‘All about the money’: Motorists plagued by sky-high Calif. traffic ticket fines

Casey Campbell served two tours in Iraq, but the fight of his life is in California.

After driving without a seat belt and no front plate, he got a $25 traffic ticket that jumped to $300 with assessments and surcharges. Unable to pay in full, the ticket rose to $600, and then $819 when he missed a court date.

The state automatically took his driver's license and turned the ticket over to a collections agency. Police later impounded his car when he drove to work on a suspended license. Unable to make a living, Campbell ended up broke and homeless.

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THE SILENCING: Paper Will Limit Anti-Gay Marriage Op-Eds

The editorial board of PennLive/The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa. is taking a hardcore stance against those who disagree with the Supreme Court ruling to legalize gay marriage.

“As a result of Friday’s ruling, PennLive/The Patriot-News will no longer accept, nor will it print, op-Eds and letters to the editor in opposition to same-sex marriage,” they declared.

After receiving strong pushback, the newspaper’s editorial board, which is overseen by Editorial Page Editor John Micek, quickly revised its policy. Freedom of speech will be allowed — but only for a “limited” period of time.

Micek explained on Twitter: “Clarification: We will not foreclose discussion of the high court’s decision, but arguments that gay marriage is wrong/unnatural are out.”

Before that, there was this: “From the edit: ‘PL/PN will no longer accept, nor will it print, op-Eds and letters to the editor in opposition to same-sex marriage.’ …This is not hard: We would not print racist, sexist or anti-Semitc letters. To that, we add homophobic ones. Pretty simple.”

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BANKRUPT GOVERNMENTS AND NEGATIVE INTEREST RATES

Gigantic, logical disconnect mixed in with economic dogma

The United States is bankrupt. Even officially, its debt-to-GDP ratio is well above 100%, the economic/financial point-of-no-return. Unofficially, its total debts-and-liabilities now exceed $200 trillion – ten times as much as this (relatively) puny economy can service, over even the medium term. The U.S. is not merelybankrupt, it is in a financial state unique to the Western governments of the 21stcentury: “ridiculously bankrupt”.

The United States government has never, in its entire history, paid less interest on its debts. Consider the absurd perversity here. Back when we had a rational/legitimate (and solvent) economic system, financing operated on a very basic principle of risk: the greater the risk of default, the higher the interest rate demanded by lenders. Obviously the highest rates of interest would be required with respect to any insolvent/near-insolvent debtors.

This principle is merely elementary common sense, and used to be an automatic reality of lending/borrowing. The fact that readers even need to be reminded of this basic principle indicates how far divorced from such rationality our criminal/fraudulent system has become. In the Wonderland Matrix, the more-bankrupt that a (Western) government gets, the less interest it pays on its debts (unless that nation’s name is “Greece”).

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Gov. Hogan announces funding for a fully-dualized Route 404

ANNAPOLIS — Gov. Larry Hogan has fully funded the dualization of state Route 404, announcing $160 million to make the entire route a four-lane divided highway.

Hogan made the announcement Thursday during a press conference on funding for transportation and mass transit projects throughout the state.

The funds will be used to fully dualize Route 404 from U.S. Route 50 in Talbot County through Queen Anne's County and to the Denton Bypass in Caroline County.

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Clinton Insider Reveals Hillary’s Lesbian Sexcapades

You won't believe who she's reportedly been with!

AL SHARPTON TO NEW BLACK PANTHERS: GET OUT OF CHARLESTON

CHARLESTON, South Carolina—The National Action Network (NAN), Al Sharpton’s civil rights group that has close ties to the Obama administration, has called on the New Black Panther Party to leave Charleston, South Carolina.

Local NAN leaders held a press conference Wednesday night in Marion Square, where the Panther rally had been held the night before and said they “will not allow hate” in the wake of the slaughter of nine black churchgoers, allegedly at the hands of a white racist.

As Breitbart News has reported, New Black Panther leader Malik Zulu Shabazz and others speaking at Tuesday night’s rally in Charleston took a strident stance on recent events At one point, Shabazz called on the all black audience of about 250 to finish “the mission” of a former black slave who wanted to kill as many white people as possible during a planned 1822 revolt.

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‘Hitlery’ Clinton Launches Gun Grab Campaign

Supports President Obama’s calls to further infringe on the Second Amendment

Farm Owners Who Were Fined for Refusing to Host a Gay Wedding Fight Back Against Gov’t Ultimatum: ‘Give Up Your Faith or Give Up Your Livelihood’

A husband and wife who own a farm in central New York are continuing to appeal a punishment enacted by the New York State Division of Human Rights after they were found guilty of “sexual orientation discrimination” and fined $13,000 for refusing to host a same-sex wedding ceremony on their property.

