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Thursday, March 21, 2019

Are Eggs the Cholesterol Enemy Again?

Eggs, a staple of the American diet, have been cast once again as a villain. It’s not specifically the eggs, but the cholesterol in eggs that seems to be the problem, according to a new study.

Wait, what? Yes, it’s true. Even the researchers who worked on the study aren’t happy about it.

“It’s sad news to everyone,” says study author Norrina Allen, PhD, a cardiovascular epidemiologist at the Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago.

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NOI 3/20/19 Wicomico Dwelling Fire Jersey Road

new patch

NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION

Date:   March 20, 2019
Time:  5:04 p.m.
Location / Address:  1401 Jersey Rd., Salisbury, Wicomico Co.
Type of Incident:  Fire
Description of Structure / Property:   One story wood frame single family dwelling
Owner / Occupants:   Sandra Chapman
Injuries or Deaths:  None
Estimated $ Loss: Structure:  $200                      Contents: $0
Smoke Alarm Status:  Present, did not activate (outside fire)
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status:  n/a
Arrests(s):   None
Primary Responding Fire Department:  None
# of Alarms: n/a     # Of Firefighters:  n/a
Time to Control:  n/a
Discovered By:  Owner
Area of Origin:   Outside corner of dwelling
Preliminary Cause:   Under Investigation
Additional Information:  The Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office assisted.  Anyone with information is asked to call the Salisbury Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal at (410) 713-3780.
Jersey

The Wrong — and Right — Way to Recycle

For close to two decades, local governments and the waste-hauling industry have been making the wrong investments in recycling. One former CEO of a waste-hauling giant admits that the multibillion-dollar investment in single-stream collection and processing was a big mistake.

Indeed it was. It took the country off the dual-stream track that had grown over 30 years, from the 1970s to the 2000s, driven by grassroots recyclers who developed equipment and procedures and organized citizens to get rules passed that drove recycling rates from below 5 percent of municipal waste to around 34 percent, where it has stagnated since 2010.

By requiring small additional effort by households (separating paper from other recyclables), dual- and multi-stream recycling achieved a high level of purity for the materials, enhancing their marketability. Single-stream recycling (everything jumbled in the same bin) was a convenience, but the price of that convenience was higher levels of contamination. That worked when we could export contaminated wastes to China. But last year China said no, plunging U.S. recycling into disarray exacerbated by the dominance of single-stream collection.

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Shocked patrol officer stops truck with ‘extremely unsafe load’

A driver hauling a major load caught the interest of a highway patrol officer.

The truck, traveling at freeway speeds, had an "extremely unsafe load," leading the California Highway Patrol officer to stop it, authorities said.


The bags contained empty cans and bottles.

"The officer was shocked ... as the load almost struck an over crossing," authorities said in a statement.

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Female HS student files civil rights complaint: 'I felt very violated' changing in locker room when transgender student was 'looking at me'

Attorneys for a female Pennsylvania high school student filed a federal complaint last week alleging her privacy was violated and that she was subjected to sexual harassment when a transgender student was using the same locker room, WNEP-TV reported.

The Honesdale High School incident occurred at the beginning of this school year, according to the complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Division, the station said.


What allegedly happened?

Lawyers for the student posted a video online describing what they say happened. The unnamed female student appears in the clip and said "while I was putting on my pants I heard a man's voice, so I turned around, and he's standing there on the opposite aisle looking at me. I glanced down and could tell that he was wearing women's underwear and what was underneath it."

She added: "When I knew that a man was looking at me, I felt very violated and very scared — especially looking at me while I'm getting dressed."


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Fox News reports ISIS has fallen in Syria

Fox News declared Thursday the Islamic State caliphate has fallen, one day after President Trump said the terrorist organization would be wiped out overnight.

"The caliphate has crumbled, and the final offensive is over. While the official announcement hasn’t yet been made – Fox News has been told that this village, the last ISIS stronghold, is liberated," reported foreign affairs correspondent Benjamin Hall, who said Fox News was present for the five days of fighting and noted troops were pulling down ISIS flags in Baghouz, Syria.

