Body camera footage shows police never got out of cruiser to check for Ohio teen crushed by minivan seat

Body camera footage from two Cincinnati officers showed they never left their patrol car to investigate the 911 calls about a teen being stuck in a minivan last week.

Kyle Plush, 16, called 911 twice on April 10, 2018, from inside a minivan begging for help and providing a dispatcher with a description and location of the vehicle in a school parking lot. Plush suffocated after he became trapped under the third-row seat that flipped and pinned him while he was trying to reach his tennis equipment. Police said Amber Smith, the 911 operator who answered Plush’s second call, failed to relay information to the additional officers who were at the scene.

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NARRATIVE FAIL: Newly Discovered CDC Surveys Demolish Anti-Gun Talking Points

Newly discovered statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that were never released to the public strengthen the argument for guns and blow a hole in the gun control narrative. The statistics show that guns are used in a defensive manner against crimes far more than they are used by criminals to commit crimes.

A new report from Florida State University criminologist Gary Kleck shows that recently unearthed surveys from the CDC, which were never made public, show that Americans use guns in millions of defense scenarios every year on average.

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Trump hurls more barbs at Comey

President Trump took up his smartphone Saturday to fire fresh salvos at former FBI director James Comey, whose secret memos about his 2017 meetings with Trump were released last week.

“James Comey’s Memos are Classified, I did not Declassify them. They belong to our Government! Therefore, he broke the law!” Trump railed at 3:25 pm.

The notes had been kept under wraps for months because the Department of Justice considered them to be classified — even though Comey leaked several to a friend with instructions to read portions of them to news media.

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Kentucky Priest Jim Sichko Delivers Ten Bottles of Bourbon, Including 23-Year-Old Pappy Van Wrinkle, to Pope Francis

A Kentucky priest who is also a member of Pope Francis's Missionaries of Mercy smuggled ten bottles of Kentucky bourbon into the Vatican last week, presenting a very rare bottle of 23-year-old Pappy Van Winkle to the Holy Father.

"Pope Francis receiving his 23 yr old Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon as we shared our love of My Ole Kentucky Home!" Father Jim Sichko, a preacher, evangelist, and motivational speaker, tweeted with a picture of Pope Francis receiving the bourbon.

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Air Force Wants F-35 Support Costs at F-16 Prices: Goldfein

The Air Force wants to spend the same on upkeep for the brand-new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as it does for support on its fourth-generation fighter jets, the service's top general said Thursday.

"Our initial target is to get them down to the equivalent or very close to what we're currently spending on fourth-generation fighters [such as] the F-16[Fighting Falcon]," Chief of Staff Gen David Goldfein said.

"We're all very concerned about sustainment costs," he told reporters during a breakfast briefing in Washington, D.C., adding that the Marine Corps has similar reservations.

Goldfein said he credits Defense Secretary Jim Mattis for bringing in former industry executives such as Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and Ellen Lord, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, who "know how this business works" from both industry procurement and sustainment perspectives.

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Comptroller's Agents Confiscate Nearly $60K in Tobacco Products

Four charged following traffic stop and three store inspections

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (April 23, 2018) - Comptroller Peter Franchot today announced that agents from his Field Enforcement Division (FED) assisted in a traffic stop and conducted investigations of three retail stores resulting in the confiscation of nearly $60,000 worth of tobacco products.

At 1 p.m. on April 18, FED agents assisted Master Trooper C.W. Miller stopped a 2017 Dodge Caravan registered in Missouri for a traffic violation on Interstate 81 just south of Exit 9 in Hagerstown. Agents seized 7,700 packs of unstamped cigarettes as well as the van. The seized cigarettes are valued at $49,655, representing a tax loss to state of $15,400.

The driver, Jesuel Mariano Paulino, 23, of High Point, NC, faces a felony charge of transporting unstamped cigarettes and a misdemeanor charge of possession of unstamped cigarettes. He was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond.

"I again applaud the round-the-clock efforts of the Maryland State Police and my FED officers for stopping cigarette smugglers who are trying to cheat Maryland and its citizens," Comptroller Franchot said.

On April 17 and 18, FED agents and inspectors seized untaxed other tobacco products (OTP) valued at a total of more than $8,985 during separate inspections at stores in Prince George's and Baltimore counties as well as Baltimore City.

Three men face a criminal citation of willful possession, sale or offer to sell untaxed tobacco products. They are:

• Abdul Ahad Polash, 36, of District Heights, store clerk at DC Mini Mart LLC: 2319A Varnum Street in Mount Ranier; 8,002 sticks of untaxed OTP seized with a retail value of $8,002 and representing a tax loss of $5,601.40.
• Rabindra Adhikari, 37, of Baltimore, owner of Yogi and Rabindra Inc.: 9117B Belair Road in Nottingham; 503 sticks of untaxed OTP seized with a retail value of $503 and a tax loss of $352.10.
• Maxi Guzman, 38, of Baltimore, store manager at J&R Grocery & Deli Inc.: 1245 North Patterson Park Avenue in Baltimore; 480 sticks of untaxed OTP seized with a retail value of $480 and a tax loss of $336.

Retailers must possess invoices for all OTP inventory indicating that the Maryland excise tax had been paid to the state by the wholesaler.

