Ready, Set, GROW! Procurement Connections Workshop Draws 90 Participants
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Buyers from various State agencies connected with the small business community in Maryland’s Mid-Shore region yesterday during the Ready, Set, GROW! Procurement Connections Workshop held at Chesapeake College in Wye Mill – the first of its kind on the Mid-Shore. Attendance exceeded expectations, drawing nearly 90 small business owners and entrepreneurs.
“Doing business with the State of Maryland is desirable to many small businesses,” said Jimmy Rhee, special secretary of the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs. “We created this program to share insightful tips for navigating the procurement process and connect vendors with buyers. Our intention is to ensure the process is completely open, accessible, and transparent.”
This multi-faceted workshop, which highlights that the Hogan Administration is Open for Business, is hosted by the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs at locations around the state.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Saturday, February 24, 2018
South Africa's Brand New President Wants To Confiscate Land From White Farmers
If you’ve been following much international news, you’ve probably heard that, after literally years of scandal, abuse, and incompetence, South Africa’s president Jacob Zuma was finally forced to resign last week.
This is a big deal for South Africa.
The country has been suffering for nearly a decade under Zuma’s corruption.
And people are certainly hoping that the new President, Cyril Ramaphosa, will represent a positive, new chapter for South Africa.
Yesterday Ramaphosa addressed the nation’s parliament in Cape Town and made clear that his priority is to heal the divisions and injustice of the past, going all the way back to the original European colonists in the 1600s taking land from the indigenous tribes.
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This is a big deal for South Africa.
The country has been suffering for nearly a decade under Zuma’s corruption.
And people are certainly hoping that the new President, Cyril Ramaphosa, will represent a positive, new chapter for South Africa.
Yesterday Ramaphosa addressed the nation’s parliament in Cape Town and made clear that his priority is to heal the divisions and injustice of the past, going all the way back to the original European colonists in the 1600s taking land from the indigenous tribes.
More
Murder charge filed in fallout from video that shows nurses laughing as dying WWII vet struggles for air
Two nurses and an aide were indicted Wednesday in the death of an elderly patient, World War II veteran James Dempsey, who died pleading for help while in their care, WXIA-TV reported.
Dempsey’s family, of Woodstock, Ga., hid a camera in the late veteran’s room in the Northeast Atlanta Health and Rehabilitation Center which captured the night he died.
The video showed the decorated U.S. Navy veteran repeatedly calling for help, saying he could not breathe. It also showed the nurses failing to take life-saving measures and laughing as they tried to start an oxygen machine.
The channel reported that Brookhaven Police launched an investigation and on Wednesday a grand jury returned an indictment.
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Dempsey’s family, of Woodstock, Ga., hid a camera in the late veteran’s room in the Northeast Atlanta Health and Rehabilitation Center which captured the night he died.
The video showed the decorated U.S. Navy veteran repeatedly calling for help, saying he could not breathe. It also showed the nurses failing to take life-saving measures and laughing as they tried to start an oxygen machine.
The channel reported that Brookhaven Police launched an investigation and on Wednesday a grand jury returned an indictment.
More
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/02/22/murder-charge-filed-in-fallout-from-video-that-shows-nurses-laughing-as-dying-wwii-vet-struggles-for-air.html
Throwing George Clooney at the issue of gun control will not work
When George Clooney announced this week that he and his wife, Amal, were donating $500,000 to the organisers of the March For Our Lives rally to be held in Washington D.C. next month (March), the usual celebrity suspects piled on. Oprah Winfrey matched George and Amal’s donation, as did Steven Spielberg. The NRA (National Rifle Association) has just been given a free round of “liberal elites” ammunition.
The March For Our Lives rally (to be held on March 24th) is being organised by the survivors of last week’s Florida school shooting. It will be demanding that U.S. Congress introduces meaningful gun control laws.
Despite the wickedness of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shootings in when 20 young school children were shot dead by a psychopath using a legally bought gun and the widespread revulsion felt through the U.S. and beyond, the Sandy Hook massacre didn’t translate into legislative change. More than one hundred gun control bills have been introduced in Congress since 2012 - none of them have passed.
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Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates expected to offer guilty plea
Longtime aide to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has cut a deal with special counsel Robert Mueller, sources say.
Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates has agreed to cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller and is expected to plead guilty in his pending criminal case over money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent, according to people familiar with the deal.
Gates’ plea could be offered to U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington as soon as Friday afternoon, these people said – a day after prosecutors filed new charges against Gates in Virginia.
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Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates has agreed to cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller and is expected to plead guilty in his pending criminal case over money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent, according to people familiar with the deal.
Gates’ plea could be offered to U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington as soon as Friday afternoon, these people said – a day after prosecutors filed new charges against Gates in Virginia.
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WWII footage shows fierce fighting with battleships
Incredible footage shows US Marines storming the beaches at Iwo Jima and raiding bunkers with flamethrowers before hoisting the Stars and Stripes for the iconic photograph that came to symbolise the brutal battle.
Iwo Jima was one of the most savage conflicts of the Second World War with 6,500 US servicemen sacrificing their lives to take the tiny island, 660 miles south of Tokyo, Japan.
The invasion began on February 19, 1945 and now, 73 years on, rare video has brought the bloodthirsty fighting to life.
Captured by a crew embedded with the US Marines over a month-long period, the footage begins by showing a fleet of landing craft heading towards the coast with troops waiting nervously onboard.
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Iwo Jima was one of the most savage conflicts of the Second World War with 6,500 US servicemen sacrificing their lives to take the tiny island, 660 miles south of Tokyo, Japan.
The invasion began on February 19, 1945 and now, 73 years on, rare video has brought the bloodthirsty fighting to life.
Captured by a crew embedded with the US Marines over a month-long period, the footage begins by showing a fleet of landing craft heading towards the coast with troops waiting nervously onboard.
More
Troopers Arrest Suspect on Multiple Drug Charges-Millsboro
The incident occurred on Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 8:50 a.m. when members of GTF and the Delaware Probation and Parole Sussex Street Unit responded to the 23000 block of Mission Road, to conduct an arrest attempt for 26-year-old Tyree R. Oliver of Millsboro. Oliver was a probation absconder who had a Rule 9 warrant from Superior Court for drug charges, as well as a Violation of Probation capias from Superior Court, and a capias out of the Justice of the Peace Court 3 for Failure to Pay fines.
Upon arrival, Oliver was located in the residence and taken into custody without incident. A search of the residence yielded over $1000.00 in illegally obtained drug proceeds, approximately 1,780 bags of heroin (12.46 grams), and drug paraphernalia.
Oliver was transported to Troop 4 where he was charged with Possession with Intent to Deliver, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was arraigned out of the Justice of the Peace Court 3 and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $20,000.00 cash only bond.
Boy Bullied At Philly School Wakes Up To Racist Graffiti On Home
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Joey Messina is soft-spoken.
A first honors student at Mastery Charter Thomas Campus, the 12-year-old loves baseball, but Joey can’t shake the troublemakers at school.
“They don’t like me, they never did,” he says.
Overnight, this seventh-grader’s schoolyard differences followed him home, spray-painted for all to see on his South Philadelphia home where he lives with his parents and two younger siblings.
The threatening racially-charged words cut deep.
“I turned around and just went, ‘Oh my God.’ I called him and said, ‘Hurry up, get out here and look at this,’” Margaux Messina, Joey’s mom, said.
More/Video
A first honors student at Mastery Charter Thomas Campus, the 12-year-old loves baseball, but Joey can’t shake the troublemakers at school.
“They don’t like me, they never did,” he says.
Overnight, this seventh-grader’s schoolyard differences followed him home, spray-painted for all to see on his South Philadelphia home where he lives with his parents and two younger siblings.
The threatening racially-charged words cut deep.
“I turned around and just went, ‘Oh my God.’ I called him and said, ‘Hurry up, get out here and look at this,’” Margaux Messina, Joey’s mom, said.
More/Video
Navy veteran shoots home invasion suspect, says he was 'in fear' for his life
A would-be home invader was shot in the chest by a Navy veteran who said he had no other choice when the man attacked him last Friday.
Carmelo Marchese told FOX13 he was sitting in his home in Lecanto, located north of Tampa, when a stranger knocked on the door at 11:30 p.m. and sent his dog Daisy into a barking fit.
