After The Interview

Wow, it's very rare that I get speechless but really, WHAT WAS THAT? I guess I'm more used to real men and real issues and I've got a lot of learning to do if this guy is my opponent because I've never dealt with his type.

While I'm still absorbing what was said I'll simply say this, for now. Number one, at least when I do go to Delmar, Delaware, I'm visiting my Wife and Grandson. You might even say Mayor Jim Ireton spends even more time in Delaware than Joe Albero does. The only difference is, he's in Rehoboth.

As for the Mayor's closing remarks, he stated I never confirmed my sources in my story. EXCUSE ME JIM, YOU were MY source and YOU refused to answer my calls and text messages. I did everything in my power to make contact with you. I even left you messages and you absolutely 100% refused to respond, well before the Police Chief came to your home.

As for the Police having PROOF your cell phone was on your dresser, that's is a bold faced lie. I hope everyone caught that statement. No Police Officer was in your room that night Jim watching your phone sitting on a dresser. You need to start getting your lies straight.

What's with all the "tea party" crap too Jim. I'm not a member of the Tea Party, nor have I ever been. But it certainly answers why Don Rush, (another talk show host who works for Mike Dunn) kept asking me that question a couple weeks ago for his show. I wondered why he was pushing that issue, now I know.

In the end, I think Mayor Ireton has shown his true colors. In my honest opinion he continues to disrespect the citizens of Salisbury by continuing to call me a "Delaware Blogger" even AFTER being served with a lawsuit. I counted at least 6 times in that interview. He openly doesn't care about what this could cost the taxpayers but most speculate the City won't have to foot the legal bill on Ireton's behalf and that is exactly why I sued him personally and NOT the City.

It should be known that I sent Salisbury Police Chief Duncan a text message yesterday stating that according to Maryland Law, once an investigation is closed the "victim" must be afforded a copy of the Police Report. I asked when I might get my copy, she never replied. To this day I have not seen the Police Report for more than 2 or 3 minutes and it's probably 20 pages long. So Ireton making claims stating I had one is completely false. I will NOT FOIA the information, I will be given a copy by law enforcement, period. They are caling me a victim, the case is closed, I deserve a copy.

More to come...

OMG, I forgot. Mayor Jim Ireton said, he has "no malice towards the reporter". OK Folks, IF that doesn't tell you everything right there, well, I just don't know what else to tell you. Ireton is acting like this WHOLE thing I my fault and even goes so far as states the above. Are you kidding me Jim, seriously? You should have just answered your phone, answered your text messages. YOU chose to make this as big as it is today and you continue to prove your immaturity by calling me a Delaware Blogger.

‘Still a BFD’: Obama Campaign Plugs Obscene T-Shirts In Reaction to Obamacare Ruling

While surfing the Obama campaign’s Twitter this evening, we came across the following:

For those who don’t remember, “BFD” stands for “Big F***ing Deal,” which is a reference to a line that Vice President Joe Biden was caught uttering in Obama’s ear while the latter signed Obamacare into law. In other words, the Twitter feed for a sitting President just used an obscenity.

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New Offerings Planned For First Friday In Snow Hill

SNOW HILL -- Don’t miss the opportunity to extend your 4th of July celebration on Friday, July 6, with Arts on the River First Friday in Snow Hill.

Snow Hill merchants and gallery owners in downtown will stay open until 8 p.m. to welcome visitors. Enjoy the island sounds of steel drums being played by Augie DiGiovanni in addition to special discounts, art openings, and light refreshments.

Nick Haglich will open from 5 to 7 p.m. for Brad Stevens, Gary Hohman and crew who will play Irish Music on the mandolin and hammered dulcimer at the American Art Gallery.

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'Full Metal Jacket': 25 Things You Didn't Know About Stanley Kubrick's War Classic

"Full Metal Jacket," which opened 25 years ago this week (on June 26, 1987), is many things: a surreal (or hyperreal) movie about the Vietnam War, a compactly chilly Stanley Kubrick masterpiece (aside from "Dr. Strangelove," it's the only movie he directed during his final 40 years that ran under two hours), a starmaking opportunity for Vincent D'Onofrio, and a collection of the wit and wisdom of Marine drill sergeant-turned-actor R. Lee Ermey. ("Your rifle is only a tool. It is a hard heart that kills" is one of his few non-profane maxims.)

Over the past quarter-century, the movie has become beloved by many disparate groups of fans, including general moviegoers, Kubrick kultists, military fetishists, and sample-happy rappers. Still, as familiar as the film is, there's still plenty you may not know about how it was made -- which Brat Packer nearly landed the lead role that ultimately went to Matthew Modine, how Kubrick meticulously recreated Vietnam in the English countryside, how the author of the source novel infiltrated the set after a falling-out with Kubrick, the record-breaking weight gain D'Onofrio underwent in the service of his art, and just how long Ermey can keep unspooling a spontaneous tirade of profane insults.

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Insurance Industry Warns of Higher Rates, as ObamaCare Supporters See Long-Term Fix

President Obama says the health care law makes coverage more affordable, but the insurance industry reacted to the Supreme Court decision by saying that the ruling will actually end up raising rates even more than they have climbed since the law was enacted.

America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry’s lobby group, issued a statement supporting expanding health care coverage to millions of Americans, but it said, “major provisions, such as the premium tax, will have unintended consequences of raising costs and disrupting coverage unless they are addressed.”

The group's CEO, Karen Ignagni, told Fox News that because of the increased costs, “It's time for people to roll up their sleeves and look very carefully at those provisions.”

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If You Don't Understand This You're Too Young

Full Repeal of ObamaCare Is Now on the Ballot

Chief Justice John Roberts joined the liberal wing of the Supreme Court to effectively remove all limits on federal power. While finding the individual mandate unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause, the Court upheld it as part of Congress' taxing power. With today's ruling, the federal government can now regulate all aspects of our lives, as long as a failure to comply is construed as a "tax". It is now up to us to to protect our liberty. 

It is absurd to me that the Court can find a provision unconstitutional yet let it stand because Congress has taxing authority. What actual limit does Roberts thinks exist on federal power? Can Congress now impose a tax on news articles critical of government? It would obviously violate the 1st Amendment, but, with today's ruling, it would fall under Congress' taxing power. It is an argument that can only be made as a path to a pre-determined conclusion. Worried, perhaps, about his own personal "legacy", Roberts simply found a way to uphold ObamaCare.

