Health Insurers Propose Premium Rates for 2019

Public Invited to Submit Comments

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BALTIMORE – Health insurers are seeking a range of changes to the premium rates they will charge consumers for plans sold in Maryland’s “Individual Non-Medigap” (INM) and “Small Group (50 or fewer contracts)” (SG) markets in 2019, including dental coverage. The Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) has posted rate filing documents at www.healthrates.mdinsurance.state.md.us. On that website, consumers can review filings and submit comments, as well as find answers to frequently asked questions about the rate review process. The rates submitted by the carriers for the INM market do not include any impacts from a reinsurance program.

“Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, rates on the individual market in Maryland have risen by an outrageous and unsustainable 166 percent, and are set to increase by over 200 percent if we do not take action. I am proud that we joined with the Maryland General Assembly to pass common sense, bipartisan legislation to prevent these massive rate hikes,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Simply put, Marylanders should not have to choose between buying groceries and paying for health insurance. We are working with our federal partners to expedite approval for Maryland’s reinsurance waiver, and we continue to call for action at the federal level to fix our broken health insurance system.”

“The public is invited to provide comments about the rate requests to our actuarial team at the Maryland Insurance Administration,” said Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer, Jr. “We will be reviewing the rate requests and all of the public comments over the summer. We will also hold public meetings and plan to issue our final determination in early September.”

In Maryland, only those rates approved by the Insurance Commissioner may be charged to policyholders. Before approval, all filings undergo a comprehensive analysis of the insurers’ assumptions and actuarial analyses. Public comments are considered as part of the review process. Maryland Insurance Article § 11-603(c) (2) requires that rates must be reasonable in relation to benefits, not inadequate or excessive, and not unfairly discriminatory. Therefore, by law, the Commissioner must disapprove or modify any proposed premium rates that do not meet these criteria.

Exhibit 1 is a summary for the INM market. It shows an overall requested rate increase range by legal entity (e.g., INM = 30.2% with a range of 18.5% to 91.4%) affecting 211,773 members.
o The rates submitted by the carriers for the INM market do not include any impacts from a reinsurance program. House Bill 1795 of the 2018 Legislative Session authorized the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, in consultation with the Insurance Commissioner and as approved by the Exchange Board of Trustees, to establish and implement a State Reinsurance Program. The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange anticipates submitting a 1332 State Innovation Waiver on May 20, 2018 to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting a state-based reinsurance program. The federally mandated 30 day public comment period for the waiver application began on April 20, 2018 and will continue until the application is submitted to CMS. If CMS approves the waiver, then rate filings will be resubmitted and additional public meetings will be held.
Exhibit 2 is a summary for the SG market. It shows an overall requested rate increase range by legal entity (e.g., SG = 6.8% with a range of -1.1% to 15.6%) affecting 264,835 members. Unlike the INM market, SG rates can change on a quarterly basis.
Exhibit 3 is a summary for the dental coverage. It shows an overall requested rate increase of 4.9% affecting 58,788 members.
The rates being reviewed by the Insurance Administration do not affect health insurance plans offered by large employers, self-insured plans, “grandfathered” plans purchased before March 2010, or federal plans such as Medicare, Tricare, and federal employee plans.

About the Maryland Insurance Administration

The Maryland Insurance Administration is an independent State agency charged with regulating Maryland’s $28.5 billion insurance industry. For more information about the Insurance Administration, please visit www.insurance.maryland.gov or follow us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/MDInsuranceAdmin or Twitter at @MD_Insurance.

EPA Will Dismantle This Obama Climate Reg

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans on repealing an Obama-era requirement effectively mandating all new coal-fired power plants be outfitted with unproven emissions technology, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.

EPA will modify the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for power plants as part of its effort to repeal the Clean Power Plan (CPP) — the centerpiece of the Obama administration’s climate agenda. EPA will drop the de facto requirement that new coal plants install carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology Obama administration critics said would make it nearly impossible to build new coal plants.

“It’s fantastic that the Trump EPA is repealing the Obama EPA’s ban on new coal-fired power plants,” Junkscience.com publisher Steve Milloy told TheDCNF.

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Americans are more anxious than ever over paying their bills

Americans are stressed out.

People are plagued by financial anxiety, according to the results of an annual poll of 1,004 adultsconducted by the American Psychiatric Association released Monday.

This year’s national anxiety score — derived by mean scores on a scale of zero to 100 — is 51, a five-point jump since 2017. Two-thirds of respondents said they were extremely or somewhat anxious about paying their bills or expenses. Last year, 56 percent of people reported financial worries.

But some people are more worried than others about finances. Women are more anxious than men and also had a greater increase in anxiety than men this year compared to last year. More than half (57 percent) of women 18 to 49 years of age reported being more anxious this year, compared to 38 percent of men in that age group.
Nearly four in five Hispanic adults reported concerns about paying the bills, as did three-quarters of women and young adults (ages 18 to 34).

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CBP Releases Latest Enforcement Statistics for FY2018 April

WASHINGTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection today released enforcement statistics onCBP.gov. The latest metrics detail enforcement actions for fiscal year 2018 ending in April.

Categories include the arrests of individuals with criminal convictions, nationwide apprehensions by gang affiliation, and total nationwide narcotics seizures.

In FY 2017, Officers and Agents arrested more than 20,000 criminal aliens and nearly 11,000 individuals who were wanted by law enforcement authorities; and seized more than 2.14 million pounds of narcotics, including nearly 1,500 pounds of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.

NY gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon says legalizing pot could be ‘reparations’ for blacks

New York gubernatorial candidate and actress Cynthia Nixon suggested that legalizing marijuana on a statewide basis could, in effect, serve as “reparations” for African-Americans.
So … how does she figure?