When he answered the door, Marchese said the man, identified by police as Joshua Bernard, started to push him and grabbed his neck.
“I was honestly and truly in fear for my life,” he said.
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Carmelo Marchese told FOX13 he was sitting in his home in Lecanto, located north of Tampa, when a stranger knocked on the door at 11:30 p.m. and sent his dog Daisy into a barking fit.
When he answered the door, Marchese said the man, identified by police as Joshua Bernard, started to push him and grabbed his neck.
“I was honestly and truly in fear for my life,” he said.
More
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/02/22/navy-veteran-shoots-home-invasion-suspect-says-was-in-fear-for-his-life.html
Mass Shootings and Psychiatric Drugs: The Connection
Sprinkle enough drugs among enough people and you get otherwise unexplainable violence popping up…
I’ve been tracking the connection since 1999, when I wrote a long white paper, for the Truth Seeker Foundation, on school shootings and psychiatric drugs. The paper was titled: “Why Do They Do It? School shootings Across America.”
The drugs aren’t the only causative factor, but they produce what I call the Johnny Appleseed effect throughout society. Sprinkle enough of the drugs among enough people and you get otherwise unexplainable violence popping up—in schools, in workplaces. The psychiatric plague eats out the country from the inside.
Here are excerpts from my 1999 report—
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I’ve been tracking the connection since 1999, when I wrote a long white paper, for the Truth Seeker Foundation, on school shootings and psychiatric drugs. The paper was titled: “Why Do They Do It? School shootings Across America.”
The drugs aren’t the only causative factor, but they produce what I call the Johnny Appleseed effect throughout society. Sprinkle enough of the drugs among enough people and you get otherwise unexplainable violence popping up—in schools, in workplaces. The psychiatric plague eats out the country from the inside.
Here are excerpts from my 1999 report—
More
Bible Museum Tour
Republican Women of Baltimore County
are hosting a bus trip to the new Bible Museum in Washington, DC
Saturday, March 24, 2018
8am -4pm
Bus leaves from Hunt Valley Towne Center
Tour includes admission fee, bus transportation, digital tour guide, and gift bag.
You are welcome to join us
See attached brochure for details
$70
PER PERSON
No Refund
Payment due March 3, 2018
Make check payable to RWBC
Please indicate Bible Museum on the memo line.
Money must be paid by March 3.
Send to:
RWBC
PO Box 1344
Cockeysville, MD 21030
Trump Opens Door to National Gun Registry with Proposed Gun Controls
President Trump opened the door Thursday morning to a national gun registry via his proposed “comprehensive background checks.”
He called for such checks via Twitter:
Although there is a lack of clarity on what Trump means by “comprehensive background checks,” as to whether he is referencing an overhaul of our current system or is pushing the universal background checks lauded by Democrats, it is important to note that this represents a turning point which opens the door to a national gun registry.
This is so because universal background checks are not enforceable without a gun registry.
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He called for such checks via Twitter:
This is so because universal background checks are not enforceable without a gun registry.
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CNN, Jake Tapper Face Growing Criticism Over 'Abusive' Anti-Gun 'Show Trial'
CNN’s anti-gun town hall event and its left-wing moderator, Jake Tapper, are facing widespread criticism over what many saw as a bullying “show trial.”
Tapper is being singled out for much of the criticism from those who say he remained silent as abusive personal attacks were hurled at Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch. Incredibly, Tapper also remained silent as his audience booed a rape victim.
At the Wednesday night spectacle, those in favor of protecting our Second Amendment civil rights were vastly outnumbered by an audience packed with hostile gun-haters and emotional questioners, including children.
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Tapper is being singled out for much of the criticism from those who say he remained silent as abusive personal attacks were hurled at Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch. Incredibly, Tapper also remained silent as his audience booed a rape victim.
At the Wednesday night spectacle, those in favor of protecting our Second Amendment civil rights were vastly outnumbered by an audience packed with hostile gun-haters and emotional questioners, including children.
More
Flag Status Alert: Maryland Flag is at Full-Staff
The Maryland State Flag shall be raised to full staff at sunset, Friday, February 23, 2018, the day of interment for Corporal Mujahid Ramzziddin of the Prince George’s County Police Department, who died in the line of duty on February 21, 2018.
Trump Rocks CPAC: ‘We’ve Got Seven Years to Go, Folks!’
“Hey, we have got seven years to go, folks!” Trump told the audience who cheered wildly. The president arrived with a prepared speech but quickly abandoned the teleprompters in favor of a free-wheeling address.
Trump’s arrival thrilled the crowd who waited hours to get in for Trump’s speech. CPAC president Matt Schlapp said it was the biggest audience in history.
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Texas Rancher Sues Feds For Spy Cam
A 74-year-old rancher from Encinal, Texas, is suing the federal government after he found a surveillance camera on his property, and subsequently refused to give it back to authorities.
Ricardo Palacios, who is also an attorney, is specifically filing suit against the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Texas Ranger Division, including two agents of the respective agencies. The forthcoming case was first reported on by Ars Technica on Thursday.
Several months ago, Palacios was taking a stroll on his ranch and stumbled upon a small portable camera with an antenna fastened to a tree. Not long after removing the recording device, which was situated on his property near his son’s home, Palacios received phone calls from CBP officials and Texas Rangers, each one claiming they were the owners of the camera and ordering him to give it back, reports Ars Technica.
Palacios, having refused their demands and dismissed their threats of arrest, is still in possession of the camera, and hopes to use it as admissible evidence in his case.
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Ricardo Palacios, who is also an attorney, is specifically filing suit against the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Texas Ranger Division, including two agents of the respective agencies. The forthcoming case was first reported on by Ars Technica on Thursday.
Several months ago, Palacios was taking a stroll on his ranch and stumbled upon a small portable camera with an antenna fastened to a tree. Not long after removing the recording device, which was situated on his property near his son’s home, Palacios received phone calls from CBP officials and Texas Rangers, each one claiming they were the owners of the camera and ordering him to give it back, reports Ars Technica.
Palacios, having refused their demands and dismissed their threats of arrest, is still in possession of the camera, and hopes to use it as admissible evidence in his case.
More
NBC ‘Blacklist’ Star Megan Boone: My Character ‘Will Never Carry an Assault Rifle Again’
Actress Megan Boone, star of NBC’s hit crime drama The Blacklist, says her character will never again carry an “assault rifle” on the show.
In the wake of the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, Boone jumped to Twitter and said that her character, Elizabeth Keen, will never again be seen with an “assault rifle.” The actress also apologized for “glorifying” the weapons in past episodes of the four season-long series.
“Liz Keen will never carry an assault rifle again and I am deeply sorry for participating in glorifying them in the past,” Boone tweeted on Friday.
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In the wake of the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, Boone jumped to Twitter and said that her character, Elizabeth Keen, will never again be seen with an “assault rifle.” The actress also apologized for “glorifying” the weapons in past episodes of the four season-long series.
“Liz Keen will never carry an assault rifle again and I am deeply sorry for participating in glorifying them in the past,” Boone tweeted on Friday.
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McCain Associate Invokes Fifth On Dossier
An associate of Arizona Sen. John McCain is invoking his Fifth Amendment rights in order to avoid revealing information to Congress about the Steele dossier.
David J. Kramer, a former State Department official, pleaded the Fifth in response to a subpoena issued in December by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Fox News reported.
In a Dec. 19 interview with the committee, Kramer said that he had information about some of the sources of information in the dossier, which was written by former British spy Christopher Steele and financed by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee.
Kramer learned the information in November 2016, after traveling to London to meet with Steele. Kramer and McCain, a Republican, first learned of the dossier earlier that month after meeting with an associate of Steele’s.
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David J. Kramer, a former State Department official, pleaded the Fifth in response to a subpoena issued in December by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Fox News reported.
In a Dec. 19 interview with the committee, Kramer said that he had information about some of the sources of information in the dossier, which was written by former British spy Christopher Steele and financed by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee.
Kramer learned the information in November 2016, after traveling to London to meet with Steele. Kramer and McCain, a Republican, first learned of the dossier earlier that month after meeting with an associate of Steele’s.
