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Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Fifty Years After the Beatles Broke Up, Trove of Memorabilia Goes on Auction

If you’ve ever dreamed of wearing a pair of John Lennon’s iconic round glasses, now’s your chance—as long as you have $50,000 or so to spare.

A half-century after the Beatles’ breakup, Sotheby’s is auctioning a wide-ranging collection of objects related to the beloved band, including a set of the signature Windsor spectacles.

The 63 lots up for auction span the Beatles’ career, starting before John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr began playing together in Liverpool in the late 1950s and early ’60s and continuing through their rise to superstardom.

Among the items featured are a signed, seven-inch vinyl record of the band’s first single, “Love Me Do”; fan club newsletters; posters; and royalty statements.

The glasses, which are expected to sell for between £30,000 and £40,000 (roughly $38,700 to $51,650 USD), may have been Lennon’s first pair in that style. He gave them to his housekeeper, Dorothy “Dot” Jarlett, in 1965. At the time, the musician was wearing contact lenses during public appearances; he only began wearing glasses publicly the following year.

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Governor Hogan on COVID-19’s Impact on Maryland’s Budget: “The Biggest Fiscal Challenge We Have Ever Faced”

Governor Larry Hogan today issued the following statement after a meeting of the Board of Revenue Estimates:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented fiscal crisis for state and local governments nationwide, which according to Moody’s Analytics will face $500 billion in shortfalls over the next two fiscal years, with more than 4 million jobs at stake.

“Today’s revenue estimates are still nearly $1 billion less than what was budgeted prior to the pandemic. Because of our early and aggressive actions, Maryland’s fiscal situation remains challenging, but is significantly less painful than it could have been.

“Nearly six months ago, after dire projections by the Bureau of Revenue Estimates, I immediately implemented a budget freeze and directed the Department of Budget and Management to make recommendations for budget cuts in all state agencies. In addition, the Board of Public Works unanimously approved a series of targeted reductions. And, unlike many states, we were able to keep more than 70 percent of our economy open throughout the entire crisis.

“With this public health and fiscal crisis far from over, it is no time to declare victory. Though we are in a better position both economically and health-wise than much of the country, this is still the biggest fiscal challenge we have ever faced. We will continue to plan for the worst, press Congress to act on additional relief, and make the tough decisions necessary to balance our budget.”

NYC vote counters can’t even keep track of their tablets: DOI probe

Here’s one more thing the Board of Elections can’t count!

The Big Apple’s scandal-marred elections agency failed to keep track of the thousands of computer tablets it uses for poll books, to train staff and to transmit unofficial results on Election Night, The Post has learned.

The Department of Investigation audit uncovered the startling failures in March 2020 as they inspected the Board of Elections headquarters and borough offices, the documents, obtained under the Freedom of Information Law, show.

Only the BOE’s Brooklyn operation kept track of the Apple iPads it was assigned as part of the $24 million effort to digitalize Gotham’s old-school poll books, which voters must sign before casting their ballots.

An official at the Queens office guessed they kept 800 of the ‘poll pads’ on hand — but had no hard count, the DOI reported.

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Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Presidential debate: Trump, Biden clash over Barrett Supreme Court nomination, ObamaCare as insults fly

President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden kicked off their first presidential debate sparring over the Supreme Court nomination and ObamaCare, but it quickly devolved into Trump interrupting and Biden calling the president a "clown" and a "liar."

And it spiraled downward from there...

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Letter from a Police Officer that worked the Trump rally in Newport News, last Friday night!

This is long, but worth the read. It speaks volumes........

"I attended the President’s rally in Newport News, yesterday. Not like I wanted to though, I was deployed there in my official capacity. Got the word late Thursday night, and answered the call.
I’m exceptionally thankful for this experience because I got to see oil and water, SIDE BY SIDE. Literally a few feet apart. I’m now even more absolutely certain that I support the correct side. I’d like to tell anyone that wants to hear it, what I saw.
The first half of the assignment I was overwhelmed by the community support! While moving to our staging point, the citizens were phenomenal in their vocal support of us. American flags/blue line flags/Trump flags were waiving, people were thanking us, praying for us, letting us know how much the “silent majority” supports us and how they will be heard on Election Day. Contrary to what the media and the left would report, I saw THOUSANDS of beautiful, patriotic blacks, Asians, Latinos, whites, and everything in between, being respectful and conducting themselves with the utmost decency. They said they loved us and were praying for us. You would have thought that this event was a parade to honor the police. I cannot lie to you, I teared up more than once. You can listen to the media garbage if you like, but something real is happening just like it did 4 years ago.
Not long after the sun set, BLM showed up. I do not support this Marxist organization, but I do have to protect their free speech. I stood in the two feet between them and the passing rally participants. I am absolutely convinced of a demonic influence in the group. I (we) have absorbed a lot over the last 3-4 months, but last night was exceptionally evil. I listened to BLM tell us that our mothers should have aborted us, they called us bastards, pigs, racists, bacon, etc, etc. I even saw a guy dressed like satan trying to stare a hole through me. Once they realized we were not phased by their garbage, they turned it on the rally participants. Respectful and peaceful men, women and children of all shapes, sizes and colors, were then getting the vitriol that had been hurled at the police. I expect this garbage because I wear a badge and I am the symbol of what they hate. But these innocent people did not deserve any of it. Even amongst the most vile comments being shouted at them, most of which I will not repeat, many rally participants did not hesitate to continue thanking us and praying for our safety. When BLM could not get anyone to “bite their hooks,” They moved to the city streets. We spent the rest of the night keeping them from impeding traffic.
I lost track of how many times someone threatened to “beat my ass,” but I recall how quickly a particular male (I won’t say “man,” because he was clearly a coward, and not worthy of being referred to as a man) shut his mouth and backed up when I promptly stepped over the line that he indicated would result in my ass-beating. 50-60 humans with their cell phones, megaphones and whinny voices, and not one honorable man or woman among them. Just foul-mouthed garbage, yelling factually incorrect media lies, all night. At the end they were indicating that they were not tired and could go all night. It was near midnight when they almost immediately dispersed. I guess they were actually tired and hungry, and needed to get back to their parent’s basement. I know this group does not represent the entirety of the left, but I believe the Democratic Party has been high-jacked by evil, and they are turning our young people into useful idiots.
The blue line, each of us clad in nearly 60lbs of gear matched them step for step, and held the line until the cowards dispersed. I serve with some truly amazing and honorable people!
Keep America Great!!!"

Kamala Harris doesn't take questions after speech ripping Trump's Supreme Court push

Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris faced renewed scrutiny for her lack of press availability on Monday after she abruptly exited the stage after a speech in North Carolina in which she criticized President Trump’s bid to fill a Supreme Court seat before the election.

