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Sunday, December 31, 2017

Free Bus Rides In Ocean City

Mayor Rick Meehan

Ocean City’s Transportation Department will offer FREE bus service from 6 a.m. on December 31 to 6 a.m. on January 1. On December 31, bus services will run every 20 minutes from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and every 10 minutes from 6 p.m. until 4 a.m. on January 1.

Breaking News: Five sheriff's deputies were shot, one fatally, while responding to a domestic disturbance in a Denver suburb. Two civilians were also injured.

The gunman was shot by deputies and was “believed to be deceased,” the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.

Welcome To Salisbury Maryland, The Centre At Salisbury Mall Brawl

NFL THUGS

I wonder what their punishment would be if they committed their crimes, desecrated the flag and defiled the national anthem in North Korea?

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NFL Team Arrests Since 2000


Minnesota Vikings 42
Cincinnati Bengals 40
Denver Broncos 36
Tennessee Titans 33
Miami Dolphins 28
Kansas City Chiefs 28
Jacksonville Jaguars 27
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27
Cleveland Browns 26
San Diego Chargers 25
Indianapolis Colts 24
Chicago Bears 23
Seattle Seahawks 20
New Orleans Saints 20
Washington Redskins 18
Oakland Raiders 18
Baltimore Ravens 18
Carolina Panthers 18
Green Bay Packers 17
Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Atlanta Falcons 16
San Francisco 49ers 16
Detroit Lions 15
New England Patriots 15
Buffalo Bills 14
Dallas Cowboys 13
New York Giants 13
Arizona Cardinals 12
New York Jets 11
Philadelphia Eagles 10
Houston Texans 9
St Louis Rams 8
Total 656

Kinda’ makes ya’ proud of our NFL – doesn’t it?

Question Of The Day 12-29-17

What are your plans for New Years Eve?

CNN Loses It After Trump Blocks View of Golf Course With Box Truck

United Airlines took my seat and gave it to a politician: woman

A teacher from Washington, D.C., accused United Airlines of booting her from her first class seat in order to give it to a congresswoman, she wrote in an account that the politician has since contested.

Jean-Marie Simon was at Bush International in Houston on her way home from a trip to Guatemala last week, when she witnessed U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) get ushered onto the plane before everyone else lined up, she wrote on Facebook.

When it came time for her to board the Dec. 18 flight, Simon said the gate attendant told her that her ticket was not in the system.

“A second United agent confirmed that I had no seat, not just the first class seat I had purchased, but no seat, period. I didn’t even have a reservation anymore,” she wrote.

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Obama & Hillary "Most Admired" Man & Woman For 10th Year In A Row

Former President Barack Obama is America’s “most admired man” for the 10th consecutive year, according to new survey data from Gallup, and perhaps even more surprising, Hillary Clinton was named the most admired woman for the 16th year in a row.

As Gallupnotes, the pair retain their titles this year, although by much narrower margins than in the past. Obama edges out Donald Trump, 17% to 14%, while Clinton edges out Michelle Obama, 9% to 7%.

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Mayor Jake Day graduates from 2017 Class of Maryland Public Policy Conflict Resolution Fellows Program

Mayor Jake Day graduates from 2017 Class of Maryland Public Policy Conflict Resolution Fellows Program

Salisbury – Mayor Jacob Day is one of 25 Maryland leaders who graduated from the 2017 Class of the Maryland Public Policy Conflict Resolution Fellows Program.

The Maryland Public Policy Conflict Resolution Fellows Program aims to expand negotiation, conflict resolution, and consensus building skills of a diverse group of Maryland leaders. The program emphasizes the importance of learning from each other, and works closely with experts in negotiation, collaborative governance, and consensus building. The overriding goal of the Fellows Program is to advance a more productive, collaborative future for Maryland's public, nonprofit and private sectors.


Since the first graduating class in 2007, Maryland leaders of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches have used this program as a unique opportunity to collaborate with leaders of faith-based organizations, businesses, education, and non-profits. Participants take part in exercises that help enable them to prevent and resolve complex public policy conflicts as they arise.

This year's cohort consisted of 25 Maryland leaders representing multiple sectors, and included: Mayor Jake Day of Salisbury, Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh, Administrative Judge Katleen Gallogly Cox of the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, Associate Judge Robert Greenberg of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Administrative Judge Laura Kiessling of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, Administrative Judge Brett Wilson of the Circuit Court for Dorchester County, CEO of MidAtlantic Farm Credit Thomas Truitt, CEO of Baltimore City Schools Sonja Santelises, Ombudsman for Governor Hogan Randall Nixon, Senator JB Jennings, CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake Lisa Rusyniak, Executive Vice President of Baltimore Development Corporation Kimberly Clark and Superintendent of Frederick County Schools Theresa Alban.

“While I was tremendously honored to be chosen as a 2017 Fellow of the Public Policy Conflict Resolution Program, nothing could have prepared me for the power of what we learned,” said the Mayor. “So much of what we hear, watch, and read about our governance involves impasse and conflict. I believe that the best solution to a given problem is the collaborative solution, and I am so grateful for the tools I gathered and people I met through this program. People want elected leaders who will work together. When politicians spend time focused on each other, you can rest assured they aren’t focused on working for you.”

