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Monday, June 01, 2015
Bloomberg Poll: Scott Walker Leads GOP Field by 7 Points
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has expanded his early lead in Iowa, while former Florida Governor Jeb Bush continues to face headwinds and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida shows upside potential in the state that hosts the first 2016 presidential nomination balloting.
A new Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa Poll shows more than a third of likely Republican caucus participants say they would never vote for Bush—one factor in a new index to assess candidate strength in such a crowded field. Forty-three percent view him favorably, compared to 45 percent who view him unfavorably.
First, the big picture:
A new Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa Poll shows more than a third of likely Republican caucus participants say they would never vote for Bush—one factor in a new index to assess candidate strength in such a crowded field. Forty-three percent view him favorably, compared to 45 percent who view him unfavorably.
First, the big picture:
A Commercial That Didn't Need Words
At Food City, we honor those people that serve and protect our country, and we know that without the men and women who watch out for us, we would not have any of the luxuries we do. We are the land of the free because of the brave and we salute you!
GOP: Prosecute Lois Lerner
According to The Hill, 24 Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee sent a letter to Lynch asking for her to take up the panel's 2014 request to charge Lerner for possible crimes.
The allegations include using her position at the agency to pursue heightened scrutiny of conservative groups; obstructing investigations by giving misleading information; and disclosing confidential taxpayer information, The Hill said.
Before former Attorney General Eric Holder stepped down from his post, House Speaker John Boehner was informed by the department that Lerner would not be prosecuted for refusing to testify at a congressional hearing.
The letter, which was circulated by the committee's chairman, Paul Ryan, also prompted statements of support from Boehner and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
"The American people deserve the truth as to how the IRS was used as a political tool to target and harass Americans for their beliefs. … It is outrageous that despite having evidence right at their fingertips, the DOJ has refused to investigate potential criminal acts taken by Lois Lerner at the IRS," Boehner said in a statement, according to The Hill.
"The administration's silence on this targeting might as well imply its consent of these abusive actions," the speaker continued. "I hope the new attorney general will take this investigation seriously. The American people deserve answers and to know that justice will be served."
More here
Border Patrol Agents Warn That Border Is Still Not Secure
The situation at U.S. borders is still out-of-control despite reports that the number of illegal immigrants attempting to come to the U.S. is on the decline, Border Patrol officials told The Washington Post.
"This notion that DHS is saying the border is more secure than ever — they don’t have any evidence of that," said Brandon Judd, a 17-year agent who is president of the National Border Patrol Council. "It’s just smoke and mirrors."
The Pew Research Center has reported that immigration flows are at a 20-year low and for the first time in more than six decades of Border Patrol data, more non-Mexicans than Mexicans were apprehended at U.S. borders in 2014 (229,000 Mexicans, 257,000 non-Mexicans).
But the Washington Times reported in April that more than 3,000 unaccompanied minors came across the Mexican border in March, the most since the peak of the 2014 crisis when tens of thousands of unaccompanied Central American minors showed up at U.S. borders.
And in the first six months of this fiscal year, authorities have reported apprehending 15,647 unaccompanied minors trying to get across the border. Though that’s 40 percent fewer than the same time last year — a situation that "sparked a political crisis" — fiscal year 2015 is "shaping up to mark the second-biggest surge on record," according to the Times.
More here
"This notion that DHS is saying the border is more secure than ever — they don’t have any evidence of that," said Brandon Judd, a 17-year agent who is president of the National Border Patrol Council. "It’s just smoke and mirrors."
The Pew Research Center has reported that immigration flows are at a 20-year low and for the first time in more than six decades of Border Patrol data, more non-Mexicans than Mexicans were apprehended at U.S. borders in 2014 (229,000 Mexicans, 257,000 non-Mexicans).
But the Washington Times reported in April that more than 3,000 unaccompanied minors came across the Mexican border in March, the most since the peak of the 2014 crisis when tens of thousands of unaccompanied Central American minors showed up at U.S. borders.
And in the first six months of this fiscal year, authorities have reported apprehending 15,647 unaccompanied minors trying to get across the border. Though that’s 40 percent fewer than the same time last year — a situation that "sparked a political crisis" — fiscal year 2015 is "shaping up to mark the second-biggest surge on record," according to the Times.
More here
It's time for me to discipline my kid the tough way!
It's time for me to discipline my kid the tough way! Why? I don't play that!
Posted by Wayman Gresham on Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Los Angeles Labor Leaders Want Minimum Wage Exemption
Oh the irony.
Fourteen Los Angeles council members recently voted to incrementally raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. Considering a whopping 50% of the city’s workforce makes minimum wage, the new law is bound to have significant ramifications — which may explain this oddity from the Los Angeles Times:
“Labor leaders, who were among the strongest supporters of the citywide minimum wage increase approved last week by the Los Angeles City Council, are advocating last-minute changes to the law that could create an exemption for companies with unionized workforces.”
Rusty Hocks with the Federation of Labor defended the proposed exemption by opining, “With a collective bargaining agreement, a business owner and the employees negotiate an agreement that works for them both. The agreement allows each party to prioritize what is important to them.” Yet, as the Times notes, “For much of the past eight months, labor activists have argued against special considerations for business owners, such as restaurateurs, who said they would have trouble complying with the mandated pay increase.”
More here
Fourteen Los Angeles council members recently voted to incrementally raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. Considering a whopping 50% of the city’s workforce makes minimum wage, the new law is bound to have significant ramifications — which may explain this oddity from the Los Angeles Times:
“Labor leaders, who were among the strongest supporters of the citywide minimum wage increase approved last week by the Los Angeles City Council, are advocating last-minute changes to the law that could create an exemption for companies with unionized workforces.”
