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Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Grumpy Cat Says.........(Part 1 of 2)





Who is a journalist?

My first job in journalism was as a copyboy at the NBC News Bureau in Washington, D.C. In my early 20s, I asked Bill Corrigan, the newsroom manager, “What must I do to get on the air?” He replied, “Get a college degree and a minimum of five years writing experience with a newspaper or wire service.”

In those days every reporter at NBC News and the other two networks came from print because television was relatively new and as network news president Reuven Frank noted in his book “Out of Thin Air,” we were making it up as we went along.

I got the college degree, but avoided the wire service and newspapers (until later) and have managed to enjoy a decent career in broadcast and print journalism.

The rules of the road to journalistic success have changed dramatically, as has the definition of journalist. Today, one can self-identify as a journalist without any background or experience.

Which brings me to George Stephanopoulos, the ABC News anchor and co-host of “Good Morning America.” Stephanopoulos donated $75,000 to the Clinton Foundation, but neglected to disclose that information while interviewing Peter Schweizer, author of “Clinton Cash,” a book critical of the foundation and the Clintons.

Stephanopoulos apologized and his bosses at ABC News said no disciplinary action is planned, except that he has removed himself from moderating or appearing on any debate panel during the 2016 election cycle. It doesn’t matter because anyone who replaces him will likely have the same worldview — Republican candidates bad; Hillary Clinton good.

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Former Va. Del. Morrissey admits he fathered former employee’s child

Former Del. Joe Morrissey, D-Henrico has publicly confirmed he fathered a son with his former secretary
WASHINGTON — Former Virginia Del. Joe Morrissey publicly confirmed that he’s the father of a child born to a woman prosecutors accused him of sleeping with when she was underage.

It’s the first time he’s confirmed that Myrna Pride’s child is his.

On WLEE News Talk 990’s The Jack Gravely Show in Richmond Wednesday, Morrissey also said he loves changing the child’s “poopy diapers,” because “Chase is my blood”.

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Make College Free By Taxing Stock Trades, Dem Presidential Candidate Says

As the student loan bubble steams along towards the $1.5 trillion mark, pundits, researchers, and even (gasp) ratings agencies are starting to sound the alarm. While everyone is (as usual), around three years behind when it comes to admitting what’s been outlined extensively in these pages, we’re at least glad to see that the world is waking up to the fact that i) $1.3 trillion is a lot of money, ii) delinquency rates are far higher than the headline figures suggest, iii) students are never, repeat never, going to repay all of this, and iv) it is taxpayers who will eventually foot the bill.

To the latter point there, the calls for across-the-board debt “forgiveness” have already started and even if they hadn’t, and even if The White House weren’t looking at ways to make the discharge of student debt “more efficient” in bankruptcy, there are a number of reasons to believe that when it’s all said and done, taxpayers will be on the hook at least for hundreds of millions and more probably for hundreds of billions. Consider for instance that the cost of closing just one for-profit college could well run more than $200 million in federal loan forgiveness. Then there’s IBR (that’s “Income Based Repayment") in which borrowers whose disposable income isn’t deemed sufficient when it comes to making monthly payments have the remainder of their loan forgiven after 25 years. There’s literally no way to know what the cost to taxpayers will ultimately be from IBR plans, but what we do know is that an increase in the number of borrowers opting for some kind of IBR plan is one reason why Moody’s thinks some $3 billion in student loan-backed paper may be at risk for default.

So against this backdrop, America needs a plan, because as we’re fond of reminding people, one person’s liability is another person’s asset, meaning debt is never really “cancelled”, it’s just written off at some else’s expense. Ideally, opportunities in the job market and a robust economy would allow new graduates to obtain high-paying, full-time jobs which would in turn allow them to pay down their loans, but since that isn’t going to happen any time soon, we’re open to suggestions.

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If You Type 'N---- House' Into Google Maps, It Will Take You To The White House

President Barack Obama is no stranger to Internet racism, but this is just ridiculous: typing “nigga house” into Google Maps can land you at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

A screenshot of the glitch, confirmed by HuffPost Politics, was posted to Twitter by a user named Bomani Buckhalter.

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Rex Murphy: ‘White privilege’ on the march

To even set up white privilege as a category is prima facie racist. It is to reduce the sum of a person, his dignity, his drive, his worth and his soul to the color of his skin

I’ve seen the captious phrase “white privilege” — a camp neologism by my reading — very often lately. It emerges from the intellectual marshes of social justice “educators,” a typical pseudo-concept from that roiling pastiche of academic pursuit.

At base this nonsense asserts that white people come equipped — habited as it were — with all sorts of advantage, opportunities, easy dealing, and in general a faster better reach for the good things of life than human beings less pale. The phrase has not surprisingly spawned a slogan — after all, what academic discipline doesn’t aspire to the abrupt short-thought of a bumper sticker? — Check Your Privilege. Which translates into a hectoring from social justice warriors, as they so deliriously style themselves, for white people to stand back and tabulate with tearful guilt the infinite advantages that result from their epidermal good luck.

Scholars of white privilege point to the cascade of superior opportunities that the accident of white skin colour invests in all those who have won the paleness lottery. It’s easier, for example, to get the right shampoo. Lest you think that example a sarcastic fancy, it comes in in fact from a list of “perks” that all whites own: “When I cut my finger and go to my school or office’s first aid kit, the flesh-colored Band-Aid generally matches my skin tone. When I stay in a hotel, the complimentary shampoo generally works with the texture of my hair.” How Martin Luther King passed by these outrages in his I Have a Dream speech is a perplexity doomed never to be untangled.

