Bank
WHAT: Stuff A Truck Hunger Action Month Event – Salisbury
WHEN: Friday, September 9, 2016 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Salisbury Barrack – 2765 N Salisbury Blvd, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
From Hagerstown to Salisbury and various counties in between, MSP and MDOT representatives will be out in full force for the month-long collection effort. The full list of events can be found at www.mdfoodbank.org/ hunger-action/food-drive-drop-events/. The webpage also includes MDOT locations that will accept food donations throughout September. Additionally, individuals who can’t make it out to these events or locations can use the food bank’s virtual food drive platform to donate food online at https://fooddrive.mdfoodbank.org/mspand https://fooddrive.mdfoodbank.org/mdot.
Don't anger Black Lives Matters activists by mentioning 'black-on-black crime'
In the midst a spate of Black Lives Matter protests that put presidential candidates on the spot during speeches last year, a staffer for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee coached Democratic staffers on how to avoid antagonizing the group.
The memo, which was published on the web site of hacker Guccifer 2.0, provides step-by-step guidance on how candidates can avoid ticking off protesters.
'Do not say 'all lives matter' and nor mention 'black on black crime,'' it advises.
'If approached by BLM activists, campaign staff should offer to meet with local activists. Invited BLM attendees should be limited,' according to the memo.
'Please aim for personal or small group meetings. Listen to their concerns,' the memo advised.
More
The memo, which was published on the web site of hacker Guccifer 2.0, provides step-by-step guidance on how candidates can avoid ticking off protesters.
'Do not say 'all lives matter' and nor mention 'black on black crime,'' it advises.
'If approached by BLM activists, campaign staff should offer to meet with local activists. Invited BLM attendees should be limited,' according to the memo.
'Please aim for personal or small group meetings. Listen to their concerns,' the memo advised.
More
Bacon-filled tractor-trailer burns for hours in Cumberland
Grogg said the truck was loaded with a variety of pork products including ribs.
"We'd rather have something like that than a hazardous material," Grogg said.
Tanker trucks supplied the water to eventually douse the blaze.
The truck came to a stop and burned just yards past the exit to Willowbrook Road.
Westbround interstate traffic was stopped for a short period early during the firefight.
Cumberland Police Department and Maryland State Police dealt with detours.
A dispatcher at the Allegany County 911 Center said he stepped outside late Monday and could smell the bacon burning.
More
New Hillary Emails Expose Bill Pushing Meetings With Foundation Donors, Requests For "Diplomatic Passports"
Judicial Watch just released another 510 pages of State Department emails from Hillary's tenure as the "inconvenient facts" just keep piling up for the Democratic nominee. Per Judicial Watch, the new disclosure includes 37 Hillary email exchanges that were not turned over as part of her initial 55,000 page submission to the State Department. Obviously, these new discoveries continue to contradict Hillary's claims to Congress that she turned over all of her government emails to the State Department.
The new release includes, among other things, Clinton Foundation executive, Doug Band, reaching out to Huma Abedin to help facilitate "diplomatic passports" for himself, Justin Cooper (member of Bill Clinton's personal office) and one other person referred to as "jd". The emails also reveal Bill Clinton pushing the State Department for a meeting between Hillary and the CEO of Dow Chemical, a $1-$5mm donor to the Clinton Foundation. Emails also reveal Hillary forwarding classified information to Huma's non-state.gov email account and a request from Newsmax CEO, Chris Ruddy, for a State Department favor.
But we're sure Donna Brazile, the new DNC chair, will see these various "requests for favors" from the Clinton Foundation and others as just another attempt to "criminalize normal behavior."
Below is the exchange between Doug Band (Clinton Foundation Executive) and Huma Abedin back in July 2009 where Band requests diplomatic passports for himself, Justin Cooper (aka "justy") and and unknown person referred to as "jd."
More
The new release includes, among other things, Clinton Foundation executive, Doug Band, reaching out to Huma Abedin to help facilitate "diplomatic passports" for himself, Justin Cooper (member of Bill Clinton's personal office) and one other person referred to as "jd". The emails also reveal Bill Clinton pushing the State Department for a meeting between Hillary and the CEO of Dow Chemical, a $1-$5mm donor to the Clinton Foundation. Emails also reveal Hillary forwarding classified information to Huma's non-state.gov email account and a request from Newsmax CEO, Chris Ruddy, for a State Department favor.
But we're sure Donna Brazile, the new DNC chair, will see these various "requests for favors" from the Clinton Foundation and others as just another attempt to "criminalize normal behavior."
Below is the exchange between Doug Band (Clinton Foundation Executive) and Huma Abedin back in July 2009 where Band requests diplomatic passports for himself, Justin Cooper (aka "justy") and and unknown person referred to as "jd."
More
'Hillary Clinton Means Devastation': Marine Le Pen Backs Trump
Marine Le Pen has voiced her support for Donald Trump, warning that his rival Hillary Clinton would bring war and devastation to the world.
Asked by CNN which U.S. candidate she supports, the Front National leader remarked that “everything but Hillary” would be better for France.
“As far as France’s best interest is concerned it’s, ‘Everything but Hillary Clinton’.
“It’s everything but Hillary Clinton because I believe Hillary Clinton means war, Hillary Clinton means devastation, destabilizing the world, economic choices that would be devastating for my people, geostrategic choices that would lead to global conflicts,” Ms. Le Pen said.
More
Asked by CNN which U.S. candidate she supports, the Front National leader remarked that “everything but Hillary” would be better for France.
“As far as France’s best interest is concerned it’s, ‘Everything but Hillary Clinton’.
“It’s everything but Hillary Clinton because I believe Hillary Clinton means war, Hillary Clinton means devastation, destabilizing the world, economic choices that would be devastating for my people, geostrategic choices that would lead to global conflicts,” Ms. Le Pen said.
More
COAST GUARD CUTTER TAMPA RETURNS HOME, INTERDICTS $68 M IN DRUGS
During their patrol, Tampa’s crew successfully interdicted approximately 2,059 kilograms of narcotics with an estimated wholesale value of $68 million. They also forced traffickers to abandon an estimated 1,950 kilograms at sea, preventing an additional $64 million worth of narcotics from reaching shore.
