Popular Posts

Friday, September 15, 2017

Undocumented Immigrants Concerned After Leaked Memo Reveals Planned Raid

BALTIMORE (WJZ)– Days after Homeland Security cancels “Operation Mega,” a nationwide crackdown and round up of undocumented immigrants, some are worried it’s only a matter of time before they’re booted out of the country.

Immigrants rights advocates from across Maryland took their frustration and fear to the streets Tuesday at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office in Baltimore.

“We’re demanding that ICE show us our papers as community members and really document that they’re not going to be doing these violations against our community,” said CASA lead regional organizer Lydia Walther-Rodriguez.

The group is demanding that ICE be transparent about any policy changes that impact the immigrant community. They also want to know if any mass deportations are on the horizon.

More

Antifa activists say violence is necessary

Anti-fascist activists, or “antifa,” increasingly mobilized in the wake of President Trump’s election, are unapologetic about what they describe as the necessary use of violence to combat authoritarianism.

While both experts on the movement and activists within it emphasize that not everyone who participates in anti-fascist activism engages in violence, they say the use of force is intrinsic to their political philosophy.

“The justification [of the use of violence] is that Nazi ideology at its very core is founded on violence and on wielding power by any means,” said Mike Isaacson, who is one of the founders of Smash Racism D.C., an antifa organization in Washington.

Isaacson is unequivocal in his defense of violence as a legitimate tool to combat the creeping threat of what he deems authoritarianism.

More

[So who are the real Nazis? --Editor]

OC POLICE ARREST MAN FOR THROWING BIKE THROUGH 7-ELEVEN WINDOW


Ocean City Police arrested local man, Curran Hanley, for throwing a bicycle through a 7-Eleven storefront window.

Ocean City is a bike town. With so many people flooding the island during summer weekends, bicycles are often the easiest way to get around. However, over Labor Day weekend, one Ocean City resident allegedly decided to throw his bicycle into the North Division Street 7-Eleven’s storefront window, breaking it in the process.

Around 2:15 a.m. on Saturday morning, police were called to the convenience store. Witnesses and employees were able to provide a detailed description of the suspect and shortly thereafter, walking down Philadelphia Avenue towards the Route-50 bridge. Two OCPD officers began tailing the suspect, who was later identified as 23-year-old Curran Hanley, of Ocean City.

The officers ordered Hanley to stop at least four times. At one point, he turned around and acknowledged the officers, only to keep walking away from them. It took an officer in a vehicle to finally stop Hanley on the west side of the drawbridge.

More

Why Police Cannot (and Will Not) Protect Our Rights

It would seem that most people on the planet have seen the viral video of Alex Wubbels, the nurse at the University of Utah Medical Center, being arrested by police officer Jeff Payne because she insisted on following state and federal law, along with hospital protocol, regarding Payne’s demand that he be permitted to draw blood from a car accident victim. Not surprisingly, most viewers have reacted with outrage and after the incident became public, the Salt Lake City Police Department placed both Payne and his lieutenant, James Tracy (who ordered the arrest), on paid leave.

Pretty much everyone agrees on this one point: Payne and his boss at the very least violated department policy and probably broke the law. Whether or not they are punished is another matter.

In releasing the video during a press conference last week, Wubbels said that while she was grateful for the overwhelming support she received and for the apologies given her by the Salt Lake police chief and the city’s mayor, she called for “more training” for police officers to keep them from violating the law. Would be that Payne and his lieutenant engaged in this outrageous behavior simply because they had lacked proper “training.”

We have been down this road many times. The idea that government is supposed to protect our “inalienable rights” (in the words of Thomas Jefferson’s eloquent Declaration of Independence) is woven into our mystical political fabric, but instead of protection, governments hand out abuse, lots of abuse. While the vilification that Payne and his police allies presently are receiving is well-deserved, the real problem is not people like Payne, nor will firing him – as much as his superiors need to do it – will solve any fundamental problems with government agents abusing everyone else.

More

Heroin leads to three-car crash

Ocean City Police arrested Joshua Drennan, 25, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia on charges that he caused a three-car crash last Friday after he allegedly shot up with heroin.

Around 10:41 a.m., Drennen had apparently crashed his Saturn into one car while driving near St. Martin Neck’s Road. The force of that crash pushed the car into another car, according to reports.

Callers told dispatch that Drennan had passed out behind the wheel. When police spoke with Drennan, he was “sweating profusely” and had “pin point pupils,” according to charging documents.

More

China Sold Trucks Used With North Korean Missiles

Chinese military support to North Korea's missile programs included transfers of rocket transporters, according to a new report by a United Nations panel of experts.

The report by the expert panel of the UN Security Council identified Chinese-origin trucks shown in a military parade last April carrying China's new KN-11 submarine-launched ballistic missile.

"The trucks carried the ‘Sinotruk' logo on the fuel tank and shared some identical features with the Sinotruk Howo 6×6 series trucks shown at the 10 October 2015 military parade," the report said.

It is the second significant transfer of strategic missile technology from China identified by the panel.

In June 2013 the panel revealed the sale by China in 2011 of six to eight transporter erector launchers, known as TELs, that are now part of North Korea's first road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile system, the KN-08.

China claimed the KN-08 TEL vehicles were sold as lumber haulers. However, analysts said the 16-wheel launchers are too wide for logging roads. The launchers are made by the Sanjiang Special Truck Co. of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC).

