The Democratic Party is in need of an anti-union candidate like Scott Walker because unions have been the chief obstacle to nearly ever reform that both the right and the left have tried to enact, said an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal.
"Unions may not matter much in American workplaces anymore but unions represent the main political obstacle to just about every kind of reform: School choice. Entitlements. Pensions. Healthcare," wrote Holman Jenkins of the Journal's editorial board in a Business World column.
He gave the example that the labor movement has been the main obstacle to overhauling California's Environmental Quality Act, which was a reform supported by Democrats and environmentalists.
Jenkins quotes Miles Kimball, a University of Michigan economist and self-described "supply-side liberal" who wrote on his blog, "Most unions are middle-class organizations that in their political activities are ready and willing to sacrifice the interests of the poor to benefit their members and their leaders."
He said that Walker's "revolution" was driven by voters who realized that government workers had become the privileged class, attracting the best pay, best benefits, longest vacations, and job security, making them un-removable.
More here
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, August 06, 2015
OCPD Taking Applications for Citizens Police Academy
The OCPD has been offering the citizens of Ocean City the unique opportunity to see the inner workings of the resort police department for nearly 15 years. The Citizens Police Academy was created to enable citizens to learn more about the Ocean City Police Department and build the relationship between the police and the community.
During this course, students meet a variety of officers to learn about criminal law, traffic enforcement, evidence collection, firearms, arrest procedures, narcotics enforcement and many other topics. Students also participate in practical scenarios, which afford citizens a hands-on opportunity to understand various law enforcement applications.
“Educating citizens about their police department and illegal activity in their community is one of the best forms of crime prevention,” said OCPD Chief Ross Buzzuro. “Citizens Police Academy not only benefits our community but also benefits the officers of the Ocean City Police Department.”
The Citizens Police Academy has a limited class size of 25 participants and applicants must be 18 years of age. Interested persons must complete a written application and give permission for the Ocean City Police Department to conduct a background check to determine if they have a criminal record. For more information about the Citizens Police Academy or to receive an application, please contact the OCPD Public Affairs Office at 410-520-5395, or visit http://oceancitymd.gov/oc/departments/police/programs/.
Mark Levin to Rising Generation: Will You Choose Freedom?
"Can we simultaneously love our children but betray their generation and generations yet born?" Mark Levin asks in the first sentence of his new book, "Plunder and Deceit."
Levin then presents a tragic irony.
"Among the least acknowledged facts of American modernity," he writes, "is the extent to which parents, acting in their familial capacity, naturally and tenaciously guard their young children from threat and peril, to the point of risking their own physical and economic security in extreme cases; however, as part of the political and governing community — that is, the ruling generation — many of these same parents wittingly and unwittingly join with other parents in tolerating, if not enthusiastically championing, disadvantageous and even grievous public policies that jeopardize not only their children's future but the welfare of successive generations."
More here
Media Tries to Spin FBI Investigation of Hillary Email Server
It’s hilarious to watch the mainstream media tiptoe around the story of the FBI investigating Hillary Clinton’s illicit email server. After the Clinton machine went nuts on the New York Times over its choice of words in the story of inspectors general making referrals to the Justice Department, many in the MSM are terrified of using a phrase like “FBI investigation” that might rattle the Clintonworld beehive.
Well, everyone but Fox News, of course. Their headline lays it out straight: “FBI Investigating Security of Hillary Clinton’s Private Email Server.” For other outlets, such as the Washington Post and CNN, the term of art is “FBI Looking Into the Security of Hillary Clinton’s Private Email Setup.”
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Well, everyone but Fox News, of course. Their headline lays it out straight: “FBI Investigating Security of Hillary Clinton’s Private Email Server.” For other outlets, such as the Washington Post and CNN, the term of art is “FBI Looking Into the Security of Hillary Clinton’s Private Email Setup.”
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Busy Night For Ocean City Police
Man Arrested After Driving On Boardwalk
OCEAN CITY — A Virginia man was arrested early Thursday morning after leading police on a motor vehicle chase that began on the south end of the Boardwalk and ended at 9th Street.Around 3:11 a.m. on Thursday, an OCPD officer on bicycle patrol observed a vehicle driving north on the Boardwalk in the area of 1st Street. The officer observed the vehicle stop on the Boardwalk and engage in conversation with pedestrians. The vehicle then turned around and headed south on the Boardwalk. The bicycle officer attempted to catch up to the vehicle as it continued south on the Boardwalk.
The vehicle accelerated down the Boardwalk at a high rate of speed with the bicycle officer attempting to give chase, but it was able to pull away and gain distance from the officer. The OCPD officer noted in the report of the incident there were still several pedestrians on the Boardwalk despite the early morning hour.
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There Is Officially No Differnce Between Jeb And Hillary, Whose Biggest Donors Are The Same
What many have tacitly known for a long time was finally confirmed overnight when an analysis of Federal Election Commission data by Vocativ and The Daily Beast found that of the 60 or so ultra-rich Americans - aka the mega-donors - who have contributed to both Jeb Bush’s and Hillary Clinton’s federal campaigns, seventeen of those contributors have gone one step further and opened their wallets to fund both Bush’s and Clinton’s 2016 ambitions.
None of this is a surprise: back in March, when showing the support of what may be the most important backer for any future president, Goldman Sachs, we explained as much. In "As Jeb Bush Pounces On The Hillary Email Scandal, The Real Winner Is... Goldman Sachs" we wrote:
"Goldman likes to play both sides of the fence and that’s especially true of a race like this where either of these two candidates — Bush and Clinton — could ultimately be helpful to them,” said Charles Geisst, a Wall Street historian at Manhattan College. Campaign finance experts say Goldman is hoping another President Bush or President Clinton would both push for Wall Street-friendly policies and draw on Goldman’s executive ranks for expertise, a practice that has fallen out of favor in the years following the financial crisis.
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None of this is a surprise: back in March, when showing the support of what may be the most important backer for any future president, Goldman Sachs, we explained as much. In "As Jeb Bush Pounces On The Hillary Email Scandal, The Real Winner Is... Goldman Sachs" we wrote:
"Goldman likes to play both sides of the fence and that’s especially true of a race like this where either of these two candidates — Bush and Clinton — could ultimately be helpful to them,” said Charles Geisst, a Wall Street historian at Manhattan College. Campaign finance experts say Goldman is hoping another President Bush or President Clinton would both push for Wall Street-friendly policies and draw on Goldman’s executive ranks for expertise, a practice that has fallen out of favor in the years following the financial crisis.
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Debate night: Five things to watch
Anticipation has been building for weeks around Thursday’s 9 p.m. debate hosted by Fox News.
The mix of 10 candidates’ personalities onstage in Cleveland, Ohio, is set to be a perfect storm for some testy exchanges, revealing moments and, potentially, embarrassing gaffes over the course of two hours.
Here are five key things to watch for in the debate.
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Barrasso: Clean Power Plan Is a National Energy Tax
(CNSNews) - "The president yesterday did another end-run around Congress and an end-run around the American people with his climate regulations," Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told a news conference on Tuesday.
He noted that President Obama "couldn't get this sort of thing passed" even when he had a Democrat-majority Congress in his first term. "Why?" Barrasso asked. "Well, because it's a national energy tax, and people don't like it. They don't like it to the fact that 32 states have come out against what the president in his proposal."
Barrasso said the Clean Power Plan produced by the Environmental Protection Agency and endorsed by Obama on Monday will reduce energy reliability, jobs, and economic growth.
"As you're talking to people, find the families that really love paying their utility bill now and want to pay even more. I think you're going to have a hard time finding those families," Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) told the same news conference.
He said the carbon reduction plan Obama announced on Monday "will have the impact of raising utility bills and it'll have disproportionate impact on poor families and working families and middle class families that can barely pay their utility bill now.Local utilities pass along their costs to consumers, Blunt noted.
More here
He noted that President Obama "couldn't get this sort of thing passed" even when he had a Democrat-majority Congress in his first term. "Why?" Barrasso asked. "Well, because it's a national energy tax, and people don't like it. They don't like it to the fact that 32 states have come out against what the president in his proposal."
Barrasso said the Clean Power Plan produced by the Environmental Protection Agency and endorsed by Obama on Monday will reduce energy reliability, jobs, and economic growth.
"As you're talking to people, find the families that really love paying their utility bill now and want to pay even more. I think you're going to have a hard time finding those families," Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) told the same news conference.
He said the carbon reduction plan Obama announced on Monday "will have the impact of raising utility bills and it'll have disproportionate impact on poor families and working families and middle class families that can barely pay their utility bill now.Local utilities pass along their costs to consumers, Blunt noted.
