The Hashtag that CAIR Is Promoting Following Paris Attacks

Following the terrorist attacks in Paris, the Council on American-Islamic Relations posted a tweet Saturday suggesting that terrorism is not linked to any faith.

On Friday, CAIR issued a statement condemning the attacks and described them as “savage and despicable”:

“These savage and despicable attacks on civilians, whether they occur in Paris, Beirut or any other city, are outrageous and without justification,” the U.S. Muslim group said.

“We condemn these horrific crimes in the strongest terms possible. Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of those killed and injured and with all of France. The perpetrators of these heinous attacks must be apprehended and brought to justice,” the CAIR statement read.

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Rep. King Introduces Bill to End Informal Sanctuary Policy on Capitol Hill

(CNSNews) – U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-IA) introduced legislation last week that would end the current informal sanctuary policy and enable the Capitol Police force to enforce federal immigration law on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol.

The bill, called the “Ending the Sanctuary Capitol Policy Act of 2015,” would modify existing law and explicitly give the Capitol Police jurisdiction to detain immigration law violators by adding the phrase “within the District of Columbia… with respect to any violation of the immigration laws, if the officer is in the performance of official duties when the authority is exercised.”

“The immigration system in the United States has an enforcement problem. The lawlessness of the Obama Administration has trickled down to at least 340 local so-called ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions that openly defy federal law and release dangerous criminals," King said in a press release.

“This lawlessness has even invaded the Capitol grounds where the laws are written.

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REPORT: PARIS ATTACKER WAS SYRIAN “REFUGEE” WHO ARRIVED IN GREECE LAST MONTH

Reports are emerging that one of the terrorists involved in last night’s Paris massacre was a Syrian refugee who arrived in Greece last month.

Greek journalist Yannis Koutsomitis tweets that the country’s Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection has confirmed that the terrorist found with a Syrian passport on his person was, “registered as refugee on Leros island in October.”

Koutsomitis also drew attention to a quote by Greece migration Minister Yiannis Mouzalas, who on September 9th said, “It would be “foolish to believe that there are no jihadists among the refugees that cross into Europe.”

A Syrian passport was discovered on the body of one of the suicide bombers who staged the attack outside the Stade de France during the France v Germany soccer game.

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Smoking in Public Housing Could Soon Be Illegal Nationwide

Smoking would be prohibited in public housing homes nationwide under a proposed federal rule to be announced on Thursday, a move that would affect nearly one million households and open the latest front in the long-running campaign to curb unwanted exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke.

The ban, by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, would also require that common areas and administrative offices on public housing property be smoke-free.

But the restriction on smoking inside dwellings would pose challenges to overburdened public housing agencies, which could face resistance from some residents resentful of losing control of what they can do in their own homes.

View Full Story from The New York Times

UMD President Loh announces $55 million investment for black student programs

University of Maryland President Wallace Loh announced a $55 million targeted research investment for university programs in his State of the Campus address on Tuesday.

The money will be funneled into fleshing out programs on climate change, big data and cybersecurity, neuroscience and on-campus experiences for black students by hiring faculty members and strengthening university departments, Loh said at the annual address, which drew more than 100 people to Stamp Student Union’s Colony Ballroom.

“We will be inundated with some of the best and most talented students in the country” as a result of these additions, he said.

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Generous GI Bill Isn't Keeping Veterans Out of Student Loan Debt

Despite the generous benefits of the latest GI Bill, military veterans attending college are taking out substantial student loans, raising concerns among veterans' organizations that they are unnecessarily diving into debt.

For most veterans, the GI Bill covers four academic years of tuition at public colleges and universities, and has programs to cover the vast majority of expenses at many private institutions. Veterans also receive a monthly living allowance -- averaging about $1,300, depending on where they live -- to help cover expenses while they attend school.

But data compiled for The Times by the Department of Education show that in one academic year -- 2012, the latest available -- 26% of undergraduates receiving veterans education benefits also took out federal or private education loans. The average loan was $7,400 -- slightly more than for students who had never served in the military.

The figure suggests that beneficiaries could easily accrue more than $25,000 in debt to graduate with a four-year degree.

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UMD students rally in solidarity with University of Missouri protesters

Dozens of University of Maryland students dressed in all black gathered around the newly erected Frederick Douglass statue Thursday afternoon to stand in solidarity with peers at other universities who have protested in response to racial controversies this fall.

Nearly 200 students of different races and backgrounds assembled for a rally at about 1:15 p.m. to express their dissatisfaction with the handling of racially charged incidents at college campuses, such as those at the University of Missouri.

Astrid Diaz, a senior American studies and anthropology major, attended the rally Thursday with a goal to demonstrate the power students at this university hold and to stand in solidarity with those at schools such as Ithaca College, Missouri and Yale University, which have experienced recent racial controversies.

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D.C. is the snobbiest city on the East Coast, a report says

The D.C. area ranks in the top 10 of many lists, some with methodology that’s more questionable than others. The latest ranking calls D.C. the snobbiest city on the East Coast.

In a survey of “the 10 snobbiest cities in America,” San Francisco ranks first, followed by fellow California cities Berkeley and Pasadena.

The ranking was done by roadsnacks.net, a site that says it uses “data to create bite-sized snacks of shareable information about places and cities” in the U.S. The site calls its ranking a look at “science and data to determine which American cities probably think they’re better than you.”

The D.C. area is the only city on the East Coast in the rankings. The other snobby cities are in California, Arizona or Washington state.

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Wilmington man charged with selling loose cigarettes

Members of the Delaware Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement (DATE) worked with the Wilmington Police Department’s Community Policing Unit to shut down an operation that sold individual cigarettes.

Members of the Wilmington Police Department’s Community Policing unit received nuisance complaints of an individual engaged in the illegal sale of single cigarettes. The sale of these ‘loose’ cigarettes was taking place in the area of Lancaster and Greenhill Aves

An investigation indicated that t, 65-year-old, Charles Marshall of the 2500 block North Van Buren Street, Wilmington, was selling single cigarettes from open pack. The activity included walk up, drive up and bike up sales as he sat in his car.

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4 Harbingers Of Stock Market Doom That Foreshadowed The 2008 Crash Are Flashing Red Again

So many of the exact same patterns that we witnessed just before the stock market crash of 2008 are playing out once again right before our eyes.  Most of the time, a stock market crash doesn’t just come out of nowhere.  Normally there are specific leading indicators that we can look for that will tell us if major trouble is on the horizon.  One of these leading indicators is the junk bond market.  Right now, a closely watched high yield bond ETF known as JNK is sitting at 35.77.  If it falls below 35, that will be a major red flag, and it will be the first time that it has done so since 2009.  As you can see from this chart, JNK started crashing in June and July of 2008 – well before equities started crashing later that year.  A crash in junk bonds almost always precedes a major crash in stocks, and so this is something that I am watching carefully.