The Pentagon has not confirmed the report. Pentagon spokesman Charlie Summers told reporters on Thursday that the offensive against ISIS is ongoing. "They continue to pursue ISIS and that ensure we eliminate their ability to reform. The amount of territory they held is smaller and smaller and smaller," he said.

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Public University Suspends Prof. for Advising Foreign Student to Learn English

In a bothersome case of political correctness gone amok, a professor at a highly ranked public university in the United States has been suspended for suggesting a foreign student “learn English.” The egregious incident occurred this month at the University of Kansas (UK), a taxpayer-funded institution with an enrollment of 28,500 that ranks among the nation’s top public universities. Situated in the northeast Kansas town of Lawrence, the school is the state’s flagship university and a premier research institution.

The “offending” professor, Gary Minden, teaches electrical engineering and computer science in the highly regarded school of engineering. Minden, an acclaimed academic, is a UK alum who received undergraduate and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering at the school. In the 1990s he served as information technology program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a Pentagon agency with a $3 billion budget dedicated to developing technologies for the military. “DARPA goes to great lengths to identify, recruit and support excellent program managers—extraordinary individuals who are at the top of their fields and are hungry for the opportunity to push the limits of their disciplines,” according to the agency’s website. “These leaders, who are at the very heart of DARPA’s history of success, come from academia, industry and government agencies for limited stints, generally three to five years.”

During a recent class, Minden told a foreign student who was using an online translation system on a cell phone that the student should “learn English,” according to a local newspaper report. The unidentified student evidently was not bothered over the suggestion, but others in the class were offended and an “hourlong discussion” ensued in the engineering class which focuses on embedded systems. During the discussion things apparently got heated and many students in the class became very upset. The professor told the local newspaper that he’s “frustrated” over the incident but refused to comment further for obvious reasons. In the article a university spokeswoman said “a number of students have raised concerns about events that occurred in their engineering class. In response to these concerns, the university has assigned a different instructor to teach the course while the matter is reviewed.”


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IT’S HAPPENING – THE MOST DANGEROUS VOLCANO IN NORTH AMERICA JUST ERUPTED AND SHOT ASH NEARLY A MILE INTO THE SKY

A lot of us have been watching Mt. Popocatepetl for a very long time.

Could it be possible that we are now on the verge of the most destructive volcanic eruption in the modern history of North America? On Monday night at precisely 9:38 PM, a massive explosion at Mt. Popocatepetl sent a column of volcanic ash nearly a mile into the sky. A “yellow alert warning” has been issued by the authorities, and they are ordering everyone to stay at least 12 kilometers away from the crater. They are stressing that the threat has not passed, and as you will see below, an evacuation plan is in place in case an even larger eruption follows. And if a much larger eruption does follow, the devastation could be off the charts. Mexico City is only 43 miles away from Mt. Popocatepetl, and approximately 25 million people live within a 60 mile radius of the crater.

The explosion on Monday night was definitely a wake up call. According to media reports, it was “loud enough to shake doors and windows of houses in the city of Puebla”

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Trump Hammers Disgusting Video Of TSA Agent Patting Down 13-Year-Old Boy

A disturbing video of a TSA agent patting down a 13-year-old boy with a mental disability has again gone viral on the internet, prompting even President Trump to weigh in this time on the disgusting incident.

The incident actually occurred two years ago, in March 2017. Jennifer Williamson was traveling with her family from Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport to San Diego for vacation. Before they could depart, though, her 13-year-old son, Aaron, was pulled from the security line to undergo one of those “random” checks by a Transportation Security Administration agent. Williamson posted a video on her Facebook page, which has since been viewed millions of times.

The video re-emerged in the last few days, first tweeted out by actor-turned-activist James Woods, who has more than 2 million Twitter followers. Late Tuesday, comedian Larry the Cable Guy, whose real name is Daniel Lawrence Whitley, followed suit, posting the video on his feed, which has more than 500,000 followers. In his post, Whitley said: “Absolutely ridiculous! How many times do you have to feel a kid up to figure out he’s not a threat? This is infuriating and hard to watch.”

