A U.S. economy that plodded along in the first three
months of the year likely grew even less in the April-June quarter. And
most economists no longer think growth will strengthen much in the
second half of 2012.
Weaker hiring, nervous consumers, sluggish
manufacturing and the overhang of Europe's debt crisis might be pointing
toward everyone's big fear: another recession.
Against that
background, the government on Friday will issue its first of three
estimates of how much the
U.S. economy expanded last quarter. The
consensus forecast is that growth slowed to an annual rate of 1.5
percent, according to a survey of economists by data firm FactSet. The
Commerce Department will issue the estimate at 8:30 a.m. EDT.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, July 27, 2012
U.S. Weighs Retail Sweep After Wal-Mart Bribery Scandal
U.S. authorities are considering launching a wide-ranging examination of the retail industry for violations of an anti-foreign bribery law, after Wal-Mart and other retailers have come forth with their own potential offenses, people familiar with the matter said.
Retailers have been reviewing their international operations in light of a bribery scandal at Wal-Mart Stores Inc's (WMT.N) operations in Mexico that is the subject of investigations by the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Colorado Hospitals Chip In For Shooting Victims' Care
With many patients still being cared for after last week's Colorado
movie theater shootings, one burden is being lifted by some of the
hospitals: medical expenses.
Children's Hospital
Colorado said it will use its charity care program and donations to
cover medical expenses for victims of the shooting who do not have
insurance. Victims who do have insurance will have their co-pays and
deductible-related expenses waived.
"We are committed to
supporting these families as they heal," Elizabeth Whitehead,
spokeswoman for Children's Hospital Colorado, said in a statement.
Five Guys Take Same Photo for 30 years
When five teenagers sat down and posed for a picture at Copco Lake in
1982, they didn't plan on making it a tradition. But that's what it
became.
Every five years for the
past three decades, John Wardlaw, John Dickson, Mark Rumer, Dallas
Burney and John Molony have been meeting at the California lake and
taking the same photo.
The first photograph of
the high school friends was just happenstance. Wardlaw, known as Wedge
in the group, had a family cabin at the lake where the friends gathered
in July 1982.
Jewish Summer Camp in Pennsylvania 'Terrorized'; Five Charged
Five people face charges for allegedly terrorizing a Jewish summer camp in Pennsylvania.
In three separate episodes earlier this month, three adults and two
juveniles caused property damage as they sped dangerously through Camp Bonim in Wayne County in a pickup truck, shouting anti-Semitic epithets and firing paintball guns at campers and staff, District Attorney Janine Edwards
said in a press release. The three adults were arrested Wednesday
morning and face felony and misdemeanor charges, including ethnic
intimidation, terroristic threats and assault.
"These children were terrorized and in fear for their lives by the
actions of this group," Edwards said in the release. "The vicious, cruel
and obscene nature of the language hurled at the campers is
unspeakable. Luckily none of the children suffered any serious physical
injury, however, the emotional damage is immeasurable."
Obama Email: This Could Be My Last Birthday As President
President Obama is about to hit the Big 5-1. And he’s feeling pretty sorry for himself. At least that’s what readers can gather from his latest campaign missive, titled simply “Hey”:
Benjamin --
My upcoming birthday next week could be
the last one I celebrate as President of the United States, but that's
not up to me -- it's up to you.
This July deadline is our most urgent yet, coming after two consecutive months of being significantly outraised by Romney and the Republicans.
San Francisco Library Providing Helpful Privacy Screens For Online Porn-Viewing Comfort
Just because a person is viewing online porn at a public library doesn't necessarily mean they want everyone to know that — and plenty of fellow patrons might not want to accidentally catch an eyeful, either. San Francisco's main library is taking all that into consideration with its new privacy screens on its free computers.
The idea is that the 18 new plastic shields will limit what can be seen on the computers' monitors to the person using that particular machine, reports KVTU.com.
A city librarian said the library doesn't want to filter Internet access, so the screens allow for free and equal access to information without offending anyone.
