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Friday, April 15, 2016

Subject: Rep. Collins: Speeding Up Syrian Refugee Applications Is ‘A Threat to Our National Security’

(CNSNews.com) – The Obama administration’s fast-tracking of Syrian refugee applications is “a threat to our national security,” Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) said on Tuesday.

Collins was responding to reports that processing time for Syrian refugee applications has been cut to three months – down from the standard 18-24 months – as part of a “surge” aimed at reaching President Obama’s target of admitting 10,000 in fiscal year 2016.

“Accelerating the timeline to admit and resettle refugees from countries that are hotbeds of terrorism is a threat to our national security,” he said in a statement. “Despite serious risks, the Obama administration decided being politically correct is more important than the safety of the American people.”

“Abruptly dropping the amount of time it will take to vet people raises serious concerns that there will be a less comprehensive process that will not screen out those seeking to take advantage of our system.”

With less than six months of FY 2016 to go, fewer than 14 percent of the 10,000 Syrian refugees have been admitted. Against that background, the State Department launched a three-month “surge” operation in Amman, Jordan on February 1, according to U.S. Ambassador Alice Wells.

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Subject: Child Nearly Drowns - Returns to Family With Power of Speech

A Seattle, Washington family says their 2-year-old child survived a near drowning over the weekend, and is now a “different child.”

KOMO-TV reports that while the family was moving, 2-year-old girl Catalina Ackers slipped out of her home and into a neighborhood retention pond.

Catalina’s mother, Natalie Holiday, said she went upstairs for a minute came back down and sensed something was wrong.

"It happened in an instant," she said.

She called 911 and the family fanned out in all directions, but it was her 12-year-old son Ethan who spotted his baby sister in a nearby pond.

"He saw her pink shirt and she was floating face down in the water," Holiday told KOMO.

Ethan dove into the pond, got Catalina and carried her to the sidewalk above the pond, where a neighbor helped with CPR efforts until a police officer arrived.

More here

Maine On Track to Uncover Record Amount of Welfare Fraud

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services announced on Monday that it expects to surpass last year's record number of uncovered welfare fraud.

"We're seeing an awful lot of welfare fraud," Director of Fraud Operations Tom Roth told WCSH-TV. "We definitely have more calls coming in than we have people to handle. Having the support from the state and the public is paramount, I think, to our success."

WCSH reports, the Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit brought a total of 105 cases to the Attorney General for prosecution last year, totaling more than $1.2 million in stolen state benefits.

So far this year, the unit has brought 29 cases for prosecution totaling $456,131.56 in theft of state benefits.

Roth said that cases where a person uses a dead relative's EBT card are becoming more common.

He said one of the big "red flags" that a card may be being used inappropriately is out-of-state purchases.

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TN Gov. Bill Haslam Vetoes Bill to Make Bible the State Book

The Bible isn’t Tennessee’s official book — yet.

Gov. Bill Haslam vetoed a bill Thursday that would have granted the Christian holy book that status.

In his veto message Thursday, Mr. Haslam cited Article I, Section 3 of the Tennessee Constitution which states “no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishment or mode of worship.”

He added that while “I strongly disagree with those who are trying to drive religion out of the public square,” that battle is “very different from the governmental establishment of religion.”

Proponents said the honor merely recognizes the Bible’s historic role in building the overwhelmingly Christian state, but Mr. Haslam said that was no better.

“My personal feeling is that this bill trivializes the Bible, which I believe is a sacred text. If we believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, then we shouldn’t be recognizing it only as a book of historical and economic significance,” he added in his veto message.

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Is Obama Planning Revenge on Netanyahu?

"During his final year in the White House, US President Barack Obama is preparing a metaphorical roadside IED for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It cannot be that the tainted relations between the two leaders will not end with Obama exacting some sweet revenge."

Variations of the above statement have been uttered for a while now by senior American and Israeli officials since Netanyahu's speech to the US Congress last year during his campaign against Obama and his nuclear agreement with Iran.

This week, the New York Times brought the fraught Obama-Netanyahu relationship back into the headlines when the paper expounded on the US president's possible future revenge against the Israeli leader that will be served up cold in the form of a UN Security Council resolution on the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Several officials have said that Obama has grown so frustrated with trying to revive Middle East peace talks that he may lay down his own outline for an Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution, in the form of a resolution in the United Nations Security Council, the Times reported.

