DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, January 05, 2015
"Some Folks Were Overpaid..." Over 3 Million Obamacare Subsidy Recipients Will Owe IRS
While the Affordable Care Act fines those who don't have health insurance, it also provides subsidies for people making up to four times the federal poverty line ($46,680)... but, as The Washington Examiner reports, the subsidies are based on past tax returns, so many people may be receiving too much. In fact, as H&R Block calculates, as many as 3.4 million people who received Obamacare subsidies may owe money to the federal government.
“The ACA is going to result in more confusion for existing clients, and many taxpayers may well be very disappointed by getting less money and possibly even owing money," the president of a tax preparation and education school told the Journal.
While the Affordable Care Act fines those who don't have health insurance, it also provides subsidies for people making up to four times the federal poverty line ($46,680).
As The Washington Examiner reports,
As many as 3.4 million people who received Obamacare subsidies may owe refunds to the federal government, according to an estimate by a tax preparation firm.
As many as 3.4 million people who received Obamacare subsidies may owe refunds to the federal government, according to an estimate by a tax preparation firm.
H&R Block is estimating that as many as half of the 6.8 million people who received insurance premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act benefited from subsidies that were too large, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
“The ACA is going to result in more confusion for existing clients, and many taxpayers may well be very disappointed by getting less money and possibly even owing money," the president of a tax preparation and education school told the Journal.
While the Affordable Care Act fines those who don't have health insurance, it also provides subsidies for people making up to four times the federal poverty line ($46,680).
Marion Barry's son files to run for father's D.C. council seat
Thirty-four-year-old Christopher Barry showed up Monday at the D.C. Elections office to take out the petitions.
He's now among at least a dozen candidates who have taken out petitions to vie for the Ward 8 seat that was held since 2005 by the late Marion Barry.
A special election will be held on April 28 to fill out the remainder of Marion Barry's term, which runs through the end of 2016.
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2016: Democrats on Thin Ice with White Working-Class Voters
In 2016, especially after President Barack Obama’s executive amnesty, Democrats may be on even thinner ice with white voters, especially white working-class males.
Though the mainstream media wants to gin up the narrative that Republicans have trouble winning minorities, the 2014 midterm elections again showed, as Politico noted, “that Democrats have their own significant demographic vulnerability: working-class white voters. Republicans won white voters without a college degree by 30 points, 64 percent to 34 percent, according to exit polls, equal to their margin in the wave election of 2010.” In addition, “support for President Barack Obama among working-class whites has dropped 8 points since 2010.”
Political analyst Charlie Cook told the outlet that “Democrats have chosen to focus on issues that the liberal base of the party really likes, but the working-class person in West Virginia or Arkansas or Louisiana or Alaska doesn’t necessarily identify with.”
“The challenge that the Democratic Party has in parts of the country appears to be even more formidable than it was two years ago,” he added.
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Though the mainstream media wants to gin up the narrative that Republicans have trouble winning minorities, the 2014 midterm elections again showed, as Politico noted, “that Democrats have their own significant demographic vulnerability: working-class white voters. Republicans won white voters without a college degree by 30 points, 64 percent to 34 percent, according to exit polls, equal to their margin in the wave election of 2010.” In addition, “support for President Barack Obama among working-class whites has dropped 8 points since 2010.”
Political analyst Charlie Cook told the outlet that “Democrats have chosen to focus on issues that the liberal base of the party really likes, but the working-class person in West Virginia or Arkansas or Louisiana or Alaska doesn’t necessarily identify with.”
“The challenge that the Democratic Party has in parts of the country appears to be even more formidable than it was two years ago,” he added.
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Elderly couple dead after home invasion by father and son before police shootout
An elderly couple have been found dead after a father and son broke into their house in an apparent random home invasion, set the place on fire and abducted them.
Jerome Faulkner, 73, and his wife Dora, 62, were killed after being taken from their home in Oak Hill, North Carolina, at 7am on New Year's Day by two men who also stole their SUV.
Police in Lewisburg, West Virginia found the couple's bodies around 4pm following a shootout with the suspects when officers pulled over the stolen white Chevrolet SUV being driven by 21-year-old Eric Alexander Campbell.
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Jerome Faulkner, 73, and his wife Dora, 62, were killed after being taken from their home in Oak Hill, North Carolina, at 7am on New Year's Day by two men who also stole their SUV.
Police in Lewisburg, West Virginia found the couple's bodies around 4pm following a shootout with the suspects when officers pulled over the stolen white Chevrolet SUV being driven by 21-year-old Eric Alexander Campbell.
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COOPERATIVE ENFORCEMENT EFFORT IN CAPITAL BELTWAY REGION LEADS TO MORE THAN 350 DRUNK DRIVING ARRESTS
(COLLEGE PARK, MD) – A two-month combined traffic enforcement initiative by state and county police departments in the Capital Beltway region has resulted in more than 350 drunk/drugged driving arrests and more than 100 arrests for criminal violations.
In partnership with the Prince George’s County Police and the Montgomery County Police, the Maryland State Police initiated Operation Stay Alive – Think and Drive, on October 31, 2014. The cooperative effort was launched after an increase in drunk driving crashes, including four state troopers who were struck in four weeks, all by suspected drunk drivers. Troopers and Prince George’s County officers worked special traffic enforcement details every Friday and Saturday night through the end of 2014. Troopers and Montgomery County officers worked a holiday patrol Wednesday through Saturday nights that began November 19th. The enforcement focus was on drunk/drugged drivers, distracted drivers, speeders, and those who failed to obey Maryland’s ‘move over’ law.
As of today, the combined enforcement of the three police departments has resulted in the following:
-360 drunk/drugged driving arrests;
-102 criminal arrests;
-17 citations for selling/furnishing alcohol to a person under 21;
-12 citations for a person under 21 in possession of alcohol;
-330 traffic citations for speeding;
-293 traffic citations for violation of the move over law;
-15 traffic citations for cell phone use/texting while driving;
-775 safety equipment repair orders;
-7,322 traffic citations and warnings for other traffic offenses;
Police at all three departments believe this cooperative effort has saved lives and helped remind motorists of the importance of traffic safety and increased safety in the Capital Beltway region for motorists and police officers, fire/EMS personnel, and tow service operators working on the roadside. Similar efforts are expected in the future.
CONTACT: Julie Parker – Prince George’s Co. Police – 301-772-4710
Capt. Paul Starks – Montgomery Co. Police – 240-773-5035
In partnership with the Prince George’s County Police and the Montgomery County Police, the Maryland State Police initiated Operation Stay Alive – Think and Drive, on October 31, 2014. The cooperative effort was launched after an increase in drunk driving crashes, including four state troopers who were struck in four weeks, all by suspected drunk drivers. Troopers and Prince George’s County officers worked special traffic enforcement details every Friday and Saturday night through the end of 2014. Troopers and Montgomery County officers worked a holiday patrol Wednesday through Saturday nights that began November 19th. The enforcement focus was on drunk/drugged drivers, distracted drivers, speeders, and those who failed to obey Maryland’s ‘move over’ law.
As of today, the combined enforcement of the three police departments has resulted in the following:
-360 drunk/drugged driving arrests;
-102 criminal arrests;
-17 citations for selling/furnishing alcohol to a person under 21;
-12 citations for a person under 21 in possession of alcohol;
-330 traffic citations for speeding;
-293 traffic citations for violation of the move over law;
-15 traffic citations for cell phone use/texting while driving;
-775 safety equipment repair orders;
-7,322 traffic citations and warnings for other traffic offenses;
Police at all three departments believe this cooperative effort has saved lives and helped remind motorists of the importance of traffic safety and increased safety in the Capital Beltway region for motorists and police officers, fire/EMS personnel, and tow service operators working on the roadside. Similar efforts are expected in the future.
