Md. Man Recovering After His Body Gives Out During Triathlon

A Maryland man is recovering at Shock Trauma after his body gives out during a triathlon on the Eastern Shore. A heat stroke caused his organs to fail, requiring an emergency transplant.

Jessica Kartalija explains his family and friends are asking for your help.

Doug Wetzel, 32, is quite the athlete. He was nearing the end of his first ever triathlon when something went terribly wrong.

“He was a mile and a half from the end, he was running the last leg of the triathlon, and he realized he was in trouble. So he actually veered off course and went to find help,” his best friend, Craig Nickel, said.

More

House panel says VA firing bill is necessary to weed out problem employees

A House panel debated a bill Tuesday that would give the Veterans Affairs Department secretary greater authority to fire employees, with many saying it's a necessary step to revive the beleaguered agency.

The bill is similar to one passed last year that gave the VA secretary more leeway in firing senior executives, except this bill (H.R.1994) would extend that authority to all VA employees, not just senior executives. The bill comes as a result of last year's manipulation of wait lists by employees at the VA's Phoenix medical center to make it look like veterans weren't waiting as long for appointments as they actually were.

At the June 2 House Veterans Affairs subcommittee on economic opportunity hearing, Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) said that 99 percent of the more than 300,000 VA employees are dedicated and hardworking, and are not part of the problems that exist at VA.

The VA has a history of transferring problem employees to other offices, Miller said, and the bill is necessary since it allows the agency to fire those employees instead of passing them off to another office.

And while some have questioned whether the bill denies VA workers due process and could scare away whistleblowers, Miller denied those claims.

Though the VA secretary could remove any employee based on misconduct or performance, that employee could file an appeal within seven days with the Merit Systems Protection Board and that panel would have to rule on the firing within 45 days.

That's not far off from the appeals process for most agencies, expect that MSPB normally has only 30 days to rule.

Other than the greater firing authority, the bill would extend the new hire probationary period from one year to 18 months, giving the VA secretary a long look at new employees before making a decision to keep them on board.

For more:
- go to the hearing page
- go to the UStream page for video
- go to the Congress.gov page for H.R. 1994

5 Most Unused Health Benefits for Veterans

Although they spent time valiantly protecting America, many veterans have not taken the time to fully understand their benefits.

A 2010 Veterans Affairs survey found that only 41% of veterans indicated that they had “a lot” or “some” understanding of their benefits.

As a result, numerous benefits with the potential to help veterans and their families go unused.

Here are 5 of the most unused veteran benefits:

Let's Have an Honest Discussion About Bruce Jenner

Only a cruel person would wish Bruce Jenner ill will now that he has 'morphed' into Caitlyn Jenner. Hopefully, he is now at peace with himself.

Assuming he is, what are the chances he will stay that way?

Regrettably, they are not good. Worse, the glamorization of his condition is risky: It will only encourage those who are in rebellion against their nature not to seek professional help.

It is important to clarify what Jenner's condition is. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, he is not a transgender: he is a transsexual. Gender refers to socially learned roles that are appropriate for males and females; sex connotes a nature-determined status, as exemplified by the two sexes.

Gender roles, moreover, typically take their cues from nature; this explains the similarities in the way boys and girls are raised in different cultures. Moreover, boys are more aggressive than girls — in every society — and this has important social and cultural consequences. The reason has everything to do with nature: Boys have a higher level of testosterone than girls.

Are transsexuals mentally ill? Until two years ago, the answer was yes. In the 3rd edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published in 1980, those who underwent sexual surgery were seen as suffering from a psychological disorder, often schizophrenia.

When DSM-4 was published in 1994, they were also considered mentally ill. But when DSM-5 was published in 2013, they were no longer listed. Instead, it was determined that such persons suffer from "gender dysphoria," not "gender identity disorder"; the new term refers to an emotionally distressful condition. What changed, however, were mores, not science.

Not everyone is buying into this politically correct interpretation of what is now called transgenderism. Dr. Paul McHugh is former psychiatrist-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Not shy about challenging the conventional wisdom, he is adamant in his conviction that people like Jenner suffer from a mental disorder. What they need, he says, is treatment.

More here

Poll: More Than Three-Quarters of Voters Back Voter ID Laws

More than three-quarters of likely voters think voter ID laws are needed in the United States, according to the results of a new survey.

The Rasmussen Reports poll found that 76 percent of people want the laws in place. Thirty-four states currently have voter ID laws at the polls.

Some Democrats want the laws removed because they think they're a form of discrimination, while conservatives would like them to remain in place — and want to see the remaining states enact similar laws.

Public support for voter ID laws was at 78 percent in 2006.

The Rasmussen data shows that 56 percent of Democrats support voter ID laws, compared to 92 percent of Republicans.

Further, voter ID laws have the support of 78 percent of people not affiliated with one of the major political parties, according to the Rasmussen figures.

More

Common Pesticide Linked to ADHD

There's evidence -- but not proof -- of a link between a commonly used household pesticide and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and young teens, according to a new study.

Specifically, researchers found an association between exposure to pyrethroid pesticides and ADHD, as well as ADHD symptoms such as hyperactivity and impulsivity.

The link between the pesticides and ADHD was stronger in boys than in girls, according to the findings published online in the journal Environmental Health.

However, researchers only found an association between pesticides and ADHD. The study did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Pyrethroid pesticides -- considered safer than organophosphate pesticides -- are the most widely used pesticides for home and public health pest control, and their use in agriculture is increasing, according to the researchers.

"Given the growing use of pyrethroid pesticides and the perception that they may represent a safe alternative, our findings may be of considerable public health importance," study corresponding author Dr. Tanya Froehlich, a developmental pediatrician at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said in a hospital news release.

