Fearing Immigrants, Minorities, Town Turns Down 1,100 Jobs

Fear of immigrant and minority workers was one of the primary reasons the tiny Nebraska town of Nickerson, population 400, turned down the offer of a new $300 million chicken processing plant and its 1,100 jobs, reported The Associated Press.

Regional economic development officials thought Nickerson was the perfect spot for the plant. When plans leaked out, though, there was no celebration, only furious opposition.

Residents packed a meeting at the fire hall to complain the roads couldn't handle the truck traffic, the stench from the plant would be unbearable and immigrants, minorities and out-of-towners would flood the area, overwhelming schools and changing the town's character.

"Everyone was against it," said Jackie Ladd, who has lived there for more than 30 years. "How many jobs would it mean for people here? Not many."

The village board unanimously voted against the proposed plant, and two weeks later, the company said they'd take their plant — and money — elsewhere.

More here

UPDATE: LOST DOGS IN SAILSBURY

Stumping Dear Abby

DEAR ABBY ADMITTED SHE WAS AT A LOSS AS HOW TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
(You can't make up this stuff)

Dear Abby,
A couple of women moved in across the hall from me. One is a
middle-aged gym teacher and the other is a social worker in her
mid-twenties. These two women go everywhere together, and I've never seen a man go into or leave their apartment. Do you think they could be Lebanese?

Dear Abby,
What can I do about all the Sex, Nudity, Fowl Language, and Violence on my VCR?

Dear Abby,
I am a twenty-three year old liberated woman who has been on the pill for two years. It's getting expensive and I think my boyfriend should share half the cost, but I don't know him well enough to discuss money with him.

Dear Abby,
I've suspected that my husband has been fooling around, and when
confronted with the evidence, he denied everything and said it would never happen again.

Dear Abby,
I joined the Navy to see the world. I've seen it. Now how do I get out?

Dear Abby,
My forty year old son has been paying a psychiatrist $50.00 an hour
every week for two and a half years. He must be crazy.

Dear Abby,
You told some woman whose husband had lost all interest in sex to send him to a doctor. Well, my husband lost all interest in sex and he is a doctor. Now what do I do?

Dear Abby,
I have a man I can't trust. He cheats so much, I'm not even sure the
baby I'm carrying is his.

Remember, these people can vote…

Poll: Ohioans Want Kasich to Drop WH Bid

The pressure for third-place GOP presidential candidate John Kasich to drop out of the race has increased with nearly half of all voters in Ohio believing their governor should call it quits, a new poll reveals.

A Public Policy Polling survey released Monday shows some 49 percent of voters in The Buckeye State believe Kasich should end his quest for the White House, with just 38 percent saying he should stay in.

That finding is a far cry from two months back when just 34 percent thought he should bid adieu to the race versus 52 percent who believed he should keep going.

The poll also found that 49 percent of Ohio voters believe Kasich's presidential bid has "caused him to pay insufficient attention to his Gubernatorial duties," with just 31 percent saying he is giving enough attention to them.

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Election Fraud Feared as Hackers Target Voter Records

A series of data breaches overseas are spurring concerns that hackers could manipulate elections in the United States.

Since December, hundreds of millions of voters in the U.S., the Philippines, Turkey and Mexico have had their data discovered on the web in unprotected form. In some instances, legitimate security researchers found the information, but in others, malicious hackers are suspected of pilfering the data for criminal purposes.

The data breaches are raising questions as the U.S. considers whether to move toward electronic balloting. More people than ever are using the internet to register to vote and to request mail-in ballots. Some states have even become vote-by-mail only in recent years.

“If you can’t keep the voter registration records safe, what makes you think you can keep the votes safe?” asked Pamela Smith, president of election watchdog Verified Voting.

For a politically inclined hacker, insecure voter data could “very easily” create a pathway to “massive” voter fraud, said Joseph Kiniry, CEO of Free & Fair, which advocates for secure digital election systems.

