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Thursday, May 21, 2015
How the Civil War Never Ended for Black America
By righting a 150-year-old wrong, re-enactors aim to help remedy long untreated ills at the root of today’s #BlackLivesMatter movement
Hundreds of African-American men marched to the White House this past Sunday. They were not wearing hoodies in honor of Trayvon Martin. They were not making the “hands up don’t shoot” gesture in honor of Michael Brown.
They were wearing blue wool trousers and greatcoats, forage caps and cavalry boots—in honor of African American soldiers who fought in the Civil War. Their aim: to correct a wrong made in 1865, when black soldiers were left out of the Grand Review, the Union Army’s victory parade.
1865? Seriously? With all the critically important racial justice causes of 2015?
“Everything about the Civil War is present tense,” author C.R. Gibbs told me. “This is not settled. Ferguson and Baltimore are just match flares on a long historical fuse.”
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Hundreds of African-American men marched to the White House this past Sunday. They were not wearing hoodies in honor of Trayvon Martin. They were not making the “hands up don’t shoot” gesture in honor of Michael Brown.
They were wearing blue wool trousers and greatcoats, forage caps and cavalry boots—in honor of African American soldiers who fought in the Civil War. Their aim: to correct a wrong made in 1865, when black soldiers were left out of the Grand Review, the Union Army’s victory parade.
1865? Seriously? With all the critically important racial justice causes of 2015?
“Everything about the Civil War is present tense,” author C.R. Gibbs told me. “This is not settled. Ferguson and Baltimore are just match flares on a long historical fuse.”
More
Man who paid $350,000 kills endangered black rhino in Africa
Corey Knowlton of Dallas shot a black rhino this week in Namibia, according to Ben Carter, executive director of the Dallas Safari Club. Knowlton was the top bidder in the club’s January 2014 auction.
The funds go to the Namibia Ministry of Environment and Tourism, which issued the permit as part of efforts to cull the herd, Carter said.
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Mom Arrested, Shackled Over Son's Unexcused School Absences
Julie Giles reportedly wrote on Facebook that a warrant had been issued for her arrest after her son tallied 12 unexcused absences from school.
The total is six more than the Screven County school district allows. Giles argued that her son's doctor re-issued a note for three of the absences, meaning she would be arrested over a total of three absences.
Giles said she was briefly placed in ankle shackles, with police saying it was normal procedure. She was released and given a court date in July, but faces jail time.
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Tribe Seeks Wyoming Apology Over 'Disrespect' In Meeting
The head of a Native American tribe in Montana demanded an apology on Tuesday from Wyoming's governor for disrespect shown to the tribe's historic preservation officer by a state wildlife official during a meeting about grizzly bears.
The leader complained that a tribal officer had been unceremoniously ushered offstage during the meeting when he sought to speak against stripping Yellowstone-area grizzlies of federal protections, and his microphone ordered cut off by a Wyoming game warden.
"I am extremely disappointed in the disrespect that was shown," Llevando Fisher, president of the Northern Cheyenne tribe, said in a statement.
A spokesman for Governor Matt Mead did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The public complaint is latest sign of growing tensions between Native Americans and federal and state wildlife managers over grizzlies that roam Yellowstone National Park and three adjoining states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
Grizzly numbers have increased to roughly 750 from the 136 estimated in 1975 when they were listed as threatened.
But the three tribes on the panel, the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone of Wyoming and Idaho's Shoshone-Bannock, reversed course last month during the meeting in Cody and registered opposition to delisting, which paves the way for sport hunting in the three Northern Rocky Mountain states.
More here
The leader complained that a tribal officer had been unceremoniously ushered offstage during the meeting when he sought to speak against stripping Yellowstone-area grizzlies of federal protections, and his microphone ordered cut off by a Wyoming game warden.
"I am extremely disappointed in the disrespect that was shown," Llevando Fisher, president of the Northern Cheyenne tribe, said in a statement.
A spokesman for Governor Matt Mead did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The public complaint is latest sign of growing tensions between Native Americans and federal and state wildlife managers over grizzlies that roam Yellowstone National Park and three adjoining states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
Grizzly numbers have increased to roughly 750 from the 136 estimated in 1975 when they were listed as threatened.
But the three tribes on the panel, the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone of Wyoming and Idaho's Shoshone-Bannock, reversed course last month during the meeting in Cody and registered opposition to delisting, which paves the way for sport hunting in the three Northern Rocky Mountain states.
More here
Pilot who landed gyrocopter at U.S. Capitol facing 6 charges
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said Wednesday in a statement that a grand jury has indicted Douglas Hughes on six charges. He is scheduled to appear Thursday in federal court in Washington.
Hughes said in a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon that he had arrived in Washington and would be making a statement after his appearance in court.
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Princess Anne Police Department Investigating Robbery at PNC Bank
On Thursday, May 21, 2015 the Princess Anne Police Department responded to the PNC Bank located at 30389 Mt. Vernon Road in reference to a robbery after the fact. Investigation revealed the suspect entered the bank and gave a teller a note demanding money. The suspect did not display a weapon but indicated he had one. The suspect left the bank after being provided an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect is described as a young white male approximately 5'8 to 5'9, thin build wearing a brown hooded jacket. If anyone has any information concerning the robbery, please contact the Princess Anne Police Department at 410-651-1822.
Community Partners Recognized at Annual Wicomico County Tourism Reception
Salisbury, MD – Wicomico County’s Tourism Division recognized its strongest partners during a reception and awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 20 at the Wicomico County Visitor’s Center. Held annually since 2000, the reception recognizes community members and businesses who have dedicated themselves to supporting tourism initiatives in Wicomico County.
In fiscal year 2015, Wicomico County’s tourism efforts have continued to grow. The division has sold or held 49 events, 7 of which were of a regional or national caliber. These events required 32,000 hotel room nights, attracted 114,000 visitors and generated an estimated economic impact of $47.5 million. This success would not be possible if it were not for tourism’s many community partners. These partners help the County recruit new events, retain and grow current events and welcome event attendees into the community. 2015 tourism award recipients included:
Hospitality Award: Anne Webster of Country Inn & Suites, Microtel & Holiday Inn Express Delmar
Through her role in the hospitality industry, Webster gives a strong welcome to Wicomico County’s visitors. Her emphasis on quality customer service not only generates repeat business for the hotels she manages but helps ensure event attendees look forward to returning to Wicomico County.
Tourism Business of the Year: Hampton Inn Salisbury, accepted by General Manager Jenifer Prokofiew
As a key hotel partner, the Hampton Inn Salisbury participated in 35 tourism events and served as a ‘host hotel’ for five major events including the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Eastern World Series, Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Association’s (MAWA) South Regionals and Eastern Nationals, the ISSSA Senior Softball Regional and the Potomac Youth Religious Conference.
Tourism Partner of the Year: DMV Elite, accepted by Mitch Northam
Injecting energy, enthusiasm and social-media prowess into the annual Governor’s Challenge High School Basketball Tournament, DMV Elite transformed this once local event into the largest high school holiday basketball tournament on the east coast. In 2014, the tournament grew to a record 53 teams from 6 different states. As a result of this new partnership, 70 teams have already committed to the 2015 event.
Tourism Person of the Year (Betty K. Gardner Award): Barbara Furbush
As an accomplished dog show organizer, breeder, handler and judge, Furbush has utilized her expertise to bring new shows to Wicomico County and helped current shows flourish. Furbush was instrumental in bringing the International Poodle Club of America Show to the County in 2004, and has helped the County to retain it since then. It is estimated that the 2015 event generated an economic impact of $1.8 million.
In fiscal year 2015, Wicomico County’s tourism efforts have continued to grow. The division has sold or held 49 events, 7 of which were of a regional or national caliber. These events required 32,000 hotel room nights, attracted 114,000 visitors and generated an estimated economic impact of $47.5 million. This success would not be possible if it were not for tourism’s many community partners. These partners help the County recruit new events, retain and grow current events and welcome event attendees into the community. 2015 tourism award recipients included:
Hospitality Award: Anne Webster of Country Inn & Suites, Microtel & Holiday Inn Express Delmar
Through her role in the hospitality industry, Webster gives a strong welcome to Wicomico County’s visitors. Her emphasis on quality customer service not only generates repeat business for the hotels she manages but helps ensure event attendees look forward to returning to Wicomico County.
