DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, April 01, 2019
Free assistance on National Healthcare Decisions Day, April 16
Re: Free assistance on
National Healthcare Decisions Day, April 16
From: MAC, Inc., Area Agency on Aging
Thank you for any
coverage you can provide.
Are you ready to give your family the gift of an advance
directive? MAC, Inc., can help.
“It really is a gift! It puts your healthcare decisions in your
words,” said MAC’s Donna Blackwell, who is coordinating National Healthcare
Decisions Day activities on the Lower Shore.
An advance healthcare directive is a written document that specifies what end-of-life medical
care you do – and don’t – want. In the case of a person who becomes impaired
and is unable to make healthcare decisions for themselves, the document
provides critical information to hospitals, physicians, and family members
about their wishes for end-of-life medical care.
An advance directive “puts
you in charge of your healthcare decisions. Your family will know exactly what
your healthcare wishes are,” Blackwell said. “Losing someone you love is difficult enough without having to make
emotional decisions about end-of-life medical care.”
Déjà Vu: The Science Behind the Eerie Feeling of Familiarity
If you’ve ever had the feeling that a situation feels very familiar even though you know it shouldn’t feel familiar at all, like if you’re traveling in a city for the very first time, then you’ve probably experienced déjà vu. Déjà vu, which means “already seen” in French, combines objective unfamiliarity – that you know, based on ample evidence, that something shouldn’t be familiar – with subjective familiarity – that feeling that it’s familiar anyway.
Déjà vu is common. According to a paper published in 2004, more than 50 surveys on déjà vu suggested that about two-thirds of individuals have experienced it at least once in their lifetime, with many reporting multiple experiences. This reported number also appears to be growing as people become more aware of what déjà vu is.
Most often, déjà vu is described in terms of what you see, but it’s not specific to vision and even people who were born blind can experience it.
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Déjà vu is common. According to a paper published in 2004, more than 50 surveys on déjà vu suggested that about two-thirds of individuals have experienced it at least once in their lifetime, with many reporting multiple experiences. This reported number also appears to be growing as people become more aware of what déjà vu is.
Most often, déjà vu is described in terms of what you see, but it’s not specific to vision and even people who were born blind can experience it.
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HHS Makes $5.1 Million Grant to Pro-Life Community Clinics
The founder of an organization of community care clinics that cater to women praises the Trump administration for deciding to give her group $5.1 million over three years for use in California, a grant that once might have gone to Planned Parenthood.
“With this grant, the administration has opened up a new avenue of health care choices for low-income and underserved women and their families in California,” Kathleen Eaton Bravo, CEO and founder of The Obria Group Inc. and Obria Medical Clinics, said in a prepared statement provided to The Daily Signal.
Obria, which operates 21 health clinics and 11 mobile clinics in five states, does not perform abortions.
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“With this grant, the administration has opened up a new avenue of health care choices for low-income and underserved women and their families in California,” Kathleen Eaton Bravo, CEO and founder of The Obria Group Inc. and Obria Medical Clinics, said in a prepared statement provided to The Daily Signal.
Obria, which operates 21 health clinics and 11 mobile clinics in five states, does not perform abortions.
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New York City Set To Pass "Congestion Toll", Mansion Tax And Plastic Bag Ban
New York state is nearing completion of a 2020 budget deal that's going to result in "congestion tolls" in Manhattan, alongside a "mansion tax" and a ban on single-use plastic bags, according to Bloomberg. State leaders and Governor Andrew Cuomo agreed this week on a spending plan for 2020 that allocates for 2% budget growth for the ninth year in a row. The plan increases spending for education aid and provides tax relief for the middle class, according to the Governor.
Lawmakers will be discussing the budget again Sunday night to try and meet a midnight deadline to pass it. The proposed "congestion tolls" will make New York City the first American city to charge drivers for access. It's projected to raise $1 billion, which will then be used to pay debt service (of course) on the $15 billion in Metropolitan Transportation Authority bonds outstanding.
MTA’s Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority has not yet released details on the toll program, which is expected to be implemented after December 2020.
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Lawmakers will be discussing the budget again Sunday night to try and meet a midnight deadline to pass it. The proposed "congestion tolls" will make New York City the first American city to charge drivers for access. It's projected to raise $1 billion, which will then be used to pay debt service (of course) on the $15 billion in Metropolitan Transportation Authority bonds outstanding.
MTA’s Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority has not yet released details on the toll program, which is expected to be implemented after December 2020.
