Bills, Bills and More Bills

• SB 653, sponsored by Senator Astle, proposes to extend the Anne Arundel program whereby any county resident with an outstanding warrant may have his Maryland income tax refund withheld until the warrant is cleared. Warrants in Maryland may be for anything from failure to appear for a traffic violation to a deadly crime. (Items in [brackets] are to be removed from existing law, new language is in CAPS.)
• More

• 2014 SB 409/HB 1197 would require restaurants to ask customers about food allergies and take certain training
  SB 409/HB1197, sponsored by Senator Raskin and Delegate Hixson, respectively, seek to require restaurants to do two things: 
• More

• 2014 HB 342 proposes to protect minors who seek medical assistance for alcohol or “drug” ingestion
• HB 342, sponsored by Delegate Haddaway-Riccio, seeks to protect, from prosecution, minors who, in good faith, seek assistance for another person who is in medical distress after consuming alcohol or, “drugs”/”controlled dangerous substances”: 
• More 

NAACP TO ADDRESS “JOB CREATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT“

Salisbury, MD … David J. Ryan, Executive Director of Salisbury-Wicomico Economic Development (SWED) will be the guest speaker for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) monthly meeting on Thursday, February 27th at 7:00 P.M. This meeting will be held at Chipman Cultural Center, 325 Broad Street, Salisbury, MD.

Mr. Ryan will address job creation and economic development issues in the Salisbury and Wicomico County area.

For additional information about this meeting, contact Mary Ashanti, President, at 410-543-4187.

The public is invited to attend this meeting.

Nude Florida Teenager in State of ‘Excited Delirium’ Allegedly Commits One of the Most Bizarre Crimes of 2014

Authorities in Florida found themselves battling another deranged, naked man over the weekend who displayed an unusual amount of physical strength and violently attacked a police dog.

According to a police report, obtained by the Sun-Sentinel, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office confronted Conrad Hopper, 17, who appeared to be in a stage of “excited delirium.” The 17-year-old was wielding a “large clock, which had numerous sharp utensils protruding from its entire border,” police reportedly added.

The incident started earlier, when officers responded to reports of a burglary. A 15-year-old boy said he was feeding his aunt’s dogs when Hopper walked through the unlocked front door and started touching the child, attempting to remove his glasses from his face.
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Free Mentoring Workshop - February 13th 6-8pm

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake is inviting you to come learn more about mentoring! No obligation to volunteer with us. This workshop is open to teachers, coaches, other mentoring groups and any adult that wants to make a positive impact in the life of a child. Don't miss this free opportunity!

This interactive training provides participants with an introduction or review of mentoring. Topics like Building Trust, Exploring Growth Possibilities and Sustaining the Relationship will make it easier to navigate stages of a mentoring relationship with your mentee. This is relevant to both new mentors as an introduction and current mentors that would like a refresher. Additional training topics include:

Understanding the Role and Expectations of the Mentor

Connection between Mentoring and Positive Youth Development

Positioning the Relationship for Success

The Stages of a Mentoring Relationship

Tips and Tricks to Handle Some Common Challenges that Occur within the Mentor/Mentee Relationship

Location: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake
Greater Salisbury Building, 2nd Floor Conference Room
200 W. Main Street, Salisbury, MD 21801

Registration: FREE for National Mentoring Month

Register by contacting Kelsi Owens at kowens@biglittle.org
or 410-726-2900.

Click here to view more information and fill out the registration form.

Planned Parenthood President: Women ‘Need’ Abortions for Valentine’s Day

Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards said what women really “need” for Valentine’s Day are “safe” and “legal” abortions.

In a brief Vine video posted to Twitter Monday, Richards held up a series of cue cards with the prompt, “#WhatWomenNeed…for Valentine’s Day.”

Written on the cards were “maternity care,” “cancer screenings,” “birth control” and “safe + legal” abortions.
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House GOP Bill Aims To End ‘Secret Science’ In EPA Rulemaking

Republican lawmakers in the House are pushing legislation that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from proposing new regulations based on science that is not transparent or not reproducible.

The Secret Science Reform Act, introduced Thursday by Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., would bar the agency from proposing or finalizing rules without first disclosing all "scientific and technical information" relied on to support its proposed action.

"Public policy should come from public data, not based on the whims of far-left environmental groups,” Schweikert said in a statement. “For far too long, the EPA has approved regulations that have placed a crippling financial burden on economic growth in this country with no public evidence to justify their actions.”

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Lights Out For NSA? Maryland Lawmakers Push To Cut Water, Electricity To Spy Agency Headquarters

NSA nerve center in Fort Meade targeted by bill.

The National Security Agency is based in Fort Meade, Md., and is currently building a new computer center there that will be cooled with recycled wastewater from Howard County, Md.

The National Security Agency’s headquarters in Ft. Meade, Md., will go dark if a cohort of Maryland lawmakers has its way.

Eight Republicans in the 141-member Maryland House of Delegates introduced legislation Thursday that would deny the electronic spy agency “material support, participation or assistance in any form” from the state, its political subdivisions or companies with state contracts.

The bill would deprive NSA facilities water and electricity carried over public utilities, ban the use of NSA-derived evidence in state courts and prevent state universities from partnering with the NSA on research.

State or local officials ignoring the NSA sanctions would be fired, local governments refusing to comply would lose state grant funds and companies would be forever barred from state contracts.

The bill was filed as emergency legislation and requires support of three-fifths of delegates to pass. It was referred to the chamber’s judiciary committee.

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Black Mob Violence In Macon: What’s Snow Got To Do With It?

John J. Owens is absolutely sure race had nothing to do with the reason why 30 black people attacked five white people, including a mom and a baby, near Macon Georgia last week.