More here
Rumors & Lies Part 4
A quote from the EBT Blogger
All this information came from Dave Fitzegerald of the Wicomico County Humane Society. Nothing was made up. The only issue was the lady was a friend of Joe and Jennifer Albero so how dare you"
Publishers Notes: Let me make something very clear here Ladies & Gentlemen. The horse that had been put down had been euthanized WEEKS ago. The EBT Blogger has the nerve to ACT as if he and the rest of those Idiots actually had something to do with saving an animal, the man is so screwed up in the head it isn't funny. We proved EVERYTHING he/they said was all lies and today we're doing it again. So "how dare you" defame and drag good people through the mud based on 100% lies and then act like you people are some kind of saviors.
Then again, they went to a bottom feeder, everyone knows he's a liar and will do anything for attention.
YOU deserve to know the truth. The horse had a punctured lung and broken ribs after being kicked by another horse and was put to rest weeks before anyone ever got involved. He/They had nothing to do with it.
Maryland State Police Arrest Anne Arundel County Man on Child Pornography Charges
(Columbia, MD) Members of the Maryland State Police Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) arrested an Anne Arundel County man on child pornography related charges yesterday.
The suspect is identified as Justin Calsoncin, 30, of the 8000 block of Aspen Grove Court in Odenton, Maryland. He was arrested without incident shortly after 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. Calsoncin charged with four counts of Distributing Child Pornography and four counts of Possession of Child Pornography. Calsoncin was transported to the Anne Arundel County Detention Center where he was held on a $10,000 bond.
On August 5th, 2015, a search and seizure warrant was executed in Anne Arundel County, at Calsonicin’s residence by the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit, Department of Homeland Security Investigations and state troopers from the Glen Burnie Barrack. During the execution of the search warrant, child pornography was located on his computer by a team of digital forensic investigators. Investigators arrested Calsoncin on scene.
The Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force comes under the Computer Crimes Unit of the Maryland State Police and is comprised of police agencies from around the state. Its primary mission is to protect children from computer-facilitated sexual exploitation. The Task Force works cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to provide resources to combat these crimes. Additionally, the Task Force provides community awareness campaigns helping to prevent the spread of these crimes through education.
Companies Forced to Compare CEOs’ Pay to Workers Under SEC Rule
U.S. companies will be forced to reveal the pay gap between the chief executive officer and their typical worker, handing a new weapon to groups protesting rising income inequality.
The Securities and Exchange Commission is set to vote Wednesday on a rule that will force the new disclosure. The agency has delayed progress on the rule for years, with SEC Chair Mary Jo White facing attacks from unions and Democratic lawmakers in recent months for failing to get it done.
The disclosure is required under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which hasn’t stopped it from splintering the five-member commission. Republican commissioners argue it’s meant to embarrass CEOs and won’t be useful to investors.
White and the SEC’s two Democrats, Luis Aguilar and Kara Stein, are expected to approve the rule. Democrats say the metric will be helpful to investors who are deciding how to vote on executive pay packages.
“As investors increasingly focus on corporate governance and executive compensation issues at public companies, the pay ratio disclosure will provide another metric that is useful on many fronts, such as say‐on‐pay votes,” Stein said in a statement prepared for the meeting.
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The Securities and Exchange Commission is set to vote Wednesday on a rule that will force the new disclosure. The agency has delayed progress on the rule for years, with SEC Chair Mary Jo White facing attacks from unions and Democratic lawmakers in recent months for failing to get it done.
The disclosure is required under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which hasn’t stopped it from splintering the five-member commission. Republican commissioners argue it’s meant to embarrass CEOs and won’t be useful to investors.
White and the SEC’s two Democrats, Luis Aguilar and Kara Stein, are expected to approve the rule. Democrats say the metric will be helpful to investors who are deciding how to vote on executive pay packages.
“As investors increasingly focus on corporate governance and executive compensation issues at public companies, the pay ratio disclosure will provide another metric that is useful on many fronts, such as say‐on‐pay votes,” Stein said in a statement prepared for the meeting.
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With Latest Purchases, Sun Communities Now Owns Three Local Campgrounds
Sun Communities, a national company that owns and operates more than 250 manufactured housing and RV communities, purchased Frontier Town and Fort Whaley officially on July 31.
“We look forward to continuing the legacy of the Parkers and enhancing assets going forward,” said Jon Colman, vice president of Sun Communities.
Frontier Town, a popular family attraction on Route 611 since it opened in 1959, first started as a Wild West show. Through the years, under the guidance of the Parker family, it evolved to include a water park and campground. Owner Mitch Parker declined to comment on the property’s sale.
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Larry Hogan On Redistricting
Maryland's Third Congressional district is so gerrymandered and misshapen, it resembles a Rorschach Inkblot Test! This district is one of the worst drawn districts in the entire nation.
Posted by Larry Hogan on Thursday, August 6, 2015
Lead U.S. Negotiator Says She Didn't See 'Final Documents' in Iran Deal
"I didn't see the final documents. I saw the provisional documents, as did my experts," said Wendy Sherman, the Obama administration's undersecretary of state for political affairs, who was one of the deal's lead negotiators.
Sherman appeared before a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Wednesday.
Sherman, according to The Hill, said she and her team were only permitted access to the side deals, which include Iran's earlier efforts on a bomb and access to its Parchin military site, "in the middle of the negotiation when the IAEA wanted to go over with some of our experts the technical details."
The side deals, she said, remain confidential and can't be submitted to Congress.
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Source: DHS To Propose Moving ICE Border Funds To Other Agencies
“The DHS justification is, ‘Well, ICE, you’re not using all of your budget, and, it’s coming from bed and deportation money, because you can’t arrest people and you can’t detain people so it makes sense that you are not using your budget, so we are going to take it away from you and give it to other divisions of homeland security,'” the person said.
Additionally, according to the source, DHS plans to take away the home-to-work government vehicles that ICE employees use.
“And so now ICE officers are shaking their heads saying, ‘Hey they don’t let us do our jobs and now they’re taking our budget and our money away from us and our cars, so they’re really frustrated,” the source told TheDC.
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Accident In Parsonsburg
FBI Investigation of Hillary’s Emails Is ‘Criminal Probe’
The FBI investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s unsecured e-mail account is not just a fact-finding venture — it’s a criminal probe, sources told The Post on Wednesday.
The feds are investigating to what extent Clinton relied on her home server and other private devices to send and store classified documents, according to a federal source with knowledge of the inquiry.
“It’s definitely a criminal probe,” said the source. “I’m not sure why they’re not calling it a criminal probe.
“The DOJ [Department of Justice] and FBI can conduct civil investigations in very limited circumstances,” but that’s not what this is, the source stressed. “In this case, a security violation would lead to criminal charges. Maybe DOJ is trying to protect her campaign.”
Clinton’s camp has downplayed the inquiry as civil and fact-finding in nature. Clinton herself has said she is “confident” that she never knowingly sent or received anything that was classified.
More here
The feds are investigating to what extent Clinton relied on her home server and other private devices to send and store classified documents, according to a federal source with knowledge of the inquiry.
“It’s definitely a criminal probe,” said the source. “I’m not sure why they’re not calling it a criminal probe.
“The DOJ [Department of Justice] and FBI can conduct civil investigations in very limited circumstances,” but that’s not what this is, the source stressed. “In this case, a security violation would lead to criminal charges. Maybe DOJ is trying to protect her campaign.”
Clinton’s camp has downplayed the inquiry as civil and fact-finding in nature. Clinton herself has said she is “confident” that she never knowingly sent or received anything that was classified.
More here
First ObamaCare co-op to fail could cost taxpayers over $140 million
The first Obamacare-created insurer to go under could cost federal taxpayers up to $140 million, according to a new court filing.
CoOportunity Health, a nonprofit insurer created with $147 million in federal taxpayer loans as a result of the Affordable Care Act, was taken over by the state of Iowa in 2014 and declared insolvent in March of this year. Now the company’s ability to repay its loans may be looking grim, The Des Moines Register reports.
Daniel Watkins, a lawyer designated as the special deputy liquidator charged with helping dissolve CoOportunity Health, which formerly served Iowa’s and Nebraska’s Obamacare exchanges, filed a status report Friday in Iowa’s Polk County District Court, raising more questions about CoOportunity’s financial status.
While CoOportunity retains just $109 million in assets, it has over $282 million in liabilities, according to Watkins. Some of that money will be offset by a trio of risk mitigation policies in place at Obamacare exchanges — the reinsurance, risk adjustment and risk corridor mechanisms. CoOportunity is still negotiating the process with the federal Obamacare agency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but the pools are unlikely to meet the total funding the company requires.
