AMERICAN MOM’S DARING RESCUE OF ABDUCTED SON IN EGYPT READS LIKE A BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE SCRIPT

Through the slit of the burqa she wore to blend in on the streets of Alexandria, Egypt, Kalli Atteya waited and watched until the boy climbed off the school bus. When she saw him, she moved quickly, grabbing his arm and steering him toward the waiting motorized cart.

"Get in," she said to the 12-year-old, who recognized his mother's piercing blue eyes and obeyed wordlessly.

Soon, they were speeding toward a safehouse where they would wait for three weeks before returning to the U.S., and ending a 20-month ordeal that began with another abduction — one the boy, Khalil Mohamed “Niko” Atteya, did not accept willingly. His father, Mohamed Atteya, who is wanted by the U.S. authorities, is accused of luring the mother and son to his homeland, then snatching the boy and leaving Kalli Atteya and her sister on the side of a desolate road between Cairo and Port Said on Aug. 1, 2011.
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QUOTES OF THE DAY 4-26-13

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”
― George Orwell, 1984

“The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”
― George Orwell

“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell

“He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.”
― George Orwell, 1984

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
― George Orwell, Animal Farm
“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. ”
― George Orwell

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
― George Orwell, Animal Farm

TAX CHEATS PONY UP $5.5 BILLION IN AMNESTY PROGRAM

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service has recouped more than $5.5 billion under a series of programs that offered reduced penalties and no jail time to people who voluntarily disclosed assets they were hiding overseas, government investigators said Friday.

In all, more than 39,000 tax cheats have come clean under the programs.

But there's more.

Government investigators suspect that thousands of other taxpayers have quietly started reporting foreign accounts without paying any penalties or interest. The number of people reporting foreign accounts to the IRS nearly doubled from 2007 to 2010, to 516,000 accounts, a report by the Government Accountability Office said.
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BIG SIS: OBAMA ADMIN CAN PICK WHICH LAWS TO ENFORCE

During her testimony on the “Gang of Eight” immigration bill before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano declared that she, President Barack Obama and other political officials at the top of this administration have the authority to decide which laws to enforce, and which ones to ignore.

Napolitano made the declaration in an exchange with Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) when he was questioning her on how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have alleged that political officials in the Obama administration, including her, have blocked them from enforcing the law.

Sessions noted that ICE agents’ union president Chris Crane had testified on Monday “that agents are prohibited from enforcing the law and, indeed, the ICE officers have filed a lawsuit [to that effect].”

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Route 90 Bridge Testing Could Cause Delays In May

OCEAN CITY -- Taking advantage of a tight window between Springfest and Memorial Day weekends, State Highway Administration (SHA) officials said this week they will begin an inspection and load testing of the Route 90 bridge next month that could cause traffic delays for motorists traveling in and out of Ocean City.

In advance of an anticipated routine rehabilitation project next fall, SHA engineers will conduct an inspection of the Route 90 bridge over the Assawoman Bay and the entrance to Ocean City starting May 6 and concluding Friday, May 10, weather permitting. SHA officials had originally scheduled the project for next week, but reworked the plan after concerns were raised about the potential impact on traffic heading to the resort in advance of Springfest weekend, which is set to begin Friday, May 2. As a result, the new schedule includes the week beginning Monday, May 6 and should be wrapped up by the following Friday.

“We were made aware of the potential conflict in the week leading up to Springfest, and we moved the project back a week to minimize any delays and inconveniences,” said SHA spokesman Charlie Gischlar this week. “We’re hopefully going to get in and out of there and get our work done quickly before the season really gets started.”
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Patrick Administration Refuses To Release Tsarnaev Brothers' Records

The Patrick administration clamped down the lid yesterday on Herald requests for details of Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s government benefits, citing the dead terror mastermind’s right to privacy.

Across the board, state agencies flatly refused to provide information about the taxpayer-funded lifestyle for the 26-year-old man and his brother and accused accomplice Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19.

