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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

How Do You Know You Are Shopping In Texas?

This brought a tear to my eye.... I love Texas!

Posted by Jeff Mullen on Monday, January 7, 2013

‘High-performance CPR’ means more lives saved

WASHINGTON — For the past 18 months, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service has adopted a new approach in applying CPR, a method known as “high-performance CPR.”

Pete Piringer, spokesman for MCFRS, said high-performance CPR involved “uninterrupted chest compressions of between 100 to 120 a minute.”

“That’s pretty much as fast as you can do chest compressions,” Piringer said.

Since adopting the method, “save rates” of patients have increased from 9 percent to 40 percent. Piringer said that dramatic of an improvement in patient outcomes was the result of a number of factors, including a broader willingness of bystanders to offer help.

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'They're Not Going To Get Away With This'

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Anger was mounting Monday at the federal Environmental Protection Agency over the massive spill of millions of gallons of toxic sludge from a Colorado gold mine that has already fouled three major waterways and may be three times bigger than originally reported.

An 80-mile length of mustard-colored water -- laden with arsenic, lead, copper, aluminum and cadmium -- is working its way south toward New Mexico and Utah, following Wednesday's accidental release from the Gold King Mine, near Durango, when an EPA cleanup crew destabilized a dam of loose rock lodged in the mine. The crew was supposed to pump out and decontaminate the sludge, but instead released it into tiny Cement Creek. From there, it flowed into the Animas River and made its way into larger tributaries, including the San Juan and Colorado rivers.

"They are not going to get away with this," said Russell Begaye, president of the Navajo Nation, which intends to sue the EPA.

Visible from the air, the toxic slick prompted EPA Region 8 administrator Shaun McGrath to acknowledge the possibility of long-term damage from toxic metals.

"Sediment does settle," McGrath said. "It settles down to the bottom of the river bed."

McGrath said future runoff from storms will kick that toxic sediment back into the water, which means there will need to be long-term monitoring.

"The EPA was right in the middle of the disaster and we intend to make sure the Navajo Nation recovers every dollar it spends cleaning up this mess and every dollar it loses as a result of injuries to our precious Navajo natural resources," Begaye said. "I have instructed Navajo Nation Department of Justice to take immediate action against the EPA to the fullest extent of the law to protect Navajo families and resources."

Begaye said the plume of sludge has made its way into the San Juan River and is wending through the Navajo Nation, the nation's largest Indian reservation.

More here

Lois Lerner’s IRS Granted Only ONE Conservative Group Non-Profit Status in Three Years

Lois Lerner’s political beliefs led to tea party and conservative groups receiving disparate and unfair treatment when applying for non-profit status, according to a detailed report compiled by the Senate Finance Committee.

Because of Lerner’s bias, only one conservative political advocacy organization was granted tax exempt status over a period of more than three years:

“Due to the circuitous process implemented by Lerner, only one conservative political advocacy organization was granted tax-exempt status between February 2009 and May 2012. Lerner’s bias against these applicants unquestionably led to these delays, and is particularly evident when compared to the IRS’s treatment of other applications, discussed immediately below.”

Ron Paul debate question BANNED from Fox News

Artists Play Key Role In Ocean Rescue, Then Capture Inlet Event On Canvas

OCEAN CITY — One local artist participating in an Art League of Ocean City event near the Inlet on Sunday is credited for initiating the rescue of a body-boarder in distress, while a second artist instantly captured the emergency situation on canvas.

Sunday morning was a typical one in downtown Ocean City in August with fishermen casting from the Inlet rocks, early beachgoers arriving and setting up camp for the day and children playing along the water’s edge, creating an idyllic setting for the Ocean City Art League’s annual “Artists Paint OC” plein air event. However, the serene scene quickly turned frantic when an unidentified man on a body-board became caught in the rushing current in the Inlet.

Two artists participating in the plein air event witnessed the man in distress and alerted lifeguards in the area who were not yet on duty. In a right place at the right time kind of moment, one of the artists actually captured the rescue carried out by the lifeguards and the Coast Guard on canvas.

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Pumpkin Spice Peeps Are HAPPENING

Usually, Pumpkin Spice madness starts (still ridiculously early) around the end of August. But, it's been August for less than a week and already we're talking about the fall flavor that everyone just can't seem to get enough of. This year, the first product to cause an online frenzy is none other than Pumpkin Spice Peeps. That's right: The company behind sugary Easter bunnies and chicks is bringing us neon orange, autumn-flavored marshmallow chicks. Why?

