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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Fast Food and Chain Restaurants We Loved That Are Now History
Chain and fast food restaurants have come and gone across the American landscape. For many Americans, we grew up with these brands, their food and their commercials on television and radio. They were, at one point, a part of our lives. Now, they are nothing more than memories. These are the fast food and chain restaurants that we grew up with that are now history or could soon be entering the history books.
As the American highway system was completed there became a familiar site along those highways, a Howard Johnson’s. The company was started in the 1920s as a lunch counter/soda fountain. It continued to grow until it went public in 1961 with over 600 restaurants and 88 motels. It was one of America’s first major restaurant chains and it was hit hard by the emergence of fast food as Americans decided they didn’t want to wait for food service at a table. There are two Howard Johnson restaurants left, one in Bangor, Maine and one in Lake Placid, NY.
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BREAKING NEWS: Report: Police responding to mass shooting at Charleston church, South Carolina
There was no immediate information on potential victims.
The shooting took place at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, said State Rep. Wendell G. Gilliard who represents the district where the church is located.
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Meet the man who made history riding American Pharoah to victory, then donated winnings to charity
It's just the 12th horse in history to win all of the three major racing events in a single year — the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.
But there's another part of this story you might not have heard about: the jockey.
American Pharoah's jockey, Victor Espinoza, donated all his winnings from the Belmont Stakes to charity.
All of it. Reportedly $80,000.
Wow.
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Seattle preschool in a nursing home 'transforms' elderly residents
It's being done at a preschool in Seattle, where child care takes place throughout a campus which is also home to more than 400 older adults.
Called the Intergenerational Learning Center, the preschool is located within Providence Mount St. Vincent, a senior care center in West Seattle. Five days a week, the children and residents come together in a variety of planned activities such as music, dancing, art, lunch, storytelling or just visiting.
And now this incredible place is about to have its own film. Called "Present Perfect," it was shot over the course of the 2012-2013 school year by filmmaker Evan Briggs, who is also an adjunct professor at Seattle University. Funded completely out of her own pocket and shot by her alone, Briggs has now launched a Kickstarter to fund the editing of the movie. She has more than $45,000 of her $50,000 goal with 15 days to go.
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Insurance Still Doesn't Cover Childbirth For Some Young Women
Although the federal government recently clarified that most insurance plans must cover prenatal care as a preventive service without charging women anything out of pocket, it didn't address a crucial and much pricier gap in some young women's coverage: labor and delivery costs.
Perhaps that shouldn't come as a surprise.
Insurers and some employers have long tried to sidestep paying for maternity care, which includes prenatal, delivery and postpartum services. Individual plans typically refused to pay for pregnancy-related services until the Affordable Care Act established that maternity and newborn care are both essential health benefits that must be included in individual and small group coverage.
Large employers that provide health insurance are required to cover maternity care for employees and their spouses under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. But that protection doesn't extend to dependent children, even though under the health law, adult children can now stay on their parents' plans until they turn 26.
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Perhaps that shouldn't come as a surprise.
Insurers and some employers have long tried to sidestep paying for maternity care, which includes prenatal, delivery and postpartum services. Individual plans typically refused to pay for pregnancy-related services until the Affordable Care Act established that maternity and newborn care are both essential health benefits that must be included in individual and small group coverage.
Large employers that provide health insurance are required to cover maternity care for employees and their spouses under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. But that protection doesn't extend to dependent children, even though under the health law, adult children can now stay on their parents' plans until they turn 26.
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Little Girl Was Tired of the Usual Plane Ride With Dad, So He Took Her Up for an Aerobatic Lesson: Watch Her Face
This time though, she asked her father to kick it up a notch.
“Today, she ask me to make some aerobatic figure,” the father, going by the username Aviation RL (ARL) on the video-sharing site Vimeo, wrote. “Let’s have fun!!”
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Laws to Shut People Up on Animal Abuse, Now Used to Cover Up Day Care & Nursing Home Abuse
Controversial ag-gag laws do not just apply to factory farms.
First they came for the animal rights activists…..
A recent report pointed out that laws which are used to prevent animal rights activists from exposing inhumane practices at factory farms, can also be used to prevent whistleblowers that attempt to expose corruption at other facilities, like daycare centers or nursing homes, for example.
The controversial ag-gag laws do not just apply to factory farms, but are written so broadly that they can prevent people from speaking out against unethical practices that are happening in their places of business.
In a statement earlier this year, AARP criticized a newly proposed ag-gag bill in North Carlina, stating that it would prevent nursing home employees from speaking out about unethical practices in the workplace.
“House Bill 405 will create new risks for workers, older adults, families and children because it extends to all industries including nursing homes, hospitals, group homes, medical practices, charter and private schools, daycare centers, and so forth,” the statement read.
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First they came for the animal rights activists…..
A recent report pointed out that laws which are used to prevent animal rights activists from exposing inhumane practices at factory farms, can also be used to prevent whistleblowers that attempt to expose corruption at other facilities, like daycare centers or nursing homes, for example.
The controversial ag-gag laws do not just apply to factory farms, but are written so broadly that they can prevent people from speaking out against unethical practices that are happening in their places of business.
In a statement earlier this year, AARP criticized a newly proposed ag-gag bill in North Carlina, stating that it would prevent nursing home employees from speaking out about unethical practices in the workplace.
“House Bill 405 will create new risks for workers, older adults, families and children because it extends to all industries including nursing homes, hospitals, group homes, medical practices, charter and private schools, daycare centers, and so forth,” the statement read.
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James M. Bennett High School Staff Lip Dub 2015: School's Out for Summer
This video by the staff at James M. Bennett High school in Salisbury, Maryland celebrates another successful school year and the excitement the staff shares with students as the school year comes to an end. It also pokes fun at the frustrations and obstacles that we overcame throughout the year. This video is meant to be a parody and in no way reflects the real views we have toward education. We love our jobs! The purpose of this video is to improve the school climate among staff and show the stakeholders that the staff at James M. Bennett High School is one of the most spirited and talented staff around! We love our school, our students, and our community! GO CLIPPERS!
This video was an obvious choice for us to create for our end of the year party after the success of our first ever lip dub video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg0Ff...
Disclaimer:
No staff, students, school property or equipment were harmed in the making of this video. (Correction: the laptop was harmed, however, it was on it’s way to the dumpster anyway. We gained approval from the tech department and let it go out with a bang! Literally!) In addition, student instruction was not impacted in the filming of this video. Staff members were filmed after school, before school, or during planning periods. Any filming during the school day had no negative impact on the students or their instruction time. Any students used in the video were volunteers and/or study hall students.
Here’S What Islam Teaches About Jews And Gays: Behead Them
Jews were not the first or the last to be killed by Hitler; but as they were in Germany, Jews are the primary target for hate in 21st Century America.
