In a new Bloomberg-St. Anselm poll of New Hampshire, Donald Trump is running in fifth place in the 2016 Republican presidential field. The real estate developer and reality TV personality is behind only Rand Paul, Scott Walker, Jeb Bush, and Marco Rubio — and is ahead of Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Bobby Jindal, John Kasich, Rick Perry, and Rick Santorum.
In a WMUR Granite State New Hampshire poll taken a short time earlier, Trump again placed ahead of Huckabee, Carson, Perry, Santorum, Fiorina, Jindal, Kasich, and Graham.
In Iowa, Craig Robinson, a former state GOP official and founder of the Iowa Republican blog, recently published a piece headlined "It's hard to ignore Trump when he's doing all the right things." "Trump has spent more time in Iowa this year than Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, and Chris Christie combined," Robinson noted, "and he has more trips to Iowa already scheduled."
To some Iowa Republicans, Trump's hiring of the respected veteran GOP operative Chuck Laudner — last seen guiding Rick Santorum to a hard-won caucus victory in 2012 — is a sign Trump is serious about the possibility of running for president. Laudner has, in turn, hired three staff members — at this stage in Iowa, that's a fairly substantial campaign. Trump is running a smart operation, Robinson notes, and seeing encouraging early signs:
He addressed a crowd of over 500 at Simpson College in Indianola, and last week, he had a crowd of over 800 at Wartburg College in Waverly. In addition to college stops, Trump has been headlining fundraising events for Republican candidates and organizations. Trump has done events for the Polk County Republican Party, state Sen. Jack Whitver, Secretary of State Paul Pate, and the Scott County GOP. In each instance, Trump has helped each draw impressive crowds.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Governor Larry Hogan Signs 350 Bills Into Law
Bills Include Tax Relief, Public Safety and Charter School Improvement
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan was today joined by Senate President Mike Miller and Speaker of the House Michael Busch in his third bill signing ceremony. During a two part session, the governor signed 350 bills into law.
“I am proud to sign bills that demonstrate our administration’s commitment to Maryland businesses, including repealing the most detested of taxes in Maryland – the rain tax,” said Governor Hogan. “Additionally, we are taking action to address public safety issues in Baltimore City and around the state, including legislation that will work to ensure that every child in Maryland has access to a quality education.”
Among the bills signed today include:
SB 863, Rain Tax (also known as the Watershed Protection and Restoration Programs, Revision), which repeals the requirement that forces local jurisdictions to collect a stormwater remediation fee, and instead authorizes such jurisdictions to do so.
SB 595, Public Charter School Improvement Act of 2015, which would alter state law regarding the establishment and operation of public charter schools, and existing requirements for public charter schools. The bill provides greater flexibility in operations to eligible public charter schools that have existed for at least five years and meet certain conditions. The role of the Maryland State Board of Education as a chartering authority is eliminated and its authority in appeals is clarified.
SB 592: Income Tax – Subtraction Modification – Military Retirement Income – Individuals at Least 65 Years Old, which expands the existing military retirement income tax subtraction modification by increasing the maximum amount of retirement income that can be excluded from Maryland adjusted gross income for purposes of calculating Maryland income tax liability from $5,000 to $10,000.
HB 943: Economic Competitiveness and Commerce -- Restructuring, which would rename the Department of Business and Economic Development to the Department of Economic Competitiveness and Commerce and establish an Office of the Secretary of Commerce in the Office of the Governor.
SB 482 / HB 533: The Public Safety – Law Enforcement Officers – Body-Worn Digital Recording Device and Electronic Control Device, emergency bills that would make it lawful for a law enforcement officer to intercept an oral communication with a “body-worn digital recording device” or an “electronic control device.” These bills would also establish the Commission Regarding the Implementation and Use of Body Cameras by Law Enforcement Officers to study and make recommendations to the Police Training Commission and the General Assembly.
HB 954: Public Safety – Deaths Involving a Law Enforcement Officer – Reports, which would require law enforcement agencies to provide the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention with information about deaths of individuals in police custody, as well as deaths of officers occurring in the line of duty.
SB 133, Environment – Bay Restoration – Use of Funds, which adds to the authorized uses of the Bay Restoration Fund (BRF), beginning in FY 2016, funding for up to 87.5% of the cost of projects, as approved by the Maryland Department of the Environment.
Mayor's Authority To Declare Curfew Challenged
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In a filing Monday in Maryland District Court, the deputy city public defender says Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake overstepped her authority in ordering a citywide, 10 p.m. curfew for all residents April 27.
Natalie Finegar says only the governor could have ordered a curfew when he declared a state of emergency that day.
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MICHAEL SAVAGE NEWSLETTER: Obama is already drawing up plans to ban the criticism of Islam
Welcome to “The Michael Savage Newsletter,” your daily insider report on all things “Savage.”
In today’s issue: Dr. Savage notes that it isn’t just the left that is blaming Pamela Geller for the thwarted Muslim terror attack on her “Draw Muhammad” event in Garland, Texas.
He points out that two major hosts on “conservative” Fox News have also adopted the same cowardly line of argument.
“I’m in the free speech business, so it’s something I know a lot about,” Savage reminded his listeners.
As far as the Pamela Geller event in Texas, I see that Bill O’Reilly and Greta Van Sustern are bending over backwards to blame her for the attack.
