Witness for Peace sponsored Omar's trip to Honduras
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) has ties to a group that includes numerous radical anti-American and anti-Israel activists on its board of directors.
Notes of support posted to the controversial congresswoman's door include a message from the organization Witness for Peace. "Keep up the good work!" the note reads, signed, "Witness for Peace Columbia Team :)."
The note appeared the same week Omar attacked Elliott Abrams, a Jewish-American and longtime diplomat who served in the Reagan and Bush administrations. Abrams is now the U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela. Omar has sided with the socialist government in Venezuela, accusing the Trump administration of leading a "U.S.-backed coup" against Nicolas Maduro.
Witness for Peace got its start fighting the Reagan administration's anti-communist policies during the Cold War, specifically the group opposed funding the Contras in Nicaragua. Abrams, who Omar called "Mr. Adams," pleaded guilty to misdemeanors for withholding information from Congress during the Iran-Contra scandal, and was later pardoned.
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Judges’ Ruling Finds City’s Ban on Topless Women Discriminatory
It’s the sort of court case that belongs on The Onion.
But Free the Nipple-Fort Collins v. City of Fort Collins is a real lawsuit all right—with real implications. (Legalized toplessness, if you’re wondering.)
For years, conservatives have talked about the slippery slope of the gender debate. Keep your shirt on, liberals said. Well, Coloradans—you first.
Call it naked ambition, but when radical feminists in Fort Collins decided to fight the city’s ban on toplessness, most people didn’t think they had a chance.
That might have been true a decade ago, but now, as the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is proving, anything is possible on this runaway train of gender equality.
According to a three-judge panel of one of the country’s highest courts, there shouldn’t be any difference between women’s breasts and men’s. And suggesting otherwise is, in its opinion, discrimination.
“A breast is a breast, is it not?” Judge Mary Beck Briscoe fired back at the city’s attorney, Andrew Ringel, who dared to argue that men’s and women’s bodies are different—and must be regulated accordingly.
More
But Free the Nipple-Fort Collins v. City of Fort Collins is a real lawsuit all right—with real implications. (Legalized toplessness, if you’re wondering.)
For years, conservatives have talked about the slippery slope of the gender debate. Keep your shirt on, liberals said. Well, Coloradans—you first.
Call it naked ambition, but when radical feminists in Fort Collins decided to fight the city’s ban on toplessness, most people didn’t think they had a chance.
That might have been true a decade ago, but now, as the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is proving, anything is possible on this runaway train of gender equality.
According to a three-judge panel of one of the country’s highest courts, there shouldn’t be any difference between women’s breasts and men’s. And suggesting otherwise is, in its opinion, discrimination.
“A breast is a breast, is it not?” Judge Mary Beck Briscoe fired back at the city’s attorney, Andrew Ringel, who dared to argue that men’s and women’s bodies are different—and must be regulated accordingly.
More
Liberals See Truth as Subservient to Doctrine, Feelings
Truth is not a left-wing value.
I first discovered this as a graduate student studying the Soviet Union and left-wing ideologies at the Russian Institute of Columbia University School of International Affairs. Everything I have learned since has confirmed this view.
Individuals on both the left and right lie. Individuals on both the left and right tell the truth. And liberalism, unlike leftism, does value truth. But the further left one goes, the more one enters the world of the lie.
Why does the left lie?
There are two main reasons.
One is that leftists deem their goals more important than telling the truth. For example, every honest economist knows women do not earn 20 percent less money than men for the same work done for the same amount of hours under the same conditions. Yet leftists repeat the lie that women earn 78 cents for every dollar men earn.
Why any employers would hire men when they could hire women and get the same amount of work done at the same level of excellence for the same number of hours while saving 20 cents on the dollar is a question only God or the sphinx could answer.
So, when New York Times columnists write this nonsense, do they believe it?
More from Dennis Prager here
I first discovered this as a graduate student studying the Soviet Union and left-wing ideologies at the Russian Institute of Columbia University School of International Affairs. Everything I have learned since has confirmed this view.
Individuals on both the left and right lie. Individuals on both the left and right tell the truth. And liberalism, unlike leftism, does value truth. But the further left one goes, the more one enters the world of the lie.
Why does the left lie?
There are two main reasons.
One is that leftists deem their goals more important than telling the truth. For example, every honest economist knows women do not earn 20 percent less money than men for the same work done for the same amount of hours under the same conditions. Yet leftists repeat the lie that women earn 78 cents for every dollar men earn.
Why any employers would hire men when they could hire women and get the same amount of work done at the same level of excellence for the same number of hours while saving 20 cents on the dollar is a question only God or the sphinx could answer.
So, when New York Times columnists write this nonsense, do they believe it?
More from Dennis Prager here
Comey/McCabe/Rosenstein: The Coup Co-Conspirators
Disgraced former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who became acting director after Donald Trump fired his disgraced mentor and boss, James Comey, is doing a masterful job promoting his new book, The Threat.
Last weekend, he launched the book tour with a “60 Minutes” interview — the first public interview since his own firing. McCabe managed to parlay that softball session into top-of-the-fold headlines, wall-to-wall cable news coverage, and a succession of follow-up interviews featuring his ever-evolving justification for his actions.
Seeding interest in McCabe’s remarks, his interviewer, CBS’s Scott Pelley (who must be getting a cut of McCabe’s book sales), offered up this teaser: “The most illuminating and surprising thing in the interview to me were these eight days in May when all of these things were happening behind the scenes… There were meetings at the Justice Department at which it was discussed whether the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet could be brought together to remove the president of the United States under the 25th Amendment. These were the eight days from Comey’s firing to the point that Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel. And the highest levels of American law enforcement were trying to figure out what to do with the president.”
Until now, discussions about using the “25th Amendment” to remove our duly elected president from office, originally attributed to then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, as well as Rosenstein’s own suggestion that he could wear a wire to entrap Trump, had been dismissed as facetious.
But McCabe says no. Rosenstein “raised the issue” of the 25th Amendment and “offered to wear a wire into the White House.” McCabe says Rosenstein added: “I never get searched when I go into the White House. I could easily wear a recording device. They wouldn’t know it was there.”
McCabe insists, “He was not joking. He was absolutely serious. And in fact, he brought it up in the next meeting we had.”
More here
Last weekend, he launched the book tour with a “60 Minutes” interview — the first public interview since his own firing. McCabe managed to parlay that softball session into top-of-the-fold headlines, wall-to-wall cable news coverage, and a succession of follow-up interviews featuring his ever-evolving justification for his actions.
