Trump Won't Bar Transsexual Beauty Queen From Shot at Miss Universe Canada Title

Jenna Talackova, the Canadian beauty queen, won't have to fight Donald Trump for a chance to compete for the Miss Universe Canada title after all, even though she was born a he.

Talackova is everything you think of when you hear the words "beauty queen." With her bright smile, flowing blonde hair and viciously long legs, you can't deny she's stunning.

But Talackova, 23, was first disqualified from the Miss Universe Canada competition because she was born a male, according to CTV. Talackova was originally selected as one of 65 finalists for the Donald Trump-owned competition and her profile and photos were pulled from the Miss Universe Canada website.

But the Trump organization has reversed its decision, announcing today that it won't attempt to keep Talackova out of the contest.

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No Pay Raise Until....

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was supposed to receive a pay raise, but it's been blocked by Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) Vitter said he would hold the raise until Salazar began approving six new deepwater drilling permits per month. Vitter's move received a rebuke from the Senate Ethics Committee, which took no other action. Salazar is paid less then other cabinet secretaries because he was a senator when he was appointed. That restriction was about to expire. Salarzar is eligible for a raise to match cabinet pay of $199,000

EMPIRE

The U.S. government has created borders within the country’s borders at every airport in the country. Technologies abound in ticketing and check-in on one side of the border while commerce thrives on the other. In between is a massive government apparatus requiring that shoes be kicked off, laptops be unpacked, and less than 3.1 ounces of liquid be carried in any one container. The only technology in sight is the offensive porno scanners. And for those that refuse scanning, a brutish pat-down is administered.

These Transportation Security Agency (TSA) borders are guarded by 58,401 bureaucrats in blue, at a cost this year of $8.1 billion. The taxpayers must not spare any expense in convincing themselves that the government is making us safe.

The arbitrariness of rules at borders is brought to mind in the opening pages of Charles Goyette’s sobering new book Red and Blue and Broke All Over: Restoring America’s Free Economy. Viewing borders from the air, one can hardly tell where they are, these imaginary lines drawn by governments. However, while the terrain on either side of a border may be identical, satellite imagining provides a stark contrast of neighboring countries where capitalism operates on one side of a border while socialism reigns on the other.

The native culture and language may be identical, but roads that are paved on the capitalist side, turn to dirt on the socialist side. While lights burn brightly in the capitalist night, those living under socialism are shrouded in darkness.

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Recovery Threatened by Runaway Student Loan Debt

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal student loan program seemed like a great idea back in 1965: Borrow to go to college now, pay it back later when you have a job.

But many borrowers these days are close to flunking out, tripped up by painful real-life lessons in math and economics.

Surging above $1 trillion, U.S. student loan debt has surpassed credit card and auto-loan debt. This debt explosion jeopardizes the fragile recovery, increases the burden on taxpayers and possibly sets the stage for a new economic crisis.

With a still-wobbly jobs market, these loans are increasingly hard to pay off. Unable to find work, many students have returned to school, further driving up their indebtedness.

Average student loan debt recently topped $25,000, up 25 percent in 10 years. And the mushrooming debt has direct implications for taxpayers, since 8 in 10 of these loans are government-issued or guaranteed.

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93-year-old Florida Woman Retires Her ’64 Mercury After 576,000 Miles On The Road

These days, most people consider themselves lucky if a new car lasts 5 to 10 years. Make it to 100,000 miles in your vehicle, and the car company might make a commercial about you. That makes 93-year-old Rachel Veitch a notable exception. Veitch is retiring her 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente after more than 576,000 miles on the road.

"I am legally blind, so I can no longer drive my lovely Chariot," Veitch told FoxNews.com. "They don't have to take it away, I would not dream of driving that car again." The car itself is fine, but Veitch has macular degeneration in both her eyes, making her legally blind. After running a red light in March, she decided to voluntarily give up the vehicle she's been driving since Lyndon Johnson occupied the White House.

"I have taken it in stride," she said. "I don't have cancer, I don't have Lou Gehrig's disease. I am lucky."

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Sheriff's Department Catches Poopetrator

After years of sniffing around and trying to get the scoop on the person defecating on driveways throughout Elk Creek and Deer Harbor, one homeowner who spent thousands of dollars on camera security finally bagged the poopetrator on camera attempting to do the nasty.

For many years the Daily Times had been targeted because of the early morning turds showing up in driveways and mail boxes. However, it turns out it was a jogger. The Sheriff's Department may only be able to charge the man with littering at this point. The man has yet to be charged, (who lives in the neighborhood) therefore I am withholding his name. However, IF it happens again we will, (without a doubt) expose who this individual is in the hopes it will come to an immediate end.

Some are wondering why the Sheriff's Department isn't charging this person with a federal offense as some of this poop has ended up in mail boxes without a stamp on it, if you get my drift.

New Posts to fall below.

Obama Declares War on Supreme Court

Today, President Obama effectively declared war on the Supreme Court. Speaking from the Rose Garden, he suggested that the “unelected” Supreme Court must avoid the “extraordinary … unprecedented” measure of striking down his unconstitutional Obamacare regime:

Ultimately, I am confident that the Supreme Court will not take what would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress …

This is not the first time Obama has threatened the Supreme Court. Back in January 2010, in his State of the Union Address, he dramatically misrepresented the Supreme Court’s stance on campaign finance, and explained, “Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign corporations – to spend without limit in our elections.” Justice Alito shook his head and mouthed, “Not true.” That’s because it wasn’t true – but Obama’s interpretation of Constitutional law is lacking at best, deeply dishonest at worst.

Obama is now tackling a strategy stated by Rep. Jim Clyburn this morning – he’s going after the Supreme Court as his bête noire, knowing they cannot respond. But he’s bound to fail for a simple reason: the American public understands that the law is unconstitutional. Obama is no FDR, and nobody is interested in packing the courts to raise their taxes and devastate the economic future of the country.

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Maryland Primary Results: President, US House, US Senate, and Circuit Court Judge

Results Here

How To Hit A Nude Beach

When I first begin researching the question of how to hit a nude beach, one of the first answers came from the general manager of a hotel in New Hampshire, Jerry Jacobson, who responded “very carefully.”

My immediate reaction was that I usually don’t need any help in the weak joke department, as regular readers of this column will verify. But as I gathered more sources I realized that Jerry’s right. Most of us can’t wake up one morning and decide that taking off our clothes is just another day at the beach.

Or can we?

According to the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) [site NSFW] “most first-timers adjust to social nudity in a matter of minutes and discover it’s not nearly as big a deal as they thought it would be.”

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BREAKING NEWS: Romney Takes Maryland

Fox News projects Mitt Romney the winner of Maryland GOP primary.

Japanese Scientists Create Meat From Poop

Anyone up for some poop burgers?

Japanese scientist Mitsuyuki Ikeda from the Okayama Laboratory certainly doesn't believe in human waste.

He thinks that's perfectly good protein you're sending out to sea, and he's found a way to extract it, mix it with steak sauce and create a fecal feast fit for a king.

