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Friday, July 21, 2017

Dressed up like a million dollar trooper


Another blow for heartland workers: Slashed pensions

February was a bad month for Larry Burruel and thousands of other retired Ohio iron workers. His monthly take-home pension was cut by more than half from $3,700 to $1,600.

Things have been rough in the Rust Belt, but this was a particularly powerful punch in the pocketbook for Burruel, who started in the trade at 19 and worked 36 years before opting for early retirement to make way for younger workers. Unfortunately, this sagging industry doesn't have enough younger workers to pay for retirees like Burruel, whose pension plan is in what the U.S. Treasury Department calls "critical and declining status."

Burruel and the 4,000 members of his Cleveland Iron Workers Local 17 pension plan are the canaries in the coal mine as far as pension cutbacks go. At least 50 Midwestern pension plans -- mostly the kind jointly administered by trustees for a labor union and a group of employers -- are in this decrepit condition. Several plan sponsors have already applied to the Treasury Department to cut back retirees' allotments.

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Need A Laugh?

Kamala Harris Fuels Speculation for 2020 Presidential Run With Another Weekend in the Hamptons

Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) is continuing to fuel speculation for a 2020 presidential run as she plans to make another trip to the Hamptons this upcoming weekend to meet with Democratic power brokers and donors.

The rising Democratic star will have a private meeting on Friday with Hollywood liberal kingmaker Harvey Weinstein and his wife Georgina Chapman, in addition to a separate dinner with many guests, including Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) and former Attorney General Eric Holder, according to Page Six.

Also on Friday, we hear she'll meet with a group in Bridgehampton, including ex-Ambassador to the UN Susan E. Rice and business honchos such as Citigroup's Ray McGuire and PepsiCo's Tony West.

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'Beyond heartless': Video shows teens heckling, laughing at drowning man

COCOA, Fla. —Calling it “beyond heartless,” police are denouncing a video that shows a man drowning and crying out in distress, while five teens watch and laugh.

Jamel Dunn, 31, of Cocoa, drowned in a retention pond in Cocoa on July 9, police said. His body was not discovered until July 12.

Shortly after the discovery, a video surfaced on social media that shows Dunn in the water while teenagers nearby mock and curse him, police said. Dunn cries out, and a burst of laughter ensues from the teens, one of whom recorded the video on a phone, police said.

“They had phones but didn’t even call for help,” Cocoa Police spokeswoman Yvonne Martinez said. “Anyone who could just watch a man die like that is beyond heartless,” she said.

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The Left’s Hero Worship Of Assata Shakur Is Shameful (Update: BLM Defends Assata)

Sunday the Women’s March sent out a tweet celebrating convicted murderer Assata Shakur:

Shakur, aka Joanne Chesimard, was a member of the Black Panthers who later joined the violent Black Liberation Army which was involved in bank robberies and the murder of multiple police officers. From the FBI:

On May 2, 1973, Chesimard, who was part of a revolutionary extremist organization known as the Black Liberation Army, and two accomplices were stopped for a motor vehicle violation on the New Jersey Turnpike by two troopers with the New Jersey State Police. At the time, Chesimard was wanted for her involvement in several felonies, including bank robbery. Chesimard and her accomplices opened fire on the troopers. One trooper was wounded and the other was shot and killed execution-style at point-blank range. Chesimard fled the scene, but was subsequently apprehended. One of her accomplices was killed in the shoot-out and the other was also apprehended and remains in jail.

In 1977, Chesimard was found guilty of first degree murder, assault and battery of a police officer, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to kill, illegal possession of a weapon, and armed robbery. She was sentenced to life in prison. On November 2, 1979, Chesimard escaped from prison and lived underground before being located in Cuba in 1984. She is thought to currently still be living in Cuba.

When some of this was pointed out to the Women’s March, the group’s account responded with a 20-tweet thread defending Shakur:

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Family claims Colonial Williamsburg discriminated against son, files lawsuit

NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) -- A couple from Maryland is suing the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, claiming that Colonial Williamsburg excluded their 11-year-old son from an activity during a class trip because of his disability.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday on behalf of the family by Stein & Vargas, identifies the boy as "J.D."

The suit says that the boy visited Colonial Williamsburg in May after five years of fundraising and after the class spent a full year learning about Colonial America.

The paperwork states that a highlight of the trip was a visit to Shields Tavern where children got to experience social and cultural life in the British colony. Part of the visit to the tavern included eating a meal, which was where the problem began:

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Florida drug dealer called cops to report his drugs stolen

A Florida drug dealer ended up calling the police when his own stash of cocaine was stolen from his car.

David Blackmon, 32, of Fort Walton Beach called the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday morning claiming someone had stolen a bag of drugs and cash from his car.

Blackmon even identified himself as a drug dealer and told cops who came to assist that $50 in cash and a quarter ounce of cocaine had been taken from the car while it was parked up.

When deputies arrived to investigate, they found that the cocaine was actually still in the same spot along with a crack pipe on the floor by the driver’s door.

According to the arrest report, Blackmon asked deputies why they let him keep talking if they saw the cocaine in the car.

