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Thursday, October 29, 2015

Will Mega Beer Merger Lead To Higher Prices & Fewer Choices For Consumers?

With a $104.2 billion merger agreed to in principle, beer giants Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller could be walking down the aisle soon, creating a company that provides nearly 70% of the beer sold in the U.S. While such a mega-merger might be beneficial to the companies as far as increasing market share and cutting costs, the deal could have some very real consequences for consumers – and other beer producers. 

Washington just reached the mother of all budget deals of the Obama era

It's not the elusive "grand bargain."

But Washington may have solved almost all of its budget problems through the 2016 presidential election.

Congressional leaders and the White House came to tentativeterms on a major budget deal in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, one that could stave off many of the fiscal land mines remaining through next year's election and beyond.

Its passage is far from certain, but it will most likely be the final act for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) before he leaves Congress at the end of the week and hands over the role to Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin).

The agreement, which would last for two years, comes just days before Congress needed to raise the nation's debt ceiling to prevent a potential default on the country's obligations, according to the Treasury Department. And it comes a little more than a month before another potential government-shutdown showdown.

The deal could run into resistance from both parties' hard-line factions — conservatives are already grumbling about the accord, while some Democrats could push back against changes to Medicare and Social Security.

"We anticipate fierce resistance from conservative Republicans, but John Boehner knows how to get a deal done," said Greg Valliere, the chief global strategist at Horizon Investments. "His parting gift to Paul Ryan will be a package that should get just enough support from GOP lawmakers while winning a majority from Democrats. Boehner is loathed on the right, but what does he care? He's just a few days away from retirement."

Here's a quick look at some of what's included in the deal:
It would raise spending levels in equal amounts in defense and nondefense areas and avert a potential government shutdown in December. Those spending increases would be offset through spending cuts.

It would tackle a glitch that could leave many seniors with Medicare premium hikes next year.

The accord would cut spending on Medicare and Social Security disability benefits. Beneficiaries of the Social Security disability system face steep cuts next year unless Congress acts, as the fund is set to run dry. A source familiar with the negotiations told Business Insider that the deal would include "long-term entitlement reforms" to the Social Security disability program. The source said it would save $168 billion in long-term spending.

Try this quiz!

Try this short quiz to see which 2016 Presidential candidate you side with...

BRAVO

I would suggest that not only our leaders but every citizen of GB, of the USA and of Europe pay full attention to this advice.

It is a sad day when a Communist Leader makes more sense than our LEADERS here in the U.S.A. But here it is –

Vladimir Putin's speech - SHORTEST SPEECH EVER.

On August 4, 2013, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, addressed the Duma, (Russian Parliament), and gave a speech about the tensions with minorities in Russia:

"In Russia, live like Russians. Any minority, from anywhere, if it wants to live in Russia, to work and eat in Russia, it should speak Russian, and should respect the Russian laws. If they prefer Sharia Law, and live the life of Muslim's then we advise them to go to those places where that's the state law.

"Russia does not need Muslim minorities. Minorities need Russia, and we will not grant them special privileges, or try to change our laws to fit their desires, no matter how loud they yell 'discrimination'. We will not tolerate disrespect of our Russian culture. We better learn from the suicides of America, England, Holland and France, if we are to survive as a nation. The Muslims are taking over those countries and they will not take over Russia. The Russian customs and traditions are not compatible with the lack of culture or the primitive ways of Sharia Law and Muslims.

"When this honorable legislative body thinks of creating new laws, it should have in mind the Russian national interest first, observing that the Muslims Minorities Are Not Russians."

The politicians in the Duma gave Putin a five minute standing ovation.

Judge to hear new evidence in 1987 Easton murder case

EASTON, Md. (AP) - The attorneys for two men convicted of a 1987 slaying in Easton are asking for their clients’ murder convictions to be reversed because of new forensic evidence.

On Monday, a Talbot County judge agreed to hold an April hearing in the case of 46-year-old David R. Faulkner and 46-year-old Jonathan D. Smith. The prisoners’ attorneys say a previously unidentified bloody palm print found in the victim’s house was recently re-examined by state police and matched to Ty A. Brooks, a Maryland inmate incarcerated for similar burglary and assault crimes that took place in the area.

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Robbery Delmar Police


Don't Think The Status Quo Will Save You

Here's a chart that shows how the Status Quo "fixes" every problem: it transfers more debt and more losses to the taxpayers.

Many hold a touchingly naive faith that the Status Quo will save them even as the current system unravels. Why is this faith naive?

Let's start with this key question: does the Status Quo strike you as being even remotely competent?

If you answer "yes," we have to ask: what planet are you on? Mars? Here on Earth, no one that isn't a bought-and-paid for-shill of the Status Quo would even make the risible claim of Status Quo competence, except as a bitter joke.