And despite the downside of having to add soya to bind it all together, Prof Ikeda thinks there's no reason why we shouldn't all tuck into his turd burgers

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POLICE SEARCH KENT CO. SCHOOLS FOLLOWING BOMB THREAT

(CHESTERTOWN, MD) – All students have been evacuated and are safe as Maryland State Police continue coordination of searches of all Kent County schools following a bomb threat this morning.

Shortly before 8:00 a.m. today, a handwritten note was found by school officials on a side door of the Kent Middle School in Chestertown, Md. The note said a bomb had been placed in that school and also in all six other Kent County schools and they would detonate today.

Kent County school officials immediately called police and began a reverse 911 operation to notify parents that schools would be evacuated and closed. The county high school was in session already. Students were being dropped off at the middle school and the elementary school students were not yet on their way. Students at the high school and middle school were evacuated and sent home. There are about 2,100 school students in Kent County who attend one high school, one middle school, and five elementary schools.

Maryland State Police responded to the scene and are coordinating the allied police response throughout the county. Kent County Sheriff’s Office deputies, as well as officers from local departments have teamed up to provide a law enforcement presence at each school building in the county.

State Police Special Operations Division personnel are coordinating the response of bomb detection K-9 teams from across the state. Police are responding with bomb dogs from as far away as Ocean City and Prince George’s County. The State Fire Marshal’s Office has responded with their explosives experts and bomb dog teams. The teams will be deployed to each school and a thorough search will be conducted of each of the seven campuses. Once the buildings have been cleared by law enforcement, school officials say staff will be permitted to return.

The Kent Bureau of Investigation, comprised of criminal investigators from the Maryland State Police, the Chestertown Police Department, and the Rock Hall Police Department, are conducting a criminal investigation into the bomb threat. Anyone with information about who is responsible for this note is urged to contact police at 410-758-1101 or 410-778-1800.

80-Year-Old Lands Plane After Husband Collapses

STURGEON BAY, Wisc. – An 80-year-old Wisconsin woman successfully landed a twin-engine plane after her pilot husband became unconscious and later died, Fox 11 reports.

Authorities say the woman's 81-year-old husband suffered a medical condition while he was at the controls of the plane and lost consciousness.

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TROOPERS INVESTIGATE DEATH OF CHILD IN CAROLINE COUNTY

(HILLSBORO, MD) -- Maryland State Police are investigating the death of a Caroline County child who was found in a swimming pool at her home.

The victim is identified as Bella Blackiston, 2, of the 11000-block of Butler Road, Hillsboro, Maryland. The child was pronounced dead at Memorial Hospital in Easton where she had been taken by ambulance.

Results from an autopsy conducted by the Office of the State Medical Examiner did not immediately reveal signs of trauma or suspicious injuries. Further forensic tests will be conducted. The cause and manner of the child’s death are pending.

Shortly before 5:00 p.m. Maryland State Police from the Easton Barrack received a 9-1-1 call from a neighbor who had found the child in the above-ground pool, which is surrounded by a deck connected to their single family home. Responding paramedics found the child unresponsive and transported her to the emergency center.

Maryland State Police Homicide Unit and troopers from the Easton Barrack responded to the scene. Sheriff deputies from the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the call.

The preliminary investigation indicates the child and her mother were at home alone at the time. The circumstances regarding how the child got out of the house and into the pool are under investigation.

The investigation is continuing.

Seniors Owe Billions In Student Loans

When you think of student loans, you think of students and recent graduates. But new data shows billions are owed by people in ther 60s, 70s and even 80s.

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Thompson’s Donor Tentacles Reach into Maryland

A prolific campaign donor under federal investigation for contributions in D.C. elections is also linked to a quarter-million dollars given to Maryland politicians, including Gov. Martin O’Malley, two likely Democratic candidates for governor in 2014 and two prominent county executives over the past 13 years.

Mr. O’Malley, Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot, and Montgomery and Prince George’s County Executives Isiah “Ike” Leggett and Rushern L. Baker III, have received contributions from a network of donors affiliated with Jeffrey E. Thompson in a similar pattern to political contributions made in the District.

The donations often involve the maximum allowed amount, are usually made on the same day and come from Mr. Thompson, his companies, his affiliates and associates. People and companies within the Thompson network have made contributions to a wide range of Maryland candidates totaling upward of $268,000 since 1999, according to campaign finance records.

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Salisbury Area Chamber Of Commerce 92nd Annual Banquet

The Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its 92nd Annual Banquet Thursday, April 12, 2012 at Green Hill Yacht & Country Club. The evening events will include the installation of 2012-2013 Officers and Directors and the presentation of awards.

Sandra S. Fitzerald-Angello will be sworn in at the Annual Banquet as the 2012-2013 Chamber President. Sandy is the Vice President and Dealer Operator of Pohanka Automotive Group of Salisbury, which has seven franchises; Toyota, Scion, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, and Mazda. She has been a leader in the automotive industry for over 35 years and has earned the Toyota Presidents Award in 2002, 2009 and 2010; the 2008 Mercedes-Benz Best of the Best Award; The Honda Presidents Award in 2007; and the Silver Excellence in Business Award in 2007 and 2008.

Sandy believes deeply in giving not only to her business and employees, but to the surrounding community. She is the driving force behind the “Pohanka Pays it Forward” campaign, which has paid out over $160,000 to local non-profits in Delmarva since 2009.

Sandy lives locally with her husband George and son AJ and has two grown children, Meghan and Ryan, along with a two-year old grandson, Sammy. She received the Community Leadership Award from the Community Foundation in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Sandy was the recipient of the Herbert H. Fincher Friend of Mentoring Award in 2000 and a 2009 recipient of the Maryland Top 100 Women’s Award and in the same year the Champion of the Habitat for Humanity Women Build. She is a Visionary Founder of the Women's Fund with the Community Foundation. She serves on the Board of Directors of Stop the Violence and the Main Street Gym.

Cocktail Hour at the banquet is sponsored by PNC Bank and begins at 6:00 p.m. followed by a buffet dinner at 7:00 p.m. Entertainment is being provided by the Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council and sponsored by Chesapeake Utilities. Grace Cho, a Freshman Arts Major at Salisbury University will be singing. The Wicomico Mentoring Project is conducting a silent auction as part of the fun at the Annual Banquet.

The banquet is $60 per person. RSVP’s are necessary by April 6, 2012, and can be made by calling 410-749-0144 or e-mailing chamber@salisburyarea.com Members can register and pay on-line.

BREAKING NEWS: Appeals Court Demands Obama Administration Clarify Health Law Remarks

Federal appeals court orders Justice Department to explain whether the Obama administration believes judges can strike down federal laws.

From Fox News

Howard Co. To Hold Housing Lottery, Fair

HOWARD COUNTY, Md. -- The Howard County Department of Housing is offering an opportunity for those who can't afford to buy a home in the area to get one in a housing lottery.

The county is one of the most sought-after and expensive areas in Maryland.

One of the homes offered in the lottery is located in Elkridge. The townhouse would usually go for more than $300,000, but for one lucky person, the dream home could be theirs for $209,813.

"This home is part of our Moderate Income Housing Unit program, which is an inclusionary zoning program that requires new homebuilders to set aside a certain number of homes in the community as moderately priced dwellings," said Tom Carbo, of the Howard County Department of Housing.