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USDA's New Tactic to Promote Food Stamps: Party!

Forget Tupperware bashes and toga soirees -- the latest rage is food stamp parties.

The USDA is encouraging the nation's food stamp program to promote to the elderly using parties and games.

A series of guides currently posted on the USDA website promotes local offices of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -- or SNAP, but commonly referred to as food stamps -- to entice eligible seniors to enroll in the welfare program. The promotional campaign has cost between $2.5 million and $3 million.

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Frederick Co. Ending Magnet Program For First, Second Grades

The Board of Education had no qualms Wednesday with a plan to phase out the first and second grades of the elementary magnet program over the next three years.

Frederick County Public Schools will begin phasing out the primary grade magnet classes beginning in the 2013-14 school year: Kindergarten students will not be screened to enter first-grade magnet classes. With no students then prepared to enter second-grade magnet classes in the 2014-15 school year, the second-grade magnet program will be eliminated.

No changes will be made to the magnet program for the 2012-13 school year, and no students already in the magnet program will be sent back to their home school, according to school officials.

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N.H. Legislature Overrides Governor, Approves Voter ID Law

In yet another vote bucking the state's executive office, New Hampshire's Republican controlled-legislature overrode Democrat Gov. John Lynch’s veto of a voter ID bill on Wednesday. New Hampshire is now the latest on a growing list of states to require that voters present photo ID when voting.

In New Hampshire, different forms of identification are accepted, or residents have the option of signing an affidavit. The list will be shortened in 2013, and student ID cards and documents more than five years old will no longer be accepted.

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Rare sleep disorder that causes violent kicking and punching tied to smoking, pesticides

A rare sleep disorder in which people violently kick, punch or thrash in their sleep may be more common in smokers and people heavily exposed to pesticides, new research suggests.

The sleep-kicking disorder is actually called "REM sleep behavior disorder." According to WebMD, people typically lose muscle tone (paralysis) during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep - but that doesn't occur in people with the disorder, causing them movements (sometimes violent) that can seriously harm the individual or their sleep partner. It is estimated to affect only 0.5 percent of adults.

"Until now, we didn't know much about the risk factors for this disorder, except that it was more common in men and in older people," study author Dr. Ronald B. Postuma, a sleep researcher at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Montreal, said in a press release. "Because it is a rare disorder, it was difficult to gather information about enough patients for a full study. For this study, we worked with 13 institutions in 10 countries to get a full picture of the disorder."

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Health care decision: House GOP to renew repeal effort

House Republicans said after the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding President Barack Obama’s health care law that they’ll vote to repeal it after Congress returns from its July Fourth recess.

The House will vote to repeal the health care law — again — on July 11, the office of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said. But it will most likely amount to little: Democrats didn’t want to repeal it when its constitutionality was still in question, and now they have the Supreme Court’s stamp of approval.

Indeed, Senate Democrats are ready to “move on” to other job creation legislation, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said.

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BREAKING NEWS: Justice Department Says It Won't Prosecute Holder

Justice Department says in letter obtained by Fox News it won't prosecute Attorney General Eric Holder after the GOP-led House voted to hold him in criminal contempt of Congress.

From Fox News

Banksters and Members of Congress Are Downplaying JP Morgan Chase's Sudden Loss Of $2 Billion

Banksters and Members of Congress have been downplaying JP Morgan Chase's sudden loss of $2 billion, and arguing that the loss doesn't mean Wall Street needs more regulations. But now, the New York Times is reporting that the $2 billion dollar bet gone bad might actually turn be a $9 billion bad bet. It's now come out that internal models at the bank project losses as high as $9 billion over the bungled trade. Right about now, Congress should be kicking itself for not pressing JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon harder over what exactly went wrong at the bank. Instead – since Dimon has paid off most Members of the House and Senate Financial Committees – our lawmakers kissed his butt. Let's not make the same mistakes twice – time to regulate Wall Street and turn banking into a safe and boring business once again.

SCOTUS Decision Dooms Obama's Reelection

Yes, Obama and the Democrats are entitled to a bit of a victory lap today, after Chief Justice Roberts searched deeply within his political self and found a path to uphold ObamaCare. Sure, the individual mandate was unconstitutional on the two arguments made by the Obama Administration. But, on the argument they expressly didn't make--that the mandate was really a tax--the Court decided that Congress was well within its power to enact the provision. So, its still the law of the land. But, today's ruling will probably go down in history as the most effective GOP voter turnout operation ever. There is only one way to repeal ObamaCare and that is through the ballot box. It will happen. 

During the debates over ObamaCare, the President and Democrats strained themselves to argue that the individual mandate wasn't a tax. Obama himself had campaigned on a promise to never raise taxes on any families earning less than $250,000 a year. Today, the Court called the mandate for what it is...a tax. In doing so, it acknowledged that, not only did Obama break his campaign promise, but he and his leftist allies have ushered in the largest tax hike in history. They will go with that record into the voting booth in November.  

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Obama's Pyrrhic Victory

Today, Barack Obama won the battle, but will lose the war. The Supreme Court decision makes Obamacare the central issue in the 2012 election, just like it was in the 2010 election. And we know how that turned out.

The Court has sustained the individual mandate. That imposes on us a mandate: To defeat Obama and take the Senate. Now that is the only way we can kill this horrible law.

Public opinion has rejected this law for two years now by about the same margin: 40% support; 55% oppose. While the Court decision may give the law a short term positive bump, the underlying reality of the costs of the program and the increases in everyone's health insurance rates it is already triggering will eliminate any near term gain. Ultimately, it will still be 40-55 against the law.

Right now, presidential polls show Romney and Obama both in the mid-40s. The single most unpopular thing Obama has done is the health care law. Now it is going to be the lynchpin issue. It means that the election itself will increasingly be polarized around opinions of the health care law - a fifteen point loser for the Democrats.

In a real sense, the Supreme Court did not let Obama off the hook by striking down the law. Now he will have to defend it during the election.

Remember what this law does. It requires everyone to spend upwards of 7 percent of their income on health insurance or pay a fine of several thousand dollars. Neither is an attractive alternative for the young and the poor who are the president's political base. And, with the expansion of Medicaid rejected by the Court, the government will not be there to help them.

In 2010, Democrats running for Congress (most of whom lost) did not even attempt to defend Obamacare. They put as much distance between themselves and the law as they could. But now, neither Obama nor his Senate and House candidates will have that option since the Supreme Court has kicked the football back into political play.

