Friday, April 28, 2017

The Mom & Pop Restaurant In Maryland That Serves The Most Mouthwatering Home Cooked Meals

Who doesn’t love a good mom & pop restaurant? There are many to choose from all over Maryland and the following eatery just might be the most delicious. Once you try the food here, you’ll be smitten.

Grove Market is located in Bishopville and is seemingly ordinary from the exterior.

Step inside and you'll be greeted with mismatched chairs, quirky decor, and and a limited number of seats. Because of the small space, reservations are required.

Grove Market works a bit differently than other restaurants because there's no paper menu. Each day they serve different options that are insanely fresh.

BALTIMORE —Authorities have shut down a pain clinic in north Baltimore after police raided it this week.

Offices of the Westside Medical Group in the 4400 block of Falls Road were closed Thursday. People who went to the door of the clinic Thursday afternoon found a notice that said, "The office of Dr. Kofi Shaw-Taylor is closed." The notice had phone numbers to call for help, including the Maryland Crisis Hotline, (800-422-0009), and the Baltimore City Health Department.

The Health Department issued a warning Tuesday after federal, state and local law enforcement shut down the clinic.

"We sent out the alert in order to let our partners in law enforcement, in emergency departments, fire departments and EMS and other outreach workers know that there may be an increase in overdoses that are occurring," Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen said.

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Former Md. governor Martin O’Malley deposed in redistricting lawsuit

Former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley (D) was deposed Wednesday by attorneys in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s 2011 redistricting process, which O’Malley oversaw.

The lawyers deposed Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) on Monday and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) last week.

Both lawmakers played key roles in the redistricting process. They and O’Malley tried unsuccessfully to avoid turning over records and testifying in the lawsuit, citing legislative and executive privilege.

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Prescription for change: Doctors are key link in fighting opioid epidemic

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —The opioid overdose epidemic is front and center for many in Maryland and across America.

How did it get this bad?

There are those who say the problem is driven in part by inappropriate prescribing. The 11 News I-Team takes a look at physician awareness and training, and the efforts to save lives.

In the shadow of Maryland's capital, Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Wes Adams serves as a law-and-order prosecutor who's trying to head off the opioid crisis one school child at a time.

"We had 924 overdoses with 125 who died," Adams said.

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Huma Abedin’s family under federal investigation

Top Hillary aide cited in relative's Wall Street corruption case

While Hillary Clinton loyal aide Huma Abedin was reportedly sidelined in the final stretch of the 2016 presidential campaign as a result of Abedin’s husband’s child-porn scandal, she was potentially an even greater liability than known. It turns out Anthony Weiner wasn’t the only family member under investigation.

In fact, the U.S. Justice Department has been actively prosecuting two other Abedin family members – for conspiracy, wire fraud and securities fraud – and she along with the State Department, where she previously worked for Clinton, are mentioned in the federal case, court records show.

Other documents reveal the same allegedly crooked kin solicited Abedin for help at State in a deal that netted more than $1.2 million in federal grants.

These undesirable family connections, revealed here for the first time, raise fresh questions about influence peddling at the State Department under Clinton, who is now reportedly working with Abedin on a political comeback.

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Snow Hill employee arrested at Town Hall

Erica Holland, 31, of Snow Hill was arrested Tuesday afternoon at her place of employment at Town Hall in Snow Hill, but no charges have been filed against her as of press time.

Up until Tuesday at least, she was employed as a receptionist for the town. The locks on the doors of Town Hall have been changed.

Police Chief Tom Davis said Holland was arrested around 1 p.m. Wednesday, and released. Snow Hill police could not say when charges would be filed or what they might entail.

The State’s Attorney’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

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LIVE: Anti-Trumpers March Down Pennsylvania Ave On Eve Of Trump's 100th Day

Click on the "READ MORE" below to see the live feed. We do this because the live feed auto plays and causes the blog to lag for some people

Newark- Delaware State Police have released the funeral arrangements for Corporal GRADE 1 Stephen Ballard who was killed in the line of duty on Wednesday in Bear.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

A PUBLIC VISITATION WILL TAKE PLACE ON FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2017, FROM 8:30 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. AT THE CHASE CENTER ON THE RIVERFRONT , 815 JUSTISON STREET, WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC VIEWING, THERE WILL BE A PASS AND REVIEW FOR UNIFORMED EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSONNEL

A MEMORIAL SERVICE HONORING THE LIFE OF CORPORAL GRADE 1 BALLARD WITH THEN BEGIN AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 A.M.