ICE, Border Patrol Unions Claim Illegal Immigrants Exploiting 'Dreamer' Policy
Union heads representing thousands of America's immigration agents
slammed the Obama administration Thursday over a policy they claim is
forcing officials to ignore the law and allowing illegal immigrants to
exploit the system.
In a startling allegation, the president of the union representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers claimed illegal immigrants are "taking advantage" of a new directive allowing some undocumented residents who came to the U.S. as children to stay in the country. Union boss Chris Crane said the policy ends up allowing illegal immigrants to avoid detention without any proof -- particularly so-called "dreamers," or those illegal immigrants who would benefit under the "DREAM Act" proposal, which Congress has not passed but the administration has partially implemented.
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In a startling allegation, the president of the union representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers claimed illegal immigrants are "taking advantage" of a new directive allowing some undocumented residents who came to the U.S. as children to stay in the country. Union boss Chris Crane said the policy ends up allowing illegal immigrants to avoid detention without any proof -- particularly so-called "dreamers," or those illegal immigrants who would benefit under the "DREAM Act" proposal, which Congress has not passed but the administration has partially implemented.
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Poll: Less Than Half of Voters Think Obama is Christian
About one in six voters still thinks President Obama is Muslim while
only half identify him as a Christian, according to a new national poll
released Thursday.
Just 49 percent of voters surveyed by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life said the president is Christian, while 17 percent said he is Muslim and 31 percent did not know his religion. (Click here to view the poll results)
The percentage who think Mr. Obama is Muslim has actually increased by 5 percentage points since he was elected in 2008, although it has decreased 2 percentage points since an August 2010 poll.
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Just 49 percent of voters surveyed by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life said the president is Christian, while 17 percent said he is Muslim and 31 percent did not know his religion. (Click here to view the poll results)
The percentage who think Mr. Obama is Muslim has actually increased by 5 percentage points since he was elected in 2008, although it has decreased 2 percentage points since an August 2010 poll.
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Households Divided By Campaign Donations
Husbands and wives may share checking accounts, but they don’t always
share political preferences. So what happens when one-half of the
marriage wants to donate to a candidate?
A wife writes a $1,000 check to her preferred candidate, President Obama. A week later, her irritated spouse fires back with a $1,000 check to Republican Mitt Romney. The money cancels out, leaving the candidates even, television stations and campaign consultants a little bit richer — and the couple quite a bit poorer.
When politics meet family, emotion often trumps reason.
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A wife writes a $1,000 check to her preferred candidate, President Obama. A week later, her irritated spouse fires back with a $1,000 check to Republican Mitt Romney. The money cancels out, leaving the candidates even, television stations and campaign consultants a little bit richer — and the couple quite a bit poorer.
When politics meet family, emotion often trumps reason.
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Dont Tell Rahm: Louis Farrakhan Opposes Same-Sex Marriage
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel blasted Chick-Fil-A CEO Dan Cathy's divulgement in a recent interview that he was against same sex marriage. Emanuel blasted Cathy, saying that his values "aren't Chicago's values" and agreed with Alderman Joe Moreno's vow to block another Chick-Fil-A restaurant from opening in Chicago.
Yet the next day, Emanuel welcomed Louis Farrakhan and his Nation of Islam for assistance battling Chicago's crime. Apparently Farrakhan's legendary antisemitism is a "Chicago value" -- but what about Farrakhan's own stance against same sex marriage?More
Christianity and Homosexuality by Matt Slick
The homosexuals and lesbians have gained considerable political and
social momentum in America. They have "come out" as the term goes, left
their closets, and are knocking on the doors of your homes. Through
TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines, they are preaching their doctrine
of tolerance, equality, justice, and love. They do not want to be
perceived as abnormal or dangerous. They want acceptance and they want
you to welcome them with open, loving arms, approving of what they do.
