House Passes Bill To Restore Canceled Health Policies

The House passes a Republican sponsored bill to restore health insurance policies canceled by ObamaCare. The bill passed, 261-157 -- including 39 Democrats who voted for the measure.

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Registration Open For Eastern Shore Elite Volleyball Academy Instructional & Club Programs Available For Youth

Salisbury, MD – Registration is now open for Wicomico Recreation & Parks’ volleyball programs to players from 1st-12th grade. Whether you are a new, returning, recreational, or competitive player - we have something for you.

Youth Volleyball Instructional Program

Open to girls and boys of all skill levels. Learn the basic fundamentals and skills of the sport of volleyball in a fun, non-competitive environment.

Ages: 1st-8th Grade

Division I – 7th & 8th Grades (Returning 6th Graders)

Division II – 4th, 5th, 6th Grades
Division III – 1st, 2nd, 3rd Grades

Program Fee: Division I & II: $65; Division III: $50

Dates & Times:

Division I - Wednesday Evenings, 6:15-7:00 p.m., January 8-February 26
Division II – Tuesday Evenings, 6:15-7:00 p.m., January 7-February 25
Division III – Monday Evenings, 6:15-7:00 p.m., January 6-February 24 (No class Jan. 20 or Feb. 17)

Location: Bennett Middle School



Club Volleyball

For players looking for competition, Eastern Shore Elite Volleyball Academy offers travel and taxi squads with coaching from college and high school coaches and current and former collegiate players. Travel teams compete throughout Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.

Club Taxi

Ages: Girls & Boys, 14-18

Dates & Times: 7-Week Session (Session I: Jan. 8-Feb. 19 | Session II: Feb. 26-April 16); Wednesday Evenings, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Program Fee: $85

Club Travel
Ages: Girls & Boys, 14-18

Dates & Times:

Jan. 7 - April 15 | Tuesday Evenings, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Jan. 9 - April 10 | Thursday Evenings, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Jan. 12 - Jan. 26 | Sunday Evenings 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $850

Includes 6-8 tournaments and uniform. Teams divided into 14s, 15s, 16s and 17/18s.

Club Try-Outs
Dates & Times:

Dec. 14, 9:00-11:00am
Dec. 15, 5:00-7:00pm

Program Fee: $20 in advance / $25 on site
Registration deadline for all volleyball programs is December 31. Registration is available online atwww.WicomicoRecandParks.org or at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center (500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury, MD; Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) For more information, please contact Karen McInturff at 410-548-4900 x118 or kmcinturff@wicomicocounty.org. 

MDA Withdraws Phosphorus Management Tool Regulations; Department To Consider Comments And Resubmit Regulations

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) today announced it will withdraw its proposed regulations to implement the new Maryland Phosphorus Management Tool (PMT) from consideration by the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review (AELR). This action also cancels the AELR hearing on the regulation scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 20.

“The O’Malley-Brown Administration remains committed to adopting the PMT through rule making and developing an approach that further considers comments raised by policymakers and citizens alike.” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. “MDA is confident that the PMT science is sound, based on 20 years of evolving federal and state research to better understand soil phosphorus and managing risk of loss to our rivers and streams.”

As a result of concerns identified in the public meetings and public comment process, MDA is withdrawing the regulations. The department will consider all comments and critical issues raised by stakeholders, develop an approach that addresses concerns raised to date, and resubmit a new proposal to AELR in 2014 that includes a phased implementation schedule for the new tool.

Secretary Hance added, “The Administration stands behind our commitment to EPA to implement a Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) that ultimately provides for a healthy Chesapeake Bay. We will meet our Chesapeake Bay restoration goals, taking every step possible to protect water quality and ensure the viability of our family farms in Maryland.”

The Phosphorus Management Tool replaces the Phosphorus Site Index to reflect the most current research by University of Maryland scientists in collaboration with regional and national experts. This environmental risk assessment tool is used to identify areas where excess phosphorus is present in the soil and where a high potential for phosphorus loss exists. It allows users to evaluate management options that can reduce the risk of phosphorus losses from agricultural fields to nearby waterways. Revising and updating the tool is an element of Maryland’s WIP, the federally mandated document that outlines specific steps the state will take to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay.

Common Core Or Common Failure? Families Pull Kids Out Of Class

HILLSBORO, Ore. – Nine parents pulled their seventh- and eighth-graders out of math class and started teaching them at home, because they are upset with the new Common Core curriculum that public schools in Oregon are starting this year.

Seventh-grader Amy Craig has always been an "A" student in math until this year. She came home with a "D."

The same thing happened to other students in her school. So their moms got together and decided to teach math themselves – an hour every morning.

Then the kids go off to school for the rest of the day.

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Staff Tells Legislators To Keep Current Lid On State Debt

The legislature’s fiscal staff told lawmakers Thursday that they should not follow a recommendation of the O’Malley administration to increase Maryland’s authorized debt by $375 million over the next five years.

The staff said this is one way to reduce debt service — payments of principal and interest on the state’s bonds — that will grow by 24% in those five years. It would be the largest increase in any budget category.

“Debt service is a major influence on everything else,” said Warren Deschenaux, fiscal and policy director for the Department of Legislative Services. Debt service grows from $233 million in fiscal 2015 to $557 million in fiscal 2019, according to a briefing paper (p. 32).
Read more 

Zombie warning startles passersby in Virginia

MCLEAN, Va. - Are the walking dead taking over McLean, Va.? An electronic road work sign might make you think so.

The sign on Georgetown Pike just west of Interstate 495 displayed "Zombies Ahead Run 1" Monday morning.

Michelle Lee of Rockville, Md., pulled over to the side of the road and grabbed her iPhone.

"This is just hilarious. I have to take a picture and send it to my husband," she says.

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On Comeback, Phelps Says He's Keeping Options 'Open'

Michael Phelps has rejoined the U.S. drug testing program, the strongest signal yet that he's planning a comeback for the Rio Olympics.

