DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Hillary: I'd Appoint Obama to Supreme Court
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is open to the idea of nominating President Barack Obama for a seat on the Supreme Court, she said Tuesday, responding to a question at an Iowa town hall.
“I will certainly take that under advisement,” she said in Decorah, responding to a man’s recommendation. “I mean, he's brilliant, he can set forth an argument and he was a law professor, so he’s got lots of credentials.”
She acknowledged that there might be a few obstacles in the way, first and foremost whether Obama would want the job after eight years in the White House. “He may have a few other things to do,” she said, “but I’ll tell you, that’s a great idea.”
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“I will certainly take that under advisement,” she said in Decorah, responding to a man’s recommendation. “I mean, he's brilliant, he can set forth an argument and he was a law professor, so he’s got lots of credentials.”
She acknowledged that there might be a few obstacles in the way, first and foremost whether Obama would want the job after eight years in the White House. “He may have a few other things to do,” she said, “but I’ll tell you, that’s a great idea.”
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Americans using 8 Year Loans to buy Fancier Cars
At Shaun Del Grande’s car dealerships in the San Francisco Bay Area, the salespeople sometimes find themselves trying to convince shoppers to buy less car, spend more cash, and use more traditional financing.
That might seem like an unusual sales tactic to those familiar with car-dealer stereotypes. But it reflects a change in the way many buy cars: Longer loans — for six, seven, or even eight years, rather than the traditional five — are more common, tempting buyers to take on more debt to buy more expensive vehicles.
Over the last 10 years, the length of the average car loan has risen above 68 months, driven by cheaper financing, lower interest rates, and postrecession demand. Six-year loans are “very common right now,” said Edmunds.com analyst Jessica Caldwell.
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That might seem like an unusual sales tactic to those familiar with car-dealer stereotypes. But it reflects a change in the way many buy cars: Longer loans — for six, seven, or even eight years, rather than the traditional five — are more common, tempting buyers to take on more debt to buy more expensive vehicles.
Over the last 10 years, the length of the average car loan has risen above 68 months, driven by cheaper financing, lower interest rates, and postrecession demand. Six-year loans are “very common right now,” said Edmunds.com analyst Jessica Caldwell.
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Maryland Democrats Should Support Redistricting Reform
In order to see bipartisan redistricting reform in Maryland, it's going to take a bipartisan effort by those in Annapolis. Sadly, we're not sure that the willingness is there from the Democratic majority, which isn't in any hurry to lose its stranglehold on state politics. However, if the election of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan was a sign that the tide is turning in Maryland, perhaps they should consider it.
Hogan, who has been outspoken about redistricting reform since before he took office, on Tuesday introduced legislation that would replace the current, governor-led redistricting process with a nonpartisan Apportionment Commission that would be required to base the districts on "population, compactness and natural boundaries … as opposed to politics and partisanship," according to a news release from the Governor's Office. The bill is expected to be formally introduced to the General Assembly today, along with a few others the governor identified as priorities.
Carroll County has certainly felt the effects of the last go-around of both congressional and legislative redistricting. Long a part of the 6th Congressional District with politically similar Western Maryland counties, Carroll was severed into two districts — one represented by the lone Maryland Republican in Congress, Andy Harris, the other by left-leaning Chris Van Hollen. Nevermind that the redrawn 6th District produced another Democrat in Congress. Legislative districts were redrawn here as well, giving Howard and Frederick counties more say in Districts 4 and 9, both of which include slivers of Carroll County.
And that's not even the worst of it. Maryland's 3rd Congressional District is considered one of the most gerrymandered in the nation, once referred to as being the shape of a broken-winged pterodactyl.
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Hogan, who has been outspoken about redistricting reform since before he took office, on Tuesday introduced legislation that would replace the current, governor-led redistricting process with a nonpartisan Apportionment Commission that would be required to base the districts on "population, compactness and natural boundaries … as opposed to politics and partisanship," according to a news release from the Governor's Office. The bill is expected to be formally introduced to the General Assembly today, along with a few others the governor identified as priorities.
Carroll County has certainly felt the effects of the last go-around of both congressional and legislative redistricting. Long a part of the 6th Congressional District with politically similar Western Maryland counties, Carroll was severed into two districts — one represented by the lone Maryland Republican in Congress, Andy Harris, the other by left-leaning Chris Van Hollen. Nevermind that the redrawn 6th District produced another Democrat in Congress. Legislative districts were redrawn here as well, giving Howard and Frederick counties more say in Districts 4 and 9, both of which include slivers of Carroll County.
And that's not even the worst of it. Maryland's 3rd Congressional District is considered one of the most gerrymandered in the nation, once referred to as being the shape of a broken-winged pterodactyl.
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Time for Maryland to Get Rid of 'Broken-Winged Pterodactyl' Electoral Districts
FOR THE first time in years, Maryland has a real opportunity to shed its grotesquely gerrymandered electoral districts, for both Congress and the state legislature, and replace them with maps drawn by an independent commission whose purpose would be to elevate the interests of voters over those of insider politicians. Incumbent Democrats, who rule the roost in the status quo, are threatening to block just such a change, in the form of a constitutional amendment proposed Tuesday by Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican. They would be foolish to do so.
It’s not hard to make the case for redistricting reform in Maryland, where Democrats enjoy a 2-to-1 advantage in voter registration but a 7-to-1 advantage in the state’s eight-member congressional delegation. Unsurprisingly, Democratic incumbents are happy with this arrangement; Republicans, to say nothing of anyone who values genuine democratic competition, fair elections and a robust two-party system, correctly see a rigged system.
Mr. Hogan has said Maryland’s electoral maps, variously likened to a “blood spatter from a crime scene,” a “broken-winged pterodactyl” and a praying mantis, are an embarrassment to the state. His answer was to establish a commission to propose an overhaul to the current system, which it did in the fall.