On EBT card status or spending, state welfare spokesman Alec Loftus would only say Tamerlan Tsarnaev, his wife and 3-year-old daughter received benefits that ended in 2012. He declined further comment.

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Ocean City Police Auxiliary Officers And Detective Sergeant Jeff Smith Honored By Worcester County Drug And Alcohol Abuse Council

On April 23, 2013, the Ocean City Auxiliary Officers and Detective SGT Jeff Smith were honored by the Worcester County Drug and Alcohol Council at the 22nd Annual Drug and Alcohol Awards Reception for their outstanding achievement in drug and alcohol prevention. Their awards were based on their outstanding contributions to the improvement of the quality of life by reducing alcohol and drug abuse in Worcester County.

Over the years, the Ocean City Auxiliary Officers have volunteered hundreds of hours at “Play It Safe” events. Their dedicated support has helped ensure the mission of the Ocean City Drug and Alcohol Abuse Committee by providing visiting high school graduates with fun, drug free activities.

Detective Sergeant Jeff Smith was also honored for his superior commitment in the area of drug enforcement in Ocean City and Worcester County. SGT Smith is the supervisor of the Ocean City Police Vice and Narcotics Unit. He has been instrumental in recovering drugs and contraband having a street value of tens of thousands of dollars.
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Change Maryland: Gov. O'Malley Must Return To Annapolis, Address Prison Situation

Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan called on Gov. Martin O'Malley to cut short his international travel, return from the Middle East and postpone his musings about running for President until he has addressed a serious issue of major corruption in the state's prison system. More than a dozen Maryland state prison guards helped a dangerous national gang operate a criminal enterprise from behind bars according to federal prosecutors.

The indictment details systemic failures in a Baltimore jail in which there was no oversight, gross mismanagement and failure of leadership. A gang called Black Guerilla Family (BGF) and one of it's leaders in the Baltimore facility, were allegedly given control of the facility.

"Martin O'Malley is not running state government. He was smiling in Israel yesterday talking about running for President while his employees are being charged by the U.S. Attorney," said Hogan. "It is unacceptable for the Governor to go missing in action while inmates are apparently free to threaten the public's safety from behind bars."

According to U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein, “Correctional officers were in bed with BGF inmates, in violation of the first principle of prison management. Preventing prison corruption requires intensive screening at prison entrances and punishment for employees who consort with inmates or bring cell phones and drugs into correctional facilities.”

Thirteen corrections officers essentially handed over control of a Baltimore jail to gang leaders, prosecutors said. The officers were charged Tuesday in a federal racketeering indictment.

Hogan called on the Governor to immediately dismiss his corrections cabinet secretary for gross negligence, failure to provide oversight of the state prison system and complete mismanagement and lack of control over the department. He also agreed with the need for a sweeping inquiry into the entire prison system that would include active participation from the General Assembly.

"Nobody should accept inmates running the show, most of all the Governor," said Hogan.

Md. Corporate Tax Will Be Cut, Senate Chairman Predicts

Maryland’s 8.25% corporate income tax will be lowered next year, at least by the Maryland Senate, predicted Sen. Ed Kasemeyer, chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.

“I do believe that next year you’ll see it occur,” Kasemeyer told a Howard County Chamber of Commerce breakfast Thursday. The Howard County Democrat had backed lowering the rate at a meeting of the same group in 2011.

Kasemeyer said budgeters needed to wait for the state’s revenue situation to stabilize before lowering any taxes. There were a number of proposals this year to lower the corporate tax rate, which is two percentage points higher than Virginia’s.
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I DID NO MORE THAN YOU LET ME DO

Judge Rejects County’s Effort To Dismiss LCB Lawsuit

BERLIN -- A U.S. District Court judge this week issued an opinion denying Worcester County’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed last year alleging the now-defunct Liquor Control Board (LCB) violated the federal Equal Pay Act (EPA).