And there is a reason why junk bonds are crashing.  In 2015 we have seen the most corporate bond downgrades since the last financial crisis, and corporate debt defaults are absolutely skyrocketing.  The following comes from a recent piece by Porter Stansberry…

So far this year, nearly 300 U.S. corporations have seen their bonds downgraded. That’s the most downgrades per year since the financial crisis of 2008-2009. The year isn’t over yet. Neither are the downgrades. More worrisome, the 12-month default rate on high-yield corporate debt has doubled this year. This suggests we are well into the next major debt-default cycle.

Another thing that I am watching closely is the price of oil.

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ISIS releases 'Kill List'; Seven Texas cities included

The Pentagon has responded to a globally-released 'Kill List', asking law enforcement to give extra protection for military personnel whose personal information was released.

CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports the Pentagon spent the weekend notifying the soldiers who appeared on the list, and urged city police departments and military police to increase patrol in the neighborhoods where the targeted live.

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) published the list days ago, a report that contained names, photos, and home addresses of U.S. Armed Forces personnel, causing alarm in cities potentially at high-risk.

According to the publication, ISIS urges followers and sympathizers in the U.S. to kill the servicemen. Specific personnel on the list are largely from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy - branches of the country's military that have conducted massive air strikes against ISIS.

The air strikes have left ISIS mostly defenseless, killing over 8,000 fighters with attacks carried out on more than 5,000 targets. But ISIS appears to be fighting back through forms of social media.

The Pentagon says the the targeted appeared to be compiled from public sources -- anything from news articles to Facebook posts that could have linked them to attacks on the terrorist group. Officials with the Pentagon say some members were incorrectly identified, but right or wrong, it's still a threat.

Seven Texas cities were included on the list: Abilene, New Braunfels, San Antonio, Wyle, Fort Hood, Bedford, and Killeen.

Cities expected to increase in security due to the threat are below:

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FLASHBACK: Obama Said ‘ISIS Is Contained’ Friday Morning

President Obama declared ISIS was “contained” Friday morning, hours ahead of simultaneous attacks reportedly carried out by ISIS in Paris left at least 140 people dead.

In an interview with George Stephanopolous on “Good Morning America,” Obama asserted that ISIS was not gaining strength and that “we have contained them.”

“We’ve always understood that our goal has to be militarily constraining ISIL’s capabilities, cutting off their supply lines, cutting off their financing,” he said.

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Scientists have created a revolutionary new material that can turn salt water into drinkable water

There’s filtration and then there’sfiltration.

Engineers in the US have been working on the latter, coming up with a new, markedly more energy-efficient way of taking the salt out of seawater, which could deliver huge advantages in terms of providing people with access to drinking water and help combat problems like drought.

The researchers have developed a material that allows high volumes of water to pass through extremely tiny holes called ‘nanopores’ while blocking salt and other contaminants.

The material they’re using – a nanometre-thick sheet of molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) riddled with these nanopore holes – is the most efficient of a number of thin-film membranes that the engineers modelled, filtering up to 70 percent more water than graphene.

“Even though we have a lot of water on this planet, there is very little that is drinkable,” said Narayana Aluru, a professor of mechanical science and engineering at the University of Illinois and leader of the study. “If we could find a low-cost, efficient way to purify sea water, we would be making good strides in solving the water crisis.”

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Final phase of Route 113 dualization to begin in 2017

While adding another crossing of the Chesapeake Bay was not formally discussed by officials during the meeting, there were a number of other, surprising, announcements at the county’s annual meeting with transportation officials earlier this week.

State Sen. Jim Mathias caused a bit of a stir in September when he mentioned another crossing at Somerset County’s meeting with officials. Traditionally, Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset all held their meetings on the same day, but this year Somerset went first, and both Worcester and Wicomico had to wait until Tuesday before their own meetings. No reason was given for the change.

None of that seemed to matter once Maryland Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary for Operations Jim Ports said phase four of the Route 113 dualization project, containing the final stretch of two-lane traffic on the road, would begin construction in spring of 2017. Phase one of the project was completed in 2006.

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If There's Another Constitutional Convention, State Lawmakers Are Ready

For decades, but increasingly in recent years, state lawmakers have been pushing for a convention to add amendments to the U.S. Constitution, only to run into opposition from groups warning that such a meeting could devolve into the wholesale rewriting of the nation's charter.

This week, an estimated 100 bipartisan legislators from 30 states will be in Utah, attempting to put in rules and procedures they hope could act to keep such a constitutional convention on track, should legislatures from 34 states demand such a gathering.

"We're not focused on a specific amendment, so we're not advocating for a balanced budget or any other amendment that is being proposed out there in the world of the Internet, and there are many of them," said Utah Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, a member of the Assembly of State Legislatures' executive committee. "What we're focused on is establishing the rules and procedures under which a convention to propose amendments to the Constitution could be held."

View Full Story from The Salt Lake Tribune

OC Surpasses Sustainable Community Standard

OCEAN CITY — Ocean City is well on its way to gaining Maryland Sustainable Community certification, but there are no plans to stop now and rest on laurels.

The resort is currently working on getting its Sustainable Ocean City certification, an award of sorts issued by the state of Maryland to recognize a jurisdiction’s attempt to improve quality of life, invest in its natural resources, protect its environment and utilize its resources in a sustainable way. While the result is clearly an improved quality of life for its citizens, there are also other implications tied to the certification including eligibility for grant funding, for example.

Ocean City officials have been steadily working toward the goal and could gain certification as soon as next summer during the annual Maryland Municipal League convention in the resort. The state awards points for a variety of checklist items needed for the certification. The state requires 150 points for the certification, but Ocean City has already blown by that number and currently has around 240 points.

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Virginia Becomes 1st State to "End" Veteran Homelessness

The state hasn't declared victory in the war against veteran homelessness, but officials say they have won a key battle.

Virginia has, as of now, the resources to house any homeless veteran who seeks help. They're calling it a "functional end" to homelessness among the state's 800,000 veterans.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe was scheduled to announce the achievement Wednesday morning at a Veterans Day celebration at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.

The state can never eliminate homelessness, officials say. A lost job or family dispute can put someone on the street without notice. A functional end to homelessness, however, means veterans living on the street can move into permanent housing within an average of 90 days of connecting with the right community-based response and service system.

