Harris Statement on New Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) today voted in favor of President Trump’s new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada.

Rep. Harris made the following statement:

“I congratulate President Trump for delivering on a key campaign promise to help American workers by re-negotiating bad trade deals from the past. This new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada was badly needed because NAFTA was outdated and resulted in millions of American jobs leaving the country, especially to Mexico. This new agreement is especially great for our farmers and poultry growers in the First Congressional District.”

Jussie Smollett may return to Empire for final season

Jussie Smollett may be returning to Empire as bosses have revealed they are considering bringing the actor back during the show's sixth and final season.

The actor, 37, was axed from the drama in season five after he claimed to have been attacked by two men who hurled racist and homophobic abuse at him and was then accused of fabricating the accusation and charged with making a false police report.

Empire showrunner Brett Mahoney told TVLine that discussions are underway to possibly have Jussie return as it would be 'weird' to end the show without him.

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Bullseye: Fallon Sherrock Becomes First Woman to Beat a Man at Darts Championship

The widely held image of professional darts on television screens as a beer-fuelled pub game typically played by out-of-shape men has been shattered by the barrier-breaking exploits of a young Englishwoman.

Amid raucous scenes at London’s atmospheric Alexandra Palace, Fallon Sherrock became an unlikely overnight celebrity in Britain when she landed a double 18 to clinch victory over a male opponent at the sport’s flagship event, the PDC World Championship, on Tuesday.

It was a first win by a woman on darts’ highest stage, one that trended on Twitter and has catapulted the 25-year-old Sherrock into a life she could never have imagined.

Wednesday morning saw her appear on some of the biggest TV and radio shows in Britain. Much to her delight and surprise, she now has a blue tick next to her name on her Twitter account. The biggest payday of her career – by a long way – awaits her at the weekend.

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17-year-old steals plane, crashes it into building and fence, airport officials say

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A 17-year-old girl is in custody after she got into an empty plane and crashed it into a building and fence, according to Fresno Yosemite International Airport officials.

It happened around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday off the runway at Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

According to the girl's mother, her daughter ran away from home Tuesday night and hadn't been seen since then. The mother says her daughter has never run away before.

Police at Fresno Yosemite International Airport say the 17-year-old got into a King Air 200 propeller-driven aircraft and was able to start one engine.

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Gohmert shouts at Nadler on House floor after 'Russian propaganda' accusation

Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, let loose on Democrats during Wednesday’s historic debate on the articles of impeachment against President Trump – shouting at House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., after he apparently accused the Republican of delivering "Russian propaganda" on the House floor.

Gohmert had just finished speaking on the floor when Nadler said he was "deeply concerned that any member of the House would spout Russian propaganda on the floor of the House."

Nadler’s comment set Gohmert off; he could be seen returning to the dais to shout down Nadler for his comment. The microphone on the Republican side was turned off at the moment when Gohmert approached, but he could be heard telling Nadler to take down his comment before the House returned to order.

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gohmert-nadler-house-floor-russian-propaganda-claim

‘The Legend of Zeldin’

The effort by House Democrats to impeach President Donald Trump has created plenty of political stars on both sides of the aisle, from Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) in the GOP to Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) in the Democrat Party.

But perhaps no bigger star has emerged in the fight than Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), a hard-charging GOP congressman from Long Island whose district includes the Hamptons.

It’s not because of any viral moment in a public hearing. Zeldin actually is not on either of the committees that have held public impeachment hearings, though he is on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which granted him access to the Secure Compartmentalized Information Facility (SCIF) during the behind-closed-doors deposition-taking part of the Democrats’ impeachment push.

It’s not because of some outrageous thing he said or did on television. Zeldin has been remarkably reserved, sticking to the facts, in press conferences and television appearances during this whole process. But he also has no problem taking the heat right to the Democrats when they deserve it, as they often have shown they do. Zeldin believes the Democrats are committing a fatal political mistake with impeachment, and is helping lead the GOP in the party’s efforts to re-capture the House majority because of it.