To date in fiscal year 2018, which began on July, 1, 2017, FED Agents have arrested and charged 135 individuals for various tobacco violations as a result of discovering 126 instances of violations of Maryland's tobacco laws. These arrests have resulted in the seizure of 156,817 packs of contraband cigarettes and the seizure of 429,546 sticks of OTP. The seized items are valued at $1,469,474.84 and represents a $688,888.63 tax loss to the State of Maryland.

Kamala Harris Running For President In 2020?

Sen. Kamala Harris said during a Monday interview on “The Breakfast Club” that she isn’t yet thinking about the 2020 presidential election, but she left the door open to running by soliciting donations via her website.

“I travel around the country and I will tell you that I’m not buying the suggestion that we are divided as a country,” the California Democrat first said in response to a question about President Donald Trump stirring “racism” amongst the electorate. “For the vast majority of us that thought has to do with one of just a very few things.”

“The vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us, and we’ve got to hold on to that in this fight.”

When asked if she has made a decision yet about running for president in 2020, Harris said that, “right now [she’s] just focused on what’s in front of [her],” namely helping Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections.

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Maryland State Police Helicopter Rescues Stranded Boaters

(BALTIMORE, Md.) — A Maryland State Police helicopter crew performed a hoist rescue for three people who ran their recreational vessel aground and were inaccessible for rescue by other methods on Sunday in Baltimore.

Shortly before sunset on Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector National Capital Region contacted the Operation Control Center for the Aviation Command (SYSCOM) to request an aerial extraction of three boaters, one of whom was suffering health problems. The rescue location was the middle branch of the Patapsco River, immediately south of Interstate 95 in Baltimore City.

Trooper 1, which is based in Middle River, Md., was dispatched and immediately began preparing for a hoist rescue. Upon arrival, an aerial reconnaissance verified the boat was in an inaccessible location by surface resources due to mudflats and shallow swampy water conditions.

After several unsuccessful attempts to rescue the stranded citizens by boat, it was decided a hoist extraction of all occupants could be performed safely and was necessary. Traffic on I-95 was stopped during the time of the hoist extraction as there were safety concerns due to the proximity of the rescue to the interstate and the distracting nature the rescue could have to motorists.

Jefferson Statue At NY School Vandalized

Students at a New York university declined to meet with their school president over a Thomas Jefferson statue a day before the statue was vandalized, Campus Reform reported Monday.

Unidentified vandals have defaced the Jefferson statue at Hofstra University with white spray paint, Black Lives Matter paraphernalia, and a sticker reading “DECOLONIZE,” according to Campus Reform.

Hofstra students discovered their Jefferson statue vandalized with a Black Lives Matter fist taped to one of its shoulders and the “DECOLONIZE” sticker plastered on its forehead on Thursday. White spray paint covered part of the statue’s arm and a sheet of paper reading “Black Lives Matter” hung over its face Friday.

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Troopers Arrest Two for Operating Meth Lab – Seaford

 Zachary C. HUFNELL

Mary B. FLEETWOOD

Seaford – Delaware State police have arrested a pair of subjects for their involvement in a meth lab operation at a residence in Seaford.

The incident occurred at approximately 9:37 a.m., Saturday, April 21, 2018, when Troopers received information that two wanted suspects were currently occupying a residence in the 6000 block of Owls Nest Road, Seaford. Upon arrival Troopers made contact with Mary B. Fleetwood, 36, and Zachary C. Hufnell, 29, both of Seaford, who were both confirmed to have active court capiases.

Upon taking the pair in to custody, Troopers observed in plain view, materials commonly used to manufacture methamphetamine, at which time they secured the residence due to the hazardous and combustible nature of the process.

Members of the Delaware State Police Kent County Drug Unit (KDU) and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) were then contacted to assist with the investigation. A subsequent search of both the interior and exterior of the property confirmed that a methamphetamine manufacturing lab was present on the property. Components used to manufacture methamphetamine, along with key ingredients in making the drug were safely collected and seized, along with .021 grams of heroin and 1.03 grams of methamphetamine.

No evacuations were ordered as it was determined that there was no immediate hazard to nearby residents.

Hufnell and Fleetwood were transported to Delaware State Police Troop 4, where they were arrested and charged with one count each of Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Manufacturing a Controlled Substance, Unlawfully Operating a Clandestine Laboratory and Conspiracy 2nd Degree.

Both subjects were arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court #3, where secured bail was set at $74,000.00. Hufnell was then committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution, and Fleetwood to the Dolores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution.

America: Paralyzed By Mounting Debts

In case anyone is still unaware, government debt is out-of-control.

It doubled under President Obama, and it is anticipated to increase for 50 percent in the next ten years.

It’s not just the repayment of debt that presents a potential crisis; it’s the interest payments. With a clear correlation between government debt and diminished growth, a natural first step would be for the government to ease its deficit spending on programs such Medicaid, Social Security, and Medicare to decrease the waste inherent in some of these programs.

Interest rates are expected to rise to $1 trillion during the next decade. That is more than the US spends each year on Medicaid and its military. It will cost $55,000 per household over the next ten years just to service debt.

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Nashville Mayoral Candidate: One Armed Patron Could Have Made a Difference at Waffle House

Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain responded to the April 21 Waffle House shooting by noting how much difference even a single armed patron could have made.