An earlier UN report in April said Chinese electronic components were found in debris of a North Korean missile test that landed in the Sea of Japan in 2016.

More here

REMINDER: Tuckahoe Modified Truck & Tractor Pull


Get you horsepower fix for the fall. Join us SEPT 16th. Admission is just $10 per adult, children 6 and under are free.


https://www.facebook.com/tuckahoesteam/

Somerset County Sheriff's Office reports most recent arrests

Derrick Arnold Townsend Sr. of Princess Anne, arrested 8-30-17 on a warrant for 2nd degree assault, and reckless endangerment. Townsend was later held on a $20,000 bond.

Brandon Lamont Hitch of Princess Anne, arrested 8-30-17 on a warrant for violation of probation. Hitch was later held without bond.

Samuel Sahir Yarjah of Carrollton Maryland, arrested 8-31-17 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Yarjah was later held on a $2,500 bond

Joshua Brandon Thomas of Crisfield, arrested 8-31-17 for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and manufacturing cds. Thomas was later released on personal recognizance. The arrest was the result of an investigation of persons on a bicycle in the area of Calvary Rd, and Woodson School Rd, Crisfield. Deputies seized a marijuana plant from Thomas’s back pack.

Keyon Demetricus Honesty of Crisfield, arrested 9-3-17 on multiple agency arrest warrants. Honesty was later held without bond.

Marion Monroe Gross of Princess Anne, arrested 9-3-17 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Gross was later held on bond.

Anthony Brian McGirr of Crisfield, arrested 9-4-17 for driving while impaired by alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving on a suspended driver’s license, driving on a suspended registration, and failure to control speed to avoid a collision. McGirr was later released on citations pending court actions. Deputies were called to the area of Byrdtown Rd, and Boone Rd, Crisfield for a single vehicle accident involving a utility pole where they found McGirr to be the sole occupant/driver of a pick up truck.

Mark Kenneth Countee of Baltimore, arrested 9-5-17 on an out of county warrant. Countee was later released on a unsecured bond.

Deshawn Maurice Taylor of Princess Anne, arrested 9-9-17 on a warrant for violation of probation. Taylor was later held on a $1,000 bond.

Harold Timothy Howard 3rd, of Crisfield, arrested 9-9-17 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Howard was later held on a $500.00 bond.

Can you help? Animals moved from Harvey zone need forever homes

WASHINGTON — A bunch of animals taken out of Texas and Louisiana shelters before Hurricane Harvey will be available for adoption this weekend in the D.C. area.

The homeless dogs and cats were brought here in order to make room in the shelters for animals displaced by or lost in the storm.

About 100 animals arrived at Last Chance Animal Rescue, in Waldorf, on Aug. 31, and even more arrived later.

The pups and kitties have been living with temporary foster families, and now it’s time to find them forever homes.

Many will be available for adoption at the PuppyPalooza event happening Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Columbia, Maryland, PetSmart, on Snowden Square Drive.

More

Eight Army Special Operations Soldiers Injured In Explosion At Fort Bragg

A U.S. Army Special Forces soldier was killed and seven other service members were injured during a training exercise on Thursday at the U.S. Army base at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the military said.

The incident occurred during U.S. Army Special Operations Command demolitions training, with the soldiers involved taken by air and ground to multiple hospitals, according to a statement from the command.

The extent of the injuries of the seven wounded soldiers and the cause of the incident at the base outside Fayetteville were not released.

Lieutenant Colonel Rob Bockholt, a base spokesman, said he could not confirm local media reports of an explosion occurring during the exercise.

More

Please look carefully at this picture.

Colleen Hawk

Please look carefully at this picture. I took it at the very crowded rest stop just inside the AL border. The man in the white striped t-shirt is handing out free water. His crew behind him, behind the table, was BBQing hamburgers and hot dogs. All the fixings are on the table. And. They. Were. GIVING IT ALL AWAY FOR FREE to hungry/weary evacuees, of which we are. They were generous. They were welcoming. They were selflessly working on a hot day for the benefit of others. When I asked who they were, the angel on earth said, "just people, ma'am. Just people who love God and want to help." I tried to give a donation, as there was no donation box. He refused it. Told me to put it in my gas tank. No, I insisted. I begged him to take it. I told him to help replenish the supplies OR pass it along to another in need greater than us. Only then did he take it. He said he would. I had to walk away because I was starting to cry. This is what a Christian looks like to me. Gary Hawk

Right "Explodes In Anger" Over Trump's New Immigration Push

Trump's base woke up to a fairly surprising flip-flop this morning from the White House on DACA and the infamous, beautiful border wall which was discussed repeatedly on the campaign trail throughout 2016. It all started when Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi released the following statement after their White House dinner with the President last night:

"We had a very productive meeting at the White House with the President. The discussion focused on DACA. We agreed to enshrine the protections of DACA into law quickly, and to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that's acceptable to both sides."

That statement was followed up by a tweet storm (we covered it here) from the President this morning which seemingly revealed his complete support for DACA and referred to 'The Wall' as a "renovation of old and existing fences and walls" rather than the "physically imposing" yet "aesthetically pleasing" structure that he repeatedly promised his supporters.

The apparent flip flop by the President resulted in an immediate backlash from some of his most vocal supporters with Ann Coulter wondering aloud over twitter, "at this point, who DOESN'T want Trump impeached?"

