Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Houston, We Have a Problem

Texas has a dramatic history when it comes to voting. "Landslide Lyndon" Johnson, who went on to become America's 36th president, benefited from blatant fraud to win his first Senate race in 1948. Following a runoff against a popular former governor, Johnson's backers used recounts, corrections, and phony vote-shifting to hand him an 87-vote primary victory.

Today, it isn't so easy to simply fabricate thousands of votes. However, inaccurate voter registration rolls, brimming with the names of noncitizens, as well as those who have moved away or died, open the way to error and fraud. That threatens the integrity of the vote in Texas and elsewhere.

A review of the presidential votes cast in Texas in 2008, 2012, and 2016 by the data analysis firm Votistics found a disturbing number of duplicate registrations and multiple votes. This means that inaccurate voter rolls are not harmless, forgivable mistakes.

More

After controversy over Christian Valentines, student sues Wisconsin school for restricting free speech

Polly Olsen was told by campus security last February that she couldn’t hand out religious-themed Valentines to staff and students at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. Aided by the pro-bono legal services of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, or WILL, she is now suing the school over free speech restrictions.

"I’ve been handing out Valentines since I was practically able to walk," Olsen said in a videoreleased by WILL. "My mom started handing out Valentines at nursing homes and the hospital. Since her passing, I’ve carried on her tradition of handing out the Valentines."

Two years after her mother died, Olsen felt ready to carry on her legacy again and began handing out cards on campus with messages such as “Jesus Loves You.”

More

Portable Generator Safety

STATEWIDE (September 11, 2018) – During the upcoming severe weather State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci is reminding the Citizens of Maryland to take care in the use of portable generators. Many people use portable generators during power outages. The most common risks of using the generators are carbon monoxide poisoning, electrical shock, electrocution and fires.

NEVER use portable generators inside a home, garage or shed. USE the GENERATOR OUTSIDE ONLY. Carbon monoxide from portable generators is poisonous and can kill in just minutes. Therefore, make sure you have CO detectors properly installed in your home and that they are working.

While in operation, portable generators should be in a well ventilated area away from all doors, windows and vent openings. Whether your garage is attached or detached to the house, do not use the generator inside. Opening the garage door is not an option. Never refuel the generator while it is in use and before refueling, make sure it has cooled. Make sure fuel is stored in the proper approved container and that the container is stored outside of all living areas.

Seventeen years later, five 9/11 terrorists still haven't faced a trial

They say the wheels of justice turn slowly — but now they’ve ground to a virtual halt.

Seventeen years after they helped murder 2,977 innocents in the worst terrorist attack on US soil, five 9/11 suspects — including self-avowed mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed — have not faced trial.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for all five men and have attempted for years to try the case, but a constantly shifting venue, questions over coerced evidence and the limitations of holding trials at Guantanamo Bay have slowed the case to a crawl.

More

Google Turned Out Latino Voters They Thought Would Vote for Clinton

An email chain among senior Google executives from the day after the 2016 presidential election reveals the company tried to influence the 2016 United States presidential election on behalf of one candidate, Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In the emails, a Google executive describes efforts to pay for free rides for a certain sect of the population to the polls–a get-out-the-vote for Hispanic voters operation–and how these efforts were because she thought it would help Hillary Clinton win the general election in 2016. She also used the term “silent donation” to describe Google’s contribution to the effort to elect Clinton president.

The main email, headlined, “Election results and the Latino vote,” was sent on Nov. 9, 2016—the day after Clinton’s loss to Trump in the 2016 presidential election—by Eliana Murillo, Google’s Multicultural Marketing department head.

More

Flashback: Obama prosecuted staff leakers, gave lie-detector tests, ‘paranoid’

Should President Trump need a model to use to track down leakers inside his administration like the “anonymous” insider who challenged his authority in a New York Times op-ed, he need go no further back than the Obama administration that prosecuted leakers and shutout the media.

According to reports at the time from even New York Times journalists, no administration was tougher on leakers and punishing to the media than Obama’s, a saga reinforced by reporters who have called Trump’s team more forthcoming.

Criticism of Obama’s attacks on the media and leakers did not just come in tweets and TV appearances by journalists but in an official report from the Committee to Protect Journalists, authored by former Washington Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr.

“This is the most closed, control freak administration I’ve ever covered,” said David E. Sanger, veteran chief Washington correspondent of The New York Times, in the report.