Four persons were injured and four killed when Travis Reinking allegedly opened fire inside an Antioch, Tennessee, Waffle House.

Waffle House has a gun-free policy that prohibits patrons, including licensed permit holders, from being armed for self-defense.

Swain spoke to the Tennessee Star about the attack, saying, “Today’s shooting shows how important it is to have well trained and armed citizens in the community. If one of the patrons had been armed, the situation may have turned out differently and lives could have been saved.”

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Reports Contradict Comey Book's Claim of Only Leaking 'One Unclassified Memo'

Former FBI Director James Comey may have misled the public when he claimed in his recently released book that he only provided “one unclassified memo” to an associate with the purpose of sharing the contents with a reporter.

The associate, Columbia University professor Daniel Richman, told Fox News in May that he received four memos in total from Comey. Last week, citing “people familiar with the matter” the Wall Street Journal reported that the Justice Department’s watchdog opened a review of Comey’s actions in allegedly providing four memos to Richman to share with the news media.

Richman did not reply to a Slate.com request for comment on the total number of memos that he received from Comey. Slate reported that the Fox News report citing Richman as describing four separate memos “appears to be correct” based on “reporting in the Wall Street Journal along with Slate’s own reporting.”

Those characterizations clearly contrast with the following paragraph in Comey’s memoir describing what he gave to Richman:

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Panel: FDA Should OK Marijuana-Based Epilepsy Drug

A marijuana-derived epilepsy drug should be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, an advisory committee unanimously recommended on Thursday.

If approved in an expected FDA vote in June, Epidiolex would be the first plant-derived cannabidiol medicine for prescription use in the U.S., CNNreported.

The committee recommended that Epidiolex, an oral solution, be approved for treatment of severe, early-onset forms of epilepsy in a small number of patients.

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FEMA Extends Housing Aid for Puerto Rican Evacuees a Few More Weeks

The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday extended the hotel stays of 1,700 families who evacuated Puerto Rico and relocated to mainland U.S. states after Hurricane Maria. They were due to lose their temporary housing aid Saturday.

Those families, including 31 who are staying in Philadelphia hotels, now will be able to remain in their temporary quarters until May 14, when the aid program will end, the agency said. The aid had been scheduled to expire, but a "blanket" extention was granted at the request of Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello.

The extension came as many evacuees in Philadelphia worried about winding up on the streets, given the city's homeless shelters are full and spaces in public housing limited.

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What's a Greater Leap of Faith: God or the Multiverse?

Pro Golfer John Daly on Golfing with Donald Trump & Bill Clinton

DoD Officials Erred About Weapons, Fighters Used in Syria Strike Mission

The F-22 Raptor did have a role in the Syria strike after all, and the extended range version of the Joint-Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range wasn't used, according to new statements from U.S. Air Forces Central Command.

The stealth fighter was providing overwatch for U.S. and partner troops on the ground while the U.S., U.K. and France were launching strikes on chemical weapons facilities in western Syria, officials said.

Meanwhile, the JASSMs used in the April 14 strikes "were, in fact, not JASSM Extended Range (JASSM-ER) munitions, [but] rather, the munitions used were JASSM-A, or the standard, non-extended range versions of the munition," AFCENT spokesman Capt. Mark Graff said Thursday.

The use of 19 JASSMs still marked the first operational use of any variant of the missile, Graff said.

AFCENT officials said that they wanted to correct the record after Military.com asked the command earlier this week about the F-22 missing out completely on the high-profile operation.

Lt. Col Damien Pickart, also an AFCENT spokesman, originally told Military.com on Monday the Air Force's premier fifth-generation fighter was not flying alongside a pair of B-1B Lancer bombers that dropped missiles on the Syrian targets, nor was it in the area.

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Owner of schools that illegally allowed foreign nationals to remain in U.S. as “students” sentenced to 15 months in federal prison

LOS ANGELES – The owner of four schools that enrolled hundreds of foreign nationals who fraudulently obtained immigration documents allowing them to remain in the United States as “students” – even though they rarely, if ever, attended classes – was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison and ordered to forfeit more than $450,000.

Hee Sun Shim (also known as Leonard Shim and Leo Shim), 54, of Hancock Park, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge George H. Wu. Shim, who was ordered to begin serving his sentence in 60 days, and was further ordered to forfeit to the government $431,508 seized from bank accounts and $34,860 in cash seized during the execution of a federal search warrant at his former residence in Beverly Hills in March 2015.

The investigation into the Prodee schools was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with substantial assistance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Fraud Detection and National Security Division.

Shim pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud and one count of immigration document fraud in relation to what prosecutors called “a sophisticated, extensive, and lucrative fraud scheme that operated for many years in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles.”

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Three Californias — Dreamin' or Nightmare?

California, the most populous state in America, always manages to stay in the news. Whether it’s Democrats’ battle to protect criminal immigrants through the sanctuary state rebellion or boasting some of the highest tax rates in the nation (and then crying about their “fair share” after Republican tax reform), the Golden State is a bastion of far-left politics.

And if voters speak in the affirmative for CAL3 in the November referendum — and then Congress approves — the Left Coast could grow in its electoral blueness by creating three Californias.

