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Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Study Shows Surge in Calls to Poison Control for ADHD Meds

A new study highlights the misuse of medication for the neurobehavioral disorder in the U.S.

A NEW STUDY IS SOUNDING the alarm about misuse of medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

There were 156,365 calls to poison control centers for people under 20 who were improperly exposed to ADHD medication from 2000 through 2014, according to the study published in the journal Pediatrics. The number of calls surged between 2000 and 2011 before declining slightly between 2011 and 2014.

Overall, call volume increased by 60 percent over the period, says the study's senior author, Gary Smith.

"As the diagnoses and treatment with medication of ADHD have increased in the U.S., these exposures have also increased, which means we really do need to pay more attention … and for different age groups, come up with different strategies to prevent them," says Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

As of 2016, an estimated 6.1 million children between the ages of 2 and 17 had at some point been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and survey data. About 6 in 10 currently with ADHD took medication to treat the neurobehavioral disorder, which can make it extremely difficult for children to focus or sit still.

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Bongino: Brennan Scrambling To Avoid Jail

Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino took aim at former CIA Director John Brennan Monday, claiming that Brennan was “panicking” and others had gone silent in an effort to avoid jail time.

“There were criminal leaks here, criminal leaks, felonious criminal leaks of information.”

During a Monday morning appearance on “Fox & Friends,” Bongino laid out a timeline of events that put Brennan at the center of everything. “Brennan started this whole debacle with Trump. We now know that Brennan had pretty detailed knowledge of the dossier,” he said.

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Breakdown: Trump Forcing Deep State into Deep Panic

Victory on horizon as swamp operatives run out of time

The deep state is nearing full-blown panic as the extent of the Obama administration’s illegal spying on the Trump campaign becomes crystal clear.

For starters, President Trump hammered ex-CIA Director John Brennan in a series of tweets on Monday which quoted former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino.

Bongino said Brennan has disgraced the US intelligence community as well as the people’s faith in federal agencies.

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Let’s Cut Through the BS About Central Bank Balance Sheet Reduction

Let’s cut through the BS about Central Bank Balance Sheet reduction.

There. Is. No. Exit.

Once a Central Bank begins to employ ZIRP and QE for years at a time, there is no going back. If you don’t believe me, take a look at Japan.

As I outlined in my book The Everything Bubble: the Endgame For Central Bank Policy,Japan is ground zero for Central Bank monetary insanity. The Fed first employed ZIRP and QE in 2008. Japan went to ZIRP in 1999. It launched its first QE program in 2000.

And it never looked back.

There were brief periods in which the Bank of Japan would NOT employ QE. But as soon as Japan’s economic data turned south… you guessed it… MORE QE... and not for a month or two... this has been going on for 18 years.

The end result is that today the Bank of Japan’s balance sheet is roughly the size of the country’s GDP.

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Yes, You Need to Wash New Clothes Before Wearing Them

Most of us love new clothes! They are "perfect"–colors are bright, lines are crisp and pristine. So why would you ever wash them and risk changing the look before you even get a chance to wear them?
Why You Need to Wash New Clothes Before Wearing

There are three good reasons to wash new clothes, especially pieces like underwear or t-shirts and shorts that are worn in direct contact with your skin, before you wear them.

One reason to wash new clothes is to wash out extra dye that can be transferred to your skin or other garments. Most fabrics made from synthetic fibers (polyester, acrylic) are colored with azo-aniline dyes. These dyes can cause severe skin reactions for people, especially small children, who are allergic to them. If the allergy is severe, the rash will be similar to poison ivy. But even less severe reactions can cause dry, itchy inflamed patches of skin. 

It is possible to transfer lice, scabies, bacteria, and fungus from one person to another person when clothes are tried on. Dressing rooms can become breeding grounds for everything from viruses to athlete's foot. Why take that risk?

And, most importantly, new clothes should be washed to remove the chemical finishes like Urea formaldehyde that manufacturers put on clothes to enhance color or texture. The finishes won't bother everyone, but if you have sensitive skin you can develop a rash especially in constant contact areas like armpits, collars, cuffs, and trouser waists and thighs.

Why Hasn't Mueller Indicted Anybody For The DNC Hack?

During his one year leading the probe into the alleged misdeeds of President Trump and his associates, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has issued a number of indictments, including against 13 Russian nationals who will likely never find their way into US custody. But as the Hill pointed out Tuesday, there's one election-related crime that Mueller has apparently been reluctant to pursue: That is, the hacking of the Democratic National Committee's emails by Guccifur 2.0, a hacker who has been tenuously linked to the Russian GRU.

