DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, April 07, 2014
State Dept. misplaced $6B under Hillary Clinton: IG report
The State Department misplaced and lost some $6 billion due to the improper filing of contracts during the past six years, mainly during the tenure of former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, according to a newly released Inspector General report.
The $6 billion in unaccounted funds poses a “significant financial risk and demonstrates a lack of internal control over the Department’s contract actions,” according to the report.
The alert, originally sent on March 20 and just released this week, warns that the missing contracting funds “could expose the department to substantial financial losses.”
The report centered on State Department contracts worth “more than $6 billion in which contract files were incomplete or could not be located at all,” according to the alert.
“The failure to maintain contract files adequately creates significant financial risk and demonstrates a lack of internal control over the Department’s contract actions,” the alert states.
More
The $6 billion in unaccounted funds poses a “significant financial risk and demonstrates a lack of internal control over the Department’s contract actions,” according to the report.
The alert, originally sent on March 20 and just released this week, warns that the missing contracting funds “could expose the department to substantial financial losses.”
The report centered on State Department contracts worth “more than $6 billion in which contract files were incomplete or could not be located at all,” according to the alert.
“The failure to maintain contract files adequately creates significant financial risk and demonstrates a lack of internal control over the Department’s contract actions,” the alert states.
More
That Cop Is About to Snatch a Cellphone From a Man Recording Police Search His Car — and the Sheriff Has Quite the Defense for It
A Florida sheriff reiterated Monday that one of his deputies was justified in snatching a cellphone from a detained individual who was recording officers search his car, insisting that the phone could have been used as a weapon.
“The probable cause traffic stop, K9 alert, presence of a firearm, and (name omitted)’s lack of candor created a scenario where the potential for (name omitted) to summon others to the scene via his cell phone was an officer safety concern,” Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott initially told WFTX-TV in an April 1 email.
The sheriff was offering his thoughts on an incident that occurred when an unidentified 25-year-old with a concealed carry permit was stopped by deputies. The individual, who says he has been targeted by police, wanted to document authorities search his car and started recording officers with his cellphone. That’s when a deputy snatched it out of his hands.
More
“The probable cause traffic stop, K9 alert, presence of a firearm, and (name omitted)’s lack of candor created a scenario where the potential for (name omitted) to summon others to the scene via his cell phone was an officer safety concern,” Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott initially told WFTX-TV in an April 1 email.
The sheriff was offering his thoughts on an incident that occurred when an unidentified 25-year-old with a concealed carry permit was stopped by deputies. The individual, who says he has been targeted by police, wanted to document authorities search his car and started recording officers with his cellphone. That’s when a deputy snatched it out of his hands.
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Young Illegal Immigrants Get Two-year Ticket To Earn, Learn And Enjoy Self-respect
But as one of about 522,000 young illegal immigrants nationwide who have been granted a two-year amnesty, Crespin says she sleeps more soundly now than in the entire 12 years since she arrived in the United States. Her heart no longer pounds when a police patrol car slows or when someone knocks on the door at night.
Recently, she and an aunt were at a public laundry when a man who said he was a police officer started bothering them. “Before I had my papers, I would have kept quiet and walked away,” said Crespin, 23, a native of El Salvador. “Now I can stand up for myself. I told him to chill.”
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10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked
Ever since born-again singer and orange juice pitchwoman Anita Bryant helped kick off the contemporary anti-gay movement more than 30 years ago, hard-line elements of the religious right have been searching for ways to demonize gay people — or, at a minimum, to find arguments that will prevent their normalization in society. For the former Florida beauty queen and her Save Our Children group, it was the alleged plans of gay men and lesbians to "recruit" in schools that provided the fodder for their crusade.
But in addition to hawking that myth, the legions of anti-gay activists who followed have added a panoply of others, ranging from the extremely doubtful claim that sexual orientation is a choice, to unalloyed lies like the claims that gay men molest children far more than heterosexuals or that hate crime laws will lead to the legalization of bestiality and necrophilia. These fairy tales are important to the anti-gay right because they form the basis of its claim that homosexuality is a social evil that must be suppressed — an opinion rejected by virtually all relevant medical and scientific authorities. They also almost certainly contribute to hate crime violence directed at the LGBT community, which is more targeted for such attacks than any other minority group in America. What follows are 10 key myths propagated by the anti-gay movement, along with the truth behind the propaganda.
MYTH # 1
Gay men molest children at far higher rates than heterosexuals.
THE ARGUMENT
Depicting gay men as a threat to children may be the single most potent weapon for stoking public fears about homosexuality — and for winning elections and referenda, as Anita Bryant found out during her successful 1977 campaign to overturn a Dade County, Fla., ordinance barring discrimination against gay people. Discredited psychologist Paul Cameron, the most ubiquitous purveyor of anti-gay junk science, has been a major promoter of this myth. Despite having been debunked repeatedly and very publicly, Cameron's work is still widely relied upon by anti-gay organizations, although many no longer quote him by name. Others have cited a group called the American College of Pediatricians to claim, as Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council did in November 2010, that "the research is overwhelming that homosexuality poses a [molestation] danger to children."
But in addition to hawking that myth, the legions of anti-gay activists who followed have added a panoply of others, ranging from the extremely doubtful claim that sexual orientation is a choice, to unalloyed lies like the claims that gay men molest children far more than heterosexuals or that hate crime laws will lead to the legalization of bestiality and necrophilia. These fairy tales are important to the anti-gay right because they form the basis of its claim that homosexuality is a social evil that must be suppressed — an opinion rejected by virtually all relevant medical and scientific authorities. They also almost certainly contribute to hate crime violence directed at the LGBT community, which is more targeted for such attacks than any other minority group in America. What follows are 10 key myths propagated by the anti-gay movement, along with the truth behind the propaganda.
