The Baltimore Police Department is preparing to handle any possible protests or demonstrations during the voting period.
The commissioner said the department does not have specific information about planned disruptions during in-person voting, but they are putting together a plan in the event demonstrations unfold.
The department has held two training sessions to go over how officers should handle any disruptions at the polls.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said no disruptions are expected, but the department is aware of the heated national rhetoric and the deep partisan divide.
"We are all seeing the same energy. We are all seeing the same social media conversations that there could be protests at voting locations. How do we do it, how do we keep people safe?" Harrison said.
Harrison said voters could see officers at voting centers in Baltimore. He said they are being careful not to appear to be overpolicing but instead responding to concern about safety.
Four men were at the wrong New Jersey address last month when they fired bullets into a house occupied by two New Jersey officers and their newborn baby, authorities said.
The four were arrested over the weekend, Camden County police said Monday. No one in the house was injured. A reward for information leading to arrests in the case reached $100,000.
The officers whose home was shot up Sept. 15 are members of the Camden department, and detectives feared they had been targeted because of their law enforcement work, according to reports. The six shots that struck the house were fired from a vehicle that sped away.
The Anne Arundel County school board passed a plan Tuesday that will allow for the return of sports.
The two-semester plan will have sports practices resuming Oct. 19, with each season having four weeks of practice starting with fall sports.
Groups of 50 student-athletes would stay together and there would be no extensive contact.
The competitive season will start with winter sports on Feb. 1, 2021 and each season would have five weeks of competition. The seasons will end on June 19, 2021.
There will be two in-person practices and one virtual session per week per sport. The board also strongly encouraged the addition of inter-scholastic school scrimmages.
Small groups of Wicomico County students returned to school on Oct. 5 as part of the school system’s ongoing recovery efforts.
As Wicomico County Public Schools wrapped up its first month of virtual learning, Superintendent Donna Hanlin announced last week the school system’s plans for bringing back small groups of students beginning Monday.
“As of Oct. 5 we will have students coming to schools in small numbers for Special Education, English Language Learners, Career & Technical Education, secondary math tutoring and some Advanced Placement science labs,” Hanlin said in a message to families. “After that, working by grade level, we will gradually bring back students who choose to return.”
Beginning Oct. 19, prekindergarten students will return to the classroom in small numbers with health and safety precautions, Hanlin said, followed by kindergarten students a week later. Other grades and programs will follow in the weeks ahead with communication forthcoming for families, and as health conditions in the community allow.
“Please note that before a student may return to a school or use school transportation, a COVID-19 Parent/Guardian Agreement must be signed online,” Hanlin said. “The link will be provided by the student’s school when the student is identified as part of a group or grade that will be returning.”
School sports will not resume today, as previously planned.
Hanlin said the school system’s recovery plan, posted on www.wcboe.org, has been updated, and families are encouraged to review it.
A Seattle-area middle school teacher scolded a 10-year-old student and briefly kicked him out of his virtual classroom last week after the child said he admires President Trump, his mother said.
Brendan Stanton, a sixth-grade teacher at Perry G. Keithley Middle School in Tacoma, asked his students on Friday to name a person they admire and to state why. Students were supposed to type their answers in a chat room.
"I admire Donald J. Trump because he is making America great again," the child wrote, according to the "The Jason Rantz Show." "And because he is the best president the United States of America could ever, ever have. And he built the wall so terrorists couldn’t come into in the U.S. Trump is the best person in the world. And that’s why I had admire him."
Stanton reportedly booted the child from the chat and proceeded to berate Trump without saying his name.
"The example that was shared in the chat, which I went ahead and erased for us, was not appropriate right?” Stanton told the class. “Especially as that individual has created so much division and hatred between people and specifically spoken hatred to many different individuals, OK?"
He referred to Trump as an "individual" who "has spoken hate to many individuals and I don’t think is an appropriate example for a role model that we should be admiring.”
President Trump on Tuesday said he has “fully authorized the total Declassification of any & all documents" related to the Russia investigation and the FBI’s investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.
“I have fully authorized the total Declassification of any & all documents pertaining to the single greatest political CRIME in American History, the Russia Hoax. Likewise, the Hillary Clinton Email Scandal. No redactions!” The president tweeted Tuesday night.
"All Russia Hoax Scandal information was Declassified by me long ago," Trump tweeted. "Unfortunately for our Country, people have acted very slowly, especially since it is perhaps the biggest political crime in the history of our Country."
Joe Biden has been raising eyebrows again with remarks he made to a group of "beautiful young ladies" during a campaign stop in Miami.
While paying a visit on Monday to the Little Haiti Cultural Center, Biden closed his remarks by quipping to the crowd, "the good news is, for me, I'm here. The bad news for you is I'm coming back."
He then spotted a gathering of young girls to the side.
"And I want to see these beautiful young ladies- I want to see them dancing when they're four years older too," Biden pointed, sparking laughs from attendees.
