Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Statement & Clarification Regarding the Incorrect Reference to a “Hospice” Worker in Media Coverage

Yesterday it was widely reported by the media that a Worcester County caregiver named Fedia Dorlus was sentenced for theft of money from a patient for whom she was caring.

Dorlus was incorrectly identified as a “hospice” worker in a news release issued by the Office of the State’s Attorney for Worcester County. State’s Attorney Kris Heiser has since clarified that Dorlus was working as a home health aide for a patient. That patient was also receiving hospice care, but the health care worker had no affiliation whatsoever with Coastal Hospice

The only hospice organization operating in Worcester County (as well as in Wicomico, Somerset and Dorchester counties) is Coastal Hospice. Dorlus is not, nor has she ever been, an employee or volunteer of Coastal Hospice.

Caregivers can be hired independently, but in order to be legally identified as a “hospice” worker, one must work directly for a licensed and certified hospice organization. This assures patients and their families that the skilled staff member has not only received the correct training but has undergone a thorough background check.

We encourage the public to seek hospice care only through a certified hospice such as Coastal Hospice. Most care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid or insurance, and in cases where it is not, charitable support may be available.

Coastal Hospice is Joint Commission Accredited and a United Way affiliate.

For more information about Coastal Hospice call 410-742-8732.

About Coastal Hospice

Founded in 1980, Coastal Hospice is a non-profit health care organization that cares for individuals facing life-limiting conditions but do not want to be defined by them, and instead want to remain as active and engaged as long as possible during the final chapter of their lives. Coastal Hospice cares for patients in their own homes, as well as in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, at Coastal Hospice at the Lake and the new Stansell House. The organization also provides “palliative” care which treats the symptoms and relieve the pain of a terminal illness or injury so that patients can enjoy the time remaining. Learn more about Coastal Hospice at www.coastalhospice.org and follow on Facebook and Instagram.


Click HERE to read the press release

MASSIVE MAGA CROWD: HUGE President Trump Fans Ahead of Wildwood, NJ RALLY

WCSAO: Donald Fuller Sentenced To Twenty Years


Dover police shoot, kill three dogs after 'vicious' attack on child

WCSAO: Collie Wilson Convicted & Sentenced For Assault Second Degree on PRMC Employee


Powerful Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake Strikes Near Jamaica and Cuba; Buildings Shake in Miami

A strong earthquake struck between Jamaica and Cuba in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday afternoon.

The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.7, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and was felt as far away as Miami.

The earthquake caused very strong to severe shaking in far western Jamaica, capable of moderate to heavy damage, the USGS said. It also said moderate shaking was felt on Grand Cayman Island.

More

Cop shoots dead DUI suspect who was HANDCUFFED and buckled in car seat

A DUI suspect has been shot dead by a cop in Maryland, after an apparent struggle inside the officer's cruiser while the man was handcuffed with his arms behind his back and buckled into the front passenger seat of a police cruiser.

Officers responded to reports that a driver had struck multiple vehicles down St Barnabas Road near the Temple Hills community and when cops located the driver, a black man who family identified as William Green, they smelled PCP and believed he was under the influence.

Two independent witnesses told police they either saw or heard a struggle, and heard loud bangs coming from the cruiser, around 8pm Monday.

More

Impeachment: Trump Team Nails Bidens, Burisma, And Obama's Hot-Mic Moment With Russia

President Trump's defense team cut straight to the heart of the impeachment on Monday, insisting that Democrats have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the Bidens didn't engage in textbook corruption in Ukraine - and that President Trump's request to investigate it was out of line.

Former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, a recent addition to the White House communications team, walked the Senate through the entire malarkey for 30 minutes, including Hunter Biden's 'nepotistic at best, nefarious at worst' board seat at Ukrainian gas giant Burisma.

"All we are saying is that there was a basis to talk about this, to raise this issue, and that is enough," said Bondi, who noted that Hunter Biden was paid over $83,000 per month to sit on Burisma's board even though he had zero experience in natural gas or Ukrainian relations while his father was Vice President and in charge of Ukraine policy for the United States.

More

Gun Rationing, Other Controls Ready for Passage by VA Democrats

Democrats in Virginia’s House are full steam ahead with gun controls that include a rationing measure and a law that limits decisions parents can make when it comes to firearms in the home.

The gun rationing bill is HB 812, which prohibits law-abiding citizens from buying more than one handgun a month.

HB 1803 puts parents in a precarious position by making them criminally liable if their 15-17-year-old son or daughter accesses the gun they use for home defense. HB 1803 is moving through legislative channels with HB 72, the latter of which actually drops the age to 14 years, meaning a Class 6 felony is “the penalty for recklessly leaving a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a manner as to endanger the life or limb of any person under the age of 14.”