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It’s not hard to make the case for redistricting reform in Maryland, where Democrats enjoy a 2-to-1 advantage in voter registration but a 7-to-1 advantage in the state’s eight-member congressional delegation. Unsurprisingly, Democratic incumbents are happy with this arrangement; Republicans, to say nothing of anyone who values genuine democratic competition, fair elections and a robust two-party system, correctly see a rigged system.
Mr. Hogan has said Maryland’s electoral maps, variously likened to a “blood spatter from a crime scene,” a “broken-winged pterodactyl” and a praying mantis, are an embarrassment to the state. His answer was to establish a commission to propose an overhaul to the current system, which it did in the fall.
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Another Viewer Writes: Where's Megyn
Did she get the Trump flu all of a sudden? Gosh! So sorry! I guess since she had no other agenda tonight, there was no use in showing up for the Trumpfest~ LOL!
This is one of the best discussions to happen in this election cycle. I’ll say here and now, Fox has adjusted their format and made tonight’s debate much better than the last display of ignorance.
FOX has been TRUMPED!
A Viewer Writes: Just confirmed
Santorum and Huckabee, instead of staying for the second debate are at Trump's Rally instead. Thought you'd get a chuckle out of that one!
Amazing!
He Just High-Fived A Little Boy...Now Watch What Happens A Few...He Just High-Fived A Little Boy...Now Watch What Happens A Few Seconds Later
Posted by Amazing on Monday, January 18, 2016
People Are Outraged That A White Actor Is Going To Play Michael Jackson In A New Film
Joseph Fiennes will play the King of Pop in a British film about him taking a road trip with Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando in order to escape New York after 9/11.
Fiennes confirmed his role during an interview this week.
“I got the script the other day,” Fiennes said. “It’s a challenge. It’s a comedy.”‘
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Donald Trump Campaign Rally in Des Moines, Iowa TONIGHT at 9:00 PM
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, instead of participating in a Fox News debate with the other Republican presidential candidates.
THIS PROGRAM HAS NOT YET AIRED
Airing LIVE Thursday, Jan 28 9:00pm EST on C-SPAN
THIS PROGRAM HAS NOT YET AIRED
Airing LIVE Thursday, Jan 28 9:00pm EST on C-SPAN
OCPD Press Release 1-28-16 (Robo call)
Bomb Threats At Three Locations In Worcester County Tonight
Guy With USELESS Degree From $62,965-A-Year College Is REALLY SAD About His Student Loans, You Guys
The bitter, billowing borrower is Samuel Garner — currently a bioethicist at a Washington, D.C. nonprofit.
Garner’s tale of woe and world-historical budgetary stupidity begins — as he tells it, in excruciating detail — when he was a high school senior. He was a “consumer” of the “vacuous platitudes” on college brochures, and so he excitedly applied to Connecticut College — a school which currently charges a comprehensive fee of $62,965 per year.
“My siblings and I had the privilege of expecting we would attend private colleges,” Garner explains, even though his family had become “financially stressed” when he was in high school.
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Will America survive?
by Joe David
Something is happening to America and there is a fear of impending disaster in the air.
For nearly eight years, the Obama Administration shamelessly exploited popular issues, turning them into major news stories whenever they suited a political purpose. It didn’t really matter what the issue was (race, religion, or border), or where it occurred (Benghazi, Libya, or Ferguson, Missouri). The intention was always the same: to weaken America by damaging its image and resolve.
While the president played golf or distracted the public with chatter about global warming or gun control, his supporters used issues like “Black Lives Matter,” “Sanctuary Cities,” “Broken Borders,” “The Rise of ISIS,” and more to create crises that would force America to redefine its role in the world. To accelerate the process, lawless citizens surfaced from their subterranean dwellings to make enormous demands on the country. Whether they were leaders, neighbors, friends, or even students, each one in his own voice supported the same thing: something for nothing – without the slightest concern for the consequences.
For the full story, visit: HERE
Something is happening to America and there is a fear of impending disaster in the air.
For nearly eight years, the Obama Administration shamelessly exploited popular issues, turning them into major news stories whenever they suited a political purpose. It didn’t really matter what the issue was (race, religion, or border), or where it occurred (Benghazi, Libya, or Ferguson, Missouri). The intention was always the same: to weaken America by damaging its image and resolve.
While the president played golf or distracted the public with chatter about global warming or gun control, his supporters used issues like “Black Lives Matter,” “Sanctuary Cities,” “Broken Borders,” “The Rise of ISIS,” and more to create crises that would force America to redefine its role in the world. To accelerate the process, lawless citizens surfaced from their subterranean dwellings to make enormous demands on the country. Whether they were leaders, neighbors, friends, or even students, each one in his own voice supported the same thing: something for nothing – without the slightest concern for the consequences.
For the full story, visit: HERE
30 Yrs Ago
"Sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons," President Ronald Reagan said on January 28, 1986, addressing the nation after the space shuttle Challenger exploded on live television. "The future doesn't belong to the faint-hearted. It belongs to the brave." More of CBS News' Challenger coverage from 1986: http://cbsn.ws/20vUS57
Posted by CBSN on Thursday, January 28, 2016
Jan. 28, 1986: Challenger disaster plays out on live TV
On January 28, 1986, 1 minute and 13 seconds after liftoff, space shuttle Challenger exploded as thousands watched the launch in person and on television. All seven astronauts on board were killed.
It became one of the most iconic live breaking news events in television history.
"This is one of the first big ones," said Stacey Schulman, a media analyst with Katz Television Group. "It is one of those moments, particularly for the current generation, where they say 'where were you when?'"
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Quote of the Day
"The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny."
