Huawei: The story of a controversial company

The African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa is a shiny spaceship-like structure that glistens in the afternoon sun.

With its accompanying skyscraper, it stands out in the Ethiopian capital.

Greetings in Mandarin welcome visitors as they enter the lifts, and the plastic palm trees bear the logos of the China Development Bank.

Everywhere, there are small indications that the building was made possible through Chinese financial aid.

In 2006, Beijing pledged $200m to build the headquarters. Completed in 2012, everything was custom-built by the Chinese - including a state-of-the-art computer system.

For several years, the building stood as a proud testament to ever-closer ties between China and Africa. Trade has rocketed over the past two decades, growing by about 20% a year, according to international consultancy McKinsey. China is Africa’s largest economic partner.

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Town Meeting on Saturday, May 4

Main Street Patriots Eastern Shore MD

We have again been presented with an opportunity to stand up for what we believe in.  On Saturday May 4th @ 10 AM two County Commissioners will hold a Town Hall at the Ocean Pines Library, and guest speakers will include the new Worcester Sheriff and the new County States Attorney (prosecutor).  This is a rare opportunity to hear the viewpoints of locally influential people who have a heck of a lot control over your rights and your quality of life, and to tell them how you feel about the issues at hand.

And FYI, one or more of our group will ask the new sheriff about his position on our constitutional rights when it comes to the 2nd Amendment, as well as asking him, the States Attorney, and the Commissioners about their feelings re Worcester County become a Second Amendment Sanctuary County, as many counties across the country have done.  (The America-haters are trying to take away our First Amendment right to free speech, but the Second Amendment stands in their way.)

 

Please attend, support our speakers, and speak up yourself if you see fit.   

From the email announcing of the townhall:

 

Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino will host a town meeting on Saturday, May 4 at 10 a.m. at the Ocean Pines library.  He will discuss issues and developments impacting the Ocean Pines district and the county.   Commissioner Bertino’s guest speakers include Worcester County Sheriff Matthew Crisafulli, Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser and Lynne Barton, principal of Stephen Decatur Middle School.

PRESS RELEASE- Pemberton Hall - Salisbury, Md

Pemberton Hall, an outstanding example of 18th century architecture, located in Pemberton Historic Park, will be open to the public Saturdays 12pm – 2pm beginning in May through October. Pemberton Historical Park with its 262 acres of scenic trails and water views can be explored year-round at 5561 Plantation Lane, Salisbury, Maryland. Find more at www.pembertonhall.org

WHILE WE SLEPT, TRUMP PUT THE FED IN CHECK, CUT OFF THE GREEDY GLOBAL BANKING FAMILIES & BEAT CHINA!

In-Dept Look At Crisis On Southern Border

Cartel Gunmen in Armored SUV Clash with Mexican Military near Border

Cartel gunmen used an armored SUV during a clash with Mexican military forces near the Texas border. The fierce gun battle killed one gunman while authorities managed to arrest four others. The rest of the hitmen managed to escape.

The shootout took place on Friday afternoon near the town of Vallecillo, Nuevo Leon, approximately 50 miles south of the border with Laredo, Texas. The scene of the gun battle is not far from a cartel incineration site discovered last year. The fighting began when a convoy of Mexican soldiers spotted four SUV’s and an armored truck known as a “monstruo” or “monster” leaving a business.

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NOI 4/28/19 Wicomico Outbuilding Fire Marshall Street

NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION Date:   April 28, 2019 Time:   8:44 p.m. Location / Address:   309 Marshall St., Salisbury, Wicomico Co. Type of Incident:  Fire Description of Structure / Property:  10’ x 20’ wood framed residential outbuilding Owner / Occupants:  Chester Parker Injuries or Deaths:  None Estimated $ Loss: Structure:  $4,000                      Contents: $1,000 Smoke Alarm Status:  n/a Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status:  n/a Arrests(s):  None Primary Responding Fire Department:  Salisbury Fire Department # of Alarms:  1     # Of Firefighters:  15 Time to Control:  15 minutes Discovered By:  Passerby Area of Origin:  Exterior Preliminary Cause:   Incendiary (intentionally set fire) Additional Information:  Anyone with information is asked to call the Salisbury Office at (410) 713-3780.

