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Tuesday, December 01, 2015
New Pill That Could Help Us Live To 120 Starts Human Trials Next Year
Diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are devastating. They devastate families who watch loved one deteriorate and it is heartbreaking to witness. New research, however, is shining a light on the effects of aging and this revolutionary medicine may just help people live to see triple digits!
A common treatment for diabetes could enable adults to live well into their 120s, scientists say.
They will carry out the first trials on metformin next year in the hope it may stave off illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers have already conducted tests on animals which show it significantly extends their lives.
Now the Food and Drug Administration, the American regulator, has given the go-ahead for the same trials in humans.
If successful, it would mean that, for example, a person in their 70s could have the same biological age as a healthy 50-year-old.
Professor Gordon Lithgow of the Buck Institute for Research on Ageing in California, who will lead the study, said: ‘If you target an ageing process and you slow down ageing then you slow down all the diseases and pathology of ageing as well.
‘That’s revolutionary. That’s never happened before.
‘I have been doing research into ageing for 25 years and the idea that we would be talking about clinical trial in humans for an anti-ageing drug would have been thought inconceivable. But there is every reason to believe it’s possible.
‘The future is taking the biology that we’ve developed and applying it to humans.’
Scientists believe that metformin, which costs 10p a day, could hold the key to anti-ageing because it boosts the number of oxygen molecules released into a cell.
This appears to boost their strength and ability to survive for a longer period of time.
The drug is usually taken as a daily pill although it can also be prescribed as sachets which dissolve in water.
Belgian researchers tested metformin on a species of roundworm and found that they not only aged more slowly, but also stayed healthier for longer.
Then last year academics at Cardiff University uncovered anecdotal evidence that patients given metformin for diabetes lived longer.
This was despite the fact that those with the illness tend to have shorter life expectancies because they are more prone to heart attacks, strokes and kidney damage.
More
A common treatment for diabetes could enable adults to live well into their 120s, scientists say.
They will carry out the first trials on metformin next year in the hope it may stave off illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers have already conducted tests on animals which show it significantly extends their lives.
Now the Food and Drug Administration, the American regulator, has given the go-ahead for the same trials in humans.
If successful, it would mean that, for example, a person in their 70s could have the same biological age as a healthy 50-year-old.
Professor Gordon Lithgow of the Buck Institute for Research on Ageing in California, who will lead the study, said: ‘If you target an ageing process and you slow down ageing then you slow down all the diseases and pathology of ageing as well.
‘That’s revolutionary. That’s never happened before.
‘I have been doing research into ageing for 25 years and the idea that we would be talking about clinical trial in humans for an anti-ageing drug would have been thought inconceivable. But there is every reason to believe it’s possible.
‘The future is taking the biology that we’ve developed and applying it to humans.’
Scientists believe that metformin, which costs 10p a day, could hold the key to anti-ageing because it boosts the number of oxygen molecules released into a cell.
This appears to boost their strength and ability to survive for a longer period of time.
The drug is usually taken as a daily pill although it can also be prescribed as sachets which dissolve in water.
Belgian researchers tested metformin on a species of roundworm and found that they not only aged more slowly, but also stayed healthier for longer.
Then last year academics at Cardiff University uncovered anecdotal evidence that patients given metformin for diabetes lived longer.
This was despite the fact that those with the illness tend to have shorter life expectancies because they are more prone to heart attacks, strokes and kidney damage.
More
THE BIZARRE EXPLANATION FOR WHY THE U.S. HAS AVOIDED BOMBING ISIS OIL WELLS
Why hasn’t the U.S. bombed the oil wells that ISIS controls into oblivion by now?
Why hasn’t the U.S. bombed the oil wells that ISIS controls into oblivion by now? Would you believe that it is because the Obama administration “didn’t want to do environmental damage”? Former Deputy Director of the CIA Michael Morell has publicly admitted that we have purposely avoided damaging the main source of income for ISIS, and his explanation for why we were doing this is utterly bizarre. But at this point what could the Obama administration say that would actually make sense?
Everyone now knows that ISIS has been making hundreds of millions of dollars selling oil in Turkey, and that this has been done with the full knowledge and complicity of the Obama White House. This is potentially the biggest scandal of the entire Obama presidency, and yet so far the Republicans have not jumped on it.
If you or I even gave five bucks to ISIS, we would be arrested and hauled off to Guantanamo Bay. And yet Barack Obama is allowing ISIS to funnel massive quantities of oil through our NATO ally Turkey, and he is not doing anything to stop this from happening. It is a betrayal of the American people that is so vast that it is hard to put into words.
More
Why hasn’t the U.S. bombed the oil wells that ISIS controls into oblivion by now? Would you believe that it is because the Obama administration “didn’t want to do environmental damage”? Former Deputy Director of the CIA Michael Morell has publicly admitted that we have purposely avoided damaging the main source of income for ISIS, and his explanation for why we were doing this is utterly bizarre. But at this point what could the Obama administration say that would actually make sense?
Everyone now knows that ISIS has been making hundreds of millions of dollars selling oil in Turkey, and that this has been done with the full knowledge and complicity of the Obama White House. This is potentially the biggest scandal of the entire Obama presidency, and yet so far the Republicans have not jumped on it.
If you or I even gave five bucks to ISIS, we would be arrested and hauled off to Guantanamo Bay. And yet Barack Obama is allowing ISIS to funnel massive quantities of oil through our NATO ally Turkey, and he is not doing anything to stop this from happening. It is a betrayal of the American people that is so vast that it is hard to put into words.
More
Hogan Administration pursues penalties, repairs from Volkswagen
Maryland intends to join with other states in asserting environmental enforcement claims against Volkswagen and pursuing joint settlement negotiations to require the carmaker to take corrective actions and pay financial penalties. Volkswagen has admitted to installing software known as “defeat devices” to circumvent emissions standards. Such action violates Maryland law.
“Maryland is working hard to cut smog from power plants in Maryland and from upwind states – and from the cars and trucks that travel our roads,” said Maryland Secretary of the Environment Ben Grumbles. “We will work to make sure that Volkswagen cleans up its act.”
In September, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Notice of Violation of the Clean Air Act to Volkswagen AG, Audi AG and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. That Notice alleges that four-cylinder Volkswagen and Audi diesel cars from model years 2009-2015 include software that circumvents emissions standards for pollutants. Those defeat devices allow cars to meet emissions standards in a laboratory or a testing station, but during normal operation those vehicles emit nitrogen oxides at up to 40 times federal standards. Nitrogen oxides, or NOx, contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, or smog.
