Emily Wang, American Prospect - Carla walked into my office with despair in her eyes. I was surprised. Carla has been doing well in her four months out of prison; she got off drugs, regained custody of her kids, and even enrolled in a local community college.
Without much prodding she admitted to me that she had returned to prostitution: “I am putting myself at risk for HIV to get my kids a f---ing happy meal.”
Despite looking high and low for a job, Carla explained, she was still unemployed. Most entry-level jobs felt out of reach with her drug record, but what’s worse, even the state wasn’t willing to throw her a temporary life preserver.
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, December 27, 2012
CNN ANCHOR NOW FACES DOUBLE DEPORTATION
A petition on the White House’s “We the People” website looking to deport Morgan out of the U.S. has surpassed 75,000 signatures, far above the 25,000 needed to require a response from the White House.
The petition to deport Morgan reads, “British Citizen and CNN television host Piers Morgan is engaged in a hostile attack against the U.S. Constitution by targeting the Second Amendment. We demand that Mr. Morgan be deported immediately for his effort to undermine the Bill of Rights and for exploiting his position as a national network television host to stage attacks against the rights of American citizens.”
More
How Much Did A Billionaire Casino Magnate Really Spend On Campaign 2012?
Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino magnate and emblem of the Citizens United-era of campaign finance, spent gobs of money on the 2012 elections — more money than anyone else in American history.
Exactly how much, you ask?
We don't really know, and it's likely we never will. Many of the groups that spent the most on the election aren't required to report their donors. But thanks to recent campaign finance filings, we can get a better idea.
We dug through Federal Election Commission and Internal Revenue Service records and found that Adelson and his wife, Miriam, spent at least $98 million this election cycle. The money went to at least 34 different candidates and groups, with contributions ranging from $2,000 for a Florida congressional candidate to $30 million for Restore Our Future, the super PAC that supported Mitt Romney.
More
Exactly how much, you ask?
We don't really know, and it's likely we never will. Many of the groups that spent the most on the election aren't required to report their donors. But thanks to recent campaign finance filings, we can get a better idea.
We dug through Federal Election Commission and Internal Revenue Service records and found that Adelson and his wife, Miriam, spent at least $98 million this election cycle. The money went to at least 34 different candidates and groups, with contributions ranging from $2,000 for a Florida congressional candidate to $30 million for Restore Our Future, the super PAC that supported Mitt Romney.
More
Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf Dies
The official tells The Associated Press that Schwarzkopf died Thursday in Tampa, Fla. The official wasn't authorized to release the information publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
A much-decorated combat soldier in Vietnam, Schwarzkopf was known popularly as "Stormin' Norman" for a notoriously explosive temper.
More
PSY CHRISTMAS SHOW BOMBS
The concert, traditionally attended by the President and his family, drew international attention over the scheduled appearance by Gangnam Style rapper PSY (given name Park Jae-sang) when it was revealed the South Korean entertainer had made highly inflammatory, anti-American performances the previous decade.
In an insult to America’s troops and their families, President Barack Obama confirmed his attendance at the taping of the concert several hours before PSY issued a written apology the afternoon the news broke of his anti-American past on Pearl Harbor Day.
More
Women's Incarceration Rate Soars By Over 600 Percent As They Face Abuse Behind Bars
Abuse ranges from outright rape, groping, invasive pat-downs and peeping during showers -- to verbal taunts or harassing comments.
Allowing male guards to oversee female prisoners is a recipe for trouble, says former political prisoner Laura Whitehorn. Now a frequent lecturer on incarceration policies and social justice, Whitehorn describes a culture in which women are stripped of their power on the most basic level. "Having male guards sends a message that female prisoners have no right to defend their bodies," she begins. "Putting women under men in authority makes the power imbalance as stark as it can be, and results in long-lasting repercussions post- release."
Allowing male guards to oversee female prisoners is a recipe for trouble, says former political prisoner Laura Whitehorn. Now a frequent lecturer on incarceration policies and social justice, Whitehorn describes a culture in which women are stripped of their power on the most basic level. "Having male guards sends a message that female prisoners have no right to defend their bodies," she begins. "Putting women under men in authority makes the power imbalance as stark as it can be, and results in long-lasting repercussions post- release."
MILESTONE: U.S. TO HIT $16.4T DEBT LIMIT MONDAY
The U.S. Treasury Department announced today that the U.S. will reach its $16.4 trillion debt ceiling on Dec. 31, 2012, unless immediate steps are taken to avoid this grim milestone.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in a letter to congressional leaders Wednesday suggested his department use certain accounting measures that would save $200 billion in government spending, thereby keeping the government within its borrowing limit until at least February, 2013.
“The government is facing a crunch on the debt ceiling because the issue has become ensnarled in talks to avoid some $600 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts due to begin in early January. Failing to raise the debt ceiling could cause the government to default on its debt,” Reuters notes
More
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in a letter to congressional leaders Wednesday suggested his department use certain accounting measures that would save $200 billion in government spending, thereby keeping the government within its borrowing limit until at least February, 2013.
“The government is facing a crunch on the debt ceiling because the issue has become ensnarled in talks to avoid some $600 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts due to begin in early January. Failing to raise the debt ceiling could cause the government to default on its debt,” Reuters notes
More
How The Republicans Quietly Won The Real Electoral Battle
In the November election, a million more Americans voted for Democrats seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives than Republicans. But that popular vote advantage did not result in control of the chamber. Instead, despite getting fewer votes, Republicans have maintained a commanding control of the House. Such a disparity has happened only three times in the last century.
(Here’s a chart comparing 2010 and 2012.)
Analysts and others have identified redistricting as a key to the disparity. Republicans had a years-long strategy of winning state houses in order to control each state's once-a-decade redistricting process. (Confused about redistricting? Check out our song.)
(Here’s a chart comparing 2010 and 2012.)
Analysts and others have identified redistricting as a key to the disparity. Republicans had a years-long strategy of winning state houses in order to control each state's once-a-decade redistricting process. (Confused about redistricting? Check out our song.)
ICE Scraps 287(g) Program That Allowed Local Police to Enforce Immigration Law
On Dec. 21, the Friday before Christmas, ICE announced that it has decided "not to renew any of its agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies that operate task forces under the 287(g) program."
ICE said it has concluded that "other enforcement programs, including Secure Communities, are a more efficient use of resources for focusing on priority cases."
More
Facebook Ruins Zuckerberg Xmas
Zuckerberg responded, saying, “Not sure where you got this photo. I posted it only to friends on FB. You reposting it on Twitter is way uncool.”
Schweitzer immediately apologized, saying she thought it was okay to post because she saw it on her feed as a subscriber. ”I’m just your subscriber and this was top of my newsfeed. Genuinely sorry but it came up in my feed and seemed public.” But Zuckerberg thought it happened because Schweitzer is friends with her sister, also tagged.
More
Deportations Of Illegal Immigrants In 2012 Reach New US Record
The Obama administration deported at least 400,000 illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2012, a new record. It emphasizes deporting 'criminal aliens' to protect public safety, but the high figure serves to remind Latinos of the president's unfilled pledge to reform immigration policy.
The United States deported more than 400,000 illegal immigrants in 2012, the most of any year in the nation’s history, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reports
The record number, released Friday, is also important for another reason: It is a stinging reminder to Latinos that President Obama failed during his first term to pursue the comprehensive immigration reform that they seek.
The Obama administration framed its 2012 work in immigration enforcement as focused mainly on criminals – 55 percent of deportations came from convicted criminals, a record high – rather than on indiscriminately rounding up illegal immigrants and sending them home. ICE on Friday also issued new detention guidelines intended to emphasize legal action against those who have committed crimes above and beyond immigration violations.
More
The United States deported more than 400,000 illegal immigrants in 2012, the most of any year in the nation’s history, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reports
The record number, released Friday, is also important for another reason: It is a stinging reminder to Latinos that President Obama failed during his first term to pursue the comprehensive immigration reform that they seek.