No prison time for school bus driver who admitted to raping 14-year-old girl

A former upstate New York bus driver who admitted to raping a 14-year-old girl will avoid prison time.

Shane M. Piche, 26, was sentenced to 10 years' probation last week, the Watertown Daily Times reported. The ruling comes two months after Piche pleaded guilty to third-degree rape in the 2018 incident.

Police said he met the girl on a bus he drove for the city's school district, but raped her at his Watertown home.

As part of his plea deal, Piche is not allowed to be alone with anyone under the age of 17. He must also register as a Level 1 sex offender -- which is less severe than the Level 2 designation the district attorney recommended.

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WCSO Press Releases - April 26, 2019

Incident: “Most Wanted” Fugitive Apprehension
Date of Incident: 4 April 2019
Suspect: Kelite Ferreras, 35, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 11 April 2019, officers assigned to the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force responded to Baltimore Washington International Airport for the purpose of collecting Kelite Ferreras who arrived under an armed escort following his deportation from Haiti. After a two-year fugitive investigation conducted by the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshal’s Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the United States State Department in addition to Special Investigators on the ground in Haiti, Kelite Ferreras was arrested by the U.S. State Department with the assistance of the Haitian National Police on 23 March 2019. Ferreras was arrested as a fugitive from the State of Maryland after he failed to appear for court on March 2017 to answer the charges of Rape Second Degree, Sex abuse of a minor, Sex Offense Second Degree and Incest.
Ferreras is currently housed in the Wicomico County Detention Center without bond pending his next appearance in the Circuit Court,
Charges: Sex Abuse of a Minor /Household, Rape 2nd Degree, Sex Offense 2nd Degree, Incest

**********************************************

On Saturday April 27, 2019 just after midnight, a deputy on patrol was conducting a probable cause search of a vehicle when this loaded .357 Magnum Revolver was located in the rear passenger area. The deputy was able to discern that the handgun belonged to one of the passengers in the vehicle, Jaron Purnell, 18 years of age and from Snow Hill, Maryland. Not only was Purnell prohibited by age from possessing the firearm, he was also a prohibited person due to a previous adjudication. Purnell was arrested and transported to the Central Booking Unit. Following an initial appearance, Purnell was detained without bond in the Detention Center.

Anti-Gunners Call For Gun Control Laws Following Poway Synagogue Shooting But This Is What They're Getting Wrong

Every time some sort of mass shooting occurs, anti-gunners rush to call for stricter gun control laws. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department and the FBI are still investigating the shooting that took place earlier today at the Chabad of Poway Synagogue, just outside of San Diego. We don't even know all of the facts yet, but from what we do know, gun control laws anti-gunners want to push are either already on the books or would have made no difference.

Here are some of the gun control calls (so far):

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Today marks the end of an era.

Push Them Hard Enough And The Productive Class Will Opt Out Of Servitude

People love their big paychecks, but they also value their sanity.

One of the most astonishing manifestations of disconnected-from-reality hubris is public authorities' sublime confidence that employers and entrepreneurs will continue starting and operating enterprises no matter how difficult and costly it becomes to keep the doors open, much less net a profit.

The average employee / state dependent reckons that the small business owner / entrepreneur is killing it financially, banking a small fortune in pure profit every month, and that they're doing what they love so they'll continue doing it no matter what. In other words, they're all wealthy Tax Donkeys who can easily afford higher taxes and fees and will tolerate paying more to keep doing what they love.

Wrong on both counts--dead wrong. A far more typical response is the one a house painter emailed me last year: every day, he reported, he wanted to dump his spray rig and power washer in a dumpster and leave the U.S.

The number of small businesses and entrepreneurs hanging on by a thread financially and emotionally is legion. Rather than killing it, they're getting killed by rising rents, wages, labor overhead, taxes, fees, licensing, inspection fees, insurance and so on.

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OC’s Springfest Returns Thursday

OCEAN CITY — Ocean City celebrates the start of the season with the 29th annual production of Springfest, May 2-5.

The annual event, located in the Inlet parking lot, features live music, art, crafts, food and more – all located adjacent to Ocean City’s historic boardwalk and beautiful clean beach. Springfest, one of the top arts and crafts shows in the United States, features nearly 300 vendors with over 250 selling art and crafts. Visitors should also bring their appetite as the event includes 30 food vendors serving a variety of delicious offerings, from famous Eastern Shore delicacies an assortment of ethnic food and gourmet offerings.