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*Update #3* Detectives Continue to Investigate Homicide-Laurel

Laurel- The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit is continuing to investigate the suspicious death of an adult female victim that has been ruled a homicide.

On Thursday, March 21, 2019, detectives were in the area of Phillips Landing Road in reference to a follow up investigation in regards to this case. Shell Bridge Road and Phillips Landing Road as well as the intersection of Mt. Pleasant Road and Old Sharptown Road were closed for approximately 4 hours while detectives continued their investigation.

The Delaware State Police are continuing to work with the Delaware Division of Forensic Science to determine the victim’s official identity.

There is no immediate concern for the public’s safety at this time.

The case continues to remain under investigation and anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective J. King at 302-741-2821. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at http://delaware.crimestoppersweb.com

https://dsp.delaware.gov/2019/03/09/state-police-conducting-death-investigation-laurel/

https://dsp.delaware.gov/2019/03/13/update-state-police-conducting-death-investigation-laurel/

https://dsp.delaware.gov/2019/03/14/update-2-death-investigation-ruled-a-homicide/

BUST: SMALL BUSINESSES SUFFOCATING FROM SUPREME COURT SALES TAX RULING

Small business owners are getting hounded by tax collectors from thousands of miles away after the Supreme Court approved online sales taxes for out-of-state purchases.

Conflicting tax codes never intended for uniformity across state lines are overwhelming small online retailers who are now forced to pay taxes to hundreds – and perhaps even thousands – of out-of-state municipalities.

This is a direct result of Wayfair v. South Dakota in which the Supreme Court ruled last June that states could collect sales taxes from online businesses far outside their state lines.

“It almost seems like I have another full time job dumped on me with this sales tax thing,” Chris Heitman, owner of Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies, told Reason.com. “It’s burning me out.”

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Will it lead you to a pot of gold?

Taken moments ago heading into Ocean City

Associated Press Fans the Flames of Dubious Ferguson ‘Body Count’ Conspiracy

During the 1990s and early 2000s, the "Clinton body count" conspiracy was all the rage. Perhaps you got the same chain email I did: did you know over 50 individuals connected to President Bill Clinton have died in mysterious circumstances?

The conspiracy relied on a combination of innuendo and statistical ignorance. Most of the "Clinton connections" are simply fabricated: a cashier killed by a robber was actually an "accountant for the CIA." The dozen or so deaths remaining seems high, but tens of thousands of people are vaguely "connected" to a president: Four Marines who were killed in a helicopter crash were listed because Clinton was on the helicopter two months earlier.

A new, woke version of the body count conspiracy has cropped up in liberal circles, with mysterious government assassins targeting protesters of the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

"Puzzling number of men tied to Ferguson protests have died," reads the Monday headline from the Associated Press. Other outlets have expanded on this innuendo: "Deaths Of Six Men Tied To Ferguson Protests Prompt Fear Of Sinister Connection"; "Deaths of six men tied to Ferguson protests alarm activists"; "Deaths of Ferguson activists lead some to believe something sinister is at play."
Despite its "puzzlement," the AP cites police statements noting most of the deaths weren't murders and also the crime rate and lack of mental health resources available to black Ferguson residents. But the AP also takes a bizarre "both sides" approach to the issue, quoting activists insisting there is something sinister going on, perpetrated by shadowy "white supremacists or police sympathizers." The deaths are listed out one by one, often with clarifying details omitted.

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As Students' Debt Mounts, a New Method of Repayment Emerges

An ambitious group of seniors from Oregon’s Portland State University devised a creative plan in 2012, dubbed “Pay Forward, Pay Back,” to deal with spiraling college costs and student debt. In exchange for deferred tuition, students would contribute a chunk of their post-graduation earnings to a fund for future students, ultimately creating a self-perpetuating pool of aid passed from one generation to the next.

Unfortunately, Pay Forward, Pay Back quickly hit the wall of fiscal reality. Despite the embrace of legislators, the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission concluded that the deferred tuition plan was unaffordable, costing as much as $20 million a year for 20 years to benefit just 1,000 students annually.