The Status Quo assumes we can't deal with the truth like adults, and so it sugar-coats every unsolvable problem with lies and false assurances. The Status Quo assumption is the Great Unwashed 90% will shoot the messenger, i.e. toss out our public leadership should they be foolish enough to tell us the truth: the promises issued to you cannot possibly be fulfilled.

Not because of an evil cabal, but because the demographics and financial realities render the promises impossible to keep, regardless of who's in office.

I'm going to get my Social Security, right? I wuz promised! Don't be a chump, man. You'll get something that's called Social Security, but it will either be taxed to the point it only buys a loaf of bread or will only be worth a loaf of bread. So yes, you'll get Social Security, but not the one you were promised or the one you're imagining.

I'm going to get my Medicare, right? I wuz promised! Sure, you are, pal. Just not the Medicare you're imagining, you know, the one that pays for everything.

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All Md. toddlers to be tested for lead at ages 1 and 2

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Gov. Larry Hogan is announcing a new lead testing plan that calls for all Maryland children to be tested at ages 1 and 2.

The Republican governor announced the plan Monday at the start of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.

Previously, only children living in areas of the state considered to be at risk or who were enrolled in Medicaid had to be tested.

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Simon Black Speaks of Freedoms Lost Post-Civil War

Yes, the Civil War was about Slavery. Get over it. Stone Mountain can keep its memorial, but it needs a reboot ... Yesterday I wrote a piece about how it's time for the Georgia legislature to stop honoring slavery, and it seems people have taken it way out of context. The first line of that post was "Is it time to put away the war between the states? Yes, it is. It's way past time." But some people can't put the Civil War away. I'm not sure if it just haunts their dreams, or if they've got a great-great-grandfather who fought at Antietam, but these people—typically Southerners—can't rest until they prove that the South was the victim. The Civil War was primarily, and at its root, about slavery. This should be obvious to anyone looking objectively at history.Redstate

Dominant Social Theme: Lincoln was a hero and saved the union so that the Patriot Act could provide further luster to our freedoms.

Free-Market Analysis: We don't mean to pick on the author of this article because we chose it simply as a representative text. In the past months, Northern revisionism regarding the Civil War has been powerfully promoted by the mainstream media.

The idea is to make clear that the US federal government is a protector of "human rights" – and has been historically, starting with the Civil War. Additionally, the South is to be demonized.

The North's role is far from reality as Sovereign Man's Simon Black reminds us in an article posted yesterday and entitled "Celebrating 14 years since we kissed our freedoms goodbye."

On the anniversary of the USA Patriot Act, Black points out that we should take some time to remember how freedom was actually lost in the US. He writes:

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Md. state board to release results of contentious exams

WASHINGTON — For the first time ever, the Maryland State Board of Education will release data on a controversial set of exams that drew widespread parental concern.

The state school board will discuss results of the English 10, Algebra I and Algebra 2 PARCC exams, part of the state’s Common Core curriculum. Results for earlier grades will be released in December.

This year’s results won’t be used to assess school or student performance. Instead, this is a so-called “baseline” year; teachers and students are getting adjusted to the new tests.

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Kevin Fowler posts rattlesnake bite pictures on Facebook after criticism

Country music star Kevin Fowler posted horrific rattlesnake bite pictures on social media.

The singer shared photos on Facebook of a rattlesnake he encountered in his shed last week along with gruesome pictures of his friend Tommy's hand after he was bit last year.

As one not to feel guilty about killing rattlesnakes after witnessing the pain they can cause, Fowler said that all of the 'rattlesnake sympathizers' will change their tune after one of their kids gets bit while playing in their backyard.

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WEDDED 'THROUPLES' COMING TO AMERICA

'If marriage is not the union of a man and a woman, why limit it to 2 people?'

Has the Supreme Court’s ruling that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry paved the way for all kinds of non-traditional relationships to be legally recognized?

“If marriage is not the union of a man and a woman, why limit it to two people?” asked Michael Brown, a national talk radio host and author of “Outlasting the Gay Revolution.” “What makes the number two unique or necessary? Why not marry yourself, as some women have recently done? Why not throuples? There are several examples of this in the last few years. Why not three women and two men? We see this already in polygamous relationships. Why not?”

Three “gay” men in Canada are asking that very question.

The three 20-something medical professionals live together in Nova Scotia as a threesome, and they now hope to start a family.

According to the London Daily Mail, Adam Grant and Shayne Curran got married in 2011. A year later they met Sebastian Tran in a nightclub and both fell for him. Grant and Curran then got divorced so they could let Tran into the fold as part of an equal, three-way relationship.

Polyamory is not legal in Canada, but the men claim they have lawyers who can draft paperwork to ensure all three are “equally bound and obligated to each other in the eyes of the law.”

Tran said getting married legally is important to his partners and him.

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Cleta Mitchell: DOJ Probe of IRS Abuses Was a 'Sham'

The Department of Justice investigation into IRS abuses against conservative tax-exempt groups was a "sham," Cleta Mitchell, lawyer for one of those groups, tells Newsmax TV.

