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Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Obama's Morally Confused Prayer Breakfast Lecture
I find it very odd that a president notably lacking in humility and frequently riding his own high horse would lecture American Christians about those subjects because they presumably condemn acts of barbarism by Islamists.
Talk about a string of disconnects. While we're at it, let's note one more. Obama, at the National Prayer Breakfast, also exhorted us to "uphold the distinction between our faith and our governments — between church and between state." Last time I checked, it was not Christians, unless you believe that Obama is a Christian, who were using government power to restrict religious liberties of others.
Obama, however, has conspicuously infringed on the conscience rights of Christians in supporting mandates that require religious organizations to pay for contraception and abortifacients.
Indeed, Obama was too busy lecturing Christians about "theocracies that restrict people's choice of faith" — though there are no Christian theocracies in the world — to note that many Muslim nations in the world are theocratic and under Shariah.
Is Obama's moral compass so skewed that he is utterly blind to the rampant theocratic oppression that routinely occurs in Muslim nations in the world? This takes moral equivalency to new levels.
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Talk about a string of disconnects. While we're at it, let's note one more. Obama, at the National Prayer Breakfast, also exhorted us to "uphold the distinction between our faith and our governments — between church and between state." Last time I checked, it was not Christians, unless you believe that Obama is a Christian, who were using government power to restrict religious liberties of others.
Obama, however, has conspicuously infringed on the conscience rights of Christians in supporting mandates that require religious organizations to pay for contraception and abortifacients.
Indeed, Obama was too busy lecturing Christians about "theocracies that restrict people's choice of faith" — though there are no Christian theocracies in the world — to note that many Muslim nations in the world are theocratic and under Shariah.
Is Obama's moral compass so skewed that he is utterly blind to the rampant theocratic oppression that routinely occurs in Muslim nations in the world? This takes moral equivalency to new levels.
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DPI updates Shore lawmakers on state of poultry industry
“Probably the best year in a long time — maybe the best ever,” Satterfield said of 2014.
However, Satterfield said the poultry industry’s success last year was due to hardship that struck the pork and cattle industries.
He said a disease in the pork industry cut production, which helped raise prices. The cattle industry still is suffering from record-high feed grain prices from a few years ago, and cattle farmers couldn’t afford to feed their animals, he said.
“If you’ve been to a supermarket, you’ve seen high beef prices,” Satterfield said. “Chicken prices have been good. Consumers like chicken, and it’s been a very good year after several years of struggling.”
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60 Minutes’ Bob Simon killed in car crash
The CBS reporter died when the Lincoln Town Car he was riding in crashed with a Mercedes and then lost control and plowed into a pedestrian expansion near 30th Street at about 7 p.m., according to sources.
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Teen returns to Target to say thank you to store employee who taught him how to tie a tie for a job interview
Dennis Roberts, an employee at the store in Raleigh, North Carolina, was seen helping a young man tie a tie so he could look professional for a job interview at a nearby Chick-Fil-A fast-food restaurant.
The photo was posted online and now the young man who was caught in the picture, Yasir Moore, has been identified and since returned to the store to thank the staff for their extraordinary customer service.
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Maryland health leaders call for law requiring docs to report immunizations
Maryland's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene plans to push for legislation that would require primary care physicians to report immunizations in a state database. Reporting to the database, called ImmuNet, is currently optional and about half of doctors participate.
Health officials are also working with the state's education department to improve tracking of immunization reports from preschools. All schools are required to report immunization information for students. The state has good records for immunization rates among K-12 students. But preschool programs are often categorized as child care centers, which means their immunization records are not necessarily included in the broader school immunization report.
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Obama to declare new national monument
President Obama will designate Chicago's historic Pullman Park district as a national monument, according to reports.
The president will travel to Chicago on Feb. 19 to designate the monument, a White House official told the Chicago Tribune.
The official said Obama is using his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 and that the move was part of his effort to protect and promote the nation's diverse history.
The area was built by businessman George Pullman as a factory and company town for his workers who constructed the iconic Pullman railway cars in the late 1800s. It became the birthplace of the country's first African-American union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and was the site of a massive strike.
"Pullman workers fought for fair labor conditions in the late 19th century and the Pullman porters helped advance America’s civil rights movement," Lynn McClure, the Midwest senior director for the National Parks Conservation Association told the Washington Post.
The president's visit could also boost his former chief of staff, current Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel faces a Democratic primary on Feb. 24 as he seeks reelection.
The mayor along with Illinois lawmakers from both parties pressed Obama to make the historic site a national park.
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The president will travel to Chicago on Feb. 19 to designate the monument, a White House official told the Chicago Tribune.
The official said Obama is using his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 and that the move was part of his effort to protect and promote the nation's diverse history.
The area was built by businessman George Pullman as a factory and company town for his workers who constructed the iconic Pullman railway cars in the late 1800s. It became the birthplace of the country's first African-American union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and was the site of a massive strike.
"Pullman workers fought for fair labor conditions in the late 19th century and the Pullman porters helped advance America’s civil rights movement," Lynn McClure, the Midwest senior director for the National Parks Conservation Association told the Washington Post.
The president's visit could also boost his former chief of staff, current Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel faces a Democratic primary on Feb. 24 as he seeks reelection.
The mayor along with Illinois lawmakers from both parties pressed Obama to make the historic site a national park.
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Bill would target heroin dealers in drug deaths
BALTIMORE —Maryland state lawmakers have proposed a bill to pursue those who manufacture and distribute heroin in deaths related to the drug.
Hundreds die from heroin every year. According to Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein, about 550 people died from heroin use in the state in 2014. To put that number in perspective, about 360 people were murdered. The proposed bill would make dealers legally responsible for the lives lost.
As one of the tools to fight the continued battle against heroin use in the state, Montgomery County Delegate Kathleen Dumais plans to introduce House Bill 222 to lawmakers in Annapolis on Tuesday.
"If the state's attorney can trace the heroin that was sold and resulted in a death to a distributor, that distributor can be charged with a homicide," Dumais told 11 News.
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Hundreds die from heroin every year. According to Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein, about 550 people died from heroin use in the state in 2014. To put that number in perspective, about 360 people were murdered. The proposed bill would make dealers legally responsible for the lives lost.
As one of the tools to fight the continued battle against heroin use in the state, Montgomery County Delegate Kathleen Dumais plans to introduce House Bill 222 to lawmakers in Annapolis on Tuesday.
"If the state's attorney can trace the heroin that was sold and resulted in a death to a distributor, that distributor can be charged with a homicide," Dumais told 11 News.
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States rise up against Washington
State legislators around the country have introduced more than 200 bills aiming to nullify regulations and laws coming out of Washington, D.C., as they look to rein in the federal government.
The legislative onslaught, which includes bills targeting federal restrictions on firearms, experimental treatments and hemp, reflects growing discord between the states and Washington, state officials say.
“You have a choice,” said Kentucky state Rep. Diane St. Onge (R). “To sit back and not do anything or say anything and let overregulation continue — or you have the alternative choice to speak up about it and say, ‘We know what you are doing or intend to do and we do not think that it is constitutional and we as a state are not going to stand for it.’ ”
Last month, St. Onge introduced H.B. 13 to nullify federal gun control laws within Kentucky state lines. Similar legislation has been introduced in seven other states.
“This law is saying the sheriff and those under him do not have to follow federal regulations,” she said.
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The legislative onslaught, which includes bills targeting federal restrictions on firearms, experimental treatments and hemp, reflects growing discord between the states and Washington, state officials say.
“You have a choice,” said Kentucky state Rep. Diane St. Onge (R). “To sit back and not do anything or say anything and let overregulation continue — or you have the alternative choice to speak up about it and say, ‘We know what you are doing or intend to do and we do not think that it is constitutional and we as a state are not going to stand for it.’ ”
Last month, St. Onge introduced H.B. 13 to nullify federal gun control laws within Kentucky state lines. Similar legislation has been introduced in seven other states.
“This law is saying the sheriff and those under him do not have to follow federal regulations,” she said.
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In case of public health emergency, Maryland would drop its religious exemption for vaccines
Maryland allows medical and religious exemptions to vaccines, but could revoke those exemptions in an emergency. Doctors would be instructed to review the medical exemptions they granted, to see if any of their patients were now healthy enough to get vaccinated. Parents who claimed a religious exemption would have to either vaccinate their children or keep them home from school. The state could require unvaccinated children to stay out of school, under quarantine, for 21 days.
Before everyone starts running for their face masks and clearing out grocery stores to prepare for home confinement, let's be clear: Maryland is not declaring an infectious disease emergency.
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Skewed poll: NYT doesn't ask if people will pay to fight global warming -- they won't
It’s classic mainstream media spin, this time care of the New York Times on the hot button issue of global warming. Play up the emotional side of the issue, and avoid the hard question of paying.
In their climate change poll released Friday, the Times asked if Americans think it’s a serious enough issue to support government action. As with virtually every other poll, they find that, yes, the public does support action.
But it doesn’t ask the obvious follow-up question: Would you pay for that action?
We have proof that the public’s answer is “No.”
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In their climate change poll released Friday, the Times asked if Americans think it’s a serious enough issue to support government action. As with virtually every other poll, they find that, yes, the public does support action.
