WBOC Broadcast Back To Sucking Again

While we complained more than a month ago about WBOC broadcast breaking up on a regular basis, it seemed to get their complete attention because all of a sudden it started working properly.

Over the past few days its back to losing every other word, (literally) and the screen is breaking up all over the place. Sure, some might say its because of the wind, I think not. The wind has died down and the problem has been happening for the past few days.

The fix must have cost them money and they got tired of fighting it and finally gave up. For what its worth, if I were an advertiser like Johnnie Janosick, I'd be FURIOUS! I'll be the first to admit, I enjoy watching WBOC because of the professional veterans that have been around for many years.

However, we have once again changed channels and are sick and tired of trying to give them yet another chance. Why did they spend $13,000,000.00 on a new studio if they can't even get the broadcast straight.

Doctors And Self-Dealing

DOCTORS ARE NOT permitted to sell the medicine they prescribe, and for an excellent reason: It would be a conflict of interest, creating financial incentive for physicians to peddle drugs of little or no benefit to patients. So why should doctors be allowed to both order and administer MRIs, CT scans and other high-tech procedures that may or may not be needed and useful?

The answer is, they shouldn't. But doctors are engaging in so-called self-referrals in dramatically greater numbers and reaping the financial rewards. They may be adding billions to medical costs in added insurance premiums and taxes.

There is substantial evidence that doctors who own scanners order excessive scans. In 2009 The Post's Shankar Vedantam recounted the case of Urological Associates, a medical practice on the Iowa-Illinois border treating kidney stones and other ailments for which scans are common diagnostic tools. In the months after the urologists purchased their own CT scanner, the number of scans they ordered soared by more than 700 percent. Academic and government studies suggest similar behavior across the country.

READ MORE.

Salisbury Police Department Press Releases

On February 11, 2011 at approximately 2:00 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to an apartment building on W. Main Street for an assault. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult male victim that had been assaulted by another occupant of the same building. The subjects had become involved in an argument due to a bill which escalated into the below suspect threatening the victim with a knife. The knife used in the assault, a large kitchen knife, was recovered and seized by the officers.

ARRESTED: David Christopher Hill, 36 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: First degree assault
Second degree assault
Reckless endangerment
Possession of a deadly weapon

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100005317

On February 11, 2011 at approximately 10:07 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police were on routine patrol in the area of Lincoln Avenue and Spring Avenue and conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by the below listed suspect for traffic violations. The suspect was a passenger in the vehicle. During the traffic stop, the behavior of the passengers resulted in a request by the officers for a K-9 scan of the vehicle. A K-9 from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to scan the vehicle and during the scan, the below listed suspect was found to be in possession of two (2) baggies of suspected cocaine. The suspect initially gave the officers false identification and when an accurate identification was obtained, the suspect was found to be wanted on an outstanding bench warrant.

ARRESTED: Andre (nmn) Hampton, 33 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Possession of cocaine with intent to distribute
Possession of cocaine
Possession of CDS/Paraphernalia (2 counts)
False identification to avoid arrest
Wicomico Co. Circuit Court Bench Warrant
Violation of probation
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100005362/201100005368

On February 12, 2011 at approximately 4:45 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to meet with an adult female victim of a domestic assault. Upon arrival the officers met with the victim who advised that she had been involved in an argument with a family member. The argument escalated and resulted in the below listed suspect assaulting her.

ARRESTED: Clement Lamar Byrd, Sr., 29 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Second degree assault

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100005459

On February 13, 2011 at approximately 7:42 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Walmart Department Store on North Salisbury Boulevard for the report of two (2) shoplifters. Upon arrival the officers met with security personnel who advised that store employees had observed the below listed suspects take medication from the store without any attempts at payment. The medication was recovered and returned to the store.

ARRESTED #1: Michael Gene Harrison, Jr., 21 years of age
Crisfield, Maryland
ARRESTED #2: Juvenile, 17 years of age
Crisfield, Maryland
CHARGES (both): Theft (under $ 100)
DISPOSITION: Suspect # 1 released to Central Booking
Suspect # 2 released to parent/guardian
CC # 201100005604

Two Headlines On Top Of Each Other That Makes No Sense!

Oil prices fall as supplies continue to grow

Oil prices rise after Chinese export report

This is what I can't stand about the MSM. One second new home sales are down and within 12 hours they're better than the month before. The English say it best. "Could be, then again it might not be, so, one never knows, does one."