Springfest comes to life with a diverse variety of live musical entertainment on two stages all day for four days with anchoring ticketed evening headline acts. Almost Queen, the Ultimate Queen Experience, takes the stage Thursday, May 2, beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $10 and will be available on the festival grounds at the Springfest ticket booth. LeAnn Rimes will play to a sold out country music crowd on Friday night. Saturday evening hosts an 80’s night with Night Ranger and special guest The Reagan Years. Don’t let the fun stop there, purchase tickets at Springfest for the headline acts at Sunfest, which will be held Sept. 19-22.

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Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein submits resignation

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Monday submitted his resignation to President Trump, effective May 11.

Attorney General William Barr in a statement said Rosenstein served the Justice Department "with dedication and distinction."

"His devotion to the Department and its professionals is unparalleled," the statement read. "Over the course of his distinguished government career, he has navigated many challenging situations with strength, grace, and good humor."

Rosenstein previously served as deputy assistant attorney general and U.S. attorney.

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/deputy-ag-rod-rosenstein-submits-resignation

Drug Czar: ’93 Percent of Heroin’ in U.S. ‘Comes from Mexico’

Jim Carroll, director of the U.S. Office of Drug Control Policy, told Breitbart News that “93 percent of heroin” in the country “comes from Mexico,” offering his remarks on Friday’s edition of SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily with host Alex Marlow.

Carroll’s comments came ahead of the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Takeback Day, scheduled for Saturday. The DEA is encouraging Americans to “prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths” by disposing of unwanted, unused, and expired prescription medications at collection sites.

Marlow invited Carroll’s comments linking border security to the DEA’s broader mandate to enforce laws and regulations related to controlled substances.

“We’re really working hard, especially our folks at DHS, whether it’s the U.S. Coast Guard out at sea, border patrol, or Customs and Border Protection,” replied Carroll. “These men and women out there are really doing everything they can to protect us from drugs coming into our country.”

Carroll added, “I think it’s important for everyone to realize — when we talk about the southwest border — 93 percent of the heroin that comes into the country comes from Mexico. So it’s coming right across the border.”

“We know fentanyl is being produced in Mexico as well as China, and coming across the border, as well,” continued Carroll. “Even cocaine from Columbia is not all coming by sea, some it is also coming up through the southwest border, as well.”

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Federal Court Rules Against Catholic Foster Care Agency

A federal appeals court sided with the city of Philadelphia against a foster parent and the Catholic foster care agency with which she works in a Monday ruling.

In Sharonell Fulton, et al. v. City of Philadelphia, the court upheld a city policy that prevents Catholic Social Services from finding families for foster children, according to a press release from Becket Law.

In 2018, the city of Philadelphia made an urgent call for more foster parents to help the "nearly 6,000 children and youth" in foster care in the city. Despite being a top-ranked foster agency, Catholic Social Services was not allowed to place more children with families.

A week after making the call for more foster parents, Philadelphia stopped referring children to Catholic Social Services and then threatened to terminate its contract with the organization if it did not give up its religious beliefs about marriage. Becket notes that no family had ever filed a complaint with Catholic Social Services on account of its Catholic mission, and no child had ever been unable to find a home because of the organization's beliefs.

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‘Outrageous’ bill may release murderers, rapists back on city streets

A state bill that could unleash hundreds of locked-up murderers, rapists and other hardened felons is incensing New York City law enforcement officials who say it would undo years of crime-fighting.

The “elder parole” bill, which would grant parole eligibility to all inmates ages 55 and up who have been in prison at least 15 years, is “outrageous and idiotic,” said Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon.

The legislation would even extend to those serving life without parole, a group which includes famed criminals such as ‘90s serial killer Joel Rifkin, the Queens Wendy’s massacre mastermind John Taylor, and Bronx child rapist Clarence Moss.

The rush to let killers loose leaves the families of the victims by the wayside, said Queens Chief Assistant District Attorney John Ryan.

