DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, October 07, 2015
Maryland Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Massive Identity Theft and Tax Fraud Scheme
Alvalonzo Graham, 30, is among approximately 12 people who have pleaded guilty to charges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to court documents, the overall case involves the filing of at least 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns using stolen identifying information that sought refunds of at least $40 million from the U.S. Treasury.
The sentencing was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen Jr. of the District of Columbia, Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Inspector in Charge David G. Bowers of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Washington, D.C., Division and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations John L. Phillips of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Historic Pacific trade deal faces skeptics in U.S. Congress
Twelve Pacific Rim countries on Monday reached the most ambitious trade pact in a generation, aiming to liberalize commerce in 40 percent of the world's economy in a deal that faces skepticism from U.S. lawmakers.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact struck in Atlanta after marathon talks could reshape industries, change the cost of products from cheese to cancer treatments and have repercussions for drug companies and automakers.
Tired negotiators worked round the clock over the weekend to settle tough issues such as monopoly rights for new biotech drugs. New Zealand's demand for greater access for its dairy exports was only settled at 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT) on Monday.
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The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact struck in Atlanta after marathon talks could reshape industries, change the cost of products from cheese to cancer treatments and have repercussions for drug companies and automakers.
Tired negotiators worked round the clock over the weekend to settle tough issues such as monopoly rights for new biotech drugs. New Zealand's demand for greater access for its dairy exports was only settled at 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT) on Monday.
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University of Toronto Changes ‘Gender-Neutral’ Restroom Policy due to Reports of ‘Voyerusim’
LGBT fanatics have worked tirelessly to create either “gender-neutral” bathrooms to accommodate cross-dressers — that’s what they are, no matter what they say — or have even gone so far as to force schools and other establishments to allow those identifying as the opposite sex to use the bathroom of the sex they claim to be.
Those of us with simple logic and an ounce of morality have spoken out against this madness, tirelessly trumpeting how much danger this puts people in — particularly women and children — who could be taken advantage of by folks who say they’re “transgender” but are really perverts in disguise.
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Fraternal Order of Eagles Riders Benefit for David Linton
The Salisbury Fraternal Order of Eagle Riders #4503 held an event for David Linton over the weekend on October 3, 2015. Dave is currently battling Esophageal cancer and a couple of months ago Lisa Phillips, came to us for some help. She told us that he was struggling with a few medical bills and wanted to know if we could hold some sort of raffle to help out with a few of the bills. The Fraternal Order of Eagles motto is "People Helping People". We try to take care of our members and our community any way that we can. Since we are a riders group we put together a Poker Run with the Eagle Riders and anyone else that wanted to participate in a day of fun. We spent many long hours of planning and knocking on doors for donations. Things were looking like they were coming together nicely and everything was falling into place. Than Mother Nature decided to test us! Not only were we looking at a Nor’easter on top of us here on the Eastern shore, but Hurricane Juaquin was looking like he wanted to make his presents on us as well. Most events around town were being cancelled but we were determined one way or another we were going to make this happen. So with the help of some GREAT volunteers, the FOE Auxiliary and Aries members and A LOT of prayers we pulled this off! The Poker Run was going to be an 89 mile run. But the Poker Run didn’t go as planned due to the weather so we set up the table so that we could do all the stops in house! We would like to thank the Oasis Bar and Grille (Whaleyville), House of Rock (West OC), Timeless Tavern (Stockton) and the Salisbury Fraternal Order of Eagles for being willing to open early and participate help us with our cause.
The Eagle Riders have some special thanks and some people we would like to recognize. Without these people we would not have been able to have such a successful event.
DONATIONS BY:
Eastern Shore Distributors-for the banners
Mountaire Farms-for the chicken donation
Tim Wingfield and Lisa Perrin with DJ Whizardmagic-for the music and Karaoke!
NAPA, Advance Auto, Jiffy Lube, OC Marina & Fishing Pier, Snap On Tools, Girl Scout troop #242, Special Friends, Smith Island Cakes, Ken Sehman’s Jewelers, Picture People, Giant Foods, The Fraternal Order of Eagles 4503 Aries and Ladies Auxiliary, Danny Holyfield with Pepperidge Farms, Amber Heater with Gorgeous Salon, Debbie Comegys, Dave Williams, Ann Holloway, Ellen and Alton Adkins, Ruth Hoppes, Frank and Sharon Ennis.
We also need to recognize all the volunteers and everyone that participated!
The Salisbury Eagle Riders 4503 presented a check for $3423.00 to help David Linton with his battle! We love you brother!
Our Kids Don’t Need Gun Control Laws; they Need Fathers
I’ve noticed that the answers in life are often simple but rarely easy. For instance, if I want to lose 10 pounds, the simplest but hardest solution is to eat less and jog more. The most complicated but easiest solution is to consult with doctors and take pills and complain about my thyroid and eventually give up and start a “fat acceptance” group. A lot of people these days choose the latter. It’s time consuming and it won’t accomplish much, but at least it can be done from the couch.
We tend to see this mindset manifest itself in dramatic fashion following any sort of national tragedy. We search desperately for answers, and the people tasked with providing them generally come up with a lot of complex laws and policies and political proposals, but nothing that even comes close to addressing the actual problem.
That’s what happened yet again this past week, after Chris Harper-Mercer walked into a community college in Oregon andslaughtered nine people. Immediately, the usual suspects manned their usual battle stations and started spouting their usual talking points about “gun control” and “mental health” and so on. Obama gave a speech mere hours after the attack and called for greater restrictions on the Second Amendment. Many others joined in his chorus.
Of course, the problem with this answer is that it isn’t an answer. Even if we could completely remove the pesky issue of constitutional liberties from the equation, even if it were possible to cure violence by getting rid of one particular type of weapon, even if we ignore the fact that the deadliest school attack in historyhappened 90 years ago and was carried out not with guns but with explosives, and even if we look past thestudies showing that gun control laws are counterproductive, gun control would still be basically impossible.
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We tend to see this mindset manifest itself in dramatic fashion following any sort of national tragedy. We search desperately for answers, and the people tasked with providing them generally come up with a lot of complex laws and policies and political proposals, but nothing that even comes close to addressing the actual problem.
That’s what happened yet again this past week, after Chris Harper-Mercer walked into a community college in Oregon andslaughtered nine people. Immediately, the usual suspects manned their usual battle stations and started spouting their usual talking points about “gun control” and “mental health” and so on. Obama gave a speech mere hours after the attack and called for greater restrictions on the Second Amendment. Many others joined in his chorus.
Of course, the problem with this answer is that it isn’t an answer. Even if we could completely remove the pesky issue of constitutional liberties from the equation, even if it were possible to cure violence by getting rid of one particular type of weapon, even if we ignore the fact that the deadliest school attack in historyhappened 90 years ago and was carried out not with guns but with explosives, and even if we look past thestudies showing that gun control laws are counterproductive, gun control would still be basically impossible.