-- James Madison
(1751-1836), Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th US President
-- James Madison
(1751-1836), Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th US President
Maryland Amber's Bill would track domestic violence offenders
"Amber's mom stated that they did everything that was supposed to be done: changing the locks, etc. The Police Department was around the corner from her house. They sat outside the home for most of the time after the first incident. Her mom said she was a fighter. She stood up to the judge with her bandaged hands. She said mom, 'I was looking into the eyes of a killer,'" Shinault's best friend Jaime Boswell said.
The order was supposed to keep Kulger away, but police said he broke through a basement door and killed Schinault by slashing her throat.
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OUR VIEW: Problem? Seal it with a kiss
In the end, it all boils down to education. And anyone who needs a common sense solution to a nagging problem should look no further than the big to-do over the Whitesboro village seal.
The seal is a poorly drawn rendering of a wrestling match that supposedly took place way back when between Whitesboro founder Hugh White and an Oneida chief. Yes, it looks like White is strangling the Oneida. An altered version done in the 1970s isn’t much better.
Contrary to what some would argue, this seal was never about racism. Those who pushed that agenda need to get over it.
Nevertheless, The Daily Show got wind of it — no big scoop, the controversy has been bubbling to the surface now and then for many years — and decided it’d make a funny. Ha. Ha. It aired last Thursday on Comedy Central and gleaned national attention, putting Whitesboro on the nasty map and embarrassing the good people in that community.
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The seal is a poorly drawn rendering of a wrestling match that supposedly took place way back when between Whitesboro founder Hugh White and an Oneida chief. Yes, it looks like White is strangling the Oneida. An altered version done in the 1970s isn’t much better.
Contrary to what some would argue, this seal was never about racism. Those who pushed that agenda need to get over it.
Nevertheless, The Daily Show got wind of it — no big scoop, the controversy has been bubbling to the surface now and then for many years — and decided it’d make a funny. Ha. Ha. It aired last Thursday on Comedy Central and gleaned national attention, putting Whitesboro on the nasty map and embarrassing the good people in that community.
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Poaching deer in Maryland could become quite expensive
Senate Bill 266 will receive a first reading on Feb. 9 by the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee.
The amount of restitution would be based on the size of the deer's antlers and could increase if the guilty party chooses not to perform 80 hours of community service.
"Poaching is a real problem on private land and we felt like we needed fines large enough to get a poacher's attention," said Sen. Johnny Ray Salling, R-Baltimore County, one of the sponsors. "If a guy owns five acres and he and his friends hunt on it, he doesn't want to go out on the morning of the hunt and find a deer carcass that somebody shot."
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Reporters Barred From Hillary's Wall Street Speeches
Reporters were routinely prohibited from covering former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s speeches before some of the nation’s most exclusive Wall Street financial investment firms, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation.
The list of Wall Street firms that barred reporters from covering her speeches reads like Who’s Who of the country’s largest and most prestigious wealth management companies. Those confirmed by TheDCNF to have excluded reporters include: the Goldman Sachs Group, UBS Wealth Management, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts and Company, the Carlyle Group, Apollo Management Holdings, Fidelity Investments, Morgan Stanley and Golden Tree Asset Management.
Combined, the companies represent $10.5 trillion of assets under management.
These off-the-record speeches were delivered after Clinton left the Department of State as the nation’s chief diplomat in early 2013, but before she announced her second bid for the White House in April 2015, according to TheDCNF investigation.
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The list of Wall Street firms that barred reporters from covering her speeches reads like Who’s Who of the country’s largest and most prestigious wealth management companies. Those confirmed by TheDCNF to have excluded reporters include: the Goldman Sachs Group, UBS Wealth Management, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts and Company, the Carlyle Group, Apollo Management Holdings, Fidelity Investments, Morgan Stanley and Golden Tree Asset Management.
Combined, the companies represent $10.5 trillion of assets under management.
These off-the-record speeches were delivered after Clinton left the Department of State as the nation’s chief diplomat in early 2013, but before she announced her second bid for the White House in April 2015, according to TheDCNF investigation.
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Texas dad who took away daughter’s phone not guilty of theft
A judge in Dallas found Ronald Jackson not guilty Tuesday, citing insufficient evidence.
Grand Prairie police arrested Jackson a few hours after he commandeered his daughter’s cellphone and refused to return it. The 36-year-old father says a text he found on the phone was rude.
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What's For Dinner: Taco-Stuffed Peppers
Taco-Stuffed Peppers
Posted by Tasty on Friday, December 25, 2015
Here's what you need:
6-8 Medium/Large Bell Peppers - ensure they have a flat base so they will stand up when cooking
1 lb Ground Beef
1 Medium Yellow Onion - Diced
1 Can Black Beans - Drained
1 Cup Cooked Brown Rice
1 Cup Frozen Corn
1 Jar Medium Chunky Salsa
1 Packet (about 2 Tbsp.) of Taco Seasoning Mix*
1 1/2 - 2 Cups Grated Cheddar/Mexican Blend Cheese
Optional: Guacamole and Sour Cream to finish
*To make your own Taco Seasoning at home: (note: makes more than needed for this recipe)
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Corn Starch
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Oregano
Clinton's paid speech problem goes beyond Goldman Sachs
Hillary Clinton's paid speeches to Goldman Sachs have become a liability on the campaign trail, with her chief rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, using them to illustrate her close ties to Wall Street.
Critics contend the dozens of special interest groups and corporations that paid Clinton hefty fees to appear at their events did so in an effort to buy access with the candidate before her White House bid, a suggestion Clinton denies.
But a Washington Examiner review of Clinton's financial disclosure forms reveals most of the groups that paid Clinton for speeches in 2013 and 2014 were also lobbying the government at the same time, raising questions about their motives for paying such generous sums directly to a former secretary of state and future presidential candidate.
