On Tuesday four-star General Jack Keane told Congress that al-Qaeda has “grown fourfold in the last five years.”
Bridget Johnson at PJ Media reported:
The former vice chief of staff of the Army warned the Senate Armed Services Committee today that al-Qaeda has “grown fourfold in the last five years.”
“AQ and its affiliates exceeds Iran in beginning to dominate multiple countries,” retired four-star Gen. Jack Keane testified.
Using a term that the Obama administration now eschews, Keane called radical Islam “the major security challenge of our generation.”…
…”The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, ISIS, is an outgrowth from Al-Qaeda in Iraq, which was defeated in Iraq by 2009.”
“After U.S. troops pulled out of Iraq in 2011, ISIS reemerged as a terrorist organization in Iraq, moved into Syria in 2012, and began seizing towns and villages from the Syria-Iraq border all the way to the western Syria from Aleppo to Damascus,” he reminded the committee.
That leads to an “unmistakable” conclusion that “our policies have failed,” Keane added.
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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
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Administration Official Criticizes Israeli Ambassador Over Netanyahu Visit
The outrage the episode has incited within President Obama’s inner circle became clear in unusually sharp criticism by a senior administration official who said that the Israeli ambassador, Ron Dermer, who helped orchestrate the invitation, had repeatedly placed Mr. Netanyahu’s political fortunes above the relationship between Israel and the United States.
The official who made the comments to The New York Times would not be named, and the White House declined to comment. The remarks were the latest fallout after Mr. Dermer, without the White House’s knowledge, worked with House Speaker John A. Boehner to arrange the speech, which is scheduled for March.
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Days After His Wife of More Than 60 Years Died, Man Finds Note Tucked Inside Her Checkbook: ‘Wow’
“Please don’t cry because I died! Smile because I lived! Know that I’m in a happy place!” Billie Breland wrote to her husband Jimmy before passing away at the age of 83.
“Know that we will meet again! I’ll see you there!” the note concluded.
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Obamacare Vs. Cancer Cures
Even Republicans gushed with enthusiasm when President Barack Obama announced funding for personalized medicine during the State of the Union last week. “I am launching a new precision medicine initiative,” Obama said, to usher in a “new era of medicine, one that delivers the right treatment at the right time.”
Sounds good, but don’t be fooled. The biggest impediment to these cures is Obamacare, and the loudest critic of personalized medicine is Obamacare architect Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel.
Scientists already have turned the corner from one-size-fits-all medicine to fashioning cures based on a patient’s genetic makeup. Not all breast cancers or lung cancers or other afflictions are alike. They differ depending on a patient’s genes. Testing patients to see what genetic mutation is causing their sickness and then using a drug that targets it avoids wasting time on drugs that won’t work or would even make a patient sicker.
It should be the future of medicine, but Obamacare stands in the way. Members of Congress would know that if they had bothered to read the law. Obamacare forces doctors to practice one-size-fits-all medicine. The law whacks them with financial penalties if they stray from what Washington calls “evidence-based” treatments.
“Evidenced-based” means the treatment that works best for the majority of patients. Too bad if you’re not the typical patient. As Dr. Jeffrey Singer, a surgeon and adjunct fellow at the Cato Institute, says, “It is easy to standardize treatment protocols. But it is difficult to standardize patients.”
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Sounds good, but don’t be fooled. The biggest impediment to these cures is Obamacare, and the loudest critic of personalized medicine is Obamacare architect Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel.
Scientists already have turned the corner from one-size-fits-all medicine to fashioning cures based on a patient’s genetic makeup. Not all breast cancers or lung cancers or other afflictions are alike. They differ depending on a patient’s genes. Testing patients to see what genetic mutation is causing their sickness and then using a drug that targets it avoids wasting time on drugs that won’t work or would even make a patient sicker.
It should be the future of medicine, but Obamacare stands in the way. Members of Congress would know that if they had bothered to read the law. Obamacare forces doctors to practice one-size-fits-all medicine. The law whacks them with financial penalties if they stray from what Washington calls “evidence-based” treatments.
“Evidenced-based” means the treatment that works best for the majority of patients. Too bad if you’re not the typical patient. As Dr. Jeffrey Singer, a surgeon and adjunct fellow at the Cato Institute, says, “It is easy to standardize treatment protocols. But it is difficult to standardize patients.”
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A Viewer Asks...
I’m just wondering if anyone out there can explain to me why an 11 year old cannot be left off the school bus without an adult to receive them but a 12 year old is expected to walk a ½ mile down the road to get the bus. I’m in Somerset but tune in frequently to get the truth.
More than 1,000 Amazon jobs open in Baltimore
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City officials said they want to ensure city residents get recruited and get the jobs.
Amazon's new, 1-million-square-foot fulfillment center in southeast Baltimore at the site of the old GM plant on Broening Highway is slated to open in the spring.
For Amazon shoppers in Maryland, the distribution warehouse likely means faster deliveries and maybe even same-day deliveries.
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Ethics Violation Against Mayor Jim Ireton
From: "Jim Ireton" <jimiretonformayor@gmail.com>
To: "James Ireton" <jireton1@hotmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:11:13 PM
Subject: Theft, Marijuana and Over-occupancy...Today
Authority: Ireton for Maryland. William C. Duck, Jr., Treasurer
To: "James Ireton" <jireton1@hotmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:11:13 PM
Subject: Theft, Marijuana and Over-occupancy...Today
Friends, this just in today. I spend my day working so hard to protect our neighborhoods. It is clear we need tougher laws. Please read below. Jim
Pope Francis meets with transsexual Spanish man in the Vatican
Pope Francis has received a transsexual man at the Vatican, in a landmark gesture of acceptance by a pope.