On Saturday, Nixon spoke at the Cannabis Parade in Union Square, and, according to Forbes, said that the state could, perhaps, give back to the black community by legalizing pot and ensuring that the black community received the first crack at obtaining marijuana licenses after legalization.

“Now that cannabis is exploding as an industry, we have to make sure that those communities that have been harmed and devastated by marijuana arrests get the first shot at this industry,” Nixon explained. “We [must] prioritize [the black community] in terms of licenses. It’s a form of reparations.”

“Arresting people – particularly people of color — for cannabis is the crown jewel in the racist war on drugs and we must pluck it down,” Nixon told the crowd. “We must expunge people’s records; we must get people out of prison.”

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Alleged Abuse Victim Urged to Keep Quiet to Protect 'Democrat' Schneiderman

In the bombshell New Yorker piece that resulted in Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s resignation over multiple allegations of sexual misconduct Monday night, one of his accusers claims that she was urged to keep quiet about his alleged physical abuse because “Schneiderman was too valuable a politician for the Democrats to lose.”

“After the former girlfriend ended the relationship” the New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer report, “she told several friends about the abuse. A number of them advised her to keep the story to herself, arguing that Schneiderman was too valuable a politician for the Democrats to lose.”

“She described this response as heartbreaking.”

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SCHAEFFER: The Battle Of Midway: Part Six

Nagumo’s Quandary
Tomonaga’s disappointing battle report placed Nagumo in a quandary. As per Yamamoto’s instructions, he’d held back half of his attack aircraft and the best crews to be ready to strike should the American carriers appear earlier than expected. Yet, now it was clear Midway was still operational, and thus its planes a continuing threat. But the second wave was standing by armed with torpedoes or armor-piercing bombs to deal with ships. To launch a second strike against the island would mean to return the planes below decks and re-arm them with high explosive fragmentation bombs.

Amazingly, Nagumo still had no idea that any American ships were in the area, let alone three carriers just 200 miles to the northeast. So sure was he that there were no hostiles (because nothing had been heard from the submarine pickets by Hawaii) that he opted to launch his strike wave against Midway that morning before sending out just seven scouts on what he thought was a pro forma search. After two hours, his eyes in the sky, as expected, reported nothing to see. But the reconnaissance had in reality been a calamitous failure. One scout plane did, in fact, overfly the zone where Task Force 16 was getting ready to launch, but somehow missed them. Feeling secure that the U.S. Navy was not an immediate threat, and believing it a waste to have half of his attack planes sitting idle waiting to go after an enemy that had yet to materialize while a real threat of land-based enemy aircraft remained, Nagumo ordered his second wave below to re-arm with bombs to finish off Midway’s airfield. It was an arduous process that would take 90 minutes.

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Soros Drops $1.5 Million in San Diego for Far-Left District Attorney Candidate

Liberal billionaire George Soros has pushed $1.5 million into San Diego's district attorney race to support a far-left candidate who spoke on a panel hosted by the liberal billionaire last year at the left's biggest dark money donor conference.

Soros, who has been funding district attorney races across the country in his attempt to reform the criminal justice system, on May 3 deposited $1.5 million into the California Justice & Public Safety PAC. The committee was established to support Geneviéve Jones-Wright, the Democratic candidate and deputy public defender in the county. The PAC is run by Whitney Tymas, a longtime treasurer of Soros PACs.

The PAC disbursed $194,884 on television ads, $100,000 on digital advertising, and $107,575.60 on campaign literature and mailings in recent days, campaign finance records filed in San Diego County show.

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House panel advances bill allowing veterans to see more private health providers

A House panel has advanced legislation to allow more veterans to see doctors outside the Veterans Affairs system.

The bill, the VA MISSION Act, passed the House Veterans Affairs Committee 20-2. It would allow more veterans to go outside the VA healthcare system and use private-sector doctors when VA medical centers can't provide appointments within a month, when veterans have to drive more than 40 minutes to access care, or when care is determined inadequate by VA leaders.

The bill's lead author, Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., said on Twitter that the bill offers a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reform VA."

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Judge Napolitano: Political Class “Must Have Known About” Schneiderman Sex Abuse

Democratic AG faces “a lot of jail time”

Judge Andrew Napolitano told FOX Business earlier today that the political class “must have known about” Democratic Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s alleged sexual abuse of women before it became public.

Napolitano said that the speed of Schneiderman’s resignation suggests people in positions of power had prior knowledge.

“It must have been bubbling below the surface and the governor and the political class must have known about it,” said Napolitano.

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Freddie Gray case: Federal appeals court blocks suit against Baltimore State's Attorney Mosby

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked a lawsuit against Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby brought by five city police officers who claimed she maliciously prosecuted them after the death in 2015 of Freddie Gray.

Monday’s ruling by the federal appeals court overturned a January 2017 decision by U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis, who ruled at the time that charges including malicious prosecution, defamation and invasion of privacy could move forward against Mosby and Assistant Baltimore City Sheriff Samuel Cogen, who wrote the statement of probable cause in the case. Garbis dismissed other counts, including false arrest and false imprisonment.

Gray, 25, suffered a severe spinal injury while in police custody on April 12, 2015, and died a week later. Mosby charged six officers involved in his arrest and transport with criminal counts including manslaughter and second-degree murder. Three were acquitted by a judge of all charges, and Mosby dropped the remaining cases.

Five of the officers — Lt. Brian Rice, Sgt. Alicia White and Officers Edward Nero, Garrett Miller and William Porter — filed suit in civil court for what they say was a malicious prosecution. Their lawyers claim Mosby didn't have enough evidence and charged them to ease the unrest that followed his death.

