The ascendancy of Fox News is now complete. A new poll finds that Fox is the most trusted name in news. It beats all three broadcast networks and CNN for the top honors.
Looks like the liberals have lost the battle for most trusted news at long last if this poll is to be believed.
Fox News has the most trusted network and cable news coverage in the United States, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Monday. But network TV is much less trustworthy than it was in the days of Walter Cronkite, American voters say.
In comparison rankings, 29 percent responded that they trust Fox News the most. CNN follows with 22 percent, CBS News and NBC News are at 10 percent, ABC News at 8 percent and MSNBC at 7 percent.
Asked whether they trust the journalistic coverage of each network, 20 percent said they do “a great deal” for Fox, and 35 percent said “somewhat.”
Comparing today’s programming with the heyday of network news, only 7 percent of those surveyed think the information presented now is more trustworthy, with 48 percent responding that it is less so and 35 percent answering that it is about the same.
Victory!
Source
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, March 12, 2015
2015 Spring music preview: Major music festivals
Once a staple of summer entertainment, music festivals have spilled beyond the season to offer a live music season extending from Groundhog Day to Halloween. Spring and summer have become prime time for events combining cultural tourism with great music, dotting the calendar with tribal gatherings that cater to rock, country, indie rock, hip-hop, EDM and beyond. Here’s how 2015’s festival calendar is shaping up.
First look at major music festivals scheduled for 2015.
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First look at major music festivals scheduled for 2015.
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In wake of GOP letter to Iran, battle erupts over blame for dysfunction
The reaction from Washington’s foreign policy establishment was that President Obama’s authority as commander in chief had been challenged in a new and unprecedented way.
Forty-seven Republican senators, openly seeking to undercut the president, signed a letter to Iran’s leaders threatening to undo any agreement reached with the United States regarding their country’s nuclear program.
A battle quickly erupted over who was to blame for the dysfunction and how to defuse a situation that many foreign policy experts believe has become so poisonous that it has begun to damage the United States’ standing in the world.
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Forty-seven Republican senators, openly seeking to undercut the president, signed a letter to Iran’s leaders threatening to undo any agreement reached with the United States regarding their country’s nuclear program.
A battle quickly erupted over who was to blame for the dysfunction and how to defuse a situation that many foreign policy experts believe has become so poisonous that it has begun to damage the United States’ standing in the world.
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Indiana Democrat Justin Moed sorry for sexting, sending gifts to porn star Sydney Leathers
The part-time porn star whose sexting affair took down former New York congressman Anthony Weiner has struck again, this time ensnaring a state lawmaker from Indiana.
State Rep. Justin Moed, a Democrat representing downtown Indianapolis, the state’s largest city and its capital, posted graphic sexual texts to Leathers on Twitter using the handle “Bitch Boy” and sent her gifts including a “Fetish Fantasy Series Pink Leash & Collar."
Moed apologized on Tuesday in a statement to the Indianapolis Daily Star.
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State Rep. Justin Moed, a Democrat representing downtown Indianapolis, the state’s largest city and its capital, posted graphic sexual texts to Leathers on Twitter using the handle “Bitch Boy” and sent her gifts including a “Fetish Fantasy Series Pink Leash & Collar."
Moed apologized on Tuesday in a statement to the Indianapolis Daily Star.
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You’ll Never Believe Where We Are Hiding $224 Billion
They say time is money, and it’s true: Americans collectively have $224 billion in accumulated vacation time at private-sector corporations.
A new report commissioned by the U.S. Travel Association says this massive amount of unused vacation time, nearly half the size of the federal deficit, can languish on companies’ books for months or years. “The average vacation liability per employee totals $1,898, and in some companies studied is more than $12,000 per employee,” the report says.
The USTA says there are indications that this practice is increasing. “It’s telling that the liability grew by $65.6 billion from 2014 to 2015,” says Cait DeBaun, spokeswoman for the association’s Project: Time Off initiative. “This isn’t surprising, as Americans are taking the least amount of vacation time in nearly four decades.” (The USTA’s mission is to get people to take more vacations.)
When we don’t use our vacation time, it’s the equivalent of leaving money on the table. We forfeit more than $52 billion in unused time off (rollover days that expire, etc.) every year, and American workers roll over an average of more than a workweek from one year to the next.
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A new report commissioned by the U.S. Travel Association says this massive amount of unused vacation time, nearly half the size of the federal deficit, can languish on companies’ books for months or years. “The average vacation liability per employee totals $1,898, and in some companies studied is more than $12,000 per employee,” the report says.
The USTA says there are indications that this practice is increasing. “It’s telling that the liability grew by $65.6 billion from 2014 to 2015,” says Cait DeBaun, spokeswoman for the association’s Project: Time Off initiative. “This isn’t surprising, as Americans are taking the least amount of vacation time in nearly four decades.” (The USTA’s mission is to get people to take more vacations.)
When we don’t use our vacation time, it’s the equivalent of leaving money on the table. We forfeit more than $52 billion in unused time off (rollover days that expire, etc.) every year, and American workers roll over an average of more than a workweek from one year to the next.
More
Unusual alliance offers hope in fight against Islamic State
BAGHDAD — Of all the allies that Iraqi forces might work with to defeat the Islamic State, the Jubbour tribe would seem to be among the most ideal.
Its members are powerful, pro-government and eager to take on the jihadists. But for Shiite leaders in Baghdad, there was one problem: the Jubbour tribesmen are Sunnis — and from an area where local tribes have collaborated with the Islamic State.
Now, after extensive negotiations, both sides are fighting together in the battle to reclaim Tikrit, a city 110 miles northwest of Baghdad, from an entrenched force of Islamic State fighters. They have made significant progress: On Tuesday, the pro-government forces captured the key district of Alam outside Tikrit. But their uneasy alliance shows the difficulties of bridging Iraq’s deep sectarian division.
Bringing Sunnis and Shiites together to battle the Islamic State is a linchpin of U.S. strategy in Iraq. The cooperation in Tikrit could be a model for future battles. Still, such alliances are rare, and revenge attacks by Shiite militias on local residents could quickly destroy the goodwill.
More
Its members are powerful, pro-government and eager to take on the jihadists. But for Shiite leaders in Baghdad, there was one problem: the Jubbour tribesmen are Sunnis — and from an area where local tribes have collaborated with the Islamic State.
Now, after extensive negotiations, both sides are fighting together in the battle to reclaim Tikrit, a city 110 miles northwest of Baghdad, from an entrenched force of Islamic State fighters. They have made significant progress: On Tuesday, the pro-government forces captured the key district of Alam outside Tikrit. But their uneasy alliance shows the difficulties of bridging Iraq’s deep sectarian division.
Bringing Sunnis and Shiites together to battle the Islamic State is a linchpin of U.S. strategy in Iraq. The cooperation in Tikrit could be a model for future battles. Still, such alliances are rare, and revenge attacks by Shiite militias on local residents could quickly destroy the goodwill.
More
NY Daily News Blasts GOP Senators Over Iran Letter, Calling Them 'Traitors'
Tuesday's scathing front page accuses Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and their "traitor" GOP colleagues of trying to "sabotage" President Barack Obama's nuclear talks with Iran. In a bizarre move on Monday, Cotton and 46 other Republican senators ignored protocol and sent an open letter to Iran's leaders, warning that whatever agreement reached with Obama would not be bound by the constitution.