And those systems are up and running throughout Virginia.

A state fact sheet puts it another way: A functional end to veteran homelessness means every community has "a sustainable, systematic response in place that ensures homelessness is prevented whenever possible, or is otherwise a rare, brief and non-recurring experience."

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HOW AND WHY ISIS WILL USE TEXAS TO ENTER THE US IF THEY CHOOSE TO CROSS THE BORDER

Despite tough rhetoric from national and Texas leaders, the vast majority of the U.S.-Mexico border remains unsecured. Areas with frighteningly insufficient security are of particular concern in the state of Texas, largely due to differences in the nature between the transnational criminal organizations that control Mexico immediately south of Texas and the organizations that control the border in New Mexico, Arizona, and California. To be specific, foreign terrorists would likely enter the U.S. through Texas because the behavior of the transnational criminal groups we more commonly call the Gulf cartel and the Zetas cartel routinely indicate that they are more interested in short-term gains and profit-making than long-term profit sustainability, unlike the various other transnational criminal groups that align themselves under the banner of the Sinaloa Federation. A willingness to accept a large sum of money from a terrorist or group, regardless of the fact that it would lead to a temporary shutdown of the U.S.-Mexico border in the area where the illegal crossing occurred, would be necessary on the part of a specific cartel in order for them to allow such a crossing — and crossings rarely occur unless a cartel allows it.

Understanding the differences between cartels

The Gulf cartel generally controls the Texas border from the Gulf of Mexico to somewhere around the city of Zapata, Texas — roughly the entire Rio Grande Valley Sector. The Zetas control from that point through the Laredo Sector. They are also known to operate well into the El Paso Sector, stopping their activities somewhere prior to the Mexican border city of Juarez, immediately south of El Paso, Texas. This region begins the influence of the Carrillo Fuentes cartel, more commonly referred to as the Juarez cartel. This cartel is aligned with the Beltran-Leyva cartel. Though the Beltran-Leyva shares familial relationships with groups in the Sinaloa Federation, they are currently aligned with the Zetas. The Zetas are in a calm conflict with the overall Gulf cartel, yet they have alliances and working relationships with some groups within the Gulf cartel.

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If you get a Check in the Mail From Walmart, You Might Want to Think Twice Before you Cash it

We’ve all heard the saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” yet how often do we still fall for some scam due to our occasional tendencies to indulge our own gullibility?

Well, if you just got an unexpected check in the mail from Walmart, I’m about to save you a world of hurt, and a whole lot of cash flow in your bank account.

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Chaos on campus: Students protest, call for heads to roll at schools around country

Chaos swept over college campuses around the nation Thursday, as the ousters of the embattled University of Missouri system’s president and chancellor earlier this week were followed by dozens of other student protests calling for more faculty and staff heads to roll.

A popular professor at Missouri said he resigned Wednesday after students lashed out at him for pledging to give a scheduled exam amid spiraling protests, but the university said Thursday it rejected his resignation.

The Dean of Students at Claremont McKenna College in California, Mary Spellman, resigned in a letter to the community Thursday, after some at the school called for hunger strikes over what they perceived as a lack of support for students of color.

Students at Ithaca College in New York, Yale University and Vanderbilt University in Tennessee were also calling to ax administrators, and even more campuses were pledging solidarity with the burgeoning social justice movement.

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Paris Attacks Details Emerge

1. day after the attacks in Paris, raids were conducted in Belgium.

Belgium’s justice minister the VRT network that several arrests were made in Brussels after a car with Belgian license plates was seen close to the Bataclan theater in Paris on Friday night, one of the places where victims were killed.

He said it was a rental vehicle and police organized several raids in the St. Jans Molenbeek neighborhood in Brussels on Saturday.

2. Countless migrants have found their way to Greece and continues their way into Europe including one of the Paris attackers.

The holder of a Syrian passport found near the body of one of the gunmen who died in Friday night’s attacks in Paris passed though Greece in October, a Greek minister said. He traveled through the Greek island of Leros.

“The holder of the passport passed through the island of Leros on Oct. 3, 2015, where he was identified according to EU rules,” said Greece’s deputy minister in charge of police, Nikos Toskas, in a statement.

A Greek police source said the passport’s owner was a young man who had arrived in Leros with a group of 69 refugees and had his fingerprints taken by authorities there. Police declined to give his name.

Toskas did not know if the passport was checked by other countries through which the holder possibly passed on his way to France. The police source said French authorities had asked other countries in Europe, including Greece, to check on the passport.

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BREAKING: American ID’d as victim in Paris attacks

Nohemi Gonzalez, 23, a student at California State University Long Beach, was identified as the first US citizen killed in Friday night’s terror attack in Paris that claimed the lives of 129. Belgium authorities have also said they arrested three in raids in Brussels after tracing a car’s license plate that was seen near the concert hall that was attacked.

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NASA Invites Public to View Leonid Meteor Shower November 17

The NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center and its partner the Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation will host a viewing event from 8 – 11 p.m., Nov. 17, for the Leonid Meteor Shower.

Kim Check, NASA Visitor Center manager, said, “Our Astronomy Nights this year have been extremely popular with the public. The Leonid Meteor Shower event will be our last astronomy night this year and we hope that it is memorable for all who attend.”

The event at the Visitor Center includes night sky and possible meteor observations. The meteor shower with be visible with the naked eye as it radiates from a point within the constellation Leo the Lion. The waxing crescent moon also will be examined with high-powered telescopes along with several other deep sky objects. Astronomy-themed movies, hands-on activities and crafts will be available throughout the evening.

Bob Lingo, chief executive officer of the Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation, said, “Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through a comet’s stream of debris. During this year’s Leonid shower, we expect to see approximately 15 meteors per hour.”

The event, free and open to the public, is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather.

The NASA Visitor Center, located on Va. Rt. 175 about six miles from U.S. Route 13 and five miles from Chincoteague, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information about the Leonid Shower viewing event or the Visitor Center, Call 757-824-1344 or visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/visitorcenter

Christian Consumer Group Launches ‘BUYcott’ For Holiday Shopping Season

(CNSNews) – Faith Driven Consumer, a Christian organization that rates businesses and brands according to their embrace of Christians and their values, has launched a new campaign to allow shoppers to have a voice during the Christmas gift-buying season.

“ChristmasBUYcott.com builds on last week’s launch of the 2016 Faith Equality Index,” a press release announcing the campaign stated. “The Faith Equality Index annually rates, on a 100-point scale, how well brands acknowledge Faith Driven Consumers (FDCs) by welcoming, embracing, and celebrating them.”