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Heroin Dealer Nabbed In Resort Drug Sting Sentenced To 15 Years

SNOW HILL — A Baltimore man, one of 21 arrested last year following a local allied law enforcement agency drug distribution investigation, pleaded guilty last week to distributing heroin and cocaine and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Last November, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) Narcotics Unit, along with the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team, the OCPD Special Enforcement Unit and the OCPD Quick Response Team, or SWAT, began making arrests and serving search and seizure warrants following a three-month investigation into the distribution of heroin, cocaine and other drugs in the resort area. Under the guise of Operation Harbor Breeze, the allied agencies utilized undercover detectives to target street level drug distribution in Ocean City, particularly in the downtown area.

Operation Harbor Breeze was launched in part to curb thefts, burglaries and vehicle break-ins associated with street level drug distribution in the resort. From September through early December, undercover narcotics detectives were able to make 66 purchases of illegal drugs flowing into the resort. The combined value of the drugs seized during the operation was over $87,000.

In one of the major arrests associated with Operation Harbor Breeze, a known Black Guerilla Family (BGF) gang member with a long criminal history including a manslaughter conviction was nabbed in the sting after making a sale to an undercover detective at a West Ocean City convenience store. Through covert investigative techniques, an OCPD narcotics detective was able to establish an undercover connection with Shariff “The Postman” Talib, 35, of Baltimore, who was looking to deliver large amounts of heroin and cocaine to Ocean City and Worcester County.

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Former DSP Civilian Employee Arrested

Carl M. Rone, 62 of Philadelphia

The Delaware State Police announced today, May 8, 2018, that retired civilian employee Carl M. Rone has been arrested for Theft- False Pretense and Falsifying Business Records.

Carl M. Rone, 62 of Philadelphia, was hired by the Delaware State Police in 2006 as a Forensic Firearms Examiner; he was tasked with establishing the Delaware State Police Forensic Firearms Services Unit (FFSU) located in Dover, DE.

Rone, who was employed full time with DSP, was authorized to work an alternative work schedule. Furthermore, he was authorized to work outside employment during his off time.

In mid-November of 2017, it was discovered that Rone was not reporting to work when scheduled. An investigation found approximately 79 days in 2016 and 2017 where he turned in signed DSP activity sheets (time sheets) and received compensation for work that was not performed. The total amount for these 79 days is $30,265.39. Following a review of the evidence developed in the criminal investigation; detectives secured an arrest warrant for Rone, who was indicted by a Kent County Grand Jury on Monday, May 7, 2018.

On today's date, Rone turned himself in at Troop 3 and was subsequently arrested and charged with one count of Theft- False Pretense Greater than $1500 (Felony) and one count of Falsifying Business Records. He was arraigned and released on a $2000.00 unsecured bond from Superior Court of Kent County.

Sessions: Parents, children entering U.S. illegally will be separated

"If you don't like that, then don't smuggle children over our border," the attorney general said Monday

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration plans to take a tougher approach to some families who enter the U.S. illegally by separating parents from their children, instead of keeping them in detention together.

"If you are smuggling a child then we will prosecute you, and that child will be separated from you as required by law," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday at a law enforcement conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. "If you don't like that, then don't smuggle children over our border."

Administration officials explained that the goal of the program is 100 percent prosecution of all who enter the U.S. illegally. When adults are prosecuted and jailed, their children will be separated from them, just as would happen for a U.S. citizen convicted and jailed.

Moret a law enforcement conference.

Fire in Fruitland

Fire in woods behind Meadows Hydraulics.

A Viewer Writes: Behind Dunkin Donuts on South Salisbury

It's been there for days.

Tidal Wave Of Baltimore Restaurant Closures Unfolds Into Crisis

It is official. Consumers in Baltimore appear to be tapped out.

The Central-Bank-free-money-anything-goes-induced restaurant bubble in the most dangerous city in America: Baltimore, has begun a violent period of deflation — on par with a possible collapse.

At least 24 restaurants have closed since the start of 2018, “including Federal Hill stalwart Regi’s American Bistro, Hampden’s popular Corner Restaurant and Charcuterie Bar and Canton’s Fork and Wrench,” said the Baltimore Sun.

Chris LeBarton, a market economist for CoStar Market Analytics, warned that increased vacancy rates for small commercial real estate spaces reflect the recent wave of closures.

“Vacancy rates for spaces up to 3,000 square feet – often home to independent restaurants – rose to 8.1 percent at the end of March, up from 6.8 percent at the end of September, when the city underwent a previous wave of closures. That rate is at its highest since 2010,” LeBarton added.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the total number of Baltimore restaurants and bars declined 4.6 percent in 2013 and 2016 – from 1,613 to 1,539. This was not the case nationally, food and drinking establishments soared 5.7 percent, 8.9 million in 2013 to 9.4 million in 2016.

One consumer analyst told The Baltimore Sun that some factors behind the surge in restaurant closures include, “natural cycles of the industry, millennials’ preference for convenience and value and – more particular to this area – competition in the suburbs and high crime rates that ward off suburbanites.”

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Eric Schneiderman being investigated for assault by Manhattan DA

The district attorney's office has announced that they will be launching a probe into the allegations of physical assault that were made against Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

'Our office has opened an investigation into the recently reported allegations concerning Mr. Schneiderman,' said Danny Frost, a spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.

This announcement came just five days after it was revealed that Schneiderman's office was investigating Vance for his decision to not file sexual assault charges in the wake of a 2015 incident involving Harvey Weinstein and Italian model Ambra Battilana.

That probe was requested by Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Scneiderman said last week he would assign a special deputy to lead the inquiry.

Schneiderman, 63, did not show up to work on Tuesday after announcing it would be his final day just hours after the publication of a damning New Yorker expose in which four women said that the publicly-elected official had hit or slapped them without consent, often in bed, and frequently after drinking.

