DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, April 17, 2017
Fake News From The Fed
Most Federal Reserve policymakers think the central bank should take steps to begin trimming its $4.5 trillion balance sheet later this year as long as the economic data holds up, minutes from their last meeting showed…
Provided that the economy continued to perform about as expected, most participants anticipated that gradual increases in the federal funds rate would continue and judged that a change to the Committee’s reinvestment policy would likely be appropriate later this year,” the Fed said in its minutes.
This is the public spectacle – where tiny and often trivial bits of real news are conflated with vast myths and illusions.
The Fed fiddles with short-term interest rates… President Trump tweets a threat to the Freedom Caucus… the GOP proposes a new health-care plan…
You can’t know what any of these “facts” mean without reference to a huge body of non-facts – beliefs, ideas, and prejudices, many of them absurd.
Remember, a “myth” is not necessarily untrue; it just can’t be tested or disproven.
And since reality is infinitely complex, and a myth can only reflect a small trace of it… no matter how attractive or “true” it is, the myth always leaves out more truth than it describes.
More
Provided that the economy continued to perform about as expected, most participants anticipated that gradual increases in the federal funds rate would continue and judged that a change to the Committee’s reinvestment policy would likely be appropriate later this year,” the Fed said in its minutes.
This is the public spectacle – where tiny and often trivial bits of real news are conflated with vast myths and illusions.
The Fed fiddles with short-term interest rates… President Trump tweets a threat to the Freedom Caucus… the GOP proposes a new health-care plan…
You can’t know what any of these “facts” mean without reference to a huge body of non-facts – beliefs, ideas, and prejudices, many of them absurd.
Remember, a “myth” is not necessarily untrue; it just can’t be tested or disproven.
And since reality is infinitely complex, and a myth can only reflect a small trace of it… no matter how attractive or “true” it is, the myth always leaves out more truth than it describes.
More
A Friendly Light In A Dark Sky
As darkness settled in over the southern Chesapeake Bay last night, Maryland State Police Aviation Command Trooper 4, based in Salisbury, received a call for assistance from the US Coast Guard in a search for a boat taking on water with two people aboard. The boat was reported to be disabled and swamped. The crew of Trooper 4 immediately launched and headed toward the area.
While still on their way to the coordinates, the Trooper 4 pilot-in-charge saw a faint light in the water through his night vision goggles. Activating the forward-looking infra-red on the aircraft, the crew was able to spot the sinking vessel while still four miles away. The Trooper 4 crew immediately notified the US Coast Guard and the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office rescue boat of the location of the vessel.
After verifying the two people were still onboard the boat, Trooper 4 began an orbit overhead and illuminated the scene with the TrakkaBeam spotlight. The crew of the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office rescue boat used the spotlight to guide them to the disabled boat. Trooper 4 continued to light the scene as the two people were transferred to the sheriff’s boat and transported to safety.
The men and women of the Maryland State Police Aviation Command are proud to staff state-of-the-art aircraft that provide search and rescue, medevac, law enforcement and homeland security services to the people of our state and allied public safety agencies. The MSP Aviation Command is only a part of Maryland’s world renowned integrated emergency medical services system that is known as the best in the world.
Italian Emma Morano, last known survivor of 19th century, dies at 117
Rome (AFP) - Emma Morano, an Italian woman believed to have been the oldest person alive and the last survivor of the 19th century, died Saturday at the age of 117, Italian media reported.
Morano, born on November 29 1899, died at her home in Verbania, in northern Italy, the reports said.
"She had an extraordinary life, and we will always remember her strength to move forward in life," said Silvia Marchionini, the mayor of Verbania, a small village of some 2,000 residents.
According to the US-based Gerontology Research Group (GRG), Morano ceded the crown of the world's oldest human being to Jamaican Violet Brown, who was born on March 10, 1900.
Morano's death, at the age of 117 years and 137 days, means there is no one living known to have been born before 1900.
More
Morano, born on November 29 1899, died at her home in Verbania, in northern Italy, the reports said.
"She had an extraordinary life, and we will always remember her strength to move forward in life," said Silvia Marchionini, the mayor of Verbania, a small village of some 2,000 residents.
According to the US-based Gerontology Research Group (GRG), Morano ceded the crown of the world's oldest human being to Jamaican Violet Brown, who was born on March 10, 1900.
Morano's death, at the age of 117 years and 137 days, means there is no one living known to have been born before 1900.
More
e Tweet Email Print Muslim Professor Forced To Resign For Controversial Comments
A controversial Muslim professor in Florida has resigned from her position.
In March, Areej Zufari, a humanities professor at Rollins College was confronted by one of her students after she said the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was a “hoax” and that Christ’s disciples did not believe he was God.
Sophomore Marshall Polston, 20, said that, as a Christian, the remarks were “unsettling.”
“It was very off-putting and flat out odd. I’ve traveled the Middle East, lectured at the Salahaddin University, and immersed myself in Muslim culture for many years,” Polston told the Central Florida Post. “Honestly, it reminded me of some of the more radical groups I researched when abroad.”
More
In March, Areej Zufari, a humanities professor at Rollins College was confronted by one of her students after she said the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was a “hoax” and that Christ’s disciples did not believe he was God.