Attorneys for Cynthia and Robert Gifford, owners of Liberty Ridge Farm, a farm and special events venue in Schaghticoke, New York, filed an opening brief in the Gifford v. Erwin case on Thursday in an effort to defend the embattled business owners. The Giffords maintain that the monetary fine as well as a requirement that they send staff to what lawyers called “re-education training classes” violate their rights.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative legal firm that represents the Gifford family, claims that the government failed to take the couple’s Christian faith into account when implementing the punishment.

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OBAMATRADE: BIGGEST THREAT TO U.S. SINCE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Ben Carson: ObamaCare 'Violates the Whole Tenor of America'

Ben Carson said on tonight’s “Kelly File” that ObamaCare “violates the whole tenor of America.”

The 2016 Republican presidential contender was reacting to the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold ObamaCare subsidies nationwide.

“At some point, I was hoping that maybe our Supreme Court would recognize that this is America and this is the way we do things, not in a dictatorial style,” Carson said.

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Revolt: Millions of N.Y. Gun Owners Refuse to Register Firearms

Only around 24,000 New Yorkers, many of them cops, complied with gun control law

Millions of New York gun owners refused to register their firearms to comply with the draconian N.Y. SAFE Act.

So far only around 24,000 gun owners, many of them cops, registered their semiautomatic rifles with the state, meaning that the law has effectively been repealed through civil disobedience.

“I am amused at the pathetically low numbers of New Yorkers who registered their so-called assault rifles,” New York State Rifle & Pistol Association President Tom King said. “The number of individuals who registered their guns is 24,000 and many of these are law-enforcement officials mandated to comply by their department.”

“New York gun owners know it is flawed and they are not complying with it. I am confident that we will ultimately prevail in getting significant portions of the law overturned in the courts.”

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Man Offers Up His Dog-Hating Girlfriend on Craigslist

Faced with the "it's me or the dog" decision, a Virginia man chose his beagle.

The unidentified Roanoke man posted a picture on Craigslist of his adorable dog, Molly, but the hilarious ad made clear that it was his girlfriend who was being advertised.

Under the title, "Free to Any Willing Home," the man said that his girlfriend doesn't like Molly, so "I have to rehome her."

"She is a purebred from a wealthy area and I have had her 4 years. She likes to play games. Not totally trained. Has long hair so she's a little high maintenance, especially the nails, but she loves having them done," he wrote.

And on he went...

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Headquarters Live

Roberts Rips Gay Marriage Ruling, Day After He Backed ObamaCare

A day after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts sided squarely with the Obama administration on the health care overhaul, the same jurist came out swinging against the court's ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.

In his dissenting opinion -- which he read from the bench for the first time in his nearly 10 years as chief justice -- Roberts charged Friday that the court had no right to intervene in what should be a democratic debate by the people, at the state level, over same-sex marriage.

"This court is not a legislature," he wrote. "Whether same-sex marriage is a good idea should be of no concern to us. Under the Constitution, judges have power to say what the law is, not what it should be."

As for the state's role, he said: "The fundamental right to marry does not include a right to make a State change its definition of marriage."

The dissent underscored how unpredictable -- and to his critics, confounding -- the chief justice, appointed by a Republican president, can be.

He has earned many critics on the right for, twice, helping save vital elements of the Affordable Care Act -- conservative justices effectively accused him of twisting the law to save ObamaCare in Thursday's ruling. But in his dissent on the 5-4 gay marriage ruling, Roberts accused others on the court of, similarly, overstepping their bounds.

"It does sound like two different people," said Andrew Napolitano, senior judicial analyst for Fox News.

More here

Accident On Rt. 50 In Berlin

There's been a 3 car accident westbound 50 at stoplight in front of Berlin McDonald's.

Black Chamber of Commerce: EPA Plan Will Increase Black Poverty, Strip 7 Million Black Jobs

(CNSNews) - A study commissioned by the National Black Chamber of Commerce, which represents 2.1 million black-owned businesses in the United States, found that the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan would increase black poverty by 23 percent and cause the loss of 7 million jobs for black Americans by 2035.

The study also found that the EPA' plan would increase Hispanic poverty by 26 percent and cause the loss of 12 million jobs for Hispanic Americans by 2035.

The EPA proposed the Clean Power Plan on June 2, 2014 to cut carbon emissions from power plants. The National Black Chamber of Commerce commissioned the study to evaluate the potential economic and employment impacts of the plan on minority groups.

National Black Chamber of Commerce President Harry Alford explained the results of the report, “Potential Impact of Proposed EPA Regulations on Low Income Groups and Minorities” at the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on Tuesday.

More here

Sussex girl, 6, recovering from West Nile

A 6-year-old Sussex County girl was briefly hospitalized with West Nile virus and is now recovering at home, public health officials say.

"This new human case is a reminder that West Nile virus is still active in Delaware," said Dr. Karyl Rattay, Division of Public Health director. "It's tempting with the distractions of summer fun to forget to protect you and your loved ones from insect bites. These bites can cause much more serious health problems than just itching and discomfort.”