The Obama administration framed its 2012 work in immigration enforcement as focused mainly on criminals – 55 percent of deportations came from convicted criminals, a record high – rather than on indiscriminately rounding up illegal immigrants and sending them home. ICE on Friday also issued new detention guidelines intended to emphasize legal action against those who have committed crimes above and beyond immigration violations.
More
RECORD 8.8 MILLION RECEIVE DISABILITY BENEFITS
The explosion of individuals now applying for federal disability means applications are being awarded without proper vetting. A congressional report examining a sample of 300 cases found that over a quarter of them “failed to properly address insufficient, contradictory or incomplete evidence.”
More
'Rescue Me' Singer Fontella Bass Dies
Bass died Wednesday night at a St. Louis hospice of complications from a heart attack suffered three weeks ago, her daughter, Neuka Mitchell, said. Bass had also suffered a series of strokes over the past seven years.
"She was an outgoing person," Mitchell said of her mother. "She had a very big personality. Any room she entered she just lit the room up, whether she was on stage or just going out to eat."
More
For Poor, Leap To College Often Ends In A Hard Fall
GALVESTON, Tex. — Angelica Gonzales marched through high school in Goth armor — black boots, chains and cargo pants — but undermined her pose of alienation with a place on the honor roll. She nicknamed herself after a metal band and vowed to become the first in her family to earn a college degree.
“I don’t want to work at Walmart” like her mother, she wrote to a school counselor.
Weekends and summers were devoted to a college-readiness program, where her best friends, Melissa O’Neal and Bianca Gonzalez, shared her drive to “get off the island” — escape the prospect of dead-end lives in luckless Galveston. Melissa, an eighth-grade valedictorian, seethed over her mother’s boyfriends and drinking, and Bianca’s bubbly innocence hid the trauma of her father’s death. They stuck together so much that a tutor called them the “triplets.”
Low-income strivers face uphill climbs, especially at Ball High School, where a third of the girls’ class failed to graduate on schedule. But by the time the triplets donned mortarboards in the class of 2008, their story seemed to validate the promise of education as the great equalizer.
More
“I don’t want to work at Walmart” like her mother, she wrote to a school counselor.
Weekends and summers were devoted to a college-readiness program, where her best friends, Melissa O’Neal and Bianca Gonzalez, shared her drive to “get off the island” — escape the prospect of dead-end lives in luckless Galveston. Melissa, an eighth-grade valedictorian, seethed over her mother’s boyfriends and drinking, and Bianca’s bubbly innocence hid the trauma of her father’s death. They stuck together so much that a tutor called them the “triplets.”
Low-income strivers face uphill climbs, especially at Ball High School, where a third of the girls’ class failed to graduate on schedule. But by the time the triplets donned mortarboards in the class of 2008, their story seemed to validate the promise of education as the great equalizer.
More
PIERS MORGAN: BOTH THE BIBLE AND U.S. CONSTITUTION ARE ‘INHERENTLY FLAWED’ AND NEED TO BE AMENDED
During a discussion on CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight” on Monday — Christmas Eve — with Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren, Morgan argued that there needs to be an “amendment to the Bible” for same-sex marriage, because like the Constitution, the Bible is “inherently flawed.”
“Both the Bible and the Constitution were well intentioned but they are basically, inherently flawed. Hence, the need to amend it,” Morgan told Warren during a conversation where Morgan emphasized the need for America to separate Church and State.
More
Dianne Feinstein 2013 Anti Gun Legislation
Stopping the spread of deadly assault weapons
Stay informed
In January, Senator Feinstein will introduce a bill to stop the sale, transfer, importation and manufacturing of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition feeding devices.
To receive updates on this legislation, click here.
Press releases
- Feinstein to Introduce Updated Assault Weapons Bill in New Congress, December 17, 2012
- Feinstein Statement on Connecticut School Shooting, December 14, 2012
Dick Armey Wanted FreedomWorks to Endorse Todd Akin after “Legitimate Rape” Comments
More details have arisen regarding the split between Dick Armey and FreedomWorks from this Mother Jones article, reported early this Christmas Eve. The article specifically details a memo that was released by Matt Kibbe, President of FreedomWorks, that outlines his take on the dynamics of the split:
When the news broke in early December that former GOP Rep. Dick Armey had abruptly resigned as chairman of FreedomWorks, a powerhouse of the conservative movement and an instrumental force within the tea party, Armey maintained that the nasty split was due to differences he had with the top management of FreedomWorks about the group’s operations and future.
[…]
But Matt Kibbe’s memo paints a very different picture of the split.
One of the first actions taken by Dick Armey [after the September meeting] is his attempt to reassess our political priorities. “We have to help my friend Tommy Thompson,” he tells the staff in his first meeting with them. He later tells the staff that he has discussed the Missouri Senate race with “my friend [Senator] Roy Blunt, and he says they really need grassroots cover for Todd Akin.” FreedomWorks PAC had endorsed John Brunner, who barely lost to Akin [in the GOP primary]. We had declined to endorse Akin, even before “legitimate rape” became a late night punch line.
More
When the news broke in early December that former GOP Rep. Dick Armey had abruptly resigned as chairman of FreedomWorks, a powerhouse of the conservative movement and an instrumental force within the tea party, Armey maintained that the nasty split was due to differences he had with the top management of FreedomWorks about the group’s operations and future.
[…]
But Matt Kibbe’s memo paints a very different picture of the split.
One of the first actions taken by Dick Armey [after the September meeting] is his attempt to reassess our political priorities. “We have to help my friend Tommy Thompson,” he tells the staff in his first meeting with them. He later tells the staff that he has discussed the Missouri Senate race with “my friend [Senator] Roy Blunt, and he says they really need grassroots cover for Todd Akin.” FreedomWorks PAC had endorsed John Brunner, who barely lost to Akin [in the GOP primary]. We had declined to endorse Akin, even before “legitimate rape” became a late night punch line.
More
Interest In Old Boardwalk Lumber Runs High
OCEAN CITY – Pieces of Ocean City’s old Boardwalk are being spread around the country for all to enjoy as the contractor has been recycling the lumber through interested parties.
City Engineer Terry McGean reported last Friday the reconstruction of Ocean City’s famous Boardwalk is going well and is still ahead of schedule.
Phase two of the Boardwalk’s reconstruction began in early October and is planned to end in April of 2013. The second phase will finish the entire Boardwalk reconstruction from Somerset Street to 15th Street. Last year, the project’s first phase included a section from the north terminus at 27th Street to 15th Street, along with another section between the Inlet and Somerset Street.
More
City Engineer Terry McGean reported last Friday the reconstruction of Ocean City’s famous Boardwalk is going well and is still ahead of schedule.
Phase two of the Boardwalk’s reconstruction began in early October and is planned to end in April of 2013. The second phase will finish the entire Boardwalk reconstruction from Somerset Street to 15th Street. Last year, the project’s first phase included a section from the north terminus at 27th Street to 15th Street, along with another section between the Inlet and Somerset Street.
More
Fatal Accident On Route 50 Yesterday
BERLIN -- A local man was killed yesterday in a two-vehicle accident along Route 50 at its intersection with Route 818, or Main Street extended, in Berlin late Wednesday morning.
Shortly before noon on Wednesday, Berlin Police responded to a reported vehicle collision at Routes 50 and 818 where Main Street extends across Route 50. The preliminary investigation revealed a vehicle, driven by Christopher Keenan, 24, of Berlin, was headed westbound on Route 50. Another vehicle, driven by Amberle Booker, 25, also of Berlin, was heading northbound on Route 818 and attempted to cross over Route 50.
More
Shortly before noon on Wednesday, Berlin Police responded to a reported vehicle collision at Routes 50 and 818 where Main Street extends across Route 50. The preliminary investigation revealed a vehicle, driven by Christopher Keenan, 24, of Berlin, was headed westbound on Route 50. Another vehicle, driven by Amberle Booker, 25, also of Berlin, was heading northbound on Route 818 and attempted to cross over Route 50.
