Attorneys, prosecutor argue over moving Freddie Gray trials

BALTIMORE (AP) — The trials for six police officers charged in the Freddie Gray case should be moved out of town in part because the city already settled with Gray’s family for $6.4 million, sending a message that the officers are guilty, an attorney for one of them said Thursday.

Prosecutors argued that high-profile trials such as the Boston Marathon bomber and the D.C. sniper were held locally. The only circumstance under which a change of venue is appropriate is in “a small community where you have an armed lynch mob at the door,” Chief Deputy State’s Attorney Michael Schatzow said.

Gray was a 25-year-old black man who died after being fatally injured while in police custody in April. Attorneys for the officers have said days of protests and riots, a city-wide curfew and other pretrial publicity would taint a jury pool made up of Baltimore residents.

And the settlement announced earlier this week sways prospective jurors and indicates “these officers are guilty, and if they are not guilty, why are we paying them $6.4 million?” said attorney Ivan Bates, who argued on behalf of all six officers.

In his argument, Schatzow said the riots were “confined to a relatively small geographic area” and not widespread enough to impact each and every Baltimore citizen.
MORE 

175 Days: Treasury Says Debt Has Been Frozen at $18,112,975,000,000

(CNSNews.com) - The portion of the federal debt that is subject to a legal limit set by Congress closed Friday, Sept. 4, at $18,112,975,000,000, according to the latest Daily Treasury Statement, which was published at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

That, according to the Treasury's statements, makes 175 straight days the debt subject to the limit has been frozen at $18,112,975,000,000.

$18,112,975,000,000 is about $25 million below the current legal debt limit of $18,113,000,080,959.35.

On July 30, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lewsent a letter to the leaders of Congresssaying he was extending a “debt issuance suspension period” through October 30.

That means the Treasury believes it can continue for at least the next seven weeks to issue Daily Treasury Statements that show the federal debt subject to the limit beginning and ending each day frozen just below that limit.

The Daily Treasury Statement for March 13 was the first to show the debt subject to the limit closing the day at $18,112,975,000,000. Every Daily Treasury Statement since then has reported the same thing: the debt closing the day at $18,112,975,000,000.

Every Daily Treasury Statement since Monday, March 16, has also reported the debt beginning and ending each day at $18,112,975,000,000.

More

REPUBLICANS THWART BOEHNER PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD ON OBAMA’S NUCLEAR ARMS DEAL WITH IRAN

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A full-scale revolt against House Speaker
Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) 35% — including a looming resolution that could come up for a vote at any time that would remove him from the speakership—has thrown into disarray the House GOP leadership’s previously carefully laid plans to push President Obama’s nuclear arms deal with Iran through Congress without a fight.

Amid a rebellion in the House GOP conference meeting on Wednesday morning, leadership canceled a previously scheduled rule vote that would have set up the House putting through a resolution of disapproval of the president’s Iran deal under the terms of legislation previously signed into law from Sens.

Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) 51% and Ben Cardin (D-MD). This all happened as a result of an argument furthered by Reps.
Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) 78% and Pete Roskam (R-IL) that Congress shouldn’t even vote on the Corker-Cardin resolution, either approving or disapproving of the Iran deal, since the president has not yet complied with the law regarding the release of text of the deal including “side deals” cut with Tehran.

Politico’s Jake Sherman reported midday on Wednesday about a new plan cooked up by House leadership that he later reported via Twitter that Pompeo and Roskam say they support.

More

Donald Trump vs. the Party: Why He’s Still Such a Long Shot

When Donald Trump reached the top of the polls in July, his candidacy seemed very familiar, at least to me.

His coalition was ideologically incoherent, and he had no support from party elites. His surge looked like a media-driven phenomenon with no foundation — exactly the sort of candidacy prone to collapse once coverage turned negative. It was a story that played out over and over again in the 2012 campaign.

Two months later, Mr. Trump has not gone bust, as I thought he would. He has demonstrated that he can drive the media as much as the media is driving his support. And his coalition is united as much by affection for his demeanor as his policies — insulating him from fallout over inflammatory remarks that would doom other candidates.

Suddenly, the question isn’t whether Mr. Trump is different from someone like Herman Cain in 2012, but how different? Is he so different that he could survive not just for a month or two, but all the way to Iowa and New Hampshire? Is he so different that he could even win?