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Maryland Hunters Harvest 86,542 Deer in 2017-2018 Season
The Maryland Department of Natural Resourcesannounced today that hunters harvested 86,542 deer during the combined archery, firearms and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 8, 2017, through Jan. 31, 2018.
The harvest exceeded the 2016-2017 total by more than 1,000 deer. Included in the statewide total were 7,204 deer taken on Sundays.
“Sunday hunting continues to be an important component in managing Maryland’s deer population,”Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Paul Peditto said.
Read more…
The harvest exceeded the 2016-2017 total by more than 1,000 deer. Included in the statewide total were 7,204 deer taken on Sundays.
“Sunday hunting continues to be an important component in managing Maryland’s deer population,”Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Paul Peditto said.
Read more…
Stanford’s ‘diamond anvil’ technology could be a game-changer for chemistry
Diamonds are pretty darn tough. How tough? Tough enough that squeezing a couple of them together in a molecular diamond anvil — a technique that’s capable of achieving 100 times the pressure experienced at the bottom of the Mariana Trench — can be used to create custom molecules through the triggering of unique chemical reactions.
“Chemical reactions are at the core of modern-day society, from making new therapeutic drugs to fertilizer for food,” Nicholas Melosh, an associate professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University, told Digital Trends. “Most of these reactions are carried out using chemicals or heat to drive the reaction. However, it’s long been a goal to realize alternative ways to perform chemical reactions, such as with mechanical force.”
In their demonstration, the Stanford researchers demonstrated a first step toward this goal by showing that rigid molecules can be used as “molecular anvils” to crush a softer molecular component, thereby causing a reaction.
“This is a new idea,” Melosh continued. “It came about after we had synthesized one of the precursor molecules for a different project. That molecule was actually one that didn’t react with mechanical force, but it got us thinking about whether such a thing could be possible by altering the molecule shape we used. After compressing a few different candidates in collaboration with a fantastic group that does high pressure at Stanford, Wendy Mao, we found what we were looking for: An irreversible electrochemical reaction purely driven by mechanical force.”
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“Chemical reactions are at the core of modern-day society, from making new therapeutic drugs to fertilizer for food,” Nicholas Melosh, an associate professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University, told Digital Trends. “Most of these reactions are carried out using chemicals or heat to drive the reaction. However, it’s long been a goal to realize alternative ways to perform chemical reactions, such as with mechanical force.”
In their demonstration, the Stanford researchers demonstrated a first step toward this goal by showing that rigid molecules can be used as “molecular anvils” to crush a softer molecular component, thereby causing a reaction.
“This is a new idea,” Melosh continued. “It came about after we had synthesized one of the precursor molecules for a different project. That molecule was actually one that didn’t react with mechanical force, but it got us thinking about whether such a thing could be possible by altering the molecule shape we used. After compressing a few different candidates in collaboration with a fantastic group that does high pressure at Stanford, Wendy Mao, we found what we were looking for: An irreversible electrochemical reaction purely driven by mechanical force.”
More
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/02/23/stanford-s-diamond-anvil-technology-could-be-game-changer-for-chemistry.html
Ten Deer Test Positive for Chronic Wasting Disease
All of the positive samples came from within the existing Chronic Wasting Disease Management Area.
Read more…
7 Reasons to Shut Down Public Schools Immediately and Permanently
Students plan to walk out of schools to protest gun violence. They say they won’t return until lawmakers do something to address school shootings.
The students should walk out and never return. Being sitting ducks for gun violence is one reason, but it is far from the only one.
2. Taught Obedience, Not Skills
The students should walk out and never return. Being sitting ducks for gun violence is one reason, but it is far from the only one.
1. Students Are Left Defenseless
It’s not just crazy gunmen students are left defenseless against. Some schools put cops in the school, which sounds like a good idea. But if they aren’t stopping school shootings, they are generally handcuffing non-resistant elementary school students. Other “resource officers” assault the students, or taze them while the Principal holds them down.
The administrations can’t address the real issues because they are too busy interrogating five-year-olds until they pee their pants. Every day in the news you see another report of a teacher doing something crazy, assaulting, or sexually abusing students.
And then there is the bullying, harassment, and violence from other students.
The suicide rate for teenage girls is at an all-time high. Student suicides cluster around the beginning of the school year in the fall and final exams in the spring.
It’s not just crazy gunmen students are left defenseless against. Some schools put cops in the school, which sounds like a good idea. But if they aren’t stopping school shootings, they are generally handcuffing non-resistant elementary school students. Other “resource officers” assault the students, or taze them while the Principal holds them down.
The administrations can’t address the real issues because they are too busy interrogating five-year-olds until they pee their pants. Every day in the news you see another report of a teacher doing something crazy, assaulting, or sexually abusing students.
And then there is the bullying, harassment, and violence from other students.
The suicide rate for teenage girls is at an all-time high. Student suicides cluster around the beginning of the school year in the fall and final exams in the spring.
2. Taught Obedience, Not Skills
Diary of male prostitute claims Dem donor pushed drugs
The diary entries of a male prostitute, who suffered a fatal overdose at the home of a prominent Democrat donor last year, allege that the friend of Hillary Clinton was the one who got him hooked on drugs.
Gemmel Moore, 26, was found dead at the West Hollywood home of Ed Buck on July 27.
Authorities initially ruled his death an accidental drug overdose of methamphetamine.
But the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office have since launched a homicide investigation after Moore's family published pages from his journal which suggested Buck pushed the drugs on him.
Gemmel Moore, 26, was found dead at the West Hollywood home of Ed Buck on July 27.
Authorities initially ruled his death an accidental drug overdose of methamphetamine.
But the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office have since launched a homicide investigation after Moore's family published pages from his journal which suggested Buck pushed the drugs on him.
Since the investigation was launched, a number of other men of color have come forward to claim political power player Buck, who is single and came out as gay at 16, paid them to take drugs.
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Feds Hid White-Collar Outsourcing Program From the Public, Says Judge
Federal officials excluded the public when they created a program to help U.S. companies hire hundreds of thousands of foreign graduates in place of American graduates, a D.C. Appeals Court judge said February 20.
Law360.com reported the comment, which came during a hearing against the Optional Practical Training outsourcing program:
The judge also challenged [Justice Department lawyer Scott] Stewart … that the latest tweak represented the first time the government actually opened its considerations of the program to public comment. “The public wasn’t involved” in earlier considerations on statutory authority for the program, Judge Edwards told Stewart.
Federal law requires the public be allowed to comment when new regulations are created.
“I have claws up and down my back …. [the judge] was tough on me, but he wasn’t vicious,” said John Miano, the lawyer for the Immigration Reform Law Institute. On behalf of theWashington Alliance of Technology Workers, Miano is suing to shut down the federal “Optional Practical Training” program because the OPT program was illegally created.
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Law360.com reported the comment, which came during a hearing against the Optional Practical Training outsourcing program:
The judge also challenged [Justice Department lawyer Scott] Stewart … that the latest tweak represented the first time the government actually opened its considerations of the program to public comment. “The public wasn’t involved” in earlier considerations on statutory authority for the program, Judge Edwards told Stewart.
Federal law requires the public be allowed to comment when new regulations are created.
“I have claws up and down my back …. [the judge] was tough on me, but he wasn’t vicious,” said John Miano, the lawyer for the Immigration Reform Law Institute. On behalf of theWashington Alliance of Technology Workers, Miano is suing to shut down the federal “Optional Practical Training” program because the OPT program was illegally created.
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ICE arrests 145 in South and Central Texas during 7-day operation targeting criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants and immigration fugitives
SAN ANTONIO — Deportation officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 145 criminal aliens and immigration violators in South and Central Texas during a seven-day enforcement action, which ended Feb. 16.
During this operation, ERO deportation officers made arrests in the following Texas cities and towns: Austin (45), San Antonio (41), Rio Grande Valley (37), Laredo (15) and Waco (7).
Of the 145 arrested, 86 had criminal convictions; 39 were arrested based on previous immigration encounters, four of which have pending criminal charges; 20 had no prior immigration history or encounters, one has pending criminal charges. Of the total arrests 135 were men and 10 were women. They range in age from 18 to 62 years old.
Aliens arrested during this operation are from the following countries: Mexico (128), Guatemala (7), El Salvador (1), Honduras (7), Peru (1) and Jordan (1).
