The revelation that contaminated endoscopes were cleaned according to manufacturer instructions but still allegedly caused seven people to become infected with a deadly drug-resistant bacteria has raised questions about whether the scopes are too difficult to clean.
Seven people have become infected with the drug-resistant "superbug" known as CRE at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center after undergoing endoscopy procedures, and CRE may have played a role in two of its patients' deaths, hospital officials said Wednesday afternoon, adding that 179 people were exposed to the germ.
The scopes -- called duodenoscopes, which are inserted by mouth to access patients' small intestine, the pancreas and the liver -- were new and had only been in use since June, but they were cleaned in accordance with manufacturer guidelines, officials said yesterday. The hospital said they traced the bacteria back to two endoscopes manufactured by Olympus Corporation of the Americas.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Winter Storm Warning 2-25-15
Winter Storm Warning
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA 1003 PM EST WED FEB 25 2015 DORCHESTER-WICOMICO-SOMERSET-INLAND WORCESTER-MARYLAND BEACHES- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CAMBRIDGE...SALISBURY...CRISFIELD... PRINCESS ANNE...SNOW HILL...OCEAN CITY 1003 PM EST WED FEB 25 2015 ...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST THURSDAY... A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST THURSDAY. * AREAS AFFECTED: THE LOWER MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE. * HAZARDS: SNOW. * ACCUMULATIONS: 3 TO 6 INCHES. * TEMPERATURES: MID TO UPPER 20S. * WINDS: NORTHEAST 10 TO 15 MPH...WITH 15 TO 20 MPH AT THE IMMEDIATE COAST. * TIMING: LIGHT SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION AROUND MIDNIGHT...THEN INCREASES IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY INTO THURSDAY MORNING. THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF TO LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS LATE THURSDAY MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT... FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
4-Year-Old Alaska Boy Shot When Mom's Gun Falls From Holster
Alaska State Troopers say they took a call on the incident near Wasilla just before 11:30 a.m.
Medics were treating the boy when they arrived.
Troopers say the family was leaving a pickup when the woman's .357-caliber handgun fell out of its holster, struck the pavement on its hammer and fired.
The shot hit the 4-year-old just above the knee.
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Medics were treating the boy when they arrived.
Troopers say the family was leaving a pickup when the woman's .357-caliber handgun fell out of its holster, struck the pavement on its hammer and fired.
The shot hit the 4-year-old just above the knee.
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Former Deputy Found Dead After Allegedly Shooting Ex-Wife, Sheriff, Deputy
Authorities were searching for clues in a bizarre series of events Sunday night after a former sheriff's deputy, who was accused of fatally shooting his ex-wife, and wounding a sheriff and another deputy, was then found dead with another man.
The two officers were shot while responding to a domestic abuse call in Clarksville, Georgia, at about 7:20 p.m. ET, the state patrol told NBC Atlanta affiliate WXIA.
When the officers arrived at the home of former deputy Anthony Gianquinta, they found a woman, the suspect's ex-wife, in a garage and an armed man on the scene who took shots at them both.
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The two officers were shot while responding to a domestic abuse call in Clarksville, Georgia, at about 7:20 p.m. ET, the state patrol told NBC Atlanta affiliate WXIA.
When the officers arrived at the home of former deputy Anthony Gianquinta, they found a woman, the suspect's ex-wife, in a garage and an armed man on the scene who took shots at them both.
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Netanyahu Invited to Closed-Door Meeting with Democrats
Two senior Democrats in the United States Senate have invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a closed-door meeting with Democratic senators during his upcoming visit to Washington, Reuters reported on Monday.
According to the report, Senators Richard Durbin and Dianne Feinstein extended the invitation "to maintain Israel's dialog with both political parties in Congress," according to a letter they sent to the Israeli leader.
The invitation by the Democrats comes after weeks of quarreling between Democrats and Republicans over Netanyahu’s Congress speech.
Although some Democrats have said they would not attend Netanyahu's speech to the joint meeting of the House of Representatives and Senate, the session proposed by Durbin and Feinstein would be in addition to the address. It is not intended as an alternative, a Durbin aide said, according to the report.
The two senators have not indicated publicly whether they planned to be at the Israeli leader's address, their spokesmen said.
More here
According to the report, Senators Richard Durbin and Dianne Feinstein extended the invitation "to maintain Israel's dialog with both political parties in Congress," according to a letter they sent to the Israeli leader.
The invitation by the Democrats comes after weeks of quarreling between Democrats and Republicans over Netanyahu’s Congress speech.
Although some Democrats have said they would not attend Netanyahu's speech to the joint meeting of the House of Representatives and Senate, the session proposed by Durbin and Feinstein would be in addition to the address. It is not intended as an alternative, a Durbin aide said, according to the report.
The two senators have not indicated publicly whether they planned to be at the Israeli leader's address, their spokesmen said.
More here
Black middle schooler slams Barack Obama in epic YouTube speech
President Obama may enjoy the approval of 84% of blacks, but don’t count CJ Pearson among them.
Pearson, a 12-year-old middle school student in Georgia, has more informed opinions than many adults.
The student posted a YouTube video yesterday in which he seeks to “applaud Mayor Rudy Giuliani for his comments about President Barack Obama.”
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Pearson, a 12-year-old middle school student in Georgia, has more informed opinions than many adults.
The student posted a YouTube video yesterday in which he seeks to “applaud Mayor Rudy Giuliani for his comments about President Barack Obama.”
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Md. Releases Offer to State Employees to Leave Jobs
The state of Maryland has released details of an offer to state employees who are willing to leave their jobs to help the state save money.
In a letter made public Thursday, state employees would be offered a lump sum payment of $15,000. They also would receive an additional $200 for each year of service.
The goal of the program is to reduce the size of the state workforce by allowing employees to voluntarily leave. Employees in state agencies under the executive branch are eligible for the offer. They would have to leave no later than April 28.
Gov. Larry Hogan included the plan in his budget proposal for the next fiscal year in hopes of saving about $30 million.
Source
In a letter made public Thursday, state employees would be offered a lump sum payment of $15,000. They also would receive an additional $200 for each year of service.
The goal of the program is to reduce the size of the state workforce by allowing employees to voluntarily leave. Employees in state agencies under the executive branch are eligible for the offer. They would have to leave no later than April 28.
Gov. Larry Hogan included the plan in his budget proposal for the next fiscal year in hopes of saving about $30 million.
Source
Daughter of Obama's Ex-Pastor Sent to Jail
The daughter of Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who was US President Barack Obama's pastor for 20 years at the Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's south side, was sent to jail Monday after violating bail terms.
Jeri L. Wright (49) was left free through a deal while waiting to be sentenced for charges of money laundering, reports the Chicago Sun Times, but it was ruled that she likely committed a separate crime of theft while on bail violating her terms, and leading to her detention.
Last March during a trial over her part in a state grant fraud, Wright was found guilty of money-laundering, as well as lying to federal investigators and to a grand jury.
According to prosecutors, even while she was on trial for that case, Wright was involved in another scheme of ghost payrolling, through which she got 13 payments of $8,192 total during a period from last February to last May. The payments were from a temporary staffing agency for work "she never performed" at a plastics factory in Indiana, according to prosecutors.
The payments were allegedly authorized by a plant manager who is being investigated for "making fraudulent credit card charges and hiring several" ghost payrollers, and who has been fired since.
In the grant-fraud case on which Wright was already on bail, she stole up to $11,000 of state money and used part of the cash to pay for a car loan, later lying to authorities and a grand jury about the theft. Wright is to be sentenced for the grant-fraud case on March 20.
Here's more
Jeri L. Wright (49) was left free through a deal while waiting to be sentenced for charges of money laundering, reports the Chicago Sun Times, but it was ruled that she likely committed a separate crime of theft while on bail violating her terms, and leading to her detention.
Last March during a trial over her part in a state grant fraud, Wright was found guilty of money-laundering, as well as lying to federal investigators and to a grand jury.
According to prosecutors, even while she was on trial for that case, Wright was involved in another scheme of ghost payrolling, through which she got 13 payments of $8,192 total during a period from last February to last May. The payments were from a temporary staffing agency for work "she never performed" at a plastics factory in Indiana, according to prosecutors.
The payments were allegedly authorized by a plant manager who is being investigated for "making fraudulent credit card charges and hiring several" ghost payrollers, and who has been fired since.
In the grant-fraud case on which Wright was already on bail, she stole up to $11,000 of state money and used part of the cash to pay for a car loan, later lying to authorities and a grand jury about the theft. Wright is to be sentenced for the grant-fraud case on March 20.
Here's more
Residents Urged to Prepare for Snow
The heaviest snow accumulations are expected to take place from midnight tonight into mid morning Thursday. Those who must venture out onto area roadways are warned to exercise extreme caution, as slick conditions and periods of low visibility will make driving hazardous.
WCES cautions that hypothermia can occur quickly when exposed to low temperatures. Bundle up if headed outdoors. Wear layers of lightweight clothing that can be added to or removed as needed and protect extremities by wearing gloves and hats. Be sure to protect pets from the cold as well by bringing them indoors and providing them with access to unfrozen water.