CONTACT: Julie Parker – Prince George’s Co. Police – 301-772-4710
Capt. Paul Starks – Montgomery Co. Police – 240-773-5035
Unarmed White Man Killed by Alabama Police; No Protests, No Riots, No National Media
Police in the small Alabama town of Dothan shot and killed an unarmed white man Tuesday who resisted arrest after refusing to show ID when turning in a stray animal to an animal shelter.
Robert Lawrence, who police say called himself a ‘sovereign citizen’ but which his lawyer disputes, was reportedly accompanied by a woman and children at the time.
Dothan First reported Lawrence became ‘combative’ when asked to produce identification at the animal shelter. Police reportedly first tazed Lawrence to no effect, he was then shot in the abdomen. There is no mention of Lawrence being armed.
Lawrence was taken to the hospital where he died Tuesday night.
The Dothan Eagle reported the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations is reviewing the shooting death.
Dothan First reported Lawrence had a troubled history, having served ninety days in jail this year for making “Harassing Communications.”
Lawrence’s attorney Terry Bullard called the killing of his client “needless” but did not fault the officer who shot Lawrence.
““He never threatened to kill anyone,” said Dothan attorney Terry Bullard who represented Lawrence in several legal matters including the terror threat charge. Bullard said his client was upset because DHR had taken his three children.
“Bullard believe the shooting could have been avoided calling it “needless.” However, he doesn’t fault the police officer who he calls a “professional.” WDHN/DothanFirst.com is not making the name of the officer public at this time. “It’s sad for Lawrence’s family as well as the officer,” Bullard said.
“He admits Lawrence often challenged authority though Bullard rejects the notion he was a sovereign citizen as claimed by police. “He was also respectable toward others and I considered him a friend as well as a client,” Bullard said.”
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Robert Lawrence, who police say called himself a ‘sovereign citizen’ but which his lawyer disputes, was reportedly accompanied by a woman and children at the time.
Dothan First reported Lawrence became ‘combative’ when asked to produce identification at the animal shelter. Police reportedly first tazed Lawrence to no effect, he was then shot in the abdomen. There is no mention of Lawrence being armed.
Lawrence was taken to the hospital where he died Tuesday night.
The Dothan Eagle reported the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations is reviewing the shooting death.
Dothan First reported Lawrence had a troubled history, having served ninety days in jail this year for making “Harassing Communications.”
Lawrence’s attorney Terry Bullard called the killing of his client “needless” but did not fault the officer who shot Lawrence.
““He never threatened to kill anyone,” said Dothan attorney Terry Bullard who represented Lawrence in several legal matters including the terror threat charge. Bullard said his client was upset because DHR had taken his three children.
“Bullard believe the shooting could have been avoided calling it “needless.” However, he doesn’t fault the police officer who he calls a “professional.” WDHN/DothanFirst.com is not making the name of the officer public at this time. “It’s sad for Lawrence’s family as well as the officer,” Bullard said.
“He admits Lawrence often challenged authority though Bullard rejects the notion he was a sovereign citizen as claimed by police. “He was also respectable toward others and I considered him a friend as well as a client,” Bullard said.”
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Homeowners drowning in flood insurance bills over FEMA map errors
Homeowners across the country say they are drowning in unnecessary flood insurance bills -- due to errors in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's redesigned flood maps.
In 2012, FEMA began updating its outdated paper inventory of maps with new digital ones. Millions of homes ended up in newly drawn high-risk flood zones, including houses built on high ground and away from water. As a result, homeowners with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders within these high-risk zones were required by law to carry additional flood insurance.
San Diego resident Laura Clemons is just one of thousands of homeowners who got the surprising news last year, when she was told that her home, on top of a hill, had suddenly moved into a high-risk flood zone.
"I got a letter from my mortgage company, telling me I was going to have to pay flood insurance, which was a joke because I live across the street from a canyon," Clemons said. "They gave us three months to notify them or they were going to start charging me $2,000 a year."
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In 2012, FEMA began updating its outdated paper inventory of maps with new digital ones. Millions of homes ended up in newly drawn high-risk flood zones, including houses built on high ground and away from water. As a result, homeowners with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders within these high-risk zones were required by law to carry additional flood insurance.
San Diego resident Laura Clemons is just one of thousands of homeowners who got the surprising news last year, when she was told that her home, on top of a hill, had suddenly moved into a high-risk flood zone.
"I got a letter from my mortgage company, telling me I was going to have to pay flood insurance, which was a joke because I live across the street from a canyon," Clemons said. "They gave us three months to notify them or they were going to start charging me $2,000 a year."
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Border officials report record number of meth seizures at US-Mexico border
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the bureau's local field office seized 14,732 pounds of the drug, commonly known as meth, as of Sept. 30. That number accounted for nearly two-thirds of of all the meth seized at all ports of entry nationwide during that same period.
Almost all of the meth consumed in the U.S. was once manufactured domestically, with San Diego as a known production hub.
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Get ready: The FCC says it will vote on net neutrality in February
Federal regulators looking to place restrictions on Internet providers will introduce and vote on new proposed net neutrality rules in February, Federal Communications Commission officials said Friday.
President Obama's top telecom regulator, Tom Wheeler, told fellow FCC commissioners before the Christmas holiday that he intends to circulate a draft proposal internally next month with an eye toward approving the measure weeks later, said one official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the agency's deliberations are ongoing. The rules are meant to keep broadband providers such as Verizon and Comcast from speeding up or slowing down some Web sites compared to others.
FCC spokeswoman Kim Hart declined to comment on Wheeler's communications with his colleagues, but confirmed the February timetable, which ends weeks of speculation as to when the FCC would make its next move.
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President Obama's top telecom regulator, Tom Wheeler, told fellow FCC commissioners before the Christmas holiday that he intends to circulate a draft proposal internally next month with an eye toward approving the measure weeks later, said one official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the agency's deliberations are ongoing. The rules are meant to keep broadband providers such as Verizon and Comcast from speeding up or slowing down some Web sites compared to others.
FCC spokeswoman Kim Hart declined to comment on Wheeler's communications with his colleagues, but confirmed the February timetable, which ends weeks of speculation as to when the FCC would make its next move.
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Gun Control Group Takes Aim At Alan Jackson, Jeff Foxworthy
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America posted on the group’s Facebook page saying that the NRA “pushed to arm convicted criminals, blocked federal gun violence research and board members promoted armed insurrection” and suggested that Foxworthy and Jackson need to be educated about its “dangerous and irresponsible policies.”
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Stolen Guns Data Reveals Background Checks = Security Theater
If you own a gun and it gets stolen, chances are you won’t get it back. That’s the not entirely surprising conclusion from a stolen gun study in The Land of Lincoln. Make the jump for the official stats, via sj-r.com. Meanwhile, “According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey, an average of 232,400 guns were stolen each year from 2005 to 2010. Guns were recovered in only 17 percent of reported burglaries and in 15 percent of other property crimes.” Assuming that rate has continued to today, ignoring the possibility that there are at least as many guns stolen that were notreported . . .
We can safely state that there are millions of stolen guns in circulation in the United States. So tightening background check laws will do nothing – not one thing – to stifle or eliminate the supply of stolen guns for criminals. In fact, that stat tells us that background checks are nothing but security theater. Well, that and a statist attempt to delay, degrade and/or destroy Americans’ natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms.
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We can safely state that there are millions of stolen guns in circulation in the United States. So tightening background check laws will do nothing – not one thing – to stifle or eliminate the supply of stolen guns for criminals. In fact, that stat tells us that background checks are nothing but security theater. Well, that and a statist attempt to delay, degrade and/or destroy Americans’ natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms.