He responded to the allegations by admitting that he 'engaged in role-playing and other consensual sexual activity' but denying claims that he ever assaulted another person or had 'nonconsensual sex.'

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Patient who was treated for depression for five years discovers she has Lyme disease

Having spent her childhood climbing trees and hiking in the wilderness, Mikayla Vacher was stumped by the exhaustion that hit her at 13 years old.

The adventurous little Rhode Island girl lost her energy for everything. She felt achy, tired, hopeless, with severe migraines and rashes.

But when her mother took her to various primary care doctors to check out her symptoms, they almost laughed at her melodrama.

Each one of her complaints was dismissed as 'in her head', and she was referred again and again to psychiatrists to deal with her supposed depression. Even her friends and some family members agreed, saying she was overreacting. It reached a point, Mikayla says, where she started to believe that she was making it up.

However, as she was pumped with anxiety medication, every therapist she was sent to was baffled: 'You don't have depression,' they said.

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Daniel Hoffman, ex-CIA officer: Brennan's Trump attacks risk national security

Daniel Hoffman says the former intel chief is aiding a Russian plot to deepen America’s partisan divide

A behind-the-scenes U.S. intelligence community fight over the merits of publicly scorning President Trump has burst into the open recently, with the CIA’s former Moscow station chief accusing Obama-era spymaster John O. Brennan of crossing a red line through incessant Twitter and cable news excoriations of the current commander in chief.

In addition to claiming that Mr. Brennan is aiding a Kremlin plot to deepen America’s partisan divide, former CIA Clandestine Service Officer Daniel Hoffman says the former CIA director has actually jeopardized national security by publicly insinuating that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be blackmailing Mr. Trump.

Mr. Brennan made the insinuation in late-March when he asserted during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that Mr. Trump is “afraid of the president of Russia” and that “one can speculate as to why.”

“The Russians may have something on [Mr. Trump] personally, that they could always roll out and make his life more difficult,” Mr. Brennan said. “That [Mr. Trump] has had this fawning attitude toward Mr. Putin…say[s] to me that he does have something to fear and something very serious to fear.”

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Average American Works More Than The Average Medieval Peasant

Peasants worked just 1620 hours yearly.

We hear the propaganda often: Medieval times, the so-called "dark ages," were miserable for peasants, the labor force exploited by greedy feudal lords.

Believe what you will about these so-called "dark ages," just know that research from Boston College professor Juliet Schor shows that the average American works far more hours and far more days a year than the average peasant did during the middle-ages.

In Schor's text, The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure, the professor demonstrates that the average leisure time for Americans remains far below that of the average leisure time for peasants during the middle-ages. Back in 1987, Americans worked on average 1,949 hours annually.

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WATCH: Biden Makes Racially-Charged Gaffe Describing Detroit Women

On Tuesday, former Vice President Joe Biden made a racially-charged gaffe while describing women in the Detroit area, referring to them as "women from the hood."

Biden made the remarks while speaking at a forum on the future of America's middle class, which was hosted by the Brookings Institution and the Biden Foundation.

"Ordinary people do extraordinary things," Biden said. "We become awful elitist, we don't think ordinary people can do things that, like, program, code."

Biden said that learning how to code is "not rocket science" and that when coders were needed in Detroit, Michigan, women were picked "from the hood" to learn how to code.

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Trump Names First Woman CIA Chief; Dems & ACLU Immediately SLAM Her

"She was up to her eyeballs in torture..."

On Tuesday, President Trump shook up his administration once again through a high-profile firing and a pair of nominations, one of which was historic. Trump abruptly removed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday and announced that his replacement would be CIA Chief Mike Pompeo. To fill Pompeo's position, the president nominated what would be the first woman to ever to lead the CIA, Gina Haspel.

Haspel's appointment, said Trump, would be "a historic milestone."

"Gina, by the way, who I know very well, who I've worked with very closely, will be the first woman director of the CIA," Trump told the press Tuesday. "She's an outstanding person, who also I have gotten to know very well."

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Pelosi Says She Would Raise Taxes as Majority Leader

In an interview during a Politico Playbook Live event on Tuesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told Politico’s Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman that it would be “accurate” to say that she would seek to raise taxes if her party under her leadership were in charge of the House of Representatives.

Pelosi was asked about the possibility of instituting single-payer health care and raising taxes, to which she acknowledged a desire to “revisit” tax legislation.

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REVIEW: In ‘Chappaquiddick’, Ted Kennedy Finally Depicted As The Degenerate He Was

Intersectional hyenas devour the "Lion of the Senate"

Ted Kennedy biographer Neal Gabler, whining in The New York Times on Friday, accused Chappaquiddick of “outright character assassination.” He insinuates that the critically-acclaimed film dishonestly portrays the night Kennedy killed a young campaign secretary by drunkenly driving her off a bridge and leaving her to drown, but Gabler fails to point to any historical inconsistencies other than the amount Bruce Dern’s Joseph Kennedy Sr. should have slurred his speech. The charge rings hollow, as Ted Kennedy’s character committed suicide long ago, no assassination necessary.

Everything about Chappaquiddick — writing, acting, directing, casting, etc. — is quite good. Most importantly, the film accurately depicts the events that took place the night of July 18, 1969. Ted Kennedy, then the senior senator from Massachusetts, invited a group of six single, female campaign secretaries to join him and five married, male friends for a party at a cottage on Chappaquiddick Island near Martha’s Vineyard. At 11:15 p.m., Kennedy drunkenly took Mary Jo Kopochne, who left her purse and hotel key at the cottage, for a late night drive in his mother’s car. He drove off the bridge, swam to safety, and left Kopechne to drown. Kennedy then walked past four houses without alerting any neighbors to the accident, returned to the cottage, told his cousin and friend what had happened, and eventually returned to his hotel room in Edgartown. 