Documents show the expensive tastes of Jeb Bush’s low-key wife
In 1999, Columba Bush, the famously private wife of then-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, was detained and fined by federal customs officials for misrepresenting the amount of clothing and jewelry she had bought while on a solo five-day shopping spree in Paris.
The incident left the Florida first lady deeply mortified and her husband politically chagrined. Jeb Bush said the first lady had misled customs officials because she did not want him to know that she had spent about $19,000 on the trip.
“The embarrassment I felt made me ashamed to face my family and friends,” Columba Bush said in a July 1999 speech to the Central Florida Make-a-Wish Foundation, not long after the incident. “It was the worst feeling I’ve ever had in my life.”
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The incident left the Florida first lady deeply mortified and her husband politically chagrined. Jeb Bush said the first lady had misled customs officials because she did not want him to know that she had spent about $19,000 on the trip.
“The embarrassment I felt made me ashamed to face my family and friends,” Columba Bush said in a July 1999 speech to the Central Florida Make-a-Wish Foundation, not long after the incident. “It was the worst feeling I’ve ever had in my life.”
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Iraq Irate at US for Giving Date of Mosul Campaign
Iraqi officials have expressed irritation and analysts skepticism at the US prediction that an offensive to retake Iraq's key city of Mosul from jihadists could be launched in April-May.
Mosul is a major hub for the Islamic State (ISIS) group and holds special significance as the place where jihadist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed his "caliphate" straddling Iraq and Syria.
It has been under the jihadists' full control since the second day of their June offensive in Iraq, but federal and Kurdish forces have been slowly closing in, reports AFP.
An official with the US Central Command said last week that "the mark on the wall we are still shooting for is the April-May timeframe."
Iraq's defense minister, Khaled Obeidi, was irate that the Pentagon would call a date for the Mosul battle.
"A military official should not disclose the date and time of an attack," he told reporters on Sunday. "The timing is up to (Iraqi) military commanders. Where this American official got his information from, I don't know."
More here
Mosul is a major hub for the Islamic State (ISIS) group and holds special significance as the place where jihadist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed his "caliphate" straddling Iraq and Syria.
It has been under the jihadists' full control since the second day of their June offensive in Iraq, but federal and Kurdish forces have been slowly closing in, reports AFP.
An official with the US Central Command said last week that "the mark on the wall we are still shooting for is the April-May timeframe."
Iraq's defense minister, Khaled Obeidi, was irate that the Pentagon would call a date for the Mosul battle.
"A military official should not disclose the date and time of an attack," he told reporters on Sunday. "The timing is up to (Iraqi) military commanders. Where this American official got his information from, I don't know."
More here
Muslim Immigration Poses Serious National Security Threat
France, Belgium and now even liberal Denmark regret letting in so many immigrants from Muslim countries. Their swelling Islamic communities have become breeding grounds for terrorists. So why is the U.S. opening the floodgates to foreign Muslims?
The threat Muslim immigrants pose to homeland security was not addressed during the White House's three-day summit on terrorism.
Instead, Vice President Joe Biden assured Muslim groups gathered during one session that the "wave" of Muslim immigration is "not going to stop."
Wave? More like a tsunami.
Between 2010 and 2013, the Obama administration imported almost 300,000 new immigrants from Muslim nations — more immigrants than the U.S. let in from Central America and Mexico combined over that period.
This is a sea change in immigration flows, and it threatens national security.
Many of the recent Muslim immigrants are from terrorist hot spots like Iraq, where the Islamic State operates. From 2010-2013, Obama ushered in 41,094 Iraqi nationals from there.
Now the State Department says it will quadruple the number of refugees brought here from Syria, where IS is headquartered.
The U.S. will admit as many as 2,000 Syrian nationals by the end of fiscal year 2015, up from 525 since fiscal 2011.
Yes, the number of displaced people inside war-torn Syria and Iraq, an estimated 3 million refugees, rivals the most in Mideast history. But rolling out the welcome mat for them in the middle of a mushrooming war on Muslim terrorism is dangerously shortsighted.
More here
The threat Muslim immigrants pose to homeland security was not addressed during the White House's three-day summit on terrorism.
Instead, Vice President Joe Biden assured Muslim groups gathered during one session that the "wave" of Muslim immigration is "not going to stop."
Wave? More like a tsunami.
Between 2010 and 2013, the Obama administration imported almost 300,000 new immigrants from Muslim nations — more immigrants than the U.S. let in from Central America and Mexico combined over that period.
This is a sea change in immigration flows, and it threatens national security.
Many of the recent Muslim immigrants are from terrorist hot spots like Iraq, where the Islamic State operates. From 2010-2013, Obama ushered in 41,094 Iraqi nationals from there.
Now the State Department says it will quadruple the number of refugees brought here from Syria, where IS is headquartered.
The U.S. will admit as many as 2,000 Syrian nationals by the end of fiscal year 2015, up from 525 since fiscal 2011.
Yes, the number of displaced people inside war-torn Syria and Iraq, an estimated 3 million refugees, rivals the most in Mideast history. But rolling out the welcome mat for them in the middle of a mushrooming war on Muslim terrorism is dangerously shortsighted.
More here
DHS intelligence report warns of domestic right-wing terror threat
Washington (CNN) They're carrying out sporadic terror attacks on police, have threatened attacks on government buildings and reject government authority.
A new intelligence assessment, circulated by the Department of Homeland Security this month and reviewed by CNN, focuses on the domestic terror threat from right-wing sovereign citizen extremists and comes as the Obama administration holds a White House conference to focus efforts to fight violent extremism.
Some federal and local law enforcement groups view the domestic terror threat from sovereign citizen groups as equal to -- and in some cases greater than -- the threat from foreign Islamic terror groups, such as ISIS, that garner more public attention.
The Homeland Security report, produced in coordination with the FBI, counts 24 violent sovereign citizen-related attacks across the U.S. since 2010.
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A new intelligence assessment, circulated by the Department of Homeland Security this month and reviewed by CNN, focuses on the domestic terror threat from right-wing sovereign citizen extremists and comes as the Obama administration holds a White House conference to focus efforts to fight violent extremism.
Some federal and local law enforcement groups view the domestic terror threat from sovereign citizen groups as equal to -- and in some cases greater than -- the threat from foreign Islamic terror groups, such as ISIS, that garner more public attention.
The Homeland Security report, produced in coordination with the FBI, counts 24 violent sovereign citizen-related attacks across the U.S. since 2010.
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Jeb Bush Championed Fracking While Standing To Profit From It, Report Alleges
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) pushed states to approve the controversial drilling practice known as fracking while he personally stood to profit from the practice, the Tampa Bay Times reported on Friday.
According to the Times, Bush, a likely 2016 presidential contender, urged a group of New York conservatives in 2013 to support fracking, even while he was involved with a private equity group that was raising $40 million for a company acquiring fracking wells.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves drilling water, chemicals and sand into the earth to break up rocks, thus freeing oil and natural gas. Environmentalists who object to the process say that fracking releases hazardous chemicals into the water supply.
“We should be celebrating this phenomenal achievement –- and we do, in North Dakota, in Pennsylvania, in south and west Texas. Some states, like here in New York, are choosing not to grow. They won’t approve fracking,” Bush told the group, according to the New York Post. “Meanwhile, in parts of New York where huge opportunities exist for the restoration of economic activity, people languish.”
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According to the Times, Bush, a likely 2016 presidential contender, urged a group of New York conservatives in 2013 to support fracking, even while he was involved with a private equity group that was raising $40 million for a company acquiring fracking wells.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves drilling water, chemicals and sand into the earth to break up rocks, thus freeing oil and natural gas. Environmentalists who object to the process say that fracking releases hazardous chemicals into the water supply.
“We should be celebrating this phenomenal achievement –- and we do, in North Dakota, in Pennsylvania, in south and west Texas. Some states, like here in New York, are choosing not to grow. They won’t approve fracking,” Bush told the group, according to the New York Post. “Meanwhile, in parts of New York where huge opportunities exist for the restoration of economic activity, people languish.”
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WBOC @ 5PM Goes Blank Again Three Times In Broadcast
There could have been more but with the station going on again, off again, I really can't tell. I think we'll just stick with what we published.
LIFESTYLE BALANCE PROGRAM TO BE HELD AT ONE STOP JOB MARKET
(Salisbury) -- The Wicomico County Health Department is pleased to announce that Lifestyle Balance, a diabetes prevention program, will be offered at a new location on Wednesdays beginning March 25, 2015 from 12:45 – 1:45 p.m. Sessions will be held at the One Stop Job Market at 31901 Tri-County Way- Suite 110 Room 012, Salisbury, MD (off of Route 50 across from Wor-Wic Community College.)
“Nearly 10% of the U.S. population has diabetes, and as many as 1 in 3 American adults will have diabetes in 2050, if current trends continue,” says Lori Brewster, Health Officer for Wicomico County. Diabetes contributes to heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower extremity amputations. “1 in 10 healthcaredollars is spent treating diabetes and its complications.”