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Accident: Old Ocean City Road Parsonsburg

Congress Needs to Sunset Unnecessary Legislation

One of the big problems with Washington, D.C. is that politicians allow expiring legislation to continue on -- even when unnecessary. The idea of requiring a sunset of legislation makes sense, because there are times when Congress needs to revisit legislation in the years after an idea is made into law. If the law continues to have popular support and is still necessary, then it should be reauthorized. When legislation is given a sunset date, because it addresses a temporary situation and the drafters intended for this legislation to remedy a short-term situation, then that legislation should be allowed to expire.

We have witnessed example after example of permanent legislation becoming that is in need of a revision or expungement. FreedomWorks has a funny list of federal laws that might be in need of a second look including: 21 USC Sec. 461 & 9 CFR Sec. 381.171(d) makes it a crime to sell “Turkey Ham” as “Ham Turkey” or with the words “Turkey” and “Ham” in different fonts; and, 18 USC Sec. 1865 & 36 CFR Sec. 7.96(b)(3) make it a federal crime to harass a golfer or tennis player in any national park in Washington, DC. There are elements in current law in need of a second look. These laws show that Congress has a difficult time dealing with changed circumstances and updating existing laws that seem to have no current useful purpose.

A great example of a law that Congress has an easy route to fix is one that is embedded in a law providing a massive subsidy to corporate America. Congress passed temporary legislation in 1988, and reauthorized in 2014, titled the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization Act (STELAR) containing the subsidy. This bill originally provided subsidies and special permissions for small and newly deployed satellite companies, to help them compete with dominant cable companies. These supports were put in place 30 years ago, yet they are continually reauthorized in legislation scheduled to sunset at the end of this year.

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Gunfire from Mexico Crossed Border and Hit Texas Woman in Face

Police officers in Laredo, Texas, say that a woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries after being shot in the face by a stray bullet they believe was fired from the Mexican side of the border. Laredo police say they turned the case over to the FBI as a “transnational event.”

Laredo Police Department officers responded to a call Saturday night at a local hospital in regards to a woman who appeared to have sustained a gunshot wound to the face. The officers traveled to the location where the woman said she had been shot, according to a Laredo Police Department press release.

When officers arrived on the scene of the shooting, they found two additional bullet holes in a house. The officers followed the trajectory of the bullet and found an additional impact point in a house located to the east of the original location. At that location, officers found a projectile of an undetermined caliber and recovered it from that house.

“Initial information indicates that the bullet may be a stray bullet coming from the Mexican side of the border,” police officials stated in the press release.

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Trump: Judge Napolitano Asked Me for Supreme Court Appointment

President Donald Trump said Saturday evening that Fox News Channel senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano asked to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court and for a pardon for a friend of the former superior court judge in New Jersey.

The president tweeted after his rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, that Napolitano turned “very hostile” once his request to be nominated to the highest court in the land was rejected.

“Thank you to brilliant and highly respected attorney Alan Dershowitz for destroying the very dumb legal argument of “Judge” Andrew Napolitano,” wrote President Trump.

“Ever since Andrew came to my office to ask that I appoint him to the U.S. Supreme Court, and I said NO, he has been very hostile! Also asked for pardon for his friend. A good ‘pal’ of low ratings Shepard Smith,” he concluded, with a shot at Fox News Channel daytime news anchor.

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New York Times Publishes Antisemitic, ‘Offensive’ Cartoon, Fails to Apologize

In Thursday’s international edition of The New York Times, a cartoon with “anti-Semitic tropes” was published that portrayed a blind President Trump led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu depicted as a dog with a Star of David collar around its neck.

The cartoon appeared in the April 25 international edition and coincided with the end of the Passover holiday and Shabbat, two days many observant Jews were not online.

The cartoon was quickly criticized by several social media users.

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OC: Man Jumps Off Balcony, Battles Police Until Taser Deployed

OCEAN CITY — A Virginia man faces numerous charges this week after a bizarre incident involving jumping off a second-floor hotel balcony onto the dune, fleeing from police and ultimately having to be hit with a Taser.

Around 8 p.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to a hotel at 91stStreet to assist Ocean City EMS with an individual suffering from an alcohol overdose. When OCPD officers arrived and entered the hotel room, they observed a female on the floor vomiting in a waste basket, according to police reports.

Abner Velasquez-Sanchez, 24, of Woodbridge, Va., was also in the room. When officers asked Velasquez-Sanchez where the female’s identification was, he became visibly nervous and began pacing in the room with his breathing accelerated, according to police reports.