Tourism Business of the Year: Hampton Inn Salisbury, accepted by General Manager Jenifer Prokofiew
As a key hotel partner, the Hampton Inn Salisbury participated in 35 tourism events and served as a ‘host hotel’ for five major events including the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Eastern World Series, Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Association’s (MAWA) South Regionals and Eastern Nationals, the ISSSA Senior Softball Regional and the Potomac Youth Religious Conference.
Tourism Partner of the Year: DMV Elite, accepted by Mitch Northam
Injecting energy, enthusiasm and social-media prowess into the annual Governor’s Challenge High School Basketball Tournament, DMV Elite transformed this once local event into the largest high school holiday basketball tournament on the east coast. In 2014, the tournament grew to a record 53 teams from 6 different states. As a result of this new partnership, 70 teams have already committed to the 2015 event.
Tourism Person of the Year (Betty K. Gardner Award): Barbara Furbush
As an accomplished dog show organizer, breeder, handler and judge, Furbush has utilized her expertise to bring new shows to Wicomico County and helped current shows flourish. Furbush was instrumental in bringing the International Poodle Club of America Show to the County in 2004, and has helped the County to retain it since then. It is estimated that the 2015 event generated an economic impact of $1.8 million.
Photos:
518: From L to R: Tourism Manager Steve Miller, Tourism Advisory Board President Mike Delano, County Councilman John Hall and DMV Elite Representative Mich Northam
521: From L to R: Business of the Year recipient Jennifer Prokofiew, Hospitality Award recipient Anne Webster, Tourism Person of the Year recipient Barbara Furbush and Tourism Manager Steve Miller
Should officials get trip rewards points when traveling on taxpayer dime?
BALTIMORE —Baltimore City ethics officials are reviewing a question raised by WBAL-TV 11 News in a report Tuesday about the travel habits of the Baltimore City Council, the WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team has learned.
Should elected officials get to pocket travel rewards when taxpayers foot the bill for their trip? This is a question federal, state and local governments have dealt with in places other than Baltimore since frequent flier miles and reward points have value. But Baltimore is apparently missing a policy, and the most-traveled member of the Baltimore City Council appears to be piling up the points.
Twice in the past five months, Hawaii has been the destination of Baltimore City Councilwoman Helen Holton. She's there this week and she was there in December, each time, for a meeting of the National Association of Counties, for which Holton is a board member. The cost of the two trips is more than $5,000, all paid by taxpayers.
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Should elected officials get to pocket travel rewards when taxpayers foot the bill for their trip? This is a question federal, state and local governments have dealt with in places other than Baltimore since frequent flier miles and reward points have value. But Baltimore is apparently missing a policy, and the most-traveled member of the Baltimore City Council appears to be piling up the points.
Twice in the past five months, Hawaii has been the destination of Baltimore City Councilwoman Helen Holton. She's there this week and she was there in December, each time, for a meeting of the National Association of Counties, for which Holton is a board member. The cost of the two trips is more than $5,000, all paid by taxpayers.
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In Speech, Obama Will Cast Climate Change As 'Immediate Risk' To U.S. Security
During a commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy today, President Obama will cast climate change as posing an "immediate risk to our national security."
NPR's Scott Horsley reports Obama is expected to tell graduates that the Coast Guard itself will have to adjust to the effects of rising sea levels. Scott filed this report for our Newscast unit:
"Coast Guard stations are among of the many military facilities already feeling the effects of a changing climate. In low lying Norfolk, Virginia high tides already swamp parts of a Navy base. But Obama says the global reach of a changing climate extends far beyond the coast, and crosses international boundaries.
"The Administration is trying to curtail heat-trapping greenhouse gases with new restrictions on carbon pollution, especially from coal-fired power plants. But those rules face both political and legal challenges. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, whose home state of Kentucky is a leading coal producer, is encouraging states to resist the power plant rules."
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NPR's Scott Horsley reports Obama is expected to tell graduates that the Coast Guard itself will have to adjust to the effects of rising sea levels. Scott filed this report for our Newscast unit:
"Coast Guard stations are among of the many military facilities already feeling the effects of a changing climate. In low lying Norfolk, Virginia high tides already swamp parts of a Navy base. But Obama says the global reach of a changing climate extends far beyond the coast, and crosses international boundaries.
"The Administration is trying to curtail heat-trapping greenhouse gases with new restrictions on carbon pollution, especially from coal-fired power plants. But those rules face both political and legal challenges. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, whose home state of Kentucky is a leading coal producer, is encouraging states to resist the power plant rules."
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Legislative Leaders Question Gov. Hogan's Bay Bridge Toll Reduction Plan
The Maryland Transportation Authority approved the $58 million toll reduction plan.
The Daily Record reports that some legislators have now expressed concerns about the lack of transparency related to the reductions. Others worry that road projects already planned would now be eliminated or delayed because there will no money to pay for them.
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Survey Says: 30% Of People Who Admit To Tweeting While Driving Do It “All The Time”
While we’ve heard of people doing things they shouldn’t be doing while they’re driving — like playing the guitar and taking selfies, not to mention texting — it’s still shocking to look at the numbers tied to distracted driving. A new survey says the trendy thing to do behind the wheel now is using social media like Twitter, with plenty of people admitting they do it “all the time.”
AT&T released a survey it commissioned today that says drivers are increasingly using Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter, while also taking selfies and shooting videos. The company has discouraged drivers from taking their eyes off the road, and teamed with Braun Research to poll people who own a smartphone and drive at least once a day.
Of those drivers, 27% ages 16 to 65 reported using Facebook behind the wheel, with 14% admitting to using Twitter. But of those, 30% said they were posting while driving “all the time.” Sigh.
That’s not all — chatting on video is also popular for drivers.
“One in 10 say they do video chat while driving. I don’t even have words for that,” Lori Lee, AT&T’s senior executive vice president for global marketing told the New York Times’ Bits Blog.
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AT&T released a survey it commissioned today that says drivers are increasingly using Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter, while also taking selfies and shooting videos. The company has discouraged drivers from taking their eyes off the road, and teamed with Braun Research to poll people who own a smartphone and drive at least once a day.
Of those drivers, 27% ages 16 to 65 reported using Facebook behind the wheel, with 14% admitting to using Twitter. But of those, 30% said they were posting while driving “all the time.” Sigh.
That’s not all — chatting on video is also popular for drivers.
“One in 10 say they do video chat while driving. I don’t even have words for that,” Lori Lee, AT&T’s senior executive vice president for global marketing told the New York Times’ Bits Blog.
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A Viewer Writes: Possible bank robbery
Hi Joe,
I just passed PNC Bank in Princess Anne and it looks like it has been robbed. State Police and Princess Anne PD are on site and have yellow tape in front of the door.
I just passed PNC Bank in Princess Anne and it looks like it has been robbed. State Police and Princess Anne PD are on site and have yellow tape in front of the door.
What’s today’s $5 billion banking settlement about?
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WHICH BANKS ARE INVOLVED?
Traders at four banks — JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup’s banking unit Citicorp, Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland — conspired to fix rates on U.S. dollars and euros at the expense of clients from 2007 to 2013. Another bank, Switzerland’s UBS, agreed to plead guilty to manipulating key interest rates and will pay a separate criminal penalty.
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WHAT DID THE TRADERS DO?
The traders used chat rooms to coordinate currency trades to their advantage. They also shared confidential orders to position themselves to profit from those orders. In a hypothetical example, Company A could have told a bank to change $1 billion into euros. A trader at that bank could have told a trader at a rival bank to raise the price on euros. By knowing what a company wanted to buy, a rival trader could have positioned himself to profit handsomely.
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The True Black Tragedy
Hustlers and people with little understanding want us to believe that today’s black problems are the continuing result of a legacy of slavery, poverty and racial discrimination. The fact is that most of the social pathology seen in poor black neighborhoods is entirely new in black history. Let’s look at some of it.
Today the overwhelming majority of black children are raised in single female-headed families. As early as the 1880s, three-quarters of black families were two-parent. In 1925 New York City, 85 percent of black families were two-parent. One study of 19th-century slave families found that in up to three-fourths of the families, all the children had the same mother and father.
Today’s black illegitimacy rate of nearly 75 percent is also entirely new. In 1940, black illegitimacy stood at 14 percent. It had risen to 25 percent by 1965, when Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote “The Negro Family: The Case for National Action” and was widely condemned as a racist. By 1980, the black illegitimacy rate had more than doubled, to 56 percent, and it has been growing since. Both during slavery and as late as 1920, a teenage girl raising a child without a man present was rare among blacks.