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Jane Fonda's induction into Women's Hall of Fame has host town threatening to pull support
Inducting Jane Fonda into the National Women's Hall of Fame could cost the organization its partnership with Seneca Falls, New York, its host town and the site of America's first-ever women's right's convention in 1848.
Earlier this month, the Hall of Fame announced the actress would be among its class of 2019. Citing Fonda's actions during the Vietnam War, Seneca Falls Supervisor Greg Lazzaro released a resolution Thursday morning that would pull the town's support out of respect for veterans in the community.
The resolution, which is expected to be proposed at next week's town board meeting, was released to the media and public Thursday morning.
"Jane Fonda’s actions of bringing medical supplies to North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, deriding our POWs...and posing for pictures atop missile-launchers designed to shoot down American planes brought divisiveness to our country and to this day to our Vietnam Veterans and it is viewed by virtually all Veterans as treason to this country," the resolution reads.
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Earlier this month, the Hall of Fame announced the actress would be among its class of 2019. Citing Fonda's actions during the Vietnam War, Seneca Falls Supervisor Greg Lazzaro released a resolution Thursday morning that would pull the town's support out of respect for veterans in the community.
The resolution, which is expected to be proposed at next week's town board meeting, was released to the media and public Thursday morning.
"Jane Fonda’s actions of bringing medical supplies to North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, deriding our POWs...and posing for pictures atop missile-launchers designed to shoot down American planes brought divisiveness to our country and to this day to our Vietnam Veterans and it is viewed by virtually all Veterans as treason to this country," the resolution reads.
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Chicago Warns Jussie Smollett: Repay $130,000 in 7 Days or Face Prosecution for Lying
The City of Chicago on Thursday warned Empire actor Jussie Smollett that he could be prosecuted for lying if he fails to repay the the six-figure cost of the Chicago Police Department’s investigation into his alleged hate hoax in the next seven days.
In a letter written by Edward Siskel, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s senior legal adviser, Smollett is accused of making “false statements,” which led law enforcement to divert “resources from other investigations and undermining the criminal justice system.”
Jussie Smollett reiterated Tuesday that he was innocent of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in downtown Chicago after the Cook County State’s Attorney’s surprise decision to drop 16 charges against the actor for filing a false police report on the incident. Speaking outside a Chicago courtroom, he maintained he had been “truthful and consistent on every single level since day one.”
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In a letter written by Edward Siskel, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s senior legal adviser, Smollett is accused of making “false statements,” which led law enforcement to divert “resources from other investigations and undermining the criminal justice system.”
Jussie Smollett reiterated Tuesday that he was innocent of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in downtown Chicago after the Cook County State’s Attorney’s surprise decision to drop 16 charges against the actor for filing a false police report on the incident. Speaking outside a Chicago courtroom, he maintained he had been “truthful and consistent on every single level since day one.”
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TREY GOWDY: CIA MAY STOP GIVING ADAM SCHIFF INFORMATION BECAUSE HE LEAKS ‘LIKE A SCREEN DOOR ON A SUBMARINE’
Former Republican South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy predicted Sunday that the U.S. intelligence community might stop providing information to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff because he leaks “like a screen door on a submarine.”
Gowdy was asked to weigh in on Republicans’ decision Thursday to call on Schiff to step down as chairman of the House panel.
“Never seen that before,” said Gowdy, who served on the intelligence panel before leaving Congress in January. “We never voted to remove or ask a chairperson to step down.”
“Adam is a deeply partisan person. He did everything he could to make sure Hillary Clinton became president. And he’s done everything he could to keep a cloud over the Trump presidency,” Gowdy said of Schiff.
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Gowdy was asked to weigh in on Republicans’ decision Thursday to call on Schiff to step down as chairman of the House panel.
“Never seen that before,” said Gowdy, who served on the intelligence panel before leaving Congress in January. “We never voted to remove or ask a chairperson to step down.”
“Adam is a deeply partisan person. He did everything he could to make sure Hillary Clinton became president. And he’s done everything he could to keep a cloud over the Trump presidency,” Gowdy said of Schiff.
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William Barr 'pretty upset' with Clinton emails investigation, Lindsey Graham says
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Attorney General William Barr is "pretty upset" with how the FBI handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton's unauthorized private email server.
During an interview on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," Graham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he hopes Barr will appoint a special counsel to look into potential political bias.