Biden punched back with a stern statement condemning the insubordinate move, saying "the decision to undercut our President and circumvent our constitutional system offends me as a matter of principle."
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Biden punched back with a stern statement condemning the insubordinate move, saying "the decision to undercut our President and circumvent our constitutional system offends me as a matter of principle."
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CIA sought to hack Apple iPhones from earliest days
(Reuters) - CIA researchers have worked for nearly a decade to break the security protecting Apple (AAPL.O) phones and tablets, investigative news site The Intercept reported on Tuesday, citing documents obtained from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The report cites top-secret U.S. documents that suggest U.S. government researchers had created a version of XCode, Apple's software application development tool, to create surveillance backdoors into programs distributed on Apple's App Store.
The Intercept has in the past published a number of reports from documents released by whistleblower Snowden. The site's editors include Glenn Greenwald, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his work in reporting on Snowden's revelations, and by Oscar-winning documentary maker Laura Poitras.
It said the latest documents, which covered a period from 2006 to 2013, stop short of proving whether U.S. intelligence researchers had succeeded in breaking Apple's encryption coding, which secures user data and communications.
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The report cites top-secret U.S. documents that suggest U.S. government researchers had created a version of XCode, Apple's software application development tool, to create surveillance backdoors into programs distributed on Apple's App Store.
The Intercept has in the past published a number of reports from documents released by whistleblower Snowden. The site's editors include Glenn Greenwald, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his work in reporting on Snowden's revelations, and by Oscar-winning documentary maker Laura Poitras.
It said the latest documents, which covered a period from 2006 to 2013, stop short of proving whether U.S. intelligence researchers had succeeded in breaking Apple's encryption coding, which secures user data and communications.
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Sen. Brown: Why Not ‘Medicare for the Whole Country?’
(CNSNews.com) – While speaking with liberal talk-radio host Thom Hartmann last week, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said he agreed with the idea of lowering the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 0, and essentially establishing a national, government-run health care system, claiming it “would be terrific.”
Hartmann, while discussing the King v. Burwell case now before the Supreme Court, which could potentially end federal Obamacare subsidies for people in 34 states, said to Sen. Brown on Mar. 3, "Might it be a good time to start talking about alternatives, like, for example what Robert Ball, the guy who wrote the Medicare bill back in the ‘60s, is on the record saying ... that they put Medicare together in a way and with the assumption that a future president or a future Congress would simply start lowering the eligibility age by a decade every couple of years, giving a couple of years for the bureaucracy to absorb that many new enrollees, until eventually the eligibility age for Medicare was Zero."
Senator Brown said, "Yeah, which I think is -- would be terrific. You may remember, Thom, because we talked during this process, I had written a provision in the Affordable Care Act to bring Medicare eligibility to 55, which was what Mr. Ball -- one of the things he suggested then and President Clinton worked on it 20 years ago and we thought we had that vote and Senator Lieberman changed his mind and we couldn't get the 60th vote then."
More on this
Hartmann, while discussing the King v. Burwell case now before the Supreme Court, which could potentially end federal Obamacare subsidies for people in 34 states, said to Sen. Brown on Mar. 3, "Might it be a good time to start talking about alternatives, like, for example what Robert Ball, the guy who wrote the Medicare bill back in the ‘60s, is on the record saying ... that they put Medicare together in a way and with the assumption that a future president or a future Congress would simply start lowering the eligibility age by a decade every couple of years, giving a couple of years for the bureaucracy to absorb that many new enrollees, until eventually the eligibility age for Medicare was Zero."
Senator Brown said, "Yeah, which I think is -- would be terrific. You may remember, Thom, because we talked during this process, I had written a provision in the Affordable Care Act to bring Medicare eligibility to 55, which was what Mr. Ball -- one of the things he suggested then and President Clinton worked on it 20 years ago and we thought we had that vote and Senator Lieberman changed his mind and we couldn't get the 60th vote then."
It might be time to put zoos out to pasture
Zoos have a long history. As early as 2500 BC, Egyptian aristocrats created menageries; in 1520, the Aztec Emperor Montezuma II maintained one of the earliest animal collections in the Western Hemisphere.
Today about 175 million people visit zoos across the globe every year. But despite their history, as well as arguments from conservationists and educators that they're necessary, Outside Magazine contributor Tim Zimmermann says it's time that zoos permanently close their gates.
“What we definitely know is that many animals suffer in zoos," Zimmermann says. "There are high mortality rates, there are injuries and there’s depression. The science and research also shows that wide-ranging animals — the animals that are most popular for people to see, like tigers and bears — are the animals that do worst in the zoos."
He argues there are plenty of other ways to see and learn about animals in the modern age, everything from visiting your own backyard to watching YouTube videos and televised nature specials. Zimmermann says it’s also unclear what people actually learn from visiting zoos.
“Zoos are intended to educate and promote conservation, but most of the studies done by the zoo industry on this topic really ask people whether they thought they learned something rather than whether they actually learned something,” he says.
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Today about 175 million people visit zoos across the globe every year. But despite their history, as well as arguments from conservationists and educators that they're necessary, Outside Magazine contributor Tim Zimmermann says it's time that zoos permanently close their gates.
“What we definitely know is that many animals suffer in zoos," Zimmermann says. "There are high mortality rates, there are injuries and there’s depression. The science and research also shows that wide-ranging animals — the animals that are most popular for people to see, like tigers and bears — are the animals that do worst in the zoos."
He argues there are plenty of other ways to see and learn about animals in the modern age, everything from visiting your own backyard to watching YouTube videos and televised nature specials. Zimmermann says it’s also unclear what people actually learn from visiting zoos.
“Zoos are intended to educate and promote conservation, but most of the studies done by the zoo industry on this topic really ask people whether they thought they learned something rather than whether they actually learned something,” he says.
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Ferguson City Manager Cited in Justice Department Report Resigns
FERGUSON, Mo. — The city manager of Ferguson, whom a Department of Justice report blamed for overseeing the financially driven policies that led to widespread discrimination and questionable conduct by the police and the courts here, has agreed to resign. The announcement came during a City Council meeting on Tuesday, about a week after the scathing Justice Department report was released.
The manager, John Shaw, 39, had held the post since 2007. As Ferguson’s chief executive, he was the city’s most powerful official.
Mr. Shaw, who has not spoken publicly since the report was issued, offered a staunch defense in a page-long letter to the community that city officials distributed during the Council meeting.
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The manager, John Shaw, 39, had held the post since 2007. As Ferguson’s chief executive, he was the city’s most powerful official.
Mr. Shaw, who has not spoken publicly since the report was issued, offered a staunch defense in a page-long letter to the community that city officials distributed during the Council meeting.
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ISIS Kidnaps Catholics in Syria
In Famvin News, a website for the Vincentian community worldwide, Rev. John Freund, a Vincentian priest, reposted a message he received from Sister Monique, with the Vincentian Daughters of Charity.
Sister Monique states, “Late Sunday afternoon on 1 March 2015, I received a message from M. Francoise, a delegate of the International Society of St. Vincent de Paul [in Rome], and I managed to reach her by telephone.
