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Saturday, July 01, 2017
CNN Reporter Complains About Being Blackballed After Spending Press Briefing Interrupting Spicer
WASHINGTON — CNN’s senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta spent the White House press briefing Monday rudely interrupting White House press secretary Sean Spicer.
Acosta has been complaining about the White House’s increased use of off-camera briefings, and instead of waiting to be called on like other reporters Monday, he decided to shout out his questions. The Daily Caller counted a total of five interruptions during the briefing.
Spicer called on a reporter who had raised her hand and Acosta interjected himself and asked if President Trump believes the health care bill in the Senate is “mean.” Spicer replied, “There’s no camera on Jim.” Acosta then repeatedly asked, “Why don’t you turn the cameras on?” Spicer then apologized to the reporter Acosta was interrupting.
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Acosta has been complaining about the White House’s increased use of off-camera briefings, and instead of waiting to be called on like other reporters Monday, he decided to shout out his questions. The Daily Caller counted a total of five interruptions during the briefing.
Spicer called on a reporter who had raised her hand and Acosta interjected himself and asked if President Trump believes the health care bill in the Senate is “mean.” Spicer replied, “There’s no camera on Jim.” Acosta then repeatedly asked, “Why don’t you turn the cameras on?” Spicer then apologized to the reporter Acosta was interrupting.
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Friday, June 30, 2017
Maryland Department of the Environment, Prince George’s County Police Seek Stolen Construction Tool Containing Small Amounts of Radioactive Material
Device reported stolen from construction site in Prince George’s County, not a hazard as long as radioactive material remains locked
Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Department of the Environment is issuing a public notice that a gauge containing a small, sealed amount of radioactive material has been reported to have been stolen from a highway project site in Prince George’s County.
A Troxler Model 3440 portable moisture density gauge was reported stolen yesterday from a state highways project. The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration reported the theft to the Maryland Department of the Environment.
The device contains small amounts of cesium-137 and americium-241. The gauge is used to make measurements by projecting the radiation from the two radioactive sources into the ground and then displaying the reflected radiation on a dial on its top.
House Dems Hired A Fired McDonald’s Worker As Their IT Guy
Multiple members of Congress hired as their information technology (IT) administrator an individual whose most recent job experience was being fired from McDonald’s, The Daily Caller News Foundation’s Investigative Group has learned.
Spokesmen for the members won’t say what their bosses knew at the time, but the hiring decisions highlight the role — witting or unwitting — the representatives played in what turned out to be an alleged multi-million-dollar IT scam in Congress with serious implications for national security.
Soon after Imran Awan joined the staff of Florida Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in 2005, his brothers Abid and Jamal, his wife Hina, and his brother’s wife Natalia all appeared on other members’ payrolls, supposedly as IT administrators. His best friend Rao Abbas landed on the payroll too. Most of them made salaries ordinarily only chiefs of staff earn, but they were rarely seen or heard from in Hill IT circles.
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Spokesmen for the members won’t say what their bosses knew at the time, but the hiring decisions highlight the role — witting or unwitting — the representatives played in what turned out to be an alleged multi-million-dollar IT scam in Congress with serious implications for national security.
Soon after Imran Awan joined the staff of Florida Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in 2005, his brothers Abid and Jamal, his wife Hina, and his brother’s wife Natalia all appeared on other members’ payrolls, supposedly as IT administrators. His best friend Rao Abbas landed on the payroll too. Most of them made salaries ordinarily only chiefs of staff earn, but they were rarely seen or heard from in Hill IT circles.
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Dozens of new state laws take effect Saturday
Dozens of new state laws will take effect on Saturday, including measures to increase opioid education programs for young people and increase the barrel limit for craft breweries.
Other measures taking effect would provide state money for Planned Parenthood if federal funding is cut off, and would extend tax credits to emergency responders.
Minimum-wage workers across the state could also see a pay raise to $9.25 per hour on July 1, the result of annual increases included in a bill passed three years ago.
Here's a look at new laws taking effect on July 1:
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Other measures taking effect would provide state money for Planned Parenthood if federal funding is cut off, and would extend tax credits to emergency responders.
Minimum-wage workers across the state could also see a pay raise to $9.25 per hour on July 1, the result of annual increases included in a bill passed three years ago.
Here's a look at new laws taking effect on July 1:
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"She Will Not Be Rehired" University Cuts Ties With Professor Who Said Warmbier "Deserved To Die"
The University of Delaware has cut ties with an adjunct professor who posted on social media that US student Otto Warmbier “deserved to die” after being imprisoned in North Korea and slipping into a coma from which he never awakened. Warmbier died last week at a hospital in Cincinnati. His family has blamed the viciousness of the North Korean regime for his death.