“Trained coaches will help participants learn to make lifestyle changes such as eating healthier and being more physically active, which will help them lose weight and reduce their risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases,” says Mrs. Brewster, Health Officer for Wicomico County. “There is no cost for this prevention program.”
For more information, or to find out if you are eligible for the program, call the Wicomico County Health Department at 410-334-3480. Registration deadline is March 18, 2015.
“Nearly 10% of the U.S. population has diabetes, and as many as 1 in 3 American adults will have diabetes in 2050, if current trends continue,” says Lori Brewster, Health Officer for Wicomico County. Diabetes contributes to heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower extremity amputations. “1 in 10 healthcaredollars is spent treating diabetes and its complications.”
“Trained coaches will help participants learn to make lifestyle changes such as eating healthier and being more physically active, which will help them lose weight and reduce their risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases,” says Mrs. Brewster, Health Officer for Wicomico County. “There is no cost for this prevention program.”
For more information, or to find out if you are eligible for the program, call the Wicomico County Health Department at 410-334-3480. Registration deadline is March 18, 2015.
Eric Engberg Fires Back At Bill O'Reilly On HuffPost Live Over Falklands Controversy: 'He's Completely Nutty'
Former CBS News correspondent Eric Engberg fired back at Bill O'Reilly on Monday, telling HuffPost Live the Fox News host was "dishonest" and "irresponsible" in recounting his story that he reported in a "war zone" during the Falklands War in 1982.
Engberg, who worked alongside O'Reilly in Argentina, called O'Reilly "completely nutty," and asserted to host Marc Lamont Hill that O'Reilly lied when he told Howard Kurtz on Sunday that he was "out there pretty much by myself, because other CBS News correspondents were hiding in the hotel.”
Engberg was one of these "other CBS News correspondents," and refuted O'Reilly's account.
"There were five correspondents working that story for CBS. Four of them had been on that remote site for weeks because the Argentine government would not allow us to go to the Falkland islands," he said.
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Engberg, who worked alongside O'Reilly in Argentina, called O'Reilly "completely nutty," and asserted to host Marc Lamont Hill that O'Reilly lied when he told Howard Kurtz on Sunday that he was "out there pretty much by myself, because other CBS News correspondents were hiding in the hotel.”
Engberg was one of these "other CBS News correspondents," and refuted O'Reilly's account.
"There were five correspondents working that story for CBS. Four of them had been on that remote site for weeks because the Argentine government would not allow us to go to the Falkland islands," he said.
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New Pennsylvania state police commissioner draws ire over uniform
Wear suit, not state police uniform, retired troopers tell nominee
HARRISBURG — Col. Marcus Brown, Gov. Tom Wolf’s choice to lead the state police, has served as a patrol officer, a SWAT commander and the second-in-command of the Baltimore police.
He has led the Maryland Transportation Authority and the Maryland State Police.
But since his swearing-in on the day of Mr. Wolf’s inauguration, a group of retired troopers has taken exception to his decision to don the gray uniform of the Pennsylvania State Police.
They post on a Facebook page created to protest his wearing of the uniform, and encourage others to contact state senators, who must confirm Col. Brown, 50, as state police commissioner. In interviews, retired troopers said their questions are not limited to the uniform but extend to other issues, such as an association with then-Gov. Martin O’Malley’s push for gun-control measures. (Col. Brown has said he supports the Second Amendment and that there are no firearm proposals on the Pennsylvania agenda.)
“There’s a lot of people both inside the department and outside the department who deeply resent Marcus Brown being appointed for a variety of reasons,” retired trooper Charles Cusanno said.
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HARRISBURG — Col. Marcus Brown, Gov. Tom Wolf’s choice to lead the state police, has served as a patrol officer, a SWAT commander and the second-in-command of the Baltimore police.
He has led the Maryland Transportation Authority and the Maryland State Police.
But since his swearing-in on the day of Mr. Wolf’s inauguration, a group of retired troopers has taken exception to his decision to don the gray uniform of the Pennsylvania State Police.
They post on a Facebook page created to protest his wearing of the uniform, and encourage others to contact state senators, who must confirm Col. Brown, 50, as state police commissioner. In interviews, retired troopers said their questions are not limited to the uniform but extend to other issues, such as an association with then-Gov. Martin O’Malley’s push for gun-control measures. (Col. Brown has said he supports the Second Amendment and that there are no firearm proposals on the Pennsylvania agenda.)
“There’s a lot of people both inside the department and outside the department who deeply resent Marcus Brown being appointed for a variety of reasons,” retired trooper Charles Cusanno said.
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Wicomico/Sussex County Could Now See Up To 6" Of Snowfall
Weather Bulletin
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Wicomico County which is in effect from Wednesday evening February 25, 2015 at 10:00 PM until Thursday afternoon February 26, 2015 at 4:00 PM. The Winter Weather advisory is no longer in effect.
*Hazards: Snow
* Accumulation: Snow Accumulation is expected to be 3 to 6 inches
*Winds: Northeast 10 to 15 MPH.
*Temperatures: Mid to upper 20’s
*Timing: Light snow will overspread the region around midnight Wednesday and increases in coverage and intensity into Thursday Morning. The snow is expected to taper off to light snow showers late Thursday morning or early Thursday afternoon.
Precautionary/Preparedness Actions: A Winter Storm Warning for heavy snow means severe winter weather conditions are expected or are occurring. Significant amounts of snow are forecast that will make travel dangerous.
20 Percent of Global Suicides Linked to Unemployment
Suicide, long associated with the plight of the unemployed, was exacerbated by the Great Recession that put tens of millions of people out of work in the U.S. and around the world.
In the immediate aftermath of the financial crisis, the number of suicides worldwide directly linked to unemployment spiked by 5,000 cases, according to a new University of Zurich study. Over the past decade and a half, one in five suicides were closely associated with depression stemming from joblessness worries – or 45,000 cases a year.
The new research, published by The Lancet Psychiatry, was based on data gathered from 63 countries including the U.S. between 2000 and 2011. It found that the risk of suicide as an outgrowth of losing a job grew during the period by between 20 percent and 30 percent across virtually all regions of the world.
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In the immediate aftermath of the financial crisis, the number of suicides worldwide directly linked to unemployment spiked by 5,000 cases, according to a new University of Zurich study. Over the past decade and a half, one in five suicides were closely associated with depression stemming from joblessness worries – or 45,000 cases a year.
The new research, published by The Lancet Psychiatry, was based on data gathered from 63 countries including the U.S. between 2000 and 2011. It found that the risk of suicide as an outgrowth of losing a job grew during the period by between 20 percent and 30 percent across virtually all regions of the world.
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The End of Humanity as We’ve Known It?
Economist Nicholas Eberstadt lays out a bleak future in an important essay just published in The Wall Street Journal. He makes the case that selfishness, as evidenced by the unwillingness of people to get married in the first place and stay married in the second, is setting humanity on an unknown and potentially dangerous course.
Eberstadt describes a global flight from family. “All around the world today, pre-existing family patterns are being upended by a revolutionary new force: the seemingly unstoppable quest for convenience by adults demanding ever-greater autonomy,” he writes.
“Thanks to this revolution, it is perhaps easier than ever before to free oneself from the burdens that would otherwise be imposed by spouses, children, relatives or significant others with whom one shares a hearth,” he continues.
What Eberstadt shows is not just the ever-expanding incidence of fatherless homes, which is old news by now, but the breakdown of family in ever new ways and directions.
In the United States, “a 2011 study by two Census researchers reckoned that just 59% of all American children … lived with married and biological parents.” Eberstadt says that in the foreseeable future, “American children who reside with their married birthparents will be in the minority.”
What may shock many is the exploding number of men and women who are simply not interested in marriage–ever. Eberstadt cites data from Belgium where “the likelihood of a first marriage for a woman of reproductive age is now down to 40%, and the likelihood of divorce is over 50%.”
Here's more
Eberstadt describes a global flight from family. “All around the world today, pre-existing family patterns are being upended by a revolutionary new force: the seemingly unstoppable quest for convenience by adults demanding ever-greater autonomy,” he writes.
“Thanks to this revolution, it is perhaps easier than ever before to free oneself from the burdens that would otherwise be imposed by spouses, children, relatives or significant others with whom one shares a hearth,” he continues.
What Eberstadt shows is not just the ever-expanding incidence of fatherless homes, which is old news by now, but the breakdown of family in ever new ways and directions.
In the United States, “a 2011 study by two Census researchers reckoned that just 59% of all American children … lived with married and biological parents.” Eberstadt says that in the foreseeable future, “American children who reside with their married birthparents will be in the minority.”
What may shock many is the exploding number of men and women who are simply not interested in marriage–ever. Eberstadt cites data from Belgium where “the likelihood of a first marriage for a woman of reproductive age is now down to 40%, and the likelihood of divorce is over 50%.”
Here's more
Students in Ontario will start sex ed in FIRST GRADE
Children in Canada as young as six will learn about the age of consent while eight-year-olds will introduced to the ideas of same-sex relationships.