BURIAL, WHICH WILL BE ATTENDED BY FAMILY AND DELAWARE STATE POLICE PERSONNEL, WILL BE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE MEMORIAL SERVICE AT THE GRACELAWN MEMORIAL PARK LOCATED AT 2220 N. DUPONT HIGHWAY, MINQUADALE, NEW CASTLE.

Updated funeral arrangement information can be obtained by contacting the Delaware State Police Home Page at: http://dsp.delaware.gov/.

Three espressos a day cuts prostate cancer risk by 50%

A morning shot of espresso can do more than just wake you up.

It can also help lower your risk of prostate cancer by up to 53 percent, a new study has revealed.

Scientists say drinking three espressos daily can halve your likelihood of developing the disease and suppress the growth of tumors.

About one in every six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, but only one in 36 will die.

Because prostate cancer is the third-leading cause of death in men, the researchers hope that caffeine, which is consumed by the majority of the adult population, will help reduce the number of diagnoses.

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Police release photos of escaped prisoner David M. Watson's tattoos

Hogan calls for disparity study on medical marijuana industry

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —Gov. Larry Hogan has called for a disparity study to examine Maryland’s regulated medical cannabis industry.

Hogan said the study will be overseen by the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs and is in response to concerns expressed by the Legislative Black Caucus and shared by the administration regarding diversity in the emerging industry.

Such a study was proposed during the 2017 General Assembly session, but no bill was passed before the session ended earlier this month.

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Perdue Farms, Delmarva Shorebirds Launch ‘2017 Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge on Delmarva’

From left are Charmin Horton, branch manager of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, Mike Hooks with the Maryland Food Bank, Chris Bitters, general manager of the Shorebirds, Steve Evans, president of Perdue Foods, and Chad Robinson, Milford branch manager of the Food Bank of Delaware.

SALISBURY, Md. — As part of a company commitment to fight hunger in our communities, Perdue Farms and the Delmarva Shorebirds announce the launch of the annual season-long “2017 Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge on Delmarva” in partnership with the region’s three food banks.

To jumpstart the challenge, the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation — the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms — has issued a $15,000 challenge grant to the Eastern Shore Branch of the Maryland Food Bank, the Food Bank of Delaware and the Eastern Shore Branch of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia.

The campaign provides the forum to continue the awareness and community engagement in hunger relief that began with Perdue’s sponsorship of the 2011 South Atlantic League Perdue Strike Out Hunger All-Star Game promotions. Since then, the Shorebirds, their fans and the food banks have embraced the challenge to provide more than 700,000 meal equivalents for those in need on Delmarva.

“At Perdue Farms, we believe that in a country as rich as ours, no one should have to go hungry. The Strike Out Hunger Challenge has provided a wonderful forum to raise awareness about those struggling with hunger on Delmarva,” said Kim Nechay, executive director of the Foundation. “We are proud to be part of this unique collaborative partnership for the greater good of the Delmarva community.”

As Jimmy Sweet, assistant general manager of the Delmarva Shorebirds, said, “The Shorebirds look forward to working again with Perdue this season to bring awareness to hunger relief in our communities and improve the quality of life for our neighbors. Since 2011, we have made major strides together to keep hunger top of mind, while generating hundreds of thousands of meals to help the hungry.”

OCALA, FL – Thomas Roger Allison Jr., 53, was one of Marion County’s star teachers in 2016. But the Horizon Academy at Marion Oak Science teacher is now unpaid leave after calling Future Farmers of America (FFA) students “murderers.”

Reports of the the former teacher-of-the-year nominee bullying and harassing FFA students who raised livestock for slaughter reached the School District. This lead to Superintendent of Schools Heidi Maier’s investigation and recommendation.

