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Friday, May 15, 2020
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10 YEARS IN JAIL? SEN. JOHN BARRASSO NOTES BIDEN UNMASKED FLYNN SAME DAY WAPO GOT LEAKED DOCS
Leaking classified info punishable by up to ten years in prison
During an interview on Fox Business’ Varney & Co., Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) hinted Joe Biden could be behind illegal leaks to the Washington Post.
While discussing a recently released list of Obama administration officials involved in the unmasking of General Michael Flynn, Senator Barrasso said, “This is a clear abuse of power.”∂
Former CIA Director John Brennan, former Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, former DNI Chief James Clapper, Obama Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and former Vice President Joe Biden were among those connected to the unmasking.
Barrasso explained how a “bitter” Obama administration tried to undermine Trump’s presidency out of spite following Hillary Clinton’s disastrous 2016 presidential bid.
“The thing that is so disturbing is the day Biden did his unmasking is the same day the information got leaked to the Washington Post. Now, that’s a crime punishable by ten years in jail and we know that Joe Biden likes to talk,” Barrasso stated.
Looking into the near future, Varney told viewers, “At some point, the former vice president has to be interviewed by serious journalists who will pursue him on this. It has to happen, and if it doesn’t happen from the media, it will certainly happen in the debates with the president.”
On Wednesday, President Trump shared a video of Joe Biden claiming he “knows nothing about the moves to investigate Flynn.”
“Does anybody believe this man? Caught!” the president wrote.
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During an interview on Fox Business’ Varney & Co., Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) hinted Joe Biden could be behind illegal leaks to the Washington Post.
While discussing a recently released list of Obama administration officials involved in the unmasking of General Michael Flynn, Senator Barrasso said, “This is a clear abuse of power.”∂
Former CIA Director John Brennan, former Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, former DNI Chief James Clapper, Obama Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and former Vice President Joe Biden were among those connected to the unmasking.
Barrasso explained how a “bitter” Obama administration tried to undermine Trump’s presidency out of spite following Hillary Clinton’s disastrous 2016 presidential bid.
“The thing that is so disturbing is the day Biden did his unmasking is the same day the information got leaked to the Washington Post. Now, that’s a crime punishable by ten years in jail and we know that Joe Biden likes to talk,” Barrasso stated.
Looking into the near future, Varney told viewers, “At some point, the former vice president has to be interviewed by serious journalists who will pursue him on this. It has to happen, and if it doesn’t happen from the media, it will certainly happen in the debates with the president.”
On Wednesday, President Trump shared a video of Joe Biden claiming he “knows nothing about the moves to investigate Flynn.”
“Does anybody believe this man? Caught!” the president wrote.
More
Hope for a coronavirus treatment: Plasma from recovered patients IS safe for those still suffering the infection, early data from study of 5,000 people suggests
An experimental treatment using blood plasma is safe to use on coronaviruspatients, a new study suggests.
Less than one percent of about 5,000 patients from around the US who received plasma from people who had recovered from the virus suffered 'serious adverse effects.'
Additionally, one week later, only about 15 percent died, which the researchers say is low considering two-thirds were in intensive care.
Health experts say plasma is a potentially changing treatment but, with few donations, doctors have to decide which patients receive it and which do not.
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Less than one percent of about 5,000 patients from around the US who received plasma from people who had recovered from the virus suffered 'serious adverse effects.'
Additionally, one week later, only about 15 percent died, which the researchers say is low considering two-thirds were in intensive care.
Health experts say plasma is a potentially changing treatment but, with few donations, doctors have to decide which patients receive it and which do not.
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Cleveland man, 67, is charged with 1987 murder of 17-year-old girl who was strangled in woods after DNA advances link him to the cold case
Police in Ohio credited recent breakthroughs in DNA technology as they announced an arrest in a cold-case murder of a teenage girl whose naked body was found near an outdoor music venue in Cleveland more than three decades ago.
Cuyahoga Falls police said 67-year-old James Zastawnik, of Cleveland was taken into custody last week and charged with first-degree felony murder.
Police were called to an area near Blossom Music Center five days before Christmasin 1987 after the nude body of 17-year-old Barbara Blatnik was found.
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Cuyahoga Falls police said 67-year-old James Zastawnik, of Cleveland was taken into custody last week and charged with first-degree felony murder.
Police were called to an area near Blossom Music Center five days before Christmasin 1987 after the nude body of 17-year-old Barbara Blatnik was found.
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Obama's Flynn Unmaskers Unmasked
In a classic display of Shakespeare’s line about “the lady doth protest too much,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Wednesday decried “these ridiculous conspiracy theories on [Barack] Obama.” He complained that Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson “wants to go after Biden and this Hunter Biden conspiracy theory, which came from the Russians, of all people.” Schumer gasped, “This is amazing to me. What alternative universe do they live in? Spending their time on discredited conspiracy theories, against Obama, against Biden.”
Of course, far from being a “discredited” conspiracy theory, this is conspiracy fact — and Barack Obama’s fingerprints are all over it. Justice Department documents declassified and released by acting National Intelligence Director Richard Grenell show that there was a conspiracy by members of Obama’s DOJ to undermine incoming President Donald Trump. On Wednesday, Republican Senators Chuck Grassley (IA) and Ron Johnson (WI) released a declassified list of former Obama officials who had requested and received unmasked information related to Gen. Michael Flynn during the last few weeks of Obama’s presidency.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, “The National Security Agency received and approved requests on behalf of more than three dozen Obama administration officials, including then-Vice President Joe Biden, to ‘unmask’ a U.S. citizen mentioned in classified foreign intelligence reports during the presidential transition, revealing the identity of Michael Flynn.” Included among these three dozen Obama era officials are former CIA Director John Brennan, Obama Chief of Staff Dennis McDonough, and former UN Ambassador Samantha Power, who apparently lied in congressional testimony by claiming to not recall making a request for the unmasking of Flynn — records show she in fact made seven requests.
This revelation is significant because it may help determine who was involved in leaking Flynn’s conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak (classified information) to the press. It was this leaked information that was then used by members of the FBI in entrapping Flynn in the infamous White House meeting on January 24, 2017.
More here
Of course, far from being a “discredited” conspiracy theory, this is conspiracy fact — and Barack Obama’s fingerprints are all over it. Justice Department documents declassified and released by acting National Intelligence Director Richard Grenell show that there was a conspiracy by members of Obama’s DOJ to undermine incoming President Donald Trump. On Wednesday, Republican Senators Chuck Grassley (IA) and Ron Johnson (WI) released a declassified list of former Obama officials who had requested and received unmasked information related to Gen. Michael Flynn during the last few weeks of Obama’s presidency.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, “The National Security Agency received and approved requests on behalf of more than three dozen Obama administration officials, including then-Vice President Joe Biden, to ‘unmask’ a U.S. citizen mentioned in classified foreign intelligence reports during the presidential transition, revealing the identity of Michael Flynn.” Included among these three dozen Obama era officials are former CIA Director John Brennan, Obama Chief of Staff Dennis McDonough, and former UN Ambassador Samantha Power, who apparently lied in congressional testimony by claiming to not recall making a request for the unmasking of Flynn — records show she in fact made seven requests.
This revelation is significant because it may help determine who was involved in leaking Flynn’s conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak (classified information) to the press. It was this leaked information that was then used by members of the FBI in entrapping Flynn in the infamous White House meeting on January 24, 2017.
More here
Mouthwash could protect against COVID-19
Mouthwash has the potential to protect against COVID-19 infection by killing the coronavirus before it can infect human cells, according to a new report.
Coronaviruses belong to the class of 'enveloped viruses', meaning they are covered by a fatty layer that is vulnerable to certain chemicals.
A team of international researchers say mouthwash could destroy the outermost layer or 'envelope' of the virus, preventing its replication in the mouth and throat.
The scientists say there is an urgent need to test the effectiveness of mouthwash in trials, although there is currently no clinical evidence that it would be successful.
'Safe use of mouthwash – as in gargling – has so far not been considered by public health bodies in the UK,' said lead author Professor O’Donnell, co-director of Cardiff University’s Systems Immunity Research Institute.
'In test tube experiments and limited clinical studies, some mouthwashes contain enough of known virucidal ingredients to effectively target lipids in similar enveloped viruses.
'What we don’t know yet is whether existing mouthwashes are active against the lipid membrane of SARS-CoV-2.