Seeding interest in McCabe’s remarks, his interviewer, CBS’s Scott Pelley (who must be getting a cut of McCabe’s book sales), offered up this teaser: “The most illuminating and surprising thing in the interview to me were these eight days in May when all of these things were happening behind the scenes… There were meetings at the Justice Department at which it was discussed whether the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet could be brought together to remove the president of the United States under the 25th Amendment. These were the eight days from Comey’s firing to the point that Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel. And the highest levels of American law enforcement were trying to figure out what to do with the president.”
Until now, discussions about using the “25th Amendment” to remove our duly elected president from office, originally attributed to then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, as well as Rosenstein’s own suggestion that he could wear a wire to entrap Trump, had been dismissed as facetious.
But McCabe says no. Rosenstein “raised the issue” of the 25th Amendment and “offered to wear a wire into the White House.” McCabe says Rosenstein added: “I never get searched when I go into the White House. I could easily wear a recording device. They wouldn’t know it was there.”
McCabe insists, “He was not joking. He was absolutely serious. And in fact, he brought it up in the next meeting we had.”
More here
Census: Highest immigrant population in 100 years, over half Latinos
America’s foreign-born population has reached its highest level in over 100 years, driven by immigrants from Latin America, according to new Census Bureau data.
What’s more, the Pew Research Center has found that most Latinos feel the percentage of foreigners in the United States is just about right, though 14 percent said America needs more.
The analysis from Pew showed that the last 50 years have seen the biggest surge in immigration into the U.S. since before the Civil War. There are currently 44-45 million foreign-born in the U.S., 14 percent of the total population.
More
What’s more, the Pew Research Center has found that most Latinos feel the percentage of foreigners in the United States is just about right, though 14 percent said America needs more.
The analysis from Pew showed that the last 50 years have seen the biggest surge in immigration into the U.S. since before the Civil War. There are currently 44-45 million foreign-born in the U.S., 14 percent of the total population.
More
Congressmen Call for U.S. Designation of Mexican Cartels as Terror Orgs
U.S. Representatives Chip Roy (R-TX) and Dr. Mark Green (R-TN) drafted a letter that will be sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo requesting specific Mexican cartel factions be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). The letter follows years of coverage by Breitbart News and calls from Border/Cartel Chronicles Director Brandon Darby for these specific cartel factions to be added to the terror list.
In a draft of the letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo obtained by Breitbart News, Congressmen Roy and Green wrote:
Numerous drug cartels employ terrorist tactics that clearly fit this definition, such as the Reynosa/Los Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel, the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel offshoot of the Sinaloa Cartel. These groups use terror to intimidate and to advance their agenda. They threaten the stability of governments across the globe. Even the United Nation’s Security Council has recognized the clear link between drug trafficking and terrorism.
Violent drug cartels are not just a domestic policy issue limited to their home countries. These groups view America’s sovereign borders as merely minor inconveniences.
More
In a draft of the letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo obtained by Breitbart News, Congressmen Roy and Green wrote:
Numerous drug cartels employ terrorist tactics that clearly fit this definition, such as the Reynosa/Los Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel, the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel offshoot of the Sinaloa Cartel. These groups use terror to intimidate and to advance their agenda. They threaten the stability of governments across the globe. Even the United Nation’s Security Council has recognized the clear link between drug trafficking and terrorism.
Violent drug cartels are not just a domestic policy issue limited to their home countries. These groups view America’s sovereign borders as merely minor inconveniences.
More
Poll: Anxiety, Depression Major Problems for Teen Majority
Seventy percent of teens see anxiety and depression as a major problem among their peers, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
Bullying, drug addiction, and drinking alcohol are also major concerns, according to the survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17.
Getting good grades was the top pressure for teens, with 61 percent saying they felt a lot of pressure to do so. Twenty nine percent said they also felt a lot of pressure to look good, while 28 percent said they felt a lot of pressure to fit in socially.
The survey also found:
Bullying, drug addiction, and drinking alcohol are also major concerns, according to the survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17.
Getting good grades was the top pressure for teens, with 61 percent saying they felt a lot of pressure to do so. Twenty nine percent said they also felt a lot of pressure to look good, while 28 percent said they felt a lot of pressure to fit in socially.
The survey also found:
Al Gore: If Northam’s Scandal Forces Him to the Left, Then ‘God Intends It for Good’
At the potential construction site of a natural gas pumping station, Barber outlined how Northam’s governorship could find the "path to redemption" with the right policies, the Washington Post reports. Gore said the shame of Northam’s racism scandal could be a positive thing if it pushes him toward Gore’s preferred policies.
"If it resulted in Governor Northam saying, ‘I’ve seen the light, I’m going to change the policy,’ then God intends it for good," Gore said.
Democrats almost unanimously called for Northam’s resignation when the scandal started, but Barber and Gore are working together to give him a path forward. Barber said what blackface means for cultural racism is receiving too much attention and Northam should focus on more important matters.
Barber said paying attention to Virginians opposed to the pipeline is the way Northam can prove he’s sincerely sorry about the yearbook.
More
Egypt Hangs Muslim Brotherhood Members over 2015 Killing of Top Prosecutor
Egyptian security officials say nine suspected Muslim Brotherhood members have been executed after being convicted of involvement in the 2015 assassination of the country’s top prosecutor.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media, say the executions were carried out Wednesday.
The nine were found guilty of taking part in the bombing that killed Hisham Barakat, the most senior government official killed by Islamic militants since the military’s 2013 overthrow of an elected but divisive Islamist president. Egypt’s highest appeals court upheld the death sentences in November.
More here
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media, say the executions were carried out Wednesday.
The nine were found guilty of taking part in the bombing that killed Hisham Barakat, the most senior government official killed by Islamic militants since the military’s 2013 overthrow of an elected but divisive Islamist president. Egypt’s highest appeals court upheld the death sentences in November.
More here
Over 92 Percent of NRA Members Oppose Criminalizing Private Gun Sales
Over 92 percent of NRA members oppose criminalizing private gun sales via universal background checks.
This news runs counter to the myriad leftist claims that the NRA overwhelmingly supports the same draconian gun controls currently being pushed by House Democrats.
Writing in Ammoland, former NRA president Marion Hammer explains that the the views of NRA members are actually 180 degrees removed from those of the House Democrats and their surrogates in gun control groups around the country.
More
This news runs counter to the myriad leftist claims that the NRA overwhelmingly supports the same draconian gun controls currently being pushed by House Democrats.
Writing in Ammoland, former NRA president Marion Hammer explains that the the views of NRA members are actually 180 degrees removed from those of the House Democrats and their surrogates in gun control groups around the country.