In her recommendation, Maier writes that Allison “has engaged in a repeated, egregious pattern of mistreating, ridiculing, insulting, intimidating, embarrassing, bullying and abusing FFA students, crushing their dreams and causing them to feel that they must discontinue FFA activities in order to enjoy a peaceful school environment.” Maier calls for terminating Allison.

Allison is accused of telling FFA students, “When the animals’ throats are being slit, they are calling out your names, asking why you are not coming to save them,” referring to animals they raised and subsequently sold at the Southeastern Youth Fair.

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Breaking News: A North Korean missile test has sputtered, the second failure this month, as the U.S. and China seek to curb the North's military aims

North Korea launched a missile on Saturday, even as the United States and China have been seeking to curb the North’s military ambitions.

The missile took off from a location near Pukchang, northeast of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, the South Korean military said in a statement. It did not identify what type of missile was launched but said the test had ended in failure.

Dems Push to Criminalize Treatment of Psychosexual Illnesses

The slippery slope couldn’t get much steeper. First, we were told to tolerate sickness. Soon, we will be forbidden by federal law to treat it:

Democratic lawmakers reintroduced a bill on Tuesday that would ban conversion therapy nationwide, a controversial practice that seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The practice is currently banned in six states and in the District of Columbia.

The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, filed by Senators Patty Murray of Washington and Corey Booker of New Jersey, constitutes a renewed effort from Congressional Democrats to ban conversion therapy after a Republican majority let the bill die without a hearing last year.

In a released statement, Sen. Murray cited fresh fears under the Trump administration as a reason for reintroducing the legislation.

The appeal to Trump hysteria is as phony as pretending that a bill explicitly intended to promote disease has anything to do with fighting fraud. Trump, who proclaimed during the campaign that Bruce Jenner was welcome to use the ladies’ room at Trump Tower, has pandered to gays.

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Lane closures on Route 113 between Snow Hill and Berlin

Drivers on Route 113 between Snow Hill and Berlin will continue to encounter lane closures during peak travel hours until Memorial Day, with single-lane traffic limited to off-peak hours during the summer as construction crews complete a more than $86 million highway dualization project.

Work on the project, however, could stretch well into next year.

Maryland State Highway Administration Spokesperson Bob Rager, who said Phase 3 of the Route 113 project covers a 4.6-mile stretch of roadway between Massey Branch at the north end and Five Mile Branch Road, provided a progress update on Monday.

“We continue to do a lot of grading, most visibly at the north end near Langmaid Road,” he said. “In a couple of weeks, weather permitting, we’ll put down soil cement, which is a prelude to the first paving operation on the new roadway alignment.”

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Trump Puts Liberals On NOTICE With New Executive Order- Time To CLEAN HOUSE!

With the people of this nation at odds with one another over….everything. Good news is like a fresh new morning that opens up the day with hope for the future.

Well, we have some good news, that we hope does just that for you. President Trump has just closed the deal on another campaign promise with the signing of this executive order.

Fellow Americans, we have watched as the education system of this country has gone to crap. Generations have been deprived of a real education that offers them the skillsets that would make them successful, and teach them critical thinking skills that are so important to leading a life of self-reliance.

Well, now action has been taken thanks to Trump keeping his promise, and as a China state-run paper reported “Trump is…to be regarded as a man who honors his promises.”

Or course, there are many examples to back up that claim. One being..well, did you see his tax plan? On paper it looks….stellar. Then there is his promises he has made on this new executive order on education.

You are going to love this.

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O’Malley, Biden, Kasich all back in New Hampshire

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is already stirring up some 2020 rumors with a visit to New Hampshire over the weekend, but the former governor insists it’s all for 2018 contests.

The Maryland Democrat was in the state for a series of house parties and to rally state Democrats for 2018. As the crucial “first in the nation” primary state, however, people immediately began to speculate about Mr. O'Malley’s true intentions during the visit.

The former governor was a 2016 Democratic candidate for president.

Mr. O’Malley told WMUR that he wasn’t ruling out a 2020 run, but said his focus was on 2018.

