Hyatt Malware Attack Affected 3 Maryland Hotels

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—An investigation into a malware attack that hit hundreds of Hyatt Hotels is now complete, according to a report posted on the company’s website.

In the report, nearly 100 hotels in the United States, including three locations in Maryland, were among those affected by the breach.

The investigation identified signs of unauthorized access to payment card data from cards used onsite at certain Hyatt-managed locations, primarily at restaurants, between August 13, 2015 and December 8, 2015.

The company also says that a small percentage of the at-risk cards were used at spas, golf shops, parking, and a limited number of front desks, or provided to a sales office during this time period.

The malware was designed to collect payment card data: cardholder name, card number, expiration date and internal verification codes from cards used onsite as the data was being routed through affected payment processing systems.

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Poll Reveals Voters are Uninformed About Major Issues

What do voters truly understand about policy issues that have major impacts on society? In the final weeks of 2015, Just Facts commissioned a nationwide poll to scientifically determine this.

While most polls focus on public opinion, this one measured voters’ knowledge of issues that have substantial consequences for Americans. The poll consisted of 23 questions about education, healthcare, taxes, government spending, global warming, Social Security, energy, hunger, pollution, and the national debt.

Overall, the majority of voters gave the correct answer to only six of the 23 questions. This indicates that many voters may be casting ballots based on false views of reality.

The highest levels of ignorance were found on questions related to tax burdens, child hunger, landfills, education spending, Social Security finances, and health insurance copayments. In these cases, less than 25% of voters provided the correct answer, and in one case, only 9% of voters did.

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Instant Karma For Bike Thieves

Karma SEE FIRSTCredit: Twinztv
Posted by SEE FIRST on Tuesday, January 12, 2016

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Planned Parenthood sues group that exposed its trafficking of babies’ body parts

IRVINE, CA, (LifeSiteNews) - Planned Parenthood has filed a lawsuit against the organization that exposed their practice of receiving financial remuneration for collecting the body parts and tissues of aborted babies.

Planned Parenthood sued the Center for Medical Progress today, accusing the group of violating numerous state and federal laws, including the Federal Racketeering and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act - a law intended to prosecute the Mafia.

Its legal brief describes CMP as a "complex criminal enterprise conceived and executed by anti-abortion extremists" that engaged in "large-scale illegal taping" intended "to demonize Planned Parenthood, harass and intimidate its dedicated staff, and interrupt its operations, all with the ultimate goal of interfering with women’s access to legal abortion."

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MAN GETS BEATEN UP AFTER POSTING VIDEO OF HIMSELF HITTING DOG TO INTERNET

After Tom-Jan Hüsch’s girlfriend broke up with him, he decided to take revenge to an extreme level by violently hitting and punching the dog his girlfriend bought him as a present. Worst of all he decided to film it all and upload to Facebook.

This video was since removed from Facebook, however the video instantly went viral, attracting the attention of one man who decided to bring this little dog justice by tracking down Hüsch and inflicting the same pain to him that Hüsch inflicted on the poor, defenseless animal.

The guy also took a video of himself beating up Hüsch, which he later posted online as a warning to everyone that animal cruelty and abuse would not be tolerated in Germany.

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Trump Rents Iowa Theater to Show Benghazi Movie, Hands Out Free Tickets… Hillary Furious

This is a fantastic idea! Trump is brilliant… he should show this movie in every state and pay for it. It would be priceless marketing for him and Americans would eat it up. He’s willing to spend a billion dollars to win the presidency, so it would be a drop in the bucket. Donald Trump has rented out the Urbandale movie theater in Iowa and is giving away tickets for people to see “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” at 6 p.m. on Friday. You just have to RSVP. This has got to royally tick off Hillary Clinton. It sure makes me smile. Heh.

From The Des Moines Register:

Donald Trump has rented space at an Urbandale movie theater and will give Iowans free tickets to a showing of the Benghazi movie that critics of Hillary Clinton have been eagerly awaiting.

“Mr. Trump would like all Americans to know the truth about what happened at Benghazi,” the GOP presidential candidate’s Iowa co-chair Tana Goertz said Thursday night.

Trump will pay for the showing of “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” at 6 p.m. Friday at the Carmike Cobblestone 9 Theatre at 86th Street and Hickman Road, Goertz said.

“The theater is paid for. The tickets are paid for. You just have to RSVP,” she said.

The movie depicts the terrorist raid on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya on Sept. 11, 2012. It reportedly makes no mention of Clinton, then the U.S. Secretary of State, but has again raised the topic of the Democratic presidential candidate’s role in the tragedy, three months after Republicans grilled her on her response to the attacks during an 11-hour congressional hearing in October.

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If you have ever wonderd what goes on in a crab pot... sent my Gopro down today

If you have ever wonderd what goes on in a crab pot... sent my Gopro down today
Posted by Kyle Hansen on Monday, July 20, 2015

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Reinventing American Society

Societal changes take place so slowly that we rarely see them unfold on a day-to-day basis. But when we look back over any significant period of time, the scale of change is truly breathtaking.

Along with other baby boomers, I grew up in a world without email and where mobile phones were found only in Dick Tracey’s comic strip or in Maxwell Smart’s shoe. Boomers like me also remember record players before stereo, black-and-white television and waiting three days for photos to be developed.

