Thursday, September 22, 2011

New Law Has Put 1 Million More Young Adults On Parents' Health Insurance

A 2010 health insurance law that allows those under age 26 to stick to their parents' health insurance plans has allowed 1 million presumably uninsured adults in the age group to find coverage. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the amount of young adults who lack health insurance has fallen from 34 percent from the beginning of 2010 to 30 percent in March.

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American Family Association Doesn't Want You To Taste Ben & Jerry's Schweddy Balls

The inaccurately named American Family Association — those not-at-all-absolutely-insane people who boycott stores for not associating Jesus' birthday with deep discounts — has a special "project" called One Million Moms, which is apparently the number of mothers the AFA would want us to believe are truly upset about Ben & Jerry's Schweddy Balls flavor of ice cream.

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Maryland Leaders Predict Slowed Economic Growth In 2013

Maryland's budget will see a surprise surplus of $195 million this year, officials announced Wednesday, but Comptroller Peter Franchot warned lawmakers they should anticipate an economy that will get worse over the next couple years.

Economic growth is expected to slow this year to 4.2 percent and next year to a meager 2.8 percent -- a much slower rate than officials expected, Franchot said.

"Given this extraordinary degree of economic volatility and given the growing likelihood that conditions will worsen before they begin to turn around, I would strongly encourage our state's leaders to proceed with the highest possible degree of caution," he said.

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Salisbury Police Department Press Release 9-22-11

On September 21, 2011 at approximately 5:16 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the area of Liberty Street for the report of a subject breaking into a vehicle. Upon arrival the officers detained and arrested the below listed suspect who was found still in a victim’s vehicle. The officers met with a number of witnesses who advised that they had observed the suspect breaking into several vehicles in the area. The suspect was found in possession of a book bag containing items of property taken from vehicles both inside and outside of the city limits. The suspect was also found in possession of a quantity of prescription medication without the necessary prescription.

ARRESTED: Juvenile, 17 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Theft (under $ 100) – 2 counts
Poss. of a controlled dangerous substance – 3 counts
Possession of CDS/Paraphernalia
Rogue and vagabond
DISPOSITION: Released to Lower Shore Youth Facility
CC # 201100037075

Ron Paul Says He'd Consider Putting Dennis Kucinich In His Cabinet

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) says he would consider putting the liberal congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) in his Cabinet if he were to win the presidency in 2012.

Paul said his libertarian political philosophy helps him connect with some on the far left — including Kucinich, who shares Paul’s general anti-war stance.

'Ground Zero Mosque' Opens Quietly

Islamic cultural centre sparked debate last year for being planned near New York's World Trade Center site

An Islamic cultural centre close to the site where New York's World Trade Center once stood has opened quietly in spite of scenes last year of vehement protests from those who said the area should not house a mosque.

The opening ceremony for the Park51 centre on Wednesday featured a photo exhibit called "NYChildren", displaying over 160 portraits of immigrant children living in New York.

Sharif El-Gamal, the center's developer, said the biggest error on the project was not involving the families of 9/11 victims from the start.

"We made incredible mistakes," El-Gamal told The Associated Press in an earlier interview at his Manhattan office.

The building at 51 Park Place, two blocks from the World Trade Center site, includes a Muslim prayer space that has been open for two years.

AT&T Gave $963,275 to U.S. Lawmakers Urging Approval of T-Mobile USA Deal

Representative Pete Olson and 99 fellow House Republicans signed a letter yesterday urging the Obama administration to resolve a government lawsuit and let AT&T Inc. (T) buy T-Mobile USA Inc.

All but one of the 100 lawmakers has received political donations from AT&T employees since 2009, according to a Bloomberg review of campaign finance records. The letter signers took in $963,275, Art Brodsky, a spokesman for Washington-based advocacy group Public Knowledge, said in an e-mail.

“AT&T’s congressional support for its takeover of T-Mobile comes at a price,” Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, a merger opponent, said in an e-mailed statement.

Study: Crime In Surrounding Area Increased After Closure Of LA Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

LOS ANGELES — A new study released Tuesday showed that when hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries were closed last year in Los Angeles crime rates rose in surrounding neighborhoods, challenging claims made by law enforcement agencies that the storefronts are magnets for crime.

The report by the nonprofit RAND Corp. reviewed crime reports for the 10 days prior to and the 10 days after city officials shuttered the clinics last summer after a new ordinance went into effect. The analysis revealed that crime increased about 60 percent within three blocks of a closed dispensary compared to the same parameters for those that remained open.