MYTH # 1
Gay men molest children at far higher rates than heterosexuals.
THE ARGUMENT
Depicting gay men as a threat to children may be the single most potent weapon for stoking public fears about homosexuality — and for winning elections and referenda, as Anita Bryant found out during her successful 1977 campaign to overturn a Dade County, Fla., ordinance barring discrimination against gay people. Discredited psychologist Paul Cameron, the most ubiquitous purveyor of anti-gay junk science, has been a major promoter of this myth. Despite having been debunked repeatedly and very publicly, Cameron's work is still widely relied upon by anti-gay organizations, although many no longer quote him by name. Others have cited a group called the American College of Pediatricians to claim, as Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council did in November 2010, that "the research is overwhelming that homosexuality poses a [molestation] danger to children."
U.S. Regains Private Jobs Lost In Recession, But So What?
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy has reached a milestone: It has finally regained all the private-sector jobs it lost during the Great Recession.
Yet it took a painfully slow six years, and unemployment remains stubbornly high at 6.7 percent.
The comeback figures were contained in a government report Friday that showed a solid if unspectacular month of job growth in March.
Businesses and nonprofits shed 8.8 million jobs during the 2007-09 recession; they have since hired 8.9 million. But because the population has grown since the big downturn, the economy is still millions of jobs short of where it should be by now.
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Yet it took a painfully slow six years, and unemployment remains stubbornly high at 6.7 percent.
The comeback figures were contained in a government report Friday that showed a solid if unspectacular month of job growth in March.
Businesses and nonprofits shed 8.8 million jobs during the 2007-09 recession; they have since hired 8.9 million. But because the population has grown since the big downturn, the economy is still millions of jobs short of where it should be by now.
More
Blue Crab Made From Stained Glass.
Located at Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) is Callinectes Douglassi, a 500-pound blue crab made from stained glass by artist Jackie Leatherbury Douglass and her husband John in 1984.
The 10 ft x 7 ft x 5 ft (3 x 2 x 1.5 meter) sculpture took over 5,500 man hours over a 14-month period to build. The stained glass blue crab weighs roughly 500 pounds.
The sculpture was commissioned by Anne Arudnel County. As one of Maryland’s state symbols, the blue crab was an obvious choice. According to the Baltimore Sun
“With 550 miles of heavily crabbed waterfront, and a capital city known as Crabtowne, a newspaper nicknamed the Crab-wrapper… the crab is our most ubiquitous seafood… No creature is more deeply embedded in the bay region’s economy, culture and ecology.” (Click READ MORE below to see more pictures)
The 10 ft x 7 ft x 5 ft (3 x 2 x 1.5 meter) sculpture took over 5,500 man hours over a 14-month period to build. The stained glass blue crab weighs roughly 500 pounds.
The sculpture was commissioned by Anne Arudnel County. As one of Maryland’s state symbols, the blue crab was an obvious choice. According to the Baltimore Sun
“With 550 miles of heavily crabbed waterfront, and a capital city known as Crabtowne, a newspaper nicknamed the Crab-wrapper… the crab is our most ubiquitous seafood… No creature is more deeply embedded in the bay region’s economy, culture and ecology.” (Click READ MORE below to see more pictures)
One Half Blind Sleeping Man Named Abdul Basher To Guard World Trade Center, South Lobby…
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Just How Proud Are Lawmakers Who Voted for Obamacare?
Liberals have been in defend-Obamacare mode for quite some time—and as the midterm election approaches, the questions may get a little tougher.
For example, would you vote for Obamacare again?
Senator Mark Pryor (D.-Ark.) said last week that he would. (See video above.)
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Some Gay Activists Fear Same-sex Supporters Are Becoming Intolerant
The resignation of a Silicon Valley executive who opposed gay marriage and refused to recant has sparked an online fight among gays about whether proponents of same-sex marriage are now going too far in trying to marginalize their opponents socially and economically.
The announcement by popular Web browser Mozilla Firefox that co-founder and CEO Brendan Eich was stepping down after two weeks on the job for a 2008 contribution has sparked furious debate over civil rights, privacy and corporate responsibility.
A leading gay blogger has accused the movement of displaying the same intolerance activists accuse their opponents of practicing, while the website Slate.com published a satirical list of other California companies that should be purged of gay-marriage skeptics, which presumably include the 52 percent of Californians who voted for Proposition 8 in 2008.
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The announcement by popular Web browser Mozilla Firefox that co-founder and CEO Brendan Eich was stepping down after two weeks on the job for a 2008 contribution has sparked furious debate over civil rights, privacy and corporate responsibility.
A leading gay blogger has accused the movement of displaying the same intolerance activists accuse their opponents of practicing, while the website Slate.com published a satirical list of other California companies that should be purged of gay-marriage skeptics, which presumably include the 52 percent of Californians who voted for Proposition 8 in 2008.
More
Mother Forgoes Cancer Treatment, Chooses Life Of Unborn Daughter Over Her Own
So, when doctors told Elizabeth Joice, 36, and husband Max that Elizabeth had two options — either terminate her pregnancy and begin cancer treatments or give birth to a child doctors said would never be and risk the cancer metastasizing — the choice was clear.