Living through the ’70s, we had no idea we had no idea what was coming next. As Apple and Microsoft were being created, my college computer science class was still teaching us to use punch cards! Using a special machine, holes were punched on these stiff cards to essentially write a single line of code per card. The cards were then placed in a stack and fed into a computer through a card reader in a giant lab. Scheduling lab time was nearly impossible so turnaround times for even the simplest of programs were measured in days or weeks.

Archaic as it seems, IBM claims their cards held “nearly all of the world’s known information for just under half a century.” Still, by the end of the ’70s, it was possible to see faint hints of the changes to come.

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EOS lip balm faces possible class-action lawsuit

The maker of a lip balm touted by celebrities from Kim Kardashian to Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus is facing a lawsuit from a woman who claims she had a negative reaction to the lip balm.
Rachel Cronin claims the lip balm, EOS, caused her lips to flake after using it for the first time.

“Within 48 hours, my lips became extremely dry and irritated,” Cronin told ABC News. “They were flaking all around the outside.”

Cronin contacted EOS, which she says told her to seek medical attention, according to the lawsuit.

“I couldn’t fully open my mouth to eat because sometimes it would crack,” Cronin told ABC News. “I couldn’t smile fully because it would crack and bleed.”

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Can Babies Be Obese?

For babies carried to full term, birth weight is considered "normal" between about 6 pounds, 2 ounces and 9 pounds, 2 ounces. Given sustained concern about childhood obesity, I have wondered how early in life children may be at risk for extra weight.

Can babies be obese?

It was easy enough to debunk the absurd "news" that a year ago, an Australian woman gave birth to a 40-pound baby. More recent reports exist, sensationalized enough in their own right, like this one out of the U.K. worrying about "schoolgirls" who give birth to "obese babies."

How can we instead approach this topic scientifically, with a focus especially on babies in the U.S.?

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Police ban trailers from streets

Ramping up for 2016’s spate of vehicular events, the Ocean City Police Commission on Monday put in motion new parking restrictions, including a ban on trailer parking from public streets and lots without a permit.

Following discussions on how alleviate the negative impacts of motorcycle- and car-carrying trailers that block traffic on downtown streets or take up space in municipal lots, the commission endorsed the Ocean City Police Department’s recommended changes to the resort’s parking regulations.

Updates to the ordinance include jacking up the fine for violators from $30 to $250.

“The existing ordinance says that with very few exceptions that fines cannot exceed $30. There was talk at [earlier] police commission meetings that this should be a hefty fine for this violation,” said Capt. Kevin Kirstein.

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5 Ways Elite-College Admissions Squeeze Out Poor Kids

Take two 18-year-olds with equally stellar academic abilities. One comes from the socioeconomic bottom and one from the top. That lower-income student is one-third as likely to enroll in a selective college.

Often, when the media report on this phenomenon, known as undermatching, the focus is on the motivations of the students. Maybe low-income students think these schools are out of their league. In many cases, they fail to apply in the first place.

But a new report from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation takes a more pointed look at the other side of the table: the admissions policies of selective and elite colleges. (Note: The foundation is a supporter of NPR Ed.)

"Although neutral on its face," the report concludes, "the admissions process as it is implemented is actually skewed dramatically against the poor."

Among the examples cited in the report are:

1. Legacy preferences. At some colleges, if your father or grandmother went there, you are automatically advanced to the second round of admissions. The authors say this amounts to "affirmative action for the rich."

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Family seeking donations for Heather Byrd’s final wish

For the past eight years, Heather Byrd has been fighting acute lymphoblastic leukemia and on Dec. 29, she lost the battle.

Her final wish was to be laid to rest in Maui by her family, who are collecting donations for the trip on a Go Fund Me web page. As of Tuesday afternoon, $2,105 of the $5,000 goal has been raised by 38 people in 13 days.

“She is finally at peace, which is the only thing I get out of this,” said Ken Byrd, Heather’s father. “You cannot prepare. Knowing she is at peace and not having to worry about this again is my only relief.”

The family plans to fly out to Maui for six days during Heather’s birthday in April and spread her ashes in the waters along the north shore.

Seven people plan on making the trip to Hawaii, including her father and his wife, an aunt, her grandfather and her brother’s family.

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Environmental Groups Take On Chicken Manure In Maryland

A broad coalition of environmental groups is banding together during the 2016 Maryland General Assembly to support legislation requiring poultry companies to take responsibility for the manure their chickens produce. Excess manure can saturate farm fields and pollute local creeks, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay if not handled properly. The legislation will seek to protect Maryland farmers and taxpayers from costs that should be borne by the large poultry companies.

“I am pleased to be sponsoring the Poultry Litter Act this year,” said Senator Richard Madeleno (District 18). “We must come together to address the pollution issues in the Chesapeake Bay. This bill is about fairness and making sure that everyone does their part to mitigate pollution into our state’s iconic natural treasure.”

Legislation set to be introduced in the coming days will require poultry companies to remove and properly dispose of all poultry litter for which a chicken grower does not have state-approved plans.

“A responsible dog owner picks up after his or her dogs. Poultry companies must be responsible for cleaning up after their chickens,” said Alison Prost, Maryland Executive Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “The big companies own the birds, and control almost all aspects of the chicken production process, but they bear no responsibility for any manure left behind. Ensuring the excess manure is managed properly will help improve the quality of the Bay and the eastern shore rivers. ”

“For far too long, massive corporations like Perdue have raked in profits by forcing farmers, residents and the Chesapeake Bay to bear the burden of pollution from millions of pounds of excess chicken waste each year. The Poultry Litter Management Act would help shift responsibility for the number one source of water pollution in Maryland back where it belongs — onto the big chicken companies,” said Michele Merkel, Co-director, Food & Water Justice. “Food & Water Watch is proud to stand with the bill’s sponsors and a growing coalition of organizations and residents in support of the Poultry Litter Management Act.”

