DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, December 30, 2019
Man Wrongfully Imprisoned For 27 Years Will Sue His Accusers
It was August 10, 1991. Outside Louie’s Texas Red Hots restaurant, a group of men began fighting. A gun was pulled and Torriano Jackson was killed.
An anonymous tip led police to Valentino Dixon, who says police had been targeting him long before the shooting. Dixon was arrested, but just two days later, Lamarr Scott confessed to the shooting and murder of Jackson. Scott’s confession did nothing to help Dixon, who was convicted of the murder and sentenced to 38-and-a-half-years to live in prison, according to a website set up for his defense.
While in prison, Dixon gained national attention for his beautiful artwork depicting golf courses. His story attracted the attention of Golf Digest in 2012, which wrote a story about his conviction and decided to help him win his freedom. In 2018, after 27 years in prison, Dixon was exonerated and released.
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An anonymous tip led police to Valentino Dixon, who says police had been targeting him long before the shooting. Dixon was arrested, but just two days later, Lamarr Scott confessed to the shooting and murder of Jackson. Scott’s confession did nothing to help Dixon, who was convicted of the murder and sentenced to 38-and-a-half-years to live in prison, according to a website set up for his defense.
While in prison, Dixon gained national attention for his beautiful artwork depicting golf courses. His story attracted the attention of Golf Digest in 2012, which wrote a story about his conviction and decided to help him win his freedom. In 2018, after 27 years in prison, Dixon was exonerated and released.
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Orange County Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for December 28, 2019, Machete Attack at Rabbi’s Home
Grafton Thomas Injured at Least Five People in Attack During Hanukkah Observance
Eric Dreiband, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Geoffrey S. Berman, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the FBI, announced today that Grafton Thomas has been charged with five counts of obstructing the free exercise of religion in an attempt to kill, a federal hate crime, related to his machete attack during Shabbat and Hanukkah observances at a Rabbi’s home in Monsey, New York, on the night of Dec. 28, 2019. Thomas is expected to be presented in White Plains federal court later today.
”Every American should be free to live and worship in safety,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “The department will vigorously prosecute those who commit hate crimes, and we will continue to work with our state and local partners to bring to justice anyone who violates the civil rights of Americans.”
“As alleged, Grafton Thomas targeted his victims in the midst of a religious ceremony, transforming a joyous Hanukkah celebration into a scene of carnage and pain,” said U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman for the Southern District of New York. “Today is the eighth day of Hanukkah, the festival of lights that commemorates Jews’ struggle to practice their faith more than two millennia ago. And we are about to welcome a new year. Even in the face of tragedy, both milestones are an occasion for renewed hope and resolve: To combat bigotry in all its forms – and to bring to justice the perpetrators of hate-fueled attacks.”
Maryland Attorney General News Releases Attorney General Frosh Joins Multistate Coalition Opposing Federal Efforts to Put Haitian-Born Residents at Risk of Deportation
21 Attorneys General Argue that Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti Is Illegal
BALTIMORE, MD (December 30, 2019) – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today joined a group of 21 attorneys general in challenging the Trump administration’s effort to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals. If the administration is allowed to move forward, Haitian TPS holders in Maryland, other states, and the District of Columbia would lose their legal status, leaving them vulnerable to deportation.
In an amicus brief filed in support of the plaintiffs in Saget v. Trump before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the coalition of attorneys general argue that the administration lacked a reasonable rationale for the move, violating the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The brief urges the Court of Appeals to affirm the lower court’s ruling and uphold a nationwide injunction against the termination to prevent widespread harm in the amici states.
Haiti first received TPS designation after the devastating earthquake of 2010. As early as March 2017, the Trump administration set out to reverse the designation. Political appointees in the administration pressured Department of Homeland Security (DHS) staffers to effectively manufacture a rationale for the change, pushing them to depart from established agency procedure by, for example, gathering criminality and welfare data on Haitian TPS beneficiaries. In November 2017, Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke announced that the agency would terminate TPS for Haiti but her own notes revealed that she still had not established a reason for the decision.
NOI 12/29/19 Wicomico Dwelling Fire Booth Street
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NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION
Date: December 29, 2019
Time: 11:04 a.m.