The new flavor is part of a trio that also features Caramel Apple and Candy Corn Peeps. The bottoms of all three chick flavors will also be dipped in "white fudge" (we have no idea what that means, either). It seems Peeps & Company wants customers to get even more sweetness in every single mouthful of sugar.

Pumpkin Spice Peeps will be available beginning August 31 at Target or from the Peeps online store.

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MSP DUI Press Release 8-3-15 thru 8-9-15


Amid Surge in Illegal Alien Crimes State Pushes for Broad Sanctuary Law

A surge in serious crimes by illegal immigrants—many repeat offenders—who have been shielded by sanctuary laws isn’t stopping legislators in Massachusetts from quietly pushing for a measure that would protect undocumented aliens statewide.

The move could not have come at a worse time, as the nation reels from a series of atrocious crimes committed by illegal aliens who long ago should have been deported. Instead, they were protected by sanctuary laws despite their criminal histories and illegal status in the U.S. A recent example is the gruesome July 4 San Francisco murder of a young woman by an illegal immigrant thug with seven felony convictions. The Mexican national had been deported five times.

Like a number of municipalities across the nation, San Francisco’s sanctuary law protects illegal aliens and bans any sort of cooperation with federal authorities, even when the perpetrator is guilty of a serious offense. In fact, in the recent San Francisco case Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had issued a detainer for the illegal alien, 45-year-old Francisco Sanchez, but local authorities did not honor it and instead released him. San Francisco’s mayor defended the policy after the senseless murder, saying that it “protects residents regardless of immigration status and is not intended to protect repeat, serious and violent felons.”

More than 200 cities, counties, and states across the U.S. protect criminal aliens from deportation by refusing to comply with ICE detainers or otherwise impede information exchanges between their employees, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. Among them is Cook County in Illinois, Miami-Dade County in south Florida and practically the entire state of California. In Massachusetts only a couple of cities—Amherst and Boston—have sanctuary measures in place and some state lawmakers want to broaden the protection.

The legislature is looking to pass a measure that will offer sanctuary protections to illegal aliens statewide.

More here

Baltimore-based Sports Apparel Giant Now Shipping Through Hometown Port

Governor Larry Hogan, Port of Baltimore 
Welcome Under Armour
 
Baltimore-based Sports Apparel Giant Now Shipping Through Hometown Port

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Larry Hogan and the Port of Baltimore today announced that the Port recently began receiving Under Armour imported goods on a new Asian container service through Evergreen Marine Corporation. The Baltimore-based sports apparel company will ship approximately 800 containers a year through its hometown port--another important milestone for both UA and the Port.

“This is great news for two of Maryland’s most well-known institutions, the Port of Baltimore and Under Armour,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “The Port of Baltimore is one of the busiest ports in the nation and ranks number-one among all U.S. ports in several cargo commodities. Under Armour is a true Maryland success story and is one of the most respected and leading brands in the world.”
Recently, the Port of Baltimore was named as the top U.S. port for container berth productivity by a leading industry media company. The Seagirt Marine Terminal, the Port of Baltimore’s primary container facility, includes 11 cranes, four of which are super Post-Panamax capable of handling the biggest ships in the world.
“The Port of Baltimore’s continued emergence as a top U.S. port is an exciting development for our hometown, and Under Armour is proud to utilize it as our primary supply hub,” said Brad Dickerson, Under Armour COO. We look forward to expanding our commitment to Baltimore and to playing a role in fueling growth in our region.”

The Port of Baltimore had a record year in 2014 and saw 29.5 million tons of international cargo cross its docks at a value of nearly $53 billion. Baltimore is ranked as the top port among all U.S. ports for handling autos and light trucks, farm and construction machinery, imported forest products, imported sugar, and imported aluminum. Overall, Baltimore is ranked ninth for the total dollar value of cargo and 13th for cargo tonnage for all U.S. ports.
Business at the Port of Baltimore generates about 14,630 direct jobs, while about 108,000 jobs in Maryland are linked to Port activities. The Port is responsible for $3 billion in personal wages and salary and more than $300 million in state and local taxes.

