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Monday, February 01, 2016

This is good. I'll never look at my hands the same!

This is good. I'll never look at my hands the same!

Grandpa, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. He didn't move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands. When I sat down beside him he didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat, I wondered if he was OK.


Finally, not really wanting to disturb him but wanting to check on him at the same time, I asked him if he was OK.

He raised his head and looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine.
Thank you for asking," he said in a clear strong voice.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, Grandpa, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK," I explained to him.

"Have you ever looked at your hands," he asked.
"I mean really looked at your hands?"

Marine Recruiter Wounded In Chattanooga Shooting Receives Purple Heart

A Marine Corps recruiter wounded on the job during the deadly mass shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee last July received the Purple Heart medal today.

Sgt. DeMonte Cheeley received the medal in a Chattanooga ceremony presided over by Brig. Gen. Terry Williams, commanding general of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and Eastern Recruiting Region.

Cheeley was wounded in the leg at the Armed Forces Career Center July 16 by shooter Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez during a terror-inspired rampage that would claim the lives of four Marines and a sailor at the nearby Navy Reserve Center.

Cheeley, the only service member who was shot and survived, returned to his post a week after the attack following a brief hospitalization.

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Complex Clinton Emails Yet To Be Released

The most complex of Hillary Clinton’s 52,000-plus pages of work-related emails have yet to be released, lawyers for the Justice Department indicated in papers filed in federal court late Thursday.

“The order in which State released emails was based largely on the complexity of the necessary review process,” reads the motion, which government attorneys filed with U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras.

The lawyers are asking Contreras to approve a month-long extension for the release of the last remaining batch of Clinton emails in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by Vice News’ Jason Leopold.

In a filing submitted last week, government lawyers said the State Department would be unable to meet a court-imposed Jan. 29 deadline for the release of the remaining Clinton records because it overlooked approximately 7,000 emails that required review from other federal agencies.

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Pentagon Sets Maternity Leave at 12 Weeks for All Services

Navy and Marine Corps maternity leave policies drastically expanded last year will be now slashed by six weeks from 18 to 12 weeks under a new plan announced Thursday by Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter.

The plan, announced as part of other Force of the Future personnel changes, doubles the Army andAir Force's current six-week policies, but dials back a generous leave policy rolled out by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus in August.

"Today I'm setting 12 weeks of fully paid maternity leave as the standard across the forces," Carter said during a press conference at the Pentagon. "I don't take lightly that 12 weeks of maternity leave represents a downshift from what the Navy pursued last summer ... I thought it was important that we have the same standard across the joint force."

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The New iPhone Update Could Send Your Bill Skyrocketing.

The latest iOS 9 update from Apple has a rather sneaky feature that has seen people on limited data plans receiving sky-high bills.

It's called 'Wi-Fi Assist' and works by automatically switching to 4G if it senses that the Wi-Fi being used is running too slowly. When the new iOS update is installed, this feature is activated by default.

The good thing is, it's easy to turn off. This is how to do it:

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Irish American Cardinal Raymond Burke blames women for church’s problems

The crisis in Catholicism apparently has one source: women. According to Cardinal Raymond Burke, since the 1960’s women have “feminized” the church and discouraged “manly” men from participating in clerical life.

Burke, 66, the firebrand conservative who was recently demoted by Pope Francis to the ceremonial post as patron of the Order of Malta, pointed to the introduction of altar girls as an example.

Serving mass is a “manly” job argues the Irish American Cardinal, and so the participation of women and girls in the daily life of the church has had a chilling effect that has led to a drop in morale and priestly vocations.

"Young boys don't want to do things with girls. It's just natural," Burke, a Wisconsin native with Tipperary roots, told a group called The New Emangelization (a conservative organization that exists to put the “man” back in evangelization).

"It requires a certain manly discipline to serve as an altar boy in service at the side of priest, and most priests have their first deep experiences of the liturgy as altar boys.”

"If we are not training young men as altar boys, giving them an experience of serving God in the liturgy, we should not be surprised that vocations have fallen dramatically," he said.

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Ohio Police K-9 to be auctioned off despite handler’s request to keep him

MARIETTA, OH (WCMH) — A Marietta police officer who retired earlier this week wants his partner to retire with him. Instead, the city says Ajax, his K-9 partner for the last four years, will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Officer Matthew Hickey retired on Monday after serving 30 years in law enforcement, NBC affiliate WTAP-TV reports. He wanted to Ajax to retire with him, but the city told him that wouldn’t be possible.