The rejection of the Medicaid expansion is huge. This mandate - which would have quadrupled the Medicaid population in some states (like Texas) would have forced all states to pass income taxes and required those with them already to raise them substantially. It required coverage of about a quarter of the country under Medicaid, something the states cannot afford. Some saw it as a way to equalize the north and the south in taxes, eliminating the competitive advantage the south has long enjoyed.

As an American, I would have rather seen the individual mandate thrown out. As a partisan, I'm thrilled that we still have the issue to beat Obama with.

Source

MSP Helicopter Stationed Downtown This Summer

After a solid first season in 2011, the Maryland State Police (MSP) will continue the forward deployment of a medevac helicopter in Ocean City this summer to be used in partnership with the Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP). This year, however, the helicopter will be stationed even closer to the action for faster responses.


“It’s actually at the Coast Guard station,” said OCBP Captain Butch Arbin. “We can be deployed many minutes faster.”

During the forward deployment program’s initial run last year, a medevac chopper was housed at the Ocean City airport weekends during the summer. This allowed MSP Aviation to work closely with OCBP rescue swimmers and respond much faster than possible when the choppers are at their typical Salisbury base. This year, that response time was further reduced when MSP decided to base at the coast guard station

Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays this summer.

Arbin also pointed out that keeping a helicopter in Ocean City can be even more important in the case of storms.

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Barn Residents

Sent by a friend in New Mexico. In the barn last night. Photo shot with an iPhone.

Here Are the 10 Most Gripping Photos From the Devastating Colorado Wildfires

Gaining steam over the weekend and continuing to smolder through Thursday, raging wildfires roared through neighborhoods and forced 32,000 residents of Colorado Springs to flee their homes.

The 24-square mile fire scorched the edges of the U.S. Air Force Academy on Wednesday. Thick smoke and towering flames cloaked the full scope of damage to Colorado’s second-largest city.

A separate fire burning in northern Colorado has grown to 136-square miles and destroyed 257 homes.

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Articles: War!

America is now at war. It is a civil war, but no shots will be fired. It's a war over the Constitution, yet it will be through the Constitution that the winner will be determined.

The opponents in this war are not Republicans against Democrats. This war is between the American people and their government. Some of the American people, though, will choose -- have chosen -- sides with the government.

Too many Republicans have sided wrongly in this war. They justify their choice by calling themselves "compassionate conservatives," and such.

The government has many advantages over the people in this war. It has the authority to make law -- the very rules of this war. Government is legislator, prosecutor and judge, yet it is a contestant, too. Our government has clearly shown its contempt and disregard for the rule of law. In other words, our government cheats.

Obama doesn't merely cheat; he plays dirty.

Another advantage that the government has is the power to tax. As we saw today with the ObamaCare decision, the government institutes fines and calls them taxes, all in the name of "complying" with the Constitution. Our government lies.

Government routinely violates our First Amendment, Second Amendment, Fourth Amendment, Fifth Amendment and many rights endowed on us by our Creator. Government cannot take them from us. Our government steals.

This war can only be won by the people through the very Constitution over which we fight.

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Are crosswalks enough?

Following an alarming number of pedestrian accidents in the first month of the summer season, the State Highway Administration has been making crosswalk improvements at several key points along Coastal Highway. But despite changes in infrastructure, the Ocean City Police Department says it is running up against a lack of any legal ground for preventative enforcement.

Since May 28, at least eight pedestrians have been struck by vehicles, two of them fatally,as they have attempted to cross the street in Ocean City. In the majority of cases, the victims were either not in a crosswalk, or crossing against the signal, following an alarming trend of vacationers running across Coastal Highway mid-block, often from the raised brick median where drivers do not expect then to be.

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Santelli And The November Obamacare 'Referendum'

In a brief clip this morning, CNBC's Rick Santelli said a lot in a few words. His critical insight was that today's decision is about process and not preference and that the real decisions will be made in November when it becomes 'the people's choice'. He is a big believer in the 'pragmatic process' we should all enjoy and suggests today's SCOTUS decision (doing what they do best in comprehending the law) should be 'taken with respect' but notes the analogy to Europe:

"You can try to have the mighty above tell the people below how they should live their lives, what they should get, and 'the government big enough to give you everything you want, and', in the words of Thomas Jefferson, 'big enough to take away everything you have.' But what are we left with really? We are left with an issue that should, by all indications be voted on by the American public. No matter how the Supreme Court decision worked out; no matter what the legislative process tells us; no matter how ugly this process was to get passed; in the end, I think it's more than appropriate that this will be, in my opinion, part of the referendum in November as to whether the public wants this or not."

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Delmar Homeowner Assaulted After Shed Break In

Location:
30000 block of Providence Church Road, Delmar, DE

Date of Occurrence:
Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 11:50 p.m.

Victim:
22 year old Delmar man

Suspect:
White male, 25-35 years of age, 6’0”-6’2” tall, 170-190 lbs, average build. Last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark colored pants.

Resume:
Delmar-Troopers are investigating the Burglary to a shed that has left a Delmar homeowner injured after confronting the suspect.

The incident occurred on Thursday, June 28, 2012 at approximately 11:50 p.m. as the 22 year old male homeowner was standing outside of his house when he noticed that the door to his shed had been tampered with and opened. As he went to check on the shed he observed a suspect running across his yard. The homeowner jumped on an ATV and chased the subject, cornering him at the edge of the property. A physical struggle ensued, with the suspect knocking the victim to the ground and then struck the victim in the head with an unknown type blunt object. The suspect then fled on foot into a wooded area. The 22 year old victim was transported to a local hospital where he was treated and released with minor injuries from the assault.

If anyone has any information in reference to this incident, they are asked to contact Troop 4 Property Crimes Detectives at 302-856-5850 Extension #2 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. Information may also be provided via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com

Send an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

How Much Would You Donate?

Forget Broccoli

Americans are either celebrating or damning the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling that the individual mandate is constitutional.

I find it hard to believe that anyone believed that the Supreme Court would rule any other way. Precedent dictates that the Commerce Clause, and Federal powers of taxation are unimpeachable, and have been so since the New Deal. That’s the state of reality, and I found it puzzling that the individual mandate to purchase healthcare might be deemed unconstitutional when the collective mandate to collect taxes to purchase next-to-everything (including both healthcare and broccoli) has been considered constitutional for the best part of a century.

