Conservatives and Republican elites in the state are divided over who to support for the GOP nomination, but they almost uniformly express concern over the prospect that Ron Paul and his army of activist supporters may capture the state’s 2012 nominating contest — an outcome many fear would do irreparable harm to the future role of the first-in-the-nation caucuses.
In spin rooms, bar rooms and online forums, the what-to-do-about-Paul conversation has become pervasive as polls show him at or near the top here just weeks before the January 3rd vote.
Paul poses an existential threat to the state’s cherished kick-off status, say these Republicans, because he has little chance to win the GOP nomination and would offer the best evidence yet that the caucuses reward candidates who are unrepresentative of the broader party.
“It would make the caucuses mostly irrelevant if not entirely irrelevant,” said Becky Beach, a longtime Iowa Republican who helped Presidents Bush 41 and Bush 43 here. “It would have a very damaging effect because I don’t think he could be elected president and both Iowa and national Republicans wouldn’t think he represents the will of voters.”
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, December 22, 2011
J&J Pulls 12 Million Motrin Bottles From Shelves
Johnson & Johnson, the consumer products company which has been plagued by product recalls in the past two years, said it is voluntarily asking retailers to remove about 12 million bottles of Motrin pain relievers from store shelves.
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Holiday Cheer Fund-Raiser
Enjoying the Holiday Cheer wine tasting and open house on Dec. 8 to benefit Women Supporting Women’s Worcester County chapter were Kathryn Danko-Lord and Susan Hutchinson of Costa Ventosa Winery in Whaleyville, Rota Knott, WSW’s Worcester County coordinator, and Shelly Bruder, owner of Bruder Hill boutique in Berlin. Bruder Hill hosted the event with Costa Ventosa Winery providing wine tastings and Baked Desserts of Berlin providing a dessert sampling. The event raised more than $300 for the local breast cancer support and awareness organization.
Rota L. Knott
Coordinator, Worcester County Chapter
Women Supporting Women
Eunice Sorin Office
10026 Old Ocean City Blvd.
Berlin, MD 21811
410-641-2849
Mortgage Rates Drop To Record Low
The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has dropped to a record low 3.91 percent, mortgage giant Freddie Mac said Thursday.
That's down from last week's 3.94 percent, which matched the previous record low set in the fall, which was the lowest since records began being kept in the 1950s. The rate for a 15-year fixed rate mortgage was steady at 3.21 percent, also a record.
Rates may be low, but they haven't been able to spur sales for a number of reasons, including stagnant wages and persistently high unemployment.
ANOTHER REASON TO PARTY: DEBT TO GDP NOW 100%
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 12/21/2011 16:58 -0500
With precisely one year left for the world and all of its inhabitants, at least according to the Mayans, not to mention on the day of the Winter Solstice, it is only fitting that US debt, net of all settlements for all already completed bond auctions, is now at precisely $15,182,756,264,288.80. Why is this relevant? Because the latest annualized US GDP, according to the BEA, was $15,180,900,000.00. Which means that, as of today, total US debt to GDP is 100.012%. Congratulations America: you are now in the triple digit “debt to GDP” club!
(naturally, this is using purely “on the books” data. If one adds the NPV of all US liabilities, and adjusts GDP for such things as today’s housing contraction, then the magical triple digit threshold was breached long, long ago).
And here is the breakdown for the forensically inclined ones:
I. Total debt as of December 20: $15,131,979,264,288,80 (source):
II. Net cash settlement of all completed auctions: $50,777,000,000.00 (source):
III. Total GDP: $15,180,900,000,000.00 (source):
=> Total Debt/GDP= $15,182,756,264,288.80/$15,180,900,000,000.00 = 100.012%
Source
With precisely one year left for the world and all of its inhabitants, at least according to the Mayans, not to mention on the day of the Winter Solstice, it is only fitting that US debt, net of all settlements for all already completed bond auctions, is now at precisely $15,182,756,264,288.80. Why is this relevant? Because the latest annualized US GDP, according to the BEA, was $15,180,900,000.00. Which means that, as of today, total US debt to GDP is 100.012%. Congratulations America: you are now in the triple digit “debt to GDP” club!
(naturally, this is using purely “on the books” data. If one adds the NPV of all US liabilities, and adjusts GDP for such things as today’s housing contraction, then the magical triple digit threshold was breached long, long ago).
And here is the breakdown for the forensically inclined ones:
I. Total debt as of December 20: $15,131,979,264,288,80 (source):
II. Net cash settlement of all completed auctions: $50,777,000,000.00 (source):
III. Total GDP: $15,180,900,000,000.00 (source):
=> Total Debt/GDP= $15,182,756,264,288.80/$15,180,900,000,000.00 = 100.012%
Source
Reports Of Frequent Heartburn Double, Study Finds
For many, the rich food, abundant alcohol, weight gain and stress of the holidays likely lead to one thing: heartburn. But new research finds that an increasing number of people struggle with the burning and pressure of surging stomach acid all year long.
A new study reports that the number of people who frequently experience symptoms of heartburn, also called acid reflux, has almost doubled in the past decade. Acid reflux can mean more than just discomfort -- too much surging stomach acid can create a web of scars in the esophagus, causing food to get stuck on its way down. Research also has connected acid reflux with an increased risk of esophageal cancer, particularly if it is chronic and untreated.
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Interest Rates In A Gold Coin Standard
Americans are living in a world of central bank profligacy. This has been true ever since 1914, when the Federal Reserve System opened for business. But the most recent bank-created economic crisis, which began in December 2007, has received more attention than ever before. This is mainly the result of Ron Paul's 2007 candidacy for the Republican nomination for President. He warned that this crisis would happen. He also spelled out the reasons: Federal Reserve policy. Then the crisis hit.
The Federal Reserve lost its immunity from criticism in 2008-9. It will never get it back. It also lost its invisibility. The general public now has some limited awareness of the FED. The FED gets a lot of negative publicity. This to a positive development.
This has also created a problem. Some of the critics of the Federal Reserve System propose a solution worse than the FED itself: the creation of a fiat-money based central bank that creates money out of nothing to pay for government-funded projects. These critics argue that this government-run bank will be able to offer interest-free loans to the public, which will keep the economy running at full capacity.
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The Federal Reserve lost its immunity from criticism in 2008-9. It will never get it back. It also lost its invisibility. The general public now has some limited awareness of the FED. The FED gets a lot of negative publicity. This to a positive development.
This has also created a problem. Some of the critics of the Federal Reserve System propose a solution worse than the FED itself: the creation of a fiat-money based central bank that creates money out of nothing to pay for government-funded projects. These critics argue that this government-run bank will be able to offer interest-free loans to the public, which will keep the economy running at full capacity.