Location / Address: 611 Booth St., Salisbury, Wicomico Co.
Type of Incident: Fire
Description of Structure / Property: One story wood frame single family dwelling
Owner / Occupants: Roger Jefferson (Occupant)
Injuries or Deaths: None
Estimated $ Loss: Structure: $30,000 Contents: $15,000
Smoke Alarm Status: Present, did not activate
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status: n/a
Arrests(s): None
Primary Responding Fire Department: Salisbury Fire Department
# of Alarms: 1 # Of Firefighters: 24
Time to Control: 13 minutes
Discovered By: Occupant
Area of Origin: Kitchen
Preliminary Cause: Under Investigation
Additional Information: Anyone with information is asked to call the Salisbury Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal at (410) 713-3780.
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Woman accused of assaulting 3 Jewish women arrested again day after release
A day after she was released without bail on charges stemming from the Friday attack, Tiffany Harris was charged with assault for slugging a 35-year-old in the face on Eastern Parkway near Underhill Avenue in Prospect Heights at about 9:15 a.m., according to police.
It’s unclear if Sunday’s victim is Jewish — and police weren’t treating the incident as a hate crime. The victim suffered swelling and bruising to her right eye from the pummeling, police said.
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New Yorker, 61, dies four days after being savagely beaten for just ONE DOLLAR in brutal Christmas Eve mugging
A 61-year-old man who suffered brutal injuries while defending his partner from an attack on Christmas Eve in the Bronx over just $1 has died in the hospital.
Juan Fresnada was attacked as he walked down the street with his 29-year-old partner, Bayron Caceres, at 1.28am on Christmas Eve.
It is unclear if the attack was a homophobic hate crime, or if the assailants were simply looking to rob the pair but they took $1 from Fresnada.
He was beaten so badly that he suffered swelling to his brain and a fractured skull. Caceres was not seriously injured.
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Juan Fresnada was attacked as he walked down the street with his 29-year-old partner, Bayron Caceres, at 1.28am on Christmas Eve.
It is unclear if the attack was a homophobic hate crime, or if the assailants were simply looking to rob the pair but they took $1 from Fresnada.
He was beaten so badly that he suffered swelling to his brain and a fractured skull. Caceres was not seriously injured.
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Sharon Osbourne reveals she forced an assistant to go into a burning building to save her dogs and priceless artwork before FIRING him for not finding it funny
Sharon Osbourne revealed that she forced an assistant to go inside her burning house to save her dogs and art, before firing him for not finding the situation funny.
The TV personality, 67, made an appearance on Friday's Christmas special of Would I Lie To You when she candidly discussed the incident.
She explained that the fire began when festive candles set husband Ozzy's 'arm and half his hair' in the family living room, and she decided to enlist the help of her assistant who was sleeping in their guest house.
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The TV personality, 67, made an appearance on Friday's Christmas special of Would I Lie To You when she candidly discussed the incident.
She explained that the fire began when festive candles set husband Ozzy's 'arm and half his hair' in the family living room, and she decided to enlist the help of her assistant who was sleeping in their guest house.
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Michael Moore says Trump will WIN in 2020 because his support in Midwestern battlegrounds has not dropped 'one inch' and his followers are 'even more rabid'
Filmmaker Michael Moore said that President Donald Trump had a strong chance at winning the 2020 election, claiming that his support in Midwestern battleground states hasn't dropped 'one inch.'
He added that if the presidential election were today, Trump would most likely win enough electoral college votes to clinch victory.
'If the vote were today, I believe, he would win the electoral states that he would need, because, living out there, I will tell you, his level of support has not gone down one inch,' he said in an interview with Democracy Now!
'In fact, I'd say it's even more rabid than it was before, because they're afraid now. They're afraid he could lose, because they watched his behavior. So they are voracious in their appetite for Donald Trump. That’s the bad news.'
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He added that if the presidential election were today, Trump would most likely win enough electoral college votes to clinch victory.
'If the vote were today, I believe, he would win the electoral states that he would need, because, living out there, I will tell you, his level of support has not gone down one inch,' he said in an interview with Democracy Now!
