Obama gives amnesty to known gang member, ‘Top Model’ murder suspect

The man accused of murdering a former contestant on “America’s Next Top Model” was already a known gang member when he was approved for President Obama’s amnesty for so-called Dreamers, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee revealed Tuesday.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency charged with approving amnesty applications, admitted it broke its own rules in approving the gang member for tentative legal status, agency chief Leon Rodriguez said in a letter to Sen. Charles E. Grassley.

“Based on standard procedures and processes in place at the time, the [deferred action] request and related employment authorization should not have been approved,” Mr. Rodriguez said in admitting his agency’s catastrophic error in approving Emmanuel Jesus Rangel-Hernandez.

More

5 Years After BP Oil Spill, Effects Linger And Recovery Is Slow

Five years ago, BP's out-of-control oil well deep in the Gulf of Mexico exploded. Eleven workers were killed on the Deepwater Horizon rig. But it was more than a deadly accident — the blast unleashed the nation's worst offshore environmental catastrophe.

In the spring and summer of 2010, oil gushed from the Macondo well for nearly three months. More than 3 million barrels of Louisiana light crude fouled beaches and wetlands from Texas to Florida, affecting wildlife and livelihoods.

Today, the spill's impacts linger.

Buried Oil, Brought Back By The Surf

On a remote string of barrier islands off the Louisiana coast, longtime outdoorsman Bob Marshall, an environmental writer for The Lens, steers his Twin Vee catamaran toward East Grand Terre. Marshall was on this island when the oil hit the shore in 2010.

"I'll never forget the day it came in here," he says. "It was the peak nesting season in April for brown pelicans."

He describes waves of reddish-orange gunk rolling in with the tide.

More

HOUSTON FAMILY BOBBI KRISTINA BREATHING ON HER OWN ...

The Houston family is now changing their tune, saying Bobbi Kristina is OFF life support, but they continue to maintain there's no real hope for recovery.

The Houston family now tells TMZ, Bobbi Kristina is breathing without the assistance of a ventilator. They say, "According to the doctors she's breathing on her own but the trach has to stay."

But the family still maintains Bobbi Kristina has "global and irreversible brain damage and remains unresponsive."

More

O'Malley: America's Economy Needs 'Sensible Rebalancing,' Not 'Pitchforks'

Martin O'Malley, former governor of Maryland, says he'll decide by late May whether he's running for president. Running would put him — even he seems to acknowledge — in an uphill battle against Hillary Clinton, currently the only Democrat who has declared.

O'Malley is positioning himself to Clinton's left, and even President Obama's left.

He's for a much higher minimum wage, and against a major trade deal — the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In an interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep, O'Malley also said he wants to increase Social Security benefits, even though some people would pay more taxes.

Surveys put O'Malley far behind Clinton. But, he's hoping his travels across the country can change that. Last month, he addressed a crowd in Iowa while standing on a chair. Last week, he gave a speech at Harvard. And this week, he's in the early primary state of South Carolina.

"I've been an executive and a progressive executive with a record of accomplishments," the former Baltimore mayor said of the difference between him and Clinton. "I think contrasts will become apparent."

(A full transcript of the discussion is available here.)

More

Willie Nelson says he'll grow, sell 'Willie's Reserve' marijuana in Colorado, Washington

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Country music star Willie Nelson announced plans Monday to roll out his own brand of marijuana, capitalizing on his association with pot and the unofficial stoner holiday, 4/20.

The move makes the 81-year-old "Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die" singer the latest celebrity to jump into the marijuana marketplace.

"Willie's Reserve" will be grown and sold in Colorado and Washington, where recreational pot is legal. Nelson said in a statement that he's "looking forward to working with the best growers in Colorado and Washington to make sure our product is the best on the market."

Nelson joins other famous pot personalities, including rapper Snoop Dogg, who endorses vaporizing products; singer Melissa Etheridge, developing marijuana-infused wine; and reality TV star and self-help guru Bethenny Frankel, who is working on a strain of Skinnygirl weed that wouldn't leave users with the munchies.

More

Somerset County Sheriff's Office Press Release 4-21-15

Mason Dale Wolfe, and Daniel Wayne Wilson of Worcester County, arrested 4-13-15 on warrants regarding theft over $1,000 and theft scheme. Both subjects were later released on a unsecured bond. The arrests were the result of a theft investigation reported by the Westover Scrap Company.