It may surprise most Americans to learn that according to a 2014 FBI report on hate crimes in America, Jews are the most targeted victims of hate crimes in America. Not blacks, not Muslims, not gays–but Jews.
In fact, Americans might even be surprised to learn which college campuses are the most dangerous to be a Jewish student on—on American soil.
Under Islam, no Jews exist. Nor do gays, trans-Jenners, or lesbians. They’re dead.
Go to Saudi Arabia, the land of the Bush Dynasty’s longtime friends and allies—and you will find that no Jews are allowed to live or operate businesses there. The Shari’a ruled government, what former president G.W. Bush claimed was a “peaceful religion,” recently sentenced a blogger to receive 1,000 lashes for criticizing Islam.
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It may surprise most Americans to learn that according to a 2014 FBI report on hate crimes in America, Jews are the most targeted victims of hate crimes in America. Not blacks, not Muslims, not gays–but Jews.
In fact, Americans might even be surprised to learn which college campuses are the most dangerous to be a Jewish student on—on American soil.
Under Islam, no Jews exist. Nor do gays, trans-Jenners, or lesbians. They’re dead.
Go to Saudi Arabia, the land of the Bush Dynasty’s longtime friends and allies—and you will find that no Jews are allowed to live or operate businesses there. The Shari’a ruled government, what former president G.W. Bush claimed was a “peaceful religion,” recently sentenced a blogger to receive 1,000 lashes for criticizing Islam.
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Last Weekend’s Air Show Called Best Yet For Ocean City
For the first time in Ocean City, the 8th Annual OC Air Show was headlined by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels on Saturday and Sunday.
“This weekend the OC Air Show was by far the best, most successful and largest to date. One performer called it ‘epic’. I wanted to come here tonight and say thank you,” OC Air Show President Bryan Lilley said before the Mayor and City Council on Monday evening.
Lilley presented the city with a lithograph on behalf of the OC Air Show and U.S. Navy Blue Angels as an expression of thanks.
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Shock Poll: Dr Ben Carson Leading The Pack As Jeb Bush Anounces Campaign
A national political poll by Monmouth University ranks retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson in first place.
The survey report notes that it’s difficult to identify a “top tier” in the GOP 2016 presidential candidate field.
The poll shows Republican voters care the most about national security and gun control.
Monmouth University’s poll asked voters to pick who they want to see as the Republican nominee.
The results were reported in the poll:
- Republican and Republican-leaning voters are divided among commentator Dr. Ben Carson (11%), Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (10%), Bush (9%), Rubio (9%), and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (8%).
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The survey report notes that it’s difficult to identify a “top tier” in the GOP 2016 presidential candidate field.
The poll shows Republican voters care the most about national security and gun control.
Monmouth University’s poll asked voters to pick who they want to see as the Republican nominee.
The results were reported in the poll:
- Republican and Republican-leaning voters are divided among commentator Dr. Ben Carson (11%), Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (10%), Bush (9%), Rubio (9%), and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (8%).
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Maryland crab shortage leads to hike in prices
A visit Monday to the Waterman's Marina on Kent Island found many workboats sitting idle in their slips.
Crabber Harry Davidson said the reason is simple, "there's aren't any crabs." Davidson said he's been out on the water in the heat working hard chasing crabs without much success. He said ,"I'm trying to get a bushel everyday. I haven’t had two bushels yet this year. I expected at least three or four."
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Talbot teen, family sue UMD Medical System
The plaintiffs, Michael and Kimberly Kerrigan and their son, 16-year-old Brandon, all of Bozman, allege that a series of misdiagnoses and treatments worsened Brandon’s heart condition, causing it to fail and requiring Brandon to have a transplant.
Specifically, the Kerrigans are suing the University of Maryland Medical Center, the Shore Medical Center in Easton, three doctors, a radiologist and a radiology lab for medical malpractice and negligence.
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Michelle Obama Cries That Muslim Women are Being Treated Like Jim Crow South Blacks
Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but in the Jim Crow south and during the Civil Rights marches, I don’t recall blacks going around cutting off people’s heads, conducting suicide bombings, or saying that they wanted to kill all non-believers.
But, it seems that Michelle Obama feels that Muslims are somehow in the same situation as blacks were in the USA before the civil rights bill was passed.
Michelle Obama compared her struggle to succeed as a young black woman in America to the experience of British Muslim girls during a visit to in inner-city girls school in London.
The First Lady, who is visiting the UK for two days, and met with Prince Harry this morning, struggled to hold back tears as she gave an emotional speech to Mulberry School for Girls in London’s Tower Hamlets.
…She said: “Girls like you inspire me and impress me every single day.
“When I look out at all these young women, I see myself. In so many ways your story is my story.”
…Mrs Obama drew links between the experience of young black women in America to the struggles faced by British Muslim girls.
She said: “Maybe you see the news and see people talking about your religion, and wonder if anyone will ever see beyond your headscarf.”
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But, it seems that Michelle Obama feels that Muslims are somehow in the same situation as blacks were in the USA before the civil rights bill was passed.
Michelle Obama compared her struggle to succeed as a young black woman in America to the experience of British Muslim girls during a visit to in inner-city girls school in London.
The First Lady, who is visiting the UK for two days, and met with Prince Harry this morning, struggled to hold back tears as she gave an emotional speech to Mulberry School for Girls in London’s Tower Hamlets.
…She said: “Girls like you inspire me and impress me every single day.
“When I look out at all these young women, I see myself. In so many ways your story is my story.”
…Mrs Obama drew links between the experience of young black women in America to the struggles faced by British Muslim girls.
She said: “Maybe you see the news and see people talking about your religion, and wonder if anyone will ever see beyond your headscarf.”
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War Of Words Between Baltimore Mayor, City Police Union
Christie Ileto with the tense exchange.
Keeping the peace in Baltimore has been a struggle since April 27–both on the streets and now among city leaders–where a very public dispute is brewing between police brass, the union and the mayor.
No one was prepared when tensions boiling exploded at Mondawmin Mall before sweeping the city.
“They should have had all of the officers with the proper equipment on,” one officer said.
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Reporters Covering Hillary Clinton Have Some Sharp Words for Her Campaign After ‘Unacceptable’ Move
Hillary Clinton is not off to a great start. Beyond the numerous scandals already plaguing her candidacy, the testy candidate appears as approachable and likable as a meth-addled badger as she has recently been caught snapping at adoring fans and even recently barred a pool reporter from covering her recent candidacy announcement. Needless to say, journalists are angered over Hillary’s selective gatekeeping.
Journalists covering Hillary Clinton had some sharp words for the Democratic presidential contender’s campaign after a pool reporter was barred from covering Monday’s events.
“We would like to see all campaign events open to the public and the full press corps, but when that is not possible we have agreed to pool coverage,” a Monday night statement from the traveling pool of journalists said.
