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Monday, March 16, 2015

Why You Should Stop Eating Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Meals are good, and snacking is bad. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and if you eat dinner with your family, you will keep your girlish figureand your kids will be healthier. Taking a lunch break will make you succeed at your job.

Okay, now forget all that. Because as it turns out, the concept of three square meals a day has practically zero to do with your actual metabolic needs. And our dogmatic adherence to breakfast, lunch, and dinner might actually be making us sick.

Historian Abigail Carroll, author of the book Three Squares: The Invention of the American Meal, explained to me that the the thrice-daily eating schedule goes back at least as far as the Middle Ages in Europe. When European settlers got to America, they also imported their meal habits: a light meal—maybe cold mush and radishes—in the morning, a heavier, cooked one midday, and a third meal similar to the first one later in the day. They observed that the eating schedule of the native tribes was less rigid—the volume and timing of their eating varied with the seasons. Sometimes, when food was scarce, they fasted. The Europeans took this as "evidence that natives were uncivilized," Carroll explained to me in an email. "Civilized people ate properly and boundaried their eating, thus differentiating themselves from the animal kingdom, where grazing is the norm." (So fascinated were Europeans with tribes' eating patterns, notes Carroll, that they actually watched Native Americans eat "as a form of entertainment.")

The three daily meals that the settlers brought evolved with Americans' lifestyles. As people became more prosperous, they added meat to breakfast and dinner. After the Industrial Revolution, when people began to work away from home, the midday meal became a more casual affair, and the cooked meal shifted to the end of the day, when workers came home. The one thing that did not change was the overall amount of food that people ate—despite the fact that they had largely abandoned the active lifestyles of the farm in favor of sedentary ones in cities and suburbs. "People were still eating these giant country breakfasts," says Carroll. Soon, doctors reported that more of their patients were suffering from indigestion.

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Oscar Pistorius's challenge against state appeal thrown out

Thokozile Masipa, the judge who cleared the athlete of murder, says she cannot rule against her own decision to give prosecutors leave to appeal

A judge has thrown out an attempt by Oscar Pistorius’s lawyers to challenge a prosecution appeal against his acquittal of murder.

Thokozile Masipa, who presided over the athlete’s original trial, said she could not be asked to rule on her decision to grant the appeal, which will be heard at the supreme court at a later date.

Pistorius, known as the Blade Runner, is serving a five-year jail sentence for shooting dead his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, but could be moved to house arrest in August.

Masipa ruled in December that state prosecutors could appeal against her verdict of culpable homicide – the South African equivalent of manslaughter – and seek to have it upgraded to murder, which carries a heavier jail term.

Masipa agreed with the prosecutors that the verdict was based on her interpretation of law. An appeal can only be granted on a question of law rather than fact.

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Americans Have Insurance but Can't Afford to Use It

Although more Americans have health insurance coverage, 25 percent of non-elderly Americans don’t have enough liquid assets to cover the deductible on their health insurance plan, according to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The report finds that many consumers don’t have the cash on hand to cover the cost of a mid-range deductible or $1,200 for an individual or $2,400 per family. High deductible health plans require that consumers cover their health care costs out of pocket until they’ve met their deductible.

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White House to Hillary Clinton: You’re on your own in email scandal

The White House said Wednesday it is “not particularly interested” in Hillary Clinton’s personal email, effectively telling the former secretary of state she is on her own in dealing with the growing scandal.

Mrs. Clinton, who served as Mr. Obama’s secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, said Wednesday she’s turned over to the State Department 30,490 emails deemed official. She did not use a .gov email address during her four years at the State Department and instead relied on a private account that she also used to send and receive “personal” messages.

At least 31,830 of those personal emails now have been deleted, Mrs. Clinton said.

She rejected calls to turn over her private email server to an independent third party to ensure no emails related to government business were deleted or have been kept hidden.

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47 GOP Senators and Members of Congress Violated the Logan Act

Why is no one calling them out?

The letter by 47 Senators and members of Congress trying to undermine negotiations between Iran, the United States and the 5 + 1 group is a pretty clear violation of the Logan Act:

"Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both."Why isn't anyone asking about this and pushing for answers as to how this is not a violation of the law?

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Heavily armed drug cops raid retiree’s garden, seize okra plants

Georgia police raided a retired Atlanta man's garden last Wednesday after a helicopter crew with the Governor's Task Force for Drug Suppressionspotted suspicious-looking plants on the man's property. A heavily-armed K9 unit arrived and discovered that the plants were, in fact, okra bushes.

The officers eventually apologized and left, but they took some of the suspicious okra leaves with them for analysis. Georgia state patrol told WSB-TV in Atlanta that "we've not been able to identify it as of yet. But it did have quite a number of characteristics that were similar to a cannabis plant."

Indeed! Like cannabis, okra is green and it has leaves.

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Salisbury Police In Active Foot Chase With Suspects

The Salisbury Police Department is actively chasing two suspects near Pemberton Elementary. 

Police are stating these are robbery suspects. One is in a red hoodie and the other has a black hoodie. In the area of Marine Rd. and Fairground Drive. 

