Obama's NSC Holdovers Finally Booted After Three Years Of Non-Stop Leaks

The White House National Security Council is sharply downsizing 'in a bid to improve efficiency' by consolidating positions and cutting staff, according to the Washington Times - which adds that a secondary, unspoken objective (i.e. the entire reason) for the cuts is to address nonstop leaks that have plagued the Trump administration for nearly three years.

Leaks of President Trump’s conversations with foreign leaders and other damaging disclosures likely originated with anti-Trump officials in the White House who stayed over from the Obama administration, according to several current and former White House officials. -Washington Times

The reform is being led by National Security Adviser Robert C. O'Brien, who told the Times that 40-45 NSC staff officials had been sent back to their home-agencies, and more are likely to be moved out.

"We remain on track to meeting the right-sizing goal Ambassador O’Brien outlined in October, and in fact may exceed that target by drawing down even more positions," said NSC spokesman John Ullyot.

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He messed with the wrong woman! Shocking video shows the moment a Best Buy worker manhandles a would be thief as he tries to rob the store during the holidays

Sometimes it is just best to buy the product!

A wild video shared to Twitter on Tuesday has gone viral showing a Hawaii Best Buy employee absolutely demolish a would-be burglar who she claimed had been in the store once before.

The video posted by user @exshayts shows the a woman - identified as employee Summer Tapasa-Sataraka - stopping the thief at the Best Buy store in Waimulu, Hawaii.

The brief clip has been viewed more than 6.7million times.

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WHAT A YEAR!

Barack Obama welcomed leader of US embassy attack to the White House

The leader of an Iran-backed US embassy siege in Baghdad was welcomed to the White House by Barack Obama eight years ago before becoming Tehran's 'point man' in Iraq.

Hadi al-Amiri was Iraq's minister of transport under then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and stood in the Oval Office as part of Maliki's delegation on a visit to the White House in December 2011.

On Tuesday, al-Amiri was among those leading the charge against the US embassy in Baghdad when it was stormed and set alight by pro-Iran militants. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared a photograph of Amiri amid the rioters, condemning him as an 'Iranian proxy,' and calling those shoulder-to-shoulder with him 'terrorists.'

The head of a leading pro-Iran Shia faction, Amiri exerts great power within Iraq's state-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and was highlighted by Pompeo among three other men as the ringleaders of the siege.

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BSA's loss is Trail Life's gain

While the Boy Scouts of America's (BSA) membership continues to drop, a Christian alternative to the scouting organization continues to grow.

As was expected. Mormons have pulled their boys out of the BSA – an estimated loss of 400,000 members as the organization allows homosexual members and leaders and permits girls to join.

"We're not really surprised at the Mormons' decision to do that, and, as you know, our culture seems to be more and more divided," comments Mark Hancock, head of Trail Life USA. "Parents and organizations are making decisions that best reflect their values, and the Mormons have said that they can no longer go along with the values that the Boy Scouts are beginning to pursue."

Trail Life USA, which is Christian-based, was formed knowing that parents wanted an organization that agreed with their values and was specifically focused on boys.

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2019 Man of the Year: Jeffrey Epstein’s Assassin

(Editor's note: In the interest of gender equality and inclusion, all gender-ambiguous third-person pronouns have been rendered as the feminine "she" and "her," as in "I'm with her.")

On August 10, 2019—a date which will live in infamy—deranged pervert and Democratic Party patron (excuse the redundancy) Jeffrey Epstein committed "suicide."

It wasn't a great year for perverts. Notwithstanding the best efforts of mainstream media journalists and executives to run interference for their disgusting friends, some of society's most notorious scumbags met their demise in 2019, including a number of mainstream media journalists and executives.

Of all the disgraced scumbags, Epstein was by far the most lecherous. And, like many of the world's worst villains, Donald Trump's election was the worst thing that ever happened to him.

