Protected Aquatic Wildlife Among Maryland’s Summer Visitors

Marine Mammal, Sea Turtle Strandings Should be Reported

As warm weather settles in and the days grow longer, Maryland’s waters become a destination not for just humans, but also marine animals.
 

In the past century, 23 different species of marine mammals and sea turtles have been documented in and around state waters. Visitors include bottlenose dolphins, loggerhead turtles, humpback whales, harp seals and manatees.

“While these marine animals are an awesome sight, sometimes they can be disoriented and lost, leading to a marine mammal or sea turtle stranding,” Maryland Department of Natural Resources State Fish and Wildlife Veterinarian Cindy Driscoll said. “It is important that the public understand that some of these animals are protected by law and should be treated with care and compassion.”

Portland GOP Chair Explains Why They're Considering Using a 'Security Force' to Protect Free Speech

It's been quite a week here in Portland. First, there was the tragic murder of two men attempting to protect two girls, one of whom was a Muslim, from a knife-wielding maniac who was screaming insane white supremacist and ethnic slurs. In response, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler pleaded with federal authorities to revoke the permit for a pro-Trump, pro-free speech rally (it's in a federal park, so the city has no jurisdiction to revoke the permit).

Now, in response to this latest episode of the city's failure to protect the First Amendment rights of those with which the city disagrees (see, for instance, the riots that were allowed to rage uncontrolled after Trump was elected, and the threats to the Multnomah County GOP that got an entire parade canceled), the chair of the Multnomah County Republican Party responded in an interview by saying that if Portland would not guarantee security for Republican Party attendees at public events -- events in which they've participated peacefully for years -- they would consider bringing in Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters group to handle security. The liberal world exploded at that musing from the chair, as the media descended to describe these groups as "paramilitary white supremacist anti-government hate groups" (using the Southern Poverty Law Center's definition).

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Horseshoe Crab Migration Begins in Maryland

Through the month of June, visitors to Maryland’s beaches can expect an astonishing sight – millions of horseshoe crabs will make their annual pilgrimage from the Atlantic Ocean to our shores.

Dating back at least 350 million years, it’s one of the largest spawning events of horseshoe crabs in the world.

To ensure the horseshoe crab has a chance of survival, Marylanders can do their part in helping protect this valuable species. Anyone who spots a horseshoe crab flipped on its back is asked to gently flip the crab over so it can return to the wild. The best practice for flipping over a horseshoe crab is to pick the crab by its sides, not by its tail. While the horseshoe crab may look menacing, they are actually very gentle creatures and do not bite.

“This ancient species isn’t the most nimble creature, and their short legs don’t do the best job of helping them right themselves,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources biologist Steve Doctor, who conducts an annual survey of horseshoe crabs.

The species is important to Maryland’s ecosystem. Horseshoe crab eggs are a vital source of food for millions of fauna, including migrating shore birds, blue crabs, white perch and striped bass. Also, adult horseshoe crab blood has been found to be a vital resource in medical products and research.

The largest numbers of horseshoe crabs can likely be found on or around the full moon, which takes place June 9, or the new moon June 23. During this spawning period an individual horseshoe crab could lay nearly 20,000 eggs on Maryland’s beaches and shores.

Illinois Seeks 20 Percent 'Privilege Tax' on Financial Advice

The word "privilege" is starting to cause a visceral reaction in me. Class warfare is alive and well, legalizing theft is an increasingly popular idea, and criminalizing expertise is called "progressive."

The state of Illinois is considering a whopping 20 percent "privilege tax" on financial advice:

The Illinois bill would put a 20% levy on fees earned by investment advisers. It passed the state Senate in a 32-24 vote Tuesday, and backers are hoping to get it through the House before the legislative session ends May 31.

The new tax is pitched as a way to squeeze more revenue -- as much as $1.7 billion a year -- from hedge funds and private-equity firms, which purportedly get off easy on their federal taxes because of the “carried interest loophole.” But under the current version of the bill, Illinois would keep collecting the privilege tax even if Congress were to cease taxing carried interest at the lower capital-gains rate.