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Critics contend the dozens of special interest groups and corporations that paid Clinton hefty fees to appear at their events did so in an effort to buy access with the candidate before her White House bid, a suggestion Clinton denies.
But a Washington Examiner review of Clinton's financial disclosure forms reveals most of the groups that paid Clinton for speeches in 2013 and 2014 were also lobbying the government at the same time, raising questions about their motives for paying such generous sums directly to a former secretary of state and future presidential candidate.
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DEMOCRATIC DEBATE TOTALLY STAGED: CNN HAS AUDIENCE PRACTICE APPLAUSE, PRE-SUBMITTED QUESTIONS PLANTED
Witness the mind numbingly cripplingly boring sterility Washington politics projects onto the world
In order to fit in with the sterile, pre-packaged scripted fake media driven world we live in today, CNN staged every aspect of last night’s Democratic debate, planting prepared questions in the audience, and even having them practice clapping the candidates before the “show” began.
Politicians, and particularly Presidents, are supposed to be able to react on the fly to the most unexpected of events and situations, but it seems that we’re now firmly in the age of the teleprompter President.
Rarely anything you see anymore is spontaneous or improvised. Everything HAS to go off exactly as planned and without a hitch. Everything is one giant PR program designed to hook mainstream America in and deliver exactly what the powers that be think it wants.
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In order to fit in with the sterile, pre-packaged scripted fake media driven world we live in today, CNN staged every aspect of last night’s Democratic debate, planting prepared questions in the audience, and even having them practice clapping the candidates before the “show” began.
Politicians, and particularly Presidents, are supposed to be able to react on the fly to the most unexpected of events and situations, but it seems that we’re now firmly in the age of the teleprompter President.
Rarely anything you see anymore is spontaneous or improvised. Everything HAS to go off exactly as planned and without a hitch. Everything is one giant PR program designed to hook mainstream America in and deliver exactly what the powers that be think it wants.
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2 Abortion Foes Behind Planned Parenthood Videos Are Indicted
HOUSTON — A grand jury here that was investigating accusations of misconduct against Planned Parenthood has instead indicted two abortionopponents who made undercover videos of the organization.
Prosecutors in Harris County said one of the leaders of the Center for Medical Progress — an anti-abortion group that made secretly recorded videos purporting to show Planned Parenthood officials trying to illegally profit from the sale of fetal tissue — had been indicted on a charge of tampering with a governmental record, a felony, and on a misdemeanor charge related to purchasing human organs.
That leader, David R. Daleiden, 27, the director of the center, had posed as a biotechnology representative to infiltrate Planned Parenthood affiliates and surreptitiously record his efforts to procure tissue for research. Another center employee, Sandra S. Merritt, 62, was indicted on a felony charge of tampering with a governmental record.
The record-tampering charges accused Mr. Daleiden and Ms. Merritt of making and presenting fake California driver’s licenses, with the intent to defraud, for their April meeting at Planned Parenthood in Houston.
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Prosecutors in Harris County said one of the leaders of the Center for Medical Progress — an anti-abortion group that made secretly recorded videos purporting to show Planned Parenthood officials trying to illegally profit from the sale of fetal tissue — had been indicted on a charge of tampering with a governmental record, a felony, and on a misdemeanor charge related to purchasing human organs.
That leader, David R. Daleiden, 27, the director of the center, had posed as a biotechnology representative to infiltrate Planned Parenthood affiliates and surreptitiously record his efforts to procure tissue for research. Another center employee, Sandra S. Merritt, 62, was indicted on a felony charge of tampering with a governmental record.
The record-tampering charges accused Mr. Daleiden and Ms. Merritt of making and presenting fake California driver’s licenses, with the intent to defraud, for their April meeting at Planned Parenthood in Houston.
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I'm Turning My Comment Into A Post
This is about FOX NEWS and all other media outlets.
Look, Trump is simply saying, (and he openly admits he hates the main stream media) you claim to be fair and balanced, either do just that or I'm not participating.
Megyn Kelly broke that mold and Trump isn't scared of her, he just refuses to be treated poorly.
LOOK, it was OK for Barrie Tilghman and Jim Ireton to cut off the Daily Times and refuse to do interviews with them. Trump is running for President of the United States, these piss ant reporters are not and they need to show far more respect.
Trump is funding his own campaign and he has every right to stand up to ANY news source. He's not bought by corporate America or special interests and he does not depend on their financial support. This has NEVER happened before.
So YOU and FOX News and all the rest of them need to get your heads out of your rear ends and realize this is not about Megyn Kelly.
Maryland is spending $97.8 million toward new Baltimore buses
Maryland's Board of Public Works approved spending $97.8 million in federal funds to buy the buses, 40-foot "clean diesel" models from Winnipeg, Manitoba-based New Flyer Industries. The Maryland Transit Administration contracted a price of $556,774 per bus, plus additional costs for services like training.
Only one company bid to meet the state's timeline requirements and design needs. But the buses are sorely needed after Maryland skipped an annual bus replacement last year, according to MTA Administrator and CEO Paul Comfort.
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BACKDOOR GUN CONTROL: DOCTORS – NOT PSYCHOLOGISTS – TO SCREEN ALL ADULTS FOR DEPRESSION
State police already confiscated veteran's guns over insomnia
All doctors – not just psychiatrists – should screen adults for depression, according to a government task force, a recommendation which opens the door to backdoor gun control.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said that health workers should ask patients questions to determine if they have symptoms of depression, even if the patients don’t initially bring them up.
“The USPSTF recommends screening in all adults regardless of risk factors,” the task force paper stated.
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All doctors – not just psychiatrists – should screen adults for depression, according to a government task force, a recommendation which opens the door to backdoor gun control.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said that health workers should ask patients questions to determine if they have symptoms of depression, even if the patients don’t initially bring them up.