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Florida man shoots out tires of AT&T truck outside home

HIALEAH, FLA. (WSVN) - A retired Miami-Dade firefighter took extreme measures to get AT&T workers to remove their trucks from his property, Wednesday morning.

According to Hialeah Police, the AT&T utility employees were working on lines near a home located near the corner of Southeast Fifth Place and Sixth Avenue when the resident, identified as 64-year-old Jorge Jove, came outside and approached them, at around 11 a.m.

“The owner of the house came out,” said Hialeah Police Sgt. Carl Zogby. “He was upset that the trucks were parked in front of his house, asked them to move.”

Police said the workers told Jove they would remove the vehicle as soon as they were finished with their repairs, but that did not appear to satisfy him. “They said, ‘We’ll move in a few minutes. We’re just working on the poles. We’re supposed to be here,'” said Zogby. “He went back into his house, came out a few moments later with a gun and started firing at both AT&T trucks that were on the scene.”

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Original video can be found HERE

Guess What Happens In States Where Food Stamp Recipients Have To Work

Leftists are constantly reminding of us of the merits of welfare. They tell us that without the help of taxpayer funded handouts, millions of Americans will starve or be left homeless. There’s no doubt that some people really do need help, but this black and white view of welfare doesn’t paint the full picture. Conservatives and libertarians have suspected for decades that many of the people on welfare are actually mooching off of the system. So to reconcile the need to help people who are helpless with the very really problem of people abusing the system, they’ve come up with a great compromise.

In regards to food stamps, they’ve suggested that we offer food assistance on the condition that the recipients are working. Or at the very least, that they volunteer or community service or are making an effort to train themselves for a new job. So what happens in states that have work requirements for food stamp recipients?

Alabama began 2017 by requiring able-bodied adults without children in 13 counties to either find a job or participate in work training as a condition for continuing to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

According to AL.com, the number of those recipients declined from 5,538 to 831 between Jan. 1 and the beginning of May – an 85 percent drop.

Similar changes were implemented in select counties in Georgia and by the end of the first three months, the number of adults receiving benefits in three participating counties dropped 58 percent, according to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently reported that in 21 additional counties that restored the work requirement, there was a 62 percent drop in SNAP participants.

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African teens attending robotics competition in D.C. disappear

Six African teenagers attending an international robotics competition in Washington, D.C., this week turned up missing on the last day of the event, and two have already been spotted crossing into Canada, police have reported.

The six teens from the Burundi robotics team had come to compete in the 2017 FIRST Global Challenge robotics competition in D.C., which opened Sunday and ended Tuesday evening. The event was attended by students from 157 nations.

The six students, four males and two females, ages 16 to 18, were reportedly last seen Tuesday at 5 p.m. as the competition’s final matches and closing ceremonies were ending.

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I-Team finds illegal guns in Baltimore coming from out of state

BALTIMORE —Amid the hot debate over gun laws, the WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team reveals the steep challenge of reducing the supply of guns often used in crimes. The problem: laws vary state to state.

It wasn't known at the time, but it turns out that a .40-caliber Glock handgun recovered during a traffic stop by Maryland State Police in Anne Arundel County in 2015 was part of a much larger conspiracy to funnel guns from one state to another.

"The firearm came back to a person who purchased it in the state of Georgia," Maryland State Police Sgt. Frank Lopez said.

Lopez runs the state police gun center, which traces guns and performs background checks on people arrested in possession of guns.

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Trooper is caught on video going the wrong way

A North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper has resigned after a video emerged online showing speeding the wrong way on a highway - as he responded to reports of street racing.

A statement from the Highway Patrol on Tuesday said Trooper TJ Williamson submitted his resignation effective immediately.

The video, which appeared across several social media outlets, showed a patrol car traveling on the wrong side of the highway at around 4.20pm and zooming past oncoming traffic. The highway is divided by a grass median.

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CareFirst CEO on Anne Arundel Medical dispute: 'Nothing like this has ever happened'

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield CEO Chet Burrell said in his 10 years at the insurer, no care provider has ever responded to fee negotiation disputes by threatening to terminate a contract until Anne Arundel Medical Center.

AAMC announced Monday that it may end its contract with the region's largest health insurer this year due to "unsustainable" reductions in reimbursements the hospital and associated physician and imaging practices would receive from the insurance carrier for medical services.

"Our priority is to continue to provide quality health care for people in this region. We want to keep costs low for our patients," said AAMC CEO Victoria Bayless. "But reimbursement rates need to be reasonable."

Burrell said CareFirst has had contracts with Anne Arundel Health System for about 60 years. And while it is common in contract negotiations for insurer and providers to disagree on fees, it is "extremely unusual," for any provider to announce potential termination like this, he said, and "nothing like this has ever happened." There is no other major hospital network or physician group in the region with which CareFirst does not have a contract.


Albuquerque Tea Party granted tax-exempt status after 8 years

It’s taken nearly eight years, but the Internal Revenue Service finally granted tax-exempt status to a Tea Party group in what lawyers representing the group on Wednesday called a “major victory for free speech.”