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2 Years After Unrest, Baltimore's Youth Are 'Still Fighting For The Basics'

Baltimore erupted in violence two years ago, after the funeral of Freddie Gray, a young black man who died in police custody. The unrest was about more than Gray's death, though — it exposed deep-seated problems facing many of the city's young people: lack of jobs, deep poverty, rampant crime and deteriorating neighborhoods.

Now, Baltimore residents are assessing what, if anything, has changed in the city since Gray's death.

This week, several dozen students, their parents and community activists held a rally with five members of Baltimore's city council, encouraging them to fight the mayor's proposed cuts to after-school programs. Young people here are worried that some of the millions of dollars in government and nonprofit aid that poured into the city after the unrest will dry up as memories fade.

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Operations, improvements could drive up OC tax rate

The Ocean City Council will face some hard choices in the next couple of years to cover the cost of millions in operations and capital improvements over a five-year span.

City Manager Doug Miller and Finance Administrator Martha Bennett on Tuesday presented the City Council with a strategic financial plan that concludes a significant tax increase is likely to be needed.

The financial plan includes forecasts of revenue, costs, inflation and the continued pursuit of several projects that are on officials’ priority list. Once finalized, the document is supposed to guide the council on how to pay for various line items in budgets for the next five fiscal years.

Bennett told the council that if all assumptions were met, the property tax rate would need to be raised in fiscal year 2019 to 50.13 cents per $100 assessed value, which is a little more than 7.5 percent higher than the current rate.

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Professor Wants Children to Learn ‘Queer Theory’ in Elementary School

A professor at the University of Arizona who conducts research on science education is arguing that students should be taught “queer theory” in elementary school.

Kristin Gunckel, a professor at the University of Arizona, argued on behalf of introducing “queer theory” into American elementary school curriculum in a recent lecture that took place last month.

“Queer theory,” according to Gunckel, examines why heterosexuality is portrayed as the “only normal and natural form” for human beings.

“It challenges categorical thinking and specifically aims to disrupt the hetero/homo binary,” she wrote. “Queer theory examines how the social construction of sexuality is normalized so that heterosexuality is portrayed as the only normal and natural form of being human.”

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Maryland Secretary of State Flag Status -- Maryland Flag Is at Half-Staff

This is to advise you that Governor Larry Hogan has ordered the Maryland State Flag be lowered to half-staff effective at sunrise, Saturday, April 29, 2017 and returned to full-staff at sunset, Saturday, April 29, 2017. This is in honor of former Maryland Congressman Lawrence J. Hogan Sr., who passed away on April 20, 2017.

IAFF’s arbitration petition succeeds

Silence fell in the council chambers Tuesday, as Mayor Rick Meehan and the City Council listened to Jamie Albright of the Board of Elections announce that the local firefighter/paramedic union’s petition had enough signatures to take the union’s quest for binding interest arbitration to referendum.

Required by Maryland law to obtain 20 percent of Ocean City’s registered voters’ signatures to force a referendum, the petition exceeded that mark by 201 voters.

“There were 1,656 signatures, and 242 were invalid,” Albright read from a letter written by Board of Elections Chairwoman Mary Adeline Bradford. “The board found the other 1,414 signatures were valid.”

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Senate approves spending bill, averting government shutdown

WASHINGTON — With just hours to spare, Congress easily approved a short-term spending bill Friday that would prevent a partial federal shutdown over the weekend. But on President Donald Trump’s......

BREAKING NEWS: The N.S.A. is halting part of its warrantless spying: collecting Americans’ emails sent overseas that merely mention foreign targets

National security officials have argued that such surveillance is lawful and helpful in identifying people who might have links to terrorism, espionage or otherwise are targeted for intelligence-gathering. The fact that the sender of such a message would know an email address or phone number associated with a surveillance target is grounds for suspicion, these officials argued.

But privacy advocates argue that such broad collection of information means the agency, with help from telecommunications companies, is intercepting communications based on what they say, rather than who has sent or received it.

White House: Donald Trump’s Dramatic Whiplash on NAFTA Is All ‘Art of the Deal’

President Donald Trump will renegotiate NAFTA rather than terminate it, after a day of chaos sent top business interests and members of congress scrambling.

Trump confirmed the news on Thursday morning.

