Salisbury News: 03/10/13

Sunday, March 10, 2013

PAKISTANI MOB TORCHES CHRISTIAN NEIGHBORHOOD AFTER CHRISTIAN MAN ACCUSED OF INSULTING PROPHET MUHAMMAD

Hundreds of people in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore attacked a Christian neighborhood Saturday and set fire to homes after hearing accusations that a Christian man had committed blasphemy against Islam’s prophet, said a police officer.

Blasphemy is a serious crime in Pakistan that can carry the death penalty but sometimes outraged residents exact their own retribution for perceived insults of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Pakistan is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim and people of other faiths, including the nation’s small Christian community, are often viewed with suspicion.

The incident started Friday when a young Muslim man accused a Christian man of committing blasphemy by making offensive comments about the prophet, according to Multan Khan, a senior police officer in Lahore.
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It’s A Good Day When You Find $30M Worth Of Rare Art In The Attic

It’s always nice if you can afford to buy say, a nice little cottage on Long Island, a getaway to escape reality and just enjoy the peace and quiet. One man spent $300,000 to buy just such a bungalow out in Bellport, N.Y. and found his reward for doing so would be more than some R&R — it’d be about $30 million worth of art.

Back in 2007, the home’s new owner discovered quite a cache of art in the garage and attic of the bungalow, reports News 12 Long Island. The works are all by obscure Armenian-American abstract impressionist Arthur Pinajian and include thousands of paintings, drawings and journals.

One Colorado sheriff is claiming that Democrats are pressuring pro-gun sheriffs in the state with tactics he think border on extortion.

In a radio interview with KVOR on Saturday, El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said he received an email last week with a threat to stop or stall pay raises to the state’s elected sheriffs if they don’t support Colorado’s pending gun control legislation.

The email, sent from the offices of the County Sheriffs of Colorado, “basically said, Dem. leadership is very upset with the sheriffs and their opposition to the gun control bills,” Maketa said.

He claimed it said the Democrats were threatening to delay legislation that would give the sheriffs a long-delayed pay raise if they continue to speak out against the new push for more gun control laws.
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Consumer Reports Tests Prove: Generic Twinkies Not As Good As Original

Since negotiations broke down between management and workers and the mass-consumption snackery Hostess liquidated, American consumers have been left bereft and Twinkieless. No one really cares about Wonder Bread, but Twinkies hold a special place in our national imagination, even for people who haven’t tasted one of the hydrogenated delights in decades. But are the generic Twinkie-ish cakes you see on store shelves worth your time?
Sure, you can read amateur musings about generic Twinkies all over the Internet, but only one publication brings you a panel of professional tasters. That would be our sister publication, Consumer Reports. Their flavor pros in the Foods & Sensory department performed blind taste tests on original Twinkies and Safeway’s Snack Artist Crème Cake.

Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, said Sunday that his new budget includes the repeal of President Obama’s health-care reform law known as ObamaCare.

Ryan told “Fox News Sunday” that the new proposal will make enough cuts to balance the federal budget in 10 years, compared to his previous one that tried to achieve that goal in 25 years.

“We think we owe the American people a balanced budget,” the Republican congressman said.

Ryan said the focus of the ObamaCare repeal would be to stop the expansion of Medicaid, the federal program that provides medical services to low-income U.S. families.
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Royal Caribbean Ship Returns To Port Because Floating Around With 108 Sick People On Board Is Not A Vacation

Two of this winter’s ickiest stories — crappy cruises and the norovirus — converged today when the Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas returned to in Florida today after at least 108 people on board were hit by the bug.
According to WPTV.com, 105 guests and three crew members are believed to be ill from the virus, which can cause nausea, forceful vomiting, watery diarrhea, and abdominal pain in afflicted folks. People with symptoms were provided over-the-counter medications on board the ship.