More
Madoff, in Christmas Eve Letter, Says Insider Trading Has Gone On 'Forever '
The recent rash of insider trading cases may be a shock to some on Wall Street, but not to one long-time market player: Bernie Madoff.
In a Christmas Eve letter from the medium security federal prison in North Carolina where he is serving a 150-year sentence for running a massive Ponzi scheme, Madoff tells CNBC that insider trading has been around "forever."
He also rails against what he calls a lack of transparency in the financial markets, and says the growth of hedge funds is forcing market players to take outsized risks in order to earn decent returns.
More
In a Christmas Eve letter from the medium security federal prison in North Carolina where he is serving a 150-year sentence for running a massive Ponzi scheme, Madoff tells CNBC that insider trading has been around "forever."
He also rails against what he calls a lack of transparency in the financial markets, and says the growth of hedge funds is forcing market players to take outsized risks in order to earn decent returns.
More
Should It Be Mandatory To Employ Attractive Women In The Workplace?
What rights does an employer have over whom he employs and whom he doesn’t employ? What classes should be protected from discrimination? There are many interesting questions tied up in the case of Dr. James Knight, who fired his assistant, Melissa Nelson, because he found himself tempted by her.
But my thoughts on this issue regarded the moral matters tied up with Dr. Knight’s behavior towards Nelson in the workplace, and then his decision to fire her. Thankfully, Jonathan Turley brings the moral issues into focus by being 180 degrees from correct.
Turley writes:
Knight is described as a deeply religious man, though his communications to Nelson do not speak of religiosity or restraint in a pious man. Indeed, he comes across as pretty creepy. I always thought that religion taught the pious to resist temptation not eradicate its sources. Yet, Knight actually fired Nelson with a pastor present….More
NRA Takes Fire For Stance On Mental Illness
The National Rifle Association has come under fire by an association of psychiatrists for its characterization of people who commit violent crimes as "monsters," "lunatics" and "insane."
The American Psychiatric Association, which represents more than 30,000 mental health professionals, released a statement that expressed its "disappointment" over the gun lobby's use of those terms in the wake of the massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn., where Adam Lanza, 20, slaughtered 20 children, six school staffers and his mother.
In a news conference last week, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre repeatedly used the word "monsters" and "insane" to describe people who carry out mass shootings.
And during an interview this weekend on "Meet the Press" LaPierre used the word lunatic "as a catchphrase for those who commit violent crimes," the APA said.
More
The American Psychiatric Association, which represents more than 30,000 mental health professionals, released a statement that expressed its "disappointment" over the gun lobby's use of those terms in the wake of the massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn., where Adam Lanza, 20, slaughtered 20 children, six school staffers and his mother.
In a news conference last week, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre repeatedly used the word "monsters" and "insane" to describe people who carry out mass shootings.
And during an interview this weekend on "Meet the Press" LaPierre used the word lunatic "as a catchphrase for those who commit violent crimes," the APA said.
More
Stop Subsidizing Obesity
Not long ago few doctors – not even pediatricians – concerned themselves much with nutrition. This has changed, and dramatically: As childhood obesity gains recognition as a true health crisis, more and more doctors are publicly expressing alarm at the impact the standard American diet is having on health.
“I never saw Type 2 diabetes during my training, 20 years ago,” David Ludwig, a pediatrician, told me the other day, referring to what was once called “adult-onset” diabetes, the form that is often caused by obesity. “Never. Now about a quarter of the new diabetes cases we’re seeing are Type 2.”
Ludwig, who is director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center in Boston, is one of three authors, all medical doctors of an essay (“Viewpoint”) in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association titled “Opportunities to Reduce Childhood Hunger and Obesity.”
More
“I never saw Type 2 diabetes during my training, 20 years ago,” David Ludwig, a pediatrician, told me the other day, referring to what was once called “adult-onset” diabetes, the form that is often caused by obesity. “Never. Now about a quarter of the new diabetes cases we’re seeing are Type 2.”
Ludwig, who is director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center in Boston, is one of three authors, all medical doctors of an essay (“Viewpoint”) in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association titled “Opportunities to Reduce Childhood Hunger and Obesity.”
More
This Is A Real Man
Today my wife and I were at T.J.Max finishing up on some last minute shopping. Usually my wife and I walk into the store together. However today because of the cold I let her out at the door and park the car so she would not have to walk in the cold. As I entered the store "My Queen" greeted me with an efficacious smile. After shopping and paying for the stuff ( my wife hasn't worked in twenty years). I went to get the car while she waited inside for me. While walking to the car I over heard a man of the ebony hue cussing at his wife or significant other? He left her in the car and went into the store. As I looked into her eyes from a distance I could see the anguish and humiliation in her eyes as the kids played in the back seat. So I wanted to take this opportunity to encourage women abroad... You are to beautiful for a man to use derogative language when talking to you. You are no a "B", slut, nor a whore. You are a queen!!! The way a man talks and the way he treats you should enhance your position of royalty. If he isn't addressing you as a queen than he is not a king. Only kings can address a queen. My sister you are royalty. The bible says you are virtuous and your price is far above rubies. Stop letting fools talk to you. Fools are for the king and queens entertainment. For are only good for laughing at not relationship nor marriage. If no one has ever addressed you properly. Let me be the first. "Hello My Queen"!!!!! For you are a queen indeed.......
Missing: $200M In Gas Receipts For NATO Aid In Afghanistan
As a result, the U.S. government is unable to “account for $201 million” worth of fuel purchases, said Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko, in a letter alerting two members of Congress to the missing documentation.
The letter is a follow-up to a warning by Sopko in September that coalition force personnel in Afghanistan had improperly shredded fuel purchase records that covered a five-year period, blocking the ability of auditors to assess how much fuel was actually used by the Afghani army and how much might have been lost or stolen.
More
Clout Diminished, Tea Party Turns To Narrower Issues
The Tea Party might not be over, but it is increasingly clear that the election last month significantly weakened the once-surging movement, which nearly captured control of the Republican Partythrough a potent combination of populism and fury.
Leading Congressional Republicans, though they remain far apart fromPresident Obama, have embraced raising tax revenues in budget negotiations, repudiating a central tenet of the Tea Party. Even more telling, Tea Party activists in the middle of the country are skirting the fiscal showdown in Congress and turning to narrower issues, raising questions about whether the movement still represents a citizen groundswell to which attention must be paid.
Grass-roots leaders said this month that after losing any chance of repealing the nationalhealth care law, they would press states to “nullify” or ignore it. They also plan to focus on a two-decade-old United Nations resolution that they call a plot against property rights, and on “fraud” by local election boards that, some believe, let the Democrats steal the November vote.
More
Leading Congressional Republicans, though they remain far apart fromPresident Obama, have embraced raising tax revenues in budget negotiations, repudiating a central tenet of the Tea Party. Even more telling, Tea Party activists in the middle of the country are skirting the fiscal showdown in Congress and turning to narrower issues, raising questions about whether the movement still represents a citizen groundswell to which attention must be paid.
Grass-roots leaders said this month that after losing any chance of repealing the nationalhealth care law, they would press states to “nullify” or ignore it. They also plan to focus on a two-decade-old United Nations resolution that they call a plot against property rights, and on “fraud” by local election boards that, some believe, let the Democrats steal the November vote.
More
Last Call For The Homestead Tax Credit
Residents have just a few more days to apply for the Maryland Homestead Tax Credit, which protects homeowners from sudden increases in property tax bills from reassessments.
Once a homeowner is eligible for the credit, his or her property tax can increase by no more than 2 percent in a given tax year.
To see if you have been approved for the credit, visit http://dat.state.md.us/ and type in your address. At the bottom of the page, check the field that says Homestead Application Status to see if you are approved.
If you are not approved, you can apply at www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/Homestead_application.pdf.
The deadline for applications is Dec. 31, and there is no way to appeal your bill once that date has passed.