Last August, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the suit in U.S. District Court. The complaint outlines an alleged pattern by the old LCB of undercompensating female retail clerks at the agency’s retail outlets throughout the county compared to their male counterparts that performed the same job.

The allegations date back to as early as April 2010 when the county liquor dispensary operations were still run by the LCB. In 2011, amid significant controversy, the old LCB was dismantled by the General Assembly and the new county-run Department of Liquor Control (DLC) was created to fill the void. The charges of discrimination surfaced early in July 2011 after the DLC assumed control on July 1, 2011, but the allegations stem from alleged wage discrimination carried out by the LCB prior to the takeover and does not implicate the new DLC.
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LOCKED-DOWN BOSTONIANS RATIONALIZE TYRANNY

Exclusive: Phil Elmore is outraged by government's manhunt edict enforced at gunpoint
It’s a viral photo of a cop delivering milk during the “extraordinary” lockdown of Boston. Some versions of the photo have text added to the effect that, gosh, tyrannical police states don’t bring groceries to their citizens. Absent from almost all analysis of the photo, however, is that “lockdown” is a prison term, only recently applied to schools and other places where, under threat, children are locked into chambers for their safety. The fact that in real “active shooter” scenarios lockdowns are only good for penning helpless, unarmed people into metaphorical barrels where they may more easily be shot is consistently ignored by political figures and media pundits alike.

Where is the outrage that the Powers That Are in Boston essentially made prisoners of an entire city? On what grounds and by what authority does any municipal government presume to place every citizen of a major United States city on house arrest? In the afterglow of the successful capture of the remaining Boston Marathon bombing suspect, alleged Islamist Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the people celebrating in the streets that Tsarnaev was taken alive (ironically, only because the “lockdown” was lifted and the property owner in whose boat Tsarnaev was hiding could finally go outside and check his yard) ought to be asking themselves what they have to be happy about. They are beta testers of the New Freedom, which looks a lot like the Old Oppression. At whim, your government may order you to remain in your home, and if you dare disobey, they will point guns at you, essentially threatening to murder you.

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GOP Bill Seeks to Cut Back Government Ammo Purchases

Senate and House Republicans are set to introduce a joint bill Friday that would significantly limit the amount of ammunition that federal agencies are permitted to purchase and stockpile over the next six months.

The bill, authored by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R., Okla.) and Rep. Frank Lucas (R., Okla.), comes as numerous lawmakers across Capitol Hill have expressed concern that certain federal agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), are stockpiling high quantities of ammunition.

DHS, for instance, has placed two-years worth of ammunition, or nearly 247 million rounds, in its inventory.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL CHANGES POLICY AFTER STUDENT SENT TO OFFICE FOR WEARING ‘SUPPORT OUR TROOPS’ T-SHIRT…ON AN ARMY BASE

A Kentucky middle school has changed its dress code after a student was sent to the office for wearing a “Support Our Troops” T-shirt, a spokeswoman told TheBlaze.

That school would be Mahaffey Middle School, which is actually located on the Fort Campbell Army base.

Student Cejai Taylor told Nashville Fox affiliate WZTVshe wore the T-shirt right after her dad, Sgt. James Taylor, was sent on his sixth deployment overseas. Mahaffey requires all students to wear collared shirts, but has dress-down days once a month where they can wear jeans and school-approved shirts. The “Support Our Troops” shirt was not approved, and a teacher saw Taylor wearing it and told her to go to the office.

Her mother, Cassandra Taylor, said she chose to pick her daughter up from school instead of making her change her clothes.

