P.C. Liberals Attack American Icon John Wayne

The California Assembly refused to pass a resolution Thursday which would have set aside a day to honor renowned actor John Wayne because of statements he made about racial minorities and his support for the anti-communist House Un-American Activities Committee and John Birch Society. 

Wayne, who grew up in Glendale, Calif., grew into the star of movies including The Alamo," ''The Green Beret," and "True Grit," for which he won an Academy Award, while portraying the gruff, rugged cowboys and brave soldiers who were his stock in trade. 

Assemblyman Matthew Harper, R-Huntington Beach, sought to declare Mary 26, 2016, as John Wayne Day to mark the day the actor was born. However, opposing lawmakers quickly railed against the resolution citing racial comments he made throughout his life. 

"He had disturbing views towards race," objected Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Watsonville, leading off a 20-minute debate. 

Alejo cited a 1971 interview with Playboy in which Wayne talked disparagingly about blacks. 

"I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility. I don't believe in giving authority and positions of leadership and judgment to irresponsible people," he told the magazine.

Source: Fox News

Breaking News: Stabbing In Salisbury

Stabbing in Salisbury.  28271 Ocean Gateway. Across the street from the Armory.  Suspects that did the stabbing are still in the residence. 48 Year Old Male was stabbed in the face.

 Suspect has fled the scene.  Black female approx 5ft 8.  Last seen heading towards Booth Street wearing a black sweater and the front of her hair is multi colored.  Suspect they are searchingf or  is  Marlissa Missy Fortt.

EDITORS NOTE: This was originally dispatched as 28277 then changed to 28271.  Both of those address would have been in Hebron VFD coverage area.  We believe the correct address should have been 28722 Ocean Gateway.  28722 is close to Booth Street. The addresses are not. 

I Urge Marylanders to Stay Informed About Zika

Study reveals who cops are most likely to shoot; liberals FURIOUS

Following the shooting of Michael Brown and subsequent civil unrest in Ferguson, it wasn’t uncommon to hear that there’s a “war” being waged against blacks by police.


It’s unclear what date this war commenced, and which police are fighting on the front lines, but many remain convinced it exists nonetheless.

While those claims are hyperbolic, if there was in fact evidence that police are more likely to use deadly force on black suspects in identical situations to white suspects, there is a problem. A new study at Washington State University aimed to figure that out.

According to the Washington Post, the study “used highly realistic police simulators, in which actors in various scenarios approach and respond to officers on large, high-definition video screens in an attempt to recreate critical situations on the street. The officers are equipped with real guns, modified to fire infrared beams rather than bullets, and the scenarios can branch into conflict or cooperation, depending on the officers’ words and actions.”

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CDC: Teen Birth Rates Plunge, But Racial Disparities Persist

NEW YORK (AP) — Birth rates are falling dramatically for black and Hispanic teenagers, but they continue to be much higher than the birth rate for white teens.

The Hispanic teen birth rate fell by half over about eight years, and the black teen birth rate dropped nearly that much. But even with those declines, the white teen birth rate is still only half as high, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.

“Despite this historic progress, profound disparities remain,” said Bill Albert, chief program officer for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

The teen birth rate has been falling since 1991, which experts attribute to more teens using birth control and more waiting until they are older to have sex. But in the new report, the CDC focused on 2006 through 2014 — the most recent phase of the decline, when the fall was steepest.

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Ray Lewis’s Son, Ray Lewis III, Charged With Criminal Sexual Conduct in S.C.

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Ray Anthony Lewis III, the 20-year-old son of former Raven Ray Lewis, has been charged with third degree criminal sexual conduct by the Conway Police Department in South Carolina.

Police say this is in connection with an investigation that began on Saturday, Jan. 23, when officers responded to Grand Strand Medical Hospital in response to a sexual assault.

Victims detailed an incident to police, and detectives were called to take over the investigation.

After compiling medical reports from the hospital, victim statements and lab results, warrants were obtained for Lewis’s arrest.

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Life-Saving Drug Narcan Helping To Fight Heroin Deaths In Md

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Faced with an alarming increase in heroin and pain pill deaths, Maryland is now allowing abusers, their families and friends to have Narcan on hand.

Long stocked in ERs, ambulances and doctors’ offices, it can reverse an overdose in minutes.

Lifeless with barely a pulse, Liz overdosed on heroin. Her friends called for help. Once medics arrived, the power of Narcan saved her life. Within minutes of the injection, Liz was awake and actually talking.

“Before this medicine was invented, I would not have made it back from that,” she said.

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What do you call 12 police officers stuck in an elevator? Internet gold

When the brothers in blue need rescuing, who do they call? The fire department, of course.

A dozen police officers were trapped in a stalled elevator inside a Kansas City, Missouri, police academy on Wednesday. The academy staff reached out to the Kansas City Fire Department, who were quick to send a rescue crew to the aid of their colleagues, according to CNN affiliate WDAF.

But before they pulled the cops out of the elevator, the fire crew couldn't resist snapping a photo.

The snapshot, showing a smiling firefighter giving a thumbs-up before an elevator car full of sheepish-looking police, was posted on Twitter by St. Louis Fire Department Capt. Gregg Favre. 

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Army Reinstates Hero Green Beret

In a stunning reversal, the U.S. Army decided late Thursday to retain a decorated Green Beret it had planned to kick out after he physically confronted a local Afghan commander accused of raping a boy over the course of many days. 

Sgt 1st Class Charles Martland, confirmed the Army's decision to retain him when reached by Fox News, who has been covering the story in depth for the past eight months and first broke the story of the Army's decision in August to kick out Martland over the incident, which occurred in northern Afghanistan in 2011. 

"I am real thankful for being able to continue to serve," said Martland when reached on the telephone by Fox News. "I appreciate everything Congressman Duncan Hunter and his Chief of Staff, Joe Kasper did for me." 

As first reported by Fox News, while deployed to Kunduz Province, Afghanistan, Martland and his team leader confronted a local police commander in 2011 accused of raping an Afghan boy and beating his mother. When the man laughed off the incident, they shoved him to the ground. 

Martland and his team leader were later removed from the base, and eventually sent home from Afghanistan. The U.S. Army has not confirmed the specifics of Martland's separation from service citing privacy reasons, but a “memorandum of reprimand” from October 2011 obtained by Fox News makes clear that Martland was criticized by the brass for his intervention after the alleged rape. Asked for comment in September 2015, an Army spokesman reiterated, "the U.S. Army is unable to confirm the specifics of his separation due to the Privacy Act."