More
'ISIS bride' Hoda Muthana is not a US citizen, Sec. Pompeo says, despite lawyer's assertions
She had been asking to return to the United States, but Trump will not allow it
"ISIS bride" Hoda Muthana, who has been asking to return to the United States, is not an American citizen, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Wednesday, contrary to her family lawyer's assertion.
Muthana is being held by U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in eastern Syria as they regain the final territory from ISIS.
In her first television interview, the 24-year-old Alabama woman who spent four years as an "ISIS bride" told ABC News she felt shame hearing the tweets she posted when she was part of ISIS and wants to return to the U.S. with her 18-month-old son, who was born under the terror group.
But in a statement, Pompeo said she "is not a U.S. citizen and will not be admitted into the United States. She does not have any legal basis, no valid U.S. passport, no right to a passport, nor any visa to travel to the United States."
"The Trump administration continues its attempts to wrongfully strip citizens of their citizenship," Hassan Shibly, the Muthana family's attorney, told ABC News in a statement. "Hoda Muthana had a valid US passport and is a citizen. She was born in Hackensack, NJ in October 1994, months after her father stopped being [a] diplomat."
On Wednesday afternoon, Trump tweeted that the U.S. will not allow Muthana back into the country.
More/Video
"ISIS bride" Hoda Muthana, who has been asking to return to the United States, is not an American citizen, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Wednesday, contrary to her family lawyer's assertion.
Muthana is being held by U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in eastern Syria as they regain the final territory from ISIS.
In her first television interview, the 24-year-old Alabama woman who spent four years as an "ISIS bride" told ABC News she felt shame hearing the tweets she posted when she was part of ISIS and wants to return to the U.S. with her 18-month-old son, who was born under the terror group.
But in a statement, Pompeo said she "is not a U.S. citizen and will not be admitted into the United States. She does not have any legal basis, no valid U.S. passport, no right to a passport, nor any visa to travel to the United States."
"The Trump administration continues its attempts to wrongfully strip citizens of their citizenship," Hassan Shibly, the Muthana family's attorney, told ABC News in a statement. "Hoda Muthana had a valid US passport and is a citizen. She was born in Hackensack, NJ in October 1994, months after her father stopped being [a] diplomat."
On Wednesday afternoon, Trump tweeted that the U.S. will not allow Muthana back into the country.
More/Video
Christian Sues College for Banning Her Jesus-Themed Valentine’s Cards
A Christian activist is now suing Northeast Wisconsin Technical College after it restricted her freedom to hand out Jesus-themed Valentine’s Day cards on campus.
Polly Olsen has taken her fight against Northeast Wisconsin Technical College to the court system. Since 2014, Olsen has been fighting to end a “free speech zone” policy that has shut down her efforts to spread some positivity on Valentine’s Day each year.
A recently released video shows Olsen being stopped by school officials in the middle of her Valentine’s Day card distribution. In the video, Olsen politely walks around a campus building handing out her cards. Eventually, she is confronted by a group of officials who ask her to leave campus.
More here
Polly Olsen has taken her fight against Northeast Wisconsin Technical College to the court system. Since 2014, Olsen has been fighting to end a “free speech zone” policy that has shut down her efforts to spread some positivity on Valentine’s Day each year.
A recently released video shows Olsen being stopped by school officials in the middle of her Valentine’s Day card distribution. In the video, Olsen politely walks around a campus building handing out her cards. Eventually, she is confronted by a group of officials who ask her to leave campus.
More here
‘Thanks For Nothing!’: Times Square Billboard Blasts Ocasio-Cortez Over Amazon Deal
“Thanks for nothing, AOC!”
A giant digital billboard in Times Square is calling out freshman Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her supposed role in sinking the city’s deal with Amazon. The billboard, paid for by business advocacy group the Job Creators Network, details just a few of the things New York may have lost when the deal went sideways.
That list included:
25,000 lost NYC jobs
$4 billion lost wages
$12 billion in lost economic activity
Forbes addressed the ways the failed deal could ultimately hurt New Yorkers in an articlepublished late last week.
More
A giant digital billboard in Times Square is calling out freshman Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her supposed role in sinking the city’s deal with Amazon. The billboard, paid for by business advocacy group the Job Creators Network, details just a few of the things New York may have lost when the deal went sideways.
That list included:
25,000 lost NYC jobs
$4 billion lost wages
$12 billion in lost economic activity
Forbes addressed the ways the failed deal could ultimately hurt New Yorkers in an articlepublished late last week.
More
Border Patrol agents fired upon by assailant in Mexico
Border Patrol agents say someone on the Mexican side of the border shot at them Sunday, though nobody was reported hit.
Agents were patrolling the banks of the Rio Grande and spotted someone on the Mexican side with what appeared to be a long gun.
“Shortly thereafter, the agents were fired upon and took cover,” the Border Patrol said.
Neither the location nor any more details of the shooting were given.
The FBI is leading an investigation.
While violent attacks from Mexico into the U.S. are not rare, they usually involve rocks or other items hurled over a section of border fence.
More
Agents were patrolling the banks of the Rio Grande and spotted someone on the Mexican side with what appeared to be a long gun.
“Shortly thereafter, the agents were fired upon and took cover,” the Border Patrol said.
Neither the location nor any more details of the shooting were given.
The FBI is leading an investigation.
While violent attacks from Mexico into the U.S. are not rare, they usually involve rocks or other items hurled over a section of border fence.
More
TLAIB CALLS FOR A BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL — BUT HER CAMPAIGN WEBSITE IS BUILT WITH AN ISRAELI WEB DESIGNER
Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib has shared her support for a boycott of Israeli companies, but her campaign website was built using an Israeli-based website builder platform.
Tlaib was one of the first members of Congress to publicly support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanction (BDS) movement. The movement calls for Israel to be penalized for their treatment of the Palestinian people. Many Jewish organizations view the movement as anti-Semitic because it singles out Israel for alleged human rights violations while ignoring other countries.
BDSList.org has called for approximately 100 companies to be boycotted, including Wix.
Israel Advocacy Movement, a British-based organization, first published the fact that Tlaib campaign website was built through Wix in a video on Sunday.
More
Tlaib was one of the first members of Congress to publicly support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanction (BDS) movement. The movement calls for Israel to be penalized for their treatment of the Palestinian people. Many Jewish organizations view the movement as anti-Semitic because it singles out Israel for alleged human rights violations while ignoring other countries.
BDSList.org has called for approximately 100 companies to be boycotted, including Wix.
Israel Advocacy Movement, a British-based organization, first published the fact that Tlaib campaign website was built through Wix in a video on Sunday.
More
Wisconsin School Under Fire For Giving Out Awards To Cheerleaders For Big Breasts
A Wisconsin high school is under fire and received a formal warning from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Tuesday for giving awards to cheerleaders at an annual awards banquet based on physical features like having big breasts or big butts.