More here

Obama NLRB Seeks To Gut Right-to-work Laws

Opponents of Big Labor complained to lawmakers Wednesday that the Obama administration's National Labor Relations Board is poised to gut right-to-work laws with a seemingly simple tweak they claim could leave independent workers at the mercy of the unions they rejected.

The board is considering requiring non-union workers who work at unionized companies - something that can only happen in the 25 so-called "right-to-work" states - to pay fees to unions in order to file workplace grievances. That, complained Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Committee, gives the unions, who control the grievance process, too much power over workers who opted out.

"History has shown that union officials all too often initiate on-the-job discrimination, which forces a worker into the grievance process the union bosses control, in order to punish him or her for not joining the union in the first place,” he said.

In addition to the potential for union workers to initiate a grievance with non-union colleagues, forcing them to seek and pay for union representation, the "fee-for-grievance” scheme could allow for fees that exceed regular dues, warned Mix, who called the NLRB proposal a "deceptive assault" on right-to-work laws.

Read more here

Bill Would End 'Regulation Without Representation'

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) used his first speech from the Senate floor to press for legislation that would create a panel to review federal rules, calling for an end to “regulation without representation.”

“Our great nation has been bogged down in recent years with what I believe is one of the greatest hindrances to job growth and economic productivity, and that is the overregulation of our citizens,” he said Tuesday.

Rounds introduced the Regulation Sensibility Through Oversight Restoration Resolution, which would create a joint select committee to review new rules, as well as hold hearings on the impact of those already in place and make recommendations on reducing regulatory overreach.

He added that his legislation would “take a giant leap forward in restoring the people’s role in the rule-making process.”

"Unfortunately, the voice of the people in the rule-making process has been cut out and replaced by unelected government bureaucrats who think they know better than the farmer or the scientist or the entrepreneur," he said.

More here

County budget not end of salary debate

Money for employee salary increases was not included in Worcester County’s 2016 budget, but that doesn’t mean the discussion is over for teachers.

County employees, on the other hand, have little choice but to grin and bear it. Like the board of education employees, county workers also operate on a step system. Their annual base salaries are expected to increase with favorable reviews and additional experience. But like the proposed funding for teacher pay raises, the money for county employee pay increases was spiked in the budgeting process.

County Administrator Harold Higgins said the people he oversees realize the county’s situation and haven’t protested in the ways the teachers have. Worcester teachers have begun working to the exact terms of their contract and are expected to continue to the end of this school year, June 18.

More

Time Warner Cable Has Lowest Customer Satisfaction Score Of All U.S. Companies, Not Just Cable Providers

In news that backs up the results of a recent Consumer Reports survey , Time Warner Cable’s pay-TV service is not just dead last on the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s rankings of cable companies, but of all companies in the entire Index .

TWC managed to score a ridiculously bad 51 out of 100 on the ACSI for its pay-TV service (the Index scores cable companies’ pay-TV, broadband, and phone services separately), tying it with survey newcomer Mediacom for the worst rating thus far in 2015. Mediacom was also a bottom-of-the-barrel performer in the CR survey.

This is a repeat of sorts for TWC, which saw its Internet service receive the worst overall ACSI score (54) in 2014, while its pay-TV score of 56 was the second-lowest.

While TWC’s broadband score improved slightly to a subpar 58, the score for Comcast’s Xfinity service slipped a point to 56, putting it at the back of the pack for all ISPs this year.

More

Yellow means slow: paint spill snarls I-68 in western Md.

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) — Yellow means slow on Interstate 68 in western Maryland, where 6,500 gallons of spilled paint will keep cleanup workers busy for several days, officials said Thursday.

The driver of a westbound tractor-trailer carrying plastic barrels of white and yellow paint was illegally texting on a cellphone when he lost control of the vehicle Wednesday evening in the mountains 10 miles west of Hancock, Maryland State Police said. Barrels flew from the flatbed trailer as it overturned, splashing slippery paint along several hundred feet of pavement.

No accidents stemming from the spill were reported.

There was enough spilled paint to fill an above-ground swimming pool. It was traffic paint, meant to be put on roads — but not like this. And like those durable stripes on the highway, it's hard to remove.

More

Does Postdating A Check Prevent Anyone From Depositing It Early?

Thanks to automated payments and online banking, many of us rarely (if ever) write checks, but millions of Americans still pull out their checkbooks every day to pay their bills. Because they might not always have enough money in their accounts on the day they write those checks, some folks will postdate their checks so that they aren’t deposited or cashed until after that date. Unfortunately, the fact is that there’s generally no actual obligation to honor the date on a check.

Although it might not seem right for a bank or credit union to disregard the date written on a check, they aren’t legally required to honor the request to postpone processing a transaction unless certain conditions are met by the check issuer.

Consumerist reader M. recently learned this the hard way when her bank processed a postdated check several weeks before she’d intended.

M. had sent the check to a car dealership to cover the remaining $1,500 payout resulting from turning in a leased vehicle ahead of schedule.

“Since we were still short a few hundred dollars, why not cover most of the payout, and send a postdated check for the rest later on,” she tells Consumerist. “[The dealer] would deposit the postdated check as stated, right?”

Wrong. And because the bank processed the check before the date she’d written, M.’s account was overdrawn and she was hit with fees by her bank.

More

There’s finally a Hooters-style restaurant featuring men. It’s called Tallywackers.

As legend has it, Rodney Duke, a bar owner and Dallas businessman, was enjoying a meal at Hooters in 2005 when he was confronted by one of the world’s great mysteries, a question so profound it has vexed some people for decades.

“Everyone has asked themselves the same question over time when visiting all these other venues that are related with female eye candy,” Duke recently told the syndicated “Kidd Kraddick Morning Show,” recalling the moment inspiration struck. “Why is there not a male equivalent?”

So he decided to do something about it.

