Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Saturday, July 25, 2015

HHS Rejects Planned Parenthood FOIA Request Because It’s ‘Not Newsworthy’

Earlier this week, Mary Hasson broke the news at the Federalist that federal funds went to Planned Parenthood’s salad-munching, wine-sipping, organ-harvesting Dr. Deborah Nucatola for advice on “healthy baby” births.

Hasson requested all communications and documents relevant to any payments to or compensation of fees, consultant fees, reimbursements, etc. to Deborah Nucatola, MD, a Planned Parenthood employee. And she requested that the documents be sent as soon as possible.

The Freedom of Information Act requires the federal government to be transparent, but successfully receiving information from the Obama Administration has gone so poorly — even more poorly than previous administrations — that many media outlets have resorted to suing the federal government to get them to respond to FOIA requests.

Since FOIA requests can routinely take years to fulfill, if they’re ever filled, Hasson requested that the Health and Human Services FOIA office expedite her request.

HHS denied her request for expedited information on the compensation and payments given to Nucatola. They claimed it didn’t fit the public’s “urgent” right to know.

More here

Carson: Experimenting With Failed Socialism (Again)

Remember busing, that brilliant social experiment that was to usher in a new era of racial utopia in America? Undaunted by the failed socialist experiments of the 1980s, the Obama administration has recently implemented a new Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rule designed to “desegregate” housing by withholding funds from communities that fail to demonstrate their projects “affirmatively further” fair housing.

To place this in context, it’s useful to look back at the failure of school busing. After Brown v. Board of Education effectively ended de jure discrimination in public accommodations from schools to housing, many whites in the South continued to flout Brown and did everything they could to keep blacks out of all-white high schools.

In response, various municipalities mandated busing as a means of forcibly integrating public education and — by fiat — ensuring that educational funding was not unequally distributed based on race. The rationale was that if white parents had to send their children to black schools, they would help to ensure that those schools were better equipped.

But by almost every objective, the experiment failed. Not only was there no real statistical improvement in school integration (the percentage of blacks attending majority black schools from 1972 to 1980 moved from 63.6 percent to 63.3 percent), but the program was unpopular among both blacks and whites.

More here

New York Times Stealth-Edits Clinton Email Story at Her Command

On Thursday evening, the New York Times broke a bombshell story that could spell doom for Hillary Clinton’s already-faltering campaign. The headline read, “Criminal Inquiry Sought in Hillary Clinton’s Use of Email.”

The article began as follows: “Two inspectors general have asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into whether Hillary Rodham Clinton mishandled sensitive government information on a private email account she used as secretary of state, senior government officials said Thursday.”

But suddenly, without notice to readers or attribution, the headline was changed to, “Criminal Inquiry Is Sought in Clinton Email Account.”

More

New Yorkers to Schumer: Kill the Iran Deal or Find a New Job

Waving signs reading “Schumer—You Are No Shomer” and “Schumer—You Control the Votes to Stop the Iran Deal,” thousands of New Yorkers flooded Times Square on Wednesday evening to call on Congress to reject the Obama administration’s Iranian nuclear agreement.

The rally, organized by the Jewish Rapid Response Coalition in partnership with dozens of U.S. pro-Israel groups, featured speeches by former New York Gov. George Pataki, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, former Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, and Rep. Trent Franks (R., Ariz.), among others.

The crowd, estimated at 10,000 by event organizers, stretched over seven city blocks.

Congress has 60 days to review—and potentially reject—the Iran nuclear deal reached by the Obama administration. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), who will likely be his party’s next Senate leader, is seen as a key figure that can influence Democratic votes on the issue.

“This is the day Chuck Schumer has two choices,” said former Pataki aide and event organizer Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, to applause from the crowd. “He will round up the votes in the Senate to help kill this agreement before it kills us and our allies. … If he doesn’t do that, we will remember.”

Read more here

Hillary's email troubles deepen

Federal officials on Friday confirmed they have been asked to investigate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of State, deepening the political controversy surrounding the 2016 Democratic front-runner.

Clinton and her team fiercely pushed back at reports that two inspectors general have asked the Justice Department to look into whether sensitive information was mishandled in connection with her private account.

“Maybe the heat is getting to everybody,” Clinton quipped during an economic address in New York City in which she decried “inaccuracies” in the reports.

More

Obama Restricts Investigative Powers Of Inspectors General

The Obama administration formally announced inspectors general will have to be granted permission by their agency heads to gain access to grand jury, wiretap and fair credit information – an action that severely limits the watchdogs oversight capabilities, independence, and power to uncover fraud.

An opinion, issued by the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel, says the Inspector General (IG) Act of 1978 – which was written by Congress to create the government watchdogs in order to help maintain integrity within their agencies – does not have the authority to override nondisclosure provisions in other laws, most notably in regards to grand jury, wiretap or fair credit information.