Throughout the night and early next morning, Kennedy attempted to establish an alibi and made several phone calls to friends for advice on how best to cover it all up. He lied in official testimony, temporarily donned an obviously unnecessary neck brace, and played the victim. At no point before police discovered the submerged car and Kopechne’s body did Kennedy report the crash to authorities.

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McConnell Pushed to Force Senate to Stay Until Job's Done

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is being pressured to keep the Senate in session longer so the chamber can confirm President Donald Trump's nominees and pass legislation on government funding, The Hill reports.

With White House director of legislative affairs Marc Short and additional conservative leaders, Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., on Tuesday said Senate Democrats were obstructing nominees.

Perdue also said there were "a number of senators who will submit a letter to [McConnell] later this week . . . and that letter will basically, again, encourage the leader to keep us here weekends, on Mondays and Fridays when necessary, and certainly in the August break if we haven't funded the government by then."

Dozens of conservative groups last month said Republicans were "failing" to get the work done in the Senate.

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St Francis Catholic School Penguin 5k

Penguin Run- 5K and Kids Dash

500 Camden Ave., Salisbury, MD 21801

Saturday, May 12th, 2018

Time	Event	Fee
8:20	Blessing of the Runners and National Anthem
8:30	Kids Dash	$5 Advance/$10 Day of
9:00	5K Walk/Run	$25 Advance/$30 Day of
9:00-1	Boy Scouts of America Troop 185 BBQ Chicken	$8
9:30-11	Excellent Family Friendly Post-Race Party!

Packet Pick-up: Friday, May 11, 3-6 p.m.

Packet Pick-up Race Day: Saturday, May 12, 7:30-8:15 a.m.

All 5K and Kids Dash participants will receive a race shirt if they PRE-REGISTER by May 9.

A special treat will be given to Kids Dash finishers.
Awards will be given to the overall 5K Male and Female Finishers.
Awards will be given to the Top 3 5K Male and Female Finishers in each age group.

Register by credit card online http://www.active.com search Penguin Run OR print the form below with a check to St. Francis de Sales

• Penguin Run Race Flyer
• Penguin Run Registration 2018
• Penguin Run Volunteer Sign Up
• Penguin Run Map

Media get trumped: President’s polls improve despite 90% negative coverage

A wide-ranging study of broadcast news coverage of President Trump in the first four months of the year reveals that it was 90 percent negative — just as it was throughout 2017.

But the broadcasters may be losing their battle.

“The media get trumped: president’s polls improve despite 90 percent negative coverage,” said a new analysis of coverage released Tuesday.

“The liberal media’s war against President Trump was as fierce as ever during the first four months of 2018, but the onslaught appears to be for naught: In the face of massive and hostile coverage from ABC, CBS and NBC, Trump’s overall job approval rating actually rose, from 37 percent in mid-December to roughly 43 percent at the end of April,” writes Rich Noyes, a senior analyst for the Media Research Center.

The organization studied all broadcast evening news coverage of the President from Jan. 1 through April 30, and found 90 percent of the evaluative comments about Mr. Trump were negative — which is just what the organization documented during the entire twelve months of 2017.

This time, the group examined all 1,065 network evening news stories about Mr. Trump and top members of his administration during the first four months of this year.

“The coverage totaled a whopping 1,774 minutes, or roughly one-third of all evening news airtime,” Mr. Noyes said.

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Soros Continues Massive Cash Offensive in Florida

Billionaire political activist George Soros continues to write six-figure political checks in the swing state of Florida ahead of the 2018 elections, the latest being a $250,000 drop to Forward Florida, a political action committee supporting Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum in his run for governor.

Soros contributed $200,000 to Forward Florida in 2017. When adding that to a $50,000 donation from Alex Soros, son of the hedge fund billionaire, the Soros family has staked half-a-million dollars on Gillum via the PAC.

As the Washington Post reported in late April, the Democratic primary races for governor in several states are "emerging as central battlegrounds in the broader struggle for the soul of the Democratic Party." The same article also pointed out that the governor's races are sometimes more responsive to the party's grassroots because, "unlike congressional races, where the parties' campaign committees have intervened in primaries, there's no national group that takes sides in choosing the nominee."

More here

Actors Cold Read Facts on FEMINISM Off of a Teleprompter

Confirmed: School Shooter Nikolas Cruz Was Shielded From Arrest to ‘Fight Systemic Racism’

Not only did they shield him from arrest in the name of fighting racism, they didn’t even force him to go to their worthless program

School shooter Nikolas Cruz was protected from arrest by Broward county school district officials thanks to a “controversial disciplinary program” designed to combat “systemic racism” by limiting arrests of minority students.

Broward county school district officials lied repeatedly for months by claiming otherwise.

Dana Loesch

✔@DLoesch

The Broward School District repeatedly lied to parents, students, and to us when NRATV questioned them whether the Parkland murderer was in the Promise Program. He was. The school and Sheriff Israel — who championed this program — are liable. http://news.wjct.org/post/stoneman-douglas-shooter-was-assigned-controversial-broward-discipline-program-officials-admit …

11:53 AM - May 7, 2018

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STEVE HARTMAN ON THE ROAD WITH A TINY SUPERHERO

Multiple Businesses Broken Into In Downtown Salisbury Maryland

CrimeReports Alerts for Salisbury Crime

Your CrimeReports alert for the day: May 07, 2018.This update includes all incidents added to the map since the last update you received.

Note: Alert areas are calculated using a standard-sized monitor. Depending on the size of your browser window, you may see a different number of incidents when you click the "map incidents" link.

Location: Salisbury Crime

Map Incidents

1 Incidents May 07, 2018

Quality of Life Crimes 1 Disorder 1

Due to ongoing investigations, some incidents are not immediately added to the database. These incidents have been added since your last alert.

