LARRY ELDER GOES OFF ON PIERS MORGAN DURING EXPLOSIVE RACE DEBATE: ‘YOU’RE MAKING BLACK PEOPLE FEEL AS IF THEY ARE UNDER SIEGE…IT’S AN OUTRAGE!’

CNN host Piers Morgan on Wednesday made good on his offer to have conservative personality Larry Elder on his show to debate the George Zimmerman trial, Rachel Jeantel and race relations in the United States. The exchange was just as confrontational and explosive as you might expect.

Elder told Morgan that his interview with Zimmerman trial witness Rachel Jeantel was terrible as he “condescendingly” tried to convince her that she was a “victim.”

“This is a young lady who didn’t apply herself, a 19 year old who is still in high school. Instead of saying, ‘Young lady, take this as an opportunity to take stock of your life,’ you treated her like she was a victim. And that’s how you’re doing this whole thing about race and racism,” Elder said.
More 

Back To The Constitution?

A great many Americans who are dissatisfied with various facets of America’s political system, laws, rights, and justice system think that a solution is somehow to go back to the original Constitution. They do not understand that the original Constitution is a major cause of the present woes and troubles. One man who recognized and explained this and related developments many years ago is Albert Jay Nock in his 1935 book, Our Enemy the State.

My intent in what follows is to present a few of Nock’s important ideas in brief statements. All occasional observations of my own are placed in brackets.

Every increase in State power necessarily accompanies a decrease in social power.

More

Ocean City Agrees To Host Spanish Navy Tall Ship Replica

OCEAN CITY – A 16th century replica of the Spanish Navy tall ship the Nao Victoria Galeon will be arriving in Ocean City in late August offering tours and exhibits of its history.

Last week the Ocean City Recreation and Parks Commission was presented with a private event application from Bryan Lilley of National Air, Sea & Space Foundation (NASSF) and Director of Development Steve Webster to dock the Nao Victoria Galeon in Ocean City for a period of 30 days to add to the resort’s total experience.

According to NASSF, the Galleon is a replica of the 16th century ships that Spanish explorers sailed on to discover Florida and much of the new world. The ship will provide an interactive tour, along with exhibits telling its history. It is 170 feet long, almost 50 feet wide and has six decks with a crew of 25.
More 

Angela Corey’s Checkered Past

Angela Corey, by all accounts, is no Atticus Finch. She is “one hell of a trial lawyer,” says a Florida defense attorney who has known her for three decades — but the woman who has risen to national prominence as the “tough as nails” state attorney who prosecuted George Zimmerman is known for scorching the earth. And some of her prosecutorial conduct has been, well, troubling at best.

Corey, a Jacksonville native, took a degree in marketing from Florida State University before pursuing her J.D. at the University of Florida. She became a Florida prosecutor in 1981 and tried everything from homicides to juvenile cases in the ensuing 26 years. In 2008, Corey was elected state attorney for Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, taking over from Harry Shorstein — the five-term state attorney who had fired her from his office a year earlier, citing “long-term issues” regarding her supervisory performance.

More

Pentagon Spends $81K on TVs for Gitmo While Civilian Workers Are Furloughed

Just two days after the Pentagon began furloughing hundreds of thousands of civilian personnel due to budget cuts, the Army ordered its second batch of televisions for the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay, an expense totaling more than $80,000 in the last two months.

The Army’s Expeditionary Contracting Command (ECC) procured a $62,125 contract for television/DVD player combos on May 30. The award went to Intech, Inc., a Government Services Administration (GSA) approved vendor.

A second contract, announced on July 11, allots $18,981.25 for TV sets and TV mounts. This award was given to Digital Plaza Direct, the “electronics company of choice for all federal and local government purchasers.”
See more

Unions Are Having A Change Of Heart On Obamacare

Labor unions fought successfully for the passage of Obamacare, but now their solidarity is broken and the unions are among the loudest critics of the pending national health insurance program.

Last week, heads of three of the nation's largest unions sent a letter to the top Democrats in Congress who spearheaded the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The letter claims that Obamacare will "shatter not only our hard-earned health benefits, but destroy the foundation of the 40 hour week that is the backbone of the American middle class," according to Forbes.

More

Hot One Today

This was on my front porch today in the shade.

98 degrees.

IRS Employees Were Ordered to Send Tea Party Cases to IRS's Only Obama Political Appointee

IRS employees were ordered by their superiors--including Lois Lerner who pleaded the 5th Amendment against self-incrimination rather than testify in Congress--to send certain Tea Party tax-exemption applications to the office of the IRS's Chief Counsel, which was headed by William Wilkins, who at that time was the only Obama political appointee at the IRS, according to a letter released today by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

“As a part of this ongoing investigation, the Committees have learned that the IRS Chief Counsel’s office in Washington, D.C. has been closely involved in some of the applications,” reads a letter released today by the House committees on Oversight and Government and Ways and Means. “Its involvement and demands for information about political activity during the 2010 election cycle appear to have caused systematic delays in the processing of Tea Party applications.”