Health official says food was likely contaminated with rat poison

LIMA, Peru — Food donated for a nutrition program became contaminated with pesticides in an Andean hamlet, poisoning 89 children and five adults, Peru's health ministry said. Three of the children died.

The ministry said the National Food Assistance Program distributed the food at a school in Redondo. The hamlet is 310 miles northwest of Lima.

Officials said the meal of rice and fish was accidentally contaminated while it was being prepared Tuesday.

3 Indicted in Sophisticated Wash. Hacking Scheme

Soon after his office was burglarized — twice — Jeff Eby walked in and found a payroll report sitting on his printer. He hadn't printed it, and as his company's chief financial officer, he's the only person who would have.

That's how he came to learn his organization had been hit by what prosecutors describe as a small team of sophisticated thieves and hackers that hit dozens of businesses over the past few years. In some cases, they chose their victims simply by driving around and picking up their wireless Internet signals; in others, they broke in the old-fashioned way, mainly for the purpose of installing malicious computer software on company networks, prosecutors said.

Calderon Appeals for More U.S. Focus on Drug War Amid Fresh Violence

Mexican President Felipe Calderon is using his brief time in New York this week to cry out for greater cooperation from the U.S. in the drug war -- at a time when casualties from that war are being dumped in the streets while the Obama administration's attention is consumed by tumult in the Middle East.

At the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, Calderon said consumer nations must do more to reduce demand. He directed his criticism squarely at the United States in remarks two days earlier, blaming the violence in Mexico in part on the fact that the U.S. is the world's largest consumer of illegal drugs.

How Did Your Childhood Affect Your Sexuality?

To create and sustain healthy intimate relationships, we often need to go back to the original building blocks of our sexual socialization and see how our patterns of sexual behavior took shape.

We need to look at how we were modeled - or, in other words, what we learned and internalized about sex and relationships throughout our childhood and adolescence, and how those experiences affected the ways we “mate and relate” today. I often ask people to think about the following statements and whether they are true or false:

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Cage-Fighting Children Prompt Strong Reaction

LONDON – Britons are reacting with a mix of condemnation and cheers to footage that shows an organized cage fight between two boys, one 8 years old and the other 9.

Police launched an investigation after video emerged of the fight at Greenlands Labour Club in Preston, northwest England, on Sept. 10.

Sen. Colburn Announces Harford County Executive David Craig As Guest Speaker At October 1st Banquet

Cambridge, Maryland - Senator Richard F. Colburn (R-Eastern Shore) announced today that on Saturday October 1, 2011, the Citizens for Colburn Committee will be hosting the 33rd Annual Rich Colburn Fall Banquet at the Cambridge American Legion Post #91. This year’s festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a cash bar. Dinner will follow at 6:30 p.m.

Senator Colburn also announced that this year’s guest speaker will be Harford County Executive David Craig. Mr. Craig has previously served his home town of Havre de Grace as a member of the City Council and as Mayor and was later elected to the State Senate before becoming County Executive. Mr. Craig is a graduate of Towson University with a B.S. in History, and a master’s degree from Morgan State University.
He has also spent 34 years in the Harford County Public School System as a teacher and assistant principal before supporting the creation of high school magnet programs in Math & Science, Homeland Security, Agricultural Sciences, and Medical Arts as County Executive. Mr. Craig is planning to run in the 2014 GOP primary election for Governor.

Senator Colburn stated, "With a Special Session just days away, the banquet promises to be full of lively discussion surrounding the upcoming special and regular sessions. There will also be delicious oysters on the half shell and a fantastic silent auction featuring items from local businesses."

The seats for this year's banquet are $50.00 per person. Tickets will not be issued. However, reservations and name tags will be held at the door. All checks should be made payable to Citizens for Colburn Committee and mailed to: Citizens for Colburn Committee, 5210 Heron Road, Cambridge, MD 21613. Reservations should be mailed by September 26th or by calling (410) 924-0098.

Gore's Loose Lips Let New iPhones Slip

(Mashable) -- Apple is well known for being a tight ship, but apparently one of its board members forgot to batten down the hatches. That would be the most famous member of the board: Nobel laureate and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

Speaking at the Discovery Invest Leadership Summit in South Africa, Gore interjected the following aside into his speech: "Not to mention the new iPhones coming out next month. That was a plug."

Michigan Car Bombing Dad to 911: 'My Car Blew Up With Two Kids'

Through excruciating pain, Erik Chappell called 911 and told the dispatcher: "My car blew up with two kids."Chappell and his sons, 11 and 13, were the victims of a car bombing on Tuesday. Chappell's Volvo exploded as he drove the boys to football practice in Monroe, Mich.