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office is now on the scene with a K-9 Unit.

They are looking for two black males.

TV Viewership Down 10%; Industry Blames Streaming Video

Even though many of us have hundreds of channels to choose from on cable or satellite, we’re choosing to watch less live TV. But it’s not just because we’ve all decided to go outside and take up steeplechase; it has a little something to do with the availability of subscription streaming services.

The Wall Street Journal reports on a recent talk held by the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau in which the trade group tried to assign blame for the drop-off in TV viewership over the last two years.

The reportedly CAB explained at this gathering that around 40% of recent ratings drops are a result of competition from services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video.

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"Man is tazed punches cop and escapes nude"

A Lot Fewer Americans Get Unemployment Benefits Than You Think

WASHINGTON -- The share of unemployed Americans who receive unemployment insurance benefits has dwindled to its lowest point in decades, thanks in part to benefit cuts in Republican-led states.

Just 23.1 percent of unemployed workers received state unemployment benefits at the end of 2014, according to a new analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal Washington think tank. The rate has hovered beneath 24 percent since 2011 and bottomed out at 22.1 percent in November 2013.

The previous low was 25 percent in September 1984, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data going back nearly 40 years.

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Texas Bill Would Make Recording Police Illegal

A bill introduced in the Texas House of Representatives would make it illegal for private citizens to record police within 25 feet.

House Bill 2918, introduced by state Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) on Tuesday, would make the offense a misdemeanor. Citizens who are armed would not be permitted to record police activity within 100 feet of an officer, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Only representatives of radio or TV organizations that hold an FCC license, newspapers and magazines would have the right to record police.

The legislator disagreed with people on Twitter who said he's seeking to make all filming of cops illegal.

"My bill ... just asks filmers to stand back a little so as not to interfere with law enforcement," Villalba tweeted.

The bill would go against precedent set in 2011 by an appeals court, which found that citizens are allowed to record police, according to the ACLU.

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Joe Manchin Opposes NRA-Backed Bill On Concealed Guns

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is a self-described "law-abiding gun owner, hunter, card-carrying life member of the National Rifle Association and Second Amendment advocate."

But on Thursday, he said he "strongly" opposes an NRA-backed bill in West Virginia that would nix permit and training requirements for people carrying concealed guns.

"I have always supported a West Virginian's right to bear arms," Manchin said in a statement. "Senate Bill 347 would allow a person to carry a concealed gun without a permit or requirement of safety training and that is irresponsible and dangerous to the people of West Virginia."

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John Kerry Calls Out Florida's Ban On Saying 'Climate Change'

Secretary of State John Kerry, challenging climate change deniers to face reality, not-so-subtly called out Florida Gov. Rick Scott's (R) administration on Thursday forbanning the term "climate change" from all government communications.

"We literally do not have the time to waste debating whether we can say 'climate change,'" Kerry said in a speech hosted by the Atlantic Council. "We have to talk about how we solve climate change. Because no matter how much people want to bury their heads in the sand, it will not alter the fact that 97 percent of peer-reviewed climate studies confirm that climate change is happening and that human activity is largely responsible."

News of Florida'a ban, which also extends to the term "global warming," came to light over the weekend in a report by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting.

Scott in May declined to say whether he believed in climate change, but has said repeatedly that he is is not convinced by the science.

Such thinking is far too prevalent in Washington, and politicians who ignore the facts will not be remembered favorably by those who will face global warming's worst perils, Kerry said in his speech.

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Why I'm "Ready for Hillary"...And You Should Be Too!

Clay Christensen on Religious Freedom

Finland, Home of the $103,000 Speeding Ticket

Most of Scandinavia determines fines based on income. Could such a system work in the U.S.?

Reima Kuisla, a Finnish businessman, was recently caught going 65 miles per hour in a 50 zone in his home country—an offense that would typically come with a fine of a couple hundred dollars, at most, in the U.S. But after Finnish police pulled Kuisla over, they pinged a federal taxpayer database to determine his income, consulted their handbook, and arrived at the amount that he was required to pay: €54,000.

The fine was so extreme because in Finland, some traffic fines, as well as fines for shoplifting and violating securities-exchange laws, are assessed based on earnings—and Kuisla's declared income was €6.5 million per year. Exorbitant fines like this are infrequent, but not unheard of: In 2002, a Nokia executive was fined the equivalent of $103,000 for going 45 in a 30 zone on his motorcycle, and the NHL player Teemu Selanne incurred a $39,000 fine two years earlier.

“This is no constitutionally governed state,” one Finn who was fined nearly $50,000 moaned to The Wall Street Journal, “This is a land of rhinos!” Outrage among the rich—especially nonsensical, safari-invoking outrage—might be a sign that something fair is at work.

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Former Intelligence Officer: The Utter Stupidity of Hillary's Actions

As a former member of the intelligence community I felt a deep shadow fall over me as I read about Hillary Clinton's use of an outside email service instead of the more secure and private State Department system. She did this for obvious reasons, to keep her communications out of official channels and away from the prying eyes of her political enemies (the Republicans...). One might sympathize with a politician in her situation.