USA Today said of the report, it “portrays an administration gripped by strict policies about information flow and paranoid about leaks across all executive branch departments.”

More here

Iran Vows Strikes Outside Borders, ‘Beyond the Seas’

A top Iranian military leader warned on Monday that Iran is plotting strikes outside of its own borders and will even go "beyond the seas" to carry out attacks on those it perceives as enemies, statements that further highlight Iran's clandestine operations inside the United States and in Europe.

"We warn the enemies of the Islamic Revolution that if they make an aggression against the Islamic Iran, we will chase and punish them not only outside the borders but also beyond the seas," General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a top aide to Iran's Supreme Leader, was quoted as saying on Monday in remarks in Tehran.

The comments come just days after Iran's Revolution Guard Corps, or IRGC, launched a missile strike in Iraq's Kurdistan region. Iran has promised further strikes in that country.

Safavi's rhetoric also comes on the heels of the arrest of two Iranians in the United States who were accused of plotting terror attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets.

More

Retail industry flourishing as companies brace for impact of new tariffs

The U.S. retail industry is flourishing, a rebuke to critics who just a few years ago predicted its demise, but looming threats such as President Trump’s trade skirmishes may weigh on profits in 2019.

At least 25 of the top publicly-traded stores reported revenue growth for the most recent earnings period, according to a Washington Examiner review of the disclosures. Several, like footwear company DSW, Inc., posted double-digit gains.

Their success comes amid an economic boom — spurring low unemployment, high consumer sentiment and a slight increase in wages — that may be dampened by interest-rate increases from the Federal Reserve as well as Trump's levies on overseas imports and retaliation from trading partners.

More

Haz Mat Spill MSP Berlin: UPDATE

UPDATE ON ROAD CLOSURE


ROADWAY WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL DAWN

Type of Incident: Hazardous Material Spill-Overturned Tractor Trailer

Date and Time: 9/11/18 at 1644 hours
Location: 3323 Snow Hill Rd Girdletree, Worcester County, MD
Driver; Andrew Jackson Greene Henderson North Carolina
Not Injured
Vehicles: 2005 Freightliner Tractor Trailer

On 9/11/18 at 1644 hours, Troopers from the Maryland State Police Berlin Barrack responded to 3323 Snow Hill Rd, Girdletree MD regarding an overturned Tractor Trailer /Hazardous Material Spill.

Initial investigation revealed that the tractor trailer was transporting a load of ten containers filled with 330 gallons each of liquid identified by a hazardous material placard as Sodium Hydroxide.

The tractor trailer was travelling Southbound on Snow Hill road when the operator believes the load may have shifted causing the tractor trailer to overturn, resulting in 4 of the10 barrels falling into a field and two reportedly spilling. There was also a Verizon telephone pole that was struck.

The Maryland Department of Environment responded along with the Maryland State Fire Marshalls Office and the Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division.

The Maryland State Police was assisted by WCSO, SHA, Girdletree and Snow Hill Fire Departments.

A safe perimeter was established and Haz Mat crews are currently working the scene. Investigation continues.

Road closure expected to be approximately 4 hours.

Here Comes Florence


Right Now In Crisfield


Joe Bastardi's path for Florence

Peter Strzok spoke of 'media leak strategy' in newly revealed text message to Lisa Page

A top House Republican is calling for a review of communications between more FBI and Justice Department staffers after the revelation that ex-FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page exchanged text messages about a "media leak strategy" while Strzok was leading the bureau's Russia probe.

In a letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Monday, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said he held "grave concerns regarding an apparent systemic culture of media leaking by high-ranking officials at the FBI and DOJ related to ongoing investigations” after another batch of texts between the pair were provided to Congress.

More

PLO Fury as U.S. Set to Shutter Palestinian Embassy in Washington

The Trump administration plans to announce the closure of the Palestinian mission in Washington in response to the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to enter peace negotiations, according to multiple reports on Monday.

A senior Palestinian official confirmed the U.S. would close its de facto embassy in the capital, a move first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

“We have been notified by a US official of their decision to close the Palestinian mission to the US,” Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) secretary-general Saeb Erekat (pictured) said in a statement.

“This is yet another affirmation of the Trump administration’s policy to collectively punish the Palestinian people, including by cutting financial support for humanitarian services including health and education.”