“She was leaving for Paris, and collapsed at the news she had just received: members of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in Syria were kidnapped, along with their wives and children.
'The Server Will Remain Private'
Hillary Clinton, in her first public comments on the controversy over her use of personal email as secretary of state, acknowledged Tuesday that it "would have been better" to have used an official government account -- but said she used the personal one as a "matter of convenience."
The former secretary of state, and likely 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, addressed the controversy in New York, following an event on women's empowerment at the United Nations headquarters.
She also briefly addressed her use of a private email server, but said it contains personal communications between her and her husband.
"The server will remain private," Clinton said.
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The former secretary of state, and likely 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, addressed the controversy in New York, following an event on women's empowerment at the United Nations headquarters.
She also briefly addressed her use of a private email server, but said it contains personal communications between her and her husband.
"The server will remain private," Clinton said.
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Obama Throws Hillary Under the Bus
With friends like Obama, Hillary doesn’t need enemies. Asked about his secretary of state’s insistence on using her own email server, located in her house, the president was quick to contrast Hillary’s behavior with his own policy of “transparency.”
“The policy of my administration,” the president noted, “is to encourage transparency, which is why my emails, the Blackberry I carry around, all those records are available and archived.”
He then defended Hillary with faint praise, sidestepping the chance to offer a substantive defense of her private emails and, instead, blandly noting that “Let me just say that Hillary Clinton is and has been an outstanding public servant. She was a great secretary of state for me.” Some defense!
The next day, Obama’s press secretary was questioned as to when the president learned that Hillary wasn’t using the government emails. He noted that the president had gotten emails from Hillary and must have noticed the address on them. But he, too, sidestepped a chance to defend the actions of the former secretary of state.
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“The policy of my administration,” the president noted, “is to encourage transparency, which is why my emails, the Blackberry I carry around, all those records are available and archived.”
He then defended Hillary with faint praise, sidestepping the chance to offer a substantive defense of her private emails and, instead, blandly noting that “Let me just say that Hillary Clinton is and has been an outstanding public servant. She was a great secretary of state for me.” Some defense!
The next day, Obama’s press secretary was questioned as to when the president learned that Hillary wasn’t using the government emails. He noted that the president had gotten emails from Hillary and must have noticed the address on them. But he, too, sidestepped a chance to defend the actions of the former secretary of state.
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Secret Service agents investigated after car hits White House barricade
The Obama administration is investigating allegations that two senior Secret Service agents, including a top member of the president’s protective detail, drove a government car into White House security barricades after drinking at a late-night party last week, an agency official said Wednesday.
Officers on duty who witnessed the March 4 incident wanted to arrest the agents and conduct sobriety tests, according to a current and a former government official familiar with the incident. But the officers were ordered by a supervisor on duty that night to let the agents go home, said these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive internal matter.
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Officers on duty who witnessed the March 4 incident wanted to arrest the agents and conduct sobriety tests, according to a current and a former government official familiar with the incident. But the officers were ordered by a supervisor on duty that night to let the agents go home, said these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive internal matter.
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20 Things Conservatives Want For Americans
Conservatives spend a lot of time talking principles, but not as much time as they should telling people what they want to do for the average American. On the other hand, liberals talk incessantly about what conservatives want to do “to” the average American, but almost all of it is wrong. Here’s what conservatives actually want for Americans.
1) A country where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed, but isn’t dragged down by an insistence on equal results.
2) A safe neighborhood where you can let your kids go out and play in the front yard without having to worry about them being shot, kidnapped or coerced by gang members.
3) A country as free as possible of illegal aliens who commit crimes, use taxpayer services without paying, take jobs that should go to citizens and drive down wages for Americans.
4) An environment with clean air, clean water and clean soil.
5) The right to worship the God you believe in as you please, without interference from the state, as long as you don’t hurt anyone else.
Once again, you can read it all here.
1) A country where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed, but isn’t dragged down by an insistence on equal results.
2) A safe neighborhood where you can let your kids go out and play in the front yard without having to worry about them being shot, kidnapped or coerced by gang members.
3) A country as free as possible of illegal aliens who commit crimes, use taxpayer services without paying, take jobs that should go to citizens and drive down wages for Americans.
4) An environment with clean air, clean water and clean soil.
5) The right to worship the God you believe in as you please, without interference from the state, as long as you don’t hurt anyone else.
Once again, you can read it all here.
SU Mens Lacrosse Looking Better in Beating Hampden-Sydney 13-4!
Not a powerhouse, H-S is not a patsy, so this win should have generated confidence as well as competence. Junior midfielder James Burton had what could be the breakout game of his career, with 5 goals and 3 assists (WOW).
It puts the Gulls back at 500, now 3 & 3, and bodes well for what's coming after their game at St. Mary's (there) on Saturday, which we will not be covering. Next Wednesday, the Gulls face Cabrini, currently 3 & 1, there, followed by Mary Washington then Stevenson, the latter being maybe the big home game this year on March 25 (night game). The main part of their Capital conference schedule is in early April, when they play several strong squads – Frostburg State is now 6 & 0 – ending the season against Washington College, now 1& 4, which lost to Ohio Wesleyan, 5-10, yesterday, in what could be the “snore on the Shore” this year.
Not a powerhouse, H-S is not a patsy, so this win should have generated confidence as well as competence. Junior midfielder James Burton had what could be the breakout game of his career, with 5 goals and 3 assists (WOW).
5 Things We Learned Today About What It’s Like To Gather And Eat Roadkill
Though the idea of eating something that’s been run over by a car and left on the side of the road might turn even some of the strongest of stomaches, the fact remains that there’s a lot of meat at stake, and there are those out there who are more than willing to pick up what others might not want and turn it into a tasty stew. But while you might be imagining a clumsy shovel and buzzing fly situation, in reality, says one avid roadkill aficionado, it’s a lot different.
Maryland Chicken Tax Bill - Please Contact Legislators Today
Joe - I didn't know if this would be of interest to you for the blog. While reading the letter, I was very surprised to read that if this tax bill is approved, it will destroy the cover crop program for those that don't have chicken houses. I'm not sure of the actual number of farmers with chicken houses compared to the number of farmers without chicken houses but I feel sure that the number of farmers with out chicken houses is much greater.
Tomorrow, on Friday March 13, the Maryland House of Delegates Environment and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on HB 886, the Chicken Tax bill that will require the chicken companies to pay a five cent per bird tax to the state of Maryland for every chicken they place in Maryland chicken houses.
In addition to being a $15 million per year tax on five companies, the bill as written will destroy the state’s farmland cover crop program.
The Chicken Tax money will fund the Maryland Department of Agriculture cover crop program only on farms where chicken manure has been applied. Farms that have not used chicken manure no longer will be eligible for the cover crop cost-share money through the Maryland Bay Restoration Fund. This change will destroy what the environmental industry calls the most effective on-the-farm Best Management Practice for Chesapeake Bay water quality improvement.
Please take a few minutes today to e-mail or call and leave messages for key committee members to show your opposition to HB 886. Identify yourself as a chicken grower and that you are opposed to HB 886.