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Maryland Casinos Generate $87.5 Million in Revenue During September
Hollywood Casino Perryville generated $6,204,696 from both slot machines and table games in September. Gross gaming revenue per unit per day was: $204.01 for slot machines, $2,536.73 for banking table games and $291.17 for non-banking table games. Hollywood Casino’s September 2015 revenue increased by $294,704, or 5%, from September 2014. Hollywood Casino Perryville operates 850 slot machines and 22 (12 banking and 10 non-banking) table games.
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore generated $22,147,812 from both slot machines and table games in September. Gross gaming revenue per unit per day was: $198.22 for slot machines, $1,821.50 for banking table games and $918.03 for non-banking table games. Horseshoe Casino’s September 2015 revenue decreased by $242,791, or 1.1%, from September 2014. Horseshoe Casino Baltimore operates 2,200 slot machines and 178 (153 banking and 25 non-banking) table games. Maryland Live Casino generated $49,571,257 from both slot machines and table games in September. Gross gaming revenue per unit per day was: $264.01 for slot machines, $3,443.43 for banking table games and $1,212.38 for non-banking table games.
Maryland Live’s September 2015 revenue increased by $4,035,221, or 8.9%, from September 2014. Maryland Live Casino operates 4,059 slot machines and 202 (150 banking and 52 non-banking) table games.
Casino at Ocean Downs generated $5,712,269 from slot machines in September, and its gross gaming revenue per unit per day was $237.85. Casino at Ocean Downs’ September 2015 revenue increased by $759,993, or 15.4%, from September 2014. The Casino at Ocean Downs operates 800 slot machines, and does not have table games.
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US forecast calls for lower heating bills this winter
The department’s annual outlook calls for lower heating bills, with the biggest savings for those who use propane or oil to heat their homes. The government predicts a 25 percent drop for homes using heating oil and an 18 percent drop for homes using propane, compared to last winter.
The outlook is based on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast that calls for warmer weather across all regions except the West, which is expected to be slightly cooler.
People using natural gas and electricity for heat also can expect to see a savings this winter. Heating bills for homes using electricity should drop about 3 percent and natural gas about 10 percent, the Energy Department said.
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'Cyber banging' drives new generation of gang violence - LA Times
Crime in the city continues to rise and gang violence in South Los Angeles accounts for much of that.
The LAPD has been trying to settle things down, but flooding the area with officers hasn't worked. Neither has relying on veteran gang members to manage rivalries. Or pleading with residents to report what they know or see.
Until recently, those tactics helped drive crime down to a 20-year low. But gangbangers have become bolder, and the violence is less predictable. Residents fear gangs more than they trust the police.
The surge in shootings over the last few months reveals how little we know about what drives crime — and suggests the limits of our holy grail, community policing.
Half of the city's August homicides occurred in South Los Angeles, and 70% of those are believed to be gang-related. For many residents, that feels like a return to the bad old days.
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The LAPD has been trying to settle things down, but flooding the area with officers hasn't worked. Neither has relying on veteran gang members to manage rivalries. Or pleading with residents to report what they know or see.
Until recently, those tactics helped drive crime down to a 20-year low. But gangbangers have become bolder, and the violence is less predictable. Residents fear gangs more than they trust the police.
The surge in shootings over the last few months reveals how little we know about what drives crime — and suggests the limits of our holy grail, community policing.
Half of the city's August homicides occurred in South Los Angeles, and 70% of those are believed to be gang-related. For many residents, that feels like a return to the bad old days.
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SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH 2015-2016
The Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE), which the Board has hired to conduct the superintendent search, will hold Stakeholder Input Sessions at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14 in two locations: the cafeterias of both James M. Bennett High School and Salisbury Middle School. These 7 p.m. sessions will be for the entire community: parents, students, business leaders, community members, public officials, and other interested parties.
Both locations will also host Stakeholder Input Sessions for staff at 4 p.m. that day.
2015 East Coast Lady Trooper Charity Softball Tournament
The Delaware State Police would like to thank everyone for a great tournament! Without the below sponsors and strong community support we could not have had this much success. Thank you!
Delmarva Power
Matt Haley’s Global Delaware Fund
Sports at the Beach
Delaware State Troopers Association
Jimmy’s Grill
16 Mile Brewery
Margarita Man
Commissioner Robert C. Coupe, Delaware Department of Corrections
“Thank you all for your excellent representation of the State and the Delaware State Police. This event was more than a Charity Softball Tournament; it was reflective of the many ways that law enforcement continues to be actively involved in our communities. Most of all thank you to our Troopers for representing the State in extraordinary fashion. We are all proud of your accomplishment. Congratulations!”
Colonel Nathaniel McQueen, Jr.
Superintendent of the Delaware State Police
"The event filled weekend hosted by the Delaware State Police allowed us to accomplish our fundraising goal. Without the support of several individuals, many organizations, law enforcement agencies and the communities throughout the state this would not have been possible. I would like to thank all those involved on behalf of the Delaware State Police Women Softball Teams for a wonderful event. The support from our fellow troopers and the community helped support these amazing charities, Special Olympics of Delaware and The Delaware State Police -Camp Barnes."
Ciara Berry has contacted the Sheriff's Office.
Thank you too all involved!! Ciara Berry has contacted the Sheriff's Office.
Posted by Wicomico County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Chelsea O'Donnell: I was kicked out
The 18-year-old reveals how Rosie's public persona is 'phony' and has little to do with her life behind closed doors.
She spoke out to disclose what she sees as O'Donnell's hypocrisy - that when she's out and about her bubbly and engaging personality is belied by the way she is at home.
Chelsea said: 'I find her not genuine a lot of the time. When we'd go out, she was a completely different person in public than at home and I had a hard time with that. It's like two different people.'
She also spoke to deny the star's public claims - made through O'Donnell's own social media accounts and apparently to the police - that she had run away from home and instead said Rosie had kicked her out two weeks before her 18th birthday.
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A Haunted House Snaps Photos At The Scariest Moment Of The Tour... And I Can't Stop Laughing
There is a hidden camera that snaps photos right at the scariest moment of the tour. I have no idea what happens at this moment, but judging by these people's reactions... it's absolutely terrifying!!
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DSP S.O.A.R. Searching for Wanted Sex Offender
Georgetown, DE - The Delaware State Police Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit (S.O.A.R) is currently looking for a wanted homeless sex offender after he failed to re-register his current address.
Investigators have obtained warrants for John B. Waryasz, 54, who is a high risk Tier 3 sex offender and may be living in the Georgetown area.