'In fact, I'd say it's even more rabid than it was before, because they're afraid now. They're afraid he could lose, because they watched his behavior. So they are voracious in their appetite for Donald Trump. That’s the bad news.'
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Joe Biden says he will DEFY subpoena to testify in Trump's Senate impeachment trial because it will detract attention from the president's actions
Former US Vice President Joe Biden said Friday that he would not comply if subpoenaed in an impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
Trump and fellow Republicans want to call Biden and his son, Hunter, to appear as witnesses during the proceedings for alleged corruption in Ukraine.
But speaking to the editorial board of the Des Moines Register, Biden, the current front runner for the 2020 Democratic nomination, said that compliance with a subpoena would detract from the president's own actions.
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Trump and fellow Republicans want to call Biden and his son, Hunter, to appear as witnesses during the proceedings for alleged corruption in Ukraine.
But speaking to the editorial board of the Des Moines Register, Biden, the current front runner for the 2020 Democratic nomination, said that compliance with a subpoena would detract from the president's own actions.
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Walter E. Williams Warns Virginia About Gov. Ralph Northam’s Gun Registry Plan
Columnist and George Mason economics Professor Walter E. Williams is warning Virginia residents about Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D) gun registry plan.
Northam has been pushing an all-out ban on AR-15s and similar rifles for some time, but he recently changed the scope of the ban in the face of the growing Second Amendment Sanctuary movement.
On December 10, 2019, Breitbart News reported that Northam changed his position from supporting an across-the-board ban on possession of such weapons to supporting a ban only in a situation where a person refuses to register the firearm with the government. The Virginia Mercury quoted Northam spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky saying, “The governor’s assault weapons ban will include a grandfather clause for individuals who already own assault weapons, with the requirement they register their weapons before the end of a designated grace period.”
On December 27, 2019, Dr. Williams used a Fox News op-ed to warn Virginians “not to fall for the registration trick.” He said, “Knowing who owns what weapons is the first step to confiscation.”
Williams added:
James Madison, in Federalist Paper No. 46 wrote that the Constitution preserves “the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation … (where) the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.”
Thomas Jefferson wrote: “What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms.”
Too many Americans believe the Second Amendment grants Americans the right to own firearms only to go hunting and for self-protection. The framers of our Constitution had no such intent in mind.
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Northam has been pushing an all-out ban on AR-15s and similar rifles for some time, but he recently changed the scope of the ban in the face of the growing Second Amendment Sanctuary movement.
On December 10, 2019, Breitbart News reported that Northam changed his position from supporting an across-the-board ban on possession of such weapons to supporting a ban only in a situation where a person refuses to register the firearm with the government. The Virginia Mercury quoted Northam spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky saying, “The governor’s assault weapons ban will include a grandfather clause for individuals who already own assault weapons, with the requirement they register their weapons before the end of a designated grace period.”
On December 27, 2019, Dr. Williams used a Fox News op-ed to warn Virginians “not to fall for the registration trick.” He said, “Knowing who owns what weapons is the first step to confiscation.”
Williams added:
James Madison, in Federalist Paper No. 46 wrote that the Constitution preserves “the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation … (where) the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.”
Thomas Jefferson wrote: “What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms.”
Too many Americans believe the Second Amendment grants Americans the right to own firearms only to go hunting and for self-protection. The framers of our Constitution had no such intent in mind.
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The Gay Mafia Comes to Idaho
A truce has been called between religious folks and gays. Or at least that's what we're being told. The Fairness for All Act, legislation intended to give rights to both Christian conservatives and transgenders, has been put before the House. For the latter, it proposes that "sexual orientation" be added to the Civil Rights Act, making it hard to discriminate against anyone on the basis of sexual identity. It gives sweeping protections in housing, business, banking, and "public accommodations." On the other hand, it grants protections to anyone in a business with fewer than 15 employees and grants exemptions to anyone in a "faith-based" organization. The Deseret News says it resulted from a dialogue between LGBT groups and representatives from the Seventh-Day Adventists, the Mormons, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and other such suit-and-tie respectables.
