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Thursday, March 28, 2019

Crab Balls and/or Steamed Shrimp Dinner

The Delmar VFW invites the public for Crab Balls and/or Steamed Shrimp on Friday, March 29,from 5 - 8 p.m. at the Delmar VFW Post, 200 West State St.,Delmar,MD.

Homemade hush puppies will also be served. The cost is determined by the single item plate or the combination plate.

Carry out orders must be placed in person only, starting at 5 p.m. Proceeds

benefit the many charities and organizations supported by the Delmar VFW.

FEDERAL PROSECUTORS: MICHAEL AVENATTI HASN’T FILED A TAX RETURN SINCE 2010

Former Stormy Daniels attorney Michael Avenatti hasn’t filed an income tax return since 2010 and skipped out on payments in 2009 and 2010, according to federal prosecutors.

The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that Avenatti, now facing federal indictments in both New York and California, appears to have been living the life of luxury — all while allegedly stiffing Uncle Sam on a regular basis.

In 2009, the IRS reports that Avenatti claimed some $1.9 million in personal income — but never paid his tax bill, which amounted to $570,000. He allegedly repeated the same move in 2010, when he claimed $1.2 million in earnings but never paid the $282,000 he owed on that income.

Since 2010, the IRS reports that Avenatti did not file tax returns, either personal or for his law firm, Avenatti & Associates, in spite of bank deposits totaling $18 million and $38 million respectively.

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Explore My Congressional District Data Tool

Since the new Congress was sworn in on Jan. 3 and the midterm elections in November, interest in the U.S. Census Bureau’s My Congressional District (My CD) tool has remained high.

My CD gives users quick and easy access to selected statistics collected by the Census Bureau through the American Community Survey (ACS) and County Business Patterns (CBP).

During the run-up to the recent midterm elections, there were 10,000-20,000 page views a week of the My CD tool embedded on other sites in comparison to a typical level of around 4,000 page views during nonelection times.

The ACS provides detailed demographic, social, economic and housing statistics updated each year for the nation's communities. CBP provides annual statistics for businesses with paid employees at a detailed geography and industry level.

While the tool is often used by congressional staff on Capitol Hill for planning and managing constituent outreach, campaigns seeking Congressional office make use of it as well. Others, such as media, use it for research and articles.


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Tucker: There's a real collusion story, it doesn't involve Trump

Former Asst. State’s Attorney: Smollett Hoax Likely Implicated Someone VERY IMPORTANT Who Did Not Want to be Implicated

The Chicago State’s Attorney’s Office, under the authority of Kim Foxx, unilaterally decided on Tuesday to drop ALL charges against hate hoaxer Jussie Smollett.

Despite the evidence against Jussie Smollett the Cook County State’s Attorney dropped ALL 16 CHARGES against the well-connected Hollywood celebrity.

Foxx did not contact the Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office or the Chicago police department before she announced her decision to let a famous celebrity hoaxer off scot-free.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel told reporters this was a “whitewash of justice.”

The Chicago police dedicated 2 detectives and spent tens of thousands of dollars on the Smollett case.

Terry Moran at ABC reported — Cook County clerk’s office tells @ABC they were shocked that no written motions were filed with the court in connection with today’s surprising dismissal in the Smollett case. On top of that, the case has been wiped off their database as if it never existed.

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Muslim State Rep. Calls GOP Lawmaker’s in House Christian Prayer “Islamophobic” – Demands Censure

Democrats in the Pennsylvania General Assembly are attacking a Christian GOP lawmaker who prayed to “Jesus” before the swearing-in of a fellow Muslim State Rep. as “blatantly Islamophobic.”

On Monday, a member of the Pennsylvania House offered a prayer before the swearing-in of the chamber’s first Muslim woman, Movita Johnson-Harrell.

Republican State Rep. Stephanie Borowicz praised Jesus about a dozen time during her prayer and thanked God that President Trump “stands besides Israel.” — this triggered the Muslim lawmaker and other Democrats in attendance.

Rep. Borowicz delivered the prayer shortly before Movita Johnson-Harrell, a Muslim woman elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly — was sworn in.