In numerous states in America several bills have been introduced by the pro-homosexual politicians to ensure that the practice of homosexuality is a right protected by law. Included in these bills are statements affecting employers, renters, and schools. Churches could possibly be required to hire a quota of homosexuals, and "sensitivity" training courses would be "strongly urged" in various work places. There is even legislation that would force the state to pick up the tab for the defense of homosexual agendas in lawsuits while requiring the non-homosexual side to pay out of his/her pocket. Is this fair? Of course not. But fairness isn't the real issue here. It is social engineering. Think about it, the homosexual community wants legal protection for having intercourse with people of the same sex. And, if that weren't enough, it wants its views taught in schools, promoted over the airwaves, and codified in literature.
The Christian church, however, has not stood idly by. When it has spoken out against this political immorality, the cry of "separation of church and state" is shouted at the so-called "religious bigots." But when the homosexual community attempts to use political power to try and control the church and get its agenda taught in schools, no such cry of bigotry is heard from the sacred halls of the media. Why? Because it isn't politically correct to side with Christians.
More
In numerous states in America several bills have been introduced by the pro-homosexual politicians to ensure that the practice of homosexuality is a right protected by law. Included in these bills are statements affecting employers, renters, and schools. Churches could possibly be required to hire a quota of homosexuals, and "sensitivity" training courses would be "strongly urged" in various work places. There is even legislation that would force the state to pick up the tab for the defense of homosexual agendas in lawsuits while requiring the non-homosexual side to pay out of his/her pocket. Is this fair? Of course not. But fairness isn't the real issue here. It is social engineering. Think about it, the homosexual community wants legal protection for having intercourse with people of the same sex. And, if that weren't enough, it wants its views taught in schools, promoted over the airwaves, and codified in literature.
The Christian church, however, has not stood idly by. When it has spoken out against this political immorality, the cry of "separation of church and state" is shouted at the so-called "religious bigots." But when the homosexual community attempts to use political power to try and control the church and get its agenda taught in schools, no such cry of bigotry is heard from the sacred halls of the media. Why? Because it isn't politically correct to side with Christians.
More
Romney Camp Hits Obama Over "It Worked," Left Screams "Out of Context"
Impressively quick reflexes from the Romney campaign -- hopefully this is only the beginning of a wider attack strategy constructed around "it worked:"
Liberals are again claiming that Obama is being taken "out of context" here. Slate's Dave Weigel says Obama was obviously referring to the Clinton-era tax rates -- which he mentioned just prior to "it worked." Five points: (1) If you read the full transcript of the speech, Obama was building a broader case against Mitt Romney's "top down" approach to governance (full of distortions, of course, but that's politics). The president described at length the "contrasting visions" that separate himself from his opponent, listing off tendentiously-phrased examples along the way. So the "context" of "it worked" was ambiguous, at best. The Examiner's Joel Gehrke makes this point, as does The Fix's Aaron Blake, albeit reluctantly:
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Liberals are again claiming that Obama is being taken "out of context" here. Slate's Dave Weigel says Obama was obviously referring to the Clinton-era tax rates -- which he mentioned just prior to "it worked." Five points: (1) If you read the full transcript of the speech, Obama was building a broader case against Mitt Romney's "top down" approach to governance (full of distortions, of course, but that's politics). The president described at length the "contrasting visions" that separate himself from his opponent, listing off tendentiously-phrased examples along the way. So the "context" of "it worked" was ambiguous, at best. The Examiner's Joel Gehrke makes this point, as does The Fix's Aaron Blake, albeit reluctantly:
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Will More Mobile Facebook Ads Be Annoying Enough To Drive Users Away?
Earlier today, Facebook's very own Mark Zuckerberg and the site's other head honchos held a conference call with investors to discuss the company's first earnings report since it went public back in May. Given the stock's not-stellar performance and investors' concerns about Facebook's ability to actually, ya know... make money, the Zuck did his best to liven up spirits by saying the company is beefing up its mobile ad strategy. Which yes, means ads for Facebook users on their smartphones and tablets. Let the clogging begin.
CASH GRAB
A few lucky OceanCity ATM users might have gotten something hard to come by these days – more money than they asked for.
Last week, Ocean City Today was tipped that for a brief period last Thursday evening, the Bank of America ATM at the Boardwalk’s south-end tram terminal was dispensing twice the amount of cash that users requested.