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CoOportunity Health, a nonprofit insurer created with $147 million in federal taxpayer loans as a result of the Affordable Care Act, was taken over by the state of Iowa in 2014 and declared insolvent in March of this year. Now the company’s ability to repay its loans may be looking grim, The Des Moines Register reports.
Daniel Watkins, a lawyer designated as the special deputy liquidator charged with helping dissolve CoOportunity Health, which formerly served Iowa’s and Nebraska’s Obamacare exchanges, filed a status report Friday in Iowa’s Polk County District Court, raising more questions about CoOportunity’s financial status.
While CoOportunity retains just $109 million in assets, it has over $282 million in liabilities, according to Watkins. Some of that money will be offset by a trio of risk mitigation policies in place at Obamacare exchanges — the reinsurance, risk adjustment and risk corridor mechanisms. CoOportunity is still negotiating the process with the federal Obamacare agency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but the pools are unlikely to meet the total funding the company requires.
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Iran Already Sanitizing Nuclear Site, Intel Warns
The U.S. intelligence community has informed Congress of evidence that Iran was sanitizing its suspected nuclear military site at Parchin, in broad daylight, days after agreeing to a nuclear deal with world powers.
For senior lawmakers in both parties, the evidence calls into question Iran’s intention to fully account for the possible military dimensions of its current and past nuclear development. The International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran have a side agreement meant to resolve past suspicions about the Parchin site, and lawmakers' concerns about it has already become a flashpoint because they do not have access to its text.
Intelligence officials and lawmakers who have seen the new evidence, which is still classified, told us that satellite imagery picked up by U.S. government assets in mid- and late July showed that Iran had moved bulldozers and other heavy machinery to the Parchin site and that the U.S. intelligence community concluded with high confidence that the Iranian government was working to clean up the site ahead of planned inspections by the IAEA.
The intelligence community shared its findings with lawmakers and some Congressional staff late last week, four people who have seen the evidence told us. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence briefed lawmakers about the evidence Monday, three U.S. senators said.
More here
For senior lawmakers in both parties, the evidence calls into question Iran’s intention to fully account for the possible military dimensions of its current and past nuclear development. The International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran have a side agreement meant to resolve past suspicions about the Parchin site, and lawmakers' concerns about it has already become a flashpoint because they do not have access to its text.
Intelligence officials and lawmakers who have seen the new evidence, which is still classified, told us that satellite imagery picked up by U.S. government assets in mid- and late July showed that Iran had moved bulldozers and other heavy machinery to the Parchin site and that the U.S. intelligence community concluded with high confidence that the Iranian government was working to clean up the site ahead of planned inspections by the IAEA.
The intelligence community shared its findings with lawmakers and some Congressional staff late last week, four people who have seen the evidence told us. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence briefed lawmakers about the evidence Monday, three U.S. senators said.
More here
Police chief questions why shooter in Md. murder-suicide was not in jail
Police say following an argument in a car at a gas station at the corner of Routes 118 and 355, 42-year-old Johnnie Perkins shot 34-year-old Shakina Perkins-Moody before taking his own life.
Officers say the two were in a relationship, but they can’t confirm their marital status.
Police Chief Tom Manger says Perkins was no stranger to crime.
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Governor Larry Hogan Signs Executive Order Establishing Maryland Redistricting Reform Commission
Fulfilling campaign pledge to address fair election districts for Marylanders
ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Larry Hogan today signed Executive Order 01.01.2015.21, establishing the Maryland Redistricting Reform Commission. The commission, which fulfills a commitment by Governor Hogan to address Maryland’s redistricting process, will be made up of four members appointed by House and Senate leadership, as well as representatives from policy research and voter and government reform organizations. Governor Hogan directly appointed seven members of the commission, all of whom were announced today.
“Maryland is home to some of the most gerrymandered districts in the country, a distinction that we should not be proud of,” said Governor Hogan. “For far too long, this political gamesmanship has stifled real political debate and deprived citizens of meaningful choices. Through the work of this commission, my administration’s goal is to reform this process and put Maryland’s redistricting process on a new path toward transparency, fair representation, and election integrity.”
National publications have listed Maryland as having some of the most “gerrymandered” congressional districts in the United States. By enacting independent commissions, other states have greatly reduced the politics and partisanship that comes with redistricting, resulting in more election districts being based on population, compactness, and natural boundaries.
As part of their duties and responsibilities, the commission will review approaches of other states that have established independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions. At least one public hearing will be held in each region of the state to allow Marylanders to submit their ideas on redistricting reform. In addition, a Web page, http://governor.maryland.gov/redistricting-reform/, has been established so citizens may submit their input online to the commission.
Based on the findings of the commission, a report will be submitted to the governor, senate president, and speaker of the house no later than November 3, 2015. Additionally, the commission will give a recommendation for a constitutional amendment on congressional and legislative redistricting that will be introduced as legislation during the 2016 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly. The commission will end on November 8, 2016.
Members of the commission appointed by the governor include:
Alexander Williams Jr. (co-chair) is a retired United States district judge, a former elected state’s attorney for Prince George’s County, and has been widely recognized as a prominent civic leader in Maryland and beyond.
Walter Olson (co-chair), a Frederick County resident, is a senior fellow with the Cato Institute, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit research institution, and the author of four books and many other writings on law, government, and public policy.
Dr. Michael J. Goff is president and CEO of the Northeast-Midwest Institute, a nonpartisan research, policy, and education organization. He also serves on the board of directors of Common Cause Maryland, a leading advocate for redistricting reform. He is also adjunct professor of political science at George Washington University.
Christopher B. Summers is founder and president of the Maryland Public Policy Institute, one of Maryland’s leading public-policy think tanks. A native of Baltimore City and veteran of the Armed Forces, Mr. Summers has an extensive background in public policy and economic policy research.
Ashley Oleson is administrator for the League of Women Voters of MD. The League of Women Voters has been a strong voice calling for redistricting reform and educating voters about the issue.
Carol Ramirez is a Georgetown University graduate and 25-year resident of Bethesda, with a wide-ranging background as a small business owner, banker, and volunteer and leader in local community, school, and church organizations.
Tessa Hill-Aston is president of the Baltimore City Branch of the NAACP, where she has built and grown partnerships between local government, businesses, and religious and community leaders. For more than 25 years, Ms. Hill-Aston has been a prominent voice for social change and equality, in the effort to build a better Baltimore.
“Maryland is home to some of the most gerrymandered districts in the country, a distinction that we should not be proud of,” said Governor Hogan. “For far too long, this political gamesmanship has stifled real political debate and deprived citizens of meaningful choices. Through the work of this commission, my administration’s goal is to reform this process and put Maryland’s redistricting process on a new path toward transparency, fair representation, and election integrity.”
National publications have listed Maryland as having some of the most “gerrymandered” congressional districts in the United States. By enacting independent commissions, other states have greatly reduced the politics and partisanship that comes with redistricting, resulting in more election districts being based on population, compactness, and natural boundaries.
As part of their duties and responsibilities, the commission will review approaches of other states that have established independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions. At least one public hearing will be held in each region of the state to allow Marylanders to submit their ideas on redistricting reform. In addition, a Web page, http://governor.maryland.gov/redistricting-reform/, has been established so citizens may submit their input online to the commission.
Based on the findings of the commission, a report will be submitted to the governor, senate president, and speaker of the house no later than November 3, 2015. Additionally, the commission will give a recommendation for a constitutional amendment on congressional and legislative redistricting that will be introduced as legislation during the 2016 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly. The commission will end on November 8, 2016.
Members of the commission appointed by the governor include:
Alexander Williams Jr. (co-chair) is a retired United States district judge, a former elected state’s attorney for Prince George’s County, and has been widely recognized as a prominent civic leader in Maryland and beyond.
Walter Olson (co-chair), a Frederick County resident, is a senior fellow with the Cato Institute, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit research institution, and the author of four books and many other writings on law, government, and public policy.
Dr. Michael J. Goff is president and CEO of the Northeast-Midwest Institute, a nonpartisan research, policy, and education organization. He also serves on the board of directors of Common Cause Maryland, a leading advocate for redistricting reform. He is also adjunct professor of political science at George Washington University.
Christopher B. Summers is founder and president of the Maryland Public Policy Institute, one of Maryland’s leading public-policy think tanks. A native of Baltimore City and veteran of the Armed Forces, Mr. Summers has an extensive background in public policy and economic policy research.
Ashley Oleson is administrator for the League of Women Voters of MD. The League of Women Voters has been a strong voice calling for redistricting reform and educating voters about the issue.
Carol Ramirez is a Georgetown University graduate and 25-year resident of Bethesda, with a wide-ranging background as a small business owner, banker, and volunteer and leader in local community, school, and church organizations.
