Seeking Financial Security Far From A Volatile Stock Market

Wall Street’s start to 2016 has been shaky at best.

The stock market takes a tumble, surges and then tumbles again, leaving many investors dismayed.

“I know people who stayed in the market and now are dealing with lots of regret because they have lost 8 to 10 percent, and that was after an already negative year in 2015,” says Stephen Gardner (www.yourbridgeplan.com), a safe-money specialist and author of “A Bridge Over Troubled Wall Street.”

“The stock market will always be volatile, which is why I recommend investing money elsewhere. Few people are good at timing the market’s ups and downs so that they can reap the rewards.”

Many people also don’t understand the true cost of losing in the market, he says. Some harsh realities include:

• Fees eat away at profits. Investors can end up losing a good chunk of their investment to fees they pay to their advisors. They may not even be aware of the amounts they are paying.
• Returns must be even greater after losses. If the market drops 20 percent, for example, and then recovers 20 percent, investors don’t break even. “You need a 25 percent recovery to get your money back after a 20 percent drop,” Gardner says.
• Time works against you. When you suffer a market loss, you don’t just lose money. You also lose time because before your investment can start growing again you first have to gain back your loss. “People say, ‘Well, I got back to where I was before the crash,’ ” Gardner says. “But your portfolio would have been worth much more if you hadn’t had the loss to begin with.”

He says one investment option that can work for those leery of Wall Street’s unpredictability is a “bridge plan,” a real estate lending strategy that provides a solid return while avoiding market risks.

Here’s how it works:

Developers need capital to build or renovate commercial property such as hotels, office buildings, resorts, shopping centers and apartment buildings.

Gardner works with clients who pool their money to make a 12 to 18-month “bridge loan” to fund the work. The return on that loan, stated in a contract, is usually 5 to 7 percent, Gardner says.

“It makes being involved in real estate easy while at the same time giving clients the opportunity to make better returns,” Gardner says. “You can leave the speculation and gambling of the market behind. As a result, you will better understand how your money is growing.”

Jack Abramoff on Term Limits

A Viewer Writes: JUST IN FLORIDA (Read to the end)

This is frightening!!! I think you had better read it all below……

However, we just sit back and let it happen right under our noses

Mosque Name Address City State Zip Contact

Al-Iman Mosque 500 Se 9th St . Belle Glade FL 33430 561-996-6411
Masjid Al-Hidaya 320 Charley E. Johns St . Blountstown FL 32424

Islamic Center of Boca Raton 3100 NW 5th Ave. Boca Raton FL 33431 561-395-7221

Alhuda Islamic Center
Florida Islamic Educational Center 831 E. Palmetto Park Rd. BocaRaton FL 33432 561-361-7033

American Islamic Center of Florida 807 N. Federal Hwy Boca Raton FL 33432 561-900-4330

Cop says we cannot ride our bikes/bmx, I lay down the law and tell him to beat it. And he does.

The 8 Major Problems the Next President Will Face

The next president of the United states faces a lengthy list of problems, both global and domestic.

John Mauldin of Mauldin Economics warns in his open letter below to the hopefuls from both political parties: "My suspicion is that six months into your presidency you will begin to wonder why you ever wanted this job, as the gulf deepens and widens between what you wanted to do and what you can do without unintended consequences."

Dear Presidential Candidates:

In 10 months and four days, one of you will wake up as Mr. or Mrs. President. After the fabulous fun of post-inaugural balls, you will walk into the Oval Office on Saturday, January 22 and launch into your first 90 days in office.

During these days, you will want to deliver on as many of your promises as possible. But instead of shadowboxing with hypothetical futures on a debate stage, you’re going to be up against cold, hard reality.

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Obamacare Birth Control Plan Back to Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is taking up a challenge from faith-based groups that object to an Obama administration effort to ensure their employees and students can get cost-free birth control.

The justices are hearing arguments Wednesday on the sixth anniversary of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul in a case at the intersection of the law, religion and birth control.

The 2010 law is making its fourth Supreme Court appearance in five years.

The issue this time is the arrangement the administration devised to make sure that religiously oriented colleges, charities and advocacy groups do not have to pay for or arrange the provision of contraceptives to which they object, while ensuring that women covered under their health plans still can obtain birth control.

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Cruz: 'Hear My Words, Ayatollah...We Will Shoot That Missile Down'

(CNSNews) - Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), addressing the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Monday night, said if he is elected president, "I will lead very, very differently from the current administration."

Cruz said he would rip up the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration "on day one." And, addressing Iran's supreme leader directly, Cruz said he would not tolerate any Iranian ballistic missile tests:

"Hear my words Ayatollah Khomeini-- if I am president and Iran launches a missile test, we will shoot that missile down."

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DATA: Young Muslims in the West Are a Ticking Time Bomb

On the back of the Brussels terror attack it is worthwhile remembering that while a majority of Muslims in the West appear to have no truck with terrorism or extremism, there are a significant number who sympathise with terrorism and repeatedly attempt to justify attacks on the West.

An ICM poll from 2006 revealed that 20 per cent of British Muslims sympathised with the 7/7 bombers who brought terror to the streets of the British capital, killing 52 and injuring hundreds. This number rose to one in four British Muslims, according to NOP Research for Channel 4. With a British Muslim population of over 3 million today, that translates to roughly three quarters of a million terror-sympathising people in the UK.