The index ranks corporations and businesses on a scale from 0 to 100 on a wide range of “scorecard” issues, ranging from using the word “Christmas” in its advertising, to public support from legislative, judicial and/or regulatory protections for religious liberty and incorporating Christianity as a recognized category of corporate diversity.

“This index is the benchmark tool FDCs use to make consumer choices—through the lens of their biblical worldview,” the press release stated.

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Powellville Volunteer Fire Company Breakfast

Comcast Keeps Faking Debates

After the CNBC debate, Republicans were outraged at the vicious personal attacks not even disguised as questions from the moderators. Defenders of CNBC suggested the Republicans were just whining. President Obama joked that if GOP candidates can't handle TV moderators, they could never handle Russian strongman Vladimir Putin.

Then the Obama-lovers at Comcast prove Republicans' point. When NBC anchor Lester Holt sat down for an interview with the president on Nov. 2, there were no attacks. It was business as usual, just another syrupy Brian Williams-style lovefest.

"So many hopes and aspirations were placed on you as the first African-American President," Holt oozed. "As you approach this area of criminal justice reform, is this, in your mind, your defining moment, that would seal the legacy of what we would expect from the first African-American president?"

The NBC brand is in shambles. There is no pretense of impartiality anywhere. The Comcast empire is firmly vested in the Democrats. After the CNBC mess, Sen. Ted Cruz suggested Republicans should moderate Republican debates, not as cheerleaders but as real moderators, not gotcha Democrats. Liberals scoffed, of course.

They truly believe only they can, and should, run the show — all the shows.

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Jeb: 'It's Not Embracing American Values' to Deport Illegal Aliens

"The way you win the presidency is to have practical plans," and that does not include deporting millions of illegal aliens, Republican Jeb Bush said at Tuesday night's debate hosted by Fox Business Network.

"Twelve million illegal immigrants, to send them back, 500,000 a month, is just not -- not possible. And it's not embracing American values. And it would tear communities apart. And it would send a signal that we're not the kind of country that I know America is," he said.

Bush indicated that Republicans shouldn't even be having such a discussion.

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Christian Music Festival Can’t Use Public Square in Toronto for Invoking Jesus

A Christian music festival has been given the boot by the board of Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto for what it says is a violation of its rules against proselytizing.

“A Christian music festival is crying foul over a decision by the board of Yonge-Dundas Square to cancel its permit for 2016 because of claims the group violated terms of its contract by proselytizing,” Inside Toronto reported on Nov. 3.

“The festival, Voices of the Nations, has been using the publicly owned square for nearly a decade for what festival director Peter Ruparelia said is a showcase for the music of artists from various denominations and cultures, but the group is no longer welcome, according to local councilor and board-member Kristyn Wong-Tam, because it has ignored repeated warnings by the board not to use the stage to proselytize a particular religion,” the news outlet reported.

“‘I’m not at liberty to get into the specifics of the reason why they’re not welcome back to the square,’ Wong-Tam told the news outlet.

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Divestment Movement ‘Contrived, Organized Angst’ to 'Build Fervor Around Climate Change’

The fossil fuel divestment movement, which began at Swarthmore College in 2010 and is now active on more than a thousand college campuses, is “contrived, organized angst” and “a game of bluff” whose ultimate goal is to “build fervor around climate change,” according to a study released Tuesday by the National Association of Scholars (NAS).

“On the surface, it is an effort to get colleges to sell off their investments in coal, oil and gas. Its real goal is to radicalize students and stoke public support for drastic political and economic transformations,” the study stated.

It also claims that the fossil fuel divestment movement is “managed by professional activists” at 350.org and “driven by wealthy donors and deep-pocketed foundations” who are “using students and the colleges to advance their agenda at the Paris Climate talks.”

“As of Sept. 1, 2015, 44 colleges and universities worldwide have divested from fossil fuels,” according to the study – less than one percent of the world’s degree-granting institutions. “But fossil fuel investments affected by divestment decision comprise only about 1 percent of the total college endowment.”

“This is a publicity stunt,” study author Rachelle Peterson told CNSNews, adding that “the universities that have divested have had virtually no effect on the fossil fuel industry. On average, it’s about one percent of the endowment.”

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Resort Condo Sales Bouncing Back With Market Improving; Settlements On Condos Up 10% Through October

OCEAN CITY – As the resort feels the largest hotel boom it’s seen in more than a decade, the condominium market is quietly reaffirming its footing in the coastal real estate game.

During the early- to mid-2000’s, condominiums were exploding in popularity. Prices soared and local Realtors made huge chunks of cash, but once the market crashed in 2008, everything came to a screeching halt.

Since then, the market has been slowly recovering, but according to statistics and local experts, it appears to be on the front foot again.

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Experts Say Free Speech at Stake in 'American Sniper' Appeal

MINNEAPOLIS — Legal experts say important free speech issues will be at stake when an appeals court considers whether former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura is entitled to the $1.8 million judgment he won against the estate of "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle.

Kyle's widow, Taya Kyle, appealed after a jury and judge sided with Ventura in the defamation case last year. The Kyle estate is asking the appeals court to throw out the verdict or at least order a new trial on First Amendment and other grounds. Leading First Amendment scholars and media organizations have filed briefs backing the Kyle estate. Ventura says the judge and jury got it right.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in the case Tuesday.

THE DISPUTE AND THE TRIAL

"American Sniper" was Chris Kyle's best-selling book, later made into a hit movie, about his life as the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history, with 160 confirmed kills. In a subchapter called "Punching Out Scruff Face," the Navy SEAL claimed to have decked a man, whom he later identified as Ventura, during a fallen SEAL's wake at a California bar in 2006. He wrote that "Scruff Face" had made offensive comments about the elite force, including a remark that the SEALs "deserve to lose a few" in Iraq.

Ventura, a former SEAL and ex-pro wrestler, testified that Kyle's story ruined his reputation in the SEAL community. Ventura said he never made the statements and that the altercation never happened. Kyle insisted in sworn testimony videotaped before his death in 2013 that his account was accurate. His estate's lawyers presented several witnesses who backed up at least parts of his story. The jury believed Ventura and awarded him $500,000 for defamation and $1.3 million from the book's profits for unjust enrichment.

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Carson on Campus Turmoil: 'This Is a Very Dangerous Trend'

(CNSNews) - Commenting on the recent racial unrest at the University of Missouri and Yale University, Dr. Ben Carson described it as "raw emotion" and maybe even "manipulation." His recommendation? "The two sides need to sit down and have an open discussion," Carson told Fox News's Megyn Kelly Wednesday night.