Before you roll your eyes, states have reconfigured in America’s past. Granted, it’s been a while, but West Virginia was once part of Virginia, as was Kentucky. At our nation’s founding, on July 4, 1776, Tennessee was part of North Carolina. The evolution of territory that creates the federation of states that, together, create our nation has not been static. But is the prospect of having three states feasible, and is it really a good idea?

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Comments on SPD POST GONE........

I just checked to see if there were more comments on the post I put up the other day and they have been removed.

Pelosi suffers brain freezes, says 'Opama', confused about who brings bill to floor

Who knew there was a President “Opama”?

That was the latest bizarre flub Nancy Pelosi suffered during her press conference this week.

While appearing before reporters, the House Minority Leader — who stands in line to be the next Speaker of the House if Democrats win in November — suffered brain freezes, botched words and marred the name of the previous president.

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Can Marijuana Be The Answer For Pain?

Like many of her friends, Alexandra Callner, now 58, experimented with recreational marijuana when she was younger.

"I had tried it, and hated it, in my 20s," Callner says. "When I was around pot smokers, I thought, 'Ugh, losers.' ''

But, that was before her knee arthritisbecame so bad, it robbed her sleep, night after night. She took two over-the-counter pain pills a day, but the pain would wake her up at night. And the drugs were hard on her stomach.

"It was making me kind of nauseous," she says of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories. Plus, she needed to stay active to manage her dog boarding service in Pasadena, CA.

Then came another solution. "A neighbor said, 'Try this,' " Callner says. It was a joint.

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Here's A Shocker: Venezuela Bans Guns, Homicides Skyrocket

The country of Venezuela is anything but a free state. While it managed to function as a socialist state so long as the oil industry was propping up its collectivist economy, things were relatively okay (so far as socialist countries go). However, the moment oil stopped keeping everything afloat, the country went to hell in a handbasket faster than you can say, “Oops!”

In response, the country did all kinds of things. At least one of those things may well have resulted in a bump in the homicide rate.

Since April 2017, at least 163 pro-democracy protesters in Venezuela have been murdered by the Maduro dictatorship. Venezuela serves as an example of how gun prohibition can sometimes encourage gun crime.

In 2012, the communist-dominated Venezuelan National Assembly enacted the “Control of Arms, Munitions and Disarmament Law.” The bill’s stated objective was to “disarm all citizens.” The new law prohibited all gun sales, except to government entities. The penalty for illegally selling or carrying a firearm is a prison sentence of up to 20 years. Despite criticism from the democratic opposition, the bill went into effect in 2013.

Ostensibly, the motive for gun prohibition was Venezuela’s out of control violent crime. In 2015, Venezuela’s homicide rate was the world’s highest, with 27,875 Venezuelans murdered that year. More broadly, the Bolivarian Republic is the only South American nation with a homicide rate that has steadily risen since 1995. In the year prior to Maduro’s disarmament initiative, the Venezuelan capital of Caracas had a homicide rate of 122 per 100,000 inhabitants, nearly 20 times the global average of 6.2.

By comparison, the U.S. homicide rate in 2015 was 4.9; the U.S. gun homicide rate was 3.03 (based on calculation from the FBI Uniform Crime Reports).

To make matters worse, however, the Maduro government has given arms to 400,000 “militiamen,” which are little more than pro-government gangs called collectivos. These collectivos use violence to intimidate opposition in the South American country. They’ve apparently also machine gunned protestors.

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Former Baltimore Co. Superintendent will serve 6 months for perjury

(WMAR) - Once a rising star, landing education jobs beyond his years, former Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Dallas Dance's years of deception over six-figure consulting fees have resulted in a six-month jail sentence.

"As the court pointed out, it's not so much at this point a matter of punishing Dr. Dance as much as it is sending that message to the community---not just school officials, but all public officials,” said Maryland State Prosecutor Emmet Davitt, “When you're in a position of trust and you abuse that trust, it is extremely harmful to the public and it just simply can't be tolerated."

Last month, Dance pleaded guilty to four counts of perjury after lying on disclosure forms about $147,000 in fees he received moonlighting on the side as a consultant.

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#BoycottYeti Movement Erupts

On April 21 Breitbart News reported that Yeti Coolers cut ties with the NRA Foundation and by April 22 a #BoycottYeti campaign was sweeping Twitter.

NRA president Marion Hammer explained the NRA Foundation is a charitable organization that raises money for youth and educational programs nationwide. She noted that Yeti products have long been a staple at Friends of NRA Foundation banquets and functions.

However, on April 20, the NRA-ILA quoted Hammer saying, “Suddenly, without prior notice, YETI has declined to do business with the NRA Foundation saying they no longer wish to be an NRA vendor, and refused to say why. They will only say they will no longer sell products to the NRA Foundation.”

The response from outdoorsmen, NRA members, and others, was immediate...

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Diabetes, Sweeteners May Have Link, Study Suggests

Diabetes and obesity could be linked to artificial sweeteners, a new study has found.

Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University believe that zero-calorie sweeteners could change the way the body metabolizes fat and gets its energy, Newsweek reported.

They also found that acesulfame potassium, a component commonly found in artificial sweeteners, accumulated in the blood and posed a harmful effect on the cells that line blood vessels.

Experts have blamed the over consumption of sugar as the main culprit behind the obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemic in the U.S., The Guardian reported.