Some legal experts say Mueller could be holding off on an indictment for the end of the investigation because going public would be too damaging. It's possible that it could reveal "the information they might posses to prove the case," said Mark Zaid, a Washington attorney specializing in national security issues.

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Dr. Robert Epstein Releases Details on Project to Tame Masters of the Universe

As the tech giants face growing scrutiny over their unregulated political power – including the power to swing elections – they have assured both congress and the public that they have no plans to abuse that power, and will commit to greater transparency in order to do so.

That’s to be expected. No corporation, accused of wrongdoing, is going to stand up and admit it. If Google and Facebook intend to manipulate the flow of information to serve their own interests and biases, the last thing they’re going to do is tell the world about it.

Instead, they’ll deploy their efforts under deceptive slogans like “fighting fake news” and “protecting election integrity.” And that’s exactly what they’re doing.

To expose the deception, watch what they do when confronted with a proposal that would ensure they are subject to real transparency and oversight. Say, for example, a program that could detect when Facebook or Google bias their algorithms in favor of a particular political candidate.

As it happens, such a program is already under construction...

Bartiromo: DOJ, FBI, IRS, CIA Were ‘All Trying to Take Down Donald Trump’

Monday Fox Business Network, host Maria Bartiromo said during the administration of President Barack Obama, the Department of Justice, the FBI, the IRS and the CIA “were all involved in trying to take down Donald Trump.”

Fox News chief judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano said, “We may be on the precipice of exposing a very, very extraordinary political use of intelligence and law enforcement by the Obama Administration.”

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"Flood Is Coming": New Comey-McCabe Emails Suggest CNN And FBI Coordination Over Steele Dossier

Several new strings have been tacked across the corkboard in the rapidly unraveling 2016 election scandal. Recently obtained FBI emails shed light on what appears to have been high-level coordination between the FBI and CNN surrounding the release of the infamous "Steele" dossier.

In an April leak of the Comey memos, we learned that the former FBI Director briefed then-President-Elect Donald Trump on the dossier on January 6, 2017 after he wrote in a memo that various news outlets - "CNN in particular" - were "looking for a news hook," and would soon be reporting on it.

“I said media like CNN had [the dossier] and were looking for a news hook,” Comey wrote of his interaction with Trump.

CNN, on the other hand, considered Comey's meeting with Trump to have legitimized the document - making it their journalistic responsibility to report on it.

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Oh My: GOP Surges to 2018 Generic Ballot Lead in New Reuters Poll

As Cortney mentioned yesterday, a new CBS News poll shows yet another uptick in Americans' economic optimism, with 64 percent of voters describing the US economy has 'very' or 'somewhat' good, and even more -- 68 percent -- giving partial or "a great deal" of credit to President Trump. That same survey of likely voters also measured a variant of thegeneric Congressional ballot, confirming thestill-tightening trajectory of that election year metric:
CBS poll: 45% of likely voters prefer Democrats win this year, while 43% favor Republicans (D+2). It's not a pure generic ballot question, but it's close. Same poll shows 68% crediting Trump somewhat or a great deal for the economy, about which most Americans are optimistic.

It's a strange way to ask the question, but when you add up the options, it's a topline Democratic lead of just two points. This is exactly why the party is growing anxiousabout its slipping fortunes. My typical cautionary note about how quickly the winds can shift, as well as this analysis of the Trump-era off-year and special election results, still remain firmly in place -- but there's a reason why sharp election-watchers are beginning to grow more skeptical of the Democrats' ability to win back the House (and are increasingly confident of the GOP's likelihood of retaining the Senate). UPDATE: Oh my:

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UN Poses Danger to Free Speech, Parents’ Rights. Here’s How Trump Administration Can Fight Back.

A dangerous alliance between United Nations bureaucrats and LGBT activists poses a new danger to free speech, free exercise of religion, and parental rights—not just for Americans but for people around the world.

Under the leadership of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ambassador Nikki Haley, the Trump administration should strengthen protections of the fundamental human rights of Americans that are guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution and international treaties.

That would mark a significant break from the approach of the Obama administration, which joined forces with a handful of Western nations, the U.N. bureaucracy, and progressive activists to push policies based on rapidly changing ideas about sexual orientation and gender identity.

They did so with zero authority: None of these concepts are contained in any of the international treaties that the U.N. is authorized to enforce.