Diego Neria Lejárraga, a 48-year-old Spanish man who underwent sex reassignment surgery, wrote to Francis last year to tell him that he felt like an outcast from the church.
Mr Neria said that he was rejected by some his fellow parishioners at his church in the western Spanish city of Plasencia, where a priest denounced him as ‘the devil’s daughter.’
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Diego Neria Lejárraga, a 48-year-old Spanish man who underwent sex reassignment surgery, wrote to Francis last year to tell him that he felt like an outcast from the church.
Mr Neria said that he was rejected by some his fellow parishioners at his church in the western Spanish city of Plasencia, where a priest denounced him as ‘the devil’s daughter.’
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Buffalo Boy Scouts troop leader arrested, charged with child exploitation crimes
Daniel Huzinec, 23, allegedly shared photographs of male children engaged in sexually explicit conduct on a peer-to-peer website. This conduct included the sexual abuse of male children by adult males and male children engaging in sexual activity with other male children.
On Jan. 27, a search warrant was executed at the defendant's Marilla St. residence. Numerous items were seized from the residence including a laptop computer. A preliminary forensic analysis located visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
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Republicans criticize Alaska video featuring Obama on Air Force One
Barack Obama's new White House video may be filled with shots of beautiful Alaska scenery, but it was a mere five seconds that got everyone talking.
The minute-long film was released to announce a new push by the administration to protect a large portion of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for preservation, effectively protecting it from oil drilling.
But it wasn't only the video's message that riled Republicans - it was the fact the clip featured Obama explaining the new initiative while en route to India on Air Force One, an aircraft with a fuel capacity of 53,611 gallons.
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The minute-long film was released to announce a new push by the administration to protect a large portion of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for preservation, effectively protecting it from oil drilling.
But it wasn't only the video's message that riled Republicans - it was the fact the clip featured Obama explaining the new initiative while en route to India on Air Force One, an aircraft with a fuel capacity of 53,611 gallons.
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Iron Man Offers Advice During Surprise Pocomoke High School Visit
Last spring, Ripken made preliminary arrangements to address Pocomoke’s senior class at graduation, but as the date drew nearer, a schedule conflict kept him from traveling to the southern Worcester County school and Ripken vowed to try to find another time. The Pocomoke student body then launched an aggressive and highly successful social media campaign to bring the Iron Man to the school.
The campaign waged on Twitter and Facebook, for example, caught the attention of Ripken and his agent, but it was still uncertain if he would make the trip to Pocomoke High. On Wednesday, the entire Pocomoke student body was brought into the school’s auditorium for an assembly presumably to ramp up the “We Want Cal” campaign. As the school’s self-made “We Won’t Stop” video, modeled after the Orioles’ slogan during a stretch run to the playoffs last season, showed on a video screen, Principal Annette Wallace addressed the student body.
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No More Mosques in Lombardy Region, Italy, from Today
Victory! Something is changing.
Some positive effects of the Charlie Hebdo atrocities are felt in Italy, with crackdown on the cult of Islam.
First Massimo Bitonci, the mayor of the city of Padua, in the region of Venice (Veneto), Northern Italy, simply and clearly said: "No more mosques in Padua. The city council will not grant any more public space for the building of mosques and Islamic places of worship."
Padua's councillor Marina Buffoni sent the city's police to Muslim meeting places, to confiscate posters and images of women in burka. She said: "These posters showed women completely covered by a burka, you could only see their eyes. It's unacceptable for an organisation to display such images, in defiance of principles of true integration, especially regarding the status of women. True integration doesn't just mean respect of Italian law, but also of the customs of our tradition. The burka is a symbol of slavery and subjugation of women and will never be welcome in the city of Padua."
And now, the Lombardy Region, Italy's richest and most populated, whose main city is Milan, has today approved an "anti-mosque law".
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Some positive effects of the Charlie Hebdo atrocities are felt in Italy, with crackdown on the cult of Islam.
First Massimo Bitonci, the mayor of the city of Padua, in the region of Venice (Veneto), Northern Italy, simply and clearly said: "No more mosques in Padua. The city council will not grant any more public space for the building of mosques and Islamic places of worship."
Padua's councillor Marina Buffoni sent the city's police to Muslim meeting places, to confiscate posters and images of women in burka. She said: "These posters showed women completely covered by a burka, you could only see their eyes. It's unacceptable for an organisation to display such images, in defiance of principles of true integration, especially regarding the status of women. True integration doesn't just mean respect of Italian law, but also of the customs of our tradition. The burka is a symbol of slavery and subjugation of women and will never be welcome in the city of Padua."
And now, the Lombardy Region, Italy's richest and most populated, whose main city is Milan, has today approved an "anti-mosque law".
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HSI seeks public tips to help locate 10 human trafficking fugitives
WASHINGTON —U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) released the names and photographs of 10 fugitives wanted for human trafficking crimes, in the hope that tips from the public could lead to the identification and arrest of these individuals.
“The Department of Homeland Security and ICE take the crime of human trafficking very seriously. We have invested countless investigative hours and victim support resources into more than 1,000 cases this past year alone,” said ICE Director, Sarah R. Saldaña. “Now we are asking you to assist us in bringing these fugitives to justice.”
In fiscal year 2014, HSI identified more than 440 victims of human trafficking and arrested 1,770 perpetrators of this crime.
HSI is a leading agency in the fight against human trafficking and routinely works with federal, state, local and international law enforcement agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations, to identify and prosecute human traffickers and rescue their victims.
The agency’s victim assistance program ensures victims receive services and access to resources in accordance with U.S. law.