“There will be a great temptation to do something in the final year. “For a president who came out faster and more aggressively on the Middle East than any of his predecessors, there is a gnawing sense of incompletion and perhaps even failure,” Aaron David Miller, a vice president at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, told the Times last month.

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APPROPRIATE THIS!

USAF Senior MSGT Ejected for Reference to 'God'

There has been yet another recent example of Barack Obama’s top-down effort to eradicate any reference to faith by military personnel. MSGT Chuck Roberson invited retired Senior MSGT Oscar Rodriguez Jr. to conduct a traditional flag retirement as part of Roberson’s own retirement ceremony. But when Rodriguez arrived at Travis Air Force Base for his friend’s small retirement gathering of family and friends, he was met by security personnel. Those personnel had been ordered by the base commander to warn Rodriguez that he had to stick to a script that did not reference “God.”

Rodriguez didn’t make the rank of Senior MSGT because he was a pushover. He stood for his part in the ceremony — in civilian clothing we note — and began his flag recitation, ignoring the warning. He was immediately seized by security personnel (as seen in the video below), and forcibly removed from the ceremony — to the alarm of the guests gathered there to honor MSGT Roberson.

According to Lt. Col. Robert Couse-Baker at Travis AFB, the Air Force “respects and defends the right to free speech and religious expression.” But Couse-Baker added, “Rodriguez ignored numerous requests to respect the Air Force prescribed ceremony and unfortunately was forcibly removed. We will continue to investigate the situation fully.” Fact is, Rodriguez was removed for exercising his First Amendment rights at a voluntary retirement ceremony. He is now a civilian, and his remarks were delivered in that capacity.

More here

Conservative Rebellion over Puerto Rico ‘Bailout’

Congress’ bid to rescue Puerto Rico from its debt crisis is turning into yet another test for House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, and the early signs are not good, with one conservative lawmaker accusing leaders of gagging rank-and-file Republicans to keep them from scuttling the relief package.

Republicans had hoped to clear the bill through the Natural Resources Committee on Thursday in anticipation of a floor vote next week, but the committee vote was scuttled Wednesday evening after party leaders decided they needed more time to work out a compromise with Democrats and the Obama administration.

Democratic support will be needed to make up for the loss of conservative Republicans who rebelled against the bill, calling it a “bailout,” and who accused their own leaders of trying to silence them by ordering them not to offer amendments or to demand a roll-call vote.

“In all my time in Congress, no one has ever asked me to do something quite like this,” said Rep. John Fleming, Louisiana Republican. “This is the kind of ‘go along’ politics Americans and I are tired of. Any time we don’t have full transparency, we have a bad outcome.”

More here

D.C. Metrorail System Seeks Hundreds of Millions From Congress

(CNSNews.com) - The Metrorail system that serves the capital of the free world has dangerous, frayed electrical cables, an unmotivated workforce, reduced ridership, and a new manager who is determined to make changes after years of neglect.

On Wednesday, the chairman of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) told Congress that Metro needs around $25 billion over the next 10 years to run the system, address critical safety issues, and catch up on a ten-year backlog of neglected maintenance. Chairman Jack Evans said the system also faces a $2.5-billion unfunded pension liability that it has no plan or ability to address.

And if Congress doesn't pony up, "next time something happens, I'm blaming it on you guys," Evans said in a heated moment at the hearing of a House Oversight subcommittee.

In response to Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, who questioned why federal taxpayers should assume additional financial burdens for a mismanaged system, Evans got angry:

More here

Subject: Bill of rights for kids

Click on image to enlarge.

The Philippines Re-opens Military Bases to US forces

[Originally published June 6, 2012]

“They can come here provided they have prior coordination from the government,” Filipino Under Secretary for Defense Affairs Honorio Azcueta announced shortly after his meeting with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey on Monday.

“That’s what [the Philippines] want ... increase in exercises and interoperability” with U.S. forces, Azcueta said, according to reports by the Philippine Star.

Azcueta's announcement opens the door for the first American military deployments to Clark Air Force Base and the naval base in Subic Bay since DOD officially shuttered the facilities in 1991 and 1992, respectively.

The deal to reopen Subic Bay and Clark Air Force Base was struck during Dempsey's visit to the Asia-Pacific region to attend the Shangri-La defense talks held in Singapore last Saturday.

Dempsey and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta used the three-day conference among top U.S. and international defense officials to sell the White House's new Pacific-focused national security strategy to its regional allies.