Much of today’s pathology seen among many blacks is an outgrowth of the welfare state that has made self-destructive behavior less costly for the individual. Having children without the benefit of marriage is less burdensome if the mother receives housing subsidies, welfare payments and food stamps. Plus, the social stigma associated with unwed motherhood has vanished. Female-headed households, whether black or white, are a ticket for dependency and all of its associated problems. Ignored in all discussions is the fact that the poverty rate among black married couples has been in single digits since 1994.
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Today the overwhelming majority of black children are raised in single female-headed families. As early as the 1880s, three-quarters of black families were two-parent. In 1925 New York City, 85 percent of black families were two-parent. One study of 19th-century slave families found that in up to three-fourths of the families, all the children had the same mother and father.
Today’s black illegitimacy rate of nearly 75 percent is also entirely new. In 1940, black illegitimacy stood at 14 percent. It had risen to 25 percent by 1965, when Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote “The Negro Family: The Case for National Action” and was widely condemned as a racist. By 1980, the black illegitimacy rate had more than doubled, to 56 percent, and it has been growing since. Both during slavery and as late as 1920, a teenage girl raising a child without a man present was rare among blacks.
Much of today’s pathology seen among many blacks is an outgrowth of the welfare state that has made self-destructive behavior less costly for the individual. Having children without the benefit of marriage is less burdensome if the mother receives housing subsidies, welfare payments and food stamps. Plus, the social stigma associated with unwed motherhood has vanished. Female-headed households, whether black or white, are a ticket for dependency and all of its associated problems. Ignored in all discussions is the fact that the poverty rate among black married couples has been in single digits since 1994.
More
BERLIN MAIN STREET AWARDED 2015 TRIPADVISOR CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE
When selecting Certificate of Excellence winners, TripAdvisor uses a proprietary algorithm to determine the honorees that takes into account the quality, quantity and recency of reviews and opinions submitted by travelers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period as well as business’s tenure and ranking on the Popularity Index on the site. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.
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Homeless Get Wi-Fi
A light bulb flashed in Darcel Jackson’s head one night, while lying in bed in a homeless shelter in San Francisco, that the greatest thing he could do for homeless people would be to connect them to the internet.
Having an instant link to the world wide web could help people like Jackson get jobs and find housing, reported KQED. The problem at the Next Door homeless shelter was that they didn’t have any computers making it extremely difficult to pull down current job boards or websites listing cheap rooms.
Next Door resident Wayne Samuelson, a former Marine, said that not having the internet puts you at a disadvantage with others in society. “Everybody is wired up,” Samuelson says, “People are like, ‘Are you connected?’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean? Am I a gangster?’ Oh, Internet.”
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Having an instant link to the world wide web could help people like Jackson get jobs and find housing, reported KQED. The problem at the Next Door homeless shelter was that they didn’t have any computers making it extremely difficult to pull down current job boards or websites listing cheap rooms.
Next Door resident Wayne Samuelson, a former Marine, said that not having the internet puts you at a disadvantage with others in society. “Everybody is wired up,” Samuelson says, “People are like, ‘Are you connected?’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean? Am I a gangster?’ Oh, Internet.”
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Two Famous WWII Airplanes To Fly In OC Air Show To Commemorate 70th Anniversary Of VE Day
“The OC Air Show is honored to be able to commemorate the 70th anniversary of VE Day before the hundreds of thousands of people that will be on the beach to see the OC Air Show” said Bryan Lilley, president of the OC Air Show. “We’re also pleased that the public will have the opportunity to travel back in time and fly aboard one of the few remaining B-25s.”
The P-51 Mustang played a integral role in the allies air superiority. Marked as the superfighter of its day, the P-51 represented a giant leap forward in speed and maneuverability. Owner Jim Beasley will be performing a full capabilities demonstration of his P-51 ‘Bald Eagle.’
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AP DECLARES MARTIN O’MALLEY A 2016 CONTENDER–WHOSE RISE WAS PREDICTED BY BILL CLINTON
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a decade ago, Bill Clinton spotted a political star in the making, someone he predicted would go from a big-city mayor to a national leader – maybe even to the White House. “I won’t be surprised if you go all the way,” Clinton wrote in a 2002 letter to Baltimore’s mayor, Martin O’Malley.
In the years that followed, Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton showed up time and again as their young ally gained stature as governor of Maryland, hosting fundraisers, headlining rallies and connecting him to their sprawling network of political donors.
Now, O’Malley is just days away from walking down the path Clinton laid out for him more than a decade ago, as he prepares to announce his presidential campaign in Baltimore on May 30. And that means transforming himself from one of Hillary Clinton’s most loyal supporters into her chief adversary for the Democratic nomination.
“It’s certainly been a long and friendly relationship,” said Steve Kearney, a former O’Malley aide. “Times change. He clearly thought she was the best candidate in 2008. We’ll find out whether that remains true today.”
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In the years that followed, Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton showed up time and again as their young ally gained stature as governor of Maryland, hosting fundraisers, headlining rallies and connecting him to their sprawling network of political donors.
Now, O’Malley is just days away from walking down the path Clinton laid out for him more than a decade ago, as he prepares to announce his presidential campaign in Baltimore on May 30. And that means transforming himself from one of Hillary Clinton’s most loyal supporters into her chief adversary for the Democratic nomination.
“It’s certainly been a long and friendly relationship,” said Steve Kearney, a former O’Malley aide. “Times change. He clearly thought she was the best candidate in 2008. We’ll find out whether that remains true today.”
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Extension Hosts 25th Annual Lower Shore Farm Tour
For the past 25 years, Beechnut Farms has opened up their land to partner with University of Maryland Extension-Lower Shore. This event is part of the 4H Club.
During the three days this event is held, the farm hosts more than 3,000 children coming from all across the shore including students in pre-k through kindergarten and first grade. These students come from Talbot, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester County.
During these three days, the goal of the event is for the children to learn where their food is coming from.
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Number of Homeschooled Children Soars in America: Up 61.8% Over 10 Years
Newly released data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that between 2003-2012, the number of American children between ages 5 to 17 who are homeschooled has risen 61.8 percent, and that the percentage homeschooled in that age range has increased from 2.2 to 3.4 percent.
According to data published on May 7 by the National Center for Education Statistics(NCES), in 2003 1,096,000 school-aged children were homeschooled in the U.S., representing 2.2 percent of the total number of students in that age range that year. In 2012, the number homeschooled was 1,773,000, or 3.4 percent of elementary and secondary school-aged children that year.
The increase in the number of children homeschooled between 2003 and 2012 is 677,000—or 61.8 percent.
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According to data published on May 7 by the National Center for Education Statistics(NCES), in 2003 1,096,000 school-aged children were homeschooled in the U.S., representing 2.2 percent of the total number of students in that age range that year. In 2012, the number homeschooled was 1,773,000, or 3.4 percent of elementary and secondary school-aged children that year.
The increase in the number of children homeschooled between 2003 and 2012 is 677,000—or 61.8 percent.
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Weekend Happenings: Memorial Day Weekend On Delmarva
Admittedly, there aren’t quite as many scheduled events on Memorial Day Weekend, as the weekend really speaks for itself. There’s the beach and local parks to enjoy, bars and restaurants to patronize, shopping specials and deals…the list goes on and on. Chances are, most of you have family BBQ’s, boating adventures, or crab feasts to attend, but if you’re looking for some additional fun…
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Ireland's Referendum Will Show How Catholics Feel About Gay Marriage
On Friday, the Republic of Ireland will hold a nationwide referendum on gay marriage. Voters will respond “Yes” or “No” in regards to whether the following phrase should be added to the Irish Constitution: “Marriage may be contracted in accordance with the law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.” If the “Yes” vote wins, the country will be the first in the world to make gay marriage a constitutionally-guaranteed right. Eighteen countries and several U.S. states have legalized same-sex marriage, but none have accomplished that feat through popular vote and none of those nations have the law written into their constitution. Given Ireland’s Roman Catholic population and history of conservatism, the country is poised to be an unlikely leader in this civil rights issue.
Most polls thus far have predicted that the “Yes” vote will win. According to the Telegraph, last weekend’s polls showed that between 63 and 73 percent of voters were in favor of same sex marriage. According to NBC News, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny supports the “Yes” movement but has deemed the race too close to call. “Marriage is a public statement that two people want to spend their lives together; it is an institution that our society values and affords status to,” Kenny said to the USA Today. “This is what the referendum is about: equality. Everyone should have the right to marry the person they love.” Several other prominent Irish names and politicians — including, of course, Bono — have voiced their support for the movement.
