OCEAN CITY — Ocean City’s prohibition on food trucks got a unique challenge last week, and after considerable debate, resort planners gave tacit approval to a request for a hybrid of sorts at a historic downtown amusement park.
As the popularity of food trucks has grown in recent years, Ocean City officials have continually opposed the mobile, pop-up eateries for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, a mobile food truck offering all manner of wares could set up shop in the vicinity of traditional restaurants along the Boardwalk or virtually anywhere else in the resort. The idea is mobile food trucks could have an unfair advantage with traditional businesses that pay high rents, property taxes, business licenses and other expenses along with restrooms and public facilities.
To date, the town’s prohibition on food trucks has been largely unchallenged, save for the occasional request from a special event promoter, for good reason. However, the planning commission last week got a first look at a rather unique request from Trimper’s Rides to place a semi-permanent food trailer on the grounds of the historic amusement park at the foot of the Boardwalk.
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Saturday, January 27, 2018
OC Vows To Defend Topless Law
OCEAN CITY — Less than a week after a local woman filed suit in U.S. District Court challenging Ocean City’s ordinance prohibiting women to go topless in the same public areas where men go shirtless, resort officials this week announced they were prepared to go to battle over the issue.
Last June, amid a backlash from concerned residents and visitors over the potential for Ocean City to allow women to go topless on its beaches and Boardwalk, for example, the Mayor and Council passed an emergency ordinance prohibiting the practice. The ordinance was passed in response to a request from local resident Chelsea Eline seeking clarification from the town, the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office and ultimately the Maryland Attorney General on the legality of female bare-chestedness in the same areas in which men can be shirtless.
On Jan. 16, Eline and four other named plaintiffs, through noted civil rights attorney Devon Jacob, filed suit in U.S. District Court, challenging the emergency ordinance passed by the Mayor and Council last June. The suit came as no surprise after Eline, then known as Chelsea Covington, retained Jacobs’ service after the town’s ordinance was passed early last summer.
This week, however, Mayor Rick Meehan said in a statement the town was prepared to defend the challenge to its ordinance filed in federal court and would take any legal steps necessary to prevent its beaches and other public areas from becoming acceptable topless areas for females, evoking the town’s oft-repeated family resort image.
More
Last June, amid a backlash from concerned residents and visitors over the potential for Ocean City to allow women to go topless on its beaches and Boardwalk, for example, the Mayor and Council passed an emergency ordinance prohibiting the practice. The ordinance was passed in response to a request from local resident Chelsea Eline seeking clarification from the town, the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office and ultimately the Maryland Attorney General on the legality of female bare-chestedness in the same areas in which men can be shirtless.
On Jan. 16, Eline and four other named plaintiffs, through noted civil rights attorney Devon Jacob, filed suit in U.S. District Court, challenging the emergency ordinance passed by the Mayor and Council last June. The suit came as no surprise after Eline, then known as Chelsea Covington, retained Jacobs’ service after the town’s ordinance was passed early last summer.
This week, however, Mayor Rick Meehan said in a statement the town was prepared to defend the challenge to its ordinance filed in federal court and would take any legal steps necessary to prevent its beaches and other public areas from becoming acceptable topless areas for females, evoking the town’s oft-repeated family resort image.
More
County Commission’s Sewer Capacity Rejections Questioned; Campground Expansion, New Project Derailed
BERLIN – In recent months, Worcester County officials have denied two major requests for sewer capacity in West Ocean City.
The requests come less than four years after the $12.8 million expansion of the area’s Mystic Harbour Wastewater Treatment Plant.
While some might say they’re stifling growth, county officials say they’re ensuring sewer capacity remains available for existing homes and businesses.
“It’s a valuable resource and we recognize it’s a valuable resource and one the county commissioners should allocate carefully so Worcester County grows in the manner envisioned for Worcester County,” said Kelly Shannahan, the county’s assistant chief administrative officer.
More
The requests come less than four years after the $12.8 million expansion of the area’s Mystic Harbour Wastewater Treatment Plant.
While some might say they’re stifling growth, county officials say they’re ensuring sewer capacity remains available for existing homes and businesses.
“It’s a valuable resource and we recognize it’s a valuable resource and one the county commissioners should allocate carefully so Worcester County grows in the manner envisioned for Worcester County,” said Kelly Shannahan, the county’s assistant chief administrative officer.
More
FDA Panel Gives Qualified Support To Claims For 'Safer' Smoking Device
A tobacco product that its maker claims to be safer than cigarettes won qualified support from a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel Thursday.
The advisers voted 8-1 to support cigarette giant Philip Morris' claim that its "iQOS"system "significantly reduces your body's exposure to harmful or potentially harmful chemicals." The device heats tobacco but doesn't ignite it.
But on the question of whether that approach translates into a reduction in the risk for tobacco-related diseases, the panel said the tobacco company's studies didn't demonstrate that. The vote was eight against, with one abstention.
Similarly, they said Philip Morris hadn't proved that reducing harmful exposure would necessarily "translate to a measurable and substantial reduction in morbidity and/or mortality." The vote was 5-2 against, with one abstention.
There was some support for the company's claims that "switching completely to iQOS presents less risk of harm than continuing to smoke cigarettes." But the measure failed on a vote of 4-5 against.
More
The advisers voted 8-1 to support cigarette giant Philip Morris' claim that its "iQOS"system "significantly reduces your body's exposure to harmful or potentially harmful chemicals." The device heats tobacco but doesn't ignite it.
But on the question of whether that approach translates into a reduction in the risk for tobacco-related diseases, the panel said the tobacco company's studies didn't demonstrate that. The vote was eight against, with one abstention.
Similarly, they said Philip Morris hadn't proved that reducing harmful exposure would necessarily "translate to a measurable and substantial reduction in morbidity and/or mortality." The vote was 5-2 against, with one abstention.
There was some support for the company's claims that "switching completely to iQOS presents less risk of harm than continuing to smoke cigarettes." But the measure failed on a vote of 4-5 against.
More
How To Teach Mosquitoes To Leave You Alone
Human skin is a cornucopia of fragrances.
The bacteria living on our skin emit more than 200 odor chemicals.
"Many of these molecules smell quite pleasant," says biologist Jeff Riffell at the University of Washington. "They smell grassy or a little bit like mushrooms. Some human scents are the same ones found in flowers."
Other chemicals — well — they aren't so nice. "They're pretty funky," Riffell says, like an overripe Brie cheese or a musty basement.
But mosquitoes don't care if we are stinky. They love human smells! Mosquitoes actually learn human scents and then seek them out, Riffell says.
In fact, it's your unique mixture of odors that determines how many mosquito bites you get, Riffell says — although scientists don't know exactly which combination is most alluring. Some people's perfume is just irresistible to skeeters.
"Some people are super-attractors for mosquitoes," Riffell says, "while other people aren't attractive at all, and the mosquitoes will avoid them."
More
The bacteria living on our skin emit more than 200 odor chemicals.
"Many of these molecules smell quite pleasant," says biologist Jeff Riffell at the University of Washington. "They smell grassy or a little bit like mushrooms. Some human scents are the same ones found in flowers."
Other chemicals — well — they aren't so nice. "They're pretty funky," Riffell says, like an overripe Brie cheese or a musty basement.
But mosquitoes don't care if we are stinky. They love human smells! Mosquitoes actually learn human scents and then seek them out, Riffell says.
In fact, it's your unique mixture of odors that determines how many mosquito bites you get, Riffell says — although scientists don't know exactly which combination is most alluring. Some people's perfume is just irresistible to skeeters.
"Some people are super-attractors for mosquitoes," Riffell says, "while other people aren't attractive at all, and the mosquitoes will avoid them."
More
Trump to announce $1.7 trillion infrastructure package at State of the Union
President Trump said Wednesday he plans to discuss a $1.7 trillion infrastructure package during next week's annual State of the Union address.
During a White House meeting with mayors from across the country, Trump said his administration is "working to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure by stimulating a $1 trillion investment, and that will actually, probably, end up being about $1.7 trillion."
“And we'll probably be putting that in a week or two, right after the State of the Union address. We'll be talking about it a little bit in the State of the Union; we'll put that in," he added.
The impending announcement comes after a document purporting to detail the administration's infrastructure principles leaked earlier this week.