But those of us who've escaped the wasteland-in-training known as Seattle know that the LGBT community is just that — a community. Not a uniform band of orthodox goose-steppers, but a volatile cocktail of competing doctrinaires — a hodgepodge of neatniks and weirdos, kind people and jackasses, bullies and victims. The whole gamut of men, both rotten and trustworthy. I've spent time with lots of these people, both as a coke-head and a straight-laced Christian, and I can attest that the majority are decent people. Many of them sexually looser than us, to be sure, but otherwise decent.
But alongside this decent majority stand the activist jackasses.
But those of us who've escaped the wasteland-in-training known as Seattle know that the LGBT community is just that — a community. Not a uniform band of orthodox goose-steppers, but a volatile cocktail of competing doctrinaires — a hodgepodge of neatniks and weirdos, kind people and jackasses, bullies and victims. The whole gamut of men, both rotten and trustworthy. I've spent time with lots of these people, both as a coke-head and a straight-laced Christian, and I can attest that the majority are decent people. Many of them sexually looser than us, to be sure, but otherwise decent.
But alongside this decent majority stand the activist jackasses.
New York's 'Bail Reform' Is Having Detrimental Impacts, Especially on the Jewish Community
New York State's new "bail reform" initiative has been thrown into the spotlight following Saturday night's stabbing attack on a Jewish congregation gathering to celebrate Hanukkah.
Beginning Jan. 1, criminals charged with most misdemeanors and Class E felonies will be released from jail without having to post cash or a bond. The goal is to not criminalize "poverty by keeping someone in jail only because they can't afford to get out," the Albany Democrat reported.
District attorneys and law enforcement officials across the state took Issue with the initiative because some misdemeanors and felonies, like theft, assault and aggravated harassment, aren't eligible for cash bail.
New York City Councilmen Chaim Deutsch and Kalman Yegar have repeatedly spoken out against the initiative, especially as anti-Semitism continues to rise.
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Beginning Jan. 1, criminals charged with most misdemeanors and Class E felonies will be released from jail without having to post cash or a bond. The goal is to not criminalize "poverty by keeping someone in jail only because they can't afford to get out," the Albany Democrat reported.
District attorneys and law enforcement officials across the state took Issue with the initiative because some misdemeanors and felonies, like theft, assault and aggravated harassment, aren't eligible for cash bail.
New York City Councilmen Chaim Deutsch and Kalman Yegar have repeatedly spoken out against the initiative, especially as anti-Semitism continues to rise.
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FLASHBACK: Biden Called Texas Governor 'Irrational' For Allowing Guns in Places of Worship
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden criticized the Governor of Texas for signing a bill that allows law-abiding Texans to defend themselves with firearms in places of worship. On Sunday, an armed man stopped a gunman in Texas after the gunman opened fire during church services.
The shooting happened as parishioners took part in communion at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas. It's been reported that one person was pronounced dead at the scene, another died en route to the hospital and another remains in critical condition.
Service was being livestreamed at the moment the gunman opened fire with a shotgun and was quickly taken out by an armed citizen. The video is below.
More/Video
The shooting happened as parishioners took part in communion at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas. It's been reported that one person was pronounced dead at the scene, another died en route to the hospital and another remains in critical condition.
Service was being livestreamed at the moment the gunman opened fire with a shotgun and was quickly taken out by an armed citizen. The video is below.
More/Video
Pete Buttigieg wants to decriminalize possession of ALL drugs as he says the harsh criminal justice system has worsened what is a 'public health problem'
Pete Buttigieg has said he would decriminalize all drugs if he were to be elected president.
The Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, opened up during an interview in Iowa where he championed alternative programs as a way to tackle what he describes as a 'health problem' the criminal justice system has worsened.
While some Democratic 2020 candidates have expressed views that align in regards to marijuana possession, Buttigieg said that even those with class A drugs were not deserving of being locked up.
'I would not have said even five years ago what I believe now, which is that incarceration should not even be a response to drug possession,' Buttigieg told the Des Moines Register Monday.
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The Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, opened up during an interview in Iowa where he championed alternative programs as a way to tackle what he describes as a 'health problem' the criminal justice system has worsened.
While some Democratic 2020 candidates have expressed views that align in regards to marijuana possession, Buttigieg said that even those with class A drugs were not deserving of being locked up.