The topics will be discussed as part of a revamped sex-education curriculum in the province of Ontario that hasn't been updated for 17 years - long before the invention of the smartphone.
Parents have been voicing their unhappiness at some of the topics on the agenda with some threatening to pull their children out of class on the grounds that it is 'too early' for such discussions to take place.
However, the new curriculum actually brings Ontario in line with other Canadian provinces.
More
The topics will be discussed as part of a revamped sex-education curriculum in the province of Ontario that hasn't been updated for 17 years - long before the invention of the smartphone.
Parents have been voicing their unhappiness at some of the topics on the agenda with some threatening to pull their children out of class on the grounds that it is 'too early' for such discussions to take place.
However, the new curriculum actually brings Ontario in line with other Canadian provinces.
More
Status: Idiot. 'Hitman' is arrested in Peru after advertising his services on Facebook
A 'hitman' has been arrested in Peru - after advertising himself as a contract killer on his Facebook profile.
Jonathan Giraldo, 38, gave himself the alias 'Tony Garcia' and nicknamed himself 'Anthrax' thinking it would help conceal his identity.
But police swooped after he used real videos and photos of himself posing with weapons - including a handgun with a silencer attachment - and bundles of cash.
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Jonathan Giraldo, 38, gave himself the alias 'Tony Garcia' and nicknamed himself 'Anthrax' thinking it would help conceal his identity.
But police swooped after he used real videos and photos of himself posing with weapons - including a handgun with a silencer attachment - and bundles of cash.
More
BREAKING NEWS: 3 NYC residents arrested, charged with trying to join Islamic State militants
Three New York City residents -- two with Uzbekistan citizenship, and one a citizen of Kazakhstan -- plotted to travel to Syria to join ISIS militants and 'wage jihad,' the Justice Department announced. One of the defendants also offered to kill the president of the United States if ordered do so, the criminal complaint alleged.
From Fox News
From Fox News
Local Agencies Discuss Heroin Crisis; State Forms Partnerships To Step Up Efforts
That’s how Worcester County Deputy Health Officer Andrea Mathias describes heroin, the drug now deemed an epidemic in Maryland and across much of the country. She says what makes heroin such a problem is the speed with which it creates addicts.
“You can experiment with marijuana and alcohol for a long time and not become physically dependent,” she said. “The bridge from experimentation to dependence for opioids is extremely short. It’s a couple of weeks.”
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Armed Robbery
Date and Time: February 24, 2015 @ approximately 1100 hours
Incident: Armed Robbery
Location: Green St. @ S. Dulany Ave.
Person Charged: Dashawn R. Rivers Age 20
Charges: Robbery
Assault 1st and 2nd
Reckless Endangerment
Theft
Disposition: Transported to WCDC
Synopsis: On February 24, 2015 an officer responded to PRMC regarding a patient that had been assaulted. Further investigation revealed that the victim was walking in the area of S. Dulany Avenue and Green Street when the victim was robbed by the suspect after being assaulted with a stun gun several times and punched repeatedly in the face. The victim’s injuries were consistent with the victim’s version of events. The suspect was known by the victim and was later located at a residence on N. Dulany Avenue. The suspect, Dashawn Rivers, was taken into custody without incident. The suspect was also wanted on (2) additional arrest warrants.
Incident: Armed Robbery
Location: Green St. @ S. Dulany Ave.
Person Charged: Dashawn R. Rivers Age 20
Charges: Robbery
Assault 1st and 2nd
Reckless Endangerment
Theft
Disposition: Transported to WCDC
Synopsis: On February 24, 2015 an officer responded to PRMC regarding a patient that had been assaulted. Further investigation revealed that the victim was walking in the area of S. Dulany Avenue and Green Street when the victim was robbed by the suspect after being assaulted with a stun gun several times and punched repeatedly in the face. The victim’s injuries were consistent with the victim’s version of events. The suspect was known by the victim and was later located at a residence on N. Dulany Avenue. The suspect, Dashawn Rivers, was taken into custody without incident. The suspect was also wanted on (2) additional arrest warrants.
WH may snub largest annual gathering of pro-Israel Americans
The White House confirmed on Monday that President Barack Obama doesn't plan to attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's conference next week, held annually in Washington, D.C., and that no cabinet-level U.S. official is currently scheduled to make an appearance.
The 'largest gathering of America's pro-Israel community,' according to the confab's organizations, AIPAC draws a crowd of roughly 14,000 attendees, many of whom are of Jewish heritage.
The last time Obama showed up at the conference was in 2012 as he stared down reelection. Typically, a high-level administration official represents the U.S. at the mass gathering.
But this year, supporters of Israel, a close ally of the U.S., may not receive that courtesy from the administration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to make an in-person appearance.
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The 'largest gathering of America's pro-Israel community,' according to the confab's organizations, AIPAC draws a crowd of roughly 14,000 attendees, many of whom are of Jewish heritage.
The last time Obama showed up at the conference was in 2012 as he stared down reelection. Typically, a high-level administration official represents the U.S. at the mass gathering.
But this year, supporters of Israel, a close ally of the U.S., may not receive that courtesy from the administration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to make an in-person appearance.
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The World's Oldest Living Cat?
“I read an article about another cat that was supposed to be the world’s oldest, and I just thought to myself: ‘mine is older!’,” Missan’s owner Åsa Wickberg, from Karlskoga, told the TT news agency.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Poppy from Britain was listed as the world’s oldest cat last year at the age of 24.
Wickberg said she found Missan as an abandoned kitten in 1985, with the family dog quickly adopting her as one of her own.
“She’s a bit of a loner, and has always been a bit shy and a little cautious. But she likes dogs. She takes to them very quickly.”
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An Elderly Couple In Need Of Help
Joe,
I wanted to see if I could get your help with a situation! An elderly
couple had a trailer fire on Feb 16th. It was a rental and they had no rental
insurance. Hank is a veteran who still works part time to make ends meet.
Georgette is disabled with multiple medical conditions. They have been displaced
by this fire and are currently living in a shelter. They are allowed only 90
days in the shelter. They are struggling with having to come up with a down
payment for a new rental and on top of that, they lost all of their belongings.
Can you please help get the word out about this Go Fund Me account for them?
Unfortunately Georgette is the one who made the account and her description does
not necessarily show the full extent of the unfortunate circumstances that they
are in.
http://www.gofundme.com/mu5o0s
http://www.gofundme.com/mu5o0s
Pine Ridge Tribal President Asks For US Civil Rights Probe
PINE RIDGE — The tribal president from the Pine Ridge reservation has asked for a federal civil rights investigation into reported harassment of Native American students at a hockey game at the Rapid City Civic Center.
Oglala Lakota Nation President John Yellow Bird Steele sent a letter to the U.S. attorney general and president on Thursday asking for the inquiry.
He says the charging of one man with misdemeanor disorderly conduct when several others were involved in the Jan. 24 incident “sends the wrong message.”
Chaperones for the students from the American Horse School in Allen say the children and chaperones left the game early because of harassment that included sprayed beer, racial slurs and thrown objects.
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Oglala Lakota Nation President John Yellow Bird Steele sent a letter to the U.S. attorney general and president on Thursday asking for the inquiry.
He says the charging of one man with misdemeanor disorderly conduct when several others were involved in the Jan. 24 incident “sends the wrong message.”
Chaperones for the students from the American Horse School in Allen say the children and chaperones left the game early because of harassment that included sprayed beer, racial slurs and thrown objects.
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Muslim Immigration Poses Serious National Security Threat
France, Belgium and now even liberal Denmark regret letting in so many immigrants from Muslim countries. Their swelling Islamic communities have become breeding grounds for terrorists. So why is the U.S. opening the floodgates to foreign Muslims?
The threat Muslim immigrants pose to homeland security was not addressed during the White House's three-day summit on terrorism.
Instead, Vice President Joe Biden assured Muslim groups gathered during one session that the "wave" of Muslim immigration is "not going to stop."
Wave? More like a tsunami.
Between 2010 and 2013, the Obama administration imported almost 300,000 new immigrants from Muslim nations — more immigrants than the U.S. let in from Central America and Mexico combined over that period.
This is a sea change in immigration flows, and it threatens national security.
Many of the recent Muslim immigrants are from terrorist hot spots like Iraq, where the Islamic State operates. From 2010-2013, Obama ushered in 41,094 Iraqi nationals from there.
Now the State Department says it will quadruple the number of refugees brought here from Syria, where IS is headquartered.
The U.S. will admit as many as 2,000 Syrian nationals by the end of fiscal year 2015, up from 525 since fiscal 2011.
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The threat Muslim immigrants pose to homeland security was not addressed during the White House's three-day summit on terrorism.
Instead, Vice President Joe Biden assured Muslim groups gathered during one session that the "wave" of Muslim immigration is "not going to stop."
Wave? More like a tsunami.
Between 2010 and 2013, the Obama administration imported almost 300,000 new immigrants from Muslim nations — more immigrants than the U.S. let in from Central America and Mexico combined over that period.
This is a sea change in immigration flows, and it threatens national security.