Tampa crewmembers also worked with the Helen Keller School for the Blind in Panama City, Panama, where crewmembers restored the school’s playgrounds and repainted classrooms.
Commissioned in 1983, Tampa is a multi-mission 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth. The cutter is responsible for a variety of Coast Guard missions including search and rescue, enforcement of laws and treaties, maritime defense, and protection of the marine environment.
Clinton Foundation's Sweden Affiliate Bagged $6 Million from Undisclosed Donors
A new Reuters report reveals that the Swedish fundraising arm of the embattled Clinton Foundation failed to disclose the identity of donors who funneled millions of dollars in donations to the charity, despite Hillary Clinton’s promise to do so.
The admitted failure in transparency came along with news Friday that the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation will shut down all of its fundraising affiliates in Sweden and the United Kingdom should Clinton win the White House in November.
“The foundation’s outpost in Stockholm has received nearly 270 million Swedish crowns, about $30 million, since it was established in 2011, while Clinton was still secretary of state,” Reuters reports. “Most of this money was given by the Swedish Postcode Lottery and the Dutch Postcode Lottery, according to the Clinton Foundation Insamlingsstiftelse’s website.”
More
The admitted failure in transparency came along with news Friday that the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation will shut down all of its fundraising affiliates in Sweden and the United Kingdom should Clinton win the White House in November.
“The foundation’s outpost in Stockholm has received nearly 270 million Swedish crowns, about $30 million, since it was established in 2011, while Clinton was still secretary of state,” Reuters reports. “Most of this money was given by the Swedish Postcode Lottery and the Dutch Postcode Lottery, according to the Clinton Foundation Insamlingsstiftelse’s website.”
More
Clinton, aides told FBI conflicting stories about email use
Hillary Clinton told FBI investigators last month that she did not have a personal computer inside the area within her home designed for viewing classified information known as a SCIF.
But three different witnesses told the FBI Clinton did indeed use personal computers inside the SCIFs at her Washington, D.C., and Chappaqua, N.Y., homes.
The contradiction in Clinton's statements was just one of many that was exposed in the scathing 58 pages of notes released by the FBI Friday from its investigation of Clinton.
More
But three different witnesses told the FBI Clinton did indeed use personal computers inside the SCIFs at her Washington, D.C., and Chappaqua, N.Y., homes.
The contradiction in Clinton's statements was just one of many that was exposed in the scathing 58 pages of notes released by the FBI Friday from its investigation of Clinton.
More
FBI: Clinton unable to locate any of 13 personal devices she used
Hillary Clinton used 13 different personal mobile devices to either make calls or access her surreptitious email address, including eight she used while working at the State Department. But she was unable to find any of them to assist in the FBI's investigation, according to notes the agency released Friday, and had at least some of them smashed with a hammer.
Clinton's law firm, Williams & Connolly, said it was "unable locate any of these devices," the FBI said. Clinton aide Justin Cooper claimed to have destroyed at least some of Clinton's old Blackberries by breaking them in half or smashing them with a hammer.
The FBI published 58 pages of notes from its July interrogation with Clinton in response to Freedom of Information Act requests that had been filed. The documents include information about the personal server Clinton kept in her home, as well as notes from interviews with her aides.
More
Clinton's law firm, Williams & Connolly, said it was "unable locate any of these devices," the FBI said. Clinton aide Justin Cooper claimed to have destroyed at least some of Clinton's old Blackberries by breaking them in half or smashing them with a hammer.
The FBI published 58 pages of notes from its July interrogation with Clinton in response to Freedom of Information Act requests that had been filed. The documents include information about the personal server Clinton kept in her home, as well as notes from interviews with her aides.
More
FBI: Clinton withheld 17,500 emails
FBI agents said they recovered 17,448 "unique work-related and personal" emails from Hillary Clinton's private server that were not provided by her legal team.
The revelation came in notes released Friday by the FBI related to the investigation of Clinton's email system.
Agents said 81 email chains discovered in the course of their year-long probe should have been considered classified at the time they were written, contrary to Clinton's claims that everything sensitive was retroactively classified.
In addition, three emails bearing "confidential" classified markings were discovered on her server. The Democratic nominee said she assumed the "C" marking was a way to sort paragraphs alphabetically.
More
The revelation came in notes released Friday by the FBI related to the investigation of Clinton's email system.
Agents said 81 email chains discovered in the course of their year-long probe should have been considered classified at the time they were written, contrary to Clinton's claims that everything sensitive was retroactively classified.
In addition, three emails bearing "confidential" classified markings were discovered on her server. The Democratic nominee said she assumed the "C" marking was a way to sort paragraphs alphabetically.
More
School year begins with transgender policy battle in Fairfax County, Virignia
The group Concerned Parents and Educators of Fairfax County last week released a 13-page package advising parents on how their children can avoid gender identity education.
“How is it that a tiny minority of boys who are uncomfortable in the boys’ bathroom now have the right to make a majority of girls uncomfortable in the girls’ bathroom? (or vice versa),” the group says. “Are some ‘more equal’ than others? This is an un-American assault on the rights of all students.”
The information packet encourages parents to decline to sign the Student Rights and Responsibility form and opt out of health lessons on gender identity, family life education and an explicit youth sex survey.
More
The 12 juiciest bits from the FBI's Clinton report
From smashing phones to Colin Powell's warning to 'be very careful,' here are the most revealing portions of the FBI's investigation notes.
On at least two occasions when Hillary Clinton changed electronic devices as secretary of state, the outgoing mobile devices met a violent end on the other side of a hammer or got broken in half.
At other moments, two of Clinton’s top aides recalled that the retiring devices’ whereabouts would often be a mystery.
And elsewhere in the FBI's report of its investigation and its interview with Clinton that was released publicly Friday, Clinton demonstrated a willingness to defer to others on matters of classified material, claiming on multiple occasions that she could neither recall receiving training or, in one particular instance, responding that she did not know that “(C)” markings in an email chain denoted confidential material.