Source: Fox News

After ‘ Lucifer ’ Remarks , Hannity Calls John Boehner ‘ Weak , Timid , Feckless , Visionless ’

Tell This Trump Critic Why He's Wrong

For a candidate posing as a strong leader, Donald Trump sure whines a lot. When Trump realized his media-driven campaign of personality was falling short in the critical goal of winning loyal delegates, and the Ted Cruz campaign was out-working and out-organizing him, Trump began railing against “voterless elections” and a “rigged, crooked system.” It’s a dishonest tactic, but so far, he’s getting away with it. Worse, his campaign is engaging in intimidation and veiled, and not so veiled, threats of violence if things don’t go his way at the convention. It’s an ugly spectacle, made worse by the fact Trump’s supporters don’t seem to mind.

Things turned sour for Trump starting in Colorado. Trump charges “party bosses” awarded all the state’s delegates to Ted Cruz. The allegation is as absurd as it is false. On March 1, over 65,000 Coloradans gathered in homes, schools and churches, and cast votes for delegates to continue on to county and congressional district assemblies and the State Assembly. These were public gatherings, open to all Republicans who desired to participate. Grassroots supporters of Ted Cruz organized, voiced their support for Cruz, and won their neighbors’ votes to go as delegates to the National Convention. There is no way any “party boss” could control the outcome of the tens of thousands of votes that were cast in the process starting with the caucus and culminating with the state assembly on April 9.

That didn’t stop Trump from spewing his usual fiction, tweeting: “How is it possible that the people of the great State of Colorado never got to vote in the Republican Primary? Great anger — totally unfair!” He added: “The people of Colorado had their vote taken away from them by the phony politicians. Biggest story in politics. This will not be allowed!”

National media mostly relayed Trump’s complaints uncritically, leading his supporters to lash out because they believe their candidate was wronged. Colorado Republican leaders received threats and ugly messages. Trump henchman Roger Stone posted a threatening video saying the campaign would publicize the hotels and room numbers of delegates committed to Cruz. Trump coyly says he hopes there won’t be any violence, but he understands why people are so angry. Pouring gas on the flames is not presidential behavior. But many Trump backers eat it up.

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Sessions: ‘Sentencing Reform’ Bill Will Release Even More Illegal Alien Drug Traffickers

A new version of a bipartisan sentencing reform bill is worse than the original version and will release many dangerous criminals back into American streets, says Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL).

“The revised bill still shortens mandatory minimums for repeat drug traffickers, including those who carried a gun, and would allow for early release of those currently in federal prison,” Sessions said in a statement that denounces the bill.

“Moreover, this proposal would provide for leniency for illegal alien drug traffickers. The criminal aliens who were responsible for the 2015 killing of Kate Steinle and the 2014 murders of California Detective Michael Davis, Jr. and Deputy Sheriff Danny Oliver had been earlier convicted for the same class of federal drug crimes that some in Congress now seek to roll back through this legislation,” he added.

The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 (SRCA) is being pushed by Republican Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) in the House. It is backed by some major donors, many Democrats and by President Barack Obama, but is being quietly opposed by many legislators. So far, the bill has not won enough backing for leaders to schedule a debate and vote, as polls showing rising concern about crime and House calendar gets closer to the November elections.

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Four Tips to Protect Your Identity, Money

Frank Abagnale — an international expert on fraud and the man whose youthful crime spree inspired the book and movie, "Catch Me If You Can" — joined me Thursday to talk about scams and how to avoid becoming a victim.

Abagnale says Americans give away way too much information about ourselves — and then complain about people stealing our identities.

Here are highlights from an interview with Abagnale last week:

Why you won't find him on social media

"​I’m not on Facebook, I’m not on LinkedIn, I’m not on Twitter. People get on Facebook and I tell them, “If you tell someone on Facebook where you were born and your date of birth, you might as well just say ‘come steal my identity.’” Because most of the identity thieves we’ve interviewed basically say, “I go to Facebook, I get everything" — mother’s maiden name, where they work, where they went on vacation, where they’re going on vacation.

"Today, because there is so much information out there through Facebook and social media, there’s nothing I can’t find out about you. … So I tell people, you never want to state on your Facebook page where you were born and your date of birth or give away too much information. Even LinkedIn. If I look you up and it says to me that you graduated from Indiana University, you’re currently holding this job, every piece of information leads to another piece of information. … Every little piece of information can lead to something else."

More here

Border Patrol Agents Want More Fencing, Better Radios and Drones

Federal agents who patrol the U.S. border with Mexico want 23 more miles (37 km) of fences, better radios and more aerial drones to tighten the southern frontier, according to an unpublished U.S. government study that influences budget requests.

The modest scope of the requirements, details of which were contained in internal emails seen by Reuters and described by Border Patrol officials in interviews, contrasts sharply with calls by Republican presidential candidates for more drastic measures to secure the border. Front runner Donald Trump and rival Ted Cruz have both pledged to build a border wall, a project that could cost several billion dollars.

The extra fences sought by agents in Texas and California would be the first major fencing addition to the nearly 2,000-mile-long southern border in five years. They would cost about $92 million based on the costs of previous fences, though experts say that cost has risen.

Border Patrol has not asked its parent agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), to request funding for any new fences so far.

Border Patrol Chief Ronald Vitiello told Reuters that he is aware that some of his agents require "handfuls" of miles of additional fencing, though he declined to comment on the number of additional miles required.

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Living Tributes: Must See Video

Old Photos of "Firsts"

Construction of the world’s first Ferris wheel for the Chicago world’s fair. [1893]

66 (Old) Movie Dance Scenes Mashup

California Republicans Move Into Spotlight, With Prospect Of Crowning Trump

Donald Trump has called himself the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. But he can't become the real presumptive nominee without first gaining a lot of votes in the California primary on June 7 – the last day of voting on the GOP primary calendar.

It's the first time in decades that California will make a difference in picking the GOP nominee. That's why all three remaining candidates will be speaking at the California Republican Party's convention, which begins Friday.

California Republicans aren't used to all this attention. Just 27.6 percent of California voters are registered with the party. Though few in numbers, they may become mighty in impact. California will be Donald Trump's last chance to either win the delegates he needs to clinch, or fall short and fight it out at the national GOP convention in Cleveland in July.

"It's very exciting for California to actually have a voice," said Jim Brulte, the chairman of the state Republican Party. Though California has become reliably Democratic in presidential contests, he says that the enthusiasm generated at this weekend's convention could have dividends for California Republicans down the line and down the ballot.

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Judith Miller: Be 'Very Skeptical of Everything We in the Press Say'

Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Judith Miller told Newsmax TV on Thursday that the goal of her latest book was to encourage people to "be very skeptical of everything we in the press say."

"That even the most respected, reputable organizations do things that are often times contrary to the truth and that they ought to question everything they hear from everyone," Miller, a former reporter for The New York Times, told "The Steve Malzberg Show" in an interview.

"I wanted to take people inside journalism and to make them understand what a really shabby shape the profession is in today."