Elizabeth chose life for her daughter.
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WCSO Press Release 4-7-14
Incident: Possession of CDS
Date of Incident: 4 April 2014
Location: 27000 block of Nanticoke Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Robert William Somers, 46, Tyaskin, MD
Robert Somers
Narrative: On 4 April 2014 at 9:07 PM, a deputy responded to the parking lot of the Country Side Market on Nanticoke Road for the report of a subject passed out in a vehicle. Upon arrival, the deputy located Robert
Somers of Tyaskin slumped over the steering wheel in the rear of the parking lot. During the ensuing encounter, the deputy located two prescription bottles in Somers possession. One held what was identified as crack cocaine while the second held what was identified as Xanax.
Somers was placed under arrest and transported 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 Somers in the Detention Center in lieu of $60,000.00 bond.
Charges: Possession of CDS: Crack Cocaine
Possession of CDS; Xanax
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
27K More Unemployed in March--As Labor Force Participation Ticks Up
(CNSNews.com) - The nation's unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.7 percent in March, as the labor force participation rate ticked up from 63.0 percent in February to 63.2 percent in March, and the number of unemployed increased by 27,000.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data is based on the civilian noninstitutional population, which includes all people in the United States 16 or older who are not on active duty in the military or in an institution such as a prison, mental hospital or nursing home.
From February to March, the civilian noninstitutional population increased by 173,000, rising from 247,085,000 to 247,258,000.
Among that civilian noninstitutional population, 156,227,000 participated in the labor force during March--meaning the either had a job or had actively sought one. That was up 503,000 from the 155,724,000 who participated in the labor force in February.
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data is based on the civilian noninstitutional population, which includes all people in the United States 16 or older who are not on active duty in the military or in an institution such as a prison, mental hospital or nursing home.
From February to March, the civilian noninstitutional population increased by 173,000, rising from 247,085,000 to 247,258,000.
Among that civilian noninstitutional population, 156,227,000 participated in the labor force during March--meaning the either had a job or had actively sought one. That was up 503,000 from the 155,724,000 who participated in the labor force in February.
More
Teen Leads Troopers on Short Pursuit Through Lewes and Rehoboth
Location: Coastal Highway (SR1) and Dartmouth Road, Lewes, DE
Date of Occurrence: Monday April 7, 2014 at approximately 2:15 a.m.
Defendant, Charges, and Bond Information:
16 year old female, Milton, DE (No Photo Available)
Disregarding a Police Officer Signal
Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Driving While Suspended and Revoked
Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road
Speeding
Numerous other moving violations
Arraigned at JP3 and committed to Stevenson House Detention Center on $3,041.00 secured bond.
Resume:
Lewes, DE- The Delaware State Police have arrested a 16 year old female after she led troopers on a short pursuit down Route 1 early this morning.
The incident occurred around 2:15 a.m. as a trooper on patrol in the area of Coastal Highway (SR1) and Dartmouth Road observed a silver Chevrolet Impala driving erratically. The trooper attempted to initiate a traffic stop just south of Dartmouth Road when the vehicle accelerated at a high rate of speed and began making abrupt lane changes. The pursuit appeared to be coming to an end when the Impala came to a stop on SR1 southbound in the area of Bay Vista Road. The vehicle then suddenly made a U-turn in the southbound lanes and began traveling northbound in the southbound lanes before crossing the center median north of Bay Vista Road where it continued northbound in the correct lanes. Troopers continued to follow the vehicle which began utilizing the bus travel lanes until a front tire blew out causing the vehicle to come to a controlled stop just south of Dartmouth. The 16 year old driver was immediately taken into custody without further incident and transported back to Troop 7. A DUI investigation subsequently ensued and she was charged with Driving Under the Influence, Disregarding a Police Officer Signal, Driving While Suspended and Revoked, and various other moving violations. The female operator was also charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle after it was determined she did not have permission from her parent to be operating the vehicle.
The 16 year old was arraigned at JP3 and committed to Stevenson House Detention Center in Milford on $3,041.00 bond.
Date of Occurrence: Monday April 7, 2014 at approximately 2:15 a.m.
Defendant, Charges, and Bond Information:
16 year old female, Milton, DE (No Photo Available)
Disregarding a Police Officer Signal
Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Driving While Suspended and Revoked
Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road
Speeding
Numerous other moving violations
Arraigned at JP3 and committed to Stevenson House Detention Center on $3,041.00 secured bond.
Resume:
Lewes, DE- The Delaware State Police have arrested a 16 year old female after she led troopers on a short pursuit down Route 1 early this morning.
The incident occurred around 2:15 a.m. as a trooper on patrol in the area of Coastal Highway (SR1) and Dartmouth Road observed a silver Chevrolet Impala driving erratically. The trooper attempted to initiate a traffic stop just south of Dartmouth Road when the vehicle accelerated at a high rate of speed and began making abrupt lane changes. The pursuit appeared to be coming to an end when the Impala came to a stop on SR1 southbound in the area of Bay Vista Road. The vehicle then suddenly made a U-turn in the southbound lanes and began traveling northbound in the southbound lanes before crossing the center median north of Bay Vista Road where it continued northbound in the correct lanes. Troopers continued to follow the vehicle which began utilizing the bus travel lanes until a front tire blew out causing the vehicle to come to a controlled stop just south of Dartmouth. The 16 year old driver was immediately taken into custody without further incident and transported back to Troop 7. A DUI investigation subsequently ensued and she was charged with Driving Under the Influence, Disregarding a Police Officer Signal, Driving While Suspended and Revoked, and various other moving violations. The female operator was also charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle after it was determined she did not have permission from her parent to be operating the vehicle.