It further states, “[B]ased on his decades of experience, [career IRS official Carter Hull] determined he had enough facts to make recommendations whether to approve or deny the applications. … However, Mr. Hull’s recommendations were not carried out. Instead, according to Michael Seto, the head of Mr. Hull’s unit in Washington, Lois Lerner instructed that the Tea Party applications go through a multi-layer review that included her senior advisor and the Chief Counsel’s office.”
See more

A ‘HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGE OF OUR LIVES’: CHANCES ARE, POLICE HAVE RECORDS OF WHERE YOU’VE BEEN DRIVING

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chances are, your local or state police departments have photographs of your car in their files, noting where you were driving on a particular day, even if you never did anything wrong.

Using automated scanners, law enforcement agencies across the country have amassed millions of digital records on the location and movement of every vehicle with a license plate, according to a study published Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union. Affixed to police cars, bridges or buildings, the scanners capture images of passing or parked vehicles and note their location, uploading that information into police databases. Departments keep the records for weeks or years, sometimes indefinitely.

More

Bachmann Says Treasury Lying To Americans About The National Debt

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) on Wednesday night said the Treasury Department is lying to Americans about the size of the federal debt, since it has not changed significantly for the last few months even though the government continues to borrow.

Bachmann cited a report from this week saying the size of the debt has not changed since mid-May.

"That would be called a lie in our house. That is not acceptable to my husband and I. You don't lie to us," Bachmann said on the House floor.

"One thing that the federal government should never do to the people who pay the bills in this country is lie to them. And it seems to me that that's what this number is. For 56 days they're pretending that we aren't adding any debt?"
More 

Justice Department places 'hold' on Trayvon Martin trial evidence, including George Zimmerman's gun - which Florida law says must be returned to him

The U.S. Department of Justice, overseen by Attorney General Eric Holder, has ordered the Sanford, Florida police department to keep possession of all the evidence from George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial - including the exonerated neighborhood watch volunteer's gun.

Sanford police confirmed on Thursday that the DOJ asked the agency not to return any pieces of evidence to their owners. Zimmerman was expected to get his firearm back by month's end.

The development is a sign that the criminal section of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is seriously investigating Zimmerman to determine if federal civil rights charges should be filed.
More 

Disbar Them

Toward the end of his closing statement on Thursday, Florida Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda posted a slide on a screen in a fifth-floor Seminole County courtroom.

“Which Owner would be more inclined to yell for help?” read the banner on the top of the slide. The slide was divided in two. On the left was a photo of George Zimmerman’s Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm handgun, and on the right was a can of Arizona Watermelon Fruit Juice Cocktail. Beneath the photo of the gun was the question, “Who followed?” Under the can was the question, “Who ran?”

So absurd was de la Rionda’s presentation, and the whole case for that matter, that the can was turned sideways so the label could not be read. Throughout the trial, prosecutors have called the drink “iced tea” lest the word “watermelon” be said in court. ”F***ing” was okay. De la Rionda said it more times than the average rapper, but “watermelon,” apparently because of its racial connotations, was not.

More

IRS Official Testifies That Political Appointee's Office Involved In Tea Party Screening

A veteran IRS worker testified on Thursday that officials from a Washington office led by a political appointee intervened in the screening of Tea Party applications, saying publicly for the first time the IRS chief counsel's office was involved in the controversial program.

Carter Hull, a recently retired tax law specialist, gave his first-hand account during testimony before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Hull had earlier come under scrutiny after an employee in the Cincinnati IRS office told congressional investigators that he had been micro-managing her review of Tea Party groups' applications for tax-exempt status. But Hull revealed that he, too, was taking orders from up the chain of command. 
More 

17 People Arrested In Zimmerman Trial Protest In Victorville

Demonstrators held a peaceful rally in Beverly Hills against the George Zimmerman trial verdict, but 17 people were arrested during a rally that turned rowdy in Victorville, authorities said Wednesday night.

Protesters rallied at La Cienega Park in Beverly Hills on Wednesday evening and then marched along busy Wilshire Boulevard in response to the Saturday acquittal of Zimmerman of second-degree murder by a Florida jury in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

Some carried signs saying "We Are All Trayvon" and "Sin Justicia No Hay Paz," or Without Justice There is No Peace. The marchers snarled rush-hour traffic in the area but were peaceful, the Beverly Hills Police Department said.
More 

Tell Me More

Dear Team -

We've been able to accomplish quite a bit together over the past few years.

We've driven down unemployment and recovered 95% of the jobs lost during the Great Recession, all while retaining a AAA bond rating.