They should be ashamed of themselves, but then again, they’ve always been fronts for the progressive Islamic establishment.
Prince Alwaleed of Saudi Arabia still owns 18 percent of Fox News, if I’m not mistaken.
Bill and Greta don’t attack the Islamic murderers.
They don’t attack the religion that put hatred in the minds of these throwbacks.
No, they attack Geller for provoking them.
Of course she provoked them, to show the world what they’re capable of if they aren’t constrained.
Today it’s cartoons of Muhammad, but what is it tomorrow?
I can guaranteed you that Barack Hussein Obama in the White House is already drawing up plans to ban the criticism of Islam.
Source
In today’s issue: Dr. Savage notes that it isn’t just the left that is blaming Pamela Geller for the thwarted Muslim terror attack on her “Draw Muhammad” event in Garland, Texas.
He points out that two major hosts on “conservative” Fox News have also adopted the same cowardly line of argument.
“I’m in the free speech business, so it’s something I know a lot about,” Savage reminded his listeners.
As far as the Pamela Geller event in Texas, I see that Bill O’Reilly and Greta Van Sustern are bending over backwards to blame her for the attack.
They should be ashamed of themselves, but then again, they’ve always been fronts for the progressive Islamic establishment.
Prince Alwaleed of Saudi Arabia still owns 18 percent of Fox News, if I’m not mistaken.
Bill and Greta don’t attack the Islamic murderers.
They don’t attack the religion that put hatred in the minds of these throwbacks.
No, they attack Geller for provoking them.
Of course she provoked them, to show the world what they’re capable of if they aren’t constrained.
Today it’s cartoons of Muhammad, but what is it tomorrow?
I can guaranteed you that Barack Hussein Obama in the White House is already drawing up plans to ban the criticism of Islam.
Source
Former Democratic Aide Avoids Jail Time for Rapes
Do Democrats Get a Pass for Scandals?
The Tea Party News Network (TPNN) reports that in 2014, Donny Ray Williams, a former Democrat congressional aide, pled guilty to raping two women - but will not be serving any jail time.
TPNN reports that Williams began his D.C. career in 1999, working with politicians such as Sen. Mary Landrieu and Sen. Herb Kohl. He worked as the general deputy assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental relations in the Department of Housing and Urban Development between April 2009 and October 2010, and served as a staff director for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee.
In 2010 Williams drugged his first victim, an intern, with Ambien before assaulting her. Later that same year he raped another woman who was too drunk to give consent. He pled guilty.
So why no jail sentence? In 2013 Williams himself was assaulted by a man who poured acid on his face and body. After the attack,
Williams' lawyer convinced Judge Robert Morin that his client's disfiguring and debilitating injuries were serious enough to warrant five years probation in lieu of prison time. Williams, who says he is now jobless and $1 million in debt, claimed that "he needed to focus on his health after the attack and not a trial," and promised that henceforth, "I will protect a woman’s right to her own body.”
TPNN asserts that this is an example of a "serious double standard" in which conservatives are held accountable for scandals and crimes but "Democrats, more often than not, get a free pass."
More
The Tea Party News Network (TPNN) reports that in 2014, Donny Ray Williams, a former Democrat congressional aide, pled guilty to raping two women - but will not be serving any jail time.
TPNN reports that Williams began his D.C. career in 1999, working with politicians such as Sen. Mary Landrieu and Sen. Herb Kohl. He worked as the general deputy assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental relations in the Department of Housing and Urban Development between April 2009 and October 2010, and served as a staff director for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee.
In 2010 Williams drugged his first victim, an intern, with Ambien before assaulting her. Later that same year he raped another woman who was too drunk to give consent. He pled guilty.
So why no jail sentence? In 2013 Williams himself was assaulted by a man who poured acid on his face and body. After the attack,
Williams' lawyer convinced Judge Robert Morin that his client's disfiguring and debilitating injuries were serious enough to warrant five years probation in lieu of prison time. Williams, who says he is now jobless and $1 million in debt, claimed that "he needed to focus on his health after the attack and not a trial," and promised that henceforth, "I will protect a woman’s right to her own body.”
TPNN asserts that this is an example of a "serious double standard" in which conservatives are held accountable for scandals and crimes but "Democrats, more often than not, get a free pass."
More
Almost Half Of US States Are Officially Broke
Last month, we documented the case of Louisiana State University, the large, well-known public institution whose 2014 enrollment totaled nearly 31,000 students. LSU, it turns out, is facing funding cuts of as much as 82% which, if realized, would likely force the school into financial exigency, the college equivalent of bankruptcy. The reason for the cuts: the sharp decline in oil prices and fiscal mismanagement have conspired to blow a $1.6 billion hole in the state’s budget.
Bloomberg has more:
With tax revenue from the oil industry falling short of projections, the deficit has swelled to $1.6 billion for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s say they may lower Louisiana’s credit rating if officials don’t come up with sustainable budget solutions.
Louisiana paid the price when it sold $335 million of general obligations Wednesday, its first deal this year. Borrowing costs jumped compared with an issue in November, with the yield spread more than doubling on some maturities.
