DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, May 25, 2017
NC police raid poppy farm the size of a football field
Undercover police raided a poppy farm the size of a football field and seized enough plants to make $500 million worth of heroin.
Catawba County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina raided the farm in Claremont on Tuesday where they discovered the one-acre plot planted with poppies.
One man has been arrested in connection with the haul - even though they were searching the area in connection with a completely separate crime.
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Catawba County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina raided the farm in Claremont on Tuesday where they discovered the one-acre plot planted with poppies.
One man has been arrested in connection with the haul - even though they were searching the area in connection with a completely separate crime.
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Bogus ‘movie money’ scam prompts police warning
WASHINGTON — At first glance, the $100 bills looked real. By the third glance, they were clearly worthless.
A Maryland college student has learned an expensive lesson about the ease in which criminals can scam unsuspecting victims using fake “movie money,” which is used in motion picture shoots.
Hannah Buehrle, of Frederick, told NBC Washington she wanted to sell her iPhone 6 to help pay for a Memorial Day weekend trip to the beach.
On May 15, she advertised the phone on the Letgo app.
A man who identified himself as Xavier agreed to buy the phone for $450.
According to Montgomery County Police, Xavier told the victim he only had five $100 bills, and would give her the $500 if she would give him $50 in return.
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Troopers Seek Public’s Assistance in Locating Wanted Subject
McCabe is wanted by troopers in connection with two separate incidents that occurred around the end of April and beginning of May for entering seasonal residences in the 26000 block of Autumn Road and removing various items including electronics.
If anyone has any information in reference to Brian McCabe's whereabouts, they are asked to contact Detective A. Bluto at 302-752-3864. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword “DSP.”
Amazing photographs of elderly New Yorkers in the 1840s
This rare photo collection is thought to capture the OLDEST generation of men and women ever photographed.
These remarkable surviving images show older ladies and gentleman who were all born in the 1700s.
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Authorities express concerns over oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl
So far, there have been three such situations in Maryland where the tainted pills have been found.
"If you're buying something off the street, you don't know what you're getting and what's in it," Anne Arundel County police spokesman Marc Limansky said.
It's a simple statement, but one that could save lives.
Since last year, Anne Arundel County police said there have been two occasions where police found oxycodone pills cut with the deadly opioid fentanyl.
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Bombshell: Donna Brazile warned off private eye on Seth Rich murder
Ex-DNC chairwoman reportedly asked cops why investigator is 'snooping' into mysterious case
WASHINGTON – Former Democratic National Committee interim chairwoman Donna Brazile is the high-ranking DNC representative who allegedly called police and the family of murdered DNC staffer Seth Rich and demanded to know why a private investigator was “snooping” into Rich’s death, the private eye revealed to WND Monday.
“The high-ranking DNC official that called the police after I inquired about Rich’s case was Donna Brazile,” veteran homicide detective Rod Wheeler told WND. “Why shouldn’t I reveal who it was?”
Brazile, who was also a CNN contributor and a Hillary for America donor at the time, was caught providing Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton with questions that would later be asked of Clinton at a televised CNN town hall. In an interview with Fox News before the election, Brazile denied leaking the questions to Clinton. But in a March 17, 2017, column for Time magazine, she finally admitted doing so, saying it was a “mistake I will forever regret.”
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WASHINGTON – Former Democratic National Committee interim chairwoman Donna Brazile is the high-ranking DNC representative who allegedly called police and the family of murdered DNC staffer Seth Rich and demanded to know why a private investigator was “snooping” into Rich’s death, the private eye revealed to WND Monday.
“The high-ranking DNC official that called the police after I inquired about Rich’s case was Donna Brazile,” veteran homicide detective Rod Wheeler told WND. “Why shouldn’t I reveal who it was?”
Brazile, who was also a CNN contributor and a Hillary for America donor at the time, was caught providing Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton with questions that would later be asked of Clinton at a televised CNN town hall. In an interview with Fox News before the election, Brazile denied leaking the questions to Clinton. But in a March 17, 2017, column for Time magazine, she finally admitted doing so, saying it was a “mistake I will forever regret.”
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CNN Analyst Proposes Manchester Bombing Was 'False Flag'
A CNN analyst suggested that the Manchester bombing could have been a false flag during a segment Monday night.
During Anderson Cooper’s AC360 , CNN terror analyst Paul Cruickshank admitted that a suicide bomber was more than likely responsible for the explosion at Manchester Arena after an Ariana Grande concert ended. However, he floated the idea that the bombing could have been part of a right wing extremist plot.
“It must also be noted that in recent months in Europe, there’s been a number of false flag plots where right wing have been trying to blame Islamists for terrorism,” Cruickshank said. “We have seen that in Germany in recent weeks.”
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During Anderson Cooper’s AC360 , CNN terror analyst Paul Cruickshank admitted that a suicide bomber was more than likely responsible for the explosion at Manchester Arena after an Ariana Grande concert ended. However, he floated the idea that the bombing could have been part of a right wing extremist plot.
“It must also be noted that in recent months in Europe, there’s been a number of false flag plots where right wing have been trying to blame Islamists for terrorism,” Cruickshank said. “We have seen that in Germany in recent weeks.”
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BREAKING NEWS: Man Falls 40 Feet In Ocean City
White House leakers IDed, Trump poised to fire 'multiple staffers'
President Trump is expected to deploy his signature catchphrase from “The Apprentice” when he returns from a tour of the Middle East and Europe that runs through this week.
Sources in the White House told One America News Network that Trump will tell multiple staffers who allegedly leaked classified information that “you’re fired” and could pursue criminal charges against them for putting Americans at risk.