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Cornell's Damning Review Of The Keystone XL Pipeline
the main points in this briefing paper can be summarized as follows:
» The industry’s US jobs claims are linked to a $7 billion KXL project budget.
However, the budget for KXL that will have a bearing on US jobs figures is
dramatically lower—only around $3 to $4 billion. A lower project budget means
fewer jobs.
» The project will create no more than 2,500-4,650 temporary direct construction
jobs for two years, according to TransCanada’s own data supplied to the State
Department.
» The company’s claim that KXL will create 20,000 direct construction and
manufacturing jobs in the U.S is not substantiated.
» There is strong evidence to suggest that a large portion of the primary material
input for KXL—steel pipe—will not even be produced in the United States. A
substantial amount of pipe has already been manufactured in advance of pipeline
permit issuance.
» The industry’s claim that KXL will create 119,000 total jobs (direct, indirect, and
induced) is based on a flawed and poorly documented study commissioned by
TransCanada (The Perryman Group study). Perryman wrongly includes over $1
billion in spending and over 10,000 person-years of employment for a section
of the Keystone project in Kansas and Oklahoma that is not part of KXL and has
already been built.
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Break Up The Banks
Three years after the financial crisis and the bailouts, and we’re not much better off: “Too big to fail” remains, banking profits are sinking and those big, overregulated banks can’t manage to lend to small businesses.
Maybe it’s time to stop protecting this failed business model — and finally begin to break up the nation’s largest banks.
Making them smaller and less “systemically” important may be the only way to get them to lend more. If they hold less capital, they can start taking some risks without a chance of blowing up the whole financial system.
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Oh Brother, Now The Wall Street Journal Attacks Ron Paul
I am not making this up.WSJ is reporting on Ron Pauls "extreme" portfolio:
Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul marches to his own drummer in politics – and in his investment portfolio, too.
Here at Total Return, we’ve looked at hundreds of the annual financial-disclosure forms in which the members of Congress reveal their assets and trades – and we’ve never seen a more unorthodox portfolio than Ron Paul’s.
Then they put this in which has nothing, zero to do with Ron Paul:
(In fact, The Wall Street Journal revealed problematic trading in Congress more than a year and a half before the “60 Minutes” episode that recently raised a ruckus over the same topic, but that’s another matter.)
Here's more from WSJ on Dr. Paul's "extremism":
But Ron Paul’s portfolio isn’t merely different. It’s shockingly different...
Then we get this idiotic comment which clues you in the the article is a total hit job:
Rep. Paul appears to be a strict buy-and-hold investor who rarely trades; he has held many of his mining stocks since at least 2002. But, as gold and silver prices have fallen sharply since September, precious-metals equities have also taken a pounding, with many dropping 20% or more. That exposes the risk in making a big bet on one narrow sector.
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Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul marches to his own drummer in politics – and in his investment portfolio, too.
Here at Total Return, we’ve looked at hundreds of the annual financial-disclosure forms in which the members of Congress reveal their assets and trades – and we’ve never seen a more unorthodox portfolio than Ron Paul’s.
Then they put this in which has nothing, zero to do with Ron Paul:
(In fact, The Wall Street Journal revealed problematic trading in Congress more than a year and a half before the “60 Minutes” episode that recently raised a ruckus over the same topic, but that’s another matter.)
Here's more from WSJ on Dr. Paul's "extremism":
But Ron Paul’s portfolio isn’t merely different. It’s shockingly different...
Then we get this idiotic comment which clues you in the the article is a total hit job:
Rep. Paul appears to be a strict buy-and-hold investor who rarely trades; he has held many of his mining stocks since at least 2002. But, as gold and silver prices have fallen sharply since September, precious-metals equities have also taken a pounding, with many dropping 20% or more. That exposes the risk in making a big bet on one narrow sector.
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Why You Shouldn’t Buy Stocking Stuffers
The problem with stockings is that they can’t stuff themselves. All those candy canes and chocolate oranges at the checkout line — why not pick one up as a sign of your exceptional generosity? Here’s the snag: Those extra little gifts can actually diminish the value of the main present you bought.
It’s Christmas morning, and you open a box to find a cashmere sweater. The sweater feels plush and expensive, and you feel grateful. But then, underneath the sweater, you find a packet of Hershey’s kisses. Technically, you have been given more, but now the sweater may seem a little less exciting. Why?
MoreAmerica's Most Promising Companies: Top 20
The fortunes of younger, privately held firms can change very quickly
What if someone told you the most promising company in America aimed to compete with multiple multibillion-dollar giants in a traditional industry with un-software-like profit margins? Then what if they told you that the same company had clocked explosive growth through the deepest recession in recent memory — and it was just getting started?
Meet Smashburger, tops on our new list of America’s 100 Most Promising Companies — privately held up-and-comers with compelling business models, strong management teams, notable customers, strategic partners and precious investment capital. Since 2007, the Denver-headquartered patty chain will have grown to 143 locations (half company-owned, half franchised) and $54 million in annual revenue by the end of 2011. Another 450 franchise agreements are already on the books.
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What if someone told you the most promising company in America aimed to compete with multiple multibillion-dollar giants in a traditional industry with un-software-like profit margins? Then what if they told you that the same company had clocked explosive growth through the deepest recession in recent memory — and it was just getting started?
Meet Smashburger, tops on our new list of America’s 100 Most Promising Companies — privately held up-and-comers with compelling business models, strong management teams, notable customers, strategic partners and precious investment capital. Since 2007, the Denver-headquartered patty chain will have grown to 143 locations (half company-owned, half franchised) and $54 million in annual revenue by the end of 2011. Another 450 franchise agreements are already on the books.
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Criminal, Civil Penalties Imposed For Tree Clearing
Accused of illegally felling trees to get a better view from a waterfront Broadneck property, Emanuel Krousaniotakis is paying the price in both civil and criminal court.
Krousaniotakis pleaded guilty to one count in criminal court last week, while reaching a $10,000-plus settlement with the county in civil court last month.
Krousaniotakis pleaded guilty to one count in criminal court last week, while reaching a $10,000-plus settlement with the county in civil court last month.
This is the first completed Critical Area case in the county to feature simultaneous cases in civil and criminal courts.
Arlington National Cemetery Reports To Congress Today
Arlington National Cemetery reports to Congress today on the accuracy of its gravestones and burial sites. Congress asked for the review after it was revealed that some vets had been buried in the wrong place or in unidentified graves. Those reports led to the ousting of the cemetery's top two officials last year. An interim report from the cemetery last month found no further evidence of misplaced or misidentified graves. But it DID find tens of thousands of discrepancies between the information on headstones and that contained on internal cemetery paperwork. More than 300,000 veterans are buried at Arlington National Cemetary
VA Man Arrested For Killing Woman In Her Apt
The Accomack County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office has arrested an 27-year-old Onancock man for shooting and killing a 25-year-old woman in her apartment during a domestic dispute Tuesday night.