More

Mom asks for $1 million after she claims principal shaved her sons beard

She says, "Oh my gosh, mental anguish. So many questions. Who, what, when, where, and how?"

Lasheena Davis' says she was shocked when her son Jakauan came home with no beard.

She accuses principal Anthony Yarbrough of shaving it.

She says, "Since then, my son's attitude about school has changed." .

Davis saying the shaving caused a rash and the cream to treat it costs a hundred dollars.

More/Video

Majority Wants To Keep Confederate Statues

A clear majority of Americans want to keep Confederate statues, according to a Monday poll.

Fifty-seven percent of Americans surveyed think Confederate memorials should remain in public areas, a figure more than twice as large as the 26 percent who think they should be removed, according to a survey conducted by Reuters, Ipsos, and the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Anti-monument Americans indicated that their opinions on the issue had changed more recently than those of pro-statue Americans, with one-third of them pointing to either the Charlottesville riot or South Carolina’s 2015 decision to take the Confederate flag down from its statehouse as the factor fueling their shift.

While 77 percent, 65 percent, and 52 percent of Americans polled opposed neo-Nazism, white nationalism, and the alt-right, respectively, only 39 percent and 37 percent opposed Antifa and Black Lives Matter.

More

OC’s Disturbing Peace Sign Effort Growing

OCEAN CITY – Officials in Ocean City are making an effort to ensure business owners place signs that warn of disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace laws prior to the resort’s fall events.

The efforts are part of an ordinance that requires businesses that front major arteries in the resort, including Coastal Highway, Philadelphia Avenue and Baltimore Avenue, to install signs warning residents and visitors of state laws against disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace and the enforcement of such laws.

The town passed the ordinance in 2015 in an effort to suppress illegal activity at vehicle-related special events, but enforcement measures fell by the wayside until this year.

Since July, the town has made an effort to enforce the longstanding ordinance.

In a Police Commission meeting Wednesday, Ocean City Police Chief Ross Buzzuro relayed ongoing efforts to install the signs. He said the town has distributed 186 signs to 122 properties.

More

9 Family Members of Americans Killed by Illegal Aliens Respond to Possible DACA Deal with Democrats

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nine Americans who have lost loved ones at the hands of illegal aliens spoke out in response to reports out of a Wednesday night dinner meeting between President Donald Trump, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi that the discussions involved a deal to shield DACA illegal aliens from deportation.

After Wednesday night’s dinner meeting at the White House, Schumer and Pelosi released a joint statement claiming an agreement had been reached with Trump to “enshrine the protections of DACA into law quickly, and to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that’s acceptable to both sides,” according to the Washington Times.

More

JUST IN: Anthony Brown Introduces Bill To Remove Lee Statue At Antietam

Rep. Anthony Brown on Friday introduced a bill to remove the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg.

The announcement was timed to coincide with the 155th anniversary of the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, the first field engagement in the Eastern Theater of the Civil War.

“Public land should not be home to symbols of hate and bigotry that memorialize leaders of the pro-slavery, traitorous Confederate South,” Brown said in a statement. “Statues and monuments ought to celebrate the brave individuals who have fought and died for our country and true American values. The statue of Lee commemorates a man that owned and beat African Americans, and fought to preserve the institution of slavery. The statue is historically inaccurate and offensive, and I am looking forward to its timely removal.”

If passed, the Robert E. Lee Statue Removal Act requires the secretary of the interior to develop a plan to remove the monument within 90 days of passage, and submit a publicly available report to Congress on the plan and timeline within 120 days.

More

Homeless Incidents, Complaints On Rise In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY – Year after year, visitors flock to the Ocean City Boardwalk, eager to take in the sights and sounds of the iconic promenade. They relish in the raucous sounds of arcade games and the enticing aromas wafting from various storefronts as waves break in the background.

This summer, however, the Boardwalk’s endearing sights and sounds have been accompanied by a growing population of homeless individuals. While there are those who attract little notice, others harass tourists.

Vacationer Marshall Reynolds said he met several of them. Reynolds said he and his wife, Ohio residents, visited Ocean City for the first time in early September.

They won’t be coming back.

More

WCSO Press Releases - Sept. 15, 2017





Incident: Most Wanted Apprehension
Date of Incident: 12 September 2017
Location: 28000 block of Log Cabin Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Dana Lynn Chamberlin, 38, Salisbury, MD
Narrative:  On 12 September 2017 at 1:45 PM, one of Wicomico County’s “Most Wanted” subjects, Dana Chamberlin, was located at a residence in the 28000 block of Log Cabin Road in Salisbury. Chamberlin had been featured on local media outlets and tips came in the allowed investigators to locate her at this residence.
Chamberlin was wanted on a District Court Bench Warrant that was issued after she violated the terms of her probation in case where she had been convicted of Assault in the First Degree.
Following an initial appearance in front of a District Court Commissioner, Chamberlin was detained without bond in the Detention Center.
Charges: Violation of Probation  


Incident: Theft
Date of Incident: 13 September 2017
Location: 3000 block of St. Luke’s Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Jessica Rose Snyder, 27, Laurel, DE
Narrative:  On 13 September 2017 at 4:00 PM, a deputy arrested Jessica Snyder in connection with a theft that occurred in the 3000 block of St. Luke’s Road. In this incident, it was alleged that Snyder, who had been asked to move out of the residence, stole several items from the homeowner before leaving. Many of these purloined items which included power tools were located for sale in a local pawn shop.
Further investigation revealed Snyder as the individual who pawned these items.
Snyder was released on Personal Recognizance by the District Court Commissioner.
Charges: Theft under $1,000.00 