Harris did not take any questions from the media after her speech at Shaw University, one of North Carolina’s historically black colleges and universities. The event was closed to the general public and attended only by news reporters, according to the Fayetteville Observer.

In her speech, which was criticized by the research wing of the Republican National Committee, Harris ripped the GOP for moving forward with the nomination so close to an election.

“We will not give up, and we will not give in," Harris said. “We will not let the infection that President Trump has injected into the presidency and into Congress, that has paralyzed our politics and pitted Americans against each other, spread to the United States Supreme Court."

Biden wants a break every 30 minutes during tonight's debate

After Trump asked that the candidates be swept for electronic devices, the Biden campaign submitted a request from the Trump campaign as well, asking for two breaks during the evening's program, meaning a disruption in the debate every thirty minutes.The Trump campaign denied the request for brief intermissions.

A Trump spokesperson told Fox News "our guy doesn't need breaks. He gives 90-minute speeches all the time."

The negotiations are reportedly still ongoing for Tuesday night's debate, as well as the two subsequent debates in the coming weeks.

Trump camp seeks extra debate rule: Third party inspectors to look for electronic devices in candidates' ears

President Trump is asking for an additional ground rule ahead of Tuesday night’s first presidential debate between himself and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. But the Biden campaign is rejecting it.

Fox News has learned that the president’s re-election campaign wants the Biden campaign to allow a third party to inspect the ears of each debater for electronic devices or transmitters. The president has consented to this kind of inspection, but a source said the Biden campaign has declined the ear check.

The Trump campaign, in the hours ahead of the debate, claimed Biden's campaign had agreed to such an inspection before reversing themselves.

Monday, September 28, 2020

Governor Hogan Announces Extension of Homeowners’ and Renters’ Property Tax Credit Deadlines

 ANNAPOLIS, MDGovernor Larry Hogan today announced that the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) is extending the deadline to apply for 2020 Homeowners’ and Renters’ Property Tax Credits from October 1 to October 31. These two tax credit programs save Marylanders more than $65 million per year, with homeowners receiving an average credit of $1,348 on their tax bill and renters receiving an average direct payment of $414. Applications can be submitted online through Maryland OneStop.

“This is yet another step our administration is taking to ensure more of our citizens can remain safe and secure in their homes,” said Governor Hogan. “Tens of thousands of Marylanders who have not yet applied may still be eligible for these tax credits, and now have an additional month to apply for this much-needed relief.”

The Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit Program provides relief for eligible homeowners by setting a limit on the amount of property taxes owed based on their income. If a resident has already paid their property tax and applies before October 31, any tax credit that the homeowner may be eligible for will be refunded by their local county finance office. Many counties and municipalities also provide supplemental homeowners’ credits, which will be automatically applied if the applicant is approved for the state homeowners’ credit.

The Renters’ Property Tax Credit Program provides tax relief for eligible renters who pay high monthly rent relative to their total income and do not receive federal or state housing subsidies or reside in public housing. The credit is issued in the form of a direct check payment of up to $1,000.

SDAT is also encouraging Maryland homeowners to submit an application for the Homestead Tax Credit if they have not yet done so. Once approved, the Homestead Credit accrues over time by limiting the increase in taxable assessment each year to a fixed percentage, and is a one-time application without a specific filing deadline. The Homestead Credit provides nearly $20 billion in assessment relief per year.

Sufficiently completed tax credit applications will be processed 30-90 days after they are submitted, although online applications will be processed significantly faster than those submitted by mail. For additional questions about these credits, applicants should visit www.taxcredits.sdat.maryland.gov or contact SDAT as follows:

For more information about these programs, please visit dat.maryland.gov/Pages/Tax-Credit-Programs.

A Viewer Writes

At 3:55 pm I came across this trio of cars just as they finished destroying the trump sign at the corner of rt 610 and old ocean city road. 

I saw two young black males running from the field to their cars. 

I wasn't able to get close enough for tag numbers of the white suv and the black Honda car in the picture but did get the tag number in the picture of the black Chevrolet truck. 

People have no respect for other peoples property and they should be held responsible. Hopefully this will help whomever put the sign there to get justice.







Florida bars packed after state lifts COVID-19 restrictions

Crowds packed into some Florida bars over the weekend after Gov. Ron DeSantis lifted coronavirus restrictions on them and other businesses, according to a report.

Footage showed patrons overflowing out of the Elbo Room in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday after the governor’s surprise order, news station WPLG reported.

“I’m healthy, I’m strong and I feel comfortable with all my friends,” said Dan Gibby, who was at the watering hole.

In Davie, Gaffer’s Pub owner Debbie Qualls said the greenlight to reopen was a lifesaver for the business.

“We’ve had to pay the rent, the electric, all the bills. If it was too much longer, we wouldn’t be here,” Qualls said.

DeSantis’s announcement Friday allowed all bars and restaurants to reopen effectively immediately — and prevented local municipalities from implementing restrictions that would force them to operate at less than half-capacity unless it can be justified for health or economic reasons.

“We’re not closing anything going forward,” DeSantis said.





Progressive groups buy Amy Coney Barrett domain name in attempt to smear her

Progressive groups launched the first salvo in the looming war to stop the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, buying up her domain name online.

Anyone searching for more information at AmyConeyBarrett.com will now be redirected to a site owned by the liberal activist organization Demand Justice.

“Amy Coney Barrett is exactly who Donald Trump said he would pick as a Supreme Court justice: someone who could be counted on to overturn Roe v. Wade and end the Affordable Care Act,” reads a sparse website statement.

“Barrett has also ruled repeatedly for companies that discriminate — including one that employed a “separate but equal” system of sorting employees by race,” the group said.

These are just a few of the lies published on the website.

Democrats will stop at nothing.


Video Shows Biden Calling Soldiers 'Stupid Bastards'

Just when you think Joe Biden could not embarrass himself any more, he can’t help but prove you wrong.

A recently resurfaced video now making the rounds shows the Democratic presidential nominee calling a crowd of U.S. service members “stupid bastards.”

This most recent gaffe is not a new one, but it is certainly just as cringeworthy as the rest of Biden’s biggest hits.

“I have incredibly good judgment,” Biden says in the video.

“One, I married Jill, and two, I appointed Johnson to the academy. I just want you to know that.”

There is then a short pause as Biden awkwardly waits for applause that isn’t going to come.

“Clap for that, you stupid bastards,” he says


GOP fights back against attacks on Amy Coney Barrett’s adopted children

So much for keeping kids out of politics.

Liberals on social media are questioning whether two children adopted by President Trump’s expected Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, were adopted legitimately — as Senate Republicans leaped to defend her.

“Some adoptions from Haiti were legit. Many were sketchy as hell,” wrote a Democratic activist and former Capitol Hill staffer, Dana Houle, in a since-deleted tweet on Friday. “Would it matter if her kids were scooped up by ultra-religious Americans, or … when there was family in Haiti?”