More
During a White House meeting with mayors from across the country, Trump said his administration is "working to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure by stimulating a $1 trillion investment, and that will actually, probably, end up being about $1.7 trillion."
“And we'll probably be putting that in a week or two, right after the State of the Union address. We'll be talking about it a little bit in the State of the Union; we'll put that in," he added.
The impending announcement comes after a document purporting to detail the administration's infrastructure principles leaked earlier this week.
More
Vermont High School to fly Black Lives Matter Flag
A Vermont high school has announced that it will fly the Black Lives Matter (BLM) flag during Black History Month, though many feel it is a domestic terror outfit.
Administrators at Montpelier High School in Montpelier, Vermont, bowed to demands by a student group called the Racial Justice Alliance to hoist the BLM flag outside the school during the month-long recognition of the contributions of African Americans to our nation’s history, the Burlington Free Press reported.
“Vermont has a long history of being at the forefront of civil rights movements,” school administrators said in a public statement. “Our state was the first to abolish slavery in its constitution and the first to enroll and graduate a black student, who subsequently served in the state legislature. The School Board’s decision to fly a Black Lives Matter flag builds on that legacy.”
The student group demanded that the school launch a program to discuss “the need for racial justice.” Students also praised the school for changing curriculum and re-training teachers for a social justice agenda.
More
Administrators at Montpelier High School in Montpelier, Vermont, bowed to demands by a student group called the Racial Justice Alliance to hoist the BLM flag outside the school during the month-long recognition of the contributions of African Americans to our nation’s history, the Burlington Free Press reported.
“Vermont has a long history of being at the forefront of civil rights movements,” school administrators said in a public statement. “Our state was the first to abolish slavery in its constitution and the first to enroll and graduate a black student, who subsequently served in the state legislature. The School Board’s decision to fly a Black Lives Matter flag builds on that legacy.”
The student group demanded that the school launch a program to discuss “the need for racial justice.” Students also praised the school for changing curriculum and re-training teachers for a social justice agenda.
More
More Vehicles Repossessed From Onley Fire Department
Trump Reportedly Ordered Mueller Fired, But Backed Away
In the latest reminder of the contentious relationship between President Trump and the man who is probing him for "Russian collusion"obstruction, Special Counsel Mueller, the NYT reports that according to four sources, Trump ordered the firing of Mueller last June, however - since Mueller is still clearly employed - the president backed off after White House Counsel Don McGahn threatened to resign rather than carry out the directive.
And as has always been the case with this particular set of FBI or NSA sources, the WaPo was right there behind the NYT, to confirm the latest Trump leak:
This is notable because "the West Wing confrontation marks the first time Mr. Trump is known to have tried to fire the special counsel" and "Mueller learned about the episode in recent months as his investigators interviewed current and former senior White House officials in his inquiry into whether the president obstructed justice."
More
And as has always been the case with this particular set of FBI or NSA sources, the WaPo was right there behind the NYT, to confirm the latest Trump leak:
Confirmed that Trump wanted Mueller fired, as NYT first reported, w/@PostRoz. Story coming soon.
This is notable because "the West Wing confrontation marks the first time Mr. Trump is known to have tried to fire the special counsel" and "Mueller learned about the episode in recent months as his investigators interviewed current and former senior White House officials in his inquiry into whether the president obstructed justice."
More
How are the cold and flu different?
Knowing the difference between the common cold and the flu can be crucial to your well-being -- and that of your loved ones -- this winter.
On Jan. 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that during the 2017 to 2018 flu season, there were 30 child deaths.
There have also been reports of adults who had the flu and died from complications.
Read on for a look at the two illnesses and how you can tell them apart.
Getting down to basics
“Because these two types of illnesses have similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone,” the CDC explains online. “In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms are more common and intense.”
The agency notes that special testing may be performed early on to determine which illness you may have.
There's also another point: The common cold is mainly caused by rhinoviruses, the Mayo Clinic says. The influenza virus, however, is responsible for causing the flu.
More
On Jan. 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that during the 2017 to 2018 flu season, there were 30 child deaths.
There have also been reports of adults who had the flu and died from complications.
Read on for a look at the two illnesses and how you can tell them apart.
Getting down to basics
“Because these two types of illnesses have similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone,” the CDC explains online. “In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms are more common and intense.”
The agency notes that special testing may be performed early on to determine which illness you may have.
There's also another point: The common cold is mainly caused by rhinoviruses, the Mayo Clinic says. The influenza virus, however, is responsible for causing the flu.
More
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2018/01/24/how-are-cold-and-flu-different.html
Florida woman bought BMW using dead grandparents benefits
A woman from south Florida has been found guilty of collecting her grandparents' Social Security benefits despite them being dead for years.
Myriam Etienne, 49, from Pompano Beach, pocketed $130,000 in her grandparents' Social Security benefits for more than ten years.
She used the cash to pay off the mortgage on her homse and make payments on a BMW X6 according to the Miami Herald.
More
Myriam Etienne, 49, from Pompano Beach, pocketed $130,000 in her grandparents' Social Security benefits for more than ten years.
She used the cash to pay off the mortgage on her homse and make payments on a BMW X6 according to the Miami Herald.
More
"Why Are They Still Here?": FBI Agents Wonder Why Anti-Trump Clinton Operatives Still Have A Job
The recently revealed text messages from Clinton operatives within the FBI that spoke about a “secret society” within the agency that met to discuss ways to take out President Trump have led many to question how those involved still have a job at the agency despite the mounting evidence of widespread corruption.
Keep in mind that it has already been revealed that top counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok, along with his mistress, FBI lawyer Lisa Page, were directly involved in a conspiracy to protect their preferred presidential candidate in Hillary Clinton while doing everything in their power to hurt her opponent, Donald Trump.
Now we know that those two, along with a slew of others within the federal government, actually continued their operation against Trump after he was democratically elected, even taking their conspiracy so far as to set up a sort of secret society which included the same key figures who helped jump start the sham Russian investigation in the first place.
More
Keep in mind that it has already been revealed that top counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok, along with his mistress, FBI lawyer Lisa Page, were directly involved in a conspiracy to protect their preferred presidential candidate in Hillary Clinton while doing everything in their power to hurt her opponent, Donald Trump.
Now we know that those two, along with a slew of others within the federal government, actually continued their operation against Trump after he was democratically elected, even taking their conspiracy so far as to set up a sort of secret society which included the same key figures who helped jump start the sham Russian investigation in the first place.
More
Kayak killer wants $500,000 from fiancé's estate
The 'kayak killer' who caused her fiancé to drown by pulling the plug on his canoe in 2015 is trying to win half of his life insurance policy despite being convicted for his death.
Angelika Graswald was freed from prison in December, two years after watching her 46-year-old fiancé Vincent Viafore being swept away by choppy waters on New York's Hudson River.
She pulled a drain plug out from his kayak and pushed a paddle away from him as he got into choppy waters.
Last year, the 37-year-old pleaded guilty to negligent homicide and she was sentenced to up to four years in prison.
Graswald, a Latvian immigrant, was released six weeks after her conviction based on the two-and-a-half years she spent behind bars waiting for her trial.
More
Angelika Graswald was freed from prison in December, two years after watching her 46-year-old fiancé Vincent Viafore being swept away by choppy waters on New York's Hudson River.
She pulled a drain plug out from his kayak and pushed a paddle away from him as he got into choppy waters.
Last year, the 37-year-old pleaded guilty to negligent homicide and she was sentenced to up to four years in prison.
Graswald, a Latvian immigrant, was released six weeks after her conviction based on the two-and-a-half years she spent behind bars waiting for her trial.
More
SOROS THREATENS: Trump 'Will Disappear In 2020 Or Even Sooner'
“We must do something to push back against what’s happening here.”
On Thursday, far-left billionaire George Soros, who is the financial backbone of the Democratic Party, attacked President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Soros, who spent millions backing failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, claimed that Trump was leading the world to nuclear war and that he is trying to establish a dictatorship in the United States, CNBC reported.
More
On Thursday, far-left billionaire George Soros, who is the financial backbone of the Democratic Party, attacked President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Soros, who spent millions backing failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, claimed that Trump was leading the world to nuclear war and that he is trying to establish a dictatorship in the United States, CNBC reported.
More
Is Holding in a Fart Bad for You?
Women claim to have been holding in their farts for years (my mother won't even talk about passing gas!). Guys, on the other hand, are much more likely to find it really funny to crop dust on an elevator or slip a silent killer in the middle of the room.