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Strike/ Demonstration @ Delmarve Power Yesterday

Joe,

I was driving past Delmarva Power in Salisbury yesterday morning and saw a very large crowd of men in reflective vests standing at the curb, handing out flyers (attached). From what I can decipher from the flyer handed to me, it is from the Asplundh workers and they seem to be members of the IBEW Union as per the footnote at the bottom of the page.

The complaint seems to be that they are somehow holding Delmarva power responsible for their having a lack of sick days, safety training, retirement plans, medical benefits, sick time, travel reimbursement and are being paid less than their mainland counterparts by their employer, which id Asplundh.

It seems to me that they are barking up the wrong tree here, no pun intended. Delmarva Power pays Asplundh for a service on a contractual basis, which I would think would be a result of a bid process won by the lowest bidder. It’s up to the Contractor, Asplundh, to decide what to do with the money after that. If the employees don’t like the pay and benefits, let them get the IBEW to negotiate a better deal for them from Asplundh.

Their flyer asks us customers to call DP and complain about something. What? That I want them to charge me higher rates and give the extra money to Asplundh ant tell Asplundh how to spend it???? I don’t think I’ll be doing that anytime soon!

These guys need to go look for better jobs if they’re not happy at their present employer, just as everyone else in the Country has the right to do!

Chipotle Closing All Restaurants For A Few Hours To Talk To Employees About E. Coli

After months of being repeatedly kicked in the butt by humiliating outbreaks of E. coli and norovirus outbreaks, Chipotle has decided it’s time to take a short breather to sit down with its employees to talk through this recent crisis.

Last week, we heard chatter on the Chipotle grapevine that stores were being closed for the day on Feb. 8 for some sort of meeting, but that staffers were being given no indication of what might be said. Store closings? Staffing changes? Updates to the menu?

We reached out to Chipotle for comment at the time and received no response. But today the Wall Street Journal confirms that stores will indeed be temporarily shuttered on Feb. 8, if only for a few hours.

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Wor. County joins MASSA to bring more sporting events

In an effort to use the region’s combined assets to attract and retain sports events, Worcester County has joined Ocean City and Wicomico County in the Mid-Atlantic Amateur Sports Alliance.

Donna Abbott, Ocean City tourism and marketing director, noting the agreement is the only one of its kind in the U.S., reviewed MASSA’s sports marketing work at the town’s tourism commission meeting on Monday, Jan. 11.

The crown jewel in the area’s amateur sports events is the United States Specialty Sports Association Girls Softball Eastern World Series. Held over a three-week period in July, the event draws nearly 400 teams to the region with an economic impact of just under $20 million, Abbott told the commission. It is also scheduled to return this year, she said.

Given time, newer sports events have the potential to grow into huge revenue earners for the region, just as the softball tournament has, starting as it did from humble roots, Abbott said.

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Most Scams Use The Same Three Underlying Tactics To Steal Your Money

From fraudsters bilking the elderly by posing as their cash-strapped grandkids, to fake lawyers defrauding immigrants in need of legal help, we’ve covered a wide range of scams on Consumerist. But while there are countless variations on these crimes, they are all based on the same few ideas.

And knowing the underlying science of scams can make it easier for consumers to spot and avoid the cons, according to our colleagues at Consumer Reports.

An examination of hundreds of recorded scam pitches by FINRA Investor Education Foundation found that most fraudsters use the same “hard-sell” techniques on their targets. But unlike pushy sales people at the mall who you can simply walk away from, scammers have other tools in their arsenal, such as being masters of persuasion and having the ability to appeal to one’s emotions.

So, while scams may evolve over time — taking on different targets and appealing to different emotions — most fraudsters subscribe to the same core strategies to lure in victims:

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Tri County Go Red Event February 4, 2016

Here is NY Daily's answer to Cruz's snip on New York City this morning

Well, I guess this is one way to sell a ton of papers. Notice how this paper is only $1.00 an issue, compared to the local Daily Times. At least the Daily News is loaded with page after page of news and information. 

What's For Dinner: Crock Pot Lasagna

Crock Pot Lasagna....

1 pound Ground Beef
Lasagna noodles
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Brown ground beef and drain. Spoon 1 C. spaghetti sauce in bottom of 4 quart crock pot. Mix remaining sauce with beef. Place 2 uncooked lasagna noodles on sauce in crock pot. Spread 1/3 meat mixture on top of noodles. Spread 3/4 C. cottage cheese over meat. Sprinkle 1/2 C. mozzarella cheese over cottage cheese. Add another layer of uncooked noodles, 1/3 meat mixture, the remaining cottage cheese and 1/2 C. mozzarella cheese. Place another layer of uncooked noodles, meat mixture, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. Cook on low for 4 hours.
If cooked much longer, it gets a bit well done.

Do You Remember This TV Show?

44 years ago, Emergency! premiered. 

It was a joint production of Mark VII Limited in association with Universal Television for NBC. It debuted as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, on NBC, replacing the two short-lived series The Partners and The Good Life, and ran until May 28, 1977, with six additional two-hour television films during the following two years.