But it doesn’t ask the obvious follow-up question: Would you pay for that action?
We have proof that the public’s answer is “No.”
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Maryland Natural Resources Police arrest 13 since Jan. 1
Police spokeswoman Candy Thomson said officers are on “high alert” this time of year. She said she remembered how busy nefarious watermen kept water patrol officers in 2014.
“This has season has been fairly active at this point,” Thomson said. “There are about 1,200 watermen out on oyster bars, coming on the last two months of the season. A lot of the bars are exhausted, fished out, the legal bars. So if you are going to continue to harvest oysters, the number of legal places is diminishing rapidly.
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Redskins spent $180,000 lobbying to keep name, Patriots all in for Democrats
The Washington Redskins, under attack from some congressional leaders over its “racist” image, spent $180,000 to lobby for its name, according to a new report on NFL political spending.
The remarkably high fee to Washington’s McGuireWoods consulting covered just the last half of the year when Hill leaders such as Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid was demanding that the team change its name, considered by some as offensive to native Americans.
By comparison, the National Basketball Association spent just $150,000 — also through McGuireWoods — on lobbying for all of 2014 and on behalf of all 30 teams.
The Redskins lobbying tab was included in a new report from the campaign spending watchdog group, Center for Responsive Politics. The report looked at political spending by the NFL, and specifically the two teams in today’s Super Bowl, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.
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The remarkably high fee to Washington’s McGuireWoods consulting covered just the last half of the year when Hill leaders such as Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid was demanding that the team change its name, considered by some as offensive to native Americans.
By comparison, the National Basketball Association spent just $150,000 — also through McGuireWoods — on lobbying for all of 2014 and on behalf of all 30 teams.
The Redskins lobbying tab was included in a new report from the campaign spending watchdog group, Center for Responsive Politics. The report looked at political spending by the NFL, and specifically the two teams in today’s Super Bowl, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.
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JUST IN: Congress Passes Bill To Construct Keystone XL Pipeline
Breaking News: The Republican-controlled Congress has cleared a bill approving the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline – setting up a confrontation with President Obama, who has threatened to veto the measure. http://fxn.ws/1EbnCnC
Md. Measure Would Create Punitive Damages For Drunk Driving
The bill outlined Tuesday has been introduced at a time when drunken driving is getting added attention in Maryland, after the state’s second highest-ranking bishop in the Episcopal Church was accused of fatally hitting a cyclist while driving drunk in Baltimore late last year.
Under the bill, a drunk driver who causes injury or death could be subject to fines to provide restitution to victims, if proven that the person was driving with a blood alcohol content of twice the legal limit or driving on a suspended or revoked license.
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Report: Only France has higher corporate tax than US, by just 0.7%
The U.S. corporate tax rate is so high at 35.3 percent that only one other industrialized country, tax-heavy France, has a stiffer one, at 36 percent, according to a new Tax Foundation report that gives a key reason to why corporations are moving overseas.
Remarkably by comparison, countries like Denmark and Switzerland that provide citizens with more goodies than Washington have rates below 19 percent.
“The United States is prime for corporate tax reform” said Jack Mintz, author of the study geared to reviving the debate to cut the tax.
The report, posted below, found that most industrialized countries associated with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have cut their rates over the past decade.
“Since 2005, 63 countries have cut their statutory corporate tax rate, lowering the average statutory tax rate to 24.4 percent across the 95 countries surveyed. Meanwhile, the U.S. corporate tax rate has remained stagnant,” said the report.
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Remarkably by comparison, countries like Denmark and Switzerland that provide citizens with more goodies than Washington have rates below 19 percent.
“The United States is prime for corporate tax reform” said Jack Mintz, author of the study geared to reviving the debate to cut the tax.
The report, posted below, found that most industrialized countries associated with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have cut their rates over the past decade.
“Since 2005, 63 countries have cut their statutory corporate tax rate, lowering the average statutory tax rate to 24.4 percent across the 95 countries surveyed. Meanwhile, the U.S. corporate tax rate has remained stagnant,” said the report.
More
Weather Alert
Thursday afternoon and evening will usher in the start of what will be a prolonged cold spell. Highs Thursday will top out in the 40s, but a strong cold front will push across the area by mid afternoon. Behind the front scattered snow showers are possible just in time for the evening commute especially in the east (see image). Temperatures should still be just above freezing at that time, then dropping below freezing after 8 pm. The best chances for scattered snow shows will be from 4pm through 9pm. Check your latest local forecast athttp://www.weather.gov/akq/
Ted Cruz introduces bill to leave marriage to the states
Cruz, along with 11 other Republican senators, re-introduced the State Marriage Defense Act on Tuesday, which aims to allow states to adopt their own definitions of marriage and would block the federal government from applying its own definition of marriage onto states.
“Even though the Supreme Court made clear in United States v. Windsor that the federal government should defer to state ‘choices about who may be married,’ the Obama Administration has disregarded state marriage laws enacted by democratically-elected legislatures to uphold traditional marriage,” Cruz said in a press release.
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Pres. Obama speaks on ISIS
“Make no mistake, this is a difficult mission and it will remain difficult for some time.”
“This is a difficult mission… it’s going to take time to dislodge these terrorists especially from urban areas.” -Pres. Obama speaks on ISIS
“With vile groups like this, there is only one option. With our allies…we are going to degrade and ultimately destroy [ISIS].” –Pres. Obama
Authorization of military force is limited to three years, repeals Iraq authorization, says Pres
President Obama To Address Nation......LIVE now
President Barack Obama is scheduled to address the nation at 3:30 p.m. ET to discuss his request for congressional authority to use military force against#ISIS. Watch anywhere via #CNNgo: http://CNN.it/govia CNN Politics
Historic Building Damaged In Downtown Ocean City Fire
Around 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday, Ocean City Communications received a call on a reported fire at de Lazy Lizard Brew Pub on the corner of 1st Street and Philadelphia Ave. Ocean City Fire Department personnel responded and found fire coming from the building’s interior. First arriving units were advised that people were trapped in the building, resulting in two immediate rescues. Three victims, including two members of the Ocean City Fire Department, were treated on the scene for non-life-threatening injuries and later transported to area hospitals. One additional victim was treated and released on the scene.
Thick smoke drifting from the blaze on a south wind clogged the downtown area and could be seen for miles along the approach to the resort from West Ocean City. Fire Department personnel battled the fire, which escalated to a third alarm, for over two hours. Assisting the OCFD with the call were units from Berlin, Bethany Beach, Showell, Ocean Pines and Roxana. Additional fire department personnel from mutual agencies also assisted with other calls in the resort area during the incident.
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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Delmarva Irish-American Club’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival on Saturday, March 14
Leading the parade are grand marshals Kathleen and Mike Higgins. With pipe and drum bands, including the Chesapeake Caledonian Pipe Band and the Ocean City Pipe and Drum Band, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade brings the sounds of Ireland to the streets of Ocean City. Also participating are several area high school marching bands led by the Stephen Decatur High School Marching Band and numerous festively decorated St. Patty’s Day floats.
The procession begins at noon at 57th Street and marches south on Coastal Highway to the 45th Street Shopping Center, where the viewing and judges stand will be located. Trophies will be awarded for best marching band, best commercial float, best non-commercial float, best motorized unit, best adult marching unit, best youth marching unit, special committee award, judges’ choice award and best overall entry in the parade.
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Missing/Stolen Dog From West side of Salisbury 2-11-15
If you have seen or know anything about this dog you can contact Catlin at 443-523-8742
Former education secretary calls for universal school choice
Former Secretary of Education Rod Paige called for universal school choice in the United States on Monday. Paige was the secretary of education during President George W. Bush’s first term.
“My suggestion is to design our school operations around the principle of universal school choice,” Paige said at a school choice forum hosted by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. “Completely remove the power of government to dictate where a child attends school. ... Chaining a child to a school that does not serve them well is a miscarriage of justice. ... All parties, teachers, parents, students and the public at large would benefit from the innovation and creativity inspired by universal school choice.”
Paige said public school reform efforts have failed to make any progress for decades. “The current failure of public school reforms cannot be attributed to lack of effort.” From the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s, “school reform was dominated by education theorists, political leaders, researchers, a long list of other interested parties and agencies, governors, corporate America chimed in,” Paige said. But all that effort was for naught. “It is indisputable how we are presently working is not working. And continuing as we are presently working seems clearly unwise,” Paige said.
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“My suggestion is to design our school operations around the principle of universal school choice,” Paige said at a school choice forum hosted by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. “Completely remove the power of government to dictate where a child attends school. ... Chaining a child to a school that does not serve them well is a miscarriage of justice. ... All parties, teachers, parents, students and the public at large would benefit from the innovation and creativity inspired by universal school choice.”
Paige said public school reform efforts have failed to make any progress for decades. “The current failure of public school reforms cannot be attributed to lack of effort.” From the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s, “school reform was dominated by education theorists, political leaders, researchers, a long list of other interested parties and agencies, governors, corporate America chimed in,” Paige said. But all that effort was for naught. “It is indisputable how we are presently working is not working. And continuing as we are presently working seems clearly unwise,” Paige said.
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Middletown High School student killed in crash with bus identified
The student's family was not prepared to talk Wednesday morning but Lisa Clark, a family friend who was answering calls at the family's home confirmed Claire Knight died in the crash.