According to a witness who wishes to remain anonymous to protect his cash windfall, he received a text message from a friend around 7 p.m. that evening, telling him to come to the ATM because it was giving out extra money.
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Last week, Ocean City Today was tipped that for a brief period last Thursday evening, the Bank of America ATM at the Boardwalk’s south-end tram terminal was dispensing twice the amount of cash that users requested.
According to a witness who wishes to remain anonymous to protect his cash windfall, he received a text message from a friend around 7 p.m. that evening, telling him to come to the ATM because it was giving out extra money.
More
Governor O'Malley Announces 28 New Bikeways Grant Winners
$3.13 Million in Projects Will Provide Key Bike Network Connections
HANOVER, MD – As part of the O’Malley Administration’s Cycle Maryland Initiative, Governor Martin O’Malley today announces 28 winners of the Bikeways Program Grants. The Maryland Bikeways Program, administered by the Maryland Department of Transportation, was established in November 2011 as a program to support planning, design and construction of projects that create and improve bicycle connections in Maryland to key destinations, like work, school and shopping. Governor O’Malley’s program is providing $3.13 million for this round of grants to seven counties, Baltimore City and 12 other municipalities for a variety of projects in different stages of development from feasibility assessment and design to construction. These grant recipients are the second set of awardees announced this year bringing the total to 48 bikeways grant recipients and $5.63 million for 2012.
“I am pleased to see such a great interest in working together to build a more comprehensive bike network statewide that will benefit our citizens,” said Governor O’Malley. “These grants will help local jurisdictions build key connections that make bicycling a true transportation option. Bicycling is a win-win for all of us by helping us learn to enjoy more of Maryland’s natural treasures, reducing the impact on the land, improving our fitness and well-being, and enhancing our quality of life.”
The grant winning projects include: on and off-road bicycle route connections, bike route signage, bike racks and safety improvements. A complete list of projects is available at this link: http://bit.ly/OsNqzZ .
Some of the winning projects are:
City of Brunswick’s bike route, connecting the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal Trail, the MARC train station and Main Street;
Baltimore County’s Towson Bike Beltway, installing bike lanes and bike route improvements;
Baltimore City’s downtown bike network, supporting design and construction of a cycle-track and bike lanes;
Laurel’s bike connection project, installing a bike lane on Lafayette Avenue and connecting it to the Laurel MARC station;
Anne Arundel County and Prince George’s County’s Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Trail (WB&A Trail), providing feasibility assessment and preliminary design of a trail bridge over the Patuxent River;
Salisbury’s on-road bikeways, connecting Salisbury University and local businesses; and
Shore Transit on the Eastern Shore, providing bike racks on buses and at key stations.
The Maryland Bikeways Program grant applications are reviewed with the goal of awarding grants to support plans and projects that: maximize the use of Maryland’s existing bicycle facilities, make needed connections and support Maryland’s bike sharing efforts. The Bikeways Program will address key funding gaps for bicycle projects. Program flexibility ensures that the best possible bicycle routes can be developed, by utilizing local and state roads, off-road trails, parks and other available pathways. Through strategic investment in the bicycle network, Maryland and our partners hope both to stimulate the economy and to achieve cost savings for households and government agencies.
Governor O’Malley kicked off his Cycle Maryland Initiative to consolidate and coordinate bicycle programs in Maryland in an effort to make bicycling a true transportation alternative and to encourage more Marylanders to get out and ride. The goal is to support Maryland’s economy, to provide a cleaner environment and to encourage a healthier lifestyle and a better quality of life for all Marylanders.
California Leads Way in Foreclosures
IRVINE, Calif. — California is still dominating the foreclosure scene.
California cities made up seven of the top 10 metro areas with the highest rates of new foreclosures in the first six months of this year, according to data released Thursday by RealtyTrac, which tracks foreclosure properties. That’s unchanged from the same time last year.
Foreclosure activity also spiked by more than 25 percent in and around Philadelphia, Chicago and New York. The new inventory could start hitting the market in the next several months, potentially weighing further on home values.