Here in Canada, white privilege has been with us for centuries. In my part of the country, Atlantic Canada, the white epidermis has been a pure passport to bliss and favour. For generations Cape Bretoners, for example, have revelled in the advantages that poured on their coal-dusted heads and corrupted lungs from generations of labouring under the earth, stooping with pick and shovel, in the murky, dank, mildewed hell of the coal pits. Privileged? I’ll say. How they lorded it over the folks selling haberdashery in the above-ground stores bathed in sunlight and fresh air. Forty years in a coal mine — if accident or early death had not claimed them — and the world was their grime-coated oyster. What were the odd mine collapses, early deaths, TB, and a lifetime working in darkness and danger compared to the privileges that came their way just from being white?

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NAACP unsuccessfully tries to silence criticism of its pro-abortion position

RICHMOND, Va. – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled Tuesday that a non-profit organization did not violate trademark infringement laws after posting an article online that parodied the name of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

In October 2014, an ADF allied attorney filed an opening brief on behalf of The Radiance Foundation in a lawsuit against the NAACP after a federal district court ruled it engaged in trademark infringement.

“The First Amendment freedom to comment upon, and even parody, the positions, policies, and activities of groups like the NAACP has a very long history of protection,” said Charles M. Allen with the law firm Goodman, Allen, & Filetti and one of more than 2,500 private attorneys allied with ADF. “The Radiance Foundation merely expressed its opinion of the NAACP’s abortion activism in an article. The NAACP cannot use trademark law to shield itself from criticism by denying others the right to use its name when they are expressing their opinions.”
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Financial Experts Warn of Impending Economic Collapse

Governments dig in and prepare as economy continues slide

Despite constant reassurances from federal overseers, Americans are becoming increasingly aware of the economy’s frail nature.

While media pundits and analysts desperately push the failure of central planning and Keynesian economics, these five experts continue to be proven right on the dangers of reckless spending and debt.

Here are five renowned experts who warned of the now-present, slow-motion financial collapse.

Ron Paul

Former presidential candidate Ron Paul is known best in financial circles for his clear 2003 prediction of the housing bubble crisis. Paul joined the Alex Jones Show in late 2014 to once again warn of the country’s slide into economic disaster.

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Governor Hogan Helps NRP Welcome New Water Safety Mascot



Two decades after arriving in Maryland from his native bamboo forest to help spread the water safety message for the Natural Resources Police, mascot PFD Panda has announced his retirement.

In a lighthearted weekend ceremony on the lawn of Government House, Governor Larry Hogan and his dog, Lexi, helped welcome Splash the Water Safety Dog, PFD Panda’s replacement.

Splash, a Chesapeake Bay retriever who is kenneled on Kent Island, will visit schools, fairs and other public events statewide to remind citizens that the best way to remain safe on the water is to wear a life jacket.

Bill O’Reilly Says Domestic Violence Allegations Are ‘100 Percent False’

The Fox News host’s daughter allegedly witnessed him dragging his wife down a staircase by her neck

Bill O’Reilly is denying allegations that he physically abused his ex-wife.

The Fox News host issued a statement to TheWrap through his personal attorney Fred Newman on Monday saying, “All allegations against me in these circumstances are 100% false. I am going to respect the court-mandated confidentiality put in place to protect my children and will not comment any further.”

Media website Gawker reported that O’Reilly had been accused of physical assault during a three-year custody battle with his ex-wife, Maureen McPhilmy.

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Westside Historical Society Will Be Presenting Two Exciting & Fun Events June 6 & 7

Westside Historical Society will be presenting these two programs on the weekend of June 6 & 7-- two exciting, fun events. Will you help us publicize them by passing these flyers on to whomever you think would be interested? The Baseball double header is free, tho donations are appreciated; the tickets to the Concert on the Creek with Barren Creek Band cost $10 per person and are available from Tami Brown or emailing us at westsidehistorical@gmail.com . Thanks for your help!
(Feel free to print out the flyer and posting in your local post office or other appropriate stores or public places!!)


Mercury in Tuna Is More Dangerous Than You Think

Consumer Reports is sounding the alarm about mercury in tuna, following a new study showing levels of the toxic heavy metal in tuna have increased dramatically over the last 15 years.

That means current federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans may be advising consumers to eat more than they should — particularly pregnant women and children. Consumer Reports is challenging federal health officials’ position that the benefits of eating tuna outweigh the risks.

Using the current safety limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a new analysis by the magazine's health experts indicates that a 48-pound child who eats more than 1.4 ounces of tuna per week — about one-third of a can, or the amount in a single sandwich — could be at risk for brain-damaging mercury exposure.

A woman weighing about 140 pounds would exceed it by eating more than 4.5 ounces weekly.

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This Makes Perfect Sense! Anyone Agree?

#WATCH Tony Abbott: If you go abroad to break Australian law, if you go abroad to kill innocent people in the name of...

Posted by Sky News Australia on Monday, May 18, 2015

STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION BEGINS MANDATORY HEADLIGHT USE ON US 50 IN WICOMICO AND WORCESTER COUNTIES


(May 20, 2015) --- To enhance safety for the estimated 28,000 to 36,000 motorists on US 50 between US 13 in Wicomico County and MD 90 in Worcester County, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) is requiring 24-hour headlight use for all vehicles. SHA recently installed signs that will alert drivers to turn on headlights when traveling the corridor beginning Thursday, May 21.