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HUGE! Rand Paul Outs John Brennan – Pushed Fake Dossier in Intel Report

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) announced Wednesday that according to a high level source, former CIA Chief John Brennan insisted Hillary’s fake Russia dossier be included in the Intelligence Report.

Brennan previously denied that the fake dossier was used in the Intelligence community’s assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

There is plenty of evidence to the contrary and on Wednesday Senator Rand Paul said Brennan should be asked to testify under oath in Congress ASAP.
RAND PAUL: BREAKING: A high-level source tells me it was Brennan who insisted that the unverified and fake Steele dossier be included in the Intelligence Report… Brennan should be asked to testify under oath in Congress ASAP.
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Steny Hoyer again shows top Dems don’t dare stand up to anti-Semites in the ranks

It’s gotten to the point that, when a top Democrat stands up against anti-Semitism, he soon feels the need to backtrack.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) won a standing ovation this week at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference when he pointedly said, “There are 62 freshman Democrats. You hear me? Sixty-two — not three.”

Just before that, he’d said: “When someone accuses American supporters of Israel of dual loyalty, I say: Accuse me. I am part of a large, bipartisan coalition in Congress supporting Israel. I tell Israel’s detractors: Accuse us.”

So everyone saw his reference to three Democratic frosh as a slap at headline-hogging Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

Omar can’t manage to avoid anti-Semitic tropes, including the “dual loyalty” charge; Tlaib is bent on ending US aid to Israel; AOC defends them both.

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Top US border official: 'The breaking point has arrived,' with 100,000 encounters in March

SAN ANTONIO — The top U.S. border official said Wednesday the number of people encountered and apprehended at the southern border will top 100,000 in March, the highest amount reported in one month in 12 years.

"Two weeks ago, I briefed the media and testified in Congress that immigration was at the breaking point. That breaking point has arrived this week at our border," Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan told reporters in El Paso, Texas, Wednesday.

"We are now on pace for more than 100,000 apprehensions and encounters with migrants in March, with 90 percent — 90,000 people — are instead almost guaranteed to remain in the U.S. indefinitely, regardless of the merits of their immigration or asylum claim," he said.

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Move for 30 Minutes a Day and Cut Risk of Premature Death by Half Read Newsmax: Move for 30 Minutes a Day and Cut Risk of Premature Death by Half | Newsmax.com Urgent: Your Heart Attack Risk Determined Online - More Info

If you're a couch potato, get moving. Your life could depend on it.

Researchers say replacing 30 minutes a day of sitting with physical activity could cut your risk of premature death by nearly half.

They examined 14 years of data on inactivity and activity with more than 92,500 people in an American Cancer Society study.

Among those participants who were least active (less than 17 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity), replacing 30 minutes of sitting with light activity was associated with a 14 percent reduced risk of premature death.


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Mark Levin on Mueller: 'Barack Obama's government did all this'

Conservative commentator Mark Levin lashed out against the Democrats in the aftermath of special counsel Robert Mueller submitting his final reportto the Justice Department.

During his Fox News show Sunday, the nationally syndicated radio host blamed former President Barack Obama's government for seeding a Russian collusion frenzy and called for an investigation into their role in peddling the narrative.

"The Democratic Party is not a pro-America party. They act like a third-world party because they want to destroy this presidency," Levin said. "It is time to focus on the Democrats in the House. It is time to focus on the media, the Hillary campaign, the DNC, Barack Obama — this was Barack Obama’s government that did all this when the Russians were interfering in our election."

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How Leftist Ideology Ruins College Students

Last week’s column discussed the highly publicized university corruption scheme wherein wealthy parents bought admission at prestigious universities for their children. That is dishonest and gives an unfair advantage to those young people, but won’t destroy the missions of the universities.

There is little or no attention given by the mainstream media to the true cancer eating away at most of our institutions of higher learning. Philip Carl Salzman, emeritus professor of anthropology at McGill University, explains that cancer in a Minding the Campus article, titled “What Your Sons and Daughters Will Learn at University.