“Nancy Pelosi is throwing away her majority,” Zeldin told Breitbart News in an interview for this piece.

Kimberly Guilfoyle, a senior adviser to the president’s re-election campaign, added that Zeldin has stopped the fake news in its tracks throughout the impeachment process many times.

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Teen Vogue’s Top Transgender Christmas Gifts: ‘Chest Binders, Scar Cream’

Teen Vogue is ringing in the Christmas season with gift recommendations for transgender loved ones that encourage surgery and other forms of body mutilation to treat the psychological condition of gender dysphoria.

The online magazine, whose past primary mission was to provide teen girls with makeup tricks and fashion notes, now fancies itself totally “woke” as it blames the Trump administration for whatever misfortune happens to individuals who claim to be uncomfortable with their biological sex.

To compensate for that, Teen Vogue recommends Christmas gifts for transgender BFFs that are sure to make them feel special and loved:

Teachers sue white principal who banned Black History Month lessons after she accused THEM of being racist and likened herself to Mahatma Gandhi

A former New York public school principal who banned a Black History Month assignment is engaged in a back-and-forth legal battle with her teachers as both sides accuse each other of racism.

Teachers have launched legal action against Patricia Catania, the former principal of IS 224 in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, in the latest turn of what has become an ugly, almost two-year-squabble.

Catania, who is white, has already filed her own suit against the teachers, suggesting they were off base calling her racist, and were really mounting a coup to replace her with a black principal at IS 224, reports the Washington Post.

Now, a countersuit filed this month by the educators and their union claims their former boss discriminated against them.

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We're Almost Done At Caribbean Joe's

Parkside Teacher Charged With Abuse/Neglect Reporting

Judy Scott was a teacher at Parkside that was dismissed when J. Eure was

Veteran Foils Mass Shooting by Tackling Alleged Gunman

A military veteran in Kalamazoo, Michigan, foiled a mass shooting Saturday morning by tackling the alleged gunman to the ground.

MLive reports that a man “was flashing a gun during a fight” around 2:00 a.m. and threatening to “shoot everybody.” At that point, a military veteran reportedly tackled the suspect and held him to the ground.

Police noted, “As the suspect ran toward the crowd, the military veteran disregarded his own safety and tackled the suspect, holding him until police arrived.”

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Paul Manafort has New York state fraud prosecution DISMISSED because of 'double jeopardy' - opening way for Donald Trump to set him free with a pardon

Paul Manafort's state charges in New York were thrown out by a judge on Wednesday in a dramatic court victory for the former Trump campaign chairman.

He won a claim that the prosecution brought by Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance, was invalidated by 'double jeopardy' laws because it overlapped with the federal crimes of which he was convicted earlier this year.

However Manafort remains in federal custody and is not scheduled for release until Christmas Day 2024.

But the judge's ruling opens the way for Donald Trump to set Manafort entirely free by presidential pardon or by commuting his sentence.

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Maryland PSC Finds Public Hearing Merited On Larger Wind Turbines

OCEAN CITY — The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) last week ordered a public hearing on the ever-increasing size of the proposed turbines for two offshore wind energy projects offshore, but the scope of the hearing will be limited and results are not likely to derail the projects.

In 2017, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) approved two offshore wind energy projects off the coast of Ocean City. Technically, the PSC awarded Offshore Renewable Energy Credits (ORECs) to the two companies seeking to develop wind farms off the coast of the resort including the US Wind project and the Skipjack project. The awarding of ORECs was a necessary first step in what has become a lengthy approval process.

However, with advancements in technology, the height of the proposed turbines has increased exponentially since the original PSC approval in 2017, prompting Ocean City officials and the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) to request a re-opening of the original approval proceedings. For example, Orsted’s Skipjack project has now committed to using 12-megawatt wind turbines described as the “world’s largest offshore wind turbine.”