However, the Secretary of State of the United States of America is the number two intelligence target IN THE WORLD, behind only her boss, the President. To tap into her communications guarantees lavish rewards and promotions to the intelligence team who does it. All eyes are on her, like vultures, waiting. Yes, it really works this way.

An email system such as the one described is considered "easy pickings." After seeing the details in the press, my first conclusion is this:

Russians and the Chinese were reading her emails. In real time.

I'm not saying maybe or perhaps.

They were.

The Russians and Chinese have sophisticated intelligence services, with sophisticated spotting, assessing, targeting capabilities. They have thousands of people who work these issues. Ms. Clinton may say that she didn't talk about classified matters, and she may think this is correct. But any intelligence professional knows its impossible to "talk around" a topic effectively (despite what you might see in spy movies...). With a high value target like Ms. Clinton, an intel service will have teams of analysts and psychologists analyzing every word she says, with absolutely clear context.

SPD Press Release 3-16-15 (Shoplifting)

WCSO Press Release March 16, 2015

Incident: Child Support Warrants

Date: 16 March 2015

Location:  Wicomico County, MD

Suspect
1.Tyrone Lamont Handy, Jr., 35, Laurel, DE

               
2.Jeffrey Lee York, 55, Laurel, DE
                              
3. Jose R. Alicea, 30, Hurlock, MD
               
4.James Lamont Collins, 33, Fruitland, MD
5. Curtis Dewitt Whittington, 39, Salisbury, MD
              
Narrative: Between 1-15 March 2015 deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office arrested the above individuals on Circuit Court Body Attachments that had been issued in connection with Child Support cases.

All subjects were detained on bond in the Detention Center pending an initial appearance in front of a Circuit Court Judge.

Charges: Child Support Non- Compliance

Tax Formula Approach Is Right Direction

There was a lot of predictable ingratiating in Snow Hill this week, but privately a battle will unquestionably ensue over Ocean City’s proposed agreement that calls for large increases in funding from the county.

The six-page Memorandum of Understanding created by the Town of Ocean City seeks to do away with the entire discussion of tax differential, which refers to services Ocean City taxpayers fund for the county but do not utilize because the town provides its own. Instead of seeking an unrealistic large amount of money to account for the tax differential — equated to about $17 million by a recent study — the town is proposing a funding formula that over time brings equity to the town’s tax contributions when compared to the percentage of grants the town receives on an annual basis from the county.

Equity is sorely needed for Ocean City property owners. The numbers do not lie. For the current fiscal year, Ocean City submitted about $67 million in total property and income taxes to the county and received 4.56 percent of it back in a grant, totaling $3 million. Compared to other municipalities, it’s clear there is a problem. Berlin received $702,000, which represented 22 percent of its total taxes provided to the county, while Pocomoke received 24 percent and Snow Hill about 71 percent.

What these numbers confirm is what has always been known. Tax dollars from Ocean City sustain the rest of the county and in particular help fund public education. Some may not have an issue with that, but there is no question Ocean City property owners have an unfair burden because they are facing double taxation by paying the county for a multitude of services they do not receive from the county.

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D.C. Cannabis campaign to host marijuana seed exchange

It’s only natural the District would see an increased interest in horticulture after it became legal last month to grow marijuana plants. But with the sale of marijuana still illegal, those budding green thumbs have a problem: where to get marijuana seeds?

By hosting two seed exchanges this month, the D.C. Cannabis Campaign hopes to help.

“This will be D.C. residents’ opportunity to share seeds with other adults and start down the path of legally growing your own cannabis in the safety and privacy of your home,” the campaign announced Thursday.

Judging by the RSVPs for the event, there’s high demand. By Friday, more than 340 people had signed up for the two events, being held March 26 at the Northwest D.C. absinthe bar Libertine and March 28 and at the campaign’s headquarters.

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BREAKING NEWS: Netanyahu pledges no Palestinian state if re-elected

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu, on the eve of parliamentary elections, pledged in an interview published Monday that he would not support a separate Palestinian state if re-elected.

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The Secret Cause of World War 3

Poll: Benghazi getting worse for Hillary Clinton

More voters than ever believe the September 2012 Benghazi, Libya, terrorist killings of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans will hurt Hillary Clinton's run for the White House, according to a new poll.

Rasmussen Reports found that the highest ever percentage of voters — and a majority of veterans — believe the killings and Clinton's actions as secretary of state at the time will undermine her second presidential bid.

The results come as an email scandal continues to pummel Clinton and as some members of Congress raise new questions that in destroying emails, she may be hiding something about the Benghazi affair.

The telephone-based survey revealed that 47 percent of likely voters "think the circumstances surrounding the murder of the U.S. ambassador and three other U.S. Embassy employees in Libya will hurt the former secretary of state if she runs for president in 2016."

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Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release 3-16-15

On March 14, 2015 The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office conducted alcohol compliance checks at Locations in Worcester County. 36 businesses were checked and only one business sold to an underage person.

We would like to thank the other 35 businesses that are constantly working to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors.
  