Just last June, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Jeff Sessions were urged by lawmakers to close the diplomatic outlet, which endorses “flagrant violations” of U.S. law such as payments to terrorists.

More

Goodlatte: 'We Are Working Right Now to Schedule' Loretta Lynch, James Comey, Sally Yates

"We didn't waste the August recess," Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, told Fox News's Mario Bartiromo on Sunday.

"We interviewed a number of key witnesses, including Bruce Ohr. And now we are proceeding to get additional documents from the FBI and line up additional witnesses."

Goodlatte, referring to the witnesses, said his committee is "digging them out one at a time. And we're making a lot of progress."

Bartiromo asked him, "Are you going to be able to interview people like (former Attorney General) Loretta Lynch, (former FBI Director) Jim Comey, (former Deputy Attorney General) Sally Yates before the midterm elections?"

"We are working right now to schedule them," Goodlatte replied.

More

Ken Starr ALMOST indicted Hillary Clinton for perjury because of her 'outright mendacity'

Kenneth Starr considered seeking an indictment against Hillary Clinton for perjury while he was investigating her husband, then-President Bill Clinton, the former independent counsel writes in his new memoir.

Starr eventually abandoned any thought of indicting the former First Lady even though he believed she was lying when testifying about the suicide of former White House advisor Vince Foster.

He recalled the Clintons making the statements during a deposition on January 22, 1995, according to the book, Contempt: A Memoir of the Clinton Investigation.

Both Bill and Hillary Clinton were asked questions under oath about Foster as well as the Whitewater land deal from their time in Arkansas, according to an excerpt of the book obtained by Fox News.

More

On the Supreme Court, Democrats finally get their just deserts 31 years later

Are you happy now, Teddy Kennedy? Are you happy, Joe Biden? Are you happy now, Harry Reid? It’s due to the things that you did and said that Donald J. Trump is now naming his second Supreme Court justice in under two years in office. It is your fault that the once courtly process of Supreme Court appointments turned into the blood-and-thunder-eye-gouging drama that we hate and we live through today.

It was 31 years ago, in 1987, that Edward M. Kennedy burst on the floor of the Senate to tell us all that with Robert Bork on the Supreme Court, “women would be forced Into back-alley abortions,” blacks would eat at segregated lunch counters, writers and artists could be censored at the whim of the government, and the freedom of millions would hang by a thread.

Before it was over, liberals would raise and spend over $10 million in negative ads (quite a sum at the time) and in lobbying efforts. They would threaten black witnesses with career-ending reprisals and seize and search records of video rentals for signs of blue movies that were never found.

More

And So It Begins


17 years after 9/11, a warning from Abraham Lincoln

It is but a single line in a powerful address given by Abraham Lincoln to the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois in 1838. Just a small part of a speech that predated his iconic declaration that “a house divided against itself cannot stand” by some two decades. Entitled“The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions,” Lincoln’s entreaty came during a time both transformational and dangerously divisive in our young country’s history. It should be contextually framed against the backdrop of the Nat Turner slave rebellion, a deep financial depression, the emergence of the Whig party, and the rise of the abolitionist movement.

This single, powerful, cautionary line succinctly sums up America in 2018: If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher.

Lincoln’s warning spoke of common fears about a “transatlantic military giant,” and “armies of Europe, Asia, and Africa combined,” flush with unlimited resources, and with “a Bonaparte for a commander.” No, he gently chided throughout the passage, America should not fear the outside invader and foreign actors wishing to do us harm. The danger to the Republic was here, in our midst, and right under our noses. It wasus.

The “house divided” line certainly became an iconic Lincolnism. But its lesser known corollary — that we are our own worst enemy and the author of our potential destruction as a nation — is what resonates for me, on this 17th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

More

China to crack down on 'chaotic' online religious info: media

China has drawn up new draft guidelines to crack down on the “chaotic” and illegal online promotion of religion, the official Global Times reported on Tuesday, part of a tough state campaign to bring religious worship into line.

All organizations engaged in the dissemination of religious information online will be obliged to apply for licenses from provincial religious affairs departments, the paper said, citing a policy document issued on Monday.

While the license will enable them to “preach and offer religious training”, they will not be allowed to live-stream or broadcast religious activities. The dissemination of religious information anywhere other than their own internet platforms is also forbidden.

