Statewide Smoke Alarm Law Reminder

New Smoke Alarm Law Reminder

        A new state law aimed at reducing home fire deaths went into effect on July 1, 2013.  It requires replacement of any battery-only operated smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old with a unit powered by a 10-year sealed-in battery having a “Hush” button feature – ultimately affecting more than 800,000 Maryland homes with battery- only operated smoke alarms.  The effective date for this requirement to be completed by is January 1, 2018. 

        Why is a sealed-in battery important?  Nationally, two-thirds of all home fire deaths occur in homes with either no smoke alarm or no working smoke alarm, mainly due to missing or disconnected batteries.  By sealing the battery inside the alarm, the unit becomes tamper resistant and removes the burden from consumers to remember to change batteries, which in turn, will save lives.  These sealed-in, long-life battery smoke alarms provide continuous protection for a decade, and national fire experts with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) recommend their use.

        The new Maryland Smoke Alarm Law, Public Safety Article Sections 9-101 through 9-109 requires the replacement of smoke alarms when they are ten years old; (ten years from the date of manufacture).   This replacement requirement is already in the adopted State Fire Code, reference to the 2013 edition of NFPA 72, Paragraph 14.4.7.  It is envisioned that adding the wording in State Law and publicizing the requirement will hopefully result in the widespread replacement of older nonfunctioning or unreliable smoke alarms.   The date of manufacture, while sometimes hard to locate, should be printed on the back of the smoke alarm.   If no manufacture date can be located, it is clearly time to replace the smoke alarm. 

        The new law heavily emphasizes the use of sealed-battery smoke alarms with a long life battery and a silence/hush button feature.  However, it is critical to understand these devices are appropriate only where battery-only operated smoke alarms presently exist or in locations where no smoke alarms are present.  (It is never acceptable to remove required wired in smoke alarms and replace them with any type of battery-only operated device).  A 110 volt electrically powered smoke alarm may only be replaced with a new 110 volt unit with a battery backup.

        Smoke alarms need to be placed on every level of the home and outside the sleeping areas, such as, the hallway accessing the bedrooms.  It is also recommended to place them inside each bedroom to allow sound sleepers to be alerted if smoke begins to enter the room.  Please remember to keep bedroom doors closed when sleeping to help ensure smoke, toxic gases and flames can't easily enter the bedroom allowing you more time to escape.

        State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci emphasizes the value of smoke alarms, “The importance of ensuring the proper maintenance and use of smoke alarms is paramount.  The materials used in products we keep in our homes tend to burn much more readily, thus giving us a very limited window of time to escape the effects of fire.  These early warning devices can be the difference between life or death in an incident of an uncontrolled fire inside our homes”.

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UPDATE: New trial DENIED in Rollins' indecent exposure case

From Wednesday

Rollins' defense lawyer alleges jury misconduct, judge errors

Delaware Preps Roads For Yet Another Possible Storm

"Just saw Deldot spreading liquid salt on road next to my shop".

In Md. shooting spree case, suspect’s words may not be admissible

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Prosecutors will likely concede police violated the Miranda rights of the man charged with fatally shooting two people in Montgomery County last May — the day after he allegedly shot and killed his wife.

Eulalio Tordil is charged, but still unindicted In Prince George’s County, in the killing of his wife, Gladys, who had filed several protective orders against her husband.

In a status hearing Thursday in Circuit Court, State’s Attorney John McCarthy told Judge Sharon Burrell his office is leaning toward acknowledging Tordil’s questioning was improper.

“We likely will concede a Miranda violation for voluntariness,” said McCarthy.

After the hearing, McCarthy would not discuss specifics of Tordil’s questioning.

“I think everybody knows this from watching TV, it’s improper to continue to talk to someone, after they’ve made a request for a lawyer,” McCarthy told reporters.

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One-on-one with Governor Hogan, as he enters his third legislative session

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) -- Governor Larry Hogan has only been in office two years but he's entering his third legislative session.

That time brings with it more experience and the reality of dealing with more challenges.