Graham Bartlett, president of the local Tea Party, said he was informed about a month ago that the group's request was going through, The Albuquerque Journal reported.
The group filed its request in December 2009. Several months later, the IRS demanded more documentation concerning the organization's activities. The group complied, but then the IRS requested even more documentation. The Tea Party provided more than 1,000 pages of documentation about the group's activities. Eventually, it filed a lawsuit against the IRS.

"What I understand is the IRS was targeting any organization that had the name 'Tea Party' in it or the word 'conservative,'" Bartlett said. "We weren't the only ones."

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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/07/20/albuquerque-tea-party-granted-tax-exempt-status-after-8-years.html

Cases Under Review After Controversial Body Camera Video

Officials with the Office of the Public Defender said they are concerned that Baltimore City prosecutors persist in pursuing cases involving officers who appear to be depicted in body camera video footage planting drugs that resulted in a criminal arrest. Now, both police and prosecutors are conducting a review of what happened and what cases may be tainted.,

The body camera video shows three officers -- one hiding and then finding what appears to be drugs, while two other officers look on and take no action, the public defender's office said.

An assistant public defender, who represented the person charged with the planted drugs, forwarded the video to the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office last week, the public defender's office said.

Melba Saunders, a spokeswoman for State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, said in a statement the assistant state's attorney originally made a plea offer to one count of a controlled dangerous substance. Two days before the trial date, the defense attorney came to the assistant state's attorney about the body camera footage and the prosecutor immediately took steps to get the case dismissed.

“Upon notification of this troubling footage, our office immediately implemented established protocols to not only refer this matter to the internal affairs division of the Baltimore Police Department but began identifying active cases involving these officers," Saunders said.

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Tourists to all-inclusive resorts in Mexico suspect they were given tainted alcohol

The scene at the swim-up bar at the Mexican resort where Abbey Conner was pulled listless from the pool in January was full of young tourists last month when an attorney hired by Conner’s family showed up.

It wasn’t surprising. It was a typical scene at an all-inclusive five-star resort where foreigners from both sides of the equator flock to escape their cold winters.

But as he watched, the attorney noticed something disturbing.

“They serve alcoholic drinks with alcohol of bad quality and in great amounts, mixing different types of drinks,” he wrote in his native Spanish.

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Md. Girl With Rare, Incurable Disease Leaving ‘Bubble’ To Compete In Miss Teen Maryland

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Fifty Maryland girls will soon compete for the title of “Miss Teen Maryland.”

One 15-year-old finalist is Macey Brietenback, who was born with an extremely rare disease that basically leaves her without a working gastro-intestinal system.

She lives most of her life at home, in bed, but she’s ready to venture out to try to become “Miss Teen Maryland.”

When she was born, Macey’s parents were told she wouldn’t live a week. Her incurable visceral myopathy means she cannot digest food. At all.

“She’s had eight exploratory surgeries, she’s had O.R. 50 plus times,” says her mother, Mickey Brietenback. “She’s had her gall bladder out, her stomach out, her large bowel out.”

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Downtown Salisbury Right Now


Salisbury at 2 PM

94.4 °F
Feels Like 114 °F

Plot to replace Europeans with refugees exposed

U.N. document reveals 2000 plan to push massive migration

WASHINGTON – Millions of migrants mostly from Africa and the Middle East have swarmed Europe in the last three years – the result of what has been explained by world leaders as a war-driven “refugee” crisis.

Yet, a United Nations document, prepared in the year 2000 and rediscovered by WND, reveals the U.N. was already promoting the notion of “replacement migration” in Europe with the support of open-borders non-governmental organizations and “progressive” politicians.

The document – “Replacement Migration: Is It a Solution to Declining and Aging Populations?” – details the plunging birthrates across Europe and identifies a solution: mass immigration.

The 17-year-old document contended mass immigration was necessary to replace the aging populations of developed countries. Without the migration of populations from the developing world, it reasons, economies will suffer because of labor shortages and falling tax revenues.

“Therefore, among the demographic variables, only international migration could be instrumental in addressing population decline and population aging in the short to medium term,” the report concludes.

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Jada Pinkett Smith Says She Was Drug Dealer In Baltimore When She Met Tupac

"When I first met Pac, when we first met, I was a drug dealer."

So said — Jada Pinkett Smith? Yep, she addressed her relationship with the late Tupac Shakur on Wednesday on Sirius XM's Sway's World, dropping in that little tidbit about her past, but not much more, 'cause she says she's going to write a book.

Pinkett Smith, now 46, met Shakur on the first day of high school at Baltimore School of the Arts, and they became fast friends. With the Shakur biopic "All Eyez on Me" now in theaters, she's been on fire about the movie's "reimagining" of their relationship, last month calling it "very hurtful."

The actress, who is married to Will Smith, told Sway it was "kind of hard" to describe her relationship with the fallen rapper "because I haven't really told the whole story."

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The Year Without An Arctic Summer

The Greenland Ice Sheet is gaining near record amounts of ice this year. Very little melting has occurred this summer, which is about to start winding down.

Temperatures on the Greenland Ice Sheet have been extremely cold, and broke the all-time record for Northern Hemisphere July cold on July 4, at -33C.