“I received calls from the President of Mexico and the Prime Minister of Canada asking to renegotiate NAFTA rather than terminate,” he wrote on Twitter. “I agreed subject to the fact that if we do not reach a fair deal for all, we will then terminate NAFTA. Relationships are good — deal very possible!”

A senior White House advisor described the abrupt whiplash on NAFTA as the president’s “art of the deal,” rather than a swift reaction to a misstep.

“This expedites renegotiations,” the adviser told Breitbart News.

It worked.

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REMINDER: Spring Fling Casino Night Is Tonight!

US PREPARING TO EVACUATE 230,000 AMERICANS FROM SOUTH KOREA

'Courageous Channel' drill to take place in June

Donald Trump has demanded the evacuation of US citizens from South Korea as part of a drill named Courageous Channel, military sources have revealed.

The operation, set to take place in June, will prepare for the safe exit of around 230,000 Americans in the case of conflict.

If the Pyongyang was to attack, tens of thousands of American civilians, including military dependents residing in and around the capital city of Seoul, could very well be caught in the crossfire.

A major dilemma for the US is how to keep these Americans safe and evacuate them in the event of hostilities.

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Exxon Mobil Fined $21 Million For Violating Clean Air Act 16,386 Times

“We believe it’s the largest penalty resulting from a citizen suit in U.S. history,” one of the plaintiffs said.

A Texas judged ordered Exxon Mobil to pay $19.9 million in fines on Wednesday after finding one of the company’s refining and chemical plants illegally spewed millions of pounds of pollutants into the air.

Conservation groups Environment Texas and the Sierra Club sued Exxon in 2010, saying the energy giant failed to implement technology that would curb emissions at its Baytown, Texas complex between 2005 and 2013. The groups said Exxon gained more than $14 million in economic benefits during the delay and flouted provisions of the Clean Air Act.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner agreed, finding Exxon illegally released more than 10 million pounds of pollutants, including carcinogens and respiratory irritants like sulfur dioxide. In total, the court found Exxon had violated the Clean Air Act 16,386 times, with each violation carrying a fine of up to $37,500 per day.

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Manhunt after prisoner escapes in Howard County while being transported to hospital center

JESSUP, Md. - A man serving prison time for the attempted murder of police officers escaped custody Friday morning while being transported to a medical facility in Howard County.

28-year-old David M. Watson was being transported to the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center on Dorsey Run Road in Jessup when he escaped custody and fled into a wooded area. Police launched a ground and air manhunt immediately after learning of the escape.

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http://www.fox5dc.com/news/251344716-story

Watson is a white male, 5-foot-8-inches tall and 140 pounds. He was being transported by the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office and was in prison for the attempted murder of police officers. Authorities are asking anyone who thinks they may have spotted Watson to call 911.

'America Has Spoken–We Want the Wall Built Right Away’

The National Security Subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee held a hearing Thursday on President Donald Trump’s signature election pledge of a wall on the southern border.

Five witnesses, four speaking in favor of the wall’s construction and one against, testified before the Subcommittee.

Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), framed the issue before the testimony of the witnesses. “A central issue of the President’s 2016 campaign was the promise to build ‘an impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful southern border wall,'” he said. DeSantis cited Israel’s successful border wall as a model for our own:

"President Trump has identified Israeli border security measures as a potential model for securing the U.S.-Mexico border. The construction of a security fence on the Israel-Sinai Border cut illegal entries from over 16,500 in 2011 to just 43 in 2013 and 12 in 2014 – a 99 percent decrease."

DeSantis also disputed Democrats’ claim that the wall might cost $70 billion, citing the Democrats’ own witness at the hearing, Seth Stodder, an Assistant Secretary in the Obama-DHS, as estimating a cost of only $14 billion in January.

More here

Recent early-round misses put pressure on Ravens entering NFL draft

The visible reminders of general manager Ozzie Newsome’s drafting and team-building prowess have remained untouched during the ongoing $45 million renovation project at the Ravens’ Under Armour Performance Center.