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Fire Sprinklers Save City Property
Ocean City, Maryland – (December 1, 2015): A midday fire was quickly extinguished thanks to fire sprinklers. Just before 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 22, the Ocean City Fire Department was dispatched to an automatic fire alarm at the Town of Ocean City’s Service Center Warehouse located at 65th Street.
Firefighters arrived and found the 12,000 square foot vehicle garage area filled with smoke. The call for service was then upgraded to a building fire, bringing in additional fire and EMS resources. Firefighters found that two fire sprinkler heads activated and extinguished a fire prior to the fire department being dispatched.
“By these two fire sprinklers activating, city ambulances, police cars, busses, street sweepers, and other essential equipment was saved,” said Fire Marshal David W. Hartley. “This example shows the huge impact sprinklers have not just in a home, but also in reducing the average loss of property during a fire in a commercial structure.”
The on-scene investigation by the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office revealed that the fire started as the result of a machine malfunction. The fire is classified as accidental. The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire.
City Seeks Public Input at Goal Setting Session
Community stakeholders and members of the public are invited to join the Mayor, Council, Administration, and department heads in identifying and discussing city goals for the coming years. Citizen input is strongly encouraged.
“It is important to me that our councilmembers, department heads, community partners, and the public identify what they want our city to achieve in the coming years,” said Mayor Day. “This is a team effort.”
For more information on the goal setting session, contact the Mayor’s office at 410-548-3100.
Illegal immigrants sue Oregon over ballot measure denying licenses
The lawsuit, brought by five illegal immigrants, comes after Oregonians passed Measure 88 last year with a strong two-thirds majority. Thirty-five of Oregon’s 36 counties voted against licenses for undocumented residents, as did every congressional district in the state, most of which are represented by Democrats.
But the lawsuit alleges Measure 88 is unconstitutional because it "arbitrarily" denies driving privileges based on membership in a "disfavored minority group." It alleges Oregon voters were motivated by "animus toward persons from Mexico and Central America."
Gustavo Recarde, who has worked construction and odd jobs in Portland and several states since sneaking into the United States in 1988, said a driver's license would help him feel more comfortable here and open doors.
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Cuellar: Syrians Already Entering the U.S., Plan Needed Now
Border Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) says as the U.S. debates the fate of Syrian refugees, the refugees are coming and will continue to arrive on our southern border, and rather than debate, the country needs to start deciding how to handle the coming flood of desperate people from the Middle East, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
"They are going to try to short circuit that wait of 18 to 24 months," Cuellar told News Radio 1200 WOAI in an exclusive interview. "They will come in here, make their claim, and if there is nothing to hold them, they will be released."
Two groups of Syrians, mainly families, have already done that, arriving in the U.S. in the Laredo area and then immediately presenting themselves to Border Patrol officers, surrendering, and asking for political asylum.
The standard operating procedure right now is to place them into the family detention centers in Dilley or Karnes City, but many are released on bonds or on ankle monitors after a few months in the facilities. And Cuellar points out that once they are released, the demands of governor like Gov. Abbott that they not be housed in Texas are meaningless. They have the right to settle whenever in the U.S. they want, as long as they present themselves for immigration hearings, which could be set for several years in the future.
More
"They are going to try to short circuit that wait of 18 to 24 months," Cuellar told News Radio 1200 WOAI in an exclusive interview. "They will come in here, make their claim, and if there is nothing to hold them, they will be released."
Two groups of Syrians, mainly families, have already done that, arriving in the U.S. in the Laredo area and then immediately presenting themselves to Border Patrol officers, surrendering, and asking for political asylum.
The standard operating procedure right now is to place them into the family detention centers in Dilley or Karnes City, but many are released on bonds or on ankle monitors after a few months in the facilities. And Cuellar points out that once they are released, the demands of governor like Gov. Abbott that they not be housed in Texas are meaningless. They have the right to settle whenever in the U.S. they want, as long as they present themselves for immigration hearings, which could be set for several years in the future.
More
Judge Torpedoes Atheists' Attack On Veterans Memorial In Maryland
“It is hereby declared by the ownership, maintenance and display of the monument by the commission do not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution,” wrote U.S. District Judge Deborah Chasanow Monday in her decision regarding what often has been called the Bladensburg Cross.
That is a 40-foot tall Latin cross at the intersection of Maryland Route 450 and U.S. Route 1 in Bladensburg, Maryland.
It was proposed by a community group at the time of World War I and later completed by the American Legion to contain a plaque listing the names of 49 men from Prince George’s County who died in that conflict.
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Worcester County Bureau of Investigation Press Release 12-1-15
DATE: November 26th 2015
CBI Case #: 15-0242
LOCATION: West Ocean City, Maryland
CRIME: 2nd Degree Burglary, Theft $1,000-$10,000 and Malicious Destruction of Property Over $1,000
SUSPECT: Kenneth James Webb Jr
Tony Leonard Childs
On November 26th 2015 at 0643 hours, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Captains Galley Restaurant located at 12817 Harbor Rd, Ocean City, Maryland for an alarm. Deputies checked the property and discovered unknown suspects gained entry to an outside cooler by breaking the lock. Once inside they removed approximately twenty two cases of beer. The suspects then went to the second floor of the restaurant and used a box cutter to cut through two vinyl windows of an outdoor tent that covered the second floor deck. The suspects then used a chair to smash through a large window to gain access to the interior of the restaurant.
Once inside, the suspects removed two cash registers, a bank bag containing an undisclosed amount of money and damaged an interior office door in attempt to gain entry. The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation was contacted and responded to the restaurant. With the assistance of Deputies from the Sheriff’s Department and interviews with local residents, Investigators learned the suspects identified as Tony Leonard Childs and Kenneth James Webb Jr of Ocean City were observed making multiple trips to and from the restaurant carrying cases of beers. Webb and Childs took the beer to a residence located on Swordfish Drive and left the area. The occupants of the residence were contacted and allowed investigators to enter the home where the beer was discovered. A short time later, Webb and Childs returned to the home and were placed under arrest and subsequently held on $25,000 bond in the Worcester County Jail.