Clothing Prices To Rise 10 Percent

Get ready to start paying more for new clothing. With an economic recovery underway, labor and materials are costing more.

Utility Workers Find Femur Bone On Jersey Road

Utility crews working on Jersey Road came to a sudden halt when they dug up a femur bone while installing under ground cables.

This is not unusual here on the Eastern Shore as there are many unmarked or registered grave sites. Nevertheless, the Medical Examiner has been called in to further investigate.

By 2014, Blacks Won't Be D.C. Majority: Analyst

Washington isn’t what it used to be -- mainly because the people that live here now are a lot richer.

The Washington Post recently reported the results of new research by the Brookings Institution. It found that from 2000 to 2009, the District gained 39,000 households with incomes of $75,000 or higher. During that same period, the city lost 37,600 households with incomes of $50,000 or less.

According to the Washington Post, these numbers refer to a “job market that is creating tens of thousands of high-paid and high skilled positions, but hemorrhaging lower level ones.”

It also seems there’s been a shift with the city’s ethnicity. According to the Brookings Institution research, the city’s proportion of black residents dropped from 59.4 percent to 52.7 percent, while the proportion of white residents grew from 27.8 percent to 33.3 percent.

READ MORE

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 14, 2011) – Governor Martin O’Malley issued this statement today following President Obama’s visit to Maryland to outline his proposed FY 2012 budget and his commitment to protect investments in public education:

“I want to thank President Obama for visiting Parkville Middle School and Center of Technology today to introduce his proposed budget.  The President’s proposed budget makes the tough and fiscally responsible choices to reduce the deficit, but protect investments in public education and win the future.  In Maryland, even in these challenging times, we’ve protected record education funding for Maryland schools and President Obama’s visit today recognizes the importance of these investments as we prepare the next generation of Americans to win the future.”

“Parkville Middle School and Center of Technology is a wonderful example of Maryland’s best-in-the-nation public schools, which serve as a national model for career technical education, focusing on the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math that prepare our students for the new economy”.

Are You Better Off Today?

And of course we are told that inflation is not a problem.  Wake up America!

-Two years ago on January 20th, Barack Obama was inaugurated as president of the United States .  Are you better off today than you were two years ago? Numbers don't lie, and here are the data on the impact he has had on the lives of Americans. January 2009 TODAY % chg Source Avg. retail price/gallon gas in U.S. $1.83 $3.104 69.6% 1 Crude oil, European Brent (barrel) $43.48 $99.02 127.7% 2 Crude oil, West TX Inter. (barrel) $38.74 $91.38 135.9% 2 Gold: London (per troy oz.) $853.25 $1,369.50 60.5% 2 Corn, No.2 yellow, Central IL $3.56 $6.33 78.1% 2 Soybeans, No. 1 yellow, IL $9.66 $13.75 42.3% 2 Sugar, cane, raw, world, lb. fob $13.37 $35.39 164.7% 2 Unemployment rate, non-farm, overall 7.6% 9.4% 23.7% 3 Unemployment rate, blacks 12.6% 15.8% 25.4% 3 Number of unemployed 11,616,000 14,485,000 24.7% 3 Number of fed. employees, ex. military (curr = 12/10 prelim) 2,779,000 2,840,000 2.2% 3 Real median household income (2008 v 2009) $50,112 $49,777 -0.7% 4 Number of food stamp recipients (curr = 10/10) 31,983,716 43,200,878 35.1% 5 Number of unemployment benefit recipients (curr = 12/10) 7,526,598 9,193,838 22.2% 6 Number of long-term unemployed 2,600,000 6,400,000 146.2% 3 Poverty rate, individuals (2008 v 2009) 13.2% 14.3% 8.3% 4 People in poverty in U.S. (2008 v 2009) 39,800,000 43,600,000 9.5% 4 U.S. rank in Economic Freedom World Rankings 5 9 n/a 10 Present Situation Index (curr = 12/10) 29.9 23.5 -21.4% 11 Failed banks (curr = 2010 + 2011 to date) 140 164 17.1% 12 U.S. dollar versus Japanese yen exchange rate 89.76 82.03 -8.6% 2 U.S. money supply, M1, in billions (curr = 12/10 prelim) 1,575.1 1,865.7 18.4% 13 U.S. money supply, M2, in billions (curr = 12/10 prelim) 8,310.9 8,852.3 6.5% 13 National debt, in trillions $10.627 $14.052 32.2% 14 Just take this last item:  In the last two years we have accumulated national debt at a rate more than 27 times as fast as during the rest of our entire nation's history.  Over 27 times as fast! Metaphorically, speaking, if you are driving in the right lane doing 65 MPH and a car rockets past you in the left lane 27 times faster . . . it would be doing 1,755 MPH!  This is a disaster! Sources: (1) U.S. Energy Information Administration; (2) Wall Street Journal; (3) Bureau of Labor Statistics; (4) Census Bureau; (5) USDA; (6) U.S. Dept. of Labor; (7) FHFA; (8) Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller; (9) RealtyTrac; (10) Heritage Foundation and WSJ; (11) The Conference Board; (12) FDIC; (13) Federal Reserve; (14) U.S. Treasury

