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Friday, May 08, 2015

Prominent Businessman in Oklahoma Town Was Pulled Over for DUI Suspicion. Who the Police Chief Says Tried to Get Him Off the Hook Is ‘Highly Unethical.’

A small town in Oklahoma with a population of less than 2,000 has a police force with officers who are just trying to do their job and follow the law. But after a recent incident that some have chalked up to be evidence of a “good ol’ boy system,” some of the cops say their employment has been threatened.

Here’s what happened.

Two months ago, in Chelsea, Oklahoma, officer Nicholas Pappe pulled over local businessman Brian Haggard for suspicion of drunk driving, KTUL-TV reported. Haggard would go on to be arrested for allegedly driving under the influence, but apparently not without some of the city’s top officials trying to come to his aid first.

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Report: Hamas Set to Conduct Paragliding Attacks Against Israel

Hamas is developing an air attack capability – by recruiting Palestinian students in Malaysia to carry out attacks on Israel using paragliding equipment, a report by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. The report reveals two incidents in which Hamas was found to be conducting training of Palestinian students for such attacks in that country.

In a recent indictment against a terrorist from Hevron, Wasim Kawasme, it was revealed that he was recruited with other students from Judea and Samaria to train for such attacks.

According to the report, the terrorists underwent at least a week of training in Malaysia, using paragliding equipment in preparation for a terror attack in Israel. The group was warned not to tell anyone about their training, and not to even discuss paragliding with anyone. Kawasme and others underwent several sessions, the most recent one in 2014.

More here

Students Slam Classmates for Wearing Chick-fil-A Attire on LGTB Day, Get Suspended

Kids in public schools today are totally being indoctrinated with progressive thinking, and if you don’t think that’s true, here’s an example that’s hard to argue with.

A Pennsylvania high school held a special day to raise awareness about LGBT issues — which in and of itself screams “drink the liberal Kool-Aid” — encouraging kids to wear rainbow-colored t-shirts to show their support.

Two students decided to voice their opinion about LGBT issues by wearing Chick-fil-A shirts instead of something with rainbows all over it.

Offended students IMMEDIATELY began harassing them for it on Twitter, with the bullying dragging out over the weekend.

What’s even more amazing is what the school did to those involved in the situation come Monday morning.

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Report: US to Offer Saudis Bunker Buster Bombs

The United States is likely to offer Saudi Arabia its advanced GBU-28 bunker buster bombs – so far only provided to Israel – as Washington seeks to beef up Saudi Arabia's ability to lead Gulf countries in defending themselves against Iranian moves in the region.

According to the report in the Washington Times, Secretary of State John Kerry will propose the idea to Saudi officials on his visit to that country this week.

In tests, the GBU-28 bombs proved capable of penetrating over 30 meters (100 ft) of earth or 6 meters (20 ft) of solid concrete.

There has been speculation that the bombs would not be effective against Iranian nuclear facilities, as they may be buried further underground and reinforced with larger amounts of concrete.

More here

Preakness hoping for record crowd, despite Baltimore unrest

BALTIMORE (AP) — The general manager of the Maryland Jockey Club anticipates a record crowd at the Preakness next Saturday, despite recent unrest and rioting in Baltimore.

Salvatore Sinatra says, “Sales have been very strong. Hopefully the weather holds, and we will probably break a record.”

Baltimore was engulfed in violence last week amid protests over the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who died from injuries he received while in police custody.

As a result, security at Pimlico Race Course has been “beefed up,” according to Sinatra.

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A Comment Worthy Of A Post 5-8-15

Steve has left a new comment on your post " A Professor At Polk State College Allegedly Failed...":

Belief works every day. If you have not found belief, then it does not exist to you. But, the fact is, it does exist for the believers, and they enjoy the benefits of it every day.

Witching rods? I always thought was hogwash. Then I worked 3 years with a backhoe operator who used them. Miss Utility tried, but the witching rods found all.

They never worked for me until I saw this man do the unthinkable. After that, the rods work now for me every time!

Because I now believe.

And owning the truth is awesome!

Jesus existed to show us that a human could be perfect. God, the Father is there. The Holy Spirit is the "voices inside us" that guide us each day to follow the Father.

And once you can get your head around all that and can bring yourself to believe, everything starts to work differently.

Best wishes.

One killed, several injured in Baltimore shootings

Baltimore police are investigating multiple shootings Thursday
 

A shooting occurred at the intersection of West Patapsco Avenue and Potee Street around 6:15 p.m.

Police said they found a 34-year-old woman shot multiple times. They said she was transported to a hospital for treatment, but she died from her injuries.

Homicide detectives were investigating the incident.

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'Shark Tank' Star Reveals How to Cut Your Mortgage by 25 Percent

You think your mortgage rate is already low? Think again!

You've heard it from your friends or your bank: "Your mortgage rate is super low." In reality, you are probably wasting a lot of money. At least according to real estate expert and Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran. With rates being at historic lows, it's just a waste of money to not shop around and refinance your mortgage.

Millions of Americans are eligible, but most don't know the brilliant government program called the Home Affordable Refinance Plan (HARP). By refinancing your home at lower interest rates, you could easily lower your payments by as much as $4,264 each year. 1

Time is running out, but the government is making one last push to reach the last qualifying homeowners. But since the program is set to expire shortly, homeowners are running out of time before the this great program goes away forever.

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ISIS: Potentially 'Thousands' of Online Followers Inside US Homeland, FBI Chief Warns

There may be as many as thousands of people inside the United States consuming online “poison” from ISIS alone, and, “I know there are other Elton Simpsons out there,” FBI director James Comey warned today, referring to one of the men who opened fire outside of an event in Texas earlier this week celebrating artists’ portrayals of the Prophet Mohammad.

“We have a very hard task” in trying to identify and stop anyone inspired to launch an attack inside the U.S. homeland, Comey told ABC News’ Pierre Thomas and a small group of reporters.

Such efforts have become particularly challenging because ISIS has reconfigured and redefined terrorist recruitment, according to Comey. In fact, while the FBI is trying to find that so-called needle in a haystack, “increasingly the needles are invisible to us,” he said.

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Hillary’s Armor

“This vast right-wing conspiracy,” Hillary Clinton said, “has been conspiring against my husband since the day he announced.” That was the “feminist” first lady’s response when her husband was accused of having sex with a 21-year-old.