"Claire was one of the most amazing people you could ever meet," Clark said. "She was a wonderful student, a wonderful granddaughter, a wonderful niece and a wonderful friend who was just the light of so many lives; she would brighten up the day of everyone who ever met her."
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SFD Calls For Service 2-10-15
- Tuesday February, 10 2015 @ 23:44Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
- Tuesday February, 10 2015 @ 23:12 Nature: Structure FireAddress: 30015 Driftwood Dr Delmar, MD 21875
- Tuesday February, 10 2015 @ 23:10Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
- Tuesday February, 10 2015 @ 22:45Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
- Tuesday February, 10 2015 @ 21:55Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
Washington Post's Al Sharpton profile leaves out much of the Rev.'s past
A lengthy new Washington Post profile on the Rev. Al Sharpton looks at the MSNBC host’s standing as a civil rights leader and but treads very lightly around some of the less flattering details of Sharpton's past.
The 5,800-word piece, which took the center spot above the fold on the front page of Sunday's paper, refers to "doubts" and questions about the longtime community activist, but these doubts refer to Sharpton's own inner turmoil over whether he has had a substantial enough impact on the standing of minorities in the U.S.
The piece only briefly touches on Sharpton's multimillion-dollar tax troubles, his lead role in the Tawana Brawley hoax in the 1980s, and his statements during 1995 demonstrations at Freddie's Fashion Mart in Harlem — omitting entirely that the Freddie's agitation ended when a protestor murdered seven people in the store and burned it down.
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The 5,800-word piece, which took the center spot above the fold on the front page of Sunday's paper, refers to "doubts" and questions about the longtime community activist, but these doubts refer to Sharpton's own inner turmoil over whether he has had a substantial enough impact on the standing of minorities in the U.S.
The piece only briefly touches on Sharpton's multimillion-dollar tax troubles, his lead role in the Tawana Brawley hoax in the 1980s, and his statements during 1995 demonstrations at Freddie's Fashion Mart in Harlem — omitting entirely that the Freddie's agitation ended when a protestor murdered seven people in the store and burned it down.
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FCC Commissioner: Public Being Misled About Net-Neutrality Plan
The Federal Communications Commission is misleading the public about its 332-page plan to regulate the Internet, a Republican member of the commission said Tuesday.
The net-neutrality plan could in fact open the door to new fees and taxes, as well as government control over the prices that Internet providers charge their customers, Commissioner Ajit Pai told reporters.
The claims echo attacks from Republicans on Capitol Hill, who are also scrambling to thwart the new regulations. Committees in the House and Senate have launched investigations into whether President Obama inappropriately influenced the FCC's decision, and Republican lawmakers are working on their own alternative net-neutrality legislation to override FCC action.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, who unveiled his plan last week, has denied that it would impose new fees or regulate prices. But it's difficult to determine who is right, because the commission won't release the actual text of the regulations until after it approves them on Feb. 26.
"I believe the public has a right to know what its government is doing, particularly when it comes to something as important as Internet regulation," Pai, one of two Republicans on the five-member commission, said. "I have studied the 332-page plan in detail, and it is worse than I had imagined."
More here
The net-neutrality plan could in fact open the door to new fees and taxes, as well as government control over the prices that Internet providers charge their customers, Commissioner Ajit Pai told reporters.
The claims echo attacks from Republicans on Capitol Hill, who are also scrambling to thwart the new regulations. Committees in the House and Senate have launched investigations into whether President Obama inappropriately influenced the FCC's decision, and Republican lawmakers are working on their own alternative net-neutrality legislation to override FCC action.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, who unveiled his plan last week, has denied that it would impose new fees or regulate prices. But it's difficult to determine who is right, because the commission won't release the actual text of the regulations until after it approves them on Feb. 26.
"I believe the public has a right to know what its government is doing, particularly when it comes to something as important as Internet regulation," Pai, one of two Republicans on the five-member commission, said. "I have studied the 332-page plan in detail, and it is worse than I had imagined."
More here
Banks settle with military on foreclosed homes
More than 950 service members who had their homes illegally foreclosed upon while on active duty are eligible to receive more than $123 million in settlements, the Justice Department announced Monday.
Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, soldiers on active duty cannot be subject to certain financial or legal actions, including evictions and foreclosures. However, from January 2006 to April 2012 five large mortgage providers — Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi and GMAC Mortgage — foreclosed upon the service members’ homes.
“These unlawful judicial foreclosures forced hundreds of service members and their families out of their homes," said Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart F. Delery. "While this compensation will provide a measure of relief, the fact is that service members should never have to worry about losing their home to an illegal foreclosure while they are serving our country.”
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Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, soldiers on active duty cannot be subject to certain financial or legal actions, including evictions and foreclosures. However, from January 2006 to April 2012 five large mortgage providers — Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi and GMAC Mortgage — foreclosed upon the service members’ homes.
“These unlawful judicial foreclosures forced hundreds of service members and their families out of their homes," said Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart F. Delery. "While this compensation will provide a measure of relief, the fact is that service members should never have to worry about losing their home to an illegal foreclosure while they are serving our country.”
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Illegal Immigrants Squeeze School Budgets
Washington-area schools are facing budget crises as a result of an influx of immigrant students, according to a recent report.
Since the 2005-06 school year, the percent of students enrolled in English proficiency classes has increased by an average of nearly 70 percent across seven school districts in the D.C. metro area, according to a report by the advocacy group, Federation for American Immigration Reform, which promotes tighter border security, an end to illegal immigration and reduced levels of legal immigration.
Those classes cost an average of about one quarter of each district’s budget, and the chunk is getting larger as new students, many of them illegal immigrants or children of illegal immigrants, enroll in English-as-a-second-language classes.
“Education programs are being cut,” said the report’s author, Eric Ruark. “We’re not saying that [English proficiency classes] are the cause, but it’s certainly taking money away from them.”
More here
Since the 2005-06 school year, the percent of students enrolled in English proficiency classes has increased by an average of nearly 70 percent across seven school districts in the D.C. metro area, according to a report by the advocacy group, Federation for American Immigration Reform, which promotes tighter border security, an end to illegal immigration and reduced levels of legal immigration.
Those classes cost an average of about one quarter of each district’s budget, and the chunk is getting larger as new students, many of them illegal immigrants or children of illegal immigrants, enroll in English-as-a-second-language classes.
“Education programs are being cut,” said the report’s author, Eric Ruark. “We’re not saying that [English proficiency classes] are the cause, but it’s certainly taking money away from them.”
More here
Md. students begin new testing in March
Students in grades three through eight and high school students who have taken Algebra 1 and English 10 will take the new tests starting the first week of March.
The new assessments, which replace past statewide tests, are designed to measure students critical thinking, communications and problem solving.
“I would like the parents to know that we’re going to have far more information about their students than we’ve ever had before,” says Lillian Lowery, Maryland state superintendent of schools.
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Bill Could Give Congress Veto Power Over Executive Regulations
A bill that would gut federal agencies’ ability to impose sweeping regulations could save government workers a great deal of time and money if implemented — more than 11 million hours of paperwork and $27 billion each year — according to an advocacy group.
The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act would force lawmakers to approve or deny every major rule with an economic impact of $100 million or more. The executive branch finalized 200 such rules last year, when it produced 16 times more regulations overall than the laws Congress passed over the same time period.
Right-leaning policy group American Action Forum published a study Tuesday predicting how much each state could save if the regulatory reform bill was already law, and could be used to block the 12 most expensive proposed federal rules from passing into regulation.
Sam Batkins, the nonprofit's director of regulatory policy and author of the research, said he envisioned the measure giving Congress the power to kill proposed rules similar to the ones he used in his research if it ever became law. He said the bill would allow lawmakers to "claw back" some of the governing power federal agencies presently hold.
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The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act would force lawmakers to approve or deny every major rule with an economic impact of $100 million or more. The executive branch finalized 200 such rules last year, when it produced 16 times more regulations overall than the laws Congress passed over the same time period.
Right-leaning policy group American Action Forum published a study Tuesday predicting how much each state could save if the regulatory reform bill was already law, and could be used to block the 12 most expensive proposed federal rules from passing into regulation.
Sam Batkins, the nonprofit's director of regulatory policy and author of the research, said he envisioned the measure giving Congress the power to kill proposed rules similar to the ones he used in his research if it ever became law. He said the bill would allow lawmakers to "claw back" some of the governing power federal agencies presently hold.
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4 major questions in the net neutrality debate
A number of key questions hang over the vote by the Federal Communications Commission in late February on sweeping new regulations for how to regulate the Internet.
When FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler last week announced a blueprint mirroring President Obama’s call for net neutrality, it prompted new queries over the White House’s role in the process, consumer rights, the future of Internet service providers and perhaps most importantly, the ensuing battle in the courts.
That the clash has garnered so much national debate is a remarkable feat, given the degree to which it was previously reserved for tech circles.
Here are the four major questions surrounding the FCC’s Feb. 26 vote on net neutrality.
How heavily was the White House involved?
Though the FCC is an independent agency, Obama repeatedly called for new rules he thought commissioners should implement.
