Lately, there has been much anguished consternation, especially among the tenured US economics professors (primarily those who make 6-digits or more per year) and of course, the Federal Reserve where as we revealed last week, at least 113 government workers make $250,000 (excluding bonuses) and thus all are confined within the cozy cocoon of America's "1%ers", about the so-called complete disappearance and collapse in inflation. So to help these ivory tower-confined individuals in their holy grail to rediscover the inflation that is more than felt by the rest of America, here are two simple charts.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
California Leads Housing Slowdown As Case-Shiller Home Prices Decline For 4 Months In A Row
Following misses in yesterday's Markit Service PMI, Existing Home Sales and the Dallas Fed report, and today's Durable Goods numbers, we just made it a pentafecta for misses in US econ data, when the just released August Case-Shiller data for August confirmed once again that US housing is rapidly slowing down, when the Top 20 Composite Index (Seasonally Adjusted) posted another decline in August, its fourth in a row, declining by -0.15% and missing expectations of a modest 0.2% rebound (following last month's -0.5%) decline. The best summary of the situation came from S&P's David Blitzer: "The deceleration in home prices continues... The Sun Belt region reported its worst annual returns since 2012, led by weakness in all three California cities -- Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego." But who cares what the birth (and death) place of every housing bubble is doing, right?
This is what Case-Shiller Month over Month data looked like:
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This is what Case-Shiller Month over Month data looked like:
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Watch This Woman Get Catcalled 108 Times In One Day
Last August, Shoshana B. Roberts went for a walk in Manhattan. What she heard over the course the day is not remotely unusual: "Smile!" "Damn!" "What's up, beautiful?"
Women are typically so inured to catcalling that sometimes it barely even registers. But, watching this video, filmed by Rob Bliss' hidden camera, you'll be overwhelmed by the sample of 108 instances of catcalling that happened to Roberts over the course of 10 hours. Bliss set out to direct this PSA months ago, in cooperation with Hollaback!, an organization working to end street harassment — because that's what catcalling is. You can call it an irritant or a harmless fact of city life, but street harassment is nothing but an unfortunately tolerated form of misogyny we experience every day.
Along with the dozens of "Damn, girls," there are two exceptionally creepy encounters when men walk alongside the silent Roberts for several minutes at a time, demanding her attention or simply staring at her. The catcalls were not limited to a particular neighborhood, race, or age. The only thing her harassers had in common was their script: "Hey, sexy. What, you don't wanna talk to me?"
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Chicago Black Pastor Endorses Republican, Gets Death Threats, has Church Vandalized
It’s the Chicago Way. “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.” If he endorses a Republican, we smash up his church.
Corey Brooks, who is pastor of a church on Chicago’s South Side, has been beset with hundreds of death threats after endorsing a Republican for Illinois Governor in the upcoming election. His church has also been vandalized by the more adult, more caring, more tolerant Democrats in the Windy City.
Pastor Brooks has endorsed first-time politician, businessman and Republican Bruce Rauner for governor instead of life-long political insider and incumbent Democrat Governor Pat Quinn. But since he went very public with his endorsement–including appearing in TV ads for Rauner–Brooks has been under siege by those “tolerant” Democrats who wish death upon him.
His church was also vandalized this weekend and large amount of money earmarked for charities was stolen.
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Corey Brooks, who is pastor of a church on Chicago’s South Side, has been beset with hundreds of death threats after endorsing a Republican for Illinois Governor in the upcoming election. His church has also been vandalized by the more adult, more caring, more tolerant Democrats in the Windy City.
Pastor Brooks has endorsed first-time politician, businessman and Republican Bruce Rauner for governor instead of life-long political insider and incumbent Democrat Governor Pat Quinn. But since he went very public with his endorsement–including appearing in TV ads for Rauner–Brooks has been under siege by those “tolerant” Democrats who wish death upon him.
His church was also vandalized this weekend and large amount of money earmarked for charities was stolen.
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CareFirst Wants To Give Discounts To Members Who Choose Efficient Doctors
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield knows which doctors are most efficient and soon you will, too.
The insurer plans to begin denoting in its physician directory which doctors are most efficient, possibly as soon as 2016. Members who chose those doctors could get a discount on their premium.
The doctor designation is one example of how CareFirst plans to begin using data collected as part of its successful Patient-Centered Medical Home program, which aims to slow rising health care costs. CareFirst is also considering waiving co-pays for some members, when the service is an integral part of their care plan, after learning through the PCMH program that about half of members don't follow their care plan.
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The insurer plans to begin denoting in its physician directory which doctors are most efficient, possibly as soon as 2016. Members who chose those doctors could get a discount on their premium.
The doctor designation is one example of how CareFirst plans to begin using data collected as part of its successful Patient-Centered Medical Home program, which aims to slow rising health care costs. CareFirst is also considering waiving co-pays for some members, when the service is an integral part of their care plan, after learning through the PCMH program that about half of members don't follow their care plan.
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Update From Wallops Flight Facility
NASA's Wallops Flight Facility
The Wallops Incident Response Team completed today an initial assessment of Wallops Island, Virginia, following the catastrophic failure of Orbital Science Corp.’s Antares rocket shortly after liftoff at 6:22 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Oct. 28, from Pad 0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
“I want to praise the launch team, range safety, all of our emergency responders and those who provided mutual aid and support on a highly-professional response that ensured the safety of our most important resource -- our people,” said Bill Wrobel, Wallops director. “In the coming days and weeks ahead, we'll continue to assess the damage on the island and begin the process of moving forward to restore our space launch capabilities. There's no doubt in my mind that we will rebound stronger than ever.”
The initial assessment is a cursory look; it will take many more weeks to further understand and analyze the full extent of the effects of the event. A number of support buildings in the immediate area have broken windows and imploded doors. A sounding rocket launcher adjacent to the pad, and buildings nearest the pad, suffered the most severe damage.
Md. Man Gets Year In Prison In 15-Year-Old's Death
BELCAMP, Md. (AP) -- A Maryland man has been sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty to negligent driving while impaired in the death of a 15-year-old girl.
Twenty-year-old Kyle Johnson of Belcamp was sentenced at an emotional hearing Monday in Harford County court.
Prosecutors say Johnson had taken the synthetic drug "spice" on June 27 last year when he lost consciousness while driving in Belcamp. Johnson lost control of his car, crossed the center line and hit an oncoming truck head-on, killing 15-year-old Jenna Nicole Pollock of Aberdeen. Johnson and two others were injured but survived.
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Twenty-year-old Kyle Johnson of Belcamp was sentenced at an emotional hearing Monday in Harford County court.
Prosecutors say Johnson had taken the synthetic drug "spice" on June 27 last year when he lost consciousness while driving in Belcamp. Johnson lost control of his car, crossed the center line and hit an oncoming truck head-on, killing 15-year-old Jenna Nicole Pollock of Aberdeen. Johnson and two others were injured but survived.
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Rev. Graham: Obama’s Wrong, Islam ‘Is a False Religion’
(CNSNews.com) – Reverend Franklin Graham, son of world renowned evangelical pastor Billy Graham, said that President Barack Obama was “fundamentally mistaken” about radical Islam; questioned why peaceful Muslims do not collectively condemn jihadist terrorism; and argued that Islam “is a false religion” and that “it is impossible for a false religion to be a true religion of peace.”
Rev. Franklin Graham also cited examples from a speech he recently gave outside the White House, decrying the actions of followers of a “peaceful religion” who practice “female circumcision,” hijacking, kidnapping, “honor” killings, and decapitation.