The Following Locations DID NOT sell:

Location                                                   

Raceway Citgo                                                  
Kaddy Mart                                                       
Wine Rack                                                          
West O Bottle Shop                                         
Caseys Corner                                                  
Locals Beer and Wine                                    
Newark Station                                                
Town Market Basket                                     
Duck In Snow Hill                                           
7-11  106 N. Division St                                 
7-11  139th St.                                                
7-11  9404 Coastal Highway                         
7-11  2611 Philadelphia Ave                        
7-11  5809 Coastal Highway                         
85th St. Wine Rack                                         
Montego Bay Supermarket                        
Royal Farm Store 8307 Coastal Hwy         
Shop Kwik                                                      
C.W. Cheers                                                   
Your Store                                                      
Pitt Stop Beer and Wine                              
Friendship Food Mart                                  
7-11 Ocean Pines                                          
Southside Deli                                                
Assawoman Ale Shop                                   
Late Nite Liquor and Wine                           
Dons Seafood                                                  
Pocomoke Goose Creek                              
Duck In Pocomoke                                        
Pocomoke Beer and Wine                          
OC Dollar Store                                              
Mitchells Market                                           
Greenhouse Deli                                            
Johnnys Pizza                                                  
64th Street Market                                          

The Following Location DID SELL:

Whiskers Bar and Grill Ocean Pines

TWO KILLED, ANOTHER INJURED IN RT. 50 CRASH

(CHESTER, MD) – State police are investigating a crash which claimed two lives and injured a third last night, after one of the vehicles began traveling in the wrong direction along Route 50 in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland.

The deceased driver is identified Sibasish Ghosh, 58, of the 100-block of Overlook Drive of Salisbury, Maryland. He was pronounced dead at Queen Anne’s County Hospital by medical personnel. Ghosh was driving the Mitsubishi Lancer at the time of the crash. The remains have been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy.

The deceased passenger is identified Shampa Ghosh, 54, of the 100-block of Overlook Drive of Salisbury, Maryland. She was pronounced dead at the scene by Queen Anne’s County emergency medical personnel. Ghosh was the passenger the Mitsubishi Lancer at the time of the crash. The remains have been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy.

The driver of the second vehicle is identified as Richard Shebovsky, 25, with a last known address the 100-block of 1st Street in Chester, Maryland. He was transported by Maryland State Police Aviation Division to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center for treatment. Shebovsky was driving a Toyota Sienna at the time of the crash.

A preliminary investigation has been conducted by troopers from the Maryland State Police CRASH Team with the assistance of troopers from Centreville Barracks. The investigation indicates that around 7:30 p.m. last night, the Toyota Sienna was traveling in the wrong direction on U. S. Route 50 in the area of the Kent Narrows Bridge. The Sienna continued until it struck a Mitisubishi Lancer head-on, just west of the bridge.

Once troopers from the Centreville Barrack arrived on the scene they observed the Toyota fully engulfed in flames. Queen Anne’s Fire Department was immediately called and responded to handle the fire.

Shebovsky was the sole occupant of the Toyota. Investigators believe alcohol was a contributing factor in the collision. There has been no determination of vehicle speed at this time.

Due to the severity of the crash, troopers closed eastbound U.S. 50 in the area of the Kent Narrows Bridge. The road was closed for several hours. State Highway Administration personnel assisted with road closures.

Anyone who may have witnessed this crash is asked to contact the Maryland State Police Centreville Barrack at (410) 758-1101.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Why Do Robocalls Continue In An Age Of “Do Not Call” And Strict Telemarketing Rules?

Even though millions of Americans are on the federal Do Not Call list to limit unwanted telemarketing calls, and even though it’s illegal for anyone to make a commercial prerecorded robocall to a consumer who hasn’t given their express consent to receive such calls, the problem persists and is getting worse, with no cure-all solution in the offing.

During a panel discussion on robocalling this morning at the Consumer Federation of America’s Consumer Assembly in D.C., the Federal Trade Commission’s Lois Greisman explained that the number of telemarketing complaints has been “skyrocketing” in recent years, with the FTC receiving anywhere from 250,000 to 300,000 complaints per month, with robocalls responsible for around 60% of those complaints.

“If this were a disease, it would be an epidemic,” noted panel moderator Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection for the CFA.

Our Consumers Union colleague Delara Derakhshani pointed out that many robocalls go beyond mere annoyances, with the callers pitching questionable products and services.

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DOJ Invokes Separation-of-Powers Over Amnesty

(CNSNews.com) - The Justice Department, in an "emergency motion" filed on Thursday, asked a federal appeals court to suspend a lower court's injunction "interfering with immigration enforcement."

The injunction, imposed last month by a U.S. District Court in Texas at the behest of 26 states, "offends basic separation-of-powers and federalism principles and impinges on core Executive functions," DOJ argued.

"The lower court's order is unprecedented and wrong," said the Justice Department's request for an emergency stay, filed with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday.

"The Constitution does not entitle States to intrude into the uniquely federal domain of immigration enforcement. Yet the district court has taken the extraordinary step of allowing a State to override the United States’ exercise of its enforcement discretion in the immigration laws."

