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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

BREAKING NEWS: HIGH SPEED CHASE RIGHT NOW

Law enforcement are in a high speed chase right now with a motorcycle that started at Rt. 13 Bypass heading west. They are now on Rt. 50 at speeds in excess of 120 mph. and the motorcycle is pulling away from law enforcement. WCSD is involved in the chase.

More to come.....

UPDATE: Wicomico County Sheriff's Deputies have lost the motorcyclist.

State Police are on ther lookout in Mardela.

It has now been reported at 6:59 they have called off the chase, "he is gone."

UPDATE #2: A Maryland State Trooper was sitting in Mardela waiting for the motorcyclist to come by. The motorcyclist flew past the State Trooper in excess of 130 mph and the Trooper never even pulled onto Rt. 50. It was a green motorcycle with a black male driving it.

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH MAYOR OF SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

MOU seeks to increase trade and investment opportunities, particularly in science and technology, between Maryland and Seoul

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 20, 2011) – Governor Martin O’Malley will meet with Mayor Oh Se-hoon from the City of Seoul, South Korea to sign a Memorandum of Understanding tomorrow focused in increased investment and trade opportunities between Maryland and Seoul.  The MOU is intended to strengthen relations in science and technology development that are of mutual benefit to the State of Maryland and the City of Seoul.

Last year, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development’s Office of International Trade and Investment engaged more than 250 Asian companies, helping to attract six new foreign firms from China and Korea to Maryland. In addition, the Office assisted 75 Maryland companies export their products to Asia, helping to generate $65 million in sales.


WHAT:           Governor O’Malley to sign economic development MOU with Mayor of Seoul, South Korea

WHEN:           TOMORROW, Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 10:30 a.m.

WHERE:         Maryland State House
                        Governor’s Reception Room
                        Second Floor
                        Annapolis, MD

Fix Scratches In A Flash ... Literally!

BREAKING NEWS:

'Restrepo' director Tim Hetherington killed in Libya, colleague tells NYT

Analysis: The Death Of Roe v. Wade

Recently, both opponents and supporters of abortion appear to agree that the landmark decision is no longer the law of the land

Supporters and opponents of abortion agree on nothing. One side says this is a conversation about fertilized eggs; the other says it's about fetuses. One side says the debate is about personal autonomy; the other says it's about murder. One side sees exceptions to abortion restrictions for reasons of maternal life or health as necessary to protect life; the other sees them as cunning "loopholes."

Increasingly, however, there is a fundamental assumption both sides seem to share, even if they don't say so, and it may well shape the future of abortion rights in America: Opponents and supporters of abortion appear to have taken the position that Roe v. Wade is no longer the law of the land.

Pollen Count Highest This Year

From Monday to Tuesday, the number of airborne tree spores quintupled, sending pollen counts soaring to the highest level this year.

The Walter Reed Army Medical Center reported that yesterday's count of spores dropping from trees was 2302.4 grains per cubic meter, a level the National Allergy Bureau calls "very high." By comparison, yesterday's count of pollen from trees was 478 grains/cubic meter.

What does that mean for area allergy sufferers? "Do a rain dance," advises Walter Reed microbiologist Susan Kosisky, who oversees the spore count in the area.

The National Allergy Bureau says when counts go to the "very high" level, almost all allergy sufferers will experience some kind of reaction, and those with extreme allergy sensitivity could have server symptoms.

Blame High Oil Prices On Speculators And Bernanke

It's no secret that speculators are driving up fuel prices. The surprise? It's the Fed's fault, writes Ed Wallace

Watching traffic around Dallas and Fort Worth, you'd never know the U.S. was experiencing any kind of gasoline crisis. Many drivers on the freeways apparently think Texas has already approved the proposed 85 mph speed limit.