CBI Case #: 15-0242
LOCATION: West Ocean City, Maryland
CRIME: 2nd Degree Burglary, Theft $1,000-$10,000 and Malicious Destruction of Property Over $1,000
SUSPECT: Kenneth James Webb Jr
Tony Leonard Childs
On November 26th 2015 at 0643 hours, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Captains Galley Restaurant located at 12817 Harbor Rd, Ocean City, Maryland for an alarm. Deputies checked the property and discovered unknown suspects gained entry to an outside cooler by breaking the lock. Once inside they removed approximately twenty two cases of beer. The suspects then went to the second floor of the restaurant and used a box cutter to cut through two vinyl windows of an outdoor tent that covered the second floor deck. The suspects then used a chair to smash through a large window to gain access to the interior of the restaurant.
Once inside, the suspects removed two cash registers, a bank bag containing an undisclosed amount of money and damaged an interior office door in attempt to gain entry. The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation was contacted and responded to the restaurant. With the assistance of Deputies from the Sheriff’s Department and interviews with local residents, Investigators learned the suspects identified as Tony Leonard Childs and Kenneth James Webb Jr of Ocean City were observed making multiple trips to and from the restaurant carrying cases of beers. Webb and Childs took the beer to a residence located on Swordfish Drive and left the area. The occupants of the residence were contacted and allowed investigators to enter the home where the beer was discovered. A short time later, Webb and Childs returned to the home and were placed under arrest and subsequently held on $25,000 bond in the Worcester County Jail.
Small Business Saturday in Review - 14% Growth in Average Amount Spent Over 2014
Shoppers all across the nation showed their love for small businesses this weekend, as Small Business Saturday completed its sixth anniversary. According to the Post-Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and American Express, a record 95 million consumers shopped on Small Business Saturday, marking an 8% increase over 2014. Additionally, consumers spent roughly $16.2 billion on Small Business Saturday this year, up 14% from the $14.3 billion that was spent last year.
O'Malley unveils health care plan
The Democrat, whose presidential campaign has released several policy proposals with ambitious goals but has struggled to rise in the polls, wants to ensure health coverage for 95 percent of Americans by 2020. The health coverage rate in 2014 was just below 90 percent.
“For too many Americans, quality and affordable health care remains out of reach,” O’Malley’s plan says. “Even as the Affordable Care Act has brought access to millions of Americans, there are others who have yet to benefit.”
The 10-page plan calls for cracking down on pharmaceutical company mergers like the recent Pfizer-Allergan deal. It also would tackle price-gauging, and aim to prevent drug companies from hiking prices as Turing Pharmaceuticals did with the drug Diaphrim, raising the price of a pill from $13.50 to $750.
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Maryland Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force Submits Final Report to Governor Larry Hogan
Report Includes 33 Final Recommendations to Combat Statewide Epidemic
ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force, created by Governor Larry Hogan on Feb. 24, 2015 and chaired by Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, today submitted its Final Report to the governor.
The Task Force – made up of 11 members with expertise in addiction treatment, law enforcement, education, and prevention, including a mother who lost her daughter to a heroin overdose – advises and assists the governor in establishing a coordinated statewide and multi-jurisdictional effort to prevent, treat, and significantly reduce heroin and opioid abuse in the state.
The Final Report, in conjunction with the August 2015 Interim Report, completes all of the Task Force’s duties as outlined in Executive Order 01.01.2015.12. It contains 33 new recommendations that address all major facets of the issue, and are divided into seven major sections:
Expanding Access to Treatment
Enhancing Quality of Care
Boosting Overdose Prevention Efforts
Escalating Law Enforcement Options
Reentry and Alternatives to Incarceration
Promoting Educational Tools to Youth, Parents, and School Officials
Improving State Support Services
“Throughout the campaign, in every corner of the state, I heard heartbreaking stories of how heroin and opioid abuse was destroying families and communities and I knew that tackling this issue had to be a top priority of our administration,” Governor Larry Hogan said. “I am extremely proud of the work Lt. Governor Rutherford and the Task Force have done over the last nine months and applaud them for the countless hours they spent developing these recommendations to combat this devastating epidemic. I look forward to reviewing their recommendations and taking the next steps to significantly reduce heroin and opioid abuse in Maryland.”
"I am very pleased to present the Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force Final Report to Governor Hogan today," said Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, chairman of the Task Force. "Despite the stigma attached to heroin and opioid abuse, it is an issue that transcends race, socio-economic status, age, and any other demographic. I commend Governor Hogan for tackling this issue head-on and giving hope to the thousands of Maryland families who are affected by this epidemic every day."
View the complete Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force Final Report here.
ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force, created by Governor Larry Hogan on Feb. 24, 2015 and chaired by Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, today submitted its Final Report to the governor.
The Task Force – made up of 11 members with expertise in addiction treatment, law enforcement, education, and prevention, including a mother who lost her daughter to a heroin overdose – advises and assists the governor in establishing a coordinated statewide and multi-jurisdictional effort to prevent, treat, and significantly reduce heroin and opioid abuse in the state.
The Final Report, in conjunction with the August 2015 Interim Report, completes all of the Task Force’s duties as outlined in Executive Order 01.01.2015.12. It contains 33 new recommendations that address all major facets of the issue, and are divided into seven major sections:
Expanding Access to Treatment
Enhancing Quality of Care
Boosting Overdose Prevention Efforts
Escalating Law Enforcement Options
Reentry and Alternatives to Incarceration
Promoting Educational Tools to Youth, Parents, and School Officials
Improving State Support Services
“Throughout the campaign, in every corner of the state, I heard heartbreaking stories of how heroin and opioid abuse was destroying families and communities and I knew that tackling this issue had to be a top priority of our administration,” Governor Larry Hogan said. “I am extremely proud of the work Lt. Governor Rutherford and the Task Force have done over the last nine months and applaud them for the countless hours they spent developing these recommendations to combat this devastating epidemic. I look forward to reviewing their recommendations and taking the next steps to significantly reduce heroin and opioid abuse in Maryland.”
"I am very pleased to present the Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force Final Report to Governor Hogan today," said Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, chairman of the Task Force. "Despite the stigma attached to heroin and opioid abuse, it is an issue that transcends race, socio-economic status, age, and any other demographic. I commend Governor Hogan for tackling this issue head-on and giving hope to the thousands of Maryland families who are affected by this epidemic every day."
View the complete Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force Final Report here.
Nominate a Deserving Teacher Online for 2016-2017 Wicomico Teacher of the Year
This year, for the first time, nomination forms are conveniently available to fill out and submit online. The form is easily accessible on mobile devices, too. Go to www.wcboe.org and click on the Teacher of the Year box. No paper nomination forms have been printed.