Critics of President Obama's executive amnesty have used the same separation-of-powers argument against the president. They note that the Constitution does not allow the president to make immigration law.

More here

What's Your Favorite Democrat Policy?

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the head of the Democratic National Convention, got more than she bargained for on Friday when she asked Twitter users what their favorite Democratic policy was.

“The one where you destroyed so much of our country,” one user Tweeted back. “Oh wait. That would be all of them.”

Other responses to the Florida Democrat included “criminal destruction of evidence,” “giving ambassadorships to donors,” and President Obama’s heavily criticized handling of the Syrian crisis, The Blaze reported Friday.

Other users chose to look further back into history to find their favorite Democratic policy.

“When FDR made Japanese go into internment camps,” one user wrote.

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Loretta Lynch Nomination a Cliffhanger

Just days before her nomination as attorney general goes to the Senate floor, Loretta Lynch is stubbornly stuck right around 50 votes — suggesting a confirmation fight the Obama administration once seemed certain to win with relative ease will go down to the wire.

Barring an 11th-hour surprise, Lynch is likely to be confirmed. But with four GOP senators currently backing her along with unanimous support from Senate Democrats, Lynch would secure the bare minimum required to be installed as the nation’s top cop – as long as senators hauled in Vice President Joe Biden to break a tie.

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said when he met with Lynch more than two months ago, he asked the federal prosecutor to lay out how the Justice Department’s agenda would differ than that of Holder, who’s led the Justice Department since 2009.

“She told me it would not be different,” Burr recalled of his conversation with the nominee. “I voted against Eric Holder and he’s lived up to exactly what I thought he would.”

Senate Republicans who are backing her are Orrin Hatch of Utah, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine.

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A Timeline Of State Department Obstruction

When did the House Select Committee on Benghazi first learn that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kept a secret email system? When did the State Department finally turn over even some of those emails to investigators? When did State first admit it didn't even possess all the former secretary's documents?

That information, and more, is contained in a timeline created by the Benghazi committee as investigators seek to piece together just what the Obama administration did in response to House requests for information about the September 11, 2012 terror attack that left four Americans dead. The timeline isn't an official committee report or publication; it's just an informal summary compiled to help members keep dates straight as they assess the State Department's lack of cooperation. The timeline doesn't include every significant date in the Benghazi investigation, but it does give readers an idea of what Republican investigators have been up against as they've tried to uncover the story of Benghazi.

What follows is a fleshed-out version of the timetable — in my words, not the committee's — based on information from committee sources.

Read it here

IG: Terrorist Weapons Could Be Entering US By Rail

WASHINGTON – Weapons of mass destruction and "potential instruments of terrorism" could be at risk of entering the country through cargo rail shipments, according to a new watchdog report.

The scathing inspector general investigation claims Customs and Border Protection agents working at ports of entry aren't properly screening rail cargo coming in from Mexico and Canada. In turn, CBP cannot say for sure whether they made the right move in releasing various "high-risk" shipments into the U.S.

CBP policy requires port inspectors to use "large-scale non-intrusive inspection equipment" to scan shipments that its automated system flags as high risk. This process is supposed to let inspectors screen cargo for everything from drugs to weapons to other contraband.

The policy also requires that ports use radiation detection equipment when inspecting high-risk rail shipments.

The audit, however, revealed CBP agents, who operate within the Department of Homeland Security, failed to consistently do both on rail shipments entering the United States from Mexico and Canada.

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Emails 'Immediately' Archived? Well, No.

A State Department spokeswoman on Friday said the agency did not start archiving emails from most officials until this year, calling into question Hillary Clinton’s claims that her records were saved “immediately.”

Spokeswoman Jen Psaki told Fox News that automatic archiving of senior official’s e-mails only started in February — long after Ms. Clinton left office.

“They have long been planning to do this,” Ms. Psaki said. “It’s just something that it took some time to put in place.”

During a press conference Tuesday, former Secretary of State Clinton tried to defend her use of a private email account for official business. Ms. Clinton argued that since her correspondence were sent to other State Dept. employees on their official “.gov” email addresses, that all her communications would be saved on agency servers.

“The vast majority of my work emails went to government employees at their government addresses, which meant they were captured and preserved immediately on the system at the State Department,” she said.

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U.S. Exaggerates Islamic State Casualties

The war against the Islamic State has killed thousands of fighters and even some mid-level battlefield commanders, but the organization's senior leadership and nerve center remain largely untouched, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials.

These officials and other experts tracking the terror group tell us that the Islamic State's Shura and Sharia councils, the advisory bodies that help inform the major decisions of the group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, remain intact, notwithstanding one close call in November for Baghdadi. Although airstrikes and military campaigns have killed several regional administrators and designated “governors,” the Islamic State has quickly replaced them and maintains its command-and-control capabilities.

This assessment of progress against the Islamic State differs sharply from public statements by top Obama administration officials as recently as last month, including Secretary of State John Kerry and retired General John Allen, the president's special coordinator for the coalition against the Islamic State.