Even the most crass among us, however, have to admit that there are times when airbrushing the boxers is simply not appropriate. For example, it's definitely not a selling point during a job interview.
What are the consequences of holding in your fart in these instances?
Is It Harmful to Hold Your Horses?
Maybe. It is not very likely to cause any actual damage, but it is likely to be uncomfortable.
We've all done it at some point. If someone did a study on gas retention during first dates as opposed to married couples watching TV at home, the difference would be staggering. But since we aren't all dead, there's some pretty good corollary evidence that keeping your methane to yourself is not life-threatening.
If you can't get rid of the gas in your gut, it can be painful, but there might be other causes of abdominal pain that are much more likely to be a problem. Bloating and distension are real complaints, but they might not have very much to do with flatulence even though it feels as if you need to fart. If you're making methane faster than you're tooting your horn, it's certainly going to put pressure on the GI tract.
The thing is, just because you feel bloated doesn't mean your abdomen is actually distended or that the amount of pressure in your intestines is at dangerous levels.
At least one study found that the perception of discomfort is higher when you choose not to let a fart go versus when there's a physical reason why you can't fire the retro rocket.
The way the gut triggers the brain to let us know we need to break wind is part of the reason this happens. The increased pressure causes the feeling of bloating and the urge to let it fly. If you're ignoring the feeling, it means you're hyper-aware that you're building a backdraft. It's the awareness that makes it so uncomfortable.
More
Even the most crass among us, however, have to admit that there are times when airbrushing the boxers is simply not appropriate. For example, it's definitely not a selling point during a job interview.
What are the consequences of holding in your fart in these instances?
Is It Harmful to Hold Your Horses?
Maybe. It is not very likely to cause any actual damage, but it is likely to be uncomfortable.
We've all done it at some point. If someone did a study on gas retention during first dates as opposed to married couples watching TV at home, the difference would be staggering. But since we aren't all dead, there's some pretty good corollary evidence that keeping your methane to yourself is not life-threatening.
If you can't get rid of the gas in your gut, it can be painful, but there might be other causes of abdominal pain that are much more likely to be a problem. Bloating and distension are real complaints, but they might not have very much to do with flatulence even though it feels as if you need to fart. If you're making methane faster than you're tooting your horn, it's certainly going to put pressure on the GI tract.
The thing is, just because you feel bloated doesn't mean your abdomen is actually distended or that the amount of pressure in your intestines is at dangerous levels.
At least one study found that the perception of discomfort is higher when you choose not to let a fart go versus when there's a physical reason why you can't fire the retro rocket.
The way the gut triggers the brain to let us know we need to break wind is part of the reason this happens. The increased pressure causes the feeling of bloating and the urge to let it fly. If you're ignoring the feeling, it means you're hyper-aware that you're building a backdraft. It's the awareness that makes it so uncomfortable.
More
Trump DELIVERS on Values Promises
George Barna’s recent book, The Day Christians Changed America, notes how Christian conservatives united in the 2016 election to preserve America’s past and secure her future. As the only one standing at the end the primary season, Donald Trump seemed an unlikely choice for a Republican presidential candidate. Though brash and unconventional, he also stood for the values important to Christian conservatives: the right to life and religious freedom. In the general election, Christian “Values Voters” saw a clear choice: someone who had the potential to stand for their values, and someone who absolutely opposed them. They chose to give Trump a chance.
Now, a little over a year later, President Trump continues to break convention, speak his mind and stand up for polices that conservative Christians value. Last week, Trump became the first president in history to address the crowds at the March for Life, the pro-life march that began after the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.
More here
Now, a little over a year later, President Trump continues to break convention, speak his mind and stand up for polices that conservative Christians value. Last week, Trump became the first president in history to address the crowds at the March for Life, the pro-life march that began after the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.
More here
Feinstein Blames Russia for Campaign to Release FISA Memo
In a desperate attempt to prevent the public release of a classified FISA memo that purports to show the FBI abused the surveillance program for political aims, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) sent a letter to the execs at Twitter and Facebook calling for them to investigate a supposed Russian social media effort pushing for the memo’s release. The letter states in part, “We are witnessing an ongoing attack by the Russian government through Kremlin-linked social media actors directly acting to intervene and influence our democratic process. This should be disconcerting to all Americans, but especially your companies as, once again, it appears the vast majority of their efforts are concentrated on your platforms. This latest example of Russian interference is in keeping with Moscow’s concerted, covert, and continued campaign to manipulate American public opinion and erode trust in our law enforcement and intelligence institutions.”
In other words, Feinstein has just declared that anyone who believes the FISA memo — a memo several Republican members of Congress describe as “alarming” and “disturbing” — should be released is essentially a puppet of Vladimir Putin, and that is quite simply asinine.
First off, the Russians didn’t start the #ReleaseTheMemo campaign..
More
In other words, Feinstein has just declared that anyone who believes the FISA memo — a memo several Republican members of Congress describe as “alarming” and “disturbing” — should be released is essentially a puppet of Vladimir Putin, and that is quite simply asinine.
First off, the Russians didn’t start the #ReleaseTheMemo campaign..
More
Cops settle case after injuring man who refused warrantless search
Officers refused to believe homeowner who said suspect wasn't in house
Deputies in a Texas county have settled a lawsuit brought against them for injuring a man who refused them permission for a warrantless search of his home after he told the officers the person they sought wasn’t there.
The deputies didn’t believe the homeowner, Huntly Dantzler, but it turned out he was right.
Before they discovered Dantzler was telling the truth, however, they handcuffed him, threw him to the ground and arrested for him refusing to give consent. The officers then coerced his wife, Susan Dantzler, to allow one of them to conduct the warrantless search.
After a judge ruled that at least some of the couple’s claims were valid and would require a trial, the deputies agreed to a settlement, the terms of which were not disclosed.
More
Deputies in a Texas county have settled a lawsuit brought against them for injuring a man who refused them permission for a warrantless search of his home after he told the officers the person they sought wasn’t there.
The deputies didn’t believe the homeowner, Huntly Dantzler, but it turned out he was right.
Before they discovered Dantzler was telling the truth, however, they handcuffed him, threw him to the ground and arrested for him refusing to give consent. The officers then coerced his wife, Susan Dantzler, to allow one of them to conduct the warrantless search.
After a judge ruled that at least some of the couple’s claims were valid and would require a trial, the deputies agreed to a settlement, the terms of which were not disclosed.
More
President Trump: Please Fire Them!
There are many reasons to fire Sessions, Rosenstein, Wray and McCabe but one is enough
President Trump, I wanted to let you know that the American people see your struggle with the DOJ and that, while I obviously cannot speak for everybody, I believe that your supporters would support you against the swamp if you were to fire Jeff Sessions, Rod Rosenstein, Christopher Wray and Andrew McCabe.
As you can see here, here, here and here, I know better than most about fighting for justice against the crooked InJustice department and I also have an idea as to the advice that you’ve probably been getting from the legal world. I know about the DOJ’s vile behavior; how they make their dirty tricks seem clean while making every clean strategy of yours seem dirty.
More
President Trump, I wanted to let you know that the American people see your struggle with the DOJ and that, while I obviously cannot speak for everybody, I believe that your supporters would support you against the swamp if you were to fire Jeff Sessions, Rod Rosenstein, Christopher Wray and Andrew McCabe.
As you can see here, here, here and here, I know better than most about fighting for justice against the crooked InJustice department and I also have an idea as to the advice that you’ve probably been getting from the legal world. I know about the DOJ’s vile behavior; how they make their dirty tricks seem clean while making every clean strategy of yours seem dirty.
More
George Soros Says Trump Administration Is ‘Danger to the World’
George Soros said President Donald Trump is risking a nuclear war with North Korea and predicts that the groundswell of opposition he’s generated will be his downfall.
“I consider the Trump administration a danger to the world,” the billionaire investor said in a speech from Davos, Switzerland. “But I regard it as a purely temporary phenomenon that will disappear in 2020, or even sooner.” He expects a Democratic “landslide” in the 2018 elections.
Soros, the 87-year-old chairman of Soros Fund Management, said his Open Society Foundations are spending more than half of their budget “closer to home” rather than in the developing world, in an effort to protect democracy. While he said the strength of institutions will help prevent Trump from succeeding, Soros counted nuclear war and climate change as greater threats to civilization.