Jeb 'Realigning' to Be More Attractive to GOP Base

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has defined his candidacy by an unwillingness to fall in line with traditional conservative views that resonate with the base, but there is some evidence as of late that he has shifted to the right, said the National Review.

At a meeting recently of Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce summer conference, he used a question-and-answer session to say he would not strike a deal that raised taxes in exchange for spending cuts, even though in 2012, as the government began inching toward a shutdown, he supported that proposal when Democrats offered Republicans the bargain.

"I think he’s attempting to do two things at once: He wants to be seen as kind of the adult in the room who’s operating in shades of gray and is a real leader as opposed to Donald Trump," a top Republican strategist told National Review. "But at the same time, I think he knows that he needs to make himself more attractive to conservatives."

Bush appeared to back away from his stance in support of Common Core when he told New Hampshire’s First in the Nation Voters Forum last week that the federal government should not have any role in the creation of educational standards.

"States ought to create standards," he said.

More here

Weather Alert: Strong Thunderstorms

AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN WICOMICO AND DORCHESTER COUNTIES...

AT 538 PM EDT... AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS NEAR UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES... OR NEAR CAMBRIDGE... MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.


WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.


THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... CAMBRIDGE AROUND 545 PM EDT. VIENNA AROUND 625 PM EDT.


OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE CHURCH CREEK... WOOLFORD... WETIPQUIN... ELLIOTT... MADISON... NANTICOKE... MARDELA SPRINGS... BUCKTOWN... WATERVIEW AND ANDREWS.


TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM... AND MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. IF THE ROAD AHEAD OF YOU IS FLOODED... TURN AROUND. DRIVING THROUGH FLOODED ROADS IS DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING.


FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. IF YOU HEAR THUNDER... SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.

South Korea Blames North For Mine Blast

South Korea warned North Korea Monday that Pyongyang would face a "pitiless penalty" after it blamed the Communist nation for laying two land mines that maimed two South Korean soldiers last week.

The mines exploded Aug. 4 in the Seoul-controlled southern part of the heavily-fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The two wounded soldiers had been on a routine patrol at the time. One of the injured lost both legs, while the second lost one leg.

South Korea restarted propaganda broadcasts across the border for the first time in 11 years Monday in retaliation for the mine incident.

Monday’s loudspeaker broadcasts were in the western and center portions of the world's most heavily armed border, said Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok. He said the broadcasts emphasized that the mine explosions were a provocation by the North.

The broadcasts will further test tensions between the Koreas and likely infuriate the North, which is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of the authoritarian leadership of Kim Jong Un.

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'Deadliest Catch' captain Tony Lara dies

Tony Lara, who appeared on Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" in 2011, has died, according to law enforcement in South Dakota and the show's Facebook page. He was 50.

Lara died while in Sturgis, South Dakota, for the famed motorcycle rally that takes over the city each August, according to Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin.

No cause of death was immediately available. An autopsy was to be performed Tuesday, Merwin said.

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Prosecutors Accused Of Hiding Evidence In Freddie Gray Case

BALTIMORE -- Attorneys for the six police officers charged in Freddie Gray's death say prosecutors steered investigators away from allegations about Gray's behavior in past interactions with law enforcement. The attorneys claim detectives were told Gray had a history of participating in "crash-for-cash" schemes in which people hurt themselves to collect settlements - a piece of information attorneys say would be useful for their case.

In a motion filed Thursday in Baltimore Circuit Court, defense attorneys allege that investigators for the Baltimore Police Department had information that Gray had a history of intentionally injuring himself in order to collect insurance money. The attorneys allege in the filing that police investigators knew that Gray once injured himself so severely while in a Baltimore jail that he required medical attention. The attorneys say in documents that when police investigators tried to follow up on the evidence, prosecutors in the state's attorney's office told them "not to do the defense attorneys' jobs for them."

Defense attorneys also say in the motion that high-ranking members of the state's attorney's office met with Dr. Carole Allen of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner a week before Gray's autopsy was complete and his death ruled a homicide. In addition, attorneys say the prosecutors didn't provide the medical examiner's office with a copy of the statement of Donta Allen, a man who had been inside the police van where Gray suffered his injury. Investigators initially said Allen told them that Gray had been making banging noises in the back of the van. But Allen later told the media that police had exaggerated his account.