UD released a statement Sunday which said the former professor, Kathy Dettwyler, "will not be rehired to teach at the University in the future." Dettwyler was not a member of the faculty when she made her inflammatory comments, according to Delaware Online.
In her inflammatory post, Dettwyler wondered if it was “wrong” to think Warmbier “got exactly what he deserved.”
Warmbier, she continued, was “typical of a mindset of a lot of the young, white, rich, clueless males who come into my classes.”
"These are the same kids who cry about their grades because they didn't think they'd really have to read and study the material to get a good grade... His parents ultimately are to blame for his growing up thinking he could get away with whatever he wanted. Maybe in the US, where young, white, rich, clueless white males routinely get away with raping women. Not so much in North Korea. And of course, it's Ottos' parents who will pay the price for the rest of their lives,” she wrote in the post, which has since been taken down.
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UD released a statement Sunday which said the former professor, Kathy Dettwyler, "will not be rehired to teach at the University in the future." Dettwyler was not a member of the faculty when she made her inflammatory comments, according to Delaware Online.
In her inflammatory post, Dettwyler wondered if it was “wrong” to think Warmbier “got exactly what he deserved.”
Warmbier, she continued, was “typical of a mindset of a lot of the young, white, rich, clueless males who come into my classes.”
"These are the same kids who cry about their grades because they didn't think they'd really have to read and study the material to get a good grade... His parents ultimately are to blame for his growing up thinking he could get away with whatever he wanted. Maybe in the US, where young, white, rich, clueless white males routinely get away with raping women. Not so much in North Korea. And of course, it's Ottos' parents who will pay the price for the rest of their lives,” she wrote in the post, which has since been taken down.
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USCIS to Naturalize 15,000 New Citizens During Independence Day Holiday
WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will celebrate the 241st anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and our nation’s birthday, by welcoming nearly 15,000 new U.S. citizens during more than 65 Independence Day-themed naturalization ceremonies across the country this year.
“July Fourth marks the birth of our country, and for 15,000 people, it marks the birth of a new chapter as American citizens,” USCIS Acting Director James McCament said. “These new members of our community will add to the diverse fabric of our nation and will now be able to enjoy the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.”
USCIS’ Independence Day activities this year will feature a naturalization ceremony at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, on July 3. During this event, McCament will administer theOath of Allegiance and deliver congratulatory remarks to 49 new Americans. Follow us on Facebook to view a live stream of this ceremony.
Democratic Rep: Citing Uncomfortable Data Is White Privilege
Republican Iowa Rep. Steve King found himself accused of using his white privilege last week after he offered statistics that Democratic Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond didn’t like.
It all started at a House Judiciary Committee hearing where King brought up the high-crime rates of Central American nations that many immigrants hail from. King called the violence of countries like El Salvador shocking, but then pointed out that some cities in the U.S. have comparable murder rates.
“That shocking number in El Salvador, that 93.09 violent deaths per 100,000 — shocking until I looked up the data that was delivered to this committee from former member and stellar member Randy Forbes of Virginia, who had gone to New Orleans to examine the violent death rate and the crime rates,” the Iowa congressman stated. “And New Orleans, this was post-Katrina, and there the violent death rate, that was actually characterized as a homicide rate, in New Orleans was 90 per 100,000.”
The murder rate for New Orleans has since lowered to 44.8 per 100,000 — a figure that still makes it one of the deadliest cities in the country.
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It all started at a House Judiciary Committee hearing where King brought up the high-crime rates of Central American nations that many immigrants hail from. King called the violence of countries like El Salvador shocking, but then pointed out that some cities in the U.S. have comparable murder rates.
“That shocking number in El Salvador, that 93.09 violent deaths per 100,000 — shocking until I looked up the data that was delivered to this committee from former member and stellar member Randy Forbes of Virginia, who had gone to New Orleans to examine the violent death rate and the crime rates,” the Iowa congressman stated. “And New Orleans, this was post-Katrina, and there the violent death rate, that was actually characterized as a homicide rate, in New Orleans was 90 per 100,000.”
The murder rate for New Orleans has since lowered to 44.8 per 100,000 — a figure that still makes it one of the deadliest cities in the country.