The alleged assailants and victims could have been any race. “Color doesn’t matter, only the ‘idiot factor’ matters,” opined Mr. Owens in the Macon Telegraph. That means the rest is random.

Anyone who ever took — and passed — a course in elementary statistics might wander about why Mr. Owens is so willing to dismiss race as a factor in the violence.

Because the odds of 30 black people “randomly” attacking five white people — including the woman and child — are about the same as the odds of fully loaded jet liner crashing on your front lawn. Twice. On the same day. With your mom in the first plane. And your long lost brother in the second.

So: That is not to say its impossible. Just not likely.

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GOVERNOR O'MALLEY ANNOUNCES $500,000 INVESTMENT IN SALESWARP FROM INVESTMARYLAND

BALTIMORE, MD – SalesWarp, a Baltimore-based provider of e-commerce management software, has received a $500,000 investment from the State’s InvestMaryland program, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) announced today. A public-private partnership between the State and venture capital firms, InvestMaryland raised $84 million to reinvigorate the State-run Maryland Venture Fund (MVF) and support the growth of young Maryland companies in biotechnology, cybersecurity, e-commerce and other high-growth industries. The funding, through the Maryland Venture Fund, led SalesWarp’s fundraising round and will be used to grow the company’s innovative line of products.

“Entrepreneurs, startup companies and small businesses play a critical role in the growth of Maryland’s economy. They are the engine that drives innovation and discovery while creating the family-supporting jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Governor Martin O'Malley. “We are proud to make this investment in SalesWarp and we look forward to their success in Maryland’s growing community of exciting high-tech startups.”

“We are thrilled to have this commitment from the Maryland Venture Fund,” said David Potts, Founder and CEO of SalesWarp. “Beyond the funding, MVF also brings many connections and skills that will help us achieve our 2014 goals and grow our team here in Maryland. We’re using this funding to expand our market share nationally, meet rising customer demand and continued innovation of our product lines to propel growth.”

SalesWarp, a retailer’s mission control center, has experienced strong growth the past two years by serving both enterprise and emerging online retailers. A budding 12-personcompany located in Baltimore’s Emerging Technology Center, SalesWarp expects its staff to grow to 25 by the end of 2015. Much of the company’s growth can be attributed to its partner strategy and integrations with leading eCommerce firms, including shopping carts (Magento, Volusion, Demandware, osCommerce), online marketplaces (Amazon, eBay, Rakuten), accounting (Quickbooks, Peachtree) and shipping software (Shipworks, iabol, Shipstation).

Publishers Notes: Once again, why not the Eastern Shore?

Mind Your pH?

Staying in good health has a lot to do with balance. Eating just enough, but not too much; getting enough exercise, but not overdoing it; managing your blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight—they’re all about balance. Being healthy also has a lot to do with pH balance. The pH scale is one that measures the acidity or alkalinity of something. In the case of alkaline foods, we are concerned with the pH of your body.

Keeping pH levels in check is something a healthy body does naturally. All life has a pH level that keeps the body healthy and balanced. When we eat foods that are highly acidic, for example, our body works to correct it, bringing it into alignment with our own pH balance. Ph levels are measured on a scale of 0 to 14. 7.0 is considered neutral; 0 is completely acidic, and 14 is completely alkaline. Your blood needs to be slightly alkaline, with a pH somewhere between 7.35 and 7.45.

Human blood needs to be slightly alkaline when looking at the pH spectrum, somewhere between 7.35 and 7.45. Some evidence exists that suggests today’s modern diet, high in processed foods, is both acid-forming and thusly leading to disease and ill health around the globe.

Acid-forming foods could lead to kidney and liver damage, potentially even increasing your risk of diabetes.

One study from the Arizona Respiratory Center at the University of Arizona found that foods high in acid content (often those with an abundance of animal proteins and salt and low in fruits and vegetables) can lead to “a sub-clinical or low-grade state of metabolic acidosis,” potentially leading to an increase in the risk of cancer.

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Armed Mundanes

Most gun owners are familiar with the maxim “Gun registration is a prelude to confiscation.” Relatively few understand the role of gun registration in threat assessments used to justify paramilitary police raids.

Last Thursday (January 30), Police in Ankeny, Iowa deployed a 12-member SWAT team in full battle array to execute a warrant in an investigation of alleged credit card fraud. The invasion pf Sally Prince’s home was captured on camera, despite the efforts of at least two of the jackbooted marauders to destroy the home security cameras used to record their crime.

One member of the household, Justin Ross, was in the bathroom when one of the raiders arrived. When one of them tried and failed to kick in the door, Ross reached for his handgun. After he heard one of the intruders identify himself as a police officer, Ross – a military veteran who has a firearms permit – re-holstered his gun and sat down with his hands in plain sight. If the overconfident and inept SWAT operator had succeeded in kicking in the bathroom door on the first attempt, Ross would have been murdered.

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French Press Buzzes At Far-Fetched Beyonce-Obama Affair Story

Members of the French press, visiting the United States to cover President Francois Hollande’s meet-up with President Obama, have created a buzz in overseas and domestic news outlets with a story started by one of their own but already shot down as false — that Mr. Obama is having an affair.

French photographer Pascal Rostain said on French radio on Monday morning that pop star Beyonce and Mr. Obama are having an affair, and that The Washington Post is due to break the story on Tuesday, Politico reported. The rumors are completely unfounded — and The Post said through a spokesperson that no such story exists.

But the fact that the allegation is heating up the French wires is interesting in itself, given Mr. Hollande himself was recently tainted by revelations of an affair with an actress, Julie Gaynet, 41.
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A Letter To The Editor: Sonic Boom

Navy says they created sonic boom

I sent you an email when I felt my Ocean Pines house rattle.

Now I hear the Navy says it was caused by a sonic boom 3 miles off the coast.