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[Almost all respiratory viruses start in the throat. Gargling is a first-line defense, with or without studies to verify. --Editor]
Coronaviruses belong to the class of 'enveloped viruses', meaning they are covered by a fatty layer that is vulnerable to certain chemicals.
A team of international researchers say mouthwash could destroy the outermost layer or 'envelope' of the virus, preventing its replication in the mouth and throat.
The scientists say there is an urgent need to test the effectiveness of mouthwash in trials, although there is currently no clinical evidence that it would be successful.
'Safe use of mouthwash – as in gargling – has so far not been considered by public health bodies in the UK,' said lead author Professor O’Donnell, co-director of Cardiff University’s Systems Immunity Research Institute.
'In test tube experiments and limited clinical studies, some mouthwashes contain enough of known virucidal ingredients to effectively target lipids in similar enveloped viruses.
'What we don’t know yet is whether existing mouthwashes are active against the lipid membrane of SARS-CoV-2.
More
[Almost all respiratory viruses start in the throat. Gargling is a first-line defense, with or without studies to verify. --Editor]
Berlin Police Department Thanks Local Businesses
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh’s ‘Healthy Holly’ scandal: Winning coverage from Baltimore Sun
Baltimore Sun coverage of Mayor Catherine Pugh's "Healthy Holly" scandal, which won a Pulitzer Prize. Photo illustration.
The Baltimore Sun on Monday won the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting for coverage of a book-publishing scheme that resulted in the resignation of Mayor Catherine Pugh and helped lead to her federal conviction.
Here is the coverage The Sun submitted to the Pulitzer committee.
- Reporter Luke Broadwater broke the news that members of the University of Maryland Medical System board, including Pugh, had hundreds of thousands of dollars in business deals with the medical system.
- Pugh then amended her financial disclosure filings, admitting she did not fully disclose the business relationship she started in 2011. After The Sun asked questions about the disclosure forms she filed while in the Senate, Pugh submitted an amendment for seven years of reports filed with the state ethics commission.
- A week after the deals were revealed, Pugh resigned from the UMMS board as it was revealed 8,700 books she sold to the Baltimore City school system were sitting unread in a warehouse.
- The University of Maryland Medical System classified its two most recent purchases of books from Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh as “grants” in federal tax filings — one to the city public school system in 2017 and one to the Democrat’s Healthy Holly company in 2015, tax documents show.
- Where are the books? Tens of thousands of her children’s books were still unaccounted for, even as public pressure built.
- It turns out the University of Maryland Medical System wasn’t the only major buyer of Pugh’s books. Health provider Kaiser Permanente and local nonprofit Associated Black Charities paid nearly $200,000 for copies. Kaiser paid Pugh during a period when the company was seeking a lucrative contract to provide health benefits to city employees.
- The quasi-public auto insurance fund created by the Maryland General Assembly for hard-to-insure drivers gave a $7,500 donation in 2012 to Pugh’s Healthy Holly book company, shortly before she successfully sponsored legislation supported by the company as a state senator.
- As a Maryland senator, Pugh sponsored dozens of bills affecting hospitals in Maryland — including several that would have benefited UMMS.
- Maryland lawmakers approved sweeping legislation that would reform the University of Maryland Medical System’s board of directors amid revelations of single-source contracts for some board members.
- Pugh resigned as mayor in early May, about a week after FBI and IRS agents raided her two city homes, her office in City Hall, and the homes of her allies.
FBI serves warrant against Senate intel chair, seizes cellphone
They are investigating claims of insider trading
The Federal Bureau of Investigation served a warrant against Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) as part of an investigation into his questionable stock market actions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Burr came under fire when reports surfaced that he had sold a majority of his stock market holdings after attending a grave congressional briefing about the burgeoning coronavirus pandemic in February.
The FBI seized Burr's cellphone on Wednesday night according to a law enforcement official who spoke to the Los Angeles Times.
Burr is accused of violating laws barring the profiting from information learned in the course of official congressional work.
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation served a warrant against Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) as part of an investigation into his questionable stock market actions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Burr came under fire when reports surfaced that he had sold a majority of his stock market holdings after attending a grave congressional briefing about the burgeoning coronavirus pandemic in February.
The FBI seized Burr's cellphone on Wednesday night according to a law enforcement official who spoke to the Los Angeles Times.
Burr is accused of violating laws barring the profiting from information learned in the course of official congressional work.
More
Democrats’ $3 Trillion Package Includes ‘Amnesty’ For Some Illegal Aliens, Critics Say
At 1,815 pages, virtually no one will ever read the whole thing. But tucked in the bill is a provision to protect illegal aliens who work in jobs declared “essential” — a move some critics say is tantamount to amnesty.
The Pelosi provision allows some illegals who are “engaged in essential critical infrastructure labor or services in the United States” to have “a period of deferred action” on deportation, Fox News reports. The provision also gives protection to employers who hire illegal aliens, saying that “the hiring, employment or continued employment” of qualifying illegals does not violate the Immigration and Nationality Act.
But Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli says the provision amounts to amnesty for illegals and protection for lawbreakers.
“Is it really a good idea to not only grant an amnesty to illegal aliens but to absolve employers who have been breaking the law in the last few months? I don’t think so!” Cuccinelli wrote on Twitter.
More here
NYC's health chief faces calls to quit 'after rejecting an NYPD plea for 500,000 face masks and telling a top police chief "I don't give two rats' a***s about your cops"'
New York City's health commissioner brutally dismissed an urgent request from the NYPD for 500,000 protective face masks as the scale of the coronavirus crisis grew.
Sources told the New York Post that Dr. Oxiris Barbot told a high ranking NYPD official 'I don't give two rats' a***s about your cops' when the request was made.
The remark is said to have been made in March during a phone conversation with Terence Monahan, the police force's Chief of Department, the Post was told on Wednesday by sources close to the matter.
Monahan had asked Barbot for 500,000 masks to help protect police officers in the city from the coronavirus as cases were rising sharply, but she told him only 50,000 could be provided.
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Sources told the New York Post that Dr. Oxiris Barbot told a high ranking NYPD official 'I don't give two rats' a***s about your cops' when the request was made.
The remark is said to have been made in March during a phone conversation with Terence Monahan, the police force's Chief of Department, the Post was told on Wednesday by sources close to the matter.
Monahan had asked Barbot for 500,000 masks to help protect police officers in the city from the coronavirus as cases were rising sharply, but she told him only 50,000 could be provided.
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Hillary Resists Court Order to Produce Memo on Process that Lead to Deletion of Her Emails
Judicial Watch recently announced that it filed a motion in federal court to compel former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to produce the December 2014 'after action' memorandum created by her personal attorney Heather Samuelson that memorializes the search for and processing of Clinton emails in 2014. Samuelson reviewed Clinton’s State Department emails and about half of them were deleted
(Hillary Clinton is also resisting, through an emergency appeal, the court’s order that she testify to Judicial Watch about her emails.)
The filing comes in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit that seeks records concerning “talking points or updates on the Benghazi attack” .
In December 2018, Judge Lamberth ordered discovery into whether Clinton’s use of a private email server was intended to stymie FOIA; whether the State Department’s intent to settle this case in late 2014 and early 2015 amounted to bad faith; and whether the State Department has adequately searched for records responsive to Judicial Watch’s request.
Clinton is resisting producing even a portion of the “after-action” memo, despite an August 22, 2019, ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth that Judicial Watch may ask for the memorandum in its discovery. Clinton refused to produce any part of the memo, alleging that it is fully exempt from disclosure under the “attorney work product doctrine.”
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(Hillary Clinton is also resisting, through an emergency appeal, the court’s order that she testify to Judicial Watch about her emails.)
The filing comes in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit that seeks records concerning “talking points or updates on the Benghazi attack” .
In December 2018, Judge Lamberth ordered discovery into whether Clinton’s use of a private email server was intended to stymie FOIA; whether the State Department’s intent to settle this case in late 2014 and early 2015 amounted to bad faith; and whether the State Department has adequately searched for records responsive to Judicial Watch’s request.
Clinton is resisting producing even a portion of the “after-action” memo, despite an August 22, 2019, ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth that Judicial Watch may ask for the memorandum in its discovery. Clinton refused to produce any part of the memo, alleging that it is fully exempt from disclosure under the “attorney work product doctrine.”