Property Crimes 2 Quality of Life Crimes 1 Violent Crimes 2

Join Us Every Sunday For Our Weekly Pool Tournament At 1:00 PM

If you enjoy a good challenge on a pool table, come join our weekly 8-Ball Tournament at OC Billiards @ Trader Lee's. Live music starts at 5 PM. 

Hannity to Jeff Sessions: ‘Are You Part of the Swamp? Are You Part of the Deep State?’

Monday on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” host Sean Hannity lobbied Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to respond to Congress’ requests for documents regarding the probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Hannity addressed Sessions directly on the issues of urgency and respect for the federal constitutional system of government.

“Mr. Attorney General, I say this with all respect: Where is your urgency? You need to do your job,” Hannity said. “This has gone on way too long. These are legitimate, important requests. You are not impervious, nor the DOJ impervious, to the rule of law and our federal system, co-equal branches of power and checks and balances.”

He went on to say if Sessions and Rosenstein continued to ignore congressional requests, then they should face contempt of Congress charges and asked if the two were part of the so-called swamp and deep state.

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WCSO Press Releases

Middleton, Jezelle

Incident: Assault, Vandalism

Date of Incident: 6 May 2018

Location: S Kaywood Dr, Salisbury

Suspect: Middelton, Jezelle A; 22 of Gwynn Oak, MD

Narrative: On 5-6-18 at 0327 hrs, Deputies were dispatched to a residence on S. Kaywood Dr. for a disturbance. The Deputies learned that Jezelle Middleton arrived at the house and was refusing to leave. She allegedly threw a lamp at a resident and poured laundry detergent on the carpet inside the house. The Deputies and the resident told Middleton to leave and she refused. Middleton was arrested and transported to Central Booking.

Charges: Assault 2nd Degree, 2 counts of Malicious Destruction of Property, Disturb the Peace, Fail to obey a lawful order

Morgan, Norman

Incident: CDS possession

Date of Incident: 7 May 2018

Location: Snow Hill Rd and Carroll St, Salisbury

Suspect: Morgan, Norman Vaughn; 28, of Salisbury

Narrative: On 5-7-18, a Deputy conducted a traffic stop for the driver and occupant not wearing their seatbelt. The Deputy called a Sheriff’s K9 Unit to assist with the stop. Upon the arrival of the K9 to the scene the driver, Norman Morgan, advised that he had heroin on him. The Deputy located the heroin. Morgan was charged with CDS possession was and transported to Central Booking.

Charges: CDS possession Heroin; Possession of paraphernalia

Burns, Jonathan

Incident: Unlawful Detention

Date of Incident: 7 May 2018

Location: Buckingham Cir, Salisbury

Suspect: Burns, Jonathan Warren; 39 of Salisbury

Narrative: On 5-7-18, Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Buckingham Cir for a domestic disturbance. The Deputies made contact with Jonathon Burns and a female inside of the house. The female advised that Mr Burns locked her inside the house and stopped her multiple attempts to leave. A witness advised she overheard Burns yelling that he was not going to allow the victim to leave. Burns was arrested and transported to Central Booking.

Charges: Unlawful Detention

Death on foot: Pedestrian fatalities skyrocket in U.S.

Pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. have skyrocketed 46% since 2009, creating an emerging public health crisis as researchers grasp to understand the reasons.

The increases far outpace growth in overall traffic deaths, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Almost 6,000 pedestrians — people who might have been out for a walk after dinner, hurrying to get to work or rushing to cross a street — were killed by motor vehicles on or along America’s roads in 2016, the latest year for which numbers are available. That's almost twice the number of deaths tied directly to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Put another way, more Americans are dying each year as they walk than have died in combat in Iraq since 2003.

The question for policy makers and others is what explains the dramatic increase.

Distraction behind the wheel, texting while walking and even marijuana legalization have all been tagged as potential culprits in past research.

In addition, a new study released Tuesday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows an 81% increase in single-vehicle pedestrian fatalities involving SUVs between 2009 and 2016, based on federal records.

More here

Special Event Zone on Coastal Highway Tuesday, May 15

OCEAN CITY, MD – Starting Tuesday, May 15, through Sunday, May 20, Coastal Highway and Philadelphia Avenue (MD-528) will be designated as a Special Event Zone during the Cruisin’ Ocean City event. Speeds will be reduced and fines will be increased in the Special Event Zone.

In April, Governor Larry Hogan signed the Special Event Zone bill into law allowing the State Highway Administration, at the request of a local authority, to designates areas on state highways in Worcester County as a special event zone and reduce established speed limits in the zone. It also allows a local authority, such as Town of Ocean City officials, to designate a city-owned road as a special event zone. Fines for violators will be increased in special event zones.

Thousands of car enthusiasts are expected in Ocean City for the event and citizens should expect to see a large police presence. Officers from allied agencies will be assisting the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD), including the Maryland State Police, Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland Transportation Authority, and Maryland Natural Resources Police.

Officers will be strictly enforcing all traffic laws. Additionally, pedestrians are urged to Walk Smart! and always use crosswalks when crossing roadways. Wait for the signal to change and be sure that drivers see you while crossing.

Accident At Rt. 50 and Rt. 610

Berlin Fire EMS on scene at Rt. 50 and Rt. 610 West bound. Traffic accident with injuries. Use caution and expect delays.

Ticketmaster Wants to Replace Your Tickets with Your Face

Event ticketing giant Ticketmaster has partnered with a facial recognition software developer in an effort to create a concert experience that doesn’t require a physical or digital ticket at all — just your face.

Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation has announced that they are partnering with a facial recognition company called Blink Identity, Engadget reports. According to Live Nation’s first quarter financial report, Blink Identity has developed “cutting-edge facial recognition technology, enabling you to associate your digital ticket with your image, then just walk into the show.” Blink Identity claims that they can register a users face the moment they walk past a sensor, matching the users face against their massive database in half a second.