The DOJ announced last week it would not pursue criminal charges against former IRS official Lois Lerner. Mitchell has sued on behalf of True the Vote and its president Catherine Engelbrecht.

"I don't think they did a real investigation," Mitchell said Monday on "Newsmax Prime." "They never interviewed any of the victims. To my knowledge they did not interview a single victim of the IRS targeting."

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INSANE: Obama Demands Schools Celebrate New Holiday… Parents Everywhere Are Furious

Obama won’t let us celebrate Christian holidays – Instead he wants us to celebrate THIS!

President Barack Obama continuously shows his disdain for America and everything it stands for, and the latest example of that camed from the Department of Education.

Obama’s DOE has recommended that schools dedicate a week to recognizing illegal aliens, including an “undocumented immigrant awareness day,” according to the American Thinker.

The White House released a document Tuesday that outlined how schools could make undocumented students feel more welcome. These suggestions include “Undocumented Week” and “an undocumented immigrant awareness day.”

The resource guide was more than 50 pages long and chock full of tips and ideas to help undocumented youth achieve educational and economic success — regardless of actual or perceived immigration status.

The document estimated that each year 80,000 undocumented youth turn 18 and only about 65,000 graduate from high school every year — and Obama is apparently determined to do something about that.

The guide provided schools and teachers ideas about how to support undocumented youth. It even included information on how to apply for federal financial aid.

The guide also offered suggestions on how teachers could make undocumented youth feel more welcome, which included publicly demonstrating support for them and educating all students about not only the issues illegals face, but their accomplishments as well.

There are so many things wrong with this proposal, it’s difficult to know where to begin. But one thing is for certain — it demonstrates how much Obama is willing to do for the people who continue to break our laws while he largely ignores the needs of honest American taxpayers.

As long as Obama is willing to give illegal immigrants everything they could ever want or need, things will only get worse.

Source

HOW DO YOU SPELL APPARENT FRAUD? THE CLINTON FOUNDATION, SHADY ACCOUNTING AND AIDS

The Clinton Foundation has until November 16 to amend more than ten years’ worth of state, federal and foreign filings, but it’s going to be virtually impossible to do so without acknowledging that it has engaged in massive accounting fraud since its inception

The Clinton Foundation has gotten a good deal of unflattering attention as of late, which isn’t surprising given that its best known namesakes are Bill, a former president and chronic philanderer, and Hillary, who hopes to be the nation’s next leader. Furthermore, the foundation portrays itself as do-gooder nonprofit organization but a cursory look reveals questionable and incomplete disclosures of its activities and accounts, as well as incredible misspending of donor money, virtually since its inception.


Naturally, this can’t be stated in polite society. For example, the New York Timesjust had a story on the Clinton Foundation that found highly questionable conduct but buried it under the bland headline, “Rwanda Aid Shows Reach and Limits of Clinton Foundation.” Other stories have mentioned that the foundation has partnered with assorted dictators and robber barons. Among the latter is Canadian “mining magnate” (read: "penny stock artist") Frank Giustra, who donated millions to the foundation after Bill Clinton helped him land a mining concession for him in Kazakhstan.

(Note: I have an upcoming story on the Clinton Foundation’s links to Giustra and to Washington-based consultant Alexander Mirtchev, who is a front-man for powerful Kazakh government officials.)

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To Think Many Of Them Are In ECI


Parkside High Girls Soccer Team Wins Bayside Championship

Bayside Champions! Congratulations to the Parkside High Girls Soccer team on its 4-0 win over Queen Anne's County High School to win the Bayside Championship. (Photo Courtesy of Danielle Amey, PHS)

Delaware Woman Gets Dragged By Car On Highway


SHOCK CRIME!!! Delaware Woman Gets Into A Fight . . . And Ends Up Getting DRAGGED By A Car . . . On The HIGHWAY . . . For A QUARTER MILE!! (Her Leg Gets REALLY MESSED UP)
Posted by Mediatakeout on Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Modern “Bonnie & Clyde” Caught After Allegedly Robbing Banks All Over East Coast

ABERDEEN, Md. (WJZ) — A husband and wife accused of going on a crime spree were finally caught after robbing banks in several different states, including one in Maryland.

Linh Bui has more.

According to the Aberdeen police department, the robbery happened almost two weeks ago at the Bank of America on Beards Hill Road and an arrest warrant was issued for the husband.

Authorities say the couple was actually behind a string of crimes up and down the East Coast.

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James M. Bennett High Boys Soccer Team Wins Bayside Championship

Bayside Champions! Congratulations to the James M. Bennett High Boys Soccer team on its 4-3 win over Easton High School to win the Bayside Championship. (Photo posted on the JMB Facebook page by Becky Baldauf Kerrigan)

Gold Alert Issued for Missing Laurel Man

Laurel - The Delaware State Police are issuing a Gold Alert for William H. Fox of Laurel who was last seen around 7:30 a.m. this morning, Thursday October 29, 2015, at his residence located in the 32000 block of Tussock Drive.