Watch Newsmax TV on DirecTV Ch. 349, DISH Ch. 223 and Verizon FiOS Ch. 115. Get Newsmax TV on your cable system — Click Here Now

Miller's book, "The Story: A Reporter’s Journey," was released in paperback last week.

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Caitlyn Jenner Takes Trump Up on Using Women's Room

Caitlyn Jenner on Wednesday took Donald Trump up on his offer to use whichever restroom was most comfortable at Trump Tower in New York City.

Jenner, the Olympic gold medal winner for the men's decathlon in the 1970s as Bruce Jenner, now identifies as female, and when Trump was asked at a recent televised town hall whether he would allow Jenner to use the women's restroom at his Trump Tower building, he replied that transgender people should use whichever restroom they feel most comfortable in.

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Reagan Daughter to Will Ferrell: My Dad's Alzheimer's Not Comedy Material

Patti Davis, daughter of former President Ronald Reagan, penned an open letter to comic actor Will Ferrell on Thursday, urging him not to make fun of her father's battle with Alzheimer's disease in an upcoming movie that was announced on Wednesday.

In the letter, published Thursday at The Daily Beast, Davis details the pain both Reagan and his family endured as he slowly lost his memories and connection to friends and loved ones.

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Florida Farmers Fear Devastation as Food Flows in From Castro's Cuba

Florida citrus farmer Dan Richey is worried about a Cuban fruit invasion.

“They have a better climate than us and the same growing season,” said Richey, who farms 4,000 acres of mostly grapefruit near Vero Beach. “They could become the low-cost competitor, right at our doorstep.”

While a diplomatic thaw is just beginning, President Barack Obama is seeking closer U.S. trade ties with Cuba, signaling an end to five decades of sanctions that left the country starved of cash and little changed since Fidel Castro’s revolution in 1959. That’s clearing a path for more agricultural investment on a Caribbean island just 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of Florida.

Cubans have been more buyers than competitors because they eat mostly imported food and already get grain from the Midwest. But expanded farming in the country poses a new threat for Florida, the top U.S. grower of sugar cane, oranges and fresh tomatoes. Cuba was once a major supplier of sugar, fruits and vegetables, and with land untouched by modern chemicals or genetically modified seed, it is drawing the attention of organic food producers.

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Atheist Group Bribes Students with Pizza to Protest ‘Jesus Lunches’

MIDDLETON, Wis. – Members of the radical Freedom From Religion Foundation are determined to keep harassing the students of Middleton High School who participate in weekly “Jesus Lunches.”

For the second straight week protesters from the FFRF, a self-described pro-atheist group, showed up at Fireman’s Park in Middleton to antagonize students who accept the free lunch and Christian discussion offered by a group of local mothers.

This week the FFRF went even further – offering free pizza to students who are willing to join their anti-Christian demonstration.

“A generous Middleton FFRF member has provided a donation toward providing pizza for the protesting students,” FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor was quoted as saying in a post on the group’s website.

“As noted last week, we don’t think any adults, whether missionaries or atheists, should be allowed to move in upon what is essentially a captive audience of students. But if the ‘Jesus Lunches’ aren’t going to be stopped, the Freedom From Religion Foundation plans to be there too, providing some balance – and some fuel to the protesters.”

The Jesus Lunches, which have been ongoing for several years on Tuesdays, became controversial in recent months when hundreds of students started attending.

The FFRF and some students began protesting the lunches last week, resulting in loud shouting matches between youngsters on both sides.

In a subsequent letter to the Middleton City Council, FFRF attorney Ryan Jayne argued that the discord among students was a good reason to stop the event from happening. He ignored the obvious fact that there would be no arguments if the protesters would leave the children alone to eat and worship as they choose.

More here

Subject: IRS Destroys Significant Evidence of Targeting Conservatives

The Internal Revenue Service (which isn’t a real government agency, by the way – it’s a private corporation that works for the private Federal Reserve!) is in deep doo-doo for flagrantly violating a court order barring the entity from destroying evidence related to its illegal targeting of conservative groups.

When news about the scandal went public, the IRS found itself in even deeper hot water, after it was revealed that the entity hired an outside trial law firm known as Quinn Emanuel to do its dirty work, which included pursuing software giant Microsoft.

Microsoft responded by filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request calling on the IRS to produce data showing what it was up to, data that was stored on the hard drive of its former director of transfer pricing operations at the IRS Large Business and International Division, Samuel Maruca.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) ordered a freeze on all documents and data related to the IRS’s hiring of Quinn Emanuel, which included the hard drive in question. But the IRS recently informed the DOJ that it wiped the hard drive clean back in April of last year, after the hold was put in place.

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Subject: ICE Released 86,000 Criminal Aliens from 2013-2015; 196 Convicted of Homicide in 2015

(CNSNews.com) – Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Sarah Saldana provided written testimony to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Thursday that showed over 86,000 criminal aliens had been released back into the United States from fiscal year 2013 to 2015.

According to Saldana’s written testimony, there were a total of 86,288 criminal aliens released from 2013 to 2015 when you add up the number of criminal releases in the past three years – 36,007 in FY 2013, 30,558 in FY 2014, and 19,723 in FY 2015.

“These are people that were here illegally, got caught committing a crime, were convicted of that crime and instead of deporting them, they were just released back out in the United States of America,” Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said in his opening statement during Thursday’s hearing on illegal immigration crime.

“All told, they had more than 231,000 crimes that they were convicted of – 86,000 of these people. In 2015, 196 of these people were convicted of homicide, and ICE released them back into the public rather than deporting them,” he said.

Furthermore, “124 of those that were released between fiscal year 2010 and 2015 went on to commit homicide,” Chaffetz said.

“They were here illegally. They got caught committing a crime. They were convicted of a crime, and instead of following the law and deporting them, you released them back into the public, and they commit more crimes."

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Ruritarian club in Powellville selling bbq chicken today!

Ruritarian club in Powellville selling bbq chicken today.  Please stop by the firehouse and support them!

LYBIAN ‘REFUGEE’ EXTORTED, THREATENED TO HARM HOST FAMILY

PLATTE COUNTY, MO – A 25-year-old Libyan man, who Platte County prosecutor alleged is part a terrorist organization, pleaded guilty to two felonies Thursday.

Ali Swei pleaded guilty to aggravated stalking and attempted stealing by coercion.

Prosecutors say he threatened to kill the family that was sponsoring him and threatened their relatives in Libya. Prosecutors add that Swei threatened to harm the Libyan immigrant family he was staying with if they did not pay him $30,000.

A member of that family, who did not want FOX 4 to show his face because he has been threatened since Swei’s arrest, says he believes the guilty pleas will result in Swei’s deportation.