"[W]e need recognize that this is a very dangerous trend. When we get to a point where a majority can say, I don't like what you're doing -- that's offensive and therefore, I have the right to be violent toward you or to deprive you of rights because I don't like what you're doing. You know, that really goes against the grain of our constitutional rights. And if we don't see that, we're in really big trouble right now."

"And the officials at these places must recognize that and have the moral courage to stand up to it. Because if they don't, it will grow, it will exacerbate the situation, as we will move much further toward anarchy than anybody can imagine and much more quickly."

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Don Lemon to Students: 'Don't Leave House' If You Want 'Safe Space'

CNN anchor Don Lemon says that if the University of Missouri students want a "safe space" they shouldn't leave home.

Appearing on "The Tom Joyner Morning Show" on Thursday, Lemon said college students "should not be coddled by retreating into so-called 'safe spaces' because they're afraid of having their feelings hurt. If you're afraid of having your feelings hurt, don't leave your house. College is the place where robust debate should be welcomed and vigorously explored."

Lemon was referring to students who successfully sought the ouster of the school's president Tim Wolfe on Monday. Some have been seen on video demanding media not enter the encampment so that it could remain a "safe space."

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As President, Hillary Could Appoint 4 Supreme Court Justices

Conservatives unhappy with U.S. Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage and Obamacare heard a powerful argument Thursday for defeating Hillary Rodham Clinton: The next president could appoint as many as four justices.

When the next president takes the oath of office in January 2017, three current justices will be at least 80 years old: conservative Antonin Scalia (80), swing voter Anthony M. Kennedy (80) and liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg (83). Liberal Justice Stephen G. Breyer will be 78.

During a Federalist Society discussion on the first 10 years of the court under Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., lawyer Michael Carvin said the Supreme Court has made “baby steps toward the return to the rule of law” in the past decade, despite dissatisfaction by many conservatives.

“If the election goes wrong next year, none of that will matter and we will all descend into a hellish existence from which we will never emerge,” Mr. Carvin said to laughter from the crowd.

More here

THE GOVERNMENT NETTED $4.5 BILLION IN CASH, CARS, AND HOUSES TAKEN FROM AMERICANS LAST YEAR

Many innocent Americans who had property forfeited were never charged with a crime

For federal state and local law enforcement agencies, a little-known practice giving them the power to take Americans’ property, cash, and cars has proven to be a boon over the last decade.

According to a new report from the Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm, the federal government has seen a substantial increase over the last 13 years in the amount of money deposited into forfeiture funds governed by the Departments of Justice and Treasury—the two federal agencies that typically conduct forfeitures.

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Buildings marked for demo along St. Louis corridor

OCEAN CITY —Several houses on the west side of St. Louis Avenue south of First Street are slated for demolition this fall and will presumably be used as parking for De Lazy Lizard restaurant.

This includes the building on the corner that was heavily damaged by fire earlier this year, and potentially several other buildings down the block, including the mini storage units located behind the homes.

Maryland property records show the structures were sold by the Trumpower family to OC Land Holdings LLC last May.

Steve Carullo, who owns OC Land Holdings as well as De Lazy Lizard and Dead Freddie’s restaurants, did not respond to a request for more information as of press time.

However, city Zoning Administrator R. Blaine Smith confirmed that the city had issued demolition permits for the properties.

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OBAMA CLAIMS ISIS “CONTAINED” DAY BEFORE PARIS ATTACKS

“I don’t think they’re gaining strength,” he told ABC’s George Stephanopolous on Thursday, which aired Friday on Good Morning America. “What is true is that from the start, our goal has been first to contain and we have contained them.”

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Vanderbilt Students Demand Ouster Of Black Conservative Professor

A black conservative professor is fighting back against an online petition demanding she be suspended for alleged “discriminatory practices” in the classroom.

Carol Swain, a professor of law and political science at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, is under fire for posting materials of interest to “Christian conservatives” on the Internet, EAG News reported.

“Although Ms. Swain is free to speak openly and have her own views, no matter how disagreeable they may be, it is generally unprofessional to attach your job title to a channel promoting your personally held beliefs,” reads the petition, which has garnered more than 1,500 signatures. “Keeping personal beliefs and University-endorsed statements separate is crucial to maintaining the integrity of Vanderbilt’s values.”

Students also accuse her of “expressing hatred towards minorities,” EAG reported.

The petition demands that Ms. Swain be suspended so that administrators can “confer with the ACLU to create and mandate a diversity training program for all Vanderbilt faculty — including Professor Carol Swain — to increase their cultural awareness, foster inclusion of various identity groups, prevent discrimination in the classroom, and to protect the University against inadvertent civil rights violations
.”

Ms. Swain reacted to the petition in an interview with a local ABC News affiliate.

Ann Coulter on Paris Attack: ‘Donald Trump Was Elected President Tonight’

Ann Coulter reacted to the Paris terrorist attack tonight by declaring “no more Muslim immigration” and touting Donald Trump on that particular issue.

In a string of tweets tonight, Coulter said that the obvious answer to stopping terrorism in the United States is to “stop importing Muslims”:

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Three Locations Selected In OC For Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

OCEAN CITY — Ocean City officials agree the continued proliferation of electric-powered cars could be the wave of the future for the resort, but continue to struggle with exactly where to put potential charging stations.

More and more electric-powered and hybrid vehicles are visiting the resort, finding places to charge them continue to be a challenge. In April, the town hosted a Tesla convention that drew over 100 of the high-end electric-powered cars, but most participants had to charge up in areas outside the resort. To that end, Tesla has presented a grant to the town to facilitate the installation of charging stations in the future, but resort officials continue to wrestle with just where to put them.

Through the grant from Tesla, Ocean City has agreed to install three charging stations at the Convention Center parking lot, but even deciding on the exact location for those stations has presented challenges. City Engineer Terry McGean explained the original proposed locations did not have the high-voltage electric service needed to support the charging stations. Instead, McGean suggested moving the stations to a different area of the Convention Center’s vast parking complex.

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Act of War – ISIS Rampage in Paris… 120+ Dead, Bodies Everywhere in Apocalyptic Scenes [PHOTOS]

At least 127 are dead in Paris this morning after eight coordinated attacks by ISIS throughout the city. Hollande has declared France at war with ISIS and has closed her borders. He is vowing to strike back at ISIS over this. 100 were slaughtered at the Bataclan concert hall, then the two gunmen blew themselves up. AK-47s and shotguns were used to mow civilians down and suicide vests were employed. Grenades were tossed in people’s faces. There are now over 1,000 active ISIS probes here in the US according to the FBI. This is only the beginning. As blood pooled and flowed in the streets of Paris last night, apocalyptic scenesunfolded throughout the city. Multiple soft targets were hit in coordinated attacks as ISIS gloated and took credit for the atrocity. France is under their first curfew since WWII in 1944.

