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Wednesday, January 07, 2015

Life In Pictures (5 of 5)




ISM Manufacturing & Construction Spending Collapse To 6-Month Lows

Not decoupling-er. Completing this morning's triple whammy of ugliness, US construction spending in December dropped 0.3% (against expectations of a 0.4% rise) - the biggest monthly drop since June. On the back of a crash in new orders from 66.0 to 57.3 (and prices paid plunging to 30 month lows), ISM Manufacturing also tumbled from 58.7 to 55.5 - its lowest since June (missing expectations by the most since January). Unable to find a silver lining, ISM's Holcomb proclaimed "comments are a 'bit mixed'".

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It Only Took Brad Thor Two Words to Respond to a Radical Muslim Cleric Who Sent Out ‘Moronic’ Messages After France Attack

 In 2011, the London cleric declared that if Jesus were alive today he would be a Muslim and implement Shariah law; just two months ago he said if authorities would guarantee him safe passage to the territories controlled by the Islamic State, he would leave the United Kingdom.

And after Wednesday’s fatal shooting of 12 people at the satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo — which the president of France called “a terrorist attack, without a doubt” — Choudary tweeted that freedom of expression doesn’t apply to those who insult the Prophet Muhammad:


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Chuck Todd: 'Mega-Rich' Are Afraid of Rand Paul

In an appearance on NBC’s “Today” on Thursday, “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd laid out what he foresees as the make-up of the 2015 political landscape, much of which has to do with the 2016 presidential contest.

According to Todd, on the Republican side, the disconnect between the grassroots and the establishment will continue to show itself as former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) and other possible candidates like Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) and former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) vie for front-runner status headed into next year.

“The establishment, AKA, donors, they want one of those three [Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, Chris Christie],” Todd said. “The grassroots: They’re not interested in any of those three. They’re very unpopular with the people who actually vote in Republican primaries, the people that vote in Iowa and New Hampshire and North Carolina. There’s a real disconnect between the mega-rich guys who are backing the Republican Party — they want a Jeb. They want a Romney again. They’ll even accept a Christie, though I think he is a sort of lower third. They’re afraid of what the grassroots might select, whether it is a Rand Paul, a Ted Cruz, whatever.”

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Tycoon's ex rejects $975 million divorce check

Not everyone gets to see a check for $975 million with their name on it. But after a highly contentious divorce, Sue Ann Arnall is looking for more.

She rejected the check her ex-husband Harold Hamm sent her Monday, according to his attorneys.

Hamm agreed to pay the nearly $1 billion back in November. He's somewhat of a legend in the oil business, having built Continental Resources (CLR) from the ground up and led the development of North Dakota's Bakken oil field.

But Arnall, an economist and a lawyer who held executive positions in the company, has said she is entitled to more. She filed for an appeal, claiming that the fortune was due to both her work and his.

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Del. fire truck hits house; no injuries reported

The rig was responding to a multi-vehicle crash in the area, which one witness said involved more than 10 cars

WILMINGTON, Del. —
A fire truck hit a house Tuesday morning after sliding more than 100 feet.

Delaware Online reported that no injuries were reported as Wilmington Fire Department's Engine 6 slid downhill shortly after 9 a.m., hitting a car and a house.

The fire truck reportedly was responding to a multi-vehicle crash in the area, which one witness said involved more than 10 cars.

Streets in the area are closed.

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Clint Eastwood on the Libertarian View


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Since Obamacare, L.A. County ER visits show hospitals in 'state of flux'

A key measure of hospital emergency room use in Los Angeles County shows continued growth during the first six months of Obamacare, but also points to shifting patterns of where patients are choosing to receive urgent medical treatment.

With the healthcare expansion last year, many are watching how the Affordable Care Act affects emergency room use.

President Obama has promised his signature health law will gradually reduce expensive ER visits as access to other kinds of care is expanded. Critics contend newly insured patients — especially those enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state's low-income health program that picks up most patient costs — aren't likely to seek care elsewhere, and will overwhelm emergency rooms.

Neither of those outcomes were clearly evident in the first months of the new healthcare system's operation in Los Angeles County, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis.

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EPA Approves Maryland’s New Limits on Trash in Lower Patapsco Waterways, Including Baltimore Harbor

 
Philadelphia, PA –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Maryland today announced a new set of pollution limits for trash for portions of the Patapsco River. These limits, also known as a Total Maximum Daily Load or TMDL, require the control of trash entering the tidal shoreline of the Middle Branch and Northwest Branch of the Patapsco River, including Baltimore Harbor and the upstream watersheds of Jones Falls and Gwynns Falls.

Each year, hundreds of tons of trash and debris are washed into the Patapsco watershed from stormwater runoff, or dumped, not only creating a nuisance and an eyesore, but endangering birds, fish and other wildlife that ingest or become entangled in the debris.

The federal Clean Water Act directs states to develop TMDLs for impaired water bodies, such as the Patapsco River. A TMDL establishes the amount of a pollutant, in this case trash, which a water body can assimilate without exceeding water quality standards. TMDLs provide the basis for establishing water quality-based controls, reducing pollution from both point and nonpoint sources and restoring the quality of water resources.