More
A Viewer Writes: Could This Be True?
It is rumored that Worcester Preparatory School received PPP funds from a local bank.
So many local businesses did not qualify or get anything. Yet, they pay taxes.
WPS is a non profit 501 c(3) sitting on millions
https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/520903685_201806_990_2019080516544693.pdf (2017 application for extension)
https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/520903685_201706_990_2018080615565255.pdf (2016)
Governor Carney Announces Statewide Contact Tracing Plan for COVID-19
Approximately 200 Delawareans will be hired as contact tracers
WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Tuesday announced that the State of Delaware entered into an agreement with the nonpartisan research institution NORC at the University of Chicago to build Delaware’s statewide contact tracing program to contain COVID-19, limit Delawareans’ exposure to the disease, and restart Delaware’s economy.
The contact tracing program builds on Delaware’s statewide plan to test up to 80,000 Delawareans monthly for COVID-19. Expanded testing and contact tracing efforts are key to reopening Delaware’s economy under guidance from the White House and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
NORC also has partnered with the State of Maryland to perform contact tracing. Delaware and Maryland will share information to more effectively monitor COVID-19’s spread across state lines.
Approximately 200 Delawareans will be hired as contact tracers and support staff.
Applications for contact tracers and other associated positions will be posted at de.gov/coronavirus in the coming weeks.
“To safely reopen our economy, we need to be able to quickly identify positive COVID-19 cases and reach out to those residents who may have been exposed. This contact tracing program brings us one step closer to returning Delaware to a new normal,” said Governor Carney. “We’ve been working with Maryland to coordinate our reopening efforts, and this partnership will build on that collaboration. Going forward, hiring a contact tracing workforce of Delawareans that reflects the diversity of our state will be a top priority.”
“This is a critically important complement to the statewide testing plan the Governor announced last week and the two plans are really integrally linked,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “Contact tracing is a basic public health practice for containing an epidemiological event by talking with the person who is infected and reaching out to their contacts in order to decrease transmission. It will help us track positive cases of COVID-19 and limit the spread of the virus both short-term and long-term.”
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WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Tuesday announced that the State of Delaware entered into an agreement with the nonpartisan research institution NORC at the University of Chicago to build Delaware’s statewide contact tracing program to contain COVID-19, limit Delawareans’ exposure to the disease, and restart Delaware’s economy.
The contact tracing program builds on Delaware’s statewide plan to test up to 80,000 Delawareans monthly for COVID-19. Expanded testing and contact tracing efforts are key to reopening Delaware’s economy under guidance from the White House and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
NORC also has partnered with the State of Maryland to perform contact tracing. Delaware and Maryland will share information to more effectively monitor COVID-19’s spread across state lines.
Approximately 200 Delawareans will be hired as contact tracers and support staff.
Applications for contact tracers and other associated positions will be posted at de.gov/coronavirus in the coming weeks.
“To safely reopen our economy, we need to be able to quickly identify positive COVID-19 cases and reach out to those residents who may have been exposed. This contact tracing program brings us one step closer to returning Delaware to a new normal,” said Governor Carney. “We’ve been working with Maryland to coordinate our reopening efforts, and this partnership will build on that collaboration. Going forward, hiring a contact tracing workforce of Delawareans that reflects the diversity of our state will be a top priority.”
“This is a critically important complement to the statewide testing plan the Governor announced last week and the two plans are really integrally linked,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “Contact tracing is a basic public health practice for containing an epidemiological event by talking with the person who is infected and reaching out to their contacts in order to decrease transmission. It will help us track positive cases of COVID-19 and limit the spread of the virus both short-term and long-term.”
More
Immigrant unemployment rate soars during coronavirus pandemic: Study
The unemployment rate among immigrants has soared 320% during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report Thursday by the Center for Immigration Studies that suggests they’re having just as tough a time finding jobs as native-born Americans.
Nearly 20% of illegal immigrants were unemployed last month, and more than 15% of legal immigrants were also searching for jobs. By contrast, the unemployment rate among native-born Americans was just 14%.
Immigrants — both legal and illegal — had actually had lower unemployment, at 3.6%, than the native-born, at 3.8%, in February. By April, though, the rate among immigrants surged to 16.4%, outstripping the 14% rate for native-born Americans.
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Nearly 20% of illegal immigrants were unemployed last month, and more than 15% of legal immigrants were also searching for jobs. By contrast, the unemployment rate among native-born Americans was just 14%.
Immigrants — both legal and illegal — had actually had lower unemployment, at 3.6%, than the native-born, at 3.8%, in February. By April, though, the rate among immigrants surged to 16.4%, outstripping the 14% rate for native-born Americans.
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Harris Urges DHS to Re-allocate Unused H-2B Visas
WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) sent a letter today urging Acting Secretary Chad Wolf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to re-allocate unused FY 20 H-2B visas to meet the ongoing needs of the seafood and other essential industries. The H-2B visa program provides visas for temporary work in seasonal, non-agricultural industries and is subject to an annual cap of 66,000 visas. The visas are utilized extensively by seafood processors and crab houses, among others, on the Eastern Shore.
Rep. Andy Harris made the following statement:
“I sent a letter to Acting Secretary Wolf urging him to re-allocate any unused FY 20 H-2B visas to ensure that our crab houses and other essential businesses have access to the H-2B workers necessary to carry out their operations. As a member of the Committee on Appropriations, I co-authored the amendment in the FY 2020 Appropriations bill that authorized the release of additional visas by DHS, and appreciate the Administration’s recent actions to release the additional visas. These guest workers are crucial to the economy of Maryland’s First District. Our iconic crab houses and seafood processing industry are experiencing increased demand for their products while still struggling to meet their labor needs despite record numbers of unemployment caused by COVID-19.”
Rep. Andy Harris made the following statement:
“I sent a letter to Acting Secretary Wolf urging him to re-allocate any unused FY 20 H-2B visas to ensure that our crab houses and other essential businesses have access to the H-2B workers necessary to carry out their operations. As a member of the Committee on Appropriations, I co-authored the amendment in the FY 2020 Appropriations bill that authorized the release of additional visas by DHS, and appreciate the Administration’s recent actions to release the additional visas. These guest workers are crucial to the economy of Maryland’s First District. Our iconic crab houses and seafood processing industry are experiencing increased demand for their products while still struggling to meet their labor needs despite record numbers of unemployment caused by COVID-19.”
Biden camp blasts CBS' Catherine Herridge as 'partisan, rightwing hack' after unmasking scoop
The director of rapid response for Joe Biden’s presidential campaign deleted a tweet Wednesday that slammed CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge as a “partisan, right-wing hack” after she obtained a document listing the former vice president as one of the Obama-era officials who reportedly requested the “unmasking” of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
“SCOOP: Catherine Herridge is a partisan, rightwing hack who is a regular conduit for conservative media manipulation ploys because she agrees to publicize things before contacting the target to ask for comment,” Andrew Bates wrote in the now-deleted tweet.
Mr. Bates was responding to Ms. Herridge’s “scoop” in which she obtained acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell’s notification to Congress, which included a declassified list of dozens of Obama-era officials who reportedly sought to “unmask” Flynn’s identity in intelligence reports.
In a later statement, Mr. Bates shrugged off Ms. Herridge’s revelations and said it was another attempt by the Trump administration to deflect from its coronavirus response.
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[“While many presidents have been unhappy with their media coverage, only Donald Trump has attacked the independence of journalists and launched an all-out assault on the media. He bullies and berates individual members of the press, rather than take responsibility for his failures of leadership. His efforts to undermine public confidence in the integrity of fact-based reporting violate our core American values and threaten our very system of government.” --Democrat presidential candidate Joseph Biden on World Press Freedom Day.]
“SCOOP: Catherine Herridge is a partisan, rightwing hack who is a regular conduit for conservative media manipulation ploys because she agrees to publicize things before contacting the target to ask for comment,” Andrew Bates wrote in the now-deleted tweet.
Mr. Bates was responding to Ms. Herridge’s “scoop” in which she obtained acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell’s notification to Congress, which included a declassified list of dozens of Obama-era officials who reportedly sought to “unmask” Flynn’s identity in intelligence reports.
In a later statement, Mr. Bates shrugged off Ms. Herridge’s revelations and said it was another attempt by the Trump administration to deflect from its coronavirus response.