The U.S. must accept North Korea as a nuclear power, and then cooperate and negotiate with China to establish an alliance that’s better equipped to confront the nation, he said.
More
“I consider the Trump administration a danger to the world,” the billionaire investor said in a speech from Davos, Switzerland. “But I regard it as a purely temporary phenomenon that will disappear in 2020, or even sooner.” He expects a Democratic “landslide” in the 2018 elections.
Soros, the 87-year-old chairman of Soros Fund Management, said his Open Society Foundations are spending more than half of their budget “closer to home” rather than in the developing world, in an effort to protect democracy. While he said the strength of institutions will help prevent Trump from succeeding, Soros counted nuclear war and climate change as greater threats to civilization.
The U.S. must accept North Korea as a nuclear power, and then cooperate and negotiate with China to establish an alliance that’s better equipped to confront the nation, he said.
More
Trump Ups Defense Budget By 13% - "Can't Have World's Best Military On An Obama Budget"
With Washington having seemingly turned its turret away from 'terror' and back to "revisionist, authoritarian" regimes like 'Russia and China', the Military-Industrial Complex is 'gonna need a bigger budget' - a 13% bigger $716 billion one by 2019.
US military spending already dwarfed the rest of the world...
More
US military spending already dwarfed the rest of the world...
Convicted Dems Corrine Brown and Chaka Fattah Still Receiving Taxpayer-Funded Pensions
Former Democratic representatives Corrine Brown (Fla.) and Chaka Fattah (Pa.) are still receiving taxpayer-funded federal pensions despite being convicted and sentenced to prison on corruption charges.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon that Brown is still receiving Federal Employees' Retirement System annuity benefits even though she was sentenced to prison for wire fraud and tax evasion—actions that stemmed from a sham charity founded by the former congresswoman.
OPM would not say how much Brown is receiving and added that the details of an individual's annuity are protected from public release under the Freedom of Information Act.
Brown was sentenced to five years in prison last December and is still allowed to collect the government pension due to a loophole in the current law, according to Demian Brady, the director of research at the National Taxpayers Union (NTU).
Brady told the Free Beacon that based on Brown's time in office, she is eligible for an annual annuity of up to $66,000 due to a loophole in the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007. "The language of that law cuts off a federal annuity for former Members of Congress upon being ‘finally convicted' for corruption."
"The loophole in the current law allows a politician sentenced to prison to continue to collect the pensions until a ‘final conviction' is given when all appeals are exhausted," said Brady. "For as long as a Brown is able to file appeals, even from a jail cell, she will not be considered ‘finally convicted' and will remain eligible for her generous pension."
More
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon that Brown is still receiving Federal Employees' Retirement System annuity benefits even though she was sentenced to prison for wire fraud and tax evasion—actions that stemmed from a sham charity founded by the former congresswoman.
OPM would not say how much Brown is receiving and added that the details of an individual's annuity are protected from public release under the Freedom of Information Act.
Brown was sentenced to five years in prison last December and is still allowed to collect the government pension due to a loophole in the current law, according to Demian Brady, the director of research at the National Taxpayers Union (NTU).
Brady told the Free Beacon that based on Brown's time in office, she is eligible for an annual annuity of up to $66,000 due to a loophole in the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007. "The language of that law cuts off a federal annuity for former Members of Congress upon being ‘finally convicted' for corruption."
"The loophole in the current law allows a politician sentenced to prison to continue to collect the pensions until a ‘final conviction' is given when all appeals are exhausted," said Brady. "For as long as a Brown is able to file appeals, even from a jail cell, she will not be considered ‘finally convicted' and will remain eligible for her generous pension."
More
Pelosi: Trump's Immigration Proposal Is Part of a 'Campaign to Make America White Again'
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) slammed President Donald Trump’s immigration framework, calling it part of a "campaign to make America white again."
Trump's proposal would offer a path to citizenship for 1.8 million so-called "DREAMers," and call for $25 billion in funding for a border wall and security. It also calls for cracking down on chain migration and the diversity visa lottery program.
“The administration’s anti-immigrant framework is an act of staggering cowardice which attempts to hold the DREAMers hostage to a hateful anti-immigrant scheme," Pelosi wrote in a statement on Friday. “The 50 percent cut to legal immigration in the framework and the recent announcements to end Temporary Protected Status for Central Americans and Haitians are both part of the same cruel agenda. They are part of the Trump administration’s unmistakable campaign to make America white again."
More/Video
Trump's proposal would offer a path to citizenship for 1.8 million so-called "DREAMers," and call for $25 billion in funding for a border wall and security. It also calls for cracking down on chain migration and the diversity visa lottery program.
“The administration’s anti-immigrant framework is an act of staggering cowardice which attempts to hold the DREAMers hostage to a hateful anti-immigrant scheme," Pelosi wrote in a statement on Friday. “The 50 percent cut to legal immigration in the framework and the recent announcements to end Temporary Protected Status for Central Americans and Haitians are both part of the same cruel agenda. They are part of the Trump administration’s unmistakable campaign to make America white again."
More/Video
http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/01/26/pelosi-trumps-immigration-proposal-part-campaign-make-america-white-again
Can You Trust American Red Cross with Donations?
The past year, with major hurricanes in Puerto Rico, Florida, and Texas, has once again cast light on the activities of the American Red Cross. As in the past, there are questions one needs to know about the Red Cross that are hard to answer. Is the organization doing a good job? How could the Red Cross do a better job? Should donors feel confident that their gifts are being used effectively?
This year, the Red Cross has been subject to a barrage of criticism. But that criticism ultimately springs from one source: a series of articles that ProPublica has been writing on the Red Cross’s effectiveness, sometimes in collaboration with National Public Radio. I wrote about these articles at Philanthropy Daily three years ago. But ProPublica has continued their work and it is long past time for an update.
More here
This year, the Red Cross has been subject to a barrage of criticism. But that criticism ultimately springs from one source: a series of articles that ProPublica has been writing on the Red Cross’s effectiveness, sometimes in collaboration with National Public Radio. I wrote about these articles at Philanthropy Daily three years ago. But ProPublica has continued their work and it is long past time for an update.
More here
Publishers Notes: It should be noted, WBOC and the Salvation Army donations over the 2017 Holiday season were down dramatically over the past few years.
OH LOOK! Justice Department Watchdog Finds 'Lost' FBI Text Messages
The Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz informed lawmakers Thursday that he has found the missing five months of text messages between senior FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page that the DOJ said were lost due to a technical glitch.
In a letter to Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Horowitz wrote:
The OIG has been investigating this matter and, this week, succeeded in using forensic tools to recover text messages from FBI devices, including text messages between Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page that were sent or received between December 14, 2016, and May 17, 2017.
That time period covered a number of significant developments in the FBI’s investigation of the Trump Russia allegations and the lead-up to the special counsel, which was convened on May 17, 2017.
The DOJ last Friday informed lawmakers that it had lost text messages between Strzok and Page during that time due to the technical glitch, and unnamed federal law enforcement officials told Fox News that those glitches had affected nearly 10 percent of the FBI’s 35,000 employees.
More
In a letter to Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Horowitz wrote:
The OIG has been investigating this matter and, this week, succeeded in using forensic tools to recover text messages from FBI devices, including text messages between Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page that were sent or received between December 14, 2016, and May 17, 2017.
That time period covered a number of significant developments in the FBI’s investigation of the Trump Russia allegations and the lead-up to the special counsel, which was convened on May 17, 2017.
The DOJ last Friday informed lawmakers that it had lost text messages between Strzok and Page during that time due to the technical glitch, and unnamed federal law enforcement officials told Fox News that those glitches had affected nearly 10 percent of the FBI’s 35,000 employees.
More
An Actor’s Speech Worth Listening To
Darn. How did I miss the Golden Globe Awards?
But then again, do you miss something when you never planned to watch them in the first place?
Hours of actors giving speeches.
Next to politicians, academics, and news media heavyweights, I can think of few groups that value themselves and their opinions more; with exceptions, obviously.
The self-importance oozes.
Genuine humility brings so much more credibility.
Genuine people have a way that dictates truth.
Jim Caviezel has a genuine way about him. And, gasp, he’s an actor (Count of Monte Cristo, The Passion of the Christ).