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Ribbon Cutting Held at Winterplace Park Carriage House

Today a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to open the Carriage House at Winterplace Park. Extensive renovation has been completed to save the building from neglect and the wear and tear of the weather. Executive Culver announced during his campaign that it was important to take care of Wicomico County Assets by keeping up with the maintenance of the existing buildings instead of just tearing down and rebuilding. His vision of bringing the Carriage House back to life was supported by the current County Council and many area leaders. The opening of the Carriage House will be in time for this weekend’s Wicomico County Fair and bring together for the first time the Wicomico County Farm and Home Show and Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce’s Chicken Festival. “This is the first of many Wicomico County assets to be upgraded,” stated Executive Culver, with the County Courthouse and Civic Center renovations to start soon.

PG Co. School Board member indicted for fraudulently getting her child free lunch

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. (WJLA) — A Prince George's County School Board member has been indicted for fraudulently getting free school lunches for her child, ABC 7's Brad Bell reported Tuesday.

Lyn Mundey has been indicted on charges of theft, fraud and filing false documents. It's alleged Mundey's child received more than $1,300 worth of free lunches through the federal USDA low income meals program, which is reserved for individuals with annual salaries ranging from approximately $11,600 to $40,000, depending on the size of the household, according to a press release. It's also alleged that Mundey falsely claimed low and no income to win the benefit even as she worked as a management analyst at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and as a school board member.

Mundey is one of five employees of the GAO indicted in the school lunch theft scheme, according to officials. Barbara Rowley, Jamilah Reid, Tracy Williams and Charlene Savoy also fraudulently received reduced lunches for their children. From 2010-14, approximately $11,432 worth of free lunches were provided to the employee's children in total. Additionally, James Pinkney, whose wife is a GAO employee, was also indicted for failing to report his wife's income on the reduced lunch forms and receiving $1,737 worth of free meals.

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Will the residents of Kivalina, Alaska be the first climate change refugees in the US?

Scientists estimate that due to climate change, the village of Kivalina, in northwestern Alaska, will be underwater by the year 2025.

In 2008, the Inupiat village sued 24 of the world's biggest fossil fuel companies for damages. In 2013, the Supreme Court refused to hear the case and the village has declared it will not file a new claim in state court.

Meanwhile, nature, heedless of humankind’s eternal squabbles, goes about its business: the sea around Kivalina continues to rise, the storms get stronger, the ice gets thinner — and Kivalina's 400 residents must grapple with how to relocate in the decade they're estimated to have left.

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“Cluck, Pluck, and Luck” to screen in Delaware and Maryland

WCSO Press Releases - August 11, 2015

 CLICK 'READ MORE' below to see the entire press release. It is very long

Incident: Possession of Heroin

Date of Incident: 5 August 2015

Location: 900 block of Booth Street, Salisbury, MD

Suspect: Dana Michelle Lyons, 30, Hebron, MD

Dana LyonsDana Lyons

Narrative: On 5 August 2015 at 8:47 PM a deputy approached a subject later identified as Dana Lyons of Hebron, while she was sitting in a vehicle in the 900 block of Booth Street. During the encounter, the deputy observed a container where Lyons was sitting that would be revealed to hold what the deputy identified as heroin.

The deputy placed Lyons under arrest and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance the Commissioner released Lyons on $5,000.00 unsecured bond.

Charges: Possession of CDS
                 Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

****************************************

Incident: Possession of a Firearm by a Disqualified Individual

Date of Incident: 6 August 2015

Location: 4000 block of Skylar Drive, Eden, MD

Suspect: Melvin Kenneth Wolinski, 49, Eden, MD

Melvin WolinskiMelvin Wolinski

Narrative: On 6 August 2015 at 5:16 PM a deputy responded to the 4000 block of Skylar drive for the report of a subject shooting a weapon. Upon arrival, the deputy located the individual responsible, Melvin Wolinski, who admitted to discharging a shotgun behind his home. During the subsequent investigation, the deputy recovered the shotgun but also discovered that Wolinski was prohibited from possessing the weapon due to past criminal convictions in both Wicomico and St. Mary’s Counties.

The deputy seized the shotgun and corresponding ammunition and placed Wolinski under arrest. Wolinski was transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner, Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Wolinski in the Detention Center in lieu of $5,000.00 bond.


Charges: Possession of a Shotgun by a Disqualified Person
                Possession of Ammunition while being a Prohibited Person

Hillary Clinton turns all work emails over to State Department

(CNN) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says she's turned over all her work-related emails to the State Department.