“A source here at the White House told me that three people have been identified as leaking classified information,” OAN’s Trey Yingst said in a live broadcast reposted to YouTube Monday. “This has been a major issue for the Trump administration since President Trump came into office on Jan. 20., inauguration day, here in Washington, D.C.
“One of the sources I spoke with today is telling me this is criminal, people could go to jail. That source went on to say that this is dangerous and terrible.”
Multiple sources told OAN Trump is “extremely concerned” about a leak last week pertaining to information about Syrian radicals potentially using laptop bombs on commercial airliners – a method that could be used to target the United States.
“It was leaked to the media. It was leaked from a classified format and that is one of the many leaks that has come out of this White House in the past few weeks that has been a major concern to President Trump,” Yingst said.
Yingst explained the process for the upcoming terminations.
More/Video
Sources in the White House told One America News Network that Trump will tell multiple staffers who allegedly leaked classified information that “you’re fired” and could pursue criminal charges against them for putting Americans at risk.
“A source here at the White House told me that three people have been identified as leaking classified information,” OAN’s Trey Yingst said in a live broadcast reposted to YouTube Monday. “This has been a major issue for the Trump administration since President Trump came into office on Jan. 20., inauguration day, here in Washington, D.C.
“One of the sources I spoke with today is telling me this is criminal, people could go to jail. That source went on to say that this is dangerous and terrible.”
Multiple sources told OAN Trump is “extremely concerned” about a leak last week pertaining to information about Syrian radicals potentially using laptop bombs on commercial airliners – a method that could be used to target the United States.
“It was leaked to the media. It was leaked from a classified format and that is one of the many leaks that has come out of this White House in the past few weeks that has been a major concern to President Trump,” Yingst said.
Yingst explained the process for the upcoming terminations.
More/Video
University of Maryland president announces anti-hate action plan
The killing of Lt. Richard Collins III, a Bowie State University student who was set to graduate this week, is being investigated as a possible hate crime. Suspect Sean Christopher Urbanski was reportedly a member of a white supremacist Facebook group called “Alt-Reich: Nation.”
Wednesday evening, Loh urged students to allow authorities the time “to do their work with due diligence.”
But beyond that, he said, “we must do more.”
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Princess Anne Police Department Most Wanted 5-25-17 (21 Subjects)
Princess Anne Wanted List -
Please Notify Princess Anne Police if you know the location of anyone listed, your tips will remain anonymous...
Alicia Olivia Brown
Bench Warrant
Failing to Appear, Driving on Suspended License
Bench Warrant
Failing to Appear, Driving on Suspended License
Alston Artemus
Bench Warrant
Failing to Appear - Driving w/o License
Andrew Lewis Lluis
Bench Warrant
Failure to Appear, CDS Possession Marijuana, Possesion Paraphernalia
Bench Warrant
Failure to Appear, CDS Possession Marijuana, Possesion Paraphernalia
Daniel Gallcia Galvez
Bench Warrant
Failure to Appear, DUI
Bench Warrant
Failure to Appear, DUI
Ocean City beachgoers are warned to be mindful of pedestrians
STEVENSVILLE, Md. — When getting footloose and carefree at the beach, don’t forget pedestrian road rules, officials warn as they gear up for a busy Memorial Day weekend.
“You need to obey the laws. You need to use crosswalks. You need to use the signaled intersections,” Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan said while expressing condolences to the family of a man fatally struck May 21 by a car in the resort town.
The 23-year-old Pennsylvania man who was killed was not in a crosswalk. A 50-year-old Waldorf, Maryland, man is charged with drunken driving in the fatal crash.
Meehan discussed Ocean City’s Walk Smart campaign with WTOP at Tuesday’s safety event, sponsored by AAA Mid-Atlantic and held near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
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Statement from Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Leaks Following the Manchester Terror Attack
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Jeff Sessions today issued the following statement on the recent leaks following the Manchester terror attack:
“I share the president's deep concern and talked to Home Secretary Rudd yesterday about this matter. These leaks cannot be tolerated and we will make every effort to put an end to it. We have already initiated appropriate steps to address these rampant leaks that undermine our national security.”
“I share the president's deep concern and talked to Home Secretary Rudd yesterday about this matter. These leaks cannot be tolerated and we will make every effort to put an end to it. We have already initiated appropriate steps to address these rampant leaks that undermine our national security.”
Caught On Tape: Wasserman Schultz Threatens Police Chief For Investigating Her IT Staff's Crimes
The brothers were barred from computer networks at the House of Representatives Thursday, The Daily Caller News Foundation Investigative Group has learned.
Three members of the intelligence panel and five members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs were among the dozens of members who employed the suspects on a shared basis. The two committees deal with many of the nation’s most sensitive issues, information and documents, including those related to the war on terrorism.
The brothers are suspected of serious violations, including accessing members’ computer networks without their knowledge and stealing equipment from Congress.
The three men are “shared employees,” meaning they are hired by multiple offices, which split their salaries and use them as needed for IT services.
Then in March, we noted that House Democrats decided to delay the firing (until today) because their Muslim background, some with ties to Pakistan, could make them easy targets for false charges.
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Three members of the intelligence panel and five members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs were among the dozens of members who employed the suspects on a shared basis. The two committees deal with many of the nation’s most sensitive issues, information and documents, including those related to the war on terrorism.
The brothers are suspected of serious violations, including accessing members’ computer networks without their knowledge and stealing equipment from Congress.
The three men are “shared employees,” meaning they are hired by multiple offices, which split their salaries and use them as needed for IT services.
Then in March, we noted that House Democrats decided to delay the firing (until today) because their Muslim background, some with ties to Pakistan, could make them easy targets for false charges.