For more information, call the state Department of Assessments and Taxation at 410-974-5709.
Once a homeowner is eligible for the credit, his or her property tax can increase by no more than 2 percent in a given tax year.
To see if you have been approved for the credit, visit http://dat.state.md.us/ and type in your address. At the bottom of the page, check the field that says Homestead Application Status to see if you are approved.
If you are not approved, you can apply at www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/Homestead_application.pdf.
The deadline for applications is Dec. 31, and there is no way to appeal your bill once that date has passed.
For more information, call the state Department of Assessments and Taxation at 410-974-5709.
Breaking News Route 90 Eastbound Shut Down
Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Who Arrested Speeding Miami Officer Files Lawsuit
The Florida Highway Patrol trooper who pulled over a speeding Miami Police officer last year filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that several agencies illegally accessed her personal information to intimidate her, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.
On Friday, Trooper Donna “Jane” Watts and lawyer Mirta Desir filed the 69-page lawsuit, which seeks more than $1 million in damages. It alleges that 88 officers from 25 jurisdictions, including her own, violated her privacy by illegally obtaining her personal information more than 200 times.
Watts said the Oct. 11 incident, when she pulled over Miami officer Fausto Lopez for speeding on Florida’s Turnpike, has caused backlash. She was captured on camera with her gun drawn as she approached Fausto, who she said she followed for seven minutes while he drove 120 mph.
The lawsuit alleges that following the traffic stop, actions of other officers created a “life-threatening” situation for Watts. She said she now fears for her life, has become a “hermit,” and is even moving.
More
On Friday, Trooper Donna “Jane” Watts and lawyer Mirta Desir filed the 69-page lawsuit, which seeks more than $1 million in damages. It alleges that 88 officers from 25 jurisdictions, including her own, violated her privacy by illegally obtaining her personal information more than 200 times.
Watts said the Oct. 11 incident, when she pulled over Miami officer Fausto Lopez for speeding on Florida’s Turnpike, has caused backlash. She was captured on camera with her gun drawn as she approached Fausto, who she said she followed for seven minutes while he drove 120 mph.
The lawsuit alleges that following the traffic stop, actions of other officers created a “life-threatening” situation for Watts. She said she now fears for her life, has become a “hermit,” and is even moving.
More
Starbucks Cups To Come With A Political Message
Starbucks is using its coffee cups to jump into the political fray in Washington.
The world’s biggest coffee chain is asking employees at cafes in the Washington, D.C. area to scribble the words “Come Together” on cups for drink orders. CEO Howard Schultz says the words are intended as a message to lawmakers about the damage being caused by the divisive negotiations over the “fiscal cliff.”
It’s the first time employees at Starbucks cafes are being asked to write anything other than customers’ names on cups.
While companies generally steer clear of politics to avoid alienating customers, the plea to “Come Together” is a sentiment unlikely to cause controversy. If anything, Starbucks could score points with customers and burnish its image as a socially conscious company.
More
The world’s biggest coffee chain is asking employees at cafes in the Washington, D.C. area to scribble the words “Come Together” on cups for drink orders. CEO Howard Schultz says the words are intended as a message to lawmakers about the damage being caused by the divisive negotiations over the “fiscal cliff.”
It’s the first time employees at Starbucks cafes are being asked to write anything other than customers’ names on cups.
While companies generally steer clear of politics to avoid alienating customers, the plea to “Come Together” is a sentiment unlikely to cause controversy. If anything, Starbucks could score points with customers and burnish its image as a socially conscious company.
More
BREAKING NEWS: EPA Administrator Resigns
Environmental Protection Agency head Lisa Jackson says she's stepping down after four years in the position, ending a tenure marked by high-profile fights with business groups and Republicans.
Source Fox News
260 School Children Killed In Chicago In 3 Years -- Where Are The Tears For Them?
What makes the victims of everyday inner-city gun violence expendable?
Like President Obama and many others across the country, I too wiped away tears as I watched the horrifying news coverage of the tragic shootings in Newton, Conn. I immediately called my children who were still in school. I sat watching the television trying to fathom how I would respond if I got a call that a shooting had occurred at my children’s school. This brought on more tears. But for the parents of 20 children and six other families in Newton, it wasn’t an exercise; it was an excruciating reality.
I then watched and listened to our President, and like parents around the world, the shooting had affected him emotionally as well. Twenty children gunned down. He struggled to hold back tears.
It was then that my phone buzzed. I quickly grabbed it to see if it was one of my children calling back. But it wasn’t. It was a colleague in Chicago. I had emailed her the day before asking for research into one of the mentoring programs in the city’s schools for youth with the highest risk of being shot.
More
D.C. Police Warned NBC Against Possessing Gun Clip
Police are investigating whether Gregory, 42, violated D.C. gun laws during the program, which was taped in Washington and aired Sunday.
D.C. police spokeswoman Gwen Crump said police discussed the use of the clip with NBC before the program was taped.
"NBC contacted MPD inquiring if they could utilize a high-capacity magazine for their segment. NBC was informed that possession of a high-capacity magazine is not permissible, and their request was denied," according to a statement released by Crump. "The matter is currently being investigated."
More
Health Care Tax Hikes For 2013 May Be Just A Start
New taxes are coming Jan. 1 to help finance President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. Most people may not notice. But they will pay attention if Congress decides to start taxing employer-sponsored health insurance, one option in play if lawmakers can ever agree on a budget deal to reduce federal deficits.
The tax hikes already on the books, taking effect in 2013, fall mainly on people who make lots of money and on the health care industry. But about half of Americans benefit from the tax-free status of employer health insurance. Workers pay no income or payroll taxes on what their employer contributes for health insurance, and in most cases on their own share of premiums as well.
It’s the single biggest tax break the government allows, outstripping the mortgage interest deduction, the deduction for charitable giving and other better-known benefits. If the value of job-based health insurance were taxed like regular income, it would raise nearly $150 billion in 2013, according to congressional estimates. By comparison, wiping away the mortgage interest deduction would bring in only about $90 billion.
More
The tax hikes already on the books, taking effect in 2013, fall mainly on people who make lots of money and on the health care industry. But about half of Americans benefit from the tax-free status of employer health insurance. Workers pay no income or payroll taxes on what their employer contributes for health insurance, and in most cases on their own share of premiums as well.
It’s the single biggest tax break the government allows, outstripping the mortgage interest deduction, the deduction for charitable giving and other better-known benefits. If the value of job-based health insurance were taxed like regular income, it would raise nearly $150 billion in 2013, according to congressional estimates. By comparison, wiping away the mortgage interest deduction would bring in only about $90 billion.
More
Michael Moore: ‘Calm Down, White People, and Put Away Your Guns’
In a blog post entitled “Celebrating the Prince of Peace in the Land of Guns,”while still calling for stricter gun-control laws, Moore said such laws will not stop mass killings because of “who we are” as a nation.
“We are a country whose leaders officially sanction and carry out acts of violence as a means to often an immoral end,” Moore said. “We invade countries who didn't attack us. We're currently using drones in a half-dozen countries, often killing civilians.”
More
Farmers Plow Through Red Tape To Hire Legal Workers
Bernie Kohl, Jr., president and part owner of Angelica Nurseries Inc., knew something was wrong when the then-Immigration and Naturalization Service showed up on his property with buses on a fall day in 1996. The INS went into the company’s offices, hung up phones, and lined workers up outside while they went into the company’s human resources offices to get paper files on all the laborers.
“They went through the I-9s and they scrutinized the paperwork and could say that these documents don’t look genuine,” Kohl said. “We aren’t document specialists, those are the kind of things that we can’t do.”
The raid resulted in around 80 of his workers being deported. The place didn’t quite shut down, but it meant an incredible struggle that year to make the harvest.
More
“They went through the I-9s and they scrutinized the paperwork and could say that these documents don’t look genuine,” Kohl said. “We aren’t document specialists, those are the kind of things that we can’t do.”
