Rep. Harris Announces $9 Million Award from Health and Human Services for Shore Up! Inc. in Salisbury

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Andy Harris (MD-01) announced an award of $9,805,843 to Shore Up! Inc., a facility in Salisbury whose focus is to help people reach personal economic independence. SHORE UP is an acronym which stands for: “Self-Help on Rural Economics and Urban Problems.” The Administration for Children and Families/Office of Head Start allocate the funds to Shore Up! Inc. under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Rep. Harris made the following statement regarding the grant:

“Shore Up is an important facility that continues to serve the low-income and disadvantaged families in our district so we can see them become successful and thrive. Economic development and encouraging self-sufficiency are important priorities for our Eastern Shore community.”

Nancy Pelosi cave on border funding bill should be a wake-up call to 2020 Democratic presidential candidates

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to swallow a Senate-passed border funding bill over the loud objections of the Left should be a warning sign to 2020 Democratic presidential contenders as 10 candidates gear up for another debate.

After the Senate on Wednesday voted 84-8 on a package of funding to address the situation at the southern border, Pelosi had no choice but to abandon efforts by liberals to add additional provisions to the bill.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fumed:

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Nicaraguan Military Arrests Four ISIS Terrorists Planning to Enter U.S. Via Mexico

Four ISIS terrorists planning to enter the United States through Mexico have been captured by the Nicaraguan military in a remote area where the men entered the Central American nation illegally from Costa Rica. Nicaraguan authorities identify the men as two Egyptian nationals—33-year old Mohamed Ibrahim and 26-year-old Mahmoud Samy Eissa—and two Iraqis, 41-year-old Ahmed Ghanim Mohamed Al Jubury and 29-year-old Mustafa Ali Mohamed Yaoob. The men arrived in Panama on May 12 and in Costa Rica on June 9, according to an article published in Nicaragua’s largest newspaper.

It appears they had legal permission to enter Costa Rica, which is why Nicaragua deported them back there. Costa Rica’s national security chief, Michael Soto, confirmed the men entered the country legally and were approved by his country’s immigration control officials “with no problem.” Soto also revealed that “confidential information from an unknown source” later alerted Costa Rican officials of the men’s “criminal” ties. Various Mexican media outlets also reported that authorities there were warned that three—instead of four—ISIS operatives were making their way to the United States through Mexico via Central America. Mexico’s largest newspaper covered a press conference in which President Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed receiving an alert from the United States about the ISIS terrorists’ plan to enter Mexican territory to reach the American border.

Not surprisingly, the mainstream media has essentially ignored this disturbing story which is simply the latest of many involving Islamic terrorists and the southwest border. Judicial Watch has for years uncovered evidence of Islamic terrorists infiltrating the U.S. through Mexico as part of an ongoing investigation into the national security crisis created by the dangerously porous southern border. Judicial Watch has interviewed local, state and federal law enforcement officials as well as U.S. and Mexican military sources and has traveled to remote Mexican border towns to interview American ranchers. When the Central American caravan got started last fall, Judicial Watch deployed an investigative team to the Guatemala-Honduras border after Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales confirmed that nearly 100 ISIS terrorists had been apprehended in the impoverished Central American nation.

Judicial Watch’s reporting has confirmed that ISIS has a training cell just a few miles from El Paso, Texas in an area known as “Anapra” situated just west of Ciudad Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

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MDOT MVA CLOSED Saturday, June 29, 2019

CUSTOMER COURTESY ALERT:

MDOT MVA BRANCHES CLOSED SATURDAY, June 29, 2019

MDOT MVA is committed to providing premier customer service to all Maryland residents and we are continually working to make enhancements to improve the quality of service we provide. In that spirit, we would like to share with you that all MDOT MVA Branch Offices and Vehicle Emissions Stations will be CLOSED Saturday, June 29, 2019 to perform required computer system upgrades. The June 29 upgrade is one of three annual software updates made by MDOT MVA, which coincides with legislative effective dates from the Maryland General Assembly.

The MDOT MVA Online Store and kiosks will also be unavailable from 9:00 p.m. on Friday, June 28, 2019 until 12 noon on Saturday, June 29, 2019.

MDOT MVA will provide information on its website and social media channels to confirm when online transaction services are available.

We will be happy to serve you on Monday, July 1, 2019 when the MDOT MVA Branch Offices and Vehicle Emissions Stations reopen for business. Thank you.