Thanks
tony.Knotts@house.state.md.us 410-841-3212
La Tolteca Drive Through?
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It wouldn't be a bad idea though!
A driver ran off the road this morning
and almost hit the restaurant.
A Letter To The Editor: Change In Salisbury
We can ALL agree we need change in Salisbury.
As I was pondering this i came to realize, how? How does anyone find out what roles are available if they want to be involved in the system of change?
We know the mayor's seat is up for grabs but what else is coming due as well as what roles are there to play in the city or county to help make this change a reality.
I am fairly certain more people have thought the same thing I have, How does someone even find out the process of what options they have? Lets say someone would like to run for mayor, where is the information found to get pertinent facts? I understand we have a board of elections but do you have to go there to start the process? is there a website that can give all the requirements, all the information on the role of the mayor (or any other position desired), income expectations etc?
Basically what is the process to run for office, council etc.?
I think if more people understood the process and how to research the options they may choose to help our city get back to the city we all hoped it could be.
Your thoughts?
As I was pondering this i came to realize, how? How does anyone find out what roles are available if they want to be involved in the system of change?
We know the mayor's seat is up for grabs but what else is coming due as well as what roles are there to play in the city or county to help make this change a reality.
I am fairly certain more people have thought the same thing I have, How does someone even find out the process of what options they have? Lets say someone would like to run for mayor, where is the information found to get pertinent facts? I understand we have a board of elections but do you have to go there to start the process? is there a website that can give all the requirements, all the information on the role of the mayor (or any other position desired), income expectations etc?
Basically what is the process to run for office, council etc.?
I think if more people understood the process and how to research the options they may choose to help our city get back to the city we all hoped it could be.
Your thoughts?
A Viewer Writes: Mayor Invites Public to State of the City Address
Sounds like they are still begging people again to attend. This time it sounds like they forgot the date and time? They also left off Jake's name on this one.
Typical agenda of someone running for re-election with all the "good" things he has done. Oh imagine that. A Surplus in the general fund. Can't wait to get that tax differential to go into the general fund. Wouldn't want it to go back in the pockets of the tax payers. Funny how the slumlord laws have resurfaced since he took office. Sounds like he is definitely up to something.
-Introducing a new Assistant City Administrator
-Discussing crime rates as compared to the last 20 years, and begin a community discussion about the fear of being a victim of crime
-Introduce the public to the newest member of the Salisbury Zoo family
-Point to the city's 16 Million dollars in Water/Sewer and General Fund Surplus
-Announce the location of infrastructure improvements such as Coty Cox Branch and 2015 Paving schedule for residential neighborhoods
-Make the City's case for tax differential
-Discuss the nuclear option for fire/EMS service to Wicomico County
-Discuss nitrogen loads in the Wicomico River
The mayor will also point to the continued success of downtown, the strengthening of our neighborhoods with recently passed over-occupancy laws and a 2015 review of the 410 4-2 properties.
“This time of year has Mayors across the country delivering these addresses,” said the Mayor. “I thank Salisbury University for hosting this event again this year. I am confident that our city is in a strong position in so many ways. I look forward to laying out our successes and our plan for moving the city forward this year.”
NOT CONFIRMED: We're hearing Station 7 Sold At Auction Today For $290,000.00
Baby found dangling in overturned car in river shocks police
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Police told by a fisherman about an overturned car in an icy Utah river were stunned to discover an 18-month-old girl dangling in a car seat inside, unconscious but alive.
They found the baby in the back and a woman dead in the front seat after she flipped over the car. A firefighter jumped into the river and cut the car-seat straps, freeing the baby who was wearing only a flannel onesie and no hat or gloves.
Officers then formed a line in the river and handed the cold child from one person to the next until she was on the shoreline and in emergency workers' arms.
Two days later, Lily Groesbeck was recovering at a hospital, though authorities still don't know exactly how she survived hanging upside-down for nearly 14 hours in frigid temperatures with no food or water.
"It's heartbreaking. Was she crying most the night?" Spanish Fork Police Officer Tyler Beddoes said. "It's a miracle. ... She was needed for sure elsewhere."
More
They found the baby in the back and a woman dead in the front seat after she flipped over the car. A firefighter jumped into the river and cut the car-seat straps, freeing the baby who was wearing only a flannel onesie and no hat or gloves.
Officers then formed a line in the river and handed the cold child from one person to the next until she was on the shoreline and in emergency workers' arms.
Two days later, Lily Groesbeck was recovering at a hospital, though authorities still don't know exactly how she survived hanging upside-down for nearly 14 hours in frigid temperatures with no food or water.
"It's heartbreaking. Was she crying most the night?" Spanish Fork Police Officer Tyler Beddoes said. "It's a miracle. ... She was needed for sure elsewhere."
More
White House cites Baltimore as beneficiary in proposed trade deal
During a conference call with reporters, White House officials pushed the idea that new trade deals hold huge potential for the U.S. and Baltimore economies. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake also took part in the call, weighing in for trade agreements she said would benefit the city's economy by boosting the Port of Baltimore and port-related jobs.
The call comes as President Barack Obama is trying to close a massive trade deal between the U.S. and 11 other countries on both sides of the Pacific Rim. That deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, would include Australia, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, and Japan — representing an estimated 40 percent of the global economy. It would not include China.
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Sugar industry influenced US cavity research
The sugar industry convinced US government scientists decades ago to research ways of preventing cavities that did not involve eliminating sweets from the diet, a study said Tuesday.
The findings in the journal PLOS Medicine were based on 319 industry documents from the 1960s and 1970s that were stored in a public library collection at the University of Illinois.
They show that "a sugar industry trade organization representing 30 international members had accepted the fact that sugar caused tooth decay as early as 1950," said the study, authored by experts at the University of California, San Francisco who discovered the archives.
By 1969, the National Institutes of Health had decided that reducing sugar consumption, "while theoretically possible," was not practical as a public health measure, the researchers said.
More
The findings in the journal PLOS Medicine were based on 319 industry documents from the 1960s and 1970s that were stored in a public library collection at the University of Illinois.
They show that "a sugar industry trade organization representing 30 international members had accepted the fact that sugar caused tooth decay as early as 1950," said the study, authored by experts at the University of California, San Francisco who discovered the archives.
By 1969, the National Institutes of Health had decided that reducing sugar consumption, "while theoretically possible," was not practical as a public health measure, the researchers said.
More
WCBOE ON WAY TO APPROVING 2015-2016 SCHOOL CALENDAR
BOARD ON WAY TO APPROVING
2015-2016 SCHOOL CALENDAR
Board Approves Calendar C (Aug. 31 Start) on 1st reading
The Wicomico County Board of Education at its March 10 meeting gave initial approval to a calendar starting on Aug. 31 for the 2015-2016 school year.The Board adopted on 1st reading draft calendar C, which would start school Aug. 31 and end June 9, 2016.
This calendar was the clear favorite among people who gave input on three different draft calendars. About 190 people favored the Aug. 31 start, while 46 preferred starting on Sept. 8 after Labor Day, and 32 wanted the school year to begin on Aug. 24.