"I've got two significant leg injuries...they're chewed up pretty good," he told the 911 dispatcher. "Deep tissue wounds. They are bleeding. I need someone here now."

Don't Have a Cow': Dad Goes on All-Breast-Milk Milk Diet

A blogger named Curtis has created quite an unusual mission for himself: to see how long he can sustain a diet made up solely of his wife's breast milk.Curtis plans to document his experimental diet on his blog, "Don't have a cow, man."

On the blog, Curtis wrote that he is a first-time father to a baby girl who was born nine months ago. Katie, Curtis' wife, has an extensive surplus of breast milk in the freezer.

Florida Independent Voters Could Make All the Difference In 2012

In 2008, then-Senator Barack Obama won Florida's presidential election by winning over the state's independent voters. Exit polls show 52 percent of them voted for Obama. That was then, this is now - and recent polls show that important voting bloc is cooling to the president.

According to the latest Quinnipiac poll, just 33 percent of Florida's independent voters approve of the job the president is doing. A whopping 61 percent disapprove of his performance.

Did I tell you about the time...

Not only is it okay to talk about yourself to men, but it is 100% essential to getting first dates and future dates. When I tell women that it’s GOOD to talk about themselves, it’s generally met with complete shock. But don’t guys love it when we let them do all the talking?

Well, yes. Who doesn’t like talking about themselves? But unless “good listener” is on the top of his must-have list for potential mates – and I’ve never met a man who places it there – he’s not going to pick you. Imagine him driving home and saying to himself, “That Susie was such a good listener. I can’t wait to see her again!” The only guy who does that is the me-me-me-me guy. And who wants him, anyway?

Western Maryland Delegate Gets $427K From State

Del. Wendell R. Beitzel, a Republican representing Garrett and Allegany counties, was granted a $427,000 conservation easement Wednesday by the Board of Public Works.

The easement, part of the Rural Legacy Program, will keep Beitzel’s farm in Garrett County from being developed, a danger that Comptroller Peter Franchot wasn’t sure was real or imagined.

Franchot voted in favor of the measure, but said it “stuck out like a sore thumb.”

“We’re paying $450,000 for a property in Western Maryland to protect it from development,” the comptroller said during Wednesday’s BPW meeting. “What development is going out there that I’m unaware of?”

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Blame It On The Alcohol? Maybe Not, Study Suggests

It’s a trap that most of us have fallen into: making a rash or regrettable decision after a few cold Coors Lights. Blame it on the booze, right? A new study out of the University of Missouri College of Arts and Sciences sheds light on how the brain processes mistakes in the presence of alcohol.

In a finding that runs contrary to previous thinking, it turns out we still know we are making mistakes when intoxicated. We just don’t care as much.

“I suppose the main implication is that people shouldn’t assume ‘I was drunk’ is a good excuse for doing things one knows he or she shouldn’t be doing,” wrote the study’s author, Dr. Bruce Bartholow of the University of Missouri, in an e-mail. The study will be published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology.

“It’s not as though people do drunken things because they’re not aware of their behavior, but rather they seem to be less bothered by the implications or consequences of their behavior than they normally would be,” Bartholow added.

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Gannett Plummets Again - Setting Yet Another New Low

The Gannett Corporation - (The Daily Times parent company - GCI trading symbol) - stock price plummeted yet again today setting yet another record low. The stock price fell to $8.28/Share in today's trading setting yet another all time record low.

Liberal biased MSM have taken a 'bath' in recent months as FOX news and other emerging giants including SBYnews audiences have gained marketshare.

Click here to learn more: http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:GCI#

Troy Davis Case Prompts Second Look At Eyewitness Identification Rules

When the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied clemency for Troy Allen Davis Tuesday, the board based its decision on one of the bedrocks of the American judicial system: eyewitness testimony. Nine individuals testified that they saw Davis murder off-duty police officer Mark Allen MacPhail in a Burger King parking lot in 1989, and the jury sentenced him to death. He was executed by lethal injection last night around 11 p.m. But over the years, seven witnesses recanted their testimony; some alleged that police coerced them to identify Davis. Three jurors who sentenced Davis to the death penalty testified that had they known about the problems with eyewitness identification, they would not have sentenced Davis to death.

For more than 30 years, research in criminal justice, social science and behavioral health has pointed overwhelmingly to the conclusion that people aren’t very good at picking criminals out of a police lineup. Whether due to faulty memories or subtle police coercion, eyewitnesses often misidentify the suspect. The first study questioning the validity of eyewitness testimony was published all the way back in 1907. This week, yet another study was released, this one by the American Judicature Society. It found that showing eyewitnesses photos of suspects sequentially, rather than in a cluster, reduces the likelihood of misidentification.