Bill was more lawyerly. He said things like, “It depends upon what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.”

The Wall Street Journal’s Kim Strassel suggests that the Clintons must have a Scandal Manual: “The standard operating procedure never changes.”

Forty years ago, Hillary would have us believe that she wasn’t just the wife of a man running for Arkansas governor — she was a lucky or brilliant investor who in less than three weeks doubled her money. No, tripled! No, wait — quadrupled … no, actually, much more!

“Clinton made almost $100,000 in the cattle futures market,” reported Tom Brokaw, and “many wondered whether that was a sweetheart deal arranged for the governor’s wife.”

Of course it was.

In less than three weeks, Hillary turned $1,000 into $16,427. “I don’t understand how that could have possibly occurred,” she said. “My husband and I missed the fact that we had actually made some money.”

A hundred thousand dollars — twice what her husband made as governor. Who remembers trivia like that?

That was around the time of the Whitewater scandal, in which friends of the Clintons got sweetheart land deals. Seven people went to jail, but not the Clintons. Their records disappeared.

Hillary came on “20/20.” Barbara Walters asked her, “How did you get into this mess where your whole credibility is being questioned?”

Hillary answered sweetly, “I ask myself that every day, Barbara, because it’s very surprising and confusing to me.”

It is confusing to me, too.

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Student: Professor Gave Me Zeros for Refusing to Condemn Christianity

A Polk State University student says that her humanities professor gave her four consecutive zeros after she disagreed with his negative views toward Christianity.

One of professor Lance “L.J.” Russum’s assignments asked students: why did Christianity and its male gods seek to silence women? Another insisted that Michelangelo’s sculptures and paintings communicated that same-sex relationships are not a sin.

Russum also reportedly criticized Christianity as one of the “most violent forms of religion the world has ever seen.”

But 16-year-old Grace Lewis, who virtually attends Polk State, said she disagreed with the educator over Christianity and religion, and she was consequently given four zeros.

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Good News: Irs Sent Billions In Education Credits To People Who Aren’t Qualified To Receive Them

According to a new report from Treasury Inspector General J Russell George, the IRS paid out $5.6 billion in education credits to more than 3 million people who aren't qualified to receive them.

First, some background.
The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 created two permanent education tax credits, the Hope Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 temporarily replaced the Hope Credit with a refundable tax credit known as the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC). The AOTC was initially set to expire at the end of Calendar Year 2010 but has since been extended through Calendar Year 2017.

Education tax credits help taxpayers offset the costs of higher education and have become an increasingly important component of Federal higher education policy. The amount of education credits individuals claim each year has increased from more than $3 billion for Tax Year 1998 to almost $19 billion for Tax Year 2012. Figure 1 shows the amount of education credits taxpayers claimed for Tax Years 2009 through 2012.

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Fairfax Co. school board approves change to policy to protect transgender students, staff

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -The Fairfax County School Board has voted in favor of expanding its non-discrimination policy to protect transgender students and staff.

The school board approved the change much to the dismay of many parents and this issue could soon affect other school systems because the school board said the change was federally mandated.

At its core, this fight circles around two words that have very big meanings: gender identity. The school board's move to change its non-discrimination policy is causing conflict between people who say transgendered people need protection and others who say the policy change has not been thought out.

Fairfax County Public Schools' non-discrimination policy has protections on race, color, sex, marital status, religion, nationality, disability and genetics. Before being approved, there was nothing in it about being transgender.

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Social Media Obsession Costing Some People Their Marriage

(CBS) — Some people get so obsessed with socialmedia, it can cost them their marriage.

Divorce because of Facebook, or Twitter is a growing problem. CBS 2’s Mike Parker found out why.

Shari, then married with two kids, says she got hooked on Facebook five or six years ago. She was trying to build up an event planning business.

“I was spending sometimes 4 or 5 hours a day…when I should have been cooking dinner or reading to my kids or watching a movie with my husband or just talking to my husband.”

She began to post picture after picture of herself, acquired 5,000 Facebook friends and a thousand followers. Gradually, her husband discovered she wastrading messages with ex-boyfriends. The battles began.

“Okay so you dated this guy… and you’re friends with him? And you’re messaging him?” Shari said.

The marriage ended. It’s not the only one. A growing number of divorcing spouses blame social media for playing a part in their divorce. A survey by Censuswide suggests its one divorce in seven.

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Record number of Americans abroad giving up citizenship

A record 1,335 Americans living overseas renounced their citizenship in the first three months of 2015, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

That number is 18 percent higher than the previous record, according to Bloomberg. In all of 2014, 3,415 individuals gave up their U.S. citizenship, the second straight year when renouncements hit a new record high.

The data only provided the names of Americans giving up their passports, and not their reasons for doing so. But the spike comes as the U.S. government is getting more aggressive about ensuring that Americans living abroad are unable to hide funds that should be taxed back home.

The 2010 Foreign Account Tax and Compliance Act (FATCA) required foreign banks to report on accounts held by U.S. citizens. Roughly 110 countries and 160,000 financial institutions have agreed to comply with the law, even as the U.S. stands apart from most other nations by taxing income its citizens make while living anywhere in the world.

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Cut to the Chase: Decline of Black Family on Full Display in Baltimore

But according to President Obama, Republicans are not spending enough money in the inner cities. Pure B.S.

Liberals have destroyed Baltimore, Detroit, Philadelphia, Cleveland and trying their best to bring New York to the “bad old days”.

CNS News reports the rioting in Baltimore is disturbing to all Americans, as the unresolved cause of Freddie Gray’s death while in police custody should be as well.

It is right that political and religious leaders, community groups, business organizations and law enforcement officials are commenting about all the causes and effects of the riots. However, one thing seems missing from the discussion, a factor whose omission is unacceptable. It’s called fatherhood.

The rioting is inexcusable but should not be wholly surprising. It is likely that the great majority of it was done by young black men — young black men without fathers.

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Man Gets 11 Years For Rape, Burglary

SNOW HILL — A Virginia man, convicted on second-degree assault and first-degree burglary charges after climbing in an Ocean City hotel window last May and sexually assaulting a female victim, was sentenced on Monday to 11 years in prison.