Velasquez-Sanchez reportedly asked the officer to come out on the hotel balcony and speak with him, but the officer said no. In the meantime, a hotel staffer located the female’s wallet in a purse and OCPD officers found her identification inside. The officer attempted to verify the female’s identification and placed the wallet on the bed.

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250 new herpes cases a day reported during Coachella music festival

More than one of every six Americans ages 14-49 have 

genital herpes.

This year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was headlined by hundreds of musical acts. It was also headlined by hundreds of new cases of the herpes simplex virus, according to a report by HerpAlert.

HerpAlert is an app that connects patients who think they may have HSV with physicians for secure, private and fast diagnosis and treatment. It told CBS Los Angeles that it normally deals with 12 cases a day.

However, during the two weekends of the 2019 Coachella festival, the rate spiked to 250 cases a day in the towns surrounding the famed event, KCAL reports.

In all, 1,105 herpes cases were reported in the Coachella Valley area and in the nearby cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, the NY Post reports.

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Dark Money Leftist Group Runs Facebook Ads Targeting Kavanaugh

A dark money progressive organization hoping for a leftward turn on the courts is targeting Justice Brett Kavanaugh with advertisements, suggesting the Court is illegitimate following his elevation last October.

"Brett Kavanaugh's performance during his testimony in front of the Senate was a disgrace. His blatant partisan attacks and hostile behavior towards senators calls into question his ability to serve as a fair and impartial judge. His conduct undermines the legitimacy of his decisions and the entire Supreme Court," the ad reads.

"We're calling on Congress to open an investigation into Kavanaugh right now."

Other ads by the group Demand Justice alleged there was "overwhelming evidence that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh committed perjury during his confirmation hearings before the Senate" and also urged George Mason University to "fire" Kavanaugh from teaching a summer course at the Virginia school.

Unlike most other political players in this arena, Demand Justice is neither a political action committee nor a nonprofit.

"Instead, Demand Justice operates as an unincorporated entity organized by a tax-exempt fiscal sponsor," said a recent report from the Center for Responsive Politics.

"That sponsor is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit named Sixteen Thirty Fund, which provides a legal home and steers money from secret donors to more than 40 different unincorporated entities that are consequently not required to file separate tax returns or other incorporation documents."

[A Daily Caller News Foundation review has found that Demand Justice’s primary financial supporter, the Sixteen Thirty fund, is a one to whom Soros has given millions.]

More here


[Do you remember the definition of 'money laundering'? --Editor]

Biden: ‘Not One Single Whisper of Scandal’ During the Obama Administration

Former vice president and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said on Friday that the thing he was most proud of about the Obama administration was that there was "not one single whisper of scandal."

"The thing I'm proudest of is we, coincidentally, we were each in a different part of the country and we were each talking to groups of people that were being televised. On the same day, purely coincidentally, we were asked what are you proudest of from your administration? You know what I said—he said the same thing, though probably a bit more clearly than I did: Not one single whisper of scandal," Biden said on ABC's The View. "That's because of Barack Obama."

This has been a common refrain among Democrats and people in the media. In 2018, Obama himself declared his presidency was free from scandal.

"I didn't have scandals, which seems like it shouldn't be something you brag about," Obama said.

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Baltimore a den of thieves?

A lot of solid blue cities are getting raided by the FBI for corruption these days -Los Angeles, Taylor, Michigan, near Detroit, Chicago, the town of Harvey, Illinois, near Chicago, Edinburg, Texas... But none look quite so corrupt from top to bottom as Baltimore, whose mayor seems to be on the run from the long arm of the law (oh, wait, pneumonia) over a corrupt book deal, and now thieves are coming out of the woodwork like cockroaches. Here's the Baltimore Sun's description of the latest details:

The job training nonprofit raided Thursday by federal agents as part of an investigation into Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh is run by an executive director who was convicted of stealing $852,000 from a previous employer, court records show.

The Maryland Center for Adult Training, also known as MCAT, has received hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past decade from city, state and federal government agencies to provide training for men and women to become certified nurse assistants and medical technicians.

Since Pugh became mayor in December 2016, the city has awarded the organization $28,649 — mostly from a federal Department of Labor program and local casino money — to provide nurse training through last June. But MCAT’s approval to conduct that training expired in May, according to the Maryland Board of Nursing.