Rusty Hocks with the Federation of Labor defended the proposed exemption by opining, “With a collective bargaining agreement, a business owner and the employees negotiate an agreement that works for them both. The agreement allows each party to prioritize what is important to them.” Yet, as the Times notes, “For much of the past eight months, labor activists have argued against special considerations for business owners, such as restaurateurs, who said they would have trouble complying with the mandated pay increase.”
More here
Scott Walker: Obama Power Plant Rule 'Unworkable'
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican eyeing a presidential run in 2016, says President Barack Obama's plan to reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants is "unworkable."
Wisconsin will not comply with the president's plan without "significant and meaningful changes," Walker said. Obama's proposal is aimed at curbing the pollution blamed for global warming.
In a letter to Obama dated May 21, Walker complained that the proposed rule was "riddled with inaccuracies" and "questionable assumptions" that made it unworkable for his state. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter.
Wisconsin is among 15 coal-reliant states that are suing the Environmental Protection Agency to block the so-called Clean Power Plan, which would require states to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent by 2030.
Walker said in his letter to Obama that compliance with the rule could cost Wisconsin as much as $13.4 billion and raise electricity rates in the state by 29 percent.
In addition to those concerns, Walker also said the EPA may have exceeded its authority under the Clean Air Act by "attempting to regulate the entire electric generating system" in the United States.
Walker's letter comes after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for governors to defy proposed federal rules to limit carbon pollution. The Kentucky Republican wrote to all the nation's governors in March urging them to stand against the rule, which McConnell called illegal and a job-killer.
More here
Wisconsin will not comply with the president's plan without "significant and meaningful changes," Walker said. Obama's proposal is aimed at curbing the pollution blamed for global warming.
In a letter to Obama dated May 21, Walker complained that the proposed rule was "riddled with inaccuracies" and "questionable assumptions" that made it unworkable for his state. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter.
Wisconsin is among 15 coal-reliant states that are suing the Environmental Protection Agency to block the so-called Clean Power Plan, which would require states to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent by 2030.
Walker said in his letter to Obama that compliance with the rule could cost Wisconsin as much as $13.4 billion and raise electricity rates in the state by 29 percent.
In addition to those concerns, Walker also said the EPA may have exceeded its authority under the Clean Air Act by "attempting to regulate the entire electric generating system" in the United States.
Walker's letter comes after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for governors to defy proposed federal rules to limit carbon pollution. The Kentucky Republican wrote to all the nation's governors in March urging them to stand against the rule, which McConnell called illegal and a job-killer.
More here
Baltimore Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby in the Spotlight Again, Pumping Up a Crowd at a Venue That Might Surprise You
She was interviewed by Vogue and got invited onstage by Prince at his concert for Gray.
Then she said her Twitter account was hacked after questionable “favoriting” of anti-cop posts; and a video surfaced of her appearance on “Judge Judy” from 2000.
But on Friday Mosby stood upon a very different platform — at the circus.
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Bad Accident On Rt. 113
JUST IN: Fatal crash involving ambulance, bus on Eastern Shore
The crash involved a Bloxum ambulance and a Star Transit bus.
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Civil Rights Leader: Send Giuliani to Clean Up Baltimore
A top civil rights leader is asking New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to head to Baltimore and help clean up the troubled Maryland city's horrific crime problem.
"I want you to give Baltimore a plan," Michael Meyers, president of the New York Civil Rights Coalition, said Thursday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
"Get the data, where the crime patterns are, what the police are doing or not doing … and shake the department up," Meyers said.
Giuliani has been credited with cleaning up New York City by using increased law enforcement to largely rid it of out-of-control crime, drugs, porn, and vice.
"He told the police department, no excuses. He told his commanders, no excuses — I'm going to hold you responsible and accountable for putting down crime," Meyers said.
More
"I want you to give Baltimore a plan," Michael Meyers, president of the New York Civil Rights Coalition, said Thursday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
"Get the data, where the crime patterns are, what the police are doing or not doing … and shake the department up," Meyers said.
Giuliani has been credited with cleaning up New York City by using increased law enforcement to largely rid it of out-of-control crime, drugs, porn, and vice.
"He told the police department, no excuses. He told his commanders, no excuses — I'm going to hold you responsible and accountable for putting down crime," Meyers said.
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O'Malley dismisses polls, pointing to primary process
“I believe that we're not going to overcome our problems without new leadership,” he said on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” “So what I offer in this race, George, is 15 years of executive experience accomplishing difficult things and bringin' people together to get them done. And the most difficult challenge we face right now is restoring the truth of the American dream that we share, making wages go up, and making our country work again and our economy work for all of our people.”
O’Malley dismissed his poor showing in polls, saying the primary processes and caucuses “have a certain greatness to them.”
“And it is this-- that people there have seen 1 percent candidates before-- get into the van, go from county to county to county and make their case about their better choices that they would offer the nation, and suddenly become very well-known overnight when people make up their mind.”
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Major Construction at North Korea Launch Site
Satellite imagery shows significant new construction at North Korea's main rocket launch site in a sign of leader Kim Jong Un's determination to pursue a space program despite international censure, a U.S. research institute said Thursday.
North Korea is barred under U.N. Security Council resolutions from launching rockets as that technology can also be used to launch ballistic missiles. Kim, however, declared this month that its space program "can never be abandoned."
North Korea has been upgrading the Sohae launch site on its west coast since mid-2013 after it blasted its first rocket into space in December 2012. It says the space program is peaceful.
The U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies says the North completed an expansion of its launch tower late last year to take larger rockets. Commercial satellite imagery shows that since then, the North has been working on a support building and what appears to be a moveable platform to allow an assembled rocket to be shifted on rails to the launch pad. The institute likens it to facilities in China but says there's no publicly available evidence to suggest Beijing is providing help.