Pool reporters represent the other reporters in the news media who cover a candidate when the space for an event is too small to fit a large crowd of journalists. The pooler sends reports back to other news organizations, who can disseminate those dispatches in their own coverage. Thus, blocking pool coverage from a single reporter can block widespread media coverage.
“We haven’t had a clear explanation about why the pool reporter for today’s events was denied access,” the statement from the travel pool said. “But any attempt by the campaign to dictate who is in the pool is unacceptable.”
“The pool is open to any print organization willing to take part,” it added.
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Journalists covering Hillary Clinton had some sharp words for the Democratic presidential contender’s campaign after a pool reporter was barred from covering Monday’s events.
“We would like to see all campaign events open to the public and the full press corps, but when that is not possible we have agreed to pool coverage,” a Monday night statement from the traveling pool of journalists said.
Pool reporters represent the other reporters in the news media who cover a candidate when the space for an event is too small to fit a large crowd of journalists. The pooler sends reports back to other news organizations, who can disseminate those dispatches in their own coverage. Thus, blocking pool coverage from a single reporter can block widespread media coverage.
“We haven’t had a clear explanation about why the pool reporter for today’s events was denied access,” the statement from the travel pool said. “But any attempt by the campaign to dictate who is in the pool is unacceptable.”
“The pool is open to any print organization willing to take part,” it added.
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FIVE WAYS TO CELEBRATE FATHER’S DAY ON DELMARVA WITH YOUR DESERVING DAD
Super Fun Eco Tour at Assateague Outfitters
You might remember our article not too long ago on the recent addition of Assateague Outfitters along the bayside at Assateague Island National Seashore. Well, after visiting the new supply store, we were inspired to organize a company outing for one of their kayak tours. The afternoon was a huge success, which got us thinking what a great option it would be for Father’s Day fun. The tour is more than just kayaking (although that in itself would have been awesome). In addition to a kayak adventure around the bayside of Assateague, the extremely knowledgable guides divulge an abundance of cool facts about the wildlife and natural habitat at Assateague. The icing on the proverbial cake is the fact that half of the proceeds from Assateague Outfitters goes directly to Maryland Coastal Bays!
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For Leftists, It’s Open Season On Christians
If you doubt that Christians are fair game for ridicule by the cultural left, take a look at the hit piece on Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia by Jeffrey Tayler for Salon.
I can’t decide which is worse, the title or the subtitle. The title: “Antonin Scalia is unfit to serve: A justice who rejects science and the law for religion is of unsound mind.” The subtitle: “The justice claims to be an originalist, but his real loyalty is to religion and a phony man in the sky.”
The writer is trying to be cute, but don’t conclude that any part of his thesis is intended to be tongue-in-cheek. He opens by telling us that “faith-derangement syndrome” has now infected the Supreme Court as it has the executive branch.
He writes: “Sufferers of faith-derangement syndrome (FDS) exhibit the following symptoms: unshakable belief in the veracity of manifest absurdities detailed in ancient texts regarding the origins of the cosmos and life on earth; a determination to disseminate said absurdities in educational institutions and via the media; a propensity to enjoin and even enforce (at times using violence) obedience to regulations stipulated in ancient texts, regardless of their suitability for contemporary circumstances; the conviction that an invisible, omnipresent, omniscient authority (commonly referred to as ‘God’) directs the course of human and natural events, is vulnerable to propitiation and blandishments, and monitors individual human behavior, including thought processes, with an especially prurient interest in sexual activity.”
Tayler is particularly exercised by his assumption that Scalia rejects Tayler’s sainted opinions on both “anthropogenic global warming” and “the fact of evolution — the foundation of modern biology — in favor of the opening chapter of a compendium of cockamamie fables concocted by obscure humans in a particularly dark age, evidence that his faculty of reason has suffered the debilitating impairment associated with acute FDS.” Tayler continues, “He therefore cannot be relied upon to adjudicate without prejudice and should be removed from the bench henceforth.”
Sorry for the extensive quotes, but I have to assume you’d think I were exaggerating if I paraphrased this harangue.
What apparently got Tayler’s attention was an interview of Scalia a few years ago by Jennifer Senior, a contributing editor for New York magazine. Tayler was disgusted that Scalia accepts the Catholic teaching about homosexuality and incredulous at his admission that he believes in heaven and hell and that the devil is “a real person.”
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I can’t decide which is worse, the title or the subtitle. The title: “Antonin Scalia is unfit to serve: A justice who rejects science and the law for religion is of unsound mind.” The subtitle: “The justice claims to be an originalist, but his real loyalty is to religion and a phony man in the sky.”
The writer is trying to be cute, but don’t conclude that any part of his thesis is intended to be tongue-in-cheek. He opens by telling us that “faith-derangement syndrome” has now infected the Supreme Court as it has the executive branch.
He writes: “Sufferers of faith-derangement syndrome (FDS) exhibit the following symptoms: unshakable belief in the veracity of manifest absurdities detailed in ancient texts regarding the origins of the cosmos and life on earth; a determination to disseminate said absurdities in educational institutions and via the media; a propensity to enjoin and even enforce (at times using violence) obedience to regulations stipulated in ancient texts, regardless of their suitability for contemporary circumstances; the conviction that an invisible, omnipresent, omniscient authority (commonly referred to as ‘God’) directs the course of human and natural events, is vulnerable to propitiation and blandishments, and monitors individual human behavior, including thought processes, with an especially prurient interest in sexual activity.”
Tayler is particularly exercised by his assumption that Scalia rejects Tayler’s sainted opinions on both “anthropogenic global warming” and “the fact of evolution — the foundation of modern biology — in favor of the opening chapter of a compendium of cockamamie fables concocted by obscure humans in a particularly dark age, evidence that his faculty of reason has suffered the debilitating impairment associated with acute FDS.” Tayler continues, “He therefore cannot be relied upon to adjudicate without prejudice and should be removed from the bench henceforth.”
Sorry for the extensive quotes, but I have to assume you’d think I were exaggerating if I paraphrased this harangue.
What apparently got Tayler’s attention was an interview of Scalia a few years ago by Jennifer Senior, a contributing editor for New York magazine. Tayler was disgusted that Scalia accepts the Catholic teaching about homosexuality and incredulous at his admission that he believes in heaven and hell and that the devil is “a real person.”
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Ex-Ambassador Oren: Obama 'Deliberately' Abandoned Israel
In an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal, the former Israeli ambassador makes the case that the president deliberately violated two key principles at the heart of the understanding between the two countries: "no daylight" and "no surprises."
"'Nobody has a monopoly on making mistakes.' When I was Israel's ambassador to the United States from 2009 to the end of 2013, that was my standard response to reporters asking who bore the greatest responsibility — President Barack Obama or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — for the crisis in U.S.-Israel relations," Oren wrote.
"I never felt like I was lying when I said it. But, in truth, while neither leader monopolized mistakes, only one leader made them deliberately."