Famous actor pegs Barack Obama: ‘He’s a Muslim’

WASHINGTON – Actor James Woods tweeted the once unmentionable over the weekend about Barack Obama.

“He is a Muslim,” wrote Woods. “He can deny it, his apologists in the media can refute it, and his enablers can promote a narrative that he is a Christian. It’s a pack of lies. Obama is a Muslim and that is where his allegiance lies. Always has. Always will.”

The statement came in response to this tweet: “Obama targeted Christian Churches and Conservative Charities with the IRS, but ordered investigations into Hezbollah to be stopped. Let that sink in.”

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Frontier Town expansion denied

A 213-campsite expansion to Frontier Town was put on hold this week as Worcester County Commissioners Diana Purnell, Ted Elder, Chip Bertino and Jim Bunting voted to deny a request for 71 additional EDUs to serve the campsites.

The rejection comes based on a plan the commissioners ratified in September that divides the remaining EDUs available at the Mystic Harbour Sanitary Service Area into priority categories in two areas: north and south.

Included in that plan was a transfer of six EDUs from the north area to the south, where Frontier Town is, to cover a shortfall discovered during the process of allocating the EDUs to the theme park and campground.

Sun Communities purchased 166 EDUs from the county in March at a cost of about $1.28 million to transition the park from septic to public services. Included in that deal was an agreement for Frontier Town to build, and eventually deed to the county, a pumping station to ensure wastewater flow.

Currently, Sun Communities cannot use the EDUs it purchased without the pumping station, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Shannahan confirmed.

With that deal in place, and following a rezoning approval to provide for a 213-site campground expansion on an adjacent property, Sun Communities sought an additional 71 EDUs to service the expansion.

The problem is the south area doesn’t have 71 EDUs to sell.

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Kirk Daugherty, Former MSP, WCSO & Chief of Snow Hill Police Passed Away Today

Rest In Peace old friend. We will meet again.

BREAKING: TERRIFYING Announcement About Social Security – This Isn’t Good…

According to new numbers released from the Social Security Administration, the number of people currently benefiting from the program is at an all-time high.

As of November 2017, there are 61, 859,250 people currently receiving benefits from Social Security.

So what’s the big deal? When compared to new numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, despite the country enjoying its lowest unemployment rate since 2000, there are now only 2.05 full-time workers for every 1 person receiving Social Security. When you factor in the number of people working in both full and part time jobs, there are still only 2.49 workers for every 1 receiving benefits.

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Wind Turbine Removed At Chesapeake College

As most of you know, I took an unusual break from SBYNews yesterday where I attended a Family Reunion. While heading west on Rt. 50 I got to the Chesapeake College area and thought, where the hell is that huge turbine, it's gone! Come to find out, it broke and they simply took it down.

It's no wonder the Liberal media kept their mouths shut, it was BS to start with and yet Idiots like Worcester County representatives want to allow off shore turbines that, (when you do the research) aren't worth a crap. It's OK, we used other peoples money, right Libs?

So a friend did some research for me while I was away and here's what they came up with...

https://votesmart.org/public-statement/649806/ribbon-cutting-for-chesapeake-college-wind-turbine#.WkbYdEyZP-Y

https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/10/26/college-decommissioning-wind-turbine/

Chesapeake’s wind turbine, installed in 2011, marked the beginning of the college’s sustainability efforts and energy-savings measures on campus that now include solar energy.

In February, the turbine’s generator suffered catastrophic failure. Most likely caused by a power surge, repair estimates are between $20,000 and $25,000.

“The turbine was a catalyst in creating a culture of energy conservation at Chesapeake,” Bounds said. “But we determined that the repair cost was too expensive and our resources could more effectively be invested in solar power, which will result in greater energy savings on campus.”
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mea-community-wind-conference-at-chesapeake-college-tickets-31521883803#

(Has contact info on speakers who held a forum on what looks like the same month the windmill died, 2/2017.)
http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/12/16/undistorted-truth-wind-project/20513379/

This one’s a doozy, LOL!
http://pluginsites.org/ten-charging-stations-coming-to-chesapeake-college/

If you’ve driven Rt. 50 on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, you’ve no doubt seen it. Towering high above the fields north of Easton, the white, three-bladed wind turbine marks the site of the Wye Mills campus of Chesapeake College. The 50 kW wind turbinewas erected in 2011 and generates enough power to save the regional community college $12,000 – $15,000 a year.
This entry was posted in Planned Sites on February 12, 2015 by Lanny. Construction of the solar parking lot in October, 2014.
http://www.cenergistic.com/maryland-chesapeake-college-saves-money-green-energy-programs

Friday, September 27, 2013

The Star Democrat
The college also is generating some of its own electricity, thanks to the wind turbine that is positioned just off U.S. Route 50 and came online in 2011. The wind turbine generates about 20 percent of the electricity used by the Eastern Shore Higher Education Center located on the Wye Mills Campus, according to Plutschak.
http://info.chesapeake.edu/biddocs/InsuranceBrokerPre-BidMeetingMinutes2117andQuestionsandResponses2.3.17.pdf