"So it seems to me that she was interviewed not under oath. She had a couple of her staff people with her. People in her campaign were given immunity without anything in return. Nobody in the Clinton investigation went to jail for lying about the process because there was no process," Graham told host Maria Bartiromo.
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During an interview on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," Graham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he hopes Barr will appoint a special counsel to look into potential political bias.
"So it seems to me that she was interviewed not under oath. She had a couple of her staff people with her. People in her campaign were given immunity without anything in return. Nobody in the Clinton investigation went to jail for lying about the process because there was no process," Graham told host Maria Bartiromo.
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WCSO Press Releases - Apr. 1, 2019
Date of Incident: 27 March 2019
Location: 4000 block of Snow Hill Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Joshua Dale Shelton, 27, Pittsville, MD
Narrative: On 27 March 2019 at 6:40 PM, a deputy arrested Joshua Shelton in connection with a residential burglary reported the week prior. At the time of this incident, the deputy met with the resident who advised that he had come home to discover the rear door had been forced open. It would be discovered that the perpetrator of the act made off with jewelry and watches that belonged to the victim.
During the ensuing investigation, a suspect, Joshua Shelton, was identified. The deputy would later have the opportunity to observe recorded surveillance video from the property where an individual recognized as Shelton was on the property. Based on that information the deputy obtained an arrest warrant for Shelton. Upon Shelton’s arrest he was transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Shelton on an Unsecured Bond.
Charges: Burglary 1st Degree, Burglary 3rd Degree, Burglary 4th Degree, Theft $1,500.00 to $25,000.00, Malicious Destruction of Property
Date of Incident: 30 March 2019
Location: Wicomico County
Suspect: Anthony S. Crossan, 23, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 30 March 2019 at 5:30 PM, deputies responded to the area of West Road and Morris Street for the report of several individuals riding off-road motorcycles in the roadway and causing a disturbance. Upon the approach of the marked Sheriff’s vehicles, these individuals then took off in an attempt to flee from the deputies. The deputies’ attempts to stop these individuals came up fruitless as these individuals left the roadway and rode on terrain where the deputies could not purse them.
Additional complaints were called into law enforcement throughout the afternoon of these individuals riding recklessly on public roadways placing the motoring public at risk. Every time a stop was attempted, these individuals would flee and leave the roadway.
During the ensuing investigation, a deputy located one of the motorcycles that was the subject of a pursuit parked on the property of a residence in the 1100 block of West Road. Even though someone was clearly home, no one would come to the door until a tow truck responded to impound the motorcycle for investigative purposes. Initially the resident denied any knowledge of the motorcycle or any of these incidents, but the operator, Anthony Crossan, subsequently emerged from the residence and identified himself as the rider. The investigating deputy placed Crossan under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Crossan on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Attempt to Flee and Elude, Reckless Driving, Negligent driving, Unregistered Motor Vehicle, Uninsured Motor Vehicle , Operating Without a License. Driving Off Roadway While Passing a vehicle
Governor Hogan Applauds Release of H-2B Visas to Help Maryland’s Crab Industry
Governor Hogan Applauds Release of H-2B Visas to Help Maryland’s Crab Industry
Calls for Permanent, Long-term Fix to Program
ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Larry Hogan today praised the decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to release an additional 30,000 visas through the H-2B Nonimmigrant Temporary Worker Program. H-2B workers are critical for Maryland’s seasonal blue crab industry and sweet corn processors. The governor also renewed his call for a permanent, long-term fix, such as reinstating the Returning Worker Exemption, expanding the current Seafood Exemption, or eliminating the cap altogether.
“I am pleased that the federal government has heeded our calls to raise the cap on the H-2B visa program, allowing our iconic processing houses on the Eastern Shore to open for business this year,” said Governor Hogan. “This is good news for this year, but we still need a long-term solution to this problem. I am calling on Congress to do the right thing and take action to ensure our crab houses have the workers they need to be successful.”
On March 14, Governor Hogan called on federal administration officials to reverse the 2018 decision to limit the number of visas available through the H-2B program and released a short film, The Watermen of Hoopers Island, which highlighted the threat that arbitrary federal visa policy changes posed to the crabbing industry. On Friday, Governor Hogan discussed the issue during a meeting with Maryland’s congressional delegation.
“A second year of hardship could permanently damage Maryland’s seafood industry, causing these iconic family businesses to close and having a devastating impact on jobs in our state,” said the governor in March. “The loss of these jobs and processors will threaten the livelihoods of commercial crabbers and watermen, and jeopardize our $355 million seafood industry."