Most don't realize that driving a vehicle that's rated at 30 mpg on the road at 85 miles an hour will cut its fuel efficiency by around 35 percent. That makes the gas they are currently paying $3.79 for cost $5.11 in reality. It's reasonable to assume, too, that if we really cared about the cost of gas, we would do everything we could to mitigate that cost. We don't. We complain about prices but seem unwilling to do anything about them.

Americans think they know whom to blame for high gas prices. The usual culprits are people who drive too fast, inefficient engines, OPEC, and even China. Sure, those are all factors, but that's like blaming the housing bubble on the lumber industry or a surfeit of carpenters. It's no great mystery who is responsible for higher gas prices. As I and others have written in the past, the biggest culprits are the speculators gaming the futures markets to line their own pockets. We know all that. What might come as a shock is that they are being enabled by the Federal Reserve.

This explains why the market for oil and gasoline is currently costing consumers and industry far more than necessary. Until recently it was impossible to tell whether the speculators were accurate in telling the media that high worldwide demand for oil has caused prices to skyrocket once again, pushing gasoline prices $1 a gallon above where they were at this time last year.

It's true that rail traffic is up in the U.S.—a sure sign of a strengthening economy—and it's equally true that cargo shipments worldwide are back to pre-Great Recession volumes. However, MasterCard (MA) and some oil analysts are saying that domestic gasoline consumption has dropped anywhere from 3 percent to 3.7 percent over the past five weeks; for a country that at times burns 400 million gallons of gasoline a day, that's no small drop. In futures trading, such a decline in demand should effect a comparable cost reduction in what buyers are willing to pay for fuel for resale. That's not happening.

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Today's Survey Question

Should the Wicomico County Council have the power to cut specific items -- such as the Public Information Officer's salary and the efficiency study that Rick Pollitt has recommended -- from the County budget that he has proposed?

PUBLIC NOTICE



The City Council has scheduled an additional work session for Monday, April 25, 2011. The work session will be held at 1:30 p.m. in Conference Room 306 of the Government Office Building (125 N. Division Street) for discussion of Council’s priorities/suggestions.

PUBLIC NOTICE



CANCELLATION OF CITY COUNCIL BUDGET SESSION


The Salisbury City Council’s budget session for Thursday, April 21, 2011, has been cancelled. The next budget session will be held on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. (changed from 9:30 a.m.) in Conference Room 306 in the Government Office Building (125 N. Division Street).

Salisbury Police Department Press Release

Over the past five years, the Salisbury Police Department has averaged the following violations during the last few weeks (April 15 through May 30) of the Spring Semester:

2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010,


Noise violations 12, 16, 31, 13, 17,

Underage possession 14, 6, 17, 18, 24,
Of alcohol

Open container of 8, 1, 4, 10, 15,
Alcohol

TOTALS 34, 23, 52, 41, 56,


Students are reminded that the Salisbury Police Department will be focusing on these and other quality of life violations for the remainder of the school year. Students are encouraged to be “good neighbors” by not being involved in these types of incidents. Many of these violations expose students to fines and/or possible jail sentences. They also often result in court appearances that are scheduled over the summer thus inconveniencing work and summer vacation schedules. Convictions may negatively impact future job opportunities and school related internships/placements.

This information was researched and has been provided in an effort to educate the student population and to work more closely with them to establish a partnership to provide and develop a positive and safe environment.

BP's Secret Deepwater Blowout

Only 17 months before BP's Deepwater Horizon rig suffered a deadly blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, another BP deepwater oil platform also blew out.

You've heard and seen much about the Gulf disaster that killed 11 BP workers. If you have not heard about the earlier blowout, it's because BP has kept the full story under wraps. Nor did BP inform Congress or US safety regulators, and BP, along with its oil industry partners, have preferred to keep it that way.

The earlier blowout occurred in September 2008 on BP's Central Azeri platform in the Caspian Sea.

As one memo marked "secret" puts it, "Given the explosive potential, BP was quite fortunate to have been able to evacuate everyone safely and to prevent any gas ignition." The Caspian oil platform was a spark away from exploding, but luck was with the 211 rig workers.