Enter Tallywackers, the world’s first, uh, male-themed “brestaurant.”

More

The Mysterious Number of American Citizens

Many Americans believe that someone, somewhere in Washington, must be in charge of tracking who is and who isn’t a citizen of the United States. Apparently, so does the U.S. Supreme Court, which just accepted a voting rights case that turns on the government’s ability to count the number of citizens in each voting district. But despite all the talk these days about government and Big Data, the justices, like the rest of us, might be surprised to learn that the most basic information as to who is an American citizen cannot actually be found in any publicly available government data set — anywhere.

The case, Evenwel v. Abbott, poses a question: whether the Constitution’s long-standing “one person, one vote” principle requires equal numbers of voters per district instead of equal numbers of people, as is current practice. Most commentary on the case has focused on its implications for political parties and racial groups. But focusing on the politics, or even on the merits of the constitutional argument, ultimately distracts from a much bigger problem: The data necessary to draw districts with equal numbers of eligible voters does not exist. We have no national citizen database that tells us how many citizens live in each district around the country.

“What about the U.S. Census?” you might be wondering. It’s true that the census releases a data set that provides the building blocks of redistricting plans for Congress, state legislatures, city councils and school boards. But that data set counts just two things: the total number of people, and the number of people over the age of 18, in every community in the country. The data file has no information about which of those people are citizens and which are not. Voter registration lists, another alternative, are notoriously unreliable and highly variable depending on whether an election is coming up — and some states don’t keep track of voter registration at all.

More

MAC Public Hearing Monday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SALISBURY – MAC Inc., the Area Agency on Aging for the Lower Eastern Shore, will hold a public hearing on the proposed Area Plan for Programs & Services for Fiscal Years 2016 through 2019 at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 8, in the agency’s conference room.

The Plan describes the agency’s proposal for services for senior citizens for the coming budget years, including Meals on Wheels, congregate meals at the senior center, other senior center services, and changes in services due to funding reductions.

The Area Agency on Aging is located at 909 Progress Circle in Salisbury. The public is encouraged to attend and offer comments on the proposed plan.

For more information, call 410-742-0505, ext. 113.

The Speech Every 2015 College Grad Needs to Hear

Assateague Group Trying to Stop Broiler Farms -- Again!

New Lawsuit Demands Accountability for Factory Farm Pollution on the Eastern Shore

Baltimore – Food & Water Watch and Assateague Coastal Trust, represented by lawyers at the Columbia Law School Environmental Clinic, announced they filed opening arguments in a case against the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) last Friday that tries to force the Agency to demand more accountability from the highly polluting factory farm industry on the Eastern Shore. These facilities, also known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), currently operate under Clean Water Act (CWA) discharge permits issued by MDE that provide for minimal inspection and no water quality monitoring to assure compliance.

“The permits that MDE gives to these industrial facilities do not allow for any discharges of pollutants from their production areas, but we know these facilities are one of the biggest contributors in Maryland to the Bay’s ongoing pollution problem,” stated Scott Edwards, co-founder of Food & Water Justice, the legal arm of Food & Water Watch. “The lack of oversight and monitoring means the permits are little more than symbolic gestures, under which factory farms can continue to pollute at will.”
The Problem with Nutrient Pollution from Factory Farms in Maryland

A March 2015 United States Geological Survey report singles out industrial agriculture on Maryland’s Eastern Shore as a dominant source of that state’s contribution to the ongoing Bay problem, noting the concentrations of nitrogen in groundwater, and nitrogen and phosphorus in surface waters, are well above natural levels and are among the highest in the nation. The amount of pollution flowing off these facilities persists despite historic levels of federal and state funding for the industry to implement failing conservation practices, even as this industry launches an unprecedented expansion across Delmarva.

Under the CWA, all permitted industries must monitor and report their pollution discharges to show that they are in compliance with the terms of the permit. “The only industry that gets away without monitoring its discharges is the factory farm industry,” said Kathy Phillips, Assateague Coastal Trust Executive Director. “That means that they can never be held accountable for polluting like other industries are, and the results of this irresponsible exemption are clearly evident in the Bay.”

More

Boehner Indicates Support For Withholding State Funding Over Benghazi

House Republicans introduced a State Department spending bill on Tuesday that withholds a significant chunk of funding until State hands over emails related to the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans dead.

And House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has indicated he supports the language.

Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee released their fiscal year 2016 funding bill for the department, which would withhold "15 percent of State Department operational funds until requirements related to proper management of Freedom of Information Act and electronic communications are met."

More here

American Credit Cards Are Most Popular In The World For Hacks, Fraud (Because Our Tech Stinks)

If it feels like we hear a whole lot of stories about retail data breaches here in the U.S., well, that’s because we do. Americans are super duper popular targets for card hacks and fraud, and it’s for one simple reason: our credit card security is bad and should feel bad.

Quartz reports this week on a new report from British-based international megabank Barclays, and it’s bad news for consumers on this side of the Atlantic.

American credit cards represent about a quarter — 24% — of all cards in use in the world. But when it comes to fraud, American cards represent nearly half — 47% — of cards that have been subject to fraud.

The main culprit is one we’ve covered many times before: in the U.S., where magnetic stripe technology is still the dominant way payment cards are accepted, we are vulnerable to software incursions and theft. Simply put, we are low-hanging fruit. Intruding into a system like Target or Home Depot and making off with usable data for tens of millions of payment cards is easy as pie, at least as compared to other nations.

And that is, of course, because other nations have long since switched to more secure, EMV (chip-using) credit and debit cards. The EMV system doesn’t completely eliminate the potential for card fraud, but it does make it much harder to do.