Sophomore Marshall Polston, 20, said that, as a Christian, the remarks were “unsettling.”
“It was very off-putting and flat out odd. I’ve traveled the Middle East, lectured at the Salahaddin University, and immersed myself in Muslim culture for many years,” Polston told the Central Florida Post. “Honestly, it reminded me of some of the more radical groups I researched when abroad.”
More
Vegan turns roadkill into creepy clothing accessories
Most people see roadkill and think, "That's gross," and then move on. Emma Willets, on the other hand, turns it into sporrans, a kilt accessory that acts like an external pocket.
Trump’s message to Democrats: Negotiate Obamacare, or payments to insurers will be cut
At stake are “cost sharing” payments that Obamacare backers say are supposed to be made to insurance companies to cover their losses from low-income customers.
A federal court has invalidated the payments, saying the Obama administration spent the money even though Congress specifically stripped the funds from its annual spending bills.
The government is still making the payments pending an appeal of the case, but Mr. Trump hinted last week that he would halt the payments himself, forcing Obamacare into a quick death unless Democrats agree to negotiate over major changes to the Affordable Care Act.
More
NOI 4/17/17 Wicomico Dwelling Fire Executive Club Drive
BOMB SQUAD
NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION
Date: April 17, 2017
Time: 11:40 a.m.
Location / Address: 9016 Executive Club Drive, Delmar, Wicomico Co.
Type of Incident: Fire
Description of Structure / Property: Two story wood frame townhouse
Owner / Occupants: Brittenie Sofield (Owner) Loriann Cheeseman (Occupant)
Injuries or Deaths: None
Estimated $ Loss: Structure: $700 Contents: $50
Smoke Alarm Status: Present
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status: n/a
Arrests(s): None
Primary Responding Fire Department: Delmar
# of Alarms: 1 # Of Firefighters: 15
Time to Control: 15 minutes
Discovered By: Passerby
Area of Origin: Exterior trashcan
Preliminary Cause: Accidental, careless discard of smoking materials
Additional Information:
China sends warning to North Korea not to mess with US
China issued a blunt warning to North Korea on Wednesday — telling its belligerent ally to not conduct nuclear weapons or missile tests, or it was likely to face military action by the US.
“Not only [is] Washington brimming with confidence and arrogance following the missile attacks on Syria, but Trump is also willing to be regarded as a man who honors his promises,” said the People’s Daily, the ruling Communist Party’s official paper.
North Korea should halt any plans for nuclear and missile tests “for its own security,” the newspaper said, making it clear that the US would not “co-exist” with a nuclear-armed Pyongyang.
North Korean state media threatened a nuke attack on America at any sign of aggression, as a US Navy aircraft carrier and several destroyers and cruisers steamed toward the Korean Peninsula — a force which President Trump described as an “armada.”
More
“Not only [is] Washington brimming with confidence and arrogance following the missile attacks on Syria, but Trump is also willing to be regarded as a man who honors his promises,” said the People’s Daily, the ruling Communist Party’s official paper.
North Korea should halt any plans for nuclear and missile tests “for its own security,” the newspaper said, making it clear that the US would not “co-exist” with a nuclear-armed Pyongyang.
North Korean state media threatened a nuke attack on America at any sign of aggression, as a US Navy aircraft carrier and several destroyers and cruisers steamed toward the Korean Peninsula — a force which President Trump described as an “armada.”
More
Haitians get word of Trump crackdown, slow flow to border by 97%
Not only had the Obama administration begun deporting Haitians after a six-year humanitarian pause, but President Trump also had just been elected, presaging an even tougher policy.
Many of those en route, such as the hundreds staged at migrant camps in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, figured they had gone that far and had little to lose by trying to finish the journey north.
But for the tens of thousands of Haitians in Brazil, Chile and elsewhere in South America who had been planning to journey north, the news was devastating. In a matter of weeks, the northward stream of people dried up.
More
The Financial Lesson in a $1 Hot Dog
It’s no secret that a dollar today isn’t worth the same as a dollar 30 years from now. Year by year, inflation eats away at that dollar in your piggy bank. The good news is that smart investing more than makes up for inflation’s effects.
Chris Davis, chairman and portfolio manager of Davis Advisors, learned the lesson at a young age. In a recent interview with Barron’s, Davis recalled a time he skipped lunch to attend a meeting with his grandfather and afterwards asked for a dollar to buy a hot dog. The grandfather explained that Davis could spend a dollar on the hot dog now, or he could watch it grow to be worth $1,000 by the time he reached his golden years.
“I actually went back and did the calculation, and he was just about exactly right,” Davis says. (We did our own math and $1 invested at an admittedly aggressive 12% amounts to $1,005 after 61 years.)
More
Netflix Announces Docu-series On Murdered Baltimore Nun
Sister Cathy, who was 26 when she died, taught at Southwest Baltimore’s Archbishop Keough High School.
In the 60s and 70s, Father Joseph Maskell, a counselor at the school, was accused of molesting dozens of students — mostly women.
A WJZ investigation revealed many of those victims confided in Sister Cathy just before her shocking murder nearly 50 years ago.
More
Americans are swamped in $1 trillion of credit card debt
Rising credit card interest rates are pushing Americans deeper into a long-term debt trap.
