J.D. Merrill, Martin O’Malley’s Son-In-Law, Says He’ll Run For State Senator

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — J.D. Merrill, the son-in-law of former Governor Martin O’Malley, will officially run for State Senator in Maryland’s 41st District.

The 41st District includes parts of Baltimore County and Baltimore City.

Merrill made the announcement via Twitter on Monday saying “We need leadership that is focused on improving our schools.”

Over the last year, Merill was the special assistant to the Chief of Staff at Baltimore City Public Schools. Before that he was the executive assistant to the Chief of Staff. Merrill also led special projects for the administration at Baltimore City Public Schools.

On his campaign website, Merill says he led a $2.2 million campaign to build a new library and learning center while he was a teacher at Baltimore City College.

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Sahara Desert covered in SNOW: Pictures show Ain Sefra covered in 15 INCHES of snow

More than 15 inches (40cm) has blanketed sand dunes across the small town of Ain Sefra, Algeria.

It is the second time snow has hit in nearly 40 years, with a dusting also recorded in December 2016.

But this snowfall which hit yesterday, is much deeper than the fleeting shower little more than a year ago.

Locals, who endure temperatures of 37C in summer, were stunned as dense snow settled on the town, known as ‘the gateway to the desert’.

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Sahara Desert covered in SNOW: Pictures show Ain Sefra covered in 15 INCHES of snow

More than 15 inches (40cm) has blanketed sand dunes across the small town of Ain Sefra, Algeria.

It is the second time snow has hit in nearly 40 years, with a dusting also recorded in December 2016.

But this snowfall which hit yesterday, is much deeper than the fleeting shower little more than a year ago.

Locals, who endure temperatures of 37C in summer, were stunned as dense snow settled on the town, known as ‘the gateway to the desert’.

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VFW Auxiliary Dinner

The public is once again invited to join the Delmar VFW Auxiliary for a Grilled Pork Chop Dinner on Friday, January 12, from 6 - 8 pm at the VFW Post, 200 West State St., Delmar MD.

The menu will include a savory large grilled pork chop, a tossed salad with choice of dressings, a baked potato with butter and/or sour cream, succotash, and a dinner roll, all for only $12. Desserts will also be available.

Call 410-896-3722 after 4 pm for carry outs. Proceeds benefit the many charities and organizations supported by the Delmar VFW Auxiliary.

Scandal: Oprah’s World Depopulation Scheme Dashes Presidential Hopes

Oprah met secretly with Soros, Rockefeller to discuss population reduction

Oprah Winfrey met in secret with George Soros and other billionaires to discuss a plan to depopulate the world.

The 2009 meeting in Manhattan, organized by Bill Gates, was so discreet that the billionaires’ aides were told to treat it as a “security briefing,” and attendees also included the late David Rockefeller, Warren Buffett, Ted Turner and Michael Bloomberg, in addition to Oprah and Soros.

“Taking their cue from Gates, they agreed that overpopulation was a priority,” reported The Sunday Times in describing the meeting, which revolved around population reduction starting with third-world countries.

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Governor Larry Hogan Announces Accountability in Education Initiatives

Proposes Legislation to Fix Failing Schools, Establish Education Investigator General; Provides $2.5 Million for Emergency Repairs & $11 Million in Additional Funding for Baltimore City Schools

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today announced a series of legislative and administrative initiatives to improve accountability in Maryland’s K-12 public schools, as well as funding to address emergency heating issues in Baltimore City schools that have created dangerous conditions for students and teachers in recent days. The governor was joined by Department of General Services Secretary Ellington Churchill, Chief Legislative Officer Chris Shank, Deputy Chief of Staff Tiffany Robinson, and Senior Advisor Keiffer Mitchell.

“Education has always been our administration’s top priority. We have provided record funding for education three years in row, and we will do so again this year for the fourth straight year,” said Governor Hogan. “We are so proud that we have some of the best schools in America, but unfortunately, too many deserving children continue to be stuck in schools that are consistently failing them year after year.”