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Homes Under $10K Littering The Market

The housing market is showing signs of life, but the bust has left a glut of ultra-low-priced properties on the market – including thousands of homes priced at $10,000 or less.

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Trayvon Martin Police Report Reveals Zimmerman Was ‘Bleeding from the nose and back of head’

A partially redacted police report detailing the initial investigation in the Feb. 26 shooting death of Trayvon Martin has surfaced.

Reuters reporter Matthew Keys first posted scanned copies of the report to his Twitter account. As the Chicago Tribune noted, the report contains details that conflict with several rumors surrounding the case.

The report states that George Zimmerman's gun "was placed into evidence" and not returned to him, and the scene of the shooting was secured with crime scene tape. This directly conflicts with statements made by civil rights activists, including Rev. Jesse Jackson, who had claimed the Sanford, Fla., police department "didn't even bother to put yellow tape around the murder scene when he died—that's how much the police did to find out what happened to this young boy."

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Eastern Shore Hospital Center 9th Annual Mental Health 10K Race/3K Family Walk - May 12

May is National Mental Health Month
Celebrate Wellness & Help the Eastern Shore Hospital Center Auxiliary Create
Small Changes That Change Lives
10K Race/3K Family Walk - Saturday, May 12, 2011 – 8:00 AM
Hyatt Regency of the Chesapeake Bay Golf Course

Get outside, bring the family, walk or run the beautiful Hyatt golf course! Reduce the stigma of mental illness – learn about mental wellness.

Early entry fee is $30 per person which includes the race tee shirt, door prizes, refreshments, awards and post-event breakfast. Entry for a team of five or more is $25 per person.

The Hyatt Regency of the Chesapeake Bay, represented by General Manager Ted Kanatas is the Corporate Sponsor for this annual event. Local baseball legends, Harold Baines – Managing Coach of the Chicago White Sox and Troy Brohawn, former Relief Pitcher with the World Champion Arizona Diamondbacks are the Honorary Chairs of the fund raising event.

Community members may become involved by registering for the race or family walk, becoming a volunteer, or supporting the event as a business sponsor. Sponsorship opportunities are available for the course, tee shirts & the event itself. Contact Judy Slaughter at the Eastern Shore Hospital Center Volunteer Services Department at 410-221-2358 or 888-216-8110, ext. 2358 or email: jslaughter@dhmh.state.md.us.

All proceeds support the numerous patient projects sponsored by the ESHC Auxiliary. All donations/sponsorships are tax deductible.

The Eastern Shore Hospital Center’s mission is to provide the highest quality and most effective inpatient mental health services for all nine counties of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Services are provided by a multidisciplinary clinical staff, including psychiatry, social work, nursing, psychology, activity therapy, and pharmacy. ESHC operates the only treatment mall facility in the State of Maryland for individuals diagnosed with a mental illness. Its current facility features a unique treatment mall program offering group therapy/recreational facilities, a gift shop and café operated by the ESHC Auxiliary.

Judge to Rule on Censorship of Pro-Israel Ads

A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments on a proposal to put ads on vehicles of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York that proclaim, “In Any War Between the Civilized Man and the Savage, Support the Civilized Man. Support Israel. Defeat jihad.”

The government transportation agency refused to allow the ads to run, claiming that they were “demeaning” to a group of people.

But that decision, allege attorneys for the American Freedom Law Center, violates the Constitution’s protections on free speech.

The hearing is scheduled tomorrow in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York before Judge Paul A. Engelmayer.

AFLC attorneys want the court to strike down the MTA’s restriction on the anti-jihad bus ads, claiming the restrictions violates the First Amendment.

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8 Year Old Jonny Mizzone - Flint Hill Special - Sleepy Man Banjo Boys

Immigration and Customs Sweep Captures More Than 3,000 Convicted Illegal Immigrants

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say they have arrested more than 3,000 fugitive aliens as part of a nationwide effort that targeted criminal illegal immigrants and immigration law violators.

Dubbed "Cross Check," the six-day operation conducted last week was the largest of its kind, ICE officials say. Arrests were made in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and three U.S. Territories.

Those arrested include 195 from Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Officials say 20 of those arrests were made in Alexandria alone. Click here for a full list of cities and towns where arrests were made.

ICE officials say that more than 2,800 of the arrestees had prior criminal convictions, including more than 1,000 who had been convicted on multiple occasions, The crimes these people were found guilty of include murder, kidnapping, child abuse, assault and numerous other violent and non-violent crime, including drug offenses.

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Don't Text While Driving

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26-Ingredient School Lunch Burger: What's Inside It, And The Battle Against Processed Foods

The school burger has gotten more than its share of the spotlight lately as parents set off a media firestorm in a rally to remove the controversial, ammonia-treated "lean finely textured beef," nicknamed "pink slime," from schools.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture responded, electing to scale back on a planned purchase of 7 million pounds of ground beef mixed with the processed beef filler. Schools now have the option to purchase either 95 percent lean beef patties made with the mixed product or fattier bulk ground beef without the controversial mix. But even as districts are rushing to assure parents that their school patties don't include the so-called "pink slime," heavily processed foods are still largely present in cafeterias, NPR reports.

Serving up a burger patty seems simple enough: A handful of ground beef, seasoned with salt, pepper and some spices if preferred. But in America's schools, a burger is no basic food, laden with dozens of ingredients ranging from thiamine mononitrate to pyridoxine hydrochloride.

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April Is National Distracted Driving Prevention Month

This April, the Ocean City Police Department is joining law enforcement agencies across the country to acknowledge a dangerous epidemic on America’s roadways, distracted driving. Nearly 5,500 people were killed and 450,000 more were injured in distracted driving crashes in 2009 alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“Distracted driving is any non-driving activity a person engages in while operating a motor vehicle,” said Ocean City Police Chief Bernadette DiPino. “They can be in the form of electronic distractions, such as navigation systems and cell phones, or they can be more conventional distractions, such as putting on make-up, eating or playing with the car radio.”

According to NHTSA, 16 percent of fatal crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving; in which the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group. Of those people killed in distracted-driving-related crashes, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction.

The Ocean City Police Department is joining NHTSA to encourage people to “Put It Down.” When drivers engage in distracted driving behaviors, they are not only a danger to themselves, but to everyone else on the road around them.

“We all have a stake in this problem and we are all part of the solution,” Chief DiPino continued. “The Ocean City Police Department is determined to focus our attention on distracted drivers. If we encourage people to focus their attention on driving we can empower them to be a good example for our children, our peers and our community.”

City Banishes Bibles During 'Gay' Fest

For over a decade, Brian Johnson has peaceably passed out Bibles during Minneapolis’ Twin Cities Pride Festival, but if he tries it again this year, he fears, he could be arrested.

Through some clever legal wrangling, Twin Cities Pride, the organizers of the annual festival celebrating homosexuality, have convinced the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to allow them to exile anyone attempting to distribute Bibles or communicate unapproved messages at the event to a “no pride zone” far away from the festivities.

Now Johnson is filing a federal lawsuit against the Board, claiming it can’t banish First Amendment free speech rights to a 10′ x 10′ square off the beaten path, especially during a major public event in which organizers have a non-exclusive permit to use the park.