“In reaching these conclusions, our Office ‘s role has not been to decide what access [inspector generals] should receive as a matter of policy. Rather, we have endeavored to determine as a matter of law, using established tools of statutory construction, how best to reconcile the strong privacy protections…with the interest in access reflected in.. the IG Act,” OLC’s opinion, dated July 20 and released Thursday reads.

“I strongly disagree with the OLC opinion,” Michael Horowitz, the DOJ’s inspector general said in a statement. “Congress meant what it said when it authorized Inspectors General to independently access ‘all’ documents necessary to conduct effective oversight.

More here

CENTREVILLE TO CREATE STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The Town of Centreville will create a strategic plan for economic development with help from the State of Maryland.

The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) has approved a $15,000 conditional grant to the Town, through the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Authority and Fund (MEDAAF), to help fund the plan. To assist with project costs, the town will provide a matching contribution of $15,000.

“The State is pleased to partner with the Town of Centreville to support their strategic plan for economic development, which will establish a clear framework for attracting and retaining businesses and promoting their key assets,” said DBED Secretary Mike Gill. “Our goal at DBED is to work with all regions of the state to help them grow jobs, add new businesses and increase their competitive advantage.”

More

Hillary Defends Planned Parenthood

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday said the outcry over Planned Parenthood selling fetal organs was an “attack on a woman’s right to choose,” breaking two weeks of silence since hidden-camera videos exposed the group’s executives trading in unborn body parts.

“I think it is unfortunate that Planned Parenthood has been the object of such a concerted attack for so many years and it’s really an attack against a woman’s right to choose,” Mrs. Clinton said when asked about the controversy at a town hall-style meeting in Greenville, South Carolina.

Mrs. Clinton had refused to answer questions about the two videos, which were shot by an anti-abortion activist in an elaborate sting operation, until asked about it by an audience member at the event at at Greenville Technical College.

More here

Democrats Introduce Sweeping LGBT Protection Bill

On the heels of last month’s Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, congressional Democrats introduced new legislation to prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity Thursday afternoon.

Dubbed the “Equality Act,” the bill would offer federal protections in jobs, housing, public accommodations, education, banking and access to public assistance programs. It also specifically prohibits claims of religious belief under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act as a defense for discrimination.

There are 31 states without workplace, employment and housing protections for sexual identity, said Rep. David N. Cicilline, Rhode Island Democrat and one of the top sponsors. This bill would affect those states and ensure they provide equal protections.

More

Watch How Bobby Jindal Responds to Reporter Who Asks Him About Gun Control the Day After Lafayette Shooting

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal pushed back against a reporter who asked about gun control during a Friday press conference on the Lafayette, Louisiana, movie theater shooting that left three people dead, including the shooter.

Jindal told the reporter it’s inappropriate to interject politics and discuss gun control so soon after the tragedy.

“Now is not the time,” he said. “Let us bury our dead, let us mourn.”

He added, “I’ll talk policy and politics in a couple of days.”

More

2 Dead, 5 Injured Following Multiple Shootings In Baltimore

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—City police are investigating six shooting incidents on Saturday afternoon after two people are killed, five of them injured, on the streets of Baltimore since Friday night.

Police say they responded around 10:00 p.m. Friday to the 4000 block of York Road for a reported shooting. At the scene a woman was found suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. A second female also walked into the hospital with a graze wound to her leg. Both are expected to survive.

An hour and a half later, in the 2300 block of Harford Road, police say a man was shot multiple times. He later died at the hospital.

No less than 5 minutes after the Harford Road shooting, police say they responded at 11:38 p.m. to the 800 block of E. Belvedere Ave. where detectives located a man suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso. The victim was transported to the hospital; his condition is unknown at this time.

More

Pelosi Wants DOJ Probe Over Planned Parenthood Sting

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi joined several Democrats Thursday in calling for a federal investigation into the Center for Medical Progress, the nonprofit group responsible for leaking secretly recorded conversations with Planned Parenthood executives.

“Let’s have an investigation of those people who were trying to ensnare Planned Parenthood in a controversy that doesn’t exist,” Ms. Pelosi said, The Hill reported.

“Planned Parenthood has said that they have done nothing illegal,” she added. “They do not ever charge, which would be illegal, for fetal tissue. They have only defrayed the cost of mailing that to someone, which is not breaking the law.”

More here

Theater gunman known as angry man with radical views

For decades before he opened fire in a Louisiana movie theater and killed two people, John Russell Houser was known as a man prone to anger, a loudmouth provocateur never afraid to share his opinion.