Emergency! was created and produced by Jack Webb and Robert A. Cinader, both of whom were also responsible for the police dramas Adam-12 and Dragnet. Harold Jack Bloom is also credited as a creator; Webb does not receive screen credit as a creator in the show's original TV-movie pilot, being only credited as its director.
The series starred Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe as two specially-trained firefighters who formed Squad 51, part of a then-innovative field known as paramedics who were authorized to provide initial emergency medical care to victims of accidents, fire and other incidents in the field. The plot of the initial pilot film described the passing of state legislation, signed by Governor Ronald Reagan, and was called the The Wedsworth-Townsend Act. It allowed the creation of paramedic units. Squad 51 worked in concert with the (fictional) Rampart General Hospital medical staff (portrayed by Robert Fuller, Julie London, and Bobby Troup), who took over each patient's case from the paramedics who worked in the field.

Nearly 30 years after Emergency! debuted, the Smithsonian Institution accepted Emergency! memorabilia into its National History Museum, public-service section, including their helmets, turnouts, biophone, and defibrillator.
Source 

School Bomb Threats "B"

Growing Number of Police Chiefs, Sheriffs Join Call to Arms

It's Florida Sheriff Grady Judd's duty to protect the citizens of Polk County -- but he figures it's their job, too.

One of a growing number of rural and big-city law enforcement officials who openly encourages responsible gun ownership, Judd believes guns allow citizens to defend themselves when police cannot.

“If you are foolish enough to break into someone’s home, you can expect to be shot in Polk County,” Judd said in a statement after a homeowner shot a would-be home invader earlier this month. “It’s more important to have a gun in your hand than a cop on the phone."

Such full-throated embrace of the Second Amendment as a crime-fighting tool isn't confined to red states like Florida.

One California police chief is backing teachers in his district packing heat. Detroit Police Chief James Craig has been a leader in urging his community to arm itself. A Maryland sheriff is working with the state’s general assembly to try to make it easier for citizens to obtain handgun permits.

In the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence’s most recent ranking of states with the strongest gun laws, California (1), Maryland (4) and Michigan (15) ranked near the top of the pack.

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School Bomb Threats "A"

Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Arrest

Middletown, DE - Delaware State Police have arrested a Delmar man after a vehicle stop led to the discovery of nearly a pound of marijuana.

The incident occurred at approximately 6:10 p.m. last night, Thursday, January 14, 2016, as a Delaware State Trooper was on routine patrol on southbound Summit Bridge Road (DE Rt. 896) in the area of the Summit Bridge, Middletown. It was at this time that the trooper observed a 2004 Infiniti traveling at what appeared to be a high rate of speed. A stop of the vehicle was then conducted at which time the trooper came into contact with the operator, later identified as Freddie J. Rembert, 49, of Delmar, DE. As the trooper was speaking to Rembert, he noticed the strong odor of marijuana coming from within the interior of the car. The trooper then had Rembert, as well as a passenger in the car, later identified as Devon Cannon, 26, of Smyrna, exit the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle produced 19.9 grams of marijuana and approximately $17,453.00 in suspected drug sale proceeds inside of a satchel located on the back seat of the car. An additional 420 grams of marijuana was located inside of a duffel bag in the trunk of the car.

Freddie Rembert and Devon Cannon were then transported to Troop 9, Odessa, where after further investigation, it was determined that Rembert was the owner of the marijuana and the money. Rembert was subsequently arrested and charged with Possession with the Intent to Deliver Marijuana and Speeding. He was then arraigned at JP Court 11 and committed to the James T. Vaughn Correctional Institution in default of $10,100.00 cash bail.

Devon Cannon, who was found to be wanted for two court capiases, was also arraigned at JP Court 11. He was then committed to James T. Vaughn Correctional Institution for lack of $329.00 cash bail.

Man Charged with Aggravated Animal Cruelty in Death of Dog at State Park

 

A St. Mary’s County man was charged Tuesday with two counts of animal cruelty after he shot a dog and cut its throat at Newtowne Neck State Park on Christmas Day, the Maryland Natural Resources Police said.

Marcus S. Stauffer, 20, of Leonardtown was deer hunting from a tree stand when he saw the dog, a year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever, and shot it twice with a muzzleloader. He climbed down from the stand and cut the dog’s throat.

The dog and another retriever are owned by the ranger who lives at the park. The dogs, which wore collars and tags, were confined to a porch while the ranger patrolled the park but broke free.

The ranger found the one dog and, with along with a Natural Resources Police officer, searched the park for the second dog without success.

NBC Scrapped Story About Bill Clinton Rape Accuser Because She Didn’t Have ‘Anything New’ To Say

NBC News journalists — including veteran reporter Andrea Mitchell — conducted interviews last week with Juanita Broaddrick, the Arkansas woman who says Bill Clinton raped her in 1978, but decided not to go forward with a story, claiming that there was not “anything new” to report.

“When Juanita Broaddrick went public last week, NBC News sent an associate producer to Arkansas to see if there was anything new in her story. We established there was not, and decided not to pursue it any further,” an NBC spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.

Broaddrick, a 73-year-old retired nursing home administrator, spoke out on Twitter last Wednesday after 17 years of silence about the alleged rape.