“There have been tragic crashes along this corridor during the last decade. The mandatory headlight use will improve visibility of vehicles for drivers traveling the opposite direction,” said District Engineer Donnie Drewer. “The headlight use on MD 90 has made a difference and we expect the same positive outcome on this corridor.”

At the request of the community, SHA engineers evaluated this segment of US 50 and decided to designate it as a “safety improvement zone.” The designation meets national standards for daytime headlight use on highways.

WaPo Reporter: Police Seizing 'Billions' Annually Without Charges

Seizing cash, cars, homes and other goods from people who are never charged with crimes has become a billion-dollar enterprise for police departments and government agencies, says the author of an investigative series on the practice, which has skyrocketed during the Obama years.

The $2.5 billion in cash alone that state and local police have confiscated since 2001 without filing charges is "probably a floor," reporter Christopher Ingraham of The Washington Post told "MidPoint" host Ed Berliner on Newsmax TV Tuesday.

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‘Tax Rollback’ Petition Turned In; City Solicitor Thinks It Violates State Law

OCEAN CITY – A petition to referendum seeking a tax decrease is entering the signature verification process, but it is the Town of Ocean City’s legal opinion the substance of the petition will violate state law.

On Tuesday afternoon, Ocean City Taxpayers for Social Justice (OCTSJ) submitted a petition to lower Ocean City’s tax rate to the 2009 rate of 38 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

Ocean City Taxpayers for Social Justice (OCTSJ) spokesman Tony Christ recognized the Mayor and City Council were scheduled to cast their final vote on the Fiscal Year 2016 Operating Budget that evening that would raise the tax rate 2 percent to 47.8 cents.

“We wish to return the tax to 38 cents, which is a 21-percent reduction of over 9 cents per $100 of assessed value. A tax reduction petition is both unprecedented and needed to stop the trend of residents leaving and declining values in the Town of Ocean City,” Christ said.

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Saudi Arabia hiring executioners as beheadings rise

Saudi Arabia is advertising eight new openings for executioner jobs as beheadings in the country are soaring this year.

The positions, posted online Monday by Saudi Arabia’s civil service ministry, state that no special qualifications are needed. The jobs also involve performing amputations for those convicted of lesser crimes, Reuters reports.

An application form for the jobs classifies the positions as "religious functionaries" and that pay would be at the lower end of the scale.

In Saudi Arabia, drug trafficking, rape, murder, apostasy and armed robbery are all crimes punishable by death, while amputation is a common punishment for theft,according to the AFP.

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MAC Inc. Fun Day at the Jolly Roger Amusement Park


MAC Inc. Fun Day at the Jolly Roger Amusement Park at 2901 Coastal Highway in Ocean City will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 25.
Tickets are $25 and are on sale in advance only. The event is held rain or shine.
Tickets include unlimited Splash Mountain from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; amusement rides from 2-6 p.m. (limit two rides on the roller coaster and excluding Speedworld and Extreme Zip Line); and unlimited golf at either course from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For tickets, call 410-742-0505, ext. 113.
Proceeds will benefit provide scholarships to MAC’s Richard A. Henson Wellness Center.

Electricity Prices Soaring In Top Wind Power States

Electricity prices are soaring in states generating the most wind power, U.S. Energy Information Administration data show. Although U.S. electricity prices rose less than 3 percent from 2008-2013, the 10 states with the highest percentage of wind power generation experienced average electricity price increases of more than 20 percent.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the 10 states in which wind power accounts for the highest percentage of the state’s electricity generation are:

Iowa – 27%

South Dakota – 26

Kansas – 19

Idaho – 16

Minnesota – 16

North Dakota – 16

Oklahoma – 15

Colorado – 14

Oregon – 12

Wyoming – 8

The wind power industry claims switching from conventional power to wind power will save consumers money and spur the economy. However, data from the top 10 wind power states show just the opposite. From 2008-2013electricity prices rose an average of 20.7 percent in the top 10 wind power states, which is seven-fold higher than the national electricity price increase of merely 2.8 percent.

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Soft Shell Festival This Sunday In Crisfield

SOFT SHELL FESTIVAL coming this weekend, in honor of Memorial Day! Sunday, May 24th, noon - 4 pm at City Dock. ...

Posted by Crisfield Area Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Somerset Planning Commission Work session - Thursday, May 21, 2015, at 6 p.m.

There will be another work session of the Somerset County Planning commission on Thursday May 21 2015 at 6 pm. Most likely it will not be open to public comment. We still need to be there so that the good folks on the Commission know that we care and are deeply concerned about how the decisions they make, will impact the future of family poultry farms in Somerset County and eventually impact every county on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. When we the Agricultural Community do not take the time or concern to make our presence known at hearings like this it is perceived that we do not care. The consequences can have a long and lasting negative impact on our way of life. Please try to take time out of your schedule to go; I am certain the environmental community will be there in force as usual.

Employees Are Fleeing The Clinton Foundation Because Chelsea Is So Awful, Report Says

Employees are fleeing the Clinton Foundation because Chelsea Clinton is so disagreeable to work with, a new report in Page Six alleges. An insider claims her personality is causing “extremely high turnover” and turning the nonprofit into a “bloated slush fund.”

“A lot of people left because she was there. A lot of people left because she didn’t want them there,” the anonymous source said. “She is very difficult.”

The 35-year-old daughter of Bill and Hillary came on board as vice chairman in 2011, and since then several senior level staffers have left.