His family said they feared him so much they hid his guns and had him hospitalized. A local TV host frequently invited him as a guest, knowing he’d be a lightning rod who could light up the phone lines with rants against abortion and working women. In one prominent fight with local officials, he unfurled a 6-foot-by-6-foot banner outside his west Georgia bar picturing a swastika surrounded by the words, “Welcome to LaGrange.”

“He was the kind of guy who would say, ‘I’m going to get you,’ but then again you get that a lot in local politics,” said Jeff Hardin, former mayor of Phenix City, Alabama. For years, Houser lived and worked there and neighboring Columbus, Georgia.

More

Obama Shielding 80 Percent of Nation’s Illegals From Deportation

President Obama’s executive actions on immigration shield more than 80 percent of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country from any danger of being deported, a top immigration think tank reported Thursday.

As part of his November amnesty Mr. Obama announced a program to proactively grant a temporary deportation amnesty to as many as 5 million illegal immigrants. But he also directed immigration agents not to bother deporting millions of others, even though they weren’t eligible for the official amnesty, which grants work permits and other benefits.

More

Maryland granted new three-year waiver for No Child Left Behind

Maryland State Superintendent Lillian M. Lowery
Maryland received a new three-year waiver Thursday from the Department of Education for the federal No Child Left Behind law, providing the state flexibility in meeting some of the act's strict requirements.

The decision, which extends the waiver the state first received in 2012, "allows school districts to look at accountability in a different way and spend more time making sure every student is improving instead of focusing on the bureaucratic process," said Jack Smith, chief academic officer for the Maryland State Department of Education.

Federal officials notified the state of the waiver in a letter to state schools Superintendent Lillian Lowery.

More

Clinton's Conspiracy of Secrecy Worthy of Criminal Probe

Who will Hillary Clinton blame now?

That was my first reaction to this New York Times story:

Two inspectors general have asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into whether sensitive government information was mishandled in connection with the personal email account Hillary Rodham Clinton used as secretary of state, senior government officials said Thursday.

The answer came quickly (that's why they call it "rapid response") from campaign spokesmanNick Merrill.

"Contrary to the initial story, which has already been significantly revised, she followed appropriate practices in dealing with classified materials. As has been reported on multiple occasions, any released emails deemed classified by the administration have been done so after the fact, and not at the time they were transmitted."

More

OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE INPUT TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR AUG. 11

Board of Education Seeks Input on Boundary Adjustment, Learning Materials Prior to Aug. 11 Board Meeting


The Wicomico County Board of Education is seeking public input on several items approved on 1st reading at its July Board meeting. The Board is scheduled to have a 2nd reading and final vote on at the Aug. 11 Board meeting. To learn more please visit the school system website: http://wcboe.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=3063562&pageId=5408859

Details on these items are posted with the July 14 meeting agenda at https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/wcboe/Board.nsf/Public

West Salisbury/North Salisbury/Delmar Boundary Adjustment. The Superintendent recommends adjusting the boundary line for the West Salisbury/North Salisbury and Delmar Elementary attendance areas to include all of the Pond’s Edge Subdivision in the West Salisbury/North Salisbury attendance area. The adjustment would not affect any current students, as it addresses the attendance area for the not yet developed second phase of Pond’s Edge, the first phase of which is located in the West Salisbury/North Salisbury attendance area. Wicomico’s attendance area guidelines specify that boundary lines should not divide a subdivision. The Superintendent recommends approval of the boundary adjustment, which is detailed in the document posted with the agenda on BoardDocs. Contact: Andrea Douling, secretary to the Superintendent, 410-677-4495, adouling@wcboe.org

"Other People's Money" Is Running Out

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money,” Margaret Thatcher once said.

Apparently that’s becoming a problem here in the “land of the free,” too. Except it’s no longer “eventually.” It’s next year.

The federal government’s first entitlement land mine – the ever-expanding Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) trust fund – is going to run out of money in late 2016. For those of you calendar-challenged, that’s smack dab in the middle of the next presidential campaign.

Fun!

According to Social Security trustees, the fund “now faces an urgent threat of reserve depletion, requiring prompt corrective action by lawmakers if sudden reductions or interruptions in benefit payments are to be avoided.”

“While legislation is needed to address all of Social Security’s financial imbalances, the need has become urgent with respect to the program’s disability insurance component,” the trustees stated. “Lawmakers need to act soon to avoid automatic reductions in payments to DI beneficiaries in late 2016.”

A total of 11 million Americans currently receive an average monthly benefit of $1,017 from this program. That pool of dependents has soared in recent years, too.

More

Theatre Announces Fifth Annual Free Shakespeare Tour

BERLIN — Brown Box Theatre Project will bring its 5th Annual Free Shakespeare Tour to over 20 locations throughout Massachusetts and Maryland.

In a continued commitment to providing high-quality free and affordable theatre to communities that crave the performing arts, Brown Box Theatre Project will perform “The Taming of the Shrew” at various locations around Boston and Delmarva from Aug. 21 through Sept. 20.