Lavernea Khasjia Michell Hodge of Princess Anne, criminal summons served on 4-3-15  for 2^nddegree assault. Hodge was later released on signature pending court actions.

Bill Hughes Kennedy of Westover, criminal summons served on 4-6-15 for two counts of malicious destruction of property, and trespassing. Kennedy was later released on signature pending court actions.

Vicente Leonardo Hernandez of Princess Anne,  and Shauntice Darlene McCorkle of Suitland Maryland, arrested  4-7-15 for underage possession of alcohol, and furnishing alcohol to someone under the age of 21. Both subjects were later released on signatures pending court actions. The  arrests were the result of a patrol check in the area of Raccoon Point.

Victor Vaughn Armwood Jr. of Princess Anne, arrested 4-7-15 on warrants for failing to appear in court. Armwood was later released to the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office on unrelated warrants.

John Nelson Price of Westover, arrested 4-7-15 on a warrant for 2^nd degree assault, and trespassing. Price was later released on personal recognizance pending court actions.

James Joseph Miskimon of Westover, criminal summons served for malicious destruction, and trespassing. Miskimon was later released on signature pending court actions.

Stephen Wayne Carey Jr. of Eden, arrested 4-9-15 on a warrant for violation of probation. Carey was held on a $20,000 bond.

Nilton Aquino Gonzalez of Baltimore, arrested 4-9-15 on a warrants for violation of probation. Gonzalez was later held without bond.

Thomas Huston Craige 4^th of Princess Anne, arrested 4-11-15 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Craige was held on a $500.00 bond.

Deondre Lamont Dyson of Capital Heights Maryland, arrested 4-12-15 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Dyson was held on a $25,000 bond.

OC Summer Camps

Registration is off and running for Ocean City’s summer youth camp season. Ocean City Recreation and Parks (OCRP) will again offer a large variety of more than 70 different camp sessions for both residents and visitors.

Ocean City’s day camps – both Camp Horizon (ages 5 to 12) and Scamper Camp (ages 3.5 to 5) – continue to be the most popular among residents, as parents choose to rely on the heavy dose of entertainment and social activities administered to their children while they work. Yet, it is the large variety of sports, arts and science camps offered that has gained increasing attention over the past few years among both residents and visitors alike.

“The camps’ growing success may be because the selection of camps was designed to offer maximum variety and flexibility during the summer months when kids are inclined to want to spend some of their free time on Ocean City’s beautiful beach and enjoying its many parks and attractions,” said Recreation Superintendent Kate Gaddis. “But, for those times when families would like to include some more structured “play” or learning in their children’s schedules, we have lot to offer them,” she continued.

Army To Shut Down Some Specialized Care Units For Wounded Warriors

The Army will shut down some of its specialized care units for wounded warriors. The Army says the number of service members with complex physical, mental and emotional wounds has decreased dramatically as wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down. The Army has 25 warrior transition units open. It plans to close 10 of them by next August. Officials said they have the option to re-open them and restart the care if needed. About 3,600 service members are in the care units now.

SPD & WCSO Calls For Service 4-20-15

Homeland Security is wasting a bunch of money on empty flights to deport illegal immigrants

The government wasted more than $41 million by sending illegal immigrants home on empty charter flights in the last 3 ½ years, according to a Homeland Security report released earlier this month.

The report, titled “ICE Air Transportation of Detainees Could Be More Effective,” was first reported Monday by the Washington Post.

The department’s inspector general’s office said in the April 9 report Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, “may have missed opportunities to improve the program’s overall effectiveness even though it has identified some ways to reduce costs associated with detainee transportation.” ICE’s air program had poor planning and management, which contributed to the wasteful spending, the report said.

“As a result, ICE Air operated charter flights with empty seats and could have realized cost savings of up to $41.1 million upon determining optimum flight capacity,” the report’s authors found.

More

OC: Bi-Annual Hydrant Flushing to begin on Sunday, April 26

The Town of Ocean City’s Public Works Department will begin conducting the spring hydrant flushing of the water system beginning Sunday, April 26. The hydrant flushing, which is done bi-annually, will progress from south to north, beginning on South 1st Street and covering several blocks per day. Currently, public works personnel are scheduled to perform the hydrant flushing throughout the late evening and into the early morning, however; circumstances may require those times to change. Residents and businesses are reminded that after flushing there may be a slight discoloration of the water. This is not harmful and will dissipate after a short time. If you wish to clear your pipes, run cold water for several minutes until the water runs clear. The completion of this project is expected to be done by the afternoon on Thursday, April 30. For questions or concerns about the hydrant flushing in your area, please contact the Public Works Water Department at 410.524.8388.