Incident: CDS Possession
Date of Incident: 14 September 2017
Location: Main Street, Willards, MD
Suspect: Brittany Samantha McGlaughlin
Narrative:  On 14 September 2017 at 11:22 AM, a deputy stopped a vehicle after clocking it on radar at 65 mph in a 35 mph zone in the town of Willards. During the encounter, the deputy detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from within the vehicle. Following a conversation, the deputy learned one of the passengers, Brittany McGlaughlin had marijuana in her possession. Upon recovery of the marijuana that was in a mason jar, it was evident that its weight was in excess of 10 grams. The deputy began a search that uncovered Brittany was also in possession of a narcotic codeine based syrup that was prescribed to another individual.
The deputy placed McGlaughlin under arrest and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner released her on Personal Recognizance.  
Charges: Possession of CDS Not Marijuana and Possession of Marijuana over 10 grams


Incident: Most Wanted Apprehension
Date of Incident: 14 September 2017
Location: Wicomico County, MD
Suspect: Jose Angel Martinez, 35, Salisbury, MD
Narrative:  On 14 September 2017 at 4:41 PM, a deputy arrested one of Wicomico County’s “Most Wanted” individuals, Jose Martinez on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant. Martinez was wanted after he violated the terms of his probation in a Home Invasion and Felony Assault case.
Martinez was recently profiled as one of Wicomico County’s “Most Wanted” on local media outlets.
Martinez was transported to the Detention Center where he was detained without bond pending an initial appearance in front of a Circuit Court Judge.
Charges: Violation of Probation

East Coast Pizza Angers Resident



Well we tried again to resolve the issue with people calling our home number ( which has been Kens number for over a decade) to get pizza. East Coast Pizza connection printed up menus in February when they opened with our home number as the secondary number. We've addressed this with them on several occasions. They only changed the number on their building when we threatened a lawsuit. We have been bullied about selling them our number. We have not done this. After a call last night at 1130 wondering where a delivery is we decided to try to get some resolution. We were told to go fly a kite. The sign says they're under new ownership. Well it's the same old people who don't seem to care how they treat the people on the Shore. You will not treat us horribly because you made an error and didn't proofread your promotional materials. 8 months and you're still giving out menus with our home number on them...corrected in sharpie. Unacceptable.

Rapper Lynches A Young White Child In His Latest Video


A black rapper released a music video for a new single Tuesday in which he can be seen lynching a young white child.

The Florida rapper, XXXTentacion, put out the music video for his song, “Look at Me!,” which examines police brutality and racism in America. One part of the video shows XXXTentacion placing a white child and a black child in front of a noose. The rapper encourages the white child to place it around his neck and then proceeds to hang him.

Viewers can see the boy’s feet twitch as he slowly dies.

More

**Traffic Advisory** Troopers Assisting with Serious Crash in Selbyville

Selbyville – The Delaware State Police and Selbyville Police Department are currently on the scene of a serious crash on US113 in Selbyville.

The incident occurred around 1:05 p.m. Friday September 15, 2017 at the intersection of southbound DuPont Boulevard (US113) and West Church Street and involves a car and a motorcycle. Injuries have been reported in the crash, however, the exact number and extent of the injuries is unknown at this time.

US113 southbound and northbound is currently closed at Church Street. Commuters should expect delays in the area and find alternate routes of travel.

Further details will be released upon the conclusion of the investigation.

Please follow the Real Time Travel Advisories through DelDOT to get updates on the road opening by clicking: http://deldot.gov/information/travel_advisory/#trafficBox1

Tropical Storm Jose could regain hurricane strength

Tropical Storm Jose could regain hurricane strength on Friday and cause life-threatening rip currents along portions of the United States east coast, the US National Hurricane Center said.

The storm is about 510 miles south-southwest of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour and could gradually turn toward the north in the next two days, the NHC said.

'Jose could produce other direct impacts next week along portions of the east coast of the United States from North Carolina northward to New England,' according to the NHC.

More

Mandatory Bike Lights On OC Roads Considered

OCEAN CITY – A committee in Ocean City is moving forward with plans to submit a recommendation requiring lights on all bikes traveling the resort’s roads.

In a Coastal Resources Legislative Committee, or Green Team, meeting Wednesday, Gail Blazer, the town’s environmental engineer, relayed ongoing efforts to amend an ordinance that would mandate lights on all bikes traveling along all roadways in Ocean City.

Blazer said the town currently has an ordinance that requires lights on bikes traveling along highways, but does not include all roadways.

“It doesn’t say all streets, allies, roadways or even city roads,” she said.

The goal, Blazer explained, would be to change the ordinance to include all roadways in town.

More

JUST IN: Former St. Louis officer Stockley found not guilty


ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) – A St. Louis judge has acquitted former police officer Jason Stockley in the 2011 shooting death of Anthony Smith.

“This court, as the trier of fact, is simply not firmly convinced of defendant’s guilt. Agonizingly, this court has poured over the evidence again and again. This court has viewed the video evidence from the restaurant’s surveillance camera, the cameras in the police vehicle, and the cell phone video by the lay witness, over and over again – innumerable times,” read a portion of the court document.