More here
Public asked to weigh-in on predatory towing bill in Montgomery County
“My vehicle was towed within I think 6 or 7 minutes,” Brian Young testified before County Council’s Public Safety Committee.
Christopher Whitehouse said what he went through amounted to “auto theft by tow truck.”
Another person who had his car hooked up and towed away, Jimmy Duncan, had nasty things to say about one company.
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Three House Republicans Said to Be Punished Over Trade Vote
Three U.S. House Republicans were kicked off the leadership team responsible for counting votes after siding against party leaders last week on a measure setting rules for floor consideration of a trade package.
Representatives Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Steve Pearce of New Mexico and Trent Franks of Arizona were removed from the vote-counting team by Republican Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a Republican aide close to the team said Tuesday.
The three were among 34 House Republicans who opposed a rule on June 11 to advance President Barack Obama’s trade package, which Speaker John Boehner and other House leaders supported. While the rule was narrowly approved, 217-212, the trade legislation stalled the next day for lack of votes from Republicans and Democrats.
Boehner described his dismay over the lack of support from party members at a news conference Tuesday. He told reporters that during a closed-door meeting with House Republicans earlier, “I made it clear to members today I am not happy about it.”
“‘We’re a team and we’ve worked hard to get in the majority, we’ve worked hard to stay in the majority, and I expect our team to act like a team,” Boehner said.
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Representatives Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Steve Pearce of New Mexico and Trent Franks of Arizona were removed from the vote-counting team by Republican Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a Republican aide close to the team said Tuesday.
The three were among 34 House Republicans who opposed a rule on June 11 to advance President Barack Obama’s trade package, which Speaker John Boehner and other House leaders supported. While the rule was narrowly approved, 217-212, the trade legislation stalled the next day for lack of votes from Republicans and Democrats.
Boehner described his dismay over the lack of support from party members at a news conference Tuesday. He told reporters that during a closed-door meeting with House Republicans earlier, “I made it clear to members today I am not happy about it.”
“‘We’re a team and we’ve worked hard to get in the majority, we’ve worked hard to stay in the majority, and I expect our team to act like a team,” Boehner said.
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20 Hillary Clinton Quotes You Should Read Before Voting For Her
1) “Many of you are well enough off that the tax cuts may have helped you. We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.” – Hillary Clinton
2) “Don’t let anybody tell you that it’s corporations and businesses that create jobs.” -- Hillary Clinton
3) “You know, we can’t keep talking about our dependence on foreign oil and the need to deal with global warming and the challenge that it poses to our climate and to God’s creation and just let business as usual go on, and that means something has to be taken away from some people.” – Hillary Clinton
4) “I can’t worry about every undercapitalized business” — Hillary Clintontestifying before Congress on the effects of Nationalized Health Care.
5) “Yes, we've cut the maternal mortality rate in half, but far too many women are still denied critical access to reproductive health care and safe childbirth, and laws don't count for much if they're not enforced. Rights have to exist in practice — not just on paper. Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will. And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.” – Hillary Clinton
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2) “Don’t let anybody tell you that it’s corporations and businesses that create jobs.” -- Hillary Clinton
3) “You know, we can’t keep talking about our dependence on foreign oil and the need to deal with global warming and the challenge that it poses to our climate and to God’s creation and just let business as usual go on, and that means something has to be taken away from some people.” – Hillary Clinton
4) “I can’t worry about every undercapitalized business” — Hillary Clintontestifying before Congress on the effects of Nationalized Health Care.
5) “Yes, we've cut the maternal mortality rate in half, but far too many women are still denied critical access to reproductive health care and safe childbirth, and laws don't count for much if they're not enforced. Rights have to exist in practice — not just on paper. Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will. And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.” – Hillary Clinton
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College Park, UMD partnership unveils new homeownership program
Full-time, benefits-eligible university employees can receive $15,000 zero-interest, 10-year loans to help cover city home down payment and closing costs
The College Park City-University Partnership announced today a homeownership program to incentivize university employees to live in the city.
The program will provide $15,000 zero-interest, 10-year loans to regular, full-time, benefits-eligible university employees to help cover a city home’s down payment and closing costs, according to the program document.
The city’s median home value is $273,100, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, meaning the new loan program is “just a drop in the bucket” of the cost of a house, university President Wallace Loh said.
“People own a home in a city; they get invested in it. It’s their money, and this is just a small portion,” Loh said. “Any city will be a much better city, better maintained and have more community involvement, if the residents are homeowners versus if they’re renters.”
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The College Park City-University Partnership announced today a homeownership program to incentivize university employees to live in the city.
The program will provide $15,000 zero-interest, 10-year loans to regular, full-time, benefits-eligible university employees to help cover a city home’s down payment and closing costs, according to the program document.
The city’s median home value is $273,100, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, meaning the new loan program is “just a drop in the bucket” of the cost of a house, university President Wallace Loh said.
“People own a home in a city; they get invested in it. It’s their money, and this is just a small portion,” Loh said. “Any city will be a much better city, better maintained and have more community involvement, if the residents are homeowners versus if they’re renters.”
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AT&T just got hit with a $100 million fine after slowing down its ‘unlimited’ data
The FCC found that when customers used up a certain amount of data watching movies or browsing the Web, AT&T "throttled" their Internet speeds so that they were much slower than normal.
The fine is one of the largest ever levied by the agency.
By not properly disclosing the policy to consumers who thought they were getting "unlimited" data, the company violated the FCC's rules on corporate transparency, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said in a statement.
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Meet the New Common Core
MADISON, Wis. — HATE the Common Core? You’re not alone. The national reading and math standards, set up by a bipartisan consortium of state governors, have turned into a political lightning rod for a coalition of angry parents and education activists. The math component has generated special peevishness. The comedian Louis C.K. was widely cheered in April when he tweeted: “My kids used to love math. Now it makes them cry. Thanks standardized testing and Common Core!”
Governors around the country, including many former Common Core supporters, are considering strangling the Common Core in its crib. Indiana, Oklahoma and South Carolina have already adopted new bespoke state standards. Democracy in action!
There’s just one problem. What’s replacing the Common Core is, by and large, the same thing in a new package.
Standardized tests certainly aren’t going anywhere. States that have dumped exams aligned with the Common Core aren’t dumping high-stakes testing; they’re just switching to new tests, like the ACT’s Aspire. (Other ACT offerings include the Explore, the Engage and the Compass. Apparently standardized tests are titled by the same people who name midsize sedans.)
Frequent testing is locked in by federal funding requirements and, in many states, by accountability statutes long predating the Common Core. Just recently, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey announced that his administration was moving to abandon the Common Core curriculum but sticking with the corresponding state exam, all but conceding that the new standards would be essentially identical with the old.
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Governors around the country, including many former Common Core supporters, are considering strangling the Common Core in its crib. Indiana, Oklahoma and South Carolina have already adopted new bespoke state standards. Democracy in action!
There’s just one problem. What’s replacing the Common Core is, by and large, the same thing in a new package.