More
BREAKING NEWS: Dow plunges more than 300 points
The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunges more than 300 points over growing Eurozone concerns, falling oil prices.
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Brutal Cold to Invade Midwest, East This Week
In a pattern fitting for January, waves of cold air will flow into the Midwest and East with brutal blasts of arctic air poised to sweep southeastward this week.
Following a large storm that brought snow and ice to a large part of the Upper Midwest and interior Northeast this past weekend, multiple blasts of cold air will highlight this week.
The first blast will have many people shivering as they head back to work and school in the Midwest early this week.
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Following a large storm that brought snow and ice to a large part of the Upper Midwest and interior Northeast this past weekend, multiple blasts of cold air will highlight this week.
The first blast will have many people shivering as they head back to work and school in the Midwest early this week.
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Winter Weather Advisory
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
326 PM EST MON JAN 5 2015
...ACCUMULATING LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE TUESDAY
MORNING COMMUTE...
DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ016>027-PAZ070-071-102-104-
106-061000-
/O.NEW.KPHI.WW.Y.0002.150106T1000Z-150106T2100Z/
NEW CASTLE-KENT-INLAND SUSSEX-DELAWARE BEACHES-CECIL-KENT MD-
QUEEN ANNES-TALBOT-CAROLINE-SALEM-GLOUCESTER-CAMDEN-
NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-OCEAN-CUMBERLAND-ATLANTIC-CAPE MAY-
ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY-COASTAL ATLANTIC-COASTAL OCEAN-
SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA-EASTERN CHESTER-
EASTERN MONTGOMERY-LOWER BUCKS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WILMINGTON...DOVER...GEORGETOWN...
REHOBOTH BEACH...ELKTON...CHESTERTOWN...CENTREVILLE...EASTON...
DENTON...PENNSVILLE...GLASSBORO...CAMDEN...CHERRY HILL...
MOORESTOWN...MOUNT HOLLY...JACKSON...MILLVILLE...HAMMONTON...
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE...OCEAN CITY...ATLANTIC CITY...
LONG BEACH ISLAND...WHARTON STATE FOREST...MEDIA...PHILADELPHIA...
WEST CHESTER...KENNETT SQUARE...NORRISTOWN...LANSDALE...
MORRISVILLE...DOYLESTOWN
326 PM EST MON JAN 5 2015
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 4 PM EST
TUESDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LIGHT SNOW, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO
4 PM EST TUESDAY.
* LOCATIONS...PHILADELPHIA AND NEARBY SUBURBS IN SOUTHEASTERN
PENNSYLVANIA, SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE, AND THE EASTERN
SHORE OF MARYLAND.
* HAZARD TYPES...SNOW.
* SNOW ACCUMULATION...MAINLY BETWEEN 1 TO 2 INCHES.
* TIMING...SNOW WILL BEGIN TO OVERSPREAD THE REGION FROM WEST TO
EAST EARLY TUESDAY, AROUND DAYBREAK. THE STEADIEST,
ACCUMULATING SNOW IS EXPECTED DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE AND
LASTING THROUGH MIDDAY, BEFORE GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF DURING
EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON.
* IMPACTS...THE SNOW FALLING DURING THE TUESDAY MORNING COMMUTE
AND LASTING INTO THE AFTERNOON WILL CAUSE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL
CONDITIONS WITH SLIPPERY ROADWAYS AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES.
TEMPERATURES IN THE 20S WILL ALLOW SNOW TO ACCUMULATE ON
UNTREATED ROADWAYS AND SIDEWALKS.
* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 5 TO 10 MPH.
* TEMPERATURES...MAINLY IN THE 20S.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE
TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED
VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
Hometown Hero Fernando Guerrero Announces Community Giveaway
Aside from the opportunity to take home freebies, attendees can meet Fernando Guerrero, along with his brother Alex and the Guerrero family. The Guerrero Steppers will also be on site. Items will be given away while supplies last and there may be a limit on how many items each person can take. The community is asked to not begin lining up before 3 p.m.
Guerrero is bringing the giveaway to the community through his foundation. The Fernando Guerrero Foundation (FGF) is an all-purpose charitable foundation that leaves no one behind. Whether enduring a negative or positive state in life the FGF strives to provide assistance for betterment. To learn more about Guerrero and FGF please visit www.fernandoelguerrero.com.
BREAKING NEWS: 2 US ski team prospects die in avalanche
Two prospects for the US ski team die in an avalanche in the Austrian Alps near Rettenback glacier during the opening races of World Cup competition.
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THE TOWN WITHOUT WI-FI
The residents of Green Bank, West Virginia, can’t use cell phones, wi-fi, or other kinds of modern technology due to a high-tech government telescope. Recently, this ban has made the town a magnet for technophobes, and the locals aren’t thrilled to have them.
On the third morning in her St. Petersburg apartment, she woke with a harsh thumping in her chest: heart palpitations.
Within hours, it felt as if someone had tied a thick rubber band around her head. Then came nausea, fatigue, ringing in her left ear—an onslaught of maladies, all at once, and she had no idea why. “I was trying to come up with every excuse in the world for what was happening to me,” she says. “Moving is stressful, but the symptoms just kept piling on.”
In 2012, after a decade as the owner of a Connecticut catering company and an office worker in finance and construction, Grimes had gone to Florida to be a speaker for a public-policy group. A week or two into the job, whatever was afflicting her still wasn’t abating, and before long her speech became so jumbled that she couldn’t form a complete sentence in front of an audience.
She saw an internist, a neurologist, then a psychiatrist, and still had no explanation. “If we can’t test it,” one said, “it doesn’t exist.” Grimes started poking around online and soon remembered reading an article about the potentially deleterious health effects of the new “smart” electricity meters that were rolling out across the country. The devices send customers’ usage data back to the utility over wireless signals. Did her building have them?
She went outside to inspect the place and found no fewer than 17 of the meters strapped to the side of the building.
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SFD Calls For Service 1-4-15
- Sunday January, 4 2015 @ 00:35Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
CAMP CHAPMAN ANNIVERSARY
An ongoing goal here at the Inglorious Amateurs will always be to honor the memory of those who have given their lives in the performance of their duties serving the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). This month, we remember and honor the 7 Americans who were killed at Camp Chapman 5 years ago on December 30th:
Jennifer Lynne Matthews, CIA Officer
Scott Michael Roberson, CIA Officer
Darren LaBonte, CIA Officer
Elizabeth Hanson, CIA Officer
Harold Brown, CIA Officer
Dane Clark Paresi, CIA security contractor
Jeremy Wise, CIA security contractor
On 12/30/2009, Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, a Jordanian doctor and al-Qaeda triple agent detonated a suicide vest at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Chapman near Khost, Afghanistan. The detonation killed 7 Americans, a mix of contractors and CIA Officers, 1 Jordanian Intelligence Officer and an Afghan contractor. 6 other CIA officers were seriously wounded in the attack. The attack was the single largest loss of life by the CIA since the 1983 US Embassy bombing in Lebanon and carried a severe emotional toll through the Agency and the broader US intelligence community.
Al-Balawi had been arrested earlier in the year in Jordan, and reportedly had been turned as an agent against al-Qaeda. After several months of sharing information on al-Qaeda. Al-Balawi requested a meeting to share information on a senior al-Qaeda leader. That meeting was set to take place at Camp Chapman, Khost, Afghanistan, which would have been the first time the CIA had interacted directly with al-Balawi. Shortly after arrival at Camp Chapman, according to Washington post reporter Job Warrick in his book Triple Agent, after passing through 3 separate security checkpoints without being searched, al-Balawi’s vehicle arrived in the middle of the base where it stopped. As he exited the vehicle, he was approached by some of the waiting American officers to be searched. He detonated the bomb he carried prior to them reaching him.