Salzman argues that for most of the 20th century, universities were dedicated to the advancement of knowledge. There was open exchange and competition in the marketplace of ideas. Different opinions were argued and respected.

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China Building Long-Range Cruise Missile Launched From Ship Container

China is building a long-range cruise missile fired from a shipping container that could turn Beijing's large fleet of freighters into potential warships and commercial ports into future missile bases.

The new missile is in flight testing and is a land-attack variant of an advanced anti-ship missile called the YJ-18C, according to American defense officials.

The missile will be deployed in launchers that appear from the outside to be standard international shipping containers used throughout the world for moving millions of tons of goods, often on the deck of large freighters.

The YJ-18C is China's version of the Club-K cruise missile built by Russia that also uses a launcher disguised as a shipping container. Israel also is working on a container-launched missile called the Lora.

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President Trump was infuriated with this Ivy League school after they did the unthinkable

American universities are doing everything they can to silence conservatives on campus.

It’s been so bad, President Trump even had to sign an Executive Order to protect Freedom of Speech for conservative students.

But what this Ivy League school did crossed the line and will make President Trump furious.

Jannique Stewart, a black, pro-life Christian with the Life Training Institute, was recently invited to participate in a debate at Cornell University on the topic of abortion.

But when Cornell administrators found out she believes in the Biblical definition of marriage, they banned her from speaking.

And according to Stewart, administrators told her that having someone on campus who believed in traditional marriage was “tantamount to allowing a racist to speak who held pro-slavery and pro-holocaust views.”

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Judge Jeanine Pirro will return to Fox News on Saturday

Judge Jeanine Pirro will make her return to Fox News on Saturday, according to Sean Hannity.

Pirro's show, Justice with Jeanine, had been bumped for two weeks after she made remarks suggesting that Rep Ilhan Omar's hijab meant that she subscribes to Sharia law.

Her program did not air on March 16 or March 23. The March 16th show was replaced by the documentary Scandalous: The Trial of William Kennedy Smith.

But on Wednesday, during an interview with President Donald Trump, Hannity said that Pirro will be returning to her normally scheduled time slot at 9pm on Saturday.

Her return was revealed after Trump told Hannity that he hoped Pirro would be 'back soon'.

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NY County Bans Unvaccinated Kids From All Public Places

One county in New York is taking extremely drastic measures in an attempt to force all children to get vaccinated for measles.

Starting today, as Michael Snyder writes at The End of The American Dream blog, any child that has not received the measles vaccine will be banned from all public places. That means that they will not be able to go to school, to church or to any store. In fact, just walking down the sidewalk will be a violation of this countywide “state of emergency”. Rockland County has essentially declared a state of medical martial law, and it is scheduled to last for the next 30 days

Rockland County declared a countywide State of Emergency relating to the ongoing measles outbreak — the longest outbreak since the disease was eradicated in the United States in 2000, according to officials.

Effective at the stroke of midnight, Wednesday, anyone who is under 18 years of age and unvaccinated against the measles will be barred from public places until this declaration expires in 30 days or until they receive the MMR vaccination.
So what has caused Rockland County to go to such extremes?

According to Rockland County Executive Ed Day, something had to be done because there have been 153 confirmed cases of measles in the county.


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Unnerved by Gaza Protests, Hamas Attacks Israel

"If we hadn't got to the bomb shelter in time, I would be burying all my family." That is how Robert Wolf described the scene at his home in central Israel on Monday to the Telegraph. "We would all have been dead if we didn't do what we were supposed to do." Wolf and his wife Susan, British-Israelis originally from London, had their children and grandchildren staying with them when Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group in control of the Gaza Strip, fired a rocket at the town of Mishmeret around 5:20 in the morning. The blast almost completely destroyed the Wolfs' home and injured all seven family members, including a six-month-old granddaughter. The family's two dogs were killed.

