Toddler found wandering naked outside IHOP, passed-out adults charged

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (CBS12) — A toddler found wandering naked in the parking lot of an IHOP led to the arrest of his passed-out mother and her fiancé.

Last Friday, Panama City Police took a call from restaurant employees that they found the boy at around 5:30 a.m., all alone in the parking lot. The employees covered him with an apron. They also noticed a couple in a van nearby, passed out. The employees were unable to wake them up.

Police responded. According to the city, officers found the couple to be under the influence of drugs. Police not only found drugs in the van but nine-month-old twins. One of the twins was covered in blankets and pillows.

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Congolese Migrants Monitored for Ebola Along Texas Border

A public health official in Laredo, Texas, said 20 Congolese migrants were monitored for Ebola and other diseases in shelters in his city and across the Mexican border in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. Shortly after his announcement during a Laredo City Council meeting, the World Health Organization (WHO) considered declaring a “global emergency” in response to a massive outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“We have 8 Congolese right now in one of our shelters and a dozen in Nuevo Laredo,” Laredo Health Director Dr. Hector Gonzalez told the Laredo City Councilman George Altget during a council meeting on April 4. “For them, my concern was Ebola.” He said that due to the time element, the Congolese migrants were not developing symptoms of Ebola. “But, we’re on alert to check that,” he said.

A report from the WHO states that, as of April 10, there have been more than 1,200 reported cases of Ebola in the Congo (1,140 confirmed, 66 probable).

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California man sets self on fire in Target parking lot: officials

A California man on Wednesday suffered third-degree burns to the front half of his body after he used a lighter to melt a gasoline-filled jug, fire officials said.

The unintended immolation took place in a Target parking lot in Modesto, about 100 miles east of San Francisco. The man, who was not identified, had melted the mouth of the jug to make pouring gasoline into his car easier, his girlfriend told investigators.

The jug exploded into flames, setting the man and another vehicle on fire, The Sacramento Bee reported. Dustin Bruley, a supervisor of the Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigation Unit, told The Bee that the man was burned from his face to his feet and his shoes were melted.

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https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-man-sets-self-on-fire-melts-shoes-in-target-parking-lot-officials

This ‘Innovative’ Housing Program Serves Just 3 Households

Macy Valdez works in Denver but for a long time didn’t think she could afford to live here. She earns $38,000 a year as a receptionist at the Saint Joseph Hospital cancer center, too little to afford rent in many downtown apartments.

Yet since January, Valdez, 28, has been living in a one-bedroom apartment seven blocks from her office in a building complete with a game room, a gym and a pool. She moved in thanks to a city program that blends public and private funds to subsidize rents for lower-income workers.

City leaders nationwide have been calling Denver to learn about the Lower Income Voucher Equity program — “LIVE Denver,” for short — since Democratic Mayor Michael Hancock announced the first-of-its-kind partnership in 2017. The program has been profiled in national newspapers, and Denver officials regularly tout it at housing conferences.

But nearly two years in, LIVE Denver is serving only three households and might never achieve the scale city leaders promised. Saint Joseph Hospital is the only employer to partner with the city so far. City officials now expect the program to serve about a hundred households, a quarter of the 400 households they initially estimated.

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Rashida Tlaib Calls for Hunger Strikes to ‘Shut Down ICE’

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) urged her supporters to join her in a hunger strike to push for action to "shut down" U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arguing the radical push to abolish ICE can't be achieved by Congress.

Tlaib, headlining a Detroit fundraiser this past weekend for the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights, complained of colleagues who are constantly "policing" what she says and lack willingness to embrace bold stands such as abolishing ICE. She called on her activist audience to join her in a hunger strike at the border.

"It's going to take movements outside the halls of Congress," Tlaib told the crowd, according to video captured by America Rising, a conservative group.

"I want you all to shut them down, we can shut them down," Tlaib said to applause. "Don't wait for this Congress to act, shut them down."

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CNN's April Ryan calls for Sarah Sanders to be fired

CNN political analyst April Ryan called for the firing of White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on Thursday, claiming Sanders “lied” to the media following the release of the Mueller report.

In May 2017, following the turbulent firing of FBI Director James Comey, Sanders told reporters that “countless” FBI agents had lost confidence in Comey despite one reporter’s assertion that the “vast majority” of them supported his leadership. According to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office, Sanders told investigators her claim was a “slip of the tongue” and was “in the heat of the moment,” admitting that it was not founded on anything.