Human trafficking victims are essentially modern-day slaves. They can be of any age, race, nationality or gender, although most sex trafficking victims are women. Victims of human trafficking are forced into prostitution, labor and other forms of servitude to repay debts. Vulnerable populations include at-risk youth, runaways and undocumented immigrants who may have been smuggled into the United States to an unfamiliar culture and fear law enforcement.
A significant part of combatting human trafficking is public education and awareness. By presidential proclamation, January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
Human trafficking investigations often result from a tip from the general public. HSI encourages the public to report suspicious activity by calling its toll-free number: 1-866-347-2423. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Tips can also be submitted online atwww.ICE.gov/tips.
BREAKING NEWS: Three American contractors killed at a Kabul Airport
U.S. officials have confirmed that three American contractors and an Afghan national were shot to death at a Kabul Airport.
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Its $5.00 Burger Night At Station 7 In Pittsville & Laurel
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Main St Gym Boxers in Glen Burnie
Main Street Gym boxers Renaldo Messidue, a 15 yr. old student at Wi Hi, stepped into the ring as a new boxer after his debut 2 months ago. In a hard fought battle Messidue took as well as he gave to outpoint his 16yr. old heavyweight opponent out of the First Class Boxing Gym. Messidue has been undefeated in his first 2 bouts.
Main St Gym’s Erick Acosta, an 11yr. old who attends Fruitland Intermediate School stepped into the ring with a familiar opponent in Tommy Coe, of Baltimore, fighting out the Baltimore Boxing Gym. The two boys who fight in the 85lb division met twice before with Acosta loosing a close decision in the first meeting, and a controversial decision here in Salisbury on the Main St Gym’s Guns & Hoses Show in December. On that night many felt Acosta out boxed Coe in their three round match up, but the judges saw it differently.
Researchers Tout Possible Breakthrough on Curing Peanut Allergies
Trace Gallagher reported today (video above) on the new developments on "The Real Story."
The 18-month trials involved 62 peanut-allergic children. Some were treated with a probiotic and others received a placebo.
More than 80 percent of the children who received the probiotic developed a tolerance to peanut products, compared to just four percent of the placebo recipients.
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Action Taken by Texas School Officials Leaves Students ‘Uncomfortable’ & Parents ‘Furious’
Educators had been “finding poop on the floor,” one parent told WFAA-TV, so they instructed students to expose their underwear in an effort to find the culprit.
“I felt uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to do it,” 11-year-old Eliza Medina told WFAA-TV. “I felt like they violated my privacy.”
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Republican 'Red' States Shoulder the Deepest Cuts Under Obama
As Washington has tightened its belt in recent years, the budget cuts have sliced most deeply in states where President Obama is unpopular, according to an analysis of federal spending by Reuters.
Between the 2009 and 2013 fiscal years, funding for a wide swath of discretionary grant programs, from Head Start preschool education to anti drug initiatives, fell by an average of 40 percent in Republican-leaning states like Texas and Mississippi.
By contrast, funding to Democratic-leaning states such as California and politically competitive swing states like Ohio dropped by 25 percent.
Though Congress sets overall spending levels, the Obama administration determines where much of that money ends up. Lawmakers also have curtailed their ability to direct money to their home states when they adopted a ban on spending in 2011 known as "earmarks."
That has given administration officials more power to steer money to places that might return the favor with votes, said John Hudak, an expert on federal spending at the centrist Brookings Institution who worked with Reuters on the analysis.
"In the context of the Obama administration, swing states and blue states are doing better than red states," said Hudak, who uncovered similar spending patterns by previous presidents in his book "Presidential Pork."
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Between the 2009 and 2013 fiscal years, funding for a wide swath of discretionary grant programs, from Head Start preschool education to anti drug initiatives, fell by an average of 40 percent in Republican-leaning states like Texas and Mississippi.
By contrast, funding to Democratic-leaning states such as California and politically competitive swing states like Ohio dropped by 25 percent.
Though Congress sets overall spending levels, the Obama administration determines where much of that money ends up. Lawmakers also have curtailed their ability to direct money to their home states when they adopted a ban on spending in 2011 known as "earmarks."
That has given administration officials more power to steer money to places that might return the favor with votes, said John Hudak, an expert on federal spending at the centrist Brookings Institution who worked with Reuters on the analysis.
"In the context of the Obama administration, swing states and blue states are doing better than red states," said Hudak, who uncovered similar spending patterns by previous presidents in his book "Presidential Pork."
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SFD Calls For Service 1-28-15
- Wednesday January, 28 2015 @ 23:36Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
- Wednesday January, 28 2015 @ 22:17Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
- Wednesday January, 28 2015 @ 22:09Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
- Wednesday January, 28 2015 @ 21:00Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
- Wednesday January, 28 2015 @ 20:14Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
The Daily Times Gets Paid For This?
See page C10. Don't know what happened but the legal ads are for January, 2014. There are foreclosures, notices to creditors, etc. on the last page, all from January 2014.
What caught my eye was the notice to creditors, someone I know who died a year ago in January. Total incompetence!
Administration Tells Border Patrol Agents to ID Which Illegals NOT to Deport
The Obama administration has ordered immigration agents to ask immigrants they encounter living in the country illegally whether they might qualify under President Barack Obama's plans to avoid deporting them, according to internal training materials obtained by The Associated Press.
Agents also have been told to review government files to identify any jailed immigrants they might be able to release under the program.
The directives from the Homeland Security Department mark an unusual change for U.S. immigration enforcement, placing the obligation on the government for identifying immigrants who might qualify for lenient treatment. Previously, it was the responsibility of immigrants or their lawyers to assert that they might qualify under rules that could keep them out of jail and inside the United States.
