This Is What Happens When The Pavement Is Too Hot For Your Dog

All-over-it dog lovers know the basics of keeping dogs safe in summer: Bring lots of water with you on walks, watch for the signs of your dog overheating and never, ever, ever leave a dog in the car - even on days that don't seem that warm.

But it might come as a surprise to even the most type-A pup owners that the very pavement beneath your dog's paws could be sizzling hot. And hot pavement can have gruesome and painful consequences.

"Asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet's paws, so walk your dog on the grass if possible," the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) urged. But sometimes it can be hard to tell.

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CNN producer: Trump 'probably right' about Russian 'witch hunt'

A producer for CNN admitted in a newly released undercover video that President Trump is "probably right" in accusing his opponents of engaging in a witch hunt as it relates to collusion with Russia.

The video, published online Monday night by conservative sting activist James O'Keefe's Project Veritas website, shows John Bonifield, a CNN producer who covers medical issues, saying, "I just feel like they really don't have it [proof of collusion] but they want to keep digging."

He continued, "And so I think the president is probably right to say, ‘Look, you are witch hunting me.'"

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Video Games Aren't Good for You

Why conservatives and libertarians view video games differently.

For most of their history, video games were a fringe pastime, the loser kid brother to traditional entertainments like sports. Gamers were doughy nerds who subsisted on Doritos and Mountain Dew and feared women and sunshine.

But over the past decade, video games have achieved something of a societal coup. Piggybacking off the rise of smartphones and social media, gaming has swung with lightning speed into total ubiquity. Businessmen play them on the subway. Kids play them in school. Korean teens become millionaires playing them. Your grandmother is probably still playing Candy Crush.

Journalists play them, too, which is why they’ve recently subjected the public to a deluge of scribblingjustifying the habit. Over at Reason, Peter Suderman has given us the mother of all such pieces:“Young Men Are Playing Video Games Instead of Getting Jobs. That’s OK. (For Now.)”

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A Message From Officer Tommy M Norman

Will Illinois Need a Federal Bailout?

Its residents had better hope not.

A question no one’s asked out loud with regard to the ongoing Illinois state budget negotiations is what happens if—or when—the state becomes unable or unwilling to pay its bills a few years down the road.

It’s clearly on the minds of investors who own Illinois debt: Theprice of the state’s bonds has been falling and the rating agencies recently downgraded its debt to just one step above junk. Both of these are proximate responses to the state’s budget impasse, which is entering its third year.

But another reason for the growing wariness of investors toward Illinois debt emanates from developments in Puerto Rico, which asked for and received legislation from the federal government to assist with its debt burden.

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The $100 billion per year back pain industry is mostly a hoax

Anyone who has endured back pain knows it is an erratic dictator. It takes hold of your psyche, demanding your attention and devotion before all else—before you can plan a hike, return to a work routine, pick up your child for a hug. So when someone offers to make that dictator disappear, it’s hard to resist—no matter what the price.

“People in pain are poor decision-makers,” says the investigative journalist Cathryn Jakobson Ramin, author of a new book, Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery.

Millions such bad decisions, she argues, have fueled a $100-billion-per-year back pain industry in the US—one that’s largely selling Americans wrong and even dangerous responses to back discomfort. These include unnecessary painkillers, injections, surgeries, and chiropractic “adjustments.”

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**Update-Bicyclist Succumbs to Injuries** State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit Investigating Serious Crash-Millsboro

Millsboro– A 72-year-old bicyclist involved in crash with a tractor-trailer on June 15, 2017 has died as a result of his injuries.

Kenneth Tull of Delmar, Maryland died Wednesday June 28, 2017 at Christiana Hospital.

The Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing their investigation into this incident. If anyone may have witnessed this crash, they are asked to contact Corporal N. Demalto of the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 302-703-3267. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword “DSP.”