“I am so relieved for my family, it`s really been a roller coaster especially for my wife,” the man said. “It`s really heartbreaking it`s nervousness she doesn`t sleep she has nightmares. She`s worried all the threats hopefully are never-never no family will ever go through what we have gone through.”

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Elks Lodge holds ceremony for hometown heroes, Thurs.

Before raising 40 banners along the Boardwalk, the Ocean City Elks Lodge will be dedicating each one to active duty and former service members in a ceremony Thursday afternoon.

The lodge will be holding a Hometown Heroes Military Banner dedication ceremony on May 5 at the firefighter memorial on the boards. The program typically is reserved for 20 active service members. But this year, it has doubled its size to include World War II veterans. In all, 23 World War II veteran and 17 active military personnel honored on the banners this summer.

“I’ve never been involved in something that has such an ecstatic response from the public,” said Pat Riordan of the Elks’ Veterans Committee. “Last year, we had more than 100 people at the ceremony, and we have half the banners we have now.”

The Hometown Hero program began honoring local service members in 2014 by hanging banners on Boardwalk light posts from the inlet to Fourth Street. The banners are five-feet long and display the service member’s name, rank and military photograph. Last December, the City Council approved expanding the program to former World War II soldiers and personnel.

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Bids Accepted For OC Boat Ramp

OCEAN CITY — The on again, off again public boat ramp at 64th Street in Ocean City appears to be back on track this week after the Mayor and Council on Tuesday accepted a handful of contractor bids for the project.

Back in 2012, the Mayor and Council approved a new public access boat ramp at 64th Street in an area acquired by the town adjacent to its vast Public Works complex. The project includes dredging the channel in the surrounding area and constructing a two-lane boat ramp with access for the public. The project also includes a 50-space parking area for trailers and small comfort station and other amenities.

The new boat ramp at 64th Street will replace the town’s only other existing public access boat ramp in the Little Salisbury area. After years of wrestling with an outdated and over-utilized public boat ramp in the Little Salisbury residential area, along with complaints of traffic, parking, noise and litter, the town identified the site at 64th Street as a more appropriate location for the city-owned boat ramp because it’s surrounded by commercial and governmental uses and is centrally located.

Once the 64th Street site was identified as the best location for the boat ramp, the town purchased additional space adjacent to the boat ramp to accommodate the trailer parking and other amenities. However, acquiring all of the property needed for the project became difficult and was complicated by conflicting appraisals for the lots during the purchase negotiations.

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Salisbury MSP Press Release 4-30-16 Possession of Fire Arm- Drug Trafficking/ Possession of CDS with intent to distribute

Will the Pentagon Restart the F-22 as the F-35 Continues to Underwhelm?

A U.S. congressional committee is planning to ask the Air Force to assess the cost and feasibility of restarting production of Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-22 fighter jet in the face of greater security threats around the world.

The radar-evading jets formally entered service in December 2005, but then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates canceled the program in 2009 amid efforts to control Pentagon spending and orient the department toward the wars it was then fighting.

Only 187 of the stealthy, high-tech jet fighters were produced, about a quarter of the 749 originally planned. The last was delivered to the Air Force in 2012.

In its portion of the National Defense Authorization Act, the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces has included a provision directing the Air Force secretary to carry out a comprehensive study of the cost of resuming production of the F-22.

Congressman Mike Turner, chairman of the subcommittee, said restarting production should be considered because of threats to U.S. air superiority.

The committee is asking for the report by Jan. 1, 2017. Consideration of the NDAA, the annual defense policy bill, is still in its early stages. The defense bill must be approved by the House Armed Services Committee, the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate before going to the president for his signature.

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Despite Syria Chaos, No Shift in U.N., U.S. Policy on Golan Heights

(CNSNews.com) – The U. N. Security Council, U. S. government and others are giving no ground on a decades-old dispute over Israeli control of the Golan Heights, despite the civil war in Syria, the country’s fragmentation and influx of Sunni and Shi’ite terrorists into the area.

The chaos in Syria has underscored Israel’s long-held determination to hold onto the strategic plateau, which it captured from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War and formally annexed in 1981.

Last week Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu held a symbolic cabinet meeting on the Golan Heights, for the first time, and used the opportunity to declare that “the time has come for the international community to finally recognize that the Golan Heights will remain under Israel’s sovereignty permanently.”

But after a closed Security Council discussion Tuesday the council’s president, Liu Jieyi of China, told reporters that council members “expressed their deep concern over recent Israeli statements about the Golan, and stressed that the status of the Golan remains unchanged.”

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Navajo Nation Slams EPA on Response to Gold King Mine Spill Response

At a congressional field hearing in Phoenix, Ariz., on Friday, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye said the EPA has not fulfilled its promise to pay for damages done to Native American lands from the toxic spill of mine waste into waterways in Colorado, which eventually polluted water in that state, New Mexico, and Utah, and Navajo Nation land in New Mexico, Utah and Arizona.

“EPA has not lived up to its word,” Begaye said in a video posted on the Arizona Republic website. “ It’s been empty promise after empty promise.”

“We’ve had numerous meetings where promises were made and none of it EPA has lived up to,” Begaye said.

The Navajo-Hopi Observer reported on Tuesday that the Navajo Nation has requested more than $2 million in reimbursements. The EPA has offered $157,000, which totals less than 8 percent of expenses incurred, according to Begaye’s office.

The amount was offered as a grant and not recognized as reimbursement, the news outlet reported.

More here

Open the Door to Christian Refugees From Syria

"Today, Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world."

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said that on the Senate floor March 17 after he explained what had happened six months before to a Syrian man and his 12-year-old son.

"This boy was a Christian and standing above him were Islamic State terrorists holding knives," said Cotton.

"In the crowd was the boy's father, a Christian minister," he said. "Methodically, the terrorists began cutting off the young boy's fingers. Amidst his screams, they turned to the minister, his father. If he renounced his faith and in their terms 'returned to Islam,' the boy's suffering would stop."

The incident ended when the Islamic State murdered both father and son.

"They did so by crucifixion," Cotton told the Senate.

Three weeks before Cotton spoke these words, Secretary of State John Kerry had testified in a House subcommittee that he needed to see an "additional evaluation" before he could decide if the Islamic State was committing genocide.

Then, on the same day Cotton gave his speech, Kerry met a congressionally-imposed deadline by declaring that the Islamic State, which he called "Daesh," was committing genocide against Syrian Christians and other minorities.

Yet, even as they face genocide at the hands of the Islamic State, very few Syrian Christians are being admitted as refugees to the United States.

Between March 17, when Kerry declared that "Daesh" was committing genocide, and April 27, the United States admitted 489 refugees from Syria.

Only 1 was a Christian.