Here’s my problem with that. I need someone to explain why the rattle, boom, or noise clearly hit us from the West.

I know where we were at that time and my wife and I both looked to the west as the source of the disturbance.

Winter Storm Watch 2-10-14

Winter Storm Watch Issued by NWS Wakefield (Eastern Virginia and Southern Maryland) 

ALERT...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WAKEFIELD HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. 

 * LOCATIONS...PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN VIRGINIA AND THE LOWER MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE. 
* TIMING...WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. 
* HAZARDS...SNOW AND SLEET LATE WEDNESDAY...BEFORE A CHANGEOVER TO RAIN ON THURSDAY. 
 * ACCUMULATIONS...THE POTENTIAL FOR 4 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET. 
 * IMPACTS...SNOW AND SLEET CAN LEAD TO SLICK AND HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS AS IT ACCUMULATES ON ROADWAYS. THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BE HEAVY AND WET...AND MAY WEIGH DOWN ON TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES. SPORADIC POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE.

Instructions: A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.
Target Areas:  Dorchester
                         Somerset        
                         Wicomico

Just In: Obama Administration Announces Another Delay In Obamacare

Fox News
Breaking News: The Obama administration announces another delay in the requirement for businesses to provide health coverage, giving some employers a reprieve next year while phasing in the mandate for others.http://tinyurl.com/mmqugwo

Three Out Of Four Children In The U.S. Consume Caffeine

Nearly 3 out of 4 U.S. children and young adults consume at least some caffeine, mostly from soda, tea and coffee. The rate didn't budge much over a decade, although soda use declined and energy drinks became an increasingly common source, a government analysis finds.

Though even most preschoolers consume some caffeine-containing products, their average was the amount found in half a can of soda, and overall caffeine intake declined in children up to age 11 during the decade.

The analysis is the first to examine recent national trends in caffeine intake among children and young adults and comes amid a U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation into the safety of caffeine-containing foods and drinks, especially for children and teens. In an online announcement about the investigation, the FDA notes that caffeine is found in a variety of foods, gum and even some jelly beans and marshmallows.
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Tyler Perry’s ‘Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned’ At The WY&CC March 19

SALISBURY, Md. – Yes…the title is absolutely true. One lesson to learn in life, you can’t scorn a woman and think you’ve achieved an accomplishment. It never works out!

Anita Lincoln is a very successful, modern day, single woman living with all the luxury items available. She thrives in life having a great job and lots of friends. She also takes care of family, especially her younger sister, Mona, and Grandma Hattie. Mona has found true love and is getting married, totally funded by her sister, Anita.

But there is just one thing with Anita, she wants a loving man in her life also to fill a void. That’s when Jasmine, her best friend and work associate, comes in. Jasmine takes it upon herself to “help” Anita find her man by matching her with someone on the internet. Randy is his name; shame is his game. But all that, of course, is unbeknownst to Anita at the time. He is very charming and loving and supposedly well-to-do.

On a trip to Las Vegas, Randy convinces Anita to marry him and the tides turn; Randy is in charge. But, beware of Randy! And be careful how you handle your business. A scorned woman takes no wooden nickels. Anita is appalled by the circumstances and determined to take her life back. The tides turn once again with Anita making sure Randy never…

The rest of the production is unpredictable and entertaining! Don’t miss Tyler Perry’s “Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned!”

‘Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned’ will play the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Wednesday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now online at www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org, by phone at 410-548-4911 or at the Box Office (M-F, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.).

2.3 TRillion Dollars Missing From DOD Day Before 911 2001

GO HERE

US Suspect Possibly Targeted For Drone Attack

WASHINGTON (AP) -- An American citizen who is a member of al-Qaida is actively planning attacks against Americans overseas, U.S. officials say, and the Obama administration is wrestling with whether to kill him with a drone strike and how to do so legally under its new stricter targeting policy issued last year.

The CIA drones watching him cannot strike because he's a U.S. citizen and the Justice Department must build a case against him, a task it hasn't completed.

Four U.S. officials said the American suspected terrorist is in a country that refuses U.S. military action on its soil and that has proved unable to go after him. And President Barack Obama's new policy says American suspected terrorists overseas can only be killed by the military, not the CIA, creating a policy conundrum for the White House.
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Media Avoids Commenting on Stoned Appearance Of Obama In Olympics Interview

I follow many reporters on Twitter. They are usually free with their observations of the political scene—some more free than others. They have a caustic wit from years of covering hack politicians, but they also have a protective manner when it comes to President Barack Obama. A case in point is Obama’s interview with NBC Sports’ Bob Costas taped Thursday but broadcast Friday evening as part of the network’s coverage of the opening ceremonies of the Sochi Winter Olympic Games. As reported last night at the Gateway Pundit, viewers took to Twitter last night to express their astonishment at how stoned Obama looked. More

When Conventional Success Is No Longer Possible, Degrowth And The Black Market Beckon

"Phantom economies tend to give rise to gray and black markets in proportion to the deviance of the phantom economy from reality."

College graduates around the world are discovering that getting a university diploma no longer guarantees the conventional success story of a secure job and a life of ever-rising consumption. Doing all the things that the Status Quo said would lead to success no longer yields success, for the simple reason that the Status Quo is failing on a structural/systemic level.

The system is rigged to protect the Status Quo mafia from competition. As noted in The Mafia State of Mind (February 6, 2014), the Status Quo is a set of overlapping monopolies/extortion rackets. The system needs a trickle of new technocrats and apparatchiks to manage the rackets, but there is no place for the tens of millions of college graduates who are flooding into the job market every year around the world.

New conventional enterprises face essentially impossible barriers: sky-high rents, absurdly lengthy and costly permitting processes, onerous fees and reporting requirements, and a host of other barriers reputedly imposed to "protect the public" but whose real purpose is to eliminate small-enterprise competition to corporate dominance.