We passed some of the nation's toughest laws to reduce gun violence -- banning assault weapons, limiting magazine sizes, and requiring a license and safety training to purchase a handgun -- all part of a comprehensive plan that will save lives when it goes into effect October 1st.

And we passed marriage equality in the legislature, and at the ballot box.

But today, I want to hear about the issues that are important to you and how they impact your life. Tell me here:

http://action.martinomalley.com/your-story

Technology allows government to close the gap between elected officials and the citizens we serve.

Let me know about the issues you care about and I'll be in touch about how we can work together on them.

Best, Martin O'Malley

Detroit Files For Bankruptcy

Detroit filed the largest-ever municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history on Thursday, marking a new low for a city that was the cradle of the U.S. automotive industry and setting the stage for a costly court battle with creditors.

In a letter accompanying the filing, Michigan's Governor Rick Snyder said he had approved a request from Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection noting, "Detroit simply cannot raise enough revenue to meet its current obligations, and that is a situation that is only projected to get worse absent a bankruptcy filing."

Snyder, a Republican, named Orr in March to tackle the city's spiraling long-term debt, which is estimated at $18.5 billion. 
More 

EGYPTIAN POLITICIAN: U.S. AMBASSADOR MEMBER OF MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD 'SLEEPER CELLS'

Mustafa Bakari, an Egyptian politician, issued a brutal assessment of U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson. Bakari stated, “In my opinion, she [Patterson] is a member of the sleeper cells of the Brotherhood, likely recruited by Essam al-Erian or Muhammad al-Baltagi.”

In a June 18 speech, Patterson made the following statement in a speech about the turmoil in Egypt:

“Some say that street action will produce better results than elections,” Patterson said. “To be honest, my government and I are deeply skeptical.”
More 

PC Article Omits "Black Mob" From Text

At least 14 people were taken into custody Tuesday night and many more remained at large after marauding bands of young people conducted a string of robberies, assaults and acts of vandalism along Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles police said late Tuesday.
The crimes did not appear to be related to the protests over the George Zimmerman acquittal in the slaying of Trayvon Martin.

Incident commander Dennis Kato said police were inundated with phone calls beginning about 9 p.m., reporting that packs of young people were roaming along Hollywood and attacking people. Public information officer Rosario Herrera said at least one of the attacks was near Hollywood and Highland.

More

Families Of Newtown Shooting Victims To Each Receive $281,000 In Donated Funds

Families of 20 children and six adults killed in the mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school each will receive $281,000 from the $11.4 million in donations, an oversight board said on Wednesday.

The Newtown Sandy Hook Foundation, which oversees the donations, also decided that the families of 12 children who witnessed and survived the attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December each will get $20,000 and two teachers who were injured will split $150,000.

Of the total $11.4 million in donations raised with the help of the United Way charity, $7.7 million was set aside for the victims of what was one of the worst mass school shootings in U.S. history. The remaining $3.7 million was dedicated to a long-term community fund, a decision by the foundation board that has been criticized by some victims' families and Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy.
More 

MAN ATTACKED BY GANG OF TEENS IN ‘BOREDOM BEATING’ DIES A YEAR LATER

A 46-year-old Ohio man who was viciously attacked by a teen mob last year in what police called a “boredom beating” has died. It’s not yet clear if he died as a result of his injuries, but police are awaiting a report from the coroner’s office.

Pat Mahaney, of Cincinnati, died Friday a year after suffering massive internal bleeding and a four-day hospital stay.

Last August, Mahaney was walking home after buying s six pack of beer when the group of six teens jumped him from behind, beating him to the ground with the beer he had just purchased.

“He was a good boy. He was taking care of his mother,” neighbor Marty Korte told WCPO-TV. He also said Mahaney was so affected by the incident he “was afraid to walk down the street.” In fact, he said he had only seen Korte once since the attack.

The teens admitted to the assault last year, saying Mahaney had done nothing to provoke it. Instead, they were bored and looking for something to do.

More

Elderly Grocery Store Owner Refuses Robber

MARSHFIELD, Wis. (AP) -- A masked robber apparently thought the 96-year-old owner of a neighborhood grocery store in Marshfield would be an easy target for his crime. But, he was so wrong.

Margaretta Wolf has owned the store bearing her family name for 54 years. And she wasn't about to turn over her cash to the armed intruder after he ordered her to open the cash register.

"I said: 'I'm not opening up that cash register and that's it, I'm not opening it. I said you can have all the Tootsie Rolls you want but I am not opening that cash register,'" said Wolf.

The man in the silver mask and carrying a knife continued to give Wolf orders during the robbery attempt Monday.
More 

Cell Phone Etiquette

Isn't it a shame no one is taught any form of Etiquette at all anymore!!!


After a tiring day, a commuter settled down in her seat and closed her eyes.

