Tons Of Cocaine Entering U.S. Due To Sequestration Cuts, Rear Admiral Says

The Coast Guard is most visible when it performs daring sea rescues. Less visible is the work it does to stop cocaine and other illegal drugs from coming into the United States.

But sequestration might be harming that mission, according to Coast Guard Rear Adm. Charles Michel, director of the Joint Interagency Task Force South. He estimated a lack of resources due to sequestration cuts would let an additional 38 metric tons of cocaine into the U.S.

"That's our projected estimate if we don't get the re-establishment of surface vessels from the Navy and the Coast Guard," he told the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp recently.

He says that 38 tons means an additional $1 billion in profits for drug dealers.
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OBAMA'S WAR ON CHRISTIANS

The ultimate scandal for the most scandalous presidency in U.S. history
“Scandal.” That one word pretty much summarizes the Obama administration’s second term – from Benghazi-gate, to the IRS’s all-out war on hundreds of conservative organizations, to the Justice Department’s “criminalization of journalism” through targeting, harassing and seizing the records of news reporters and editors.

And that’s in addition to the many other Obama scandals, from his illegally waged war against Libya and his policy of targeted assassinations of Americans (both designated by a bipartisan panel of constitutional experts as “clearly impeachable offenses”) to the Justice Department’s disastrous “Fast and Furious” gun-running operation which resulted in at least 100 deaths – and countless other outrages.

Yet, the mother of all Obama scandals – indeed, the root of all the rest – receives little attention from the press. In fact, most Americans have never even heard an explicit reference to the primary scandal of the Obama administration. That is the sole focus of the June issue of WND’s acclaimed monthly Whistleblower magazine.

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I KNOW NOTHING

Indonesia Axes Bikinis For 2013 Miss World Pageant

AKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Miss World has axed the famed bikinis from this year's pageant in Indonesia, replacing the skimpy swimsuits with conservative beach sarongs amid mounting protests from hard-line Muslim groups, organizers said Thursday.

All of the more than 130 contestants will be required to wear Bali's traditional long sarongs instead of the sexy bikinis that are historically part of the competition, said Adjie S. Soeratmadjie of the RCTI, the official broadcaster and local organizer.

Parts of the pageant will take place on the resort island of Bali and the final round will be held Sept. 28 near the capital, Jakarta. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country.
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80% Of Nearly $1 Trillion Farm Bill Goes To Food Stamps

Roughly 80% of the Senate’s $955 billion farm bill, which is expected to pass this week, will go to bankroll food stamps over the next ten years.
“The trillion-dollar farm and food stamp bill should not be called the ‘Farm Bill,’” said Heritage Action for America CEO Michael A. Needham in an email. “Washington doesn't want Americans to know that 80 percent of the spending in the bill goes to fund Obama's big-government, food stamp agenda.
The other 20% provides farmers with price supports and revenue guarantees. Needham says that is “equally disturbing.”
“The appalling truth is that many people are paid to grow nothing. The main recipients of the subsidies in the bill are the rich and famous, including families of current members of Congress and the USDA secretary Tom Vilsack,” writes Needham. “Big farmers with record high incomes, record low debt, and vastly improved farm technology are getting your taxpayer money.”

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Maryland Hospitals Caught In Financial Squeeze

Just a month after denying Maryland hospitals' request for a rate hike, the seven members of the state's Health Services Cost Review Commission reversed course and unanimously approved a 1.65 percent increase, which goes into effect next month. But this is only a temporary solution to a much larger problem that should be of great concern to all state residents who assume that a fully staffed hospital will always be available when they need it.

The commission usually sets rates for a full year. However, commissioners approved this one only until December, citing continued uncertainty over how the higher rates will affect Maryland's unique Medicare waiver.

Maryland is the only state in the nation that is allowed to regulate its own Medicare rates, which are the same no matter where a patient seeks care. But there's a caveat. In order to maintain the waiver, every three months Maryland health officials have to demonstrate that the average cost of a hospital stay is growing at a slower rate than the rest of the country. That's an increasingly difficult thing to do because the state's success in reducing hospital admissions has raised the average cost of inpatient care.
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What If Laws Applied To Everyone?