The support for marriage equality in Ireland is surprising for several reasons. The nation only decriminalized homosexuality as recently as 1993. A similar referendum to allow divorce in the country — again, opposed by the Catholic Church — only narrowly passed in 1995. Civil unions for homosexual couples were officially recognized in 2010. Abortion is still illegal.
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Most polls thus far have predicted that the “Yes” vote will win. According to the Telegraph, last weekend’s polls showed that between 63 and 73 percent of voters were in favor of same sex marriage. According to NBC News, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny supports the “Yes” movement but has deemed the race too close to call. “Marriage is a public statement that two people want to spend their lives together; it is an institution that our society values and affords status to,” Kenny said to the USA Today. “This is what the referendum is about: equality. Everyone should have the right to marry the person they love.” Several other prominent Irish names and politicians — including, of course, Bono — have voiced their support for the movement.
The support for marriage equality in Ireland is surprising for several reasons. The nation only decriminalized homosexuality as recently as 1993. A similar referendum to allow divorce in the country — again, opposed by the Catholic Church — only narrowly passed in 1995. Civil unions for homosexual couples were officially recognized in 2010. Abortion is still illegal.
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Judges Reduced Child Molester's Sentence Because They Thought The 6-Year-Old Victim Might Be Gay
Two judges in Argentina nearly halved the sentence of a convicted child molester because his 6-year-old victim 'might be gay.' Mario Tolosa, a sports club vice president, had been sentenced to six years in prison for sexual abuse, but in 2014 his sentence was reduced to 38 months.
The judges ruled that Tolosa’s actions should not be considered “gravely outrageous” because the victim “was making a precocious choice” regarding his sexuality - referencing homosexuality.
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The judges ruled that Tolosa’s actions should not be considered “gravely outrageous” because the victim “was making a precocious choice” regarding his sexuality - referencing homosexuality.
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Thug Tells Whites: Bow Down to Blacks, You’re All Gonna Die
Shocking racial animosity caught on camera
A shocking confrontation filmed on the streets of New York highlights the racial animosity that continues to plague America in the aftermath of last year’s Ferguson riots and the rise of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
The incident began when a member of the Five-Percent Nation, a militant offshoot of the Nation of Islam, began harassing a group of white hipsters in Union Square.
An older black man begins an argument with the group before threatening to “turn this motherfucker upside (down).”
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A shocking confrontation filmed on the streets of New York highlights the racial animosity that continues to plague America in the aftermath of last year’s Ferguson riots and the rise of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
The incident began when a member of the Five-Percent Nation, a militant offshoot of the Nation of Islam, began harassing a group of white hipsters in Union Square.
An older black man begins an argument with the group before threatening to “turn this motherfucker upside (down).”
More
TWO PA TEENS CHARGED WITH FELONY THEFT
On Saturday, May 16, 2015, at approximately 4 a.m. Ocean City police responded to the area of Somerset Street and Baltimore Avenue in reference to a theft in progress. When officers arrived, they witnessed the suspects leave the area with a very large object in the back seat of their vehicle and a rear door of the vehicle forced open.
Officers stopped the vehicle on Somerset Street and discovered that the object in the back seat was an ATM that had been stolen from a nearby parking lot. The driver and passenger of the vehicle, Austin H. Emerick, 19, of Lancaster, PA, and a 17-year-old male of Millersville, PA, were then arrested for theft. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Emerick and the 17-year-old juvenile were charged with theft of $10,000 to $100,000, malicious destruction and fourth degree burglary. Emerick was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner and released on $10,000 unsecured bond. The juvenile was released to his parents and referred to the Department of Juvenile Services.
Cuba's Elian Gonzalez, now grown up, hopes to return to US
Elian Gonzalez, who as a child was at the center of a bitter international custody battle between his Cuban father and his Miami relatives, now dreams of returning to the United States, he said in an interview broadcast Monday.
Now 21, Gonzalez was just six years old when he was found floating off of Florida's coast in November, 1999.
A rickety boat carrying his mother and several other would-be refugees, capsized, and Elian -- found floating in a car inner tube -- was the only survivor.
Fifteen years later, asked where he would like to go if he could travel anywhere in the world, Gonzalez in an interview with ABC television replied without hesitating: "Los Estados Unidos" -- the United States.
"I want the time to give my love to American people," he added in halting English.
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Now 21, Gonzalez was just six years old when he was found floating off of Florida's coast in November, 1999.
A rickety boat carrying his mother and several other would-be refugees, capsized, and Elian -- found floating in a car inner tube -- was the only survivor.
Fifteen years later, asked where he would like to go if he could travel anywhere in the world, Gonzalez in an interview with ABC television replied without hesitating: "Los Estados Unidos" -- the United States.
"I want the time to give my love to American people," he added in halting English.
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Mom says daughter with special needs was excluded from yearbook
TOOELE COUNTY, Utah — There’s a yearbook to mark every year Amber Bailey has completed in the classroom in Tooele County. But this year, the 21-year-old special needs student is missing from her copy.
“It’s kind of like they singled out the students who were in the transition program and said, ‘We don’t want you in our yearbook,’” said Amber’s mother, Leslee Bailey.
She was shocked to see her daughter’s picture missing from the Blue Peak High School yearbook this spring. Bailey, who has Down syndrome, attends classes at the county’s Community Learning Center, which is housed in the same building as the high school.
For the last two years, the school has always included the 17 special needs students from the center in the yearbook. However, this year, a change was made.
“They’ve been to school with these kids,” Leslee Bailery said. “They’ve walked the halls with them. How would you feel if it was your child? You know, your child was left out because, as the principal told me, ‘We don’t have the pages.’”
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“It’s kind of like they singled out the students who were in the transition program and said, ‘We don’t want you in our yearbook,’” said Amber’s mother, Leslee Bailey.
She was shocked to see her daughter’s picture missing from the Blue Peak High School yearbook this spring. Bailey, who has Down syndrome, attends classes at the county’s Community Learning Center, which is housed in the same building as the high school.
For the last two years, the school has always included the 17 special needs students from the center in the yearbook. However, this year, a change was made.
“They’ve been to school with these kids,” Leslee Bailery said. “They’ve walked the halls with them. How would you feel if it was your child? You know, your child was left out because, as the principal told me, ‘We don’t have the pages.’”
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Fierce Dude Loses 400 Pounds With Some Help From Taylor Swift
Speaking to The Daily Dot, Brower's friend and teacher, Joe Bufano, opened up about Brower's relationship with Taylor:
He told me in his darkest days...he would often listen to Taylor, and it was the messages in her music that kind of gave him some source of joy and happiness. It kept him buying into life.
Um, I think we can all say that Queen Taylor's music has kept us buying into life for some time now.
And it made a huge difference. Two years later, and he's down to 250 pounds.
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Congressman Harris Protects Maryland Agriculture and Trade
Cosponsors Legislation to Repeal COOL Requirements in Manufacturing-
WASHINGTON, DC: Recently, Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) cosponsored a bill to repeal mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements for beef, pork, and chicken products. H.R. 2393 would revise the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to repeal the COOL requirements, which were issued in 2013. These requirements essentially call for meat packaging to provide more detailed information about where the animals were born, raised and slaughtered.
“Farmers and manufacturers across Maryland depend on trade with foreign countries, and repealing the COOL requirements will ensure that trade critical to the Maryland economy will continue without possible retaliation from neighboring countries,” said Congressman Harris.
Recently, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled that the COOL requirements violate international trade agreements. Many worry that this ruling could result in retaliations from two of the United States’ biggest trade partners, Canada and Mexico, in the form of billions of dollars of new tariffs on U.S. agriculture, food, and manufacturing. This would include tariffs on poultry exports, an important part of the Eastern Shore economy.
“This bill is a targeted effort to protect U.S. farmers and manufacturers’ trade in the international community, in light of the WTO’s recent decision. We must take immediate action to ensure current trade agreements continue between the United States, Canada, and Mexico,” added Congressman Harris.
Farming and agriculture are a crucial part of the United States economy, especially in Maryland and the First Congressional District. In the state of Maryland, more than 350,000 jobs are agriculture-related, making agriculture the number one economic industry, which totals more than $2.3 billion in gross sales. Congressman Harris sits on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and has fought to promote and protect the Maryland agriculture and poultry industries.