Tessa Hill-Aston is president of the Baltimore City Branch of the NAACP, where she has built and grown partnerships between local government, businesses, and religious and community leaders. For more than 25 years, Ms. Hill-Aston has been a prominent voice for social change and equality, in the effort to build a better Baltimore.
Maryland Casinos Generate $99 Million in Revenue During July
Hollywood Casino Perryville generated $6,900,049 from both slot machines and table games in July. Gross gaming revenue per unit per day was: $225.52 for slot machines, $2,330.71 for banking table games and $292.07 for non-banking table games. Hollywood Casino’s July 2015 revenue decreased by $610,635.44, or 8.1%, from July 2014. Hollywood Casino Perryville operates 850 slot machines and 22 (12 banking and 10 non-banking) table games.
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore generated $24,380,317 from both slot machines and table games in July. Gross gaming revenue per unit per day was: $199.44 for slot machines, $2,088.45 for banking table games and $1,042.85 for non-banking table games. Horseshoe Casino Baltimore operates 2,200 slot machines and 179 (154 banking and 25 non-banking) table games. The casino opened to the public in August 2014.
Maryland Live Casino generated $56,949,080 from both slot machines and table games in July. Gross gaming revenue per unit per day was: $291.76 for slot machines, $3,862.61 for banking table games and $1,412.34 for non-banking table games. Maryland Live’s July 2015 revenue decreased by $1,275,097, or 2.2%, from July 2014. Maryland Live Casino operates 4,059 slot machines and 202 (150 banking and 52 non-banking) table games.
Casino at Ocean Downs generated $6,391,554 from slot machines in July, and its gross gaming revenue per unit per day was $257.72. Casino at Ocean Downs’ July 2015 revenue increased by $295,458, or 4.9%, from July 2014. The Casino at Ocean Downs operates 800 slot machines, and does not have table games.
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Update On Walmart Chemical Spill In Fruitland
Obama Providing An Extra Million Alien Work Permits Annually
The Obama administration has issued more than 7.4 million work permits to foreign nationals from 2009 – 2014, beyond the approximately one million lawful permanent residents and 700,000 foreign guest workers admitted to the U.S. each year.
In written responses to the Senate Judiciary Immigration and the National Interest Subcommittee Republicans obtained by Breitbart News, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reveal that the Obama administration has been approving work authorizations for immigrants beyond admission limits and for some categories of immigrants that Congress never intended to work in the U.S.
Green card holders and foreign nationals on guest worker visas do not need work authorizations.
Beyond those limits each year, these new and renewed work permit approvals amounted to about 1.23 million in fiscal year 2009, 1.08 million in FY 2010, 970,277 in FY 2011, 1.24 million in FY 2012, 1.68 million in FY 2013 and 1.24 million in FY 2014.
Such categories of immigrants that received permits include: Illegal immigrants granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, immigrants granted Temporary Protective Status (TPS), spouses of guest workers, various types of foreign students, immigrants granted voluntary departure, parolees, as well as asylum seekers and refugees.
More here
In written responses to the Senate Judiciary Immigration and the National Interest Subcommittee Republicans obtained by Breitbart News, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reveal that the Obama administration has been approving work authorizations for immigrants beyond admission limits and for some categories of immigrants that Congress never intended to work in the U.S.
Green card holders and foreign nationals on guest worker visas do not need work authorizations.
Beyond those limits each year, these new and renewed work permit approvals amounted to about 1.23 million in fiscal year 2009, 1.08 million in FY 2010, 970,277 in FY 2011, 1.24 million in FY 2012, 1.68 million in FY 2013 and 1.24 million in FY 2014.
Such categories of immigrants that received permits include: Illegal immigrants granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, immigrants granted Temporary Protective Status (TPS), spouses of guest workers, various types of foreign students, immigrants granted voluntary departure, parolees, as well as asylum seekers and refugees.
More here
Have Some Corn In Your Tank——-The Biofuels Boondoggle
If something’s desirable it ought not to be necessary to force people to buy it.
Chipotle, for instance, doesn’t need to spend millions inde facto bribes (“campaign contributions”) to wheedle Congress into passing burrito subsidies. Nor are you forced to eat at Chipotle if burritos and bowls are not your thing. The market has voted – freely, without being prodded or pushed – that Chipotle is a good place to eat and so people go there willingly, part with their money gladly.
Why doesn’t the same standard apply to “renewable” fuels, specifically – ethanol and biodiesel? If, as we’re told, they are viable alternatives to gasoline, why must people be forced to subsidize them?
Required to buy them?
It’s a question that ought to be asked more often – which might result in crony capitalist hog-troughers (this time dressed in “green” livery) shoving their hands in our pockets less often.
But that’s probably just why it’s not asked.
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Chipotle, for instance, doesn’t need to spend millions inde facto bribes (“campaign contributions”) to wheedle Congress into passing burrito subsidies. Nor are you forced to eat at Chipotle if burritos and bowls are not your thing. The market has voted – freely, without being prodded or pushed – that Chipotle is a good place to eat and so people go there willingly, part with their money gladly.
Why doesn’t the same standard apply to “renewable” fuels, specifically – ethanol and biodiesel? If, as we’re told, they are viable alternatives to gasoline, why must people be forced to subsidize them?
Required to buy them?
It’s a question that ought to be asked more often – which might result in crony capitalist hog-troughers (this time dressed in “green” livery) shoving their hands in our pockets less often.
But that’s probably just why it’s not asked.
More
Troopers Investigate Crash Involving Amish Buggy
Dover, DE – Troopers are investigating a hit and run crash involving a horse and buggy that occurred late Wednesday evening northwest of Dover
The incident happened around 10:00 p.m. Wednesday August 5, 2015, as 44 year old male was in control of a horse drawn buggy that was stopped at the stop sign on Sharon Hill Road intersecting with West Denneys Road. The horse may have become spooked and jutted out into the eastbound travel lane of West Denneys Road and was struck by an unknown make and model vehicle traveling eastbound. The vehicle failed to stop after colliding with the horse and continued eastbound on West Denneys Road. The 44 year old Amish male was uninjured, but the horse sustained fatal wounds and died at the scene.
If anyone has any information in reference to this incident or are able to provide a vehicle description they are asked to contact Corporal C. Nicholson at Troop at 302-378-5749. 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."
The incident happened around 10:00 p.m. Wednesday August 5, 2015, as 44 year old male was in control of a horse drawn buggy that was stopped at the stop sign on Sharon Hill Road intersecting with West Denneys Road. The horse may have become spooked and jutted out into the eastbound travel lane of West Denneys Road and was struck by an unknown make and model vehicle traveling eastbound. The vehicle failed to stop after colliding with the horse and continued eastbound on West Denneys Road. The 44 year old Amish male was uninjured, but the horse sustained fatal wounds and died at the scene.
If anyone has any information in reference to this incident or are able to provide a vehicle description they are asked to contact Corporal C. Nicholson at Troop at 302-378-5749. 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."
Flashback: Lesbian Mayor Loses Fight Over 'Transgender' Ordinance
The lesbian mayor of Houston, whose legal defense of a “transgender” ordinance passed by her council escalated to a national scandal when she subpoenaed the sermons of local pastors, has lost her fight in court.
The Texas Supreme Court on Friday ordered that the council must either repeal or put to a popular vote the ordinance, which drew strong opposition for opening ladies’ public restrooms and locker rooms to men who claim they are women.
“If the city council does not repeal the ordinance by August 24, 2015, then by that date the city council must order that the ordinance be put to popular vote during the November 2015 election,” the ruling said.
The court also suspended any enforcement of the ordinance.
At the behest of Mayor Annise Parker, the city adopted an ordinance that forbade discrimination based even on a person’s “perceived” sexual identity.
The ordinance has faced opposition from a coalition of local pastors and others that gathered 55,000 signatures for a petition seeking either to repeal the ordinance or to allow voters to decide.
The city secretary stopped counting the signatures before going through the entire list, because she determined the petition had acquired the necessary 17,269 names.
However, the city lawyer intervened and fought the petition in court, arguing there were just over 2,000 valid signatures. The district court determined there were 16,684.
More here
The Texas Supreme Court on Friday ordered that the council must either repeal or put to a popular vote the ordinance, which drew strong opposition for opening ladies’ public restrooms and locker rooms to men who claim they are women.
“If the city council does not repeal the ordinance by August 24, 2015, then by that date the city council must order that the ordinance be put to popular vote during the November 2015 election,” the ruling said.
The court also suspended any enforcement of the ordinance.
At the behest of Mayor Annise Parker, the city adopted an ordinance that forbade discrimination based even on a person’s “perceived” sexual identity.
The ordinance has faced opposition from a coalition of local pastors and others that gathered 55,000 signatures for a petition seeking either to repeal the ordinance or to allow voters to decide.