Nearly a decade after the billionaire pedophile was released from "jail," national media outlets and law enforcement agencies had basically lost interest in Epstein until a local newspaper—the Miami Herald—started pursuing a Trump-related angle to the controversy. (Trump's former labor secretary, Alex Acosta, was the U.S. attorney who signed off on Epstein's plea deal.)

While President Trump obviously deserves some credit for ending Epstein's reign of terror, our fearless president was not, as far as we know, responsible for ending the life of inmate 76318-054. But neither was Jeffrey Epstein.

More here

Arkansas judge in Hunter Biden paternity case mysteriously recuses himself

The judge presiding over Hunter Biden's paternity case abruptly recused himself from the case this week.

Lunden Alexis Roberts, 28, filed a paternity suit against Biden alleging he is the father of her infant child in May. On Tuesday, Independence County Circuit Judge Don McSpadden filed an order saying he was recusing pursuant to the Administrative Plan of the 16th Judicial Circuit but did not provide any explanation, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

Biden, 49, took a DNA test that proved “with scientific certainty” that he fathered Roberts's child after he denied the claim. Her lawyer said she was filing the lawsuit because she "wants this baby to get financial support from the baby’s father" but added, “She really does not want this to be a media spectacle. She does not want this to affect Joe Biden's campaign."

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THAT DIDN'T AGE WELL #36: AWFUL PREDICTIONS FOR 2019 THAT WERE WAY WRONG

GROUND ZERO in the WAR for the SOUL of AMERICA

'Defrauded' investor wants Hunter Biden's bank records to prove VP's son received $1.5bn from Chinese companies that 'hustled Americans out of life savings' in latest twist in paternity battle

A 'defrauded' investor has claimed Hunter Biden's bank records could help solve the mystery of billions of dollars that have gone missing in China, as he filed papers on Monday seeking to get involved in Biden's Arkansas paternity case.

Joel Caplan requested Judge Don McSpadden to make him a third party in Lunden Roberts' suit against Biden, asking the official to 'follow the money', according to court papers obtained by DailyMail.com.

Biden, 49, was hit with the paternity case from Roberts, 28, in May. She wants full custody and child support for their 16-month-old baby.

Now, in a 30-page filing, Caplan lays out how he was allegedly swindled out of 10 years of his life savings in a 'multi-billion dollar stock scheme known as the China Hustle.'

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Activist Group Rips Air Force Base For Selling ‘Jesus Candy’

The Peterson Air Force base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is being attacked by an activist group offended that “Jesus candy” is sold at the base, saying they have “fought many battles throughout our long years of civil rights activism at PAFB against this wretched, fundamentalist Christian, religious extremist bigotry and prejudice.”

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), which has blasted the Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs before, said it received an email stating, “The base exchange at Peterson Air Force Base is currently selling ‘Jesus’ candy.’ The exchange at the Air Force Academy was also selling ‘Jesus’ candy at Halloween, although I didn’t get any pictures of that.”

The founder and president of MRFF, Mikey Weinstein, informed Crooks and Liars,“Peterson’s selling of for-profit, clearly marked ‘Jesus candy’ at its base exchange (BX) is merely the fundamentalist Christian straw breaking the MRFF clients’ backs. Any pathetically-proffered pretense by the U.S. Air Force at Peterson that Christmas is a mere secular holiday is totally belied and betrayed by this in your face sale of this ‘proselytizing’ candy with the fundamentalist Christian version of its ‘God’s name’ emblazoned on all over the packaging.”

First Liberty Institute lawyer and director of military affairs Mike Berry told Fox News, “This is just the latest publicity stunt by a bunch of activists. A real constitutional expert – or any first-year law student – knows that selling candy canes at Christmas is perfectly legal."

More here

Pope Pauses on World Peace Day to Apologize for Slapping Woman Twice in St. Peter’s Square

Socialist Pope Francis slapped a woman twice on New Year’s Eve.

Francis got physical.