The number rises for younger British Muslims – a sure sign that radicalisation through schools, mosques, and prisons (often via Saudi-funded groups) is creating a long-term problem in Europe. Thirty-one per cent of younger British Muslims endorsed or excused the 7/7 bombings of 2005, with just 14 per cent of those over 45 doing so.

More here

Subject: Immigrants From Terror Hubs Using Loophole To Stay

Hundreds of illegal immigrants from terror hotspots are using what critics describe as loopholes in U.S. immigration policy to try to remain in the country indefinitely, according to data obtained by Congress.

Taking a page from the playbook used by Central American women and children to gain U.S. entry, hundreds of immigrants from Egypt, Somalia, Pakistan, Iran and Syria caught entering the U.S. last year made asylum claims to avoid deportation – and, in doing so, asserted they had a “credible fear of persecution.”

This phrase is important because it allows them to be released and work in the U.S. Prior to 2009, the U.S. held in custody many asylum seekers entering the U.S. illegally until their cases were resolved in court -- but an Obama administration policy change allowed those fearing persecution to be released.

The finding that asylum seekers from turbulent Middle Eastern and African countries are now using this phrase to gain entry and remain on U.S. soil has raised security concerns on Capitol Hill.

"These numbers illustrate vulnerabilities throughout our immigration system," Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., said Tuesday. "Dangerous criminals and potential terrorists are gaming the system without consequence. The Obama administration is compromising our national security and safety for its political agenda."

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Wicomico County Offices Closed Tomorrow

In observance of Good Friday, Wicomico County offices will be closed tomorrow. I am wishing everyone a very special weekend.

Olivia Wilde Stars in Touching Video Marking World Down Syndrome Day

Actress Olivia Wilde starred in a moving PSA celebrating the lives of people with Down Syndrome in honor of World Down Syndrome Day Monday.

The video is narrated by Anna Rubright, a 19-year-old New Jersey college student with Down Syndrome.

Rubright describes how she sees herself, “as a daughter, sister, and a best friend … singing, dancing, and laughing” just an “ordinary person, with an important, meaningful, beautiful life.”

Olivia Wilde portrays these moments in Rubright’s life and at the conclusion of the video Wilde’s reflection in the mirror pans to Rubright herself saying, “This is how I see myself. How do you see me?”

More info and video..

Comedian Garry Shandling dead at 66

Comedian Garry Shandling, known for “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” and “The Larry Sanders Show,” died Thursday. He was 66.

Los Angeles Police officer Tony Im told the Associated Press that Shandling died Thursday in Los Angeles. Im said officers were dispatched to Shandling's home Thursday for a reported medical emergency. Shandling was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

I did not have any details on when the call was placed or what the nature of the emergency was. He said police will conduct a death investigation.

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Obama Admin Engaged in Secret Talks to Pay Iran Nearly $2 Billion

The Obama administration has spent three years engaged in secret talks with Iran that resulted in the payment of nearly $2 billion in taxpayer funds to the Islamic Republic, with more payouts likely to come in the future, according to a recent letter issued by the State Department and obtained exclusively by the Washington Free Beacon.

The administration’s disclosure came in response to an inquiry launched in January by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R., Kan.), who was seeking further information about the Obama administration’s payment of $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds to Iran, which many viewed as a “ransom payment” for Iran’s release that month of several U.S. hostages.

The administration’s official response to Pompeo was sent earlier this week, just days after a Free Beacon report detailing a months-long State Department effort to stall the lawmaker’s inquiry.

Obama administration officials first began talks to settle a number of outstanding legal claims leveled against the United States by Iran in 2014. The administration predicts that more taxpayer-funded payments are likely to be granted to the Islamic Republic in the future, according to the letter.

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Subject: Pomona Student Claims Harassment for Political Beliefs

A student at Pomona College, a member of the Claremont University Consortium, says he was targeted by administrators for his conservative political beliefs.

Steven Glick, the editor-in-chief of the Claremont Independent, believes that administrators at the college’s writing center harassed him because of his connection to the campus’s only student-run conservative publication. According to Glick, the actions of the writing center staff eventually forced him to resign his position as a writing fellow.

Glick and other fellows at the writing center were charged with helping other students polish their papers. Glick, a junior studying Economics and Mathematics, said that the mission of the writing center had never before been political.

But Glick said he was called into the writing center late last year to discuss a news article about “safe spaces” at the Claremont Consortium that he had penned for the Claremont Independent, a politically independent newspaper that has historically been staffed by right-leaning students. While writing fellows commonly contribute to campus publications, he was the only one writing for the Independent.

“I got called in to talk about how my presence at the writing center might make people who came in feel unsafe, and how students thinking that the writing center might have some connection to the Claremont Independent would make them feel unsafe,” Glick recalled.

More here

Subject: #StopIslam Trends Worldwide In Wake of Brussels Attacks

Hours before the Islamic State terror group took credit for Tuesday morning’s attacks in Brussels, Twitter users across the world were using the hashtag #StopIslam to blame the second-largest religion on Earth for the explosions that have left at least 34 people dead.

Worldwide, #StopIslam was among the most popular hashtags on Twitter as of Tuesday morning, according to the social network’s own statistics.

Alongside other topics related to the tragedy — such as #PrayforBelgium and #JeSuisBruxelles — #StopIslam became one of top internationally trending hashtags on Twitter hours after individuals detonated bombs at the Brussels airport and a metro station in the capital on Tuesday morning.