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When FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler last week announced a blueprint mirroring President Obama’s call for net neutrality, it prompted new queries over the White House’s role in the process, consumer rights, the future of Internet service providers and perhaps most importantly, the ensuing battle in the courts.
That the clash has garnered so much national debate is a remarkable feat, given the degree to which it was previously reserved for tech circles.
Here are the four major questions surrounding the FCC’s Feb. 26 vote on net neutrality.
How heavily was the White House involved?
Though the FCC is an independent agency, Obama repeatedly called for new rules he thought commissioners should implement.
More
The History of Black America, Part 2
(Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of Ben Kinchlow’s series on the history of black America. Read Part 1 here.)
To pick up where we left off, let me reiterate: The first blacks did not come to America as slaves.
In point of fact, according to British law, every Christian was equal before the law, and judgments were based upon being Christian or non-Christian, not race. If blacks served out their indentured periods or became Christians, they were, as other Europeans, granted their freedom.
According to the historical records, the aforementioned Anthony Johnson family settled on the eastern shore of Virginia and prospered for almost 40 years. As was the custom, he indentured both black and whites. As there are conflicting reports as to the origin of the following, we will cut to the chase. One of Johnson’s indentured servants would cause a seismic shift in the relationships between blacks and whites that would last centuries.
This indentured servant, named John Casor, was black and apparently convinced a white neighbor that he was being illegally detained. Long story short, the case ended up in court.
Johnson sued – not to have Casor fulfill a debt of servitude (five to seven years) – but he insisted he had bought Casor as a slave and “hee had ye Negro for life.” Johnson was claiming that Casor, who had committed no crime, belonged to him as a slave for the rest of his life.
Despite the fact that two influential white landowners sided with Casor, the court ruled for Johnson: “… be it therefore ye judgement of ye court & ordered that sd (said) Jno. Casor, negro, shall forthwith bee turned into ye service of his sd master Anthony Johnson …”
For the record, this is the first legal sanction of slavery (not for a crime) in America. According to historical records, Anthony Johnson must be recognized as the nation’s first official slaveholder. Johnson had been previously captured in Angola and brought to America as an indentured servant in exchange for 50 acres.
Here is where my mouth fell open: Anthony Johnson was black. The father of legalized slavery in America was a black man!
More here
To pick up where we left off, let me reiterate: The first blacks did not come to America as slaves.
In point of fact, according to British law, every Christian was equal before the law, and judgments were based upon being Christian or non-Christian, not race. If blacks served out their indentured periods or became Christians, they were, as other Europeans, granted their freedom.
According to the historical records, the aforementioned Anthony Johnson family settled on the eastern shore of Virginia and prospered for almost 40 years. As was the custom, he indentured both black and whites. As there are conflicting reports as to the origin of the following, we will cut to the chase. One of Johnson’s indentured servants would cause a seismic shift in the relationships between blacks and whites that would last centuries.
This indentured servant, named John Casor, was black and apparently convinced a white neighbor that he was being illegally detained. Long story short, the case ended up in court.
Johnson sued – not to have Casor fulfill a debt of servitude (five to seven years) – but he insisted he had bought Casor as a slave and “hee had ye Negro for life.” Johnson was claiming that Casor, who had committed no crime, belonged to him as a slave for the rest of his life.
Despite the fact that two influential white landowners sided with Casor, the court ruled for Johnson: “… be it therefore ye judgement of ye court & ordered that sd (said) Jno. Casor, negro, shall forthwith bee turned into ye service of his sd master Anthony Johnson …”
For the record, this is the first legal sanction of slavery (not for a crime) in America. According to historical records, Anthony Johnson must be recognized as the nation’s first official slaveholder. Johnson had been previously captured in Angola and brought to America as an indentured servant in exchange for 50 acres.
Here is where my mouth fell open: Anthony Johnson was black. The father of legalized slavery in America was a black man!
More here
Tax-Delinquent Govt. Workers Rewarded With Bonus Pay
As tax day approaches, here’s an enraging story; so many federal workers—especially at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)—blow off paying taxes that legislation has been crafted to ban the offenders from receiving millions of dollars in bonus pay, which of course comes from public funds.
Federal employees were delinquent on $3.4 billion in taxes, according to a federal audit released last year yet Uncle Sam rewarded the violators with millions in bonus pay. At the IRS alone, staff members with violations received close to $3 million in awards on top of their regular salary. Some got the extra cash despite being cited for using drugs, making violent threats, fraudulently claiming unemployment benefits and misusing government credit cards, reveals the U.S. Senator, Pat Roberts of Kansas, who introduced the new law to stop the madness.
“This cannot be tolerated,” said Roberts, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Finance, in a statement. So the lawmaker recently introduced a measure (Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act) to stop the costly fraud, which has long been the norm in government. The law would require federal employees to be current on their income taxes—like the rest of us—and prevent those who are delinquent in paying federal tax liability from receiving a bonus or cash award. It’s pathetic that this culture is so flagrant that a law must be passed to correct it. The respective agencies should simply end this corrupt practice on their own.
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Federal employees were delinquent on $3.4 billion in taxes, according to a federal audit released last year yet Uncle Sam rewarded the violators with millions in bonus pay. At the IRS alone, staff members with violations received close to $3 million in awards on top of their regular salary. Some got the extra cash despite being cited for using drugs, making violent threats, fraudulently claiming unemployment benefits and misusing government credit cards, reveals the U.S. Senator, Pat Roberts of Kansas, who introduced the new law to stop the madness.
“This cannot be tolerated,” said Roberts, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Finance, in a statement. So the lawmaker recently introduced a measure (Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act) to stop the costly fraud, which has long been the norm in government. The law would require federal employees to be current on their income taxes—like the rest of us—and prevent those who are delinquent in paying federal tax liability from receiving a bonus or cash award. It’s pathetic that this culture is so flagrant that a law must be passed to correct it. The respective agencies should simply end this corrupt practice on their own.
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Jindal Unveils Plan to Repeal Common Core
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has unveiled a 42-page proposal to reform American education at the national level, one of the clearest signs yet that he is laying the groundwork to jump into the 2016 presidential primary.
At the heart of his proposal is a total repudiation of Common Core, as well as a general rollback of federal authority, increased school choice options for parents and greater administrative freedom for educators.
Jindal revealed his plan at a breakfast Monday morning hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. The actual proposal takes the form of a policy paper released through America Next, Jindal’s nonprofit think tank. It follows several similar proposals Jindal has made on foreign policy, energy and other major topics. However, the education proposal stands out from the pack, thanks to the governor’s growing status as one of the most savage critics of Common Core.
While Jindal supported the English and math standards just a few years ago, he has changed his mind and been attacking them constantly since last spring, when he gave a speech comparing them to policies in the Soviet Union.
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At the heart of his proposal is a total repudiation of Common Core, as well as a general rollback of federal authority, increased school choice options for parents and greater administrative freedom for educators.
Jindal revealed his plan at a breakfast Monday morning hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. The actual proposal takes the form of a policy paper released through America Next, Jindal’s nonprofit think tank. It follows several similar proposals Jindal has made on foreign policy, energy and other major topics. However, the education proposal stands out from the pack, thanks to the governor’s growing status as one of the most savage critics of Common Core.
While Jindal supported the English and math standards just a few years ago, he has changed his mind and been attacking them constantly since last spring, when he gave a speech comparing them to policies in the Soviet Union.
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NBC under fire over reporter’s claim sniper Chris Kyle was ‘racist’
NBC is once again under fire from Iraq War veterans — this time for a correspondent’s claims that sniper Chris Kyle was “racist.”
More than 20 retired generals and admirals penned a letter to Comcast, which owns NBC, following a Jan. 29 interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” with Middle East reporter Ayman Mohyeldin, according to a report in the Washington Examiner.
“Some of what people have described as his racist tendencies towards Iraqis and Muslims when he was going on some of these, you know, killing sprees in Iraq on assignment,” Mohyeldin said of Kyle, whose career was recently the subject of the blockbuster movie “American Sniper.”
Host Joe Scarborough was taken aback by his colleague’s comments, saying, “All right, when we come back, Ayman is going to kick around Santa Claus.”
The letter, which the Washington Examiner said was sent out Tuesday, demands an on-air apology from Mohyeldin.
“Mohyeldin’s statements were an inexcusable slap in the face to the widow of Chris Kyle and to all those in the armed forces who continue to serve our country in harm’s way,” they wrote in the letter.
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More than 20 retired generals and admirals penned a letter to Comcast, which owns NBC, following a Jan. 29 interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” with Middle East reporter Ayman Mohyeldin, according to a report in the Washington Examiner.
“Some of what people have described as his racist tendencies towards Iraqis and Muslims when he was going on some of these, you know, killing sprees in Iraq on assignment,” Mohyeldin said of Kyle, whose career was recently the subject of the blockbuster movie “American Sniper.”
Host Joe Scarborough was taken aback by his colleague’s comments, saying, “All right, when we come back, Ayman is going to kick around Santa Claus.”
The letter, which the Washington Examiner said was sent out Tuesday, demands an on-air apology from Mohyeldin.
“Mohyeldin’s statements were an inexcusable slap in the face to the widow of Chris Kyle and to all those in the armed forces who continue to serve our country in harm’s way,” they wrote in the letter.