The Wicomico County Teacher of the Year Program annually solicits nominations from parents, students, the community and fellow educators to recognize Wicomico teachers with exceptional qualities and characteristics that make them shining examples of teaching in Wicomico County. Nominations can come from a student who treasures a special teacher, a parent who sees the benefits of all that a teacher does, someone who recalls an outstanding experience in the classroom of a teacher who is still teaching, or a coworker who sees the value of a fellow teacher’s work every day.
Fresh Jerusalem Stabbings as Israel Considers Next Moves
A stabbing at an entrance to Jerusalem's Old City and another near a bus stop Sunday left two people wounded and an attacker killed, while Israel closed a third Palestinian radio station it accused of inciting violence.
The attacks and closure of the station came with Israeli security forces struggling to halt two months of knife, gun and car-ramming assaults.
Several weeks ago, an Israeli security crackdown in Jerusalem, including roadblocks in Palestinian neighbourhoods, was followed by a lull in attacks in the city, but violence has recently returned.
Early on Sunday, a 38-year-old Palestinian stabbed and lightly wounded an Israeli border police officer at Damascus Gate, a main entrance point for Palestinians to east Jerusalem's Old City and the site of several previous attacks.
The attacker was identified as Bassem Salah from the West Bank city of Nablus.
Later in the morning, a foreign woman of around 30 was lightly wounded in a stabbing near a bus station in west Jerusalem and the attacker fled. Police said a Palestinian suspect was later arrested near the scene.
Further details on the victim were not immediately provided.
Violence since October 1 has left 100 dead on the Palestinian side, including an Arab Israeli, as well as 17 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean.
Many of the Palestinians killed have been alleged attackers, while others have been shot dead by Israeli security forces during clashes.
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The attacks and closure of the station came with Israeli security forces struggling to halt two months of knife, gun and car-ramming assaults.
Several weeks ago, an Israeli security crackdown in Jerusalem, including roadblocks in Palestinian neighbourhoods, was followed by a lull in attacks in the city, but violence has recently returned.
Early on Sunday, a 38-year-old Palestinian stabbed and lightly wounded an Israeli border police officer at Damascus Gate, a main entrance point for Palestinians to east Jerusalem's Old City and the site of several previous attacks.
The attacker was identified as Bassem Salah from the West Bank city of Nablus.
Later in the morning, a foreign woman of around 30 was lightly wounded in a stabbing near a bus station in west Jerusalem and the attacker fled. Police said a Palestinian suspect was later arrested near the scene.
Further details on the victim were not immediately provided.
Violence since October 1 has left 100 dead on the Palestinian side, including an Arab Israeli, as well as 17 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean.
Many of the Palestinians killed have been alleged attackers, while others have been shot dead by Israeli security forces during clashes.
More
CDC Report: 55.4% of Aborted Babies Black or Hispanic
(CNSNews.com) – The latest abortion surveillance report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which was published Friday but covers the year 2012, says that in the 26 states that reported abortions by the race and ethnicity of the women having the abortions, 55.4 percent were performed on black or Hispanic mothers.
There were 699,202 abortions in 47 states and the District of Columbia reported to the CDC for 2012. (California, Maryland and New Hampshire did not report their abortion numbers to the CDC.)
Twenty-six states also reported abortions by known race and ethnicity. These included a total of 405,795 abortions.
Among these abortions categorized by race and ethnicity – see Table 12 in the surveillance report – the CDC says there were 148,971 black babies killed by abortion in 2012 (36.7% of the 405,795) and 75,868 Hispanic babies (18.7%).
Combined, blacks and Hispanics accounted for 55.4% of the 405,795 abortions reported by race and ethnicity.
For whites, there were 152,673 abortions, or 37.6% of the total. In another category labeled “other” there were 28,283 abortions, or 7% of the total. The “other” category includes Asians and Native Americans, as well as ethnicity reported as “unknown.”
More
There were 699,202 abortions in 47 states and the District of Columbia reported to the CDC for 2012. (California, Maryland and New Hampshire did not report their abortion numbers to the CDC.)
Twenty-six states also reported abortions by known race and ethnicity. These included a total of 405,795 abortions.
Among these abortions categorized by race and ethnicity – see Table 12 in the surveillance report – the CDC says there were 148,971 black babies killed by abortion in 2012 (36.7% of the 405,795) and 75,868 Hispanic babies (18.7%).
Combined, blacks and Hispanics accounted for 55.4% of the 405,795 abortions reported by race and ethnicity.
For whites, there were 152,673 abortions, or 37.6% of the total. In another category labeled “other” there were 28,283 abortions, or 7% of the total. The “other” category includes Asians and Native Americans, as well as ethnicity reported as “unknown.”
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Why We Should Resettle Refugees In Their Own Lands
I was neither born nor bred in this country. I don’t have Ivy League credentials. Unlike elitists and pundits informed as much by cocktail parties as they are by polls and studies, I’m informed by blood, kin, and culture.
I was born in Baghdad to Christian parents who emigrated the old-fashioned way—legally—and for an old-fashioned reason: The treatment of Christians, like my family, by Muslims in the surrounding culture.
I cry at the “Star Spangled Banner,” and I cry when my naturalized home wages war against my birth home. I am an American. I am also Iraqi, and a Moslawii down to my dialect and my cooking. Such is the existential reality of first-generation immigrants: The “both/and” tension of two civilizations within one self, the wistful desire for one identity, one culture, one homeland, one whole and integral worldview. I hope, at the seasoned age of 46, I have wisdom to share with you, my beloved Americans.
This would be a good time to stop talking about immigrants as if we are children. That’s my first suggestion. American politicians, professors, and pundits who have never lived under a dictator in their life, were raised within a Western heritage and education system, and learned foreign policy and political philosophy ideas in the West pontificate about what is best in the Middle East and for middle easterners.
Fine, listen to your experts if you must, but maybe this is the time to include us in the conversation. We have opinions and knowledge. These are our countries, whose names you mispronounce, whose culture you disregard, whose history you remake, and whose future you would fashion in your image and likeness.
We can begin the road to healing—which encompasses a better understanding of immigration and immigrants—by changing how we view nationality. Nationality is a "good." Iraqis want a country of their own where they can have their own language, traditions, and way of life. So do the Syrians I know. Americans should want the same for themselves.
America is a nation, too. It has a culture, and it had at one point a national identity. You should want to care for your own country, you should desire to know and uphold your identity. You should love your country, your traditions, your holidays, your shared common life. You should want to uphold your laws and protect your borders.
Keep reading...