Romer Ortuno, 30, of Springfield, Va. in December was found guilty of second-degree rape and first-degree burglary after a two-day trial in Worcester County Circuit Court. Back in court on Monday, Ortuno was sentenced to 15 years for the second-degree rape conviction, of which four were suspended. He was also sentenced to 10 years for the first-degree burglary charge and the two sentences will be served concurrently, resulting in a total of 11 years. Ortuno will be forced to serve at least 50 percent of the 11-year sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Last May 25, Ocean City Police detectives responded to Atlantic General Hospital and met with the victim of an alleged sexual assault. Through the investigation, detectives learned the victim and a group of friends were at an Ocean City nightclub earlier where they ran into acquaintances from their hometown in Virginia.

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Obama Impersonator Says People Keep Saying ‘I Hate You’

It’s tough out there for everyone, let alone people looking for work. Imagine how hard it is if your job is being an Obama impersonator?

It gets to be a bit much, he confesses, including “if you’re trying to get from point A to point B … and people have to stop you for some reason,” including to say “I hate you.”

“As far as his popularity, when things get tough for Obama, things get a little tough for me, not only financially,” Ortiz says. “I gotta hear it all.”

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Man Charged With Murder In Nephew’s Death

SNOW HILL — A Pocomoke man was charged this week with second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse after his 3-year-old nephew died from injuries sustained while in his care.

Kevin M. Sewell, 27, was formally charged on Monday with second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse stemming from an alleged incident that occurred last Sunday, May 3 at his residence. Sewell had custody of the 3-year-old and when the toddler was returned to his Accomack County, Va. home, he had sustained severe trauma to his head and abdomen along with other injuries.

The child died of the injuries allegedly sustained while in his uncle’s care at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughter in Norfolk, Va. Worcester County State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby said on Wednesday he could not provide much more information about the case as of mid-week.

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REMINDER: 27th Annual Westside Heritage Festival

More Big Gov’t BS: Now Liberals Want Obama to Make ‘Homemade Soap’ Illegal!

If liberals have their way, Obama will now be coming for your homemade soap. That’s right, extremist liberal Senator Dianne Feinstein and liberal Senator Susan Collins want to help Obama expand the powers of the FDA to, of all things, stop us from making homemade soap–or at least regulate it so much we won’t bother.

This is nothing but another big government power grab by the left. There is no need whatsoever for this new power to be granted to the rapacious federal government.

Lawmakers are considering legislation that would further regulate cosmetics including handmade soap. The Personal Care Products Safety Act was introduced by Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Cal) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) last month. The bill is currently rattling around in the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

The stated purpose of the bill is to, “protect consumers and streamline industry compliance by strengthening the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authority to regulate the ingredients in personal care products. While the personal care products industry is projected to exceed $60 billion in U.S. revenue this year, federal regulations on these products have not been updated in 75 years.”

Essentially, the Personal Care Products Safety Act is another venture in big government glut that would expand the FDA’s jurisdiction thereby creating more bureaucracy, wasting taxpayer money, and hindering small business growth. More specifically though, the bill would impose fees, and add ridiculous reporting and labeling requirements.

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40% of Food Stamp Recipients Are Obese

Supposedly food stamps — by which the government forces some people to pay for other people’s food — are a necessary evil, required to provide subsistence sustenance to those who are temporarily out of work. Yet we read this:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture looked at data from 2007 through 2010, then compared average weights of those on food stamps — officially called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — to those who weren’t. …

Food stamp recipients are far more likely to be obese than poor people who are eligible but don’t take the help. And they’re even more likely to be obese than those with higher incomes.

Fully 40% of food stamp recipients are obese, the study found, compared with just over 30% of those who don’t participate in the program.

Children of families on food stamps were also more likely to be obese than children in the other two groups, as were older adults.

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Obama Adding More Spikes to White House Fence–Same Guy Who Won’t Put Fence at the Border

The same president who refuses to beef up our southern border to keep criminals out of the country is now announcing that he is adding more spikes to the fence around the White House to make it harder for people to get over it. So… fences are good to keep Americans from the White House, but not good to keep lawbreaking foreigners out of our country?

The Obama administration made its announcement of the new security measures today.

The Secret Service is adding a second layer of steel spikes to the top of the White House fence to keep would-be intruders at bay, according to a proposal submitted to the National Capitol Planning Commission.

The steel “pencil point” spikes will be snapped into place at the top of the fence and protrude outward, according to a diagram included in the proposal submitted for the Secret Service by that National Park Service. The commission approved the proposal at a hearing Thursday afternoon.

The spikes will be added to the fence along the north and south sides of the White House grounds starting Friday, the Secret Service and National Park Service said in a statement Thursday.

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Get Ready for More Riots: Baltimore Prosecutor’s Charges Against Cops Doomed to Fail

This is all gong to come to no good, say many court watchers.

The Baltimore police investigation into the death of a black man from injuries sustained in police custody fails to support some charges filed by the city prosecutor, CNN reported on Thursday.

Citing officials briefed on the separate probes by prosecutor Marilyn Mosby and police into the death of Freddie Gray, the television news network said the lack of support for charges from the police findings could allow lawyers representing the officers to undercut the prosecution.

Gray, 25, sustained spinal injuries after being arrested, and his death on April 19 sparked protests and a day of arson and looting in the largely African American city.

Mosby charged six officers on Friday with counts ranging from false imprisonment to manslaughter and second-degree murder. She made her announcement hours after the state medical examiner ruled the death a homicide and a day after police turned over their findings about Gray’s arrest.

Officials familiar with the probes say the homicide investigation run by police at most contemplated a manslaughter charge, not second-degree murder as Mosby charged one of the officers, Caesar Goodson.

To win conviction for murder, prosecutors must prove intent to kill. Manslaughter relates to unintentional killings.