Phelps told The Associated Press on Thursday that "nothing is set in stone" though clearly he has enjoyed getting back into shape - he's down about 15 pounds - and working out with his former team at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club.

"If I decide to keep going and swim again, then I'll compete," Phelps told the AP in an exclusive telephone interview from Minneapolis, where he is attending an Arena Grand Prix meet this weekend.
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Obama Translated

Resort Brewery To Change Name, Avoid Legal Fight; Owner Announces Naming Contest

OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City brewery and Boardwalk restaurant and bar will be changing its name after its owner decided this week to drop his challenge to a civil lawsuit filed in August by an Internet retailer alleging trademark infringement on the registered mark “Shorebilly.”

In August, Teal Bay Alliances, a resort-based retailer that markets and distributes various items of clothing and other merchandize prominently featuring the term Shorebilly, filed suit in U.S. District Court against Shorebilly Brewing Company alleging the popular brewery on the Boardwalk was infringing on its registered trademark.

Southbound One, Inc. and brewery owner Danny Robinson fought the suit, alleging, among other things, the term “Shorebilly” was generic and not subject to trademark protection.
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Wicomico Public Library Mural Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

What: Wicomico Public Library Mural Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Who: Andrea Berstler, Director of Wicomico Public Library, Ryan Weaver, Lead Pastor of Remedy Church, Artist Douglas Draper Jr. along with various participants who helped make the wall a reality by lending a hand to paint.
Where: Wicomico Public Library (Downtown Salisbury) 122 S. Division St, Salisbury MD.

The Ribbon Cutting will take place on the side of the library building facing Circle Ave.
When: Today – Friday, November 15, 2013 at 5 pm
Why: Wicomico Public Library and Remedy Church have teamed up to help revive downtown Salisbury by breathing new life into otherwise unused space. The result was a beautiful mural lead by artist Douglas Draper Jr. This mural was made a reality by the generous help of the local community. Now complete, the mural stands as a mark unity and culture for Downtown Salisbury.

All The President’s Women

“If I don’t have sex every day, I get a headache,” John F. Kennedy would remark to anyone who would listen, from British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan to a lowly senatorial aide.

Even in the pantheon of sexual narcissists drawn to politics, Kennedy’s obsessive conquesting remains the gold standard for bad behavior. Here, a gallery of some (but almost certainly not all) of his most notable trysts.

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Opponent Of Fernando Guerrero Killed In Chicago

2010-04-16 : Fernando Guerrero 160 lbs beat Michael Walker 161 lbs by TKO at 1:49 in round 2 of 10

3F- Light Is TONIGHT!

November 15th's 3rd Friday in Downtown Salisbury will be all about Light and the Holiday Spirit! It's the last official outdoor 3rd Friday of the season and the 3F team will be sure to light up the night! So bundle up, and head downtown from 5-8pm, for an event that is sure to leave you feeling thankful that the Holidays are on their way!

The City of Salisbury's Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on the Plaza this year, with special musical performances, dedications and, of course, a visit from Santa. Performances by the Wicomico High School Chorus & Band begin at 5:30. The Tree will be lit around 6:45, and then Santa will head over to First Shore Federal for pictures.

The CCART Annual Show and Sale will be taking place in the Powell Building. This annual sale is a fantastic place to find all sorts of one of a kind, locally handmade gifts, and a portion of the proceeds goes towards scholarships for local high school students to pursue higher education in the arts! They have everything from handmade jewelry, collectibles and pottery, all the way to fine art. Santa is one of CCART's best customers every year.

Art Institute and Gallery, in the Gallery Building, will have the opening of their Holiday Artist Art & Craft Show and Sale, another place to snatch up amazing art, at reasonable holiday shopping prices. Judging will be done by Diane Mitchell of Hebron, and Canzona Diversa, an early music ensemble, will provide baroque, holiday and renaissance music with period instruments.

SWAC, Salisbury University Art Galleries and Sister Cities will be joining forces to present; Arts Light Up the World at the SU Galleries Downtown Campus. This arts review will be complete with dance, song and instrumental, and is a coordinated effort by the three organizations to showcase international arts.

SU Art Galleries Downtown Campus will also be holding a reception for their City of Tiny Lights Exhibition. This unique show is all about size. Does it matter? Smallness seems to be an ever-increasing thing, as technology makes all our gadgets smaller and more efficient and a growing population requires that we use less space and material. In honor of the small, SU sent out a call for tiny works of art, 12" or less to be exact, and will be exhibiting their petite hoard as one large exhibit. Who's small now?
Wicomico Public Library and Remedy Church will be having a ribbon cutting for the new library mural at 5 pm. The mural has been a great community project, lead by local artist
Douglas Draper Jr. 3rd Friday has loved seeing all the kids and adults work together, and we are excited to see it finished! Afterwards, be sure to stop by the Friends of the Library Book Sale - held in the Library's basement. They will have hundreds of books, movies and CD's on sale. Hours have been extended 7 pm to welcome 3rd Friday shoppers. Wicomico Public Library's bookmobile will also be at 3rd Friday - all decorated for the holidays! Be sure to stop in, get a library card and check out a few fun titles for the weekend.
Don't forget to head down Main Street to Season's Best Antiques, another amazing place for unique shopping, and they always run amazing sales during 3rd Friday. Dryden Dress Company will have live music and special offers during their Anniversary Party from 5-7pm. Guests can enter to win a free prom dress, and brides can enter to win a free viel or 25% off a designer gown! Julie Snowden, the owner of A Touch Of Jules will also be in the shop talking to customers about her Day of Wedding Planning Services.