The 16 year old was arraigned at JP3 and committed to Stevenson House Detention Center in Milford on $3,041.00 bond.
SFD Calls For Service 4-6-14
- Sunday April, 6 2014 @ 23:41:45Nature: SeizureCity: Salisbury
- Sunday April, 6 2014 @ 23:08:38Nature: Diabetic DifficultyCity: Salisbury
- Sunday April, 6 2014 @ 23:01:49Nature: Assault EmsCity: Salisbury
- Sunday April, 6 2014 @ 21:15:40Nature: Difficulty BreathingCity: Salisbury
- Sunday April, 6 2014 @ 21:13:43Nature: InjuryCity: Salisbury
- Sunday April, 6 2014 @ 20:09:36Nature: Abdominal PainCity: Salisbury
- Sunday April, 6 2014 @ 18:58:39Nature: Difficulty BreathingCity: Salisbury
WCSO Crime Statistics For March 2014
Sector 1
Salisbury, Allen,
Deer Harbour, Fruitland,
Fox Chase
Sector 2
Parsonsburg, Delmar
Sector 3
Delmar, Reservation,
Booth/West Rd.
Sector 4
Nanticoke, Waterview,
White Haven, Tyaskin
Sector 5
Booth Street, Reservation
Sector 6
Hebron, Mardela Springs,
Sharptown
Sector 7
Pittsville, Willards,
Powellville
GOVERNOR O’MALLEY PRAISES FINAL PASSAGE OF MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE
Annapolis, Md. (April 7, 2014) -- Governor O’Malley today released the following statement lauding the final passage of SB 331, legislation that increases the Maryland’s minimum wage to $10.10 and gives hundred of thousands of Marylanders a raise:
“My central focus as Governor of Maryland has been to to strengthen and grow the ranks of our ever more diverse and upwardly mobile middle class. That’s why we invested record amounts in our #1-ranked public schools, why we did more than any other state in the nation to hold down the cost of college, why we expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit, why we chose to invest more in putting people to work rebuilding our transportation infrastructure, and why we are the only state in the nation that's passed a living wage law.
“This year, we are building on this record of strengthening the middle class by raising Maryland’s minimum wage to $10.10. We worked hard to bring people together and forge the consensus necessary to make this important progress possible. I commend the General Assembly for giving so many Maryland families the raise they deserve.”
“My central focus as Governor of Maryland has been to to strengthen and grow the ranks of our ever more diverse and upwardly mobile middle class. That’s why we invested record amounts in our #1-ranked public schools, why we did more than any other state in the nation to hold down the cost of college, why we expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit, why we chose to invest more in putting people to work rebuilding our transportation infrastructure, and why we are the only state in the nation that's passed a living wage law.
“This year, we are building on this record of strengthening the middle class by raising Maryland’s minimum wage to $10.10. We worked hard to bring people together and forge the consensus necessary to make this important progress possible. I commend the General Assembly for giving so many Maryland families the raise they deserve.”
Missing Child In Salisbury
Salisbury Police
Missing Child-Faith Janice Holbrook, 13 yoa, black female, 5’04, 130lbs, purple sweatshirt white letters, blue jeans, and Nike shoes.
Holbrook last seen 04-07-14 at 7:30a.m. Lake St. Playground. No critical factors or suspicious circumstances.
Neat Math Trick
I love math tricks and this one really works and will only take you about ten seconds!!!
Amazing it really works to reveal my all-time favorite movie.
I'm pretty good at math, so I did it in my head, then on paper, and finally on a calculator just to confirm my numerical capabilities.
Each time I got the same answer, and sure enough it IS my very favorite movie EVER!
DO NOT cheat. DO YOUR math, THEN compare the results to the list of movies at the bottom
You will be AMAZED at how true and accurate this test is
1.. Pick a number from 1-9.
2.. Multiply that number by 3.
3.. Add 3.
4.. Multiply by 3 again.
5.. Your total will be a two digit number. Add the first and second digits together to find your favorite movie (of all time) in the list of 17 movies below:
Movie List:
1. Gone With the Wind
2. E.T.
3. Blazing Saddles
4. Star Wars
5. Forrest Gump
6. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
7. Jaws
8. Grease
9. The Obama Farewell Speech
10. Casablanca
11. Jurassic Park
12. Shrek
13. Pirates of the Caribbean
14. Titanic
15. Raiders of the Lost Ark
16. Home Alone
17. Mrs. Doubtfire
Now, isn't that something?
Amazing it really works to reveal my all-time favorite movie.
I'm pretty good at math, so I did it in my head, then on paper, and finally on a calculator just to confirm my numerical capabilities.
Each time I got the same answer, and sure enough it IS my very favorite movie EVER!
DO NOT cheat. DO YOUR math, THEN compare the results to the list of movies at the bottom
You will be AMAZED at how true and accurate this test is
1.. Pick a number from 1-9.
2.. Multiply that number by 3.
3.. Add 3.
4.. Multiply by 3 again.
5.. Your total will be a two digit number. Add the first and second digits together to find your favorite movie (of all time) in the list of 17 movies below:
Movie List:
1. Gone With the Wind
2. E.T.
3. Blazing Saddles
4. Star Wars
5. Forrest Gump
6. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
7. Jaws
8. Grease
9. The Obama Farewell Speech
10. Casablanca
11. Jurassic Park
12. Shrek
13. Pirates of the Caribbean
14. Titanic
15. Raiders of the Lost Ark
16. Home Alone
17. Mrs. Doubtfire
Now, isn't that something?