Please click to view original release - State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit Investigating Serious Crash-Millsboro

SALISBURY MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS FOR FIRST DEGREE MURDER

AAPD Search For Murder Suspect After Victim Dies From Injuries

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION
MAJOR CRIMES SECTION

Homicide Jessup

On Saturday, June 17, 2017 at approximately 10:10 a.m., members of the Howard County Police Department responded for an injured subject in the 5900 block Stevens Forest Road, Columbia, Maryland. An unresponsive adult male victim was located in a vehicle with trauma to the upper body. The victim was identified as Fredy Roberto Lopez-Martinez a twenty-nine year old male from the 5900 block of Stevens Forest Road, Columbia, Maryland. The victim was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Safety of probation officers in Delaware "ignored," according to FOP Lodge President

Is the Department of Correction doing enough to ensure the safety of Delaware's probation and parole officers?

Todd Mumford, President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 10, the collective bargaining agency for probation and parole officers in Delaware, claims the DOC has "ignored" requests to improve the safety and well-being of probation and patrol officers in the First State.

Several probation and parole officers have been injured in the line-of-duty throughout Delaware, most recently a probation officer was grazed by a bullet while conducting an administrative search in Wilmington.

Mumford is speaking out and demanding action. He fears that one of his fellow officers will die if nothing is done, which he said seems to be the only way change occurs in Delaware.

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President Trump is justifiably angry about Democrats’ baseless accusations

By Ellen Sauerbrey

How is this for a strategy? Concoct a conspiracy to explain an unexpected election loss, put a cloud over the head of the elected president and his agenda, drag out an investigation for months, stir up hopes of impeachment, and then charge obstruction of justice when the subject of the mudslinging attempts to clear his name.

The strategy has now morphed into an investigation of what the president did or said in response to an investigation of an underlying crime that never existed.

After months of digging there is not a shred of evidence that President Trump colluded with Russia. He was told by FBI Director James Comey three times that he was not a subject of investigation. Nevertheless, for months a collusion was occurring. Anonymous leakers, left-wing media and Democratic politicians colluded to promote a false narrative to smear the president and obstruct his agenda from moving forward.

It is hardly surprising that the president, knowing the Russian collusion story was false, asked Mr. Comey and perhaps others in the intelligence community if they could tell the public what they were telling the president privately and remove the cloud.

Mr. Comey refused to go public with what he knew to be true. Instead, he stood silent in the face of a barrage of fake media stories that he later admitted to a congressional committee were “dead wrong.” He was willing to let the president of the United States dangle in the wind while others continued to lob lies at him. Mr. Comey revealed his motive to continue damaging the president by telling the congressional committee that he leaked a memo about his conversation with the president to the media, in order to achieve appointment of a special counsel.

Failing to find evidence of collusion, Democrats during a public hearing hardly raised a Russia question but instead shifted their fire to obstruction of justice. And what are the charges leading some to call for impeachment and worse?

• After facing months of leaks and false stories, the president had the temerity to ask for loyalty. Wow, now that is really grounds for obstruction of justice.!

· The president hoped for leniency for a general who had given a lifetime of service to this country, had been fired and who, after an FBI review of communications with the Russian ambassador, had already been found to have committed no wrongdoing. Though it was within President. Trump’s constitutional right to end the investigation of Michael Flynn altogether, he did not do that. Was this obstruction, or not wanting to kick a man who was already down?

• The president fired the FBI director, as Mr. Comey acknowledged he had every right to do constitutionally. Mr. Trump could have handled the firing more diplomatically, but there was no good time to fire Mr. Comey, who had to go. Many of those who are howling for the president’s scalp for that decision were calling for Mr. Comey’s head just a few months ago.

· As President Trump tweeted, “They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story.” A frustrated president, convinced of his innocence, has reacted in a very human way that has sometimes been unwise, but certainly not criminal.

If the shoe was on the other foot, Democratic officeholders, from sea to shining sea, would be defending their president and demanding an end to the partisanship and waste of the taxpayer’s money on a phony investigation.