The city secretary stopped counting the signatures before going through the entire list, because she determined the petition had acquired the necessary 17,269 names.
However, the city lawyer intervened and fought the petition in court, arguing there were just over 2,000 valid signatures. The district court determined there were 16,684.
More here
The race is on for medical cannabis growers in Maryland
CUMBERLAND — The race is on in Maryland for the growers and processors of medical marijuana to secure a place in the state with rural counties, like Allegany, being favored locations for the cannabis growers.
“It is a massive effort. You need a team of people who are very dedicated and it will take every bit of their effort,” said Ethan Ruby in a recent Times-News interview.
Ruby is the CEO of Peak Harvest Health. PHH officials announced plans Tuesday to open an indoor medical marijuana growing and processing center in the Riverside Industrial Complex on Kelly Road. The plan is contingent upon PHH securing one of the 15 growing licenses Maryland will issue toward the end of the year.
Now legal in 23 states and Washington, D.C., medical marijuana has become a multibillion dollar industry. Numerous medical marijuana growing companies are scrambling to secure one of the coveted licenses creating a very competitive climate.
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“It is a massive effort. You need a team of people who are very dedicated and it will take every bit of their effort,” said Ethan Ruby in a recent Times-News interview.
Ruby is the CEO of Peak Harvest Health. PHH officials announced plans Tuesday to open an indoor medical marijuana growing and processing center in the Riverside Industrial Complex on Kelly Road. The plan is contingent upon PHH securing one of the 15 growing licenses Maryland will issue toward the end of the year.
Now legal in 23 states and Washington, D.C., medical marijuana has become a multibillion dollar industry. Numerous medical marijuana growing companies are scrambling to secure one of the coveted licenses creating a very competitive climate.
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Netanyahu: Iran Building ICBMs 'To Hit U.S.'
TEL AVIV – Iran intends to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles to ultimately strike the United States and not Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned during a live webcast addressing the U.S. Jewish community Tuesday.
“Iran’s terrorist regime continues to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles,” Netanyahu told Jewish supporters opposed to the Iranian nuclear deal.
That agreement, intended by Western powers to rein in Iran’s nuclear weapons development program, will give Iran open access to world markets, billions of dollars in funds and more. Meanwhile, Iranian leaders have claimed it does not even require them to dismantle their facilities.
“I want to make it clear to you,” Netanyahu continued. “Iran is not building these ICBMs to hit Israel. They already have missiles that can hit Israel everywhere. They are building these ICBMs to hit you. To hit the United States.”
“You are the Great Satan,” he added. “We are just a small Satan.”
More here
“Iran’s terrorist regime continues to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles,” Netanyahu told Jewish supporters opposed to the Iranian nuclear deal.
That agreement, intended by Western powers to rein in Iran’s nuclear weapons development program, will give Iran open access to world markets, billions of dollars in funds and more. Meanwhile, Iranian leaders have claimed it does not even require them to dismantle their facilities.
“I want to make it clear to you,” Netanyahu continued. “Iran is not building these ICBMs to hit Israel. They already have missiles that can hit Israel everywhere. They are building these ICBMs to hit you. To hit the United States.”
“You are the Great Satan,” he added. “We are just a small Satan.”
More here
$6 eggs could be on the way
Egg sticker shock at the grocery store could soon get even worse, one analyst warns.
Squeezed by limited supply because of the worst avian flu outbreak in three decades, egg prices have already risen sharply this year. But BB&T Capital Markets analyst Brett Hundley said retail prices could surge even higher.
An uptick to more than $6 for a dozen "would not surprise" him if bird flu returns later this year, something he predicts will occur as early as fall.
As of Friday, prices to consumers for New York large shell eggs stood at a range of $1.99 to $4.49 per dozen, USDA data showed.
"It's almost scary to think about what could happen to egg prices," Hundley said.
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Squeezed by limited supply because of the worst avian flu outbreak in three decades, egg prices have already risen sharply this year. But BB&T Capital Markets analyst Brett Hundley said retail prices could surge even higher.
An uptick to more than $6 for a dozen "would not surprise" him if bird flu returns later this year, something he predicts will occur as early as fall.
As of Friday, prices to consumers for New York large shell eggs stood at a range of $1.99 to $4.49 per dozen, USDA data showed.
"It's almost scary to think about what could happen to egg prices," Hundley said.
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Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Is So Good It Could Take Him All The Way To The White House…
Donald Trump has been in the spotlight lately and most of it has been good news. Sure, he offended libs with his remarks on immigration and ruffled a few feathers with his remarks on John McCain but he’s still leading the pack in basically every poll.
What we haven’t heard much about are some of his remarkable stances on important issues such as taxes.
In his 2011 book, “Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again,” Trump lays out his plan to completely transform America’s tax code. It’s simple but brilliant!
Trump’s code, which he calls the “1-5-10-15 income tax plan,” is a simplistic way to fix our nation’s broken taxation system, without putting the strain on any particular group of people. (H/T Conservative Tribune)
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What we haven’t heard much about are some of his remarkable stances on important issues such as taxes.
In his 2011 book, “Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again,” Trump lays out his plan to completely transform America’s tax code. It’s simple but brilliant!
Trump’s code, which he calls the “1-5-10-15 income tax plan,” is a simplistic way to fix our nation’s broken taxation system, without putting the strain on any particular group of people. (H/T Conservative Tribune)
More
The Great Lakes Are Alive With Toxic Ooze
From the sky, you’d be forgiven for thinking parts of the Great Lakes are growing grass. The algae blooms this year are so thick they look like well-fed lawns, albeit ones that could suck you down into the ooze and maybe poison your dog with algal toxins, to boot.
Last month, scientists predicted a “severe” outbreak of algae in Lake Erie,writing:
The effects of the cyanobacterial blooms include a higher cost for cities and local governments to treat their drinking water, as well as risk to swimmers in high concentration areas, and a nuisance to boaters when blooms form. These effects will vary in locations and severity with winds, and will peak in September.More
The bloom will be expected to measure 8.7 on the severity index with a range from 8.1 to potentially as high as 9.5. This is more severe than the last year’s 6.5, and may equal or exceed 2013, which had the second worse bloom in this century. The severity index runs from a high of 10, which corresponds to the 2011 bloom, the worst ever observed, to zero. A severity above 5.0 indicates blooms of particular concern.
Natural Factors Cause Dramatic Change In OC Beach
A combination of high tides, prevailing north-south currents and heavy wave action spurred by a recent full moon, the second in July and a phenomenon known as a blue moon, created a steep drop off with a pronounced edge along the waterfront in the resort. It’s a natural phenomenon that occurs often throughout the year, but because it was created during one of the peak seasons in the summer this week, it has created somewhat of a stir.
Ocean City officials and the Ocean City Beach Patrol are monitoring the change in the beach, although there is little or nothing to do other than let nature run its course. City Engineer Terry McGean said on Wednesday he had been checking out the conditions.
“Coincidentally, I just rode the beach this morning,” he said. “The edge condition occurs along pretty much the entire beach and into Delaware. It is a natural occurrence that we typically see more in the winter and spring.”
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Netflix blazes a trail of equality with unlimited maternity and paternity leave
Babies are awesome. Besides carrying your DNA imprint for another generation, they’ll usually stick around long enough to ease you gently into that good night. But they can also be disruptive as hell, especially if you’re a woman working in the US tech industry — an industry that heavily skews male in a country with the worst family leave protections in the entire developed world.
Although it sounds like a paradox, giving men more time off actually benefits women in the workplace. See, paid maternity leave is often measured in weeks or months, while paid paternity can be as little as a few days — or nothing. Companies that offer family leave allowances to both parents equally set the expectation that fathers will take off just as much time as their child-bearing peers. A 2014 study already showed that if paternity time is paid, men will take it.
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Although it sounds like a paradox, giving men more time off actually benefits women in the workplace. See, paid maternity leave is often measured in weeks or months, while paid paternity can be as little as a few days — or nothing. Companies that offer family leave allowances to both parents equally set the expectation that fathers will take off just as much time as their child-bearing peers. A 2014 study already showed that if paternity time is paid, men will take it.
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Edward Klein: Team Obama Doing Everything to Get Biden to Run
President Barack Obama and those closest to him are "doing everything they can" to encourage Vice President Joe Biden to challenge Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, former New York Times Magazine editor-in-chief Edward Klein tells Newsmax TV.
In a panel discussion Tuesday on "Newsmax Prime" with host J.D. Hayworth and Miranda Khan, the author of "Blood Feud: The Clintons vs. The Obamas," said the push is coming from the president, First Lady Michelle Obama and Obama's senior advisor, Valerie Jarrett.
"[They] are doing everything they can at this point to encourage Joe Biden to throw in his hat," he said.