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Failed Co-Op Used $280K in Taxpayer Dollars For Lobbying

Federal rule: No portion of the loans given to co-ops could be used for ‘propaganda purposes, attempts to influence legislation, marketing’

A failed co-op currently under investigation for underreporting its financial situation used hundreds of thousands in taxpayer dollars for lobbying, according to Senate lobbying disclosure records.

Health Republic Insurance of New York, a Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans marketplace created under the Affordable Care Act, began paying Alston & Bird, LLP in the second quarter of 2014 and continued through the third quarter of 2015, around the time the co-op announced that it was going out of business, according to the lobbying database.

Earl Pomeroy, a former Democratic Congressman from North Dakota’s at-large congressional district from 1993 until 2011, and Bob Siggins, the longtime Chief of Staff to Pomeroy, were deployed by the K-Street firm to lobby the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services on behalf of the co-op. Between April 2014 and September 30, 2015, Alston & Bird were paid $280,000 in taxpayer dollars for its lobbying services.

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Cavuto Asks Student Protestor How U.S. Will Pay for Socialist Wish List

Fox Business host Neil Cavuto engaged a scholar in earnest Socratic dialogue Thursday.

Keely Mullen is a national organizer for #MillionStudentMarch, a movement that demands “tuition-free public college, cancellation of all student debt, and a $15 minimum wage for all campus workers” in response to the crisis caused by rapacious corporate education.

“#MillionStudentMarch is a movement for a more equitable and fair system of education as opposed to the really corporate model we have right now,” Mullen said.

Mullen is a graduate of the prestigious Francis W. Parker School and political science student at Northeastern University, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Cavuto asked how this agenda would be financed.

“Great question, I mean, you know, so—I’m not sure if you’re talking about a national level or per school?” Mullen said.

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Boy Scout Troop 225 Turkey Shoot

Angered Residents Grill Sheriff on Why Deputies Gunned Down Idaho Rancher

Questions linger as police remain tight lipped

Hundreds of residents packed a town hall meeting in Idaho yesterday asking tough questions of their county’s sheriff after two deputies fatally shot a local rancher.

Over 200 residents from the town of Council voiced concerns over the death of Jack Yantis, the rancher killed by deputies last week, with some leaving the assembly angry over the answers Adams County Sheriff Ryan Zollman gave.

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Wind farm site mostly empty

After weeks of surveying the offshore area and mapping the sea floor, followed by months of interpreting data and polishing a formal report on the project, Paul Rich, director of project development at U.S. Wind, reports the Shearwater survey vessel didn’t find much of anything on the leased site of a proposed wind farm off the coast of Ocean City.

The Shearwater, a 110-foot former Coast Guard cutter, was outfitted to serve as a geophysical acoustic survey vessel and spent weeks examining the site looking for evidence of archeological or biological importance this summer.

According to Rich, the Shearwater found neither.

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Hillary Clinton Pledges to Stop Accepting Money From Private Prison Lobbyists

Civil rights group ColorOfChange announced Thursday that the Hillary Clinton campaign has agreed to stop accepting contributions from lobbyists and campaign committees that serve the private prison industry.

The announcement came after a series of protests from activist groups about the ties between private prison lobbyists and the Clinton campaign. In one act of protest, United We Dream’s Juan Carlos Ramos interrupted a Clinton speech earlier this month to raise the issue.

The protests began after a report by The Intercept in July detailing how many of Clinton’s top fundraisers simultaneously serve as lobbyists at firms representing the biggest names in the private prison industry, including Geo Group and Correction Corporation of America.

According to Fusion, the Clinton campaign promised to donate any previous direct contributions from private prison lobbyists to charity.

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Television News Network Lobbyists Are Fundraising for Hillary Clinton

Over the last two presidential debates, both Democratic and Republican candidates have asserted that the television news media is biased and has done a poor job informing voters of the most pressing issues in the election.

And while their focus is on things like the type of questions asked by debate moderators, they are overlooking much clearer signs of potential conflicts of interest. Fundraising disclosures released this month and in July reveal that lobbyists for media companies are raising big money for establishment presidential candidates, particularly Hillary Clinton.

The giant media companies that shape much of the coverage of the presidential campaign have a vested stake in the outcome. From campaign finance laws that govern how money is spent on advertising to the regulators who oversee consolidation rules, the media industry has a distinct policy agenda, and with it, a political team to influence the result.

The top fundraisers for Clinton include lobbyists who serve the parent companies of CNN and MSNBC.

The National Association of Broadcasters, a trade group that represents the television station industry, has lobbyists who are fundraising for both Clinton and Republican candidate Marco Rubio.

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The DHS Is Getting A Wearable Radiation Detector

The easiest way to detect nuclear material is typically when it's already too late. By the time seismographs, infrasound sensors, and radiation readers pick up on a blast, it’s already happened. Catching a nuclear weapon before it goes off is a lot trickier, which might be why the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking at some rather unconventional ideas. The latest: a small, wearable radiation detector. Think of it like a FitBit, only instead of telling its user about calories burned, it lets them know if they’re close to any nuclear weapons.

Huban Gowadia, Director of the DHS’s Domestic Nuclear Detection office, last Thursday blogged that the Department has awarded a multimillion dollar contract to develop such a device. The DHS is calling it the “Human Portable Tripwire.” She writes:

The award is for small, wearable radiation detector devices that passively monitor the environment and alert the user when nuclear or other radioactive material is present. Known as the Human Portable Tripwire (HPT), this device has the capability to identify the source of radiation and allow personnel to take appropriate action. The technology can also locate the source of the detected radiation and includes communication features that allow the user to easily seek additional technical assistance from experts if needed. These devices are a critical tool for personnel who operate in the maritime environment, at land and sea ports of entry, and within the United States.

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HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 11-14-15

General Amos W. W. Woodcock

One of the more notable past residents of Salisbury was Amos W. W. Woodcock. His father was a jeweler who opened his business in Salisbury in 1853. That business is still in operation and is now Kuhn’s Jewelers, the sixth oldest continually operating jewelry store in the United States.