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Bankruptcy filing delays OC Jamboree property auction

A voluntary filing of Chapter 13 bankruptcy by a co-owner of the former O.C. Jamboree, Michael Weatherholtz, of Trenton, New Jersey has forced the delay of the auction of the site originally scheduled to take place today.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy allows an individual with a regular income to determine a repayment plan to cover some or all of their debts in an installment plan over a period of three to five years.

The court is pondering a default judgment against the listed owners: David Weatherholtz Jr., who is currently imprisoned awaiting trial on multiple charges, Michael Weatherholtz, Elaine Weatherholtz and OC Entertainment Group Inc.

The mortgage holder, U.S. Bank, is seeking the property in exchange for non-payment of bills. The court has already appointed a receiver, Gray and Associates, to prepare the property for sale.

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ILLEGAL ALIEN SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR MURDER OF OHIO WOMAN

LAKE COUNTY, OH (WKYC) – The man who murdered a Lake County woman in her home last July will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

After labeling Juan Emmanuel Razo, 35, as “evil personified,” Lake County Judge John P. O’Donnell sentenced him to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $180,000.

Last month Razo, an illegal immigrant, pleaded guilty to the charges against him regarding the murder of 60-year-old Peggy Kostelnik. She was killed in her Ravenna Road home.

Razo, who doesn’t speak English, sat with a translator who dictated the court proceedings as sentencing was underway.

The judge declared he’s seen no remorse from Razo, while adding he’s never seen his eyes despite several previous court appearances.

The same day Kostelnik was killed, Razo shot another woman.

She survived.
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Seven Years Of Obama.......

FEMA error spikes OC flood insurance rates

At least one condominium in north Ocean City is facing spiked insurance rates because of a flood mapping error, and several other properties between 93rd and 123rd Streets are poised for similar increases.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has incorrectly included segments of some ocean front properties in a high-risk zone on an online interactive flood insurance rate map. Since several third-party analysists use the website, property owners are now seeing thousand-dollar increases in their flood protection.

“We have one condo, the Rainbow [near 112nd Street] that was quoted at a premium of $460,000 for the year,” Delmarva Condominium Managers Association President Joe Groves told the Ocean City Council during Tuesday’s work session.

The Rainbow, or rather the dunes placed between it and the ocean, is the source of misunderstanding between the city and FEMA. When the structure was built in 1993, officials required that a dune be built for protection. In the last two decades, the Army Corps of Engineers added a second dune.

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3 Tied to San Bernardino Shooters Accused In Marriage Scam

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three people closely tied to the couple responsible for the San Bernardino terror attack were arrested Thursday in an alleged marriage fraud scheme involving a pair of Russian sisters.

The accused include Syed Raheel Farook. His brother and sister-in-law, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, died in a shootout with police after killing 14 people and wounding 22 others on Dec. 2.

Also arrested Thursday were Syed Raheel Farook’s wife, Tatiana, and her sister, Mariya Chernykh. Prosecutors say Mariya’s marriage to Enrique Marquez Jr., the only person charged in the shootings, was a sham designed to enable her to obtain legal status in the U.S. after overstaying her visitor visa in 2009.

Marquez confessed to the green card scheme when authorities questioned him about the shootings, and acknowledged getting $200 a month to marry Chernykh, according to his criminal complaint, filed in December.

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THIS IS AMAZING! Success For Parkinson's Sufferer

Arbitrator Rules For Paramedic In Call Dispute, Finding Ocean City Used ‘Wrongful Disciplinary Action’

OCEAN CITY — The resort’s Fire/EMS union this week wants to use a favorable arbitration ruling in a disciplinary action against a paramedic for a delayed response last summer as leverage in the ongoing debate about the elimination of the 24-hour shifts, but city officials are saying not so fast.

Last July, a three-member paramedic team did not immediately respond to an early morning call involving an assault victim at a mid-town nightclub, triggering a one-day suspension without pay for the crew’s only full-time paramedic. According to the agreed upon facts in the case, the first call came in at 1:36 a.m. and was not immediately answered by the Paramedic 3 team. A second call came in at 1:45 a.m. and the Paramedic 3 team did respond.

However, the response was nearly 10 minutes later, or well outside requisite two-minute response time. The fire department disciplined Firefighter-Paramedic Mark Lloyd, the only full-time member of the crew. The other crew members were part-time employees and not subject to discipline under the collective bargaining agreement. The fire department contended the three-member crew slept through the initial call, while the paramedics contended they never received the first call at 1:36 a.m. through the usual protocols including a radio, pagers and a station alert loudspeaker. This week, neutral arbitrator Homer La Rue ruled in favor of the paramedics, essentially opining the outdated call alert system failed and was responsible for the delayed response and cleared Lloyd of any wrongdoing.

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LEGENDARY COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 4-30-16

I recently had someone inquire about the stores in the old Salisbury Mall. It seems as if a lot of people grew up in the old Mall and have fond memories of it. They just can’t remember all the stores that were there. The stores were numbered according to a map of the entire Mall. The following may just bring back a memory or two. Some are still with us in other locations, some have faded into history. How many do you remember?

SALISBURY MALL - 1974
(Information from the1974 Salisbury City Directory and the old map)

1. Hecht Co. 31.
2. Sears Roebuck & Co. 32. Radio Shack
32A. Crafts International
3. Pantry Pride 33. Hooks Pastry Shop
4. McCrory Variety Stores 34. Chester Uniforms
5. Read Drug & Chemical Co. 35. Buddy Dale Shops
6. Lerner Shops 36. Mall Barber Shop
7. Sherwin-Williams 37.
8. English’s Cafeteria 38. Cinecom Mall Cinema
9. Dannemann’s 39. Cinecom Mall Cinema
10. Ralph & Gaskill’s 40. Brooks Co.
40A. General Nutrition Center
11. First National Bank 41. Salisbury Book Store
12. Kinney Shoes 42. Richards Hair Fashions
13. Singer Co. 43.
14. 44. Wig Haus of Maryland
15. 45. Wig Haus of Maryland
16. Holiday Shoes 46.
17. 47.
18. Hanover Shoes 48.
19. Barett Shoes 49. W. J. Ahtes Real Estate
20. Carousel Shop 50. Aetna Life & Casualty Co.
21. 51. Weight Watchers of Delmarva
22. Russell Stover Candies 52.
23. Parklane Hosiery 53.
24. Barclay’s Jewelers 54. J. R. Freeny II (insurance)
25. Card Mart 55. Orange Julius
26. Phillipsborn 56. Bresler’s 33 Flavors Ice Cream
27. Household Finance, Inc.
28.
29.
30. Buck’s Buster Brown no # Bavarian Soft Pretzels
(kiosk in aisle)

Clinton Melts Down Over Arguing About Votes

Top Dem: Trump Will Trample Hillary

It's starting. The grim reality that this election will come down to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump has set in. The Bernie kids are going back to their parent's basements, and the Washington establishment is probably headed to the bar, wondering where they went wrong.