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Troopers Arrest Two Juveniles Following String of Armed Robberies


New Castle - Delaware State Police Robbery Unit detectives have arrested two New Castle juveniles following a string of armed robberies which have occurred over the past month in New Castle.

On Sunday, May 17, 2015, at approximately 11:20 p.m., troopers responded to the Wawa convenience store located at 531 E. Basin Road, New Castle, for the report of an armed robbery which had just occurred. Upon their arrival, troopers learned that two male suspects, one of which was armed with a handgun, had entered the store and confronted an 18 year old store employee. The suspects then demanded cash from the store’s registers. The employee complied with the suspect’s demands and turned over an undisclosed amount of money to them. The suspects then fled in an unknown direction. There were no injuries.

Through further investigation and interviews, troopers were able to positively identify Deyon Merriwether–Tull, 15, of New Castle, as one of the two suspects who had committed the robbery. Troopers learned that Merriwether-Tull was presently at a residence located in the 500 block of E. Basin Road, and were able to take him into custody at the home without incident.

Merriwether-Tull was transported to Troop 2, Glasgow, where he was turned over to detectives. Detectives were subsequently able to link Merriwether-Tull to three other armed robberies which had occurred in the area. It was also discovered that a second suspect, Markivis Jenkins, 16, of New Castle, had participated in two of the armed robberies as well. On May 18, 2015, detectives responded to Jenkins’ residence and were able to take him into custody without incident as well.

Deyon Merriwether-Tull (pictured white t-shirt) was arrested and charged with six counts of Robbery 1st Degree, four counts of Wearing a Disguise during the Commission of a Felony, three counts of Conspiracy 2nd Degree, Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony, Conspiracy 1st Degree, and Possession of a Deadly Weapon during the Commission of a Felony. He was arraigned at the New Castle County Family Court and then committed to the New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center for lack of $96,000.00 secured bail.

Markivis Jenkins was arrested and charged with four counts of Robbery 1st Degree, two counts of Wearing a Disguise during the Commission of a Felony, and two counts of Conspiracy 2nd Degree. He was arraigned at the New Castle County Family Court and committed to the New Castle County Detention Center for lack of $24,000.00 secured bail.

Merriwether-Tull and Jenkins have been linked to the following robberies:

Dunkin Donuts, 196 N. DuPont Highway, New Castle, Wednesday, April 15, 2015 at 9:28 p.m. (Jenkins and Merriwether-Tull)
Wawa, 531 E. Basin Road, New Castle, Monday, April 20, 2015 at 1:07 a.m. (Jenkins and Merriwether-Tull)
Wawa, 531 E. Basin Road, New Castle, Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 2:34 a.m. (Merriwether-Tull)
Wawa, 531 E. Basin Road, New Castle, Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 11:17 p.m. (Merriwether-Tull)

Delaware State Police Robbery Unit detectives are continuing their investigation into this string of robberies and more arrests are expected.

If anyone has any information in reference to these incidents, they are asked to contact Detective Steven Rizzo at 302-365-8440. Information may also be provided by callingDelaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Chickens: Warning, Foul Language But Very Interesting!

Unions Pour Millions into Clinton Foundation

Big labor funneled millions of dollars in dues money to the Clinton Foundation, according to a new report.

The National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR), a union watchdog group, traced at least $2 million in donations from multiple union organizations and affiliates.

“U.S. Department of Labor’s union financial disclosure reports reveal that Big Labor gave at least $2,034,500 in union general treasury funds to Clinton Foundations. Union treasuries are funded mostly by compulsory union dues or fees collected from workers who would be fired for refusing to pay,” the NILRR report says. “As Mrs. Clinton became closer to her current run for president, donations amounts appear to have increased.”

The Clintons have turned their foundation into a lucrative “slush fund,” according to one charity watchdog group, and have received hundreds of millions of dollars from notable businesses, media personalities, and political luminaries. The family has maintained that none of those donations influenced her decisions as secretary of state and that the money is strictly philanthropic.

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State Dept. Plans Release of Clinton Emails by Next January

The State Department has proposed releasing portions of 55,000 pages of emails from former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton by next January.

The department made the proposal in a federal court filing Monday night, in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by Vice News.

In the filing, John F. Hackett, who is responsible for the department's responses to FOIA requests, said that following a review of the emails, the department will post the releasable portions of the 55,000 pages on its website. He said the review will take until the end of the year — and asked the court to adopt a completion date of Jan. 15, 2016, to factor in the holidays. That's just a couple of weeks before the Iowa caucuses and early state primaries that follow.

In Monday night's filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Hackett said the State Department received the 55,000 pages of emails from Clinton in paper form.

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Baltimore prosecutor's office responds to Freddie Gray defense motions

BALTIMORE —The Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office is firing back at the defense attorneys for the six city police officers arrested and charged in the death of Freddie Gray.

Those attorneys are asking a judge to recuse Marilyn Mosby from the case, citing several potential conflicts of interest.

In a response filed Monday afternoon, prosecutors describe the defense attorneys' allegations of conflict "absurd" and "laughable."

"The motion bounces from one ridiculous allegation to another, like a pinball on a machine far past 'TILT,'" Chief Deputy State's Attorney Michael Schatzow wrote.

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Lou Holtz: US Should Hold People Accountable for Their Choices

Legendary college football coach and ESPN analyst Lou Holtz tells Newsmax TV that his advice to graduates is to make the most of every opportunity.

That said, he told host J.D. Hayworth on "Newsmax Prime" on Monday that any rumors he might seek political office are unfounded.

"No, there's absolutely no chance," Holtz said when asked about running to fill the U.S. Senate seat in Florida being vacated by GOP presidential hopeful Marco Rubio.