If America wants to overturn current legal norms America needs to elect different politicians. But with a greater and greater welfare-bound population, it seems inevitable that more and more Americans will vote themselves greater and greater quantities of free stuff.

Yet there is a bigger point to all of this, and it’s nothing to do with broccoli.

If Congress can constitutionally create a mandate for individuals to purchase healthcare, then Congress can create a mandate for individuals to purchase financial securities. Which — given the fiscal cliff that we are about to run off, and the reality that more and more sovereigns are dumping dollars and treasuries — could well be a useful weapon in keeping the Treasury’s borrowing costs low and the bread and circuses flowing.

Here are the GAO’s own figures:

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Pelosi to Boycott Holder Contempt Vote

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, joined her Congressional Black Caucus colleagues and announced on the House floor that she would boycott the contempt vote against Attorney General Eric Holder.

"Just when you think you’ve seen it all. Just when you think they couldn’t possibly go any further over the edge, they come up with something like this. It’s stunning. It truly is… It’s stunning," Minority Leader Pelosi

said. "It stops you in your tracks. And how far will they go? Have they a limit?  Apparently not."

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Americans Are Being Prepared For Full Spectrum Tyranny

Totalitarian governments, like persistent forms of cancer, have latched onto the long history of man, falling and then reemerging from the deep recesses of our cultural biology to wreak havoc upon one unlucky generation to the next. The assumption by most is that these unfortunate empires are the product of bureaucracies gone awry; overtaken by the chaotic maddening hunger for wealth and power, and usually manipulated by the singular ambitions of a mesmerizing dictator. For those of us in the Liberty Movement who are actually educated on the less acknowledged details of history, oligarchy and globalized centralism is much less random than this, and a far more deliberate and devious process than the general unaware public is willing consider.

Unfortunately, the final truth is very complex, even for us…

One cannot place the blame of despotism entirely on the shoulders of globalists. Sadly, the crimes of elites are only possible with a certain amount of complicity from subsections of the populace. Without our penchant for apathy and fear, there can be no control. That is to say, there is no power over us but that which we give away. We pave the road to our own catastrophes.

In the end, a tyrant’s primary job is not to crush the masses and rule out of malevolence, but to obtain the voluntary consent of the citizenry, usually through trickery and deceit. Without the permission of the people, subconscious or otherwise, no tyranny can survive.

As with the oppressive regimes of the past, America has undergone a dramatic transformation, heavy with fear and ignorance. Our tradition of elections has been corrupted and negated by the false left/right paradigm, and the leaderships of both defunct parties now seek only to elevate a select minority of men bent on globalization. Our Constitutional liberties have been dismantled by legal chicanery. Our principles have been diluted by intellectual games of rationalism and moral relativism. Our country is ripe for conquest.

Americans battle over whose side is most to blame; Democrat or Republican, while ironically being disenchanted with both entities. For some people, the thought of holding each party equally accountable, or accepting that they are essentially the same animal, never crosses their minds.

While this irrelevant farce of a debate rages on, the true culprits plotting the demise of our Republic gain momentum, and implement policy initiatives that the public should and must take note of. In the past year alone, many blatant steps towards the Orwellian gulag have been openly administered. A carnival of peddlers and freaks and greasy popcorn overwhelms our senses, but the stench of this cheap circus still tickles our noses, and if we use our eyes for even a moment, certain dangerous trends reveal themselves. Here are just a few recent events that bear a dire warning; the ultimate assault on freedom in this nation grows near…

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BREAKING NEWS: House OKs Transportation Bill With Student Loan Help

House passes transportation bill that includes provision to stop student loan rate increase.

From Fox News

Mikulski Tours Wallops In Advance Of Major Launch

Days after the most recent rocket launch from Wallops Island, located south of Assateague, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) this week toured the NASA flight facility to see first-hand the preparations for a major launch event later this year.

Around 6:40 a.m. last Thursday, a NASA rocket carrying 17 educational experiments arched its way across the early morning sky over the Lower Shore, reaching an altitude of around 73 miles before falling harmlessly into the ocean off the coast of the Wallops Island Flight Facility. The two-stage Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital rocket carried experiments built by university instructors and students from across the country developed through programs conducted with the Colorado and Virginia Space Grant Consortia.

Later this summer, NASA will conduct one of its largest launches ever from Wallops, the 133-foot tall Antares rocket, which will carry supplies and tools to the International Space Station. As chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, Mikulski toured the Wallops launch facility on Monday to check on the progress of the complicated launch preparations for the Antares rocket.

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Look At The Conflicts That Were And Will Be Caused By Oil

Michael T. Klare recently gave a presentation titled "The Geopolitics of Oil: Old and New" at the Association for the Study of Peak Oil conference in Vienna, in which he speaks about how no other substance in the world is as closely aligned with geopolitics as oil is.

Klare describes the geopolitics of oil — the intersection of state policy and the pursuit of oil — over the past 100 years, then looks at current and future conflicts zones.

His first point is that oil is crucial to warfare and his last point speaks to how the issue of America's energy future will be pivotal in the upcoming presidential election.

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Attendance Growing At New Beach Lights, Fireworks Events

OCEAN CITY – There is a buzz around town over this summer’s new weekly events --- the laser sphere and the fireworks -- as attendance has been increasing each week.

Starting on Memorial Day weekend the town has been hosting weekly entertainment as part of the Summer of Thanks 2012 campaign, including the OC Beach Lights show on Sunday nights and a fireworks display on Tuesday nights.

The OC Beach Lights entails a five-story tall inflatable sphere featuring a visual laser, lighting, video and audio production that will have visibility from up and down the Boardwalk. Each show is eight minutes long and there will be three shows per night at 9:30, 10 and 10:30 p.m.

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Articles: Powered by Hate: Racist Content From Dreams From My Father

Numerous urban legends circulated about the content of Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father during the 2008 election. The concept of falsus in unum, falsus in omnibus (false in one thing, false in all) means that people who read enough proven lies about the book will then not believe the truth. It is therefore important to circulate the truth as widely as possible, and with page numbers for easy verification.

The following quotes are from the paperback edition from Three Rivers Press (New York), ISBN 978-1-4000-8277-3. The content is also verifiable from Google Books. It is important to state up front, and reiterate later, that the racist content of Dreams from My Father is 100 percent consistent with Mr. Obama's open association with hate-mongers like Jeremiah Wright and Al Sharpton.