More

Monthly Speaker Series and General Meeting provided by the Worcester County Tea Party

Event: Worcester County Tea Party Speaker Series 2015

Speaker: Thomas Locastro & Mathew Locastro, Co-Founders, Locastro Design, LLC

Topic: Two young filmmakers will introduce their latest expose on the hot topic of "Civil Asset Forfeiture". Could it happen to you?

Date: Thursday September 17, 2015

Time: Meeting begins at 7PM, doors open at 6:30PM

Location: Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Rd., Ocean Pines, MD 21811

Admission: Free and Open to the Public.

For more information email WCTPPatriots@gmail.com, go to the web site www.worcestercountyteaparty.com, https://www.facebook.com/WorcesterCountyTeaParty or call 443-614-7214

A Letter To The Editor 9-10-15

Dear Editor,

This week marks a critical turning point for the future of the public school system in Wicomico County.  

At 6 PM on Thursday evening September 10th at the Wicomico youth and Civic Center a public hearing will be held. Citizens of Wicomico County will have an opportunity to tell State Legislators that we want to decide who makes decisions about our children’s education and not leave it to politicians and political appointees.

There are only 3 of 23 counties statewide that still have all school board members appointed by the governor. Currently the Wicomico County Democrat and Republican Central Committees submit names of candidates to the Governor for review. The Governor can appoint any person that he chooses regardless of the names submitted by the committees. Also there is no formal process for unaffiliated voters (N/A) to submit names of candidates. There are over 10,000 U/A voters in Wicomico County. Of the 7 members on the current school board, none are U/A. We have an opportunity to change this.

We decide is a grass roots organization made up of concerned citizens that believe a 100% elected school board would result in more accountability to citizens, parents and students of Wicomico County. WE Decide proposes to adopt a100% elected school board system. The easiest and most equitable way to do this is adopt the county council election model. The county is divided into 5 districts. The county council is made up of members from each district. In addition the council has two members elected at large.

There have been attempts for years to convert to an elected school board. These attempts have been blocked by our past and present locally elected state officials. In 2014 the county council and county executive unanimously agreed on proposed legislation to convert to an elected school board, this attempt was blocked by Senator Jim Mathis. Jim Mathis has requested that a series of public hearings be held and he has promised to support the outcome of these hearings. Interestingly, Jim Mathis represents 3 counties. Somerset and Worcester Counties have elected school boards. Wicomico County has its members appointed by the governor.

For more information check out our web site at www.wedecidewicomico.org and please come to the public hearing and let your voice be heard.

Mark McIver 

DEA Impersonating Medical Board Investigators To Gain Access To Personal Health Records

DEA has been sifting through hundreds of supposedly private medical files, looking for Texas doctors and patients to prosecute without the use of warrants

Medical records have long been given an increased expectation of privacy, something that dates back to before the passage of HIPAA. (See also: Hippocratic Oath.) Consultations with doctors — and the written records resulting from them — have generally been treated as confidential, seeing as they contain potentially embarrassing/damaging information. Personal health information can be reported to law enforcement for many reasons: suspicion of criminal activity on the health entity’s property, suspicion of criminal activity related to an off-site emergency, reporting a death, patients with stabbing/gunshot wounds, or in the case of a serious/immediate threat. Otherwise, HIPAA’s rules for law enforcement say personal information can only be released under the following conditions:

To comply with a court order or court-ordered warrant, a subpoena or summons issued by a judicial officer, or an administrative request from a law enforcement official (the administrative request must include a written statement that the information requested is relevant and material, specific and limited in scope, and de-identified information cannot be used).

The bar is set pretty low and the DEA has been taking advantage of it. Jon Cassidy of Watchdog.org is reporting that the agency is rooting around in medical records in hopes of finding patients or health care providers who might be abusing drugs.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has been sifting through hundreds of supposedly private medical files, looking for Texas doctors and patients to prosecute without the use of warrants.

More

Bike Week At Oasis

Government Employees Outnumber Manufacturing Employees 1.8 to 1

21,995,000 to 12,329,000

Those employed by government in the United States in August of this year outnumbered those employed in the manufacturing sector by almost 1.8 to 1,according to data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There were 21,995,000 employed by federal, state and local government in the United States in August, according to BLS. By contrast, there were only 12,329,000 employed in the manufacturing sector.

The BLS has published seasonally-adjusted month-by-month employment numbers for both government and manufacturing going back to 1939. In the first 50 years of the 76-year span since then, manufacturing out-employed government. But in August 1989, government overtook manufacturing as a U.S. employer.

That month, government employed 17,989,000 and manufacturing employed 17,964,000.