Another left-wing activist, John Lee Brougher of the NextGen America PAC, added fuel to the fire.

“As an adoptee, I need to know more about the circumstances of how Amy Coney Barrett came to adopt her children, and the treatment of them since,” Brougher wrote, according to Breitbart News. “Transracial adoption is fraught with trauma and potential for harm.” Brougher’s tweet has also been removed.

Houle’s tweet served as cannon fodder for Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, who has set up a campaign-style online “war room” to combat Democrats’ attacks.

“Disgusting,” Cotton responded in a tweet that was amplified on his Supreme Court War Room website. “The left now smearing Amy Coney Barrett for adopting children.”

“It was the most predictable thing in the world that Democrats would attack Amy Coney Barrett’s children,” Cotton posted Saturday.

Sarah Palin Shreds Lisa Murkowski, Then Threatens Primary Run Against Her

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin dared Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to “do the right thing” in terms of the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, and said there could be consequences in 2022, including a challenge from Palin herself.

Palin made her comments in videos released on Instagram Saturday and also shared on YouTube.

After the Sept. 18 death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Murkowski said she opposed filling Ginsburg’s seat before the November elections.

Palin, playing off the SNL skit "I can see Russia from my house" told the sitting Senator, If you can’t do that, remember my house? I can see a lot of things from my house. … Lisa, I can see 2022 from my house,” Palin said.




Grandma dubbed ‘Zoom Karen’ goes viral after interrupting virtual class to blast BLM, Obama

A TikTok video of a grandmother becoming enraged after hearing Black Lives Matter discussed in her grandchild’s virtual Zoom class has gone viral.

The video posted by TikTok user @stayflyest, “Karen found in Zoom Class going off,” appears to interrupt her grandchild’s class to confront the teacher over “talking about BLM and all that stuff.”

The woman, whose face has been blurred out, waves her hands at the teacher, who calmly explains that the lesson was a discussion of historical events.

“No, you’re talking about BLM and all that stuff. And we’re not going to talk about it. Unless you want to hear what I have to say,” she said, before adding, “And Barack Obama was biracial. He wasn’t just black. He should have owned both sides of his family.”

Karen found in Zoom Class going off,” has been viewed over a million times and earned nearly 400,000 likes and nearly 8,000 comments.

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Man who defied governor's order by holding bonfire sentenced

A Charles County man will serve one year in jail for violating the governor's state of emergency executive order.

In March, police were called twice to respond to Shawn Myers' home in Hughesville, where he threw a party with more than 50 people. Gov. Larry Hogan's executive order banned large gatherings of any kind.

The second time police responded to his home, Myers became argumentative and told his guests to stay.

Prosecutors announced Myers was convicted Friday after a bench trial on two counts of failure to comply with an emergency order.

Myers, 42, was also sentenced to serve three years of probation upon release from jail.

Lawyer says cop shot Jacob Blake after hearing a mother's plea: 'He's got my kid. He's got my keys'

Police Officer Rusten Sheskey has told investigators that it wasn't just his life he was defending when he fired his weapon seven times at Jacob Blake last month in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

He said he used deadly force during the chaotic encounter because he was afraid Blake, while attempting to flee the scene, was trying to kidnap a child in the backseat of the vehicle.

"He's got my kid. He's got my keys," Sheskey heard a woman say, according to attorney Brendan Matthews, who is representing the officer. If Sheskey had allowed Blake to drive away and something happened to the child "the question would have been 'why didn't you do something?'" Matthews said.

That explanation, provided in an exclusive interview with CNN, offers the most detailed rationale to date for Sheskey's highly scrutinized decision to shoot Blake, who is Black, as he leaned into an SUV with his children inside it on Aug. 23.

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More than 100 arrested in Ocean City during 'unruly' rally; trooper knocked unconscious

Police in Ocean City arrested more than 100 people this past weekend.

Officials said people who attended the H2o popup rally became unruly and destructive throughout the night Saturday. Those arrested were charged with various criminal and traffic offenses.

Ocean City Police Chief Ross Buzzuro said the visitors were not car enthusiast, but rather were in town to "disrupt, destroy and disrespect our community and our law enforcement officers Our policing philosophy is to be friendly, fair and firm. Unfortunately, this disorderly behavior and unruly crowds left no choice but to shift out philosophy and take additional stapes to protect our officers and our community."

A 23 year old Norfolk, Virginia man was arrested and charged after he resisted arrest and knocked a State Police Officer unconscious.

Philadelphia treasurer charged with embezzlement, entering sham marriage

Philadelphia’s treasurer was fired Friday after federal authorities charged him with embezzlement and entering into a sham marriage to obtain US citizenship.

Although the allegations against Christian Dunbar did not involve his work with the city, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said that he had asked the city’s inspector general to review the treasurer’s office during Dunbar’s tenure beginning in 2016, the Associated Press reported.

“This review can help resolve any concerns about the office´s conduct and transactions during this period,” Kenney said.

Federal prosecutors said that Dunbar, 40, stole $15,000 from two of his clients while working at Wells Fargo as a financial adviser, before he began working in city government. In both instances, he was assisting customers who wanted to transfer funds and had them sign several documents, including a blank withdrawal slip.

He later allegedly used the blank slips to withdraw cash from both victims’ accounts and deposit those funds into his own bank account, prosecutors said.

Dunbar, who was born in Liberia, allegedly entered into a fake marriage with a former classmate at Temple University, prosecutors said.

During his marriage, he secretly wed another classmate in a ceremony in the bride’s home country in Senegal in 2013, according to the indictment, which also alleges that the woman entered into her own shame marriage to obtain permanent residency status in the US. After he became a US citizen, he divorced his first wife in 2016, prosecutors said.

Delaware State University denies Biden was a student after claim he ‘got started’ there

Delaware State University has denied that Joe Biden was ever  a student there, after the presidential candidate’s claim that he “got started” at the historically black college.

The 77-year-old Democrat made his claim while praising historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) during a town hall event last October before the South Carolina Democratic primary, video shows.

“I got started out of a HBCU, Delaware State,” he told pupils at Wilson High School in Florence, which was founded in 1866 by the Freedmen’s Bureau for Black children seeking an education.

“Now, I don’t want to hear anything negative about Delaware State. They’re my folks,” he told the pupils to chuckles.

However, the politician’s claim came back to haunt him when the university said he had only been a commencement speaker there decades after his start in politics.

“Vice President Biden did not attend DSU,” the college’s director of news service, Carlos Holmes said.

Biden did graduate from University of DE, and he went on to study at Syracuse University College of Law. where he failed a class after being accused of plagiarism.

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Al Sharpton ripped after evoking Amy Coney Barrett’s adopted children to make a point about race

Al Sharpton is facing backlash on social media after choosing to evoke Amy Coney Barrett’s adopted children to make a point about what he considered a lack of diversity in the nomination event audience.