Liberal groups are also hoping -- probably in vain -- that a multistate agreement will prevent financial firms from simply decamping to friendlier climes. An earlier version of the Illinois proposal included a provision so that the 20% tax would take effect only if and when New York, New Jersey and Connecticut enacted similar measures. But the bill as written now would impose the tax regardless, and lawmakers will simply have to hope other states follow suit.

Yet who says financiers can’t do their jobs just as well in Palm Beach, Fla. -- or London, Zurich or Hong Kong? The progressives peddling this idea don’t understand that Chicago competes for these businesses not only with New York and Greenwich, Conn., but with anywhere that can offer cellphone service and an internet connection. Finance is international and highly mobile.

Precisely. Thank goodness for the Law of Unintended Consequences.

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Maryland state senator federally indicted on wire fraud charges

BALTIMORE —A federal grand jury has indicted a longtime Maryland lawmaker for allegedly accepting illegal payments in exchange for using his official position or influence to benefit an individual on business-related matters, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

State Sen. Nathaniel Thomas Oaks (D-Baltimore City), 70, is charged with wire fraud, honest services wire fraud and violations of the Travel Act in connection to his actions.

The indictment on Wednesday comes a little less than two months after a criminal complaint was filed against Oaks.

Court records showed Oaks was introduced to an FBI source by another cooperating individual. The source portrayed himself as an out-of-town businessperson interested in obtaining contracts in Baltimore through a minority-owned business.

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Here's What Federal Regulations Cost Your Family This Year

Anyone who has ever traveled to Washington, D.C.m knows that as majestic as the White House and the U.S. Capitol are, they are a mere fraction of the federal government. Alphabet soup departments like the EPA, IRS, VA, HHS, DOE, and others most Americans have never heard of take up space in the capital and amount to a hidden regulatory tax on all Americans.

In fact, a new report estimated that if the costs of federal regulation flowed down to U.S. households, the average American family would pay $14,809 annually in a hidden regulatory tax. That's $14,809 in addition to income taxes, state taxes, and Social Security. $14,809 in addition to sales taxes, property taxes, and even estate taxes — where the government taxes you for being dead.

"That amounts to 21 percent of the average income of $69,629 and 26.45 percent of the expenditure budget of $55,978," wrote Clyde Wayne Crews, Jr., vice president for policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, in the report "Ten Thousand Commandments" released Wednesday.

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Quieter Memorial Day weekend in OC

Although rain and overcasts skies dampened aspects of the Memorial Day weekend, Ocean City officials say the hundreds of thousands of people who came to the beach still kept the resort busy.

“It was a relatively calm weekend. The weather helped with that,” Beach Patrol Captain Butch Arbin said. “The water was warmer and the surf wasn’t rough. But it was still too cold for some people to go in.”

Lifeguards were in the stands for the first time this summer, as close to 100 surf rescue technicians were on the beach during the weekend. Arbin said roughly 43 of them were trainees.

“It usually works out the Memorial Day is perfect for training. There were a couple rescues, but nothing serious happened,” he said.

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Rachel Maddow Show: Advertisers and contact information

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Corp Offices 202-434-2277

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Reports: U.S. might return Eastern Shore compound to Russians

CENTREVILLE, Md. —U.S. officials said they're holding high-level negotiations with Moscow that could result in returning two Russian compounds, including one on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

The 45-acre compound in Centreville is one of two shut down in December by the Obama administration as payback for Moscow's alleged election meddling.

According to reports, the Trump administration is ready to hand the retreats back to Russia.

Residents on the Eastern Shore simply knew the people using the now-closed compound as neighbors.

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Conservative Activists Target Maddow Advertisers

Conservative activists decided to turn the tables on liberals and target advertisers of popular MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.