I was born in Baghdad to Christian parents who emigrated the old-fashioned way—legally—and for an old-fashioned reason: The treatment of Christians, like my family, by Muslims in the surrounding culture.
I cry at the “Star Spangled Banner,” and I cry when my naturalized home wages war against my birth home. I am an American. I am also Iraqi, and a Moslawii down to my dialect and my cooking. Such is the existential reality of first-generation immigrants: The “both/and” tension of two civilizations within one self, the wistful desire for one identity, one culture, one homeland, one whole and integral worldview. I hope, at the seasoned age of 46, I have wisdom to share with you, my beloved Americans.
This would be a good time to stop talking about immigrants as if we are children. That’s my first suggestion. American politicians, professors, and pundits who have never lived under a dictator in their life, were raised within a Western heritage and education system, and learned foreign policy and political philosophy ideas in the West pontificate about what is best in the Middle East and for middle easterners.
Fine, listen to your experts if you must, but maybe this is the time to include us in the conversation. We have opinions and knowledge. These are our countries, whose names you mispronounce, whose culture you disregard, whose history you remake, and whose future you would fashion in your image and likeness.
We can begin the road to healing—which encompasses a better understanding of immigration and immigrants—by changing how we view nationality. Nationality is a "good." Iraqis want a country of their own where they can have their own language, traditions, and way of life. So do the Syrians I know. Americans should want the same for themselves.
America is a nation, too. It has a culture, and it had at one point a national identity. You should want to care for your own country, you should desire to know and uphold your identity. You should love your country, your traditions, your holidays, your shared common life. You should want to uphold your laws and protect your borders.
Keep reading...
Senator Coats: Responding to Humanitarian Catastrophe
Mechanisms that ended the Bosnian War could be applied in Syria
The international community just celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Accords, a landmark peace agreement that brought an end to the Bosnian War and a grave humanitarian crisis in the Balkans.
Today, relative peace still exists in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia — and this situation offers valuable lessons that can be applied to one of the biggest humanitarian problems of our time.
The Syrian refugee and migration crisis is overwhelming the mechanisms set up by the international community to deal with such movements. European countries are caught between their instincts to offer safety and help to desperate people, and their inability to meet the needs of an unmanageable flood of migrants.
The migration, with no apparent end in sight, also has brought growing political pressure from disgruntled populations themselves displaced by waves of migrants. This threatens increased radicalism and political instability throughout Europe. And most importantly, we must assume that uncontrolled movement of hundreds of thousands of people from the Middle East will pose a growing security threat as jihadists take advantage of the movement and hide among them.
That is a threat that we Americans also must address.
The only reasonable alternative to dealing with this disaster is to create the conditions in and near Syria that will permit people to remain there, in humane conditions of relative safety near their home country, within their own culture.
Achieving this will require the United States, our allies and other cooperating powers to create areas in and near Syria where Syrians can find safety from attack.
As difficult as this task sounds — and surely it is — it has been done before.
When Yugoslavia collapsed in 1993, modern, well-equipped armies clashed in open prolonged warfare, involving sieges of towns and cities, generating hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of refugees and displaced persons. In this, as in the current situation in Syria, violence was pervasive and inescapable.
More here
The international community just celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Accords, a landmark peace agreement that brought an end to the Bosnian War and a grave humanitarian crisis in the Balkans.
Today, relative peace still exists in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia — and this situation offers valuable lessons that can be applied to one of the biggest humanitarian problems of our time.
The Syrian refugee and migration crisis is overwhelming the mechanisms set up by the international community to deal with such movements. European countries are caught between their instincts to offer safety and help to desperate people, and their inability to meet the needs of an unmanageable flood of migrants.
The migration, with no apparent end in sight, also has brought growing political pressure from disgruntled populations themselves displaced by waves of migrants. This threatens increased radicalism and political instability throughout Europe. And most importantly, we must assume that uncontrolled movement of hundreds of thousands of people from the Middle East will pose a growing security threat as jihadists take advantage of the movement and hide among them.
That is a threat that we Americans also must address.
The only reasonable alternative to dealing with this disaster is to create the conditions in and near Syria that will permit people to remain there, in humane conditions of relative safety near their home country, within their own culture.
Achieving this will require the United States, our allies and other cooperating powers to create areas in and near Syria where Syrians can find safety from attack.
As difficult as this task sounds — and surely it is — it has been done before.
When Yugoslavia collapsed in 1993, modern, well-equipped armies clashed in open prolonged warfare, involving sieges of towns and cities, generating hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of refugees and displaced persons. In this, as in the current situation in Syria, violence was pervasive and inescapable.
More here
BREAKING NEWS: Chicago mayor fires police superintendent
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel fires Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy amid claims of a police coverup in the shooting death of Laquan McDonald, 17, by Officer Jason Van Dyke. The police department had refused until last week to release a dashcam video of the shooting, for which Van Dyke has been charged with murder.
Cops: Man took ambulance for joy ride, strands patient, EMTs
Police in York tell the York Dispatch 21-year-old Leonard Eugene Smith took the vehicle for a joy ride Friday before ditching it. They say an in-vehicle camera captured his actions and a tracking device led them to the ambulance.
Jim Arvin, president and CEO of White Rose Ambulance, says the video shows Smith "having a good time" behind the wheel, adding he "seemed excited."
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Salisbury the #3 where Black Friday Shopping increased
As the whirlwind of Black Friday and Cyber Monday ends, the question becomes where, when, and how people shopped this year. Foursquare analyzed their foot traffic data to uncover shopping patterns at brick-and-mortar stores and see which brands really won out on Black Friday. This data is under embargo until 11:30 AM Est today but wanted to give you a head’s up.
Salisbury, MD comes in as the #3 city where Black Friday Shopping increased this year (as compared to a non-holiday Friday in 2015).
Foursquare found that Black Friday retail visits dropped by 2% as compared to last year, 25% of shopping actually happened on Thanksgiving Day, and the store with the biggest surge in Black Friday traffic was Best Buy, followed by JC Penney and Macy’s. Here are some more key findings, and you can see the full data in the below infographic (high res version at this link). Please let me know if you’re interested in including any of this data in your coverage or if you would like to speak to Foursquare’s COO Jeff Glueck who can discuss the data.