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Agents also have been told to review government files to identify any jailed immigrants they might be able to release under the program.
The directives from the Homeland Security Department mark an unusual change for U.S. immigration enforcement, placing the obligation on the government for identifying immigrants who might qualify for lenient treatment. Previously, it was the responsibility of immigrants or their lawyers to assert that they might qualify under rules that could keep them out of jail and inside the United States.
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Top 10 Snipers in History
‘It was night and low visibility, but I saw a guy with an AK-47 lit up by the porch light in a doorway about 400 meters away. I watched him through the sights. He looked like just another Iraqi. I hit him low in the stomach and dropped him.’ – Specialist James Wilks, 25, from Fort Worth, Texas. Concealment is key to becoming a great sniper. Highly trained marksmen who can shoot accurately from incredible distances with specialized training in high-precision rifles. In addition, they are trained in camouflage, field craft, infiltration, reconnaissance and observation, making them perhaps the most feared military presence in a war. Below is my list of top ten snipers in history and some of the greatest shots ever fired.
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WH: Taliban Is Not a Terror Group
Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz responded to a question about whether Jordan’s plan to make a prisoner trade with ISIS was similar to the U.S. swapping five Taliban members for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.
First, Schultz said that the U.S. doesn’t negotiate with terrorists. Then he said, “I don’t think that the Taliban … the Taliban is an armed insurgency.”
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5-Year-Old Girl Dies After Catching the Flu, Even After Getting Vaccine
A Las Vegas kindergartner who died days after coming down with the flu felt well enough to play outside 24 hours before she collapsed, her father told ABC News.
Kiera Driscoll, 5, had a slight fever on Sunday morning, but she seemed to be feeling better after taking some children's ibuprofen, said her father, Patrick Driscoll.
"In fact, she was playing outside that afternoon with my wife and even made a comment that it was 'the most fun time ever,'" Driscoll said.
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Kiera Driscoll, 5, had a slight fever on Sunday morning, but she seemed to be feeling better after taking some children's ibuprofen, said her father, Patrick Driscoll.
"In fact, she was playing outside that afternoon with my wife and even made a comment that it was 'the most fun time ever,'" Driscoll said.
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US Wanted to Spy on Cars Parked at Gun Shows
The National Rifle Association is investigating reports that a leading federal agent proposed using license-plate readers to scan vehicles at gun shows as part of a gun-trafficking crackdown.
The plan was included in an internal Justice Department email that was among a series of Drug Enforcement Administration documents revealing that the government is stockpiling a vast national database of license plates, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The Justice Department, which is in charge of the DEA, said that the planned spying program at gun shows was put forward in 2009, but it was turned down by management and never went any further.
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The plan was included in an internal Justice Department email that was among a series of Drug Enforcement Administration documents revealing that the government is stockpiling a vast national database of license plates, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The Justice Department, which is in charge of the DEA, said that the planned spying program at gun shows was put forward in 2009, but it was turned down by management and never went any further.
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Students forced to expose underwear for inspection
GUSTINE, Texas — About two dozen elementary school students were rounded up and forced to pull down their pants earlier this week after school officials found feces on the gym floor.
Maria Medina, whose 11-year-old daughter Eliza Medina was searched Monday for evidence of defecation, said she can understand educators' frustration but they went too far when they took boys to one room and girls to another and ordered them to pull down their pants.
"I felt uncomfortable, and I didn't want to do it," Eliza said. "I felt like they violated my privacy."
"I said I didn't want to, but I was told I had to because all the kids had to," she said.
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Maria Medina, whose 11-year-old daughter Eliza Medina was searched Monday for evidence of defecation, said she can understand educators' frustration but they went too far when they took boys to one room and girls to another and ordered them to pull down their pants.
"I felt uncomfortable, and I didn't want to do it," Eliza said. "I felt like they violated my privacy."
"I said I didn't want to, but I was told I had to because all the kids had to," she said.
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Lawmaker wants armed officer in every Md. school
The proposal comes from Republican Delegate John Cluster Jr., a retired police officer from Baltimore County.
“Although security enhancements may help, the bottom line is, not having somebody on the scene is really the problem,” Cluster said Wednesday in front of the state’s House Ways and Means Committee.
Cluster, a Republican, told committee members, that it’s not a matter of when there is a school shooting in Maryland, it’s a matter of when.
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NRP Charges Four Watermen with Oyster Violations
A Nanticoke waterman received citations last Tuesday for taking oysters from protected state waters for power dredging in the Nanticoke sanctuary in Wicomico County.
Two officers on patrol at 6:30 a.m. watched as Adam Rodney Antes, 32, entered the sanctuary on his boat, Kimberly Dawn, and began working an area more than 150 feet inside the boundary.
Antes is scheduled to appear in Wicomico District Court on April 7 on charges of unlawful harvesting and operating a vessel without proper running lights. If found guilty, he could be fined a maximum of $3,085.
On Jan. 16, two commercial hand tonging vessels were observed harvesting oysters from the Howell Point-Beacon Sanctuary at the mouth of La Trappe Creek, a Choptank River tributary in Talbot County.
Kevin Steven Tarleton, 45, of Tilghman, was charged with harvesting oysters in a sanctuary and possession of nine bushels of oysters over the daily hand tong limit. Kevin Steven Tarleton Jr., 22, of Tilghman, was charged with harvesting oysters in a sanctuary and refusing to comply with a lawful order.
Daniel Paul Wilson, 20, also of Tilghman, was charged with harvesting oysters in a sanctuary.
Officers seized a total of 51 bushels of oysters and returned them to the sanctuary.