“I was 35 years old when Bill Clinton, Ark. Attorney General raped me and Hillary tried to silence me. I am now 73…. it never goes away,” Broaddrick wrote in a tweet that has been shared 13,000 times.

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Obama: Michelle Will Not Run for President

It used to be that death and taxes were the only certain things in life, but for President Barack Obama there is a third: Michelle Obama will not run for president.

With Obama now in his final year in office, the focus naturally has shifted to who will succeed him. At a town hall event Thursday with Louisiana residents, Obama was asked if there's any chance he could talk the first lady into running.

His answer? An emphatic "no."

"There are three things that are certain in life: Death, taxes and Michelle is not running for president," he said. "That I can tell you."

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One Chart Shows How Incredible Hillary's Collapse Has Become

A new chart posted by The Washington Post shows in stark terms how severely Hillary Clinton is collapsing in the polls. It’s not simply comparable to 2008. It’s much, much worse.

While Clinton ultimately lost the nomination narrowly to Barack Obama in 2008, she actually held a national lead of about 20 points all the way up to the Iowa caucuses. This time around, her national lead is disintegrating with the caucuses still almost three weeks away.

Hillary Clinton's national lead is slipping faster in 2016 than it did in 2008 https://t.co/QPYUrkFke7 pic.twitter.com/ub9xkH6Ogf

— Chris Cillizza (@TheFix) January 14, 2016

Clinton’s situation in New Hampshire is also worse than in 2008. In 2008, she held a consistent lead in polls until immediately before the primary vote (and ultimately won the state). In 2016, Clinton has been trailing for over a month, with little improvement.

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Assault Weapons Improperly Bought for Park Rangers

A supervisor at the Mojave National Preserve in California violated policy by buying fully automatic assault rifles and dozens of flash-bang grenades, according to a federal study released Thursday.

A supervisory park ranger at the immense desert park northeast of Los Angeles bought nine Colt M-4 fully automatic rifles between 2008 and 2010, and 24 grenades some years later, according to a report from the inspector general's office from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The purchases violated park service policy, which specifies semi-automatic rifles and requires prior approval for defensive equipment, although the policy doesn't specifically mention flash-bang grenades, the report said.

The supervisor, who was not named in the report, acknowledged selecting the guns and allowing park rangers to carry them on duty for three years. They replaced aging and unreliable Vietnam-era rifles that rangers had been using on patrol, the report said.

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State Sen. Catherine Pugh will be 'right there' with paid sick leave bill again

State Sen. Catherine Pugh has confirmed what many businesses were already preparing to hear: She'll be pushing for her paid sick leave bill again this year.

Pugh, a Democrat who is Senate majority leader and is also running for mayor of Baltimore, shared some of her business-related priorities with me shortly after the Maryland General Assembly started its 2016 session Wednesday. They include a paid sick leave bill that died in committee last year and getting supermarkets in food deserts across the state.

Some employers and business groups have objected to the paid sick leave proposal, which would have required employers to provide workers with earned sick time, as an onerous mandate. But Pugh said she thinks it will help the state. She hopes President Barack Obama will stump for it when he visits Baltimore later this month. Obama has shown support for expanding paid sick leave in the past, and Pugh's support for the issue led to her being invited to the State of the Union last year.

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NBC Poll: Trump More Than Doubles National Lead Over Cruz

Donald Trump has more than doubled his lead over Ted Cruz in the latest NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll, but the Texas senator would beat the Republican front-runner by eight points in a hypothetical contest, according to results released Thursday.

Here is the breakdown of the national survey of 400 GOP primary voters:

Trump: 33 percent.
Cruz: 20 percent.
Marco Rubio: 13 percent.
Ben Carson: 12 percent.
Chris Christie and Jeb Bush: 5 percent each.
Carly Fiorina, John Kasich and Rand Paul: 3 percent each.
Mike Huckabee: 1 percent.

Trump's 13 percent lead over Cruz is more than double his 5 percent lead in a December survey.

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Md. mom wants law to protect certain auto dealers

WASHINGTON — A Maryland mom who lost her daughter in a crash is pushing for a state law that protects dealers who disclose potential safety issues with vehicles before they are recalled.

Laura Christian, of Harwood, is supporting two similar bills that will be presented in the coming weeks to the Maryland House of Delegates and the Senate.

“Dealerships would be able to tell consumers when they bring the car in, or through other notification, if their car has a potential safety issue on it, when it hasn’t gone to recall yet,” Christian said.

Right now, correspondence between dealers and manufacturers on issues seen with specific models are shared in Technical Service Bulletins or TSBs. While the bulletins are available to all car owners online, many dealers have agreements with manufactures not to share knowledge of TSBs unless owners ask about an issue according to Christian.

It was in 2004 that Laura Christian reconnected with the daughter she put up for adoption back in 1988. A year later, her daughter died in a crash after she lost control of her Chevy Cobalt in Charles County. Both alcohol and speeding were factors in the crash, The Washington Post reported in 2005.

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SUPERPOWERLESS!

A NEW WORLD ORDER …

You “can’t get killed where you ain’t.” And you can’t get captured where you ain’t, either …

But America – which still has dreams of being the indispensable global power – doesn’t seem to get that.

The recent capture of ten U.S. Navy sailors in waters claimed by Iran is an international embarrassment. The images of American military personnel on their knees? It is beyond humiliating – a testament to the “New World Order” into which our nation has somehow slipped.

If this is how U.S. soldiers are treated – imagine what they will do to unarmed American citizens?