Ryan, who is also a White House reporter for the American Urban Radio Networks, blasted the press secretary on Thursday night for “lying” to the American people.

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https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/cnns-april-ryan-calls-for-sarah-sanders-to-be-fired 

AMERICA’S RAGE: Where Are the Investigations into Hillary Emails, Clinton Foundation, Uranium One, AGT Intl, Obama FBI and DOJ Crimes?!?

Attorney General Bill Barr stated that the Mueller Special Counsel did not find the Trump campaign colluded in Russian efforts to tamper with the 2016 election. The Special Counsel report completely exonerated President Trump on the junk charges brought against him by a corrupt Democratic operatives inside the DOJ and FBI.

This was a devastating blow to Democrats, liberal media hacks and Deep State operatives.

But this is not enough! For a decade now Americans have seen the Obama Administration, the Clintons, the Clinton Foundation and Obama’s Deep State FBI, DOJ and their cohorts in the Mainstream Media and Democrat Party get away with numerous crimes.

Where is the investigation into their crimes? When will Americans receive justice?

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County takes steps to add to room tax

After voting unanimously last month to consider increasing room tax rates to 5 percent, the Worcester County Commissioners introduced legislation this week to set the wheels in motion, with a subsequent public hearing scheduled in late May.

Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan pitched the idea of increasing the room tax, which is imposed at the county level, from 4.5 percent to 5 percent during the commissioners meeting on March 19.

Although frequently, if erroneously, called a hotel room tax, the charge is applied to all room rentals, from hotel rooms to condominiums.

Kelly Shanahan, Worcester County’s assistant chief administrative officer, told the commissioners Tuesday that raising room tax rates involves two stages.

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Resort raises tram fares, talks wage increase

Although not officially adopted, the Ocean City Council concluded a recent series of public meetings on the $138 million fiscal 2020 budget with a wrap-up meeting on Tuesday.

In the wrap-up, council members discussed lingering topics and made some changes to the budget, although the bottom-line impact is not yet known.

Budget hearings began April 2 and the fiscal document is to set to be finalized next month. A first reading is scheduled May 6 and a second reading is scheduled May 20.

Items discussed during the wrap up included:

Tram fare increase

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Governor Hogan Signs Sweeping Reforms of UMMS Board Into Law

Swift, Bipartisan Response to Revelations of 

Wrongdoing and Corruption

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today signed major legislation to completely overhaul the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) board of directors, a swift response to revelations of wrongdoing and corruption that have prompted a public outcry. The legislation removes the members of the board, bars no-bid contracts for UMMS board members, and requires a full, independent audit.

House Bill 1498, which was sponsored by the late Speaker Michael Busch, is one of 195 bills the governor signed today alongside Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller and Speaker Pro Tem Adrienne Jones.

“Today, we are enacting sweeping changes to bring much-needed reforms and transparency to the University of Maryland Medical System board,” said Governor Hogan. “UMMS is an institution near and dear to the hearts of many Marylanders, myself included. There cannot even be the appearance of impropriety from those connected with the hospital system, especially in positions of such importance.”

Last month, immediately after questionable financial dealings involving UMMS board members were first uncovered, Governor Hogan held a meeting with UMMS leaders and the presiding officers to demand answers and begin the work of cleaning up the board. The governor committed to pursue major reforms and demanded for UMMS board members to sever their relationships and step down.

On April 1, Governor Hogan asked the state prosecutor to conduct a formal investigation into the allegations of “self-dealing and no-bid contracting” involving Baltimore City Mayor Catherine Pugh’s role as a member of the UMMS board.

“This legislation is a good first step, but more needs to be done,” Governor Hogan added. “I remain committed to holding UMMS leaders accountable, and I will appoint board members who will serve with integrity and transparency.”

The Mueller report just left egg on Democrats’ faces

They wanted it, and they got it. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election has been released, and it confirms — yet again — what everyone except liberal conspiracy theorists already knew: President Trump’s campaign and Russia didn’t collude. Good news: We still elect our presidents!

Yes, Trump once taunted Russians to find Hillary Clinton’s missing e-mails. Yes, Trump’s inner circle took a meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer. And yes, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone and others have been charged with crimes. These things look bad and, to varying degrees, they are. But they don’t add up to any kind of Kremlin–Fifth Avenue conspiracy to subvert democracy.