Many of the recent Muslim immigrants are from terrorist hot spots like Iraq, where the Islamic State operates. From 2010-2013, Obama ushered in 41,094 Iraqi nationals from there.
Now the State Department says it will quadruple the number of refugees brought here from Syria, where IS is headquartered.
The U.S. will admit as many as 2,000 Syrian nationals by the end of fiscal year 2015, up from 525 since fiscal 2011.
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Turing family present petition seeking pardons for 49,000 gays
Relatives of wartime codebreaker Alan Turing, subject of Oscar-winning film "The Imitation Game", will on Monday hand in a petition calling for the pardoning of 49,000 men prosecuted like him for homosexuality.
Nearly half a million people signed the petition via website Change.org.
Turing's great-nephew Nevil Hunt, his great-niece Rachel Barnes and her son Thomas, are scheduled to deliver the petition to 10 Downing Street.
Turing, whose work on deciphering the German Enigma codes led to a vital breakthrough in the war against the Nazis, was convicted in 1952 for gross indecency with a 19-year-old man.
He was chemically castrated and two years later died from cyanide poisoning in an apparent suicide.
Turing received a posthumous royal pardon in 2013 and now campaigners want authorities to pardon all men convicted under the law before homosexuality was legalised in 1967.
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Nearly half a million people signed the petition via website Change.org.
Turing's great-nephew Nevil Hunt, his great-niece Rachel Barnes and her son Thomas, are scheduled to deliver the petition to 10 Downing Street.
Turing, whose work on deciphering the German Enigma codes led to a vital breakthrough in the war against the Nazis, was convicted in 1952 for gross indecency with a 19-year-old man.
He was chemically castrated and two years later died from cyanide poisoning in an apparent suicide.
Turing received a posthumous royal pardon in 2013 and now campaigners want authorities to pardon all men convicted under the law before homosexuality was legalised in 1967.
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DHS HIDES CRUCIAL FACT ON 'TERRORIST INFLUX'
Mall attackers recruited from 1 state in particular
Homeland Security Chief Jeh Johnson warned that a Somalia-based terrorist group is encouraging “independent actors” to carry out attacks in Western countries, with the Mall of America in Minnesota among the specific targets, but he failed to mention that the U.S. continues to import hundreds of high-risk Islamic refugees from Somalia every month.
The U.S. State Department’s refugee-resettlement program has placed more than 100,000 Somalis into U.S cities and towns since the early 1990s – all of them Muslims hand-selected by the United Nations refugee agency. And Minnesota has become the most popular destination, with secondary hotspots in Maine, Ohio, Colorado and southern California. More than 800 new refugees from Somalia arrive in the United States every month, according to Refugee Resettlement Watch.
The constant influx has earned parts of Minneapolis the nickname “Little Mogadishu.”
Johnson told CNN Sunday that terrorist groups such as Somalia-based al-Shabab are “relying more and more on independent actors to become inspired” and “attack on their own.”
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Homeland Security Chief Jeh Johnson warned that a Somalia-based terrorist group is encouraging “independent actors” to carry out attacks in Western countries, with the Mall of America in Minnesota among the specific targets, but he failed to mention that the U.S. continues to import hundreds of high-risk Islamic refugees from Somalia every month.
The U.S. State Department’s refugee-resettlement program has placed more than 100,000 Somalis into U.S cities and towns since the early 1990s – all of them Muslims hand-selected by the United Nations refugee agency. And Minnesota has become the most popular destination, with secondary hotspots in Maine, Ohio, Colorado and southern California. More than 800 new refugees from Somalia arrive in the United States every month, according to Refugee Resettlement Watch.
The constant influx has earned parts of Minneapolis the nickname “Little Mogadishu.”
Johnson told CNN Sunday that terrorist groups such as Somalia-based al-Shabab are “relying more and more on independent actors to become inspired” and “attack on their own.”
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Public School Has Students 'Bowing to the Sun God'
A legal case over a public school in California that has students “bowing to the sun god” is looming in an appeals court, where a team of lawyers advocating for student and parental rights is challenging the Encinitas Union School District’s Ashtanga yoga program.
It has broad implications, and it’s getting attention not just in the United States but worldwide.
“At its core, this case is about the American constitutional ideal of religious freedom,” explained Dean Broyles, who runs the the National Center for Law & Policy, which is fighting the school district’s yoga campaign.
The case is now before the California Court of Appeals in San Diego.
Broyles has been joined by Brad Dacus of the Pacific Justice Institute.
“This school district has essentially adopted a state religion and is forcing it upon our young children by requiring this class to be taken,” Dacus said. “These actions violate the fundamental right of parents to raise their children according to their beliefs, and they disregard the Constitution that this nation was founded upon.”
“No court in the past 50 years has permitted public school officials during regular classroom instruction to lead students to actively participate in devotional religious activities or practices like Ashtanga yoga’s Surya Namaskara,” Broyles said.
“Public schools may certainly teach about religion because religion is historically and culturally important. But the state is not constitutionally permitted to endorse or promote religion or religious practices,” he said.
“Courts are especially sensitive to the coercive pressures involved when the government, because education is compulsory and supported by tax dollars, leads young impressionable children with tender consciences through group liturgical/ritual religious exercises or activities including bowing to the sun god,” said Broyles.
More about this..
Obama’s DHS Spent Nearly $150M on Office Furniture and Makeovers
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—which is due to expire at the end of this week unless an agreement in Washington is reached—has continued to rise under President Barack Obama. His administration claims the agency’s increased funding is necessary to protect the homeland, but records show that the DHS has continued to increase its spending on furniture and office makeovers as its budget has been increased.
A review of records on the official government spending website by the Washington Free Beacon shows the agency has spent nearly $150 million on office furniture and makeovers since Obama took office. Those fiscal years for which he has been responsible and whose budgets have been enacted are FY2010 through 2014.
“The FY 2015 Budget reflects the Administration’s strong commitment to protecting the homeland and the American people through the effective and efficient use of DHS resources, continuing the focus on preserving frontline priorities across the Department by cutting costs, sharing resources across Components, and streamlining operations wherever possible,” the administration’s request states.
More here
A review of records on the official government spending website by the Washington Free Beacon shows the agency has spent nearly $150 million on office furniture and makeovers since Obama took office. Those fiscal years for which he has been responsible and whose budgets have been enacted are FY2010 through 2014.
“The FY 2015 Budget reflects the Administration’s strong commitment to protecting the homeland and the American people through the effective and efficient use of DHS resources, continuing the focus on preserving frontline priorities across the Department by cutting costs, sharing resources across Components, and streamlining operations wherever possible,” the administration’s request states.
More here
Sen. Cassidy: Get Government Out of Combat Medics’ Way
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.) proposed legislation to clear the way for combat medics to enter the medical profession on Wednesday.
Cassidy, a medical doctor, said that returning veterans are needlessly forced to clear bureaucratic hurdles to become licensed in roles such as emergency medical technicians (EMTs). A medic entrusted with the lives of Americans overseas has proved that he is capable of caring for Americans at home, according to Cassidy.
“Veterans trained as emergency medical technicians in the service should not have to repeat the training that they’ve already had,” Cassidy said in a statement.
Representatives from veterans’ groups said that public policy should be directed at putting veterans to work as soon as possible.
“It’s ridiculous that we’re telling combat medics who have dealt with gunshot wounds that they can’t come home and be school nurses without training,” said Eric Greitens, a Navy SEAL, military advocate, and Republican gubernatorial candidate in Missouri. A large part of the problem is that licensing standards are managed by the state governments, according to Greitens.
“States have to take on this issue, as well. The [Defense Department] can set standards and criteria to signal that these veterans have the proper training and credentials, but it’s up to the states to grant [training] waivers and exemptions,” he said.
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Cassidy, a medical doctor, said that returning veterans are needlessly forced to clear bureaucratic hurdles to become licensed in roles such as emergency medical technicians (EMTs). A medic entrusted with the lives of Americans overseas has proved that he is capable of caring for Americans at home, according to Cassidy.
“Veterans trained as emergency medical technicians in the service should not have to repeat the training that they’ve already had,” Cassidy said in a statement.
Representatives from veterans’ groups said that public policy should be directed at putting veterans to work as soon as possible.
“It’s ridiculous that we’re telling combat medics who have dealt with gunshot wounds that they can’t come home and be school nurses without training,” said Eric Greitens, a Navy SEAL, military advocate, and Republican gubernatorial candidate in Missouri. A large part of the problem is that licensing standards are managed by the state governments, according to Greitens.
“States have to take on this issue, as well. The [Defense Department] can set standards and criteria to signal that these veterans have the proper training and credentials, but it’s up to the states to grant [training] waivers and exemptions,” he said.