It was eerily similar to the Gulf catastrophe as it involved BP's controversial "quick set" drilling cement.

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Delaware Rest Stop Offers Idling Trucks Power Supply

SMYRNA, Delaware (AP) -- Delaware state officials have installed a facility to supply resting trucks with a power in an effort to cut down on harmful emissions and fuel costs.

The $547,500 facility at a Smyrna rest stop on Route 1 gives truck drivers access to drive-up stations that can supply low-priced power for their cars so that they don't have to idle their engines. It includes 24 spaces and will operate 24 hours a day.

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Salisbury Police Department Press Releases

On April 17, 2011 at approximately 10:01 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police made contact with the below listed suspect in the State Government Building. A routine records check revealed that the suspect was currently wanted in the State of Virginia on an outstanding arrest warrant. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.

ARRESTED: Kimberly Renee Johnson, 44 years of age Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES:
Fugitive – State of Virginia
Grand Larceny

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100014826

On April 18, 2011 at approximately 10:15 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on Adams Avenue for the report of a domestic dispute. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult female victim who advised that she had been involved in a domestic type argument with the below listed suspect. The argument escalated and resulted in the suspect striking the victim in the facial area, causing an injury to her lip. The suspect, who was not in the residence at the officer’s arrival, returned eventually and was taken into custody without incident. The victim did not require medical attention.

ARRESTED : James Washington Bryant, 27 years of age Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES: Second degree assault

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201100014756

On April 19, 2011 at approximately 1:28 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police arrested the below listed suspect on an outstanding arrest warrant for leaving a child unattended on February 5, 2011.
On that date Officers responded to the food court area of the Centre at Salisbury for the report of unattended children. The officers met with a witness who advised that she had found a child wandering in the parking lot unsupervised. The officers met with the child (4 years of age) who was unable to identify his parents or their vehicle. Further investigation revealed that the below listed suspect had left the child unattended in her vehicle while she was shopping in the mall.

ARRESTED: Cierra Shakara Bolden, 22 years of age Laurel, Delaware

CHARGES:
Unattended child
Contribute to dangerous condition-child
Reckless endangerment

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking   CC # 201100014863

Arizona Sheriff Cites Flood Of Border Agents Confirming Feds' No-Apprehension Policy

An Arizona sheriff says he has been flooded with calls and emails of support from local and federal agents who back his claims that the U.S. Border Patrol has effectively ordered them to stop apprehending illegal immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexican border.

“Upper management has advised supervisors to have agents ‘turn back South’ (TBS) the illegal aliens (aka bodies) they detect attempting to unlawfully enter the country … at times you even hear supervisors order the agents over the radio to 'TBS' the aliens instead of catching them,” one San Diego border agent wrote in an email to Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever.

Russia Ditches Weapons Aid Money

Russia pulls out of a program that used $1 billion from the U.S. and other foreign donors to fund civilian research for weapons experts, like those specializing in nuclear warheads, who might have otherwise used their skills to benefit rogue regimes.

Sheen Does D.C.

The Sheen saga continues.

The actor, whose “Torpedo of Truth: Defeat Is Not An Option” tour is still on its 20-city travelling circuit, rushed from a Los Angeles court hearing to his show at the DAR Constitution Hall to tell more tales of “winning.”

He was 67 minutes late to his own party.

The Washington Post’s Dan Zak noted Sheen was so outrageous (saying that at least his birth certificate was not “Photoshopped”) it was hard to tell if he was delusional or just off-color.

61% Oppose Citizenship For ‘Anchor Babies’

A growing number of Americans think children born in the United States to illegal immigrants should not be entitled to automatic citizenship, according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll.

The Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found that 61 percent of likely voters say these children, sometimes called “anchor babies,” should not have automatic American citizenship, a right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.

