Trump Administration, Reversing Trend, Sheds 11,000 Federal Employees in Six Months

The Trump administration has shed nearly 11,000 federal employees during its first six months, reversing a two year trend of gains throughout the executive branch.

A July jobs report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday showed non-postal federal agencies employed 2,188,900 workers at the end of the month, down 2,200 from June and 10,700 from January, when Trump took office. President Trump has prioritized shrinking the civilian workforce, issuing an executive order -- and follow up guidance through the Office of Management and Budget -- calling on agencies to develop short and long-term strategies to cut employees. Agencies turned in preliminary drafts for those plans on June 30, which also required leaders to spell out what steps they have already taken to trim their rolls.

Not since 2013 have federal agencies slashed jobs on such a large scale. That was when sequestration, triggered by the 2011 Budget Control Act, forced agencies to take drastic measures to cut costs. Agencies shed nearly 57,000 jobs that year, the largest drop off in any single year since 1997. The federal government began making net hiring gains again in mid 2014, and added nearly 50,000 employees in 2015 and 2016 combined.

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WICOMICO COUNTY COUNCIL P U B L I C N O T I C E

NOTICE OF WORK SESSION

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the County Council of Wicomico County, Maryland, will hold an open work session for the purpose of interviewing nominees to the Wicomico County School Board on Wednesday, August 9, 2017, at 9:30 a.m., in the Government Office Building, Room 301, Salisbury, Maryland.

Rerouting? Your GPS may get lost during the eclipse

ARLINGTON, Va. — While you gaze at the sky during the Aug. 21 eclipse, the moon may mess around with your technology.

GPS signals may be affected by the eclipse because they travel through the ionosphere. According to gps.gov, GPS signals are transmitted from satellites 12,500 miles above Earth and travel through the ionosphere, which extends to around 600 miles above Earth.

Virginia Tech professor Greg Earle will conduct an experiment during the eclipse to study its effect on the atmosphere by looking at GPS and radio signals.

“There’s a region that we call the ionosphere where the medium is instead of just normal air like we breathe, you have air that is sort of electrified,” Earle told WTOP.

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Optimism of Small-Business Owners at Highest Level Seen in Decade

Optimism for small-business owners about their business situation is at the highest level seen in a decade, according to a poll from Gallup.

Business owners were asked about their current business situation and how they felt about their businesses' future. While business owners are historically more positive about the future than their current situation, the results from this poll show a large uptick in how businesses feel about their current situation.

"The overall increase in the index this quarter is mainly the result of an uptick in present situation ratings, rather than expectations about the future," Gallup states. "The present situation score rose from +36 in the second quarter to +45 in the third quarter."

Twenty-one percent of small-business owners said they increased the number of jobs, which is one point below the all-time high of 22 percent seen in 2007. Only 10 percent of business-owners said the number of jobs has declined in the past year, which is the lowest level seen since 2006.

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CANCELED: AMBER Alert (Child Abducted) In WORCESTER COUNTY, MD

The Amber Alert for the missing 3 year old that was issued has been canceled. The child has been located safely. Additional details will be released once the investigators can do so. Many thanks to all those who shared the Alert.

 

Jalay Diggs (3 years old)

Last seen Aug 7, 2017 in Worcester, MD

Vehicle:

• Lexus, Gray, SUV
  Maryland license plate #1CR3270

On behalf of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department , an Amber Alert is being activated for a missing 3 year old, believed to have been abducted by the suspect.