WASHINGTON, DC: Recently, Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) cosponsored a bill to repeal mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements for beef, pork, and chicken products. H.R. 2393 would revise the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to repeal the COOL requirements, which were issued in 2013. These requirements essentially call for meat packaging to provide more detailed information about where the animals were born, raised and slaughtered.
“Farmers and manufacturers across Maryland depend on trade with foreign countries, and repealing the COOL requirements will ensure that trade critical to the Maryland economy will continue without possible retaliation from neighboring countries,” said Congressman Harris.
Recently, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled that the COOL requirements violate international trade agreements. Many worry that this ruling could result in retaliations from two of the United States’ biggest trade partners, Canada and Mexico, in the form of billions of dollars of new tariffs on U.S. agriculture, food, and manufacturing. This would include tariffs on poultry exports, an important part of the Eastern Shore economy.
“This bill is a targeted effort to protect U.S. farmers and manufacturers’ trade in the international community, in light of the WTO’s recent decision. We must take immediate action to ensure current trade agreements continue between the United States, Canada, and Mexico,” added Congressman Harris.
Farming and agriculture are a crucial part of the United States economy, especially in Maryland and the First Congressional District. In the state of Maryland, more than 350,000 jobs are agriculture-related, making agriculture the number one economic industry, which totals more than $2.3 billion in gross sales. Congressman Harris sits on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and has fought to promote and protect the Maryland agriculture and poultry industries.
WCSO looking for this ABSCONDED SEX OFFENDER
We've been looking for this ABSCONDED SEX OFFENDER Sean Edwards Amos for almost a year!!!! Any information on his...
Posted by Wicomico County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, May 21, 2015
Cruisin Weekend A Hot Topic In Ocean City Community; Problems Again Stem From Unofficial Participants
Cruisin hit Ocean City last weekend with around 3,400 classic cars officially registered for the event and an in-kind number of hangers-on, or “wannabes” as the event promoter referred to them this week. While the officially registered participants appeared to be well behaved for the most part and attended the event’s official activities, the latter group raced up and down Coastal Highway and other streets, dumped trash in parking lots and left a considerable amount of rubber on the roads.
Clearly, the spring Cruisin event has become one of the biggest weekends of the year in Ocean City, the biggest according to promoter and organizer Bob Rothermel, bigger even then the Fourth of July. While local residents and business owners bristled at the steady roar of the hot rod engines, they likely didn’t mind the equally steady ringing of cash register drawers.
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JUST IN: Domestic Violence Charges Dismissed Against Ray Rice
Rice’s charges were dismissed after he completed a pretrial intervention.
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Democrat Blasts Benghazi Subpoena
Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, who is the top Democrat on the Benghazi Committee, called the decision by the GOP to send marshals to Blumenthal's home "heavy-handed, aggressive and unnecessary," and a political tactic to undermine the presidential candidacy of Hillary Clinton.
Blumenthal, a longtime friend of the Clintons, sent emails to Clinton during her tenure as secretary of state that included intelligence reports on Libya.
The Benghazi panel is investigating the State Department's role before, during and after the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks on Benghazi, which killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
The subpoena requests that Blumenthal appear before the committee on June 3 to provide a deposition.
More here
Inside the stunning fall and war-crimes probe of a Green Beret hero
When President Obama draped the nation’s highest award for combat valor around the neck of an Afghan war hero at the White House in October 2013, a highly decorated Green Beret officer who sat nearby faced an ugly reality: The Army was investigating him on charges of murder and conspiracy.
Maj. Mathew L. Golsteyn was invited to the ceremony by William D. Swenson, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan four years earlier. Like Swenson, Golsteyn had braved enemy fire repeatedly, seen fellow soldiers die and voiced deep frustration with the ways he saw U.S. troops restricted in combat. But Golsteyn, a friend of Swenson’s, also may have had a darker chapter to his service.
According to Army documents, the young officer disclosed to CIA personnel during a 2011 job interview that he had killed an unarmed Taliban fighter he suspected of being a bombmaker. The documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, also suggest an elaborate cover-up that, if true, could amount to serious war crimes involving not only Golsteyn but fellow Green Beret soldiers.
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Maj. Mathew L. Golsteyn was invited to the ceremony by William D. Swenson, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan four years earlier. Like Swenson, Golsteyn had braved enemy fire repeatedly, seen fellow soldiers die and voiced deep frustration with the ways he saw U.S. troops restricted in combat. But Golsteyn, a friend of Swenson’s, also may have had a darker chapter to his service.
According to Army documents, the young officer disclosed to CIA personnel during a 2011 job interview that he had killed an unarmed Taliban fighter he suspected of being a bombmaker. The documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, also suggest an elaborate cover-up that, if true, could amount to serious war crimes involving not only Golsteyn but fellow Green Beret soldiers.
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An appeal on behalf of Robert F. McDonnell
His conviction represents a drastic expansion of federal criminal law
The federal government should not put a person in prison for doing something that even trained lawyers do not know is illegal. Yet that is precisely what the Department of Justice is trying to do by prosecuting former Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell. In order to prosecute McDonnell for his admittedly poor judgment, the Justice Department invented an unprecedented construction of the vague federal corruption laws that would — if applied consistently — mean that every politician who trades his time for meals, campaign contributions or complimentary travel is also a felon.
As attorney general of Virginia, I learned much from that experience about law enforcement. My perception was confirmed that basic justice requires making the law clear to people before prosecuting them for their conduct. It is fundamental to American law that prosecutors not invent crimes to prosecute and imprison anyone who crosses their path or anyone whom they can further their careers by prosecuting.
That is why I joined an amicus brief filed by all six eligible former Virginia attorneys general, both Democratic and Republican, in support of McDonnell’s appeal of his convictions. (A similar bipartisan brief, which I helped organize, was signed by 44 former non-Virginia attorneys general.) While his conduct may appear unseemly, it was not, and is not, prohibited by any federal law. He therefore did not commit a crime, and his convictions should be overturned.
Should the courts conclude that the vague federal laws underlying Mr. McDonnell’s convictions stretch as far as the Justice Department claims, it would put attorneys general in an extremely difficult position. It is the job of an attorney general to advise his or her governor and fellow public officials on what the law prohibits and what it permits. If every meeting, every emailed question, and every party invitation extended to donors is a potential felony, current and future attorneys general are going to face an impossible task in advising state and local officials on how to act.
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The federal government should not put a person in prison for doing something that even trained lawyers do not know is illegal. Yet that is precisely what the Department of Justice is trying to do by prosecuting former Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell. In order to prosecute McDonnell for his admittedly poor judgment, the Justice Department invented an unprecedented construction of the vague federal corruption laws that would — if applied consistently — mean that every politician who trades his time for meals, campaign contributions or complimentary travel is also a felon.
As attorney general of Virginia, I learned much from that experience about law enforcement. My perception was confirmed that basic justice requires making the law clear to people before prosecuting them for their conduct. It is fundamental to American law that prosecutors not invent crimes to prosecute and imprison anyone who crosses their path or anyone whom they can further their careers by prosecuting.
That is why I joined an amicus brief filed by all six eligible former Virginia attorneys general, both Democratic and Republican, in support of McDonnell’s appeal of his convictions. (A similar bipartisan brief, which I helped organize, was signed by 44 former non-Virginia attorneys general.) While his conduct may appear unseemly, it was not, and is not, prohibited by any federal law. He therefore did not commit a crime, and his convictions should be overturned.
Should the courts conclude that the vague federal laws underlying Mr. McDonnell’s convictions stretch as far as the Justice Department claims, it would put attorneys general in an extremely difficult position. It is the job of an attorney general to advise his or her governor and fellow public officials on what the law prohibits and what it permits. If every meeting, every emailed question, and every party invitation extended to donors is a potential felony, current and future attorneys general are going to face an impossible task in advising state and local officials on how to act.
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Alabama Lawmaker Would Make Docs Rat Out Pregnant Women Suspected of Using Drugs--Without Any Proof
Who could have guessed he would be a Republican?
State Representative Mack Butler (R-AL) introduced legislation this week requiring medical professionals to notify police within two hours if they suspect a pregnant woman of having consumed illegal substances — regardless of whether she tests positive for drugs or not, AL.com reports.
During a hearing about the bill on Wednesday, the Times Daily reports, Butler “said that women who give birth to babies exposed to illegal drugs are often hard to track down when drug tests come back positive and they’ve already left the hospital.”