More

Revealed: Anti-virus company Avast has been selling data from its 435 million users to companies including Google, Microsoft, Home Depot and Pepsi including their web history, location and porn searches

Popular anti-virus company Avast has been selling user data that includes specific web browsing history to major companies around the world.

According to a joint investigation by Motherboard and PCMag, Avast, which claims to have more than 435 million users, has been using a subsidiary called Jumpshot to sell user data to companies including Google, Microsoft, Home Depot, Pepsi and more.

Documents and leaked user data obtained in the investigation reveal that information collected by Avast on tens of millions of its users include details that most consider to be sensitive, such as web browsing history, and that some of that data is granular enough to track individual clicks on a web page.

In addition to search histories, location histories, and which videos a user watched on YouTube, documents show that Avast tracked visits to porn sites like PornHub or YouPorn and in some cases logged the time a user visited the site and which specific video they watched and queries they entered.

More

'We will compete for every seat, in every district’

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) set an all-time annual fundraising record for any Republican in 2019, blowing past a previous record set by former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) in 2017 by $8 million.

Across his four fundraising entities, McCarthy and his team confirmed to Breitbart News exclusively ahead of the public release of this information, the GOP leader raised $52.35 million in 2019. That is over $8 million more than Ryan’s previous record in the first year of President Donald Trump’s administration, where in 2017 the now former speaker raised $44 million.

McCarthy’s four fundraising entities—Take Back The House 2020, McCarthy Victory Fund, Kevin McCarthy for Congress, and Majority Committee PAC—combined took in that $52.35 million year-to-date, the most a Republican House member has ever raised in a single year in history. A strong fourth quarter finish of $10.78 million in the last few months of 2019 helped McCarthy edge past Ryan’s previous record.

Trump told Breitbart News that this record proves McCarthy will make a strong speaker of the House, and that Republicans need to retake the majority this year to make that happen.

“We need to win back the House to retire Nancy once and for all, and to elect Kevin McCarthy as speaker,” Trump told Breitbart News exclusively for this story. “Kevin is tough, loyal, and smart—he has what it takes.”

More

2 Miami University students tested for possible coronavirus

OXFORD, Ohio —Two students at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio are being tested for a possible infection of the coronavirus, school officials said Tuesday.

On Monday morning, one student at the university presented himself at Student Health Services with very mild symptoms, and with recent travel to China, met the criteria to be tested, school health officials said.

"Health providers quickly recognized that the presenting patient met the criteria for 2019-coronavirus testing, results should be back from the CDC in the coming days," a statement from the university reads.

The student, described only as a male, and his traveling companion are isolated in their off-campus residence while awaiting the test results. According to school officials, only one of these students showed potential symptoms, and the other is being tested as a precaution.

More

West Wing Reads

 

President’s Legal Team Presents First Full Day of Defense Arguments


President Trump’s legal team yesterday set the record straight on unsubstantiated media leaks and reminded senators of the consequences of using impeachment to settle policy disputes, Ebony Bowden and Steven Nelson report for the New York Post.
 
“We live in a constitutional republic where you have deep policy concerns and deep differences that should not be the basis of an impeachment,” attorney Jay Sekulow said.
 
“Asking a foreign leader to get to the bottom of issues of corruption is not a violation of an oath.”
 
Click here to read more.
 
MORE: Biden corruption concerns called "nepotistic at best, nefarious at worst"
“Eighty seconds. That’s how long it took for a CNN panel to show just what they think of President Donald Trump’s supporters. CNN anchor Don Lemon, frequent CNN guest Rick Wilson and New York Times op-ed writer Wajahat Ali (who is also a CNN contributor) rolled out nearly every possible stereotype about Republican voters in a segment that aired Saturday night,” Peter Hasson writes for The Daily Caller.
“The House of Representatives’ handling of the impeachment of President Donald Trump has inflicted serious damage on America’s constitutional system of government and threatened the very safety of our nation. The partisan nature of this particular impeachment will end up weakening not just Mr. Trump, but the office of the presidency,” Heritage Foundation President Kay Coles James writes in The Washington Times.
President Trump plans to unveil his vision for Middle East peace at a White House event today. The 50+-page blueprint addresses “how to resolve core issues on borders, security and the status of Jerusalem, [and] has been in development since 2017,” Felicia Schwartz and Michael R. Gordon report for The Wall Street Journal.

Harvard University Professor and Two Chinese Nationals Charged in Three Separate China Related Cases


The Department of Justice announced today that the Chair of Harvard University’s Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department and two Chinese nationals have been charged in connection with aiding the People’s Republic of China.