The response was the highest level of support for changing the law found in five years of polls by Rasmussen Reports.
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GOP Accuses Obama Of Pushing Gas Prices Up

Republicans say the Obama administration's policies are contributing to skyrocketing gasoline prices  – now at more than $4 per gallon throughout much of the country – and they have introduced legislation to reopen the nation's coasts to drilling.

This year will be the first year since 1958 that the federal government will not have sold a lease for offshore drilling, and Republicans say this is fueling skyrocketing prices at the pump.

Congress opened the nation's coasts to drilling the last time gas hit $4 per gallon back in 2008, but the Obama administration effectively reinstated the ban last year by placing the Alaskan, Atlantic and Pacific coasts off-limits to drilling, as well as Florida's west coast.

"We need to look at the actions of this administration, which are leading to more of a domestic shortage of energy production in this country – whether you are looking at the outer continental shelf or whether you are looking at offshore lease sales," said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings, R-Wash.

The chairman told WND that comments made by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar make it seem the administration has a political agenda behind its unwillingness to expand domestic oil drilling.

More than 12,000 jobs in the oil drilling sector have been lost as a direct result of the drilling moratorium the Obama administration imposed last May in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Despite the administration's announcement last October that it was lifting its drilling moratorium, little progress has been made in reopening the Gulf to drilling. Only 10 permits have been granted, while 40 projects remain stalled due to the administration's inaction. And since July 2010 only 49 shallow-water permits have been issued at an average of 4.9 permits per month, which lags far behind the historical average of 7.1 permits per month.

The administration needs to act in a timely manner to address the drilling permits that were in play when it imposed the moratorium to increase oil and gas supplies and reduce prices, Hastings said.

"We're going to try to change that through our committee and with Doc Hastings over at natural resources," House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton told WND. "We know it is a supply problem, and we cannot continue to say no to domestic production because only one thing happens – the prices are going to go up."

The oil industry today produces 100,000 barrels less per day than the Department of Energy predicted, and the department expects production in the Gulf of Mexico to drop by 240,000 barrels per day this year and by 200,000 per day in 2012.

More here

Pentagon Inquiry Clears McChrystal Of Wrongdoing

A Pentagon inquiry into a Rolling Stone magazine profile of Gen. Stanley McChrystal that led to his dismissal as the top US commander in Afghanistan has cleared him of wrongdoing.

The probe's results released Monday also called into question the accuracy of the magazine's report last June, which quoted anonymously people around McChrystal making disparaging remarks about members of President Barack Obama's national security team, including Vice President Joe Biden.

At the time he dismissed McChrystal, Obama said the general had fallen short of "the standard that should be set by a commanding general." The Defense Department inspector general's report, however, concluded that available evidence did not support the conclusion that McChrystal had violated any applicable legal or ethics standard.

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An Obama Bureaucrat’s Golden Parachute?

Did a top official from the Department of Education receive a ‘golden parachute’ upon his leaving the administration for a consulting gig?

Documents released Tuesday by the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) show Robert Shireman, a top force at Education pushing “gainful employment” regulations, continued to receive generous federal benefits after he became an intermittent consultant for the agency.

A correspondence summary shows officials arranged to begin his consulting contract “immediately following his departure from his position as Deputy Undersecretary in the Office of the Under Secretary so he could retain his federal benefits.”

CREW says the arrangement violated federal personnel policies, which prevent intermittent consultants like Shireman from receiving sick leave, health care and other benefits, and is asking an inspector general to investigate.

“Mr. Shireman got one heck of a deal: benefits available to federal employees without the bother of a full-time job,” said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan. “Given his role in the growing scandal that shows the cozy relationship between DOE officials and Wall Street short-sellers, the inspector general needs to take a look at this arrangement and find out who agreed to it and why.”

CREW is also involved in litigation regarding Freedom of Information Act requests to the agency regarding the influence of Wall Street short sellers pushing strict regulations on the for-profit education sector.