Yet interest in new ways to finance college remains very strong, especially as average in-state tuitions at four-year public universities have roughly tripled since 1998, total student debt topped $1.5 trillion in mid-2018 and state grant aid has stayed flat.

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JPMorgan Chase Bank analyst admits stealing customer info in counterfeit check scheme

PITTSBURGH — On March 19, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, announced a resident of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy and aggravated identity theft, following a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Harrisburg and the Pennsylvania State Police.

Sarah M. Wiley, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts before a United States District Judge.

In connection with the guilty plea, beginning in and around Sept., 2014, and continuing until in and around Oct., 2017, Sarah M. Wiley, as an analyst for JPMorgan Chase Bank, accessed without authorization personal identifiers, including names and Social Security numbers of JPMorgan Chase account holders. She then shared the information with her father, Karl Edward Wiley, who was indicted earlier in 2018 on charges of conspiracy to produce counterfeit identification documents and checks. Some of the counterfeit checks were negotiated at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh. Karl Wiley is pending trial.

Wiley’s sentencing is scheduled for July 25, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of seven years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Anti-Drug Smuggling Policies Are Increasingly Isolating Prisoners

People are getting more creative about smuggling drugs into jails and prisons.

What might appear to be a normal letter to an inmate could be saturated with liquid K2, a synthetic marijuana. An average-looking greeting card may be concealing drugs between its layers. In August, Pennsylvania state prisons went on a nearly two-week lockdown after the Department of Corrections claimed about 60 staffers were sickened by synthetic cannabinoids. That same month, nearly 30 employees at an Ohio state facility reportedly received treatment for fentanyl exposure, which some say can yield negative effects if accidentally touched or inhaled.

Citing similar safety concerns, state and local corrections facilities around the country are restricting prisoners' interaction with the outside world.

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Maryland Attorney General News Releases


Attorney General Frosh Joins Coalition of Attorneys General Supporting Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program

HHS’s Funding Opportunity Announcements Undermine States’ Efforts to Reduce Teen Pregnancy by Shifting Focus to Abstinence-Only Programs

BALTIMORE, MD – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general filing an amicus brief supporting Planned Parenthood in their legal challenge against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) change to the funding structure of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) grant program.

Read more in the full press release: http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/press/2019/032019a.pdf





Attorney General Frosh Joins Coalition Opposing CFPB Effort to Delay Consumer Protections from Payday Lenders

BALTIMORE, MD – Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh today joined a coalition of 25 attorneys general in urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to take immediate action to protect consumers from abuses in payday lending, vehicle title lending, and other types of high-cost exploitative consumer lending.

“The CFPB needs to prioritize its mission of helping consumers, instead of bowing to the wishes of lenders,” said Attorney General Frosh. “While the CFPB delays protections, consumers are left vulnerable to predatory lenders whose fundamental mission is to expand their own financial interests, often at great costs to their clients.”

Read more in the full press release:http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/press/2019/032019.pdf

Baltimore mayor signs new clean air standards

By Ian Round
Capital News Service


Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh has signed a bill to tighten toxic emissions standards on the two trash incinerators in the city, where the health department has documented that residents breathe some of the country’s dirtiest air.

“I want clean air,” she told a small audience in New York City recently. The Energy Justice Network, which advocated for the bill, shared the video of her speech on Facebook. Her signature on the bill came on March 7.

But one price of cleaner air may be that the city’s main trash incinerator will close. Wheelabrator Baltimore, which burns the majority of the region’s trash and is the 10th-biggest incinerator in the country, said the regulations in the Baltimore Clean Air Act could put them out of business.

Pugh said the Wheelabrator incinerator “is going to be shut down.”

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The unbearable lightness of Beto

Beto O’Rourke is the Democratic front-runner today because he stands for nothing.

In the first 24 hours of his presidential race, the former congressman from El Paso raised $6.1 million. That’s a record haul, and to date, it is the most meaningful objective measure of support in the crowded Democratic primary field. Polls this early measure only name recognition. Beto is the front-runner.