The attack came less than two weeks after rockets were fired at Tel Aviv from Gaza, marking the first time since 2014 that Israel's second largest city, a major financial hub, had been targeted. Hamas claimed that a field operative fired the rockets at Tel Aviv without approval from superiors. After destroying the Wolfs' home, located north of Tel Aviv, the terrorist organization is claiming that it launched the rocket "by mistake." That explanation worked the first time, but two times in such a short period? The Israelis are not buying it, nor should they.

"This is a deliberate and dangerous act of aggression by Palestinian terrorists. We will not allow this!" said Emmanuel Nahshon, a spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry. He also called Hamas, which seeks Israel's destruction, "an organization of evil genocidal murderers" who are "cowards." The Israeli military identified the rocket that hit Mishmeret as one of Hamas's most powerful.

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Jussie Smollett learned how to lie from his communist mother

After prosecutors dropped all 16 charges against Jussie Smollett on Tuesday, the actor insisted he did not fake the fake attack.

At a press conference, Smollett made an unusual, if not Freudian, statement about his "truthfulness" and his mother.
I have been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one. I would not be my mother's son if I was capable of one drop of what I've been accused of.

Jussie doesn't have to admit he staged a hate crime targeting Trump-supporters. He can proclaim his innocence against all reality because in the Aesopian world of Marxist activism that he has inhabited since the cradle, telling the truth is nothing more than bourgeois sentimentalism. It's not at all different from lying.


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Soros Bankrolled Unverified ‘Hate Crime’ Database Used by Major Media Outlets

Liberal billionaire George Soros bankrolled a massive "hate crime" database that is used by more than 100 media partners—including Google News Labs, New York Times Opinion, and ABC News—to report alleged hate crimes, according to tax documents and interviews.

The database, launched following the election of President Donald Trump, is "unverified" and receives stories of alleged "hate" from the likes of the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an organization currently in upheaval over charges of institutional racism perpetrated by its recently fired co-founder, Morris Dees, and the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights group that was previously listed as an unindicted co-conspirator of terrorism.

Media partners involved in the initiative have access to the unverified database, and use it to report stories of hate in the Trump era.

ProPublica, an investigative reporting nonprofit based in New York City, launched the project, known as "Documenting Hate," in 2017. The New York Times backed the project in January 2017 editorial, "Why We Need a Project to Document Hate Crimes."

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Explanation Of This Photo


General Assembly overrides governor's veto of $15 minimum wage bill

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —The Maryland General Assembly voted Thursday to override the governor's veto of the $15 minimum wage bill.

The measure would have raised Maryland's minimum wage to $15 by 2025. Democrats pushed for the increase, arguing workers deserve a living wage.

Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed the bill Wednesday, saying the measure would cost more than 99,000 jobs and "hurt Maryland's competitiveness and push small businesses out of the state."

Gubernatorial spokesman Michael Ricci released a statement, saying, "We are obviously disappointed that the Legislature completely ignored the governor's reasonable compromise proposal to protect jobs and small businesses. So much for olive branches."

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Senate Overturns Govenor Hogan's Veto

Inexplicably, the Senate just voted against the will of the overwhelming majority of Marylanders - they have overturned my veto of legislation that reverses our common sense initiative for a post-Labor Day school start.

In 2016, after years of public outcry, I took action to return to the tradition of starting school after Labor Day. These partisan legislators are now turning back the clock on years of bipartisan recommendations, including a 12-3 vote by an expert task force created by the legislature and the previous governor. What is even worse: beyond this reversal by the legislature are heavy-handed tactics to unfairly influence the ballot process and any petition to bring this issue directly to you, the Maryland voters.

Legislators in the Maryland House of Delegates should heed the calls of the overwhelming majority of Marylanders and uphold my veto.

FRENCH PERSON: Other Countries Should Be Allowed to Vote in American Elections

In a recent column for the Independent, a British media outlet, Clémence Michallon presented her case for why the citizens of foreign countries should have a say when it comes to electing the so-called "leader of the free world."

Michallon, a French citizen living in the United States, is "tired of crossing my fingers hoping that American voters will do the right thing," such as electing Barack Obama to two terms. Because the results of U.S. presidential elections can have such far-reaching consequences for the rest of the world, and for the planet itself via climate change, she reckons it would only be fair to give the international community a voice in those elections.