Most of the aliens targeted by ERO deportation officers during this operation had prior criminal histories that included convictions for the following crimes: indecency with a child, assault, deadly conduct, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, drug possession, drug trafficking, burglary, resisting arrest, firearms offense, alien smuggling, illegally entering the U.S., and driving under the influence (DUI).
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During this operation, ERO deportation officers made arrests in the following Texas cities and towns: Austin (45), San Antonio (41), Rio Grande Valley (37), Laredo (15) and Waco (7).
Of the 145 arrested, 86 had criminal convictions; 39 were arrested based on previous immigration encounters, four of which have pending criminal charges; 20 had no prior immigration history or encounters, one has pending criminal charges. Of the total arrests 135 were men and 10 were women. They range in age from 18 to 62 years old.
Aliens arrested during this operation are from the following countries: Mexico (128), Guatemala (7), El Salvador (1), Honduras (7), Peru (1) and Jordan (1).
Most of the aliens targeted by ERO deportation officers during this operation had prior criminal histories that included convictions for the following crimes: indecency with a child, assault, deadly conduct, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, drug possession, drug trafficking, burglary, resisting arrest, firearms offense, alien smuggling, illegally entering the U.S., and driving under the influence (DUI).
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Florida Shooting Survivor Doubles Down: CNN's Entire Townhall Was Scripted
The latest embarrassing blow to CNN's (already tattered) credibility emerged last night when Colton Haab, the student who first exposed CNN for pushing him to ask a scripted question during Wednesday night's town hall appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight to offer even more shocking details about CNN's conduct.
Yesterday, we noted that Haab, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student and shooting survivor, had come forward to say he decided not to attend Wednesday night's CNN town hall after CNN producers gave him a pre-scripted question for him to ask.
But Haab told Carlson that the producers didn't just want him to ask one scripted question: They essentially rewrote a list of questions and political points that he wanted to make at the town hall, prompting him to back away from the town hall. Haab told Carlson he shared with CNN what he wanted to say, but a producer named Carrie Stevenson ultimately rejected it, and instead after several conversations "scripted" a question for him.
"CNN had originally asked me to write a speech and questions and it ended up being all scripted," Haab said to a local news outlet Wednesday night, according to RealClearPolitics.
Haab told Carlson he wanted to go "speak [his] part" and "open eyes" to a few things he thought could make the situation better. Haab said the network was dishonest and that is why he decided not to attend. He also said he was directed to "stick to the script."
"She had actually said that over the phone that I needed to stick to the script," Haab said of the CNN producer.
he was approached by CNN to ask a question at Wednesday night's town hall, but declined after the network gave him a "scripted question" instead of allowing him to ask his own question.
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Yesterday, we noted that Haab, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student and shooting survivor, had come forward to say he decided not to attend Wednesday night's CNN town hall after CNN producers gave him a pre-scripted question for him to ask.
But Haab told Carlson that the producers didn't just want him to ask one scripted question: They essentially rewrote a list of questions and political points that he wanted to make at the town hall, prompting him to back away from the town hall. Haab told Carlson he shared with CNN what he wanted to say, but a producer named Carrie Stevenson ultimately rejected it, and instead after several conversations "scripted" a question for him.
"CNN had originally asked me to write a speech and questions and it ended up being all scripted," Haab said to a local news outlet Wednesday night, according to RealClearPolitics.
Haab told Carlson he wanted to go "speak [his] part" and "open eyes" to a few things he thought could make the situation better. Haab said the network was dishonest and that is why he decided not to attend. He also said he was directed to "stick to the script."
"She had actually said that over the phone that I needed to stick to the script," Haab said of the CNN producer.
he was approached by CNN to ask a question at Wednesday night's town hall, but declined after the network gave him a "scripted question" instead of allowing him to ask his own question.
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The new Civil War is just a-brewing....
By Charles Krauthammer
I do not understand how living in a country with its democracy established over 200 years ago, and now, for the first time in history, suddenly we have one of our former presidents set up a group called "Organizing for Action" (OFA).
OFA is 30,000+ strong and working to disrupt everything that our current president’s administration is trying to do. This organization goes against our Democracy, and it is an operation that will destroy our way of governing. It goes against our Constitution, our laws, and the processes established over 200 years ago. If it is allowed to proceed then we will be living in chaos very much like third world countries are run. What good is it to have an established government if it is not going to be respected and allowed to follow our laws?
If you had an army some 30,000 strong and a court system stacked over the decades with judges who would allow you to break the laws, how much damage could you do to a country? We are about to find out in America!
Our ex-president said he was going to stay involved through community organizing and speak out on the issues and that appears to be one post-administration promise he intends to keep. He has moved many of his administration's top dogs over to Organizing for Action.
OFA is behind the strategic and tactical implementation of the resistance to the Trump Administration that we are seeing across America, and politically active courts are providing the leverage for this revolution.
OFA is dedicated to organizing communities for "progressive" change. Its issues are gun control, socialist healthcare, abortion, sexual equality, climate change, and of course, immigration reform.
OFA members were propped up by the ex-president's message from the shadows: "Organizing is the building block of everything great we have accomplished Organizers around the country are fighting for change in their communities and OFA is one of the groups on the front lines. Commit to this work in 2017 and beyond."
OFA's website says it obtained its "digital" assets from the ex-president's re-election effort and that he inspired the movement. In short, it is the shadow government organization aimed at resisting and tearing down the Constitutional Republic we know as AMERICA.
Paul Sperry, writing for the New York Post, says, “The OFA will fight President Donald Trump at every turn of his presidency and the ex-president will command them from a bunker less than two miles from the White House."
Sperry writes that, “The ex-president is setting up a shadow government to sabotage the Trump administration through a network of non-profits led by OFA, which is growing its war chest (more than $40 million) and has some 250 offices nationwide. The OFA IRS filings, according to Sperry, indicate that the OFA has 32,525 (and growing) volunteers nationwide. The ex-president and his wife will oversee the operation from their home/ office in Washington DC.
Think about how this works.. For example: Trump issues an immigration executive order; the OFA signals for protests and statements from pro-immigrant groups; the ACLU lawyers file lawsuits in jurisdictions where activist judges obstruct the laws; volunteers are called to protest at airports and Congressional town hall meetings; the leftist media springs to action in support of these activities; the twitter sphere lights up with social media; and violence follows. All of this happens from the ex-president's signal that he is heartened by the protests.
If Barack Obama did not do enough to destroy this country in the 8 years he was in office, it appears his future plans are to destroy the foundation on which this country has operated on for the last 241 years.
If this does not scare you, then we are in worse trouble than you know.
I do not understand how living in a country with its democracy established over 200 years ago, and now, for the first time in history, suddenly we have one of our former presidents set up a group called "Organizing for Action" (OFA).
OFA is 30,000+ strong and working to disrupt everything that our current president’s administration is trying to do. This organization goes against our Democracy, and it is an operation that will destroy our way of governing. It goes against our Constitution, our laws, and the processes established over 200 years ago. If it is allowed to proceed then we will be living in chaos very much like third world countries are run. What good is it to have an established government if it is not going to be respected and allowed to follow our laws?
If you had an army some 30,000 strong and a court system stacked over the decades with judges who would allow you to break the laws, how much damage could you do to a country? We are about to find out in America!
Our ex-president said he was going to stay involved through community organizing and speak out on the issues and that appears to be one post-administration promise he intends to keep. He has moved many of his administration's top dogs over to Organizing for Action.
OFA is behind the strategic and tactical implementation of the resistance to the Trump Administration that we are seeing across America, and politically active courts are providing the leverage for this revolution.
OFA is dedicated to organizing communities for "progressive" change. Its issues are gun control, socialist healthcare, abortion, sexual equality, climate change, and of course, immigration reform.
OFA members were propped up by the ex-president's message from the shadows: "Organizing is the building block of everything great we have accomplished Organizers around the country are fighting for change in their communities and OFA is one of the groups on the front lines. Commit to this work in 2017 and beyond."
OFA's website says it obtained its "digital" assets from the ex-president's re-election effort and that he inspired the movement. In short, it is the shadow government organization aimed at resisting and tearing down the Constitutional Republic we know as AMERICA.
Paul Sperry, writing for the New York Post, says, “The OFA will fight President Donald Trump at every turn of his presidency and the ex-president will command them from a bunker less than two miles from the White House."