Much has been written about the lead up to the attack, the attack itself and analysis of the various decisions made by those on site. I’ll not go in to those here except to say two things: First, it is easy to Monday morning quarterback an operation gone wrong when you were not there and with the totality of information available after the fact. It is much harder to truly say you would have made different decisions on site in the same time-frames with access to the same information at hand. Secondly, after action reports, especially in cases like this, can be invaluable as learning tools to protect our people in the future. That process though need not be a public dissection of the folks involved and their decisions. There is no legitimate public benefit served in that. The public need only know that the community is committed to learning from those mistakes and failed operations and that they will always carry a significant risk to the lives of our officers, a risk they themselves choose to bear in order to do the difficult jobs America asks of them.
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Jennifer Lynne Matthews, CIA Officer
Scott Michael Roberson, CIA Officer
Darren LaBonte, CIA Officer
Elizabeth Hanson, CIA Officer
Harold Brown, CIA Officer
Dane Clark Paresi, CIA security contractor
Jeremy Wise, CIA security contractor
On 12/30/2009, Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, a Jordanian doctor and al-Qaeda triple agent detonated a suicide vest at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Chapman near Khost, Afghanistan. The detonation killed 7 Americans, a mix of contractors and CIA Officers, 1 Jordanian Intelligence Officer and an Afghan contractor. 6 other CIA officers were seriously wounded in the attack. The attack was the single largest loss of life by the CIA since the 1983 US Embassy bombing in Lebanon and carried a severe emotional toll through the Agency and the broader US intelligence community.
Al-Balawi had been arrested earlier in the year in Jordan, and reportedly had been turned as an agent against al-Qaeda. After several months of sharing information on al-Qaeda. Al-Balawi requested a meeting to share information on a senior al-Qaeda leader. That meeting was set to take place at Camp Chapman, Khost, Afghanistan, which would have been the first time the CIA had interacted directly with al-Balawi. Shortly after arrival at Camp Chapman, according to Washington post reporter Job Warrick in his book Triple Agent, after passing through 3 separate security checkpoints without being searched, al-Balawi’s vehicle arrived in the middle of the base where it stopped. As he exited the vehicle, he was approached by some of the waiting American officers to be searched. He detonated the bomb he carried prior to them reaching him.
Much has been written about the lead up to the attack, the attack itself and analysis of the various decisions made by those on site. I’ll not go in to those here except to say two things: First, it is easy to Monday morning quarterback an operation gone wrong when you were not there and with the totality of information available after the fact. It is much harder to truly say you would have made different decisions on site in the same time-frames with access to the same information at hand. Secondly, after action reports, especially in cases like this, can be invaluable as learning tools to protect our people in the future. That process though need not be a public dissection of the folks involved and their decisions. There is no legitimate public benefit served in that. The public need only know that the community is committed to learning from those mistakes and failed operations and that they will always carry a significant risk to the lives of our officers, a risk they themselves choose to bear in order to do the difficult jobs America asks of them.
More
Washington Post Very Upset That GOP Controls So Much Of State Government
And that they might look to pass Republican/Conservative policy agendas!
(WP) Legislators in the 24 states where Republicans now hold total control plan to push a series of aggressive policy initiatives in the coming year aimed at limiting the power of the federal government and rekindling the culture wars.
The unprecedented breadth of the Republican majority — the party now controls 31 governorships and 68 of 98 partisan legislative chambers — all but guarantees a new tide of conservative laws. Republicans plan to launch a fresh assault on the Common Coreeducation standards, press abortion regulations, cut personal and corporate income taxes and take up dozens of measures challenging the power of labor unions and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Before Election Day, the GOP controlled 59 partisan legislative chambers across the country. The increase to 68 gives Republicans six more chambers than their previous record in the modern era, set after special elections in 2011 and 2012.
How horrible for Democrats! The GOP might actually propagate a Conservative legislative agenda at the state level, just like they were elected to do. At the state level, it’s quite clear that the voters have tired of the hardcore leftism that is destroying our country and states. This is also quite apparent by the number of Liberals moving out of deep Democrat states and to Republican states, due to the actual horrible results of the Democratic policies in those Democrat states.
The GOP has plans to expand right to work laws within multiple states, to join the 24 that are already right to work. Dems do not like this, because being forced to join a union is totally like freedom or something. Nor is the Washington Post, along with other Dems, happy that GOP controlled states may require abortion providers to actually have proper medical standards. And restricting late term abortion? Oh, brother, that also drives liberals nuts.
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(WP) Legislators in the 24 states where Republicans now hold total control plan to push a series of aggressive policy initiatives in the coming year aimed at limiting the power of the federal government and rekindling the culture wars.
The unprecedented breadth of the Republican majority — the party now controls 31 governorships and 68 of 98 partisan legislative chambers — all but guarantees a new tide of conservative laws. Republicans plan to launch a fresh assault on the Common Coreeducation standards, press abortion regulations, cut personal and corporate income taxes and take up dozens of measures challenging the power of labor unions and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Before Election Day, the GOP controlled 59 partisan legislative chambers across the country. The increase to 68 gives Republicans six more chambers than their previous record in the modern era, set after special elections in 2011 and 2012.
How horrible for Democrats! The GOP might actually propagate a Conservative legislative agenda at the state level, just like they were elected to do. At the state level, it’s quite clear that the voters have tired of the hardcore leftism that is destroying our country and states. This is also quite apparent by the number of Liberals moving out of deep Democrat states and to Republican states, due to the actual horrible results of the Democratic policies in those Democrat states.
The GOP has plans to expand right to work laws within multiple states, to join the 24 that are already right to work. Dems do not like this, because being forced to join a union is totally like freedom or something. Nor is the Washington Post, along with other Dems, happy that GOP controlled states may require abortion providers to actually have proper medical standards. And restricting late term abortion? Oh, brother, that also drives liberals nuts.
More
65% of American children are now dependent on government welfare
Nearly two-thirds of American children now live in households receiving aid from at least one federal agency, according to a recent report from the Census Bureau.
This staggering figure is based on data compiled from interviews from the fall of 2011 that were conducted as part of the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP).
The federal programs being accessed by these households include Medicaid, the National School Lunch Program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
Of these programs, the one most commonly participated in was the National School Lunch Program, with an enrollment of 35 million children. In second place was Medicaid (26.4 million participants), followed by SNAP (17.3 million), WIC (6.4 million) and TANF (2.3 million).
The Census Bureau report, titled “A Child’s Day: Living Arrangements, Nativity, and Family Transitions: 2011 (Selected Indicators of Child Well-Being),” interprets the compiled data to highlight “how family structure, nativity, and family instability are associated with selected measures of child well-being”:
Measures of child well-being include family reading practices, shared meal times, television rules, children’s extracurricular activities, and school performance, as well as early child care experiences.
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This staggering figure is based on data compiled from interviews from the fall of 2011 that were conducted as part of the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP).
The federal programs being accessed by these households include Medicaid, the National School Lunch Program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
Of these programs, the one most commonly participated in was the National School Lunch Program, with an enrollment of 35 million children. In second place was Medicaid (26.4 million participants), followed by SNAP (17.3 million), WIC (6.4 million) and TANF (2.3 million).
The Census Bureau report, titled “A Child’s Day: Living Arrangements, Nativity, and Family Transitions: 2011 (Selected Indicators of Child Well-Being),” interprets the compiled data to highlight “how family structure, nativity, and family instability are associated with selected measures of child well-being”:
Measures of child well-being include family reading practices, shared meal times, television rules, children’s extracurricular activities, and school performance, as well as early child care experiences.