As the train rolled out of the station, the guy sitting next to her pulled out his
cell phone and started talking in a loud voice:

"Hi sweetheart. It's Eric. I'm on the train".

"Yes, I know it's the six thirty and not the four thirty, but I had a long meeting".

"No, honey, not with that blonde from the accounts office. It was with the boss".

"No sweetheart, you're the only one in my life".

"Yes, I'm sure, cross my heart"

Fifteen minutes later, he was still talking loudly.

When the young woman sitting next to him had enough, she leaned over and said into the phone,

"Eric, hang up the phone and come back to bed."

Eric doesn't use his cell phone in public any longer.

Body Found In Michigan Near Where Brenna Machus Was Kidnapped

Police have discovered a body in a wooded area just miles from a Michigan convenience store where a 20-year-old woman was kidnapped and her co-worker was killed.

The body is that of a woman and resembles missing Family Dollar employee Brenna Machus, Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad said of today's discovery. The identity of the body, however, has not yet been confirmed and police issued no details.

More

Former GOP Senate Candidate Christine O’Donnell Told Her Tax Records Were Breached

More than two years after her upstart Senate campaign rocked the Delaware political world, Christine O’Donnell got an unexpected contact from a U.S. Treasury Department agent warning that her private tax records may have been breached.

The phone message earlier this year shocked the battled-scarred candidate, a tea party favorite who knocked off Republican mainstay Michael Castle in the primary before losing in a bid to win Vice President Joseph R. Biden’s former seat.

“Ms. O’Donnell, this is Dennis Martel, special agent with the U.S. Department of Treasury in Baltimore, Md. … We received information that your personal federal tax info may have been compromised and may have been misused by an individual,” he said in the January message left on her cellphone.
More 

Just What Did Happen Last Friday Between Mayor Jim Ireton And Lore' Chambers

Sources say it was not a pleasant sight, once again. Mayor Ireton has a record of being verbally abusive towards WOMEN. I had reported long ago about how I personally came across his former secretary crying in the hallway after Jim tore her up and down verbally.

More

Al Sharpton Put In His Place On The Morton Downey Jr. Show

BREAKING NEWS: Wicomico County Councilwoman Sharee Sample Houghes Files For Rudy Caine's Seat For Delegate

Legislative District 37A

Sample-Hughes, Sheree Democratic Jurisdiction Wicomico Status Active -  Filed Regular - 07/10/13 SOURCE

Driving Somewhere? There's A Gov't Record Of That

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Chances are, your local or state police departments have photographs of your car in their files, noting where you were driving on a particular day, even if you never did anything wrong.

Using automated scanners, law enforcement agencies across the country have amassed millions of digital records on the location and movement of every vehicle with a license plate, according to a study published Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union. Affixed to police cars, bridges or buildings, the scanners capture images of passing or parked vehicles and note their location, uploading that information into police databases. Departments keep the records for weeks or years, sometimes indefinitely.

As the technology becomes cheaper and more ubiquitous, and federal grants focus on aiding local terrorist detection, even small police agencies are able to deploy more sophisticated surveillance systems. While the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that a judge's approval is needed to track a car with GPS, networks of plate scanners allow police effectively to track a driver's location, sometimes several times every day, with few legal restrictions. The ACLU says the scanners assemble what it calls a "single, high-resolution image of our lives."
More 

Antonio West

You won't recognize me. My name was Antonio West and I was the 13-month old child who was shot at point blank range by two teens who were attempting to rob my mother, who was also shot. A Grand Jury of my mommy's peers from Brunswick GA determined the teens who murdered me will not face the death penalty...too bad I was given a death sentence for being innocent and defenseless.

My family made the mistake of being white in a 73% non-white neighborhood, but my murder was not ruled a Hate Crime. Nor did President Obama take so much as a single moment to acknowledge my murder.

I am one of the youngest murder victims in our great Nation's history, but the media doesn't care to cover the story of my tragic demise, President Obama has no children who could possibly look like me - so he doesn't care and the media doesn't care because my story is not interesting enough to bring them ratings so they can sell commercial time slots.

There is not a white equivalent of Al Sharpton because if there was he would be declared racist, so there is no one rushing to Brunswick GA to demand justice for me. There is no White Panther party to put a bounty on the lives of those who murdered me. I have no voice, I have no representation and unlike those who shot me in the face while I sat innocently in my stroller - I no longer have my life.

So while you are seeking justice for Treyvon, please remember to seek justice for me too. Tell your friends about me, tell you families, get tee shirts with my face on them and make the world pay attention, just like you did for Treyvon..

Medical School Exam

When I was young my intent was to go to medical school, but I was confused by the entrance exam.

The deciding question was, "Re-arrange the letters P N E S I to spell out an important part of the human body that is more useful when erect."


