All You Have To Do To Live Rent-Free For 6 Years Is Go Without Gas & Hot Water

Would it be worth having no hot water or gas to cook with for a year and a half, if it meant you could withhold rent for six years? It was worth it for one Brooklyn woman, who has been justified in not paying rent on her loft because her landlord didn't keep up with basic maintenance or address her safety concerns.

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Cafeteria Workers Win The Right To Eat Expired Food For Free

Want to eat expired food? Sure, go ahead. But a new settlement in Pennsylvania says one school district can't charge union workers for food that has been deemed unacceptable to serve to students.

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Just How Fake Is HGTV's House Hunters?

Long-running basic cable staple House Hunters (and its various iterations) are the lifeblood of HGTV, which sometimes seems to air nothing but half-hour after half-hour of incredibly picky people looking at three possible places to purchase, one of which seems to always fit the incredibly finicky buyers' check list. Most of us have known the show is at least partially staged, but now a woman featured on the show pulls back the curtain even more.

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Study: Children From Same-Sex Homes Have Lower Income, Poorer Mental & Physical Health

People on both sides of the same-sex adoption debate have extremely passionate views on the matter. While those who stand opposed to gay adoptions charge that the institution could negatively impact children, individuals in support claim that there is virtually no difference between the kids who come from straight and gay homes. Now, a new study published in the journal “Social Science Research” tackles this very ideal, finding that there are, indeed, major differences worth noting.

These purported discrepancies exist in the areas of social, emotional and relationship measures, Deseret News reports. The study, which is bound to be controversial, found lower reported income levels, poorer mental and physical health and more problematic romantic relationships, among adults who came from same-sex homes. Among 40 measures, there were 25 differences observed among this cohort when compared to kids who were raised in heterosexual households. Deseret continues:

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The Supreme Court and Obamacare: Eight Possible Outcomes

Everyone is now waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to hand down its decision in NFIBv. Sebelius, the name of the case frequently referred to simply as “Obamacare.”

Lawyers argued four issues before the justices who will decide the fate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and there are eight possible outcomes. Some are more likely than others, and some are more consequential than others.

In fact, one would change this country forever.

But aside from that one apocalyptic scenario, there are several outcomes that will carry the legal force of a tsunami and could change parts of the constitutional landscape for decades to come.

The four issues before the Court in NFIB v. Sebelius are:

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Is This Owl Forcing Historic Tombstone, AZ to Fix Water Lines With ‘Horses and Handtools’?

• Tombstone, Ariz., city officials have been battling for months to make repairs to water lines that fall within federal land. 
• A 1964 law bans use of heavy equipment on the land, so residents are forced to use shovels and other hand tools to make the repairs. 
• There are also reports of a nesting pair of Mexican spotted owls — a threatened species — which have some worried, although federal officials say the owl’s presence doesn’t affect the work being done. 
• The city has filed an appeal, which was rejected by the Supreme Court, against the government to make the necessary repairs and ensure the water supply for its more than 1,500 residents. 
• The water lines were damaged during last year’s wildfires and floods. 

It took months of asking for permission, a lawsuit and even discussion over a federally protected animal before the residents of Tombstone, Ariz., could begin to make some long-overdue repairs to their water line system that supplies more than 1,500 people. And even after all that, the government says the residents can‘t even use the necessary heavy machinery to secure their town’s water supply. But why?

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Cola Wars: Full-Page Ads in The New York Times Challenge & Mock Bloomberg’s Sugary Drink Ban

CEO Daniel Birnbaum‘s open letter to Mayor Bloomberg appeared in Tuesday’s edition of The New York Times. It reads as follows:

Dear Mayor Bloomberg,
We applaud your recent initiative to fight obesity. It’s an issue we can’t ignore. But we don’t believe restricting the size of a soda cup is the answer. We think that a better solution is to give New Yorkers more control over what they drink, not less.

Did you know that New Yorkers are now making soda at home and at the office, with 2/3 fewer calories, and without high fructose corn syrup or aspartame? In fact, they’re using NYC’s finest tap water. Its happening around the world and now it’s in New York.

Here is perhaps the best part. By making their own soda and seltzer, New Yorkers are also helping the environment. Most of the 10 billion soda bottles and cans used in New York every year don’t get recycled. Like empty water bottles, they end up in Staten Island landfills and at the bottom of the Hudson River. But no more.

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Georgia Refuses Ku Klux Klan’s Application to Adopt-a-Highway

The Georgia Department of Transportation has declined to accept a Ku Klux Klan group’s application to join the state’s “Adopt-A-Highway” program.

The International Keystone Knights of the KKK in Union County applied last month to adopt part of Route 515 in the Appalachian Mountains. In a statement Tuesday, the agency says “promoting an organization with a history of inciting civil disturbance and social unrest would present a grave concern” and could “have the potential to negatively impact the quality of life” of people in the county and state.

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Burger King Bets on Bacon Sundae for Summertime

Burger King wants to lure customers this summer with a barbecue party — and a bacon sundae.

The world’s second biggest hamburger chain on Thursday is launching several pork, beef and chicken sandwiches as limited time offers. And for a sweet ending, the company is also offering a bacon sundae — vanilla soft serve with fudge, caramel, bacon crumbles and a piece of bacon — that started in Nashville, Tenn. earlier this year.

The salty-sweet dessert clocks in at 510 calories, 18 grams of fat and 61 grams of sugar.

The limited-time items are Burger King’s latest push to win back customers with a revived menu and reverse sliding market share, an effort that started soon after the company was taken private by the private equity firm 3G Capital in late 2010.

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‘When Does it Move Beyond Self-Defense?’: Civil Rights Leader Questions Texas Dad‘s Killing of Daughter’s Molester

Despite receiving tremendous support from nearby residents who say he was justified in his actions, the Texas dad who beat his 4-year-old daughter’s alleged molester to death near Shiner, Texas is remorseful for taking a man’s life, KRIV-TV in Houston reports.

“He told me that it wasn’t his intent for this individual to lose his life; he was just protecting his daughter,” Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon said, recalling his conversation with the father after the incident on Saturday. The Sheriff doesn’t anticipate charges against the dad, but following an investigation the case will go to a grand jury.

KRIV-TV reports it was the father who initially called 9-1-1.

Yesterday, The Blaze brought you the story about the aforementioned father who after hearing his young daughter‘s screams coming from the family’s horse barn, found a man reportedly sexually assaulting her. He yanked the attacker off of her and punched him in the head repeatedly and ultimately killed him.

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Wisconsin Fall-out: Poll Shows Union Members Deserting Obama

Refusing to risk even a couple of bad news cycles (which he ended up having anyway for other reasons), President Obama refused to enter the fray in Wisconsin and personally rally on behalf of the public sector unions who staked everything on the June 5 recall election targeting Republican governor Scott Walker.