More
ISIS LURED US TO STRIKE HOME WHERE THEY’D LOCKED CIVILIANS IN BASEMENT, MILITARY SAYS
What you believed depended on the outlet. Now, over two months later, an explanation has been offered by the military that is pretty horrifying to contemplate.
In the house that was struck, ISIS had locked civilians in the basement, wired the home with explosives, and set two snipers on the roof to lure an airstrike, a deliberate attempt to discredit the military using maximum collateral.
That intel emerges from an analysis of the home’s building materials as well as the capabilities of the fighters involved.
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Flag Status for Monday May 29, 2017
President Donald J. Trump has ordered the United States Flag to be flown at half-staff on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, 2017 from sunrise until NOON. This is in honor and recognition of all of our fallen service members. As a matter of protocol, the Maryland flag is lowered to half-staff as well, no flag may be higher than the United States flag.
Troopers On-Scene of Helicopter Crash
The preliminary investigation has determined that the incident occurred at approximately 11:55 a.m. this morning as a privately owned helicopter occupied by one individual, crashed in a grassy area located in the rear of the United Stated Post Office located in the 200 block of Quigley Boulevard. As a result of the crash, the occupant of the helicopter has been declared dead at the scene. There were no other injuries. A shed on the property as well as several vehicles sustained minor damage.
The Delaware State Police, The National Transportation Safety Board, and the Federal Aviation Administration are currently on scene conducting the investigation which is in its early stages.
More information will be released to the media at a press conference to be held later today. The location and time of the press conference have yet to be determined.
Breaking News: An appeals court refused to reinstate President Trump's revised travel ban. The case will likely go to the Supreme Court.
The federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., said the ban discriminated on the basis of religion. The decision was a fresh setback for the administration’s efforts to limit travel from several predominantly Muslim countries.
BREAKING: Fox News reassures viewers they support Hannity, not going anywhere
The network lent support to its best-known anchor, saying Thursday that he would return to its air next week following a Memorial Day holiday vacation despite rumors of his possible removal following his reporting on the Seth Rich conspiracy.
“Like the rest of the country, Sean Hannity is taking a vacation for Memorial Day weekend and will be back on Tuesday,” the 21st Century Fox-owned network said in a statement. “Those who suggest otherwise are going to look foolish.”
On Tuesday, Fox News retracted its story about Rich’s murder. Despite the retraction, Hannity stood his ground and reported the story on his radio program and Twitter page.
However, that same night, Hannity eased on the story out of respect for Rich’s family. “Out of respect for the family’s wishes, for now, I am not discussing the matter at this time,” Hannity said.
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A Viewer Writes: Stabbing In Salisbury?
Democrats claim cover-up, but can’t find a crime
Suggestion also includes worrisome proposal for Hillary Clinton
WASHINGTON – It’s the kind of crazy scenario that only Washington could invent: Democrats are now accusing the president of covering up a non-crime.
The good news for President Trump is that the Russia collusion scandal appears to be dying because there is no evidence.
The bad news is, an obstruction of justice scandal is just heating up, even though there was no apparent wrongdoing or collusion by his team with Russia.
And now, with the Democrats pushing the bizarre notion there was a cover-up, even if there was no crime, one of the nation’s top political minds says there is only one way to stop the endless cycle of attacks on the administration: switch from defense to offense.
Writing in National Review, former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy suggests President Trump should flip the script on his inquisitors in three bold moves that would turn Democrats from hunters into the hunted:
Appoint a special counsel to investigate political spying, including unmasking and leaks to the media.
Have Congress hold hearings on whether the Obama Justice Department colluded with the Hillary Clinton campaign to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
WASHINGTON – It’s the kind of crazy scenario that only Washington could invent: Democrats are now accusing the president of covering up a non-crime.
The good news for President Trump is that the Russia collusion scandal appears to be dying because there is no evidence.
The bad news is, an obstruction of justice scandal is just heating up, even though there was no apparent wrongdoing or collusion by his team with Russia.
And now, with the Democrats pushing the bizarre notion there was a cover-up, even if there was no crime, one of the nation’s top political minds says there is only one way to stop the endless cycle of attacks on the administration: switch from defense to offense.
Writing in National Review, former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy suggests President Trump should flip the script on his inquisitors in three bold moves that would turn Democrats from hunters into the hunted:
Appoint a special counsel to investigate political spying, including unmasking and leaks to the media.
Have Congress hold hearings on whether the Obama Justice Department colluded with the Hillary Clinton campaign to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
Psychiatric Hospital Chain Reportedly Under Investigation For Allegedly Holding Patients Longer Than Needed
Investigators from the FBI and the Department of Defense are reportedly looking into allegations that Universal Health Services — the nation’s largest provider of inpatient psychiatric care, with nearly 200 facilities in 38 states and Puerto Rico — is padding its bottom line by deliberately holding patients longer than is medically necessary.
CNN’s Mudd: ‘Trey Gowdy Ought to Have His A** Kicked’…
On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “New Day,” CNN Counterterrorism Analyst and former CIA counterterrorism official Phil Mudd stated that Representative Trey Gowdy (R-SC) “ought to have his ass kicked.”
After seeing a clip of an exchange between Gowdy and former CIA Director John Brennan over the existence of evidence showing a connection between the Trump campaign and Russia, Mudd said, “Trey Gowdy ought to have his ass kicked. He knows the difference between intelligence and evidence. Let me tell you something, Alisyn, if you’re an American citizen, and the National Security Agency collects intelligence, that is intercepts of Russians, who report what you’ve said, do you think it’s fair to go to a court and say that’s evidence that you did something wrong? That’s why the FBI is going to a year or more to investigate this, because the American citizens involved in this have a right to have evidence presented in a court beyond a conversation that a Russian official reports. In my world, this distinction is black and white. It is a hard line. I know it’s frustrating for the American people. But I hope they don’t want evidence to be perceived as something that a Russian official says, and that’s it, you can be convicted on that. It’s not.”