A Maryland law is set to add a non-binary gender option to driver’s licenses
In June 2017, Shige Sakurai walked into the Washington, D.C., Department of Motor Vehicles as the first person in the country to receive a legally-issued, gender-neutral marker on their license.
Almost two years later, the students Sakurai advocates for at the University of Maryland will have the same opportunity.
The Maryland General Assembly passed legislation earlier this month to add a gender-neutral marker option to the state’s licenses and will make it possible for any resident to change their marked gender without documentation. If it becomes law, the program will begin in October.
Sakurai, the associate director of the LGBT Equity Center, said the move will help transgender and nonbinary people “know that they’re welcome and they’re full members of the community.”
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Almost two years later, the students Sakurai advocates for at the University of Maryland will have the same opportunity.
The Maryland General Assembly passed legislation earlier this month to add a gender-neutral marker option to the state’s licenses and will make it possible for any resident to change their marked gender without documentation. If it becomes law, the program will begin in October.
Sakurai, the associate director of the LGBT Equity Center, said the move will help transgender and nonbinary people “know that they’re welcome and they’re full members of the community.”
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Freshman Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar Says Living in Trump’s America “It’s an Everyday Assault” …(Ilhan Came here from Sh*thole Somalia)
Rep. Ilhan Omar is anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, anti-Whitey, anti-Trump and anti-America!
Ilhan Omar has attacked Mike Pence’s Christian faith and hurled anti-Semitic tropes at her Jewish colleagues.
Now this…
In a recent interview with Vogue Arabia Democrat Ilhan Omar said living in Trump’s America, “It’s an everyday assault.”
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Ilhan Omar has attacked Mike Pence’s Christian faith and hurled anti-Semitic tropes at her Jewish colleagues.
Now this…
In a recent interview with Vogue Arabia Democrat Ilhan Omar said living in Trump’s America, “It’s an everyday assault.”
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'I have lost it all:' Former BPD commissioner sentenced to prison
BALTIMORE —Former Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa was sentenced Friday to 10 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, after pleading guilty to failing to file federal tax returns over three years.
In court, prosecutors called De Sousa, 54, a tax cheat for inflating and falsifying deductions. De Sousa told Judge Catherine C. Blake he was caring for aging parents and should have gotten better tax preparation advice, saying, "I am embarrassed, saddened and disappointed. I have lost it all."
Blake ordered De Sousa to perform 100 hours of community service and to pay restitution in the full amount of the government's loss, which is $67,587.72. De Sousa's attorney said De Sousa cashed out his retirement to pay off what he owed.
De Sousa pleaded guilty in December to three counts of failing to file tax returns. He also admitted to falsely inflating deductions during several different years.
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In court, prosecutors called De Sousa, 54, a tax cheat for inflating and falsifying deductions. De Sousa told Judge Catherine C. Blake he was caring for aging parents and should have gotten better tax preparation advice, saying, "I am embarrassed, saddened and disappointed. I have lost it all."
Blake ordered De Sousa to perform 100 hours of community service and to pay restitution in the full amount of the government's loss, which is $67,587.72. De Sousa's attorney said De Sousa cashed out his retirement to pay off what he owed.
De Sousa pleaded guilty in December to three counts of failing to file tax returns. He also admitted to falsely inflating deductions during several different years.
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Sears cutting life insurance benefits for up to 90,000 retirees: report
Sears notified up to 90,000 of its retirees this month that it would be ending their life insurance benefits, CBS News reports.
Ron Olbrysh, the chairman of the National Association of Retired Sears Employees (NARSE), told the news agency this week that the company sent letters to eligible retirees notifying them that they would be losing their life insurance benefits on March 15.
But Olbrysh said he didn’t receive the notice until March 20.
The notice reportedly offers retirees the option to convert all or a portion of their group coverage into an individual whole life policy and cover the costs of premiums.
One of the chain’s retirees, Tom Dowd, told the Chicago Tribune that he worked for the company for three decades before retiring from his role as a human resources manager in 1998.
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Ron Olbrysh, the chairman of the National Association of Retired Sears Employees (NARSE), told the news agency this week that the company sent letters to eligible retirees notifying them that they would be losing their life insurance benefits on March 15.
But Olbrysh said he didn’t receive the notice until March 20.
The notice reportedly offers retirees the option to convert all or a portion of their group coverage into an individual whole life policy and cover the costs of premiums.