Nationwide, #StopIslam was also among the most popular topics among Twitter users located in the U.S., U.K. and Brussels as of Tuesday, per Twitter.

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Subject: Franklin Graham Supports Halt to Muslim Immigration

The Rev. Franklin Graham Tuesday continued his call for halting Muslims from coming into the United States until proper vetting procedures are in place and said that "our country is trouble."

"We have a void in leadership," Graham said on Facebook. He leads both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the Samaritan's Purse global charity and is the son of the famed evangelist.

"Islamists have told us we will see more of these attacks and we have to take their threats seriously," he added. "I have long supported a temporary halt to immigration, especially for those coming from Muslim countries, until we have a vetting program that works and we can know who these people are.

"If we can't get an accurate background check, they don't come in. It's as simple as that.

More here

Court Rebukes IRS, Orders Release of Secret List

A federal appeals court spanked the IRS Tuesday, saying it has taken laws designed to protect taxpayers from the government and turned them on their head, using them to try to protect the tax agency from the very tea party groups it targeted.

The judges ordered the IRS to quickly turn over the full list of groups it targeted so that a class-action lawsuit, filed by the NorCal Tea Party Patriots, can proceed. The judges also accused the Justice Department lawyers, who are representing the IRS in the case, of acting in bad faith — compounding the initial targeting — by fighting the disclosure.

“The lawyers in the Department of Justice have a long and storied tradition of defending the nation’s interests and enforcing its laws — all of them, not just selective ones — in a manner worthy of the Department’s name. The conduct of the IRS’s attorneys in the district court falls outside that tradition,” Judge Raymond Kethledge wrote in a unanimous opinion for a three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. “We expect that the IRS will do better going forward.”

More here

Ryan: Obama’s Cuba Trip ‘Legitimizes a Tyrannical Dictatorship’

(CNSNews) – During a press conference today about the terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) said he did not think much of President Barack Obama’s trip to Communist Cuba, which, he added, only “legitimizes a tyrannical dictatorship.”

At the Capitol Hill press conference, a reporter asked Ryan, “What do you think of the president’s trip to Cuba?”

Speaker Ryan said, “Not much. I think it’s fairly ironic. We had the AIPAC [American Israeli Political Action Committee] conference yesterday. We were talking about standing up with our allies, standing up for freedom, standing up for national security.”

“And the president takes a trip to Cuba where he effectively gets nothing in return, and he legitimizes a tyrannical dictatorship,” said Ryan. “The irony was not lost on me.”

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Juvenile Burglary Suspect Arrested in Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, MD – (March 24, 2016): The Ocean City Police Department recently arrested a 16-year-old male wanted out of Montgomery County, MD. Teris D. McDonald, 16, of Brookeville, MD, was wanted by the Montgomery County Police Department after he committed a burglary and stole a GMC pickup truck and two handguns on Tuesday, March 22.

On Wednesday, March 23, detectives of the Ocean City Police Department Criminal Investigation Division received information from the Montgomery County Police Department that McDonald was in Ocean City. Detectives conducted surveillance in the area and located the stolen vehicle traveling northbound on Coastal Highway in the area of 54th Street. Marked patrol officers responded and conducted a traffic stop on the 10 block of 63rd Street. At that time, McDonald was taken into custody. In addition, three passengers were arrested: Khiry M. Hall, 19, of Severna Park, MD, a 16-year-old male and a 14-year-old female of Severna Park. During a search of the vehicle, detectives located the two stolen handguns in the vehicle.

Detectives have charged McDonald with motor vehicle theft and transporting a handgun, in addition to charges stemming from Montgomery County police. McDonald was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner, waived to adult status and transferred to the Worcester County Jail on $25,000 bond. Hall and the two juveniles were each charged with motor vehicle theft. Each were seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner. Hall was released on his own recognizance and the juveniles were released to their parents.

VIDEO: Watch This Passionate Defense of Religious Liberty

Speaker Paul Ryan took to the floor of Congress today to speak on behalf of the Little Sisters of the Poor. David French of National Review does a great job explaining the plight of the Little Sisters here. What this case boils down to is a simple question: should a religious group that is compelled by their deeply and sincerely held religious beliefs to be horrified by the genocide of the innocent known as abortion be forced to provide its employees with abortifacents under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act? Barack Obama says yes. Ryan's answer is a bit more satisfactory. — Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) March 22, 2016 Source: AAN

Who's Calling for Hillary to Suspend Her Campaign?

Rush Limbaugh is calling for Hillary Clinton to suspend her campaign. As the Daily Caller notes:

Rush Limbaugh has called on Hillary Clinton to suspend her presidential campaign because of her “screw ups.”

While reading an editorial Tuesday on “The Rush Limbaugh Show” which called on Clinton to drop out, Limbaugh said, “It’s time for the Republicans to stand up and say, ‘Mrs. Clinton, there’s too much going on with you here. There’s a lot of smoke now, we think we see some flames. We think you should suspend [your campaign.]'”

Taking a page out of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s playbook, Limbaugh said, “This is what Dingy Harry would do.” Imitating Reid, Limbaugh said, “Mitt Romney hasn’t paid his taxes in 25 years. A friend of mine told me. We think Romney should suspend his campaign to look into it.”

Limbaugh is right. Hillary is an abject disaster. Moreover, the growth of Islamic terrorism requires a serious person that Americans can count on to be competent in the face of crisis. Hillary's Benghazi experience proves she isn't.