“If you can go in there and delete rows based on someone’s name or political affiliation, we will have a massively screwed up election process on the day,” he said.

In the U.S., experts say there are few clear standards for locking down voter registration data and hackers have caught on to this fact.

More here

Conservatives in U.S. Congress Urge Shutdown of Tax-collecting IRS

It's a U.S. taxpayer's dream: make the Internal Revenue Service go away, and the largest conservative group in Congress is endorsing just that.

The Republican Study Committee, which counts over two-thirds of House of Representatives Republicans as its members, called recently for "the complete elimination of the IRS."

The committee's support for this idea, once confined to the fringes of conservative ideology, suggests it is more widely accepted on Capitol Hill than ever. But many in Washington, including some Republicans, have trouble taking it seriously.

Calls to abolish the IRS have not been well thought through, said Republican Representative Charles Boustany in an interview.

As part of a wider appeal for federal tax reform, the committee says simply: "This proposal takes the bold step of calling for the complete elimination of the IRS. Tax collection and enforcement activities would be moved to a new, smaller and more accountable department at the Treasury."

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LIVE Stream: Donald J. Trump Indiana Primary Victory Speech In New York, NY | May 3rd '16

Community pitches in to help firefighters battle blaze at service center

CONFLUENCE, Pa. - A gas station in a small Somerset County town was destroyed by fire early Monday morning.

Flames broke out just before 9 a.m. at Hartman's Service Center along Latrobe Avenue in Confluence borough.

Firefighters have been there most of the day, but they weren't the only ones.

"One of my staff radioed that there was a fire over at Hartman's gas station and that's kind of when we all came from the office and checked what was going on," Lisa Hall said.

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BREAKING NEWS: Fox News projects Trump wins Indiana primary with sizeable lead over Cruz; Democratic race too close to call

Fox News projects that New York businessman Donald Trump will overwhelmingly beat Texas Senator Ted Cruz in the Hoosier state’s Republican presidential primary, with Fox exit polls and early vote tallies giving the businessman a 20-point lead.

The victory significantly improves Trump’s chances of amassing the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the Republican presidential nomination this summer in Cleveland.

With just nine states remaining in the nominating process, the stop-Trump wing of the Republican Party appears to be rapidly running out of options.

On the Democratic side, it is too early to project a winner in the contest between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

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Biden Tries to Fix Broken Iraq

Joe Biden's helicopter touched down at the American Embassy in Baghdad Thursday as America's second in command made a surprise visit with Iraq's leaders in an effort to protect the stability of the government. Over the last several weeks, the state of Iraqi politics has deteriorated (who could've seen that coming?)

Biden's staff scheduled appointments with Iraqi leaders but reportedly didn't know if they would be in office by the time Biden could meet with them. The prime minister is weak. The parliament is fractured and notoriously corrupt. It would have been an embarrassing visit for Biden even if nothing happened afterwards. We'll come back to that.

In 2010, Biden boasted that abandoning Iraq "could be one of the great achievements of this administration." It was during the time that the Obama administration was peddling its "success" story in Iraq to pave the way for the 2012 campaign narrative. Not only will American troops be gone, the veep promised then, "You're going to see a stable government in Iraq that is actually moving toward a representative government."

On Saturday, hordes of protesters stormed the Iraqi parliament..

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Local Barbara Furbush Receives Prestigious Award

Don't Leave Home Without It

Lawsuit says Starbucks' iced drinks have too much ice

A Starbucks customer from Chicago has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the coffee chain, accusing it of using too much ice in its cold drinks.

The suit, filed by Stacy Pincus, claims that while Starbucks (SBUX) advertises its cold drinks by fluid ounce, the numbers are only accurate when ice is added to a drink.

"Starbucks is advertising the size of its Cold Drink cups on its menu, rather than the amount of fluid a customer will receive when they purchase a Cold Drink -- and deceiving its customers in the process," the suit says.