However, new research is finding that sugar replacements could pose just as dramatic health concerns as sugar.

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Americans Favor Freedom of Information over Protection from ‘Fake News’

The Pew Research center has released the results of a new poll that shows Americans of both parties do not support limitations on internet freedoms in order to fight so-called “false info” on social media.

A majority (58 percent) of Americans agreed with the statement that “freedom of information should be protected,” even if means “false info can be published.” This included a majority (57 percent) of Democrats.

Only 39 percent said that the U.S. government should “take steps to reduce false info online, even if it limits freedom of info.”

Participants were more supportive (56 percent) of tech companies doing so — largely thanks to 60 percent of Democrats supporting tech companies’ crackdowns. A majority of Republican participants also opposed tech companies limiting freedom of information.

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DHS vows caravan will be arrested, prosecuted if it enters U.S.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Monday promised members of the illegal immigrant caravan still making its way to the U.S. border that they could face criminal charges if they jump the border despite all the warnings.

The migrants insist they are refugees seeking asylum from specific oppression at home, not rank-and-file illegal immigrants trying to reunite with family or get jobs or a better life in the U.S. They said they’ll make their case.

But Mr. Nielsen said if they are seeking a safe place away from their Central American homes they would stop in Mexico, where they are currently traveling, and where authorities are able to provide asylum.

“If you enter the United States illegally, let me be clear: you have broken the law. And we will enforce the law through prosecution of illegal border crossers,” she said.

Her announcement came hours after President Trump said he’d ordered her to refuse entry to the caravan.

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Shock Study: Quarter Of Children 6 And Under Own A Smartphone

How young is too young when it comes to owning a smartphone? Believe it or not, according to a new study, a quarter of children six and under actually own a mobile device.

Researchers with musicMagpie, a company that helps people de-clutter by selling their unwanted electronics online, conducted the study after they noted a 300% increase year-over-year in customers who were buying first-time phones for their children. A third of parents made the purchase simply because their kids asked, while one in five bought it to keep the little ones entertained.

Though the study didn’t indicate how many parents were surveyed, the results showed that most agreed 11 was the “ideal” age for children to receive their first smartphone. Nonetheless, the stunning findings showed 25% of parents purchased devices for children six and under. What’s worse, nearly half of those kids spent as much as 21 hours per week on the devices.

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Trump Floats Making Border Security a Condition for NAFTA Agreement

President Donald Trump said Monday that his administration may make tougher border security measures a condition for the United States supporting any modernized version of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The president took to Twitter to declare Mexico, "whose laws on immigration are very tough," needs to step up its efforts to prevent illegal crossings on the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump added the country could not accept "what is happening" and that his administration would explore any option available, including the ongoing NAFTA negotiations, to ensure the security of America's southern border.

"Mexico, whose laws on immigration are very tough, must stop people from going through Mexico and into the U.S. We may make this a condition of the new NAFTA Agreement. Our Country cannot accept what is happening! Also, we must get Wall funding fast," the president tweeted.

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

Mexico, whose laws on immigration are very tough, must stop people from going through Mexico and into the U.S. We may make this a condition of the new NAFTA Agreement. Our Country cannot accept what is happening! Also, we must get Wall funding fast.

9:51 AM - Apr 23, 2018

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• 39.2K people are talking about this

Twitter Ads info and privacy

The president's tweet comes as the U.S., Canada, and Mexico continue eight months of negotiations to modernize NAFTA. Mexico has expressed interest in coming to an agreement before July 1 so the issue does not become a topic in the country's upcoming presidential election.

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Lost Dog 4-24-18

'Pedal Pubs' Force Cities to Rethink Traffic Laws

Bar-hopping party bikes, which let a dozen or more people pedal through popular destinations, don’t fit neatly under traffic laws.

They're part party bus, part group bicycle and part mobile bar. The four-wheeled contraptions go by a variety of names: pedal wagons, party bikes, pedal taverns.

They've been entertaining tourists and vexing regulators in U.S. cities for a decade now. But they are still enough of a novelty that state and city lawmakers continue to struggle with whether to allow them and, if so, what rules they should follow.

In Nashville, party bikes have become synonymous with the bachelorette parties ferrying between downtown honkytonks. The vehicles can be spotted near Big Ten university campuses in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. In the resort area of Destin, Fla., a company has even taken the idea to the water, introducing pedal-powered pontoon boats for parties.

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ICE arrests 60 during public safety operation in New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. – Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 60 individuals throughout New Jersey during a 5-day public safety operation ending April 20.

The operation focused on individuals illegally present in the U.S. that had been convicted of serious criminal activity, to include sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, and Driving Under the Influence (DUI). Of those arrested, 80 percent were convicted criminals, more than 20 had been issued a final order of removal and failed to depart the United States, or had been previously removed from the United States and returned illegally. Several had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as aggravated assault, child abuse, child sex crimes, and assault, or had past convictions for significant or multiple misdemeanors. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Marshals Service assisted ICE during this operation.

“The success of this operation is a direct result of the full commitment of the dedicated men and women of ICE.” said John Tsoukaris, field office director for ERO Newark. “We will continue to devote the full efforts of our agency to protecting citizens and enforcing federal immigration law despite challenges being pursued by politically motivated individuals.”