Standardized tests certainly aren’t going anywhere. States that have dumped exams aligned with the Common Core aren’t dumping high-stakes testing; they’re just switching to new tests, like the ACT’s Aspire. (Other ACT offerings include the Explore, the Engage and the Compass. Apparently standardized tests are titled by the same people who name midsize sedans.)
Frequent testing is locked in by federal funding requirements and, in many states, by accountability statutes long predating the Common Core. Just recently, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey announced that his administration was moving to abandon the Common Core curriculum but sticking with the corresponding state exam, all but conceding that the new standards would be essentially identical with the old.
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Wicomico County Partners with Matrix Soccer Academy to Expand Offerings for Youth
Salisbury, MD – Wicomico County has partnered with the Matrix Soccer Academy to expand its youth soccer offerings. The new partnership will provide a player development program, bridging the gap between recreational and select soccer. Registration has just opened for the Wicomico Soccer League’s expanded offerings, which are slated to kickoff this fall.
Open to boys and girls ages three to fourteen, individuals registering for the Wicomico Soccer League will now be trained ‘the Matrix way.’ Six key elements form the building blocks of ‘the Matrix way,’ including attitude, ability, agility, awareness, attacking and achievement. The Matrix system is based around thousands of carefully designed technical drills using real game scenarios in a highly-contextual, peer-led learning environment proven to develop not only a technically superior player but an intellectually sharp individual.
“Our mission [in Wicomico County] is to provide affordable, high quality programming for our residents and to attract visitors,” Andy Kitzrow, Recreation Superintendent expands. “We believe the Matrix Soccer Academy gives us a rare opportunity to do that on a number of levels. Along with international renowned programming, we see significant opportunities to attract visitors through tournaments, camps and clinics. As a soccer player and fan myself, I am overwhelmed with the prospect of having a world class coach and method involved with furthering the soccer offering in our community.”
Matrix, based in Manchester, England, was founded in 2006 by Blackburn Rovers’ Advanced Technical Skills Development Coach, Charlie Jackson. Coach Jackson works with the 2014 EPL Champion’s Manchester City and is Director of Football at Moorland School. In its new formed partnership with Wicomico County, Matrix is expanding its reach into the United States for the first time. Local Salisbury resident Bryan Watson serves as Matrix’s US and North American President. Watson has been charged with implementing the program and expanding the overall reach of the Matrix Soccer Academy in North America. “It is a very exciting time to be a part of the soccer community here in Salisbury. We are incredibly fortunate and privileged that Jackson has chosen Salisbury as the US headquarters to implement this amazing development method,” explains Watson.
For more information about Wicomico County’s fall soccer offerings with the Matrix Soccer Academy, please visit www.WicomicoRecandParks.org.
Open to boys and girls ages three to fourteen, individuals registering for the Wicomico Soccer League will now be trained ‘the Matrix way.’ Six key elements form the building blocks of ‘the Matrix way,’ including attitude, ability, agility, awareness, attacking and achievement. The Matrix system is based around thousands of carefully designed technical drills using real game scenarios in a highly-contextual, peer-led learning environment proven to develop not only a technically superior player but an intellectually sharp individual.
“Our mission [in Wicomico County] is to provide affordable, high quality programming for our residents and to attract visitors,” Andy Kitzrow, Recreation Superintendent expands. “We believe the Matrix Soccer Academy gives us a rare opportunity to do that on a number of levels. Along with international renowned programming, we see significant opportunities to attract visitors through tournaments, camps and clinics. As a soccer player and fan myself, I am overwhelmed with the prospect of having a world class coach and method involved with furthering the soccer offering in our community.”
Matrix, based in Manchester, England, was founded in 2006 by Blackburn Rovers’ Advanced Technical Skills Development Coach, Charlie Jackson. Coach Jackson works with the 2014 EPL Champion’s Manchester City and is Director of Football at Moorland School. In its new formed partnership with Wicomico County, Matrix is expanding its reach into the United States for the first time. Local Salisbury resident Bryan Watson serves as Matrix’s US and North American President. Watson has been charged with implementing the program and expanding the overall reach of the Matrix Soccer Academy in North America. “It is a very exciting time to be a part of the soccer community here in Salisbury. We are incredibly fortunate and privileged that Jackson has chosen Salisbury as the US headquarters to implement this amazing development method,” explains Watson.
For more information about Wicomico County’s fall soccer offerings with the Matrix Soccer Academy, please visit www.WicomicoRecandParks.org.
Shattuck Pleads Guilty In Teen Sex Case
Forty-eight-year-old Molly Shattuck pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of fourth-degree rape_a felony that can carry up to 15 years in jail. She made the plea in front of a Delaware judge just days before her trial was to begin.
Shattuck will have to register as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for mid-August.
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Homeless Sex Offender Public Notification
Emilee M. Fields, 33, Georgetown, DE
W/F 5’4” tall 230 lbs, blond hair, blue eyes
Tier 2
Jerry L. Reed, 23, Laurel DE
B/M 6’6” tall, 221 lbs, black hair, brown eyes
Tier 3
Georgetown/Laurel- Emilee M. Fields and Jerry L. Reed are not wanted. This is a Homeless Sex Offender Public Notification.
Emilee M. Fields is a Moderate Risk Tier II sex offender who has registered as homeless in Georgetown, DE. Jerry L. Reed is a High Risk Tier III sex offender who has registered as homeless in Laurel, DE.
If you have information that either Fields or Reed are occupying residences please contact 302-672-5306. Information can also be provided to the Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. Information may also be provided via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com
Md. judge who had relationship with felon resigning
Creighton notified Montgomery County Circuit Court Administrative Judge John Debelius of her intent to retire. The move comes less than a year after she was elected to a 15-year term on the bench and while, according to the Sentinel Newspaper, the Maryland Judicial Disabilities Commission was looking into a case against her involving possible judicial misconduct. It’s not clear how her retirement notice affects that investigation.
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Government debt threatens to send U.S. economy into death spiral, CBO warns
Budget cuts or tax increases now would help avert that scary scenario, leaving the economy far stronger than it otherwise would be, the Congressional Budget Office said in the starkest warning yet by the independent agency that putting off tough decisions will only make things worse.
The report — the first major one under new CBO Director Keith Hall — also takes aim at some traditional liberal arguments, finding that government investment yields only half the return on investment compared with the private sector and that money transfers to the poor act as “implicit taxes,” keeping them out of the labor force and depressing the economy further.
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Our Phantom Economy
Those who believe that phantom recoveries and phantom metrics can be substituted for reality are in for a shock in the next downturn.
Stripped of artifice, there are only two kinds of media stories: those that support the status quo narrative, and those that are skeptical of that narrative.
What is the status quo narrative? Simply this: not only is this the best possible arrangement of labor, assets and money, it is the only possible arrangement of labor, assets and money.
It is impossible to challenge a system that is the only possible arrangement; the only option is to accept it.