Emily Knearl, spokesman for the Division of Public Health, would not say where in Sussex County the girl lives. She was discharged from the hospital June 17, she said.

"It could have happened pretty much anywhere in the state because we don't know where she was bitten," Knearl said.

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Report: IRS Illegally Awarding Contracts to Companies With Tax Debt

(CNSNews) - The Internal Revenue Service is prohibited by law from doing business with companies that owe back taxes or have felony convictions, but it doesn't always work out that way.

A report prepared in March and released Wednesday by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) says the IRS awarded $18.8 million in contracts to 17 corporations with federal tax debt in Fiscal Years 2012 and 2013.

The investigation also found that one IRS contractor with a felony conviction received three contracts.

Beginning in FY 2012, federal law barred the IRS from using appropriated funds to hire contractors that have tax debt and/or felony convictions.

But following its investigation, "TIGTA found that the IRS did not have effective controls in place to prevent the award of contracts to corporations with certain federal tax debt and/or felony convictions."

TIGTA identified 17 corporations that were awarded a total of 57 contracts valued at about $18.8 million during FYs 2012 and 2013, while the corporations had federal tax debt.

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SCOTUS Ruling On Same-Sex Marriage Mandates Nationwide Concealed Carry Reciprocity

If you’re following any of the various media outlets this morning, you’re probably aware that the U.S. Supreme Court has just extended gay marriage to all 50 states.

The Supreme Court ruled Friday that same-sex couples have a right to marry nationwide, in a historic decision that invalidates gay marriage bans in more than a dozen states.

Gay and lesbian couples already can marry in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The court’s ruling on Friday means the remaining 14 states, in the South and Midwest, will have to stop enforcing their bans on same-sex marriage.

The outcome is the culmination of two decades of Supreme Court litigation over marriage, and gay rights generally.

You can peruse the full ruling here, but the meat of the activist Court’s over-long decision hinges on a single paragraph.



The Court used Section 1 of the Fourteen Amendment to justify their argument, which reads:

Amendment XIV
Section 1.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

By using the Constitution in such a manner, the Court argues that the Due Process Clause extends “certain personal choices central to individual dignity and autonomy” accepted in a majority of states across the state lines of a handful of states that still banned the practice.

The vast majority of states are “shall issue” on the matter of issuing concealed carry permits, and enjoy reciprocity with a large number of other states.

My North Carolina concealed carry permit, for example, was recognized yesterday as being valid in 36 states, which just so happened to be the number of states in which gay marriage was legal yesterday. But 14 states did not recognize my concealed carry permit yesterday.

Today they must.

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The Truth About Minimum Wages

Minimum wage has done nothing to stop poverty

Since President Johnson first declared war on poverty in his 1964 State of the Union address, this war has cost US taxpayers $22 trillion.The primary implement of this war has and continues to be public assistance programs. Prior to the war, the poverty rate had fallen steadily from just under 35 percent in 1949 to just over 15 percent in 1965. As expenditures on public assistance programs soared from roughly $50 billion per year in 1965 to just under $1 trillion in 2013, the poverty rate has been stuck between 10 percent and 15 percent. These trends suggest that public assistance programs trap people in poverty.

The minimum wage is another major implement in the war on poverty. In 2009, it was raised to $7.25 per hour, its highest level (in real terms) since 1981. Thereafter, the poverty rate inched up to 15 percent in 2010, and remained near that rate through 2013. Despite this, President Obama, in his 2014 State of the Union address, called for the federal minimum wage to be raised to $10.10. Later that year, his sales pitch for this proposal included: “One of the simplest and fastest ways to start helping folks get ahead is by raising the minimum wage. Ask yourself: could you live on $14,500 a year? That’s what someone working full-time on the minimum wage makes. If they’re raising kids, that’s below the poverty line. And that’s not right. A hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”

The president’s argument above, however, is based on a false narrative. The typical person earning the minimum wage is not raising a family on $7.25 an hour, and working forty hours a week. Only 2.6 percent of US workers earn the minimum wage, and most of them work part time, and are between the ages of sixteen and twenty-four.

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HERE’S WHY REPUBLICANS GAVE OBAMA POWER TO RAM THROUGH TPP

The false left/right paradigm explained

This article originally appeared in the Infowars Underground Insider newsletter! Not subscribed? Join now!
If you want to know why Republicans just gave President Obama more power to ram through the Trans-Pacific Partnership via the Trade Promotion Authority, just study the Hegelian Dialectic.

By passing the TPA on Wednesday, the Republican-controlled Senate gave Obama authority to negotiate trade deals such as the TPP under fast-track measures which denies Congress the right to change or delay international economic agreements promoted by the White House.