Take a couple of steps into the foyer of the training facility and you’ll see the Hall of Fame bust of offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, Newsome’s first-ever draft pick for the Ravens. To the right of that is a small statue of linebacker Ray Lewis, the organization’s second-ever pick who will all but certainly have a Hall of Fame bust soon. Look to the left and there are the two Lombardi Trophies, shimmering proof of the Ravens’ ascent as an organization.

Newsome’s sterling reputation as an executive and evaluator is well-earned. His drafting record, however, wears the blemishes of recent early-round misses that have become more pronounced since the Ravens’ victory in Super Bowl XLVII. As Newsome and the Ravens front office enter another draft Thursday night, the pressure is on perhaps more than ever before to cash in on their seven picks and fill several holes on a roster that hasn’t been good enough to make the playoffs in three of the past four years.

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Asylum-seekers fleeing U.S. may find cold comfort in Canada’s courts

Migrants who applied for asylum in the United States but then fled north, fearing they would be swept up in President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, may have miscalculated in viewing Canada as a safe haven.

That is because their time in the United States could count against them when they apply for asylum in Canada, according to a Reuters review of Canadian federal court rulings on asylum seekers and interviews with refugee lawyers.

In 2016, 160 asylum cases came to the federal courts after being rejected by refugee tribunals. Of those, 33 had been rejected in part because the applicants had spent time in the United States, the Reuters review found.

Lawyers said there could be many more such cases among the thousands of applicants who were rejected by the tribunals in the same period but did not appeal to the federal courts.

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Update – Name Released State Police Investigating a Fatal Crash East of Delmar

Delmar – The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit has identified the female operator of the GMC Yukon as Rebecca L. Allen, 35 of Millsboro.

This crash remains under investigation.

NOI 4/28/17 Wicomico Dwelling Fire Miami Avenue

NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION

Date: April 28, 2017

Time: 6:33 a.m

Location / Address: 803 Miami Ave., Salisbury, Wicomico Co.

Type of Incident: Fire

Description of Structure / Property: One story wood frame single family dwelling

Owner / Occupants: Doretha Ballard (Owner)

Injuries or Deaths: None

Estimated $ Loss: Structure: $50,000 Contents: $15,000

Smoke Alarm Status: Present, not activated

Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status: n/a

Arrests(s): None

Primary Responding Fire Department: Salisbury

# of Alarms: 1 # Of Firefighters: 25

Time to Control: 30 minutes

Discovered By: Owner

Area of Origin: Rear utility room

Preliminary Cause: Accidental, electrical failure of branch circuitry

Additional Information:

Saturated Fat Doesn't Cause Coronary Heart Disease: Study

An increasing body of evidence strongly suggests that dietary saturated fat has wrongfully taken the blame for coronary heart disease.

The real culprit is chronic inflammation, which can be effectively reduced with healthy lifestyle changes, according to an expert panel of cardiologists who co-authored a new report published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

“Coronary artery disease pathogenesis and treatment urgently requires a paradigm shift. Despite popular belief among doctors and the public, the conceptual model of dietary saturated fat clogging a pipe is just plain wrong,” write a team of authors led by Dr. Aseem Malhotra, of Lister Hospital in Stevenage, U.K.

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One Day Into His Campaign, Maryland Dem Gov Candidate Alec Ross Faces Criticism For Ties To Predatory Colleges

Just one day after announcing his candidacy for the 2018 Maryland gubernatorial race, Democrat Alec Ross is already getting rough headlines. A new report reveals that Ross has extensive ties to for-profit colleges that have “overcharged and ruined the lives of thousands of hard-working Americans.”

The Huffington Post reports:

“…Ross’s website omitted, however, was Ross’s financial entanglement with some of America’s worst predatory for-profit colleges, institutions that have overcharged and ruined the lives of thousands of hard-working Americans.

Ross was a plenary session speaker at the June 2016 Career Education Colleges and Universities’ (CECU) annual conference. CECU is a trade association that serves the interests of the for-profit college industry.

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Bill Nye Considers 'Climate Impact' Tax on Large Families

Scientist Bill Nye and a panelist on his Netflix show discussed penalizing families for having "extra kids" because of their claimed effect on climate change.

According to The Daily Caller, Tuesday's episode of "Bill Nye Saves The Earth" included a segment that was essentially about population control.