“They have to make significant cuts across the board -- it’s almost a foregone conclusion they’ll be downgraded,” said Tom Metzold, co-director of municipal investments in Boston at Eaton Vance Management, which oversees $25 billion in local debt.
More
Bloomberg has more:
With tax revenue from the oil industry falling short of projections, the deficit has swelled to $1.6 billion for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s say they may lower Louisiana’s credit rating if officials don’t come up with sustainable budget solutions.
Louisiana paid the price when it sold $335 million of general obligations Wednesday, its first deal this year. Borrowing costs jumped compared with an issue in November, with the yield spread more than doubling on some maturities.
“They have to make significant cuts across the board -- it’s almost a foregone conclusion they’ll be downgraded,” said Tom Metzold, co-director of municipal investments in Boston at Eaton Vance Management, which oversees $25 billion in local debt.
More
Sheriff: Deputies Shoot, Kill Man Who Rammed Vehicle
Deputies pursued a truck driven by a suspect in a domestic violence case to Nalley Road in Landover, where the truck rammed a deputy’s vehicle, the sheriff’s office said in a statement. That’s when two deputies fired at the man, striking him, the sheriff’s office said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
Sharon Taylor, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, said deputies had responded to a 911 call indicating that the man had a knife, but she did not know whether he was armed during his encounter with the deputies. The victim in the domestic-violence incident pointed out the man’s truck to deputies on the scene, and the deputies pursued him before the fatal confrontation, Taylor said.
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Ex-CIA Officer Get 3½ Years for NY Times Leak
Former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling was sentenced Monday to 3½ years in prison for leaking classified information to a New York Times journalist.
Sterling was convicted in January of revealing details of a botched U.S. attempt during president Bill Clinton's administration to thwart Iran's nuclear program.
"The court has to impose a very clear message," U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said at Sterling's sentencing in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Virginia.
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Sterling was convicted in January of revealing details of a botched U.S. attempt during president Bill Clinton's administration to thwart Iran's nuclear program.
"The court has to impose a very clear message," U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said at Sterling's sentencing in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Virginia.
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From Facebook Page of Carl Anderton Jr.
Governor Larry Hogan signing HB1039, which allows brewpubs to double production in Wicomico County. The new law protects...
Posted by Carl Anderton Jr. on Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Governor Larry Hogan Signs Rain Tax Repeal And Military Retiree Tax Relief Legislation
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today signed two bills that will bring tax relief to hardworking Marylanders - the rain tax repeal and military retire income tax exemption legislation. The bills were signed into law during the first half of today’s bill signing ceremony, held this morning between 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM.
“Charging Marylanders for the rain that falls on the roof of their homes made the rain tax the most universally detested tax throughout the state and I am pleased to finally declare an end to it,” said Governor Hogan. “We are also making sure our veterans will be taxed less. Signing this bill is not only the right thing to do for our men and women in uniform, but it will also encourage more people to live and retire in our state. It’s a small token of the respect and appreciation we have for their service and sacrifice.”
The bills are as follows:
SB 863, Rain Tax Mandate Repeal (Watershed Protection and Restoration Programs, Revision), which repeals the requirement that forces local jurisdictions to collect a stormwater remediation fee, and instead authorizes such jurisdictions to do so.
SB 592: Income Tax – Subtraction Modification – Military Retirement Income – Individuals at Least 65 Years Old, which expands the existing military retirement income tax subtraction modification by increasing the maximum amount of retirement income that can be excluded from Maryland adjusted gross income for purposes of calculating Maryland income tax liability from $5,000 to $10,000.
“Charging Marylanders for the rain that falls on the roof of their homes made the rain tax the most universally detested tax throughout the state and I am pleased to finally declare an end to it,” said Governor Hogan. “We are also making sure our veterans will be taxed less. Signing this bill is not only the right thing to do for our men and women in uniform, but it will also encourage more people to live and retire in our state. It’s a small token of the respect and appreciation we have for their service and sacrifice.”
The bills are as follows:
SB 863, Rain Tax Mandate Repeal (Watershed Protection and Restoration Programs, Revision), which repeals the requirement that forces local jurisdictions to collect a stormwater remediation fee, and instead authorizes such jurisdictions to do so.
SB 592: Income Tax – Subtraction Modification – Military Retirement Income – Individuals at Least 65 Years Old, which expands the existing military retirement income tax subtraction modification by increasing the maximum amount of retirement income that can be excluded from Maryland adjusted gross income for purposes of calculating Maryland income tax liability from $5,000 to $10,000.
STATE FIRE MARSHAL LAUDS EFFORTS OF INVESTIGATIVE AGENCIES RESPONDING TO ASSIST BALTIMORE CITY
As a direct result of these timely investigations into the origin and cause of these fires throughout the city, multiple leads have been developed for persons of interest who may have intentionally set fires to various vehicles and structures.
“The Office of the State Fire Marshal will remain committed in its support of fire and/or explosive investigations along with the Baltimore City Fire Department and the Baltimore City Police Department,” stated Geraci. “The professionalism of fire investigators throughout the State of Maryland that were directly involved with these investigations was a true testament of our core values”.
Confession: Liberal Columnist Says Left Lies, Intimidates to Silence Right
Kirsten Powers, a USA Today and Daily Beast columnist and designated "liberal" on Fox, confessed in her new book that the left aggressively tries to "silence people" who don't fall into the liberal line.