News quickly spread in the small community, and they started a GoFundMe account which raised $3,500 – the amount Officer Hickey was told Ajax was worth.

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Editor's note: At last check the gofundme account has now raised over $52,000.00.  

Answer To Today's Puzzle 2-1-16

 Can you find the hidden 4 leaf clover? 

Click 'READ MORE' below to see the answer to the puzzle

Veteran Who Became Face of VA Wait-Times Scandal Dies of Cancer

Less than two years after disabled Army veteran Barry Coates told a House committee, "I stand before you terminally ill," the South Carolina man is dead from the cancer that went undetected by VA doctors for nearly a year.

Coates, only 46 when he died on Jan. 23, became the face of the Veterans Affairs Department wait-time scandal -- in which patients whose appointments were put off by a system unable to handle the volume of men and women needing its services.

"It is likely too late for me," he told the House Veterans Affairs Committee during an April 9, 2014 hearing. "The gross negligence of my ongoing problems and crippling back log epidemic of the VA medical system has not only handed me a death sentence but ruined the quality of my life I have for the meantime."

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Major anti-Muslim group Pegida to launch branch in Ireland

Pegida, an anti-Islamization group founded in Germany, will formally announce an Irish branch of the organization at a protest rally in Dublin on February 6th. Ireland will become the 15th country to establish its own branch of the organization. The German group will in future contest German elections and the Irish group may well follow suit.

Peter O’Loughlin, who will be running for Identity Ireland in Cork North Central, confirmed the launch of Pegida Ireland at a press conference, where he introduced Pegida UK coordinator and former English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson, the Irish Times reports.

“Pegida [Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident, in German] is making international headlines,” said O’Loughlin. “It is giving the people of Europe a chance to speak out and have a voice against the absolutely disastrous policies of the EU and of the German government and the various puppet governments around Europe.”

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Lawsuit: Public School Forced My Child To Convert To Islam

A public high school has been accused of radical Islamic indoctrination by forcing children to profess the Muslim statement of faith, ordering them to memorize the Five Pillars of Islam and teaching that the faith of a Muslim is stronger than the average Christian, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday.

Thomas More Law Center filed the lawsuit on behalf of John and Melissa Wood. They accuse La Plata High School in Maryland of subjecting their teenage daughter to Islamic indoctrination and propaganda. And when Mr. Wood complained – the school banned him from campus.

“Defendants forced Wood’s daughter to disparage her Christian faith by reciting the Shahada, and acknowledging Mohammed as her spiritual leader,” Thomas More president Richard Thompson said.

The Shahada is the Islamic Creed, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”

The Thomas More Law Center said that for non-Muslims, reciting the statement is sufficient to convert one to Islam.

“The course also taught false statements such as Allah is the same God worshipped by Christians and Islam is a ‘religion of peace,’” Thompson said.

A spokesperson for Charles County Public Schools told me they have not seen the lawsuit and declined to comment.

Also named as defendants were the Charles County Board of Education, principal Evelyn Arnold and vice-principal Shannon Morris.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges that students spent only one day studying Christianity and two weeks studying Islam.

More here

State Police Investigating Bomb Threats

Wilmington - The Delaware State Police are currently investigating a pair of bomb threats that were called in at two area schools this morning.

The first incident occurred around 9:38 a.m. this morning, Monday, February 1, 2016, when an unknown male suspect called the Stanton Middle School, located at 1800 Limestone Road, Wilmington, and advised that there was a bomb inside of the building. The school was placed in a lockdown status and was then searched by responding Delaware State Police K-9 units and school administration. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious was located and staff and students were allowed to resume their daily activities.

The second incident happened at approximately 11:55 a.m. this morning, as a male suspect placed two phone calls to the John Dickinson High School, located at 1801 Milltown Road, Wilmington, and advised that there was a bomb in the school. The building was placed in a lockdown status as it was searched by school administration with the assistance of Delaware State Police K-9 units. Again, nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious was located and staff and students were allowed to resume their daily activities.

Both of these incidents remain under investigation by the Delaware State Police at this time. It is unknown if these bomb threats are related to the series of bomb threats which have been occurring throughout the state over the past few weeks.