“The government should not be exiling free speech, it should be protecting it,” said Nate Kellum, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, which is assisting Johnson. “It’s ridiculous to say that the only place where people can hand out Bibles is an area where there’s no one to hand Bibles to. The Constitution simply does not permit the board to relegate free speech to isolated regions where no one can receive the message. That’s not free speech at all. It’s pure censorship.”

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Why Are The Fed And SEC Keeping Wall Street's Secrets?

Getting what should be public information about major Wall Street firms can be maddeningly difficult.

Bloomberg News discovered this in its ultimately successful effort to get information on the $1.2 trillion in “secret loans” the Fed doled out during the financial crisis. And I’ve had no small experience of it myself.

As I started each of my three books -- about Lazard Freres, Bear Stearns and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) -- I submitted Freedom of Information Act requests to the appropriate government agencies (the Securities Exchange Commission, the State Department and the Federal Reserve) to obtain whatever documents, memos and e-mails they had about these companies and their senior executives.

I was hoping to find, among other nuggets, details of enforcement actions, or settlements that were reached where the firms “neither admitted nor denied” guilt, or other documentary evidence of the coziness that has for too long existed between Wall Street and Washington.

Sadly, getting this information in anything like a timely basis -- say, before my books were finished and published -- has been nearly impossible. At first, when I asked the SEC about documents related to Lazard’s role in the Hartford-Mediobanca scandal starting in 1968 and ending in 1981, the agency told me it could not release the information. When I reminded the FOIA administrator that the SEC had already released the information, years before, to another journalist, the agency dug up the 40 boxes of unindexed, unorganized documents and invited me to a warehouse in Pennsylvania to take a look. After an hour or so, the clerk asked me if I was done with my review. (Eventually, I persuaded the SEC to ship the boxes -- at my expense -- to its office in Manhattan, where I spent months poring over them.)

Zilch, Nada

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OCPD CHARGES MAN WITH DRUNK DRIVING AFTER HE DRIVES VEHICLE INTO RESIDENCE

On Sunday, April 1, 2012, at approximately 7:36 p.m., Ocean City Police responded to 90th Street and Coastal Highway for a vehicle collision. When officers arrived at the scene, they observed a 2002 BMW, which had crashed through an iron fence and struck a residence.

Charles Allen Fogel

The initial investigation revealed that the driver, who was later identified as Charles Allen Fogel, 29, of Bethelem, PA, was traveling northbound on Coastal High way when he attempted to turn southbound. During the turn, Fogel ran into a metal fence before striking the brick stoop of the residence and stopped his vehicle. Fogel, who was not injured during the accident, was arrested and charged with the following traffic violations:

■Driving under the influence of alcohol
■Driving under the influence of alcohol Per Se
■Driving while impaired by alcohol, reckless driving, negligent driving
■Driver failure to obey properly placed traffic control device
■Driver making improper turn at intersection
■Failure to control vehicle speed on hwy. to avoid a collision
■Driver failure to obey designated lane directions
■Driving vehicle on sidewalk and sidewalk area where prohibited

After being seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner, Fogel was released on his own personal recognizance.

Killers, Black Keys To Play Music Festival In Del.

NEW YORK (AP) - The Killers, the Black Keys, Jack White and more than 30 other acts are set to hit the stage for the Firefly Music Festival in Delaware.

The three-day festival kicks off July 20 and ends July 22 at the Woodlands of Dover International Speedway. Also to perform are John Legend, Death Cab for Cutie and Lupe Fiasco.

Other featured acts include Passion Pit, OK Go, Tinie Tempah and Young the Giant.

Tickets are set to go on sale Thursday.

Source

BREAKING NEWS: Tornado Damage Reported In Dallas-Fort Worth Area

Tornadoes have reportedly touched down south of Dallas and Forth Worth, Texas, as the National Weather Service reports “considerable damage” near Cleburne.

From Fox News

ALL RACKETS SOCIETY

Jimmy is in fine form this morning, obliterating Kudlow, oil company whore Yergin, Obama and Romney. The energy racket is in his wheelhouse and he never fails to knock it out of the park.

Unthinkable
By James Howard Kunstler

In the drunken, drug-crazed twilight of its run as Leader of the Free World, America’s collective imagination swerves from one breakdown lane to the other while the highway patrol throws a donuts-and-porn party down at headquarters and the news media searches the gutter on hands-and-knees looking for the spot where it dropped its brains.

The other day, Larry Kudlow, the king popinjay at CNBC, told viewers that the US has over a trillion barrels of oil waiting to be drill-drill-drilled on our way to “energy independence.” This is the kind of malarkey that America thrives on these days, the way yeasts thrive on sugary mash. It’s a complete falsehood, of course, but the working dead over at The New York Times said substantially the same thing in a front-page story the week before. The Timespersons have only one source for their stories: Daniel Yergin, chief public relations pimp for the oil industry, because he makes it so easy for them by providing all the information they will ever need. The oil and gas companies would like to direct the fire-hose of loose and easy money out there into their stock prices – building to the magic moment when, Mozillo-like, the executives can dump shares, cut, and run for the far hills where no SEC officer or DOJ attorney will ever think to look. This is just another racket in an all-rackets society.

The fantasy of energy independence therefore takes shape as a “settled matter” as we lurch toward elections. The arch-moron Mitt Romney will inveigh against Obama for holding the oil dogs back while Obama pretends to spank the oil companies for gouging the public on that alleged Niagara flow of new oil. None of them understands the true situation, which is that the USA is enjoying one last gulp of a very expensive oil cocktail with the last few dollars it can prestidigitate out of the central bank’s magic box, and then there is no more even notional surplus wealth to blow on more drinks.

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$620,000 Awarded To Owners Of Shot Dog

A Frederick County Circuit Court jury awarded $620,000 to the Taneytown couple that filed a civil case against the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.

The Frederick News-Post reports Deputy First Class Timothy Brooks violated the Jenkins' rights under the Maryland constitution when he entered their home without permission and shot their chocolate Labrador retriever.

The Jenkins say Brooks and Deputy First Class Nathan Rector came into their home without a warrant or their permission. The officers were looking for the couple's son to serve him a civil warrant.

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Hillary Won't Campaign for Obama

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won't be campaigning with President Obama this election cycle.

Senior administration officials told The Hill that the former presidential candidate will not join Obama on the trail. Secretaries of State generally don't stump for presidents to avoid risking any sort of partisan inference while serving, so Clinton's absence is not surprising.

Still, Clinton has regularly polled as one of the most popular members of the Obama administration, and her presence would likely energize Democrats who backed her primary bid for the presidential nomination in 2008.

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Maryland Capital Enterprise

Wednesday April 18th, Microsoft Tips & Tricks

Microsoft Office is essential to the everyday functioning of your business. Experience the smart, simple, and time saving tools in Microsoft Office 2010. See how Office can be used to market your business and increase your productivity. Cost: $19 (Light Fare Included) Time: 5:30pm-7:30pm Salisbury Chamber, 144 E Main St, Salisbury, MD

Please visit www.marylandcapital.org to register or contact Jessica Weber at 4105461900 for more information.