If you have information, contact:

Worcester County Sheriff's Department

Call: 410-632-1111

Missing child

Jalay Miyah Diggs

• Age now: 3 years old
• Sex: Female
• Skin: Biracial
• Hair: Brown
• Eyes: Brown
• Height: 28 inches
• Weight: 25 pounds
• Description: Last seen wearing pink flowered capris and an orange top

Suspect

Kayleigh Burton

• Age now: 30 years old
• Sex: Female
• Skin: White
• Hair: Brown
• Eyes: Brown
• Height: 5 feet 6 inches
• Weight: 175 pounds
• Description: Blonde highlights

Wicomico County Fair - August 18-20 at WinterPlace Park

9-Year-Old Wants to Be NASA's 'Planetary Protection Officer'

A 9-year-old New Jersey boy who describes himself as a "Guardian of the Galaxy" is hoping to add the real-life NASA title "Planetary Protection Officer" to his resume.

NASA says it received an application for the position from fourth-grader Jack Davis, who touted his expertise in space-themed movies. In a letter the agency posted online , Jack acknowledged his youth, but says that will make it easier for him to think like an alien.

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CALL FOR COMMUNITY HELP!!!

CALL FOR COMMUNITY HELP!!!

This Friday, as part of Salisbury's Housing First program, Salisbury's Department of Housing and Community Development will move a family of 8 (2 parents and six children) from a homeless shelter into permanent, stable housing. This is exactly what the program exists for, and we're extremely happy to help this family make a new beginning in a real home. But we need your help.

The transition out of homelessness isn't as simple as handing someone the door keys and wishing them well. Wraparound care means job counseling, assistance with finding suitable healthcare options, and so much more. Something you might not think of is the need for the basic essentials of everyday life -- somewhere to sit, clean bed sheets, condiments, toiletries.

Concerned citizens ask us very, very often: "How can I help?" This is an opportunity to make a REAL difference in the lives of a REAL family RIGHT HERE in your community.

Between now and this Friday, any of the items listed below can be dropped off in the lobby of the Salisbury Police Department, located at Rt 50 and Delaware Ave. For donations of larger items (we need bunk beds) please call Christine Chestnutt at 443-397-2149, and we can arrange to pick up.

Please help us make this family's homecoming a warm and wonderful one.

Trump slams Dem senator for 'phony' Vietnam bravery story

President Trump lashed out at Sen. Richard Blumenthal in a tweetstorm early Monday, slamming him as a “phony Vietnam con artist,” after comments the Connecticut Democrat made against the Trump administration on a morning news program.

“Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist!” Trump tweeted Monday morning. “Never in U.S. history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal. He told stories about his Vietnam battles and conquests, how brave he was, and it was all a lie. He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child. Now he judges collusion?"

The president was referring to a controversy that arose during Blumenthal’s 2010 campaign, when he claimed that he served in the Vietnam War.

More here

Baltimore Might Have Too Many Judges

Does Baltimore City have more judges than it needs?

The I-Team has learned that an internal audit is underway to answer that question. It follows a dramatic drop in caseloads over the past decade.

Baltimore's district courts can be pretty quiet places, some days with no need for all courtrooms on some days to even be open. The caseload has dropped that much.

There are 28 judges assigned to Baltimore's district courts. The internal audit by the state's top court officials is to answer how many are really needed to handle the current caseload.

Here's what's happened: In 2005, the city's district's courts handled an average of 6,528 criminal cases each month. Now, they handle an average of 2,252 criminal cases per month -- a drop of 66 percent.

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Incredible Video Of Today's Tornado in Salisbury Md

Video Credit: Edward J. Schetlin Jr.

Maryland city may let undocumented residents vote

A D.C. suburb in Maryland is considering a plan that would give undocumented immigrants the right to vote, making their city the largest in the Old Line State to do so.

The city, which is home of the University of Maryland’s main campus and nearly 30,000 residents, is weighing approval of the new measure to let noncitizens cast ballots for mayor and City Council, The Baltimore Sun reported Sunday.

Supporters of the measure say that local elections focus on issues like trash collection, and other municipal services and they are issues that affect residents of the city, regardless of their citizenship status.

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Police/Courts Aug. 7, 2017

DUI crash
Charles Jerread, 66, of Whaleyville was arrested for negligent driving and DUI early last Thursday morning after his truck landed in a ditch on Route 611 and Murray Road.