"I'm so old now, my birthday candles cost more than the cake," Holtz said. "I don't want to run for the Senate. I just want to run after my wife of 54 years."

But Holtz said that he hopes whoever is elected to the office is someone who will hold people accountable for the choices they make.

"Whatever you are, good or bad, it's because of the choice you make," Holtz said. "Choose to do drugs, drop out of school, join a gang, have five children out of wedlock, get tattooed from head to bottom — you're choosing to have difficulty in life, and don't blame me for the decisions you make. We don't hold people accountable for choices."

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US To Weigh Jordan's Drone Request After Move Toward China Alternative

The US embassy in Jordan told a local newspaper that Washington would consider any new request for drones after a recent report that the country had decided to buy them from China instead after the US rejected a drone sale late last year.

US Embassy spokesman Silvio Gonzalez told the Jordanian newspaper Al-Ghad in a report published on Monday that according to a new export policy any new request would be considered.

US Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) has been pressuring unsuccessfully for the Obama administration to sell unarmed surveillance drones to Jordan, warning that the country was turning to China instead, The Washington Times reported on Thursday.

“I am now aware that China is presently in Jordan to discuss operations, logistics and maintenance associated with the urgent sale of weaponized unmanned systems,” said Hunter in a letter on Thursday to President Barack Obama.

Jordan has requested to buy the unarmed MQ-1 Predators to find Islamic State targets in neighboring Iraq and Syria, said the report.

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Obama Wants to Offer Credit to Deadbeats, Illegal Immigrants

The Obama administration wants to offer credit to deadbeats and illegal immigrants, whose credit can't even be scored, "as part of its amnesty program," according to Investors Business Daily (IBD).

A report just released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) describes what it refers to as "credit invisibles," which it says are victims of the current credit-scoring system, IBD says in an editorial.

Because many of these individuals are minorities, the administration has concluded that this is a result of discrimination by the financial industry.

"These results suggest that the problems that accompany having a limited credit history are disproportionately borne by blacks, Hispanics and lower-income consumers," the CFPB says in the report.

In a recent press call, CFPB Director Richard Cordray said that "our report found that black and Hispanic consumers are more likely than white or Asian consumers to have limited credit records."

Cordray said that "about 15 percent of black and Hispanic consumers are credit invisibles compared to 9 percent of white consumers, (and) about 13 percent of black consumers and 12 percent of Hispanic consumers are thought to be among the unscored — compared to only 7 percent of white consumers."

He added that "these consumers face reduced access to credit that continues to hamper their opportunities for growth throughout their lives."

To fix this apparent problem, the Obama administration is asking credit reporting agencies to use cellphone and utility payments when assessing credit scores of individuals in these minority groups, including illegal immigrants.

The ultimate goal is to help these individuals achieve a high enough FICO score that they are able to qualify for home mortgages, car loans and credit cards, the CFPB says.

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College Grads Expected to be Supported by Family

American college graduates — and their parents — appear to be increasingly reluctant to cut the financial apron strings.

About half of students expect to be supported financially by their parents for up to two years after graduation, according to a new survey of 500 students and 500 parents released Tuesday by Upromise, the savings division of Sallie Mae, the student lender. And almost half of students surveyed said they would be willing to pay their parents rent if they moved back home post-graduation, the survey found. Only 5% of parents say they would not let their child move back in with them after graduation.

Parents seem to be more lenient about letting their graduate children come back home. Some 36% of parents say they expected to support their children financially for more than two years, up from just 18% last year, and only 2.8% of parents expect their kids to have a full-time job after college and only one-quarter see them having any kind of job in their chosen field when they graduate. And if they moved in with their parents after graduation, 20% of students expect it would be at no cost to themselves.

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Gay Teacher Reads Book About Homosexual Marriage to Third Graders

A gay teacher read a book published in 2003 to the third graders in his class at a North Carolina public elementary school that features two homosexual men getting married.

According to a local ABC television affiliate, parents angry over Omar Currie’s decision to read King and King to their children without informing them or seeking permission attended a meeting on Friday at Efland-Cheeks Elementary School to express their concerns.

Three complaints so far have been filed with the Orange County North Carolina School District, according to the ABC report, which included an interview with one of the parents who attended the meeting.

"Whether they're for it or against it, [parents] had a right to know,” said parent Rodney Davis, who has two children at the school. “That's the thing.”

“They had a right to know and no one knew," Davis said of parents not being informed about children’s book, classified as a fairy tale by reviewers.

“These are my children, these are not your children,” said Davis.

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State Health Officials: 21% Increase In Fatal Overdoses In 2014

Maryland's health department says the state had a 21 percent increase in fatal drug overdoses in 2014, compared to the previous year.

The report released Tuesday says 1,039 people died from overdoses in 2014. That's a 60 percent increase since 2010.

About 86 percent of the deaths involved opioids, which include heroin and prescription drugs.

The health department says large increases in deaths involving heroin and fentanyl were responsible for the overall increase in opioid-related deaths. The number of fentanyl-related deaths more than tripled between 2013 and 2014, from 58 in 2013 to 185 in 2014. Fentanyl is a powerful narcotic that can kill by inhibiting breathing.

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Man in Court After ‘Waterboarding His Girlfriend’s Son, 5, and Restraining Him with Belts’

Waterboarding has proven to be an effective interrogation technique in our fight against terrorism. But waterboarding a five year-old boy? That’s just cruel and awful. The Daily Mail reports on such a monster:

A 30-year-old Michigan man has been arraigned on child abuse charges.