Pope Francis slapped the woman twice in St. Peter’s Square — Then angrily walked away!

On Wednesday, during his World Peace Day sermon Pope Francis apologized for slapping the woman.
 
It’s a start.
 
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A Third Of 18-34 Year Olds Live With Their Parents And Other 2019 Housing Market Highlights, In Charts

As Goldman housing strategist Marty Young writes in his "year in review" housing and mortgage market summary, 2019 was characterized by sharply falling mortgage rates and a strengthening housing market:

• 120bp: 30-year mortgage rates fell by 120bp between 2018Q4 and 2019Q4.
• +17%: single family housing starts increased by 17% from November 2018 to November 2019.
• +3.2%: the Case-Shiller US house price index has grown by 3.2% over the past 12 months.
• 50%: 50% of outstanding conventional 30-year mortgage borrowers have a 50bp or larger refinance incentive as of 2019Q4 (up from 6% as of 2018Q4).
• 5bp: agency MBS spreads widened by 5bp in 2019 (vs. 60bp of tightening of IG corporate bond spreads).
• $230bn: Federal Reserve agency MBS holdings declined by $230bn over the past year.
• $25bn: non-QM RMBS issuance has reached $25bn in 2019 year-to-date (vs. $11bn in 2018

One remarkable observation: roughly a third of young Americans aged 18-34 now live with their parents: up from 27% before the crisis. Depending on how one looks at this data, it means that either household formation is about to soar, or an entire generation now has doubts it will ever be able to own its own house.

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Pentagon prepares 4,000 paratroopers for rapid deployment to Kuwait after Donald Trump said Iran will 'pay a very BIG PRICE' for the attack on the US embassy in Baghdad

The U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division’s alert brigade has been issued orders to deploy rapidly to Kuwait following an attack on the American embassy in Baghdad by a pro-Iranian mob.

At least 750 paratroopers are already making their way to the Middle East, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper confirmed in a statement on Tuesday, saying additional forces are prepared to deploy over the next several days.

'This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today,' said Esper.

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Taiwan Leader Rejects China's Offer to Unify

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday the island would not accept a "one country, two systems" political formula Beijing has suggested could be used to unify the democratic island, saying such an arrangement had failed in Hong Kong.

China claims Taiwan as its territory, to be brought under Beijing's control by force if necessary. Taiwan says it is an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name.

Tsai, who's seeking re-election in a Jan. 11 vote, also vowed in a New Year's speech to defend Taiwan's sovereignty, saying her government would build a mechanism to safeguard freedom and democracy as Beijing ramps up pressure on the island.

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California's Woke Legislation For 2020: Students Can't Be Suspended

Among the dumbest of the state of California's new 'woke' legislation for 2020 is that it's set to ban all public and charter schools from suspending students for 'willful defiance' in this upcoming year:

A California bill that passed the Legislature would prohibit schools, including charter schools, from suspending students for willful defiance.

That means if a student is acting up in class, teachers and school officials will not be able to suspend them from school.

As if California public schools weren't already woefully behind national education standards, despite the state pouring $90 billion into the system this year alone, schools will now be forced to keep kids on campus no matter their level of constant defiance and disruption to the educational process of others.

Under the law, SB 419, the only exception for which a student could still be suspended suspended will be for bringing a weapon or illegal drugs to school.

And what's the rationale? Because of course, racism.

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The Democrats’ 5 Biggest Lies of 2019

Obama Met With One of the Iran-Backed Militia Leaders in Baghdad Embassy Attack

On Tuesday, members of the Iran-backed militia Kata'ib Hezbollah and their supporters stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Hadi al-Amiri, a member of the Iraqi parliament and former head of the Badr Organization with close ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard, took part in the embassy attack. In 2011, Amiri visited the White House and met with then-President Barack Obama.