In The Silencing: How the Left is Killing Free Speech, she calls out the lefty tactics, especially how they belittle conservative women and African-Americans. She said the goal is to silence the right and its outlets.
"Conservative women are treated as dimwitted, self loathing puppets of the patriarchy, or nefarious gender traitors," she writes in the book from Regnery Publishing provided to Secrets.
Ditto for blacks. "Raffi Williams, a young black conservative who works as the deputy press secretary for the Republican National Committee, told me he regularly gets Facebook comments or tweets from supposed liberals calling him an 'Uncle Tom,' 'house n-word,' race traitor, and sellout," she added.
Powers is sure to get slapped herself as a sellout for hitting what she views as hypocrisy by liberals, as former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson did before her.
"Two experiences unexpectedly put me in a regular relationship with conservatives: working as a contributor at Fox News and a later in life conversion to Christianity. The more I got to know actual conservative and religious people, the harder it was to justify the stereotypes I had so carelessly embraced."
More here
In The Silencing: How the Left is Killing Free Speech, she calls out the lefty tactics, especially how they belittle conservative women and African-Americans. She said the goal is to silence the right and its outlets.
"Conservative women are treated as dimwitted, self loathing puppets of the patriarchy, or nefarious gender traitors," she writes in the book from Regnery Publishing provided to Secrets.
Ditto for blacks. "Raffi Williams, a young black conservative who works as the deputy press secretary for the Republican National Committee, told me he regularly gets Facebook comments or tweets from supposed liberals calling him an 'Uncle Tom,' 'house n-word,' race traitor, and sellout," she added.
Powers is sure to get slapped herself as a sellout for hitting what she views as hypocrisy by liberals, as former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson did before her.
"Two experiences unexpectedly put me in a regular relationship with conservatives: working as a contributor at Fox News and a later in life conversion to Christianity. The more I got to know actual conservative and religious people, the harder it was to justify the stereotypes I had so carelessly embraced."
More here
Spinning Wheels: May 15
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Paul, Walker Tied Atop 2016 Republican Field in New Hampshire
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker are tied atop a crowded 2016 GOP primary field in the early state of New Hampshire, with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush slipping into a tie for third with Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who picked up some support since a separate poll was released in February.
Mr. Paul and Mr. Walker were the first choice of 12 percent of GOP primary voters, followed by Mr. Bush and Mr. Rubio at 11 percent apiece and businessman Donald Trump at 8 percent, according to the Bloomberg Politics/Saint Anselm poll.
Next were New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 7 percent, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas at 6 percent, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 5 percent, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 4 percent and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina at 3 percent.
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Mr. Paul and Mr. Walker were the first choice of 12 percent of GOP primary voters, followed by Mr. Bush and Mr. Rubio at 11 percent apiece and businessman Donald Trump at 8 percent, according to the Bloomberg Politics/Saint Anselm poll.
Next were New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 7 percent, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas at 6 percent, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 5 percent, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 4 percent and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina at 3 percent.
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The Ravens have received $885,000 in Defense Department ad spending since 2011
The Baltimore Ravens are among 14 NFL teams that have received a combined total of $5.4 million from the U.S. Department of Defense since 2011, the Bergen Record first reported. New Jersey Advance Media expanded on the report, publishing a database that shows the Ravens received $884,500 for what amounts to ad spending for the National Guard.
When asked about the nature of the contracts with the Defense Department, Kevin Byrne, a team spokesman, wrote in an email that the Ravens "don't share that type of information [regarding] sponsorship or suite holder contracts."
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Noonan: How the Clintons Get Away With It
I have read the Peter Schweizer book “Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich.” It is something. Because it is heavily researched and reported and soberly analyzed, it is a highly effective takedown. Because its tone is modest — Mr. Schweitzer doesn’t pretend to more than he has, or take wild interpretive leaps — it is believable.
By the end I was certain of two things. A formal investigation, from Congress or the Justice Department, is needed to determine if Hillary Clinton’s State Department functioned, at least to some degree and in some cases, as pay-for-play operation and whether the Clinton Foundation has functioned, at least in part, as a kind of high-class philanthropic slush fund.
I wonder if any aspirant for the presidency except Hillary Clinton could survive such a book. I suspect she can because the Clintons are unique in the annals of American politics: They are protected from charges of corruption by their reputation for corruption. It’s not news anymore. They’re like … Bonnie and Clyde go on a spree, hold up a bunch of banks, it causes a sensation, there’s a trial, and they’re acquitted. They walk out of the courthouse, get in a car, rob a bank, get hauled in, complain they’re being picked on — “Why are you always following us?” — and again, not guilty. They rob the next bank and no one cares. “That’s just Bonnie and Clyde doing what Bonnie and Clyde do. No one else cares, why should I?”
More here
By the end I was certain of two things. A formal investigation, from Congress or the Justice Department, is needed to determine if Hillary Clinton’s State Department functioned, at least to some degree and in some cases, as pay-for-play operation and whether the Clinton Foundation has functioned, at least in part, as a kind of high-class philanthropic slush fund.