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Catering by Sobo's Wine Beerstro
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Chunk of concrete from ‘structurally deficient’ Md. bridge falls, smashes woman’s car
“I was, like, in shock, because it felt like a bomb hit my car,” she said.
Dean says the force of the impact forced her car off the road, where she remained bewildered for a few moments. She says while driving in Morningside, a chunk of concrete fell off the I-495 bridge that goes over Suitland Road and crashed onto her car. The windshield is now caved in and covered in debris.
“Most of the impact was on the front hood and the front glass,” Dean said.
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Hong Kong is doomed—foolishly lowering and even eliminating taxes
The government committee was clear—if nothing was to be done, the government’s finances would be doomed in as little as seven years.
The Finance Secretary had some tough decisions to make. Raising more revenue for the government over the next few years is crucial.
He was also being targeted and mocked because his ministry’s predictions for economic performance and taxes raised have been consistently wrong every year since 2007.
This is common for government agencies in pretty much every country, but Hong Kong is possibly the worst—they continually underestimate the numbers.
The government will finish the fiscal year ending next month, for example, with a surplus of at least HK$60 billion (probably more, given how horrible they are at forecasting), which is six times more than the finance ministry projected.
A surplus! Who does that anymore??
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The Finance Secretary had some tough decisions to make. Raising more revenue for the government over the next few years is crucial.
He was also being targeted and mocked because his ministry’s predictions for economic performance and taxes raised have been consistently wrong every year since 2007.
This is common for government agencies in pretty much every country, but Hong Kong is possibly the worst—they continually underestimate the numbers.
The government will finish the fiscal year ending next month, for example, with a surplus of at least HK$60 billion (probably more, given how horrible they are at forecasting), which is six times more than the finance ministry projected.
A surplus! Who does that anymore??
More
Vet accuses Brian Williams of lying so he could appear on SNL
Brian Williams has been accused of lying to skip an event honoring members of the armed forces so that he could appear on Saturday Night Live.
The allegation comes from a Boston firefighter who served on the committee that organized the Congressional Medal of Honor Society event at the city's national convention center in 2006.
Neal Santangelo, a veteran of the Navy submarine service, told the Boston Herald that Williams had agreed six months in advance to serve as master of ceremonies at the gala banquet.
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The allegation comes from a Boston firefighter who served on the committee that organized the Congressional Medal of Honor Society event at the city's national convention center in 2006.
Neal Santangelo, a veteran of the Navy submarine service, told the Boston Herald that Williams had agreed six months in advance to serve as master of ceremonies at the gala banquet.
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Bringing Them Home
The Pentagon is about to bring home nearly all of its troops fighting the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The White House says the threat has receded to the point where all but 100 troops will be home by April 30. Of the 2,800 that originally deployed, 1,500 have already returned. U.S. Agency for International Development chief Rajiv Shah says only one or two new cases a day are occurring in Liberia. He says overall cases are down 80 percent.
Should Your Hair Go Gluten-Free Like Your Diet?
When it comes to beauty and hair-care products, ingredients matter. We all have different necessities when it comes to hair products, but many people forget that individual health concerns ought to have a big impact on the choices we make. Gluten intolerance is a health concern that may be necessary to take into account when you're shopping for products.
First off, what is gluten?
Gluten is a protein that is found in numerous grains, especially wheat. It acts as a sort of glue to hold foods together and is responsible for the elasticity of dough. Gluten is quite prevalent in beauty products, especially hair-care products.
Should you go gluten-free?
According to Mayo Clinic, there is no scientific evidence to prove that gluten can negatively affect those who are gluten intolerant or sensitive (i.e., those with celiac disease) when applied topically. Unless there is a high likelihood that you will ingest a product, such as a lipstick or hand soap, by accident, then you should be fine using products formulated with ingredients that have gluten.
On the other hand, it would probably be a good idea to invest in gluten-free beauty products for your gluten-intolerant children, as they would be more likely to accidentally ingest lotion, body wash, and shampoo via their hands coming into contact with your hair or skin. According to celiac disease and gluten-free expert Jane Anderson, if you're avoiding gluten in hair products, keep an eye out for the following ingredients, which contain it:
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First off, what is gluten?
Gluten is a protein that is found in numerous grains, especially wheat. It acts as a sort of glue to hold foods together and is responsible for the elasticity of dough. Gluten is quite prevalent in beauty products, especially hair-care products.
Should you go gluten-free?
According to Mayo Clinic, there is no scientific evidence to prove that gluten can negatively affect those who are gluten intolerant or sensitive (i.e., those with celiac disease) when applied topically. Unless there is a high likelihood that you will ingest a product, such as a lipstick or hand soap, by accident, then you should be fine using products formulated with ingredients that have gluten.
On the other hand, it would probably be a good idea to invest in gluten-free beauty products for your gluten-intolerant children, as they would be more likely to accidentally ingest lotion, body wash, and shampoo via their hands coming into contact with your hair or skin. According to celiac disease and gluten-free expert Jane Anderson, if you're avoiding gluten in hair products, keep an eye out for the following ingredients, which contain it:
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Elizabeth Warren Opposes "Congressional Meddling" 'Audit The Fed' Bill
It would appear the powers that be are getting nervous. Yesterday, Fed Governor Jerome Powell (and Fisher and Plosser) stepped up the central bank’s push against what he termed congressional efforts to extend political influence over monetary policy, calling them "misguided" and "in violent conflict with the facts." Today we have Senator Elizabeth Warren trying to sound supportive of transparency but proclaiming that she opposes Rand Paul's "Audit The Fed" Bill because it promotes "congressional meddling in the Fed’s monetary policy decisions," and has "dangerous implications for financial stability and the health of the global economy."
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Cops Asked to Check In on 74 Year Old Man - Break In and Kill Him Instead
A North Carolina family asked Gastonia police to check in on a family member who was recovering from surgery. In an ideal world, this would be a wonderful service to be performed by police with a grateful community that would offer them thanks.
Unfortunately, these notions have nothing to do with the business model of modern day policing, which does not serve those it views as its enemy. Indeed, although it might be the public that helps keep the coffers full by various means, it is a public still viewed as the number one threat by the police who benefit from them - by various means.
By that concept, it should come as no surprise that the older man they were called out to check on was the very one they senselessly killed that day.
This past Saturday afternoon, the family asked for a welfare check on 74-year-old James Howard Allen, a Korean War veteran, as he was recovering from heart surgery. The officer first visited the house that night at 10:20 p.m. with no answer.
So of course the next line of action would be for Gastonia police to gather the fire department emergency medical services to bust into the home at 11:30 p.m. The chief said Officer Josh Lefevers announced himself before going into the back door and the officer alleges that Allen was pointing a gun.
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Unfortunately, these notions have nothing to do with the business model of modern day policing, which does not serve those it views as its enemy. Indeed, although it might be the public that helps keep the coffers full by various means, it is a public still viewed as the number one threat by the police who benefit from them - by various means.
By that concept, it should come as no surprise that the older man they were called out to check on was the very one they senselessly killed that day.
This past Saturday afternoon, the family asked for a welfare check on 74-year-old James Howard Allen, a Korean War veteran, as he was recovering from heart surgery. The officer first visited the house that night at 10:20 p.m. with no answer.
So of course the next line of action would be for Gastonia police to gather the fire department emergency medical services to bust into the home at 11:30 p.m. The chief said Officer Josh Lefevers announced himself before going into the back door and the officer alleges that Allen was pointing a gun.
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Snarker-in-Chief
No one — least of all the American people — is exempt from our president’s snark.
Snark is a popular word used for a particular sort of off-putting sarcasm. Snarkiness can manifest itself as adolescent cheap shots, snide condescension, or simple ad hominem patronizing — a sort of “I know you are, but what am I?” schoolyard name-calling. Its incessant use is typically connected with a peevishness born out of juvenile insecurity, and sometimes fed by an embarrassing envy. All politicians are snarky at times; but few obsessively so, given the wages of monotony and insecurity that the snark earns.
President Obama is well known both for ad hominem dismissals of his supposed enemies — everyone from Fox News to the Tea Party to Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity — and for his evocations of nefarious straw men who, he claims, if left unchecked, would uninsure the poor, pollute the environment, hurt the illegal immigrant, and wage perpetual war abroad. But Obama’s snarky putdowns and condescending afterthoughts are a particularly disturbing subset of these rhetorical devices, used by him in the grand world of diplomacy as well as in often petty domestic contexts.
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2015 Teacher of the Year Candidates Named
Somerset County Public Schools is in its 28th year of participation in the state Teacher of the Year (TOY) Contest. Each year schools are asked to choose their respective Teacher of the Year. Those individuals compete on a local level. An Elementary Teacher of the Year and a Secondary Teacher of the Year are chosen after the process. From those two, a county TOY is name to represent the school system on the state level. This year's nominees are, as usual, strong educators who make a significant difference in the lives of their students. They are Jeremy Holland, art teacher at Crisfield Academy and High School; Vestina Davis, social studies teacher at Washington Academy and High School; Jeff Hale, special education teacher at J.M. Tawes Technology and Career School; Susan Finlayson, Grade 2 teacher at Woodson Elementary School; Tania Cunningham-Smith, special education teacher at Somerset Intermediate School, Debbie Whitney, Kindergarten teacher at Princess Anne Elementary School; and Melodi Power, media specialist at Greenwood Elementary School. The Elementary, Secondary and overall Teachers of the Year will be announced at the school system's annual gala on March 20 at the Henson Center at UMES.