Temperatures within 300 miles of the pole have been below normal every day since the beginning of May.

More/Graphs

Wife found guilty of murdering husband after parrot saw it

A woman has been found guilty of murdering her husband in a crime witnessed only by their pet parrot.

Glenna Duram, 49, was convicted of first-degree murder in a Michigan courtroom Wednesday over the death of her husband, 46-year-old Martin Duram.

The 49-year-old had been accused of shooting her husband five times, before turning the gun on herself in a failed suicide attempt at their home in Newaygo County.

The trial lasted a total of 10 days, with defense lawyers having a list of her medications admitted to evidence during its final stages with the hope of convincing the jury the 49-year-old was not in her right mind at the time of the shooting.

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Kobach: A Victory for Public Information

On Tuesday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida denied temporary restraining orders (TROs) sought by the ACLU, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and others.

The plaintiffs were attempting to prevent the Presidential Commission on Election Integrity, of which I am Vice-Chair, from having its first meeting on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

Fortunately, the federal judges rejected the TRO requests. In a well-reasoned, 24-page opinion, the District of Columbia federal judge explained why the plaintiffs’ claims that the meeting would violate federal law were unlikely to prevail.

On Wednesday, the Commission met and launched its fact-finding mission. President Trump himself addressed the Commission members, highlighting the importance of the Commission’s work.

The Commission is a bipartisan body dedicated to collecting factual information and providing advice to the president about the integrity of the voting process and reporting that information to the American people. But the ACLU and the Lawyers’ Committee don’t want that information-gathering to begin. They, along with groups like Common Cause and the NAACP, have filed a total of seven lawsuits to thwart the Commission’s work.

The ACLU and allied groups on the Left have long used the tactic of litigation to achieve policies that they could not accomplish through the legislative process.

More here

Man sentenced to 13 years for raping teen

Ramirez pleaded guilty to two counts for his role in summertime sex assault

Judge Thomas Groton III sent Ronaldo Emmanuel Ramirez, 20, of Silver Spring to prison for 13 years on Tuesday in Worcester County Circuit Court for raping and filming the assault of an unconscious 17-year-old girl at a hotel during Memorial Day weekend last year.

Ramirez quietly cried when the sentence was issued, and his parents and sister also wiped tears away in the court’s gallery behind him. His attorney, Craig Kadish, asked for the minimum prison time, which is seven years for rape and one year for manufacturing child porn. Groton imposed a 30-year sentence but suspended all but 13 years for the charges and ordered Ramirez to register as a sex offender.

The Ocean City police investigation began last June, when sheriff’s deputies arrested Erick H. Ramirez (no relation) on drug charges and uncovered sexually explicit videos on his phone.

Dozens of videos and photographs showed five men, including Ronaldo Ramirez, undressing the unconscious victim who passed out after a day of drinking, smoking marijuana and taking Xanax pills.

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House Conservatives Move to Bypass Paul Ryan on Clean Obamacare Repeal

Rep. Tom Garrett (R-VA), along with a dozen Freedom Caucus members, announced his intent to file a discharge petition that would put a clean repeal of Obamacare before the House.

The House Freedom Caucus repeatedly argued that the best path to repealing Obamacare revolves around a simple repeal of Obamacare and then replacing the Affordable Care Act with a free-market alternative.

Congress passed a clean repeal bill of Obamacare in 2015 only to have it vetoed by President Obama. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), a former chairman of the Freedom Caucus, reintroduced the same legislation in 2017. However, Congress has not taken up that legislation.

Rep. Tom Garrett announced his intent to file a discharge petition that would put that clean Obamacare repeal bill before the House. Garrett said, “I commend both the President and Republican leadership for working to replace the monstrosity that is Obamacare. However, we have seen discussions for replacement continue to stall and we must change our approach to reforming healthcare.”

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Breaking News: Sean Spicer resigned as press secretary

Telling President Trump he vehemently disagreed with his choice for a new communications director

Mr. Trump offered the New York financier Anthony Scaramucci the job at 10 a.m. The president requested that Mr. Spicer stay on, but Mr. Spicer told Mr. Trump that he believed the appointment was a major mistake, according to person with direct knowledge of the exchange.

Publishers Notes: LMAO! Can you say, disgruntled?

Palestinian Authority’s 2017 Budget Shows ‘Huge Increase’ in Funding for Terror Payments

The Palestinian Authority’s 2017 budget shows a “huge increase” in the funding of salaries for imprisoned terrorists and the families of “martyrs,” an Israeli research institute revealed on Wednesday.

According to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), the amount of money allocated by the PA for payments to terrorists jailed in Israel rose 13% this year to $158 million — compared to $135 million in 2016. During the same time frame, disbursements for family members of dead terrorists increased by 4% — to $197 million from $183 million.

Overall, PMW said, the PA is spending $355 million this year on the direct funding of terrorism.

Itamar Marcus — the founder and director of PMW — told The Algemeiner on Wednesday, “There is no greater promotion of terror then the PA’s financially rewarding terrorists who have murdered Israelis. However it is critical to understand why the PA pays the salaries and why they refuse to stop. "

More here

Feds Blow $171M On Social Security Payments

The federal government gave away $171 million in Social Security checks to people with more than one Social Security number, The Washington Free Beacon reports.