Sperry writes that, “The ex-president is setting up a shadow government to sabotage the Trump administration through a network of non-profits led by OFA, which is growing its war chest (more than $40 million) and has some 250 offices nationwide. The OFA IRS filings, according to Sperry, indicate that the OFA has 32,525 (and growing) volunteers nationwide. The ex-president and his wife will oversee the operation from their home/ office in Washington DC.
Think about how this works.. For example: Trump issues an immigration executive order; the OFA signals for protests and statements from pro-immigrant groups; the ACLU lawyers file lawsuits in jurisdictions where activist judges obstruct the laws; volunteers are called to protest at airports and Congressional town hall meetings; the leftist media springs to action in support of these activities; the twitter sphere lights up with social media; and violence follows. All of this happens from the ex-president's signal that he is heartened by the protests.
If Barack Obama did not do enough to destroy this country in the 8 years he was in office, it appears his future plans are to destroy the foundation on which this country has operated on for the last 241 years.
If this does not scare you, then we are in worse trouble than you know.
Charles Krauthammer
Allegations Against Justice Clarence Thomas Discredited — Again
The subtitle of Abramson’s article claims there is “new” evidence of sexual harassment involving Thomas. She says this evidence warrants his removal from the Supreme Court, which would be unprecedented in American history. Justice Samuel Chase was impeached by the House in 1804, but he was acquitted by the Senate in 1805 and continued to serve on the Court.
Abramson’s main thesis is that Thomas lied under oath about sexual harassment in 1991 during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing. She insists these allegations are true, that Thomas committed an impeachable offense and should be removed from the bench.
More here
Cops got three calls about Cruz wanting to shoot school
A 911 call log released on Thursday by the Broward County Sheriff's Department reveals that police were first told that Nikolas Cruz might commit a school shooting two years before he massacred 17 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
On February 5, 2016, a neighbor's son alerted officers to an Instagram post that showed Cruz, then a juvenile, holding guns and threatening to shoot up the school.
The deputy who responded noted that Cruz, who was 17 at the time, had BB guns and knives but did not write up a report, choosing instead to notify the school.
Nothing was done at all however in November when a caller informed police that the teenager was 'collecting guns and knives,' adding: 'Cruz will kill himself one day and believes he could be a school shooter in the making.'
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On February 5, 2016, a neighbor's son alerted officers to an Instagram post that showed Cruz, then a juvenile, holding guns and threatening to shoot up the school.
The deputy who responded noted that Cruz, who was 17 at the time, had BB guns and knives but did not write up a report, choosing instead to notify the school.
Nothing was done at all however in November when a caller informed police that the teenager was 'collecting guns and knives,' adding: 'Cruz will kill himself one day and believes he could be a school shooter in the making.'
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At Least 20 Students Told Police Nikolas Cruz Threatened To KILL Them - Police Did Nothing
Police have admitted that they received at least 20 calls reporting suspected gunman Nikolas Cruz in recent years, and his former classmates said they received multiple death threats from him.
Parkland, Florida – As new information surfaces surrounding the mass shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last week, it is becoming even more apparent that law enforcement blatantly ignored a number of warning signs about the suspected gunman, which included 20 calls to police detailing death threats and violent behavior.
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel admitted that there were at least “20 calls for services in the last few years” regarding Nikolas Cruz, who is now accused of entering the school he was expelled from and opening fire on his former classmates and teachers. Israel said that given the latest allegations against Cruz, the department now plans to review the reports they have received in the past.
“Every one of these calls for service will be looked at and scrutinized,” Israel said. “If we find out that one of our deputies or call takers could have done something better, or was remiss, I’ll handle it accordingly.”
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Parkland, Florida – As new information surfaces surrounding the mass shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last week, it is becoming even more apparent that law enforcement blatantly ignored a number of warning signs about the suspected gunman, which included 20 calls to police detailing death threats and violent behavior.
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel admitted that there were at least “20 calls for services in the last few years” regarding Nikolas Cruz, who is now accused of entering the school he was expelled from and opening fire on his former classmates and teachers. Israel said that given the latest allegations against Cruz, the department now plans to review the reports they have received in the past.
“Every one of these calls for service will be looked at and scrutinized,” Israel said. “If we find out that one of our deputies or call takers could have done something better, or was remiss, I’ll handle it accordingly.”
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Politicians, Cannot Understand What A Successful Business Person Can Truly Do For America
Hertz Joins Parade of Major Companies Cutting Ties With NRA
Car rental giant Hertz announced Friday it has joined the growing list of companies severing ties to the National Rifle Association (NRA) in the wake of the Florida school massacre that took 17 lives, according to multiple reports.
The Hill tweeted out the news announcing that Hertz has joined the parade of companies breaking with the NRA.
Hertz said it would stop offering discounts to NRA members. Other car rental companies, including National, Enterprise and Alamo, announced earlier this week that they would no longer offer NRA discounts.
First National Bank of Omaha announced Thursday that it would not renew its contract to issue NRA-branded credit cards, The Washington Post reported.
Other companies on the list include the cyber security firm Symantec, Met Life and Life Lock Inc.
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The Hill tweeted out the news announcing that Hertz has joined the parade of companies breaking with the NRA.
Hertz said it would stop offering discounts to NRA members. Other car rental companies, including National, Enterprise and Alamo, announced earlier this week that they would no longer offer NRA discounts.
First National Bank of Omaha announced Thursday that it would not renew its contract to issue NRA-branded credit cards, The Washington Post reported.
Other companies on the list include the cyber security firm Symantec, Met Life and Life Lock Inc.
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Government Failed, So ... Limit Americans' Rights?
On Thursday, the American public learned of yet another failure by government officials related to the Parkland, Florida, school atrocity. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said that the armed school resource deputy assigned to work security at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School failed to enter the building and engage the attacker. Based on video footage from the school’s security cameras, Israel stated, “What I saw was a deputy arrive at the west side of Building 12, take up a position and never went in.” When asked what the deputy should have done, Israel responded, “Went in and addressed the killer. Killed the killer.”
This latest revelation only adds to the growing list of failures by school administrators, federal and state government officials and law enforcement. Not only was the killer a known problem to local law enforcement, but the sheriff admitted his agency had received no less than 23 calls on him since 2008, and the FBI had been warned twice about this teenager and his talk of wanting to be a school shooter. Now we’ve learned that a law enforcement officer already on the scene failed to aggressively r
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Trump warns CPAC crowd of dangers if Democrats take power
President Trump told a raucous crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday that if Democrats take power in Congress in the midterm elections, they “will take away your Second Amendment.”
“Remember that they will take away those massive tax cuts and they will take away your Second Amendment,” Trump said told the staunch conservatives.
He added: “By the way, if you only had to choose one, the Second Amendment, tax cuts?”
The audience cheered louder for the Second Amendment — just days after the deadly shooting at a Florida school where 17 people were gunned down.
“Historically, if you win the presidency, you don’t do well two years later. And you know what, we can’t let that happen,” he said, telling the crowd that “you can’t get complacent.”
“People get complacent. It is a natural instinct. You just won, and now you’re happy and you’re complacent,” he said. “Don’t be complacent. Don’t be complacent. If they get in, they will repeal your tax cuts, they will put judges in that you wouldn’t believe, they’ll take away your Second Amendment, which we will never allow to happen, they’ll take away your Second Amendment.”
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“Remember that they will take away those massive tax cuts and they will take away your Second Amendment,” Trump said told the staunch conservatives.
He added: “By the way, if you only had to choose one, the Second Amendment, tax cuts?”
The audience cheered louder for the Second Amendment — just days after the deadly shooting at a Florida school where 17 people were gunned down.
“Historically, if you win the presidency, you don’t do well two years later. And you know what, we can’t let that happen,” he said, telling the crowd that “you can’t get complacent.”
“People get complacent. It is a natural instinct. You just won, and now you’re happy and you’re complacent,” he said. “Don’t be complacent. Don’t be complacent. If they get in, they will repeal your tax cuts, they will put judges in that you wouldn’t believe, they’ll take away your Second Amendment, which we will never allow to happen, they’ll take away your Second Amendment.”
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New Chicago ID Card Created for Illegal Immigrants Will Be Accepted for Voter Registration
A new municipal ID designed primarily for illegal immigrants will be accepted in Chicago as a valid form of identification to register to vote.
