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A Potomac, Md., Islamic center maintains links to Iran despite its claims that it is independent of a foundation that is being sued by the U.S. government on charges of funneling money to the Islamic republic. Ali Mohammadi, the current manager of the Islamic Education Center (IEC) of Maryland, told The Washington Times that the center's only relationship to the Alavi Foundation is that of tenant to landlord. He quoted a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office as saying that forfeiture proceedings initiated earlier this month against the foundation - which also owns property in New York and other states...

They're not a member of any conference and you’ll never be able to follow their standout players to the NFL. Nothing about the Navy football team screams “pay attention to me.”

In what could be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in U.S. history, federal prosecutors sought to take over four U.S. mosques and a New York City skyscraper owned by a Muslim organization suspected of being controlled by the Iranian government. Prosecutors on Thursday filed a civil complaint in federal court against the Alavi Foundation, seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets. The assets include bank accounts; Islamic centers consisting of schools and mosques in New York, Maryland, California and Houston; more than 100 acres in Virginia; and a 36-story Manhattan office tower. Confiscating the properties would...

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon is about to put her political future in the hands of a jury. Dixon goes on trial Monday on theft charges. She's accused of hitting up her wealthy developer pals to donate thousands of dollars' worth of gift cards to needy families. Prosecutors say she used those gift cards for her personal shopping instead.

Note: The following text is a quote: MS-13 Gunman Sentenced 80 Years for Attempted Murder ALEXANDRIA, VA—Dennis L. Gil Bernardez, 33, of Landover, Md., the gunman in an MS-13 shooting, was sentenced to 80 years in prison today for attempting to murder rival gang members on Oct. 6, 2008, at a park near homes in Reston, Va. His accomplice, Jose M. Aguilar Orantes, 18, of Reston, Va., who provided the firearm, was sentenced to 55 years in prison for his role in the attempted murders. A third member, Carlos B. Guzman Cruz, 25, of Richmond, Va., was sentenced to 144...

In the wake of Vatican plans to make it easier for Episcopalians to become Catholic, the Episcopal bishop of Maryland would like to make one point clear: The door swings both ways. Lost in talk of the splintering of the Anglican Communion, Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton says, is the appeal that the 45,000-member Episcopal Diocese of Maryland has held for former Roman Catholics and others looking for a big-tent church. While attention focused on the conversion en masse last month of a Catonsville-based order of Episcopal nuns to the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland has received...

Maybe Freepers need a forum devoted to movies, stage, acting, and the arts.

Perry Ealim was elated to learn that he had won a local business award from the Anne Arundel County NAACP, and he sent a mass e-mail asking friends and associates, largely fellow Republicans, to join him at the Nov. 20 award ceremony. But most aren't so eager to dine with the evening's guest speaker, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., who is President Obama's controversial former pastor. "I am happy for your honor, however I cannot support an organization that would have a racist/bigot such as Mr. Wright as [its] speaker," wrote James Pelura, chairman of the Maryland Republican Party....

In 2003, several counties in Northern Virginia banded together to form a joint task force to crack down on illegals and gangs. Then in March of last year, Prince William County made national headlines by upping the ante even further. They passed an ordinance that required County police to verify the immigration status of any criminal or traffic suspects when there was probable cause to think they were in the country illegally. The suspects were held and transferred to ICE, irrespective of the disposition of the underlying charge.

Crackdowns on illegal immigrants and other law enforcement efforts are driving gangs out of Northern Virginia and into Maryland and the District, a report released Monday concluded. "Many gang members from Northern Virginia are moving or driving to Prince George's and other Maryland counties, into the District of Columbia or further south and west into Virginia to avoid dealing with police departments that are unrelenting in their efforts to keep gangs under control," authorities wrote in the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force report. The report said the task force's success is the result of Virginia law enforcement's use of...

Health Reform: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says it's constitutional to mandate insurance coverage. Congress, he insists, has "broad authority" to make us buy things to provide for the "general welfare." Democrats' Alice In Wonderland interpretation of what they consider to be a "living Constitution," where words mean what they say they mean based on political considerations, gets more bizarre by the minute. (snip) We've been down this road before. In 1994, Hillary Clinton's secretive health care task force was trying to nationalize health care. "A mandate requiring all individuals to purchase health insurance would be an unprecedented form of...