In fact, Trump’s election is now the most verifiably legitimate election in history. No other campaign has endured the kind of scrutiny that the Trump team has withstood. For nearly two years, 19 lawyers and 40 investigators questioned some 500 witnesses worldwide. They issued 500 search warrants and 2,800 subpoenas.

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Why the ‘Free the Nipple’ Win in Court Is a Loss for Women

A federal appeals court thinks there’s no difference between a man’s bare chest and a woman’s naked chest—and, despite what some feminists are saying, that’s bad news for women.

Ignoring the real biological differences between men and women strips women of our rights to physical privacy. And even as more and more women are speaking out about their experiences of sexual harassment, the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit—that’s likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court—tells them that those experiences are not legitimate.

As part of the #MeToo movement, women have shared wrenching personal stories of sexual harassment, ranging from unwelcome comments and touches to the extreme of rape.

Thousands of women have related stories of the trauma they experienced because of unwelcome looks, comments, and physical contact with their breasts. These women know, innately, that their breasts are intimate, sexual parts of their bodies, and when their breasts aren’t respected, women suffer serious emotional harm.

But on Feb. 15, the federal court upheld an injunction that prohibits the city of Fort Collins, Colorado, from enforcing a law that prohibits females 10 years old and older from going topless in public.

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Study: Nearly 1M Migrant Children Could Enter U.S. Before 2020 Election

Nearly one million migrant children could enter the United States, either unaccompanied or with their border crossing parents, before the 2020 election if projected rates of illegal immigration pan out, new research finds.

Current illegal immigration projections by Princeton Policy Advisors researcher Steven Kopits predicts that there could be about 1.28 million border apprehensions this calendar year — a rate of illegal immigration that would exceed every fiscal year of former Presidents George W. Bush and Obama.

Kopits’ finds that up to 300,000 migrant children could enter the country by the time school begins in September for most students under a scenario where illegal immigration continues at projected rates throughout the next year and a half.

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Major Increase In Depression Among Young Adults Over Last Decade May Be Due To Digital Media

Mental health issues, notably depression, increased significantly for young adults in the last ten years, and researchers pin some of the blame the rise of the popularity of digital media.

“Cultural trends in the last 10 years may have had a larger effect on mood disorders and suicide-related outcomes among younger generations compared with older generations,” says study lead author Dr. Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of the book iGen, in a release. “More U.S. adolescents and young adults in the late 2010s, versus the mid-2000s, experienced serious psychological distress, major depression or suicidal thoughts, and more attempted suicide. These trends are weak or non-existent among adults 26 years and over, suggesting a generational shift in mood disorders instead of an overall increase across all ages.”

Dr. Twenge and her team analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a nationally representative survey tracking drug and alcohol use, mental health, and other health issues in Americans over age 12 since 1971. The research team examined survey responses from over 200,000 youths between the ages of 12 to 17 from 2005 to 2017. They also analyzed 400,000 individuals over the age of 18 between 2008 to 2017.

Overall, the rate of major depression symptoms reported in the last year jumped 52% in adolescents between 2005 and 2017 (from 8.7 percent to 13.2 percent), and 63% in young adults 18 to 25 (from 8.1 percent to 13.2 percent). Young adults also reported psychological distress symptoms in the last 30 days 71% more between 2008 to 2017 (from 7.7 percent to 13.1 percent). Suicide-related thoughts and outcomes increased 47% between 2008 and 2017, affecting 10.3 percent of young adults (up from 7 percent).

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AK-47-toting migrant smuggler sparked deadly shootout with ICE

An AK-47-toting man smuggling illegal immigrants opened fire on ICE agents in Phoenix last week, sparking a shootout that left another member of his smuggling gang dead, according to court documents detailing the latest episode in what authorities say is growing violence in the illegal immigrant economy.

The incident has drawn scant national attention, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal prosecutors have been tight with details, saying the April 11 shootout is still under investigation.

But the picture that emerges from the court documents is of an abusive immigration-smuggling gang running a stash house on an Indian reservation that spans the border, preying off the misery of migrants whom they kidnapped and extorted for money before delivering to their destinations.

Authorities were tipped to the gang when one of the migrants, who’d wasn’t a client but whom the gang kidnapped just after he snuck across the border, managed to escape through a window and flagged down a police officer.