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Barack, Michelle Obama Ink Deal to Produce Netflix Movies and Shows

Netflix announced Monday that it is partnering with former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle to develop original content for the video streaming giant.

“President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have entered into a multi-year agreement to produce films and series for the streaming platform, potentially including scripted series, unscripted series, docu-series, documentaries, and features,” Netflix said in a statement.

President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have entered into a multi-year agreement to produce films and series for Netflix, potentially including scripted series, unscripted series, docu-series, documentaries, and features.

The Obamas expressed their excitement for the deal, as well.

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Kamala Harris Touts 'Fierce Opposition to the Death Penalty' But In 2014 Defended It In Federal Court

California senator in damage control mode after New York Times labels her 'flawed political leader'

Senator Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) said on Friday that her "career as a prosecutor was marked by fierce opposition to the death penalty," but it was just four years ago that she was defending the California death penalty in federal court.

The new stance came days after Harris was spotlighted as a "flawed political leader" by the New York Times for her reluctance to allow for a new DNA test to be used in the case of Kevin Cooper, a man on death row who many believe was framed for murder. Harris declined to comment on the Sunday story but called author Nicholas Kristof on Friday to say she felt "awful" after reading his story. She put out a statement touting her record of opposing the death penalty, which has since been added to the story.

"My career as a prosecutor was marked by fierce opposition to the death penalty while still upholding the law and a commitment to fixing a broken criminal justice system," Harris wrote on Facebook, urging California to allow for DNA testing to be used in Cooper's case.

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Exclusive -- Revolt Underway: Rep. Paul Gosar Calls for Paul Ryan Removal as Speaker, Replacement with Jim Jordan

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) on Monday evening became the first sitting GOP member of the House of Representatives to publicly call for the removal of House Speaker Paul Ryan now, rather than on Ryan’s planned schedule post-election, during an interview on Breitbart News Tonight on SiriusXM.

During a discussion with host and Breitbart News Senior Editor-at-Large Rebecca Mansour about Ryan’s failures on immigration with a looming pro-amnesty discharge petition hanging in the balance, Gosar hammered the entire current leadership team.

“Part of the problem is I think the whole leadership team is toxic,” Gosar said. “And that’s part of the problem. How did we choose this? These are the same group of people that conveyed the jurisdiction of the omnibus. These are the same group of leaders that haven’t honored a promise.”

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No Whites Allowed at Georgetown Community Dialogue on Racism

Georgetown University students who recently held a community dialogue event on a new proposal to arm campus police told their white peers that they weren’t permitted to attend.

The event, which was highlighted by Robby Soave at Reason Magazine, took place at the end of April and was hosted by the student group, Georgetown United Against Police Aggression.

The event’s description on Facebook explicitly stated that white students would not be permitted to attend, even those white students who share the group’s beliefs about police aggression as a political issue, who the group describes as “allies.”

It’s time to talk. All of us have a story about GUPD. All of us know someone who has been targeted. Let’s do something about it. Come this Tuesday for community and discussion. This space will center the voices and experiences of students of color, allies for the safety of students of color, allies are not welcome to attend this preliminary dialogue.

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Caputo: More Than One Informant From an Obama Agency Approached the Campaign

Monday on Fox News Channel’s “The Ingraham Angle,” in a joint appearance with former Trump campaign national security adviser Carter Page, former Trump adviser Michael Caputo alleged that there was more than one informant that approached their campaign during the 2016 election cycle.

“I know because they came at me, and I’m looking for clearance from my attorney to reveal this to the public,” he added. “This is just the beginning. And I’ll tell you, when we finally find out the truth about this, Director Clapper and the rest of them are going to be wearing some orange suits.”

More/video here

Dem Rep: We will impeach Trump if we retake the House

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) is promising that Democrats will impeach President Trump if the party wins the House in November.

"There’s a good likelihood there will be articles of impeachment” brought against Trump, Green said Tuesday while appearing on C-SPAN.

When asked about the likelihood that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) would introduce articles of impeachment against the president, Green pushed back, saying that “every member of the House is accorded the opportunity to bring up impeachment.”

“This is not something the Constitution has bestowed upon leadership,” said Green, who previously introduced two articles of impeachment that failed on the House floor. “It’s something every member has the right and privilege of doing. I am not sure that there will be members who are going to wait for someone else if that someone else, doesn’t matter who it is, is declining to do it.”

Last week, Green doubled down on his push to impeach Trump against the wishes of Democratic leadership, arguing there is "bigotry emanating from the presidency.”

More here

Planned Electric Outage Alert!