Americans now owe $1 trillion in credit card debt, with an average monthly balance of about $9,600 for borrowers who don’t pay their cards in full each month.
A year ago, a credit card holder making only minimum payments shelled out about $1,185 in annual interest, on average, said Ben Woolsey ofCreditCards.com.
After three quarter-point hikes by the Federal Reserve — a cost that banks pass on almost immediately to card holders — credit card borrowers are now forking over $1,254, or $69 more a year, in interest, on average.
Two more rate hikes are on the table for 2017, which would bring the total to $1,301, or $116 a year in interest.
More
Americans now owe $1 trillion in credit card debt, with an average monthly balance of about $9,600 for borrowers who don’t pay their cards in full each month.
A year ago, a credit card holder making only minimum payments shelled out about $1,185 in annual interest, on average, said Ben Woolsey ofCreditCards.com.
After three quarter-point hikes by the Federal Reserve — a cost that banks pass on almost immediately to card holders — credit card borrowers are now forking over $1,254, or $69 more a year, in interest, on average.
Two more rate hikes are on the table for 2017, which would bring the total to $1,301, or $116 a year in interest.
More
CLARIFICATION OF NEGOTIATED FIRE SERVICE AGREEMENT
Salisbury, MD ... The recently negotiated and executed Fire Service Agreement between the City of Salisbury and Wicomico County departs from a negotiated stipend basis and is based on a negotiated fee for service schedule. It does not differentiate between paid staff and volunteer staff.
The assertion that the county has defunded the volunteers is very misleading as both paid and volunteer fire fighters in the City are under the direction of the Fire Chief and Mayor as stipulated in Article 18-3 of the City Charter.
The assertion that the county has defunded the volunteers is very misleading as both paid and volunteer fire fighters in the City are under the direction of the Fire Chief and Mayor as stipulated in Article 18-3 of the City Charter.
Spring is the Time to Prevent Tree Damage from Invasive Insects
Emerald Ash Borer has Killed Thousands of Maryland’s Ash Trees
With spring in full bloom, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds residents that now is time to save trees from a destructive pest. The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an invasive insect that has been spreading across the state since 2003, and has already killed thousands of ash trees across Maryland.
This small, green insect has spread to every county west of the Chesapeake Bay, and to Queen Anne’s, Talbot, and Dorchester counties on the Eastern Shore.
In addition to ecological and economic damage, EAB infestation can cause ash trees to snap, creating safety hazards where ash are growing near homes or streets.
“Now is the time to act to save your ash trees,” said Colleen Kenny, forest health watershed planner for the Maryland Forest Service. “The first indicators that you might have EAB are increased woodpecker damage and thinning foliage. However, you should not wait until you see signs of damage to begin treatment.”
Anyone who has ash trees or think they might have an infestation should first get an assessment from a Maryland Licensed Tree Expert.
For most of Maryland, the most effective treatments are trunk injections of emamectin benzoate, which must be conducted by a licensed pesticide applicator. Treatments are most effective when applied early to healthy trees. Once a tree has lost about one-third of its foliage, it is usually too late to treat.
For many Eastern Shore residents, treatment is not practical. Anyone who does not or cannot apply treatments should remove infested trees promptly. Also, firewood should be burned only near where it is bought instead of moved from one area to another.
Teacher at Muslim school says student called Boston bombers ‘Jews’
A public teacher working in a private Queens Muslim school was shocked when kids called the Boston Marathon bombers Jews.
Nina Kossman, who taught English at the Razi School in Woodside, once asked her students: “Do you know what happens when people start hating each other for their differences?”
One student answered, “My parents said they [the Boston bombers] were bad people. They were Jews.”
More
Nina Kossman, who taught English at the Razi School in Woodside, once asked her students: “Do you know what happens when people start hating each other for their differences?”
One student answered, “My parents said they [the Boston bombers] were bad people. They were Jews.”
More
BREAKING NEWS: When Prince died, he had a supply of painkillers that weren't prescribed for him, records show.
Some were hidden in aspirin bottles.
At the time of Prince’s death, his Paisley Park home and recording compound were strewn with “a sizable amount” of narcotic painkillers for which he did not have prescriptions, including some hidden in over-the-counter vitamin and aspirin bottles and others issued in the name of a close aide, according to newly released court documents related to the investigation into the accidental opioid overdose that killed Prince last year.
At the time of Prince’s death, his Paisley Park home and recording compound were strewn with “a sizable amount” of narcotic painkillers for which he did not have prescriptions, including some hidden in over-the-counter vitamin and aspirin bottles and others issued in the name of a close aide, according to newly released court documents related to the investigation into the accidental opioid overdose that killed Prince last year.
Beach Patrol To Expand Late-Season Coverage With School Start Change
Last year, Gov. Larry Hogan issued an executive order mandating public schools in Maryland return after Labor Day after previous legislative remedies stalled. As a result, most school systems in Maryland will now return after Labor Day, achieving the desired goal of expanding the summer season. It’s important to note there is a waiver process for schools wanting to return in August and although some have applied for the waiver for a variety of reasons, it appears most counties in Maryland will return to school in September.