Hookah theft
Ocean City Police arrested an 18-year-old woman after she allegedly stole a hookah, and assaulted a Boardwalk store employee when she returned it last Thursday.

Car destruction
Marina A. Santiago, 28, of Allentown, Pennsylvania was arrested after allegedly slamming a bucket repeatedly against a car early last Friday.

Taxi destruction
Henry Contreras, 24, of Falls Church, Virginia was arrested after he broken a taxi windshield wiper and allegedly punched an officer last Saturday.

Indecent exposure
William Griffin, 32, North Potomac, Maryland was arrested after he allegedly masturbated in the hallway of an uptown hotel on July 29.

Disorderly and dancing
Two 18-year-old girls were arrested after dancing on a marked Ocean City Police patrol car and screaming foul language on the Boardwalk near Ninth Street on June 30.

Domestic dispute
Alexis Martinez-Maltez, 25 of Woodbridge, Virginia was charged with second-degree assault after he allegedly hit and strangled a woman last Saturday.

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CULVER SEEKS PUBLIC DEBATE ON TERM LIMITS IN CHARTER REVIEW MEETINGS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS

In a Proposed Agenda Item letter to Council Members dated July 18, 2017, County Executive Bob Culver reaffirmed his support for term limits for the County Executive and Council Members' tenures of service to Wicomico County.

The discussion began in the last Charter Review Committee Meeting, when members began grappling with the measure - unable to reach a definite conclusion or put forth any recommendation.

Culver has always lobbied strong support for term limits and seeks Members to give residents a chance to give their opinions before making a final decision on the matter. Additionally, from feedback received over the years, Culver is confident there is solid public support for the measure among Wicomico citizens.

Culver states in the correspondence, "...I feel that there should be a very open public dialogue on this topic and I am, therefore, urging open work sessions during upcoming Council meetings as well as public forums that would provide our citizens ample opportunity to weigh in and express their thoughts and opinions."

As of this date, no word has been received from Council Members in response to Culver's inquiry.

Man takes deal for six years in jail

Federal prosecutors have worked out a plea deal with a man who robbed two juveniles at gunpoint in Ocean City last summer.

Montray D. Gross, 32, of Grasonville, Maryland, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with a felony conviction in U.S. District Court last week. Gross was arrested by Ocean City Police in July 2016, after two juveniles reported they had been robbed while walking through the Tidelands Caribbean parking garage on Washington Street.

The two juveniles asked people on the Boardwalk, including Gross, where they could buy milk, according to the Ocean City police report. Gross told them to cut through the parking lot as a shortcut.

When the pair were in the parking garage, Gross came up to them, reached behind his back, said “give me your money, I got a gun here.”

Ocean City police reports said Gross took $285, a gold chain, a leather corded necklace with a cross and a belt with a Chevrolet Corvette belt buckle, valued at $50, before he fled.

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WICOMICO PUBLIC LIBRARIES WILL CLOSE FOR TRANSITION AUGUST 12 – 17, 2017

SALISBURY, MD - Wicomico Public Library will be closed from Saturday, August 12th thru Thursday, August 17th for a transition which will have public libraries on the Eastern Shore joining together to create a new Shore catalog.

During this period, all library activities and services will be suspended such as fines, searching the catalogs, placing items on hold and getting new library cards. Library materials will not be due between August 9th thru 23rd and no fines will be incurred over this period. Additionally, this means all satellite branches including the Bookmobile service will also be closed.

Library staff has issued directions that all cardholders to save their reading histories and lists, emailing it to themselves because they will be deleted in this transition phase. Please refer to the library site for directions on how to complete this process to preserve lists.

After reopening on August 17th, all library cardholders are asked to come in and verify their information on their library account. Please bring in photo identification with a current address to assist with this confirmation.