The guidelines also specifically prohibit online religious services from inciting subversion, opposing the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and promoting extremism and separatism.

Chinese citizens are theoretically free to practice any religion as long as it is officially recognized by the government. It has repeatedly cracked down on unauthorized religious activity, with authorities in Beijing shutting down a large Protestant church on Monday.

More

FBI Officials Discussed ‘Media Leak Strategy’ Ahead Of Major Trump-Russia Revelation

Newly released text messages show disgraced FBI official Peter Strzok asked to speak to former FBI lawyer Lisa Page about a “media leak strategy” during a crucial period of the Trump-Russia investigation in 2017.

The text messages were revealed Monday by North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, a member of the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee.

“Our review of these new documents raises grave concerns regarding an apparent systemic culture of media leaking by high-ranking officials at the FBI and DOJ related to ongoing investigations,” Meadows wrote to U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in the letter, which was obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation and first reported by Sara Carter.

Meadows pointed to text messages Strzok sent to Page on April 10, 2017, and April 12, 2017.

In the first message, Strzok, who then served as deputy chief of the FBI’s counterintelligence division, wrote to Page that: “I had literally just gone to find this phone to tell you I want to talk to you about media leak strategy with DOJ before you go.”

More

53% of voters say anonymous NYT author should have signed the op-ed and resigned

Fess up.

The majority of U.S. voters — 53 percent, say that the anonymous author of a recent New York Times op-ed bashing President Trump’s leadership should have signed the editorial and “resigned in protest” according to a new American Barometer poll conducted by Hill.TV and the HarrisX polling company.

Another 47 percent said the mysterious official was right to remain unnamed, and continue to block Trump’s actions.

“A majority of Republican respondents said the official did not handle the situation correctly, with 77 percent saying they should have signed the op-ed and stepped down in protest, while 23 percent of Republicans said the piece should have been published anonymously,” the poll reported.

“Meanwhile, 64 percent of Democratic respondents said the op-ed should have been published anonymously, while 36 percent said the official should have signed the article and resigned,” the survey found.

More here

..FLORENCE GETTING BETTER ORGANIZED AND INCREASING IN SIZE...

Family sues State of Maryland after son dies in custody, drugs found in system

BALTIMORE —The family of a man with an intellectual disability who died while in custody three months ago is suing the State of Maryland. The medical examiner found he had ingested morphine and fentanyl.

Family members of Deniro Bellamy think those drugs were forced on him while he was in a holding cell and that there was a delay in getting him medical attention.

The family is suing for negligence, believing Bellamy's life could have been saved.

More

Witness in Towson double-homicide case fatally shot in Overlea

OVERLEA, Md. —A woman was shot late Thursday night in Overlea, Baltimore County police said.

Police were called at 10:38 p.m. to the 6900 block of Belair Road and Overlea Avenue, where a woman was shot while she was getting into her vehicle after leaving S&S Lounge.

The victim was identified as Tracey Elizabeth Carrington, 25, of Essex, police said. The shooter got out of a car and shot Carrington multiple times while she was opening a door to get into her car, police said.

"It was at that moment when the suspect approached her, began shooting at her and then fled the scene in a vehicle," Baltimore County police Officer Jennifer Peach said.

More

Attention: Assateague State Park Campers and Visitors - Park Closure September 12 to September 17

Assateague State Park will be closed from 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 12th until 2 p.m. on Monday, September 17th, due to potential dangerous conditions associated with Hurricane Florence. The storm is forecast to produce damaging winds, significant storm surge, and flooding along the Atlantic Coast. All State Park facilities on the island will be closed and access to the park will be prohibited during this period. This closure may be extended if storm conditions persist, or if damages are significant. Park staff will assess any damage following the storm and the park will re-open when safe to do so. The tentative plan is to re-open the park on Monday, September 17, at 2 p.m. Updated information will be posted on the Assateague State Park website, Twitter page, and Maryland Park Service Facebook page.

We thank you for your understanding, and appreciate your well wishes for the park during this storm event.

BIKE WEEK AT TRADER LEE'S IS ON, 100%

Rod and I just firmly agreed, everything will go on as scheduled for the Bike Week 2018 festivity.

We will be placing our full liquor/beer orders as originally planned. We will keep ALL bands as originally scheduled. 