A Budget With Re-Election In Mind

Obama's opening bid

Obama’s $3.7 trillion budget is an opening bid, as well as a political document by someone who wants to win re-election… 10 additional things you need to know about the budget… The president discusses the budget at 10:20 am ET in Baltimore… CPAC winners: Ron Paul, Chris Christie, the Trump-hungry tabloids, and Sarah Palin… The CPAC losers: GOP foreign-policy chops, CPAC itself, and Gingrich/Santorum… Romney and Pawlenty were neither winners nor losers… A WIDE range of opinions on Daniels’ speech… Barbour sounds like he’s running… And Flake to announce he’s running for Kyl’s Senate seat.

MORE HERE

CHECK FOR ALZHEIMER'S - PRETTY AMAZING

The following was developed as a mental age assessment by the School of Psychiatry at Harvard University.

Take your time and see if you can read each line aloud without a mistake.
The average person over 40 years of age cannot do it!
1. This is this cat.
2. This is is cat.
3. This is how cat.
4. This is to cat.
5. This is keep cat.
6. This is an cat.
7. This is old cat.
8. This is fart cat.
9. This is busy cat.
10. This is for cat.
11. This is forty cat.
12. This is seconds cat.
Now go back and read the third word in each line from the top down.

Loch Raven Area Becomes Test Site For Deer Spaying Experiment

Program testing non-lethal way to curb suburban deer spread financed by environmentalist's estate

In a tiny trailer parked near Loch Raven Reservoir, a 2-year-old doe draped in blue surgical cloth sleeps on her back as a veterinarian opens her belly. Less than an hour later, the deer is stepping back into the safety of the woods, the latest patient in an experiment in wildlife management that doesn't involve arrows or bullets.

In all, 32 does are sporting surgical staples where white fur used to be and tags in their ears marking them as the initial group in a three-year research project to see if spaying can help keep the suburban deer population in check. It is the first experiment of its type in Maryland and one of just a handful being carried out in the country.

Over seven days earlier this month, a small team of professionals and volunteers tranquilized, captured and removed the ovaries of does to ensure they can no longer add to a growing population that has upset the watershed ecosystem.
GO HERE to read more and see video.

Chandra Levy's Mom Not Certain Right Man Convicted In D.C. Intern's Murder

WASHINGTON -- The mother of Washington intern Chandra Levy says she'd like to believe Ingmar Guandique is responsible for her daughter's death, but admits she has a sliver of doubt.

Asked if she felt 100 percent certain the right man had been convicted of the crime, Susan Levy said on CBS' "The Early Show" Monday that, "To be honest, I always have that 5 percent of not being sure."

MORE HERE

Energy Drinks Can Be Dangerous For Teens, Report Says

Potential risks include heart palpitations, seizures, strokes or sudden death

CHICAGO — Energy drinks are under-studied, overused and can be dangerous for children and teens, warns a report by doctors who say kids shouldn't use the popular products.

The potential harms, caused mostly by too much caffeine or similar ingredients, include heart palpitations, seizures, strokes and even sudden death, the authors write in the medical journal Pediatrics. They reviewed data from the government and interest groups, scientific literature, case reports and articles in popular and trade media.