Over the past decade, a dozen states and several large police departments have adopted evidence-based practices, such as having an officer who doesn’t know the suspect’s identity conduct a police lineup, or instructing witnesses that the suspect may or may not be present in the lineup. Still, the majority of states are generally using the same eyewitness identification rules that led to Davis’ controversial conviction.
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10 Questions To Ask Your Doctor During Your Visit

It's important to ask your doctor questions to make sure you're getting the best care and aren't overpaying or getting an unnecessary treatment. In fact, your doctor wants you to ask questions. It can be hard to think of the right ones in the heat — or rather, cold — of the moment — those backless hospital gowns and all — so the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has got 10 you can print out and bring with you.

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New Regulation Would Destroy Eastern Shore Jobs, Way Of Life

“Today, the Obama administration has decided to hold off on implementing their newest H2-B regulation for just 60 days – however, temporarily suspending this rule only provides a stay of execution for Eastern Shore businesses and an Eastern Shore way of life. Unless this harmful regulation is permanently eliminated, it will do what so many Obama administration regulations have done so far: destroy jobs and cripple the American economy.”

Cost Of Raising A Kid Rose 40 Percent In Last Decade

Kids are expensive, hitting you up for 18 years or more of food, clothing and healthcare, to say nothing of potential college expenses. As the years go by, they're only getting more costly. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, each youngster you raise will sap $226,920 out of you by age 18. The figure is up $60,000 from 10 years ago — a 40 percent increase.

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Rep. Andy Harris Opposes Largest Toll Hike In State’s History

Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Andy Harris continued to voice his opposition to the largest toll hike in the state’s history.

“Maryland families and job creators, particularly on the Eastern Shore, cannot afford another tax hike,” said Rep. Andy Harris. “Maryland doesn’t have a revenue problem - they simply want to raise tolls by hundreds of millions of dollars to fund transportation projects for the Washington, D.C. suburbs.”

The State of Maryland is proposing drastic toll increases, including a 140% increase in the Bay Bridge toll, and increasing the rates on the Hatem River Bridge, Harbor and Fort McHenry Tunnels and John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. While Maryland families and small businesses continue to struggle with making ends meet in this difficult economy, this tax increase comes at the worst possible time.

Will It Be A Splashdown?

A dead six-ton satellite is expected to smack down to Earth on Friday. Scientists will have a more precise time by this afternoon. An estimated 26 pieces — representing 1,200 pounds &mdsah; are expected to survive. The heaviest metal parts are expected to reach Earth, the biggest chunk weighing about 300 pounds. The debris could be scattered over an area about 500 miles long. However, NASA is anticipating a splashdown rather than a landing. (NASA)

Clinton: Paying More Taxes 'Won't Solve Problem'

Clinton Critique of Jobs, Debt Fight Offers Something for Everyone

Both sides in the debate on job growth and deficit spending are claiming an ally in Bill Clinton, the multimillionaire former president who has declared his willingness to pay more in taxes, but said that it won't help get the economy moving.

Clinton, in interviews over the weekend, touted President Obama's $447 billion jobs package as a smart move. But speaking with Newsmax, he criticized the president's deficit-reduction plan, which calls for $1.5 trillion in tax hikes to be collected by raising the rates on people making $200,000 or more and adding an additional calculation for people making more than $1 million.

Lawmakers Still Struggling With USPS

Lawmakers are squaring off over a bill to fix the struggling Postal Service. A House subcommittee is considering dramatic reforms to USPS — part of legislation backed by House Republican but opposed by Democrats. The bill would let the Postal Service cut Saturday mail delivery, dramatically increase postage rates and charge employees more for health insurance. However, the plan differs from competing proposals from the White House and the Senate in two key ways: It would not let the Postal Service take back the $7 billion it overpaid into the federal retirement system. It would also set up a commission to reorganize the agency, rather than let the Postal Service restructure itself.

Caption This Photo 9-22-11

Station 16 Headline News Again

Would it upset you to know that when the City advertised the old Station 16 as surplus they asked bidders for the "lowest bid" and not the highest?

Would it upset you to know that the winning bidder had 90 days to deliver the City a finalized RFP and after almost a year they have not done so?

Many of you are aware that the City did not advertise the property properly and made no mention of the river front property going with the package deal.

That being said, many wonder if there's a special interest deal in place and quite frankly I can't blame them. Now I like Palmer Gillis and I believe he has served the citizens of Salisbury quite well as a former City Council Member as well as his visions and work within Downtown Salisbury.