Source: AAN

Obama's Five Worst Friends

The Senior Advisor to Obama, Valerie Jarrett, is best known for jump-starting Obama's career by introducing him to the wealthier political network in Chicago. However, Jarrett comes from a long lineage of communist sympathizers, including her father and grandfather, who were under investigation by the U.S. government. In addition, Jarrett still has ties to many communist organizations and the Muslim Brotherhood... 

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Source: American Action News

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE CELL PHONE EMERGERNCY ALERTS

(Communicator Citizen Notification System) 

The Communicator System is a citizen notification method that will automatically notify the Citizens of Wicomico County of important information in the event of an impending or occurring emergency via telephone communications. 

The system utilizes telephone company phone listings and addresses to place calls to residences in specific areas or countywide. Telephone companies do not maintain data bases for cellular phones that include addresses. Therefore, cell phones must be added with an address in order for a cellular customer to receive the informational call. 

If you wish to receive these emergency messages on a cellular phone, you must register your cell phone with the Department of Emergency Services (DES). 

To register you must go to the DES web site at http://www.wicomicocounty.org/ES and select the section entitled: 

Sign Up For Cell Phone Emergency Alerts 

Once you have logged in to the portal, follow the instructions to register your cell phone.

Former Hostess Bakery Outlet to be Redeveloped into Professional Office Space

SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate hosted a renovation groundbreaking at 601 E. Main Street in Salisbury, MD on Thursday, March 3 which drew a crowd of close to 100 people. The former Hostess Bakery Outlet was recently sold to Silicato Development, represented by SVN | Miller Managing Director Brent Miller, CCIM, CPM. Senior Advisor Henry Hanna, CCIM, SIOR represented the seller in the transaction.

Dennis Silicato of Silicato Development is redeveloping the 21,000+ square foot space into River Park Center, a professional office building. Salisbury based architecture firm Davis, Bowen & Friedel, Inc. has agreed to lease the east side of the building, nearly 12,000 square feet of space. They are currently located in the One Plaza East Building in Downtown Salisbury but needed to make a move so they could have their entire organization on one floor, allowing for collaboration amongst colleagues. Davis, Bowen & Friedel designed the interior and façade of the building and local construction company Gillis Gilkerson has been hired to complete the interior buildout and renovations.

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Old Friend Jim Stallings From Bowie, Maryland Passed Away Today

Longtime Morgantown AM host passes away

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A longtime WAJR-AM radio personality has died. Jim Stallings, 54, died Thursday at his home in Preston County after a battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Jim was with WAJR for 28 years. R.I.P. my friend.

Why Trump is winning: His supporters think America is screwing over whites

Donald Trump continued stomping towards the GOP nomination with a big win in Arizona last night, which will stir more anxiety among GOP elites who worry that his strategy of courting white backlash could drive away minority voters, helping unleash an electoral bloodbath up and down the ticket. Paul Ryan is set to give a speech today decrying the “tone” in our politics that will likely hint at criticism of Trump along these lines.

But what if Trump’s efforts to court white backlash constitute one of the essential ingredients of his success among Republican voters?

A new analysis of Washington Post/ABC News polling strongly suggests this may be the case. A Post/ABC national poll this month asked: “Which of these do you think is a bigger problem in this country — blacks and Hispanics losing out because of preferences for whites, or whites losing out because of preferences for blacks and Hispanics?”

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Shocking New Video Inside Of Syria Destroys Big American Lie

Subject: McCain: WH Knows ISIS Has Chemical Weapons Plant in Syria

Sen. John McCain said Wednesday that the Obama administration knows that Islamic State has a chemical weapons factory in Syria but that "I'm not sure they know where it is."

"We have information, public information, that they have established a chemical weapons factory there in Raqqah," the Arizona Republican told Wolf Blitzer on CNN. McCain is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"That brings us back to this root cause, which is our failure to take out Raqqah and Mosul, because as long as they have a geographic base to export terrorism, then they're going to do it," he said. "It goes back to our failure to address the issue seriously of the Islamic State having a geographic base."

Besides not knowing specifically where the plant is, the administration would have difficulty taking it out with airstrikes because ISIS terrorists are "capable of digging underground and protecting themselves," McCain said.

"It's not so easy to take it out from the air. Air power alone does not win conflicts.

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Subject: Klein: Justice Sources Say Huma May Be Forced to Testify on Hillary Emails

Asked during a recent Democratic debate if she would step aside if indicted for mishandling classified information on her private email server, Hillary Clinton replied:

"Oh for goodness ... that's not going to happen. I'm not even answering that question."

Well, she'd better get ready to answer that question, because the investigation of Hillary's email scandal is reaching a climax.

My sources tell me that the Justice Department is close to empaneling a grand jury and deciding whether to grant statutory immunity to Huma Abedin, Hillary's closest adviser.

That would force Huma to testify under oath and face perjury charges and jail time if she lies. I'm also told that Hillary herself will most likely be forced to testify.

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Club for Growth Endorses Ted Cruz

Club for Growth has endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz for president, the first time conservative political advocacy group has recommended a candidate for commander-in-chief.

"Ted Cruz is the best free-market, pro-growth, limited-government candidate in the presidential race," Club for Growth President David McIntosh said Wednesday.

"The Club's PAC has never endorsed in a presidential race, but this year is different because there is a vast gulf between the two leading Republican candidates on matters of economic liberty."

