Sabtu, 17 Desember 2016

Salisbury News

Salisbury News

Lynch Slips — Says No Evidence Of ‘Technical Interference’ From The Russians

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 09:00 PM PST

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch stated Thursday that the United States intelligence community has not found any evidence of "technical interference" on the part of the Russian government on voting machines used in the 2016 election.

Lynch instead referred to Russia hacking into the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Speaking at an event hosted by Politico, Lynch explained that U.S. intelligence officers had been investigating the hacks since the summer and weren't sure what they could "talk about publicly."

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Suspect Arrested In Somerset Co. Homicide

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 08:45 PM PST

(PRINCESS ANNE, MD) — Maryland State Police have arrested and charged a suspect in connection with the murder of a woman in Somerset County early this morning.

The suspect is identified as Jesse L. Copes, 26, of Princess Anne, Md. After consultation with the Somerset County State's Attorney's Office, Maryland State Police Homicide Unit investigators charged Copes with first degree murder, second degree murder, manslaughter, first degree assault, second degree assault, reckless endangerment, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. He is currently being held in the Somerset County Detention Center without bond.

The victim is identified as Tawanda L. Blake, 26, of Pocomoke, Md. She was pronounced dead shortly after 2:00 a.m. today at Peninsula Regional Medical Center.

Just after 1:30 a.m. today, Maryland State Police at the Princess Anne Barrack received a 911 call for a shooting at the American Legion in the 31000-block of Perryhawkin Road, Princess Anne, Md. Responding troopers found the victim lying in the parking lot. Emergency medical personnel responded and transported her to the hospital.

State Police investigators from the Criminal Enforcement Division at the Princess Anne Barrack and the Homicide Unit responded to conduct the investigation. The preliminary investigation indicated the victim was one of a number of people on the parking lot when several shots were fired by an unknown suspect.

State Police investigators worked through the day today and developed information that led to the identification of Copes as a suspect. Witnesses interviewed indicated Copes was one of a number of people, including the victim, who were the parking lot of the American Legion at about 1:30 a.m. today. Copes reportedly engaged in an altercation with several individuals that included yelling and then led to a scuffle between them. Witnesses indicated Copes pulled out a handgun and began firing.

At this time, the victim is the only person known to have been struck by the gunfire. An autopsy today at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore confirmed her cause of death was a gunshot wound and her manner of death was homicide.

Earlier today, State Police investigators saw Copes leaving his apartment and stopped him as he drove away. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Princess Anne Barrack for questioning. Investigators obtained a search warrant that was served at Copes' apartment and led to the recovery of evidence. A handgun has not been recovered at this time.

Additional assistance during this investigation was provided by the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division, the Somerset County Sheriff's Office, and the Princess Anne Police Department.

Anyone with information about this shooting is urged to contact Maryland State Police at the Princess Anne Barrack immediately at 443-260-3700. Callers may remain confidential.

Top 10 Blue States Experiencing Mass Exodus

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 08:30 PM PST


Of the top-ten Democratic states that Hillary Clinton won by the largest margin, all of them have one thing in common: residents can't seem to move out fast enough.

It is no shock that Hillary Clinton won the majority of left-leaning states in this past election, especially in the case of California – taking the lead by nearly 1.2 million votes, according to Heavy.com.

What is interesting is the one common denominator of these 10 blue states, which is they are losing more residents than gaining.

It is not heartbreak from the devastating loss in the recent election that is responsible for the great migration; instead, it's being driven by an economic depression happening in each state.

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Politics and temptation: The Willie Cochran indictment

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 08:00 PM PST

Another day, another politician indicted in Chicago. This time it's Ald. Willie Cochran, 20th, accused of extorting money in exchange for supporting two real estate projects and a liquor store in his ward. Federal prosecutors say he also dipped into a charity fund to pay for his daughter's college tuition costs and to cover his gambling expenses. The money was supposed to be spent on ward activities, such as a back-to-school picnic, a Valentine's Day party for seniors and holiday season events.

A retired Chicago police sergeant, Cochran was elected in 2007 to represent the South Side ward, which includes parts of Back of the Yards, Washington Park and Englewood. The previous alderman, Arenda "What do I get out of it?" Troutman, pleaded guilty in 2008 to corruption charges for shaking down developers.

Cochran is charged with multiple counts of extortion, bribery and wire fraud. Prosecutors say he misspent tens of thousands of dollars, including $25,000 withdrawn from ATMs near casinos where he was gambling.

Federal prosecutors are never underemployed in Illinois. Last month, former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock of Peoria was charged with spending campaign money on concert tickets, luxury hotels and private plane rides. He pleaded not guilty on Monday.

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Who said Bowling was EASY

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 07:30 PM PST

Are Debt-Laden American Consumers About To Get Crushed By Higher Interest Rates?

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 07:00 PM PST

American consumers love debt, wall street loves securitizing that debt and collecting massive fees for selling it and pension funds, with no viable alternative investments courtesy of accommodative Fed policies, love buying that debt for the extra 25bps of yield it provides. It's a "win, win, win", right?

Well, until it's not. While real median incomes in the U.S. have been stagnant for almost a decade, real household personal consumption has continued its steady rise as American's have simply replaced lost income with new debt. But, with household leverage near all-time highs and interest rates on the rise, we suspect this could all end very badly for the U.S. consumer and those pension funds that were forced to "stretch for yield."

Per a Bloomberg article posted today, the average U.S. household is carrying roughly $133,000 worth of debt, spread between mortgages, credit cards, auto loans, student loans and the newly-popular, crowd-funded, personal loans.

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Fire union contract issue still unresolved

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 06:30 PM PST

Despite efforts of Ocean City's legal counsel and representatives of the local firefighter/EMS union to reach an agreement on Wednesday, the impasse over the union's contract remains unresolved.

Both parties met at the convention center in Ocean City for mediation this Wednesday in attempt to reach a compromise on the City Council's decision to end the shift schedule of 24 hours on, 72 hours off for paid firefighters. No solution was reached after a day's worth of discussions, and meetings could carry into the winter.

"According to the town charter, the bargaining period is from December until the end of February, so there is time," said City Solicitor Guy Ayres. "A date has not been set."

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Federal Court Might Destroy Cross-Shaped Maryland War Memorial