Yes, Common Core Has Lobbyists
Despite their denials, national-standards advocates are a corporate-funded menace.
Attention, class: A Common Core mouthpiece wants to rap my knuckles with his Gates Foundation–funded ruler. In response to my column two weeks ago about the marketing overlords pushing the Fed Ed racket, Chad Colby of Achieve Inc. demanded corrections. Let’s go to school.
“I wanted to take a moment to highlight two points that were incorrect regarding Achieve,” Colby complained. “Contrary to Ms. Malkin’s assertion, Achieve employs no lobbyists and we never have.”
No? Never? Someone didn’t do his homework. Mr. Colby, meet Patricia Sullivan. She’s the founding executive director of Achieve and a career lobbyist who has bounced around D.C. for the past quarter-century in influence-peddling positions for the Gates Foundation–funded National Governors Association, Council for Chief State School Officers and Center on Education Policy. She has “advocated” for trade groups, a teachers’, union and her own “consulting firm.” That’s Washington-speak for “lobbying.”
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Attention, class: A Common Core mouthpiece wants to rap my knuckles with his Gates Foundation–funded ruler. In response to my column two weeks ago about the marketing overlords pushing the Fed Ed racket, Chad Colby of Achieve Inc. demanded corrections. Let’s go to school.
“I wanted to take a moment to highlight two points that were incorrect regarding Achieve,” Colby complained. “Contrary to Ms. Malkin’s assertion, Achieve employs no lobbyists and we never have.”
No? Never? Someone didn’t do his homework. Mr. Colby, meet Patricia Sullivan. She’s the founding executive director of Achieve and a career lobbyist who has bounced around D.C. for the past quarter-century in influence-peddling positions for the Gates Foundation–funded National Governors Association, Council for Chief State School Officers and Center on Education Policy. She has “advocated” for trade groups, a teachers’, union and her own “consulting firm.” That’s Washington-speak for “lobbying.”
More
Cop Pulls Gun On Fifth Graders Building Tree Fort
Cop aims gun at young children after neighbor calls police over “environment-hurting” tree fort
Police in Georgia forced a group of fifth graders to the ground at gunpoint this week as they attempted to build a tree fort in their own neighborhood.
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Police in Georgia forced a group of fifth graders to the ground at gunpoint this week as they attempted to build a tree fort in their own neighborhood.
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Stonewalling Md. Health Exchange probe
It’s now clear that both Gov. Martin O’Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown are content to stonewall and impede any detailed investigation of what went wrong in setting up the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange until well after the June 24 primary election.
Is there a cover-up going on?
Judge for yourself.
On Thursday, the state’s legislative auditor told lawmakers he had been thwarted in his attempt to conduct a meaningful review of the health exchange.
More
It's Not Just The Stock Market That's Rigged: The Entire Status Quo Is Rigged
One has to wonder why we are dodging this truth about what we've become: a nation that turns a blind eye to skimmers, scammers and legal looting.
As in the story of the Emperor's new clothes, the onlooker who declares the obvious-- in this case, that the stock market is rigged--shatters the consensus lie. In the current saga, author Michael Lewis plays the role of the truth-telling boy, and everyone who went along with the fiction that the Emperor's high-frequency trading finery was resplendent is revealed as credulous, complicit or worse.
Lewis' new book is Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt.
The high-frequency trading (HFT) scam is old news, and a number of fine books have addressed the mechanics of the skim, for example Dark Pools: High-Speed Traders, A.I. Bandits, and the Threat to the Global Financial System by Scott Patterson.
Many in the alternative financial media have written about HFT for years. Here are two of my own entries on the topic:
The Stock Market Is an "Attractive Nuisance" and Should Be Closed (August 22, 2012)
We Need a New Stock Market (September 14, 2012)
More
As in the story of the Emperor's new clothes, the onlooker who declares the obvious-- in this case, that the stock market is rigged--shatters the consensus lie. In the current saga, author Michael Lewis plays the role of the truth-telling boy, and everyone who went along with the fiction that the Emperor's high-frequency trading finery was resplendent is revealed as credulous, complicit or worse.
Lewis' new book is Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt.
The high-frequency trading (HFT) scam is old news, and a number of fine books have addressed the mechanics of the skim, for example Dark Pools: High-Speed Traders, A.I. Bandits, and the Threat to the Global Financial System by Scott Patterson.
Many in the alternative financial media have written about HFT for years. Here are two of my own entries on the topic:
The Stock Market Is an "Attractive Nuisance" and Should Be Closed (August 22, 2012)
We Need a New Stock Market (September 14, 2012)
More
IT BEGINS: MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD STARTS USA POLITICAL PARTY
'Muslim voters have the potential to be swing voters in 2016," said Nihad Awad in launching the benign-sounding U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations, whose membership reads like a Who's Who of Brotherhood front groups.
"We are aiming to bring more participation from the Muslim community."
USCMO also aims to elect Islamists in Washington, with the ultimate objective of "institutionalizing policies" favorable to Islamists — that is, Shariah law.
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Political Push For Raw, Unpasteurized Milk Is Increasing Access, But Illnesses Are Up, Too
An alliance of food activists and anti-regulation libertarians is battling to legalize raw, unpasteurized milk, despite warnings from health officials about the rising toll of illnesses affecting adults and children alike.