In February, Allen said that half the group's leaders in Iraq had been killed.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference also in February, Kerry expanded that claim to account for the group’s leadership in Syria as well.

“We’ve disrupted their command structure, undermined its propaganda, taken out half of their senior leadership, squeezed its financing, damaged its supply networks, dispersed its personnel, and forced them to think twice before they move in an open convoy," Kerry said.

More on this..

White House Celebrates Iranian Holiday

The White House this week celebrated Nowruz, the Persian New Year most often observed by Iranians.

The festivities come amid tense negotiations between the White House and Tehran. President Obama hopes Iran will slow or stop its nuclear weapons program in exchange for removing economic sanctions.

First Lady Michelle Obama praised the holiday in remarks at the executive mansion Wednesday. The event featured a Persian dinner and a dance troop’s performance.

“I think it’s so fitting we’re holding this celebration here today,” Michelle Obama said. “One of the things I love about the White House is how it truly is the people’s house. It is a house that reflects the diversity of culture and traditions that make us who we are as a country. Nowruz is one of those traditions.”

More here

American Scientists Trying to Genetically Modify Human Eggs

American scientists have attempted to modify the DNA of human egg cells using a new gene-editing technique that could eliminate inherited diseases from subsequent generations of affected families, The Independent can reveal.

The research was carried out on ovary cells taken from a woman with inherited ovarian cancer to investigate the possibility of eventually using gene-editing to produce IVF embryos free of the familial disease. The results are yet to be published.

Editing the chromosomes of human eggs or sperm to create genetically modified IVF embryos is illegal in Britain and many other countries because of concerns about safety and the possibility of the technique being used to create genetically enhanced “designer babies”.

More here

Electronic Recycling Day

Middle school teacher quits after getting death threat from a student

A New Mexico middle school teacher has quit her job and is lashing out at her school district after she claims she was threatened and bullied by her students.

Sharon Moran, 47, retired from McKinley Middle School in Albuquerque last week after getting a death threat from on of her students.

The Michigan State University graduate has worked as a teacher for 12 years, but felt she couldn't continue due to the hostile environment at the school.

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No SSNs or 'Amnesty Bonuses' for Illegal Aliens

(CNSNews.com) - How many illegal aliens have already received Social Security numbers under President Obama's "unlawful and unconstitutional" amnesty, two U.S. senators want to know.

Sens. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) sent a letter on Thursday to Social Security Administration Commissioner Carolyn Colvin, seeking "current information" about the number of individuals who have been granted Social Security Numbers, or applied for them, under President Obama's various deferred action programs, beginning with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) in June 2012.

Sessions, who chairs an immigration subcommittee, is co-sponsoring Sasse's newly introduced bill, titled "Amnesty Bonuses Elimination Act." The bill would prohibit the issuance of Social Security Numbers to individuals receiving deferred deportation under President Obama's executive actions.

“The American people have a right to know the full costs of President Obama's unlawful executive amnesty,” Sasse said in a March 13 news release announcing his bill.

More here

Boundaries

This is just a reminder that our meeting will be this Tuesday, March 17th at 6;30, It will be held in the auditorium at the Board of Education. Dr Fredericksen will be on hand to give a special presentation regarding PARCC, boundaries and other general information. Please try to have someone attend from your local council and any representative from you school. We also encourage parent participation. We would appreciate your sharing this information with your parents. Robin T. Cox, Secretary Wicomico County Council of PTA's

Arizona woman defends dog from police officer

Raiding Md.’s pension piggy bank

WHEN THE big bond-rating agencies took Maryland’s financial temperature last month, they found the state in robust health — with the notable exception of Maryland’s undernourished pension fund. The fund needs a sustained infusion of cash if the state is to meet its long-term promises to retired teachers, police, judges and other public employees — a $20 billion infusion, to be precise.

So how did Democrats, who control the state legislature, respond to this red flag? A week after it was raised, they advanced a plan to make the situation worse — to raid the fund in order to forestall cuts in next year’s budget proposed by Gov. Larry Hogan (R). By grabbing pension dollars to plug immediate budget holes, lawmakers would risk the state’s future knowing that most of them will no longer be in office when the bill comes due.

At the turn of the century, Maryland’s pension system was fully funded. But the pile of cash proved too tempting for lawmakers, who began skimming from the state’s annual contributions in 2002. Thus short-changed, and then ravaged by the recession, the pension fund’s value fell to less than two-thirds of its long-term obligations by 2011. That’s when then-Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) struck a deal to add $300 million to the state’s annual contributions in return for workers agreeing to pay more of their wages into the system and accepting lower benefits for newer hires.