For months, Club for Growth Action, the group's super PAC, has shelled out millions of dollars to bash Donald Trump in TV advertising, calling him a "very liberal" candidate who will end up costing Republicans the White House.

Trump charges that the group turned against him after he rejected their appeal for a donation.

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GLOBAL FASHION RETAILER H&M EXPANDS IN MARYLAND

H&M to Open New Location at Premier Shopping Destination, The Centre at Salisbury

H & M, one of the world’s largest fashion retailers famous for offering fashion-forward apparel at affordable prices in a sustainable way, is thrilled to announce a new location in Salisbury, Maryland. Measuring approximately 21,000 square feet, the new location at The Centre at Salisbury is set to open in the fall of 2016. H&M is especially excited to expand its reach in Maryland, a quickly growing market for the retailer, and add to the ten other locations currently open in the state.

The new H&M location will offer Salisbury residents a one-stop shopping destination for quality clothing for the whole family, with collections for ladies and men, as well as separate “store within a store” sections for accessories. The Centre at Salisbury location will also carry H&M’s children’s collection for newborns to fourteen year olds. The breadth and variety of H&M collections make it easier for any consumer to find fashionable products, no matter their personal style. With an emphasis on design, quality, and sustainability, H&M offers inspiring, high fashion at an unbeatable value.

Agencies Blocked From Strengthening Cyber-Security

Two GOP lawmakers are blaming a federal union for undermining the efforts of U.S. agencies to bolster internal cyber-security.

In an op-ed for the Washington Times, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz of Utah, and Alabama Rep. Gary Palmer, argue last summer's hack of the Office of Personnel Management that exposed the personal data of more than 21.5 million Americans proves "federal agencies should have the full authority to act quickly to protect vital information systems."

Yet the American Federation of Government Employees prevented a federal agency from strengthening its defenses against data breaches by blocking workers' access to certain websites, they charge.

"Putting collective bargaining rights above security is preposterous," the pair write. "It is critical that Congress intervene and help make every effort to strengthen our cyber-defenses."

More here

Ahold Delhaize Holders Approve Merger; 83 U.S. Supermarkets Reportedly For Sale

On March 14, shareholders of Ahold and Delhaize officially approved the merger of the two large European grocery chains setting the stage for a mid-year closing of the deal which was first announced on June 24, 2015.

Additionally, at its U.S, holdings, both chains are reportedly offering a combined 83 stores for sale in the Baltimore-Washington, Eastern Shore, Richmond (Central Virginia), Southern Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Lower Hudson Valley and Greater Boston markets. Those stores would seemingly represent an overlap issue for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) which has yet to make its divestiture list public before we went to press. See list below.

Forty-three of those stores are non-union Food Lion units and nine of the stores on the reported selling block currently trade as Giant Food/Landover, which is unionized. An additional nine Massachusetts stores (both Hannaford and Stop & Shop banners) and two Stop & Shop supermarkets that are located in the Lower Hudson Valley region of New York are on the list.

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Missed It By That Much!

I Used To Be So Proud To Be An American, You?

The Making of a US Congressman

A father told his three sons when he sent them off to the University, “ I feel it’s my duty to provide you with the best possible education, and you do not owe me anything for that. However, I want you to appreciate it. As a token, please each put $1,000 into my coffin when I die."

And so it happened. His sons became a doctor, a lawyer and a financial planner, each very successful financially. When their father’s time had come and they saw him in the coffin, they remembered his wish.

First, it was the doctor who put ten $100 bills onto the chest of the deceased.

Then, came the financial planner, who also put $1,000 there.

Finally, it was the heartbroken lawyer's turn. He dipped into his pocket, took out his checkbook, wrote a check for $3,000, put it into his father's coffin, and took the $2,000 cash.

He later went on to become a member of Congress...

Three Washington DC Students Arrested with Bomb-Making Equipment in Dorm room

The Associated Press is reporting that three George Mason University students have been arrested for allegedly possessing bomb-making equipment in their dorm room.

The as-yet unidentified students were arrested last Wednesday night after flames were seen coming from their dorm-room window. Along with drug paraphernalia, the students were found with equipment that police said could be used for making bombs.

The arrests have added meaning after today’s massive attacks in Brussels that have so far claimed more than 30 lives.

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This Is LEADERSHIP

"For the first time in recent history, we ended our first legislative session with no new tax increases.

We actually cut taxes.

Something almost unheard of in Maryland."

-Governor Larry Hogan

Subject: Trend: 680,000 Green Cards Issued to Migrants from Muslim Nations in Only 5 Years

The federal government issued 680,000 green cards to migrants from majority-Muslim countries from 2009 to 2013, according to the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest.

Federal data from the Department of Homeland Security shows that the U.S. issued the 680,000 green cards to migrants from Pakistan, Iraq, Bangladesh, Iran, Egypt, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Morocco, Jordan, Albania, Lebanon, Yemen, Indonesia, Syria, Sudan, and Afghanistan, among others, according to a Senate report issued in November. The individuals receiving green cards — which establish permanent residency in the U.S. — also include refugees. Immigrants from Muslim-run nations are the fastest-growing migrant bloc in the U.S.

The subcommittee notes — assuming no change in visa policy — the U.S. will issue another 680,000 green cards to migrants from majority-Muslim nations in the coming five years.