Waryasz is a white male, 5'10” tall, 173 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. He is wanted for Failure to Re-Register. Click to view profile and download mugshot:https://sexoffender.dsp.delaware.gov/?/Detail/00003714
The Delaware State Police Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit is asking anyone who may know the location of John Waryasz to call 302-672-5306. 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."
Investigators have obtained warrants for John B. Waryasz, 54, who is a high risk Tier 3 sex offender and may be living in the Georgetown area.
Waryasz is a white male, 5'10” tall, 173 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. He is wanted for Failure to Re-Register. Click to view profile and download mugshot:https://sexoffender.dsp.delaware.gov/?/Detail/00003714
The Delaware State Police Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit is asking anyone who may know the location of John Waryasz to call 302-672-5306. 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."
Chuck E. Cheese Adding Beer, Wine To Win Over Young Parents
Chuck E. Cheese has announced it is adding beer and wine to its menu, reports KPRC-TV.
In recent years, fewer families have been going to its restaurants, so the company is looking to renew interest and attract young mothers who may view a visit to Chuck E. Cheese with disdain.
The restaurant says young moms are the ones who decide where their children will eat, and where their birthday parties will be hosted.
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Drug Task Force Arrest Seaford Woman after Cocaine Investigation
On Tuesday October 6, 2015 around 12:20 p.m., the Sussex County Drug Task Force with the assistance of the Sussex County Governor's Task Force conducted a search warrant in the 24000 block of Concord Pond Road. Upon the detectives’ arrival at the residence,Bonnie L. Cannon, 47, was taken into custody without incident. The search revealed 24.1 grams of cocaine, .2 grams of crack cocaine, 44 grams of marijuana, and a .38 caliber handgun that was reported stolen from a Millsboro residence in January of 2015. Upon conducting the search warrant, a 30 year old female and a 2 year old female were present. The 30 year old was not charged and the child, who is in the legal care of Cannon, was temporarily turned over to the 30 year old.
Bonnie Cannon was transported back to Troop 4 where she was charged with Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine, Possession of a Controlled Substance (Cocaine), Possession of a Deadly Weapon by a Person Prohibited who also Possesses a Controlled Substance, Received a Stolen Firearm, Possession of Marijuana, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was arraigned at JP2 and was release after posting $30,300.00 secured bond. She is ordered to have no contact with the 2 year old child.
Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford Announces New Round of Grant Funding to Fight Heroin/Opioid Epidemic
Hogan Administration Provides Federal Funding for Nine New Programs to
Help Addicts, Seize Drugs, and Advance Investigations Statewide
Help Addicts, Seize Drugs, and Advance Investigations Statewide
ANNAPOLIS, MD - Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford today announced that Maryland has taken additional steps in its fight against the heroin and opioid epidemic by providing $608,832 in grant funding to projects designed to identify and apprehend drug dealers, especially those involved in gangs; help Maryland families battling substance abuse; and provide Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) programs and other re-entry programs to inmates at local detention centers.
Last February, to address Maryland’s growing heroin and opioid crisis, Governor Hogan formally created the Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force—a group made up of law enforcement professionals, elected officials, and substance abuse experts—and appointed Lt. Governor Rutherford as its chair. The funds announced today will be administered by the Governor's Office of Crime Control & Prevention (GOCCP), and support the broad mission and efforts of the Task Force.
“I am pleased to report that our administration is making real progress in strengthening programs that provide needed services to Marylanders struggling with substance abuse,” Lt. Governor Rutherford said. “The governor and I pledged that addressing the heroin and opioid crisis would be a major priority, and we will continue to advocate for treatment and prevention programs, as well as the most effective law enforcement response to this epidemic.”
“The programs we are funding illustrate the scale of Maryland’s commitment to ending the heroin and opioid epidemic,” said Christopher Shank, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention. “No community is immune from it. That’s why we are providing these grants to regions in every part of Maryland.”
This round of grant funding is from the federal Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (BJAG) program, which supports a broad range of state and local criminal justice initiatives critical to Maryland’s goal of safe communities. Earlier this summer, under the direction of Governor Hogan and Lt. Governor Rutherford, GOCCP awarded $281,011 in funding to the Ocean City Police Department, Dorchester County, and the Maryland State Police for criminal investigations into how heroin is brought over state lines, and to provide MAT re-entry programs for county detention center inmates.
| Jurisdiction | Agency | Project Description | Award Amount |
| Allegany | Allegany County State’s Attorney’s Office | Prosecution Partnership Targeting Priority Offenders in Cumberland and Allegany County | $55,532 |
| Baltimore City | The Family Recovery Program, Inc. | Partners in Recovery Together (PIRT) provides Peer Recovery Advocates to work with clients in substance abuse programs. | $100,000 |
| Carroll | Hampstead Police Department | Mobile License Plate Reader Technology uses LPR to identify criminal activity including illegal drug activity. | $18,150 |
| Charles | The Center for Children, Inc. | The Adolescent Substance Use Integration Initiative funds a new DHMH-licensed treatment program in Southern Maryland. | $69,000 |
| Charles | Charles County Circuit Court | The Family Recovery Court program supports families that need services because of parental substance abuse. Funds support Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) as well as short- and long-term residential treatment. | $98,554 |
| Howard | Howard County Dept. of Corrections | Targeted Reentry Services funds programs that include MAT support services, mediation, and a Strengthening Families Program. | $49,706 |
| Montgomery | Montgomery County Police Department | Heroin Overdose Prevention Program funds heroin paraphernalia education and funds for criminal investigations & forensic analysis. | $35,000 |
| St. Mary's | St. Mary’s County Government | Project Kicking the Habit is a pilot MAT Re-entry program for county detention center inmates. | $52,000 |
| Somerset | Somerset County Local Management Board | The Collaborative Anti-Gang Enforcement & Strategies program will use funds to purchase equipment including cameras and a radar unit, and provide gang investigation training. | $130,890 |
| Total | $608,832 |
Wednesday Rocket Launch to Be Visible Along Mid-Atlantic
Approximately six minutes after launch, the sounding rocket will deploy four sub-payloads containing mixtures of barium and strontium will be released, creating a cloud that is blue-green and red in color.
Residents from Long Island, New York, 235 miles north of the launch site, to Morehead City, North Carolina, 232 miles south, 165 miles west in Charlottesville, Virginia -- and everyone in between -- could get a glimpse of the colorful evening launch.
Sounding rockets, also called suborbital rockets, are valuable tools in qualifying technologies for flight. During this suborbital flight, NASA will test a modified Black Brant sounding rocket motor, launch vehicle and spacecraft systems and sub-payload ejection technologies.
For more information about the flight test, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/1VzGPwk
Pruden: Gumming Up the Works Over Benghazi
Pity the American voter. Angry, frustrated and desperate, in successive elections he delivers more Republican soldiers to Congress, all in the spirit of Dr. Johnson’s famous description of a second marriage as “the triumph of hope over experience.” All that changes in Washington is the size of the nothingburgers.