Authorities say Michael Porter of Flint restrained his girlfriend’s 5-year-old son with belts, leaned him back over a footstool and poured water down his underwear-covered face.

They also claim Porter prodded the woman’s 12-year-old son in the chest and throat with a knife.

Mount Morris police Chief Keith Becker told NBC 25 that both boys have been removed from the home and that Porter used waterboarding to punish the 5-year-old after he ripped his backpack.

The chief says school officials notified police after noticing that the boy acting differently.

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Tonight At Roadie Joe's


The Brady Bunch


BREAKING NEWS: Documents recovered during Bin Laden raid released

US intelligence officials have released a trove of documents recovered during the 2011 raid on Usama bin Laden's Pakistan compound.

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Boston Bomber’s Mother: America Will Burn in ‘Flames of an Eternal and Terrifying Fire’ for Sentencing Son to Death

Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, the mother of the remaining Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, says that America will burn in hell for having sentenced her son to death for his role in the terrorist action. According to the Daily Mail:

The mother of Boston marathon bomber Dzokhar Tsarnaev has said America will burn in ‘flames of an eternal and terrifying fire’ for sentencing her son to death.

Zubeidat Tsarnaeva reportedly wrote in a WhatsApp message to a supporter that the US ‘think they are killing us and they celebrate this’, according to a text obtained by Vocativ.

Tsarnaeva wrote to Zarina Kasenova that it is they will be ‘the ones who will rejoice when Allah grants us the chance to behold’ the U.S. in ‘an otherworldly flame’.

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Charges Dropped for Vet Who Smashed Car Window to Rescue Dog

Gretchen Carlson just updated us on a story that was trending last week out of Georgia...

She said an Army veteran will not face charges for smashing a car window in order to free a dog that was spotted inside.

Last week, Trace Gallagher reported on "The Real Story" that Michael Hammons of Athens was charged with criminal trespassing after freeing a small Pomeranian mix from a vehicle parked outside a shopping mall.

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Duke Blasts Prof For Op-ed Criticizing Blacks

A professor is under fire by Duke University officials after he responded to a newspaper editorial about racism dooming Baltimore with an opinion piece of his own, placing the blame more at the feet of blacks and saying many didn’t want to assimilate – and as proof, just look at their “strange” names.

Professor Jerry Hough rebutted the New York Times’ editorial, “How Racism Doomed Baltimore,” with a rebuke that opened: “This editorial is what is wrong.”

From there, he spoke of the Democratic-fueled “alliance of Westchester and Harlem, of Montgomery County and intercity Baltimore,” and an “asset stimulus policy” that grows market revenues but leaves blacks with a real “decline in wages,” once inflation is factored.

He then referred to Baltimore’s Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake as “utterly incompetent” and faulted her for botching the city response to the violent protests that plagued the streets in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death.

“Her resignation would be demanded if she were white,” Hough wrote. And in return for the city’s response to the protests and police response? He said: “The blacks get awful editorials like that that tell them to feel sorry for themselves.”

Hough then pointed to Asian-Americans in 1965 and the discrimination they faced.

“So where are the editorials that say racism doomed the Asian-Americans? They didn’t feel sorry for themselves, but worked doubly hard,” he wrote. “I am a professor at Duke University. Every Asian student has a very simple old American first name that symbolizes their desire for integration. Virtually every black has a strange new name that symbolizes their lack of desire for integration.”

He went on: “The amount of Asian-white dating is enormous and so surely will be the inter-marriage. Black-white dating is almost non-existent because of the ostracism by blacks of anyone who dates a white.”

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Join us for the Campaign's First Fundraiser

You're Invited!

Wednesday May 20th - 6:30pm
@ Cellar Door Tavern on 111 Camden Street, Downtown Salisbury

I wanted to take a moment and personally invite you to our first fundraiser. We are taking on a very tough challenge in the upcoming City of Salisbury Elections in the newly formed District 2.

As we have seen in the past year in the State of Maryland, tough races have been won because the Message that lower taxes, less regulation is directly related to spurring economic growth for everyone has resonated with voters from across the state. We need your help to get that message out to the voters of District 2 in Salisbury.

So please join us for a casual get together at Cellar Door Wednesday May 20th at 6:30pm. If you cannot make it but would like to donate to my City Council Campaign, below we have a couple of options for you to do just that.

I look forward to seeing you Wednesday.

Muir Boda
Candidate for Salisbury City Council District 2
If you would like to send a donation by Check please make checks payable to:
Friends of Muir Boda  619 Decatur Ave Salisbury, MD 21804
You may also donate securely online through Paypal
$25.00   $50.00   $100.00   $250.00
 City of Salisbury Municipal Code allows for Contributions from an individual or entity for up to $250.00 per candidate in an election cycle.

NEW Benghazi Docs Confirms Our Worst Fears!

Fox News has obtained documents which reveal what U.S. intelligence agencies knew about the Benghazi attack and weapons traveling from Libya to Syria back in 2012.

Catherine Herridge reported this morning on “America’s Newsroom” that a Defense Intelligence Agency memo from Sept. 16, 2012, concluded that the Benghazi terror attack was planned at least 10 days in advance to coincide with 9/11 and was in retaliation for a drone strike that killed an al Qaeda strategist. The memo was copied to the National Security Council, the State Department and the CIA.

“The intention was to attack the consulate and to kill as many Americans as possible to seek revenge for the [U.S.] killing of Aboyahiye (Alaliby) in Pakistan and in memorial of the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center buildings,” the memo said.