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[“While many presidents have been unhappy with their media coverage, only Donald Trump has attacked the independence of journalists and launched an all-out assault on the media. He bullies and berates individual members of the press, rather than take responsibility for his failures of leadership. His efforts to undermine public confidence in the integrity of fact-based reporting violate our core American values and threaten our very system of government.” --Democrat presidential candidate Joseph Biden on World Press Freedom Day.]
Lied to Congress?
Burisma Holdings was at the center of impeachment proceedings against President Trump, after he pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a phone call to look into the Biden family’s dealings in Ukraine. Former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, held a lucrative position on the board of Burisma Holdings.
During the impeachment hearings, many witnesses were questioned about their knowledge of the Biden-Burisma connection, and the firm's reputation in Ukraine. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, during House testimony last year, said she didn't have much knowledge about the firm, and noted that she only learned of its connection to Biden through "press reports" she read while preparing for her Senate confirmation hearing.
“Burisma wasn’t a big issue in the fall … of 2016, when I arrived,” she said, noting that the investigation and details surrounding its closure “happened before I arrived.”
"It was not a focus of what I was doing in that six-month period," she said.
More
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/state-dept-emails-yovanovitch-met-with-burisma-despite-testifying
Democrats DECLINE to Put ‘Whistleblower’ Dr. Rick Bright Under Oath
Democrats declined to require Dr. Rick Bright, the “whistleblower” who appeared before the House on Thursday, to testify under oath as he told a subcommittee that the Trump administration had not responded adequately to the coronavirus pandemic.
Committee chair Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) declined to place Dr. Bright under oath before his testimony, but noted that “all witnesses know that it is illegal to lie to Congress.”
Bright, the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), was reassigned last month to a position at the National Institutes of Health. He claimed he was a victim of retaliation for his opposition to President Donald Trump’s support for the use of hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and zinc to treat coronavirus patients.
However, plans to remove Bright were reportedly in the works before the coronavirus pandemic, as he was accused of “incompetence and insubordination.” Politico also reported that Bright had written in support of hydroxychloroquine.
Bright, who has failed to show up for work at his new job, immediately hired attorney Debra Katz, who represented Christine Blasey Ford in 2018 during Democrats’ effort to stop the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
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Committee chair Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) declined to place Dr. Bright under oath before his testimony, but noted that “all witnesses know that it is illegal to lie to Congress.”
Bright, the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), was reassigned last month to a position at the National Institutes of Health. He claimed he was a victim of retaliation for his opposition to President Donald Trump’s support for the use of hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and zinc to treat coronavirus patients.
However, plans to remove Bright were reportedly in the works before the coronavirus pandemic, as he was accused of “incompetence and insubordination.” Politico also reported that Bright had written in support of hydroxychloroquine.
Bright, who has failed to show up for work at his new job, immediately hired attorney Debra Katz, who represented Christine Blasey Ford in 2018 during Democrats’ effort to stop the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
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See what Nancy Pelosi stuffed in her partisan ‘Coronavirus’ bill
Nancy Pelosi’s left-wing wish list
If House Democrats are focused on helping Americans get through this global pandemic safely, they sure have a funny way of showing it.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s latest extravagant, $3 trillion spending proposal is Washington at its worst—and most predictable. While President Trump, governors of both parties, and frontline workers band together to fight this virus as one country, House Democrats see an opportunity to exploit this crisis to pass their partisan agenda.
Millions of Americans are out of work. President Trump is trying to get them back on the job by safely reopening our country. Instead of helping him do it, here is what Democrats in Congress have decided is worth holding Coronavirus relief hostage for:
A BAN on information about low-cost health insurance. That’s right—House Democrats want to forbid the government from sharing any information with you about lower-cost health options such as association plans or short-term plans. Even as families try to cope with job and wage losses, Speaker Pelosi doesn’t want them to learn about options that are up to 60 percent cheaper than Obamacare.
Mass voting by mail. A “Coronavirus relief” bill might seem like the wrong time and place to dictate how states run their elections. Democrats disagree.
Stimulus checks for illegal aliens. Rather than protect American citizens by requiring a Social Security Number for taxpayer-funded stimulus, Pelosi’s bill would give illegal immigrants the ability to receive up to $1,200 in direct payouts.
Bailouts… for government. Democrats want more than $1 trillion in cash for state and local governments, mostly in the form of unrestricted aid that doesn’t need to be used to offset Coronavirus costs. They also threw in a $25 billion bailout for the Post Office.The list goes on. At a moment when Americans most need Washington to look out for them and cut the partisan drama, Democrat leaders once again chose to put their far-left base first.
MORE: “Democrats’ new $3 trillion Coronavirus spending wishlist is another embarrassing farce”
If House Democrats are focused on helping Americans get through this global pandemic safely, they sure have a funny way of showing it.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s latest extravagant, $3 trillion spending proposal is Washington at its worst—and most predictable. While President Trump, governors of both parties, and frontline workers band together to fight this virus as one country, House Democrats see an opportunity to exploit this crisis to pass their partisan agenda.
Millions of Americans are out of work. President Trump is trying to get them back on the job by safely reopening our country. Instead of helping him do it, here is what Democrats in Congress have decided is worth holding Coronavirus relief hostage for:
A BAN on information about low-cost health insurance. That’s right—House Democrats want to forbid the government from sharing any information with you about lower-cost health options such as association plans or short-term plans. Even as families try to cope with job and wage losses, Speaker Pelosi doesn’t want them to learn about options that are up to 60 percent cheaper than Obamacare.
Mass voting by mail. A “Coronavirus relief” bill might seem like the wrong time and place to dictate how states run their elections. Democrats disagree.
Stimulus checks for illegal aliens. Rather than protect American citizens by requiring a Social Security Number for taxpayer-funded stimulus, Pelosi’s bill would give illegal immigrants the ability to receive up to $1,200 in direct payouts.
Bailouts… for government. Democrats want more than $1 trillion in cash for state and local governments, mostly in the form of unrestricted aid that doesn’t need to be used to offset Coronavirus costs. They also threw in a $25 billion bailout for the Post Office.The list goes on. At a moment when Americans most need Washington to look out for them and cut the partisan drama, Democrat leaders once again chose to put their far-left base first.
MORE: “Democrats’ new $3 trillion Coronavirus spending wishlist is another embarrassing farce”
San Diego Supervisor: Only 6 Of 194 Coronavirus-Recorded Deaths ‘Pure’ Coronavirus Deaths
On Tuesday, San Diego county Supervisor Jim Desmond said after digging into the data that he believes only six of the county’s 194 coronavirus-identified deaths are “pure” coronavirus deaths, meaning they died from the virus, not merely with the virus.
Desmond was seemingly ruling out deaths from individuals with pre-existing conditions.
“We’ve unfortunately had six pure, solely-coronavirus deaths — six out of 3.3 million people,” Desmond said on a podcast, Armstrong & Getty Extra Large Interviews, according to San Diego Tribune. “I mean, what number are we trying to get to with those odds. I mean, it’s incredible. We want to be safe, and we can do it, but unfortunately, it’s more about control than getting the economy going again and keeping people safe.”
Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten suggested Wednesday during a press briefing that Desmond was being callous, noting that their liberal identification of COVID-19 deaths is uniform with coding nationwide.
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Desmond was seemingly ruling out deaths from individuals with pre-existing conditions.
“We’ve unfortunately had six pure, solely-coronavirus deaths — six out of 3.3 million people,” Desmond said on a podcast, Armstrong & Getty Extra Large Interviews, according to San Diego Tribune. “I mean, what number are we trying to get to with those odds. I mean, it’s incredible. We want to be safe, and we can do it, but unfortunately, it’s more about control than getting the economy going again and keeping people safe.”
Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten suggested Wednesday during a press briefing that Desmond was being callous, noting that their liberal identification of COVID-19 deaths is uniform with coding nationwide.
More
DNC: We rigged primaries. So what?
'We could have gone into back rooms like they used to and smoke cigars and pick the candidate'
WASHINGTON – The Democratic National Committee is currently defending the tactics it used last year to rig the presidential primary against Sen. Bernie Sanders in a class-action lawsuit, brazenly telling voters in a court of law that the party is not obligated to run a fair and impartial primary election.
Outraged by how the DNC unfairly boosted former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's candidacy and cleared the way for her primary victory, supporters of Sanders and Democratic donors sued the DNC in June 2016 alleging it defrauded its constituents.