I wonder if any aspirant for the presidency except Hillary Clinton could survive such a book. I suspect she can because the Clintons are unique in the annals of American politics: They are protected from charges of corruption by their reputation for corruption. It’s not news anymore. They’re like … Bonnie and Clyde go on a spree, hold up a bunch of banks, it causes a sensation, there’s a trial, and they’re acquitted. They walk out of the courthouse, get in a car, rob a bank, get hauled in, complain they’re being picked on — “Why are you always following us?” — and again, not guilty. They rob the next bank and no one cares. “That’s just Bonnie and Clyde doing what Bonnie and Clyde do. No one else cares, why should I?”
More here
Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable 5/19
The next Mayor’s Neighborhood Roundtable will be held on Tuesday, May 19th at 6pm in Room 306 at 125 N. Divisions Street.
Join Mayor Ireton, Assistant City Administrator Julia Glanz and Director of Neighborhood Services & Code Compliance, Susan Phillips, for a presentation of the proposed plan to take back City neighborhoods from blight. The City currently has 167 foreclosed properties, 63 condemned and 187 vacant properties. Attend the meeting and find out what the City has in store for these properties, to get them back on the tax roll.
Join Mayor Ireton, Assistant City Administrator Julia Glanz and Director of Neighborhood Services & Code Compliance, Susan Phillips, for a presentation of the proposed plan to take back City neighborhoods from blight. The City currently has 167 foreclosed properties, 63 condemned and 187 vacant properties. Attend the meeting and find out what the City has in store for these properties, to get them back on the tax roll.
Publishers Notes: You can thank your LIBERAL leaders for ALL of the above properties.
America's Vanishing Worker: The Truth Behind The "Recovery" Propaganda
The biggest paradox of the so-called US recovery is that in the same report in which the US Department of Labor reported that the US unemployment has dropped to a depression-low 5.4%, a level suggesting near zero "slack" in the labor force, the BLS also indicated that the number of people not in the labor force rose to a fresh all time high of 93.2 million, keeping the participation rate at a level first seen in 1978.
How does one make sense of this glaring contradiction and paradoxical data, which one one hand suggest the recovery is fully in place, while on the other screams depression?
For the answer we go to the WSJ's report on the curious case of America's vanishing worker.
To be sure, this "curious case" covers nothing new for regular Zero Hedge readers, but may explain to casual observers how it is possible that America's labor metrics have devolved to such a Schrodingerian state in which the US labor market is both alive and dead, depending on whose propaganda one observes.
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How does one make sense of this glaring contradiction and paradoxical data, which one one hand suggest the recovery is fully in place, while on the other screams depression?
For the answer we go to the WSJ's report on the curious case of America's vanishing worker.
To be sure, this "curious case" covers nothing new for regular Zero Hedge readers, but may explain to casual observers how it is possible that America's labor metrics have devolved to such a Schrodingerian state in which the US labor market is both alive and dead, depending on whose propaganda one observes.
More
New Route 113 Crosswalk Celebrated With Hope It Will ‘Save A Life’
The crosswalk, long advocated for by area residents, is near the place where Berlin teenager Tymeir Dennis died after being struck by a vehicle while trying to cross the highway. His father, Quintin Dennis, said he was pleased to see the much-needed crosswalk in place.
“Maybe it’ll save a life and someone else won’t have to go through the same thing my family went through,” he said.
Citizens rallied together to make the crosswalk a reality after Tymeir Dennis’ death in November 2013. They formed the Berlin Pedestrian Safety Committee and began working with officials from Maryland’s State Highway Administration to make the area more pedestrian friendly. There is a now a countdown crosswalk —which provides pedestrians with audible and visible notification of how much time they have to cross — and the speed limit on Route 113 through Berlin has been lowered to 45 mph.
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THREE DEAD IN WORCESTER COUNTY CRASH UPDATE
(GIRDLETREE, MD) -- Maryland State Police are continuing their investigation into a single vehicle crash that killed three people from Virginia last night in southern Worcester County.
The deceased are identified as Nicole G. Earnest, 26, Amanda H. Phillips, 21, and Sean E. Mobley, 45, all of Chincoteague, Virginia. All three were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
At about 8:30 p.m. yesterday, Maryland State Police at the Berlin Barrack were called to respond to the scene of a single vehicle crash on Rt. 12, south of Onley Road. Fire and rescue personnel also responded to the scene and conducted rescue efforts. The Maryland State Police Crash Team was dispatched to the scene to conduct the investigation.
The preliminary investigation indicates the 1998 Acura TL, owned and driven by Nicole Earnest, had been traveling north on Rt. 12. Amanda Phillips was in the front seat and Sean Mobley was riding in the back. Evidence indicates the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve in the road. The vehicle left the roadway and traveled through grass and mud before striking three trees. One of the trees was uprooted and cut in half, with part of the tree landing on top of the car.
The road was closed and a detour set up by State Highway Administration and fire department personnel. State Police investigators will be returning to the scene today to conduct additional examinations.
Family notifications occurred overnight. Notification assistance was provided by the Delaware State Police and the Chincoteague Police Department.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Maryland State Police Crash Team investigators will be conducting a detailed crash reconstruction.
The deceased are identified as Nicole G. Earnest, 26, Amanda H. Phillips, 21, and Sean E. Mobley, 45, all of Chincoteague, Virginia. All three were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
At about 8:30 p.m. yesterday, Maryland State Police at the Berlin Barrack were called to respond to the scene of a single vehicle crash on Rt. 12, south of Onley Road. Fire and rescue personnel also responded to the scene and conducted rescue efforts. The Maryland State Police Crash Team was dispatched to the scene to conduct the investigation.