12) Is the wind turbine you erected on campus and/or part of your insurance program – we have seen solar projects with other institutions where they work with a for profit company to engage in this alternative energy source, so any details like that would be great. The wind turbine is currently under an operating lease. The lease will be ending in FY2018 and the college anticipates opting into the buyout option at the end of the lease.

http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/opinion/2014/11/20/wind-enerfy-stolte/70011540/
Real-world evidence of this exists with a wind turbine located along Route 50 on the campus of Chesapeake College. Based upon the college’s own production figures, electricity from this turbine costs 30 cents per kilowatt hour, approximately three times the current average residential and commercial rate.

Good Morning

Rare as it may be, guess what, I'm taking the day off. While there will be articles during our regular scheduled spots, I have some Family business to attend to. I will make every attempt to moderate comments but I make no promises today, period. Have a great day.

Obama Trashes Trump in First Post-Presidency Interview

Barack Hussein Obama just gave an interview with the newly-engaged Prince Harry with the BBC. The conversation marks the first interview since Obama left the Oval Office.

Prince Harry, who is engaged to the American actress Meghan Markle, took the role of a guest correspondent in the interview. It has been almost a year since Obama has left the White House and mostly seems to have been traveling around foreign countries acting as a pseudo-diplomat and giving speeches so airheaded that Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been grilling him on social media.

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Oregon Court Rules Christian Bakery Must Pay $135,000 to Lesbian Couple

The Oregon Court of Appeals upheld a decision that forced two Christian bakers to pay $135,000 to a lesbian couple who said they felt “mentally raped” when the bakers declined to make a wedding cake.

“Freedom of expression for ourselves should require freedom of expression for others,” First Liberty Institute president Kelly Shackelford said.

First Liberty, one of the nation’s most prominent religious liberty law firms, represented the Kleins.

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Topless beaches get banned in OC after media coverage

National headlines sparked from beach patrol captains memo seeking clarification

Inexplicably, it generated headlines across the country when the Ocean City Council banned women from sunbathing topless on the beach.

The publicity was inexplicable because Ocean City it was way out of proportion to what happened, which was one person challenging the status quo of covering up on the beach.

Eastern Shore resident and topless advocate Chelsea Covington wrote to Worcester County State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby to clarify the laws on female bare-chestedness in public places in Maryland in 2016.

Oglesby wrote to Maryland Attorney General’s office for an opinion, but when summer arrived without a formal opinion issued, Beach Patrol Captain Butch Arbin ordered his staff to document instances while they wait for guidance.

“We will document the complaint on a minor incident form with information and particulars about the situation and the complainant’s information. We will not approach the topless woman, even if requested to do so by the complainant or other beach patrons,” he wrote.

The situation, apparently, was that a ban on bare breasts on the beach was not specifically supported by the law.

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A closer look at the searing evil of Ted Kennedy

Teddy's description of the Chappaquiddick "accident" was enough to convict him of involuntary and voluntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment.

Today you can add homicide by vehicle while intoxicated, a mandatory three-year prison term in most states.

The facts are simple. Kennedy drove fast, probably drunk, off a bridge at about 11:30 P.M. The pond was only about six feet deep. The front end of the car was angled down.

Kennedy walked away, went to his hotel, and waited until the next morning to report to the police. The car was discovered by two boys fishing in the morning. The boys, unlike Teddy, went to a nearby house to report the car in the water. Had Teddy done this instead of leaving, Mary Jo Kopechne probably would have been saved.

Kennedy spent the night at his hotel room drying out so there would be no alcohol in his system, and to fabricate with his fixers the statement he gave the police. During the time Kennedy was at his hotel with his fixers, Mary Jo died from suffocation.

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Maryland State Police Arrest Man In Wicomico County Home Invasion

(SALISBURY, Md.) – Maryland State Police arrested and charged a man with a home invasion Friday in Wicomico County.

The suspect, Harry Joseph Brown, 40, of Delmar, Maryland is charged with home invasion, malicious destruction of property, using a firearm in a felony and second-degree assault. He is being held at the Wicomico County Detention Center. Additional charges are pending.

At approximately 11 p.m. Friday, troopers from the Salisbury Barrack responded to a 911 call for a report of a home invasion with a firearm in the 800 block of Seminole Boulevard in Salisbury, Maryland. Initial responding troopers met with a female victim who reported that two unknown black males had forced entry into her home and pointed a firearm at her and then fled the residence. There was no report of a theft or an assault.

Based on the call for service investigators from the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division Lower Shore responded to assume the investigation.

According to the female victim and a male victim, her husband, they got into a verbal argument with a man, later identified as Brown, who then left the scene. At approximately 11 p.m., Brown returned with an unknown black male – who was wearing dark clothing and had dreadlocks — and forced entry into the residence.