During the primaries, the DNC blatantly tilted its primary system in favor of Clinton. Then-DNC chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was repeatedly criticized for trying to make the Democratic Party presidential debates as few and low-key as possible, to Clinton's advantage.
Regardless of Sanders' victories during the primaries and caucuses, superdelegates immediately lined up behind Hillary, guaranteeing Sanders' defeat.
More
WASHINGTON – The Democratic National Committee is currently defending the tactics it used last year to rig the presidential primary against Sen. Bernie Sanders in a class-action lawsuit, brazenly telling voters in a court of law that the party is not obligated to run a fair and impartial primary election.
Outraged by how the DNC unfairly boosted former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's candidacy and cleared the way for her primary victory, supporters of Sanders and Democratic donors sued the DNC in June 2016 alleging it defrauded its constituents.
During the primaries, the DNC blatantly tilted its primary system in favor of Clinton. Then-DNC chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was repeatedly criticized for trying to make the Democratic Party presidential debates as few and low-key as possible, to Clinton's advantage.
Regardless of Sanders' victories during the primaries and caucuses, superdelegates immediately lined up behind Hillary, guaranteeing Sanders' defeat.
More
Dog Found On Bennett Road: UPDATE, Returned In Less Then 30 Minutes
White House Fires Back At Hillary Clinton Over Claims Trump Admin Is Trying To Move November Election
Failed 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tried to fan the flames of conspiracy Wednesday, tweeting out a warning that senior Trump White House advisor Jared Kushner was part of a team exploring the possibility of moving the November presidential elections, and now the White House is firing back.
Kushner responded to a question from a TIME Magazine reporter Tuesday, asking whether the White House was exploring the possibility of delaying the November election out of concern over coronavirus. The White House, of course, has largely opposed Democrats’ plans to create an entirely by-mail voting system, forcing Americans to cast their ballots and send them to state election officials, who have never processed millions of ballots at one time.
“When asked if there was a chance the presidential election could be postponed past November 3 due to the pandemic, Kushner said that isn’t his decision,” TIME Magazine reported.
“I’m not sure I can commit one way or the other, but right now that’s the plan,” Kushner replied, indicating that the White House had no current plans to ask Congress to move the election.
Although it went unreported, Kushner’s comments continued, making it clear the White House had no plans to ask for any future shutdowns, let alone of voting systems: “Hopefully by the time we get to September, October, November, we’ve done enough work with testing and with all the different things we’re trying to do to prevent a future outbreak of the magnitude that would make us shut down again.”
Leftists on social media took Kushner’s comments as a warning signal that the Trump administration was, in fact, exploring the possibility of delaying elections.
More
Kushner responded to a question from a TIME Magazine reporter Tuesday, asking whether the White House was exploring the possibility of delaying the November election out of concern over coronavirus. The White House, of course, has largely opposed Democrats’ plans to create an entirely by-mail voting system, forcing Americans to cast their ballots and send them to state election officials, who have never processed millions of ballots at one time.
“When asked if there was a chance the presidential election could be postponed past November 3 due to the pandemic, Kushner said that isn’t his decision,” TIME Magazine reported.
“I’m not sure I can commit one way or the other, but right now that’s the plan,” Kushner replied, indicating that the White House had no current plans to ask Congress to move the election.
Although it went unreported, Kushner’s comments continued, making it clear the White House had no plans to ask for any future shutdowns, let alone of voting systems: “Hopefully by the time we get to September, October, November, we’ve done enough work with testing and with all the different things we’re trying to do to prevent a future outbreak of the magnitude that would make us shut down again.”
Leftists on social media took Kushner’s comments as a warning signal that the Trump administration was, in fact, exploring the possibility of delaying elections.
More
Wicomico County Executive Announces Wicomico County Phase 1 Reopening
May 13, 2020 is attached for reference.
Wicomico County government facilities will reopen to the public on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Further information will be provided to the public regarding hours of operation, occupancy restrictions and social distancing guidelines.
9 Classic Movies You Should Watch During COVID-19 Quarantine
Classic movies stand the test of time, with characters, themes, and even dialogue that could go toe-to-toe with those of any modern flick.
Maybe you have some in your Netflix queue, or on a watchlist, maybe even a DVD rack—or if you’re really “old school,” in a cabinet full of VHS tapes.
You’ve been meaning to watch them, and now, stuck at home under quarantine, you’ve got plenty of time to do so.
That said, here, in no particular order, is a list of nine classic films you should watch.
1) “Ben Hur” (1959)
When the Civil War ended, Lew Wallace, an officer-turned-author, probably could have written volumes on the things he saw during the conflict between the Blue and the Gray.
But the work that would etch Wallace into history was set in a place very far away—Roman-occupied Jerusalem—in a novel called “Ben Hur.” It would later be adapted to film. Viewers follow a Jewish prince (portrayed by Charlton Heston) from the fire and waves of an ancient naval battle to a chariot race. (Move over, “Fast and Furious.”)
Ultimately, his adventures leave him bereft of true satisfaction, and in his searching, he finds his own story intertwined with an overarching narrative that would alter world history.
Aside from delivering Heston’s thundering performance, the film showcases perhaps the best practical special effects of its era.
2) “Rear Window” (1954)
Maybe you have some in your Netflix queue, or on a watchlist, maybe even a DVD rack—or if you’re really “old school,” in a cabinet full of VHS tapes.
You’ve been meaning to watch them, and now, stuck at home under quarantine, you’ve got plenty of time to do so.
That said, here, in no particular order, is a list of nine classic films you should watch.
1) “Ben Hur” (1959)
When the Civil War ended, Lew Wallace, an officer-turned-author, probably could have written volumes on the things he saw during the conflict between the Blue and the Gray.
But the work that would etch Wallace into history was set in a place very far away—Roman-occupied Jerusalem—in a novel called “Ben Hur.” It would later be adapted to film. Viewers follow a Jewish prince (portrayed by Charlton Heston) from the fire and waves of an ancient naval battle to a chariot race. (Move over, “Fast and Furious.”)
Ultimately, his adventures leave him bereft of true satisfaction, and in his searching, he finds his own story intertwined with an overarching narrative that would alter world history.
Aside from delivering Heston’s thundering performance, the film showcases perhaps the best practical special effects of its era.
2) “Rear Window” (1954)
Delaware Senate Candidate Witzke: Defy State’s ‘Political Control,’ Come Worship on Sunday
Joy Hill, a native of Delaware, is pastor of the church.
“Pastor Hill has graciously decided to open her church to Christians in Delaware who have been denied their right to worship God freely due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Witzke told Breitbart News. “We are grateful that she has bravely stepped forward to stand up for God-fearing Delawareans and our campaign is excited to worship with her this Sunday.”
“America was told that the shutdowns were meant to ‘flatten the curve,’” Witzke said. “But now, radical left governors like [Delaware’s] John Carney and others around the country are using COVID-19 as a means of political control.”
“The Witzke campaign, unlike Senator Chris Coons, will not sit idly by while the government deprives Americans of their most basic rights, and we look forward to leading the charge in reopening places of worship and businesses in Delaware and across America,” Witzke told Breitbart News.
More here
A Viewer Writes: Delmar Pizza
Joe,
Just happened to go to Delmar and noticed that Delmar Pizza appears to be closing.
All the furniture is being removed and being taken away. They only have a small to go shop open.
Have you any news? This was the best pizza establishment on the Eastern Shore.
Just happened to go to Delmar and noticed that Delmar Pizza appears to be closing.
All the furniture is being removed and being taken away. They only have a small to go shop open.
Have you any news? This was the best pizza establishment on the Eastern Shore.
DOJ escalates Chinese 'Thousand Talents' crackdown with arrest of Cleveland Clinic researcher
The Justice Department escalated its crackdown on Chinese influence within U.S. research institutions with the arrest of a Chinese-American researcher at the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Qing Wang, a professor of molecular genetics at the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western University, was arrested on Wednesday on charges of lying to investigators and wire fraud related to more than $3.6 million in funding that he and his research group at the Cleveland Clinic received from the National Institutes of Health under false pretenses. At the same time that he was receiving millions of dollars in U.S. government grants, court documents say he concealed how he was also the Dean of the College of Life Sciences and Technology at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China. He was also receiving grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and hid his participation in China’s Thousand Talents Program, a Chinese Communist Party effort to recruit academics to gain access to foreign technology and intellectual property.
