DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY DEPENDENCE - In the fourth quarter of 2011, 49.2 percent of Americans received benefits from one or more government programs, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
· REALLY BIG BRO - The National Security Administration recorded information about more than 124 billion phone calls during a 30-day period earlier this year, including around 3 billion calls from U.S. sources, according to a tally from top-secret documents released by multiple news outlets.
· OBAMACARE - The U.S. individual health insurance market currently totals about 19 million people. Because the Obama administration's regulations on grandfathering existing plans were so stringent about 85% of those, 16 million, are not grandfathered and must comply with Obamacare at their next renewal. More
Four guys have been going to the same fishing trip for many years. Two days before the group is to leave, Ron's wife puts her foot down and tells him he isn't going.
Ron's pals are very upset that he can't go, but what can they do.
Two days later, the three get to the camping site only to find Ron sitting there with a tent set up, firewood gathered, and dinner cooking on the fire.
"Dang, Ron, how long you been here, and how did you talk your missus into letting you go?"
"Well, I've been here since this morning. Yesterday evening, I was sitting in my chair and my wife came up behind me and put her hands over my eyes and said, 'Guess who?' "I pulled her hands off, and she was wearing a brand new nightie. She took my hand and pulled me to our bedroom. The room had candles and rose petals all over. On the bed she had handcuffs, and ropes!
She told me to tie and cuff her to the bed, and I did. And then she said, "Do whatever you want."
How is this for irony? After spending 2012 scourging Mitt Romney as a heartless capitalist for working at Bain & Co., President Obama is now betting on another former Bain consultant, Jeffrey Zients, to rescue his trouble-plagued Healthcare.gov website.
Obama named Zients, currently the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, to lead the "tech surge" to address the many problems with website. "Jeff will provide short-term advice, assessments and recommendations," Press Secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday.
Zients previously worked at the management consulting firm Bain & Co., from August 1988 to June 1990. This was the same company that got Romney, who joined Bain in 1991, labeled as a "vulture capitalist" during the election. More
The story we learn of the American Revolution is one of tea parties, Paul Revere, taxation without representation, all men created equal, Patriots against Loyalists, heroes without self-interest.
The reality, for those interested and willing to dig a little deeper, is a little different – most easily understood if one accepts that the men of the revolutionary generation were not saints. They were men with different interests, different reasons for desiring independence, and different interpretations of what independence meant for them and for their fellow travelers on the continent.
Believe it or not, many of the key players saw revolution as an opportunity to secure political advantage for themselves in place of the crown. Shocking, I know….
There was one person in a position to do a completely thorough job of telling the story of the revolution, as he had first-hand knowledge of every political action taken and attempted by the principle actors of the time:
The one figure who, more than any other, represented continuity throughout the Revolution was Charles Thomson, the Irish-born “Sam Adams of Philadelphia.” He was elected secretary of the First Continental Congress by the radical element which had immediately sensed in him a fellow spirit. (Page 361, emphasis added)
What does Jensen mean by “radical element”? Throughout the book, Jensen describes a key philosophical divide between two factions of revolutionaries – and it is the divide that played out throughout the period of the Confederation, to the drafting and ratification of the Constitution, and through the first half of the nineteenth century – finally culminating in complete victory for one side.
One of the cool things about the Bible is that it contains some very interesting passages that no one seems to read.
Understand, please, that I’m neither promoting a literal interpretation of the Bible nor giving you a sermon. I’m just pointing out a fascinating fact that most everyone seems to have missed, religious folks included.
In this case, I’m referring to a passage that comes at the very end of the book, where a list is given, itemizing the kinds of people who will be condemned to “the second death.”
Who would you expect to stand at the top of the list? Murders? Idolators? Maybe adulterers?
Nope, none of those. The first people heading off to destruction are “the fearful.” But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Call the caterer, and fuel up Air Force One. President Barack Obama is launching an intense fundraising push for Democrats that will take him to more than a half-dozen states before the end of the year.
In all, Obama has scheduled at least nine fundraisers from Florida to Texas to California, and first lady Michelle Obama plans a 10th event. Benefiting from the presidential appearances will be the national Democratic Party, plus the campaign committees that raise money for Democratic House and Senate candidates.
Vice President Joe Biden is also expected to raise money for Democratic candidates. Continue reading
In the 13th century, Marco Polo wrote with utter astonishment at the paper currency standard he witnessed in China:
“[a]ll these pieces of paper are, issued with as much solemnity and authority as if they were of pure gold or silver… and indeed everybody takes them readily. . .”