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Don’t Get Sick from Your Holiday Picnic
DOVER — Summer months mean picnics, days at the beach, camping, and road trips. But as temperatures continue to rise, so do your chances of contracting a foodborne illness if you do not properly handle and sanitize your food. The Division of Public (DPH) Health Office of Food Protection encourages Delawareans to be mindful of keeping food out in the hot sun too long and knowing the proper procedures for cooking meats and poultry.Due to a variety of factors, including warmer temperatures, foodborne illnesses increase during the summer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in six Americans are stricken with food poisoning each year and there are 128,000 cases of foodborne illnesses that require hospitalization.
“Washing and sanitizing your hands and the surfaces where you prepare food are just the start of the precautions you should be taking,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “To properly protect against foodborne illnesses it is also important to separate plates and utensils used for raw and cooked meat, keep raw foods chilled at all times, wash produce before cutting or cooking it, even if you plan to peel them and cook foods to their proper temperatures, among other key steps.”
Obama’s Criminal Enterprise Collapsing
As former FBI Director James Comey’s best friend, Robert Mueller, stocks his Seinfeld investigation-about-nothing with every Democratic lawyer and Hillary and/or Obama donor he can find, we are treated to the delicious irony of collusion with Russia being confirmed -- and the colluder-in-chief being Ex-president Barack Hussein Obama.
Even Obama’s Democrat supporters are now acknowledging he knew about Russia’s hacking of the DNC and Podesta emails. They are acknowledging
that he did nothing but are not acknowledging the reason why – that he thought Hillary Clinton was going to succeed him and he wanted to do nothing to offend the Russians to whom he had once famously promised more “flexibility.”As Fox News Politics reported:
President Trump criticized his predecessor for allegedly doing “nothing” about reports that Russia interfered in last year’s presidential campaign, in a recent interview.“I just heard today for the first time that (former President) Obama knew about Russia a long time before the election, and he did nothing about it,” Trump said in the interview set to air Sunday on “Fox & Friends Weekend.” “The CIA gave him information on Russia a long time before the election. … If he had the information, why didn't he do something about it?”
Even Rep. Adam Schiff, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, acknowledged that President Obama’s refusal to embarrass his Russian friends by doing nothing was a mistake:
President Obama’s decision to not act sooner on Russian election interference last year was “a very serious mistake,” says California Rep. Adam Schiff.
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Even Obama’s Democrat supporters are now acknowledging he knew about Russia’s hacking of the DNC and Podesta emails. They are acknowledging
that he did nothing but are not acknowledging the reason why – that he thought Hillary Clinton was going to succeed him and he wanted to do nothing to offend the Russians to whom he had once famously promised more “flexibility.”As Fox News Politics reported:President Trump criticized his predecessor for allegedly doing “nothing” about reports that Russia interfered in last year’s presidential campaign, in a recent interview.“I just heard today for the first time that (former President) Obama knew about Russia a long time before the election, and he did nothing about it,” Trump said in the interview set to air Sunday on “Fox & Friends Weekend.” “The CIA gave him information on Russia a long time before the election. … If he had the information, why didn't he do something about it?”
Even Rep. Adam Schiff, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, acknowledged that President Obama’s refusal to embarrass his Russian friends by doing nothing was a mistake:
President Obama’s decision to not act sooner on Russian election interference last year was “a very serious mistake,” says California Rep. Adam Schiff.
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City struggling to keep bikes off Coastal Hwy. this season
Bicycle rack plan for buses deemed impractical, while rider path idea still stalled
Bicycle racks affixed to Ocean City’s buses is an idea whose time may never come, as resort officials earlier this month killed a proposal that would see them installed by summer 2018.
At its June 13 meeting, the Transportation Commission declined to proceed with a proposed bike rack plan, since the racks would cost $240 each. That would add $2,160 to the purchase cost of nine additional buses that Public Works Director Hal Adkins ordered for next season.
The idea for the bicycle racks was inspired by Adkins’s efforts to bring bikers off the roads and onto the buses for safety reasons last fall. Notably, the commission discussed it in connection to the J-1 visa students, many of whom rent bicycles to use as a mode of transportation.
According to estimates from United Work and Travel, 1,200 students in 2016 were living in West Ocean City and biked over the Route 50 bridge to work and back.
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Democrats are insulting the public with dire claims of deaths from Obamacare repeal
There are times when I want to scream at the radio. One commentator or another has just declared that, according to the CBO, 22-million people will lose their health care. In response, the senior Democrat in DC declared that “hundreds of thousands” will die. It's a lie. Fake news. Made-up hoax. Dezinformatsiya. Pick your favorite term.