Considering we will experience more vehicle traffic instead of motorcycle traffic, we have expanded our parking next door at the tee shirt shop and Hi Tide parking lots on Rt. 611, so there will be plenty of parking. 

Win, lose or draw, we're going to have a FOUR day Party Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If we're the only bar open, so be it. Come join the fun and incredible entertainment. One band, (and there are many) that I'm really looking forward to and draws a massive crowd is LOUD LOVE. They are reuniting at Trader Lee's Saturday night. These guys are incredible. NO COVER CHARGE for all four days!

I will be putting up the full list of entertainment soon. 

Nikki Haley: UN Security Council must stop ignoring corruption

International leaders must recognize corruption as a key driver of conflict in hotspots around the globe, Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, argued Monday.

“[N]ine out of the ten countries that Transparency International considers the most corrupt in the world are on the Security Council agenda,” Haley told council. “But instead of reflecting on why this is the case, the United Nations is too often willing to ignore corruption.”

Haley, who holds the presidency of the Security Council for the month of September, convened a panel devoted to the the relationship between corruption and geopolitical instability. The session featured testimony from U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and activist John Prendergast. But the anti-corruption panel proved controversial, marked by the recurring clash between Russia and the United States over the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

“Examples of corruption leading to conflict are all around us,” Haley said. “The estimates of how much the corrupt government of Victor Yanukovych stole from the Ukrainian people run as a high as $100 billion over the course of less than four years ... And when Yanukovych was eventually ousted for his crimes, the ripple effects were global. Russia occupied Crimea and began the most serious confrontation between Moscow and the West since the end of the Cold War.”

More here

CBS 'absolutely' liable for Moonves sexual abuse claims: Judge Napolitano

CBS potentially liable for Moonves allegations?

Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano on the fallout from the sexual misconduct allegations against former CBS CEO Les Moonves.

Les Moonves is officially out as CEO of CBS after new sexual abuse claims surfaced. Can he be sued by his alleged victims?

“Well generally, yes. I say generally because I don’t know how old these allegations are,” Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano told FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on Monday. “He’s claiming these are 20 and 30 years ago. There is a statute of limitations. It’s two years for injury to the body. It’s six years for financial loss. So if these things happened more than six years ago they are not going to go anywhere with the lawsuit but generally of course he could be sued if within the statute.”

More/Video

Taxpayers Kneel to NFL

Navy orders ships out of Hampton Roads ahead of Hurricane Florence

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) -- The U.S. Navy isn’t taking any chances with Hurricane Florence.

The U.S. Fleet Forces command ordered all Navy ships in the Hampton Roads area to set Sortie Condition Alpha.

A few ships left Naval Station Norfolk on Monday and will continue to do so over the next couple of days.

Some ships will not get underway due to maintenance, but will take precautions to avoid potential damage.

The Navy base is also taking steps to prevent damage.

Crews with the operations department have been working non-stop since Friday, making more than 15,000 bags of sand.

“We started on Friday because we had to get 20,000 sand bags ready. I have a personnel of 35 doing that and they worked around the clock 24 hours up till today. We’ll be doing this tomorrow,” said Ricky Harris, who is the department head.

More

Conviction of Ellsworth Millington


Bolton bolsters 'America first' foreign policy with robust defense of U.S. sovereignty

In the first major policy speech since his appointment, National Security Adviser John R. Bolton put some meat on the bones of President Trump’s vaunted “America first” foreign policy, saying the U.S. was ready to sanction anyone cooperating with a global court’s investigation of the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan and announcing that the Palestine Liberation Organization diplomatic office in Washington was no longer welcome.

A favorite of Washington’s conservative establishment for his hawkish stance on thorny global issues, Mr. Bolton offered a robust and expansive defense of American sovereignty during an appearance at the Federalist Society, a conservative legal advocacy group.

His speech drew strong responses from supporters and critics.

He said the Hague-based International Criminal Court had no jurisdiction to investigate U.S. officials and soldiers for their actions in Afghanistan, including on charges of war crimes involving detainees that Mr. Bolton dismissed as baseless.

“We will not cooperate with the ICC,” Mr. Bolton said. “We will provide no assistance to the ICC. We will not join the ICC. We will let the ICC die on its own. After all, for all intents and purposes, the ICC is already dead to us.”