“…The GOP establishment has consistently failed to show any backbone when it comes to fighting Obama,” Red State reported. “They’re constantly telling us that the good, responsible thing is to pass this bill [the TPA], but we’ll fight the next time.”

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Obama scolds heckler: 'You're in my house'

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama took on a heckler head-on at a gay pride month reception at the White House Wednesday, scolding the protester for being disrespectful in "my house."

The heckler had interrupted Obama's remarks by protesting the detention and deportation of gay, lesbian and transgender immigrants.

The president responded, "Hold on a second." When the heckler persisted, Obama, flashing an exasperated look, countered, "OK, you know what?" Wagging his finger and shaking his head, Obama said, "No, no, no, no, no," repeating the word more than a dozen times.

As the heckler continued to talk over him, Obama took it up a notch.

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VIDEO: Black Middle Schooler Challenges Obama: Let ME Interview You!

President Obama has granted interviews to YouTube cereal-swimmer GloZell Green and “WTF” podcast host Marc Maron.

But will he submit to a few questions from Georgia middle-schooler CJ Pearson?

The black 12-year-old has been making a name for himself, racking up over 1.8 million views on his debut video questioning the president’s love of America.

Now, he’s issuing a challenge to the commander-in-chief: let me interview you!

“I want to talk to you about your vision for this nation,” Pearson says, addressing the president.

“I also want to talk about my vision for my generation with you. Because like you, I want to give my generation some change that they can believe in, Mr. President. I want to give them a future that they can count on,” Pearson says boldly, with a poster of two cats behind him.

“I want to engage in a meaningful discussion with you about the future of this nation and the road we’re on as a country. My generation deserves answers.”

He concludes, “I look forward to your response.”

See the video here.. 

9-Year-Old Pedestrian Struck In Fenwick Expected To Recover From Accident

OCEAN CITY — The 9-year-old Pennsylvania boy struck by a vehicle while attempting to cross Coastal Highway at Route 54 in Fenwick last Saturday night still faces a long road but is expected to make a 100-percent recovery.

Just before 9 p.m. last Saturday, Zander Hartman, 9, of Lehighton, Pa., was crossing Coastal Highway at its intersection with Route 54, or Lighthouse Rd., with family and friends when he was struck by a 2007 Chevrolet Suburban. The group was attempting to cross Coastal Highway from west to east and stopped at the median when the pedestrian crossing signal went red.

According to the Delaware State Police, after Hartman and his family and friends successfully crossed the southbound lanes of traffic on Coastal Highway, or Route 1, as it is known north of the Delaware line, the crossing signal changed, forcing them to halt in the median near the raised curb.

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State Dept. admits Clinton failed to disclose Benghazi emails

State Department officials said Thursday they were unable to locate 15 emails between Hillary Clinton and her confidante Sidney Blumenthal that were released earlier this week by the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

The acknowledgement raises questions about whether Clinton disclosed all of her work-related emails to the State Department, as she has claimed.

All of the emails were written before the 2012 terror attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, theAssociated Press reported Thursday.

"We have confirmed that the emails Secretary Clinton provided the Department include almost all of the material in Mr. Blumenthal's production. There are, however, a limited number of instances, 15, in which we could not locate all or part of the content of a document from his production within the tens of thousands of emails she gave us," a State Department official, who declined to be named, told the Washington Examiner. "Those instances are described in a letter the department sent today to the committee. The substance of those 15 emails is not relevant to the 2012 attacks in Benghazi."

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Supreme Court rules for gun rights advocates in modified shotgun case

In a victory for gun rights advocates, the Supreme Court ruled that possession of a modified shotgun is not considered a violent felony under federal law.

The court ruled 8-1 on Friday that an increased sentence for such a gun owner violates due process.

The plaintiff, Samuel Johnson, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The government sought a longer sentence under the Armed Career Criminal Act, which imposes an increased prison term for people with three prior convictions of a violent felony.

The federal government had argued that Johnson's prior conviction for possessing a short-barreled shotgun was a violent felony. The government won, and a 15-year sentence was imposed for Johnson.

The justices found that the law's residual clause was vague, especially surrounding whether the gun possession was a violent crime.

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Mosby's office takes credit for calming crowd, saving Baltimore from being 'burned to the ground'

In a new court filing submitted Wednesday, State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby's office claims their actions in charging six police officers helped restore order and calm the crowd after Freddie Gray's death, saving Baltimore "before the entire city became an armed camp or was burned to the ground."

"Mrs. Mosby was trying to calm the crowd, not incite it," wrote Michael Schatzow for Mosby's office, in a response to a defense motion, according to the Baltimore Sun. "Her repeated pleas for peace while the criminal justice system does its work served a legitimate law enforcement function."

Mosby's office was responding to attorneys for the police officers, who have asked the judge to throw the case against the officers out, and claim that Mosby's actions have tainted the jury pool.