The preliminary investigation indicates the 1998 Acura TL, owned and driven by Nicole Earnest, had been traveling north on Rt. 12. Amanda Phillips was in the front seat and Sean Mobley was riding in the back. Evidence indicates the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve in the road. The vehicle left the roadway and traveled through grass and mud before striking three trees. One of the trees was uprooted and cut in half, with part of the tree landing on top of the car.
The road was closed and a detour set up by State Highway Administration and fire department personnel. State Police investigators will be returning to the scene today to conduct additional examinations.
Family notifications occurred overnight. Notification assistance was provided by the Delaware State Police and the Chincoteague Police Department.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Maryland State Police Crash Team investigators will be conducting a detailed crash reconstruction.
US Says Insurers Must Cover FDA-Approved Birth Control
The U.S. government said health insurers must cover all FDA-approved methods of birth control without co-pays or charges to the patient, as it issued a paper on Monday looking to clarify coverage guidelines under the Affordable Care Act.
Recent published reports found that some payers were ignoring federal requirements for covering birth control, a benefit under the Obamacare healthcare reform.
On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a series of responses aimed at correcting misperceptions or potential coverage loopholes being exploited by some insurers.
It said a plan that covers some types of contraception, such as intrauterine devices, or IUDs, but excludes other forms of birth control would not be in compliance with federal regulations.
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Recent published reports found that some payers were ignoring federal requirements for covering birth control, a benefit under the Obamacare healthcare reform.
On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a series of responses aimed at correcting misperceptions or potential coverage loopholes being exploited by some insurers.
It said a plan that covers some types of contraception, such as intrauterine devices, or IUDs, but excludes other forms of birth control would not be in compliance with federal regulations.
More
More Evidence US Job Creation has lost Sizzle
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The pace of hiring in the U.S. has lost momentum despite the rebound in job creation in April, according to a pair of surveys, including one that’s watched closed by the chairwoman of the Federal Reserve.
The Federal Reserve’s index of labor market conditions fell to -1.9 in April from -1.8 in March, the first time the gauge has been negative for two months in a row since the middle of 2012.
The index, developed under the watch of Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen, tracks 19 indicators and is used by the central bank to assess the health of the U.S. labor market in determining when to raise interest rates.
A separate assessment of the labor market compiled by the privately run Conference Board has also softened.
The board’s employment trends index rose slightly in April after falling in March, but it’s no longer increasing as fast as it did in 2014. The employment index is composed of eight labor-market indicators and has some overlap with the Fed’s version.
“April’s bounceback in the employment trends index is somewhat reassuring, but expectations remain that job growth will be slower this year compared with last year,” said Gad Levanon, managing director of macroeconomic research at the board. The economy added an average of 260,000 jobs a month in 2014.
What’s going on here? Some of the weakness is a residue of poor employment gains in March, when the U.S. economy added just 85,000 jobs. That was the smallest increase in almost three years, a disappointing result that economists partly blame on harsh weather early in the month.
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The Federal Reserve’s index of labor market conditions fell to -1.9 in April from -1.8 in March, the first time the gauge has been negative for two months in a row since the middle of 2012.
The index, developed under the watch of Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen, tracks 19 indicators and is used by the central bank to assess the health of the U.S. labor market in determining when to raise interest rates.
A separate assessment of the labor market compiled by the privately run Conference Board has also softened.
The board’s employment trends index rose slightly in April after falling in March, but it’s no longer increasing as fast as it did in 2014. The employment index is composed of eight labor-market indicators and has some overlap with the Fed’s version.
“April’s bounceback in the employment trends index is somewhat reassuring, but expectations remain that job growth will be slower this year compared with last year,” said Gad Levanon, managing director of macroeconomic research at the board. The economy added an average of 260,000 jobs a month in 2014.
What’s going on here? Some of the weakness is a residue of poor employment gains in March, when the U.S. economy added just 85,000 jobs. That was the smallest increase in almost three years, a disappointing result that economists partly blame on harsh weather early in the month.
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Maryland Teen To Become State’s Youngest-ever Mayor
“I started going up to the town meetings, expressing my concerns, and it kind of grew into a love for government,” he said. He says he became a familiar face at City Hall from that point on, and local lawmakers would joke with him about running for office when he turned 18.
Those tongue-in-cheek comments wouldn’t be far off. Now 19, Paulin made the decision to run for mayor of his town, and when the votes were counted on May 5, he had won by a landslide.
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Records show thousands of Baltimore arrestees too injured to enter jail, report says
Thousands of people arrested by Baltimore police over the past three years have been turned away from the city's jail because their injuries are too severe, according to a new report.
The Baltimore Sun, citing records dating back to June 2012, reported Sunday that corrections officers refused to admit over 2,600 detainees to the state-run Baltimore City Detention Center. The records showed that 123 of the detainees who weren't admitted to jail had visible head injuries, the third-most common ailment cited by jail officials. Others had broken bones, facial trauma and high blood pressure.