Rev. Graham commended President Obama for sending some U.S. troops to fight the Islamic State but, citing Obama’s Sept. 24 speech at the United Nations where the president said “Islam teaches peace,” the reverend said, “I also believe our president is completely and fundamentally mistaken about the intolerant and violent nature of hardened Islamic followers.”
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Rev. Franklin Graham also cited examples from a speech he recently gave outside the White House, decrying the actions of followers of a “peaceful religion” who practice “female circumcision,” hijacking, kidnapping, “honor” killings, and decapitation.
Rev. Graham commended President Obama for sending some U.S. troops to fight the Islamic State but, citing Obama’s Sept. 24 speech at the United Nations where the president said “Islam teaches peace,” the reverend said, “I also believe our president is completely and fundamentally mistaken about the intolerant and violent nature of hardened Islamic followers.”
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‘Whose Diabetes Is It, Anyway?” – Educational Program at PRMC on Nov. 10
The Peninsula Regional Endocrinology and Diabetes Center and its Diabetes Education Program invite anyone interested in learning more about diabetes to attend a free education event, “Whose Diabetes Is It, Anyway?” on Monday, November 10, 2014.
Jack Snitzer, DO, an endocrinologist with the Peninsula Regional Endocrinology and Diabetes Center in Salisbury, will discuss ways that people with diabetes can take ownership of their disease and learn to best manage it.
The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with exhibits from companies involved in diabetes care and services until 6:45 p.m. Dr. Snitzer’s presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m. and last approximately one hour. The program will be held in the auditorium of the Avery W. Hall Educational Center on the Peninsula Regional Medical Center campus. Free parking will be provided at the Avery W. Hall Educational Center, located at the corner of Waverly Drive and Vine Street, in the parking lot directly across Vine Street or in the adjacent Garage B. An RSVP is required; please call Peninsula Regional Endocrinology and Diabetes Center’s Diabetes Education Program at 410-543-7061. There is no cost to attend.
The Peninsula Regional Endocrinology and Diabetes Center’s Diabetes Education Program is certified by the American Diabetes Association. To learn more about the program or available diabetes services at PRMC, call 410-543-7061.
Jack Snitzer, DO, an endocrinologist with the Peninsula Regional Endocrinology and Diabetes Center in Salisbury, will discuss ways that people with diabetes can take ownership of their disease and learn to best manage it.
The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with exhibits from companies involved in diabetes care and services until 6:45 p.m. Dr. Snitzer’s presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m. and last approximately one hour. The program will be held in the auditorium of the Avery W. Hall Educational Center on the Peninsula Regional Medical Center campus. Free parking will be provided at the Avery W. Hall Educational Center, located at the corner of Waverly Drive and Vine Street, in the parking lot directly across Vine Street or in the adjacent Garage B. An RSVP is required; please call Peninsula Regional Endocrinology and Diabetes Center’s Diabetes Education Program at 410-543-7061. There is no cost to attend.
The Peninsula Regional Endocrinology and Diabetes Center’s Diabetes Education Program is certified by the American Diabetes Association. To learn more about the program or available diabetes services at PRMC, call 410-543-7061.
Lawmaker claims plans may be in pipeline to bring non-citizens to US for Ebola treatment
A top Republican congressman claims the Obama administration is exploring plans to bring non-U.S. citizens infected with Ebola to the United States for treatment.
Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, told Fox News that his office has received "information from within the administration" that these plans are being developed. So far, only American Ebola patients have been brought back to the U.S. for treatment from the disease epicenter in West Africa.
Goodlatte warned that expanding that policy could put the country at more risk.
"Members of the media, my office have received confidential communications saying that those plans are being developed," Goodlatte said Monday night.
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Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, told Fox News that his office has received "information from within the administration" that these plans are being developed. So far, only American Ebola patients have been brought back to the U.S. for treatment from the disease epicenter in West Africa.
Goodlatte warned that expanding that policy could put the country at more risk.
"Members of the media, my office have received confidential communications saying that those plans are being developed," Goodlatte said Monday night.
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Teen Suspended Over Snapchat Photo
It shows him standing in front of a confederate flag in his room at home, with the caption, “they should all hang.”
The boy’s father, Joseph Pusateri, says his son meant no harm, and the comment was not directed at people, but, rather, it was a reference to confederate flags.
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15 Signs That We Live During A Time Of Rampant Government Paranoia
How does it feel to live under a government that is getting even more paranoid with each passing day? Yes, we live in a world that is becoming increasingly unstable, but that is no excuse for how ultra-paranoid the federal government has become. Today, every single one of us is viewed as a “potential threat” by the government. As a result, the government feels the need to intercept our emails, record our phone calls and track our expenditures. But they aren’t just spying on individuals. The government keeps tabs on thousands of organizations all over the planet, it spies on our enemies and our allies, and it even spies on itself. The American people are told that the emerging Big Brother police state is for our safety, but the truth is that it isn’t there to protect us. It is there to protect them. Our government has become kind of like a crazy rich uncle that is constantly spying on everyone else in the family because he believes that they are “out to get him”. The following are 15 signs that we live during a time of rampant government paranoia…
#1 Former CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson says that the federal government was so concerned about her reporting on Benghazi, Fast and Furious and other Obama scandals that they hacked her computer, monitored every keystroke and even planted classified material in an apparent attempt to potentially frame her.
#2 The United States has become the nation of the “permanent emergency”. In fact, there has been at least one “state of emergency” in effect in this country since 1979.
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#1 Former CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson says that the federal government was so concerned about her reporting on Benghazi, Fast and Furious and other Obama scandals that they hacked her computer, monitored every keystroke and even planted classified material in an apparent attempt to potentially frame her.
#2 The United States has become the nation of the “permanent emergency”. In fact, there has been at least one “state of emergency” in effect in this country since 1979.
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‘The Democratic Party Is Abusing Us’: These Men Have a Scathing Message for Obama and ‘Black Leadership’
The Democratic Party is “abusing” blacks in America, according to a group of men in Chicago who have a scathing message for President Barack Obama and “black leadership.”
“Who are the real oppressors in our community?” Paul McKinley, who ran for elected office as a Republican to replace Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., demanded in a video released Monday by Rebel Pundit. “When you hear the words ‘black-on-black crime,’ the first thing you think of is a black man robbing you, a black man breaking in your house. And that is a black-on-black crime. But let’s take it one step further. There’s a black-on-black crime down in city hall, there’s a black-on-black crime down in all the state capitals in America, where black folks are voting against our interests!”
McKinley said the only thing Washington is offering the black community is “abortion on demand.”
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CNN Poll: 7 In 10 Voters Are Angry This Year
A new CNN/ORC poll released less than two weeks out from November's election finds that the majority of voters are angry over the direction the country is headed and are opposed to Obama's presidency.
As the days to Election Day count down, multiple polls across the country are trending toward the Republicans even in races that months ago no one thought could lean GOP, and this new CNN poll is no different in showing that trend.
The Republicans need to pick up six seats to take control of the Senate, and earlier in the year that prospect seemed remote. But now some analysts say that the GOP is competitive in as many as 10 Senate races.
The CNN poll portends bad news for Democrats hopeful of keeping their Senate majority.
The majority of respondents to the poll said that they were "very angry" (30%) or "somewhat angry" (38%) about the way things are going in the country. 31% said they weren't angry.
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As the days to Election Day count down, multiple polls across the country are trending toward the Republicans even in races that months ago no one thought could lean GOP, and this new CNN poll is no different in showing that trend.
The Republicans need to pick up six seats to take control of the Senate, and earlier in the year that prospect seemed remote. But now some analysts say that the GOP is competitive in as many as 10 Senate races.