Read more

Welcome To The New America

Maryland Settles Inmate’s Excessive Force Lawsuit

BALTIMORE (AP) — The state of Maryland has settled a lawsuit alleging correctional officers brutalized an inmate who insulted a nurse at the maximum-security North Branch Correctional Institution near Cumberland in 2012.

The attorney general’s office said Tuesday the settlement with inmate Wayne Boone is far below the $10,000 level that would require Board of Public Works approval. Spokesman David Nitkin wouldn’t disclose the exact amount.

Boone’s lawyer declined to comment.

More

Chicken Industry Response to EIP Report

Statement of Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. on the More Phosphorus, Less Monitoring report by the Environmental Integrity Project

With just a little bit of time to read, understand, and analyze the More Phosphorus, Less Monitoring “report” by the anti-chicken industry group Environmental Integrity Project, it is impossible to offer complete comments on it. However, these points are worth making.

As with any industry, updated and modern facilities are required to keep businesses competitive, including farm family-owned chicken farms. The new chicken houses include the latest technology and have landscape designs and environmental protection systems that exceed existing chicken housing. Water quality improvements are likely to be enhanced with the new chicken houses and their stormwater management plans.

Under the state of Maryland’s Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations program that covers most of the Eastern Shore’s chicken houses and newly constructed ones, chicken houses, through this federally-approved U.S. Environmental Protection Agency permit system, are allowed zero discharge of nutrients to waters of the state except for discharges during a 24-hour, 25 year storm which is about 6 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. So under normal weather conditions, there will be no discharges of nutrients to the waters of the state from the hundreds of chicken houses covered by the state permit.

The authors of the report conclude that a 1 to 2 percent annual growth in chicken meat production in the last 30 years on the Delmarva Peninsula is dangerous trend. That is nonsense.

The report uses 1985 as a baseline for some its data. According to data produced by Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc., the capacity of all chicken houses on Delmarva from 1985 until 2014 went up by 37% in those 30 years; about 1 percent per year.

From 1995 until 2014, the number of chicken houses on Delmarva went down by 25%.

In the last 10 years, the capacity of all the Delmarva chicken houses went down about 3% while the number of operating chicken houses went down 12%. This is hardly an explosive growth that needs to be stopped by government actions.

After several years of economic sluggishness and regulatory hurdles, chicken house construction throughout Delmarva is catching up to the more normal level. For several years until last year, only a handful of chicken houses were built on Delmarva. Now, the pent-up demand for new houses is resulting in new construction.

A moratorium on new house construction until 2024 is ridiculous. The oft-cited Maryland Phosphorus Management Tool regulation in Maryland will limit manure applications on some farmland in the state and during the early phase-in period soil phosphorus levels will be computed and analyzed.

Opponents of the chicken industry who favor the moratorium on chicken house construction until full implementation of the Phosphorus Management Tool regulation in 2024 are hoping that by killing construction they will kill the chicken industry.

The report, though focused on the chicken industry and chicken manure, says nothing about the growth of the human being population in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and the growth of houses, businesses, and impervious surfaces that contribute to water pollution.

Delmarva’s chicken industry has examined more than 70 proposed technologies that seek to do something with the manure other than direct farmland application as a locally produced organic fertilizer. For a variety of reasons, there are no commercially operating alternative use facilities on Delmarva, except the Perdue AgriRecycle plant in southern Delaware.

Delmarva’s chicken growers and farm families that handle chicken manure are making progress in water quality protection and more progress will be made. A moratorium on chicken house construction will not be part of the solution.

Second Hearing In Freddie Gray Case: What You Need To Know

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — All eyes will be on a Baltimore court room Thursday as a judge decides whether the trials for the six officers accused in the Freddie Gray case should stay in Baltimore or be moved to another county in the state.

Derek Valcourt has the decision facing the judge.

Attorneys for all six officers accused in the April death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray plan to argue round-the-clock news coverage of Gray’s arrest and death, the riots that followed and extensive reporting on the six officers accused will make it impossible for the defendants to get a fair and unbiased jury in Baltimore.

“The defense is worried—not unreasonably—that a Baltimore City jury would either be inclined to find guilt or would be scared of the result if they voted not guilty,” said Andrew Levy.

The potential for more riots and violence may not be a factor in Judge Barry Williams’ decision—but protestors warn it may be a reality.

More

Today in history

Do you know what happened 165 years ago this summer...

September 10, 1850?

California became a state! The people had no electricity, the state had no money and almost everyone spoke Spanish. There were gunfights in the streets.