In the Europe of Marco Polo’s day, ducats and florins were considered money by anyone with half a brain.
Yet today, this paper currency system has come to dominate our world. We’ve handed total control of the money supply to a tiny banking elite.
These central bankers never once stand for election. And despite the tremendous power they wield, citizens still think that they live in a democratic republic. Very curious indeed.
Yet while this entire concept of paper currency is deeply, deeply flawed… there are some currencies which are more flawed than others.
When evaluating a paper currency, it’s imperative to first look at the financial condition of its issuing authority– in this case, the central bank.
The only hotel on the grounds of BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport will close next month, ending a 30-year lease with the Maryland Aviation Administration.
Four Points by Sheraton BWI Airport was working on a lease extension at the property for more than a year. But the additional five years there would have called for a $2 million renovation to keep it up with the standards of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which owns the Sheraton brand.
Business has been greatly hurt by sequestration and the renovation would not have been cost effective, General Manager Kevin Carnes said. More
A spokesman for House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) confirmed to Breitbart News on Wednesday that the chairman is currently drafting legislation that would grant legal status to at least some of America’s 11 million illegal immigrants.
“Congressman Issa is currently working on a proposal that would offer temporary status for some qualifying aliens already present,” Frederick Hill, Issa’s spokesman, wrote in an email.
On Tuesday morning, The Hill reported that Issa was working on such a bill. “Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has also started work on a bill that would deal with the immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, and has been briefing stakeholders on it for feedback, according to three people familiar with the matter,” The Hill’s Jennifer Martinez wrote. “It’s unclear when Issa will put the bill forward, sources say, but his aim is to jump-start a discussion in the House about the divisive issue.” More
A unit of Blackstone Group, the world's largest private equity firm, essentially paid a company to purposely miss a debt payment in order to profit on credit default swaps (CDS), Bloomberg's Mary Childs reports. In a brilliantly crafty deal, Blackstone was guaranteed to make money.
CDSs, a kind of insurance against defaults and missed debt payments, were one of the main culprits in the global financial meltdown. Regulators have tried to make them more transparent, with limited success.
Here's how the deal went down, according to Childs:
DOVER, Del. — Delaware State University is getting a $326,000 grant to provide solar energy research and education opportunities for minority students.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced the grant on Tuesday. It is part of a $60 million Energy Department initiative to lower the cost of solar electricity and support a growing solar workforce.
The award will support a new research project to develop thin-film photovoltaic solar technology. The Energy Department says the award is part of its SunShot Diversity in Science and Technology Advances National Clean Energy in Solar program, which aims to drive innovation among groups that are underrepresented in the field. More
President Barack Obama’s rhetoric toward conservative nonprofits inspired the Internal Revenue Service to target Tea Party groups, a broad lawsuit against the IRS alleges.
“The president of the United States gave the IRS a road map to investigate the tea party in the United States,” David French, senior counsel to the conservative American Center for Law and Justice told TheBlaze.
A Navy recruiter who had been relieved of duty at a Tennessee naval base Thursday afternoon opened fire outside the facility, injuring two soldiers and prompting a brief lockdown, MyFoxMemphis reported.
The suspect, who was not immediately identified, was relieved of duty at the Millington base, which is located in a Memphis suburb, the report said. The shooter, armed with a small handgun, was quickly taken into custody, the report said. More
CAMBRIDGE — Schooners and other historic vessels are sailing for Cambridge for the eitgth annual Cambridge Schooner Rendezvous, which starts this Friday, Oct. 25, and continues through Sunday.
While they’re docked at Long Wharf Park here, many of the ships will put out their gangplanks and invite the public aboard for tours and day sails.
The event features participants in last week’s Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, from Baltimore to Portsmouth, Va. At this time, nine schooners have confirmed their participation including the race winner in its class, Pride of Baltimore II, and Lady Maryland, which finished third in that class among six other boats, including Mystic Whaler, which did not finish the race. More
Huffington Post labeled the Obama Administration's attacks on press freedom a "Dictator's Dream" when highlighting a wire story from the Associated Press.
The article details remarks made by AP CEO Gary Pruitt to the 69th General Assembly of the Inter American Press Association. He said the U.S. Justice Department's secret seizure of records of thousands of telephone calls to and from AP reporters in 2012 is one of the most blatant violations of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution the 167-year-old news cooperative has ever encountered.
OCEAN CITY — The construction of the new performing arts center in the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City began in earnest Monday with an aggressive completion timetable and perhaps an even more determined booking approach.