For four years the public has been waiting for answers about what happened at Benghazi, and so far the only thing clear is that four Americans, including an ambassador, were abandoned and left to die when the shooting started. (Guns do so frighten Democrats.)
Four years later we don’t know who was asleep at the White House, snoring at the State Department and dozing at the Pentagon. Probably everyone. Hillary Clinton, who as the secretary of State was first in line of responsibility, has consistently refused to talk about it, offering only talking points and invoking Fourth of July humbug. President Obama has the luxury of assigning others to take the questions; he was busy working on a speech. Someone at the Pentagon no doubt has some real answers, but the first thing an ambitious general learns is that it’s the president who punches his ticket.
Read more here
For four years the public has been waiting for answers about what happened at Benghazi, and so far the only thing clear is that four Americans, including an ambassador, were abandoned and left to die when the shooting started. (Guns do so frighten Democrats.)
Four years later we don’t know who was asleep at the White House, snoring at the State Department and dozing at the Pentagon. Probably everyone. Hillary Clinton, who as the secretary of State was first in line of responsibility, has consistently refused to talk about it, offering only talking points and invoking Fourth of July humbug. President Obama has the luxury of assigning others to take the questions; he was busy working on a speech. Someone at the Pentagon no doubt has some real answers, but the first thing an ambitious general learns is that it’s the president who punches his ticket.
Read more here
New York Daily News: State Dept Must Designate The NRA A Terrorist Organization
On October 3–two days after a gunman killed 10 at the gun free facilities on the Umpqua Community College campus–the New York Daily News called for the U.S. State Department to designate the National Rifle Association (NRA) a “terrorist organization.”
They based this request on their belief that national security faces a greater threat from armed citizens than from “foreign terrorists,” and they singled out the NRA as the bulwark preserving citizens’ right to keep and bear arms. They suggested, “The NRA should take its rightful place on the State Department list of terrorist organizations, because its influence is more of an immediate threat to the lives of our citizens than foreign terrorists.”
To be on the State Department’s list of designated terror organizations a group has to be state-sponsored for terrorism–which the NRA is not. Moreover, they do not exist for terrorist reasons. Rather, they exist to defend the civil liberties protected by the Second Amendment. Undaunted by these things, the NYDN simply declares the NRA a “terrorist group” and suggests it falls under the State Department’s purview by being “nearly-state sponsored.”
The NYDN added, “Although the NRA is not an officially state-sponsored organization it is the supporter of the state with its massive member and lobbyist donations to our elected officials.”
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They based this request on their belief that national security faces a greater threat from armed citizens than from “foreign terrorists,” and they singled out the NRA as the bulwark preserving citizens’ right to keep and bear arms. They suggested, “The NRA should take its rightful place on the State Department list of terrorist organizations, because its influence is more of an immediate threat to the lives of our citizens than foreign terrorists.”
To be on the State Department’s list of designated terror organizations a group has to be state-sponsored for terrorism–which the NRA is not. Moreover, they do not exist for terrorist reasons. Rather, they exist to defend the civil liberties protected by the Second Amendment. Undaunted by these things, the NYDN simply declares the NRA a “terrorist group” and suggests it falls under the State Department’s purview by being “nearly-state sponsored.”
The NYDN added, “Although the NRA is not an officially state-sponsored organization it is the supporter of the state with its massive member and lobbyist donations to our elected officials.”
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Ben Carson: ‘Neurosurgery Is Considerably More Complex Than Politics’
Retired neurosurgeon and 2016 GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson is rejecting the notion that a president should not be a political neophyte based on the argument that on the flip side, someone wouldn’t want a person to perform brain surgery on them if that person had never done it before.
“Neurosurgery is considerably more complex than politics,” Mr. Carson said in an interview for USA TODAY’s “Capital Download. “I know everybody wants to think that what they do is very, very complex, but it’s not. They’re not even close in terms of the things that are required in order to be able to do them.”
“You don’t need to know nearly as much to be able to maneuver in the political world as you do in the operating room inside of somebody’s brain. It’s not even close,” he said.
Early polling on the 2016 GOP field shows that around 50 percent of GOP primary voters are collectively supporting three people for the Republican nomination who have never before held public office: Businessman Donald Trump, Mr. Carson, and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina.
“It says that the people are actually starting to wake up and recognize that politics as usual is not taking us where we want to be,” Mr. Carson said. “In fact, it’s leading us in exactly the opposite direction.”
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“Neurosurgery is considerably more complex than politics,” Mr. Carson said in an interview for USA TODAY’s “Capital Download. “I know everybody wants to think that what they do is very, very complex, but it’s not. They’re not even close in terms of the things that are required in order to be able to do them.”
“You don’t need to know nearly as much to be able to maneuver in the political world as you do in the operating room inside of somebody’s brain. It’s not even close,” he said.
Early polling on the 2016 GOP field shows that around 50 percent of GOP primary voters are collectively supporting three people for the Republican nomination who have never before held public office: Businessman Donald Trump, Mr. Carson, and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina.
“It says that the people are actually starting to wake up and recognize that politics as usual is not taking us where we want to be,” Mr. Carson said. “In fact, it’s leading us in exactly the opposite direction.”
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Md. lawmakers hear lessons learned on Death with Dignity
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Ahead of the next debate on death with dignity, a panel of Maryland lawmakers on Tuesday heard from experts and health care professionals from states that already have the law.
Sharing lessons learned and concerns, witnesses from Oregon and Vermont addressed a joint legislative work group of Maryland delegates and state senators.
The Maryland General Assembly is set to hear its own version — the End of Life Option Act — when the session reconvenes next year.
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Sharing lessons learned and concerns, witnesses from Oregon and Vermont addressed a joint legislative work group of Maryland delegates and state senators.
The Maryland General Assembly is set to hear its own version — the End of Life Option Act — when the session reconvenes next year.
More
Firm Backed Up Clinton’s Server
WASHINGTON
Hillary Clinton hired a Connecticut company to back up her emails, and because of a technical glitch some of her messages may still reside on one of the firm’s “cloud” storage sites, a Senate committee chairman revealed.
In a letter to the chief executive of Datto Inc. on Monday, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin asked the firm to turn over to the committee copies of any Clinton emails still in its possession.
Johnson’s disclosures appeared to heighten the possibility that some of Clinton’s more than 31,000 personal emails may still be recovered. She said last March that she deleted them all upon turning over her work-related emails in December 2014 in response to a State Department request.
Congressional Republicans have voiced skepticism as to whether the 30,940 emails that the Democratic presidential candidate handed over represented all of her business emails. The FBI is separately investigating whether Clinton’s arrangement put classified information at risk.