Deception and desire abound in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, when Christopher Sly, a tinker tricked into believing himself a nobleman, is treated to a play wherein an ornery and willful woman is “tamed” and men will stop at nothing to claim their love. The familiar story is re-imagined through a cast of characters comprised of nine women and one man, who together weave in and out of Shakespeare’s layered world to create a fresh and surprising theatrical experience for all audiences.

More

Veterans Office Hours

As Vice President Biden often says, our nation’s one truly sacred obligation is to prepare and equip those we send into harm’s way, and to care for them when they come home. The long wait times and culture of negligence at the Department of Veterans Affairs are simply unacceptable.

That’s why I’m hosting a series of Veterans Office Hours around the state. If you, or a veteran you know, is in need of assistance, I hope you’ll join me for my Veterans Office Hours on:

Monday, July 27
10:00 am -12:00 pm

Millsboro American Legion
13768 Legion Road
Millsboro, DE 19966
Map It!

These sessions help veterans cut through the red tape by connecting them directly with representatives from my office, the VA, and other service organizations. The Office Hours have also given me the opportunity to speak to folks about the problems they’re running into at the VA, so I can address these issues head on. If you aren’t able to attend the Office Hours, I hope you’ll join me on the phone for a Telephone Town Hall on July 27. To sign up visit my websitehere, and to find out more information on these events you can visit my Facebook page by clicking below.

An evening recognizing the women who make Maryland great while raising funds to end MS

ATTN ALL: WE WANT PICTURES AND TAG NUMBERS THE NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS

Joe.. I was just at best buy at 2:30 today. When I pulled up there was a black extended cab truck with black interior with windows 1/4 the way down and a beautiful chocolate lab panting. I spent a half an hour in the store and when I came out he was still there. So I called the police. There was a Manger outside on break and I yelled to him to find the owner. He went in and came out with a bowl of water. I tried give him the water through the window and he was just sitting there panting and not moving. Just as the owe came out the animal control shows up. It has now been 50 minutes. The owner wanted to argue with me that he had just check on his dog which was a flat out lie. And then to my surprise Animal Control didn't even make him open his door and check on the dog. He just gave him a speech that it is a violation after 20 minutes looked at me and didn't thank me but said the dog is fine and left. This makes me sick. There were plenty of witnesses to very how long I was there trying to help him. Thank you Animal Control for such concern. Sorry I had you come out in this 90 degree weather. And to the smart ass that pimp that rode by to tell me to mind my business. ...kiss my ass!

FLASH: Two Nonpartisan IG Offices Request Criminal Probe into Hillary's Email Use

Things just got serious:

Two inspectors general have asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into whether Hillary Rodham Clinton mishandled sensitive government information on a private email account she used as secretary of state, senior government officials said Thursday. The request follows an assessment in a June 29 memo by the inspectors general for the State Department and the intelligence agencies that Mrs. Clinton’s private account contained “hundreds of potentially classified emails.” The memo was written to Patrick F. Kennedy, the under secretary of state for management. It is not clear if any of the information in the emails was marked as classified by the State Department when Mrs. Clinton sent or received them. But since her use of a private email account for official State Department business was revealed in March, she has repeatedly said that she had no classified information on the account.

Well, she's "repeatedly said" a lot of things regarding her improper email arrangement, many of which are verifiably false. I've long argued that the national security risk of her woefully under-secured server was the most troubling aspect of this story, with various experts having concluded that her messages were almost certainly penetrated by foreign governments and intelligence agencies. Mrs. Clinton claims she had no classified information on the account. At least two Inspectors General offices appear to have questions about the veracity of that claim. Keep reading below, or just think about it for a moment: She used this server for all of her business, including public business as America's top diplomat. Given how reckless she's been, and her utter disregard for the rules, how likely is it that she scrupulously avoided exchanging any classified material through that server -- the whole ostensible (and debunked) purpose of which was having the convenience of streamlining all correspondence onto one device? Remember, Clinton's team unilaterally deleted more than 30,000 emails from her server with no independent oversight. We know for a fact that they destroyed non-personal, work-related emails, counter to her claims. Given all of this evidence, these nonpartisan watchdogs have determined that it's high time for a full-blown criminal investigation into the matter. More from the Times:

More

New York Times Alters Clinton Email Story

The New York Times made small but significant changes to an exclusive report about a potential criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton's State Department email account late Thursday night, but provided no notification of or explanation for of the changes.

The paper initially reported that two inspectors general have asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation "into whether Hillary Rodham Clinton mishandled sensitive government information on a private email account she used as secretary of state."