"The Sohae facility upgrade program represents a significant investment of financial, material and personnel resources and is another indicator, along with its public statements, that North Korea is determined to pursue its space program," read the analysis provided to The Associated Press ahead of publication on the institute's website, 38 North.
Satellite imagery analyst Tim Brown writes that the expansion of the launch tower suggests the North wants to field a larger space launch vehicle, which may also contribute to its development of long-range ballistic missiles.
More
North Korea is barred under U.N. Security Council resolutions from launching rockets as that technology can also be used to launch ballistic missiles. Kim, however, declared this month that its space program "can never be abandoned."
North Korea has been upgrading the Sohae launch site on its west coast since mid-2013 after it blasted its first rocket into space in December 2012. It says the space program is peaceful.
The U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies says the North completed an expansion of its launch tower late last year to take larger rockets. Commercial satellite imagery shows that since then, the North has been working on a support building and what appears to be a moveable platform to allow an assembled rocket to be shifted on rails to the launch pad. The institute likens it to facilities in China but says there's no publicly available evidence to suggest Beijing is providing help.
"The Sohae facility upgrade program represents a significant investment of financial, material and personnel resources and is another indicator, along with its public statements, that North Korea is determined to pursue its space program," read the analysis provided to The Associated Press ahead of publication on the institute's website, 38 North.
Satellite imagery analyst Tim Brown writes that the expansion of the launch tower suggests the North wants to field a larger space launch vehicle, which may also contribute to its development of long-range ballistic missiles.
More
Weather Alert
Weather Alert!For folks traveling to Somerset or Wicomico Counties this afternoon. A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...
Posted by Worcester County Sheriff's Office on Monday, June 1, 2015
Dozens arrested in drug crackdown; 10,000 bags of heroin seized
The arrests Thursday in the county, including in Wilmington, were made by county and city police, Delaware State Police and the FBI.
The investigation, dubbed “Operation Smack Down,” began in August and focused on drug trafficking led by Adrin Smack and others in New Castle County, police said.
The U.S. Marshals Office, Maryland State Police, Delaware Department of Correction Probation and Parole officers and the Delaware Department of Justice also were involved in the nine-month investigation, which resulted in more than 400 counts in criminal indictments being issued for drug distribution, weapons possession, possession of illegal drugs, conspiracy and related offenses.
Police said they seized:
• 10,524 bags of heroin (about 158 grams)
• 27.4 grams of marijuana
• 35.5 grams of cocaine
• $17,054 cash
• A 9 mm handgun
• A .32 caliber revolver
• Ammunition
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Gretchen Carlson: Advice For The Real World
“I know,” he said, barely looking up at me from his reading.
“But why?”
He shrugged. “You’ll have to figure it out,” he said.
I was dismayed, to say the least. My goal was to be valedictorian, and I was counting on an A. I wanted that grade!
I trudged to the library to look up carpe diem, which I discovered meant seize the day. It took me awhile, but finally I was forced to consider why Mr. Nabedrick had written those words on my paper. I think he looked at me as someone who was too focused on grades at the expense of really learning, and that there was more to life than a perfect grade. He was challenging me to open myself to opportunities and take risks.
I did get an A in Mr. Nabedrick’s class, and I did become valedictorian. But the words—seize the day—stayed with me. They shook me up, made me realize that my future was in my own hands.
I’ve been thinking about Jack Nabedrick a lot recently, because this is graduation season, and I am often asked what advice I’d give to new grads. Seize the day seems like a good place to start. But once you seize the day, it’s what you do with it that matters.
Keep reading..
Lost Dog 5-30-15: UPDATE
Lost Dog in Salisbury – Last seen in the vicinity of N. Park Drive near the Park – Chipped – Skittish – Contact – 301-748-1136 or 240-315-7222 if seen. The dog will run if approached.
Fish Free in Maryland June 6, 13 and July 4
Maryland also features 23 unique license-free fishing areas, where anglers can fish without a license throughout the year. With the exception of Gambrill Park Pond, a free Saltwater Angler Registration is required to fish in these areas, except on free fishing days.
As always, anglers must adhere to regulations, including size and possession limits, which are available online in the digital 2015 Maryland Fishing Guide. Printed copies of the guide are offered at most Maryland tackle shops and at the seven regional DNR Service Centers.
Anglers 15 years old and younger do not need a license to fish year-round.
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BREAKING NEWS: Route 50 Shut Down Due to Fatal Accident
UPDATE: One lane has been opened and traffic is no longer being detoured.
Carly Fiorina: Big Government Is Crushing Americans
Republican presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina told a packed audience that a huge, complex and sometimes corrupt government was "crushing the potential" of Americans.
"That is not hyperbole," she said. "That is fact."
When democracy becomes so big and powerful, and so costly and complex, Fiorina said, only the big, powerful, wealthy and well-connected can handle it.
"The small and the powerless get crushed," she said.
At the Delaware GOP convention in Wilmington on Saturday morning, Fiorina came out strong against Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, questioning why the former U.S. secretary of state has answered so few on-the-record questions.
Fiorina said Washington needs more leaders, not managers. Managers are happy to go along and exist within the status quo while leaders take risks, she said.
The former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, Fiorina said she has the expertise as a leader to be president. The country is at a pivotal point in its history where strong leadership is needed, she said.
While on the campaign trail, Fiorina said she's often asked why she's so critical of Clinton.
"It has nothing to do with the fact that either one of us are women. It has to do with this fact: 82 percent of the American people now believe that we have a professional political class that is more focused on preserving its power and privilege than it is on doing the people's work," she said.
"Bill and Hillary Clinton are the personification of the professional political class," she said.
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"That is not hyperbole," she said. "That is fact."
When democracy becomes so big and powerful, and so costly and complex, Fiorina said, only the big, powerful, wealthy and well-connected can handle it.
"The small and the powerless get crushed," she said.
