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The demand could complicate efforts to rebuild U.S.-Pakistani ties that were all but severed by U.S. airstrikes in November along the Afghan border that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The attack also led to Pakistan's closure of NATO supply lines to Afghanistan.
The parliament commission suggested Tuesday that the supply lines would not be permanently cut, as many Pakistanis would like, though it did not explicitly link the issue of the drones and the border closure.
Clinton will meet Tuesday with historians and scientists from The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, which is launching a new search in June for the wreckage of Earhart's Lockheed Electra plane off the remote island of Nikumaroro, in what is now the Pacific nation of Kiribati. Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared July 2, 1937, while flying from New Guinea to Howland Island. Searches at the time uncovered nothing.
The group believes Earhart and Noonan may have managed to land on the island, then known as Gardner Island, and survived for a short time. Other historians believe they crashed into the ocean. But conspiracy theories, including claims that they were U.S. government agents captured by the Japanese before World War II, abound despite having been largely debunked.
And it states, “The amount of time between the release of a Microsoft security update and the release of exploit code (vulnerability) for that update continues to shorten. MAPP gives security software providers early access to vulnerability information.”
The girl is thought to be Margaret Febrey, who was laid to rest in Oakwood Cemetery almost 100 years ago.
"He said he saw this little girl in the window ... and he went in and couldn't find her, and on his way out he saw her on the steps and turned around and didn't see her," said Jeff Schreiner, construction supervisor.
MoreDeepak Jain, the company’s president and founder, said the company plans to open by July the first phase of a 300,000-square-foot data center on 15 acres. The center will be housed in an existing building that used to be home to a Boscov’s department store.
The data center will be AiNet’s third — the first two are in Beltsville and Laurel — and Jain said it will fill a geographic gap in the company’s portfolio while also allowing it to accept companies whose needs previously outstripped AiNet’s capacity.
“We are building on a strategy where customers will be able to operate from each of our buildings interchangeably,” said Jain. The new center “lets us do some deals that we couldn’t do.”
"The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries." -- Winston Churchill
Saying that capitalism is better than socialism is like saying that winning a million dollars is better than being in a high impact car crash. In other words, if you have an open mind, a good grasp on human nature and economics, and a passing knowledge of world history, there's absolutely no question that capitalism is superior to socialism.
Unfortunately, this lesson has been lost on a lot of people because our school systems have become so mediocre, there are no pure capitalist and socialist systems, and there are a lot of people who promote socialism for reasons that have nothing to do with economics. Is it surprising, for example, that politicians prefer an economic system that concentrates power in their hands as opposed to a system that makes them less relevant? Would anyone be shocked to find out that there are people who like the idea of making money based on whom they know and where they put their campaign contributions as opposed to slugging it out in the free market?
So with all that in mind, it is worth explaining, once again, why capitalism is absolutely, undeniably, unquestionably superior to socialism.
Hey homeless people, no soup for you.
So says New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has banned private food contributions to homeless shelters because he's afraid they won't meet his exacting nutritional standards:
In conjunction with a mayoral task force and the Health Department, the Department of Homeless Services recently started enforcing new nutritional rules for food served at city shelters. Since DHS can’t assess the nutritional content of donated food, shelters have to turn away good Samaritans.
DHS Commissioner Seth Diamond says the ban on food donations is consistent with Mayor Bloomberg’s emphasis on improving nutrition for all New Yorkers. A new interagency document controls what can be served at facilities — dictating serving sizes as well as salt, fat and calorie contents, plus fiber minimums and condiment recommendations.
Rodney Peterson said that on March 2, after getting gas, “I just noticed these girls, that they had no umbrella, no coats or hood or something of that nature and I just felt like I should help.” He said he rolled down his window, asked if they needed a ride, and after one of the girls said “We’re OK,” he continued driving.
Peterson said he thought nothing of it until three days later, when the police came knocking. According to the CBS 2 report, Peterson listened in disbelief as he was told that the girls had reported their encounter, and he was being charged with disorderly conduct for alarming and disturbing the girls.
Police maintain that if Peterson was worried about the welfare of the girls, he should have called 911.