Tremper High School cheerleading coaches supposedly gave such awards as a joke in March 2018, The New York Times reported Tuesday. A girl was given the “String Bean” award because she was “so light and skinny,” according to one of her coaches.
The girl with the biggest breasts was given the “Big Boobie” award while anothercheerleader was given the “Big Booty” award.
“We love her butt,” one of the coaches allegedly said, according to a Tuesday warning letterfrom the ACLU. “Everybody loves her butt.”
The awards were reportedly handed out in front of a crowd of more than 150 people. Two out of the three “gag” awards were also handed to women in 2017, the ACLU reported.
More
Tremper High School cheerleading coaches supposedly gave such awards as a joke in March 2018, The New York Times reported Tuesday. A girl was given the “String Bean” award because she was “so light and skinny,” according to one of her coaches.
The girl with the biggest breasts was given the “Big Boobie” award while anothercheerleader was given the “Big Booty” award.
“We love her butt,” one of the coaches allegedly said, according to a Tuesday warning letterfrom the ACLU. “Everybody loves her butt.”
The awards were reportedly handed out in front of a crowd of more than 150 people. Two out of the three “gag” awards were also handed to women in 2017, the ACLU reported.
More
Armed Robbery Suspect Shot Dead by Gas Station Clerk
An armed robbery suspect in Jacksonville, Arkansas, was shot and fatally wounded by an Express Mart gas station clerk.
KATV reported that the alleged armed robbery was attempted about 11:30 p.m. on Thursday. The store clerk indicated that the suspect, 19-year-old Brandon Thomas, allegedly entered the store and “placed a black and silver handgun on the counter, demanding all of the money.”
The clerk managed to get his hands on a gun he kept behind the counter and shot Thomas, fatally wounding him.
More
KATV reported that the alleged armed robbery was attempted about 11:30 p.m. on Thursday. The store clerk indicated that the suspect, 19-year-old Brandon Thomas, allegedly entered the store and “placed a black and silver handgun on the counter, demanding all of the money.”
The clerk managed to get his hands on a gun he kept behind the counter and shot Thomas, fatally wounding him.
More
3 Lessons From the Jussie Smollett Hoax
The "Empire" actor claimed that when he was walking home at 2 a.m. in Chicago, in the midst of the polar vortex, he was accosted by two assailants, both of whom shouted anti-gay and anti-black slurs at him. They then attempted to throw a noose around his neck and pour what he thought was bleach on him while shouting,
"This is MAGA country!" he says.
None of this is true. Police now believe that Smollett paid two of his friends to stage the entire attack.
Why, exactly, would Smollett do it? He is a successful actor on a hit television show. He's been continuously working in Hollywood for years, with roles in the 2017 films "Marshall" and "Alien: Covenant." He's not exactly a textbook victim.
The answer to this question makes for some uncomfortable lessons.
First, alleged victims sometimes have an incentive to lie. For several years, each time an alleged victim tells an unverified and unverifiable story, we are told that we must believe that victim's story. Why? Because why would the victim lie? But this is often untrue. Smollett had an incentive to lie: unending media attention, fawning sycophancy from politicians and the potential for even greater Hollywood stardom. If Smollett had gotten away with his hoax, he'd be the face of gay, black suffering in the United States. Few had heard of Smollett before this story. Suddenly, he found himself on "Good Morning America," telling the world about his own bravery. That's a lucrative career path.
More
"This is MAGA country!" he says.
None of this is true. Police now believe that Smollett paid two of his friends to stage the entire attack.
Why, exactly, would Smollett do it? He is a successful actor on a hit television show. He's been continuously working in Hollywood for years, with roles in the 2017 films "Marshall" and "Alien: Covenant." He's not exactly a textbook victim.
The answer to this question makes for some uncomfortable lessons.
First, alleged victims sometimes have an incentive to lie. For several years, each time an alleged victim tells an unverified and unverifiable story, we are told that we must believe that victim's story. Why? Because why would the victim lie? But this is often untrue. Smollett had an incentive to lie: unending media attention, fawning sycophancy from politicians and the potential for even greater Hollywood stardom. If Smollett had gotten away with his hoax, he'd be the face of gay, black suffering in the United States. Few had heard of Smollett before this story. Suddenly, he found himself on "Good Morning America," telling the world about his own bravery. That's a lucrative career path.
More
Ocean City Police Release 2018 Annual Report Highlighting 22% Decrease in Crime
OCEAN CITY, MD – The Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) has released their 2018 Annual Report, highlighting a fourth consecutive year of historic low crime rates.
In 2018, the OCPD experienced a 22 percent decrease in serious crime in comparison to the previous five years, and a 15 percent decrease from 2017. Most notably, the report shows that there was a 40 percent decrease in rapes and a 36 percent decrease in robberies. Additionally, citizen-initiated calls for service decreased by over 1,300 calls – an indicator that officers were proactive and addressed issues before citizens took notice.
“After achieving yet another year of historic lows in crime, the officers and staff members that make up the Ocean City Police Department continue to exceed my expectations,” commented Chief Ross Buzzuro. “The facts and figures within this report are a testament to their hard work and dedication to keeping this town and its citizens safe.”
In addition to crime and enforcement statistics, the Annual Report highlights the OCPD’s focus on community engagement. This includes efforts to join other agencies in homeless outreach and new community events, such as Cones with Cops and the Mounted Unit Open House. Accomplishments of each of the three divisions of the OCPD are also emphasized in the report.
To view the entire 2018 Annual Report, visit https://oceancitymd.gov/pdf/PoliceAnnualReport.pdf.
In 2018, the OCPD experienced a 22 percent decrease in serious crime in comparison to the previous five years, and a 15 percent decrease from 2017. Most notably, the report shows that there was a 40 percent decrease in rapes and a 36 percent decrease in robberies. Additionally, citizen-initiated calls for service decreased by over 1,300 calls – an indicator that officers were proactive and addressed issues before citizens took notice.
“After achieving yet another year of historic lows in crime, the officers and staff members that make up the Ocean City Police Department continue to exceed my expectations,” commented Chief Ross Buzzuro. “The facts and figures within this report are a testament to their hard work and dedication to keeping this town and its citizens safe.”
In addition to crime and enforcement statistics, the Annual Report highlights the OCPD’s focus on community engagement. This includes efforts to join other agencies in homeless outreach and new community events, such as Cones with Cops and the Mounted Unit Open House. Accomplishments of each of the three divisions of the OCPD are also emphasized in the report.
To view the entire 2018 Annual Report, visit https://oceancitymd.gov/pdf/PoliceAnnualReport.pdf.