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, led by Sen. Rob Portman, released a 109-page bipartisan report in November, concluding foreign countries “seek to exploit America’s openness to advance their own national interests,” and “the most aggressive of them has been China.” It found China used its Thousand Talents Program over the past two decades to exploit access to U.S. research labs and academic institutions. The FBI has deemed the Chinese effort to be a form of “non-traditional espionage.”
More here
Dr. Qing Wang, a professor of molecular genetics at the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western University, was arrested on Wednesday on charges of lying to investigators and wire fraud related to more than $3.6 million in funding that he and his research group at the Cleveland Clinic received from the National Institutes of Health under false pretenses. At the same time that he was receiving millions of dollars in U.S. government grants, court documents say he concealed how he was also the Dean of the College of Life Sciences and Technology at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China. He was also receiving grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and hid his participation in China’s Thousand Talents Program, a Chinese Communist Party effort to recruit academics to gain access to foreign technology and intellectual property.
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, led by Sen. Rob Portman, released a 109-page bipartisan report in November, concluding foreign countries “seek to exploit America’s openness to advance their own national interests,” and “the most aggressive of them has been China.” It found China used its Thousand Talents Program over the past two decades to exploit access to U.S. research labs and academic institutions. The FBI has deemed the Chinese effort to be a form of “non-traditional espionage.”
More here
Wisconsin bars packed with patrons almost immediately after court strikes down stay-at-home order
Almost immediately after the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Governor Tony Evers' stay-at-home order on Wednesday, bars in the state opened their doors — and patrons did not hold back. Video from one packed bar in Platteville has gone viral online.
The video from Nick's Bar shows patrons packed together, dancing and banging on the bar top. The video received nearly 60,000 views on Twitter before the tweet was deleted. And Nick's is not the only Wisconsin establishment to receive a flood of visitors.
CBS Milwaukee affiliate WDJT-TV was at Buzzard's Nest in West Allis, which was filled with people who were eager to get out of the house after more than a month of isolation.
More/Video
The video from Nick's Bar shows patrons packed together, dancing and banging on the bar top. The video received nearly 60,000 views on Twitter before the tweet was deleted. And Nick's is not the only Wisconsin establishment to receive a flood of visitors.
CBS Milwaukee affiliate WDJT-TV was at Buzzard's Nest in West Allis, which was filled with people who were eager to get out of the house after more than a month of isolation.
More/Video
Liberal justice 'warned' Flynn-hating judge about partisanship
A former prosecutor, watching the U.S. Department of Justice run from its controversial prosecution of Michael Flynn, says the presiding judge must honor the prosecution’s wish to drop the case.
Ordered by Attorney General Bill Barr to cease its prosecution, the DOJ announced May 7 it was doing so, drawing praise or howls of protest depending on how one views President Trump's former national security advisor, who was unknowingly set up by FBI officials.
Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan is drawing scrutiny after inviting amicus briefs about the case then, just hours later, appointing a former prosecutor to argue the case against Flynn before him.
In an op-ed published at Forbes.com, civil liberty attorney Michael Chenoweth warns that Judge Sullivan is ignoring a U.S. Supreme Court decision from just last week that denounced judges for court-solicited amicus briefs that demonstrate partiality.
The high court’s decision, a unanimous 9-0 ruling, was authored by liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She faulted the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for selectively seeking pro-immigration groups to comment on the case before it. Such a decision, the justice wrote, suggests an effort in “redirection” and “takeover” by the court when the court is restricted to decide the case by what is presented by the parties before them.
Former assistant district attorney Abraham Hamilton III, now general counsel at the American Family Association, says the judge’s invitation for amicus briefs gives “official cover” for groups that oppose Donald Trump to “smear” Flynn and “malign” Barr as a law breaker.
Hamilton points out that Judge Sullivan already inserted himself in the trial by accusing Flynn of “treason” from the bench, which leaves no doubt how the judge views the defendant and his case.
More
Ordered by Attorney General Bill Barr to cease its prosecution, the DOJ announced May 7 it was doing so, drawing praise or howls of protest depending on how one views President Trump's former national security advisor, who was unknowingly set up by FBI officials.
Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan is drawing scrutiny after inviting amicus briefs about the case then, just hours later, appointing a former prosecutor to argue the case against Flynn before him.
In an op-ed published at Forbes.com, civil liberty attorney Michael Chenoweth warns that Judge Sullivan is ignoring a U.S. Supreme Court decision from just last week that denounced judges for court-solicited amicus briefs that demonstrate partiality.
The high court’s decision, a unanimous 9-0 ruling, was authored by liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She faulted the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for selectively seeking pro-immigration groups to comment on the case before it. Such a decision, the justice wrote, suggests an effort in “redirection” and “takeover” by the court when the court is restricted to decide the case by what is presented by the parties before them.
Former assistant district attorney Abraham Hamilton III, now general counsel at the American Family Association, says the judge’s invitation for amicus briefs gives “official cover” for groups that oppose Donald Trump to “smear” Flynn and “malign” Barr as a law breaker.
Hamilton points out that Judge Sullivan already inserted himself in the trial by accusing Flynn of “treason” from the bench, which leaves no doubt how the judge views the defendant and his case.
More
California Republican Mike Garcia on flipping House seat: 'There's an awakening here'
Mike Garcia reacted on “Fox & Friends” on Thursday to becoming the first Republican to flip a Democratic House seat in California in more than two decades saying, “There's an awakening here in California.”
Democrat Christy Smith conceded the special election race for California's 25th Congressional District to Garcia on Wednesday, marking the first time Republicans will retake a Democratic-held congressional seat in the state since 1998.
Garcia, a former Navy combat pilot, had a 12-point edge over Smith, a state assemblywoman, as of late Tuesday night in the contest for the swing-district seat vacated by Katie Hill after her resignation.
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Democrat Christy Smith conceded the special election race for California's 25th Congressional District to Garcia on Wednesday, marking the first time Republicans will retake a Democratic-held congressional seat in the state since 1998.
Garcia, a former Navy combat pilot, had a 12-point edge over Smith, a state assemblywoman, as of late Tuesday night in the contest for the swing-district seat vacated by Katie Hill after her resignation.
More
https://www.foxnews.com/media/mike-garcia-flips-california-house-seat-awakening
Florida Gov. DeSantis calls out other governors for 'draconian' lockdowns: 'You're not a dictator'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had a message on Thursday for other governors who have implemented “really draconian, arbitrary restrictions” during the coronavirus outbreak, saying, “You don't have unlimited authority and people do have rights.”
DeSantis made the comments on “Fox & Friends” in response to a question from host Ainsley Earhardt, who asked if he thinks that “some of these governors that are just doing a one-size-fits-all for the entire state” are “being too strict and going too far.”
“I don't think any governor has the authority to restrict anyone unless there’s a direct relationship to combating this virus,” DeSantis said in response, cautioning governors against acting like a "dictator."
“If you look around the country, clearly there have been examples of really draconian, arbitrary restrictions that have nothing to do with public health, like you can't plant a seed in your front yard in your garden, you can't walk around the neighborhood with your daughter or something like that.”
“So some of this stuff I think has devolved into social control,” DeSantis continued. “I think absolutely it's gotten out of hand.”
He went on to note that in Florida “we did not do that.”
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DeSantis made the comments on “Fox & Friends” in response to a question from host Ainsley Earhardt, who asked if he thinks that “some of these governors that are just doing a one-size-fits-all for the entire state” are “being too strict and going too far.”
“I don't think any governor has the authority to restrict anyone unless there’s a direct relationship to combating this virus,” DeSantis said in response, cautioning governors against acting like a "dictator."
“If you look around the country, clearly there have been examples of really draconian, arbitrary restrictions that have nothing to do with public health, like you can't plant a seed in your front yard in your garden, you can't walk around the neighborhood with your daughter or something like that.”
“So some of this stuff I think has devolved into social control,” DeSantis continued. “I think absolutely it's gotten out of hand.”
He went on to note that in Florida “we did not do that.”