The summer season in Ocean City drops off the last two weeks in August with most school systems in the region opening. As a result, the OCBP, which suffers an employee drain of its own as many of its officers are educators, scales back it coverage in the waning weeks of summer before Labor Day. With the post-Labor Day school start expected to expand the summer season, the beach patrol has a plan in place to ensure the beach is safely covered for more visitors.
More
NOI 4/17/17 Wicomico Dwelling Fire E. Walnut Street
NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION
Date: April 17, 2017
Time: 1:38 P.M.
Location / Address: 205 E. Walnut St., Delmar, Wicomico Co.
Type of Incident: Fire
Description of Structure / Property: One story wood frame single family dwelling
Owner / Occupants: Jacob Skarson
Injuries or Deaths: None
Estimated $ Loss: Structure: $5,000 Contents: $500
Smoke Alarm Status: Present
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status: n/a
Arrests(s): None
Primary Responding Fire Department: Delmar
# of Alarms: 1 # Of Firefighters: 25
Time to Control: 30 minutes
Discovered By: Owner
Area of Origin: Exterior rear deck
Preliminary Cause: Accidental, careless discard of smoking materials
Additional Information:
Why Americans have stopped moving
Americans are stuck. Locked into our jobs, rooted where we live, frozen at our income levels. More than at any previous point in our history, we’ve stopped moving — whether moving up the income ladder or packing up a truck and finding another home. We’ve grown ossified, rigid.
The flip side is that we’re stable. If we weren’t so content, we’d be more willing to gamble, to shake things up, to start a new firm or join one. Maybe we’re fine where we are. But maybe this period of stasis cannot last. Maybe it even portends a period of massive disruption.
In “The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream,” economist Tyler Cowen presents an X-ray of societal sclerosis. This isn’t merely another exercise in nostalgia, a sentimental yearning for a bygone era (when, for instance, crime and pollution were higher, people were highly likely to marry someone who lived within five blocks and you would buy an album containing 10 lousy songs because you liked one track). Something has changed in the American character and in the American economy, and the two seem to be reinforcing each other.
The flip side is that we’re stable. If we weren’t so content, we’d be more willing to gamble, to shake things up, to start a new firm or join one. Maybe we’re fine where we are. But maybe this period of stasis cannot last. Maybe it even portends a period of massive disruption.
In “The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream,” economist Tyler Cowen presents an X-ray of societal sclerosis. This isn’t merely another exercise in nostalgia, a sentimental yearning for a bygone era (when, for instance, crime and pollution were higher, people were highly likely to marry someone who lived within five blocks and you would buy an album containing 10 lousy songs because you liked one track). Something has changed in the American character and in the American economy, and the two seem to be reinforcing each other.
DEVELOPING: Military helicopter crashes in Leonardtown, Md.
LEONARDTOWN, MD. (WUSA9) - A military helicopter crashed Monday afternoon near the Breton Bay subdivision in Leonardtown, Maryland, according to The Baynet.com.
Witness said they saw a military helicopter go down.
More/video
Live video feed https://www.facebook.com/WUSA9/videos/10156083931809778/
Fishing contest debate focuses on ray’s Chesapeake impact
But contest supporters say they’re needed to curb the ray population: Watermen insist the rays arrive in droves and scoop up oysters like vacuum cleaners.
Both sides testified in hearings before a Maryland Senate committee during the General Assembly session in Annapolis.
Dennis Fleming, who runs a fishing guide business, told lawmakers that “killing an animal for fun, and then throwing it into a dumpster to rot, goes against everything I’ve ever been taught about respect for the Chesapeake Bay.”
More
Is Your State in Serious Financial Trouble?
Maybe you’re looking for a fresh start. Or perhaps you’re looking to find a different job, or you’re trying to get out of the city. Whatever the case may be, when you’re looking for a new place to live there’s a lot to consider. And if you’re thinking of crossing state lines to find a new home, there’s one vitally important detail that you need to think about and research.
Most people don’t consider this, but you should really look into the financial stability of any state that you’re thinking about moving to. If worse comes to worse, and the economy collapses, you want to make sure that the state you live in is fiscally responsible. States that have high debts and low credit ratings are living on the edge. Any major economic event could push them into bankruptcy.
That means pensions could go unfunded. Public services like law enforcement and firefighting would be understaffed. The infrastructure of the state would crumble, and public education would be decimated. Taxes would likely be increased, which would only exacerbate the financial problems of the state because businesses would leave, leading to more unemployment and a smaller tax base. Obviously, all of these factors could contribute to the risk of civil unrest.
More
Most people don’t consider this, but you should really look into the financial stability of any state that you’re thinking about moving to. If worse comes to worse, and the economy collapses, you want to make sure that the state you live in is fiscally responsible. States that have high debts and low credit ratings are living on the edge. Any major economic event could push them into bankruptcy.
That means pensions could go unfunded. Public services like law enforcement and firefighting would be understaffed. The infrastructure of the state would crumble, and public education would be decimated. Taxes would likely be increased, which would only exacerbate the financial problems of the state because businesses would leave, leading to more unemployment and a smaller tax base. Obviously, all of these factors could contribute to the risk of civil unrest.