Caribbean Joe's $1.50 Beef Tacos
I want to thank ALL of you who have come all the way from Salisbury, Mardela, Hebron and Delmar to give us a shot. It's been a true pleasure meeting all of you and we look forward to seeing you return.
Student Debt Relief Act Of 2019
Important Legislation Expands Promise Scholarship Program, Provides Much Needed Tax Relief To StudentsNote: Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee to Hold Hearing on SB 88 on Wednesday, February 20, 2019, 1:00 PM
| “In Maryland, nearly 60 percent of all of our college students are graduating with thousands of dollars in student debt. This financial burden is preventing young Marylanders from achieving financial security and has become a roadblock to home ownership and saving for retirement.” - Governor Larry Hogan, July 16, 2018 |
Student Debt Relief Act Of 2019
Governor Hogan’s Proposed Legislation Expands The Maryland Promise Scholarship Program To Include Four-Year Maryland Public Institutions; Students Who Qualify For, And Fulfill The Graduation Requirements Of The Promise Scholarship Will Be Eligible To Receive Free Tuition For The Remaining Two Years. “There is a program of Maryland Promise Plus Scholarships in the State that are awarded under this subtitle. The purpose of the program is to provide tuition assistance for students to attend an eligible institution in the State… An applicant is eligible for a Maryland Promise Plus Scholarship if the applicant… Is a student at a community college in the State… Will have earned an associate degree from a community college in the State by the end of the semester in which the applicant plans to transfer; Has been accepted for admission to an eligible institution; Intends to enroll at an eligible institution to complete a bachelor’s degree program…” (“Senate Bill 88,” Maryland General Assembly, 1/11/19)
The Governor’s Proposal Will Double The Deduction For Families Participating In Maryland 529 Savings Plans From $2,500 To $5,000. “The subtraction under subsection (a) of this section includes the amount of advance payments of qualified higher education expenses made by an account holder or a contributor during the taxable year as provided under a prepaid contract in accordance with the Maryland Senator Edward J. Kasemeyer Prepaid College Trust. Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5) of this subsection, for each prepaid contract, the subtraction under paragraph (2) of this subsection may not exceed [$2,500]: $3,750 for a taxable year beginning after December 31, 2018, but before January 1, 2020; or $5,000 for any taxable year beginning after December 31, 2019.” (“Senate Bill 88,” Maryland General Assembly, 1/11/19)
Under Governor Hogan’s Proposed Legislation, Governor Hogan Would Allow Marylanders To Deduct 100 Percent Of The Interest Paid On Their Student Loans From Their State Income Tax Return. “Subject to subparagraph (II) of this paragraph, the subtraction under subsection (a) of this section includes an amount equal to: 1. 50% of the interest paid on a qualified student loan by the qualified taxpayer during a taxable year beginning after December 31, 2018, but before January 1, 2020; or 2. 100% of the interest paid on a qualified student loan by the qualified taxpayer during a taxable year beginning after December 31, 2019.” (“Senate Bill 88,” Maryland General Assembly, 1/11/19)
The Governor’s Student Debt Relief Act Of 2019 Would Provide Maryland Students With Provide Students With $151 Million In Tax Relief Over The Next Five Years. (Maryland Department Of Budget And Management)
Governor Hogan Has Fought To Make Higher Education More Affordable
Governor Hogan Supported And Enacted Legislation To Establish The Maryland Promise Scholarship, To Cover The Cost Of Community College For Qualified Students. “Scholarships of up to $5,000 to students whose families earn less than $125,000 a year and adults earning less than $90,000. It is a last-dollar program, meaning the state would cover tuition left over after factoring in other scholarships and grants. To qualify, prospective students must enroll in one of Maryland’s 16 community colleges within two years of finishing high school or obtaining a GED. Students must take 12 credit hours of courses and have a high school grade point average of 2.3.” (Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, “Maryland Governor Plans To Sign Free Community College Bill Into Law,” The Washington Post, 5/4/18)
Governor Hogan Introduced Legislation And Enacted The Maryland SmartBuy Program, The First Program Of Its Kind In The Nation; Provides Graduates With Home Ownership Opportunities And Student Loan Debt Assistance. “Maryland is making a play for a generation of would-be homebuyers with one thing in common: student debt… SmartBuy uses an innovative model to clear a path to homeownership. If a buyer has at least 5 percent for a down payment, the state will provide up to 15 percent of the purchase price toward outstanding student loans. Any remaining balance must be paid in full by the closing date.” (Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, “This Program Could Revolutionize Homeownership For Student Loan Borrowers,” The Washington Post, 11/24/16)
- In July 2018, Governor Hogan Announced An Expansion Of The Maryland SmartBuy Program. “Maryland SmartBuy helps homebuyers with qualifying student debt purchase a home. Today’s $3 million expansion to the program, and Hogan administration commitment to double to $6 million in funding over the next year, works by paying off student debt during the purchase of the home through special Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP) financing.” (Press Release, “Governor Larry Hogan Announces College Affordability & Student Debt Relief Initiatives,” Office Of The Governor, 7/16/18)
Governor Hogan Signed An Executive Order Creating The Maryland SmartWork Program To Help State Employees Receive Increased State Assistance To Repay Student Loans. “Maryland SmartWork will offer Maryland state employees working in specified shortage areas – such as correctional officers, nurses, and IT workers – the opportunity to receive state assistance to repay their student loans. Current state employees working in those areas that are paying down their children’s student loans also qualify for this benefit. To enact this program, the governor signed Executive Order 01.01.2018.17, Student Loan Repayment Benefits to Relieve State Workforce Shortages.” (Press Release, “Governor Larry Hogan Announces College Affordability & Student Debt Relief Initiatives,” Office Of The Governor, 7/16/18)
Clinton Collusion
Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into possible collusion with Russia by the Trump presidential campaign dominates the news, but behind the scenes another bombshell story is coming together piece by piece. Was the Clinton network knee-deep in Russians and did the FBI shut down an investigation that would have provided answers about Clinton collusion?
Judicial Watch is one of the few organizations in pursuit of the story. We filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Justice Department after it failed to respond to our request for “all communications” related to “the closure or possible closure of an investigation into the Clinton Foundation” in 2016. Last week, in a separate lawsuit, we uncovered evidence pointing to undisclosed documents related to controversial FBI official Andrew McCabe and potential charges against Mrs. Clinton. We sued for records of a meeting between a top FBI official and an attorney for a Clinton-connected law firm related to then-candidate Trump and Russia, a story first reported by Fox News. And we’ve taken a skeptical look at the appointment by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions of U.S. Attorney John Huber to “evaluate certain issues” rising from the 2016 election.