All three men are scheduled to appear in Talbot District Court on March 19. The maximum penalty for harvesting in a sanctuary is a $3,000 fine and a commercial license suspension of six months to one year
Pat Robertson Advises Elderly Woman to Take Out a Reverse Mortgage to Send His Group Money
The woman said she was still working because her retirement fund doesn't pay for basic expenses.
TV preacher Pat Robertson on Tuesday advised a senior citizen who was a paying member of his 700 Club teleministry that a reverse mortgage was a “good deal” if she was having trouble making ends meet.
“I have been a 700 Club partner for many years,” a woman named Maria explained in an email. “I am 67 years old and still working because retirement money does not cover our basic expenses.”
“I was thinking about a reverse mortgage but have my doubts,” Maria wrote. “What do you think?”
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TV preacher Pat Robertson on Tuesday advised a senior citizen who was a paying member of his 700 Club teleministry that a reverse mortgage was a “good deal” if she was having trouble making ends meet.
“I have been a 700 Club partner for many years,” a woman named Maria explained in an email. “I am 67 years old and still working because retirement money does not cover our basic expenses.”
“I was thinking about a reverse mortgage but have my doubts,” Maria wrote. “What do you think?”
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First Lady Draws Notice by Skipping Headscarf at Saudi Visit
Despite reports to the contrary, Saudi state television did not blur First Lady Michelle Obama during a broadcast of a meeting between President Barack Obama and the new Saudi king, Salman bin Abdul Aziz, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Mrs. Obama accompanied the president on a trip to Riyadh this week to pay respects for the passing of the late King Abdullah. The Journal reports that Mrs. Obama was not digitally obscured on state television — rather, an amateur video circulated showing her completely blurred.
She did cause a bit of controversy for choosing to forgo a headscarf or veil, though she did wear conservative clothing that included loose-fitting long pants and a bright blue patterned long-sleeved jacket that covered her arms entirely.
The kingdom has a strict dress code for women, requiring them to wear a headscarf and loose, black robes in public, according to The Associated Press, which notes that there is an exception for foreigners.
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Mrs. Obama accompanied the president on a trip to Riyadh this week to pay respects for the passing of the late King Abdullah. The Journal reports that Mrs. Obama was not digitally obscured on state television — rather, an amateur video circulated showing her completely blurred.
She did cause a bit of controversy for choosing to forgo a headscarf or veil, though she did wear conservative clothing that included loose-fitting long pants and a bright blue patterned long-sleeved jacket that covered her arms entirely.
The kingdom has a strict dress code for women, requiring them to wear a headscarf and loose, black robes in public, according to The Associated Press, which notes that there is an exception for foreigners.
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Hundreds Turned to Craigslist to Find Hot Dates and Sex Buddies to Keep Warm During the Blizzard
Winter storm Juno got a lot of hype before it even hit. And after everyone finished off their pre-storm to-do lists, some realized they wanted one more thing: company. Where some people saw disaster, hundreds of other New Yorkers saw romantic opportunity. Since no one wants to wait out a blizzard alone—even if it means inviting a stranger over—they decided to post ads on Craigslist.
In the past 24 hours, the personals section of Craigslist has gotten a lot of attention. When searching the term “blizzard” within the entire section (men seeking women, men seeking men, women seeking men, etc.), 417 new ads pop up. Some are pretty colorful.
One user titled his or her message, “Partners in snow.” It reads, “It's gonna get blizzard like out there, and I'm excited for that. Less so by the lack of a partner in crime for said snowstorm. It's a known fact that snow is sexier with someone you want to get under the covers with, or just smack upside their booty with a snowball the day after.”
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In the past 24 hours, the personals section of Craigslist has gotten a lot of attention. When searching the term “blizzard” within the entire section (men seeking women, men seeking men, women seeking men, etc.), 417 new ads pop up. Some are pretty colorful.
One user titled his or her message, “Partners in snow.” It reads, “It's gonna get blizzard like out there, and I'm excited for that. Less so by the lack of a partner in crime for said snowstorm. It's a known fact that snow is sexier with someone you want to get under the covers with, or just smack upside their booty with a snowball the day after.”
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'OBAMA ARMY' DEPLOYS TO TEL AVIV TO TOPPLE NETANYAHU
After White House snubbed PM to 'avoid influencing election'
TEL AVIV – A consulting firm almost entirely composed of former staffers of President Obama’s re-election campaign has been hired to run an election effort in Israel aimed at defeating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The conservative blogosphere is reporting Jeremy Bird, national field director for Obama’s 2012 campaign, is now working for a new non-profit group, V15, that is running an effort to defeat Netanyahu in the upcoming election.
A closer look at Bird’s consulting firm as well as its working relationship with the Israeli groups finds he is just one of scores of former senior Obama election campaign staffers now working on the anti-Netanyahu effort.
Last week, the Obama White House rejected an opportunity to meet with Netanyahu in March when he is in Washington to address a joint meeting of Congress, saying it didn’t want to influence the Israeli elections. The White House criticized House Speaker John Boehner for inviting Netanyahu, accusing him of “breaking protocol.”
The left-leaning Haaretz daily in Israel reported V15 is “trying to replace Israel’s government” and cause “nothing less than an electoral upset” in elections here in March.
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TEL AVIV – A consulting firm almost entirely composed of former staffers of President Obama’s re-election campaign has been hired to run an election effort in Israel aimed at defeating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The conservative blogosphere is reporting Jeremy Bird, national field director for Obama’s 2012 campaign, is now working for a new non-profit group, V15, that is running an effort to defeat Netanyahu in the upcoming election.