Baltimore City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and 10 members of the council are sponsoring a bill that Catholic leaders believe harasses pro-life pregnancy support centers. City Council Bill 09-0406, “Limited-Service Pregnancy Centers –Disclaimers,” would require pregnancy support centers to post a disclaimer noting that they do not provide abortion or contraceptive services. Centers that do not comply would be fined $500 per day. In an Oct. 16 letter to Rawlings-Blake, Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien said the bill targets non-profit organizations whose mission is to help women carry pregnancies to term. He said it is “well-known” that pregnancy support centers are...

Note: The following text is a quote: Maryland Scientist Charged with Attempted Espionage WASHINGTON—A Maryland scientist who once worked in varying capacities for the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has been arrested for attempted espionage, David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Channing D. Phillips, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Joseph Persichini, Jr., Assistant Director for the FBI’s Washington Field Office, announced today. A criminal complaint unsealed today in the District of Columbia charges Stewart David Nozette, 52, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, with attempted espionage for...

WASHINGTON — A scientist who worked for the Defense Department, a White House space council and other agencies was arrested Monday on charges of attempting to pass along classified information to an FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence officer. Stewart David Nozette, 52, of Chevy Chase, Md., was charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to communicate, deliver and transmit classified information, the Justice Department said. The complaint does not allege that the government of Israel or anyone acting on its behalf violated U.S. law. Nozette was arrested by FBI agents. He is expected to make his initial appearance...

A top Chinese general will visit the United States this month and tour major U.S. bases as Washington seeks to improve relations and reduce the risk of conlict, offi

"Leaders of the Maryland NAACP, worried that a Baltimore mayor's criminal conviction could result in the appointment of a white or Republican leader who may not fully represent the majority black and Democratic city, are asking state lawmakers to strip the governor of authority to permanently fill the office. The request, made in a resolution adopted at a state meeting of the civil rights group last weekend, marks the first time a mainstream organization has raised questions about succession should Baltimore Mayor Dixon be convicted of any of the nine charges she faces. Dixon has been indicted for theft and...

When 87-year-old Alice Jadwigia Armstrong looked up from her hospital bed and saw the smiling face of Sister Lourdes Miranda, she was visibly buoyed by the nun’s presence. Clasping the hand of the Little Sister of the Poor, the white-haired woman seemed transported to the security of her youth. “I like her because she reminds me of my mother,” Armstrong said with a laugh. “You can depend on her.” Sister Lourdes, one of 17 Little Sisters who minister at St. Martin’s Home for the Aged in Catonsville, laughed warmly. The Cuba native reached out and tenderly brushed Armstrong’s cheek with...

MOUNT AIRY, Md. — A home-improvement worker and school janitor who apparently was struggling to survive the recession killed his sleeping wife and two children before turning the 12-gauge shotgun on himself, Maryland State Police said Saturday. Charles L. Dalton, 38, left no suicide note and police haven’t clearly identified a motive for the murders, spokesman Greg Shipley said. “It is possible that financial difficulties were part of the motive,” he said. Police announced the findings one day after the bodies of Dalton, his wife Jennifer, 37, and their children Charles Jr., 14, and Emmaline, 7, were found in their...

My son who is 10 years old is going to the Montgomery County school system in Maryland this year to give him some wider experience after having all of his previous education in either Israeli or Jewish community schools. It certainly is an experience! In some ways, it seems like a parody of multiculturalism. My children are tough, well-informed and have strong characters, largely informed by an Israeli world view. But they also have a very American persona, though one that may be becoming increasingly rare among upper middle class elite counterparts. Here are some highlights of fourth-grade life in...

Ann Geddes doesn't want a "fair and balanced" workout. But the 49-year-old worker for a nonprofit agency is having no luck getting the channel changed in front of her favorite rowing machine at a Columbia gym. The television happens to be tuned permanently to Fox News. Geddes, a liberal Democrat and former legislative aide to a Howard County delegate, said she can't stomach the conservative lineup that appears nightly as she gets her exercise. Even though the sound is off, the words scrolling across the bottom of the screen infuriate her.