What if government officials have written laws that apply only to us and not to them? What if we gave them the power to protect our freedoms and our safety and they used that power to trick and trap some of us? What if government officials broke the laws we hired them to enforce? What if they prosecuted others for breaking the same laws they broke?

What if the government enacted a law making it a crime to provide material assistance to terrorist organizations? What if that law was intended to stop people from giving cash and weapons to organizations that bomb and maim and kill? What if the government looked at that law and claimed it applied to a dentist or a shopkeeper who sold services or goods to a terrorist organization, and not just to financiers and bomb makers?

What if an organization that killed also owned a hospital or a school and the law made it a crime to contribute to the hospital or the school? What if the Supreme Court ruled that the law is so broad that it covers backslapping, advocacy and free speech? What if the court ruled that the law makes it a crime to encourage any terrorist organization to do anything – fix teeth, educate children, save lives or kill people? What if the law makes it a crime to talk to any person known to be a terrorist? What if the law is so broad that it punishes ideas and the free expression of those ideas, even if no one is harmed thereby?

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NSA Snooping Pits Obama Vs. Left

Liberals have defended Obama on a series of controversies, from the Benghazi terrorist attack to Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’s seeking funds from insurance companies to promote ObamaCare, arguing that Republicans are exaggerating the charges for political gain.

But progressives were among the administration's biggest critics on Thursday, joining Tea Party leaders like Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in blasting the administration.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) called the program “a massive invasion of Americans’ privacy” and demanded the president publicly answer questions about how the program was being implemented.
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FORMER ARMY RANGER’S UNBELIEVABLE OFF-HAND SHOT WITH .50-CAL RIFLE

Patriot Act Author ‘Extremely Troubled’ By NSA Phone Tracking

Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.), who authored and introduced the Patriot Act, said Thursday that he was troubled by reports the National Security Agency (NSA) had collected phone records from millions of Americans.

“As the author of the Patriot Act, I am extremely troubled by the FBI’s interpretation of this legislation," Sensenbrenner said in a statement. "While I believe the Patriot Act appropriately balanced national security concerns and civil rights, I have always worried about potential abuses."

The Guardian newspaper reported Wednesday night that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) Court had approved a court order that required Verizon to turn over metadata on all telephone calls handled since April 25, covering millions of Americans not suspected of committing any crimes.

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Worcester County Sheriff's Office Press Release

In the early morning hours of June 6, 2013 a Worcester County Sheriff's Office Deputy observed a vehicle make a left turn against a red arrow from Route 50 onto Golf Course Road. The operator was found to be John Dee Cannon 34, of Ocean City Md., Mr. Cannon appeared to be intoxicated. Mr. Cannon was arrested for DUI and refused a breath test. Cannon was Charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and was arrested. Mr. Cannon was released pending trial.

Rocket Launched At Wallops Island

WALLOPS ISLAND -- Shortly after 11 p.m. on Wednesday, the latest rocket launch from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility arched its way across the Lower Shore sky, providing residents and visitors throughout the mid-Atlantic region with what has become a more common light show of sorts.

After the initial launched planned for Tuesday was scrubbed because of technical issues, a Black Brant XII suborbital rocket carrying a Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER) was successfully launched from the Wallops Island Spaceport around 11:05 p.m. on Wednesday. With crystal clear night skies, the launch was visible throughout the resort area and across the mid-Atlantic region. According to NASA officials, the launch was reportedly seen from as far north as central New Jersey and southwestern Pennsylvania and as far south as northeastern North Carolina.
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"Surveillance State: Maryland Is Listening To You"

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL ACTIONS TO COMBAT GANGS AND ROOT OUT CORRUPTION AT BALTIMORE CITY DETENTION CENTER

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley announced actions already taken since the indictments at the Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC), as well as a plan that the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) will enact moving forward to combat gangs and root out corruption at all Maryland prisons. 