“Crackheads don’t have permanent addresses,” Butler further explained to members of the Alabama’s House Health Committee as the legislative body considered the merits of formally titled H.B. 408.
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State Representative Mack Butler (R-AL) introduced legislation this week requiring medical professionals to notify police within two hours if they suspect a pregnant woman of having consumed illegal substances — regardless of whether she tests positive for drugs or not, AL.com reports.
During a hearing about the bill on Wednesday, the Times Daily reports, Butler “said that women who give birth to babies exposed to illegal drugs are often hard to track down when drug tests come back positive and they’ve already left the hospital.”
“Crackheads don’t have permanent addresses,” Butler further explained to members of the Alabama’s House Health Committee as the legislative body considered the merits of formally titled H.B. 408.
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N.Korea says it has miniaturised nuclear weapons
North Korea said Wednesday it has succeeded in miniaturising its nuclear weapons, a development that could allow them to be delivered by missile.
"It has been a long time since we began miniaturising and diversifying our means of nuclear strike," the powerful National Defence Commission (NDC) said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
"We have also reached the stage where the highest accuracy rate is guaranteed not only for short- and medium-range missiles but long-range missiles as well"
"We don't hide this fact."
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"It has been a long time since we began miniaturising and diversifying our means of nuclear strike," the powerful National Defence Commission (NDC) said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
"We have also reached the stage where the highest accuracy rate is guaranteed not only for short- and medium-range missiles but long-range missiles as well"
"We don't hide this fact."
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Hordes Of Spiders Are Raining Down On Australia Right Now
That's Not Snow On The Ground...
On windy but otherwise clear days between May and August, Australia’s skies occasionally get darkened by a cloud of spiders. That’s what’s happening right now in southern Australia, where millions of small spiders are falling from the sky and blanketing the countryside in “angel hair”. (Because spiders are apparently synonymous with angels in Australia, at least compared to all the other freaky animals they have to deal with down under.)
During these “ballooning” events, the spiders will climb up as high as they can and release thin strands of silk that catch in the wind. It’s a lot like that scene from Charlotte’s Web. Using their silky parachutes, they can traverse hundreds of miles and find new territory to colonize. In the video below, you can see them streaking through the sky of Flagstaff, Arizona in 2014.
'Slavery Is Over': Hired Ferguson Protesters Demand Pay
So they’ve launched a #CutTheCheck hashtag on Twitter and held a sit-in at the offices of Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment, or MORE – the successor group to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, in Missouri.
The protesters have received as much as $5,000 a month to generate civil unrest in the troubled suburb of St. Louis, according to FrontPage Mag’s Matthew Vadum.
Read more here
3 reasons Sanderson Farms won’t eliminate antibiotics
Removing antibiotics from chicken production compromises animal welfare, sustainability and food safety, Sanderson Farms CEO says
By Roy Graber, Staff Reporter
Joe Sanderson Jr., CEO of Sanderson Farms, said he does not foresee his company abandoning use of antibiotics in its production of chicken. Sanderson, while speaking recently at the Goldman Sachs Global Staples Forum, offered three reasons why he wants Sanderson Farms to continue to use antibiotics.
1. Animal welfare – Sanderson said he and the company veterinarians have all taken an oath to take care of their chickens. If Sanderson Farms abandons the use of antibiotics, the company is not following that oath, he said.
Sanderson specifically mentioned enteritis, a gut condition in chickens that to date can only be treated through the use of antibiotics. “Nothing [else] can take care of enteritis in the chicken, and nothing is coming in the future. If you don’t [treat the chickens with antibiotics for enteritis], the chicken’s going to die.”
“I cannot imagine having a diagnosis, knowing what’s wrong with them and not taking care of them, any more than I cannot imagine not taking care of a cow or one of my pets,” he said.
By Roy Graber, Staff Reporter
Joe Sanderson Jr., CEO of Sanderson Farms, said he does not foresee his company abandoning use of antibiotics in its production of chicken. Sanderson, while speaking recently at the Goldman Sachs Global Staples Forum, offered three reasons why he wants Sanderson Farms to continue to use antibiotics.
1. Animal welfare – Sanderson said he and the company veterinarians have all taken an oath to take care of their chickens. If Sanderson Farms abandons the use of antibiotics, the company is not following that oath, he said.
Sanderson specifically mentioned enteritis, a gut condition in chickens that to date can only be treated through the use of antibiotics. “Nothing [else] can take care of enteritis in the chicken, and nothing is coming in the future. If you don’t [treat the chickens with antibiotics for enteritis], the chicken’s going to die.”
“I cannot imagine having a diagnosis, knowing what’s wrong with them and not taking care of them, any more than I cannot imagine not taking care of a cow or one of my pets,” he said.
2. Sustainability – Eliminating the use of antibiotics is not a good example of sustainable or environmentally responsible agriculture, according to Sanderson.
The poultry company CEO pointed out that raising chickens without the use of antibiotics will require more chicken houses, more electricity, more water and more acres of corn and soybeans. “You’re going to have to grow these chickens longer and use all that to achieve the same market weight,” he said.
Sanderson said it appears not many others in the poultry industry have taken sustainability concerns into account. “If all these people do this, it’s going to take a lot more resources to get these chickens to market,” he said.
3. Food safety – Sanderson said the U.S. poultry industry only needs to look to what has happened in Europe to know that eliminating antibiotics can pose a threat to consumer food safety. With the removal of antibiotics in European poultry came increased microbiology and microorganism loads. “You take antibiotics out, and you’re going to have more Campylobacter, more Salmonella and all that coming into your plant,” Sanderson said.
Source
The poultry company CEO pointed out that raising chickens without the use of antibiotics will require more chicken houses, more electricity, more water and more acres of corn and soybeans. “You’re going to have to grow these chickens longer and use all that to achieve the same market weight,” he said.
Sanderson said it appears not many others in the poultry industry have taken sustainability concerns into account. “If all these people do this, it’s going to take a lot more resources to get these chickens to market,” he said.
3. Food safety – Sanderson said the U.S. poultry industry only needs to look to what has happened in Europe to know that eliminating antibiotics can pose a threat to consumer food safety. With the removal of antibiotics in European poultry came increased microbiology and microorganism loads. “You take antibiotics out, and you’re going to have more Campylobacter, more Salmonella and all that coming into your plant,” Sanderson said.
Source
Differing Perceptions Of Waco, Baltimore Bothering Some
The firefight in Waco is raising questions about perceptions and portrayals of crime in America, considering the vehement reaction that the earlier protests got from police, politicians and some members of the public.
Unlike in Ferguson and Baltimore, where protests went on for days, there was no live news coverage of the Waco shootout. And yet the incident at a Texas restaurant hasn’t been used as a bridge to discuss other issues about families, poverty and crime, media critics, columnists and civil rights activists say.
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Rep. Jolly: Should Users Pay for Infrastrucure?
(CNSNews) - "Is it a responsibility of the entire country to pay for our infrastructure, or should we shift the burden on those who use it?" Rep. Dave Jolly (R-Fla.) asked on Tuesday.
Jolly, who sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, was talking about looming shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund, which pays for the nation's transportation projects through the federal tax on fuel.
A caller to CSPAN's "Washington Journal" asked Jolly about user fees: "I drive a lot on the highways, north and south," the caller said. "Why don't we tax the people who are trying to use our markets, to subsidize the roads they're tearing up...Let these countries that are using our markets help pay for this burden."
"I couldn't agree with you more," Jolly said.
"What you touched on -- paying for ports, dredging, borders, etc., brings up the concept of user fees. Right, who is using our infrastructure? Is it an international company or national? And should they be paying for it? So, who should pay for it? Is it a responsibility of the entire country to pay for our infrastructure, or should we shift the burden more on those who use it?
"What's a user fee?" Jolly continued. "Well, a toll is a perfect example. You know, as you've seen an increase in tolling, it is the people who use the road who then pay for it. Should we do that with all of our transportation nodes? I don't know that that's the final answer, but you're seeing a lot of people talk more about user fees, particularly at the state level, as they continue to look for revenue sources to pay for the infrastructure that we need."
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Jolly, who sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, was talking about looming shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund, which pays for the nation's transportation projects through the federal tax on fuel.
A caller to CSPAN's "Washington Journal" asked Jolly about user fees: "I drive a lot on the highways, north and south," the caller said. "Why don't we tax the people who are trying to use our markets, to subsidize the roads they're tearing up...Let these countries that are using our markets help pay for this burden."