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Agencies Partner To Apprehend Suspect Before Fleeing To Casablanca

OCEAN CITY — A Delaware guidance counselor is being held without bond this week after allegedly sexually assaulting a minor teenage boy in his care in Ocean City last month before almost fleeing the country to Casablanca.

On Dec. 2, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) detective was contacted by Delaware State Police (DSP) regarding an investigation into a sexual assault case involving a teenage boy that allegedly occurred in an Ocean City condominium late last month. The DSP detective informed the OCPD detective the suspect had been identified as Allen Harold Reese, 64, of Millsboro, Del.

According to the DSP detective’s investigation, Reese works for Delaware Guidance Services and provides mobile counseling services and takes at-risk children with him to movies and other events as part of his counseling services. On Nov. 26, Reese allegedly picked up the victim in Lewes, Del. around 1:30 p.m.

According to police reports, Reese drove the victim to a townhouse near 120th Street in Ocean City where sexual acts took place. The police report includes graphic descriptions of the alleged sexual assault of the 15-year-old male victim.

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Lindsey Graham: Democrats are setting 'precedent' of 'constitutional extortion'

Sen. Lindsey Graham ripped into House Democrats for threatening to withhold articles of impeachment if the Senate does not agree to their rules for a trial.

"My concern is the precedent we are setting," the South Carolina Republican said Thursday on Twitter. "The Constitution never envisioned the House being able to: Impeach the president. Dictate the terms of the trial in the Senate. And hold the Articles of Impeachment back to be released at a time of their choosing. It creates a constitutional extortion mechanism that is dangerous for the country."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi threatened Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that she would not send the two articles of impeachment to the Senate if Republicans did not hold a "fair" trial. McConnell dismissed the threat by Pelosi saying Republicans in the Senate were in "no hurry" to hold a trial.

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WCSO Press Release - Dec. 19, 2019

Incident: Theft
Date of Incident: 12-18-19
Suspects:

• Akbar, Da’juan A; 18, of Salisbury, MD
• Juvenile Male; 15, of Salisbury
• Juvenile Male; 15, of Salisbury

Location: Benita Ave, Salisbury

Narrative: On the afternoon of 12-18-19, Deputies were dispatched to the Benita Ave area in Salisbury for a theft from a motor vehicle. Witnesses saw the suspects unlawfully enter a vehicle before fleeing. Deputies located the three suspects and found that they were in possession property that had been stolen from the car. The victim’s glove box was also damaged during the theft.
One suspect, Da’juan Akbar, was an adult. Akbar was arrested and taken to Central Booking. The other 2 suspects were juveniles and their cases were forwarded to the Department of Juvenile Services.

Charges: Theft and Malicious Destruction of Property

Across Maryland, counties and universities boost revenue through ICE contracts

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland—As Maryland counties and universities face increasing pressure to end their partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Cecil County’s is recently “operational,” according to an ICE spokeswoman.

Cecil is one of three Maryland counties — with Frederick and Harford — that currently have what are known as 287(g) agreements with the federal agency. Through these agreements, ICE trains and authorizes police officers at local detention centers to screen inmates for breaking immigration laws.

Two Cecil County officers completed a four-week training in September, ICE spokeswoman Kate Pote said.

Though the 287(g) training programs do not come with federal funds, other programs with the immigration agency — to house inmates, and train ICE employees — have brought in millions in revenue to a few Maryland localities and universities.

Three counties — Frederick, Howard and Worcester — have Intergovernmental Service Agreements with ICE, through which they rent out jail space for immigrant detention. While activists across the state are seeking to end these agreements, officials say the revenue is worth it.

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Caribbean Joe's Adds More 55" TV's

Tonight we will finalize the installation of even more 55" TV's bringing us to a total of 20 flat screen TV's just in time for the final games and super bowl. No matter where you look there's a TV to cover all the games. Come join the fun and support your favorite team. We open at 6 PM on Friday and 11 AM to 2 AM on Saturday and Sunday. GO RAVENS!!!