Footage of the remark went viral, sparking allegations from some of "creepy" behavior.
These weren't the only Biden remarks that caused a stir on social media this week. A resurfaced clip from a September 15 campaign event showed the Democratic nominee suggesting why people were able to quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.
"They're saying, 'Jeez, the reason I was able to stay sequestered in my home is because some Black woman was able to stack the grocery shelf,'" Biden is heard saying in the clip.
Tech giants Twitter and Facebook both cracked down on President Trump comparing COVID-19 to the seasonal flu on Tuesday, resulting in the president calling for a repeal of Section 230.
“Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu,” Trump tweeted. “Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!”
Twitter put up a warning that shields the tweet from followers: “This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible.”
Trump’s followers had to select “view” in order to see the message that was covered by Twitter’s warning.
One of rock 'n' roll's singular and most gifted guitarists, Eddie Van Halen, has died. He was 65.
Van Halen's son, Wolf, confirmed the news on Tuesday.
"I can't believe I'm having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning," he wrote on Twitter.
"He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I've shared with him on stage and off stage was a gift," Wolf continued. "My heart is broken and I don't think I'll ever fully recover from this loss."
"I love you so much, Pop," he concluded.
According to TMZ, citing sources, Van Halen died at a Santa Monica hospital on Tuesday. Wolf, his brother Alex, and his wife, Janie, were by his side.
Van Halen told Billboard magazine in 2015 that he had one-third of his tongue removed due to cancer that had also spread to his esophagus.
“I used metal picks -- they’re brass and copper -- which I always held in my mouth, in the exact place where I got the tongue cancer,” he said at the time. “Plus, I basically live in a recording studio that’s filled with electromagnetic energy. So that’s one theory. I mean, I was smoking and doing a lot of drugs and a lot of everything. But at the same time, my lungs are totally clear. This is just my own theory, but the doctors say it’s possible.”
CNN’s Chris Cuomo was roasted on Monday night after attacking President Trump’s return to the White House amid a battle with coronavirus.
Cuomo, the younger brother of Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, specifically questioned Trump’s timeline even though the CNN anchor’s own coronavirus timeline was scrutinized earlier this year.
The “Cuomo Prime Time” namesake famously videotaped his “official reentry” into normal society after recovering from coronavirus back in April, claiming he had been stuck in his basement for weeks. But Cuomo had previously admitted he was involved in a heated altercation that took place outside his second property, not the home where he was allegedly confined to the basement.
New York Times media columnist Ben Smith even mocked the situation at the time, comparing CNN to a reality TV show.
Days later, Cuomo dug himself a hole when he tried to combat a Twitter critic by claiming he was “past quarantine” on the date of a now-infamous altercation with a cyclist, which appears to have occurred days before he claimed he was first healthy enough to emerge from his basement.
But Cuomo’s debacle didn’t stop him from criticizing Trump’s return to the White House.
A woman was arrested Sunday for allegedly using six kids to steal Trump campaign lawn signs from numerous sites in upstate New York, a report said.
Deana Algarin, 45, was busted with the signs in her car by the New York State police on Highway 103 in Montgomery County, Fox News reported, citing the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
The stolen signs were from locations in Montgomery and Schenectady counties, the report said.
Algarin was charged with six counts of endangering the welfare of a child, criminal possession of stolen property, petit larceny and marijuana possession, police said.
She was also slapped with two citations for seatbelt violations.
It’s unclear if Algarin was related to any of the children.
Vice President Pence faces a challenging environment in the first vice presidential debate on Wednesday, which will take place against an unprecedented backdrop of events.
Pence will take the stage as President Trump, his running mate, battles the coronavirus. Trump left the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday evening amid continued questions about his health.
The White House is also dealing with a growing outbreak within its walls. On Monday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and two of her deputies came down with COVID-19.
A Biden aide said Harris will continue the Biden campaign’s strategy of homing in on Trump’s failed leadership “which of course includes the handling of COVID-19.”
“Harris has every advantage coming into this debate,” one GOP strategist conceded. “Pence is going to have to try and turn this around all on his own and that’s a pretty daunting situation to be in.”
Wheels up, off to California after adjourning the House until after Election Day. It’s a shameful display of partisanship in the wake of our recovery from the coronavirus. Rather than help small businesses continue to access unused funds from the Paycheck Protection Program, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is willing to block reasonable relief efforts, all in the name of politics. She doesn’t want to risk President Trump and congressional Republicans getting an ounce of credit in the final weeks of this election.
Some things are simply more important than political posturing, like ensuring American small businesses can weather the storm of the coronavirus pandemic. We have unspent funds from the Paycheck Protection Program, a COVID relief program that saved 51 million jobs in the United States, 2 million in Ohio alone. Its authorization is expiring, meaning the program is closing up shop, despite $138 billion left in the coffers.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said Monday that he is displaying mild symptoms after testing positive for COVID-19 last week.