More
https://www.foxnews.com/media/desantis-other-governors-lockdowns-overstepping-dictator?fbclid=IwAR2qiWzNP_nKohRpbCbV3VXqDXvN3oYaKECpZ3COIeND17OgVhqiuziPkag
Virginia May 14 COVID-19 update: Gov. Northam grants Accomack, Richmond requests to be excluded from reopening Friday
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia reported 1,067 new COVID-19 cases, the most reported in a single day so far, and highest since May 1’s 1,055 reported cases. It also reported 28 new deaths linked to the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
The number comes just one day before most of Virginia is scheduled to enter “phase 1” of its economic reopening plan. Hard-hit Northern Virginia is delaying its reopening by at least two weeks.
Accomack County, which now has nearly 600 cases and 60-plus more cases than Virginia Beach, voted to request a reopening delay Wednesday night. The City of Richmond also submitted a similar formal request Thursday afternoon.
Northam granted both requests Thursday, extending the localities’ reopening until at least May 28.
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The number comes just one day before most of Virginia is scheduled to enter “phase 1” of its economic reopening plan. Hard-hit Northern Virginia is delaying its reopening by at least two weeks.
Accomack County, which now has nearly 600 cases and 60-plus more cases than Virginia Beach, voted to request a reopening delay Wednesday night. The City of Richmond also submitted a similar formal request Thursday afternoon.
Northam granted both requests Thursday, extending the localities’ reopening until at least May 28.
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Wicomico County Public Schools Update
Good evening, families and staff of Wicomico County Public Schools. This is Superintendent of Schools Donna Hanlin with this week’s message. In case this phone call is cut off, you’ll find the full message in your emailbox and on our website, www.wcboe.org.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has announced a transition from his stay-at-home order to a safer-at-home advisory starting at 5 p.m. Friday. He emphasizes that while we are taking a positive step forward toward recovery as a state, it does not mean that we are safe or that this crisis is over. He also reminds us that each and every one of us has an obligation to continue to exercise responsibility for ourselves, for our families, for our coworkers, and for our fellow citizens, so that as a community, together we can begin to safely get back to work and get back to our daily lives. Let’s all continue to practice the recommendations of experts with frequent hand washing, sanitizing of surfaces, and wearing masks when visiting somewhere outside the home to protect ourselves, our family members and others.
As previously announced, schools are not part of this Stage 1 reopening, and school buildings will remain closed through the end of the school year. Thank you for continuing to support your student in learning either online or with non-digital learning materials. Our fifth and final round of learning will start the day after Memorial Day on Tuesday, May 26th, with learning modules posted online that morning and available at schools May 26th and 27th.
This week the Board approved an updated calendar, with the last day of school on Friday, June 12th, pending State Board approval. If you’ll recall, students missed 9 days of school back in March due to the state-ordered closure. By adding 2 days to the end of the calendar, and turning April 3rd and April 28th into instructional days, we were able to ask the state to waive the remaining 5 days of closure. We anticipate an answer on our waiver request soon. For teachers, the last day would now be Tuesday, June 16th. Report cards would be mailed June 19th.
While students and teachers continue with instruction, our schools and our school system are intensely focused on planning for online summer activities as well as adjustments that might be needed in order for classes to resume in our schools at the end of the summer. We are close to finalizing plans for enrolling new students in Kindergarten and Prekindergarten for next year.
We are working on various ways to celebrate the Class of 2020 even beyond commencement. Next week, each senior will have the chance to walk in cap and gown for photos, with up to four family members present. This will be carefully scheduled to minimize the number of people on site, and will be done with social distancing and recommended cleaning procedures. Seniors will be celebrated in their school’s virtual commencement ceremony, airing May 28th to 30th. Seniors and parents: This Saturday from 8-9 p.m. you can watch “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020” on all of the major networks, with the commencement speech by former President Barack Obama. Students can participate before, during and after the air date at graduatetogether2020.com.
The ways in which our school community and Wicomico as a whole have been united in the face of this crisis have been amazing and inspiring. Thank you for everything you have done, and will continue to do, to support the health and safety of students, families, staff and community.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has announced a transition from his stay-at-home order to a safer-at-home advisory starting at 5 p.m. Friday. He emphasizes that while we are taking a positive step forward toward recovery as a state, it does not mean that we are safe or that this crisis is over. He also reminds us that each and every one of us has an obligation to continue to exercise responsibility for ourselves, for our families, for our coworkers, and for our fellow citizens, so that as a community, together we can begin to safely get back to work and get back to our daily lives. Let’s all continue to practice the recommendations of experts with frequent hand washing, sanitizing of surfaces, and wearing masks when visiting somewhere outside the home to protect ourselves, our family members and others.
As previously announced, schools are not part of this Stage 1 reopening, and school buildings will remain closed through the end of the school year. Thank you for continuing to support your student in learning either online or with non-digital learning materials. Our fifth and final round of learning will start the day after Memorial Day on Tuesday, May 26th, with learning modules posted online that morning and available at schools May 26th and 27th.
This week the Board approved an updated calendar, with the last day of school on Friday, June 12th, pending State Board approval. If you’ll recall, students missed 9 days of school back in March due to the state-ordered closure. By adding 2 days to the end of the calendar, and turning April 3rd and April 28th into instructional days, we were able to ask the state to waive the remaining 5 days of closure. We anticipate an answer on our waiver request soon. For teachers, the last day would now be Tuesday, June 16th. Report cards would be mailed June 19th.
While students and teachers continue with instruction, our schools and our school system are intensely focused on planning for online summer activities as well as adjustments that might be needed in order for classes to resume in our schools at the end of the summer. We are close to finalizing plans for enrolling new students in Kindergarten and Prekindergarten for next year.
We are working on various ways to celebrate the Class of 2020 even beyond commencement. Next week, each senior will have the chance to walk in cap and gown for photos, with up to four family members present. This will be carefully scheduled to minimize the number of people on site, and will be done with social distancing and recommended cleaning procedures. Seniors will be celebrated in their school’s virtual commencement ceremony, airing May 28th to 30th. Seniors and parents: This Saturday from 8-9 p.m. you can watch “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020” on all of the major networks, with the commencement speech by former President Barack Obama. Students can participate before, during and after the air date at graduatetogether2020.com.
The ways in which our school community and Wicomico as a whole have been united in the face of this crisis have been amazing and inspiring. Thank you for everything you have done, and will continue to do, to support the health and safety of students, families, staff and community.
Maryland COVID-19 Data 5-15-2020
COVID-19 Statistics in Maryland
Number of confirmed cases : 36,986
Number of negative test results : 145,840
Number of confirmed deaths : 1,792
Number of probable deaths : 119
Currently hospitalized : 1,496
Acute care : 898
Intensive care : 598
Ever hospitalized : 6,679
Released from isolation : 2,685
Cases and Deaths Data Breakdown:
Parenthesis = Confirmed death, laboratory-confirmed positive COVID-19 test result
Asterisk = Probable death, death certificate lists COVID-19 as the cause of death but not yet confirmed by a laboratory test
NH = Non-Hispanic
By CountyCounty Cases Deaths
Allegany 151 (13)
Anne Arundel 2,752 (128) 8*
Baltimore City 3,606 (183) 9*
Baltimore County 4,399 (217) 17*
Calvert 228 (12) 1*
Caroline 190
Carroll 635 (64)
Cecil 300 (17)
Charles 829 (59) 2*
Dorchester 107 (2)
Frederick 1,364 (81) 7*
Garrett 6
Harford 671 (28) 4*
Howard 1,313 (38) 2*
Kent 131 (14)
Montgomery 7,759 (411) 38*
Prince George's 10,791 (393) 20*
Queen Anne's 108 (9)
St. Mary's 299 (9)
Somerset 54
Talbot 65 (1)
Washington 320 (9)
Wicomico 777 (19)
Worcester 131 (4) 1*
Data not available (81) 10*
By Age Range and Gender
Age/Gender Cases Deaths
0-9 716
10-19 1,383
20-29 4,849 (10) 1*
30-39 6,699 (21) 3*
40-49 6,635 (52) 4*
50-59 6,194 (118) 9*
60-69 4,577 (280) 12*
70-79 3,076 (441) 16*
80+ 2,857 (790) 64*
Data not available (80) 10*
Female 19,312 (890) 64*
Male 17,674 (902) 55*
By Race and Ethnicity
Race/Ethnicity Cases Deaths
African-American (NH) 11,572 (736) 40*
Asian (NH) 723 (61) 5*
White (NH) 7,701 (746) 57*
Hispanic 8,229 (142) 6*
Other (NH) 1,763 (24) 1*
Data not available 6,998 (83) 10*
Poll: 40% of Families More Likely to Homeschool When Pandemic Ends
A RealClear Opinion Research poll released Thursday found 40 percent of families are more likely to choose to homeschool their children or engage in virtual learning once the coronavirus pandemic subsides.