The state-of-the-art, 1,200-seat, two-tiered performing arts center inside the Roland E. Powell Convention Center has an aggressive target completion date set for November 2014. With a Nov. 11, 2014 target date for completion, Ocean City Convention Center Director Larry Noccolino is already planning for future shows and events for the new facility with an aggressive booking plan running concurrently with the construction schedule.
“I’ve already been working with different groups and there has been a lot of positive response,” he said. “We’re targeting completion for Nov. 11, 2014 and I’m already working on something for Nov. 30, 2014, the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend next year.” More
New research from the Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee shows that over the last 5 years, the U.S. has spent about $3.7 trillion on welfare. Here's a chart, showing that spending versus transportation, education, and NASA spending:
At midnight on October 21, a mother in Wichita, Kansas shot an intruder who had entered her house while her two daughters, a two-year-old and an eight-year old, were sleeping.
According to KAKE.com, the 28-year-old mother heard her doorbell ring twice and "grabbed her handgun and went to investigate."
The rolling fiasco that is the launch of the health-insurance “exchanges” — the government-run online marketplaces at the heart of the Affordable Care Act — is something the Obama administration is attempting to explain away as a “glitch,” but it now threatens to throw an entire AutoZone worth of wrenches into the Rube Goldberg machine that is Obamacare. Health and Human Services managers close to the project privately say that hitting early enrollment goals will be all but impossible. The White House has called the situation “unacceptable” (yet it is accepted); insurance companies attempting to use the system are in a state of panic; only a handful of states have their own working exchanges; and the federal exchange is snarled up in Washington’s usual managerial incompetence. Nobody knows how long it will take to fix the problems, or whether they even can be fixed. The president has said that there is “no excuse” for this mess, but there is no one taking responsibility either, nor any credible timetable for getting it sorted out.
In retrospect, those Republicans who sought a delay of Obamacare’s implementation would have been doing the Obama administration — to say nothing of the country — a favor had they been successful.
WILMINGTON, Del. — Delaware’s effort to strengthen its reputation as the center of business incorporation in the United States and home to one of the world’s most respected business courts has run into a First Amendment roadblock.
A federal appeals court panel ruled 2-1 on Wednesday to affirm a decision declaring that a 2009 state law that allowed Delaware’s Court of Chancery judges to preside over secret arbitration in high-stakes business disputes was unconstitutional.
“The benefits of openness weigh strongly in favor of granting access to Delaware’s arbitration proceedings,” Judge Doris Sloviter wrote for the panel majority. More
Doctors have their own Obamacare nightmare to deal with.
Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, a Philadelphia orthopedic surgeon, has a timely reminder for everyone encountering the federal health-care-exchange meltdown: “If you think signing up for Obamacare is a nightmare, ask your doctor how the EMR mandate is going.”
Bingo.
The White House finally acknowledged the spectacular public disaster of Obamacare’s Internet exchange infrastructure during Monday’s Rose Garden infomercial. But President ShamWow and his sales team are AWOL on the bureaucratic ravages of the federal electronic-medical-records mandate.
The troubled HealthCare.gov website may be having problems pulling in applicants for ObamaCare, but that's not stopping President Obama's political arm from pulling in cash off the dysfunctional site.
Through his political group Organizing for Action, Obama sent a videotaped message to supporters in an email Tuesday evening.
In the video, the president said "the website has not worked as smoothly as it was supposed to," but "we're gonna get it fixed." As he's said before, the president added: "The Affordable Care Act is much more than a website."
The email, though, also appealed for donations, saying "the other side will spend millions to maintain the status quo."
TOWSON, MD (October 24, 2013)---America’s first state prison program to have incarcerated veterans training service dogs for wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans celebrated a milestone today, when the first three “graduates” were handed over by inmate trainers to America’s VetDogs. Inmates at Maryland Correctional Institution-Hagerstown (MCI-H) have done a remarkable job teaching the pups to be the eyes, ears, arms, and legs for American heroes coming home with life-altering injuries and trauma.
Western Correctional Institution in Cumberland (WCI), whose team approach includes social work, psychology, case management, and custody personnel, will hold a similar graduation event tomorrow for its first three “graduates.”
This partnership with America’s VetDogs is one of the department’s many restorative justice Public Safety Works (PSW) projects, and one of the only behind-the-fence PSW initiatives. These projects provide skills as well as an opportunity for offenders to give back to the community they have harmed – a powerful and significant tool of rehabilitation. More
We can stop Common Core by repealing it at the state level. Please call and email these legislators and tell them to introduce/ co-sponsor/ support legislation to repeal Common Core.