Planned Outage Alert!

Choptank Electric Cooperative has a planned outage scheduled for certain areas in Ocean Pines on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 beginning at 11pm and will end on Thursday, May, 24, 2018 at 5:00am.

This outage will affect 312 members located on:

Paca CT
Mercer’s Way
Yacht Club Drive
Mumford’s Landing RD
Bay Breeze Lane
Stone’s Run
Carrolton Lane
MC Henry CT
N. Chase Lane
S. Chase Lane

This outage is planned so we can perform some routine maintenance and repairs. We have planned this outage at a time when temperatures & energy consumption are typically lower than usual for the season.

We appreciate our members' understanding and patience. If you have any questions regarding this planned outage, call our Member Service Center, Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm.

N.F.L. owners agreed to a new national anthem policy: Teams will be fined if players kneel on the field or sidelines

The owners of N.F.L. teams agreed on Wednesday to a new policy for player conduct during the playing of the national anthem, an issue escalated last season into a national debate that involved President Trump.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said that owners voted to fine teams if their players are on the field or sidelines but do not stand during the national anthem, though players will be allowed to stay in the locker room if they choose.

ADVISORY: RACCOON FOUND IN SALISBURY (South Park Dr.) TESTS POSITIVE for RABIES.

(Salisbury, MD) – A raccoon found on South Park Drive in Salisbury, MD has tested positive for Rabies. The raccoon was sent to MD State Laboratory for testing. The positive test results were received Tuesday, May 22, 2018.  There was no domestic animal or human exposure.

Once infected, rabies is a virus that has a 100% fatality rate when left untreated, in mammals including humans. Wicomico Health recommends the following precautions to protect yourself and your family from possible exposure to rabies:

· Report any sick or strange acting wildlife
· Vaccinate pets and livestock. Maryland law requires that all dogs, cats and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies by 4 months of age. Vaccinating your domestic animal not only provides protection for the animal, but vaccinated pets act as a barrier to keep the rabies virus from spreading between wild animals and people.
· Do not feed wildlife or stray animals and discourage them from seeking food near your home.
· Do not feed strays.
· Do not approach an unknown animal, either wild or domestic, especially if it is acting in a strange or unusual manner.
· Keep garbage cans tightly covered and avoid storing any food outside.
· Children should be instructed to tell an adult immediately if they were bitten or scratched by any animal.
· If an unvaccinated pet comes in contact with rabid or suspected rabies the pet must be quarantined for six months.
· Vaccinated pets that come in contact with rabid or suspected rabies animal must be given a booster rabies vaccination within five days of the contact.

All animal bites or scratches should be reported to the Wicomico County Health Department at (410) 546-4446 during business hours and 410-543-6996 after hours.

The next scheduled rabies clinic is:
May 24, 2018
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Salisbury Moose Lodge
833 Snow Hill Road Salisbury, MD 21804
Cost: $10.00 per animal
CASH ONLY – NO CHECKS ACCEPTED

Only you can protect your family and pets from the deadly rabies virus. For more information, please call the Wicomico County Health Department, Environmental Health Division at 410-546-4446 or visit www.wicomicohealth.org. 

Dogs Missing In Delmar: UPDATE


They went missing in 5/22/18 at around 7:58 PM they went missing on Delmar Road. My name is Taylor and my contact info is 443-205-9826 or Eric James 453-365-5223

White House Releases Fact Sheet on ‘Violent Animals of MS-13’

The White House offered evidence of transnational gang MS-13 brutality in a Monday morning “What You Need To Know About The Violent Animals Of MS-13” release.

President Donald Trump referred to MS-13 gang members as “animals” during a sanctuary state roundtable at the White House last week, spurring many media outlets to misreport his comments as referring to immigrants in general. The Associated Press had to delete a tweet that misrepresented the President’s comments that other outlets had similarly misreported.

“The violent animals of MS-13 have committed heinous, violent attacks in communities across America,” read the Monday White House release.

Nisa Mickens and Kayla Cuevas were brutally murdered by MS-13 members. Their parents – Elizabeth Alvarado, Robert Mickens, Evelyn Rodriguez, and Freddy Cuevas – were guests of President Trump at his State of the Union address in January.

The White House recounted the MS-13 murder of Mickens and Cuevas:

Tennessee Rep. Introducing Bill to Allow Crowdfunding of Trump Border Wall

A Tennessee congresswoman is introducing a bill that would allow the American people to donate money to help build President Donald Trump’s famed border wall.