William is a white male, 72 years of age, 6'01” tall, 200 lbs., brown hair and blue eyes (Photo attached). He is operating a grey 2012 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck with Delaware registration C41662 and may be traveling through Virginia on his way to Sevierville, TN.

Troopers have been unable to make contact with William to check on his welfare. Attempts to locate him have been unsuccessful and there is a real concern for his safety and welfare.

If anyone has any information in reference to his whereabouts, they are asked to contact Troop 5 at 302-337-1090 or by contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com. Anonymous tips may be sent by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

Pub Owner: Businesses Still Lost After Riots

Seacrets Breaks Ground On Distillery Operation

OCEAN CITY – Ocean City’s largest bar, restaurant and nightclub is getting even bigger with high hopes of growing its most recent business venture: distilling.

Ground was broken Monday on 49th Street, just steps from the main entrance of Seacrets, on a new three-story, 12,000-square-foot distillery that will house the creation of Seacrets’ new line of craft spirits.

“We can’t keep it on the shelves,” said Seacrets owner and founder Leighton Moore. “We’ve been making it in Rehoboth at Delaware Distilling Company since last May and they can’t make it any faster. That’s why we are making a larger facility than they have by far so we can keep up with our larger demands and our future needs.”

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Boy Finds Teddy Bear at School, Gets Pricked by Meth Needle | NBC4 Washington

The 7-year-old boy picked up the stuffed animal from an outdoor trash can at the school playground

A Nevada first-grader was taken to an emergency room after being pricked by an apparent drug needle hidden inside a teddy bear.

Officials from Mark Twain Elementary School reported Wednesday that the 7-year-old boy picked up the stuffed animal from an outdoor trash can at the school playground.

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City Officer Charged With Spitting On Man

A Baltimore City Police officer seen on a video spitting on a man in custody now faces criminal charges.
Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby's office announced today that officer Robert Messner is charged with second degree assault and misconduct in office in connection with the incident on October 12.
Messner was seen spitting on Alfred Evans, as he was trying to arrest Evans in Northeast Baltimore.  
Messner, a 34-year-veteran, remains suspended.
WARNING: Video contains Graphic Language
Source 

New PARCC Scores Show Only 30% Of Md. Students Ready For College

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — A new test for Maryland high school students is turning previous scores upside down.

Alex DeMetrick reports the test finds most aren’t ready for college or a job.

When you’re a student, tests are a way of life—but some tests are bigger than others. In Maryland, it was the High School Standardized Assessment. Last year, almost 85% of tenth graders passed and nearly 90% of seniors. Now a new test and new scores are out.

What the Maryland Board of Education heard was not pretty. The new replacement test, called PARCC, found just over 31% of high schoolers reached level four and five, passing grades for Algebra 1. In Algebra 2, it dropped to just over 20%. English 10, fewer than 40% met passing levels.

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Most Popular Halloween Candy To Hand Out In Maryland


BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Handing out candy this Halloween? If you live in Maryland, a new survey suggests offering up Almond Joy, if you want your house to be the most popular among trick-or-treaters.

Influenster, a social media website for shoppers, asked 40,000 of its users about their favorite candy, and released a colorful map showing each state’s top choice.

Almond Joy was also the favorite in New Hampshire.

In Delaware it’s 3 Musketeers, in Virginia Reese’s Pieces and in West Virginia it’s Oreos.

Twix was the pick in the nation’s capital — Washington, D.C.

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Report: One in 14 children has had incarcerated parent

One in 14 children have at least one parent behind bars and children in these situations suffer from low self esteem, poor mental and physical health, and other problems, a national research organization says.

Child Trends, an organization based in Bethesda, Md., is releasing its report Parents Behind Bars: What Happens to Their Children? on Tuesday. The group hopes the findings will prod prisons, schools and lawmakers to make changes that will help young people who have incarcerated parents.

"The issue of what some people have termed mass incarceration in the United States has really attracted a lot of attention so we were interested in looking at this issue," David Murphey, report co-author and senior research scientist at Child Trends, said in a telephone interview with USA TODAY. "We feel it's important to put this on the radar screen" and help people "realize there's more to it than the adults themselves," Murphey said.

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I Asked Doug Marshall About Heron Ponds and Talk About Selling Residential Lots To New Developer


Joe, yes we did accept an offer from Insight Homes who is a big player in the Delaware new home market. This is a good sign for Wicomico County as the Insight Builder consultants seem to like what they see in our marketplace. This is especially good for the owners of Heron Ponds (the stakeholders) because it will allow us to focus on the commercial development of Heron Ponds. There are still 3 phases in this project including 36 duplex units in the woods, 20 acres of R4 development land, the Amphitheater site and 30 acres of commercial land that is slated for medical/mixed use commercial. These commercial improvements won’t happen overnight, but the Insight transaction helps us “dust off” the file.
Insight has home building down to a science and I am very satisfied with the terms of our new relationship!