Stockley, a former St. Louis Police Officer, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Anthony Smith, who was shot and killed following a police chase in 2011.

More

‘Vietnam’ reveals the folly of a war that scarred America

A war that was never formally declared, fought on the other side of the world, largely by our minorities and poor, sent to fight by rich white men who’d dodged combat or never served, in hostile, unfamiliar terrain where our full military might means nothing, humbled by dug-in natives who fight from caves and tunnels and vow to carry on until we go. And even as we fail and can no longer articulate an end goal, presidents from both parties send more and more soldiers to fight and die, over decades, rather than admit defeat.

Sound familiar?

There are many reasons we’ve never gotten over Vietnam: To really examine that war is to admit that America isn’t always right or good, and in fact is capable of great brutality for self-serving reasons. Vietnam was our nation’s first global humiliation. The ugly treatment our Vietnam veterans were given by their fellow Americans upon returning home and the resultant alienation of those veterans led to an epic schism in the American psyche, one that’s never even begun to heal. For all the Hollywood movies made about that war, Vietnam has remained a largely unexplained and misunderstood era in American history.

More

Amazon 'turns a blind eye' to VAT fraud in UK

Amazon has been accused of profiteering from a multi-billion-pound VAT fraud that is pushing British businesses to the wall.

MPs said the online retailer was ‘turning a blind eye’ to organised criminals from China and elsewhere who sell their goods cheaply on internet auction sites – but don’t register to pay VAT.

The scam takes up to £1.5billion a year from Treasury coffers and lets the sellers undercut law-abiding British traders, forcing them to fold or lay staff off.

Yesterday, MPs on the Commons public accounts committee accused internet marketplaces Amazon and eBay of not doing enough to root out foreign firms that fail to pay tax.

They also said that because online retailers take a commission from the total that tax-evading traders make, they receive more money from them than if the 20 per cent VAT was paid – letting them ‘profiteer’ from the fraud.

The MPs criticised Amazon for letting foreign traders store goods in its warehouses even if they do not have a valid VAT number.

More

Jake Day & Jim Ireton Release Restrictions On Old Station 16

I am absolutely blown away at the above amendment to an iron clad contract. That taxpayer owned property was sold specifically for an arts & entertainment venue. The buyers firmly agreed to it and without ANYONE knowing these two Idiots reversed the original agreement for the Good Ol' Boys. It was sold for peanuts and was done so in order to assure what went in there was good for the community. I have seen a lot of crooked politics in my time but on a local level this, (in my opinion) is criminal and must be investigated. It's no wonder these politicians want nothing but rentals. They don't want an entire community stopping them from such BS!

Implanted Microchip to Replace Credit Cards, Car Keys

A microchip embedded under the skin will replace credit cards and keys according to Stephen Ray, who has already overseen a program for Sweden’s largest state owned train operator that allows customers to scan their chips instead of using tickets.

BBC News showcased the system in which Swedes are able to have their embedded chip scanned by a conductor who uses an app to match up their chip membership number with a purchased ticket.

Around 3,000 people in Sweden have already had a chip embedded in their hand in order to access secure areas of buildings.

“You could use the microchip implant to replace a lot of stuff, your credit cards, they keys to your house, the keys to your car,” Ray told the BBC.

His sentiments echo the tone of an NBC News report last year which asserted the microchipping of children will happen “sooner rather than later” and that Americans will eventually accept the process as something just as normal as the barcode.

“It’s not a matter of if it will happen, but when,” electronics expert Stuart Lipoff told the network.

More here

Equifax Argentina Poorly Guarded

Security researchers have found gross deficiencies on the Equifax Argentina site, including using "admin" as both the username and password for an employee web portal designed to let employees in the country manage credit report disputes from consumers, cyber-crime blogger Brian Krebs wrote on his website.

The credit report provider last week announced it suffered one of the biggest data breaches in history sometime between mid-May and the end of July, exposing the information of an estimated 143 million people in the U.S., Canada, and U.K. Hackers were able to acquire names, social security numbers, birth dates, home address, and some drivers' license information.

More here

Charges Filed Against Former Berlin Butcher Shop Owner

BERLIN — A meat supply company filed charges last week against a former butcher shop owner for allegedly issuing bad checks on the heels of an ongoing investigation in Ocean City alleging theft of meat from a grocery store.

C&C Meat Sales formally filed charges last week against former Berlin Butcher Shop owner Lisa Hall, a former town councilmember, alleging she wrote checks for meat deliveries at the now defunct store in Berlin knowing there were insufficient funds to pay them. C&C Meats alleges in the charging documents Hall wrote a check for one delivery in April totaling $2,836 and another in May totaling $2,415, both of which were returned for non-sufficient funds. The meat purveyor alleges attempts to have Hall make good on the bounced checks have been unsuccessful.

As a result, the District Court of Maryland in Worcester County has issued a criminal summons for Hall, charging her with four counts of passing checks with insufficient funds and two counts of felony theft from $1,000 to under $10,000. The charging documents allege Hall signed both checks, which were later returned for insufficient funds. The meat company sent a certified letter to Hall, which she signed and acknowledged receipt, but has failed to make good on the two checks totaling over $5,000. A preliminary hearing has been set for Sept. 29.

More

Americans Are More Secular — What That Means for Liberty

Are Americans becoming less religious, or, more specifically, are we becoming less Christian? The answer seems to be yes. As we approach Constitution Day this Sunday, this new reality has implications for American Liberty.