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Another Store Chain Announces It Will Stop Selling Firearms

There is a strong anti-Second Amendment bias running through the veins of several American stores lately. Some, like Walmart and Dick’s, have decided age discrimination is a viable strategy to virtue signal. Others like Kroger have hoisted their flags in other ways.

So, when store chain Fred Meyer announced they were out of the firearm business as well, the kneejerk reaction by some was to assume it was virtue signaling as well.

Luckily, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Superstore company Fred Meyer will stop selling guns and ammunition.

The Portland, Oregon, -based chain in a statement Friday said it made the decision after evaluating customer preferences. The company sells guns at nearly 45 of its 132 stores in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska.

“Fred Meyer has made a business decision to exit the firearms category,” the company said. “We are currently working on plans to responsibly phase out sales of firearms and ammunition.”

Of course, those who remain skeptical do have a good reason. After all…

The company, a subsidiary of Cincinnati, Ohio,-based Kroger Co., didn’t give a timeline in the statement. Fred Meyer spokesman Jeffery Temple in an email to The Associated Press on Saturday said the company wasn’t offering interviews.

Interesting, no?

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Obama Justice Dept.’s attempts to influence investigations exposed in McCabe probe

Tucked inside the inspector general’s report on former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was the story of an August 2016 phone call from a high-ranking Justice Department official who Mr. McCabe thought was trying to shut down the FBI’s probe into the Clinton Foundation at a time when Hillary Clinton was running for president.

The official was “very pissed off” at the FBI, the report says, and demanded to know why the FBI was still pursuing the Clinton Foundation when the Justice Department considered the case dormant.

Former FBI officials said the fact that a call was made is even more stunning than its content.

James Wedick, conducted corruption investigations at the bureau, said during 35 years there he never fielded a call from the Justice Department about any of his cases. He said it suggested interference.

“It is bizarre - and that word can’t be used enough - to have the Justice Department call the FBI’s deputy director and try to influence the outcome of an active corruption investigation,” he said. “They can have some input, but they shouldn’t be operationally in control like it appears they were from this call.”

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Hillary To Be Star Of 2018 GOP Strategy

The Republican plan for the 2018 midterms is not good news for failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Fox News reports that Hillary is “starring” in their strategy.

“We’re going to make them own her,” Republican National Committee spokesman Rick Gorka told Fox News.

Republicans are planning to marry Democrats to Hillary Clinton and force the party to be associated with their failed nominee.

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Police: Teenage Girls Carjack Pregnant Teacher Outside Maryland Elementary School

Two teenage girls were arrested and charged with carjacking a pregnant teacher outside a Maryland elementary school, police said.

The Baltimore County Police announced that Tyana Keyshawn Holmes, 16, would be charged as an adult in connection with the violent incident at Villa Cresta Elementary School in Parkville on Friday.

Holmes faces charges of carjacking, robbery, and stealing a motor vehicle. Police have also charged a 14-year-old girl, who remains unidentified, as a juvenile.

Detectives with the Baltimore County Police carjacking unit are also trying to track down two other teenage girls whom they suspect were involved in the carjacking.

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Former Governor Endorses Rushern Baker for Maryland Governor

Former Maryland governor Parris N. Glendening on Thursday endorsed Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III in his bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, citing Baker’s record on the environment.

“He understands that economic development and protecting the environment go hand in hand,” Glendening said in an interview. Baker unveiled an environmental plan Thursday that includes a committee chaired by Glendening and aimed at making Maryland the first state in the country to achieve 100 percent clean energy and zero waste.

Prince George’s, where Baker created a county-level environmental department, leads the state in recycling.

Glendening, a former county executive in Prince George’s, said Baker, who is leading in polls of the crowded Democratic primary race that also indicate a large number of voters undecided, is an “honest and ethical” leader who has handled his two terms in office well.

View Full Story From The Washington Post

Carjacker shot dead by victim outside New Texas Fried Chicken restaurant in Orlando

A man shot dead a carjacker who he claimed attacked him as he entered a fried chicken outlet, police have said.

Leon Anthony Ducally, 49, told deputies he shot Jan Demetri Goodman, 26, after a carjacking attempt as he walked into the New Texas Fried Chicken, east of the Mall at Millenia in Orlando.

An Orange County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Jane Watrel told the Orlando Sentinal deputies said they arrived at the scene at 12:01 a.m.

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A Liberal Salisbury Resident

A Whopper of a Court Case: Can Citizens Sue States?

In a handful of states, they can't. A lawsuit involving Burger King was supposed to settle the debate in Arkansas.

There is such a thing as a free lunch in Arkansas, but thanks to a recent court ruling you still have to pay taxes on it. That ruling could also have led to an enormous expansion of state power.

Flis Enterprises owns 16 Burger King franchises in central Arkansas. It gives its managers one free meal per shift. The state Department of Finance and Administration said that Flis had to pay taxes on the retail value of those hamburgers and fries, while Flis maintained it should pay only on the wholesale price of the ingredients that go into the meal. Given the number of meals doled out over the years, the dispute involved tens of thousands of dollars.

None of this would have mattered much to anyone not directly involved, except for one thing: It comes on the heels of another ruling from the state supreme court, which held that the Arkansas Constitution grants the state sovereign immunity from lawsuits. Put simply, that means state agencies can’t be sued by private individuals and companies seeking to dispute a regulation, ruling or tax.