From the drones to hammers to Colin Powell, here are 12 of the most remarkable sections from the FBI’s notes related to its investigation and from its July 2 interview with Clinton at its Washington headquarters.
1. The ‘oh shit’ moment
After Clinton’s staff members completed their response to the State Department for her email records in December 2014, Clinton said she told staff that she did not need them anymore.
“In or around this same timeframe the retention policy for her email was changed as part of her move to a new personal office account,” the FBI stated in notes from Clinton’s interview.
More
On at least two occasions when Hillary Clinton changed electronic devices as secretary of state, the outgoing mobile devices met a violent end on the other side of a hammer or got broken in half.
At other moments, two of Clinton’s top aides recalled that the retiring devices’ whereabouts would often be a mystery.
And elsewhere in the FBI's report of its investigation and its interview with Clinton that was released publicly Friday, Clinton demonstrated a willingness to defer to others on matters of classified material, claiming on multiple occasions that she could neither recall receiving training or, in one particular instance, responding that she did not know that “(C)” markings in an email chain denoted confidential material.
From the drones to hammers to Colin Powell, here are 12 of the most remarkable sections from the FBI’s notes related to its investigation and from its July 2 interview with Clinton at its Washington headquarters.
1. The ‘oh shit’ moment
After Clinton’s staff members completed their response to the State Department for her email records in December 2014, Clinton said she told staff that she did not need them anymore.
“In or around this same timeframe the retention policy for her email was changed as part of her move to a new personal office account,” the FBI stated in notes from Clinton’s interview.
More
Police losing battle to get drivers to put down their phones
In Bethesda, Maryland, a police officer disguised himself as a homeless man, stood near a busy intersection and radioed ahead to officers down the road about texting drivers. In two hours last October, police gave out 56 tickets.
And in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, south of Boston, an officer regularly tools around town on his bicycle, pedals up to drivers at stoplights and hands them $105 tickets.
Texting while driving in the U.S. is not just a dangerous habit, but also an infuriatingly widespread one, practiced both brazenly and surreptitiously by so many motorists that police are being forced to get creative - and still can't seem to make much headway.
"It's everyone, kids, older people - everyone. When I stop someone, they say, 'You're right. I know it's dangerous, but I heard my phone go off and I had to look at it,'" said West Bridgewater Officer Matthew Monteiro.
More
JUST IN: ITT Tech closes all campuses after federal aid sanctions
The closure affects thousands of students at more than 130 campuses in 38 states, including Maryland. The Carmel, Indiana-based for-profit school chain will lay off more than 8,000 employees after about 50 years in operation.
ITT Educational Services, which offered students vocational education, said “with profound regret” that it had no choice but to close after the U.S. Department of Education issued sanctions Aug. 25, including a ban on enrolling new students who rely on federal financial aid.
“The actions of and sanctions from the U.S. Department of Education have forced us to cease operations of the ITT Technical Institutes, and we will not be offering our September quarter,” the company said in a statement. “We reached this decision only after having exhausted the exploration of alternatives, including transfer of the schools to a non-profit or public institution.
More
Reuters/Ipsos Poll: Donald Trump Overtakes Hillary Clinton — Despite Altered Methodology
(REUTERS) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has pulled into an effective tie with Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, erasing a substantial deficit as he consolidated support among his party’s likely voters in recent weeks, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos national tracking poll released Friday.
The poll showed 40 percent of likely voters supporting Trump and 39 percent backing Clinton for the week of Aug. 26 to Sept. 1. Clinton’s support has dropped steadily in the weekly tracking poll since Aug. 25, eliminating what had been a eight-point lead for her.
Trump’s gains came as Republican support for their party’s candidate jumped by six percentage points over the past two weeks, to about 78 percent. That is still below the 85 percent support Republican nominee Mitt Romney enjoyed in the summer of 2012, but the improvement helps explain Trump’s rise in the poll.
More
The poll showed 40 percent of likely voters supporting Trump and 39 percent backing Clinton for the week of Aug. 26 to Sept. 1. Clinton’s support has dropped steadily in the weekly tracking poll since Aug. 25, eliminating what had been a eight-point lead for her.
Trump’s gains came as Republican support for their party’s candidate jumped by six percentage points over the past two weeks, to about 78 percent. That is still below the 85 percent support Republican nominee Mitt Romney enjoyed in the summer of 2012, but the improvement helps explain Trump’s rise in the poll.
More
Hillary Clinton Told FBI That State Dept. Did Not Train Her on Protecting Classified Information
Hillary Clinton told FBI questioners numerous times that she did not receive the various guidance documents and training sessions from State Department officials that employees get to ensure they protect and preserve their official emails and computer documents.
She told the FBI that she did not get official guidance for using email in her job at the State Department.
More
She told the FBI that she did not get official guidance for using email in her job at the State Department.
More
FBI Found Extensive Evidence Clinton Violated Federal Laws
FBI agents who investigated Hillary Clinton’s emails collected significant evidence that she and her team deliberately violated federal record-keeping laws. Clinton’s use of a private email and server through which to conduct State Department business evaded automatic capture by government servers, preventing public scrutiny via Freedom of Information Act requests.
Federal government sources told Circa that Clinton and her team were warned repeatedly of legal and security risks associated with their email conduct.
More/Video
Federal government sources told Circa that Clinton and her team were warned repeatedly of legal and security risks associated with their email conduct.
More/Video
Clinton Couldn't Remember State Dept. Briefings After Her Concussion
Hillary Clinton could not recall every briefing she received at the State Department after she fell and suffered a concussion and blood clot in Dec. 2012, she told FBI and Justice Department investigators in July.
That detail is contained in notes from Clinton’s three-and-a-half hour interview about her use of a private email system.
According to the notes, which were released on Friday, Clinton claimed that she had received no instructions or direction pertaining to the preservation of federal records as she transitioned out of her role as secretary of state in Feb. 2013.
But Clinton may not have remembered receiving such guidance, the FBI’s notes state.
More
That detail is contained in notes from Clinton’s three-and-a-half hour interview about her use of a private email system.