With the Golden Globes on television Sunday night – but not on my TV – I cued up Caviezel on YouTube. Caviezel addressed the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) convention in Chicago last week. There were bishops, priests, and nuns giving talks.
And the actor.
“Set yourselves apart from this corrupt generation. Be saints. You weren’t made to fit in. You were born to stand out.”
More
But then again, do you miss something when you never planned to watch them in the first place?
Hours of actors giving speeches.
Next to politicians, academics, and news media heavyweights, I can think of few groups that value themselves and their opinions more; with exceptions, obviously.
The self-importance oozes.
Genuine humility brings so much more credibility.
Genuine people have a way that dictates truth.
Jim Caviezel has a genuine way about him. And, gasp, he’s an actor (Count of Monte Cristo, The Passion of the Christ).
With the Golden Globes on television Sunday night – but not on my TV – I cued up Caviezel on YouTube. Caviezel addressed the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) convention in Chicago last week. There were bishops, priests, and nuns giving talks.
And the actor.
“Set yourselves apart from this corrupt generation. Be saints. You weren’t made to fit in. You were born to stand out.”
More
WH Plan: Big Amnesty Now, Nothing for Americans Until 2027
President Donald Trump’s new “framework” amnesty plan would provide citizenship to at least 1.8 million illegals — but would not allow any beneficial reduction in cheap-labor immigration until 2027.
The pro-business plan, leaked to Washington insiders this afternoon, asks progressive Democrats and business-first Republicans to accept a trade-off: Amnesty for at least 1.8 million illegals in exchange for a border wall, end chain-migration and ending the visa lottery.
But the loopholes are huge — and those loopholes will flood the labor market for another decade, so helping Wall Street by cooling the current worker shortage which is now raising Americans’ wages.
For example, the lottery program would be ended, but the 50,000 lottery visas per year would be given to other migrants, so doing nothing to reduce the wage-lowering inflow of cheap labor.
More
The pro-business plan, leaked to Washington insiders this afternoon, asks progressive Democrats and business-first Republicans to accept a trade-off: Amnesty for at least 1.8 million illegals in exchange for a border wall, end chain-migration and ending the visa lottery.
But the loopholes are huge — and those loopholes will flood the labor market for another decade, so helping Wall Street by cooling the current worker shortage which is now raising Americans’ wages.
For example, the lottery program would be ended, but the 50,000 lottery visas per year would be given to other migrants, so doing nothing to reduce the wage-lowering inflow of cheap labor.
More
Common Core Is Dead, Long Live Common Core
We live in a remarkable age. Even when Florence Foster Jenkins sang in a packed Carnegie Hall decades ago, music critics were able to say that she did not have the voice of an authentic opera singer. Few in the musical world really cared how Jenkins spent her own money. Perhaps if she had offered to give some of her money to the nation’s music schools or departments on condition that they teach voice students to sing as she did in the recordings of the arias she had paid record companies to make, music critics would have expressed some concern.
Jenkins did show what someone with a lot of money to spend as she wished and a deep self-confidence in her own ill-formed judgments could do; after all, she did fill up Carnegie Hall. But no one believed that Jenkins had any musical authority. Jenkins didn’t entice music educators in the country to change the academic programs in their music schools or adopt her views on what high-quality singing sounded like. The quality of singing at the Metropolitan Opera House was untouched.
On the other hand, when our Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos famously declared in a speech last week to an audience at that bastion of free market thinking (American Enterprise Institute, or AEI) that Common Core is dead, almost everyone seems to have believed her. (We have not seen skeptical reports from AEI or contradictory reviews.) No one at AEI apparently challenged her to provide evidence that Common Core was dead. Why the media, usually hyper-critical of anything DeVos says or does, seems to have given her a complete pass is a deep mystery.
More
Jenkins did show what someone with a lot of money to spend as she wished and a deep self-confidence in her own ill-formed judgments could do; after all, she did fill up Carnegie Hall. But no one believed that Jenkins had any musical authority. Jenkins didn’t entice music educators in the country to change the academic programs in their music schools or adopt her views on what high-quality singing sounded like. The quality of singing at the Metropolitan Opera House was untouched.
On the other hand, when our Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos famously declared in a speech last week to an audience at that bastion of free market thinking (American Enterprise Institute, or AEI) that Common Core is dead, almost everyone seems to have believed her. (We have not seen skeptical reports from AEI or contradictory reviews.) No one at AEI apparently challenged her to provide evidence that Common Core was dead. Why the media, usually hyper-critical of anything DeVos says or does, seems to have given her a complete pass is a deep mystery.
More
Dirt bike case leads to drug bust in Howard County
COLUMBIA, Md. - Howard County Police say an investigation into dirt bike problems led to a drug bust in Columbia. Officers had been investigating after noise complaints from the bikes were made about in the Owen Brown area when they discovered that a bike recently stolen through a transaction on the site OfferUp was listed again under a new name.
Police were able to identify the suspect as 19-year-old Deshawn Reed of Columbia. When officers arrested him and served a warrant at a home on Hickory Log Circle, they found not only the stolen bike but marijuana, rounds of ammunition, 70-vials of suspected crack cocaine. Evidence with the drug paraphilia led police to make another arrest, Faiq Matin of Baltimore.
Howard County Police want to remind residents of safe places to meet for online transactions:
More
Police were able to identify the suspect as 19-year-old Deshawn Reed of Columbia. When officers arrested him and served a warrant at a home on Hickory Log Circle, they found not only the stolen bike but marijuana, rounds of ammunition, 70-vials of suspected crack cocaine. Evidence with the drug paraphilia led police to make another arrest, Faiq Matin of Baltimore.
Howard County Police want to remind residents of safe places to meet for online transactions:
More
The NFL Just Spit On Veterans and Lied To America
The NFL has rejected an ad by a veterans group encouraging players to stand for the National Anthem … and by doing so, demonstrated that either:
1) The decision makers in the NFL have suffered one too many concussions and are clearly incapable of logic
or
2) Liberalism, which I’d argue is a dangerous mental disorder, has spread like a cancer to the point where those inflicted with it are no longer capable of adult-ing their way through life.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy defended the league’s decision to ban the American Veterans’ advertisement: “It’s never been a place for advertising that could be considered by some as a political statement.”
Interesting. Because all season long, the NFL has been suffering dramatic declines in viewership and attendance because:
1) Idiot players have been taking a knee and disrespecting our flag, our veterans, and our police officers while shoving their politics down our throats
2) Spineless coaches are too afraid of the PC Police to make the SMART business decision of canning said idiot players.
We have a simple part of our company policy. If we’re at a company event and you don’t stand for the National Anthem but rather take a knee … you’re fired.
It’s not difficult.
More
1) The decision makers in the NFL have suffered one too many concussions and are clearly incapable of logic
or
2) Liberalism, which I’d argue is a dangerous mental disorder, has spread like a cancer to the point where those inflicted with it are no longer capable of adult-ing their way through life.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy defended the league’s decision to ban the American Veterans’ advertisement: “It’s never been a place for advertising that could be considered by some as a political statement.”
Interesting. Because all season long, the NFL has been suffering dramatic declines in viewership and attendance because:
1) Idiot players have been taking a knee and disrespecting our flag, our veterans, and our police officers while shoving their politics down our throats
2) Spineless coaches are too afraid of the PC Police to make the SMART business decision of canning said idiot players.
We have a simple part of our company policy. If we’re at a company event and you don’t stand for the National Anthem but rather take a knee … you’re fired.
It’s not difficult.
More
Symptoms of deadly flu strain spreading across US tend to 'escalate rapidly,' doctor says
It started with a cold, and then it turned deadly.
The grieving family of Dylan Winnik of West Palm Beach, Fla. is in shock after their 12-year old son died Tuesday from complications related to the flu.
Dylan’s family said cold symptoms developed just a day after the seventh-grader was playing at a birthday party on Sunday, according to a report from Local10 News. By Tuesday, his condition worsened and a neighbor called 911. When sheriff's deputies arrived at the home, Dylan already had died
Dr. Margarita Rohr from NYU Langone Health told Fox News the most common form of flu being reported this season, Influenza A (H3N2), "is particularly worrisome as symptoms tend to escalate rapidly, especially in children and older adults."
"The short duration time, from the diagnosis of flu with onset of symptoms leading rapidly to death may be attributed to the particular strain of virus we are currently facing," she said.