He has a different kind of special interest, (you might say) and I happen to know of some additional things Palmer is considering for Salisbury and my hat is tipped to him for his vision and commitment. However, does that make the deal with the old Fire Station 16 a good deal for the taxpayers, absolutely not.

In my honest opinion, (and I am NOT interested in purchasing ANYTHING within the city of Salisbury) the City Council should unanimously shut down this deal immediately and reconsider their options once again.

Think about this for a minute. There's a whole new Council since the Fire Station was surplussed. Considering Palmer Gillis is in default by not delivering a RFP within the 90 days agreed upon via a legal contract, the deal is done and over with.

Start off fresh and either advertise it again, (with or without the river front property) and or sit on it for a while as it will not cost the City much at all to hold on to a valuable asset. Rent it, lease it, sell it, whatever you like. However, DON'T give it away for $100,000.00!

If any of you are buying the article in today's Daily Times about UMES still being interested in working out some kind of deal, well, I'm told its a load of crap but you know the Daily Times. If it suits their special interests they'll run with just about anything.

Now think about this for a minute Folks. IF UMES was so interested in the property, why not buy it themselves. Let's see, SU does it all the time. Why would the City be interested in a non profit taking over a building converted into a restaurant that will ultimately compete with Market Street Inn, Brew River and the other restaurant replacing Flavors? BECAUSE THEY'RE STUPID, THAT'S WHY!

This is a bad deal all the way around. Let UMES do this, (if they actually intend to do it) in their own neck of the woods and not in Salisbury. The deal STINKS. Do you believe they deserve to get going rate prices for a meal there when they get tax free status? If they DON'T get going rates for meals there because they can afford to deliver food for less because they don't have the overhead, what do you think will happen to the rest of the restaurants that HAVE invested millions of dollars into Downtown Salisbury?

Wake Up Salisbury. Do NOT allow your City Council to EXTEND the defaulted contract on the old Fire Station 16 and do it right this time.

More Food For The Local Homeless

Salisbury News received another call, (from a different organization) telling us they had a banquet and they had trays of additional food for our Tent City friends.

When I arrived I was overwhelmed with the volume of food they had to offer and let me assure you, so were the homeless. Fried Chicken, Cole Slaw, Chopped Baked Potatoes, Ham, Rolls, Brownies and a huge tray of Desert.

When I arrived, one of the women who stays at the Tent City was there with her Mother and Child. When I spoke with the Mother she stated she was just days away from having to move there herself because of the economy. The scary part, the Mother is raising the Grandchild.

Times are clearly tough on many. So much so, there were two or three new tents set up since I was there last Sunday.

I have had several conversations with local officials recently on this matter and I'm reaching out to our readers for their opinion on this matter. You see, our public officials have an entirely different point of view on the homeless and I have to admit, they make a good point.

They are asking me to deliver all of the food to a certain shelter to encourage the homeless to come there instead. They'd like these people to live at the shelter in the hopes of helping them rehabilitate their lives. They can house and feed the homeless and at the same time check their backgrounds to make sure they are not wanted here or in any other state.

There are conditions to living in these shelters. You can't be high or intoxicated. Public officials do not want the public handing them any money because "you know where that money goes". Again, I have to agree. Some might say the money we give could go to food and so forth but I think we can all pretty much agree that its going elsewhere for the most part.

Now, as far as the food goes. Well, there's certain conditions for making such donations. When it comes to dealing with Health Department issues things get somewhat complicated. Those who are donating the bulk food don't want to be bothered by the Health Department and would like to remain anonymous, I can't blame them. The last thing I want to do is bring, (as in this case) trays of food that could easily feed 30 to 40 people being thrown out, period. I happen to know the food was stored properly. So I'm in a catch 22 on this matter and I need your help.

We want to help the homeless but we also want to do what's right. I need your opinion on this matter and I hope you take a few minutes to reply with a comment. I look forward to hearing from you.

Again, Salisbury News would like to thank every one who is participating in the gift of food for those who need it most.

Salisbury University Parking Scam

Joe,

I just learned something about SU not many people know. Students at SU are charged a whopping $110.00 a year to park in satellite parking lots owned by the University. For $110.00 you get a parking permit to display on your vehicle so that roving patrols can readily identify those vehicles who are parking "legally". BUT...here is the kick in the nuts. Anytime a special event occurs - such as the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new building last Tuesday - half of the parking lots were blocked off to allow for visitor parking. Student parking was prohibited even though they had paid $110.00 for the right to park. This also happened during the snow storms when parking was prohibited on city streets. Students who didn't pay for parking were permitted to park in the lots and those who paid were left with no place to park. Seems as though Comrade Dudley-Eshbach likes to change the rules to suit herself as well as a public official we all know.