So here we are; Trump vs. Hillary. So far, polls suggest that the former First Lady has the significant edge, with Trump significantly underwater with women and minorities. Some are predicting a landslide.

But one high level Democratic strategist thinks they're wrong. Here's why:

Democratic strategist Dave “Mudcat” Saunders believes Donald Trump will beat Hillary Clinton like a “baby seal,” and that working class whites who haven’t already left the Democratic Party for cultural reasons will due so now for economic ones.

“I know a ton of Democrats — male, female, black and white — here [in southern Virginia] who are going to vote for Trump. It’s all because of economic reasons. It’s because of his populist message,” Mudcat told The Daily Caller Wednesday.

Saunders has experience working with Jim Webb, helping getting him elected to the U.S Senate in 2006 and advised his failed bid for the presidency in 2016. Saunders was also an advisor to John Edwards in his 2008 presidential bid. The Democrat strategist is renowned for connecting politicians to “Bubbas” — white, working class Southerners.

“Working class whites in the South have already departed the Democratic Party for cultural reasons. Well the working class whites in the North are now deserting the Democrats because of economic reasons,” Mudcat told TheDC. He added, “this is the new age of economic populism, man. This is about survival for a lot of people.”

Saunders is likely right. Add to the equation the fact that many of the young voters who propelled Barack Obama to victory are incredibly unenthusiastic about Hillary Clinton, who they view as a moderate and a sell out. When you pair that with Hillary's total inability to make a human connection with a single solitary voter, and Trump's showmanship, it's easy to see the New York billionaire pulling a complete 180 in the polls and putting Clinton away.

In this election, anything can happen.

Source: AAN

Criminal Initiative

Date and Time: 04/29/2016 from 1300 to 1900 hours
Location: Worcester County

Arrests: Kamrin Leigh Muscalli 20 year old female from Towson, MD

Randy Mason Carver 58 year old male from Berlin, MD

Joshua Vinson Poper 31 year old male from Greencastle, PA

Thomas Cooper 24 year old male from Willards, MD

Narrative: On 04/29/2016, Troopers from the Berlin Barrack, Deputies from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department and members of the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team performed a Criminal Initiative in and around the area of Worcester County, MD. During the enforcement, there were multiple traffic stops for speeding, seatbelt violations and distracted driving (using cellular device while vehicle is in operation). These traffic stops resulted in 2 CDS Arrests for Possession of Heroin, 1 Civil Citation for Possession of Marijuana under 10 grams and one open warrant apprehension.

Disposition:

Kamrin Leigh Muscalli was charged on a Civil Citation for Marijuana Possession less than 10 grams and released.

Randy Mason Carver and Joshua Vinson Poper were charged criminally with CDS Possession: Not Marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. Both subjects were released by the Worcester County District Court Commissioner on their own personal recognizance.

Thomas Cooper was served his warrant for Failure to Appear in Court and taken before the District Court Commissioner where he was held on $5,575 bond.

Raise?

Let Me Get This Straight...

Sobo's is OPEN for Mother's Day!

SoBo's Wine Beerstro will be open on Mother's Day! Sunday, May 8th 2016 Treat MOM to a special lunch or dinner with the family! Now accepting reservations - Call us today! 410.219.1117 Offering a special Four Course "Supper"  Only $36 per person*!   Includes: Your choice of appetizer or soup, choice of salad, choice of entree, and dessert.    A special "Bar Seating" menu includes your choice of an appetizer and soup or salad for only $19.99 per person*.     *Tax and gratuity, not included.

SoBo's Wine Beerstro | 1015 Eastern Shore Drive Salisbury, MD | 410.219.1117 www.soboswinebeerstro.com

And What Did You Expect?

You Can Have It!

Yeah, Me Too...

Caption This Photo 4-30-16

I want all the perks of maternity leave — without having any kids

Meghann Foye, 38, was jealous of co-workers clocking out for maternity leave, and decided she needed a break of her own. Here, the author of the novel “Meternity” (Mira, out now), tells The Post’s Anna Davies why she believes every woman deserves mandated “me time.”

I was 31 years old in 2009, and I loved my career. As an editor at a popular magazine, I got to work on big stories, attend cool events, and meet famous celebs all the time.

And yet, after 10 years of working in a job where I was always on deadline, I couldn’t help but feel envious when parents on staff left the office at 6 p.m. to tend to their children, while it was assumed co-workers without kids would stay behind to pick up the slack.

“You know, I need a maternity leave!” I told one of my pregnant friends. She laughed, and we spent the afternoon plotting my escape from my 10-hour days, fake baby bump and all.

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Berlin MSP Press Release 4-29-16 Criminal Initiative

State Police to Host 2nd Annual Community Safety Day

Rehoboth Beach - The Delaware State Police Community Outreach Unit will be hosting a Community Safety Day on Saturday May 7, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Jungle Jim’s located at 36944 Country Club Road, Rehoboth Beach.

The event is FREE to the public and will showcase a variety of special units including;

Police K9 Demonstration
State Police Aviation (Trooper 2)
Seatbelt Convincer
Fire Company Trucks and Demos
Conflict Management Team
Explosive Ordinance Disposal
Mounted Unit
DelDOT Safety Displays
Delaware Natural Resources Police

Come out and enjoy the day!

Publishers Notes: Oh No, I'm not even considering allowing comments.

Ted Cruz Gets Call From Republican National Committee: You're Fired

Trump Won Every County in Every State on Tuesday

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump won every county in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut and Rhode Island in what some considered to be another super Tuesday.

Trump now has 949 pledged delegates, compared to 544 for Cruz and 153 for Kasich.

The Republican candidates will set their eyes on Indiana, which votes next Tuesday, for a mostly winner-take-all state with 57 delegates. A win for Trump would only propel him closer to the 1,237 delegate count needed to leave no doubt that he is indeed the Republican nominee.

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Obama Sides with Saudi Arabia, Promises to Block Bill Exposing Saudi Role in 9/11 Attacks

The Obama Administration has been lobbying Congress to block a bill that would allow Saudi Arabia’s government to be held accountable in American courts for any role it played in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

(Sputnik) — In addition to Obama’s efforts to keep information about 9/11 confidential, Saudi Arabia has threatened to sell hundreds of billions of dollars worth of its American assets if Congress passes the bill. In recent weeks, administration officials have been warning lawmakers of the bill’s potential economic fallout.The Obama Administration’s strict opposition to the 9/11 bill has left many family members of the terror attacks’ victims outraged.

​Mindy Kleinberg, whose husband died in the attacks on the World Trade Center, expressed her discontent in an interview with the New York Times.

“It’s stunning to think that our government would back the Saudis over its own citizens,” Kleinberg said.