Recently, under legal pressure, the Education Department conceded it had failed to send CREW approximately 10,000 emails related to the issue. The e-mails will be released to the public soon and could provide a more detailed picture on whether short sellers influenced the regulatory process.
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Mother's Day Brunch At Poplar Hill Mansion

Poplar Hill Mansion, Salisbury's oldest documented home, is the perfect setting to bring that special woman (women) in your life for Mother's Day brunch.  It will be held on Saturday, May 7th, 2011 at 11:30am. The cost is $20.00 for adults, $10.00 for kids 7-12 years old.  The buffet  will include traditional brunch fare with assorted muffins, fruit, egg casseroles, including a vegetarian option, juice, coffee, tea, and more.  Beautiful linens and fresh flowers on each table.  Reservations required, limited seating. 

Proceeds benefit the completion of the historic boxwood gardens and brick serpentine pathway.  Friends of Poplar Hill Mansion is a 5-1 (c) (3) charitable foundation.

Fundraiser To Support Poplar Hill Mansion

Dear Friends,
On Saturday, April 30, 2011 Poplar Hill Mansion will be hosting a Fundraiser at Barnes and Noble at 2618 North Salisbury Boulevard in Salisbury. The Fundraiser will be an ALL DAY event and also online from
4/30/2011 to 05/05/2011. Poplar Hill Mansion will receive a percentage of all purchases made on these days with the attached voucher. Your purchase of books, music, DVDs, and also anything from the CAFE are included in our Fundraiser! Remember Mother's Day will be fast approaching and you could purchase one of their famous Cheese Cakes. You can still use your discount card. At checkout you present this voucher attached before they ring up your sale and then the rest is as usual. During the Saturday Fundraiser, many activities and presentations have been planned including a guest storyteller, Mayor Jim Ireton at 11 AM in the Children's Area. Come out to enjoy the day and help Poplar Hill Mansion with their first Barnes & Noble Fundraiser. Feel free to print out these vouchers and give them to anyone who might be shopping there those days. As an extra bonus, visit http://www.poplarhillmansion.org/ and sign in to contact them to be entered into a drawing to win a FREE NOOK! Thank you so much for your support!

Cindy Feist
Board Member at Poplar Hill Mansion

FEDERAL FINANCING BANK

Notes to Financial Statements September 30, 2010 and 2009 (Dollars in thousands)


Additionally, at September 30, 2010 and 2009, the Bank had borrowings of $10,238,990 and $11,921,240 and an associated unamortized premium of $180,007 and $228,927, respectively, from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSR&DF), which is administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Why would the Civil Service Retirement fund lend money to FFB? $22 billion is not chump change. It’s a third of FFB’s total liabilities.

CSR&DF has a surplus and invests that money in Special Issue Treasury securities in its normal operations. This is exactly the same for the other federal trust funds. Social Security is a perfect example. SS holds $2.6 trillion in Special Issue Treasuries. But it does not hold a penny of paper issued by the FFB. Why is the CSR&DF lending FFB 22b? The answer is not that the FFB is having any difficulty in raising money directly from its parent (Treasury). The rules are pretty clear; FFB has a blank check:

The Bank is authorized to issue obligations in unlimited amounts to the Secretary and, at the discretion of the Secretary, may agree to purchase any such obligations. (BK note: Secretary = Geithner)

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Ten Thoughts For 2011 To Ponder:

Number 10
Life is sexually transmitted.
 
Number 9Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
Number 8Men have two emotions : Hungry and Horny. If you see him without an erection, make him a sandwich .
Number 7Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks, months, maybe years.
Number 6Some people are like a Slinky-not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
Number 5Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospitals, dying of nothing.
Number 4All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
Number 3Why does a slight tax increase cost you $800.00, and a substantial tax cut saves you $30.00?
Number 2In the 60's, people took acid and weed to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
And The Number 1
Thought - Life is like a jar of Jalapeno peppers--what you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow.
- - - and as someone recently said to me :
"Don't worry about old age-- it doesn't last that long."