Video
After seeing a clip of an exchange between Gowdy and former CIA Director John Brennan over the existence of evidence showing a connection between the Trump campaign and Russia, Mudd said, “Trey Gowdy ought to have his ass kicked. He knows the difference between intelligence and evidence. Let me tell you something, Alisyn, if you’re an American citizen, and the National Security Agency collects intelligence, that is intercepts of Russians, who report what you’ve said, do you think it’s fair to go to a court and say that’s evidence that you did something wrong? That’s why the FBI is going to a year or more to investigate this, because the American citizens involved in this have a right to have evidence presented in a court beyond a conversation that a Russian official reports. In my world, this distinction is black and white. It is a hard line. I know it’s frustrating for the American people. But I hope they don’t want evidence to be perceived as something that a Russian official says, and that’s it, you can be convicted on that. It’s not.”
Video
Princess Anne teen heading to National Spelling Bee
PRINCESS ANNE — Erin Welch, the winner of the 2017 Maryland Eastern Shore Regional Spelling Bee sponsored by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, is heading to Washington, D.C., this Sunday, May 28 to represent Maryland’s four Lower Shore counties in the 2017 Scripps National Bee.
She will be speller #24 and will be among the first on stage Wednesday morning at 8 a.m., May 31 to try and spell a qualifying word.
The preliminaries on Wednesday the 31st are streamed live on ESPN3. The finals starting 10 a.m. Thursday, June 1 are live on ESPN2 and continue 8:30 p.m. live on ESPN. Spellers can be tracked at www.spellingbee.com. There is also facebook.com/scrippsnationalspellingbee and twitter.com/scrippsbee.
On her fourth try at UMES the eighth-grader who attends St. Francis de Sales Catholic School in Salisbury defeated 26 other competitors during the regional event held in March. The 13-year-old was twice before a runner-up. Her “championship” word was “solvency” and her closest competitor was a fifth grader from Pemberton Elementary School in Salisbury, Isabel Mena.
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Appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate the murder of Seth Rich, the alleged Wikileaks email leaker
On July 10, 2016, Seth Rich was shot twice in the early morning as he walked back to his house in Washington D.C. Immediately after the crime, the death was called an armed robbery...but none of Seth Rich's belongings were taken from him.
Rod Wheeler, a private investigator hired by the family, said that there was evidence Seth Rich had contacted WikiLeaks and that law enforcement were covering this up. MSM is not covering this murder, instead pushing it to the side, so it is now up to us.
The facts do not add up, law enforcement stopped covering the crime, and now it is time for us to fight for justice. Seth Rich deserves this.
To sign the petition.
Associated Press Terminates Melanie Plenda, Leftist Activist Hired to Sneak into KellyAnne Conway Event
The Associated Press will no longer employ Melanie Plenda, a leftist activistexposed by Breitbart News, after she was caught violating the news wire service’s editorial standards.
Plenda announced that the AP has terminated her effective immediately in an interview with the Washington Post’s Erik Wemple. Her termination comes as a Nov. 10, 2016, Facebook post she wrote—in which she pledged resistance to then-incoming President Donald J. Trump—was found to be in direct violation of the AP’s editorial standards.
Plenda, in her interview with Wemple, confirmed she wrote the leftist activist post on her Facebook page—a post she has since deleted, but of which Breitbart News published a screenshot earlier this week.
“There’s no denial from Plenda that she authored the tract in question,” Wemple wrote, summarizing their interview.
“I wrote that,” Plenda is quoted as saying.
“It started out on her ‘personal, private’ Facebook page, she says, and then someone shared it more widely,” Wemple continued, paraphrasing the interview with Plenda before dropping the biggest revelation—one the AP’s own spokeswoman Lauren Easton would not confirm earlier in the day for Breitbart News’s second investigative report into Plenda’s activities—that the AP has terminated Plenda entirely.
“The AP, she continues, has barred her from future political assignments because of the posting,” Wemple wrote.
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Plenda announced that the AP has terminated her effective immediately in an interview with the Washington Post’s Erik Wemple. Her termination comes as a Nov. 10, 2016, Facebook post she wrote—in which she pledged resistance to then-incoming President Donald J. Trump—was found to be in direct violation of the AP’s editorial standards.
Plenda, in her interview with Wemple, confirmed she wrote the leftist activist post on her Facebook page—a post she has since deleted, but of which Breitbart News published a screenshot earlier this week.
“There’s no denial from Plenda that she authored the tract in question,” Wemple wrote, summarizing their interview.
“I wrote that,” Plenda is quoted as saying.
“It started out on her ‘personal, private’ Facebook page, she says, and then someone shared it more widely,” Wemple continued, paraphrasing the interview with Plenda before dropping the biggest revelation—one the AP’s own spokeswoman Lauren Easton would not confirm earlier in the day for Breitbart News’s second investigative report into Plenda’s activities—that the AP has terminated Plenda entirely.
“The AP, she continues, has barred her from future political assignments because of the posting,” Wemple wrote.
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‘Trump trauma’ appears to be fading, says psychiatric survey
During the 2016 presidential election, there was much talk in the press about “pre-election stress disorder,” “post-election stress disorder,” “collective stress,” “election anxiety,” “Trump trauma” and other conditions found among Americans who were dithering over the election itself, and the unexpected victory of President Trump.