“Like all Marylanders, I am outraged by the criminal wrongdoing at the Baltimore City Detention Center,” said Governor O’Malley. “Our coordinated efforts with federal, state and local law enforcement partners have helped combat gangs, reduce violence, and root out corruption. We understand there is more work to do - and we are working every day - to build the public’s confidence in our prison system.” 
The chart below outlines the Administration’s actions since the indictments at BCDC, and a plan moving forward to address corruption in Maryland’s prisons and improve public safety through efforts to fight cell phones and contraband; leadership and correctional changes; and intelligence and security: 
Actions Taken Since Indictments 

Actions Moving ForwardEfforts to Fight Cell Phones and Contraband 

-Revised front entrance search teams that rotate between facilities
- Fingerprinting identity checks (Fast ID) on all visitors at BCDC to confirm identity

- Upgraded security cameras throughout BCDC Center to provide 45 hours of recording capability

- Install cell phone blocking technology at BCDC- Re-introduce bill to increase penalties for illegal cell phones
- Purchase additional cell phone data extraction equipment to improve analysis of contraband cell phone intelligence
- Deploy FastID fingerprinting for visitors Statewide
Leadership and Organizational Changes 

-Secretary moved office to BCDC- Began top to bottom personnel review at BCDC
- Fired Security Chief
- Emphasized existing employee hotline for reporting misconduct and corruption
- Augmenting supervisor training on disciplinary policies

-Revise pre-employment character test to focus on ethics and integrity
- Create polygraph unit for CO applicants 
- Expand background checks on applicants
- Revise all policy and post orders at BCDC
Intelligence and Security 

-Formed City Correctional Investigative unit with Baltimore City State’s Attorney and Maryland State Police
- Unifying Internal Investigations Unit (IIU) and intelligence by moving intelligence division to IIU.
- Started randomized computer system for staff searches
- Moved 31 high risk detainees from BCDC to other Departmental facilities

-Technological improvements to investigative tracking system
- Hire 8 additional IIU detectives and 4 additional intelligence analysts to increase investigative powers
- Investigate deploying full body scanners to each facility
Working together with local law enforcement partners, we’ve driven down violent crime to 30-year lows. Since taking office, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has taken critical steps toward combating gang violence and rooting out corruption in prisons: 
The Administration is taking action to purge corrupt correctional officers. The average annual number of correctional officers terminated during the O'Malley-Brown Administration is nearly 50 percent higher than under the previous administration.
In 2011, officials formed the Maryland Joint Prison Task Force, a partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel focused on combating gangs and rooting out corruption in Maryland correctional institutions. Rod Rosenstein, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, says “Everybody in the task force anticipated it would result in the prosecution of a significant number of correctional officers.” (Baltimore Sun, April 30, 2013) 
In 2012, DPSCS captured 77 percent more cell phones than it did in 2007 through the use of K9s and other strategies.
In 2009, DPSCS invested in a cellular forensics lab to extract intelligence from contraband phones, and hired dedicated a cell phone investigator to build prosecutions against people caught with illegal cell phones. Since then, 1,038 charges have been filed, with 618 adjudications netting a 59 percent guilty rate.
Since FY 2007, inmate-on-staff serious assaults have been driven down 65 percent, and inmate-on-inmate serious assaults have been driven down 47 percent.
In 2007, under Secretary Maynard’s leadership, the Administration closed the House of Correction and began an effort to combat illegal gang activity.
In 2007, DPSCS led a statewide gang and intelligence sharing initiative, and in 2008, formalized the Central Gang Unit to share gang information with local, state, and federal authorities.
Since 2009, DPSCS has employed a full-time gang intelligence analyst to track gang activity. We established the Automated Gang Intel Database, and have identified almost 7,400 gang members since 2007.