The inspector general of the Social Security Administration discovered the payments had been given to people who possess more than one Social Security number or given to people who are deceased.

The inspector general outlined exactly what happened.

“We identified more than 5,000 instances where, contrary to Agency policy, SSA appeared to simultaneously issue monthly [Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance] OASDI benefits and/or SSI payments to individuals under both of their cross-referred SSNs,” the inspector general said.

“We also identified over 13,000 instances where SSA continued paying beneficiaries after it recorded death information on their cross-referred SSNs.”

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Wicomico Health Department Investigating Potential Pertussis Exposure

Salisbury, MD (July 21, 2017) - The Wicomico County Health Department is currently investigating the possible exposure to pertussis, also known as “whooping cough”, of children who attended a vacation bible school held July 10-14, 2017, at Immanuel Baptist Church in Salisbury, MD.

Pertussis is a highly contagious illness that begins with mild, cold-like symptoms including cough and runny nose. These first symptoms typically appear seven to ten days after a person is exposed. The cough usually worsens over the following weeks and becomes spasmodic. The cough may be followed by a “whooping” sound. The spasms of cough may also be followed by vomiting.

Some persons with pertussis may have very mild symptoms (mild cough with no other symptoms) and may not realize that they are sick or contagious. Pertussis is most severe in infants and can cause death. Pertussis is spread through coughing or sneezing. It can also be spread by sharing food or utensils with someone who has pertussis.

Pertussis is treated with antibiotics. Children who take appropriate antibiotics are no longer contagious after the fifth day of antibiotic treatment. Without antibiotic treatment, a person with pertussis is considered to be contagious and can spread the illness to others, for three weeks after the cough starts. It is important that ill children stay at home away from others (especially from infants and young children) while potentially contagious.

Tebow Showing Some Stuff in the Minors

PORT ST. LUCIE — Tim Tebow has been playing with the St. Lucie Mets for less than a month — a very small sample size to analyze a baseball player — but the early returns are impressive.

After hitting .220/.311/.336 in 64 games at low-A Columbia, the 29-year-old former Heisman Trophy winner is batting .306/.390/.514 with the Mets heading into Thursday night’s game against the Jupiter Hammerheads.

Typically, it’s strange to see any minor leaguer hit almost 90 percentage points higher against a higher level of competition. But, as is the case with many Tebow-related situations, there’s more to it than meets the eye.

Until 10 months ago, Tebow hadn't played in a competitive baseball game since his junior year of high school. Since signing with the Mets in September, Tebow had a crash course in the game.

More here

Overreacting Better Approach Than Underestimating

The organizer of the “College Beach Weekend” activities in Ocean City released a statement online late this week saying, “For everybody’s that’s nervous, they should absolutely relax. We’re just coming here to be on vacation, not to cause trouble. Honestly, it’s a shame that people think we’re coming there with the intention of acting foolish.”

The problem with that is history confirms Ocean City should do anything but “relax” over the coming weekend. The group brings trouble with it to Ocean City and many people — like the group that nearly started a riot on the Boardwalk last summer — seem intent on causing disruptions and wreaking havoc. In most cases, actions certainly speak louder than words. That’s certainly so when comparing the organizer’s words against incidents and observations in recent years.

In Ocean City’s case, history shows a pro-active and aggressive awareness campaign ahead of a potentially troubling weekend event can be effective in limiting the crowds as well as sending a clear message the authorities will not tolerate misbehavior and illegal activities.

Recent history in Ocean City confirms a pro-active approach through the media and online outlets works. That’s why the Ocean City Police Department began planning months ago and warning the public last month about the potential of the unsanctioned College Beach Weekend event set for Ocean City this weekend.

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Two Arrested After Drugs Located in Home


Deshawn D. Handy
Kayla M. Larosa
Millsboro - State Troopers have arrested two people after drugs were located in a Millsboro area home.

The incident occurred around 5:10 p.m. Monday July 17, 2017 when troopers were called to assist Delaware Division of Family Services (DFS) with an emergency custody issue at a residence located in the 27000 block of Sandy Drive. Upon arrival, the young child was removed from the home and placed in the care of DFS. During the investigation it was determined that drugs were being kept in the house and a consent to search was approved by the homeowner. Troopers located Deshawn D. Handy, 24 of Seaford, and Kayla M. Larosa, 21 of Georgetown, in a bedroom and placed them into custody. Located between the mattress and box spring of the bed the two were sitting on was a black cloth bag containing 13.96 grams of cocaine, 3.52 grams of crack cocaine, and 271 bags (1.897 grams) of heroin. A search of Handy revealed he was in possession of over $1,600.00 in suspected drug proceeds.

Deshawn Handy and Kayla Larosa were transported back to Troop 4 in Georgetown where Handy was charged with three counts of Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was arraigned at JP3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $72,750 secured bond.

Larosa was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was arraigned at JP3 and released on $5,000.00 unsecured bond.

The young child has no relationship to the two arrested.