To add insult to injury, when asked why he didn’t go to Wisconsin, the President claimed he was too busy -- which is an absolute falsehood.  Obama was on a record fundraising spree the final weekend before the recall vote, and a couple of them took place in states right next door to Wisconsin.

The President had plenty of time to rally voters and to show some moral support to the unions who helped him win the presidency. He simply chose to abandon them for his own selfish political reasons. 

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Property-Tax Fight: Whose Land Is It, Anyway?

Tuesday is primary day in a number of states around the country.  However, in addition to the House and Senate races, some key ballot initiatives are also being decided.

One that’s garnered a lot of attention in recent days is Measure 2 in North Dakota, which would abolish property taxes. Charlene Nelson is chairman of the Empower the Taxpayer movement behind the referendum. She says the property assessment process is frustratingly arbitrary and different zoning areas carry much different tax rates.

Nelson also argues that if she owns her property there’s no reason why she should still have to “pay rent” on it to the local government.

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Mega-Mosque Leaders Defy The Law

On May 30, a Tennessee judge struck a blow for freedom, ruling that construction of a mega-mosque in rural Murfreesboro, Tenn., had to stop. Yet despite this court ruling, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro is defying the order and working furiously to build the mega-mosque. Bomb threats have even been made to the courthouse of Chancellor Robert Corlew, who issued the ruling. Nonetheless, warriors for freedom are fighting on and have filed an injunction to stop construction.

These Islamic supremacists behind the Murfreesboro mosque (a mosque board member has posted pro-Hamas material to his Facebook page) are defying American law as they continue to build at a more furious pace, once again demonstrating their contempt for American jurisprudence and adherence to the Shariah. This is an Islamic pattern. We saw this same contempt for American law when Islamic supremacists behind the Muslim Brotherhood rabat in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, violated court orders to halt construction of their own mega-mosque on quiet, residential Voorhies Street.

And just as in Brooklyn, Murfreesboro’s dhimmi city officials refuse to enforce the law. In Murfreesboro, David Jones, director of building codes enforcement, has continued to state “no comment,” but has refused to issue a stop-work order. Is someone greasing his dirty palm?

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Is That How It Works?

Fines for Swearing in Public in Massachusetts Town

Town meeting took longer to pass a $20 cussing fine Monday night than it did to pass a $72 million budget.

The budget passed without an argument, but the fines for cussing, smoking pot in public and shoveling snow in the street drew lengthy debate from the 297 residents who attended town meeting under the glare of a pack of television news cameras.

Although James Thomas motioned to take the cussing article out of order for the convenience of the media, residents shot the move down after former Selectman Lincoln D. Andrews said, “I don’t believe our town meeting should be dictated by the press cycle.”

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WHAT: TWO Kickoffs – at two locations – same time
WHO: Children & Families
WHEN: Wednesday, June 27th at 10:30 am
WHERE: Main Library OR Shorebirds Stadium

SALISBURY, MD – Wicomico Public Library’s Summer Reading Kickoff is so big it’s being held in two locations! Both events start at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 27th. Jim & Suzanne will dance and sing their way into our theme, “Dream Big, READ!” at the Main Library, along with our library mascot Sneaks the Cat. Meanwhile the Friends of Wicomico Public Library will be at the Shorebirds game sponsoring Summer Camp Day and celebrating reading by giving the first 1500 fans a Friends tote bag to carry all their books in!
The Friends of the Wicomico Public Library support the library:
· Through fundraising & advocacy
· By raising awareness of the Library as a community educational institution
· By helping to provide events that are of interest to a diverse community

For more information on this event or other library services, visit us on the web at www.wicomicolibrary.org or call 410-749-3612. The event at the Main Library is free and open to the public, the Shorebirds game will require a ticket.

Indiana Law Allows Citizens to Shoot at Police

Indiana has become the first state to legally permit residents to shoot at police if they feel their property is being illegally breached by an officer.

Proponents of the law, including its author, state Sen. Michael Young and the National Rifle Association, say it was necessary following a state Supreme Court ruling last year which said "there is no right to reasonably resist unlawful entry by police officers," Young told Bloomberg News.

The measure amends the 2006 so-called Castle Doctrine bill that allows deadly force to stop illegal entry into a home or car. The term "public servant" was added following the court's ruling.

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If Only...

To the students and faculty of our high school:

I am your new principal, and honored to be so. There is no greater calling than to teach young people.

I would like to apprise you of some important changes coming to our school. I am making these changes because I am convinced that most of the ideas that have dominated public education in America have worked against you, against your teachers and against our country.

First, this school will no longer honor race or ethnicity. I could not care less if your racial makeup is black, brown, red, yellow or white. I could not care less if your origins are African, Latin American, Asian or European, or if your ancestors arrived here on the Mayflower or on slave ships.

The only identity I care about, the only one this school will recognize, is your individual identity -- your character, your scholarship, your humanity. And the only national identity this school will care about is American. This is an American public school, and American public schools were created to make better Americans.

If you wish to affirm an ethnic, racial or religious identity through school, you will have to go elsewhere. We will end all ethnicity-, race- and non-American nationality-based celebrations. They undermine the motto of America, one of its three central values -- e pluribus unum, "from many, one." And this school will be guided by America's values.

This includes all after-school clubs. I will not authorize clubs that divide students based on any identities. This includes race, language, religion, sexual orientation or whatever else may become in vogue in a society divided by political correctness.

Your clubs will be based on interests and passions, not blood, ethnic, racial or other physically defined ties. Those clubs just cultivate narcissism -- an unhealthy preoccupation with the self -- while the purpose of education is to get you to think beyond yourself. So we will have clubs that transport you to the wonders and glories of art, music, astronomy, languages you do not already speak, carpentry and more. If the only extracurricular activities you can imagine being interesting in are those based on ethnic, racial or sexual identity, that means that little outside of yourself really interests you.

Second, I am uninterested in whether English is your native language. My only interest in terms of language is that you leave this school speaking and writing English as fluently as possible. The English language has united America's citizens for over 200 years, and it will unite us at this school. It is one of the indispensable reasons this country of immigrants has always come to be one country. And if you leave this school without excellent English language skills, I would be remiss in my duty to ensure that you will be prepared to successfully compete in the American job market. We will learn other languages here -- it is deplorable that most Americans only speak English -- but if you want classes taught in your native language rather than in English, this is not your school.

Third, because I regard learning as a sacred endeavor, everything in this school will reflect learning's elevated status. This means, among other things, that you and your teachers will dress accordingly. Many people in our society dress more formally for Hollywood events than for church or school. These people have their priorities backward. Therefore, there will be a formal dress code at this school.

Fourth, no obscene language will be tolerated anywhere on this school's property -- whether in class, in the hallways or at athletic events. If you can't speak without using the f-word, you can't speak. By obscene language I mean the words banned by the Federal Communications Commission, plus epithets such as [the 'N' word], even when used by one black student to address another black, or 'bitch,' even when addressed by a girl to a girlfriend. It is my intent that by the time you leave this school, you will be among the few your age to instinctively distinguish between the elevated and the degraded, the holy and the obscene.