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National SkillsUSA, National Auto Tech Contest, Robotics Challenge

--Five Wicomico Students Headed to National SkillsUSA

--Parkside CTE Team Finishes 3rd at New York International Auto Show, Earns $75,000 in Scholarships

--Robotics Team Competes at Regional Contest
--Five Wicomico Students Headed to National SkillsUSA Contest after Finishing 1st in State
Wicomico County SkillsUSA students made an outstanding showing at the April 19-20 Maryland SkillsUSA Championship, sending five students on to the national competition and placing 10 students in the top three of a number of skill contests.
Wicomico was represented by students who had already won on the local and regional levels to compete in 25 different Leadership and Technical-area events. First-place finishers earned the right to proceed to the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City this June, along with their instructors.
Wicomico County's first-place winners were:
Jon Gray, Trevor Klaverweiden and Daniel Churchill (all Parkside High students), Welding Fabrication team

John Scott (James M. Bennett High), Electronics Technology

Austin Vestal (Mardela High), Mobile Electronics Installation. Vestal is making a return trip to the national competition, where he placed 3rd in the country last year.
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Regional Airport Gets $500K Loan For Upgrades

SALISBURY -- Wicomico County officials last week approved a conditional $500,000 loan to the Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico Regional Airport for improvements and upgrades to hangars in an effort to help ensure the facility continues to be a major transportation hub on the Lower Shore and possibly even expand its presence.

“The complex was built some time ago and it is in need of leak-proofing the roof, windows and doors and repainting,” Director of Administration Wayne Strausburg said. “They are asking for a conditional loan to complete the work, which will help ensure Piedmont stays. Essentially, the county will act as a pass-through for the loan.”

The loan is conditional in the sense its status is tied directly to the number of jobs the airport creates and retains. The loan could be converted to a grant if the established thresholds are met, or it could be paid back in full if the airport fails to meet the stated employment numbers and other milestones.
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CISPA Is Dead; Internet 'Privacy' Safe Again (For Now)

The controversial cybersecurity bill, known, ever so gently as, the Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) - since it's for your own good - that passed the House last week[3] looks set to be shelved in the Senate according to representatives. The bill would have allowed the federal government to share classified "cyber threat" information with companies, but it also provided provisions that would have allowed companies to share information about specific users with the government. Privacy advocates also worried, rightly so given previous experience, that the National Security Administration would have gotten involved. As US News reports
[4], Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V., chairman of the committee, said the passage of CISPA was "important," but said the bill's "privacy protections are insufficient." One of CISPA's staunchest opponents, the ACLU, added, "CISPA is too controversial, it's too expansive, it's just not the same sort of program contemplated by the Senate last year." While this is a short-term victory for everyone who uses the web, the ACLU warns, "we need to be vigilant as the year moves on to make sure that whatever the next product is, it's not CISPA- lite."
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Couple Survives Drug Crazed Home Invader Because Of Their AR-15

Philadelphia, PA — A couple whose names are being withheld by police were outside of their apartment on Friday, when Jasper Brisbon, who they said appeared to be on drugs, walked up and began staring at them. He did this for several minutes as the couple grew increasingly uncomfortable. Eventually, they decided to go inside of their apartment to get away from Brisbon, but he followed them.
That’s when things really took a turn for the worse.

When the man opened the door, Jasper Brisbon pushed his way past them into the apartment.

At that point, the man grabbed his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and told Jasper Brisbon to leave. Brisbon refused his request and started moving towards him in a threatening manner. That’s when the man shot him in the chest and sent Brisbon to the ground. Afterwards, the man called police.

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Court Says Pot Smokers Can Be Fired, Even In Colo

Medical and recreational marijuana may be legal in Colorado, but employers in the state can lawfully fire workers who test positive for the drug, even if it was used off duty, according to a court ruling Thursday.

The Colorado Court of Appeals found there is no employment protection for medical marijuana users in the state since the drug remains barred by the federal government.

"For an activity to be lawful in Colorado, it must be permitted by, and not contrary to, both state and federal law," the appeals court stated in its 2-1 conclusion.
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The Obama Mafia Gets The Private Sector To Do Its Anti-Gun Dirty Work

The Obama political machine is ruthless. It is a force that drives to coerce, extort, bully and suppress the opposition while simultaneously seizing power in a manner with the ruthlessness reminiscent of Michael Corleone dispatching the heads of the five families.
In addition to the enormous power Obama wields as president, the Obama Campaign has become Organizing for America, a “nonpartisan” advocacy group that is the divided-off henchmen of a corrupt politician who wants to influence policy both from the inside and the outside of the Oval Office.