Democratic Senate President Mike Miller announced Wednesday night that Howard County Sen. Jim Robey will become majority leader of the Senate for Robey’s final year. He replaces Sen. Rob Garagiola who resigned in August.
In the surprise announcement at a fundraiser for the man running to succeed Robey in District 13 — Del. Guy Guzzone — Miller also said that Guzzone would fill Robey’s seat on the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee in 2015.
Miller was presuming not only that Guzzone would win the office — no other candidate is running at the moment — but that Miller himself would get reelected next year to his District 27 seat for an 11th term and continue his unprecedented reign as the Senate’s presiding officer since 1987. At 26 years, Miller, 70, is already the longest serving Senate president in Maryland history and in the United States as well. All the men are Democrats. More
Make reservations NOW for our Lobster Night. TONIGHT enjoy, Whole Lobster served with baby red bliss potatoes, warm drawn butter and corn on the cob for $19.99. Grab a bottle of wine or a few pints and join us for this amazing dinner! Plus jumbo lump crab cakes, hand cut grilled ribeye with Chef Arturo's chimichurri, lobster risotto and all your favorite tapas and small plates. Join us tonight Call for Reservations 410.219.1117
I visited Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Benjamin Franklin's grave and the Visitors Center in Historic Philadelphia this weekend. In the Visitors Center I noticed a children's book on the Constitution marked Common Core. I was curious about what Common Core aligned curriculum on the Constitution would look like and have included pictures of certain pages that concerned me.
The introduction by the author, Carole Marsh, included these favorite sentences. "The Constitution is in some ways a living document, one that is still being debated and revised. Its wording was left intentionally vague in order to be interpreted in different ways over a period of time."
No Carole, the Constitution's wording is intentionally specific.
The page on the Bill of Rights has a matching exercise where children match the right with an example. Guess which amendment was conspicuously absent. You guessed it. There was no mention of the Right to Bear Arms.
I can only assume Carole did not want to mention the 2nd Amendment on the same page that read, "people are considered to be born with certain inalienable rights-that is, rights that the government may not take away." Since this government is working so hard to lay waste to the Right to Bear Arms, mentioning it might have been confusing.
The page explaining the amendment process listed a few proposed amendments that were never ratified. Then children are asked if they would vote Yes or No on these amendments. There were only 7 proposed amendment examples given. These screamed Agenda 21 to me.
Renaming this nation the "United States of Earth." An attempt to limit personal wealth to $1 million. An attempt to abolish the United States Senate. American citizens should have the inalienable right to an environment free of pollution.
I am certain Benjamin Franklin was spinning in his grave.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will be holding a public hearing on a proposal to redesignate 4 parcels of land in Worcester County to "wild lands."
The land in question is already state owned and preserved. According to the Dept. of Natural Resources letter, the redesignation to "wild land "will not change anything about the restrictions and privileges the current designation already provides. People will still be able to fish, hunt, etc on this land.
So why is so much time and money being spent to make this inconsequential change? I can't help but wonder if, in the future, "wild lands" might have more restrictions placed on them. If the Dept. of Natural Resources isn't planning on future restrictions for this land, why do they want to redesignate it?
Please attend the public hearing and ask the Dept. of Natural Resources representatives to keep the current designation.
Tuesday, Oct 29th at 7pm Camp Store Dining Area Shad Landing State Park
The State Board of Education (BOE) is continuing flexing its muscles and plans to enact a state wide disciplinary policy. Currently, local elected school boards develop and enforce disciplinary policies. The proposed regulations totally usurp local control and place in it the hands of the State BOE, whose members are appointed by the governor.
The State BOE is forcing the proposed discipline policy through the approval process. They have broken protocol and not scheduled a public hearing. They have also cut the usual 90 day comment period to only 30 days.
Under the proposed student discipline regulations disruptive offenders will be more likely to remain in school, resulting in schools that are less orderly and safe.
The State BOE is only accepting feedback through Nov 4, 2013 and final action on these regulations will occur on Dec 10, 2013. Please comment asking them not to adopt the proposed regulations.
Doctors now have convincing evidence that they put HIV into remission, hopefully for good, in a Mississippi baby born with the AIDS virus -- a medical first that is prompting a new look at how hard and fast such cases should be treated.
The case was reported earlier this year but some doctors were skeptical that the baby was really infected rather than testing positive because of exposure to virus in the mom's blood.