Those who spelled SPINE became doctors. Many of the rest are in Congress.

For The Kids: Conductor Jack In Concert

WHAT: Dig Into Reading Concert with Conductor Jack

WHO: Conductor Jack of the Zinghoppers TV Show

WHEN: Wednesday, July 31, at 2 p.m.

WHERE: Main Library

SALISBURY, MD – Come to the Main Library on Wednesday, July 31 at 2 p.m. to see Conductor Jack, who is touring nationwide and is an EMMY award-winning songwriter, innovative educator and co-creator/co-star of "The Zinghoppers Show" - a series that is airing on over 100 PBS stations. Bringing his guitar, ukulele and banjo, Conductor Jack will sing classic kids songs, original tunes like "In The Garden" and "Dig Into Reading"…all while getting your kids to dance, participate and have fun at the library! Jack encourages audience participation and gets kids dancing, singing along and laughing within the first few notes of the first song. This is a free family event.

For more information on Conductor Jack or the Zinghoppers, please visit www.zinghoppers.com. For more information on this event or other library services, visit us on the web at www.wicomicolibrary.org or call 410-749-3612. All events, classes, and programs are free and open to the public.

Has Your Dignity Also Been Abolished?

During a routine traffic stop, Leila Tarantino was allegedly subjected to two roadside strip searches in plain view of passing traffic, while her two children—ages 1 and 4—waited inside her car. During the second strip search, presumably in an effort to ferret out drugs, a female officer “forcibly removed” a tampon from Tarantino. No contraband or anything illegal was found.

A North Carolina public school allegedly strip-searched a 10-year-old boy in search of a $20 bill lost by another student, despite the fact that the boy, J.C., twice told school officials he did not have the missing money. The assistant principal reportedly ordered the fifth grader to disrobe down to his underwear and subjected him to an aggressive strip-search that included rimming the edge of his underwear. The missing money was later found in the school cafeteria.

Suspecting that Georgia Tech alum Mary Clayton might have been attempting to smuggle a Chik-Fil-A sandwich into the football stadium, a Georgia Tech police officer allegedly subjected the season ticket-holder to a strip search that included a close examination of her underwear and bra. No contraband chicken was found.

More

Today's Survey Question 7-18-13

How many of you went to Crisfield yesterday?

Publishers Notes: I watched WBOC yesterday to see what the crowd was like and it became painfully obvious the event was very poorly attended. The camera people were doing everything they could to make sure they limited any background shots and when they covered Brown being there they jammed in the supporters he brought and you could see nothing else. 

Md.’s Heat-Related Death Toll Reaches 5 As The Wave Continues

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The scorching temperatures claim another life. A fifth heat-related death has been reported in Maryland.

The Maryland Health Department just released that information Wednesday.

Linh Bui has more on the challenges to stay cool.

Another person has died from the heat this summer. A grim reminder of how dangerous it can be outside.

In this heat, doing anything outside is risky: exercising, working, even sitting.

“It feels like I’m in an oven. Like, I’m toasting,” a woman said.

And now a fifth heat=related death has been reported in Maryland. The latest fatality–a woman over 65-years-old in Wicomico County. The second death in that county.
More

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON IMMIGRATION REFORM

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley today released the following statement urging the U.S. House of Representatives to pass comprehensive, common sense immigration reform:

“I join with my fellow governors across the country in urging the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the common sense immigration legislation recently approved by the Senate. This is the right thing to do for our national security, the well-being of our workforce, and also for job creation and the U.S. economy.

“If we want better results we have to make better choices.
“In Maryland, we passed the DREAM Act - and we became the first State to successfully defend it at the ballot box - because in an Innovation Economy, we create more jobs when we expand opportunity.”

Plane Crashes Into Anne Arundel County Mobile Home, 1 Hurt

WASHINGTON - A 70-year-old sustained critical injuries after a plane crashed into a mobile home in Anne Arundel County, Md., Thursday morning.

The single-engine aircraft crashed into the mobile home at 13 South Bruce Street in Laurel, Md., in the Parkway Village Trailer Park at about 10:15 a.m.

The plane hit two other mobile homes in the trailer park before colliding with the home at 13 South Bruce Street.
More 

Facts Show Zimmerman Not Racist

In a remarkably well-researched piece titled “You Are Not Trayvon Martin,” Slate’s William Saletan challenged several fallacies influencing perceptions and reactions to the acquittal of George Zimmerman. The piece was not favorable to Zimmerman or Martin, but rather only concerned with the facts after what was clearly an exhaustive look into the evidence in the case.

Perhaps the widest held misconception addressed by the Slate piece is the false-assertionthat any evidence existed to indicate George Zimmerman operated from a place of racial resentment when he took the life of Trayvon Martin. Saletan walked his readers through the process that led him to spend over seven hours examining the closing arguments of both the prosecution and the defense.