Morehttp://consumerist.com/2013/03/08/royal-caribbean-ship-returns-to-port-because-floating-around-with-108-sick-people-on-board-is-not-a-vacation/

NYC Soda Size Rule Eyed From Coffee Shops To Clubs

NEW YORK (AP) -- At barbecue joints, coffee counters and bottle-service nightclubs, a coming clampdown on big, sugary soft drinks is beginning to take shape on tables and menus in a city that thrives on eating and going out.

Some restaurants are ordering smaller glasses. Dunkin' Donuts shops are telling customers they'll have to sweeten and flavor their own coffee. Coca-Cola has printed posters explaining the new rules, and a bowling lounge is squeezing carrot and beet juice as a potential substitute for pitchers of soda at family parties -- all in preparation for the nation's first limit on the size of sugar-laden beverages, set to take effect Tuesday.

Some businesses are holding off, hoping a court challenge nixes or at least delays the restriction. But many are getting ready for tasks including reprinting menus and changing movie theaters' supersized soda-and-popcorn deals.
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Wrigley’s Wants You To Get Your Caffeine Boost From Gum Instead Of Boring Old Coffee

So there you are at the breakfast table, sipping some coffee or perhaps tossing back a fewcaffeinated Cracker Jacks and it’s like, “Ugh. This is so boring but I need caffeine or I will positively die right here from exhaustion!” Wrigley’s thinks it’s got the solution for you, and true to the company tradition, it’s in a chewable form: caffeinated gum, anyone?

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Wrigley’s is targeting consumers 25 and older who want a pop of caffeine on the go. Alert Energy Caffeine Gum already has a Web site (albeit, one with not too much info) and is set to go on sale next month at convenience stores, supermarkets and big retailers in the U.S.

NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Begins at 12:00 Noon

First Baptist Church

Family Life & Cultural Center

528 Booth St. & Delaware Ave.

Salisbury, MD 21801

Tickets - $35 Adults; Under 12 - $25

(410) 543-4187

After A Shooting Spree....

Coast Guard Faces $295M Cut Under Sequestration

The Coast Guard will have approximately $295 million deducted from its budget for the remainder of the fiscal year under sequestration, according to figures from the Office of Management and Budget.

The vast majority of those dollars--$194 million--will come from operating expenses. Coast Guard officials have said they will try to minimize the reductions' effect on operation by deferring maintenance--although the Coast Guard's aged fleet depends on heavy maintenance to keep it going. Even before sequestration, the service was unable to keep the legacy fleet afloat for all the operational hours it calculates are necessary to undertake its 11 statutory missions.

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Citgo Lowers United States Flags To Honor Socialist Dictator Hugo Chavez

In an attempt to show respect for dead President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Citgo, owned by the South American country, flew its flags at half staff outside its Houston, Texas and Lake Charles, La., offices on Wednesday, sparking outrage from passing motorists. Usually such an honor is reserved for American citizens and hero's dying while in service to the United States, so it is somewhat of a mystery as to why such an honor would be given to a Socialist dictator.

Citgo told a local Houston TV station on Wednesday that it would lower its flags, including the American flag, for Dictator Chavez. The oil company said it would release a statement later in the day on the death of Chavez and their flag lowering, but a request for comment from FoxNews.com was not immediately returned and no word on the statement has been heard so far.
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Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan On Senate Passage of O'Malley's Offshore Wind Proposal

Annapolis - "It seems Martin O'Malley's priority is to make electricity and motor fuels more expensive. He wants an increase in the gasoline tax while simultaneously pushing a wind energy policy that is not cost effective and guarantees that electricity will be more expensive for rate payers. The timing couldn't be worse.

"There are no assurances that this offshore wind proposal will not devolve into crony capitalism that reward friends of the governor and political donors.

"While there may be political support for offshore wind among narrow special interest groups, 96% of Marylanders are opposed to higher taxes. And make no mistake, the Governor's offshore wind proposal is simply a tax by another name.