Obama’s Economy: Wall Street Thrives, Main Street Dies

The man at the center of the storm has blown a giant hole in the notion that the Obama administration is looking out for middle class Americans. “Andrew Huszar: Confessions of a Quantitative Easer,” is piece written for the Wall Street Journal by Huszar himself, revealing that he was the person responsible “for executing the centerpiece program of the Fed’s first plunge into the bond-buying experiment known as quantitative easing.” Four years later, the scales have fallen from his eyes. “The central bank continues to spin QE as a tool for helping Main Street,” Huszar writes. “But I’ve come to recognize the program for what it really is: the greatest backdoor Wall Street bailout of all time.”

There is a plethora of evidence to back up Huszar’s assertion. While Wall Street continues to flirt with record highs, Main Street is stagnating. Despite the happy talk that constantly emerges from the Obama administration and its media cheerleaders, a record-setting 91,541,000 Americans were not participating in the labor force as of October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Between the time Obama entered office in 2009 and last month, more than 11 million Americans have left the labor force. If the trend continues, the number of idle Americans will top the number of working Americans in four years.

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KIRSTEN POWERS: WHITE HOUSE LYING ABOUT WHY MY PREMIUMS DOUBLED

"My blood pressure goes up every time they say that they're protecting us from substandard health insurance plans, because there is nothing to support what they're saying. I have talked about how I am losing my health insurance... if I want to keep the same health insurance, it's going to cost twice as much. There's nothing substandard about my plan. All of the things they say that are not in my plan are in my plan, all of the things they have listed. There's no explanation for the doubling of my premiums other than the fact that it's subsidizing other people."

They need to be honest about that, that that's the reason they don't want to change it. It's because they're basically taking the people who are responsible enough to get health insurance in the individual market and asking them to subsidize other people. So they're taking young healthy people and asking them to subsidize other people. I don't think that's going to last, frankly. I think they're trying to buy time until they think they're going to reach this next deadline. And I don't think they're going to reach it, and when they don't reach it..."

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Another Big Saturday Here On Salisbury News

Tomorrow will prove to be yet another big day in news. We will be publishing articles every 15 minutes throughout most of the day. 

As always, we can't thank you enough for visiting Salisbury News as this year has proven to be the biggest year we've ever experienced. 

Have a great weekend and don't forget the tree lighting ceremony on the Plaza tonight at the 3rd Friday event.

Hidden Marriage Penalty In Obamacare

'It's saying society is basically hostile to the institution'

(The Atlantic) Any married couple that earns more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level—that is $62,040—for a family of two earns too much for subsidies under Obamacare. “If you’re over 400 percent of poverty, you’re never eligible for premium” support, explains Gary Claxton, director of the Health Care Marketplace Project at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

But if that same couple lived together unmarried, they could earn up to $45,960 each—$91,920 total—and still be eligible for subsidies through the exchanges in New York state, where insurance is comparatively expensive and the state exchange was set up in such a way as to not provide lower rates for younger people. (Subsidy eligibility is calculated using a complicated formula involving income in relation to the poverty line, family size, and the price of plans offered through a state’s marketplace.)

Source

How Trans Fats Destroyed The American Diet

Recent FDA action on trans fats, moving toward a ban and signaling the beginning of the end of the trans fat era, is very welcome and, if anything, overdue. Trans fats are not just harmful in their own right but vividly illustrate much of what bedevils modern nutrition, or as Michael Pollan has called it, "nutritionism." Before getting back to getting rid of trans fat and what lies ahead, let's look back to see how we got into this mess in the first place.

Trans fat was first introduced into the food supply in an apparently innocent attempt to reduce the adverse effects and mimic the desirable commercial properties – stability and high melting point – of saturated fats. The trans fat era was ushered in by food packages that boldly proclaimed "no tropical oils!" The so-called tropical oils, coconut and palm, had in turn been introduced in the late 1980s to replace highly saturated animal fats. Palm kernel oil and coconut oil are among the very few highly saturated plant oils.

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Council Unites For Salisbury Employee Pay Raises

OCEAN CITY – One lone council voice of opposition turned toward favor this week as the City Council voted unanimously to give the final approval of three ordinances giving city employee raises.

The first ordinance on the table was to approve an amendment of the Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14) General Fund budget to adjust the city’s pay plan with new rates assigned to grades and steps. The city’s current budget will be amended to include the new pay plan to be effective on Jan. 11, 2014.


The second ordinance was to approve an amendment to the FY14 General Fund Budget to adjust position grade assignments and the third ordinance was to approve an amendment of the FY14 General Fund, Water Sewer Fund, and parking budgets to appropriate funds to cover increases in employee compensation.
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The Hidden Secrets Of Money Part 4: The Biggest Scam In The History Of Mankind (In 7 Easy Steps)

UH OH, Dare I Open It?????

This message just came in from President Barack Obama. I really wish he'd leave me alone. When I hear, PLEASE HOLD FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, well, I think I'd just hang up then too. 

Obama Folds: You 'Can' Keep Your Plan (For Now)

Between last night's dismal reality of enrollees in Obamacare, the collapse to record lows of Obama's approval rating, and the growing disillusionment among the President's own party have forced the administration to "fix" Obamacare. As Politico reports, the president’s proposal would allow insurers to offer plans in 2014 that were previously slated to sunset this year, but require the companies to let consumers know how — if at all — their policies don’t comply with the minimum benefits of the Affordable Care Act, according to a source briefed on the proposal. Insurance companies are not amused as risk pools will need to be adjusted. We leave to our policy-changer-in-chief to explain the nuances of this fiasco and why this is not a "fold", not an admission that the law is FUBAR, and not in any way similar to the Tea-Party's suggestion that Obamacare be delayed by one year...

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Pat Sajak Tweets About Obamacare

Thank You WMDT! I Needed A Good Laugh Today

Wicomico Co. House Fire Ruled Arson

SALISBURY, Md. - A Thursday night fire in Wicomico County has been ruled as arson.