If anyone has any information in reference to any of the bomb threats which have occurred, they are asked to contact Troop 2 Youth Aid Division at 302-834-2620, Troop 3 Youth Aid Division at 302-697-4454, or Troop 4 Youth Aid Division at 302-856-5850. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

THE “SOCIALITE” WHOSE ART CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF EASTERN SHORE AFRICAN AMERICANS BACK IN THE DAY

The story of Ruth Starr Rose is full of bold and interesting turns. Born in the Midwest in 1887, she moved to the Eastern Shore at twentyish years old when her parents bought a dilapidated wreck of a mansion called Hope House in Talbot County. The place was chock full of history—members of the Lloyd and Tilghman families had called it home in the 1700s—but by the time the Roses arrived in 1907 it was falling apart and open to the elements.

Ruth’s mother, May, joked early on that her husband had gone out and bought an estate that amounted to one solid staircase, the rest of it junk. The Roses are the reason Hope House is still standing today—they brought in top area craftsmen and apparently paid uncommon attention to historic and architectural detail in bringing the place back to life.

Rose’s family background was quite cultured. Her father was a bigwig in the timber industry. Her mother wrote a two-volume book about Caribbean gardens. She had an uncle who was an accomplished archaeologist. Ruth herself went to college at Vassar.

What she did in the years that followed was take a longstanding family interest in far-away cultures and focus it on a culture close to home on the Eastern Shore, painting scenes from the daily lives of black folks. That made her a very unusual artist at the time. Some of the people who didn’t quite know what to make of Rose ended up dismissing her as a “white socialite” lightweight.

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Coats Honors Principal Susan Jordan on Senate Floor

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.) spoke Thursday on the Senate floor honoring Principal Susan Jordan of the Amy Beverland Elementary School in Marion County.

On Tuesday, a terrible tragedy occurred at the school in Indianapolis. A school bus jumped the curb during afternoon pickup, and the crash fatally wounded Amy Beverland Principal Susan Jordan and injured two 10-year-old students, who sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

While this situation is still under investigation, all indications say that this was truly a tragic accident. Yet, the story of what happened on Tuesday is not just one of tragedy, it is one of heroism. Before the school bus struck her, Principal Jordan pushed several of her students out of harm's way. With an out-of-control bus charging at her, Principal Jordan sensed that the lives of many of her students were in jeopardy and sacrificed her own life for those of the young students whom she cherished.

“The Gospel of John tells us ‘greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,’” said Coats. “The love that Susan Jordan had for her students should be an inspiration to us all.

I offer my deepest condolences to Principal Jordan’s family and friends and to the students and parents of Amy Beverland Elementary School. I join with all Hoosiers in mourning the loss of Susan Jordan and celebrating the life and impact of this talented, compassionate educator who paid the ultimate price for the students she loved so dearly.”

(Video here)

Countdown To The Superbowl: Cheeseburger Cups

This week we are going to switch it up a bit. We will be posting foods that can be served while watching the Superbowl next weekend.   Should we go back to dinners next week or do a week of desserts?  Sounds off in comments!  Enjoy!!

Click on the title of this post if the video fails to load for you.  



Cheeseburger Cups
Posted by Tasty on Wednesday, November 11, 2015

- 8 refrigerated biscuits
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tsp Worcestershire
- 1 Tbsp. mustard
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 8 small slices of cheese
- Toppings of your choice.

Crumble and cook the beef in a skillet. Drain. Mix in ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard, and brown sugar. Grease a muffin tin, and line 8 cups with the refrigerated biscuits. Divide the meat mixture among the 8 cups, and bake at 400°F/204°C for 10-15 minutes, until the biscuit dough is brown. Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.
 

America 2016: We’re Mad As Hell and Not Going To Take It Anymore

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa-- Craig Ziemke has voted for Democrats all his life, including twice for President Barack Obama. Not this year.

“The whole country is going to hell,” the 66-year-old retired factory worker said, standing against the bleachers at a high school gymnasium while waiting for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to arrive. Ziemke’s fury is deep: Roads and bridges in the U.S. are falling apart, jobs are scarce and the U.S. border is wide open, he says.

“We’re letting all these people into the country. No one even knows who the hell they are,” he said. “We don’t need any more Arabs. The United States, anymore, is just a dumping ground for everyone.”

Ziemke plans to caucus for a Republican on Monday – and likely for Trump, “the only one with brains,” he said.