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SCOTUS Backs Hunter Who Uses A Hovercraft To Track Moose In National Preserve

Hovercraft. Moose. The Supreme Court of the United States. If you think those three things are totally unrelated, well, you’re wrong. The highest court in the land ruled in support of a hunter who uses a hovercraft to track moose in a national preserve in Alaska, overturning a lower court’s ruling.

The Supremes were unanimous [PDF] in vacating a ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that had upheld enforcement of National Park Service rules that ban the use of hovercraft, and remanded the case for reconsideration of the hunter’s arguments.

The man was piloting his hovercraft over a stretch of Nation River in Alaska that runs through the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, which is managed by the NPS. A hunter for 40 years, he used the amphibious vehicle capable of gliding over land and water to navigate shallow parts of the river.

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Hamas Holds Massive War Drills

Hamas staged major military exercises Tuesday to test its readiness in preparation for another terror war against Israel from Gaza.

The exercises involving 1,000 police and emergency services personnel were not meant to be seen as an "announcement of war," said a spokesman for the Islamist terrorist organization's interior ministry.

For the duration of the exercises, however, a state of emergency was observed in Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, bordering Israel in the north, and Jabalia farther to the south.

The media was barred from approaching the area, but loud explosions could be heard from a distance, with hospitals and schools placed on alert.

More here

FDA Requires Strong New Safety Warnings For Opioids

The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that all fast-acting opioid pain medicines will be required to carry its strongest warning about risks, including the risks for abuse, addiction, overdose and death.

The decision to require instructions for the drugs to carry a so-called black box warning marks the latest in a series of steps by the FDA and other federal agencies to fight the epidemic of opioid addiction.

"This epidemic touches all corners of our nation and is devastating individual lives, communities and our nation," said FDA Commissioner Robert Califf during a briefing for reporters. He called the epidemic the "most urgent and devastating public health crisis facing our nation."

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Save A Tree, LIKE SBYNews

For Freemasons, Is Banning Gay Members Or Being Gay Un-Masonic?

When the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide last June, a couple of farmers in rural Somerville, Tenn., tied the knot.

The couple — Mark Henderson and Dennis Clark — say their neighbors responded within hours.

"We came home and there was a bottle of champagne in a potato salad bucket on the front porch," Henderson says.

But the response from another community, one that they've been actively involved in for years, wasn't as welcoming.

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Trump Yarmulkes Sell Like Hotcakes at AIPAC

A vendor selling yarmulkes outside the American Israel Public Affairs Committee meeting in Washington, D.C., on Monday reported Donald Trump was by far the biggest seller.

"I totally underestimated the degree of support that Jewish people who are attending this event have for Trump," Marc Daniels told The Washington Free Beacon. "I probably had about 50 inquiries for Trump yarmulkes that I could not fulfill."

More here

Subject: Teacher Charged With Sexual Abuse of a Student - Update Mugshot

Middletown, DE – Delaware State Police have arrested a 32 year old music teacher after it was learned that she was sending sexually explicit images to a male student.

The investigation began in January of 2016 after administrators of the Everett Meredith Middle School, located at 505 S. Broad Street, Middletown, were contacted by the mother of a 13 year old male student after she had found sexually explicit video and images of a female teacher on his cell phone. The school administration then contacted the Delaware State Police Troop 2 Youth Aide Unit. After further investigation, which included multiple interviews and examination of physical evidence, it was determined that the teacher, Nicole D. Veneroso, 32, of Newark, who was employed as a music teacher at the school, had begun a relationship with the male student in December of 2015. During the relationship, which continued until the discovery of the images, Veneroso had sent the student numerous sexually explicit photographs, videos, and text messages.

Veneroso was arrested by detectives this afternoon, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at Troop 2. She was charged with Dealing in Child Porn, Sexual Solicitation of a Child under 18, Criminal Solicitation 2nd Degree, 5 counts of Providing Obscenity to a Child under 18, 3 counts of Sexual Abuse of a Child by a Person of Trust 2nd Degree, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Veneroso was arraigned at JP Court 2 and committed to the Delores Baylor Correctional Institution in default of $53,250 secured bail.

Sheriffs rip Obama silence on murdered police, say he backs 'those that kill us'

Despite a 300 percent surge in the shooting deaths of police this year, President Obama has done little to signal his regret, leading law enforcement to charge that he is condoning the slayings.

"He has a microphone in his face almost every moment he's awake, and has unprecedented access to the media. He could certainly take a moment to acknowledge these events and give us the same support he provides those that attack and kill us," Carroll County, Md., Sheriff James T. DeWees told Secrets.

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Keyes: Obama Policy Helps Terrorists

President Barack Obama is facilitating terrorism by waging a war against the Constitution instead of those launching deadly attacks around the world, including Tuesday's bloodbath in Belgium, Alan Keyes, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, tells Newsmax TV.

"The war he's been concentrating on, sadly I think, is the war against the Constitution and people of the United States against our sovereignty, a war that actually has him facilitating the business of terror," Keyes said Tuesday on "The Steve Malzberg Show."

"Both in his foreign policy and in the policy of importing illegal immigrants into this country as part of his sort of 'refugee program' to help terrorists come to the United States and establish themselves so that they'll be poised to do us the kind of harm they are already doing as refugees in Europe."

He added: "This guy's committed to the wrong side of the terrorist equation."

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A Comment Worthy Of A Post 3-24-16

Anonymous said...

Ireton said, "Yet, not even a day has passed and leading figures of the Republican Party and conservative America have projected the exact bile that those who rape, pillage, and murder would have them say."