“The USPSTF recommends screening in all adults regardless of risk factors,” the task force paper stated.
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New York village’s trail of cancer leads to tap-water probe
HOOSICK FALLS, NY — After his factory-worker father died a painful death from kidney cancer at age 68 in 2013, Michael Hickey made it his mission to find out why so many people in his hometown along the Hoosic River were getting sick.
Two years later, the US Environmental Protection Agency has warned residents of Hoosick Falls not to drink or cook with water from municipal wells, and a plastics plant has agreed to install a $2 million carbon filtration system at the village water treatment plant.
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Two years later, the US Environmental Protection Agency has warned residents of Hoosick Falls not to drink or cook with water from municipal wells, and a plastics plant has agreed to install a $2 million carbon filtration system at the village water treatment plant.
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JUST IN: Disneyland Paris: Man arrested carrying two guns
The man, reportedly aged 28 and not known to security services, was also discovered with a copy of the Koran and a box of ammunition, police said.
He was stopped by security teams while entering the hotel at the much-visited theme park.
France remains in a state of emergency following the deadly Islamist attacks in Paris in November last year.
So-called Islamic State said it carried out the co-ordinated assaults that left 130 people dead.
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SENATOR WARNS: MARTIAL LAW BILL INTRODUCED
“It is essentially a declaration of international martial law"
A new bill making its way through Congress contains “dangerous and unprecedented” language that could be considered a “declaration of international martial law,” a US senator warned last Thursday.
A new bill making its way through Congress contains “dangerous and unprecedented” language that could be considered a “declaration of international martial law,” a US senator warned last Thursday.
Clinton refuses to admit email handling was 'error in judgment'
DES MOINES — With only a week standing between her and the Iowa caucuses, Hillary Clinton refused to call her handling of her State Department emails an "error in judgment."
The former secretary of state's claim came as she looked to break away from Sen. Bernie Sanders to potential caucus-goers Monday night at CNN's Democratic town hall forum, during which she was pressed over her handling of emails, her trustworthiness, and Benghazi.
"I'm not willing to say it was an error in judgment," Clinton told CNN's Chris Cuomo. "Nothing I did was wrong. It wasn't in any way prohibited."
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The former secretary of state's claim came as she looked to break away from Sen. Bernie Sanders to potential caucus-goers Monday night at CNN's Democratic town hall forum, during which she was pressed over her handling of emails, her trustworthiness, and Benghazi.
"I'm not willing to say it was an error in judgment," Clinton told CNN's Chris Cuomo. "Nothing I did was wrong. It wasn't in any way prohibited."
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House Dems, Who Delivered For Obama, Now Diminished Minority
So as Obama addresses House Democrats gathered in Baltimore this week for an “issues retreat” emphasizing party unity and team spirit, it’s likely to be a bittersweet experience for many.
Obama’s House allies are in far worse shape politically than they ever imagined they would be at the dawn of his first term, when successive electoral romps in 2006 and 2008 gave them a whopping 257-178 seat edge in the House. Obama and then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., used that majority to push through an economic stimulus package, the most far-reaching overhaul of health care since Medicare and Medicaid and a revamp of regulation of the financial services industry.
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Toxic exposures caused illness in gulf war veterans, new report says
Twenty-five years after 700,000 U.S. troops fought and won the first Gulf War with remarkably low casualties, research "clearly and consistently" shows that exposure to pesticides and other toxins caused Gulf War Illness, a complex and debilitating disorder that affects as many as 250,000 of those deployed, according to a new report led by a Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researcher.
In a special issue of the journal Cortex that coincides with the 25th anniversary of the war, Roberta White, professor of environmental health at BUSPH, and colleagues from a dozen other institutions comprehensively review studies on Gulf War Illness (GWI), especially those since 2008. They conclude that exposure to pesticides and ingestion of pyridostigmine bromide (PB) - prophylactic pills intended to protect troops against the effects of possible nerve gas—are "causally associated with GWI and the neurological dysfunction in Gulf War veterans."
The research team also cites multiple studies showing a link between veterans' neurological problems and exposure to the nerve-gas agents sarin and cyclosarin, as well as to oil well fire emissions.
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In a special issue of the journal Cortex that coincides with the 25th anniversary of the war, Roberta White, professor of environmental health at BUSPH, and colleagues from a dozen other institutions comprehensively review studies on Gulf War Illness (GWI), especially those since 2008. They conclude that exposure to pesticides and ingestion of pyridostigmine bromide (PB) - prophylactic pills intended to protect troops against the effects of possible nerve gas—are "causally associated with GWI and the neurological dysfunction in Gulf War veterans."
The research team also cites multiple studies showing a link between veterans' neurological problems and exposure to the nerve-gas agents sarin and cyclosarin, as well as to oil well fire emissions.
More
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio To Endorse Donald Trump
“Joe Arpaio, the hard-line anti-immigration sheriff from Arizona, will appear with Donald J. Trump in Iowa today and endorse his candidacy, according to Mr. Trump’s campaign,” New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman reported.
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What Ted Cruz Values: The Texan Is Repelling Millions Who Believe in an America of the Future, Not the Past
I
t’s 70 degrees in this desert oasis, where I’m attending a writers’ festival, and I’m looking up at a vista of snowcapped peaks, cerulean skies and pink clouds that looks like a Bob Ross painting, only happier. But there’s only so much California positivity a man can handle, especially when he doesn’t play golf. That snowbound den of depravity known as Manhattan is calling me home.
With apologies to Billy Joel, I’m in a New York values state of mind.
Maybe I’d be a better person if I got away from the coasts more often, or visited a gun range. Maybe my conservative principles would be less attenuated if I weren’t surrounded, as Ted Cruz put it the other day, by people who “are socially liberal or pro-abortion or pro-gay marriage,” and “focus around money and the media.” Maybe I should start listening to country music, the way Mr. Cruz did after he decided, in good Soviet fashion, that his musical taste ought to be dictated by political considerations.