Their new model home will be built in November at the entrance of the subdivision!

Advertiser of the Day


MARYLAND FOR TRUMP LAUNCHES GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN

The Trump movement that swept the nation and changed Republican politics forever has finally arrived in Maryland.

Supporters of Donald J. Trump announced today a grassroots campaign to organize neighborhood outreach and meetings in every Congressional District in Maryland.

Marking their calendar for the CNBC-hosted Republican debate scheduled for October 28th (8PM), the Maryland For Trump campaign is asking Trump supporters to join debate-watch parties across the state and rally for their candidate.

Pointing to a recent statement by Breitbart, Maryland political activist Ruth Melson noted: “The most important reason that Donald Trump should be the Republican nominee is that America needs a course correction!

Ms. Melson further noted: “Maryland is of little consequence in Republican politics.  We are now rallying for Trump because he can win Maryland in November 2016.  Trump is the only Republican who can win the General Election.”

CALL TO ACTION:  Join the fight of a lifetime to keep what you hold dear and hard earned: Our Maryland values and our Maryland way of life.   Join us to raise public awareness of the plight of Maryland locked in the stranglehold of machine politics.  Join us to support Donald J. Trump for President in 2016.

Join Maryland For Trump:  Volunteer, advocate, and participate.
Let's defend the life that we have earned and the life that all Marylanders are proud of.  Let's Make America Great Again.

Silence is Consent!  Sign up at one of the following links:

The Debate: GOP Candidates Elevated, CNBC Eviscerated

Well now. We actually got our money’s worth last night.

Almost with out exception the GOP candidates conveyed a compelling message that the state is not our savior, while the CNBC moderators spent the night fumbling with fantasy football and inanities about which vitamin supplements Ben Carson has used or endorsed.

But this was about more than tone. The interaction between the candidates and the CNBC moderators revealed the yawning gap between the bubble world at the intersection of Washington and Wall Street and the hard scrabble reality of economic stagnation and political alienation on main street America.

Yes, the CNBC moderators engaged in a deplorable display of gotcha journalism punctuated by a snarky self-righteousness that was downright offensive. John Harwood is surely secretly on the payroll of the Democratic National Committee and it was more than obvious why Becky Quick excels at serving tea to blathering old fools like Warren Buffett.

So they deserved the Cruz missile that came flying at them mid-way through the debate.

At that point the Senator from Texas had had enough, especially from Carl Quintanilla. The latter has spend years on CNBC commentating about the “market”, but wouldn’t know honest capitalism is if slapped him upside the head, and has apparently never meet a Washington intervention that he didn’t cheer on as something to help the stock averages go higher:

Let me say something at the outset. The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don’t trust the media. This is not a cage match. And if you look at he questions—Donald Trump, are you a comic book villain? Ben Carson, can you do math?… Marco Rubio, why don’t you resign? Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen? How about talking about substantive issues?”

Nor did the Texas Senator let up:

“Carl, I’m not finished yet. The contrast with the Democratic debate, where every thought and question form the media was ‘Which of you is more handsome and wise”

As one pundit put it afterwards, “given the grievous injuries inflicted on Team CNBC” by Cruz and the rest of the candidates, the only thing left to do was “to shoot the wounded”.

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Maryland Universities Must Pay $1.6M In Tuition Dispute

BALTIMORE (AP) — A Baltimore City Circuit Court judge has ruled that more than 100 Maryland university alumni were unlawfully denied in-state tuition rates and will share in a $1.6 million recovery against the state.

The Daily Record of Baltimore reports that Judge Althea M. Handy’s order Thursday ended 13 years of litigation that began with a University of Maryland School of Law student saying she was unfairly charged an out-of-state tuition rate even though she moved to Maryland after enrolling. The plaintiffs grew to a class of students and alumni suing the state’s university system for similar practices at several schools.

Attorneys say the class members will each receive tuition refunds or student loan reimbursements of between $1,212 and $71,445.

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BREAKING NEWS: Paul Ryan elected speaker of the House

Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan has been elected speaker of the House, succeeding John Boehner.

Governor Larry Hogan Announces Cuts in Unemployment Insurance Taxes

$125 Million Growth in Maryland's Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund Triggers Reductions in Taxes

ANNAPOLIS, MD –
Governor Larry Hogan today announced that most Maryland businesses will see a significant reduction in unemployment insurance taxes, the lowest possible rates allowed under state law, beginning in the First Quarter of 2016. Maryland employers will now pay between $25.50 and $127.50 less per employee per year than what is paid by businesses under the current rate.

“Our administration is committed to making it easier for citizens and companies to do business in Maryland. Earlier this year, we eliminated 100 fees across state government, and we are streamlining processes in government agencies, cutting out bureaucracy and working to identify and eliminate unnecessary regulations that harm small businesses and employers,” said Governor Hogan. “Due to the strong growth of the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, we are pleased to be able to let business owners know that the cost of unemployment insurance in Maryland will be reduced. This is a real win for our business community and the state as a whole.”