The top 5 Retailers who had the biggest surges in Black Friday Traffic (when comparing indexed traffic vs. a non holiday Friday in 2015):
Best Buy (4.2X)
JC Penney (4.1X)
Macy's (3.8X)
Dick's Sporting Goods (3.6X)
Sports Authority (3.5X)
How People Shopped:
Each shopper visited an average of 2.8 stores
Each shopper spent an average of 4.9 hours shopping
When People Shopped:
25% of ‘Black Friday’ shopping happened on Thanksgiving day.
Holiday shopping appears more evenly spread across the holiday season in 2015 vs. 2014.
Black Pastor: ‘The Liberal Media’ Doesn’t Know The Real Trump
Dr. Darrell Scott, Pastor of New Spirit Revival Center in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, said the Monday meeting between black pastors and Donald Trump was a “meaningful dialogue… and we voiced concerns that were sensitive to the African-American community.”
Scott, speaking at Trump Tower in New York City said, “I didn’t have concerns [with Trump] because I was already convinced, but there were concerns that the liberal media has put out portraying Mr. Trump in a light that I know he’s not the type of person he was depicted to be. So what we were able to do today was allow to see his heart for themselves and to make up their own minds about him. And they find out that he’s not the person that the media has depicted him to be.”
Scott explained, “We had a very productive, constructive meeting... we had a wonderful time, a wonderful dialogue, wonderful fellowship, wonderful interaction. It was a great day.”
More here
Scott, speaking at Trump Tower in New York City said, “I didn’t have concerns [with Trump] because I was already convinced, but there were concerns that the liberal media has put out portraying Mr. Trump in a light that I know he’s not the type of person he was depicted to be. So what we were able to do today was allow to see his heart for themselves and to make up their own minds about him. And they find out that he’s not the person that the media has depicted him to be.”
Scott explained, “We had a very productive, constructive meeting... we had a wonderful time, a wonderful dialogue, wonderful fellowship, wonderful interaction. It was a great day.”
More here
Why Can’t We Talk About Islam Honestly?
Islam is not a race. Islam is not an ethnicity. Islam is a religion and a political philosophy. And it is distinct from other religions and political philosophies.
Pointing this fact out does not make a person obsessed with hatred or racism. A Muslim might hold moderate views or he might hold extreme ones. If we act as if the color of people’s skin rather than their beliefs define them, we’re engaging in a curiously narrow-minded discussion about one of the world’s great faiths—one that is comprised of all races and many ethnicities.
Yet this is exactly the formulation many on the Left demand.
I bring this up after reading Charles Blow’s latest overwrought piece, in which he wishfully contends that “Anti Muslim is Anti America.” Conflating a bunch of insane Trump-isms and GOP overreactions with completely legitimate concerns about illiberalism within Islam, Blow asserts we should put “a lid on this corrosive language.” What he means is that we should accept his ahistorical interpretation of what America and Islam means—though he gives no indication that he comprehends either.
It’s hardly un-American to believe that the foundational values of your society are preferable to the ones that make Yemen or Iran or Pakistan possible. We could spend days exploring the crimes committed against liberalism and decency by moderate Islamic nations without ever touching on the topic of ISIS or al-Qaeda. These crimes transcend ethnicity and race, but they all have something in common. Something we’re not supposed to talk about.
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Pointing this fact out does not make a person obsessed with hatred or racism. A Muslim might hold moderate views or he might hold extreme ones. If we act as if the color of people’s skin rather than their beliefs define them, we’re engaging in a curiously narrow-minded discussion about one of the world’s great faiths—one that is comprised of all races and many ethnicities.
Yet this is exactly the formulation many on the Left demand.
I bring this up after reading Charles Blow’s latest overwrought piece, in which he wishfully contends that “Anti Muslim is Anti America.” Conflating a bunch of insane Trump-isms and GOP overreactions with completely legitimate concerns about illiberalism within Islam, Blow asserts we should put “a lid on this corrosive language.” What he means is that we should accept his ahistorical interpretation of what America and Islam means—though he gives no indication that he comprehends either.
It’s hardly un-American to believe that the foundational values of your society are preferable to the ones that make Yemen or Iran or Pakistan possible. We could spend days exploring the crimes committed against liberalism and decency by moderate Islamic nations without ever touching on the topic of ISIS or al-Qaeda. These crimes transcend ethnicity and race, but they all have something in common. Something we’re not supposed to talk about.
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'Everybody's Been Shot'
[Note: This column from Peggy Noonan was originally published in 2002.]
There's a small but telling scene in Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down" that contains some dialogue that reverberates, at least for me. In the spirit of Samuel Johnson, who said man needs more often to be reminded than instructed, I offer it to all, including myself, who might benefit from its message.
The movie, as you know, is about the Battle of the Bakara Market in Mogadishu, Somalia, in October 1993. In the scene, the actor Tom Sizemore, playing your basic tough-guy U.S. Army Ranger colonel, is in charge of a small convoy of humvees trying to make its way back to base under heavy gun and rocket fire. The colonel stops the convoy, takes in some wounded, tears a dead driver out of a driver's seat, and barks at a bleeding sergeant who's standing in shock nearby:
Colonel: Get into that truck and drive.
Sergeant: But I'm shot, Colonel.
Colonel: Everybody's shot, get in and drive.
"Everybody's shot." Those are great metaphoric words.
Let me tell you how they seem to apply metaphorically.
Read more..
There's a small but telling scene in Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down" that contains some dialogue that reverberates, at least for me. In the spirit of Samuel Johnson, who said man needs more often to be reminded than instructed, I offer it to all, including myself, who might benefit from its message.
The movie, as you know, is about the Battle of the Bakara Market in Mogadishu, Somalia, in October 1993. In the scene, the actor Tom Sizemore, playing your basic tough-guy U.S. Army Ranger colonel, is in charge of a small convoy of humvees trying to make its way back to base under heavy gun and rocket fire. The colonel stops the convoy, takes in some wounded, tears a dead driver out of a driver's seat, and barks at a bleeding sergeant who's standing in shock nearby:
Colonel: Get into that truck and drive.
Sergeant: But I'm shot, Colonel.
Colonel: Everybody's shot, get in and drive.
"Everybody's shot." Those are great metaphoric words.
Let me tell you how they seem to apply metaphorically.
Read more..
Planned Parenthood Blames ‘Hateful Speech’ for Clinic Shooting
Planned Parenthood officials on Sunday seemingly blamed the “hateful speech” of conservative lawmakers and GOP presidential contenders for contributing to Friday’s deadly shooting at a Colorado clinic, but Republicans said the left is trying to use the tragedy for political gain.