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With apologies to Billy Joel, I’m in a New York values state of mind.
Maybe I’d be a better person if I got away from the coasts more often, or visited a gun range. Maybe my conservative principles would be less attenuated if I weren’t surrounded, as Ted Cruz put it the other day, by people who “are socially liberal or pro-abortion or pro-gay marriage,” and “focus around money and the media.” Maybe I should start listening to country music, the way Mr. Cruz did after he decided, in good Soviet fashion, that his musical taste ought to be dictated by political considerations.
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Think Tank: Data Show Black Lives Most Threatened by Violent Criminals, Not the Police
(CNSNews.com) -- A new think tank report takes aim at the Black Lives Matter movement’s contention that law enforcement’s use of lethal force unequally targets blacks compared to other racial or ethnic groups.
According to the report by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, not only are a higher percentage of whites and Hispanics killed by police, the greater threat to blacks comes from violent criminals within their own communities.
“The evidence does not support the conclusion that American police are waging a racist war against blacks,” Manhattan senior fellow Heather Mac Donald writes.
“The Black Lives Matter movement has been a counterproductive distraction from the real violence problem facing black communities: violence from criminals, not the police,” the report concludes.
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According to the report by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, not only are a higher percentage of whites and Hispanics killed by police, the greater threat to blacks comes from violent criminals within their own communities.
“The evidence does not support the conclusion that American police are waging a racist war against blacks,” Manhattan senior fellow Heather Mac Donald writes.
“The Black Lives Matter movement has been a counterproductive distraction from the real violence problem facing black communities: violence from criminals, not the police,” the report concludes.
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Governor Larry Hogan Announces the Maryland Early Graduation Scholarship
New Program Provides $6,000 College Scholarships for All Early Maryland High School Graduates
“The best and most important part of this program is that it makes college more affordable and more accessible for Maryland students and families,” said Governor Hogan. “It’s also a smart use of tax dollars. By encouraging high-achieving students to complete high school a year early, the state can reallocate what would have been spent on a student’s last year of public high school, and help with the first year of college instead.”
Last year, 1,065 students across Maryland graduated prior to the start of 12th grade. Since 2010, an average of approximately 1,000 students have graduated early.
This new program will be administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and will be available to students planning to enter college in the fall of 2016. Eligible applicants for the scholarship must be residents of Maryland and enrolled at a publicly supported school on a full-time equivalency basis.
Additionally, participating students must meet the requirements set forth by the Maryland State Board of Education for granting a high school diploma by the end of grade 11. Applicants for the scholarship must secure acceptance to an approved postsecondary educational institution within six months of graduating high school.
Since taking office, Governor Hogan has consistently advocated for innovative educational solutions to help ensure that every Maryland child has access to a great education. Other key education initiatives from the Hogan administration over the past year include the Maryland Education Tax Credit and the Public Charter School Improvement Act of 2015 legislation and the launch of P-TECH schools in Maryland and the Bard High School Early College Program.
O’Malley: ‘Climate Change Is the Greatest Business Opportunity to Come to the United States in 100 Years’
(CNSNews.com) - Democratic presidential candidate and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley said Monday that the one issue young voters should care the most about is climate change, calling it “the greatest business opportunity” to come to the U.S. in 100 years.
“Climate change is the greatest business opportunity to come to the United States in 100 years, and I am the first candidate in either party to put forward a plan to move us to a 100 percent clean electric energy grid by 2050 and create 5 million jobs along the way,” O’Malley said at the Democratic presidential town hall in Des Moines, Iowa.
O’Malley said Iowa is “pointing the way forward” on the issue.
“Look at what you have already done in your state,” he said, adding that “30 to 35 percent of your energy now comes from clean Iowa wind, which wasn’t there 15 years ago, and you employ 5,000 people in a new industry.”
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“Climate change is the greatest business opportunity to come to the United States in 100 years, and I am the first candidate in either party to put forward a plan to move us to a 100 percent clean electric energy grid by 2050 and create 5 million jobs along the way,” O’Malley said at the Democratic presidential town hall in Des Moines, Iowa.
O’Malley said Iowa is “pointing the way forward” on the issue.
“Look at what you have already done in your state,” he said, adding that “30 to 35 percent of your energy now comes from clean Iowa wind, which wasn’t there 15 years ago, and you employ 5,000 people in a new industry.”
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Political Zen, Trump Style
By Thornton Crowe
By dumping the debate, Donald Trump has now shown he is very Punk Rock. He just flipped Fox and the pseudo-conservative Establishment the bird much like the NYD front page had the Statue of Liberty flip Cruz the bird for his remarks.
He's playing a three-dimensional chess game, while Fox is wallowing in tic-tac-toe or checkers at best.
What he did is brilliant because on their shows tonight, nothing else is being covered or talked about but who? Trump! They are all whining and saying he's a brat, a baby, afraid. Absolutely genius. They're talking about Trump instead of pontificating their own stances.
Love it. Trump - I never would have thunk it but you're very Punk Rock. This is going to be an election of a lifetime.
By the way, when Reagan walked out on Gorbachev during the Reykjavik (Reagan-Gorbachev) Summit, no one thought Reagan was a baby, brat or spoiled. That's the day he became infamous, galvanizing his place into global history. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall..." Of course, to Gorbachev personally he told him, "Call when you're serious..." before he abruptly left the room. A real leader knows when to retreat. Very Sun Tzu and also very Punk Rock!
CNN Enables Hillary's Whitewash
Just a couple of weeks after CNN happily acquiesced to a quickly improvised "town hall" meeting for President Obama to promote gun control, they once again agreed with the Democrats to provide a "town hall" event with Iowa voters. It was not a debate, where the candidates would spar, but an orderly event to allow all three candidates to promote themselves for a half-hour.