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Governor Hogan Rolls Back Tolls Statewide – Saving Marylanders $54 Million A Year

$2.50 Bay Bridge Toll Returns For Maryland E-ZPass Users; $4 For Drivers Paying CashPlan Eliminates Monthly Account Fee And Doubles Discounts For Maryland E-ZPass Holders

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today delivered on his promise to roll back Maryland’s high toll rates and put money back in the pockets of hard-working Maryland families and businesses. From the Bay and Hatem bridges to the Harbor Crossings, the Intercounty Connector (ICC), and the new I-95 Express Toll Lanes (ETL), Governor Hogan’s toll rollback, which takes effect July 1, 2015, will save Maryland citizens $270 million over the next five years.
“We are proud to announce what by far is our largest tax relief package to date and marks the first time tolls have been lowered in Maryland in nearly 50 years,” said Governor Hogan.  “This tax cut will put more than a quarter billion back into the pockets of our beleaguered Maryland taxpayers, and back into our economy.”
Responding to the governor’s calls to lower tolls, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Board today approved recommendations from MDTA staff to decrease toll rates across the state, increase E-ZPass Maryland discounts, and eliminate the monthly $1.50 E-ZPass account fee.
The following toll reductions and changes are effective July 1, 2015:

Sometimes Violence Is Apparently The Answer

The last couple of years have really seen a remarkable about-face from the hippies and those who espouse the recycled hippie ideals in the modern left. Used to be, we all (with the exception of a few quacks) accepted that violence and intimidation weren’t legitimate methods of achieving political change. Even if we agreed with the change that was sought, we had to condemn anyone who resorted to death and destruction to achieve those means.

The American Left no longer even pretends to believe in this message. Allow me to illustrate with three recent, high profile examples. The first of these, of course, is Baltimore. I personally am broadly supportive of the need for police reform, as I’ve stated here repeatedly. However, I’m less supportive of innocent people having their homes and businesses burned and destroyed. The way this would have been talked about 20 years ago, we would have condemned the violence and waited for order to be restored before discussing reform. However, dozens of prominent and respected liberal commentators actually expressed public support for rioting and looting while it was ongoing.

The second was the California High School’s decision – widely hailed by the left and upheld by the 9th Circuit – to ban American Flag T-shirts on Cinco de Mayo. The threat of violence, you see, justified the school’s decision. Never mind the idea that the school should have been prepared to actually manage violence and discipline anyone who was motivated to use violence and/or intimidation against someone who was offended at the display of the flag of the country in which he or she lived. No, see, what we really have to focus on is the fact that if something might incite people to violence, we put a stop to that, not punish the violent.

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Missouri man arrested in slaying of student selling car through Craigslist

A Missouri man has been arrested on suspicion of shooting dead an Illinois college student looking to sell his car to the suspect during a meeting arranged through online classified website Craigslist, police said.

Michael Gordon, a 24-year-old St. Louis resident, was arrested on Tuesday and was being held in a county jail on $1 million bond, Florissant Police Department spokesman Tim Fagen told a news conference late on Wednesday.

The body of Taylor Clark, a civil engineering student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, according to his Twitter page, was found at the truck driver training center where Gordon worked.

"The victim and the suspect did connect through Craigslist after the victim listed a vehicle for sale," Fagen told reporters. "They were going to meet and the vehicle was going to be looked at and test-driven."

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PAUL HURST AND CAREY LEE EDWARDS SENTENCED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER

On April 30, 2015, Paul Hurst, age 33, of Hebron, Maryland, was sentenced to Life- suspend all but forty (40) years--for Attempted First Degree Murder. On April 24, 2015, the Wicomico County Circuit Court sentenced Hurst’s co-defendant, Carey Lee Edwards, to Life -suspend all but thirty (30) years-for his role in this crime.

On August 4, 2014, the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to Peninsula Regional Medical Center (P.R.M.C.) in reference to a reported assault. Upon further investigation, detectives from the Wicomico County Bureau of Investigation (WBI) found that Paul Hurst and Carey Lee Edwards had assaulted Hurst’s housemate from dusk on August 3, 2014 through dawn on August 4. The victim in this case sustained several cracked ribs, a lacerated liver and spleen, and circumferential burns on his right arm. Because of the severity of the victim’s injuries, he was transported from P.R.M.C. to Johns Hopkins Bayview Burn Center for treatment. There the victim ultimately had to have his right arm amputated.

The investigation revealed that Edwards and the victim both had “Hatchet Man” tattoos that symbolized their affinity for the band “The Insane Clown Posse. (ICP).” The investigation revealed that Hurst’s and Edward’s motive for burning the victim’s arm was to remove the victim’s “Hatchet Man” tattoo because the victim disrespected their “Juggalo” “family.”

Hurst and Edwards entered guilty pleas to Attempted First Degree Murder on February 27, 2015 and March 20, 2015, respectively. The Court sentenced each man to prison terms recommended by the State and in accordance with the State’s plea agreements. After serving their active periods of incarceration (Hurst was sentenced to serve 40 years, Edwards was sentenced to serve 30 years), each man will serve a five (5) year period of probation upon release wherein the balance of a life sentence could be imposed for any further violation of the law or condition of probation.
Matt Maciarello, State’s Attorney for Wicomico County commended the agencies involved in this investigation, especially the Wicomico County Bureau of Investigation (WBI) and lead investigator, Thomas Funk. Maciarello also commended the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police for their assistance in processing evidence in this case. The State also expresses its gratitude for all of the doctors, nurses and hospital personnel at P.R.M.C. and the Johns Hopkins Bayview Burn Center who cared for the victim and who participated in the preparation of this case.

These cases were prosecuted by Matthew A. Maciarello, State’s Attorney for Wicomico County, and Ella M. Disharoon, Deputy State’s Attorney. For more information or for an interview please call the Office of the State’s Attorney at (410) 548-4880 or go to www.wicomicosao.com.

Hillary Clinton Goes All In On Immigration; Pledges To Outdo Obama

Hillary Clinton held a Cinco de Mayo event with illegal immigrants in Nevada Tuesday — "an especially appropriate day for us to be having this conversation" — in which she promised to go farther than President Obama in using executive authority to confer legal status on illegal immigrants, and to ultimately to award them U.S. citizenship. No matter what Republicans might offer to illegal immigrants in terms of legal status, Clinton said, she will offer more.

Changing the immigration system will be a top priority should she become president, Clinton said. "We can't wait any longer. We can't wait any longer for a path to full and equal citizenship."

Clinton made clear she would go beyond any Republican, be it Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, or any other, in conferring benefits on currently illegal immigrants. "This is where I differ with everybody on the Republican side," she said. "Make no mistakes — today not a single Republican candidate, announced or potential, is clearly and consistently supporting a path to citizenship. Not one. When they talk about legal status, that is code for second-class status."