This transition will benefit all Wicomico Library Cardholders in a variety of ways. From access to more materials and faster availability to a new user-friendly, modernized catalog, the library will be mobile-friendly and have a wider variety of resources like a digital library, including eBooks, downloadable music and movies in an easy-to-use, searchable catalog. Furthermore, Wicomico users will also have access to collections held in seven other library systems throughout the Eastern Shore. Counties: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot Wicomico and Worcester.

Wicomico Public Library staff thanks the community for its patience and cooperation during this transition and looks forward to continuing to deliver great customer service upon its completion. Phone inquiries are being taken at (410) 749-3612 X155 should anyone have questions about the transition or other related matters.

Videos Of Tornado Going Across Route 13

Tornado Warning for Worcester County, Maryland

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM EDT FOR NORTHEASTERN WORCESTER COUNTY...
At 443 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Berlin, or 11 miles west of Ocean City, moving east at 25 mph.
HAZARD...Tornado.
SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.
IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely.
This dangerous storm will be near...
Berlin around 455 PM EDT.
Ocean Pines around 500 PM EDT.
Cape Isle Of Wight around 505 PM EDT.
Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include West
Ocean City, Showell and Ocean City Municipality.
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

Recommended actions

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

BREAKING!! Tornado Warning for Wicomico County, Maryland

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WAKEFIELD HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... EAST CENTRAL WICOMICO COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN MARYLAND... NORTHEASTERN WORCESTER COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN MARYLAND... * UNTIL 515 PM EDT * AT 438 PM EDT, A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR NEWARK, OR 14 MILES EAST OF SALISBURY, MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. HAZARD... TORNADO. SOURCE... RADAR INDICATED ROTATION. IMPACT... FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE TO ROOFS, WINDOWS, AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR. TREE DAMAGE IS LIKELY. * THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR... NEWARK AROUND 445 PM EDT. BERLIN AROUND 500 PM EDT. OCEAN PINES AROUND 505 PM EDT. CAPE ISLE OF WIGHT AROUND 515 PM EDT. OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE WEST OCEAN CITY, OCEAN CITY MUNICIPALITY, POWELLVILLE, SHOWELL, WHALEYVILLE, WHITON AND WILLARDS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS, IN A MOBILE HOME, OR IN A VEHICLE, MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS. PLEASE SEND YOUR REPORTS OF HAIL AND OR WIND DAMAGE... INCLUDING TREES OR LARGE LIMBS DOWNED... BY CALLING NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WAKEFIELD AT ... 7 5 7... 8 9 9... 2 4 1 5. && TORNADO... RADAR INDICATED HAIL... 0.00IN

WBOC Fails To Warn Viewers Of Tornado On App Sponsored By Hertrich

Hey. WBOC is supposed to send out audible alerts on their App when there's a weather emergency. It didn't go off today.

Fenwick Council Looking To Alter Voter Qualification Changes

FENWICK ISLAND – Officials in the Town of Fenwick Island approved the first reading on a charter change that would give properties held in trust two votes and properties held in deed four votes in municipal elections.

In a Fenwick Island Town Council meeting last Friday, the town’s Ad Hoc Election Committee introduced changes to a section of the town’s charter that outline voting qualifications for residents, non-residents and artificial entities.

While the changes will not affect residents and artificial entities (LLCs, partnerships and corporations), Councilwoman Julie Lee said the revisions would reinstate voting rights for trustees and their spouses.

“We owe it to the town to try and restore the voting rights of those that lost their voting rights in 2008 when the charter was changed,” she said.

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Tornado Causes Massive Damage In Salisbury, Maryland Part 11

Special Weather Statement 4:10pm

Event: Special Weather Statement
Alert:
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN WICOMICO AND
NORTHEASTERN WORCESTER COUNTIES...