At the Delaware GOP convention in Wilmington on Saturday morning, Fiorina came out strong against Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, questioning why the former U.S. secretary of state has answered so few on-the-record questions.
Fiorina said Washington needs more leaders, not managers. Managers are happy to go along and exist within the status quo while leaders take risks, she said.
The former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, Fiorina said she has the expertise as a leader to be president. The country is at a pivotal point in its history where strong leadership is needed, she said.
While on the campaign trail, Fiorina said she's often asked why she's so critical of Clinton.
"It has nothing to do with the fact that either one of us are women. It has to do with this fact: 82 percent of the American people now believe that we have a professional political class that is more focused on preserving its power and privilege than it is on doing the people's work," she said.
"Bill and Hillary Clinton are the personification of the professional political class," she said.
More
Group: Iranian, North Korean Officials Worked on Nuclear Warhead
A North Korean delegation that traveled to Iran in April for secret meetings about nuclear technology spent much of its time working with an Iranian agency responsible for weaponizing the country’s nuclear program, according to an exiled Iranian opposition group.
Reports Thursday said that at least three North Korean delegations traveled to Iran in late April to help advance the country’s nuclear weapons program. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) released additional information claiming that the North Koreans primarily worked with an Iranian agency tasked with “manufacturing interior parts of nuclear warhead.”
The NCRI’s claims sparked questions from reporters during the State Department’s daily briefing and forced the Obama administration to reveal it is looking into the reports.
Some has taken the NCRI claims as further proof of the extensive coordination between Tehran and Pyongyang on the nuclear front. In March, Iran was accused of housing illicit nuclear materials in North Korea to avoid detection by international inspectors.
The NCRI initially disclosed Thursday that based on sources inside Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a seven-person delegation of North Korean defense ministry officials travelled to Iran at the end of April.
“The delegates included nuclear experts, nuclear warhead experts, and experts in various elements of ballistic missiles including guidance systems,” the NCRI said, according to Reuters.
This was reported to be at least the third such meeting between high-level North Korean and Iranian officials. Another delegation is scheduled to be in Iran again in June, according to the NCRI, which in the past has revealed Iran’s clandestine nuclear enrichment facilities.
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Reports Thursday said that at least three North Korean delegations traveled to Iran in late April to help advance the country’s nuclear weapons program. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) released additional information claiming that the North Koreans primarily worked with an Iranian agency tasked with “manufacturing interior parts of nuclear warhead.”
The NCRI’s claims sparked questions from reporters during the State Department’s daily briefing and forced the Obama administration to reveal it is looking into the reports.
Some has taken the NCRI claims as further proof of the extensive coordination between Tehran and Pyongyang on the nuclear front. In March, Iran was accused of housing illicit nuclear materials in North Korea to avoid detection by international inspectors.
The NCRI initially disclosed Thursday that based on sources inside Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a seven-person delegation of North Korean defense ministry officials travelled to Iran at the end of April.
“The delegates included nuclear experts, nuclear warhead experts, and experts in various elements of ballistic missiles including guidance systems,” the NCRI said, according to Reuters.
This was reported to be at least the third such meeting between high-level North Korean and Iranian officials. Another delegation is scheduled to be in Iran again in June, according to the NCRI, which in the past has revealed Iran’s clandestine nuclear enrichment facilities.
More
Clay Christensen On Religious Freedom
[ One of the world’s pre-eminent experts on innovation, Clayton Christensen is the Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, and one of the world’s foremost experts on innovation and growth. His seminal work, The Innovator’s Dilemma (1997), received the Global Business Book Award for the best business book of the year. It has been followed by The Innovator’s Solution (2003); Seeing What’s Next (2004); Disrupting Class (2008) looking at the root causes of why schools struggle and offering solutions; The Innovator’s Prescription (2009) examining how to fix the US healthcare system; The Innovators’ DNA (2011); and The Innovative University (2011). ]
Study: Administrative Costs Growing Under Obamacare
A new study shows overhead costs are rising at a shocking level under Obamacare, the Hill reports.
The administrative costs for healthcare plans are expected to explode by more than a quarter of a trillion dollars over the next decade, according to a new study published by the Health Affairs blog.
The $270 billion in new costs, for both private insurance companies and government programs, will be “over and above what would have been expected had the law not been enacted,” one of the authors, David Himmelstein, wrote Wednesday.
More here
The administrative costs for healthcare plans are expected to explode by more than a quarter of a trillion dollars over the next decade, according to a new study published by the Health Affairs blog.
The $270 billion in new costs, for both private insurance companies and government programs, will be “over and above what would have been expected had the law not been enacted,” one of the authors, David Himmelstein, wrote Wednesday.
More here
Congress Eyes Requiring Gun Liability Insurance
Gun owners will have to carry liability insurance if a bill introduced Friday by New York House Democrat Rep. Carolyn Maloney successfully makes its way through Congress.
Rep. Maloney’s "Firearm Risk Protection Act" would subject gun owners to a $10,000 fine if they ignored a mandate for liability insurance before obtaining a weapon, The Hill reported Friday.
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Rep. Maloney’s "Firearm Risk Protection Act" would subject gun owners to a $10,000 fine if they ignored a mandate for liability insurance before obtaining a weapon, The Hill reported Friday.
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Tiny Md. Island Hoping To Find Way To Increase Population
SMITH ISLAND, Md. (AP) — Janet Evans could become a legend.
Not because she’s known to steer a skiff across the channel to work at Ewell School, where she is a teaching principal. Navigating a work or pleasure boat around Tangier Sound is a way of life on Smith Island.
It is not unique, either, that Evans knows the name, age and grade of the children at Ewell School.
All 11 of them.
Ewell School is among the smallest public elementary schools in the state and the nation by enrollment. So small that in 2013, the schoolhouse in the village of Ewell on the offshore Smith Island ranked 919th out of 920 public elementary schools in Maryland — and that was two years ago, when there were 13 students.