According to the notes, which were released on Friday, Clinton claimed that she had received no instructions or direction pertaining to the preservation of federal records as she transitioned out of her role as secretary of state in Feb. 2013.
But Clinton may not have remembered receiving such guidance, the FBI’s notes state.
More
ACLU pushes for legislation with City Council on BPD aerial surveillance program
The effort isn't about crime-fighting, it's the lack of public disclosure and a transparent process to deploy it that's fueling the call for legislation.
The Baltimore Police Departments spy plane is temporarily grounded. The ACLU doesn't want it to take off again until the public is involved in the decision-making process.
More
WATCH: 'No Show Hillary, That's What We Call Her', Residents Tear Into Clinton's Louisiana Flood 'Response'
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – “No show Hillary Clinton, that’s what we call her around here. She didn’t even call it in,” said U.S. Senate candidate Rob Maness, discussing the recent flood response in Louisiana in America’s south-east.
The “storm with no name” or the “hurricane with no wind” struck Baton Rouge and its surrounding areas in the middle of August, leaving 13 dead, and thousands without homes or possessions.
More
France Fed Up With Crime-Ridden Migrant Camp, Set It To Be Dismantled
France’s Calais migrant camp, home to around 7,000 refugees and a hotbed of unrest and violence, will completely shut down “as quickly as possible,” French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve announced Friday.
This comes months after about half of the camp was already shut down.
That effort was marked with clashes between police and migrants. When Calais Mayor Natacha Bouchart announced her intention to fully close the camp in June, migrants reacted by throwing Molotov cocktails onto the highways.
The camp consists mostly of men from the Middle East and Africa who are trying to make it into the United Kingdom. It has become notoriously controversial, gaining the nickname “jungle.”
More
This comes months after about half of the camp was already shut down.
That effort was marked with clashes between police and migrants. When Calais Mayor Natacha Bouchart announced her intention to fully close the camp in June, migrants reacted by throwing Molotov cocktails onto the highways.
The camp consists mostly of men from the Middle East and Africa who are trying to make it into the United Kingdom. It has become notoriously controversial, gaining the nickname “jungle.”
More
These are the signs of an economic collapse
What does the beginning of an economic collapse look like?
Do you see grocery stores closing? Do you see other retailers, like clothing stores and department stores, going out of business?
Are there shuttered storefronts along your Main Street shopping district, where you bought a tool from the hardware store or dropped off your dry cleaning or bought fruits and vegetables?
Are you making as much money annually as you did 10 years ago?
Do you see homes in neighborhoods becoming run down as the residents either were foreclosed upon, or the owner lost his or her job so he or she can’t afford to cut the grass or paint the house?
Did that same house where the Joneses once lived now become a rental property, where new people come to live every few months?
More
Do you see grocery stores closing? Do you see other retailers, like clothing stores and department stores, going out of business?
Are there shuttered storefronts along your Main Street shopping district, where you bought a tool from the hardware store or dropped off your dry cleaning or bought fruits and vegetables?
Are you making as much money annually as you did 10 years ago?
Do you see homes in neighborhoods becoming run down as the residents either were foreclosed upon, or the owner lost his or her job so he or she can’t afford to cut the grass or paint the house?
Did that same house where the Joneses once lived now become a rental property, where new people come to live every few months?
More
Pirates Wharf Farmhouse
By County Executive Bob Culver
For those interested in the facts regarding the County owned property known as Pirate’s Wharf, I offer the following information. The property was acquired in 1997 utilizing Maryland Project Open Space acquisition funds. Open Space funds are derived from the State’s portion of real estate transfer taxes. No property taxes or income taxes from the State or County general revenue funds are involved.
As the name implies, Project Open Space Funds are utilized to preserve natural lands, waters and habitats and to maximize outdoor recreational activities for citizens. The Pirates Wharf property was an ideal candidate, as its acquisition protected waterfront property, protected the environment and presented a good site for light impact outdoor activities. As required by Open Space protocol, the property was purchased at its appraised fair market value. That market value included the value of potential timber harvests.
In large part, because of State fiscal issues and the deep recession, Open Space funding has been restricted and the availability of funds for improvements has been limited. For that reason, the property has been left in its natural state and leased for farming and hunting activities. The farmhouse was leased to a tenant. The main section of the house was built in 1947 with additions made in the mid 1950’s. It was neither historic nor architecturally significant.
When I came into office, one of my main priorities was to address the deterioration of County property and other assets. The historic courthouse is a prime example and plans are now in place to restore it. When I visited Pirates Wharf, I was appalled at the condition of the house, its outbuildings and surrounding grounds. Portions of the main floor had partially collapsed and was laying on the ground. An amateurish attempt to protect the residence interior had been made by placing a tarp over the flooring. I immediately requested a complete assessment of the structure by our Code Enforcement Officer. That assessment concluded that the house was not safe for occupancy and estimated restoration costs of several hundred thousand dollars. Not only were those funds not available, but I saw no utility to the structure that warranted that kind of expenditure. In addition, I requested an inspection and opinion from the Wicomico Preservation Trust, recognized as an expert in the field of historic properties, who concurred that the home was of no of historic or architectural significance. For those reasons I felt it was the best course of action to remove it as it was a detriment to the property and unsafe. Before proceeding, I invited the County Council, in writing, to visit the property so that they could see its condition themselves and understand my rationale. Only Councilmen John Hall and Joe Holloway responded and both concurred with my evaluation. I proceeded with removing the house, the dilapidated outbuildings, clearing overgrown vegetation, surveying and marking grave sites and seeding the disturbed areas.
Moving forward I am working with MDE and DNR on a plan to restore the shoreline which is experiencing significant erosion because of natural causes and a very sharp turn in the channel that requires barges and tugs to maneuver close to the shoreline.
My hope is that, despite the rhetoric you have read, you will realize that we have proceeded reasonably and with our citizens’ best interest in mind.
NOI 9 02 16 Wicomico Accidental Residential Out Building Snethen Church Rd Sharptown
NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION
Date: 9/2/2016
Time: 7:27 P.M.