The very idea that having health insurance is what allows you to have health care is simply wrong. Our first step has to be EMTALA. This alphabet soup statute makes it illegal for any hospital to put "Do you have insurance?" between you and medical care for an emergency. That means that every hospital in the country will fix what's wrong with you. Afterward they may try to get their pound of flesh back, but there are a host of programs, including the American Health Care Act-protected "Pre-existing Conditions" provision that will take care of things. Notice I did not say the "Obamacare" provision.
Now that we've debunked the first big lie, let's consider the purpose of insurance. When Blue Cross was invented by doctors and hospitals, it was a way to make sure that they got paid. If they could convert some charity work into profit, what was not to like? It wasn't about making sure that people could get care. It was about their wallets.
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The very idea that having health insurance is what allows you to have health care is simply wrong. Our first step has to be EMTALA. This alphabet soup statute makes it illegal for any hospital to put "Do you have insurance?" between you and medical care for an emergency. That means that every hospital in the country will fix what's wrong with you. Afterward they may try to get their pound of flesh back, but there are a host of programs, including the American Health Care Act-protected "Pre-existing Conditions" provision that will take care of things. Notice I did not say the "Obamacare" provision.
Now that we've debunked the first big lie, let's consider the purpose of insurance. When Blue Cross was invented by doctors and hospitals, it was a way to make sure that they got paid. If they could convert some charity work into profit, what was not to like? It wasn't about making sure that people could get care. It was about their wallets.
More
Money set aside aids beach work
Advance $3 million allows corps to begin replenishment early
The beach replenishment program that keeps the ocean from washing over Ocean City has the money it needs to proceed a year early, even though the 2018 federal budget remains in the murky stage.
At a Monday morning press conference, Senators Ben Cardin (D- Md.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) stressed that getting the money for the program in advance is a solid investment for the state.
“I don’t have to tell you that the 2018 budget is very unclear at this point, so there’s no guarantee the budget will pass in time,” Cardin said while standing under the Boardwalk’s archway on North Division Street. “That’s why we had to advance $3 million to beach replenishment because it’s vitally important to Maryland. This is an incredible place and people love the beach.”
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Vice Media Retracts Two Stories on Trump's Disney Display
Vice Media announced Wednesday it was retracting two stories that reported President Donald Trump's White House was feuding with Disney World management.
The outlet said it had found "several factual errors" in a story posted on its Motherboard site May 19, "Here's the Secret Backstage Trump Drama at Walt Disney World's Hall of Presidents." The article was archived and posted by The Washington Free Beacon.
The first post was followed last Monday by a second piece, "Behind the Scenes of Disney's Donald Trump 'Hall of Presidents' Installation," which was also archived and posted by the Free Beacon.
Both posts claimed "behind-the-scenes drama and internal machinations" about whether Trump would have a speaking role in Disney's Hall of the Presidents," the Free Beacon reported.
In an editor's note, the outlet said sourcing and errors triggered the retraction.
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The outlet said it had found "several factual errors" in a story posted on its Motherboard site May 19, "Here's the Secret Backstage Trump Drama at Walt Disney World's Hall of Presidents." The article was archived and posted by The Washington Free Beacon.
The first post was followed last Monday by a second piece, "Behind the Scenes of Disney's Donald Trump 'Hall of Presidents' Installation," which was also archived and posted by the Free Beacon.
Both posts claimed "behind-the-scenes drama and internal machinations" about whether Trump would have a speaking role in Disney's Hall of the Presidents," the Free Beacon reported.
In an editor's note, the outlet said sourcing and errors triggered the retraction.
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Cops And Courts – June 30, 2017
Bicyclist Struck In OC
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania woman was arrested and charged with drunk-driving and failure to render aid to a victim last week after allegedly hitting a bicyclist with her vehicle and then showing indifference to the victim who had suffered a broken leg.
Child Holding Up Drunk Mother
OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania woman was arrested on disorderly conduct and other charges last week after allegedly stumbling around the Boardwalk intoxicated while using her 10-year-old son to hold her up.
Jersey Men Scrap With Cops
OCEAN CITY — A New Jersey man was arrested on assault and other charges last weekend after scrapping with an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer who was arresting another man and was ultimately Tased.
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McCarthy Calls on Rep.-Elect Gomez to Resign If He Continues to Delay House Job
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) is calling on Representative-elect Jimmy Gomez (D., Calif.) to resign if he continues to wait to assume his House duties in order to vote on a California assembly cap-and-trade bill.