MORE HERE

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO JOIN LEGISLATORS ANNOUNCING PROPOSAL TO BAN SEPTICS IN MAJOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Bill will reduce pollution, support smart growth and agricultural preservation

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 14, 2011) – Governor Martin O’Malley will join legislative sponsors of a proposal to ban septic systems in major new developments today, an initiative he supported during last week’s State of the State address.  The bill, sponsored by Delegate Stephen Lafferty and Senator Paul Pinsky, will require that major new subdivisions include technology to treat sewage waste before it is discharged. The bill will also promote smart growth and agricultural preservation.

Governor O’Malley will also join Kim Coble, Maryland Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Septic systems prevent bacteria from entering waterways or ground water, but do nothing to reduce nitrogen pollution, one of the most significant problems facing the Chesapeake Bay. Modern technologies, with a permit from the Maryland Department of the Environment, can be utilized to reduce pollution from these developments.

WHAT:           Governor O’Malley to join legislators to introduce septic system proposal

WHEN:           TODAY, Monday, February 14, 2011 at 4:30 p.m.

WHERE:         Maryland State House

                        Governor’s Reception Room

                        Second Floor

                        Annapolis, MD

Police Shoot, Kill Home Invasion Suspect In D.C.

Police shot and killed one suspect and injured another while responding to a home invasion Sunday night in northeast Washington.

D.C. Police responded to a burglary in progress on the 1000 block of Irving Street NE at about 10:30 p.m.

The suspects entered the home wearing masks. Commander Lamar D. Greene said the suspects fired at police while they went out the back door. Police had the home surrounded and fired back at the suspects.

Two of the suspects were taken to the hospital. One died. Police arrested a third suspect. Police said they would investigate to see if the three suspects are linked to other crimes in the area.

Source

Salisbury News Goes Green, Sort Of

It was a no brainer making a final decision on just what vehicle the Albero household would buy next. In the past few months we have purchased two vehicles from Pohanka Automotive Group. Oh, so you know, both of our donations went to the Salisbury Zoo.

As many of you know, we own a LOT of vehicles. That being said, insurance is through the roof but more importantly our monthly gas bill is just unbelievable. We wanted a Family vehicle that would not only have plenty of room to travel, we wanted a vehicle that could hold the bulk things we buy on a regular basis. The final thought process was, how could we really save on gas.

The Toyota Prius was without a doubt the best choice on the market today. We spent quite a bit of time going back and forth looking at all kinds of makes and models but when we sat down with Charles McAleer and learned all of the different features this 2011 Toyota Prius offered we were immediately sold on the product. The only problem was, they didn't have the color we wanted on their lot. That too didn't seem to be an issue because they had it there within just a few hours. 

So even though it's blue, it's green. My Wife couldn't be more happy and the Grandson thinks it's the coolest thing on earth.  So far we're averaging around 60 mpg. It does take a bit to get used to it. Because you're saving so much on gas you really don't have the temptation to step on the gas pedal to get going. Mind you, you hit one button on this puppy and she'll fly.

If you'd like to learn more about this unbelievable vehicle call Charles McAleer at Pohanka Toyota 410-543-2000 and let this guy blow your mind away with all the features the Toyota Prius provides. 

Death Penalty Repeal Effort Begins Anew

By Julie Bykowicz, The Sun (Baltimore)Capital punishment opponents said today that they have more co-sponsors than ever on legislation to repeal the state's rarely used death penalty. The announcement comes as the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services acknowledged it would need more time to rewrite the execution procedure -- a process that has so far taken several years and given the state a de facto moratorium.

Forever Grateful

Dear Mr. Albero,    

    

I cannot thank you enough for all the trouble and time you spent helping us bring our pet dog Frosty back home. 

    

My daughter and I have already been through heartbreak when we were told our Siberian Husky "Lacey" had Lymphoma Cancer that did not show itself until a couple weeks after we had her spayed.  The Pet Medical Center wanted to cremate her and offered my daughter a box with a poem and ashes but at the last minute my daughter backed out and opted to put Lacey on steroids and hold onto her as long as possible.  Lacey has not been on steroids since September and is doing so well I find it harder and harder to believe she is ill.  We pray everyday that she will continue to thrive. 

    

Frosty our Eskimo Spitz has been with us since December 2005.  I  purchased shots for him from Southern States and after moving from a home I had lived in for 5 years due to losing my job between hand surgeries and being forced to wait for compensation after missing 2 weeks rent of 100 each the landlord evicted me but 2 weeks later we soon found a home in Delmar and I still work despite my disabilities. 