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Not because she’s known to steer a skiff across the channel to work at Ewell School, where she is a teaching principal. Navigating a work or pleasure boat around Tangier Sound is a way of life on Smith Island.
It is not unique, either, that Evans knows the name, age and grade of the children at Ewell School.
All 11 of them.
Ewell School is among the smallest public elementary schools in the state and the nation by enrollment. So small that in 2013, the schoolhouse in the village of Ewell on the offshore Smith Island ranked 919th out of 920 public elementary schools in Maryland — and that was two years ago, when there were 13 students.
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16 Indicted in Maryland "Pill Mill" Ring Bust
Sixteen people have been charged with illegally using clinics in Maryland and D.C. to distribute prescription drugs for cash, according to prosecutors.
Three Maryland clinics were named in the indictment: PG Wellness Center in Oxon Hill, First Priority Health Care in Elkridge and MPC Wellness Center in Greenbelt. The indictment also named A Plus Pain Clinic in D.C.
The suspects face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Three of the suspects additionally face a maximum of ten years in prison for health care fraud. And all of the indictments seek the seizure of money and property from those charged.
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Three Maryland clinics were named in the indictment: PG Wellness Center in Oxon Hill, First Priority Health Care in Elkridge and MPC Wellness Center in Greenbelt. The indictment also named A Plus Pain Clinic in D.C.
The suspects face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Three of the suspects additionally face a maximum of ten years in prison for health care fraud. And all of the indictments seek the seizure of money and property from those charged.
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Solar Billionaire Elon Musk Receives Billions in Govt Funding
Elon Musk's multi-billion-dollar companies that build electric cars, launch space rockets and sell solar panels were built through the help of an estimated $4.9 billion in government incentives, an analysis of federal data reveals.
"He definitely goes where there is government money, Dan Dolev, an analyst at Jefferies Equity Research, told The Los Angeles Times. "That's a great strategy, but the government will cut you off one day."
Musk's Tesla Motors Inc., SolarCity Corp. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, have all benefited from public funds, including grants, tax breaks, low-cost loans, and even environmental credits and rebates to attract customers to buy solar panels or electric cars.
Tesla and SolarCity are both reporting net losses, but their stocks are climbing while taxpayers end up paying for incentives for the creation of products for wealthy customers.
Musk and other officials with the three companies have not commented publicly, but the government subsidies are detailed in public records, reports The Times.
For example, in New York, the state is spending $750 million to build a SolarCity solar panel factory in Buffalo. However, SolarCity will only pay $1 a year to lease the plant, and will not pay property taxes on it for 10 years, at a savings of $260 million.
In addition, the federal government provides grants or tax credits that cover 30 percent of solar installations, and SolarCity reported receiving $497.5 million in direct grants from the Treasury Department.
More here
[Related stories: Solar City Presentation at the Salisbury Mayor's Roundtable
Wicomico Solar Farm Proposal Heard by Council
Horror Stories of Solar Company That Gets $422M In Tax Dollars
"He definitely goes where there is government money, Dan Dolev, an analyst at Jefferies Equity Research, told The Los Angeles Times. "That's a great strategy, but the government will cut you off one day."
Musk's Tesla Motors Inc., SolarCity Corp. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, have all benefited from public funds, including grants, tax breaks, low-cost loans, and even environmental credits and rebates to attract customers to buy solar panels or electric cars.
Tesla and SolarCity are both reporting net losses, but their stocks are climbing while taxpayers end up paying for incentives for the creation of products for wealthy customers.
Musk and other officials with the three companies have not commented publicly, but the government subsidies are detailed in public records, reports The Times.
For example, in New York, the state is spending $750 million to build a SolarCity solar panel factory in Buffalo. However, SolarCity will only pay $1 a year to lease the plant, and will not pay property taxes on it for 10 years, at a savings of $260 million.
In addition, the federal government provides grants or tax credits that cover 30 percent of solar installations, and SolarCity reported receiving $497.5 million in direct grants from the Treasury Department.
More here
[Related stories: Solar City Presentation at the Salisbury Mayor's Roundtable
Wicomico Solar Farm Proposal Heard by Council
Horror Stories of Solar Company That Gets $422M In Tax Dollars
Take Their Phones. Help Them Re-engage
At a talk the other day, he dared to suggest that teenagers should be banned from carrying smartphones until they are 18. He says that easily available porn is having a brutalising effect on boys. Girls are viewed as objects to be passed around. Phones allow them to share imagery, make snap judgements and communicate without ever speaking.
My friends with teenagers complain their children have lost the power of speech (not that my generation was particularly communicative), that they watch television while texting and commenting online, and spend hours just staring at tiny screens.
In the US, many schools are banning smartphones and tablets, so why is the same not happening here? Some do, but all UK schools should install secure bins inside their gates and pay for guards to remove gadgets from pupils. We all know teens cheekily sit with their phones on silent mode, operating them behind a teacher’s back, even when they are supposedly banned. The people at Apple who invented these phones and tablets don’t let their own children use them – doesn’t that say it all? Some bosses in Silicon Valley go as far as preventing their children from using the internet at all until they are teenagers.
More here
Production of a dangerous street drug called 'Moon Rocks' is soaring and the DEA can't keep up
Spice, otherwise known as K2, Moon Rocks, or Skunk is a lab-produced, mind-altering drug that's been soaring in popularity in recent years.
Giant underground laboratories, many of which are in China, are churning out thousands of pounds of the stuff. This week, the DEA arrested a man whose lab likely produced the chemicals in some 70% of the spice sold in the US, the New York Times reports.
Although it's often marketed as a "safer alternative to traditional marijuana," spice is dangerous and can be deadly.