More
The grieving family of Dylan Winnik of West Palm Beach, Fla. is in shock after their 12-year old son died Tuesday from complications related to the flu.
Dylan’s family said cold symptoms developed just a day after the seventh-grader was playing at a birthday party on Sunday, according to a report from Local10 News. By Tuesday, his condition worsened and a neighbor called 911. When sheriff's deputies arrived at the home, Dylan already had died
Dr. Margarita Rohr from NYU Langone Health told Fox News the most common form of flu being reported this season, Influenza A (H3N2), "is particularly worrisome as symptoms tend to escalate rapidly, especially in children and older adults."
"The short duration time, from the diagnosis of flu with onset of symptoms leading rapidly to death may be attributed to the particular strain of virus we are currently facing," she said.
More
FBI officials worried about being too tough on Hillary Clinton during email investigation, texts show
FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page were concerned about being too tough on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during the bureau’s investigation into her email practices because she might hold it against them as president, text messages released on Thursday indicated.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley released new messages between bureau officials Page and Strzok, who were having an affair and exchanged more than 50,000 texts with each other during the election.
“One more thing: she might be our next president,” Page texted Strzok on Feb. 25, 2016, in the midst of the presidential campaign, in reference to Clinton.
More
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley released new messages between bureau officials Page and Strzok, who were having an affair and exchanged more than 50,000 texts with each other during the election.
“One more thing: she might be our next president,” Page texted Strzok on Feb. 25, 2016, in the midst of the presidential campaign, in reference to Clinton.
More
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/25/fbi-officials-worried-about-being-too-tough-on-hillary-clinton-during-email-investigation-texts-show.html
Anti-Trump Secret Society Using Burner Phones to Stay Under the Radar
Clandestine group panicked that deep state plot could be unraveling
The “secret society” that is attempting to bring down President Trump includes federal judges, former Attorney Generals and one sitting Attorney General of a large U.S. state and its members are using burner phones to evade detection, according to a new report.
On Monday, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) revealed that congressional investigators learned from a new batch of text messages between anti-Trump FBI investigators Peter Strzok and Lisa Page that a “secret society” within the DOJ and the FBI had schemed immediately after Trump’s election win to undermine the president.
That secret society doesn’t just include rogue anti-Trump FBI agents but also federal judges, federal prosecutors, one sitting Attorney General of a large U.S. state and potentially former Attorney General(s) of the United States, according to a new report.
“They communicate with meetings over cocktails, at homes, via encrypted chat rooms, texting on drug-cartel-inspired burner phones, and even via an email list, according to sources. Others have secured phones in the names of relatives to try to stay under the radar.”
More
The “secret society” that is attempting to bring down President Trump includes federal judges, former Attorney Generals and one sitting Attorney General of a large U.S. state and its members are using burner phones to evade detection, according to a new report.
On Monday, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) revealed that congressional investigators learned from a new batch of text messages between anti-Trump FBI investigators Peter Strzok and Lisa Page that a “secret society” within the DOJ and the FBI had schemed immediately after Trump’s election win to undermine the president.
That secret society doesn’t just include rogue anti-Trump FBI agents but also federal judges, federal prosecutors, one sitting Attorney General of a large U.S. state and potentially former Attorney General(s) of the United States, according to a new report.
“They communicate with meetings over cocktails, at homes, via encrypted chat rooms, texting on drug-cartel-inspired burner phones, and even via an email list, according to sources. Others have secured phones in the names of relatives to try to stay under the radar.”
More
County rejects raises for lower paid workers
Worcester has experienced nearly 20 percent drop in staff over last 18 months
In the last 18 months, Worcester County government has lost about 20 percent of its workforce for a variety of reasons, but also has had trouble filling a number of long-term vacancies, according to a report by Human Resources Director Stacey Norton.
Norton delivered her report as part of a special work session on county salaries following the commissioners’ regular meeting on Tuesday.
County Administrator Harold Higgins said the county staff’s budget priority for this year was salaries above all other concerns, while also remaining realistic about funding opportunities to pay for any increases.
Higgins said he knew it was an election year and there would be no tax increases to help offset any requested expenditure increases from county departments. During the budget process, expenditure requests frequently outpace the county’s ability to pay for them, requiring the commissioners to make cuts.
However, the hiring problems are so dire they required Norton to make a mid-year salary increase request to help fill the ranks. The proposal prepared by Norton targeted the lowest-paid employees first, and wouldn’t require any new spending from the commissioners.
“After conferring with Budget Officer Kathy Whited, we have determined that these reclassifications can be funded in our current budget due to savings from current employee retirements and vacant positions,” Norton wrote in her proposal.
The total cost to implement this part of the plan is about $291,000.
More
In the last 18 months, Worcester County government has lost about 20 percent of its workforce for a variety of reasons, but also has had trouble filling a number of long-term vacancies, according to a report by Human Resources Director Stacey Norton.
Norton delivered her report as part of a special work session on county salaries following the commissioners’ regular meeting on Tuesday.
County Administrator Harold Higgins said the county staff’s budget priority for this year was salaries above all other concerns, while also remaining realistic about funding opportunities to pay for any increases.
Higgins said he knew it was an election year and there would be no tax increases to help offset any requested expenditure increases from county departments. During the budget process, expenditure requests frequently outpace the county’s ability to pay for them, requiring the commissioners to make cuts.
However, the hiring problems are so dire they required Norton to make a mid-year salary increase request to help fill the ranks. The proposal prepared by Norton targeted the lowest-paid employees first, and wouldn’t require any new spending from the commissioners.
“After conferring with Budget Officer Kathy Whited, we have determined that these reclassifications can be funded in our current budget due to savings from current employee retirements and vacant positions,” Norton wrote in her proposal.
The total cost to implement this part of the plan is about $291,000.
More
Build the wall and make drug traffickers pay for it
Immigration was a defining issue of the 2016 election. President Trump ran on building a border wall, enforcing the law and making our immigration policy protect American families and benefit American workers, instead of endangering and undermining them.
President Trump’s position is very reasonable – so it’s puzzling that Washington Democrats have so far refused this deal. After all, they supported many of these same measures just a few years ago.
In 2013, 54 Senate Democrats – including Chuck Schumer of New York and Dick Durbin of Illinois – voted to build a wall on our southern border, end the diversity visa lottery, double the number of border agents, and move toward a merit-based immigration system.
If Democrats take the deal, the DACA recipients they say they care about would be protected. A secure southern border would help cut the flow of illegal drugs into our communities and reduce human trafficking.
We can achieve this agreement if we put political theatrics aside.
Here’s one potential solution we could consider:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/01/25/build-wall-and-make-drug-traffickers-pay-for-it-democrats-and-republicans-should-support-this.html
President Trump’s position is very reasonable – so it’s puzzling that Washington Democrats have so far refused this deal. After all, they supported many of these same measures just a few years ago.
In 2013, 54 Senate Democrats – including Chuck Schumer of New York and Dick Durbin of Illinois – voted to build a wall on our southern border, end the diversity visa lottery, double the number of border agents, and move toward a merit-based immigration system.
If Democrats take the deal, the DACA recipients they say they care about would be protected. A secure southern border would help cut the flow of illegal drugs into our communities and reduce human trafficking.
We can achieve this agreement if we put political theatrics aside.
Here’s one potential solution we could consider:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/01/25/build-wall-and-make-drug-traffickers-pay-for-it-democrats-and-republicans-should-support-this.html
Frontier Town appeals county EDU decision
The 4-3 decision of the Worcester County Commissioners in December to adhere to a plan prioritizing certain kinds of sewer capacity over others has been appealed to Worcester Circuit Court.
At issue are 71 equivalent dwelling units of sewer capacity Frontier Town attempted to buy to facilitate a campground expansion.
The move to expand was a copy of what Sun Communities did at the Castaways campsite it purchased in 2014, Hugh Cropper, attorney, said. Cropper said at Castaways, Sun Communities purchased the property, moved the campground from septic to public services, and then expanded the campground onto the drain field.
“It worked so well they decided to buy Frontier Town and do the same thing,” he said.
If it had proceeded the way Sun Communities had planned it, Cropper said during the peak season, about 90,000 gallons per day of wastewater would be removed from the watershed and be managed by public services instead.
More
At issue are 71 equivalent dwelling units of sewer capacity Frontier Town attempted to buy to facilitate a campground expansion.