Mosby's now-famous speech from the steps of Baltimore's War Memorial where she said, "I heard your call for 'no justice, no peace.' Your peace is sincerely needed as I work to deliver justice on behalf of this young man," was appropriate in light of the fact that Baltimore was reeling from a night of riots, arson and looting, Schatzow argued in his response.

He dismissed defense attorney arguments that a single news conference could have an outsized impact on the case, according to the Sun. "While there has been an extraordinary amount of publicity about this case, there has been no prosecutorial misconduct," Schatzow wrote.

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A Special Kind Of Stupid

Former Baltimore City cop rants about bad behavior on the force via social media

BALTIMORE (WJLA) - A retired Baltimore Police Department officer came out firing on twitter, talking about bad behavior he claims he witnessed, and participated in, during his time on the force.

The tweets went viral and got a lot of people talking, with some calling him a hero while others labeled him a snitch. After a series of tweets Wednesday, Sergeant Michael Wood's Twitter following went from just a few hundred to nearly 9,000. It’s obvious something he said struck a nerve.

In tweets Wednesday, Wood claims he witnessed a serious of bad acts, including officers who urinated and defecated on suspects’ beds during raids. He also claims he saw an officer kicking a handcuffed suspect.

“I didn't realize I was revealing anything,” Wood told ABC7, “I thought all this was stuff that was previously known and I was confirming it.”

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The flag of the sheep

Man's Best Friend

Alaska Airlines flight attendants sue Boeing over fumes

Four Alaska Airlines flight attendants filed a lawsuit against Boeing Co Tuesday claiming they were exposed to toxic fumes on one flight in July 2013. The complainants reportedly accused the plane manufacturer of negligence and design defects in the Boeing 737-890.

The flight attendants -- Vanessa Woods, Faye Oskardottir, Darlene Ramirez and Karen Neben -- filed the lawsuit in U.S. Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, saying they suffered several health issues after inhaling toxic cabin air on Flight 769 on July 12, 2013. They stated that the aircraft draws air from the engine to pressurize the cabin and this air can become toxic if it is exposed to heated engine oil, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing the lawsuit.

“By reason of Boeing’s design decisions, the environmental control system on the subject aircraft lacked filters which would have purified the cabin air and prevented the subject flight attendant crew from being exposed to toxic fumes,” the lawsuit reportedly stated.

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Buckingham Palace needs repairs; queen may have to leave

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II may have to move out of Buckingham Palace during much-needed renovations to the residence, which has not been substantially redecorated since she took the throne in 1952, royal officials said Wednesday.

Officials say the palace needs an estimated 150 million pounds ($237 million) of renovation and upgrades, including replacing old plumbing and wiring and removing asbestos. Having her move out during the work is one option being considered.

The queen has several other residences but spends about a third of her time in the London palace, which was first used by her ancestor Queen Victoria. It is the site of summer garden parties and scores of ceremonial events each year.

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Multiple Shark Sightings Create ‘An Unusual Week In Ocean City’

OCEAN CITY — It’s no secret sharks, sometimes big sharks, frequent the waters off the coast of Ocean City, but several sightings over a period of a couple days this week created a stir in the resort area.

Early Monday morning, an estimated 10-foot hammerhead was caught in the surf at 143rd Street and birthed 20 pups before perishing and ultimately washing up on the beach in neighboring Fenwick. Over the next couple of days, a shark or multiple sharks were spotted close to shore at different areas up and down the Ocean City coast.

While it should not be alarming to see sharks of all shapes and sizes in the ocean near the resort, after all it is their home and human vacationers are merely guests in their habitat, it was somewhat unusual this week because of the frequency of the sightings. Images of sharks and shark fins close to shore were captured from one end of the resort to the other, and while many of them appear to be the same large hammerhead, there is no telling for certain what species and how many are circling the waters.

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Happy Birthday Jennifer!

No, we can't say how old any more but I am the luckiest guy on earth. 

Republicans’ Donald Trump Debate Mistake

The RNC limited the number of presidential debates to avoid a circus. Instead, they’re accidentally setting up Trump to steal the show, while keeping serious candidates off the stage.

After all the elaborate efforts that Republicans took to avoid the mistakes of the 2012 presidential nominating process, the party is confronting its worst nightmare—one that's partly of its own making. Despite the Republican National Committee's strict qualification rules, Donald Trump nonetheless threatens to be the skunk at the garden party when the first debate takes place in August.

This isn't what RNC chairman Reince Priebus envisioned when he cracked down on the unruly 2012 nominating process, where an endless number of debates (27) and a lengthy calendar forced Mitt Romney to limp to the finish line. Back then, the problem was a roster of not-ready-for-prime-time GOP candidates making it harder for the inevitable nominee to lock up support. But by fighting the last war, Republicans were blinded to the embarrassment of riches they have on their hands for 2016.