More

Salisbury Council OKs Restrooms For Ben’s Red Swings

SALISBURY – The Salisbury City Council quickly went over agenda items last week, approving the addition of restrooms to Ben’s Red Swings, an amendment to the current fiscal year budget and a fee for Bed and Breakfast Inns to be established.

Restroom Addition

A resolution came before the council to approve construction and accept the donation of a community-built restroom building at the Ben’s Red Swings Playground in the City Park.

The resolution states, “The City of Salisbury is interested in improving the City’s playground facilities, and a plan to provide permanent restroom facilities at the Ben’s Red Swings playground has been proposed by the family and friends of Benjamin Layton in his memory.”

More

Thank God Its Friday 6-5-15

What will you be doing this weekend?

MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HOSTS “OPERATION HIRE

MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HOSTS “OPERATION HIRE MARYLAND” KICK-OFF EVENT

Operation Hire Maryland to coach employers on sustainable veteran recruitment and retention programs-- creating a veteran-friendly business network

 

(Catonsville, MD) – Under the leadership of the Hogan-Rutherford Administration, Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) Secretary George Owings, announced today the launch of Operation Hire Maryland, an ongoing program designed to support employers as they develop or expand current veteran hiring and retention programs.  Through the collaborative efforts of MDVA, the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR), Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED), the Operation Hire Work Group, and Maryland employers, Operation Hire Maryland is building a veteran-friendly business network to share best practices and proven methods for recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and retention of veterans in the civilian work place. 

 

Today’s training held at the Community College of Baltimore County in Catonsville, launched Operation Hire Maryland for 2015.  More than 100 employers participated, from state and local governments and private sector businesses.  Military relations managers and veteran recruiters from Lockheed Martin, CACI, CSC, First Data, Jiffy Lube-Pikesville, PNC Bank, Maryland State Police and Maryland Department of Budget and Management, served as presenters, or on panels to highlight recruitment and retention best practices.

 

“The Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes the success of 2014’s 100-day veteran hiring challenge,” said MDVA Secretary George Owings.  “We heard the call from employer participants to continue the campaign--and so we are.  It is our duty to continue on with this very rewarding initiative that brings together leaders in the field of veteran recruitment.  Modeled after similar programs in Virginia and North Carolina, we recognize that a program of this design is simply good for business, as well as good for our Maryland veterans.”

 

“In Maryland, we are committed to providing our veterans with the resources they need to transition to civilian life,” said DLLR Secretary Kelly Schulz.  “From providing veteran employment services and proven recruitment strategies to our businesses, to innovative campaigns like Operation Hire Maryland, we are investing in Maryland veterans in ways that promote success for all.”

 

“The veterans coming out of military commands in Maryland and across the nation are proficient in cybersecurity, biodefense, research and development, technologies, and a host of other critical areas,” said DBED Secretary Mike Gill. “Through Operation Hire Maryland, we can transfer these skills to the private sector and, most importantly, serve Maryland businesses that are seeking such proficiencies as well as the talented military veterans who have so admirably served our nation.”

 

Businesses and government agencies may begin registering to participate in Operation Hire Maryland on June 8.  Participation is free.  Employers are asked to pledge a specific number of veteran hires and to attend at least one Operation Hire Maryland training or networking event in the next year.  Hires will be tracked and employers will be recognized for their efforts to recruit and support veterans in the civilian work place.  Information on Operation Hire Maryland can be found at the MDVA website, veterans.maryland.gov, or by contacting Dana Hendrickson, Director of Outreach, MDVA, 410-260-3842 or dana.hendrickson@maryland.gov

 

###

 

Dana Hendrickson, MA

Director, Outreach and Advocacy

Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs

410-260-3842/ dana.hendrickson@maryland.gov

Visit our website: veterans.maryland.gov

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MDVeterans

Follow us on Twitter: @MDVeterans

New Coast Guard App

MISSING WARRIOR ALERT **DOVER,DE**

Ceasar Rack was last seen in the BX at Dover AFB Sunday May 31, 2015 around 1700. He hasn't been seen or heard from since.

 

Charlie LeDuff Confronts Ahmad Jibril, The ISIS Pin-Up Boy In America

Detroit’s Islamist cheerleader, Ahmad Musa Jibril, is fast becoming the world’s most powerful recruiter for Westerners looking to join ISIS. According to researchers at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence in London, Jibril is one of the two most popular clerics (the other being Australian preacher Musa Cerantonio) followed online by Western supporters of ISIS. More than half of the militants they surveyed, who either liked his Facebook page or followed him on Twitter, were also affiliated with ISIS.

Though he didn’t openly incite his followers to violence, Jibril tweeted support for the Syrian rebels less than two weeks after his release from prison in 2012. “When your brothers in Syria speak everyone today needs to shut their mouth and listen. Because they have proven themselves to be real men,” Jibril said in a YouTube sermon. Banned from American mosques, he is preaching a standard of manhood that includes, slaughtering unarmed victims, abducting women and children, sexual assault, torture, human trafficking and genocide to an online audience that wants to bring the country down.

Jebril was convicted in 2005, on 42 counts of financial fraud, served 78 months in prison and was released in 2012, with three years of probation that ended March 30 2015. He owes more than $250,000 in restitution, of which he has paid only $3,080. Federal prosecutors are trying to pressure this Dearborn cleric to answer questions about his finances, which they think he might be getting illegally. Feds have so far failed with their efforts, since he has taken shelter under the 5th Amendment.

More

Success! North Carolina Governor Vetoes Ag-Gag Bill

Shady “ag-gag” laws are gaining popularity in a handful of states, but activists like you have shown they’re willing to fight back. Most recently, when North Carolina legislators approved an ag-gag bill in their state, the Care2 community quickly sprung into action. Over 60,000 Care2 readers signed a petition asking to put a stop to the bill, and their pleas were answered on Friday when the governor exercised his power of veto.