Sharpton said “I was glad her two kids did come out, I couldn’t find too many other people of color in that audience.”

One Twitter user wrote “Nasty, vile and mean. What else should we expect from the Rev. Al Sharpton?”

Emmy wrote “The left is the only side that scans a group for skin color and then makes assumptions based solely on that. Isn’t that the literal definition of, i dunno, racism?”

Another wrote “How come you didnt comment about the lack of color when all the clerks who worked for Ginsburg, were lined up. There was a lot of whiteness there”

Another wrote “Race Hustler gonna race hustle”

Another wrote “Race, race, race. Everything is about race to these grifters.”

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Biden, Schiff, Schumer attack Amy Coney Barrett within minutes of Trump nominating her for SCOTUS

Within minutes of President Trump nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, top Democrats Joe Biden, Adam Schiff and Chuck Schumer launched attacks on her on Twitter.

Joe Biden wrote “Today, President Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court — a jurist with a written track record of disagreeing with the Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act.

Vote like your health care is on the ballot — because it is.”

Adam Schiff wrote “Here’s why Republicans are rushing Amy Coney Barrett into a lifetime appointment: So she can strike down healthcare and overturn Roe v. Wade. Republicans also fear they’re losing the election and want her to deliver the election for Trump. No confirmation before inauguration.”

Chuck Schumer wrote ” A vote for Judge Amy Coney Barrett is a vote to eliminate health care for millions in the middle of a pandemic. Democrats are fighting for Americans’ health care.”

Trump makes his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett official

President Donald Trump on Saturday formally nominated Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, with about five weeks left until Election Day.

“I looked, and I studied, and you are very eminently qualified for this job,” Trump told Barrett as he made the announcement. “You are going to be fantastic.”

Barrett, a 48-year-old judge on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, follows an extreme brand of conservatism that makes her a particularly polarizing choice.

Speaking from the White House Rose Garden, Trump praised Barrett’s credentials, which included a clerkship with the late Justice Antonin Scalia, and noted that her confirmation would make her the first mother of school-aged children ever to serve on the Supreme Court.

“This should be a straightforward and prompt confirmation. Good luck,” Trump said. “I’m sure it will be very quick.”
Barrett said she was ”truly humbled” by the nomination and pledged to ”be mindful of who came before me” if confirmed. Ginsburg, Barrett said, led a “great American life” in which she “won the admiration of women across the country and, indeed, all over the world.”


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Ocean City shut down

Traffic going into Ocean City was at a stand still. Route 50 looked more like a parking lot then a highway.

We don't have details at this time.



Officials Issue Warnings With Pop-Up Rally In Ocean City

With the arrival of the unsanctioned pop-up car rally in Ocean City, the resort’s message is for visitors to just stay away and for residents to avoid the roadways.

It appears counterintuitive for leaders in a resort town and tourist destination to discourage visitors during a beautiful week of weather, but that is the message as attendees began arriving Monday for the pop-up car rally, formerly known as H2O International. For the last several years, the unsanctioned pop-up car rally, which is largely organized on social media, has brought with it illicit behavior, reckless and dangerous driving and general lawlessness.

The Town of Ocean City in recent years has been overrun with illegal activity. This year, however, town officials, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) and its allied law enforcement agencies and the designated motorized special events task force appears more prepared than ever with a strengthened special enforcement zone legislation, hundreds of law enforcement officers, new traffic patterns including speed bumps in some areas and a series of other initiatives in place.

Mayor Rick Meehan said, “Due to the pop-up car rally, this upcoming weekend is not going to be a typical fall weekend at the beach,” he said. “We encourage our residents to avoid traveling on Coastal Highway if possible because traffic is going to be unusually heavy. In addition, we urge our visitors seeking a family-friendly experience to visit Ocean City for another weekend.”

County Agrees To Riverboat Purchase For South End Tourism

The Worcester County Commissioners voted 5-2 in an emergency meeting Tuesday to move forward with the purchase of a riverboat.

The commissioners agreed to loan Snow Hill and Pocomoke roughly $350,000 to buy the Black Eyed Susan, a 149-passenger riverboat that has been used in Havre de Grace. The boat is meant to bring tourism to the southern end of Worcester County.

Tom Perlozzo, the county’s director of tourism, economic development and recreation and parks. “It’s what I believe to be a great opportunity to take advantage of the Pocomoke River. It’s an asset, it’s an economic draw.”

Perlozzo said the riverboat was a unique opportunity to promote the southern end of the county as a tourism destination. He said the plan was for Snow Hill and Pocomoke to purchase the boat through funding from the county. That funding would be made up of a $100,000 Community Legacy Grant transfer as Tyson Foods in Snow Hill does not intend to take advantage of the grant it received, as well as the $250,000 in CARES Act funding the commissioners previously set aside for the southern part of the county.

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Thank you for your continued patience and loyalty

I just wanted to give you a quick update, because some of you have asked, no this is not the "new blog".

I am hoping to have things worked out by the middle of next week.

I have been trying to keep the blog operating the best I can until I can get our new host up and running. However; I realize Google has more issues than Time magazine.

Formatting is off, the links are off, the number of stories you are able to view is off, etc. Believe me for every issue that is visible to you, there are twice as many underlying issues that I am dealing with behind the scenes.

I appreciate your support, and understanding, as well as your patience I hope to have everything back up to full speed soon.

Thank you for being so devoted to SBYnews.

Joe

Franklin Graham leading DC prayer march: 'Only God can fix the problems' in our nation

Thousand of people are gathered in Washington, D.C. today, not to protest but to pray.

Evangelist Franklin Graham is leading a prayer march in Nations Capital that will seek God's healing for a nation in crisis.

"I think our country is in trouble, and Democrats will tell you that, Republicans will tell you that. We're coming today to call upon the name of God, because I believe only God can fix the problems that we face in this nation today," Graham said.

"We're coming today, from all states to pray, to humble ourselves, to confess the sins of our nation to God, to ask for his forgiveness, and to call on him, to help our nation, and we're going to pray for our representatives. Republican, Democrat, we're going to pray for all of them".

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GOP report claims Hunter Biden paid women linked to ‘prostitution or human trafficking ring’

Among the deluge of explosive claims tucked inside the new Senate Republican report about Hunter Biden’s business dealings is the allegation that the Democratic presidential nominee’s son has a history of paying Russian or Eastern European women linked to sex trafficking.

While the 87-page report, which was released on Wednesday, provided few specific details regarding the allegation, it pointed to a number of Russian- and Ukrainian-connected transactions.

“Hunter Biden paid nonresident women who were nationals of Russia or other Eastern European countries and who appear to be linked to an ‘Eastern European prostitution or human trafficking ring,’” read the report from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Finance Committees.