    

When my mother died my daughter and I tried to keep renting both homes while I worked and tried to give away to my mother's  closest friends and relatives all she had collected over the years.   Afterwards, my friends and I hauled 9 truck and trailer loads of what was left to the Mason Dixon Auction. 

    

My daughter recently lost the home we had in Delmar and on August 29th I moved all that I could with the help of close friends here to Salisbury.

    

Due to the extreme cold we suffer during the winter month's  I've let our dogs inside at night to protect them from the cold and when my daughter called me at work and told me Frosty had bolted out the door while she was trying to let Lacey in and he had not come back I simply could not do anything as I work closing a store alone and could not leave. 

    

The next day we searched for Frosty up and down the roads and a neighbor called me and told me she had called the Humane Society and he was there.

    

We called and were told we could pick him up if we had 60 dollars and a photo of him.  My daughter immediately went to pick him up with the 60 dollars and a photo as I had to go to work.  My daughter called me later at work upset and related to being treated with disgust and rudeness by the people she spoke with at The Humane Society and told me they would not let her have our dog and kept giving her a hard time over which of us was the owner.  

    

I decided as soon as our busy time at work slowed down that I would call myself and try to reason with them but was shocked at the same rude attitude and demands that my daughter was greeted with from the people I spoke with at the Wicomico County Humane Society.  The 60 dollar fee had suddenly changed to 160 plus and all this changed within an hour or 2 and I was threatened to be taken to court for allowing my dog to run at large leaving me no choise but to tell them I guess you've got yourselves a dog because I don't have that kind of money.   

     

I have high blood pressure and take meds for that and my heart and suffered pains in my chest after listening to the obnoxious manner in which I was treated by the Humane Society worker I spoke with.

    

I deal with rude and obnoxious customers on a daily basis and I have never treated them the way I was treated on the phone or I would not have a job to speak of and could not believe Sandy Hudson spoke to me in this manner as I later learned her name to be. 

    

One of my regular customers after speaking with her about how my daughter and I were treated told me of The Salisbury News Blog and advised me to create a blog or to speak with you about it.  A friend of mine also praised you and spoke of how you helped others.

    

I worked opening one store and closing another and work when others are sick to make extra money and when you sent me an e-mail on 2-8-11 telling me I could pick up my dog I had come home late that night and went right to sleep so when I called The Humane Society the next day I was told it was 110 dollars so on my day off 2-10-11 and after pleading with them beforehand to allow me to make payments, or to give me a week I was told the fee was still 110 dollars and I had to come immedaitely with the money.  This was Thursday and most people get paid on Fridays so on Friday I called back and asked if I brought them the money could I now have my pet back.  Sandy Hudson told me in a snotty tone Quote "That was yesterday".  "He's our dog now and if you want him you'll have to file adoption papers and pay 150 dollars." Thus the fee to purchase my own pet of over 5 years changes again, simply because he got away from my daughter while I was away from home trying to work.  

    

After calling you in tears, I was frustrated and I did not know what to do or who to turn to, but you told me you were going to take care of it immediately and I would like to thank you from the bottom of both my and my daughter's hearts and poor Frosty's heart as well for re-uniting us with our devoted loving friend and protector as he likes to think he is.  Again I would like to thank you and all those involved in helping us. 

    

Frosty is doing well and even Lacey couldn't stop licking his face she was so happy to see him again. 

    

I have repeatedly applied for work with the Wicomico County Humane Society because of my love of animals but  I could never put a dollar bill on the life of an animal insisting and demanding immediate financial compensation for the return of a broken hearted human beings beloved pet.  I suppose this is why they never hired me but they sure could use somebody to answer their phones that has a heart as the people we dealt with there seemed to have none at all.  

    

I don't know what you did,  but when my boss allowed me to leave work as she just happened to stop in the store in the middle of our phone conversation yesterday and allowed me to leave long enough to go pick up my baby boy,  I was suddenly treated respectfully and given instructions as my Frosty is now micro chipped and neutered and resting peacefully except for the lampshade cone we had to purchase around his neck to keep him from infecting his private parts that he won't be needing any longer lol.  He is not happy with his new hat but he won't have to wear it but for another day or 2.  Once again thank you, thank you, thank you.  I will be forever praising you and whoever your contacts may be for helping us.  If not for you I honestly don't know what may have happened to Frosty as I was losing all hope of trying to reason with those who work at The Wicomico County Humane Society. 