In March, the Obama administration opted to triple the amount of military funding to the Philippines as U.S. forces look to expand their foothold in the country.

In April, DOD officials agreed to relocate 9,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam and other outposts in the Pacific. It remains unclear whether those displaced Marines will end up on Filipino soil.

Monday's basing agreement also comes months after Manila announced plans to build a new seaport in the Spratly Islands, off the coast of the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam in the South China Sea.

Local residents claim the seaport is the first step in creating a mini-naval base for U.S. and Filipino troops. The Philippine government claims the effort is strictly designed to support commercial business and tourism to the island.

More here

[The Spratley Islands is the location of the controversial airfield and military facilities newly-created by the Chinese. --Editor]

Found this tweet


Imagine If You Will


Planet Earth: April 15

 
April 15th, 2016 from 5-8 pm is the next 3rd Friday in Downtown Salisbury!  It's the first month celebrating 3rd Friday outdoors again for the season, with artists and crafters lining the streets, and live music all over Downtown! 
From street vendors, boutique shopping, gallery-hopping, dining or enjoying live entertainment scheduled, there is always something for everyone at 3rd Friday!  

This month's theme is Planet Earth!  Its time to celebrate all of our planet's plants and animals.  The Plaza and North Division Lawn will be filled with local farmers, and environmental organizations.  
North Division Street
On North Division Street, all things Planet Earth will be highlighted, complete with livestock and the Look Pretty Play Dirty Mobile Petting Zoo!  It's your chance to interact with baby goats, lambs and rabbits!  Local environmental groups will also be set up; including The Salisbury ZooThe Ward MuseumGreenSBY, The Salisbury Herb Society,  Lower Shore Land TrustWicomico Environmental TrustThe Lyme Disease AssociationCamden Community GardenThe Friends of the ForestThe Stash Your Trash Program and the Maryland Food Bank Farm to Food Program.  Local band the EdgeUcators will perform, and the Wicomico Masonic Lodge #91 will hold an open house, and host a free child identification program station. 
 
On the Plaza, there will be live music by local band  Breakfast. plus tons of local artists and crafters will set up on the streets!  The  Art Institute and Gallery 
will have an Earth Day themed craft outside for kids of all ages, and the Blooming Artists Youth Exhibition down in the gallery, filled works by local area youths and a Foyer Gallery highlight on           last years "Best In Show" winner, Ye Jin             Han.  
St. Peters Episcopal Church will host a flower sale down St. Peters Street just in time for spring, complete with refreshments, seedling activities for kids and flower arranging classes!
Garden Center
Just off the Plaza, down by old Parker Place Garden Center, The Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District will host an unveiling ceremony at 6pm with Mayor Jake Day to celebrate its latest piece of public art, a transformed power box designed and painted by Michel Demanche, professor of art at UMES. During the ceremony, UMES students will also be installing another public art mural, a wheat paste stencil on the Powell Building.     

Salisbury University Art Galleries
Salisbury University Art Galleries | Downtown Campus will host the opening receptions for two brand new exhibitions from 6-9pm.Organic Space: New Work in Glass by Jon Rees explores the architectural language of form, space, and light through sculpture. Line Time: New Paintings by Brooke Rogers combines hard edge painting with rich surfaces.  Despite being rooted in geometric abstraction, the works are highly inspired by personal experience, and evoke the passage of time.  

 Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council
Down on Poplar Hill Avenue, The Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council will celebrate 3rd Friday indoors by hosting Arts on SWAC Street | SWACS Grant Recipient Review of the Arts  in its elevator-accessible loft space above Season's Best Antiques from 5-8pm. Join SWAC to enjoy refreshments, open mic,  kids crafts,  local artisans, crafters and more, with live music by Ted Nichols & Drums Around the World from 5-6, a Salisbury Christian School excerpt from their upcoming show "The Little Mermaid" from 6:30 - 7pm, followed by Hunter Wirt  and the Mardela Middle and High School band from 7-8. 
   