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The FBI Reports Military Gang Members Are Funneling Heavy Weapons To The Streets

The FBI released its gang assessment in October saying that of the 1.4 million gang members in the U.S., many are in the American military.

The High Desert Daily Press, located near Fort Irwin, Ca. follows the FBI report up with an investigation of its own, finding gangs are getting ahold of high powered military weapons and munitions far more often than previously thought (via Military.com).

Their story lists several cases where munitions may have been funneled by military gang members and civilian employees at military bases to California street gangs.

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Family of ~12 Sings Creative 12 Days of Christmas w/ Own Originally Created Lyrics

‘You’re Not Blind’: Starbucks Employee Confronts Amputee Vet Over Service Dog

Starbucks is under fire after an employee confronted an amputee veteran for bringing his service dog to the store.

Yancy Baer’s left leg was amputated in 2009 due to bone cancer. He got his service dog 14 weeks ago through Canine Companions for Independence.

Baer was in Houston, Texas, to speak about his experience with Canine Companions for Independence when he stopped into a Starbucks.

According to Baer, a Starbucks employee met him at the door and told him he couldn’t bring his dog into the store.

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Cruz And Paul Turn Up The Heat On Democratic Establishment

Call Obama out for being a dictator, Clinton for being a sexual predator

Democrats are having a hissy fit over Rand Paul’s comments about former president Bill Clinton, and Ted Cruz’s insistence that the office of the president is becoming dictatorial. Paul said Democrats are hypocritical for saying Republicans are engaged in a “war on women” while at the same time praising the scurrilous Bill Clinton, who had a sordid affair with a White House intern, Monica Lewinsky.

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These Comments Were Made From The Podium By Governor O'Malley

This was from an annual Agricultural Dinner held Thursday night.

Gubernatorial criticism of a Charles County farmer and the executive director of Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. on Thursday night brought rebuke from the Eastern Shore delegation on Friday. Several members, including delegation chair Addie Eckardt and Somerset County Delegate Charles Otto, said the governor should apologize for singling out those two individuals during the annual Taste of Ag dinner.

Gov. Martin O’Malley mentioned Delmarva Poultry Industry’s Bill Satterfield by name and questioned his truthfulness during his speech Thursday.

“Bill Satterfield, you have not always been straight up with me on our dealings on the phosphorus index, but you know what my friend, I’m going to continue to work with you,” O’Malley said.

O’Malley also challenged president of the Charles County Farm Bureau David Hancock Jr. over comments he made in a newspaper asserting that O’Malley was the largest threat to agriculture in the state.

“Honestly, David, I don’t think so,” O’Malley said.

During Friday morning’s meeting of the Eastern Shore delegation, Eckardt said she would send a letter from the delegation to the governor’s office.

“I thought his comments were totally inappropriate and out of line,” Eckardt said.

Otto, who is also a farmer in Somerset County, said Satterfield isn’t untruthful.

“I think he deserves an apology from the governor or at least someone in his administration,” Otto said. “I was quite perturbed.”

I Think These Senators Deserve A Pay Cut

Man Responsible For Olympic Ring Mishap Found Dead In Sochi

The man responsible for operating the Olympic Rings during last night’s Winter Olympic Opening Ceremonies in Russia was found dead today.

According to local reports the body of T. Borris Avdeyev was found his hotel room early this morning with multiple stab wounds.

Avdeyev was a technical specialist responsible for the Olympic Ring spectacle, which embarrassingly malfunctioned last night. Five animatronic snowflakes were supposed to transform into Olympic Rings. The first four functioned properly but the fifth snowflake failed to change shape.

Although his body was badly mangled and the wounds were consistent with a struggle, so far officials say they don't suspect foul play.

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A Nation Of Laws, Not Men, Must Impeach Obama

One of the hats I wear is that of Washington correspondent for Dispatch International, a European weekly newspaper co-edited by Danish journalist and historian Lars Hedegaard. The name may ring a bell with U.S. readers because last February, a man dressed up as a postman with a fake package tried to assassinate Hedegaard, a noted critic of Islamization and proponent of free speech, at his home in Copenhagen. International headlines followed.

One year later, Hedegaard lives under state protection and there have been no arrests. But that's not what this week's column is about.

A few days ago, Hedegaard wrote me with a new assignment:

"Would you write something about a disturbing phenomenon: the fact that Obama rules by decree and neglects the Constitution. How can this go on? Nixon was a complete amateur compared to this would-be Kim Jong-un. It looks like a coup d'etat. Nobody talks about it in Europe."

So that's what America looks like from 4,000 miles away.

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Obamacare Isn't A Train Wreck, It's A Cancer

Put the president’s health care law out of our misery

When a locomotive crashes, it stops. Obamacare, on the other hand, just keeps on going like a cancer that’s ignored, perpetuating itself and destroying everything in its path.

While we thought the health care act was a train wreck, it’s more like cancer.

Discovering you’ve got a problem should be the first step on the road to recovery. You’re supposed to go in and confront it like you would if you found a tumor.

You wouldn’t just leave it there, wondering what it was up to, hoping it would go away on its own. No, you’d enlist some help and take care of business.

With all the anti-Obamacare rhetoric coming out of Republican leadership, they funded it for another year in the budget agreement.

That’s like thinking you can trash-talk your cancer into remission, while smoking three packs a day, and putting off that pesky surgery to remove the tumor until later. Genius.

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Legal Challenge Questions Reliability Of Police Dogs

In 2010, a team of researchers at the University of California, Davis set out to test the reliability of drug- and bomb-sniffing dogs.

The team assembled 18 police dogs and their handlers and gave them a routine task: go through a room and sniff out the drugs and explosives.

But there was a twist. The room was clean. No drugs, no explosives.