Blink Identity’s facial recognition software is purportedly so fast that event attendees will not even have to stop walking for it to identify their face and grant them access to the venue — they simply have to walk towards the entrance and if the users face is recognized, the turnstiles or door will allow them to enter. This new form of ticketing may be convenient for some, but there has been many issues with facial recognition software in the past. Aside from issues of user privacy and the “creepy-factor” due to some users not liking the idea of having their faces scanned, often facial recognition software is simply not accurate.

More here

Changes Urged To Address Downtown OC Homeless Issue

OCEAN CITY — It’s no secret there is a growing homelessness issue in Ocean City, but figuring out how to address it continues to be challenging.

The town’s police commission has discussed the homelessness issue in the downtown area in the past and is scheduled to take it up again in a meeting next week. With increasing frequency, homeless individuals have been taking up residence on the benches, parks and bus stops around the downtown area, and while some attract little notice, others are creating problems and generating complaints from residents and visitors, particularly around the Boardwalk area.

From public drinking and drug use to arrests for fighting and other unsavory behavior, homelessness continues to create challenges for a resort striving to protect its family image. It’s certainly not a problem unique to Ocean City, but it has grown more acute recently.

Heretofore, the town has responded with proactive law enforcement and a holistic approach aimed at getting the homeless individuals the resources they need. However, on the cusp of another summer season, more needs to be done, according to downtown resident Scott Chismar, who broached the topic during Monday’s Mayor and Council meeting.

More

Breaking News: North Korea released 3 Americans ahead of President Trump's planned meeting with Kim Jong-un, delivering a diplomatic victory to Mr. Trump

In a diplomatic victory for President Trump, North Korea freed three American prisoners on Wednesday, removing a bitterly emotional obstacle ahead of a planned meeting between him and the young leader of the nuclear-armed nation.

Read More »

No matter how much money states spend on education, results stay same

The costs of sending students through school have more than tripled in real terms over the past 40 years, yet despite the billions of extra taxpayers dollars being spent, the results students are achieving show almost no improvement.

Andrew Coulson who conducted the study believes the answer is simple - that there's no discernible correlation between spending and results.

'What we’ve done over the past 40 years hasn’t worked,' said Coulson, director of the Center For Educational Freedom at the CATO Institute.

More

Rep. Harris: President Trump’s Rescissions are Positive Progress

WASHINGTON, DC: On May 8, President Trump submitted to Congress a $15.4 billion rescissions request. The proposed rescissions package targets spending that is no longer necessary, has gone unused for a significant period of time, or has been diverted from its originally intended program. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) issued the following statement in support of the proposal:

“President Trump’s proposed spending rescissions are positive progress toward reining in our out-of-control federal debt and deficit. Most of these proposed rescissions address unused funds from previous years – dollars that are no longer authorized to be spent. As these funds sit idly in various government accounts, it only makes sense to trim that excess spending from our budget. As Congress attempts to get our nation’s finances in order, we must ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently and effectively.”

Rep. Harris Applauds Decision to Seek New Iran Nuclear Agreement

WASHINGTON, DC: On May 8, President Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly referred to as the Iran nuclear deal, and seek a new agreement. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) released the following statement in support of President Trump’s decision:

“The Iranian government sponsors terrorism, oppresses its own people, and has repeatedly threatened the United States and its allies. Without the consent of the United States Senate, the Obama Administration made a bad deal with Iran that has not made the American people or our allies any safer.

I applaud President Trump’s decision to reevaluate our nation’s strategy on Iran and seek a new, stronger Iran nuclear agreement. Any new deal with Iran must provide adequate accountability measures and cannot include a sunset date – two fronts on which the previous administration failed. The Iranian regime, and the terrorists it sponsors, must never obtain a nuclear weapon.”

Statement from Dr. Kelli Ward on President Trump’s announcement to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal

Tempe, AZ – Dr. Kelli Ward of Arizona, leading candidate for U.S. Senate, today released the following statement on President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal and renew sanctions:

“The Iran nuclear deal was fatally flawed from its conception. It provided a huge cash reward to one of the world’s most vicious state sponsors of terrorism, it failed to mandate unimpeded, real-time inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities, and it allowed continued development of ballistic missiles specifically designed to deliver weapons of mass destruction.”

“For the safety of Americans and people throughout the world, it is vital the radical government in Iran never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. I am confident President Trump and his team, together with our allies, will focus on achieving this goal.”

Maryland State Police Easton Barrack Criminal and Arrest Warrants Served for End of April

(Easton, Maryland) The Maryland State Police Easton barrack conducted and served the following criminal investigation and arrest warrants.

April 17, 2018, Lashawn Nicole Conaway, 36 of Seaford, was arrested after a traffic stop in Hurlock for an active bench warrant for failure to appear for court regarding a charge of no vehicle insurance. Conaway was taken before a court commissioner and released pending a court date.

April 17, 2018, Herman Lee Hall, 52 of Delaware, surrendered to troopers at the Maryland State Police Easton Barrack regarding an active bench warrant for passing bad checks and theft over $500.00. He was taken before a court commissioner and released pending a court date.

April 17, 2018, Erick Gregory Bordley, 34 of Delaware, was arrested for an active bench warrant for failure to apprear for court regarding a charge of driving while suspended. Bordley was taken before a court commissioner and released on $3000.00 bond.

April 18, 2018, Troopers responded to Goldsboro, regarding an assualt in progress. Tabitha Enzie Killen , 23 of Goldsboro, was arrested for first and second degree assult. She was taken before a court commissioner and released pending a court date.