"This governor has raised taxes and fees 24 times, taking $2.4 billion out of the economy each year. That is likely soon to be at least 25 with top-elected officials including the Governor rigidly adhering to increasing the motor fuel tax and adding charges to consumers' electric bills."

Bid To Defund Obamacare Gains Momentum In Senate GOP

This week it appeared Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and Mike Lee would wage a lonely war over their threat to hold up a continuing resolution to fund the U.S. government if they are not given a vote on a budget amendment to defund Obamacare. Now, it’s not quite so lonely. Sens. Marco Rubio and James Inhofe have joined Cruz and Lee, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday that he “looks forward to supporting” the amendment.

It’s a significant step forward for Cruz and Lee. But the Senate Republican caucus remains deeply divided about defunding Obamacare. Sources say that at a Republican caucus lunch a few days ago, several GOP senators expressed opposition to Cruz and Lee’s proposal. And of course, the 55-member Democratic majority will not give it the time of day. But Cruz and Lee are determined to keep up opposition to Obamacare, even though it has flagged in some other quarters of the Republican Party.
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GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY CELEBRATES COMMEMORATION OF EASTERN SHORE NATIVE HARRIET TUBMAN

Byway and State Park named to honor freedom seeker

CAMBRIDGE, MD – To commemorate the life and legacy of African American abolitionist and Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman, Governor Martin O’Malley today joined U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and other state and local officials to unveil the 125-mile Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, and break ground on the site for the 17-acre Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center.

“Frederick Douglass reportedly told Harriet Tubman, ‘much that you have done would seem improbable to those who do not know you as I know you.’ While none of us can ever know Harriet in the same way, we choose to dedicate this park, center and byway to her legacy, so that her courage and heroism will never be forgotten,” said Governor O’Malley. “We now have an opportunity to tell Harriet Ross Tubman’s story to hundreds of thousands of people. Today, let us rededicate ourselves to honoring her legacy.”

“Harriet Tubman’s selfless commitment to freeing enslaved Americans on the Underground Railroad is a reminder that one determined person—no matter her station or the odds against her - can make a tremendous difference,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Salazar. “The sites we establish here today in her honor will be inspiration for generations to come, and reflect the highest goals of our America's Great Outdoors initiative - to reconnect Americans with our national heritage.”

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway preserves and recounts the life story of Harriet Tubman and her courageous actions as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Originating on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, this 125-mile scenic road traverses Dorchester and Caroline counties, revealing the distinctive and beautiful landscapes of the Chesapeake Bay. The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway was designated as one of the best driving tours in the nation in 2009 by the Federal Highway Administration for its scenic beauty and significant history. It is one of only 31 distinctive “All-American Roads” nationwide.

At the heart of the Byway is the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park. Slated to open in 2015, the park will feature a 15,000-square foot Visitor Center, exhibit hall and theater, memorial garden, trails and a picnic pavilion. The building will also be LEED-certified, with a green roof, recycled materials, energy efficient lighting and water conservation devices. Exhibit rooms will immerse the visitor into the life of Tubman, from her childhood to time on the Underground Railroad and her continuous advocacy for justice.

The Visitor Center construction is estimated to support as many as 225 local jobs in all facets of the construction industry over the course of a year. In addition, the Harriet Tubman State Park will directly support 10 full-time employees and additional jobs related to hospitality tour guides and recreational activities. In the initial stages, approximately $8 to $10 million in annual economic benefits will be generated from visitation to the State Park, and increase to as much as $20 million annually.

In another effort to honor Tubman’s life, Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski co-sponsored federal legislation, the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park Act, to establish national historic parks in Tubman’s name in both Maryland and New York. Additionally, Congressman Andy Harris introduced companion legislation, H.R. 513, to preserve Tubman’s significant landscapes in Dorchester, Caroline and Talbot Counties.

GOP Delegates Offer Annual Budget Alternative

In an annual exercise in fiscal futility, House Republicans unveiled their alternative to Gov. Martin O’Malley’s 2014 budget Thursday, this time calling for zero growth that would require the governor to cut 2% from his request.