PARENT MEETING AT GREENWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-6:00 PM FEBRUARY 12 TO DISCUSS CAPACITY ISSUE AT PAE
Somerset County Public Schools officials will hold a public meeting at 6:00 PM on Thursday February 12, 2015, in the cafeteria at Greenwood Elementary School. Parents from Greenwood and Princess Anne Elementary are encouraged to attend. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss capacity issues which include overcrowding conditions at PAE and the potential changes that may take place for the coming school year 2015-2016. Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Tom Davis said, "I hope many parents will attend and no decision has been made on how the capacity issue will be addressed. We need parent knowledge and input." To date a joint staff meeting with the two schools and a follow up survey have been conducted. At the meeting on Thursday, information will be shared. Input will be sought. Subsequent to the meeting a parent survey will be placed online. A paper and pencil survey will be available to parents at the meeting for parents who did not have online access. A joint staff meeting will be held on March 5 to discuss survey results and a joint parent meeting will be held sometime between March 10 and March 12 to discuss parent surveys results. Mr. Davis indicated that the goal is to share recommendations with the Board at its monthly meeting on March 17 for study purposes and then to hear from the Board as to their decision at their meeting on April 21.
Career Fair to be Held at JM. Tawes-Students in Grades 10-12 to Attend
Students in grades 10 through 12 will participate in a career fair to be held tomorrow February 12 at J.M. Tawes Technology and Career Center from 8:00 AM-12:00 PM. Representatives from several agencies, companies and branches of the military will be on hand to speak to students as they plan their futures.
PARENT MEETING AT GREENWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-6:00 PM FEBRUARY 12 TO DISCUSS CAPACITY ISSUE AT PAE
Somerset County Public Schools officials will hold a public meeting at 6:00 PM on Thursday February 12, 2015, in the cafeteria at Greenwood Elementary School. Parents from Greenwood and Princess Anne Elementary are encouraged to attend. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss capacity issues which include overcrowding conditions at PAE and the potential changes that may take place for the coming school year 2015-2016. Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Tom Davis said, "I hope many parents will attend and no decision has been made on how the capacity issue will be addressed. We need parent knowledge and input." To date a joint staff meeting with the two schools and a follow up survey have been conducted. At the meeting on Thursday, information will be shared. Input will be sought. Subsequent to the meeting a parent survey will be placed online. A paper and pencil survey will be available to parents at the meeting for parents who did not have online access. A joint staff meeting will be held on March 5 to discuss survey results and a joint parent meeting will be held sometime between March 10 and March 12 to discuss parent surveys results. Mr. Davis indicated that the goal is to share recommendations with the Board at its monthly meeting on March 17 for study purposes and then to hear from the Board as to their decision at their meeting on April 21.
Career Fair to be Held at JM. Tawes-Students in Grades 10-12 to Attend
Students in grades 10 through 12 will participate in a career fair to be held tomorrow February 12 at J.M. Tawes Technology and Career Center from 8:00 AM-12:00 PM. Representatives from several agencies, companies and branches of the military will be on hand to speak to students as they plan their futures.
No-knock police raid ends in blazing tragedy
The homeowner, Henry Magee, 28, said he thought the officers who broke through his door were robbers and he acted in self-defense to protect his pregnant girlfriend and two children.
Police were acting on a tip from a criminal informant that led them to believe Magee had more than a dozen marijuana plants, all at least six feet tall, in his rural home in Burleson County. Officers included a line on the warrant that Magee also had “possible illegal guns” stolen from the local sheriff’s office. The local magistrate signed off on the warrant, with deadly consequences.
Before the sun came up on Dec. 19, nine deputies broke down the door to Magee’s mobile home and set off a flash-bang grenade. Magee confronted them, firing away as they barged through the door. One of the deputies, Adam Sowders, fell dead.
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Women’s Colleges Left Trying to Decide What ‘Women’s College’ Means
Women’s colleges can’t figure out what to do with transgender students.
This kind of thing used to be pretty straightforward: Women’s colleges are for women. But as liberals go to great lengths to rid themselves of traditional binaries, schools defined by the gender of their students are having to decide what to do about applicants who define their gender for themselves.
This week, Bryn Mawr College, in Pennsylvania, decided it makes the most sense to simply take biological sex out of the equation and allow anyone who identifies as a woman to go. In other words: Even if you were born a man, you can go as long you identify as a woman now. On the flip side, if you identify as a man now, you can’t go even if you were born biologically female.
Some women’s colleges are leaving it even more open. For example, Simmons College, in Boston, allows not only those applicants who were born male and now identify as female, but also those who were born female and now identify as male. It also accepts applicants who identify as neither female nor male but consider themselves some combination of both genders or as “gender neutral” entirely. And others, like Barnard College, have no policy and are still deciding what to do.
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This kind of thing used to be pretty straightforward: Women’s colleges are for women. But as liberals go to great lengths to rid themselves of traditional binaries, schools defined by the gender of their students are having to decide what to do about applicants who define their gender for themselves.
This week, Bryn Mawr College, in Pennsylvania, decided it makes the most sense to simply take biological sex out of the equation and allow anyone who identifies as a woman to go. In other words: Even if you were born a man, you can go as long you identify as a woman now. On the flip side, if you identify as a man now, you can’t go even if you were born biologically female.
Some women’s colleges are leaving it even more open. For example, Simmons College, in Boston, allows not only those applicants who were born male and now identify as female, but also those who were born female and now identify as male. It also accepts applicants who identify as neither female nor male but consider themselves some combination of both genders or as “gender neutral” entirely. And others, like Barnard College, have no policy and are still deciding what to do.
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Jon Stewart announces he is leaving The Daily Show
Jon Stewart has announced he is stepping down from his job at The Daily Show.
The popular host, who began working on the Comedy Central news program in January 1999, made the announcement at a taping of his show on Tuesday.
He will leave at the end of this year, most likely when his contract expires in the Fall.
'Seventeen years is the longest I have ever in my life held a job by sixteen years and five months. The upshot there being I am a terrible employee. In my heart I know it is time for someone else to have that opportunity,' said Stewart.
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The popular host, who began working on the Comedy Central news program in January 1999, made the announcement at a taping of his show on Tuesday.
He will leave at the end of this year, most likely when his contract expires in the Fall.
'Seventeen years is the longest I have ever in my life held a job by sixteen years and five months. The upshot there being I am a terrible employee. In my heart I know it is time for someone else to have that opportunity,' said Stewart.
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Was Obama’s Gay-Marriage Stance a Noble Lie or Cynical Opportunism?
Either way, the hope-and-change malarkey was a circus act.
This morning, at just a few minutes before 7 o’clock, the political casting shop at last found an actor to play Brutus. His name, surprisingly enough, was David Axelrod, and his weapon of choice was his new book — which, Time’s Zeke Miller noted, contains “a striking admission of political dishonesty from the keeper of the Obama flame.” And so it was that the Ides of March came a month or so earlier than usual. Et tu, David?
In the course of relating his many experiences at the White House, Miller confirms, Axelrod admits openly that President Obama “misled Americans for his own political benefit when he claimed in the 2008 election to oppose same sex marriage for religious reasons.” “Obama,” he adds plainly and without nuance, “was in favor of same-sex marriages during the first presidential campaign, even as [he] publicly said he only supported civil unions, not full marriages.” In and of itself, Miller notes, this dishonesty is disappointing. But, for Obama in particular, it has deleterious consequences, prompting us as it does to call “into question the President’s stated embrace of a new kind of politics” and his promise “to be unlike other politicians who change their views to match the political winds.” Is it possible, one can see it asked between the lines, that the whole “hope and change” malarkey was a circus act?
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Chipper Jones apologizes for 'Sandy Hook was a hoax!' tweet, gets slammed by principal’s daughter
On Friday, the former third baseman wrote the FBI had confirmed 'Sandy Hook was a hoax!' Jones immediately deleted the Twitter post and apologized in a later tweet, but Cristina Hassinger, the daughter of Sandy Hook victim Dawn Hochsprung, invited the former slugger to dinner to ‘meet my grandmother-less children and I'll show you my mom's clothes riddled with bullet holes.’
Foul!
Retired Atlanta Braves star Chipper Jones was tagged out on social media for firing off an insensitive, and completely misguided, tweet about the Sandy Hook massacre — a post he apologized for most of Saturday.
On Friday, the former third baseman wrote the FBI had confirmed “Sandy Hook was a hoax!”
“Where is the outrage,” he wrote. “What else are we being lied to about? ”
But there was no outrage — because what he was told wasn’t true. Jones immediately deleted the tweet, but it had already gone viral, according to Yahoo Sports.
He owned up to the grossly stupid mistake Saturday.
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Foul!
Retired Atlanta Braves star Chipper Jones was tagged out on social media for firing off an insensitive, and completely misguided, tweet about the Sandy Hook massacre — a post he apologized for most of Saturday.
On Friday, the former third baseman wrote the FBI had confirmed “Sandy Hook was a hoax!”