Deputies were called to the Pine Street Apartments just after 10:30 p.m.; they found Kiara Corbin lying inside with a gunshot wound.
Will The US Attack Iran?
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta all but said the United States would attack Iran if that nation succeeded in building a nuclear bomb. Panetta tells the CBS 60 Minutes television show, Iran having a nuke would be crossing a red line for the United States. He says the U.S. would take whatever steps are necessary to stop Iran's nuclear bomb program, including military actions. U.N. Inspectors say Iran has not yet decided to go ahead with a bomb program. Panetta says that when they do decide, the Iranians could have a weapon within a year.
AAA: Gas Prices Highest Ever For Holidays
It's the time of year when holiday shopping takes a bite out of your budget, and now, gas prices are, too.
Triple-A Mid-Atlantic Wednesday released figures showing the national average per-gallon price for regular is 3.52, compared to 2.78 at this time last year, and Delaware's average is 3.49, up from 2.73.
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Contractor Wins Bid Even Though They Were 16% Higher
The Veterans Affairs Department wired an RFP to favor an incumbent information security contractor. The IG said requirements for a support services proposal gave weight to Booz Allen Hamilton's prior knowledge of VA's practices and procedures. But it failed to include that weighting in the requirements documents. NextGov reports, VA went on to award Booz Allen a $133 million follow-on contract for cyber services. Booz Allen's bid was 16 percent more than the next highest bid. Glenn Haggstrom is executive director of VA's Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction. He says the price premium was justified by Booz Allen's rating of outstanding on its technical proposal.
Convicted Killer Gets New Execution Date
A Superior Court judge has set January 20, 2012 as the new execution date for a convicted killer.
Robert Gattis was sentenced to death in 1992 for the 1990 shooting death of his former girlfriend, 27-year-old Shirley Slay.
Prosecutors said Gattis, in a jealous rage, shot Slay "execution-style" between the eyes, but he claimed the gun went off accidentally.
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Another Reason To Love Delmar, DE. & The DSP
This evening we heard a helicopter flying over our home. After noticing it had been sticking around a little too long we went out to take a look. After heading in the direction of where they were flying a neighbor stopped me and filled me in, one of our neighbors had become disoriented and lost in the woods.
The Delmar Fire Department showed up and everyone took a different area to search and we all started heading into the woods. Now mind you Folks, there's a LOT of woods out this way.
Being the shortest day of the year, it wasn't looking too good. None of us had flashlights. We kind of just showed up not really knowing what was going on. As the search crews were calling her name, someone finally said, I FOUND HER.
Another neighbor had his Gator type of vehicle and quickly pulled up to load her into the bed and take her over to the rescue vehicles. As you can see from the picture, this was as we were coming out of the woods and there was just no light left.
Thank You Delmar Fire Department, Delaware State Police AND our friendly neighbors. A job well done and none too soon.
EPA Goes After Coal Fired Power Plants
The EPA has gone ahead with controversial new rules for coal-fired power plants. The rules require the plant operators to install smoke scrubbing equipment or shut down. They're the most expensive EPA rules ever. The agency estimates they'll cost industry nearly $10 billion a year. Critics say the rules threaten stability of the electrical grid and cost jobs. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) is the top Republican on the Senate's environment committee. He vows to file a rare joint resolution to get the rule overturned.
BREAKING NEWS: Boehner Confirms Deal On Payroll Tax
House Speaker John Boehner says he and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have reached an agreement on extending the payroll tax cut, with approval expected before Christmas.
From Fox News
From Fox News
Persistent Pup Scares Off Intruder
Karen Falk wasn't sure about getting a puppy five years ago. The Australian Shepherd/Labrador retriever mix named Greysea is a bundle of energy. She's chewed through carpet, furniture and, of course, shoes.
"I kept telling my family that she's not a good fit," she said.
Now she's the neighborhood hero.
Falk woke up in her Rehoboth Beach Yacht and Country Club home at 3 a.m. Dec. 8 to Greysea's concerned barking. Walking downstairs, Falk said she could see what the fuss was about.
"I came down, and she was barking. I had a pit in my stomach," she said.
Homeland Security Has Its Own Battle To Fight
The Homeland Security Department is in for a legal fight over a program to monitor social media after some damaging emails are leaked. NextGov reports those leaked messages appeared to show a government contractor planning to use the project to monitor and discredit the online activities of individuals like labor union leaders.
Privacy advocates are now suing for all government communications with contractors related to the program. The emails were released by the loosely organized hacker group Anonymous. DHS says the program is meant to expand an ongoing initiative that tracks public online communications in the interests of public.
Privacy advocates are now suing for all government communications with contractors related to the program. The emails were released by the loosely organized hacker group Anonymous. DHS says the program is meant to expand an ongoing initiative that tracks public online communications in the interests of public.
Jonathan Taylor Threatens County Council
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 5:22 PM
To: Bob Culver; Gail Bartkovich; Joe Holloway; John Hall; Matt Holloway; Stevie Prettyman; Sheree Sample
Subject: Propaganda at it's best compliments of our County Council
I wanted to send this message clearly to the members of the County Council. I am enjoying the holidays but when the first of the year arrives I am going expose whichever one of you has decided to run to sbynews for your propaganda on the new Bennett middle. If you have no problem being linked with Joe then why don't one of you man or woman up right now and just say I gave it to him? Because you know if you did any chance of re-election or respect from the community would be gone. It will only take a little investigative reporting to uncover the bread crumbs but rest assured I am dedicating myself to it so this nonsense stops. If you don't want to support the project you have County Council meetings and forums you can voice your concerns, but running to either one of us for this crappy propaganda game is exactly why this area Is a laughing stock.
Jonathan Taylor
This coming from a guy who is tied at the hips to Barrie Tilghman, Mike Dunn, Lynn Cathcart, Gary Comegys, Louise Smith, Shanie Shields, Al Webster, Tom McGuire, John Robinson and the like.
My message to Taylor is, do something for your community for once in your life and stop obsessing and threatening others with intimidation. Do you really believe people hold any respect for you?
Between you and Robinson believing the County Council is behind everything I say and do is demented. Nevertheless, you go right after these people, because every time you've gone against someone they have won their elections. Or haven't you realized that as of yet.
By the way Jonathan, you said from the beginning, (years ago) you were coming after me to shut down Salisbury News. How's it working for you! Your threats are the biggest jokes in town, kind of like a town drunk.
New Posts to fall below.
Steve Jobs Wins Posthumous Grammy
(CBS) - The Recording Academy announced today that it would honor the late Steve Jobs with a Grammy at the Special Merit Awards.