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Debt Is Growing Faster Than Cash Flow By The Most On Record

By now it is a well-known fact that corporations have no real way of generating organic growth in this economy, so they are relying on two things to boost share prices: multiple expansion (courtesy of central banks) and debt-funded buybacks (courtesy of central banks), the latter of which requires the firm to generate excess incremental cash. Incidentally, as SocGen showed last year, all the newly created debt in the 20th century has gone for just one thing: to fund stock buybacks.

The problem with this is that if a firm is going to continue to add debt to its balance sheet in order to fund buybacks (and dividends), then it needs to be able to generate enough operational cash flow in order to service the debt. Even if one makes the argument that debt is cheap right now, which may be true, or that central banks are backstopping it, which is certainly true in Europe as of a month ago, the fact remains that principal balances come due eventually also, and while debt can be rolled over, at some point the inability to generate cash from the operations catches up with them; furthermore even a small increase in rates means the rolling debt strategy is dies a painful death, as early 2016 showed.

In the following chart we can see net debt growth skyrocketing nearly 30% y/y, while EBITDA (cash flow) has been contracting for the past year. In fact, as SocGen shows below, the difference in t

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John Boehner Calls Ted Cruz "A Miserable Son Of A Bitch, Lucifer In The Flesh"

Is the establishment's fervent hatred of Donald Trump starting a U-turn? It's still too early to know, however at least one core Republican, former house speaker John Boehner, has made it very clear he is not a fan of Ted Cruz. At all. So much so that according to NBC the former Republican House Speaker told an audience at Stanford University Wednesday that the Texas senator is "Lucifer in the flesh" and a "miserable son of a bitch."

When asked about the 2016 presidential candidate at a forum hosted by Stanford in Government and the Stanford Speakers Bureau, Boehner drew laughter for making a face of disgust, according to the Stanford Daily.

"Lucifer in the flesh," Boehner said cited by the paper. "I have Democrat friends and Republican friends. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life."

Boehner's shocking statement came because he was urged by the event's moderator, Professor David M. Kennedy, to be frank because the event was not being broadcasted. Perhaps Boehner did not realize people were still taking notes.

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Kenya Builds Wall Along Somali Border to Keep Al-Shabaab Jihadists Out

Kenya has announced it will begin erecting a nearly 435-mile-long wall along its northeastern border with Somalia to stem the flow of jihadists from the Somali terrorist group al-Shabaab.

“This wall will help us check on people like al-Shabaab from crossing to and from Somalia. We will not limit movement of other people. There is a need for joint cooperation between both countries and our leaders in dealing with terrorism, which has affected us negatively,” Kenya’s Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery told reporters in Nairobi over the weekend, according to Defense News.

He reportedly added that “the security barrier consists of a concrete wall ringed with a barbed-wire electric fence and trenches. It will also have observation posts where electronic surveillance cameras will be installed to monitor movements on either side of the border.”

More here

'Suck It Up and Deal With It': Fed's Fisher Warns Next Rate Hike Will Cause Correction

The central bank's next interest rate hike will surely cause market pain, but the Federal Reserve should just get it over with as soon as possible, former Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher said Wednesday.

"I would be prepared when they move — and I hope they move some time in June — there'll be a settling in of the market place. There will be a correction. Suck it up. Deal with it. That's reality," he told CNBC.

Fisher said the Fed has been unwilling to tighten monetary policy because it fears the potential resulting market volatility and economic weakness.

"The Fed has the markets on Ritalin, trying to keep the mood very smooth, keep volatility down as much as possible. As soon as they hint that they might remove that, then they create the problems that they're afraid of," he said.

The real economy is doing much better since the Fed's last meeting in March, Fisher said, noting that Argentina has returned to international bond markets, Chinese data looks better and demand for British bonds is strong.

"These are very robust markets. I would take advantage of that right now," he said.

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Trump's Take on Cruz VP Pick

Speaking with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren on Wednesday at a town hall event, Donald Trump said Ted Cruz picking Carly Fiorina as his running mate is a “waste of time.”

“It should be over, if Indiana treats us right, we’re gonna make America great again. Were gonna get rid of these politicians,” Trump said. “I mean, two days ago it was Kasich. They were gonna form an alliance and they were gonna collude and they were gonna get together, and then all of a sudden Kasich didn’t live up to his side of the deal and they’re fighting with each other. And now he’s doing the Carly thing. I just don’t see it. It’s awfully early, number one it’s very early. You’re not supposed to be doing it very early. But I don’t see it.”

Van Susteren then questioned who Trump had his mind as a VP pick, but Trump said he didn’t want to name anyone yet. “I have a lot of great people … but I’d like to finish the deal first.”

“You have to first get the nomination,” he added. “Here’s a guy picking a vice presidential candidate—he has zero chance, he has no path, it’s sorta crazy.”

Trump noted that after coming off of crushing defeats this week in the Acela primaries, at least the move got him in the news cycle.

Whether or not it will prove to help or hurt Cruz remains to be seen, but Trump seemed certain “people will not like it.”

As Guy noted on Wednesday, the “maneuver has the stench of a 'final throes' spasm from a campaign that fears it is doomed.”

Source

A Viewer Writes: Class Based Court System

No wonder Salisbury has one highest crime rates in the country and has the appearance of a slum in so many of its communities, and murders and fights are commonplace.

Citizens who are on fixed poverty level incomes can't who at end the end of the month struggle to have a few dollars left to buy bread can't qualify for a waiver of fees as pro se plaintiffs in this Wicomico courts without having to choose between doing without medical care or food.

It's shameful, its not the system most of us grew up with, clearly the system is very broken, if your poor or disabled its designed to be inaccessible, even the court house is handicap inexcusably to the physical barriers in the handicap reserved areas. Even wheel chairs are not made available in that area, and they should be.

Even if one chooses to do without and pay the fees is it worth it, if one can't get a fair hearing on fee waivers can one expect to get a fair hearing in their cause.

The Wicomico court system has shaken our trust, and we are left to fend for our rights without their help. We certainly no longer trust this court system to ask for justice. I guess that solves the fee waiver problem, as we are unlikely to seek justice in Wicomico because it does not appear to exist. Our trust in Wicomico Courts is forever shaken.

Trump Releases His Plan for 2nd Amendment... Leaves Millions Furious

One common criticism of billionaire businessman and presidential candidate Donald Trump is that he far too often speaks in vague generalities and rarely offers specifics about where he stands on the issues.

That is no longer the case, at least regarding his stance on gun rights and the Second Amendment, as Trump just released his official policy position on his campaign website.

“The Second Amendment to our Constitution is clear. The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed upon. Period,” the position paper began.

Trump went on to explain that the right to keep and bear arms is a right that pre-exists both the government and the Constitution, noting that government didn’t create the right, nor can it take it away.