Friday’s shooting at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs left three people dead, including a police officer. The presumed gunman, 57-year-old Robert Dear, reportedly made comments about “baby parts” after he was arrested, an apparent reference to the recent controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood and the alleged sale of fetal organs.
Planned Parenthood officials charge that some conservative figures have created a climate in which extremists such as Mr. Dear feel that it’s acceptable to target pro-choice organizations.
“We’ve experienced so much hateful language, hateful speech,” Vicki Cowart, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains, said on ABC’s “This Week.” “I think politicians have been in that conversation, and, I mean, you know that the airwaves are full of anti-abortion language, of anti-Planned Parenthood accusations, much of which is false in nature.
“And we at Planned Parenthood are first and foremost a health care provider. We provide life-saving services to all kinds of folks, men and women, across our communities. And the tirades against Planned Parenthood in the last few months have really been over the top.”
More here
Friday’s shooting at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs left three people dead, including a police officer. The presumed gunman, 57-year-old Robert Dear, reportedly made comments about “baby parts” after he was arrested, an apparent reference to the recent controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood and the alleged sale of fetal organs.
Planned Parenthood officials charge that some conservative figures have created a climate in which extremists such as Mr. Dear feel that it’s acceptable to target pro-choice organizations.
“We’ve experienced so much hateful language, hateful speech,” Vicki Cowart, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains, said on ABC’s “This Week.” “I think politicians have been in that conversation, and, I mean, you know that the airwaves are full of anti-abortion language, of anti-Planned Parenthood accusations, much of which is false in nature.
“And we at Planned Parenthood are first and foremost a health care provider. We provide life-saving services to all kinds of folks, men and women, across our communities. And the tirades against Planned Parenthood in the last few months have really been over the top.”
More here
White House fence jumper released; must live with mom in Conn., stay out of D.C.
Joseph Caputo, 22, of Stamford, Connecticut, pleaded innocent to a misdemeanor charge of illegal entry onto restricted grounds, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison. Federal prosecutors agreed to Caputo's release from custody, with restrictions. A judge ordered him to submit to electronic monitoring, live with his mother and observe an 8 p.m. curfew.
Caputo's actions on Thursday prompted a lockdown of the White House grounds while President Barack Obama was celebrating Thanksgiving with his family. He was the first person to scale the White House fence since the Secret Service installed metal spikes atop the structure in response to a series of security breaches, including a man armed with a knife who got deep inside the executive mansion before he was arrested.
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Md. Health Organizations Recognize World AIDS Day
According to the World Health Organization, in 2013 approximately 35 million people worldwide were living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
There were 30,306 adults or adolescents diagnosed and living with HIV in Maryland at that time. Maryland ranks second among U.S. states in estimated adult or adolescent HIV diagnosis, and the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metropolitan statistical area has the third-highest estimated HIV diagnosis rate of any major metropolitan area in the nation.
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Obama approves locality pay increases
President Barack Obama on Monday approved locality pay changes beginning in 2016.
In an Executive Order issued Nov. 30, the president said the locality pay increases average about 28.74 percent and cost $26 billion.
Read the full story
In an Executive Order issued Nov. 30, the president said the locality pay increases average about 28.74 percent and cost $26 billion.
Read the full story
Police Union to NFL: Fans Are Vulnerable to Terrorism in Stadiums, Change Your Concealed Carry Ban For Retired Cops
A little over one week after multiple ISIS terror attacks in Paris, one of which was carried out a soccer stadium, the National Fraternal Order of Police is asking the NFL to reverse it's ban on concealed carry in America's football stadiums for current or retired law enforcement officers. From Fox News:
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PUBLIC NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING AND CLOSED SESSION
THE SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL WILL CONVENE IN A SPECIAL MEETING ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015 IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS, (ROOM #301) OF THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING AT 3:30 P.M. TO CONSIDER ORDINANCE NO. 2358 – 2 ND READING - AN AMENDMENT OF THE FY 2016 GENERAL FUND BUDGET TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS NEEDED TO COVER THE SHORTFALL IN THE NOVEMBER 2015 ELECTIONS BUDGET. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO ATTEND.
UPON THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE SPECIAL MEETING AT APPROXIMATELY 3:45 P.M., COUNCIL WILL VOTE TO CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION TO CONSULT WITH COUNSEL TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE ON A LEGAL MATTER AND TO CONSULT WITH STAFF, CONSULTANTS, OR OTHER INDIVIDUALS ABOUT PENDING OR POTENTIAL LITIGATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND §10-508(a)(7)(8) .
THE CLOSED SESSION WILL ALSO BE HELD IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS (ROOM #301). THE PUBLIC CAN OBSERVE THE MOTION, ANY DISCUSSION AND THE VOTE TO CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION AS NOTED ABOVE.
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE CLOSED SESSION AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 P.M., THE COUNCIL WILL CONVENE IN THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED WORK SESSION.
Amazon Shows Off Latest Prime Air Delivery Drone Prototype In New Video
Amazon enlisted British broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson — known for his former gig co-hosting TV showTop Gear — to narrate a scene depicting the company’s vision of the delivery future: when your “naughty, naughty” bulldog eats your daughter’s soccer cleat before the big game, Prime Air could come in handy by bringing a replacement set of footwear through the air from a warehouse and setting it down in the family yard. All in 30 minutes or less, Amazon says.
“In time there will be a whole family of Amazon drones, different designs for different environments,” Clarkson says in the footage, while the drone coasts over a suburban landscape. “This one can fly for 15 miles,” he says. “And it knows what’s happening around it. It uses ‘sense and avoid’ technology to, well, sense and then avoid obstacles on the ground and in the air.”
Compared to Amazon’s first delivery drone video, released in December 2013, the new version of the aircraft appears to fly higher and seems more stable.
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Washington Post: The Problem Is Not Selling Baby Parts, But Exposing The Selling Of Baby Parts
It’s still interesting, but, not in a good way, how leftists who support abortion on demand will Blamestorm those who are against abortion on demand, blaming them all for the infrequent and small issues regarding violence against Planned Parenthood and other abortion mills. Yet, they mostly refuse to acknowledge that people who yell Allahu Akbar and cite the Koran before blowing people up, sawing heads off, shooting up civilians, flying planes into buildings, etc, have anything to do with Islam in the least.
Abortion rights groups: Political rhetoric contributed to shooting
To many abortion rights advocates, it seemed only a matter of time before something like this happened.