Following a Media Matters campaign that led to an advertiser boycott of Fox News host Sean Hannity, the Media Research Center (MRC) and Media Equalizer countered with a campaign against the liberal Maddow.

Media Matters published the list of Hannity’s advertisers to pressure the host after he raised suspicions about the murder of Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich that critics panned as conspiracy theory. Hannity lost over a handful of advertisers after the list was posted.

Media Equalizer returned the favor Tuesday and published the list of Maddow’s advertisers.

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Paris Climate Agreement

The Paris Agreement for download and read!

DNC Data Director: Hillary Claims Are ‘F**king Bulls**t’

The former director of data science at the Democratic National Committee blasted Hillary Clinton on Twitter after she tried to blame the DNC for her electoral defeat.

Clinton claimed Wednesday that the DNC fell far behind the RNC in terms of voter and data analysis, saying the DNC’s data was “mediocre to poor, nonexistent, wrong.” (VIDEO: Bitter Hillary Clinton Is Now Blaming Inept DNC For Election Loss)

“I had to inject money into it,” she said.

Andrew Therriault, the former director of data science for the DNC, called those claims “fucking bullshit.”

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Rescued Seal On Mend At Aquarium

OCEAN CITY — A female juvenile grey seal affectionately known now as “Luna Lovegood,” rescued from the beach in Ocean City, was admitted to the National Aquarium’s Animal Care Center last week and is on the mend, although she still has a long way to go.

Last Tuesday, the seal was found stranded and suffering from a case of pneumonia and lacerations which appear to be bite wounds. After a thorough examination at the National Aquarium, the Animal Rescue and Animal Care teams also diagnosed her with a case of lungworms and dehydration.

The rescued seal has been nicknamed Luna Lovegood based on a character from the Harry Potter series. Each year, the National Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) picks a theme for the dozens of marine mammals rescued up and down the east coast and admitted to the facility for treatment and this year’s theme is characters from the popular Harry Potter series. For example, several sea turtles rescued in the fall have been named from the theme including Harry, Hermione and Ron.

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Joe Biden launches political action committee

Joe Biden has launched a new PAC, stirring speculation that the two-time 74-year old candidate is making preparations for a 2020 run despite his denials.

Biden, who would be 77 on Election Day in 2020, announced the new PAC in an email. He is calling the PAC 'American Possibilities.

'The history of this nation is one of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. And that's who we still are,' Biden wrote in an email to supporters, NBC News reported.

'That's why the negativity, the pettiness, the small-mindedness of our politics drives me crazy. It's not who we are.'

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Trump: Paris deal was 'massive redistribution of United States wealth'

President Trump said Thursday that he had decided to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate deal because it imposed unfair restrictions on American energy while allowing other signatories to develop theirs.

"We have among the most abundant energy reserves on the planet," Trump said during a speech delivered at the White House. "Yet under this agreement we are effectively putting these reserves under lock and key."

Trump said he was willing to work with Democrats to re-enter the Paris pact or craft "something that's much better than the Paris accord," but only on terms that proved more favorable to the American economy.

"The reality is that withdrawing is in America's economic interest and won't matter much to the climate," Trump said. "We will be environmentally friendly, but we're not going to put our businesses out of work."

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20 arrested during immigration protest at White House

WASHINGTON — Twenty protesters were arrested outside the White House during an immigration demonstration on Thursday.

Members of area churches and CASA members were among the 100 to 200 activists protesting the Trump administration’s approach to immigration, which they called “inhumane.”

Alma Couverthie, senior director of organization for CASA of Maryland, said the case of Liliana Mendez highlights their concerns.

The Falls Church woman was targeted for deportation after living in the United States for more than a decade illegally. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe got involved in the case, pardoning Mendez for a traffic infraction on her record in hopes of delaying her deportation.