Anti-Gun Rahm Emanuel’s Yard Sign Warns Burglars That He Has Armed Secret Service

Chicago Mayor and gun-control advocate Rahm Emanuel is protected in his home at all hours of the day and night by armed policemen, and a sign outside his house warns would-be burglars that armed Secret Service agents are standing guard.

After Emanuel’s son was robbed outside the mayor’s home last weekend, a Fox 32 news report stated that Emanuel, a member of Michael Bloomberg’s gun-control group Mayors Against Illegal Guns, has 24/7 protection from the Chicago Police Department.

A sign outside the Emanuel home also informs trespassers that the mayor has Secret Service protection. It appears that Emanuel, a former Obama White House chief of staff, still has this sign up outside of his house, according to a screenshot (Note: mayors don’t get Secret Service):

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AA County Police Responds To 142 Accidents In 7 Hours

Anne Arundel County police spokesperson T.J. Smith says they responded to 142 accidents from 3:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M.

Most involved vehicles sliding off the road with property damage only and drivers exchanging information.

Two students were injured in Pasadena on their way to school, while a 15-year-old girl was struck by a vehicle. She was crossing the street to get to school.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools did not cancel or delay their start time. Spokesman Bob Mosier said the delay would've placed younger drivers, i.e. students who drive to school, in "potentially worse conditions in rush hour."

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The Rage of Geronimo

His life was changed in a day.

He grew up working and playing with his family in the mountains and valleys of what is now Arizona. His mother Juana placed him in a swing that rocked gently in the breeze as she worked. He played games of hide-and-seek with the other children. He worked cultivating and planting corn, beans, melons, and pumpkins with his family. He enjoyed hunting and evening get-togethers when the tribe played a campfire game where competing teams would take turns hiding a bone in a moccasin. He married his beloved delicate childhood sweetheart Alope and had three children.

He built a tepee for his dear family next to his widowed mother’s tepee so that he could care for her as well. His wife Alope drew beautiful pictures on the walls of their home. The tepee was made of buffalo hides and was very comfortable with many bear robes and lion hides. Alope drew pictures on buckskin which decorated the interior of the tepee. She made decorations of beads for the home as well.

In the summer of 1858, being at peace with the towns in Mexico and with all the neighboring Indian tribes, Geronimo’s entire tribe went from Arizona to Mexico to trade. They traveled into Sonora. They made camp for a few days in a rural area near a Mexican town. The men went to town to trade during the day and the women and children were left at the campsite with a small number of Indian guards. The tribe’s arms, supplies, food, and horses were left at the campsite as well. One day, when the men returned from their trading session with the people in town, they were met by a few women and children who told them that soldiers had killed the Indian guards, stolen all the tribe’s horses, taken all the arms, destroyed all the supplies, and killed many of the women and children.

The tribe quickly dispersed and went into hiding in the surrounding countryside to guard against additional slaughter. Before splitting up, they agreed to meet later at a thicket by the river under cover of darkness to assess the situation and to verify who had been killed.

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Maryland paper fires back after county councilman threatens suit to keep name out of print

On Tuesday, a Maryland public official named Kirby Delauter became an Internet sensation for all the wrong reasons.

The Frederick County, Md. councilman threatened to sue his local newspaper, the Frederick News-Post, for publishing his name without his permission, despite his status as, again, a public official.

"Use my name again unauthorized and you'll be paying for an attorney," the Republican said in a Facebook post directed at News-Post county government reporter Bethany Rodgers this past Saturday.

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URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

Wind Chill Advisory

 
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
403 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

MDZ021>025-080515-
/O.CON.KAKQ.WC.Y.0001.150108T0200Z-150108T1400Z/
DORCHESTER-WICOMICO-SOMERSET-INLAND WORCESTER-MARYLAND BEACHES-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CAMBRIDGE...SALISBURY...CRISFIELD...
PRINCESS ANNE...SNOW HILL...OCEAN CITY
403 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING
TO 9 AM EST THURSDAY...

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO
9 AM EST THURSDAY.

* AREAS AFFECTED: THE LOWER MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE.

* HAZARDS: LOW WIND CHILLS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS.

* TEMPERATURES: LOWS MAINLY 10 TO 15.

* WIND CHILL VALUES: AROUND 5 TO 10 BELOW ZERO FROM LATE THIS
  EVENING THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.

* WINDS: NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 45 MPH INTO
  TONIGHT.

* IMPACTS: FROST BITE AND HYPOTHERMIA ARE POSSIBLE IF
  PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS
WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT IN
FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.
IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS...MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND
GLOVES. STRONG WINDS MAY CAUSE SPORADIC POWER OUTAGES.

Top Posts This Week

Wicomico Teachers underpaid? I think not!



CLOSED FOR REMODEL

Dear Neighbors, Guests & Friends...

Boonies Restaurant will be closed for cosmetic remodeling until early April.  

We apologize for any inconvenience but look forward to great changes and invite you to join us for now at our other Southern Boys locations...

Evolution Craft Brewing Co. Public House
SoBo's Wine Beerstro
Specific Gravity Pizzeria

This closing is effective today.  
Stay tuned for more information regarding the GRAND RE-OPENING, coming in early April 2015.  
We thank you for your business!