Giant underground laboratories, many of which are in China, are churning out thousands of pounds of the stuff. This week, the DEA arrested a man whose lab likely produced the chemicals in some 70% of the spice sold in the US, the New York Times reports.
Although it's often marketed as a "safer alternative to traditional marijuana," spice is dangerous and can be deadly.
Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Child Pornography Arrest
(Pikesville, MD) Members of the Maryland State Police, Computer Crimes Section, Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) arrest Prince George’s County individual on child pornography related charges.
The suspect is identified as James Edward Littlejohn, 47, from Prince George’s County, Maryland. He was arrested without incident. Littlejohn was charged with distributing child pornography and possession of child pornography.
As a result of this investigation, an arrest warrant was executed at a residence in the Suitland area in Prince George’s County on May 29, 2015 by a Maryland State Police Computer Crimes investigator and Agents from the Department of Homeland Security, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office. Investigators identified Littlejohn as the focus of the investigation. Execution of the arrest warrant was the result of evidence found on a seized computer Littlejohn had access to, which contained images of child pornography. Littlejohn was transported to Prince George’s County Central Booking by troopers from the Forestville Barrack to be seen by a District Court Commissioner.
The Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is comprised of police agencies from around the state. Its primary mission is to protect children from computer-facilitated sexual exploitation. The Task Force works cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to provide resources to combat these crimes. Additionally, the Task Force provides community awareness campaigns helping to prevent the spread of these crimes through education.
The suspect is identified as James Edward Littlejohn, 47, from Prince George’s County, Maryland. He was arrested without incident. Littlejohn was charged with distributing child pornography and possession of child pornography.
As a result of this investigation, an arrest warrant was executed at a residence in the Suitland area in Prince George’s County on May 29, 2015 by a Maryland State Police Computer Crimes investigator and Agents from the Department of Homeland Security, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office. Investigators identified Littlejohn as the focus of the investigation. Execution of the arrest warrant was the result of evidence found on a seized computer Littlejohn had access to, which contained images of child pornography. Littlejohn was transported to Prince George’s County Central Booking by troopers from the Forestville Barrack to be seen by a District Court Commissioner.
The Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is comprised of police agencies from around the state. Its primary mission is to protect children from computer-facilitated sexual exploitation. The Task Force works cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to provide resources to combat these crimes. Additionally, the Task Force provides community awareness campaigns helping to prevent the spread of these crimes through education.
BREAKING NEWS: Lindsey Graham announces 2016 White House bid
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham enters the 2016 presidential race, becoming the ninth Republican to seek the party’s nomination.
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How Much do you Need to Earn to Afford a Modest Apartment in Your State?
See the entire report by clicking HERE
Alleged Nazi war criminal wanted by Russia dies in Quebec
MONTREAL — The second most wanted man on the Simon Wiesenthal Center's list of Nazi war criminals — charged earlier this month by Russia with genocide — has died at age 93, his lawyer said.
Vladimir Katriuk passed away last week after a long illness, Orest Rudzik said Thursday.
News of Katriuk's death emerged several hours after the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said Ottawa should take the necessary steps to ensure that he be held accountable if he were found guilty of war crimes committed in collaboration with the Nazis.
Russia charged Katriuk earlier this month with genocide in connection with the 1943 killing of civilians in Khatyn, now part of Belarus. According to war reports, Katriuk was a member of a Ukrainian battalion of the SS, the elite Nazi storm troops, between 1942 and 1944. He had denied the accusations against him.
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Vladimir Katriuk passed away last week after a long illness, Orest Rudzik said Thursday.
News of Katriuk's death emerged several hours after the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said Ottawa should take the necessary steps to ensure that he be held accountable if he were found guilty of war crimes committed in collaboration with the Nazis.
Russia charged Katriuk earlier this month with genocide in connection with the 1943 killing of civilians in Khatyn, now part of Belarus. According to war reports, Katriuk was a member of a Ukrainian battalion of the SS, the elite Nazi storm troops, between 1942 and 1944. He had denied the accusations against him.
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Baltimore's Murder Total For May Climbs To 43
Baltimore City has now recorded 43 murders in May, making this the second deadliest month on record.
The latest killing took place Sunday morning in the 1900-block of North Collington Avenue in East Baltimore. Police say two men were shot in the back. One of them died at the scene. The other was hospitalized.
This is one of three murders that took place Sunday in the city.
Police say two men were found shot in the head at around 1:15 Sunday morning in the 2000-block of Belair Road.
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The latest killing took place Sunday morning in the 1900-block of North Collington Avenue in East Baltimore. Police say two men were shot in the back. One of them died at the scene. The other was hospitalized.
This is one of three murders that took place Sunday in the city.
Police say two men were found shot in the head at around 1:15 Sunday morning in the 2000-block of Belair Road.
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Crabs Are Plentiful This Year
8,000 Chinese students were expelled from US universities last year, mostly for cheating and bad grades
“Chinese students used to be considered top-notch, but over the past five years their image has changed completely—wealthy kids who cheat,” Chen, chief development officer at WholeRen, told the Wall Street Journal. According to Chen, past generations of Chinese students were poorer and relied on their grades and scholarships to get into universities abroad, but now these students are often wealthy Chinese who weren’t able to get admitted to a good school at home.
This challenge to the stereotype of the “studious Chinese student” also calls into question the quality of education that Chinese students are used to at home. Critics say that China’s university drop-out rate is so low—just 3%, compared to 54% in the US or 32% in the United Kingdom—because professors rarely fail their students. (One theory is that the students, after years of enduring punishing hours of study and testing in order to get into university, are given a break.)
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Judge Roy Moore: Impeach Ginsburg
(CNSNews) – On May 17, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg officiated the marriage of two men and used the occasion to cite her constitutional right to do so. In June, the high court – including Ginsburg’s vote - will announce its decision on whether homosexual marriage is guaranteed by the Constitution.