Pages 99-101 of the book are particularly informative because Barack Obama talks very explicitly of his racial identity politics. He identifies very clearly as an African-American as opposed to a melting pot American, which makes him totally unqualified to be president for Americans of all races and ethnicities. He begins by talking about "problems" with a classmate of multiracial (Caucasian, Native American, and African-American) ancestry, and then talks about showing one's loyalty to "the black masses."

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Restraining Arizona, Unleashing The President

When the Obama administration decided that it had no interest in preventing the movement of undocumented aliens from Mexico into the southwest United States, the State of Arizona decided to take matters into its own hands. Based on a novel theory of constitutional law, namely, that if a state is unhappy with the manner in which federal law is being enforced or not being enforced, it can step into the shoes of the feds and enforce federal law as it wishes the feds would, it enacted legislation to accomplish that.

The legislation created two conflicts that rose to the national stage. The first is whether any government may morally and legally interfere with freedom of association based on the birthplace of the person with whom one chooses to associate. The second is whether the states can enforce federal law in a manner different from that of the feds.

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A Political Glossary

Since this is an election year, we can expect to hear a lot of words – and the meaning of those words is not always clear. So it may be helpful to have a glossary of political terms.

One of the most versatile terms in the political vocabulary is "fairness." It has been used over a vast range of issues, from "fair trade" laws to the Fair Labor Standards Act. And recently we have heard that the rich don't pay their "fair share" of taxes.

Some of us may want to see a definition of what is "fair." But a concrete definition would destroy the versatility of the word, which is what makes it so useful politically.

If you said, for example, that 46.7 percent of their income – or any other number – is the "fair share" of their income that the rich should have to pay in taxes, then once they paid that amount, there would be no basis for politicians to come back to them for more – and "more" is what "fair share" means in practice.

Life in general has never been even close to fair, so the pretense that the government can make it fair is a valuable and inexhaustible asset to politicians who want to expand government.

"Racism" is another term we can expect to hear a lot this election year, especially if the public opinion polls are going against President Barack Obama.

Former big-time TV journalist Sam Donaldson and current fledgling CNN host Don Lemon have already proclaimed racism to be the reason for criticisms of Obama, and we can expect more and more other talking heads to say the same thing as the election campaign goes on. The word "racism" is like ketchup. It can be put on practically anything – and demanding evidence makes you a "racist."

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Today's Fill In The Blank 6-29-12

Life's too short to ______.

Flashback: Obamacare A Trojan Horse For Big Labor

Now that the United States Supreme Court has narrowly upheld Obamacare, it's worth looking back at some of the provisions hidden deep within the 2,500 pages of the bill to remember that the public outcry wasn't just about the individual mandate.

You may remember that Nancy Pelosi sneered, "We have to pass the bill so you can find out what's in it."

Well, National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys studied the law and found obscure and overt provisions designed to hand union officials billions of new forced-dues dollars.

Here's just one example of the dangers uncovered by Foundation attorneys:
Under Title VIII -- the "Community Living Assistance Services and Supports" (CLASS) program -- ALL 50 states are ordered to create legal entities to serve as "employers" of home health care providers.

This may sound familiar to you.

Foundation attorneys know from direct experience that schemes like this are just a trick to force independent home health care providers into forced unionism.

You see, these schemes corrupt the political process by enabling Big Labor's political puppets to handpick unions as the sole representatives for thousands of care providers -- including independent contractors and parents or grandparents who take care of sick or disabled children.

In fact, Foundation attorneys currently have a case pending at the Supreme Court that could blow apart one such forced-dues bonanza in Illinois implemented by Governor Pat Quinn and his disgraced predecessor, Rod Blagojevich.

After the Obamacare decision, the federal government remains empowered to mandate states implement similar programs.

But more than 15 states have already cooked up such schemes -- with millions of dollars in forced union dues from home health care providers up for grabs.

That's why with free legal aid from Foundation staff attorneys, Pam Harris and seven other Illinois in-home care providers have asked the Court to invalidate the scheme.

This scheme marks a new low and is a gross violation of workers' rights under the Constitution.

While we await the Court's order in that case, much attention will understandably be paid to the Obamacare decision.

Hopefully that discussion will include a renewed discussion about what's in the bill. For more on how Big Labor stands to benefit from the government health care takeover, read my Wall Street Journal column from 2009.

Sincerely,

Mark Mix

Let Your Pet Strut Its Stuff At The Wicomico Youth & Civic Center

(Salisbury, MD) Dogs, cat and other pets are invited to the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Saturday, July 7 for a free Children’s Pet Fair. Children 18 and under are encouraged to enter their dogs, cats and other miscellaneous pets into the fun competition, which will begin at 10:00am. Trophies and ribbons will be awarded to the top four-legged friends and other furry creatures in either the dog or miscellaneous pet categories.

Brought to you by Salisbury Super Pet, the event is free and open to the public. Pets must be in good health and up to date with all shots. Participants are encouraged to register in advance, to do so or for more information contact Kelly Rados at 410-548-4900 ext. 108 or email krados@wicomicocounty.org. Registrations will also be accepted the day of the event. Those registering at the event should arrive by 9:15am to allow ample time.

Supreme Court Ruling Matters

The Affordable Care Act is critically important to our State's and nation's ability to create jobs, expand opportunity and protect the health of our children and parents.

In upholding it today, the U.S. Supreme Court chose to protect the lives of millions of Marylanders and millions of Americans.

This matters for Maryland.

It matters for kids like Avey: a two-year-old from Towson who has cancer.

It matters for small business owners like Brian England who owns an auto shop in Columbia and for the first time ever saw his premiums go down.

It matters for moms like Robyn from Baltimore whose baby was born with Trisomy 22 and now doesn't have to worry about lifetime limits.

Today's decision matters.

But what we won't do is take our eye off the ball or slow our progress. We'll continue to work to lower costs and improve the quality of care.

We'll keep moving forward for Avey, Robyn, Brian--and you.

Thank you,
Martin O'Malley

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 6-29-12

This Could Be The Last Year You'll See The Daily Times

In an aggressive move by another Newspaper, the Daily Times will receive the biggest blow of their existence. I had a conversation yesterday with a Publisher who intends to go directly after the Daily Times and based on their history in the marketplace, I'd say they'll destroy them financially.