Maryland Casinos Generate $85.6 Million in Revenue During December

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency today announced December 2014 revenue numbers for the state’s five casinos – Hollywood Casino Perryville in Cecil County, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore in Baltimore City, Casino at Ocean Downs in Worcester County, Maryland Live Casino in Anne Arundel County, and Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Allegany County. December 2014’s combined statewide revenue totaled $85,629,901. 

Hollywood Casino Perryville generated $6,036,498 from both slot machines and table games in December. Gross gaming revenue per unit per day was: $145.15 for slot machines, $1,922.53 for banking table games and $357.23 for non-banking table games. Hollywood Casino’s December 2014 revenue decreased by $454,046, or 7%, from December 2013. Hollywood Casino Perryville operates 1,158 slot machines and 22 (12 banking and 10 non-banking) table games. 

Horseshoe Casino Baltimore generated $22,909,698 from both slot machines and table games in December. Gross gaming revenue per unit per day was: $152.12 for slot machines, $2,732.56 for banking table games and $1,013.61 for non-banking table games. Horseshoe Casino Baltimore operates 2,500 slot machines and 147 (122 banking and 25 non-banking) table games. The casino opened to the public in August 2014. 

Maryland Live Casino generated $50,234,547 from both slot machines and table games in December. Gross gaming revenue per unit per day was: $241.63 for slot machines, $3,889.86 for banking table games and $1,296.38 for non-banking table games. Maryland Live’s December 2014 revenue decreased by $2,298,021, or 4.4%, from December 2013. Maryland Live Casino operates 4,222 slot machines and 189 (137 banking and 52 non-banking) table games. Casino at Ocean Downs generated $3,372,910 in December, and its gross gaming revenue per unit per day was $136.00. 

Casino at Ocean Downs’ December 2014 revenue decreased by $16,732, or .5%, from December 2013. The Casino at Ocean Downs operates 800 slot machines. 
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Police: Dump Truck Driver Intentionally Rams Two Police Cruisers

A dump truck intentionally rammed two police cruisers in Glenarden, Maryland, Wednesday.

The cruisers were unoccupied in the Woodmore Towne Centre parking lot, and no injuries were reported.

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O’Malley To Bring Up To $400M In Cuts To Board

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Gov. Martin O’Malley says he plans to bring up to $400 million in state budget cuts to the Maryland Board of Public Works.

O’Malley said in an interview Tuesday he has a meeting scheduled later in the afternoon to discuss the cuts with two other board members. He says he plans to bring between $350 million and $400 million to Wednesday’s board meeting.

The cuts will be proposed in response to projected state revenues being revised downward.

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The Fix Is In: RNC Establishment Already Seized Control Over the Presidential Nomination Process

Constitutional conservatives are not only mad at the Republican Party Establishment, but they want to defeat them—and defeat them badly. The bad news is that the Republican Establishment knows this and has already fixed the process to favor their selected 2016 Presidential nominee.

Conservatives want Party leadership thrown out and they want Establishment Republican elected officials defeated in primaries. This could not be more obvious as recently elected Establishment favorites are swiftly and forcefully joining forces with the Obama administration on at least two of the most important issues facing our nation: illegal immigration and the national debt.

In response, many conservatives have become very optimistic about the 2016 primary season, including the prospect of nominating for the first time in 32 years a real conservative to represent the Party in a presidential election. I wish this were true.

The sad reality is that the deck is already stacked against the conservatives to such a degree that winning the GOP presidential nomination will be extremely difficult, if not next to impossible. This is true even if the conservatives can agree on a strong, viable nominee to represent them and even though the vast majority of the Republican base is conservative. How can this possibly be?

While many conservative leaders and pundits dismiss the role of the Republican National Committee (RNC) itself when it comes to determining the philosophical direction of the Party, the reality is that Party organization and procedures are vital to determining that direction and it ultimately affects public policy. This is most clearly seen at the presidential level.

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Fiscal Year 2014 Maryland Tourism Development – Fund Annual Report (Annual Report)

FBI: No Expectation of Privacy from Stingrays in Public

Agency claims citizens' cell phone data up for grabs

Two U.S. Senators attempting to investigate government use of cellphone interceptors, commonly referred to as “Stingrays,” have confirmed that no search warrants are obtained when FBI agents use the devices in public.

Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) discovered the startling information last year during a private briefing in which agency officials laid out a list of warrant exemptions.

In a letter to Homeland Security Chief Jeh Johnson and Attorney General Eric Holder, both Senators expressed their concerns over the wildly broad exemptions and questioned whether seperate government agencies were following the same policy.

For example, we understand that the FBI’s new policy requires FBI agents to obtain a search warrant whenever a cell-site simulator is used as part of a FBI investigation or operation, unless one of several exceptions apply, including (among others): (1) cases that pose an imminent danger to public safety, (2) cases that involve a fugitive, or (3) cases in which the technology is used in public places or other locations at which the FBI deems there is no reasonable expectation of privacy.