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City Of Salisbury MAY 2016 Board & Committee Meeting Dates and Locations

MAY 2016 Board & Committee Meeting Dates and Locations

Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) -- Wed. May 11, 6:30 p.m., GOB, Room 306. Please note different time than usual, taking community bike ride before the meeting. The ride starts from the front lawn of the GOB. Plan to arrive at 5:15 pm.  The ride will take 30-45 minutes to complete, and the group will return to the GOB. Contact Matt Drew – Email: matt@bike-sby.org   Phone 443-880-8304.

Board of Zoning Appeals – (No May Meeting).

Building Board of Adjustments & Appeals – (No May Meeting).

Central City District Commission – (No May Meeting).

Election Board – (No May Meeting).

Ethics Commission- (No May Meeting).

Friends of Poplar Hill Mansion Board of Directors – Wednesday, May 18, 5:30 p.m., Poplar Hill Mansion.

Historic District Commission – (No May Meeting).

Housing Board of Adjustments and Appeals – (No May Meeting).

Marina Committee (Third) Thurs. May 19, 5:00 p.m., Marina Office.

Disability Advisory Committee – Thurs. May 12, 3:00 p.m., Rm 306, GOB.

PAC-14 Public Access Community (2nd Wed.) May 11, 4:00 p.m., E.S. Regional GIS Cooperative Building, 1248 S. Division Street.

Parks & Recreation Committee – (Third) Thurs. May 19, 6:00 p.m., Room 306, GOB.

Planning /Zoning Commission – Thurs. May 19, 1:30 p.m., Room 301, GOB.

Recycling Advisory Committee – (No May Meeting).

Revolving Loan Committee – (No May Meeting).

Sustainability Advisory Committee GREEN TEAM – (No May Meeting).

Traffic & Safety Advisory Committee – (No May Meeting).

Zoo Commission – Wed. May 18, 12:00 p.m., Zoo Education Building.

White House: Obama not offended by comedian’s language

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Monday that President Barack Obama wasn’t offended by comedian Larry Wilmore’s use of a racial slur at Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Wilmore concluded his remarks noting progress on race and how much it meant to him that a black man was president. He concluded: “Yo Barry, you did it, my n—-. You did it.”

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he talked with Obama, and Obama appreciated the spirit of racial progress Wilmore was trying to convey.

Earnest said the White House didn’t see Wilmore’s speech beforehand. Earnest also said he’s confident Wilmore used the word by design and was seeking to be provocative.

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A MARYLAND MOTHER’S DAY – THINK LOCAL FOR UNIQUE FINDS

This week, celebrate National Small Business Week by doing your Mother’s Day gifting while shopping at a local store, supporting a local farmer, or ordering from an online Maryland-based retailer. Small Business Week runs from May 1-7, with Mother’s Day wrapping up the week-long celebration on May 8. Whether you celebrate by buying a unique gift or planning a special outing, local Maryland businesses can help provide an extraordinary experience.

By shopping small, you are supporting the local economy while finding a great gift for the special woman in your life. Here are some ways to support small Maryland businesses.

Specialties from Maryland Bakers and Chocolatiers 
If you’re in Baltimore City, you can’t go wrong with the legendary Rheb’s candy shop or infamous cannoli from Vaccaro’s. In Western Maryland, check out Deanna’s Cupcake Shop in Cumberland or Lorenzo’s Frostburg Bakery in Frostburg. In Southern Maryland, try the Wildewood Pastry Shop. If you can’t make it to a local bakery, order a Maryland dessert online. Smith Island Cakes can be shipped directly to your home. Smith Island Cakes are Maryland’s official dessert, and officially delicious!

Not Just Any Flowers 
Don’t pick up just any flowers Sunday morning – make your flowers extra special by sharing a fun experience. Take her to the Baltimore Farmer’s Market and Bazaar to pick her own flowers directly from local farmers. The Hashawha Environmental Center & Bear Branch Nature Center in Westminster is hosting a Mother’s DayWildflower Walk on May 7, and Sunny Hill Farm in Whiteford will host “Mother’s Day Paint Night Out in the Greenhouse” on May 6. The Bleached Butterfly Floral & Home Boutique in Berlin offers fresh flowers daily, custom arrangements, and Maryland’s only full service terrarium bar!