Dr. Charles Lieber, 60, Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University, was arrested this morning and charged by criminal complaint with one count of making a materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statement. Lieber will appear this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts.

Yanqing Ye, 29, a Chinese national, was charged in an indictment today with one count each of visa fraud, making false statements, acting as an agent of a foreign government and conspiracy. Ye is currently in China.

Avenatti's Criminal Trial On Extortion And Fraud Charges Begins Next Week

As far as we know, Michael Avenatti is still sitting in solitary confinement in the MCC. But fortunately for the "creepy porn lawyer," he won't need to wait too much longer for his day in court.

Reuters reports that lawyers in Avenatti's extortion case in Manhattan are expected to begin voir dire - the process of selecting jurors - next week.

Avenatti is best known as an antagonist to President Trump, a one-time presidential candidate and darling CNN & MSNBC contributor. He represented porn star Stormy Daniels in her fight to break an NDA she apparently signed after an alleged affair with the president more than a decade ago. Daniels' legal battle with Trump over allegations of defamation ended with a judgment against Daniels, who later accused Avenatti of cheating her.

More

Hunter Biden agrees to pay his Arkansas baby mama child support - including 14 months retroactively - thus successfully avoiding mandatory court appearance on Wednesday

Hunter Biden has come to an agreement with his Arkansas baby mama on child support, according to new court documents filed on Monday.

The 49-year-old and Lunden Roberts, 28, finally hashed out the terms, and Biden will pay an undisclosed amount each month for their 17-month-old child starting on February 1.

As part of the agreement, Biden has to retroactively pay support from November 2018, meaning he'll have to cough up 14 months worth of payment by March 1.

He will also have to pay Roberts' legal fees and costs, according to the Independence County court documents.

More

Chipotle fined $1.3 million for thousands of child labor violations

Massachusetts officials fined Chipotle Mexican Grill $1.3 million for more than 13,000 alleged child labor violations at its restaurants there.

The fast-casual burrito chain kept dozens of teens on the clock later than the law allowed and let minors work more than the legal limit of 48 hours in a week, the Massachusetts attorney general’s office said.

Bay State officials also slapped Chipotle with citations for breaking earned sick time law, failing to pay wages on time and records violations, officials said. The case involved more than 50 corporate-owned Chipotle eateries, according to officials.

More

WHEN TRANSGENDERS ATTACK! ‘Change My Mind’ Edition | Louder with Crowder

Governor Hogan Honors 2020 Century Farm Families

Award Celebrates 100 Years of Continuous Farm Ownership, Operation by Same Family
ANNAPOLIS, MDGovernor Larry Hogan today honored six Maryland farm families during the 2020 Century Farm ceremony at the State House. This recognition is given to farms that have been owned and operated by the same family for more than 100 years. This year’s ceremony included five Century Farms and one Bicentennial Farm.
“Today is a celebration of agriculture, but it is also about families. By passing down farming as a way of life from generation to generation, each of our six honorees has played a significant role in continuing agriculture as the leading industry in Maryland,” said Governor Hogan. “We are incredibly grateful for all of our Maryland farms, and are proud to celebrate six very special farm families that represent the absolute best of Maryland agriculture.” 

Governor Hogan presents an official citation to Sharon Upton and family of Jeptha Hayman Farm.
The following farms were designated Century Farms at this year’s awards ceremony:
  • Chaffey Farm; Marion Station, Somerset County; est. 1919
  • Evergreen Heritage Center; Mount Savage, Allegany County; est. 1869
  • Jeptha Hayman Farm; Westover, Somerset County; est. 1834 
  • Poplar Springs Farm; La Plata, Charles County; est.1914
  • White Hall Farm; Dunkirk, Calvert County; est. 1801 (Bicentennial Farm)
  • The Wil-Low-S at Lowe Point; Pylesville, Harford County; est. 1902

The Chinese curio shop

Now this is funny I don't care who you are!

A tourist walked into a Chinese curio shop in San Francisco. While looking around at the exotic merchandise, he noticed a very lifelike, life-sized, bronze statue of a rat. It had no price tag, but was so incredibly striking the tourist decided he must have it He took it to the old shop owner and asked, "How much for the bronze rat ?"

"Ahhh, you have chosen wisely! It is $12 for the rat and $100 for the story," said the wise old Chinaman.
The tourist quickly pulled out twelve dollars. "I'll just take the rat, you can keep the story".

As he walked down the street carrying his bronze rat, the tourist noticed that a few real rats had crawled out of the alleys and sewers and had begun following him down the street. This was a bit disconcerting so he began walking faster.