And where are the Republicans? Hiding in the bushes or, like Sen. John McCain, taking potshots at their own lawfully elected president. The best way to protect their seats in the next election is to cancel their recess and demonstrate some urgency in addressing the key issues that Americans voted for last year — tax cuts, growing the economy and fixing the broken health care system.

This investigation is just a fishing expedition to take down a president and prevent the passage of his agenda. It is a witch hunt, and it is time to end it.

Ellen Sauerbrey is a former minority leader of the Maryland House of Delegates.

Driver Arrested After Running Over Ten Commandments Monument

OKLAHOMA CITY — An update to news we have been covering since last week.

Michael Tate Reed, 29, of Roland, was formally charged today with the destruction of state property / improvements, indecent exposure, making threatening statements, reckless driving, and operating a vehicle while license revoked.

Reed was also charged with four counts of felony assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, which stemmed from incidents that occurred during his initial emergency order of detention on Friday.

"This incident has the full attention of my office. We take this matter very seriously and are reviewing exactly what took place and areas we can improve. Our goal is public safety, any modifications to our security procedures we make in the future will be in pursuit of that goal", stated Chief of Patrol Colonel Ricky Adams.

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Black Unemployment at Lowest Rate in 17 Years

In the months since Donald Trump became America's 45th president, the unemployment rate among black people has hit the lowest number since 2000.

In February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported the black unemployment rate at 8.1, but the number dropped to 8.0 in March, 7.9 in April, and 7.5 in May.

During most of Barack Obama's presidency, black unemployment was in double digits, hitting a high mark of 16.8 in March 2010. Between July 2008 (during the financial crisis) and February 2015, the rate remained above 10 percent.

Black unemployment has not been this low since December 2000, when 7.4 percent of African-Americans looking for work were unable to find it.

This good news should be taken with a grain of salt, however, because the workforce participation rate remained low in May, at 62.7 percent. It is possible that many people stopped looking for work, just as others found good jobs.

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Mexico Joins The Legal Battle Against Anti-Sanctuary City Law

Mexico filed an affidavit Monday in support of a lawsuit against the implementation of a Texas law to punish sanctuary cities and allow police officers to inquire about the immigration status of someone they have arrested or detained.

The Mexican government said in a statement that the law could increase racial discrimination and create an environment of persecution.

The statement said that the number of calls to the center for information and assistance for Mexicans in Texas in May and June increased 678 percent compared to the year prior. This is reflexive of the uncertainty and “anguish” that the Mexican community in Texas has felt due to the law.

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Proximity Is Destiny In America's Pay-To-Play Democracy

Privilege is unearned proximity to power in all its manifestations.

My friend G.F.B. recently coined an insightful maxim: Proximity Is Destiny. The power of this concept lies in its unification of physical proximity and abstract proximity.

We all understand physical proximity can be consequential. As the Titanic settled lower in the ice-cold Atlantic, those close enough to the lifeboats to secure a seat (mostly the first and second class passengers) lived and those who were not died.

College graduates seek internships at the most successful companies because they know the connections they make by working within the headquarters might lead to a job offer: physical proximity to movers and shakers (and those with the power to hire) is destiny.

But proximity to abstract manifestations of power is even more consequential in an economy/society in which wealth and power are predominantly abstract. For example, getting an internship in the Federal Reserve doesn't mean you can obtain proximity to the Fed's money/credit spigot as a result of your physical proximity to the building or staff: the really powerful proximity--being close to the Fed's money/credit spigot--is entirely abstract.

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Suspects Arrested In Boardwalk Ice Cream Store Burglary

OCEAN CITY — Two men were arrested last week after video surveillance footage connected them to the burglary of a Boardwalk ice cream parlor.

On June 15, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to the area of 12th Street and the Boardwalk for a reported burglary of an ice cream shop. The store owner told police his shop had been burglarized sometime between 12:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. and several items had been stolen including a safe with roughly a week’s worth of sales in it. The store owner also advised police he had video surveillance of the suspects.