Man randomly punches woman in the face in disturbing footage as police hunt attacker who carried out string of attacks on New York's Upper East Side

Disturbing surveillance footage captured the moment a man randomly punched a woman in the face during a spate of violent outbursts.

The violent maniac was seen at around 11am on the Upper East Side in New York City on Monday before launching his bizarre attack.

Video showed him punching a 21-year-old woman without warning, leaving her with bruising and swelling to the face. She refused medical attention.
 
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WCSAO: Joseph Townsend Convicted Of Sex Abuse Of A Minor

Surveillance footage of first Epstein suicide attempt goes missing

Surveillance footage recorded inside a Lower Manhattan prison at the time of Jeffrey Epstein’s first apparent suicide attempt has mysteriously gone missing, officials admitted Wednesday.

The footage was recorded outside the millionaire pedophile’s cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on July 23, when Epstein apparently tried to hang himself at the lockup.

Epstein was sharing the cell with Nick Tartaglione, a hulking former cop in Westchester County accused of killing four people in a botched drug deal.

Tartaglione’s lawyer had requested that the footage be preserved — but prosecutors admitted in a court hearing Wednesday that the footage has gone missing, the lawyer, Bruce Barket, said.

More surprises here

WCSAO: Eric Frayne Convicted Of First Degree Burglary & Assault With A Firearm

ICE HSI sees increase in criminal arrests in FY 2019 in DC, Virginia

 

Significant increases in drug and arms seizures, gang arrests

WASHINGTON – In fiscal year 2019 (FY 2019), which ran from Oct. 1, 2018 to Sept. 30, 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. made nearly 470 total criminal arrests for crimes ranging from narcotics smuggling to gang investigations across its area of responsibility, which includes Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and West Virginia.

HSI Washington, D.C. marked a ten-fold increase in narcotics seizures from nearly 400 lbs. in FY 2018 to over 4,000 lbs. in FY 2019, and a two-fold increase in firearms seizures, taking nearly 100 arms off the streets of Washington, D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia. These figures were due to significant cases like:

How Did They Survive?

Minnesota Muslim woman who 'was made to strip and remove her hijab in jail for a traffic violation' settles lawsuit for $120,000

A Minnesota Muslim who alleged she was made to strip and remove her hijab for a traffic violation booking photo has received a $120,000 settlement.

Aida Shyef Al-Kadi, 57, of St. Louis Park, appeared with her attorneys at the Minneapolis headquarters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations to announce the payout on Tuesday.

Al-Kadi said her treatment at the Ramsey County jail in August 2013 was 'one of the most humiliating and harmful experiences' of her life.

'I knew that I did not want any other Muslim woman to experience what I did,' she said.

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Overwhelming Evidence That Obamacare Caused Premiums To Increase Substantially

Two scholars at the renowned Brookings Institution, Loren Adler and Paul Ginsburg, have published an analysis finding that “average premiums in the individual market actually dropped significantly upon implementation of the ACA [Affordable Care Act].” This contrasts with a plethora of evidence, including a rigorous 2014 Brookings study, showing that the ACA significantly increased premiums. In this post, I discuss methodological concerns with the Adler and Ginsburg approach as well as evidence that leads most scholars to reach a very different conclusion.

While I will discuss the relevant evidence of the ACA’s effect on premiums in depth, there are three data points worth emphasizing. First, unlike Adler and Ginsburg's approach, Brookings 2014 study used actual data and found that “enrollment-weighted premiums in the individual health insurance market increased by 24.4 percent beyond what they would have had they simply followed…trends.”

Second, S&P Global Institute found that average individual market medical costs increased substantially between 2013 and 2015, up an estimated 69%.

Third, 2014 insurer data shows that premiums for individual market Qualified Health Plans (QHPs), ACA-compliant plans certified to be sold on exchanges, were much higher than premiums for individual market non-QHPs, mostly plans in existence before 2014 that did not comply with the ACA.