Baltimore Sun: A spokeswoman for Attorney General Doug Gansler said the probe will "involve everything," although she declined to say whether it includes the videos, which could constitute a violation of Maryland's two-party consent law. The article mentions that Gansler asked permission to initiate the investigation from Governor Martin O'Malley, whose office made the announcement via a press release. Neither O'Malley's or Gansler's website has a news release or other announcement about the ACORN probe as of yet. ACORN's spokeswoman told the Sun they "welcome" the investigation as a way to clear their name. Previously, Gansler had said the ACORN...

WBAL.comFormer ACORN workers in the city are planning to file a civil complaint against the makers of the video, according to the website Investigative Voice. City state's attorney Patricia Jessamy said on WBAL's Shari Elicker Show that she could not prosecute based on restrictions for evidence obtained illegally. Maryland law requires two party consent to be recorded. Investigative VoiceFormer employees of the beleaguered community activist group ACORN are planning to file a criiminal complaint in Baltimore against the creators of the series of videos that have spurred outrage against the organization, knowledgable sources have told Investigative Voice. The filing could...

One of few dissidents in the crowd, Fightin Words's Walter Hudson attended President Obama's September 12th rally for health care reform at the Minneapolis Target Center. Impressions from the event and a breakdown of the president's arguments in this week's podcast.

Aboard a pontoon boat chugging past the marshland of Maryland's upper Patuxent River on a recent Saturday, Ralph Eshelman pointed to the spot where the muddy brown water hides a shipwreck nearly two centuries old, part of the American flotilla that defended the Chesapeake Bay when the British burned Washington during the War of 1812. Nearly 30 years ago, Eshelman helped direct a team of marine researchers who discovered the wreck, one of the war's most significant artifacts. After a limited, month-long excavation of the site east of Upper Marlboro in 1980, the wreck was reburied under four feet of...

Each week we look forward to the Friday News Dump, that special time when the Government "dumps" a news story that will be unfavorable to them should it be well publicized. The theory being the public will be too busy to pay attention to the news during the busy weekend and when the news cycle begins on Monday, the "dropped" story will be old news. Yesterday, Obama Administration literally dropped one of its biggest supporters: ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) Read more about it on The Hippo's Ass Blog

If Van Jones was feeling lonely and singled out, he's got some friends headed to join him under the bus... Obama appointee, Robert Grove, has dashed off a letter, notifying the national ACORN headquarters he is severing all ties with the community organizing group for all 2010 census work. "Over the last several months, through ongoing communication with our regional offices, it is clear that ACORN's affiliation with the 2010 Census promotion has caused sufficient concern in the general public, has indeed become a distraction from our mission, and may even become a discouragement to public cooperation, negatively impacting 2010...

In a classic feat of showmanship, a Frederick County commissioner brought attention to local budget problems by declaring that the county should secede and become its own state. Commissioner John L. Thompson Jr. persuaded his fellow board members Tuesday to ask the county's financial staff for a study of how much of residents' state taxes are returned, but the board fell short of passing a secession resolution.

I do not understand how a gun buy-back (CR, Aug. 27) “paves the way to peace.” Five previous efforts offer no indication of doing so. Would not putting easy gun buy-back money in the hands of criminals that have guns just encourage them to steal guns? We can blame guns for a lack of peace, but if we want to respect humanity’s dignity we have to blame criminals. Crime is a choice. I do not know how to cure criminals. I do know that we need to protect ourselves from them and that a gun is a reasonable thing to...

A spiritual journey that began seven years ago ended in the sanctuary of a Catonsville convent Sept. 3 when 10 Episcopal nuns and their priest chaplain were received into full communion with the Catholic Church. In administering the sacrament of confirmation, Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien traced a cross on the foreheads of each candidate as he anointed them with sacred chrism oil and called on them to be sealed with the Holy Spirit. The sisters then renewed their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as some 120 worshipers looked on.

Still no word. A guy threatens the entire First Family, including the President's kids and we never hear from him again. Should be in court. Should appear befor a judge. Should be behind bars. Still no word, maybe somebody forgot to check this story out. I'd be curious to know the profile of this lunatic.

PRESS RELEASE  For Immediate Release August 25, 2009 Hampstead to Fly Protest Flag In an act of protest, Hampstead Mayor Haven N. Shoemaker has ordered the Town’s municipal flag to be replaced by the historic Gadsen “Don’t Tread On Me” flag. Mayor Shoemaker will raise the flag after a brief ceremony at the War Memorial in Hampstead at 6 p.m., September 1. The timing of the ceremony coincides with anticipated cuts in state funding to local governments including Hampstead. “We have the so-called stimulus which is nothing more than an unprecedented issuance of debt. We have ObamaCare. In Maryland, we...