Therapists offered advice. Democrats ramped up angry rhetoric. Safe spaces were all the rage. So what’s the prognosis these days — over 17 weeks into Mr. Trump’s presidency?
None other than the American Psychiatric Association has polled the nation on the subject of toxic politics.
Here’s what they found:
Therapists offered advice. Democrats ramped up angry rhetoric. Safe spaces were all the rage. So what’s the prognosis these days — over 17 weeks into Mr. Trump’s presidency?
None other than the American Psychiatric Association has polled the nation on the subject of toxic politics.
Here’s what they found:
DRUDGE ANNIHILATES COMPETITION IN APRIL
The Drudge Report beat out ABC, CBS, CNN, Google and other major news outlets in web traffic during the month of April, stats published Sunday show.
More people got their information from DrudgeReport.com last month than the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and NBC News, according to SimilarWeb analytics, underscoring the independent media titan’s vast influence.
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Tea Party Group Calls for Investigation Into Leaks, Unmasking
'There are clearly rogue government officials, with high-level clearances, engaging in criminal activity involving classified information.'
The co-founder of the largest Tea Party group is trying to ratchet up pressure on the House and Senate intelligence committees to investigate illegal Trump administration leaks and the Obama administration's unmasking of U.S. officials and other citizens during the presidential campaign and transition.
Jenny Beth Martin, the co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, sent a letter on Wednesday to the leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees pressing them to investigate the illegal release of classified information to the media and the unmasking of American citizens as part of their wide-ranging probe into alleged Russian interference and meddling in the last presidential election.
"I write as president of an organization with over 2 million, an organization that has directly felt the heavy hand of persecution by the very government we support with our taxes," she wrote in the letter. "Our concern is that your investigation's emphasis and focus on our government, again illegally interfering in the lives of law-abiding citizens, will go unaddressed with no accountability."
If the GOP-led committees in Congress ignore such allegations of abuse, it would be "absolutely unacceptable in the world's leading democracy, to which people around the globe look hopefully for leadership on issues of government accountability," she said.
More here
The co-founder of the largest Tea Party group is trying to ratchet up pressure on the House and Senate intelligence committees to investigate illegal Trump administration leaks and the Obama administration's unmasking of U.S. officials and other citizens during the presidential campaign and transition.
Jenny Beth Martin, the co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, sent a letter on Wednesday to the leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees pressing them to investigate the illegal release of classified information to the media and the unmasking of American citizens as part of their wide-ranging probe into alleged Russian interference and meddling in the last presidential election.
"I write as president of an organization with over 2 million, an organization that has directly felt the heavy hand of persecution by the very government we support with our taxes," she wrote in the letter. "Our concern is that your investigation's emphasis and focus on our government, again illegally interfering in the lives of law-abiding citizens, will go unaddressed with no accountability."
If the GOP-led committees in Congress ignore such allegations of abuse, it would be "absolutely unacceptable in the world's leading democracy, to which people around the globe look hopefully for leadership on issues of government accountability," she said.
More here
Berlin Fire Company Seeking More Funding From Town
BERLIN – Berlin Fire Company officials are eager to share the organization’s funding needs with town leaders before a final budget for the coming year is approved.
During the public comment portion of Monday’s town council meeting, Berlin Fire Company (BFC) President David Fitzgerald said he wanted to present spreadsheets detailing the fire company’s financial situation before the council adopted the fiscal year 2018 budget in June.
“That may change your mind on some of the budget allocations,” Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald said he was shocked to read Mayor Gee William’s comments in a local newspaper last week regarding the BFC’s failure to attend the town’s April 24 budget work session. Fitzgerald said fire company officials had been prepared to attend but noticed the BFC was not listed on the meeting’s agenda. He said when he contacted Town Administrator Laura Allen, she told him the BFC was not on the agenda because the independent audit the town mandated had not been completed.
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During the public comment portion of Monday’s town council meeting, Berlin Fire Company (BFC) President David Fitzgerald said he wanted to present spreadsheets detailing the fire company’s financial situation before the council adopted the fiscal year 2018 budget in June.
“That may change your mind on some of the budget allocations,” Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald said he was shocked to read Mayor Gee William’s comments in a local newspaper last week regarding the BFC’s failure to attend the town’s April 24 budget work session. Fitzgerald said fire company officials had been prepared to attend but noticed the BFC was not listed on the meeting’s agenda. He said when he contacted Town Administrator Laura Allen, she told him the BFC was not on the agenda because the independent audit the town mandated had not been completed.
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Breaking News: President Trump ordered an investigation after Britain accused U.S. officials of leaking details from the Manchester terror inquiry
President Trump condemned “leaks of sensitive information,” responding to a complaint by Britain’s prime minister, Theresa May, over disclosures of forensic details from the investigation into Britain’s deadliest terrorist attack since 2005.
Mrs. May’s statement followed expressions of outrage by top law enforcement officials after The New York Times published images of the shrapnel, backpack and battery used by Salman Abedi, the 22-year-old bomber who killed 22 people and injured 64 outside the Manchester Arena as a pop concert ended Monday night. The Times did not disclose the source of its information.
Mrs. May’s statement followed expressions of outrage by top law enforcement officials after The New York Times published images of the shrapnel, backpack and battery used by Salman Abedi, the 22-year-old bomber who killed 22 people and injured 64 outside the Manchester Arena as a pop concert ended Monday night. The Times did not disclose the source of its information.
Republican Under House Ethics Probe as Dem Colleagues Get Away with Similar Offense
Why is the House Ethics Committee selectively investigating a Republican lawmaker for publicly commenting on classified material while two Democrats who committed similar acts go unscathed? It appears to be a new low for the notoriously remiss panel that’s charged with investigating and punishing corrupt legislators but instead has a long tradition of letting them off the hook. In short, the committee is supposed to uphold high standards of ethical conduct in a bipartisan manner, but that’s hardly been the case.