Location / Address: 11224 Snethen Church Rd., Sharptown, Wicomico
Type of Incident: Fire
Description of Structure / Property: 24’x12’ wood framed residential outbuilding
Owner / Occupants: Errond Truitt
Injuries or Deaths: None
Estimated $ Loss: Structure: $10,000.00 Contents: $3,000.00
Smoke Alarm Status: n/a
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status: n/a
Arrests(s): n/a
Primary Responding Fire Department: Sharptown
# of Alarms: 1 # Of Firefighters: 25
Time to Control: 20 minutes
Discovered By: occupant
Area of Origin: Exterior of outbuilding
Preliminary Cause: Accidental – as a result of burning trash
Additional Information: As a result of the fire a 2004 Ford Explorer was also damaged due to its close proximity to the structure
ARREST MADE IN CONNECTION WITH CAR FIRE
WICOMICO COUNTY, - Deputy State Fire Marshals arrested Kendal Lee Smiley (19) today in connection with a vehicle fire which occurred on July 26, 2016. The fire occurred in the 400 Block of S. Park Drive, Salisbury, Wicomico County.
The fire involved a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze and caused an estimated $ 20,000.00 dollars in damage. Five firefighters from the Salisbury Fire Department controlled the fire in 15 minutes. No injuries were reported.
The investigation into the fire resulted in an arrest warrant being issued. Smiley was charged with 2nd Degree Arson, Malicious Burning 1st Degree and MDOP > $1,000.00. The warrant was served at Smiley’s residence and he was taken into custody without further incident.
Smiley was transported to the Wicomico County Detention Center. If convicted of all charges, Smiley faces 28 years in jail and / or $37,500.00 dollars in fines.
Hillary taps into all-white, money-packing hate-labeler
Not a single minority in charge at group often cited by Hillary campaign
The source most often cited by the Hillary Clinton campaign in its effort to brand Donald Trump and his followers as purveyors of “Ku Klux Klan values” is a wealthy organization with a $300 million endowment that has no minorities among its 10 executive leaders, who each make hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
It was the Southern Poverty Law Center‘s formulation of what it calls the “alt-right” that provided the grist for Clinton’s attack last week on Trump in a speech in Reno, Nevada, in which she smeared a huge swath of the Republican Party base as white supremacists who are “taking a hate movement mainstream.”
SPLC, founded in 1971 by attorneys Morris Dees and Joseph Levin Jr., describes itself as “the premier U.S. non-profit organization monitoring the activities of domestic hate groups and other extremists – including the Ku Klux Klan, the neo-Nazi movement, neo-Confederates, racist skinheads, black separatists, antigovernment militias, Christian Identity adherents and others.”
Early on, the group made a name for itself fighting discrimination in the South, but today it is primarily a leftist attack machine that, with the increasingly irrelevance of the KKK, has broadened its scope to attack respected organizations and opinion leaders whose legitimate policy differences put them to its right.
More
The source most often cited by the Hillary Clinton campaign in its effort to brand Donald Trump and his followers as purveyors of “Ku Klux Klan values” is a wealthy organization with a $300 million endowment that has no minorities among its 10 executive leaders, who each make hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
It was the Southern Poverty Law Center‘s formulation of what it calls the “alt-right” that provided the grist for Clinton’s attack last week on Trump in a speech in Reno, Nevada, in which she smeared a huge swath of the Republican Party base as white supremacists who are “taking a hate movement mainstream.”
SPLC, founded in 1971 by attorneys Morris Dees and Joseph Levin Jr., describes itself as “the premier U.S. non-profit organization monitoring the activities of domestic hate groups and other extremists – including the Ku Klux Klan, the neo-Nazi movement, neo-Confederates, racist skinheads, black separatists, antigovernment militias, Christian Identity adherents and others.”
Early on, the group made a name for itself fighting discrimination in the South, but today it is primarily a leftist attack machine that, with the increasingly irrelevance of the KKK, has broadened its scope to attack respected organizations and opinion leaders whose legitimate policy differences put them to its right.
More
80 Percent Captured at Border Set Free in U.S., Says Agent
A U.S. Border Patrol agent told Fox News Channel that eight out of ten illegal immigrants who are captured at the border are initially set free into the United States.
Border Patrol Agent Hector Garza, acting in his role as president of the National Border Patrol Council, Local 2455, appeared on Fox News Channel recently to discuss border security and the need for building a wall. “Eight out of ten people that are caught entering our country illegally are not deported and are allowed to stay in the United States,” Garza explained. “Unfortunately for Border Patrol agents, we are trying to do our jobs as best we can with the very limited resources that we have.”
More/Video
Border Patrol Agent Hector Garza, acting in his role as president of the National Border Patrol Council, Local 2455, appeared on Fox News Channel recently to discuss border security and the need for building a wall. “Eight out of ten people that are caught entering our country illegally are not deported and are allowed to stay in the United States,” Garza explained. “Unfortunately for Border Patrol agents, we are trying to do our jobs as best we can with the very limited resources that we have.”
More/Video
Clinton Suffers Another Coughing Episode During Speech
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton suffered yet another coughing episode during a speech Monday in Cleveland — a hacking, throat-clearing fit that dominated the better part of her first three minutes at the microphone.
Clinton took swigs of water, appeared to unwrap a cough drop and at first seemed to blame her coughing on how much she’s been talking lately.
But in the middle of the worst part of Clinton’s coughing episode, she held it off just long enough to intone — in a rather eye-opening, deep voice — that “every time I think about Trump I get allergic.”
More
Clinton stumbles at start of final sprint
Hillary Clinton's fragile presidential bid enters the start of the Labor Day-triggered fall sprint staggered by two enormous blows to her already reeling campaign.
The FBI's report of its investigation of Hillary's illegal server is so full of damning details that it will take a village to recount them. My personal favorite is that 13 Blackberrys and 3 iPads she used as secretary of state are missing. Play "16 Candles" and think of the fact that the FBI's best agent on all things al Qaeda, John O'Neill, left the bureau in 2000 in part because he lost a briefcase with sensitive information in it.