First Democratic debate was a good night — for Team Trump

Section 1325! Section 1325! For a few crucial minutes in the middle of the first Democratic presidential debate, Julián Castro (polling average: 0.8 percent) took over the proceedings by challenging his fellow candidates to endorse the repeal of Section 1325 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act.

What’s it about? Don’t ask.

He yelled at Beto O’Rourke about it and expressed his deep disappointment that O’Rourke wasn’t joining him in supporting the repeal of Section 1325.

O’Rourke is at 3.3 percent in the Real Clear Politics polling average, so you can see why Castro thought it was so important to nail him. If he really cuts into Beto’s support, Castro might rise to a whole 1.5 percent.

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Alyssa Milano is turned away from Florida migrant detention center after turning up unannounced demanding to be let in to inspect the conditions

Alyssa Milano has been turned away from a Florida migrant detention center after turning up unannounced to perform an inspection inside.

The actress arrived at Homestead on Wednesday morning and was joined by a group of activists who demanded to get inside and meet the migrant children being held there.

They were refused entry and told they must submit formal requests, like everyone else.

Milano, who was photographed showing up in a chauffeur-driven Mercedes, streamed videos from the site on Twitter.

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The Border Crisis is Real – Democrats Need to Stop Playing Politics with People's Lives

“Our immigration system is in desperate need of reform,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) writes in Fox News. “If Democrats truly wanted to help vulnerable populations, they would not have waited until this week – when the crisis is at a breaking point – to act.”

Of course, the media covers Democrats’ selective outrage more than Republicans’ actual solutions. The Securing America's Future Act, for example, “would have provided a solution for DACA recipients and $25 billion for border security, while also addressing our outdated asylum laws by closing the legal loopholes which have unfortunately functioned as a magnet to drug cartels and human traffickers.”

Every single Democrat voted down the measure.

Recently, House Republicans put forward the Border Crisis Supplemental Appropriations Act, which includes $3.3 billion in humanitarian aid for children and families at the border. A similar, bipartisan bill in the Senate passed its Appropriations Committee by a 30-1 vote. House Democrats ignored both, pursuing their own partisan bill that appeases the far-left base while impeding real, bipartisan legislation. 

Click here to read more.

Attorney General Frosh’s Statement on Supreme Court Decision on Redistricting

Attorney General Frosh’s Statement on Supreme Court Decision on Redistricting

BALTIMORE, MD (June 27, 2019) – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh’s statement following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on redistricting:

“This is a sad day for our democracy.  We urged the Supreme Court to adopt a nationwide standard that would prevent extreme partisan gerrymandering.  The decision today instead prevents voters everywhere from challenging in federal court any redistricting map as excessively partisan.

“The attention now turns to Congress, which has the power to outlaw partisan gerrymandering of Congressional districts.”

Kathy Szeliga writes.........

"Straight Pride Parade" clears first hurdle toward proposed August event

The organizers of Boston's proposed "Straight Pride Parade" this summer announced their public event application was approved by the city Wednesday, reports CBS Boston. And the group claims there is already a date set.

The organization Super Happy Fun America, which claims to advocate "on behalf of the straight community in order to foster respect... and alliances with people from all walks of life," is planning the event to celebrate "Straight Pride," according to its website.

The group's president John Hugo said they had been told they can hold the parade Aug. 31 at a press conference outside of City Hall Wednesday, reports CBS Boston. The date is also listed on the parade's information page.

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These are the most patriotic states in America: WalletHub

With the Fourth of July just around the corner, patriotism is in the air, particularly in New Hampshire.

According to a new report from WalletHub, the Granite State is the most patriotic among the 50 U.S. states this year. Following New Hampshire are: Wyoming, Vermont, Utah and Idaho.

In order to assess which states were the most patriotic, WalletHub looked at 13 metrics across two main dimensions: military engagement and civic engagement.

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https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/most-patriotic-states-america-2019

Anthony Brown Might Run for Governor Again After Hogan Exits

Despite his stinging loss to Republican Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. in 2014, Maryland Rep. Anthony G. Brown (D) is open to making another play for the governor’s mansion in 2022.

“Whatever and however I can put my skills and ability to the highest use on behalf of Marylanders or my neighbors then that’s what I’ll do,” Brown, 57, told Maryland Matters in a recent interview in his Washington, D.C., office.

Right now, Brown stressed that he’s focused on representing Maryland’s 4th District in Congress, which takes in more than half of Prince George’s County and a slice of Anne Arundel County. He took office in January 2017, after Rep. Donna Edwards (D) stepped down to run for retiring U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski’s seat.