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SFD Calls For Service 1-6-15

  • Tuesday January, 6 2015 @ 19:40Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Tuesday January, 6 2015 @ 19:17Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Tuesday January, 6 2015 @ 16:42Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Tuesday January, 6 2015 @ 12:37Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Tuesday January, 6 2015 @ 11:57Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury

‘Medical Kidnapping’: Couple Accuses State of Stealing Kids After Routine Hospital Visit

Children's health deteriorates in state custody after CPS confiscates without proof of neglect

A young couple was forced to spend the holidays apart from their three children after a routine trip to the hospital resulted in their offspring’s confiscation.

When South Dakota couple Molly Bowling and Michael Becker discovered their two-month old, Creedance, had a cut on his tongue that was making eating difficult, they did what any parent would and called their doctor.

“He wouldn’t eat. When he was crying we would see the cut on his tongue, so I called his doctor and he said we should take him to the ER. So we went to the ER,” Bowling told KSFY.

Once the Sioux Falls couple explained they believed Creedance may have been harmed in daycare, staff members reached out to the non-profit child abuse organization Children’s Voices who advised the hospital to keep the infant overnight.

“It all happened so fast,” said Becker, according toMedicalKidnap.com. “Next thing I know, we’re being questioned by CPS and detectives.”

CPS then went and inspected the home where the family’s other two children were staying with their grandparents and deemed it suitable, however, authorities declared parents Molly and Michael would have to stay somewhere else.

Later, police were reportedly sent to question the parents separately. When Becker felt he was being given the third degree, he asked for an attorney. Molly says, “everything came downhill after that.”

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Youth Misery Index Grows More than 50% Under Obama Administration

Young America’s Foundation has released its Youth Misery Index (YMI) numbers for 2014, and it’s a record high of 106.5. The Youth Misery Index (YMI) is calculated by adding youth unemployment, student loan debt, and national debt (per capita) numbers.

Young people are experiencing hardships like never before under the Obama administration, and this generation is especially suffering the consequences of this administration’s leftist policies.

Youth unemployment in 2014 was 18.1 percent (18.1 on YMI), with almost six million young people between the ages of 16 and 24 not in school or work. Many young people are simply giving up on finding employment.

Student loan debt for 2014 rings in at a record-breaking $30,000 (30.0 on YMI). Student debt has risen at an average of six percent per year since 2008, and today, 70% of college seniors graduate with student loan debt. In addition, the job market still hasn’t recovered, leaving many recent graduates with little or no income to pay back their loans.

National debt per capita for 2014 is the highest it’s ever been at $58,437 (58.4 on YMI). Young people will be stuck paying for government debt they had no part in creating, and they’ll have to do it with less discretionary income than ever before because of record-high levels of student loan debt.

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JUST IN: Subject wanted in Delaware barricaded in Newport News motel

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — Newport News Police Department Tactical Operations Unit is responding to the 1060 block of Jefferson Avenue in regard to a wanted felon being barricaded in a motel room.

Authorities say the suspect is wanted out of Delaware.

Stay with WAVY 10 for more on this developing story.

Syria: Isis chief executioner found beheaded with cigarette in his mouth

In a grotesque twist of the saying "live by the sword, die by the sword", an Islamic State executioner in Syria who carried out beheadings for the jihadist group has been found with his head cut off.

The body of the Egyptian man, known to be the deputy emir of the feared al-Hesbah (or Hisbah) force in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor, was recovered near a power plant in al-Mayadeen city, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The corpse showed signs of torture and carried the message "This is evil, you Sheikh" written on it. The severed head also had a cigarette in its mouth. It is unclear who carried out the decapitation but the message was obvious.

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Police officers more hesitant to shoot black suspects, study finds

In fact, he said, officers involved in shootings have told him that they were actually relieved that the person they shot was white, not black.

“The second things is, I’ve had multiple officers tell me they were worried in the wake of a shooting because they shot a black person, and I’ve had multiple officers tell me that they were glad that the person they shot was white,” Mr. Klinger said. “Because then they knew they weren’t going to have to be subject to the racial harangue.”

The interviews, which he conducted for a book he’s planning to finish this year, run directly counter to the prevailing view pushed by social justice groups, politicians and others: that shooting victims such as 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson were victims at least in part of racial discrimination against blacks among cops.

“Police officers — at least the ones I interviewed — are very sensitive to the race issue, but not in the way this popular narrative is running, i.e., cops are out there trying to find young black men who don’t have guns so they can shoot them down like dogs in the street,” Mr. Klinger said. “That just isn’t anything I’ve found in any of the research that I’ve done.”

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Fireworks Warehouse Explodes in Columbia

More sanctions against North Korea forthcoming

The Obama Administration says its new round of sanctions against North Korea is just the beginning. Officials tell the AP the new rules freeze assets in the U.S. owned by 10 individuals working for the North Korean government or closely tied to it. Three North Korean defense organizations are also under sanction. Observers say there might be little else the U.S. can do. Many sanctions are in place already because of North Korea's nuclear missile program. North Korean officials reacted angrily to the sanctions, imposed in response to hacking that hit Sony Pictures.

DUI - SOUTHERN STYLE

Only a person in North Carolina could think of this. From the country where drunk driving is considered a sport, comes this true story.

Recently a routine police patrol was parked outside a bar in Kinston , North Carolina . After last call, the officer noticed a man leaving the bar so apparently intoxicated that he could barely walk.