Rep. Diane Black, a Tennessee Republican who is also running for governor of her state, promised to introduce H.R. 5876, legislation that would create a “border wall trust fund” to which average citizens could donate. The funds would be used for “whatever it takes to build the wall,” according to Fox News.

“While Democrats block commonsense border security and put illegal immigrants before our families, we are going to put America first. Real immigration reform cannot be achieved without a secure border — President Trump has been clear about this since day one,” Black said in a May 18 statement. “The most important job of the federal government is the safety and security of the American people, and if citizens in our country wish to contribute to this effort, they absolutely should be given the opportunity.”

In an interview with Fox, Rep. Black, a member of the House Budget Committee, said that her bill would allow any American to donate money to help fund the wall. “I support President Trump in building the wall. It’s going to take big funds to do that,” she said, noting that Congress seems unwilling to raise the money for the job.

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It’s Not the AR-15 or the ‘High Capacity’ Magazine, but the Gun-Free Zone

A broadly applicable lesson from the Santa Fe High School shooting is that our nation’s school safety threat does not come from AR-15s or “high capacity” magazines, but from gun-free zones.

This was clearly demonstrated Friday when an attacker opened fire with what Gov. Greg Abbott (R) described as “a shotgun and … a .38 revolver.”

He killed ten people and wounded ten others in a heinous display of evil, and the commonality between this attack and attacks that came before it was not an AR-15 or a “high capacity” magazine, but a gun-free zone. The Santa Fe High School weapons policy not only prohibits firearms and ammunition, but even “look-alike” weapons, BB guns, and “pocketknives.”

A similar gun-free policy exists at Parkland, Florida’s Marjory Stoneman High School, the site of the February 14 shooting that claimed the lives of 17 people, and gun-free policies also existed at Umpqua Community College (October 1, 2015), Sandy Hook Elementary School (December 14, 2012), Virginia Tech (April 16, 2007), and Columbine (April 20, 1999).

More here

Trump orders ‘highly classified’ data for Congress on FBI’s ‘tactics’

President Trump ordered his chief of staff Monday to make sure Congress gets “highly classified” information from the Justice Department, intelligence community and FBI — including details that could shed light on whether the FBI had an informant investigate the Trump campaign.

Mr. Trump also officially requested an inspector general’s investigation into the FBI’s “tactics” toward the Trump campaign in 2016, and the White House and Justice Department said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein agreed to convey the directive.

At a meeting that also included Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, Mr. Trump ordered them to play ball with House lawmakers looking into reports that the FBI recruited an informant to try to get information from key campaign officials.

Chief of Staff John F. Kelly was assigned to make sure Congress gets all the information it is requesting after administration officials balked this month, saying they feared crossing critical secrecy lines if they revealed too much.

More here

Maryland Attorney General Consumer Alert: LifeBridge Health Reports Data Breach

More than 500,000 Marylanders May be Affected

BALTIMORE, MD –
Recent reports of massive data breaches highlight the need for all businesses and, in particular those that hold our health records, to be vigilant about protecting our personal information and health records that are increasingly being targeted by hackers.

Read more about this in the full consumer alert:http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/press/2018/052218.pdf

Boy Scouts to provide condoms at upcoming World Jamboree

The Boy Scouts will reportedly provide condoms at the upcoming World Scout Jamboree.

The World Organization of Scouting Movement handbook requires the host organization to “ensure that condoms are readily and easily accessible for all participants and [International Service Team staff] at a number of locations on the site.”

The 2019 World Scout Jamboree will be held in West Virginia from July 21 to Aug. 1. The theme is “Unlock a New World.”

The World Jamboree is an official World Organization of the Scout Movement event. The Boy Scouts are co-hosting this year’s program with two other scouting organizations, Scouts Canada and the Scouts Association of Mexico.

Andy Chapman, vice chairperson of the World Scout Committee, said the co-hosts are working to implement requirements previously laid out by the World Organization of the Scout Movement.

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House GOP’s latest push: Get welfare recipients into jobs

House Republicans plan to advance a welfare-reform bill that requires recipients to find and retain jobs, saying too many states allow potential workers to remain idle.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady scheduled a Wednesday mark up of the JOBS for Success Act, which requires states to describe how they’re using federal funds to link people with work, rather than just detailing how much is spent.

Welfare funding would also be oriented toward things like child care and job training.

House GOP leaders are pitching it as the final plank of the 2016 agenda they rolled out during the last election cycle, when Republicans snatched every lever of political power in D.C.