MoreIt’s getting to be that time on a Monday where you just may need an inspirational pick-me-up. This viral video that began spinning around the Web last week is just what the doctor ordered.
If you think you have a daunting week ahead of you, this youngin’ can provide you with the perfect metaphor to help you overcome looming challenges. A fourth grader, according to the YouTube description, is standing at the top of her first ever ski jump — there is actually debate on whether it‘s a he or she but we’ll go with she. She’s whimpering, unsteady on her legs and her tone of voice doesn’t boast much confidence in her abilities.
Watch as she psyches herself up to take the jump, giving us a helmet-cam point-of-view (Note: Sound is a must for this one):
Video and photos HERE
Despite assurances from Clint Eastwood and Eminem, Detroit’s rebirth may be on hold, as the city is on a Greece-like track to run out of money before summer, and things are getting increasingly testy between the state’s Republican governor and the city’s Democratic mayor.
Although the automotive sector and some other parts of the city’s business picture have bounced back in recent years, Detroit city government finances are still on an unsustainable course, and the city does not have a viable fiscal plan to avoid running out of money in May.
Last week, the city rejected a proposed consent agreement that would have given a nine-member state-appointed oversight board a voice in city government and started a war of words with the state government, which has its own deadline set for next week.
WASHINGTON - A new report on openness and accountability at state capitals doesn't do much to help the perception that "government ethics" is an oxymoron.
An eight-month investigation by the Center for Public Integrity, Global Integrity and Public Radio International gives most state governments low marks when it comes to tackling corruption. Governments in much of the WTOP listening area rank among the worst.
The Old Dominion is one of eight states to receive an "F" grade and ranks 47 out of 50 in the report.
Property Bond posted by Robert N. Brenner, III for $50,000.00, Release 3/19/12.
At 10:00 this morning County Executive Rick Pollitt made a rare appearance in front of the County Council to propose emergency legislation to increase the County Income Tax Rate from 3.1% to 3.2% by April 17th.
On his Monday broadcast, syndicated conservative radio host Mark Levin offered his take on a Daily Caller report that tied Media Matters for America to the al-Jazeera network. TheDC reported that the organization’s foreign policy fellow MJ Rosenberg has made some ill-advised statements about the Jewish community and the United States.
Levin called on the Internal Revenue Service to review Media Matters’ tax status and called the organization, as he has often done in the past, a “criminal front group.”
“Media Matters is a key political operative entity for the Democrat Party and for this president,” Levin said. “I don’t care if it covers itself in the charitable, non-profit, non-partisan mode, part of the Internal Revenue Code. That’s for the IRS to sort out and the IRS ought to be looking at them, quite frankly, as I’ve said many, many times. That’s why I call them a ‘criminal front group.’”
Levin challenged Media Matters to take action against him for the moniker he has given the group, and said he would use a lawsuit as an opportunity to investigate the organization.
Big Government just got bigger this morning as the County Council agreed to allow the Sheriff's Department to place speed cameras in school zones throughout Wicomico County.If the pope called for the destruction of all the mosques in Europe, the uproar would be cataclysmic. Pundits would lambaste the church, the White House would rush out a statement of deep concern, and rioters in the Middle East would kill each other in their grief. But when the most influential leader in the Muslim world issues a fatwa to destroy Christian churches, the silence is deafening.
On March 12, Sheik Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, declared that it is “necessary to destroy all the churches of the region.” The ruling came in response to a query from a Kuwaiti delegation over proposed legislation to prevent construction of churches in the emirate. The mufti based his decision on a story that on his deathbed, Muhammad declared, “There are not to be two religions in the [Arabian] Peninsula.” This passage has long been used to justify intolerance in the kingdom. Churches have always been banned in Saudi Arabia, and until recently Jews were not even allowed in the country. Those wishing to worship in the manner of their choosing must do so hidden away in private, and even then the morality police have been known to show up unexpectedly and halt proceedings.
Politico reported Monday that a new book by Mother Jones's David Corn claims President Obama blamed his 2010 midterm elections defeat on Fox News constantly calling him a Muslim.