Amos Woodcock was born on October 29, 1883 to Amos Wilson and Julia Ann Harris (Wright) Woodcock. He went to all the local schools and, upon completing his secondary education at Wicomico High School; he entered St. John’s College. He graduated in 1903 at the head of his class with a Bachelor of Arts degree. His Bachelor of Laws degree was obtained at theUniversity of Maryland in 1910. Harvard University granted him the degree of Master of Arts in 1912. He also received two honorary Doctor of Laws degrees in his lifetime – one from Washington University in 1932 and one from St. John’sCollege in 1937.

When he graduated from Harvard in 1912, he returned to Salisbury and began the practice of law in the law firm of Woodcock and Webb.

Having joined the National Guard as an enlisted man in 1904, he had achieved the rank of Captain by 1916 and served on the Mexican border prior to World War I. During the war he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the 115th Infantry Regiment serving with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. Since December 1, 1936, he attained the rank of Brigadier General commanding the 58th Brigade of the Maryland National Guard. During World War II, he saw active duty from February 3, 1941 to August 25, 1942. After the termination of hostilities, from December 1, 1945 to March 31, 1946, he was engaged as an attorney in the prosecution of Japanese war criminals, resigning on the latter date.

Along the way, he was quite active in civilian life. He was assistant attorney general of the state of Maryland from 1920 to 1922, and United States Attorney for the District of Maryland from 1922 to 1930. Between 1930 and 1933, he was the United States Bureau of Prohibition. He was appointed assistant to the Attorney General of the United States on April 1, 1933.

He was president of St. John’s College from 1934 to 1937. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Salisbury National Bank.

Rumor has it that during high school he made a pact with his sister, Elizabeth (Wilsie) Woodcock, that neither of them would ever marry. She was a teacher all her life and many old timers remember her well. I think Amos must have helped her out financially, as in her biography by him published in 1947; he recounted much about her twelve trips to Europe in her lifetime. Neither of them ever married and Salisbury probably is not better off for the lack of the progeny of two such outstanding people.

Planned Berlin Apartment Complex Project Moves Ahead; Summer 2016 Start Planned

BERLIN – The apartment complex proposed for Seahawk Road will proceed as originally planned with the town’s approval of legislation associated with the project.

Ocean’s East, the apartment complex planned by developer Blair Rinnier for Seahawk Road, is now moving ahead with the Berlin Town Council’s approval of a text amendment that will allow the buildings to exceed the town’s 12-unit size limit.

“I hope to proceed through the design submittal and approval process over the next six months and break ground in the summer of 2016,” Rinnier said, “with the first apartments opening in the summer of 2017.”

Rinnier has long been talking about building apartments on Seahawk Road. Earlier this year, he received site plan approval for the first 150-unit phase of the potentially 700-unit project. That approval, however, was contingent on the town’s passage of a text amendment that would permit the apartment buildings to house more than 12 units, as his plan showed 24- and 36-unit buildings. The text amendment, created by Rinnier’s attorney Mark Cropper with input from Town of Berlin attorney Dave Gaskill, says that when “public necessity, convenience, general welfare and good zoning practice” will be better served by buildings with more than 12 units, the planning commission “may allow a multi-family building to consist of up to, but not to exceed, 36 units as determined on a case by case basis.”

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Trump Was Right About TPP Benefiting China

Donald Trump lambasted the Trans-Pacific Partnership at Tuesday night’s Republican presidential debate, contending that China would use it to “take advantage of everyone” — generating snickers from journalists and a withering refutation from Rand Paul, who said “we might want to point out that China is not part of this deal.”

But Trump never suggested that China was part of the TPP, only that the country would “come in, as they always do, through the back door” of the agreement. And he was right.

The TPP does indeed allow China and other non-members to reap benefits from the deal without having to abide by any of its terms.

Here’s how it works: TPP and other free trade deals allow signatories to exchange goods without tariffs. But we live in a complicated world, with source materials derived from one country often traveling through a supply chain to another and completed in a third before moving to a retail market.

To cope with this, TPP adds a “rule of origin” chapter to determine whether an amalgamated good qualifies for tariff-free status. This is particularly important in Southeast Asian nations like Vietnam or Malaysia, which get asignificant amount of production materials from China.

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Hillary Clinton Thinks She'd Beat Bill Clinton in an Election

BREAKING NEWS: French president says, ISIS behind Paris terror attacks

French President Francois Hollande says that ISIS terrorists carried out Friday's attacks on six separate locations in Paris, killing at least 127 people and injuring 180 others

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Oasis Weekly Specials & Upcoming Events

Mondays: ALL YOU CAN EAT WINGS & THINGS for ONLY $10.00 OR .60 Cent Wings (Minimum of 10)

Special starts at 6 PM and goes till 10 PM

Plenty of Signautre Sauces to choose from:

Buffalo (Mild) – Oasis (Medium) – Sticky Icky ( BBQ) – Teriyaki – Asian Delight – Butter/Garlic Parmesan – Rapberry Inferno (Sweet & Tangy) - Everything (Hot) – Wild West (Super Hot)

OR Try our “DRY” Sauces:

Caribbean Jerk – Old Bay – Oasis (Medium) – Fiesta (Taco Flavor) - Everything (Hot) – Wild West (Super Hot) – Cajun – Garlic Parmesan

Both are EAT IN ONLY!

Slip on down to the OOOOOOOOasis!

Wednesdays: DISCOUNT BURGER DAY! ALL DAY till 10 PM!!!

ALL OF OUR 100% ANGUS BEEF, FRESH, HAND PACKED BURGERS...DISCOUNTED AND COOKED TO YOUR LIKING!

CHOOSE FROM:

Mushroom & Swiss * Black & Blue * Bacon Cheddar * The "Cowboy" * The "Oasis" * Surf & Turf * The Double Whammy * and of course, the every popular "Plain Cheeseburger"....PLUS....OUR ROTATING BURGER OF THE DAY!

EAT IN OR TAKE THEM HOME!

Slip on Down to the OOOOOOasis!

Thursdays: FAJITA DAY! Is ALL DAY!! Open at 11 AM and served until 10 PM!

(Eat In Only)

Your choice of Steak or Chicken for only $9.99

OR

Prime Rib or Shrimp for only #12.99....

Fajita's are made FRESH to order and use Just the right amount of seasoning to make them melt in your mouth.

What could make Thursdays better than that????

How about .....KARAOKE!

Every Thursday Night, Tim & Lisa bring their special brand of Karaoke to the Oasis from 9 PM to Midnight.

Come on out and Sing and Eat the Night Away!

Slip on down to the OOOOOOOasis!