More
Salisbury City Council Work Session Agenda & Packet
Sorry for the detail in posting this. The file that was sent to us in email would not open. The file was not uploaded to the city website until today. This is a very large file (168 pages) so it may take longer to display.
Kansas City Marijuana Measure Lowers Fee, Axes Jail Time for Offenders
Kansas City used to consider marijuana possession a crime that can result in hundreds of dollars in fines and even time behind bars, but after a vote from residents Tuesday, that’s no longer the case.
After an overwhelming vote where nearly 75 percent of Kansas City, Missouri, voters approved the new measure, people caught with small amounts (35 grams or fewer) of marijuana will now only be hit with a $25 fine, and there is no jail time attached to that.
Statewide, the penalty for the same amount of marijuana is fines up to $500 and possible jail time.
The new law also applies to those found with marijuana-related paraphernalia, which used to result in charges, but won’t any longer.
More
After an overwhelming vote where nearly 75 percent of Kansas City, Missouri, voters approved the new measure, people caught with small amounts (35 grams or fewer) of marijuana will now only be hit with a $25 fine, and there is no jail time attached to that.
Statewide, the penalty for the same amount of marijuana is fines up to $500 and possible jail time.
The new law also applies to those found with marijuana-related paraphernalia, which used to result in charges, but won’t any longer.
More
"Easter Day Slaughter": Manhunt For Active Cleveland Shooter Who Killed Man Live On Facebook, Reportedly Murdered 15
The Cleveland Police is looking for an active shooter, identified as 37-year-old Steve Stephens, who has broadcast a murder live on Facebook. According to Fox 8, he has claimed to have killed other people and says he is looking for more victims.
The murder happened on East 93rd in Cleveland. Police said the shooter broadcasted the deadly shooting live on his social media page and claimed to have committed other homicides. Police are still investigating those claims.
A series of posts Sunday on what authorities said was Stephens' Facebook page complained that he had "lost everything" to gambling. The posts named specific people whom the user wanted to talk to, and at one point he wrote "I killed 12 people today" and wouldn't stop until he could speak to his mother and a second woman.
Later, the user posted: "I killed 15 today because of [the second woman]." The user called it his "Easter day slaughter" according to NBC.
The incident reportedly happened on Sunday afternoon when Stephens began broadcasting live on Facebook, telling viewers that he was looking for someone to kill. A video shows him exiting his vehicle and walking up to a man, who is then shot and killed, seemingly at random. Stephens blamed his girlfriend for his actions and made his victim repeat the woman's name before shooting him. "She's the reason why this is about to happen to you," Stevens told the victim seconds before taking out a gun and shooting him.
More
The murder happened on East 93rd in Cleveland. Police said the shooter broadcasted the deadly shooting live on his social media page and claimed to have committed other homicides. Police are still investigating those claims.
A series of posts Sunday on what authorities said was Stephens' Facebook page complained that he had "lost everything" to gambling. The posts named specific people whom the user wanted to talk to, and at one point he wrote "I killed 12 people today" and wouldn't stop until he could speak to his mother and a second woman.
Later, the user posted: "I killed 15 today because of [the second woman]." The user called it his "Easter day slaughter" according to NBC.
The incident reportedly happened on Sunday afternoon when Stephens began broadcasting live on Facebook, telling viewers that he was looking for someone to kill. A video shows him exiting his vehicle and walking up to a man, who is then shot and killed, seemingly at random. Stephens blamed his girlfriend for his actions and made his victim repeat the woman's name before shooting him. "She's the reason why this is about to happen to you," Stevens told the victim seconds before taking out a gun and shooting him.
More
Islam’s ‘manufactured refugee crisis’ revealed
'It's different from what the mainstream media will tell you'
The entire Western world is being swamped by an Islamic invasion. But Muslims aren’t coming in uniforms and carrying guns. They’re arriving en masse with the assistance of Western governments.
Some call it refugee resettlement. Others simply believe it is just immigration. Few are willing to call it what it is – an “act of conquest,” according to traditional Islam.
One of those few is Paul Nehlen, producer and director of the new documentary “Hijrah: Radical Islam’s Global Invasion.” Nehlen is best known as the populist Republican who challenged House Speaker Paul Ryan in a primary campaign in 2016. In “Hijrah,” Nehlen provides a compelling examination of the issues surrounding immigration and terrorism he discussed during his bid for office.
More
The entire Western world is being swamped by an Islamic invasion. But Muslims aren’t coming in uniforms and carrying guns. They’re arriving en masse with the assistance of Western governments.
Some call it refugee resettlement. Others simply believe it is just immigration. Few are willing to call it what it is – an “act of conquest,” according to traditional Islam.
One of those few is Paul Nehlen, producer and director of the new documentary “Hijrah: Radical Islam’s Global Invasion.” Nehlen is best known as the populist Republican who challenged House Speaker Paul Ryan in a primary campaign in 2016. In “Hijrah,” Nehlen provides a compelling examination of the issues surrounding immigration and terrorism he discussed during his bid for office.
More
Md. Legislators Pass Bill Requiring Vets To Report Animal Cruelty; Plus 5 Other Bills On Animal Abuse
The Maryland legislature passed six animal protection bills during the session that ended Monday, according to the Maryland ASPCA.