A closer look at Bird’s consulting firm as well as its working relationship with the Israeli groups finds he is just one of scores of former senior Obama election campaign staffers now working on the anti-Netanyahu effort.
Last week, the Obama White House rejected an opportunity to meet with Netanyahu in March when he is in Washington to address a joint meeting of Congress, saying it didn’t want to influence the Israeli elections. The White House criticized House Speaker John Boehner for inviting Netanyahu, accusing him of “breaking protocol.”
The left-leaning Haaretz daily in Israel reported V15 is “trying to replace Israel’s government” and cause “nothing less than an electoral upset” in elections here in March.
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Local Recreational Projects Approved in Washington and Wicomico Counties
Washington County will receive $90,000 in funding to develop the 4.6-acre Kiwanis Park in Hagerstown, which features 300 feet of frontage along the Antietam Creek. This project includes the construction of a parking lot, pathways and boardwalks to provide canoe and kayak access to the waterway.
Wicomico County will receive $99,000 to reconstruct the deteriorated tennis courts at Cedar Hill Park and landscape the area. The courts will be milled, resurfaced, sealed and striped. The county will also receive $31,500 to upgrade a portion of the Adkins Mill Park boardwalk, replacing about 250 linear feet of aging pilings, stringers and boardwalk to improve public safety.
Program Open Space is a nationally-recognized program that symbolizes Maryland’s long term commitment to conserving the state’s natural resources while providing exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities for citizens. Since 1969, Program Open Space has provided funding for acquisition of 370,227 acres for open space and recreation areas. Most Maryland residents live within 15 minutes of an open space or recreation area funded Program Open Space.
The three-member Board of Public Works is comprised of Governor Hogan (chair), Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot. BPW is authorized by the General Assembly to approve major construction and consultant contracts, equipment purchases, property transactions and other procurement actions.
A video showing the direct benefits of Program Open Space can be viewed here.
Investment Riches Built on Subprime Auto Loans to Poor
The loans were for used Dodges, Nissans and Chevrolets, many with tens of thousands of miles on the odometer, some more than a decade old.
They were also one of the hottest investments around.
So many asset managers clamored for a piece of a September bond deal made up of these loans that the size of the offering was increased 35 percent, to $1.35 billion. Even then, Santander Consumer USA received more than $1 billion in investor demand that it could not accommodate.
Across the country, there is a booming business in lending to the working poor — those Americans with impaired credit who need cars to get to work. But this market is as much about Wall Street’s perpetual demand for high returns as it is about used cars. An influx of investor money is making more loans possible, but all that money may also be enabling excessive risk-taking that could have repercussions throughout the financial system, analysts and regulators caution.
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They were also one of the hottest investments around.
So many asset managers clamored for a piece of a September bond deal made up of these loans that the size of the offering was increased 35 percent, to $1.35 billion. Even then, Santander Consumer USA received more than $1 billion in investor demand that it could not accommodate.
Across the country, there is a booming business in lending to the working poor — those Americans with impaired credit who need cars to get to work. But this market is as much about Wall Street’s perpetual demand for high returns as it is about used cars. An influx of investor money is making more loans possible, but all that money may also be enabling excessive risk-taking that could have repercussions throughout the financial system, analysts and regulators caution.
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Dew Tour Head On Not Returning To OC
At the conclusion of Tuesday afternoon’s Mayor and City Council work session, Mayor Rick Meehan announced the Dew Tour will not be returning to Ocean City this summer.
Dew Tour consultant Chris Prybylo called Meehan over the weekend explaining the Dew Tour had changed executive management and will be taking on a new format this year that did not include an East Coast location.
Dew Tour events are premium action sports and lifestyle festivals combining the best in action sports competitions. The event stops in three or four different locations a year and had chosen Ocean City as a beach location for the past four years, resulting in a record breaking attendance each year.
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Wicomico County Public Schools: All power has been restored.
Delmarva Power updates the school system regularly with estimated times for restoration, and the situation is assessed every few minutes. A determination regarding school closing is made based on Delmarva Power's forecasted restoration times. The school system was prepared to send out a SchoolMessenger call to parents of students in any affected schools around 9 a.m. if needed, but no call was made as Delmarva Power was confident at that point that power would be restored to the last two schools (Parkside and Bennett Middle) shortly, as it was.
Many factors affect our decision on when to send students home. Transportation of students, the ability to feed them lunch, the time of day for availability of parents to receive their children at home, and the safety of our children all must be considered. Fortunately, we did not have to send our students home today due to this power outage, as the last school had power back on by 9:20 a.m.
At all times, students were safe and we were quickly able to return to normal operating procedures. Parents in the affected schools will receive a SchoolMessenger call from their child's school explaining the circumstances this morning and letting the parents know that the school day is continuing.
Thanks to everyone, and especially our students and staff and Delmarva Power, for their excellent work this morning.
SECRET PLANTING OF UP TO 75,000 SYRIAN MUSLIMS BEGINS IN U.S.
Obama hasn't shown willingness to rescue Christian refugees
Up to 10,000 Syrian refugees, most of them Muslims, will be resettled in cities throughout the U.S. in 2015, with that figure expected to surge to near 75,000 over the next five years.
While some of the planned destinations for these refugees are starting to leak out, the big question is: where will they be going?
The U.S. State Department does not announce where it plans to send foreign refugees for resettlement within the United States, although the locations do eventually show up in a government database some weeks after they arrive in their host cities. Word of their anticipated arrivals will sometimes surface earlier in local media reports.
And that’s already happening in North Dakota, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio and Washington.