If Obama’s 2008 campaign in Iowa and beyond defined the election as one of “hope and change,” this year may well be described as the politics of rage.

In interviews with dozens of voters in both parties, the driving motivation across the state is anger and uprising. They’re fed up with lawmakers in Washington, who seem to work two or three days a week and get little done aside from raising money to stay in office. They’re mad about stagnant wages, companies sending jobs overseas and terrorists sneaking in across the border.

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Some Merchandise From Closing Walmarts Will End Up For Sale On Amazon

The news that 154 Walmart stores would be closing in the United States was devastating to employees and to the communities left without grocery stores or pharmacies, but there’s one group of people who were delighted at the news. Bargain-hunters, sure, but especially the subset of bargain-hunters who resell their purchases online at a profit.

Yes, resellers engaging in retail arbitrage showed up at the clearance sales. Arbitrage is a very simple concept: it’s buying something in a retail store and selling it for more money elsewhere. Mobile apps and online venues like Amazon Marketplace have made it much easier, and now there’s a surprising number of people who make their living or a few extra bucks this way. Usually they scoop up items on sale or on clearance, or that are in demand somewhere, but the Walmart closings are a unique opportunity.

They stores where everything was first 50% off, then 75% off. While this means you could finally get aWebTV for fifty bucks, it also means that basic everyday items that people would pick up on Amazon are discounted too.

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Session Week #3

This week began on the heels of a blizzard that left about six inches of snow on my front lawn, but dumped about two feet in Annapolis. Our drive up to the capital city was much easier than I had imagined it would be and it is a credit to the men and women who are tasked with keeping our roads clear. A huge thank you to them for their hard work under adverse weather conditions. While large snowstorms are always unpleasant, it was nice seeing friends and neighbors help each other through it.

Tuesday, I met with Governor Hogan’s Chief Legislative Officer Joe Getty, to discuss bills that I am working on as well as bills the administration is supporting. Mr. Getty is a very respected member of the Governor’s team and is a former Delegate, State Senator, and worked in Governor Ehrlich’s administration. It was great to discuss bills and ideas that will move Maryland forward and revive our economy both on the Lower Eastern Shore as well as the rest of the state.

 
Delegate Sheree Sample-Hughes joined me on Tuesday in welcoming local mentors to the State House as part of National Mentoring Month. The Lower Eastern Shore is blessed to have so many people who dedicate their time and effort to helping our young people achieve their full potential. Here are the names of the people who were recognized and the organization that they represent:
Tiffanie Chandler and Chelsea Boog from the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay
Pam Gregory from the United Way of the Eastern Shore
Dr. Mark Thompson from Wicomico Mentoring Project
Erin Sheehan and Robby Sheehan from Epoch Dream Center
Addie Cropper and Robby Sheehan from Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Greater ChesapeakeA special thanks to Senator Eckardt and her staff who arranged for the mentors to be honored by the Senate, my staff for helping on the House side, and Robby Sheehan who worked with both staffs and the honorees to #makeithappen.
Wednesday, we had two hearings that will have a direct impact on the education of Wicomico County’s children. First, was a Senate bill hearing for SB0145, which would allow citizens in Wicomico County to vote on how our school board is chosen. One panel testified and it included Wicomico County Councilman Ernie Davis, County Council President John Cannon, Senator Jim Mathias, Senator Addie Eckardt, and citizen Mark McIver. In the crowd was Wicomico County Executive Bob Culver and County Administrator Wayne Strausburg, who were present to testify or answer questions if needed.

The second hearing was at the Board of Public Works, where I joined other local officials to make a pitch to receive $5 million in funding to begin the construction of West Salisbury Elementary. The Governor has allocated $280 million for school construction statewide. We have been in touch with the Governor’s office with regard to this project and will continue to stress the importance of the project to our county, parents, and most importantly our students.

On Thursday I continued to work on crafting bills and studying bills that will be heard in my committee and, possibly, on the floor of the House of Delegates in the immediate future. Friday, I welcomed Cathy Bassett and James Brooke to our office and the Eastern Shore Delegation meeting. It is always great to see familiar faces in the halls of Annapolis. If you are able to visit, I’d love to see you.

This coming Tuesday I will have the honor of leading the House of Delegates in prayer during session. It’s humbling to pray with our elected body and I feel very blessed to have been chosen.