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In a panel discussion Tuesday on "Newsmax Prime" with host J.D. Hayworth and Miranda Khan, the author of "Blood Feud: The Clintons vs. The Obamas," said the push is coming from the president, First Lady Michelle Obama and Obama's senior advisor, Valerie Jarrett.
"[They] are doing everything they can at this point to encourage Joe Biden to throw in his hat," he said.
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Girl, 5, saves family from crash by hiking barefoot for help
A heroic 5-year-old Canada girl saved her family's life after a horrific car crash by crawling out of the wreckage and climbing barefoot up a steep embankment to flag down help.
Little Lexi Shymanski managed to get herself out of her car seat and pull herself from the smashed SUV after her mother fell asleep at the wheel and veered down a 40-foot ridge, the family said.
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Little Lexi Shymanski managed to get herself out of her car seat and pull herself from the smashed SUV after her mother fell asleep at the wheel and veered down a 40-foot ridge, the family said.
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Man Charged With Rape In Ocean City
CHARGES: Second Degree Rape
Fourth Degree Sex Offense
Assault- Second Degree
ACCUSED: Victor Ramon Checco-Penna (26 years old)
From the Dominican Republic.
On Friday, July 31, 2015, in the late afternoon, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in West Ocean City for a reported rape. The investigation was turned over to the Worcester County Bureau of Investigations. The 19 year old victim described what happened to her and was taken to the hospital for a Rape test kit. The victim is a foreign national and is here working in Worcester County on a J-1 Visa.
The suspect was later found and identified as Victor Ramon Checco-Penna. He is approximately 26 years old and also not a citizen of the United States. He is from the Dominican Republic and is also working in Worcester County on a J-1 Visa. A Maryland State Police Trooper assisted as a translator several times during the course of the investigation. There were several search warrants and translated interviews that were conducted the next several days after the reported incident.
On Wednesday, August 5, 2015 based on the translated interviews from the victim and suspect, Victor Ramon Checco-Penna of the Dominican Republic was arrested and charged for Second Degree Rape, Fourth Degree Sex Offense, and Assault in the Second Degree.
The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation was assisted throughout the course of the investigation by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office, Maryland State Police, Berlin Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
On Wednesday, August 5, 2015 based on the translated interviews from the victim and suspect, Victor Ramon Checco-Penna of the Dominican Republic was arrested and charged for Second Degree Rape, Fourth Degree Sex Offense, and Assault in the Second Degree.
The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation was assisted throughout the course of the investigation by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office, Maryland State Police, Berlin Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
New Hampshire defunds Planned Parenthood facilities
A majority of the state executive council — councilors Chris Sununu, David Wheeler and Joe Kenney — voted to terminate the state’s contract with Planned Parenthood of Northern New England over the objections of Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan.
Ms. Hassan blasted the move in a Wednesday statement, saying, “I am incredibly disappointed in the outcome of today’s vote.”
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8 dead in NYC Legionnaires' outbreak
The death toll from an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in New York City is now at eight, according to an update from city health officials Wednesday.
Since the outbreak began, 92 people have been hospitalized with the disease — a severe form of bacterial pneumonia — 48 of whom have been treated and released.
Health officials traced the source of the outbreak to the South Bronx after five of 17 cooling towers inspected for legionella bacteria tested positive. The five towers were at Streamline Plastic Co., Lincoln Hospital, the Concourse Plaza shopping center near Yankee Stadium, the Opera House Hotel and a Verizon office building. All five have been disinfected and are being monitored by health officials.
All of those sites must submit long-term plans on protecting the cooling towers from any return of the bacteria.
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Since the outbreak began, 92 people have been hospitalized with the disease — a severe form of bacterial pneumonia — 48 of whom have been treated and released.
Health officials traced the source of the outbreak to the South Bronx after five of 17 cooling towers inspected for legionella bacteria tested positive. The five towers were at Streamline Plastic Co., Lincoln Hospital, the Concourse Plaza shopping center near Yankee Stadium, the Opera House Hotel and a Verizon office building. All five have been disinfected and are being monitored by health officials.
All of those sites must submit long-term plans on protecting the cooling towers from any return of the bacteria.
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Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood Dies in Senate
The Senate’s vote to defund Planned Parenthood seemed to be more about political optics than actually casting votes for the right thing. A bill that would have halted $500 million in annual federal funds from going to Planned Parenthood died when a procedural vote that required 60 votes fell short by seven. This raises questions: How serious are the Senate Republicans in protecting the lives of the unborn? Some GOP senators see this vote as testing the waters, possibly for a political cage fight come fall if the GOP gets enough backbone to attach a PP defunding measure to a spending bill and risk another government shutdown.
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Social Security Overpaid $371.5 Million in Disability Benefits
SSA overpaid some individuals for more than a decade, totaling $100,000 per person
The Social Security Administration (SSA) overpaid individuals a total of $371.5 million in disability benefits from fiscal year 2009 through fiscal 2013, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
These overpayments are cause for concern, as the Social Security’s Disability Insurance Trust Fund is expected to go broke by 2016, according to SSA’s 2015 annual report.
“During a time of growing concern about the solvency of the DI trust fund, it is important for SSA to take every opportunity to help improve the financial status of the program,” the GAO said. The report examined how these concurrent Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) payments affect Disability Insurance (DI) overpayments.
The GAO found that SSA did not detect concurrent FECA payments for about 1,040 individuals during at least one month from July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2014.
To test SSA’s internal controls, GAO randomly selected 20 beneficiaries for review. In all 20 cases, SSA’s controls failed to detect and prevent overpayments. In seven of the cases, SSA did not detect overpayments for more than a decade, and each of these individuals received $100,000 in overpaid benefits.
More here
The Social Security Administration (SSA) overpaid individuals a total of $371.5 million in disability benefits from fiscal year 2009 through fiscal 2013, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
These overpayments are cause for concern, as the Social Security’s Disability Insurance Trust Fund is expected to go broke by 2016, according to SSA’s 2015 annual report.
“During a time of growing concern about the solvency of the DI trust fund, it is important for SSA to take every opportunity to help improve the financial status of the program,” the GAO said. The report examined how these concurrent Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) payments affect Disability Insurance (DI) overpayments.
The GAO found that SSA did not detect concurrent FECA payments for about 1,040 individuals during at least one month from July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2014.
To test SSA’s internal controls, GAO randomly selected 20 beneficiaries for review. In all 20 cases, SSA’s controls failed to detect and prevent overpayments. In seven of the cases, SSA did not detect overpayments for more than a decade, and each of these individuals received $100,000 in overpaid benefits.
More here
Backyard Chickens Must Be Registered in North Carolina for Your Own Safety
There isn’t much that feels more self-reliant than going out to your backyard hen house to get fresh eggs for breakfast. There’s no need for USDA approval, you know what your hens have been eating, and you don’t have to pay a premium price and hope that the farm who raised the chickens that laid those grocery store eggs actually treated the hens humanely. Bonus points if the bacon you fry up comes from a local farm, and bonus BONUS points if you raised that little piggie yourself. Raising backyard chickens is incredibly rewarding.
It’s pure freedom, this control over your own food.
Of course, until you have to register your chickens. Then, as food freedom activist Joel Salatin says, “Everything I want to do is illegal.”
With so many people moving towards self-reliance, you had to know it was only a matter of time before the government got involved.
And now they have. But don’t worry, it’s all for your own good.
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It’s pure freedom, this control over your own food.
Of course, until you have to register your chickens. Then, as food freedom activist Joel Salatin says, “Everything I want to do is illegal.”
With so many people moving towards self-reliance, you had to know it was only a matter of time before the government got involved.
And now they have. But don’t worry, it’s all for your own good.
More
Russia submits claim for North Pole
The Russian continental shelf stretches beyond the North Pole, the Russian government asserts. The country this week submitted its renewed claims for the Arctic shelf to the UN Continental Shelf Commission.
After years of comprehensive research, Russia on 3 August submitted its claims for additional territories in the Arctic. The claim includes both the Mendeleev and Lomonosov Ridges, two major structures beneath the Arctic Ocean.
“… the claim determinating the outer borders of the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean is based on the scientific understanding that the central Arctic underwater ridges, among them the Lomonosov, Medeleev, Alfa and Chukotskoye Heights, as well as the in between basins of Podvodnikov and Chukotskaya, have a continental character”, an offical statement, refered to by RIA Novosti, reads.
It will now be up to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to decide if Russia should be entitled to include the huge additional areas under its sovereignty. The Commission confirms that “the consideration of the partial revised submission made by the Russian Federation will be included in the provisional agenda of the next ordinary session”, the Commission website informs.