Report: Virginia Among Best, Maryland Among Worst States For Retirement

 Maryland's high tax burden is causing it to rank as one of the worst states to retire to, while Virginia is among the top 10, according to a report by Bankrate.com.

Maryland tied with Vermont for 44th in the personal finance website's list of best states to retire to, with its high cost of living and large state and local tax burden blamed for dragging it down in the rankings.

"If you're looking at the state and local tax burden, it's 10.2 percent [in Maryland]. Compare that with Virginia at 9.3 percent and D.C. also at 9.3 percent," said Chris Kahn, author of the report. "In terms of cost of living, it ranked 42 out of 51 states and D.C."

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LIMBAUGH ADVERTISERS RETURN

After talk radio titan Rush Limbaugh mocked left-wing/birth control activist Sandra Fluke as a "slut" (something for which he later apologized) the organized left thought they could finally silence The Most Listened To Talk Show Host in America by picking off his advertisers. The boycott, organized mostly by the left-wing Media Matters, can now officially be called a failure with the news that advertisers have not only returned, but that the show is pacing ahead of last year:


Rush Limbaugh’s distributor on Thursday said there is no denying the conservative radio host’s controversial comments about Sandra Fluke hurt advertising last year — but 2013 is apparently a whole different ballgame.
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Samir Ramadan Held On $15M Bond; Youngest Brother Aims To Clear His Name

OCEAN CITY -- One of two local residents, indicted by a New York grand jury in May for allegedly being the “enterprise treasurer” for a vast money laundering operation with possible links to terrorism, was ordered held on a $15 million bond this week, while his alleged “ringleader” brother remains in custody without a bail review.

In mid-May, federal officials concluded an investigation into a vast, multi-million dollar cigarette smuggling operation with raids on two locations in and around the resort area including the West Ocean City homes of local residents Basel Ramadan, 42, who is being called the “ringleader and “boss” of the operation, and Samer Ramadan, 40, who is being called the “enterprise treasurer.” Federal officials also raided the Ramadan’s offices over the Subway restaurant they owned at Sunset Drive near 26th Street.

At the Ramadans’ West Ocean City homes in the Oyster Harbor community, $1.4 million in large black bags was recovered, along with 20,000 cartons of untaxed cigarettes. According to the New York Attorney General’s Office, the Ramadans and their 14 co-conspirators allegedly funneled thousands of cartons of untaxed smokes and millions of dollars in ill-gotten revenue through Ocean City and Worcester County from a wholesaler in Virginia to a distribution warehouse in Delaware, from whence the illegal, untaxed cigarettes were distributed to retail outlets all over New York City and upstate.
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Americans Blame 'Government Welfare' For Persistent Poverty, Poll Finds

Two decades after President Bill Clinton promised to "end welfare as we know it," Americans blame government handouts for persistent poverty in the United States more than any other single factor, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Thursday.

Given a list of eight factors and asked to choose the one most responsible for the continuing problem of poverty, 24 percent of respondents in the poll chose "too much government welfare that prevents initiative."

Whether Americans are too dependent on government was a flashpoint of the presidential campaign last year, and shrinking government has been a focus of the Tea Party movement, which has risen since the election of President Barack Obama.
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Watch The Belmont Stakes This Saturday At The Dock Bar!

Live Entertainment By Willow Brook 5-9pm

Doctor, Guide Rescue Baby Moose From Montana River

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) -- A Pennsylvania doctor on a guided fishing trip in southwestern Montana went home with an amazing tale of hauling in a 25-pound lunker -- a baby moose she helped rescue from a rushing river.

Karen Sciascia of Red Hill, Pa., and a guide were fishing the Big Hole River on Saturday when they spotted a cow moose with a calf trying to cross the waterway.

"We were watching this adult female struggling back and forth, and we didn't see a baby until we got close," Sciascia told the Missoulian (http://bit.ly/18RzCfb) for a story published Thursday. "Mom kept pushing -- the current was pretty swift. The mother bolted and took off across the river. She was trying to get across the main portion of the channel, and even she struggled."
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