“Where is the outrage,” he wrote. “What else are we being lied to about? ”
But there was no outrage — because what he was told wasn’t true. Jones immediately deleted the tweet, but it had already gone viral, according to Yahoo Sports.
He owned up to the grossly stupid mistake Saturday.
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Hillary Reconsiders Presidential Bid As Bill's Sex Scandal Unfolds
Hillary Clinton is considering scrapping her 2016 presidential ambitions because of revelations she fears could become public in the coming months concerning former President Bill Clinton’s relationship with billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned.
The former first lady had been expected to announce her 2016 White House bid last month, but she didn’t. The spin from supporters is the lack of a strong Democratic rival gives Clinton more time, but Radar’s source says the Radar stories about her husband’s trips to Epstein’s “orgy island” gave her cold feet.
Former “sex slave” Virginia Roberts, who claims she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew and other powerful men, talked about Clinton’s trip to Epstein’s U.S. Virgin Islands estate in an interview with her lawyers obtained exclusively by Radar last month.
More here
The former first lady had been expected to announce her 2016 White House bid last month, but she didn’t. The spin from supporters is the lack of a strong Democratic rival gives Clinton more time, but Radar’s source says the Radar stories about her husband’s trips to Epstein’s “orgy island” gave her cold feet.
Former “sex slave” Virginia Roberts, who claims she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew and other powerful men, talked about Clinton’s trip to Epstein’s U.S. Virgin Islands estate in an interview with her lawyers obtained exclusively by Radar last month.
More here
If you think gas is cheap in U.S., look what it costs in Saudi Arabia
With global oil prices plummeting, you might think people in Saudi Arabia, a nation synonymous with oil, where 90 percent of government revenue comes from holes drilled in its majestically profitable sands, would be freaking out.
But at a busy downtown gas station one day recently, there was not a whiff of concern among the drivers of the stream of Audis, Cadillacs, Mercedes-Benzes, Dodges and Chevys pulling up to the pumps in a land where government-subsidized gas is as cheap as water.
“Personally, it doesn’t affect me a bit,” said Ghaith, 49, who works in a bookstore and spends about $40 a month fueling his big American-made SUV. “It might affect the government in the future — maybe they will have to cut back on their big projects. But it’s no problem for me.”
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Obama “Hopeful” Immigration Will Drown Conservatism
The spread of vibrant social diversity is constricting the GOP’s ability to champion conservative causes, such as smaller government and independent families, President Barack Obama said in a softball media interview.
“Over the long term, I’m pretty optimistic, and the reason is because this country just becomes more and more of a hodgepodge of folks,” Obama told Vox editor Ezra Klein.
“People are getting more and more comfortable with the diversity of this country, much more sophisticated about both the cultural differences but more importantly, the basic commonality that we have,” he said in his talk, which was recorded Jan 23.
But for Obama, “commonality” is a go-to euphemism for big, intrusive, nation-wide government by progressive experts.
More here
“Over the long term, I’m pretty optimistic, and the reason is because this country just becomes more and more of a hodgepodge of folks,” Obama told Vox editor Ezra Klein.
“People are getting more and more comfortable with the diversity of this country, much more sophisticated about both the cultural differences but more importantly, the basic commonality that we have,” he said in his talk, which was recorded Jan 23.
But for Obama, “commonality” is a go-to euphemism for big, intrusive, nation-wide government by progressive experts.
More here
Promise kept: Gov. Larry Hogan's bill would repeal rain tax
The Republican governor's legislation would take away the state requirement that 10 jurisdictions impose a fee to pay for programs that curb storm water pollution.
Hogan's bill, which has 61 co-sponsors, to repeal the rain tax, is now in the hands of the General Assembly.
"Forcing counties to raise taxes against their will was a mistake and needs to be corrected," Hogan said.
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NIH Grant: $435,369 to Study ‘Culturally Targeted’ Ways to Help LGBT Smokers Quit
(CNSNews.com) - The National Institutes of Health has awarded a $435,369 taxpayer-funded grant to the University of Illinois at Chicago to study cessation techniques for LGBT smokers.
“Our long-term goals are to increase smoking cessation in Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) smokers and to understand the processes related to cessation and relapse in this underserved population,” the grant stated.
The purpose of the study “is to develop and evaluate the benefits of culturally targeted smoking cessation intervention” for LGBT smokers.
The study will be conducted in two phases “to compare the efficacy of a culturally targeted intervention versus a non-targeted intervention on smoking cessation outcomes in LGBT smokers.”
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“Our long-term goals are to increase smoking cessation in Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) smokers and to understand the processes related to cessation and relapse in this underserved population,” the grant stated.
The purpose of the study “is to develop and evaluate the benefits of culturally targeted smoking cessation intervention” for LGBT smokers.
The study will be conducted in two phases “to compare the efficacy of a culturally targeted intervention versus a non-targeted intervention on smoking cessation outcomes in LGBT smokers.”
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OPEC Cuts U.S. Oil-Supply Growth Forecast After Price Rout
OPEC made the deepest cut to its forecasts for 2015 global oil-supply growth since it first published them in August as U.S. producers lead a slowdown in drilling after last year’s price collapse.
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries lowered its estimate for non-OPEC supply growth this year by about 400,000 barrels a day, the biggest reduction since the forecast was introduced in August. The U.S. led with a cut of 130,000 barrels a day while estimates for Colombia, Canada and Yemen were also trimmed. The group said it may boost global demand forecasts beyond this month’s slight increase amid rising U.S. gasoline use.
Oil has rebounded more than 20 percent in the past two weeks in London as a seven-month price slump pressured U.S. drillers to idle rigs and companies from Royal Dutch Shell Plc to Chevron Corp. to curb spending plans. U.S. oil explorers have cut the number of rigs in operation to the lowest in three years, according to data from Baker Hughes Inc.
“The main factors for the lower growth prediction in 2015 are price expectations, a declining number of active rigs in North America, a decrease in drilling permits in the U.S. and a reduction in the 2015 spending plans of international oil companies,” OPEC’s Vienna-based research department said in its monthly market report.
Oil extended gains following the OPEC report. Brent crude climbed as much as 2.2 percent, or $1.26, to $59.06 a barrel on the ICE Futures Europe exchange in London. The international benchmark capped its biggest two-week gain in 17 years on Feb. 6 on speculation that a reduction in U.S. drilling would curb production growth.
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The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries lowered its estimate for non-OPEC supply growth this year by about 400,000 barrels a day, the biggest reduction since the forecast was introduced in August. The U.S. led with a cut of 130,000 barrels a day while estimates for Colombia, Canada and Yemen were also trimmed. The group said it may boost global demand forecasts beyond this month’s slight increase amid rising U.S. gasoline use.
Oil has rebounded more than 20 percent in the past two weeks in London as a seven-month price slump pressured U.S. drillers to idle rigs and companies from Royal Dutch Shell Plc to Chevron Corp. to curb spending plans. U.S. oil explorers have cut the number of rigs in operation to the lowest in three years, according to data from Baker Hughes Inc.
“The main factors for the lower growth prediction in 2015 are price expectations, a declining number of active rigs in North America, a decrease in drilling permits in the U.S. and a reduction in the 2015 spending plans of international oil companies,” OPEC’s Vienna-based research department said in its monthly market report.
Oil extended gains following the OPEC report. Brent crude climbed as much as 2.2 percent, or $1.26, to $59.06 a barrel on the ICE Futures Europe exchange in London. The international benchmark capped its biggest two-week gain in 17 years on Feb. 6 on speculation that a reduction in U.S. drilling would curb production growth.
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Big Pharma's Money Ties To Doctors Revealed. Kind Of
The Obama administration unveiled a website Tuesday that will shed some much-needed light on Big Pharma's relationship with doctors. Just not quite today.
Called Open Payments, it's a tool authorized by the Affordable Care Act that offers details on payments that drug companies and medical device makers give to physicians and medical school teaching hospitals.
The aim is to enable people to discover whether the doctors and hospitals they visit may have motives other than patients' best interests when they choose one drug or medical device over another that may be better or cheaper. Drugmakers have even been fined for making illegal payments to doctors to promote prescribing their medicines.
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Called Open Payments, it's a tool authorized by the Affordable Care Act that offers details on payments that drug companies and medical device makers give to physicians and medical school teaching hospitals.
The aim is to enable people to discover whether the doctors and hospitals they visit may have motives other than patients' best interests when they choose one drug or medical device over another that may be better or cheaper. Drugmakers have even been fined for making illegal payments to doctors to promote prescribing their medicines.
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Food Stamp Beneficiaries Exceed 46,000,000 for 39 Straight Months
(CNSNews.com) - The number of beneficiaries on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, has topped 46,000,000 for 39 straight months, according to data released by the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
In November 2014, the latest month reported, there were 46,271,508 Americans on food stamps. Food stamp recipients have exceeded 46 million since September 2011.
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In November 2014, the latest month reported, there were 46,271,508 Americans on food stamps. Food stamp recipients have exceeded 46 million since September 2011.
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SAN FRANCISCO WATER MANAGER FACES SUSPENSION AFTER SEEN URINATING IN RESERVOIR
Reservoir supplies drinking water to nearly 2.5 million Bay Area residents
A $111,000-a-year San Francisco water manager will likely be suspended after he was seen urinating in a reservoir that supplies drinking water to nearly 2.5 million Bay Area residents.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports Public Utilities Commission employee Martin Sanchez could receive a five day suspension without pay after the Jan. 6 incident took place at the Priest Reservoir in the Sierra foothills.