The CNN poll portends bad news for Democrats hopeful of keeping their Senate majority.
The majority of respondents to the poll said that they were "very angry" (30%) or "somewhat angry" (38%) about the way things are going in the country. 31% said they weren't angry.
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No Charges For Cop Who Used Stun Gun On Patient
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Baltimore prosecutors have declined to file charges against a police officer for using a stun gun on a 19-year-old hospital patient who fell into a coma and died days later.
Prosecutors said Tuesday that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that 19-year-old George Vonn King Jr. died of natural causes.
King was a patient at Good Samaritan Hospital when a police officer used a stun gun to subdue him during a struggle on May 7. The autopsy found that King died of meningitis and an abscess in his spine.
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Prosecutors said Tuesday that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that 19-year-old George Vonn King Jr. died of natural causes.
King was a patient at Good Samaritan Hospital when a police officer used a stun gun to subdue him during a struggle on May 7. The autopsy found that King died of meningitis and an abscess in his spine.
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Poster girl for Kurdish freedom fighters in Kobane 'captured and beheaded by ISIS'
The woman, known by the pseudonym Rehana, was celebrated as a symbol of hope for the embattled Syrian border town after a journalist tweeted a picture of her making a 'V-sign', claiming that she'd personally killed 100 Isis militants.
The message was retweeted over 5,000 times, but there are now claims Rehana, who fought for the Kurdish YPJ, or Women's Defense Unit, may have been killed after gruesome pictures began circulating on Twitter of an Isis fighter purportedly holding aloft her head.
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Talk About Pouring Salt In The Wound!!!
Hail To The Redskins, Dallas Airport Takeover Listen while we sing our Fight Song!! #HTTR
Wicomico County Executive Pollitt's Office Demanded Nursing Home Pay Off Their Mortgage
Here's the deal though. Since it is a County Owned Facility, the Executives Office FORCED them to PAY OFF THEIR MORTGAGE. This is NOT what any finance director would ever recommend because it completely strapped the Nursing Home of ALL of their operating funds and they have been struggling to stay afloat.
So, what does this mean. Well, on the books it will LOOK like the Nursing Home is a financial burden to County Taxpayers. Thanks to Salisbury News Investigations, they will NOT get away with that portion any longer.
Now, a Mr. Bob Lanza used to run Genesis. Out of nowhere he was hired by Mid Atlantic Corporation, (owned by Dr. Scott Ripken) the same group interested in purchasing the Wicomico Nursing Home. County Executive Rick Pollitt then hired Mr. Lanza to assess the Wicomico Nursing home, his old competitor.
So now a value has been placed on the Nursing Home by an INSIDER and yet NO ONE ever knew what was going on, including members that represent YOU on the County Council.
YOU need to keep ALL of this in mind when you go to the Polls and VOTE. Considering the Nursing Home has NEVER cost the taxpayers in the County ANY money, considering their services are SECOND TO NONE, considering Pollitt is so desperate to put up a DEBT FREE ASSET because he has spent so much money and placed the County in so much debt, he needs to be voted OUT. Did you like it when they sold the old Fire Station 16 for $75,000.00? Well, then you definitely won't like this underhanded insider deal either.
VOTE FOR BOB CULVER!
SPD Calls For Service 10-28-14
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- Tuesday October, 28 2014 @ 23:38Nature: Emergency UnknownCity:Salisbury
- Tuesday October, 28 2014 @ 21:40Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
- Tuesday October, 28 2014 @ 21:40Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
- Tuesday October, 28 2014 @ 21:27Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
- Tuesday October, 28 2014 @ 20:18Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
BREAKING NEWS: Houston mayor withdraws subpoenas demanding pastors turn over sermons
US Homeownership Rate Drops To 1983 Levels: Here's Why
The last time US home ownership declined down to 64.4% (which the Census Bureau just reported is what US home ownership declined to from 64.7% in Q2), was back in the fourth quarter of 1983.
US Enjoying Its Coolest Year On Record
A Real Science report released October 25 shows the U.S. is having its coolest year on record.
According to Real Science, "the percentage of US [Historical Climatology Network] stations to reach 90 degrees was smallest on record this year."
Moreover, the report indicates that "four of the five coolest years" in the U.S. have occurred with atmospheric CO2 concentrations "above 350" parts per million (350 PPM CO2). This data is crucial because groups like CO2Now.org warn that CO2 concentrations above 350 PPM CO2 "[result] from human activities and [cause] global warming and climate change."
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According to Real Science, "the percentage of US [Historical Climatology Network] stations to reach 90 degrees was smallest on record this year."
Moreover, the report indicates that "four of the five coolest years" in the U.S. have occurred with atmospheric CO2 concentrations "above 350" parts per million (350 PPM CO2). This data is crucial because groups like CO2Now.org warn that CO2 concentrations above 350 PPM CO2 "[result] from human activities and [cause] global warming and climate change."
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Pennsylvania teachers union accused of blocking charitable donations
Two Pennsylvania teachers are fighting the state’s largest teachers union for interfering with their charitable giving.
The teachers allege in a suit filed in district court that the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) is blocking them from exercising their right to donate union dues money to charity. Pennsylvania allows religious objectors to cut ties with unions as long as they donate an equivalent agency fee payment to charity. That money is given to the union, which is then supposed to send it to the charity of the teacher’s choosing.
Jane Ladley, an elementary school teacher for 25 years before retiring in June, said that the union prevented her from directing her $435 donation to a scholarship fund to teach high school seniors about the Constitution because it was “too political.”
“Since when did the Constitution become political? It’s a legal document that is the foundation of this country,” Ladley said. “I had to have their approval for where my money went, one that would fall in line with their thinking.”
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The teachers allege in a suit filed in district court that the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) is blocking them from exercising their right to donate union dues money to charity. Pennsylvania allows religious objectors to cut ties with unions as long as they donate an equivalent agency fee payment to charity. That money is given to the union, which is then supposed to send it to the charity of the teacher’s choosing.
Jane Ladley, an elementary school teacher for 25 years before retiring in June, said that the union prevented her from directing her $435 donation to a scholarship fund to teach high school seniors about the Constitution because it was “too political.”
“Since when did the Constitution become political? It’s a legal document that is the foundation of this country,” Ladley said. “I had to have their approval for where my money went, one that would fall in line with their thinking.”
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Maryland Ballot Questions Can Be Puzzling
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- Statewide ballot questions in Maryland can be head-scratchers, not just because of occasionally confusing legal language, but also because they do not always pertain to all voters across the state.
Such is the case with "Question 2" on the Nov. 4 ballot, a proposed constitutional amendment that would authorize, but not require, special elections to fill a vacancy for the office of executive officer or county executive.
The question applies to Maryland counties with a charter home rule form of government. Among those counties to which the proposed amendment does not apply is Washington County, which has a county commissioner form of government.
Charter governments separate the executive and legislative duties, with a county executive performing the former and a county council the latter. Nine counties, soon to be 10 with the addition of Frederick on Dec. 1, operate under this system, according to maryland.gov.
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Such is the case with "Question 2" on the Nov. 4 ballot, a proposed constitutional amendment that would authorize, but not require, special elections to fill a vacancy for the office of executive officer or county executive.
The question applies to Maryland counties with a charter home rule form of government. Among those counties to which the proposed amendment does not apply is Washington County, which has a county commissioner form of government.
Charter governments separate the executive and legislative duties, with a county executive performing the former and a county council the latter. Nine counties, soon to be 10 with the addition of Frederick on Dec. 1, operate under this system, according to maryland.gov.