That clause, which cast Clinton as the target of the potential criminal probe, was later changed: the inspectors general now were asking for an inquiry "into whether sensitive government information was mishandled in connection with the personal email account Hillary Rodham Clinton used as secretary of state."

The Times also changed the headline of the story, from "Criminal Inquiry Sought in Hillary Clinton’s Use of Email" to "Criminal Inquiry Is Sought in Clinton Email Account," reflecting a similar recasting of Clinton's possible role. The article's URL was also changed to reflect the new headline.

As of early Friday morning, the Times article contained no update, notification, clarification or correction regarding the changes made to the article.

One of the reporters of the story, Michael Schmidt, explained early Friday that the Clinton campaign had complained about the story to the Times.

“It was a response to complaints we received from the Clinton camp that we thought were reasonable, and we made them,” Schmidt said.

More here

Boehner to Hillary: 'Immediately' Turn Over Email Server

Speaker of the House John Boehner is calling on Hillary Clinton to turn over her private email server "immediately."

“Two inspector generals appointed by President Obama have now called on the Justice Department to investigate Secretary Clinton’s mishandling of classified email. If Secretary Clinton truly has nothing to hide, she can prove it by immediately turning over her server to the proper authorities and allowing them to examine the complete record," Boehner says in a statement to the press.

More

INSIDE EDITION: Is This The Scariest Bridge In America?


The Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland reaches nearly 200 feet in certain parts and measures 4.3-miles long from end to end - and for some motorists, getting behind the wheel and driving across the bridge is simply out of the question.

Who says Walmart dosent hurt the working man?


Councilman Tim Spies rescued an injured Osprey

He brought the injured animal to the Salisbury Zoo where they'll evaluate it and pass it on to a rescue group. 

Are You Still Proud To Be An American Under Obama?


House Passes Bill To Punish Sanctuary Cities

House Republicans, moving swiftly after the July 1 murder of a San Francisco woman attributed to that city’s sanctuary policy, approved a bill Thursday to strip federal grants from jurisdictions that shield illegal immigrants from arrest by federal immigration authorities.

Democrats derided the measure as the “Donald Trump Act,” accusing the GOP of being led by the brash presidential hopeful who has drawn attention to illegal immigration with his controversial comments. The White House vowed to veto the legislation should it survive the Senate and reach his desk.

But Republicans brushed aside the threats and attacks and powered their bill through on a 241-179 vote, which broke almost entirely along party lines.

“If you can’t honor our detainers, you’re not going to get any more money,” said Rep. Trey Gowdy, South Carolina Republican.

More

Task force comes up with guidelines for social media

Five Worcester County assistant principals have come up with a series of guidelines to help students with proper ways to use social media.

“The President of the United States, our schools and government all use social media,” said Pocomoke High School Assistant Principal Matthew Record. “You are communicating with the world and it’s watching.”

The new guidelines include telling school personnel when a student intends to start an account, trying to keep professional and personal information separate, not using specific addresses, full names or phone numbers, and always making sure posts go along with the mission and values of the schools.

In addition to the guidelines, cyber-civility handouts were created and changes were made to the student code of conduct to incorporate social media.

More

Troopers Investigate Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash

Millsboro - The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is currently investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash in which a male pedestrian was struck and killed that occurred early this morning north of Millsboro.

The initial investigation has determined that the crash occurred this morning, Saturday, July 25, 2015 at approximately 1:37 a.m., as Cortez L. Solomon, 50, of Florida, was attempting to cross the southbound lanes of DuPont Boulevard (US Rt. 113) approximately .3 miles north of Delaware Avenue, north of Millsboro. As Solomon entered the roadway he stepped directly into the path of a 2014 Kia Optima, which was being operated by Carol A. Farrell, 68, of Millsboro, and which was traveling southbound on US Rt. 113 in the right hand lane. The front right side of Farrell’s vehicle struck Solomon, who was thrown into the roadway and onto the shoulder, where his body came to rest. Carol Farrell was able to bring her vehicle to a controlled stop at the scene.

Cortez Solomon sustained massive injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Alcohol use on the part of Solomon is being considered as a factor in the crash.

Neither Carol Farrell nor a male passenger in her vehicle, who were both properly restrained at the time of the crash, were injured.

This crash remains under investigation by the Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit.

Traffic In Ocean City

A pedestrian was struck on Coastal Highway southbound side, traffic backed up.

Certain Fats Fight Diabetes: Study

Can butter and whole milk prevent diabetes? Although we've been told for more than 50 years to avoid foods high in fat, a new study found that a specific type of saturated fat called heptadecanoic acid found in fish and whole-fat dairy products, could actually reverse metabolic syndrome, the precursor to Type 2 diabetes.

The CDC estimates that 1 in 3 American adults have metabolic syndrome — more than 86 million.