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Baltimore: The Intersection of the Grievance Culture and the Welfare State

After the mysterious death of suspect Freddie Gray, the Maryland state’s attorney for Baltimore charged all six Baltimore police officers involved with his arrest and transport. The crimes ranging from “second-degree depraved-heart murder” to involuntary manslaughter, assault, misconduct in office and false imprisonment. Locals cheered her decision to charge all six. The charges followed three days of riots triggered by Gray’s funeral and came almost immediately after the medical examiner filed his report calling Gray’s death a “homicide.”

Now for the hard part.

Not only will the charges be difficult to prove but three of those charged are black. The claim of illegal “racial profiling” argues that white racist officers possess an unwarranted fear of young black men. But what happens to that analysis when the accused officers are black? If black cops are just as likely to engage in race-based misconduct, why did Ferguson demonstrators demand a “diverse” police force?

If the Ferguson outrage and riots were about “lack of representation” or “lack of voice,” this cannot be said about Baltimore. The city council is majority black, the police department is approximately 40 percent black, the top two officials running the department are black men, the city has a black mayor, the state’s attorney for Baltimore City — who charged the six officers — is black, the new U.S. attorney general is a black female, and of course the President of the United States is black.

The left has created a culture of anger and entitlement based upon government dependency and the false assertion that racism remains a major problem. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., for example, said that the recent police killings mean “open season on black men in America.” The Baltimore mayor’s shameful embrace of the Rev. Al Sharpton, the race-hustling incendiary who demanded an arrest of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, did not help matters. Some actually believe this tripe about “institutional racism.” Of those, how many rioted over Freddie Gray’s “murder,” no matter the race of the mayor?

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CONGRESS TELLS COURT THAT CONGRESS CAN’T BE INVESTIGATED FOR INSIDER TRADING

Lawmakers claimed they and their staff are constitutionally protected from such inquiries given the nature of their work

In a little-noticed brief filed last summer, lawyers for the House of Representatives claimed that an SEC investigation of congressional insider trading should be blocked on principle, because lawmakers and their staff are constitutionally protected from such inquiries given the nature of their work.

The legal team led by Kerry W. Kircher, who was appointed House General Counsel by Speaker John Boehner in 2011, claimed that the insider trading probe violated the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branch.

In 2012, members of Congress patted themselves on the back for passing the STOCK Act, a bill meant to curb insider trading for lawmakers and their staff. “We all know that Washington is broken and today members of both parties took a big step forward to fix it,” said Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, upon passage of the law.

But as the Securities and Exchange Commission made news with the first major investigation of political insider trading, Congress moved to block the inquiry.

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Sheriff Reggie Mason Accepts Donation For New K9

Sheriff Reggie Mason accepts a check for $5,000.00 from Connie & Dave Widmann for the purchase of a new K9 Explosives Detector dog. The donation is in memory of their son, Dfc.Brian Heller who we lost on June 14, 2000 in the line of duty. With this donation and the previous donation received from the Haslam/Brenner family, the Sheriffs Office will be able to purchase an additional bomb dog which will not only serve the citizens of Worcester County, but will also be used to assist other surrounding counties and states. We would like to thank both families for their kindness and generosity shown. We anticipate purchasing our new K-9 and training a new K-9 Handler in the next few months. Sheriff Mason continues to make it his mission to protect and serve our county residents and this addition will greatly assist many agencies and residents in keeping our schools and community events safe.We will keep you updated.
It should be noted that the dog pictured is not the Explosives K-9. Although we are sure it would make a fine one

Part-Time Jobs Soar By 437,000; Full-Time Jobs Tumble, Stay Firmly Under Pre-Recession Highs

For all the talk about a jobs recovery and about a US economy that has put the great financial crisis and recession of 2007/8 in the rear view mirror, don't tell it to those workers who desire a full-time job and instead are forced to settle with measly part-time offerings (mostly courtesy of Obamacare). Because as the chart below shows, as of April 2015, the number of full-time jobs remained well below the pre-recession peak, which incidentally was hit on December 2007, the month the last recession officially started.

We bring this up because in April, while the establishment survey reported a number that was just below the consensus estimate (even if it revised the March number lower by 50%), the household survey painted a far less optimistic picture, with the number of part-time jobs surging by nearly half a million, the worst print since last June, while the number of full-time jobs tumbled by 252K, also the biggest drop in nearly a year.

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Americans Not In The Labor Force Rise To Record 93,194,000

In what was an "unambiguously" unpleasant April jobs payrolls report, with a March revision dragging that month's job gain to the lowest level since June of 2012, the fact that the number of Americans not in the labor force rose once again, this time to 93,194K from 93,175K, with the result being a participation rate of 69.45 or just above the lowest percentage since 1977, will merely catalyze even more upside to the so called "market" which continues to reflect nothing but central bank liquidity, and thus - the accelerating deterioration of the broader economy.

End result: with the civilian employment to population ratio unchanged from last month at 59.3%, one can easily on the chart below why there will be no broad wage growth any time soon, which will merely allow the Fed to engage in its failed policies for a long, long time.

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SPD COLD CASE SENTENCED: CHRISTOPHER GIBBS JR. CONVICTED OF RAPE 2nd DEGREE AND RELATED CHARGES SENTENCED TO 40 YEARS

On March 23, 2015, Christopher Gibbs Jr., age 52, of Salisbury, Maryland, was convicted by a Wicomico County jury of Rape 2nd Degree and related charges. The charges against Gibbs arose from an incident that occurred on July 22, 1999, in the area of Isabella Street, Salisbury, Wicomico County, Maryland. As the victim was coming home from work on the evening of July 22, 1999, Gibbs forced her into her apartment at knife point. Gibbs ordered her to the bedroom where he sexually assaulted her at knifepoint. Before Gibbs left the apartment, he cut the phone cord from the wall and stole the victim’s purse and keys. Police were called and the crime was investigated by the SPD City Investigation Division (CID). The victim was taken to PRMC for treatment and DNA evidence from the case was sent to the Maryland State Police Crime Lab. SPD could not identify a suspect at that time; however, the victim’s attacker’s DNA was uploaded onto the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). In 2014, the CODIS unit notified the Salisbury City Police that the DNA standard of Christopher Gibbs Jr., matched the DNA collected during the investigation on July 22, 1999.