As the popularity of raw milk has grown, so too have associated outbreaks. They have nearly doubled over the past five years, with eight out of 10 cases occurring in states that have legalized sales of the unpasteurized product, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Public health officials have also documented how pathogens in raw milk have produced kidney failure in more than a dozen cases and paralysis in at least two.
But distrust of government and a thirst for the milk have helped fuel the movement to do away with federal and state restrictions despite the warnings. In states where raw milk remains banned, black and “gray” markets have emerged for enthusiasts seeking “moonshine milk” in the belief that bacteria-killing heat from pasteurization also kills powerful enzymes and eliminates other properties that can cure allergies, asthma and even autism.
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As the popularity of raw milk has grown, so too have associated outbreaks. They have nearly doubled over the past five years, with eight out of 10 cases occurring in states that have legalized sales of the unpasteurized product, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Public health officials have also documented how pathogens in raw milk have produced kidney failure in more than a dozen cases and paralysis in at least two.
But distrust of government and a thirst for the milk have helped fuel the movement to do away with federal and state restrictions despite the warnings. In states where raw milk remains banned, black and “gray” markets have emerged for enthusiasts seeking “moonshine milk” in the belief that bacteria-killing heat from pasteurization also kills powerful enzymes and eliminates other properties that can cure allergies, asthma and even autism.
More
Bill will consider lift of county excise tax
CAMBRIDGE — A bill to lift Dorchester County’s excise tax on new construction will be presented at the April 15 meeting of the Dorchester County Council, according to Council President Jay Newcomb.
Tuesday, April 1, the county council heard from representatives of Dorchester municipalities, where the county’s $3,671 impact fee is now charged for new construction of a single family home.
Cambridge Commissioner Gage Thomas said the Cambridge City Council is in the process of enacting a five-year suspension of its impact fees on new construction.
Hurlock Mayor Joyce Spratt said Hurlock already has lifted its impact fee for new construction, which was reduced from $5,000 to $2,000 last year. “We don’t have any impact fees,” she said.
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Tuesday, April 1, the county council heard from representatives of Dorchester municipalities, where the county’s $3,671 impact fee is now charged for new construction of a single family home.
Cambridge Commissioner Gage Thomas said the Cambridge City Council is in the process of enacting a five-year suspension of its impact fees on new construction.
Hurlock Mayor Joyce Spratt said Hurlock already has lifted its impact fee for new construction, which was reduced from $5,000 to $2,000 last year. “We don’t have any impact fees,” she said.
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Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release 4-7-14
On 03-21-2014 at approximately 1400 hrs., A Worcester County School Deputy contacted the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Unit in regards to a sex offender on the property of Snow Hill Elementary School.
The Deputy advised that the suspect Darryle Dennis Jr., 22 of Pocomoke Md., had entered the school that day, in an attempt to deliver his daughter balloons for her birthday. Dennis`s daughter is a kindergarten student.
When Dennis`s Identification was scanned thru security, it revealed he was a known registered sex offender. The ice Principal confronted Mr. Dennis along with the Deputy and Mr. Dennis was told to leave the property, which Mr. Dennis did. This was the third time that Mr. Dennis had entered the school during the current school year, which Mr. Dennis is prohibited from doing.
Mr. Dennis was convicted of a 4th. degree sex offense on 01-02-2011 in the Worcester County court system. Since that time Dennis has been a registered sex offender and has reported to the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office as required by law.
Mr. Dennis may not knowingly enter onto real property that is used for public or nonpublic elementary or secondary education; or on which is located: a registered child care home or child care institution.
Charges have been filed against Mr. Dennis.
On April 5, 2014 at 4:15 am a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy observed a vehicle stopped in the turn lane of US Route 113 near MD Route 12 in Snow Hill. As the Deputy neared the vehicle he noticed a male urinating on the road behind the vehicle. The Deputy then observed the male enter the driver’s seat of the running vehicle but not leave. The Deputy made contact with the operator, Miguel Zamudio 38 of Selbyville De. Mr. Zamudio appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and submitted to field sobriety tests. Mr. Zamudio performed poorly on the field sobriety test and was arrested. Mr. Zamudio was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and released pending trial.
The Deputy advised that the suspect Darryle Dennis Jr., 22 of Pocomoke Md., had entered the school that day, in an attempt to deliver his daughter balloons for her birthday. Dennis`s daughter is a kindergarten student.
When Dennis`s Identification was scanned thru security, it revealed he was a known registered sex offender. The ice Principal confronted Mr. Dennis along with the Deputy and Mr. Dennis was told to leave the property, which Mr. Dennis did. This was the third time that Mr. Dennis had entered the school during the current school year, which Mr. Dennis is prohibited from doing.
Mr. Dennis was convicted of a 4th. degree sex offense on 01-02-2011 in the Worcester County court system. Since that time Dennis has been a registered sex offender and has reported to the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office as required by law.
Mr. Dennis may not knowingly enter onto real property that is used for public or nonpublic elementary or secondary education; or on which is located: a registered child care home or child care institution.
Charges have been filed against Mr. Dennis.
On April 5, 2014 at 4:15 am a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy observed a vehicle stopped in the turn lane of US Route 113 near MD Route 12 in Snow Hill. As the Deputy neared the vehicle he noticed a male urinating on the road behind the vehicle. The Deputy then observed the male enter the driver’s seat of the running vehicle but not leave. The Deputy made contact with the operator, Miguel Zamudio 38 of Selbyville De. Mr. Zamudio appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and submitted to field sobriety tests. Mr. Zamudio performed poorly on the field sobriety test and was arrested. Mr. Zamudio was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and released pending trial.