According to reports, the blaze broke out Thursday night at 9:15 PM, on the front porch of a two story single family house, on the 600 block of Baker Street, in Salisbury. The fire caused about $1,500 in damages.

Reports say the single alarm blaze took 10 firefighters, about 2 minutes to control.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office is asking anyone with information, or anyone who might have been driving on Barclay or Martin Street, around 9:15 PM Thursday night, to call their

Salisbury office at 410-713-3780. 

Source

Woman With Cancer Dropped From Insurance Due To Obamacare

Obama’s Secret Treaty Will Merge America Into The Emerging One World Economic System

Did you know that the Obama administration is negotiating a super secret “trade agreement” that is so sensitive that he isn’t even allowing members of Congress to see it? The Trans-Pacific Partnership is being called the “NAFTA of the Pacific” and “NAFTA on steroids”, but the truth is that it is so much more than just a trade agreement. This treaty has 29 chapters, but only 5 of them have to do with trade.

Most Americans don’t realize this, but this treaty will fundamentally change our laws regarding Internet freedom, health care, the trading of derivatives, copyright issues, food safety, environmental standards, civil liberties and so much more. It will also merge the United States far more deeply into the emerging one world economic system. Initially, twelve nations will be a party to this treaty including the United States, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Together, those nations represent approximately 40 percent of global GDP. It is hoped that additional nations such as the Philippines, Thailand and Colombia will join the treaty later on.

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Route 1 Traffic Stop Results in Large Cocaine, Heroin Seizure

DSP News Release: Route 1 Traffic Stop Results in Large Cocaine, Heroin Seizure

Location:

·        Southbound Delaware Route 1, south of Middletown Odessa Road, Middletown, DE

Date:

·        Thursday, November 14, 2013

                               

Defendants, Charges, and Bail Information:

·        Javona Smith, 35, of Chesapeake, VA (photo attached, dark jacket with hood, black shirt)

·        Possession of a Controlled Substance in a Tier 5 Quantity (2 counts)

·        Conspiracy Second Degree (2 counts)

·        Following a Motor Vehicle too Closely

·        Failure to Signal a Lane Change

·        Committed to Baylor Women's Correctional Institute on $54,002 secured bail.

·        Sherita Nicks, 40, of New York, NY (photo attached, gray jacket with hood)

·        Possession of a Controlled Substance in a Tier 5 Quantity (2 counts)

·        Conspiracy Second Degree (2 counts)

·        Committed to Baylor Women's Correctional Institute on $54,00 secured bail.

Resume:

Middletown – A traffic stop on Delaware Route 1 yesterday resulted in the seizure of large amount of cocaine and heroin.

Shortly before 2:00 p.m. a Trooper traveling south on Route 1, south of Middletown Odessa Road (Del. 299), observed a 2013 Toyota Corolla traveling too closely to the vehicle in front of it. The Corolla then changed lanes without properly displaying a turn signal.

The Trooper initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle. Once he approached the Corolla and began talking to the driver, he detected the smell of burnt marijuana. The driver, Javona Smith, 35, of Chesapeake, VA, provided the Trooper with paperwork showing that the car was a rental vehicle that was not authorized to leave Virginia.

A search of the vehicle resulted in Troopers locating a jacket in the trunk. Concealed in the jacket was a plastic bag containing 170 grams of cocaine and 515 grams of heroin. Detectives estimate the drugs are worth almost $70,000 and, once packaged and sold in individual units, could be sold for more than $250,000.

Smith and her passenger, Sherita Nicks, 40, of New York, NY, were both taken into custody and transported to Troop 2. Both were charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance in a tier 5 quantity and two counts of conspiracy second degree. Smith was also charged with two moving violations. Both defendants were committed to Baylor Women's Correctional Institute on secured bail. Troopers determined the odor in the vehicle was a result of Smith smoking marijuana shortly before driving.

Released: 111513 1115

DHS Creates New Fusion Centers, Taking Control Of Local Police

As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) doles out billions of dollars to convince local police departments to surrender control to the federal agency, a recent report indicates that intelligence gathered at precincts-cum-surveillance-centers will be shared among all levels of law enforcement.



An article published by Fierce Homeland Security on November 4 reports:

The phenomenon of fusion centers sharing intelligence and skills with each other — not just with the federal government — is a new and underappreciated aspect of the centers, panelists at a Homeland Security Policy Institute event said.

Fusion centers mainly apply national intelligence to local contexts and gather information locally that they can share with federal agencies. But in recent years, a great deal of “horizontal sharing” has occurred, where fusion centers work closely with each other, said Ross Ashley, the executive director of National Fusion Center Association.

“We’ll find an expert in Washington state on international human trafficking over international ferry systems. Well, I don’t need that expert everywhere. What I need is the ability to reach out to that expert if I’m in West Virginia,” he said at the event, held Oct. 23 in Washington, D.C.

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OC Views Route 90 Dualization As Higher Priority Than 50 Bridge; State Says City Needs To Address Issue With County First

OCEAN CITY – During an update with the State Highway Administration this week, resort officials asked for consideration in prioritizing the dualization of Route 90 ahead of the reconstruction of the Route 50 Bridge.

Tuesday afternoon marked the bi-annual meeting between the Town of Ocean City and the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) where SHA District Engineer Donnie Drewer and Assistant District Engineer Ken Cimino discussed the Route 90 and Route 50 bridges along with other maintenance and repairs on Coastal Highway.

Drewer began with the Route 90 bridge and the town’s request to dualize the secondary entrance into Ocean City to help alleviate traffic.
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Judge: Release ‘Internet Kill Switch’ Plans

Says Homeland Security must turn over details on 'SOP 303'

A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. government’s “Internet kill switch,” a plan to deactivate wireless communications networks in a crisis, is not protected by secrecy laws and must be disclosed to the public.

The ruling on SOP 303 – the Department of Homeland Security’s Standard Operating Procedure – comes from U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg in Washington.