A State Department spokesman says Clinton recently informed a federal judge of this.

That judge ordered Clinton and two former State Department aides to turn over all government records in their possession.

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Hospital bends rules to allow 96-year-old to be with 92-year-old wife

Tom and Arniesteen Clark have only been apart once over the past 68 years they've been married.

It was when Tom, an Army veteran, was stationed in Korea.

Aside from that, they've never left each other's side -- that is, until they both landed in the hospital last week.

In a post that touched the hearts of thousands around the world, Piedmont Fayette Hospital shared the Fayetteville, Georgia, couple's story in a Facebook post.

The fact that they aren't used to being separated "made their stay in different rooms in the hospital very difficult for them," the post explained.

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OCPD: Do You Know Either Of These Females In This Photo?

Do you know either of the females in this photo? Police would like to speak with them about a theft/assault investigation. Citizens with information are encouraged to contact Pfc. Snyder at csnyder@oceancitymd.gov or leave a voicemail at 410-520-5351. Citizens can also report a tip at http://oceancitymd.gov/oc/departments/police/crime-tips/.

Activist for Mexico's missing found slain

(CNN) — When he felt authorities weren't doing enough to protect his hometown, he organized more than 100 women to police the streets.

When 43 students went missing in a controversial case that drew global attention to Mexico's struggles with violence and corruption, he led search parties trying to find them.

And when more families in his state came forward reporting that their loved ones had disappeared, he organized searches for them, too.

Saturday night, investigators in Mexico's Guerrero state say Miguel Ángel Jiménez Blanco was found dead inside a taxi he owned, with two gunshot wounds. Authorities haven't said whether there are any suspects in the slaying.

Jiménez was a vocal leader of citizen self-defense groups in Guerrero and a sharp critic of local officials, who he accused of hiding evidence tied to the students' disappearance.

Last week, Jiménez told CNNMexico that more than 100 bodies had been found in hidden graves in the area since October, decrying what he called a worsening security situation.

He said he'd recently started driving a taxi to make ends meet. After years of working to clean up the streets, he said he was once again worried about safety.

"We left it clean and now again there are bad people here, but we have to do something, because I cannot leave this to my children," he told CNNMexico. "If something happens to one of my children I will never forgive myself."

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Healthy Eaters, Strong Minds: What School Gardens Teach Kids

School is still out for the summer, but at Eastern Senior High School in Washington, D.C., students are hard at work — outdoors.

In a garden filled with flowers and beds bursting with vegetables and herbs, nearly a dozen teenagers are harvesting vegetables for the weekend's farmers market.

Roshawn Little is going into her junior year at Eastern, and has been working in this garden for three years now. "I didn't really like bugs or dirt," Little says, thinking back to when she got started. "Well, I still don't really like bugs, but I like the dirt," she laughs. She gathers a handful of greens, yanks from the stem and pulls up a baseball-sized beet.

During the summer, Little gets paid to work Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. with City Blossoms, a nonprofit that brings community gardens to schools, community centers and other places where kids gather in urban areas.

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China Read Emails of Top U.S. Officials

China's cyber spies have accessed the private emails of "many" top Obama administration officials, according to a senior U.S. intelligence official and a top secret document obtained by NBC News, and have been doing so since at least April 2010.

The email grab -- first codenamed "Dancing Panda" by U.S. officials, and then "Legion Amethyst" -- was detected in April 2010, according to a top secret NSA briefing from 2014. The intrusion into personal emails was still active at the time of the briefing and, according to the senior official, is still going on.

In 2011, Google disclosed that the private gmail accounts of some U.S. officials had been compromised, but the briefing shows that private email accounts from other providers were compromised as well.

The government email accounts assigned to the officials, however, were not hacked because they are more secure, says the senior U.S. intelligence official.

The time period overlaps with Hillary Clinton's use of a private email account while Secretary of State from Jan. 21, 2009 to Feb. 1, 2013. The names and ranks of the officials whose emails were actually grabbed, however, were not disclosed in the NSA briefing nor by the intelligence official.

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Jesse Jackson defends Ray Rice

BALTIMORE —The Rev. Jesse Jackson said former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice deserves a second chance.

Jackson was a surprise caller into The C-4 Show on WBAL NewsRadio 1090 AM on Monday. He said Rice should be allowed to play in the NFL again.