The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes, with the officer quietly observing. After what seemed an eternity, in which he tried his keys on five different vehicles, the man managed to find his car and fall into it. He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off. Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off--it was a fine, dry summer night--,flicked the blinkers on and off a couple of times, honked the horn and then switched on the lights. He moved the vehicle forward a few inches, reversed a little, and th en remained still for a few more minutes as some more of the other patrons' vehicles left.

At last, when his was the only car left in the parking lot, he pulled out and drove slowly down the road.

The police officer, having waited patiently all this time, now started up his patrol car, put on the flashing lights, and promptly pulled the man over and administered a breathalyzer test.

To his amazement, the breathalyzer indicated no evidence that the man had consumed any alcohol at all! Dumbfounded, the officer said, "I'll have to ask you to accompany me to the police station. This breathalyzer equipment must be broken."

"I doubt it," said the truly proud Redneck. 

"Tonight I'm the designated decoy."

Governor O’Malley Honors Harriet Tubman with Bust at Government House

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley joined state officials and dignitaries at Government House to unveil a bronze bust of Harriet Tubman — the first bust of an African American to be displayed in the Governor’s residence in Annapolis, Maryland.

Joining Governor O’Malley for the ceremony were First Lady Katie O’Malley, descendants of Harriet Tubman, artist Brendan O’Neill Sr., U.S. Congressman Elijah Cummings, and Dr. Joni Jones Floyd, Director of the Banneker Douglass Museum of Annapolis and Executive Director of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture

“Harriet Tubman is one of the most inspiring Marylanders and greatest Americans we have ever known and I’m grateful for Brendan O’Neill Sr. donating his talents to share her history with generations to come,” said Governor O’Malley. “In commemorating the life of Harriet Tubman, we’re ensuring that the healing light of those who shine against the darkness of human frailty will never dim.”

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Member Of Notorious Gang Carries Loaded Gun Into Police Station

Baltimore's top cop calls it "alarming." A reputed member of a notorious city gang is accused of carrying a loaded gun into a police station.

Officers promptly arrested 29-year-old Jason Armstrong after they say he walked into the Northeast district station Tuesday.

Police say Armstrong was sent to the police station by the Black Guerilla Family to test security.

Police Commissioner Anthony Batts vows the police department won't be intimidated by the BGF.

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There are 1400 cars inside this grounded ship

Here's the good news: the BBC reports that salvage crews have reached a badly listing car transporter that was intentionally grounded near Southhampton in the U.K. yesterday evening, and they're assessing options to right the ship and (perhaps) recover its cargo of vehicles.

The bad news? The cars and trucks inside are almost certainly badly damaged due to the severe angle the ship is listing at. And these aren't beaters off to be sold in some impoverished nation; the Hoegh Osaka was full of new premium vehicles like Jaguars, Land Rovers, and Minis.

The ship was carrying approximately 1400 cars—about 1200 Jaguar/Land Rover products and 65 Minis among them—and some construction equipment when, after leaving port, it developed a severe list. To prevent the ship from overturning completely, the crew grounded the vessel off the Isle of Wight, a short distance away. The crew were rescued, but the ship was left on a bank at a severe 45-degree angle.

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Ron Paul: Hey Congress, Want To Fix The Country?

Reversing the long, slow slide toward authoritarianism

Since New Year’s is traditionally a time for resolutions, and since the new Congress convenes this week, I thought I would suggest some New Year’s resolutions for Congress:

1) Bring the troops home — Congress should take the first, and most important, step toward ending our hyper-interventionist foreign policy by bringing our troops home and closing all overseas military facilities. The American people can no longer afford to bear the cost of empire.

2) Pass the Audit the Fed bill — The American people deserve to know the entire truth about how the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy benefits big-spending politicians and financial elites while harming average Americans.

3) Repeal the PATRIOT Act and rein in the National Security Agency — It is approaching two years since Edward Snowden revealed the extent of the NSA’s unconstitutional spying. Yet Congress still refuses to put a leash on the surveillance state. Congress should take the first step toward restoring respect for the Fourth Amendment by allowing Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act to expire.

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Why Are There So Many Dead Malls? The Middle Class Is Dying, Too

Dead malls are in the news often lately, whether they’ve become self-aware, are being reduced to rubble, or are being turned into condos or houses of worship. Even teens don’t want to hang out there anymore. Why is it, though, that malls that once clothed and entertained the middle class are dying out? What, if anything, will take their place? 

"Make Me Smile, Chicago" Avery Molek, 8 year old Drummer

Black Guerrilla Family gang sends armed man to 'test security' at Baltimore police station

A member of the Black Guerrilla Family (BGF) gang, armed with a loaded .22 caliber handgun, walked into a Baltimore police station on Tuesday in order to test its security, police said.

Baltimore police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts said the 29-year-old man walked into the Northeastern District station “fully armed and loaded with drugs on him,” The Baltimore Sun reported.

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Islamist gunmen kill at least 12, wound 15 inside Paris satirical publication

Black-clad gunmen open fire inside Paris offices of satirical publication Charlie Hebdo -- known for lampooning Islamic radicals, including publishing a cover caricature of the Prophet Mohammed -- killing at least 12 and injuring as many as 15. Witnesses say the gunmen yelled, 'We've avenged the honor of the prophet!' before escaping. Police and several journalists reportedly are among the dead.