More

5 Health Problems Caused By Drinking Too Much Alcohol - Diabetes

A slew of recent studies are starting to promote alcohol as "healthy"; that is, drinking a few glasses of wine in a week. However, those that consume three or more drinks a day, may be damaging their bodies irreparably. Learn what conditions alcohol abuse may be responsible.

More

Third Court Overturns Obama Recess Appointments

A third federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that President Obama violated the Constitution last year when he made recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, adding more weight to the case as it goes before the Supreme Court in the justices’ next session.

The Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, said that the president can only make recess appointments after Congress has adjourned “sine die,” which in modern times has meant when it breaks at the end of each year.

That ruling rejects Mr. Obama’s own interpretation that he can make appointments whenever he deems the Senate to be unable to give him “advice and consent” on his nominees. 
More 

Dr. Ben Carson: 'This Is The Beginning Of The Collapse' Of Obamacare

Delaying implementation of key parts of the healthcare law and losing the support of labor unions are just the beginning of trouble for Obamacare, says Dr. Ben Carson.

"It's gonna be a lot worse than this. This is the beginning of the collapse," the retired Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon said on Fox News Channel's "Your World" on Tuesday.

"Usually when you roll out a big program, you roll it out bit by bit. You determine what's working. You can change things," Carson said. "But to try to roll out something this massive without really knowing what the intricacies are is quite foolish."

More

GOVERNOR O’MALLEY TO VISIT ATK SPACE SYSTEMS DIVISION

Will highlight job creation and role of aerospace industry in Maryland's growing innovation economy
ANNAPOLIS, MD — On Monday, July 22, Governor Martin O’Malley will visit ATK Space Systems Division to highlight Maryland’s aerospace industry as integral to the state’s growing innovation economy. Maryland is home to 15 of America’s top 20 aerospace companies and 70 of the country’s top 100 defense contractors. These sectors support more than 140,000 direct jobs in Maryland.

A global aerospace, defense and commercial products company, ATK joined Governor O’Malley at the 50th International Paris Air Show in an effort to help Maryland businesses market themselves to international customers and promote the State of Maryland to businesses abroad in an ever-changing 21st century global economy.

McCain Orchestrates Another GOP Surrender

Sen. John McCain spent the weekend negotiating with Majority Leader Harry Reid on a deal to avert Reid's threatened use of the "nuclear option" to change Senate rules to eliminate filibusters on Presidential nominations. Through his efforts, McCain was able to secure a complete GOP capitulation on 7 pending nominations. Reid secured all the benefits of exercising the "nuclear option" without the political cost of actually using it.

Under the McCain deal, the GOP will provide enough votes to secure the 60 votes needed for cloture and proceed to final consideration of the 7 nominees. In exchange, Reid agreed to replace two current union attorney nominees with two alternative union attorney nominees. McCain's swift surrender ensures that the "nuclear option" is a permanent fixture of the nomination process.

More

2 Teens Arrested In OC For Using Counterfeit Currency

OCEAN CITY, Md. (AP) — Ocean City police have arrested two people they say used counterfeit currency to buy items in resort businesses.

Police say a store employee approached an officer on the Boardwalk on Saturday and said two people had tried to pass a possibly counterfeit $100 bill.

After an investigation led to the recovery of two counterfeit $100 bills, 19-year-old Joel Ray Sites Jones of St. Thomas, Pa., and a 17-year-old girl were arrested and charged with possession of counterfeit currency and theft of less than $1,000.

How Terrifying Drug Raids Became A Cash Cow For America's Police

Because 1984 was an election year, it would need to have an omnibus crime bill of its own. Polls showed that crime was the most pressing domestic issue with the public, so everyone running for reelection needed something to tout on the campaign trail.
At this point, there wasn’t any real debate about crime policy. It was really only about which party could come up with the most creative ways to empower cops and prosecutors, strip suspects of their rights, and show they were more committed to the battle than their opponents were. The most significant provision in the newest crime bill again dealt with asset forfeiture.

More

USSSA World Series Schedule, Part 1 Released

The USSSA World Series schedule for games played July 17-21 has been released. This week’s games include the 10U-12U ‘Open’ and 10U-14U ‘C.’ Games begin tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. The schedule is attached. Updated standings and scores will be posted daily on http://www.usssa.com/sports/WorldResults.asp?Sport=16. There is no gate fee, so the public and media are welcome to attend any games.

Beat The Heat Golf Tournament Supports The Junior Girls Softball Federation

Registration Now Open for August 3 Tournament

SALISBURY, Md. - The Junior Girls Softball Federation of Wicomico Recreation, Parks & Tourism will hold their 5th Annual “Beat the Heat” Golf Tournament at Nutter’s Crossing Golf Course on Saturday, August 3 at 1:30pm. All proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Junior Girls Softball League.