The GOP report did not link Biden in any way to trafficking but suggested that he potentially paid prostitutes, presumably without knowledge, who may have stemmed from such rings.

“There is extensive public reporting concerning Hunter Biden’s alleged involvement with prostitution services,” the report said.

Florida, hard hit by coronavirus this summer, will reopen bars and restaurants with no restrictions

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Friday that Florida, hard hit by coronavirus pandemic this summer, was moving into Phase 3 of reopening, lifting all restrictions on restaurants and businesses.

DeSantis, a Republican, said restaurants, hotels and bars across the state can immediately reopen at full capacity. A staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, DeSantis has been widely criticized in the past for reopening Florida early in the pandemic — a move that came after the governor met with the president."

The order would also prohibit local governments from restricting business operations unless they can justify the economic cost of such actions.

“There will not be limitations,” DeSantis said at a press conference in St. Petersburg. “They can operate at a minimum of 50 percent regardless of local rule and then, if a local restricts between 50 and 100 [percent], they’ve got to provide the justification and they’ve got to identify what the costs involved with doing that are.”

Bars are able to decide how to handle capacity at their establishments. Bars were allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity on Sep. 10.

“If you want to go beyond the 50, you can authorize and do it,” DeSantis said. “We’re not telling you you have to, but we’re not going to stand in the way of that, so that’ll be a local decision if they want to try to do more capacity in some of the bars and pubs.”

Gyms, hair salons and amusement parks were not addressed during the governor’s announcement on Friday, but most gyms and businesses have already been operating at full capacity.

Trump to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to Supreme Court

President Trump plans to announce that Amy Coney Barrett will be his nominee to the Supreme Court to fill the seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, multiple sources told Fox News on Friday.

The president is expected to make the announcement during a White House event today. Barrett currently serves as a judge on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Trump, who has a campaign rally scheduled later Friday night in Virginia, declined to say who he will announce when pressed by reporters at Joint Base Andrews. "You’ll find out tomorrow,” he said.

The announcement is certain to ignite a bruising election-year confirmation battle, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed to put up Trump's nominee for a vote.

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President Trump ties Biden to Virginia governor at rally in effort to portray Dem as extreme

President Trump took his stump speech into a key "purple" state Friday, telling Virginians their Gov. Ralph Northam represents the kind of governance they'll get on a national scale if they vote for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in November.

"Only by voting for me can you save your country and can you save your Second Amendment," Trump declared while speaking outside a hangar at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport.

The president also argued that by backing Northam, a physician who supports late-term abortion, Biden had backed the governor's opposition to life-saving medical care for infants born alive after abortions -- as well as Northam's pro-gun control agenda. Although Biden campaigned with Northam in 2017, he later called for the governor's resignation in response to photos that allegedly showed Northam in blackface.

According to the Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, hundreds of people attended Friday's rally, for which doors opened at 6 p.m. ET, although people started lining up long before that. Trump's comments came just after he signed an executive order ensuring that federally funded programs and facilities provided care for infants, and as he was expected Saturday to nominate a pro-life justice to the Supreme Court -- a controversial decision that will likely enrage the left and rally his base.

Harris Announces $125,000 Grant to Maryland Capital Enterprises

 Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) announced the award of a $125,000 grant to Maryland Capital Enterprises, a private nonprofit organization located in Salisbury.  The organization is dedicated to helping small businesses succeed by offering counseling, business development consulting, and assistance in acquiring financing.  Grant funding came from the Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Program, which allocates financial awards to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) who in turn provide access to capital investments for small businesses and other critical community development projects, often in economically underserved communities.  The grant awarded to Maryland Capital Investments is a Technical Assistance award, which are used for capacity development that is integral to CDFIs’ organizational sustainability and success. CDFIs often use these awards to purchase equipment, hire consulting or contracting services, pay salaries and benefits, or train staff or board members.

Congressman Harris made the following statement:

“I am proud to support our small businesses across the Eastern Shore.  The timing of this grant is great news, especially during National Small Business Week and in light of the pandemic, which has put countless businesses across our nation in jeopardy.  These funds will allow Maryland Capital Enterprises to continue to serve small business employers and their employees on the Lower Shore, boosting our regional economy and creating good paying jobs.”

For media inquiries, please contact Congressman Harris’ Washington, DC office at 202-225-5311, or contact John Dutton at John.Dutton@mail.house.gov or Walter Smoloski at Walter.Smoloski@mail.house.gov.

Officer uses taser on girl outdoors at a football scrimmage … her crime? — Not wearing a mask

Ohio is staring to look similar to Melbourne. 

Officer uses taser on girl outdoors at a football scrimmage ... her crime? — Not wearing a mask.

Watch the video and you will see how close we are to a communist take over.

Community Yard Sale

 Sat 26th 8a-12p

East Fields (East Main Street, Fruitland)

Friday, September 25, 2020

University of Cincinnati professor on leave for calling COVID-19 ‘Chinese virus’

A University of Cincinnati professor is on administrative leave for referring to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” in an email to a student.

John L. Ucker, an adjunct instructor in the university’s engineering and applied sciences department, was put on leave with pay effective immediately on Friday,one day after engineering student Evan Sotzing posted an email he received from Ucker on Twitter that went viral, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

“For students testing positive for the chinese virus, I will give no grade,” the email from Ucker’s university account read. “You can read the info I sent to the class re: the torsion test.”

Sotzing, a 20-year-old junior, said he got the email after his girlfriend tested positive for the coronavirus, causing him to miss a lab due to guidance from the university’s health department instructing him to quarantine over the potential exposure.

“I really just want him to apologize,” Sotzing told WKRC. “I want a sincere apology for his comment.”

Sotzing said he was shocked that “anyone in power” would use such xenophobic language. His post with Ucker’s email had been retweeted 37,700 times as of early Wednesday and prompted a response from the university’s president.

“There is no place for bigotry in our community or any other,” UC President Neville Pinto tweeted Friday. “Every Bearcat deserves to feel welcome, respected and supported. Greatness starts with inclusion. And inclusion starts with each of us.”

Trump on Meghan Markle: ‘I wish a lot of luck to Harry, because he’s gonna need it’

President Trump on Wednesday slammed Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle after she and Prince Harry implicitly endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

“I’m not a fan of hers,” Trump told reporters at a White House press briefing.

“And I would say this — and she probably has heard that — but I wish a lot of luck to Harry, because he’s gonna need it.”

Markle, 39, is a Los Angeles-born former actress who married Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson in 2018 before being blamed for the January #Megxit of the couple, in which they abandoned their royal duties to move first to Canada, and then to the US.

The couple effectively endorsed Biden in a recent video clip filmed for Time magazine.

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Rep. McCarthy threatens vote to oust Pelosi as speaker if she tries impeachment

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy threatened to call for a vote to oust House Speaker Nancy Pelosi if she makes an effort to impeach President Trump to block him from nominating a Supreme Court justice.