The 61-year-old Democratic governor released a video on Facebook, in which he said he and first lady Pam Northam “continue to make good progress” in their recovery. Northam reported he developed “mild cold-like symptoms” and lost his sense of smell.
“But otherwise, we’re doing well and staying in good spirits,” he said, while sitting next to his dog Pearl.
Northam told The Washington Post in an interview, shortly after the Facebook video went up, that he hasn’t experienced a fever, shortness of breath or coughing and said Pam “is doing well also.” The couple has not received treatment for the virus but are making efforts to keep track of their health and oxygen levels.
The Medicare Open Enrollment Period (OEP) is a very important time for anyone who has a Medicare Advantage or Part D drug plan. Here are some important points.
The OEP begins October 15 and ends December 17. This is your opportunity to review your coverage for next year. Watch for a notice of changes from your plan around October 1. Review the changes and figure out the impact on you. If you are satisfied with the premium, benefits, and costs, don’t do anything and your plan will renew automatically. However, if there are changes that you don’t like or they won’t work for you, review other plans and enroll in one by December 7. The new coverage will begin January 1.
Remember: If you do not take action, you’ll be stuck with whatever coverage you have, come January 1. Pay attention and avoid unpleasant surprises. The donut hole
Those who take costly medications should know about the donut hole.
Its official name is the Coverage Gap. It is the third payment stage in Medicare Part D drug coverage. In 2016, over 5 million beneficiaries hit the donut hole. By design, the beneficiary is responsible for most or all of the costs in this stage. However, discounts were introduced in 2012. In 2020, the donut hole closed and discounts on all medications now and in the future will be 25%.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (October 5, 2020) - Comptroller Peter Franchot announces that Len Foxwell will no longer serve as chief of staff as of today and will separate from the agency at the end of the month.
Comptroller Franchot thanks Mr. Foxwell for his 12 years of dedicated service and contributions to the Comptroller’s Office and the State of Maryland, and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
Emmanuel Welsh will assume the role of acting chief of staff. Mr. Welsh has served as deputy chief of staff since 2016.
President Trump's physician released details about the commander-in-chief's medical condition and treatment Friday, following the bombshell announcement hours earlier that the first couple had been stricken with COVID-19.
On Friday afternoon, Dr. Sean P. Conley, the president’s physician, released an update on the president's condition.
“Following PCR-confirmation of the President’s diagnosis, as a precautionary measure he received a single 8-gram dose of Regeneron’s polyclonal antibody cocktail,” a memo released Friday afternoon by Dr. Sean P. Conley, the president’s physician, stated. "He completed the infusion without incident.”
"In addition tot he polyclonal antibodies, the President has been taking zinc, Vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and a daily aspirin," Conley said.
Conley added that "as of this afternoon, the President remains fatigued but in good spirts."
"He’s being evaluated by a team of experts, and together we’ll be making recommendations to the President and First Lady in regards to next best steps," Conley said.
Conley added that the first lady "remains well with only a mild cough and headache, and the remainder of the First Family are well and tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 today."
In August, pro-life activist David Daleiden told Fox News’s Tucker Carlson that during her time as California’s Attorney General, Kamala Harris used her power to attack his First Amendment rights as an undercover journalist.
Daleiden alleges that Harris conspired with Planned Parenthood to suppress his rights after he released undercover videos showing Planned Parenthood executives discussing the buying and selling of aborted fetal remains.
According to federal law, the buying and selling of human body parts is illegal. Engaging in the traffick of aborted baby body parts is punishable by 10 years in jail and fines up to $500,000.
After a Congressional investigation, Congress made dozens of referrals for criminal and regulatory charges to local authorities against Planned Parenthood.
At the time, Kamala Harris was California’s Attorney General. She had received $15,000 in contributions from Planned Parenthood during her 2014 reelection campaign. Instead of opening an investigation into Planned Parenthood, Harris went after Daleiden. Harris sued Daleiden under a California eavesdropping law that had never been used against an undercover reporter. In addition, she met with 6 Planned Parenthood executives in early 2016 in what Daleiden alleges was a conspiracy to put an end to his investigations and to suppress his First Amendment rights.
“So she used the power of armed law enforcement to crush someone who criticized her donors,” Tucker Carlson concluded in August’s interview.
“Exactly,” Daleiden responded. “Everyone should be afraid,” he said of Harris, and “her radical disrespect and contempt for the First Amendment.”
In response to the videos, both Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation filed lawsuits against Daleiden. Planned Parenthood was awarded $2.2 million by a San Fransisco jury hearing the case last November.
President Trump announced early Friday that both he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and will quarantine at the White House, sending shockwaves through the political universe and igniting an outpouring of support for the first family.
He added: “We will get through this TOGETHER!”
Melania Trump also tweeted, "As too many Americans have done this year, @POTUS & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19. We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together."