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Catholic Church sex abuse victims suing the pope in Manhattan federal court

New York clergy sex abuse victims are suing the pope — claiming in a landmark lawsuit filed Tuesday that he and the Vatican were aware that a significant number of priests were molesting children and kept it secret.

The class-action lawsuit, brought in Manhattan federal court by seven survivors who previously settled with the Catholic Dioceses in New York for “pennies on the dollar,” alleges sole defendant “the Holy See” acted negligently by instructing its bishops around the world to cover up cases of sexual abuse.

“The Holy See has known for centuries that Catholic priests were using their positions and roles in Catholic parishes and schools to sexually molest children,” the suit charges.

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'Lot of issues': Former Obama doctor says Biden is 'not a healthy guy’

Former President Barack Obama’s once-longtime doctor said the medical records Joe Biden’s campaign disclosed are concerning and incomplete.

“He’s not a healthy guy,” Dr. David Scheiner, who was Obama's personal physician for the 22 years before he became president, concluded after reading the records. “He’s not in bad shape for his age, but I wouldn't say he’s in outstanding health. Could I guarantee he won't have issues for the next four years? He has a lot of issues that are just sort of sitting there.”

A three-page letter from Biden’s physician concluded the former vice president is a “healthy, vigorous, 77-year-old” that is fit to be president. But the letter also revealed Biden receives treatment for an irregular heartbeat and high cholesterol and that he deals with acid reflux and seasonal allergies. It noted his already known history of aneurysms and that he took blood thinners.

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'Impeachment will be their legacy': House erupts during Scalise speech ripping Democrats

Democrats erupted in the House chamber after GOP Rep. Steve Scalise accused them of pushing forward on impeachment because they "hate" the nearly 63 million Americans that voted for President Trump.

Scalise delivered his remarks on the House floor Wednesday during the debate leading up to a vote on two articles of impeachment against Trump. Scalise defended the president and accused Democrats of impeaching Trump over policy disagreements and for personal reasons.

"You don’t impeach a president because you don’t like his foreign policy," Scalise said. "But this isn’t just about Donald Trump. They don’t just hate Donald Trump, Madam Speaker. They hate the 63 million Americans who voted for this president, the forgotten men and women of this country who have been left behind."

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"No Individuals Have Been Held Accountable": WSJ Editorial Board Slams FISA Circus

Following the release of the DOJ Inspector General's report revealing that the FBI deceived the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court in order to spy on former Trump campaign aide Carter Page, presiding FISC Judge Rosemary Collyer issued a rare public rebuke - while ordering the agency to clean up its act, and fast.

Collyer noted despite the FBI's "heightened duty of candor," officials fabricated evidence and concealed information from the court which harmed their argument that Page was an "agent of a foreign power," fabricated evidence.

Because of this, the court is now concerned about "whether information contained in other FBI applications is reliable."

Those involved in the operation to take Trump down, meanwhile, are scrambling to downplay the IG report while taking as little responsibility as possible. After the FBI first tried to pass the buck - insisting that the Page applications were legit since the FISA court approved them, former FBI Director James Comey's feet were finally held to the fire by Fox News host Chris Wallace last weekend:

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Levin rips FISA judge after Horowitz report

Conservative commentator Mark Levin tore into the FISA court judge who expressed anger at top FBI and Justice Department officials who misled the court while conducting a counterintelligence investigation into President Trump's campaign.

"Judges don't take this court seriously enough," Levin said on his podcast Tuesday. "The judges are not doing their damn jobs."

Levin was referencing Justice Rosemary Collyer, a judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who approved the warrants that were used to conduct surveillance of close associates of Trump's campaign in 2016.

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Trump AINT going nowhere! Calm down friends!

'Too weak': Sarah Sanders slams Pelosi for saying she's 'sad' about impeachment

Sarah Sanders said Nancy Pelosi is sad this week for the wrong reasons.