The 2% cut in general fund spending corresponds to the 2% increase in federal payroll taxes Congress allowed in January, returning rates to their 2010 level.

The GOP delegates also released the results of a January poll showing a majority of Maryland voters think taxes are too high.
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CITY COUNCIL AGENDA

March 11, 2013 6: 00 p.m.Government Office Building Room 301
Times shown for a enda items are estimates onlv.

6: 00 p.m. CALL TO ORDER

6: 01 p.m. WELCOME/ANNOLTNCEMENTS

6: 05 p.m. 1NVOCATION/MEDITATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

6: 07 p.m. ADOPTION OF LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

6: 10 p.m. CONSENT AGENDA—City Clerk Kim Nichols

February 19, 2013 work session minutes

February 25, 2013 regular meeting minutes

Resolution No. 2259 - appointing Bradley T. Phillips to the Historic District Commission for a term ending 8/ 31/ 2016

Resolution No. 2260 - reappointing Jane R. Youngk to the Marina Committee for a term ending 1/ 31/ 2015

6: 15 p.m. AWARD OF BIDS—Assistarit Internal Services Director-Procurement Catrice Parsons

Declaration of surplus = Service handgun

6: 20 p.m. RESOLUTIONS— City Administrator John Pick

Resolution No. 2261 —accepting funds from the United States Marshal' s Service for Police overtime

Resolution No: 2262— agreeing to the extension of the acting status of Ron Wells, Acting Manager, Technical Support

Resolution No. 2263 —agreeing to the extension of the acting status of Eric Baker, Acting Police Corporal

Resolution No. 2264— US 50 East/Moore Annexation—proposing the annexation to the City of Salisbury of a certain area of land situate, contiguous to and binding upon the easterly corporate limit of the City of Salisbury, to be known as the " U.S. 50 East/Moore Annexation" being an area located east of the U.S. 50 Business and U.S. 50- 13 by-pass interchange ( and to set a date for the public hearing on the proposed annexation)

Resolution No. 2265 - US 50 East/Moore Annexation— adopting an annexation plan for a certain area of land situate contiguous to and binding upon the easterly corpo'rate limit of the City of Salisbury, to be known as the U.S. 50 East/Moore Annexation" being an area located east of the U.S. 50 Business and U.S. 50- 13 by-pass interchange
7: 00 p.m. ORDINANCES— City Attorney Mark Tilghman

Ordinance No. 2233 — reading - setting false.alarm fees 4a

Ordinance No. 2234— reading - approving a budget amendment of the FY13 General Fund to appropriate funds received from the Speed Camera Program for construction of a fence at the City' s Police Range Ordinance No. 2235 — lst reading— approving a budget amendment of the FY13 General Fund to appropriate funds received from the speed camera program for the purchase of computers and related equipment for seven new police patrol vehicles

Ordinance No. 2236 - 1 St reading— pursuant to Chapter 17.228 of Title 17, Zoning of the Salisbury Municipal Code and Section 4. 04 of Article 66B of the Annotated Code of Maryland for the purpose of adding Section 17. 46, Mixed Use Non-Residential Zoning District and amending Section 17. 08, Districts-Maps-Boundaries ( creating multi-use/non-residential zoning district)

Ordinance No. 2237 - 1St reading— pursuant to Chapters 17. 108 and 17.228 of Title 17, Zoning, of the Salisbury Municipal Code, and Section 4.04 of Article 66B of the Annotated Code of Maryland, for the purpose of establishing iri accordance with Chapter 17. 110, Moore Property Commerce Park Planned
Development District# 3 binding on the westerly side of Walston Switch Rd. (County Rd. #297), the southerly side of U.S. Route 50, the easterly side of land now or formerly owned by JD Hanna, LLC and the northerly side of land now or formerly owned by Francis C. and Lois T. Perdue ( creating PDD)