More

Georgia school reinstating paddling to punish students

A school in Hephzibah, Georgia, is drawing national attention after sending consent forms to parents informing them of a new policy of using paddling as a form of punishment for students, CBS affiliate WRDW-TV reports.

The Georgia School of Innovation and the Classics (GSIC), a kindergarten-through-9th-grade charter school, is bringing back paddling — spanking a child on the behind with a wooden board — as a form of discipline. Superintendent Jody Boulineau told WRDW that about 100 parents sent back the forms, and one-third gave the school consent to paddle their child.

"In this school, we take discipline very seriously," the superintendent said. "There was a time where corporal punishment was kind of the norm in school and you didn't have the problems that you have."

Boulineau said parents can deny giving permission to the school. The form sent home explained the steps the school would take to discipline children with a paddle. "A student will be taken into an office behind closed doors. The student will place their hands on their knees or piece of furniture and will be struck on the buttocks with a paddle," the form, which was obtained by WRDW, reads. Students will be paddled after their third offense. The form also says "no more than three licks should be given."

More

A Viewer Writes: Going to be funny when it ruins bike week for you Joe. Hope you got rain insurance.

While I'm sure most of you probably know who keeps attempting to put up the above anonymous comment, let me tell these people how smart we are and have been.

You see, we have yet to place our massive liquor/beer orders. We can cancel all bands based on the storm, should that become necessary. 

Trader Lee's is in WEST Ocean City and not close on what will likely be a very flooded island. So IF town officials decide to shut down Bike Week, Trader Lee's will be the place to be/go for the tens of thousands of people who are already here. We will be open for business, we will have plenty of whatever we need and no matter what it will be business as usual, just a smaller crowd then expected. 

So you see, (nay sayers) this isn't our first rodeo and we don't need rain insurance. The fact that the island of Ocean City has a history of massive flooding, they already have a major problem right now, (this week) from the last storm and high tide.
Unlike the Salisbury Festival, we are fully prepared for even the worst conditions. We will have Bike Week tee shirts available. We will have free TRUMP 2020 Flags available to the first 2,000 bikers. We will have a multitude of live bands performing Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

So regardless of what is decided for the island, come to Trader Lee's for the biggest Hurricane Party on the Shore. 

Ocean City Surf Webcam

GO HERE to view.

Appeals court rules Missouri may enforce strict abortion law

A U.S. appellate court ruled Monday that Missouri can enforce a law that forces abortion clinics to meet ambulatory surgical center requirements and requires doctors performing abortions to get admitting privileges at local hospitals, despite a 2016 Supreme Court ruling striking down a similar Texas law.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit delivered the opinion striking down a ruling from a lower court that eliminated the Missouri law. Abortion rights groups pointed to the Monday ruling as evidence that abortion rights are under threat if Brett Kavanaugh reaches the Supreme Court, since the case could wind up there.

“Today’s ruling should be a stark example of just how easily judges like Brett Kavanaugh can gut women’s constitutional rights, ignoring the real barriers that these medically unnecessary place on women’s access to abortion,” said Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood said in a release that the ruling would shutter all but one abortion clinic in the state because others would not be able to meet the requirements.

More

OC BIKEFEST IS STILL ON!!!!

Due to the weather forecast, all activities and concerts have been relocated to the ocean city convention center. Concerts will be held indoors! Don't miss it!

We will have another update after 1:00 PM today.

House GOP rolls out 'tax reform 2.0'

House Republicans officially rolled out legislation Monday to make permanent the individual tax cuts that President Trump signed in December's major tax overhaul, setting up the possibility of a vote to cut taxes in coming weeks that the party can advertise in the midterm elections.

"The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changed the trajectory of our economy for the better," said House Ways and Means Committee chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, referring to the major tax overhaul Republicans enacted in December. "Now it’s time to change the culture in Washington where we only do tax reform once a generation."

The legislation, dubbed "tax reform 2.0" by Republicans, would get rid of the 2025 phase-out of the provisions of the tax overhaul that relate to the individual side of the tax code. Those include the lower rates, the altered child tax credit, the special new tax break for businesses that file through the individual side, and much more.

More here

Obama Returns — to Remind Voters Why Trump Won

Just in time to remind America why voters elected Donald Trump president two years ago, ex-President Barack Obama emerged from political exile last week.

Pompous, insufferable, self-enthralled, cliched and uninspiring, he picked up right where he left off.