The survey asked parents, “Are you more or less likely to enroll your son or daughter in a homeschool, neighborhood homeschool co-op, or virtual school once the lockdowns are over?”
Of the 626 parents who responded, 40.8 percent said they were “more likely” to do so, while 31.1 percent replied they were “less likely.”
With political party as a factor, 45.7 percent of parents who said they would be “more likely” to homeschool identified as Democrat, while 42.3 percent identified as Republican.
More here
The survey asked parents, “Are you more or less likely to enroll your son or daughter in a homeschool, neighborhood homeschool co-op, or virtual school once the lockdowns are over?”
Of the 626 parents who responded, 40.8 percent said they were “more likely” to do so, while 31.1 percent replied they were “less likely.”
With political party as a factor, 45.7 percent of parents who said they would be “more likely” to homeschool identified as Democrat, while 42.3 percent identified as Republican.
More here
Roadmap to Recovery: Stage 1
| Here is more information regarding Stage 1 reopening of Maryland with the announcement that the Stay at Home order will be lifted on Friday, May 15 at 5 p.m. This will include retail stores, and some personal services like hair salons and barber shops. Churches will be allowed to reopen with up to 50% capacity with outdoor services encouraged. I will keep pushing for more small business reopenings, especially outdoor restaurant seating and other commercial activities. You can read the new Executive Order here. Here is guidance from the Governor’s Legal Office on businesses covered under the updated May 13 Executive Order. Industry specific guidelines from the Department of Commerce. Guidelines for Churches and Places of Worship. We will continue to work with my constituents to navigate Stage 1 reopening and assist my constituents through the unemployment and small business assistance application process. Self responsibility and making smart decisions during Stage 1 with health, safety, sanitary, and physical distancing protocols in place will be key to the timing of moving to Stage 2! I will continue to push for a flexible and community-based approach on a safe Shore recovery and reopening of more of our small businesses! |
The 'Let's Roll' Election
The folks at Power Line took some time to discuss the merits of a recent editorial in the Washington Post by E.J. Dionne in which he argues that Republicans may “lose it all” in November. Dionne predicts that the “Trumpian circus-plus-horror-show” is inevitably leading to a Democrat-controlled House, Senate, and presidency. Paul Mirengoff agrees with Dionne’s prediction but not with his reasoning, placing the cause of a potential November slaughter squarely on the perfect storm of an intensifying pandemic and economic depression that will be impossible for President Trump and Senate Republicans to withstand. Scott Johnson acknowledges how difficult this election will be to pull out for Republicans but reminds readers that Dionne’s scribblings should be seen more as psychological warfare meant to discourage Trump voters than as unbiased and reasoned analysis.
At the risk of sounding too dismissive of the considerable obstacles before us, I think everyone is underestimating how seriously supporters of the president view this election. Michael Anton’s provocative “Flight 93 Election” essay captured the mood of a significant and largely voiceless group of American voters in 2016. We went to the polls after an exhausting and abusive election season with one thing on our minds: if we had any hope of saving America, it was now or never.
After achieving victory, however, the election never came to an end. The Democrats and press immediately engaged in an unprecedented attempt to overturn the election results, remove President Trump from office, and dismantle any of his fledgling efforts at stabilizing an America in critical condition.
More
At the risk of sounding too dismissive of the considerable obstacles before us, I think everyone is underestimating how seriously supporters of the president view this election. Michael Anton’s provocative “Flight 93 Election” essay captured the mood of a significant and largely voiceless group of American voters in 2016. We went to the polls after an exhausting and abusive election season with one thing on our minds: if we had any hope of saving America, it was now or never.
After achieving victory, however, the election never came to an end. The Democrats and press immediately engaged in an unprecedented attempt to overturn the election results, remove President Trump from office, and dismantle any of his fledgling efforts at stabilizing an America in critical condition.
More
Mayor Rick Meehan Announces Lifting of Lodging Restrictions
Ocean City, Maryland – During a special meeting of the City Council on Thursday, Mayor Rick Meehan announced by declaration the lifting of short-term rental restrictions. “Following Governor Hogan’s lifting of the Stay-At-Home order, the Town of Ocean City will be lifting lodging restrictions on short-term rentals effective Thursday, May 14 at 5 p.m.,” Mayor Meehan stated. “The Town is currently working with the Hotel Motel Restaurant Association and Chamber of Commerce to ensure we follow stage one of the Maryland Strong Roadmap to Recovery and Back to Business Pledge. We encourage residents and visitors to follow health and safety guidelines, including physical distancing and gathering limits. Personal responsibility and individual comfort levels are incredibly important to exercise during each phase of recovery. Each and every one of us has an obligation to exercise personal responsibility to protect our families, our friends, our co-workers, and neighbors, so as a community we keep Ocean City moving forward.”
DE Coronavirus Update - Reopening of Beaches to Delawareans
Governor Carney Announces Reopening of Beaches to Delawareans
Governor Carney announced that the State of Delaware will lift restrictions on Delaware beaches and community pools at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 22, subject to strict social distancing requirements and other restrictions. Ice cream shops and trucks will reopen with restrictions effective 5:00 p.m. this Friday, May 15.
Governor Carney made the announcement after consultation with public health experts at the Delaware Division of Public Health and mayors of Delaware’s beach towns. Delaware’s mandatory 14-day quarantine for out-of-state travelers and ban on short term rentals will remain in effect.
Towns must:
- Clean bathrooms, boardwalk railings, benches multiple times per day
- Close arcade games on boardwalk
- Demarcate (using tape, cones, etc.) 6 feet intervals in front of certain retail on boardwalks where lines are likely to form, entrances to the beach, or any other area where congregating or waiting in lines is likely to occur
- Identify enforcement teams
Towns are recommended to:
- Implement systems to limit capacity (like timed or day passes) on the beach
- Limit parking spaces
- Limit access points
- Designate Beach Ambassadors to educate beachgoers about social distancing and serve as liaisons to law enforcement
- Station Beach Ambassadors at access points
Regulations for beachgoers:
- Face coverings are required on boardwalk and encouraged on the beach
- Members of different households must remain 6 feet apart at all times
- Individuals with underlying health conditions or who are over 65-years-old should continue to shelter in place.
- Avoid water fountains.
Regulations for on-premise beach vendors:
- Food and beverage concession vendors must follow restaurant regulations and may only provide take-out or delivery service. Vendors must wear face coverings. Customers must be 6 feet apart while waiting in line.
- The rental of items like umbrellas, chairs, mats, kayaks, etc. are allowed so long as the vendor properly disinfects between each use/rental.
Should Courts Get to Choose the Teachers at Faith-Based Schools? No.
While the Supreme Court was hearing oral arguments May 11 about whether Catholic schools should have the right to decide whom they employ as teachers, my daughter was on a Zoom call with her Catholic schoolteacher.
Like the schools whose cases were before the court, Our Lady of Guadalupe School and St. James School, my daughter’s Catholic elementary school has one class per grade, and as a result, one teacher per grade.
My daughter’s second-grade teacher doesn’t just teach her about sentence structure and multiplication tables. She also did the formal instruction to prepare my daughter to give her first confession and to receive her first Communion.
Further, every subject taught at her school is infused with religion. That’s why parents like me choose religious education. Just as we believe our faith should permeate all aspects of our lives, we believe that a good education should be infused with spirituality, especially when children are in the most impressionable stages of their lives.
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Like the schools whose cases were before the court, Our Lady of Guadalupe School and St. James School, my daughter’s Catholic elementary school has one class per grade, and as a result, one teacher per grade.
My daughter’s second-grade teacher doesn’t just teach her about sentence structure and multiplication tables. She also did the formal instruction to prepare my daughter to give her first confession and to receive her first Communion.
Further, every subject taught at her school is infused with religion. That’s why parents like me choose religious education. Just as we believe our faith should permeate all aspects of our lives, we believe that a good education should be infused with spirituality, especially when children are in the most impressionable stages of their lives.
More