Fifth, we will end all self-esteem programs. In this school, self-esteem will be attained in only one way -- the way people attained it until decided otherwise a generation ago -- by earning it. One immediate consequence is that there will be one valedictorian, not eight.

Sixth, and last, I am reorienting the school toward academics and away from politics and propaganda. No more time will be devoted to scaring you about smoking and caffeine, or terrifying you about sexual harassment or global warming. No more semesters will be devoted to condom wearing and teaching you to regard sexual relations as only or primarily a health issue. There will be no more attempts to convince you that you are a victim because you are not white, or not male, or not heterosexual or not Christian. We will have failed if any one of you graduates this school and does not consider him or herself inordinately lucky -- to be alive and to be an American.

Now, please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of our country. As many of you do not know the words, your teachers will hand them out to you.

-- Dennis Prager
(1948-) American syndicated radio talk show host, syndicated columnist, author, and public speaker

Source: A Speech Every American High School Principal Should Give, July 13. 2010

Secretariat Time in '73 Preakness Could be Changed

Secretariat's owner has asked the Maryland Racing Commission to conduct a hearing about changing the time of the horse's winning run in the 1973 Preakness Stakes.

Penny Chenery, along with Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas, say advances in modern video technology will prove Secretariat ran the 1 3/16 mile race in 1 minute, 53 and 2/5 seconds. That would have been a record at the time and would match the standing record for the Preakness.

The commission will consider the request for a hearing at its meeting on June 19th.

Secretariat won the Triple Crown in 1973. His time in the Preakness was originally clocked electronically at 1:55, then changed to 1.54 2/5.

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Percentage Who Actually Have Served Their Country

I remember the day I found out I got into West Point. My mom actually showed up in the hallway of my high school and waited for me to get out of class . She was bawling her eyes out and apologizing that she had opened up my admission letter . She wasn't crying because it had been her dream for me to go there . She was crying because she knew how hard I'd worked to get in, how much I wanted to attend, and how much I wanted to be an infantry officer . I was going to get that opportunity.

That same day two of my teachers took me aside and essentially told me the following: Nick, you're a smart guy . You don't have to join the military . You should go to college, instead.

I could easily write a tome defending West Point and the military as I did that day, explaining that USMA is an elite institution, that separate from that it is actually statistically much harder to enlist in the military than it is to get admitted to college, that serving the nation is a challenge that all able-bodied men should at least consider for a host of reasons, but I won't.

What I will say is that when a 16 year-old kid is being told that attending West Point is going to be bad for his future then there is a dangerous disconnect in America, and entirely too many Americans have no idea what kind of burdens our military is bearing.

In World War II, 11.2% of the nation served in four years.

In Vietnam, 4.3% served in 12 years.

Since 2001, only 0.45% of our population has served in the Global War on Terror.

These are unbelievable statistics.

Over time, fewer and fewer people have shouldered more and more of the burden and it is only getting worse .

Our troops were sent to war in Iraq by a Congress consisting of 10% veterans with only one person having a child in the military.

Taxes did not increase to pay for the war. War bonds were not sold. Gas was not regulated . In fact, the average citizen was asked to sacrifice nothing, and has sacrificed nothing unless they have chosen to out of the goodness of their hearts.

The only people who have sacrificed are the veterans and their families . The volunteers . The people who swore an oath to defend this nation .

You stand there, deployment after deployment and fight on . You've lost relationships, spent years of your lives in extreme conditions, years apart from kids you'll never get back, and beaten your body in a way that even professional athletes don't understand. Then you come home to a nation that doesn't understand.

They don't understand suffering.

They don't understand sacrifice.

They don’t understand why we fight for them.

They don't understand that bad people exist.

They look at you like you're a machine - like something is wrong with you . You are the misguided one - not them.

When you get out, you sit in the college classrooms with political science teachers that discount your opinions on Iraq and Afghanistan because YOU WERE THERE and can't understand the macro issues they gathered from books, because of your bias.

You watch TV shows where every vet has PTSD and the violent strain at that . Your Congress is debating your benefits, your retirement, and your pay, while they ask you to do more.

But the amazing thing about you is that you all know this . You know your country will never pay back what you've given up.

You know that the populace at large will never truly understand or appreciate what you have done for them.

Hell, you know that in some circles, you will be thought as less than normal for having worn the uniform . But you do it anyway . You do what the greatest men and women of this country have done since 1775 -

YOU SERVED . Just that decision alone makes you part of an elite group.

"Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few." – Winston Churchill

Thank you to the 0.45% who have and continue to serve our Nation.

Chicago Teacher's Unions: 24% Raise Or We Strike

Nothing screams relevance in today’s economic and political climate like a teacher’s union threatening a strike if their members aren’t given a 24 percent pay raise, and yet that is exactly what is happening in Chicago, the nation’s third largest school district.

Teachers are unhappy with a decision made last year by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to cancel their 4 percent pay raise while also asking them to work longer days. According to The Associated Press, “Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis announced the result of last week's balloting — nearly 90 percent of its 26,502 members voted to authorize a strike.” The strike will not happen over the summer; the union has decided to wait until school is in session to call the strike.

It’s rather hard to make a coherent case for a 24 percent pay raise based on the previous year’s 4 percent pay raise being canceled, but that is precisely what the teachers union intends to push for. Of course, the union trots out one of their favorite talking points to justify the action, “We want a contract that gives Chicago students the school they deserve. So we call on CPSs to take this process seriously and negotiate with us in good faith with an eye on the real prize, our children.”

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People Don't Like Drones

Around the world, people do not like the United States' increasing use of unmanned drones to kill terror suspects. The Pew Research Center survey 21 countries from Britain to Brazil. In 17 of them, more than half of the respondents disapprove of U.S. Drone strikes. The researchers say that reflects a perception that the United States goes it alone and does not consider other countries' interests. As the military draws down overseas...the White House is ramping up its use of unmanned drones. In contrast to the global results...the poll finds most Americans — 62 percent — approve of drone strikes to kill terror suspects.

Stunning 'Dirty Secret' About Racism in U.S

The San Francisco Examiner calls it a “dirty secret:” Groups of black people targeting Asians for violence, robbery and even murder.

“In 85 percent of (300) physical assault crimes, the victims were Asian and the perpetrators were African American,” the newspaper said recently, citing a police study.

In Philadelphia, secrets may be even more violent and widespread. Over the last three years, the Philadelphia Daily News found “at least 15 home invasions or other attacks on Asian business owners outside their businesses in Philadelphia, Delaware and Montgomery counties in 2008, followed by another spike of at least 19 actual or attempted home invasions or burglaries in those three counties plus Chester County in 2010.”