The victims told investigators that the suspect displayed a black handgun to female victim before fleeing the residence in an unknown direction. Further investigation led troopers to the residence where Brown was staying.

Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Brown and served a search warrant on his residence and vehicle. Troopers recovered a Dan Wesson Arms .357 magnum, 11.6 grams of marijuana and 3.3 grams of crack cocaine. Troopers are continuing their search for the second suspect in this case. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Salisbury Barrack at 410-749-3101.

Weather Alert 7:30am

A wind chill advisory is in effect over northeast areas tonight for wind chill values between 0 and 5 below. Expect wind chills between 0 and 10 above elsewhere tonight.

NFL Fines Player For Wearing CHRISTMAS CLEATS – Allows National Anthem Protests To Continue

A player with the New Oreleans Saints has proven where the NFL has drawn a line in what they consider unacceptable conduct from players.

Alvin Kamara, #41 with the Saints wore bright red, festive cleats for his game two days before Christmas and was fined $6,000 by the NFL for doing so.

Now, I’d agree that wearing something that isn’t in the guidelines is a good reason to get a fine, and the player himself seems to agree. But who can take this seriously when the NFL is allowing players to disrespect the National Anthem while following every other tiny rule in the book? Here are the shoes he was wearing:

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Saturday, December 30, 2017

LOOK How Much We’ll Save If Trump Cuts Aid To Countries That Oppose Us At UN

The United Nations general assembly recently voted 128-9 to condemn President Trump’s decision to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by moving our embassy to that location. The anti-Semitic UN decided to pronounce that this was a bad move, and vote against it.

Just a couple of notes, though. One, we aren’t going to decide where our embassies are located based on what makes the United Nations thinks, and two, a lot of those nations are financially reliant on the United States. Too much so to be complaining about something inane things like here we put our headquarters.

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OH COME ON! Farmer’s Markets Now Being Called Racist!

For those of you who are keeping a list of things that were deemed racist in the year of 2017, we have one more thing to add before the new year is upon us: Farmer’s Markets. You know, those outdoor markets where your mother sells her squash and your neighbor sells her jam? Apparently they’re not racially inclusive enough for liberals, who think that anything a white person enjoys is racist.

“Just Green Enough: Urban Development and Environmental Gentrification,” is an anthology created by many professors, including San Diego State University geography professors Pascale Joassart-Marcelli and Fernando J. Bosco, who claim that farmer’s markets are racially exclusive and account for “environmental gentrification.” You know, because we can’t do anything without “gentrifying” something.

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Suggestions for Liberals in 2018

Because Democrats have beenwandering aimlessly since the 2016 election, I thought it would be helpful to give them somesuggestions to help them get out of their funk in my fourth annual “Suggestions for Liberals” column. So here goes:

We reap what we sow.

The 1960s Sexual Revolution is why there is a #MeToo movement. We are reaping the toxic side effects from thehighly sexualized cultureyou created. As much disdain as you have for moral absolutes, understand they exist for good reason. Rather than being morally honest with yourself, you’veweaponized your newfound principles for political purposes. Moreover, youhave the audacity to appoint yourself as judge and jury over this monster you created.Please know that conservatives have no interest in your fake “moralawakening.” It’s your problem. Fix it.

Quit howling overtax reform.

While it’s not perfect, the GOP’s $1.5 trillion tax overhaul is a historic victory for Americans and should be celebrated.Even left-leaning groups like Tax Policy Center [TPC]confirm the bill helps the vast majority of taxpayers. And the evil corporations getting big breaks may end up hiring some of your snowflake sons and daughters, so lighten up.If you are not interested in having more of your money, give it back. Better yet, act like a conservative and donate it to charity.

Choose a side.

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WHOA! If New Law Passes Some NFL Fans Will Be REFUNDED If Players Kneel During the Anthem

This is what the world has come to. Regardless of whatever Colin Kaepernick’s football legacy turns out to be, there is no doubt about the impact of his extra-curricular activism. Remember when GQ named him citizen of the year? Because there’s nothing that says outstanding citizen more than dividing the country along racial lines. I thought we were past that as a country.

A recently proposed law in the state of Indiana is going to give the opportunity for Indianapolis Colts fans to get a refund of their tickets if any of the Colts take a knee for the anthem. I think this is an awful law. If this passes, it will be a tragedy for individual liberty in the country. We don’t need government stepping in to “solve” this problem. It should be hashed out between consenting parties. The NFL should make it mandatory to stand for the anthem with suspensions or fines for players who don’t comply, or they should just get play the anthem before the players come out on the field. Problem solved.

The very worst thing that grinds my gears the most is the idea of a “there ought to be a law against that” mentality we have in this country. We already have too many laws, we don’t need any more. In fact, we could do with a harpooning of the bloated whale that is the book of laws in this country. It should be diminished by at least 90%. This is what the founders had in mind when they wrote the 9th and 10th amendments to the Constitution.

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Actress Celebrates Young Son Disrespecting National Anthem- She’s PROUD Of Him

Actress Debra Messing is shaping up to be an awful parent. She is teaching her son to believe movements that were started on lies and propaganda. She shared an Instagram image where her son doesn’t stand for the national anthem at a hockey game they were attending together.