Ever since the summer, when an antiabortion group accused Planned Parenthood of illegally selling fetal tissue, threats against the organization had escalated to unprecedented levels, abortion providers say. They stepped up collaboration with the FBI and local police and stiffened security at clinics. But on Friday, their worst fears came true: A man walked into a health center in Colorado Springs and opened fire.
See? It’s not a problem that Planned Parenthood was caught in a sting in which they were selling aborted babies in possible contradiction to the law, and laughing about it, and thinking about buying Lamborghinis. No, the problem is that someone dared expose that the were doing all this. The Washington Post, writer Sandhya Somashekhar, and abortion supporters seem to be very upset about this whole free speech thing. Even though, as we see in paragraph 3
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Abortion rights groups: Political rhetoric contributed to shooting
To many abortion rights advocates, it seemed only a matter of time before something like this happened.
Ever since the summer, when an antiabortion group accused Planned Parenthood of illegally selling fetal tissue, threats against the organization had escalated to unprecedented levels, abortion providers say. They stepped up collaboration with the FBI and local police and stiffened security at clinics. But on Friday, their worst fears came true: A man walked into a health center in Colorado Springs and opened fire.
See? It’s not a problem that Planned Parenthood was caught in a sting in which they were selling aborted babies in possible contradiction to the law, and laughing about it, and thinking about buying Lamborghinis. No, the problem is that someone dared expose that the were doing all this. The Washington Post, writer Sandhya Somashekhar, and abortion supporters seem to be very upset about this whole free speech thing. Even though, as we see in paragraph 3
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In Montgomery, Rosa Parks' Story Offers A History Lesson For Police
Sixty years ago Tuesday, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Ala. A police officer made the arrest that set off the modern civil rights movement. Today police recruits in Alabama's capital city are being schooled in that history in a course designed to eliminate bias in policing.
If you want to be a cop in Montgomery, first you have to take a bus tour of sorts. About two dozen police recruits, in cadet blues, are in the Rosa Parks Museum in downtown Montgomery, standing in front of a replica of a city bus.
In silhouette, through the bus windows, they watch as the driver orders Parks to give her 11th-row seat to a white passenger. She stays put.
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If you want to be a cop in Montgomery, first you have to take a bus tour of sorts. About two dozen police recruits, in cadet blues, are in the Rosa Parks Museum in downtown Montgomery, standing in front of a replica of a city bus.
In silhouette, through the bus windows, they watch as the driver orders Parks to give her 11th-row seat to a white passenger. She stays put.
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If You See a $100 Bill on Your Windshield, DON’T Touch It – Here’s What It Means
From Three Percenter Nation:
The Maryland attorney general opened a new satellite office Wednesday to serve consumers in Prince George’s County, but leaders hope you’ll never need it.
In a frightening scam that’s popping up this holiday season, scammers can do more than just take your money.
It looks like a surprise holiday gift from a stranger crisp $100 bill left on your car.
“$100 looks good to a lot of people, so they probably would jump out and get it,” said shopper Michelle Giles.
That’s exactly what scammers are counting on.
“We don’t want to scare people, but we do want you to be careful,” said Asst. Attorney General – Consumer Protection Karen Straughn.
Straughn says what looks like a present is really a parking lot ploy.
“This is the holiday shopping time. This is when the criminals are going to come out. This is when the scam artists are coming out,” she said. “They’re trying to get your money and trying to get your safety in any way they can.”
7 On Your Side discovered scammers are taking an alarming approach. The Attorney General’s Office says it has gotten reports of scammers in Maryland leaving $100 bills on windshields. The lure of cash is used to carjack victims. With your car running and the door wide open, that’s all scammers need. The money on the windshield just gives them a split second of opportunity.
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Patients Price-Shopping For Care Find Online Tools Unreliable
Kate and Scott Savett were trying to be responsible when they needed some medical care. They live about an hour north of Philadelphia with their dog, Frankie. Scott, 43, is a chemist and designs software for labs; Kate, 37, works in life insurance.
They buy their health insurance through Scott's job, and to keep their premiums affordable, they chose a high-deductible plan. They understood from the beginning that this would mean shopping carefully when they needed care, because costs can vary a lot among doctors and hospitals.
For years the couple didn't use their insurance much — but that all changed this year.
Kate was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in January. Doctors did a lot of tests and then follow-up tests. On top of that, Scott needed some imaging tests for a spinal issue.
Under their insurance plan, the two have to pay in full for the first $3,000 of their combined care. After that, they still have to pay 20 percent of the cost, until they reach a total of $8,000 in out-of-pocket expenses.
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They buy their health insurance through Scott's job, and to keep their premiums affordable, they chose a high-deductible plan. They understood from the beginning that this would mean shopping carefully when they needed care, because costs can vary a lot among doctors and hospitals.
For years the couple didn't use their insurance much — but that all changed this year.
Kate was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in January. Doctors did a lot of tests and then follow-up tests. On top of that, Scott needed some imaging tests for a spinal issue.
Under their insurance plan, the two have to pay in full for the first $3,000 of their combined care. After that, they still have to pay 20 percent of the cost, until they reach a total of $8,000 in out-of-pocket expenses.
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Federal Judge Dismisses Tax Rate Suit, Sending It Back To Worcester For Adjudication
OCEAN CITY — The battle over the property tax rate in Ocean City was sent back to Worcester County last week after a federal judge dismissed a suit filed in U.S. District Court by the Ocean City Taxpayers for Social Justice on several grounds and remanded the case back to Circuit Court.
In June, the Ocean City Taxpayers for Social Justice submitted to the Mayor and Council a petition containing 1,477 signatures validated by the state Board of Elections essentially seeking a roll-back of the property tax rate in the resort to 2009 levels. The petition sought a referendum within 90 days of its filing, or the next scheduled election, which would be November 2016.
Early in July, the Mayor and Council filed a petition for declaratory judgment against the OCTSJ and petition organizer Tony Christ in the Worcester County Circuit Court seeking a judicial review and attempting to halt the petition for referendum at the local level.
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In June, the Ocean City Taxpayers for Social Justice submitted to the Mayor and Council a petition containing 1,477 signatures validated by the state Board of Elections essentially seeking a roll-back of the property tax rate in the resort to 2009 levels. The petition sought a referendum within 90 days of its filing, or the next scheduled election, which would be November 2016.
Early in July, the Mayor and Council filed a petition for declaratory judgment against the OCTSJ and petition organizer Tony Christ in the Worcester County Circuit Court seeking a judicial review and attempting to halt the petition for referendum at the local level.
More