Jobs revolutionized the music industry by pushing us into the digital age with the iPod and creating a new model for music distribution. When the iPod was launched, disc mans were the music player of choice.
BREAKING NEWS: Congress 'Very Close' On Payroll Tax Deal
Congressional leaders draw outlines of a deal to end standoff over extending payroll tax cut, sources say, with approval still needed from rank-and-file members.
From Fox News
From Fox News
Without Autopsies, Hospitals Bury Their Mistakes
When Renee Royak-Schaler unexpectedly collapsed and died on May 22, no one ordered an autopsy.
Not the doctors at Howard County General Hospital in Columbia, Md., where the 64-year-old professor and cancer researcher was pronounced dead.
Not the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which passed on the case because no foul play was involved.
And not Royak-Schaler’s physicians at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who had diagnosed cancer in her hip two days beforehand but acknowledged they didn’t know what had caused her unforeseen death.
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Not the doctors at Howard County General Hospital in Columbia, Md., where the 64-year-old professor and cancer researcher was pronounced dead.
Not the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which passed on the case because no foul play was involved.
And not Royak-Schaler’s physicians at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who had diagnosed cancer in her hip two days beforehand but acknowledged they didn’t know what had caused her unforeseen death.
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Study: Sleep-Deprived Police Officers Risk Everyone’s Safety
Many police officers are putting themselves — and the public — at risk by failing to address their sleep problems and excessive fatigue, a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests.
Of the nearly 5,000 officers surveyed, 40% screened positive for a sleep disorder such as insomnia or sleep apnea, and the vast majority had never received treatment for their problem. Most alarming of all, 46% of the officers acknowledged nodding off behind the wheel, and 26% said they did so at least once or twice a month.
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Man Eats Cocaine From Brother's Butt, Dies
A South Carolina man's brother died after police said he was forced to eat cocaine hidden in his brother's backside.
Both brothers were taken into custody on allegations they had drugs in their car.
But police told Charleston, S.C., TV station WCIV there were additional drugs hidden in 23-year-old Deangelo Mitchell's backside.
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Police: Newborn Found In Box On Philly Sidewalk OK
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Police are trying to find out who gave birth to a baby girl found inside a cardboard box on a north Philadelphia sidewalk.
Police say the newborn was found Wednesday morning and was in good condition after she was rushed to a children's hospital.
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Police say the newborn was found Wednesday morning and was in good condition after she was rushed to a children's hospital.
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UPDATE: Funeral Today for Elderly Wilmington Woman Kidnapped And Murdered This Week
UPDATED STORY 12.22.11 : An elderly Wilmington woman who was kidnapped and murdered this week will be buried today.
Wilmington Police say 65-year-old Marsha Lee was walking her dog at Lowell Road and Matson Run Parkway Monday when 24-year-old Dwight Smith hit her with his Hummer SUV; he then put her in the SUV and later dumped her body in a DelDOT lot off Talley Road; her unclothed body was found later that same day with upper body trauma.
Md. OKs Manure-For-Power Plant At Eastern Shore Prison
Maryland's renewable energy efforts got a boost Wednesday when the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a deal to allow a Virginia company to build a waste-to-energy plant at the Eastern Correctional Institute. The Princess Anne plant will use a mixture of crops and chicken manure to generate electricity. ECOCORP Inc., of Arlington, Va., will be given a 30-year lease on the site.
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Report Cites Billions Of Bucks Feds "Wasting"
(CBS News)
As Congress battles over how curb the nation's ballooning deficit, a new report from Capitol Hill points to programs it says are wastes of billions of taxpayer dollars.
For instance: Ever wonder if cocaine enhances the sex drive of quail? Maybe not. But, says CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson, the National Institutes of Health does.
It gave the University of Kentucky more than $356,000 to study just that.
New Elementary, High Schools Planned For Prince George's
Prince George's County officials plan to build a new elementary school in Hyattsville and replace three high schools in the county with more modern facilities.
In addition to the new school in Hyattsville, where officials are projecting booming population growth in the coming years, a funding request made to Maryland school construction officials also would help pay for a new Fairmont Heights High School and Oxon Hill High School, as well as a new Henry G. Ferguson Elementary School in Accokeek.
The construction projects are four of the county's top priorities in a request for $57.4 million in capital funding for fiscal 2013.
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In addition to the new school in Hyattsville, where officials are projecting booming population growth in the coming years, a funding request made to Maryland school construction officials also would help pay for a new Fairmont Heights High School and Oxon Hill High School, as well as a new Henry G. Ferguson Elementary School in Accokeek.
The construction projects are four of the county's top priorities in a request for $57.4 million in capital funding for fiscal 2013.
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Wal-Mart Pulls Formula From Stores Nationwide After Mo. Baby's Death
Wal-Mart has pulled a batch of powdered infant formula from more than 3,000 of its stores nationwide after a Missouri newborn who was given the formula became gravely ill with a suspected bacterial infection and died after being taken off life support, the retailer said Wednesday.
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BPW Defers Award Of Disputed $120M Prison Pharmacy Contract
After hearing passionate arguments from companies and state officials, the Board of Public Works decided to wait for a ruling from the Board of Contract Appeals before approving a disputed $120 million five-year contract to provide pharmacy services to prison inmates.
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House Republicans Under Fire Over Payroll Standoff
House Republicans were desperately searching Wednesday for a face-saving way to end their opposition to Barack Obama's proposed extension of tax breaks targeted at millions of working-class Americans.
Their obstructionism is backfiring badly, with the House Republicans being assailed from not just Democrats but Senate Republicans and usually supportive media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal.
If Congress does not pass a bill to extend the tax cuts by December 31, about 160 million Americans will face tax rises in January. The tax breaks are worth about $1,000 a year to those earning $50,000.
Shanita Godfrey Of Bethesda, Md., Gets New Car Via Vehicles For Change
KENSINGTON, Md. (WUSA) -- A non-profit has changed the life of a low-income family from Bethesda by providing a donated car.
"I can't stop smiling," said Shanita Godfrey.
The mother of two was handed keys to a silver 2001 Toyota Camry. It's a moment she's never experienced.
"This is the best Christmas ever. It's my first car. It's perfect," she said.
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"I can't stop smiling," said Shanita Godfrey.
The mother of two was handed keys to a silver 2001 Toyota Camry. It's a moment she's never experienced.
"This is the best Christmas ever. It's my first car. It's perfect," she said.
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Snowbound ASU Student Survives Ten Days On Candy, Melted Snow
An Arizona State University student missing for 10 days was located Wednesday in good condition in a remote part of east-central Arizona, after surviving on candy bars and melted snow.
Lauren Elizabeth Weinberg, a 23-year-old senior at ASU, was found in southeastern Coconino County just before noon, Sheriff's spokesman Gerry Blair said.