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 06:00 PM PST

From Liberty Institute
by Breitbart News15 Dec 2016Washington, DC104
Federal judges are considering arguments about whether to order the destruction of a war memorial because its centerpiece is a large cross.
The case could end up at the Supreme Court, probably after President-elect Donald Trump names a replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia.
Bladensburg is a town in Maryland not far from Washington, D.C. In 1925, the mothers of World War I soldiers worked with the American Legion to erect a memorial to the 49 service members from Prince George's County who served and sacrificed in that conflict. The Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial has stood in the town ever since, with a large cross engraved with words like "courage" and "valor," which one mother said she regarded as the tombstone of her son, who died in France while serving his nation.
The memorial includes other secular features as well, such as a large bronze plaque explaining the memorial's meaning and including the names of the men it honors. The area where it is located also features other memorials as well.
Although erected on private land, the plot of ground on which the memorial stands was eventually acquired by the state of Maryland in 1960 because it's adjacent to a road. Since then, it has stood on public property, though the American Legion continues to care for the memorial and perform private ceremonies there.
The American Humanist Association is a militant atheist organization. It sued the state, arguing that the memorial violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution because a reasonable observer would regard it as an endorsement of Christianity.
The American Legion intervened in the lawsuit to protect the Bladensburg Memorial, represented by First Liberty Institute—the largest law firm in the United States exclusively dedicated to protecting religious liberty—as well as Supreme Court heavyweight Noel Francisco and Chis DiPompeo from Jones Day—one of the world's top law firms, which First Liberty Institute recruited to represent the American Legion free of charge.
A Clinton-appointed federal district judge in Maryland ruled in favor of First Liberty Institute and Jones Day, holding that this longstanding war memorial does not violate the Constitution's prohibition on the government's establishing a religion.
But a three-judge liberal panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit seems poised to reverse. Two Obama-appointed judges—James Wynn and Stephanie Thacker—suggested that the parties should agree to move the memorial to private land, or to destroy the arms of the cross to make it stand as a pillar that no longer resembles a Christian symbol.
"You ought to figure out a way not to put us in this situation," Wynn admonished the parties.
Only Chief Judge Roger Gregory—a Clinton appointee—expressed any sympathy for the memorial's defenders, asking of a memorial with religious imagery, "Isn't it also a place where we remember people who died so that others might live?"
DiPompeo argued that this is precisely the right way for the court to view the memorial, because "a symbol that has religious significance can also take on a secular meaning." Consequently, the memorial "must remain standing."
If the Fourth Circuit strikes down the Bladensburg Memorial, the results could be disastrous both for veterans and for religious liberty. The five states within the jurisdiction of the Richmond-based appeals court include Virginia, where thousands of gravestones bear the image of the cross. Other markers of sacrifice and remembrance—within the Fourth Circuit and across the globe, such as the beaches of Normandy—are crosses indistinguishable from the one in Bladensburg.
An adverse ruling from the court of appeals would destroy the Bladensburg memorial, and tee up Arlington National Cemetery for destruction as well, along with other memorials and veterans displays.
"Throughout our nation's history, the military has used the cross shape to honor military service and sacrifice," First Liberty Deputy Chief Counsel Hiram Sasser said in a statement accompanying oral argument. "We stand to honor the selfless sacrifice of our fallen heroes and ask the court to uphold the constitutionality of this historic memorial."
Given that the memorial's defenders appear likely to lose by a 2-1 split decision, this case is a prime candidate for Supreme Court review.
As recently as 2014, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote a watershed decision in Town of Greece v. Galloway, where the majority held that the "endorsement test" argued by the atheists in that case (as well as this one) was wrong when the High Court first adopted it in 1989. The true test of whether the government is establishing a religion is whether it officially adopts an actual religious belief as public policy (such as passing a law saying that bread and wine in communion is the body and blood of Jesus Christ), or whether the government is coercing a person to participate in a religious activity that violates his conscience.
In short, under this "coercion test," the government violates the Establishment Clause only if it forces someone to engage in something religious. Applying that test here, a quiet roadside war memorial doesn't coerce anyone to do anything.
The future of religious liberty became uncertain with the sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia last February. Now it will turn on whether President Donald Trump selects a true originalist as a successor to the conservative lion.
The American Legion's Blandensburg case could be the case that sets the future course for this area of religious liberty.
The case is American Human Association v. Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission & The American Legion, No. 15-1297.

REMINDER: Breakfast With Santa Tomorrow

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 05:30 PM PST

Mark your calendars. Federalsburg Volunteer Fire Company is having breakfast with Santa Sunday December 18th. All you can eat breakfast. Pictures with Santa & each child receives a gift. Adults 8$ each Kids 8 to 12 $5 each & Kids under 8 eat free. We hope to see you there!! 

Housing Starts, Permits Crash In November (Despite Soaring Homebuilder Confidence)

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 05:00 PM PST

Just yesterday homebuilders raged hard about how awesome everything was - sending their optimism index to its highest since the previous peak in 2005. It seems they are all talk and no action as November's data for housing starts and permits collapsed(following the trajectory of mortgage apps).

Housing Starts crashed 18.7% MoM - near the biggest monthly plunge since the crisis peak in 2005.

Driven by a 43.9% collapse in Multi-family Starts MoM: look at the volatility in that time series: is that what a "stable" housing market looks like?

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Snow Hill going green? Dispensary coming next year

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 04:30 PM PST

Medical marijuana in Maryland is only a year away and it appears that at least one dispensary will be operating in Worcester County.

The state devised a three-tiered system, dividing the new industry into growers, processors and dispensaries. Growers and processors were awarded preliminary approvals in August, and the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission just announced the preliminary approvals for dispensaries this past Friday.

Currently, the state is limiting the number of dispensaries to two per state senate district, with exceptions made for certain growers that also applied for a dispensary license, though no providers availed themselves of this option locally.

State Senate district 38, which is represented by Jim Mathias and contains all of Worcester and Somerset counties, as well as portions of Wicomico will be represented by Positive Energy LLC and OC Botanicals LLC.

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Happy Bill of Rights Day … Are There Any Left?

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 04:00 PM PST

Today is Bill of Rights Day in America.

Happy Bill of Rights Day!

This post explains the liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights – the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution – and provides a scorecard on the extent of the loss of each right.

The 1st Amendment protects speech, religion, assembly and the press:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging thefreedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The freedom of the press is under massive attack in America today 

For example, the powers-that-be argue that only highly-paid corporate media shills who will act as stenographers for the fatcats should have the constitutional protections guaranteeing freedom of the press.

A Harvard law school professor argues that the First Amendment is outdated and should be abandoned.

And the government is treating the real investigative reporters like criminals … or even terrorists:

Obama has gone after top reporters. His Department of Justice labeled chief Fox News Washington correspondent James Rosen a "criminal co-conspirator" in a leak case, and for many years threatened to prosecute Pulitzer-prize winning New York Times journalist James Risen

Annual Needy Dinner Sees Record Crowd

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 03:30 PM PST

OCEAN CITY – Workers and volunteers at The Original Greene Turtle in Ocean City fed nearly 260 community members in need Tuesday evening at its "Feed our Friends" dinner, setting a new record for the annual event.

Through the partnership of the Worcester County Health Department, Diakonia and Shepherd's Crook Food Pantry, Greene Turtle officials were able to locate and invite individuals for a warm meal from 5-7 p.m., or until every person was served.

Jackie Lensch, health educator with the health department, said her involvement with the function began years ago through her boyfriend, a general manager at the restaurant, and she has since used her work connections to help support the dinner.

"It's our way to give back to the community," Lensch said. "It's a little pick-me-up for them."

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'UNLAWFUL': China to return seized US Navy drone, Pentagon says

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 03:12 PM PST

The Pentagon said Saturday that China will return a U.S. Navy drone seized in the international waters of the South China Sea.  
"We have registered our objection to China's unlawful seizure, of a U.S. unmanned-underwater vehicle," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said. "Through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return the UUV to the United States." 
Earlier Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump got involved in the controversy with a tweet that accused the Chinese of stealing the drone and ripping "it out of water."
He tweeted at about 7:30 a.m. Saturday.
Trump, a Republican, called the seizure Thursday "unpresidented," though he needed to delete and replace the original tweet to correct the spelling of the word.
Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump
China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unprecedented act.
8:57 AM - 17 Dec 2016

China's seizure is being considered by some observers as one of the most significant disputes in years between the world super powers and follows Trump's post-election victory call with the president of Taiwan.

Marine Corps Ditches Desert Camouflage for Seasonal Uniforms

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 03:00 PM PST

Marines will wear woodland green year-round, effective immediately, according to a new directive from the commandant of the Marine Corps.

The change was quietly announced Dec. 8 through an all-Marine Corps bulletin, signed by Commandant Gen. Robert Neller.

Previously, Marines would alternate between tan-and-brown desert camouflage in the summer and green woodland camouflage utilities in the winter on dates roughly coinciding with Daylight Savings Time changes. Now all sailors and Marines serving with Marine Corps units will use the woodland pattern throughout the year.