Today's Survey Question 9-22-11

Do you give money to the homeless, beggars, panhandlers?

An Astounding Discovery: Faster-Than-Light Particle

CERN scientists ask for confirmation of discovery that could rewrite laws of nature

GENEVA — Scientists at the world's largest physics lab say they have clocked subatomic particles traveling faster than light, a feat that — if true — would break a fundamental pillar of science.

The readings have so astounded researchers that they are asking others to independently verify the measurements before claiming an actual discovery.

"This would be such a sensational discovery if it were true that one has to treat it extremely carefully," said John Ellis, a theoretical physicist at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, who was not involved in the experiment.

Nothing is supposed to move faster than light, at least according to Albert Einstein's special theory of relativity: The famous E (equals) mc2 equation. That stands for energy equals mass times the speed of light squared.

But neutrinos — one of the strangest well-known particles in physics — have now been observed smashing past this cosmic speed barrier of 186,282 miles per second (299,792 kilometers).

Obama, No More $16.00 Muffins

Reports of $16 muffins have stirred the Obama administration into action. OMB director Jack Lew ordered deputy secretaries to review conference spending, and until they do, they're under orders to personally sign off on conference expenses. Vice President Joe Biden, who backed up the order, promised to convene another Cut Government Waste cabinet meeting for a progress report. The moves follow a Justice Department inspector general report revealing what appeared to be excessive conference expenses. That report singled out expensive catering charges at Justice meetings throughout the county.

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON THE AMERICAN JOBS ACT

(ANNAPOLIS, MD) – Governor Martin O’Malley today released the following statement on President Obama’s visit to Ohio to promote the American Jobs Act:

“Today, President Obama is visiting the Brent Spence Bridge that connects Ohio and Kentucky. The bridge carries double its original capacity when designed 50 years ago and has been deemed “functionally obsolete” for some time – and yet it carries an estimated 4 percent of our Gross Domestic Product over the Ohio River every year.

“While the President is calling on Congress to pass the American Jobs Act to modernize our roads, rail, airports and waterways and put hundreds of thousands of Americans back to work, I wanted to talk about what the American Jobs Act would mean for bridges and jobs right here in Maryland.

“With the American Jobs Act, we can put hundreds of people to work and move forward more quickly with projects like widening the I-70 bridge over Concocheague Creek in Washington County and reconstructing the I-695 Baltimore Beltway bridge over Milford Mill Road – a bridge that is 50 years old and structurally deficient.

“A modern economy requires modern investments, and the most important job we have is to create the next one.

“President Obama’s plan is a balanced approach to job creation with modern investments and targeted incentives, putting thousands back to work. In Maryland alone, the President’s plan would create and save an estimated 19,000 jobs. It will put construction workers back on the job, keep our police officers, teachers and firefighters on the job in our communities, and help the long-term unemployed get back to work, and small businesses back to hiring.

“America wins when America creates jobs, and together, we can create jobs and opportunity, and build our children a bridge to a better future.”

Senate Freezes Number Of Non Emergency Employees

A Senate committee voted to freeze the number of non-emergency employees at the Homeland Security Department; contractors might be next. The freeze comes in an amendment to the 2012 DHS authorization bill introduced by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). The promise to consider capping contractors came from Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee chairman Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who said he's shocked by the number of contract employees at DHS.

Debt Collectors Fighting Laws Aimed At Making Them Do Their Jobs Properly

In recent years, a number of U.S. states have crafted legislation intended to make sure that debt collectors are doing a thorough job of properly identifying debtors and proving that a debt is actually owed. But now these collections folks are fighting these laws because they apparently make debt collecting a less profitable venture.

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House Fails To Pass Continuing Resolution

The House failed to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government funded after Sept. 30. The defeat of the bill came as a surprise to many lawmakers. One point of contention was a Republican gambit to increase spending on disaster relief at the expense of subsidies for certain automobiles favored by Democrats. The government faces a shutdown Oct.1 if lawmakers don't agree on a funding plan.

Marines Hit The Ground Running In Seeking Recruits At Gay Center

Tulsa, Oklahoma - Master Sgt. Anthony Henry, a top Marine recruiting trainer for the southwestern United States, pulled up to Tulsa’s biggest gay community center on Tuesday morning and left his Chevy where he could make a fast getaway. “I have an exit strategy,” he said. “I know where my choke points are, I’ve strategically parked my car right on the curbside, I have an out.”

But as it happened, one of the strangest days in the history of the United States Marine Corps unfolded without the protests and insults that Sergeant Henry had feared. Sergeant Henry, who had been invited to set up a recruiting booth on the first day of the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell” at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center in downtown Tulsa, instead spent it in quiet conversation with a trickle of gay women who came in to ask about joining the Marines.