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ICYMI: A Proposal That Gives Charter Schools A Chance
Editorial Board – “Lawmakers should look past their over-the-top rhetoric and bring Maryland into line with common-sense policies of other states”
The Washington PostEditorial Board
February 25, 2015
“MARYLAND GOV. Larry Hogan (R) has proposed improvements to Maryland’s charter school law, currently the worst in the nation. Teachers union leaders and traditional public school officials are aghast. Lawmakers should look past their over-the-top rhetoric and bring Maryland into line with common-sense policies of other states. …
“More encouraging is that legislative leaders have said they are open to looking at ways to make it easier to open and operate charters. Maryland’s law is so restrictive that, 12 years after it allowed creation of charters, only 18,000 of Maryland’s 870,000 students attend them.
“A number of high-performing charter networks won’t even think about locating in the state. Most onerous are policies that tie the hands of charters in who they can hire and how they evaluate, discipline and pay staff. It makes no sense that teachers are employed by local school boards instead of charter operators or that they are subject to rules of collective bargaining agreements designed for a different system.
“Some aspects of Mr. Hogan’s legislation may need refinement (the exact formula for per-pupil funding, for one) but the sky-is-falling arguments about teachers getting hired off the streets or taxpayer dollars going to waste are without merit. …
“But such schools could spur innovation and offer alternatives to families who need them. That may seem unimportant to families well-off enough to move to the school district of their choice, but many children don’t have that luxury.
“Mr. Hogan has fashioned a sensible plan to free charters from unnecessary bureaucracy while still leaving in place a strong system of oversight to ensure quality and accountability. The General Assembly should follow his lead.”
February 25, 2015
“MARYLAND GOV. Larry Hogan (R) has proposed improvements to Maryland’s charter school law, currently the worst in the nation. Teachers union leaders and traditional public school officials are aghast. Lawmakers should look past their over-the-top rhetoric and bring Maryland into line with common-sense policies of other states. …
“More encouraging is that legislative leaders have said they are open to looking at ways to make it easier to open and operate charters. Maryland’s law is so restrictive that, 12 years after it allowed creation of charters, only 18,000 of Maryland’s 870,000 students attend them.
“A number of high-performing charter networks won’t even think about locating in the state. Most onerous are policies that tie the hands of charters in who they can hire and how they evaluate, discipline and pay staff. It makes no sense that teachers are employed by local school boards instead of charter operators or that they are subject to rules of collective bargaining agreements designed for a different system.
“Some aspects of Mr. Hogan’s legislation may need refinement (the exact formula for per-pupil funding, for one) but the sky-is-falling arguments about teachers getting hired off the streets or taxpayer dollars going to waste are without merit. …
“But such schools could spur innovation and offer alternatives to families who need them. That may seem unimportant to families well-off enough to move to the school district of their choice, but many children don’t have that luxury.
“Mr. Hogan has fashioned a sensible plan to free charters from unnecessary bureaucracy while still leaving in place a strong system of oversight to ensure quality and accountability. The General Assembly should follow his lead.”
Iran Claims It Has Proof Bin Laden Died Long Before US Raid
(ANTIMEDIA) Iran has claimed that the honored U.S. raid on the compound in Abbottabad did not result in the death of Osama Bin Laden. Although this rumor has circulated ever since President Obama declared to the world “we got him” back in 2011, Iran maintains it has evidence that would prove the narrative surrounding Bin Laden’s death to be fictitious.
“We have credible information that Bin Laden died some time ago of a disease,” Iranian Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi stated in a cabinet meeting. “If the US military and intelligence apparatus have really arrested or killed Bin Laden, why don’t they show him [his body]? Why have they thrown his corpse into the sea?”
It has not been disclosed what proof the Iranians have – if any – to prove this claim.
Retired Pakistani lieutenant general Hamid Gul has recently made a similar allegation as well. Speaking with the Islamic Republic News Agency, the former head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) said,
“That the US claims it has killed Bin Laden is basically untrue. Bin Laden died of natural causes in 2005. The individual the US claims it has killed in 2011 in Abbottabad was not Bin Laden. The Americans are not trustworthy and their claims are not true.”
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“We have credible information that Bin Laden died some time ago of a disease,” Iranian Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi stated in a cabinet meeting. “If the US military and intelligence apparatus have really arrested or killed Bin Laden, why don’t they show him [his body]? Why have they thrown his corpse into the sea?”
It has not been disclosed what proof the Iranians have – if any – to prove this claim.
Retired Pakistani lieutenant general Hamid Gul has recently made a similar allegation as well. Speaking with the Islamic Republic News Agency, the former head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) said,
“That the US claims it has killed Bin Laden is basically untrue. Bin Laden died of natural causes in 2005. The individual the US claims it has killed in 2011 in Abbottabad was not Bin Laden. The Americans are not trustworthy and their claims are not true.”
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Bitcoin Exchange in Hong Kong Disappears, Stealing $386 Million
Hong-Kong based Bitcoin exchange MyCoin has mysteriously vanished from the internet, following a new recruitment drive in December to bring in more investors.
The exchange had HK$3 billion ($386 million USD) held for 3,000 investors, but in December set a new rule forcing investors to find new clients or have their Bitcoin withheld.
MyCoin also pushed a new recruitment drive, offering new investors a Mercedes-Benz when they invested, an obvious scam that showed the desperation of the company.
Investors could remove their Bitcoin earnings, but would be given 10 times less than the current market value. This is when investors started to realise the deal with MyCoin, but it was already too late.
One investor, an 81-year old Ms. Chan, invested HK$400,000 ($51,590) in the program after her estate agent promised double the investment in just one year. Ms. Chan says she was foolish to believe in the investment, but now has nothing to take home.
A prominent lawyer in Hong-Kong claims due to the lack of paperwork, there is currently no official information stating the investors had any shares in Bitcoin.
Due to the lack of regulation and security surrounding Bitcoin, it is unlikely MyCoin owners will be found, and even if they are it is unlikely all of the money will be given back to investors.
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The exchange had HK$3 billion ($386 million USD) held for 3,000 investors, but in December set a new rule forcing investors to find new clients or have their Bitcoin withheld.
MyCoin also pushed a new recruitment drive, offering new investors a Mercedes-Benz when they invested, an obvious scam that showed the desperation of the company.
Investors could remove their Bitcoin earnings, but would be given 10 times less than the current market value. This is when investors started to realise the deal with MyCoin, but it was already too late.
One investor, an 81-year old Ms. Chan, invested HK$400,000 ($51,590) in the program after her estate agent promised double the investment in just one year. Ms. Chan says she was foolish to believe in the investment, but now has nothing to take home.
A prominent lawyer in Hong-Kong claims due to the lack of paperwork, there is currently no official information stating the investors had any shares in Bitcoin.
Due to the lack of regulation and security surrounding Bitcoin, it is unlikely MyCoin owners will be found, and even if they are it is unlikely all of the money will be given back to investors.
More
WCSO Most Wanted 2-25-15
· White Male, 6’03” 200 lbs
· DOB 01/20/1974 41 years of age
· Brown hair, Blue eyes
· Horseman’s last known address was Mardela Springs
· Horseman is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District Court Bench Warrant issued for Failure to Appear in November 2013 on the charges of CDS Possession Marijuana and Paraphernalia
· The preset bond is $5000 SBYNEWS
· Horseman has history of DRUG ABUSE and RESIST ARREST
· White Male, 5’11” 190 lbs
· DOB 12/05/1960 53 years of age
· Bald, Brown eyes
· Vickers’ last known address was Parsonsburg
· Vickers is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant issued for Failure to Appear in July 2014 for a VOP hearing on Theft charges
· There is no preset bond, he must be brought before the court
Vickers has history of DRUG ABUSE
· Black Male, 6’01” 220 lbs
· DOB 11/21/1975 39 years of age
· Black hair, Brown eyes
· Stanley’s last known address was New Church VA
· Stanley is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District Court Bench Warrant issued in April 2010 for Violation of Probation on the charge of CDS Possess Marijuana
· The preset bond is $10,000
· The state will extradite him from VA
· Stanley has history of DRUG ABUSE SBYNEWS
· Black Male, 5’07” 140 lbs
· DOB 10/25/1992 22 years of age
· Black hair, Brown eyes
· Nichols last known address was Fruitland MD
· Nichols is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District Court Bench Warrant issued in September 2014 for Violation of Probation on multiple counts of Felony Theft, Misdemeanor Theft, Theft Scheme, and attempted Theft
· The preset bond is $500 cash
· White Male, 5’04” 170 lbs
· DOB 01/29/1963 51 years of age
· Brown hair, Brown eyes
· Hurley’s last known address was Salisbury MD
· Hurley also uses the name Buddy
· Hurley is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a Child Support Body Attachment issued in April 2011 as Unable to locate
· The preset bond is $12,000 cash
New Lower Price $5.98??? They've Been $5.00 For THREE Months Now!
Complaint: Extensive Campaign Finance Violations by Clinton-Tied Data Firm
A Democratic data firm run by supporters of a Hillary Clinton presidential campaign may be illegally supporting and coordinating with the Democratic Party and the offices of senior members of Congress, according to a legal complaint filed on Friday.
Democrat data giant Catalist is providing below-market services for its ideological and partisan allies and providing a forum for those allies—which include political and policy groups that are legally required to operate independently—to coordinate their electoral and advocacy efforts.
The allegations are spelled out in a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission on Friday by a new conservative ethics watchdog called the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust.