A couple blocks later he looked behind him and saw to his horror the herd of rats behind him had grown to hundreds, and they began squealing. Sweating now, the tourist began to trot toward San Francisco Bay. Again, after a couple blocks, he looked around only to discover that the rats now numbered in the millions, and were squealing and coming toward him faster and faster.

Terrified, he ran to the edge of the Bay and threw the bronze rat as far as he could into the Bay.

Amazingly, the millions of rats all jumped into the Bay after the bronze rat and were all drowned.
The man walked back to the curio shop in Chinatown.

"Ahhh," said the owner, "You come back for story ?"

"No sir," said the man, "I came back to see if you have a bronze Democrat.

Quote of the Day

Statement for the Record of Senator Charles E. Schumer
The Trial of the President
February 11, 1999

"...It has shaken me that we stand at the brink of removing a President — not because of a popular groundswell to remove him and not because of the magnitude of the wrongs he’s committed — but because conditions in late 20th century America has made it possible for a small group of people who hate Bill Clinton and hate his policies to very cleverly and very doggedly exploit the institutions of freedom that we hold dear and almost succeed in undoing him.

"...It is the small group of lawyers and zealots who decided that they would invest time and money to exploit a personal weakness that people knew the President had, find a case to air it publicly, investigate the President’s private life to the point of obsession, and use it to bring him down.

"...If you had asked me one year ago if people like this with such obvious political motives could use our courts, play the media and tantalize the legislative branch to achieve their ends of bringing down the President, I would have said “not a chance — that doesn’t happen in America.

"...It seems we have lost the ability to forcefully advocate for our position without trying to criminalize or at least dishonor our adversaries — often over matters having nothing to do with the public trust. And it is hurting the country; it is marginalizing and polarizing the Congress."

[Read the entire statement here]

Supreme Court allows Trump to implement plan to bar more immigrants who get federal assistance

The Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to implement new rules that would make it easier to deny legal permanent residency to immigrants deemed likely to use public benefits.

The court on Monday voted 5-4 to remove a nationwide injunction imposed by a judge in New York. The vote was split along ideological lines, with the five conservative justices in the majority.

The policy, unveiled in August, considers immigrants in the country legally who receive food stamps, housing vouchers, and Medicaid to be ineligible for green cards and a path to citizenship.

More

US pledges $2M to Auschwitz museum on Holocaust Remembrance Day

The U.S. Department of State has pledged an additional $2 million for the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Poland, according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

"We firmly believe it is humanity’s duty to honor Holocaust survivors, guard the memory of Holocaust victims and all other victims of Nazi persecution, and fight back against anti-Semitism, and attempts to ignore and revise history," Pompeo said in a statement Monday. "We urge all to take active steps to make sure the horrors of the Holocaust are not repeated and future crimes against humanity are prevented."

Jan. 27 is Holocaust Remembrance Day.

More

Fox News impeachment ratings skyrocket for Trump legal team defense

Fox News's coverage of President Trump's Senate impeachment trial saw a dramatic rise in viewership when it was time for the president's legal team to start its defense.

Trump's team began a three-day defense of the president on Saturday, and 4.2 million people tuned in to watch it on Fox News, according to Nielsen Media Research. The network also recorded more than 750,000 viewers in the key 25-54 age demographic, marking the largest audience for any day of the trial on any of the cable television networks and surpassing Fox's coverage on the first day of the trial.

Before Saturday's coverage, the most watched day of the trial on any network was last Tuesday. Fox News saw 2.6 million viewers and 431,000 in the key demographic that day, which was the first day of the trial. Saturday's ratings, however, beat out their Tuesday coverage by more than 1.5 million viewers. During the three days in which the House impeachment managers laid out their case for removing the president from office, Fox News had an average of 1.6 million people tuning in.

More

Outside Groups for House Republicans Raise Off-Year Record of $68 Million

Republicans’ Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) and American Action Network (AAN) raised $68 million combined in 2019 — a record for an off-year.

The fundraising haul is significant, particularly for an off-year where the GOP holds a minority in the House. As the Politico Playbook reports, the amount raised comes as a surprise “because House Republicans are in the minority, and conventional wisdom holds that they don’t have a pathway out.”

Additionally, CLF, which raised $32.6 million alone, has $28 million cash on hand, which is “the most it has ever had going into an election year and twice as much as ever before.”

Last time around, fundraising efforts rallied around a singular issue, tax reform, but this haul is significant, as it “illustrates that donors believe Republicans have a decent chance of putting up a fight to win back the House,” per Politico‘s Playbook.