Reliving his eight-year campaign that cost over 1,000 Democrat politicians their seats, Mr. Obama put on his psychiatrist cap and declared our current politics mentally unwell.
This November, he lectured, is “a chance to restore some sanity in our politics.”

And his history professor cap. The “arc of American history” blah blah blah blah. The whole class was fast asleep before he got to his point. Including President Trump.

He even donned his old commander-in-chief cap and tried some military talk.

“We’re going to put on our marching shoes,” Mr. Obama said. The crowd just stared up and blinked in confusion.

More

Current Rain Forecast

Kamala Harris Condemned for Leading Kavanaugh Smear with Deceptively Edited Video

Sen. Kamala Harris of California is being condemned for leading an attempt to smear Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh – this time with a deceptively edited video of a portion of his Senate confirmation hearings.

The California Democrat tweeted an edited video of Kavanaugh’s response to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s questions about the judge’s 2015 dissent from denial of hearing en banc in the case of Priests for Life v. HHS:

The case involved Priests for Life’s lawsuit against the federal government over Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate provision. The pro-life organization ultimately appealed the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which upheld the Obama administration’s “accommodation” for religious employers who objected to being forced by the government to provide free contraception, sterilization procedures, and abortion-inducing drugs to employees through health insurance plans.

More here/video

Trump Economic Advisor Drops A MOAB On Obama’s Economic Policies

Never Forget


Summer Smoking Enforcement Update Sought

OCEAN CITY — With another peak summer season in the books, resort officials are seeking information on how the enforcement of the smoking ordinance on the Boardwalk played out over the last few months along with some relief for some businesses in areas where smokers tend to congregate.

During Tuesday’s Mayor and Council meeting, Police Commission chair Dennis Dare outlined the committee’s agenda for next week’s meeting. Some on the council asked Dare to include an update on the Boardwalk smoking enforcement. In 2015, Ocean City passed an ordinance banning smoking on the beach and Boardwalk except within 15 feet of designated smoking areas with the appropriate receptacles.

During the first couple of years with the new smoking ordinance, the focus was on outreach and education. Over the last year or so, however, the focus has changed to strict enforcement with fewer warnings and more citations issued.

More

California's Latest Attack on Second Amendment: Ammunition Controls

With nearly every gun control imaginable already on the books, Democrats in California are now weighing ways to control ammunition.

Breitbart News reported that California ushered in 2018 with ammunition controls by mandating that residents only buy in-state ammunition, and requiring that those purchases be made from state-approved ammunition vendors.

January 1, 2019, will witness phase two of the ammunition controls by requiring that ammo purchases pass a point-of-sale background check for a box or bullets or shells. A fee will be required to cover the cost of the background check, thereby increasing the price paid for ammunition.

As with firearms, background checks for ammunition will lead to a database on ammunition purchasers.

More

Hogan Administration Announces Statewide Response Efforts to Florence

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (September 11, 2018) — Governor Larry Hogan has directed state agencies to work together to keep Marylanders safe and informed as Hurricane Florence continues to head towards the U.S. eastern seaboard. Large areas of Maryland have already experienced significant rainfall in the past few days, making the ground saturated with water and thus making this storm a serious threat to life and property.
“I have signed Executive Order 01.01.2018.22 declaring a state of emergency beginning Monday, September 10, 2018 ahead of the landfall of Hurricane Florence,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “There is an elevated potential for historic and catastrophic rainfall, life-threatening flooding, and high winds. I urge Marylanders to stay tuned to your local news stations for the latest updates, listen to state and local authorities, use common sense, and most importantly, plan and be prepared ahead of this storm. Do not wait until Wednesday,” he added.
Governor Hogan has directed Maryland state agencies to provide any support needed to local jurisdictions and Maryland residents who may be potentially affected by Florence. “Our administration is committed to doing all that we can to ensure Marylanders remain safe and impacted communities are able to recover from this severe weather once it passes,” he concluded.
State agencies are supporting the local response as this event unfolds. MEMA advises the public, especially those living in or around coastal areas or areas prone to flooding to be “extremely vigilant” during this event.
The following actions have been taken by state agencies to respond to the ongoing event:
Maryland Emergency Management Agency
  • MEMA has increased the state’s response level in order to efficiently coordinate activities and has increased staffing levels at the State Emergency Operations Center.
  • MEMA is currently supporting all local jurisdictions requests, while coordinating among state agencies to fulfill any requests from local jurisdictions.
  • MEMA has been facilitating weather calls with the National Weather Service and has been in frequent contact with local emergency managers, state agencies, and local partners to maintain situational awareness and coordination.
Maryland National Guard
  • The Guard is ready to support the Governor, MEMA, and other partner agencies as we prepare for, respond to, and recover from the effects of Hurricane Florence.
  • Our Joint Operations Center is manned around the clock, and we are in constant contact with MEMA, ready to respond as needed.
Maryland Department of Human Services