It's an "absurd" notion that will almost certainly never come to fruition, the French author grants. But that doesn't mean it's not a good idea worth exploring in a column. For example, the fact that the crazed psycho who killed 50 people at mosques in New Zealand was a self-described white nationalist who spoke favorably of Donald Trump means "it’s high time to acknowledge the fact that what happens in the US has immense, tangible consequences on the rest of the world."

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CNN’s Trump Hatred Results in Double-Digit Rating Collapse!!!

Rand Paul: Need to Determine if Barack Obama, Loretta Lynch Were in on Spying on Donald Trump Campaign

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) wants to know if former President Barack Obama and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch were in on the decisions to spy on President Donald Trump’s campaign and lend credence to the phony dossier paid for by Hillary Clinton’s campaign that gave way to what became the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News on Tuesday, Sen. Paul said he is not sure if Obama or Lynch were personally aware of everything going—but demanded the production of documents that would prove it conclusively one way or the other.

“You know, I don’t know. But I think we ought to know,” Paul said when asked if this rose to the level of the former president and his inner circle of cabinet officials. “The thing is like I say, when they release the information—if the report is to come out, part of the release is they should have to release any documents from Loretta Lynch and any documents from the president that discuss or have information pertaining to the FISA warrant. If this went all the way up to president, to President Obama, yes we should know that. The only way you’ll get that is if Democrats really want to read all million pages of Mueller’s investigation and we tell them fine you’ll get that but only if we get all the information from the Obama administration on who was unmasking names, who was unmasking phone calls. Who was making the arguments for the FISA warrant and what were there arguments for it? Did President Obama get involved in it? Did Loretta Lynch get involved in it? So I think if we’re going to look at the Mueller report we should look at the origins of this Russian hoax investigation as well.”


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JOE BIDEN BLAMES “WHITE MAN’S CULTURE” FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

During a speech on Tuesday, potential presidential candidate Joe Biden blamed “a white man’s culture” for violence towards women.

The former VP asserted that Anita Hill, who accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, should not have been forced to face a panel of “a bunch of white guys.”

Biden went on to suggest that English common law, the foundation of the western legal system, was anti-women.
“I realize I get a little too passionate about this sometimes, but we all have an obligation to do nothing less than change the culture in this country. Not just the laws, we changed laws — change the culture. The culture. You all know what the phrase rule of thumb means? Where it’s derived from? In English common law, not codification or common law, back in the late 1300s, so many women were dying at the hands of her husbands because they were chattel, just like the cattle or the sheep, that the Court of Common Law decided they had to do something about the extent of the deaths. So, you know what they said? No man has a right to chastise his woman with a rod thicker than the circumference of his thumb. This is English jurisprudential culture a white man’s culture. That’s got to change it’s got to change.”
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BIZARRE FLASHBACK VIDEO: BIDEN SAYS HE’S ‘LIKE THE TOKEN BLACK OR THE TOKEN WOMAN’

Biden, then just two years into his first term as a Delaware Senator, claimed that efforts to fundraise in the traditional manner had not worked for him.

During a 1974 appearance on “The Advocates,” a PBS weekly program, Biden likened typical political fundraising efforts to prostitution. Calling it the “most degrading experience in the world,” Biden argued that the current system — which does not appear to have changed much — forced candidates to seek out large donors. And in return for backing candidates, those donors “always want something.”

“You run the risk of deciding whether or not you’re going to prostitute yourself to give the answer you know they want to hear in order to get funded to run for that office,” Biden explained, admitting that he had been ready to go to such lengths to make sure that his campaign would be funded.



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George Soros Spent $408k on Kim Foxx, Prosecutor in Jussie Smollett Case

Left-wing billionaire mega-donor George Soros donated $408,000 in 2016 to a super PAC that supported Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, whose office prosecuted — and dropped — the Jussie Smollett case.

In a shock announcement Tuesday, prosecutors dropped all 16 felony charges against the left-wing Hollywood actor, whom police had accused of faking a hate crime in January that he blamed on racist, homophobic white Trump supporters.