One of the chain’s retirees, Tom Dowd, told the Chicago Tribune that he worked for the company for three decades before retiring from his role as a human resources manager in 1998.
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Omar Refuses To Condemn Gays Being Stoned To Death Under Sharia Law, Violence Against Israel From Hamas
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who has called for defunding the entire Department of Homeland Security, expressed outrage over the crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border this week, calling the conditions that illegal aliens were being detained in “abhorrent and inhumane” and a “reflection” of “white nationalism.”
“This is abhorrent and inhumane,” Omar tweeted of the conditions in which a group of detained migrants was being kept. “It’s without a doubt a reflection of what white nationalism is doing to our country. As a country, we have to acknowledge that this is how people are being treated here and decide that we are better and we must do better.”
Following Omar’s remarks, The Daily Wire reached out to her office via phone and email to get her thoughts on two recent news items.
The first story comes from Brunei, where Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah has said that new Sharia laws that are going into effect are a form of “special guidance” from God, according to Sky News.
“This is abhorrent and inhumane,” Omar tweeted of the conditions in which a group of detained migrants was being kept. “It’s without a doubt a reflection of what white nationalism is doing to our country. As a country, we have to acknowledge that this is how people are being treated here and decide that we are better and we must do better.”
Following Omar’s remarks, The Daily Wire reached out to her office via phone and email to get her thoughts on two recent news items.
The first story comes from Brunei, where Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah has said that new Sharia laws that are going into effect are a form of “special guidance” from God, according to Sky News.
Accuser Vanessa Tyson Says She is Ready to Testify Before Virginia General Assembly that Democratic Lt. Gov. Fairfax Sexually Assaulted Her
Accuser Vanessa Tyson told “Face the Nation” she is ready to testify before VA General Assembly that Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax sexually assaulted her.
The interview will be aired in full later this week.
Tyson says she is ready to testify under oath in front of the Virginia General Assembly.
She wants Fairfax to resign.
The Democrat Lt. Governor says he’s innocent and claims he took a polygraph test to prove it.
Polygraph tests are not admissable in any Virginia courts.
Video
The interview will be aired in full later this week.
Tyson says she is ready to testify under oath in front of the Virginia General Assembly.
She wants Fairfax to resign.
The Democrat Lt. Governor says he’s innocent and claims he took a polygraph test to prove it.
Polygraph tests are not admissable in any Virginia courts.
Video
Jussie Smollett loses NAACP award, skips out on awards dinner
CHICAGO -- "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, who sparked rumors he would be attending this year's NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles, is a loser.
The embattled television star was nominated for best supporting actor in a television drama for his role as Jamal Lyon on the Fox series but was edged out by "Grey's Anatomy" star Jesse Williams, ABC reported.
Smollett has been nominated for the award four years in a row and won in 2017.
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The embattled television star was nominated for best supporting actor in a television drama for his role as Jamal Lyon on the Fox series but was edged out by "Grey's Anatomy" star Jesse Williams, ABC reported.
Smollett has been nominated for the award four years in a row and won in 2017.
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Joe Biden on #MeToo Allegations: I ‘May Not Recall These Moments the Same Way’
Biden’s first statement followed the publication of an essay on Friday by former Nevada lawmaker Lucy Flores in which she recalled Biden moving in close to her, smelling her hair, and kissing her on the back of the head — all without her consent.
In response to that article, Biden’s spokesperson released a statement:
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Breaking: In Earth-Shattering Turn of Events, Assembly Passes Hogan Redistricting Legislation*
For immediate release:
April 1, 2019 Contact: Department of Wit and Hilarity
April 1, 2019 Contact: Department of Wit and Hilarity
Breaking: In Earth-Shattering Turn of Events, Assembly Passes Hogan Redistricting Legislation*Entrenched Partisan Interests Set Aside as Marylanders Cheer The Restoration of Free and Fair Elections
ANNAPOLIS, MD - In a stunning rebuke of status-quo partisan politics, the Maryland General Assembly today sent Senate Bill 90 and Senate Bill 91 directly to Governor Larry Hogan’s desk. The bills abruptly and unexpectedly end Maryland’s distinction of having the most gerrymandered districts in America.
“Wait, what?” Governor Hogan asked upon coming into his office and seeing the bills on his desk. “Here I thought they were going to leave our legislation in a drawer, and they just went and did the right thing. This is the most bipartisan, common sense solution to come out of the General Assembly in the 243-year history of our state. We are truly changing Maryland - and maps - for the better!”