'I would not have said even five years ago what I believe now, which is that incarceration should not even be a response to drug possession,' Buttigieg told the Des Moines Register Monday.
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Rock Out with a Knock Out
Boxing returns to Salisbury’s Main St Gym on Sat Jan 18th in the event dubbed “Rock Out With a Knockout.”
Sponsored by Pohanka of Salisbury, this USA Boxing sanctioned event will start at 7pm with doors opening at 6pm. “Rock Out” feature some of the toughest fighters from up and down the east coast.
Six boxers from the Main St Gym will be featured through the night as well as others from neighboring states. All of them will be putting it on the line for bragging rights.
The Main St Gym fighters that will enter the square circle on Sat, Jan 18th are,
- Jack Giordano a 4th grader at Wicomico Day School,
- Carter Harris, a student at West Side Elementary,
- hard hitting Jordan Trotter a student at Wi Middle,
- eleven year veteran, Erick Acosta a freshman at Parkside High school and
- open class 152 lb Corey Moore of Salisbury.
- Brandon Carey of Princess Anne will be making his ring debut.
The night will be rocking with music by That DJ Guy and food by Jade Catering. Tables are still available at $400 for 8 persons and General admission Tickets are $25, $15 under 16yrs w/proof of age. For Tickets call 410-430-6687
Event: ”ROCKOUT with a KNOCKOUT",
Live Boxing Time /Date: Sat Jan 18th 7pm
Location: Main St Gym 310 Bowl Dr ( off Northwood Dr)
Food by: Dave Easton (Jade Catering)
Doors open 6pm Music, Food, Fun, and Fights all under one roof. Tickets and Tables Available call Coach Hal 410-430-6687
'My decisions will always be flexible': Ivanka Trump unwilling to commit to stay for second term
Ivanka Trump left open the question of whether she would remain in the White House if her father is reelected to a second term as president.
"I am driven, first and foremost, by my kids and their happiness," Trump, 38, said regarding her post-2020 plans during an interview on CBS's Face the Nation that will air Sunday. "So that's always going to be my top priority. And my decisions will always be flexible enough to ensure that their needs are being considered, first and foremost."
"So they will really drive that answer for me," she said. With her husband, Jared Kushner, Trump has three children: Arabella Rose, 8; Joseph Frederick, 6; and Theodore James, 3. Increasing the child tax credit has been an issue of key importance to her.
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"I am driven, first and foremost, by my kids and their happiness," Trump, 38, said regarding her post-2020 plans during an interview on CBS's Face the Nation that will air Sunday. "So that's always going to be my top priority. And my decisions will always be flexible enough to ensure that their needs are being considered, first and foremost."
"So they will really drive that answer for me," she said. With her husband, Jared Kushner, Trump has three children: Arabella Rose, 8; Joseph Frederick, 6; and Theodore James, 3. Increasing the child tax credit has been an issue of key importance to her.
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Lee Mendelson, producer of ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas,’ dies at 86
The producer, 86, passed away at his San Francisco Bay Area home on Christmas Day, his son Jason Mendelson told CNN.
He died of congestive heart failure after a long battle with cancer, his son said.
Mendelson, originally from San Francisco, was known for his work in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the first animated special featuring “Peanuts” characters. The producer wrote the lyrics to the special’s song “Christmas Time is Here.”
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AT&T forcing American workers to train their replacements
AT&T is forcing American workers to train their replacements, be it foreigners through an outsourcing partner or cheaper domestic workers, according to Axios.
As many as 3,000 finance jobs were being outsourced to Accenture by AT&T, which also has deals with IBM and Tech Mahindra, according to the report, noting all three are among the top 10 companies to request H-1B skilled worker visas in 2019.
"We are continuously working to be more efficient in our operations," AT&T's Jim Kimberly told Axios, adding AT&T is "helping employees find other positions within the company."
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As many as 3,000 finance jobs were being outsourced to Accenture by AT&T, which also has deals with IBM and Tech Mahindra, according to the report, noting all three are among the top 10 companies to request H-1B skilled worker visas in 2019.
"We are continuously working to be more efficient in our operations," AT&T's Jim Kimberly told Axios, adding AT&T is "helping employees find other positions within the company."
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