Due to the fact that most Maryland employers pay the minimum tax rate, many companies will experience a 50 percent reduction in unemployment insurance from $51.00 to $25.50 per employee per year.

"The unemployment tax rate reduction is a sign of Maryland's improving business climate that will allow employers the opportunity to thrive and create jobs as we work together to strengthen our economy," said Secretary of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Kelly M. Schulz.

Since January 1, 2015, Maryland's Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund has grown by more than $125 million to $983,656,790.26, as of September 30, 2015. Year-on-year, the trust fund balance has grown by almost $80 million.

The Battle of Athens

On 2 August 1946, some Americans, brutalized by their county government, used armed force to overturn it. These Americans wanted honest, open elections. For years they had asked for state or Federal election monitors to prevent vote fraud -- forged ballots, secret ballot counts, and intimidation by armed sheriff's deputies -- by the local political boss. They got no help.

These Americans' absolute refusal to knuckle-under had been hardened by service in World War II. Having fought to free other countries from murderous regimes, they rejected vicious abuse by their county government. These Americans had a choice. Their state's Constitution - Article 1, Section 26 - recorded their right to keep and bear arms for the common defense. Few "gun control" laws had been enacted.
II. The Setting

These Americans were Tennesseeans of McMinn County, located between Chattanooga and Knoxville, in Eastern Tennessee. The two main towns were Athens and Etowah.

McMinn Countians had long been independent political thinkers. They also had long:
accepted bribe-taking by politicians and/or the Sheriff to overlook illicit whiskey-making and gambling;
financed the sheriff's department from fines - usually for speeding or public drunkenness - which promoted false arrests;
put up with voting fraud by both Democrats and Republicans.

Tennessee State law barred voting fraud:
ballot boxes had to be shown to be empty before voting;
poll-watchers had to be allowed;
armed law enforcement officers were barred from polling places;
ballots had to be counted where any voter could watch.

AWESOME

Boom. Ted Cruz BURNS CNBC moderators:

Posted by Washington Free Beacon on Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Health care co-op closings narrow consumers’ choices

About a third of alternative health insurers created under President Barack Obama’s health care law to spur competition and make coverage less expensive for consumers are shutting down. Only 14 of the so-called cooperatives are still standing, some precariously.
CA: California fire prevention fee may undermine local efforts

sacbee.com

California levies a fee on properties in rural, fire-prone areas to help pay for wildfire mitigation. Local officials contend the fee has undermined local agencies' ability to raise their own money for fire protection and prevention efforts.
PA: Juvenile offenders in Pennsylvania given psychiatric drugs at high rates

publicsource.org

An analysis of Pennsylvania’s youth correctional facilities found that during a seven-year period enough antipsychotic medications were ordered to treat a third of the state’s confined youth.

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Taxing the Cloud: States Are Looking at How to Do It

There’s an old saying in the military: “If it moves, salute it.” As states scramble for revenue in an increasingly Internet-based society, their expression might be: “If its electrons move, tax it.”

With sales of computer software CDs declining, and consumers downloading more programs and storing more files on the Internet, many states are looking to the “cloud” as a new source of tax revenue.

Think of it like this: DVD sales have plummeted, but streaming video is easy and cheap; thumb drive sales have dropped, while many people are storing data in the cloud. And when the sales of physical goods decline, so does state sales tax revenue.

That gives states an incentive to look for new entities to tax. And the cloud is the new target. But as states look to tax cloud services, questions arise as to whether storage space in the cloud is a tangible “good,” subject to sales taxes, a “service,” subject to use taxes, or neither of those. Different states are making different decisions and the situation is still evolving.

“For states to be able to impose a tax, they have to have some jurisdiction over the entities they are taxing,” said David Shakow, a Gabelli fellow at Fordham University who has written about the taxation of cloud computing.

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OBAMACARE COOPERATIVE GOES UNDER

Three weeks ago we wrote a story about Obamacare’s health insurance cooperatives being in serious trouble.

Well guess what …

According to the Associated Press, Consumers’ Choice Health Insurance Co. – a South Carolina cooperative formed under Barack Obama‘s so-called “Affordable Care Act” – will not sell policies in 2016 due to its “financially hazardous condition.”

“I did not have the confidence that this company would be a viable entity throughout the entire year of 2016,” Ray Farmer, director of the S.C. Department of Insurance, told the wire service.

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Ford profit rises with strong performance in North America

DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford Motor Co. reported third-quarter earnings of $1.9 billion — more than double the results from the same period a year ago — as the company reaped the benefits of full inventories of some of its most profitable vehicles.

Earnings easily outpaced the $835 million reported in the same quarter a year ago, when sales and profits in North America felt the short-term impact of an aggressive year of product launches.