The tournament will be a shotgun start format with teams of four. The registration fee is $300 per team or $75 per golfer. Price includes one round (18 holes) of golf, cart, range balls, dinner, contests and more.

Local businesses and organizations are invited to purchase hole sponsorships for $75 each.

Registration is open now through July 27. Visit www.WicomicoRecandParks.org and click on “Softball – Junior Girls” to download a registration form.

For more information please contact Program Coordinator Emily Eskridge at 410-548-4900 ext. 108 or email recsports@wicomicocounty.org.

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA July 22, 2013 6:00 p.m.

Government Office Building Room 301

Times shown for agenda items are estimates only.

6:00 p.m. CALL TO ORDER

6:01 p.m. WELCOME/ANNOUNCEMENTS

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

6:07 p.m. PRESENTATION - COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

6:17 p.m. ADOPTION OF LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

6:20 p.m. CONSENT AGENDA – City Clerk Kim Nichols

 June 17, 2013 work session minutes

 June 17, 2013 closed session minutes (separate envelope)

 July 1, 2013 work session minutes

 July 8, 2013 regular meeting minutes

 Resolution No. 2303 - approving the appointment of Jacob T. Holloway to the Central City District Commission

 Resolution No. 2304 - approving the appointment of Rev. Ryan Weaver to the Central City District Commission

 Resolution No. 2305 - accepting a private donation from Hope and Douglas Walker for the City Parks

6:25 p.m. AWARD OF BIDS – Assistant Internal Services Director-Procurement Catrice Parsons

 Change Order #2 to Contract 101-13 Garage Waterproofing Membrane

6:30 p.m. RESOLUTIONS – Interim City Administrator M. Thomas Stevenson, Jr.

 Resolution No. 2306 - adopting a Public Works Mutual Aid agreement

 Resolution No. 2307 - to sign a Memorandum of Understanding and accept a donation from the Delmarva Zoological Society and Zoo Commission for the Salisbury Zoological Park Animal Health Building

 Resolution No. 2308 - supporting grant submissions by Wicomico County Historical Properties, Inc. to any State, Federal and non-profit grantors for the purpose of rehabilitating the property known as 501 – 503 Poplar Hill Avenue

 Resolution No. 2309 - accepting grant funding from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention (GOCCP) under the “Stop Gun Violence Reduction Grant – Cease Fire Council” program which is intended to reduce gun related crimes and target wanted offenders in the City of Salisbury

7:00 p.m. ORDINANCES – City Attorney Mark Tilghman

 Ordinance No. 2256 – 2nd reading - approving an amendment of the FY13 General Fund Budget to appropriate funds to cover the City’s employee retirement match

 Ordinance No. 2257 – 1st reading - approving a Budget Amendment of the FY2014 General Fund to appropriate funds for the addition of a Network Administrator position to the Department of Information Technology

 Ordinance No. 2258 – 1st reading - adjusting water or sewer charges in accordance with Chapter 13.04.090 of the City Code

 Ordinance No. 2259 – 1st reading - amending and supplementing Ordinance No. 2044, passed by Council on December 17, 2007, approved by the Mayor on December 19, 2007 and effective on December 19, 2007, as amended and supplemented by Ordinance No. 2069, passed by Council on January 12, 2009, approved by the Mayor on January 13, 2009 and effective on January 13, 2009, as further amended and supplemented by Ordinance No. 2139, passed by Council on February 28, 2011, approved by the Mayor on March 1, 2011, and effective on March 1, 2011, in order to authorize and empower City of Salisbury to use and apply a portion of the proceeds of the $3,605,000 City of Salisbury Public Improvements Bond of 2008 issued on January 22, 2008 (the “2008 bond”) originally allocated to a project identified therein as “Waverly Drive Storm Sewer Project” to a project identified herein as “Salisbury Zoo – Animal Health Building Construction” as further described herein; providing that this title is a fair statement of the substance of this ordinance; and otherwise generally relating to the use of proceeds of the 2008 bond.

7:30 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENTS

7:35 p.m. ADJOURNMENT

House Votes To Delay Parts Of Health Care Law

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Republican-led House voted on Wednesday to delay core provisions of President Barack Obama's health care law, emboldened by the administration's concession that requiring companies to provide coverage for their workers next year may be too complicated.

After a day of heated rhetoric, the House voted largely along party lines, 264-161, to delay by one year the so-called employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act. It voted 251-174 to extend a similar grace period to virtually all Americans who will be required to obtain coverage beginning Jan. 1, the linchpin of the law.