On May 8, 2015, Gibbs was sentenced to the maximum penalty for Rape 2nd, twenty (20) years, to be served in the Division of Corrections. Gibbs was also sentenced to ten (10) years for Robbery and ten (10) years for Burglary 1st Degree, for crimes he committed during the course of the event. Gibbs total sentence was forty (40) years active incarceration in the Division of Corrections. That sentence was ordered to be served consecutive to any other sentence Gibbs is currently obligated to serve.

Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew A. Maciarello commended the Salisbury City Police, and investigating officer, Det. Matthew Thompsen, for their work in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Mr. Maciarello also thanked Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Kristen Schultz who prosecuted this case.

Obama Is More Hostile Towards The Press Than Any President In History

Obama HATES the press

A brand new Politico poll of White House correspondents finds:

(1) 65% of reporters say that Obama is the least press-friendly president they’ve ever seen

(2) 78% of White House reporters believe “President Obama dislikes the press”

(3) 63% of the reporters have literally never asked Obama a question at any press conference

(4) 58% say they’ve never spoken to anyone at the White House other than a flack on the White House press team

(5) 5 times more reporters believe that Obama is becoming less and less open with the press than believe he’s getting more transparent with time

The Washington Post noted last month:

In the Committee to Protect Journalists report, former Washington Post executive editorLeonard Downie Jr. summarized the administration’s efforts to control information as “the most aggressive I’ve seen since the Nixon administration.” Downie was one of the editors involved in The Post’s coverage of Nixon’s Watergate crimes.

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The Price of Nice Nails

The women begin to arrive just before 8 a.m., every day and without fail, until there are thickets of young Asian and Hispanic women on nearly every street corner along the main roads of Flushing, Queens.

As if on cue, cavalcades of battered Ford Econoline vans grumble to the curbs, and the women jump in. It is the start of another workday for legions of New York City’s manicurists, who are hurtled to nail salons across three states. They will not return until late at night, after working 10- to 12-hour shifts, hunched over fingers and toes.

On a morning last May, Jing Ren, a 20-year-old who had recently arrived from China, stood among them for the first time, headed to a job at a salon in a Long Island strip mall. Her hair neat and glasses perpetually askew, she clutched her lunch and a packet of nail tools that manicurists must bring from job to job.

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Secret Deal Could Contain a Myriad of Gun Restrictions, Ammo Bans!

Will UN-style gun control be rammed down our throats?

“We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it.” — Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, encouraging rapid passage of ObamaCare in 2010

ACTION: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Orrin Hatch may soon give the President authority to write gun control restrictions into a “trade agreement.” So click here to contact your Senators –- whether they are liberal or conservative. Urge them to vote against the anti-gun “fast track” bill (S. 995).

Will UN-style gun control be rammed down our throats?

Gun import bans … Microstamping of firearms … Ammunition bans … The full implementation of the anti-gun UN Arms Trade Treaty … Illegal amnesty which locks in millions of new, anti-gun voters.

This anti-gun wish list could be part of the secret trade agreement that President Obama is getting ready to spring on the Congress.

This trade pact is called “fast track,” and what it means is that Obama can write any form of gun control he chooses into a trade agreement — import bans, amnesty, etc.

And this agreement DOESN’T need two-thirds vote in the Senate, as a treaty would. When completed, the agreement is merely subject to a majority vote in both Houses … it can’t be filibustered … it can’t be amended … and the GOP can’t refuse to consider it.
Top Secret TPP means you won’t know what’s in the bill

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DOVER POLICE OFFICER INDICTED AFTER VIDEO SHOWS SUSPECT KICKED IN HEAD



COP KICKS SUSPECT: The Delaware Attorney General's Office has indicted a Dover police office on assault charges after he was caught on camera kicking a suspect in the face, knocking him out and breaking his jaw... http://6abc.cm/1KndhYN
Posted by 6abc Action News on Thursday, May 7, 2015

The Delaware Attorney General's Office has indicted a Dover police office on assault charges after he was caught on camera kicking a suspect in the face.

We should warn you the video might be disturbing to some viewers.

A dash camera from another patrol car captured Officer Thomas Webster approaching Latif Dickerson following a fight back in August of 2013.

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A Viewer Writes: Missing info from city government site

Joe- What has happened to info that was available under City Government previously? There was a listing available of rental houses not being taken care of, it showed pictures of those houses, the violations, and any improvements made or not resolved? The information was there to be viewed by tax payers who wind up footing all the bills for those who don't comply. It is only fair that as citizens in the city who pay fines, and comply with codes, and try to keep up our homes and properties that we know the offenders in our area.

Publishers Notes: Well, there's an upcoming election. That would be my answer.

BREAKING NEWS: DOJ Announces Probe of Baltimore Police

Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Friday the Justice Department has opened an investigation into Baltimore Police Department in connection with the death of Freddie Gray.

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Iran General: 'We Welcome War With the US'

Iran is not afraid of threats of war from the United States, and in fact is ready to take on any threat, a top Iranian military official said.

"We welcome war with the U.S. as we do believe that it will be the scene for our success to display the real potentials of our power," Brig. General Hossein Salami said in an interview on state-run Iranian television on Wednesday.

Salami, lieutenant commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), made the comments following a meeting between Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli officials to discuss the Iranian threat, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported.

The Obama administration has stated that military action is not off the table if Iran refuses to sign an acceptable nuclear agreement this summer.

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Obama Wax Sculpture ‘Too White’ – Guess Who Complained?

WASHINGTON – The wax figure of President Barack Obama on display at Madame Tussauds Museum looks “too white” according to a group of activists concerned with race, ethnicity, and the way African-American men are represented in today’s popular culture.

“We don’t like the President’s color one bit,” said Summer Wells, spokesperson for the activists who prefer to be called “Waxivists.” The group filed a formal complaint with the world-renowned museum, and requested a face-to-face meeting with Marie Tussaud herself, charging the gallery owner with “deliberate distortion and misrepresentation of an African-American historical figurine.”

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A Pair of SS396 Novas - Rare Finds

"There is no way you found two of them"

"My jaw dropped," Jonathan Large said. Finding one factory 396-powered Nova was enough of a surprise, but he found two—both Super Sports, both coupes, and both '70 models, the last year of the big-block in Chevrolet's compact car line.

"We went to a car show four years ago in Elizabethtown, North Carolina," Jonathan said. "It's just a small town. I had taken my Chevelle convertible."