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What Was Hillary Clinton Thinking?
From the “you didn’t build that” file of colossally dumb political utterances, the usually polished Hillary Clinton committed a major unforced error while campaigning in Boston, Massachusetts on behalf of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Martha Coakley.
Perhaps you’ve heard the quote already?
“Don’t let anybody tell you it’s corporations and businesses (that) create jobs,” Clinton told the crowd. “You know that old theory, ‘trickle-down economics.’ That has been tried, that has failed. It has failed rather spectacularly.”
Really?
Last time we checked perpetual government “stimulus” was spectacularly failing our country – to the tune of 93 million working age Americans out of the labor force, stagnant wages and $18 trillion in debt.
Oh and record government dependency … which was probably government’s objective in the first place.
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Perhaps you’ve heard the quote already?
“Don’t let anybody tell you it’s corporations and businesses (that) create jobs,” Clinton told the crowd. “You know that old theory, ‘trickle-down economics.’ That has been tried, that has failed. It has failed rather spectacularly.”
Really?
Last time we checked perpetual government “stimulus” was spectacularly failing our country – to the tune of 93 million working age Americans out of the labor force, stagnant wages and $18 trillion in debt.
Oh and record government dependency … which was probably government’s objective in the first place.
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24 Cops and Armored Military Vehicle Sent To Loot A 75 Year Old’s Retirement Fund
Escorted to bank and forced to withdraw $80,000 and hand it over to police
Marathon County police are not apologizing for their decision to use an armored military vehicle on a senior citizen because he may have been “argumentative.”
For years, 75-year-old Roger Hoeppner has been at odds with his local government in Marathon County, Wisconsin, over $80,000 dollars worth of fines relating to the use of his property.
Hoeppner has strongly disputed the fines that have been imposed on him, and he has been through multiple lawsuits and appeals with the city, in a fight to use his property the way that he wants to.
Town officials claim that a business which Hoeppner operates on his property is in violation of zoning ordinances.
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For years, 75-year-old Roger Hoeppner has been at odds with his local government in Marathon County, Wisconsin, over $80,000 dollars worth of fines relating to the use of his property.
Hoeppner has strongly disputed the fines that have been imposed on him, and he has been through multiple lawsuits and appeals with the city, in a fight to use his property the way that he wants to.
Town officials claim that a business which Hoeppner operates on his property is in violation of zoning ordinances.
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Obama Visits Maryland; Democrat Drops 9 Points?
Things appear to be tightening in Maryland, where a poll leaked to The Daily Caller shows the gubernatorial race is “extremely close — only 2 points, 46 to 44, separate Democratic Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown and Republican small businessman Larry Hogan.”
One should always be cognizant of outliers — and it’s worth noting that this survey was commissioned by theMaryland Republican Party. It’s also true that polls conducted by Gonzales this cycle have tended to show the race tighter than others — but as the Washington Post noted, Gonzales “does not have a partisan track record.”
With those caveats out of the way, let’s assume for a minute this survey isaccurate. This would represent a nine point swing from a week ago, when, according to the RealClearPolitics poll average, Hogan was down by 11 points.
How could this be possible? I mean, what has happened in the last week? For one thing, President Obama — not welcome on the trail in red states — campaigned for Brown in Maryland, where crowds began streaming out during his speech, leaving empty bleachers behind.
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One should always be cognizant of outliers — and it’s worth noting that this survey was commissioned by theMaryland Republican Party. It’s also true that polls conducted by Gonzales this cycle have tended to show the race tighter than others — but as the Washington Post noted, Gonzales “does not have a partisan track record.”
With those caveats out of the way, let’s assume for a minute this survey isaccurate. This would represent a nine point swing from a week ago, when, according to the RealClearPolitics poll average, Hogan was down by 11 points.
How could this be possible? I mean, what has happened in the last week? For one thing, President Obama — not welcome on the trail in red states — campaigned for Brown in Maryland, where crowds began streaming out during his speech, leaving empty bleachers behind.
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The highly sophisticated hacking of Sharyl Attkisson's computers
From the moment that Sharyl Attkisson met a shadowy source I’ll call Big Mac, she was plunged into a nightmare involving mysterious surveillance of her computers.
They met at a McDonald’s in Northern Virginia at the beginning of 2013, and the source (she dubs him Number One) warned her about the threat of government spying. During their next hamburger rendezvous, Big Mac told Attkisson, then a CBS News reporter constantly at odds with the Obama administration, that he was “shocked” and “flabbergasted” by his examination of her computer and that this was “worse than anything Nixon ever did.”
Attkisson’s forthcoming book--“Stonewalled: My Fight for Truth Against the Forces of Obstruction and Intimidation in Obama’s Washington”—reads in part like a spy thriller. Just when you think Attkisson’s imagination might be running away with her comes wave after wave of evidence that both her CBS computer and personal iMac were repeatedly hacked and its files accessed, including one on Benghazi. A consultant hired by CBS reached the same conclusion. Further scrutiny of her personal desktop proves that “the interlopers were able to co-opt my iMac and operate it remotely, as if they were sitting in front of it.” And an inspection revealed that an extra fiber-optics line had been installed in Attkisson’s home without her knowledge.
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They met at a McDonald’s in Northern Virginia at the beginning of 2013, and the source (she dubs him Number One) warned her about the threat of government spying. During their next hamburger rendezvous, Big Mac told Attkisson, then a CBS News reporter constantly at odds with the Obama administration, that he was “shocked” and “flabbergasted” by his examination of her computer and that this was “worse than anything Nixon ever did.”
Attkisson’s forthcoming book--“Stonewalled: My Fight for Truth Against the Forces of Obstruction and Intimidation in Obama’s Washington”—reads in part like a spy thriller. Just when you think Attkisson’s imagination might be running away with her comes wave after wave of evidence that both her CBS computer and personal iMac were repeatedly hacked and its files accessed, including one on Benghazi. A consultant hired by CBS reached the same conclusion. Further scrutiny of her personal desktop proves that “the interlopers were able to co-opt my iMac and operate it remotely, as if they were sitting in front of it.” And an inspection revealed that an extra fiber-optics line had been installed in Attkisson’s home without her knowledge.
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Medical-Marijuana Regulations Delayed In Maryland
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- A medical-marijuana regulations panel in Maryland delayed a vote Tuesday in order to take a second look at fees for growers, dispensers and patients, which critics say are too high.
The commission, which has been criticized for taking too long to finalize regulations, also has added marijuana extracts to the regulations, so patients could ingest the drug without smoking, after receiving input from the public. Maryland passed legislation this year authorizing 15 licensed marijuana growers after a medical-marijuana law approved in 2013 stalled.
"I'm encouraged to hear that they are changing some of the fee structure because, for me, that fee structure was onerous and prohibitive, and would create another layer of the haves and the have-nots, and regular people would not be able to have access to medical marijuana, because your health insurance doesn't cover it," said Delegate Cheryl Glenn, a Baltimore Democrat who is a leading advocate for the law. "So, I'm encouraged, but I'm concerned as well, because I haven't seen anything."
Fees for marijuana growers have been initially set at $250,000 every two years. The fee for dispensaries is $80,000 every two years. Qualifying patients would have to pay $100 for an identification card, plus the cost for marijuana.
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The commission, which has been criticized for taking too long to finalize regulations, also has added marijuana extracts to the regulations, so patients could ingest the drug without smoking, after receiving input from the public. Maryland passed legislation this year authorizing 15 licensed marijuana growers after a medical-marijuana law approved in 2013 stalled.