April 18, 2018, Don Sherman Tryon, 60 of Greensboro, was served a criminal summons for second degree assault in Cambridge, Md. He was released on his signature pending a court date.

April 19, 2018, Troopers responded to Preston regarding a trespassing person. Richard Eugene Keyser, 49 of Preston, was arrested for traspassing, disorderly conduct, failure to obey a lawful order, possessing an open container of alcohol and public intoxication. He was taken before a court commissioner and released on $1000.00 bond.

April 19, 2018, Theodore Martin Harcum, 42 of Denton, was arrested for an active arrest warrant for possession of a controlled dangerous substance, obstruction and hindering and assault on a law enforcement officer. He was taken before a court commissioner and released pending a court date.

April 19, 2018, Troopers responded to the 800 block of Hudson Road, Cambridge, Md regarding a disturbance. Jeffrey David Ireland, 30 of Centreville, was arretsed for second degree assault. It was learned that he had an active arrested warrant for violation of probation regarding a third degree burglary in Delaware. He was taken before a court commisioner and held with on no bond.

April 22, 2018, Steven Michael Novoa, 29 of Columbia, was arrested for 6 active arrest warrants and bench warrants for charges of possession of a controlled dangerous substance not marijuana, child support non-payment violation, and two counts of malicious destruction of property and fleeing and eluding police and driving without a license. He was taken before a court commissioner and held on $70,000.00 bond. Novoa was located in Galestown, Md.

April 22, 2018, Trooper responded to Grove Road, Preston regarding a disturbance. Scott Oneyear, 48 of Trappe, was arrested for malicious destruction of property less that $1000.00. He was taken before a court commissioner and released pending a court date.

April 22, 2018, Troopers responded to Whiteleysburg Road, Greensboro regarding a distrubance. Joshua William Krenzer, 23 of Greensboro, was arrested for malicous destruction of property less that $1000.00. He was taken before a court commissioner and released pending a court date.

April 23, 2018, Timothy Wayne Sampson, 40 of Salisbury, was arrested for an active bench warrant regarding child support non-compliance after a traffic stop on Federalsburg, Md. He was taken before a court commissioner and held pending a hearing.

April 23, 2018, Carlos Antonia Johnson, 47 of Salisbury, surrendered to Troopers in Cambridge regarding an active bench warrant for driving on a suspending license. He was taken before a court commissioner and released pending a court date.

April 24, 2018,Cory Wayne Young, 33 of Florida, surrendered to Troopers in Easton regarding an active bench warrant for driving without a license. He was taken before a court commissioner and released pending a court date.

April 24, 2018, Sabrina Kay Rebstock, 48 of Denton, was served a criminal summons for second degree assault in Denton, Md. She was released on her signature pending a court date.

April 24, 2018, Troopers responded to the 4800 block of Skinner’s Run, Hurlock regarding a disturbance. Tyrell Jerome Jones, 36 of Hurlock, was arrested for malicious destruction of property. He was taken before a court commissioner and held on $5000.00 bond.

Anyone with information regarding criminal activity or a fugitive is encouraged to contact the Maryland State Police Easton Barrack at 410-819-4747.

Maryland State Police Easton Barrack End of April Drunk Driving Arrests

(Easton, Maryland) The Maryland State Police Easton Barrack continues to work to enhance the safety of all who travel through Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot Counties. At the end of April, troopers have made 133 drunk driving arrests for 2018. Below are the end of April drunk driving arrests.

April 18, 2018, Dontra Demonte Bolden, 27 of Delaware, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after a traffic collision in Hurlock, Md.

April 18, 2018, Brian Louis Smith, 37 of Federalsburg, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after a traffic stop in Denton, Md.

April 19, 2018, Nathaniel Lee St Aubin, 30 of Greensboro, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after a traffic stop in Greensboro, Md.

April 21, 2018, Ryan Michael Johnson, 41 of Washington, D.C., was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and issued a civil citation for possession of marijuana less than 10 grams after a traffic stop in Easton, Md.

April 21, 2018, Curt William Lewis, 54 of Tilghman Island, was arretsed for driving under the influence of alcohol on a bicycle and issued a civil citation for possession of marijuana less than 10 grams after a traffic stop in Tilghman Island, Md.

April 22, 2018, Gary Edward Diehl, 26 of St. Michaels, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and issued a civil citation for possession of marijuana less than 10 grams after a traffic stop in Denton, Md.

April 22, 2018, Gaitan M Gabino, 26 of Easton, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after a traffic stop in Easton, Md.

April 25, 2018, Charles Edwards Robinson, 35 of Ridgely, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after a single vehicle traffic collision in Goldsboro, Md.

April 26, 2018, Michael Austin Tyler Stewart, 19 of Denton, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after a single vehicle traffic collision in Federalsburg, Md.

April 27, 2018, Robert Shirra Meiklejohn 4th, 35 of Cordova, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after a single vehicle traffic collision in Cordova, Md.

April 27, 2018, Michael Dwayne Brumell Sr., 58 of Royal Oak, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and possession of a controlled dangerous substance crack cocaine amd CDS paraphernalia after a single vehicle collision into a pole in Royal Oak, Md. He was taken before a court commissioner and released pending a court date.

April 28, 2018, Robert Hudson Imhoff, 60 of Essex, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after a traffic stop in St. Michaels, Md.

April 28, 2018, Don O’delle Henneghen, 53 of Cambridge, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol on a bicycle after a traffic stop in Cambridge, Md.

April 28, 2018, Juliette Andrea Frase, 27 of Preston, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after a two vehicle collision where she struck an on duty Maryland State Trooper at Route 16 and Collins Road, Preston, Md.

April 29, 2018,Wendy Anne Nargiz, 47 of Ocean Ctiy, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after a traffic stop in Denton, Md.