Cory Booker reportedly beefs up Iowa staff, fueling speculation of a presidential run

Sen. Cory Booker is reportedly placing staffers in Iowa, further fueling speculation that the New Jersey Democrat is preparing to run for president in 2020.

Booker made headlines earlier this week when he challenged Republican senators to launch a motion to expel him from the chamber after publicly revealing emails related to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court marked "committee confidential."

However it was later revealed that the documents were previously approved for release by the Senate Judiciary Panel, raising questions of whether Booker purposefully misled viewers of Kavanaugh's hearing. The episode led Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, to retort that chamber rules must be adhered to even if a lawmaker is running for president.

More

All Accomack County Public Schools Closing due to mandatory evacuation order


Good Morning,

This is W.C . Holland Superintendent for Accomack County Public Schools. Due to the Governor’s ordered mandatory evacuation, Today Tuesday September 11, through Friday September 14, all Accomack County Public Schools will be closed for all Students and Staff.

All twelve- month employees will report on time until further notice.

Worcester Test Scores Impress

NEWARK – School assessment data released this week reveals that Worcester County students have again exceeded state averages.

School system officials announced Thursday that the latest PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) scores show that Worcester County once again leads the state in college and career readiness (CCR) in five of the assessments administered last year. Worcester leads the shore in CCR in nine assessments and ranks second in the shore in all other assessments.

“The examination of these scores is further affirmation that what we are doing here in Worcester County is working,” said Superintendent of Schools Lou Taylor. “It is evident that our students are showing remarkable growth and success, which in turn validates the dedication and innovative work of our educators. Worcester County Public Schools is supported by an incredible network of partners: our students and their families, our faculty and staff, school and administrative leaders, our Board of Education and our County Commissioners who have all had a part in our students achieving this high level of success.”

More

Health Scares At 2 US Airports Tied To Muslim Pilgrims Returning From The Hajj


As the global Muslim population continues to expand, conditions during the Hajj, the holy pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim must make at least once in their life are growing more crowded raising the likelihood that a serious infectious disease could easily spread. This tendency was on full display last week as serious health scares at airports in New York and Philadelphia were traced back to pilgrims who were returning from the Hajj.

Passengers who were traveling from Dubai to New York City (a group that amusingly included rapper Vanilla Ice) were quarantined for hours at JFK airport on Wednesday amid reports that more than 100 people aboard the plane reported feeling ill. In the end, 11 people were sent to an area hospital for testing. Of those, two tested positive for a particularly infectious type of influenza A virus, and one of the two was gravely ill with pneumonia. A third person tested positive for a cold virus, according to Channel News Asia.

On Thursday, two flights arriving in Philadelphia from Europe were screened by medical teams after 12 passengers reported flu-like symptoms. One of them had visited Mecca for the Hajj.


More 

MSP Princess Anne August DUI Arrests


The following persons were arrested by Troopers assigned to the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barracks and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the month of August 2018:


  • Garrett Freeman, 58 YOA, Princess Anne, MD
  • William Foskey, 24 YOA, Salisbury, MD
  • Betina Freeman, 35 YOA, Salisbury, MD
  • James Keyser, 38 YOA, Pocomoke, MD
  • Robert Hyle, 46 YOA, Fruitland, MD
  • Ali Kirlak, 51 YOA, Princess Anne, MD
  • Keith Harris, 58 YOA, Hebron, MD
  • Justin Garcia, 37 YOA, Kearneysville, WV
  • Collie Wilson, 25 YOA, Princess Anne, MD
  • Roland Wescott, 27 YOA, Princess Anne, MD
  • Jonathon Telles Beserril, 22 YOA, Crisfield, MD
  • Okeowo Olamide, 23 YOA, Princess Anne, MD

Waiting............


Midnight Comics