In laying out facts gathered by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which he chairs, Johnson offered the first public confirmation that Clinton or her representatives arranged for a backup of her email server after she left office in early 2013.
His letter also cited internal emails recounting requests in late 2014 and early 2015 from Clinton representatives for Colorado-based Platte River Networks, the firm managing Clinton’s primary server, to direct Datto to reduce the amount of her emails it was backing up. These communications led a Platte River employee to air suspicions that “this whole thing really is covering up some shaddy (sic) sh*t,” according to an excerpt of an email cited by Johnson.
Read more here
Hillary Clinton hired a Connecticut company to back up her emails, and because of a technical glitch some of her messages may still reside on one of the firm’s “cloud” storage sites, a Senate committee chairman revealed.
In a letter to the chief executive of Datto Inc. on Monday, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin asked the firm to turn over to the committee copies of any Clinton emails still in its possession.
Johnson’s disclosures appeared to heighten the possibility that some of Clinton’s more than 31,000 personal emails may still be recovered. She said last March that she deleted them all upon turning over her work-related emails in December 2014 in response to a State Department request.
Congressional Republicans have voiced skepticism as to whether the 30,940 emails that the Democratic presidential candidate handed over represented all of her business emails. The FBI is separately investigating whether Clinton’s arrangement put classified information at risk.
In laying out facts gathered by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which he chairs, Johnson offered the first public confirmation that Clinton or her representatives arranged for a backup of her email server after she left office in early 2013.
His letter also cited internal emails recounting requests in late 2014 and early 2015 from Clinton representatives for Colorado-based Platte River Networks, the firm managing Clinton’s primary server, to direct Datto to reduce the amount of her emails it was backing up. These communications led a Platte River employee to air suspicions that “this whole thing really is covering up some shaddy (sic) sh*t,” according to an excerpt of an email cited by Johnson.
Read more here
Washington Post: Let’s Make America A Gun Free Society
The anti-gunnites are becoming more and more brazen in the wake of the Oregon UCC shooting. Which occurred in a mostly gun free zone. Yes, the UCC campus is a gun free zone, no matter what liberals try and tell you. The only exception is for those with Concealed Carry Permits, who still cannot bring them in buildings on campus. Mr. Obama brought up the “Australian solution”, namely, declaring most gun ownership illegal, making it law, implementing gun buy-backs/confiscation. That his given license to the anti-gunnites to more openly declare their true intentions. Here’s Washington Post Editorial Page Editor Fred Hiatt
A gun-free society
Maybe it’s time to start using the words that the NRA has turned into unmentionables.
Prohibition.
Mass buyback.
A gun-free society.
Let’s say that one again: A gun-free society.
Doesn’t it sound logical? Doesn’t it sound safe? Wouldn’t it make sense to learn from other developed nations, which believe that only the military and law enforcers, when necessary, should be armed — and which as a result lose far, far fewer innocent people than die every year in the United States?
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A gun-free society
Maybe it’s time to start using the words that the NRA has turned into unmentionables.
Prohibition.
Mass buyback.
A gun-free society.
Let’s say that one again: A gun-free society.
Doesn’t it sound logical? Doesn’t it sound safe? Wouldn’t it make sense to learn from other developed nations, which believe that only the military and law enforcers, when necessary, should be armed — and which as a result lose far, far fewer innocent people than die every year in the United States?
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State Department Pressing Clinton Lawyer Over Email Gap
State Department officials are pressing Hillary Clinton's personal lawyer David Kendall to confirm -- again -- whether the former secretary of state really did turn over all official emails, according to Justice Department documents filed as part of a watchdog group's lawsuit against the State Department.
State Department official Patrick Kennedy raised this question with Kendall in an Oct. 2 letter -- obtained by Fox News -- demanding to know why there appears to be a gap of at least two months during which Clinton may not have turned over official emails to the department.
The details emerged in a FOIA lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch. And the question over a gap in the records follows recent reports that Clinton was emailing with Gen. David Petraeus in January and February 2009 from her personal email account about Obama administration personnel matters -- though she has claimed she only started using that personal account for official business in March 2009.
In the wake of the Petraeus reports, the State Department's Kennedy wrote the letter to Kendall to determine if she really turned over all official documents since "the Department has become aware of emails that were sent to or received from former Secretary Clinton between January and March 2009."
More here
State Department official Patrick Kennedy raised this question with Kendall in an Oct. 2 letter -- obtained by Fox News -- demanding to know why there appears to be a gap of at least two months during which Clinton may not have turned over official emails to the department.
The details emerged in a FOIA lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch. And the question over a gap in the records follows recent reports that Clinton was emailing with Gen. David Petraeus in January and February 2009 from her personal email account about Obama administration personnel matters -- though she has claimed she only started using that personal account for official business in March 2009.
In the wake of the Petraeus reports, the State Department's Kennedy wrote the letter to Kendall to determine if she really turned over all official documents since "the Department has become aware of emails that were sent to or received from former Secretary Clinton between January and March 2009."
More here
Lesbian Bishop Wants to Remove Crosses from Church to Appease Muslims
A lesbian bishop from Sweden has announced her desire to move crosses from a Christian church to make the building “more inviting” for them.
InfoWars reports:
Brunne, who is the first openly lesbian bishop of a mainstream church in the world, wants the church to be treated more like a public airport, where prayer rooms are made available to Muslims, by removing Christian symbols and “marking the direction of Mecca.”
The proposal has drawn backlash, with Patrik Pettersson, priest of the Oscars parish in Stockholm, arguing, “The church chapel can not reasonably be equated with prayer rooms at airports and hospitals. The Christian church and chapels are not just any public areas.”
Robert Spencer wrote, “This is what a society and culture in the midst of suicide looks like.”
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InfoWars reports:
Brunne, who is the first openly lesbian bishop of a mainstream church in the world, wants the church to be treated more like a public airport, where prayer rooms are made available to Muslims, by removing Christian symbols and “marking the direction of Mecca.”
The proposal has drawn backlash, with Patrik Pettersson, priest of the Oscars parish in Stockholm, arguing, “The church chapel can not reasonably be equated with prayer rooms at airports and hospitals. The Christian church and chapels are not just any public areas.”
Robert Spencer wrote, “This is what a society and culture in the midst of suicide looks like.”
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Kamenetz Wants State To Speed Up Money For AC For Schools
Those 34 buildings represent 15-percent of schools.
Kamenetz told Maryland's News Now that buy accelerating the money, the county can finish the job in 2019, compared to the promise date of 2021.
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Global Warming Hoaxer Jagadish Shukla Involved in “Largest Science Scandal in US History”
Remember Jagadish Shukla, the climate commie who has been making a fortune off the global warming hoax and who demands that skeptics be imprisoned under RICO? Conceivably he might be headed to the Big House himself:
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), Chairman of the House Committee on Space, Science and Technology, has written to Professor Jagadish Shukla of George Mason University, in Virginia, requesting that he release all relevant documents pertaining to his activities as head of a non-profit organization called the Institute of Global Environment And Society.