In order to pass the test, the handlers and their dogs had to go through the room and detect nothing.

But of 144 runs, that happened only 21 times, for a failure rate of 85 percent.

Although drug-sniffing dogs are supposed to find drugs on their own, the researchers concluded that they were influenced by their handlers, and that's what led to such a high failure rate.

The reliability of drug dogs and their handlers is at the heart of a lawsuit filed in state district court by two Nevada Highway Patrol K-9 troopers and a consultant, who claim that the Metropolitan Police Department's police dogs, and eventually NHP's own dogs, were "trick ponies" that responded to their handlers' cues, and therefore routinely violated citizens' rights to lawful search under the Fourth Amendment.

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Ben Carson: Obama Officials ‘Acting Like Gestapo’

'We're dealing with an extremely corrupt administration'

WASHINGTON – Dr. Ben Carson, the brain surgeon turned popular political analyst, told WND Obama administration officials are “acting like the Gestapo” with the Justice Department indictment of Dinesh D’Souza coupled with the Internal Revenue Service’s political targeting of the administration’s critics.

“I believe we are dealing with an extremely corrupt administration,” he said.

Dr. Carson himself became the subject of an IRS audit after criticizing Barack Obama’s policies at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington last year.

“I’ve always been someone who has been very careful about my finances and the way I take care of my business,” said Dr. Carson. “I’ve never undergone this kind of scrutiny before, but then it comes after the prayer breakfast. They’re harassing my family. They’re harassing my colleagues. And they’re not finding anything – so that just makes them dig a little deeper.”

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The Most Corrupt Village In America

When the police stopped Luvina Mobley Smith, they found a pound of pot in her car and five EBT food stamp cards which drug dealers often take in payment for drugs. It would have been an ordinary enough story except that Smith, despite being a convicted felon, was also the Deputy Clerk of Alorton.

Luvina is the daughter of Callie Mobley, Alorton’s former mayor, who had collected double her salary and served time in jail for income tax evasion. Mayor Mobley, who had been the mayor of Alorton for two decades, had been doing the same thing back to her days as liquor commissioner.

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Kentucky Police Set Up ‘Eating While Driving’ Checkpoints

Operation RAID to target “distracted drivers”

Instead of searching for actual criminals, Kentucky State Police will be on the lookout for people who eat while they drive as part of Operation RAID, which will include checkpoints targeting “distracted drivers,” despite the fact that eating while driving is not banned in Kentucky.

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EPA Fines Chicken Farmer $37,500 Each Time It Rains

Raising poultry is hard enough work, but West Virginia farmer Lois Alt has been battling not only the weather lately but also the EPA -- and she's winning.

The EPA is threatening to fine Alt $37,500 each time it rains. Why? It seems the EPA believes that all-natural dust, feathers and manure on her farm are a threat, and that rain water draining off her property will contaminate the environment. The EPA's draconian position literally could impact thousands of farmers across the country and put them out of business.

It all sounds ridiculous, yes, but we've only scratched the surface. On this week's episode of Off The Grid Radio, American Farm Bureau Federation's Danielle Quist tells us just how far the EPA is willing to go to get Lois to obey.

Quist, an attorney who is representing Lois in a lawsuit against the EPA, tells us:
What the EPA wants Lois to do to stay in business (hint: it's neither cheap nor easy).
How this case could impact farmers from coast to coast.
How EPA regulations are driving farmers out of business and keeping others from even entering the profession.

There's good news, though: A federal court has sided with Lois. But the EPA is appealing, so the legal fight is not over.

This is a true modern-day version of David vs. Goliath that any American -- and particularly any off-the-grid citizen -- should care about.

Click here to listen to this week's interview.

Homeowner Says SWAT Came In Her Home Without Permission

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Deborah Franz feels violated. She claims the SWAT team went into her southside home without her permission during a standoff involving her neighbor Sunday afternoon.

Franz said it all started shortly after overhearing a fight at her neighbor's house across the street Sunday. A short time later, the SWAT team swarmed her neighborhood.

"The cop goes 'You all need to leave, you can't be in your house,'" said Franz.

That happened around 1 p.m. About six hours later, deputies cleared the scene and she went back home. But something was off when she walked through the door.

"I stopped, I froze because I realized somebody had messed with my TV," said Franz.

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Barry Rascovar: O’Malley’s Latest Pension Grab

It takes quite a bit for the quiet, diplomatic State Treasurer, Nancy Kopp, to criticize her fellow Democrat, Gov. Martin O’Malley. But she gently laid it on the line in opposing O’Malley’s $100 million budget cut for state pension contributions.

“It’s a question of trust,” Kopp said, as reported last week by MarylandReporter.com.

Bond rating agencies will look askance at O’Malley’s effort to permanently reduce by $100 million a year the state’s commitment to funding future pensions. “It will be very difficult to defend” when the agencies question her, she told legislators.

What Kopp didn’t say, but others are filling in the blanks, is that O’Malley’s action is a cold, calculated slap in the face of state workers.
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Catherine Engelbrecht's Testimony At House Of Representatives

1,154,000 Fewer Americans Working Today Than 6 Years Ago

(CNSNews.com) - 1,154,000 fewer Americans are working today than six years ago, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In January 2008, 146,378,000 Americans 16 and over were employed, and now in January 2014, 145,224,000 are employed, a difference of 1,154,000.

91,455,000 Americans 16 or older did not participate in the nation’s labor force in January, meaning they neither held a job nor actively sought one. That's a 353,000 decline from December, but 172,000 more than November.