JOE! This is another post. Ireton compares Republicans to ISIS in a statement he put out on behalf of his campaign. This is OUTRAGEOUS. He is a pathetic, drunk, pervert, sicko, pinko, daffy, lefty, crazy, prancing, FABULOUS!, misfit, sloppy, messy, gross, trans loving POS.

Hey Jimmy! Go join ISIS! Where you belong. March 24, 2016 at 8:15 AM

Defense Minister: This is World War III

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud) on Tuesday evening responded to the lethal Islamic State (ISIS) bombings in Brussels earlier in the day that left 34 murdered, and warned that "World War III" is looming.

"Western culture in recent years has been under an indiscriminate and uninhibited radical Islamic terror assault, whose goal is to harm and disrupt the lives of citizens of the free world," Ya'alon said. "The attacks this morning in Brussels and on Saturday in Istanbul are examples of this."

The minister determined that "the war against this terror and the attempts to disrupt the lives of citizens of Western countries obligates us to unify in a fierce, creative and uncompromising fight against its sources, its funders and instigators."

"The way to do that will be by continuing to join arms with the security and intelligence forces of states of the free world, and an understanding that this is World War III against our shared humane values. It's a war and if we don't deal with it with the proper tools, at all levels, it will continue to harm and sow destruction."

Ya'alon said that Israel "share and will continue to share knowledge, experience and intelligence with the Western states, so as to confront this terror together."

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Building a Ground Army to Fight Heroin Deaths

BALTIMORE — A crowd quickly gathers here on one of West Baltimore’s many drug-infested street corners. But it isn’t heroin they’re seeking. It’s a heroin antidote known as naloxone, or Narcan.

Two city health department workers are holding up slim salmon-colored boxes and explaining that the medication inside can be used to stop someone from dying of a heroin overdose. Most onlookers nod solemnly in recognition. They’ve heard about the drug. They want to know more.

Nationwide, more than 150,000 people received naloxone kits from community outreach programs like Baltimore’s between 1996 and 2014, and more than 26,000 overdoses were reversed using those kits, according to a recent survey funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition, police, emergency medical technicians and emergency room physicians have used the drug to save tens of thousands of lives. Baltimore police officers started carrying the kits last year.

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A Viewer Writes: Parkside Evacuated

Any word why Parkside high has been evacuated.

UPDATE: Apparently it was just smoke. Everything is clear now. 

World TB Day is March 24th

World TB Day is observed around the world on March 24th of each year. The day is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis (TB) today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of nearly 1.5 million people each year, mostly in developing countries. It commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the TB bacillus, which is the cause of tuberculosis, a contagious disease that can affect almost any part of the body, but is found mainly in the lungs. If not treated properly, TB can be fatal. At the time of Koch's announcement in Berlin, TB was raging through Europe and the Americas, causing the death of one out of every seven people. Koch's discovery opened the way toward diagnosing and curing TB. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), death from TB dropped by 47% between 1990 and 2015, but TB is still a top infectious disease killer worldwide, killing more than 4,000 people each day. TB still exists in the United States, with the 9,421 cases reported in 2014 representing the smallest decline in more than a decade and the 555 deaths reported in 2013 showing an 8% increase over 2012. Maryland reported 198 cases in 2014 (Department of Health and Mental Hygiene) reflecting a decrease from the five previous years. 

For more information about tuberculosis or Wicomico Health’s TB program, visit wicomicohealth.org or call 410-543-6943.

Elderly Inmates Burden State Prisons

CAPRON, Va. — Walter Melvin Atkinson is a bit vague about how long he has been in the assisted living portion of the Deerfield Correctional Center and how long he has left on his sentence. He claims to not even remember the crime — pedophilia — that landed him here.

At 92, “Speedy,” as he is called ironically by fellow prisoners and guards, is frail enough to require a wheelchair to get around, and his inmate caregivers rushed to his side to grab from his shaking hand a coffee mug that seemed destined to spill all over his cot. A huge, bright orange star has been sewn on to the white blanket that covers the cot — an idea the unit manager, Kathy Walker, dreamed up to help Atkinson spot his own bed among the six rows of beds in the spotless unit.

Atkinson is representative of an ever deepening trend in state corrections systems, and an ever growing problem, too. According to Human Rights Watch, from 2007 to 2010, the increase in the elderly population, 65 and up, being sentenced to state and federal prison outpaced the increase in the total population by 94 to 1.

Nearly every state is seeing that upward tick in elderly state prisoners. In Virginia, for example, 822 state prisoners were 50 and over (corrections officials usually consider old age for prisoners to begin at 50 or 55) in 1990, about 4.5 percent of all inmates. By 2014, that number had grown to 7,202, or 20 percent of all inmates.

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Gold Alert Issued for Missing Seaford Man

Seaford - The Delaware State Police are issuing a Gold Alert for Joseph M. S. Steele of Seaford who was last seen around 9:40 p.m., Wednesday March 23, 2016 at his residence located on Woodpecker Road

Joseph is a white male, 31 years of age, 6'00” tall, 300 lbs., brown hair and green eyes. (Photo attached)

Troopers have been unable to make contact with Joseph to check on his welfare. Attempts to locate him have been unsuccessful and there is a real concern for his safety and welfare.