Ordinance No. 2238— lst reading— requiring businesses entering into . agreements with the City of Salisbury, ar filing appeals with or seeking relief or approval from the City of Salisbury to provide business ownership information

Ordinance No. 2239— lst reading- to enact Chapter 9.06 to require the abatement of public nuisances (properties used for illegal purposes) and to authorize the City of Salisbury Police Chief to order the discontinuance of the public nuisance or order the closing of the premises

8: 45 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENTS

9: 00 p.m. ADJOURNMENT

Federal Judge Slams Baltimore Police Department Over 'Abuse'

A federal judge has slammed the Baltimore City Police Department for its tactics in trying to dig up dirt on a man who's suing the department, WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team lead investigative reporter Jayne Miller reported Friday.

The case remains pending in federal court, but the judge hearing it has imposed a fine of sorts on the Police Department because of what its lawyer did to seemingly smear the man's background.

The incident involved in the federal lawsuit is the attempt by Baltimore City police officers to arrest a woman at the 2010 Preakness. The incident caught on video and posted to YouTube.
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Md. Judge: Board Must Reinstate Doctor's License

A state board must reinstate the license of a Middletown doctor who was accused more than seven years ago of improperly touching patients, a county judge has ruled.

In June, the Maryland Board of Physicians overruled the recommendation of an administrative law judge, Harriet C. Helfand, and revoked the medical license of Michael S. Rudman.

State law requires the board to present strong reasons for disagreeing with an administrative law judge's proposed decision.
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$875M Computer Center Coming To Fort Meade

At Fort George G. Meade, if you want to build an Army Cyber Command and control facility, it will cost $107 million.

Add an additional classroom to the Defense Information School — that’s another $44 million.

If you want a headquarters for the Asymmetric Warfare Group, be prepared to spend $36 million.

If you want a 600,000-square-foot, very safe place to store government information, that will set you back nearly $1 billion. Give or take a hundred million.

Maryland Abortion Clinics In Baltimore, Landover, Silver Spring Suspend Procedures

State health officials have suspended surgical abortion procedures at three clinics, including one in Baltimore where a patient suffered cardiac arrest and died.

The physician who performed the abortion at Associates in OB/GYN Care LLC on North Calvert Street wasn't certified in CPR and a defibrillator at the facility did not work, state officials said in a letter Friday to the General Assembly.

Although the cardiac arrest was caused by underlying health conditions and not the abortion, investigators found that it raised questions whether doctors at the clinic can handle an abortion that goes wrong.
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Oliver North, US Troops Veterans Day Video

How Is This Not A National Scandal? 9 Of 10 Students Affected by Chicago School Closings Are Black

An investigation by the Chicago Sun-Times reveals that 90 percent of students affected by public school closings in Chicago are African American, a rate that doesn’t match up with the city’s racial demographics (only 41.7 percent of the district’s student population is black).

School closings are the latest trend among privatization and charter school advocates who seek to dismantle public education (and teachers unions) to turn a profit. So far they’ve been largely successful because it’s happening on the backs of poor black communities who the national press have all but ignored since their inception (think great migration and white flight).

Harriet Tubman Park To Be On Maryland Land She Worked As A Slave

Abolitionist Harriet Tubman's struggle to help roughly 70 slaves escape to freedom using the Underground Railroad was remembered on Saturday at the groundbreaking of a Maryland state park in her honor.

An escaped slave herself, Tubman toiled in bondage on the land that will soon be the 17-acre Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park on the eastern shore of Maryland's Chesapeake Bay.

Construction of the park on open marshland and forests in Dorchester County marks the 100-year anniversary of the abolitionist leader's death.
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Let States Legalise Marijuana, Eric Holder: You Know It Makes Sense

Right now, US Attorney General Eric Holder has such an opportunity. He is "reviewing" the federal government's options for dealing with the nettlesome fact that two US states have now enacted laws legalizing and regulating the personal use of marijuana.