That’s grounds for impeachment, Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore told CNSNews.com in an exclusive interview.
“She’s basically thumbing her nose in front of the other justices that she’s going to say what she wants to say and do what she wants to do, and she’s going to ignore the rules of ethics,” Moore said, adding that judges are bound by those rules.
“I think there’s grounds for the legislature of the United States and Congress to act,” Moore said. “They could act to impeach her; they could remove her for bad behavior, because judges serve for good behavior under Article 3 (of the Constitution).
Moore said the fact that Ginsburg made a public statement that she had a right under the Constitution to perform a same-sex wedding, under the ethics rules, is bad behavior given her role in deciding the Obergefell v. Hodges case.
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That’s grounds for impeachment, Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore told CNSNews.com in an exclusive interview.
“She’s basically thumbing her nose in front of the other justices that she’s going to say what she wants to say and do what she wants to do, and she’s going to ignore the rules of ethics,” Moore said, adding that judges are bound by those rules.
“I think there’s grounds for the legislature of the United States and Congress to act,” Moore said. “They could act to impeach her; they could remove her for bad behavior, because judges serve for good behavior under Article 3 (of the Constitution).
Moore said the fact that Ginsburg made a public statement that she had a right under the Constitution to perform a same-sex wedding, under the ethics rules, is bad behavior given her role in deciding the Obergefell v. Hodges case.
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FCC Chairman: Expand ‘Obama Phone’ Program to Internet
(CNSNews) - Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler announced on Thursday that he intends to expand Lifeline, popularly known as the “Obama Phone” program, to the Internet.
“I am circulating new proposals to “reboot” Lifeline for the Internet age,” Wheeler wrote in a blog post on the FCC’s Website. He said the reboot would include “establishing minimum standards of service for voice and broadband,” in addition to subsidies for low-income consumers.
Lifeline is a government benefit program that provides a monthly subsidy of $9.95 on telephone service for those at or below 135 percent of the poverty line so they can connect to the nation's communications networks, find jobs, access health care services, connect with family and their children's schools, and call for help in an emergency.
The money comes out of the Universal Service Fund (USF), which is funded through fees paid by consumers on telephone service. The fee is generally itemized on customers’ monthly telephone bills and is currently assessed at a rate of 16.1 percent of the bill.
The size of the Lifeline program has doubled since 2008, increasing from $819 million to $1.6 billion in 2014. It reached a high of $2.19 billion in 2012 amid allegations of fraud and abuse.
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“I am circulating new proposals to “reboot” Lifeline for the Internet age,” Wheeler wrote in a blog post on the FCC’s Website. He said the reboot would include “establishing minimum standards of service for voice and broadband,” in addition to subsidies for low-income consumers.
Lifeline is a government benefit program that provides a monthly subsidy of $9.95 on telephone service for those at or below 135 percent of the poverty line so they can connect to the nation's communications networks, find jobs, access health care services, connect with family and their children's schools, and call for help in an emergency.
The money comes out of the Universal Service Fund (USF), which is funded through fees paid by consumers on telephone service. The fee is generally itemized on customers’ monthly telephone bills and is currently assessed at a rate of 16.1 percent of the bill.
The size of the Lifeline program has doubled since 2008, increasing from $819 million to $1.6 billion in 2014. It reached a high of $2.19 billion in 2012 amid allegations of fraud and abuse.
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IRS Indifferent to Hacking Incident
Apparently the arrogance of IRS Commissioner John Koskinen knows no bounds. Facing questions about the ease by which hackers accessed the tax returns of more than 100,000 Americans from February to mid-May, he remained unapologetic. “These are actually organized crime syndicates that not only we but everybody in the financial industry are dealing with,” he declared — before boasting about the agency’s ability to stop approximately half the attacks.
Koskinen also offered up an exercise in semantics. “This is not a hack or data breach. These are impostors pretending to be someone,” he said according to The Wall Street Journal. Technically the Commissioner is correct in that the IRS systems themselves weren’t compromised. But one suspects the efforts, now attributed to Russian hackers engaged in a sophisticated scheme to claim fraudulent tax refunds, will be scant comfort to American taxpayers waiting for those refunds. Furthermore, Americans might not have known about the source of the attack at all: two officials contacting Breitbart News “spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation,” the website reported.
The hackers used Social Security numbers, street addresses and other critical information obtained elsewhere to complete a multistep authorization process. It allowed them to gain access and request refunds and other filings, the IRS admitted. Before detecting the scheme, the agency sent out nearly $50 million in refunds. As a result the IRS has temporarily shut down its “Get Transcript” application that had allowed taxpayers to access their own information.
Perhaps Koskinen and company see this as an improvement. In 2013, the IRS paid out a whopping $5.8 billion in fraudulently claimed refunds.
More here
Koskinen also offered up an exercise in semantics. “This is not a hack or data breach. These are impostors pretending to be someone,” he said according to The Wall Street Journal. Technically the Commissioner is correct in that the IRS systems themselves weren’t compromised. But one suspects the efforts, now attributed to Russian hackers engaged in a sophisticated scheme to claim fraudulent tax refunds, will be scant comfort to American taxpayers waiting for those refunds. Furthermore, Americans might not have known about the source of the attack at all: two officials contacting Breitbart News “spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation,” the website reported.
The hackers used Social Security numbers, street addresses and other critical information obtained elsewhere to complete a multistep authorization process. It allowed them to gain access and request refunds and other filings, the IRS admitted. Before detecting the scheme, the agency sent out nearly $50 million in refunds. As a result the IRS has temporarily shut down its “Get Transcript” application that had allowed taxpayers to access their own information.
Perhaps Koskinen and company see this as an improvement. In 2013, the IRS paid out a whopping $5.8 billion in fraudulently claimed refunds.