One of investors' greatest fears about betting on China was just confirmed

This story has been developing for months, and it's confirmation of what can go wrong for investors who are making risky bets in an emerging economy.

It's also a reminder that China's economy is slowing, real estate activity is contracting, and developers are financially-stretched.

In a statement from the Hong Kong stock exchange on Monday, Kaisa announced that it did not make an interest payment on either of its bonds due in 2017 or 2018.

The company didn't pay $16.1 million in interest on its 2017 notes, or $35.5 million in interest on its 2018 notes. This $51.6 million missed payment is the first time a Chinese developer has defaulted on US dollar-denominated debts, according to Bloomberg.

Back in January, Kaisa appeared to be on the road to defaulting on its debt, after reports indicated that the company hadn't paid its debt, though company representatives said that they "weren't sure" if the payment was made or not.

More

MORE BLACKS SEE GUNS AS LIFESAVER

Two years after the Newton, Connecticut, school massacre, Americans are coming to appreciate their gun rights more than ever. And despite the billions of dollars spent to convince people otherwise, the idea of more gun control is anathema to most Americans.

Even women and black Americans are less likely to see guns as a safety risk and more likely to view them as protection against crime, according to a Pew Research Center poll.

And for the first time in 25 years, more Americans say that protecting gun rights is more important than controlling gun ownership, 52 percent to 46 percent.

Americans now believe having a gun is the best way to protect against crime, 63 percent to 30 percent, a dramatic shift from 10 years ago.
More

Mark Zuckerberg vs. Barack Obama: guess who’s winning?

After an incredibly pleasant week in Medellin, I departed this morning for Panama where the capital city’s already notoriously painful traffic has become a parking lot in the wake of the Summit of the Americas.

Leaders from most of the Western Hemisphere are here for the summit, including one Barack Hussein Obama.

So you can just imagine the security nightmare. Everything in the city has ground to a halt.

Yet despite all the fanfare for the big bosses who are in attendance, so far it’s been Mark Zuckerberg who has stolen the show.

Yesterday the Facebook co-founder announced that, through his Internet.org foundation, he would provide free Internet access across Panama.

He’s already been doing it successfully in Colombia and several African nations.

More

Wife of ex-Virginia governor: Corruption trial was unfair

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Former Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell’s legal team said in court filings Monday that her convictions on several public corruption charges are based on an overly broad definition of bribery and that she did not receive a fair trial owing to mistakes by the presiding federal judge.

In a 101-page brief filed in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, her attorneys said McDonnell’s convictions should be overturned or that, at minimum, she should be given another trial because of those errors.

McDonnell and her husband, former Gov. Bob McDonnell, were convicted in a joint trial in September of accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from former Star Scientific Inc. CEO Jonnie Williams in exchange for promoting his company’s nutritional supplements.

More

DEVELOPING: Ferguson police are involved in a standoff with a man who barricaded himself after reportedly shooting his brother.

DEVELOPING: Ferguson police are involved in a standoff with a man who barricaded himself after reportedly shooting his brother.

Posted by Fox News on Tuesday, April 21, 2015

PROOF that the US peaked during Ronald Reagan’s presidency

On March 16, 1936, the government of the United States published the very first edition of the Federal Register.

President Roosevelt had been taking a lot of heat over the previous year; under his New Deal program, dozens of government agencies were passing new rules, regulations, and codes at an absolutely feverish pace.

It became impossible for anyone to keep track of them—even the other agencies within the government.

So in the summer of 1935 they created a new law requiring every executive agency to publish a daily, official record of their activities.

This official record was called the Federal Register. And it would contain a complete set of every rule, regulation, code, and proposal issued by each of the executive agencies.

The first edition was published on March 16, 1936. It was sixteen pages.

Every single work day since then, without fail, the government has published the Federal Register.

More

MSP Press Release THREE KILLED IN EARLY MORNING CRASH ON MD 404

Maryland State Police Press Release
04/21/2015

THREE KILLED IN EARLY MORNING CRASH ON MD 404

(Queen Anne’s, MD) – State police are investigating a crash which claimed three lives early this morning, after one of the vehicles drove into oncoming traffic along Route 404 in Talbot County, Maryland.