Based on the timing of the most recent and alleged phone call scandal, it could be curtains for the Daily Times. Bringing in a big dog from up state New York simply won't help, believe me. Their rates are too high, their reputation has fallen to pieces and even after Editor Greg Bassett stated their top list of protocol rules, he instantly violated those rules in the exact article he published them in.

As I stated before, before I ever started Salisbury News I told Greg Bassett and Joe Carmean in a meeting at their Office, if you don't start telling the truth and the real news I'll start my own Newspaper. They said, go ahead, we love competition. I told them way back then, be careful what you wish for boys. At that time they had more than 200 employees, now it's below 15 or so.

Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Graduates NUMBER ONE Academically From The Academy

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce that Deputy Allison Herrman was awarded top academic honors from the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice academy June 13th 2012 Deputy Herrman graduated number one in her class. Deputy Herrman joins her brother Sgt. Nate Passwaters in serving the citizens of Worcester County.

Deputy Herrman is pictured in the center flanked by the Worcester County Sheriff Reggie Mason and Chief Deputy Dale Smack.

DON'T MISS THE INTERVIEW OF THE YEAR

Today at noon on 88.3 FM, Coastal Connections, Bryan Russo will air the interview with Daily Times Editor Greg Bassett, Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton and Maryland resident and Blogger Joe Albero.

UPDATE: I have learned that Bryan will be interviewing Governor O'Malley at noon. The Ireton interview should start around 12:15 to 12:20. GO HERE to listen to it on line.

‘Fearing for My Life’: Shock Vid Shows NYC Teacher Bashing Student Against a Table & Onto the Ground

A parent is in shock after seeing video showing the security dean at the George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School literally throwing her son to the ground and slamming him against a table. The student, Kristoff John, is a 15-year-old freshman at the school where the incident between him and faculty member Stephan Hudson took place on March 6.

 Originally, Diane John thought her son was lying about having not done anything wrong when she first learned that he fought with a teacher at the school. But her views on the situation quickly changed once The New York Daily News contacted her with a shocking video showing the incident from start to finish.

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Reaction To Supreme Court Decision On Health Care Includes Victory Dances And Calls For Repeal

The torrent of comment on the Supreme Court decision to uphold most of the Affordable Care Act fell predictably along party and ideological lines: Democrats and progressives were exulting; Republicans and conservatives were disgusted, except for the ruling that the individual mandate was a tax. It will take several days to digest the full implications, but here are lightly edited versions of over two dozen Maryland reactions.

Continue Reading...

TROOPERS TARGETING DANGEROUS DRIVERS DURING JULY 4TH HOLIDAY PERIOD

(PIKESVILLE, MD) – Although July 4th is not until next Wednesday, Maryland state troopers will begin a statewide increased traffic enforcement initiative this weekend in an effort to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries during the upcoming holiday period.

Beginning this weekend, each of the 22 Maryland State Police barrack commanders will be deploying special drunk driving patrols that will continue throughout the July 4th holiday. This means additional troopers will be on patrol specifically targeting drunk drivers in an effort to identify and apprehend them before their driving behavior impacts the safety of others.

Special patrols will also be targeting speeding and aggressive drivers. State Police commanders have reviewed crash data for their area and are deploying these additional patrols in the locations where the most crashes have occurred.

In addition to the additional focused patrols, all troopers working regular patrol shifts are being assigned special traffic enforcement patrols when not responding to calls for other police services. Drivers can expect to see traffic enforcement efforts by troopers underway wherever they travel throughout Maryland.

Troopers in patrol cars and on motorcycles will also be responding as quickly as possible to traffic crashes or areas of congested traffic and working with State Highway Administration personnel to eliminate the cause or arrange detours around the situation. Troopers will also be on the alert for disabled vehicles and providing assistance to keep motorists on the move. State Police helicopter crews will also be observing traffic for potential problems when returning from medevac missions.

“Maryland is a great place to live, visit, and have fun during the summer, but unfortunately, there are those who use holiday events as opportunities to overindulge and ultimately threaten the safety of others on our roads and highways,” Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Marcus L. Brown said. “We are prepared to meet the demands of increased traffic and increased highway hazards with extra troopers and focused patrols aimed at keeping motorists on our highways safe. I urge everyone traveling this holiday not to drink and drive, to obey the speed limits, and always buckle up.”

Motorists can expect to see State Police enforcement not just in daylight hours, but around-the-clock. A study by the Maryland Highway Safety Office shows that slightly more than half of all fatal crashes occur between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., when only 20 percent of all vehicle travel occurs. Of those fatal crashes occurring between 8:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m., almost half of those who died (48 percent) were drivers or passengers who were not wearing seatbelts. State troopers are joining their allied law enforcement partners in nighttime seat belt enforcement efforts and are reminding motorists that seat belts save lives at all times, not just during the day.

Since summer also means an increase in pedestrians, State Police are also reminding citizens from Coastal Highway to the shores of Deep Creek Lake to use caution whenever walking along a roadway. Cross only at intersections or designated crosswalks and always be on alert for traffic. Drivers are also urged to be on the lookout for pedestrians, especially those who may not be using their best judgment in resort areas.

In addition to driving safely, motorists can assist Maryland State Police with keeping our highways safe by reporting dangerous drivers. Using a hands-free phone when safe to do so, motorists can report unsafe highway drivers to State Police by dialing #77 and reporting their location, a description of the unsafe vehicle, and its direction of travel. Drivers are reminded not to engage with or attempt to stop unsafe drivers on their own. Troopers will do their best to locate the unsafe vehicle and take the appropriate enforcement action.

Most of the additional troopers working focused patrols during the holiday period will be on overtime funded by state and federal grants. Those grants are coordinated through the Maryland Highway Safety Office.

Thank God Its Friday 6-29-12

What will you be doing this weekend?

Today's Survey Question 6-29-12

Do you believe the Supreme Court made the right decision on Obamacare?

Supreme Court Upholds Individual Mandate As A Tax

The Supreme Court has upheld the individual mandate in Obamacare, paving the way for full implementation of the law in the states and ensuring that millions of uninsured Americans haves access to affordable coverage. The court upheld the provision as a tax, but found that it does violate the Commerce Clause.

The Medicaid expansion is limited, but not invalidated, the court found. In short, it decided that if a state does not expand the Medicaid program, as required by the law, the federal government cannot withhold Medicaid funds.

In short, "the entire ACA is upheld, with the exception that the federal government's power to terminate states' Medicaid funds is narrowly read."