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URGENT: Iran Frees Jason Rezaian and 3 Other US Inmates

"Based on an approval of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) and the general interests of the Islamic Republic, four Iranian prisoners with dual-nationality were freed today within the framework of a prisoner swap deal," the office of Tehran prosecutor said.

Jason Rezaian, Amir Hekmat, Saeed Abedini and a fourth American-Iranian national who were jailed in Iran on various charges in recent years have all been released.

According o the swap deal, the US has also freed 6 Iranian-Americans who were held for sanctions-related charges..

A senior Iranian legislator citing an IRGC report on Rezaian's case said in October that he has been imprisoned for his attempts to help the US Senate to advance its regime change plots in Iran.

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HELP WANTED: Outside Sales Representative

Jeb Bush: Donald Trump Is A “Jerk” Who Hates People With Disabilities

ESTABLISHMENT “REPUBLICAN” RE-TRAINS HIS FIRE ON GOP FRONTRUNNER

In advance of tonight’s “Republican” debate in North Charleston, S.C. – which our founding editor will be attending – former Florida governor Jeb Bush has come out with a new television advertisement.

(You know, because all of his previous advertisements have worked so well …)

Bush’s ad – entitled “Enough” – seizes on GOP frontrunner Donald Trump‘s recent mocking of a reporter who has a disability. Bush responded to Trump by calling him a “jerk.”

“Anybody (who) disparages people with disabilities, it sets me off,” Bush said during a recent town hall meeting in New Hampshire. “That’s why I called him a jerk.”

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A Viewer Writes: Wicomico Court House

I was in the circuit court today and a guy named Gerald Anthony Curtis took a Alford plea to first degree murder and was given a sentence of time served. He was originally convicted back in 1978 and was given life for the murder of a taxi driver. His co defendent actually went on to murder a correctional officer named Herman Toulson at the State penitentiary. For some reason his case was reopened and they offered him this plea. I found it strange like there was more to it or something. Also have heard none of this on any news. I'm sure that the original murder made big news back then.

Md. lawmakers looking to improve structured settlement law

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland’s attorney general and lawmakers are looking at ways to protect the public from bad deals offered by businesses that have bought legal settlements from lead poisoning victims, such as Baltimore’s Freddie Gray, at a steep discount.

David Nitkin, a spokesman for Attorney General Brian Frosh, said Frosh is working with lawmakers to ensure a court can only approve the transfer of structured settlements if it’s in the best interest of the settlement’s recipient. The attorney general also is working on a plan to better protect victims with more comprehensive regulation of the industry.

In a structured settlement, damages are awarded in personal injury or workers’ compensation cases over a period of time rather than one lump sum.

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Japan honors Hank Aaron with Order of the Rising Sun

ATLANTA (AP) — Japan honored former home run king Hank Aaron with one of its highest awards on Thursday, saying he is a symbol of its close relationship with the United States and their shared love of baseball.

The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette was presented during a ceremony and reception at the home of Japan's consul general in Atlanta, Takashi Shinozuka.

"It is an honor for Japan to have such a wonderful friend," Shinozuka said.

The 81-year-old Aaron was singled out for his long relationship with Japan's home run leader, Sadaharu Oh, and their efforts to bring young people together through the World Children Baseball's Fair, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Oh was unable to travel to Atlanta, but the 75-year-old sent videotaped remarks.

Aaron sat through most of the ceremony, next to his wife, Billye. He now must use a cane to get around after undergoing hip-replacement surgery.

"The communication between the two countries is great," Aaron said. "Baseball has always played a pivotal role in whatever happens in everyday life."

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ATM and overdraft fees top $6 billion at the big 3 banks

Ever taken out cash from an ATM machine and gotten socked with a $3 fee (or worse)? You probably weren't thrilled about that.

Nobody likes those fees. Except banks.

America's three biggest banks -- JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC) and Wells Fargo (WFC) -- earned more than $6 billion just from ATM and overdraft fees last year, according to an analysis by SNL Financial and CNNMoney.

That equates to $25 for every adult in the United States.

There's so much frustration over these fees that they have become a presidential campaign issue.

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EX-SECRET SERVICE AGENT: HILLARY USED PRIVATE EMAIL KNOWING IT WAS HACKED

"Not only was the email server hacked... but the Clintons knew it was hacked and they kept using it"

HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 1-16-16

Dentists

Today we can’t imagine the excruciating pain people went through before the age of painless dentistry. There was no such thing as “saving the tooth”. It just came out, usually by the local barber who doubled as the local solution to any dental problems you might have. This was done by pulling the aching tooth with a pair of pliers. They had something called laudanum they gave people for the pain. It was an opium preparation that was banned by the government at the turn of the 20th century. People took laudanum for any number of reasons because it took away any pain associated with anything. Must have been some powerful stuff.

With the introduction of Novocain, modern dentistry skills were practiced by medically approved dentists. The listings in Salisbury begin in 1878 with just two people listed as “dentists”. Since there was no “Dr.” in front of their name, they could just as well have been barbers who did the extraction of the offending tooth. There was even a Mrs. A. F. Colley listed in 1907 as a dentist. The first mention of Dr. before a name was in 1940 when an Afro-American named G. Durrett White was listed in the Salisbury Directory. I imagine it was just an omission that he was the only dentist listed. The number of dentists in Salisburyescalated to fourteen by 1950 to serve the needs of the community.