Governor Hogan has been fighting for redistricting reform since before he became governor. He fulfilled a campaign promise by creating a bipartisan redistricting reform commission, and for four years in a row, he has introduced non-partisan redistricting reform legislation. It has never even been brought up for a vote on the floor - until now.
“Must have been my star turn with Schwarzenegger. Had to be that,” Hogan, the newly crowned recipient of the Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown Mendez Award, said. “I’m even thinking of having all our state highway signs changed from, ‘Welcome to Maryland, We’re Open for Business’ to ‘Welcome to Maryland, We’re Closed to Gerrymandering.’”
*The headline and what follows are satire, but this issue is just the opposite. Representative democracy is older than our republic itself. Governor Hogan is asking for an up-or-down vote on his redistricting legislation. That vote comes down to a simple question: are you for partisan gerrymandering or are you for free and fair elections?
Is It Racist? Black Georgia Mayor Bans White Reporters From Press Conference
No media (T.V. Radio, etc.) Black Press Only!" read a sign posted on the door of Bolton Street Baptist Church, the Savannah Morning News reported.
White reporters were denied entry to a meeting to discuss an upcoming mayoral race in Georgia, while black reporters for at least two television stations and the publisher of the black-owned Savannah Tribune newspaper were allowed into the meeting.
Reporters who got inside were prohibited from taking photos, video or audio recording, according to Stephen Moody, an African-American reporter with WJCL who attended the event.
AP reports that Mayor Eddie DeLoach is seeking re-election this fall. He became Savannah's first white mayor in 20 years after winning the 2015 campaign.
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White reporters were denied entry to a meeting to discuss an upcoming mayoral race in Georgia, while black reporters for at least two television stations and the publisher of the black-owned Savannah Tribune newspaper were allowed into the meeting.
Reporters who got inside were prohibited from taking photos, video or audio recording, according to Stephen Moody, an African-American reporter with WJCL who attended the event.
AP reports that Mayor Eddie DeLoach is seeking re-election this fall. He became Savannah's first white mayor in 20 years after winning the 2015 campaign.
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Chincoteague Wild Ponies Moved After Visitors Ignore Rules About Approaching, Feeding Horses
CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. (WJZ) — The wild ponies on Chincoteague were moved to the south corral over the weekend after local officials said visitors broke the rules around interacting with the horses.
According to the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce, the fire company moved Riptide and his band after visitors approached the ponies and tried to feed them.
“The ponies will remain there until Spring Roundup on April 12-13 because onlookers continue to disregard the three simple rules that are in place to keep them safe and the ponies in their natural habitat for all to enjoy,” the chamber posted on its Facebook page.
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According to the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce, the fire company moved Riptide and his band after visitors approached the ponies and tried to feed them.
“The ponies will remain there until Spring Roundup on April 12-13 because onlookers continue to disregard the three simple rules that are in place to keep them safe and the ponies in their natural habitat for all to enjoy,” the chamber posted on its Facebook page.
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34% Of Michigan Trump Rally Attendees Were Registered Democrats: Parscale
Approximately 34% of attendees at President Trump's Thursday night rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan were registered Democrats, according to Trump's 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale.
Speaking on Saturday with Fox News' Jesse Watters, Parscale explained that the campaign uses the phone numbers of attendees to look up their voter information.
"We had tens of thousands of registrants, I believe 34% of the people who came to the Michigan rally were Democrats," said Parscale, adding "Almost half had only voted once in the last four elections."
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Speaking on Saturday with Fox News' Jesse Watters, Parscale explained that the campaign uses the phone numbers of attendees to look up their voter information.
"We had tens of thousands of registrants, I believe 34% of the people who came to the Michigan rally were Democrats," said Parscale, adding "Almost half had only voted once in the last four elections."
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Senate Passes Bill Targeting Potential Political Influence in State Hiring
After a lengthy debate Friday afternoon, the Maryland Senate passed a bill that would require reporting about the involvement in the governor’s appointments office in state hiring decisions.
Senate Bill 751 was introduced by Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Baltimore, Howard), who is co-chair of the Joint Committee on Fair Practices and State Personnel Oversight. For two sessions, he has been raising questions about state employees at Grade 19 or higher who were vetted by the governor’s appointments office before being hired.
He introduced a similar bill last legislative session in the House of Delegates that passed that chamber, but died in the Senate for lack of time. This year, the measure passed the Senate 26-17 on Friday and heads over to the House late in the session.