Fox News's Bret Baier struck back on Monday's Special Report saying, "For the record, we found no examples of a host saying President Obama is a Muslim" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
BRET BAIER: Corn also writes President Obama blamed this network for his midterm political woes. He told labor leaders he was “losing white males” because in part “fed by Fox News, they hear Obama is a Muslim 24/7, and it begins to seep in.”
Calling himself a hidden political prisoner, a former business partner of Spider-Man creator Stan Lee who sued Bill Clinton for fraud and accused Hillary Clinton of hiding nearly $2 million in Senate campaign donations claims Attorney General Eric Holder and his Justice Department are obstructing justice by reneging on a sentencing agreement that would have released him from federal prison nearly two years ago.
“Hillary is carrying out her promise to finally destroy my family to punish me for exposing the corruption that elected her to the Senate,” Peter F. Paul contended to WND in an email from the La Tuna federal facility in Anthony, Texas, near El Paso.
An Internet petition posted this week by Hollywood private investigator Becky Altringer, who has examined Paul’s case, calls on Holder to “keep his promise and release Mr. Paul immediately.”
WASHINGTON - Two brothers from Galati, Romania are becoming Internet sensations for their reported strength. Both have been weight training since the age of 2, and can accomplish impressive physical feats despite their young age.
Giuliano Strobe is 7 years old and has a growing fan base, according to the number of views of his YouTube videos. His 5-year-old brother Claudiu Strobe is working to become as popular.
Their father is responsible for the boys two-hour daily training sessions. In the following video, it states their father is hoping they will soon be stars.
An AFP report that President Barack Obama’s 13-year-old daughter, Malia, is spending spring break in Oaxaca, Mexico appears to have been completely scrubbed from the Internet news sites that first reported it. Pictures have appeared in Mexican magazine Quién.com allegedly showing Malia visiting Oaxaca.
AFP, the French news agency, first reported around mid-day Monday that Malia Obama was vacationing in Mexico with 12 friends under the protection of 25 Secret Service agents and a number of local police officers.
The International Business Times reported that “the group arrived in Oaxaca on Saturday and reportedly visited the architectural site of Mitla.”
The Department of Public Safety, a Texas law enforcement agency, issued a warning on Tuesday against students celebrating their spring breaks in violence-torn Mexico. The Huffington Post reported that in February, the United States State Department “recommended that Americans avoid travel to all or parts of 14 or 31 Mexican states. It’s the widest travel advisory issued by the U.S. since Mexico stepped up its drug war in 2006.”
Since the story was first reported, it appears to have been scrubbed from a number of news outlets. The Huffington Post, International Business Times, The Australian, The Telegraph and Global Grind have all removed the article. AFP, which initially reported the story, now links to an unrelated story on “Sengalese superstar Youssou Ndour.”
Now, intimate details of 132 million people who lived through the 1930s will be disclosed as the U.S. government releases the 1940 census on April 2 to the public for the first time after 72 years of privacy protection lapses.
Access to the records will be free and open to anyone on the Internet _ but they will not be immediately name searchable.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it is "exploring ways to bring together all of the key stakeholders involved" _ including airlines, aircraft manufacturers, consumer electronics makers, and flight attendant unions _ to discuss whether there are practical ways to test devices to see if they are safe for passengers to use during critical phases of flight.
Technically, FAA rules already permit any airline to test specific makes and models to determine if they generate enough power that they could interfere with sensitive cockpit radios, navigation instruments and other critical equipment. But few airlines have done that kind of extensive testing because there are so many devices, and testing them all _ or even many _ isn't practical.
New Jersey jury on Friday convicted a Rutgers freshman of “bias intimidation,” among several other charges. Dharum Ravi had set up a webcam in the dorm room he shared with Tyler Clementi, and then posted footage online of Clementi being intimate with another man. Three days later Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge. Ravi faces up to ten years in prison or deportation to India.
This verdict promises to have malign effects beyond the problems of hate-speech laws already long recognized. Most important, it will make it easier for Muslim organizations to achieve in the United States what they have in Europe: criminalizing legitimate and fact-based criticism of Islam by disguising it as “hate speech,” thus enlisting our criminal justice system in the enforcement of shari’a-based blasphemy laws.
Hi Joe,“Chinese capabilities in computer network operations have advanced sufficiently to pose a genuine risk to U.S. military operations in the event of a conflict,” the commission said.