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WCSO Press Release 2-10-14

Incident: Assault / Reckless Endangerment

Date of Incident: 7 February 2014

Location: 9000 block of Spring Hill Lane, Salisbury, MD

Suspect: Hiram Percival Collins, 56, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 7 February 2014 at 12:18 PM a deputy responded to a reported problem in the 9000 block of Spring Hill Lane in Salisbury. Upon arrival, the deputy met with two women who were horseback riding when a subject identified as Hiram Collins took exception to the activity and came out of a residence brandishing a rifle. The two riders proceeded to ride out of the area quickly due to the presence of Collins who then heard two shots. The riders told the deputy that the fired projectiles struck the woods close to where they were which led them to believe that Collins was intentionally firing in their direction.

The deputy located Collins outside his residence and he explained that he wanted to scare the two riders from the property. During the ensuing investigation, the deputy located the actual property owner who declared that the women had permission to ride their horses on the property.

The deputy placed Collins under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Collins in the Detention Center in lieu of $50,000.00 bond.

Charges: Assault 2nd Degree (Two Counts)
Reckless Endangerment (Two Counts)

Senator Colburn Honored By Maryland Business For Responsive Government

ANNAPOLIS – Maryland Business for Responsive Government (MSRG), a statewide nonpartisan organization, honored Senator Richard F. Colburn for his exemplary track record of supporting pro-business legislation in 2013. He received the prestigious John Shaw Award at a ceremony in Annapolis on February 5.

Senator Colburn stated, “It is truly an honor for me to once again receive this prestigious award by fighting for our Eastern Shore businesses which are the backbone of Delmarva’s economy.

Throughout the year, MBRG’s 20-member State Advisory Council selects recorded votes from the most recent General Assembly session that have practical or philosophical importance to the widest possible range of Maryland businesses, trade associations, and chambers of commerce.

MBRG identifies the selected bills in a publication, Roll Call, and analyzes the votes to produce a score for each legislator. For the 2013 analysis, Roll Call, analyzed ten Senate votes and twelve House votes, including SB 683 (Labor and Employment Maryland Wage and Hour Law – Payment of Wages) and HB 226 (Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013).

Senator Colburn was chosen based on the scorecard standards set by MBRG; he achieved a cumulative score of 84 percent over 28 Sessions by voting in favor of pro-business positions on important legislation.

“It’s truly an honor to recognize those elected officials – both Republican and Democrat – who are consistently working to improve the climate for business owners in Maryland, and therefore, our state economy,” said President MBRG, Duane Carey.

In recognition of his pro-business voting record, Senator Colburn received a certificate, a lapel pin, support materials for his campaign, and special recognition in Roll Call.

The award is named for John Shaw, an exemplary citizen and legislator who served his country more than 200 years ago when Annapolis was the nation’s capital. He is best known for creating a distinctive American flag with an eight-pointed star, which flew over Annapolis during the Revolutionary War and is the inspiration for the lapel pins awarded to the honorees.

Time for some fun....

Can you remember what TV show the phrase is from & the character who said it? If so, then you're at least as old as I am and grew up when it was fun. Who can name them all?. If I left something off, please feel free to add....

1) Sit on it!!
2) Kiss my grits!
3) I know nutTING
4) Whatchu talkin bout Willis?
5) Horse hockey!
6) Did I do thaaat?
7) I pity the fool!
8) You got some splainin to do
and, of course....
9) Goodnight John Boy

Why America Stopped Driving

In 1922, a group of sociologists went to Muncie, Indiana, to study how the average American family lived. Almost everyone, they found, was addicted to their car.

"We'd rather do without clothes than give up the car," said one mother of nine children. "I'll go without food before I'll see us give up the car," said another. One researcher reminded a housewife that her family had a car but no bathtub. "Why," said she, "you can't go to town in a bathtub!"

The automobile was barely two decades old, and Americans already couldn't imagine living without one.

But a change is taking place that is unprecedented since those sociologists' study nearly a century ago: Americans are driving less.

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Jobs Report Consistent With A Broadly Underperforming Economy

The economy created only 113,000 jobs in January, up from 75,000 in December. Colder-than-normal weather was a factor, but that simply does not explain two consecutive months of poor performance. These sad results are consistent with a broadly underperforming economy.

Construction, manufacturing and hospitality registered gains, while retail trade, financial services and education and health services disappointed.

In 2013, GDP growth slipped to 1.9 percent, thanks to the $200 billion January tax increase and sequestration spending cuts, but this year should be somewhat better. President Obama is not likely to get from Congress the higher taxes he proposes, and job creation is likely to be in the range of 200,000 per month.

Economists expect the first quarter to be slow, as global currency and equity markets adjust to the Federal Reserve phasing down purchases of longer-term Treasury and mortgage-backed securities; however, the fundamentals under the U.S. and global expansion are firming, even if those are not exciting.

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Black Teen Unemployment Jumps To 38%

The black teen unemployment rate spiked to 38% in January. The dramatic increase represented almost a 10% increase over December's 35.5% unemployment rate. Overall, the teen unemployment rate for all races was 21%, a modest increase from December.

This increase in teen unemployment comes as President Obama and Democrats have made a minimum wage hike the central plank of their economic agenda. Only 2% of hourly workers in the US earn the minimum wage, but the overwhelming majority of teen workers begin work earning the minimum wage. While minimum wage hikes don't lead to many job losses in the overall economy, they can have a large effect among teen workers. The minimum wage, after all, is simply a starting wage.

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Mayor: Nationwide Gun Confiscation Is Goal Of Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Poughkeepsie, N.Y. mayor says he left the group over confiscation plans

A current New York mayor has publicly announced his decision to leave Mayors Against Illegal Guns because the gun control group demands an all-out “confiscation of guns from law-abiding citizens.”

In an announcement published by his city’s newspaper, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Mayor John C. Tkazyik said he quit the group after realizing it was simply a vehicle for Michael Bloomberg to “promote his personal gun-control agenda.”