Raccoons Attack Another Resident in Arlington Neighborhood

Raccoons have attacked and bitten a man in an Arlington, Virginia, neighborhood just days after a woman was attacked in the same area.

Greg Purcell, who lives in the Fairlington neighborhood, said he was walking out of his front door early Wednesday morning when two raccoons leaped onto his legs.

"I was stepping out onto my porch to put on sun lotion spray and was just looking at the bottle of spray when all of a sudden the raccoons were, two of them, were chomping on my leg and scratching and clawing me and basically I was kind of stunned and saying, 'What's going on?'" Purcell told News4.

"I didn't really know what it was at first but I just knew something was biting me and clawing at me," he said.

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When We Can No Longer Tell The Truth...

Lies, half-truths and cover-ups are all manifestations of fatal weakness.

When we can no longer tell the truth because the truth will bring the whole rotten, fragile status quo down in a heap of broken promises and lies, we've reached the perfection of dysfunction.

You know the one essential guideline to "leadership" in a doomed dysfunctional system: when it gets serious, you have to lie. In other words, the status quo's secular goddess is TINA--there is no alternative to lying, because the truth will bring the whole corrupt structure tumbling down.

This core dynamic of dysfunction is scale-invariant, meaning that hiding the truth is the core dynamic in dysfunctional relationships, households, communities, enterprises, cities, corporations, states, alliances, nations and empires: when the truth cannot be told because it threatens the power structure of the status quo, that status quo is doomed.

Lies, half-truths and cover-ups are all manifestations of fatal weakness. What lies, half-truths and cover-ups communicate is: we can no longer fix our real problems, and rather than let this truth out, we must mask it behind lies and phony reassurances.

Truth is power, lies are weakness. All we get now are lies, statistics designed to mislead and phony reassurances that the status quo is stable and permanent. The truth is powerful because it is the core dynamic of solving problems. Lies, gamed statistics and false reassurances are fatal because they doom any sincere efforts to fix what's broken before the system reaches the point of no return.

We are already past the point of no return. The expediency of lies has already doomed us.

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Maryland To Sue EPA Under Clean Air Act

Maryland plans to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to take action on emissions from power plants in other states.

Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles sent a letter Thursday to EBA Administrator Scott Pruitt stating intent to sue the agency under the Clean Air Act. Gov. Larry Hogan, Attorney General Brian Frosh and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions were copied on the letter.

In November, the state petitioned the EPA to take action against 36 power plants upwind from Maryland in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. All were emitting nitrogen oxides in violation of federal law. The emissions hurt Maryland's ability to reach air quality standards, Grumbles claims.

Federal law requires the EPA to respond within 60 days. The EPA gave itself a six-month extension on Jan. 3. That extension ran out Saturday. Grumbles said the EPA has not taken action on the petition, nor has the agency set a public hearing.

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BROKE: New FEC Report Shows DNC Finished June $3.3 Million in Debt

Under the leadership of former Obama official Tom Perez, a new FEC report reveals the DNC finished the month of June $3.3 million in debt. 
The DNC, still in rough financial shape, finished last month $3.3M in debt, per new report.

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Heat Advisory

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Wakefield VA
1002 AM EDT Fri Jul 21 2017 
 
...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

* AREAS AFFECTED: CENTRAL AND EASTERN VIRGINIA...NORTHEAST NORTH
  CAROLINA...AND THE LOWER EASTERN SHORE.

* MAXIMUM FORECAST HEAT INDEX VALUES: 105 to 109 degrees.

* TIMING: Peak heat indices are expected during the afternoon
  hours, but some locations near the coast may see values peak
  by late morning before the seabreeze develops in the afternoon.

* IMPACTS: PROLONGED EXPOSURE OR ANY STRENUOUS ACTIVITY MAY LEAD
  TO HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES THAT REQUIRE IMMEDIATE MEDICAL
  ATTENTION.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Heat Advisory means that a period of hot temperatures is
expected. The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity
will combine to create a situation in which heat illnesses are
possible. Drink plenty of fluids...stay in an air-conditioned
room...stay out of the sun...and check up on relatives and
neighbors.

Take extra precautions...if you work or spend time outside. When
possible...reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or
evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat
stroke. Wear light weight and loose fitting clothing when
possible and drink plenty of water.

As Farmers Go Broke, John Deere Ramps Up Its Captive Financing Operation To Keep The Ag Party Going

So what do you do when your John Deere and your entire business revolves around selling really expensive equipment to farmers who have been absolutely decimated financially by low crop prices and can no longer convince commercial banks that they're worthy of additional debt needed to buy fancy new tractors? Well, you take some plays from the automotive industry, that's what. Here's how it works:

Step 1: Setup a captive financing arm to underwrite all of the credit risk that no reasonable commercial ag bank would touch with a 10 foot pole.

Step 2: Boost your tractor sales volumes by financing every farmer who walks through your door with a soybean dream and pulse.

Step 3: When you run out of farmers willing to buy your brand new shiny green tractors then just start selling all your production volume to yourself and then lease it to customers at an attractive price. This way you can still show sales growth and never have to cut production volume.