At 410 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located over Salisbury
University, moving east at 25 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph and heavy rain are possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Salisbury, Fruitland, Salisbury University, Berlin, Parsonsburg,
Newark, Pittsville, Willards, Bishop, Salisbury-Wicomico, Lakewood, Chesapeake Heights, Powellville, Showell, Whaleyville, Whiton, Shad Point, Allen and Eden.
Strong wind gusts are possible with this storm. These wind gusts are capable of knocking down tree limbs...small or weakened trees...and blowing around trash cans...potted plants...lawn furniture and other light outdoor objects.
Motorists should use extra caution in the vicinity of this storm. Be
prepared for rapid changes in weather and road conditions. Heavy rain could cause ponding of water on roads...and possible minor flooding of ditches and poor drainage areas.
 
Target Area:
Inland Worcester
Wicomico

Tornado Causes Massive Damage In Salisbury, Maryland Part 10

No Sirens Sounded as Tornado Leaves Injuries, Damages in Tulsa

No sirens were sounded in Tulsa despite an EF2 tornado that swept through the city early Sunday morning, leaving a trail of damage and injuries in its wake.

"The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning at 1:25 a.m.," the city of Tulsa said in a statement to the Tulsa World. "This particular storm spun up at such a quick rate between scans of the radar and by the time the NWS issued the warning, the storm was crossing into Broken Arrow."

Roger Jolliff, director of the Tulsa Emergency Management agency, told CBS News they did not sound the sirens because the twister had already moved on to the neighboring city.

"I said if it's in Broken Arrow, we will not sound our sirens because the threat at that time that we had got this information... was going into Broken Arrow," Jolliff told CBS.

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State Dept.: Trump Policies Brought 'Dramatic' Gains Against ISIS

Aggressive steps taken by the Trump administration have brought "dramatically accelerated" gains against the Islamic State in the last six months, a top State Department official said.

Brett McGurk, senior envoy to the U.S.-backed coalition, told reporters Friday that actions taken by President Donald Trump — including pushing decision-making down to field commanders — has resulted in about 8,000 square miles being reclaimed in Iraq and Syria.

McGurk's comments were reported by The Washington Post.

McGurk, who held the same position in the Obama White House, cited "key changes" under President Trump that have brought about the ISIS changes.

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The Weather Channel Credits SBYNews.com

Tornado Causes Massive Damage In Salisbury, Maryland Part 9

Tall Ship Returns Thursday For Two-Week Stay

OCEAN CITY — The replica tall ship El Galeon Andalucia is scheduled to make its return trip to Ocean City next Thursday, creating a unique spectacle as it passes through the Inlet and then narrowly through the Route 50 drawbridge to it temporary home along the bulkhead between 2nd and 3rd streets.

El Galeon made two successful stops in Ocean City, first in 2013 and again in 2014, and delighted thousands of visitors and school-age kids with daily tours and lavish receptions.

El Galeon will arrive off the coast of Ocean City next Thursday and will likely make the trip to its dockside home sometime midday, depending on a variety of factors including the tides, winds and currents. It was scheduled to make a pass in review under full sail down the beachfront in Ocean City on its way to the Inlet, but city officials learned this week that might be in jeopardy.

Because the tide windows are so tight, it will likely be challenging for El Galeon to make the pass under full sail down the beach and then get the sails furled and the yards up in a short time before the passage through the Inlet. Special Events Director Frank Miller remains in contact with the vessel’s crew and was working on some timetable solutions this week, but the pass in review under full sail might be scrubbed in order to accommodate the primary goal of getting the vessel through the Inlet and drawbridge.

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Tornado Causes Massive Damage In Salisbury, Maryland Part 8

Federal employees step up defiance of Trump

Government employees are growing increasingly willing to criticize or defy the White House and President Trump’s top appointees.

A handful of current and former career staffers in the Interior Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have openly shredded their superiors within the last several weeks, continuing a trend that has developed throughout the government over the course of Trump’s tenure in the Oval Office.