"Did you know Badr Corps chief Hadi Ameri, who led today's raid on the US Embassy in Iraq, was once invited to the [White House] by [Barack Obama]?" asked Iranian news editor M. Hanif Jazayeri. "FYI: Ameri & the Badr Corps get their salary & orders from Iran's dictator Ali Khamenei."

Jazayeri also noted that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called on Iraqis to take over the American embassy just two months ago.

Steven Nabil reported seeing Amiri at the embassy-storming along with other Iraqi government officials.

More here

U.S. Taking Democracy for Granted, Chief Justice Roberts Says

The U.S. has “come to take democracy for granted,” Chief Justice John Roberts said, urging his fellow judges to keep educating the public about the workings of the federal government and the Constitution.

Roberts, who is slated to oversee the Senate‘s impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in the coming weeks, used his year-end report Tuesday to laud the federal judiciary’s work on civic education, while issuing a thinly veiled warning about the fragility of American democracy in a fractious time.

“We have come to take democracy for granted, and civic education has fallen by the wayside,” Roberts wrote. “In our age, when social media can instantly spread rumor and false information on a grand scale, the public’s need to understand our government, and the protections it provides, is ever more vital.”

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Leadership and Loyalty: Unlike Obama – President Trump Sends in The Marines to Protect US Embassy in Baghdad

On September 11, 2012, Islamic terrorists stormed the US consulate in Benghazi.
This was after several US embassies were attacked throughout the Middle East in a coordinated operation.

US Ambassador Chris Stevens, Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods were killed in the Benghazi terror attack.

• Obama and Hillary watched the attack by drone cameras then went to bed. 
• They were warned of the attack but ignored it.
• They lied and said it was protest.
• They refused to send backup to rescue the US men and women trapped at the CIA complex for over 10 hours.
• Then they lied some more and said it was because of a YouTube video.
• Again, they refused to send backup to rescue the US officials in Benghazi.

On Tuesday Iranian regime operatives stormed the US Embassy in Baghdad.

Iraqi security forces failed to stop the raid on the US Embassy.
The Iraqi protesters were carrying Hezbollah flags.

AH-64 Apaches were deployed to protect the US Embassy in Baghdad.

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Noon At Suffolk, Virginia Citizens Defense League

VA-ALERT: Urgent Action on short notice: we need to flood Budget Hearings on Thursday!

Sorry for the short notice. Northam wants to allocation millions to take away our guns and we need to ask legislators face-to-face if they are going to support that budget item. There are four hearings tomorrow, January 2: NoVA, Blacksburg, Hampton Roads, and Richmond.

To get this out quickly, I am using an alert that GOA put together - VCDL thanks them:

Please Make Plans to Attend a Meeting and Show Your Support for 2A-Protected Rights!
The state's Democratic legislature will be holding hearings on Gov. “Blackface” Northam's anti-gun budget in four locations around the state tomorrow (on Thursday).

We understand that this is short notice. But it would have a significant impact if many of our members could show up and make a 3-minute statement and ask questions of the legislators in attendance

We have to speak out, because your rights are under attack by the Governor of Virginia. Consider:

Governor “Blackface” is supporting SB 16, which would ban commonly-owned firearms in more than one million Virginia households -- a ban that would even outlaw sporting weapons such as the Mossberg 930 Snow Goose.
The Governor has requested $4 million and 18 law-enforcement positions to enforce his gun ban -- a request that could be the preparatory steps for confiscating the guns which would be banned by SB 16.

Moreover, the Governor is requesting another $3.5 million to enforce gun control that has NOT been passed by the legislature and is NOT even current law in Virginia: universal background checks, one gun a month limitations, so-called “red flag” gun confiscation orders, and more.

We need to get as many pro-gun Virginians as possible to attend these meetings and demand to know if the Delegates and Senators plan to allocate money -- as delineated in budget -- to confiscate common, household firearms from Virginia citizens.