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Famous Misty barn in Chincoteague destroyed in blaze

CHINCOTEAGUE ISLAND, Va. (WAVY) — A famous horse barn on Virginia’s Eastern Shore was destroyed after it went up in flames Tuesday night.

The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company said in a Facebook post it received a call for a fire on Ridge Road just before 10:45 p.m.

Responding firefighters found the Misty barn at the Beebe Ranch was “completely engulfed in flames” that were shooting about 30 feet into the air, the post said.

The post said the barn, which was Misty’s home when she was alive, is a complete loss as a result of the fire. Four horses, a goat and a cat were all accounted for following the fire.

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Train makes tracks through Berlin

After long hiatus, railroad resumes route between Delaware and Maryland

Berlin residents felt that once-familiar rumble of a train rolling down a track last Tuesday, as a diesel locomotive pulled a freight car of corn south to the Tyson Foods feed mill in Snow Hill.

It was the first time in years that the railroad crossings bisecting the town had seen an actual train follow the rails from Old Ocean City Boulevard to the north down to the Buckingham Lane/Evans Road conjunction to the south, before rolling on through the forest and farmland in the middle of Worcester County.

The run through Berlin is part of the Frankford, Delaware to Snow Hill line followed by the Maryland and Delaware Railroad Company, according to President Cathrin Banks.

However, Berlin residents shouldn’t expect to hear the train’s whistle on a regular basis. Banks estimated it would take about six to eight months before the line has a full roster of freight.
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Busy Afternoon For First Responders; Two Incidents Minutes Apart Require Air Transport

OCEAN CITY — Ocean City emergency services had their hands full for a brief time on Wednesday afternoon with two traumatic injury incidents minutes apart, each requiring medevac flyouts.

Around 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Ocean City emergency services responded to a reported motor vehicle collision on southbound Coastal Highway near 123rd Street. The investigation revealed a vehicle had collided with a moped. The operator of the moped was transported via Maryland State Police helicopter Trooper 4 to Shock Trauma in Baltimore with injuries the severity of which is not known. No other injuries were reported in that incident.

About 20 minutes later, Ocean City emergency services responded to another serious incident with traumatic injuries at the opposite end of town. In that incident, an unidentified female fell at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not attraction at the pier on the Boardwalk and suffered traumatic injuries the severity of which is not known. The female victim was air-lifted to Shock Trauma from the Ocean City Coast Guard Station nearby on the bayside.

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Berlin OK’s PD body camera program

The Berlin Police Department officers will add a new accessory to their uniforms following the Town Council’s unanimous approval Monday of a new body camera program and policy.

“We feel the policy is ready to go ahead and move forward,” said Chief Arnold Downing.

Police aim to use these body cameras to document audio and visual evidence, as well as recording interactions between officers and community members, according to the policy.

Town Administrator Laura Allen said the program costs $36,751.50, which will be spread out over the course of five years. She added the town received a $5,000 grant from the Local Government Insurance Trust.

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Chemical Spill Found At Berlin Park

BERLIN – Cleanup is underway after a chemical spill at Berlin Falls Park.

Hazmat crews were in the park Wednesday evening to begin the cleanup process after a contractor hired to demolish several buildings on the site destroyed tanks filled with what’s believed to be soda ash that had been stored in one of the structures.

“Per town sources, preliminary findings indicate the contractor hired to demolish the buildings failed to follow protocols with chemical removal and remediation,” said Jack Orris, vice chair of the Berlin Falls Park Advisory Committee. “Tanks stored in one of the buildings were destroyed and chemicals left on the property near and around the ponds.”

In March, the town accepted a $124,000 proposal from Coastal Site Works LLC for demolition of seven small buildings at Berlin Falls Park. The demolition work had been underway for some time when a social media post Wednesday alerted town officials to the fact that there was a substance that looked like oil oozing among the debris.

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Jussie Smollett Googled himself over 50 times after reported hate crime: Report

Actor Jussie Smollett Googled himself dozens of times in the days after he claimed to be the target of a hate crime.

Chicago Police reviewed Smollett’s search records in the wake of the Jan. 29 incident, finding that the actor had Googled himself more than 50 times, according to CBS Chicago.

Police opened a hate crime investigation after Smollett reported that two men attacked him, threw bleach on him, and wrapped a noose around his neck. Police later concluded that the crime was staged and charged the actor with filing a false police report.