O'Neill died in the World Trade Center attack, and so apparently did bureau concern with losing the containers of information useful to our enemies. (The O'Neill saga, including the briefcase, is told in detail in Lawrence Wright's The Looming Tower.)
More
The FBI's report of its investigation of Hillary's illegal server is so full of damning details that it will take a village to recount them. My personal favorite is that 13 Blackberrys and 3 iPads she used as secretary of state are missing. Play "16 Candles" and think of the fact that the FBI's best agent on all things al Qaeda, John O'Neill, left the bureau in 2000 in part because he lost a briefcase with sensitive information in it.
O'Neill died in the World Trade Center attack, and so apparently did bureau concern with losing the containers of information useful to our enemies. (The O'Neill saga, including the briefcase, is told in detail in Lawrence Wright's The Looming Tower.)
More
Ex-Chicago official John Bills gets ten years in prison for taking $2million in bribes
A former Chicago transportation official was sentenced to ten years in prison for taking bribes to steer $100 million in red-light camera contracts to a company in Phoenix.
US District Judge Virginia Kendall sentenced John Bills, 55, in Chicago on Monday moments after he apologized for his actions.
Federal prosecutors had asked the judge for at least a ten-year prison sentence.
More
US District Judge Virginia Kendall sentenced John Bills, 55, in Chicago on Monday moments after he apologized for his actions.
Federal prosecutors had asked the judge for at least a ten-year prison sentence.
More
Publishers Notes: And Obama got the White house.
Trump Campaign: FBI Should Release More Records on Clinton's Email Investigation
Donald Trump’s campaign is calling for the FBI to release additional records on its interview with Hillary Clinton and the investigation into her use of a private, personal email server during her time as secretary of state.
The Trump campaign press release on Monday states that the FBI’s redacted interview notes, which were released late on Friday before the Labor Day weekend, raise questions on whether or not Clinton’s emails, which were under subpoena, had been intentionally destroyed.
“Not only do the FBI’s interview notes underscore Hillary Clinton’s terrible judgment, incompetence, and dishonesty, they raise serious questions about whether emails regarding the terrorist attack in Benghazi were intentionally destroyed while under congressional subpoena,” stated Trump’s deputy campaign manager David Bossie.
He continued:
More
The Trump campaign press release on Monday states that the FBI’s redacted interview notes, which were released late on Friday before the Labor Day weekend, raise questions on whether or not Clinton’s emails, which were under subpoena, had been intentionally destroyed.
“Not only do the FBI’s interview notes underscore Hillary Clinton’s terrible judgment, incompetence, and dishonesty, they raise serious questions about whether emails regarding the terrorist attack in Benghazi were intentionally destroyed while under congressional subpoena,” stated Trump’s deputy campaign manager David Bossie.
He continued:
More
Hillary's Fees: $2,700 For A Question From A Child; $10,000 For A Family Photo
Yesterday we pointed out something troubling: while Hillary Clinton has now gone 274 days without giving a press conference (even as her campaign spokesman Brian Fallon eagerly vowed that "if elected Hillary Clinton will hold press conferences") she has been all too eager to answer questions from donors at exclusive (and expensive) fundraisers.
Like, for example, the one that took place two weeks ago at the Rothschilds' Nantucket estate. Recall that as we reported then, the day after Bill's 70th birthday "Hillary, not one to be bothered with traditional peasant forms of travel, awoke and took her private jet just 20 miles over to Nantucket where the Rothschilds will be hosting a fundraiser. The event is open to all...well anyone who can afford the $100,000 per person price tag."
Now, thanks to the NYT article that gives the common people a glimpse into what exactly has been taking place within these fundraisers, we know that when Hillary arrived at the Rotschild mansion, she would "bask in an affectionate embrace as hosts try to limit confrontational engagements. Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a backer of Democrats and a friend of the Clintons’, made sure attendees did not grill Mrs. Clinton at the $100,000-per-couple lamb dinner Mrs. Forester de Rothschild hosted under a tent on the lawn of her oceanfront Martha’s Vineyard mansion.
“I said, ‘Let’s make it a nice night for her and show her our love,’” Mrs. Forester de Rothschild said.
More
Like, for example, the one that took place two weeks ago at the Rothschilds' Nantucket estate. Recall that as we reported then, the day after Bill's 70th birthday "Hillary, not one to be bothered with traditional peasant forms of travel, awoke and took her private jet just 20 miles over to Nantucket where the Rothschilds will be hosting a fundraiser. The event is open to all...well anyone who can afford the $100,000 per person price tag."
Now, thanks to the NYT article that gives the common people a glimpse into what exactly has been taking place within these fundraisers, we know that when Hillary arrived at the Rotschild mansion, she would "bask in an affectionate embrace as hosts try to limit confrontational engagements. Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a backer of Democrats and a friend of the Clintons’, made sure attendees did not grill Mrs. Clinton at the $100,000-per-couple lamb dinner Mrs. Forester de Rothschild hosted under a tent on the lawn of her oceanfront Martha’s Vineyard mansion.
“I said, ‘Let’s make it a nice night for her and show her our love,’” Mrs. Forester de Rothschild said.
More
Income Inequality is Good
What if everything you've heard about income inequality is wrong? What if it's actually a good thing for there to be people who are rich and people who aren't? John Tamny, editor of RealClearMarkets, clarifies one of the big misunderstandings of our time.
More/Video
More/Video
Greta Van Susteren abruptly leaves Fox News
Longtime Fox News host Greta Van Susteren is leaving the channel after 14 years, Fox News announced on Tuesday.
Senior political analyst Brit Hume will take over for Van Susteren's 7 p.m. show "On the Record" starting immediately, and running through the election. It isn't clear what will happen to the timeslot after the election.
“We are grateful for Greta's many contributions over the years and wish her continued success," Fox co-presidents Jack Abernathy and Bill Shine said in a statement.
No reasons were given in the Fox News announcement for Van Susteren's departure, and she did not immediately respond to a direct message seeking comment.
More
Clinton says coughing fit is an 'allergic reaction' to Trump
Hillary Clinton caught a case of dry mouth on Monday afternoon that caused her to choke and cough through the first few minutes of her stump speech at a Labor Day event.