Now, the president who makes Bill Clinton look meek has all of his bases covered as he can now employ General Electric, the private-sector powerhouse, to put the squeeze on people who don’t get with the liberal agenda. GE has joined forces with the Obama Administration in their crusade against the Second Amendment.

The world’s largest industrial company, General Electric, received a very-generous deal in 2009 when the company received $139 billion in taxpayer money under provisions created to keep banks afloat. Though GE Capital is not classified as a bank, the company was able to secure the money because it owned two small Utah banking institutions.

In short, thanks to the loophole, GE was able to secure $139 billion while not, technically, being a bank. Further, GE was able to avoid the restrictions and stipulations given to banks.

Now, with money in hand, GE Capital is cutting off funding to gun shops as the Obama Administration continues its dying efforts to curtail Second Amendment protections

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Group Takes Aim At Local Gun-Control Laws

HAGERSTOWN, Md. -- A gun owners' rights group is threatening to sue 35 Maryland local governments unless they repeal gun regulations that the group says violate state law.

The Second Amendment Foundation of Bellevue, Wash., says Maryland is the third state it has targeted in a campaign to eliminate local gun laws that are more restrictive than state regulations. The group has run similar projects in its home state and Virginia.

The campaign has had some results. Cumberland's city council took steps this week toward repealing an ordinance prohibiting private citizens from carrying concealed handguns.
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BREAKING NEWS:: Congress Passes Bill To End Air Traffic Controller Furloughs

House joins Senate in passing legislation to end furloughs of air traffic controllers, sending the bill to President Obama to sign.
From Fox News

Palestinian Authority Budget 28 Percent For Security Forces - Funded By US

Budget Shocker: Los Angeles Shows $119 Million Surplus

For five years a chorus of voices has been predicting bankruptcy for Los Angeles, while often calling for deeper cuts to city employee pensions. Today, however, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa proposed a budget for Fiscal Year 2013-2014 that includes a one-time surplus of $119 million. While some of that surplus would rely on additional pay and benefit reductions for city workers, even without such cuts the city would have a projected surplus of close to $100 million.

“It’s better than seeing the light at the end of the tunnel – we’re almost out of the tunnel!” Matt Szabo, Mayor Villaraigosa’s deputy chief of staff, told Frying Pan News in an interview last week. Szabo discussed the city’s financial picture and said that dire financial warnings have been largely overblown.

“One of the issues that’s highly irritating is the ease with which some people have thrown around the bankruptcy term,” Szabo said. “That’s not going to happen.”

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Casino Owner Pitches In Funds To Repair Huey Memorial

WEST OCEAN CITY -- The Vietnam-era Huey helicopter memorial on display at the Ocean City Municipal Airport is back in good shape this week after a repair project funded in large part by public contributions, including a behind-the-scenes benefactor.

The decades-old Huey helicopter was mounted for display at the airport in 2011 after the Ocean City Aviation Association (OCAA) was able to secure the relic of a bygone era in military aviation. The OCAA used private funds to acquire the helicopter and worked with the town of Ocean City to secure a permanent home for the historic aircraft at the municipal airport.

The Huey helicopters gained fame during the Vietnam War, and one became available for display after the fleet was retired in 2011. The OCAA jumped at the chance to obtain one for permanent display as part of a memorial at the Ocean City Airport.
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Pennsylvania Has A Bridge To Sell You

That's right, they really do. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is looking for a buyer for Hummel's Bridge - a 117-year-old structure that has been deemed unsafe for traffic. Although it's no longer safe, the bridge was labeled "historically and technologically significant" by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, so it can't be torn down. Kris Thompson, the architectural historian for PennDOT, said the department has sold other historical bridges, and they have found new life as walkways on college campuses and other locations. Hummel's Bridge connects Greenwhich and Richmond townships, and was state-of-the-art at the time of it's construction. Greenwich Township Supervisor Harry Hoppes said, "In 1896, the design of it was way ahead of its time, but we're now in 2013 and it's like we have to do something different." No word on the amount PennDOT hopes to get for the bridge, but hopefully, this piece of our American history will be preserved.