The bill’s nonsensical extremism makes this fantastic news. If signed into law, HB 405 would have forbid workers from filming or collecting data that exposes wrongdoing in an effort to expose their employers. It would also further criminalize people who sought employment at a place specifically to oppose its illegal business practices. Offenders would face major fines and companies would be permitted to sue these whistleblowing employees for being “disloyal.”

“I believe [the legislation] does not adequately protect or give clear guidance to honest employees who uncover criminal activity,” said Governor Pat McCrory after vetoing the bill. “I am concerned that subjecting these employees to potential civil penalties will create an environment that discourages them from reporting illegal activities.”

More

Statues can be fun!

A Viewer Writes: VFW CONVENTION

As I was driving through OC yesterday I noticed a rather large parade of tour buses being led through town by many motorcycles including the Maryland State Police motorcycles as well as some other agencies apparently the VFW of Maryland is holding their convention in town where they bring in disabled veterans all week it was nice to see the large crowd on the side of the road welcoming them into town.

Caption This Photo 6-5-15

Control, Or The Lack Thereof

Where To Get FREE Doughnuts This Friday

Doughnuts are one of our favorite desserts of all time. Not only are they absolutely delicious, but for some glorious reason, it's totally acceptable to eat them for breakfast.

Lucky for us doughnut lovers, Friday, June 5, just so happens to be National Doughnut Day. To celebrate, shops around the country are offering freebies. Here are a few places where you can chow down gratis, in honor of this most important foodie holiday.

Dunkin' Donuts: Take home a free doughnut of your choice with any beverage purchase. (If you want to go all-out, you could pair your pastry with a new Oreo Coolatta.)

More

School Sends 11-Year-Old Students On Field Trip To Sex Shop

A sex ed teacher in Minneapolis caused an uproar after she took her class on a field trip to an adult novelty store without telling parents.

The Smitten Kitten bills itself as “a progressive sex toy store for everyone,” and “everyone” apparently includes middle school-aged students at Gaia Democratic School, an unconventional K-12 private school that operates out of a Unitarian Church. The small school only has a few dozen students.

According to Starri Hedges, Gaia’s director and sex ed teacher, students weren’t allowed to look at Smitten’s collection of pornography, but they were given access to sex toys, and some students even bought condoms.

Hedges defended the field trip as a valuable educational tool.

More

Surgeon: Caitlyn's pre-surgery recovery 'really amazing,' expected to make full recovery

The surgeon who operated on Caitlyn, the dog found muzzled with electrical tape last week in North Charleston, called her recovery "really amazing" and said she is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing plastic surgery on Wednesday

Dr. Henri Bianucci performed the surgery on the 15-month-old Staffie mix which took about two hours.

CAS officials say Banucci repaired Caitlyn's cheek and lips; originally the surgery called for work on Caitlyn's tongue, but doctors said it was not needed since the tongue was in better shape than they thought.

"Her tongue had sloughed a small area of dead tissue," Bianucci said in a statement. "The shape was roughly that of a maple leaf. It was really amazing. The combination of [hyperbaric oxygen therapy] and cold laser therapy reduced the tissue loss from the tongue to an absolute minimum."

More

Washington Nationals To Host ‘Ladies Night,’ And Surprise, Surprise Feminists Are Outraged

The Washington Nationals are one of the hottest teams in all of baseball.

The Nats are tied with the Mets atop the NL East standings, and with slugger Bryce Harper having a career year the team finally looks primed to make a deep playoff run. (RELATED: Is This Super-Complicated-Secret-Handshake Behind Bryce Harper’s MVP-Caliber Season)

Still, the left is doing its best to rain on Washington’s parade. Recently, the team began promoting a special “Ladies Night” game on June 18, and I’ll give you one chance to guess how feminists are taking it.

Over the weekend, ThinkProgress senior editor Kiley Kroh wrote that the promotion promotes, “sexist, offensive stereotypes,” and that, “the shallow attempts to lure [women] there with things that are sparkly are an insult.”

More

Baltimore Police Lower May Homicide Count To 42

Baltimore police have lowered the city's homicide count for the month of May to 42.

The department announced Thursday that after a review of a fatal shooting on May 7, detectives found it to be justified. Police say this lowers the homicide count for the month from 43.

The change makes May the city's deadliest month since August 1990, when there were also 42 homicides.

More

Carl's Jr. | The Most American Thickburger Commercial

Dollar General Taking Berlin Rejection To Court

BERLIN – Officials from a Pocomoke company whose plans to build a Dollar General in Berlin were denied approval by the town are taking the case to court.

Representatives from Oxford Chase Development, the company that proposed plans for a 9,000 square-foot Dollar General near the intersection of Route 113 and Route 346 in Berlin, filed an appeal of the decision of the Berlin Board of Appeals in Worcester County Circuit Court Thursday.

“We’re not giving up,” said John Camp, vice president of Oxford Chase Development. “We’re going to pursue it through whatever legal means we can.”

According to Randy Coates, attorney for Oxford Chase, the company will be appealing the board of appeals’ affirmation of the planning director’s decision to deny a zoning certificate for the project.

More

From The ‘Rain Tax’ To The ‘Flush Tax': 40 Times Martin Omalley Raised Taxes

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley will launch his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination Saturday in Baltimore. During the forthcoming campaign, it will be impossible for O'Malley to escape his past as a fiscal liberal who made higher taxes rain over Maryland.

Maryland was hit by 40 tax hikes costing $9.5 billion during O'Malley's eight years in office, from 2007-14. Tax-weary Marylanders made Republican Larry Hogan governor in 2014, bucking O'Malley's lieutenant governor, Anthony Brown, who was the Democratic candidate. Less-patient Marylanders voted with their feet and simply fled the state: Almost 72,000 people left Maryland from mid-2007 to mid-2014, according to Census Bureau data.