You can have up to three minutes to speak to the Delegates and Senators who will be in attendance. And because they sit on the appropriations committee, you might want to consider the following types of questions for them to consider:

Currently there are 350+ cars and one short bus. 20 more cars coming in as I write this. Channel 13 (Norfolk?) ABC news doing interviews and reporting. Lots of Patriots for such little notice!

New York Times slammed for labeling embassy-storming mob as 'mourners'

The New York Times caught flack after the publication labeled Iranian-controlled militias, which attacked the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, as "mourners."

"Hundreds of Iraqi mourners tried to storm the United States Embassy in Baghdad, shouting 'Down, down USA!,' in response to deadly American airstrikes this week that killed 25 fighters," the paper said in a Tuesday tweet.

The tweet met with swift condemnation from those saying they were parroting Iranian propaganda. Protesters shouted, "Death to America," as they broke into the embassy compound.

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NSC chief slashing Obama's 'bloated' staff to create efficient, tight-lipped White House operation

The White House National Security Council staff is being downsized sharply in a bid to improve efficiency within the policy coordinating body by consolidating positions and cutting staff.

A second, unspoken thrust of the overhaul is a hoped-for end to what many critics see as a string of politically damaging, unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information. Leaks of President Trump’s conversations with foreign leaders and other damaging disclosures likely originated with anti-Trump officials in the White House who stayed over from the Obama administration, according to several current and former White House officials.

White House National Security Adviser Robert C. O’Brien is leading the NSC reform effort. He revealed in a recent interview with The Washington Times that 40 to 45 NSC staff officials were sent back in recent months to the agencies where they originally worked, with more likely to be moved out.

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WHAT A SHAME: AOC Could Lose Her House Seat After 2020 Through Elimination Of Her District

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could soon be out of her government job. Due to the high number of non-citizens in her district, it might be eliminated after the census.

Wouldn’t that be ironic?

From the report at The City:

AOC MAKES A BRONX CENSUS PUSH AMID FEARS OF LOST HOUSE SEATS

For Ocasio-Cortez, a full Census count is more than a matter of making sure her district gets all the funds and services it’s due. In a sense, her own political fortunes could hang in the balance.

A review by THE CITY, building on data and analysis by The Texas Tribune, suggests Ocasio-Cortez’ district could be particularly vulnerable to undercount because a little over a quarter of those living there are non-citizens.

That’s a higher percentage than any other congressional district in the state.

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Democrats to nonwhite voters: Don’t believe your lying eyes

Every election, Democratic candidates promise nonwhite voters the moon in return for their votes. And most of the time, a large majority of those voters comply.

According to Pew Research, 91% of black voters and 66% of Hispanic voters voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Only 6% of blacks and 28% of Hispanics voted for President Trump.

It’s understandable. Republicans don’t normally spend much money, time, or effort in minority communities. They figure they’re going to get trounced there, so why bother?

But the absence of any serious Republican message to minority voters means that many of them only hear what Democrats want them to hear. When they call Republicans racists, no one shows up to rebut it. When they promise better schools, more jobs, higher wages, and a better life through bigger government and higher taxes on someone else, often no one is there to say, “Hey, wait a minute — how’s that been working out?”

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US increases fines for placing a robocall to $10,000 with newly passed spamming bill

An anti-robocall measure signed into law Monday will look to stem the onslaught of robocalls by levying harsh fines for spammers.

In addition to fining convicted spammers from $1,500 to up to $10,000, the bill, signed by President Donald Trump, gives authorities more enforcement powers and looks to accelerate measures the industry is already taking to identify robocalls.

'American families deserve control over their communications, and this legislation will update our laws and regulations to stiffen penalties, increase transparency, and enhance government collaboration to stop unwanted solicitation,' said White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.

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So Many People Have Fled California The State May Lose Multiple Seats In Congress

California is poised to lose multiple congressional seats after the 2020 census for the first time in the state's history, thanks to an exodus of more than 200,000 people between 2018 and 2019, according to the Los Angeles Times. Top destinations include Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Colorado.