Delaware Prosecutors Want Mental Evaluation Of Bradley

DOVER, Del. (AP) -- State prosecutors are asking a judge to order a psychological or psychiatric examination for former Lewes pediatrician Earl Bradley.

Bradley is awaiting trial on charges of sexually assaulting scores of patients over more than a decade before he was arrested in December 2009.

Prosecutor Paula Ryan filed a motion this week seeking a mental evaluation of Bradley, whose attorneys may decide to present a mental illness defense. A spokesman for the attorney general's office declined to comment, citing a gag order issued by the judge.

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Facebook-Suing Twins Appeal The Appeal They Lost

The twin former Harvard classmates of Facebook CEO/president Mark Zuckerberg, who contend he stole their idea for the site, refuse to give up their quest to procure more than what they got in a previous settlement. Even after a U.S. appeals court judge denied their argument and pointedly told them to give up the case, the twins' lawyers asked a special 11-judge panel to take a look at their appeal.

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Lawsuit Questioning Beefiness Of Taco Bell Beef Dropped

The Alabama law firm that filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court against Taco Bell regarding the quality and contents of its ground beef—or "taco meat filling"—has voluntarily dropped the suit. The original lawsuit accused Taco Bell of serving ground beef in its "Mexican-inspired" meals that didn't meet the USDA definition of "ground beef." Even before the suit was dropped, Taco Bell was able to turn the suit into a marketing opportunity, describing the contents of that meat filling in detail, and taking out full-page ads thanking the plaintiffs.

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Air Traffic Controller Suspended For Watching Movie Instead Of Radar

The FAA may have enacted changes intended to keep air traffic controllers from falling asleep on the job, but there is still the problem of those conscious controllers who aren't doing the job they were hired to do — like the one in Ohio who was just exiled from the control tower for watching a movie instead of the radar screen.

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Want Milk In Your Coffee? At Some McDonald's, You'll Have To Buy A Whole Carton

McDonald's wants to be your caffeine pusher of choice, and promotes their inexpensive brewed coffee and frozen creations as quick, convenient, and cheap. $1 is the price point advertised on billboards. Cheap! What they don't mention in these ads, though, is that price applies if you want your coffee black or with cream or half and half. If you prefer milk in your coffee, some franchises will accommodate you, but at others, you're going to have to pay for a half-pint carton of milk.

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White House: Docs Need Training Before Prescribing OxyContin & Other Painkillers

Too many doctors are writing unnecessary prescriptions for painkillers like OxyContin and fentanyl, says the White House. That's why the administration is looking to push through legislation that would require training for physicians who wish to write prescriptions for these drugs.

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Kindergartner Accidentally Shoots Two Students


Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
A six-year-old brings a gun to school, which accidentally goes off - injuring himself and two others.

No Unofficial Pictures Of Obama Allowed

Now that President Obama has officially declared his candidacy for reelection, federal employees are not allowed to have any unofficial pictures in their offices featuring the Commander in Chief - unless they happen to be in it, too. The Office of Special Counsel has just released new guidance reminding federal employees that the Hatch Act prohibits feds from - among other things - displaying pictures of candidates for partisan public office in the federal workplace. There are two exceptions: the official presidential portrait or pictures of the president conducting official business. The other exception is if it's a personal picture which includes you in it.

Michelle Obama's Close Call?

Troubles continue for the Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic controllers. The FAA is investigating why a plane carrying First Lady Michelle Obama was only three miles from another jet as it was approaching Andrews Air Force Base. Planes are required to be five miles apart. The plane carrying the first lady had to abort its landing, circle around and try another approach. There was reportedly little risk, but this is another embarrassment for the FAA.