FOX45 talked with the governor on Wednesday about his priorities, the legislature's priorities and bridging any divides that exist.

The governor says he's focused on education, the environment, transportation and jobs.

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Rand Paul: Trump Intel Leakers 'Should Go To Jail'

“What I would say is that if there is private information that someone is blackmailing a public figure and the public figure or someone takes it to the intelligence agencies, you would think it would be private. And really, this is so important that I think whoever leaked it should be prosecuted.” Paul told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto.

“Someone should go to jail. If this was an intelligence agency head talked to the media, they should go to jail. If it was the Obama administration, they should go to jail.” Paul urged.

“The reason is you don’t want your public figures succumbing to blackmail.” Paul continued.

“Now he’s saying the information is false and I have to rely on his word on that. But let’s say any public official is being blackmailed. What are you supposed to do? You’re supposed to go to the FBI and give them the information.” The Senator further noted.

“But if you can’t trust the FBI to keep it secret and the FBI is going to tell the press what someone is blackmailing you about, what will happen is it will lead to where more public figures will be likely to be extorted or to be blackmailed.” Paul lamented.

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Rand Paul on Donald Trump Being Blackmailed, Obamacare and Rex Tillerson

The top 15 American cities for young college grads

As the semester resumes for college seniors around the US, the next important decision many will make is where they should move after graduation.

A ranking of the best major metropolitan areas from the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) may help students having trouble making the call.

AIER calculated its list using nine economic, demographic, and quality-of-life factors. AIER defines major metropolitan cities as having over 2.5 million residents.

The report states that the most important factor in determining where recent graduates should relocate is the prevalence of other young recent grads.

"The location you choose to go to college determines where you will likely spend the next four years of your life, and possibly where you will start your career," Amanda Knarr, program coordinator at AIER, said in a press release. "Our ranking reflects the characteristics that make cities attractive to the average college student."

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CVS Selling Generic Version of EpiPen at a Sixth of Price

CVS is now selling a rival, generic version of Mylan's EpiPen at about a sixth of its price, just months after the maker of the life-saving allergy treatment was eviscerated before Congress because of its soaring cost to consumers.

The drugstore chain says it will charge $109.99 for a two-pack of the authorized generic version of Adrenaclick, a lesser-known treatment compared to EpiPen, which can cost more than $600.

CVS Health Corp., the nation's second-largest drugstore chain, says it cut the price of the generic version of Adrenaclick nearly in half. The lower price is now available at all CVS stores. The chain runs about 9,600 retail pharmacies in the United States, including several locations inside Target stores.

The emergency treatments are stocked by schools and parents of children with severe allergies. They are used to stop anaphylaxis, the potentially fatal allergic reactions to insect bites and stings and foods like nuts and eggs.

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Pocomoke approves land swap deal

Pocomoke City and its fire company are scheduled to go to closing at the end of the month after the council approved a deal that gives the town all rights to the former fire company property, while the fire company gets to use the former VFW property for storage.

After the contracts are signed at closing, the fire company will have 270 days, or about nine months, to remove its property from its former home.

While the town owns the lot and main building of the former firehouse on Fifth Street, there is a storage shed located on the property constructed and owned by the fire company. The town had previously tried to secure a grant to demolish the building, but was unable to do so, in part because of objections from the Maryland Historical Trust.

That shed is still in use by the company, but has agreed to swap the shed for the former VFW property off Dun Swamp Road, which can then be used for storage. It’s located between the town’s solar array and wastewater treatment plant and therefore not a good candidate for development, Ernie Crofoot, city manager/city attorney, said.

The town had been using the former VFW to store Christmas decorations, Crofoot said.
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Woman Robbed In Berlin Area Yesterday

We have yet to receive a press release but sources have informed us that a women was forced off the road on 589 yesterday and robbed by assailants. More to come...

Facebook Takes on a Bigger Role in Journalism

Facebook is launching a journalism project aimed at strengthening its ties with media organizations to help them expand their audiences, come up with new products and generally promote trusted news in today's "post-truth" era.