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BREAKING NEWS:
A federal judge blocks key provisions of South Carolina's immigration law, including the portion that requires law officers to check the status of anyone they stop who they believe could be in the country illegally, Fox News confirms.
Two New Deputy Sheriff's Sworn In After Graduating WorWic Police Academy
(The swearing in of new Deputies) The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce two new members to our agency. Pictured from left to right are new Deputies, Rondell Redding, Sherri Nichole Benton, Deputy Clerk Faith James, Chief Deputy Ronnie Howard, and Clerk of Circuit Court, Ted Pheobus. The new Deputies recently graduated the Wor Wic Police Academy in Salisbury, and will begin an eight week field training program. Both Deputies are from Somerset County.
1,300 eBooks Available Through Delaware Libraries
WILMINGTON (AP) -- Delaware public libraries now have 1,300 eBooks available for checkout.
A test site allows library patrons to download titles to eBook readers like the Kindle, Nook and iPad.
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A test site allows library patrons to download titles to eBook readers like the Kindle, Nook and iPad.
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Extremist Teachings Remain in Saudi Textbooks Despite Kingdom's Claims of Reform
Despite Saudi Arabia's promises to clean up textbooks in the kingdom, recent editions continue to raise alarms in the West over jihadist language.
The recent editions were obtained by the Institute for Gulf Affairs in Washington, D.C., and the translations were first provided to Fox News.
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Criminal Press Release
DATE & TIME: 12/21/11@ 1700 hrs
LOCATION: 9477 Athol Rd, Mardela Springs, Maryland 21837
CASE NUMBER: 1154008822
CRIME:
1. Assault 1st
2. Assault 2nd
3. Reckless Endangerment
SUSPECT: Adam Michael Bailey (W/M) (11/25/1981) Mardela Springs, MD 21837
BRIEF RESUME: On 12/21/2011 at 1700 hrs Troopers/Officers from the Maryland State Police Fugitive Apprehension Team arrested Adam Michael Bailey on an outstanding arrest warrant for Assault 1st. It is alleged Bailey struck his live-in girlfriend in the face with a closed fist. Bailey was arrested and transported to Wicomico County Detention Center (WCDC) for processing.
LOCATION: 9477 Athol Rd, Mardela Springs, Maryland 21837
CASE NUMBER: 1154008822
CRIME:
1. Assault 1st
2. Assault 2nd
3. Reckless Endangerment
SUSPECT: Adam Michael Bailey (W/M) (11/25/1981) Mardela Springs, MD 21837
BRIEF RESUME: On 12/21/2011 at 1700 hrs Troopers/Officers from the Maryland State Police Fugitive Apprehension Team arrested Adam Michael Bailey on an outstanding arrest warrant for Assault 1st. It is alleged Bailey struck his live-in girlfriend in the face with a closed fist. Bailey was arrested and transported to Wicomico County Detention Center (WCDC) for processing.
OCEAN CITY POLICE CONCLUDE 18-MONTH INVESTIGATION
On December 20, 2011, members from the Ocean City Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) concluded a nearly two-year child pornography investigation. Laurence John Bode, 60, of Ocean City, was arrested and charged with two counts of distribution of child pornography, two counts of distribution of obscene matter and 12 counts of possession of child pornography.
Detectives began their investigation into Bode in July 2010 after being contacted by HSI Resident Agent-in-Charge, Ocean City Office, who alleged that Bode was distributing images of child pornography through the Internet. In December 2011, Bode was indicted by a grand jury on a total of 16 child pornography related charges.
Bode was held on a $100,000 pre-set bond and transferred to the Worcester County Jail.
Local Author Releases Children’s Book Nationwide
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – This week marks the nationwide release of “Ruby the Roly Poly Ladybug,” the new children’s book from Maryland author Angela Rathkamp.
The book introduces young readers to Ruby the Roly Poly Ladybug, who loves to roll herever she goes. Sometimes her rolling gets her into trouble, especially when she falls into a hole.
Readers learn if Ruby will find a way out of the hole and if she can get home before her mother begins to worry in this charming book.
Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book is available through bookstores nationwide, from the publisher at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore, or by visiting www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com.
This is also an eLIVE title, meaning each book contains a code redeemable for a free audio book version from TatePublishing.com. eLIVE – Listen, Imagine, View, and Experience!
Rathkamp lives in Princess Anne, Maryland, where she lives with her husband, Jim, and three daughters, Allison, Emily, and Sarah.
For more information, please contact James Branscum, Marketing Representative, at (888) 361-9473 or send an email to james@tatepublishing.com.
The book introduces young readers to Ruby the Roly Poly Ladybug, who loves to roll herever she goes. Sometimes her rolling gets her into trouble, especially when she falls into a hole.
Readers learn if Ruby will find a way out of the hole and if she can get home before her mother begins to worry in this charming book.
Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book is available through bookstores nationwide, from the publisher at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore, or by visiting www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com.
This is also an eLIVE title, meaning each book contains a code redeemable for a free audio book version from TatePublishing.com. eLIVE – Listen, Imagine, View, and Experience!
Rathkamp lives in Princess Anne, Maryland, where she lives with her husband, Jim, and three daughters, Allison, Emily, and Sarah.
For more information, please contact James Branscum, Marketing Representative, at (888) 361-9473 or send an email to james@tatepublishing.com.
Betting Against The Odds
A man and his ever-nagging wife went on
vacation in Jerusalem.
While they were there, the wife passed away.
The undertaker told the husband,
"You can have her buried here in the Holy Land for $150 or
we can have her shipped back home for $5,000.
The husband thought about it and told the undertaker
he would have her shipped back home.
The undertaker asked him, "why would you spend $5,000
to have her shipped home when you could have a beautiful
burial here, and it would only cost $150?"
The husband replied, "Long ago,
a man died here,
was buried here,
and three days later,
rose from the dead.
vacation in Jerusalem.
While they were there, the wife passed away.
The undertaker told the husband,
"You can have her buried here in the Holy Land for $150 or
we can have her shipped back home for $5,000.
The husband thought about it and told the undertaker
he would have her shipped back home.
The undertaker asked him, "why would you spend $5,000
to have her shipped home when you could have a beautiful
burial here, and it would only cost $150?"
The husband replied, "Long ago,
a man died here,
was buried here,
and three days later,
rose from the dead.
The Corruption Of America
by Porter Stansberry
The numbers tell us America is in decline… if not outright collapse.
I say “the numbers tell us” because I’ve become very sensitive to the impact this kind of statement has on people. When I warned about the impending bankruptcy of General Motors in 2006 and 2007, readers actually blamed me for the company’s problems – as if my warnings to the public were the real problem, rather than GM’s $400 billion in debt.