The judge ordered the DHS to turn over SOP 303 to the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which brought the Freedom of Information Act case, within 30 days.

Boasberg ordered his actions stayed until it’s determined whether the government will appeal.

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Rep. Trey Gowdy: Are You Going to Believe What Obama Tells You?

(CNSNews.com) - President Obama is scheduled to announce an Obamacare "fix" at 11:35 Thursday morning, but who will believe him, a conservative Republican asked ahead of the president's appearance in the White House briefing room.
"Are you going to believe what he tells you at 11:30 this morning?" Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) asked during a Thursday morning interview on Fox News.

"Twenty-seven different times he told you, you and I would never be having this conversation, because if you liked your insurance you could keep it. And for those who weren't paying attention, he said 'period.'"

The president is expected to say that Americans can keep their insurance policies even if they don't meet Obamacare coverage requirements. He would administratively "grandfather" more individual plans.

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CBO: INSURANCE CANCELLATIONS JUST BEGINNING

Dozens of times (that we know of) over his campaign to pass ObamaCare and to win re-election, President Obama lied to the American people about being able to keep the health insurance they like. But that lie has only been replaced with another: the lie that these cancellations will be limited to the 5% of Americans in the individual marketplace -- when the truth is that these cancellations have only just begun.

Over at National Review, in a piece appropriately titled "Lying About Lies," Michael Tanner reports that the same ObamaCare formula currently wiping out the individual market is about to rain hell on the employer-based market. The result will be that tens of millions of policies will be wiped out.

This is a secret that is and always has been hiding in plain sight.

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Stolen UniFirst Truck

This truck is stolen. MD tag # 14K412. If located call police. Do Not approach subjects in or around truck

Thank God Its Friday 10-15-13

What will you be doing this weekend?

White House Tries To Salvage Obamacare, Democrats In Distress

The White House scrambled Wednesday to find solutions for the glaring failures in Obamacare as rebellious congressional Democrats pressured the administration over their increasing political predicament.

In a closed-door meeting at the Capitol, House Democrats blasted administration officials over their handling of the Obamacare rollout, and the White House’s failure to address Mr. Obama’s broken promise to Americans that they could keep their health insurance plans.

Top Senate Democrats, meanwhile, were giving more support to a legislative proposal that would allow people to keep their insurance plans. The White House said the proposal from Sen. Mary L. Landrieu, Louisiana Democrat, has more merit than a House Republican plan scheduled for a vote Friday.

Presidential aides wouldn’t commit to a specific fix.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said the president is trying to reassure congressional Democrats that he will decide on a solution “sooner rather than later.”

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The Minimum Wage Outlaws Jobs

The only relevant issue in the debate about a government mandated minimum wage is: Does it reduce employment opportunities? The debate is not whether some workers will be better off after legal minimums are increased; some workers will. The debate is not whether “consumption” may increase when some workers are paid higher wages; it may, although unemployed workers will consume less. And the debate is not whether “rich” employers can afford to pay higher wages; some surely can, but whether they should be forced to do so by law is another matter entirely.

Defenders of the minimum wage law make two broad claims. The first is that raising the minimum wage does not increase unemployment among the young and poorly skilled, the only relevant labor pool; and two, that there are empirical studies that support the conclusion that higher minimums don’t hurt employment.

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Federal Student Loans Surpass $1 Trillion; Delinquency Rate Soars To All Time High

There is a reason why US consumer revolving (credit card) credit growth is getting lower and lower and lower and at last check posted a mere 0.2% annual increase.
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16 American Cities Foreign Governments Warn Their Citizens About

Planning a trip abroad? It’s probably best to check out the State Department’s list of travel warnings for countries with unsafe political situations. At the moment, the State Department has issued travel warnings for 34 countries, from the Central African Republic and El Salvador to Iraq and North Korea.

Well, just as State warns Americans about dangerous places to travel, so too do foreign ministries in other countries — and some countries warn their citizens to avoid heading to certain cities in the U.S. France, in particular, warns travelers to be careful in a large number of specific cities.

Here’s what other countries, mostly France, say about American cities:
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Sorry, You Still May Not Be Able To Keep Your Plan

Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) has proposed a bill that to fix Obama's "if you like your plan, you can keep it" lie. It won't work and a Fox News segment last night shows it.
Upton's bill would "grandfather" in all plans that existed as of Jan. 1st, 2013 and allow insurers to continue selling them outside of the exchange.

President Obama announced a similar approach this afternoon which faces similar issues.

Neither Upton's bill nor Obama's executive action would require insurers to bring back canceled plans and they often won't want to do so. Many insurers canceled plans because they were full of high-cost beneficiaries. In some circumstances, like with United Healthcare in California, they have exited the states' individual health insurance markets entirely. Even if Upton's bill became law, many insurers would choose not to bring back canceled plans.

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More Demolition Near Feldman's

One portion of the old Feldman's building was the Ethan Allen store. It was recently purchased and a portion of the back half sold to Gillis/Gilkerson. The intent is to add additional parking spaces to their property. 

SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA NOVEMBER 18, 2013

COUNCIL CHAMBERS, ROOM 301

GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING

1:30 p.m. Community Organization Presentation – HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign – Marisa Jones

1:45 p.m. Enhanced Call Back Verification requirement – Ron Boltz

2:15 p.m. Storm Window Replacement Grant for Poplar Hill Mansion – Ginny Hussey/Aleta Davis

2:45 p.m. Records Retention Policy – Tom Stevenson

3:20 p.m. Charter Resolution No. 2348 – Veterans Preference Policy – Council discussion

4:00 p.m. Closed Session – 1) to discuss the appointment, employment, assignment, promotion, discipline, demotion, compensation, removal, resignation, or performance evaluation of
appointees, employees, or officials over whom this public body has jurisdiction; or any other personnel matter than affects one or more specific individuals and, 2) to consult with counsel to obtain legal advice on a legal matter as permitted under the Annotated Code of Maryland §10-508(a)(1)(7)

PUBLIC NOTICE 11-15-13

NOTICE OF CLOSED SESSION

THE SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL WILL CONVENE IN THEIR REGULARLY SCHEDULED WORK SESSION AT 1:30 P.M. ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013 IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS, ROOM 301 OF THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING.