In this latest matter, the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation against the Republican chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Devin Nunes, a few days after getting bombarded with complaints from Democrats and leftist groups. Nunes, a veteran congressman who represents California’s Central Valley, is accused of making unauthorized disclosures of classified information to the media as his intel panel probed Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. This apparently occurred during a press conference in which Nunes revealed that President Donald Trump and his associates had been surveilled by American intelligence agencies and unmasked in reports. In its statement announcing the Nunes investigation, the House Ethics Committee writes that it’s determining if Nunes made “unauthorized disclosures of classified information, in violation of House Rules, law, regulations, or other standards of conduct.”
In the meantime, the panel is ignoring similar—if not more serious—complaints against Democratic members of the House Intelligence Committee who disclosed classified information in flagrant violation of the rules. The lawmakers, Adam Schiff and Jackie Speier, publicly discussed the substance of classified calls between Trump’s former National Security Advisor, retired Army General Mike Flynn, and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak.
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In this latest matter, the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation against the Republican chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Devin Nunes, a few days after getting bombarded with complaints from Democrats and leftist groups. Nunes, a veteran congressman who represents California’s Central Valley, is accused of making unauthorized disclosures of classified information to the media as his intel panel probed Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. This apparently occurred during a press conference in which Nunes revealed that President Donald Trump and his associates had been surveilled by American intelligence agencies and unmasked in reports. In its statement announcing the Nunes investigation, the House Ethics Committee writes that it’s determining if Nunes made “unauthorized disclosures of classified information, in violation of House Rules, law, regulations, or other standards of conduct.”
In the meantime, the panel is ignoring similar—if not more serious—complaints against Democratic members of the House Intelligence Committee who disclosed classified information in flagrant violation of the rules. The lawmakers, Adam Schiff and Jackie Speier, publicly discussed the substance of classified calls between Trump’s former National Security Advisor, retired Army General Mike Flynn, and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak.
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‘Ride Inside’ Campaign Shines Light On Bow Riding Dangers
OCEAN CITY — On the eve of Memorial Day weekend, federal, state and local officials were on hand in Ocean City on Wednesday to launch a new “Ride Inside” public safety campaign on the dangers of bow-riding.
In the wake of several serious boating accidents in the resort last summer, including a fatal propeller strike that claimed the life of a child in August, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and its law enforcement arm the Natural Resources Police (NRP) and the U.S. Coast Guard have partnered on an aggressive public awareness campaign promoting boating safety and the dangers of bow-riding, or riding on the front of a vessel outside the passenger areas with one’s legs dangling over the water.
Almost immediately after the tragic fatality in Ocean City last summer when a nine-year-old boy who was riding on the bow of a rented pontoon boat fell off the front of the vessel and was swept under it and into the path of the propeller, state officials and the area’s representatives in Annapolis began exploring ways to prevent similar bow-riding accidents in the future. Currently, bow-riding falls under the larger umbrella of reckless or negligent operation, but the DNR and its Boat Act Advisory Committee along with Delegate Mary Beth Carozza and Senator Jim Mathias began exploring ways to regulate bow-riding as its own offense.
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Migrant Man Who Raped Boy Claiming It Was A “Sexual Emergency” Has Sentence REDUCED
One of the many Iraqi asylum seekers who were let into Germany and arrested for raping a 10-year-old boy in a public swimming pool in Vienna will now have is sentence reduced from six years, down to four after a judge believed that his punishment was…How you say…Too “draconian”.
Back in December of 2015, the 20-year-old Iraqi Amir A. viciously raped a 10-year-old boy at the public pool in Vienna and appalled the country after confessing that what he did was a “sexual emergency”.
The sick monster was found guilty of rape and given six years, but was given a tender mercy by an undeserving judge who felt he needed to reduce his sentence to four years, letting him walk out of prison in 2019. A child rapist…
Can we have this judged raped, then have his attacker serve four years? Sound good?
Amir A., who came to Austria strictly for profitable reasons and was found to not have been part of the oppressed in his native Iraq, acknowledge the brutal rape. He said gave the excuse that he “not had sex for four months” and of course it was an “emergency”.
Roland Kier, the lawyer for the scumbag, appealed the initial judgement asserting the sentence had been too “draconian” for the crime and far too hard of a judgment.
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Back in December of 2015, the 20-year-old Iraqi Amir A. viciously raped a 10-year-old boy at the public pool in Vienna and appalled the country after confessing that what he did was a “sexual emergency”.
The sick monster was found guilty of rape and given six years, but was given a tender mercy by an undeserving judge who felt he needed to reduce his sentence to four years, letting him walk out of prison in 2019. A child rapist…
Can we have this judged raped, then have his attacker serve four years? Sound good?
Amir A., who came to Austria strictly for profitable reasons and was found to not have been part of the oppressed in his native Iraq, acknowledge the brutal rape. He said gave the excuse that he “not had sex for four months” and of course it was an “emergency”.
Roland Kier, the lawyer for the scumbag, appealed the initial judgement asserting the sentence had been too “draconian” for the crime and far too hard of a judgment.
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The Missing Conversation in Media: Why Did GOP Reaffirm Health Insurance as a Right?
Recently crowned Miss USA, Kara McCullough, created a firestorm with one simple comment. When asked if health care was a right or a privilege, McCullough gave the free-market response: “I'm definitely going to say it's a privilege.”