Clinton welled up as the coughing fit continued and told a park full of people that it was an 'allergic reaction' to Donald Trump.
'Every time I think about Trump I get allergic,' she whispered before she whipped out a glass of water from behind the podium and took a big gulp.
More/Video
Clinton welled up as the coughing fit continued and told a park full of people that it was an 'allergic reaction' to Donald Trump.
'Every time I think about Trump I get allergic,' she whispered before she whipped out a glass of water from behind the podium and took a big gulp.
More/Video
Md. county executive asks school board to reconsider transgender guidelines
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — County Executive Steve Schuh is asking the Anne Arundel Board of Education to reconsider allowing transgender students to use bathrooms of their gender identity.
Media outlets report that last week, the school system sent a set of guidelines to school administrators stating that students should be allowed to use bathrooms of their gender identity. It also said students on field trips should be allowed to sleep in the common space of their gender identity.
Schuh wrote in a letter to the school board that the guidelines infringed on the rights of students who might be uncomfortable sharing bathrooms with transgender students.
More
Obama a 'son of a bitch,' says Philippines president
Duterte said he would swear at Obama at a scheduled meeting if the president raises the issue extrajudicial killings of drug suspects in the Philippines.
Around 2,400 suspected drug dealers and users have been killed without trial, in a drug war Duterte launched after taking office in June. His efforts have won public support, but the killings have concerned Washington and United Nations officials.
Obama is scheduled to meet with Duterte in Laos at the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but hinted Monday he might cancel the meeting. Obama said the lack of due process in Duterte's anti-drug campaign is "something that's going to be brought up" if the two meet.
More
Around 2,400 suspected drug dealers and users have been killed without trial, in a drug war Duterte launched after taking office in June. His efforts have won public support, but the killings have concerned Washington and United Nations officials.
Obama is scheduled to meet with Duterte in Laos at the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but hinted Monday he might cancel the meeting. Obama said the lack of due process in Duterte's anti-drug campaign is "something that's going to be brought up" if the two meet.
More
Aiding and Abedin
As Bill Clinton entered the final year of his presidency, his aides put together a legacy-building trip to South Asia—the first visit to the region by a U.S. president since Jimmy Carter's in 1978. Early drafts of the itinerary featured a notable exclusion: The president would visit India, an emerging ally, but had no plans to stop in neighboring Pakistan.
There were good reasons for this. Pervez Musharraf had seized power there in a military coup six months earlier. His regime was regarded as tolerant of Islamic radicals, perhaps even complicit in their attacks, and unhelpful on nuclear talks with India. Whatever the potential benefits to regional stability, a visit would be seen as legitimizing a troublemaker. Clinton had the support of many in the foreign policy establishment and his decision was popular among liberals in his party. In an editorial published February 18, 2000, the New York Times noted, "Pakistan has been lobbying hard in Washington"; the paper urged Clinton to stand firm, absent a return to civilian rule in the country and "concrete progress" on nukes and terror.
Four days later, Hillary Clinton weighed in. At a gathering in a private home on Staten Island, Clinton said she hoped her husband would be able to find time to visit Pakistan on his trip. That she spoke up on a matter of public controversy was interesting; where she did it was noteworthy.
More
Report: CNN Pressured Dr. Drew 'Like the Mafia' to Retract Clinton Health Comments
When HLN cancelled Dr. Drew in August, the network said the decision was “mutually agreed” upon by both network executives and the show’s host, Dr. Drew Pinsky — but according to a report, executives at CNN (HLN’s sister network) pressured Pinsky to retract comments he made about Hillary Clinton’s health before the show was cancelled a few days later.
“CNN is so supportive of Clinton, network honchos acted like the Mafia when confronting Drew,” a source close to Pinsky told the New York Post‘s Page Six. “First, they demanded he retract his comments, but he wouldn’t.”
During a radio interview with John McIntyre on August 16, Dr. Pinsky commented on the release of the Democratic presidential candidate’s medical records, saying that based upon the information he had reviewed with another doctor, he was “gravely concerned not just about her health, but her health care.”
More
“CNN is so supportive of Clinton, network honchos acted like the Mafia when confronting Drew,” a source close to Pinsky told the New York Post‘s Page Six. “First, they demanded he retract his comments, but he wouldn’t.”
During a radio interview with John McIntyre on August 16, Dr. Pinsky commented on the release of the Democratic presidential candidate’s medical records, saying that based upon the information he had reviewed with another doctor, he was “gravely concerned not just about her health, but her health care.”
More
Bill Clinton Collected Donations, Shipped Tech To China
Former President Bill Clinton approved the sale of sensitive U.S. missile technology to China following donations from a key missile manufacturer to his campaign, in a move prescient of the Clinton Foundation’s “pay-to-play” activities.
Bernard Schwartz donated about $1.5 million to the Democratic Party and Clinton’s 1996 campaign for reelection between 1994 and 1998. Schwartz, who was at the time chairman of Loral Space & Communication Ltd., seems to have used his influence to persuade the Clinton administration to switch the licensing authority for missile exports from the Department of State to the Department of Commerce, as the latter was more vulnerable to political influence.
More
Bernard Schwartz donated about $1.5 million to the Democratic Party and Clinton’s 1996 campaign for reelection between 1994 and 1998. Schwartz, who was at the time chairman of Loral Space & Communication Ltd., seems to have used his influence to persuade the Clinton administration to switch the licensing authority for missile exports from the Department of State to the Department of Commerce, as the latter was more vulnerable to political influence.
More
Trump Surging in Iowa and Virginia
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is surging in battleground states Iowa and Virginia in newly released polls, consistent with the national trend reported this week by Reuters-Ipsos and other major polling operations.
A handful of swing states—experts always mention at least five, and no more than eleven—will determine the winner of the presidential race, mainly concentrated in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southwest.
Polling numbers from two of those states seem to fit a larger trend over the past two weeks of improving chances for Donald Trump to defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
More
A handful of swing states—experts always mention at least five, and no more than eleven—will determine the winner of the presidential race, mainly concentrated in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southwest.