The question is why. The answer is bleak.

The other Democratic candidates have either accomplishments or ideas to point to. Joe Biden was the vice president and played a large (if baneful) role in the Senate for decades, including as chairman of the Foreign Relations and Judiciary committees. Sen. Bernie Sanders created a grassroots movement and won 13 million votes in 2012. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s policy proposals are bad, but at least they’re policy ideas. And say what you will about Sen. Kamala Harris’ gleeful promises to prosecute her enemies, but at least it’s a platform.

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Announced “All Cops Walk Day” To Reduce Patrol Emissions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Freshman Rep from New York’s 14th District Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or AOC as she’s affectionately known, isn’t stopping with the Green New Deal. Citing dangers “worse than any war in human history” AOC blames law enforcement officers for a staggering 37% of all emissions, given how often patrol cars are running to maintain 24 hour coverage.

She went on to passionately say, “These numbers do not even include take home cars or Federal agencies, but when the final results are in, we anticipate nothing less than a criminal amount of emissions from those that purport to ‘save lives.'”

More Satire HERE

Atlanta McDonald’s employee with Down syndrome honored for 27 years on the job

Chris Campbell is known as the Happy Meal expert, and now, after 27 years, he's being rewarded for his work at the McDonald's.

Campbell, who has Down syndrome, was honored by the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta (DSAA) recently for his dedication to his work at an Atlanta-area McDonald’s, where he has been employed for nearly three decades.

“I like to clean, mopping, cleaning the tables and making Happy Meal boxes. I love the Happy Meal boxes,” he told WXIA-TV in Atlanta. “Every time I give them the boxes it makes each person happy.”

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https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/atlanta-mcdonalds-employee-with-down-syndrome-honored-for-27-years-on-the-job

Gillibrand: Give Social Security to illegal immigrants

Democratic presidential candidate Kirstin Gillibrand wants to expand Social Security to people living in the United States illegally.

"First, we need comprehensive immigration reform," the 2020 hopeful and New York senator said during a campaign stop in Davenport, Iowa. "If you are in this country now you must have the right to pay into Social Security, to pay your taxes, to pay into the local school system and to have a pathway to citizenship. That must happen."

Gillibrand's comments are striking given her past as an immigration hawk. In 2009, the New York senator voted to increase funding for ICE and once said she believed English should be the official language of the United States.

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Trump: 'Let Public See' Mueller Report When It's Released

President Trump on Wednesday said he has no problem with the public seeing Special Counsel Robert Mueller's upcoming report following nearly two years of investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.


Mueller is expected to send the report to Attorney General William Barr soon, according to Reuters, though Trump told reporters while leaving for his trip to Ohio that he has no idea when it will be released.
 

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Ocasio-Cortez Blames Low Favorability on Racism, Sexism, Fox News

New York Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Monday shared a tweet blaming her low favorability numbers in a newly released poll on bigotry and Fox News.

A Siena College poll of New York State voters found that Ocasio-Cortez's favorability is underwater, with 31 percent viewing her favorably and 44 percent viewing her unfavorably. Those results mirror national polling from Gallup and Fox News, which found that Ocasio-Cortez has a net approval rating of -10 and -13 points, respectively.

Ocasio-Cortez notably struggles even with some members of her own party, with 30 percent of New York Democrats viewing her unfavorably. Siena also found that voters are not happy with Ocasio-Cortez's opposition to the New York City-Amazon deal, which two-thirds of New Yorkers supported, according to the poll.

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Nolte: CNN’s Trump Hatred Results in Double Digit Rating Collapse

Last place CNN’s already humiliating ratings nosedived by double digits last week.

Even more than usual, some ten days ago the far-left CNN launched a 24/7 jihad against President Trump, going so far as to question his mental health, his patriotism, blaming him for a mass murder in New Zealand, and serial lying about his response to Charlottesville. But this unhinged hate campaign obviously turned off a considerable number of Americans.