Researchers at the National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF) found that bottlenose dolphins can develop metabolic syndrome, even in the wild, that is similar to humans. But unlike humans, they can easily switch in-and-out. Scientists believed that by exploring what propels the development of metabolic syndrome in dolphins might have implications for humans.

More

BREAKING NEWS: Rt. 90 Closed Due To Major Accident

Ocean City Fire EMS are on the scene of a multiple vehicle accident on top of the Rt. 90 Bridge. The bridge has been closed down in both directions.

REMINDER: SPECIAL MUSICAL PEFORMANCE BY FRANK NANNA & THE WW TUNES AT WICOMICO PUBLIC LIBRARIES

House Passes Bill to Stop Mandatory GMO Food Labeling

Companies would not have to disclose whether their food products contain genetically modified ingredients under legislation passed by the House Thursday.

The House bill passed 275-150. It's backed by the food industry, which has fought mandatory labeling efforts in several states around the country.

So far, Vermont is the only state set to require package labels for genetically modified foods. That law will take effect in July 2016 if it survives a legal challenge.

The country's largest food companies say genetically modified foods are safe and that labels would be misleading.

More

Democrats Scrub Jefferson, Jackson From Dinner Name

The Connecticut Democratic Party is scrubbing the names of Democratic presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson from its annual fundraising dinner amid increased pressure from the NAACP’s state chapter following last month’s Charleston church shootings.

Party leaders voted unanimously Wednesday night to rename the Jefferson Jackson Bailey dinner because of the former presidents’ ownership of slaves, the Connecticut Post reported.

“I see it as the right thing to do,” Chairman Nick Balletto told the paper Wednesday night. “I wasn’t looking to be a trailblazer or set off a trend that’s going to affect the rest of the country. Hopefully, they’ll follow suit when they see it’s the right thing to do.”

More

Upcoming Concert


Cedar Hill Park in Tyaskin Maryland


Hillary Clinton Sent Confidential Emails From Her Personal Email Account, And Now The FBI And DOJ Are Involved

It's not that Donald Trump needed help in his juggernaut campaign across the GOP presidential primary with his lead in the double digits at last check, but moments ago the flamboyant billionaire got an unexpected present from the WSJ which may have just crippled the chances of his biggest democrat competitor as well, Hillary Clinton.

WSJ reports [9]that according to an internal government review Hillary Clinton, as former Secretary of State, "sent at least four emails from her personal account containing classified information during her time heading the State Department."

This is in reference to the long-standing investigation surrounding whether Clinton i) used bad judgment in opting for a personal, and far less protected, email device as Secretary of State and ii) whether she had - in direct contravention of State Department policies - sent out confidential data on her personal Blackberry.

More

IG's Call For Criminal Probe of Clinton Emails

The inspectors general for the State Department and the intelligence community reportedly have asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into whether Hillary Clinton mishandled classified information by using a personal e-mail account while secretary of state.

According to The New York Times, an initial joint memorandum dated June 29 and sent to State Department Under Secretary for Management Patrick Kennedy said that a review of Clinton's e-mail archive contained "hundreds of potentially classified emails".

Clinton, who served as secretary of state during President Barack Obama's first term, has repeatedly denied sending or receiving any classified information on her personal account. However, the inspectors general wrote in a second memorandum last week that at least one of Clinton's emails that had been made public by the State Department contained sensitive information.

More

A Viewer Writes: Mediacom's new privacy policy

Ever wonder how our phone number gets on telemarketers' lists? With our last Mediacom bill, I noticed an insert that said the enclosed revised privacy policy (dated June, 2015) would allow their disclosure of lists containing subscribers names and addresses to third parties for marketing and other purposes, but we had a right to opt out. Normally I would have tossed all the inserts and privacy policy without reading them. The opt-out involved finding the form on the six-page tiny print tri-fold Privacy Policy. There were two boxes to check: remove me from mailing lists and other voluntary disclosures of my name and address to third parties for non-cable purposes, and (2) please remove my phone number from any lists to market communications-related products or services that are outside of the category of services to which I subscribe. Then we were not to return the form with the payment. There was a separate address or a phone number to call.

Iran Vows to Buy Weapons Anytime, Anywhere

A senior Iranian official who led the negotiations with world powers that led to the recent nuclear deal said that the Islamic Republic will continue to import and export arms freely across the globe without restriction, according to recent comments flagged by the CIA’s Open Source Center.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said that he insisted during the negotiations that Iran be able to purchase and ship military hardware at any time and from any place, according to the comments made on state-controlled television.

Araghchi vowed “to buy weapons from wherever possible, and [said that Iran] is to provide weapons to whomever and whenever it considers appropriate,” according to a translation of his comments made by the Open Source Center.