A commission insider sent the SF Chronicle an anonymous complaint that alleges a number of employees saw Sanchez urinating “several times” in the reservoir.
Read more
A $111,000-a-year San Francisco water manager will likely be suspended after he was seen urinating in a reservoir that supplies drinking water to nearly 2.5 million Bay Area residents.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports Public Utilities Commission employee Martin Sanchez could receive a five day suspension without pay after the Jan. 6 incident took place at the Priest Reservoir in the Sierra foothills.
A commission insider sent the SF Chronicle an anonymous complaint that alleges a number of employees saw Sanchez urinating “several times” in the reservoir.
Read more
U.S. Brags to U.N.: We Have 46.5 Million on Food Stamps
(CNSNews.com) - In response to a recommendation made by the Communist government of Cuba, the U.S. State Department is boasting ina report submitted to the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights on Friday that there were "46.5 million" people on food stamps in the United States last year and that a quarter of all Americans received government “food assistance.”
In response to the same Cuban recommendation, the State Department also told the U.N. High Commissioner that 9 million people have signed up for Medicaid since October 2013—as part of the impact of Obamacare.
“In FY2014, we invested more than $103 billion in domestic food assistance programs, serving one in four Americans during the year,” the State Department told the U.N. High Commissioner.
“[N]early nine million individuals have enrolled in coverage in state-run Medicaid programs since October 2013,” said the State Department.
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In response to the same Cuban recommendation, the State Department also told the U.N. High Commissioner that 9 million people have signed up for Medicaid since October 2013—as part of the impact of Obamacare.
“In FY2014, we invested more than $103 billion in domestic food assistance programs, serving one in four Americans during the year,” the State Department told the U.N. High Commissioner.
“[N]early nine million individuals have enrolled in coverage in state-run Medicaid programs since October 2013,” said the State Department.
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Change in school funding formula debated
Some lawmakers said Monday that the General Assembly should change a school funding formula that gives great weight to property values — and is projected to cost Baltimore millions of dollars in lost state aid for next year.
But others say a city with a waterfront ringed by pricey new buildings would have more money for schools if it hadn't handed out so many tax breaks to developers. And a key Baltimore legislator called on businesses who have gotten such breaks to consider stepping up to the plate.
"I think the business community needs to look at some of these deals and ask themselves, is there something they can be doing to help the schools?" said state Del. Maggie McIntosh, a Baltimore Democrat who is chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee.
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But others say a city with a waterfront ringed by pricey new buildings would have more money for schools if it hadn't handed out so many tax breaks to developers. And a key Baltimore legislator called on businesses who have gotten such breaks to consider stepping up to the plate.
"I think the business community needs to look at some of these deals and ask themselves, is there something they can be doing to help the schools?" said state Del. Maggie McIntosh, a Baltimore Democrat who is chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee.
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RUSSIA WARNS U.S. ARMING UKRAINE WILL BE CONSIDERED AN ACT OF WAR
Russia will respond in Ukraine and elsewhere if Obama arms Kiev regime
On Monday Obama said the United States is considering sending armaments and lethal aid to the regime in Ukraine.
Obama had previously opposed sending arms.
“It is true that if in fact diplomacy fails, what I’ve asked my team to do is look at all options,” Obama said. “The possibility of lethal defensive weapons is one of those options that’s being examined.”
Obama made this comment as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande push a peace plan to resolve the crisis. Merkel and Hollande met with Putin and Ukrainian leaders last week and announced a summit to be held in Minsk on Wednesday.
As Obama vacillates and a bipartisan group in Congress demand the U.S. arm the Kiev regime under the terms of the Budapest Memorandum, the Russians warn military aid to Ukraine will result in “all-out-war.”
Alexei Pushkov, a leading Russian MP and an ally of President Vladimir Putin, told the European Parliament the delivery of arms to Ukraine is the first step in what will become larger participation in the conflict by the United States. He said sending armaments was one of the first steps in U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
“First they sent weapons, then they sent military advisers, then troops to protect military advisers, then troops to fight the Vietnamese.”
On Monday Obama said the United States is considering sending armaments and lethal aid to the regime in Ukraine.
Obama had previously opposed sending arms.
“It is true that if in fact diplomacy fails, what I’ve asked my team to do is look at all options,” Obama said. “The possibility of lethal defensive weapons is one of those options that’s being examined.”
Obama made this comment as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande push a peace plan to resolve the crisis. Merkel and Hollande met with Putin and Ukrainian leaders last week and announced a summit to be held in Minsk on Wednesday.
As Obama vacillates and a bipartisan group in Congress demand the U.S. arm the Kiev regime under the terms of the Budapest Memorandum, the Russians warn military aid to Ukraine will result in “all-out-war.”
Alexei Pushkov, a leading Russian MP and an ally of President Vladimir Putin, told the European Parliament the delivery of arms to Ukraine is the first step in what will become larger participation in the conflict by the United States. He said sending armaments was one of the first steps in U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
“First they sent weapons, then they sent military advisers, then troops to protect military advisers, then troops to fight the Vietnamese.”
In Likely Democratic Primary, Who's Joining Hillary Clinton?
Which got me thinking — who are the other potential Democratic candidates?
This may not be an obvious place to start, but I figured why not ask the opposition? America Rising PAC is a Republican group that exists to dig up dirt on Democrats. And they're on the lookout for presidential candidates to target.
"It really is tough," says Tim Miller, the PAC's executive director. He says each quarter they have a meeting where they sit down and basically ask themselves, who other than Hillary Clinton should we be researching?
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Jordan Moves Thousands of Troops to Iraq Border in ISIS Fight
Jordan has amassed "thousands" of troops at its border with Iraq even as the campaign to defeat ISIS grows, according to government officials.
Jordan's troops are prevent ISIS fighters from moving into Jordan but also as a show of force, according to NBC News, which quoted government officials under condition of anonymity.
Following the burning alive of a Jordanian pilot held captive by ISIS militants, Jordan King Abdullah warned it would avenge his death and crush ISIS' campaign of terror "because this terrorist organization is not only fighting us, but also fighting Islam and its pure values."
The United Arab Emirates also Tuesday launched airstrikes Tuesday against the Islamic State from an air base in Jordan, marking its return to combat operations against the militants after it halted flights late last year.
The General Command of the UAE Armed Forces said Emirati F-16s carried out a series of strikes Tuesday morning, according to a brief statement carried by the Gulf nation's official WAM news agency.
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Jordan's troops are prevent ISIS fighters from moving into Jordan but also as a show of force, according to NBC News, which quoted government officials under condition of anonymity.
Following the burning alive of a Jordanian pilot held captive by ISIS militants, Jordan King Abdullah warned it would avenge his death and crush ISIS' campaign of terror "because this terrorist organization is not only fighting us, but also fighting Islam and its pure values."
The United Arab Emirates also Tuesday launched airstrikes Tuesday against the Islamic State from an air base in Jordan, marking its return to combat operations against the militants after it halted flights late last year.
The General Command of the UAE Armed Forces said Emirati F-16s carried out a series of strikes Tuesday morning, according to a brief statement carried by the Gulf nation's official WAM news agency.
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Michael Moore Crawls from Under his Rock Again to Defend Brian Williams in a Crazy Rant
NBC’s disgraced Brian Williams, who has been caught in a series of lies used to build his career, has more than one cheerleader. First, fellow liar Dan Rather came to Williams’ defense. Now, anti-American, big-mouthed Moore has come to the defense of Brian Williams, and found a way to mouth off with accusations of the George W. Bush administration being guilty of war crimes.
Before reading Moore’s rant, I must warn you to brace yourself. Not only is it filled with profanity, it is also filled with lunacy.
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HSBC bank 'helped clients dodge millions in tax'
Banking giant HSBC helped wealthy clients across the world evade hundreds of millions of pounds worth of tax, the BBC has learned.
Panorama has seen accounts from 106,000 clients in 203 countries, leaked by whistleblower Herve Falciani in 2007.
The documents include details of almost 7,000 clients based in the UK.
HSBC admitted that it was "accountable for past control failures." But it said it has now "fundamentally changed".
"We acknowledge that the compliance culture and standards of due diligence in HSBC's Swiss private bank, as well as the industry in general, were significantly lower than they are today," it added.
The bank now faces criminal investigations in the US, France, Belgium and Argentina, but not in the UK, where HSBC is based.
HSBC said it is "co-operating with relevant authorities".
More
Panorama has seen accounts from 106,000 clients in 203 countries, leaked by whistleblower Herve Falciani in 2007.
The documents include details of almost 7,000 clients based in the UK.
HSBC admitted that it was "accountable for past control failures." But it said it has now "fundamentally changed".
"We acknowledge that the compliance culture and standards of due diligence in HSBC's Swiss private bank, as well as the industry in general, were significantly lower than they are today," it added.
The bank now faces criminal investigations in the US, France, Belgium and Argentina, but not in the UK, where HSBC is based.
HSBC said it is "co-operating with relevant authorities".
More
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