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Someone offers Knicks' first-round pick in hilarious Craigslist ad

Some enterprising Knicks fans (or people who really like making fun of them) have posted an ad to Craigslist under the names Jim, Phil, and Steve offering up the fourth pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

The only thing they want? To get rid of some of their players, but also to get their hands on aging veterans who know what a triangle is.

Get it?

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Mark Burnett Pursuing Vladimir Putin as Next Reality TV Star

The superproducer behind 'Sarah Palin's Alaska' wants to create "a series of shows from the eyes of leaders of nations." Following Putin? Fidel Castro.

This story first appeared in the July 3 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

Mark Burnett can see Russia from his office.

The reality TV superproducer behind the TLC hit Sarah Palin's Alaska -- along with NBC stalwartThe Voice, CBS' Survivor and ABC's Shark Tank, among others -- has his eye on a series that would go inside the world of global government leaders. First on his wish list: Russia'sVladimir Putin. If all goes as he hopes, others, including Cuba's Fidel Castro, would follow.

"I want this to be a series of shows from the eyes of leaders of nations about their countries," Burnett, 54, tells THR, "not through the lens of a news organization."

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The 13 hottest economies in the world

China's crazy growth has been one of the biggest stories over the past several decades.

But the Chinese economy certainly isn't the only one posting huge growth rates.

We compiled a list of 13 countries with the highest projected compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2014 through 2017 based on the forecasts from the World Bank's Global Economic Prospects.

Keep in mind that the fastest-growing economies typically aren't among the largest, most developed ones. In fact, most of these countries suffer from high income inequality, low levels of per capita gross domestic product, elevated political instability, and rampant corruption.

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T. Jan Wiseman on Medical Leave from GSC after 13 Years

Thirteen years spent in leadership training and community development has been put on hold by T. Jan Wiseman, president and CEO of the Greater Salisbury Committee. Effective May 30, 2015, Wiseman was given an extended medical leave due to a major heart attack suffered on March 30.

During Wiseman’s work with GSC, the organization grew by more than 45 percent in membership and played a key role in the creation of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, which became a dominant economic player in the Maryland-Delaware-Virginia area.

GSC is a 48-year-old not-for-profit group of CEOs who work to make communities in the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland, as well as parts of Virginia and Delaware, a better place to live and work. Their work has included helping give birth to Wor-Wic Community College and keeping UMES and Salisbury University open after both had been slated for closure by the state. Wiseman continued to support their goals in this growth.

While active with GSC, Wiseman was honored by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore with the Presidential Citation in 2011 for economic development on the six counties of the Eastern Shore, as well as for helping initiate the UMES pharmacy program and expanding the school’s engineering program.

Wiseman is a graduate of 2004 Leadership Maryland and 2003 Shore Leadership programs. Because leadership training was a personal mission of Wiseman’s, as well as a goal for GSC, he created day-long community leadership workshops with 175 participants from Wicomico County. His New Patriotism Program led to the creation of the Civic and Government Leadership Academy. As a result of that program, 3,400 residents in Wicomico County signed a commitment to become active community leaders and good citizens.

Other major programs he helped grow include the Academy for Leadership in Education involving local school districts and Salisbury University, building a team of North Prong owners to help clean the area of unused, rusty oil tanks and other nuisances, as well as beginning planning for that area’s future.

He also initiated a program in the three area colleges to select one student from each school, based on leadership qualities, to receive a cash gift from GSC. The goal was to keep our brightest and best potential leaders here on the Shore, instead of their migrating to the Western Shore and other states. This was a focus on breaking down the walls between college students, residents, and government.

Wiseman came to GSC in 2002 from a senior executive position with the American Soybean Association in St. Louis. Prior to that, he had managed associations for more than 25 years, plus served as a community college dean for 12 years and a professional journalist.

PUBLISHERS NOTES: I want to make myself very clear here, there is much more to come on this situation. Put your seat belts on Ladies & Gentlemen. The investigative reporter in me will soon be coming out again and one thing is for sure, there's going to be a LOT of very upset people when I do publish this next article about GSC. 

Women flock to Japan zoo to see 'hunky' gorilla

A giant gorilla with brooding good looks and rippling muscles is causing a stir at a Japanese zoo, with women flocking to check out the hunky pin-up.

Shabani, an 18-year-old silverback who tips the scales at around 180 kilograms (400 pounds), has become the star attraction at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, striking smouldering poses the movie model in "Zoolander" would be proud of.

"He often rests his chin on his hands and looks intently at you," zoo spokesman Takayuki Ishikawa told AFP on Friday.

"He is more buff than most gorillas and he's at his peak physically. We've seen a rise in the number of female visitors -- women say he's very good-looking."

Shabani, who has been at the zoo since 2007, shot to fame after being made the campaign model for the zoo's spring festival earlier this year, Ishikawa said, adding that the ape's paternal skills are also a big hit with women.