The move to expand was a copy of what Sun Communities did at the Castaways campsite it purchased in 2014, Hugh Cropper, attorney, said. Cropper said at Castaways, Sun Communities purchased the property, moved the campground from septic to public services, and then expanded the campground onto the drain field.
“It worked so well they decided to buy Frontier Town and do the same thing,” he said.
If it had proceeded the way Sun Communities had planned it, Cropper said during the peak season, about 90,000 gallons per day of wastewater would be removed from the watershed and be managed by public services instead.
More
Republicans Sitting on Evidence That Clears Trump?
The Stupid Party Remains Stupid
In the 1970s neoconservative Irving Kristol aptly described the Republicans as “the stupid party.” We are seeing this today in the hesitation of the House Intelligence Committee to release to the American public the results of its investigation of Russiagate.
The committee has released a description of its findings to members of the House, and most Republicans who have read it are demanding that it be released to the public as it clearly proves that Russiagate was an orchestrated conspiracy between the Democratic National Committee, the FBI, and the Obama Department of Justice against Donald Trump.
Apparently, Republicans are not smart enough to understand that to announce that you have proof that turns Russiagate away from President Trump and toward its DNC, FBI, and DOJ originators and then to sit on the information gives the Democrats and the presstitutes time to discredit the information in advance of its release.
And that is exactly what we are witnessing. For example, presstitute Greg Sargent writing in the Washington Post, a long-time CIA asset, mischaracterizes the finding of the House Intelligence Committee as “the latest effort to delegitimize the Russia probe by painting it as born of partisan dirty tricks and an illegitimate abuse of power.”
More
In the 1970s neoconservative Irving Kristol aptly described the Republicans as “the stupid party.” We are seeing this today in the hesitation of the House Intelligence Committee to release to the American public the results of its investigation of Russiagate.
The committee has released a description of its findings to members of the House, and most Republicans who have read it are demanding that it be released to the public as it clearly proves that Russiagate was an orchestrated conspiracy between the Democratic National Committee, the FBI, and the Obama Department of Justice against Donald Trump.
Apparently, Republicans are not smart enough to understand that to announce that you have proof that turns Russiagate away from President Trump and toward its DNC, FBI, and DOJ originators and then to sit on the information gives the Democrats and the presstitutes time to discredit the information in advance of its release.
And that is exactly what we are witnessing. For example, presstitute Greg Sargent writing in the Washington Post, a long-time CIA asset, mischaracterizes the finding of the House Intelligence Committee as “the latest effort to delegitimize the Russia probe by painting it as born of partisan dirty tricks and an illegitimate abuse of power.”
More
West OC dispensary opens
Without the crowds or fanfare seen in other states, Positive Energy, the county’s first medical marijuana dispensary, opened its doors to the public on Thursday.
“It’s incredible. It’s been just a little over three years in the making and to have the patients come in and being able to interact with them is huge,” Lyndsey Odachowski, general manager, said. “I had my grandparents come in, and seeing it come full circle for them is really huge.”
Odachowski said both her grandmother and grandfather have seen benefits from medical marijuana use.
The dispensary is on Route 50, at the intersection with Jerry Mack Road, in a complex owned by the Odachowski family. The full address is 9939 Jerry Mack Road.
Maryland law allows two dispensaries per state senate district and Odachowski’s Positive Energy is the first to open.
Robert Davis, owner and clinical director of Hi-Tide dispensary, also in West Ocean City at 12600 Marjan Lane, said he expects to open in February.
Hi-Tide is still waiting on final approval from the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission to open.
“For the community, we can now offer an option for them to get natural medicine in their own backyard, and they don’t have to go far, she said.
More
“It’s incredible. It’s been just a little over three years in the making and to have the patients come in and being able to interact with them is huge,” Lyndsey Odachowski, general manager, said. “I had my grandparents come in, and seeing it come full circle for them is really huge.”
Odachowski said both her grandmother and grandfather have seen benefits from medical marijuana use.
The dispensary is on Route 50, at the intersection with Jerry Mack Road, in a complex owned by the Odachowski family. The full address is 9939 Jerry Mack Road.
Maryland law allows two dispensaries per state senate district and Odachowski’s Positive Energy is the first to open.
Robert Davis, owner and clinical director of Hi-Tide dispensary, also in West Ocean City at 12600 Marjan Lane, said he expects to open in February.
Hi-Tide is still waiting on final approval from the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission to open.
“For the community, we can now offer an option for them to get natural medicine in their own backyard, and they don’t have to go far, she said.
More
LEGENDARY COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 1-27-18
Salisbury Jewelers
Salisbury has the sixth oldest jewelry store in the United States in Kuhn’s. The original owner was Amos W. Woodcock, who started the business in 1853. He sold it to G. M. Fisher in 1906, who sold it to his employee, John A. Kuhn, in 1923. The store remains today on Main St. in Salisbury operating as Kuhn’s Jewelers.
When Amos Woodcock started, he was the only jeweler in Salisbury. By 1878, a D. B. Farlow was listed as a jeweler. Farlow is not listed by 1891, although two new businesses listed themselves as jewelers. They were C. E. Harper and George W. Phipps. Harper took on a partner by the turn of the century, and their business was listed as Harper & Taylor.
The Salisbury Directory of 1907 lists Harper & Taylor, George W. Phipps along with the newly acquired store of Amos Woodcock by G. M. Fisher. G. M. Fisher put out a “calendar plate” beginning in 1910. In 1912, there were many different plates with the central theme of fruits, flowers or a Victorian lady in different styles of dress. The last one he put out was in 1913 and is slightly smaller than the previous plates. The same basic list of jewelers was in place in 1916 with the only difference being a W. J. Collins replacing George W. Phipps. Five years later, in 1921, only G. M. Fisher and Harper & Taylor were listed.
By 1931, Harper & Taylor was not listed. This could be as a result of the Peninsula Hotel burning down in 1929. Harper & Taylor had their business in the hotel and probably elected to not relocate their business elsewhere after the fire. Although they did not continue, two new jewelers appeared on the scene, W. C. Collins and Russell P. White.
In the directory of 1940, there appeared two more familiar names, Charles A. Blizzard and Preston W. Burbage. These two, along with Kuhn’s and White’s, were the mainstay jewelry stores well into the 1960’s.
There have been other names listed as jewelry stores that are all but forgotten now. Names such as S. Goldinger, Ira F. Hearn, Joseph W. Brown, Herman W. English and Richard W. Fields are now but a memory. And businesses such as Bailey’s Time Shop and Dixon’s may bring back a memory to someone.
The largest jewelry store of my youth was Castleberg’s. It was located initially in the Wicomico Hotel and had the large corner store that faced both Main and Division Streets. They later moved down Main St. where they maintained their jewelry and watch business. The last of the great watchmakers in Salisbury, Rodney Graves, was employed there and still works out of a shop behind his house.
Now, you can get jewelry from any number of stores, but you can’t get your watch repaired by a true artisan. I remember Mr. Graves always had a series of magnifying loops attached to his glasses for close viewing, In fact, with the advent of the new digital watches; there is not much to repair. When something happens to it, you just throw it away and get a new one. Another example that we have become a throw-away society.
"It's a massacre." A bomb in an ambulance killed at least 63 people in Kabul, days after another major Taliban attack in the Afghan capital.
At least 63 people were killed and at least 151 others were injured when a bomb placed in an ambulance set off a huge explosion on a busy Kabul street on Saturday, Afghan officials said.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
Why School Choice Will Continue to Grow in Popularity
National School Choice Week (NSCW), an annual event that celebrates education choice, has been smashing attendance records year after year. This year’s NSCW is “estimating about 6.7 million people to participate in a record-breaking 32,240 celebrations,” Watchdog.org reported recently. “The organization said there have been more than 58,000 events planned across the U.S. and around the world since 2011.”
Families embrace school choice for many reasons. Our nation is composed of millions of diverse children with various needs, interests, and abilities, and our government school system works about as well as giving all Americans an ibuprofen tablet and expecting it to cure maladies ranging from cancer to diabetes to athlete’s foot.
Not only is the one-size-fits-all approach ineffective at teaching students with unique learning methods, it’s also inherently prone to corruption and waste, which hurts you, the hard-working taxpayer. When an institution is handed funding (and lots of it) year after year, as is the case with public schools, it has no reason to strive for improvement or use the money prudently.