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The plot to overhaul No Child Left Behind
NCLB cleared Congress in 2002 with massive bipartisan support but has since become a political catastrophe: The law’s strategy for prodding and shaming schools into improvement proved deeply flawed over time, and its unintended failures have eclipsed its bright spots. Today, NCLB is despised by some parents who blame it for schools “teaching to the test,” protested by some on the left for promoting education reform and reviled by Republicans in Congress who say the law represents aggressive federal overreach.
Now Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Rep. John Kline of Minnesota, who will lead the Senate and House education committees, are planning to push an overhaul of NCLB at a moment when backlash in the states has reached an all-time high, opening up new political windows to strip the federal role out of education.
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We Need Our Police to Be Better Than This
Yes, cops are under stress. But they’re trained to rise above emotional responses. It’s part of having the badge and the right to use force.
In 1951, Harry Truman fired Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War. The two never got along, but that wasn’t why Truman canned him. “I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was,” explained Truman after the fact. “I fired him because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the president.” You expect soldiers of all ranks to understand the need to respect the chain of command, regardless of personal feelings.
Soldiers—and cops, too.
Which is one big reason the display by members of the New York Police Department at the funeral of slain patrolman Rafael Ramos is particularly disturbing. At Ramos’s funeral service Saturday, NYPD rank-and-file—along with members of police forces attending from around the country—turned their backswhen Mayor Bill de Blasio delivered his eulogy. This was a very public fuck you to a politician widely perceived by conservatives and law-and-order types as weak on crime and in the pocket of social-justice warriors. Yet the cops’ protest illustrates exactly what drives so much fear of the police: the worry that cops react emotionally and impulsively in situations that call for cool rationality and a reliance on training and strategic restraint. “It wasn’t planned,” said one of the protesters. “Everyone just started doing it.”
“I certainly don’t support that action,” said NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton. “I think it was very inappropriate at that event.” Bratton—whom de Blasio appointed and who first served as commissioner under tough-guy Rudy Giuliani—is very much in the tradition of “Give ’em Hell” Harry Truman. Which is to say that he at times lets his emotions get the best of him, as when he spuriously implicated President Obama for strained relations between police and citizens, saying that cops feel as if they “are under attack from the federal government at the highest levels.”
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In 1951, Harry Truman fired Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War. The two never got along, but that wasn’t why Truman canned him. “I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was,” explained Truman after the fact. “I fired him because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the president.” You expect soldiers of all ranks to understand the need to respect the chain of command, regardless of personal feelings.
Soldiers—and cops, too.
Which is one big reason the display by members of the New York Police Department at the funeral of slain patrolman Rafael Ramos is particularly disturbing. At Ramos’s funeral service Saturday, NYPD rank-and-file—along with members of police forces attending from around the country—turned their backswhen Mayor Bill de Blasio delivered his eulogy. This was a very public fuck you to a politician widely perceived by conservatives and law-and-order types as weak on crime and in the pocket of social-justice warriors. Yet the cops’ protest illustrates exactly what drives so much fear of the police: the worry that cops react emotionally and impulsively in situations that call for cool rationality and a reliance on training and strategic restraint. “It wasn’t planned,” said one of the protesters. “Everyone just started doing it.”
“I certainly don’t support that action,” said NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton. “I think it was very inappropriate at that event.” Bratton—whom de Blasio appointed and who first served as commissioner under tough-guy Rudy Giuliani—is very much in the tradition of “Give ’em Hell” Harry Truman. Which is to say that he at times lets his emotions get the best of him, as when he spuriously implicated President Obama for strained relations between police and citizens, saying that cops feel as if they “are under attack from the federal government at the highest levels.”
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A Letter To The Editor: Did they Bill SFD for this?
I wonder if Delmar and the other Fire departments sent Salisbury a bill for this.
Delmar Fire Department added 3 new photos.
August 16, 2014 · Edited ·
Delmar Firefighter/EMT Tim Sugameli has a go at rappelling today at the Salisbury Fire Dept Training Tower during the Open House event. Delmar Fire Dept Engine 74-3 was in Salisbury to help cover calls in the City, along with other area fire departments.
Delmar Fire Department added 3 new photos.
August 16, 2014 · Edited ·
Delmar Firefighter/EMT Tim Sugameli has a go at rappelling today at the Salisbury Fire Dept Training Tower during the Open House event. Delmar Fire Dept Engine 74-3 was in Salisbury to help cover calls in the City, along with other area fire departments.
State May Impose $500 Fine for Wearing a Hoodie in Public
According to KFOR 4, Senator Don Barrington authored the proposed amendment; he says they want to help victims of robberies.
“The intent of Senate Bill 13 is to make businesses and public places safer by ensuring that people cannot conceal their identities for the purpose of crime or harassment….Similar language has been in Oklahoma statutes for decades and numerous other states have similar laws in place. Oklahoma businesses want state leaders to be responsive to their safety concerns, and this is one way we can provide protection.” – said Sen. Don Barrington of Lawton.
Not everyone is happy, including guys with bald heads who just want to stay warm outside during winter. Additionally, the proposed law has put civil liberties advocates at odds with law and order proponents, reviving the long-running debate over whether the “Broken Windows” method of policing is effective and worth the risk of trampling on constitutional rights. No doubt if the legislation passes, there will be lawsuits filed.
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Gold Alert Issued for Missing Selbyville Woman
Monika is a black female, 28 years of age, 5’00” tall, 135 lbs., black hair and brown eyes. She may be operating a dark blue 2003 Acura TL with Delaware registration 247585 and the front right tire is a donut style spare. (Photo attached)
Troopers have been unable to make contact with Lopez to check on her welfare. Attempts to locate her have been unsuccessful and there is a real concern for her safety and welfare.
If anyone has any information in reference to her whereabouts, they are asked to contact Troop 4 at 302-856-5850 or by utilizing the Delaware State Police Mobile Crime Tip Application available to download at: http://www.delaware.gov/apps/. Information can also be provided to the Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet atwww.tipsubmit.com. Send an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."
Comcast Wants Customers To Pay More For Using The Internet Too Much
Supporters of net neutrality have long argued that content on the Internet is at risk of being available to the highest bidder without intervention via government regulation. Up until now, it has focused on the ability of ISPs to control content providers' accessto Internet users. While the debate continues, ISPs are taking advantage of the delay to find alternative ways to control the gateway and make a profit.
It seems like Comcast is looking at the past to move into the future.
In the early 1990s, using the Internet for non-work related purposes was just beginning to come into fashion. Dialing in via a phone line was the only way to connect, and it didn't come free. Services such as Prodigy and AOL would charge a monthly fee to use email and explore the world as created by them via message boards and chat rooms from the comfort of a Compaq computer. Other services had similar plans, charging hourly rates, which were higher during peak times.
For many users this became an expensive proposition.
It was quite a deal when the price dropped in 1995 to $9.95 for those five hours a month, though per hour charges would start to add up. Finally, unlimited was introduced the next year and for $19.95 a month, hundreds of thousands of people would log on excited to hear a connection instead of busy tone and the message "You've got mail!" This would be the norm for several years until broadband access and free email service became more widely available.
Now, Comcast would like to charge you like it's 1995, except instead of charging by the hour, they are charging by the gigabyte.
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It seems like Comcast is looking at the past to move into the future.
In the early 1990s, using the Internet for non-work related purposes was just beginning to come into fashion. Dialing in via a phone line was the only way to connect, and it didn't come free. Services such as Prodigy and AOL would charge a monthly fee to use email and explore the world as created by them via message boards and chat rooms from the comfort of a Compaq computer. Other services had similar plans, charging hourly rates, which were higher during peak times.