Gomez won the June 6 special election to replace former Rep. Xavier Becerra who resigned to become California attorney general in January. However, Gomez has put off his House swearing in ceremony for more than three weeks.
McCarthy on Wednesday accused Gomez of "neglecting his job" in order to remain in the California assembly to provide a two-thirds majority vote on a bill to extend the state's cap-and-trade program.
"They have already increased the gas tax on California citizens and now they want to increase it even higher?" McCarthy asked in an interview on Fox News Wednesday. "I think he is neglecting his job. Either he wants to be a member of Congress, or he should be honest with his constituents and we should elect somebody who wants to come here and work day one."
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Gomez won the June 6 special election to replace former Rep. Xavier Becerra who resigned to become California attorney general in January. However, Gomez has put off his House swearing in ceremony for more than three weeks.
McCarthy on Wednesday accused Gomez of "neglecting his job" in order to remain in the California assembly to provide a two-thirds majority vote on a bill to extend the state's cap-and-trade program.
"They have already increased the gas tax on California citizens and now they want to increase it even higher?" McCarthy asked in an interview on Fox News Wednesday. "I think he is neglecting his job. Either he wants to be a member of Congress, or he should be honest with his constituents and we should elect somebody who wants to come here and work day one."
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BREAKING: Gunman 'dressed as a doctor' shoots 'multiple people' at a hospital in the Bronx
At least three doctors were shot at Bronx Lebanon Hospital this afternoon by a gunman in a lab coat.
The incident began unfolding at around 2.45pm at the medical center on Grand Concourse in the Morris Heights section of The Bronx.
Police sources say a gunman dressed as a doctor opened fire on the 16th floor of the hospital and shot multiple people.
Just before 4pm, J Peter Gould, an NYPD spokesperson, tweeted: 'One shooter is deceased at the hospital.'
Local news outlets identified the shooter as 35-year-old Dr Henry Bello, a former employee at the hospital.
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The incident began unfolding at around 2.45pm at the medical center on Grand Concourse in the Morris Heights section of The Bronx.
Police sources say a gunman dressed as a doctor opened fire on the 16th floor of the hospital and shot multiple people.
Just before 4pm, J Peter Gould, an NYPD spokesperson, tweeted: 'One shooter is deceased at the hospital.'
Local news outlets identified the shooter as 35-year-old Dr Henry Bello, a former employee at the hospital.
More/Video
Rare Whale Shark Sighting A Thrill On Overnight Fishing Trip
OCEAN CITY – Patrons and crew members on an overnight fishing charter received a surprise visit from a whale shark this week while off the coast of Ocean City.
Steve Moore, a full-time captain with Stalker Sportfishing Charters, said the encounter took place early Tuesday morning.
He explained that five individuals and the three-man crew were on the charter boat Stalker for an overnight fishing trip 68 miles off the shore of Ocean City, beyond the Washington Canyon, when they first spotted the whale shark.
Having little luck on the fishing lines, Moore said he decided to lie down while his mate, Cory Lednum, kept watch at the back of the boat.
More/Video
Owner of seafood market boiling mad about lobster picture
OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. (WTNH) — The lobster tanks at Atlantic Seafood are packed for the holiday weekend. They do a lot of special orders there, but what happened to one special order recently has the owner boiling.
“That’s not part of their jobs, it’s not what we pay for, it’s not how we feel protected,” said owner Lisa Feinman.
She was furious when she saw a picture taken by a TSA agent at Logan Airport. The agent is smiling while he holds a 15-pound lobster by its claws.
She had carefully packed the 15-pounder along with a dozen other smaller lobsters on top of it.
“We put paper with saltwater on them just to kind of keep them wet keep them moist,” said Feinman.
Her customer, who was bringing the lobsters to Georgia, checked the duct-taped cooler of crustaceans which just made the fifty pound weight limit.
“It was written on it fragile live lobsters,” said Feinman.
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“That’s not part of their jobs, it’s not what we pay for, it’s not how we feel protected,” said owner Lisa Feinman.
She was furious when she saw a picture taken by a TSA agent at Logan Airport. The agent is smiling while he holds a 15-pound lobster by its claws.
She had carefully packed the 15-pounder along with a dozen other smaller lobsters on top of it.
“We put paper with saltwater on them just to kind of keep them wet keep them moist,” said Feinman.
Her customer, who was bringing the lobsters to Georgia, checked the duct-taped cooler of crustaceans which just made the fifty pound weight limit.
“It was written on it fragile live lobsters,” said Feinman.
More
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