"I couldn't agree with you more," Jolly said.
"What you touched on -- paying for ports, dredging, borders, etc., brings up the concept of user fees. Right, who is using our infrastructure? Is it an international company or national? And should they be paying for it? So, who should pay for it? Is it a responsibility of the entire country to pay for our infrastructure, or should we shift the burden more on those who use it?
"What's a user fee?" Jolly continued. "Well, a toll is a perfect example. You know, as you've seen an increase in tolling, it is the people who use the road who then pay for it. Should we do that with all of our transportation nodes? I don't know that that's the final answer, but you're seeing a lot of people talk more about user fees, particularly at the state level, as they continue to look for revenue sources to pay for the infrastructure that we need."
More here
Boehner: 'It's the President's Responsibility to Wage This Battle'
(CNSNews) - "Hope is not a strategy" for confronting ISIL, House Speaker John Boehner said on Tuesday, as he urged the president to "come up with a real, overarching strategy to defeat the ongoing terrorist threat."
Boehner made it clear that Congress will not produce an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) for the president:
"We have one commander-in-chief at a time. It's the president's responsibility to wage this battle. And the president, in my view, is not taking this threat as seriously as (he) should," Boehner told a news conference on Capitol Hill.
"When a major city in Iraq, Ramadi, gets overrun by ISIL, and the addministration says, 'Well it's just a temporary setback' -- it's 70 miles from Baghdad. It's time for the president to get serious about this threat to Americans and our allies all around the world."
Boehner urged Obama to withdraw the AUMF he sent to Congress in February and "start over."
"The president's request for an Authorization for Use of Military Force calls for less authority than he has today. I just think, given the fight that we're in, it's irresponsible."
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Boehner made it clear that Congress will not produce an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) for the president:
"We have one commander-in-chief at a time. It's the president's responsibility to wage this battle. And the president, in my view, is not taking this threat as seriously as (he) should," Boehner told a news conference on Capitol Hill.
"When a major city in Iraq, Ramadi, gets overrun by ISIL, and the addministration says, 'Well it's just a temporary setback' -- it's 70 miles from Baghdad. It's time for the president to get serious about this threat to Americans and our allies all around the world."
Boehner urged Obama to withdraw the AUMF he sent to Congress in February and "start over."
"The president's request for an Authorization for Use of Military Force calls for less authority than he has today. I just think, given the fight that we're in, it's irresponsible."
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Conservatives Blame GOP Leaders For Not Stopping ‘Fundamental Transformation of America’
(CNSNews) – Republicans are not keeping the campaign promise they made to voters in 2014 to halt President Obama’s “fundamental transformation of America,” conservative and Tea Party leaders charged in an open letter to Congress on Monday.
On April 28, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) cited fast-track trade legislation and a bill requiring congressional review of the administration’s nuclear deal with Iran as the major accomplishments of the GOP-led 114th Congress so far.
Earlier that month, Obama praised what he called “some outbreaks of bipartisanship and common sense in Congress” over Iran and trade. The president also said he was holding bipartisan talks with the Republican leadership on transportation infrastructure issues as well.
“To the extent the majority leader and the president are making nice, I’m happy. We need a lot more consensus in the federal government. There’s partisanship at every turn,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) said Monday.
But the 50 conservative leaders who signed the Citizens’ Mandate in January reminded McConnell and the rest of the Republican leadership that voters who gave them a landslide victory last November have much higher expectations for them, such as ending executive branch overreach and restoring the constitutional balance of power.
“The November election was a repudiation of President Obama’s dramatic expansion of government power both through legislative and executive actions,” stated the Citizens’ Mandate, which also has a Facebook page.
The GOP’s clear mandate is to “end Obamacare; stop executive amnesty; hold the executive branch accountable for its abuses of power and its national security failures both foreign and domestic; and put the interests of the United States of America and Americans first.”
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On April 28, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) cited fast-track trade legislation and a bill requiring congressional review of the administration’s nuclear deal with Iran as the major accomplishments of the GOP-led 114th Congress so far.
Earlier that month, Obama praised what he called “some outbreaks of bipartisanship and common sense in Congress” over Iran and trade. The president also said he was holding bipartisan talks with the Republican leadership on transportation infrastructure issues as well.
“To the extent the majority leader and the president are making nice, I’m happy. We need a lot more consensus in the federal government. There’s partisanship at every turn,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) said Monday.
But the 50 conservative leaders who signed the Citizens’ Mandate in January reminded McConnell and the rest of the Republican leadership that voters who gave them a landslide victory last November have much higher expectations for them, such as ending executive branch overreach and restoring the constitutional balance of power.
“The November election was a repudiation of President Obama’s dramatic expansion of government power both through legislative and executive actions,” stated the Citizens’ Mandate, which also has a Facebook page.
The GOP’s clear mandate is to “end Obamacare; stop executive amnesty; hold the executive branch accountable for its abuses of power and its national security failures both foreign and domestic; and put the interests of the United States of America and Americans first.”
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Obama-Clinton Benghazi Narrative Rebutted By Defense Department Report
At the very time President Obama, then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other top leaders were blaming spontaneous protests for the deadly Benghazi attack, the Defense Department broadly circulated a detailed intelligence report that said an al Qaeda-linked group planned the assault 10 days beforehand.
Its goal was to kill as many Americans as possible.
The Defense Intelligence Agency report is contained in a trove of previously classified documents that the government watchdog group Judicial Watch forced the Obama administration to release under court order.
On another terrorism development that has wide implications today, one DIA report in August 2012 predicted the rise of the Islamic State, which was then emerging in Syria. It now controls wide sections of eastern Syria and northern and western Iraq, and is committing mass slaughter of Christians, Kurds and Muslims of rival sects or clans.
Mr. Obama downplayed the Islamic State as the “JV” in January 2014 when the terrorist army made its first incursions into western Iraq.
Judicial Watch said in a statement that the Benghazi documents are clear evidence that Mr. Obama and his aides lied to the American public two months before the November elections.
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Its goal was to kill as many Americans as possible.
The Defense Intelligence Agency report is contained in a trove of previously classified documents that the government watchdog group Judicial Watch forced the Obama administration to release under court order.
On another terrorism development that has wide implications today, one DIA report in August 2012 predicted the rise of the Islamic State, which was then emerging in Syria. It now controls wide sections of eastern Syria and northern and western Iraq, and is committing mass slaughter of Christians, Kurds and Muslims of rival sects or clans.
Mr. Obama downplayed the Islamic State as the “JV” in January 2014 when the terrorist army made its first incursions into western Iraq.
Judicial Watch said in a statement that the Benghazi documents are clear evidence that Mr. Obama and his aides lied to the American public two months before the November elections.
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CareFirst Website Hacked; 1.1 Million Affected
The company says they are currently working with Mandiant–one of the world’s leading cyber security firms.
CareFirst says the attackers gained limited, unauthorized access in June of 2014, to a single database which was discovered by the company’s IT department.
Evidence suggests the attackers could have potentially acquired member user names created by individuals to the CareFirst’s website, as well as members’ names, birth dates, email addresses, and subscriber identification number.
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DIVORCE AGREEMENT
THIS IS SO INCREDIBLY WELL PUT AND I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT'S BY A YOUNG PERSON, A STUDENT!
Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al: We have stuck together since the late 1950's for the sake of the kids, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.
Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.
P.S. Also, please take Ted Turner, Sean Penn, Martin & Charlie Sheen, Barbara Streisand, ( Hanoi) Jane Fonda with you.
P.S.S. And you won't have to press 1 for English when you call our country.
WHATEVER HE RUNS FOR, I'LL VOTE FOR HIM.
Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al: We have stuck together since the late 1950's for the sake of the kids, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.
Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.
Here is a our separation agreement:
--Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.
--You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU.
--Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military.
--We'll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and the coal mines, and you can go with wind, solar and biodiesel.
--You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell. You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them.
--We'll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street.
--You can have your beloved lifelong welfare dwellers, food stamps,
homeless, homeboys, hippies, druggies and illegal aliens.
--We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks.
--We'll keep Bill O'Reilly, and Bibles and give you NBC, CNN and Hollywood.
--You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us.
--You can have the peaceniks and war protesters.
-- When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.
--We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values.
--You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, political correctness and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N. but we will no longer be paying the bill.
--We'll keep the SUV's, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Volt and Leaf you can find.
--You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors.
--We'll keep "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The National Anthem."
--I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute "Imagine", "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", "Kum Ba Ya" or "We Are the World".
--We'll practice trickle-down economics and you can continue to give trickle up poverty your best shot.
--Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.
--Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.
--You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU.
--Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military.
--We'll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and the coal mines, and you can go with wind, solar and biodiesel.
--You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell. You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them.
--We'll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street.
--You can have your beloved lifelong welfare dwellers, food stamps,
homeless, homeboys, hippies, druggies and illegal aliens.
--We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks.
--We'll keep Bill O'Reilly, and Bibles and give you NBC, CNN and Hollywood.
--You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us.
--You can have the peaceniks and war protesters.
-- When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.
--We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values.
--You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, political correctness and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N. but we will no longer be paying the bill.
--We'll keep the SUV's, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Volt and Leaf you can find.
--You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors.
--We'll keep "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The National Anthem."
--I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute "Imagine", "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", "Kum Ba Ya" or "We Are the World".
--We'll practice trickle-down economics and you can continue to give trickle up poverty your best shot.
--Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.
Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like-minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you might think about which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.
Sincerely,
John J. Wall
Law Student and an American
Sincerely,
John J. Wall
Law Student and an American
P.S. Also, please take Ted Turner, Sean Penn, Martin & Charlie Sheen, Barbara Streisand, ( Hanoi) Jane Fonda with you.
P.S.S. And you won't have to press 1 for English when you call our country.
How Muslims Think
I was instrumental in establishing the “Israeli National Skin Bank”, which is the largest in the world. The National Skin Bank stores skin for every day needs as well as for war time or mass casualty situations.
This skin bank is hosted at the Hadassah Ein Kerem University hospital in Jerusalem where I was the Chairman of plastic surgery.
This is how I was asked to supply skin for an Arab woman from Gaza, who was hospitalized in Soroka Hospital in Beersheva, after her family burned her. Usually, such atrocities happen among Arab families when the women are suspected of having an affair.
We supplied all the needed Homografts for her treatment. She was successfully treated by my friend and colleague, Prof. Lior Rosenberg and discharged to return to Gaza.
She was invited for regular follow-up visits to the outpatient clinic in Beersheva.
One day she was caught at a border crossing wearing a suicide belt. She meant to explode herself in the outpatient clinic of the hospital where they saved her life. It seems that her family promised her that if she did that, they would forgive her.
This is only one example of the war between Jews and Muslims in the Land of Israel. It is not a territorial conflict. This is a civilization conflict, or rather a war between civilization & barbarism.
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This skin bank is hosted at the Hadassah Ein Kerem University hospital in Jerusalem where I was the Chairman of plastic surgery.
This is how I was asked to supply skin for an Arab woman from Gaza, who was hospitalized in Soroka Hospital in Beersheva, after her family burned her. Usually, such atrocities happen among Arab families when the women are suspected of having an affair.
We supplied all the needed Homografts for her treatment. She was successfully treated by my friend and colleague, Prof. Lior Rosenberg and discharged to return to Gaza.
She was invited for regular follow-up visits to the outpatient clinic in Beersheva.
One day she was caught at a border crossing wearing a suicide belt. She meant to explode herself in the outpatient clinic of the hospital where they saved her life. It seems that her family promised her that if she did that, they would forgive her.
This is only one example of the war between Jews and Muslims in the Land of Israel. It is not a territorial conflict. This is a civilization conflict, or rather a war between civilization & barbarism.
More
Power plants turn off pollution controls to save money: By Ray Wallace
Pennsylvania, Ohio & West Virginia pollute more than themselves:
Power companies have been turning off pollution control equipment at coal-fired plants and allowing massive amounts of contaminants to escape through the stacks — a practice that is perfectly legal and saves the plants money but ends up contributing to chronic air and health issues in New Jersey....
As a result, some plants logged dramatic increases in nitrogen oxide emissions between 2009 and 2013 — even though the facilities have equipment that could capture up to 90 percent of the pollutant. FirstEnergy’s Harrison plant in West Virginia, for instance, emitted nearly 18,700 tons of nitrogen oxide in 2013, a nearly threefold increase from 2009. The Keystone plant in Pennsylvania, co-owned by Exelon and New Jersey-based PSEG Power, released nearly 16,650 tons of the pollutant in 2013, up about 350 percent from 2009.
The nitrogen oxide gets swept by prevailing winds and travels hundreds of miles east to New Jersey...
“It makes me very disappointed that some plants in Pennsylvania are turning off their equipment at probably the worst time for ozone — during the summer,” said Bob Martin, commissioner of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection. “Some of these plant owners are New Jersey companies, and they’re affecting New Jersey air quality.”...
Many coal-burning power plants with the largest nitrogen oxide emissions nationwide are in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia...
Power plants can legally turn off pollution controls and still remain in compliance because federal regulations let them buy credits that allow them to pollute. The EPA rules employ a strategy called cap and trade, which lets companies that decrease pollution sell their unused credits to companies whose emissions are above a certain threshold....
In the early 2000s, PPL, which operates several large facilities in Pennsylvania, spent about $215 million to equip its Montour plant with pollution controls. The company was using its SCR equipment in 2009 to reduce emissions as part of a strategy to accumulate allowances it could sell or use later. But when the price of allowances went down dramatically, PPL “chose to rely more on the purchase of emission allowances as permitted by the federal trading program,” said George Lewis, a spokesman with PPL.
-- From “N.J. air quality takes a hit,” by James M. O’Neill, at this May 17, 2015 NorthJersey site:
Many coal-burning power plants with the largest nitrogen oxide emissions nationwide are in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia...
New Jersey’s DEP has estimated that on days when the prevailing wind blows from the west, Pennsylvania pollution sources can contribute up to 30 percent of the ozone recorded at air monitors in New Jersey — and that’s when power plants are operating their pollution control equipment. When plants turn off the equipment, the impact on New Jersey is far greater....
Power plants can legally turn off pollution controls and still remain in compliance because federal regulations let them buy credits that allow them to pollute. The EPA rules employ a strategy called cap and trade, which lets companies that decrease pollution sell their unused credits to companies whose emissions are above a certain threshold....
In the early 2000s, PPL, which operates several large facilities in Pennsylvania, spent about $215 million to equip its Montour plant with pollution controls. The company was using its SCR equipment in 2009 to reduce emissions as part of a strategy to accumulate allowances it could sell or use later. But when the price of allowances went down dramatically, PPL “chose to rely more on the purchase of emission allowances as permitted by the federal trading program,” said George Lewis, a spokesman with PPL.
Maryland:
85 percent of Marylanders breathe air that's never met the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ozone standards....
Our air pollution is so bad we top all kinds of lists. We tie D.C. and Cleveland for the highest rate of early deaths from air pollution. More Baltimoreans die from air pollution than from gun violence each year. Sadly, 20 percent of Baltimore's children have asthma, twice the national average. Polluted air also increases strokes and heart disease, adding to its health costs. Newly published Harvard research even links autism to air pollution....
The costs of air pollution are paid by city governments, businesses and citizens, not by the polluting power plants.
-- From “State 'smog regulations' ensure bad air quality,” by Shirley Nathan-Pulliam, Dana M. Stein, and Laurel Peltier at this May 17, 2015 Baltimore Sun site:
George Stephanopoulos, Brian Williams and the media’s sinking reputation
By failing to disclose his donations to the Clinton Foundation, George Stephanopoulos has damaged his credibility and tarnished his network.
But you know something? He’s got plenty of company.
What an awful couple of years it’s been for the news business, even by our already-tattered standards.
While ABC’s chief anchor has landed himself in a heap of trouble, this comes at a time when NBC’s chief anchor, Brian Williams, is serving a six-month suspension for fabricating an Iraq war tale and possibly embellishing other reporting exploits. And it comes weeks after Rolling Stone had to retract its horrifyingly irresponsible tale of a gang rape at the University of Virginia.
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But you know something? He’s got plenty of company.
What an awful couple of years it’s been for the news business, even by our already-tattered standards.
While ABC’s chief anchor has landed himself in a heap of trouble, this comes at a time when NBC’s chief anchor, Brian Williams, is serving a six-month suspension for fabricating an Iraq war tale and possibly embellishing other reporting exploits. And it comes weeks after Rolling Stone had to retract its horrifyingly irresponsible tale of a gang rape at the University of Virginia.
More