    

My daughter even spoke with Linda Lugo herself with her sweetest and kindest tone of voice and after pleading and constantly asking why?? she gave up and after hanging up the phone in defeat she was so upset she jumped from the rocking chair insisting they made her blood boil.  I myself refused to call back there and allow them to verbally, and emotionally abuse me with their demands and rudeness. 

    

I have never experienced such hostile rudeness in dealing with another over a beloved pet and I pray nobody else ever has to go through what we were just put through simply because our pet got loose.  However if  anyone else should find themselves in the same situation I hope they are fortunate enough to come into contact with you as we will be forever grateful for your help in bringing Frosty home.

    

I would also like to plee to those who adopt from the Human Society to ask for the previous owner's phone number before doing so to ensure that the pet they are adopting has not been put up for adoption simply because the previous owner is frantically trying to come up with the financial demands and being threatened to do so within an unreasonable amount of time to get their pet back from running off or getting loose.  You may be adopting a pet that someone else is crying over due to the inability to become wealthy overnight. 

    

Thank you again Joe for your expertise and your heart as it is much larger and warmer then some others in this cold world we live in. 

                    

Forever Grateful,

 

Crystal Massey 

Malware Aimed At Iran Hit Five Sites, Report Says

The Stuxnet software worm repeatedly sought to infect five industrial facilities in Iran over a 10-month period, a new report says, in what could be a clue into how it might have infected the Iranian uranium enrichment complex at Natanz.

The report, released Friday by Symantec, a computer security software firm, said there were three waves of attacks. Liam O Murchu, a security researcher at the firm, said his team was able to chart the path of the infection because of an unusual feature of the malware: Stuxnet recorded information on the location and type of each computer it infected.

Such information would allow the authors of Stuxnet to determine if they had successfully reached their intended target. By taking samples of Stuxnet they had collected from various computers, the researchers were able to build a model of the spread of the infection. They determined that 12,000 infections could be traced back to just five initial infection points.

Between June 2009 and May 2010, the program took aim at specific organizations in Iran on three occasions, Symantec research noted in an update of a research report the company published last year.

The Symantec team said it had collected five Internet domains that were linked to industrial organizations within Iran. They said because of the company’s privacy policies, they would not disclose the domain names.

“All of the domains are involved in industrial processing,” Mr. O Murchu said in an interview.

It is likely that a classified site like Natanz is not connected directly to the Internet. Therefore, an attacker might try to infect industrial organizations that would be likely to share information, and the malware, with Natanz.

Read more

Inside The Daily Times

With a $3,000,000.00 Press sitting around doing absolutely nothing here in Salisbury, the Daily Times has found a way to keep the press rolling and Staff productive. Well, sort of.

Report: Palestinian Cabinet To Resign In Wake Of Mideast Turmoil

The Palestinian cabinet will tender resignations on Monday after which Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will select new ministers at the request of President Mahmoud Abbas, political sources said.

The shake-up, disclosed to Reuters on Sunday, was long demanded by Fayyad and some in Abbas's Fatah faction. It follows the fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to a popular revolt that has set off reform calls throughout the Arab world.

"There will be massive change in the composition of the government," one political source said of the planned mass-resignations in Abbas's Palestinian Authority, which was formed under 1993 interim peace deals with Israel.

Another source said: "Dr. Fayyad will immediately start his discussion with the factions to form the cabinet. Some ministers will keep their portfolios."

Bankrolled by international donors and engaged in security coordination with Israel, the Palestinian Authority has a limited mandate in the occupied West Bank. It lost control of the Gaza Strip to Hamas Islamists in a 2007 civil war.

Abbas's credibility has been further sapped by long-stalled negotiations with Israel on an accord founding a Palestinian state. Hamas spurns permanent coexistence with the Jewish state.

More

IMRA Analyst: US Omits Peace With Israel

Two Western powers comment on Mubarak’s resignation: Germany’s Merkel calls for continued efforts for peace with Israel, while Obama does not.