If you are coming to Annapolis for a visit, have an idea, issue, or concern, please reach out to our office via phone or email: 410-841-3431 carl.anderton@house.state.md.us

Thank you for your support.

Take The Survey

Voting survey

The Maryland General Assembly is considering overriding Governor Hogan's common sense veto of a bill that would provide CURRENT felons with voting privileges. In Maryland, convicted felons who have COMPLETED the terms of their sentence and release can have their voting privileges restored. The General Assembly is seeking to allow CURRENT felons, who have not yet completed their sentence, the ability to vote.

Do you support providing CURRENT felons, including those on parole and who have not completed their sentences, with voting privileges?

To take the survey click HERE

 

 

Is a Secret Sniper Killing Off ISIL's High Command in Libya?

As befits all the best practitioners of his shadowy trade, no-one is quite sure whether he is one man or many, or even simply an urban legend.

But after a string of assassinations of its local henchmen, the Islamic State's new "Caliphate" in the Libyan city of Sirte is abuzz with talk that an anti-Isil sniper is at work.

In recent weeks, no fewer than three Isil commanders in Sirte have been shot dead from long range, according to local media.

The killings - reported to be the work of a sniper who honed his skills in Libya’s uprising against Colonel Gaddafi - are said to have sowed panic among Isil's forces in the city, who have carried a string of arrests and executions in a bid to track down the culprit.

The Sirte assassin's most recent casualty, according to social media reports from Sirte, was Abdullah Hamad Al-Ansari, an Isil commander from southern Libyan city of Obari, who was shot dead on January 23 as he left a city centre mosque.

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MSNBC: FBI's Hillary Investigation 'Advanced'

MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough said Friday that sources have told him that the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton is “far more advanced than we the public knows.”

Friday on “Morning Joe,” panelist Cokie Roberts predicted that if Hillary Clinton gets indicted, her run for president would be “over.” (RELATED: Rep. Issa: FBI ‘Would Like To Indict Both Huma [Abedin] And Hillary Clinton’)

“Most of us around this table are hearing from multiple sources … that the Hillary Clinton investigation [by] the FBI is far more progressed,” Scarborough said. “Mika and I have been hearing it from the top officials in the Obama administration for actually several months now, and we can’t go to a meeting in Washington where we don’t hear this.” (VIDEO: Former House Majority Leader: FBI ‘Ready To Indict’ Clinton)

“All of our sources high up are telling us … that this investigation is far more advanced than we the public knows,” Scarborough added.

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The Guy Who Bought the Google.com Domain Made a Pretty Penny Selling It Back

Google.com, one of the most valuable domains on the Internet, was mistakenly sold for $12 last fall.

Google paid $12,000 to get it back.

The buyer was a former Googler, Sanmay Ved, who discovered Google.com on the list of domains available for sale on September 29. He bought it, charging the $12 fee to his Discover card, never really expecting the transaction to go through.

"I was hoping I would get an error at sometime saying transaction did not go through, but I was able to complete purchase, and my credit card was actually charged!" he wrote in a post on LinkedIn last fall.

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President Obama to visit mosque, hold talks with Muslim leaders

President Barack Obama plans to visit a mosque in Baltimore on Wednesday and meet with Muslim community members amid growing concern about Islamophobia and bigotry directed toward Muslim Americans.

White House officials, who announced the president’s visit to the Islamic Society of Baltimore on Saturday, said this will be Obama’s first stop at an American mosque as president. He will deliver remarks.

“The president believes that one of our nation’s greatest strengths is our rich diversity,” White House spokesman Keith Maley told the Baltimore Sun, which first reported the visit. ”As the president has said, Muslim Americans are our friends, and neighbors; our co-workers, and sports heroes — and our men and women in uniform defending our country.”

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Find The hidden 4 leaf Clover 2-1-16

Can you find the hidden 4 leaf clover?  Answer will be posted at 6:15pm.  Please don't comment with the location once you find it.  Thanks

SPD Needs Help Identifying Shoplifter

Macy's Shoplifter (can u id) 16-4289 (4147) 410-548-1776

Fighter Jets Caused Sonic Booms along East Coast

TRENTON, N.J. -- Officials say sonic booms heard and felt along the coast from New Jersey to Connecticut were caused by military fighter jets conducting tests.

A Navy spokeswoman says an F-35C and F-18 from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, were conducting supersonic testing off the coast Thursday afternoon.