In the summer, Marines will roll the sleeves on their woodland camouflage uniforms the way they now do on their desert cammies; in the winter, sleeves will be rolled down, according to the message.

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Travel Advisories Remain In Effect Through Tomorrow

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 02:30 PM PST

(PIKESVILLE, MD) — Despite the warming temperatures this afternoon, Maryland State Police are urging motorists to remain cautious as the weather continues to cause hazardous driving conditions around the state and dropping temperatures tomorrow evening could create a scenario similar to this morning.

As of 1:00 p.m. today, preliminary figures indicate Maryland state troopers have responded to 330 crashes across the state in the past 24 hours. None of the storm related crashes have involved a fatality, but more than one dozen involved injuries. Troopers are still dealing with multiple minor crashes throughout the state. Most involve cars sliding off roads and becoming stuck. Troopers are working with MDOT State Highway Administration personnel to remove these vehicles so road clearing operations can continue more effectively.

At about 5:30 a.m. today, 15 vehicles were ultimately involved in a chain reaction crash on the inner loop of I-695 at Rt. 702. Troopers report drivers began losing control due to black ice in the area. Several people were transported to Franklin Square Hospital and Bayview Hospital, although no injuries were reported to be serious.

Just before 8:00 p.m. yesterday, troopers from the La Plata Barrack responded to Rt. 301 at Orlando Park Road in Newburg, for a multi-vehicle crash involving a tractor trailer. Two persons were killed in that crash. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Shortly after 5:00 p.m. yesterday, before the storm began, troopers responded to a fatal collision on Rt. 50 at Powellville Road in Wicomico Co. A 70-year-old man was reportedly driving a truck south on Powellville Road and crossed Rt. 50, into the path of a tractor trailer westbound on Rt. 50. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The weather forecast is calling for falling temperatures tomorrow afternoon and evening. Coupled with the predicted drop in temperatures, icy roads could again become a hazard tomorrow night into Monday morning.

Drivers are reminded they can view the latest road conditions on the MDOT State Highway Administration's website at www.roads.maryland.gov and clicking "CHART." Travelers may obtain the latest free traffic and weather information by calling 5-1-1 from a landline or a hands-free mobile device or logging onto www.MD511.org.

Woman believed to be frozen to death in car turns out to be CPR mannequin

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 02:30 PM PST


A quick-acting police officer broke a car window in an attempt to save the life of a woman believed to be frozen to death.

But it turned out that she was actually a CPR mannequin.

About 8:30 a.m. Friday morning, Hudson, New York, police received a call from a "very upset citizen" who said an older woman was alone in a parked car and appeared to be frozen to death.

The woman was in the front passenger's seat with what appeared to be an oxygen mask on.

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Will Achmed Trump Grump? An Exclusive Holiday Interview

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 02:00 PM PST

CALENDAR APPROVED FOR 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 01:30 PM PST


Wicomico County Board of Education Approves 
2017-2018 School Year Calendar

The Wicomico County Board of Education has approved a calendar for the 2017-2018 school year. The calendar begins the school year on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017 for most students, and ends the year on Tuesday, June 12, 2018.
After taking public comments for two months to develop a final calendar, the Board approved the 2017-2018 calendar at its Dec. 13 Board meeting. This calendar meets the requirements of the governor's executive order to begin school after Labor Day and end the school year by June 15. More than 350 people shared input during the calendar process. Respondents favored the post-Labor Day start calendar by a 3-to-1 margin over the pre-Labor Day calendar. 
​
Other dates in the approved calendar for the 2017-2018 school year:
Sept. 4 (Labor Day): Schools and Central Office closed
Sept. 5: School opens for students in grades 1-6 and 9 (Grade 6 only at Mardela, all grades report at Pittsville). Prekindergarten and Kindergarten students report during the first week as assigned by the school.
Sept. 6: All students grades 1-12 in school
Oct. 20 (Maryland State Education Association Convention): No school for students, professional day for teachers
Nov. 8 (Professional Day): Schools closed for students, open for teachers
Nov. 22-24 (Thanksgiving break): No school (Central Office and school offices closed Nov. 23-24)
Dec. 20-Jan. 1 (winter holiday break): Schools closed for winter holidays (Central Office and school offices closed Dec. 22, 25, 29 and Jan. 1). All schools and offices reopen Tuesday, Jan. 2.
Jan. 15 (Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday): Schools and Central Office closed
Jan. 29 (Professional Day): Schools closed for students, open for teachers
Feb. 1: Evening High School Winter Commencement
Feb. 19 (Presidents Day): Schools and Central Office closed
March 29 (Professional Day): Schools closed for students, open for teachers
March 30 and April 2: Central Office and schools closed for spring holiday break. All schools and offices reopen Tuesday, April 3.
May 28 (Memorial Day): Schools and Central Office closed
May 31: Evening High School Spring Commencement
June 8: James M. Bennett High Commencement 7 p.m.
June 9: Commencement ceremonies for Mardela High (10 a.m.), Parkside High (2:30 p.m.), Wicomico High (7 p.m.)
June 8, 11, 12: Two-hour early dismissal days
June 12: Last day of school   

After Only Raising Rates Once During Obama Years, The Fed Is Promising Constant Rate Hikes During The Trump Era

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 01:00 PM PST

Now that Donald Trump has won the election, the Federal Reserve has decided now would be a great time to start raising interest rates and slowing down the economy.

Over the past several decades, the U.S. economy has always slowed down whenever interest rates have been raised significantly, and on Wednesday the Federal Open Market Committee unanimously voted to raise rates by a quarter point. Stocks immediately started falling, and by the end of the session it was their worst day since October 11th.

The funny thing is that the Federal Reserve could have been raising rates all throughout 2016, but they held off because they didn't want to hurt Hillary Clinton's chances of winning the election.

And during Barack Obama's eight years, there has only been one rate increase the entire time up until this point.

But now that Donald Trump is headed for the White House, the Federal Reserve has decided that now would be a wonderful time to raise interest rates. In addition to the rate hike on Wednesday, the Fed also announced that it is anticipating that rates will be raised three more times each year through the end of 2019…

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ObamaCare Causing a $10 Billion Premium Hike for Taxpayers

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 12:30 PM PST


In 2017, nearly $10 billion will need to be paid for to cover double-digit premium hikes for subsidized health insurance. This is all due to President Obama's healthcare law, "ObamaCare."

The determination of this grandiose price spike comes from the Center for Health and Economy. Their findings predict the cost of premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act will skyrocket by $9.8 billion next year, rising from $32.8 billion currently to $42.6 billion. On a monthly average, subsidies will increase by 26%. That's $76 added to the current $291, meaning in 2017 it will be $$367 for a monthly subsidy.

"Under current law, you get a premium increase, you pour more money in," said economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin, founder of the Center for Health and Economy. "The concern is that this will feed more premium increases."

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University of Wisconsin to Offer Class on ‘The Problem of Whiteness’

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 12:00 PM PST

The University of Wisconsin-Madison will offer a spring semester class examining "the problem of whiteness" and "what it means to be #woke," Campus Reformreports.

The course is being offered by the university's African Cultural Studies department. According to an online description, students will be asked to examine "what it really means to be white," and consider "how race is experienced by white people" in the United States and abroad.
"Critical Whiteness Studies aims to understand how whiteness is socially constructed and experienced in order to help dismantle white supremacy," the description reads. "In this class, we will ask what an ethical white identity entails, what it means to be #woke, and consider the journal Race Traitor's motto, 'treason to whiteness is loyalty to humanity.'"