In effect, the mainstream media is a vastPsychological Operation (PSYOPS) aimed at persuading the American public that the status quo Imperial system of predatory, debt-based crony-capitalism that benefits the few at the expense of the many is not just beneficial to all its debt-serfs and welfare recipients, but it is the only possible system–there is no alternative(TINA).
One of the greatest and most important PSYOPS of the Imperial State (U.S. Government) and its faithful lapdog the mainstream media is the unemployment rate. As I will show tomorrow, the real unemployment rate is between 20% and 40%, depending on whether you think someone earning $1,500 a year selling stuff on eBay and Etsy should be counted as “employed.”
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Stripped of artifice, there are only two kinds of media stories: those that support the status quo narrative, and those that are skeptical of that narrative.
What is the status quo narrative? Simply this: not only is this the best possible arrangement of labor, assets and money, it is the only possible arrangement of labor, assets and money.
It is impossible to challenge a system that is the only possible arrangement; the only option is to accept it.
In effect, the mainstream media is a vastPsychological Operation (PSYOPS) aimed at persuading the American public that the status quo Imperial system of predatory, debt-based crony-capitalism that benefits the few at the expense of the many is not just beneficial to all its debt-serfs and welfare recipients, but it is the only possible system–there is no alternative(TINA).
One of the greatest and most important PSYOPS of the Imperial State (U.S. Government) and its faithful lapdog the mainstream media is the unemployment rate. As I will show tomorrow, the real unemployment rate is between 20% and 40%, depending on whether you think someone earning $1,500 a year selling stuff on eBay and Etsy should be counted as “employed.”
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Trump Expected to Join 2016 Race, Reveal $9B Net Worth
With a presidential field fast approaching 12 high-profile Republicans — and which could climb to as many as 20 — the GOP's 2016 class offers voters a little bit of everything.
There is the top-tier, a group that includes former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who formally launched his candidacy on Monday. There are the largely single-issue candidates, such as South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, whose preference is to talk about national security. There are even the quixotic underdogs, such as Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, an as-yet unannounced White House hopeful.
And then there is Donald Trump.
Trump is to announce his 2016 intentions on Tuesday at a Manhattan skyscraper that bears his name.
A highly successful businessman and reality television personality, Trump is positioned to have a greater impact on the early months of the Republican presidential primary contest than many GOP leaders might like.
Should he choose to join the race, Trump would be required to release a personal financial disclosure that would reveal intimate details about his personal finances. The disclosure would include his net worth, sources of income, liabilities and assets, and reveal the same information for his wife and dependent children.
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There is the top-tier, a group that includes former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who formally launched his candidacy on Monday. There are the largely single-issue candidates, such as South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, whose preference is to talk about national security. There are even the quixotic underdogs, such as Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, an as-yet unannounced White House hopeful.
And then there is Donald Trump.
Trump is to announce his 2016 intentions on Tuesday at a Manhattan skyscraper that bears his name.
A highly successful businessman and reality television personality, Trump is positioned to have a greater impact on the early months of the Republican presidential primary contest than many GOP leaders might like.
Should he choose to join the race, Trump would be required to release a personal financial disclosure that would reveal intimate details about his personal finances. The disclosure would include his net worth, sources of income, liabilities and assets, and reveal the same information for his wife and dependent children.
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VISITING MARYLAND THIS SUMMER? REVIEW THESE IMPORTANT TRAFFIC LAWS TO HELP KEEP OUR HIGHWAYS SAFE
Tens of thousands are expected to visit or travel through our state this summer and if you are one of those drivers, or know one headed here from out of state, this list of important traffic laws is an important one to review.
•SEAT BELTS- Drivers, all front seat outboard passengers and all rear seat passengers are required by law to wear seat belts. All occupants under 16 are to be restrained in a seat belt or child safety seat. Children under eight shall be secured in a child safety seat. These violations carry a fine of $83.00. (Transportation Article (TA) 22-412.2d, 22-412.3b)
•MOVE OVER LAW- If you see an emergency vehicle or tow truck operating on the shoulder of a Maryland highway, you must move to an available lane not immediately adjacent to the stopped vehicle if it is safe to do so, or if unable to do so, slow down significantly as you pass. Drivers violating this infraction face a penalty of $110.00 and one point on their driver’s license. A violation involving a collision with injury could cost the driver a fine up to $750.00 and three points. (TA 21-405e1)
•USE OF HAND HELD DEVICES- Use is prohibited while any vehicle is in motion. A hands free or bluetooth device should be used if you must talk while driving. Texting or talking with a device in your hands is strictly prohibited and enforced. The penalty for this violation is a fine of $83.00 for the first offense, $140 for a second offense or $160.00 for a third or subsequent offense. (TA 21-1124.2c1)
•RENTAL AGREEMENT- If you are driving a rental vehicle, your name must appear as an authorized driver of that rental vehicle. Driving a rental vehicle without authorization may result in being issued a traffic citation that requires you to appear for court in Maryland. (TA 18-106b)
•AGGRESSIVE DRIVING- This is a series of driving violations such as speeding, unsafe passing, following too closely, or failing to yield the right of way. This violation is punishable by a fine of $370.00 and five points on your driver’s license. (TA 21-901.2)
•TRAFFIC CRASHES- If you are involved in a minor crash and there are no injuries, please pull your vehicle from the roadway to a safe area. Motorists are required by law to exchange registration and insurance information. Involvement in a vehicle crash and leaving the scene of an injury or property damage crash is considered a serious offense and could result in jail time and up to 12 points on their license. (TA 20-102 a1, a2)
•IMPAIRED DRIVING- Drivers are considered to be impaired with a blood alcohol content of .07 and per se evidence of operating under the influence is a .08 BAC. Violators will be arrested. If convicted, a driver could receive up to a year in jail, up to a $1,000.00 fine or both. (TA 21-902)
•SEAT BELTS- Drivers, all front seat outboard passengers and all rear seat passengers are required by law to wear seat belts. All occupants under 16 are to be restrained in a seat belt or child safety seat. Children under eight shall be secured in a child safety seat. These violations carry a fine of $83.00. (Transportation Article (TA) 22-412.2d, 22-412.3b)
•MOVE OVER LAW- If you see an emergency vehicle or tow truck operating on the shoulder of a Maryland highway, you must move to an available lane not immediately adjacent to the stopped vehicle if it is safe to do so, or if unable to do so, slow down significantly as you pass. Drivers violating this infraction face a penalty of $110.00 and one point on their driver’s license. A violation involving a collision with injury could cost the driver a fine up to $750.00 and three points. (TA 21-405e1)
•USE OF HAND HELD DEVICES- Use is prohibited while any vehicle is in motion. A hands free or bluetooth device should be used if you must talk while driving. Texting or talking with a device in your hands is strictly prohibited and enforced. The penalty for this violation is a fine of $83.00 for the first offense, $140 for a second offense or $160.00 for a third or subsequent offense. (TA 21-1124.2c1)
•RENTAL AGREEMENT- If you are driving a rental vehicle, your name must appear as an authorized driver of that rental vehicle. Driving a rental vehicle without authorization may result in being issued a traffic citation that requires you to appear for court in Maryland. (TA 18-106b)
•AGGRESSIVE DRIVING- This is a series of driving violations such as speeding, unsafe passing, following too closely, or failing to yield the right of way. This violation is punishable by a fine of $370.00 and five points on your driver’s license. (TA 21-901.2)
•TRAFFIC CRASHES- If you are involved in a minor crash and there are no injuries, please pull your vehicle from the roadway to a safe area. Motorists are required by law to exchange registration and insurance information. Involvement in a vehicle crash and leaving the scene of an injury or property damage crash is considered a serious offense and could result in jail time and up to 12 points on their license. (TA 20-102 a1, a2)
•IMPAIRED DRIVING- Drivers are considered to be impaired with a blood alcohol content of .07 and per se evidence of operating under the influence is a .08 BAC. Violators will be arrested. If convicted, a driver could receive up to a year in jail, up to a $1,000.00 fine or both. (TA 21-902)
Residents can only watch as sea slowly devours their towns
Even as rising water leaves low-lying areas of Dorchester County inundated, many residents still blame tides or erosion — not climate change
This is the fifth in a series of articles — produced by the Bay Journal and Chesapeake Quarterly, the magazine of Maryland Sea Grant — that explore the impacts of, and policies related to, sea level rise around the Bay.