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Customers Rage As Starbucks Turns Into Homeless Shelter

Starbucks' controversial decision to enable every Tom, Dick, and non-paying Harry to use their restrooms has sparked equal parts criticism and praise, mirroring the nation's increasingly extreme partisan perspective on every- and any-thing...

“It sounds like Starbucks is turning their stores into homeless shelters. Their coffee is strong but their management is weak,” said Ron Raduechel, a 64-year-old retired supply chain executive from Waukesha, Wis., who said he would no longer go to Starbucks.
“I believe Starbucks is doing what’s right in their hearts whether its outcome sparks negativity or not,” said Johnny Varela, a 31-year-old carpenter in Orlando, Fla.

“I think Starbucks is very humanitarian.”

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BACKLASH: Left-Leaning Poll Has Really Bad News For Democrats In 2018 Midterms

A new poll released on Monday from a left-leaning news publication showed that the Democrats are paying dearly for their disastrous week last week where they lied about President Donald Trump's comments regarding violent MS-13 gang members.

The Reuters Poll revealed that the double-digit lead that the Democrats held over Republicans last month in generic ballot voting for the 2018 midterms among registered voters is now completely gone as Republicans have opened up a six-point lead over the Democrats.

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Roger Stone: ‘John Brennan’s Going to Die in a Federal Penitentiary’

Roger Stone, veteran political strategist and longtime confidant of President Trump, said in an exclusive interview with SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily on Tuesday morning that former CIA Director John Brennan will “die in a federal penitentiary.”

“John Brennan should pop the glass capsule and take the cyanide now,” Stone told host Amanda House, Breitbart News’s deputy political editor. “He’s the perp who started the entire Russian dossier matter. He’s lied about it under oath. He’s going to die in a federal penitentiary.”

Brennan and the Obama intelligence community’s roles in the investigation of the Trump campaign have come under increasing scrutiny.

Recently, Cambridge Professor Stefan Halper was outed by former and current officials leaking to the Washington Post and the New York Times as an FBI and CIA informant who approached and befriended several members of the Trump campaign.

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Make My Day...


Why The American Dream Of Owning A Big Home Is Way Overrated (In One Simple Chart)

From 1978 through 2015, the median size of the single-family home increased every year until it peaked at 2,467 square feet, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Then, in 2016, that number began to shrink, albeit ever so slightly.

So, are we finally coming to our senses about McMansions?

Of course, owning a big house has long been a key component of the American Dream - you know you’ve arrived when you have columns, an indoor pool and a theater room - but, in reality, it’s all usually a huge waste of space, according to a study cited by Steve Adcock on the Get Rich Slowly blog.

A research team affiliated with UCLA studied American families and where they spend most of their time while inside their homes.The results were fascinating, but really not all that surprising. Here’s one representative example:

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DUI suspect loses smile as charges escalate

Angenette Marie Welk in a mugshot for her DUI charge (left) and for her manslaughter charge (right)

That wiped the smile off her face.

A Florida woman, who flashed a wide grin in her mugshot for a DUI arrest following a fatal crash, was appropriately somber in her new mugshot Saturday — this time for manslaughter charges.

Angenette Marie Welk, 44, initially was charged with DUI and serious bodily injury for allegedly crashing her car while drunk on May 10 — rear-ending a Hyundai Elantra and sending it hurtling toward the tractor-trailer in front of it.

The woman in the Hyundai, Sandra Clarkston — who had just celebrated her 60th birthday — died at Ocala Regional Medical Center four days later from injuries sustained in the crash.

On Saturday, Welk was booked again for a far more serious charge of DUI manslaughter,the Ocala Star Banner reported.

After the crash, Welk told the trooper at the scene she lost control of her car because she dropped her cellphone while driving. But the trooper noticed her breath reeked of alcohol and her eyes were glossy. She also failed to pass a field sobriety test and her blood alcohol was more than twice the legal limit of .08.

Clarkston’s children had been upset and hurt by Welk’s first mugshot, which showed the woman who allegedly caused the car crash that killed their mother grinning from ear to ear.

On Saturday, they said they were happy Welk had been re-arrested — but not pleased that she was let out of Marion County Jail on $30,000 bond.

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ICE operation targeting criminal aliens and immigration violators nets 49 arrests across Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — A total of 49 foreign nationals were arrested over the last seven days in the Philadelphia Metropolitan region during a targeted enforcement operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) aimed at criminal aliens, immigration fugitives, re-entrants, and other immigration violators, which ended Sunday.