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Chechen wedding scandal, leader's defiance put Putin in bind

MOSCOW — The groom is approaching 50, a silver-haired boss in the Chechen strongman's feared police force. The bride is 17, a shy beauty reportedly devastated at the idea of wedding a man nearly three times her age.

Many Russians expressed outrage over the nuptials, causing a firestorm in the media and putting Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov — a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin — on the defensive. The wedding went forward over the weekend anyway, the bride deathly pale and her voice barely audible as she agreed to marry Nazhud Guchigov, who reportedly was taking her as his second wife as allowed by Islamic, but not Russian, law.

Kadyrov's chief of staff played the best man, clutching the bride by the elbow to control her every step, and Kadyrov himself danced a folk dance at the wedding reception.

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General Election - Tuesday, November 3, 2015


David Letterman


Los Angeles moves to Hike Minimum Wage to $15

The nation's second largest city is the latest to join the movement to hike the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

The Los Angeles City Council vote on Tuesday would phase in the increase to $15 by 2020.

An earlier proposal that would have raised the minimum to $15.25 by 2019 would have benefited 40% of L.A.'s workforce, according to the National Employment Law Project.

Tuesday's vote directs the L.A. city attorney to formally draft legislation that will then go before the same council for a vote.

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Police Identify Man Killed In MWC As Probation Officer

MIDWEST CITY, Oklahoma -- Police say an Oklahoma probation officer was beaten and then shot dead on a neighborhood street Friday in Midwest City.

Police say 32-year-old Jeff McCoy was making a mandatory visit to a house on the 1400 block of Maple Drive just before noon, when he got into a dispute with 21-year-old Lester Kinchion, the roommate of the person McCoy had gone to see.

"Some kind of physical altercation occurred at that time. The confrontation went into the street. The suspect was assaulting Mr. McCoy. Witnesses said Mr. McCoy was possibly even unconscious. And then he was shot by the suspect," said Deputy Police Chief Sid Porter.

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NEWS IN NUMBERS

$5.8 million

Amount Tennessee has spent on health insurance premiums for state lawmakers since 2008.
THE TENNESSEAN  |  MAY 19, 2015

11

Number of "minor" accidents in which Google's fleet of self-driving cars have so far been involved.
CIRCA NEWS  |  MAY 18, 2015

$82,594

Amount of taxpayer dollars New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie spent on concessions at NFL games.
THE HUFFINGTON POST  |  MAY 15, 2015

51

Number of law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2014. That's up from 27 deaths in 2013, which was the lowest in decades.
THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION  |  MAY 14, 2015

61 people

Alaska's population drop from 2013 to 2014, which represents the state's first decline since the late 1980s when a recession drove tens of thousands away.
THE ALASKA DISPATCH NEWS  |  MAY 13, 2015

4

Number of states where it's still legal to text while driving. They are Arizona, Montana, Texas and Missouri.
THE HUFFINGTON POST  |  MAY 12, 2015

1 in 4

Portion of Americans who spend at least least half their family income on housing and utilities.
AOL  |  MAY 11, 2015

22

Number of the 23 health insurance co-ops created under the Affordable Care Act that reported losses last year.
HARPER'S  |  MAY 8, 2015

93%

Portion of Campo, Colo.'s annual budget that's generated from traffic tickets issued by one police officer.
GAWKER  |  MAY 7, 2015

16%

Portion of Baltimore's population that was arrested in one year under the zero-tolerance policing policy that Martin O'Malley instituted when he was mayor.
THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER  |  MAY 6, 2015

60%

A typical annual percentage rate offered to small business owners taking a loan from an alternative lender.
GOVERNING  |  MAY 5, 2015

51.8%

Portion of the adult population in the Baltimore neighborhood where Freddie Gray lived that doesn't have a job.
VOX  |  MAY 4, 2015

37 years

Amount of time a prisoner in South Carolina was assigned solitary confinement for posting on Facebook.
HARPER'S  |  MAY 1, 2015

$900,000

Listing price for a 1,096 square-foot garage in Washington, D.C., one of the most expensive real estate markets in the United States.
GAWKER  |  APRIL 30, 2015

8 million

Number of unanswered calls from U.S. taxpayers to the Internal Revenue Service this year. IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said budget cuts have forced the agency to reduce services.
THE NEW YORK TIMES  |  APRIL 29, 2015

1 in 3

Portion of California children between the ages of 1 and 3 who are insufficiently immunized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
HARPER'S  |  APRIL 28, 2015

15.76%

Percent of Rhode Islanders 12 and older who reported using marijuana in the past month. That's the highest rate of any state in the nation.
SALON  |  APRIL 27, 2015

1.07 trillion

Number of gallons of water California uses every year to grow almonds, which is more than the state's residents use indoors. Farms, however, are exempt from the state's water restrictions.
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS  |  APRIL 24, 2015

40% to 90%

Range of parked cars with disability placards or license plates on 10 blocks in Washington, D.C. Only 5.3 percent of working-age Americans have ambulatory disability.
THE WASHINGTON POST  |  APRIL 23, 2015

4.6%

Percent of students (519 of them) in Madison, Wis., whose parents refused to let them take the state's standardized tests this year. That's up from 87 last year.
THE WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL  |  APRIL 22, 2015

Thieves steal 30 guns from Powhatan firearms dealer

Intruders stole 30 guns early Monday from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Powhatan County and a $6,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said today.