"I'm encouraged to hear that they are changing some of the fee structure because, for me, that fee structure was onerous and prohibitive, and would create another layer of the haves and the have-nots, and regular people would not be able to have access to medical marijuana, because your health insurance doesn't cover it," said Delegate Cheryl Glenn, a Baltimore Democrat who is a leading advocate for the law. "So, I'm encouraged, but I'm concerned as well, because I haven't seen anything."
Fees for marijuana growers have been initially set at $250,000 every two years. The fee for dispensaries is $80,000 every two years. Qualifying patients would have to pay $100 for an identification card, plus the cost for marijuana.
More
Boyd Rutherford to campaign on the Eastern Shore today
Annapolis, MD – October 29, 2014 – Candidate for Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford will campaign on the Eastern Shore today, October 29. His visit will include stops at both Salisbury University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where he will meet with faculty and students and discuss the future of Maryland under a Hogan-Rutherford administration.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014
2:00 PM Meet & Greet at Salisbury University
Guerrieri University Center
Cool Beans Cyber Cafe
1101 Camden Avenue
Salisbury, MD
3:30 PM Meet & Greet at University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Richard A. Henson Center
2122 Richard A. Henson Center
Princess Anne, MD
MIKULSKI, CARDIN APPLAUD FEDERAL GRANT TO UMD TO STUDY THE CAUSE OF INTERSEX FISH IN CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED
Researchers hope to close critical knowledge gap on effect of contraceptive and hormone replacement drugs once they enter the nation’s waters
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today welcomed news of a $238,055 grant from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to the University of Maryland (UMD) for a study designed to deepen our understanding of the factors behind the intersex fish that have been documented throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the safety of America’s drinking water supplies. The UMD researchers will explore the source and effects of gestagens – natural and synthetic contraceptive and hormone replacement pharmaceuticals – on aquatic organisms after they enter the Chesapeake Bay watershed through wastewater treatment plant effluent and agricultural runoff.
“The health and future of the Chesapeake Bay plays an integral role in the health and economic well-being of Marylanders,” said Senator Mikulski, Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which funds USGS. “Through hands-on research at the University of Maryland, we will better understand how chemical contaminates and pharmaceuticals in our water are impacting Maryland’s fish population. These fish serve as a broader indicator for all of us in the bay watershed. I applaud the University of Maryland for their hands-on research that will help us better protect our water.”
“To adequately protect our drinking water supplies and overall public health, we must understand the cause of the abnormal fish we are seeing locally,”said U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Water and Wildlife Subcommittee. “Fish, like the fathead minnow that will be closely examined by University of Maryland researchers in this first-of-its-kind study, are sensitive indicators of the overall health of our waters. Half a century after the Water Resources Research grants were first established, this program continues to be relevant to our economy and our environment, as well as the health and safety of our communities.”
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today welcomed news of a $238,055 grant from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to the University of Maryland (UMD) for a study designed to deepen our understanding of the factors behind the intersex fish that have been documented throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the safety of America’s drinking water supplies. The UMD researchers will explore the source and effects of gestagens – natural and synthetic contraceptive and hormone replacement pharmaceuticals – on aquatic organisms after they enter the Chesapeake Bay watershed through wastewater treatment plant effluent and agricultural runoff.
“The health and future of the Chesapeake Bay plays an integral role in the health and economic well-being of Marylanders,” said Senator Mikulski, Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which funds USGS. “Through hands-on research at the University of Maryland, we will better understand how chemical contaminates and pharmaceuticals in our water are impacting Maryland’s fish population. These fish serve as a broader indicator for all of us in the bay watershed. I applaud the University of Maryland for their hands-on research that will help us better protect our water.”
“To adequately protect our drinking water supplies and overall public health, we must understand the cause of the abnormal fish we are seeing locally,”said U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Water and Wildlife Subcommittee. “Fish, like the fathead minnow that will be closely examined by University of Maryland researchers in this first-of-its-kind study, are sensitive indicators of the overall health of our waters. Half a century after the Water Resources Research grants were first established, this program continues to be relevant to our economy and our environment, as well as the health and safety of our communities.”
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BREAKING NEWS: Hagel orders 'controlled monitoring' of troops returning to US from West Africa
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel orders a mandatory 21-day 'controlled monitoring' -- effectively, a quarantine -- of all US troops returning from battling Ebola in West Africa.
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Likelihood of Vote Fraud Greatest in Tight Races
States with politicians locked in tight races should be on the lookout for voter fraud in the midterms, warns John Fund, a National Review columnist and co-author of “Who's Counting?: How Fraudsters and Bureaucrats Put Your Vote at Risk.”
During an appearance Tuesday on Newsmax TV's “America’s Forum,” Fund noted that voter fraud is “directly related to how competitive a race is and how much people think stealing a vote here and a vote there will change the outcome.”
“We do know that in close races it could make a huge difference. In 2008, Al Franken, the comedian, won a Minnesota Senate race by 312 votes. We now know that 1,200 felons voted illegally in that race and a new academic study shows that probably about 3,000 noncitizens voted, 80 percent of them voting for Al Franken and the Democrats.”
Recent studies have found tens of thousands of noncitizen votes on the rolls in North Carolina, he said.
“The same academic study from Old Dominion University that found that Al Franken had lots of noncitizen support also found that Obama probably won North Carolina in 2008 on the basis of noncitizen voting and again, these kind of consequences, you know Al Franken became in Minnesota the 60th senator for the Democrats,” Fund said.
“They could not have passed Obamacare unless they could've broken a Republican filibuster. They needed 60 votes to do that, Al Franken was the 60th vote. Obamacare passed because of Al Franken. Al Franken became a senator because of noncitizen and felon voting.”
Ballot harvesting — mass collections of mail-in ballots by partisans — is a concern in Arizona, where the practice is rampant.
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During an appearance Tuesday on Newsmax TV's “America’s Forum,” Fund noted that voter fraud is “directly related to how competitive a race is and how much people think stealing a vote here and a vote there will change the outcome.”
“We do know that in close races it could make a huge difference. In 2008, Al Franken, the comedian, won a Minnesota Senate race by 312 votes. We now know that 1,200 felons voted illegally in that race and a new academic study shows that probably about 3,000 noncitizens voted, 80 percent of them voting for Al Franken and the Democrats.”
Recent studies have found tens of thousands of noncitizen votes on the rolls in North Carolina, he said.
“The same academic study from Old Dominion University that found that Al Franken had lots of noncitizen support also found that Obama probably won North Carolina in 2008 on the basis of noncitizen voting and again, these kind of consequences, you know Al Franken became in Minnesota the 60th senator for the Democrats,” Fund said.
“They could not have passed Obamacare unless they could've broken a Republican filibuster. They needed 60 votes to do that, Al Franken was the 60th vote. Obamacare passed because of Al Franken. Al Franken became a senator because of noncitizen and felon voting.”
Ballot harvesting — mass collections of mail-in ballots by partisans — is a concern in Arizona, where the practice is rampant.