The growing opposition in the executive branch comes as the White House’s legislative agenda has stalled in Congress and Trump turns to his Cabinet agencies to change course in several policy areas. It also is emanating from career staffers or political holdovers whose resistance to Trump has, at times, been rooted in deep opposition to the president’s agenda.

“From our point of view, it’s kind of obvious,” said Jeff Ruch, the executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), when asked about staffers’ growing pushback.

“You have Donald Trump, who ran and said he would drain the swamp, meaning them.”

“I think career staff don’t typically speak out publicly unless they feel like there are serious issues and problems going on within the agency,” said Liz Purchia, a former Obama administration EPA spokeswoman.

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[FLASHBACK: General McChrystal’s bad-mouthing of Obama’s national security team is insubordination. Foreign Affairs editor James Hoge on why he must be fired—and how Obama is in danger of becoming a wuss.]

Up to the minute reporting............a half hour late lol

The Boy Mayor stated on Facebook if you want to real up to the minute news go to the SPD Website, NOT!

Tornado Causes Massive Damage In Salisbury, Maryland Part 7

Tornado Causes Massive Damage In Salisbury, Maryland Part 6

Tornado Causes Massive Damage In Salisbury, Maryland Part 5

Tornado Causes Massive Damage In Salisbury, Maryland Part 4

Tornado Causes Massive Damage In Salisbury, Maryland Part 3

Tornado Causes Massive Damage In Salisbury, Maryland Part 2

Tornado Causes Massive Damage In Salisbury, Maryland Part 1

Resort Raises Taxi Medallion Transfer Fee

OCEAN CITY — Amid concerns of possible collusion on its taxi medallion sale prices, resort officials this week voted to create a flat transfer fee paid to the town when a medallion is sold from one operator to another.

Earlier this year, the Mayor and Council voted to adopt a buy-back program for its taxi medallions, essentially a limited number of licenses to operate cabs within the resort. Through the buy-back program, the city intends to reduce the number of medallions on the streets, thereby increasing the demand and, as a result, increasing their value.

In the first phase of the buy-back program, the Mayor and Council agreed to purchase 18 taxi medallions at $4,000 each, or a total of $72,000. The $4,000 figure was determined to be fair value based on the recent trends in sales between private operators. When one operator sells a medallion or block of medallions to another operator, the city receives a transfer fee equaling the greater of $500 or 25 percent of the sale price.

However, it has come to light some operators might be reporting the sale price of a taxi medallion to the city at a much lower rate than the actual sale, thereby lowering the amount of the transfer fee paid to the resort. For example, a sale could be reported to the city at $2,500, when an operator actually sold the medallion to another operator at say $4,500.

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BREAKING NEWS: Did A Tornado Just Rip Through Salisbury?

While this is breaking and developing, we're told the gas station roof at Cheers has been ripped off, cars across the street are flipped over and even on top of each other and a roof of a home near Bennett is completely ripped off. We're working on getting pictures soon. More to come...

Trump Immigration Crackdown Leads to Higher Construction Wages

President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration is already having a positive impact on American workers through increased wages in the construction industry.

In a new report by Fox News, Texas construction companies admitted that Trump’s increased enforcement of immigration was forcing them to pay higher wages to U.S. construction workers:

“Half of the workers in construction in Texas are undocumented,” [Stan Marek, CEO of Marek Construction] said. “We do hear that there are a lot of undocumented workers that are leaving the state, going to other states that don’t have the anti-immigrant sentiment and many of them are going back to Mexico.”

Ted Wilson with Residential Strategies, Inc. has run the numbers.

“We’ve seen direct construction costs climb by over 30 percent,” Wilson said, “and a lot of that is directly attributed to what builders are having to pay their subs and trades in wages.”

Meaning, with so few workers out there, construction companies have had to pay more to attract them, which adds to the cost of a home.

The big business lobby and CEOs have long criticized Trump’s immigration crackdown, primarily because their businesses have a direct interest in keeping the pipeline of low-skilled foreign workers coming to the U.S. to drive down the cost of American wages.