The vapid “Will & Grace” star expressed her affirmation of the decision in the social media share. She paraphrased their conversation in the text portion of her Instagram post.

Messing wrote that her son Roman asked her if he could sit down for the national anthem to show solidarity or something.

“Whose crying?” she wrote. “I’m not crying.”

The post ended with a hashtag #BLM. Gosh lady, you are teaching your son that this country is inherently racist, that black people are being hunted by cops in the country, and that your son should feel guilty only for the color of his skin, as if he had anything to do with past or injustices in the country. What an awful mother. This kid deserves better.

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Dem Judge Jailed For Lying To FBI Resigns Over Sex Scandal- Now Running For Congress

A former Philadelphia judge named Willie Singletary has been in the public eye for quite a while and unfortunately for him, it’s not all been good. First, he was forced to resign after it was discovered that he sexually harassed a city cashier and sent her pictures of his genitals. He was suspected, and forced to resign after an investigation revealed some unsavory details.

Following that, he was jailed for lying to the FBI during an investigation into whether his office was running a “ticket fixing scheme” that was said to benefit the rich in the community. Despite being cleared of the charges, he was caught in a lie that landed him in prison for 20 months. The traffic court that he presided over was later abolished by voters.

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State Department DROPS THE HAMMER On Huma Abedin – Hillary Panicking…

After being found by the FBI, approximately 2,800 work documents related to Hillary Clinton are set to be released by the State Department today.

During her time as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton used a private email server to conduct government business, and at one point her aide Huma Abedin uploaded thousands of those documents to her estranged husband’s laptop.

Huma’s husband, the sex pervert Anthony Weiner who is currently serving jail time for his escapades, had his laptop taken by the FBI during their investigation. A court battle will finalize in the next few hours and will result in the release of those 2,800 Hillary-related documents that were taken from Weiner’s computer. According to the group Judicial Watch, which focuses on government transparency, the documents will be released thanks to their efforts to see them released to the wider public with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit.

Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, has been making the media rounds this week.

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This Video Explains Trump's Economics And Why The Globalists Hate It

Student Debt Slavery: Bankrolling Financiers On The Backs Of The Young

Higher education has been financialized, transformed from a public service into a lucrative cash cow for private investors.

The advantages of slavery by debt over “chattel” slavery – ownership of humans as a property right – were set out in an infamous document called the Hazard Circular, reportedly circulated by British banking interests among their American banking counterparts during the American Civil War. It read in part:

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For China, Debt Disaster Lurks in the Shadows

Analysts with the proper degree of skepticism about China’s boasts of soaring economic power note that official reports from the Communist regime cannot be trusted. Another, less widely understood problem is that China’s rulers might not know how unstable their economy really is because a sizable portion of Chinese debt lurks off the books in the “shadow banking” industry.

Reuters took a deep dive into shadow banking on Thursday, beginning with the story of a family hoodwinked out of its combined fortune by a high-yield “safe investment” that turned out to be a dodgy investment fund. In essence, China’s central government decided to limit the amount of debt fueling its economy, but people wanted to borrow more, so a huge amount of “shadow loans” were made with dubious business plans.

Many of these plans are far too complex to be fully understood by the people buying into them. Their complexity is one of the reasons they can evade regulators, but it also means these shadow loans and investment plans have a lot of moving parts, and if any element of the financial plan fails, the whole thing blows up..

More details here

Move Over, 'Despacito.' These Videos Also Ruled YouTube In 2017

By now, most of the world has caught wind of "Despacito," from Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. The mostly Spanish-language hit topped the Billboardcharts and, according to YouTube Rewind's latest list of most popular videos, was also crowned as the most-watched YouTube video of 2017 — nay, of all time — with 4.7 billion views.

But break out YouTube's top videos by country and you'll find a very different picture of what's popular. In Kenya, it's a dancing president. In Thailand, a singing oyster (yes, you read that right).

This month, YouTube Rewind released its list of top 10 videos for some 40 different countries. The videos are ranked not only by view count but also by how much they're liked, commented on, shared and how much time viewers spent watching them.

Here are a few of our favorite videos from the places we cover in our blog.

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No 'Easy Answer' To Growing Number Of Stray Dogs In The U.S., Advocate Says

Author Peter Zheutlin never wanted a dog, let alone a rescue. He had always believed, as a lot of people do, that rescue dogs are damaged goods.

Now Zheutlin can't imagine life without a dog, and he's become so driven by the issue of stray dogs that he's written two books about it. He tells Here & Now's Lisa Mullinsthe number of stray dogs has "cascaded out of control" in some parts of the U.S.

"People are often very often surprised when I tell them that the picture ... of dogs running on highways and so forth, this is not just a third world problem — that exists here in the United States," says Zheutlin, author of the new book, Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us About Living with Purpose, Loving with Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little Things.