O'Malley didn't hit just the rich with his tax hikes; everyone from Ocean City to Cumberland felt the pain. The state sales tax rose to 6 percent and was applied to an increasing number of items. On the campaign trail, O'Malley may come to regret his infamous "rain tax," which imposed a fee on property owners due to storm water management efforts. Birth and death certificate fees doubled, taking more money from Marylanders on both ends of their life.

More

Ann Arundel County students allowed to use cellphones in school

Anne Arundel County students just got the green light to bring their cellphones to school and use them in class.

The county's board of education approved a revised technology policy Wednesday. Teachers and students will get more freedom use cellphones and other devices in class for learning.

The previous technology policy was on the books since the early 1990s.

"Our policy was very outdated. We were living in a policy age where we weren't allowing cellphones at all, and technically we were supposed to take them from students and bag them and tag them, and those kinds of things. That's not the reality of 2015," school spokesman Bob Mosier said.

More

Former Atlanta Falcon kicked tiny Yorkie to death & claims he was acting in self-defense

This is one of those stories so horrific it’s painful to report. Prince Shembo, the 254-pound linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons, kicked Dior, a tiny dog belonging to his girlfriend Denecia Williams, so hard it died, then had the nerve to claim afterward it was self-defense.

The Daily Mail reports,

His attorney, Jerry Froelich, said the linebacker was bit in the hand by Williams’ dog, a Yorkie named Dior, when he was putting it in a cage and he kicked the defenseless animal as a reflex.
…
Dior suffered numerous injuries – including a fractured rib, fractured liver, abdominal hemorrhage, thoracic hemorrhage, head trauma and a hemorrhage in the left eye with internal injuries – but Froelich would not comment about the number of times the dog was kicked.
…
The Falcons acted swiftly after the warrant was announced and waived the young linebacker.

More

EMERGENCY PIPE WORK BEGINS JUNE 8 ON US 13 BUSINESS IN POCOMOKE CITY

Repairs Require Daytime Closure of Market Street between 5th and 6th Streets

The Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) will repair a drain pipe under US 13 Business (Market Street) in Pocomoke City beginning Monday, June 8. SHA will complete the emergency repairs by Friday, June 12, weather permitting. Work includes excavation and replacement of old terra cotta (clay) drain pipe with corrugated plastic pipe.

To ensure the safety of motorists and workers, SHA will close Market Street to vehicle traffic between Fifth and Sixth streets from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. Detour signs will be posted during the closure hours. Crews will restore vehicle access after 7 p.m. each day. Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times.

SHA is asking residents of Market Street between Fifth and Sixth streets to make alternate parking arrangements during construction hours.

An average of 3,700 vehicles travel this section of US 13 Business each day. Brawner Builders of Hunt Valley is the contractor for these repairs, which are expected to cost $80,000.

While SHA and its transportation partners work hard to keep traffic safely moving in work zones, please partner with us because work zone safety is everyone’s business – slow down and stay alert. Safer driving. Safer work zones. For everyone.

Serial Sex Offender and Child Molester Arrested for the 29th Time, But His Mother Claims He’s Just Wife-Hunting

Most people find a wife by doing crazy things like meeting women and taking them on dates. For this career criminal, his method of wife-hunting is to molest women and children.

Registered sex offender Basam Syed, busted Tuesday for pressing against a stranger’s backside on an East Side subway, was somehow free despite 28 prior arrests — including four while on probation for a 2014 sex crime. […]

Syed, 35, was arrested after the grinding incident on a northbound No. 4 train. One year ago, he was found guilty of rubbing his genitals against the buttocks of another woman riding the No. 6 train.

… His mother insists her 36 year old son is just wife shopping:

More

Council Looks Past Objections On Proposed Street Performer Changes; New Law Takes Effect July 27

OCEAN CITY – Some Boardwalk performers submitted last-minute concerns this week over a new ordinance regulating busking on the Boardwalk.

This week an ordinance regulating street performers on the Boardwalk that will force buskers to sign up for designated locations from the Inlet to 9th Street, among other things, came before the Mayor and City Council on first reading.

The ordinance states, “The Director shall designate spaces on the Boardwalk between and including South 1st Street and 9th Street … will be available on a first-come, first-serve allocation and selection system for two periods of use; the first period shall be Monday through Thursday and the second period shall be Friday through Sunday … the Designated Spaces will be available for selection twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays one week in advance …”

More

JUST IN: US officials: Massive breach of federal personnel data

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Associated Press has learned that the Obama administration is scrambling to assess the impact of a massive data breach involving the agency that handles security clearances and employee records.

A congressional aide familiar with the situation, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to discuss it, says the Office of Personnel Management and the Interior Department were hacked. A second U.S. official who also declined to be identified said the data breach could potentially affect every federal agency.

More

LAPD has killed more people than any other agency in 2015, data show

The Los Angeles Police Department has killed more people than any other law enforcement agency in the United States this year, according to a database compiled by the Guardian newspaper.

LAPD officers have killed 10 people so far in 2015, according to the Guardian's accounting. That's twice the number killed by deputies of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which was tied for second with two other agencies. Nationwide, more than 450 people have been killed by peace officers this year.

The Guardian's data tracks deaths "arising directly from encounters with law enforcement," and was put together through news reports and crowdsourcing. The data is an "imperfect work in progress," the paper writes, given that the federal government does not comprehensively track police killings.

LAPD Commander Andrew Smith said that it's inaccurate to count two of the deaths in the database. One involved a car accident and another involved an off-duty officer who allegedly murdered a man after a dispute outside a tequila bar in Pomona.

More

SCAM ALERT!

Scam Alert The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation is warning property owners in Maryland to be aware of a...