More
Families embrace school choice for many reasons. Our nation is composed of millions of diverse children with various needs, interests, and abilities, and our government school system works about as well as giving all Americans an ibuprofen tablet and expecting it to cure maladies ranging from cancer to diabetes to athlete’s foot.
Not only is the one-size-fits-all approach ineffective at teaching students with unique learning methods, it’s also inherently prone to corruption and waste, which hurts you, the hard-working taxpayer. When an institution is handed funding (and lots of it) year after year, as is the case with public schools, it has no reason to strive for improvement or use the money prudently.
More
Schiff Hits the Fan
Let me get this straight. Sen. Dianne Feinstein gets to release the testimony of Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson due to a head cold but it takes a vote of the House Intelligence Committee and presidential approval to release the memo detailing the FBI and DOJ collusion to overthrow the President of the United States. I have a suggestion -- vote to release the memo, send a copy to President Trump and have him read it during the State of the Union.
Isn’t this supposed to be the government of the people, by the people, and for the people? So why are the people kept in the dark about the attempted overthrow of their government? Our representatives can see the memo but the people they represent can’t? Will someone please catch a cold and release the memo?
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, who has a mind so closed it would take the jaws of life to open, is a typical patronizing progressive who thinks the peasants are too stupid to read and understand the memo. He’s afraid the bitter clingers and deplorable would grab their pitchforks and torches and storm the castle if they knew how their democracy was being subverted:
More
Isn’t this supposed to be the government of the people, by the people, and for the people? So why are the people kept in the dark about the attempted overthrow of their government? Our representatives can see the memo but the people they represent can’t? Will someone please catch a cold and release the memo?
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, who has a mind so closed it would take the jaws of life to open, is a typical patronizing progressive who thinks the peasants are too stupid to read and understand the memo. He’s afraid the bitter clingers and deplorable would grab their pitchforks and torches and storm the castle if they knew how their democracy was being subverted:
More
Overheard at Philly polling place: No GOP votes 'on my machine!'
An elderly couple wanted to vote for the Republican in a 2017 special election in North Philadelphia.
First they were told they had to go “get a stamp” outside the polling place — where Democrats handed out stamps for write-in candidates. Then, when an Election Board worker heard they wanted to vote Republican, a witness heard him bellow: “Not on my machine!” And though they both said they eventually cast ballots, in the end only one GOP vote was recorded at the polling place.
Those were some of the allegations to emerge this week from the investigation into Election Board workers who allegedly interfered with the March 21 race for the state House’s 197th District. Four Democrats are awaiting trial on charges of committing fraud, intimidating voters and tampering with public records at the polling site at the Esperanza Health Center in the 43rd Ward.
Though state prosecutors say the outcome of the election wasn’t compromised — the ward’s Democratic leader, Emilio Vazquez, won with 73.5 percent of the vote, via write-ins — the case offers a window into supposed dirty election operations by some in the city’s powerful Democratic machine, in an area where several political shenanigans have been reported over the years. Fair or not, the allegations could feed the perception among Republicans (and some Democrats) that election mischief is rampant in parts of Philadelphia.
During a preliminary hearing Monday for two of the Election Board workers — Dolores Shaw, the judge of elections, and Thurman George, the machine inspector — voters from the site made several notable claims under oath:
More
First they were told they had to go “get a stamp” outside the polling place — where Democrats handed out stamps for write-in candidates. Then, when an Election Board worker heard they wanted to vote Republican, a witness heard him bellow: “Not on my machine!” And though they both said they eventually cast ballots, in the end only one GOP vote was recorded at the polling place.
Those were some of the allegations to emerge this week from the investigation into Election Board workers who allegedly interfered with the March 21 race for the state House’s 197th District. Four Democrats are awaiting trial on charges of committing fraud, intimidating voters and tampering with public records at the polling site at the Esperanza Health Center in the 43rd Ward.
Though state prosecutors say the outcome of the election wasn’t compromised — the ward’s Democratic leader, Emilio Vazquez, won with 73.5 percent of the vote, via write-ins — the case offers a window into supposed dirty election operations by some in the city’s powerful Democratic machine, in an area where several political shenanigans have been reported over the years. Fair or not, the allegations could feed the perception among Republicans (and some Democrats) that election mischief is rampant in parts of Philadelphia.
During a preliminary hearing Monday for two of the Election Board workers — Dolores Shaw, the judge of elections, and Thurman George, the machine inspector — voters from the site made several notable claims under oath:
More
CNN mocked after declaring cuckolding can be a positive for certain couples
The bizarre piece starts off by explaining that “the term ‘cuck’ -- short for ‘cuckservative’ -- has become an insult of the so-called alt-right, aimed at men they view as spineless and emasculated.” Cuckold is defined as “the husband of an adulteress.”
However, CNN seemingly doesn’t think cuckolding would be so bad.
Citing a study by David Ley, Justin Lehmiller and controversial writer Dan Savage, CNN notes that cuckolding can actually be a “positive experience” for certain couples. The study also notes that cuckolding is “hardly a sign of weakness,” despite the fact that the abbreviated version is essentially a modern slur for someone showing weakness.
Savage, whom CNN treats as an expert on cuckolding, has a reputation for being an advocate of morally debased rhetoric. In the past, the LGBT activist has said he wished all Republicans were “dead,” wished oral cancer on Sarah Palin, encouraged students to “ignore” the Bible and has made a variety of controversial remarks about sexuality and the transgender community.
More
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/01/25/cnn-mocked-after-declaring-cuckolding-can-be-positive-for-certain-couples.html
Salisbury University, UMES form new academic partnership
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. –– The University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Salisbury University have forged a new academic partnership capable of producing pharmacists in six years.
The agreement creating a “cooperative undergraduate/professional program” will streamline instruction by as many as two years and subsequently save students the comparable cost of extra tuition.
“We are excited about our partnership with Salisbury University and look forward to working with them to fully implement this agreement,” said Dr. Rondall E. Allen, dean of the UMES School of Pharmacy and Health Professions.
Chemistry majors at Salisbury University who meet the requirements and have strong academic credentials may gain preferential admission to UMES’ professional degree program after just three years of undergraduate study.
UMES’s pharmacy program, one of 15 in the nation that offers year-round instruction, enables students to earn a doctorate in three years instead of the traditional four.
More
The agreement creating a “cooperative undergraduate/professional program” will streamline instruction by as many as two years and subsequently save students the comparable cost of extra tuition.
“We are excited about our partnership with Salisbury University and look forward to working with them to fully implement this agreement,” said Dr. Rondall E. Allen, dean of the UMES School of Pharmacy and Health Professions.
Chemistry majors at Salisbury University who meet the requirements and have strong academic credentials may gain preferential admission to UMES’ professional degree program after just three years of undergraduate study.
UMES’s pharmacy program, one of 15 in the nation that offers year-round instruction, enables students to earn a doctorate in three years instead of the traditional four.
More
Does that mean that this brilliant liberal wants...
- women to be banned from any establishment selling alcohol?
- women to be banned from polling places on election days
- women to be banned from any official government group meetings?
- all women to be banned from all airports?
- you to have to pay a fee to the state before you can carry a woman on your person?
- some women to be banned outright simply because they look too scary?
- all women to be locked up at all times that they are not in use?
Hmmmm.
Blame your location: Obesity spreads through communities like a contagious disease
Obesity is deadly, epidemic and … contagious?
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics shows that being around obese people for extended periods makes it more likely that you will become obese.
The study also suggests that people who are surrounded by a community and environment that promote healthy living will mirror that lifestyle.
“Even though the word ‘contagion’ has a negative connotation, what we really want people to take away is that we can actually use it to our advantage,” Ashlesha Datar, co-author of the recently published study, told The Washington Times.
More than one-third of the U.S. population is obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Excessive weight and obesity are contributing factors to the leading causes of death and health maladies in the country, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and a number of cancers.
More
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics shows that being around obese people for extended periods makes it more likely that you will become obese.
The study also suggests that people who are surrounded by a community and environment that promote healthy living will mirror that lifestyle.
“Even though the word ‘contagion’ has a negative connotation, what we really want people to take away is that we can actually use it to our advantage,” Ashlesha Datar, co-author of the recently published study, told The Washington Times.
More than one-third of the U.S. population is obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Excessive weight and obesity are contributing factors to the leading causes of death and health maladies in the country, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and a number of cancers.
More