THIS GOP REP’S ANTI-OBAMA SPEECH ON THE HOUSE FLOOR IS SPREADING FAST

Freshman Congressman Tom Cotton (R-AR) delivered some thought-provoking comments on terrorism and the Obama administration on Wednesday during a speech on the House floor. “In barely four years,” he said, “five jihadists have reached their targets in the United States under Barack Obama.”

But he wasn’t done there.

“In the over seven years after 9/11 under George W. Bush, how many terrorists reached their target in the United States?” he added. “Zero! We need to ask, ‘Why is the Obama Administration failing in its mission to stop terrorism before it reaches its targets in the United States?’”
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Pit Bull Owners Bark At Background Check Bill

A North Carolina lawmaker says he was caught off guard by the angry responses he got to a bill that would require the owners of pit bulls, mastiffs and Rottweilers and other large breeds to undergo criminal background checks.

Rep. Rodney Moore, a Charlotte Democrat who sponsored the bill, tells Law Blog that his office got thousands of emails from people protesting the plan. Many of them were from pit bull owners who attached photos of their dogs looking cute and “passive,” he said.

The legislation died in committee. “I’ve been inundated,” said Mr. Moore. “It’s a good idea, but maybe the language was kind of harsh.” He said he would get stakeholders together to talk about animal-safety issues.

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The New Solyndra: Obama Kept Pumping Taxpayer Cash As Company Was Failing

It appears, once again, that the government's inept approach to spending 'other people's money' has blown up in their face. As HotAir.com reports, newly obtained documents show the Obama administration was warned as early as 2010 that electric car maker Fisker Automotive Inc. was not meeting milestones set up for a half-billion dollar government loan, nearly a year before U.S. officials froze the loan. Just as with Solyndra, Congress seemed convinced to spend billions of taxpayer money 'investing' in green-tech startups - only to lose everything. Simply put, in our humble opinion, the pattern is explained by the 'monopoly money' perspective we suspect these funds are viewed as in light of Bernanke's inexorable funding of the government's largesse. None other than the great Joe Biden reveled in the news in 2009 that Fisker would re-open a closed GM plant creating jobs, jobs, jobs; it never completed the task and never created one job. When the money isn't yours, 'investing' public funds is oh so easy and it appears, with zero consequence for the decision makers - again.

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Senate Passes Bill To Ease FAA Furloughs

With flight delays mounting, the Senate approved hurry-up legislation Thursday night to end air traffic controller furloughs blamed for inconveniencing large numbers of travelers.

A House vote on the measure was expected as early as Friday, with lawmakers eager to embark on a weeklong vacation.

Under the legislation, which the Senate passed without even a roll call vote, the Federal Aviation Administration would gain authority to transfer up to $253 million from accounts that are flush into other programs, to "prevent reduced operations and staffing" through the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.
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Sebelius Claims Young People Won't Pay 25-150% More for Health Insurance

BREAKING NEWS: Country Music Legend George Jones Dies At 81

George Glenn Jones, the country music singer behind songs like ‘She Thinks I Still Care’ and ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today,’ dies at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after being hospitalized with a fever and irregular blood pressure.From Fox News

Congress Prepares $100 Million Bipartisan Flu Tax

Congress is preparing to take action on a bipartisan proposal to raise taxes on flu vaccines. This is not a tax on the wealthy, but rather on a broad swath of Americans, or at least those who choose to be immunized against the flu.

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Boston Victims Adrianne Haslet And Beth Roche Vow To Dance, Run Again

MORNINGS are the hardest for Adrianne Haslet because the 32-year-old professional ballroom dancer forgets at first that her left foot is gone.