The claim was absurd. But the resentment my work engendered was real.
So please… before you read this issue, which makes several arresting claims about the future of our country… understand I am only writing about the facts as I find them today. I am only drawing conclusions based on the situation as it stands. I am not saying that these conditions can’t improve. Or that they won’t improve.
The truth is, I am optimistic. I believe our country is heading into a crisis. But I also believe that… sooner or later… Americans will make the right choices and put our country back on sound footing.
Please pay careful attention to the data I cite. And please send me corrections to the facts. I will happily publish any correction that can be substantiated. But please don’t send me threats, accusations against my character, or baseless claims about my lack of patriotism. If I didn’t love our country, none of these facts would bother me. I wouldn’t have bothered writing this letter.
I know this is a politically charged and emotional issue. My conclusions will not be easy for most readers to accept. Likewise, many of the things I am writing about this month will challenge my subscribers to re-examine what they believe about their country. The facts about America today tell a painful story about a country in a steep decline, beset by problems of its own making.
One last point, before we begin… I realize that this kind of macro-economic/political analysis is not, primarily, what you pay me for.
You rightly expect me to provide you with investment opportunities – whether bull market, bear market, or total societal collapse. And that’s what I’ve done every month for more than 15 years.
But that’s not what I’ve done this month. You won’t find any investment ideas at all in these pages. This issue is unlike any other I have ever written.
I’m sure it will spark a wave of cancellations – costing me hundreds of thousands of dollars. I fear it will spark a tremendous amount of controversy. Many people will surely accuse me of deliberately writing inflammatory things in order to stir the pot and gain attention. That’s not my intention. The truth is, I’ve gone to great lengths throughout my career to protect my privacy.
I am speaking out now because I believe someone must. And I have the resources to do it. I am sharing these ideas with my subscribers because I know we have arrived at the moment of a long-brewing crisis.
Our political leaders, our business leaders, and our cultural leaders have made a series of catastrophic choices. The result has been a long decline in America’s standard of living.
For decades, we have papered over these problems with massive amounts of borrowing. But now, our debts total close to 400% of GDP, and America is the world’s largest borrower (after being the world’s largest creditor only 40 years ago)… And the holes in our society can no longer be hidden…
We’ve reached the point where we will have to fix what lies at the heart of America’s decline… or be satisfied with a vastly lower standard of living in the future.
How do I know? How do I statistically define the decline of America?
The broadest measure of national wealth is per-capita gross domestic product (GDP). Economists use this figure to judge standards of living around the world. It shows the value of the country’s annual production divided by the number of its citizens. No, the production isn’t actually divided among all the citizens, but this measure provides us with a fair benchmark to compare different economies around the world. Likewise, this measure shows the growth (or the decline) in wealth in societies across time.
More
The numbers tell us America is in decline… if not outright collapse.
I say “the numbers tell us” because I’ve become very sensitive to the impact this kind of statement has on people. When I warned about the impending bankruptcy of General Motors in 2006 and 2007, readers actually blamed me for the company’s problems – as if my warnings to the public were the real problem, rather than GM’s $400 billion in debt.
The claim was absurd. But the resentment my work engendered was real.
So please… before you read this issue, which makes several arresting claims about the future of our country… understand I am only writing about the facts as I find them today. I am only drawing conclusions based on the situation as it stands. I am not saying that these conditions can’t improve. Or that they won’t improve.
The truth is, I am optimistic. I believe our country is heading into a crisis. But I also believe that… sooner or later… Americans will make the right choices and put our country back on sound footing.
Please pay careful attention to the data I cite. And please send me corrections to the facts. I will happily publish any correction that can be substantiated. But please don’t send me threats, accusations against my character, or baseless claims about my lack of patriotism. If I didn’t love our country, none of these facts would bother me. I wouldn’t have bothered writing this letter.
I know this is a politically charged and emotional issue. My conclusions will not be easy for most readers to accept. Likewise, many of the things I am writing about this month will challenge my subscribers to re-examine what they believe about their country. The facts about America today tell a painful story about a country in a steep decline, beset by problems of its own making.
One last point, before we begin… I realize that this kind of macro-economic/political analysis is not, primarily, what you pay me for.
You rightly expect me to provide you with investment opportunities – whether bull market, bear market, or total societal collapse. And that’s what I’ve done every month for more than 15 years.
But that’s not what I’ve done this month. You won’t find any investment ideas at all in these pages. This issue is unlike any other I have ever written.
I’m sure it will spark a wave of cancellations – costing me hundreds of thousands of dollars. I fear it will spark a tremendous amount of controversy. Many people will surely accuse me of deliberately writing inflammatory things in order to stir the pot and gain attention. That’s not my intention. The truth is, I’ve gone to great lengths throughout my career to protect my privacy.
I am speaking out now because I believe someone must. And I have the resources to do it. I am sharing these ideas with my subscribers because I know we have arrived at the moment of a long-brewing crisis.
Our political leaders, our business leaders, and our cultural leaders have made a series of catastrophic choices. The result has been a long decline in America’s standard of living.
For decades, we have papered over these problems with massive amounts of borrowing. But now, our debts total close to 400% of GDP, and America is the world’s largest borrower (after being the world’s largest creditor only 40 years ago)… And the holes in our society can no longer be hidden…
We’ve reached the point where we will have to fix what lies at the heart of America’s decline… or be satisfied with a vastly lower standard of living in the future.
How do I know? How do I statistically define the decline of America?
The broadest measure of national wealth is per-capita gross domestic product (GDP). Economists use this figure to judge standards of living around the world. It shows the value of the country’s annual production divided by the number of its citizens. No, the production isn’t actually divided among all the citizens, but this measure provides us with a fair benchmark to compare different economies around the world. Likewise, this measure shows the growth (or the decline) in wealth in societies across time.
More
Don't Let Your Parents Fall For Refinancing Scams
Your parents may assume they have more financial knowledge than you due to their extensive experience, but you shouldn't assume the same. New scams pop up all the time to exploit needs and trick people looking for quick fixes. If you can't protect your parents from these types of financial traps, there's probably no one who can.
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New Bill Would Prevent FCC Commissioners From Jumping Ship To Companies Whose Mergers They Just Approved
Remember last May when then-FCC commissioner Meredith Atwell Baker (pictured at left) ruffled a lot of feathers by taking a job at Comcast, only a few months after approving the cable company's controversial merger with NBC? Well, Congresswoman Maxine Waters hasn't forgotten, and she's introduced legislation aimed at preventing these kinds of obvious shenanigans.
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Maryland Woman Gets Prison For Workers Comp Fraud
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A Maryland woman has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for worker's compensation fraud devised during a 2006 stay at the Las Vegas Hilton.