Step 4: Finally, when it all goes horribly wrong because used tractor prices crash due to the flood of off-lease volume and brings down the new market with it then you take a one-time charge to write-off the losses, wall streets forgives you...it was just a 1x charge, right...and then you promptly rinse and repeat.

From the looks of the charts below, we'd say John Deere is currently on the tail end of 'Step 3' as loan and lease balances are soaring and write-offs are just starting to spike.

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Clinton Foundation, UN Tight-Lipped Over Private Top Level Meeting

The Clinton Foundation and the United Nations are being curiously tight-lipped about a meeting that took place last week between the foundation’s head of foreign policy and the UN’s Deputy Secretary-General — the latest sign of the controversial organization’s continued and sometimes surreptitious maneuverings.

Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed met Friday with the Clinton Foundation’s director of foreign policy Amitabh Desai. The meeting was first noticed by UN blog Inner City Press, in a one line entry on Mohammed’s schedule.

A spokesman for Secretary-General António Guterres told Breitbart News on Friday that the meeting, which took place at the UN headquarters in New York City, was “part of the ongoing effort to engage and mobilise support from different development partners and stakeholders for the implementation of the 2030 Development Agenda.”

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Napolitano: Sessions Should Not Have Recused Himself, Should Not Have Accepted AG Nomination

Thursday on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” network senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano reacted to an interview President Donald Trump gave to The New York Times about Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to recuse himself earlier on in all matters pertaining to Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

According to the Times, Trump said he disagreed with Sessions’ recusal and that he would not have nominated him to be attorney general had he known Sessions would have done so.

Napolitano said that he did not think Sessions should have recused himself nor should he have accepted the AG nomination.

“I don’t think Jeff Sessions should have recused himself,” Napolitano said. “And I said at the time and I’ll say it now — that he probably should not have accepted the nomination to be attorney general. [He] probably should have said, ‘Mr. President, you know these characters. They’re going to investigate the campaign. They’ve already been making noises about it. They embarrassed Mike Flynn by selectively leaking portions of conversations he had with the Russians. It’s going to make me, Jeff Sessions, a witness at worst. At best, I’m going to have to step aside.."

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Judge Nap: Don Jr., Manafort & Kushner Should Say Nothing Under Oath

Judge Andrew Napolitano said today that Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner should "say nothing" if they testify under oath before Congress.

Napolitano said all three must be careful to avoid incriminating themselves, since they're "in the crosshairs" of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

He also stressed that the hearings should be public because the public has a right to know what's happening.

"I am offended when these hearings take place in secret. Because democracy dies in darkness.."

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Honorably Discharged Veterans Will Soon Get to Shop Tax-Free

Hey veterans, you can soon shop tax free.

Starting later this year, all honorably discharged veterans, no matter their branch of service, will be eligible to shop tax-free online at the Army & Air Force Exchange Service with the same discounts they enjoyed on base while in the military.

It's the latest way in which the organization is trying to keep its customers as the armed forces shrink and airmen and soldiers buy more for delivery.

Adding 13 million potential new customers will give extra ammunition to the group that runs the stores on U.S. Army and Air Force bases worldwide as it fights Amazon and other retailers for veterans' online shopping dollars.

Since hiring its first civilian CEO five years ago, the Exchange has upgraded the brands at base stores to include items like Disney toys, Michael Kors fashions and other top names. Like private stores, it's also imposed tighter cost controls, reduced the number of employees and improved people's experience on the website.

"The intent is to really beat Amazon at their game because we have locations literally on the installations," said CEO Tom Shull. "We're leaning toward not just ship-from-store but pick-up-from-store and eventually deliver-from-store."

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Driver Flees Traffic Stop Wanted by State Police

On 7/21/2017 at 2:30 a.m., a trooper from the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barrack conducted a traffic stop in Crisfield, Maryland. During the traffic stop the driver fled from the trooper on foot. The suspect has been identified as Keyon Demetricus Honesty who has approximately 7 active arrest warrants for his person. A search of the area was unsuccessful for Honesty. The Maryland State Police is asking that anyone with information in regards to Honesty or his whereabouts call the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barrack at 443-260-3700 or by dialing 911.

Can WBOC Get Anything Right?

Vincent Leonardo Hernandez

This is an image from the interview Vincent did with WBOC about the idiotic roundabout the Boy Mayor is proposing. No, his name is not Renalda.

Nevertheless, are any of you actually offended by his hat, the one Rise Up Coffee went crazy over and ultimately lost a TON of business over? Come on, let's be honest in your comments. 

1st Degree Assault & Robbery Somerset County- Suspect at large

On Friday July 21, 2017 at 5:30 a.m. the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barracks received a 911 call from a victim advising that at approximately 0500 hours he was awakened to the sound of breaking glass. The complainant advised he looked outside to see a subject he identified as Kenneth Joseph Passwaters breaking the window on his vehicle and rummaging through the glove box. According to the complainant, he then confronted Passwaters at which time Passwaters proceeded to strike him in the head with a hammer causing minor superficial injuries. A search of the area was conducted by police with unsuccessful attempts to locate Passwaters.