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Ocean City embraces blue line to honor cops

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 11:30 AM PST

The side street leading to Ocean City's Public Safety Building will be getting a splash of color, as the Police Commission has endorsed painting a thin blue line between the double traffic line.

"It shows the community's support for our Police Department, and sometimes you have to take a stand and show what you believe in," said Mayor Rick Meehan during Monday's commission meeting.

The thin blue line movement has taken off in several communities over the course of the past several months. Municipalities such as Ocean City, New Jersey have painted the color down the center of a road to show support for law endorsement in the wake of the shooting of officers in Dallas earlier this year.

Ocean City officials floated the idea of painting Coastal Highway, but that was nixed by the State Highway Administration. Assistant District Engineer Dallas Baker told the department that regulations prohibited painting non-traffic related lines on a state highway.

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Officials: Navy 'Midshipman' Title Will Not Change

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 11:00 AM PST

Navy officials say they have decided against changing the name "midshipman" because it's a rank, not just a job title.

In January, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus issued a memo to the chief of naval operation seeking an "update of position titles and descriptions to demonstrate through this language that women are included in these positions."

Mabus asked for a review of "the position titles throughout the Navy and ensure that they are gender-integrated....removing 'man' from their titles."

"Midshipman" will not change because it's a rank according to U.S. law, Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Admiral Ted Carter said this week. He added that officials only looked at changing the name "very briefly."

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Fuel Tanker Explodes; 2 Die In 55-Car Crash After "Brutal" Northeast Cold Turns I-95 Into Ice Rink

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 10:58 AM PST

The US northeast, and much of America, woke up to a brutal blast of frigid air sweeping across the United States, which has wreaked havoc on roads in Virginia and Maryland, leaving at least three dead in multi-vehicle wrecks Saturday.

According to CBS, a 55-vehicle crash on a icy stretch of I-95 in Baltimore, which also included a dramatic crash and explosion of a fuel tanker truck, left at least two people dead and motorists stranded for hours about 5 a.m. Saturday, Baltimore Fire Department spokesman Roman Clark said. Eleven people were taken to hospitals.

The frozen roads are the result of an arctic air mass, called Winter Storm Decima, that has chilled large swaths of the northern United States for days will culminate this weekend with dangerous cold in Montana and North Dakota as heavy snow falls in other parts of the country, officials said. People in North Dakota face "life threatening cold" and the risk of frostbite with exposure of 10 minutes or less, the National Weather Service (NWS) said in an advisory. In Montana dangerous wind chills are expected to last through Saturday afternoon and people should guard against hypothermia, the NWS said.

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How the Minimum Wage Hurts Young People

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 10:00 AM PST

The Conspiracy To Shut Down Truth, Donald Trump, & The American People

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 09:53 AM PST

There is circumstantial evidence that the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the rest of the presstitute media are part of a conspiracy with the oligarchs, the military/security complex, the Hillary Democrats, and neoconized Republicans to shut down the dissident Internet alternative media and to deny Donald Trump the presidency.

Consider the brand new website PropOrNot and its fake news list of 200 Internet Russian agents. PropOrNot is a website hidden behind multiple screens as would be an offshore tax avoidance scheme. In other words, no known, responsible entity is behind the site, which has libeled 200 other websites, or if it is, it is too ashamed of what it is doing to be associated with it publicly.

Consider the expertise and money required to shield the identity of an organization, whether tax avoidance or website. This is not something that just anyone can do. This type of Klingon cloaking requires real money or the CIA.

As long as it pretends to be a newspaper, the Washington Post is subject to journalistic ethics. But the PropOrNot story by Craig Timberg violated journalistic ethics. Unsupported accusations were leveled against 200 websites, a McCarthyism record.

How did a story, which would have been instantly quashed by editors in my day as a Wall Street Journal editor get past Timberg's editor?

That is the question.

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Two Dead, 11 Hurt In Icy, 40-Vehicle Crash on I-95

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 09:45 AM PST

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A crash involving dozens of vehicles and a tractor-trailer shut down Interstate 95 in South Baltimore Saturday morning.

At least two people were killed and 15 were injured in the icy pileup, three of those seriously.

Emergency crews at the scene said at least 55 vehicles and one tanker were involved in the crash near the exit for Washington Boulevard on I-95 south just before 5 a.m.

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How Identity Thieves Use Your Mail to Profit

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 09:45 AM PST

What Is Mailbox Raiding?

Most people think about identity theft as an issue that only happens when a criminal accesses personal information, and then takes over the checking account or open up a new account under a new name. The reality of this is that identity theft often occurs when a thief gains access to info from paper records or the telephone. It is through these methods that criminals can access your name, Social Security number or address, and then open up a new account or take over an existing one.

When a high-level criminal hacker is cracking databases and stealing millions of records each year, there is someone else who is on the streets using a low-tech version of stealing identities. These thieves live near you, they are in your neighborhood, and they steal your mail in hopes that they can obtain information that can be used to steal your identity.

What Can They Get ​From My Mail?

Statement from Governor Larry Hogan on Dangerous Road Conditions, Traffic Fatalities

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 09:43 AM PST

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Larry Hogan today released the following statement following multiple traffic fatalities due to dangerous weather conditions:

"I strongly urge all Marylanders to use common sense and put their safety first by heeding all travel warnings from state and local authorities. Road conditions in many areas of the state are still extremely dangerous, and all those who can avoid travel should stay off the roads until conditions have improved.

"The First Lady and I send our deepest condolences and prayers to the families and loved ones of the individuals who lost their lives early this morning as a result of fatal accidents. Our state's entire emergency management, transportation, and law enforcement resources are fully engaged in managing this situation and are working closely with local jurisdictions to provide needed support. I offer my sincerest gratitude to the state and local first responders who are working diligently at the scene of these incidents and who will continue to do so until the roadways are clear."

Nurse Practitioners to Treat Vets Without Doctor Supervision

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 09:37 AM PST

The Veterans Affairs Department beginning next month will allow certain nurse practitioners to treat veterans without the supervision of doctors across the agency for the first time.

The move is designed in part to shorten wait times for patients who are seeking treatment in underserved areas with physician shortages, according to a rule published Wednesday in the Federal Register.

The regulatory change permits three types of nurse practitioners -- certified nurse practitioner (CNP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and certified nurse-midwife (CNM) -- "to practice to the full extent of their education, training and certification, without the clinical supervision or mandatory collaboration of physicians," it states.

While 21 states and the District of Columbia already grant nurse practitioners so-called "full practice authority," the rule marks the first time the VA established a nationwide framework for such specialists to provide direct care to vets throughout its system.

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Carlini facing charges in Worcester for felony theft

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 09:30 AM PST

West Ocean City resident Joseph Carlini, 38, who pleaded guilty this February in Worcester County Court to operating as an unlicensed contractor, is facing new charges as the result of an investigation by the Maryland State Police.

This week, the Worcester County State's Attorney's Office confirmed it is prepared to charge Carlini with two counts of felony theft. Each charge carries maximum prison sentence of 10 years and/or a $10,000 fine.

On Feb. 23, Carlini, who was facing two counts of acting as an unlicensed contractor, pleaded guilty to one charge and had the other placed on the stet docket, which holds the charge for potential future prosecution.

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Voters oppose Clinton pardon by 3-1 margin

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 09:23 AM PST

More than two-thirds of registered voters do not want President Obamato pardon Hillary Clinton before he leaves office next month, according to a Fox News poll released Thursday evening.