The Nevada Attorney General's office said Wednesday that 45-year-old Tamara Thompson-Johnson of Suitland, Md., will also have to pay $20,000 restitution.
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The Nevada Attorney General's office said Wednesday that 45-year-old Tamara Thompson-Johnson of Suitland, Md., will also have to pay $20,000 restitution.
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Jury Awards Record $150 Billion Payout To Family Of Burned Child
HOUSTON — A jury in Texas has awarded $150 billion in damages to the family of a man who died 12 years after he was horrifically burned on his eighth birthday in what is reportedly the largest personal injury award in U.S. history.
Lawyer Craig Sico said his clients don't expect to collect any of the $150 billion judgment. Instead, they hope it will help persuade prosecutors to seek charges against a man they say doused Robbie Middleton with gasoline and set him on fire.
Criminal Charges Filed Against Tom McGuire Of Delmar
Case Information
Court System: DISTRICT COURT FOR WICOMICO COUNTY - CRIMINAL SYSTEM
Case Number: 6H00062432Tracking No:111001202292
Case Type: CRIMINAL
District Code: 02Location Code:03
Document Type: WARRANTIssued Date:12/21/2011
Case Status: ACTIVE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Defendant Information
Defendant Name: MCGUIRE, THOMAS JOHN
Race: WHITE, CAUCASIAN, ASIATIC INDIAN, ARAB
Sex: MHeight:604Weight:200DOB:11/30/1969
Address: 401 E.CHESTNUT STREET
City: DELMARState:MDZip Code:21875 - 0000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Court Scheduling Information
Trial Date: 02/27/2012Trial Time:01:00 PMRoom:02
Trial Type:
Trial Location:SERV CTR,201 BAPTIST ST SALISBURY 21801-0629
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charge and Disposition Information
(Each Charge is listed separately. The disposition is listed below the Charge)
Charge No: 001Description:ASSAULT-SEC DEGREE
Statute: CR.3.203Description:ASSAULT-SEC DEGREE
Amended Date: CJIS Code:1 1415MO/PLL:Probable Cause:X
Incident Date From: 12/10/2011 To: 12/10/2011 Victim Age:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charge No: 002Description:RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT
Statute: CR.3.204.(a)(1)Description:RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT
Amended Date: CJIS Code:1 1425MO/PLL:Probable Cause:X
Incident Date From: 12/10/2011 To: 12/10/2011 Victim Age:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charge No: 003Description:DANGEROUS WEAPON-INT/INJURE
Statute: CR.4.101.(c)(2)Description:DANGEROUS WEAPON-INT/INJURE
Amended Date: CJIS Code:1 5200MO/PLL:Probable Cause:X
Incident Date From: 12/10/2011 To: 12/10/2011 Victim Age:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charge No: 004Description:FALSE IMPRISONMENT
Statute: CLDescription:FALSE IMPRISONMENT
Amended Date: CJIS Code:1 0042MO/PLL:Probable Cause:X
Incident Date From: 12/10/2011 To: 12/10/2011 Victim Age:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related Person Information
(Each Person related to the case other than the Defendant is shown)
Name:SENECA INS CO INC
Connection:SURETY
Address: S50 01816297
160 WATER ST, 16TH FLOOR
City: NEW YORKState:NYZip Code:10038
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name:NOVAK, JEFFREY
Connection:COMPLAINANT/POLICE OFFICER
Agency Code: GPAgency Sub-Code:8220Officer ID:DM61
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name:BRENNER, ROBERT N
Connection:BAILBONDSMAN
Address: 6506 COASTAL HIGHWAY
City: OCEAN CITYState:MDZip Code:21842
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Event History Information
Event Date Comment
WARI 12/21/2011 111221;GP 8220;2;ARR;D10124994-5
WARS 12/22/2011 111222;D10124994-5;
INIT 12/22/2011 111222;00050000.00;HDOB;100; ;2112
CMIT 12/22/2011 DEFENDANT COMMITTED;111222;WDC
BOND 12/22/2011 111222;00050000.00;CORP;707011;0F;100
RELS 12/22/2011 DEFENDANT RELEASED FROM COMMITMENT
The Corporations That Occupy Congress
Some of the biggest companies in the United States have been firing workers and in some cases lobbying for rules that depress wages at the very time that jobs are needed, pay is low, and the federal budget suffers from a lack of revenue.
Last month Citizens for Tax Justice and an affiliate issued “Corporate Taxpayers and Corporate Tax Dodgers 2008-10″. It showed that 30 brand-name companies paid a federal income tax rate of minus 6.7 percent on $160 billion of profit from 2008 through 2010 compared to a going corporate tax rate of 35 percent. All but one of those 30 companies reported lobbying expenses in Washington.
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Ron Paul Quits CNN Interview After Being Asked About Racist Newsletters
Texas congressman and Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul ended an interview with CNN after he was questioned about a hate-filled newsletter that was published under his name.
The newsletters were published about 20 years ago and contained a number of incendiary comments about African-Americans, such as referring to Martin Luther King Jr. Day as “Hate Whitey Day.” All of the newsletters featured his name, but Paul has said he did not write the racist language.
“So you read them, but you didn’t do anything about it at the time?” CNN reporter Gloria Borger asked him on Wednesday.
White House: Unemployment Insurance Must Be Extended To Help Spur Job Creation
As the deadline to approve the payroll tax cut extension looms 10 days away, White House officials are speaking out to urge Republicans in the House of Representatives to approve the measure that only days ago was hailed as a bipartisan compromise when it passed in the Senate. However, the White House says Republicans have now changed their tune.
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Board Of Education Budget Hearing At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5
The Wicomico County Board of Education’s first public budget hearing for the fiscal 2012-13 budget will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, in the Wicomico High School Auditorium, Salisbury.
Parents, students, community members and Board staff are invited to come with comments. Public input is critically important in what is expected to be an especially challenging budget year for the school system and the Board of Education. For information please call 410-677-4561.
Public input may also be given at any time by sending an email to comments@wcboe.org, or calling the Public Input Line for the school system at 410-677-5251.
Parents, students, community members and Board staff are invited to come with comments. Public input is critically important in what is expected to be an especially challenging budget year for the school system and the Board of Education. For information please call 410-677-4561.
Public input may also be given at any time by sending an email to comments@wcboe.org, or calling the Public Input Line for the school system at 410-677-5251.
White Castle Chain Considers Alcohol Sales
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — White Castle, a 90-year-old hamburger chain known for its square "slider" burgers, is sipping on the idea of offering alcoholic beverages as it tests beer and wine sales at a restaurant in Indiana.
The food famously craved by stoners in the 2004 movie "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" can be had with a glass of wine or a domestic or seasonal beer at a Lafayette, Ind., restaurant that fuses a conventional White Castle with a new concept for the company called Blaze Modern BBQ. Wine costs $4.50 and beers start at $3.