The project is in its early stages and as such, light on specifics. But the company envisions Facebook engineers working with news organizations to create new ways of telling stories and novel advertising or subscription models, right from the early stages of development. The company also wants to help promote "news literacy" and support local news.

"It's very early in the process but certainly something we are really excited about," said Dave Merrell, lead product manager at The Washington Post, which is among the news organizations working with Facebook. "We worked with Facebook on numerous products over the years, but often were not involved in the product development stage."

INSTANT GRATIFICATION

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Amazon to create 100k Jobs by 2018

Amazon will create 100,000 full-time jobs in the United States with full benefits over the next 18 months, the tech giant announced in a statement Thursday.

The company says the positions are for workers across the country and across all skill and experience levels. Most of the positions will be at fulfillment centers, including new ones under construction in California, Florida, New Jersey and Texas.

"Innovation is one of our guiding principles at Amazon, and it’s created hundreds of thousands of American jobs," said Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in a statement. "These jobs are not just in our Seattle headquarters or in Silicon Valley—they’re in our customer service network, fulfillment centers and other facilities in local communities throughout the country."

Amazon has quickly ramped up its workforce over the last few years, as it pushes to open up more fulfillment centers to get packages out to its customers more quickly. In 2011, Amazon had 30,000 U.S. employees. At the end of last year, it employed 180,000 people.

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Four More Years of Obama? At Least That Many.

Barack Obama faced the nation Tuesday night to announce his upcoming campaign. Oh, wait, that was his farewell address. Such a struggle to tell the difference. Far from bidding America the adieu we so desperately wanted — parting would have been far more sweet than sorrow in this case — Obama doubled down on his perpetual campaign and announced he’s not going anywhere. “I won’t stop,” he declared. “In fact, I will be right there with you, as a citizen, for all my remaining days.”

And we were so close.

Presidents typically retire to their home states upon leaving office. Not this one. “Obama has no plans to quietly recede from the nation’s capital,” Mark Alexander wrote yesterday. “In fact, the Obamas will be taking up residence in a nine-bedroom mansion in the District’s most exclusive neighborhood, and you can be certain that he’ll be out on his front stoop stumping for his failed policies every time Trump endeavors to alter or abolish one of them.” Indeed, last March Obama threatened — er, promised — that America is “not rid of me yet, even after we’re done with the presidency.”

This doesn’t mean simply giving flowery speeches now and again. No, Obama is architecting a massive apparatus (think his Obama for America PAC on steroids) so he can pretty much campaign ad infinitum. In one sense, who can blame him? That’s about as long as it will take to try to salvage his disastrous legacy. Alright, let’s be real. Even eternity wouldn’t be long enough for that.

Still, Obama’s going to try. And here’s how he plans to do it.

Coastal Highway’s Poor Condition Days After Snow Explained; SHA Admits ‘Could Have Done A Better Job’

OCEAN CITY — With 10-plus inches of snow falling on the resort last weekend, it took mid-week warming temperatures and a steady rain to truly clear Coastal Highway, leading the State Highway Administration (SHA) this week to acknowledge it dropped the ball somewhat in Ocean City.

Last Saturday’s storm dumped nearly a foot of snow on the area, essentially crippling the flow of traffic in the resort area unaccustomed to so much of the white stuff in a single event. It was expected that even the main roads, including Coastal Highway and Philadelphia and Baltimore avenues, would be largely unpassable on Saturday and even into Sunday, but the resort’s main thoroughfares were still largely covered with snow on Monday and even Tuesday to some extent.

On Monday, Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan said at a Tourism Committee meeting he had been in contact with SHA officials about the perceived lack of effort in the resort following the storm and had been told SHA admitted to not deploying its full resources on Coastal Highway, which is owned and maintained by the state. At Tuesday’s Transportation Committee meeting, Public Works Director Hal Adkins said he too had received a similar explanation from SHA officials.

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Obama Intel Officials Used ‘Russia Blackmail’ Claims to Undermine Trump Relations with Israel

U.S. intelligence officials warned their Israeli counterparts not to trust President-elect Donald Trump with intelligence secrets, citing alleged fears that Russia held blackmail information over Trump, according to a report today in Israel’s respected Yediot Ahronot daily newspaper.