It’s a Loss in Md: 73K Lose Insurance; 60K Enroll on Exchange
CNSNews.com) – The head of the Maryland Health Insurance Exchange testified Thursday before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that only 60,000 people have signed up for Obamacare through the state’s exchange - 13,000 less than the number of individuals reported to lose their insurance due to Obamacare.
“According to our reports, according to AP, press accounts, 73,000 individuals in Maryland were going to lose their insurance because of the Affordable Care Act, and what you’re telling me is your revised goal is approximately the same number – 75,000. So your revised goal of people you’re gonna sign up is: We’re gonna sign up the people who were kicked off of the Affordable Care Act,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said.
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Sine Die For Session 2014: Lawmakers To Finalize Minimum Wage, Marijuana Bills
The 90-day session of the Maryland General Assembly ends at midnight tonight.
Both the House and Senate will convene at 11 a.m.
There will be periodic breaks in the floor sessions to allow conference committees to allow delegates and senators to come to agreement on a number of bills.
The House and Senate have yet to agree on bills to expand medical marijuana, reform the bail system, and to impose a jail sentence on drivers using handheld devices who cause an accident resulting in injury or death.
Lawmakers are expected to approve hundreds of bills.
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Both the House and Senate will convene at 11 a.m.
There will be periodic breaks in the floor sessions to allow conference committees to allow delegates and senators to come to agreement on a number of bills.
The House and Senate have yet to agree on bills to expand medical marijuana, reform the bail system, and to impose a jail sentence on drivers using handheld devices who cause an accident resulting in injury or death.
Lawmakers are expected to approve hundreds of bills.
More
Check out $1.5M Hotel Bill for President Obama's One-Day Visit to Brussels
In late March, President Obama took a week-long trip through Europe which included a stop of less than 24 hours in Brussels, Belgium for meetings with the European Union and NATO. The president stayed at The Hotel, a twenty-seven story hotel in the center of the city. The estimated cost for the president's stay, including about two weeks for an advance team, was $1,522,646.36.
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Fruitland’s Moratorium on Its Impact Fees on New Development Seems An Immediate Success
Almost two months now have passed since Fruitland's City Council voted to stop the special "impact fee" surcharge on new development. Word is that for the first time in many months, new homes are underway or in final planning. The moratorium will continue until June 30, 2016 under the ordinance that was passed by the City Council in February.
GOVERNOR O’MALLEY ISSUES STATEMENT ON FINAL PASSAGE OF PRE-KINDERGARTEN BILL
Annapolis, Md. – One of the O’Malley-Brown Administration’s key strategic goals is driving up the number of children entering kindergarten fully ready to learn. Governor O’Malley issued the following statement after the Maryland House of Delegates voted in favor of the O’Malley-Brown Administration’s pre-kindergarten expansion bill, which would establish a competitive Pre-Kindergarten Expansion Grant Program and Fund, through which schools systems and community-based providers can apply to expand and enhance existing pre-kindergarten programs:
"Over the last seven years, we’ve made the better choice to to strengthen and grow our middle class by expanding access to high-quality education for Maryland families -- and we’ve seen better results: today we have made the greatest gains in low income student achievement nationwide. With the passage of this bill by the General Assembly, we’ll ensure that every child in our State has the resources they need to compete not just nationally, but globally as well."
Editor’s Note: The Administration’s FY15 budget invests $4.3 million to fund the program, which is expected to support half-day or full-day pre-kindergarten programs for approximately 1,600 additional children across the State. The O’Malley-Brown Administration set a goal to improve student achievement and school, college, and career readiness in Maryland by 25% by the end of 2015. The Administration announced recently that in 2013-14, 83% of Maryland children entered Kindergarten fully ready for school, a more than 38% increase (up from 60 percent) of 2005-06.
"Over the last seven years, we’ve made the better choice to to strengthen and grow our middle class by expanding access to high-quality education for Maryland families -- and we’ve seen better results: today we have made the greatest gains in low income student achievement nationwide. With the passage of this bill by the General Assembly, we’ll ensure that every child in our State has the resources they need to compete not just nationally, but globally as well."
Editor’s Note: The Administration’s FY15 budget invests $4.3 million to fund the program, which is expected to support half-day or full-day pre-kindergarten programs for approximately 1,600 additional children across the State. The O’Malley-Brown Administration set a goal to improve student achievement and school, college, and career readiness in Maryland by 25% by the end of 2015. The Administration announced recently that in 2013-14, 83% of Maryland children entered Kindergarten fully ready for school, a more than 38% increase (up from 60 percent) of 2005-06.
House Approves Marijuana Decriminalization; How Your Delegate Voted
The Maryland House of Delegates tonight approved a bill to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.
The vote was 78-55.
The vote came at the end of about two hours of floor debate, after the House Judiciary Committee removed language from the bill that would have forced lawmakers to study the issue for two years before voting on the bill.
The bill would eliminate criminal charges for possessing small amounts of marijuana and reduce the offense to the severity of a traffic violation.
The Senate has already approved a similar measure.
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The vote was 78-55.
The vote came at the end of about two hours of floor debate, after the House Judiciary Committee removed language from the bill that would have forced lawmakers to study the issue for two years before voting on the bill.
The bill would eliminate criminal charges for possessing small amounts of marijuana and reduce the offense to the severity of a traffic violation.