He met Rodney Stewart at this show. Stewart also owns a Chevelle, and the two began talking. "He told me his daddy had two big-block Novas. He thought they were '69 models. I was born in 1969, so I said, 'Hmm, what's he want for them?' And he told me 1500 bucks apiece, but you had to buy them both."

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Kansas, Nebraska tornadoes unleash tigers from zoo

An Oklahoma City woman drowned in a storm cellar after 51 tornadoes and fierce storms tore across parts of the Midwest on Wednesday and pounded Oklahoma, officials said.

The 42-year-old woman was trapped in an underground shelter in her yard as torrential rain filled it up with water, Sgt. Gary Knight told the New York Daily News.

"It was like a river running over the shelter and she couldn't get out," he said, noting it was an old cellar not built to modern standards.

Her boyfriend found the unidentified woman's body in the storms' only reported fatality, Knight said.

At least 20 people were injured, five of them critically so, according to local reports.

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Why We Are Afraid, A 1400 Year Secret, by Dr Bill Warner

SBYNews EXCLUSIVE: What Your Not Seeing In The Media About West Coast Drought Conditions

This is a picture of the Hoover Dam. 
The next picture is the Colorado River. The water level is 25 ft. below normal. Usually to the top of the white part of the mountain. Dry and hot. 

Shocking Video Shows Idaho Cops Fatally Shooting Pregnant Woman In The Stomach

Jeanetta Riley, 35, was gunned down using an AR-15 assault rifle and .40-caliber Glock pistol by Idah police officers outside Bronner General Hospital in Sandpoint, Idaho, on July 8, 2014. The autopsy report revealed that Riley was shot in the chest and hit in the liver as well as her shoulder, back and heart.

Her husband Shane took Riley, pregnant with her fourth child, to the hospital after she threatened to kill herself. When they arrived at the hospital, Riley pulled out a knife forcing her husband to ask the hospital staff to call the police. Within 15 seconds after the cops arrived, she was dead.

Two body cameras and a third attached to a police dashboard leave no ambiguity over what happened that fateful day when a homeless young woman, addicted to methamphetamine and alcohol, paid the price of saying NO to cops.

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A bill to help Homeland Security with its social media strategy moves forward in the Senate. The measure directs DHS to create a social media working group. That group would advise the department on using social media in disaster response, terrorist attacks or other emergencies. The group would also help DHS share information through social media with the public and state and local governments. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee passes the bill. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) introduced it in the House in January, where it passed the following month.

A bill to help Homeland Security with its social media strategy moves forward in the Senate. The measure directs DHS to create a social media working group. That group would advise the department on using social media in disaster response, terrorist attacks or other emergencies. The group would also help DHS share information through social media with the public and state and local governments. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee passes the bill. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) introduced it in the House in January, where it passed the following month.

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Wasting Taxpayer Money?

I took a double take yesterday when I saw the above image in West Ocean City.

The reason I took a double take is because there is NO sidewalk on this corner, nor do I see one coming in the near future.

As you look at the image you can see that there's a quick slope downwards as there's a retention pond below and no area to flatten it out to provide a sidewalk. It gets more dramatic as you go west down Rt. 50. 

It reminds me of the front area of Walmart in Berlin. There's a great bike path that's even illuminated but it NEVER gets used because there's no other path to their bike path. 

By the time they dream up a path from OC to Berlin we ALL know the state will run out of money. Heck, we can't even pave our roads since O'Malley took all that money. 

Finally, are they really encouraging pedestrians WALK/BIKE across Rt. 50 at this intersection? A disaster in the making!

Bonser second suspect charged in Berlin vandalism

Two suspects, instead of one, will be tried as adults in the Berlin spray paint vandalism spree that caused thousands of dollars in damage to vehicles and buildings in January.

Nick Bonser, 18, of Berlin, will join Jordan Denton, 18, of Ocean City in having his case heard in District Court, following a court determination Monday that he could be tried as an adult rather than as a minor.

The incident occurred on Jan. 25 and Bonser was days away from his 18th birthday. Denton, however, was 18 at the time and both will face the same charges, a spokesperson for the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s office said.

A third party in the case is 16 and that case will be handled in the juvenile justice system.

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Thank God Its Friday 5-8-15

What will you be doing this weekend?

Federal Attorney Warns Negative Posts Against Islam Could Get You Prosecution & Imprisonment

If you have seen the stories around the globe of how cartoonists, journalists and people simply posting tweets or Facebook posts has gotten them in hot water with Islam and even the government, then you have probably said, "That can't happen in America," right? Well hold on to your seat my friend because you are in for a rude awakening.

Barack Obama's Attorney for the Eastern district of Tennessee Bill Killian and Kenneth Moore, special agent in charge of the FBI's Knoxville Division, want Americans to know that if you say something negative towards Islam or Muslims, the Federal government may imprison you. They will be having an event called "Public Disclosure in a Diverse Society" on June 4, the same day Obama is scheduled to sign the United Nations Small Arms Treaty.

The Tullahoma Times reports,

Killian and Moore will provide input on how civil rights can be violated by those who post inflammatory documents targeted at Muslims on social media.

"This is an educational effort with civil rights laws as they play into freedom of religion and exercising freedom of religion," Killian told The News Monday. "This is also to inform the public what federal laws are in effect and what the consequences are."

Killian said the presentation will also focus on Muslim culture and how, that although terrorist acts have been committed by some in the faith, they are no different from those in other religions.

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Homeland Security To Work With Social Media

A bill to help Homeland Security with its social media strategy moves forward in the Senate. The measure directs DHS to create a social media working group. That group would advise the department on using social media in disaster response, terrorist attacks or other emergencies. The group would also help DHS share information through social media with the public and state and local governments. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee passes the bill. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) introduced it in the House in January, where it passed the following month.

Cameron Sweeps to Unexpected Triumph in British Election

Prime Minister David Cameron won an emphatic election victory in Britain, overturning predictions that the vote would be the closest in decades to sweep into office for another five years, with his Labour opponents in tatters.

The sterling currency and share prices soared on a result that reversed expectations of an inconclusive "hung parliament" with Cameron jockeying for power with Labour rival Ed Miliband. Instead, Cameron was due to meet Queen Elizabeth before noon to accept a swift mandate to form a government.