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MISSING DOG

Our family dog is missing. His name is Sampson, we call him sammy for short. He is a collie mix. He has a metal choker collar on and a very bushy tail. He just recently got a hair cut so his coat is a bit shorter and less fluffier now. His last known location is Willards, Maryland. That's where my mommom and poppop live. He has been missing since saturday June 9th. My poppop said there is a reward for him if you are willing to receive any financial compensation. I have provided my grandfather's phone number if you need to contact him for anything. Robert Timmons: 443-523-7652 and his home number is 410-835-3382

Publishers Notes: Let's work together to help this family reunite with Sampson.

Military Wants Taxes Raised Even In An Election Year

The leading senator on the Armed Services Committee says raising taxes, even in an election year, may be necessary to preserve the military's budget. Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) says everything, including taxes and cuts to entitlement programs, should be on the table.

Lawmakers are trying to avert sequestration, the across-the-board cuts dictated by last year's Budget Control Act, which will kick in unless Congress passes a new law by January. Levin says Congress should let the George W. Bush tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans expire and close various tax loopholes like offshore tax havens. Otherwise, he says sequestration would force cuts in 3 thousand military programs. GOP lawmakers are also speaking out against the dangers of cuts to the military but have not mentioned raising taxes.

More Than Seven in 10 US Teens Jobless in summer

Once a rite of passage to adulthood, summer jobs for teens are disappearing.

Fewer than three in 10 American teenagers now hold jobs such as running cash registers, mowing lawns or busing restaurant tables from June to August. The decline has been particularly sharp since 2000, with employment for 16-to-19-year olds falling to the lowest level since World War II.

And teen employment may never return to pre-recession levels, suggests a projection by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Banks Are An Endangered Species

In the long run, all the hullabaloo about the various global banking crises is just hot air.

The old establishment banks — the ones that have been bailed out this week in Spain, and in 2008 in America — are unnecessary middlemen. This is because of the ludicrous spreads from which they profit. They borrow from central banks and from depositors at absurdly low rates of interest (that’s what ZIRP is all about) and lend at vastly higher rates. What useful function does it serve? At one time, banks generated value by being wise lenders, lending to businesses that they determined would add value. Today they prefer gamble up even bigger profits in the zero-sum derivatives casino and shadow banking whorehouse, requiring frequent bailouts when such schemes go awry. They are dinosaurs that offer no real value to their shareholders, their customers, or to society.

And for all their claims of systemic importance, for all the bailouts, all the whining, all the pontification they are gradually being sidelined by other forms of intermediation, specifically peer-to-peer lending wherein lenders and borrowers are matched directly often via the internet. The lender gets interest, the borrower pays interest, but because there is no middleman taking a (huge) cut both rates are more favourable — the borrower pays less interest, the lender receives more interest.

The market for such lending has already grown to £250 million-a-year in the UK alone. The BBC reports: [7]

Lending via three websites that link savers with borrowers – bypassing the banking system – has topped £250m.

The “new age” finance carries no protection for deposits, but is being tipped as a serious threat to traditional banks.

The peer-to-peer sites are led by Zopa, which has lent more than £200m since it started in 2005.

Funding Circle, specialising in business loans, has topped £34m, and RateSetter has reached £24m.

Last month the government said it would lend these sort of firms £100m to help expand their own lending to businesses.

Alas, the government could lend these firms ten times that (that would still be a tiny sliver of what they have channelled to the establishment banks in recent years) and the market would still be rigged in favour of the establishment banks.

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CNN Mocks Texas Town For Backing Father Who Killed Pedophile

CNN has, in their usual fashion, patronized rural America once more. In their coverage of the Shiner, Texas case where a rancher found a man attempting to sexually molest the rancher’s four-year-old daughter and beat the molester to death with his bare hands, CNN couldn’t resist the opportunity to lampoon such primitive behavior. 

The report begins with the female reporter’s voice-over: “When you hear what happened in Shiner, this town will be known for more than just beer.”

Already the town is belittled for its championing of that “low-class” beverage. One wonders if the reporter would have reported on the same story from the Loire Valley in France: “When you hear what happened in Sancerre, this town will be known for more than just white wine.” Doubtful.

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The CBO Sees The Economic Cliff Ahead

Last week the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued its annual long-term budget outlook report, and the 2012 numbers are not promising. In fact, the CBO estimates that federal debt will rise to 70% of GDP by the end of the year − the highest percentage since World War II. The report also paints a stark picture of entitlement spending, as retiring Baby Boomers will cause government spending on health care, Social Security and Medicare to explode as a percentage of GDP in coming years.

While the mainstream media correctly characterized the CBO report as highly pessimistic, they also ignored longstanding errors of methodology in CBO estimates. And those errors tend to support arguments for higher taxes and government spending, when in fact America needs exactly the opposite.

As Paul Roderick Gregory explained in a recent Forbes column (http://tinyurl.com/cf746dl), CBO has always applied wrongheaded assumptions inherent in Keynesian economics when forecasting future deficits − no matter how many times both history and economic theory have proven such assumptions incorrect. In particular, CBO seems wedded to two enduring Keynesian myths: First, that higher taxes necessarily increase federal revenue and have no negative effect on the economy; and second, that lower government spending hurts the economy. Neither is true, of course.

CBO also fails to factor in unexpected wars and expensive foreign entanglements, and we should not assign too much validity to predictive models based on peace. Judging from the actions and rhetoric coming from both parties in Washington, new military entanglements in Syria and Iran may well spike military spending in coming years.

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GOVERNOR O’MALLEY ANNOUNCES DESIGN FUNDING FOR US 301/MD 304 SAFETY PROJECT IN QUEEN ANNE’S COUNTY

Additional $7.8 million committed to advance interchange design for heavily-traveled intersection in Centreville

ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 13, 2012) – Governor Martin O’Malley today announced a $7.8 million investment to complete the design of the US 301/MD 304 interchange in Centreville, Queen Anne’s County. Today, a basic intersection is in place at what is one of the most heavily traveled stretches along the US 301 Corridor. With the construction of a grade-separated interchange, motorists will have a safer way to move across US 301 and along MD 304. Working in partnership with residents, local and state officials, the additional funds provide full funding for the design phase of the project.

“With this investment in the US 301/MD 304 interchange, we can keep our families and children safe as they travel to work, school and go about their daily lives,” said Governor O’Malley. “Today, we move another step closer to separating local traffic from the truck and through traffic running on US 301 so that we can improve safety and better serve the needs of area residents. Together, we can work to improve this busy intersection.”

As a primary upper shore route, US 301 carries 17,500 vehicles in this area each day, with a significant portion being large tractor trailers. This section of US 301 is projected to carry 32,000 motorists per day by 2030. Construction improvements will include an interchange with a loop ramp in the southwest corner of the intersection, and other safety enhancements such as bicycle-compatible shoulders in both directions. The total projected cost, still to be funded, of acquiring the necessary right-of-way and constructing the project is in excess of $55 million. The US 301/MD 304 interchange has been identified as the top transportation priority for Queen Anne’s County by elected officials.