One of those issues is the Uranium One controversy. Russia’s Rosatom atomic energy corporation in 2010 received U.S. permission, including a sign-off from Hillary Clinton’s State Department, to buy Uranium One, a Canadian company that owned significant American uranium assets. Was the Russian purchase of Uranium One connected to payments to the Clinton network and improper actions by Secretary of State Clinton?
Judicial Watch is lonely on the story but not alone. The Hill’s indefatigable John Solomon a year ago broke the news that the Clinton Foundation was under FBI investigation. “The Justice Department has launched a new inquiry into whether the Clinton Foundation engaged in any pay-to-play politics or other illegal activities while Hillary Clinton served as secretary of state,” Solomon reported.
Earlier this month, Solomon was at it again. Revisiting an episode that has “escaped significant attention,” Solomon reports that there is “clear evidence now that shows Hillary Clinton’s family and charity profited from Moscow and simultaneously facilitated official government actions benefitting Russia.”
More here
Judicial Watch is one of the few organizations in pursuit of the story. We filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Justice Department after it failed to respond to our request for “all communications” related to “the closure or possible closure of an investigation into the Clinton Foundation” in 2016. Last week, in a separate lawsuit, we uncovered evidence pointing to undisclosed documents related to controversial FBI official Andrew McCabe and potential charges against Mrs. Clinton. We sued for records of a meeting between a top FBI official and an attorney for a Clinton-connected law firm related to then-candidate Trump and Russia, a story first reported by Fox News. And we’ve taken a skeptical look at the appointment by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions of U.S. Attorney John Huber to “evaluate certain issues” rising from the 2016 election.
One of those issues is the Uranium One controversy. Russia’s Rosatom atomic energy corporation in 2010 received U.S. permission, including a sign-off from Hillary Clinton’s State Department, to buy Uranium One, a Canadian company that owned significant American uranium assets. Was the Russian purchase of Uranium One connected to payments to the Clinton network and improper actions by Secretary of State Clinton?
Judicial Watch is lonely on the story but not alone. The Hill’s indefatigable John Solomon a year ago broke the news that the Clinton Foundation was under FBI investigation. “The Justice Department has launched a new inquiry into whether the Clinton Foundation engaged in any pay-to-play politics or other illegal activities while Hillary Clinton served as secretary of state,” Solomon reported.
Earlier this month, Solomon was at it again. Revisiting an episode that has “escaped significant attention,” Solomon reports that there is “clear evidence now that shows Hillary Clinton’s family and charity profited from Moscow and simultaneously facilitated official government actions benefitting Russia.”
More here
Uncle Sam Wants Your DNA: The FBI’s Diabolical Plan to Create a Nation of Suspects
Uncle Sam wants you… Correction: Uncle Sam wants your DNA
“As more and more data flows from your body and brain to the smart machines via the biometric sensors, it will become easy for corporations and government agencies to know you, manipulate you, and make decisions on your behalf. Even more importantly, they could decipher the deep mechanisms of all bodies and brains, and thereby gain the power to engineer life. If we want to prevent a small elite from monopolising such godlike powers, and if we want to prevent humankind from splitting into biological castes, the key question is: who owns the data? Does the data about my DNA, my brain and my life belong to me, to the government, to a corporation, or to the human collective?”―Professor Yuval Noah Harari
Uncle Sam wants you.
Correction: Uncle Sam wants your DNA.
Actually, if the government gets its hands on your DNA, they as good as have you in their clutches.
Get ready, folks, because the government— helped along by Congress (which adopted legislation allowing police to collect and test DNA immediately following arrests), President Trump (who signed the Rapid DNA Act into law), the courts (which have ruled that police can routinely take DNA samples from people who are arrested but not yet convicted of a crime), and local police agencies (which are chomping at the bit to acquire this new crime-fighting gadget)—is embarking on a diabolical campaign to create a nation of suspects predicated on a massive national DNA database.
As the New York Times reports:
“The science-fiction future, in which police can swiftly identify robbers and murderers from discarded soda cans and cigarette butts, has arrived. In 2017, President Trump signed into law the Rapid DNA Act, which, starting this year, will enable approved police booking stations in several states to connect their Rapid DNA machines to Codis, the national DNA database. Genetic fingerprinting is set to become as routine as the old-fashioned kind.”
More
“As more and more data flows from your body and brain to the smart machines via the biometric sensors, it will become easy for corporations and government agencies to know you, manipulate you, and make decisions on your behalf. Even more importantly, they could decipher the deep mechanisms of all bodies and brains, and thereby gain the power to engineer life. If we want to prevent a small elite from monopolising such godlike powers, and if we want to prevent humankind from splitting into biological castes, the key question is: who owns the data? Does the data about my DNA, my brain and my life belong to me, to the government, to a corporation, or to the human collective?”―Professor Yuval Noah Harari
Uncle Sam wants you.
Correction: Uncle Sam wants your DNA.
Actually, if the government gets its hands on your DNA, they as good as have you in their clutches.
Get ready, folks, because the government— helped along by Congress (which adopted legislation allowing police to collect and test DNA immediately following arrests), President Trump (who signed the Rapid DNA Act into law), the courts (which have ruled that police can routinely take DNA samples from people who are arrested but not yet convicted of a crime), and local police agencies (which are chomping at the bit to acquire this new crime-fighting gadget)—is embarking on a diabolical campaign to create a nation of suspects predicated on a massive national DNA database.
As the New York Times reports:
“The science-fiction future, in which police can swiftly identify robbers and murderers from discarded soda cans and cigarette butts, has arrived. In 2017, President Trump signed into law the Rapid DNA Act, which, starting this year, will enable approved police booking stations in several states to connect their Rapid DNA machines to Codis, the national DNA database. Genetic fingerprinting is set to become as routine as the old-fashioned kind.”
More
‘Creepy Uncle Joe’ Set to Announce Run For President
Will Democrats stay silent on questions surrounding Biden’s behavior around women in era of #MeToo?
Joe Biden is on the verge of announcing his run for president, according to multiple sources close to the former Vice President, a development that will resurrect questions about Biden’s behavior around women in the era of #MeToo.
ABC News reports that according to Robert Wolf, a top Democratic donor and former economic adviser to former President Barack Obama who has known Biden for over a decade, Biden is 90% sure of running for president.
“He feels he’s coming off an incredible midterm and he’s sitting in the best position to take on [President Donald] Trump across the country,” said Wolf.
More
Joe Biden is on the verge of announcing his run for president, according to multiple sources close to the former Vice President, a development that will resurrect questions about Biden’s behavior around women in the era of #MeToo.