“It did not take long to realize that MAIG’s agenda was much more than ridding felons of illegal guns,” he stated. “Under the guise of helping mayors facing a crime and drug epidemic, MAIG intended to promote confiscation of guns from law-abiding citizens.”

“I don’t believe, never have believed and never will believe that public safety is enhanced by encroaching on our right to bear arms and I will not be a part of any organization that does.”

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10 Worst States For Retirement

There's a two-way tie for this spot. Maryland and Vermont rank among the worst places to retire on Bankrate's list for a variety of reasons.

Both have relatively high costs of living and high state and local taxes. Maryland's crime rate also is worse than the national average, and Vermont's weather could be tough on a lot of retirees. Temperatures have been an average of 43.1 degrees in Vermont from 1981 to 2010, making it one of the coldest states in the country.

Of course, those drawbacks may not be enough to dissuade lovers of Maryland crab cakes or Vermont's rolling blue-green hills.

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Delaware is home to excellent beaches, hiking trails and other natural beauties. It's also a shopper's haven since it doesn't levy sales taxes on consumers. Yet, despite relatively low state and local taxes and a temperate climate, The First State can be tougher on retirees than many other states. Its cost of living is higher than average, according to data from the Council for Community and Economic Research, and access to medical care is below average.

Delaware's crime rate also is among the highest in the nation, with 3,970 property and violent crimes per 100,000 people, according to the FBI's 2011 Uniform Crime Report.

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Inmate Calls Are Blocked, And So Are Some Outside The Jail Walls

I wasn’t planning on testing the state’s new cell phone blocking technology unveiled Friday by Gov. Martin O’Malley at the Baltimore City jail. But a blown-out tire on East Madison Street across the street from back of the jail made me do it.

At the news conference, O’Malley insisted the system wasn’t “blocking” authorized use outside the antique facility where the inmates ran the joint until recently. It just “manages access.”

The press release from the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services says:

“Unlike cell phone ‘jamming,’ Managed Access does not interfere with calls made from outside the prison walls, and thus does not violate federal law. It also does not interfere with emergency calls made from any cell phone.”
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4th Financial Services Executive Found Dead; "From Self-Inflicted Nail-Gun Wounds"

The ugly rash of financial services executive suicides appears to have spread once again. Following the jumping deaths of 2 London bankers and a former-Fed economist in the US, The Denver Post reports Richard Talley, founder and CEO of American Title, was found dead in his home from self-inflicted wounds - from a nail-gun. Talley's company was under investigation from insurance regulators.

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The Pinkerton Case II: Another Backward Case

In the first article of this series, I provided the precedent–there really is no Maryland law directly bearing on the case–that may determine the outcome. By bringing this case in the first place, the prosecutor is seemingly following in the high-heeled footsteps of Angela Corey who, Ahab-like, pursued her white whale in the George Zimmerman case. Fortunately, rational principles of self-defense were vindicated in that case. It remains to be seen whether that will be the result in the Matthew Pinkerton case.

Keep in mind, gentle readers, that I do not have all of the facts in this case. I’ve searched the Internet for police and legal information, including the charging affidavit, and have had no luck finding it. Unless it is delayed, the trial is supposedly scheduled to begin in February, so presumably more information will become available in that process. What this means is that I can, for the moment, analyze the case based only on the information I have. Suffice it to say that my analysis and views may certainly change based on future revelations.

Army Paratrooper.org does have some statements from Michael Pinkerton (Matthew’s brother who was present at the time of the shooting) and Jessica Pinkerton (Matthew’s wife). Michael said:

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West Virginia Is Finally Sticking Up For Pregnant Women

Although it's surprising that such a law isn't already in place, lawmakers in that state just proposed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. That legislation would require employers to make “reasonable accommodations” for pregnant employees – but – only if it doesn't cause “undue hardship” for the employer. 

Although there are some existing federal protections for pregnant workers, many still suffer from lost wages or health problems when employers refuse to accommodate them. This new law would make a big difference for pregnant women in the state of West Virginia, and the measure is expected to pass in that state's legislature. 

These common-sense protections are long-overdue in West Virginia, but thankfully pregnant women in that state will finally get treated more fairly.

SFD Calls For Service 2-9-14

• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 21:42:40Nature: Structure FireCity: Salisbury
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 21:42:37Nature: Structure FireAddress: 1101 Camden Ave Salisbury, MD 21801
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 21:20:56Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 20:11:22Nature: Structure FireAddress: 1023 Heron Ct Salisbury, MD 21801
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 20:11:22Nature: Structure FireAddress: 1023 Heron Ct Salisbury, MD 21801
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 17:45:26Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 17:28:01Nature: Pi AccidentCity: Salisbury
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 15:06:37Nature: Heart PatientCity: Salisbury
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 14:50:21Nature: Emergency UnknownCity: Salisbury
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 11:55:20Nature: Emergency UnknownCity: Salisbury
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 06:01:16Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 05:15:42Nature: Pi AccidentCity: Salisbury
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 05:14:07Nature: Pi AccidentAddress: Beaglin Park Dr and mt Hermon Rd Salisbury, MD 21801
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 05:14:06Nature: Pi AccidentCity: Salisbury
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 04:04:50Nature: Difficulty BreathingCity: Salisbury
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 01:48:19Nature: Assault EmsCity: Salisbury
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 01:07:46Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Sunday February, 9 2014 @ 00:13:21Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury

Bogus Marijuana Poisoning Story

Last week there was a flood of news stories about a mother of three who died from marijuana poisoning... and, as you may have suspected, medical science says that story is highly doubtful. Dr. Allen Shackelford, who studied at Harvard, said, “There's no known dose of cannabis that could kill a human.” Dr. Yasmin Hurd of Mount Sinai said, “From half a joint? That's ridiculous.” 