AT APPROXIMATELY 4:00 P.M., COUNCIL WILL ENTERTAIN A VOTE TO CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS 1) THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT, ASSIGNMENT, PROMOTION, DISCIPLINE, DEMOTION, COMPENSATION, REMOVAL, RESIGNATION, OR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF APPOINTEES, EMPLOYEES, OR OFFICIALS OVER WHOM THIS PUBLIC BODY HAS JURISDICTION; OR ANY OTHER PERSONNEL MATTER THAT AFFECTS ONE OR MORE SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS, AND 2) TO CONSULT WITH COUNSEL TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE ON A LEGAL MATTER AS PERMITTED UNDER THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND § 10-508(a)(1)(7).

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO ATTEND THE WORK SESSION.

Andrews Air Show Canceled For 2nd Straight Year

MORNINGSIDE, Md. (AP) — The 2014 air show at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C., was canceled Thursday for the second straight year as leaders there dealt with a 45 percent cut in military community outreach funding that has killed some such events for good but breathed new life into others.

The winners are communities that are back on the schedules of the Navy Blue Angels or Air Force Thunderbirds after last year's across-the-board federal budget cuts prompted the precision flight-demonstration teams to cancel most appearances. The Blue Angels are scheduled to resume their show in Annapolis next May.

In October, the Pentagon announced that the teams will fly again, but at fewer shows than in years past. For example, the Blue Angels will perform next year in Cleveland and Dayton, Ohio, after canceling those appearances last year, according to event organizers.More 

Don't Miss This Fight: Undefeated Alex Guerrero vs Galen Brown

Friends Of Wicomico Public Library Book Sale This Weekend!

WHAT: Friends of Wicomico Library Book Sale
WHO: Those interested in purchasing gently used books
WHEN: Friday, November 15th 10am – 7pm & Saturday, November 16th 10 am – 4:30 pm
WHERE: Wicomico Public Library, Downtown Library
SALISBURY, MD – November 13th, 2013 – Looking to add a few more books to your personal library? Then this is the community event for you. The Friends of Wicomico Public Library will be hosting their bi-annual book sale this Friday, November 15th from 10 am – 7 pm and Saturday, November 16th from 10 am – 4:30 pm. Choose from hundreds of fiction, nonfiction, children’s and young adult titles. Books will be priced under $2 and all proceeds will benefit the Friends of Library who support Wicomico Public Library special projects.
The Friends of Wicomico Public Library provide vital support for this foundational public organization. By developing a membership base that represents our diverse community, raising awareness of the library as a public education provider and advocate for a modern, community focused library space, the Friends raise the banner for quality library service throughout Wicomico County.

Mike Tyson Claims He Was High On Drugs During Fights

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has claimed in a new book that he was high on drugs during several fights over the course of his long career.

According to the Telegraph, the 47-year-old Tyson describes himself as a "full-blown cokehead" who first tried the drug at age 11 and even stopped to using a fake phallus filled with someone else's urine to fool drug testers.

On that occasion, prior to a 2000 bout against Lou Savarese in Glasgow, Scotland, Tyson said he had used cocaine and marijuana prior to the match. Such methods are not unheard of among athletes. In 2005, then-Minnesota Vikings running back Onterrio Smith was detained at an airport when a search of his carry-on bag turned up a device called the "Original Whizzinator," which included a fake phallus, bladder, and athletic supporter. Smith claimed that he was taking the device for his cousin.

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Is Andy Kaufman Alive?

Did Andy Kaufman get away with his greatest stunt?

The Internet erupted Thursday following reports that Kaufman's younger brother, Michael, suggested the performance artist may have faked his 1984 death.

The reports further fueled long-held conspiracy theories that the comedian's death from a rare form of cancer at age 35 was a hoax.
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Only 1,284 Enrolled In Obamacare In Maryland

73,000 families are losing their insurance because of the President’s plan

Washington, D.C. - Today, the Department of Health and Human Services released the information on the number of people who have enrolled in the health insurance marketplaces. In Maryland, only 1,284 individuals have selected a plan on the health insurance marketplace between October 1 and November 2nd. That number pales in comparison to the over 73,000 people who have seen their plans terminated.

“The website sign up process has been an embarrassment, but the real train wreck of the President’s health plan is for the 73,000 families who lost their insurance,” said Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. “The President made three promises: if you liked your plan you could keep it, if you liked your doctors you could keep them, and the price for family health insurance would be $2500 less per year. All three are turning out not to be true,”

According to an October 12, 2013, Baltimore Sun article, Maryland officials claimed 1,121 people signed up in the first 10 days. If that number was accurate, that means less than 8 people were able to sign up each day for the remainder of the reporting period. At that rate, it would take more than 295 years to sign up all of Maryland’s 800,000 uninsured.

Two Secret Service Agents Cut From Obama’s Detail After Alleged Misconduct

A call from the Hay-Adams hotel this past spring reporting that a Secret Service agent was trying to force his way into a woman’s room set in motion an internal investigation that has sent tremors through an agency still trying to restore its elite reputation.

The incident came a year after the agency was roiled by a prostitution scandal in Cartagena, Colombia, prompting vows from senior officials to curb a male-dominated culture of hard partying and other excesses.

The service named its first female director, Julia Pierson, seven months ago, and an extensive inspector general report on the agency’s culture launched in the wake of the Car­tagena scandal is expected to be released in coming weeks. 
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WARNING

Boehner Puts Brakes On Immigration Reform

House Speaker John A. Boehner on Wednesday flatly ruled out even entering into negotiations with the Senate on that chamber’s immigration bill, signaling that the issue is dead for this year — and setting up major hurdles for any action before the midterm elections.