According to data from a new survey released last week by the Public Religion Research Institute, a study of more than 100,000 Americans across the nation found that the number of those who call themselves “religious and spiritual” has declined from 59% in 2012 to 48%. Currently, just 43% of white Americans claim to be Christians and only 30% Protestants. In 1976, the numbers were 81% Christian with 55% Protestant. That’s clearly a significant drop in one generation.

PRRI found that the decline in religious observance among Americans is highest in young Americans. The non-religious or “nones” now make up 34% of all Americans under the age of 30. And young Americans who are religious and identify as Christians are a shrinking percentage. Interestingly, among religiously unaffiliated Americans, a minority (only 27%) claim to be either agnostic or atheist. It’s interesting that most Americans who identify as secular and non-religious aren’t willing to entirely reject religious beliefs.

Part of the problem with surveys like this is the fact that people’s definitions for what makes someone a Christian are constantly evolving. Hence the common delimiters such as Protestant vs. Catholic, mainline vs. evangelical, denominational vs. non-denominational, and so on. To make matters even more confusing, racial delimiters have been added.

So, the bigger question is what’s the point behind publishing this data?

More here

Say what you want about him..

Tim Tebow contributed to the greatest rise in minor league baseball attendance in 23 years.

That number is quite appropriate because only one man, Michael Jordan, has done more for minor league baseball crowds than Tebow did this year. And Jordan -- who wore No. 23 for the NBA's Chicago Bulls -- had the benefit of playing Double-A with bigger ballparks to fill.

Thanks to Jordan, the Birmingham Barons' 1994 season attendance of 467,868 fans, with an average of 6,884 fans per game, still stands as a franchise and league record.

Although Tebow's popularity didn't fill that many seats, the impact of the former NFL quarterback is undeniable.

The Columbia Fireflies, the Class A team Tebow played for through June 28, saw their attendance increase by nearly 54,000 fans, a 21 percent rise from 2016. The second team Tebow played for, the St. Lucie Mets of advanced Class A, saw attendance rise by 35,803 fans, up 37 percent from last year.

And that's just the beginning..

Google's depression tool could lead to dangerous over-treatment

Google's screening tool that enables people to check online whether they are clinically depressed could do more harm than good, one expert has warned.

Last month, the tech giant released a self-assessment quiz, called the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which pops up as a result for the search query 'Am I depressed?' on a computer or cell phone.

Google developed its test in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) but one professor claims that the quiz could just lead to over-treatment of depression amid the US's opioid epidemic.

He warns the tool's development was funded by major drug company Pfizer, which profits from the sale of antidepressants.

Simon Gilbody, professor of psychological medicine at the University of York, warned that the test has a high likelihood of returning false positives.

David Gilbert, director of InHealth Associates echoed concerns about Pfizer's involvement.

'Google is driving people quicker down the path to big pharma. Remember,Pfizer funded the development of the tool,' he wrote in Head to Head.

More here

Harvard Withdraws Chelsea Manning’s Visiting Fellow Invitation

The dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government said the college was withdrawing its invitation for Chelsea Manning to be a visiting fellow and apologized for extending the offer, which prompted a former CIA director and the current one to distance themselves from the university.

Former CIA Acting Director Michael Morell earlier Thursday announced his resignation as a senior fellow at Harvard over its decision to invite Manning. Mike Pompeo, the agency's current director, also canceled a speaking engagement there Thursday night.

"I now think that designating Chelsea Manning as a visiting fellow was a mistake, for which I accept responsibility," Kennedy School Dean Douglas W. Elmendorf said in a statement posted on the university's website early Friday. "I still think that having her speak in the Forum and talk with students is consistent with our longstanding approach, which puts great emphasis on the value of hearing from a diverse collection of people.

More

Attorney: 'Busty' teen kicked out of class for wearing this outfit

SPRINGFIELD, MO. - A Joplin High School teacher told a student that she was too "busty" and kicked her out of class for a dress code violation, according to an attorney who represents the teen.

Kelsey Anderson, 17, was wearing a long-sleeved maroon top and blue jeans on Friday when the teacher told Anderson that "plus-sized women" need to shop at stores that sell plus-sized clothes, according to a news release from attorney Elizabeth Turner.

The female teacher allegedly added: "Smaller busted women could get away with more than larger busted women."

Anderson said she was "mortified" that her teacher said those things in front of the class.

More

Girlfriend charged in death of man found in forest

The girlfriend of a man found naked with his throat slashed in a Maryland forest was charged with murder on Thursday.

Alexander Arthur Stevens, 24, of Frostburg, was found dead earlier this year on January 4th at the Savage River State Forest in Garrett County. In March, his death was ruled a homicide.

Over eight months later, Garrett County State's Attorney Lisa Thayer Welch announced that Megan Virginia Shaffer, 21, has been charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and assisting another to commit or attempt to commit suicide, The Cumberland Times-News reported.

More

Weiner Pleads for Leniency in Sexting Case

Former Democratic congressman Anthony Weiner asked for leniency Wednesday in sentencing for his exchange of sexually explicit online messages with a 15-year-old girl, regretting he helped torpedo his wife Huma Abedin's career.

In documents filed with a Manhattan federal court, Weiner's lawyers asked for probation mandating treatment and community service, portraying their client as an attention-driven "weak man" in a "self-destructive spiral" with a "sickness."