Verizon Shifts Toward Shared Plans

Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest cellphone company, is dropping nearly all of its phone plans in favor of pricing schemes that encourage consumers to connect their nonphone devices, such as tablets and PCs, to Verizon’s network.

The new plans, which will become available June 28, reflect Verizon’s desire to keep growing now that nearly every American already has a phone. The plans let families and other subscribers share a monthly data allowance on up to 10 devices.

It’s the biggest revamp in wireless pricing in years, and one that’s likely to be copied by other carriers. AT&T Inc. has already said that it’s looking at introducing shared-data plans soon.

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A Robbery Of A Different Kind

The police state is not only here – it is being welcomed with open arms.

Exhibit A: In Aurora, Colorado, police searching for suspected bank robbers locked down an entire intersection, dragooned 40 random motorists out of their cars at gunpoint, handcuffed them and “asked” for permission to search their vehicles. (See here for the ABC News story.)

Naturally, no one refused permission.

The action itself is startling: 40 people, guilty of nothing more than proximity, of being in the same general area where a suspected criminal might also be, are literally pulled from their vehicles, shackled and detained for more than two hours – even after it was obvious they were guilty of no crime at all.

Even more startling, however, than these over-the-top tactics is the fact that (apparently) every one of these 40 innocent people complied without a peep of protest. Not one said: “I’m sorry officer, but unless I’ve committed a crime I’d like to be free to go about my business.” Not one said, ” I do not consent to any searches.”

None put up a fuss when the cuffs came out.

One woman interviewed by ABC News clucked happily: “Yeah, we all got cuffed (laugh) until they figured out who did what.” No doubt this woman will not object when a gang of armed men kicks in her door, invades her home and holds her family at gunpoint until they figure out who did what. After all, there are criminals about. They could be anywhere. Which means, anything is justified.

In the words of one ABC News blogger, “Sounds like the police did their job – and did it exceptionally well!” And another: “I think the police did a great job in an unusual circumstance and protected the people of the city from a dangerous criminal. Those people should praise the police, not sue them!”

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Clueless

LONG HOT SUMMER IN THE CITY

Fractured gangs blamed for Chicago homicide surge

CHICAGO — There are many theories about what has caused a recent spike in Chicago’s homicide rate, including a splintering of established drug gangs, the warm winter and high unemployment in some neighborhoods that seem a world away from the city’s beaches, lush parks and skyscrapers.

The numbers clearly show there is a problem, with eight killed and at least 35 wounded in a spasm of gunfire last weekend.

The violence is nowhere near its historical peak of the early 1990s, when Chicago recorded roughly 900 homicides per year. But from Jan. 1 through late May there were 203 homicides, an increase of more than 50 percent over the 134 during the same period in 2011.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has made combatting gangs a priority and has stood with Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy to unveil a plan of attack. Among the new police tactics is the deployment of dozens of specialized undercover officers to units on Chicago’s West and South sides and then saturating those neighborhood streets with uniformed officers.

In addition, Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday signed into law the Illinois Street Gang RICO Act, which aims to dismantle gangs by boosting penalties for crimes performed as part of a criminal enterprise.

In Englewood, a roughly 20-by-20-block South Side neighborhood, homicides jumped from 40 in 2010 to 60 last year, which is more than half of the total 2011 homicides for cities such as Cleveland, Milwaukee, Washington, D.C., Oakland, Calif., and Kansas City, Mo.

Though police are loath to attribute this winter’s unusually warm weather as a possible factor, because it smacks of excuse-making, there were far more people on the streets in January, February and March — including gang members — than during those months in 2011.

Just as important have been dramatic changes within the gangs themselves.

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The Rift Between Attorney General Eric Holder And Senate Republicans Has Deepened

Senators Lindsey Graham and Chuck Grassley urge Holder to appoint an outside special prosecutor to investigate recent national security leaks. Holder has resisted that call. Instead, he named two politically appointed prosecutors to oversee the FBI's probe of the leaks. One of the prosecutors was appointed by President George W. Bush. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)introduced a non-binding resolution calling for a special counsel.

IRS Wants 6% Raise

Some lawmakers may be hearing the IRS' cries for help. Senate appropriators have recommended giving the agency a 6 percent increase in funding. They say the money would restore two years of severe cuts to services and enforcement. The agency has cut about 5,000 positions. An IRS oversight board report shows more calls to the agency's toll-free help line go unanswered. The Senate subcommittee recommendation is much more than the House has approved, but 2 percent less than the IRS had requested.

Lieberman, Collins Warn Against Slashing Acquisition Workforce

The two influential senators say the mistakes the Defense Department and others made in the 1990s during the last serious budget reductions can't be repeated this time around. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) said budget cuts shouldn't be balanced on the backs of the acquisition workforce. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) added reductions in acquisition staff mean the government will pay more for goods and services. The story is part of the special series Inside the World's Biggest Buyer.

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 6-13-12

Troopers Investigate Head-On Crash

Location: Old Furnace Road, east of Rementer Road, Georgetown, DE

Date of Occurrence: Tuesday June 12, 2012 at approximately 6:56 p.m.

Operator and Vehicle Information:
Operator #1: Robert W. Dotson, 28, Millsboro, DE
Vehicle #1: 2010 Ford F150 pickup truck

Operator #2: Danny C. Burris, 43, Rehoboth Beach, DE
Vehicle #2: 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
Passenger: Chamyra Lewis, 19, Milford, DE
Passenger: Jayvion Burton, 7 months, Milford, DE

Resume:
Georgetown, DE- The Delaware State Police are investigating a head-on collision that occurred west of Georgetown.

The incident occurred yesterday evening around 6:56 p.m. as Robert W. Dotson was operating a 2010 Ford F150 pickup truck eastbound on Old Furnace Road just east of Rementer Road. As the pickup truck entered into a slight curve in the road, Dotson began to lose control of the truck which then began to slide into the westbound lane. Danny C. Burris was operating a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu westbound on Old Furnace Road, saw the truck enter into his lane and attempted to move the right shoulder of the road but was struck head-on by the pickup truck. After the impact, the truck spun clockwise and continued into some trees on the south side of the roadway where it came to a stop. The Malibu spun counter-clockwise and stopped in the eastbound travel lanes. At the time of the crash, the roadways were rain soaked.

Dotson, who was properly restrained, was removed from the scene by EMS and transported to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where he was treated and released for non-life threatening injuries. He was cited for Careless Driving.

Burris and his two passengers, who were properly restrained, were removed from the scene by EMS and transported to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where they were treated and released for non-life-threatening injuries.

Traffic in the area was impacted for approximately an hour and a half as the crash was investigated and cleared.

Voter Fraud Or Voter Suppression: Right And Left Clash Over Election Laws

Left and right disagree on whether efforts to require ID cards and other restrictions on voting amount to legitimate efforts to eliminate voter fraud or are really aimed at voter suppression based on a problem that doesn't exist.

Continue Reading...