For the most part, it was a night of softballs. CNN carefully prescreened both the questions and the questioners and made it so. The closest thing to a hardball for Hillary Clinton came from young mop-topped Taylor Gipple, a Sanders backer. "I've heard from quite a few people my age that they think you're dishonest, but I'd like to hear from you on why you feel the enthusiasm isn't there."
After some blather about her chatting with young Iowans, out came the vast right-wing conspiracy talk. CNN enabled Clinton to brush the question with her usual bucket of whitewash. Nothing that's ever become a Clinton scandal is based on reality, she likes to claim, which she can say because the press doesn't push back.
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For the most part, it was a night of softballs. CNN carefully prescreened both the questions and the questioners and made it so. The closest thing to a hardball for Hillary Clinton came from young mop-topped Taylor Gipple, a Sanders backer. "I've heard from quite a few people my age that they think you're dishonest, but I'd like to hear from you on why you feel the enthusiasm isn't there."
After some blather about her chatting with young Iowans, out came the vast right-wing conspiracy talk. CNN enabled Clinton to brush the question with her usual bucket of whitewash. Nothing that's ever become a Clinton scandal is based on reality, she likes to claim, which she can say because the press doesn't push back.
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NASA Remembers Its Fallen Heroes, 30th Anniversary of Challenger Accident
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Deputy Administrator Dava Newman, and other agency senior officials will hold an observance and wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia starting at 9 a.m. EST. Following the wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington, various NASA centers will hold remembrance events Thursday for employees and the families of those lost in service to America’s space program.
At 10 a.m., NASA Television will provide live coverage of a wreath-laying ceremony at the Space Mirror Memorial located at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The observance is hosted by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation, which is a private, not-for-profit organization. It built and maintains the Space Mirror Memorial, which was dedicated in 1991 to honor all astronauts who lost their lives on missions or during training. It has been designated a National Memorial by Congress.
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Daughter Convicted In Howard Co. Blogger's Death Sentenced To 30 Years
She pleaded guilty last May to first-degree murder for her role in her father's death. Over nine hours of sentencing hearing testimony, prosecutors say the court heard testimony from forensic psychiatrists and psychologists, as well as victim impact statements from Lane's sisters and fiancee Denise Geiger. Morgan's mother, Cindy Arnold, asked the court for mercy, saying she could provide more support for her daughter than prison would. However, prosecutors said that psychiatrists and psychologists diagnosed differing mental and emotional disorders, with no consensus on Morgan's prognosis.
Morgan admitted to working with boyfriend Jason Lee Bulmer, her then-boyfriend. Bulmer, who admitted to stabbing Lane, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in prison in February 2014. She was just 14 when her father was found dead in their Ellicott City home. Police at the time believed she encouraged Bulmer to kill her father.
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Sanders: 'We will raise taxes, yes we will'
Asked about the cost of his healthcare plan, Bernie Sanders said he would raise taxes but that the middle class would end up better off in the end.
"We will raise taxes, yes we will," Sanders said at CNN's Democratic town hall in Iowa Monday night. "But also let us be clear, Chris: There's a little bit of disingenunity out there. We may raise taxes but we are also going to eliminate private health insurance premiums for individuals and for businesses."
The democratic socialist candidate went on to explain that it is essential for the United States to adopt single-payer as "we are the only country on Earth that allows private insurance to rip us off."
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"We will raise taxes, yes we will," Sanders said at CNN's Democratic town hall in Iowa Monday night. "But also let us be clear, Chris: There's a little bit of disingenunity out there. We may raise taxes but we are also going to eliminate private health insurance premiums for individuals and for businesses."
The democratic socialist candidate went on to explain that it is essential for the United States to adopt single-payer as "we are the only country on Earth that allows private insurance to rip us off."
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National Org. Calls For Firing Of Baltimore Housing Commissioner
Pat Warren reports, the anti-sexism activists are taking their protest to the streets.
Two rolling billboards are on the street asking why the Housing Commissioner Paul Graziano hasn’t been fired after women in public housing reported they were coerced by maintenance men for sex in exchange for repairs to their homes.
The national anti-sexism group Ultra Violet put the billboards out there, part of a campaign the group says includes a signed petition and 2500 phone calls.
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Wicomico Recreation Offers Free Youth Drop-In Basketball Beginning Feb. 1
Program Open to Boys & Girls Grades 6 – 8
(Salisbury, MD) This winter, Wicomico Recreation will introduce Youth Drop-In Basketball at Salisbury Middle School for boys and girls in grades 6 - 8. Sessions will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 - 9 p.m., February 1 through March 23.
There is no fee to participate in this program.
For more information on Youth Drop-In Basketball, contact Cortney Kline at 410-548-4900 x109 or ckline@wicomicocounty.org.
(Salisbury, MD) This winter, Wicomico Recreation will introduce Youth Drop-In Basketball at Salisbury Middle School for boys and girls in grades 6 - 8. Sessions will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 - 9 p.m., February 1 through March 23.
There is no fee to participate in this program.
For more information on Youth Drop-In Basketball, contact Cortney Kline at 410-548-4900 x109 or ckline@wicomicocounty.org.
O'Reilly Urges Miffed Trump to Reconsider, Join Fox Debate
Fox News host Bill O'Reilly scolded Donald Trump on his show Wednesday, telling the GOP presidential front-runner his skipping the Fox News debate is not helpful to the country.
"I don't think not showing up at the debate tomorrow night is good for America," O'Reilly said. "Voters are still assessing you. They need to see you in high-profile situations."
Trump had scheduled the interview on "The O'Reilly Factor" last week and honored his commitment to show up despite his spat with Fox News, which Trump accused of being childish in taunting him with a press release that he would face tougher challenges than debate moderator Megyn Kelly if elected.