Emerging from a meeting with fellow Republicans, Mr. Boehner said he won’t be bound by President Obama’s timeline on action this year, and firmly rejected the Senate’s approach, which would legalize most illegal immigrants and rewrite the legal immigration system.

“We’ve made it clear that we’re going to move on a common-sense, step-by-step approach in terms of how we deal with immigration,” Mr. Boehner, Ohio Republican, told reporters after the meeting. “The idea that we’re going to take up a 1,300-page bill that no one had ever read, which is what the Senate did, is not going to happen in the House. And frankly, I’ll make clear we have no intention of ever going to conference on the Senate bill.”
Read more:

Student Loans Skyrocketed 463 Percent Under Obama

President Obama won two national elections in large part due to the hard work and support of struggling American college students, who believed his promised reforms would alleviate their financial difficulties and souring job prospects.

Five years later, under the president’s watch, cumulative student loan debt owed to the U.S. federal government has increased 463 percent.

CNSNews recently reported that student debt levels have deepened substantially–and at an accelerated rate–during Obama’s time in office. In fact, student debt increased 509 percent faster under Obama than under Bush.

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Classics For A Cause

Hi Mr. Albero, 

Classics for a Cause is a classical piano concert performed by Kaya Manizade and me, Kieran Murphy. We are both students at James M. Bennett High School. All proceeds will benefit the SWAC Instrument Barn, a program which gives instruments to students who cannot afford them. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, veterans, and SWAC members, and $5 for students. Children under five are free. Tickets will be sold at the door, or a gently used instrument could be donated in exchange for free admission.

Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

Stop giving your dogs crap from China that is killing our dogs!! Here is a Pumpkin Recipe that is healthy for them Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons dry milk
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups brown rice flour *
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

In large bowl, whisk together eggs and pumpkin to smooth. Stir in dry milk, sea salt, and dried parsley (if using, optional). Add brown rice flour gradually, combining with spatula or hands to form a stiff, dry dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface (can use the brown rice flour) and if dough is still rough, briefly knead and press to combine.

Roll dough between 1/4 – 1/2″ – depending on your dog’s chew preferences, – and use biscuit or other shape cutter to punch shapes, gathering and re-rolling scraps as you go. Place shapes on cookie sheet, no greasing or paper necessary. If desired, press fork pattern on biscuits before baking, a quick up-and-down movement with fork, lightly pressing down halfway through dough. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully turn biscuits over, then bake additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on rack before feeding to dog.

* Brown rice flour gives the biscuits crunch and promotes better dog digestion. Many dogs have touchy stomachs or allergies, and do not, like many people I know, tolerate wheat.

Makes up to 75 small (1″) biscuits or 50 medium biscuits

What This Morning’s Obamacare Announcement Means

President Obama this morning announced that he would be issuing an administrative order—which requires no Congressional review—delaying the implementation of provisions of Obamacare that had led to the cancellation of a million or so insurance policies. This follows on the Administration’s similar delays of the Employer Mandate and the Individual Mandate. According to CNN, this morning’s delay is supposed to “cover millions of people who have had their insurance policies cancelled,” but the fact is that in many states, it won’t even do that—because insurance companies, anticipating the implementation of the new law, long ago decided to cancel these policies. Surprise! —except for the attentive observers who have been warning about this for years. Moreover, many states—including California—which are already going along with Obamacare are already beyond the Administration’s reach, because those insurance policies were cancelled by state agencies. This morning’s delay can’t do anything about that.

But there’s a much deeper problem at work here: the lawlessness of Obamacare, root and branch. The problems began with its initial enactment—first the Individual Mandate was supposed to be a “regulation of commerce.” That was unconstitutional, and the Supreme Court finally said no…only to rewrite the law by declaring it to be a “tax” instead. That doesn’t work either, though, because the Constitution requires that tax laws originate in the House of Representatives, and Obamacare began in the Senate. Meanwhile, the contents of the law—which members of Congress didn’t bother to read before they passed —gave away tremendous new powers to administrative agencies to write new rules to fill in crucial blank spots in the statute itself. For example, the Individual Mandate forces Americans to buy “minimum essential coverage”—but that term was left up to unelected bureaucrats in the Department of Health & Human Services to define later. And the law created a powerful new independent agency, the Independent Payment Advisory Board, and gave it power to write law about Medicare reimbursement rates without any checks and balances…and tried to make the law itself unrepealable.

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Rep Harris Calls On MD Insurance Commissioner To Expedite Review Of Plan Extensions

President’s proposal today is too little too late

Washington, D.C. - Over 73,000 Marylanders have seen their health insurance plans terminated because of the President’s health reform law. Now the President is unilaterally changing the law to try to allow them to keep their plan for an additional year. If the insurance companies in Maryland who cancelled policies decide to extend them, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. is calling on Maryland Insurance Commissioner Therese M. Goldsmith to expedite the review of those extensions to ensure individuals will be able to keep their plans on January 1st.

Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. released the following statement:

“The President promised Americans that if they liked their plan they could keep it. The President’s proposal today is too little too late, but now the Maryland Insurance Commissioner must expedite the review of any policy extensions offered so that those who have plans and like them can keep them. I have heard from many constituents who liked their policies, but are losing them and can’t afford the dramatically higher prices of plans offered in the exchange. The Maryland Insurance Commissioner must do all she can to prevent this harm from occurring.”

Prognosis For Obamacare Isn't Improving

Fewer than 50,000 people had signed up for Obamacare by late last week in the 36 states that use the federal health care exchange, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is expected to release national numbers this week and they are expected to be underwhelming, too. The administration expected 800,000 would sign up for Obamacare by the end of November.