The governor first addressed the dire consequences of a bill passed in the last legislative session. That bill handcuffs the state’s ability to fix failing schools and puts Maryland behind nearly every other state in compliance with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), an Obama administration initiative to improve standards across the K-12 education system. Due to the misleadingly titled “Protect Our Schools Act,” Maryland has the second weakest education accountability system in the country by counting academic performance at just 65 percent, whereas most states have academic performance measures between 75 and 95 percent.

To correct this unacceptable inadequacy, the governor announced that he will submit emergency legislation on the first day of the upcoming session – the Protect Our Students Act of 2018 – which will require academic performance to be counted as 80 percent of a school’s composite score, aligning Maryland with the national average.

“This reckless law propels our schools into a race toward the bottom and directly threatens Maryland’s well-earned reputation as a national leader in education,” said Governor Hogan. “This isn’t about politics; this is about our children and their future.”

Congressman Andy Harris Kicks Off 2018 Tele-Town Hall Series

WASHINGTON, DC: Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) will begin his 2018 telephone town hall series on Tuesday, January 16. Congressman Harris’ office will automatically call out to nearly 50,000 constituents living in Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, and Harford Counties, pulling phone numbers from the constituent services database.

If constituents prefer to be called on a certain phone number, they can list that number through the link below.

· Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2018

· Time: 5:30-6:30 PM

· Sign Up: https://vekeo.com/andyharrismd/

Questions about the event can be directed to Congressman Harris’ DC office at (202) 225-5311. Constituents who wish to be removed from the call list should contact Congressman Harris’s DC office.

Maryland Attorney General News Releases Update

Attorney General Frosh Announces Settlement with Structured Settlement Factoring Company Consumers to Receive Full Restitution

Baltimore, MD (January 8, 2018) – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh announced today that his Consumer Protection Division has entered into a settlement resolving an investigation into Annuity Sold, LLC, its affiliated companies (Uber Funding, LLC, Bendermere Capital Solutions, LLC, Axis Funding, LLC, Stonebridge Capital, LLC, Greenspring Funding, LLC, LSG, LLC, Preak Street, LLC, ILILIL2010, LLC, Palantir Packaging, LLC, and JRR Funding, LLC), and its owners (collectively “Respondents”). The settlement resolves allegations that Respondents violated the Maryland Consumer Protection Act by misleading injured Marylanders, some of whom are victims of lead paint poisoning, to convert future structured settlement payments into immediate cash. Under the settlement agreement, Respondents are required to pay full restitution to all Marylanders, which is estimated to be between $450,000 and $500,000, as well as civil fines and costs between $175,000 and $425,000. 

“Structured settlements are intended to provide long term care and support for individuals, such as lead paint poisoning victims, who suffered a life changing injury,” said Attorney General Frosh. “We will continue to fight to stop predatory companies who use deceptive sales tactics and other misrepresentations to take advantage of vulnerable Marylanders.”

Read more in the full press release:http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/press/2018/010818.pdf

Apple Investors Urge Action to Curb Child Gadget Addiction

Two major Apple investors have urged the iPhone maker to take action to curb growing smartphone addiction among children, highlighting growing concern about the effects of gadgets and social media on youngsters.

New York-based Jana Partners LLC and the California State Teachers' Retirement System, or CalSTRS, said Monday in open letter to Apple that the company must offer more choices and tools to help children fight addiction to its devices.

"There is a developing consensus around the world including Silicon Valley that the potential long-term consequences of new technologies need to be factored in at the outset, and no company can outsource that responsibility," the letter said. "Apple can play a defining role in signaling to the industry that paying special attention to the health and development of the next generation is both good business and the right thing to do."

More here

Trump Ends Temporary Protected Status For 200,000 El Salvadorans

President Donald Trump’s deputies are ending the often-extended ‘TPS’ temporary refugee status for up to 200,000 El Salvadoran migrants, which was first granted when earthquakes hit their home country in 2001.

The TPS decision underlines Trump’s determination to enforce the nation’s immigration laws, and to push his “Buy American, Hire American” inauguration-day promise, despite growing pressure from the GOP’s business-first wing, Democrats and their allies in the establishment media.

The decision also pressures Democrats to accept Trump’s immigration reforms — or else run as the pro-amnesty political party in November 2018.