Political affairs analyst Dr. Aaron Lerner, head of Independent Media Review and Analysis (IMRA), http://www.imra.org.il/, notes the blatant contrast between Obama’s comments and Angela Merkel of Germany. Calling it a “cause for serious concern,” Lerner writes that German Chancellor Merkel prepared a short, two-paragraph comment on the developments in Egypt, and concluded it with a call for continued Egyptian efforts on behalf of peace with Israel.

Yet Obama, in a lengthy, 17-paragraph document addressing the historic changes taking place in Egypt, did not mention Israel or regional peace at all.  “This failure to mention peace,” Lerner noted, “was consistent with Mr. Obama's previous public remarks relating to Egypt prior to [Mubarak’s] resignation.”

Lerner concludes: “The very unfortunate message from Mr. Obama to the Egyptians in particular and the Arab world in general is that as far as he is concerned, Egypt honoring peace with Israel is at best of tertiary importance in his eyes.”

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The Special Interest Driving Federal Spending? Big Labor

To hear President Obama, liberal mainstream media outlets and congressional Democratic leaders tell it, Washington is "still" in the grip of evil special interests like Big Oil, Wall Street and the pharmaceutical drug industry. It's a familiar line, but when the actual numbers for campaign donations by the top 100 special interest donors are toted up, it becomes quite clear which is the biggest one of them all -- Big Labor.

The union bosses spent more than $500 billion on campaign donations between 1989 and 2009, with well more than 90 percent of the total going to Democratic presidential and congressional candidates. That's more than 10 times as much as was spent by Big Oil during the same period, according to federal campaign finance data compiled by professor Antony Davies of Duquesne University.

In fact, Big Labor gave twice as much as the totals for the Big Oil, telecommunications, insurance, pharmaceuticals and real estate industries combined.

Probe a little deeper, as blogger Doug Ross did recently, and something else becomes clear: More than half of all union members are also public employees.

Read more here

'Progressive' Protesters Call For Lynching Of Clarence Thomas

But it's okay, because he's a conservative. Or something.

That's right, when asked what we should do with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas after he's impeached, attendees of last weekend's far-left "decloak the Kochs" protest rally had some wild ideas.

Those included "string him up," "hang him," and "put him back in the fields."

Check out the video , but be warned: it contains some pretty shocking and vulgar - and extremely racist - content.

Of course if this had been a Tea Party rally, you wouldn't need to come to NewsBusters to see the video, since it would be running on a loop on every nightly news broadcast. But that said, is it fair to call the entire "progressive movement" racist because of these few loons? Of course not.

Still, it does give you quite a taste of the left's ungodly hatred for black conservatives.

NewsBusters

Maryland Democrat Quits Tea Party Caucus After Smackdown From Baltimore Dems

Democratic Del. Curt Anderson, chairman of the Baltimore City delegation, resigned from the Tea Party Caucus in the Maryland House of Delegates after his fellow city delegates threatened to remove him as chair.

Anderson kept the city delegation chair post he has held for four years after he apologized profusely and got a tongue-lashing from his fellow Democrats, who said they were disappointed and disrespected by his action.

“My apologies to you for any embarrassment I might have caused by my action,” Anderson said.

He said he still supported the Tea Party’s opposition to tax increases and for reduced government spending, “as long as their agenda remains fiscal,” not social policy.

“The Tea Party was willing to accept me,” Anderson said, even appointing him vice chairman — though they were aware of his generally liberal position on social issues.

“We need to look at the waste in government,” Anderson said. But for some of his city colleagues, “it was like I joined the Ku Klux Klan.”

Most of the 15 delegates at the emergency delegation meeting Wednesday  morning accepted Anderson’s apology, but not without giving him a piece of their mind about the Tea Party.

“It is more than a fiscal movement. It is a social movement,” said Del. Maggie McIntosh, “a Democrat with a big D” who chaired the unified Democratic statewide campaign last year.

McIntosh said the Tea Party was one of the best organized grassroots movements in the country, and was “a subset of the Republican Party.”

She said the Tea Party positions ran counter to the best interests of Baltimore City, which is already facing loss of funding in this year’s budget.

Del. Cheryl Glenn said, “I know we all make mistakes but this was a huge one.”

Even the soft-spoken queen mother of the delegation, Del. Hattie Harrison, 84, told Anderson she was “really disappointed” in him.

“I don’t think we should replace you now,” Harrison said, but there will be an election at the end of the year, she said pointedly.

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