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Up to 10,000 Syrian refugees, most of them Muslims, will be resettled in cities throughout the U.S. in 2015, with that figure expected to surge to near 75,000 over the next five years.
While some of the planned destinations for these refugees are starting to leak out, the big question is: where will they be going?
The U.S. State Department does not announce where it plans to send foreign refugees for resettlement within the United States, although the locations do eventually show up in a government database some weeks after they arrive in their host cities. Word of their anticipated arrivals will sometimes surface earlier in local media reports.
And that’s already happening in North Dakota, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio and Washington.
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The Arizona National Guard is mobilizing for this weekend's Super Bowl
The Arizona National Guard is mobilizing to ensure safety at this weekend's Super Bowl. The event is expected to attract millions of people. Guard leaders have assembled what they call Joint Task Force Super Bowl. Air National Guard F- 16 pilots from the 162nd Wing in Tuscon will enforce the no-fly zone around the University of Phoenix Stadium. They'll be refueled by tankers from the 161st Air Refueling Wing. Arizona Army National Guard soldiers from the 2-285th Assault Helicopter Battalion have trained and plan to have UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters on standby. They they'll help emergency responders who need airlift and transport capability. Military police and communications specialists from the 158th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade are also rehearsing possible support operations.
White House drops 529 college savings proposal
(CNN) The White House is giving up on a costly fight with Congress over the Obama administration's increasingly unpopular proposal to effectively end 529 college savings plans.
A White House official confirmed the move on Tuesday as fierce opposition to the provision was building in Congress, even among fellow Democrats.
READ: Obama proposes scaling back benefits of 529 college savings plans
"Given it has become such a distraction, we're not going to ask Congress to pass the 529 provision so that they can instead focus on delivering a larger package of education tax relief," the official said.
Also known as "qualified tuition programs," 529 college savings plans are typically offered by the states and allow holders to save money and withdraw it tax-free, as long as the proceeds are used towards approved college costs -- typically tuition, fees, room, board and other required supplies. Another kind of 529, prepaid tuition plans, let savers prepay for future tuition and lock in current prices, but they typically do not cover other expenses.
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A White House official confirmed the move on Tuesday as fierce opposition to the provision was building in Congress, even among fellow Democrats.
READ: Obama proposes scaling back benefits of 529 college savings plans
"Given it has become such a distraction, we're not going to ask Congress to pass the 529 provision so that they can instead focus on delivering a larger package of education tax relief," the official said.
Also known as "qualified tuition programs," 529 college savings plans are typically offered by the states and allow holders to save money and withdraw it tax-free, as long as the proceeds are used towards approved college costs -- typically tuition, fees, room, board and other required supplies. Another kind of 529, prepaid tuition plans, let savers prepay for future tuition and lock in current prices, but they typically do not cover other expenses.
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Is the world really getting nastier? - In 60 seconds
Human Rights Watch has just released its annual report - and it describes this era as "the worst tumult in a generation", with wars raging in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine.
But is the world really becoming a nastier place? BBC News explores the issue in 60 seconds.
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But is the world really becoming a nastier place? BBC News explores the issue in 60 seconds.
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The Smithsonian is working to establish its first international museum outpost
It would be located in the 2012 London Olympic Park. The city is redeveloping the park into a cultural center. London's mayor and developers for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park site have secured $50 million in private contributions for the Smithsonian. A 40,000 square foot museum would help anchor the new Olympicopolis. It would open in 2021, and feature exhibits rotated in and out of the Smithsonian's collections in the United States.
Wicomico County Public Schools Power Outage Update
Wicomico Middle’s power has been restored. Bennett Middle, Parkside and Fruitland Primary are without power but we are now anticipating that it may be restored by 9am. If it is not restored by 9am a SchoolMessenger call will be sent to parents notifying them that they can pick up their children. We will update at about 9 am.
UPDATE: 9:20am
Power is back on at Bennett Middle and the school day will continue. Students are not being dismissed. Parkside, Wi Middle and Fruitland Primary we're already brought back on line.
As You Drive, So You Are Watched
The Justice Department’s plan may be legal, but it’s politically unacceptable.
Another day, and another of Leviathan’s tentacles is exposed for all the world to see. This time the culprit is the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the target is the American motorist. The Wall Street Journal has the scoop:
The Justice Department has been building a national database to track in real time the movement of vehicles around the U.S., a secret domestic intelligence-gathering program that scans and stores hundreds of millions of records about motorists, according to current and former officials and government documents.
The instant reaction to this news has been mixed. As might be expected, the civil libertarians have cast the measures as the latest chapter in America’s slow descent into ubiquitous security theater. Before long, they have proposed, we will be living in Richard Brautigan’s country; still free in many ways, yes, but living our lives on camera rather than in camera, and raging impotently as we are woven slowly into an irreversible “cybernetic ecology” and “all watched over by machines of loving grace.” The government is spying on cars? Naturally. And soon they will have graduated to ankle bracelets, and then . . .
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Felony Conviction of Reid Contributor Upheld By Ninth Circuit
In the midst of his recovery from a serious accident at his home in Nevada, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has gotten some more bad news: the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the felony conviction of Harvey Whittemore, a big financial supporter of the senator.
According to the Ninth Circuit’s opinion, which was released on Jan. 26, Whittemore is “a prominent attorney, developer and lobbyist who has long been active in Nevada politics and political fundraising.” In 2007, he was the chairman of “a holding company with significant interests in golf courses, land development, oil and gas properties, and dairy operations.” The Federal Election Commission website records him as having made tens of thousands of dollars in political contributions to various candidates as well as party organizations such as the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
According to the court opinion, in Feb. 2007 after a personal meeting with Reid, Whittemore promised to raise $150,000 for Reid before the upcoming March 31 campaign finance filing deadline. When Reid’s campaign had not received any of the promised funds by late March, Reid’s fundraiser Jake Perry “twice followed up with Whittemore.” On March 27, 2007, the “day of the second follow-up call, Whittemore transferred a total of $145,000 to seventeen relatives and employees through wire transfers and checks.” Individuals who were not married received $5,000 and married couples received $10,000.