More here

Statement from Governor Larry Hogan on Passing of Former Congresswoman Marjorie Holt

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today issued the following statement on the passing of former Congresswoman Marjorie Holt:

“It is with great sadness that the First Lady and I learn of the passing of former Congresswoman Marjorie Holt, who served alongside my father in the U.S. House of Representatives. As the first Republican woman from Maryland to be elected to Congress, she helped to chip away at the glass ceiling, paving the way for the next generation of women leaders from Maryland. Congresswoman Holt faithfully represented the Fourth District for 14 years, and her dedication to our great state will never be forgotten. May she rest in peace.”

Maryland flags will be lowered on the day of Congresswoman Holt’s interment.

These Are the U.S. Cities With the Worst Bed Bug Infestations

Baltimore is known for its historic neighborhoods, monuments, crab cakes — and, increasingly, its bed bugs.

For the second straight year, the U.S. port city ranked No. 1 on a Top 50 Bed Bug Cities list compiled by Atlanta-based pest control services company Orkin LLC.

The list, released Monday, is based on the most residential and commercial treatments for the seed-sized bloodsuckers from December 2016 to November 2017, and reflects a rising number of infestations across the U.S., according to Tim Husen, an Orkin entomologist.

Washington, 40 miles from Baltimore, was ranked second on Orkin’s list, followed by Chicago, Los Angeles and Columbus, Ohio.

The Baltimore City Health Department doesn’t have any bed bug mitigation programs, according to its website, which gives tips on identifying and controlling the ancient critters.

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School Closing & Delays

Worcester County Public Schools will open two hours late tomorrow, January 10, 2018, due to inclement weather conditions. There will be no AM Pre-Kindergarten classes. Additionally, Session II of the Afterschool Academies & the Haven House program will now begin on Tuesday, January 16.

D.C. AG Used Outside 527 Group to Coordinate Comms When Announcing Trump Suit

Washington, D.C.'s attorney general brought in a 527 political group, the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA), to help manage media outreach when the office joined with the Maryland AG to sue President Donald Trump for violating the "emoluments clause" of the Constitution last June, emails show.

DAGA and its Republican counterpart, the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), have largely been used as campaign tools to raise funds and promote candidates and their campaigns. However, as emails sent by the attorney general's office in Washington, D.C., and obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request show, DAGA is becoming involved and integrated in the day-to-day operations of some elected officials.

"527" organizations such as RAGA and DAGA "are typically parties, candidates, committees, or associations organized for the purpose of influencing an issue, policy, appointment, or election, be it federal, state or local," according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Several emails showed DAGA officials setting a conference call with a subject line, "Emoluments Case Comms Coordination." The emails were sent to members of DAGA and the D.C. attorney general's office, as well as employees of the PR firm BerlinRosen, which has offices in Los Angeles, D.C., and New York. DAGA also brought in a political consultant for these conversations as well, the emails show and DAGA confirmed.

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Democrats May Rue DHS Takeover of Vote Fraud Investigation

Under the heading, “be careful what you wish for, you might just get it,” the satisfaction Democrats, other leftist organizations and their media allies derived from President Donald Trump’s decision to disband the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, led by Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, may be short-lived.

Not that they get it — yet. Thus, the reliably feverish Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reiterated the Left’s tiresome tropes that ensuring the integrity of American elections constitutes “a front to suppress the vote” and an effort to “perpetrate dangerous and baseless claims.” Schumer further insisted the Committee’s disbandment demonstrates that “ill-founded proposals that just appeal to a narrow group of people won’t work, and we hope they’ll learn this lesson elsewhere.”

Schumer’s assertion that protecting elections resonates solely with a “narrow group” is laughable. A 2015 CBS News poll revealed a majority of Americans considered voter fraud to be fairly widespread, and a 2016 Gallup poll revealed a whopping 80% of Americans favor requiring voters to provide photo ID to cast a ballot.

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WikiLeaks: John Podesta Was Briefed On "Gross Negligence" Before FBI Removed Phrase From Clinton Exoneration

Hillary Clinton's chief of staff, John Podesta, received an email from an advisor which brought up the phrase "gross negligence" in regards to the FBI's email investigation before the FBI agent in charge of the probe removed the phrase from her exoneration statement, according to WikiLeaks. 