“It’s your business and you don’t have to share it,” Sergeant Henry told Ariel Pratt, 20, who asked whether she would face discrimination in the military as a lesbian serving openly. “But you’re also free to be at the mall with your girlfriend.”

Ms. Pratt, 20, asked Sergeant Henry what he liked about the Marines.

“It’s like a little family,” he said. “We get mad at each other, we joke with each other, but we don’t let anybody else make fun of us.”

“That’s pretty cool,” she said.

China Denounces U.S. Arms Deal for Taiwan

BEIJING — China on Thursday angrily demanded the Obama administration cancel its plans to upgrade Taiwan’s aging fleet of F-16 fighter jets, warning that the decision will harm U.S.-China ties overall and military cooperation between the two countries.

A statement Thursday on the Chinese foreign ministry’s website, and an article on the website of Xinhua, the official news agency here, said China’s Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun summoned U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke to lodge a “strong protest.” Xinhua said China’s ambassador in Washington, Zhang Yesui, also lodged a protest.

Walkout At U.N. As Ahmadinejad Speaks

United Nations (CNN) -- Delegations from the United States and several European nations walked out of the U.N. General Assembly Thursday during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech, in which he blamed the United States for several international problems and said some countries use the Holocaust as an "excuse to pay ransom... to Zionists."

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Tomorrow's News Headlines?????

Will tomorrow's headlines read:

Unemployment Drops To Record Low

New Home Sales Unexpectedly Rise

Consumer Confidence Never Better

Stocks Open With Best Start In 5 Years

Yeah, just leave it to the Obama Administration to suck every single penny you have out of your pockets. If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times, we are in a depression and a false economy. When will Americans finally wake up!

Progressives Rally To Fix Economic Woes By Cutting Military Spending, Taxing Rich

A hall packed with progressives applauded the prospects of cutting back military spending, reinstating the millionaires’ tax, passing President Obama’s job creation legislation, and transforming Maryland’s health care system into a state-run single-payer operation.

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BREAKING NEWS: Stocks Pummeled In Widespread Selloff

A massive selloff in stocks Thursday rekindled fears of a global downturn, with the Dow suffering its biggest two-day drop in almost three years. Oil and gold fell sharply as money flooded into the safe haven of Treasurys, despite their miniscule yields. Financial stocks were gutted, and all of the major stock indices fell by more than 3%. The Dow closed with a loss of 390 at 10734.

From Fox News

Recession's Second Act Would Be Worse Than The First

Fresh evidence of a global economic slowdown has raised fears that governments around the world may be powerless to reverse it. If the world does fall into back into recession, it could be much harder to escape than the contraction that ended in 2009.

With banks still recovering from a decade-long credit bubble, governments slashing spending to cope with unsustainable debt, and unemployment at levels not seen in decades, a new recession would be “disastrous,” according to Roger Altman, a senior Treasury official in the Clinton administration.

“We could be in for a repeat of the experience of 1937, when America fell back into recession after three years of recovery from the Great Depression,” he wrote in the Financial Times.

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Dow Plunges More Than 500 Points

Dow plummets more than 500 points on fears of another recession

Maryland Revenues Up Slightly, But Fiscal Boards Cautious About Slow Growth

The state’s economy is growing extremely slowly, and two fiscal regulatory bodies recommended caution on Wednesday as the state goes forward.The estimates for the rest of fiscal year 2012 indicate that the state will take in $195 million more than initially anticipated, showing revenue growth of 4.2%.

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Report: Ex-labor Chief Works 1 Day, Nets $158,000 City Pension

Former president of Chicago Federation of Labor, city officials defend payout as legal

A retired Chicago labor leader has secured a $158,000 public pension — roughly five times greater than what a typical retired public-service worker in the Windy City receives — after spending just one day on the city payroll, local news reports said.

Venezuela In Talks On $6 Billion Settlement With Exxon

Petroleos de Venezuela SA, the state oil company, and Exxon Mobil Corp. are negotiating an arbitration settlement of about $6 billion for assets seized by President Hugo Chavez in 2007.

Venezuela will pay any ruling issued by the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes that is in Exxon’s favor, Carlos Escarra, the country’s Prosecutor General, told reporters today in Caracas.

“They started asking for $20 billion,” Escarra said. “Talks dropped to around $12 billion, and now they are around $6 billion. Venezuela has to pay, we are clear on that. The problem now is how much we will pay.”

PETA Begs Kate Middleton to Stop Prince William From Shooting Birds

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Catherine Middleton, are the latest high profile couple to be targeted by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for bird hunting, a centuries old royal tradition.