That huge gap is not surprising considering the website is less accessible than Antarctica.

The problems may not be resolved by the administration's promised deadline at the end of the month. "Where we are is not where we want to be," Obamacare fix-it guru Jeff Zients said last week.

Losing October and November to the computer meltdown means that millions of people will have, at best, days to cram through the insurance enrollment system by Dec. 15 if they want coverage that begins on Jan. 1, writes James Capretta of the American Enterprise Institute. If they can't, "it will be nearly impossible to process the enrollments fast enough to prevent breaks in insurance coverage at the beginning of 2014." Capretta's prediction: "some very large number of Americans — probably in the millions — will experience a break in insurance coverage at the beginning of 2014."

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TV ACTOR HILL HARPER TRIES TO HELP BOYS IN MARYLAND JUVENILE TREATMENT

SABILLASVILLE – Some of the teens were there for narcotics possession, some were there for theft or assault—but all were there to hear television actor Hill Harper challenge them to become an “active architect of your own life.”

The Victor Cullen Center, the highest-security treatment center for male delinquents in Maryland, is the first juvenile center in the country that the star visited as part of a publicity tour for his fifth book, “Letters to an Incarcerated Brother: Encouragement, Hope and Healing for Inmates and Their Loved Ones.”

Harper, who is best known for his roles as investigator Sheldon Hawkes on CSI: NY, and as CIA station chief Calder Michaels in the series Covert Affairs, is also an Ivy League graduate of Brown University and Harvard Law School. 
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Obama’s Apology

Teachers Feel Unprepared For New Common Core Curriculum, Tests, Survey Finds

A survey of 745 Maryland teachers shows that two-thirds of teachers (65%) don’t feel prepared to implement the new Common Core curriculum, which was introduced in public schools this fall.

And almost nine out of 10 (88%) answered there are still significant challenges to understanding and implementing new evaluation systems that measure progress on teaching Common Core.

The Maryland State Education Association (MSEA), a teachers union that represents about 70,000 teachers and support staff, surveyed teachers online in May and then followed up last week.
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More U.S. Military Insanity

The U.S. Department of Defense has shelled out $150 million to Afghan companies “accused of helping to finance terrorist attacks on American soldiers and facilities,” according to an explosive new ABC News report.

“It’s like the United States government subsidizing the Taliban, al Qaeda, the Haqqani network, those groups that are trying to shoot and kill our soldiers,” U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) told ABC’s Dianne Sawyer.

Great …

The report – based on information compiled by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) – is the latest ridiculousness in America’s ongoing “War On Terror,” which just entered its twelfth year in Afghanistan.

What are we still doing there? Good question …

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Obama Threatens To Veto Republican Bill That Keeps Obama’s “If You Like It, You Can Keep It” Pledge

We all know Obama was lying when he promised Americans that they could keep their health care plans. We also know that he didn’t mean his halfhearted “apology” for knocking so many Americans off their plans either. Well, in a rare clever political move (Thanks Ron Johnson!), the Republican Party is about to make Obama’s insincerity clear to the world.

The “Keep Your Health Plan Act”, the supposed “shift” on Obamacare, is little more than an elaborate troll. Republicans are simply calling the President’s bluff, codifying his pledge, daring him to veto it. And he will. He has pledged vetoes for similar efforts before. In July when the administration unilaterally delayed the employer mandate by 1 year, the House passed a bill saying exactly that, just to make it legal.

The Senate never took up the bill, so it never got to the President, but he threatened to veto it if it did. Think about that. A President threatening to veto a bill that writes into law something he’s already done with his self-professed executive authority. If more voters had heard of that, the President’s personal favorability ratings might have collapsed much sooner than they did.

GOP leaders know that no more than a few moderate Democrats in the House will support this new “reform” bill, Harry Reid will never let it pass the Senate, and the President will never sign it. But by proposing it they get to look like they’re trying to improve the situation for their constituents and combat the notion that they’re willing to make marginal changes to try to improve the law. But they’ve been trying to do that all along.

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Record Of Slave Sale By 1st Md. Governor Exhibited

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) -- A Frederick museum is exhibiting a slave sale document signed by Maryland's first governor, Thomas Johnson.

The Frederick News-Post (http://bit.ly/1e1qRCc ) reports that the document will be shown Wednesday night at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center.

The exhibit is part of the annual meeting of the local African American Resources, Cultural and Heritage Society.

Organizer David Key says the document is among several slave sale records borrowed from the collection of the late Kathleen Snowden of New Market.
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Background Checks As The New Racism

Leftists push to make it illegal for employers to ask, “Have you ever been convicted of a felony?”

The Obama administration has a schizophrenic attitude toward requiring people to go through criminal-background checks. Last week, Senator John Cornyn (R., Texas) grilled Kathleen Sebelius, the Health and Human Services secretary, about why the 45,000 “navigators” who assist people in signing up for Obamacare aren’t required to undergo a criminal-background check, even though they handle sensitive personal information.

“So a convicted felon could be a navigator and could acquire sensitive personal information from an individual unbeknownst to them?” Cornyn asked her. “That is possible,” said Sebelius, noting that states could always impose their own requirements — as some have done.

The risk that unscrupulous or untrustworthy people could hold federally funded jobs or own guns certainly concerns the Obama administration in other contexts. The Office of Personnel Management conducts more than 2 million background checks a year for federal jobs. The FBI conducted just shy of 20 million background checks on gun owners in 2012.

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Mizeur Names Pastor As Running Mate

The pastor of an African-American church in Prince George's County will be state Del. Heather Mizeur's running mate in her bid for Maryland governor.

Mizeur's campaign announced Wednesday that the Rev. Delman Coates will run for lieutenant governor on her ticket.

Coates is the pastor of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton. In a break with some other black church leaders from Prince George's County, he was an advocate for legalization of gay marriage in Maryland.
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