ABC News reports that according to Robert Wolf, a top Democratic donor and former economic adviser to former President Barack Obama who has known Biden for over a decade, Biden is 90% sure of running for president.
“He feels he’s coming off an incredible midterm and he’s sitting in the best position to take on [President Donald] Trump across the country,” said Wolf.
More
FBI’s top lawyer believed Hillary Clinton should face charges, but was talked out of it
For most of the past three years, the FBI has tried to portray its top leadership as united behind ex-Director James Comey’s decision not to pursue criminal charges against Hillary Clinton for transmitting classified information over her insecure, private email server.
Although in the end that may have been the case, we now are learning that Comey’s top lawyer, then-FBI General Counsel James Baker, initially believed Clinton deserved to face criminal charges, but was talked out of it “pretty late in the process.”
More
Although in the end that may have been the case, we now are learning that Comey’s top lawyer, then-FBI General Counsel James Baker, initially believed Clinton deserved to face criminal charges, but was talked out of it “pretty late in the process.”
More
Supreme Court Takes Interest in NJ Concealed Carry Case
Rather rare for highest court to hear a Second Amendment case
The Supreme Court is taking an interest in a case challenging New Jersey’s strict concealed carry restrictions.
The nation’s highest court has asked New Jersey officials to respond to a legal challenge by concealed carry applicant who police say “does not have a justifiable need to carry a gun” despite managing an ATM business, according to court documents.
“While the move is not a guarantee that the Supreme Court will agree to hear the appeal, the fact that the court is requiring NJ to take a position on ANJRPC’s request is significant, and signals that the court is not willing to take any action without first hearing from both sides,” announced the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs.
More
The Supreme Court is taking an interest in a case challenging New Jersey’s strict concealed carry restrictions.
The nation’s highest court has asked New Jersey officials to respond to a legal challenge by concealed carry applicant who police say “does not have a justifiable need to carry a gun” despite managing an ATM business, according to court documents.
“While the move is not a guarantee that the Supreme Court will agree to hear the appeal, the fact that the court is requiring NJ to take a position on ANJRPC’s request is significant, and signals that the court is not willing to take any action without first hearing from both sides,” announced the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs.
More
US Housing Market In Freefall As New Buyers Can't Afford A Home
After NAHB's optimism rebounded sharply earlier this week, all eyes are on this morning's existing home sales data for any signs of optimism. Alas, with consensus expecting a tiny rebounding in January following December's sharp drop, the deterioration in the US home market continued continued, and January existing home unexpectedly dropped 1.2% (exp. +0.2%), to 4.94 million, missing expectations of a rebound to 5.00 million.
After December's revision higher to 5.00 million, the January SAAR of 4.94 million was the first sub-5MM print since 2015, while the parallel pending home sales series confirms even more weakness is in store.
Needless to say, it is very troubling that Americans are unable to afford home purchases with the 30% mortgage at just 4.5%, and suggests that even if inflation picks up, the Fed may have no choice but to keep rates flat to avoid a housing market crash.
As usual, NAR chief economist Larry Yun was optimistic, saying that he does not expect the numbers to decline further going forward. "Existing home sales in January were weak compared to historical norms; however, they are likely to have reached a cyclical low. Moderating home prices combined with gains in household income will boost housing affordability, bringing more buyers to the market in the coming months."
One wonders what "gains in household income" he is talking about.
Meanwhile, properties are failing to sell as the slowdown spreads: Properties remained on the market for an average of 49 days in January, up from 46 days in December and 42 days a year ago. Thirty-eight percent of homes sold in January were on the market for less than a month.
Still, despite the ongoing slowdown, or perhaps adding to it, the median existing-home price rose once again, hitting $247,500, up 2.8% from January 2018 ($240,800). January’s price increase marks the 83rd straight month of year-over-year gains.
Even so, Yun noted that this median home price growth was the slowest since February 2012, and is cautions that the figures do not yet tell the full story for the month of January. “Lower mortgage rates from December 2018 had little impact on January sales, however, the lower rates will inevitably lead to more home sales.”
More
After December's revision higher to 5.00 million, the January SAAR of 4.94 million was the first sub-5MM print since 2015, while the parallel pending home sales series confirms even more weakness is in store.
Needless to say, it is very troubling that Americans are unable to afford home purchases with the 30% mortgage at just 4.5%, and suggests that even if inflation picks up, the Fed may have no choice but to keep rates flat to avoid a housing market crash.
As usual, NAR chief economist Larry Yun was optimistic, saying that he does not expect the numbers to decline further going forward. "Existing home sales in January were weak compared to historical norms; however, they are likely to have reached a cyclical low. Moderating home prices combined with gains in household income will boost housing affordability, bringing more buyers to the market in the coming months."
One wonders what "gains in household income" he is talking about.
Meanwhile, properties are failing to sell as the slowdown spreads: Properties remained on the market for an average of 49 days in January, up from 46 days in December and 42 days a year ago. Thirty-eight percent of homes sold in January were on the market for less than a month.
Still, despite the ongoing slowdown, or perhaps adding to it, the median existing-home price rose once again, hitting $247,500, up 2.8% from January 2018 ($240,800). January’s price increase marks the 83rd straight month of year-over-year gains.
Even so, Yun noted that this median home price growth was the slowest since February 2012, and is cautions that the figures do not yet tell the full story for the month of January. “Lower mortgage rates from December 2018 had little impact on January sales, however, the lower rates will inevitably lead to more home sales.”
More
'Give these brown babies a shot': UNC defends its use of race in admissions
A legal battle that's engulfed the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill offers a rare window into how admissions staffers at an elite public university discuss applicants — and the extent to which race plays into those exchanges.
“Can we get excited for this brown ... boy who’s being raised by his grandfather, wants to become a surgeon, #2 in his class?" an admissions officer wrote in one online chat unearthed by opponents of affirmative action. "Yes! Admit w/ merit!”
More
“Can we get excited for this brown ... boy who’s being raised by his grandfather, wants to become a surgeon, #2 in his class?" an admissions officer wrote in one online chat unearthed by opponents of affirmative action. "Yes! Admit w/ merit!”
More
Jussie Smollett Charged with Disorderly Conduct for Allegedly Filing False Police Report
Empire actor Jussie Smollett was charged Wednesday with disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false report with the Chicago Police Department about a purported attack on himself last month.
Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office approved the charge, which is a Class 4 felony that carries a possible prison sentence of 1-3 years. The actor could receive probation instead of jail time, said Guglielmi.
Earlier Wednesday, an attorney representing two brothers implicated in the alleged scheme by Smollett, told reporters that the pair testified before a grand jury for a total of 2 ½ hours. Gloria Schmidt said her clients Abimbola “Abel” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo appeared before the grand jury and did not testify as part of any plea deal with prosecutors. She also stated the two were not granted any immunity from prosecution.