The people involved are not being identified at this time, pending confirmation of their identities and notifications to next of kin. All were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel from Talbot County. Their bodies have been taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsies. Investigators are able to confirm the deaths of two male drivers and one female passenger. The occupant of the third vehicle was not injured.

A preliminary investigation conducted by the Maryland State Police CRASH Team, with the assistance of troopers from the Easton Barrack, indicates that just before 7:00 a.m. this morning, the driver of a tractor trailer was traveling westbound on MD 404 in the area of Church Lane. For reasons unknown at this time the vehicle crossed the double yellow lines into the eastbound lane, side swiping another tractor trailer. The westbound tractor trailer continues in the eastbound lanes and struck another tractor trailer head on.

After the second collision, both vehicles came to rest on the eastbound side of the road. At that time the tractor trailer burst into flames and became fully engulfed. The driver of the vehicle was unable to exit the vehicle to safety. The driver and passenger of the westbound tractor were unable to get out of their vehicle.

After receiving the 9-1-1 call, troopers from the Easton Barrack responded along with members from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office. Emergency medical personnel were contacted and responded to the crash to assist. Talbot County Fire Department was immediately called and responded to handle the fire.

Due to the severity of the crash, MD Route 404 from U. S. 50 east to Church Lane continues to be closed at this time. The Department of the Environment has responded to address the spill of diesel fuel. Canines were called to the scene to search the area for additional victims. Road closures and detours are being handled State Highway Administration personnel.

Anyone who may have witnessed this crash is asked to contact Trooper First Class Gore at the Easton Barrack at (410) 819-4753.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Governor Hogan Launches New Initiatives To Maximize Resources And Results For Maryland’s Children, Youth, And Families

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Today Governor Larry Hogan charged the Children’s Cabinet with the responsibility of contributing to his goal of an economically secure Maryland by focusing on two new initiatives: 1) Reducing the impact of incarceration on children, families, and communities; and 2) Increasing the number of youth and young adults who are either advancing their educations or engaged in the workforce.
“In order to provide economic stability and opportunity for all of Maryland’s children, youth, and families, I need you to work together to help build a stronger economy in our state,” said Governor Hogan. “I am tasking you with developing, implementing, monitoring, and being successful in a Maryland strategy that will provide critical services to vulnerable families and children. Be results-driven in your thinking. Provide the best return on Maryland's investment.”
“The Children’s Cabinet will move aggressively to break down the 'silos of government,’” said Arlene F. Lee, executive director of the Governor’s Office for Children. "We will work across agencies and with other partners to ensure a more efficient and coordinated use of resources toward the common goals set for us by Governor Hogan.”

It is estimated that on any given day, approximately 90,000 children in Maryland have a parent under some form of correctional supervision -- parole, probation, jail or prison -- and most reside in Baltimore City. One in 10 teenagers and young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 is either not working or not in school, with the highest percentages located in Worcester County, Caroline County, Baltimore City, Washington County, and Dorchester County.
The Children’s Cabinet, established in 1988, is chaired by the executive director of the Governor’s Office for Children, and made up of the superintendent of the Department of Education and the secretaries of the Departments of Budget and Management, Disabilities, Health and Mental Hygiene, Human Resources, and Juvenile Services. The purpose of the Children’s Cabinet is to ensure the effective, efficient, coordinated, and comprehensive delivery of services.
Governor Hogan also reaffirmed two other Children’s Cabinet initiatives – reducing the incidence of childhood hunger and youth homelessness, ongoing statewide activities established in the two previous administrations. 

US government was more forgiving of the Nazis than its own citizens

70 years ago, the United States of America had just emerged from World War II as the most dominant superpower in the world.

At that point America’s economy was the only one left standing.

And the US government had essentially dictated terms in establishing a new global financial system (known as the Bretton Woods agreement).

Doing so thrust the dollar at the center of world trade and banking.

Suddenly every government, central bank, and major corporation needed to hold and transact in US dollars… and to establish a banking relationship in the United States.

This gave the United States a tremendous amount of power—power they respected and never abused.

At the same same time, high ranking members of the Nazi party had fled to the four corners of the world, often with a vast treasure trove stashed away at Swiss banks.

Most of this wealth was acquired through mass genocide. And yet Switzerland’s secrecy laws protected Nazi clients from having their information turned over to authorities.

No one pressed the issue further.

Think about it—the US government could have done something.

More