The alleged blackmail information that U.S. officials reportedly warned Israel about seems to be in part referencing details contained in a debunked document of mysterious origin purporting to be an intelligence report alleging that Russia collected compromising videos and information on Trump.

In the report, investigative journalist Ronen Bergman writes of a meeting that took place “recently between Israeli and American intelligence officials (the date of the meeting is not mentioned to protect the sources of the report).”

Bergman continued:

Gas Taxes May Go Up Around The Country As States Seek To Plug Budget Holes

Oklahoma lawmakers are staring into a budget hole that's nearly $900 million deep — and they might not be able to cut their way out of it. Legislators are considering tax increases to help fund state government, and one idea is gaining traction: Hiking taxes on gasoline and diesel.

This year could see a wave of state tax hikes on gasoline and diesel. Oklahoma is one of about a dozen states seriously considering increases, a list that includes Republican strongholds like Mississippi, Louisiana and Alaska, where Gov. Bill Walker has proposed tripling taxes on motor fuel.

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Invitations Are In

Former senator Mikulski joining Johns Hopkins faculty

BALTIMORE (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski will join the faculty at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

The university announced Thursday that the 80-year-old Mikulski will start next week as a professor of public policy and an adviser to university leaders.

Mikulski was the longest-serving woman in the history of Congress. The Baltimore native represented Maryland in the Senate for 30 years and retired earlier this month.

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The Video CNN Will NOT Want Trump to Get His Hands on!

JUST IN: FBI Releases Hillary Rodham Clinton Emails… The Truth Is Out!

While all hell was breaking loose on the political front this weekend between the Golden Globes and other Trump smear fests, the FBI uber quietly released 300 pages of records that were part of their investigation into Hillary Clinton and her email debacle. It was of course ignored by the media. The subject matter of the records was far from favorable towards Hillary Clinton.

Evidently an FBI official warned the FBI in general in April of 2015 that they were going to be dragged into the Clinton mess. The Daily Caller clarified that “forum shopping” meant “seeking a favorable opinion on the classification issue by asking different officials to rate emails as unclassified.” So, it’s obvious the State Department went shopping for a favorable opinion on classification of the emails. That’s called corruption.

From the Conservative Tribune:

Last Sunday saw bitterly contested NFL games and the Golden Globes — but while America was wrapped up in television, the FBI quietly released 300 pages of records from its investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server, The Daily Caller reported.

This fifth Clinton investigation release by the FBI on its vault website touched on several topics, and they weren’t favorable toward the Clintons.

In April 2015, an FBI official emailed other FBI officials, warning them that the State Department was going to be dragging them into the Clinton email classification issue.

“You’re about to get drug (sic) into an issue on classification of the Clinton emails,” the official wrote.

“They are contesting CTD’s classification decision and would like to discuss it with you. (Forum shopping I believe.) I’ll call you and give you some info, then they’ve asked if you could call _____ (last name I think)

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IN YOUR FACE LIBS – Mexico Ready To Discuss WALL!

During the campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly promised that he would build a wall on the Mexican border. And he wasn’t just going to build a wall — he was going to make Mexico pay for it. Most people rightly laughed at the idea, because the notion of Mexico paying for a border wall they don’t want it ludicrous. But was Trump right all along? Mexico has a new foreign relations secretary, and he is evidently open for negotiations.

Luis Videgaray has just taken his position as foreign relations secretary, and he is open to discussing matters with Trump. “(He) said Tuesday his country isn’t just willing to negotiate changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement, it wants to start talks as soon as possible,” the Associated Press reported. “He (also) said Mexico is willing to negotiate over Trump’s plan to build a border wall.”

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto also emphasized the importance of negotiating. “With the change of government in the United States on 20 January, the instructions for secretary Videgaray is (sic) to accelerate dialogue and contacts so that from the first day the bases for building a constructive work relationship can be established,” he said.