Polling numbers from two of those states seem to fit a larger trend over the past two weeks of improving chances for Donald Trump to defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
More
Venezuela: Million-Strong Crowd Protesting Socialism
On Thursday, the opposition organized a protest in the nation’s capital dubbed, “the Caracas Takeover,” attracting between 950,000 and 1.1 million people, according to organizers. The Venezuelan government claims a paltry 30,000, a claim images of the protest make difficult to believe. The Caracas Takeover was a collection of largely peaceful protesters, seen in videos chanting slogans like “Venezuela is hungry” and singing the national anthem on social media.
“We either come out to march or we will die of hunger. We are no longer afraid of the government,” Ana Gonzalez, a protester, told AFP. Due to socialist mismanagement and strict import controls, Venezuela is on the verge of a famine, with most supermarkets severely understocked and up to 90 percent of families unable to secure food for their children on a regular basis.
More
[Do you see this, Millenials? THIS is socialism. --Editor]
Is the Star-Spangled Banner's third verse racist?
The national monument at Fort McHenry is considered one of Baltimore's jewels. The defense of the fort inspired poet-lawyer, Francis Scott Key, to write "The Star-Spangled Banner," which would eventually become the country's national anthem.
That song kicks off tons of events, most commonly sports, and we only sing the first two verses.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick said he will not stand for the anthem because he will not "show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people." His decision to sit down during the anthem has called attention to the song, many focusing on the third verse, which some are calling racist.
Park Ranger Paul Plamann has received emails from all over asking about the third stanza. He said it's not about slavery as we know it.
"The third verse is very anti-British to begin with," Plamann said.
More
Ben Carson supports Trump's appeal to black voters
Dr. Ben Carson on Sunday supported Donald Trump’s outreach to African-American voters, defending Trump against accusations that the Republican presidential nominee is pandering to minorities and arguing Democrats “have the explaining to do.”
“I’ve had many discussions with him about it. He becomes very animated during those discussions. This is a subject about which he cares deeply,” Carson, a former 2016 Republican presidential candidate, told “Fox News Sunday.” "And what is going to be accomplished is something that many in the Democrat Party fear -- and that is an alternative."
The retired neurosurgeon made the comments a day after Trump attended services at the Great Faith Ministries International church in Detroit, where he vowed to listen to the concerns of black voters and to help them and other minorities in U.S. cities plagued by crime, high unemployment and underachieving schools.
“The Republican Party has not made an extensive outreach to certain communities, including the African-American community because they've pretty much written that off as Democrat territory. Donald Trump is changing that narrative,” said Carson, a Detroit native who accompanied Trump on his visit.
Later on “Fox News Sunday,” New York Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks said Trump was trying to “con” minority voters, including fellow blacks.
“It’s really the Democratic Party that has the explaining to do,” Carson said. “They’ve been in charge of our cities for a long time...Detroit was once the most prosperous city in the United States, some people say in the world. From there it went to the largest bankruptcy.."
More
“I’ve had many discussions with him about it. He becomes very animated during those discussions. This is a subject about which he cares deeply,” Carson, a former 2016 Republican presidential candidate, told “Fox News Sunday.” "And what is going to be accomplished is something that many in the Democrat Party fear -- and that is an alternative."
The retired neurosurgeon made the comments a day after Trump attended services at the Great Faith Ministries International church in Detroit, where he vowed to listen to the concerns of black voters and to help them and other minorities in U.S. cities plagued by crime, high unemployment and underachieving schools.
“The Republican Party has not made an extensive outreach to certain communities, including the African-American community because they've pretty much written that off as Democrat territory. Donald Trump is changing that narrative,” said Carson, a Detroit native who accompanied Trump on his visit.
Later on “Fox News Sunday,” New York Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks said Trump was trying to “con” minority voters, including fellow blacks.
“It’s really the Democratic Party that has the explaining to do,” Carson said. “They’ve been in charge of our cities for a long time...Detroit was once the most prosperous city in the United States, some people say in the world. From there it went to the largest bankruptcy.."
More
Oil pipeline protest turns violent after American Indian burial sites destroyed
Morton County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Donnell Preskey said four private security guards and two guard dogs were injured after several hundred protesters confronted construction crews at the site just outside the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. One of the security officers was taken to a Bismarck hospital for undisclosed injuries. The two guard dogs were taken to a Bismarck veterinary clinic, Preskey said.
Tribe spokesman Steve Sitting Bear said protesters reported that six people had been bitten by security dogs, including a young child. At least 30 people were pepper-sprayed, he said. Preskey said law enforcement authorities had no reports of protesters being injured.
There were no law enforcement personnel at the site when the incident occurred, Preskey said. The crowd disbursed when officers arrived and no one was arrested, she said.
The incident occurred within half a mile of an encampment where hundreds of people have gathered to join the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's protest of the oil pipeline that is slated to cross the Missouri River nearby.
The tribe is challenging the Army Corps of Engineers' decision to grant permits for Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners' Dakota Access pipeline, which crosses the Dakotas and Iowa to Illinois, including near the reservation in southern North Dakota. A federal judge will rule before Sept. 9 whether construction can be halted on the Dakota Access pipeline.
The pipeline crosses tribal lands without their permission.
More
GOP Warns Voters: Pelosi Could Be Speaker Again
That’s a prospect the Republican Party is using to urge wary voters to go to the polls in November, especially those who are dissatisfied with the choice of Donald Trump as the party’s presidential candidate. Though polls are tightening in many swing states, and some national polls even show Trump ahead of rival Hillary Clinton, the Republican nominee is seen as a drag on the ticket in several areas of the country where he remains unpopular, and where incumbents are facing strong challengers.
The San Francisco Chronicle notes that Republicans are facing tough races in the San Joaquin Valley and in San Diego, where Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) is facing a tough race for the first time in recent memory. Other seats in jeopardy include Illinois’ 10th district, where moderate Republican Bob Dold took his seat back in 2014 and has been running against Trump ever since to make sure he keeps it.
Democrats need 30 seats to retake the majority — and they may have half of that already..
More