More

HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 7-25-15

Allen Memorial Baptist Church

The history of the Baptist Church is not something I want to attempt here. But, I do have a few interesting facts about the local Allen Memorial Baptist Church. It was originally founded as the New Light Baptist Church with 12 members on September 29, 1859. The first pastor was the Rev. O.F. Flippo. They bought the Presbyterian Church building onNorth Division Street for $1100.00 and named it the DivisionStreet Baptist Church. The church is pictured above in the lower right hand portion of the picture. In 1936, they built another new building to replace this one. It is pictured on the postcard on the upper right.

This is where the mystery begins. George Corddrey states in his History of Wicomico County that the Church was renamed the Allen MemorialChurch in memory of Walter K. Allen. He was a son of Walter F. Allen, the prominent agriculturalist whose extensive lands are now covered by much of Salisbury University. W. K. Allen was ordained in the Division Street Baptist Church and became a missionary for the Baptist Church and traveled toIndia, where he died of typhoid fever in 1925. As the Church Directory of 1928 shows, however, the Church was named the Walter F. Allen Memorial Baptist Church. It is now known as the Allen Memorial Baptist Church and is located in a large new facility on Snow Hill Road. According to Erica Henry at Allen Memorial, the actual name of the Church is the Walter K. Allen Memorial Baptist Church. Apparently the Church Directory of 1928 was incorrect. This could have been a printing error by a well-meaning printer who used the more familiar name of Walter F. Allen. That is why it is so important to look up and seek out many sources before putting the history of anything to paper. The daughter of the pastor, James N. Stewart, in 1928 was Audrey Stewart, a long-time educator in Wicomico County.

The members of this congregation were different from the Old SchoolBaptist Church, whose building is still standing on the corner of Church and Baptist Streets, although it is no longer a church. There was also the Forest Grove Baptist Church, which belonged to the Old School Baptists. My great-grandmother belonged to the Old School Baptist Church and is buried, according to her wishes, at Forest Grove. This was contrary to the plans of her daughters to inter her next to her late husband in Parsons Cemetery. She declared that she wanted to be buried “next to Momma at Forest Grove”. When her daughters exclaimed that they thought she would want to be with her late husband, Frank, she told them that she had lain next to him for 40 years and wasn’t going to lie next to him for all eternity.

Now, there are several Baptist Churches in the Salisbury area. It seems that a very few people can form their own church and meet anywhere they want.

City, petitioners trade competing court actions

In what appears to be a ping-pong match of legal precedents, the Town of Ocean City and anti-tax group Ocean City Taxpayers for Social Justice (OCTSJ) traded court summons with each other this week, each in an attempt to block the efforts of the other party.

OCTSJ has filed a case in U.S. District Court, claiming relief under habeas corpus for what the group’s founder, local landlord Tony Christ, is calling an unlawful suppression of his petition to set a tax rate ceiling.

At the same time that Christ is seeking federal judgment, the city is continuing to seek declaratory judgment over the legality, under Maryland law, of a petition the city believes would illegally strip the municipality of the power to set its own taxes.

More

Whale sighting thrills beachgoers in Ocean City

Beachgoers in Ocean City were having a whale of a good time on Friday.

And by "whale" we mean an actual whale.

Multiple visitors reported seeing a whale breach the surface off shore of the beach around 131st Street. Several people posted videos of the whale on social media. Others posted pictures.

Delaware Surf Fishing reported it was notified of sightings near 112th Street. The fishing website said the whale was headed south around 1 p.m.

More

Economic Espionage

FBI Launches Nationwide Awareness Campaign

Industries in the United States spend more on research and development than any other country in the world. The amount of effort and resources put into developing a unique product or process that can provide an edge in the business world is not unsubstantial. But what happens if someone comes in and steals that edge—a company’s trade secrets—for the benefit of a foreign country? The damages could severely undermine the victim company and include lost revenue, lost employment, damaged reputation, lost investment for research and development, interruption in production—it could even result in the company going out of business.

It’s called economic espionage, and it’s a problem that costs the American economy billions of dollars annually and puts our national security at risk. While it is not a new threat, it is a growing one, and the theft attempts by our foreign competitors and adversaries are becoming more brazen and more varied in their approach.

Historically, economic espionage has been leveled mainly at defense-related and high-tech industries. But recent FBI cases have shown that no industry, large or small, is immune to the threat. Any company with a proprietary product, process, or idea can be a target; any unprotected trade secret is ripe for the taking by those who wish to illegally obtain innovations to increase their market share at a victim company’s expense.

More

Massachusetts Man Charged in Connection with Plot to Engage in Terrorism Plot


An Adams, Massachusetts, man has been charged in an indictment in connection with a plot to engage in terrorism on behalf of ISIL. The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz of the District of Massachusetts and Special Agent in Charge Vincent Lisi of the FBI’s Boston Division.