Lam and supporters of the bill say they are concerned that the appointments office is considering the political leanings of state applicants or other information that should not be relevant to their qualifications for employment. The lawmakers have received limited information about the role of the appointments office, including a statistic provided at a briefing on the topic last fall: between July 1, 2017, and Sept. 27, 2018, 346 of the 771 people hired by state agencies at Grade 19 or higher had been vetted first by the governor’s appointments office.
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Senate Bill 751 was introduced by Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Baltimore, Howard), who is co-chair of the Joint Committee on Fair Practices and State Personnel Oversight. For two sessions, he has been raising questions about state employees at Grade 19 or higher who were vetted by the governor’s appointments office before being hired.
He introduced a similar bill last legislative session in the House of Delegates that passed that chamber, but died in the Senate for lack of time. This year, the measure passed the Senate 26-17 on Friday and heads over to the House late in the session.
Lam and supporters of the bill say they are concerned that the appointments office is considering the political leanings of state applicants or other information that should not be relevant to their qualifications for employment. The lawmakers have received limited information about the role of the appointments office, including a statistic provided at a briefing on the topic last fall: between July 1, 2017, and Sept. 27, 2018, 346 of the 771 people hired by state agencies at Grade 19 or higher had been vetted first by the governor’s appointments office.
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"Trump Was Not Just Spied Upon, It Was Entrapment"
It's bad enough, as has been evident for some time, that Donald Trump and his campaign were being spied upon by our own government, but it's highly likely they were also subject to literal entrapment--at least a serious attempt was made.
I don't mean the entrapment of promulgating the salacious Steele dossier both to the public and the FISA court as if it were the truth. That was more of a smear to justify a phony investigation. I mean something more subtle and LeCarré-like coming from the depths of our intelligence communities. It raises once more the question of the power of such agencies in a free society, a conundrum with no easy answers but of great significance to our lives.
For all his New York rough-and-tumble, Trump was an innocent abroad when he arrived in Washington. Way back in January 2017, he was warned by old-timer Chuck Schumer that "intel officials have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you."
The Senate minority leader--Deep Stater par excellence--knew whereof he spoke. But Trump somehow survived the storm, although sometimes it seemed as if he wouldn't. Now, some of the obvious parties --John K. Brennan and James Clapper with their apparatchik miens -- have suddenly found themselves in the crosshairs, as the Washington Times notes:
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I don't mean the entrapment of promulgating the salacious Steele dossier both to the public and the FISA court as if it were the truth. That was more of a smear to justify a phony investigation. I mean something more subtle and LeCarré-like coming from the depths of our intelligence communities. It raises once more the question of the power of such agencies in a free society, a conundrum with no easy answers but of great significance to our lives.
For all his New York rough-and-tumble, Trump was an innocent abroad when he arrived in Washington. Way back in January 2017, he was warned by old-timer Chuck Schumer that "intel officials have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you."
The Senate minority leader--Deep Stater par excellence--knew whereof he spoke. But Trump somehow survived the storm, although sometimes it seemed as if he wouldn't. Now, some of the obvious parties --John K. Brennan and James Clapper with their apparatchik miens -- have suddenly found themselves in the crosshairs, as the Washington Times notes:
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GOP Lawmakers Introduce Redistricting Bill That’s Likely to Sit on the Shelf
In what is likely a ceremonial gesture, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) introduced a bill this week in the General Assembly that would redraw the lines between Maryland’s 6th and 8th congressional districts.
The proposed map was created by an emergency commission on redistricting convened by Hogan after last year’s federal court order declaring the 6th District contours unconstitutional.
A U.S. District Court panel had ruled that the state needed to produce a new map by March 7 and suggested that it be drawn by a bipartisan commission. The court’s judgment, however, was stayed until the outcome of the case at the Supreme Court, which heard arguments this week.
Nevertheless, the Hogan Administration introduced House Bill 1430 and Senate Bill 1050 to change the congressional map on Thursday, with just over a week left in the 2019 General Assembly session. The Senate voted 47-0 and the House of Delegates voted 136-1 to allow the late introduction of the bill; Montgomery County Del. Gabriel Acevero (D) cast the lone dissenting vote in the legislature.
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The proposed map was created by an emergency commission on redistricting convened by Hogan after last year’s federal court order declaring the 6th District contours unconstitutional.
A U.S. District Court panel had ruled that the state needed to produce a new map by March 7 and suggested that it be drawn by a bipartisan commission. The court’s judgment, however, was stayed until the outcome of the case at the Supreme Court, which heard arguments this week.