Fridays: FRIDAY NIGHTS ARE NOW....."CAMMO NIGHT"!! at the Oasis!

Bring your "Fishing", "Hunting", "Quad", "Farming" or any "Outdoors person" license and experience the best deals in town!

From 7 PM to 11 PM, Every Friday Night.....

#2.00 Domestic Drafts - $4.00 John Deere Shooters - $4.00 Rail Drinks

Saturday's: Saturday Nights bring HOME STYLE COOKING! We serve up Dinner Specials just like MOM used to make! Dinner specials such as, "Homemade Meatloaf Platter", Spaghetti & Meatballs, Fisherman's Plate, Hand Cut Steaks etc; and the best part is......NEVER A DINNER PRICED OVER $12.99!!

Saturday nights also bring LIVE MUSIC to the stage at the Oasis. Every Saturday night we feature LIVE, LOCAL entertainment from 9 PM to 1 AM. No Cover Charge! Must have ID.

This Saturday it's Area Favorite, "GIDEON GROOVE" playing a mix of Party and Classic Rock!

Slip on Down to the OOOOOOOOasis!

11/14 – Party & Classic Rock with GIDEON GROOVE

11/21 – Area Favories – DUST ‘N’ BONES

11/25 – BIGGEST PARTY NIGHT OF THE YEAR! THANKSGIVING EVE WITH DUST ‘N’ BONES. Band starts at 9 PM

11/27 – A RARE Friday night Band – Southern & Classic Country music with THE SOUTHERN OUTLAWS.

11/28 – Current and 90’s Rock and Dance with FLINT EASTWOOD!

12/5 – Party Rock with RAMPAGE

12/11 & 12 – CLOSED AT 5 FOR PRIVATE PARTIES

12/19 – Area Favorties – DUST ‘N’ BONES

12/26 – MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Great Classic Rock with DEBBIE CALDWELL BAND

12/31 – HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Party Rock to ring in the New Year with RUNNING WITH SCISSORS & A CHAMPAGNE TOAST AT MIDNIGHT! Dinner specials to be announced!

PLUS....

Country Music ALL NIGHT!!

We Are the Only Place to "HUNT" Down a Great Deal!

Slip on Down to the OOOOOOOOasis!

Ben Carson's Resume is Fair Game -- But What of Democrats' Resumes?

The Politico headline was blunt: "Ben Carson Admits Fabricating West Point Scholarship." Except Carson made no such admission. He acknowledged never applying to West Point. But as a top ROTC student in Detroit, there's little question that had he wanted to go to West Point, he could've gotten in.

Technically, West Point offers appointments, and the full tuition is paid for by taxpayers. But even West Point's own website uses the word "scholarship." In any case, Carson went to Yale, and, as such, could likely have gone to any school in the country.

Within hours, Politico changed its headline to: "Exclusive: Carson Claimed West Point 'Scholarship' But Never Applied."

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States Wrestle with Cost of Electronics Recycling

An old television. A first-generation iPhone. The free printer that came with a new computer.

These once novel items are among the millions of tons of technology pitched into the trash or taken to recycling centers each year. Though states have been trying to get manufacturers to help pay for electronics recycling since the early 2000s, half do not have statewide recycling programs and those that do are evaluating how to make their programs work as the size, volume and value of recycled electronics change.

Many electronic devices should not be thrown away with regular trash because they contain hazardous materials, such as mercury and lead, which can seep into soil and groundwater. And much of the metal, plastic and glass in devices can be recycled.

California became the first state to pass a law mandating “e-cycling”—electronic recycling or recycling e-waste—in 2003. Under its program, consumers pay a fee that supports e-cycling when they buy a product. The remaining 24 states and D.C. put the cost of e-cycling programs on manufacturers, often by requiring them to pay for the collection and processing of a certain amount of e-waste based on how much they sell within the state.

Five states—Connecticut, Maine, Oregon, Vermont and Washington—have “centralized” or “convenience-based” programs requiring electronics makers to help pay for local drop-off centers.

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Anti-Panhandling Laws Spread, Face Legal Challenges

Many cities—and even some states—increasingly are cracking down on panhandling, driven in large part by the unlikely combination of thriving downtowns and the lingering effects of the Great Recession.

The number of cities with outright bans on panhandling increased by 25 percent between 2011 and 2014, while the number of cities with restrictions on begging in specified public places, such as near schools or banks, rose by 20 percent, according to a report by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, an advocacy group.

In Cincinnati, where begging is already banned near ATMs, parking meters and restaurants, the city is considering a ban on panhandling within 50 feet of schools. In July, Tennessee outlawed aggressive panhandling, making it a misdemeanor for panhandlers to touch strangers without their permission, block their path, follow them or make threats. In May, Utah banned panhandlers from soliciting in traffic, and the same month Atlanta outlawed panhandling throughout a swath of downtown.

But panhandling bans have faced legal challenges on First Amendment grounds—and a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling has provided additional ammunition to opponents who argue such laws trample free speech protections.

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Science Says: Victoria’s Secret Perfume Is A Pretty Great Mosquito Repellent

When the hot, humid months of summer roll around, I usually skip using any flowery, sweet-smelling perfumes because I don’t like to be followed around by clouds of mosquitoes. But just because a scent is particularly odoriferous, that doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be more susceptible to bug bites, according to a study that studied a flowery fragrance from Victoria’s Secret along more traditional insect repellents. 

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Holiday Craft Sale

EVO Shuckin' Good Oyster Fest

http://evolutioncraftbrewingcom.ticketleap.com/oyster-fest/ Tickets are selling fast for EVO's Shuckin' Good Oyster Fest!   You can buy your tickets at EVO Public House or online until 11/25.   Sorry - No ticket sales at the door or after 11/25. Advance Tickets - $39.99  /  Includes AYCE Oysters & More! Unlimited EVO Mainline & Seasonal Beer Tastings! Doors open at noon - event ends at 4:00pm.

EVOLUTION CRAFT BREWING CO.  201 EAST VINE ST. SALISBURY MD  |  443-260.2337

New Zealand Female MPs Silenced In Parliament After Disclosing Sexual Assaults

Within the formal, wood-paneled walls of the New Zealand Parliament chamber, woman after woman stepped in front of microphones Wednesday to take umbrage at a comment Prime Minister John Key made the day before. Each woman stood up one by one and — with some variation — began her remarks like this: "As a victim of sexual assault ..."

Most of them didn't get much further.

"Order, order," repeated increasingly exasperated Speaker David Carter, who cut off each woman before eventually declaring that any member of Parliament who "flouted" the rules must leave the chamber immediately.

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