On the final day of the session, H.B. 1463, which requires veterinarians to report animal cruelty in the same way that doctors or teachers are required to report child abuse, was passed.
It was just last month that this puppy was found clinging to life in Howard County.
A roughly 10-week old pit puppy was left in a covered container on the side of the road in a Columbia neighborhood. The case sparked outrage.
More
Non-citizen Pleads Guilty in Kansas Voter Fraud Case
A noncitizen has pleaded guilty to voter fraud in Kansas, the state's secretary of state announced.
The Associated Press reported that Victor David Garcia Bebek, a noncitizen, pleaded guilty to three counts of voting unlawfully in 2012 and 2014 and faces up to three years of probation and a $5,000 fine. The complaint on the case obtained by AP, which was kept under wraps until Wednesday, identified six felony and misdemeanor counts.
Logan Churchwell, spokesman for the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), an Indiana-based election integrity group, said the case is noteworthy because some Democrats claim noncitizen voting does not occur.
Kansas is the only state where a secretary of state has prosecution power over election law violations, Churchwell noted.
"Kansas is the only state that vests prosecution power over election law violations with its secretary of state," Churchwell told the Washington Free Beacon. "DAs will not and have exhibited an unwillingness to pursue cases that end in $5,000 fines and unsupervised probation."
Churchwell said other states rely on individuals who commit voter fraud to accidentally out themselves.
More
The Associated Press reported that Victor David Garcia Bebek, a noncitizen, pleaded guilty to three counts of voting unlawfully in 2012 and 2014 and faces up to three years of probation and a $5,000 fine. The complaint on the case obtained by AP, which was kept under wraps until Wednesday, identified six felony and misdemeanor counts.
Logan Churchwell, spokesman for the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), an Indiana-based election integrity group, said the case is noteworthy because some Democrats claim noncitizen voting does not occur.
Kansas is the only state where a secretary of state has prosecution power over election law violations, Churchwell noted.
"Kansas is the only state that vests prosecution power over election law violations with its secretary of state," Churchwell told the Washington Free Beacon. "DAs will not and have exhibited an unwillingness to pursue cases that end in $5,000 fines and unsupervised probation."
Churchwell said other states rely on individuals who commit voter fraud to accidentally out themselves.
More
Anti-Trump Tax March protests funded by George Soros
Anti-Trump protesters have taken to the streets all over the U.S. on Saturday to call for President Donald Trump to release his tax returns.
What is not being reported by the mainstream media about this massive march is that most of the organizers and partners are openly funded by George Soros or they have close ties to Soros.
The official website for the Tax March lists the following eight groups as organizers for the event: American Federation of Teachers, Americans for Tax Fairness, Center for Popular Democracy, Indivisible Project, MoveOn.Org, Our Revolution, and The Working Families Party.
Six of those eight groups are either openly funded by George Soros directly or tied to Soros money.
Breitbart reports:
What is not being reported by the mainstream media about this massive march is that most of the organizers and partners are openly funded by George Soros or they have close ties to Soros.
The official website for the Tax March lists the following eight groups as organizers for the event: American Federation of Teachers, Americans for Tax Fairness, Center for Popular Democracy, Indivisible Project, MoveOn.Org, Our Revolution, and The Working Families Party.
Six of those eight groups are either openly funded by George Soros directly or tied to Soros money.
Breitbart reports:
Lois Lerner demands secrecy, blames death threats over IRS tea party targeting
Former IRS senior executive Lois G. Lerner told a federal court this week that she faces the possibility of death threats if her role in the tax agency’s tea party-targeting becomes public, and asked a judge to forever seal her upcoming deposition in a class-action lawsuit brought by hundreds of groups that were targeted.
Mr. Lerner and Holly Paz, another figure from the IRS tea party targeting, told the judge they’ve already faced “harassment and death threats” before, and said they fear another media firestorm if their version of events from the tea party targeting were to become public.
The two women said they are willing to testify, but said they could be putting “their lives in serious jeopardy.”
“Mss. Lerner and Paz have demonstrated that the public dissemination of their deposition testimony would expose them and their families to harassment and a credible risk of violence and physical harm,” they said in documents submitted by their lawyer to Judge Michael R. Barrett.
More
Mr. Lerner and Holly Paz, another figure from the IRS tea party targeting, told the judge they’ve already faced “harassment and death threats” before, and said they fear another media firestorm if their version of events from the tea party targeting were to become public.
The two women said they are willing to testify, but said they could be putting “their lives in serious jeopardy.”
“Mss. Lerner and Paz have demonstrated that the public dissemination of their deposition testimony would expose them and their families to harassment and a credible risk of violence and physical harm,” they said in documents submitted by their lawyer to Judge Michael R. Barrett.
More
Trump: ‘Who paid for’ rallies seeking release of tax returns
Trump tweeted Sunday: “I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican-easily won the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?”
Trump was the first major-party nominee in more than 40 years not to release his returns and he reneged on a campaign commitment to release them. He said they were being audited.
“Someone should look into who paid for the small organized rallies yesterday. The election is over,” he tweeted.
More
City Council Votes To Restore $5K Prize For Season’s 1st White Marlin
Last week the Mayor and Council voted to eliminate the $5,000 prize citing a perceived lack of importance and interest in the annual milestone. Predictably, the fishing community reacted with what can best be described as outrage in the council’s decision to eliminate the prize in the White Marlin Capital of the World.