The raid resulted in around 80 of his workers being deported. The place didn’t quite shut down, but it meant an incredible struggle that year to make the harvest.
More
Shot For Being White
I would like to talk to you today about the recent murder of 20-year-old Joshua Proutey, who was shot for being white by a gang of four blacks who were out targeting white people who were “bound to have money” – as you reported in your story on this for WND.com.
Tell us what happened.
Flaherty: Four black people in Wilmington, North Carolina needed money for marijuana and traveling. So they set out to get it by robbing white people. They tried to break into a house, but were seen, so they fled. They stalked a woman through downtown Wilmington, but she escaped. Finally they came upon a 20-year-old college kid named Joshua. They took his money, cell phone and sandwich. Then he asked them to only take his money and not his ID because he explained to them it was hard to replace. Then they shot and killed him. The reason I wrote about this for WND.com and for my book, is not that it is special, but because racial violence is increasingly common and most media ignore it.
FP: What do you mean it is not “special”?
More
Tell us what happened.
Flaherty: Four black people in Wilmington, North Carolina needed money for marijuana and traveling. So they set out to get it by robbing white people. They tried to break into a house, but were seen, so they fled. They stalked a woman through downtown Wilmington, but she escaped. Finally they came upon a 20-year-old college kid named Joshua. They took his money, cell phone and sandwich. Then he asked them to only take his money and not his ID because he explained to them it was hard to replace. Then they shot and killed him. The reason I wrote about this for WND.com and for my book, is not that it is special, but because racial violence is increasingly common and most media ignore it.
FP: What do you mean it is not “special”?
More
Wicomico County Council Meeting Cancelled
The Wicomico County Council has cancelled their meeting of January 1, 2013 and their next regular scheduled meeting will be on January 15, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. in Council Chambers, Government Office Building.
Christmas In An Anti-Christian Age
For two millennia, the birth of Christ has been seen as the greatest event in world history. The moment Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem, God became man, and eternal salvation became possible.
This date has been the separation point of mankind's time on earth, with B.C. designating the era before Christ, and A.D., anno domino, in the Year of the Lord, the years after. And how stands Christianity today?
"Christianity is in danger off being wiped out in its biblical heartlands," says the British think tank Civitas.
In Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria, Christians face persecution and pogroms. In Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, conversion is a capital offense. In a century, two-thirds of all the Christians have vanished from the Islamic world.
In China, Christianity is seen as a subversive ideology of the West to undermine the regime.
More
This date has been the separation point of mankind's time on earth, with B.C. designating the era before Christ, and A.D., anno domino, in the Year of the Lord, the years after. And how stands Christianity today?
"Christianity is in danger off being wiped out in its biblical heartlands," says the British think tank Civitas.
In Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria, Christians face persecution and pogroms. In Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, conversion is a capital offense. In a century, two-thirds of all the Christians have vanished from the Islamic world.
In China, Christianity is seen as a subversive ideology of the West to undermine the regime.
More
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Obama Cuts Vacation Short As 'Fiscal Cliff' Looms
HONOLULU (AP) - With a yearend deadline looming before the economy goes over the so-called fiscal cliff, President Barack Obama is cutting short his traditional Christmas holiday in Hawaii, planning to leave for Washington on Wednesday evening.
Obama was expected to arrive in Washington early Thursday, the White House said late Tuesday. First lady Michelle Obama and the couple's two daughters are scheduled to remain in Hawaii until Jan. 6.
In the past, the president's end-of-the-year holiday in his native state had stretched into the new year. The first family left Washington last Friday night.
Congress was expected to return to Washington on Thursday. Before he departed for Hawaii, Obama told reporters he expected to be back in the capital this week.
More
Obama was expected to arrive in Washington early Thursday, the White House said late Tuesday. First lady Michelle Obama and the couple's two daughters are scheduled to remain in Hawaii until Jan. 6.
In the past, the president's end-of-the-year holiday in his native state had stretched into the new year. The first family left Washington last Friday night.
Congress was expected to return to Washington on Thursday. Before he departed for Hawaii, Obama told reporters he expected to be back in the capital this week.
More
Spokesman: George H.W. Bush In Intensive Care
.jpg)
Jim McGrath, Bush's spokesman in Houston, said in a brief email that Bush was admitted to the ICU at Methodist Hospital on Sunday. He said doctors are cautiously optimistic about his treatment and that the former president "remains in guarded condition."
No other details were released about his medical condition, but McGrath said Bush is surrounded by family.
More
Double-Digit Increase In Reported Sexual Assaults At Military Academies
The Pentagon's latest report on sexual assault at the three military academies finds sexual assault reports jumped by 23 percent over the past year. But DoD says combined with other findings in the annual study, the figure is not necessarily bad news.
The report to Congress lists 80 sexual assaults reported at the service academies in the 2011-2012 school year, compared with 65 the year before. Fifteen of the victims were at the Army's West Point, 13 at the U.S. Naval Academy and 52 at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Thirteen of them happened before the victim entered military service.
Maj. Gen. Gary Patton, the director of DoD's sexual assault prevention and response office, said each of those reports reflects the fact that someone was the victim of a heinous crime. But DoD sees the trend lines as positive in one respect.
"Because sexual assault is a grossly unreported crime, not only in the military but in society, we view an increase in reports as a positive trend that's indicative of an increase in victim confidence," he said. "We view any report being positive, because it means they're receiving some sort of care."
More
The report to Congress lists 80 sexual assaults reported at the service academies in the 2011-2012 school year, compared with 65 the year before. Fifteen of the victims were at the Army's West Point, 13 at the U.S. Naval Academy and 52 at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Thirteen of them happened before the victim entered military service.
Maj. Gen. Gary Patton, the director of DoD's sexual assault prevention and response office, said each of those reports reflects the fact that someone was the victim of a heinous crime. But DoD sees the trend lines as positive in one respect.
"Because sexual assault is a grossly unreported crime, not only in the military but in society, we view an increase in reports as a positive trend that's indicative of an increase in victim confidence," he said. "We view any report being positive, because it means they're receiving some sort of care."
More
Opposed To Same-Sex Marriage, Company Ends Wedding Business
An Annapolis company whose old-fashioned trolleys are iconic in the city's wedding scene has abandoned the nuptial industry rather than serve same-sex couples.
The owner of Discover Annapolis Tours said he decided to walk away from $50,000 in annual revenue instead of compromising his Christian convictions when same-sex marriages become legal in Maryland in less than a week. And he has urged prospective clients to lobby state lawmakers for a religious exemption for wedding vendors.
While most wedding businesses across the country embraced the chance to serve same-sex couples, a small minority has struggled to balance religious beliefs against business interests.
More
The owner of Discover Annapolis Tours said he decided to walk away from $50,000 in annual revenue instead of compromising his Christian convictions when same-sex marriages become legal in Maryland in less than a week. And he has urged prospective clients to lobby state lawmakers for a religious exemption for wedding vendors.
While most wedding businesses across the country embraced the chance to serve same-sex couples, a small minority has struggled to balance religious beliefs against business interests.
More
Facebook’s New Privacy Controls Rolling Out Soon: Here’s What’s About To Happen
There are plenty of times we’re critical of Facebook — the $1 message from strangers plan, launching auto-play ads— but with its new privacy controls it’s actually kinda sorta seems like the social network is (dare we say it?) making things easier for users. The new settings have rolled out globally and will be hitting U.S. accounts soon as well. They look like they’re easy to navigate, so, high five there, Facebook.
The first big change discussed by Facebook is a new “Shortcuts” tabthat will appear in the upper right hand tool bar on your Facebook homepage. There are three options that now appear laid out in plain terms: “Who can see my stuff?” “Who Can contact me?” and “How do I stop someone from bothering me?”
The first big change discussed by Facebook is a new “Shortcuts” tabthat will appear in the upper right hand tool bar on your Facebook homepage. There are three options that now appear laid out in plain terms: “Who can see my stuff?” “Who Can contact me?” and “How do I stop someone from bothering me?”