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California cities made up seven of the top 10 metro areas with the highest rates of new foreclosures in the first six months of this year, according to data released Thursday by RealtyTrac, which tracks foreclosure properties. That’s unchanged from the same time last year.
Foreclosure activity also spiked by more than 25 percent in and around Philadelphia, Chicago and New York. The new inventory could start hitting the market in the next several months, potentially weighing further on home values.
More
A Letter To The Editor 7-27-12
Hi Joe,
I just found out yesterday that the special needs swimming pool at Pinehurst elementary is sitting empty and has for a long time due to funding for a new roof. I am curious whether or not this was ever made public. I don't have a special needs child but I do have some friends that do, and they would tell me that the students for which the pool was intended for, loved nothing more then the time they could spend in that pool. The smiles that the children had by being in the pool would just make things a little easier for the parents, the teachers, and the children. These children have to go through enough in their lives. It is a shame this has been taken away from them.
The talk about all the money the county got for the new Bennet middle school and yet no mention about this. I hear there are 12-14 classes of special needs students just at Pinhurst alone. I'm not positive about those numbers but that is a lot of students and I am sure more were bused in from other schools as well. I was also told the repairs for the roof would be a couple of million dollars. How is that possible? How about for a fraction of that they tear the roof down and make it an outside pool. I bet all the people that are for the funding of a bike lane to be built in Salisbury would rather have this special pool fixed for the children that would never be able to use a bike path in the first place. It seems the county knows how to get grant money for everything from building low income housing to fire boats. How can there be no money for this? If anyone knows more about this topic then fill us in. I might not have all the facts about this and in a way I hope there is more to the story then just needing a new roof.
I just found out yesterday that the special needs swimming pool at Pinehurst elementary is sitting empty and has for a long time due to funding for a new roof. I am curious whether or not this was ever made public. I don't have a special needs child but I do have some friends that do, and they would tell me that the students for which the pool was intended for, loved nothing more then the time they could spend in that pool. The smiles that the children had by being in the pool would just make things a little easier for the parents, the teachers, and the children. These children have to go through enough in their lives. It is a shame this has been taken away from them.
The talk about all the money the county got for the new Bennet middle school and yet no mention about this. I hear there are 12-14 classes of special needs students just at Pinhurst alone. I'm not positive about those numbers but that is a lot of students and I am sure more were bused in from other schools as well. I was also told the repairs for the roof would be a couple of million dollars. How is that possible? How about for a fraction of that they tear the roof down and make it an outside pool. I bet all the people that are for the funding of a bike lane to be built in Salisbury would rather have this special pool fixed for the children that would never be able to use a bike path in the first place. It seems the county knows how to get grant money for everything from building low income housing to fire boats. How can there be no money for this? If anyone knows more about this topic then fill us in. I might not have all the facts about this and in a way I hope there is more to the story then just needing a new roof.
Department Makes Annual Bulk Ammo Purchase
The Ocean City Police Department will soon be making its annual mass
purchase of ammunition, a requisition that will supply 86,000 rounds for
the department’s firearms and highlight the unique situation of the
OCPD as a largely seasonal police force.
According to OCPD Lt. Richard Moreck, this will be the third year in a row that the department has made its purchase from The Gun Shop in Vincentown, N.J.
The Gun Shop is the regional distributor for Federal brand ammunition, allowing the OCPD to get its order direct from the factory. The store also holds the ammunition contract for the state of Maryland, and the state extends its contract pricing to the OCPD to for certain types of ammunition, a benefit that helps subsidize the training of Ocean City’s seasonal police force. Ocean City is the only jurisdiction in the state allowed to raise such a force each summer.
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According to OCPD Lt. Richard Moreck, this will be the third year in a row that the department has made its purchase from The Gun Shop in Vincentown, N.J.
The Gun Shop is the regional distributor for Federal brand ammunition, allowing the OCPD to get its order direct from the factory. The store also holds the ammunition contract for the state of Maryland, and the state extends its contract pricing to the OCPD to for certain types of ammunition, a benefit that helps subsidize the training of Ocean City’s seasonal police force. Ocean City is the only jurisdiction in the state allowed to raise such a force each summer.
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