Nevertheless, the Hogan Administration introduced House Bill 1430 and Senate Bill 1050 to change the congressional map on Thursday, with just over a week left in the 2019 General Assembly session. The Senate voted 47-0 and the House of Delegates voted 136-1 to allow the late introduction of the bill; Montgomery County Del. Gabriel Acevero (D) cast the lone dissenting vote in the legislature.
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Italy's interior minister demands chemical castration for the alleged rapists of 19-year-old American au pair
Italy's interior minister and leader of the right-wing League, Matteo Salvini, has called for three young men who allegedly gang-raped a 19-year-old American au pair to be chemically castrated if convicted.
The victim accused Roberto Mirabella, 20, Salvatore Castrogiovanni, 19, and Agatino Spampinato, 19, of luring her from a bar in Catania, on the east coast of Sicily, before raping her in a car park and filming the attack.
Following the three men's arrest, Mr Salvini tweeted on Wednesday: 'No leniency for the molesting worms who raped a tourist. Guaranteed jail time and chemical castration!'
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The victim accused Roberto Mirabella, 20, Salvatore Castrogiovanni, 19, and Agatino Spampinato, 19, of luring her from a bar in Catania, on the east coast of Sicily, before raping her in a car park and filming the attack.
Following the three men's arrest, Mr Salvini tweeted on Wednesday: 'No leniency for the molesting worms who raped a tourist. Guaranteed jail time and chemical castration!'
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BISCUITS ARE NOW FORBIDDEN*
In case you are not on Facebook or do not follow UPS Dogs, it is a Facebook page that posts pictures of customer's pets and UPS drivers. Pet owners and UPS drivers send in pictures and they will post them on Facebook. Last I heard there was a 3 to 4 month wait to get your picture posted because so many were sending in pictures. The gentlemen that started the page has superb writing skills. Dogs have come to expect their biscuits when they see those brown trucks. This post came as somewhere of a shock. Make sure you read to the end.
Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty To Hate Crime Hoax SPLC Used To Slam Trump
After the 2016 election, the Southern Poverty Law Center accepted every accusation of racism or sexism provided to it as evidence of America’s decline after electing President Donald Trump.
But even before the election, the discredited “anti-hate” group was sounding the alarm on any story that could be used against Trump before waiting for the actual details. On November 2, 2016, the SPLC’s “Hatewatch Staff” posted a story titled “Authorities Suspect Voter Intimidation in Burning, Vandalism of Mississippi Church.”
The article was about the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church being set on fire and the words “Vote Trump” spray-painted on the side of the building. SPLC also mentioned this incident in its massive list of alleged hate crimes following Trump’s election (the vast majority of which were allegations from people reaching out to SPLC without providing a shred of evidence for their claims).
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But even before the election, the discredited “anti-hate” group was sounding the alarm on any story that could be used against Trump before waiting for the actual details. On November 2, 2016, the SPLC’s “Hatewatch Staff” posted a story titled “Authorities Suspect Voter Intimidation in Burning, Vandalism of Mississippi Church.”
The article was about the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church being set on fire and the words “Vote Trump” spray-painted on the side of the building. SPLC also mentioned this incident in its massive list of alleged hate crimes following Trump’s election (the vast majority of which were allegations from people reaching out to SPLC without providing a shred of evidence for their claims).
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SHALLOW STATE: HOW CONGRESS PROTECTS ITS OWN
Members of Congress are old. Really old. The House Democrats’ top three leaders are all 78 or 79.
Democrat John Dingell was re-elected to the House every two years from 1955 to 2014, even though he represented Detroit during the period in which the city sank from America’s crown jewel of manufacturing to a symbol of urban blight. In 2014 he was replaced — by his wife.
Republican Strom Thurmond was a racial segregationist born in 1902 who served in the upper chamber from 1956 until 2003. The nation changed, but he remained in office. By the end, his aides were dragging him around and propping him up like a marionette. Who did this serve?
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Democrat John Dingell was re-elected to the House every two years from 1955 to 2014, even though he represented Detroit during the period in which the city sank from America’s crown jewel of manufacturing to a symbol of urban blight. In 2014 he was replaced — by his wife.
Republican Strom Thurmond was a racial segregationist born in 1902 who served in the upper chamber from 1956 until 2003. The nation changed, but he remained in office. By the end, his aides were dragging him around and propping him up like a marionette. Who did this serve?
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