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NOI 12/28/17 Wicomico Dwelling Fire South Division Street

NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION

Date:   12/28/17           
Time:  2:09 p.m.
Location / Address:  712 S. Division St., Salisbury, Wicomico Co.
Type of Incident:  Fire
Description of Structure / Property:   1-1/2 story wood frame single family dwelling
Owner / Occupants:   Jay Winik (Owner)  /  Daryl Johnson (Occupant)
Injuries or Deaths:   None
Estimated $ Loss: Structure:  $50,000                      Contents: $10,000
Smoke Alarm Status:  Present and activated
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status:  n/a
Arrests(s):   None
Primary Responding Fire Department:   Salisbury
# of Alarms:  1     # Of Firefighters:  30
Time to Control:  60 minutes
Discovered By:  Occupant
Area of Origin:  Void space between first floor and attic

Preliminary Cause:   Accidental, electrical branch failure

FCC approves 1st Power at Distance Wireless Charging

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday for the first time approved a device that can recharge electronics up to three feet away.

The Energous Corporation’s Watt Up device lets users charge their electronics, regardless of the manufacturer, without being connected to the charger through the use of radio frequencies.

According to the company, Watt Up underwent months of rigorous testing to make sure that it met consumer safety and regulatory requirements prior to the FCC's approval.

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Cuomo: GOP Tax Law Potentially ‘Unconstitutional,’ ‘Double Taxation’

Thursday on CNN’s “New Day,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) said the Republican tax law could be unconstitutional “double taxation.”

Cuomo said, “One of the devilish things in the bill, they eliminate the deductibility of state taxes, and it is a mouthful but what it says is up until now, over 100 years, you pay the local tax and state tax and deducted that from your federal tax, and they are eliminating that. You are now paying two taxes. You pay a tax to the [state] or local government, and then the federal government taxes that tax. It happens to occur coincidentally only in blue states only Democratic states.”

More here

Can America Survive as a Post-Christian Nation?

We’re giving man back to his human nature. 

If I had to pick one of the most under-appreciated and under-reported stories of 2017, it would be that a post-Christian America is a more vicious America, and that the triumph of secularists is rendering America more polarized, not less. Remove from the public square biblical admonitions such as “love your enemies” and the hatred has more room to grow. When the fruits of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control — wither, then the culture is far more coarse. 

Not everyone’s missing the story, of course. Both Ross Douthat and The Atlantic’s Peter Beinart have written powerfully on the topic, with Beinart noting how the rise of a post-Christian Left has mirrored the rise of a post-Christian Right. Beinart’s conclusion is correct:

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California Supreme Court Set For Ruling That Could Cut Pensions For Public Workers

For decades now public pensions have been guided by one universal rule which stipulates that current public employees can not be 'financially injured' by having their future benefits reduced. On the other hand, that 'universal rule' also necessarily stipulates thattaxpayers can be absolutely steamrolled by whatever tax hikes are necessary to fulfill the bloated pension benefits that unions promise themselves.

Alas, that one 'universal rule' may finally be at risk as the California Supreme Court is currently considering a case which coulddetermine whether taxpayers have an unlimited obligation to simply fork over whatever pension benefits are demanded of them or whether there is some "reasonableness" test that must be applied. Here's more from VC Star:

At issue is the "California Rule," which dates to court rulings beginning in 1947. It says workers enter a contract with their employer on their first day of work, entitling them to retirement benefits that can never be diminished unless replaced with similar benefits.

It's widely accepted that retirement benefits linked to work already performed cannot be touched. But the California Rule is controversial because it prohibits even prospective changes for work the employee has not yet done.

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18 States will raise their Minimum Wage on January 1

While the White House and members of the GOP package the sweeping tax code overhaul as a win for the average American, low-wage workers may be hit the hardest.

This setback comes as the U.S. minimum wage has remained stagnant over the last decade. The last time the federal minimum wage increased was in July 2009, from $6.55 to $7.25. However, now 18 states are taking matters into their own hands, raising the minimum wage, effective January 1, 2018.

Ten states are doing so as the result of legislation over the last few years. Eight states will have smaller inflation-adjusted increases.
4.5 million workers

Left-leaning think tank Economic Policy Institute estimates that the increases will benefit 4.5 million workers. In the absence of Congress raising the wage floor, states and cities are tasking themselves with paying the lowest rung of workers a bit more.

“Increasing the minimum wage is a crucial tool to help stop growing wage inequality, particularly for women and people of color who disproportionately hold minimum wage jobs,” according to EPI economic analyst Janelle Jones.

Though the economy has been humming along, wage growth is lackluster and low-income workers have been disproportionately affected.

“For much of the past three decades, the wages of those at the bottom of the wage distribution have failed to keep up with overall economic gains. Most of the wage increase has occurred among the top half of the wage distribution, especially since the 1990s,” said UMass Amherst economics professor Arindrajit Dube.

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Huma Abedin's cousin convicted in fraud case

A first cousin of Huma Abedin, a former aide to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and soon to be ex-wife of disgraced former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, was convicted Tuesday in a fraud case involving fake emails.

Omar Amanat, 44, and his colleague Kaleil Tuzman face more than a decade in prison after a jury in New York City found the pair guilty of cooking the books and defrauding shareholders of the technology company Kit Digital between 2010 and 2012.