Nine Elementary Schools To Pilot Consistent Attire Program (CAP) for 2012-13 School Year

Nine Wicomico elementary schools will pilot a Consistent Attire Program for the 2012-13 school year. The schools are North Salisbury, Beaver Run, West Salisbury, Pinehurst, Prince Street, Delmar, WELC, Pemberton and Charles H. Chipman Elementary. No other schools will have CAP in 2012-13. CAP details are posted on the Board's website here:

http://www.wcboe.org/spotlight/consistent-attire-program-1

ING agrees to forfeit $619 million

Amsterdam-based ING Bank N.V. agreed Tuesday to forfeit $619 million to the Justice Department and the New York County District Attorney´s Office for conspiring to illegally move billions of dollars through the U.S. financial system on behalf of sanctioned Cuban and Iranian entities.

It is the largest ever forfeiture against a bank in connection with an investigation into U.S. sanctions violations.

Assistant Attorney General Lisa Monaco, who heads the Justice Department's National Security Division, said the bank “knowingly and willfully” conspired to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the Trading With the Enemy Act (TWEA) and New York state laws.

According to a criminal information filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, ING Bank waived a federal indictment, agreed to the filing of the information and accepted responsibility for its criminal conduct and that of its employees.

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The Bike Route To Nowhere

Mayor Jim Ireton, Salisbury University and the City Council want to create a new Bike Route for SU Students to travel from SU to Downtown Salisbury. As my earlier Post stated, WHY? What the heck is Downtown at this point and time in which SU Students would have any desire to come to.

Fruitland is the direction things are heading, (for now) and that's just the truth of the matter. This proposed Bike Route is just lipstick on a pig. IF they had any real smarts they would have proposed a Bike Route along the Railroad Tracks from SU to Main Street and no one would be inconvenienced.

But we're dealing with a Mayor who is a school teacher, has NO business background and politicians that are just into doing something, anything, to make it look as if the City is moving forward. That's just not the case.

Think about my proposal along the R/R Tracks instead of Camden Ave and let the Mayor know there's another route that is much safer for everyone involved. Maybe he'll do something right for once.

The Real Reason the Military Is Going Green

Retired Brig. Gen. Steven Anderson calls himself "an accidental environmentalist."

His epiphany about climate change started with a tactical problem. In 2006 and 2007, when he served as the military's chief logistician in Iraq, he coordinated the transport of millions of gallons of fuel across the country to power everything from vehicles to the large compressors used to cool individual tents—or, as Anderson puts it, for "air conditioning the desert." He was taking one casualty for every 24 fuel convoys, and he was doing 18 convoys a day. That's one casualty every other day. He needed to get the trucks off the road. He needed to find a way to reduce the military's fuel use.

"There's a direct relationship between energy and the military. The more energy consumed, the less effective you are militarily because you're more vulnerable," said Anderson, who reported to General David Petraeus. "They love to take out our field trucks. They make a big boom when they do."

Since then, Anderson, like many military leaders, has realized that guzzling oil makes the United States vulnerable in other ways. "I'm a soldier," Anderson said. "Why should I be concerned about climate change? Climate change brings about global instability. That makes the world more vulnerable and it's more likely that soldiers like myself will have to fight and die somewhere."

Never mind D.C. conservatives who claim to be tough on defense and suspicious of climate science: The Department of Defense isn't denying that climate change is a major national security threat. "The change is happening. It's just a reality," said retired Marine Col. Mark Mykleby, a former strategy assistant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "Science tells us it's coming our way."

The Defense Department first acknowledged climate change as a factor in its operations in its 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review. "[Climate change] may act as an accelerant of instability or conflict, placing a burden to respond on civilian institutions and militaries around the world," read the report.

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I Finally Received A Response, But Is It?

I'm sure many of you watched PAC 14 a few weeks ago where I asked what I'm actually getting for the taxes I pay in Salisbury. I clearly stated I get no trash pickup. No parking and the list went on and on. The above is the City's reply to my question yet I'd like to know, since I own a property Downtown on the Plaza, am I a stakeholder, OR NOT?

I have spoken to numerous property owners down here and not one of them spoke with the Mayor in reference to his new/old plan.

This response is a slap in the face to those of us who have made the investment to purchase property Downtown. The Mayor wants to compete with us with new commercial and residential space. Where's the money coming from?

When I hear of these plans coming from the Mayor it makes me sick to my stomach. They want to create a bike route from Salisbury University to Downtown Salisbury, FOR WHAT? Can ANY of you tell me just what the heck is Downtown that the College Students might come here for? Heck, even Norm Conway gave SU millions to build a new Library on Campus, so why would they come Downtown.

You need a Mayor and Staff that can truthfully answer the actual questions citizens are asking. They have ignored my main questions and their response is simply ridiculous. You people either want a new Mayor who will at least attempt to move the City forward or you'll vote for the same old crap you've been getting for too many years.

We'll just have to see what happens come election time.

Today's Survey Question 6-13-12

Is there an age at which you tell your children they can't move back home?

Residents Of NY Town Face $1,000 Fines If They Fail To Mow Lawns

Most suburban neighborhoods have at least a handful of residents who just can't be bothered to roll out the lawnmower and opt for the "natural" look on their yards. The problem has gotten worse in some areas hit hard by foreclosures. Now one town on New York's Long Island has decided that folks who can't maintain their lawns are deserving of thousands of dollars in fines.

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Where's My Paycheck And My Democracy?

Something is missing. As we wonder why it is so hard to sustain a small business or find a job, why wages are so low and health insurance so expensive, why the economy isn't working any more for most of us, maybe the first thing to understand is that opportunity and wealth end up in the hands of a few where authority is held in the hands of a few, in other words, where democracy is missing. It is widely acknowledged today that America is just such a place, where wealth is consolidated in the hands of a few and where democracy has gone missing or at least is dangerously diminished.

But to understand where, exactly, democracy is missing from our society, we must consider where it still remains, where it used to be and where it never was to begin with. The last holds the key to our current despair - and to hope.

Where Democracy Remains

Democracy remains today within the essential form of American government. The Constitution stands, laying forth the separation of powers among the three branches of the federal government and among the federal government, state governments and the people as citizens. The separation of powers helps defend against (but cannot wholly prevent) the consolidation of decision-making authority in the hands of a few. It promotes shared authority and mutual accountability among the diverse parts of government, so that government is inclined to represent the diverse political-economic communities within society and to mediate their competing claims so that all have a say.

Political-economic communities are not geographic neighborhoods; they are constituencies grounded in economic roles, in how people make their living. Examples of political-economic communities in American society through history are corporate shareholders (often including top management), independent business owners, union workers, farmers, religious leaders and licensed professionals. When the members of such a community are politically well organized, share a sense of who they are and what kind of world they want and hold considerable economic power, they can influence law and society.

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North Dakota Voters Considering Doing Away With Those Silly Property Taxes

North Dakota has the rare boon of having a state budget that enjoys a nice little reserve, and as such, some of its residents say they shouldn't have to pay property taxes any more. It's not unheard of to scale back property taxes — California is one example of a state with lower taxes after passing a voter proposition — but the debate is stirring up emotions nonetheless.