Russia in 2001 made a first official submission of its Arctic claims to the UN Commission. However, the Commission in 2002 responded that additional research is needed before a decision can be taken.
Neighboring Norway was in 2009 the first country to get its Arctic territorial claims approved, while Denmark/Greenland submitted a claim in December 2014. That latter claim includes ownership of the North Pole and is consequently in conflict with the Russian claim.
If approved, the Russian claim will expand the country’s territory by 1.2 million square kilometers. Estimates indicate that the area include 594 oil fields and 159 gas fields as well as two major nickel fields and more than 350 gold deposits. Initial recoverable fuel resources are estimated to 258 billion tons of fuel equivalent, representing 60 percent of Russia’s total hydrocarbon resources.
After years of comprehensive research, Russia on 3 August submitted its claims for additional territories in the Arctic. The claim includes both the Mendeleev and Lomonosov Ridges, two major structures beneath the Arctic Ocean.
“… the claim determinating the outer borders of the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean is based on the scientific understanding that the central Arctic underwater ridges, among them the Lomonosov, Medeleev, Alfa and Chukotskoye Heights, as well as the in between basins of Podvodnikov and Chukotskaya, have a continental character”, an offical statement, refered to by RIA Novosti, reads.
It will now be up to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to decide if Russia should be entitled to include the huge additional areas under its sovereignty. The Commission confirms that “the consideration of the partial revised submission made by the Russian Federation will be included in the provisional agenda of the next ordinary session”, the Commission website informs.
Russia in 2001 made a first official submission of its Arctic claims to the UN Commission. However, the Commission in 2002 responded that additional research is needed before a decision can be taken.
Neighboring Norway was in 2009 the first country to get its Arctic territorial claims approved, while Denmark/Greenland submitted a claim in December 2014. That latter claim includes ownership of the North Pole and is consequently in conflict with the Russian claim.
If approved, the Russian claim will expand the country’s territory by 1.2 million square kilometers. Estimates indicate that the area include 594 oil fields and 159 gas fields as well as two major nickel fields and more than 350 gold deposits. Initial recoverable fuel resources are estimated to 258 billion tons of fuel equivalent, representing 60 percent of Russia’s total hydrocarbon resources.
Psych Firm That Screens Baltimore Cops Under Review
The Maryland State Police took action against Psychology Consultants Associated in June after an investigation showed the firm’s president, psychologist Kenneth Sachs, and his employees and contractors were completing evaluations of officers’ mental stability in 15 minutes instead of the 45 minutes required by the state contract, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
Experts say 15 minutes is far too short to adequately conduct psychological assessments, either for police applicants or officers seeking to return to active duty.
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Clinton: ‘I’m proud to stand with Planned Parenthood’
Slams Bush, Walker for attacking 'women's health'
Democratic White House hopeful Hillary Clinton came out swinging against Republican rivals Jeb Bush and Scott Walker for their opposition to Planned Parenthood, saying the two want to defund the organization and that's tantamount to an attack on women.
And she also doubled down on her support for the organization, despite revelations over the last few weeks reported by WND that show some may be tied to sales of baby parts, and said bluntly: I still support Planned Parenthood.
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Democratic White House hopeful Hillary Clinton came out swinging against Republican rivals Jeb Bush and Scott Walker for their opposition to Planned Parenthood, saying the two want to defund the organization and that's tantamount to an attack on women.
And she also doubled down on her support for the organization, despite revelations over the last few weeks reported by WND that show some may be tied to sales of baby parts, and said bluntly: I still support Planned Parenthood.
More
RFK Jr: Money Is Why Congress Is Stalling Autism Coverup Hearings
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tells Newsmax Health that money is the reason Congress is delaying hearings on accusations that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hid a link between the mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism."The pharmaceutical industry is a trillion dollar industry," Kennedy said in an exclusive interview. "There are other trillion dollar industries, but not one that spends as much on Congress as it does.
"The pharmaceutical industry spends twice what the next biggest industry spends, which is oil and gas. They spend four times what defense and aeronautics spend.
"That kind of money — the money they spend in lobbying — buys a lot of influence," he says. "It's why congress people are scared to go against them. There's just a lot of career fear."
Kennedy, 61, the third of 11 children born to Robert and Ethel Kennedy, is a radio show host and environmentalist. He has long been a critic of childhood vaccination formulations containing mercury.
Republican Florida Rep. Bill Posey has called on his colleagues to investigate charges that the CDC covered up data that showing a strong link between autism and the MMR vaccine.
More here
"The pharmaceutical industry spends twice what the next biggest industry spends, which is oil and gas. They spend four times what defense and aeronautics spend.
"That kind of money — the money they spend in lobbying — buys a lot of influence," he says. "It's why congress people are scared to go against them. There's just a lot of career fear."
Kennedy, 61, the third of 11 children born to Robert and Ethel Kennedy, is a radio show host and environmentalist. He has long been a critic of childhood vaccination formulations containing mercury.
Republican Florida Rep. Bill Posey has called on his colleagues to investigate charges that the CDC covered up data that showing a strong link between autism and the MMR vaccine.
More here
Bill Clinton Bagged $16 Million from Company that Received Millions from Hillary's State Dept.
Newly released financial disclosures reveal Bill Clinton received $16.46 million in payments from a George Soros-backed for-profit education company, as Hillary Clinton’s State Department funneled tens of millions of dollars to a group run by the company’s chairman.
With $4 billion in annual revenue, Laureate Education is America’s largest for-profit college company. From 2010 until just days before the 2015 release of Clinton Cash, Bill Clinton served as Laureate’s “honorary chancellor.” When the Clinton campaign team obtained a copy of the book and its Clinton-Laureate connection revelation, Bill Clinton abruptly resigned.
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With $4 billion in annual revenue, Laureate Education is America’s largest for-profit college company. From 2010 until just days before the 2015 release of Clinton Cash, Bill Clinton served as Laureate’s “honorary chancellor.” When the Clinton campaign team obtained a copy of the book and its Clinton-Laureate connection revelation, Bill Clinton abruptly resigned.
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Cardin, Mikulski Announce $75,000 to Connect Lower Shore Farmers, Watermen and Employees of Small Businesses with Health Benefits Counseling
“Your zip-code or profession shouldn’t limit your access to quality affordable healthcare,” said Senator Cardin, a senior member of the Senate Finance Health Care Subcommittee. “We know that farmers, watermen and those who work for small businesses in agriculture and aquaculture add a great deal to our regional economy. We also know that these same men and women are more likely to be eligible for health care coverage assistance, but lack the resources and information to apply for financial help to offset the cost of coverage. This grassroots approach to outreach, education and benefits counseling will help Marylanders access the coverage they deserve and need to live healthy and productive lives.”
THE PROFITABLE BUSINESS OF NOT PAYING TAXES
THE KOCHS, THE CROOKS AND THE PROFITABLE BUSINESS OF NOT PAYING TAXES
A new report by the British economic research organization Tax Justice Network estimates that the amount of world wealth parked in tax havens is far greater than all previous estimates. According to work compiled by James S. Henry, former chief economist for McKinsey & Co., that amount is at least $21 trillion and likely much more, as high as $32 trillion.
It’s hard for mere mortals to wrap their heads around figures that go into the trillions. But for one reference point, compare it to the 2015 U.S. federal budget of $3.8 trillion. A budget that includes all federal spending for Social Security, Medicare, military costs---everything. The amount hidden in tax havens is 5 to 8 times greater.
These numbers just reflect hidden cash. They don’t include untaxed estates, yachts, gold, art and other things big money buys. These were outside the scope of Henry’s report.
(the report itself can be accessed at
http://www.taxjustice.net/cms/upload/pdf/Price_of_Offshore_Revisited_120722.pdf)
If you don’t have time to read the report, let me just give you the shocking headlines.
Money laundering and tax avoidance no longer are just the province of secretive places like the Cayman Islands. It now takes place in the financial capitals of the world: New York, London, Geneva, Singapore, Hong Kong,
And it’s not the work of a dark network of off-the-books rogues. So called "wealth management" is the most profitable and fastest growing revenue stream for the biggest banks and money funds in the U.S. and the world, abetted by many of the world’s most prestigious legal, accounting and PR firms.
A new report by the British economic research organization Tax Justice Network estimates that the amount of world wealth parked in tax havens is far greater than all previous estimates. According to work compiled by James S. Henry, former chief economist for McKinsey & Co., that amount is at least $21 trillion and likely much more, as high as $32 trillion.
It’s hard for mere mortals to wrap their heads around figures that go into the trillions. But for one reference point, compare it to the 2015 U.S. federal budget of $3.8 trillion. A budget that includes all federal spending for Social Security, Medicare, military costs---everything. The amount hidden in tax havens is 5 to 8 times greater.