Pelosi, the House speaker, told reporters before an expected vote on two articles of impeachment against President Trump on Wednesday that she was "sad" her caucus was undertaking such a serious political endeavor.

"She knows this Democrat scam is a generous in-kind contribution to President Trump and every Republican running against a Democrat in a Trump district," Sanders, Trump's former press secretary, said. "Too bad she’s too weak to stand up to the angry liberals in her party."

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America spoke. House Democrats never listened.

The White House • December 18, 2019

America spoke. H0use Democrats never listened.     Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats are about to go down in history. Their legacy will be sealed tonight with an unfair, hyper-partisan impeachment vote that is unprecedented for all the wrong reasons.  President Donald J. Trump committed no crime. House Democrats agree: Their Articles of Impeachment against him do not claim a single criminal violation. For the first time in history, a President will be impeached for solely political reasons.   Also for the first time ever, an American President will be impeached without any votes from the minority party. A couple Democrats may join in opposing it, too.   The Pelosi-Schiff blitz will go down as the fastest impeachment in U.S. history. Why the rush? Because public support has dropped steadily throughout the process. Most Americans are against it. Democrats can’t afford to let it continue.

CNN pundit: Impeachment could backfire on Democrats

CNN political pundit Chris Cillizza warned Democrats that impeaching President Trump could backfire on them.

"Remember this: Pelosi did not want to go down the impeachment path," Cillizza wrote Wednesday. "She stood athwart her party over the summer as more and more of her Democratic members announced their support for an impeachment inquiry over Trump's conduct in connection to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election."

Public support for impeachment has dipped from 52% to 46%, while Trump's job approval rating has gone from 39% to 45%, Cillizza noted.

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Devin Nunes Says FISA Court Did ‘Absolutely Nothing’ When He Warned of FBI Abuse Last Year

House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-CA) said Tuesday evening that he warned the court granting Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants to the FBI on a former Trump campaign aide of problems with the FBI’s warrant applications twice last year but that the court did “absolutely nothing” about it.

Nunes said he first warned the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) in February 2018 of “very serious matters” based on a memo House Republicans wrote outlining issues with the FBI’s use of FISA to get a warrant on former Trump campaign aide Carter Page.

“They did nothing about it,” he told Fox News’s Martha McCallum.

Nunes’s remarks come a day after the FISC issued an order condemning the FBI for its “mis-conduct” related to its warrant applications on Page and accusing the FBI of not meeting its “heightened duty of candor” in its applications.

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[The court also referred to the FBI's behavior as 'errors and omissions'. --Editor]

Wicomico Seeking Input On Calendars With Pre-Labor Day, Post-Labor Day Start

SALISBURY – Parents of students in Wicomico County’s public school system will be asked to comment on two proposed school calendars for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Last week, the Wicomico County Board of Education approved on first reading two proposed school calendars for the 2020-2021 academic year.

“I would like to share with you some of the similarities and some of the differences between the two,” said Kim Miles, assistant superintendent for student and family services, “just as points of focus.”

In the first version of the school calendar, Draft A, the academic year would begin on Aug. 31 and end on June 9. In the second version, Draft B, the academic year would begin on Sept. 8 and end on June 14.

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8 Charming U.S. Beach Towns That Are Just As Magical in Fall and Winter

Federal court rules Obamacare mandate unconstitutional but sends case back to lower courts

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals returned a closely watched case on Obamacare back to the lower courts, declaring the law unconstitutional but in need of further analysis.

The 2-1 panel decision means that Obamacare's future is unlikely to be resolved before the 2020 elections. Had the judges not returned the case to the lower courts, it likely would have been appealed to the Supreme Court and faced a decision on its survival just ahead of Election Day.

The decision landed on the same day that the House of Representatives debated impeaching President Trump. It also occurred just hours before the enrollment period for Obamacare sign-ups was set to end for the year.

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