McCullough wasn’t done. She linked health insurance to employment. “As a government employee, I am granted health care, and I see firsthand that for one to have health care, you need to have a job. Therefore, we need to continue to cultivate this environment that we're given the opportunities to have health care as well as jobs to all the American citizens worldwide,” she explained.
Critics lambasted McCullough for her remarks. She has already backed down from that position, shrinking from the attacks. But her comments bring up an essential question. With recent passage of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) in the House of Representatives on May 5, there is virtually no media discussion about one of the most fundamental aspects of the health care debate – is health insurance a right?
Journalists have discussed virtually every other aspect of health insurance, but not this most fundamental piece..
More here
McCullough wasn’t done. She linked health insurance to employment. “As a government employee, I am granted health care, and I see firsthand that for one to have health care, you need to have a job. Therefore, we need to continue to cultivate this environment that we're given the opportunities to have health care as well as jobs to all the American citizens worldwide,” she explained.
Critics lambasted McCullough for her remarks. She has already backed down from that position, shrinking from the attacks. But her comments bring up an essential question. With recent passage of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) in the House of Representatives on May 5, there is virtually no media discussion about one of the most fundamental aspects of the health care debate – is health insurance a right?
Journalists have discussed virtually every other aspect of health insurance, but not this most fundamental piece..
More here
Boy Mayor Jake Day Forced To Rework City Tax Breaks/Increases, Landlords Fight Back
It starts about 22:45 on this video.
Jake Day WILL be forced to rework his tax proposals, wait and see.
Tucker Carlson BLASTS NYC Dem Who Attempts To HONOR Terrorist In Parade
Oscar Lopez Rivera, who is known as the reported mastermind of the FALN, the Marxist Puerto Rican separatist terrorist group that was responsible for over 100 bombings in the U.S from the 1970S to the 80s, was convicted of multiple charges and had been jailed since 1981. Jailed until President Obama came around and commuted his sentence as one of his last acts in office.
He commuted the sentence of a man that never renounced or apologized for his violence and even still sees himself as an enemy of the United States. This is the same man who was just released last week. Now, he is going to be honored in the NYC Puerto Rican Day parade that is going down on June 11.
Democrats are not going to just attend, they are going to do much much more. They are going to PROUDLY support this terrorist who considers himself an enemy to the US. In fact, NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito even threw a support rally for Lopez Rivera, AND both House members Rep Jose Serrano and Rep. Luis Gutierrez have issued statement in support of him, with Gutierrez even going as far as to compare the terrorist to George Washington!
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He commuted the sentence of a man that never renounced or apologized for his violence and even still sees himself as an enemy of the United States. This is the same man who was just released last week. Now, he is going to be honored in the NYC Puerto Rican Day parade that is going down on June 11.
Democrats are not going to just attend, they are going to do much much more. They are going to PROUDLY support this terrorist who considers himself an enemy to the US. In fact, NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito even threw a support rally for Lopez Rivera, AND both House members Rep Jose Serrano and Rep. Luis Gutierrez have issued statement in support of him, with Gutierrez even going as far as to compare the terrorist to George Washington!
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McAuliffe pardons Salvadoran mother for driving offense in hopes of stopping deportation
Immigrant-rights groups had been asking Virginia officials to help Liliana Cruz Mendez, 30, who left her native El Salvador in 2006 and lives in Falls Church with her two U.S.-born children, ages 4 and 10. Cruz Mendez was convicted of the driving offense in 2013 after she was pulled over for a broken taillight, according to CASA, a Maryland-based immigrant-rights group that has drawn attention to the case.
Cruz Mendez had received two deportation stays allowing her to remain in the country, but she was detained again Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a “regularly scheduled check-in.”
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Should The Police Control Their Own Body Camera Footage?
There is a growing perception that body cameras, now generating millions of hours of footage, are there less to keep tabs on police, and more to keep tabs on the public.
Body cameras are spreading fast through American policing, and they're generating an ocean of video. Axon, a company that provides secure cloud storage for police departments, says it's received more than 4 million hours' worth of video uploads from its clients.
Almost without exception, those videos are controlled by the law enforcement agencies that created them. Some are now challenging that practice and proposing alternatives.
Alex Vitale, director the Policing and Social Justice Project at Brooklyn College, argues it's not.
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Body cameras are spreading fast through American policing, and they're generating an ocean of video. Axon, a company that provides secure cloud storage for police departments, says it's received more than 4 million hours' worth of video uploads from its clients.
Almost without exception, those videos are controlled by the law enforcement agencies that created them. Some are now challenging that practice and proposing alternatives.
Alex Vitale, director the Policing and Social Justice Project at Brooklyn College, argues it's not.
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Average Health Insurance Premiums Doubled Under O.Care
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a new report that reveals that individual health insurance premiums doubled under Obamacare.
Health insurance premiums doubled since 2013, the year before many Obamacare regulations and mandates took effect. The Obama administration compiled the data for the report, which was produced by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE).
HHS spokesperson Alleigh Marré stated, “With data that shows average premiums doubling nationwide and Americans paying nearly $3,000 more for health insurance per year, this report is a sobering reminder of why reforming our healthcare system remains a top priority of the Trump Administration. The status quo is unsustainable.”
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Health insurance premiums doubled since 2013, the year before many Obamacare regulations and mandates took effect. The Obama administration compiled the data for the report, which was produced by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE).
HHS spokesperson Alleigh Marré stated, “With data that shows average premiums doubling nationwide and Americans paying nearly $3,000 more for health insurance per year, this report is a sobering reminder of why reforming our healthcare system remains a top priority of the Trump Administration. The status quo is unsustainable.”
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Wasserman Schultz Threatens Capital Police With ‘Consequences’ Unless They Return Equipment
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.) told the U.S. Capitol Police chief in a bizarre and contentious exchange that there would be "consequences" if he did not return equipment that belonged to a staffer.