More here
The flip side of years of no hurricanes: Good luck runs out
Cities like Tampa, Houston, Jacksonville and Daytona Beach historically get hit with major hurricanes every 20 to 40 years, according to meteorologists. But those same places have now gone at least 70 years — sometimes more than a century — without getting smacked by those monster storms, according to data analyses by an MIT hurricane professor and The Associated Press.
These are places where people may think they know what to expect from a major hurricane —with more than 110 mph winds, such as Katrina or Andrew — but they really don’t. They are cities where building construction has boomed but haven’t been tested by nature at its strongest. In the Tampa region, an Andrew-sized storm could cause more than $200 billion in damage, according to a local government study in 2010.
Few of Tampa’s current residents witnessed the last major hurricane that hit there in October 1921. Movies were silent, booze was illegal and Warren Harding was president. For northeast Florida and southern Georgia, the last major hurricane was sometime in the 19th century.
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Krauthammer: Why Doctors Quit
About a decade ago, a doctor friend was lamenting the increasingly frustrating conditions of clinical practice. “How did you know to get out of medicine in 1978?” he asked with a smile.
“I didn’t,” I replied. “I had no idea what was coming. I just felt I’d chosen the wrong vocation.”
I was reminded of this exchange upon receiving my med-school class’s 40th-reunion report and reading some of the entries. In general, my classmates felt fulfilled by family, friends and the considerable achievements of their professional lives. But there was an undercurrent of deep disappointment, almost demoralization, with what medical practice had become.
The complaint was not financial but vocational — an incessant interference with their work, a deep erosion of their autonomy and authority, a transformation from physician to “provider.”
As one of them wrote, “My colleagues who have already left practice all say they still love patient care, being a doctor. They just couldn’t stand everything else.” By which he meant “a never-ending attack on the profession from government, insurance companies, and lawyers … progressively intrusive and usually unproductive rules and regulations,” topped by an electronic health records (EHR) mandate that produces nothing more than “billing and legal documents” — and degraded medicine.
I hear this everywhere. Virtually every doctor and doctors' group I speak to cites the same litany, with particular bitterness about the EHR mandate. As another classmate wrote, “The introduction of the electronic medical record into our office has created so much more need for documentation that I can only see about three-quarters of the patients I could before, and has prompted me to seriously consider leaving for the first time.”
Read more..
“I didn’t,” I replied. “I had no idea what was coming. I just felt I’d chosen the wrong vocation.”
I was reminded of this exchange upon receiving my med-school class’s 40th-reunion report and reading some of the entries. In general, my classmates felt fulfilled by family, friends and the considerable achievements of their professional lives. But there was an undercurrent of deep disappointment, almost demoralization, with what medical practice had become.
The complaint was not financial but vocational — an incessant interference with their work, a deep erosion of their autonomy and authority, a transformation from physician to “provider.”
As one of them wrote, “My colleagues who have already left practice all say they still love patient care, being a doctor. They just couldn’t stand everything else.” By which he meant “a never-ending attack on the profession from government, insurance companies, and lawyers … progressively intrusive and usually unproductive rules and regulations,” topped by an electronic health records (EHR) mandate that produces nothing more than “billing and legal documents” — and degraded medicine.
I hear this everywhere. Virtually every doctor and doctors' group I speak to cites the same litany, with particular bitterness about the EHR mandate. As another classmate wrote, “The introduction of the electronic medical record into our office has created so much more need for documentation that I can only see about three-quarters of the patients I could before, and has prompted me to seriously consider leaving for the first time.”
Read more..
Maryland Gov. Hogan appoints two Common Core supporters to Board of Education
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan just named two new members of the state Board of Education — both supporters of the Common Core as well as charter schools.
Hogan, a Republican, tapped Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, and Andy Smarick, partner at Bellwether Education Partners, to take the open seats on the 12-person board created by the departures of Charlene M. Dukes and Donna Hill Staton.
Hogan, who was sworn in as Maryland governor in January, had during the campaign characterized the implementation of school reforms in the state as “a train wreck” and said he believed in local control of assessments. In late January, a spokeswoman for Hogan said in an e-mail, “Governor Hogan believes that we need to hit the ‘pause’ button on Common Core and give control back to teachers and parents.”
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Hogan, a Republican, tapped Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, and Andy Smarick, partner at Bellwether Education Partners, to take the open seats on the 12-person board created by the departures of Charlene M. Dukes and Donna Hill Staton.
Hogan, who was sworn in as Maryland governor in January, had during the campaign characterized the implementation of school reforms in the state as “a train wreck” and said he believed in local control of assessments. In late January, a spokeswoman for Hogan said in an e-mail, “Governor Hogan believes that we need to hit the ‘pause’ button on Common Core and give control back to teachers and parents.”
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Tragedy haunts Joe Biden once again
In the latest personal devastation, the Vice President must now endure the torment of burying a second child, after his beloved son Beau died from brain cancer Saturday night.
It's particularly heartrending because Beau, 46, was also a victim of an earlier incident that shattered Biden's life, a car crash at Christmas in 1972 that killed his first wife and an infant daughter and badly injured another son as well as Beau.
Stricken with grief back then, Biden contemplated vacating the Delaware Senate seat he had just won as a young rising star of the Democratic Party, but his decision to endure became the foundation on which he built his political creed and public service. In a famous photo at the time, Biden was seen being sworn into the chamber in his sons' hospital room.
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Kodi's Back Home!
Look who's back!!!! Thank you J-E-S-U-S for answering the prayers of everyone who prayed for us during this nightmare...
Posted by Help Bring Kodi Home on Sunday, May 31, 2015
How To Spend A Beautiful Day In West Ocean City
This is how neighbors and their friends like to use their spare time on the peaceful and quiet Herring Creek.
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