These numbers just reflect hidden cash. They don’t include untaxed estates, yachts, gold, art and other things big money buys. These were outside the scope of Henry’s report.
(the report itself can be accessed at
http://www.taxjustice.net/cms/upload/pdf/Price_of_Offshore_Revisited_120722.pdf)
If you don’t have time to read the report, let me just give you the shocking headlines.
Money laundering and tax avoidance no longer are just the province of secretive places like the Cayman Islands. It now takes place in the financial capitals of the world: New York, London, Geneva, Singapore, Hong Kong,
And it’s not the work of a dark network of off-the-books rogues. So called "wealth management" is the most profitable and fastest growing revenue stream for the biggest banks and money funds in the U.S. and the world, abetted by many of the world’s most prestigious legal, accounting and PR firms.
Audio: Court Awards Man Wrongfully Subjected To Field Sobriety Test By Police $70,000
A man from Santa Monica, California, has been awarded an amount of $70,000 for being wrongfully arrested by police in 2011. During the arrest, he was subjected to severe harassment when he was asked to take a sobriety test by the officers.
Sennett Devermont, the man behind mrcheckpoint.com, alleged in a civil lawsuit filed in 2013 against the Santa Monica police officers who pulled him over for an illegal right-hand turn against a red light, that the police officers had violated his rights by arresting him out of retaliation after he refused to perform a field sobriety test.
GO HERE
Sennett Devermont, the man behind mrcheckpoint.com, alleged in a civil lawsuit filed in 2013 against the Santa Monica police officers who pulled him over for an illegal right-hand turn against a red light, that the police officers had violated his rights by arresting him out of retaliation after he refused to perform a field sobriety test.
GO HERE
Check Out This Business That Does Nothing But Give Away Free Stuff
And drives around New York City in a pink truck to do it.
When a friend told Anna Monzon about a pink van in New York City where she could win valuable free prizes, she was intrigued. “I love free stuff,” says Monzon, a 25-year-old commercial real estate agent who lives on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
So Monzon began entering the contests, run by Claim it!, a New York City startup. First she’d enter a random drawing using the Claim it! app from her mobile phone. Then she’d hope for a text message on her mobile phone on a Sunday evening telling her if she won the drawing.
She got lucky and snagged several prizes. “The first thing I won were Beats headphones,” she says. “One time I won Air Jordan sneakers. I don’t wear them, so I ended up selling them on Craigslist.”
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When a friend told Anna Monzon about a pink van in New York City where she could win valuable free prizes, she was intrigued. “I love free stuff,” says Monzon, a 25-year-old commercial real estate agent who lives on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
So Monzon began entering the contests, run by Claim it!, a New York City startup. First she’d enter a random drawing using the Claim it! app from her mobile phone. Then she’d hope for a text message on her mobile phone on a Sunday evening telling her if she won the drawing.
She got lucky and snagged several prizes. “The first thing I won were Beats headphones,” she says. “One time I won Air Jordan sneakers. I don’t wear them, so I ended up selling them on Craigslist.”
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Awesome Picture Of The Day
City of Houston Wants to Bulldoze One Black Church, Condemn Another
In a repulsive demonstration of hostility towards Christians, the City of Houston wants to bulldoze one church and condemn the property of another so they can build affordable housing and a public library.
Attorneys representing the Christian Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church and the Latter Day Deliverance Revival Center were in court Tuesday asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order preventing the city from taking their property.
The Houston Housing Authority has already implemented imminent domain proceedings to take control of an entire city block in what was once called the Lone Star State’s “toughest, proudest, baddest ghetto.”
“The government cannot take a church’s property and give it to some other business in violation of the law,” said Hiram Sasser, the deputy chief counsel for Liberty Institute. “These churches, their congregations, and this neighborhood are not for sale.”
Tory Gunsolley, the president of the Houston Housing Authority told me he could not comment specifically on the merits of the case.
“I respect their right to their day in court,” he said.
Gunsolley said the church buildings basically stand in the way of their plans for developing the community.
More here
Attorneys representing the Christian Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church and the Latter Day Deliverance Revival Center were in court Tuesday asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order preventing the city from taking their property.
The Houston Housing Authority has already implemented imminent domain proceedings to take control of an entire city block in what was once called the Lone Star State’s “toughest, proudest, baddest ghetto.”
“The government cannot take a church’s property and give it to some other business in violation of the law,” said Hiram Sasser, the deputy chief counsel for Liberty Institute. “These churches, their congregations, and this neighborhood are not for sale.”
Tory Gunsolley, the president of the Houston Housing Authority told me he could not comment specifically on the merits of the case.
“I respect their right to their day in court,” he said.
Gunsolley said the church buildings basically stand in the way of their plans for developing the community.
More here
[Editor's note: Annise Parker, the openly lesbian mayor of Houston recently created a national furor by allowing subpoenas to be issued by the city for the sermons of several area Christian pastors, and is now being sued for it. ]
On Leaving Church
There are many Christians who have stopped going to church. They have not given up on God, have not renounced their faith, have not denied Christ, and have not become pagans. They simply are no longer going to church. That this is happening is not a matter of doubt, but why this is happening is in fact a difficult question to answer.
One recent article spoke about this trend. Entitled “The Rise of the ‘Done With Church’ Population,” it looks at this scene – primarily in America – but does not offer us any clear indications as to why this is becoming such a problem. The article begins:
John is every pastor’s dream member. He’s a life-long believer, well-studied in the Bible, gives generously and leads others passionately. But last year he dropped out of church. He didn’t switch to the other church down the road. He dropped out completely. His departure wasn’t the result of an ugly encounter with a staff person or another member. It wasn’t triggered by any single event.
John had come to a long-considered, thoughtful decision. He said, “I’m just done. I’m done with church.”
More
One recent article spoke about this trend. Entitled “The Rise of the ‘Done With Church’ Population,” it looks at this scene – primarily in America – but does not offer us any clear indications as to why this is becoming such a problem. The article begins:
John is every pastor’s dream member. He’s a life-long believer, well-studied in the Bible, gives generously and leads others passionately. But last year he dropped out of church. He didn’t switch to the other church down the road. He dropped out completely. His departure wasn’t the result of an ugly encounter with a staff person or another member. It wasn’t triggered by any single event.
John had come to a long-considered, thoughtful decision. He said, “I’m just done. I’m done with church.”
More
DEMOCRATS CALL FOR 'FLOOD' OF MUSLIMS TO U.S.
'We must dramatically increase the number of Syrian refugees that we accept'
A group of 14 Democrat senators has written a letter to President Obama urging him to “dramatically increase” the number of Syrian refugees being resettled into American cities and towns.
They say the U.S. needs to take in at least 65,000 Syrians as permanent refugees over the next year-and-a-half.
“While the United States is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees, we must also dramatically increase the number of Syrian refugees that we accept for resettlement,” says the four-page letter to Obama, copied to Secretary of State John Kerry and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.
More than 3.5 million Syrians are registered with the United Nations as refugees, and the U.N. wants to assign about 350,000 of them to so-called “third-party countries.”
The 14 senators, led by Richard Durbin, D-Ill., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., cite the research of the Refugee Council USA to make their case for 65,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2016. RCUSA is the main lobbying arm of the nine agencies that contract with the federal government to resettle refugees in cities and towns across America.
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A group of 14 Democrat senators has written a letter to President Obama urging him to “dramatically increase” the number of Syrian refugees being resettled into American cities and towns.
They say the U.S. needs to take in at least 65,000 Syrians as permanent refugees over the next year-and-a-half.
“While the United States is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees, we must also dramatically increase the number of Syrian refugees that we accept for resettlement,” says the four-page letter to Obama, copied to Secretary of State John Kerry and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.
More than 3.5 million Syrians are registered with the United Nations as refugees, and the U.N. wants to assign about 350,000 of them to so-called “third-party countries.”
The 14 senators, led by Richard Durbin, D-Ill., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., cite the research of the Refugee Council USA to make their case for 65,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2016. RCUSA is the main lobbying arm of the nine agencies that contract with the federal government to resettle refugees in cities and towns across America.
More
Snail Venom Yields Potent Painkiller, But Delivering The Drug Is Tricky
Researchers are increasingly turning to nature for inspiration for new drugs. One example is Prialt. It's an incredibly powerful painkiller that people sometimes use when morphine no longer works. Prialt is based on a component in the venom of a marine snail.
Prialt hasn't become a widely used drug because it's hard to administer. Mandë Holford is hoping to change that. She and colleagues explain how in their study published online Monday in the journal Scientific Reports.
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Prialt hasn't become a widely used drug because it's hard to administer. Mandë Holford is hoping to change that. She and colleagues explain how in their study published online Monday in the journal Scientific Reports.
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