The dual political-show votes marked the 38th time the GOP majority has tried to eliminate, defund or scale back the unpopular law since Republicans took control of the House in January 2011. The House legislation stands no chance in the Democratic-run Senate.
More 

Congressman Harris Votes To Give Everyone Relief From Obamacare’s Bad Medicine

If a One Year Delay is Good Enough for Big Businesses, It’s Good Enough for Individuals and Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, MD voted for two bills that would give both individuals and businesses a one year delay from The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The first bill H.R. 2667 “The Authority for Mandate Delay Act” would delay for one year the requirement that employers who have more than 50 full time employees provide health insurance for their employees. It would also delay the reporting requirements associated with the mandate. The second bill H.R. 2668 “The Fairness for American Families Act” would delay for a year the mandate that individuals purchase health insurance.

The House of Representatives took up both bills in light of the Obama administration’s announcement to delay the business mandate for a year. Knowing that the President cannot enact legislation at whim, the House passed H.R. 2667 to delay the mandate for businesses. Also, understanding the basic unfairness of exempting some from the law and not all, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2668 to exempt individuals from the mandate.

“Individuals and families deserve the same relief under Obamacare as big businesses,” said Congressman Harris. “The President’s decision to give them a one year delay from the insurance mandate but not individuals and families is unfair. This law needs to be applied in a uniform way. It shouldn’t benefit one group at the expense of another.

“Despite promises that Obamacare would insure every American with quality, affordable healthcare, we’re seeing firsthand how it’s leading to higher premiums, denied care, and fewer jobs. In Maryland, young people could pay up to 150% more for their insurance under the Obamacare exchange. It’s clear that everyone deserves relief from Obamacare’s bad medicine – not just big businesses – so we can get our economy growing again and get more people back to work.”

The Land Of Pleasant Living

A great part of living here, being able to boat to Suicide Bridge restaurant and view this on the way home.

NYC To Shell Out $18M To Help Undocumented Immigrants Get Jobs

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn says the program is meant to help young New Yorkers qualify for President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative, which lets undocumented immigrants who came the U.S. before age 16 and were younger than 31 on June 15, 2012, get driver’s licenses and Social Security cards.

More

SPD Press Release 7-18-13

Pastor: Why Blacks Blame Zimmerman. Why Trayvon Martin Got Skittles?

Change Maryland Grows to 50,000 People

ANNAPOLIS - Change Maryland, the state's largest and fastest-growing, independent, nonpartisan grassroots movement, has surged to 50,000 members, from every single county and jurisdiction in Maryland. Founded in 2011 by successful business leader and former Maryland Cabinet Secretary Larry Hogan, the organization's primary mission is to increase the state's economic performance and job growth. The group has built a dominating presence on social media with more people engaged online than the Maryland Democratic Party, the Maryland Republican Party and all of the potential statewide candidates of either party, added together. 

Change Maryland's Facebook page has a total weekly reach of over 341,153 people. No other citizen group in the state has ever accomplished what Change Maryland has, in just over two years.Nearly half the organization's members are Democrats and Independents. "The only way to bring about real change in Maryland is to build a coalition of Republicans, Independents, and fiscally conservative and moderate Democrats to work together. That is exactly what Change Maryland has been doing so effectively. We are uniting people of all parties to work together to bring reform, fiscal responsibility, and common-sense to Annapolis. This isn't just another fight between Democrats and Republicans, it's more important than that. This is a fight for Maryland's economic future, and it's a fight worth fighting!", Hogan said.

Change Maryland gained national prominence with the production of numerous economic studies that have shown the impact of 40 consecutive O'Malley-Brown tax increases, that take an additional $3.1 billion annually out of the pockets of struggling Maryland families and small businesses. The group has highlighted the fact that Maryland is no longer competitive with other states in the region, that we have lost 6,500 businesses and that our unemployment rate has nearly doubled under the O'Malley-Brown Administration. A well-publicized taxpayer migration study by Change Maryland showed that the state had the largest mass exodus of any state in the region and that 31,000 taxpayers have fled the state, taking $1.7 billion per year out of Maryland's economy. Change Maryland hosted an Economic Summit on Improving Maryland's Economic Competitiveness, which brought together economists, think-tanks, Federal, State and local government officials, and over 400 top business leaders, to focus on finding solutions to the state's serious economic problems.

Change Maryland founder and Chairman Larry Hogan is also the founder, President and CEO of the Hogan Companies, leaders in economic development who have brought hundreds of companies and thousands of jobs to Maryland, and have done over $2 billion in business in the state. Hogan left his business for public service as a State Cabinet Secretary from 2003-2007, appointing over 7,000 people to all three branches of state government. In 2010, Hogan was the only serious challenger willing to take on O'Malley, and was considered by many to be the presumed Republican nominee for Governor, until former Governor Bob Ehrlich decided to enter the race. Bob Ehrlich called Hogan one of the only Republicans in the state with a chance to win. Maryland's most powerful Democrat, Steny Hoyer called Hogan the toughest opponent he has ever faced in his entire career.