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"I don't think not showing up at the debate tomorrow night is good for America," O'Reilly said. "Voters are still assessing you. They need to see you in high-profile situations."
Trump had scheduled the interview on "The O'Reilly Factor" last week and honored his commitment to show up despite his spat with Fox News, which Trump accused of being childish in taunting him with a press release that he would face tougher challenges than debate moderator Megyn Kelly if elected.
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Irish priest punished by Florida bishop for informing on pedophile colleague
A priest, originally from County Tyrone and now based in the United States, claims he has been “frozen out” of the Catholic Church after calling the police to investigate a fellow clergyman who had shown child-porn images to 14-year-old parishioner.
Fr John A Gallagher (48), from Strabane, Co Tyrone, is now living in a holiday home belonging to one of his friends and parishioners. He says the locks on his parochial house were changed and he was placed on medical leave by his bishop in the Diocese of Palm Beach, FL. Gallagher says he was told by theCatholic Church to put a pedophile priest on a plane back to India rather than cooperate with the police.
Gallagher has been living in the United States since 2000. Prior to this he served in the Long Tower parish in Derry. He is well-known in the Catholic community in the US and has made several religious music records and TV appearances. In 2012 he received a personal note from Pope Benedict XVI thanking him for his work, but Gallagher said this was little comfort as he felt “the wrath" of the Church in the past year.
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Fr John A Gallagher (48), from Strabane, Co Tyrone, is now living in a holiday home belonging to one of his friends and parishioners. He says the locks on his parochial house were changed and he was placed on medical leave by his bishop in the Diocese of Palm Beach, FL. Gallagher says he was told by theCatholic Church to put a pedophile priest on a plane back to India rather than cooperate with the police.
Gallagher has been living in the United States since 2000. Prior to this he served in the Long Tower parish in Derry. He is well-known in the Catholic community in the US and has made several religious music records and TV appearances. In 2012 he received a personal note from Pope Benedict XVI thanking him for his work, but Gallagher said this was little comfort as he felt “the wrath" of the Church in the past year.
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Trump's Response To Cruz's request
Even though I beat him in the first six debates, especially the last one, Ted Cruz wants to debate me again. Can we do it in Canada?
Harry Shearer, voice of Ned Flanders and Mr. Burns, Returns to The Simpsons
Good thing we waited a few weeks before cracking each other's heads open and feasting on the goo inside: In a press release, Fox announced that Shearer would return for The Simpsons' 27th and 28th seasons. As previously reported, the 27th season was in production when Shearer announced his leave. Shearer is not expected to miss any episodes going forward.
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Condolences for Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Ewing
“The Delaware State Police is saddened by the tragic death of Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Ewing. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Ewing Family.
Lieutenant Colonel Ewing honorably served the Delaware State Police and the citizens of Delaware for 20 years as a Delaware State Trooper retiring in 1978.
Following his retirement he served 22 years in the state legislature where he continued his service to the community as an advocate for law enforcement and public safety.
The Delaware State Police is eternally grateful for his service to the citizens of Delaware.
He will be greatly missed by all.”
Colonel Nathaniel McQueen, Jr.
Superintendent
Lieutenant Colonel Ewing honorably served the Delaware State Police and the citizens of Delaware for 20 years as a Delaware State Trooper retiring in 1978.
Following his retirement he served 22 years in the state legislature where he continued his service to the community as an advocate for law enforcement and public safety.
The Delaware State Police is eternally grateful for his service to the citizens of Delaware.
He will be greatly missed by all.”
Colonel Nathaniel McQueen, Jr.
Superintendent
Harrison Ford Will Return to Star in Blade Runner 2
Though Blade Runner only achieved modest box office success when it was released in 1982, it has gone on to become one of the most influential science fiction films of all time. It has also led to a decades-long debate: Is Harrison Ford's main character Rick Deckard, actually one of the replicants—robots designed to look identical to humans to work in hazardous off-planet zones—that he's been charged with hunting down. The answer has been only further muddied through the various versions of the film that've been released over the years. At long last, Ridley Scott, the film's director, chimed in a few years ago to say that Deckard really was a replicant, which made it pretty unlikely that he could possibly return in a sequel.
"It's not a rumor—it's happening," Scott said in an interview in 2012 about Blade Runner 2. "With Harrison Ford? I don't know yet. Is he too old? Well, he was a Nexus-6 so we don't know how long he can live. And that's all I'm going to say at this stage."
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"It's not a rumor—it's happening," Scott said in an interview in 2012 about Blade Runner 2. "With Harrison Ford? I don't know yet. Is he too old? Well, he was a Nexus-6 so we don't know how long he can live. And that's all I'm going to say at this stage."
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OPM to open D.C. area federal offices under 3-hour delay Thursday
Federal government offices in D.C. will open under a three-hour delay on Thursday. Temperatures are expected to drop into the teens overnight.
Read the full story.
Read the full story.
Enormous Shanghai shopping mall is now China's largest empty building
The $200 million Shanghai Pentagonal Mart, built in 2009, is bigger than the Virginia headquarters of the U.S. Defense Department, sprawling across over 70 acres.
But according to the BBC, it’s reportedly the largest vacant building in Shanghai and despite the demand for retail space, has sky-high rent.
At the time it was opened, the space was heralded for being a shopping meca with the potential to attract hundreds of thousands of shoppers a day. Owners Shanghai Megamall said they had signed thousands of tenants, including a number of Western brands.
But most are gone and shopkeepers say its interior is like a labyrinth, reports the People's Daily News. Only a small portion of its stores have been leased out, mainly on the outer ring, while the interior is virtually abandoned.
Yet, there may be one idea for the space that has local officials wishing upon a star.
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