According to the DEA, someone would have to consume 20 to 40 thousand times the amount of THC found in a joint to have any risk of dying. As Mason Tvert of the Marijuana Policy Project explained, “For an adult to die solely from marijuana itself, it would take hundred of points of it being dropped on their head from a tall building.” Until we hear that report, it's probably safe to consider the other stories bogus.

Iowa State Representative's Sisters Found Dead In Apparent Homicide, Police Say

Two sisters of an Iowa state representative have been found dead of apparent gunshot wounds in the Pittsburgh home they shared in what police are investigating as a double homicide.

The bodies of 44-year-old Susan Wolfe and 38-year-old Sarah Wolfe were found Friday afternoon in their basement after they didn't show up for work, authorities said. Police found Sarah Wolfe's car around 1:15 a.m. Saturday parked nearly a mile away.

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Fired Red-Light Camera Executive: Company Bribed Officials In 13 States, Including NJ

A fired executive from one of New Jersey’s red-light camera vendors contends in a lawsuit filed in Arizona that the company provided lavish gifts and bribes to government officials in 13 states — including New Jersey — to secure new contracts.

The brief but bombshell reference to New Jersey and other states in a 13-page counterclaim was made by Aaron Rosenberg, former nationwide lead salesman for Redflex Traffic Systems of Phoenix. He did not mention specific municipalities from any of the states.

Rosenberg noted in the suit that Redflex “bestowed gifts and bribes on ... officials in dozens of municipalities within, but not limited to the following states: California, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia.”

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The Truth Behind The Energy Lie

Dashcam Video Shows Uniformed Officer Standing By As Off-Duty Officer Begs For Help Trying To Resuscitate Crash Victims

A Florida police officer is under fire for failing to help dying car crash victims — and it was all caught on tape by a dashboard camera.

Off-duty Miami Police Sergeant Javier Ortiz came upon the car crash scene that ended up killing two University of Miami graduate students, Ying Chen and Hao Liu, according to WFOR-TV.

With medical equipment in his car, Ortiz jumped into action to try and help the victims.

“I immediately started CPR on the female. It was just me. I had no one to work on the male and I was waiting for help to arrive,” Ortiz told WFOR.

Authorities did arrive but it was the help part that was still missing.

Pinecrest Officer Ana Carrasco arrived on the scene shortly afterward. According to WFOR-TV, Ortiz directed her to work on trying to resuscitate the man.

“I got no response. She just stood there,” told the news station.

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What Is The ‘Nation’?

One device of leadership is to control individual behavior by psychological means. Gustave Le Bon’s 1895 book “The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind” outlines this phenomenon. The leader uses events to short-circuit rational thought and regress people to their unconscious and ancient fears, drives and instincts. I don’t believe, as he did, that there is a crowd “mind” but he did identify a real process by which the leader’s suggestions create a primitive, unreasoning and emotional response among many listeners, so that they become willing to follow him. They become united as a crowd in how they are reacting and as a group of followers.

The power of a leader expert in the technique of creating a crowd and who uses events as a backdrop to his appeals and stories is enhanced when he can reach millions upon millions of viewers through mass media. It is further enhanced when the media repeat over and over his messages. It is his goal to tell a simple story that frames the issue so effectively that it cuts off rational criticism and creates a mass following.

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Number Of Obamacare Sign-Ups Is Greatly Inflated

Democrats from President Obama on down have been toutingObamacare's sign-up numbers. Even after the system's disastrous rollout, they like to point out, roughly three million people have signed up for private insurance, while 6.3 million have signed up for Medicaid.

"Already, because of the Affordable Care Act, more than nine million Americans have signed up for private health insurance or Medicaid coverage," Obama said in the State of the Union speech. "Nine million."

The number is a little larger now, since the figures are a few weeks old. But there is strong new evidence to suggest the administration's claims are grossly exaggerated and deeply misleading. Obamacare is not doing nearly as well as the president wants you to believe.

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Corporate News Media Will Fail

If you want to know who controls the corporate media, just pay close attention to the issues that they refuse to talk about. A new study by Media Matters shows that over the last six months, there has been almost no coverage of the Trans Pacific Partnership on the major networks. Last week, hundreds of organizations – which represent tens of millions of members - signed a letter to Congress calling on them to stop the TPP. Yet, that letter was ignored by the corporate news media. Before that, at least 50 groups took part in a massive campaign called StopFastTrack.com, but we didn't hear a word about it on the major networks. 

The same goes for the fight to restore Net Neutrality, and nation-wide vigils against the Keystone XL pipeline. Millions of people are already involved in these growing campaigns, but the so-called mainstream media continues to ignore any movement that could stand in the way of corporate profits. 

These networks aren't mainstream, they blatantly refuse to talk about the issues that millions of Americans want covered. Just like we saw with anti-Iraq War protests... this is what happens when the companies that own our news media also profit off of building bombs. They have a personal interest in downplaying the size of the opposition. 

We can't depend on corporations that want to profit off a pay-for-play internet to provide honest coverage about Net Neutrality. And, we won't hear about the TPP on networks owned by mufti-national corporations. Millions of people are getting involved and getting active about these issues, and they're going to keep fighting, even if they're ignored by the corporate media.

Justin Bieber: How He Got Here And Why He Should Be Sent Home

Canadian-born, teen heart throb Justin Bieber’s criminal misbehavior may indirectly hurt Congress’ push for comprehensive immigration reform. All systems for the White House’s coveted blanket amnesty are “go.” President Obama just touted his version of reform during his Tuesday State of the Union address. House Majority leader John Boehner released what he calls his “immigration principles.” Given those two major immigration developments, now could be a bad time for a foreign-born visa holder to be in the headlines because of his embarrassing illegal antics. Because of Bieber’s high visibility, journalists reporting on his story-seemingly everyone in the media-have included his immigration status.

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