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Woodstock 50 applies for Central NY site with smaller capacity (report)

The 2019 Woodstock festival is moving forward with a potential new site in Central New York, but with a much smaller capacity than the original 1969 event.

The Poughkeepsie Journal reports Woodstock 50 organizers have formally applied to stage the three-day 50th anniversary festival at Vernon Downs, home to a casino, hotel and harness horse racing track in Oneida County. Town of Vernon Supervisor Randy Watson tells the newspaper that the application includes a proposed capacity of 45,000 to 50,000 people, though Woodstock 50 organizers are hoping for 65,000.

That’s still a far cry from nearly half a million people that attended the original Woodstock Music and Art Fair at Bethel, 130 miles southeast of Vernon, in 1969.

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SATURDAY HOURS FOR HOUSEHOLD REFUSE PERMIT SALES AND RENEWALS

 

SATURDAY HOURS FOR HOUSEHOLD REFUSE PERMIT
SALES AND RENEWALS

The Newland Park office at 6948 Brick Kiln Road, Salisbury, Maryland will be open for Household Refuse Permit sales and renewals on the following Saturdays from 8:00 AM to Noon: June 29th, July 13th, and July 20th.

For questions about Household Refuse Permits, please call 410-548-4935.

ICE Conducts Criminal Enforcement Operation In Columbia Area

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Wednesday morning carried out a criminal enforcement operation in the Columbia area, authorities said.

Howard County police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said county police were not involved. However, she said police were notified ICE would be working in the area.

ICE officials declined to go into detail on the operation and did not say how many people were apprehended, but said agents prioritize "unlawfully present aliens" who have been convicted of a crime, have charges pending or are believed to be a national security or public safety threat.

"However, as the agency has made clear, ICE will no longer exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement," ICE spokeswoman Justine M. Whelan said in an email. "All of those in violation of the immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and – if found removable by final order – removal from the United States."

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Late to the party: CNN and MSNBC anchors discover there’s a crisis at the border

The worst thing about the border crisis is knowing that nothing will change. It is too valuable a wedge issue for lawmakers to surrender.

The second worst thing about the crisis is knowing that the national press' outrage and attention will disappear the moment the story ceases to be politically useful. It will be like the Cindy Sheehan episode all over again.

That the immigration crisis is being exploited by lawmakers for political gain has been clear for a while now. That it is also being exploited by members of the press did not become as clear until recently when certain high-profile news anchors flipped from accusing the Trump White House of lying about whether there is a crisis at the border to declaring that there is a crisis at the border and that it is the White House’s fault.

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Supreme Court blocks citizenship question in 2020 census for now

The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked, for now, the Trump administration's plan to include a question on the 2020 census that inquires about a person’s citizenship status.

The court said the administration's explanation for adding such a question is insufficient and sent it back to the lower courts for further consideration. The ruling marks a setback for the administration, though the issue is not yet resolved.

Still, while further lower-court litigation is possible, it would be very difficult for the administration to get the question on the census in time for the forms to be printed by the government’s own self-declared summer deadline.

The 5-4 court majority raised concerns about the Trump administration’s explanations for their proposal. The ruling, authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, said that the court was presented "with an explanation for agency action that is incongruent with what the record reveals about the agency’s priorities and decision making process."

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/supreme-court-blocks-citizenship-question-in-2020-census-for-now

Supreme Court says federal courts don’t have a role in deciding partisan gerrymandering claims

Health Aides Want Union Hands Off

Home health care providers are asking a federal judge in California to uphold a Trump administration regulation that would block unions from skimming money from Medicaid reimbursements.

In May, the Department of Health and Human Services's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services adopted a new regulation to prohibit states from taking money from caregiver reimbursements and giving it to third parties. The regulation took direct aim at several state policies that siphoned money from health aides, many of whom are caring for disabled relatives, and gave it to labor unions.

"This final rule removes the regulatory text that allows a state to make Medicaid payments to third parties on behalf of an individual provider for benefits such as health insurance, skills training, and other benefits customary for employees," the regulation says. "State Medicaid programs are responsible for ensuring that taxpayer dollars are dedicated to providing healthcare services for low-income, vulnerable Americans and are not diverted in ways that do not comply with federal law."

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A year later, Trump administration's travel ban is still separating families

A Rockville teacher is pleading for the State Department to grant a waiver and let her reunite with her Iranian husband in the U.S.

WASHINGTON — Separated families are pleading for help as the United States marks the first anniversary of the Trump Administration travel ban.