For many users this became an expensive proposition.
It was quite a deal when the price dropped in 1995 to $9.95 for those five hours a month, though per hour charges would start to add up. Finally, unlimited was introduced the next year and for $19.95 a month, hundreds of thousands of people would log on excited to hear a connection instead of busy tone and the message "You've got mail!" This would be the norm for several years until broadband access and free email service became more widely available.
Now, Comcast would like to charge you like it's 1995, except instead of charging by the hour, they are charging by the gigabyte.
More
WCSO Press Releases - January 2, 2015
Matthew SiebenbergIncident: Wanted Subject
Date of Incident: 30 December 2014
Location: Wicomico County, MD
Suspect: Matthew Joseph Siebenberg, 28, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 30 Dec 2014 a deputy arrested Matthew Siebenberg on two bench warrants that were issued after Siebenberg violated the terms of his probation in cases where he had been convicted for Assault and Failing to Register as a Sex Offender.
Siebenberg was detained in the Detention Center without bond.
Charges: Violation of Probation
Gary DossIncident: Assault
Date of Incident: 30 December 2014
Location: 8000 block of Star Road, Delmar, MD
Suspect: Gary L. Doss, 49, Delmar, MD
Narrative: On 30 Dec 2014 at 8:11 PM a deputy responded to a disturbance at a residence in the 8000 block of Star Road in Delmar. Upon arrival, the deputy was told that the resident, Gary Doss, had engaged in an argument with two other individuals that live in the vicinity and that during the argument it is alleged that Doss pointed a shotgun at these individuals.
During the investigation, the deputy located the shotgun that was reportedly used.
The deputy placed Doss under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Doss in the Detention Center in lieu of $10,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 1st Degree and Assault 2nd Degree
Incident: Assault / Child Abuse
Date of Incident: 31 December 2014
Location: 1500 block of Lavale Terrace, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Anvar Mundackal Kassim, 32, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 31 Dec 2014 at 1:46 AM a deputy responded to a reported altercation at a residence in the 1500 block of Lavale Terrace in Salisbury. Upon arrival, the deputy learned that an altercation erupted between Anvar Kassim and his teenage step-son that turned physical. The deputy was told that Kassim became upset over the way his step-son was walking up and down the stairs inside the residence. Kassim reportedly began assaulting his step-son and at one point brandished a three foot long metal road while grabbing his step-son around the neck.
During the investigation the deputy observed signs of injury that corroborated the account.
The deputy placed Kassim under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Kassim in the Detention Center in lieu of $50,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 1st Degree, Assault 2nd Degree and Child Abuse
Incident: Fugitive
Date of Incident: 31 December 2014
Location: 300 block of Poplar Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: N’Kita Whitney Corbin
Narrative: On 31 Dec 2014 at 9:26 AM a deputy arrested N’Kita Corbin in the 300 block of poplar Street in Salisbury on a District Court Bench Warrant. The warrant was issued back in September 2014 after Corbin failed to appear for a violation of probation hearing in a Resisting Arrest and MDOP case.
Corbin was detained on a bond of $5,000.00 in the Detention Center.
Charges: Failure to Appear
Harrowing Fight of Woman Struggling With Unidentified Offduty Cop
An alleged fender-bender takes place and before long a woman is being overpowered by a man in black sporting clothes. She doesn’t know why. For all she knows, he is a rapist trying to kidnap her away to an undisclosed location.
It’s only when her sister comes along that she is able to break free.
The most asinine aspect of this situation follows the video…
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Will Wicomico EVER Get An Elected Board of Education?
Not Unless County Council Gets Off the Dime
As long as Wicomico County voters aren’t allowed to have a say in who runs their public schools they will continue to see a school system that grows in bureaucracy and borrows to build new schools rather than adequately maintain existing buildings. All anecdotal evidence indicates that a majority of voters favor a school board elected in the same manner as the county council – five members by district and two members at large. The only way to receive objective evidence is a vote at the polls; something that certain special interest groups want to deny Wicomico voters.
An elected school board will not be a silver bullet to correct the problems our public schools face; it certainly won’t yield worse results than we’ve seen to date. However, the powers that be continue to stonewall the county’s voters.
How can we get an elected school board? It all starts with the County Council. They need to pass a resolution which would (hopefully) be signed by newly elected County Executive Bob Culver. Members of the county’s legislative delegation would then be asked to sponsor a bill in Annapolis calling for a question to be placed on the 2016 ballot. If the question received a majority vote of Wicomico voters, it would then fall on the legislature to approve a bill allowing for an elected school board.
The process could fall apart at any step of the process. BUT … it needs to start with the County Council. As the legislative session begins, and the deadline to introduce bills fast approaches, where is the County Council on this issue? They have had two opportunities to introduce a resolution but council president John Cannon hasn’t placed anything on the agenda. Could Culver introduce a resolution? Sure. But let’s face it; his hands are full while the council isn’t doing much more than approving appointments right now.
Cannon claims to support an elected school board, but he set’s the council’s agenda. There is no reason not to place a resolution on the council’s agenda … IMMEDIATELY! Waiting makes it less likely that Wicomico will have an opportunity to select the people who run our schools rather than Annapolis doing it for us.
16 Shot Since New Year's Day in Chicago
New Year’s Day was particularly dangerous for residents of Chicago as nine were shot, including a 14-year-old girl. Two days later, by Saturday, seven more shootings were added to the toll.
According to police, several of those shot on New Year’s Day were known gang members.
The 14-year old girl was shot in the arm in the Woodlawn neighborhood along with a 21-year-old man who was shot in the back. The young man was a known gang member.
By Saturday, 7 more had been shot in the city in separate incidents.
One man, 22, was shot while inside a barbershop in the West Austin neighborhood. He was taken to the hospital with a shot to the shoulder.
Three were shot on the city’s South Side on Saturday afternoon.
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According to police, several of those shot on New Year’s Day were known gang members.
The 14-year old girl was shot in the arm in the Woodlawn neighborhood along with a 21-year-old man who was shot in the back. The young man was a known gang member.
By Saturday, 7 more had been shot in the city in separate incidents.
One man, 22, was shot while inside a barbershop in the West Austin neighborhood. He was taken to the hospital with a shot to the shoulder.
Three were shot on the city’s South Side on Saturday afternoon.
More
Juror search begins in trial of Boston Marathon bombing suspect
His defenders bank on the story of a difficult childhood in a former Soviet republic and his radicalization at the hands of an influential older brother who could have pressured him into participating in the deadly attack.
Jury selection for the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, accused in the Boston Marathon bombing, begins Monday. Those chosen from a pool of about 1,200 will decide whether Tsarnaev planned and carried out the twin explosions that killed three people and injured more than 260 near the finish line of the race on April 15, 2013. If they find him guilty, they will decide whether he should be put to death.
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Democrats Run As Pro-Gun To Get Elected, Then War Against Guns
When Democrat Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis admitted to faking her pro-gun positions in an effort to defeat Republican Greg Abbott she put herself in line with a growing number of Democrats who’ve claimed to be pro-gun in order to win elections, then waged war against the Second Amendment once in office.
For example, consider President Obama, who actually campaigned as a supporter of the Second Amendment to win his first presidential election.
According to Real Clear Politics, he said the following in 2008: “I believe in the Second Amendment. I believe in people’s lawful right to bear arms. I will not take your shotgun away. I will not take your rifle away. I won’t take your handgun away.” Fast forward to 2013 and Obama’s presidency was characterized by various gun pushes that included complete bans on certain types of rifles.Fox 59 reported that Obama stood among Sandy Hook families at that time and described gun control as part of “our first task as a society.”