The poll said 68 percent of respondents who were asked from Dec. 11-13 say the Democratic president should not forgive his former secretary of state for potential crimes she may have committed in connection with the Clinton Foundation or by using a private email server in her residence. Less than one-quarter of voters, 23 percent, want Obama to help the unsuccessful 2016 Democratic nominee before President-elect Trump takes office.

Even Clinton supporters overwhelmingly do not want Obama to let Clinton off for alleged wrongdoings. Nearly half of her backers said he should not give her a way out, possibly because she is viewed as innocent. Forty percent said he should help her. Meanwhile, 87 percent of Trump supporters said he should not pardon her.

Trump promised during the general election to appoint a special prosecutor to look into an alleged pay-to-play scheme between Clinton's state department and the Clinton Foundation, among other actions. Following his victory on Nov. 8, Trump has said he is focused on other issues at hand, including creating jobs, reforming U.S. immigrationpolicy and repealing Obamacare.

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FL Court Rules Police Can Compel Suspect to Unlock Cell Phone

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 09:15 AM PST

A Florida court has ruled that a man suspected of voyeurism using his iPhone must turn over his 4-digit passcode to police.

Even with a warrant, they couldn't access the phone without the combination. A trial judge denied the state's motion to force the man to give up the code, considering it equal to compelling him to testify against himself, which would violate the Fifth Amendment. But the Florida Court of Appeals' Second District reversed that decision today, deciding that the passcode is not related to criminal photos or videos that may or may not exist on his iPhone.

That's clever. Because the passcode is itself not "evidence" against the suspect, he isn't really being compelled to incriminate himself. But the passcode is not a physical object; rather, it's knowledge located in the suspect's mind. The Florida court just ruled the police can have control over the things in your mind. A scary precedent.

Previously, courts have ruled that suspects must "give up" their fingerprints to unlock a phone, but not the combination or code. The difference between the two lies in a distinction between physical evidence (like a fingerprint) andknowledge (like a phone code or password). "This interpretation sources back to the Supreme Court's 1988 Doe v. U.S. decision, in which it ruled that a person may be compelled to give up a key to a strongbox, say, but not a combination to a wall safe," explains Endgaget.

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Are You Living In a Death Spiral?

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 09:07 AM PST

Being on the hook is not going to be pretty when interest rates are raised back up, and debts come due. At a personal level, it will mean more stress and juggling to make ends meet. For the larger economy, it will mean cities and states unable to meet obligations or balance their budgets – ending in bankruptcy, and bailouts. Meanwhile, millions of people are relying on that money to keep coming in order to survive. Something is going to go very wrong.

Relying upon government to function and send you money is not a secure plan.

The mathematics are terrifying and dismal, and so is being caught up in these collapsing states.

In the next phase of the financial crisis, the debt supercycle will become the most defining feature of the big hurt that will fall on nearly everyone.

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The Transgender Movement Is Preying on the Autistic

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 09:00 AM PST

Some recent studies suggest a connection between autism and gender dysphoria. But an autistic Catholic writer warned against rushing to conclusions, suggesting the transgender movement is targeting children with disabilities as a way to expand its ranks.

"To help and protect individuals on the spectrum, there needs to be greater awareness of transgenderism's lies and why those on the spectrum could be susceptible to its manipulation," wrote Crisis Magazine's Elise Ehrhard, a Roman Catholic writer who herself has been diagnosed with autism. "Encouraging sex-change or an alternate gender identity is destructive to individuals with autism or Asperger's ... only furthering their private pain."

Ehrhard told the painful story of Dr. Kathleen Levinstein, a professor of social work at the University of Michigan, whose daughter became convinced she was really a man trapped in a woman's body. Transgender activists with Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) pressured her to take sex-altering hormones and cut off her breasts. Only after it was too late did Levinstein realize the irreversible mutilation of her daughter's body. The hormones also did not bring peace, but rather further psychological confusion.

"She has been taken advantage of. Healthy organs were amputated," Levinstein wrote of her daughter. "It is a crime not just against women, but particularly against disabled women. So many of these young women who are 'transitioning' are also autistic."

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College becoming less affordable for Maryland students

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 08:30 AM PST

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — During this past election cycle, presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton both highlighted increasing college debt as one of the most important issues in the country.

Since the 2008 economic recession, student loan debt is the only form of consumer debt that has continued to increase, surpassing auto and credit card loans, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Fifty-eight percent of Maryland undergraduates from public and private nonprofit four-year institutions who graduated in 2014 had debt, and the average total was $27,457, according to the Project on Student Debt.

Many of the reasons loans have increased is because the price to attend college, even at state schools that subsidize costs for some students, has also increased, including in Maryland.

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Suspect Sought In Somerset Co. Homicide

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 08:09 AM PST

(PRINCESS ANNE, MD) — Maryland State Police are searching for the suspect or suspects responsible for the murder of a woman in Somerset County early this morning.

The victim is identified as Tawanda L. Blake, 26, of Pocomoke, Md. She was pronounced dead shortly after 2:00 a.m. today at Peninsula Regional Medical Center.

The preliminary information indicates one or more suspects, described at this time only as African American males, were involved. Investigators are working to obtain additional information.

Just after 1:30 a.m. today, Maryland State Police at the Princess Anne Barrack received a 911 call for a shooting at the American Legion in the 31000-block of Perryhawkin Road, Princess Anne, Md. Responding troopers found the victim lying in the parking lot. Emergency medical personnel responded and transported her to the hospital.

State Police investigators from the Criminal Enforcement Division at the Princess Anne Barrack and the Homicide Unit responded to conduct the investigation. The preliminary investigation indicates the victim was one of a number of people on the parking lot when several shots were fired by an unknown suspect. The victim was apparently the only one struck by the gunfire. Investigators do not know at this time if the victim was the intended target of the suspect.

State Police investigators worked throughout the night and are actively continuing their investigation today. Additional assistance is being provided by the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division, the Somerset County Sheriff's Office, and the Princess Anne Police Department.

Anyone with information about this shooting is urged to contact Maryland State Police at the Princess Anne Barrack immediately at 443-260-3700. Callers may remain confidential.

Why The Bill Of Rights Is Failing

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 08:00 AM PST

225 years ago today, the first ten amendments were added to the new Constitution of 1787. Those amendments have come to be known as the Bill of Rights, and taken as a whole, these amendments represent what can only be described as one of the few parts of the Constitution worth applauding today.

While most of the Constitution is concerned with centralizing government power, raising tax revenue, protecting the institution of chattel slavery, and hammering the independent states into a consolidated political union, the Bill of Rights, on the other hand, was concerned with limiting government power:

Bizarrely revered by many as a "pro-freedom" document, the document now generally called "the Constitution" was originally devoted almost entirely toward creating a new, bigger, more coercive, more expensive version of the United States. The United States, of course, had already existed since 1777 under a functioning constitution that had allowed the United States to enter into numerous international alliances and win a war against the most powerful empire on earth.

That wasn't good enough for the oligarchs of the day, the crony capitalists with names like Washington, Madison, and, Hamilton. Hamilton and friends had long plotted for a more powerful United States government to allow the mega-rich of the time, like George Washington and James Madison, to more easily develop their lands and investments with the help of government infrastructure. Hamilton wanted to create a clone of the British empire to allow him to indulge his grandiose dreams of financial imperialism.

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Berlin vandals will face violations

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 07:30 AM PST

Defense Attorney Steven Cox successfully argued in district court last Friday that phone difficulties necessitated a continuance in the probation violation hearing for his client, Jordan Denton.

Denton, who was convicted last June for her role in a January 2015 vandalism spree in Berlin, is scheduled to appear again in court in January, alongside co-defendant in that case, Nicholas Bonser. He also faces a probation violation charge.