The nonprofit has not reapplied for certification. Nonetheless, Baltimore officials agreed in October to lease MCAT an office in the 4900 block of Park Heights Ave. — which federal agents raided Thursday. Documents prepared for the city’s spending board, which approved the lease Oct. 3, stated that MCAT was “certified by the Maryland Board” to train people to become nursing assistants.

Hiring a convicted thief. Using city funds to train people at an unaccredited school. Pouring money into the school even when there was no school. This is just one corner of the blue-city empire that Baltimore had become and there are quite a few others as this list of stories shows here. Any question as to why the city was so dysfunctional? It was a one-party city, its minions had the leftist contempt for rule of law, its denizens figured no one would ever be looking for it, and they were all convinced they were in to rule forever. Having zero changeover in government for decades, as was the case in Baltimore, was the perfect setup for corruption.

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Wicomico Council Reviews Executive’s $148M Budget

SALISBURY – The county executive last week submitted his $148.5 million proposed operating budget for the coming fiscal year.

County Executive Bob Culver presented the Wicomico County Council with a proposed fiscal year 2020 operating budget of $148,541,879 last Friday.

“The primary focus of this budget is to effectively address Wicomico County’s core service needs: public safety and health, education and infrastructure,” he wrote in his budget message. “Recognizing that our citizens’ household and business finances are still under pressure, my proposed budget calls for no increase in either the real or personal property tax rates. However, the budget does address the most pressing needs in the aforementioned categories, continues my practice of providing efficient and cost-effective operation of our County departments and calls for reasonable utilization of our fund balance.”

In his budget message, Culver said revenues are expected to reach $145,022,554 – a 2.64% increase from the current fiscal year – and will fund recurring and non-recurring operating expenses, departmental capital investments and grants to outside agencies. He also proposed the use of $3,519,325 from general fund prior year revenue to pay for approved Capital Improvement Plan pay-go funding.

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New Building Planned For UMES Pharmacy School

PRINCESS ANNE – Construction of a new building for UMES’ School of Pharmacy and Health Professions is slated to begin this fall, triggered by a $10 million allocation from the 2019 Maryland General Assembly.

The project enables the university to consolidate its pharmacy programs into a single building and fulfill a long-standing goal tied to accreditation. Pharmacy classes, laboratories and faculty offices currently are spread among six buildings.

A three-story structure will be built on the east side of campus across the street from the Engineering and Aviation Science Complex on property where a sprawling greenhouse complex once stood. A November 2011 fire destroyed that structure, and demolition got underway shortly after the legislature approved the 2019-20 capital expenditures budget.

Lawmakers also committed to provide UMES additional money for the project when they return to Annapolis next year and in 2021, helping ensure that funding stays on track. The new building’s projected price tag is nearly $90 million, which includes planning and equipment.

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Wicomico Council Reviews Honorary Street Naming Policy

SALISBURY – A new policy is expected to establish criteria and an application process for honorary street signs.

Last week, the Wicomico County Council reviewed a new policy and application for honorary street signs.

Officials first initiated a discussion on the benefits of a street naming policy last July, after it was realized the county had no guidelines for dedicating a county road to an individual.

“The council does get requests from time to time to dedicate a road to a certain individual,” Council President John Cannon said last year. “We recognize we really don’t have a policy and we really hate to do it ad hoc because as soon as you make one appointment then you will probably be inundated with two or three more.”

To that end, council staff began reviewing policies from other jurisdictions and working on a document that outlines the purpose of and process for honorary street signage.

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Participants in AOC's 'fun run' didn’t know they were donating to her campaign

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a 5k in Queens Saturday that she billed as “a Family Fun Run supporting U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal on the Saturday following Earth Day.”

But many of the 400 runners didn’t realize their $30 registration fees were going directly into the lawmaker’s campaign coffers.

“We’re getting together for our own health, for our planet’s health … and to fight for the Green New Deal together,” the freshman Democrat told the participants before they set off.

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/participants-in-aocs-fun-run-didnt-know-they-were-donating-to-her-campaign

TRUMP INVITES SARAH SANDERS ON STAGE AT WISCONSIN RALLY: ‘YOU’RE FIRED’

The 2020 election isn’t going to be close

The 2020 election isn’t going to be close.