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More Delays

The Postal Service has delayed part of its plan for closing 82 mail processing centers this year. The closures are to start this month. But for at least ten of the facilities, that date has been pushed to April. GovExec reports a spokesman said the Postal Service wants to wait until after potential bad weather passes. Members of Congress have objected to the closure plan. A majority of Senators and 160 House members signed a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donohoe, asking him to delay the closures for one year. Shutdown of facilities the Postal Service deemed unnecessary started in 2012. So far Postal has closed 141 plants.

Sharyl Attkisson sues administration over computer hacking

Former CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson has sued the Justice Department over the hacking of her computers, officially accusing the Obama administration of illegal surveillance while she was reporting on administration scandals.

In a series of legal filings that seek $35 million in damages, Attkisson alleges that three separate computer forensic exams showed that hackers used sophisticated methods to surreptitiously monitor her work between 2011 and 2013.

"I just think it's important to send a message that people shouldn't be victimized and throw up their hands and think there's nothing they can do and they're powerless," Attkisson said in an interview.

The department has steadfastly denied any involvement in the hacking, saying in a 2013 statement: "To our knowledge, the Justice Department has never compromised Ms. Attkisson's computers, or otherwise sought any information from or concerning any telephone, computer, or other media device she may own or use."

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Brian Frosh is sworn in as Maryland attorney general, warns of cuts in programs

Maryland’s new attorney general sounded a note of warning moments after he took the oath of office Tuesday, saying that spending cuts being promised by Gov.-elect Larry Hogan will take a toll on state services.

Referring to budget reductions absorbed by the attorney general’s office in recent years and a shortfall that Hogan says will lead to more, Democrat Brian E. Frosh said: “Every year we say bravely that we will do more with less. The truth is that we will do less with less.”

Frosh, a five-term state senator, was sworn in as Maryland’s 46th attorney general in the House’s chamber, where he began his legislative career as a state delegate nearly 30 years ago.

What You Need To Know about the 2016 Election in 2 Minutes

GM Will Use OnStar To Zap Coupons Into Your Car

OnStar is General Motors’ in-car information service that does everything for you from call for help when it detects an accident to offering the kind of information and directions that most people now get from our smartphones. Now GM has a new offering to tempt new GM owners to subscribe to OnStar: special location-based coupons beamed right to their vehicles. 

Sayonara Global Economy

The surreal nature of this world as we enter 2015 feels like being trapped in a Fellini movie. The .1% party like it’s 1999, central bankers not only don’t take away the punch bowl – they spike it with 200% grain alcohol, the purveyors of propaganda in the mainstream media encourage the party to reach Caligula orgy levels, the captured political class and their government apparatchiks propagate manipulated and massaged economic data to convince the masses their standard of living isn’t really deteriorating, and the entire façade is supposedly validated by all-time highs in the stock market. It’s nothing but mass delusion perpetuated by the issuance of prodigious amounts of debt by central bankers around the globe. And nowhere has the obliteration of a currency through money printing been more flagrant than in the land of the setting sun – Japan. The leaders of this former economic juggernaut have chosen to commit hari-kari on behalf of the Japanese people, while enriching the elite, insiders, bankers, and their global banking co-conspirators.

Japan is just the point of the global debt spear in a world gone mad. Total world debt, excluding financial firms, now exceeds $100 trillion. The worldwide banking syndicate has an additional $130 trillion of debt on their insolvent books. As if this wasn’t enough, there are over $700 trillion of derivatives of mass destruction layered on top in this pyramid of debt. Just five Too Big To Trust Wall Street banks control 95% of the $302 trillion U.S. derivatives market. The reason Jamie Dimon and the rest of the leaders of the Wall Street criminal syndicate commanded their politician puppets in Congress to reverse the Dodd Frank rule on separating derivatives trading from normal bank lending is because these high stakes gamblers want to shift their future losses onto the backs of middle class taxpayers – again. The bankers, with the full support of their captured Washington politicians, will abscond with the deposits of the people to pay for their system destroying risk taking, just as they did in 2008 by holding taxpayers hostage for a $700 billion bailout.

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NEWS IN NUMBERS

1,300

Number of personal texts sent in 2014 from the city-issued cell phone of the head of the utilities and engineering department of Yakima, Wash. The manager got a 10-day unpaid suspension for unauthorized use of city resources.
YAKIMA HERALD REPUBLIC | JANUARY 6, 2015

2006

Year the last American mall was built.
VICE | JANUARY 5, 2015

$349 million

Amount NASA spent to construct a laboratory tower in Gulfport, Miss., that will never be used. The tower, completed in 2014, was designed to test a rocket program that was cancelled in 2010.
GIZMODO | DECEMBER 31, 2014

12:1

Approximate ratio of Christmas trees to people in Oregon. The state sells 6.4 million tress a year, 2 million more than any other state.
MASHABLE | DECEMBER 23, 2014

1,300

Number of students, which is 17 percent of the total number enrolled, who stayed home sick with the flu last Tuesday in the Polk County, Ga., school system, leading the superintendent to cancel classes and start the winter break early.
WXIA-TV | DECEMBER 22, 2014