Thursday April 19th to May 10th, Business Planning Bootcamp

One of the most important parts of staring or growing a business is writing a business plan. Assess the feasibility of a business idea and determine the appropriate steps for small business success planning. Identify creative marketing tools, key issues and strategies for having a legitimate business, and appropriate cash flow projections and recordkeeping requirements. Examine and discuss the problems and pitfalls frequently encountered when starting a small business.

Recommended for entrepreneurs who want to get started on the business planning process. Cost: $68 (Worcester & Somerset Residents) & $71 (Wicomico Residents) Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm Wor-Wic Community College, 32000 Campus Drive, Salisbury, MD 21804 (WDC203)

Please visit www.marylandcapital.org to register or contact Jessica Weber at 410546-1900 for more information.-

Quaint Va. Town Wins 'Great American Main Street'

CULPEPER, Va. - Its renaissance approach to revitalization and old, small-town feel has earned Culpeper, Va. the prestigious 2012 "Great American Main Street" award.

Culpeper Mayor Chip Coleman often holds court in a chair in front of Raven's Coffee Shop on Davis Street, and waves to just about everyone who passes by. He says the town's revitalization over the last ten years has been a team effort between the town government and a non profit organization, Culpeper Renaissance Inc.

"It's been community leaders pulling together in a non-profit to make it work, and then the utilizing of tax credits," says Coleman.

Two full blocks of Davis Street and the part of Main Street that intersects is home to new, trendy stores mixed with old businesses such as Clarke Hardware. Many of the facades have been restored and most the retail establishments include second floors that have been converted into apartments where rents go from $800 to $1,000 per month.

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Geithner Wants To Get Rid Of Physical Currency (Better Tracking)

Timothy Geithner, the Secretary of the Treasury, wants to get rid of paper money. He says it’s part of a cost-cutting measure.

Nonsense. It’s part of the government’s attempt to track our purchases. Its a plan to get rid of the underground economy, where people buy what they want, sell what they want, and leave no digital trail.

The government cannot control the cash markets. It wants to tax them. But paper money resists taxation.

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THE FINAL EXAM

At Penn State University, there were four sophomores taking chemistry and all of them had an "A" so far. These four friends were so confident that, the weekend before finals, they decided to visit some friends and have a big party. They had a great time but, after all the hearty partying; they slept all day Sunday and didn't make it back to Penn State until early Monday morning.

Rather than taking the final then, they decided that after the final they would explain to their professor why they missed it. They said that they visited friends but on the way back they had a flat tire. As a result, they missed the final. The professor agreed they could make up the final the next day. The guys were excited and relieved. They studied that night for the exam.

The next day the professor placed them in separate rooms and gave them a test booklet. They quickly answered the first problem worth 5 points. Cool, they thought! Each one in separate rooms, thinking this was going to be easy. .

Then they turned the page. On the second page was written....

For 95 points: Which tire? _________

A Muslim Meets Christ

If you are a Christian, you need to watch this video!

If you are not a Christian, you need to watch this video!

If you are a non-believer, you need to watch this video!

http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/vod/AL32v1_WS

Data Breach Affected up to 1.5 Million Cards

A company that processes credit card transactions said Monday that as many as 1.5 million card numbers were compromised in a data breach early last month.

The CEO of the company, Global Payments Inc., said the matter was “absolutely contained,” but Visa dropped the company from its list of approved third parties that process transactions between stores and banks.

The breach was revealed Friday when Visa and MasterCard said they had notified issuers of its credit cards. On Monday, American Express said it may have been affected, and Discover promised to reissue cards where appropriate.

Global Payments set up a website to help cardholders but did not provide the names of affected stores or banks. Its stock fell 4.5 percent on Monday. It fell 9 percent Friday before trading was stopped.

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American Express Pulls Gift Cards From New Jersey Stores

A new regulation in New Jersey will require sellers of gift cards to record the ZIP code of everyone who buys a card, because the state thinks a revision to its unclaimed property laws allow it to claim the value of any unredeemed gift cards after two years. So rather than deal with all the possible hassles involved with this change, American Express has simply pulled all its gift cards from retail locations in the Garden State.

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WCSO Press Releases 4-3-12

Incident: Possession of Marijuana
Date of Incident: 1 April 2012
Location: 1300 block of Jersey Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Jessica B. Scruggs, 32, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 1 April 2012 at 1:42 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle operated by Jessica Scruggs of Salisbury for speeding. Upon making contact with Scruggs, the deputy was able to detect the odor of burnt marijuana emanating from within the passenger compartment of Scruggs’ vehicle which prompted the deputy to ask Scruggs to step from the vehicle. As she did, the deputy observed that Scruggs was cupping something in her hand in an attempt to hide it from the deputy.

As the deputy began to inquire what Scruggs was hiding, she tried to discard the object which led to the deputy retrieving it and identifying it as a marijuana cigarette.

The deputy placed Scruggs under arrest and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Scruggs on Personal Recognizance.

Charges: Possession of Marijuana

Incident: Possession of Marijuana
Date of Incident: 30 March 2012
Location: 400 N. Fruitland Blvd., Fruitland, MD
Suspect: Nicholas J. Galvin, 52, Berlin, MD

Narrative: On 30 M arch 2012 at 2:45 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle operated by Nicholas Galvin of Berlin, MD for an equipment violation. While speaking with Galvin, the deputy observed that Galvin was visibly nervous about speaking to a law enforcement officer. That, coupled with the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle led the deputy to conduct a search. During the search, the deputy located marijuana and placed Galvin under arrest.

The deputy transported Galvin to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Galvin on Personal Recognizance.

Charges: Possession of Marijuana

10K/5K Run Slated To Promote Camp Barnes Summer Program

10K/5K Run Slated to Promote Camp Barnes Summer Program

WHEN: Sunday, May 6, 2012, 10K, 5K, and 1 mile walk at 1:00 p.m. Kids Fun Run at 12:45 p.m. (Rain or Shine)

WHERE: Assawoman Wildlife Refuge at Camp Barnes
Address: 37171 Camp Barnes Rd. Frankford, De 19945

DESCRIPTION: A beautiful 10K/5K/1 mile walk though the Assawoman Wildlife Refuge on country roads and scenic trails. Kids Run will be held inside Camp Barnes.

REGISTRATION: 10K/5K/1 Mile Walk-$20 Pre-registration thru April 27, 2012. $25 registration April 28th through Race Day. Register online at www.seashorestriders.com or register by mail by downloading the application from the website. Kids Fun Run 12 and under
FREE (donations accepted, no shirt, but awards and lunch).

AWARDS: Presented to Overall and Master Champions, as well as, the Top 3 male and female in
nine age groups. Awards to all kids who participate in the Fun Run.

AMENITIES: Long sleeve T-shirts guaranteed to all Pre-registered participants in the 10K, 5K and 1 Mile Walk. Water Stops and post event lunch for all registered participants. Lunch is also available for all non-participants. FEE: Adults $5. Children $3 (12 and under).

In 1947, the Delaware Association of Chiefs’ of Police, an organization which was composed of active law enforcement and correctional officers, accepted the challenge to undertake a project to combat juvenile delinquency in the First State. A committee was appointed to investigate the problems confronting youth. The committee’s resulting recommendations led to the establishment of Camp Barnes for the recreation of deserving youth from throughout the state.