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According to the Ninth Circuit’s opinion, which was released on Jan. 26, Whittemore is “a prominent attorney, developer and lobbyist who has long been active in Nevada politics and political fundraising.” In 2007, he was the chairman of “a holding company with significant interests in golf courses, land development, oil and gas properties, and dairy operations.” The Federal Election Commission website records him as having made tens of thousands of dollars in political contributions to various candidates as well as party organizations such as the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
According to the court opinion, in Feb. 2007 after a personal meeting with Reid, Whittemore promised to raise $150,000 for Reid before the upcoming March 31 campaign finance filing deadline. When Reid’s campaign had not received any of the promised funds by late March, Reid’s fundraiser Jake Perry “twice followed up with Whittemore.” On March 27, 2007, the “day of the second follow-up call, Whittemore transferred a total of $145,000 to seventeen relatives and employees through wire transfers and checks.” Individuals who were not married received $5,000 and married couples received $10,000.
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GoDaddy Pulls 2015 Super Bowl Ad After Slew Of Negative Feedback From Animal Advocates
The recently released GoDaddy 2015 Super Bowl ad generated a whole lot of outrage from animal advocates and was quickly retracted Tuesday.
The ad, called "Journey Home," features a golden retriever puppy named Buddy who bounces out of the back of a truck before traveling through a series of harrowing environments to get to a bright red barn.
"Buddy! I'm so glad you made it home!" a curly-haired blonde exclaims. "Because I just sold you on this website I made with GoDaddy."
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Power Outage In Salisbury
State Police Detectives are Investigating the Death of a 10 Month Old Child
Millsboro- Detectives with Delaware State Police Major Crimes Unit are currently investigating a death of a 10 month old male that occurred Wednesday afternoon at a Millsboro daycare.
On Wednesday January 28, 2015 around 2:15 p.m., troopers were dispatched to Handy's Little Disciples daycare located at 28194 Layton-Davis Road after a 9-1-1 call was received from the home stating a 10 month old was unresponsive. Preliminary investigation suggests a daycare worker attempted to wake the 10 month old male from a nap, and upon doing so, observed the infant unresponsive. The young child was transported by EMS to Beebe Healthcare in Lewes where he was eventually pronounced dead. The child was turned over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science to determine the exact cause and manner of death.
Detectives are continuing their investigation into this incident.
On Wednesday January 28, 2015 around 2:15 p.m., troopers were dispatched to Handy's Little Disciples daycare located at 28194 Layton-Davis Road after a 9-1-1 call was received from the home stating a 10 month old was unresponsive. Preliminary investigation suggests a daycare worker attempted to wake the 10 month old male from a nap, and upon doing so, observed the infant unresponsive. The young child was transported by EMS to Beebe Healthcare in Lewes where he was eventually pronounced dead. The child was turned over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science to determine the exact cause and manner of death.
Detectives are continuing their investigation into this incident.
Wait — What Did The Guy In This FarmersOnly.com Ad Just Say?
Why Are Gas Prices Falling, But Trash Collection Fuel Surcharges Staying The Same?
It makes sense for a business or a government service to impose a fuel surcharge During a time when fuel prices are rising out of proportion to the rest of the economy. What about when fuel prices are falling, though, as they are right now? A trash pickup customer in Modesto, California dared to ask that question, and got…a pretty reasonable answer, actually.
Allegedly Terrible Person Accused Of Drowning Puppy In Airport Bathroom In Order To Board A Flight
Are you having a good day so far? Then you might not want to ruin it by reading on, because holy crap, there are some really awful, terrible people in the world. Allegedly: Police in Nebraska say a woman drowned a three-week-old puppy in an airport bathroom after being told she couldn’t board her flight with the dog. Deep breaths. Must take deep breaths.
Verizon Fined $2 Million For Failing To Investigate Rural Calling Problems
Verizon and other operators of copper wire landline service have been accused in recent years of letting these old networks fall into disrepair in order to shift consumers over to wireless and fiberoptic services. It certainly doesn’t help Verizon’s case when the company spends months failing to investigate problems with rural phone service that its own data showed existed.
Your Pork Prayers Have Been Answered: Bacon Prices Are Falling
The choice between money in your wallet and savory, melt-in-your-mouth bacon has just gotten a lot easier, my bacon-loving friends: The pork industry is coming through a recent porcine diarrhea epidemic that slowed down business for awhile, meaning your next bacon fix won’t be quite as costly.
Poll: Ride-Sharing Services Are Cutting Down On Drunk-Driving Incidents
Times used to be, if your friend was drunk and threatening to drive, you’d have to deal with the inconvenience of actually calling up a cab while hiding their keys. But now due to ride-sharing services that can summon vehicles with a swipe on an app, drunk-driving incidents are down. This, according to a poll by one of those services, Uber, along with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
University Of Phoenix’s Risk-Free Trial Might Not Cost You, But Is It An Accurate Taste Of College?
From diet pills to dating websites, it’s not hard to find someone offering a “risk-free” trial membership, and thanks to the University of Phoenix, that “try before you buy” model now applies to college courses. But while one might admire the idea of giving potential students a taste of the school before committing to an expensive education at the for-profit online university, consumer advocates are concerned about the program’s benefits.
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