Parents who over-praise their kids are breeding trouble, study says
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Parents who "overvalue" their children -- believing they are "God's gift to man" -- tend to raise youngsters with an overblown sense of their own superiority, researchers report in the March 9 online edition of theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"It comes pretty naturally," said senior study author Brad Bushman, a professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University. "Most parents think their children are special, and deserve better treatment. But when our children receive special treatment, they become narcissistic and come to believe they deserve more and are superior to others."
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Optical Illusions That Will Make You Question Your Eyes. What Am I Looking At?!
Canadian artist Rob Gonsalves is a genius when it comes to optical illusions. His surreal paintings seem ordinary enough at first, but move your eyes across the frame and suddenly the scene is something completely different. What at first looks like an aqueduct over a river gradually shape shifts into a line of massive ships sailing across the sea.
In Gonsalves' paintings, up is down, down is sideways, and don't even get me started on what sideways is…
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In Gonsalves' paintings, up is down, down is sideways, and don't even get me started on what sideways is…
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WHALE KILLS CANADIAN TOURIST ON SIGHT SEEING BOAT
A Canadian woman died after a grey whale crashed into the tourist boat she was on off Mexico's Pacific coast.
The woman had been snorkelling off the north-western resort of Cabo San Lucas.
The exact circumstances of the incident are unclear. Firefighters say the whale jumped up and landed on the boat, throwing the victim into the water.
But the tour company said the woman was injured when the captain had to make a sudden turn to avoid the surfacing whale, which hit one side of the boat.
She later died in hospital. Two other people were also injured.
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The woman had been snorkelling off the north-western resort of Cabo San Lucas.
The exact circumstances of the incident are unclear. Firefighters say the whale jumped up and landed on the boat, throwing the victim into the water.
But the tour company said the woman was injured when the captain had to make a sudden turn to avoid the surfacing whale, which hit one side of the boat.
She later died in hospital. Two other people were also injured.
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Here's why federal employees rarely get fired
An exaggeration? The Government Accountability Office reported Monday that in 2013, agencies dismissed 3,489 employees for performance. That represents .18 percent of the career permanent workforce. Also worth noting, in 70 percent of those cases, employees were dismissed during the probationary period, which takes much less time and resources than doing so once they are made permanent — and subject to procedural and appeal provisions. Another 652 employees were re-assigned for performance-related reasons in 2013, with nearly all following an unacceptable performance rating.
And this wasn't an anomaly either. Looking back further, over the decade from 2004 through 2013, the number of individuals dismissed for performance or a combination of performance and conduct ranged from a low of 3,405 in 2006 to a high of 4,840 in 2009. On average, around 4,000 individuals were dismissed for performance-related reasons annually. The rate of dismissals for individuals in the career permanent workforce during that time ranged from a low of 0.18 percent in 2013 to a high of 0.27 percent in 2009.
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Which States Have The Most Student Debt
Just under two years ago, we presented a full breakdown of the student loan bubble, broken down by state, in which among other things, we found that Washington D.C. stuck out like a sore thumb as the "students" residing in it had on average just under $40,000 in student loans.
Yesterday, as part of Obama's most reent push to change the bankruptcy law and promote legislation that facilitates the reduction or outright forgiveness of student debt, the White House provided a full state-by-state breakdown of where the 43.2 million borrowers on the hook for some $1.135 trillion in student loans.
But before we present the results, it will likely come as no surprise to anyone that once again, it is the students in the nation's capital, the District of Columbia, where the debt burden is once again heaviest: As Bloomberg recaps, "at an average of $40,855 per borrower, the student loans of debtors in the nation's capital are 140 percent higher than the national average of $28,400, and they exceed by more than $10,000 what borrowers owe in Georgia, the state with the second-highest student debt level."
Here is state breakdown, ranked by highest to lowest average per student debt. One wonders how much clearer the unprecedented student debt fraud taking place in D.C. has to be before someone actually investigates.
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Yesterday, as part of Obama's most reent push to change the bankruptcy law and promote legislation that facilitates the reduction or outright forgiveness of student debt, the White House provided a full state-by-state breakdown of where the 43.2 million borrowers on the hook for some $1.135 trillion in student loans.
But before we present the results, it will likely come as no surprise to anyone that once again, it is the students in the nation's capital, the District of Columbia, where the debt burden is once again heaviest: As Bloomberg recaps, "at an average of $40,855 per borrower, the student loans of debtors in the nation's capital are 140 percent higher than the national average of $28,400, and they exceed by more than $10,000 what borrowers owe in Georgia, the state with the second-highest student debt level."
Here is state breakdown, ranked by highest to lowest average per student debt. One wonders how much clearer the unprecedented student debt fraud taking place in D.C. has to be before someone actually investigates.
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Powerful Transportation Committee Chaired by State Delegate With Prior Drunk Driving Arrest
In November 2014, House Speaker Busch selected Delegate Kumar Barve (D, Montgomery County) to chair the Environment and Transportation Committee.
In July 2008, Delegate Barve plead guilty to a DUI charge and was given "probation before judgement". This ruling permitted Barve to avoid a guilty verdict and all but $200 of the $1000 fine was suspended.
The arrest was not merely a "youthful indiscretion". At the time of the DUI incident, Barve held the powerful position as House Majority leader. Barve will now chair the Environment and Transportation Committee. All legislation in the House of Delegates having to do with transportation, including all bills regarding traffic laws and enforcement thereof, will first need to pass through Barve's committee.
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Loss of Local Control
I must admit that it's great having an elected school board member who knows more on the subject of loss of local control than the Chief Architect of the Common Core State Standards and CEO of the College Board, David Coleman and the biggest supporter, benefactor and investor, (to the tune of over $6B), Bill Gates.
Below are 2 short video's from Gates & Coleman disagreeing with that school board member.
Kite Festival set April 3 at Cape Henlopen State Park
An Easter egg hunt at 11 a.m. will kick off the day, followed by the kite competitions for children and teens. The highest kite competition follows at 1 p.m. and is open to all ages. Another new activity, an egg toss competition, will take place after the highest kite competition. The adult competitions will begin at approximately 2 p.m., interspersed with professional stunt kite flying demonstrations. Note that times may vary according to weather conditions and the number of competitors.
Registrations begin at 10 a.m. with ample opportunity for kite competitors to practice in the fields adjacent to the competition area. All activities are free, including the Easter egg hunt and the egg toss. The Easter egg hunt will be limited to children up to age 12, and the egg toss teams can be multigenerational.
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ACLU: Snowden proved NSA Internet spying harms Americans
BALTIMORE — The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups sued the National Security Agency and the Justice Department on Tuesday, challenging the government's practice of collecting personal information from vast amounts of data harvested directly from the Internet's infrastructure.
The suit filed in federal court in Maryland accuses the NSA of scooping up virtually everything sent via the Internet between Americans and people outside the United States, and then scouring it to identify and monitor foreign intelligence targets.
A similar challenge was turned away by the U.S. Supreme Court, which said the plaintiffs couldn't prove they'd been harmed. This lawsuit says that's changed since the government confirmed the surveillance after its scope and details were leaked by former government contractor Edward Snowden in 2013.
This "upstream" surveillance of the Internet's "backbone" of digital networks reaches far beyond any individuals the government is targeting to combat terror attacks, and violates constitutional protections of free speech and privacy, the plaintiffs say.