"It’s got a lot to do with dispersion from California to the rest of the west," said senior Brookings fellow, William Frey. "Arizona, Texas and Colorado are all big destinations for California migrants, and they all are gaining seats."

About 203,000 people left California in that period, a result of the state’s shifting migration patterns and economic strains that are making it harder to afford living here. New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Louisiana also saw large losses to other states.

California’s potential loss in reapportionment, which will be determined by next year’s census count, would drop the state’s number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives from 53 to 52, said William Frey, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. -LA Times

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Arrested Democratic megadonor and anti-Israel activist missed by Warren campaign vetting

White House bids are known to be a good way to prepare for the Oval Office’s rigors, which includes vetting by West Wing staff to prevent problematic people meeting with the president.

But the Washington Examiner has found several cases in which the campaign of 2020 Democrat Elizabeth Warren failed to flag people whom her rivals’ teams would have likely avoided.

In December, Warren, 70, boasted an endorsement by an alleged serial predator who was mistakenly included on a list of more than 200 Obama alumni backing her for president. Ed Buck, 65, was arrested in September over accusations that he preyed on black men by offering them free drugs before sexually assaulting them at his Los Angeles home. Buck, a Democratic Party megadonor, was charged with three counts of battery causing serious injury, administering methamphetamine, and maintaining a drug house. Federal authorities also charged him with one count of distribution of methamphetamine resulting in death.

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NFL Wild Card Round This Weekend At Caribbean Joe's

Bills vs. Texans Saturday at 4:35 PM.

Titans vs. Patriots Saturday 8:15 PM

Vikings vs. Saints Sunday 1:05 PM

Seahawks vs. Eagles 4:40 PM

A Viewer Writes.........Stabbing In Salisbury

Joe,

Have you heard anything about a stabbing on Fitzwater street that happened at about 12:30am January 1st? From the way people were talking the person didn't make it. 

Editor's note:  We have checked Facebook, Twitter and the SPD website for a press release and none were found.

Investigation Continuing Into Death Of Eastern Shore Man Who Fled From Traffic Stop

(ROYAL OAK, MD) – Maryland State Police are continuing their investigation into the death of an Eastern Shore man who was found deceased in a body of water hours after he abandoned his car and fled on foot when a trooper attempted to stop him for traffic violations early this morning.

The man is identified as Glenn M. Foster III, 36, of Tilghman Island, Md. He was pronounced deceased by Talbot County emergency medical services personnel shortly before 7:00 a.m. today.

The preliminary investigation indicates that shortly before 2:30 a.m. today, a trooper from the Easton Barrack was patrolling Rt. 33 when he observed a vehicle that appeared to be speeding when it nearly collided head-on with the vehicle in front of the trooper. The trooper made a U-turn on Rt. 33 and saw the vehicle cross the centerline again as it made a turn onto Royal Oak Rd. The trooper activated his emergency equipment and the driver of the Ford Taurus turned onto Bushy Heath Lane and accelerated away from the trooper.

As the trooper attempted to catch up to the vehicle, he saw the Taurus stop and saw what appeared to be someone running from the vehicle. The trooper reported his location to the barrack and called for assistance after seeing the person run into a thickly wooded area in the remote location.

Additional troopers and deputies from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office arrived. A grid search of the area was conducted. During the search, troopers came upon a small body of water, but heard no noise in the area. As the search continued, troopers heard someone calling for help from the direction of the water, but after a short time, no further calls were heard.

A Maryland State Police helicopter and personnel from the Tilghman and Oxford fire departments responded to assist with a search of the water. A search of the water was conducted from the air and with fire department boats.

The search continued throughout the early morning hours. Shortly before 7:00 a.m. today, a body was found in the water 30 to 50 yards from shore. The person was identified as Foster and pronounced deceased at the scene.

A forensic investigator responded to the scene and ordered the body transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause and manner of death.

Investigators from the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division responded to the scene and are conducting the continuing investigation.

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