Camp Barnes, located on Miller’s Creek, a tributary of Little Assawoman Bay, has since served the needs of thousands of children from throughout Delaware. Camp Barnes was originally designed to provide the children who were unable to attend summer camp an opportunity to experience life at a summer youth camp. Camp Barnes has remained basically unchanged, providing Delaware children with these outdoor experiences for over 60 years.

The summer camp is an overnight residential camp run by the Delaware State Police and is open to children between the ages of 10 and 13 at no cost to the camper or family. Camp Barnes accommodates 60 campers per week for six weeks. The camp is in session from early July through August. All children are eligible to attend regardless of family income.

One of the many positive aspects of Camp Barnes summer camp is the innovative use of adventure based outdoor learning experiences. Camp Barnes has on its grounds an extensive outdoor initiative course with 17 different initiative and team building elements. Some of the many activities campers participate in throughout the week include swimming in an Olympic size pool, kayaking in Miller’s Creek, arts and crafts, nature walks, and talent shows. Campers also enjoy a scaled down version of the Olympics and State Police demonstrations by the K-9 unit.

Camp Barnes has a staff of 12 counselors, two cooks, and one kitchen assistant and a nurse. Counselors are required to submit to a criminal background check as well as an interview. There is also a State Trooper on grounds at all times when the camp is in session. Website: www.campbarnes.net

Wicomico County Schools

Schools are closed. April 4-9

Californian Trayvon: Cops Gun Down Unarmed Black Teen

A second shooting of an unarmed African American youth by US police is fueling suspicion of institutionalized prejudice in the force and threatening social unrest across American suburbs.
A 9-11 call claiming an armed robbery had taken place sent Pasadena police in chase of armed suspects. They followed two young men without deploying their police sirens. Two officers eventually opened fire on the youths, killing Kendrec McDade, a 19-year year-old Citrus College student, who cops claim had moved his hand towards his waistband.

McDade, a stand-out football player for the Azusa High School Aztecs, was unarmed yet died in hospital of multiple police gunshot wounds.
Local man Oscar Carillo, who placed the 9-11 call, admitted under questioning he had lied to police that the suspects were armed to generate a faster response, after McDade’s 17-yr old companion had broken into his car. The 17-yr-old has a criminal record of burglary, grand theft and failing to register as a gang member. Carillo is now charged with involuntary manslaughter by the trigger happy police.

Source

Scary

The UK Guardian writes:

China has unveiled legislation enshrining police powers to hold people at unknown locations, but has removed a controversial secrecy clause after an outcry.

Experts had warned that the original draft would have legalised disappearances by allowing police to hold some suspects for up to six months without informing their families.

Mr. David T emails:

What's really scary is when it is harder for China to pass detention laws that violate America's Bill of Rights than it is for America to pass similar laws.

Source

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 4-3-12

The End Of Anonymous Comments?

Joe Lieberman, it seems, is looking to crank up the anti-terrorism volume a bit further. I would have thought that with Bin Laden killed we’d be heading in the other direction by now.

But a friend of mine in the GPO let me know that Lieberman is proposing an amendment to section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. That is the law that gives immunity to information content providers for the conduct of others. In other words, a blogger or forum host isn’t responsible for defamatory comments by anonymous commenters.

This amendment to that law would change that, by stripping out the immunity and leaving web hosts potentially liable. Yuck. A draft of the bill, apparently to be introduced tomorrow, is here: Section 230 Amendment The act as it stands now reads:

No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.
The amendment reads (underline is an addition and strike through is a deletion in legislatureland):

No A provider or user of an interactive computer service shall may be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.

The Senator calls this anti-terrorism legislation, in that if web hosts can be held accountable, they won’t let folks like the Taliban uses their services. This disrupts their communications.

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Martha Johnson Resignation: GSA Chief Resigns Amid Reports of Excessive Spending

WASHINGTON (AP) - A senior government official resigned Monday after a report concluded her agency improperly paid for an "over-the-top" training session near Las Vegas that featured a mind reader, bicycle giveaways and lavish after-hour receptions in resort suites for federal workers.

The White House accepted General Services Administration chief Martha Johnson's resignation after she dismissed two deputies and suspended other career employees over an $820,000 conference. The 300-person event at the M Resort Spa and Casino in Henderson, Nev., included a $95-per-person dinner and reception as well as various violations of federal laws and policies.

"As the agency Congress has entrusted with developing the rules followed by other federal agencies for conferences, GSA has a special responsibility to set an example, and that did not occur here," the inspector general concluded in its report.

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U.S. Cities Where Homes Are Selling The Fastest

CNBC is out with a list of the cities where houses are selling the fastest. It's the same old story as the places where the jobs are. It's mostly where newly printed Fed money is flowing: high tech areas, government sectors and oil.

10. (Tied) San Diego---Navy city
Median time to sell: 105 days
Zillow Home Value Index: $335,600

10. (Tied) Washington, D.C.---The heart of the government beast.
Median time to sell: 105 days
Zillow Home Value Index: $302,400

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Free Cone Day At Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops TODAY

Free ice cream - how cool is that?

In celebration of their 34 years of business, on April 3, Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops around the globe will serve up complimentary cones from noon to 8:00 pm.

Founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield began the Free Cone Day tradition as a staff and customer thank you on the first anniversary of their Burlington, Vermont, store in 1979. The company was acquired by Unilever in 2000, but the custom remained.

The company is expected to give away more than 1 million cones of ice cream or Greek frozen yogurt worldwide during the event. Most Scoop Shops will partner with a local charity to raise money and awareness for the cause of their choice.

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Today's Survey Question 4-3-12

Is It OK for Teacher and 18-Year-Old Student to Have Sexual Relationship?

LIVING WILL

LIVING WILL FORM...

I, ____________, being of sound mind and body, do not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artificial means. Under no circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of pinhead partisan politicians who couldn't pass ninth-grade biology if their lives depended on it, or lawyers/doctors/hospitals interested in simply running up the bills.

If A reasonable amount of time passes, and I fail to ask for at least one of the following:
______Vodka Rocks ______a Margarita ____ a Scotch ______ a Bloody Mary ______a Gin and Tonic _______a Tee Time ______a Steak ______Lobster or crab legs ______the remote control ______a bowl of ice cream ______a new outfit_____the sports page______Sex ______my cat or dog_____or Chocolate, it should be presumed that I won't ever get any better.

When such a determination is reached, I hereby instruct my appointed person and attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes, and call it a day. At this point, it is time to call the New Orleans Jazz Funeral Band to come do their thing at my funeral, and ask all of my friends to raise their glasses to toast the good times we have had.

Signature:__________________________ Date: _____

NOTE: I also hear that in Ireland they have a Nursing Home with a Pub. The patients are happier, and they have a lot more visitors. Some of them don't even need embalming when their time comes...

White House Easter Egg Roll Character Performers Announced

Get excited, kids! It’s Easter Egg Roll time! The White House on Monday announced the characters that will be in costume for their annual egg roll.

The roll, which will be on April 9, will be focused on promoting health and wellness this year. All of the activities will “encourage children to lead healthy and active lives, which is a central part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, a national campaign to solve the problem of childhood obesity,” the White House said in a statement .