The new report, published online Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine, makes clear that the girl, now 3, was infected in the womb. She was treated unusually aggressively and shows no active infection despite stopping AIDS medicines 18 months ago. More
Next WCTP Meeting Thursday, Oct 24th: William Campbell, Candidate for Maryland State Comptroller
Ever wonder what a comptroller does? A comptroller ( pronounced con-troller) is essentially a state's chief accountant or financial officer. Some of a comptroller's responsibilities' include:
Overseeing the state budget Ensuring our tax dollars are being well-spent and not wasted through fraud and abuse Preparing financial reports for the state Examining government contracts Collecting taxes and funds to pay for state programs Educating citizens about state tax issues
Although state comptrollers don't make laws, they can issue proposals regarding state financial matters and enact new rules and guidelines.
In 2014 voters will choose between the continuation of policies that have stifled economic growth and continued dependency on the Federal Government, or growing private sector jobs that will ensure Maryland's future prosperity. A key factor in choosing which path will depend upon who occupies the office of Maryland State Comptroller.
Thursday, Oct 24th at 7pm Doors open at 6:30pm Ocean Pines Community Center 239 Ocean Parkway Ocean Pines, MD 21811
I've been stuck on this fact. Individuals and families who did not have health insurance coverage prior to Obamacare had every opportunity to research available plans online, compare coverage and purchase coverage. No government websites were ever needed. But now that they have the new pretty government sites, what is the cost difference between pre-Obamacare rates and today?
It’s damn hard for an individual like me to do something like this – especially since the Obamacare exchangesrequire you create an account and log in before seeing any available plans and rates – so the good folks at Heritageput together an issue brief on Oct. 16.
Aside from the issues associated with actually purchasing health care, once an individual gets a quote for health insurance on an exchange, is the premium higher or lower than before?
Isn't that the real question people should be asking? Why isn’t the main stream media asking this question? Certainly we’ve heard White House spokespersons mention anecdotes of individuals paying less in premiums than they did before, but they never provide details about the coverage, deductibles or if they were over-paying before when they did not have to. Back to Heritage, who ran the before and after numbers as best they could. I looked for some left-wing think tank paper that refutes Heritage’s information, but they are silent. My emphasis is in bold.
Individuals in most states will end up spending more on the exchanges. It is true that in some states, the experience could be the opposite. This is because those states had already over-regulated insurance markets that led to sharply higher premiums through adverse selection, as is the case of New York. Many states, however, double or nearly triple premiums for young adults. Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, and Vermont see some of the largest increases in premiums.
A new study from Wall Street bank Credit Suisse exposes the "dietary impact of 'sugar and sweeteners' and their role in the ongoing health debate surrounding obesity and diabetes." The accompanying video — "Sugar: Sweet With a Bitter Aftertaste" — visualizes the sorry state of sugar consumption.
The harrowing effect of sugar consumption on American waistlines isn't necessarily new news, but Credit Suisse does an excellent job of breaking down just how out of control it has gotten (especially in the U.S., where they had to literally adjust the y-axis of one of their charts so that U.S. soda consumption could be mapped).
We grabbed some screenshots from Credit Suisse's video to break it down.
(PIKESVILLE, MD) – On October 21, 2013, troopers across the state conducted traffic initiatives with the intent to keep emergency workers safe by enforcing the ‘Move Over’ law.
The Maryland State Police conducted a variety of traffic initiatives throughout the state to enforce and to educate drivers about the ‘Move Over’ law. Preliminary results revealed that troopers conducted approximately 1,411 traffic stops during the 24 hour period. Of those stops, approximately 335 citations and 484 warnings were issued for violations of the ‘Move Over’ law.
Troopers also made 20 criminal arrests while issuing an additional 476 citations and 409 warnings for other traffic violations. There were 97 repairs orders issued as well.
In light of recent incidents involving a trooper being struck and another trooper’s vehicle destroyed by drivers failing to adhere to the law, this created an opportunity to promote the importance of this law. Drivers who are obeying the ‘Move Over’ law give emergency workers an area for them to safely work. The Maryland State Police will continue to enforce the ‘Move Over’ law as well other traffic violations in order to keep roadways safe.
SAVAGE, Md. —Howard County police are offering a reward up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of a man wanted for shooting a police officer in Laurel Wednesday afternoon.
Stephon Prather, 29, is wanted for attempted murder of a police officer and multiple counts of assault against officers.
Police received a call shortly after 4 p.m. from a business in the 9500 block of Washington Boulevard. The caller reported seeing a man with a gun. Three officers responded. When they arrived, they confronted the man, who immediately opened fire, striking Officer Steven Houk, 30, police said. More