When compared to this same week last year, CNN lost -16 percent of its primetime viewers and -17 of total day viewers; young people ran away screaming: In the advertiser-coveted 25-54 age demo, CNN shed an incredible -31 percent of those viewers during primetime and -29 percent in total day.

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What The Disney-Fox Deal Means For Rupert Murdoch’s Fortune

At precisely 12:02 A.M. on Wednesday morning, the $71.3 billion mega-merger between Disney and 21st Century Fox—a deal over a year in the making—finally became official. For Disney, this means a trove of new assets, including the 20th Century Fox film and TV studios, an additional 30% stake in Hulu, cable channels FX and National Geographic, and Indian media conglomerate Star India. For Fox, it means a new company, Fox Corporation, which includes Fox News channel and Fox’s broadcast network.

But what does it all mean for Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire media mogul who founded 21st Century Fox and ran it (and its predecessor, News Corporation) for 39 years? Murdoch, who is co-chairman of the new Fox Corp., had an estimated fortune of about $18.4 billion as of noon Wednesday, just about 12 hours after the deal was official. That’s about $4.3 billion more than he was worth on December 13, 2017, the day before Fox and Disney first announced the deal..

Until early Wednesday morning, the biggest chunk of Murdoch’s fortune was his stake in 21st Century Fox. His 17% stake in the company was worth about $13.3 billion at its peak earlier this month. Now that holding has been split into shares of Disney and Fox Corp. On Tuesday, he got one third of a share of Fox Corp. for each share of 21st Century Fox he owned. In addition, Murdoch had the option of swapping his 21st Century Fox shares into either a portion of a Disney share (trading at $107 a share) or $51.57 cash per share. Forbes calculated Murdoch’s fortune Wednesday assuming he elected to take Disney shares rather than cash. (Filings with the SEC expected at a later date should provide more detail on Murdoch’s holdings.)

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RNC sets record with $14.6 million haul in February

The Republican National Committee raised $14.6 million dollars in February, the most ever for that month in a non-election year.

"This is our second highest February ever (outpaced only by 2004) and largest off-cycle year ever," RNC National Press Secretary Cassie Smedile told the Washington Examiner. "It's been three years since we launched the largest online fundraising apparatus ever, yet the three committees [including the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee] continue to see new enthusiasm and support for this president and his policies every day."

The RNC also touted the party's ability to attract small dollar and online donations, which Democratic hopefuls like Beto O'Rourke and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have stressed as a sign of their viability.

"Nearly 60 percent of our donations came from small-dollar donors, $8.9 million," Smedile said.

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MSP Princess Anne February 2019 DUI Arrests


The following persons were arrested by Troopers assigned to the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barracks and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the month of February 2019.


  • Yolanda Carter, 33 YOA, Eden, MD
  • William Morales-Arreaga, 36 YOA, Princess Anne, MD
  • James Hall Jr, 46 YOA, Salisbury, MD
  • David Wheatley, 31 YOA, Princess Anne, MD
  • Desmond Lane, 24 YOA, Crisfield, MD
  • Jersson Guerra, 32 YOA, Waldorf, MD
  • Kelvin Young, 59 YOA, Pocomoke, MD
  • Allisha Evans, 23 YOA, Frederick, MD
  • Michael Curbeam, 21 YOA, Baltimore, MD
  • Nicholas Sapp-Evans, 19 YOA, Princess Anne, MD
  • Tiffany Swift, 46 YOA, Princess Anne, MD
  • Keshawn Savage, 29 YOA, Withams, VA
  • Riley Fuller, 61 YOA, Stockton, MD

Bookstore owner: 'I don't think this book would have done well in the free market at all'

BALTIMORE (WBFF) - As ethics and legal questions are raised local authors and book store owners are upset that they were never given a chance to bid on the book deal.

Matthew Benicewicz, owner of Protean Books and Records in Federall Hill, said: “If someone in leadership is using their influence or power to make sales that would have never happened in a free market, then obviously that’s a very depressing situation.”

Benicewicz stumbled on a copy of “Healthy Holly” while he was scouting thrift stores for his shop.