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Driving on New Year's Eve
With Wednesday night approaching I would like to share a personal experience with you all about drinking and driving after a "social event" with friends.
Last Sunday, I was out on a pre-Christmas get together with friends. I had a few cocktails, followed by several glasses of wine. Despite my jolliness, I still had the sense to know that I was over the limit. That's when I decided to do what I have never done before: I took a taxi home.
Sure enough, there was a police road block on the road home but, since it was a taxi, they waved it past. I arrived home safely without incident.
This was both a great relief and a surprise because I had never driven a taxi before. I don't even know where I got it from and, now that it is in my garage, I don't know what to do with it.
A Letter To The Editor: Despicable City Roads
Hi Joe, I was wondering if you and your team could shed some light on the condition of our city roads? They're always a mess and when new paving is done it's always on the most unnecessary areas. As heavily traveled as Fitzwater St and business 13 are, I absolutely dread when I have to go that direction. The exorbitant level of taxes would lead me to believe that the most basic level of infrastructure--ROADS--wouldn't resemble a 3rd world country in our city. Thanks for all you do!
Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release 1-5-15
On January 2, 2015 at approximately 1253 hours, a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, responded to the Berlin Wal-Mart for a trespassing complaint.
Upon arrival the Deputy met with Asset Protection Associates of Wal-Mart. Through investigation it was determined that Christian Robert Boyles, 45, of Berlin, had been advised not to be on Wal-Mart property in June 2014, and was seen inside of Wal-Mart on 1-2-15. Mr. Boyles had left Wal-Mart before the Deputy was able to locate him.
At approximately 1615 hours on 1-2-15, a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy responded back to Wal-Mart, in reference to Mr. Boyles being inside Wal-Mart a second time. As the Deputy made contact with Mr. Boyles in an attempt to arrest Mr. Boyles for trespassing inside Wal-Mart, Mr. Boyles attempted to pull away from the Deputy several times. As Mr. Boyles attempted to pull away, he also attempted to toss several packages of suspected Heroin.
Mr. Boyles was placed under arrest for 2 counts of trespassing, resisting arrest, and CDS possession not Marijuana. Mr. Boyles was taken before the District Court Commissioner, where he was release on a $10,000.00 unsecured bond, and is awaiting trial.
Upon arrival the Deputy met with Asset Protection Associates of Wal-Mart. Through investigation it was determined that Christian Robert Boyles, 45, of Berlin, had been advised not to be on Wal-Mart property in June 2014, and was seen inside of Wal-Mart on 1-2-15. Mr. Boyles had left Wal-Mart before the Deputy was able to locate him.
At approximately 1615 hours on 1-2-15, a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy responded back to Wal-Mart, in reference to Mr. Boyles being inside Wal-Mart a second time. As the Deputy made contact with Mr. Boyles in an attempt to arrest Mr. Boyles for trespassing inside Wal-Mart, Mr. Boyles attempted to pull away from the Deputy several times. As Mr. Boyles attempted to pull away, he also attempted to toss several packages of suspected Heroin.
Mr. Boyles was placed under arrest for 2 counts of trespassing, resisting arrest, and CDS possession not Marijuana. Mr. Boyles was taken before the District Court Commissioner, where he was release on a $10,000.00 unsecured bond, and is awaiting trial.
Obama back in Washington after 2-week Hawaii trip
Obama took an overnight flight on Air Force One back from the island of Oahu, where the Obamas vacation every year.
Obama was rarely seen in public during the trip and spent his time golfing, on the beach with family or dining in Honolulu's restaurants.
On his last day, he and his daughters visited Pearl Jam's lead singer, Eddie Vedder.
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Six Education Stories To Watch in 2015
As the senior member of the NPR Ed team with 25 years on the education beat, here are the top stories that my expert sources and I believe will be ones to watch in 2015. For more predictions, check out our crowdsourced list.
1. Standardized Testing Under Fire
The concern about too much testing really took off in 2014 and it's likely to grow, with more organized opposition at the local, state and national levels. The new tests tied to the Common Core, developed by the federally funded consortia, PARCC and Smarter Balanced, will continue to be targets. A moratorium, like the one teachers' unions have called for, will gather steam.
Two unlikely allies of the testing slowdown could be Bill Gates, who's already on the record calling for a reduction in testing, And education secretary Arne Duncan, who has said that too much testing is hurting a much-needed consensus on how to improve schools.
Teachers and their unions have blamed Duncan for pushing high stakes testing with little or no evidence that it improves instruction or truly measures teachers' or students' performance.
2. More Troubles For The Common Core
More (Republican-led) legislatures will call for long, drawn-out reviews, or the outright repeal, of the Common Core State Standards. Some states may simply "re-brand" the core to satisfy opposition groups, while adopting almost identical standards.
Still, in most states, the implementation of the Common Core will continue. And the more it guides instruction, the harder it will be for opponents to get rid of it completely.
More
1. Standardized Testing Under Fire
The concern about too much testing really took off in 2014 and it's likely to grow, with more organized opposition at the local, state and national levels. The new tests tied to the Common Core, developed by the federally funded consortia, PARCC and Smarter Balanced, will continue to be targets. A moratorium, like the one teachers' unions have called for, will gather steam.
Two unlikely allies of the testing slowdown could be Bill Gates, who's already on the record calling for a reduction in testing, And education secretary Arne Duncan, who has said that too much testing is hurting a much-needed consensus on how to improve schools.
Teachers and their unions have blamed Duncan for pushing high stakes testing with little or no evidence that it improves instruction or truly measures teachers' or students' performance.
2. More Troubles For The Common Core
More (Republican-led) legislatures will call for long, drawn-out reviews, or the outright repeal, of the Common Core State Standards. Some states may simply "re-brand" the core to satisfy opposition groups, while adopting almost identical standards.
Still, in most states, the implementation of the Common Core will continue. And the more it guides instruction, the harder it will be for opponents to get rid of it completely.
More
Baltimore Officers Injured In Motorcycle Crash Returning From NYPD Funeral
Two Baltimore police officers crashed their motorcycles on a ramp at the New Jersey Turnpike Sunday as they returned in a motorcade from the funeral of a New York City Police officer who was killed last month, authorities said.
The officers, who were not identified, were taken to a hospital with minor injuries after the crash at about 3:49 p.m. on a ramp from the Goethals Bridge to the turnpike, according to a New Jersey State Police spokeswoman.
Baltimore's Fraternal Order of Police tweeted Sunday night that the two officers' injuries were nonfatal. New Jersey authorities provided few additional details on the crash, and a Baltimore Police Department spokesman said he did not have any information on the crash.
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The officers, who were not identified, were taken to a hospital with minor injuries after the crash at about 3:49 p.m. on a ramp from the Goethals Bridge to the turnpike, according to a New Jersey State Police spokeswoman.
Baltimore's Fraternal Order of Police tweeted Sunday night that the two officers' injuries were nonfatal. New Jersey authorities provided few additional details on the crash, and a Baltimore Police Department spokesman said he did not have any information on the crash.
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Anti-Police Progressives: No Justice, No Brunch…Or Something
A handful of these radicals took to the restaurants of New York City Sunday morning to demand…attention. The attention they got they didn’t much care for.
On Twitter under the hashtag “#BlackBrunchNYC,” they “stormed” eateries offering brunch and draw attention to themselves. Rather than inspire a nationwide movement, they inspired ridicule.
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The number of St. Clair and Madison county residents who have enrolled in health care plans under the Affordable Care Act has dropped by nearly 47 percent compared to a year ago, according to figures released by the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation.