The company maintained its previous expectation that it will earn $8.5 billion to $9.5 billion in pre-tax profit for the year.

"It's an outstanding quarter with records across various parts of the operation," Ford chief financial officer Bob Shanks told reporters.

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Who Will Be Hillary’s First Lady?

We can all see it’s beyond time to raise an upside down ‘America is in dire distress’ flag*. Unfortunately the prospects for a rescue boat on the horizon are zilch. We won’t be saved by new leadership in 2016. Just as predicted, “Voters will come home to Jeb/Hillary.” There is a reason whyBernie handed Hillary the debate.

The fix is in for the paintsuit queen. A Democratic National Committeewoman says her party is ‘clearing a path’ for Hillary because ‘the women in charge’ want it that way.

Following in Obama’s footsteps of hiding behind his race to shut down any opposition, Hillary will be able to use her gender to cry foul.

And she may even be able to use her sexual preference to scream hate speech at anyone who disagrees with her. “Hillary Clinton ‘could be ourfirst Lesbian president,’ says Bryan Fischer. Apparently, Bill won’t be theFirst Man at the White House as many feared as Chelsea Clinton and Huma Abedin vie to be Hillary Clinton’s First Lady.

You might think having the same crazy eyes as mother would be a bonus but frankly it looks like Chelsea doesn’t stand a chance at the First Lady job against Huma, either. It doesn’t matter that Chelsea goes around telling anyone that will listen that her mom Hillary should be president for “symbolic reasons.”

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Daddy Saves Campaign As Jeb Throws Tantrum: “I’ve Got Cooler Things to Do… Elect Trump If You Want”

The power of big money and sneaky political maneuvering

Elder Bush faces the prospect of having to watch his favorite fortune son fail at his attempt to claim yet another Bush presidency – all in the twilight of Bush 41’s life – who is now 91 and in failing health.

After reports say he has angrily watched the primary season include routine jabs at the expense of his son Jeb, former president George H.W. Bush is calling to arms his vast network of patrons and wealthy donors to get his kid out of trouble, and force his tanking campaign to the top with the only way they know – the power of big money and sneaky political maneuvering. The Houston Chroniclereports:

Even at age 91, former President George H.W. Bush remains hooked on politics and the upcoming presidential election. He follows the coverage on Fox News, champions the campaign of GOP candidate and son Jeb Bush and – like many on the left and right – he remains absolutely baffled by Donald Trump’s success.

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BREAKING NEWS: China abolishes one-child policy

China's ruling Communist Party announces it will abolish the country's decades-old one-child policy and will allow couples to have two children, the Xinhua News Agency reports.

Sky taxis are about to become a reality

Sick of dealing with the daily traffic congestion on the road? Soon you may not have to.

SkyTran's sky taxis are making their debut.

The aerial mass transit system features "cars" that magnetically glide 20 to 30 feet above the ground along elevated tracks.

Skytran, based in Mountain View, California, has been developing the system for five years. The pilot project will debut in Tel Aviv at the end of October.

The system will run for about 900 feet on the campus of Israel Aerospace Industries, which partnered with SkyTran to develop the cars.

Initially, just one car will run on the track. The car, which can hold up to four people, can travel as fast as 60mph. SkyTran hopes to eventually add several more cars to its debut system.

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Cruz BLASTS Media, Crowd Goes Wild

Ted Cruz took an early and commanding lead with the total destruction of the moderators and the media in general

At NBC’s “Your Money, Your Vote: The Republican Presidential Debate” tonight, Ted Cruz took an early and commanding lead with the total destruction of the moderators and the media in general.

Newsbusters tweeted the above clip, which immediately went viral and continues to rack up more retweets by the second.

Bashing the media always gets applause from conservatives. Effectively bashing them, with devastating accuracy, gets more than applause. It becomes the stuf of legend. Cruz’s answer will quickly become one of those videos that everyone watches over and over.

If you watch the debates, as TruthRevolt contributors do, it is impossible to not see the truth of Cruz’s words. The comparison of softballs lobbed at Democrats with the insults hurled at Republicans by the media is obvious to anyone with eyes and ears. And a candidate not simply calling it out, but highlighting it chapter and verse, is something we will see more of from Republicans.

Thank goodness.

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POLL: Here’s Who Won the GOP Debate Last Night

Last night we saw OUR Presidential Candidates in their 3rd GOP debate…and BOY did some of them really hit the ground running! You can not deny that Ted Cruz really opened a can of WHOOP on those moderators…knocking them down to size with some absolute TRUTH! Trump…will be Trump, and really…that’s all he needs to be heard! Carson…well Carson, is the quiet guy….so debate is not exactly an environment he has proven to flourish in, but that’s not to say it won’t be in the future! Carly…Rubio…and all…those “other guys” also had moments of contribution to the debate. You witnessed their efforts…NOW tell us what you thought! Vote for your favorite presidential candidate of last night’s debate….WHO do you think won!?