“I will make you this one promise, listening to the speaker on television this weekend, if she tries to move for an impeachment based upon the president following the Constitution, I think there will be a move on the floor to no longer, or the question of her being speaker,” McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

“She may think she has a quiver — we do too,” he said.

In an appearance on ABC News Sunday, Pelosi refused to rule out trying to impeach Trump or Attorney General William Barr in an effort to stop the nominating process for the president’s Supreme Court pick in Congress.

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Protesters seen grabbing shields from U-Haul after Breonna Taylor decision

Organized protesters were seen grabbing protective gear and pre-prepared signs from a U-Haul in Louisville, Kentucky, just moments after the announcement that local cops were not being charged in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor.

‘Shields, we got shields!” a woman’s voice shouted as dozens of people rushed over to a rental van parked downtown in the now-viral footage seen more than 4.6 million times Thursday.

A woman was filmed unloading supplies from the back of the U-Haul as others took out shields as well as numerous pre-prepared giant signs, some reading “Abolish the police” and “Abolition now,” the clips show.

Others had anarchy signs, as well as a three-arrow symbol that has been linked to Antifa.

An apparent onlooker was heard saying that it was clear they “came here with a strategy”.




Proud Boys denied Portland rally permit over COVID-19 concerns

Right-wing group the Proud Boys were denied a permit for their planned Saturday rally in Portland, city officials announced Wednesday, citing coronavirus concerns.

The proposed rally at Delta Park in north Portland was expected to draw 10,000 Proud Boy supporters. Two concurrent counter protests by left-wing groups were also planned in the city, including one in the same park.
Portland Parks & Recreation Bureau said in a statement that the city denied the permit over the estimated size of the rally, which they said would violate coronavirus safety measures.

“We must all do our part to fight the spread of COVID-19 in our community and keep ourselves and each other safe. Events like this are not welcome and are not allowed,” Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, who oversees the city’s parks department, said in the statement.

Ahead of the rally, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, gave the Proud Boys a cold reception on Twitter.

“On September 26th, agitators plan on coming to Portland to spread messages of hate and racism — values we don’t welcome here in Portland,” Wheeler wrote.

“If you intend to come to our city, our home, to spread hate and provoke violence, don’t,” he said.

Enrique Tarrio, a leader of Proud Boys, which has been deemed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, said the rally would be peaceful. He also urged anyone planning violence to keep out.

‘Mulan’ is the latest proof Hollywood has become a Chinese propaganda factory

Hollywood is accommodating a new era of McCarthyism, imposed this time by Red China.

It involves everything that Hollywood tells us that it hates censorship, pressure to conform and blacklists. Yet the studios have seamlessly absorbed Beijing’s dictates into their operations.

This most iconic American business is now, literally, an agent of Chinese influence.

The latest outrage is Disney’s live-action remake of the ­animated 1998 movie “Mulan,” based on Chinese folklore about a girl enlisting in the army. Disney filmed parts of the movie in China and, in its credits, thanks Chinese propaganda departments as well as a public-security bureau in the province of Xinjiang, where Beijing is carrying out its hideous campaign against the Uighurs.

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The Post asks … Can you find Joe Biden?

 

On Thursday, just a short 40 days before the election, the Biden campaign called a “lid” at 9 a.m.,no more questions, no more appearances for the rest of the day.

That’s after The Post found that President Trump has answered five times the number of questions from reporters in the two months from mid-July to mid-September, 1,141 to a scant 274.

Americans deserve to hear more from the man who wants to be president, and who is willing and able to face tougher questioning.


ABC's Jonathan Karl: 'A big chunk of the country' believes the press is now 'the resistance'

ABC News chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl expressed his concern about how the general public views the press during the Trump era.

During an interview with Mediaite, Karl discussed the tense relationship between White House reporters and President Trump, something he suggested has had "negative consequences" with many Americans.

"I do believe that unfortunately, there is a big chunk of the country that believes that the press is now the resistance and I think it's really unfortunate and I think that it has negative consequences for a free press. I think it has negative consequences for our democracy," Karl told Mediaite on Thursday. "But I think that the aggressive questioning of the president, particularly now in the wake of what we've seen unfold with the pandemic is absolutely necessary. Not only justified but necessary.

He went on to walk back the harsh criticism of his CNN counterpart Jim Acosta, who he slammed in his memoir for undermining the "credibility" of the White House press corps with his "speeches" that painted the press as "the resistance."

"The events that have played out since those early days of the Trump White House have in some ways vindicated Jim Acosta," Karl said. "I think that Jim was right to be outraged that the president was declaring the free press the 'enemy of the people.'

VA Governor Northam, First Lady Test Positive For Coronavirus

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and his wife, Pamela Northam, have tested positive for the coronavirus after a member of the governor's residence staff also tested positive. While the governor has reported experiencing no symptoms of COVID-19 — the disease caused by the virus — Pamela Northam has reported experiencing mild symptoms.

Late Wednesday, the governor was notified that a residence staff member, who works closely within the couple's living quarters, had developed symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19, the governor's office said Friday morning.

Northam and his wife received PCR nasal swab tests on Wednesday and received positive results. Both will isolate for the next 10 days following guidelines from the Virginia Department of Health.

The couple is working with the department of health and the Richmond Health Department to trace their close contacts, according to the announcement. The Executive Mansion and Patrick Henry office building were closed for deep cleaning Thursday.

California GOP warns that Newsom's gas vehicle sales ban will cost jobs

California’s state Republican Party is warning that a new move by Gov. Gavin Newsom to ultimately ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035 could lead to more than 350,000 job losses.

Newsom on Wednesday signed an executive order that will end the sale of all gas-powered vehicles, although it won’t stop people from owning such cars and trucks or re-selling them on the used car market. He also called on state legislators to also ban fracking, but has not yet moved to do so himself.

It’s part of an increasingly aggressive push by some "blue states" and Democratic lawmakers in Congress to attempt to limit the effects of climate change, a push that Republicans have said will cost jobs and limit economic growth.

“Pull away from the gas pumps,” Newsom said. “Let us no longer be victims of geopolitical dictators that manipulate global supply chains and global markets.”

He claimed the order will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent and said that electric cars and trucks are “the next big global industry and California wants to dominate it.”

DOJ Orders a Pennsylvania County to change Ballot Practices after finding Military Ballots in the Trash

The Justice Department sent a letter to a Pennsylvania county on Thursday, ordering it to change its practices after multiple military ballots were found discarded.

The issue surfaced earlier in the day when the DOJ announced that it had recovered a small number of discarded ballots. While the Justice Department would not say where they had found the ballots, they did say there were nine recovered -- seven of which were cast for President Trump, while the other two were sealed by Luzerne County before the FBI recovered them,

In his letter to Luzerne County officials, U.S. attorney David Freed indicated that additional ballot materials were found in a dumpster. Freed said their investigation yielded "troubling" findings, including that the county allegedly improperly opened ballots.