Passwaters is currently wanted for several outstanding warrants, in addition to the charges arising from this incident which include robbery, Assault 1st/2nd degree, Reckless Endangerment, theft, MDOP, Rogue/ Vagabond.

Anyone with information in regards to Passwaters ‘ location is asked to contact the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barrack at 443-235-3700 or by dialing 911.

Thousands protest in Poland after controversial Supreme Court bill passed

Tens of thousands of Poles have protested after lawmakers in the lower house passed a law handing control of the country's Supreme Court to politicians. The bill still has to pass the upper house.

Crowds of demonstrators took to the streets of the Polish capital, Warsaw, on Thursday evening after lawmakers in the lower house of parliament voted through a controversial reform of the Supreme Court proposed by the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS).

Organizers said some 50,000 people participated in protests outside the presidential palace, although police spoke of 14,000. The demonstrators called on President Andrzej Duda to veto the legislation, which gives the government more influence on the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court.

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Caption This Photo 7-21-17


OCEAN CITY CRIME BLOTTER: PLEASE STOP EXPOSING YOUR GENITALS

This past week, Ocean City Police had their hands full with cases of indecent exposure as people somehow became convinced that the world was their bathroom.

Ocean City can be a wonderful place during the summertime. Visitors of all walks of life descend on the small ocean town for fun in the sun with family and friends.

There are a lot of things that we usually assume should go without saying. Don’t get drunk at a bar and startpointing a gun at people, for example.

Well, sometimes there are just common sense things that need to be said anyway.

Stop exposing yourself and peeing in public. Just… stop. You are never more than a hundred yards away from a bathroom in Ocean City or you can just wade into the water and pee there, like a normal tourist. Please, don’t expose yourself and pee in public. [End Public Service Announcement]

Unfortunately, some people can’t grasp that fundamental part of living in a civilized society and they all seem to want to visit Ocean City…

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Island For Sale In Annapolis

Thank God Its Friday 7-21-17

What will you be doing this weekend?

Hillary Clinton sings "My Favorite Excuses"

Wheels On The Waterfront 7-29-17


Yard Sale 7-22-17

There will be a multi-family yard sale Saturday 7/22/17 on Chestnut Way Salisbury, MD.

It Swallowed My Prius Too


Today's Snowflakes


Wicomico County Health Officials Provide Tips for Keeping Safe in Extreme Heat

(Salisbury, MD) A heat wave is expected to grip our region in the next few days. Temperatures will be in the upper 90 degrees with the heat index reaching over 100 degrees. Infants, young children, young athletes, obese persons, those older than 65 years of age, and those persons with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or a mental illness are at increased risk for a heat related illness. A heat-related illness can become life-threatening very quickly.

The Wicomico County Health Department urges everyone to practice these stay cool safety tips:

Seek air-conditioned environments such as malls, libraries and public places. Stay indoors.
Schedule outdoor activities before 10:00 am and after 6:00 pm.
Take a cool bath or shower.
Minimize direct exposure to the sun, if you must be outdoors, seek shade.
Stay hydrated – regularly drink water or other nonalcoholic fluids.
Eat light, cool, easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads.
Limit using the stove or oven to keep the house cooler.
Check on others; co-workers, the elderly, and those living alone.
Wear loose fitting, light-colored clothes.
Bring pets indoors. If they must remain outside make sure they have shade and plenty of clean, fresh water.

"It is likely that a cooling center will open in Wicomico County tomorrow. The public will be notified as soon as information becomes available. For up to date information and stay cool tips, visit our website at www.wicomicohealth.org.” says Lori Brewster, Health Officer.

Free Movies In The Park (Grease)

Sunday at 8:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Tripoli St. & Rt. 113, Berlin, Maryland 21811 


Rescheduled from Saturday, July 1st. 

Free movie night at Stephen Decatur Park. Bring a chair or blanket and a snack. Alcohol strictly prohibited.

Sponsored by Berlin Arts & Entertainment and Berlin Parks Commission.

Overdrawn at the Credibility Bank

While nobody was watching -- because the legacy media is still trying to figure out how they can have Donald Trump Jr hanged for treason for talking to Russian lobbyists for 20 minutes -- the legacy media itself is starting to notice it's gone way overboard. There were three pieces this weekend: from Snopes.com pointing out the lies that have been told about Trump; from Vox.com pointing out that the babble about Trump or Trump Jr, having "committed treason" was nonsense; and from The Week, pointing out the lack of content in the Russia outrage, and that, yeah, the fact that previous presidents and candidates have done something in the past does mean that Trump doing it is not unprecedented.

Honestly, the legacy media -- CNN especially -- has had a pretty bad six months. I won't go through the whole list, but some of my favorites were when CNN reported breathlessly that Trump asked for two scoops of ice cream at luncheons in the White House; when CNN accused Trump of inciting violence by tweeting a pro-wrestling GIF and then, following the general finger-pointing and derisive laughter at their reaction, their open threats of doxing the guy they thought made the meme; and then when the Comey testimony was coming up, reporting that "sources" were saying Comey would refute Trump's assertion he wasn't under investigation, only to have to retract when Comey's written testimony was released.

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