Amanat’s brother, Irfan Amana, was also arrested in the United Arab Emirates and faces charges of fraud with the same tech firm, the New York Post reported.

"The evidence of their criminal schemes was so overwhelming that Amanat actually tried to fool the jury by introducing fake emails into the record as exculpatory 'evidence' in this trial," Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said in a release.

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STATE FIRE MARSHAL SUGGESTS ATTENDING PUBLIC FIREWORKS DISPLAYS TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR

       STATEWIDE (December 29, 2017) – With the arrival of the highly anticipated New Year, State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci is suggesting that Marylanders should attend public fireworks displays. “I would suggest the safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend one of the public fireworks displays offered throughout the state.” stated Geraci.  To help Marylanders enjoy a safer start to the New Year, the State Fire Marshal offers several ways to enjoy fireworks while avoiding injury:
  • Consider attending a professional public fireworks display instead of taking the chance on a potential injury from a private display.  Leave fireworks to the professionals.
     For those individuals who insist on the use of consumer fireworks:
  • Purchase the fireworks in the location where you intend to discharge them. Check with the local municipality to determine what fireworks are considered legal for use in that area.
  • Read and follow label warnings and instructions.
  • Do not allow small children to use fireworks.
  • Do not consume alcoholic beverages while using fireworks.
  • Have a bucket of water or hose available
  • Fully extinguish the remains of fireworks in water before disposal.

“Fireworks have been a long tradition of New Year’s celebrations.  Please make safety your number one priority so everyone can enjoy the holiday season.” adds the State Fire Marshal. “By acting responsibly, we can help eliminate fireworks injuries and property damage in the great State of Maryland.”

Marie Harf: Obama Should Get Credit for ISIS Defeat

Wednesday on Fox News Channel’s “The Five,” former Obama State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the “strategy” that led ISIS’s defeat was “laid out during the Obama administration by military commanders.”

She added, “President Trump has loosened the rules of engagement. He has allowed the military to use more bombs for example and so I think that has helped. But for me, the bigger question is what is the strategy going forward?

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Laid Off American Workers Get Their Day in Court Against Out-sourcing Firm

American workers suing an India-based out-sourcing firm accused of discriminating against its U.S.-born employees, while favoring Indian nationals, will get their day in court thanks to an Oakland, California federal judge.

This week, a California federal judge not only refused to throw out a case against Tata Consulting Services (TCS), one of the largest out-sourcers in the U.S. of American jobs, but he also turned the case into a class-action lawsuit, according to Bloomberg.

The case was brought against TCS in 2015 by American workers who said they experienced an anti-American bias at the company, which they say overwhelmingly favors imported workers of Indian descent.

Brian Buchanan, one of the American workers suing TCS in the class-action suit, said he had nearly 30 years of experience in the Information Technology (IT) industry when he and roughly 400 American workers were laid off by Southern California Edison after TCS was contracted to out-source the Americans’ jobs to cheaper foreign workers.

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Former Butcher Shop Owner Charged In Meat Theft Case

BERLIN – A former butcher shop owner was formally charged with theft of meat from an Ocean City grocery store last week.

In August, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) began an investigation into the alleged theft of large quantities of meat from the Acme grocery store in the resort by former Berlin Council member and Berlin Butcher Shop owner Lisa Hall. According to OCPD officials at the time, Hall was suspected of buying cases of various meat products from the Acme in Ocean City and then repackaging it and reselling it retail at her Berlin shop, which violates health code rules that govern food-selling operations.

However, in August it came to light Hall was allegedly picking up meat orders from the Acme store in Ocean City and not paying for them. In those cases, store cashiers, uncertain if Hall had made prior payment arrangements, allowed the butcher shop owner to leave the store with large meat orders without paying for them.

Last week, roughly four months after that investigation began, Hall was formally charged with four counts of theft less than $1,000 and one count of theft scheme from $1,000 to under $10,000. The four theft counts include incident dates of Aug. 14, Aug. 18 and Aug. 19. The theft scheme charge shows a date range from Aug. 14 to Aug. 19. A preliminary hearing date has been set for Jan. 11.

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Hypocrat of the Day

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told CNN’s New Day on Thursday morning that President Donald Trump’s new tax reforms are “a dagger in the heart of New York and California” because they cap the state and local tax (SALT) deduction.

Cuomo told CNN that Republicans had said: “Let’s pillage the blue [states] to give to the red.”

Currently, the SALT deduction allows federal taxpayers to deduct the taxes they pay to state and local authorities from their federally taxable income. That has insulated wealthy taxpayers in high-tax states (typically governed by Democrats) from the profligacy of their state and local governments, because they have been able to share the burden of paying for those high taxes with everyone else in the country, to the tune of nearly $100 billion in 2015.

That has led Cuomo and California’s Governor Jerry Brown to attack the new tax law.

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Firefighter paramedic union contract issues goes to vote

Although a labor contract was signed this year, Ocean City voters will decide on Nov. 8, 2018 whether the local firefighter/paramedic union should be able to turn to binding interest arbitration when contract negotiations reach an impasse.