Alexander Ciccolo, aka Ali Al Amriki, 23, was charged by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Massachusetts, with one count of being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and one count of assault with a deadly weapon and causing bodily injury to a person assisting an officer of the United States in the performance of official duties. The latter charge stems from Ciccolo’s alleged attack of a nurse during a jail intake process after his arrest.

According to evidence presented at a previous detention hearing, on July 4, 2015, Ciccolo took delivery of four firearms which he had ordered from a person who was cooperating with members of the Western Massachusetts Joint Terrorism Task Force, and who had been communicating with Ciccolo about Ciccolo’s plans to engage in a terrorist act. Ciccolo was arrested immediately after taking delivery of the firearms, which included a Colt AR-15 .223 caliber rifle, a SigArms Model SG550-1 556 rifle, a Glock 17-9 mm pistol and a Glock 20-10 mm pistol. Ciccolo had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in jail and therefore was prohibited from possessing firearms.

More

Owner of Detroit Home Health Care Companies Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison for Role in $12.6 Million Fraud Scheme

A Michigan resident was sentenced to 80 months in prison late yesterday for his leading role in a $12.6 million Medicare fraud and tax fraud scheme. Eleven other individuals have been convicted in this case.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Jarod Koopman of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Detroit Field Office made the announcement.

Mohammed Sadiq, 67, of Oakland County, Michigan, pleaded guilty on March 13, 2015, to one count of health care fraud and one count of filing a false tax return. In addition to imposing the prison term, U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood of the Eastern District of Michigan ordered Sadiq to pay $14.1 million in restitution and entered a forfeiture judgment for the same amount, which represents the proceeds traceable to his criminal conduct.

Sadiq owned and directed operations at two home health care companies in Detroit. In connection with his guilty plea, Sadiq admitted that, working with co-conspirators, he billed Medicare for home health services that were not provided. Sadiq also admitted to paying kickbacks to patient recruiters in order to obtain the information of Medicare beneficiaries, which he then used to bill Medicare for services that were not medically necessary or were not provided at all. Sadiq further admitted that he created fake patient files to fool a Medicare auditor by making it appear as if home health services were provided and medically necessary. Medicare paid $12.6 million for these services.

More

Maryland State Police Arrest Prince George’s County Man on Child Pornography

 


(Columbia, MD) Members of the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Section, Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) arrested a Prince Georges County man on child pornography related charges today.

The suspect is identified as Arthur Clements, 57, from Temple Hills, Maryland. He was arrested without incident. Clements was charged with three counts of Distributing Child Pornography and two counts of Possession of Child Pornography.

As a result of this investigation, a search and seizure warrant was executed at Clements’ residence earlier this morning by a Maryland State Police Computer Crimes investigator and agents from the Department of Homeland Security. Investigators identified Clements as the focus of the investigation. During the execution of the search warrant, numerous videos of child pornography were located on his computer. Working with the Prince Georges County States Attorney’s Office, investigators arrested Clements on scene. He was transported to the Prince Georges County Detention Center and is awaiting an initial hearing with a District Court Commissioner.

Worcester County Sheriff's Office Press Release 7-25-15

Case# 15-000628 DATE: 07/20/2015

Incident: On the above date a Deputy from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office responded to 10121 McAllister Road, Berlin, Maryland, reference a trespassing complaint. After a brief search of the area was conducted Theodore Houston Hicks was located and arrested for trespassing on said property after having been notified not return to this location. Hicks went before the District Court Commissioner where he was held, $2,500.

Location of Crime: 10121 McAllister Road, Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland 21811

Suspects: Theodore Houston Hicks, 50 years old, of Berlin Maryland

Charges: Trespassing

SPD Press Release - (Theft From M/V Investigation/Arrests) 7-25-15

SPD Press Release - (Bicycle Theft Investigation/Arrest) 7-25-15

'Close Up Baltimore' Tells Stories Of The City, One Portrait At A Time

It's a muggy summer day, and Joe Rubino is at the train station in Baltimore, taking pictures of a stranger and asking some deeply personal questions. Later, he'll post this portrait online, along with snippets from the conversation.

"I think that people are hungry for a more real, emotional connection to people," Rubino says.

His street photography project, Close Up Baltimore, was inspired by photographer Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York blog.

Rubino, who has lived in Baltimore for decades, has spent his professional life doing photo and video work for nonprofit groups in the city. In April, when riots erupted in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray, he watched the news coverage, disturbed by the images of his city. It was particularly painful, he says, because "we know how many people in those neighborhoods are working very hard to just create decent lives and opportunity."

A friend who'd been following the Humans of New York blog for years got in touch with Rubino. "She said: You need to do something like this," he recalls. He told her he wasn't sure he was the right person to do it, but that he'd give it a try anyway.

More