More

Maryland Mother Catherine Hoggle indicted on two counts of murder

WASHINGTON — Catherine Hoggle, the Montgomery County mother of two children who vanished in 2014, was indicted on two counts of murder.

Hoggle’s children, Sarah and Jacob Hoggle, were 3 and 2 years old when they went missing in 2014 and have never been found. Hoggle was the last person to see them alive on Sept. 7, 2014.

She told conflicting stories to the childrens’ father, Troy Turner, and investigators about where the children were. Hoggle has a history of mental health issues, including paranoia and schizophrenia, according to her attorney and Turner.

In 2014, Hoggle was charged with three misdemeanors: parental abduction, neglect and hindering or obstructing an investigation.

More

Williams: We're All to Blame

The largest threat to our prosperity is government spending that far exceeds the authority enumerated in Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. Federal spending in 2017 will top $4 trillion. Social Security, at $1 trillion, will take up most of it. Medicare ($582 billion) and Medicaid ($404 billion) are the next-largest expenditures. Other federal social spending includes food stamps, unemployment compensation, child nutrition, child tax credits, supplemental security income and student loans, all of which total roughly $550 billion. Social spending by Congress consumes about two-thirds of the federal budget.

Where do you think Congress gets the resources for such spending? It's not the tooth fairy or Santa Claus. The only way Congress can give one American a dollar is to use threats, intimidation and coercion to confiscate that dollar from another American. Congress forcibly uses one American to serve the purposes of another American. We might ask ourselves: What standard of morality justifies the forcible use of one American to serve the purposes of another American? By the way, the forcible use of one person to serve the purposes of another is a fairly good working definition of slavery.

Today's Americans have little appreciation for how their values reflect a contempt for those of our Founding Fathers. You ask, "Williams, what do you mean by such a statement?" In 1794, Congress appropriated $15,000 to help French refugees who had fled from insurrection in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti). James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution," stood on the floor of the House to object, saying, "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article in the federal Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." Most federal spending today is on "objects of benevolence." Madison also said, "Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government."

More here

[Dr. Walter E. Williams holds a bachelor's degree in economics from California State University (1965) and a master's degree (1967) and doctorate (1972) in economics from the University of California at Los Angeles. In 1980, he joined the faculty of George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., and is currently the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics.]

Statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee removed from Dallas park

Crews arranged by Dallas officials removed a statue of Robert E Lee from a pedestal Thursday and carted it away from a park named for the Confederate general.

In an unannounced move, a large crane was brought through the city by a police escort to Lee Park, where it lifted the large statue from its pedestal late Thursday afternoon.

City officials said in a statement that an art conservator monitored the proper handling of the statue, and police tactical officers with automatic rifles provided security.

The statue was lowered onto a flatbed trailer for transport to an abandoned naval air station owned by the city on its western outskirts.

More

Clinton State Department silenced them on Benghazi security lapses, contractors say

Security at the State Department's Benghazi compound was so dire that another contractor was brought in to clean up the mess just two weeks before the 2012 terror attack – and was later pressured to keep quiet by a government bureaucrat under then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to two men from the American security company.

Brad Owens and Jerry Torres, of Torres Advanced Enterprise Solutions, say they faced pressure to stay silent and get on the same page with the State Department with regard to the security lapses that led to the deaths of four Americans.

They spoke exclusively with Fox News for “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” revealing new information that undermines the State Department's account of the 2012 terror attack in Benghazi, where Islamic militants launched a 13-hour assault from Sept. 11-12 that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, foreign service officer Sean Smith and former Navy SEALS Ty Woods and Glenn Doherty.

More
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/09/13/clinton-state-department-silenced-them-on-benghazi-security-lapses-contractors-say.html

Hillary’s Anti-Presidential Campaign

Three creatures on earth are impossible to get rid of: lice, cockroaches and Clintons.

Hillary Clinton spent a third of her miserable adult life trying to get into the White House. Now the nation’s failed Harridan-in-Chief is determined to spend her remaining years blaming everyone, from Matt Lauer to the Electoral College, for having to live out the rest of her life in flat broke poverty in the eleven rooms of her Georgian Colonial mansion (and the neighboring mansion in their cul-de-sac too).

Current ‘blamees’ include the FBI, millions of white people, sexism, the Russians, Russian sexism, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Matt Lauer and the Electoral College.

And probably the starting lineup of the Denver Broncos. You’ll have to buy the book for the full list.

But What Happened, Hillary’s spiteful magnum opus, does actually answer its titular question.

Hillary happened.

Hillary Clinton is a terrible person. Her politics are terrible. She’s a nasty creature whose hatred, entitlement and greed are in direct proportion to her mountainous avalanches of self-pity.

And What Happened sums up those qualities the way that none of her previous biographies ever did.

What Happened isn’t Hillary unfiltered. The only people privileged to witness that were the Secret Service agents she threw things at and the aides who had to frantically cater to her every whim.

But it’s close enough.

More

Former Facebook executive says Google, Facebook are 'surveillance states'

Even though he was once an executive at Facebook, Chamath Palihapitiya, CEO of Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings, favors investing in Amazon instead, he told CNBC's "Fast Money: Halftime Report" on Thursday.

President Donald Trump has been a critic of Amazon, tweeting his disdain for coverage from The Washington Post, which is a personal holding of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. But Palihapitiya said he thinks that Facebook and Google face more regulatory risk, given the many retailers that compete with Amazon.