"Ray did something terribly wrong and not only has he apologized with contrition, his wife forgave him, God has forgiven him, he wants to go on with his life," Jackson said. "Give him a chance to play. Why give him a lifetime sentence for that? It's not fair."

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FEDERAL LAWSUIT COULD REVEAL CONTENTS OF 28 PAGES OMITTED FROM 9/11 REPORT THAT ALLEGEDLY IMPLICATE SAUDI GOVERNMENT

Congressional intelligence report had the explosive pages redacted

A federal lawsuit could reveal details implicating the Saudi government in 9/11.

A congressional intelligence report contains 28 censored pages reportedly linking Saudi officials to two of the Saudi hijackers.

The Obama administration refuses to publish the pages, despite requests from Democrats and Republicans in Congress.

Now, the two investigators who authored the section are expected to be called to testify in a federal lawsuit against the kingdom of Saudi Arabia brought by families and insurers of the victims of the atrocity.

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Feds: Farrakhan's Anti-white Rant 'Protected Speech'

The U.S. Attorney's Office for Southern Florida has determined the racially charged July 30 speech by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan did not cross the line of what is considered protected political speech under the First Amendment.

WND inquired last week with the U.S. Attorney's Office, asking for an opinion as to whether Farrakhan's call for 10,000 men to "rise up" and to "stalk them" and "kill them," warranted any sort of criminal investigation.

Farrakhan, in a fiery sermon delivered from the pulpit of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Miami, referred to a "400-year-old enemy," which many took to mean white people.

Louis Delgado, spokesman for the South Florida U.S. Attorney's citizen complaints division, responded Friday with the following statement:

"… after looking into the matter we have determined that the Farrakhan speech is protected by the First Amendment and we will not be pursuing an investigation into the speech."

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EVERYBODY HAS TO PAY THIS NEW OBAMACARE TAX

Hidden fees contained in an obscure section of the Affordable Care Act...

All Americans who bought health insurance policies this year – not just those enrolled in Obamacare – face a 41 percent increase in excise taxes because of hidden fees contained in an obscure section of the Affordable Care Act, according to an investigation by The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Virtually everyone who pays for health care insurance this year will be affected by the tax. The little-known tax was imposed on all consumers regardless of whether they obtained their insurance through Obamacare or through their employer or as individuals in the private market.

This year the tax will cost individuals more than $500 in extra premiums according to one actuarial estimate. Families who purchased insurance will see their premiums go up by more than $700.

The new tax also hits senior citizens who rely on Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage. It will land on the nation’s poor who depend upon Medicaid-managed care programs.

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Perseids Peak This Week in One of the Brightest Meteor Showers of the Year

The peak of the Perseid meteor shower, a favorite among astronomy fans, is set for the nights of Aug. 11-12 and favorable viewing conditions are in store across the Plains and the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys.

"It's one of the two best annual meteor showers, and the only one that happens during warm weather," Slooh Astronomer Bob Berman said.

The Perseids is a favorite among stargazers due to these meteors being brighter than most showers, according to Slooh, a community observatory that has connected telescopes to the Internet for public use.

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Take 3 Minutes To Watch This. It Will Make You Smile

The heart broken smile.

Posted by Doc Hallenstein on Friday, August 7, 2015

Anti-vaccine Activist Terrorized By Big Pharma Black Ops Branch

We may need to seek them out and destroy them where they live," wrote a Merck & Co. employee who was actively plotting to murder or discredit doctors who had voiced concerns regarding the adverse health effects of an anti-inflammatory drug called Vioxx.

Launched in 1999, Vioxx was extremely popular (with more than 80 million users worldwide), as its makers heralded the drug as being the answer to inflammation, minus the nausea that often follows with anti-inflammatory medication.

It was later discovered that the New Jersey-based Merck & Co. was knowingly selling a drug that frequently caused heart attacks and strokes in its unsuspecting victims. A study revealed that Vioxx actually doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes, prompting the company to voluntary withdraw the drug from the market in 2004.

Prior to the drug being pulled from the market, several Merck & Co. staff exchanged emails in which they discussed a "hit list" they drafted of doctors whom they believed needed to be "neutralised" or "discredited" due to their criticism of Vioxx.