Nowadays, they recommend a visit to the dentist at around two years old. When I was growing up the first visit was when you got your first cavity. Around 1950, municipalities started introducing fluoride into the local water and that has been a blessing to the health of children’s teeth.

Losing your baby teeth is something everyone goes through. We are all familiar with the “tooth fairy”. I used to save every one of my boys’ teeth as they came out and put the customary quarter under their pillow in exchange for the tooth. Times sure change as my son told me a couple of years ago that my granddaughter lost her first tooth and he decided the tooth fairy should give out one of the new gold colored dollars instead of a quarter. The next morning his daughter came in to show him what the tooth fairy had left. She had never seen one of the coins and asked him what it was. When he told her it was a dollar and that he had only gotten a quarter when he was little. She told him that the tooth fairy must like her better than she had liked him.

There have been so many great innovations in dentistry today that there is no reason for anyone to not take advantage of them. Bonding is one thing that comes to mind. It is relatively inexpensive and can restore a tooth to its original appearance in quick order. Times change – sometimes for the better.

Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release 1-16-16

 

On Friday 1-15-16 at about 1224 Hrs. a bomb threat was called into Worcester county Schools targeting Stephen Decatur High School. Shortly afterwards a second threat was phoned into the school system targeting all Worcester County Schools.

A coordinated effort with the Worcester County Board of Education was established. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office drew on the resources in the area to begin an evacuation and search of each County School. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Maryland State Police, The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police, Maryland State Fire Marshal’s office, The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, Ocean City Police, Berlin Police, Ocean Pines Police, Snow Hill Police,  Pocomoke City Police, Worcester County Fire Marshal and the Ocean City Fire Marshal.

All Schools were evacuated and searched for any type of an explosive device. No devices were found in any School.
The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Bureau of investigation has assumed the investigation and will be drawing on all the resources available to determine the perpetrators of this crime.

IRS: You’ll Have Until April 18 To File Your Taxes This Year

Already stressing over doing your income taxes? You’ll have a few more days of breathing room before they’re due this year: the Internal Revenue Service has set a filing deadline of April 18.

Filing season opens Jan. 19, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said Thursday, adding that taxpayers will have a better customer service experience this season with an additional 1,000 representatives on hand to ease waiting times on information lines.

The $290 million approved by Congress last month to beef up taxpayer services will help with issues like hang-ups, which was a major problem last year — fewer than half of all calls were connected to a staff person. There’s also help available online, Koskinen notes.

“Using our website, IRS.gov, remains the best and quickest way for people to get information,” he said.

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Md. lawmaker wants to boost penalties for parents who let kids drink

WASHINGTON — Maryland Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo is a former police officer. He’s been on the scene of fatal crashes, and says the June deaths of two teenagers in an alcohol-related crash “brought it all back.”

The crash that killed Wootton High graduates Calvin Li and Alex Murk — both 18 years old — happened after the teens had been at a party where alcohol was provided. A parent was at the home at the time.

That parent, Kenneth Saltzman of North Potomac,pleaded guilty to furnishing alcohol to minors. He paid the maximum penalty: a fine of $5,000, which is $2,500 for each count.

The driver, Samuel Ellis, 19, of Gaithersburg, faces five charges, including vehicular manslaughter.

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New Medications For Treating Opioid Addiction Are On The Horizon

A new method of delivering medication for opioid addicts gained approval from a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel this week. It's a matchstick-like insert designed to slip under the skin and release a drug over a period of months. Some physicians say the implant will be a useful addition to the currently short lineup of medication-assisted treatment options.

The rod is called Probuphine, developed by the companies Braeburn Pharmaceuticalsand Titan Pharmaceuticals. It contains a medication called buprenorphine which the FDA approved for opioid addiction in 2002 and is currently widely in use. The FDA typically follows the advice of its advisory panels on approvals.

This molecule binds to opioid receptors in the body, but doesn't hit them as hard as something like heroin or morphine would. So it can reduce cravings without giving a full high. It's often taken in combination with a medication called naloxone, which negates the effect of any additional opiates and acts as an antidote for overdoses.

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History Lesson... learning something new every day

We older people need to learn something new every day...

Just to keep the grey matter tuned up.

Where did "Piss Poor" come from? Interesting history.

They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot.

And then once it was full it was taken and sold to the tannery...
if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor".
But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot...

They "didn't have a pot to piss in" and were the lowest of the low.

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.

Here are some facts about the 1500's

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June.. However, since they were starting to smell, brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.

Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water.

The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water,

Then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children.

Last of all the babies.

By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.
Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath.

It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof.

When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof.
Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.

This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed.

Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection.

That's how canopy beds came into existence.

Along With Assault And Arson, FBI Starts To Track Animal Abuse

The FBI will now track animal abuse the way it tracks arson or assault.

This could help save more animals — and, perhaps, people: Research has shown that animal abuse is often a precursor to other acts of violence. And tracking acts of violence against animals may help law enforcement intervene before that develops into violence against people.

John Thompson, deputy executive director of the National Sheriffs' Association, has been instrumental in moving this idea forward.

"It's data that gives that police chief and the sheriff valuable information to help them set up the way they police their community," he tells NPR's Scott Simon.

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Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

While it's been an incredible week with School Bomb Threats, we targeted the Wicomico County Sheriffs Department for not evacuating their public schools as well as not bringing in Bomb Dogs.