Body Found In Home Of Ambush Killer Of Firemen
The ex-con who lured two firefighters to their deaths in a blaze of gunfire left a rambling typewritten note saying he wanted to burn down the neighborhood and "do what I like doing best, killing people," police said Tuesday as they recovered burned human remains believed to be the gunman's missing sister.
Police Chief Gerald Pickering said 62-year-old William Spengler, who served 17 years in prison for the 1980 hammer slaying of his grandmother, armed himself with a revolver, a shotgun and a military-style rifle before he set his house afire to lure first responders into a death trap before dawn on Christmas Eve.
"He was equipped to go to war, kill innocent people," Pickering said.
The rifle he had was a military-style .223-caliber semiautomatic Bushmaster rifle with flash suppression, the same make and caliber weapon used in the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn., Pickering said.
More
Police Chief Gerald Pickering said 62-year-old William Spengler, who served 17 years in prison for the 1980 hammer slaying of his grandmother, armed himself with a revolver, a shotgun and a military-style rifle before he set his house afire to lure first responders into a death trap before dawn on Christmas Eve.
"He was equipped to go to war, kill innocent people," Pickering said.
The rifle he had was a military-style .223-caliber semiautomatic Bushmaster rifle with flash suppression, the same make and caliber weapon used in the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn., Pickering said.
More
MEET THE FIRST FEMALE NASCAR PIT CREW MEMBER NAMED ‘CHRISTMAS’ WHO ONLY WEIGHS 115 LBS
But she also likes tackling “any challenge that is said can’t be done.” Perhaps one of these was joining a NASCAR pit crew. It’s a physically demanding job where not only strength but speed are of the essence. Abott has proved that she both and joined a pit crew as the first female ever in NASCAR history.
ABC News featured Abott last month reporting she was trained for the job by Turner Motorsports. Her duty on the crew is in the front tire position where she cranks off all five lug nuts, pulls off the tire, replaces it with a fresh one and puts the lug nuts back on. Then repeat on the other side. According to ABC, the entire pit crew’s efforts take about 12 seconds.
More
US Retailers Report Weakest Holiday Sales Since 2008
A report that tracks spending on popular holiday goods, the MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, said Tuesday that sales in the two months before Christmas increased 0.7 percent, compared with last year. Many analysts had expected holiday sales to grow 3 to 4 percent.
In 2008, sales declined by between 2 percent and 4 percent as the financial crisis that crested that fall dragged the economy into recession. Last year, by contrast, retail sales in November and December rose between 4 percent and 5 percent, according to ShopperTrak, a separate market research firm. A 4 percent increase is considered a healthy season.
More
MAJOR SETBACK FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD: JUDGE SAYS OKLAHOMA CAN END CONTRACT WITH CLINICS
U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot ruled that although the state’s stated reasons don’t seem to be sufficient cause for ending agreements with Planned Parenthood’s three Tulsa-area clinics that have been in place for 18 years, the group’s response to the state’s concerns was insufficient enough to warrant ending the relationship.
The decision will likely mean that the group will have to close one of the clinics and eliminate six full-time staff positions when the contracts end on Dec. 31, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland’s President and CEO Jill June said in a statement.
More
SUSPECT ARMED WITH HAMMER FATALLY WOUNDED IN TANEYTOWN POLICE INVOLVED SHOOTING
(TANEYTOWN, MD) – A Carroll County man armed with a hammer and acting disorderly was fatally wounded by a Taneytown Police Department officer when he failed to surrender and advanced threateningly at the officer.
The man is identified as Edward L. Becker, Jr., 26, of the unit-block of Commerce Drive, Taneytown, Md. He was pronounced dead at the Carroll Hospital Center.
The officer involved is a four and one-half year veteran of the Taneytown Police Department. He is not being identified at this time by Chief William Tyler. He has been placed on routine administrated leave by Chief Tyler, which is procedure in police-involved shootings.
Chief Tyler requested the police-involved shooting be investigated by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit. Investigators from the Homicide Unit, the Westminster Barrack, and State Police crime scene technicians responded to the scene to process evidence and conduct the investigation.
The preliminary investigation indicates that shortly after 8:30 p.m. yesterday, the parents of Becker called 911 and reported he had been drinking and was acting disorderly. Becker’s father reported his son was smashing windows out of his truck with a hammer.
Three Taneytown Police Department officers responded to the area of the address on Commerce Street. They saw Becker walking down the street toward them. They exited their vehicles and began shouting commands to Becker to drop the hammer and surrender. Becker continued to approach. The officers, who were all in uniform and marked patrol cars, retreated down the street and positioned themselves behind their police cars.
The investigation indicates the officers continued to shout commands to Becker to drop the hammer and surrender. Becker ignored the commands and continued to approach the officers. He approached to approximately within arm’s length of an officer and raised the hammer.
In fear for his life, the officer fired his .40 caliber Glock 22 department issued pistol. He was the only officer on the scene who fired his pistol. Becker was struck in the upper torso and stopped his advance.
Officers immediately administered emergency care and summoned EMS personnel. Becker was transported to Carroll Hospital Center.
The investigation is continuing. Upon completion, it will be forwarded to the Carroll County State's Attorney's Office for review.
The man is identified as Edward L. Becker, Jr., 26, of the unit-block of Commerce Drive, Taneytown, Md. He was pronounced dead at the Carroll Hospital Center.
The officer involved is a four and one-half year veteran of the Taneytown Police Department. He is not being identified at this time by Chief William Tyler. He has been placed on routine administrated leave by Chief Tyler, which is procedure in police-involved shootings.
Chief Tyler requested the police-involved shooting be investigated by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit. Investigators from the Homicide Unit, the Westminster Barrack, and State Police crime scene technicians responded to the scene to process evidence and conduct the investigation.
The preliminary investigation indicates that shortly after 8:30 p.m. yesterday, the parents of Becker called 911 and reported he had been drinking and was acting disorderly. Becker’s father reported his son was smashing windows out of his truck with a hammer.
Three Taneytown Police Department officers responded to the area of the address on Commerce Street. They saw Becker walking down the street toward them. They exited their vehicles and began shouting commands to Becker to drop the hammer and surrender. Becker continued to approach. The officers, who were all in uniform and marked patrol cars, retreated down the street and positioned themselves behind their police cars.
The investigation indicates the officers continued to shout commands to Becker to drop the hammer and surrender. Becker ignored the commands and continued to approach the officers. He approached to approximately within arm’s length of an officer and raised the hammer.
In fear for his life, the officer fired his .40 caliber Glock 22 department issued pistol. He was the only officer on the scene who fired his pistol. Becker was struck in the upper torso and stopped his advance.
Officers immediately administered emergency care and summoned EMS personnel. Becker was transported to Carroll Hospital Center.
The investigation is continuing. Upon completion, it will be forwarded to the Carroll County State's Attorney's Office for review.
HO, HO, HO: UNITED NATIONS WANTS 5% BUDGET INCREASE
Late yesterday, the United Nations General Assembly approved a 5% budget increase for 2012-2013--with half of the additional spending going towards the UN's "political missions," which typically handle peacemaking and conflict resolution. In a time of global austerity, the UN's career diplomats have decided they deserve more cash.
The spending is particularly concerning given the fact that the UN is hardly known for running a tight financial ship. Last week, the Associated Press published an article headlined: "Santa Arrives Early at UN," referring to the newly renovated office of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who also received a "new armored car wrapped in a red ribbon with a big bow." A significant amount of UN spending is also wasted on controversial propaganda, such as a recent art display depicting the proto-state of Palestine as encompassing all of the State of Israel.
The United States is responsible for 22% of the UN's regular budget, including the political missions. Some of these missions complement U.S. activities in Iraq and Afghanistan; others, such as the UN Special Coordinator Office for the Middle East Peace Process, do not.