There's more here..
Democrat data giant Catalist is providing below-market services for its ideological and partisan allies and providing a forum for those allies—which include political and policy groups that are legally required to operate independently—to coordinate their electoral and advocacy efforts.
The allegations are spelled out in a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission on Friday by a new conservative ethics watchdog called the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust.
There's more here..
Proposed Rules Target Fees Collected By Retirement Financial Advisers, Brokers
When visiting a financial adviser for consultation about retirement savings one might assume those counselors have their best interests in mind. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. To better ensure consultants are working for consumers and not for fees, the Labor Department will propose new rules to increase standards for brokers who recommend investments for retirement accounts.
On, Wisconsin!
Wisconsin's Republican state Senate president, Scott Fitzgerald, made a big announcement Friday. As Right Wisconsin first reported, the Badger State's legislature will meet this week in an extraordinary session and pass a right-to-work law. Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, is expected to sign it.
Right-to-work laws forbid making the payment of union dues a condition for getting or keeping one's job. It lets each worker decide whether he wants to be part of a union. Twenty-four states already have such laws on the books. A right-to-work bill also passed Missouri's state House earlier this month, but it will likely be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon.
Until recently, right-to-work was a dormant issue. Only two states adopted it in the 24 years between 1977 and 2011. But two more — Indiana and Michigan — have done so just since 2012. This is no coincidence. The movement of Midwestern states toward right-to-work comes just as they find a need to shield themselves and their employers from the aggressively pro-union policies of the Obama administration, which are aimed less at respecting workers' rights and more at propping up a dying source of Democratic political strength.
Read more
Right-to-work laws forbid making the payment of union dues a condition for getting or keeping one's job. It lets each worker decide whether he wants to be part of a union. Twenty-four states already have such laws on the books. A right-to-work bill also passed Missouri's state House earlier this month, but it will likely be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon.
Until recently, right-to-work was a dormant issue. Only two states adopted it in the 24 years between 1977 and 2011. But two more — Indiana and Michigan — have done so just since 2012. This is no coincidence. The movement of Midwestern states toward right-to-work comes just as they find a need to shield themselves and their employers from the aggressively pro-union policies of the Obama administration, which are aimed less at respecting workers' rights and more at propping up a dying source of Democratic political strength.
Read more
Winter Weather Advisory
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA 430 AM EST WED FEB 25 2015 MDZ021>025-251730- /O.NEW.KAKQ.WW.Y.0006.150226T0300Z-150226T1800Z/ DORCHESTER-WICOMICO-SOMERSET-INLAND WORCESTER-MARYLAND BEACHES- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CAMBRIDGE...SALISBURY...CRISFIELD... PRINCESS ANNE...SNOW HILL...OCEAN CITY 430 AM EST WED FEB 25 2015 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 1 PM EST THURSDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WAKEFIELD HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 1 PM EST THURSDAY. * AREAS AFFECTED: THE LOWER MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE. * HAZARDS: SNOW. * ACCUMULATIONS: 2 TO 3 INCHES. * TEMPERATURES: MID TO UPPER 20S. * WINDS: NORTHEAST 5 TO 10 MPH. * TIMING: LIGHT SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION AROUND MIDNIGHT...AND INCREASES IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OVERNIGHT. THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF TO LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS LATE THURSDAY MORNING PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
FTC: No Scientific Proof That Mosquito Shield Bands Actually Work
Mint oil smells very nice, but the marketing materials for Viatek’s Mosquito Shield Bands claimed that the plant substance can do more than perfume the air. Their plastic bands were supposed to use the oil to create a 5-foot mosquito-free zone around the wearer. Do they work? No, the Federal Trade Commission says. Not really.
Net Neutrality vote this Thursday
This week, the Federal Communications Commission will be voting on new proposed net neutrality rules that would regulate the internet as a public utility.
These proposed rules would ensure that the internet remains free, open, and fair. Thanks to your advocacy, we're on the cusp of a major victory to protect the open internet, but the fight isn't over.
Will you add your name to let the FCC know that you support this proposal to keep the internet free, open, and fair?
Internet Service Providers shouldn't dictate where and when you can go online and these new rules will make sure that never happens.
Join me in using the freedom of the internet to send one more message to the FCC: vote in favor of new rules to protect the open internet.
Thanks,
Martin O’Malley
These proposed rules would ensure that the internet remains free, open, and fair. Thanks to your advocacy, we're on the cusp of a major victory to protect the open internet, but the fight isn't over.
Will you add your name to let the FCC know that you support this proposal to keep the internet free, open, and fair?
Join me in using the freedom of the internet to send one more message to the FCC: vote in favor of new rules to protect the open internet.
Thanks,
Martin O’Malley
Black Woman Displays Sign That Liberals Will HATE
In addition to giving lie to the idea the liberal notion that the American black community uniformly supports their ideas, it also makes an amazing point.
Sadly, the radical idea that the money we earn is ours and that it doesn’t need to be redistributed or hijacked for the purposes of social engineering is still under attack in 2015 — but some people, like this woman, are rising to its defense.
The fact is, the liberal assault on America’s wallet is worse than ever under President Barack Obama, with the Democrat Party believing that anyone who doesn’t want to turn their money over to the government must be a right-wing nut job or a racist.
This taxpayer is sick of it and sick of the fact that anybody who complains about the profligate federal government is branded an extremist and a miser.
More here
Why Are Americans Confused About Obama's Religion?
Fresh from a controversy over his views on evolution, Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker is now involved in a controversy over his views, or lack of them, on President Obama's religion. On Saturday, two Washington Post reporters asked Walker, in the nation's capital for a governor's meeting, whether Obama is a Christian. Walker said he didn't know.
Informed by the reporters that Obama is in fact a Christian, Walker replied, "I've actually never talked about it or I haven't read about that," protesting that the president's religion is not a topic of great interest to voters. "I would defy you to come to Wisconsin. You could ask 100 people, and not one of them would say that this is a significant issue," Walker told the Post.
Nevertheless, the story created at least a minor explosion in the political press, and Democrats quickly used it to attack a Republican who has recently risen to the top tier of the GOP 2016 presidential field.
But when it comes to confusion, or wrong information, about Obama's religion, Scott Walker is far from alone. Polls have long shown many Americans know little about the president's faith.
Some would argue that, while yes, many in the public don't know the president's religion, certainly Scott Walker, the governor of a state, should know. But Walker's answer to the reporters' question just reflects a broader public puzzlement over Barack Obama's faith — a phenomenon that he helped perpetuate and, at this late date in his presidency, seems unlikely to go away.
More here
Informed by the reporters that Obama is in fact a Christian, Walker replied, "I've actually never talked about it or I haven't read about that," protesting that the president's religion is not a topic of great interest to voters. "I would defy you to come to Wisconsin. You could ask 100 people, and not one of them would say that this is a significant issue," Walker told the Post.
Nevertheless, the story created at least a minor explosion in the political press, and Democrats quickly used it to attack a Republican who has recently risen to the top tier of the GOP 2016 presidential field.
But when it comes to confusion, or wrong information, about Obama's religion, Scott Walker is far from alone. Polls have long shown many Americans know little about the president's faith.
Some would argue that, while yes, many in the public don't know the president's religion, certainly Scott Walker, the governor of a state, should know. But Walker's answer to the reporters' question just reflects a broader public puzzlement over Barack Obama's faith — a phenomenon that he helped perpetuate and, at this late date in his presidency, seems unlikely to go away.
More here
These 2 Charts From Comcast Show Why Net Neutrality Is Vital
Hillary Clinton’s War on Women
Hillary Clinton portrays herself as a champion of women in the workforce, but women working for her in the U.S. Senate were paid 72 cents for each dollar paid to men, according to a Washington Free Beacon analysis of her Senate years’ salary data.
During those years, the median annual salary for a woman working in Clinton’s office was $15,708.38 less than the median salary for a man, according to the analysis of data compiled from official Senate expenditure reports.
The salaries speak for themselves. The data shows that women in her office were paid 72 cents for every dollar paid to men.
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During those years, the median annual salary for a woman working in Clinton’s office was $15,708.38 less than the median salary for a man, according to the analysis of data compiled from official Senate expenditure reports.
The salaries speak for themselves. The data shows that women in her office were paid 72 cents for every dollar paid to men.
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John Fund: Giuliani Crashed the Podium at Walker Dinner
The highlight speaker at a political dinner that led to heartburn for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker wasn't even scheduled, says Newsmax contributor John Fund, who was in the seats on Wednesday at New York's "21" Club when Rudy Giuliani pulled a Kanye West — unexpectedly grabbing the microphone to question President Barack Obama's patriotism.
"Rudy Giuliani showed up as a gate crasher five minutes before it began," National Review Online columnist Fund told "America's Forum" with JD Hayworth on Newsmax TV Monday. "He immediately seized the microphone and made those comments. He was trying to make news even though the dinner was off the record."
"He did say he didn't think the president loved America," said Fund. "That was a mistake. I don't think you can shoot from the lip about someone's inner motives. And he created a firestorm that hasn't helped anyone and has reduced the public discourse to a less civil tone."