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‘60 Minutes’ Edits Out Obama‘s Claim That He’s The Fourth Best President
The statement was only made available online as part of the full interview on “60 Minutes Overtime.”
According to a transcript posted on the “60 Minutes” website, Obama said he would hold his accomplishments so far as president against those of Lyndon B. Johnson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
“I would put our legislative and foreign policy accomplishments in our first two years against any president — with the possible exceptions of Johnson, F.D.R., and Lincoln — just in terms of what we’ve gotten done in modern history,” Obama told CBS’s Steve Kroft.
Source
According to a transcript posted on the “60 Minutes” website, Obama said he would hold his accomplishments so far as president against those of Lyndon B. Johnson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
“I would put our legislative and foreign policy accomplishments in our first two years against any president — with the possible exceptions of Johnson, F.D.R., and Lincoln — just in terms of what we’ve gotten done in modern history,” Obama told CBS’s Steve Kroft.
Source
Boehner’s Office Cuts Off C-SPAN Cameras As GOP Takes Verbal Beating
A strange thing happened Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill.
As Rep. Stenny Hoyer (D-MD) attempted to call for a vote to extend a payroll tax cut to middle class and working Americans, his Republican colleagues adjourned the House and walked out of the chamber. And if that weren’t odd enough, it got even stranger: As Hoyer railed against them for failing to help working Americans, footage from C-SPAN went silent, then cut away.
Moments later, C-SPAN took to the Internet to explain that it wasn’t their doing, but someone working for House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH).
Governor’s Challenge – Tournament Schedule
Salisbury, MD – With the Governor’s Challenge High School Basketball Tournament quickly approaching, the final line-up of teams has taken shape. Play will begin at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Tuesday, December 27 and run through Friday, December 30, 2011 for the M&T Cup, Dr. Pepper 10 and East Coast Challenge. Tip-off for dual games played simultaneously on two NCAA 94’ regulated courts in the main arena will take place at 2pm Tuesday through Thursday, while play on Friday will begin at 12:30pm.
The Governor’s Challenge is open to the public for daily admission. Students (with ID) are $5 while adults are $10. Tickets will be sold at the gate. For a complete team list, schedule and more information visit www.SalisburyChampionships.org. Teams and/or schedule may change as the competition nears.
The Governor’s Challenge is open to the public for daily admission. Students (with ID) are $5 while adults are $10. Tickets will be sold at the gate. For a complete team list, schedule and more information visit www.SalisburyChampionships.org. Teams and/or schedule may change as the competition nears.
A Christmas Story
A couple was Christmas shopping at the mall on Christmas Eve and the mall was packed.
Walking through the mall the surprised wife look up and noticed her
husband was nowhere around and she was very upset because they had a lot to do.
She used her cell phone to call her husband because she was so upset, to ask him where he was.
The husband in a calm voice said, honey remember the jewelry store we went into 5 years ago where you fell in love with that diamond necklace that we could not afford and I told you that I would get it for you one day.
His wife said crying, yes I remember that jewlery store.
He said, well I'm in the bar next to it.
Walking through the mall the surprised wife look up and noticed her
husband was nowhere around and she was very upset because they had a lot to do.
She used her cell phone to call her husband because she was so upset, to ask him where he was.
The husband in a calm voice said, honey remember the jewelry store we went into 5 years ago where you fell in love with that diamond necklace that we could not afford and I told you that I would get it for you one day.
His wife said crying, yes I remember that jewlery store.
He said, well I'm in the bar next to it.
Matt Damon Slams Obama, Democrats: 'One Term President With Some Balls Would Have Been Better'
Matt Damon, one of Barack Obama's earliest supporters and once one of his most staunch advocates, slammed the President in the new issue of Elle Magazine.
"I've talked to a lot of people who worked for Obama at the grassroots level. One of them said to me, 'Never again. I will never be fooled again by a politician,'" Damon tells the magazine. "You know, a one-term president with some balls who actually got stuff done would have been, in the long run of the country, much better."
BERMAN: Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb A Real Threat
Is electromagnetic pulse a real threat to American security?
On the heels of recent Republican primary debates, the danger to U.S. electronics and infrastructure posed by a high-altitude nuclear blast suddenly has emerged as a campaign issue. So has concerted opposition to it, with both liberal and conservative skeptics ridiculing the idea as an overblown, even fabricated, distraction. Yet there is ample evidence that the danger is both clear and present.
Far and away the most authoritative assessment in this regard is that of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States From Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack, colloquially known as the EMP Commission. That blue-ribbon panel, convened by Congress a decade ago, outlined the nature of the challenge as follows:
“EMP is one of a small number of threats that can hold our society at risk of catastrophic consequences. EMP will cover the wide geographic region within line of sight to the nuclear weapon. It has the capability to produce significant damage to critical infrastructures and thus to the very fabric of U.S. society, as well as to the ability of the United States and Western nations to project influence and military power.”
America’s vulnerability to such an attack is growing. As the EMP Commission explained, our heavy - and mounting - dependence on high technology, from cellphones to laptops to GPS, makes the United States disproportionately vulnerable to the disruption that would result from an EMP event. The commission concluded its work in 2004 with a dire warning: “The current vulnerability of our critical infrastructures can both invite and reward attack if not corrected.”
This fact has not gone unnoticed. A number of rogue states and strategic competitors are actively investing in the development of precisely this sort of capability.
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On the heels of recent Republican primary debates, the danger to U.S. electronics and infrastructure posed by a high-altitude nuclear blast suddenly has emerged as a campaign issue. So has concerted opposition to it, with both liberal and conservative skeptics ridiculing the idea as an overblown, even fabricated, distraction. Yet there is ample evidence that the danger is both clear and present.
Far and away the most authoritative assessment in this regard is that of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States From Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack, colloquially known as the EMP Commission. That blue-ribbon panel, convened by Congress a decade ago, outlined the nature of the challenge as follows:
“EMP is one of a small number of threats that can hold our society at risk of catastrophic consequences. EMP will cover the wide geographic region within line of sight to the nuclear weapon. It has the capability to produce significant damage to critical infrastructures and thus to the very fabric of U.S. society, as well as to the ability of the United States and Western nations to project influence and military power.”
America’s vulnerability to such an attack is growing. As the EMP Commission explained, our heavy - and mounting - dependence on high technology, from cellphones to laptops to GPS, makes the United States disproportionately vulnerable to the disruption that would result from an EMP event. The commission concluded its work in 2004 with a dire warning: “The current vulnerability of our critical infrastructures can both invite and reward attack if not corrected.”
This fact has not gone unnoticed. A number of rogue states and strategic competitors are actively investing in the development of precisely this sort of capability.
More