More
The spending is particularly concerning given the fact that the UN is hardly known for running a tight financial ship. Last week, the Associated Press published an article headlined: "Santa Arrives Early at UN," referring to the newly renovated office of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who also received a "new armored car wrapped in a red ribbon with a big bow." A significant amount of UN spending is also wasted on controversial propaganda, such as a recent art display depicting the proto-state of Palestine as encompassing all of the State of Israel.
The United States is responsible for 22% of the UN's regular budget, including the political missions. Some of these missions complement U.S. activities in Iraq and Afghanistan; others, such as the UN Special Coordinator Office for the Middle East Peace Process, do not.
More
In 2013, It's Lights Out For The 75-Watt Incandescent
Let's use the occasion of the shortest day of the year to say so long to another energy-wasting incandescent lightbulb. Federal law mandates that 75-watt bulbs can no longer be made in the U.S. or imported as of January 1, although retailers can sell remaining stock. Fortunately, in Consumer Reports lightbulb tests we found an LED that uses only 17 watts but is as bright as a 75-watt bulb.
Most screw-in bulbs have to use at least 27 percent less energy by 2014 as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The phase-out started last January with 100-watt bulbs and now 75-watt lightbulbs will fade away. If you're looking for replacements consider the Philips AmbientLED (model 17W 75W A21 Soft White 418400). Using 17 watts, it instantly brightens and casts a nice warm light—it scored an impressive 99 out of 100 after 3,000 hours of testing. This dimmable LED can be used in lamps and ceiling fixtures.
More
Most screw-in bulbs have to use at least 27 percent less energy by 2014 as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The phase-out started last January with 100-watt bulbs and now 75-watt lightbulbs will fade away. If you're looking for replacements consider the Philips AmbientLED (model 17W 75W A21 Soft White 418400). Using 17 watts, it instantly brightens and casts a nice warm light—it scored an impressive 99 out of 100 after 3,000 hours of testing. This dimmable LED can be used in lamps and ceiling fixtures.
More
The Cultural Impacts Of Growing Singlehood And Childlessness
Pat Buchanan wrote The Death of the West in 2001. Chapter Two was titled “Where Have All the Children Gone?”
Five years later, Mark Steyn wrote “America Alone,” which also examined falling birthrates in the West. This year, Ross Douthat wrote in the New York Times about America’s falling birthrates.
Buchanan worried about the erosion of Western, Christian culture. Steyn worried mostly about our public pension systems, which depend on every generation being bigger than the one before. Douthat worried about the moral character, the “decadence” that is a cause and a result of widespread childlessness. All of arguments have points I agree with and ones I disagree with. It’s an important topic that much of our media avoids delving deeply into.
More
Liberty and Safety Must Walk Together
by Delegate Mike McDermott
The easiest political solution in response to the murderous rampage in Connecticut would be to point the finger at something...anything...and ban it to the abyss. We could then pronounce our children to be “safe” and accept the kudos for our “success”. Politics as usual.
On the books, we have thousands of gun laws obeyed by our good citizens while ignored by criminals. Most of our mass shootings have been perpetrated by those suffering from mental illness who were not armed with “assault rifles”. The massacre at Virginia Tech involved a handgun and resulted in significantly more victims.
In order to solve the problem, let’s begin by confessing that we cannot stop it from happening again. We cannot fix all the sick, broken people determined to do others and themselves harm. We cannot take away all of the guns. We cannot afford cops at every entrance to every school.
We can, however, harden the target and limit our vulnerabilities if we become aggressive in our response to potential threats. There are school districts in our country which have adopted a proactive approach to security threats. Within their schools are certain staffers (known only to the administration) who carry concealed firearms within the school. These trained individuals are designated as “Guardians” and they represent a vigilant line of defense for those we must protect. They are equipped and ready to stand in the gap. Like Sky Marshals, School Guardians remain behind the scenes unknown to all, but prepared nonetheless.
We can opt to provide less lethal technology, such as Tasers, to select staff within our schools. While their effective range is limited, they could provide a line of defense for those who currently have nothing at their disposal. This would require minimal expense and training and could be in place within a matter of weeks.
How I wish one or more of the staff at Sandy Hook Elementary had been a “Guardian” or equipped with a Taser. How differently might the outcome have been.
We must change the way that we view mental health issues and options in our country. We closed the doors on institutions during the 1980’s only to provide no alternatives. The results surround us and it is politically incorrect to even discuss the issues. If we feel your conduct or actions place our society at an undue risk, your liberty should be in jeopardy. We recognize this when it comes to passenger aircraft, and it is time we recognized it outside of the airports as well.
The media must police itself or be subjected to fines for sensationalizing instead of simply reporting these types of tragedies. Most of these murdering crazies seek celebrity status, even in death, and the electronic media is generally only too glad to oblige. Why do we understand this when it comes to streakers at a televised event, yet fail to grasp it in these situations? There is a balance missing that the media desperately needs to find or we can find it for them.
Preparing our children to take their place in civil society is the responsibility of parents. Teachers, mentors, and the rest of society can only reinforce what parents are instilling. There are some who advocate taking certain guns from responsible citizens while simultaneously letting junior play the most hellish video games available night and day. What’s wrong with that picture? Training a child is the toughest, most important job if we are to preserve a civil society for the coming generation. In this, we must hold each other accountable. We simply must stop subsidizing and making excuses for antisocial behavior.
I will introduce legislation in the next two weeks which would:
Authorize a Maryland School District to implement a “Guardian” program;
Authorize a Maryland School District to issue Taser style less-lethal weapons to select personnel within a school;
Authorize persons who possess Conceal-Carry Permits along with Active or Retired Law Enforcement Officers (who are certified to possess firearms) to carry a concealed firearm on the campus of a public school.
It was Benjamin Franklin who proclaimed, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Let us be a people who truly understand how to provide safety while maintaining our liberty.
HERE’S A LIST OF TAX HIKES & FEES COMING WITH OBAMACARE NEXT YEAR
For the vast majority of people, the health care law won’t mean sending more money to the Internal Revenue Service. But the wealthiest two percent of Americans will take the biggest hit, starting next year.
And roughly 20 million people eventually will benefit from tax credits that start in 2014 to help them pay insurance premiums.
More
Main St. Fighters..... Battle At York
York PA. Two Main St. Gym boxers traveled to York PA last Friday evening to compete on a Profession-Amateur card. Both Ryan Watson, an open class middleweight and Shawn Woodford an open class 152lb, were successful in winning their bouts over Babar Shah of Lincoln Way Gym in York and Ramses Brown of Combat Gym in Bell Mawr N.J. respectively. Woodford scored two standing 8 counts as his opponent regrouped from a barrage of Woodford punches, while Watson scored a unanimous decision win. “We were called to fill in on this pro-am card at the last minute, but the guys were ready” said Coach Hal Chernoff. “Usually when you go into your opponent’s hometown it’s like swimming upstream, you can get there but is harder to get the job done. You don’t want the bout to be close if you can help it, so you might have to take some chances to win convincingly.” Chernoff added.
Both boxers are slated to compete in Salisbury on Sat January 19th at the Main St Gym, along with other Main St boxers matching up wit fighter from around the east coast.
Tickets will be available at the door or you can call 410-430-6687 for tickets or more information.
Both boxers are slated to compete in Salisbury on Sat January 19th at the Main St Gym, along with other Main St boxers matching up wit fighter from around the east coast.
Tickets will be available at the door or you can call 410-430-6687 for tickets or more information.
Maryland's Top Court To Hear Death Penalty Challenge
Maryland's highest court is scheduled to hear a challenge to the state's death penalty law next week, just weeks before the state legislature is expected to weigh a ban on capital punishment.
The challenge was brought by attorneys for Jody Lee Miles, of Wicomico County, who was convicted of robbing and killing Salisbury theater manager Edward Atkinson in 1997.
Miles was sentenced to death in March 1998. He has brought a string of failed appeals since his sentencing, with the Maryland Court of Appeals upholding the sentence last year. In the latest appeal, slated for that court on Jan. 3, Miles' attorney is arguing that the state's death penalty law is illegal under the state constitution.