The records do not indicate how the people were injured or whether they suffered their injuries while in custody. However, they do suggest that police officers either ignored or did not notice the injuries. Suspects are constitutionally guaranteed health care before they are booked into jail.
Police did not comment to The Sun, and department spokespeople did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press on Sunday.
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The Baltimore Sun, citing records dating back to June 2012, reported Sunday that corrections officers refused to admit over 2,600 detainees to the state-run Baltimore City Detention Center. The records showed that 123 of the detainees who weren't admitted to jail had visible head injuries, the third-most common ailment cited by jail officials. Others had broken bones, facial trauma and high blood pressure.
The records do not indicate how the people were injured or whether they suffered their injuries while in custody. However, they do suggest that police officers either ignored or did not notice the injuries. Suspects are constitutionally guaranteed health care before they are booked into jail.
Police did not comment to The Sun, and department spokespeople did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press on Sunday.
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Md. Politician Sexually Abused As Child Wants To Change The Law
Sexually abused by his adopted father, he tells Mary Bubala why the law must be changed to give victims the gift of time.
Charles County Delegate C.T. Wilson is a man with a painful past. He was sexually abused as a child by his adopted father.
“I can’t sit here and describe for you the pain of being beaten, sodomized and molested for years,” said Wilson.
He courageously testifies in Annapolis before the very lawmakers he works alongside every day in an effort to help victims of child sex abuse fight back, giving them more time to come forward and sue their abusers.
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Google’s Self-Driving Cars Involved In Minor Accidents
Google, one of a handful of companies with permits to test self-driving vehicles in California, has 23 such cars roaming the streets there. But in just the few months since obtaining those permits, three of those Google vehicles have been involved in traffic accidents.
This is according to the AP, which looked at California DMV records and found that a total of four self-driving cars have been in collisions since permitting began last fall. The fourth vehicle belonged to Delphi Automotive and was apparently not in driverless mode at the time.
The DMV does not indicate the nature of the Google incidents, but the company tells the AP that all three collisions were the fault of another driver. It’s believed that two accidents occurred while the cars were in self-driving mode, and all were minor collisions at low speeds.
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The DMV does not indicate the nature of the Google incidents, but the company tells the AP that all three collisions were the fault of another driver. It’s believed that two accidents occurred while the cars were in self-driving mode, and all were minor collisions at low speeds.
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Governor Hogan To Sign Public Safety, Law Enforcement, Community Relations, And Employment Opportunity Bills
Governor Hogan To Sign Public Safety, Law Enforcement, Community Relations, And Employment Opportunity Bills
Bills To Become Law At Next Signing Ceremony
Bills To Become Law At Next Signing Ceremony
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today announced that he will sign into law 12 bills related to public safety, law enforcement policy, community relations, and job growth. He will sign the bills into law during the next bill signing ceremony, to be held tomorrow, May 12, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Some of the bills, listed below, were previously scheduled to be signed on April 28.
“These bills directly address public safety and community relations issues, including the day-to-day operations of our law enforcement officials,” said Governor Hogan. “We are also taking action to deliver smart options to reduce recidivism and help ex-offenders transition back into society and be productive members of their community.”
The bills include:
SB 321: The Baltimore City and Baltimore County – Police Behavioral Health Units – Pilot Program, which would require the Baltimore City Police Department and the Baltimore County Police to each establish a behavioral unit of at least six officers who are specially trained to understand the needs of individuals with mental health or substance abuse disorders.
SB 482 / HB 533: The Public Safety – Law Enforcement Officers – Body-Worn Digital Recording Device and Electronic Control Device, emergency bills that would make it lawful for a law enforcement officer to intercept an oral communication with a “body-worn digital recording device” or an “electronic control device.” These bills would also establish the Commission Regarding the Implementation and Use of Body Cameras by Law Enforcement Officers to study and make recommendations to the Police Training Commission and the General Assembly.
SB 882: Baltimore City Civilian Review Board, which would alter the definition of “law enforcement unit” as it relates to the Baltimore City Civilian Review Board so as to increase the number of law enforcement units that are subject to review by the Board.
HB 954: Public Safety – Deaths Involving a Law Enforcement Officer – Reports, which would require law enforcement agencies to provide the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention with information about deaths of individuals in police custody, as well as deaths of officers occurring in the line of duty.
SB 413: Vehicle Laws – Race-Based Traffic Stops – Policy and Reporting Requirements, which would require law enforcement officers to record demographic information, including race, pertaining to traffic stops.
HB 771: Baltimore Police Department – Reporting on Community Policing, which would require that a report be submitted annually to the Baltimore City legislative delegation, Baltimore City Mayor, and City Council with information on the diversity of the police force, as well as encounters with officers, including those resulting in civilian injuries, and number of officers suspended.
HB 244: Maryland Second Chance Act of 2015, which would authorize individuals who have a non-violent, misdemeanor criminal record to petition the court to shield court records and police records after a period of three years under certain circumstances and conditions.
HB 304: Criminal Procedure – Expungement of Records, whereby arrests and charges that did not result in a conviction may remain eligible for expungement, regardless of subsequent convictions.
SB 582: Pilot Program for Small Business Development by Ex-Offenders, which would establish a pilot program to encourage individuals exiting the correctional system to establish small businesses.