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'Enough Is Enough!': Megyn Kelly Absolutely Unloads Over Media's Ferguson Coverage

Fox News’ Megyn Kelly opened her show Thursday night with a news update on the manhunt that is underway following the shooting of two police officers in Ferguson, Missouri last night, before proceeding to offer her take on the forces that helped inspire this latest act of violence in the city. Kelly told her viewers that one would think the search for the shooter “would be the focus of the national conversation,” but, she added, “you would be wrong.” “Today the conversation consistented of a quick expression of sympathy for the injured officers followed by a long justification for a protest movement based upon a lie,” she continued. “For months a segment of our political leaders and pundits attacked cops across this country based on the myth that 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri was shot in the back by a cop while surrendering with his hands up. Wrong. Totally wrong.” After members of Congress repeated the “hands up, don’t shoot” gesture and chant, Kelly said, “if one of them has so far apologized for misleading America, we haven’t heard it.” “Enough is enough!” the host declared. “Institutional racism is a real problem, but fanning the flames, rushing to judgment and failing to provide context is also deeply problematic and dangerous. And it needs to stop. Everyone needs to be more responsible in how they approach this issue.”

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Dairy Queen Free Cone Day Is March 16

I scream. You scream. You know what happens next — we all scream… for ice cream. And on Monday, all that screaming will be greeted with free cones at Dairy Queen as part of the company’s 75th anniversary celebration. 

Gowdy: House May Go To Court For Email Server

The chairman of a panel investigating the Benghazi terrorist attack said Hillary Clinton should turn over a private server she used to store emails during her tenure as secretary of state.

Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., told "Fox News Sunday" he'll summon Clinton to talk to the committee about the emails as part of the probe into the department's response to the Sept. 11, 2012, attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Gowdy can't subpoena the server, but the House of Representatives does have the power to demand it and could be "forced to go to court" to get it.

Gowdy said he's rather see Clinton agree to a third-party review of the emails.

"I think an eminently reasonable alternative is for her to turn over that server to an independent, neutral party," Gowdy said.

"Who gets to decide what is personal and what is public?" Gowdy argued on Fox. "I just can't trust her lawyers to make the determination the public is getting everything it's entitled to."

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Federal Agency Approves Powdered Alcohol For Sale In U.S. — But Your State Might Still Ban It

After reversing its initial approval of Palcohol last year, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has once again approved the powdered alcohol product, making it likely that it could appear on shelves in some stores this spring.

A spokesman for the bureau told the Associated Press that the issues with Palcohol’s label had been resolved, and the product is now approved. He notes that the bureau’s evaluation focuses on whether or not the labels accurately represent the ingredients in the product, rather than judging its potential for abuse.

The product’s maker confirmed the approval as well.

“Over the last 10 months I’ve been working with the TTB to work out all of the issues to make a powdered alcohol product conform to laws that classified alcohol as liquid,” Palcohol’s creator Mark Phillips told The Spirits Business. “It’s done. The FDA and TTB have reviewed and tested Palcohol every which way and they’ve given me the green light to sell it in the United States.”

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Two undercover police officers were shot and wounded in Los Angeles

A manhunt is underway after two plain-clothes police officers were shot and wounded while driving through a South Los Angeles neighborhood in what has been described as a 'targeted' attack.

The officers, who have not been identified, were reportedly fired at near the intersection of 65th Street and Broadway on Sunday evening as they drove in an unmarked car.

They subsequently returned fire, causing several suspects to scatter, police said. The officers were treated at the scene for minor gunshot wounds, while a number of people were detained by police.

Now, a search has been launched for two male suspects who were allegedly involved in the shooting and are on the run. Dozens of officers, including SWAT members, were at the scene Sunday night.

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Obama plays favorites, protects loose-lipped generals who leak top secret info

James ‘Hoss’ Cartwright investigation grinds to halt; David Petraeus gets light punishment

Analysts are questioning whether the White House is protecting one of its inner-circle members in a leak investigation, especially given the Obama administration’s demonstrated willingness to prosecute and imprison lower-level government employees for providing classified information to the press.

Retired Marine Corps Gen. James “Hoss” Cartwright was vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and somewhat of a White House fixture as a close military adviser to President Obama.

For over a year, he reportedly has been the target of a Justice Department criminal investigation. He is suspected of leaking to The New York Times highly classified details of a U.S. cyberwarfare program against Iran and its quest for nuclear weapons. Gen. Cartwrightplayed a critical role in the covert action, whose weapon was a cyberworm called Stuxnet and whose code name was “Olympic Games.”

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Maryland Republicans Stay On Sidelines

Maryland Democrats are pouring into the race to replace party member Sen. Barbara Mikulski, but her announced retirement appears to have caught Republicans by surprise with top prospects still on the sidelines.

Rep. Andy Harris is considered the first in line, as the only Maryland Republican in Congress.

Harris told FoxNews.com on Wednesday that he’s considering a run but won’t make a decision until the fall.

“We’re certainly going to take a look at it and see how it shakes out,” said the three-term congressmen, who also made clear that other potential candidates were free to decide on their own timelines.

The party primaries for the open seat will be in April 2016.

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Backyard burger and wiener roasts targeted by EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency has its eyes on pollution from backyard barbecues.

The agency announced that it is funding a University of California project to limit emissions resulting in grease drippings with a special tray to catch them and a "catalytic" filtration system.

The $15,000 project has the "potential for global application," said the school.

The school said that the technology they will study with the EPA grant is intended to reduce air pollution and cut the health hazards to BBQ "pit masters" from propane-fueled cookers.