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US Federal Deficit Totals $844.5B Through Eight Months

The federal budget deficit is rapidly approaching $1 trillion for a fourth straight year even though the government is collecting more tax revenue than last year.

The Treasury Department says the deficit grew by $124.6 billion in May. That put the deficit through the first eight months of the budget year at $844.5 billion, or 8.9 percent below last year's imbalance for the same period.

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Sears, Where "5-Minute Guarantee" Means "We Guarantee To Stop The Clock Before It Reaches 5 Minutes"

Consumerist reader Anna says years of unpleasant experiences have soured her on shopping at Sears. But when she saw the store was selling a 20-inch toolbox for only $9.99 with free in-store pick-up — and a guarantee that she would get that order within five minutes of showing up at the counter of get a $5 coupon — she decided to give the once-great retailer another shot. Oops.

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Japan Gets Ready To Fire Up Nuclear Plants Again

Despite the Fukushima nuclear crisis being far from resolved – Japan is close to restarting nuclear reactors that have been turned off since the earthquake and tsunami last year. Over the weekend, a local safety commission approved the restart of two reactors in Western Japan – and the Japanese Prime Minister hinted that he intends to start up several more of Japan's 50 nuclear reactors once he gets confirmation that they are safe. Thousands of protestors assembled outside the Prime Minister's Tokyo home after the decision chanting, "No to restarting nuclear plants." A recent Pew Research poll finds that 70% of the Japanese populations think their country needs to ditch nuclear power.

Movie Theaters Trying To Lure Customers With Any Non-Movie Event They Can

In a bid to save the movie theater industry, venues around the country are turning to just about any other kind of entertainment event they can possibly show that isn't actually a movie. If you've got that big old screen and seats for plenty of people, why not pull in some business with say, a nice opera or live boxing match?

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Organizers: Take Mass Transit To Visit Ships

Hundred of thousands of people are expected to visit Baltimore this weekend as Maryland kicks off the Star Spangled Sailabration.

Organizers are encouraging visitors to use public transportation to get to the different venues which are hosting ships for public display

Dozens of tall ships and Navy vessels will be arriving at the Inner Harbor throughout the day on Wednesday.

Then on Thursday, the public displays on the ships will open at the Inner Harbor, Fells Point and north Locust Point.

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Will Jeb Bush Get What He Wants?

Favorable coverage by the establishment media. It's likely to happen. Tom DiLorenzo explains:

Baby Bush (a.k.a. "Jeb," brother of "Dub-Yuh") whines and cries that there are elements of the Republican Party today who believe they are taxed enough already and oppose further tax increases. He cannot stand the fact that there are people who question the notion that prosperity is created by taking money from hard-working taxpayers and giving it to government bureaucrats to spend (That's called "Keynesian economics" to those readers who have not studied economics). He gratuitously praises his father for reneging on his "Read My Lips, No New Taxes" promise (which caused him to lose the election to Bill Clinton), and his brother Dub-Yuh for raising taxes, expanding the welfare state, and becoming and even bigger domestic spender than Lyndon Johnson was.

Such talk is bound to get "Jeb" what he wants -- coverage in the New York Times and Washington Post calling him a "statesman." He may even get a favorable mention by Paul Krugman, which would surely send a chill up his leg

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Spain Needs Bailout

As crippling austerity pushes Greece to the brink, and leaves Spain in need of a bailout, which could threaten the entire Eurozone – British voters are worried their country could be next. Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron brought austerity to the UK in 2010 – and has since seen virtually no economic growth. And now a new poll shows that 73% of British voters think their country is "moving in the wrong direction." The poll, which was commissioned by the International Trade Union Confederation, also found that voters across the G20 felt their respective nations were in trouble - with 56% of respondents saying their nation is also heading in the wrong direction. Also – roughly two-thirds of those polled in the G20 said that banks, financial institutions, and corporations had too much influence on their government's economic decisions. The U.N. is also weighing in on the austerity agenda in a new report that says Europe is in a "vicious circle" of high unemployment, debt, and austerity. The report urges government to move away from austerity and instead promote growth and job creation, which appears to be finally happening in places like France and Greece. But in the United States – Mitt Romney and the Republican Party are doubling-down on austerity – to crash the economy and hurt Obama's re-election chances.

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Md. High Court Hears 'Dream Act' Referendum Debate

Attorneys for an immigrant advocacy group are trying to convince Maryland's highest court that a new law to provide college tuition breaks to illegal immigrants doesn't belong on the ballot.

Opponents of the law have organized a petition drive to put the question before voters in November. But Joseph E. Sandler, a lawyer for Casa de Maryland, told the Maryland Court of Appeals on Tuesday that the Dream Act passed by state lawmakers last year is a spending bill therefore cannot legally be subject to a referendum.

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FIVE SUSPECTS ARRESTED DURING BOARDWALK DRUG SWEEP

On June 2, 2012, 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. detectives from the Ocean City Police Narcotics Unit and the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team conducted a plainclothes drug enforcement operation on the Ocean City Boardwalk to target drug dealers and sellers.

During the operation, detectives made a total of five arrests for distribution of marijuana. During one of the incidents, detectives met three males near Dorchester Street and the Boardwalk and purchased marijuana. When uniformed officers and detectives moved in to arrest the men, two of the three suspects resisted arrest. The suspects that resisted arrest immediately tried to reach into their front waistband areas of their pants. Police were able to restrain the suspects in handcuffs.

After the suspects were arrested, it was determined that both men had replica handguns in their waistbands. One was a replica of a Walther CP-99 and the other was a replica of a Smith and Wesson semi auto handgun. There were no injuries to officers or suspects.

The two suspects who resisted arrest and were found to be in possession of the replica weapons were identified as a 14 year-old juvenile male from Cambridge, MD and Rashaun Jakeem Downs, 19 of Easton, MD.

Kenneth Walter Stepp, 23, of Wilmington, DE, was charged with distribution and possession of marijuana. He was seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner and was released after posting a $7,500 bond.

Tavaugn Akeem Batson, 20, of Easton, MD, was charged with distribution and possession of marijuana. He was seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner and held on bond and transferred to the Worcester County Jail.

Kemroy Alvin Thompson,19, of Beltsville, MD, was charged with distribution and possession of marijuana. He was seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner and was released after posting a $7,500 bond.

Juvenile 14-year-old male, from Cambridge, MD, was charged with distribution and possession of marijuana and possession of a concealed replica firearm. He was released by Juvenile Services to a family member.

Rashaun Jakeem Downs, 19, of Easton, MD, was charged with distribution and possession of marijuana and possession of a concealed replica firearm. He was released on his own recognizance.