The Senate has already approved a similar measure.
More
Search Engine DuckDuckGo Is Taking On Google By Doing The One Thing They Won't Do
DuckDuckGo bills itself as "the search engine that doesn't track you". After the revelations in the US National Security Agency files, that sounds tempting.
Named after the playground game duck duck goose, the site is not just banking on the support of people paranoid about GCHQ and the NSA. Its founder, Gabriel Weinberg, argues that privacy makes the web search better, not worse. Since it doesn't store your previous searches, it does not and cannot present personalized search results. That frees users from the filter bubble – the fear that, as search results are increasingly personalized, they are less likely to be presented with information that challenges their existing ideas.
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Named after the playground game duck duck goose, the site is not just banking on the support of people paranoid about GCHQ and the NSA. Its founder, Gabriel Weinberg, argues that privacy makes the web search better, not worse. Since it doesn't store your previous searches, it does not and cannot present personalized search results. That frees users from the filter bubble – the fear that, as search results are increasingly personalized, they are less likely to be presented with information that challenges their existing ideas.
More
PRE-K EXPANSION BILL PASSES GENERAL ASSEMBLY
ANNAPOLIS – Prekindergarten in Maryland will expand to include an additional 1,600 students across the state, after final passage Friday by the General Assembly.
Gov. Martin O’Malley included $4.3 million to fund the expansion in his fiscal 2015 budget, and he is expected to sign the measure into law.
The bill establishes a competitive grant program that will expand voluntary half or full day pre-K to four-year-olds from households that make less than 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or $70,650 for a family of four.
The measure passed by lawmakers also makes an appropriation mandatory starting fiscal 2016
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Gov. Martin O’Malley included $4.3 million to fund the expansion in his fiscal 2015 budget, and he is expected to sign the measure into law.
The bill establishes a competitive grant program that will expand voluntary half or full day pre-K to four-year-olds from households that make less than 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or $70,650 for a family of four.
The measure passed by lawmakers also makes an appropriation mandatory starting fiscal 2016
More
GOVERNOR O’MALLEY APPOINTS LINDA CHINNIA TO THE BALTIMORE CITY BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS
Annapolis, Md. -- Governor Martin O’Malley, in conjunction with Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, announced the appointment of Linda M. Chinnia to the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners, effective immediately.
“I am proud to join Mayor Rawlings-Blake in announcing the appointment of Ms. Linda M. Chinnia to the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “I am confident that she possesses the skill and leadership necessary to ensure that every child in Baltimore City receives the high-quality public education they deserve.”
“I am proud to join Mayor Rawlings-Blake in announcing the appointment of Ms. Linda M. Chinnia to the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “I am confident that she possesses the skill and leadership necessary to ensure that every child in Baltimore City receives the high-quality public education they deserve.”
New Multi-Interactive Tactical Range
To view upcoming training and tactical range dates, click here.
The Golden Urinal
Several days after President Obama was re-elected president, he went over to see Bill and Hillary Clinton for dinner at their spacious home.
After drinking several glasses of iced tea, he asked his host if he could use his personal bathroom.
When he entered Bill Clinton 's private toilet, he was astonished to see That Clinton had a gold urinal! Wow!
The next day, Obama told his wife, Michelle, about the urinal in Clinton 's private lavatory.
"Just think,' he said, 'maybe I should get a gold urinal too. But on the other hand I think that it may be just a bit too self-indulgent... even for a guy like me!"
Later in the week, when Michelle had lunch with Hillary, she told Hillary how impressed her husband had been at his discovering that Bill had a gold urinal in his private bathroom.
Later that day, when Bill got home, Hillary smiled and said to Bill:
"I found out who pissed in your saxophone."
After drinking several glasses of iced tea, he asked his host if he could use his personal bathroom.
When he entered Bill Clinton 's private toilet, he was astonished to see That Clinton had a gold urinal! Wow!
The next day, Obama told his wife, Michelle, about the urinal in Clinton 's private lavatory.
"Just think,' he said, 'maybe I should get a gold urinal too. But on the other hand I think that it may be just a bit too self-indulgent... even for a guy like me!"
Later in the week, when Michelle had lunch with Hillary, she told Hillary how impressed her husband had been at his discovering that Bill had a gold urinal in his private bathroom.
Later that day, when Bill got home, Hillary smiled and said to Bill:
"I found out who pissed in your saxophone."
Mickey Rooney dies at 93: Hollywood Legend Enjoyed Decades Of Success
Rooney, who was famously married eight times, died Sunday from natural causes.
The actor had been ill in recent months and was the victim of elder abuse at the hands of his stepchildren.
Despite his poor health, Rooney had been working on a film titled “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”
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Maryland Needs Leadership
We saw this coming which is why I called for a complete overhaul of the state's health exchange oversight board.
The sad truth is that this entire fiasco could have been avoided if only the O'Malley-Brown administration had employed some good old-fashioned leadership from the beginning.
The facts speak for themselves:
* A website that cost approximately $125 million failed miserably.
* The change is now expected to cost between $40 million and S50 million to implement.
The Baltimore Sun summed it up by saying, "...the launch of the Maryland Health Connection will go down as one of the most expensive failures of governance in the state's history."
Jeannie and I can end this cycle of failed leadership but we need your help.
It is getting down to the final weeks of the campaign and now is the time to step up and volunteer, make a donation or put up a yard sign. Just go to our websitewww.davidcraig.com and let us know how you would like to help.
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