The list of costumed characters include:

Fairy Twinkle Toes*AbraKidabra* Captain Planet* Bugs Bunny* Daffy Duck* Finn & Jake* Scooby Doo* Alex the Lion from Madagascar 3* Penguins of Madagascar* Po the Panda Miffy the Bunny * Katsuma and Poppet from Mushi Monsters * Wow Wow Wubbsy * Abby Cadabby from Super WHY! * Arthur *Buddy from Dinosaur Train *Cat in the Hat *Clifford the Big Red Dog * Curious George *Elmo *Hooper from PBS Kids *Martha from Martha Speaks Princess Presto from Super WHY! * Ruff Ruffman from Fetch! *Sid the Science Kid *Super WHY! Wonder Red from Super WHY! *Word Girl *Woofster from Super WHY! *The Smurfs *Charlie Brown and Snoopy *Power Panther *Slapshot and Air Slapshot *George, Tom, Abe and Teddy from the Racing Presidents *Screech *Topspin and Slice *Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head *Witzy Duck from Suzy’s Zoo *Power Rangers *Smokey Bear *Babar and Badou *Doki the Dog *Papa, Mama and Junior Bunny *Peter Rabbit *Spot *Maisy Nutbrown Hare *Sponge Bob *Dora the Explorer *Diego *Spider-Man *Iron Man *Thor *Captain America *Yoohoo & Chewoo from Yoohoo and Friends *Alvin and the Chipmunks *Clicky

Source

Six States Where Tax Revenues Are Soaring

1. Delaware

Increase in personal income tax: none
Expenditure per capita (2008): $6,800 (3rd highest)
2009 budget shortfall: 12.2% (18th highest)
Home price decline from peak: 20.3% (16th largest)

In the past three years, the state of Delaware spent $6,800 per person in its annual budget, approximately two-and-a-half times as much as Nevada. The state’s government spent the 10th-most per person in the country on Medicare in 2009, and the 13th-most per person on pensions. In its fiscal year 2011 budget, the state was forced to address an 11.4% budget gap by cutting funds to education and the state workforce.

Despite these cuts, the recession has weighed heavily on the state’s budget. Delaware has experienced among the biggest declines in home values in the country over the past five years. The state raised tax revenues to help address the resulting budget gap. These hikes included at least 5% increases in corporate and cigarette taxes. The state also temporarily raised the cap on the corporate franchise tax from $165,000 to $180,000. As a result of these and other changes, state tax revenue increased by more than 9% between 2009 and 2011.

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Md. To Close Park Near Camp David For G-8

THURMONT, Md. - The Department of Natural Resources says it will close Cunningham Falls State Park near Thurmont to all public access during the G-8 Summit.

Officials said Monday the U.S. Secret Service asked that the park, near Camp David where the gathering of eight of the world's largest economies will meet, be closed May 17 through May 19.

The closure includes all of Cunningham Falls State Park, including Houck and Manor day-use areas and all trails. Cunningham Falls State Park adjoins Catoctin Mountain Park, which will also be closed to all public access during the summit.

All other state parks will be open, including nearby Greenbrier and Gambrill State Parks. Campers with reservations for the Houck area campground are being notified and will be offered a discount for future camping.

Source

Skin Cancer On The Rise Among Young Adults: US Study

Skin cancer is on the rise among young adults, according to a US study on Monday that suggests using indoor tanning beds and failing to protect against childhood sunburns may be to blame.

Between 1970 and 2009, the rate of melanoma among women increased eightfold and quadrupled among men, according to Mayo Clinic experts who studied all medical records for 256 people in a county in Minnesota over that timespan.

However, death rates from melanoma fell during the same period, suggesting that early interventions may be helping to save some lives, said the researchers.

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Alabama Club Starts 'Food Stamp Friday' Promotion

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A nightclub in Alabama's capital city has come up with a unique theme night involving food support for needy families.

The Rose Supper Club in Montgomery will start "Food Stamp Friday" theme nights in April.

Manager Harman Wilson says the night is meant to complement the club's other theme nights, such as Fat Tuesday, Karaoke Wednesday or Thirsty Thursday.

Wilson says patrons will not be able to use their food stamps to buy alcoholic beverages. He says he hopes the novel approach will draw people to the club.

Human Resources Department spokesman Barry Sparks says the department does not approve of the promotion. He says food assistance benefits are meant to provide nourishment for hungry families.

Source

Oprah Winfrey Still Bullish On Her Cable Network

NEW YORK (AP) — Oprah Winfrey says she still has faith in her troubled cable network.

Appearing Monday on "CBS This Morning," Winfrey told the show's co-host — and her best friend — Gayle King that she believes the Oprah Winfrey Network will fulfill its mission of transforming viewers' lives.

But if viewers don't respond, Winfrey says: "I will move on to the next thing."

OWN has struggled to build an audience since its launch in January 2011.

Says Winfrey: "I'll always be OK."

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9th Circuit Upholds Affirmative Action Ban

LOS ANGELES — Affirmative action proponents took a hit Monday as a federal appeals court panel upheld California’s ban on using race, ethnicity and gender in admitting students to public colleges and universities.

The ruling marked the second time the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals turned back a challenge to the state’s landmark voter initiative, Proposition 209, which was passed in 1996.

Affirmative action proponents, who had requested that the court reconsider its 1997 decision after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2003 that affirmative action could be used in college admissions, said they would continue fighting.

“We think the decision is wrong,” said Detroit attorney George B. Washington, who is representing the group of minority students and advocacy groups that filed the latest challenge in January 2010.

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Every School Evacuated In Kent County

All schools have been evacuated in Kent County due to bomb threats. Kent County is not holding their elections atschools. They are held at local Fire Departments.

More Reasons Not To Spy On Potential Hires

Recent accounts of prospective employees forced to divulge their social media passwords in job interviews have lawmakers and privacy advocates buzzing. State legislators in California and elsewhere are introducing legislation to ban the practice, and federal legislation is being discussed as well.

But how widespread is this policy—and should small business owners rely on it in their own hiring?

Scott J. Witlin, a labor and employment partner in law firm Barnes & Thornburg’s Los Angeles office, doubts many employers are asking candidates for passwords to Facebook or other social media sites. While a handful of government and institutional employers have been documented doing so, he says, private industry is not joining up.

“I think this is a crisis du jour and completely overblown,” Witlin says. He queried his firm’s 70 labor attorneys in five states and found none whose clients were strong-arming job candidates into revealing their social media authentication. “It’s just common sense. Most employers wouldn’t ask applicants if they could go through their e-mails, and this is pretty much the same thing,” he says.

Yet with the insight into an applicant’s character that a Facebook or Google+ account might provide, he admits the idea may be tempting, particularly to small employers who don’t have human resource departments or budgets for independent background checks.

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Why The U.S. Penny Won't Die Like Canada's Just Did

Poor little guy. Starting in the fall, Canada’s government will stop producing the lowly Canadian penny. The fact that pennies are expensive to make and are virtually worthless in today’s economy led them to fall victim to Ottawa’s budget cuts. The government says the measure will save around $11 million a year because each new penny costs 1.6 Canadian cents to produce. (One Canadian dollar is essentially equal to $1 in the U.S.) And a Canadian penny buys you only about 1/20th of what it could when it was introduced in 1858: A penny that could hypothetically buy a whole loaf of bread then would only buy a few bites of bread now.