Foxx had formally recused herself from the case in February because she had spoken with Smollett’s family. (Update: Prosecutors said Wednesday that Foxx never formally recused herself.) The Chicago Tribune later reported that Foxx had asked police to turn the case over to the FBI after an intervention by Tina Tchen, a former chief of staff for former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Soros has spent heavily on backing “progressive” candidates for local prosecutorial offices across the nation, following the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2014, which alleged that black defendants have been treated unfairly by the justice system.

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Maxine Waters Knew There Was Collusion All Along | SUPERcuts!

ELIJAH CUMMINGS PUTS FOX NEWS IN HIS CROSSHAIRS. JIM JORDAN AND MARK MEADOWS ARE PUSHING BACK

Republican Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Mark Meadows of North Carolina asked the chairman of the House Oversight Committee to reconsider his demand to scrutinize the editorial practices of Fox News.

The committee’s chair, Democratic Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, sent a letter to former Fox News reporter Diana Falzone requesting she provide documents and testimony related to a civil lawsuit she filed against Fox in 2017, including “stories about women alleging extramarital affairs with Donald Trump, payments by the President or anyone on his behalf to silence them, or any action taken against you in connection with attempts to report on such stories.”

At issue is Falzone’s claim that she wrote a story about Stormy Daniels’ alleged affair with then-candidate Donald Trump, which editors did not move forward in publishing — a move some called a protective measure by the network.

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Man pleads guilty to scamming $122 million from Google, Facebook with fraudulent invoices

A Lithuanian man who duped Google and Facebook into transferring over $100 million into accounts he controlled pleaded guilty to wire fraud last week.

Evaldas Rimasauskas, 50, of Vilnius, Lithuania, entered the plea in federal court in Manhattan, where Judge George B. Daniels set a July 24 sentencing date.

The charge could carry as many as 30 years in prison and a fine of as much as $1 million or twice the crime's proceeds. The plea deal he reached with prosecutors said Rimasauskas faces almost certain deportation once he is released from behind bars.

Rimasauskas was extradited in August 2017 to New York from Lithuania after his arrest there in March 2017. He has been detained since.

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Audit finds PGCPS broke the law when awarding millions in school contracts

UPPER MALRBORO, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Prince George’s Co. Public Schools is not following state law or its own policies when it comes to awarding millions of dollars in contracts, according to a state audit on the school system’s financial management.

FOX 5 has learned the school district’s director of purchasing is no longer employed as of Friday.

According to the audit by the Department of Legislative Services, the contracts in question total nearly $85 million.

According to the report, “the required justification was not documented for 13 of the 15 sole source contracts we tested totaling $6.8 million and PGCPS had not documented the benefits from one ICPA (intergovernmental cooperative purchasing agreement) contract“ valued at $34.8 million over five years.

The audit also found 32 contracts totaling $43.1 million were not submitted to the Board of Education for approval as required. Two of those contracts were awarded to vendors that were either not the most qualified or the lowest cost bidders, according to the audit.

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End Of Life Options Act Fails In The Senate After Tie Vote

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — The End of Life Options Act has failed in the Senate after a 23-23 vote.

The bill failed on the second read.

A tie in the vote allowed the bill to advance to the Full Senate Floor, which automatically kills a bill.

There were emotional testimonies for and against the bill in the Senate on Wednesday.

“This bill and this principle up-end what I would say is thousands of years of medical practice,” Senator Justin Ready said. “The Hippocratic Oath which is to first do no harm.”

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Prescription Drug Affordability Board advances in House

By Diane Rey
For Maryland Reporter


Maryland delegates are pushing back against high prescription drug costs, but their proposal stops short of setting drug price caps for all Marylanders.

Instead, the House of Delegates advanced a proposal Tuesday that will limit what the state will pay for the prescription drugs of state and local government workers and institutions.

HB768 would establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board – the first in the nation — to establish upper limits on payment for high-cost medication with the aim of reducing costs.