The CityKey will be a government-issued photo identification card available to all Chicago residents regardless of immigration status, criminal record, housing status, or gender identity, according to the city clerk’s website.
State Board of Elections spokesman Matt Dietrich {snip} says there is no state requirement to prove citizenship while registering to vote. He’s not expecting a surge in potential voter fraud cases because the process will remain the same.
“When you go to register to vote, you do check a box that attests to your citizenship,” Dietrich said. “You are signing a legal document that says, ‘Yes, I am a citizen.’ But no one who registers to vote is required to bring in, for example, a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship. That’s something that you check the box, and you attest to it.”
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The CityKey will be a government-issued photo identification card available to all Chicago residents regardless of immigration status, criminal record, housing status, or gender identity, according to the city clerk’s website.
State Board of Elections spokesman Matt Dietrich {snip} says there is no state requirement to prove citizenship while registering to vote. He’s not expecting a surge in potential voter fraud cases because the process will remain the same.
“When you go to register to vote, you do check a box that attests to your citizenship,” Dietrich said. “You are signing a legal document that says, ‘Yes, I am a citizen.’ But no one who registers to vote is required to bring in, for example, a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship. That’s something that you check the box, and you attest to it.”
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Trump Warns World Of "Very, Very Unfortunate Phase 2" If North Korean Sanctions Fail
If you weren't paying attention, you might have missed it; but during today's joint press conference with Aussie PM Turnbull, US President Trump let slip a brief comment that the rest of the world should likely be paying close attention to.
After unveiling the "heaviest sanctions ever imposed on a country before" against North Korea earlier in the day, President Trump told the gathered media that the US will go to "Phase 2" if those sanctions do not have the desired effects of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.
As Reuters reports, in addressing what the Trump administration calls its biggest national security challenge, the U.S. Treasurysanctioned one person, 27 companies and 28 ships, according to a statement on the U.S. Treasury Department’s website.
The United States also proposed a list of entities to be blacklisted under separate United Nations sanctions, a move “aimed at shutting down North Korea’s illicit maritime smuggling activities to obtain oil and sell coal.”
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After unveiling the "heaviest sanctions ever imposed on a country before" against North Korea earlier in the day, President Trump told the gathered media that the US will go to "Phase 2" if those sanctions do not have the desired effects of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.
As Reuters reports, in addressing what the Trump administration calls its biggest national security challenge, the U.S. Treasurysanctioned one person, 27 companies and 28 ships, according to a statement on the U.S. Treasury Department’s website.
The United States also proposed a list of entities to be blacklisted under separate United Nations sanctions, a move “aimed at shutting down North Korea’s illicit maritime smuggling activities to obtain oil and sell coal.”
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Septic Stewardship Act Of 2018
Important Legislation Aids In Bay Restoration Efforts
Note: House Environment and Transportation Committee to Hold Hearing on HB 361 February 23, 2018, 1:00 PM
“This legislation will build on our administration’s remarkable Chesapeake Bay restoration progress, record funding, and common sense regulatory reforms by incentivizing septic system maintenance and agricultural best practices to reduce runoff and protect the Bay.” - Larry Hogan, January 29, 2018
Septic Stewardship Act Of 2018
Governor Hogan’s Proposed Legislation Allows For The State’s Bay Restoration Fund To Be Used To Reimburse Homeowners For The Cost Of On-Site Sewage Systems Pumping, If Their County Creates A Septic Stewardship Program. “Subject to paragraph (8) of this subsection, financial assistance to eligible homeowners for the reasonable cost of pumping out an on-site sewage disposal system once every 5 years; and Transfer 50% of the funds to the Maryland Agriculture Water Quality Cost Share Program in the Department of Agriculture in order to fund cover crop activities. Financial assistance under paragraph (2)(I)5 of this subsection may be provided only if the homeowner resides in a local jurisdiction that has developed a septic stewardship plan that includes provisions to ensure that on-site sewage disposal systems are operated and maintained, including provisions for routine pump-outs and inspections of on-site sewage disposal systems.” (“House Bill 361,” Maryland General Assembly, 1/24/18)
Governor Hogan Has A Strong Record Of Protecting Our Most Precious Natural Asset, The Chesapeake Bay
Governor Hogan: “We will continue to provide record state support and tireless advocacy at the federal level for Bay restoration, and develop innovative policy solutions that encourage all Marylanders to become guardians of our environment.” (Press Release, “Governor Hogan Announces Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Initiatives,” Office Of The Governor, 1/29/18)
Since Taking Office, Governor Hogan Has Committed Over $4 Billion In State Funds Toward Wide Ranging Bay Initiatives. (“Budget Highlights Fiscal Year 2019,” Maryland Department Of Budget And Management, Pg. S1; “Budget Highlights Fiscal Year 2018,” Maryland Department Of Budget And Management, Pg. S1)
Governor Hogan Has Committed Nearly $210 Million Toward The Chesapeake And Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund; Fiscal Year 2019 Marks The Third Year In A Row That The Governor Has Fully Funded This Important Bay Restoration Initiative. (Maryland Department Of Budget And Management)
Note: House Environment and Transportation Committee to Hold Hearing on HB 361 February 23, 2018, 1:00 PM
“This legislation will build on our administration’s remarkable Chesapeake Bay restoration progress, record funding, and common sense regulatory reforms by incentivizing septic system maintenance and agricultural best practices to reduce runoff and protect the Bay.” - Larry Hogan, January 29, 2018
Septic Stewardship Act Of 2018
Governor Hogan’s Proposed Legislation Allows For The State’s Bay Restoration Fund To Be Used To Reimburse Homeowners For The Cost Of On-Site Sewage Systems Pumping, If Their County Creates A Septic Stewardship Program. “Subject to paragraph (8) of this subsection, financial assistance to eligible homeowners for the reasonable cost of pumping out an on-site sewage disposal system once every 5 years; and Transfer 50% of the funds to the Maryland Agriculture Water Quality Cost Share Program in the Department of Agriculture in order to fund cover crop activities. Financial assistance under paragraph (2)(I)5 of this subsection may be provided only if the homeowner resides in a local jurisdiction that has developed a septic stewardship plan that includes provisions to ensure that on-site sewage disposal systems are operated and maintained, including provisions for routine pump-outs and inspections of on-site sewage disposal systems.” (“House Bill 361,” Maryland General Assembly, 1/24/18)
Governor Hogan Has A Strong Record Of Protecting Our Most Precious Natural Asset, The Chesapeake Bay
Governor Hogan: “We will continue to provide record state support and tireless advocacy at the federal level for Bay restoration, and develop innovative policy solutions that encourage all Marylanders to become guardians of our environment.” (Press Release, “Governor Hogan Announces Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Initiatives,” Office Of The Governor, 1/29/18)
Since Taking Office, Governor Hogan Has Committed Over $4 Billion In State Funds Toward Wide Ranging Bay Initiatives. (“Budget Highlights Fiscal Year 2019,” Maryland Department Of Budget And Management, Pg. S1; “Budget Highlights Fiscal Year 2018,” Maryland Department Of Budget And Management, Pg. S1)
Governor Hogan Has Committed Nearly $210 Million Toward The Chesapeake And Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund; Fiscal Year 2019 Marks The Third Year In A Row That The Governor Has Fully Funded This Important Bay Restoration Initiative. (Maryland Department Of Budget And Management)
U.S. Blocks a Chinese Deal Amid Rising Tensions Over Technology
United States officials have torpedoed a Chinese state-backed group’s plan to buy an American electronics company, signaling the Trump administration’s continuing skepticism toward Chinese investment deals, particularly those that involve transferring technological know-how.
Xcerra, a Massachusetts-based provider of equipment for testing computer chips and circuit boards, said this week that it was withdrawing from its $580 million sale to an investment group backed by a Chinese government-controlled fund.
The reason, according to Dave Tacelli, Xcerra’s president and chief executive, was that the deal was not likely to be approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a multi-agency Washington panel that operates largely out of the public eye. The committee, known as Cfius, plays an advisory role to the president, but it can effectively block foreign acquisitions of American companies over national security concerns.
The intensified scrutiny comes as China’s government is ramping up a plan, called “Made in China 2025,” to use state support and overseas acquisitions to dominate high-tech fields such as big data, advanced robotics and electric cars.