So basically NOTHING has changed except back then the women had real breasts and the men didn't hold hands.

And that, my friends, is your history lesson for today.

First Congressional District Bull Roast

Woodgrain Millwork to Open Distribution Facility in Baltimore City, Create 65 Jobs

Hogan Administration, City Officials Welcome One of the Country’s Largest Woodwork Manufacturers

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Woodgrain Millwork, a family-owned and operated business that is one of the largest millwork operations in the country, has announced plans to open a new distribution center in Baltimore City. The company – a manufacturer of mouldings and turnings, and distributor of doors, windows, and other woodwork – will locate the new facility near Montgomery Park on Washington Boulevard and supply about 300 home improvement stores on the East Coast. Over the next three years, Woodgrain Millwork plans to hire 65 new full-time employees.

“Job creation and economic development are our primary focus in Maryland, and welcoming Woodgrain Millwork to our state is a shining example of the progress we are making,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “This is exciting news for Baltimore City, and exactly what my administration wants for Maryland – thriving businesses that provide the citizens of our state with great jobs and opportunity.”

To assist the company with establishing operations in Baltimore City, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) has approved a $250,000 conditional loan through its Maryland Economic Development Association and Fund (MEDAAF) program. Additionally, the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) is also providing a $250,000 loan to help the company complete the project.

“Baltimore represents an exciting opportunity for Woodgrain Millwork to grow in a supportive, progressive business environment. We look forward to bringing new jobs to the city, while working alongside the many other industry leaders who call Baltimore home,” said Barry Dale, president of Woodgrain Distribution. “The area's economic development organizations worked with us throughout the process to ensure this was truly a home run for everyone involved.”

“The City of Baltimore and the BDC are thrilled that Woodgrain selected Montgomery Park as the location for their new distribution center,” said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “The site is conveniently located for the company to provide support to key retail locations, as well as being in the Enterprise and Focus area. We are glad to assist companies interested in growing in Baltimore City and look forward to Woodgrain’s continued success.”

Woodgrain Millwork began in 1954 as “Dame Moulding and Lumber Company” before moving its corporate offices from Utah to Idaho in 1969. The Baltimore distribution center will be a part of the Woodgrain Distribution Division, which serves large retail and wholesale building materials companies. Woodgrain Distribution has seven distribution centers covering 20 states.

Police Return Woman’s Stolen Car With Drugs, Weapons Still Inside It

When your car is stolen, you can’t always expect to get it back. And if you are lucky enough to be reunited, you might then expect that a few things could be missing — nice electronics, your collection of road trip CDs featuring cool jams from the ’90s, etc. But in the case of a Calgary woman whose stolen car was returned to her recently by police, she was definitely surprised to find her missing vehicle had a few things it didn’t have when it went missing, including drugs, weapons and other illicit items. 

[More]

Google Wants To Get Into Fresh Grocery Delivery Game

After years of running its Google Express service — which offers same-day delivery on merchandise and packaged foods from a variety of retailers to customers in a handful of markets around the country — the Internet giant is now reportedly confident enough to try its hand at bringing fresh food and groceries to consumers’ doors. 

[More]

Lawmakers Call On USDA To Reduce Farmers’ Reliance On Antibiotics In Chickens

Following a 17-month outbreak of salmonella poisoning that sickened at least 600 people around the country, a Dept. of Agriculture advisory committee will meet tomorrow discuss strategies for effectively controlling the spread of salmonella in poultry. In advance of that meeting, two members of Congress are calling on the USDA to take a three-pronged approach to fighting drug-resistant bacteria. 

[More]

Woman who jumped into bay to flee cops gets arrested in Oakland

The woman accused of crashing a stolen car on the Bay Bridge last month, then jumping 70 feet into the bay to evade arrest, was taken into police custody Monday, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Erlynn Sanchez-Edwards, 25, whose last known residence was Richmond, was arrested in Oakland without incident, officials said. She was booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of several crimes, including vehicle theft, hit-and-run, driving under the influence and resisting arrest.

The fate of Sanchez-Edwards after her chilly plunge Aug. 12 was unknown until a dump truck driver in Oakland picked up a woman in soggy clothing believed to be the suspect, officials said. He drove her to San Francisco before learning about the bridge crash on the news, then notified authorities.

The incident unfolded just after 2 a.m. when CHP officers heading west on the Bay Bridge spotted a Nissan Maxima spin and crash on the eastbound side.

More