DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Sunday, January 05, 2020
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A Viewer Writes......12-30-19
WHEN are Wicomico and Worcester counties going to become 2 ND Amendment counties ?
A Viewer Writes 1-2-20
Hi Joe;
Just a quick question.. How did they bypass everyone and construct the chicken reservoir in the Porter Mill area
when everyone opposed it???
I guess the planning/zoning dep't can do what they please... I thought Culver opposed it.
Happy New Year
CAIR “thrilled” with Governor Hogan’s Letter in Support of More Muslim Refugees for Maryland
"We are thrilled with this decision."
(Zainab Chaudry, director of CAIR Maryland outreach)
(Zainab Chaudry, director of CAIR Maryland outreach)
Of course they are, they have apparently been lobbying him heavily. Just as you can be sure they were busy in most states making sure that governors, especially Republican governors, toed the line.
I told you about Hogan’s consent yesterday, here. I guess it shouldn’t have been a surprise because he has always been a ‘never Trumper’ so supporting the President on reform of the UN-driven Refugee Admissions Program wasn’t at the top of his priority list.
So far I am not seeing any Maryland county governments begging for refugees (although I can think of several ready to invite more ‘diversity’ and more poverty to their counties).
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Gov. Hogan plans to continue accepting refugees in Maryland
(WBFF) -- On Wednesday Governor Larry Hogan’s office released a letter showing that Maryland will continue to accept refugees in response to a new executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump.
This is the letter that was released by Governor Hogan's office:
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This is the letter that was released by Governor Hogan's office:
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‘Unafraid’ General Suleimani Cautions U.S. to Respect Iran
Trump accused Iran of driving mass demonstrations at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday and said Tehran would be held responsible.
Iran has rejected the accusation while demanding in future the U.S. address the country “correctly.”
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[Related: Gen. Suleimani 'Addressed' by Katyushin Rocket in Baghdad Strike Later That Day...]
Actress Rose McGowan apologizes to Iran: ‘The USA has disrespected your country’
Actress Rose McGowan tweeted an apology to Iran hours after it was announced that President Trump had ordered the strike that killed Qassim Soleimani.
Soleimani, an Iranian leader responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American soldiers, was killed by U.S. forces on Thursday as part of the culmination of weeks of escalating hostilities between the two nations that included the killing of an American contractor and an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.
In a tweet posted early Friday, McGowan, 46, apologized to Iran on behalf of most of the American people for Trump’s decision to kill Soleimani. She wrote, “Dear Iran, The USA has disrespected your country, your flag, your people. 52% of us humbly apologize. We want peace with your nation. We are being held hostage by a terrorist regime. We do not know how to escape. Please do not kill us.”
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Soleimani, an Iranian leader responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American soldiers, was killed by U.S. forces on Thursday as part of the culmination of weeks of escalating hostilities between the two nations that included the killing of an American contractor and an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.
In a tweet posted early Friday, McGowan, 46, apologized to Iran on behalf of most of the American people for Trump’s decision to kill Soleimani. She wrote, “Dear Iran, The USA has disrespected your country, your flag, your people. 52% of us humbly apologize. We want peace with your nation. We are being held hostage by a terrorist regime. We do not know how to escape. Please do not kill us.”
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Rep. John Lewis to undergo treatment for stage 4 pancreatic cancer
Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) said on Sunday that he has been diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer and will undergo treatment soon.
“I have been in some kind of fight – for freedom, equality, basic human rights – for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now," the congressman said in a statement detailing his prognosis on Sunday afternoon.
“This month in a routine medical visit, and subsequent tests, doctors discovered Stage IV pancreatic cancer. This diagnosis has been reconfirmed," he continued.
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Pelosi: No Notification Before Attack on Iran’s Soleimani
In a statement released by the Speaker’s office on Thursday evening, Pelosi demanded an immediate briefing.
"..Tonight’s airstrike risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence. America – and the world – cannot afford to have tensions escalate to the point of no return.
"The Administration has conducted tonight’s strikes in Iraq targeting high-level Iranian military officials and killing Iranian Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani without an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iran. Further, this action was taken without the consultation of the Congress.
"The full Congress must be immediately briefed on this serious situation and on the next steps under consideration by the Administration, including the significant escalation of the deployment of additional troops to the region..."
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Ball & Chain: 4 In 5 College Grads View Their Student Loans As A ‘Life Sentence’
The extravagant cost of higher education in the United States is a hotly debated topic these days, and for good reason. An entire generation of Americans are entering the workforce already handcuffed financially by, in the majority of cases, tens of thousands of dollars of student debt. Consequently, it’s never felt harder for the average young adult fresh out of college to establish themselves, purchase a home, and adequately provide for their family. In fact, according to a new survey of 2,000 recent college graduates, 80% see their student loans as a “life sentence” that they will be paying off until the day they die.
In all, 89% consider their student debt, at the very least, as a major financial burden.
The survey, commissioned by Splash Financial, also asked participants — broken up into 1,000 undergraduate and 1,000 postgraduate degree holders — about the sacrifices they’ve had to make because of their student debt. Among the most common responses were skipping a social event to save money (39%), starting a side hustle for supplementary income (39%), serious budgeting (38%), and taking a job they really didn’t want in order to pay bills (36%).
On a rather depressing note, 36% even said they had skipped a family member or loved one’s important life event (wedding, birth, funeral) because they couldn’t afford travel costs on top of their student loan payment that month. Additionally, 35% say they are living in a dangerous neighborhood all to save a few bucks on rent each month.
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In all, 89% consider their student debt, at the very least, as a major financial burden.
The survey, commissioned by Splash Financial, also asked participants — broken up into 1,000 undergraduate and 1,000 postgraduate degree holders — about the sacrifices they’ve had to make because of their student debt. Among the most common responses were skipping a social event to save money (39%), starting a side hustle for supplementary income (39%), serious budgeting (38%), and taking a job they really didn’t want in order to pay bills (36%).
On a rather depressing note, 36% even said they had skipped a family member or loved one’s important life event (wedding, birth, funeral) because they couldn’t afford travel costs on top of their student loan payment that month. Additionally, 35% say they are living in a dangerous neighborhood all to save a few bucks on rent each month.
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Topless Plaintiffs Want Officials Out As Expert Witnesses
OCEAN CITY — Who is best suited to gauge public sensibilities could become the key in the ongoing civil suit challenging Ocean City’s topless ordinance after the plaintiffs in the case last week filed a motion to exclude the town’s elected officials from testifying as witnesses.
Two weeks ago, Ocean City officials filed a motion for summary judgment in the civil suit filed against the resort in 2018 challenging an ordinance that prohibits women from going topless in the same public areas where men are allowed to go shirtless. On the same day, the plaintiffs in the case filed a motion to exclude Mayor Rick Meehan and Council Secretary Mary Knight from testifying as expert witnesses.
From the beginning, Ocean City officials have contended the notion of allowing female toplessness offends the sensibilities of most residents and visitors to the family-oriented resort. In a hearing on the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction last December, resort officials presented evidence of hundreds of emails, letters and phone calls bearing out that sentiment. Ocean City has contended the Mayor and Council, as leaders and residents of the resort, have an innate understanding of the public’s sensibilities on the topless issue.
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Two weeks ago, Ocean City officials filed a motion for summary judgment in the civil suit filed against the resort in 2018 challenging an ordinance that prohibits women from going topless in the same public areas where men are allowed to go shirtless. On the same day, the plaintiffs in the case filed a motion to exclude Mayor Rick Meehan and Council Secretary Mary Knight from testifying as expert witnesses.
From the beginning, Ocean City officials have contended the notion of allowing female toplessness offends the sensibilities of most residents and visitors to the family-oriented resort. In a hearing on the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction last December, resort officials presented evidence of hundreds of emails, letters and phone calls bearing out that sentiment. Ocean City has contended the Mayor and Council, as leaders and residents of the resort, have an innate understanding of the public’s sensibilities on the topless issue.
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Cuomo: Trump Is Fomenting Hate — Now We See It in Hanukkah Attack
On Sunday broadcast of MSNBC’s “Live,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo commented on five people being stabbed in an attack at a synagogue in New York’s Rockland County.
Cuomo said, “We tend to treat these situations as isolated episodes, but really if we just connect the dots, we have a pattern of hate in this nation that is only getting worse. We’ve seen almost weekly attacks on people based on race, color, creed. It’s hate-motivated. Apparently, there was another shooting in Texas today in a church. We’ve seen attacks against African-Americans, Latinos, LGBTQ community. And let’s call it what it is and let government act because this can destroy this nation. It is corrosive. It’s an American cancer.”
He continued, “It starts at the top, and then it goes on to a point where it becomes viral across this nation. And it is now viral. And you see it coming to the surface in different manifestations from coast to coast. And we’re comforted treated it as isolated episodes, but there’s a pattern to all of this, and it spells hate.”
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Cuomo said, “We tend to treat these situations as isolated episodes, but really if we just connect the dots, we have a pattern of hate in this nation that is only getting worse. We’ve seen almost weekly attacks on people based on race, color, creed. It’s hate-motivated. Apparently, there was another shooting in Texas today in a church. We’ve seen attacks against African-Americans, Latinos, LGBTQ community. And let’s call it what it is and let government act because this can destroy this nation. It is corrosive. It’s an American cancer.”
He continued, “It starts at the top, and then it goes on to a point where it becomes viral across this nation. And it is now viral. And you see it coming to the surface in different manifestations from coast to coast. And we’re comforted treated it as isolated episodes, but there’s a pattern to all of this, and it spells hate.”
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Gov. Northam seeks bill to remove statue of Robert E. Lee from US Capitol Building
RICHMOND, Va. (NBC) — The governor of Virginia is seeking a bill to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in the U.S. Capitol Building.
According to a spokesperson, Gov. Ralph Northam filed a drafting request for a bill that would outline the process for removing the statue and selecting a replacement.
This comes after state representatives Jennifer Wexton and Donald McEachin sent a letter calling on Northam to make replacing the statue part of his agenda for the 2020 legislative session.
In the letter, they argue that the statue aims to “rewrite Lee’s reputation from that of a cruel slave owner and Confederate general.”
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According to a spokesperson, Gov. Ralph Northam filed a drafting request for a bill that would outline the process for removing the statue and selecting a replacement.
This comes after state representatives Jennifer Wexton and Donald McEachin sent a letter calling on Northam to make replacing the statue part of his agenda for the 2020 legislative session.
In the letter, they argue that the statue aims to “rewrite Lee’s reputation from that of a cruel slave owner and Confederate general.”
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Ilhan Omar Attacks Trump For Killing Top Iranian Terrorist, Promotes Conspiracy Theory
Far-left Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) attacked President Donald Trump late on Thursday night for his order to kill top terrorist leaders in Iraq and also promoted a conspiracy theory.
Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds Force, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were the two terrorist leaders who were killed. Al-Muhandis was in charge of the Iranian-linked Popular Mobilization Forces.
The Department of Defense released a statement stating that Trump ordered the strike because “General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.”
Despite the statement from the Pentagon and the clear reasoning behind the attack, Omar responded by suggesting that Trump secretly carried out the strike to provide a “distraction” from the upcoming Senate impeachment trial.
Omar tweeted: “So what if Trump wants war, knows this leads to war and needs the distraction? Real question is, will those with congressional authority step in and stop him? I know I will.”
More here
Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds Force, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were the two terrorist leaders who were killed. Al-Muhandis was in charge of the Iranian-linked Popular Mobilization Forces.
The Department of Defense released a statement stating that Trump ordered the strike because “General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.”
Despite the statement from the Pentagon and the clear reasoning behind the attack, Omar responded by suggesting that Trump secretly carried out the strike to provide a “distraction” from the upcoming Senate impeachment trial.
Omar tweeted: “So what if Trump wants war, knows this leads to war and needs the distraction? Real question is, will those with congressional authority step in and stop him? I know I will.”
More here
Worcester, Wicomico Record Property Value Increases
BERLIN — When property owners across much of the Lower Shore get their property reassessment notices in the mail this week, most will find their values have increased since the last reassessment three years ago and some more so than others.
The State Department of Assessment and Taxation (SDAT) on Tuesday announced the results of the triennial assessment of residential and commercial real estate values across Maryland and the news was particularly good statewide with an average increase of around 9%. On the Lower Shore, properties in Worcester County’s Group 2 reassessment area lagged behind the state average, coming in at a combined 4.7%, while Wicomico far exceeded the statewide average increase, coming in at a combined 11%.
Each year, about one third of the residential and commercial properties across the state are reassessed and assigned new values that are used to determine property tax amounts. This year, properties in the Group 2 areas were reassessed as part of a rotating system in which the entire state is not reassessed in a single year. The Group 2 properties were last reassessed in 2017 and the new assessments announced this week represent the values as of Jan. 1, 2020.
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The State Department of Assessment and Taxation (SDAT) on Tuesday announced the results of the triennial assessment of residential and commercial real estate values across Maryland and the news was particularly good statewide with an average increase of around 9%. On the Lower Shore, properties in Worcester County’s Group 2 reassessment area lagged behind the state average, coming in at a combined 4.7%, while Wicomico far exceeded the statewide average increase, coming in at a combined 11%.
Each year, about one third of the residential and commercial properties across the state are reassessed and assigned new values that are used to determine property tax amounts. This year, properties in the Group 2 areas were reassessed as part of a rotating system in which the entire state is not reassessed in a single year. The Group 2 properties were last reassessed in 2017 and the new assessments announced this week represent the values as of Jan. 1, 2020.
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Trump Administration Looking Into State Laws That Give Driver's Licenses to Illegal Aliens
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf has asked the agencies involved in Homeland Security to study how state laws that allow illegal aliens to obtain drivers' licenses affect their departments' enforcement efforts. The acting secretary's request comes in the wake of recent state laws passed in New York and New Jersey that allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses without having to show proof that they are lawfully present in the Unites States. The laws also restricts what information state agencies can share with federal immigration authorities.
(Via NBC News)
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(Via NBC News)
The laws prohibit state Department of Motor Vehicles officials from providing data to agencies that enforce immigration law unless a judge orders it. New York cut off database access to at least three federal agencies last week when the law went into effect.
Wolf said in his memo, obtained by The Associated Press, that the department must be “prepared to deal with and counter these impacts as we protect the homeland.”
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Hogan Administration Announces Agreements with State Employee Labor Unions
Provides Salary Increases, Additional Potential Bonus Contingent on Revenues
ANNAPOLIS, MD—The Hogan administration today announced that the state has completed negotiations and reached agreements with state employee unions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021.
The Maryland Professional Employees Council, the American Federation of Teachers, the Baltimore Washington International Professional Firefighters Local 1742, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees have all reached agreements with the Hogan administration for the upcoming fiscal year. The agreements affect approximately 26,000 employees.
“I am thrilled that we were once again able to collaborate with the exclusive bargaining representatives of the state’s employees and reach agreements that benefit our hardworking and dedicated employees,” said Department of Budget and Management Secretary Brinkley.
*Update Name Released* Troopers Investigating Fatal Pedestrian Crash-Fenwick Island
The crash continues to remain under investigation by the Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit.
Troopers Investigating Fatal Pedestrian Crash-Fenwick Island
If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and are in need of assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit/Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll free hotline 1800 VICTIM-1. (1800 842-8461). You may also email the unit Director at debra.reed@delaware.gov.
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