More here

BREAKING NEWS: RT. 50 SHUT DOWN

Berlin fire/ems on the scene of a motor vehicle accident with injuries west bound Rt. 50 at Rt. 90. West bound Rt. 50 is completely shut down. Expect delays.

Senate Confirms Dozens of Trump Nominees, But Key Posts Remain Unfilled

The Senate confirmed over five dozen of President Trump’s executive branch nominations on Thursday before breaking for August recess, more than doubling the number of the president’s picks in place to implement his agenda.

More than 1,200 of the 4,100 presidential appointees in the federal government are what constitutional law refers to as “principal officers”: senior administration officials that the president nominates but who cannot wield the powers of their office until they have been confirmed by the Senate. (The remaining majority of those 4,100 are “inferior officers,” which are either Schedule PA positions that are directly appointed by the president or Schedule C positions that are directly appointed by department heads or similar top officers.)

Ever since Senate Democrats invoked the “nuclear option” in 2014 to abolish filibusters for all presidential nominees except those to the Supreme Court, many assumed that confirmations for a new president’s senior administration officials would be a piece of cake if the president’s party also commanded a Senate majority.

Instead, the opposite proved true. Before this week’s flurry of activity, the Senate had approved only 50 of President Trump’s nominees, less than one-third of the average number from the past four presidential administrations at this point on the calendar after Inauguration Day.

The White House had grown increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of Senate confirmations. Although the pace of presidential nominations increased rapidly in recent months, Senate confirmations did not follow suit. Democrats demanded extensive vetting regarding personal finances and other issues of nominees, slowing the approval process.

They also demanded extended debate and discussion, including requiring cloture votes on some nominees, then taking up to the full 30 extra hours of debate permitted under Senate rules before allowing a final vote.

More here

Liberals Vs. Vets: You Get Viagra, So Let Transgenders In!

In the battle over transgenders in the military, the left seems to struggle with some of the basics. Like the fact that the military decides who can and can’t joint…. not liberals.

And so they enjoy dropping lines like “do you know how much money is spent on Viagra for vets?”

It’s interesting that they ignore discussing how much money is spent on birth control for vets. But of course they don’t make that argument simply because they know birth control is used for medical issues as well.

So why is it that they think the Viagra argument is relevant?

Let me break this down for those making the strawman argument.

Many veterans are prescribed erectile dysfunction pills to deal with one of the many effects of post-traumatic-stress disorder (PTSD).

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Trump ‘New Hampshire Drug Den’ Quip Triggers Outrage, But Is He Wrong?

New Hampshire U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan was quick to denounce President Donald Trump’s description of the Granite State (reported this morning) as a “drug-infested den.”

Trump, who is no stranger to wild claims, added in his comments to Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto — which Americans learned of thanks to a transcript of a telephone conversation leaked to theWashington Post — that New Hampshire’s alleged drug-addled state is why he won.

Trump did not win New Hampshire last November, but his other claim about the state’s apparent drug problem has Granite State officials like Hassan fuming.

New Boston Post staff did a quick Google search about 10 minutes after the Washington Post story broke, entering the words “New Hampshire a drug infested den” into the search bar. New Boston Post staff did the same search hours later.

The results from the first search placed Trump’s comments fourth from the top.

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Trey Gowdy Gets P****d Off After Finding Out Hillary Is Lying & Completely Destroys Her On Live TV

Wicomico Schools Benefitting From Business Partnership

SALISBURY — Thanks to a partnership that started in 1999 between West Salisbury Elementary and Baxter Enterprises/McDonald’s, thousands of teachers and tens of thousands of students from throughout Wicomico County Public Schools have benefited from support that exceeds well over $500,000.