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Obituary of Donna Ennis

Donna Marie Tomlinson Ennis (Sweet Pea) 64 of Salisbury died Sunday, April 22, 2018. Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late, Arthur E. and Janet Marie Tomlinson.

Donna served in the U.S. Coast Guard. She was a director at the Wicomico County Fair; did work for the Westside Historical Society; president of the Shore Fresh Growers Farmers Market and was active with the Republican Party. She was the first female baseball coach at the Optimist Baseball League and she was team mom for Charlie and Jeff’s baseball and football teams. Donna was a small time farmer, raising pigs and chickens. She was a member of the Truckers Association; was a Maryland Youth Bowling Instructor and was owner and manufacturer of Coast to Coast Soapworks.

She is survived by her husband, Willard Stanford Ennis III; sons, Charlie Preston Ennis and wife, Danielle Frances Rauenzahn of Hebron and Jeff James Ennis of Salisbury; grandchildren: Summer Renee Ennis of Willards, Rachelle Lee Rauenzahn, Jackie Kyle Presley III, Reese Payton Ennis and Cody Preston Ennis all of Hebron; brother, Earl Tomlinson of Pennsylvania; sister, Delia Tomlinson of Wappinger Falls, NY and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 5, 2018 at 10:00 am at Delmarva Evangelistic Church. Minister Vernon Lanham will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, please send any donations or contributions to Delmarva Evangelistic Church, 408 Gordy Rd., Salisbury, MD 21804.

Arrangements are in the care of Holloway Funeral Home, P.A., 501 Snow Hill Rd., Salisbury, MD 21804. Please visit www.hollowayfh.com to express condolences to the family.

How Long Will Cheap Debt Bail Out Automakers?

This week, the Commerce Department reported that consumer spending was heading upward, thanks in part to the strongest sales in six months for automobiles.

For the automobile industry, that's reassuring, but the larger trend points to a period of stagnation.

In recent years, there's been much speculation over whether or not Americans have gotten over their love affair with automobiles. We are often told that younger consumers (i.e., Millennials) don't like cars, and will all move to Manhattan and take the subway, or ride Uber cars everywhere else they want to go.

It's unclear whether or not we can blame auto sales declines on Millennial hipsterism, however. After all, with Baby Boomers moving into their 70s, more Americans are facing declining wage-based income and they're facing a need for more retirement planning. Fewer of them are running out and buying an "extra" car for weekend use.

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Poll: Impeachment Talk Hurting Dems' Chances in Midterms

Democrats are predicting a blue wave will take the House of Representatives in November. They've been predicting this ever since big Democratic wins in Virginia last year. However, the party has seemingly bet the farm on hopes of impeaching President Donald Trump -- and that's a losing idea among voters, who are finally seeing through the madness and media narratives.

According to a Marist Poll released earlier this week: "A plurality of registered voters (47%) say they would definitely vote against a candidate for Congress who wants to impeach the president. 42% would definitely vote for a candidate who has that intent, and 10% are unsure."

Roughly 30 percent of Democrats would either vote against such a candidate or aren't sure. While 70 percent still makes it a popular idea among Democrats, the real battle is in the general election -- where impeachment doesn't look good.

Marist reports: "Among Republicans, 84% would not back a candidate seeking to impeach President Trump. A plurality of independents (47%) say the same."

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Democrats are getting desperate as Mueller stalls

It’s not just Hillary Clinton who can’t quit Russia. The whole Democratic Party keeps going back to 2016.

In a move that reeks of desperation, the DNC filed a civil suit Friday against President Trump’s campaign, Russia and WikiLeaks, alleging a vast (right wing!) conspiracy to tip the election to Trump.

The suit’s flamboyant charges made headlines, but that only served to obscure the real meaning. Namely, that top Dems are giving up their fantasies that special counsel Robert Mueller will deliver them from political purgatory by getting the goods on Trump.

The trashy suit is their way of trying to keep impeachment and Russia, Russia, Russia alive for the midterms in case Mueller’s probe comes up empty.

Truth be told, party leaders are right to be disheartened by setbacks in the War against Trump. For the second time, the president was told he is not a target of Mueller, this time by Rod Rosenstein, the deputy assistant attorney general who created Mueller.

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When it Comes to Guantanamo, Trump is Truly the Builder in Chief

MIAMI -- The Trump administration has more than $200 million in new construction teed up for Guantanamo this year and next, combining new funding in the $1.3 trillion spending bill and existing projects.

The biggest ticket item for the U.S. Navy base in Cuba in the so-called Omnibus Spending law is $115 million for a new 848-troop barracks across the street from the McDonald's and commissary to consolidate enlisted prison staff under one roof.

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Lost Dog 4-23-18: UPDATE

Please help find my autistic sons dog her name is chloe. She was lost in delmar on east state street on 4/22/18 at around 6 pm the number on her tag was recently changed the new number is 410-739-7535 please help

Missing Golden Retrievers: UPDATE

My mom and sisters Golden’s were stolen from her fenced in back yard on Mount Hermon Road at approximately 12:00 noon today!! They are only a year old! One has a striped collar on and the other doesn’t have a collar. PLEASE keep an eye out! Call 443-235-3545, 443-235-0293, 443-614-4684

From Fake Boom To Real Bust

Paradise in LA LA Land

More is revealed with each passing day. You can count on it. But what exactly the ‘more is of’ requires careful discrimination. Is the ‘more’ merely more noise? Or is it something of actual substance? Today we endeavor to pass judgment, on your behalf.