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Governor Hogan, State Superintendent of Schools Announce Return of Fall Sports

Following a visit to schools in Frederick County on Thursday, Governor Larry Hogan and State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen Salmon announced the return of fall sports in Maryland. Each local school system will now have the ability to officially start the interscholastic athletic fall season in secondary schools beginning Wednesday, October 7, 2020.

“Getting our kids back on the playing field and allowing youth sports to resume this fall is critical for the social and mental well-being of our students,” said Governor Hogan. “Now that all 24 jurisdictions have submitted plans to resume in-person instruction, allowing fall sports to begin next month marks another important step on our road to recovery.”

All 24 school systems have now submitted plans to begin resuming in-person instruction this fall. To date, 11 local school systems—Allegany, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Carroll, Charles, Cecil, Frederick, Garrett, St. Mary’s, Washington, and Worcester—have announced plans to bring students back onto school campuses for in-person athletic opportunities this fall.

October 7 Option For Fall Sports.

  • All school systems shall, as soon as possible, provide conditioning and training opportunities utilizing the current available options provided by the MPSSAA.
  • On October 7, 2020, all local school systems may choose to begin formal fall sport season practices in preparation for a competition season which will begin on October 27.  All practices and preparation must be in accordance with Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) required practice regulations, and all face covering and public health protocols established by the state and local health departments.
  • The state is expanding the seasonal competition timeframes as previously announced for all winter and spring sports within this plan.
  • The October 7 option provides for seven weeks of competition for fall sports—including cross country, field hockey, football, golf, soccer, and volleyball:
    • First available practice date: October 7, 2020
    • First available competition date: October 27, 2020 (Golf may resume competition on October 7, 2020.)
    • Last play date: December 12, 2020
    • Culminating event/tournament: December 14-19, 2020
  • With the October 7 option, winter sports can begin practice on December 14, and spring sports can begin practice on March 15. Additional details will be provided by MPSSAA.
  • Local school systems that choose not to exercise the October 7 option for fall sports may utilize the Second Semester Plan option as previously announced.

Thursday, September 24, 2020

President Trump to hold rally on Friday in Newport News, VA

President Donald Trump will be holding a rally in the southeastern Virginia city of Newport News.

The Virginian-Pilot reports that Friday evening’s rally will be at the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport. It is expected to start at 9 p.m. with doors opening at 6.

The campaign stop will fall in between visits in to Florida and Pennsylvania. Newport News is not far from the border of North Carolina, which is considered a key battleground state.

The last time the president was in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region was in March when a Navy hospital ship set off for New York to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Herschel Walker accuses Obama of doing 'absolutely nothing' to help racial issues as president

Former NFL star Herschel Walker panned former President Barack Obama Wednesday, arguing that the Democrat made grand statements about racism in America but failed to act on the issue while in office.

"Not to be mean ... I love the Obamas, but I'm going to be honest," Walker told Fox News Radio's "Fox Across America". "I hear all of the racial statements they're making today and I'm like, 'You were in office for eight years, what did you do to change anything?'

"You didn't do anything to change anything for anybody," Walker added, "so don't come out now talking about it because you had an opportunity [as] the most powerful man in the world, and you did absolutely nothing."

Walker, who spoke at this summer's Republican National Convention, also criticized Obama's vice president, current Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Early voting turnout hits record numbers in Virginia

Record numbers of Virginians are voting early and requesting absentee ballots this year, as the coronavirus pandemic and newly loosened election laws reshape Old Dominion voting habits in a presidential year.

Some 100,356 voters have cast ballots in person since early voting began

Friday, while 884,032 have requested absentee ballots, state elections officials reported on Wednesday. In all of 2016, just under 353,000 Virginians opted for early in-person voting and about 185,000 voted absentee by mail, according to an analysis by the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project.

Voters in three solidly blue Northern Virginia congressional districts, where President Trump is deeply unpopular, have requested the most absentee ballots, led by 140,465 requests in the 8th District, which is represented by Rep. Don Beyer (D).

That’s nearly triple the 48,191 ballots requested in the bright red 9th District in the state’s rural southwest, which Rep. H. Morgan Griffith (R) represents and Trump carried by 19 points four years ago.

“The great thing about Virginia is, you have no idea who’s requesting these ballots,” he said, noting that voters do not register by party in the state. “It could be every single Republican in those [Democratic] precincts requested those ballots.”


In any case, March said that Republicans are more inclined to wait to vote until Nov. 3. “Republicans are more likely to vote in person on Election Day,” he said. “That’s the sentiment I’ve gotten.”

Professor put on leave for saying she hopes presidential supporters get COVID-19 and die

A college professor in West Virginia has been placed on leave after telling her students that she hopes supporters of a “certain person” running for president get coronavirus “and die before the election.”

Video posted on social media identifies the teacher as Jennifer Mosher, a biology professor at Marshall University who made the inflammatory comments during an online class.

“I’ve become the type of person where I hope they all get it and die, I’m sorry,” she said, most likely referring to some supporters of President Trump, who don’t wear masks at campaign rallies. “I said to somebody yesterday, I hope they all die before the election. That’s the only saving hope I have.”

She doesn’t refer to Trump by name but says a “certain person is holding rallies.”

Mosher then notes, “I really should not be talking politics.”

It’s unclear when Mosher made the comments, but a statement from Marshall University on Friday said it became “aware of an overtly political statement made by a faculty member.”

“The university does not support or condone the use of any of its educational platforms to belittle people or wish harm on those who hold differing political views,” the statement said.

Hunter Biden received $3.5M wire transfer from Russian billionaire: Senate report

Hunter Biden received a $3.5 million wire transfer from Elena Baturina, the richest woman in Russia and the widow of Yury Luzhkov, the former mayor of Moscow, Senate Republicans revealed in their report on the younger Biden’s work in Ukraine.

Baturina is referenced in the 87-page report, which was released Wednesday, addressing her payment to Biden’s investment firm in early 2014.

“Baturina became Russia’s only female billionaire when her plastics company, Inteko, received a series of Moscow municipal contracts while her husband was mayor,” it said in providing background on the businesswoman.

The report described her involvement with Biden as “a financial relationship,” but declined to delve deeper into why the wire transfer was made.

The probe also found that Baturina sent 11 wires transfers between May and December 2015 to a bank account belonging to BAK USA, a tech startup that filed for bankruptcy in March 2019.

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Bernie Sanders Sounds Alarm on a Trump 'Nightmare Scenario'

Sen. Bernie Sanders is planning to mount an aggressive campaign to counter potential attempts by President Donald Trump to delegitimize the results of the November election, warning that Democrats and Republicans alike must do “everything that we can to prevent that from happening.”