Father Leo Patalinghug is not the kind of guy who steps down from a challenge. The 39-year-old priest is a former national full-contact stick fighting champion, a black belt in tae kwon do and an 80s break dancer who can still bust the moves with the best of them. So when Bobby Flay, a world-class celebrity chef, recently showed up in Frederick County and challenged the well-known “cooking priest” to a “throwdown” on the Food Network, Father Patalinghug’s response was simple: bring it on.

In a story in this week’s issue of The Catholic Review, Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien talked about the violence plaguing Baltimore City. Here is the full transcript of that conversation. Catholic Review: When the summer began, you had a peace summit with other religious leaders and you were hoping this would be a summer of peace. How frustrating has it been to watch everything that’s transpired? Archbishop O’Brien: I hope some of it helped. It’s safer in Iraq and Afghanistan, I think, sometimes. Still, there are good people out there patrolling the streets and taking an interest in the neighborhoods...

also Howard and Carroll Counties

(Towson Maryland)-After the office of Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin admitted to receiving over 1,600 RSVP's for its health care Town Hall, they must have been surprised at the more than 2,000 citizens that showed up according to witnesses and University Police. An urgent request to the AFL-CIO for forces to "counter" those opposed to healthcare was able to result in the a large group of supporters in line hours before the doors opened but was not able to counter the voices of those locked out of the meeting. Sign carrying protesters both for and against the health care bill took...

Senate Seeks FCC Approval To Jam Prison Cell Phones Legislation aims to stop organized-crime members from using smuggled cell phones to conduct criminal activities from prison. By W. David Gardner InformationWeek July 15, 2008 04:00 AM With strong bipartisan support to permit the jamming of cell phone signals in prisons, the issue will head to the Federal Communications Commission, which has had longtime jurisdiction over wireless jamming and interference measures. The debate has received widespread attention this week in hearings conducted by the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. The Safe Prisons Communications Act, co-sponsored by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and...

Many congressional Democrats expect to spend a lot of this recess helping their constituents understand the pending proposals, as well as the current healthcare system, because both are so complex and so little understood. Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) says the many senior citizens and military veterans in his district are already enjoying the benefit of federal health programs, but some hardly seem to realize it. He cites an 80-year-old man who told him to "keep the government out of healthcare" -- even though Medicare had paid for his successful heart surgery 15 years ago. Altmire, one of only three Democrats...

WASHINGTON -- A panel of experts convened for a second day on Friday to probe the scientific process used by the FBI to identify used to identify the anthrax used in the deadly, 2001 mailings. The meeting featured presentations from three experts who worked on the case. Scientific methods were explained, and the 15-member panel was asked to use the study as a means to prepare for future attacks. A lawmaker also addressed the group, criticizing the FBI's handling of the country's first, widespread bioterrorism event. "If the technical and scientific procedures are as flawed as the non-technical procedures, they...

H. Gerard Knoche, Bishop of ELCA Delaware-Maryland Synod, to Retire 09-171-MRC CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. H. Gerard Knoche, bishop of the Delaware-Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), announced he will retire Oct. 31, 2009. Knoche, 66, was elected bishop of the synod in 2000 and re-elected to serve another six-year term in 2006. In a July letter to members of the synod, Knoche said his health has been a concern for the past few years. "The synod has been very patient and much in prayer during my past illnesses, for which I am most grateful,"...

July 14, 2009House Leadership's Health Care Plan Pushes Top Tax Rates Over 50% in 39 States Couples Earning More than $1 Million Hit with 5.4% SurtaxWashington, DC, July 14, 2009 - A third updated Tax Foundation report shows that 39 states would see top tax rates exceed 50% under a health care funding plan announced today by House Democrats.The latest proposal—one of several floated on Capitol Hill in the past few days and the third analyzed by the Tax Foundation since Friday—would impose a surtax of 1 percent on married couples with adjusted gross incomes (AGI) between $350,000 and $500,000...