It seems that Merck & Co. was never held accountable for the threats it made against doctors, researchers and academics, in which at least eight clinical investigators were harassed and intimidated, giving the drug company no reason to stop such intimidation tactics.

Read more here

Activists: Man Who Shot At Cops Not To Blame, Police Shouldn’t Have Used ‘Plain Clothes Officers’

The activist group Organization of Black Struggle defended the actions of Tyrone Harris — the man who opened fire upon and was then shot by police officers in Ferguson, Mo. on Sunday night — by shifting the initial blame back upon the police department.

“It was a poor decision to use plain clothes officers in a protest setting,” Kayla Reid, a field organizer for the group, said on Monday. “It made it difficult for people to identify police officers, which is essential to the safety of community members.”

Harris was shot shortly after peaceful protests marking the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death turned violent on Sunday.

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Ex-Abortion Doctor: PP Paid Staff Extra to Get Fetal Tissue

A doctor who formerly worked for Planned Parenthood has described in detail how the organization would "coerce" women to have abortions and then carry out a fetal donation process that resulted in financial benefits for the group.

According to the Daily Signal, Abby Johnson participated in the process for eight years while an employee at a southeast Texas clinic. She ultimately resigned her post and became a pro-life activist.

She said that the discussion about participating in a fetal tissue study was not raised until a woman signed her consent form for an abortion, at which point she was told about the value of fetal tissue donations as a possible way of contributing to life-saving treatments.

"We never discussed, 'They may want just a leg, or an arm, or these specific organs.' That would create a sense of humanity in their unborn child.

"And really, we would even shy away from calling it fetal tissue research because just calling it tissue sanitizes it — the women don’t necessarily think about the body of their baby, they’re just thinking about blood and tissue," Johnson told the Signal.

She said that the organization would have a contract with a research facility that would pay usually $200 per specimen, and that staff was compensated $20 for every patient they were able to enroll in a study.

"It creates coercive tactics," she said.

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Rand Paul Unloads on Donald Trump: ‘I’ll Be Damned if I’m Going to Stand Passively By’

“It makes me sad to think that Tea Party awakening could be hijacked or hoodwinked by a guy who supported the bank bailouts, supported Obamacare and continues to support the Clintons,” Paul wrote.

“I was there at the first Tea Party in 2007 and I’ll be damned if I’m going to stand passively by and watch the movement destroyed by a fake conservative,” he added.

Paul pointed out that Trump, who leads among Republican primary voters in most polls by double digits, was first a Republican, then became an independent, then a Democrat and more recently, a Republican again.

“Trump has paid over $1.5 million to politicians from both sides of the aisle, from Harry Reid to Rahm Emanuel to Jeb Bush,” Paul wrote. “The majority of his donations were to Democrats until a few years ago when he began thinking more seriously of making a play for the Republican nomination.”

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EPA Causes Massive Waste Spill, Hurting Navajo Nation

Durango, Colorado declared a state of emergency yesterday after the EPA accidentally contaminated a local river with 3 million gallons of waste. The Animas River has turned orange, and residents living along its banks have been warned to avoid it.

The accident began Wednesday last week when EPA workers accidentally leaked a local mine, releasing concentrated minerals into a stream. The mine had been abandoned for about 10 years, and ground water had accumulated inside it. EPA workers were there to clean up the mine. Now, the mine is leaking at 500 gallons per minute. It still hasn't been contained, though workers are treating the nearby ponds where the minerals are leaking.

The EPA has tested the polluted water and reports arsenic levels at 300 times the normal level, and lead levels at 3,500 times the normal level. Both arsenic and lead pose significant dangers to humans when highly concentrated. The local sheriff has warned local residents to stay away from the river. The contaminants move along the river fairly quickly, they will not completely pass until the mine leak is plugged.

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Pie Trail Votes Show Many Like Sweet Indiana Life

How sweet is it to be a Hoosier?

At least as sweet as 1 million pies, because that’s how many one local company makes each year.

Hoosiers like pie, and they’re gaining national attention for the sweet treat.

The Hoosier Pie Trail is ranked fifth in the national USA Today’s 10-Best Readers’ Choice food trail contests.

The Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail of New Mexico and Mississippi Gulf Seafood Trail are ranked in first and second place, respectively.

Mike Wickersham, president of Wick’s Pies in Winchester, Ind., said national attention focused on the pie trail would be great for tourism and an economic boost for Indiana.