But despite the unexpectedly decisive outcome, more uncertainty looms over whether Britain will stay in the European Union - and even hold together as a country.

Scottish nationalists swept aside Labour, meaning that Scotland, which voted just a year ago to stay in the United Kingdom, will send just three representatives of major British parties to parliament and be all but shut out of the cabinet. That could revive calls for it to leave Britain.

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How Five Republicans Let Congress Keep Its Fraudulent Obamacare Subsidies

The rumors began trickling in about a week before the scheduled vote on April 23: Republican leadership was quietly pushing senators to pull support for subpoenaing Congress’s fraudulent application to the District of Columbia’s health exchange — the document that facilitated Congress’s “exemption” from Obamacare by allowing lawmakers and staffers to keep their employer subsidies.

The application said Congress employed just 45 people. Names were faked; one employee was listed as “First Last,” another simply as “Congress.” To Small Business Committee chairman David Vitter, who has fought for years against the Obamacare exemption, it was clear that someone in Congress had falsified the document in order to make lawmakers and their staff eligible for taxpayer subsidies provided under the exchange for small-business employees.

But until Vitter got a green light from the Small Business Committee to subpoena the unredacted application from the District of Columbia health exchange, it would be impossible to determine who in Congress gave it a stamp of approval. When Vitter asked Republicans on his committee to approve the subpoena, however, he was unexpectedly stonewalled.

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Do As I Say, Not As I Do

The IRS needs to tighten up its policies for dealing with employees who aren't paying their taxes. A Treasury inspector general investigation finds only 39 percent of tax non-payers are terminated, as required by law. In some cases, repeat offenders are still on the job. The commissioner has the legal power to mitigate the punishment. But the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found, even when tax-evasion is willful, the commissioner has not provided documentation about why employees kept their jobs. The IG said Commissioner John Koskinen should revise the policy so it requires that documentation. Chief Human Capital Officer Dan Riordan says the IRS agrees with the recommendation.

Police Have Killed 400 People in 2015, A New Grieving Family Every 7.5 Hours

Americans are less violent than ever, yet the police seem to be growing increasingly violent.

As of May 5, 2015, the police in the United States of America have killed 401 people that we know of.

Deaths By Law Enforcement 2015:
91 in the 31 days of January
85 in the 28 days of February
115 in the 31 days of March
101 in the 30 days of April
8 people in the 5 days of May

Extrapolating those numbers out to an hourly figure and the police have killed someone on average, every 7.48 hours. While there is no government-run database, Killed By Police has taken it upon themselves to keep track, and are doing a fantastic job thus far. It’s truly a Cop Crisis.

The three youngest are A’donte Washington, Jason C. Hendrix, and Kendre Omari Alston who were all only 16-years-old. The oldest was 87-year-old Lewis Becker. At least four officers have also been shot and killed by other officers.

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Privacy Advocates Sue Virginia Police Over Data From Automatic License Plate Scanners

By itself, your license plate doesn’t say much except in what state, month, and year you registered your car. But start tracking where and when that license plate goes, and you’ve suddenly got a whole huge pile of personal data about all the comings and goings in someone’s life. We’ve reported beforethat license plate scanning by public and private entities is both widespread and unregulated. Now, the ACLU is suing police in one state to get them to stop.

The ACLU of Virginia filed suit this week, on the behalf of one Fairfax County resident, against the Fairfax County Police department for unlawfully storing massive amounts of license plate data collected using automatic license plate readers (ALPRs).

The resident, the ACLU explains, learned that his license plate had been scanned twice in one year, and that the data had been saved in a database even though neither he nor his car are involved in any kind of police investigation. This, the suit claims, violates Virginia law.

That law itself has been the subject of much discussion in the commonwealth this year. During their last session, Virginia’s state legislature passed a bill that would have permitted law-enforcement agencies to keep using the optical readers, but with slimitations on how the data could be used, and for how long it could be kept:

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OUR FAMILIES DESERVE CLEAN WATER: By Ray Wallace

A peer-reviewed study finding that shale drilling and fracking contaminates Pennsylvania drinking water has been announced at this U.S. National Academy of Sciences site:
__________

It's not just our water and environment
that frackers have been polluting for profit.
They've also been busy polluting science
as taught in our universities.
Now under ethics review, a prominent Syracuse University scientist's recent "study” that was secretly funded by Chesapeake Energy found that drinking wells in Pennsylvania are not being contaminated by nearby fracking wells.

$ $ $ $ $

A Syracuse
Rent-a-Scientist:
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Lead author, Donald Siegel,
Chairman of Earth Sciences
at Syracuse University:
declined to specify the fee amount he
received from Chesapeake Energy, other than to say, "I didn't get rich."
   
$ $ $ $ $
One of four co-authors, Bert Smith, worked for Chesapeake when the "study" took place -- and works for the company today:

     "The guidelines are very, very clear that authors must reveal any potential relevant financial interest. There are no gray areas here. It's very clear he did not reveal he got a fee from (Chesapeake)."
     --Syracuse attorney Joe Heath
  
$ $ $ $ $

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     "While Chesapeake has never admitted responsibility for water contamination, the company has paid millions in settlements to Bradford [County, Pa.] residents since 2011....

     "The New York Times found that the EPA knew about groundwater contamination from fracking as far back as 1987. In fact, links between shale drilling, fracking, and groundwater contamination have been well documented. But that has not stopped an industry-funded campaign of denial on the issue. The fracking industry has spent big to keep people in the dark on the real impacts from fracking...."

     -- From “Fracking chemicals found in Pennsylvania water wells, EPA hamstrung by industry meddling,” by Jesse Coleman, at this May 5, 2015 Huffington Post site:

$ $ $ $ $
   
     "No industry is worth trading for the safety of our drinking water. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection needs to make the protection of our water a top priority."

     -- From “Fracking must never cost Pennsylvania safe, clean water,” the Lancaster, Pa.LNP editorial posted at this May 6, 2015 site:

For further information:   
1. “Fracking Study on Water Contamination Under Ethics Review: Chesapeake Energy paid undisclosed fees to the lead author, whose study was based on water samples provided by the company,” by Neela Banerjee, at this April 6, 2015 InsideClimate News site:
2. "Critics say SU prof hid ties to gas driller Chesapeake in fracking study,” by Glenn Coin, at this April 10, 2015 Syracuse, NY Post-Standard:

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