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Ocean City Council To Weigh Latest Pay Study Recommendations

OCEAN CITY – A Pay and Classification Study for Town of Ocean City employees recommended bringing about a quarter of the full-time work force up to the market minimum.

On Tuesday afternoon, Management Advisory Group, Inc. (MAG) President Don Long came before the Mayor and City Council to present the results of a citywide Pay and Classification Study, which was deemed a high priority on the town’s 2014 Strategic Plan’s Policy Agenda.

“It has been seven years or so since the last pay classification study for the Town of Ocean City employees where we benchmark our pay and compensation against the market, and review internal parities as well,” City Manager David Recor said.

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Gettysburg removes some Confederate flag items

GETTYSBURG, Pa. — The National Park Service is asking its gift shops to remove standalone Confederate flags from store shelves. In this News 8 report, Ed Weinstock tells us how this affects Gettysburg National Military Park: Watch here.

NASCAR distances itself from Confederate flag after massacre

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Confederate flags are as easy to find at NASCAR races as cutoff jeans, cowboy hats and beer.

They fly over motorhomes. They adorn clothing. They are regular fixtures, just like Ford and Chevrolet, and that is unlikely to change any time soon.

NASCAR probably would like to see them go away.

The sanctioning body for the motorsports series backed South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's call to remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds in the wake of the Charleston church massacre. NASCAR issued its statement Tuesday, the same day South Carolina lawmakers agreed to discuss removing the flag and one day after Haley said "the time has come" to take it down. And that is as far as NASCAR appears willing to go for now.

"As our industry works collectively to ensure that all fans are welcome at our races, NASCAR will continue our long-standing policy to disallow the use of the Confederate flag symbol in any official NASCAR capacity," NASCAR said. "While NASCAR recognizes that freedom of expression is an inherent right of all citizens, we will continue to strive for an inclusive environment at our events."

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Do You Agree or Disagree

City Adopts Updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps

Gas Yesterday At Sam's Club In Annapolis

It sure makes you wonder why OUR prices are so high!

You're Going To Love This!! Maryland From Above

Breaking News: Another Serious Accident On Rt. 50

There's been another serious accident east bound on Rt. 50 in Hebron/Salisbury. 

Report: Christie nearing 2016 decision

Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) is nearing a decision on his presidential bid and could announce his decision as soon as next week, sources told Politico.

Christie would likely be the 14th GOP candidate in a crowded primary if he decides to jump in — 12 have already announced, and Gov. Bobby Jindal (La.) is set to join later Wednesday.

Christie, a no-nonsense Republican from a deep blue state, earned a legion of supporters for his willingness to, at times, buck party lines. His 2012 embrace of President Obama after Hurricane Sandy both endeared him to his supporters and repulsed his detractors.

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Jon Stewart Threatens to Quit ‘Daily Show’ Early if Donald Trump Isn’t Actually Running for President

“If Trump’s not running, then these last shows are going to be nothing but a cup of hot sadness,” he says

Jon Stewart had a brief moment of panic on Tuesday when he thought that Donald Trump wasn’t serious about his bid for president.

“The Daily Show” host opened the show by airing a montage of news reports revealing that Trump hadn’t filed his official paperwork yet.

“Don’t you take away the one thing we have left, why don’t you just cancel our trip to Disney World, because that’s what it feels like,” he said.

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Mayberry

2 Officers On Front Lines Of Baltimore Riots Speak About Violent Night

BALTIMORE (WJZ)– In April, chaos on the streets of Baltimore.

Hundreds of police officers were injured in the Freddie Gray riots.

In a WJZ exclusive, two of those officers open up, sharing their stories only with Vic Carter.

April 27th—Baltimore erupted in violence as anger over the death of Freddie Gray boiled over on the streets of Baltimore.

Police officers pelleted with bricks, bottles, rocks and concrete.

Over 100 officers were injured.

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Hate Network–CNN Badgers Ben Carson: Should the Gay-Pride Flag Also Come Down?

Wednesday morning on CNN’s low-rated “New Day,” co-anchor Chris Cuomo floated the idea that the rainbow Gay Pride Flag might be equivalent to the Confederate Flag by asking presidential candidate if both should come down.

“Many people are equating what the Confederate Flag stands for with the Gay Pride Flag, and saying, “Hey that flag should be taken down too because all it represents is hatred towards Christians[.]”

With Cuomo you can never tell if a particular act of intellectual dishonesty on his part is based on the fact that he’s a none-too-bright beneficiary of nepotism-privilege, or hisraging left-wing biases.

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70M Americans Teetering on Edge of Financial Ruin

In the past few years, the job market has vastly improved and home prices have rebounded — yet Americans are becoming even more irresponsible when it comes to saving for emergencies.