On March 2, the International Association of Fire Fighters turned in a petition to put binding interest arbitration on the ballot, thus allowing voters to decide whether an independent arbitrator could settle labor disputes between the city and the union.

Less than two weeks later, the City Council and the fire union signed a deal that included the contentious new schedule that both parties battled over in 2016. That impasse inspired local union President Ryan Whittington and other members to launch the petition.

The schedule implemented in November included two 10-hour day shifts and two 14-hour night shifts, followed by four days off. That replaced the longstanding practice of 24 hours on, 72 hours off.

Union members also received a $50,000 bonus on Oct. 1, to offset any costs of switching to the new shift. On average, the bonus breaks down to $1,282 per employee. Employees were also eligible for a short time to enter the city’s deferred retirement option plan, which is eligible for employees that had earned 25 years of service for pension benefits.

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'Never-Trumpers' Crash and Burn

The #Never-Trump Republicans, who were a formidable force in 2016, even after the mogul became the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, are a much-reduced group now. And those who have not either reconciled themselves to the 45th president or resolved to support Democrats (at least until Trump is deposed from leadership of the GOP) have a very bleak future.

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post, considered an ultra-partisan writer as recently as 2012, is one of the most resolute #Never-Trumpers, and is also very angry about the apostasy of her fellow Republicans who are newly minted nationalist-populists now that there is power to be pursued that way. So when she discusses what people like her should do in the next presidential contest, she’s not sanguine about the reconquest of her old party:

"A Trumpized party has made its choice and will, with the encouragement of state TV (Fox News), in all likelihood be willing to go down with the Trump ship, blaming the Never-Trump movement and/or media if he fails."

Beyond that, Rubin’s not sure she wants to associate with these people:

"Why would an anti-Trumper want to run under the banner of a party of quislings who accommodated themselves to Trump, ignored reality, engaged in conspiracy theories and failed to defend democratic institutions?"

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White Marlin Open anglers land in MD District Court

Ocean City’s White Marlin Open didn’t pass without a measure of controversy itself, last year’s tournament results were still working their way through the appeals system.

In June, District Judge Richard Bennett ruled in favor of the White Marlin Open in the ongoing lawsuit between the tournament and last year’s presumed winner of more than $2.8 million in prize money, finding the tournament complied with its obligations and the angler, Philip Heasley, failed to satisfy tournament rules.

This order made no determination on what would happen to the prize money, which would come later.

According to tournament rules, all anglers winning more than $50,000 in prize money, as well as any crewmember registered to the vessel where the winning fish was landed, may be required to take and pass a polygraph test. The polygraph provision of the rules has been in place since at least 2004.

Heasley landed a 76.5-pound white marlin for what appeared to be the winning catch last year, but he and three other people were required to take the test. Three passed, but Heasley did not, according to court documents.

The tournament then allowed Heasley and the crew to take additional polygraph tests to qualify for the prize money, which resulted in the same determination.

The tournament ruled to withhold the prize money and Heasley sued.

“Ultimately, this court concludes that Mr. Heasley’s arguments are without merit,” the judge declared.

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Fatality Rt. 50 @ Seminole Blvd

Date and Time: 12/29/17 at 2013 hours
Location: Route 50 at Seminole Blvd, Salisbury, MD 21801
Vehicle(s): 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis

Driver: Larry Jerome Pender

On 12/29/2017 at 2013 hours troopers from the Salisbury Barrack were dispatched to a motor vehicle collision involving an overturned vehicle. During the investigation it was determined that Larry Pender was operating a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis traveling west bound on Route 50. The driver was unable to maintain control of the vehicle and it traveled into the median and collided with a tree. The vehicle traveled through the median and overturned several times as it crossed the east bound lanes of Route 50. The driver was ejected as a result of the collision and suffered fatal injuries. Based on the investigation conducted at the scene, it is unknown if alcohol was a factor in the collision but it is believed that speed was a factor for the collision.

Route 50 was closed for several hours while troopers investigated the crash. The Maryland State Police were assisted with the investigation by the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Salisbury Fire Department, and the State Highway Administration.

'Accept the Will of the People on Migration, Culture, or Hit the Road': Orbán Tells Europe's Leaders

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that Europeans are “asserting their will” by supporting leaders who reject mass migration and support Christian foundations, and gave a warning to politicians who deny the “natural order of democracy”.

The conservative Fidesz party leader told Kossuth Radio’s listeners that 2.3 million Hungarians took part in the national consultation against the George Soros-backed pro-mass migration plan, and Mr. Orbán now intends to spend the next few months convincing his opponents that Europe is right to protect her borders and her culture.

Asked by the 180 Minutes host what made him think that after two years, since the migrant crisis, progressive leaders would listen now, Mr. Orbán said: “Because in the meantime elections are being held in Europe.”

Those who argue for a “mixed population” and to “abolish societies based on national and Christian foundations” in favour of living in multicultural societies “are continually losing ground in national elections”, he observed.

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