Through comments, it became  extremely evident, citizens were not happy about how things were handled. 

Yesterday Parkside received yet another bomb threat but this time things were completely different. The High School was not only evacuated, they brought in Bomb Dogs and followed the protocol all other counties on the Lower Shore had followed. 

Therefore we should give credit where credit is due. 

Get Ready for the Obama Crash of 2016

"With all of the quick fixes in our nation's economy, Americans may soon have to pay a heavy price. Holland expects that when the crash, which he refers to in his latest report as the "Greenspan Crash," occurs, the initial market pullback for the Dow will be 25 percent. A worst-case scenario, according to Holland, could resemble that of what happened in Japan last year with the Dow possibly dipping as low as 50-60 percent." - Ron Holland, 1/20/1999

The last time Ron Holland a noted investment expert, writer and former president of a broker/dealer firm licensed for business in 47 states gave a major stock market crash warning was 17 years ago. On January 20, 1999 Ron warned "Is the big crash coming" in an article on World Net Daily and his "Get Ready for the Greenspan Crash" and Dot.com bubble warning then is still online today here.

Well I'm Ron Holland and here I am 17 years later and I fear it is time for another crash warning. While markets are oversold and we could rally for a few days and any near term rallies could be quite dramatic on the upside. Still longer term I question the high valuations of global stock markets and the manipulated explosive strength of the US dollar. The world is in recession, oil will temporarily go lower as will the US dollar and no one knows what will happen in China or with the tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Now in looking back, I was actually not pessimistic enough in my warning back in 1999 as the Dot.Com heavy NASDAQ actually lost 78.4% falling from 5132.52 in March 2000 to 1108.49 in October 2002. But get ready as here we go again but I hope I'm wrong.

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Voters Say Terrorism Should Be Obama’s Chief Concern

Voters are increasingly critical of President Obama’s handling of national security issues and think he should focus on terrorism for the remainder of his time in the White House. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 12-13, 2016 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Dog Found 1-13-16 UPDATE

Found on Porter Mill Road. 

Call Jeff Little 

443-235-6114 

or 

254-393-6241

Joe,

Just wanted to give you a update on the yellow lab that i found on Porter Mill Rd. the other day. I've taken the dog to Wicomico Humane Society, the good news it had a chip in him and it looks promising that the owner will be found. Thanks again for the help.

EVO BREW JAM 2016

Tickets are on sale now for... "EVO BREW JAM 2016" Sat. January 30th noon til 4pm! Only $24.99 per person.   Includes unlimited eVo beer tastings and AYCE buffet! Buffet Includes:  "Build Your Own Grilled Cheese Station", French Bread Pizza, Hummus & Assorted Veggies, Public House Hash, Jalapeno Poppers, & House Made Brownies!  Order Now Online... http://evolutioncraftbrewingcom.ticketleap.com/evo-brew-jam/

Evolution Craft Brewing Company 201 East Vine Street Salisbury, MD 21804 www.evolutioncraftbrewing.com 443.260.2337

Registration Open for Wicomico Recreation’s Junior Girls Softball

(Salisbury, MD) Registration is now open for Junior Girls Softball and Li'l Miss T-Ball. The program offers six different leagues for girls ages 4-18 that focus on teaching softball skills, player participation, being part of a team and sportsmanship. Girls of all skill levels and experience are invited to join in the tradition.

Participants will be divided into the following leagues:

· Li'l Miss T-Ball: Ages 6 & Under (Born in 2009 or later)

· Ponytail Coach Pitch: 8 & Under (Born 2007 or later)

· Pre-Minor League: 10 & Under (Born 2005 or later)

· Minor League: 12 & Under (Born 2003 or later)

· Major I League: 14 & Under (Born 2001 or later)

· Major II League: 18 & Under (Born 1997 or later)

The Junior Girls Softball and Li'l Miss T-Ball seasons will begin in May and run through the end of June. Girls must bring their own glove, all other equipment will be provided. The program fee for Li'l Miss, Ponytail and Pre-Minor is $30; the fee for Minor and Major leagues is $35. Need-based scholarships are available.

Pitching clinics will be held for beginners on Wednesday, Feb. 10 and intermediate / advanced players on Thursday, Feb. 11 at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. Clinics are instructed by Salisbury University softball coach Margie Knight and members of the SU softball team. The registration fee is $15 for one session and $25 for two sessions.

Registration is available at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center (500 Glen Ave., Salisbury, MD; Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.) or online at www.WicomicoRecandParks.org. A special registration day will also be held at Dick's Sporting Goods on Saturday, February 6 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

For more information on Junior Girls Softball, contact Brian Workman at 410-548-4900 x105 or bworkman@wicomicocounty.org.

How Cool Is That

It's About Time

When You Must Cover Your Face

Federal waste: DoD spends $1.1M to peek inside puppies’ heads

Former Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) may not work in Congress any longer, but his government waste-fighting legacy lives on.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Jan. 7 unveiled his fourth installment of his “America’s Most Wasted”report, a tribute to Coburn’s annual “wastebook,” a list of head-scratching uses of taxpayer dollars.

“With spending habits like these, Washington should have only one New Year’s resolution in 2016 — to end this dangerous credit addiction,” McCain said. “Unless we act now to put our fiscal house back in order, future generations will bear the burden for our grave mistakes.

Since Coburn’s retirement in 2015, several members of Congress have taken up iconic federal spending report, including Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)

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