The first-quarter gross domestic product growth rate of 3.2 percentsets up the first reality that will be noted in November 2020 because it telegraphs where the economy will be then: not in recession. Recessions are charted when GDP growth is negative for two consecutive quarters or more. That can and has occurred in sudden fashion — financial panics don’t send “save the date” cards. But the economy over which President Trump is presiding is strong and getting stronger. Innovation is accelerating, not declining. A recession before Election Day looks less and less likely by the day.

Small wonder then that Trump dominates the GOP with an approval rating above 80 percent. His administration’s deregulatory push is accelerating. More and more rule-of-law judges, disinclined to accept bureaucrats’ excuses for overregulation, are being confirmed to the bench. Readiness levels in the U.S. military have been renewed. Our relationship with our strongest ally, Israel, is at its closest in decades.

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Looking Forward To Memorial Day At Caribbean Joe's @ The Alamo

We are working so hard right now to get things done. Palm trees and all the Caribbean landscaping arrives May 8th. The pool has a new coating on it. The rooms at the motel have all been cleaned in anticipation of the J1 Students arriving very soon. There's just a ton of things going on. It's all very exciting.

I wanted to take this rare free moment to thank all of you for the incredible support you have given me on this venture. The half pound burger on Thursday's has been an incredible success and we're so honored to meet so many of you. 

If you haven't been down to the old Alamo, give us a shot, you'll love what we've done to the place. By the way, we're pet friendly and have a dining area specifically for pets. In fact I'm going to start having a pet friendly day on Sundays. 

THANK YOU!

Weary of culture wars: 81% of Americans say people are too easily offended these days

Culture may seem to be dominated by trigger warning and hypersensitivity. A sizable new poll, however, finds that 81% of Americans agree that “people are too easily offended these days,” an opinion that also spans political beliefs.

The poll found that 94% of Republicans, 82% of independents and 70% of Democrats agree with this idea.

The finding comes from a Morning Consult poll of more than 13,000 U.S. adults.

The public also reveals a certain weariness with both the culture wars and the social dynamics at work these days. Only about a third of Americans would describe themselves as “politically correct.” Though half of the nation says there’s prejudice in the country, about half also say there is too much political correctness as well. And three-fourths of the nation say they have censored or changed their words or actions when around people who were “different” than themselves.

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‘Earth-shattering’: Drone delivers kidney for transplant over Baltimore

The drone delivery of a kidney recently used for an organ transplant in Baltimore is being characterized by the University of Maryland as a “pioneering breakthrough” advancement in human medicine and aviation technology.

“It’s huge. We knew from the very first time that we met with Dr. (Joseph) Scalea, and he suggested the idea of what he wanted to do — we knew it would be earth-shattering and life-changing, and it really has become that,” Matthew Scassero, director of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site at the University of Maryland, told WTOP.

The unmanned aircraft system’s flight on April 19 through the city of Baltimore occurred at about 12:30 a.m. and was less than 3 miles, but represents a huge first step.

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Chick-fil-A delivers food to boy in hospital on a Sunday

Chicago's Top Prosecutor Subpoenaed in Jussie Smollett Case

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that retired appellate judge Sheila O'Brien also subpoenaed Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's top deputy and requested that Smollett appear at the hearing.

Chicago's top prosecutor Kim Foxx has been subpoenaed to appear in court by a retired appellate judge who is pushing for a special prosecutor to investigate the handling of the case against actor Jussie Smollett.

The Chicago Sun-Times on Friday reported that Sheila O'Brien also subpoenaed Cook County State's Attorney Foxx's top deputy, Joseph Magats, and requested that Smollett appear at the hearing.

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8 people shot, 1 dead, at cookouts in west Baltimore

BALTIMORE —One person was killed when as many as eight people were shot Sunday in west Baltimore.

City police were called shortly after 5 p.m. to the 2500 block of Edmondson Avenue near Whitmore Avenue, where there were two cookouts on the street, according to police.

Commissioner Michael Harrison said a man "began firing indiscriminately into the crowd, striking a number of people." He said investigators believe "there was a second shooter, perhaps firing back, but it's still unknown, perhaps firing back at the perpetrator."

The initial gunman fled the scene.

"That person was targeting one, if not more people in that crowd," Harrison said.

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