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WCSO Press Releases - 10/29/2014
Incident: DUI Enforcement
Date of Incident: 29 October 2014
Location: Wicomico County
Narrative: Between 16-25 October 2014, the following individuals have been arrested for DUI by deputies of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office:
- Paul Douglas Dunford, 53, Salisbury, MD*
- Jackson Philip Ford, 23, Potomac, MD – BAC .19
- Larry Thomas Handy, 57, Salisbury, MD – BAC .12
- Keith Darnell Allen, 33, Salisbury, MD - BAC .08
- Lauren Elizabeth Bailey, 23, Salisbury, MD – Refused the Breath Test
- Teresa Deanne Scott, 47, Salisbury, MD – BAC .11
- Benjamin Henry Titus, 34, Salisbury, MD – BAC .18
Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
*Dunford was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Drugs
**********************************************************************************************************
Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 29 October 2014
Location: 1000 block of Nokomis Avenue, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Emerson Prattis Jr., 50, Salisbury, MD
Emerson Prattis
Narrative: On 29 October 2014 at 3:39 PM a deputy arrested Emerson Prattis in connection with an assault he reportedly perpetrated against his girlfriend. During the investigation, the deputy observed signs of injury on the victim that corroborated her account. The victim was also transported to the hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the reported assault.
Upon arrest Prattis was processed at the Central Booking Unit and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Prattis in the Detention Center in lieu of $25,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 2nd Degree
Reckless Endangerment
**********************************************************************************************************
Incident: Theft
Date of Incident: 25 October 2014
Location: 1000 block of Beaglin Park Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Alexander Joseph Tebo, 25, Seaford, DE
Alexander Tebo
Narrative: On 25 October 2014 at 1:00 PM a deputy arrested Alexander Tebo in connection with a reported theft. It is alleged that Tebo stole another subject’s laptop while inside an apartment in the 1000 block of Beaglin Park Drive.
Upon arrest Tebo was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Tebo on personal recognizance.
Charges: Theft less than $1,000.00
Releasing Authority: Lt. Tim Robinson Date: 29 October 2014
Hogan campaign calls for Attorney General to set up hotline for voters experiencing “vote switching”
Dozens of voters across the state have complained to election judges and the Hogan campaign that their vote for a Republican was automatically switched to the Democrat. Over the last two days alone, the Hogan campaign has received reports of such “vote switching” from voters in the following counties: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Caroline, Dorchester, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Talbot, Washington, and Worcester.
On October 27, following initial reports of voting machines flipping votes, the Hogan for Governor campaign called for the State Board of Elections to set up a voter hotline for voters to call if they experienced an issue with their voting machine, but as of this morning, no hotline has been established.
“The Board of Elections has not heeded our call to set up a hotline, so we’re going to the Attorney General now, in the hopes that he—as chief lawyer of the state—will take the appropriate action and put the interests of all voters first and foremost,” said Hogan spokeswoman Erin Montgomery.
Some election officials have said the vote-flipping is a result of a "calibration issue” with the machines, while the State Board of Elections, in an Oct. 27 press release, blamed the issue on “voter error,” particularly the following scenarios: “Voters with large fingers or long nails or voters who hold the touchscreen with their palm resting on the screen seem to report this issue more frequently.”
Hogan spokeswoman Erin Montgomery responded, “These are not isolated incidents of fat fingers or long fingernails. The Board of Elections cannot seriously suggest that all cases are the result of voter error when well over half of Maryland’s counties are reporting problems and an unknown number of machines have been taken out of service. Whether it’s voter error or machine error is a moot point. If votes aren’t cast the way they were intended to be cast, then the democratic process in our state is in deep trouble.”
Released Ebola Nurse Kaci Hickox Works For CDC…Her Lawyer Is A White House Visitor
Ebola health care worker Kaci Hickox, who was released from quarantine with the support of the White House, is a Centers For Disease Control and Prevention employee, records reveal. The lawyer who helped earn her release is a recent White House state dinner guest.
Hickox was released from Ebola quarantine in Newark, N.J., Monday afternoon after the White House pressured New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to release the nurse that was working in Sierra Leone with Doctors Without Borders. Hickox’s case for release was also bolstered by New York civil rights attorney Norman Siegel, who took on Hickox’s case.
“I feel like my basic human rights have been violated,” Hickox said before she was evaluated by CDC and transported back to her home in Maine.
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Hickox was released from Ebola quarantine in Newark, N.J., Monday afternoon after the White House pressured New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to release the nurse that was working in Sierra Leone with Doctors Without Borders. Hickox’s case for release was also bolstered by New York civil rights attorney Norman Siegel, who took on Hickox’s case.
“I feel like my basic human rights have been violated,” Hickox said before she was evaluated by CDC and transported back to her home in Maine.
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New Voting Machines
Reminds you of Salisbury, Worcester County and
Wicomico County voting machines, eh!
And we call this AMERICA.
The Cape May – Lewes Ferry Has Confirmed Their Payment Data Systems Were Breached
We also want you to know that we have completed an additional payment security project that provides enhanced protection of payment card data at the Cape May – Lewes Ferry’s food, beverage and retail locations for our customers. We apologize for the frustration and inconvenience this breach may have caused.
The credit and debit card data potentially at risk includes the card number, the cardholder’s name and/or the card’s expiration date. We have not determined that any specific cardholder’s credit or debit card data was stolen by the intruder. We’re offering free identity protection services, including credit monitoring, to any customer who has purchased food, beverages or retail items at the Cape May – Lewes Ferry from September 2013 through August 2014.
You can learn more about the identity protection services and how to sign up for them at https://cmlf.allclearid.com.
It is important to closely monitor your payment card accounts and report unusual activity to your issuing bank. To better assist our customers whose card data may potentially have been affected, Cape May-Lewes Ferry has established a confidential hotline to answer questions. This hotline is available Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. C.S.T. and can be reached at 1-855-865-4457.
Build a Bob Culver Sign for Vehicles
Double image above.
Suggest putting on the inside to prevent damage due to rain or hooligans. The double image prints a smaller sign (2 per sheet) than the single (1 per sheet). Depending on your computer-printer software, you may need to adjust the image to fit it to the sheet – if you don’t know how, just ask a child for help.
Just left click on the image you prefer and then hit print.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Postal Service OKs 50,000 requests to track U.S. mail
Law enforcement secretly monitoring ordinary Americans
(NEW YORK POST) WASHINGTON — In a rare public accounting of its mass surveillance program, the U.S. Postal Service reported that it approved nearly 50,000 requests last year from law-enforcement agencies and its own internal inspection unit to secretly monitor the mail of ordinary Americans for use in criminal and national-security investigations.
The number of requests, contained in a little-noticed 2014 audit of the surveillance program by the Postal Service’s inspector general, shows that the surveillance program is more extensive than previously disclosed and that oversight protecting Americans from potential abuses is lax.
The audit, along with interviews and documents obtained by The New York Times under the Freedom of Information Act, offers one of the first detailed looks at the scope of the program, which has played an important role in the nation’s vast surveillance effort since the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001.
(NEW YORK POST) WASHINGTON — In a rare public accounting of its mass surveillance program, the U.S. Postal Service reported that it approved nearly 50,000 requests last year from law-enforcement agencies and its own internal inspection unit to secretly monitor the mail of ordinary Americans for use in criminal and national-security investigations.
The number of requests, contained in a little-noticed 2014 audit of the surveillance program by the Postal Service’s inspector general, shows that the surveillance program is more extensive than previously disclosed and that oversight protecting Americans from potential abuses is lax.
The audit, along with interviews and documents obtained by The New York Times under the Freedom of Information Act, offers one of the first detailed looks at the scope of the program, which has played an important role in the nation’s vast surveillance effort since the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001.
COPS
I remember it as if happened yesterday, but the documentation eludes my internet searches, so the time of the occurrence is going to require some guesswork.
I think it was about a year ago, maybe two, when in the span of one month, more than a hundred police chiefs and captains from all across the country suddenly resigned their positions.
Several journalists noted the anomaly, so there are news articles about this somewhere out there (or were), but none of these journalists gave any reason for what seemed to me like an obvious refusal to abide by new policies.