9

Percent of American eighth-graders who used an e-cigarette in the previous month, compared to 4 percent who had smoked an actual cigarette.
THE WASHINGTON TIMES | DECEMBER 19, 2014

$3.5 billion

The potential budget deficit of the state of Alaska, where the falling price of oil is causing severe problems for a state budget based almost entirely on petroleum production.
ALASKA DISPATCH NEWS | DECEMBER 18, 2014

$680,000

Average amount U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials paid in 2012 to build each of 21 houses for employees in rural Ajo, Ariz., where the average market price of a house was $86,500.
USA TODAY | DECEMBER 17, 2014

79

Percent of New York's public housing units deemed “deficient” by the city housing authority.
HARPER'S | DECEMBER 16, 2014

36

Number of New York City police officers wearing body cameras as part of a pilot program started this fall.
HARPER'S | DECEMBER 15, 2014

22%

Portion of Vermonters who say they consider religion important and regularly attend religious services. Vermont is the least religious state in the country.
MENTAL FLOSS | DECEMBER 12, 2014

34,000

Number of rental units available in Washington, D.C., for under $800 a month, which is slightly more than half the number available in 2005 when adjusted for inflation.
THE URBAN INSTITUTE | DECEMBER 11, 2014

$1.4 million

The increase in New Jersey's annual debt payments, due to new, higher yield bonds issued by the state last week.
GOVERNING | DECEMBER 10, 2014

1/4

Portion of Americans who want their state to secede from the union.
HARPER'S | DECEMBER 9, 2014

60,000

Amount of food (in equivalent hot dogs) consumed by ants in New York City that live on the medians on Broadway, according to a recent study.
SMITHSONIAN | DECEMBER 8, 2014

$219,000

Cost of a custom-built conference table purchased by Kean University, a public college in New Jersey, prompting students to petition the school's board of trustees to fire Kean's president.
USA TODAY | DECEMBER 5, 2014

13

Number of school districts in Kentucky where instead of getting snow days, students will work on assignments and attend lessons online.
TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE | DECEMBER 4, 2014

$892 million

The projected gap between revenue and expenses for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for the next fiscal year. Metro wants the eight municipalities served to pay the difference or risk service cutbacks.
THE WASHINGTON POST | DECEMBER 3, 2014

3/4

Portion of American police officers who are white.
HARPER'S | DECEMBER 2, 2014

$200 billion

Increase in municipal securities and loans held by banks between 2009 and 2014.
GOVERNING | DECEMBER 1, 2014

CDC: Alcohol Poisoning Deaths

On average, 6 people died every day from alcohol poisoning in the US from 2010 to 2012. Alcohol poisoning is caused by drinking large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time. Very high levels of alcohol in the body can shutdown critical areas of the brain that control breathing, heart rate, and body temperature, resulting in death. Alcohol poisoning deaths affect people of all ages but are most common among middle-aged adults and men.

States and communities can take steps to reduce alcohol poisoning deaths by preventing binge drinking, including:

  • Partnering with police, community groups, health departments, and doctors, nurses, and other health care providers to reduce binge drinking and related harms.
  • Tracking the role of alcohol in injuries and deaths.
  • Supporting proven programs and policies that decrease binge drinking. States with stronger alcohol policies have less binge drinking.
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Hogan looks outside Md. for transportation secretary, turns to former rival for planning

Maryland Gov.-elect Larry Hogan is expected to pick a transportation secretary from out of state and name one of his Republican primary rivals as secretary of planning, according to several people familiar with the picks.

Hogan (R) will soon name Pete Rahn, who has held transportation posts in New Mexico and Missouri, as Maryland’s next transportation secretary, those familiar with the picks said. Hogan will name David R. Craig, the former Harford County executive, as planning secretary, they said.

The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss about appointments they are not authorized to announce.

Hogan, who takes office Jan. 21, was scheduled to hold a news conference at noon Tuesday to announce his latest Cabinet picks. The event was postponed due to the snowy weather.

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A Police Veterans Story

WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO MAKE A CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT?

I always wanted to be a cop. From the time I was a small child when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up was always "Cop." In grade school, I was always a member of the school safety patrol and I just knew law enforcement was my calling.

WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PATH AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?

My career path actually chose me. I was one of those cops who could step on a banana peel and not slip and fall. Patrol was my thing. I did a short tour in the juvenile unit and another short time in detectives but patrol was where I spent most of my time.

As a Reserve Unit Captain, I also was responsible for the Internal Affairs functions within the department. Not too many problems on a small department but it saved the Chief some hours of work while allowing him to remain impartial in disciplinary matters.

Since getting out of law enforcement I have been a litigation investigator, dabbled with writing a book or two. I am now retired and enjoying volunteering with Police Together We Served.

DID YOU SERVE IN THE MILITARY PRIOR? AND IF SO, IN WHAT BRANCH OF SERVICE? IN WHAT WAYS HAS MILITARY SERVICE INFLUENCED YOUR CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT?