"Amazon is a microscopic portion of global consumption today, so ultimately I think it has more room to grow before it invites regulatory overview," Palihapitiya said. "On the other hand, Facebook and Google effectively are surveillance states. And they have so much personal, private information about so many citizens of so many countries."

Google has already had a tussle with regulators in Europe, after the company was slapped with a record fine in one investigation.

"It's already beginning," Palihapitiya said. "Because it's part and parcel to them realizing that there's too much power unbounded."

More here

9 Lies About DACA Trump Is Buying Into

Since President Trump’s reversal on an Obama-created temporary amnesty program and his reported permanent amnesty deal-making with Democrats on the issue, the administration is now touting the success of those illegal aliens.

Via Twitter, Trump praised the almost 800,000 illegal alien recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, saying they are “good, educated and accomplished young people,” but failing to mention some of the key points on the issue that he often brought to light during the 2016 presidential election.

Now, Trump seems to be buying into a handful of untruths about DACA, amnesty for illegal aliens and his working-class, middle-class voter base.

1. All DACA recipients are innocent young people

Breaking News: NASA's Cassini spacecraft has plunged into Saturn

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has plunged into Saturn, ending its 20-year mission to expand what we know about the ringed planet


Almost at the appointed minute, the signal from Saturn faded and vanished.
That marked the quiet end of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, nearly 20 years after its launch. Here, at the California Institute of Technology, a crowd had gathered to commemorate the spacecraft’s end — part reunion, part celebration, part wake.
Read More »

14 Defendants Face Additional Federal Charges In Alleged Racketeering Conspiracy At Maryland’s Eastern Correctional Institution


66 Defendants That Were Previously Charged Have Pled Guilty or are Scheduled To Plead Guilty
 
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned two superseding indictments charging 14 defendants with racketeering at the Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover, Maryland. The superseding indictments charged 6 correctional officers (COs), 4 inmates and 4 outside “facilitators,” for their roles in the conspiracy, which allegedly involved paying bribes to correctional officers to smuggle contraband, including narcotics, tobacco, and cell phones, into the prison. The indictments were returned on September 12, 2017, and made public today.

The superseding indictments were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Secretary Stephen T. Moyer of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

According to the superseding indictments, the Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI) is the largest state prison in Maryland, operating since 1987 near Westover, in Somerset County, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. ECI is a medium-security prison for men built as two identical compounds (East and West) on 620 acres, and housing more than 3,300 inmates. The East and West Compounds are further divided into Housing Units, 1 through 4 in the West and 5 through 8 in the East.

The first superseding indictment covers the West Compound at ECI and charges 6 defendants, including 2 COs, 1 ECI inmate, and 3 outside suppliers or “facilitators.” The second indictment covers the East Compound at ECI and charges 8 defendants, including 4 COs, 2 ECI inmates and 2 facilitators.

Thank God Its Friday 9-15-17

What will you be doing this weekend?

Police: Autopsy findings reveal pregnant Md. teacher shot in back of head

WASHINGTON — After a missing Maryland teacher was found dead earlier this week, autopsy findings reveal Laura Wallen was shot in the back of her head, police said Thursday night.

Wallen, 31, of Olney, was found in a shallow grave in Damascus on Wednesday after she was last heard from earlier in September, Montgomery County police said. She was four months pregnant.

Her boyfriend, Tyler Tessier, has been charged with first-degree murder in her death.

Wallen, who taught at Howard County’s Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, did not show up for the first day of classes after Labor Day, even though she had spent weeks preparing. She had not requested a substitute teacher, which worried her family.

More

Organic Growth: More Farms Transitioning in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin

CASCADE, Iowa — Kim and Marvin Lynch’s dairy farm in Cascade was certified as organic in 2009, but the process wasn’t easy.

The Lynches had to discontinue using fertilizers, insecticides and synthetic herbicides in the fields of their third-generation farm for three years before it could be certified. Their cows could no longer be given a regular regimen of antibiotics.

Kim Lynch said the transition was challenging, but since then, her family’s farm has flourished.

“It’s definitely more labor-intensive. It’s also more financially stable,” she said. “Our only regret is that we didn’t do it earlier.”

The Lynches are part of a growing trend in the tri-state area of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Iowa experienced a 42 percent increase in the number of organic farms from 2008 to 2015 — the most recent year for which data is available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There were 674 such farms in 2015, but that still only constituted about 0.7 percent of farms in the state.

In that same time frame, the number of organic farms in Wisconsin grew from 994 to 1,205, a 38 percent increase, and in Illinois the count went from 162 to 196, a 20 percent increase.

Kate Mendenhall, managing director of Iowa Organic Association, said the sharp increase in demand for organic products is driving the trend.

More

Protesters shroud Jefferson statue , decry UVa response to rallies

One month after white nationalists stormed the Rotunda at the University of Virginia, bearing tiki torches and chanting, “You will not replace us,” a smaller but equally vocal crowd of protesters took to the Rotunda on Tuesday night, covering a statue of Thomas Jefferson in a black shroud, which was removed sometime after midnight Wednesday.

The group of about 100 UVa students, faculty and community members gathered despite the rain to deride the university’s response to the summer’s wave of white nationalist demonstrations.

They covered the UVa founder’s statue in black, mimicking the city’s decision to shroud the statues of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson in the wake of the violent Aug. 12 rally that resulted in one death and dozens of injuries.

More