Three times in a row, the moonbats have been a NO SHOW! A little birdie told us their website stated different times and other location on certain Saturdays. So, Lurker Bill and I rushed down early to find them not there. We even stayed a bit longer to make sure they didn't show up and they didn't. I guess they follow the clock in Westminster and think it’s always 12 o’clock, therefore never the right time to protest, especially against a WAR that is no longer Bush’s but Obama’s. BELOW: Time stands still for the moonbats BELOW: 3 strikes and...

Burner charged with desecrating a flag A teen claimed she was "making a statement" when she lit an American flag on fire with a cigarette lighter and then stomped on it in the middle of traffic, according to police. The incident occurred just hours after Americans celebrated Independence Day with fireworks celebrations across the region. Two officers said they saw Rebecca Ellen McKimmie, 18, of Ocean City, Md., light the flag on fire early Sunday morning while standing between two lanes of traffic near the Route 50 Bridge. Police said once it was lit she then stomped on it in...

Protesters show anger with Washington, D.C.By ANDREW SCHOTZ July 7, 2009 HAGERSTOWN — Hundreds of protesters gathered at Hagerstown’s University Plaza on Tuesday, showing that their level of anger about spending, civil liberties and President Obama remains high, rain or shine. The first TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party, held in a sopping rain on April 15, drew about 300 people downtown. On Tuesday, which was clear and sunny, about 400 people attended. Cities across the country have hosted similar rallies this year. Lining West Washington Street, many people sounded off about the hundreds of billions of dollars in Obama’s stimulus...

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett Invites You to Attend the Free Go Green Energy Conference Monday, June 29 in Frederick, MD 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Congressman Roscoe Bartlett says, “I want to help you learn how to make every day Earth Day at the free Go Green Energy Conference this Monday, June 29 from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm in Frederick, Maryland. More than 500 people are registered to attend and see 85 indoor exhibitors, 18 outdoor exhibitors and learn from two dozen experts who will be speaking. I encourage homeowners, farmers and small business owners to attend the free Go...

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A grand jury in Anne Arundel County declined Friday to indict a 16-year-old boy for second-degree murder in the beating death of another teen. Javel George still faces a manslaughter charge filed by the State's Attorney in the death of 14-year-old Christopher Jones of Crofton. Prosecutors can't provide details about the evidence because of laws surrounding grand jury testimony. Investigators say George attacked Jones while he was riding his bicycle. Another 14-year-old old faces charges as a juvenile in connection with Jones' death.

2 FReep/Rallies in a row and moonbats are a NO SHOW! Since I have no pictures to share, I’m using one from a previous AAR. Seems appropriate, don’t you think? OK, it’s not Under New Management, it’s Under No Management, but you get the picture! We certainly don’t have the numbers we want in Westminster, but there are at least 2 of us there supporting our Troops the 2nd and last Saturday of each month. We cannot let them down, especially in these troubled times. God Bless our Troops and America. We need to take America back! Keep attending those...

Prince George's County Sheriff Michael Jackson said Friday deputies acted "in a professional and acceptable manner" when they shot two dogs inside the home of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo last summer. During a press conference Friday morning in which Jackson made public selected details from an internal investigation, he said, "The release of today's findings are consistent with what I've felt all along — my deputies did their job to the fullest extent of their abilities." Calvo has filed complaints that police and deputies needlessly shot the dogs when they raided his house on July 29, 2008, after mistakenly...

The All Saints Convent chapel at Catonsville. NLM is reporting this morning that the Anglican All Saints Sisters of the Poor in Catonsville, Maryland have announced their intention to be received into the Caholic Church on September 3. These are wonderful women and this is wonderful news. As an Anglican, I made two retreats with the sisters when the men's order I was an associate of held it's chapter at Catonsville and I've visited one or two other times. One of their sisters was assigned to St. Anna's, the small house they maintain in Philadelphia, and I knew her...

CUMBERLAND, Md. — A dispute has erupted in Cumberland over the distribution of a brochure that purports to explain the history of the Confederate battle flag in Allegany County public schools.

Here is the column that was submitted by Ron Smith, a weekly Baltimore Sun columnist, to the newspaper. However, The Sun decided not to run the piece today for various reasons. Decide for yourself whether the decision makers at The Sun made the right decision. Because of all the reports I've read and conversations I've had on the radio this week about Baltimore's notorious violence being directed these days randomly at people going about their daily business even in the supposedly safe "touristy" areas of the city, I reached for my copy of Anthropologist Jack Weatherford's book, "Savages and Civilization:...