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Christian Persecution in America

Actress Meryl Streep’s political diatribe at the Golden Globes awards isn’t the only surprise attention-getting provocation from the event. Nominee film “Hidden Figures,” a box-office hit about the true story of three black women mathematicians who played important roles at NASA in the early days of the space program, is also generating unexpected controversy.

The controversy surrounds Kim Burrell, the black gospel singer whose song “I See A Victory” appears on the soundtrack of the film.

Burrell, in addition to being a gospel singer, is a pastor, and, with the release of “Hidden Figures,” a video emerged on the internet of her passionately preaching in her church against homosexuality.

Burrell was scheduled, as part of the film’s promotion, to appear and perform, along with the film’s soundtrack producer, Pharrell Williams, on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” But DeGeneres, an open lesbian, canceled Burrell’s appearance as a result of the video.

Next, Burrell’s radio show, which is produced at Texas Southern University, was canceled.

Then she was dis-invited from the BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, where she was a co-honoree.

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Williams: The Black Community and Crime

Today’s level of lawlessness and insecurity in many black communities is a relatively new phenomenon. In the 1930s, ‘40s and '50s, people didn’t bar their windows. Doors were often left unlocked. People didn’t go to bed with the sounds of gunshots. What changed everything was the liberal vision that blamed crime on poverty and racial discrimination. Academic liberals and hustling politicians told us that to deal with crime, we had to deal with those “root causes.”

Politicians who call for law and order are often viewed negatively, but poor people are the most dependent on law and order. In the face of high crime or social disorder, wealthier people can afford to purchase alarm systems, buy guard dogs, hire guards and, if things get too bad, move to a gated community.

These options are not available to poor people. The only protection they have is an orderly society. Ultimately, the solution to high crime rests with black people.

Given the current political environment, it doesn't pay a black or white politician to take those steps necessary to crack down on lawlessness in black communities.

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Hogan proposes anti-crime bills tackling drunken driving, sexual assault

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan introduced Thursday an anti-crime package designed to prosecute drunken and drugged drivers and legislation to assist victims of sexual abuse.

The proposal would also change what kind of evidence prosecutors can introduce in cases against sex offenders.

With survivors of crime victims by his side in the Statehouse, Hogan introduced the “Justice for Victims Initiative.” The bill would allow prosecutors to admit evidence of a defendant’s prior record of sexual assaults.

The bill builds on legislative efforts by Sen. James Brochin who fought for similar proposals, Hogan said.

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Protests 101: College civics classes focus more on demonstrations than citizenship

College-level civics courses have been hijacked by a progressive ideology that emphasizes instruction in organizing political movements rather than understanding the American system of government and the Western tradition upon which it is built, according to a report published this week.

“Making Citizens: How American Universities Teach Civics,” a report published by the National Association of Scholars, examines the curricula at four universities and concludes that courses aimed at understanding America have largely been replaced by vocational classes on how to transform it.

“In practice this means that instead of teaching college students the foundations of law, liberty, and self-government, colleges teach students how to organize protests, occupy buildings, and stage demonstrations,” the study says. “These are indeed forms of ‘civic engagement,’ but they are far from being a genuine substitute for learning how to be a full participant in our republic.”

The 525-page report includes case studies of four universities — Colorado State University, the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Wyoming and the University of Colorado-Boulder — where civics education ranges from less than stellar to nearly nonexistent.

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Racist Opinions Are Hateful-- That Shouldn't Make Them Crimes

Hate crime laws have been in the news on multiple fronts this week.

In Washington, the Senate Judiciary Committee opened confirmation hearings on Senator Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. Session’s approval is likely, but one argument made against him is that he opposed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, which sexual orientation and disability protected categories under federal hate crimes law.

Though they’ve been in effect since the 1990s, hate crimes statutes have always been constitutionally and morally unsound. At best they are a symbolic declaration that crimes inspired by certain types of bigotry are especially odious. At worst they are a vehicle for grandstanding prosecutors eager to make a political point. Either way, they should disturb anyone who believes criminals ought to be punished for their harmful actions, not for their ugly opinions.