Faced with a similar problem with those several states that have legalized medical marijuana use, Holder and the US attorneys in those states have essentially declared war on cannabis dispensers. They have gone so far as to deploy the heavy hand of the federal government to threaten landlords with seizure of property used for dispensaries operating in accordance with state and local laws. And all this is occurring despite President Obama having suggested the government has better things to do with its limited resources than prosecute medical marijuana businesses and users.

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The Koch Brothers Are Spending Millions to Deny Poor Americans Healthcare

One should be wary of assigning the word evil to another human being because it means they are profoundly immoral and guilty of not conforming to conduct established as consistent with principles of personal and social ethics. Evil, or immoral, people would likely cause pain, suffering, and even death to another human being for pleasure, or withhold assistance to a person in distress regardless it would be of no consequence or cost to them. Unfortunately, America is home to two of the most evil men on the planet. It is difficult to imagine any American spending their money to deny medical care to an infirm American they have no connection to or personal hatred for, but Charles and David Koch are spending money to deny poor Americans healthcare for no readily apparent reason except the Kochs are genuinely evil, immoral men devoid of personal or social ethics.

Other States Woo Maryland's Gun Manufacturers

As Maryland contemplates passing one of the nation's strictest gun laws, at least seven other states have courted its gun manufacturers, offering tax incentives and open arms elsewhere.

The governor of Texas, West Virginia's House speaker and an Illinois congressman have written to Beretta USA officials, inviting a move and promising a better business climate if the 400-year-old Italian company chooses to abandon its U.S. headquarters on the Potomac.

Another arms manufacturer and defense contractor on the Eastern Shore, LWRC International, received offers, some including tax incentives, from elected or government officials in Nebraska, Mississippi, North Dakota, Nevada, Texas and West Virginia, a company executive said.
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Former Congressional Candidate Pleads Guilty To Illegal Voting

TOWSON--State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt announced Friday Wendy W. Rosen, the Democratic 2012 nominee in Maryland's First Congressional District, pleaded guilty in the Circuit Court of Baltimore to charges of voting illegally in Maryland in the 2006 and 2010 general elections.

Rosen, 58, of Cockeysville, withdrew Sept. 10, 2012, from the congressional elections, citing personal reasons. But state Democratic officials said they demanded her withdrawal after discovering she had been registered to vote in both Maryland and Florida since 2006 and had voted in both states in two elections.

Arizona is the only state in the United States that

does not recognize daylight saving.

Saskatchewan is the only Canadian province

that does not have it either.
Probably because of "The Old Indian."

Thank You, Old Indian!

The Art of the Possible: Moving Mountains in Afghanistan

Near the end of the summer in 1992, Lt. Gen. Gus Pagonis, the logistical wizard behind the overwhelming coalition victory in the first Gulf War, published a book called Moving Mountains. Part memoir, part leadership guide, the book described the gargantuan task of basically moving the population of Alaska, along with their stuff, halfway around the world on short notice. “Armies are a constellation of needs,” Pagonis wrote. “These needs are always numerous and complex, and sometimes contradictory.”

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Record 89,304,000 Americans 'Not in Labor Force' -- 296,000 Fewer Employed Since January

(CNSNews.com) - The number of Americans designated as "not in the labor force" in February was 89,304,000, a record high, up from 89,008,000 in January, according tothe Department of Labor. This means that the number of Americans not in the labor force increased 296,000 between January and February.The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) labels people who are unemployed and no longer looking for work as “not in the labor force,” including people who have retired on schedule, taken early retirement, or simply given up looking for work.
The increase marks the second month in a row, after rising in January from 88.8 million in December. Those not in the labor force had declined in December from 88.9 million in November.

The nation's unemployment rate decreased to 7.7 percent in February, down from 7.9 percent in January. Overall unemployment “has shown little movement, on net, since September 2012,” the Labor Department said.

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 236,000 in February, according to the report.

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