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BREAKING: State’s High Court Rules Against OC In Boardwalk Property Battle

OCEAN CITY – The state’s highest court on Friday denied a petition by the Town of Ocean City to hear an appeal in the battle over ownership of a Boardwalk property, essentially bringing closure to the longstanding case.

The state’s Court of Appeals on Friday denied a petition for writ of certiorari filed in February by the town against Nathans Associates, the heir and owners of the century-old-plus building the east side of the Boardwalk at South Division Street, which, for decades, has been home to the iconic Dumser’s Dairyland. The petition asked the Court of Appeals to hear the case after the lower Court of Special Appeals ruled twice against the town.

The high court’s denial of the petition brings closure to the case, which has made its way up and down the court system since a decades-old agreement between the town and Nathans Associates expired in 2016. The town prevailed in the initial case at the Worcester County Circuit Court level, but Nathans Associates appealed that outcome to the Court of Special Appeals.

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Governor Hogan Calls Special Session of the Maryland General Assembly

House of Delegates to Elect New Speaker on May 1

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today signed an executive order calling for the Maryland General Assembly to convene a special session on Wednesday, May 1.

This special session, which comes at the request of the presiding officers, will allow the House of Delegates to elect a successor to the late Speaker Michael E. Busch.

“It is my solemn duty to call a special session of the General Assembly in order to elect a successor to Speaker Busch,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “As we close a significant chapter in our state’s history, we will continue the critical work that Mike Busch dedicated so much of his life to doing.”

Click here to access a signed copy of Executive Order 01.01.2019.04.

Proclamation Convening the General Assembly of Maryland in Extraordinary Session at Annapolis Maryland on May 1, 2019

Whereas, the Honorable Michael E. Busch, Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, passed away on April 7, 2019, causing an outpouring of grief from the citizens of the State;

Whereas, Speaker Busch was the longest-serving speaker in the State's history, and was widely respected and admired for his lifelong dedication to service to the State and its citizens; and

Whereas, the House of Delegates, in accordance with its rules, must elect a new speaker to succeed Speaker Busch;

Now, therefore, I, Lawrence J. Hogan Jr., Governor of the State of Maryland, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article II, Section 16, of the Maryland Constitution and the Laws of Maryland, hereby proclaim and convene a special and extraordinary session of the General Assembly of Maryland to commence on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, in the City of Annapolis to enable the House of Delegates to elect a new Speaker.

Amazon and Walmart testing program to let food-stamp recipients buy groceries online

Amazon and Walmart on Thursday are kicking off a two-year pilot established by the government to allow low-income shoppers on government food assistance in New York to shop and pay for their groceries online.

ShopRite will join the retailers early next week, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The USDA has long required that customers using electronic benefits transfer, or EBT, pay for their purchases at the actual time and place of sale. So the move marks the first time SNAP customers can pay for their groceries online.

ShopRite and Amazon are providing the service to the New York City area, and Walmart is providing the service online in upstate New York locations. The agency said the pilot will eventually expand to other areas of New York as well as Alabama, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. The pilot will test both online ordering and payment. SNAP participants will be able to use their benefits to purchase eligible food items but will not be able to use SNAP to pay for service or delivery charges, the agency said.

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NYC cathedral suspect is a college instructor who had booked a flight to Rome

A 37-year-old man who was arrested Wednesday after entering St. Patrick's Cathedral carrying two cans of gasoline, lighter fluid and butane lighters had also been arrested at a New Jersey cathedral this week and had booked a flight to Rome, the New York Police Department said.

Marc Lamparello, a college instructor, has been charged with attempted arson, reckless endangerment and trespassing, according to police.

"There doesn't appear to be any connection to any terrorist group or any terrorist-related intent here," said John Miller, the New York Police Department's deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism.

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Students Deserve Credit For Talking

How bad could it have been?

That’s what many were wondering after last week’s press conference on the legitimate threat made by students at Snow Hill Middle School last month.

While details are scant, what we do know is authorities were alerted by the school system of a potential school shooting plot. School officials learned about it when concerned students shared what they were hearing. A police investigation ensued, and the threat was found to be credible. Evidence was found in the homes of two juveniles supporting a planned shooting event at the middle school and confirmed, “the plot had been several months in the making,” according to a press release.

Human nature dictates a need for more information. There are many unsubstantiated rumors circulating in the community about this threat, but it will be weeks or maybe months before we know exactly what the two juveniles intended to do to their classmates, teachers and administrators at the small middle school with students in grades 4-8.

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