Posted by Worcester County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, June 4, 2015

America’s Future Under Obamacare? Photo of Long Line at British Hospital Creates Demands For Change

Paul Fox was expecting a line when he took his mother to an England hospital. What he wasn’t expecting was to see what socialized medicine looks like face to face.

“This concatenation of misery has been created by administrational and political action,” he said. Those who have connived to create it either do not know what they are doing, in which case they are incompetent or they do know what they are doing, in which case they are evil.”

His mother, Agnes Fox, was stuck in line for 12 hours. The dementia-sufferer was not seem by a doctor and she even went without food:

“People were lying, crying out in pain for hours,” said Fox.

He blames it on budget cuts. Because, much like in America, it’s never the fault of a failed ideology. It’s always because we aren’t spending enough money.

More

Chart: The most liberal and conservative jobs in America

You can probably guess that environmentalists and yoga instructors are more likely to be Democrats -- and oil workers to be Republicans. But what about flight attendants, talk show hosts, and neurosurgeons?

Verdant Labs, which makes a baby names app, recently published an extensive chart on the average political affiliations of various professions. To create the graphic, the company aggregated data from the Federal Election Commission on contributions to political parties, and used that information as a proxy for political views.

As the graphic below shows, midwives, taxi drivers, flight attendants, park rangers, pediatricians and architects are all more likely to lean to the left than the right. In contrast, business owners, talk show hosts, beer wholesalers, surgeons and Catholic priests are more likely to be conservative.

More

Westboro Baptist Church Says It’s Going to Iraq So They Can Protest ISIS

It’s easy for Westboro Baptist Church to protest here in the United States, but would they have the guts to protest ISIS in Iraq? It appears so, because when comedian Adam Hills offered to pay their way to Iraq so they could do just that, the psycho church actually accepted.

Westboro Baptist Church, the hate group that masquerades as a religious organization, is known for their publicity stunts, but they may have bit off more than they can chew with this one. After a comedian offered to pay for them to fly to Iraq so they can protestreal Christian persecution at the hands of Islamic militants, the group tweeted that they have accepted his offer. They want to take their picket signs and head over to a country currently occupied by a group that beheads Christian children without hesitation – this ought to go well.

To bring you up to speed: Last week, Australian comedian Adam Hills gave an brilliant, hilarious proposal to the WBC after learned that they planned to – surprise, surprise – picket Robin Williams’ funeral. On his show, The Last Leg, Hills pointed out that the infamous “God Hates Fags” group is quick to march around with signs protesting American hedonism, but don’t have the courage to protest the daily persecution Christians in Iraq are facing at the hands of “the people threatening to behead Christians if they don’t convert.”

More

WCSO Press Releases - June 4, 2015

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY LONG PRESS RELEASE PLEASE USE THE READ MORE LINK TO SEE THE ENTIRE RELEASE

Incident: WCSO Activity

Date of Incident:   29-31 May 2015

Location:  Wicomico County

On 29 May 2015 a deputy arrested Douglas Richard White, 58 of Delmar, MD, on a District Court Bench Warrant. The warrant was issued after White failed to show for a Driving Suspended and Uninsured case. White was detained on a bond of $3,500.00.

Douglas White

On 31 May 2015 a deputy arrested Jaymi Kristen Turner, 27 of Salisbury, on a District Court Bench Warrant. The warrant was issued after Turner violated the terms of her probation in a CDS Possession case. Turner was detained on a bond of $25,000.00.

Jaymi Turner

*****************************************

Incident: Warrant Arrest

Date of Incident: 31 May 2015

Location: Ocean Gateway at Chippewa Boulevard, Salisbury, MD

Suspect: Coty Devore Williams Burke, 21, Seaford, DE

Coty Burke

Narrative: On 31 May 2015 at 4:50 PM, a deputy stopped to assist a disable motorist and ended up locating a wanted subject, Coty Burke. A warrant had been issued for Burke after he failed to appear for a Driving Suspended case in the District Court.

The deputy placed Burke under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Burke on Personal Recognizance.

Charges: Failure to Appear

Food Gestapo: Grade School Teacher Threatened With Fines for Violating Michelle Obama’s School Snack Rules

Mean Michelle is now turning into the Gestapo with her absurd and unpopular school food demands. It’s so bad now that a grade school teacher in West Virginia recently faced fines for daring to give her children “unapproved snacks” in the classroom.

Sieg Heil to Michelle Obama’s food police…

Students and parents are rallying to the defense of a teacher who is accused of violating federal school snack rules.

The Williamson PreK-8 teacher, who was not identified, would give her students “wrapped candy” as a reward for their hard work and good behavior.

Because the practice was an alleged violation of the federal rules championed by first lady Michelle Obama, Mingo County Schools Director of Child Nutrition Kay Maynard “placed a call to officials at the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) to report the incident,” the Williamson Daily News reports.

Maynard also spoke to Williamson PreK-8 principal Shannon Blackburn, telling him about the possibility of a monetary fine for the teacher.

When news spread, parents and student mobilized, collecting pennies to pay the potential fine on the teacher’s behalf.

More

11th Annual Miles For Military

Obama Lost Tons of Guns and Ammo and 2,300 Humvees to ISIS

Obama gave 2,300 Humvees and other armored vehicles to the Iraqis at a cost of $579 million of our tax dollars. Now they are all in the hands of ISIS after the Iraqi city of Mosul fell.

Along with the Humvees, ISIS got thousands of guns and tons of ammunition given to the Iraqis. By refusing to fight ISIS, it was Obama who essentially supplied ISIS with thousands of tons of war supplies.

raqi security forces lost 2,300 Humvee armored vehicles when ISIS overran the northern city of Mosul, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Sunday.