Chief Justice John Roberts joined Justices Sonya Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Elena Kagan in the 5 to 4 decision. Justice Anthony Kennedy — who was considered a swing vote on in the case — sided with the conservatives.

UPDATE

From the opinion: "Our precedent demonstrates that Congress had the power to impose the exaction in Section 5000A under the taxing power, and that Section 5000A need not be read to do more than impose a tax. This is sufficient to sustain it."

UPDATE

On the Medicaid issue, a majority of the Court holds that the Medicaid expansion is constitutional but that it would be unconstitutional for the federal government to withhold Medicaid funds for non-compliance with the expansion provisions. Here is the quote: "Nothing in our opinion precludes Congress from offering funds under the ACA to expand the availability of health care, and requiring that states accepting such funds comply with the conditions on their use. What Congress is not free to do is to penalize States that choose not to participate in that new program by taking away their existing Medicaid funding."

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A Message You Do Not Want To Miss

Republicans Respond to Supreme Court Upholding Health Care Law By Setting Date For Its Repeal

Supreme Court's ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act by setting a date for its repeal. "The Supreme Court's decision to uphold ObamaCare is a crushing blow to patients throughout the country," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) said in a statement. "During the week of July 9th, the House will once again repeal ObamaCare, clearing the way for patient-centered reforms that lower costs and increase choice." Millions of Americans have already benefited from the law, and many more are expected to gain coverage in 2014 and beyond.

‘Politics Over Public Safety’:Holder Blames Bush and Attacks Issa in Reaction to Contempt Charges

Eric Holder has not had a good day, and judging by his public reaction to Congress’ vote to hold him in criminal contempt, it shows. In a brusque 2 minute statement, Holder goes for every charge he can think of, accusing Congress of putting “politics over public safety” out of a cynical desire to create a scandal during an election year, all while talking up his own record of leadership in trying to decipher the problems behind Operation Fast and Furious.

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Getting Penalized

Despite what you might have seen on cable news networks Fox News and CNN, the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare – ruling that Congress does have the power to penalize Americans who don't buy health insurance – which was how the individual mandate works. Chief Justice John Roberts was the swing vote – siding with the four justices on the left to uphold the law. So just like that – the Right's arguments that President Obama shredded the constitution with his health reform law – go up in smoke. But for progressives out there – this ruling means we have to keep fighting. Ultimately what happened today was that the Supreme Court reinforced our current healthcare system, which relies on private, for-profit health insurance companies. If we're going to truly fix our nation's healthcare system – we have to get rid of the for-profit motive. President Obama took the first step, making sure we're all in this together – that everyone is contributing to everyone's healthcare. Now it's time to go further – time to push for Medicare part E – Medicare for All.

Yard Sales 6-29-12

2 Family Yardsale

Friday, June 29th & Saturday, June 30th from 7am until

A little bit of everything with lots of deals to be made.

110 & 200 Fawn Drive

Salisbury

Obamacare

The fate of Obamacare will play a big role in the Presidential election, but what about the looming threat of an alien invasion? A new survey by National Geographic found that 65% of Americans believe President Obama could better handle an alien invasion of Earth than Mitt Romney. But Romney will likely tout his credentials in saving Earth from an alien invasion by assuring the American people that he knows some alien spaceship owners.

Mansions transform into parking lots for the AT&T National

BETHESDA, Md. - The world's most famous golfers and an entrepreneurial spirit are turning some of the area's most expensive mansions into temporary parking lots.

While most of the thousands attending the AT&T National, hosted by The Tiger Woods Foundation, are paying $20 for shuttle bus parking at a garage on Rockledge Drive in Bethesda, or $10 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, homeowners surrounding Congressional Country Club are charging competitive prices within walking distance of the course.

"We've been doing it for years," says a man who asked to not be identified by name.

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Thinking Of A Reverse Mortgage? Here Are Things To Watch Out For And Some Alternatives

With a large group of Americans at or nearing retirement age -- and with many of them having inadequate savings to last them through retirement -- so-called "reverse mortgages," wherein a lender converts the equity on a home into monthly payments to the homeowner, are being marketed as a financial cure-all to people wondering how they will be able to afford their golden years. But before anyone dives into the reverse mortgage pool, there are some thing worth pointing out.

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Condos Sold Without Owners’ Permission For 1/3 Their Value

Imagine that you've recently purchased a condo for $100,000. The complex where it's located is about 90% rented, and 10% owner-occupied. The complex's owner struggles, and the whole neighborhood goes up for sale in a foreclosure auction. The new owners dissolve the condo association, since they own all of the rentals, or 90% of the homes in the complex. This gives the owners permission to sell the entire complex at once, including what used to be condos. Your proceeds from having your home sold out from under you: $33,000. You still owe the rest of your mortgage, but have nowhere to live. Condo owners in Reading, Pennsylvania experienced this nightmare recently, and there is no legal way out for them.

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OCPD: Tasers Have Been Used When All Else Fails For Officers

OCEAN CITY -- Months after adding Electronic Control Devices, or Tasers, to its crime-fighting arsenal, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) has used the device a handful of times this year, including an incident late Tuesday night.

Last October, the Ocean City Mayor and Council approved a pilot program for the acquisition and use of Tasers by the police department and a limited number of OCPD officers started carrying them in February. In the months since, OCPD officers have resorted to the use of a Taser on several occasions and the new tool in the toolbox has achieved the desired results.

“Our officers have used them a handful of times under certain situations and the Tasers have done exactly what they’re supposed to do,” said OCPD spokesman Pfc. Mike Levy. “Tasers have been used in situations where almost all other options have been exhausted and they’ve become an effective tool at our disposal.”

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Department Of Veterans Affairs Seizes Website

The Department of Veterans Affairs is seizing a commercial website that it said defrauds veterans. VA will take over GIBill.com and shut it down. The company agreed to transfer the site to settle an investigation by several state attorneys general. The site is run by a marketing company called QuinStreet. The attorneys general said it defrauded veterans and servicemembers' benefits by channeling them and their GI benefits dollars to for-profit schools that paid to advertise on the site. Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway said many of the courses offered were more expensive and of lower quality than GIs and veterans could obtain at community colleges. As of this morning, the site carried no display advertising.