Sports Authority Files for Bankruptcy: 450-Store Closure Could Leave 14,500 People Jobless

Outdoor apparel giant Sports Authority has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and the retail chain could close all or most of its 450 stores nationwide as it struggles to pay off a reported $1 billion debt.

Sports Authority is “pursuing a sale of some or all of the business,” a company statement said. “We have received initial expressions of interest from a number of potential buyers, and we are optimistic about the results of the sale process.”

Founded in 1928, the athletic apparel retailer was once the largest sporting goods chain in America.

In the years after its 2006 leveraged buyout by Leonard Green & Partners, Sports Authority saw a slump in sales due to competition from mega retailer Dick’s and online merchants.

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Women matter in Maryland

Maryland is on the verge of a very disappointing precipice. After the November elections, the Maryland congressional delegation could have no female members — for the first time since 1973. This is especially troubling in Maryland not only because women make up about 60 percent of the electorate but also because of Maryland’s long history of supporting female elected officials.

As Marylanders, we pride ourselves on our diversity and inclusiveness. For more than four decades, we have understood the value of having women among those representing our state in Congress. That’s why it’s noteworthy that the Democrat congressional ticket has a glaringly obvious hole – no women. In other words, if Democrats were to sweep all of the congressional elections except the 1st District, as some pundits are predicting, our congressional delegation would be made up entirely of men. That is why we agree with Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.), who said, “What I want to know from my Democratic Party is . . ,. when will the voices of women . . . when will our voices be effective, legitimate equal leaders in a big-tent party?”

Maryland is filled with intelligent and successful women on both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a Democrat, and Marjorie Holt, who, 40 years ago, was the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Maryland. Holt paved the way for other Maryland women to get involved in public service, including Reps. Helen Bentley, Beverly Byron and Connie Morella, Ambassador Ellen Sauerbrey and our current female members of Congress, Edwards and Mikulski. All of these women paved the way for us. It is unbelievable that Maryland Democrats do not have even one of the many strong, capable, intelligent and thoughtful women in our state among their nominees. In stark contrast to Democrats, the Republican congressional ticket includes a woman running for Senate and a woman running for the House.
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SFD Newsletter May 2016

Man pleads guilty to setting fire in store during riots

BALTIMORE (AP) — A man has pleaded guilty to setting a liquor store on fire during the riots that rocked Baltimore last year in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death after he was injured in police custody.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release that 22-year-old Darius Stewart of Baltimore pleaded guilty Monday to malicious destruction of property by fire in federal court in Baltimore.

According to his plea agreement, Stewart set three fires in the store on April 27, 2015. Prosecutors say one of the store’s owners was hurt when he jumped from the second floor to escape the blaze. Firefighters rescued an unconscious person from the basement.

The plea deal calls for Stewart to get five years in prison and pay $350,000 in restitution.

Sentencing is July 21.
Source 

Another Liberal Idiot

Baltimore police involved in 3 shootings in 5 days

BALTIMORE (AP) — Police have shot and wounded three people over a five-day span in Baltimore, two carrying guns authorities later found to be either fake or unloaded, and a third wearing what looked like an explosive vest and later deemed harmless.

Police spokesman T.J. Smith said Monday that it appears the officers in each case acted in accordance with their training to neutralize potential threats. He says the investigations are continuing and emphasized that the threat of possible violence in each case warranted police action.

The recent incidents coincide roughly with the one-year anniversary of the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who had been critically injured in police custody. His death prompted rioting last April in Baltimore, and intensified scrutiny of how city officers treat young black men.
Source 

CRAIGSLIST AD RECRUITING ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTERS

HERE IS THE AD RUNNING IN THE SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA CRAIGSLIST FOR ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTERS.

Join our team as we call members of Environment America to stop Donald Trump from becoming President Donald Trump!

Environment America is a nationwide, citizen-funded environmental advocacy organization. Our professional staff combines independent research, practical ideas, and tough-minded advocacy to overcome the opposition of powerful special interests and win real results for the environment.

President Trump would be a disaster for the environment, but millions of swing voters don’t know that. They don’t know he’s pledged to ax the EPA, that his idea of conservation is a golf course in the middle of the desert. And that he says global warming is a hoax concocted by the Chinese government. So we’re working to ensure that Donald Trump does not become president, and that the strongest environmental candidates get elected this fall.

Call Taylor at (916) 444-3327

Up to $14.50/hour, plus performance bonuses and benefits
Part-time hours
Evening shifts
Great training and career opportunities

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American Legion On Fire In Cambridge

Fire units from Wicomico County are heading to Dorchester County to assist with a structure fire at the American Legion at 601 Radiance Drive.

'Make America Mexico Again': Why Americans are fed up with illegals

There is something a bit unsettling about watching violent, foul-mouthed protesters waving the Mexican flag on American soil.

Over the weekend, Hispanic children lined the streets in Fort Wayne, Indiana – hurling filthy insults at Donald Trump supporters.

“F*** you,” the youngsters shouted as they flipped off passerby. “F*** you.”

Video captured images of the angry protesters wearing sombreros and holding signs that read, “Brown Pride.”

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Welcome To DelMarVa

Trump's rise is driving immigrants to become citizens

MIAMI (AP) -- On a recent Saturday morning in South Florida, 50-year-old Edgar Ospina stood in a long line of immigrants to take the first step to become an American.

Ospina has spent almost half his life in the U.S. after emigrating from his native Colombia, becoming eligible for citizenship in 1990. But with Donald Trump becoming a more likely presidential nominee by the day, Ospina decided to wait no more, rushing the paperwork required to become a citizen.

"Trump is dividing us as a country," said Ospina, owner of a small flooring and kitchen remodeling company. "He's so negative about immigrants. We've got to speak up."

Nationwide, immigrants like Ospina are among tens of thousands applying for naturalization in a year when immigration has taken center stage in the presidential campaign, especially in the race for the Republican nomination.

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5 Things We Learned About The $300 Billion Painkiller Industry

Relieving pain isn’t a simple issue of taking a pill and feeling better. It’s a complicated cornucopia of treatments ranging from over-the-counter remedies to holistic healing to prescription medications, with some $300 billion a year spent each year on painkillers in the U.S. alone.

Treating pain is also risky business, with studies showing that consumers often aren’t aware of what’s in the over-the-counter medications they take, resulting indeaths from something as seemingly innocuous as kids-formula acetaminophen.

At the same time, there is growing concern about the overuse of prescription painkillers, with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently urging doctors to give some thought to how generous they are with their prescription pad, saying that the overprescription of opioids is a “key driver of America’s drug-overdose epidemic.”

In the current issue of Consumer Reports, our colleagues take an in-depth look at the current state of painkiller use and abuse. Here are just some of the key takeaways:

1.) Prescription painkiller overuse and abuse is rampant: Every day, more than 1,000 Americans are treated in emergency rooms for misusing opioid painkillers like Percocet and Vicodin.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 14,000 Americans died of overdoses involving prescription opioids in 2014 alone.

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Choosing the Right Medical Alert System For Yourself or a Loved One

We all remember that TV commercial with the woman saying: “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” The phrase became a catch jingle with a comedic slant.

But falling and home accidents are no laughing matter. According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), one-third of Americans aged 65 and older fall each year. Every 20 minutes an older adult dies from a fall.

Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of non-fatal, trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults. But falls aren’t the only reason millions of Americans depend upon medical alert systems, which offer security and peace of mind not only to seniors but their adult children and other family members.

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Sharpton: Wilmore's Use of N-Word With Obama 'Poor Taste'

Comedian Larry Wilmore's N-word bomb during President Barack Obama's final appearance at the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner was "at best, in poor taste," activist Al Sharpton charged.

Comedy Central's "The Nightly Report" host used the term at the close of his monologue at the yearly gathering of politicians, journalists, celebrities and dignitaries – triggering an immediate storm of comment, including condemnation by Mediaite columnist Joe Concha, and a Twitter jab from an ABC producer.

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Trump: Can't Keep Allowing China to 'Rape Our Country'

Republican front-runner Donald Trump has ratcheted up his already harsh criticism of China, telling a campaign event in Indiana on Sunday, "We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country, and that’s what they’re doing," The Hill reports.

The U.S. trade deficit with China has been a constant theme in Trump's campaign. He has often accused the country of manipulating its currency to help its exports, but has not used the word "rape" before.

"We're going to turn it around, and we have the cards, don't forget it," Trump said. "We have a lot of power with China."

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“WRITE-IN NIKKI HALEY” MOVEMENT BEGINS

SORT OF …

On the same day former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina dominated political headlines via her vice presidential association with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, one establishment “conservative” is pushing for S.C. governor Nikki Haley … to be president.

Brooke Rogers (Twitter, here) – who works for the publisher of National Review Online – penned a column on the website HeatStreet arguing that Haley provided “voters on the right – libertarians and conservatives especially” with a compelling alternative to presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and presumptive “Republican” nominee Donald Trump.

Here’s her argument …

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LOCAL HAPPENINGS: MAY EVENTS ACROSS DELMARVA

April showers bring May flowers…or at least that’s how the saying goes. With a dreary end to the month of April, we sure are hoping to see plenty of vibrant spring flowers in May as we travel across Delmarva to attend all of the events that are on our calendar. Sprinfest, the Dewey Beach Arts Fest, Crab Soup Cook-Off, May Day Play Day, Cruisin’ OC, Soft Shell Spring Fest…there’s a lot to look forward to this month, so without further ado, here are the May events:

Springfest

• When: Thursday, May 5 – Sunday, May 8
• Where: Inlet Parking Lot, Ocean City
• What: The Town of Ocean City celebrates spring and the start of the busy season each May with the annual Springfest four-day festival. The free event is held in the Inlet parking lot in downtown OCMD, with plenty of delicious food, live music, and vendors to enjoy from Thursday through Sunday. In addition to the collection of free performances available all weekend-long, there are also headlining, ticketed acts, including Dr. K’s Motown Revue, Sara Evans, and Collective Soul.

Berlin Touch-A-Truck

• When: Saturday, May 7, 10am until 12pm
• Where: Stephen Decatur Park, Berlin
• What: Bring the kids out to Stephen Decatur Park in Berlin this Saturday for demonstrations, free information, and activity books. Vehicles from the Electric, Public Works, Water Resources, Police and Fire Departments will be available for the kids to touch and explore. The Berlin Police Department will also host a K-9 Demonstration.

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OBAMA FREES USS COLE BOMBING TERRORIST

On Thursday morning, sailors on board the USS Cole were lining up for an early lunch. Seventeen of them died as an Al Qaeda bomb on board a fishing boat tore through the hull outside the galley. The dead included 15 men and 2 women, one of whom had a young child. For three weeks the crew of the USS Cole struggled to keep their ship from sinking while working waist deep in water with bucket brigades, sleeping on the deck and living surrounded by the terrible aftermath of the terrorist attack.

The survivors, wounded and whole, received the words "Glory is the Reward of Valor" written on the bent steel removed from the site of the explosion that tore through their ship and their lives.

The President of the United States promised that justice would be done. “To those who attacked them we say: You will not find a safe harbor. We will find you and justice will prevail.”

Despite Clinton’s words, justice did not prevail.

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Rapper 50 Cent Finds Out He’s the Only One Laughing After Truth Emerges About Airport Janitor He Mocks in Online Video

Rapper 50 Cent recently recorded what he thought would be a humorous video while waiting at the airport, but after posting the clip on Instagram, he received some information that killed the punchline.

In the short video, which 50 Cent recorded himself, the rapper turns his camera to an airport janitor, mocking the employee and accusing him of being high on drugs.

Instead of verbally responding, the young man furiously shakes his head “no” and continues to push his cleaning cart without making eye contact.

The caption for 50 Cent’s Instagram post read: “The walking Dead, SMH LMAO I mean How high are trying to get Damn!!!”

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Politics In Real Life: Paid Family Leave A Big Concern, Not A Top Campaign Issue

Nancy Glynn, 27, called it her "NICU diet," but it wasn't about weight loss. It was about financial survival.

When her son, Hunter, was born two months premature he was 2 pounds, 10 ounces and fighting for his life. Hunter was in the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, for more than a month.

The "diet" comes in because Glynn, a waitress, couldn't afford to buy meals in the hospital cafeteria. In large part, that's because that whole time she was out of work, she wasn't getting paid and — because Hunter was premature — she and her husband hadn't had as much time to save up.

"I thought I had some paid leave," said Glynn. "And then I started looking through my employee handbooks, and I was going, 'Wait a minute. No, I don't.'"

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What's your thoughts on paid family leave?

Obama budgets $17,613 for every new illegal minor, more than Social Security retirees get

President Obama has budgeted $17,613 for each of the estimated 75,000 Central American teens expected to illegally cross into the United States this year, $2,841 more than the average annual Social Security retirement benefit, according to a new report.

The total bill to taxpayers: $1.3 billion in benefits to "unaccompanied children," more than double what the federal government spent in 2010, according to an analysis of the administration's programs for illegal minors from the Center for Immigration Studies. The average Social Security retirement benefit is $14,772.

The report notes that the president's budget, facing congressional approval, includes another $2.1 billion for refugees, which can include the illegals from Central America, mostly Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

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Why Churches Need Public Relations People

GAO employee sentenced in school-lunch theft

WASHINGTON — A former member of the Prince George’s County school board has been sentenced to probation for using an assistance program for low-income families to get free school lunches for her own child.

Lynette Mundey, 34, was convicted in February on charges that she misused the free school lunch program, intended for families with a combined annual income of $40,000 or less.

When she was indicted, Mundey was making $93,000 annually as an education board member and a federal employee. The lunches were valued at about $1,700.

On Friday, she was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.

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DONALD TRUMP IS SURGING IN INDIANA

MEANWHILE TED CRUZ’S DELEGATE STRUGGLE IS REAL …

“Republican” presidential frontrunner Donald Trump is poised to score a potential knockout victory in early-voting Indiana this week. Meanwhile U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is struggling to maintain momentum in his fight for delegates in a contested convention setting (Cruz has been mathematically-eliminated from capturing the GOP nomination on the first ballot).

According to a new NBC News/ Wall Street Journal/ Marist poll, Trump is leading Cruz by a 49-34 percent margin in the Hoosier State.

Talk about a beatdown …

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Accountability and reform omnibus will create ‘new VA’

A sweeping omnibus package aimed at overhauling the Veterans Affairs Department is gaining ground on Capitol Hill.

Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced the Veterans First Act on Aprils 28. The bill will create a “new VA” through a “very important and very effective and very direct piece of legislation,” Isakson said.

“This is a little bit like fixing the plane while you’re flying it,” Blumenthal said during a press conference at the Capitol. “This system can be and must be improved, and this measure will help advance its efficiency and its fairness. That’s the real lesson here. We are learning from experience, we are learning from the problems that have arisen in the existing system and we’re making it better. And there may well be a need to make it better still. This may not be the last word, but the point is we have to go forward and make sure that there is strict accountability, not just in the rules but in the culture.”

The VA has maintained a place in headlines and the national spotlight for issues related from accountability of senior executives to patient wait times to whistleblower investigations.

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Jeff Foxworthy Does It Again

By Jeff Foxworthy:

If plastic water bottles are okay, but plastic bags are banned, — you might live in a nation (state) that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots WE DO LIVE IN SUCH A DUMB COUNTRY!!

If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for entering and remaining in the country illegally — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If you have to get your parents' permission to go on a field trip or to take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If you MUST show your identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor, or check out a library book and rent a video, but not to vote for who runs the government — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If the government wants to prevent stable, law-abiding citizens from owning gun magazines that hold more than ten rounds, but gives twenty F-16 fighter jets to the crazy new leaders in Egypt — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If, in the nation's largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not one 24-ounce soda, because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If an 80-year-old woman who is confined to a wheelchair or a three-year-old girl can be strip-searched by the TSA at the airport, but a woman in a burka or a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If a seven-year-old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher is "cute" but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government regulation and intrusion while not working is rewarded with Food Stamps, WIC checks, Medicaid benefits, subsidized housing, and free cell phones — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If you pay your mortgage faithfully, denying yourself the newest big-screen TV, while your neighbor buys iPhones, time shares, a wall-sized do-it-all plasma screen TV and new cars, and the government forgives his debt when he defaults on his mortgage — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If being stripped of your Constitutional right to defend yourself makes you more "safe" according to the government — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

First Lady Yumi Hogan to Serve as Honorary Chair of the 2016 Children’s Mental Health Matters! Campaign

“Celebrating Through Art: The First Lady’s Mental Health Awareness Youth Art Display”

ANNAPOLIS, MD – First Lady Yumi Hogan will serve as the honorary chair of the Children’s Mental Health Matters! Campaign and host a youth art display in the Lowe House Office Building on Monday, May 2, 2016. The art display will be held in conjunction with the state of Maryland’s recognition of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week from May 1st through 7th, 2016.

“Mental Health is a vital part of our children’s overall health and development. As honorary chair, I am very pleased to be a part of this meaningful campaign and raise awareness for children’s mental health through the arts,” said First Lady Yumi Hogan, an accomplished artist and an adjunct professor at Maryland Institute College of Art. “The use of art as a healing tool for children’s mental health is really critical for their success every day and later in adult life.”

The Maryland Department of Disabilities, Mental Health Association of Maryland, Maryland Coalition of Families, Maryland State Department of Education, and Center for School Mental Health have partnered on this initiative to bring attention to the need for unified and aligned strategies when addressing children's mental health needs in our state. In recognition of the importance of mental health awareness and the expressive power of artistic pursuits, youth were invited to participate in a statewide art project to celebrate Children's Mental Health Awareness Week. They were asked to express something that makes them feel mentally happy, healthy, and/or hopeful in their art works.

The opening reception for the First Lady's Mental Health Awareness Youth Art Display will be held as following:

When: Monday, May 2, 2016 from 5:00 to 6:00 PM (EDT)

Where: Lowe House Office Building, 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD 21401

The Lowe House Office Building is located at 6 Bladen Street in Annapolis. The display is on the first floor and the building is open to the public. For more information on the Children's Mental Health Matters! Campaign, please visit http://www.childrensmentalhealthmatters.org/.

What Has America Become

Click on image to enlarge.

Sit This One Out

Would You Believe...

I Guess I'll Be Sitting On The Floor

Obama's High Tech Gun Grab

President Barack Obama announced new steps Friday to help curb gun violence, including by identifying the requirements that “smart guns” would have to meet for law enforcement agencies to buy and use them as well as sharing mental health records with the federal background check system. 

As Obama unveiled a plan last January to expand federal background checks for gun purchases, he directed the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Justice to conduct or sponsor research into smart-gun technology. Obama also instructed the agencies to regularly review the availability of such technology and to promote its use. 

In a report released Friday, the Justice and Homeland Security departments said they expect to complete the work of identifying the smart-gun requirements by October. 

“Many gun injuries and deaths are the result of legal guns that were stolen, misused, or discharged accidentally,” Obama said. “As long as we’ve got the technology to prevent a criminal from stealing and using your smartphone, then we should be able to prevent the wrong person from pulling a trigger on a gun.”

Source: The Blaze