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Xcerra, a Massachusetts-based provider of equipment for testing computer chips and circuit boards, said this week that it was withdrawing from its $580 million sale to an investment group backed by a Chinese government-controlled fund.
The reason, according to Dave Tacelli, Xcerra’s president and chief executive, was that the deal was not likely to be approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a multi-agency Washington panel that operates largely out of the public eye. The committee, known as Cfius, plays an advisory role to the president, but it can effectively block foreign acquisitions of American companies over national security concerns.
The intensified scrutiny comes as China’s government is ramping up a plan, called “Made in China 2025,” to use state support and overseas acquisitions to dominate high-tech fields such as big data, advanced robotics and electric cars.
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HEARING ALERT: Alcoholic Beverages - Manufacturer’s License Fees - Alteration
Important Legislation Reduces Fees For Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturers
Note: Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee to Hold Hearing on SB 311 on February 23, 2018, 1:00 PM
House Economic Matters Committee to Hold Hearing on HB 357 on February 23, 2018, 1:00 PM
“We have had tremendous success with the growth of our breweries, our wineries, and now our distilleries. And the quality of the beer and the wine and the distilled spirits that we’re producing is really fantastic.” - Governor Larry Hogan, November 1, 2017
Alcoholic Beverages - Manufacturer's License Fees - Alterations
Governor Hogan’s Proposed Legislation Alters Licensing Fees For All Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturers In The State To A One-Time Licensing Fee Of $200. “There is a Class 1 distillery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$2,000] $200. There is a Class 9 limited distillery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$500] $200. There is a Class 2 rectifying license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$600] $200. There is a Class 3 winery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$750] $200. There is a Class 4 limited winery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is $200. There is a Class 5 brewery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$1,500] $200. There is a Class 6 pub-brewery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$500] $200. There is a Class 7 micro-brewery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$500] $200. There is a Class 8 farm brewery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is $200.” Note: Brackets indicate matter deleted from existing law. (“Senate Bill 311,” Maryland General Assembly, 1/22/18)
According To Analysis From The Department Of Legislative Services Would Save Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturers Nearly $200,000 Annually. “General fund revenues decrease by at least $195,300 annually as existing licensees no longer pay annual license and renewal fees.” (“Senate Bill 311,” Maryland Department Of Legislative Services, 2/20/18)
Note: Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee to Hold Hearing on SB 311 on February 23, 2018, 1:00 PM
House Economic Matters Committee to Hold Hearing on HB 357 on February 23, 2018, 1:00 PM
“We have had tremendous success with the growth of our breweries, our wineries, and now our distilleries. And the quality of the beer and the wine and the distilled spirits that we’re producing is really fantastic.” - Governor Larry Hogan, November 1, 2017
Alcoholic Beverages - Manufacturer's License Fees - Alterations
Governor Hogan’s Proposed Legislation Alters Licensing Fees For All Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturers In The State To A One-Time Licensing Fee Of $200. “There is a Class 1 distillery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$2,000] $200. There is a Class 9 limited distillery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$500] $200. There is a Class 2 rectifying license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$600] $200. There is a Class 3 winery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$750] $200. There is a Class 4 limited winery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is $200. There is a Class 5 brewery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$1,500] $200. There is a Class 6 pub-brewery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$500] $200. There is a Class 7 micro-brewery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is [$500] $200. There is a Class 8 farm brewery license. The [annual] one-time license fee is $200.” Note: Brackets indicate matter deleted from existing law. (“Senate Bill 311,” Maryland General Assembly, 1/22/18)
According To Analysis From The Department Of Legislative Services Would Save Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturers Nearly $200,000 Annually. “General fund revenues decrease by at least $195,300 annually as existing licensees no longer pay annual license and renewal fees.” (“Senate Bill 311,” Maryland Department Of Legislative Services, 2/20/18)
"There Was A Mistake Made" - FBI's No. 2 Refuses To Provide Details On How Cruz Tips Were Fumbled
After admitting last week that "protocol was not followed" when at least two individuals called the FBI's anonymous tip line to warn that Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old suspected of murdering 17 of his former classmates, the No. 2 FBI official said Thursday that he had visited the FBI's call center this week as part of his review of why the tip wasn't followed.
He also addressed, in the most detail yet, the mounting criticisms facing the bureau, according to the Washington Post.
The remarks followed NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch's assertion that the FBI was primarily to blame for not preventing the shooting.
Shortly before Bowdich spoke Thursday, NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre, who was speaking at the same event, said the FBI's leaders had gone "rogue."
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He also addressed, in the most detail yet, the mounting criticisms facing the bureau, according to the Washington Post.
The remarks followed NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch's assertion that the FBI was primarily to blame for not preventing the shooting.
Shortly before Bowdich spoke Thursday, NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre, who was speaking at the same event, said the FBI's leaders had gone "rogue."
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3 MS-13 gang members sentenced to more than 20 years’ imprisonment for murder of 19-year old man
NEW YORK — Three members of the notorious MS-13 gang were sentenced Feb. 15 following an investigation and subsequent arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York working jointly with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Division (ATF), the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD). The men lured the victim from Queens to Long Island and shot him having believed he was cooperating with law enforcement.
Milton Contreras, Oscar Welman Espinoza-Merino and Jose Osmin Rubio were each sentenced in Brooklyn federal court following their convictions for the murder of a 19-year-old victim on Long Island in 2014. Contreras was sentenced to 27 years’ imprisonment, while Espinoza-Merino and Osmin Rubio were each sentenced to more than 24 years’ imprisonment. After serving their sentences, all three defendants will face deportation from the United States.
Milton Contreras, Oscar Welman Espinoza-Merino and Jose Osmin Rubio were each sentenced in Brooklyn federal court following their convictions for the murder of a 19-year-old victim on Long Island in 2014. Contreras was sentenced to 27 years’ imprisonment, while Espinoza-Merino and Osmin Rubio were each sentenced to more than 24 years’ imprisonment. After serving their sentences, all three defendants will face deportation from the United States.
“It is not a secret that MS-13 gang members are violent for the sake of being violent, and in this particular case exhibited their murderous ways by executing a teenager in Long Island,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Melendez. “As they use violence to seek power through instilling fear into the neighborhoods in which they live, we will be relentless working with our partners to dismantle this vicious gang and bring peace back to the communities.”
Hawkins: Government Failed to Protect Us, Yet They Don't Want Us to Protect Ourselves
The government failed to protect students and faculty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, yet government officials respond to the heinous attack by digging in their heels against any suggestion that teachers be armed to defend themselves.
Consider the information available to us at this point:
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBCSO) received 911 calls about Nikolas Cruz in November 2017. The calls referenced violence and erratic behavior. CNNreports that in one of the calls with the host family, with whom Cruz was living after the death of his mother, told PBCSO they feared Cruz was going to turn a gun on the family. The family member told deputies that Cruz was “buying “tons of ammo” and had allegedly put “put [a] gun to others heads in the past.” No charges were filed, no arrest made.
Consider the information available to us at this point:
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBCSO) received 911 calls about Nikolas Cruz in November 2017. The calls referenced violence and erratic behavior. CNNreports that in one of the calls with the host family, with whom Cruz was living after the death of his mother, told PBCSO they feared Cruz was going to turn a gun on the family. The family member told deputies that Cruz was “buying “tons of ammo” and had allegedly put “put [a] gun to others heads in the past.” No charges were filed, no arrest made.
1. On January 5, 2018, the FBI received a tip describing “Cruz’s gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting.” The FBI did not act on the tip.
2. On February 14 Cruz attacked students and unarmed teachers in Stoneman Douglas High. A report from CNN claims four Broward County sheriff’s deputies were at the school as the attack was taking place but not one of them entered the school. On February 22 Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told ABC 13 that video showed deputy Scott Peterson by building 12 on campus, yet Peterson never went inside to confront Cruz. The CNN report quotes Coral Springs sources that claim there were actually four Broward County deputies on scene who did not enter the building.
When Cruz attacked the school he faced no armed resistance because the teachers were not allowed to carry. President Trump noted that the lack of armed teachers is a weakness too great to ignore and, on February 21, called for “20 percent” of our nation’s public school teachers to be armed for school safety. The next day he reiterated his call, noting that first responders are “5 to 8 minutes” away when a school shooting occurs, but teachers are on scene to shoot sickos “immediately.”