My first exposure to law enforcement came when I was a young Marine. While recovering from a combat wound, I was sent to Okinawa to heal. Upon my arrival there, I was further assigned to the Armed Forces Police (AFP) unit until I returned to Vietnam. Once back in country, I was assigned to the MP company for the 1st Marine Division. When I finally rotated back to the States, I was assigned to the 5th Marine Division MP's at Camp Pendleton, CA.

After a second tour in Vietnam, I returned to the States and was assigned to the MP's at MCAS El Toro until my final discharge from the USMC.

While at El Toro, I applied at the Washington DC PD, Sky Marshalls and LAPD. I was accepted at all three and chose LAPD where I began the Academy two days after my discharge.

Delauter to The News-Post: Don't use my name without permission

Frederick County Councilman Kirby Delauter wrote on social media that he plans to sue The Frederick News-Post if his name or any reference to him appears in print without his permission.

In a Facebook status posted Saturday, Delauter said he was upset with reporter Bethany Rodgers for “an unauthorized use of my name and my reference in her article” published Jan. 3 about his and Councilman Billy Shreve's concerns over County Council parking spaces.

“So let me be clear............do not contact me and do not use my name or reference me in an unauthorized form in the future,” Delauter, R-District 5, said in a Facebook status update.

The post had garnered more than 45 "likes" and roughly 50 comments by Monday night. Rodgers responded to Delauter's post Sunday afternoon, stating she will continue to contact the councilman for comment as well as print his name and reference in the newspaper.

“First of all, there is no requirement to get a person's authorization in order to mention them in the paper, particularly if that person is an elected official,” Rodgers wrote in a comment below the original post. “It is not just our right but our responsibility to report on people like you, who occupy positions of trust in our government, and I make no apologies for doing that.”

Delauter said he would pursue legal action if his name or reference were published again.

“Use my name again unauthorized and you'll be paying for an Attorney,” Delauter wrote. “Your rights stop where mine start.”

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Toyota Plans Commercial Release Of Hydrogen Fueled Mirai This Fall

Alternative fuel-loving consumers received a bit of good news Monday during Toyota’s CES press conference. The company plans to offer its hydrogen fueled vehicle – Mirai – for consumer purchase this fall. 

Toyota To Offer Royalty-Free Use Of Fuel Cell Patents To Jump-Start Production Of “Hydrogen Society”

Toyota didn’t exactly announce any new products at its CES press conference on Monday, but the company did give a gift to its competitors: royalty-free use of its hydrogen fuel cell patents. While some companies might feel the need to fiercely guard such game-changing technology, officials at Toyota say sharing the information could mark a turning point in automotive history. 

Verizon Approaches AOL about Possible Takeover

Verizon Communications approached AOL about a potential acquisition or joint venture to expand its mobile-video offerings, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

AOL shares surged on the news in premarket trading Tuesday. (Get the latest quote here.)

Verizon has not made a formal proposal to AOL, and no agreement is imminent, Bloomberg said, citing people who asked not to be named.

A joint venture, if formed, would focus on advertising technology, Bloomberg cited one of the people as saying.

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WHY WE MUST STAND UP TO THE PROPOSED PMT.

Every time I hear or see this, I wonder if they ever think about how much Maryland Residents produce. "Every year, Maryland produces enough poultry waste to fill M&T Bank Stadium two times"

The average 150 lb adult human produces 4.5 lbs of manure per day. The average 4 lb chicken produces 0.25 lbs per day. So it's 18 adult chickens for every 1 adult human. An adult human produces manure all year but a broiler is for only a handful of weeks.

I would bet that if you do the math, the 360 million chickens that are grown per year in Maryland produce a fraction of the amount of manure Marylanders produce per year.

In addition to this, the poultry manure is spread on hundreds or thousands of acres of farm ground, incorporated into the soil within 72 hours on ground (that is so flat that there is very little to no runoff) and taken up by the growing crop that is planted in that soil. Then compare that to the human manure that is treated in a sewer system yet still has the nutrients it and then directly discharged into a tributary of the Bay.

No one wants to talk about this as it is too expensive to address. We as Farmers need to quit complaining about what they say and just one up their accusations with facts about what they produce and how minor Ag is to the effects on the bay.

Just some food for thought.

The Pet Food Test Results

Association for Truth in Pet Food announces the publication of The Pet Food Test Results. This history making project is all thanks to some very determined pet food consumers. What we found is truly shocking and sad.

Bill Gross Sees No Rate Incre Until Late 2015, If at All

Bill Gross, the former manager of the world’s largest bond fund, said the Federal Reserve won’t raise interest rates until late this year “if at all” as falling oil prices and a stronger U.S. dollar limit the central bank’s room to increase borrowing costs.

While the Fed has concluded its three rounds of asset purchases, known as quantitative easing, interest rates in almost all developed economies will remain near zero as central banks in Europe and Japan embark on similar projects, Gross said today in an outlook published on the website of Janus Capital Group Inc.(JNS:US), where he runs the $1.2 billion Janus Global Unconstrained Bond Fund.

“With the U.S. dollar strengthening and oil prices declining, it is hard to see even the Fed raising short rates until late in 2015, if at all,” he said. “With much of the benefit from loose monetary policies already priced into the markets, a more conservative investment approach may be warranted by maintaining some cash balances. Be prepared for low returns in almost all asset categories.”

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