All over low-lying Dorchester County, MD, residents are living on the edge. One skid off the road puts a car in a marsh. Parking in the wrong place during the wrong arc of a tide cycle can lead to a flooded car. Water that used to just graze residents’ yards now comes up to the porches. It’s just a matter of time, they know, before it comes into the houses.
Here, in the land of narrow marshes and proud, working waterfront towns, the high water isn’t just coming. It’s already here.
School buses can’t get down the road like they once did, and those roads need constant repair. Land at the edge of banks is fast disappearing, swept away during tides and storms. Forests are dying, inundated by rising saltwater. New homes are being built at least a foot higher than in the past. And storms, particularly tropical systems and hurricanes with their attendant storm surges, push water ever higher along these shores.
But many longtime county residents don’t connect the problems to the two underlying phenomena that scientists say lie at the root of rising waters on the lower Delmarva Peninsula — sinking land and climate change, which raises sea level.
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This is the fifth in a series of articles — produced by the Bay Journal and Chesapeake Quarterly, the magazine of Maryland Sea Grant — that explore the impacts of, and policies related to, sea level rise around the Bay.
All over low-lying Dorchester County, MD, residents are living on the edge. One skid off the road puts a car in a marsh. Parking in the wrong place during the wrong arc of a tide cycle can lead to a flooded car. Water that used to just graze residents’ yards now comes up to the porches. It’s just a matter of time, they know, before it comes into the houses.
Here, in the land of narrow marshes and proud, working waterfront towns, the high water isn’t just coming. It’s already here.
School buses can’t get down the road like they once did, and those roads need constant repair. Land at the edge of banks is fast disappearing, swept away during tides and storms. Forests are dying, inundated by rising saltwater. New homes are being built at least a foot higher than in the past. And storms, particularly tropical systems and hurricanes with their attendant storm surges, push water ever higher along these shores.
But many longtime county residents don’t connect the problems to the two underlying phenomena that scientists say lie at the root of rising waters on the lower Delmarva Peninsula — sinking land and climate change, which raises sea level.
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Black communities’ struggle for share of restoration funding
Resources more likely to go to rich newcomers than long-established poorer enclaves
Exclusivity defines the Maryland shoreline: large homes with gazebos and private beaches, quaint towns chockablock with designer handbags and chic dresses, restaurants serving $25 crab cake dinners.
Less likely to be seen are the tight-knit African-American communities that have endured since slavery. They are off the main roads. They are lower to the ground — often on land they got because few others wanted it. Vulnerable to both rising waters and declining populations, they struggle for resources to fix roads, rebuild homes, repair churches and protect what remains.
In the 1800s and early 1900s, the most-desired settlement areas were away from the Chesapeake Bay’s edge. Low-lying land close to the water was often unsanitary, its adjacent marsh filled with mosquitoes and its soil less hospitable for farming. The land flooded; its residents occasionally became sick from drinking polluted well water or from contact with sewage and industrial waste. A water view from on high was fine, as long as residents didn’t get too close.
Because no one wanted that land, it went to African-Americans, who farmed its banks and plied its waters for fish, crabs and oysters. They could buy it cheaply — and they did — building country churches and seafood plants that still exist today.
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Exclusivity defines the Maryland shoreline: large homes with gazebos and private beaches, quaint towns chockablock with designer handbags and chic dresses, restaurants serving $25 crab cake dinners.
Less likely to be seen are the tight-knit African-American communities that have endured since slavery. They are off the main roads. They are lower to the ground — often on land they got because few others wanted it. Vulnerable to both rising waters and declining populations, they struggle for resources to fix roads, rebuild homes, repair churches and protect what remains.
In the 1800s and early 1900s, the most-desired settlement areas were away from the Chesapeake Bay’s edge. Low-lying land close to the water was often unsanitary, its adjacent marsh filled with mosquitoes and its soil less hospitable for farming. The land flooded; its residents occasionally became sick from drinking polluted well water or from contact with sewage and industrial waste. A water view from on high was fine, as long as residents didn’t get too close.
Because no one wanted that land, it went to African-Americans, who farmed its banks and plied its waters for fish, crabs and oysters. They could buy it cheaply — and they did — building country churches and seafood plants that still exist today.
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Sustainable Ocean City
“The term “sustainable communities” has various definitions, but in essence refers to communities planned, built, or modified to promote sustainable living,” said Ocean City Environmental Engineer Gail Blazer. “Sustainable communities tend to focus on environmental and economic sustainability, urban infrastructure, social equity, and municipal government. We want to include the community in the process and have created a short survey. Not only to inform them of the programs we already do but to guide us on potential future endeavors.”
The short survey will assist the town with the focus and direction of the sustainable Ocean City action plan. Residents are asked to take a moment and follow the following link to give your opinion as to what a Sustainable Ocean City program should look like: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J8J8DWY
If you would like a paper copy of the survey please contact Gail Blazer, at (410) 289-8845 or gblazer@oceancitymd.gov.
Who’s Murdering Thousands of Chickens in South Carolina?
The chicken farm on Brewer Road, just south of the small town of Manning in South Carolina, is hidden away down a series of winding country highways, between a patch of forest and an empty farm field. On the morning of Feb. 17 the farm’s owner, a Vietnamese immigrant named Hoangson Nguyen, was awakened by a frantic phone call. Nguyen, who goes by “Sonny,” raises birds under contract for Pilgrim’s Pride, the nation’s second-largest poultry company. An employee who checks the chicken houses each morning was shouting over the phone. Something was terribly wrong.