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Coaching Overdose Survivors to Avoid the Next One

NEW YORK — Five months into his job at a 24-hour walk-in behavioral health center here on Staten Island, Tarik Arafat has a new assignment. In three weeks, he’ll be on call for a nearby hospital to counsel people who have just been revived from an opioid overdose.

In recovery from drug addiction himself, Arafat, 25, said he understands why someone in a brightly lit emergency room who uses drugs would be more comfortable talking to him than to a medical professional. “My job is to open myself up and be like a toolbox for them,” he said.

Arafat’s mission, and that of other so-called recovery coaches, is not to convince overdose survivors to get into treatment, but to offer them advice on how to get started once they’ve decided they’re ready to quit. If they’re not interested in that moment, he’ll follow up with phone calls to see how they’re doing after they leave the hospital. He’ll also advise them on how to use drugs more safely, if that’s what they choose to do.

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Millsboro Man Charged with Unlawful Sexual Contact at Ambulance Station

Millsboro - The Delaware State Police have arrested a Millsboro man following an investigation into an alleged sexual harassment complaint.

The investigation began on Sunday May 28, 2017 when a 25-year-old female victim contacted Troop 7 in Lewes to report a sexual harassment complaint that took place back in the beginning of the month on Tuesday May 2, 2017. The victim advised she was working at Mid-Sussex Rescue Squad, located on Indian Mission Road, along with four other Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) including Jerry A. Johnson, 46 of Millsboro. While the four were in an office, a medical call came in and two of the EMTs left the office, leaving Johnson and the victim alone. At that point, Johnson suggested the female victim lift her shirt up to show him her breasts. The victim refused and Johnson continued to ask several more times, each time refusing his request. Feeling uncomfortable, the female left the office and started to walk down a set of stairs to the Crew Room where Johnson followed her. Once in the Crew Room, Johnson repeatedly asked her to show him her breasts and then grabbed her shirt and pulled it from her waistline, exposing her breasts, and then groped her. The victim gained her composure and pushed Johnson away before walking away.

The victim made two complaints about the incident to the President of the station on May 23rd and May 28th, but received no response.

On Monday May 29, 2017, Jerry Johnson turned himself in to troopers at Troop 7 and was charged with Unlawful Sexual Contact 3rd and Sexual Harassment. He was arraigned at JP3 and released on $600.00 unsecured bond.

Please contact Mid-Sussex Rescue Squad for any information regarding his employment.

If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and are in need of assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit/Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll-free hotline

1800 VICTIM-1. (1800 842-8461). You may also email the unit Director at debra.reed@state.de.us.

Do White Americans Have White Privilege?

O'Malley makes the case for Hogan's reforms

How the courts will react to a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Maryland's redistricting process, we can't say. The Supreme Court did recently strike down some of the congressional district boundaries in North Carolina, but that was on the relatively well-trodden ground of racial discrimination in redistricting. Maryland's case, and a few others percolating around the nation, rests on the argument that it is also unconstitutional to discriminate against members of a particular political party — in this state, Republicans, and in another case that's getting a lot of attention out of Wisconsin, Democrats. Justice Anthony Kennedy, considered a swing vote on the matter, expressed some willingness to consider partisan redistricting claims in a previous opinion, but whether the Maryland case or some other will present a viable standard for determining what is and isn't out of bounds is anybody's guess.

Nonetheless, Democratic lawmakers in Annapolis ought to give a good read to the deposition former Gov. Martin O'Malley made in the lawsuit, which was entered into the court file this week. The fact that he and others used the process to try to squeeze out one more Democratic seat in Maryland's delegation to the House of Representatives is no surprise. It was obvious at the time that the lines were drawn, and Mr. O'Malley has subsequently admitted it (and expressed regret for it). But we would ask the Democrats who have steadfastly blocked Republican Gov. Larry Hogan's efforts to institute non-partisan redistricting in Maryland to read through Mr. O'Malley's explanation of the process and imagine a second-term Mr. Hogan acting in his place the next time Maryland's lines are redrawn after the 2020 census.

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