To grasp how gratuitous hate crimes prosecutions can be, look no further than Dylann Roof’s case. The Charleston mass-killer is a depraved monster; the day he is put to death, America will be a better, cleaner place.

Immediately after Roof’s bloodbath, Charleston County Solicitor Scarlett Wilson charged him with nine counts of murder. She later said South Carolina would seek the death penalty, and urged that he be tried in state court first. But the state’s legitimate interest in bringing Roof to justice was muscled aside by the federal Justice Department, which emphasized its desire to make Roof’s race-hatred an explicit centerpiece of the trial. There was no danger of Roof getting away with murder. But Washington wanted to federalize the case to spotlight the defendant’s beliefs.

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DHS Nominee: 'We Are a Very Overly Medicated Society'

Part of the nation's opioid addiction problem stems from "a very overly medicated society," retired Marine Corps General John Kelly, the Homeland Security Secretary nominee, told his confirmation hearing on Tuesday.

"It's amazing to me, but I just found out very recently that an old friend, who's not so old, just 62 years old, after a very successful life, just overdosed on heroin." Kelly said the heroin was cheaper and more available to his friend than the opioids for which she apparently could not get a prescription.

"And of course, part of the problem, I think, and this I think would be outside my area if I'm confirmed, but part of the problem is, we are a very overly medicated society. Huge amounts of opiods are prescribed legally for things that in the past, probably would not receive that level of medication. So the point is, huge problem, getting worse, and the profits are just unbelievable to the cartels that control the whole marketing and transporting."

"One hundred percent of the heroin that we consume in the United States is in fact produced in Mexico, and it's creeping down now into Central America," Kelly said.

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George Soros Lost $1 Billion After Trump Won

The Wall Street Journal reports Thursday that billionaire left-wing financier George Soros lost nearly $1 billion as a result of Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the November 2016 presidential election.

The Journal‘s Gregory Zuckerman and Juliet Chung report:

Billionaire hedge-fund manager George Soros lost nearly $1 billion as a result of the stock-market rally spurred by Donald Trump’s surprise presidential election.

But Stanley Druckenmiller, Mr. Soros’s former deputy who helped Mr. Soros score $1 billion of profits betting against the British pound in 1992, anticipated the market’s recent climb and racked up sizable gains, according to people close to the matter.

The divergent bets of the two traders are a stark reminder of the challenges even acclaimed investors have faced following Mr. Trump’s unexpected victory.

Thanks to Soros’s diversified portfolio, his funds still earned 5% on the year. However, Druckenmiller — who stopped working for Soros in 2000 — did much better, predicting that a Clinton win would cause the markets to rise and then fall, while a Trump win would do the opposite, the Journal notes.

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Governor Larry Hogan Announces 2017 Justice for Victims Initiative

Measures Aimed to Prevent Repeat Sex Offenders, Prosecute Human Traffickers, Support Victims of Crime, Keep Serial Drunk Drivers Off the Road

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today announced the administration’s Justice for Victims Initiative, a series of proposals to help prevent future victims of crime, protect Maryland’s most vulnerable citizens, and stop repeat offenders. Joining the governor for the announcement were leading victims’ rights advocate Roberta Roper; Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis, and Sergeant David Owens, who investigated the 2009 murder of Sarah Foxwell by a repeat sexual predator; anti-drunk driving advocates Rich Leotta and Marcy Goldman; and Baltimore County Senator Jim Brochin, as well as cabinet secretaries, state’s attorneys, and state and local law enforcement officials.

The Justice for Victims Initiative includes proposed legislation that will help prevent repeat sexual predators, protect victims of human trafficking, provide transitional housing for victims of crime, and toughen penalties for repeat drunk drivers.

“Making Maryland safer begins with making sure that we have a criminal justice system that holds offenders accountable for their actions and the harm they cause, while also supporting victims and the community in the process of healing,” said Governor Hogan. “The Justice for Victims Initiative we are announcing today is bipartisan, common sense legislation that will help protect the most vulnerable among us, improve services for the victims of crimes, and help us reduce and prevent the number of future victims of crime."