Nguyen sped to the farm. That morning, when the farmhand opened the door to the first building, a sophisticated warehouse designed to hold about 20,000 birds, a column of steam had billowed out. Nguyen went into the control room and saw that the temperature inside was 122F. He entered the cavernous building. It was like a sauna: The giant circular fans used to cool the chicken house had been switched off. A set of electronic alarms had also been disabled. There were thousands of dead chickens on the ground, pressed up against the walls as if they’d tried to escape. They’d been smothered to death overnight in the intense heat. Nguyen knew immediately that this wasn’t an accident. Someone had killed his flock.
Nguyen is a typical chicken farmer: He owes the bank about $2 million for his farm, and he doesn’t have enough money for health insurance. He lives paycheck-to-paycheck, or “flock-to-flock,” as they say in the business. The moment he saw the dead birds, Nguyen knew he wouldn’t make any money this year. Whoever had killed these birds might very well have killed his farm. “I fell down right in front of the door,” he says. “I almost passed out.”
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Rand Paul: Obamatrade Contains Tax Hikes on Small Businesses
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is calling on Republicans in the House—and the grassroots nationwide—to oppose efforts by House Ways and Means Committee chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) to revive Obamatrade via a tax increase hidden inside the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) portion of the deal.
Paul said when asked to react to an article from Breitbart News from late Sunday evening exposing the tax increase in the deal:
"You know typically to pass these kinds of things, the establishment will try to buy off Democrats by sprinkling money so they have some money in there. To get the money, under our budget rules, we have to pay for it—so they want to pay for it with a fine on small businesses. But I thought a point that was made in the article which was pretty good is this is similar to the fines they wanted to do in Obamacare with 1099s and there was such an outcry it’s the only part of Obamacare we ever repealed. So I think when people discover they’re sticking a tax increase in there I think people will be even more unhappy."
Paul said he recommends all Republicans vote against TAA when Ryan and House GOP leadership bring it back up on Tuesday for an attempt to revive it after it embarrassingly failed 302-126 when they tried to pass TAA last week in the House. To send Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) to President Obama’s desk, TPA and TAA have to pass as a package. A bipartisan coalition formed to take down TAA last week, therefore temporarily killing Obamatrade as a whole—but House GOP leadership, at Ryan’s insistence, is going to try to change the game and pass TAA again on Tuesday despite the fact it raises taxes on small business.
Leadership didn’t tell any of the members—including the 86 Republicans who voted for TAA last week—that they put the tax increase in the deal.
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Paul said when asked to react to an article from Breitbart News from late Sunday evening exposing the tax increase in the deal:
"You know typically to pass these kinds of things, the establishment will try to buy off Democrats by sprinkling money so they have some money in there. To get the money, under our budget rules, we have to pay for it—so they want to pay for it with a fine on small businesses. But I thought a point that was made in the article which was pretty good is this is similar to the fines they wanted to do in Obamacare with 1099s and there was such an outcry it’s the only part of Obamacare we ever repealed. So I think when people discover they’re sticking a tax increase in there I think people will be even more unhappy."
Paul said he recommends all Republicans vote against TAA when Ryan and House GOP leadership bring it back up on Tuesday for an attempt to revive it after it embarrassingly failed 302-126 when they tried to pass TAA last week in the House. To send Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) to President Obama’s desk, TPA and TAA have to pass as a package. A bipartisan coalition formed to take down TAA last week, therefore temporarily killing Obamatrade as a whole—but House GOP leadership, at Ryan’s insistence, is going to try to change the game and pass TAA again on Tuesday despite the fact it raises taxes on small business.
Leadership didn’t tell any of the members—including the 86 Republicans who voted for TAA last week—that they put the tax increase in the deal.
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Logan County Deputies Switch Uniforms To “Less Militant” Look
Over the next few weeks, the office is transitioning from their current uniform to one that consists of an oxford shirt (white for day shift and black for night shift) and Levis/Wranglers jeans (or khakis).
Current uniforms for the law enforcement agency cost $150, but the new uniforms will cost less than $60, according to the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Boyd Hicks said, “I want to keep a uniform and professional look while getting the biggest bang for our taxpayer dollars!”
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FLASHBACK: ABC's ’08 Prediction: NYC Under Water from Climate Change By June 2015
New York City underwater? Gas over $9 a gallon? A carton of milk costs almost $13? Welcome to June 12, 2015. Or at least that was the wildly-inaccurate version of 2015 predicted by ABC News exactly seven years ago. Appearing on Good Morning America in 2008, Bob Woodruff hyped Earth 2100, a special that pushed apocalyptic predictions of the then-futuristic 2015. The segment included supposedly prophetic videos, such as a teenager declaring, "It's June 8th, 2015. One carton of milk is $12.99." (On the actual June 8, 2015, a gallon of milk cost, on average, $3.39.) Another clip featured this prediction for the current year: "Gas reached over $9 a gallon." (In reality, gas costs an average of $2.75.)
On June 12, 2008, correspondent Bob Woodruff revealed that the program "puts participants in the future and asks them to report back about what it is like to live in this future world. The first stop is the year 2015."
As one expert warns that in 2015 the sea level will rise quickly, a visual shows New York City being engulfed by water. The video montage includes another unidentified person predicting that "flames cover hundreds of miles." Then-GMA co-anchor Chris Cuomo appeared frightened by this future world. He wondered, "I think we're familiar with some of these issues, but, boy, 2015? That's seven years from now. Could it really be that bad?" Ultimately, ABC delayed the air-date for Earth 2100 and the one-hour show didn't debut until June 2, 2009. The program showcased the terrible impact of global warming from 2015 through 2100. In the special, a "storm of the century" wiped out Miami. Other highlights included a destroyed New York City and an abandoned Las Vegas. By 2084, Earth's population will apparently be just 2.7 billion.
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On June 12, 2008, correspondent Bob Woodruff revealed that the program "puts participants in the future and asks them to report back about what it is like to live in this future world. The first stop is the year 2015."
As one expert warns that in 2015 the sea level will rise quickly, a visual shows New York City being engulfed by water. The video montage includes another unidentified person predicting that "flames cover hundreds of miles." Then-GMA co-anchor Chris Cuomo appeared frightened by this future world. He wondered, "I think we're familiar with some of these issues, but, boy, 2015? That's seven years from now. Could it really be that bad?" Ultimately, ABC delayed the air-date for Earth 2100 and the one-hour show didn't debut until June 2, 2009. The program showcased the terrible impact of global warming from 2015 through 2100. In the special, a "storm of the century" wiped out Miami. Other highlights included a destroyed New York City and an abandoned Las Vegas. By 2084, Earth's population will apparently be just 2.7 billion.
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