He also rightly denoted the Second Amendment as “America’s first freedom,” pointing out that it helps protect all of the other rights we hold dear.

In order to protect and defend that right, Trump proposed tougher enforcement of laws that are already on the books, rather than adding new gun control laws.

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Richard Grenell: Trump's Foreign Policy Tough, Clear and a Challenge to Beltway Elites

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump delivered a 40-minute detailed foreign policy speech today highlighting his views on trade, terrorism, economic freedom, Iran and China. Trump used a teleprompter to articulate a clear vision in which he said he would implement a foreign policy "that replaces randomness with purpose" and where "the American people are first."

"We went from mistakes in Iraq to Egypt to Libya, to President Barack Obama’s line in the sand in Syria. Each of these actions have helped to throw the region into chaos, and gave ISIS the space it needs to grow and prosper," said Trump.

Trump made five key points, the first of which was that "U.S. resources are depleted." Trump blamed deficits, debt, low growth and open borders, saying America must "regain our financial independence and strength." Trump went on to chastise our allies for not paying enough for their own safety, claiming only four other countries in NATO pay the required 2% of GDP on defense spending. "Our allies must contribute toward the financial, political and human costs of our tremendous security burden or "the U.S. must be prepared to let these countries defend themselves."

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BREAKING: Norovirus Sickens 159 On Cruise Ship Headed To Baltimore

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Passengers on a cruise ship docked in Virginia have been sickened with norovirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the Balmoral, which is docked Friday in Norfolk, reports 159 crew and passengers have reported being sick. The ship operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines left Britain April 16.

A company spokeswoman, Ruth Burton, says conditions have improved and there are currently just seven guests in isolation. There are more than 1,400 passengers and crew aboard.

The CDC says it plans to have staff to evaluate the ship when it arrives in Baltimore on Saturday or Sunday.

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Our Rigged Republic: America Is Getting It

A GROWING NUMBER OF AMERICAS RECOGNIZE THE DECKS ARE STACKED AGAINST THEM

There’s a new Reuters/ Ipsos poll out this week lending credence to GOP frontrunner Donald Trump‘s contention that America’s presidential selection process is “rigged.”

You know … assuming that hasn’t been made abundantly clear by now.

Anyway, Trump’s view of the primary process – echoed by independent socialist U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders – is gaining significant traction among the American electorate.

According to the poll, 47.2 percent of Americans said they agreed with the following statement: The current system of presidential primaries and caucuses are ‘rigged’ against some candidates. By contrast, only 23.6 percent of respondents said they disagreed with that statement. The rest – 29.5 percent – said they were unsure.

For the visual learners among us (red, rigged; yellow, not sure; green, not rigged) …

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Carlson selling Hotel Group to Chinese Company

The company said China's HNA can better handle the industry's competitive pressures.

The Carlson Cos. said Wednesday that it has sold its Radisson chain and the rest of its hotel business to a Chinese conglomerate, as competitive pressures drive an ongoing consolidation of the hospitality industry.

The Carlson Hotel Group is one of the top-10 largest hospitality companies in the world, operating more than 1,400 hotels in more than 110 countries and territories. In addition to various Radisson brands, its portfolio includes Park Plaza Hotels and Country Inn and Suites.

But the company pointed to the “larger economics” of the industry in explaining the decision to sell to HNA Tourism Group, whose businesses span aviation, hospitality, finance and online services. HNA said in a prepared statement that it plans to “accelerate growth by investing substantially in the business.”

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REMINDER: Delmar Spring Carnival

Why in Heaven's Name Aren't Teeth Considered Part of Our Health?

It is estimated that 108 million Americans have no dental insurance.

When we talk about the successes and shortcomings of the Affordable Care Act, and health care in the U.S. in general, little attention is given to dental care. While the ACA defines dental coverage as an essential benefit for those under 18, insurers aren’t required to offer dental coverage for adults. Medicare, the nation’s largest insurer, doesn’t cover routine dental work. And coverage for adults through Medicaid varies from state to state.

It is estimated that 108 million Americans have no dental insurance, and that one in four nonelderly Americans has untreated tooth decay.

Oral health isn’t just about nice teeth. As the surgeon general noted in a 2000 report, oral health is intimately connected to general health and can be implicated in or exacerbate diabetes, heart disease and stroke, and complications during pregnancy.

The absence of comprehensive dental care exacts a toll on millions of Americans in terms of poor health, pain and the social stigma associated with bad teeth.

People desperately need dental care.

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Uncapping of the 1955 War Memorial cylinder In Salisbury

Saudi Arabia and 9/11: The Kingdom May Be in for a Nasty Shock

Authority is shifting, and the current king isn't handling it well.

Foreign leaders visiting King Salman of Saudi Arabia have noticed that there is a large flower display positioned just in front of where the 80-year-old monarch sits. On closer investigation, the visitors realised that the purpose of the flowers is to conceal a computer which acts as a teleprompter, enabling the King to appear capable of carrying on a coherent conversation about important issues.

One visiting U.S. delegation meeting with King Salman recently observed a different method of convincing visitors—or at least television viewers watching the encounter—that he can deal with the escalating crises facing Saudi Arabia. The king did not look at the group but at a giant television screen hanging from the ceiling of the room on which was appearing prompts. Simon Henderson, the Saudi expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who tells the story, writes that off to one side in the room was an aide who “furiously hammered talking points into a keyboard.”

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Oklahoma court: Oral sex not rape if victim unconscious from alcohol

TULSA, Okla., (UPI) -- An Oklahoma court has shocked local prosecutors by ruling that, according to state law, oral sex with an unconscious victim is not rape.

The state's criminal appeals court made the unanimous ruling late last month, setting off fierce opinions about how many of the country's laws have troublingly antiquated ideas about rape.

The ruling stems from a 2014 case of a 17-year-old boy allegedly assaulting a 16-year-old girl after offering to drive the girl -- who witnesses said was drunk and unconscious -- to her grandmother's house.

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Half Of Americans Believe The Presidential Nominating Process Is ‘Rigged’ And In Need Of Urgent Intervention, Claims New Poll [Report]

Half of Americans believe the presidential nominating system that parties use to select their nominees is “rigged,” and more than two-thirds would want the process changed, according to the results of a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

More than 47 percent people said that they believe that the presidential nominating system is “rigged” against particular candidates, according to the poll results, while only 23 percent people appeared to place full confidence in the system. Twenty-three percent of the voters said that they were “unsure” about the credibility of the nominating system.

The results of this new poll come as calls to put the electoral nominating system under increasing scrutiny have gathered pace over the last few days. Allegations of a “rigged” party culture, coupled with constant murmurs of voter suppression in various parts of the country during this nominating season, have called into question the very credibility of the system, and as the current poll shows, this belief is held by a wide share of the American public.

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