Foundation figures show that 752 St. Clair and Madison county residents enrolled by the end of December, with 353 signing up for qualified health plans on the insurance marketplace, while 399 enrolled in the expanded, state-funded Medicaid system, for a total of 752 enrollees, foundation figures show.
This compares to the number of people who signed up a year ago, when 136 signed up for qualified health plans and 1,278 signed up for the expanded Medicaid program, for a total of 1,414 enrollees, according to foundation figures.
Statewide, 121,243 residents have selected plans through the state’s health insurance marketplace leading up to the Dec. 15 deadline to guarantee coverage that starts Jan. 1. About 80 percent of Illinois residents who picked health insurance plans during the first month of the sign-up, which began Nov. 15, qualified for financial help. Forty-six percent of enrollees signed up for a marketplace plan, while 54 percent signed up for the first time, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced.
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Foundation figures show that 752 St. Clair and Madison county residents enrolled by the end of December, with 353 signing up for qualified health plans on the insurance marketplace, while 399 enrolled in the expanded, state-funded Medicaid system, for a total of 752 enrollees, foundation figures show.
This compares to the number of people who signed up a year ago, when 136 signed up for qualified health plans and 1,278 signed up for the expanded Medicaid program, for a total of 1,414 enrollees, according to foundation figures.
Statewide, 121,243 residents have selected plans through the state’s health insurance marketplace leading up to the Dec. 15 deadline to guarantee coverage that starts Jan. 1. About 80 percent of Illinois residents who picked health insurance plans during the first month of the sign-up, which began Nov. 15, qualified for financial help. Forty-six percent of enrollees signed up for a marketplace plan, while 54 percent signed up for the first time, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced.
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State, local governments continue to spend more than they earn
The trend mirrors national data in which state and local government expenditures largely outpaced revenue during that period, forcing some to take on extra debt. Many governments have since changed course in the aftermath of the recession, clamping down on spending and taking in more in tax revenue. But economists say the picture in the Washington area, where economic growth has been lagging behind that of the rest of the nation, continues to be marked by millions of dollars in shortfalls.
Maryland and Virginia continue to face major shortfalls — $1.2 billion and $2.4 billion, respectively — according to recent estimates. A sluggish economic recovery in the Washington region, coupled with a spate of federal government budget cuts, have led to higher levels of unemployment and, as a result, less income tax revenue for local governments.
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Healthcare Deductible Costs Crippling Middle Class
Physician Praveen Arla is witnessing a reversal of health care fortunes: Poor, long-uninsured patients are getting Medicaid through Obamacare and finally coming to his office for care. But middle-class workers are increasingly staying away.
"It's flip-flopped," says Arla, who helps his father run a family practice in Hillview, Ky. Patients with job-based plans, he says, will say: " 'My deductible is so high. I'm trying to come to the doctor as little as possible. … What is the minimum I can get done?' They're really worried about cost."
It's a deep and common concern across the USA, where employer plans cover 60% of working-age Americans, or about 150 million people. Coverage long considered the gold standard of health insurance now often requires workers to pay so much out-of-pocket that many feel they must skip doctor visits, put off medical procedures, avoid filling prescriptions and ration pills — much as the uninsured have done.
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"It's flip-flopped," says Arla, who helps his father run a family practice in Hillview, Ky. Patients with job-based plans, he says, will say: " 'My deductible is so high. I'm trying to come to the doctor as little as possible. … What is the minimum I can get done?' They're really worried about cost."
It's a deep and common concern across the USA, where employer plans cover 60% of working-age Americans, or about 150 million people. Coverage long considered the gold standard of health insurance now often requires workers to pay so much out-of-pocket that many feel they must skip doctor visits, put off medical procedures, avoid filling prescriptions and ration pills — much as the uninsured have done.
More
McDonald's Latest Attempt to Win Customers Over
McDonald's is ringing in the new year with another push in its effort to revamp its image and relationship with customers.
As part of the new look, McDonald's will debut new packaging, signage and uniforms for workers, it said Friday. The company is also planning on increasing its emphasis on the "lovin'" part of its "I'm lovin' it" tagline.
"McDonald's is moving from a philosophy of billions served to billions heard," said McDonald's Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Wah in a video statement. "Today, we are working harder than ever to evolve with our customer. We're on a journey to change the relationship and conversation."
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As part of the new look, McDonald's will debut new packaging, signage and uniforms for workers, it said Friday. The company is also planning on increasing its emphasis on the "lovin'" part of its "I'm lovin' it" tagline.
"McDonald's is moving from a philosophy of billions served to billions heard," said McDonald's Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Wah in a video statement. "Today, we are working harder than ever to evolve with our customer. We're on a journey to change the relationship and conversation."
More
Americans Waste $14B a Year in Overlooked Charges
New York ( TheStreet) -- How much money are you losing to unnecessary charges you've forgotten about? If you’re anything like many Americans, the answer falls somewhere between “some” and “a lot.” Here’s what you need to know about these overlooked charges and how to keep them from spoiling your finances in the coming year, courtesy of Bank of America’s Better Money Habits.
These so-called "gray charges" are recurring fees that you’ve either forgotten about or didn’t even realize you were paying. Some of these come from simple errors, like neglecting to cancel that gym membership you never got around to using. Others come from nastier sources like companies that make it intentionally difficult to cancel services. Not that we’re naming any names here.
By definition, gray charges are generally small enough to slide into the background noise of achecking account. Anything expensive stands out and gets taken care of, but $20 here and $30 there is easy to overlook. Over time, this can really add up. And what a waste. This is money spent on something you either don’t want or aren’t getting, but approximately 66.5 million Americans pay it.
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These so-called "gray charges" are recurring fees that you’ve either forgotten about or didn’t even realize you were paying. Some of these come from simple errors, like neglecting to cancel that gym membership you never got around to using. Others come from nastier sources like companies that make it intentionally difficult to cancel services. Not that we’re naming any names here.
By definition, gray charges are generally small enough to slide into the background noise of achecking account. Anything expensive stands out and gets taken care of, but $20 here and $30 there is easy to overlook. Over time, this can really add up. And what a waste. This is money spent on something you either don’t want or aren’t getting, but approximately 66.5 million Americans pay it.
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Apple sued because iPhone isn't really 16GB
If you have a 16 GB iPhone, you've probably noticed that you don'treally have 16 GB of storage space -- some of that space is taken up by Apple's iOS software. But you probably haven't thought to sue Apple over it.
That's the difference between you and two Apple (AAPL, Tech30) customers in Miami who sued Apple for their incredible shrinking storage.
The plaintiffs filed their lawsuit in a California federal court on Tuesday, and they are seeking permission to make their complaint a class action suit. They are seeking more than $5 million in damages for what they say is Apple's false advertising.
Apple's new iOS 8 software takes up 3 GB of storage on an iPhone 6. That's 19% of the phone's 16 GB of advertised storage. The iOS 8 software takes up 20% of an iPhone 6 Plus' storage and 21% of an iPad's free space.
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That's the difference between you and two Apple (AAPL, Tech30) customers in Miami who sued Apple for their incredible shrinking storage.
The plaintiffs filed their lawsuit in a California federal court on Tuesday, and they are seeking permission to make their complaint a class action suit. They are seeking more than $5 million in damages for what they say is Apple's false advertising.
Apple's new iOS 8 software takes up 3 GB of storage on an iPhone 6. That's 19% of the phone's 16 GB of advertised storage. The iOS 8 software takes up 20% of an iPhone 6 Plus' storage and 21% of an iPad's free space.
More
ADULT SCIENCE QUIZ
Here’s a quiz on how much science adults know.
Only 7% of the adult population gets all 13 questions correct.
See how you do–Click on link below: