Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) argued on the floor Tuesday for his Zika Vector Control Act, formerly known as the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act, which would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from requiring permits to spray federally approved pesticides into new bodies of water.
Gibbs argued that the permit requirement is redundant, as the pesticides are already approved under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and the additional permit process under the Clean Water Act is costly and burdensome.
House Democrats ultimately prevented the legislation from meeting the two-thirds majority needed for passage under a fast track measure. The bill failed 262-159.
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Condoning Transgenderism Is Like Agreeing with Anorexics That They Are Fat
In M*A*S*H, one of America’s longest-running TV shows, the beloved character Max Klinger dressed as a woman. Klinger hoped to get a so-called “Section 8,” which is a mental-health discharge in the military. Everyone who watched the show when it ran in prime time understood that a man who thought he was a woman had a mental-health challenge. According to the script, not even Klinger himself really believed he was a woman. Today we are confronted with the challenge of how to respond to individuals who truly believe their mental experience of gender does not match their biology.
Thus teen girls are being told that they must share locker rooms with people who are biologically male. We are told that we need to be inclusive. But where is the concern for the privacy and comfort of those who do not want to change clothes next to people who are objectively a different gender?
A solution to the social aspect of this challenge would be for transgender individuals to use single-stall family restrooms and changing facilities. There are many people for whom these restrooms are helpful, including people with small children and individuals with special needs who require assistance from a family member.
However, advocates for transgender people typically oppose this solution. They claim that this makes transgender individuals feel excluded..
More
Thus teen girls are being told that they must share locker rooms with people who are biologically male. We are told that we need to be inclusive. But where is the concern for the privacy and comfort of those who do not want to change clothes next to people who are objectively a different gender?
A solution to the social aspect of this challenge would be for transgender individuals to use single-stall family restrooms and changing facilities. There are many people for whom these restrooms are helpful, including people with small children and individuals with special needs who require assistance from a family member.
However, advocates for transgender people typically oppose this solution. They claim that this makes transgender individuals feel excluded..
More
Techitis: Constantly Using Smartphones Causing Widespread Health Problems
Several new studies show how the devices might be impacting our health.
Terms like ‘text-neck’ and ‘screen-sightedness’ didn’t exist several years ago. But, the lingo is becoming more commonplace among medical professionals.
Text-neck or tech-neck is a condition that results from constantly looking down at handheld technology. One study, published in the National Library of Medicine, calls it an epidemic.
Chiropractor Dr. Bob Yakovac told KDKA’s Kym Gable our heads aren’t designed to be in that position for prolonged periods of time.
“It’s not the first time [you look down], it’s the 10,000th time you put your head down and all of a sudden, you say ‘Man, it’s killing me!’”
More
Subject: CDC Ignores Own Study, Allows Refugees Into U.S. Without Latent TB Screening
Dr. Jane Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, is criticizing the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for allowing refugees to enter the United States without screening and treatment for latent tuberculosis.
Seven of the agency’s own public health experts said such screening and treatment “would potentially save millions of dollars and contribute to United States TB elimination goals” in a research article published in December.
“Admitting people who might cause an epidemic makes no sense whatsoever from a public health standpoint,” Orient tells Breitbart News.
“It suggests that those who favor it do not care about the cost in suffering, death, and expense to Americans,” Orient says, adding she agrees with the public health experts currently or formerly employed at the CDC who concluded that screening of refugees for latent tuberculosis and successful treatment of those who test positive for the disease prior to their entry into the country is the proper public health policy for the United States.
More
Seven of the agency’s own public health experts said such screening and treatment “would potentially save millions of dollars and contribute to United States TB elimination goals” in a research article published in December.
“Admitting people who might cause an epidemic makes no sense whatsoever from a public health standpoint,” Orient tells Breitbart News.
“It suggests that those who favor it do not care about the cost in suffering, death, and expense to Americans,” Orient says, adding she agrees with the public health experts currently or formerly employed at the CDC who concluded that screening of refugees for latent tuberculosis and successful treatment of those who test positive for the disease prior to their entry into the country is the proper public health policy for the United States.
More
Never said better
Time is like a river. You cannot touch the water twice,
because the flow that has passed will never pass again.
Franklin Graham was speaking at the First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida in January, 2015, when he said America will not come back. He wrote:
The American dream ended on November 6th, 2012 in Ohio. The second term of Barack Obama has been the final nail in the coffin for the legacy of the white Christian males who discovered, explored, pioneered, settled and developed the greatest republic in the history of mankind.
A coalition of blacks, Latinos, feminists, gays, government workers, union members, environmental extremists, the media, Hollywood, uninformed young people, the "forever needy," the chronically unemployed, illegal aliens and other "fellow travelers"
have ended Norman Rockwell's America.
You will never again out-vote these people. It will take individual acts of defiance and massive displays of civil disobedience to get back the rights we have allowed them to take away. It will take zealots, not moderates and shy, not reach-across-the-aisle RINOs to right this ship and restore our beloved country to its former status.
People like me are completely politically irrelevant, and I will probably never again be able to legally comment on or concern myself with the aforementioned coalition which has surrendered our culture, our heritage and our traditions without a shot being fired.
The cocker spaniel is off the front porch, the pit bull is in the back yard. The American Constitution has been replaced with Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals" and the likes of Chicago shyster David Axelrod along with international socialist George Soros have been pulling the strings on their beige puppet have brought us Act 2 of the New World Order.
The curtain will come down but the damage has been done, the story has been told.
Those who come after us will once again have to risk their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to bring back the Republic that this generation has timidly frittered away due to white guilt and political correctness...
because the flow that has passed will never pass again.
Franklin Graham was speaking at the First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida in January, 2015, when he said America will not come back. He wrote:
The American dream ended on November 6th, 2012 in Ohio. The second term of Barack Obama has been the final nail in the coffin for the legacy of the white Christian males who discovered, explored, pioneered, settled and developed the greatest republic in the history of mankind.
A coalition of blacks, Latinos, feminists, gays, government workers, union members, environmental extremists, the media, Hollywood, uninformed young people, the "forever needy," the chronically unemployed, illegal aliens and other "fellow travelers"
have ended Norman Rockwell's America.
You will never again out-vote these people. It will take individual acts of defiance and massive displays of civil disobedience to get back the rights we have allowed them to take away. It will take zealots, not moderates and shy, not reach-across-the-aisle RINOs to right this ship and restore our beloved country to its former status.
People like me are completely politically irrelevant, and I will probably never again be able to legally comment on or concern myself with the aforementioned coalition which has surrendered our culture, our heritage and our traditions without a shot being fired.
The cocker spaniel is off the front porch, the pit bull is in the back yard. The American Constitution has been replaced with Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals" and the likes of Chicago shyster David Axelrod along with international socialist George Soros have been pulling the strings on their beige puppet have brought us Act 2 of the New World Order.
The curtain will come down but the damage has been done, the story has been told.
Those who come after us will once again have to risk their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to bring back the Republic that this generation has timidly frittered away due to white guilt and political correctness...
Why Gowdy is Calling Out Obama
The Obama administration’s Defense Department is actively thwarting efforts to investigate why four Americans were left to die in a Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attact, the chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi reveals.
The Washington Examiner reports:
Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said Thursday morning that the Defense Department has yet to provide Congress with a list of drone pilots who were active at the time of the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
Gowdy said his Select Committee on Benghazi requested interviews with relevant drone pilots, but said the Defense Department ignored that request for five weeks.
On March 31, the department agreed to provide a list of names of pilots and drone operators near Benghazi and Tripoli at the time of the attack. But he said the list provided in April was incomplete, and said his committee still doesn't have a list of names.
"The committee needs all of the names so the relevant witnesses can be interviewed and the investigation completed," Gowdy said. "Surely DOD can complete the simple task of finding the people within the chain of command in less than three months.
Gowdy also noted that some of the information the committee has received from the Defense Department so far has been "flat out wrong." A May 6 letter he wrote to Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the department has changed its own timeline of how it responded to the attacks, and said a map showing how forces were arranged in the region had to be redone.
Source: AAN
The Washington Examiner reports:
Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said Thursday morning that the Defense Department has yet to provide Congress with a list of drone pilots who were active at the time of the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
Gowdy said his Select Committee on Benghazi requested interviews with relevant drone pilots, but said the Defense Department ignored that request for five weeks.
On March 31, the department agreed to provide a list of names of pilots and drone operators near Benghazi and Tripoli at the time of the attack. But he said the list provided in April was incomplete, and said his committee still doesn't have a list of names.
"The committee needs all of the names so the relevant witnesses can be interviewed and the investigation completed," Gowdy said. "Surely DOD can complete the simple task of finding the people within the chain of command in less than three months.
Gowdy also noted that some of the information the committee has received from the Defense Department so far has been "flat out wrong." A May 6 letter he wrote to Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the department has changed its own timeline of how it responded to the attacks, and said a map showing how forces were arranged in the region had to be redone.
Source: AAN
College Stands Up to Transgender Terrorists and does THIS for a Hero
Earlier this week, we reported on how so called "Toilet Terrorists" took an American hero's job. What happened? Decorated American hero Lt. Gen Jerry Boykin made a funny joke about delivering street justice to any pervert who followed his kids into a bathroom and was sacked in a sacrificial offering to the P.C. gods.
Well, there's good news. It appears the school has realized they made a tremendous mistake. As Todd Starnes reports:
When given the choice of standing alongside a decorated military hero or a bunch of militant LGBT activists – choose wisely.
The leadership of Hampden-Sydney College learned that lesson the hard way.
On May 19 I reported to you that the Virginia all-male college had chosen not to renew retired Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin’s contract – ending his stellar, nine-year career teaching leadership and ethics.
Click here to join Todd’s American Dispatch: A must-read for conservatives!
Less than six hours later, the college reversed its decision and offered the retired general a one-year contract.
“Hampden-Sydney College is a fine school with a proud history of young men who have led our country, and I am honored to be a part of shaping the next generation of leaders,” Boykin told me. “I would like to thank the leadership of Hampden-Sydney College for the courage they have demonstrated in reversing their decision and allowing me to remain a part of the Hampden-Sydney community.”
The LGBT activists had wanted Hampden-Sydney to fire Boykin over a joke he made to a gathering of conservatives. They accused him of advocating for violence against gays and transgender people.
“The first man who goes into the restroom with my daughter will not have to worry about surgery,” Boykin told the crowd.
The college acknowledged that LGBT activists had contacted the school – but denied their concerns were the “determining factor” in not renewing Boykin’s contract.
Source: AAN
Well, there's good news. It appears the school has realized they made a tremendous mistake. As Todd Starnes reports:
When given the choice of standing alongside a decorated military hero or a bunch of militant LGBT activists – choose wisely.
The leadership of Hampden-Sydney College learned that lesson the hard way.
On May 19 I reported to you that the Virginia all-male college had chosen not to renew retired Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin’s contract – ending his stellar, nine-year career teaching leadership and ethics.
Click here to join Todd’s American Dispatch: A must-read for conservatives!
Less than six hours later, the college reversed its decision and offered the retired general a one-year contract.
“Hampden-Sydney College is a fine school with a proud history of young men who have led our country, and I am honored to be a part of shaping the next generation of leaders,” Boykin told me. “I would like to thank the leadership of Hampden-Sydney College for the courage they have demonstrated in reversing their decision and allowing me to remain a part of the Hampden-Sydney community.”
The LGBT activists had wanted Hampden-Sydney to fire Boykin over a joke he made to a gathering of conservatives. They accused him of advocating for violence against gays and transgender people.
“The first man who goes into the restroom with my daughter will not have to worry about surgery,” Boykin told the crowd.
The college acknowledged that LGBT activists had contacted the school – but denied their concerns were the “determining factor” in not renewing Boykin’s contract.
Source: AAN
BREAKING: This State Just Voted to Ban Guns
While no one was looking, California just passed radical gun control legislation. As Townhall reports:
Townhall is on the ground in Louisville for the National Rifle Association’s Annual Meeting, a three-day gathering of pro-Second Amendment supporters that’s expected to attract tens of thousands of people. And it looks like it couldn’t have begun at a better time, as California is emerging as a leader for anti-gun legislation. A string of pro-gun control measures passed yesterday, which gun rights advocates have called “gun-megeddon” (via LA Times):
The state Senate on Thursday approved sweeping new restrictions on using guns in California in response to the December mass shooting by two terrorists that left 14 dead in San Bernardino.
Lawmakers approved 11 bills including measures mandating background checks for Californians buying ammunition and outlawing the manufacture and sale of semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines.
The bills, which next go to the Assembly for consideration, represent the most ambitious effort at gun control in decades in California, which already has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.
[…]
The measures banning rifles with detachable magazines and requiring background checks for ammo buyers are opposed by the National Rifle Assn., Gun Owners of California and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms industry.
[…]
Two of the bills approved by the Senate would ban the manufacture and sale of semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines as well as semiautomatic, center-fire rifles with “bullet buttons,” a recessed button that, when pressed by a sharp object, allows removal of the magazine.
Those already possessing such guns would have to register them with the state as assault rifles.
[…]
Yet another bill approved Thursday, authored by De León [Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De León (D-Los Angeles)], would require those buying ammunition to present identification, which would be used by the seller to check to make sure the buyer is not a felon or otherwise prohibited from possessing guns.
This is nothing more than another bill that will reduce the gun rights of law abiding citizens while disregarding the age old notion that criminals are gonna criminal. These laws passed in large part due to public concern that something like the massacre in San Bernardino might happen again. But the guns used in the San Bernardino massacre were already illegal under state law. So were the pipe bombs, for that matter., and so is the advanced weaponry that rival gangs use to wipe each other out in California's worst cities.
Tragedies cause people to abandon rationality and demand that the government "do something!" that helps them feel safe. Our constitution anticipates the rise of irrational mass movements and limits the ways in which they strip the individual of his inalienable rights. In this case, a mass movement has come along to advance the utopian fantasy that prohibiting guns will make them magically disappear. The right of every Californian to defend themselves and their families from those that would do them harm now hangs in the balance.
Source: AAN
Townhall is on the ground in Louisville for the National Rifle Association’s Annual Meeting, a three-day gathering of pro-Second Amendment supporters that’s expected to attract tens of thousands of people. And it looks like it couldn’t have begun at a better time, as California is emerging as a leader for anti-gun legislation. A string of pro-gun control measures passed yesterday, which gun rights advocates have called “gun-megeddon” (via LA Times):
The state Senate on Thursday approved sweeping new restrictions on using guns in California in response to the December mass shooting by two terrorists that left 14 dead in San Bernardino.
Lawmakers approved 11 bills including measures mandating background checks for Californians buying ammunition and outlawing the manufacture and sale of semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines.
The bills, which next go to the Assembly for consideration, represent the most ambitious effort at gun control in decades in California, which already has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.
[…]
The measures banning rifles with detachable magazines and requiring background checks for ammo buyers are opposed by the National Rifle Assn., Gun Owners of California and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms industry.
[…]
Two of the bills approved by the Senate would ban the manufacture and sale of semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines as well as semiautomatic, center-fire rifles with “bullet buttons,” a recessed button that, when pressed by a sharp object, allows removal of the magazine.
Those already possessing such guns would have to register them with the state as assault rifles.
[…]
Yet another bill approved Thursday, authored by De León [Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De León (D-Los Angeles)], would require those buying ammunition to present identification, which would be used by the seller to check to make sure the buyer is not a felon or otherwise prohibited from possessing guns.
This is nothing more than another bill that will reduce the gun rights of law abiding citizens while disregarding the age old notion that criminals are gonna criminal. These laws passed in large part due to public concern that something like the massacre in San Bernardino might happen again. But the guns used in the San Bernardino massacre were already illegal under state law. So were the pipe bombs, for that matter., and so is the advanced weaponry that rival gangs use to wipe each other out in California's worst cities.
Tragedies cause people to abandon rationality and demand that the government "do something!" that helps them feel safe. Our constitution anticipates the rise of irrational mass movements and limits the ways in which they strip the individual of his inalienable rights. In this case, a mass movement has come along to advance the utopian fantasy that prohibiting guns will make them magically disappear. The right of every Californian to defend themselves and their families from those that would do them harm now hangs in the balance.
Source: AAN
Campus Radicals: 5 Conservative Students Who Stand Up to PC Culture
High-profile comedians including Jerry Seinfeld have given up performing on college campuses, conservative speakers have been disinvited from addressing students and strident demonstrators have increasingly demanded that those who disagree with them be silenced. But not all of their classmates agree, and some refuse to keep their opinions to themselves.
FoxNews.com interviewed five college conservatives who aren’t afraid to speak their minds, even if doing so carries a price.
"I was called a 'Race traitor'"
For Culture War Win, Right Must Fight Like Left
Please join me on a whirlwind tour around the zany world of modern leftism. Many stops are available, so the following ones were just the first ones I saw.
Seeing as President Obama and his fellow leftist ideologues can't permit themselves to stimulate the economy by getting the government off people's backs, they continue to resort to top-down methods to transfer wealth from certain groups to others. As such, the Department of Labor issued a new rule to guarantee overtime benefits for salaried workers earning less than $47,476 a year.
Forget the lack of constitutional authority to make this change; only old-fashioned sticklers care about that anymore. But be aware that just as with the mandatory minimum wage hike, the very workers who are ostensibly to benefit from this rule may be the ones who suffer — as employers may convert salaried workers to hourly workers to avoid prohibitive labor costs.
The rule may result in small net pay increases but will increase bureaucratic red tape, provide fewer advancement opportunities for employees and, some predict, create such unintended consequences as increasing tuition at colleges and universities. But liberals care more than you do, so quit dwelling on the negatives, aka reality.
Read more here
Seeing as President Obama and his fellow leftist ideologues can't permit themselves to stimulate the economy by getting the government off people's backs, they continue to resort to top-down methods to transfer wealth from certain groups to others. As such, the Department of Labor issued a new rule to guarantee overtime benefits for salaried workers earning less than $47,476 a year.
Forget the lack of constitutional authority to make this change; only old-fashioned sticklers care about that anymore. But be aware that just as with the mandatory minimum wage hike, the very workers who are ostensibly to benefit from this rule may be the ones who suffer — as employers may convert salaried workers to hourly workers to avoid prohibitive labor costs.
The rule may result in small net pay increases but will increase bureaucratic red tape, provide fewer advancement opportunities for employees and, some predict, create such unintended consequences as increasing tuition at colleges and universities. But liberals care more than you do, so quit dwelling on the negatives, aka reality.
Read more here
Register now for GrayShore Summit on June 3
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
In 2015, 17.8% of Eastern Shore residents were age 65 and older, compared with 13.7% for the state. Projections for 2020 estimate that population at 19.7% and 15.4%, respectively.
According to the Business Economic and Community Outreach Network (BEACON) at Salisbury University, this “graying” of the Eastern Shore is bringing both challenges and opportunities to the region in areas of health care, housing, work force needs and the economy.
BEACON and MAC Inc., invite Delmarva leaders to a 2016 discussion on aging and the challenges that lie ahead for the Shore. The 2016 GrayShore Summit will be held Friday, June 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Perdue Family Living Well Education Center at MAC Inc.
The keynote speaker will be Howard Bedlin, vice president for Public Policy and Advocacy for the National Council on Aging. The cost is $15, which includes breakfast and lunch.
To register, call BEACON at 410-546-6001 or email beacon@salisbury.edu.
Jury hits debt collector with $38M judgment
BALTIMORE —A Baltimore jury hit a Las Vegas debt collector with a $38 million judgment, the largest judgment against a debt collector in Maryland history.
The money from the class-action lawsuit will be split among 1,589 people.
"What we asked the jury to do was to not just return the illegal money that was taken, but to also return the profits that were made from that money," said Phillip Robinson, an attorney with the Consumer Law Center LLC.
Robinson said debt collection company LVNV Funding LLC re-invested the money collected from Maryland residents.
"The jury did the right thing and found for damages," Robinson said.
More
The money from the class-action lawsuit will be split among 1,589 people.
"What we asked the jury to do was to not just return the illegal money that was taken, but to also return the profits that were made from that money," said Phillip Robinson, an attorney with the Consumer Law Center LLC.
Robinson said debt collection company LVNV Funding LLC re-invested the money collected from Maryland residents.
"The jury did the right thing and found for damages," Robinson said.
More
Boardwalk trash truck plugs in and cleans up
The Vantage EVX1000 electric extended bed truck was approved for purchase, at a cost of $24,000, by the City Council in early March, after public works got an extra $100,000 from the sale of several pieces of heavy equipment. In addition to the trash truck, the cash from those sales went to procure a new vehicle for the city manager at a cost of $30,500 and a new $44,000vehicle for the EMS division.
Public works wanted the new truck so it could increase daily pickups of the more than 280 decorative trashcans on the Boardwalk.
“Until this year we’ve only run one truck,” said Thomas Dy, Ocean City maintenance manager. “We’re adding on so we can keep up with the demand.”
More
Dogs Missing From Delmar Area: UPDATE
ROAD CLOSURE
Ocean City Guards Take Stands for Summer Beginning May 28
Also beginning Memorial Day Weekend are continued educational efforts by beach patrol staff. Lifeguards will signal beachgoers out of the ocean at approximately 5:25 p.m. each day, letting residents and visitors know that they should conclude all water related activities until the guards are back on duty the next day. To further educational efforts, the lifeguards informs the public of the dangers of swimming in unguarded waters, reminding citizens to “keep your feet in the sand until the lifeguard’s in the stand.” This catchy rhyme reminds never to go in the ocean when the beach patrol is off duty.
While the Memorial Day holiday kicks off Ocean City’s official start to summer, the beach patrol is still looking for interested applications to join the team for the summer season. The first training academy begins Sunday, May 22, with a second academy beginning, Sunday, June 19. For additional information, including future testing dates, please contact the Ocean City Beach Patrol at 410-289-7556 or visitwww.oceancitymd.gov/ocbp.
That's Punny!
‘Brilliant’: Triplets Tell Clever ‘Knock Knock’ Joke Using Senior Yearbook Photo
Kassidy, Keaton and Kylee Durham knew that because they all shared the same last name, they’d be place next to each other in the yearbook. So the Northwest High School students moved to capitalize on it.
“My parents thought it was a cute idea. They said it was ‘brilliant,’” Kassidy told ABC News.
More
Police Seek Tweaks On Same-Day Repeat Offenders
OCEAN CITY — The Ocean City Police Commission is exploring potential ways to enhance penalties for those issued civil citations for various offenses but flaunt the law and continue the same illegal activity throughout the same day.
During last Monday’s Police Commission meeting, Ocean City Police Chief Ross Buzzuro informally brought up the subject of enhanced subsequent penalties for individuals who might receive a civil citation for a minor offense early in the day and continue the same illegal activity for the rest of the day. He used a possible example of a street performer on the Boardwalk issued a citation for not being in an approved space or outside the approved guidelines who returns a short time later and continues the activity.
Another example might be an individual cited for drinking on the beach or smoking outside the designated smoking areas. In most cases, civil citations are issued, but the offenders can simply go back to the same illegal activity a short time later without serious repercussions.
More
During last Monday’s Police Commission meeting, Ocean City Police Chief Ross Buzzuro informally brought up the subject of enhanced subsequent penalties for individuals who might receive a civil citation for a minor offense early in the day and continue the same illegal activity for the rest of the day. He used a possible example of a street performer on the Boardwalk issued a citation for not being in an approved space or outside the approved guidelines who returns a short time later and continues the activity.
Another example might be an individual cited for drinking on the beach or smoking outside the designated smoking areas. In most cases, civil citations are issued, but the offenders can simply go back to the same illegal activity a short time later without serious repercussions.
More
2 horses die in first 4 races on Preakness Day undercard
Pramedya broke down around the turn in the fourth race, tumbled to the ground as jockey Daniel Centeno was thrown to the turf. Pimlico racing officials said the 4-year-old filly was euthanized on the track after breaking her left front cannon bone.
Centeno was driven off in ambulance. Officials said he broke his right collarbone.
In the opening race of the day, Homeboykris collapsed and died after winning and having his picture taken in the winner’s circle. Track officials believe the 9-year-old gelding suffered cardiovascular collapse.
More
Maryland Ranked Among Top in Nation for Providing Access to Justice
“I am delighted that we rank fourth in the nation for our comprehensive efforts to enhance access to justice for all,” said Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera. “The detailed research findings contained in the Index will enable the Judiciary, in collaboration with our justice partners, to identify further initiatives and strategies to ensure unhindered access to crucial court services.”
The Justice Index is compiled by the National Center for Access to Justice at Cardozo Law School. Rankings were established by performance in four key areas: self-represented litigants, language access, disability access, and access to an attorney. The Index reflects the performance of courts, laws, and the civil legal services delivery systems in the U.S., District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
“By showing the states that lead and trail on policies for access to justice and by making the best policies visible, the Justice Index equips state court leaders, executive officials, legislators, and reformers inside and outside of the government to push to replicate those policies,” said David Udell, executive director of the National Center for Access to Justice at Cardozo Law School.
In Maryland, analysis and data derived from the Justice Index help inform the work of the Judiciary’s Access to Justice Department and the Maryland Judicial Council Court Access and Community Relations Committee to identify needs and opportunities to expand access to justice in civil legal matters.
Va., Md. unemployment rates fall
The Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics says Virginia had a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.9 percent in April. down from 4.0 percent in March. Maryland’s unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent, from 4.7 percent.
Both Virginia and Maryland had unemployment rates below the national average of 5.0 percent in April.
Virginia’s nonfarm payrolls totaled just over 3.9 million jobs in April, about 80,000 more than a year earlier. Maryland has added about 78,000 jobs in the last year, for a total of 2.71 million.
More
Differential Study Suggests Lower OC Tax Rate
SNOW HILL – A consultant hired by Worcester County suggests decreasing the property tax for Ocean City residents and increasing it for county residents in an effort to account for the services the resort provides.
The tax differential identified by the study, performed by Bethesda-based TischlerBise, would require reducing the tax rate for Ocean City taxpayers to $.740 and increasing it for all other county taxpayers to $.827.
“As you can see, this represents a significant departure from the way the county has historically set property tax rates,” said Phil Thompson, the county’s finance officer.
Julie Herlands of TischlerBise told the Worcester County Commissioners this week that a tax differential study identified services that were duplicated between jurisdictions, in this case the county and the Town of Ocean City, and the costs associated with those services. She said TischlerBise staff members met with county department heads to determine that $112 million in property tax revenue was required to fund the services provided to residents. That requires a county-wide tax rate of $.776 per $100 in valuation.
More
The tax differential identified by the study, performed by Bethesda-based TischlerBise, would require reducing the tax rate for Ocean City taxpayers to $.740 and increasing it for all other county taxpayers to $.827.
“As you can see, this represents a significant departure from the way the county has historically set property tax rates,” said Phil Thompson, the county’s finance officer.
Julie Herlands of TischlerBise told the Worcester County Commissioners this week that a tax differential study identified services that were duplicated between jurisdictions, in this case the county and the Town of Ocean City, and the costs associated with those services. She said TischlerBise staff members met with county department heads to determine that $112 million in property tax revenue was required to fund the services provided to residents. That requires a county-wide tax rate of $.776 per $100 in valuation.
More
‘Flagpole Island’ closed, renamed by state
As part of a state review process, the island is being transferred from the domain of the Maryland Department of the Environment to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for inclusion in the Sinepuxent Bay Wildlife Management Area.
Ed Tudor, Worcester County director of development and planning, brought the matter before the Worcester County Commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting for their review.
“There’s a potential problem with future funding if not maintained,” he said. “That was the underlying point is that fed funds were used for this dredging operation and a condition of which was the creation of a bird-nesting habitat.”
More
Local heroin user shares inside perspective
“Everybody’s teetering, should I or shouldn’t I?” he said. “If I can help that one person lean more the right way...”
As with most users, Rhodes’ path to the needle involved numerous stops along the way. Now in his mid-30s, he began experimenting with mind-altering substances in high school, he said, even though his adolescence wasn’t particularly trying.
“I had good parents and I wasn’t trying to act out,” he said. “I was just trying to fit in.”
Alcohol and marijuana were the extent of Rhodes’ indulgences until his early 20s, but as some people opt to do, he gradually began to go further
More
Subject: Sen. Boxer: 'If I Didn't Have a Lot of Security, I Don't Know What Would Have Happened'
(CNSNews.com) - Far from the insular world of Congress, out in the wilds of Nevada, Sen. Barbara Boxer, a liberal California Democrat, found herself surrounded on Saturday by snarling fellow liberals who support Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
But unlike some of the ordinary Americans attending Trump rallies, Boxer had a security detail. "Fortunately," she said.
"It was a scary situation," Boxer told CNN on Wednesday. "I was there...It was frightening. I had -- I was on the stage and people were six feet away from me and if I didn't have a lot of security, I don't know what would have happened."
More
["Security.." You mean people with guns? --Editor]
But unlike some of the ordinary Americans attending Trump rallies, Boxer had a security detail. "Fortunately," she said.
"It was a scary situation," Boxer told CNN on Wednesday. "I was there...It was frightening. I had -- I was on the stage and people were six feet away from me and if I didn't have a lot of security, I don't know what would have happened."
More
["Security.." You mean people with guns? --Editor]
Assateague impact on area $96M, per new Parks report
A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 2,275,606 visitors to Assateague Island National Seashore in 2015 spent $96,705,600 in communities near the park. That spending supported 1,320 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $109,970,500.
“Assateague Island National Seashore welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Superintendent Debbie Darden. “We are delighted to share the story of this place and the experiences it provides. We also feature the park as a way to introduce our visitors to this part of the country and all that it offers. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service, and it’s a big factor in our local economy as well. We appreciate the partnership and support of our neighbors and are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain local communities.”
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service. The report shows $16.9 billion of direct spending by 307.2 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park.
More
“Assateague Island National Seashore welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Superintendent Debbie Darden. “We are delighted to share the story of this place and the experiences it provides. We also feature the park as a way to introduce our visitors to this part of the country and all that it offers. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service, and it’s a big factor in our local economy as well. We appreciate the partnership and support of our neighbors and are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain local communities.”
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service. The report shows $16.9 billion of direct spending by 307.2 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park.
More
Poll: Having Hispanic Running Mate Won't Help Much with Latino Voters
As the vice presidential rumor mill heats up, politicians and pundits have thrown out names like Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro and Labor Secretary Thomas Perez as possible Democratic running mates.
On the Republican side, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and her Nevada counterpart, Brian Sandoval, have both been bandied as potential additions to a ticket topped by presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.
The thinking is that a Latino running mate could help sway Hispanic voters – a record 27 million of whom are eligible to vote in 2016.
A new poll released Friday by Fox News Latino, however, puts that thinking into question. Results of the poll have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
More
On the Republican side, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and her Nevada counterpart, Brian Sandoval, have both been bandied as potential additions to a ticket topped by presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.
The thinking is that a Latino running mate could help sway Hispanic voters – a record 27 million of whom are eligible to vote in 2016.
A new poll released Friday by Fox News Latino, however, puts that thinking into question. Results of the poll have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
More
City’s Position On Sponsors Needs Another Look
At some point in time, it appears Chick-fil-A, which has locations in West Ocean City and Salisbury, as well as across the country, expressed an interest in being a sponsor for the Town of Ocean City’s special events. Without a clear policy in place to govern these sorts of things, no decision was made with the idea it was going to be discussed with elected officials.
The consensus was the city should not accept an event sponsorship of any sort from businesses operating outside of town limits that could be perceived as competition to existing town-based businesses. We disagree and see no reason why there should be any concern with this matter at all.
Sponsors are imperative to underwrite expenses associated with special events. Flat monetary contributions in exchange for the promotion and publicity that comes with the sponsorship are critical for events’ long-term sustainability because the dollars committed help offset some of the expenses that go along with putting on these events, which are largely aimed at being economic development generators.
More
Rev. Graham: America Is ‘On The Verge of Total Moral And Spiritual Collapse
Because of America’s decadence and ever-spreading rejection of God, along with the “unrelenting assault” on Christians and their beliefs, this nation “is in deep trouble and on the verge of total moral and spiritual collapse – unless God intervenes,” said Reverend Franklin Graham, son of world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham.
He added that the United States may be in a situation like that of the Babylonian king Belshazzar, who saw the mysterious handwriting on the wall foretelling his doom (Daniel 5) but did not change his ways.
King Belshazzar was judged by God and “found wanting” and his kingdom was “handed over to a new world power,” said Franklin Graham, in his May 1 commentary inDecision magazine.
“I wonder if the handwriting is now on the wall for America,” said the Christian evangelist.
“Has God decided that our idolatry, immorality, and godlessness has become such a stench in His nostrils that we as a people will experience a harsh form of divine judgment?” said Rev. Graham. “Have our iniquities grown so foul and vast that we will reap the bitter harvest of our wickedness and rebellion against Almighty God?”
More here
He added that the United States may be in a situation like that of the Babylonian king Belshazzar, who saw the mysterious handwriting on the wall foretelling his doom (Daniel 5) but did not change his ways.
King Belshazzar was judged by God and “found wanting” and his kingdom was “handed over to a new world power,” said Franklin Graham, in his May 1 commentary inDecision magazine.
“I wonder if the handwriting is now on the wall for America,” said the Christian evangelist.
“Has God decided that our idolatry, immorality, and godlessness has become such a stench in His nostrils that we as a people will experience a harsh form of divine judgment?” said Rev. Graham. “Have our iniquities grown so foul and vast that we will reap the bitter harvest of our wickedness and rebellion against Almighty God?”
More here
‘Build A Wall’ Banner Triggers Walkout At Oregon High School
Students abandoned their classrooms at Forest Grove High School Thursday morning in protest of a “Build A Wall” banner found hanging in a school hallway, according to KGW News.
“It was immediately taken down, within literally a minute or two, and the students who hung it have been disciplined,” Connie Potter, chief of staff for the Forest Grove School District told The Oregonian.
The district withheld the names of the students responsible for the banner.
Some said the banner was offensive to Latino students, a demographic that makes up for about half of the Forest Grove student body.
More
“It was immediately taken down, within literally a minute or two, and the students who hung it have been disciplined,” Connie Potter, chief of staff for the Forest Grove School District told The Oregonian.
The district withheld the names of the students responsible for the banner.
Some said the banner was offensive to Latino students, a demographic that makes up for about half of the Forest Grove student body.
More
All Health Breaks Loose on Gender Mandate
What kind of country forces Marines to scavenge parts to keep their planes flying, but has no problem paying fornew parts for the gender-confused? Yours! Welcome to the sick world of the Obama administration, where taxpayer-funded sex changes are just the latest example of a presidency completely off the rails.
Turns out, the White House was pretty busy last Friday after it dropped the bathroom bombshell on public schools. After threatening to pull federal funds from districts that protect the privacy of their students in locker rooms and showers, the administration took its agenda from the principal’s office to the doctor’s office. In a quiet rule change, Health and Human Services lowered the transgender boom on every hospital, physician, and insurer in America. Under these new regulations, which lean on the same radical interpretation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as the Department of Education’s order, “sex discrimination” in health care has been unilaterally rewritten by HHS to include “gender identity” -- something Congress never intended when it passed the statute a half-century ago. But when has the plain language of the law ever stopped this administration?
Certainly not in this instance, when it’s demanding that the entire health care industry include gender transition treatments as part of their services. Refuse, the president’s team warns, and kiss your Medicare and Medicaid dollars goodbye. And it gets worse: the rule doesn’t include a single religious exemption. In other words, as our own David Christensen pointed out to Breitbart, “this intolerant and unjust rule… forces health care providers to participate in and perform services that substantially violate their consciences.” Heritage’s Ryan Anderson takes it a step further: “They will effectively require controversial procedures, such as ‘sex-reassignment’ surgery, that respected medical professionals argue have not been proven to be effective in treating serious mental health conditions. Rather than respect the diversity of opinions on sensitive and controversial health care issues, the proposed regulations endorse and enforce one view.”
More
Turns out, the White House was pretty busy last Friday after it dropped the bathroom bombshell on public schools. After threatening to pull federal funds from districts that protect the privacy of their students in locker rooms and showers, the administration took its agenda from the principal’s office to the doctor’s office. In a quiet rule change, Health and Human Services lowered the transgender boom on every hospital, physician, and insurer in America. Under these new regulations, which lean on the same radical interpretation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as the Department of Education’s order, “sex discrimination” in health care has been unilaterally rewritten by HHS to include “gender identity” -- something Congress never intended when it passed the statute a half-century ago. But when has the plain language of the law ever stopped this administration?
Certainly not in this instance, when it’s demanding that the entire health care industry include gender transition treatments as part of their services. Refuse, the president’s team warns, and kiss your Medicare and Medicaid dollars goodbye. And it gets worse: the rule doesn’t include a single religious exemption. In other words, as our own David Christensen pointed out to Breitbart, “this intolerant and unjust rule… forces health care providers to participate in and perform services that substantially violate their consciences.” Heritage’s Ryan Anderson takes it a step further: “They will effectively require controversial procedures, such as ‘sex-reassignment’ surgery, that respected medical professionals argue have not been proven to be effective in treating serious mental health conditions. Rather than respect the diversity of opinions on sensitive and controversial health care issues, the proposed regulations endorse and enforce one view.”
More
Viral Video: It's the simple joys in life....
This video has gotten over 77 million views in just over 24 hours.
High school student, 15, is caught on Snapchat having sex with 25 boys in campus restroom
At least one student has been disciplined for 'inappropriate activity' after police reports suggested 25 boys were seen going in and out of the bathroom at South Fort Myers High School in Fort Myers, Florida.
The girl reportedly told the school's principal she 'had sex with a number of the boys', while fellow students claimed the group 'locked themselves' in and filmed the acts on camera.
Footage of the incident was sent round school on Snapchat, according to Fox4now.
More
Rep. Elijah Cummings Calls For Calm Ahead Of Nero Verdict
Meghan McCorkell has more on his message.
Congressman Elijah Cummings says the city called for justice and whatever verdict is reached is justice.
With all eyes on the courthouse awaiting a verdict for Officer Edward Nero, Congressman Elijah Cummings is asking residents to stay calm.
“We must remain vigilant to our moral code of peace, no matter what the verdict,” Cummings said.
More
Six-Figure Fines for Gender Pronouns?
The left used to congratulate itself on being the "Free Speech Movement." It used to celebrate the rebellious anarchists who used obscene words and forced sexually graphic images and conversations into the public sphere. Conservatives were the ones who insisted on decency in the public discourse and demanded regulation, both within the private sector and from the federal government, to protect the public from that obscenity.
But now, as the world turns upside down on sexuality and gender, leftists are becoming the ones who censor and fine. Instead of a Hays Code for decency, there's a Gays Code. Breaking the new language rules of the LGBT lobby can be very dear. Literally.
Washington Post blogger Eugene Volokh revealed that the New York City Commission on Human Rights has issued guidance that employers, landlords, professionals and businesses can now be fined up to $250,000 for not using an individual's preferred name, pronoun or title, under the New York City Human Rights Law, "regardless of the individual's sex assigned at birth, anatomy, gender, medical history, appearance, or the sex indicated on the individual's identification."
More here
But now, as the world turns upside down on sexuality and gender, leftists are becoming the ones who censor and fine. Instead of a Hays Code for decency, there's a Gays Code. Breaking the new language rules of the LGBT lobby can be very dear. Literally.
Washington Post blogger Eugene Volokh revealed that the New York City Commission on Human Rights has issued guidance that employers, landlords, professionals and businesses can now be fined up to $250,000 for not using an individual's preferred name, pronoun or title, under the New York City Human Rights Law, "regardless of the individual's sex assigned at birth, anatomy, gender, medical history, appearance, or the sex indicated on the individual's identification."
More here
Rep. Smith: Americans Have ‘Every Right to Know’ if Facebook Has Liberal Bias
Americans have “every right to know” if Facebook has a liberal bias and is censoring conservative content on its “Trending” topics list, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) said Thursday.
“I think liberal media bias is a huge problem among TV, cable, newspapers and social media. It’s all-pervasive,” Smith told CNSNews.com.
“So the charges by the former [Facebook] employees that there was a liberal bias at Facebook did not surprise me. And to my knowledge, it has not been adequately addressed.”
Smith added that Congress should not play any role in the ongoing controversy. “But I do think the American people should insist that all the media, including Facebook, are unbiased and objective,” he said.
“I don’t think the government has any role. The First Amendment allows Facebook to say whatever they want to say,” he told CNSNews.
“However, I do strongly believe that the American people have every right to know whether a source of their information has a liberal bias or not.
More
“I think liberal media bias is a huge problem among TV, cable, newspapers and social media. It’s all-pervasive,” Smith told CNSNews.com.
“So the charges by the former [Facebook] employees that there was a liberal bias at Facebook did not surprise me. And to my knowledge, it has not been adequately addressed.”
Smith added that Congress should not play any role in the ongoing controversy. “But I do think the American people should insist that all the media, including Facebook, are unbiased and objective,” he said.
“I don’t think the government has any role. The First Amendment allows Facebook to say whatever they want to say,” he told CNSNews.
“However, I do strongly believe that the American people have every right to know whether a source of their information has a liberal bias or not.
More
Getting Back to First Principles
The founding fathers didn’t take that view. "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports,” George Washington said. “In vain would that man claim tribute to patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness.”
Yet many do, in fact, work very actively to undermine these pillars. That’s why I was honored to join the Ethics and Public Policy Center recently at its 40th anniversary event. EPPC’s motto is “defending American ideals since 1976.” But what really makes its contributions so invaluable is that it’s defending ideals that date back two centuries before that.
“We take great pride in the fact that people with differing viewpoints can come to the table and be a part of a larger conversation about these very important and very urgent issues,” according to EPPC Vice President Michael Cromartie. At a time when those who take their faith seriously can feel highly marginalized, EPPC is a necessary advocate.
More
U.S. Employment Picture Better for Foreign-Born Than Native-Born in 2015
(CNSNews.com) - In 2015, the unemployment rate for foreign-born people in the United States (4.9 percent) was better than that for native-born Americans (5.4 percent), the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Thursday.
Likewise, the labor force participation rate among the foreign born was 65.2 percent, better than the 62.2 percent for native-born Americans in 2015.
BLS defines foreign-born persons as those who live in the United States but who were born outside the country to parents who were not U.S. citizens. The foreign born include legally-admitted immigrants as well as those who came here illegally; refugees; and temporary residents such as students and temporary workers.
More
Likewise, the labor force participation rate among the foreign born was 65.2 percent, better than the 62.2 percent for native-born Americans in 2015.
BLS defines foreign-born persons as those who live in the United States but who were born outside the country to parents who were not U.S. citizens. The foreign born include legally-admitted immigrants as well as those who came here illegally; refugees; and temporary residents such as students and temporary workers.
More
LEGENDARY COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 5-21-16
TiresTires are something most people take for granted these days, but that wasn’t always the case. The first tires were solid rubber and very uncomfortable, but a dream compared to the iron rimmed wagon wheels they were used to riding on. Very shortly after cars came out they invented pneumatic tires. The only problem with them was they kept going flat. Cars were even sold with a tire repair kit. I heard one old-timer tell about the time he drove to Snow Hill and back to Salisbury one Sunday and changed seventeen flat tires. Cars today come with a tire jack to change to the spare tire that comes with the car. How many of them are kept in pristine condition in the trunk because they never get used? In the 1950’s, changing a tire was mandatory car knowledge for anyone driving a car. Tires in the 1950’s got maybe 10,000 miles, a far cry from the 80,000 the ones get today. Another thing you never see anymore is a retread. I used to get retreads put on a tire for $7.00 at General Tire on South Salisbury Boulevard. The only problem there was if the tire had a puncture in it, they wouldn’t retread it. Of course, if you got a puncture in a tubeless tire, you simply put a tube in it and were go to go. Some tires now are puncture proof and seal a puncture immediately. You can also get a can of that stuff that you shoot into the tire and then inflate it successfully. A lot of people just forget about ever getting another tire or getting the puncture fixed. I used to get punctures all the time down at Nanticoke from the nails they used to repair pallets. Usually, someone would tell me a tire was going flat and I had time to get it to the local gas station where they would put a plug in it. The plug was usually there when I finally got new tires.
I remember when I was growing up that if you “squealed” your tires, someone would ask you if you owned stock in Goodyear. The quality of the tires along with the way some kids drove would usually limit the life of the tires to about six months. When we finally got new tires, the old ones might have been bald, but the wide white walls were just like new, due to the Saturday afternoon scrubbing they received every week.
How you drive will usually determine if you get a flat or not. My father always told me to drive away from the curb because that is where all the junk goes that will give you a flat tire. I went with a girl once whose father told her to drive away from the center line to avoid a head-on collision and that made sense. It would even cause you to drive closer to the curb. Yes, she had a lot of flats.
So, we can drive on our radial tires and not have to worry about something that was a constant worry to our parents and grandparents.
How Your Family Can Celebrate National Pet Month In May
Now in its 27th year, National Pet Month is a celebration of the mutual benefits shared between people and their pets.
For rescue-animal advocate Cheryl Smith, who founded a non-profit that assists pets in need, the May observance is a time to recognize many of the things that really matter in life.
“How we treat the most vulnerable animals in our society says plenty about who we are as individuals,” says Smith, a public defender who has cared for rescue animals since childhood and believes they can help humanity as much as humans help them.
“As a public defender who spends long hours entrenched in legal issues, loving and caring for my rescue dogs is personally rejuvenating. I think caring for pets helps us stay in touch with our humanity.”
Smith, who was inspired by her pack of rescue dogs to write the children’s books “Oliver’s Heroes: The Spider Adventure” (www.oliversheroes.com) and “Oliver’s Heroes: Two Paws Up,” says there are several ways people can make a difference during National Pet Month, such as:
• Consider adopting from an animal rescue shelter. Pets bring out our inner nurturers, and expressing TLC to an animal in need fosters warmth toward ourselves and others. More importantly, doing something good is good in itself.
• Discern which pet is appropriate for your family. Think carefully before getting a pet. Learn about its special requirements. There’s plenty of information out there to help you decide which dog or cat breed is appropriate for your home life, so a minimal amount of time researching will go a long way.
• Make sure your pet enjoys a nutritious and well-balanced diet. Perhaps you already have a pet. It’s important to know that not all pet-food products are of the same quality. Many attentive owners go to the extent of cooking meals themselves for their pets.
• Ask your vet which health issues your pet is prone to. Various breeds are prone to specific ailments. Male cats, for example, may experience urinary issues depending on their food. Be your pet’s advocate since they cannot speak for themselves.
• Prevent unwanted litters. Each year, about 2.7 million animals are euthanized after entering animal shelters – 1.2 million dogs and 1.4 million cats. You can prevent an enormous amount of suffering simply by spaying or neutering your pet.
“I can’t imagine not having my little stress relievers around when I come home,” Smith says. “The better you take care of them, the more you’ll feel good about yourself.”
For rescue-animal advocate Cheryl Smith, who founded a non-profit that assists pets in need, the May observance is a time to recognize many of the things that really matter in life.
“How we treat the most vulnerable animals in our society says plenty about who we are as individuals,” says Smith, a public defender who has cared for rescue animals since childhood and believes they can help humanity as much as humans help them.
“As a public defender who spends long hours entrenched in legal issues, loving and caring for my rescue dogs is personally rejuvenating. I think caring for pets helps us stay in touch with our humanity.”
Smith, who was inspired by her pack of rescue dogs to write the children’s books “Oliver’s Heroes: The Spider Adventure” (www.oliversheroes.com) and “Oliver’s Heroes: Two Paws Up,” says there are several ways people can make a difference during National Pet Month, such as:
• Consider adopting from an animal rescue shelter. Pets bring out our inner nurturers, and expressing TLC to an animal in need fosters warmth toward ourselves and others. More importantly, doing something good is good in itself.
• Discern which pet is appropriate for your family. Think carefully before getting a pet. Learn about its special requirements. There’s plenty of information out there to help you decide which dog or cat breed is appropriate for your home life, so a minimal amount of time researching will go a long way.
• Make sure your pet enjoys a nutritious and well-balanced diet. Perhaps you already have a pet. It’s important to know that not all pet-food products are of the same quality. Many attentive owners go to the extent of cooking meals themselves for their pets.
• Ask your vet which health issues your pet is prone to. Various breeds are prone to specific ailments. Male cats, for example, may experience urinary issues depending on their food. Be your pet’s advocate since they cannot speak for themselves.
• Prevent unwanted litters. Each year, about 2.7 million animals are euthanized after entering animal shelters – 1.2 million dogs and 1.4 million cats. You can prevent an enormous amount of suffering simply by spaying or neutering your pet.
“I can’t imagine not having my little stress relievers around when I come home,” Smith says. “The better you take care of them, the more you’ll feel good about yourself.”
'I Will Never Let You Down,' Trump Tells National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association endorsed Donald Trump on Friday, just before the apparent Republican nominee addressed its annual conference in Louisville, Ky.
"To get the endorsement, believe me, is a fantastic honor," Trump said, adding that he and his sons are members of the NRA. "They're much better shooters than I am," he said.
"They have so many rifles and so many guns, I tell you, sometimes even I get a little concerned," Trump said.
Saying the Second Amendment is "under attack" and "on the ballot in November," Trump laid out his case as the best candidate for protecting gun rights and he hit at Hillary Clinton's stance on guns. He also called her "unqualified to serve as president of the United States." (Trump was invoking Bernie Sanders, who questioned Clinton's qualifications at a debate.)
"The only way to save our Second Amendment is to vote for someone you know named Donald Trump," he said. "I will never let you down."
Trump also called for gun-free zones, which he also called for in a tweet last summer. "We're getting rid of them," he said. He spoke about the 2015 shooting in Chattanooga, Tenn., that killed five people and occurred in a gun-free zone on a military installation.
More
"To get the endorsement, believe me, is a fantastic honor," Trump said, adding that he and his sons are members of the NRA. "They're much better shooters than I am," he said.
"They have so many rifles and so many guns, I tell you, sometimes even I get a little concerned," Trump said.
Saying the Second Amendment is "under attack" and "on the ballot in November," Trump laid out his case as the best candidate for protecting gun rights and he hit at Hillary Clinton's stance on guns. He also called her "unqualified to serve as president of the United States." (Trump was invoking Bernie Sanders, who questioned Clinton's qualifications at a debate.)
"The only way to save our Second Amendment is to vote for someone you know named Donald Trump," he said. "I will never let you down."
Trump also called for gun-free zones, which he also called for in a tweet last summer. "We're getting rid of them," he said. He spoke about the 2015 shooting in Chattanooga, Tenn., that killed five people and occurred in a gun-free zone on a military installation.
More
Enjoy your transgender bathrooms. We just lost America.
While you were arguing with coworkers over who would leave the country first if Trump/Clinton were elected, the “American Dream” perished.
Don’t believe me? Then perhaps ALL is lost. And I can prove it all to you through the eyes of a child.
The screens around our house in the past couple of weeks stand in stark contrast to what’s in front of them.
The television … the laptops … the iPads … the cell phones … filled with images of the attacks around the world. Day in and day out, we hear stories about “refugees” pouring into the United States. Broadcast are the sounds of tone-deaf leaders. Of anger. Of hatred. Of hurt. Of fear.
In front of those screens runs our little daughter. Just over a year old, she’s the greatest blessing a young family can have. She’s filled with innocence, love, joy and our hopes for the future.
More
Oklahoma Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Make Performing Abortion A Felony
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin vetoed a bill on Friday that would have made it a felony for doctors to perform an abortion.
The legislation, which was the first of its kind, as NPR's Jennifer Ludden reported Thursday, would have effectively eliminated abortion in the state. Oklahoma lawmakers passed the bill on Thursday, as the Two-Way reported.
Fallin's office issued a press release saying she vetoed the bill because it was "vague and would not withstand a criminal constitutional legal challenge."
It continued:
"Fallin is the most pro-life governor in the nation. She has signed 18 bills supporting pro-life values and protecting the health and lives of mothers and their unborn children.
"Senate Bill 1552 would have made it a felony for physicians to perform abortions. It also contained a provision to revoke their medical licenses unless the abortion was necessary to save the life of the mother.
" 'The bill is so ambiguous and so vague that doctors cannot be certain what medical circumstances would be considered 'necessary to preserve the life of the mother,' Fallin said.
" 'The absence of any definition, analysis or medical standard renders this exception vague, indefinite and vulnerable to subjective interpretation and application,' she wrote in her veto message."
More
The legislation, which was the first of its kind, as NPR's Jennifer Ludden reported Thursday, would have effectively eliminated abortion in the state. Oklahoma lawmakers passed the bill on Thursday, as the Two-Way reported.
Fallin's office issued a press release saying she vetoed the bill because it was "vague and would not withstand a criminal constitutional legal challenge."
It continued:
"Fallin is the most pro-life governor in the nation. She has signed 18 bills supporting pro-life values and protecting the health and lives of mothers and their unborn children.
"Senate Bill 1552 would have made it a felony for physicians to perform abortions. It also contained a provision to revoke their medical licenses unless the abortion was necessary to save the life of the mother.
" 'The bill is so ambiguous and so vague that doctors cannot be certain what medical circumstances would be considered 'necessary to preserve the life of the mother,' Fallin said.
" 'The absence of any definition, analysis or medical standard renders this exception vague, indefinite and vulnerable to subjective interpretation and application,' she wrote in her veto message."
More
CDC: 157 Pregnant Women In The U.S. Have Tested Positive For Zika
Over 150 pregnant women in the United States appear to have been infected with Zika virus. That's in addition to more than 120 women affected by Zika in U.S. territories, mainly Puerto Rico.
Those are the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, which has been keeping track of all pregnant women in the U.S. and its territories who have lab tests suggestive of Zika virus infections.
So far, officials say they are aware of fewer than a dozen pregnancies that have had complications, although many of the pregnancies are ongoing. "We don't have full information yet on all of the outcomes," says Margaret Honein, chief of the CDC's birth defects branch.
More
Those are the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, which has been keeping track of all pregnant women in the U.S. and its territories who have lab tests suggestive of Zika virus infections.
So far, officials say they are aware of fewer than a dozen pregnancies that have had complications, although many of the pregnancies are ongoing. "We don't have full information yet on all of the outcomes," says Margaret Honein, chief of the CDC's birth defects branch.
More
FDA Considering Pricey Implant As Treatment For Opioid Addiction
Amid a raging opioid epidemic, many doctors and families in the U.S. have been pleading for better treatment alternatives. One option now under consideration by the Food and Drug Administration is a system of implanted rods that offer controlled release of buprenorphine — a drug already used in other forms to treat opioid addiction.
Because it's implanted in the skin, this version of the drug can't easily be sold on the illegal market, proponents say — a key treatment advantage. The FDA is expected to decide whether to approve the device — called Probuphine — within a week.
The implant system includes four rods, each about the size of a match stick, explains Dave, a paramedic in a small town outside of Boston; he was one of the patients recruited to test the device last year. Dave's worried about reprisal if co-workers find out he is addicted to opioid pain pills, so NPR agreed to use only his first name.
"My implants were placed in my left arm, just above my elbow on the inside," he explains. He's been in recovery for four years — previously with the help of dailybuprenorphine pills. Last year, he agreed to be part of an experiment that delivered regular doses of the drug to him via an implant instead. He's sold on the new approach.
"I felt completely normal all the time," he says.
More
Because it's implanted in the skin, this version of the drug can't easily be sold on the illegal market, proponents say — a key treatment advantage. The FDA is expected to decide whether to approve the device — called Probuphine — within a week.
The implant system includes four rods, each about the size of a match stick, explains Dave, a paramedic in a small town outside of Boston; he was one of the patients recruited to test the device last year. Dave's worried about reprisal if co-workers find out he is addicted to opioid pain pills, so NPR agreed to use only his first name.
"My implants were placed in my left arm, just above my elbow on the inside," he explains. He's been in recovery for four years — previously with the help of dailybuprenorphine pills. Last year, he agreed to be part of an experiment that delivered regular doses of the drug to him via an implant instead. He's sold on the new approach.
"I felt completely normal all the time," he says.
More
This Is What A Feast For 5,000 Made From Food Waste Looks Like
But a lot of the food that gets tossed out in America — some $162 billion worth each year, enough to fill 44 skyscrapers — is fresh, nutritious and downright delicious: think plump eggplants, bright yellow squashes, giant, vibrant-orange carrots with a crisp bite. The kind of beautiful produce that would be perfectly at home in, say, this giant vegetable paella made by celebrity chef José Andrés and his team.
More
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Limit Law Enforcement’s Rights To Hack Stuff
A group of Senators has announced today that they are introducing a new bill into the Senate designed to prevent mass hacking of Americans’ digital devices. But the lawmakers aren’t targeting shadowy collectives or foreign nationals with their proposed legislation; they’re seeking to limit the scope of actual Federal agencies’ powers.
Brewery’s Edible 6-Pack Rings Designed To Feed Marine Life Instead Of Killing It
If you’re like me, once a six-pack of soda or beer is gone, leaving behind only plastic rings, you can’t help but be seized by the urge to snip them apart, an urge likely fueled by grade school lessons about what can happen when they find their way to the sea, and marine animals get tangled up in them. One brewery has created edible six-pack rings that are designed to feed aquatic wildlife if they end up in the ocean, and eliminate the need for all that snipping.
Macy’s To Pay $15M Over Escalator That Mangled Girl’s Foot
In 2013, a young New Jersey girl’s leg became trapped in a Macy’s escalator while on a shopping trip with her family. Nearly three years later, the family, the retailer, and the company tasked with maintaining the escalator are ready to put the ordeal behind them, agreeing to a $15 million settlement.
Stores Are Crammed With Unsold Merchandise, Especially Clothes
Here’s some great news for bargain-hunters, if not necessarily for retailers: dismal sales numbers from national retailers have experts worried aboutthe future of American malls. Low sales numbers mean stores crammed with inventory that will have to be put on sale. That could boost total sales numbers, but hurt profits.
Structure Fire In Salisbury
Clinton Rape Accuser Punches Back for Trump
During an interview today, Bill Clinton’s rape accuser Juanita Broaddrick suggested the New York Times spend the same amount of energy investigating claims of sexual assault against Bill Clinton that the newspaper put into probing Donald Trump’s alleged past treatment of women.
Broaddrick said she believes there is a whole generation of Millennials who are unfamiliar with Clinton’s history with women. She further slammed Hillary Clinton as an “enabler” who has allowed her husband to “continue on the same path that he did back in the 70’s and 80’s and 90’s.”
Source: Breitbart News
Broaddrick said she believes there is a whole generation of Millennials who are unfamiliar with Clinton’s history with women. She further slammed Hillary Clinton as an “enabler” who has allowed her husband to “continue on the same path that he did back in the 70’s and 80’s and 90’s.”
Source: Breitbart News