This is the second time the pair will return to court on possible probation violations since their conviction in June 2015.

According to court documents, Denton failed to submit to drug and alcohol screenings and pay the associated costs. This condition of her probation was added back in June 2016, when a new deal was struck between the state and Denton, after a previous probationary hearing.

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Obama "Housing Recovery" Crushes "Blacks, Young Adults" As Homeownership Rates Crash

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 07:00 AM PST

The Obama administration has a tendency to conflate the strong performance of Fed-induced "assets bubbles" with "strong economic growth." Unfortunately, as is often the case these days, the "hard data" paints a slightly different picture than the "narrative" being pushed by Obama and his staff.

Per a new report from the Pew Research Center, and as our readers are undoubtedly aware, home prices have indeed recovered to pre-recession levels with a little help from Janet Yellen and crew.

That said, the Obama narrative breaks down from there as further research readily reveals that home prices have recovered despite a massive drop in overall homeownership rates.

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Black leaders bash Obama for saying U.S. is racist

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 06:53 AM PST

'Get over the idea of slavery and move forward'

America's first black president believes the United States still has not overcome the troubling racial issues of its past. Appearing on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" Monday night, Barack Obama claimed that "we have, by no means, overcome the legacies of slavery and Jim Crow and colonialism and racism."

Two African-American leaders think that's nonsense.

"Let me offer an extremely brief refresher course on actual, not virtual, racist policies," said Ben Kinchlow, an exclusive WND columnist and the longtime co-host of CBN's "The 700 Club." "Give me an example of the existence of one of the following today: racial segregation of the blind, segregated schools and textbooks, segregated lunch counters, and even segregated cemeteries."

As a young black man in the 1950s and 1960s, Kinchlow encountered all those racist policies. He was also required to step off sidewalks to let white women pass by, take off his hat when talking to a white man, and say "yes, sir" and "no, sir" when talking to young white boys.

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I Just Couldn't Resist

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 06:48 AM PST

Donald Trump’s Unhappy Fate is to Oversee a Financial Crisis Far Worse Than the Last

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 06:45 AM PST

[Ed. Note: Jim Rickards latest New York Times best seller, The Road to Ruin: The Global Elites' Secret Plan for the Next Financial Crisis (claim your free copy here) goes beyond the election and prepares you for the next crisis]

An earthquake doesn't care if you're progressive or populist. It destroys your house all the same. Likewise a financial crisis is indifferent to a politician's policy mix.

Systemic crises proceed according to their own dynamic based on the array of agents in a system, and systemic scale.

The tempo of recent crises in 1994, 1998, and 2008 says a crisis is likely soon. A new global financial panic will be one legacy of the Trump administration. It won't be Trump's fault, merely his misfortune.

The equilibrium and value-at-risk models used by banks will not foresee the new panic. Those models are junk science relying as they do on notions of efficient markets, normally distributed risk, continuous liquidity, and a future that resembles the past. None of those hypotheses match reality.

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The real ‘election rigger’ was the bungling Clinton campaign

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 06:37 AM PST

With denialist Democrats blaming anyone and everyone else for Hillary Clinton's stunning defeat, we feel compelled to point out that the real fault lay close to home: She ran a terrible campaign — fat, dumb and arrogant.

It wasn't just the Clinton camp's failure to ever settle on a message. Beyond the insipid "I'm with her" and "Stronger together" is the candidate's failure to push any actual issues. Even her much-vaunted "ground game" was a disaster.

Just consider how she lost Michigan: In a detailed analysis, Politico reports that Clinton's top aides — wedded to their computer data — angrily rebuffed local supporters who warned she was falling behind. "They believed they were smarter, which they weren't," noted one Democratic veteran.

As late as Election Day morning, Team Clinton was convinced she had a commanding 5-point lead in the state — which she lost by 10,000 votes.

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State Police Rolling Out A Mobile Breathalyzer Truck

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 06:30 AM PST


BALTIMORE (WJZ) — State police are rolling out a new tool to get drunk drivers off the road.

Alex DeMetrick reports, it puts part of a police station on wheels.

It's the first of its kind in Maryland: A mobile breath alcohol testing truck.

"It's going to streamline the process for arresting officers as well as those that are arrested for impaired driving offenses," says Sgt. Corey Steffy, of the Maryland State Police.

Here's how. Right now, when a driver is believed to be under the influence, a field sobriety check is done. Fail it, and the officer must drive the suspect back to the station for a breathalyzer test. But the new truck takes the breathalyzer to the street.

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Life Threatening Accident On Rt. 50

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 06:28 AM PST

Willards and Berlin working a crash on Rt. 50 and the county line. One patient trapped. Upon extrication, patient was transported to PRMC with life threatening injuries. Rt. 50 westbound is closed temporarily. 

Donald Trump Hits President Obama for Complaining About the Election

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 06:23 AM PST

President-elect Donald Trump is challenging the Obama White House over its public investigation into the hacks of Democrats during the election.

"If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House wait so long to act?" he asked on Twitter on Thursday. "Why did they only complain after Hillary lost?"

Trump's comment challenges the president's motivation for the investigation, after Obama repeatedly promised a smooth transition of power in the White House.

Obama defended his decision during an interview with the Daily Show's Trevor Noah:

The reason that I called for a review is really to just gather all the threads of the investigations, the intelligence work that has been done over many months, and put it in a single document that can be shared with members of Congress, relevant intelligent agencies, that can be shared with the transition team so that they understand what exactly happened and so that the public and our elected representatives going forward can find ways to prevent this kind of interference from having an impact on elections in the future.

Trump spokesman Jason Miller challenged the political motivation behind the investigation earlier this week.

"Going back to this overall narrative that is in the news right now, I think really clearly what this is, is an attempt to try to delegitimize President-elect Trump's win," Miller told reporters on Monday. "That really seems to be what is going on here."

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Nancy Pelosi is an idiot

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 06:15 AM PST

Sister Of Hijab Hoaxer Lashes Out At Media, New York City Police

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 06:07 AM PST

The sister of Yasmin Seweid, the 18-year-old Muslim woman who lied about being harassed by a group of Donald Trump supporters on the New York City subway earlier this month, is blaming the media and the New York City police department for investigating the story.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Sara Seweid also appeared to excuse her hoaxing sister, expressing concern over the "mental state of young Muslim women who feel that they have to lie so intensely to survive."

On Wednesday, Yasmin, a student at Baruch College, admitted that she lied to police when she claimed that she was harassed by three pro-Trump white men on the subway. Seweid claimed that the men called her a terrorist and attempted to remove her hijab. And worse, she said, passengers on the subway car refused to intervene to help her.

The story went viral, with news outlets reporting her allegations without questioning whether she may have been lying. Seweid also gave interviews to local news stations.

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LEGENDARY COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 12-17-16

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 06:00 AM PST

The Barber Shop

Now almost a thing of the past is that bastion of masculinity – the barber shop. In 1899, there were six barber shops listed in the City Directory. That figure increased to nine in 1907, but was reduced to eight in 1921. In the following years the number of listed barber shops rose to 17 in 1940 and dropped down to seven in 1961. The current yellow pages have no less than 68 listings under "barber shops", most of which are out of Salisburyand listed as "salons" or "stylists", certainly not barber shops.

The barber shop of bygone times offered shaves as well as haircuts. Many had a rack on the wall that kept individual mugs of shaving cream for the various customers. A shave from a barber cannot be had today, due to the current health laws. They have had to add certain amenities to their product line that may include a hair washing or "facial" just to make ends meet.