It was a year ago that a divided Supreme Court upheld a ban on immigrants and visitors from North Korea, Venezuela -- and five predominantly Muslim countries.

It's divided parents, children, husbands and wives.

The ban hit a local teacher especially hard.

"Hi. My name is Jessica Monfared," the Rockville high school teacher said on a video on In-It.com. "I married my Iranian husband this past March."

The couple has no idea if they'll get to live together in the U.S. as husband and wife.

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The STUPID ... our new victim-group!

Asst. principal charged with 2 DUIs assigned to new job at middle school

ROCKVILLE, Md. (ABC7) — A former assistant principal at Damascus High School who was charged with drunk driving twice in less than two years will become an assistant principal at Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School in Silver Spring.

Maniya Jules, 50, a 22-year veteran of the Montgomery County Public Schools system, was placed on personal leave in April after she was arrested on drunk driving charges and a license restriction violation.

Around 12:45 a.m. on Friday, March 22, a Montgomery County Police officer found Jules behind the wheel of a Honda with two flat tires, idling on the side of the road near Herbert Hoover Middle School in Potomac.

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Governor Hogan says Point-in-Time count reveals a drop in Maryland homelessness rate

(WBFF) -- On Wednesday, Governor Larry Hogan announced that overall homelessness rate in Maryland has been reduced by 9.47%, according to data from the 2019 Point-in-Time Count.

“We have made significant progress in preventing homelessness in Maryland by partnering with local housing and community development programs, and their good work and dedication are integral to our efforts,” said Governor Hogan. “We have improved the administration and delivery of state and federal resources, and have supported significant projects that have contributed to this impressive reduction.”

According to the Point-in-Time Count, the number of chronically homeless individuals dropped by 14.8% and veterans experiencing homelessness declined by 8.58%.

The Point-in-Time Count is conducted by the state’s 16 designated Continuums of Care and supported by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. It is a count and survey of homeless persons on a single night in January by local homelessness service providers.

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Commentary: The facts and fictions around drinking water

Everyone knows how important it is to drink water. But even with a concept so simple, there are plenty of myths regarding exactly how much or the specific benefits. Let’s separate fact from fiction when it comes to drinking water.

Fact or fiction: Everyone needs to drink eight glasses of water each day.

While this recommendation is well known, it isn’t entirely accurate. According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, most women need 2.7 liters of water per day, while most men need 3.7 liters. This can come from beverages and food such as fruits, vegetables, cooked whole grains, soups, milk, juice, coffee, tea, and water. This averages to about nine cups of fluid for women and 13 cups of fluid for men.

It’s important to note these averages are for people who aren’t active and live in a temperate climate. Anyone who is very active or who lives in a warmer climate may require even more fluid. While water is the best choice, milk, tea and carbonated water are good substitutes. It’s best to limit soda, juice and sugar-sweetened drinks.

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Report: Ralph Northam Admits Gun Controls Wouldn’t Have Prevented VA Beach Shooting

Gov. Ralph Northam (D) admitted Friday that the gun controls he introduced after the Virginia Beach shooting would not have necessarily prevented that shooting.

The Roanoke Times reports that Northam made this admission during a question and answer session with high school seniors who were gathered at Radford University.

The 762 students in attendance elected a mock government which debated how to prevent incidents like the Virginia Beach shooting, and they decided the problem rested more with mental illness than guns. When Northam came to speak to the group they challenged him on his gun control proposals, asking how any of them would have prevented the shooting.

Northam is pushing a ban on suppressors, and he suggested the gunman used one to silence his attack. Northam did not mention that the gunman had two firearms–only one of which had a suppressor–and the shots he fired were loud enough that police found and cornered him by moving toward the sound of gunfire.

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All 2020 Senate Dems Absent for Vote to Send Humanitarian Relief to Border

All seven Democrats in the Senate running for president were absent Wednesday for a vote to send $4.6 billion in emergency humanitarian relief to the southern border to help thousands of migrant families and unaccompanied children.

Less than 24 hours after House Democrats passed a measure Tuesday night, the Republican-controlled Senate rejected it with a 55-37 vote and approved their own measure with overwhelming bipartisan support with a 84-8 vote, according to the Washington Post.

Republicans and the White House far prefer the Senate measure but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pressing for quick negotiations to merge the bills — promising that Democrats won’t knuckle under to demands to send the Senate bill directly to President Donald Trump without changes.

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Thursday Morning Punnies

The Danish National Symphony Orchestra: Man with No Name Trilogy