FEMA Not Prepared

  • FEMA's existing information technology systems do not support disaster response activities effectively. That, in a critical report from Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General. The report also says that the Federal Emergency Management Agency's CIO "does not have an adequate understanding" of existing information technology resources and needs throughout the agency. As a result, says the IG, "systems are not integrated, do not meet user requirements, and do not provide the information technology capabilities agency personnel and its external partners need to carry out disaster response and recovery operations in a timely or effective manner." The OIG listed six recommendations, including developing a comprehensive IT strategic plan, establishing an agency-wide IT budget planning process, and putting together a consolidated modernization approach for FEMA's mission-critical systems.
  • Obama: Innovation, Department Of Defense Budget Cuts Needed To Reduce Debt

    President Obama said the Defense Department must continue to cut wasteful spending from its budget for the country to reach fiscal health. At the same time, the country must continue to invest in energy, science and technology, he said. The President spoke Tuesday at a town hall meeting in suburban Virginia.  

    Read Full Story

    Bloggers React To AOL And Huffington Post Lawsuit

    The Huffington Post unethically made over $100 million in profit from its unpaid bloggers when the news web site merged with AOL in February, according to a lawsuit filed last week.

    The Huffington Post, which launched in 2005, collects news articles, blog posts and opinion pieces from approximately 9,000 unpaid writers. Co-founder Arianna Huffington sold the web site to AOL for $315 million in a highly publicized merger; the class-action suit, filed by freelance journalist Jonathan Tasini, alleges that the posts created by unpaid writers were worth an estimated $105 million, and that the profit should have been used as compensation.

    "The Huffington Post was, is and will never be, anything without the thousands of people who created the content," Tasini wrote in a blog post after filing the suit. "Ms. Huffington is acting like every Robber Baron CEO - from Lloyd Blankfein to the Waltons - who believes that they, and only they, should pocket huge riches, while the rest of the peons struggle to survive." Tasini wrote more than 250 posts for the web site.

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    States Eye Linking Public Assistance, Drug Tests

    By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline Staff WriterSOCIAL POLICY BEAT:  Recipients of certain benefits would have to pass drug tests under proposals pending in 27 states … Job training programs are slashed in the recent federal budget deal … Two more states ban late-term abortions because of “fetal pain,” and other social policy news.

    Study -- Maryland Immigrants Pay $275M In Taxes


    Illegal immigrants in Maryland will pay $275 million in state and local taxes this year, according to a study released Monday by a Washington group that advocates for immigrants. The report ranks Maryland as the 11th-highest state in the nation in collecting tax receipts from unauthorized immigrants.

    Deadline Is April 30 To Register For Maryland Summer Centers For Gifted And Talented Education

    The registration deadline is looming for the 10 Maryland Summer Centers for Gifted and Talented Students that are coordinated through the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Applications must be postmarked by April 30th.

    Information on the Maryland Summer Centers, and the application to attend, are posted at:

    http://www.msde.maryland.gov/MSDE/programs/giftedtalented/centers.htm

    For 44 years the Summer Centers program has offered unique instructional experiences for gifted and talented students entering grades 4 through 12. Students have the opportunity to work with like-minded peers in an area of ability and interest. The Centers offer one to three-week residential and non-residential programs with a focus on the arts, sciences, technology, and engineering. The activities are designed to encourage critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving while challenging students academically.

    The 10 Summer Centers for 2011 are:

    Science & Engineering:

    Center for Historical Research at Pemberton Hall at Pemberton Historical Park, Pemberton Hall, Salisbury, Wicomico County (funding provided by Pemberton Historical Park)

    Honeywell Maryland Summer Center for Ecosystems Education at Horn Point, University of Maryland, Horn Point Environmental Lab, Cambridge, Dorchester County (funding provided Honeywell Hometown Solutions)

    Harford County Public Schools Center for Conservation Research, Harford Glen Environmental Center, Harford County (funding provided by Harford County Public Schools)

    SAIC and NMTC (Science Applications International Corporation/Northeastern Maryland Technology Council Center for Space Science, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Howard County (funding provided by SAIC and NMTC)