Canadian consumers will be able to use the 1¢ coins indefinitely, but the government is encouraging businesses to start rounding to the nearest nickel. Lest people forget their arithmetic lessons, the government has put out a fact sheet on proper rounding techniques.

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World's Largest Solar Plant, With Second Largest Ever Department Of Energy Loan Guarantee, Files For Bankruptcy

Solyndra was just the appetizer. Earlier today, in what will come as a surprise only to members of the administration, the company which proudly held the rights to the world's largest solar power project, the hilariously named Solar Trust of America [13]("STA"), filed for bankruptcy. And while one could say that the company's epic collapse is more a function of alternative energy politics in Germany, where its 70% parent Solar Millennium AG filed for bankruptcy last December, what is relevant is that last April STA was the proud recipient of a $2.1 billion conditional loan from the Department of Energy, incidentally the second largest loan ever handed [14]out by the DOE's Stephen Chu. That amount was supposed to fund the expansion of the company's 1000 MW Blythe Solar Power Project in Riverside, California. From the funding press release, "This project construction is expected to create over 1,000 direct jobs in Southern California, 7,500 indirect jobs in related industries throughout the United States, and more than 200 long-term operational jobs at the facility itself. It will play a key role in stimulating the American economy,” said Uwe T. Schmidt, Chairman and CEO of Solar Trust of America and Executive Chairman of project development subsidiary Solar Millennium, LLC." Instead, what Solar Trust will do is create lots of billable hours for bankruptcy attorneys (at $1,000/hour), and a good old equity extraction for the $22 million DIP lender, which just happens to be NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, another "alternative energy" company which last year received a $935 million loan [15]courtesy of the very same (and now $2.1 billion poorer) Department of Energy, which is also a subsidiary of public NextEra Energy (NEE), in the process ultimately resulting in yet another transfer of taxpayer cash to NEE's private shareholders.

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Election 2012: Primary Day Arrives in D.C., Maryland and Wisconsin

Republican front-runner Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama are trading jabs even before Republicans vote in their latest presidential primaries, a sign that both sides believe the race to decide who will oppose the Democrat this fall is coming to a close.

With GOP primaries Tuesday in Wisconsin, Maryland and the District of Columbia, Romney is set to hold one campaign event before an election night party in Milwaukee. He spent the weekend campaigning across Wisconsin, working to win yet another big industrial state that rival Rick Santorum was counting on to keep his flagging candidacy alive.

"Take the next step here in Wisconsin," Romney urged supporters at his last campaign stop Monday. "I need you to go out and vote. Get your friends."

Obama is treating the former Massachusetts governor as though he's already won the GOP nomination.

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Lost Dog: UPDATE

Thank U for posting our notice so quickly. However, with a broken heart, Storm was found last nite. He had been struck by a vehicle & didn't survive.

Hi Joe,

Please post for us:

Lost miniature cocker spaniel. Storm ( nick name ' Captain Pickles' ), ran into the woods yesterday afternoon ~ location on Zion Church Rd. between Zion Rd. & Morris Leonard Rd. on the east side. Storm is VERY shy, weighs about 18 lbs, is wearing a silver choker.

Storm was adopted yesterday, is is not familiar with the area .

GSA Head Johnson Resigns, Two Others Fired After Excessive Spending At Event

The head of the General Services Administration resigned from her post Monday. Public Buildings Service chief Bob Peck and GSA adviser Stephen Leeds were also fired amid an inspector general investigation into excessive spending at a 2010 training conference. The report said thousands of dollars were spent on a mind reader, a commemorative coin set and a bicycle-building training exercise, among other items for the event.

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Small Explosive Damages Wis. Planned Parenthood

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin police chief says no threats had been received by a Planned Parenthood clinic in eastern Wisconsin where a small homemade explosive caused minimal damage over the weekend.

Grand Chute Police Chief Greg Peterson says a bottle containing a chemical was placed on the clinic's outside window sill about 7:40 p.m. Sunday. A small fire broke out when the bottle exploded, but quickly burned itself out.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin CEO Teri Huyck (HEYEK) says there was minimal damage to an exam room and that the clinic will reopen Tuesday. No one was in the building at the time.

The Grand Chute Fire Department responded to the clinic's fire alarm and alerted police after finding the bottle.

Peterson says the FBI is helping investigate. No suspects are in custody.

Source

WE'RE NOT EATING ENOUGH

I’m Hungry.

Our Bodies Are Starving For More Nutrients
68% of all Americans are overweight, and obesity has almost doubled in the last couple of decades worldwide.

While everyone assumes that overweight people eat too much, we will demonstrate that the real problem is that their bodies are starving for more food … of the right kind.

We’re Not Eating Enough: Vitamins and Minerals
Studies show that people with metabolic syndrome – associated with obesity – have significantly lower concentrations of vitamins C and E, and molecules associated with vitamin A. And see this and this.

Arizona State University reports that the amount of vitamin C in the blood stream is directly related to fat oxidation – the body’s ability to use fat as a fuel source – during both exercise and at rest.

Vitamin D levels are a good predictor for obesity: the lower the level of vitamin D, the more likely is obesity.

Scientists from Bastyr University found that vitamins B-6 and B-12 and chromium may slow down middle-aged weight gain.

Low levels of magnesium – which appear to increase oxidation – are associated with obesity.

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Students Ran, Hid as Gunman Opened Fire in Calif.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - One wounded woman cowered in the bushes after the gunman opened fire on the campus of a small Christian university. One student hid in a locked classroom as the shooter banged on the door. Another heard the shots and ran to safety.

All within an hour Monday, police said, a 43-year-old former student named One L. Goh walked into Oikos University, and began a rampage that left seven people dead and three people wounded, trapped some in the building and forced others to flee for their lives.

It was an "extremely chaotic scene," police Chief Howard Jordan said.

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MSP Press Release 4-3-12

DATE & TIME: April 3, 2012 at 2300 hrs
LOCATION: 6200 block of Feather Height Drive Salisbury, Wicomico Co., MD.
CASE NUMBER: 12-54-002239

BRIEF RESUME: On April 3, 2012 at approximately 2300 hrs, troopers from the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack were dispatched to the 6200 block of Feather Height Drive Salisbury, MD in reference to a reported burglary. Upon arrival, troopers learned that two young white males wearing all black attempted to steal a weed trimmer and gas can from the victim’s open trailer. The victim turned there outside lights on, which scared the suspects with the suspects dropping the above items on the ground. Troopers search the area and were unable to locate the suspects. If anyone had witnessed any suspicious activity at the above area, please contact the Salisbury Barrack and make contact with Cpl. Myers.

The Maryland State Police are reminding everyone to please lock their car doors and to lock away any machinery of value.

Why You Don't Need To Be Ashamed Of Moving Back In With Your Parents

Few are proud to carry the stigma of a "boomerang kid" — someone who moves back in with their parents after failing to make ends meet on their own. But the move makes a lot of financial sense, and could serve as a springboard that can get boomerang kids off to a flying start when they head back out into the cruel world.

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