“In the collapse of Mosul, we lost a lot of weapons,” Abadi said in an interview with Iraqiya state TV. “We lost 2,300 Humvees in Mosul alone.”

While the exact price of the vehicles varies depending on how they are armored and equipped, it is clearly a hugely expensive loss that has boosted ISIS’s capabilities.

Last year, the State Department approved a possible sale to Iraq of 1,000 Humvees with increased armor, machineguns, grenade launchers, other gear and support that was estimated to cost $579 million.

Clashes began in Mosul, Iraq’s second city, late on June 9, 2014, and Iraqi forces lost it the following day to ISIS, which spearheaded an offensive that overran much of the country’s Sunni Arab heartland.

The militants gained ample arms, ammunition and other equipment when multiple Iraqi divisions fell apart in the country’s north, abandoning gear and shedding uniforms in their haste to flee.

But remember… Obama says we are winning against ISIS.

Source

Pat Sajak: Americans So Dumbed Down It’s Hard Creating ‘Fair’ Puzzles on ‘Wheel of Fortune’

Pat Sajak of Wheel Of Fortune got himself in a bit of hot water when he noted on twitter that Americans are becoming so dumbed down that the show’s planners are having a hard time being fair to contestants when creating puzzles, ones that they think every one will know and be able to easily suss out.

On June 1, Sajak Tweeted out saying, “As we lose our common culture, one odd side effect: it’s harder to find puzzles on Wheel that are fair to all.”

But Pat is exactly right. As the Democrat Party and their leader–our first communist president Barrack Hussein Obama–attempt to destroy our past with a purposefully failed “education” system and the constant importation of hundreds of millions of illegals and other foreigners who are never urged to adopt our culture, we are losing our nation.

The plan, Pat, is to destroy the USA. You are just seeing a tiny example of that in your show’s difficulty in arranging puzzles that will be understandable to the mainstream of the country.

More

Obama: ‘I Think Many of the Things Said About Me are Terribly Unfair’

Another day, another instance of Obama whining about something. This time, Obama wants everyone to know how mean people are, because they say ‘terribly unfair’ things about him.

President Barack Obama told a gathering of young Southeast Asian leaders that democracy has led to “terribly unfair” things being said about him.

“As I always point out, democracy is hard,” Obama told the town hall gathering of 75 people with the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative at the White House Monday. “I think many of the things said about me are terribly unfair.”

“But the reason American democracy has survived so long is because people, even if they are wrong, have the right to say what they think,” Obama continued. “George Washington, our first president, complained terribly about some of the foolishness that was said about him.”

Still, he said “it’s important for America to realize we are not perfect either.”

“So we have to make sure we are constantly seeing how we improve our democracy,” Obama said. “The amounts of money for example that are involved in our elections these days is disturbing because it makes it seem like a few people have a greater influence in the democracy than the many.”

Technically, Obama is right — people do say unfair things about him. Plenty of liberals in the media give him all kinds of praise that he doesn’t deserve and never will… but that’s not what he meant, was it?

Source

Obama ‘Reassigns’ TSA Chief After Guns and Bombs Found Easily Smuggled Through Airport

President Obama’s administration has quietly “reassigned” the head of the Transportation Security Administration after a new report found that guns and bombs were easily sneaked past TSA screeners and into airports.

Obama’s DHS reported today that TSA chief Melvin Carraway was “reassigned” and is no longer running the agency.

The acting chief of the Transportation Security Administration was ousted late Monday night after an embarrassing new report found that airport security officers badly failed a new test, missing almost every firearm and explosive investigators tried to sneak by them.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced the move, saying Melvin Carraway had been “reassigned” to another part of the department and his deputy would take over, serving until the Senate can confirm a new chief.

Earlier in the night Mr. Johnson had said he’d just been given a classified briefing on the inspector general’s findings that found a major loophole in security that could allow people to sneak prohibited items by TSA screeners and into what were supposed to be secure areas of airports.

Mr. Johnson said the preliminary findings were classified and said it wasn’t “appropriate or prudent” to talk about them — but ABC News reported that IG investigators managed to sneak contraband material by TSA screeners in 67 of 70 tests.

“Reassigned”? Why not frikkin FIRED! Oh, yeah, because no one is ever held accountable in this administration.

Source

BlackLivesMatter Protest Page is Hacked and Defaced!

Earlier this afternoon a Black Lives Matter Facebook page entitled “Baltimore Protests” was hacked and defaced by Patriotic Hacktivist and Info Sec member “iHazCandy” of Consternation Security who is also the CEO of PatriotVPN. Over the course of the last year iHazCandy has become well known for his work against Anonymous groups who intended to do harm to Ferguson Police Officers, and his preventative measures taken to protect the American Military against foreign and domestic threats such as ISIS and Hamas.

It seems the the Facebook page “Baltimore Protests” had recently created a protest event located in Ferguson MO, in reference to the recent killing of Usaama Rahim in Boston MA, who was killed due to his actions of lunging at police with a large military knife. The New York Times reports that Usaama Rahim was under 24-hour surveillance for “communicating with and spreading ISIS propaganda online” and had intentions of “beheading police officers”. The “Baltimore Protests” Facebook event sought to recruit members of the Ferguson community to protest the death of Usaama Rahim from across the street of the Ferguson Police Dept by first enticing them with free Halal BBQ at 5pm, while radicalizing them for protests at 8pm. The creation of the “Baltimore Protests” page and its creation of a protest event in Ferguson should raise red flags for Patriots nationwide. As Americans we should keep a keen eye open for connections between individuals who travel from city to city to protest in places which recently have outcomes such as in Baltimore and Ferguson. The issue of outside and foreign agitators who pay Americans who are willing to subvert authority under the guise of protesting is now in the mainstream of American talking points, and our leaders must address these issues because they have become safety concerns
More