Ocean City Police want to remind citizens that undercover and plainclothes police officers will be patrolling Ocean City. If you are planning on using drugs, buying drugs or selling drugs, police will arrest you. Possession of replica weapons is a violation of the Town of Ocean City Code. If you are found in possession of a replica handgun you will be charged with this violation.

Florida Sues Homeland Security

The state of Florida announced on Monday that it is filing a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security to gain access to a federal database of undocumented immigrants so the state can continue its illegal purge of Democratic voters. In response, the Department of Justice said it is suing the state of Florida for violating the Voter Registration Act and the Voting Rights Act by continuing its voting purge after the DOJ demanded the state stop last week. Several county election supervisors in Florida – many of them Republicans – have come out against Governor Rick Scott's lawsuit – arguing that it's just an effort by the Governor and Secretary of State to improve their image. And every single local country election supervisor has refused to comply at a local level with Governor Scott's purge. A new poll shows a majority of voters in Florida oppose Governor Scott's purge – and his own approval rating has plummeted to 31%. But Governor Scott knows what the rest of the Republican Party knows – and that's that polls don't matter – votes matter. And if enough Democratic voters can get kicked off the rolls – then Mitt Romney will win in November – and Governor Scott will be re-elected a few years after.

OCEAN CITY DEATH RULED ACCIDENTAL

On Tuesday, May 1, 2012, at approximately 6:20 p.m., Ocean City Police responded to the area of 32nd Street for a report of a possible deceased body in the bay. The body, which was recovered by the United States Coast Guard, was confirmed to be that of missing 22-year-old Lance Corey Gaines.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Maryland ruled this week that the manner of death was accidental and the cause of death was drowning, hypothermia and cardiomegaly. Gaines, who was visiting Ocean City with his family from upstate New York, was last seen on April 21, 2012 at approximately 1 a.m. at The Sandbar on 33rd Street and Coastal Highway.

Behar Says It Would Be 'Cool' If Romney's House Burned Down

Current TV executives must be having second thoughts about their latest hire.

The ultra-low rated news outlet announced this week it will be giving over precious air time each weekday to far-left comedian/pundit Joy Behar come September.

The "View" mainstay has said plenty of regrettable things in the past, but less than 24 hours after joining Current TV she's already let loose with a new, mean-spirited gaffe.

Newsbusters reports Behar told an interviewer from Mediaite that she thinks it would be "kind of cool" if one of Mitt Romney's houses burned down.

MEDIAITE: He was making fun of the President for wanting to hire more policemen and firemen and teachers saying, you know, “Didn’t he get the message of Wisconsin that we want less government?”

BEHAR: Oh, less government? That is an idiotic statement. Can I just say that?

MEDIAITE: Yes.

BEHAR: I mean, I’d like to see his house burn, one of his millions of houses burning down. It would be kind of cool - the Mormon fire patrol.

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Old Indian River Inlet Bridge To Be Removed This Summer

Indian River -- The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) wishes to advise motorists that removal of the old Indian River Inlet Bridge and surrounding abutments is scheduled to occur this summer. The entire process is expected to take 8-10 weeks and has already begun. Initially the removal consists of sawcutting and removing the bridge railing and deck. Bridge beams and the concrete piers will be removed later this summer using a mechanical technique that is both environmentally sensitive and minimally impactive to the surroundings. Due to environmental issues, explosives will not be used to remove the old bridge structure.

Throughout the demolition, contractor will be taking steps to maintain the safety of the traveling public, pedestrians and motorists while continuing to maintain access to the park facilities and the waterways.

Mariners are advised that various stages of the demolition work may require the closure of a portion of the navigable channel under the bridge. When necessary the contractor will have watercraft in the waterway to guide boaters to safe corridors through the channel. Contractor watercraft and personnel will be monitoring marine channels 13 and 16 for further assistance. Mariners are requested to follow the instructions of contractor watercraft when present. The existing vertical clearance under the bridge and a portion of the inlet waterway will be maintained throughout the demolition process.

To maintain pedestrian access the contractor has installed protective shielding over the pathways on the north and south sides of the inlet channel under the bridge. Pedestrians walking through shielded areas are requested not to stop or stand under the protective shielding for prolonged periods. Pedestrians should also obey the instructions of construction personnel when present

Bridge demolition activities will be occurring on the old bridge, therefore, traffic on the new bridge will not be impacted by these activities.

Demolition working hours will be Monday through Saturday between the hours of 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Please refer to www.irib.deldot.gov and US Coast Guard's Notice to Mariners for regular updates.

E-Verify Helps Minorities

Last month’s jobs report brings bad news to American families across the United States. Under the Obama administration’s watch, the unemployment rate has hit 8.2 percent and is even worse for American minorities. Unemployment for Hispanics has risen to 11 percent, and for black Americans it has jumped to nearly 14 percent.

Despite this bad news, there also is good news: Congress and the Obama administration have the opportunity to come together and enact a bill that could open up countless jobs for unemployed American minorities, the Legal Workforce Act. This bill would require all U.S. employers to use the E-Verify program and would be one of the fastest ways to help unemployed Americans of all races and backgrounds get back on the payroll to earn a living for themselves and their families.

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FAA Drone Testing Could Soon Fly In Florida, Other US sites

Drones that have killed hundreds, if not thousands, of suspected terrorists in the tribal regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan soon may be patrolling the skies over Florida and the rest of the United States.

But rather than launching missiles, domestically flown drones could fill a variety of peaceful roles, from aerial photography and land surveying to law-enforcement duties such as monitoring red-light running and speeding.

They also could be used for clandestine surveillance, triggering privacy concerns from civil-rights experts who worry about indiscriminate snooping on law-abiding citizens, not just criminal suspects.

What ultimately happens and under what restrictions are up for debate right now.

The Federal Aviation Administration, at the behest of Congress and President Barack Obama, is devising rules that by 2015 should determine how drones can safely share airspace with the nearly 340,000 commercial and private planes aloft every day nationwide.

Some of the testing could be done in Florida. The FAA could pick the six testing sites by December.

"We have lots to offer," said Jim Kuzma, chief operating officer for Space Florida, a Cape Canaveral-based space-development agency courting the FAA on the state's behalf.

Kuzma estimates as many as 50 companies in Florida are involved in some way with manufacturing drones. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach is one of the few institutions in the country that offers a degree in unmanned systems.

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George Zimmerman's Wife Charged With Perjury

The wife of Trayvon Martin's shooter was charged with perjury Tuesday, accused of lying when she told a judge that the couple had limited funds during a hearing that resulted in her husband being released on $150,000 bond.

Shellie Zimmerman, 25, was released on $1,000 bond on the third-degree felony that is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. George Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the teen's slaying and had been out on bond after the April 20 hearing. However, Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester on June 1 revoked the bond and ordered Zimmerman returned to the Seminole County Jail. In a strongly worded ruling, Lester said the Zimmermans lied about how much money they had.

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Camp Barnes No Longer Taking Applications

***Camp Barnes is no longer taking applications for the 2012 season. Applications will become available again on March 1, 2013.****