HB 113: Increasing Limits on Local Government Tort Claims Act, which increases the liability limits for a civil claim against a local government to $400,000. This cap was last raised 28 years ago in 1987.
HB 114: Increasing Limits on State Government Tort Claims Act, which increases the liability limits for a civil claim against state government to $800,000. This cap was last raised 16 years ago in 1999.
New York Launches Task Force To Combat Nail Salon Labor Abuses
In the wake of news reports and an undercover state Dept. of Labor investigation into allegedly horrid labor practices — from employees who don’t get paid until the boss deems they are ready to illnesses believed to be caused by chemicals in the products they use — at nail salons in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says his administration is taking immediate action to protect employees’ health and wages.
Cuomo says he is launching an multi-agency enforcement task force that will “work together to implement new health and safety regulations for nail salon employees and engage in new enforcement actions to recover unpaid wages, issue fines and penalties for violations of all relevant laws and regulations, assess damages and evaluate whether to revoke the license of violators.”
The task force will work to secure back wages for those employees whose pay was illegally withheld by their employers. According to reports, many salon workers were paid well below minimum wage. While it’s legal to pay a tipped employee (such as a restaurant server) below the minimum, that employees total, tip-included compensation must still add up to at least the minimum hourly rate. In some cases, salon employees were also being paid on a purely commission basis, meaning they could make no money if no clients came in.
According to Cuomo, new regulations will requiring every nail salon to secure either a bond or expanded insurance policy to cover claims for unpaid wages as part of its licensure. And if a salon fails fails to comply with an order to pay assessed back wages, it must then take out an additional bond to cover those wages and two years’ worth of future wages.
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Cuomo says he is launching an multi-agency enforcement task force that will “work together to implement new health and safety regulations for nail salon employees and engage in new enforcement actions to recover unpaid wages, issue fines and penalties for violations of all relevant laws and regulations, assess damages and evaluate whether to revoke the license of violators.”
The task force will work to secure back wages for those employees whose pay was illegally withheld by their employers. According to reports, many salon workers were paid well below minimum wage. While it’s legal to pay a tipped employee (such as a restaurant server) below the minimum, that employees total, tip-included compensation must still add up to at least the minimum hourly rate. In some cases, salon employees were also being paid on a purely commission basis, meaning they could make no money if no clients came in.
According to Cuomo, new regulations will requiring every nail salon to secure either a bond or expanded insurance policy to cover claims for unpaid wages as part of its licensure. And if a salon fails fails to comply with an order to pay assessed back wages, it must then take out an additional bond to cover those wages and two years’ worth of future wages.
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Brady, Patriots respond to "Deflategate" penalties
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The league punished the Super Bowl MVP five days after an investigation by Ted Wells determined Brady "was at least generally aware" that two Patriots employees planned to alter the footballs after they were inspected by game officials in the so-called "Deflategate" scandal.
The NFL also fined the Patriots $1 million and forced the team to give up two draft picks, including next year's first-round selection.
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The Defense Department has paid National Football League teams $5.4 million over the past four years
The Defense Department has paid National Football League teams $5.4 million over the past four years for tributes to service members during games. WCVB in Boston reports, more than $1 million went to the Atlanta Falcons alone. The Baltimore Ravens received $884,000. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) called the payments federally-funded feel-good moments. The payments typically cover events such as those staged by the New York Jets. One or two soldiers are shown on the stadium big screen with their names announced, and the audience is asked to thank them. They and several friends receive premium seats to the game. National Journal first published the list of 14 teams receiving payments.
The Postal Service lost $1.5 billion in the first three months of this year
The agency said it delivered 420 million fewer pieces of mail than in the first quarter of 2014. First-class mail fell 2.1 percent, and standard fell 1.1 percent. But the Postal Service does report delivering 14 percent more packages and that means a slight increase in operating revenue. Joseph Corbett, the agency's chief financial officer, said the Postal Service needs to invest in infrastructure and delivery vehicles, and that will improve margins for package deliveries.
Attorney General, Loretta Lynch and the Baltimore Police Department
In her first visible act as Attorney General, Loretta Lynch said the Justice Department will plunge into what Lynch sees as problems with the Baltimore Police Department. It won't be a new activity for the department. Under Lynch's predecessor, Eric Holder, Justice investigated some 20 police departments. Officials look for unfair policing practices and create court-enforceable agreements between Justice and the police organization. The Baltimore move follows several weeks of tension punctuated by riots following the death of a suspect in custody. Justice's help was requested by Baltimore's mayor.
Little Johnny
A teacher asked her 6th grade class how many of them were Hillary Clinton fans.
Not really knowing what a Hillary Clinton fan is, but wanting to be liked by the teacher, all the kids raised their hands except for Little Johnny…
The teacher asked Little Johnny why he has decided to be different… again.
Little Johnny said, “Because I’m not a Hillary Clinton fan.”
The teacher asked, “Why aren’t you a fan of Hillary Clinton?”
Johnny said, “Because I’m a Republican.”
The teacher asked him why he’s a Republican.
Little Johnny answered, “Well, my Mom’s a Republican and my Dad’s a Republican, so I’m a Republican.”
Annoyed by this answer, the teacher asked, “If your mom was a moron and your dad was an idiot, what would that make you?”
Little Johnny replied, “That would make me a Hillary Clintonfan.”
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