Various marinas and other businesses rallied to piece together a private sector prize going beyond the city’s annual $5K. It’s important to note the Ocean City Marlin Club already provides a $5k match if the winner is a club member.
More
Brian Boyd: We have reached Peak Synthetic Outrage
Stories about Pepsi, United Airlines and Sean Spicer ticked the “social media storm/online backlash” boxes but none of them stand up
Sean Spicer dressed up as a United Airlines flight attendant holding a can of Pepsi. A hilarious photoshopped dénouement to a week of synthetic outrage. A social media feeding frenzy which began with Pepsi’s much criticised “woke” ad moved through the gears on hearing of the plight of an United Airlines passenger who was “involuntarily deboarded” from a flight and went into overdrive when White House press secretary Sean Spicer used the “N” word. N for Nazi.Godwin’s law states that as any online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Hitler (“reductio ad Hitlererum”) increases. Spicer’s clumsy attempt to put the actions of Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad into perspective by saying even Hitler didn’t gas his own people brought us climatically to Peak Outrage.
But even in the post-coital glow of offence taken and outrage expressed, we must know we were faking it. Superficially all three stories ticked the “social media storm/online backlash” boxes but none of them stand up. All have meretricious appeal for a system-supportive mindset but none are worthy of more than a shrug of the shoulders.
Soft drink company Pepsi have an ignoble history of ram-raiding youth appeal by signing large cheques for figures such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Beyonce to shill their sugary syrup for them. Sensing a change in the cultural climate this time out, their newest ad appropriated various U.S. protest movements to position the drink as being down with banner-waving dissent (albeit a very polite and inclusive form of dissent).
More
NOI 4/17/17 Wicomico Barn Fire Riverside Drive Extended
NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION
Date: April 17, 2017
Time: 1:55 a.m.
Location / Address: 28121 Riverside Drive Extended, Fruitland, Wicomico Co.
Type of Incident: Fire
Description of Structure / Property: 40’ x 50’ wood frame barn
Owner / Occupants: David Johnston
Injuries or Deaths: See below
Estimated $ Loss: Structure: $60,000 Contents: $5,000
Smoke Alarm Status: n/a
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status: n/a
Arrests(s): None
Primary Responding Fire Department: Fruitland
# of Alarms: 1 # Of Firefighters: 35
Time to Control: 15 minutes
Discovered By: Owner
Area of Origin: Interior
Preliminary Cause: Under Investigation
Additional Information: As a result of the fire, 8 livestock perished.
Md. man sentenced after shooting 2 firefighters, killing 1
Nineteen-year-old volunteer firefighter Kevin Swain was critically injured, and has since recovered. His partner, 37-year-old John Ulmschneider of Califonia, Maryland, was killed.
On Friday, Lumpkin was given a 15-year sentence, with all but four suspended. He was only facing jail time for the gun he used, not for the life he took.
The sentencing was moved to a larger court room in Prince George’s County Circuit court because of the many friends, family and firefighters who showed up to support the fallen firefighter and his wife, Dawn.
More
Most College Kids Are Intolerant Jerks
The epidemic of wilting American college students unable to handle visiting speakers with dangerous, conservative views doesn't appear to be slowing down.
With Notre Dame students feeling "unsafe" at the prospect of Vice President Mike Pence speaking at their commencement, the riots at Berkeley caused by the presence of professional troll Milo Yiannopoulos on campus, and the explosive protest in March against author Charles Murray at Middlebury College that resulted in the assault of a professor, the war on campuses against freedom of expression and hearing opposing views is pervasive and troubling.
The most recent example? Claremont McKenna students shutting down a speaking event for conservative author Heather Mac Donald earlier this month. Her great crime appeared to be authoring a book about a war on police officers in the United States and speaking out about said views.
More
With Notre Dame students feeling "unsafe" at the prospect of Vice President Mike Pence speaking at their commencement, the riots at Berkeley caused by the presence of professional troll Milo Yiannopoulos on campus, and the explosive protest in March against author Charles Murray at Middlebury College that resulted in the assault of a professor, the war on campuses against freedom of expression and hearing opposing views is pervasive and troubling.
The most recent example? Claremont McKenna students shutting down a speaking event for conservative author Heather Mac Donald earlier this month. Her great crime appeared to be authoring a book about a war on police officers in the United States and speaking out about said views.
More
Trump to Democrats: Negotiate Obamacare, or payments to insurers will be cut
President Trump is threatening to cut off critical Obamacare payments to insurers unless Democrats come to the table to negotiate a new health care bill, taking a tough negotiating stance that could force Democratic leaders into a government shutdown by month’s end.
At stake are “cost sharing” payments that Obamacare backers say are supposed to be made to insurance companies to cover their losses from low-income customers.
A federal court has invalidated the payments, saying the Obama administration spent the money even though Congress specifically stripped the funds from its annual spending bills.
The government is still making the payments pending an appeal of the case, but Mr. Trump hinted last week that he would halt the payments himself, forcing Obamacare into a quick death unless Democrats agree to negotiate over major changes to the Affordable Care Act.