It seemed to me at the time that they must have been informed of some new changes coming to their workplace that they wanted no part of. Why else would more than a hundred bosses from the law enforcement rackets all across the country suddenly abandon their careers?
Well a year or two later, it looks like we’re seeing examples of these new policies in one you-tube video after another, and they reveal a new definition of “police work” which produces a lot of dead bodies.
We’ve seen homeless men executed in cold blood for sleeping in a park, and a maniacal cop dive onto the hood of a slowly moving car, so he could murder the teenage girl who was driving it. We’re seeing old men shot to pieces because they needed a cane to “comply”, and a woman torn to ribbons because she made a wrong turn, with her baby in the backseat.
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I think it was about a year ago, maybe two, when in the span of one month, more than a hundred police chiefs and captains from all across the country suddenly resigned their positions.
Several journalists noted the anomaly, so there are news articles about this somewhere out there (or were), but none of these journalists gave any reason for what seemed to me like an obvious refusal to abide by new policies.
It seemed to me at the time that they must have been informed of some new changes coming to their workplace that they wanted no part of. Why else would more than a hundred bosses from the law enforcement rackets all across the country suddenly abandon their careers?
Well a year or two later, it looks like we’re seeing examples of these new policies in one you-tube video after another, and they reveal a new definition of “police work” which produces a lot of dead bodies.
We’ve seen homeless men executed in cold blood for sleeping in a park, and a maniacal cop dive onto the hood of a slowly moving car, so he could murder the teenage girl who was driving it. We’re seeing old men shot to pieces because they needed a cane to “comply”, and a woman torn to ribbons because she made a wrong turn, with her baby in the backseat.
More
Mainstream media shocked latest polls show GOP pulling away
The mainstream media made a hearty go of it, attempting for the last few weeks to portray the Nov. 4 election as a toss-up. But poll after poll is now showing those reports to be nothing more than a barrel of red herrings: Republicans are solidly in the lead with just more than a week to go.
Over the past several weeks, a dozen stories or more have painted the Colorado race between Republican Cory Gardner and Democrat Mark Udall for the U.S. Senate seat there as neck-and-neck. CNN and the mainstream newspapers have repeatedly said the race is too close to call.
But as FiveThirtyEight’s Harry Enten tweeted at last week’s end, “There hasn’t been a live interview non-partisan sponsored poll showing Udall leading in Colorado in 6 weeks.” In fact, RealClearPolitics.com, which keeps track of all polls, said, “Gardner has now led in every poll but one since mid-September. His lead is likely ‘real’; Udall probably needs a late break or for the polls to be simply incorrect to pull this out.”
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Over the past several weeks, a dozen stories or more have painted the Colorado race between Republican Cory Gardner and Democrat Mark Udall for the U.S. Senate seat there as neck-and-neck. CNN and the mainstream newspapers have repeatedly said the race is too close to call.
But as FiveThirtyEight’s Harry Enten tweeted at last week’s end, “There hasn’t been a live interview non-partisan sponsored poll showing Udall leading in Colorado in 6 weeks.” In fact, RealClearPolitics.com, which keeps track of all polls, said, “Gardner has now led in every poll but one since mid-September. His lead is likely ‘real’; Udall probably needs a late break or for the polls to be simply incorrect to pull this out.”
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South Moon Under Opens Distribution Center In Salisbury; New Operation Allows Company To Continue Growing
The new facility, located on Naylor Mill Road in Salisbury, will allow the Berlin-based company to double the size of its existing business by enabling it to add stores and take its online business to the international level. The company will soon be shipping to the United Kingdom and Australia.
“Essentially the opening of a new distribution center allows us to grow for the next 10 years,” said Gage Lester, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing.
Lester said the company was out of room in its previous distribution center and had been faced with either building a new center or renting space.
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Pesticides Are Causing Farmers to Become Suicidally Depressed
Farmers who used insecticides 90 percent more likely to to be diagnosed with depression
Life on the farm ain’t easy: the dawn-to-dusk hours, the physical toll of work in the fields, the variability of the weather, and the incredibly low net pay are just some of the factors that call to mind the lyrics of Bob Dylan’s 1963 “Ballad of Hollis Brown,” the tale of a desperately impoverished South Dakota farmer who ends up killing his wife, his five children, and finally himself.
The Bard’s song might be decades-old, but new evidence compiled by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that serious depression among farmers is a real contemporary issue, one that in some cases can lead to farmworker suicide. The culprit, according to the NIH? Pesticides, which farmers both inhale and absorb through their skin as they apply them to their crops. These dangerous chemicals, researchers found, alter farmers’ brain chemistry, increasing their risk of depression by up to 90 percent.
To produce their report, released last month, a group of eight NIH epidemiologists surveyed 21,208 pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina, asking them to report whether they had received a doctor’s diagnosis of depression between 1993 and 2010. In total, 1,701—eight percent—said they had. The researchers, who also examined the specific chemicals used by farmers to kill insects, weeds, and fungi, found that farmers who used one class of common insecticide were up to 90 percent more likely to have been diagnosed depression, and that farmers who used common fumigants were up to 80 percent more likely to be depressed
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Life on the farm ain’t easy: the dawn-to-dusk hours, the physical toll of work in the fields, the variability of the weather, and the incredibly low net pay are just some of the factors that call to mind the lyrics of Bob Dylan’s 1963 “Ballad of Hollis Brown,” the tale of a desperately impoverished South Dakota farmer who ends up killing his wife, his five children, and finally himself.
The Bard’s song might be decades-old, but new evidence compiled by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that serious depression among farmers is a real contemporary issue, one that in some cases can lead to farmworker suicide. The culprit, according to the NIH? Pesticides, which farmers both inhale and absorb through their skin as they apply them to their crops. These dangerous chemicals, researchers found, alter farmers’ brain chemistry, increasing their risk of depression by up to 90 percent.
To produce their report, released last month, a group of eight NIH epidemiologists surveyed 21,208 pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina, asking them to report whether they had received a doctor’s diagnosis of depression between 1993 and 2010. In total, 1,701—eight percent—said they had. The researchers, who also examined the specific chemicals used by farmers to kill insects, weeds, and fungi, found that farmers who used one class of common insecticide were up to 90 percent more likely to have been diagnosed depression, and that farmers who used common fumigants were up to 80 percent more likely to be depressed
More
Four Dead, 32 Shot in Chicago Weekend Violence
October has been one of the most violent months this year in the city of Chicago: This weekend, four were killed and 32 were wounded during a Indian Summer-like weekend.
The deaths occurred on Friday and Sunday, but Chicago was lucky that even more didn't die on Sunday as there were nearly as many shootings on that one day (18 incidents) alone as both Friday and Saturday combined (21 shootings). Sunday, of course, had the nicest temperatures.
The first two deaths occurred on Friday at 10 PM and 11:30 PM: Denzell Franklin, 23, and Charles Wright, 39.
The other pair of deaths occurred on Sunday. In one case, Marc Williams, 17, was shot by an unknown assailant who walked up behind him on the street and opened fire without warning.
Also, a 36-year-old man was found dead on the street by police in the Pilsen neighborhood.
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The deaths occurred on Friday and Sunday, but Chicago was lucky that even more didn't die on Sunday as there were nearly as many shootings on that one day (18 incidents) alone as both Friday and Saturday combined (21 shootings). Sunday, of course, had the nicest temperatures.
The first two deaths occurred on Friday at 10 PM and 11:30 PM: Denzell Franklin, 23, and Charles Wright, 39.