In a March 2016 email from former Bill Clinton Chief of Staff Tina Flournoy to Clinton campaign chairman Podesta's Gmail account, Flournoy included links to two articles concerning the FBI email investigation; one from the Washington Post which minimized Clinton's actions, and a legal analysis from retired D.C. attorney Paul Mirengoff in which he suggests Clinton was "grossly negligent or worse" and may be in serious hot water. (h/t Mike)

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Trump stands for National Anthem at NCAA game; Alabama player heard saying 'F--- Trump'

President Trump brought his fight against national anthem-kneelers to the field of the NCAA championship football game in Atlanta on Monday night, standing and singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Meanwhile, one Alabama player -- identified as running back Bo Scarbrough -- was heard yelling 'F--- Trump' before the game, Sporting News reported, showing video of the team apparently walking off the field after pregame warmups.

WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS PROFANITY

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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/08/trump-stands-for-national-anthem-at-ncaa-game-alabama-player-heard-saying-f-trump.html

Dershowitz: Dems Declaring Trump Mentally Ill Straight Out of Communist Playbook

“That’s what they did in Russia”

Harvard law school professor Alan Dershowitz warns that Democrats attempting to declare Trump mentally unfit to hold office is straight out of the Communist playbook of brutal regimes like Soviet Russia, who repressed and imprisoned political dissidents by declaring them to be mentally ill.

Asked if the chatter was intended to have a destabilizing effect, Dershowitz responded, “Well it’s very dangerous, there’s only one thing worse than trying to criminalize political differences and that’s trying to psychiatrize them.”

“These psychiatrists now who are trying to diagnose without ever having met the man – that’s what they did in Russia. I represented dissidents who they locked up in mental hospitals, that’s what they did in China, that’s what they did in apartheid South Africa,” added the Harvard professor.

He went on to assert that leftists were trying to “undo democracy” by accusing a president of being mentally unstable without any evidence whatsoever.

Dershowitz said that he didn’t personally vote for Trump but that the idea of “diagnosing him instead of opposing him politically poses an enormous danger to democracy.”

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DAQUAN CARTIER DICKERSON GUILTY OF 2nd DEGREE MURDER AND RELATED OFFENSES

On September 29, 2017, after a three day jury trial, Daquan Cartier Dickerson, age 21, of Salisbury, was convicted by a Wicomico County Jury of Murder 2nd Degree, Conspiracy, Handgun Use in a Felony, and related offenses. An investigation conducted by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit in conjunction with the Salisbury Police Department revealed that just after midnight on May 10, 2016, along with two other codefendants, Joshua Perry and Gerald Savage, Dickerson shot and killed an adult victim in the stairwell of the Waterside Apartments. The shooting was captured on video surveillance and showed Dickerson and Perry covertly walk behind the apartment complex and begin to shoot as soon as they saw the victim in the stairwell. Dickerson shot multiple rounds into the stairwell area, at least five of them striking the victim and many others entering surrounding apartments.

On January 9, 2018, Daquan Dickerson was sentenced to serve 100 years active incarceration in the Division of Corrections. Dickerson received the maximum sentence on Murder 2nd degree and many related counts.

Wicomico County Ad Interim State’s Attorney Jamie L. Dykes commended the Maryland State Police and the Salisbury City Police Department, Det/Sgt. Sabrina Metzger and Det. A.J. Foy, for their work in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Ms. Dykes also thanked Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Kristen Schultz and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Karen Dean who prosecuted the case.

Breaking News: Stephen Bannon is leaving his post at Breitbart News. He lost support among conservative backers after he was denounced by President Trump.

Stephen K. Bannon is stepping down from his post as executive chairman of Breitbart News, the company will announce on Tuesday.

Mr. Bannon’s departure, which was forced by a onetime financial patron, Rebekah Mercer, comes as Mr. Bannon remained unable to quell the furor over remarks attributed to him in a new book in which he questions President Trump’s mental fitness and disparages his elder son, Donald Trump Jr.

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