Beth Roche wakes up knowing she can't feel sorry for herself, that she has to focus on rehabbing her ravaged left leg.

But despite life-changing injuries, both women have vowed that the Boston Marathon bombings that killed three people and left them among the ranks of more than 260 injured will not define their lives.
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The F-Word From Washington

Getting furloughed is a very personal thing, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. For some feds, it will amount to no more than a series of three-day weekends. Others say even losing a couple of days pay will break their bank. Still more think it is a political stunt and a heckuva way to run a government. So what's your take?

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Clap Your Hands

Annual Kite Expo Showcases Latest In Industry, Free Lessons

OCEAN CITY -- Ocean City will kick off the season early by painting the sky with every color under the sun at the Maryland International Kite Expo (M.I.K.E.), set for April 26 -28.

The festival will be showcasing a spectacular cast of kite flyers from all over the United States. Thousands of spectators will watch giant kites, as big as a city bus, fly high above the Ocean City skyline.

In addition, stunt teams will perform amazing acrobatic maneuvers all in sync to the delight of the crowds. The teams consist of four or more precision kite fliers, all flying four line kites in perfect formation. They are the Thunderbirds of the kiting world. They will perform amazing routines choreographed to music. Team demos will take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Returning once again for 2013 will be the Mid-Atlantic Sport Kite Championships as part of the M.I.K.E.
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Where Is Salisbury Going?

Ukrainian Rutgers Student Arrested Taking Two IEDs Into New York

Ukrainian Rutgers student arrested taking two IEDs into New York just a week before Boston Marathon bombing

Mykyta Panasenko, 27, was arrested in Hoboken, New Jersey on April 7 aboard a New York-bound train. He was carrying two improvised explosive devices, according to police.
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Early College Program: Delmar School District Partners With Wilmington University

DELMAR – Starting next year, a Delmar High School graduate will be able to walk at commencement holding a high school diploma in one hand and a college transcript in the other.
Beginning in the fall of 2013, academically-eligible juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to become dually enrolled at Delmar High School and Wilmington University concurrently, resulting in high school credits and college credits being earned simultaneously by those students.
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Big Bang

OK, that was a pretty big bang. Did you feel it?

IRS Issued 11 Billion In Improper Refunds, Report Says

The Internal Revenue Service issued more than $11 billion in improper payments through its Earned Income Tax Credit program last year, according to an inspector general’s report released this week.

Treasury Department deputy inspector general Michael McKenney found that the IRS has failed to comply for two consecutive years with the Improper Payments Elimination Act , which President Obama signed in 2010. The law requires federal agencies to reduce erroneous payments to a rate of less than 10 percent.

The IRS estimates that at least 21 percent of its EITC payments in 2012 were faulty. That rate showed a decline compared to the previous nine years, but improper payments over the same period increased about 22 percent, rising to at least $11.6 billion, according to the inspector general’s report.
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O'Malley To Sign Death Penalty Repeal Next Week

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to sign a measure repealing capital punishment in Maryland into law.

Raquel Guillory, a spokeswoman for O'Malley, confirmed on Thursday that O'Malley plans to sign the bill at a bill-signing ceremony on May 2.

Maryland will become the 18th state to ban the death penalty. Connecticut did so last year. Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico and New York also have abolished it in recent years.
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Yard Sale

A number of families in my community are going to be having a yard sale this coming Saturday, April 27th. We are in the new townhome community on the old Aydelotte Farm. We are located off of Beaglin Park Drive at Middle Neck Drive here in Salisbury. Starts at 8 AM.

BREAKING NEWS: Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect Moved

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been transported from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to the Federal Medical Center at Fort Devens in Ft. Devens, Mass., a US Marshals Service spokesman tells Fox News.