The other pair of deaths occurred on Sunday. In one case, Marc Williams, 17, was shot by an unknown assailant who walked up behind him on the street and opened fire without warning.
Also, a 36-year-old man was found dead on the street by police in the Pilsen neighborhood.
More
Democrats in blue states in peril as Republicans ride anti-tax wave
They call it “crushing the middle class” or “the big squeeze” or just plain “irresponsible.”
Regardless of the description they use, Republican candidates for governor in some of the Democratic Party’s most dependable strongholds are finding receptive audiences of voters fed up with too many taxes.
In Maryland, another deep-blue state with sky-high taxes, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, a Democrat, had to vow “no new taxes” while struggling to convince voters he deserves a promotion to the governor’s mansion. His Republican opponent, businessman Larry Hogan, has made a top issue of the dizzying proliferation of taxes during Mr. Brown’s eight-year tenure with Gov. Martin O’Malley.
Republican victories in governors races in liberal-leaning Maryland, Connecticut and Illinois would signal a strong anti-tax tide building against Democrats ahead of the 2016 presidential elections.
In TV ads, debates and on the stump, Mr. Hogan has hammered home that the O’Malley-Brown administration has levied 40 consecutive tax increases that he says “crushed the middle class.”
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Poll shows Md. gubernatorial race narrows as both candidates get high-profile support
FREDERICK, Md. (WJLA/AP) - Just a week before the election, a new Gonzales Research poll, paid for by the Maryland GOP, shows Democratic Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown with just a 2-percentage point lead over his Republican challenger - which has energized the Larry Hogan campaign.
"This is a case where it is a toss up race, it matters about who shows up. None of the polls matter until we finish counting the votes," Hogan said while campaigning in Frederick on Monday.
Brown, campaigning in Bowie, downplayed talk of a dead heat, noting "there are all sorts of polls. Some say 11 points, some say 4 points. I say lets' see what the voters say come (next) Tuesday. That's the day."
Both candidates have been getting campaign support from high-profile people in recent weeks.
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"This is a case where it is a toss up race, it matters about who shows up. None of the polls matter until we finish counting the votes," Hogan said while campaigning in Frederick on Monday.
Brown, campaigning in Bowie, downplayed talk of a dead heat, noting "there are all sorts of polls. Some say 11 points, some say 4 points. I say lets' see what the voters say come (next) Tuesday. That's the day."
Both candidates have been getting campaign support from high-profile people in recent weeks.
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EASTERN SHORE PREGNANCY CENTER SETS FUNDRAISING RECORD
Jacquelyn Seldon, Pregnancy Center Director, noted that the financial contributions were crucial for the not-for-profit organization. “All our services are given free of charge. We now provide ultrasound services, and these funds will allow us to serve more individuals at no cost.”
Susan Baldwin, Special Guest Speaker for the banquet, and Executive Director of the Women’s Resource Center of Mobile, Alabama, spoke of the importance of providing nonjudgmental support and encouragement to women, men, and their families during a woman’s pregnancy. She noted the uniqueness of the individual, and showed a video comparing abortion numbers to those lost in U.S. wars. She added that Maryland, as a state, has the second highest number of abortions per capita in the U.S., with 33 thousand abortions annually, and encouraged those in the audience to help to turn that number around.
Republicans question faulty voting machines, federal lawsuit says non-citizens have voted
One week into Maryland’s early voting period and six days from Election Day, ballot security and voter fraud are being called into question in a gubernatorial race that is tighter than most expected.
Republican officials and average citizens are expressing concerns over faulty voting equipment, erroneous absentee ballot mailings and the potential for voter fraud by non-citizens.
Del. Pat McDonough, R-Baltimore County, announced a lawsuit filed by four Frederick County citizens in federal court Friday seeking a mandatory review by election officials of approximately 400 Frederick County residents who declined to participate in jury duty because they claimed they were not U.S. citizens. Those same people were registered to vote, despite a legal requirement to be a U.S. citizen before registering.
McDonough said the lawsuit documents proof that approximately 100 of the “300 to 400″ non-citizens have cast votes in Maryland elections since 2006.
Investigation called for to see scope of non-citizen voting fraud
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Republican officials and average citizens are expressing concerns over faulty voting equipment, erroneous absentee ballot mailings and the potential for voter fraud by non-citizens.
Del. Pat McDonough, R-Baltimore County, announced a lawsuit filed by four Frederick County citizens in federal court Friday seeking a mandatory review by election officials of approximately 400 Frederick County residents who declined to participate in jury duty because they claimed they were not U.S. citizens. Those same people were registered to vote, despite a legal requirement to be a U.S. citizen before registering.
McDonough said the lawsuit documents proof that approximately 100 of the “300 to 400″ non-citizens have cast votes in Maryland elections since 2006.
Investigation called for to see scope of non-citizen voting fraud
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Md. GOP Reports More Flipped Votes, Questions Machines
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland Republicans say they continue to hear from voters complaining that voting machines are flipping their selection to candidates they didn't choose.
"We have reports from 14 counties at this point that have recorded inaccurate votes," Dirk Haire, an outside attorney for the Maryland State Republican Party, told reporters at an early voting center in Annapolis. "As of 11 o'clock this morning, the Hogan campaign received it's 50th report."
Businesman Larry Hogan is running for governor and faces Democrat Anthony Brown for the state's top leadership post.
The Maryland State Board of Elections has logged less than 20 complaints out of more than 160,000 votes cast during early voting, says Nikki Charlson, deputy state administrator with the board.
Although Haire told reporters that the "flipped" votes appear to be related to calibration issues, Charlson says there have been a total of three machines that have calibration issues, and those were taken out of service.
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"We have reports from 14 counties at this point that have recorded inaccurate votes," Dirk Haire, an outside attorney for the Maryland State Republican Party, told reporters at an early voting center in Annapolis. "As of 11 o'clock this morning, the Hogan campaign received it's 50th report."
Businesman Larry Hogan is running for governor and faces Democrat Anthony Brown for the state's top leadership post.
The Maryland State Board of Elections has logged less than 20 complaints out of more than 160,000 votes cast during early voting, says Nikki Charlson, deputy state administrator with the board.
Although Haire told reporters that the "flipped" votes appear to be related to calibration issues, Charlson says there have been a total of three machines that have calibration issues, and those were taken out of service.
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THE BOTTLE OF WINE
For all of you who are married, were married, wish you were married or wish you were not married, this is something to smile about the next time you see a bottle of wine: Fred was driving home from one of his business trips, in Northern Arizona, when he saw an elderly Navajo man walking on the side of the road. As the trip was a long and quiet one, he stopped the car and asked the Navajo man if he would like a ride. With a silent nod of thanks, the Indian got into the car. Resuming the journey, Fred tried - in vain - to make a bit of small talk with the Navajo man. The old man just sat silently, looking intently at everything he saw, studying every little detail, until he noticed a brown bag on the seat next to Fred. "What in bag?" asked the old man. Fred looked down at the brown bag and said: "It's a bottle of wine. I got it for my wife." The Navajo man was silent for another moment or two. Then, speaking with the quiet wisdom of an elder, he said: "Good trade . . .."
Another cannon raised from Blackbeard's ship
Another cannon has been raised from the wreck of the pirate Blackbeard's ship off the North Carolina coast.
The Jacksonville Daily News reports that crews were cleaning up Monday after a three-week fall dive on the wreckage of the Queen Anne's Revenge near Beaufort.
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The Jacksonville Daily News reports that crews were cleaning up Monday after a three-week fall dive on the wreckage of the Queen Anne's Revenge near Beaufort.
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