The break-in occurred about 5 a.m. at American Family Pawn & Guns at 2427 Anderson Highway in Powhatan, according to a news release distributed by the ATF’s Washington Field Office and a Powhatan investigator.

The firearms taken were a variety of handguns and "the vast majority of them are semi-automatic" pistols,Powhatan Sheriff's Detective Jason Tackett said. "They vary in make and model numbers, but it's a pretty extensive list."

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Report: Jeb’s Education Company Paid Hillary $225K for Speech

Jeb Bush’s for-profit education company reportedly paid Hillary Clinton $225,000 for a speech in March of last year.

According to a report in The Intercept, Academic Partnerships, the education group Bush invested in and on whose board he sat until December of last year, paid Clinton the hefty sum to speak at an invitation-only event on March 24, 2014 in Dallas, Texas.

Bush reportedly “joined Academic Partnerships as an investor and as a paid advisor” in 2011 before resigning from the group in December of last year after he announced that he was exploring a presidential bid. Bush, who awarded Clinton the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center on the eve of the first anniversary of the Benghazi attacks, reportedly also spoke at the same conference though he did not share stage with Clinton, according to The Intercept.

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Video shows teacher hitting students with belt

BRANDYWINE, Md. (WUSA9) -- A video showing a teacher striking students with his belt reportedly occurred at Gwynn Park Middle School in Brandywine.

On social media, many people are defending the Prince George's County substitute teacher videotaped slinging a belt towards students.

"He didn't do anything other than discipline some knuckleheads," said Paul Wheeler in a Facebook message. This needs to happen more at home."

Many people who commented on my Facebook page said it appears the teacher was breaking up a fight.

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Scandal Rap Sheet: 48 Reasons to Distrust & Despise the Media

The American mainstream media is filled to the brim with liars, frauds, partisans, cheats, plagiarists, and those who tolerate, defend and enable all of them. There is no American institution — not the NFL, not the tobacco companies, not any corporation or enterprise regularly targeted by the media — that engages in anywhere near the amount of fraud and dishonesty that serially oozes from Our Media Overlords.

Forget bias for a moment. Forget mistakes and misstatements and stupid or nasty things said during live telecasts. There isn’t enough Internet to begin to list the countless instances of left-wing bias and politicking and idiocy the media engage in. What I’ve accumulated below is the scripted, planned and intentional.

Although I’m sure that more than a few examples have been overlooked (let me know which ones in the comments), this list is still a mind-blowing reminder of just how shamelessly corrupt the American media is. For these are the intentional lies, the intentional violations of ethics, the intentional manipulations, the intentional attempts to hurt the political right by employing the kind of tactics used by Third World propagandists.

And here is the most striking part…

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Field To Fork Dinner!

This Event is Selling Out Fast!
Sobo's On The Road will host a special FIELD to FORK dinner 
event at Allen & Marshall Auctioneers property in Parsonsburg, Maryland.Tickets are on sale now at Sobo's! Only $65.00 each! Includes 5 course market dinner w/ Layton's Chance Wine or Evo Beer. Tax & Tip included
.  

Thursday, May 28th ~ 6:00pm
Call for tickets... 410.219.1117

www.SobosWineBeerstro.com

State Of Maryland Joins Complaint Against Charitable Organizations Accused Of Deceptive Fundraising Practices

Charities Accused Of Scamming $187 Million From Donors

ANNAPOLIS, MD –
Governor Larry Hogan and the Office of the Secretary of State, which approves the certification of Maryland’s 10,000 charities, today announced that the state, represented by Attorney General Brian Frosh, will join the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other state law enforcement officials in a complaint charging multiple cancer charities with defrauding more than $187 million from donors.

The state’s announcement coincides with the FTC today announcing major action regarding the multi-state consumer fraud investigation into deceptive fundraising practices by four major charitable organizations and five individuals who are related to them. The FTC initiated the investigation in the summer of 2014.

The organizations being investigated are as follows:
Cancer Fund of America, Inc.
Children’s Cancer Fund of America, Inc.
The Breast Cancer Society, Inc.
Cancer Support Services

Between 2008 and 2012, the four charities raised $187 million nationwide. The organizations spent approximately 86 percent of contributions received on paying professional fundraisers and their own salaries, as well as lavish cars, trips, cruises, sporting events, and more. Less than 3 percent of the contributions received went to the intended charitable purpose.

The multi-state litigation seeks to dissolve these organizations and prevent the individuals who run them from forming similar fraudulent charities in the future. Currently, Maryland and the other 49 states, the District of Columbia, and the FTC are involved in this case—an unprecedented group effort by charity regulators.

“The state of Maryland is now party to national litigation against one of the most heinous charity scams in Maryland history,” said Governor Hogan. “These organizations misled donors, telling them their money would help cancer patients, but the overwhelming majority of donations benefitted only the fundraisers and their families and friends. I will not allow hardworking Marylanders to be scammed, and these organizations will be brought to justice.”

“This is the worst kind of deception. It amounts to the preying on the good intentions of donors to a charity for personal gain,” said Attorney General Frosh. “We need to stop this kind of fraud and protect Marylanders who want to do the right thing, so they have confidence when they give. All 50 states have united to say ‘enough is enough.’”

“Marylanders are among the most generous in their giving, and we have the right to expect that our hard-earned dollars are used for their intended purpose,” added Maryland Secretary of State John Wobensmith. “We will do everything in our power to make sure that our citizens are confident that charities that solicit funds in Maryland adhere to the highest ethical and moral standards. We also urge citizens to research organizations that are asking for contributions.”