And how did government officials respond to the call for teachers to be armed to defend themselves? The Hill reported that Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) called Trump’s push for armed teachers “abhorrent.” He intimated that arming teachers for self-defense was “an anathema.”
When Cruz attacked the school he faced no armed resistance because the teachers were not allowed to carry. President Trump noted that the lack of armed teachers is a weakness too great to ignore and, on February 21, called for “20 percent” of our nation’s public school teachers to be armed for school safety. The next day he reiterated his call, noting that first responders are “5 to 8 minutes” away when a school shooting occurs, but teachers are on scene to shoot sickos “immediately.”
And how did government officials respond to the call for teachers to be armed to defend themselves? The Hill reported that Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) called Trump’s push for armed teachers “abhorrent.” He intimated that arming teachers for self-defense was “an anathema.”
Prohibition Never Works: Banning Alcohol Didn't Work, And Banning Guns Won't Either
It seems like even though humans have paid attention, they somehow think the same things that failed in the past, like prohibition and communism, will magically work now.
Alcohol kills almost three times as many Americans as guns. Last year, about 33,000 people died of gunshot-related injuries, including those who shot themselves; suicide. When removing those who killed themselves only (again, suicide), that number drops to 15,549, by even anti-gun activists estimates. To put that in perspective, this year’s flu and the vaccine to “prevent” said flu is more deadly. So far, it’s been killing an estimated 4,000 Americans per week. That’s roughly 16,000 per month, a number already higher than last year’s total “gun deaths” which include justified homicides (or self-defense.) You don’t have to be a genius at math to understand that “gun violence” isn’t really the epidemic the media wants you to believe.
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McCain Associate Invokes the Fifth
David J. Kramer, a former State Department official and longtime associate of John McCain, reportedly invoked the Fifth Amendment to get out of testifying before the House Intelligence Committee regarding the infamous, largely discredited 35-page dossier on President Donald Trump.
FoxNews.com reported:
Kramer, who is a central player in how the unverified Trump dossier made its way to the FBI in late 2016, testified before the committee in December in a closed-door session, indicating he had information about the dossier’s sources. A subpoena was issued for mid-January, as first reported by the Washington Examiner.
The law enforcement source confirmed, however, that Kramer did not appear and has exercised his Fifth Amendment rights.
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FoxNews.com reported:
Kramer, who is a central player in how the unverified Trump dossier made its way to the FBI in late 2016, testified before the committee in December in a closed-door session, indicating he had information about the dossier’s sources. A subpoena was issued for mid-January, as first reported by the Washington Examiner.
The law enforcement source confirmed, however, that Kramer did not appear and has exercised his Fifth Amendment rights.
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Embattled CA Dems Will Have 24-Hour Sexual Assault Hotline at Party Convention
California Democrats will have a 24-hour “sexual assault and harassment” hotline at this weekend’s party convention in San Diego as some top Democrats in the state have had to resign or come under fire because of allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment.
The party’s convention website reads:
Sexual Assault & Harassment Hotline We have worked with national survivor advocates to establish a 24-hour hotline during the three days of the Convention where Delegates have a safe and confidential way to report an assault or threatening behavior against themselves or others. Information about the Sexual Assault & Harassment Hotline will be provided to Delegates when they register, and will be posted throughout the Convention.
Additional Security Following current best practices, we are stepping up the level of visible security at our Convention this year. We are taking this step for several reasons. First, we want to ensure adequate personnel to respond to any reports we get from Delegates or from the Sexual Assault & Harassment Hotline. We also want to ensure that there are plenty of trained professionals who can de-escalate potential problems before they turn into situations that threaten your safety. Lastly, in the unlikely event of a natural disaster or other major incident, we want to make certain everyone in the Convention Center is safe and secure.
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The party’s convention website reads:
Sexual Assault & Harassment Hotline We have worked with national survivor advocates to establish a 24-hour hotline during the three days of the Convention where Delegates have a safe and confidential way to report an assault or threatening behavior against themselves or others. Information about the Sexual Assault & Harassment Hotline will be provided to Delegates when they register, and will be posted throughout the Convention.
Additional Security Following current best practices, we are stepping up the level of visible security at our Convention this year. We are taking this step for several reasons. First, we want to ensure adequate personnel to respond to any reports we get from Delegates or from the Sexual Assault & Harassment Hotline. We also want to ensure that there are plenty of trained professionals who can de-escalate potential problems before they turn into situations that threaten your safety. Lastly, in the unlikely event of a natural disaster or other major incident, we want to make certain everyone in the Convention Center is safe and secure.
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Government Missed Chances To Stop Shooter
Federal, state and local government agencies repeatedly missed opportunities to prevent school shooter Nikolas Cruz from killing 17 people at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., last week.
The repeated failures of government officials to do their job are a crucial point of context as liberals and media members clamor for further gun laws in the wake of last week’s horrific shooting.
Sheriff’s deputy Scot Peterson, who was on duty at the school when Cruz started shooting, “never went in” to confront the shooter, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said on Thursday. Peterson, who resigned on Thursday, could hear gunfire from coming inside the building but stayed outside the building, even as heroic students and faculty members died saving students from the hail of bullets.
Peterson’s failure is just the latest instance of government employees failing to stop the shooter from carrying out his deadly rampage.
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The repeated failures of government officials to do their job are a crucial point of context as liberals and media members clamor for further gun laws in the wake of last week’s horrific shooting.
Sheriff’s deputy Scot Peterson, who was on duty at the school when Cruz started shooting, “never went in” to confront the shooter, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said on Thursday. Peterson, who resigned on Thursday, could hear gunfire from coming inside the building but stayed outside the building, even as heroic students and faculty members died saving students from the hail of bullets.
Peterson’s failure is just the latest instance of government employees failing to stop the shooter from carrying out his deadly rampage.
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Donald Trump Raises Concerns About Violent Video Games, Movies Following School Shooting
“[A] lot of bad things are happening to young kids and young minds, and their minds are being fooled,” Trump said, citing “violence” in video games that were “shaping young people’s thoughts.”
“The fact is that you are having movies come out that are so violent, with the killing and everything else, that maybe that is another thing that we are going to have to discuss,” he said, pointing out that “a lot of people” were concerned about the level of violence in movies.
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Maryland State School Superintendent Statement on School Safety
Dear Maryland Education Community:
The events of February 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida have shaken every educator, parent and student to their core. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the students, families, school system and community affected by this senseless tragedy.
Student safety is of paramount concern to all of us. The safety of our children is our core value as a society and the foundation for learning in our schools.
As Chair of the governing board for the Maryland Center for School Safety, I have convened an emergency meeting of the board to take place on Monday, February 26 to ensure that every resource available is being maximized to strengthen school safety throughout our State. The Maryland State Department of Education and the Maryland Center for School Safety stand ready to assist all school systems with resources, technical assistance and training in an effort to keep our children and educators safe from harm. In the near future, the Center will be holding a state-wide safety meeting to discuss key elements of school safety, including responses to an active shooter situation.
In addition, two key training events have already been scheduled for next month:
- The Center will be hosting the 2018 Maryland School Safety Initiative, in partnership with Michele Gay of Safe and Sound Schools. The subject: “Recovering the School Community in Crisis.” The trainings will take place in Worcester County on March 13, Carroll County on March 14, and Prince George’s County on March 15.
- On March 21-22, a two-day Behavioral Threat Assessment Training led by Dr. Gene Deisinger, a subject matter expert, will be held in Montgomery County, which is hosting the event.
For more information, contact Ed Clarke, Executive Director of the Maryland Center for School Safety, at 301-370-3497 or ed.clarke@
We must not only focus on improving security measures, but we must leverage local and state of Maryland services to intervene early, as well as provide supports and counseling to troubled students. We must implement and improve threat assessment teams that include experts in counseling, instruction, school administration, and law enforcement. School cultures must encourage the trust that allows for students, parents and community members to report information that may ultimately prevent a school shooting.
The MSDE and the Maryland Center for School Safety are placing the highest urgency on actions to improve school safety. Together we can unite to make our schools safe places for teaching and learning.
Sincerely,
Karen B. Salmon, Ph.D.
State Superintendent of Schools