Ocean City Police Reminds Citizens To Share The Road With Motorcyclists

This weekend thousands of motorcyclists are anticipated to visit Ocean City and the surrounding area as the 3rd Annual Bikes to the Beach Spring Rally is scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 25. In correlation with Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, which begins May 1, the Ocean City Police Department is reminding motorists and motorcyclists to “share the road” and be extra alert to keep motorcyclists safe.

Motorcycles are vehicles with the same rights and privileges as any motor vehicle on the roadway. Motorists and bicyclists should perform visual checks for motorcyclists by checking mirrors and blind spots before they enter or exit a lane of traffic, and at intersections. In addition, pedestrians should also get into the habit of scanning for motorcyclists who might be hidden by other traffic.

“Safety is a mutual responsibility for motorists and motorcyclists alike,” said Acting Chief Gregory Guiton. “Drivers must be aware that a motorcycle, as one of the smallest of vehicles on the road, can be ‘hiding’ in your vehicle’s blind spots. Always check blind spots, use mirrors and signal before changing lanes or making turns.”
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More Red Roost In May!

Open 5 days a week starting Wednesday, May 1st! »Make sure to catch Backfin Banjo Band  in there new Wednesday night time slot! More Days and More Hours! Open 5 days a week in May! Hours of Operation in May: Monday-Tuesday: Closed Wednesday-Friday: Open at 5:30 Saturday-Sunday: Open at 3:00  Open at 12:00 Noon on Mother's Day! Call today for Reservations! 410.546.5443

Boston And Freedom

The government's fidelity to the Constitution is never more tested than in a time of crisis. The urge to do something – or to appear to be doing something – is nearly irresistible to those whom we have employed to protect our freedom and to keep us safe. Regrettably, with each passing violent crisis – Waco, Oklahoma City, Columbine, 9/11, Newtown and now the Boston Marathon – our personal freedoms continue to slip away, and the government itself remains the chief engine of that slippage.

The American people made a pact with the devil in the weeks and months following 9/11 when they bought the Bush-era argument that by surrendering liberty they could buy safety. But that type of pact has never enhanced either liberty or safety, and its fruits are always bitter.
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“Developing Global Leaders For Tomorrow”

Toastmasters District 18 Spring Conference

“Developing Global Leaders For Tomorrow”

Baltimore, MARYLAND, April, 2013 – The first quarter of year has come and gone. Can you believe it? There’s less than eight months left in the year and perhaps you have some unresolved goals or resolutions on your list for 2013. Need help accomplishing them? The annual spring conference for District 18 may be the right place for you and its right around the corner. Have you put this on your to-do list? It’s highly suggested and here’s why:
Toastmaster’s accredited speaker, Jana Barnhill, will be the event’s keynote speaker. Jana, the fourth female president of Toastmasters International, is a two-time finalist in Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking, and globally and nationally conducts seminars for communication skills and leadership development.
Moreover, there will be concurrent workshops given to help all attendees focus in on their key initiatives, while gaining knowledge on becoming great or greater communicators. During each break out session, you will also have the opportunity to network with other attendees and feed your creative forte. Want to improve in a current role, or promote to the next level? Or maybe you’d like to get that small business or second occupation off to a great start. If you’re seeking growth, you shall find it at the 2013 District 18 Spring Conference.
If you enjoy variety, you can look forward to both a fun and educational conference. Taking place at the Tremont Hotel in Baltimore, MD from 7am-6pm, the spring conference will host the Table Topics contest and International Speech Contest. The contest results will be given toward the end of the day. In addition, basket raffles will be given away. If you are not a member of Toastmasters, don’t worry. The conference is open to the public, so tell your colleagues, friends, and family.
The day will wrap up with an award ceremony for members who have achieved both Advanced Communication Gold and Advanced Leader Silver. The award ceremony will you give you a snapshot of what you can achieve within the Toastmasters community.
Think of your new year’s resolution list. Now think of your action plan. Any gaps or dead ends? The Toastmasters District 18 Spring Conference can create avenues for your goals. Why not invest? For more information on the event, visit the conference website athttp://d18conference2013spring.eventsbot.com/.