Smith has two main areas of concern.
First, the apparent engagement by the institute in “partisan political activity” – which, as a non-profit, it is forbidden by law from doing.
Second, what precisely has the IGES institute done with the $63 million in taxpayer grants which it has received since 2001 and which appears to have resulted in remarkably little published research?
For example, as Watts Up With That? notes, a $4.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to one of the institute’s offshoots appears to have resulted in just one published paper.
But the amount which has gone into the pockets of Shukla and his cronies runs into the many hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 2013 and 2014, for example, Shukla and his wife enjoyed a combined income in excess of $800,000 a year.
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Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), Chairman of the House Committee on Space, Science and Technology, has written to Professor Jagadish Shukla of George Mason University, in Virginia, requesting that he release all relevant documents pertaining to his activities as head of a non-profit organization called the Institute of Global Environment And Society.
Smith has two main areas of concern.
First, the apparent engagement by the institute in “partisan political activity” – which, as a non-profit, it is forbidden by law from doing.
Second, what precisely has the IGES institute done with the $63 million in taxpayer grants which it has received since 2001 and which appears to have resulted in remarkably little published research?
For example, as Watts Up With That? notes, a $4.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to one of the institute’s offshoots appears to have resulted in just one published paper.
But the amount which has gone into the pockets of Shukla and his cronies runs into the many hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 2013 and 2014, for example, Shukla and his wife enjoyed a combined income in excess of $800,000 a year.
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Trump Blasts Obama Administration As ‘Dumbest Foreign Policy People’ In U.S. History
It appears that Donald Trump is taking a practical view of American foreign policy, putting an emphasis on regional stability over the spread of political reform.
“Sometimes the bad guy is better than the people we’re going to put in,” Trump said on an interview on Fox News’ Hannity. “You just have to see what happened in Libya and what happened in Iraq.”
Trump criticized what he believes is the administration’s wasteful support of unknown elements on the ground in Syria, including the Free Syrian Army and supposed “moderate” elements of the Syrian resistance.
“It’s hard to get enthusiastic about backing people for billions and billions of dollars, that we have no idea who they are. This has happened to us so many times over the years we’ve been scammed by people.”
When asked to address Russia’s recent escalation of its presence in Syria, the billionaire real estate mogul didn’t appear too concerned with President’ Putin’s aggressive support of Bashar al-Assad. Trump suggested Russian policy could lead to a repeat of the Soviet Union’s ill-fated, 10-year war in Afghanistan.
“Russia will probably be in a quagmire; they’ll be stuck in there for years to come. If you remember what happened to them in Afghanistan, that broke up the Soviet Union.”
Trump suggested we turn our attention to pressing domestic issues.
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“Sometimes the bad guy is better than the people we’re going to put in,” Trump said on an interview on Fox News’ Hannity. “You just have to see what happened in Libya and what happened in Iraq.”
Trump criticized what he believes is the administration’s wasteful support of unknown elements on the ground in Syria, including the Free Syrian Army and supposed “moderate” elements of the Syrian resistance.
“It’s hard to get enthusiastic about backing people for billions and billions of dollars, that we have no idea who they are. This has happened to us so many times over the years we’ve been scammed by people.”
When asked to address Russia’s recent escalation of its presence in Syria, the billionaire real estate mogul didn’t appear too concerned with President’ Putin’s aggressive support of Bashar al-Assad. Trump suggested Russian policy could lead to a repeat of the Soviet Union’s ill-fated, 10-year war in Afghanistan.
“Russia will probably be in a quagmire; they’ll be stuck in there for years to come. If you remember what happened to them in Afghanistan, that broke up the Soviet Union.”
Trump suggested we turn our attention to pressing domestic issues.
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Stock Market Crash October 2015? 9 Of The 16 Largest Crashes In History Have Come This Month
The worst stock market crashes in U.S. history have come during the month of October. There is just something about this time of the year that seems to be conducive to financial panic. For example, on October 28th, 1929 the biggest stock market crash in U.S. history up until that time helped usher in the Great Depression of the 1930s. And the largest percentage crash in the history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average by a very wide margin happened on October 19th, 1987. Overall, 9 of the 16 largest single day percentage crashes that we have ever seenhappened during the month of October. Of course that does not mean that something will happen this October, but after what we just witnessed in September we should all be on alert.
Clearly, there is a tremendous amount of momentum toward the downside right now. As you can see from the chart below, all of the gains for the Dow since the end of the 2013 calendar year have already been wiped out…
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Clearly, there is a tremendous amount of momentum toward the downside right now. As you can see from the chart below, all of the gains for the Dow since the end of the 2013 calendar year have already been wiped out…
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Drug charges filed after dozens of heroin overdose cases reported
Two reputed gang members were arrested and appeared in court on drug charges over the weekend after Chicago Fire Department crews responded to 74 heroin overdose cases in 72 hours last week.
Chicago police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration were combing the West Side trying to find the source of the dangerous batch of drugs.
Alfonzo Sylvester, 24, was arrested Saturday and appeared in Leighton Criminal Court Building on Sunday on charges of possession of heroin with the intent to deliver and aggravated fleeing and eluding police, both felonies, prosecutors said.
Sylvester, wearing a denim jacket with red lettering that read "Rolling Bones," stood silent as Cook County Judge James Brown set his bond at $30,000.
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Chicago police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration were combing the West Side trying to find the source of the dangerous batch of drugs.
Alfonzo Sylvester, 24, was arrested Saturday and appeared in Leighton Criminal Court Building on Sunday on charges of possession of heroin with the intent to deliver and aggravated fleeing and eluding police, both felonies, prosecutors said.
Sylvester, wearing a denim jacket with red lettering that read "Rolling Bones," stood silent as Cook County Judge James Brown set his bond at $30,000.
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Poll Finds O'Malley Support In Single Digits
Since entering the race in May, O'Malley has received anywhere from zero-to-three percent in polls.
The Goucher College poll of 373 likely Democratic primary voters finds O'Malley is the choice of just 2-percent.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the top vote getter at 43-percent.
Vice President Joe Biden, who is considering seeking the nomination gets 23-percent.
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“I’ll Just Try It Once.”
Warning: Even a single dose of heroin can start a person on the road to addiction.
Many people experiment with heroin thinking, “I’ll try it once or twice. I can always stop.” But those who start down that road find it nearly impossible to turn back.
Consider the words of Sam, a 15-year-old addict: “When you first shoot up, you will most likely puke and feel repelled, but soon you’ll try it again. It will cling to you like an obsessed lover. The rush of the hit and the way you'll want more, as if you were being deprived of air—that’s how it will trap you.”