Normally, judgment would be passed on a Thursday, but we are making an exception. [PT]

For example, here in the land of fruits and nuts, things are whacky, things are zany. Last month, State Senator, Dick Pan, introduced Senate Bill (SB) 1424, which would require California based websites to utilize fact checkers to verify news stories prior to publishing them.

Who exactly these fact checkers would be – the moral servants that would save the world from the ills of fake news – was conveniently missing from the bill. Ironically, the control freaks in California state government can’t control themselves; they want to muck around with people’s lives unconditionally.

Nonetheless, screwball proposals like this out of Sacramento fall into the mere noise category – for now. We estimate it will take another Presidential election cycle, or two, before such nonsense is taken seriously by the majority of state lawmakers.

At the local level, there are more demanding problems that require more demanding solutions. Here in Los Angeles County, according to something called the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, there is now a homeless population of precisely 57,794. For perspective, Chavez Ravine (i.e., the Dodger Stadium), has a capacity of 56,000.

This army of indigents, roaming about the LA LA land paradise, has become a significant embarrassment for local leaders. Haphazard urban campsites litter the bank tops of the colossal, concrete Los Angeles River Channel between Downtown Los Angeles and Downtown Long Beach. The massive collection of tents and makeshift shelters has become too much to ignore.

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Government Accidentally Releases Documents On Remote Mind-Control

Just months after the mysterious 'brain-melting weapon' accusations in Cuba, that left several US diplomats with long-term mental damage, something very strange has popped up... from an even stranger origin.

Earlier this year, MuckRock Journalist Curtis Waltman (who specializes in filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests) wrote to the Washington State Fusion Center (WSFC) - a joint operation between Washington State law enforcement and the federal government - to request information about Antifa and white supremacist groups.

He received a satisfactory response to the question she had asked, but as Waltman notes, when you send thousands of FOIA requests, you are bound to get some very weird responses from time to time... and so he did - attached to the response was a file titled "EM effects on human body.zip.” Inside were documents like this:

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IRD: "The System Will Have To Collapse"

The public pension fund system is approaching apocalypse. Earlier this week teachers who are part of the Colorado public pension system (PERA) staged a walk-out protest over proposed changes to the plan, including raising the percentage contribution to the fund by current payees and raising the retirement age. PERA backed off but ignoring the obvious problem will not make it go away.

Every public pension fund in the country is catastrophically underfunded, especially if strict mark-to-market of the illiquid assets were applied. Illinois has been playing funding games for a few years to keep its pension fund solvent. In Kentucky, where the public pension fund is on the verge of collapse, teachers are demanding a State bailout.

If the stock market were sustain a extended decline of more than 10% – “extended” meaning several months in which the stock market falls more than 10% – every public pension in the U.S. would collapse. This is based on an in-depth study conducted by a good friend of mine who works at a public pension fund. He has access to better data than “outsiders” and I know his work to be meticulous. Please note that the three big market declines since August 2015 were stopped at a 10% draw-down followed by big moves higher. The current draw-down was stopped at 10% but subsequent outcome is to be determined. My friend and I are not the only ones who understand this:

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Professor Accused of Racism for Telling Student Not To Write N-Word

You can never satisfy the perpetually offended. When you embrace the idea that anyone who disagrees with you is evil, it's just a matter of time before you start eating your own.

Pomona College theater professor Rose Portillo is reportedly being accused of racism by a snowflake student -- and the student has taken the outrageous step of plastering posters all over campus to name and shame the professor. Of course, the incident had nothing to do with racism, just outrage culture.

Will the student's bullying work instead? Here's what the poster reads, per Campus Reform:

"On Tuesday, April 17th, I was organizing song cues for one of Pomona College’ Theatre Department’s upcoming productions. My professor Rose Portillo [emphasis in original] walked up to me in class and said: ‘Nothing with nigga in it.’ I said ‘don’t say that.’ She replied ‘I’m saying it.’”

The student concludes the poster by stating “That’s racist.”

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NY Times Reporter: Male Hillary Clinton Staffers Regularly Made Sexist Comments

In an upcoming book, New York Timesreporter Amy Chozick relays multiple examples of sexism she faced while covering the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign.

While Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling will not be available until April 24, a Washington Post review shares some of Chozick's revelations and even outs one of the accused male staffers by name.

The Post‘s Carlos Lozada relays that while Chozick refers to Clinton's female staffers by name in the book, she refers to Clinton's male press staffers anonymously as "The Guys," giving them nicknames like Brown Loafers Guy, Policy Guy, and Original Guy, the worst of the bunch.

"The Guys constantly mess with Chozick, magnifying her self-doubts," Lozada writes. "‘I don’t care what you write because no one takes you seriously,' Outsider Guy says. They suggest that a Times colleague is leaking her story ideas to a competitor at Politico and that more-experienced reporters in her newsroom will steal away her assignment."

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