Besides putting Walker and other Republican hopefuls in an awkward spot, Fund said that Giuliani, with his comments, also "detracted from some legitimate criticisms that one can make about the president."
"Last week, when the president was talking about his executive actions opening up the border to up to 5 million illegals, he said many of these people are as American as you and I, they just lack legal papers," said Fund. "This is just astonishing. The president's idea of American exceptionalism is apparently everyone is an American — the only thing differing between one American and the other is some piece of paper.
"That's the kind of thing we need to go after, not whether he loves or hates America," he said.
By demanding that other Republicans repudiate Giuliani's remarks, the news media are scrutinizing the political rhetoric of one party only, said Fund.
Here's more
"Rudy Giuliani showed up as a gate crasher five minutes before it began," National Review Online columnist Fund told "America's Forum" with JD Hayworth on Newsmax TV Monday. "He immediately seized the microphone and made those comments. He was trying to make news even though the dinner was off the record."
"He did say he didn't think the president loved America," said Fund. "That was a mistake. I don't think you can shoot from the lip about someone's inner motives. And he created a firestorm that hasn't helped anyone and has reduced the public discourse to a less civil tone."
Besides putting Walker and other Republican hopefuls in an awkward spot, Fund said that Giuliani, with his comments, also "detracted from some legitimate criticisms that one can make about the president."
"Last week, when the president was talking about his executive actions opening up the border to up to 5 million illegals, he said many of these people are as American as you and I, they just lack legal papers," said Fund. "This is just astonishing. The president's idea of American exceptionalism is apparently everyone is an American — the only thing differing between one American and the other is some piece of paper.
"That's the kind of thing we need to go after, not whether he loves or hates America," he said.
By demanding that other Republicans repudiate Giuliani's remarks, the news media are scrutinizing the political rhetoric of one party only, said Fund.
Here's more
Did WBOC Cause 2 Hour School Delay Today?
There's a new mortgage crisis brewing
In 2008, the nation entered into a financial crisis widely believed to have been caused by excesses in the residential mortgage industry. By 2010, the nation thought it had put in place a series of measures that not only would resolve the crisis but would insure that it never happened again. Yet, here we are in 2015 looking at another potential mortgage crisis. Only this time it is different. In 2008, funds flowed in waves into the mortgage industry. In 2015, it appears the funds are drying up.
The solutions to the problem in 2010 and thereafter included:
Suing and fining banks tens of billions of dollars
Putting back to the banks tens of billions more in mortgages
Writing new rules creating qualified mortgages
Changing accounting rules to better isolate high risk mortgages and questionable securitizations
Putting in place a mechanism that would eliminate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by reducing their capital to zero by 2018
Keeping interest rates low so that mortgage lenders could expect to receive less than 4 percent on a 30-year mortgage
The solutions to the problem in 2010 and thereafter included:
Suing and fining banks tens of billions of dollars
Putting back to the banks tens of billions more in mortgages
Writing new rules creating qualified mortgages
Changing accounting rules to better isolate high risk mortgages and questionable securitizations
Putting in place a mechanism that would eliminate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by reducing their capital to zero by 2018
Keeping interest rates low so that mortgage lenders could expect to receive less than 4 percent on a 30-year mortgage
100 Most Influential African-American Republicans
Black History Month brings to mind Rosa Parks refusing to walk to the back of the bus; Freedom Rider John Lewis being beaten to the ground by bigoted mobs, then rising to spend more than a quarter century in Congress; and Clarence Thomas refusing to let Democrats subject him to a "high-tech lynching" to keep him off the U.S. Supreme Court.
We may have a black president serving his second term, but in recent months, African-American Republicans have been making the biggest history, and may be making even more in the days ahead.
In January, Mia Love — a charismatic, Brooklyn-born, Haitian-American, Mormon, small-city mayor and mother of three — was sworn in as the first GOP black congresswoman ever. South Carolina, the cradle of the Confederacy, gave the once-despised Party of Lincoln a victory by electing Tim Scott, the South’s first black senator since 1881.
And while presidential campaigning may not be brain surgery, we are weeks away from a likely announcement of a White House run by Dr. Ben Carson, who went from the streets of Detroit to extracting tumors from the skulls of toddlers at one of the world’s top hospitals.
Read more here
We may have a black president serving his second term, but in recent months, African-American Republicans have been making the biggest history, and may be making even more in the days ahead.
In January, Mia Love — a charismatic, Brooklyn-born, Haitian-American, Mormon, small-city mayor and mother of three — was sworn in as the first GOP black congresswoman ever. South Carolina, the cradle of the Confederacy, gave the once-despised Party of Lincoln a victory by electing Tim Scott, the South’s first black senator since 1881.
And while presidential campaigning may not be brain surgery, we are weeks away from a likely announcement of a White House run by Dr. Ben Carson, who went from the streets of Detroit to extracting tumors from the skulls of toddlers at one of the world’s top hospitals.
Read more here
Can You Find Something Strange in This Famous Photo?
A fan sent us this alternative image without telling us something was wrong with it, but we spotted it (actually, now we see a few things wrong with the picture).
Can you find the something different before the inevitable spoiler comments.
We're not trying to be political, but we were slightly amused.
Update: Here is Everything We Found Wrong with the Picture.
How many things did you find wrong with this picture?
NWS Advisory Weather Bulletin 2-25-15
The
National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for
Wicomico County which is in effect from Wednesday evening February
25, 2015 at 10:00 PM until Thursday afternoon February 26, 2015 at
1:00 PM.
*Hazards:
Snow
*
Accumulation: Snow Accumulation is expected to be 2 to 3 inches
*Winds:
Northeast 5 to 10 MPH.
*Timing:
Light snow will overspread the region around midnight Wednesday and
increases in coverage and intensity overnight. The snow is expected
to taper off to light snow showers late Thursday morning.
Precautionary/Preparedness
Actions:
A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow will cause
travel difficulties. Be prepared for snow covered roads and limited
visibilities. Use caution while driving.
Wicomico
County Department of Emergency Services (DES)
The
DES is continuing to monitor the situation in conjunction with the
National Weather Service. Additional Weather Bulletins will be
issued if warranted.
Military Crisis Line
Active, Reserve or National Guard service members in crisis or service members who are in need of urgent help can call "The Military Crisis Line," a confidential support line that's accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Veterans can also call. The service is free. Qualified responders from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) staff the Military Crisis Line, many of whom have served in the military. A Military Crisis Line responder can provide support any time of the day. Call, toll free, 1-800-273-8255, and press 1. For more information, visit the Visit Veterans Crisis Line website atwww.veteranscrisisline.net.
For more veteran and family support resources, see this Military.com Spouse Channel article.
For more veteran and family support resources, see this Military.com Spouse Channel article.
Dem thanks public for supporting transgender granddaughter
Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) is thanking the public for its support after he tweeted a photo of himself with his transgender granddaughter.
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Lost Dog 2-25-15
Guilty verdict in 'American Sniper' trial
A Texas jury has found Eddie Ray Routh guilty in the 2013 shooting deaths of former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield.
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School Delays & Closings
Wicomico County Schools are also on a 2 hour delay.
Worcester County Schools are closed today.
Mardela Springs Antique tractor show
Joe, every year there is an antique tractor show/ pull in Mardela.
Do any of you readers know the date, place, and who puts on the event?
Thanks,
Delmar tractor buff.
10 Things to Skip at the Dollar Store
We all try to save money where we can, and shopping at dollar-store chains seems like an appealing way to achieve that goal. Sadly, some of the products on their shelves are a waste of money -- regardless how cheap. Things that fall apart or don't do their jobs clearly belong on a list of dollar-store no-no's.
Toys.
The old adage "you get what you pay for" certainly applies to dollar-store toys. While the $1 price tag seems like a low-cost way to give your child a special treat or add to the stash you're assembling for your nephew's birthday, don't bother. Katie Curtis of Logan, Ohio, posted a picture on Facebook of her 3-year-old holding a dollar-store imitation Barbie that was dismembered in less than 10 minutes.
Dollar-store toys are not only poorly made but also may be safety hazards. Several toys from these chains have been recalled in the past few years: a toy gun that posed a choking hazard, a remote control tank that could overheat, and a dart gun that caused the deaths of two children. Earlier this month Family Dollar recalled a toy car set deemed a laceration risk.
More
Toys.
The old adage "you get what you pay for" certainly applies to dollar-store toys. While the $1 price tag seems like a low-cost way to give your child a special treat or add to the stash you're assembling for your nephew's birthday, don't bother. Katie Curtis of Logan, Ohio, posted a picture on Facebook of her 3-year-old holding a dollar-store imitation Barbie that was dismembered in less than 10 minutes.
Dollar-store toys are not only poorly made but also may be safety hazards. Several toys from these chains have been recalled in the past few years: a toy gun that posed a choking hazard, a remote control tank that could overheat, and a dart gun that caused the deaths of two children. Earlier this month Family Dollar recalled a toy car set deemed a laceration risk.
More