The threat of addiction is not the worst consequence of experimenting with heroin. Jim was 21 years old and usually spent his evenings drinking beer with friends. He had already experimented with heroin so when friends offered him a line to sniff, he accepted. Fifteen minutes after inhaling, he passed out, then dropped into a deep coma which lasted more than two months. Today, he is confined to a wheelchair, unable to write, barely able to read. Whatever dreams and aspirations he once had are gone.
The HEROIN “Look”....
Many people experiment with heroin thinking, “I’ll try it once or twice. I can always stop.” But those who start down that road find it nearly impossible to turn back.
Consider the words of Sam, a 15-year-old addict: “When you first shoot up, you will most likely puke and feel repelled, but soon you’ll try it again. It will cling to you like an obsessed lover. The rush of the hit and the way you'll want more, as if you were being deprived of air—that’s how it will trap you.”
The threat of addiction is not the worst consequence of experimenting with heroin. Jim was 21 years old and usually spent his evenings drinking beer with friends. He had already experimented with heroin so when friends offered him a line to sniff, he accepted. Fifteen minutes after inhaling, he passed out, then dropped into a deep coma which lasted more than two months. Today, he is confined to a wheelchair, unable to write, barely able to read. Whatever dreams and aspirations he once had are gone.
The HEROIN “Look”....
The Right Does Have Answers on Guns, Mr. President
On the assumption that there are good and bad people on both the right and the left and that everyone is horrified by mass shootings, how is one to explain the great divide between right and left on the gun issue as it relates to these mass murders?
Why does the left focus on more gun control laws, and why doesn’t the right?
One reason is quintessentially American. Most Americans believe that it is their right — and even their duty — to own guns for self-protection. Unique among major democratic and industrialized nations, Americans have traditionally believed in relying on the state as little as possible. The right carries on this tradition, while the left believes in relying on the state as much possible — including, just to name a few areas, education, health care and personal protection.
A second reason for the left-right divide is that the left is uncomfortable with blaming people for bad actions. The right, on the other hand, is far more inclined to blame people for their bad actions.
Thus, liberals generally blame racism and poverty for violent crimes committed by poor blacks and Hispanics, while conservatives blame the criminals. Likewise, during the Cold War the left regarded nuclear weapons as the enemy while conservatives saw Communist regimes that possessed nuclear weapons as the enemy. It was the arms, not the values of those in possession of the arms, that troubled the left.
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Why does the left focus on more gun control laws, and why doesn’t the right?
One reason is quintessentially American. Most Americans believe that it is their right — and even their duty — to own guns for self-protection. Unique among major democratic and industrialized nations, Americans have traditionally believed in relying on the state as little as possible. The right carries on this tradition, while the left believes in relying on the state as much possible — including, just to name a few areas, education, health care and personal protection.
A second reason for the left-right divide is that the left is uncomfortable with blaming people for bad actions. The right, on the other hand, is far more inclined to blame people for their bad actions.
Thus, liberals generally blame racism and poverty for violent crimes committed by poor blacks and Hispanics, while conservatives blame the criminals. Likewise, during the Cold War the left regarded nuclear weapons as the enemy while conservatives saw Communist regimes that possessed nuclear weapons as the enemy. It was the arms, not the values of those in possession of the arms, that troubled the left.
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Prescription Drug Abuse: Who Gets Addicted?
Jason first became addicted to prescription pills when he was a teen, after a doctor prescribed a powerful drug to treat his migraine headaches.
"It took care of the migraine, but I found myself taking [the painkillers] even when I didn't have the migraine, because I just enjoyed that euphoric numbness," he says. He’s asked us not to use his last name.
Before too long, he says he was popping 45 prescription pills a day, mostly hydrocodone, a strong painkiller. But he also abused tranquilizers like alprazolam and diazepam.
He says his addiction became so overwhelming that he hit rock bottom: He stole pain medication from his mother, who was dying of bone cancer. "She would cry at me because she was in so much pain, but I had taken her medication,” he says.
That’s what it took for Jason to get help. He’s been in recovery for 11 years.
His path to addiction isn’t unusual. It often starts with a medication prescribed for a medical reason.
"The person had an injury or operation, they got a prescription,” says Peter R. Martin, MD, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at Vanderbilt University. “They basically liked it and kept on doing it.”
That leads them to become dependent on the drug, needing more and more to get the same effect. “The next step is to go from doctor to doctor to try to get medicine when the original doctor says no,” Martin says.
Jason recalls visiting several doctors in one day to get enough pills to fuel his habit -- a practice called "doctor shopping."
Who Could Be at Risk?
"It took care of the migraine, but I found myself taking [the painkillers] even when I didn't have the migraine, because I just enjoyed that euphoric numbness," he says. He’s asked us not to use his last name.
Before too long, he says he was popping 45 prescription pills a day, mostly hydrocodone, a strong painkiller. But he also abused tranquilizers like alprazolam and diazepam.
He says his addiction became so overwhelming that he hit rock bottom: He stole pain medication from his mother, who was dying of bone cancer. "She would cry at me because she was in so much pain, but I had taken her medication,” he says.
That’s what it took for Jason to get help. He’s been in recovery for 11 years.
His path to addiction isn’t unusual. It often starts with a medication prescribed for a medical reason.
"The person had an injury or operation, they got a prescription,” says Peter R. Martin, MD, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at Vanderbilt University. “They basically liked it and kept on doing it.”
That leads them to become dependent on the drug, needing more and more to get the same effect. “The next step is to go from doctor to doctor to try to get medicine when the original doctor says no,” Martin says.
Jason recalls visiting several doctors in one day to get enough pills to fuel his habit -- a practice called "doctor shopping."
Who Could Be at Risk?
California Governor Signs Landmark Right-To-Die Law
California Gov. Jerry Brown signed landmark legislation Monday, allowing terminally ill patients to obtain lethal medication to end their lives when and where they choose.
In a deeply personal note, Brown said he read opposition materials carefully, but in the end was left to reflect on what he would want in the face of his own death.
"I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain," he wrote. "I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill. And I wouldn't deny that right to others."
One of the key co-authors of the legislation, state Sen. Bill Monning, a Democrat from Carmel, Calif., said the signing "marks a historic day in California" and called the governor's thoughts "a powerful statement."
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In a deeply personal note, Brown said he read opposition materials carefully, but in the end was left to reflect on what he would want in the face of his own death.
"I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain," he wrote. "I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill. And I wouldn't deny that right to others."
One of the key co-authors of the legislation, state Sen. Bill Monning, a Democrat from Carmel, Calif., said the signing "marks a historic day in California" and called the governor's thoughts "a powerful statement."
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Five Shot In West Baltimore Tuesday Afternoon
Police said the shooting was reported around 3:40 p.m. in the 200 block of North Payson Street.