Every man has memories of his first trip to the barber shop. Mine were of Johnnie's down on Church Street near what is now Route 13. I think he had another shop farther east on Church Street on the corner of Railroad Avenue. My mother told me this, but I don't remember it being there. He then moved west on Church Street in a long narrow shop. There were chairs on either side leading up to the single barber chair manned by Johnnie Adkins. He also had a fake parrot in a cage that always fascinated me. He then moved to a house just a couple of addresses west. The one farther west on Church Street is still visible and the stone addition on the front of a white frame house is all that remains of Johnnie Adkins barber shop. Somewhere during this period, my mother entrusted me alone in the barber shop. She would walk down Church Street to Kelly's Drug Store and wait for me there, which I always looked forward to because it meant a "soda fountain" soda.

I grew up in the "crew-cut" era and always had a stick of the red goop that made your hair stand up in front. I think they called it butch wax. The barber shop of choice was Krause & Taylor's on N. Division Street. The price of a good butch cut went from 25 to 50 cents during this era. Of course, there was always the barber school located on S. Division Street. They charged 35 cents for a so-so haircut.

When longer hair became the style men, the local barber shops offered "hair-styling" for about seven dollars. I worked on the Plaza for Ralph & Gaskill at the time and all the young people on Main Street knew each other. It seemed that what barbers liked to refer to as styling, the beauty parlor at Benjamin's considered a short cut. Since it was only three dollars, I never felt any embarrassment going there.

Another thing that has disappeared through the years is the Daisy & Bozman Barber Supply Store. They used to make their own after shave and my favorite was something called Bonita Bouquet. It only cost two dollars for a 16 ounce bottle. It also worked in your cigarette lighter and gave off a wonderful aroma. Ah, memories!

The EpiPen Generic Is Finally Here, For $300 Per Twin-Pack

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 05:45 AM PST

A day after Mylan was one of six pharmaceutical companies named in a multi-state lawsuit alleging price-fixing on generic drugs, the maker of high-priced emergency allergy treatment EpiPen announced that the generic version of the popular epinephrine auto-injector is finally hitting the market, giving people a lower-cost (but still pricey) option for buying the drug. 

U.S. Kids Keep Getting Dumber; Ranked 31st Of 35 Developed Nations In Math, New Study Reveals

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 05:30 AM PST

The U.S. Department of Education has just released it's latest ranking of international education systems (Program for International Student Assessment - "PISA") and performance of U.S. students just continues to deteriorate on both absolute and relative terms.

Perhaps it's time to have a real conversation about the complete failure of "Common Core" and the idiocy of allowing teachers' unions to hold our children hostage while hiding behind ridiculous contracts that grant tenure after 6 months and make it impossible to fire underperformers. Just a thought for the incoming Trump administration.

The Washington Post's Valerie Strauss summed up the problems nicely:

There are many reasons children aren't learning anything during the long hours they spend in government schools.Sometimes, their teachers don't show up to work because they're out on the teachers union picket line demanding taxpayers pick up the tab for their plastic surgery. Other times, students are forced to sit in classes led by totallyunqualified teachers who will never leave because they're protected by tenure.

For every disgraceful teacher, though, there are tons of good ones who are doing their best. The problem often isn't teachers' incompetence, it's that they're forced to instruct kids using rubbish. Look at the Common Core State Standards, which were adopted initially by 46 states because their federal education funding depended on it. The math is backwards, confusing, and, as the National Review so suitably dubbed it, "dumb." The reading standards fill students' minds with filth in the form of raunchy books and with yawn-inducing "informational texts."

Our schools no longer teach reading, writing, and arithmetic. Rather than be taught how to think and problem-solve,children are thought what to think and how to feel. All these money-making and money-spending schemes tend to sound nice, of course, but they inevitably fall flat.

Now the results....in math, the U.S. ranked 40th in the world and 31st out of the 35 developed countries that provide data to the study...somewhat less than ideal.

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COMING SOON: Facebook’s New Pop-up Button Will CENSOR Conservative Sites That You Follow

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 05:15 AM PST

The attack on free speech has ramped up to a whole new level!

The attack on free speech has ramped up to a whole new level. Conservatives have been under fire for the last 8 years ever since Barack Hussein Obama became president. Obama has created an atmosphere of hate that allows the left to continually attack anyone with a dissenting opinion. With this past election and the stakes higher than ever, conservatives were more than determined to make sure we did not lose this time around.

Thankfully, Donald Trump did win, but the victory was short-lived for Trump supporters. The left which was left reeling from such a tremendous loss, could not fathom how "Queen" Clinton could lose. The left has blamed everything from the Russians to Fox News, but the biggest one was "Fake News."

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Judge: US Intelligence Likely Leaked DNC Emails, Not Russians

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 05:00 AM PST

Disgruntled intel workers were angry that Hillary exposed classified information

While Democrats, sore losers and the butthurt corporate media continue to yell 'THE RUSSIANS DID IT' or something… a sane voice noted that it is far more likely that it was in fact people within the US intelligence community who leaked the DNC emails to Wikileaks, which ultimately wound up affecting the election result, so the left would have America believe.

Appearing on Varney and Co., Judge Andrew Napolitano told Stewart Varney that he has a source inside the intelligence community who is adamant that insiders leaked the damning emails to Wikileaks, and the Vladimir Putin and Russia had nothing to do with it.

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A Viewer Writes: Idiot driver

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 04:45 AM PST

Four Arrested in Ocean City on Weapons, Gun Charges

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 04:30 AM PST

OCEAN CITY, MD – An investigation into an illegal gun sale resulted in the arrest of four suspects charged with various weapon and drug violations.
On December 13, 2016, detectives of the Ocean City Police Department Criminal Investigation Division and the Worcester County Sheriff's Criminal Enforcement Team initiated an investigation into Bennett T. McNeil III, 26, of Ocean City, in reference to the illegal sale of a stolen .22 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver. The investigation revealed that McNeil had stolen the revolver from a vehicle in West Ocean City and was attempting to sell it.
Ocean City detectives working in an undercover capacity contacted McNeil and arranged a meeting to purchase the revolver later that evening. When McNeil arrived at the meeting place near Sunset Drive and Philadelphia Avenue, he was immediately arrested along with three others who were in the vehicle at the time of the incident. The three additional suspects were identified as Arno R. Arndt, 57, of Snow Hill; Patricia L. Miller, 52, of Bishopville; and Jenna L. Vermillion, 24, of Ocean City.
Upon arrest, officers contacted the Maryland State Police and the Ocean Pines Police Department who were both investigating multiple thefts from vehicles. Their detectives conducted interviews and follow-up investigations which led to a search warrant being conducted at a residence in West Ocean City. As a result of this search warrant, the suspects were linked to a number of other thefts from vehicles in the Ocean City, West Ocean City, Ocean Pines and Glen Riddle areas.
McNiel and Arndt have been charged with illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of ammunition, possession of a stolen regulated firearm, possessing a handgun in a vehicle, and possessing a handgun on person. Miller and Vermillion have been charged with possession of heroin and possession of paraphernalia.
Each suspect was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner and transferred to the Worcester County Jail. McNiel was given a $50,000 bond, Arndt was given a $25,000 bond, Miller was given a $7,500 bond, and Vermillion was given a $40,000 bond.

Freezing Rain Advisory

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 04:18 AM PST

07:00 EST on 12-17-2016

Alert:
...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM EST THIS 
MORNING... 
 
* AREAS AFFECTED: DORCHESTER AND WICOMICO COUNTIES IN MARYLAND. 
 
* HAZARD AND TIMING: LIGHT FREEZING WILL OCCUR EARLY THIS 
MORNING AND END FROM SOUTHEAST TO NORTHWEST THROUGH MID- 
MORNING. 
 