More
At stake are “cost sharing” payments that Obamacare backers say are supposed to be made to insurance companies to cover their losses from low-income customers.
A federal court has invalidated the payments, saying the Obama administration spent the money even though Congress specifically stripped the funds from its annual spending bills.
The government is still making the payments pending an appeal of the case, but Mr. Trump hinted last week that he would halt the payments himself, forcing Obamacare into a quick death unless Democrats agree to negotiate over major changes to the Affordable Care Act.
More
Berkeley cops sit in patrol car and watch as Trump supporters attacked
There were numerous reports from those on the scene that Berkeley police largely stayed back as Antifa agitators, dressed in black, took pot shots at Donald Trump supporters on Saturday.
“As the violence escalated police in Berkeley stood down and retreated from the crowds,” reporter Tim Pool tweeted.
“I have never seen so few police at an event like this.”
One observer claimed police “ran away,” despite several Trump rally attendees being attacked.
More with video
“As the violence escalated police in Berkeley stood down and retreated from the crowds,” reporter Tim Pool tweeted.
“I have never seen so few police at an event like this.”
One observer claimed police “ran away,” despite several Trump rally attendees being attacked.
More with video
Lawmakers across US move to include young people in voting
Donald Trump's characterization of Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists during his presidential campaign angered Heidi Sainz, whose family is from Mexico and who has close friends who are immigrants. She was also upset that she couldn't do anything about it at the ballot box because she was a year shy of being able to vote.
Sainz favors a bill in the California Legislature that would lower the voting age to 17, which she thinks would give a voice to more people affected by the outcome of elections.
"Looking at all the protests throughout this year throughout all the high schools across the nation, we could see a lot of the minors were protesting because they felt as if they didn't have a voice," said Sainz, a senior at Inderkum High School in Sacramento.
Lawmakers in more than a dozen states are trying to increase voter participation by targeting young people. Their bills are among nearly 500 pieces of legislation introduced around the country this year to make voting easier, according to a March analysis by New York University's Brennan Center for Justice.
While Republican-leaning states have moved to tighten voting rules — nearly 90 such bills have been introduced — those efforts have been outstripped by the number of bills seeking to expand access to the polls.
More here
Sainz favors a bill in the California Legislature that would lower the voting age to 17, which she thinks would give a voice to more people affected by the outcome of elections.
"Looking at all the protests throughout this year throughout all the high schools across the nation, we could see a lot of the minors were protesting because they felt as if they didn't have a voice," said Sainz, a senior at Inderkum High School in Sacramento.
Lawmakers in more than a dozen states are trying to increase voter participation by targeting young people. Their bills are among nearly 500 pieces of legislation introduced around the country this year to make voting easier, according to a March analysis by New York University's Brennan Center for Justice.
While Republican-leaning states have moved to tighten voting rules — nearly 90 such bills have been introduced — those efforts have been outstripped by the number of bills seeking to expand access to the polls.
More here
US successfully performs zero-yield nuclear test
The US has been working on the B61-12 for several years, and government officials say the latest tests are vital to refurbishing efforts.
An F-16 from Nellis Air Force Base in March successfully dropped a zero-yield version of the bomb over the Nevada desert. It left a "neat hole" and crews were able to dig it out of the dirt for further study.
Sandia Stockpile Resource Center Director Anna Schauer said, "It's great to see things all come together: the weapon design, the test preparation, the aircraft, the range and the people who made it happen."
More here
Trump Is Granting The Military Much More Leeway In Bombing ISIS
The Trump administration has given the U.S. military significantly more leeway to use whatever means it sees fit in the fight against radical Islamic terrorism, senior officials say, in stark contrast to the Obama administration.
“There’s nothing formal, but it is beginning to take shape,” a senior U.S. defense told The Wall Street Journal. “There is a sense among these commanders that they are able to do a bit more — and so they are.”
President Trump’s new approach is perhaps best demonstrated in the U.S. decision to drop the largest non-nuclear device in the military’s arsenal — “the mother of all bombs” — on the Islamic State in Afghanistan Thursday. The blast ignited a media sensation, and killed nearly 100 ISIS fighters.
“It’s not the same as it was, you don’t have to ask us before you drop a MOAB,” a senior military official told TheWSJ, using the acronym for the large bomb. “Technically there’s no piece of paper that says you have to ask the president to drop a MOAB. But last year this time, the way [things were] meant, ‘I’m going to drop a MOAB, better let the White House know.'”
More
“There’s nothing formal, but it is beginning to take shape,” a senior U.S. defense told The Wall Street Journal. “There is a sense among these commanders that they are able to do a bit more — and so they are.”
President Trump’s new approach is perhaps best demonstrated in the U.S. decision to drop the largest non-nuclear device in the military’s arsenal — “the mother of all bombs” — on the Islamic State in Afghanistan Thursday. The blast ignited a media sensation, and killed nearly 100 ISIS fighters.
“It’s not the same as it was, you don’t have to ask us before you drop a MOAB,” a senior military official told TheWSJ, using the acronym for the large bomb. “Technically there’s no piece of paper that says you have to ask the president to drop a MOAB. But last year this time, the way [things were] meant, ‘I’m going to drop a MOAB, better let the White House know.'”
More