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Lawyers Say Canadian-born Cruz Eligible To Run

While questions about Canadian-born Sen. Ted Cruz’s eligibility to be president haven’t drawn much attention, two former Justice Department lawyers have weighed in with a bipartisan verdict: Cruz, they say, is eligible to run for the White House.

Neal Katyal, acting solicitor general in the Obama administration, and Paul Clemente, solicitor general in President George W. Bush’s administration, got out in front of the issue in a Harvard Law Review article.

“There is no question that Senator Cruz has been a citizen from birth and is thus a ‘natural born Citizen’ within the meaning of the Constitution,” they wrote.

Anti-Cruz “birthers” had questioned the Texas Republican senator’s eligibility to be president, challenging his citizenship status because he was born in Canada. Two years ago, Cruz released his birth certificate showing his mother was a U.S. citizen born in Delaware, presumably satisfying the requirements for presidential eligibility as a “natural born citizen.”

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Wicomico Public Libraries’ Executive Director Receives Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award

Wicomico Public Libraries is pleased to announce that Executive Director, Andrea Berstler, is this year’s recipient of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. This new award recognizes and celebrates an individual or organization that supports, promotes, encourages and fosters entrepreneurship in our community. This year’s award was presented in recognition of Wicomico Public Libraries’ work in strengthening its business partnership through several new initiatives, most notably the Entrepreneur Center and the Launch/SBY project.

Executive Director Berstler’s acceptance speech demonstrated that this award was a win for the entire library team. “When we realized that there was not going to be a new downtown library, the staff was challenged to ‘build a new library without a new building.’ I encouraged them to do what entrepreneurs do, to do the best with what you have and to try new things. They embrace this approach, creating several new services and programs, culminating in the Entrepreneur Center and Launch/SBY. I am very proud of the work we have done.”

Strong Women in Business Networking Luncheon


Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release 3-16-15

On March 13, 2015 at approximately 0806 hours, Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to an address on 52nd St in Ocean City, Worcester County Maryland, in an attempt to locate Tristen Ann Vice, 29, of Berlin, for 2 outstanding Worcester County Circuit Court warrants.

Upon arrival and after speaking with the homeowner, Deputies determined Ms. Vice was located in the residence. Deputies searched the residence and found Ms. Vice hiding in a bedroom closet. Ms. Vice was placed under arrest for the 2 Circuit Court warrants. Upon searching Ms. Vice, Deputies located hypodermic syringes and a glass pipe in Ms. Vice’s coat pocket. Ms. Vice was also charged with the suspected C.D.S. paraphernalia.

Ms. Vice was taken before the Worcester County District Court and was held in the Worcester County Jail without bond on each of the outstanding Circuit Court warrants.

Hillary Clinton's prickly reaction to email row could be fatal to 2016 hopes

After two decades of life at America’s top-table, Hillary Clinton can no longer stand to be treated like any other candidate, writes Peter Foster in Washington

For Hillary Clinton, it must all seem like a distant dream: for four years as her country’s top diplomat she was officially exempted from the gravitational forces of America’s divided politics.

While at the State Department she was allowed to float free, briefly enjoying the political equivalent of weightlessness, released from the bitter back-and-forth and her own troubled political history.

For a time she even made jokes, playing along with the ‘Texts from Hillary’ internet craze – acerbic and self-deprecating in her Jackie O dark glasses, Blackberry always in hand. When she left the State Department her personal public approval hovered at a near-celestial 69 per cent.

Well, it didn’t last long. If Mrs Clinton had harboured any lingering hopes that she might waft her way into the White House in 2016 on a cloud of good works and a record of achievement, she was disabused of them on Tuesday at the United Nations.

Inside the auditorium she was still playing the international ambassador - promoting women's empowerment before a friendly audience of diplomats and activists – but out in the hallway reporters were queueing up to ask the question that had been splashed across every newspaper and TV news bulletin for over a week: “What happened to all those emails?”

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Governor Larry Hogan Announces Three Appointees To Maryland House Of Delegates

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today announced the appointment of three new delegates to the Maryland General Assembly. Governor Hogan appointed the individuals to fill vacancies in the House of Delegates after receiving recommendations from the Republican Central Committees in the three respective counties.

“After conducting a thorough vetting process, I am confident I have chosen three delegates who will be strong advocates for their respective constituencies,” said Governor Hogan. “I offer sincere congratulations and look forward to working alongside them to advance our administration’s priorities of reducing taxes, improving our business climate, and making it easier for families to live and work in Maryland.”

In Washington County’s District 2A, County Commissioner Bill Wivell will replace Delegate Andrew Serafini, who was sworn in to the Maryland Senate last month.

In Carroll County’s District 5, Carroll County Board of Elections member April Rose will replace Delegate Justin Ready, who also became a state senator last month.

In Anne Arundel County’s District 33, lawyer and former chairman of the Republican Central Committee Michael Malone will replace Delegate Cathy Vitale, who was invested as an Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judge in January.

These appointments will take effect immediately.

Masculine Moments

Caption This Photo 3-16-15


Military Heaven


Are You With Me On This One?