In a phone interview on Monday evening, Sanders said he would spend the next six weeks urging the country to prepare for a “nightmare scenario” in which Trump declares himself the winner of the election and refuses to step down even if he loses.

As part of his effort, he is set to deliver a speech in Washington on Thursday — his first in-person appearance related to the election since before he dropped out of the presidential race — to outline in stark terms the danger that he says Trump poses to the nation’s democracy.

“We are living in an unprecedented and dangerous moment — extremely dangerous moment — in American history,” Sanders said. “And what this speech is going to be about is whether or not the United States of America will continue to be a democracy and a nation ruled by law and our Constitution.”

A Maryland schools Ninth Grade English reading is under fire

Parents of a Crisfield High student voiced their concerns about two of the books that were on their sons required reading list.

“Matt” Lankford said he and his wife received the syllabus for their son’s English class at Crisfield High School and they were “ very concerned” about the inclusion of the novel All American Boys and a second text titled Stamped, which is described as an examination of racism.

Mr. Lankford played an audiobook excerpt of All American Boys for the board, apologizing “up front for the content” which included use of the “F” word along with other profanity and references to drug use.

The fictional story is about a white police officer that brutally beats a young Black teenage boy “for no justification or no reason,” Mr. Lankford said. “I want to bring our society together. I don’t think this book does that.”

And if the school board didn’t know this was being used in the classroom, “then it’s a huge problem.”

In addition to language he counted eight times “they took the Lord’s name in vain, over 50 F bombs...it’s talking about people doing drugs, alcoholism, all the things we try to teach our kids to stay away from.”

Mr. Lankford said the second book, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You has a chapter on Adam and Eve titled “A Different Adam” that notes that Africans “had a different creation story” and “not actually human.”

“Can you imagine a young Black boy reading this,” Mr. Lankford asked the board. “It almost brought me to tears. What is our school system coming to?”

The three School Board Members that were present made no comment, the School's Superintendent asked for more information in writing.

According to Lilly Welch, English and World Languages supervisor for Somerset County Public Schools, the books have been used in the English curriculum for a handful of years.

A response to Mr. Lankford is anticipated in the coming weeks.

Local school districts allow teachers to bring kids to work to address day care issues

As a growing number of Maryland public school teachers prepare for in-person learning, on campus, some may have day care issues.

With that in mind, close to a dozen school districts may have found a way for teachers to bring their children to work.

Harford County teachers will walk into school buildings on Oct. 12, a little more than a week ahead of students, but what will that mean for teachers who are also parents?
“We have a structure in place that we could allow staff to have their children at the learning center,” said Harford County Schools Superintendent Sean Bulson. Many of the teachers were running out of options for childcare.

“There really is a short window for them to make this decision,” Harford County Education Association President Chrystie Crawford-Smick said.

“If teachers are being asked to return back to the classroom, they need to make sure that there is an opportunity for their children to be able to learn during the day,” Crawford-Smick said.

Besides Harford County, administrators in Baltimore City, Calvert, Caroline, Charles, Kent and St. Mary's counties are also allowing teachers to bring their children to school. The arrangement was included in their school reopening plans submitted to the Maryland State Board of Education.

Hogan calls push to confirm Supreme Court justice before election a 'mistake'

Gov. Larry Hogan said Wednesday it would be a "mistake" for the U.S. Senate to push to confirm a Supreme Court justice before the November election.

Trump urged the Republican-run Senate to consider "without delay" his upcoming nomination to fill the Supreme Court vacancy just six weeks before the election.

But Hogan weighed in on the issue, speaking at the Texas Tribune Festival, saying: "We should not be playing partisan games with the Supreme Court. It would be a mistake for the Senate to ram through a nominee on a partisan line vote, just as it would be a tragic mistake to question the integrity of the court or even pack the court."

On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, called Trumps move a power grab "to try and stack the court with right wing justices. We will use every procedural opportunity to block this abuse of power."

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Colin Kaepernick speaks on Breonna Taylor shooting indictment: 'Abolish The Police'

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick voiced his frustration on Wednesday over a grand jury’s decision to indict one of three police officers involved in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor with criminal charges.

"The white supremacist institution of policing that stole Breonna Taylor’s life from us must be abolished for the safety and well being of our people. #BreonnaTaylor #SayHerName #AbolishThePolice," Kaepernick wrote on Twitter.

A Jefferson County grand jury indicted Officer Brett Hankison with three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree for his role in a drug operation that resulted in the death of Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical worker. The charges against Hankison relate to shots that were fired into a neighbor's home, not Taylor's death.

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Louisville police shot amid Breonna Taylor protests after curfew; suspect in custody

Two police officers were shot in Louisville, Ky., on Wednesday night as protesters flocked to the streets to rally against the death of Breonna Taylor, authorities said.

Shortly after a police news conference, reports emerged on social media that a third police officer may have been injured.

The two police victims confirmed by authorities were being treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, Interim Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Robert Schroeder said in a short news conference around 10 p.m. ET.

"One is alert and stable, the other officer is currently undergoing surgery and stable," Schroeder said, adding that one suspect was in custody.



Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Seattle pays ex-pimp $150,000 to offer ‘alternatives to policing’

Seattle now has on its payroll a convicted pimp who once vowed to “go to war” with the city — a $150,000 “street czar” whose mission is to come up with “alternatives to policing,” reports said.

Andre Taylor — who appeared in the documentary “American Pimp” about his life as “Gorgeous Dre” — is getting $12,500 per month for a year, along with an office in Seattle’s Municipal Tower, according to the contract published by PubliCola.

It comes just a year after his organization, Not This Time, was paid $100,000 to sponsor a speaker series that was called “Conversations with the Streets.”

Taylor led one of the first rallies in Seattle after the police-custody death of George Floyd,

Flashback: Obama, Biden, and Pelosi Demanded SCOTUS Vacancy Be Filled Before the 2016 Election

As soon as the news broke Friday that Ruth Bader Ginsburg had passed away, it feels like it wasn’t five minutes before the mainstream media was talking about Republican hypocrisy.

Digging up quotes from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from the 2016 Merrick Garland nomination fight to use against Republicans.

And that hypocrisy, by the way, is uniform. The three most powerful Democrats right now, almost inarguably, are former President Barack Obama, former Vice President (and current presidential nominee) Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

All three have been against President Donald Trump nominating a replacement for Ginsburg on the court, saying the Senate has the obligation to wait until the election.

But while the mainstream media may have forgotten the words of former President Barry Hussein, the Republicans have not.

“When there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the president of the United States is to nominate someone, the Senate is to consider that nomination,” Obama said.

“Either they disapprove of that nominee, or that nominee is elevated to the Supreme Court.

“I’m amused when I hear people who claim to be strict interpreters of the Constitution suddenly reading into it a whole series of provisions that are not there,” Obama jabbed.


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