“You can’t find it anywhere - meaning it’s not selling in any other market, so you wonder where these copies are," he said. "I’ve had a store for eight years and this is the first copy I know I’ve seen.”

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Attorney For Woman Charged In ‘Panhandler’ Killing Says She’s Innocent, Evidence ‘Circumstantial’

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Baltimore Police picked up a father and daughter captured near Mexico earlier this month and brought them back to Maryland to face murder charges in a case that’s grabbed nationwide attention.

Police say on December 1, 2018, Keith and Valeria Smith stabbed Jacquelyn Smith — Keith’s wife — in Baltimore and claimed a panhandler did it.

The two held a tearful press conference following the killing.

Brandon Mead, who represents Valeria Smith, told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren his client will fight the charges. “Ms. Smith certainly maintains her innocence. She looks forward to the opportunity to prove that in court.”

“We don’t know a lot yet,” he said. Referring to charging documents, Meade told WJZ, “It’s 15 pages of a lot of circumstantial evidence.”

Meade said the flight from Texas to Baltimore was delayed. “We’re looking forward to actually sitting down with Ms. Smith discussing the case in person and going over everything that the state says they have with regards to the case.“

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Reaction from local business owners, employees on minimum wage being raised to $15

BALTIMORE —A bill that will raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour is now on the governor's desk. But now the question is, will he sign it into law?

The bill gradually increases the minimum wage from $10.10 an hour, as it stands now, to $15 an hour by the year 2025.

Kevin Lockett loves training dozens of students a day at his jujitsu academy in north Baltimore, but he needs a certain amount of help to be able to do so.

He says a minimum wage increase to $15 an hour will make that a struggle.

"We're going to have to run things with less staff, less people watching the kids," said Lockett. "We just can't afford to have as many people as we would want to at that rate."


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Maryland General Assembly votes to raise minimum wage to $15

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —The Maryland General Assembly voted to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour starting in 2025.

The bill passed in the House of Delegates with a 93-41 vote and in the Senate with a 32-13 vote. The legislation now goes to Gov. Larry Hogan's desk. The House and Senate passed their versions of the legislation by veto-proof majorities.

Hogan has not said whether he would veto the bill. He has made it clear, however that he doesn't like it.

Under the compromise, companies with fewer than 15 employees will have until July 2026 to fully pay the new wage.

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Historic Floods Inundate Nebraska

In the wake of an intense winter storm, historic floods have broken out across the central United States. By mid-March, several streams and rivers had risen to all-time record levels in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Nebraska has been particularly hard hit. On March 16, 2019, the Operational Land Imager(OLI) on Landsat 8 captured a false-color image that underscores the extent of the flooding on the Platte, Missouri, and Elkhorn Rivers. For comparison, the second image shows the same area in March 2018.

Several communities west of Omaha (between the Elkhorn and Platte Rivers) either flooded or temporarily became islands as floodwaters encroached from both sides. One third of Offutt Air Force Base was inundated and 30 buildings were damaged, according to news reports. Rising flood waters forced people in dozens of communities to evacuate.

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Media FOIA Requests to EPA Spiked After Trump Election, Data Reveal

The number of Freedom of Information Act requests the Environmental Protection Agency received from mainstream outlets such as the New York Times and Washington Post spiked immediately after Republican President Donald Trump took office, according to a Free Beacon analysis of FOIA requests by the media from 2013 to the present.

The figures, obtained through the government's FOIA online database, reveal a clear increase in requests for information from the agency once Trump was elected president.

The New York Times, for example, made just 13 FOIA requests during the four years of Obama's second term, sending 3 in 2013, 1 in 2014, 7 in 2015, and 2 in 2016. The number of FOIA requests the Times sent for Obama's entire second term was nearly quadrupled in the first year of Trump's presidency alone, when the Times sent 59 FOIA requests to the EPA.

Reporters at the Times have made 100 FOIA requests since Trump took office just over two years ago, a 669 percent increase of the number of FOIA requests it made during the four years of Obama's second term.

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