    SAIC Center for Computer Programming: ALICE in Programming Land, Meade Middle School, Anne Arundel County (funding provided by Science Applications International Corporation)

    SAIC Center for Computer Science, Aberdeen High School, Harford County (funding provided by Science Applications International Corporation)

    SAIC and NG (Northrop Grumman) Center for the Physics of Solar and Wind Power, Frostburg State University, Allegany County (funding provided by SAIC and NG)

    Center for Future Engineers: Robot Design, Frostburg State University, Allegany County (funding provided by Northrop Grumman and the Maryland Space Business Roundtable)

    Arts (audition required; audition dates have passed):

    Center for the Fine and Performing Arts, Salisbury University, Wicomico County (funding provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and Salisbury University)

    Center for the Performing and Visual Arts at The Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center, Baltimore City (funding provided by the Eubie Blake Center Board of Directors and others)

    The Maryland Summer Centers program, in partnership with public and nonpublic agencies, provides Maryland’s diverse gifted and talented students with advanced, rigorous, experiential learning opportunities that nurture these students’ talents and abilities within unique learning environments.

    Tuition ranges from $100 to $950 and full and partial scholarships are available for those who need financial assistance. An online brochure and application forms are available from local gifted and talented education coordinators or on the Maryland State Department of Education website at www.MarylandPublicSchools.org/summercenters.

    Applications must be postmarked by Saturday, April 30. Materials are available in Spanish upon request. For more information contact Stephanie F. Zenker at 410-767-0821.

    Fraternal Order Of Police Lodge #111 Donation To Local Red Cross


     Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #111
    Local Disaster Relief Donation
    19 April 2011

    The American Red Cross Lower Shore Chapter would like to thank Fraternal Order of Police Lodge # 111 who raised $500.00 for local disaster relief.  The FOP Lodge held a yard sale on Saturday April 16th at its office in Salisbury, MD to raise the money. 100% of the money will be utilized for victims of local house fires.

    Newark Man Arrested After Exposing Himself At Restaurant


    Location:  McDonald’s Restaurant, 2351 Glasgow Avenue, Newark, DE
    Dates of Occurrence:   Monday, April 18, 2011 at 7:50 p.m.
    Victim: 26 year old Newark, DE female
    Defendant: Joel Stevenson, 43, Newark, DE
    Charges:
    -Lewdness
    -Indecent Exposure 2nd Degree
    Resume:  
    Glasgow- The Delaware State Police have arrested a 43 year old Newark, DE man after he exposed himself to a female victim last night in Newark.
    The incident occurred at approximately 7:50 p.m. last night, Monday, as a 26 year old Newark, DE female was in the parking lot of the McDonald’s Restaurant located in the 2300 block of Glasgow Avenue, Newark, when she observed a male subject standing next to a motorcycle in the same parking lot. The victim advised investigating troopers that the male was facing in her direction and had his genitalia pulled through the zipper portion of his pants.  The victim advised that the subject then entered the restaurant with his genitalia still exposed, and at this point, she called 9-1-1. A short time later, the subject exited the restaurant and then fled the parking lot on the motorcycle with his genitalia still exposed. The victim was able to obtain the registration number of the fleeing motorcycle.
    Troopers then reviewed the video surveillance from the McDonald’s which captured the suspect approaching the sales counter and making a purchase with his genitalia still exposed. He was then seen leaving the restaurant. A computer check conducted by troopers, revealed that the registered owner of the motorcycle was the same subject captured on the video surveillance. It was also learned that the suspect, identified as Joel Stevenson, was a Tier I registered sex offender. Troopers then responded to Stevenson’s home where he was taken into custody without incident.
    Joel Stevenson was arrested and charged with the above list of crimes. He was then arraigned at JP Court 11 and committed to the Howard Young Correctional Institution for lack of $750.00 secured bail.

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