If anyone has any information in reference to his whereabouts, they are asked to contact Troop 5 at 302-337-1090 or by contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com. Anonymous tips may be sent by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

Baltimore Struggles To Protect Children From Lead Paint

When a doctor found that Kenicer Carty's 1-year-old daughter had a dangerously high level of lead last year, it triggered an alarm of sorts. Officials sent an inspector to Carty's 1930 row house in northeast Baltimore. It turned out that every single window had hazardous chipping lead paint.

The city contracted with the nonprofit Green and Healthy Homes Initiative to replace the windows and inspect her house. They will also fix a leak in a bedroom wall and near the toilet where water pools, because moisture prompts paint to break down.

While it's all welcome help, it has been six months since Carty's daughter tested positive for lead. She hopes the girl won't suffer the irreversible behavior or learning problems that lead can cause, but she hasn't told anyone about the poisoning.

"Because I don't want people to judge," she says. "You know, we live in a society where you're labeled for just the simplest thing."

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Toyota Promises Automatic Braking Will Be Standard In Most Models By 2017

Just days after automakers and federal regulators reached a deal that would make forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking standard in vehicles by 2022, Toyota says it’ll do one better — make these safety features standard years ahead of schedule.

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WICOMICO COUNTY YOUTH ADDICTION AWARENESS ART AND FILM COMPETITION

The heroin epidemic is a growing problem nationwide. In 2014 there were 578 heroin/opioid deaths in Maryland. In just one recent weekend, there were 13 overdoses and 3 fatalities in our county alone. When interviewed, most of the addicted in our county tell a similar tale. The users of heroin first became addicted to prescription opiate pain medication. They were prescribed the pills, or they got them at a party, or from a friend, or the medicine cabinet at home. An opiate addiction is insidious-- it grabs the user quick and then as the pills become more expensive or harder to obtain, the user switches to heroin which often times is more potent. 

We are working on getting resources to help the addicted, but our best hope is to reach the youth, to get them to understand the dangers of using and abusing prescription opiates and how abusing pills is a pathway to heroin use. So in order to foster an awareness in our community, we are reaching out to the youth to participate in this Film and Art Competition. 

WICOMICO FILM COMPETITION

The rules are simple, create a 30 second video about the dangers of opioid abuse and the link between prescription drugs and heroin.
1st Prize--$1,000 Scholarship
2nd Prize--$500 Scholarship
3rd Prize--$100 Scholarship

WICOMICO ART COMPETITION

Create an art project on any medium except video or film (canvas, paper, photography, etc.) that communicates the dangers of opioid abuse and the link between prescription drugs and heroin.
1st Prize-$1,000 Scholarship
2nd Prize-$500 Scholarship
3rd Prize-$100 Scholarship

Submissions must be brought to the front desk of the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office on or before May 1, 2016 with the completed entry form. Judging will take place on or before May 20, 2016 and award winners will be announced at Third Friday in downtown Salisbury. All entries will be on display at 3rd Friday in May and may be on display throughout the year at events and festivals during for one year after submission. All individuals who appear in the video must sign the attached release. Videos may be aired on PAC-14 and local media websites and broadcasts. This competition is open to any student enrolled in grades 9 through 12 in Wicomico County, Maryland.

The scholarships have been provided by the Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force (Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Salisbury City Police Department, Fruitland Police Department, Maryland State Police)

Go to the Entry Form....

Dogs Vs. Stairs

Bingomania Returns to the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Saturday, April 16

SALISBURY, Md. - Bingomania, the Eastern Shore’s largest bingo cash prize event, returns to the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Saturday, April 16. Doors open at 5 p.m. for early bird games and regular games begin at 7:30 p.m.

Admission to Bingomania includes all regular and special games, including the Jumbo Jackpot Game. Regular game payouts are $500 while special games will pay out $1,000. The Jumbo Jackpot Game pays a maximum of $10,000 depending upon attendance.

Increase your chances of winning and help a local food bank at the same time by bringing three non-perishable food items to the event. Those who do will receive three additional cards for the first early bird game.

Tickets are $45 per person in advance and $55 per person at the door; fees may apply to ticket prices. Tickets are on sale now at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (500 Glen Ave., Salisbury, MD; M-F, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.), online atwww.WicomicoCivicCenter.org and by phone at 410-548-4911.

All proceeds benefit the Mardela Middle and High School Bands. For more information, contact the Mardela Band-Aides at 410-677-5170.

Showcase of Christian Authors Banquet comes to WY&CC

SALISBURY, MD – Network with six writers at the Showcase of Christian Authors Banquet, which is coming to the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Saturday, April 23.

Doors open at 5 p.m., ahead of the 6 p.m. event.

Authors include Sir Charles Cary, Alvin T. Harmon Jr., Loris Nebbia, Gwyn G. Harris, Javelle Conquest and Karen Whiting. Jobina Fortson of 47 ABC will be the toastmistress at the event.

In addition to hearing book summaries from the authors, attendees can enjoy a buffet dinner and have the chance to win door prizes.

Tickets are $50 per person and can be ordered online at www.davidsabatino.com or by calling 757-709-9392.

Fourteen at nuke base probed for illegal drug activity

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fourteen members of an Air Force unit responsible for guarding nuclear missiles in Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska are under investigation for possible illegal drug activity, including cases involving cocaine use, defense officials said Friday.

The probe is a fresh blow to a nuclear missile corps that has been under intense scrutiny in recent years for a string of lapses in training and personal conduct, first revealed by The Associated Press. The Air Force has said repeatedly over the past year that it is making significant changes aimed at lifting morale and improving performance.

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