CLICK HERE to cast your vote and get results!

Who do you think showed up to the GOP debate, gun fight with a knife….and who showed up with a gun, flamethrower, and grenades galore!?

And…most importantly, WHO do you foresee to be the MOST BEASTLY opponent for ….well… this….

To get the BEST recap of last night’s debate….CLICK HERE!

Source

Tony Blair’s Lame “Apology”: Blames ‘Bad Intel’ for 2003 Iraq Invasion

Coming Soon to the War on Drugs: The Marijuana Breathalyzer

The ridiculous failure of a drug war trudges on here in America. Now researchers at Washington State University are working hard to… CURE CANCER!

Nope.

Save Babies from SIDS!

Nope.

Feed homeless people! Solve the energy crisis! Help old ladies cross the street!

Nope, nope, and extra nope.

They are developing a handheld portable device to screen people’s breath for THC, the chemical that a News10 Rochester reporter so astutely reported, “makes you high” in the video clip below.

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How Russia Will Eventually Kick the US out of Iraq

Earlier this week I wrote about a strange occurrence in Iraq, involving a Russian machine gun loaded with Iranian ammunition, that was found mounted on an American tank. The Iraqi military had apparently lent this vehicle to a Shia militia (against the orders of the US Government), who wasted no time equipping it with the weapons they had acquired from their Iranian and Russian allies. All signs suggest that this event is a harbinger of things to come.
The Iraqi government happens to be an awkward transitory phase with their foreign policy. They are currently being supported by both the United States and the Russian-Iranian alliance. As we speak, there are two Russian generals stationed in an intelligence center in Baghdad, and Iranian advisers are helping the Iraqi military direct their war against ISIS. Iraqi officials have even said that they would welcome Russian airstrikes in their country, and they want a “full blown military alliance” with Russia, Iran, and Syria.
As you might expect, the United States isn’t taking this news very well. In fact, they’ve recently given the Iraqi government an ultimatum: It’s us or them.
The U.S. has told Iraq’s leaders they must choose between ongoing American support in the battle against militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and asking the Russians to intervene instead.
Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday that the Iraqis had promised they would not request any Russian airstrikes or support for the fight against ISIS.
Shortly after leaving Baghdad, Dunford told reporters traveling with him that he had laid out a choice when he met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi earlier Tuesday.
“I said it would make it very difficult for us to be able to provide the kind of support you need if the Russians were here conducting operations as well,” Dunford said. “We can’t conduct operations if the Russians were operating in Iraq right now.”
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How Mass Immigration Could Destroy the Second Amendment

UCLA professor Adam Winkler recently wrote an article for the Washington Post, wherein he celebrated the fact that the demographic trends of America are working against gun rights. He makes a pretty strong argument too, since pretty much every minority ethnic group in this country seems to support stronger gun laws.

“The core of the NRA’s support comes from white, rural and relatively less educated voters.” He writes “This demographic is currently influential in politics but clearly on the wane. While the decline of white, rural, less educated Americans is generally well known, less often recognized is what this means for gun legislation.” He backs up these statements with hard facts. While white Americans are less enthusiastic about gun control, 75% of Latinos and 80% of Asian Americans want more gun legislation, both of which are growing demographics in this country. Even 72% of African-Americans support more gun laws. Meanwhile, the traditional pro-Second Amendment strongholds in rural America are declining.

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Hillary Says Australia-Style Nationwide Compulsory Gun Buyback Program “Worth Considering”

Hillary Clinton, the self-proclaimed “progressive moderate,” (?) has been going out of her way to stump for gun control on the campaign trail lately.
On top of announcing her own gun control plan which includes the executive orders she’d sign if she becomes president, Hill’s latest comments regard implementing Australia-style compulsory gun control here in the U.S.
Via The Hill:
“I don’t know enough details to tell you how we would do it or how it would work, but certainly the Australia example is worth looking at,” Clinton told a New Hampshire town hall on Friday…
“The Australian government, as part of trying to clamp down on the availability of automatic weapons, offered a good price for buying hundreds of thousands of guns, and then they basically clamped down going forward in terms of having, you know, more of a background-check approach, more of a permitting approach,” Clinton said.
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Winterfest of Lights In Ocean City

November 19, 2015 – January 3, 2016

Sunday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.,

Friday & Saturday 5:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

I am a prince and I do what I want, said drugged-up Saudi royal

A Saudi prince, who was arrested last month at his LA mansion, is accused of having a sexual relationship with a male aide, taking cocaine and threatening to kill women who refused his advances — as well as sexually assaulting a maid, Daily Mail reported.

Prince Majed bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is now facing a series of allegations in a civil case brought by three female staff members of his Los Angeles mansion.

The staff has accused him of repeatedly making unwanted sexual advances while being drunk and high at his $37 million mansion in Beverly Hills and even forcing them to watch a male aide pleasure him, according to court documents.

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