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The suit filed in federal court in Maryland accuses the NSA of scooping up virtually everything sent via the Internet between Americans and people outside the United States, and then scouring it to identify and monitor foreign intelligence targets.
A similar challenge was turned away by the U.S. Supreme Court, which said the plaintiffs couldn't prove they'd been harmed. This lawsuit says that's changed since the government confirmed the surveillance after its scope and details were leaked by former government contractor Edward Snowden in 2013.
This "upstream" surveillance of the Internet's "backbone" of digital networks reaches far beyond any individuals the government is targeting to combat terror attacks, and violates constitutional protections of free speech and privacy, the plaintiffs say.
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WATCH LIVE: Press conference on police officers shot in Ferguson
St. Louis County police hold press conference on the condition of the two officers shot outside Ferguson police headquarters early Thursday morning. WATCH LIVE at 10 a.m. ET on Fox News and FoxNews.com.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/2553193403001/#sp=watch-live
http://video.foxnews.com/v/2553193403001/#sp=watch-live
Tehran Unveils New Soumar Long-Range Cruise Missile
In unveiling the weapon, Iranian Defense Minister Hussein Dehqan said the missile further enhances Tehran's power projection and deterrent capability. He also announced that the Qadr and Qiyam — two other long-range missile systems — had been transferred to missile units operated by Iran's Revolutionary Guards, and that in the coming year, Tehran will continue to upgrade its long-range missile forces, the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs reported Tuesday.
Read more here
Two Potential Ocular Syphilis Cases Detected In Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Department of Health has warned doctors and public health officials to be on the alert for symptoms associated with ocular syphilis -- a sexually-transmitted disease that can cause blindness -- after two potential cases were reported in Los Angeles on Tuesday. So far, 14 confirmed cases of the disease have been reported across the West Coast since December, including eight in San Francisco and six in Washington state, according to local media reports.
According to the Los Angeles Times, most of the cases so far have been reported among gay men, a few of whom are also HIV positive. In Seattle, two patients reportedly went blind as a result of the disease. Ocular syphilis usually develops as a complication of early syphilis and can cause blindness if left untreated.
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According to the Los Angeles Times, most of the cases so far have been reported among gay men, a few of whom are also HIV positive. In Seattle, two patients reportedly went blind as a result of the disease. Ocular syphilis usually develops as a complication of early syphilis and can cause blindness if left untreated.
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Obama’s Likening Selma to Gay Activism ‘An Insult’
(CNSNews.com) – Conservative black leaders are calling President Barack Obama’s likening of homosexual activism to the 1965 Selma to Montgomery civil rights march “ridiculous” and “an insult.”
“We’re the gay Americans whose blood ran in the streets of San Francisco and New York, just as blood ran down this bridge,” President Obama said in a speech delivered Saturday at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala.
“There were some good things in it,” Bishop E.W. Jackson of STAND (Staying True to America’s National Destiny) acknowledged of the president’s speech. “But I think the thesis of the president’s speech seems to be that what makes America great is protest, what makes America great is criticism of our country and he’s wrong.”
“What makes America great is freedom, freedom is what allows protest,” said Jackson.
“To me, it is an insult and every black person ought to be insulted by it,” Bishop Jackson said of Obama’s comparison of homosexual activism to Selma. “Instead of applauding that, we ought to be booing lines like that because it denigrates the tremendous price our ancestors paid to experience the full rights of citizenship in this country.”
“I think it’s a problem not only for the president but for a lot of people, who are deeply misguided, to compare people who are protesting to have their behavior, their sexual behavior, recognized as some kind of civil right or for that matter civil virtue and compare that to people who are trying to vote, trying to go into a restaurant and get a sandwich, are trying to stay in a hotel overnight while they are on the road, trying to sit wherever they want to sit on public accommodation and transportation,” Jackson said.
“To compare those two, to me, it is highly intellectually dishonest or just outright stupid,” said Jackson. “You can’t possibly believe that in your heart of hearts if you’re a thinking person.”
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“We’re the gay Americans whose blood ran in the streets of San Francisco and New York, just as blood ran down this bridge,” President Obama said in a speech delivered Saturday at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala.
“There were some good things in it,” Bishop E.W. Jackson of STAND (Staying True to America’s National Destiny) acknowledged of the president’s speech. “But I think the thesis of the president’s speech seems to be that what makes America great is protest, what makes America great is criticism of our country and he’s wrong.”
“What makes America great is freedom, freedom is what allows protest,” said Jackson.
“To me, it is an insult and every black person ought to be insulted by it,” Bishop Jackson said of Obama’s comparison of homosexual activism to Selma. “Instead of applauding that, we ought to be booing lines like that because it denigrates the tremendous price our ancestors paid to experience the full rights of citizenship in this country.”
“I think it’s a problem not only for the president but for a lot of people, who are deeply misguided, to compare people who are protesting to have their behavior, their sexual behavior, recognized as some kind of civil right or for that matter civil virtue and compare that to people who are trying to vote, trying to go into a restaurant and get a sandwich, are trying to stay in a hotel overnight while they are on the road, trying to sit wherever they want to sit on public accommodation and transportation,” Jackson said.
“To compare those two, to me, it is highly intellectually dishonest or just outright stupid,” said Jackson. “You can’t possibly believe that in your heart of hearts if you’re a thinking person.”
Spate of oil train derailments raises safety concerns
WASHINGTON — Four trains hauling crude oil have derailed in the U.S. and Canada since mid-February, rupturing tank cars, spilling their contents, polluting waterways and igniting spectacular fires that burned for days.
The derailments have deepened safety concerns that if an oil-train accident were to occur in a populated area, the results could be disastrous.
"Recent incidents have proven once again that derailments of trains carrying this product are dangerous, and can be catastrophic," said Sarah Feinberg, acting administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration.
The Associated Press asked rail and hazardous materials safety experts about what is causing these accidents and what can be done to stop them.
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The derailments have deepened safety concerns that if an oil-train accident were to occur in a populated area, the results could be disastrous.
"Recent incidents have proven once again that derailments of trains carrying this product are dangerous, and can be catastrophic," said Sarah Feinberg, acting administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration.
The Associated Press asked rail and hazardous materials safety experts about what is causing these accidents and what can be done to stop them.
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Judge asks Obama To Explain Immigration Protections
A federal judge in Texas wants the Obama administration to explain why 100,000 young people have been granted temporary relief from deportation, even though the government said it wasn’t taking applications for such protections.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen, who has frozen President Obama’s immigration program while a lawsuit over it proceeds, said in a ruling late Monday that he wouldn’t address the government’s attempts to restart the program until Justice Department lawyers explained the move.
Last year, Obama announced that he was using his executive power to grant three-year work permits and temporary protection from deportation to around 4-million adults who are parents of U.S. citizens and have lived in the U.S. for at least five years. He also said he would issue the same protections to an expanded group of immigrants who came here as young people in an expansion of 2012’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Texas and two dozen other states sued to block Obama’s plan.
During hearings in recent months, the government said it would not begin taking applications for the new immigration program until February. But last week, Justice Department lawyers revealed that, as soon as Obama made his announcement last fall, the administration had begun granting three-year permits to people who already had their DACA applications in the pipeline – and the lawyers said the government would not revoke the requests.
Lawyers for Texas and the other states say the actions are “difficult to square” with the earlier statements that nothing would happen until February, and Hanen seems to agree, saying that the government should be “prepared to fully explain” what happened.
More here
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen, who has frozen President Obama’s immigration program while a lawsuit over it proceeds, said in a ruling late Monday that he wouldn’t address the government’s attempts to restart the program until Justice Department lawyers explained the move.
Last year, Obama announced that he was using his executive power to grant three-year work permits and temporary protection from deportation to around 4-million adults who are parents of U.S. citizens and have lived in the U.S. for at least five years. He also said he would issue the same protections to an expanded group of immigrants who came here as young people in an expansion of 2012’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Texas and two dozen other states sued to block Obama’s plan.
During hearings in recent months, the government said it would not begin taking applications for the new immigration program until February. But last week, Justice Department lawyers revealed that, as soon as Obama made his announcement last fall, the administration had begun granting three-year permits to people who already had their DACA applications in the pipeline – and the lawyers said the government would not revoke the requests.
Lawyers for Texas and the other states say the actions are “difficult to square” with the earlier statements that nothing would happen until February, and Hanen seems to agree, saying that the government should be “prepared to fully explain” what happened.
More here
After controversial killings, police departments seek 'less-lethal' weapons
POWAY, Calif. — Knees bent and elbows locked, Christian Ellis stood in a swirl of gun smoke, clutching the base of a 9 mm Glock 17.
It's the same firearm carried by police officers across the country, but seconds before firing, Ellis pulled out an orange slide and snapped it onto the weapon. A metal sphere now hung in front of the muzzle.
When he fired, the bullet buried itself into the sphere, sending it hurtling toward a target down range.
"It knocks the person down. It's going to break some ribs," said Ellis, chief executive of Alternative Ballistics, the maker of the device. "It's going to feel like a professional baseball player swung a hammer and hit you in the chest."
But it's unlikely to kill.
After a year of controversial police killings that have inflamed cities across the country, police departments have embarked on an urgent search for new tools that can spare lives while protecting their own.
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It's the same firearm carried by police officers across the country, but seconds before firing, Ellis pulled out an orange slide and snapped it onto the weapon. A metal sphere now hung in front of the muzzle.
When he fired, the bullet buried itself into the sphere, sending it hurtling toward a target down range.
"It knocks the person down. It's going to break some ribs," said Ellis, chief executive of Alternative Ballistics, the maker of the device. "It's going to feel like a professional baseball player swung a hammer and hit you in the chest."
But it's unlikely to kill.
After a year of controversial police killings that have inflamed cities across the country, police departments have embarked on an urgent search for new tools that can spare lives while protecting their own.
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A Viewer Writes: About Ferguson shooting
Notably absent from this story by Reuters is any mention that Wilson was completely exonerated and the entire “hands up, don’t shoot” media narrative was completely discredited.
And so it continues…
And so it continues…
Prosecutors play 911 call of girl they say was run to death
GADSDEN, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama woman on trial for murder in her granddaughter's death called out the child's name time after time as the girl lay on the ground after collapsing, but didn't tell medics the girl had run for hours, according to evidence presented Tuesday.
Joyce Hardin Garrard, 49, is heard repeatedly calling the name of 9-year-old Savannah Hardin in the more than 11-minute 911 recording played in an otherwise silent courtroom.
The child's stepmother, Jessica Mae Hardin, told the 911 operator the girl had a seizure. Garrard talked in the background.
"Savannah, open your eyes," Garrard is heard saying.
"Savannah. Savannah," Garrard says.
"How is she doing?" operator Lori Beth Beggs asks.
"We can't get her to come to," Hardin responds.
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Joyce Hardin Garrard, 49, is heard repeatedly calling the name of 9-year-old Savannah Hardin in the more than 11-minute 911 recording played in an otherwise silent courtroom.
The child's stepmother, Jessica Mae Hardin, told the 911 operator the girl had a seizure. Garrard talked in the background.
"Savannah, open your eyes," Garrard is heard saying.
"Savannah. Savannah," Garrard says.
"How is she doing?" operator Lori Beth Beggs asks.
"We can't get her to come to," Hardin responds.
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$7.6M to boost Maryland small businesses, venture programs
“Maryland is committed to supporting the entrepreneurs and small businesses that keep our economy strong, competitive and on the cutting edge,” said DBED Secretary Mike Gill. “SSBCI is an example of the tremendous potential our startups and small businesses have if they are given the right environment and resources to grow, thrive and create jobs for generations of Marylanders to come.”
The latest SSBCI funds will primarily support the Maryland Venture Fund (MVF), the State’s main equity investment program and one of the most active venture investors in the region. The MVF previously received $4.8 million in SSBCI funding, which it used to invest in 14 companies, leveraging more than $180 million in private funding.
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Anthony Brown Just Sent This To Me: Fighting For You!
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Friend,
Over the past two weeks, I've heard from many of you - my friends, neighbors and supporters who have urged me to consider running for office. It's a humbling experience. I’m truly grateful for the confidence that you have in me.I decided that I would run for office once again only if I believed in my heart that I still had something to give back to our community - the community where I’ve raised my children and dedicated my life to public service. After serious reflection, prayer and discussion with my wife Karmen and our three children, we are very excited to announce my candidacy for Maryland's Fourth Congressional District.  For my entire adult life, beginning with the years that I served on active military duty with the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany, I’ve gotten up and out of bed every day ready to serve my neighbors and our nation. From Germany, to a tour of duty in Iraq, to serving two-terms as a State Delegate representing Prince George’s County, to fighting every day for eight years as your Lieutenant Governor, I’ve seen the struggles, challenges, dreams and aspirations that are shared by families throughout Maryland and the 4th Congressional District.The stakes are high in Washington, but they're even higher for hard-working families right here in Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties. The dreams of owning a home, and the reality of declining home values, loss of equity and foreclosures; the aspirations of going to college, and the struggles of oppressive student loan debt; the hope of one day retiring comfortably, and the worry that Social Security might not be there when you do; the positive news of post-recession job growth, and the despair of the growing wealth gap and need for small, women and minority owned businesses to access the billions of dollars of spending at the federal level to grow our local economy and jobs; the desire to live and raise a family in a safe neighborhood, and the disturbing fact that too many young black and Latino men fear that they cannot freely walk the streets without profiling and excessive force by law enforcement. Families in the 4th District have been fortunate to have a leader like Donna Edwards fighting for them every day. With your support, I'll continue that fight. For the past 16 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work for you while serving in public office. As a two-term State Delegate working throughout neighborhoods from Suitland to Lake Arbor, and during my eight years as your Lieutenant Governor working with communities from Laurel to Oxon Hill and throughout Anne Arundel County, we’ve worked tirelessly to improve our schools, reduce crime, expand access to healthcare, and create jobs. But our work is far from done. Together, we'll fight for every family, regardless of where you live and where you’re from, by ensuring economic security for all. Under President Obama's leadership, we've made great progress, but it's not enough until everyone who is willing to work hard can find a good job with a family-supporting wage. Our work continues until each of us has access to affordable housing and are protected against foreclosure, and our seniors can retire with the peace of mind that Social Security benefits will be protected and their pensions won’t be raided. Together, we'll make sure that every child, regardless of where you live and where you’re from, gets a world-class education. We'll get it done by establishing universal pre-kindergarten, delivering on President Obama's call for free community college and providing additional college scholarships, grants, and loans. We will eliminate the achievement gap in education. Together, we'll ensure our national security and safety in every neighborhood. We'll provide the resources needed to ensure that our nation is strong and secure against foreign threats, while also providing our communities with the support needed to reduce crime with community-based and community-involved law enforcement strategies. I'm running to represent you because I believe in a future where everyone has the opportunity to succeed, not just the privileged few. I know this isn't going to be easy, but nothing worth fighting for ever is. Our best days are still ahead of us. I'm energized to continue the conversation with folks like you about how we can work together to create a better future for our families, our small businesses, our schools and all of our neighborhoods. Anthony Brown |
A Viewer Writes: WBOC 3-12-15
Hi,
I wake up to hear the news and weather every morning before work.
I wake up to hear the news and weather every morning before work.
For 20 years WBOC has been my preferred choice, but now I channel surf away. It has become extremely tiresome to watch a reporter standing in pitch dark in front of empty buildings talking about something that is not happening on the site at that time.
Why? It is ridiculous.
Also, the news has become almost exclusively Delaware news.
I like the personalities that do the news and weather (and I even
miss Cleo Green), but too much time is dedicated to dark, street-side comment when I want a quick capsule of news and weather before I start my day.
miss Cleo Green), but too much time is dedicated to dark, street-side comment when I want a quick capsule of news and weather before I start my day.
Franchot: Revenues Flat, Tax Cuts "Not Realistic"
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The Maryland Board of Revenue Estimates released unchanged revenue estimates on Wednesday.
Board members say that's positive compared to the last two revisions last year, which required them to note Maryland didn't bring in as much revenue as they had projected.
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Former NFL Player Craig James Compares Support of Gay Marriage To Satanism
Former NFL player Craig James continued to speak out against gay marriage this week, saying most recently support for such is equal to Satanism.
“If I were a current player in that locker room and my livelihood depended on me being quiet or losing it because of my belief system, I worry, I wonder,” James said Monday on a radio program broadcast by the staunchly conservative Family Research Council.
He continued, “So, that’s Satan working on us.”
James, a running back who played for the New England Patriots in the late-1980s, made the comments after the NFL franchise along with the MLB's the San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Rays, joined 376 other businesses and companies that called upon the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down bans on gay marriage.
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“If I were a current player in that locker room and my livelihood depended on me being quiet or losing it because of my belief system, I worry, I wonder,” James said Monday on a radio program broadcast by the staunchly conservative Family Research Council.
He continued, “So, that’s Satan working on us.”
James, a running back who played for the New England Patriots in the late-1980s, made the comments after the NFL franchise along with the MLB's the San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Rays, joined 376 other businesses and companies that called upon the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down bans on gay marriage.
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Did HBO’s “The Jinx” just solve a murder case?
After “Serial” mania errupted, Adnan Syed won a motion to appeal his conviction in the 1998 murder of his high school classmate and ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. And on the heels of our newest true crime obsession — HBO’s “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst” — we are seeing once again how true-crime reporting can have real-world reverberations: This time not in establishing innocence, but in moving the needle toward guilt.
“The Jinx” is an HBO docuseries by “Capturing the Friedmans” director Andrew Jarecki, investigating the haunting case of multi-millionaire real estate heir Robert Durst, who has been linked to three unsolved cases over the past 33 years: The disappearence of his wife Kathleen Durst in 1982, the murder of his neighbor Morris Black in Galveston, Texas in 2001, and the murder of his friend, journalist and author Susan Berman, in 2000.
Now the New York Times is reporting that the L.A. district attorney has reopened the investigation into Berman’s death, and that the case is reportedly being tied to that of Durst’s missing wife Kathie. The Times suggests that the reopening of the investigation could be based in evidence aired during this Sunday’s fifth episode of “The Jinx,” which suggests that Mr. Durst knew about Berman’s death and the location of her body on the day she died, and that he may have tipped police off with an anonymous note. The big reveal came after Berman’s stepson found a letter written to Berman by Durst, which matched the handwriting and had the same misspellings as the anonymous letter sent to police.
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THE LAST, GREAT RUN FOR THE U.S. DOLLAR, THE DEATH OF THE EURO AND 74 TRILLION IN CURRENCY DERIVATIVES AT RISK
Are we on the verge of an unprecedented global currency crisis?
Are we on the verge of an unprecedented global currency crisis? On Tuesday, the euro briefly fell below $1.07 for the first time in almost a dozen years. And the U.S. dollar continues to surge against almost every other major global currency. The U.S. dollar index has now risen an astounding 23 percent in just the last eight months. That is the fastest pace that the U.S. dollar has risen since 1981. You might be tempted to think that a stronger U.S. dollar is good news, but it isn’t. A strong U.S. dollar hurts U.S. exports, thus harming our economy. In addition, a weak U.S. dollar has fueled tremendous expansion in emerging markets around the planet over the past decade or so. When the dollar becomes a lot stronger, it becomes much more difficult for those countries to borrow more money and repay old debts. In other words, the emerging market “boom” is about to become a bust. Not only that, it is important to keep in mind that global financial institutions bet a tremendous amount of money on currency movements. According to the Bank for International Settlements, 74 trillion dollars in derivatives are tied to the value of the U.S. dollar, the value of the euro and the value of other global currencies. When currency rates start flying around all over the place, you can rest assured that someone out there is losing an enormous amount of money. If this derivatives bubble ends up imploding, there won’t be enough money in the entire world to bail everyone out.
Do you remember what happened the last time the U.S. dollar went on a great run like this?
As you can see from the chart below, it was in mid-2008, and what followed was the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression…
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Are we on the verge of an unprecedented global currency crisis? On Tuesday, the euro briefly fell below $1.07 for the first time in almost a dozen years. And the U.S. dollar continues to surge against almost every other major global currency. The U.S. dollar index has now risen an astounding 23 percent in just the last eight months. That is the fastest pace that the U.S. dollar has risen since 1981. You might be tempted to think that a stronger U.S. dollar is good news, but it isn’t. A strong U.S. dollar hurts U.S. exports, thus harming our economy. In addition, a weak U.S. dollar has fueled tremendous expansion in emerging markets around the planet over the past decade or so. When the dollar becomes a lot stronger, it becomes much more difficult for those countries to borrow more money and repay old debts. In other words, the emerging market “boom” is about to become a bust. Not only that, it is important to keep in mind that global financial institutions bet a tremendous amount of money on currency movements. According to the Bank for International Settlements, 74 trillion dollars in derivatives are tied to the value of the U.S. dollar, the value of the euro and the value of other global currencies. When currency rates start flying around all over the place, you can rest assured that someone out there is losing an enormous amount of money. If this derivatives bubble ends up imploding, there won’t be enough money in the entire world to bail everyone out.
Do you remember what happened the last time the U.S. dollar went on a great run like this?
As you can see from the chart below, it was in mid-2008, and what followed was the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression…
More