Police said the victims' injuries appear to be non-life-threatening. Some of the victims were taken to Shock Trauma.
The victims are all males ages 17, 23, 24, 26 and 55.
Police are looking for one suspect.
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I can only hope I live this long
Harold Schlumberg - An Inspiration To Us All
As we get older we sometimes begin to doubt our ability to make a difference in the world. It is at these times that our hopes are boosted by the remarkable achievements of other
seniors who have found the courage to take on challenges that would make many of us wither.
seniors who have found the courage to take on challenges that would make many of us wither.
Harold Schlumberg is such a person.
 QUOTE FROM HAROLD: “I've often been asked, '...
What do you old folks do now that you're retired?'
Well, I stay active and happy. I'm fortunate to have a chemical engineering background and one of the things I enjoy most is converting beer and scotch into urine. Then I take a jog out to the shed and piss on a picture of Obama. I do this several times every day. I really enjoy it and get my exercise too!”
Salmonella Poona infection reported in Maryland
Since the last update on September 29, 2015, 61 new ill people have been reported from 24 states. It can take up to a week from the time people eat food contaminated withSalmonella before they get sick. Also, cucumbers have a shelf life of up to 14 days. It is not unexpected to continue to see illnesses reported after the recalls. Some people may not have known about the recall and eaten the contaminated cucumbers after the recall.
As of October 5, 2015, 732 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Poona have been reported from 35 states. The number of ill people reported from each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Alaska (14), Arizona (114), Arkansas (11), California (192), Colorado (18), Hawaii (1), Idaho (24), Illinois (9), Indiana (3), Iowa (6), Kansas (2), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (5), Maryland (1), Minnesota (37), Missouri (11), Montana (14), Nebraska (6), Nevada (14), New Mexico (31), New York (6), North Dakota (6), Ohio (2), Oklahoma (12), Oregon (20), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (9), South Dakota (3), Texas (34), Utah (53), Virginia (1), Washington (22), Wisconsin (40), and Wyoming (7).
Among people for whom information is available, illnesses started on dates ranging from July 3, 2015 to September 25, 2015. Ill people range in age from less than 1 year to 99, with a median age of 17. Fifty percent of ill people are children younger than 18 years. Fifty-five percent of ill people are female. Among 536 people with available information, 150 (28%) report being hospitalized. Four deaths have been reported from Arizona (1), California (1), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (1).
Illnesses that occurred after September 8, 2015 might not be reported yet. A series of events occurs between the time a person is infected and the time public health officials can determine that the person is part of an outbreak. This means that there will be a delay between when a person gets sick and confirmation that he or she is part of an outbreak. This takes an average of 2 to 4 weeks. Please see the Timeline for Reporting Cases of Salmonella Infection for more details.
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American Airlines Co-Pilot Lands Plane Safely After Pilot Dies During Flight
In a tragic turn of events, an American Airlines pilot died on a red-eye flight from Phoenix to Boston early Monday morning. The plane carrying 147 passengers and a crew of five was diverted to Syracuse, NY, and landed safely after the co-pilot took over the controls.
Message to Congress: 10 Things Americans Want from New Congressional Leadership
VISION FOR NEW CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP
Republican leaders have a responsibility to better align their party’s policy stances with founding American principles, the U.S. Constitution, and the will and consent of the American people against the threats facing this nation right now. Congressional leaders represent more than merely the internal majority of their respective chambers. They become national leaders of the entire Republican Party and, when in the majority, the citizens of every state. This is the essence of self-government.
Failed leadership has profound consequences on our culture, our children, our prosperity, our security and consequently, spreads defeatism.
A recent Gallup poll shows half the nation, Democrats and Republicans, believes the federal government poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. There is bipartisan agreement that the government we now have has failed.
The overwhelming majority of Republicans now believe congressional leaders care more about special interests than the country’s interest, causing the disaffection of millions of citizens. The Republican Party has become an empty vessel, instead of broadening the Party’s appeal through demonstrated contrast with liberal policies and a robust defense of American exceptionalism. Conservatives expect party leaders to place the nation’s interests before their own re-election, especially at this time in our nation’s history.
We call for statesmen with the humility and capacity to act in the best interests of those who understand what is at stake in our times, and to govern with truth, principles and selflessness. We do not need to elevate career politicians who protect their power with political gamesmanship, show votes, self-interest and ineffective oversight.
Republicans, squandering their landslide 2014 victory, have failed to use their powers to stop the big government, big-business agenda dominating Washington backrooms. They failed to listen to us, calling many patriots names, just as liberals hoped. This caused the division on display now. Surrendering to and accommodating the growing-government agenda, just to get re-elected, is not why Republicans were granted majorities in both houses of Congress last year.
10 Things Americans Want from New Congressional Leadership
1. We want a conservative vision and strategy for a prosperous future that frames a contrast with the failed progressive, liberal policies of President Obama and the Left. We want strategies that include passionate, effective messaging for getting important legislation inserted into must-pass bills, using outside allies and all possible resources.
2. We want a unified, more effective messaging strategy that moves members and allies to go on offense together over the biggest threats to the nation. We want leaders to stop excessively using mainstream media to talk to the nation, and craft new and effective tactics that will go around a hostile news establishment.
3. We want effective government oversight by committees who expose the lawlessness and change what is wrong with the unaccountable, growing administrative state, which abuses its citizens and drains the national treasury in the process.
4. We want regular legislative order through committees with an end to backroom dealsand special favors at the White House or in leadership offices.
5. We want a meritocracy in Congress where partisan politics and fundraising play less of a role in highlighting Member/Senator ideas and committee assignments.
6. We demand that you stop punishing your own team, many who are champions to conservatives. Respect your base by showing greater offense to the radical Left than your conservative base.
7. We demand that you fight to protect political opponents of the President and the institutions that are increasingly under attack, i.e. military, law enforcement, private property, free markets, rule of law, religious liberty, etc.
8. We demand that you force the opposition to defend their failed and harmful ideology and policies by shining a light on the damage they have done and are doing.
9. We demand you keep your promises you made as you campaigned for office, and go full bore to stop President Obama’s fundamental transformation having lost too many months and too much trust amongst Americans already.
10. We demand that you restore Congress’ legislative powers so it is once again a branch holding the other two branches, and the administrative state, in check.
Self-government, as designed by the founders will end as a check on unrestrained power in the other branches, if Congress continues to fail to exercise its constitutional role as a brake on executive and judicial abuses of power. Congress will become irrelevant in the scheme of our government.
John Boehner did not care about the institution, as he claimed. Had he cared, the Congress would be on offense, pushing back and defending the country’s interests under this lawless, power-hungry President. Do not be the Congress and its leaders who history books reveal as the men and women who squandered and lost America’s self government.