Though originally intended to cover all Marylanders, the bill was scaled back and heavily amended in the Health and Government Operations Committee, gaining the committee’s approval Friday by a vote of 19-3.

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Comptroller Issues Statement on Veto of HB 1052

Franchot available for media interviews on costly, reckless, disruptive legislation

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Comptroller Peter Franchot today issued the following statement in response to Governor Larry Hogan's veto of House Bill 1052, which would create a new commission, led by political appointees and at great expense to Maryland taxpayers, to replace the nationally-renowned Field Enforcement Division that has been housed in the Office of the Comptroller for decades.
Comptroller Franchot is available for additional comment. Interested media should contact Communications Director Susan O'Brien at 443-875-8540 or Press Secretary Alan Brody at 443-924-1473 to arrange an interview.
Following is the Comptroller's statement:
“I commend Governor Hogan for vetoing this unnecessary, reckless and tremendously expensive bill that would put the regulation of alcohol and tobacco in the control of a politically-appointed board that is unaccountable to Marylanders.
“In light of the outrageous improprieties of several University of Maryland Medical System board members, it’s especially brazen and irresponsible for leaders of the General Assembly to use the legislative process to carry out political vendettas that lessens oversight and enables special interests to handpick their regulator. Now more than ever, legislative leaders need to take steps to restore faith and trust in our government, and this bill flies directly in the face of efforts to make government more transparent.
“This bill achieves no public good and serves only to punish me for my unwavering efforts to support Maryland craft breweries. It recklessly disrupts the outstanding public service long provided by the men and women of our Field Enforcement Division, who have been universally praised for their hard work and dedication. The uncertainty of this new commission’s function creates a climate ripe for potential malfeasance. If the veto is overridden, nearly $50 million of taxpayer money will be spent on the upheaval of dozens of state employees who are unfairly being used as political pawns.
“This veto must be sustained. Members of the Senate and House of Delegates should use this opportunity to focus on making government more accountable, not less, to the citizens we serve. Not only is this bill’s price tag too steep, but the cost of further eroding the public’s trust is too high a price to pay.”

Governor Larry Hogan Vetoes Politically Motivated Legislation

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Larry Hogan today vetoed two pieces of politically motivated legislation passed during the 2019 session of the Maryland General Assembly.
Unravels years of bipartisan work and study.” Governor Hogan vetoed SB128 - Community Control of School Calendars Act, writing that “this unfortunate legislation unravels years of bipartisan work and study by seeking to reverse the post-Labor Day school start for public schools.” Instead, Senate Bill 128 runs directly counter to an action favored by the vast majority of Marylanders.
  • The governor stated, “I tried to work with members of the Maryland General Assembly on a compromise bill, which was not even scheduled for a hearing. The legislation would have allowed any local school system that decides to start school before Labor Day to be required to put that decision on the ballot for the voters of that jurisdiction to decide for themselves. Our administration’s bill would have offered genuine, local control over this important issue. Senate Bill 128 masquerades under the guise of more local control, but instead does the complete opposite of what citizens want.” Read the governor’s letter here.
A solution in search of a problem.” Governor Hogan vetoed HB1052 - Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, writing that the legislation  “is not necessary, serves no purpose, will waste taxpayers’ money, and disrupts a well-ordered and completely functional regulatory system. House Bill 1052 is a solution in search of a problem that does not exist.”
  • The governor stated, “The reorganization contemplated by House Bill 1052 creates significant budgetary implications and unnecessary disruption for the regulated industries,” resulting in duplication of key personnel and information technology systems. Read the governor’s letter here.

State auditors have released a report raising many concerns and questions about procurement practices and fiscal oversight within the office of Attorney General Brian Frosh.

Operation Seven Sentinels Yields 264 Arrests, 25 Arrested on Homicide Charges

Governor Larry Hogan Joins U.S. Marshals Service to Announce Successful Operation to Tackle Crime in Baltimore City

Operation Seven Sentinels Yields 264 Arrests, 25 Arrested on Homicide Charges

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today joined the U.S. Marshals Service to announce the success of a Baltimore City-wide initiative, “Operation Seven Sentinels,” targeting the most violent fugitives. Governor Hogan requested the U.S. Marshals Service to lead the crime fighting initiative with the goal of reducing the high rate of violent crime in Baltimore City and a special emphasis on the most violent repeat offenders.