"I'd like to know how Capitol Police handle equipment that belongs to a member or a staffer that's been lost within the Capitol complex and found or recovered by one of your officers," Wasserman Schultz said during a Thursday subcommittee hearing on the Capitol Police budget.
Chief Matthew R. Verderosa said the equipment would be processed, and that "generally" it would be returned once ownership was established. "If it's part of an ongoing case, then there are other things that have to occur for that to happen," he noted.
"I think you're violating the rules when you conduct your business that way," she said, "and should expect that there would be consequences."
A police source told the Daily Caller that the "equipment" alluded to was actually a laptop belonging to Wasserman Schultz, stolen by an employee and stashed in a House office building.
Politico reported in March that the staffer in question, Imran Awan, was one of five Democratic House staffers under investigation for "stealing equipment from members’ offices without their knowledge and committing serious, potentially illegal, violations on the House IT network." Two weeks later, Fox News reported that Awan was still employed by Wasserman Schultz. Awan has since left the country for Pakistan.
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[One might wonder what is on that laptop that would create such angst.. --Editor]
"I'd like to know how Capitol Police handle equipment that belongs to a member or a staffer that's been lost within the Capitol complex and found or recovered by one of your officers," Wasserman Schultz said during a Thursday subcommittee hearing on the Capitol Police budget.
Chief Matthew R. Verderosa said the equipment would be processed, and that "generally" it would be returned once ownership was established. "If it's part of an ongoing case, then there are other things that have to occur for that to happen," he noted.
"I think you're violating the rules when you conduct your business that way," she said, "and should expect that there would be consequences."
A police source told the Daily Caller that the "equipment" alluded to was actually a laptop belonging to Wasserman Schultz, stolen by an employee and stashed in a House office building.
Politico reported in March that the staffer in question, Imran Awan, was one of five Democratic House staffers under investigation for "stealing equipment from members’ offices without their knowledge and committing serious, potentially illegal, violations on the House IT network." Two weeks later, Fox News reported that Awan was still employed by Wasserman Schultz. Awan has since left the country for Pakistan.
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[One might wonder what is on that laptop that would create such angst.. --Editor]
Woman: ‘I Was Always Anti-Gun’ Until Eye-To-Eye with Home Invader
Mississippi resident Lori Shelton says she was “always anti-gun” until she heard noises in her home and found herself eye-to-eye with a home invader.
Shelton’s horrific experience occurred in April and she is now taking a firearm training course so she will be ready should her home be targeted again. She is also getting her concealed carry permit.
According to News Channel 3, Shelton said, “I was getting ready for work doing my normal routine, and I heard a noise as I was getting out of the shower.” She looked to see the source of the noise and “saw a man coming through the back of the house.” She said, “The first thing I thought was I gotta do something.” But she was limited on options: her daughter was in bed asleep, her husband was at work, and she did not have a gun.
Shelton checked again to see where the suspect was, saying, “I peeked through the blinds, the blinds stayed closed and peeked through and saw him looking at me. I mean we made complete eye contact. He proceeded to come through the back of the house, and I ran back and dialed 911.”
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Shelton’s horrific experience occurred in April and she is now taking a firearm training course so she will be ready should her home be targeted again. She is also getting her concealed carry permit.
According to News Channel 3, Shelton said, “I was getting ready for work doing my normal routine, and I heard a noise as I was getting out of the shower.” She looked to see the source of the noise and “saw a man coming through the back of the house.” She said, “The first thing I thought was I gotta do something.” But she was limited on options: her daughter was in bed asleep, her husband was at work, and she did not have a gun.
Shelton checked again to see where the suspect was, saying, “I peeked through the blinds, the blinds stayed closed and peeked through and saw him looking at me. I mean we made complete eye contact. He proceeded to come through the back of the house, and I ran back and dialed 911.”
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World Running Low on Sand
The world is suddenly discovering we are running out of sand, according to the New Yorker.
Sand, known as "aggregate" in the industrial world and includes gravel, crushed stone, and various recycled materials, is the world's second most heavily exploited natural resource, after water, "and for many uses, the right kind is scarce or inaccessible," the New Yorker's David Owen wrote.
Owen points to a 2014 United Nations Environment Program report, "Sand, Rarer Than One Thinks," that concluded the mining of sand and gravel "greatly exceeds natural renewal rates" and "the amount being mined is increasing exponentially, mainly as a result of rapid economic growth in Asia."
In the United States, the fastest-growing uses include the fortification of shorelines eroded by rising sea levels and more and more powerful ocean storms, Owen reported.
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Sand, known as "aggregate" in the industrial world and includes gravel, crushed stone, and various recycled materials, is the world's second most heavily exploited natural resource, after water, "and for many uses, the right kind is scarce or inaccessible," the New Yorker's David Owen wrote.
Owen points to a 2014 United Nations Environment Program report, "Sand, Rarer Than One Thinks," that concluded the mining of sand and gravel "greatly exceeds natural renewal rates" and "the amount being mined is increasing exponentially, mainly as a result of rapid economic growth in Asia."
In the United States, the fastest-growing uses include the fortification of shorelines eroded by rising sea levels and more and more powerful ocean storms, Owen reported.
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The 'No Fun League,' Relaxes End Zone Celebration Rules
For years, the league has limited how players could celebrate following touchdowns, and for how long.
The rules have been loosened for the 2017 season — allowing players to again use the football as a prop, celebrate as a group and roll around on the ground if they like.
Fans have long wanted the NFL to lighten up.
Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters that the moniker "No Fun League" had been thrown around since he was an intern in the league office.
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