According to multiple reports, William purchased 250 pheasants, ducks and partridges for a shoot at the Queen's Sandringham Estate to mark his younger brother Harry’s 27th birthday. But in a letter obtained by FOX411’s Pop Tarts column, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk has reached out and urged wife Kate to put a stop to it.

Antics Of The 'Capital Playboys' Disgust China

One of Beijing's top property developers has being charged with weapons offences after a late-night car race with another real estate mogul's son ended in flames and a heated row between the two notorious playboys.

The incident, reported by the Chinese media yesterday, has further angered Beijing residents, who complain that the so-called "capital playboys" – an elite group of young property developers from rich families with money to burn, time to kill, film-star girlfriends and a sense of entitlement – treat the city as their personal playground.

New data on U.S. housing costs shows that more than half of the nation's renters are writing rent checks that are at least 30% of their household income, and one in four renters are paying out half their income for shelter.

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Palestine’s Strongest UN Ally?

With India’s ascension to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member in January 2011, attention has inevitably focused on New Delhi’s positions on key international issues.

India has already had to take a stance on thorny issues such as Libya and Syria. But the Palestinian bid for statehood at this week’s UN General Assembly is arguably the trickiest issue of all facing the international community.

Headlight Flashing Faces Test As Free Speech In Florida

When Erich Campbell passed two Florida Highway Patrol cruisers parked in the median near Tampa International Airport in December 2009, he flashed his headlights to warn oncoming drivers of the radar patrol.

Then, to his surprise, one of the troopers pulled over his silver Toyota Tundra and ticketed him for improper flashing of high beams.

Child Rapist To Get Less Time Than Pot Grower

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is getting tougher on pot growers than he is on rapists of children. Under the Tories' omnibus crime legislation tabled Tuesday, a person growing 201 pot plants in a rental unit would receive a longer mandatory sentence than someone who rapes a toddler or forces a five-year-old to have sex with an animal.

Producing six to 200 pot plants nets an automatic six-month sentence, with an extra three months if it's done in a rental or is deemed a public-safety hazard. Growing 201 to 500 plants brings a one-year sentence, or 1½ years if it's in a rental or poses a safety risk.

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Next Republican President?

Federal Appeals Court Allows ACLU Challenge to Warrantless Wiretapping Law to Proceed

NEW YORK – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit today denied the government's request that all of the court's judges rehear a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union challenging the FISA Amendments Act (FAA), a law that gives the executive branch virtually unchecked power to collect Americans' international emails and telephone calls. In March, a three-judge panel of the court unanimously ruled the plaintiffs have the right to challenge the constitutionality of the law.

National Passenger Carrier Strike Force Initiative

Location:

US 13 Harrington Fair Grounds Harrington, De

DATE and TIME:

Friday September 23, 2011 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Spearheaded by

Delaware State Police Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP)

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

Other States Across the Country

Resume:

Harrington-Delaware State Police along with other States across the country are working jointly with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in what is being deemed the “National Passenger Carrier Strike Force” that will take place from September 23, 2011 to October 7, 2011. The Delaware State Police will conduct a sustained effort to conduct passenger carrier driver/vehicle inspections and related enforcement activities throughout the initiative period.

The (FMCSA) began this initiative in the aftermath of the recent Motor Coach crashes in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania which claimed the lives of several passengers.

The ultimate goal of FMCSA is for the safety of Motor Coach passengers as well as others who drive our nation’s highways alongside these Motor Coaches.

On Friday, September 23, 2011 The Delaware State Police Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) will be conducting spot check inspections at the Harrington Fair Grounds on Motor Coaches after all passengers have disembarked.

Santorum Asks Google To Clean Up Search Results For His Name

(CNN) -- Former U.S. Sen. and Republican presidential candidateRick Santorum has a well-known Google problem.For the uninitiated, if you Google Santorum's name, the first result you'll probably get is not his personal website but a fake definition of "santorum," a sexual byproduct that's a bit too graphic to talk about in detail here. (Of course, you can Google him and easily find out.)

We'll get into how that all happened in a second, but here's what's new: On Tuesday, the socially conservative politician lashed out at Google, saying the company could get rid of the sexual references to his name on the search results if it wanted to -- and perhaps would do so if he were a Democrat.

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Thursday, September 22, 2011

Health official says food was likely contaminated with rat poison

Clinton Critique of Jobs, Debt Fight Offers Something for Everyone

CERN scientists ask for confirmation of discovery that could rewrite laws of nature

Former president of Chicago Federation of Labor, city officials defend payout as legal