“Baxter Enterprises CEO Tom Baxter and his daughter and son-in-law, Tiffany and Shawn Beach, owner/operators, have been wonderful supporters of public education across Delmarva, including in Wicomico County Public Schools,” said Dr. Donna C. Hanlin, Superintendent of Schools. “We greatly appreciate Baxter Enterprises and its outstanding commitment to education, which during the 2016-2017 school year totaled more than $38,000.”

Baxter Enterprises provides coupons and bicycles to reward good scholarship and citizenship at the elementary level, hosts spirit nights at some of the 19 Baxter McDonald’s restaurants on Delmarva, awards scholarships for graduating seniors and presents annual McEducator Awards to top teachers from each elementary school.

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Widespread Fraud? Alleged RMV Scheme Fuels Speculation

BOSTON — The four Registry of Motor Vehicles clerks charged in connection with an alleged identity theft scheme authorities say supplied illegal aliens with Massachusetts IDs and fraudulent voter registrations have been suspended without pay, but questions still linger regarding the extent of their shenanigans — and whether similar activity is happening at other RMV locations.

Wednesday’s bust, which focused on the RMV’s Haymarket office in Boston, also set off alarm bells for one the nation’s leading immigration reform organizations, and only came to light after an anonymous tipster reached out to the State Police — instead of Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials — in October 2015.

Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the nonprofit Federation for American Immigration Reform, said Thursday that the news immediately made him think of the decision by states like Massachusetts to decline an invitation from the White House to share voter data in an effort to settle rumors regarding the prevalence of voter fraud.

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Kredo: The Number of People Unmasked By Samantha Power is ‘Unprecedented’

Washington Free Beacon Senior Writer Adam Kredo appeared on Fox News's "Hannity" Friday night, where he told host Sean Hannity that it is "unprecedented" how many people were unmasked by then-United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power during the final year of the Obama administration.

Power is believed to have made "hundreds" of unmasking requests to "identify individuals named in classified intelligence community reports related to Trump and his presidential transition team, according to multiple sources who said the behavior is unprecedented for an official in her position," according to the Washington Free Beacon.

Hannity asked Kredo how Power would ever have the authority to make the unmasking requests, and then asked whether this has ever happened previously to his knowledge.

"No, it's truly unprecedented," Kredo said. "It's certainly odd, and I think the House Intelligence Committee, rightfully so, has subpoenaed her to find out what is going on here. Look, it's hundreds of unmasking requests in just the final year of the Obama administration."

"The fact that this information subsequently leaked to the press, I think raises even more questions about why a U.N ambassador over in Turtle Bay needs to unmask," Kredo said.

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Pruden: Lawyers, witches, broomsticks, and the swamp

There’s new news that Robert Mueller has expanded his investigation again into Whatever, and has empaneled a grand jury to indict someone once he and his team of expensive lawyers can find someone to indict.

He already has one grand jury at the ready in Alexandria, empaneled months ago to pursue Michael Flynn, the first national security adviser to the president, but that’s across the Potomac 10 miles away and the traffic in Washington is so fatiguing. Besides, the good restaurants are north of the river, and you can’t expect a $500-an-hour lawyer take lunch in a down-market restaurant without a white cloth on the table.

The new grand jury, which has been at work for weeks, is evidence that Mr. Mueller means business, or at least the business of handing out rich clients to lawyers who need one that can keep on giving for a long time. Mr. Mueller was originally charged with investigating whether the Russians tried to cook the 2016 presidential election with the collusion of Donald Trump or his campaign. Others have tried to find evidence of such wrongdoing, and so far as anyone knows they all failed.

But hope springs eternal in the breasts of the good, the persistent and the piously partisan.

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Just Another Rape Week In Salisbury Maryland

The Boy Mayor and Chief of Police really want you to believe crime is down in Salisbury Maryland but their own statistics prove different. 

What's it going to take to get people, (especially women) to demand the TRUTH? When are people going to start calling the other local news outlets and ask them WHY they refuse to publish the TRUTH. Yet they run commercials saying you can TRUST them. 

The Bury' Sucks!