The F-35C has a top speed of nearly 1,200 mph.

Residents reported hearing loud booms and feeling the ground and buildings shake. The booms were heard as far away as Connecticut.

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Homeless Veteran In Berlin, Maryland

A homeless Veteran holds a sign begging for money in front of the Berlin Walmart Home Depot parking lot.

A state-by-state look at federal food aid work waivers

The federal government ended statewide work waivers this year for certain adults receiving aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, sometimes referred to as food stamps. In some cases, states were able to retain work waivers for certain counties or cities where there are higher unemployment rates and fewer available jobs.

Here’s a state-by-state look at the number of able-bodied adults ages 18 through 49 without dependents who became subject to work requirements this year because of the end of statewide waivers. In most cases, the work requirements kicked in Jan. 1. Benefits will be cut off after three months if people do not comply with the work rules or receive exemptions.


MARYLAND

People affected: About 15,400 in six counties. Work requirements don’t apply in the rest of the counties or the city of Baltimore.

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Contagious Airborne Diseases Appear in Schools Across Texas

Highly contagious airborne diseases–tuberculosis (TB) and measles–surfaced in three Texas public school districts located in different parts of the state, although officials have not identified the origins of these cases.

In Harris County, Houston Independent School District officials confirmed one case of tuberculosis at Sugar Grove Academy Middle School. The student, according to ABC-TV affiliate KTRK, was diagnosed, treated, and is recovering. The contagious airborne pulmonary infection can spread rapidly once the bacteria becomes active because an individual will manifest symptoms.

Not everyone infected exhibits tell-tale signs of the reputed lung illness if the bacteria remains dormant. Earlier this week, the school district sent its parents a letter to say they continue to monitor the situation. The middle school said potentially affected children may need to be TB tested. Those families will receive a separate letter and consent form by Feb. 1.

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Obama to Speak at Baltimore Mosque Where Imam Condoned Suicide Bombings

President Obama is set to speak next week at a mosque which was led for over a decade by an Imam who justified suicide bombings in some circumstances and who helped found a mosque with ties to Al Qaeda.

The President will visit the Islamic Society of Baltimore on Wednesday and deliver remarks there, the White House confirmed on Saturday. This will be the first time the President has paid an official visit to a mosque during his seven years as President. However, Obama has toured mosques while on overseas trips.

“The president believes that one of our nation’s greatest strengths is our rich diversity,” White House spokesman Keith Maley said, confirming reports. “As the president has said, Muslim Americans are our friends, and neighbors; our co-workers, and sports heroes — and our men and women in uniform defending our country.”

More here

Sessions: 2016 is 'THE LAST CHANCE' To Save America

Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, a leading voice on trade, immigration and executive powers, is urging Americans to choose their next president carefully because 2016 "is the last chance for the American people to take back control of their government."

In a sober interview with Secrets, the Republican warned that liberal special interests, Wall Street moguls, and international media conglomerates are fast turning the United States into just another member of the European Union and that the effort is being led by a Democratic president eager to go his own way with executive orders.

"This election is different because we have pell mell erosion of law, the constitutional order, where President Obama has pushed an agenda that eviscerates the immigration legal system, and pushed this trade agreement that will commence decades of transferring American economic power to an ever-expanding international commission. It's just not going to stop" unless voters take action, he warned.

"This is the way the European Union began," he added.

Highlighting immigration and trade, Sessions urged voters to choose a candidate who will commit to killing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal with nearly a dozen Asian nations which is slated to cost 448,000 U.S. jobs, and finally make good on 30 years of promises to put an end to illegal immigration, which is costing the nation billions in welfare and undermining U.S. wages.

"I think this election is the big one. To win, Republicans need to demonstrate that they care about the average person who goes to work every day," he added.

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Drug charges drastically rise in Talbot

EASTON — Drug arrests by the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office increased nearly 500 percent in 2015 compared to 2014.

The sheriff’s office and the Talbot County Narcotics Task Force charged more than 250 people with drug offenses, while there were 54 charged in 2014, according to the sheriff’s office.

The rise in drug arrests comes after the county’s new sheriff, Joe Gamble, has been in office for a year. He was elected on a promise to attack the county’s drug issues, mainly the heroin scourge.

Gamble said the stats don’t mean the county had a worse drug problem in 2015 than in 2014. It previously was not a focus of enforcement, he said.

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