"Should we have policies that penalize people for having extra kids in the developed world?" Nye asked Travis Rieder, an academic at Johns Hopkins University.

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Report: US Military 'Preparations Underway' Against NKorea

Trump administration officials are considering military action as part of various options in response to North Korea's increased nuclear efforts and missile programs, a top U.S. official said Wednesday.

"What you've seen is a really integrated effort to prioritize diplomatic and informational aspects of national power," the official told Roll Call. "But also what you will see soon is using the economic dimension of national power, as well as the military preparations that are underway."

But when pressed on the feasibility of President Donald Trump electing to use military force against dictator Kim Jong Un, the official said: "I don't think we're going to describe those in any detail."

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Md. principal apologizes for setting up ‘smash space’ for teachers

WASHINGTON — A principal and her elementary school are under investigation after Montgomery County schools confirm she set up a “smash space” designed for teachers to relieve stress by using baseball bats on a broken rocking chair.

In a letter to parents, Kensington Parkwood Elementary School Principal Barbara Leiss apologized for setting up the space on school grounds. Leiss’ letter indicates the space was set up on March 8.

“I got the idea after reading some business articles that discussed companies providing items to be smashed as a way to reduce stress. This was a lapse in judgment,” Leiss wrote.

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Freedom Caucus supports Obamacare repeal deal

In a major win for GOP leadership, the leadership of the House Freedom Caucus said Wednesday that it supports a new deal to repeal Obamacare.

But support from centrist Republicans is lagging.

"While the revised version still does not fully repeal Obamacare, we are prepared to support it to keep our promise to the American people to lower healthcare costs," Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., the House Freedom Caucus chairman, said in a statement.

Meadows did not indicate whether all of the approximately three dozen members of the group would vote for the bill. The Freedom Caucus typically supports legislation only when 80 percent of its membership is behind it.

The number of Freedom Caucus lawmakers supporting the measure is critical.

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S&P: These Ten Retailers Will File For Bankruptcy Next

Three weeks ago, we reported that Fitch had put together a list of 8 retailers who were likely next in line to file for bankruptcy. The rating agency speculated that distressed legacy "bricks and mortar" outlets such as 99 Cents Only, rue 21, Gymboree and True Religion would follow what has already been a historic surge in retailers filing for Chapter 11 protection and/or shuttering stores. The Fitch list is below:

Sears Holdings Corp (roughly $2.5 billion);
99 Cents Only Stores LLC;
Charming Charlie LLC;
Gymboree Corp.;
Nine West Holdings Inc.;
NYDJ Apparel LLC;
rue21, Inc.; and
True Religion Apparel Inc.

Putting this list in context, over the weekend we presented a chart from Credit Suisse showing that on an annualized basis, some 8,640 - or more - stores would be closed in 2017, the highest number on record.

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States Grapple with Changes to Solar Industry

As the renewable energy industry grows and becomes less expensive, states are grappling with how to regulate the industry while ensuring fairness for both consumers and utility companies.

At least 40 states and Washington, D.C., have taken action so far this year to change utility rates, alter requirements on how utilities pay solar customers for electricity that they do not use, or set up rules for third-party financing of consumer solar installations, according to a report released Wednesday by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at North Carolina State University.

Policies related to solar and other renewable energy were expected to be among the main issues addressed by legislatures this year, as the nation explores alternatives to fossil fuels.

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Thank God Its Friday 4-28-17

What will you be doing this weekend?

MISSING PERSON • QUINTON MCKENZIE • SALISBURY, MARYLAND • 16 YEARS OLD

SALISBURY — The Salisbury Police Department is asking for the local public’s assistance in locating missing 16 year old Quinton Mckenzie out of the Salisbury, Maryland area.

Quinton was last seen on April 1, 2017. He may still be in the local area. No other details available.

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Contraband Cellphones Continue to Thwart Prison Officials

The arrests of five New Jersey inmates this week highlights the ongoing struggles that prison officials face in combating contraband cellphones.

Prisoners generally are allowed to use phones, but only landlines, and only under the close supervision of prison officials. But it is illegal for inmates to possess cellphones, or for anyone to provide them with one.