The OCPD detective watched the video surveillance and observed two men later identified as Joshua Skidmore, 19, and Troy Jones, 22, both of Catonsville, enter the store around 3:30 a.m. The two suspects entered the business via a roll-up door that faces the Boardwalk. They entered the business by opening the door and then closing it behind them.

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Are Illinois & Puerto Rico Our Future?

If Gov. Bruce Rauner and his legislature in Springfield do not put a budget together by Friday, the Land of Lincoln will be the first state in the Union to see its debt plunge into junk-bond status.

Illinois has $14.5 billion in overdue bills, $130 billion in unfunded pension obligations, and no budget. “We can’t manage our money,” says Rauner. “We’re like a banana republic.”

Speaking of banana republics, Puerto Rico, which owes $74 billion to creditors who hold its tax-exempt bonds, and $40 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, has already entered bankruptcy proceedings.

The island’s imaginative 38-year-old governor, Ricardo Rossello, however, has a solution. Call Uncle Sam. On June 11, Rossello held a plebiscite, with a 23 percent turnout, that voted 97 percent to make Puerto Rico our 51st state.

“(T)he federal government will no longer be able to ignore the voice of the majority of the American citizens in Puerto Rico,” said Rossello. Washington cannot “demand democracy in other parts of the world, and not respond to the legitimate right to self-determination that was exercised today in the American territory of Puerto Rico.”

Had the governor been talking about the island’s right to become free and independent, he would have had a point. But statehood inside the USA is something Uncle Sam decides.

Rossello calls to mind Count Mountjoy of Grand Fenwick, who, in “The Mouse that Roared,” plotted to rescue his bankrupt duchy by declaring war on the U.S., sailing to America to surrender, and then demanding the foreign aid America bestows on defeated enemies.

Yet Puerto Rico’s defaults on its debts may soon be our problem. Many bond funds in which Americans have invested their savings and retirement money are full of Puerto Rican bonds.

According to The New York Times, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Marianas and Guam are in the same boat. With 100,000 people, the Virgin Islands owe $6.5 billion to pensioners and creditors.

Then there is Connecticut, a state that has long ranked in the top tier in per capita income and wealth.

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Modest Changes Coming to Maryland’s Commercial Crab Harvest

Following weeks of scientific review and discussion among key 

stakeholders, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is making modest but important changes to the commercial harvesting of Chesapeake Bay female hard crabs later this season.

Harvesting will close Nov. 20, and bushel levels for the month of November will be reduced compared to the previous harvest year.

These modifications are based on the results of the 2016-17 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, and subsequent review and approval by the Blue Crab Industry Advisory Committee and Tidal Fisheries Advisory Commission.

“Since the release of the winter dredge survey, experts have cautioned that a scarcity of juvenile crabs could result in more challenging harvest conditions later this year and next,” said Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton. “This decision is the result of partners in science and industry developing consensus to achieve what is best for the health and ongoing productivity of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab fishery.”

You can review the Public Notice here.

REX Has Been Found!

LostPetPR

FOUND SAFE THURSDAY MORNING!!

Rex went missing following a bad accident on Route 611 in Berlin, MD on June 19th. His owner launched an amazing and dedicated search to cover all critical elements of finding a lost pet (flyers, signs, diligently searching, etc) and we couldn't be happier for them. All the hard work paid off when Rex was found this morning near an area determined to have likely been his safe hiding spot for the last ten days. We are so thrilled for Rex and his mom!!

Have to thank the awesome folks over at the Worcester County Humane Society for all they do. Their help, outreach and assistance absolutely played a huge part in this recovery and they are certainly an incredible group of people.

It's also important for us to give a mention to Pure Gold Pet Trackers who we have recommended to a number of our owners over the years. While we haven't met in person the situations they have come out here for did lead to recovery or closure for several difficult cases. Having those owners tell us how they "needed to know", and that their tracking dogs were able to provide answers or offer hope to continue a search is extremely important, and in this case we believe it confirmed that Rex was still in the area. Great work by so many parties on this effort!!