Not only is Smollett said to have staged his own attack, but may also be behind a threatening letter sent to himself on the set of Empire.
More
[Just 'Disorderly conduct' and not a hate crime? Won't white Trump supporters riot over that? --Editor]
Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office approved the charge, which is a Class 4 felony that carries a possible prison sentence of 1-3 years. The actor could receive probation instead of jail time, said Guglielmi.
Earlier Wednesday, an attorney representing two brothers implicated in the alleged scheme by Smollett, told reporters that the pair testified before a grand jury for a total of 2 ½ hours. Gloria Schmidt said her clients Abimbola “Abel” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo appeared before the grand jury and did not testify as part of any plea deal with prosecutors. She also stated the two were not granted any immunity from prosecution.
Not only is Smollett said to have staged his own attack, but may also be behind a threatening letter sent to himself on the set of Empire.
More
[Just 'Disorderly conduct' and not a hate crime? Won't white Trump supporters riot over that? --Editor]
Maryland bill would prohibit using DNA databases to solve crime
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — After police used a new technique to arrest a man suspected of being the Golden State Killer, a Maryland legislator proposed a law that would prohibit use of a familial DNA database for the purpose of crime-solving.
House Bill 30, sponsored by Del. Charles Sydnor, D-Baltimore County, seeks to prohibit searches of consumer genealogical databases for the purpose of identifying an offender in connection with a crime through their biological relative’s DNA samples.
In 1994, the state enacted the Maryland DNA Collection Act, which authorized the gathering of DNA for an official investigation of a crime, to identify human remains, and to identify missing persons, among other purposes.
In 2008, Chapter 337 amended the Collection Act to allow the state to gather and retain DNA from people arrested for burglary or violent crimes at the time of their arrest.
More
House Bill 30, sponsored by Del. Charles Sydnor, D-Baltimore County, seeks to prohibit searches of consumer genealogical databases for the purpose of identifying an offender in connection with a crime through their biological relative’s DNA samples.
In 1994, the state enacted the Maryland DNA Collection Act, which authorized the gathering of DNA for an official investigation of a crime, to identify human remains, and to identify missing persons, among other purposes.
In 2008, Chapter 337 amended the Collection Act to allow the state to gather and retain DNA from people arrested for burglary or violent crimes at the time of their arrest.
More
Jussie Smollett could face more than a decade in prison
Jussie Smollett, an actor in the television show "Empire," could face more than a decade in prison if charged with and convicted of staging two alleged hate crime incidents against himself.
Chicago Police announced Wednesday that Smollett is now suspected of filing a false police report about the Jan. 29, 2019 attack that he may have organized against himself with brothers Abimbola 'Abel' Osundairo and Olabinjo 'Ola' Osundairo.
Smollett claimed that he was attacked by two masked men who made racist and anti-gay comments, put a rope around his neck, and threw bleach on him. But Chicago detectives are presenting information to a Cook County grand jury that they believe shows he misled investigators.
More
Chicago Police announced Wednesday that Smollett is now suspected of filing a false police report about the Jan. 29, 2019 attack that he may have organized against himself with brothers Abimbola 'Abel' Osundairo and Olabinjo 'Ola' Osundairo.
Smollett claimed that he was attacked by two masked men who made racist and anti-gay comments, put a rope around his neck, and threw bleach on him. But Chicago detectives are presenting information to a Cook County grand jury that they believe shows he misled investigators.
More
Jussie Smollett arrested for felony disorderly conduct, filing a false police report
Actor Jussie Smollett was arrested early Thursday morning and charged with felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report claiming that he was a victim of a hate crime.
“Jussie Smollet is under arrest and in custody of detectives,” chief communications officer of Chicago Police Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement Thursday morning.
Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department Eddie Johnson and Commander of Area Central Detectives Edward Wodnicki will hold a press briefing on the arrest at 9:00 a.m. before Smollett appears in court.
More
“Jussie Smollet is under arrest and in custody of detectives,” chief communications officer of Chicago Police Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement Thursday morning.
Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department Eddie Johnson and Commander of Area Central Detectives Edward Wodnicki will hold a press briefing on the arrest at 9:00 a.m. before Smollett appears in court.
More
Jussie Smollett under arrest for allegedly lying about hate attack
Jussie Smollett, who has been charged with lying to cops when he claimed to be the victim of a racist and homophobic attack, turned himself into Chicago police early Thursday.
“Jussie Smollet is under arrest and in custody of detectives,” who had earlier contacted the 36-year-old’s attorneys to negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest, Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted.
The “Empire” actor was charged Wednesday with felony disorderly conduct for the allegedly false report he made Jan. 29, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney office.
More
“Jussie Smollet is under arrest and in custody of detectives,” who had earlier contacted the 36-year-old’s attorneys to negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest, Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted.
The “Empire” actor was charged Wednesday with felony disorderly conduct for the allegedly false report he made Jan. 29, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney office.
More
A Commenter, (rejected) Claims I'm Behind The Times When It Comes To News...
In their comment they stated the above message, as if I'm way behind in the times on this breaking news. LMAO!!! Perhaps this Idiot, (probably an employee of another local news outlet) should follow SBYNews more frequently because I was the one who actually BROKE this news, (get this) on August 26, 2018 back when this was in fact BREAKING NEWS!
By the way, hire a new weatherman because your guy sucks at what he does.
Byron York: Much talk that something is up with Mueller. Too bad nobody knows
There are two diametrically opposed lines of thinking about Trump-Russia special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. The first is that he is winding down his probe and is unlikely to allege that the Trump campaign and Russia conspired to fix the 2016 presidential election. The second is that he is still going strong, with the biggest charges, perhaps including the fabled collusion allegation, yet to come.
Which is correct? No one outside the Mueller office knows. There are data points, or at least tea leaves, pointing in all directions. But whatever the reality is, there is at this moment a sense that something is imminent from Mueller, and that sense is shaping Trump-Russia politics.
House Democrats are revving up Trump investigations, and one of the questions they face is whether to try to replicate the Mueller probe or rely on the special counsel's findings when it comes time to consider impeaching the president.
More
Which is correct? No one outside the Mueller office knows. There are data points, or at least tea leaves, pointing in all directions. But whatever the reality is, there is at this moment a sense that something is imminent from Mueller, and that sense is shaping Trump-Russia politics.
House Democrats are revving up Trump investigations, and one of the questions they face is whether to try to replicate the Mueller probe or rely on the special counsel's findings when it comes time to consider impeaching the president.
More