17 of those arrested had criminal convictions.
14 of those arrested have pending criminal charges.
6 had been previously removed from the United States and subsequently illegally re-entered.
14 were immigration fugitives with outstanding final orders of removal issued by a federal immigration judge.
14 of those arrested were previously released from Philadelphia County custody, despite having an ICE detainer lodged against them.

3 Other Suspects Charged With Murder In Death Of Baltimore County Officer

All four of the suspects in the death of Baltimore County police officer Amy Caprio are being charged with first-degree murder and burglary as adults.

A 16-year-old, identified as as Dawnta Anthony Harris, has been arrested and charged with with first-degree murder as an adult as court documents state that Harris admitted he "drove at the officer" when she told him to get out of a Jeep while accomplices burglarized a house.

The other three suspects are also teenagers; Eugene Genius,17, Darrell Ward, 16, and Derrick Matthews, 15.

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Another Parade for Obama!

Glen Ave. Road Closure Announced for Salisbury University Commencement Ceremonies

Salisbury, MD – The Wicomico Youth & Civic Center will host Salisbury University’s commencement ceremonies on Wednesday, May 23 and Thursday, May 24. To protect the safety of graduates and their families, a portion of Glen Ave. in front of the WY&CC will close on Wednesday, May 23 from 3 – 11 p.m. and Thursday, May 24 from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. The closed portion runs from Civic Avenue to St. Albans Drive.

I wonder if they have an American Heritage night as well

No. 1: NYC Public Schools Spent $24,109 Per Pupil; But 72% Not Proficient in Reading, 72% Not Proficient in Math

(CNSNews.com) - The New York City public schools spent $24,109 per pupil in fiscal 2016, according to data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

That ranked New York City No. 1 in per pupil spending among the nation’s 100 largest public school districts, according to the Census Bureau, and was more than twice the nationwide per-pupil spending in public elementary and secondary schools, which was $11,762 in fiscal 2016.

Meanwhile, in those same New York City public schools, 72 percent of the eighth graders were not proficient in reading and 72 percent were not proficient math, according to results of the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests released by the U.S. Department of Education.

The Boston public schools spent $22,082 per pupil in fiscal 2016, ranking Boston No. 2 in per pupil spending among the nation’s 100 largest school districts.

In the Boston public schools, according to the NAEP results, 68 percent of eighth graders were not proficient in reading and 67 percent were not proficient in math.

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Governor Larry Hogan Announces $20.2 Million for Rate Increases for Long-Term Service and Supports Providers

Provides 3% Increase for Home and Community-Based Providers, Specialized Foster Care Providers, Nursing Home and Group Home Service Providers; Supports Services for Over 40,000 Marylanders

ANNAPOLIS, MD –
Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the administration will provide a three percent increase to the Maryland Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) provider rates. The increase will benefit nursing home and home and community-based providers who deliver services to individuals enrolled in Maryland Medicaid.

“This rate increase ensures continued access to care and services for many of our most vulnerable Marylanders who need specific care,” said Governor Hogan. “Our administration greatly values the hard work these care providers do each and every day, and we are fully committed to supporting them as comprehensively as possible.”

LTSS are provided in home and in community-based settings, as well as in institutions including nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Home and community-based services vary by program and can include personal assistance, nursing, nurse monitoring, medical day care, case management, transportation, medical supplies and medical equipment, among other services.

“The preservation of network adequacy for Long-Term Services and Supports is integral to the level of care individuals receive,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Robert Neall. “This rate increase will allow providers to meet the needs of this specific population in the setting that best fits the individual’s needs, whether that be at an institution or in their own home.”

For the more than 42,000 individuals receiving LTSS, Maryland Medicaid is dedicated to providing choice and autonomy in the provision of care. Maryland Medicaid has adopted a person-centered planning approach to LTSS administration, which is designed to promote not only optimal health outcomes, but also greater independence and better quality of life for participants. Medicaid is increasingly moving away from institutional-based care toward home and community-based services.

The Affordable Care Act established the Community First Choice program option to make it easier for Medicaid participants who require institutional-levels of care to receive services in home and community-based settings. Maryland was one of the first states to implement Community First Choice. Under Community First Choice, Maryland is more efficiently managing personal assistance services, enhancing the means to provide services where participants feel more comfortable.

The Hogan administration also announced a three percent rate increase for specialized foster care and group home service providers. These providers ensure appropriate alternative settings for care of these children who are unable to remain in the care of their parents or guardians.