More

Race relations and ‘position’ of minorities better under Trump than Obama

Satisfaction with race relations in the United States has jumped under President Trump, the latest indication that the Republican is making significant inroads with blacks and other minorities in advance of the 2020 presidential election.

New details from a Gallup survey on satisfaction said race relations and the “position” of minorities under Trump are far higher than they were under President Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president.

Race relations scored the highest satisfaction advance, 14 points, from 22% at the end of the Obama administration to 36% this month, said Gallup.

More

Legislative Session- January

Week 3


Session is really picking up as Legislators submit their bills to be heard in Committee and on the House Floor. As bills are submitted, we are always working to address the concerns of our constituents on the Eastern Shore. We have a few bills in the drafting process and have especially been working to restore municipal highway user revenues. The bill would not only assist the current needs of road maintenance but it would also establish a long-term source of funding for future municipal transportation projects. As a member of the Environment and Transportation Committee, I am hopeful that this will provide us with opportunities in targeting highway user revenues. We passed a bill in 2018 and we are looking forward to working with the Legislature, Speaker Jones and Governor Hogan to get these restored for years to come.

Mongolia closes border with China, shuts down ALL universities & training centers to stop coronavirus spread

China’s northern neighbor Mongolia has decided to close border crossings and all universities across the country, in a bid to stop the rapid spread of the previously-unknown coronavirus that has killed more than 80 people.

All border crossings with China will remain closed for vehicles and pedestrians from Monday until March 2, the state-run Montsame News Agency reported, citing a government meeting. No restrictions were placed on railways and air travel.

All universities, vocational training centers and the popular Nairamdal international youth camp will also be closed during this time period.

More

When you get CNN to make statements like this, you know you've won.

Trump ally invokes Schumer's intelligence 'revenge' warning after Bolton manuscript leaks

A top Republican called attention to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's warning to President Trump about crossing the intelligence community.

Rep. Andy Biggs recalled a quote by Schumer after details of former national security adviser John Bolton's book, a draft of which was submitted to the National Security Council for a review, leaked to the media, and shook up the impeachment debate over calling witnesses.

"As more leaks & hearsay are ushered into the #ImpeachmentTrial, remember Chuck Schumer's warning about the revenge of the intel community," the Arizona Republican said in a tweet Monday.

More

'No experience': Trump impeachment lawyer rips Hunter Biden Burisma employment

A defense attorney for President Trump's Senate impeachment trial slammed Hunter Biden's employment with Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings, saying the former vice president's son lacked the experience necessary to land the job and its salary.

"Hunter Biden is paid over $83,000 a month, while the average American family of four during that time, each year, made less than $54,000, and that's according to U.S. Census Bureau during that time," said Pam Bondi.

Bondi, 54, submitted a list of articles she said shows Biden did not have the background required to sit on the board of Burisma. She suggested it was his connection to his father that helped secure the lucrative gig and shield him from legal and congressional inquiries.

More

Bloomberg News runs first investigative story on company owner and presidential candidate

After months of hand-wringing over how it would cover its boss, Bloomberg News ran a story questioning how 2020 Democrat Michael Bloomberg would pay for campaign spending promises.

Bloomberg News reported over the weekend that the billionaire co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg LP’s delay in putting out his tax plan was fueling uncertainty regarding how he would pay for the pitches he is making to Democrats. Since announcing his candidacy for the White House in November, Bloomberg, 77, has rolled out proposals such as $1.5 trillion healthcare and $1.2 trillion infrastructure platforms.

“The media has started to notice, as one recent Associated Press article led off by noting the lack of details about paying for a promise to create millions of new jobs,” Bloomberg News reporter Mark Niquette wrote.

More

Justices Allow Enforcement of New Green Card Rule

A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to put in place a policy connecting the use of public benefits with whether immigrants could become permanent residents.

The new policy can be used to deny green cards to immigrants over their use of public benefits including Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers, as well as other factors.

The justices' order came by a 5-4 vote and reversed a ruling from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York that had kept in a place a nationwide hold on the policy following lawsuits that have been filed against it.

More here

Fedia Dorlus Sentenced For Theft Scheme

An update to this Press release can be found HERE

Political Memes






Tuesday Morning Funnies






Jan. 31 Ribeye Steak and Shrimp Dinner

The public is invited to the Delmar VFW Post for a Ribeye Steak and/or Shrimp Dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, January 31. The VFW Post is located at 200 West State St. in Delmar, MD.

Dinner includes a tossed salad with choice of dressings, a seasoned baked potato with sour cream and/or butter, and a dinner roll. Cost is based upon the dinner option chosen.

Carry outs may be ordered in person only after 5 p.m.

Proceeds benefit the many local charities and organizations supported by the Delmar VFW.