"The voices of crime victims and survivors are making our nation a better place to live, and making for a more just and fair society," said Roberta Roper. "To achieve positive change, someone has to listen and someone has to take action to change old behaviors and fully apply the law. We thank Governor Hogan for listening and making positive changes."

The proposals announced by Governor Hogan build on a strong record of protecting and supporting victims of crime in Maryland. During the 2016 legislative session, the Hogan administration worked closely with the legislature to enact the Justice Reinvestment Act, a landmark criminal justice reform law that includes key provisions to strengthen victims’ rights, including reforming the restitution system to ensure offenders repay victims for financial losses caused by their crimes.

The governor recently announced $46 million dollars in grants to directly aid victims of crime, which fully funded all eligible requests from victims’ service providers across the state. In April 2016, the Hogan administration convened the first-ever governor’s statewide Victim Services Conference to share best practices and resources among victims’ service providers.

The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention has also joined with the Office of the Attorney General to survey 135 law enforcement agencies on the handling of sexual assault evidence kits in an effort ensure that justice is served in every case of sexual assault.

Governor Hogan’s Justice for Victims Initiative includes:

Repeat Sexual Predator Prevention Act of 2017: Governor Hogan announced this bipartisan measure, modeled after legislation put forward by Senator Brochin during the 2016 legislative session, which will allow courts to admit evidence of a defendant’s prior history of sexual assault convictions during prosecution for subsequent sexual offenses. Data shows that many sexual predators follow patterns of behavior, and this proposal will ensure that prosecutors have the tools needed to bring these criminals to justice.

Trump Slams BuzzFeed As "Failing Pile Of Garbage", Tells CNN "You Are Fake News"

In an epic (mutual) trolling between president-elect Trump on one hand and BuzzFeed and CNN, on the other, the two media organizations which issued yesterday's unsubstantiated report about Russia having compromising information on the president-elect, Trump first addressed the question of why he referred to Nazi Germany, saying it is "disgraceful" that intelligence communities would allow the release of any information. "That's something Nazi Germany would have done and did do," he says.

He then unleashed on Buzzfeed which alone published the 35-page memo behind the Russian allegations, saying "Buzzfeed which is a failing pile of garbage... will suffer the consequences"

And then, in an even more stunning episode, Trump slammed CNN reporter Jim Acosta, who he also called out during the presser over their report on a two-page synopsis they claim was presented to Trump.

With Trump looking to call on other reporters, Jim Acosta yelled out, “Since you are attacking us, can you give us a question?”

“Not you,” Trump said. “Your organization is terrible!”

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Right-to-work movement gaining ground in Ohio

An Ohio township north of Cincinnati soon may become the first place in the state to enact a right-to-work ordinance.

West Chester officials announced this week that they are planning a resolution that would forbid workers from being forced to join or otherwise financially support a union as a condition of employment. If enacted, it would be the only place in Ohio with such a rule.

"There is a ton of evidence that says that companies would rather relocate and build their business in right-to-work states. I think we should move ahead on this as quickly as possible and give potential manufacturers that are looking at Ohio or looking at the region, another reason to come to West Chester," Mark Welch, president of the West Chester Board of Trustees, told the Hamilton Journal News.

Don Boyd, director of labor and legal affairs for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, told the Washington Examiner that West Chester's move was the "logical consequence" of the expansion of right-to-work laws in recent years to nearby states such as Michigan and Indiana. Ohio is now at a competitive disadvantage.

More here

Thank God Its Friday 1-13-17

What will you be doing this weekend?

HUD Paid Employee $1 MILLION Over This Single ‘Racist’ Word

Taxpayers wrote a $900,000 settlement check to a federal employee to compensate her for once being likened to a “Little Rascals” character by her boss, The Daily Caller News Foundation’s Investigative Group has learned.

The secret settlement appears to be one of the largest-ever discrimination settlement payouts to an individual federal employee. The payment came after an Equal Opportunity Employment office ruled that the remark was racist and accepted without challenge the claim that it caused nearly a million dollars worth of emotional harm.