The Fiscal Year 2019 budget includes $20.2 million to fund these increases: $12.1 million for the nursing home rate, $5.1 million for the home and community-based provider rate, and $3 million for the specialized foster care and group home service provider rate.

Boycott Schools Over Lack of Anti-Gun Legislation?

Once again a Democrat blames the lack of new legislation (albeit with the same old policies) for another school atrocity. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), the self-proclaimed “moral” authority on guns after Sandy Hook, proclaimed, “Let’s call it like it is: the horrifying inaction of Congress, slaughter after slaughter, has become a green light to would-be shooters, who pervert silence into endorsement.” Contrary to Murphy’s assertion, the fact is that none of the Democrats’ proposed gun laws, specifically the call to ban “assault” weapons, would have prevented the Santa Fe High School attack.

In this case, the 17-year-old attacker was underage for legally purchasing any firearm, so an expansion of background checks would not have applied. The weapons he used were a shotgun and a .38 revolver, neither of which has been included in any of the Democrats’ proposed gun bans. The fact that no AR-15 was used might also explain why the mainstream media has not given this latest school attack nearly as much coverage as Parkland — it fails to move forward the narrative on the supposed pandemic danger posed by “assault” rifles. Democrats don’t care about children unless their political agenda can be advanced.

Obviously, despite what Democrats like Murphy claim, their real agenda is the repeal of the Second Amendment.

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White South African farmers claiming persecution at home seek refuge in Australia

More than 200 farmers from South Africa have applied for humanitarian visas in Australia after allegedly suffering attacks for being white, according to the Australian Home Affairs Ministry.

“The type of criteria they of course have to meet – or the key one – is evidence of persecution, so that's exactly what we will be looking at,” Home Affairs Deputy Secretary Malisa Golightly said. Home Affairs said 89 refugee visa applications relating to 213 people had been received, although they did not specify their ethnicity or any other details.

News reports emerged earlier this year revealing that white farmers in South Africa had faced persecution after the country's government approved a new law allowing for the confiscation of their lands, which would be transferred to black citizens.

Following the reports, Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton announced his willingness to start fast-tracking humanitarian visas for South Africans who had endured violent rural crime at home and wished to move Down Under. The step was slammed by the South African opposition, which called Australia, and those willing to escape there, ‘racist.’

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2 Rapes in Salisbury Maryland in a Week (May 20th and May 13th)

It's time to FIRE Chief Barbara Duncan!

Sexual Assault
400 Block W NAYLOR MILL RD
00210-RAPE BY FORCE
May 20, 2018
around 11 PM

Assault
300 Block S SALISBURY BLVD
00450-ASSAULT: SIMPLE, NOT AGG
May 20, 2018
around 4 PM

Assault
500 Block W MAIN ST
00440-ASSAULT: HANDS, INJURY
May 20, 2018
around 2 AM

Assault
300 Block TILGHMAN RD
00450-ASSAULT: SIMPLE, NOT AGG
May 19, 2018
around 2 PM

Assault
300 Block CIVIC AV
00450-ASSAULT: SIMPLE, NOT AGG
May 19, 2018
around 9 AM

Assault
100 Block E CARROLL ST
00450-ASSAULT: SIMPLE, NOT AGG
May 17, 2018
around 9 PM

Assault
700 Block S DIVISION ST
00450-ASSAULT: SIMPLE, NOT AGG
May 16, 2018
around 3 PM

Assault
100 Block FOXFIELD CIR
00450-ASSAULT: SIMPLE, NOT AGG
May 15, 2018
around 7 PM

Assault
200 Block E VINE ST
00450-ASSAULT: SIMPLE, NOT AGG
May 15, 2018
around 9 AM

Assault
200 Block DELAWARE AV
00450-ASSAULT: SIMPLE, NOT AGG
May 14, 2018
around 10 PM

Assault
1400 Block S DIVISION ST
00450-ASSAULT: SIMPLE, NOT AGG
May 14, 2018
around 4 PM

Sexual Assault
600 Block JEFFERSON ST
00210-RAPE BY FORCE
May 13, 2018
around 5 PM

Assault
900 Block EASTERN SHORE DR
00450-ASSAULT: SIMPLE, NOT AGG
May 13, 2018
around 2 AM

Assault
500 Block W MAIN ST
00450-ASSAULT: SIMPLE, NOT AGG
May 13, 2018
around 1 AM

Assault
1100 Block S SALISBURY BLVD
00450-ASSAULT: SIMPLE, NOT AGG
May 13, 2018
around 1 AM