According to a survey of 1,000 adults released by Bankrate.com on Tuesday, nearly one in three (29%) American adults (that’s roughly 70 million) have no emergency savings at all — the highest percentage since Bankrate began doing this survey five years ago. What’s more, only 22% of Americans have at least six months of emergency savings (that’s what advisers recommend) — the lowest level since Bankrate began doing the survey.

These findings mirror others — all of which paint an abysmal picture of Americans’ ability to withstand an emergency. For example, a survey released in March by national nonprofit NeighborWorks America also found that roughly one third (34%) of Americans don’t have emergency savings.

Greg McBride, the chief financial analyst for Bankrate.com, says these low savings reflect that households haven’t seen their incomes ramp up and thus “household budgets are tight.” Plus, he adds “people don’t pay themselves first — they wait until the end of the month to save what’s left over and then nothing is left over.”

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Magic Johnson Buys Life Insurance Co.

Retired basketball superstar Earvin "Magic" Johnsonjust added a $14.5 billion life insurance company to his growing business and sports empire, Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE).

On Tuesday, MJE, which Johnson founded in 1987, said it completed its planned acquisition for a "majority, controlling interest" in EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, which manages $14.5 billion in annuities, life insurance and other financial products.

MJE acquired a roughly 60% in EquiTrust from Guggenheim Partners, the New York-based financial giant that bought EquiTrust in 2011. Financial terms weren't disclosed, but Guggeheim no longer owns a stake in the insurance company, said Paul Miller, COO at EquiTrust.

MJE announced plans to buy a stake in EquiTrust in January 2014. Miller attributed the delay in closing the transaction to the "legal and regulatory" requirements.

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Facebook now Worth More Than Walmart

Something tells me Mark Zuckerberg and other Facebook employees might "like" this story.

Facebook's stock rose 3% Tuesday and hit at an all-time high. And the company is now worth more than Walmart.

Facebook's (FB, Tech30) market value is nearly $245 billion -- an amazing feat for a company that has only been around since 2004 and started trading on Wall Street in 2012.

The stock is up more than 11% this year. The recent rally has been fueled by optimism about the company's plans to launch interactive mobile video ads.

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Milton Man Arrest for Unlawful Sexual Contact

Milton, DE - The Delaware State Police have arrested and charged a 45 year old Milton man with unlawful sexual contact of three young girls.

On Tuesday June 23, 2015, State Police Criminal Detectives were contacted by the family of a 10 year old female victim reporting that she was touched inappropriately by a friend's father. After a thorough and comprehensive investigation, it was determined that Edward S. Husbands had inappropriately touched the victim as well as two other female victims while they were spending the night at his residence in Milton. These incidents, which involved the 10 year old female that reported the incident to her mother, another 10 year old female, and an 11 year old female, occurred on separate occasions dating back to December of 2014.

On Thursday June 25, 2015, Edward S. Husbands, 45 of Milton was arrested and charged with two counts of Unlawful Sexual Contact 1st with a Person less than 13 years of age, one count of Attempted Unlawful Sexual Contact 1st with a Person less than 13 years of age, and three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. He was arraigned at JP2 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $108,000.00 cash bond. Husbands was also issued a no contact order with the victims as well as any child under the age of 18.

If anyone has any information in reference any other similar incident involving Edward S. Husbands, they are asked to contact Detective R. Truitt, Troop 4 Criminal Investigations Unit at 302-752-3813. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

House bill would force the Supreme Court to enroll in ObamaCare

A House Republican on Thursday proposed forcing the Supreme Court justices and their staff to enroll in ObamaCare.

Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) said that his SCOTUScare Act would make all nine justices and their employees join the national healthcare law’s exchanges.

“As the Supreme Court continues to ignore the letter of the law, it’s important that these six individuals understand the full impact of their decisions on the American people,” he said.

“That’s why I introduced the SCOTUScare Act to require the Supreme Court and all of its employees to sign up for ObamaCare,” Babin said.

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Thank God Its Friday 6-26-15

What will you be doing this weekend?

Good Luck

Caption This Photo 6-26-15

Do you know someone like this?

MS-13 Gang Member Gold Plates Own Man Parts, Then Dies - Third Case This Year

An L.A. gang member, Nazario Conchuza Gonzalez, who is part of the infamous Ms-13 gang, also called Mara Salvatrucha, has died of medical complications after attempting to gold plate his own genitals to celebrate his 17th anniversary.

The young man that is originally from El Salvador and is an active member of the MS-13 crime family is believed to have attempted to gold plate his own genitals with a professional automotive gold plater stolen from a local garage after first painting his genitals with a lead-based paint, believe experts.

The 17-year old man who was allegedly a fan of the 2002 American comedy movie Goldmember, which is a loose parody of the James Bond films

Goldfinger, had taken the Spanish nickname of “Pelotas de oro”, or golden testicles, before attempting to gold plate his own genitals to his ultimate demise.

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First Steps In Starting Your Own Business

Statues can be fun!

Can You Relate?