Nonetheless, some prisoners are able to obtain cellphones, giving them easy access to the outside world — and the tools to commit crimes, from intimidating witnesses and coordinating escapes to running drug rings and putting hits on prosecutors.

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Doing Less Time: Some States Cut Back on Probation

In Georgia, one in 16 adults is on probation. That’s almost four times the national average. And offenders there spend more than twice as long on probation as in the rest of the country, sometimes as long as 20 years or life. Meanwhile, probation officers juggle as many as 400 cases at a time.

The state is looking to change all that.

At the behest of Republican Gov. Nathan Deal, who has focused his efforts on revising the state’s criminal justice system, Georgia lawmakers passed a probation reform billin March. The bill would, among other things, shorten probation sentences and reduce the caseloads of probation officers who are spread thin. If Deal signs the bill as expected, the new law will go into effect July 1.

Georgia joins several other states that are looking for ways to reduce the time that offenders spend on probation or parole, as they’ve sought to reduce sentences for lesser crimes, and reduce jail and prison overcrowding. The idea is to ease burdens on probation officers, devote resources to monitoring more dangerous offenders, help offenders re-enter society, and reduce recidivism rates.

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Taking Your Cat For A Walk

Bird Art

Man Assumed He Could Grow Marijuana Because He “Thought It Would Be Legal Soon”

Sure, some bartenders might serve you a beer a few hours before your official 21st birthday, but that’s a far cry from growing 40 marijuana plants under the assumption that your state is going to legalize pot at some point in the near future.

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Just Because Your Electric Toothbrush Makes A Lot Of Noise Doesn’t Mean It’s Effective

Much like the never-ending game of oneupmanship in the razor industry, makers of toothbrushes are constantly touting unique features that promise to make your teeth that much whiter and brighter than the competition. But now one ad industry watchdog is calling foul on a commercial that implies a noisy toothbrush is somehow more effective at cleaning your chompers.

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Inventor Of World Wide Web: Gutting Net Neutrality Would Lets ISPs “Pick Winners And Losers”

Earlier today, FCC Chair Ajit Pai revealed his plan to scuttle existing regulations for internet service providers and replace them with promises from the industry that they won’t do anything bad. It is all in the name of innovation, declared Pai, but the innovator who created the World Wide Web and the very first website, is calling the Chairman out.

The 2015 Open Internet Order, which would be undone by Pai’s proposal, prevents ISPs from having any say in what you do online. They can’t block access to content; can’t slow down access to specific content; and they can’t speed up access to specific sites or services. Those rules would all be removed, replaced with vague, non-binding promises from ISPs.

To Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who created the Web in 1989 while working at CERN, the idea that your broadband provider could have any say in what you do online is antithetical to the entire concept of the internet.

“When I invented the web, I didn’t have to ask anyone for permission, and neither did America’s successful internet entrepreneurs when they started their businesses,” says Berners-Lee in his capacity as founder of the World Wide Web Foundation. “To reach its full potential, the internet must remain a permissionless space for creativity, innovation and free expression.”

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Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism Now Accepting Nominations for Outstanding Maryland Volunteers

Governor's Service Awards Recognize Those Working to Change Maryland for the Better

ANNAPOLIS, MD - The Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism is currently accepting nominations for the 2017 Governor's Service Awards. In its 34th year, the Governor's Service Awards honor individuals and groups for exemplary service and contributions to Maryland's communities.

New categories this year are Emerging Leader, focused on volunteers 18 to 30 years old, and Member of the Board.

Recipients of the awards demonstrate sustained volunteer commitment to meeting Maryland's most pressing human and/or environmental needs; engage in meaningful volunteer service that makes a measurable difference in the community; represent extraordinary acts of generosity and kindness; and through volunteerism, have an impact on the greater community.

Nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, June 2, 2017. A panel of community leaders, volunteers, and Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism staff will review the nominations, which will be scored and ranked based on the eligibility criteria listed in the nomination form. Each recipient will be notified of selection near the end of summer and invited to an awards ceremony in the fall.

To submit a nomination or to learn more, visit http://gosv.maryland.gov/governors-service-awards.

Attention

Friday, April 28, 2017

NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION