DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, January 09, 2020
Orange County Man Charged with Additional Federal Hate Crimes for December 28, 2019, Machete Attack at Rabbi’s Home
Grand Jury Indicts Grafton Thomas for Attacking Victims Because of Their Jewish Religion
Eric Dreiband, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the FBI announced today that Grafton Thomas has been indicted by a federal grand jury with five counts of willfully causing bodily injury to five victims because of the victims’ religion and five counts of obstructing the free exercise of religion in an attempt to kill, federal hate crimes, related to his alleged machete attack during Hanukkah observances at a rabbi’s home in Monsey, New York, on the night of Dec. 28, 2019.
“Since before our founding as a nation and ever since, this country has provided refuge for people from other parts of the world who suffered violence and other forms of persecution because of their right to believe and worship as they see fit,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “The United States remains today a beacon of freedom for persecuted religious people all over the world, and violent attacks against anyone because of religion is both illegal and against everything our nation stands for. The United States Department of Justice will continue to prosecute anyone who engages in such conduct to the fullest extent of the law.”
Ilhan Omar denounces Trump for treating illegal immigrants like 'criminals'
Rep. Ilhan Omar claimed Trump is treating illegal immigrants like "criminals," following news that the United States has started DNA testing migrants apprehended at the southern border.
“The Trump administration’s immigration 'policy': treating immigrants like criminals. @BernieSanders and my’s approach: pathways to citizenship," the Minnesota Democrat tweeted Wednesday.
Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib joined Omar in her outrage, suggesting all members of Congress should also endure the "dehumanizing" task of DNA testing.
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“The Trump administration’s immigration 'policy': treating immigrants like criminals. @BernieSanders and my’s approach: pathways to citizenship," the Minnesota Democrat tweeted Wednesday.
Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib joined Omar in her outrage, suggesting all members of Congress should also endure the "dehumanizing" task of DNA testing.
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Gov. Northam wants Lee statue removed from US Capitol, among other changes
On Thursday, Gov. Ralph Northam (D- VA) detailed a proposal that would give local communities power to control the fate of their Confederate War memorials.
Currently, there is a statewide prohibition against removing them.
Another bill would authorize the Commission for Historical Statues in the US Capitol to remove the Robert E. Lee statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection.
The Governor did not have any immediate recommendations for which statue should replace it. Instead, he suggested that it should be determined by a commission.
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Currently, there is a statewide prohibition against removing them.
Another bill would authorize the Commission for Historical Statues in the US Capitol to remove the Robert E. Lee statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection.
The Governor did not have any immediate recommendations for which statue should replace it. Instead, he suggested that it should be determined by a commission.
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Trump OKs Emergency Declaration for Aid to Puerto Rico
President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter, after a deadly earthquake struck the commonwealth that was already struggling to recover from other natural disasters.
The aid allows the U.S. government to provide immediate assistance, including restoring lost power, the person said on Tuesday night.
Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, both Florida Republicans, along with Jenniffer Gonzalez, Puerto Rico’s non-voting representative in Congress, had urged Trump in a letter earlier Tuesday to approve the commonwealth’s request for disaster aid.
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The aid allows the U.S. government to provide immediate assistance, including restoring lost power, the person said on Tuesday night.
Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, both Florida Republicans, along with Jenniffer Gonzalez, Puerto Rico’s non-voting representative in Congress, had urged Trump in a letter earlier Tuesday to approve the commonwealth’s request for disaster aid.
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National Park Replaces Signs Predicting Disappearance of Glaciers By 2020
The Glacier National Park is set to replace signs predicting glaciers would disappear by 2020 due to climate change. The glaciers remain.
The signs were posted in the Montana park a decade ago because, at the time, climate change forecasts predicted the glaciers would be completely melted by 2020. The U.S. Geological Survey told the park in 2017 that the glaciers were not melting as fast as predicted due to changes in the forecast model, but park spokeswoman Gina Kurzmen said the park was unable to change the signs until now due to budget constraints. Kurzmen told CNN the park changed one sign last year but is still waiting on budget authorization to update two other signs.
The new signs will still warn visitors that the glaciers are disappearing but won't offer an expected deadline this time.
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The signs were posted in the Montana park a decade ago because, at the time, climate change forecasts predicted the glaciers would be completely melted by 2020. The U.S. Geological Survey told the park in 2017 that the glaciers were not melting as fast as predicted due to changes in the forecast model, but park spokeswoman Gina Kurzmen said the park was unable to change the signs until now due to budget constraints. Kurzmen told CNN the park changed one sign last year but is still waiting on budget authorization to update two other signs.
The new signs will still warn visitors that the glaciers are disappearing but won't offer an expected deadline this time.
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Elizabeth Warren Awkwardly Danced at Rally as Iran Attack Unfolded
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) awkwardly danced at a rally in Brooklyn, New York, alongside Julián Castro on Tuesday — the same night Iran launched missiles targeting bases that house U.S. troops in Iraq.
A clip from Tuesday’s rally shows the presidential hopeful standing on stage, dancing to Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” as enthusiastic reporters cheered:
More/Video
A clip from Tuesday’s rally shows the presidential hopeful standing on stage, dancing to Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” as enthusiastic reporters cheered:
More/Video
GOP Governors Do Damage Control After Approving More Refugees
A number of Republican governors are doing damage control after they approved more refugee resettlement in their states, including Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
For Fiscal Year 2020, President Donald Trump will continue cutting refugee admissions by reducing former President Barack Obama’s refugee inflow by at least 80 percent. This reduction would mean a maximum of 18,000 refugees can be resettled in the U.S. between October 1, 2019, and September 30, 2020. This is merely a numerical limit and not a goal federal officials are supposed to reach.
Coupled with the refugee reduction, Trump signed an executive order that gives localities, counties, and states veto power over whether they want to resettle refugees in their communities.
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For Fiscal Year 2020, President Donald Trump will continue cutting refugee admissions by reducing former President Barack Obama’s refugee inflow by at least 80 percent. This reduction would mean a maximum of 18,000 refugees can be resettled in the U.S. between October 1, 2019, and September 30, 2020. This is merely a numerical limit and not a goal federal officials are supposed to reach.
Coupled with the refugee reduction, Trump signed an executive order that gives localities, counties, and states veto power over whether they want to resettle refugees in their communities.
More
Harris Statement on Iran and War Powers Resolution
WASHINGTON, DC: Today Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) voted “no” on H. Con. Res. 83 - Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces to engage in hostilities in or against Iran.
Congressman Harris made the following statement:
“Today I voted against the Democrats’ purely political resolution seeking to tie the President’s hands as he responds to the terrorist threat posed by Iran, its proxies, and radical Islamic terrorists. I fully support the President’s targeted and proportional actions that responded to the attacks orchestrated by General Soleimani. Soleimani was intimately involved in the planning of the raid on the American Embassy in Baghdad last week, and intelligence indicated he was actively planning further attacks on Americans. As the longtime leader of the Quds Forces within the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (the first state military institution to earn the “terrorist organization” designation by a presidential administration), he was directly involved in the training of terrorists and the building and deploying of improvised explosive devices, which resulted in the death or brutal maiming of thousands of American troops in the Middle East. Additionally, his organization supported and coordinated multiple Shiite terrorist militias which pose significant and ongoing threats to the U.S. and our allies. While the Iran apologists in Congress continue to attempt to politicize our national security, I support the President, and am confident that he will wisely evaluate all options in response to Iranian threats, including military action if Americans are at risk. We should not tie his hands in the fight to save Americans from radical Islamic terrorists.”
Attorney General Frosh Joins Multistate Brief Defending Women’s Reproductive Rights
BALTIMORE, MD (January 8, 2020) – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh joined a multistate coalition in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in support of the plaintiffs in Little Rock Family Planning Services v. Leslie Rutledge, a lawsuit that seeks to protect a woman’s right to safe and legal abortion care. The multistate coalition supports the last surgical abortion clinic in Arkansas in its challenge to four state laws that would restrict women’s access to safe and legal abortion by banning abortion after 18 weeks and otherwise restricting women’s access to reproductive care.
“The Arkansas laws put women’s health and safety at risk,” said Attorney General Frosh. “Chipping away at abortion services by placing burdensome restrictions on providers will not stop abortions from taking place; it will just make them more dangerous.”
In the brief, the coalition argues that the Arkansas laws violate women’s constitutional right to choose under Roe v. Wade. The coalition further argues that limiting or eliminating women’s access to safe and legal abortion leads to worse health and socioeconomic outcomes for women. These outcomes include forcing women to endure negative pregnancy side effects, the limitation of physical activity, restriction from full-time employment, and increased reliance on publicly funded safety-net programs. The brief describes the different ways that states promote women’s health without impeding women’s rights upheld by the constitution.
In 2019, the Arkansas state legislature passed several laws intended to restrict access to abortion services. The laws would criminalize abortions performed after 18 weeks and impose other undue burdens on women’s constitutional right to safe and legal abortion. Plaintiffs argue that Arkansas’ laws would make abortion care either unavailable or less safe for women.
Officials Explain Why Sunfest Pushed Back To October
OCEAN CITY — One of the most significant changes from the closed session meetings addressing an unsanctioned motorized event is moving the signature Sunfest event to the first weekend in October this fall.
Following a spirited Mayor and Council meeting after another troublesome unsanctioned motorized special event last September, resort officials promised everything was on the table in terms of possible solutions to the reckless activity and embarked on a series of closed session meetings throughout much of the fall and early winter to explore remedies.
In the months since the unsanctioned H2O International (H2Oi) event wreaked havoc in Ocean City again, law enforcement officials and the Mayor and Council have been working in earnest, albeit behind closed doors, to explore and any all alternatives to curtail some of the behavior associated with the event.
For the record, the official H2Oi event, featuring tricked-out Volkswagens and Audis, for example, has been held for the last few years in Atlantic City. However, in the years since the official event moved from its venue in northern Worcester County to Atlantic City, hundreds of enthusiasts continue to show up in Ocean City during the last weekend in September and the outcome has not changed, but rather has gotten worse.
More
Following a spirited Mayor and Council meeting after another troublesome unsanctioned motorized special event last September, resort officials promised everything was on the table in terms of possible solutions to the reckless activity and embarked on a series of closed session meetings throughout much of the fall and early winter to explore remedies.
In the months since the unsanctioned H2O International (H2Oi) event wreaked havoc in Ocean City again, law enforcement officials and the Mayor and Council have been working in earnest, albeit behind closed doors, to explore and any all alternatives to curtail some of the behavior associated with the event.
For the record, the official H2Oi event, featuring tricked-out Volkswagens and Audis, for example, has been held for the last few years in Atlantic City. However, in the years since the official event moved from its venue in northern Worcester County to Atlantic City, hundreds of enthusiasts continue to show up in Ocean City during the last weekend in September and the outcome has not changed, but rather has gotten worse.
More
The End Of College Is Near
I predict that 20% of colleges and universities will shut down or merge in the next 10 years, and probably more.
It was a good run.
Most people fail to understand that higher education is in itself countercyclical. When the economy is bad, and people lose jobs, many of them will go back to school.
You have probably heard about the for-profit education boom and bust. That is old news. You might not have heard that total enrollment has been declining for the last eight years as the economy has improved.
What comes next will pulverize nearly every institution of higher learning in the country, private and public.
The reason: demographics. Basically, an echo of the baby bust of the early seventies.
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It was a good run.
Most people fail to understand that higher education is in itself countercyclical. When the economy is bad, and people lose jobs, many of them will go back to school.
You have probably heard about the for-profit education boom and bust. That is old news. You might not have heard that total enrollment has been declining for the last eight years as the economy has improved.
What comes next will pulverize nearly every institution of higher learning in the country, private and public.
The reason: demographics. Basically, an echo of the baby bust of the early seventies.
More
Teachers Go to Court to Fight Union Over Choice of Charities
Teachers who object to paying union fees on religious grounds are too political, some union leaders in Pennsylvania argue in a new twist on long-standing complaints about organized labor’s involvement in elective politics.
But at least two of those teachers, who just had their day in court to put state labor laws under scrutiny, see more than a little irony at work in the union complaints.
Lawyers for Jane Ladley, who taught in public schools for 25 years before retiring in 2014 from Avon Grove School District in Chester County, argued her case Dec. 11 before the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg.
Joining Ladley in suing the Pennsylvania State Education Association, a teachers union, was Chris Meier, a history and economics teacher at Penn Manor High School in Lancaster County for the past 10 years.
Neither teacher is a member of PSEA, but the union secured contractual agreements with their respective school districts that require non-members such as Ladley and Meier to pay what the union calls “fair share fees.”
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But at least two of those teachers, who just had their day in court to put state labor laws under scrutiny, see more than a little irony at work in the union complaints.
Lawyers for Jane Ladley, who taught in public schools for 25 years before retiring in 2014 from Avon Grove School District in Chester County, argued her case Dec. 11 before the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg.
Joining Ladley in suing the Pennsylvania State Education Association, a teachers union, was Chris Meier, a history and economics teacher at Penn Manor High School in Lancaster County for the past 10 years.
Neither teacher is a member of PSEA, but the union secured contractual agreements with their respective school districts that require non-members such as Ladley and Meier to pay what the union calls “fair share fees.”
More
A Viewer Writes......
Choptank Electric is inviting Somerset county members to participate in an informative presentation about Broadband. The presentation will feature speakers Craig N. Mathies, Board Director for Somerset County, and Matthew Teffeau, Manager of Government Affairs. The town hall-style event will include a brief presentation and Q. & A. session.
Somerset County Technical School
7994 Tawes Campus Drive, Westover
January 13, 2020
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
We hope to see you there!
History is made as MPs FINALLY formally approve Brexit deal by 330 to 231 after three years of bitter wrangling and deadlock
MPs have finally given their formal backing to Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal after more than three years of bitter parliamentary wrangling over the UK’s departure from the European Union.
The historic EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill cleared the Commons this afternoon - despite Labour opposition - as MPs gave the draft legislation its third reading by 330 votes to 231, a majority of 99.
It is the final major Commons hurdle which the so-called WAB had to navigate and it will now head to the House of Lords next week for further scrutiny before the UK leaves the EU on January 31.
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The historic EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill cleared the Commons this afternoon - despite Labour opposition - as MPs gave the draft legislation its third reading by 330 votes to 231, a majority of 99.
It is the final major Commons hurdle which the so-called WAB had to navigate and it will now head to the House of Lords next week for further scrutiny before the UK leaves the EU on January 31.
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Former CIA officer: Iranian sleeper cells in US a 'real threat'
Potential terrorist sleeper cell operations in the United States are a credible threat in the wake of Tuesday's Iranian missile strikes, former CIA officer Bryan Dean Wright said.
Appearing on "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday, Wright said that there are "unquestionably" sleeper cells operated and directed by the Iranian regime in the U.S.
"The CIA and the FBI have long had a pulse on this threat...So we know that the risk is there," he said. "The other deep concern is that we have to be right 100 percent of the time to mitigate these individuals [and] find this threat. And, unfortunately, we're not going to be able to do that every time."
"So, what's important now is [if] the Iranians want to strike back, they know we will take a disproportionate attack against them," he told the "Friends" hosts.
"That is powerful. That is important. And, the American people should sleep much, much, easier knowing that we have somebody in the White House who is willing to take that kind of a step," said Wright.
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https://www.foxnews.com/media/bryan-dean-wright-cia-iran-sleeper-cells-us-threat
Appearing on "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday, Wright said that there are "unquestionably" sleeper cells operated and directed by the Iranian regime in the U.S.
"The CIA and the FBI have long had a pulse on this threat...So we know that the risk is there," he said. "The other deep concern is that we have to be right 100 percent of the time to mitigate these individuals [and] find this threat. And, unfortunately, we're not going to be able to do that every time."
"So, what's important now is [if] the Iranians want to strike back, they know we will take a disproportionate attack against them," he told the "Friends" hosts.
"That is powerful. That is important. And, the American people should sleep much, much, easier knowing that we have somebody in the White House who is willing to take that kind of a step," said Wright.
More
https://www.foxnews.com/media/bryan-dean-wright-cia-iran-sleeper-cells-us-threat
New York May Give Automatic Voter Registration to Illegal Aliens with Driver’s Licenses
Democrats in the state of New York may soon give illegal aliens the ability to automatically register to vote when they apply for a driver’s licenses at any state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office.
Reports have circulated that Democrats in the New York State Senate are looking this year to quickly pass a new law that automatically registers New York residents to vote in elections so long as they obtain a state-issued driver’s license.
Those licenses, available at DMVs, are now provided to all eligible New York residents — including illegal aliens.
Last year, Democrats sought to give automatic voter registration to all illegal aliens who obtained driver’s licenses with the state’s new law that allows the illegal population to legally drive.
Currently in New York, American citizens only need a driver’s license to register to vote, and although applicants are required to swear that they are eligible to vote, state election officials have previously admitted that “it’s basically an honor system.”
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Reports have circulated that Democrats in the New York State Senate are looking this year to quickly pass a new law that automatically registers New York residents to vote in elections so long as they obtain a state-issued driver’s license.
Those licenses, available at DMVs, are now provided to all eligible New York residents — including illegal aliens.
Last year, Democrats sought to give automatic voter registration to all illegal aliens who obtained driver’s licenses with the state’s new law that allows the illegal population to legally drive.
Currently in New York, American citizens only need a driver’s license to register to vote, and although applicants are required to swear that they are eligible to vote, state election officials have previously admitted that “it’s basically an honor system.”
More
JUST IN: Iran mistakenly shot down Ukraine jet - US media
Iran mistakenly shot down the Ukrainian plane that crashed on Wednesday near Tehran with 176 people on board, US media report.
US officials say they believe the Ukrainian International Airlines Boeing 737-800 was hit by a missile, CBS says.
Ukraine earlier said it was examining whether a missile strike brought down the aircraft - but Iran ruled this out.
The crash came just hours after Iran carried out missile strikes on two airbases housing US forces in Iraq.
CBS News quoted US intelligence sources as saying a satellite detected infrared "blips" of two missile launches, followed by another blip of an explosion.
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US officials say they believe the Ukrainian International Airlines Boeing 737-800 was hit by a missile, CBS says.
Ukraine earlier said it was examining whether a missile strike brought down the aircraft - but Iran ruled this out.
The crash came just hours after Iran carried out missile strikes on two airbases housing US forces in Iraq.
CBS News quoted US intelligence sources as saying a satellite detected infrared "blips" of two missile launches, followed by another blip of an explosion.
More
'Disgrace': GOP congressman blasts Ilhan Omar for claiming PTSD over Iran
GOP Rep. Jim Banks attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar after she said she's "stricken with PTSD" regarding the recent tension between the United States and Iran.
Omar, who was a refugee from Somalia, has been critical of President Trump's decision to target top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani last Thursday. Iran retaliated by attacking at least two U.S. air bases with more than a dozen ballistic missiles on Tuesday night, but there were no casualties. Trump announced that he would seek additional sanctions but did not plan to retaliate for the ballistic missiles earlier on Wednesday.
The Minnesota Democrat condemned the president's announcement of additional sanctions, labeling them "economic warfare."
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Omar, who was a refugee from Somalia, has been critical of President Trump's decision to target top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani last Thursday. Iran retaliated by attacking at least two U.S. air bases with more than a dozen ballistic missiles on Tuesday night, but there were no casualties. Trump announced that he would seek additional sanctions but did not plan to retaliate for the ballistic missiles earlier on Wednesday.
The Minnesota Democrat condemned the president's announcement of additional sanctions, labeling them "economic warfare."
More
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