Fed Benefits Spared In Tentative Highway, Student Loan Deal

Congressional leaders tentatively agreed on a bill to overhaul federal highway programs and extend student loan interest rates. Federal employees' retirement benefits appear to be spared in the deal. The legislation also allows the Department of Transportation to avoid furloughing 3,500 employees and halting hundreds of thousands of constructions projects. The conference committee is expected to vote on the deal Thursday as a Saturday deadline looms.

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Caption This Photo 6-29-12

Md. State Death Certificate Fees Double July 1

Starting Sunday, it will cost more to die in Maryland.

As part of the budget approved by the Maryland General Assembly in a May special session, the state’s death certificate fees will double from $12 to $24.

It is one of many increases in fees for vital services in the past few years. In 2011, legislators doubled the
state’s birth certificate fee from $12 to $24. According to a report from the Department of Legislative
Services, neither fee had been increased since 2003.

Legislative analysts estimate the increase in death-certificate fees will raise $667,000 this year.

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Washington Post’s "Fact-Check-Gate"

The Washington Post's political "fact-checker" Glenn Kessler offers a curious defense of his Sunday column in which he gave the Obama campaign "four Pinocchios" for telling a "whopper" in an ad that called Mitt Romney a "corporate raider" who had outsourced American jobs, even as new evidence emerged that Romney was guilty on both counts.

After reading Kessler's column on Sunday, I noted that it was published two days after an article on Friday by his Post colleague Tom Hamburger, describing how Romney's Bain Capital owned companies that were "pioneers" in the practice of outsourcing jobs, and one day after a New York Times article on Saturday, detailing how Romney structured Bain's corporate takeovers to guarantee that Bain profited even when the companies failed.

I pointed out that it was Kessler who was ignoring the facts, including Hamburger's front-page article in the Post on Friday. In my view, it was Kessler who deserved the "four Pinocchios."

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Yet Another Government-Backed Solar Company Turns Out The Lights

Another government-backed solar energy company has decided to turn out the lights while still owing tens of millions of dollars to U.S. taxpayers.

Abound Solar Inc., based in Colorado, received a $400 million federal loan guarantee, and borrowed about $70 million of that amount. It now plans to file for bankruptcy and close, according to the Department of Energy, which awarded the loan.

The Energy Department blamed the collapse on the fast-falling prices of solar panels, a factor government officials also cited about a year ago when another loan recipient, Solyndra LLC, shuttered while still owing more than $500 million to the federal government.

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Seventy-Three Percent of American Youth Now Have Insurance Due To Health Care Law

The Supreme Court is expected to rule this week on whether key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are constitutional. This law ensures that all Americans can access the care they need at an affordable price.

Obamacare prevents health insurance companies from charging too much or denying coverage to those who pay for insurance but are suffering from painful and long-term “pre-existing conditions” such as heart disease or cancer. It allows people to pay into the health insurance system so that in case of emergency, they don’t have to tap into taxpayers’ wallets to pay for their recovery. And it levels the insurance playing field so that those who thought they couldn’t afford care now don’t have to choose between buying groceries and paying medical bills. Overturning Obamacare would leave insurance companies in charge of whether our fellow citizens can get the care they need or leave millions of Americans vulnerable to poverty or bankruptcy.

As the 32 million (and counting) Americans whose access to health insurance depends on the Supreme Court’s ruling on Obamacare hold their breath, here’s a quick look at the top three reasons why the health care law should remain intact.

1. Millions of Americans under Obamacare have access to affordable quality care who wouldn’t otherwise be covered.

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Bill Aims to Reform Senior Executive Service

Three Washington-area congressmen introduced legislation that will reform the Senior Executive Service.

Introduced by Reps. Jim Moran (D-Va.), Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the SES Reform Act of 2012 would increase the pay of SES personnel who receive a performance rating of at least "fully successful." The bill also includes SES performance awards and bonuses in the high-three annuity calculation and establishes an SES Resource Office within the Office of Personnel Management, with the goal of improving the effectiveness and productivity of the SES

"We need to make sure that the Senior Executive Service will continue to attract the best and the brightest from inside and outside the federal government," Connolly said. "With nearly 40 percent of those at the SES level reaching retirement age, we must make sure that federal service remains competitive with the private sector."

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EXTREME HEAT: STAY SAFE, STAY HEALTHY

Wicomico County Health Department Offers Extreme Heat Safety Tips

(Salisbury, MD) Over the next few days, heat indices are expected to soar to over 100 degrees. Health officials are reminding residents to be cautious during these periods of extreme heat conditions. Lori Brewster, Health Officer for Wicomico County is urging residents to “Be diligent about health and safety by staying cool and keeping hydrated.” Individuals, as well as animals, exposed to extreme heat conditions may quickly develop a heat-related illness which can become life-threatening, if not properly treated. Infants, young children, young athletes, obese persons, those older than 65 years of age, and those persons with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or a mental illness are at highest risk.

The Wicomico County Health Department is offering these tips to help residents stay safe and healthy in the heat:

Keep hydrated. Drink plenty of cool fluids without sugar, caffeine or alcohol.

Stay indoors and, if at all possible, stay in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library.
Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a cool shower or bath, or moving to an air-conditioned place is a much better way to cool off.
NEVER leave anyone, including children or pets, alone in a vehicle.
Know the signs and symptoms of heat related illnesses.
Check on the elderly and those “at-risk” at least twice a day and monitor for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Infants and young children need much more frequent watching.
Limit using the stove or oven to keep the house cooler.

“Air-conditioning is the number one protective factor against heat-related illness and death” says Lori Brewster, Wicomico County Health Officer. “If your home is not air-conditioned, go to any public facility such as the mall or library to seek relief.”

24 Million EU People Unemployed

New Eurozone unemployment numbers are out – revealing that more than 24 million people in the EU are out of work – the highest number ever recorded. And it shouldn't be too much of a surprise to those familiar with the crippling austerity measures sweeping the continent that those nations with the highest rates of unemployment are the ones that swallowed the austerity pill. Of the five nations with the highest unemployment rates – four of them – Spain, Greece, Portugal, and Ireland – were forced by the EU and the IMF to cut government spending and lay off public sector workers in return for bailouts. Those conditions are clearly not working, as those nations continue to sink deeper and deeper into economic ruin. This same dynamic is being played out in the United States – where states that have embraced austerity on average have much worse economies than states that have increased spending since the 2007 financial crisis. This is all yet more evidence that austerity doesn't work – and the only people who claim it does work are Republicans like Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan who just want to see the economy tank before the November elections.