The offending boss was Mary K. Kinney, then-executive vice president of Ginnie Mae, which is part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

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Two LAPD officers who shot and killed a 16-year-old in Boyle Heights last year hadn't turned on their body cameras

Two Los Angeles police officers who shot and killed a 16-year-old last year in Boyle Heights didn’t turn on their body cameras until after the shooting, according to a report made public Wednesday.

Chief Charlie Beck said in his report to the Police Commission that the LAPD is investigating why one of the officers delayed turning on the department-issued camera until after Jose Mendez was shot. The officer, Beck wrote, had been trained to use the body camera five months earlier.

The second officer who fired his gun was working within a 90-day grace period the LAPD allows officers as they get used to the technology.

The shooting came more than a year after the city announced an ambitious plan to put body cameras on more than 7,000 LAPD officers. Supporters say the cameras can help provide transparency and accountability at a time when policing is under intense scrutiny, particularly shootings by officers.

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In Praise of Tillerson, Trump's Secretary Of State Pick

The Financial Times reports Tillerson Gets Rough Ride from Russia Hawks on the Hill.

The rough ride was from Senator John McCain, Senator Marco Rubio, and Senator Lindsey Graham.

Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state, faced a tough grilling over his relationship with Russia and its president Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, while also stumbling on whether ExxonMobil had lobbied against Russian sanctions.

Mr Tillerson faced pointed questions from Marco Rubio, a Republican member of the Senate foreign relations committee, who several times said he found some of Mr Tillerson’s answers “troubling” and “discouraging”.

Leaving the committee hearing into Mr Tillerson’s nomination, Mr Rubio told reporters he was “prepared to do what is right” in regards to confirming or blocking Mr Tillerson’s appointment, leaving open the possibility that he could be leaning towards the latter.

In addition to Mr Rubio, two other Republican senators — John McCain and Lindsey Graham — have also stated that they have concerns about Mr Tillerson’s relationship with Mr Putin.

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Powellville Ladies Aux Dinner TONIGHT

Flying in Dubai

Psychotherapy for Retirees

How to Maintain a Healthy Level of   Insanity in RETIREMENT...

1.	At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on, point a hair dryer at passing cars and watch them slow down!
2.	On all your check stubs, write, "For Sexual Favors"
3.	Skip down the street rather than walk, and see how many looks you get.
4.	With a serious face, order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat.
5.	Sing along at The Opera.
6.	When the money comes out of the ATM, scream 'I Won! I Won!'
7.	When leaving the Zoo, start running towards the car park, yelling, 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'
8.	Tell your children over dinner, 'Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go....'
9.	Pick up a box of condoms at the pharmacy, go to the counter and ask where the fitting room is.
And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity: My Favorite...
10.	Go to a large Department store's fitting room, drop your drawers to your ankles and yell out, "There's no paper in here!"

Study: Slower-growing broiler production has faults

Study reveals negative sustainability implications of ‘slower growing’ raising methods; NCC supports more research on chicken welfare

The National Chicken Council (NCC) urges consumers, the foodservice and retail industries, and non-governmental organizations to invest in studying the impact in the U.S. of the growing market for "slower growing" broiler chickens.

A study released January 11 by the NCC details the environmental, economic and sustainability implications of raising slower growing chickens, revealing a sharp increase in chicken prices and the use of environmental resources - including water, air, fuel and land. NCC also calls for more research on the health impact of chickens' growth rates, to ensure that the future of bird health and welfare is grounded in scientific, data-backed research.

"The National Chicken Council and its members remain committed to chicken welfare, continuous improvement and respecting consumer choice – including the growing market for a slower growing bird," said Ashley Peterson, Ph.D., NCC senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs. "However, these improvements must be dictated by science and data – not activists' emotional rhetoric – which is why we support further research on the topic of chicken welfare and growth rates."

Environmental implications

In assessing a transition to a slower growing breed, the environmental impact is an important component often left out of the equation. If only one-third of broiler chicken producers switched to a slower growing breed, nearly 1.5 billion more birds would be needed annually to produce the same amount of meat currently produced – requiring a tremendous increase in water, land and fuel consumption:

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Fat Bike caught on an Electric Fence!