Not a single state received an A in the State Integrity Investigation ranking, a product of the Center for Public Integrity, Public Radio International and Global Integrity.
"It's telling that no state received an overall grade of A," said Caitlin Ginley, a staff writer for the Center for Public Integrity and a project manager on the study. "In every state, there's room to improve the ethics laws, the level of transparency on government proceedings, the disclosure of information, and _ most importantly _ the oversight of these laws.
Behind schedule and over budget — and still the U.N.’s Capital Master Plan (CMP) is getting high grades. “The first major renovation of the 60-year-old headquarters has been slowed by extra security measures,” the Associated Press reports, noting that “The final cost will be nearly $2 billion — about 4 percent over the original budget.” Still, the article leaves the general impression that the CMP has done a heckuva job of cost containment.
Really?
That 4 percent overrun amounts to real money — more than $80 million. But that’s chump change compared to the real stakes in this story.
"As CEO, I have a responsibility to chart the course for long-term success for the network. To wholly achieve that long-term success, this was a necessary next step," Winfrey said.
The responsibilities of the laid-off workers will be distributed among people with the network and its venture partners, Discovery Communications and Winfrey's Harpo Studios, according to OWN.
Chicago police arrested WGN reporter Dan Ponce and WMAQ photographer Donte Williams Saturday, saying that they were “creating a scene” outside of Mount Sinai hospital.
The two were covering the fatal shooting of a six-year old girl and, though they were already across the street, the officer demanded they go another street over.
“F*** news affairs, I don’t care about news affairs. Forget news affairs,” he said.
When the journalists spoke to their rights, the officer replied, “Your first amendment rights can be terminated, if you’re creating a scene, or whatever. Your first amendment rights have limitations.”
After the journalists responded, “how have we created a scene? This is what we do for a living,” the officer replied, “Your presence is creating a scene.”
More HERE including video
“The crimes and insults committed toward the Muslims in Afghanistan are a sign that (the West is) weak and that the proud people of Afghanistan have the ability to kick out the Americans and NATO forces from their country,” said Kaabi, a member of the Assembly of Experts in charge of choosing the supreme leader.
More
There's a big debate between the StormWatch7 meteorologists on the date of the "official" start to Spring. Some of us think it's the first day of March, which is the meteorological start to the season - when all of the weather and climate data for Spring begins. Other members of the team say it is the date of the vernal equinox. What do you think? Take the poll on WJLA.com.
Regardless of your thoughts, the vernal equinox arrived earlier this morning at 1:14 AM. It's the earliest start to spring since 1896! One of the reasons for the early start to the season has to do with the leap year. If it wasn't a leap year, spring would start on March 21st. The equinox occurs at the point when the sun crosses the celestial equator from South to North. Here's a way to visualize this:
The White House got in its fair share of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations Saturday. Between President Barack Obama taking time to down a Guinness in Washington D.C. and Vice President Joe Biden participating in Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, the reelection campaign may be aiming to mend fences with the enormous demographic of Americans who report Irish ancestry. If Biden’s reception during portions of the parade serve as a barometer of how the administration will do in the key swing state this November, President Obama may need the luck of the Irish to get four more years in the White House.
Seen waiving and jogging gingerly on the parade route, Vice President Biden’s entourage was loudly booed at points by some of the hundreds of thousands who turned out for the parade in Pittsburgh Saturday. WPXI reports that Biden spent part of his trip campaigning ahead of November’s election and part of his time enjoying himself.
Video of the parade fun and boos: Here
On April 1, Japan will cut its corporate tax rate to 36.8 percent from 39.5 percent.
You know what that means, right?
It means the United States will officially have the highest corporate tax rate in the world, with average combined federal and state profit levies of 39.2 percent.
“Yes, that’s higher than Sweden,” The Wall Street Journal reports. “Higher than Russia. And China, Mexico, Denmark and even France. Doesn’t it make you want to break out in a chant: U-S-A, U-S-A?”
As Japanese politicians found themselves staring down an increasingly burdensome deficit and an aging population, they came up with an idea: Cut the corporate profits tax to boost economic activity and generate higher revenues.