* ACCUMULATIONS: ICE ACCRUAL WILL RANGE FROM A TRACE TO SEVERAL 
HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH...AND MAINLY CONFINED TO ELEVATED 
SURFACES. 
 
* TEMPERATURES: IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOW 30S TO START...RISING 
ABOVE FREEZING BY MID-MORNING SATURDAY. 
 
* IMPACTS: ICING MAY CREATE SLIPPERY CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY ON 
SIDEWALKS...OVERPASSES AND BRIDGES. 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 
 
A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN OR 
FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR 
SLIPPERY ROADS. SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. THE 
LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE 
OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1.

Soros-Backed Efforts Challenging Va. Voter ID Law Rejected By Court

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 04:00 AM PST

A federal appeals court on Tuesday issued an opinion saying that Virginia's voter identification law is constitutional and does not violate the Voting Rights Act.

In the unanimous opinion issued by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the court affirmed that Virginia's voter identification law "does not sweep away all election rules that result in a disparity in the convenience of voting." Under Virginia's elections laws, "every registered voter in Virginia has the full ability to vote when Election Day arrives," the court continued.

The lawsuit against Virginia's voter identification law was filed in early 2015 and was dismissed in May. The plaintiffs challenged the constitutionality of the law by alleging that it violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and disproportionally hurt minority voters.

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Jail sentenced shortened for man involved in B’walk fight

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 03:30 AM PST

Instead of serving 30 days in Worcester County Jail, a man who appealed his conviction for his involvement in a Boardwalk scuffle last July will be held in jail for three days.

Steven Gowen Williams, 20, of Baltimore appeared in Worcester County Circuit Court last week to appeal his sentence for interfering with obstruction of a police officer. Last summer, Williams was one of 11 people charged in two separate incidents when young adults were disturbing the peace, interfering with arrests and attempting to assault police officers.

Williams was one of 200 people in a crowd that formed when police attempted to arrest Savanah Nelson for screaming and inciting the crowd after midnight on July 24. Police said Williams tried to prevent the police from arresting Nelson by grabbing her, pushing her down on a Boardwalk bench and lying on top of her.

According to reports, police employed a stun gun on Williams when they could not physically remove him. When he tried to run down the Boardwalk, he was arrested.

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Mike Morell, Cited in ‘Russia Hacking’ Stories, Works for Longtime Clinton Aide Phillippe Reines

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 03:00 AM PST

TEL AVIV – Mike Morell, the former acting director of the CIA, is generating headlines for claiming that alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election amounts to "the political equivalent of 9/11."

Morell further suggested that the U.S. should respond in a significant way to the alleged Russian actions and he has given interviews supporting reports that the CIA believes Russia tried to influence the election in favor of President-elect Donald Trump.

Absent from the news media coverage of Morell's statements is that he is known for his leading role in helping to craft the infamously misleading talking points used by Obama administration officials to blame the September 11, 2012 Benghazi attacks on a YouTube video.

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Rt. 50 West Bound Closed at Whaleyville Rd.

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 02:55 AM PST

Rt 50 and Whaleyville Rd. west bound closed. Motor vehicle accident with a Delmarva Power truck overturned. Expect delays.

SLOW DOWN!! THE ROADS ARE ICY

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 04:04 AM PST

There is an accident at Route 13 and the Bypass that units are responding to.  MSP has advised 2 cars spun on ice in that area.   

There is also another accident at Route 50 and Sixty foot road.  

The bridges in the area are icy even with the little bit of precipitation that we received.  

UPDATE: There have been 2 separate accidents on the bypass.

Northbound entrance onto the bypass is being shut down.   

Stations 16 & 1 from Salisbury are responding to an accident on the bypass at Northwood Drive in the Southbound lanes.  

State Highway has confirmed they have trucks en route.  

Another accident on the bypass in the Eastbound lanes in the area of the Wicomico River bridge.  

6:05am
Accident with roll over at Route 50 and Sixty Foot Road. 
No accident found at this location. A vehicle was found off the roadway just West of Main street but there was no roll over.

7:02 Am 
Eastbound on the Vienna Bridge is shut down due to an accident.
Dorchester units on scene advise that the bridge is very icy.  They are having difficulty even walking on the bridge at this time.  Advising to expedite State Highway Administration. 

There is also an accident on the Sharptown Bridge.

Arkansas Bill Would Ban Purchasing Junk Food With SNAP Benefits

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 02:30 AM PST

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS (KFSM) -- A controversial bill was filed in Arkansas that would ban people from buying junk food with SNAP benefits. If this bill were to pass, you could no longer use your snap benefits to buy things like chips and candy.

One woman who receives SNAP benefits said she thinks it's a great idea.

"All my life I've been behind people while they get chips and soda and candy and their kids grab those lunchables and ice cream and pile their carts full of junk food and just waste our money," Cynthia Pahmiyer said.

But others said they feel they should be able to buy whatever they want.

"When we are going through the grocery store and we have our kids with us and they like want a candy bar or sucker or something like that and we're just trying to get out of the grocery store and we have to tell them no. We tell them no enough. Why do we want to tell them no because of a health issue," Jessica Kimberling said.

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Ron Paul: The War On "Fake News" Is A War On Free Speech

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 02:00 AM PST

A major threat to liberty is the assault on the right to discuss political issues, seek out alternative information sources, and promote dissenting ideas and causes such as non-interventionism in foreign and domestic affairs. If this ongoing assault on free speech succeeds, then all of our liberties are endangered.

One of the most common assaults on the First Amendment is the attempt to force public policy organizations to disclose their donors. Regardless of the intent of these laws, the effect is to subject supporters of controversial causes to harassment, or worse. This harassment makes other potential donors afraid to support organizations opposing a popular war or defending the rights of an unpopular group.

Many free speech opponents support laws and regulations forbidding activist or educational organizations from distributing factual information regarding a candidate's positions for several months before an election. The ban would apply to communications that do not endorse or oppose any candidate. These laws would result in the only sources of information on the candidate's views being the campaigns and the media.

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Country Music Duo Share Video Of Man Attacking Their Tour Bus In Baltimore

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 01:30 AM PST

Country music stars Dan and Shay played a show at Baltimore's Rams Head Live last night but received a not so warm welcome from one man in Baltimore.

Before their show in Baltimore, the duo took to twitter to show pictures and videos of a man throwing a brick at their tour bus window.

The first tweet the posted was the picture above with the caption "Someone threw a brick through our bus window. The world is a (expletive) up place."

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Articles: Pruitt to Dismantle EPA Climate Agenda

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 01:00 AM PST

Personnel is policy, as they say, and despite his meeting with the High Priest of Climatology, Al Gore, president-elect Donald Trump's pick of Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt to be the new head at EPA, shows Trump is serious about pulling back the curtain to expose climate fraud, leaving climate zealots as unsettled as the alleged "science" they trumpet.

Pruitt has already fought the various unconstitutional power grabs that essentially established it as the fourth and unelected branch of government. As Tom Borelli notes in Conservative Review:

Pruitt's concerns of EPA overreach also includes the agency's controversial, "Waters of the U.S." rule that significantly expanded the federal government's regulatory reach to include ditches on private land. During the presidential campaign, Trump promised to address the regulation that he called one of the "most intrusive rules" and Pruitt could execute the new president's goal to neuter its impact.

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Salisbury MSP Press Release (Fatal MVC in Willards) 12-17-16

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 12:00 AM PST

Homeys

Posted: 17 Dec 2016 12:00 AM PST

I Told You Their Job Was Easy

Posted: 16 Dec 2016 11:00 PM PST
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