“There are a lot of interesting things in Indiana,” Wickersham said.

The contest cites the 2009 action taken by the Indiana General Assembly declaring sugar cream pie to be the state’s official pie.

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Baltimore City Officials Demand Answers from Hogan on Transit

Sharp disagreements emerged from a closed-door meeting Monday between Republican Gov. Larry Hogan's administration and Democrats who represent Baltimore over Hogan's cancellation of a 14-mile light rail plan and uncertainty about the governor's transportation plans for Maryland's largest city.

Maryland Transportation secretary Pete Rahn said the administration will propose plans to improve transit in two months, but federal, state and local Baltimore officials said they remain pained after Hogan cancelled the Red Line project. They also are concerned about uncertainty over alternatives.

Rahn met with officials for about two hours. Except for opening and closing remarks, the session was closed to the public.

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Krauthammer on Trump saying debate was unfair: ‘It does create a bit of a paradox’

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer said Friday on “Special Report with Bret Baier” that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s comments indicating he was treated unfairly during a primetime Fox News debate create “a bit of a paradox.”

“This is a guy who’s running as the tough guy,” Krauthammer said. “The foundation of his campaign is our negotiators, our president, our administrations are stupid. They’re weak, they get kicked over in negotiations.”

In contrast to the Obama administration, Krauthammer said Trump has promised to “kill China in negotiations,” “build a wall and… make Mexico pay for it,” and “stare down Putin.”

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Hillary's College Plan: Bribe Kids to Vote Dem

Of course Hillary Clinton rolled out a college tuition program that will tax the living daylights out of the Evil Rich to shower students with “free” goodies. That was always how this was going to work.

From the day Obama seized control of student loans under ObamaCare and blew them into orbit, dumping tons of fresh debt on the shoulders of young people to handle ridiculously inflated tuition, the endgame was always about buying the votes of those kids with debt relief. Like ObamaCare itself, the degeneration of academic finance is a bid to subjugate the middle class, making them helplessly dependent on government handouts to finance something people in a stronger, more independent America handled on their own.

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Chinese billionaire buys $52 million home -- sight unseen

A Chinese billionaire has bought a mansion in Australia for a reported $70 million Australian dollars ($52 million)—making it the most expensive home ever sold in the country.

Chinese developer and billionaire Chau Chak Wing bought Australian businessman James Packer's megamansion in Sydney "without even seeing it," according to Domain.

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Heavy surf prompts nearly 200 rescues over two days in Ocean City

Ocean City lifeguards made nearly 200 rescues Sunday and Monday, including more than a dozen while they were off duty, as heavy surf pounded the beach and caused dangerous rip currents.

Several swimmers had to be hospitalized, and an ambulance was called for three people who were pushed against rocks while swimming after lifeguards left for the evening Sunday, said Butch Arbin, captain of the Ocean City Beach Patrol.

On Monday, rip currents continued to prompt lifeguards to intervene, though no major incidents were reported. In most rescues, swimmers are not in distress but were at risk of being pulled away from shore by a rip current, Arbin said.

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Caption This Photo 8-11-15


Okay, Can You Guess His Name?


A fisherman To The End

A funeral procession pulled into a cemetery. Several carloads of family members followed a black truck towing a boat with a coffin in it.

A passer-by remarked, "That guy must have been a very avid fisherman."

"Oh, he still is," remarked one of the mourners. As a matter of fact, he's headed off to the lake as soon as we bury his wife.

Gas Prices Get Low, Stay Low: You Could Be Paying Under $2 Per Gallon Soon

If you’re planning an end-of-the-summer road trip, you’re in luck: Gas prices across the country are pretty low right now, dropping about 6% in the last month to just $2.59 a gallon on average. But if you’re planning to hit the highways and byways this fall, your luck is about to get even better at the pump, as experts say gas prices could fall below $2 a gallon next month. 

The Ultimate Multi Tasker


What Was Your Greatest Prank?


Morris Mill Community Update

Wicomico County and GMB to Hold Morris Mill Project Update Wicomico County and Architectural firm George, Miles, and Buhr announce that they will hold a meeting to update the community on the progress of the Morris Mill project. 

The meeting will be held on August 24 at 5:30PM at Fruitland City Hall (401 E. Main Street, Fruitland, MD 21826) 

The public is invited and encouraged to attend.