More
The challenge was brought by attorneys for Jody Lee Miles, of Wicomico County, who was convicted of robbing and killing Salisbury theater manager Edward Atkinson in 1997.
Miles was sentenced to death in March 1998. He has brought a string of failed appeals since his sentencing, with the Maryland Court of Appeals upholding the sentence last year. In the latest appeal, slated for that court on Jan. 3, Miles' attorney is arguing that the state's death penalty law is illegal under the state constitution.
More
Businesses Warn Of 'Coast Wide Port Shutdown' As Union Strike Looms, Appeal for Obama Intervention
Business groups and state officials in recent days have called on President Obama to intervene, and use emergency powers to "avoid a coast wide port shutdown." They warn it could cost billions, citing estimates that a 10-day port lockout in 2002 cost $1 billion a day -- and caused a major backlog in shipments.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott is the latest to enter the fray and call for White House intervention. But a port strike would affect more than the East and Gulf coasts, where all these ports are located. It could choke supply chains across the country. Groups ranging from the automobile industry to the National Retail Federation to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the Cheese Importers Association of America are warning of dire consequences.
More
SCHOOL OBAMA'S DAUGHTERS ATTEND HAS 11 ARMED GUARDS
Some interesting news has broken in the wake of the latest push for gun control by President Obama and Senate Democrats: Obama sends his kids to a school where armed guards are used as a matter of fact.
The school, Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC, has 11 security officers and is seeking to hire a new police officer as we speak.
If you dismiss this by saying, "Of course they have armed guards -- they get Secret Service protection," then you've missed the larger point.
The larger point is that this is standard operating procedure for the school, period. And this is the reason people like NBC's David Gregory send their kids to Sidwell, they know their kids will be protected from the carnage that befell kids at a school where armed guards weren't used (and weren't even allowed).
Shame on President Obama for seeking more gun control and for trying to prevent the parents of other school children from doing what he has clearly done for his own. His children sit under the protection guns afford, while the children of regular Americans are sacrificed.
Source
The school, Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC, has 11 security officers and is seeking to hire a new police officer as we speak.
If you dismiss this by saying, "Of course they have armed guards -- they get Secret Service protection," then you've missed the larger point.
The larger point is that this is standard operating procedure for the school, period. And this is the reason people like NBC's David Gregory send their kids to Sidwell, they know their kids will be protected from the carnage that befell kids at a school where armed guards weren't used (and weren't even allowed).
Shame on President Obama for seeking more gun control and for trying to prevent the parents of other school children from doing what he has clearly done for his own. His children sit under the protection guns afford, while the children of regular Americans are sacrificed.
Source
Major Accident On Rt. 50
Numerous patients. Ocean Pines medic unit requested to assist.
Study: More Casinos Don't Mean More Money For State
More casinos do not necessarily mean more casino-goers, according to a study released by the University of Iowa.
It's a finding Maryland may have to grapple with as its casinos double in number over the next four years.
The survey looked at how much and how often Iowa residents reported using the state's 21 casinos and compared the results to similar surveys conducted in 1995 and 1989. While the number of Iowa casinos has more than doubled since 1995, the percentage of Iowans who gamble dropped from 23 percent to 14 percent over that time. The number of residents who refrained from gambling grew from 72 percent in 1995 to the current 83 percent.
More
It's a finding Maryland may have to grapple with as its casinos double in number over the next four years.
The survey looked at how much and how often Iowa residents reported using the state's 21 casinos and compared the results to similar surveys conducted in 1995 and 1989. While the number of Iowa casinos has more than doubled since 1995, the percentage of Iowans who gamble dropped from 23 percent to 14 percent over that time. The number of residents who refrained from gambling grew from 72 percent in 1995 to the current 83 percent.
More
Lost Dog 12-24-12
Official: Navy SEAL Died Of Apparent Suicide
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. military officials are investigating the apparent suicide of a Navy SEAL commander in Afghanistan.
Cmdr. Job W. Price, 42, of Pottstown, Pa., died Saturday of a gunshot wound to the head while supporting stability operations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, a U.S. military official said Monday on condition of anonymity because the death is still under investigation.
The official said Price failed to show up for an appointment and was found when others went to check on him.
Price was from Virginia Beach, Va.-based SEAL Team 4, which is part of the mission to train Afghan local police to stave off the Taliban in remote parts of Afghanistan.
More
Cmdr. Job W. Price, 42, of Pottstown, Pa., died Saturday of a gunshot wound to the head while supporting stability operations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, a U.S. military official said Monday on condition of anonymity because the death is still under investigation.
The official said Price failed to show up for an appointment and was found when others went to check on him.
Price was from Virginia Beach, Va.-based SEAL Team 4, which is part of the mission to train Afghan local police to stave off the Taliban in remote parts of Afghanistan.
More
Iran: Computer Worm Strikes Again; U.S. Blamed
An Iranian semi-official news agency says there has been another cyberattack by the sophisticated computer worm Stuxnet, this time on the industries in the country's south.
Tuesday's report by ISNA quotes provincial civil defense chief Ali Akbar Akhavan as saying the virus targeted a power plant and some other industries in Hormozgan province in recent months.
Akhavan says Iranian computer experts were able to "successfully stop" the worm.
More
Tuesday's report by ISNA quotes provincial civil defense chief Ali Akbar Akhavan as saying the virus targeted a power plant and some other industries in Hormozgan province in recent months.
Akhavan says Iranian computer experts were able to "successfully stop" the worm.
More
Lost Dog 12-26-12
There Is Such A Thing As The Milk Cliff: If Congress Doesn’t Act Soon, Prices Could Double
For the apparently shrinking amount of milk drinkers out there, we’ve got some bad news: There’s a thing called the Milk Cliff, and we’re standing on it. If Congress doesn’t act on a new farm bill that amends a policy from 1949, the price of a gallon of milk could increase and possibly even double.
Firemen's Killer Left Chilling Note, Deaths At 3
William Spengler, 62, who served 17 years in prison for manslaughter in the 1980 hammer slaying of his grandmother, set his house afire before dawn Christmas Eve before taking a revolver, a shotgun and a semiautomatic rifle to a sniper position outside, Police Chief Gerald Pickering said.
The death toll rose to three as police revealed that a body believed to be the killer's 67-year-old sister, Cheryl Spengler, was found in his fire-ravaged home.
More
Twinkies & Wonder Bread To Likely End Up With Different Parents Following Hostess Collapse
As potential buyers line up to pick the sweet, slightly artificial-tasting bones of Hostess, it appears more and more likely that the company’s snacks will end up under new ownership that doesn’t include Hostess’ bread brands.
It’s like one of those industrial revolution tales of orphaned siblings being split up and sent off to live with different sets of parents. Except this is about snack cakes and incredibly white sandwich bread, so it’s even more heartbreaking.
It’s like one of those industrial revolution tales of orphaned siblings being split up and sent off to live with different sets of parents. Except this is about snack cakes and incredibly white sandwich bread, so it’s even more heartbreaking.
Ready For A New Toll In Maryland?
A new toll could be added one of the D.C. region's busy roads, if a state lawmaker gets his way.
The idea is to add a new toll at the Maryland border with Pennsylvania along U.S. Route 15, and it comes in a bill introduced by Maryland Sen. Ron Young.
He wants the money to help pay for three road projects, including a Route 15 interchange at Monocacy Boulevard north of the city of Frederick, and the widening of Route 15 in the city of Frederick from two to three lanes in each direction.
More
The idea is to add a new toll at the Maryland border with Pennsylvania along U.S. Route 15, and it comes in a bill introduced by Maryland Sen. Ron Young.
He wants the money to help pay for three road projects, including a Route 15 interchange at Monocacy Boulevard north of the city of Frederick, and the widening of Route 15 in the city of Frederick from two to three lanes in each direction.
More
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)