The announcement was made inside the Edward A. Garmatz U.S. Courthouse in Baltimore City. The governor joined U.S. Marshal, Johnny Hughes; Baltimore City Police, Commissioner Michael Harrison; Maryland State Police Superintendent, Bill Pallozzi; FBI Baltimore Acting Special Agent in Charge, Jennifer Moore; FBI Violent Crimes Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Brian Nadeau; the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention Executive Director, Glenn Fueston, and other state and local leaders.

“I want to commend the U.S. Marshals Service for the excellent work that you do and especially for your latest efforts over the past few weeks in Baltimore City,” said Governor Hogan. “The successful execution of Operation Seven Sentinels proves our administration not only remains committed to backing up the Baltimore City Police in their mission to protect the citizens of Baltimore, but that we are laser focused on removing the most violent criminals from the streets.”

Governor Larry Hogan Vetoes $15 Minimum Wage Bill

Governor Larry Hogan Vetoes $15 Minimum Wage Bill
 Legislation Could Cost Jobs, Push Businesses Out of State

1. Governor Hogan Offered A Compromise Proposal On The Minimum Wage - The General Assembly Refused To Take The Governor’s Ideas Into Consideration
Governor Hogan: "I would like to offer a compromise to move this discussion forward. Despite my reservations about a dramatic increase in the minimum wage, I could support a reasonable, phased increase of the minimum wage by $2 to $12.10 by the year 2022 if it were amended to include the following provisions…” (Letter, Governor Hogan To Presiding Officers Re: Minimum Wage Compromise, Office Of The Governor, 3/8/19)
  • The Governor’s Compromise Proposal Included A “Trigger” That Would Make Increases Above $12.10 Contingent Upon Increases To The Minimum Wage In Surrounding States. “That is why I would like to see the legislature attach a trigger to this legislation that would make any further increases above $12.10 effective only if our surrounding states reach a combined average of 80% of our wage.” (Letter, Governor Hogan To Presiding Officers Re: Minimum Wage Compromise, Office Of The Governor, 3/8/19)
  • The Governor Called For Legislation To Take Into Account Regional Differences. “Therefore, I would propose that we differentiate the minimum wage increase to account for these geographical differences. New York and Oregon currently do this, and so should we. We should work out an objective system that would recognize local economic conditions, but which would be simple to implement and regulate; businesses already navigate complex and burdensome regulatory requirements across the country. A regional minimum wage in Maryland should not be a bureaucratic or administrative nightmare for companies that want to do business across our state. Towards this end, your legislation should also consider additional provisions to account for the differences in temporary and seasonal workers.” (Letter, Governor Hogan To Presiding Officers Re: Minimum Wage Compromise, Office Of The Governor, 3/8/19)
  • The Governor Suggested That A Compromise Proposal Should Include An Increase In The Earned Income Tax Credit. “I believe that a fair and more effective way to help those who are struggling to get by without losing jobs would be to increase the state Earned Income Tax Credit to 60% of the federal wage.” (Letter, Governor Hogan To Presiding Officers Re: Minimum Wage Compromise, Office Of The Governor, 3/8/19)

THURSDAY NIGHT IS $5.00 1/2 LB. BURGER NIGHT AT CARIBBEAN JOE'S

Come join us this Thursday night for a fresh ground beef, 1/2 pound hamburgers for only $5.00 each. We serve our burgers on an incredible Hawaiian roll. If a hamburger isn't for you, enjoy a quarter pound Nathan's Hot Dog for only $5.00 as well. 

To top off celebrating our first Thursday opening, enjoy a $1.00 Natural Light with your meal. We'll see you Thursday evening.

Located in West Ocean City at the old ALAMO hotel on Route 50

Still The Best Election Night Compilation Video Of All Time

Yes we have all seen it before but it's worth watching a few more times right? ***Language Warning**