3rd Friday is always shopper's paradise, with the downtown shops and boutiques open late with special events and sales!  Angello's Unique Gifts always has new inventory to explore and Kuhn's Jewelers is the perfect place to find something sparkly during their 163rd Anniversary sale where all in stock jewelry is 30% off!   Bury Apparel will have all new t-shirt designs and Cake Art will be open late with "Create Your Own Cupcake" specials!
DelMarvlous Occasions will hold a Prom Clearance Sidewalk Sale with $20 dreses and 30% off dresses inside.  Enza's An Organic Salon will be celebrating customer appreciation month with enter-to-win gift baskets and 20% off all products. Barefoot Baby Boutique will be kicking off its Chat with an Expert Series with a discussion on eco-friendly bamboo products, a coloring station for the kiddos and will be accepting registrations for spring MommyWalk!
The downtown bars and restaurants are ready for 3rd Friday! For the dinner crowd, be sure to check out Salisbury Restaurant Week's website for price fixed menus at all the Downtown hotspots! Maya Bella's will be slinging $1.99 slices all night long and unveiling their brand new menu!   
For live music fans, Roadie Joe's will have live music from alex&shiloh from 5:30 - 8:30 and a DJ late night, Brew River will have a Friday Night Dock Party with Blackwater band. The Brick Room will be hosting an organic wine tasting with live music from live music from Meredith and Mayers from 4-7 pm, plus Steve Isreal acoustic late night! Market Street will have live music from Ray & Shiloh late night and Mojo's will have local rockers EastWood!  April is National Poetry month, and enthusiasts can check out Rivers Edge Apartments & Studio for the Arts Open Mic Night & Poetry Slam from 6-9 with karaoke by DJ Outlaw.  Headquarters Live will also be jamming with the Higher Vibes Festival, a multi-genre show that features hip-hop, acoustic, beatbox, rock, indie, electronic, spoken word and so much more. 
Just for 3rd Friday, Salisbury Downtown Trolley service will start earlier at 5 PM in front of the Perdue School of Business and will run until 7 PM. Service will resume later that night at 9 PM and run until 2 AM, complete with a new stop on South Boulevard at the intersection of Hanson Street.  Boarding is only $1 and will bring you from Salisbury University and surrounding areas to Downtown. 

Stay tuned with all the latest info on our
 Facebook Event! 

3F is an all-volunteer effort, a downtown economic development initiative and a project of theSalisbury Arts & Entertainment District Committee.  There is no charge for local artists to set up, but online advance registration is required. For More Information:3rdFridaySby.com
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Wicomico Humane Society Update

The Humane Society of Wicomico County would like to thank everyone for their donations and support throughout the week. At this time we have had so many donations that we are running out of storage space. We have had multiple temporary storage units brought in to hold the supplies. Donations that have been given to us have been offered to other shelters and rescues that have taken some dogs to ensure donations are going towards the dogs. At this time however, we are simply running out of space and while we thank everyone who has donated, we simply cannot take in many more supplies due to a lack of space.

The dogs continue to receive medical evaluations and the care they need from our staff and veterinarians. Thank you to the veterinarians who have graciously donated their time to help these animals.

Again, thank you to the entire community. Wicomico County and the surrounding area has been strong in their support and generosity, and it is greatly appreciated.

The Humane Society website www.wicomicohumane.org will be updated as animals become available for adoption. As a reminder, each animal has to be examined, vaccinated, groomed, microchipped, and spayed/neutered before it can be adopted.

For further information regarding animal care contact via email: execdirector@wicomicohumane.org

Questions regarding legal charges should be directed to State's Attorney Office at 410-548-4880.

Radical Bernie Supporter Battles Cavuto, Says Capitalist System Is ‘Illegitimate’

Free college and debt forgiveness is playing a key role in the 2016 presidential race, as Democrat presidential candidate and avowed socialist Bernie Sanders continues to win over young people with his call for a “revolution.”

A committed communist and organizer for the “Million Student March” movement battled Fox News’ Neil Cavuto Thursday about the merits of free public college and why capitalism is illegitimate.

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Animal advocates celebrate legislative successes in Maryland

General Assembly passed 7 animal-related bills

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —
From cracking down on poaching to standards at shelters, several bills to better protect animals passed during this year's General Assembly legislative session.

Animal advocates said the bills represent a much-needed victory because Maryland ranks 46th out of 50 states when it comes to animal welfare laws.

Supporters said they hope to use the legislative victories to continue to improve that standing.

"We were thrilled, because last year no animal bills passed, and so this year, we're thrilled to see that so many of the animal bills passed," Lisa Radov of Maryland Votes For Animals said.

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Berlin To Host Annual Spring Celebration On Saturday

BERLIN — This year, Berlin is going back to Wonderland for its Annual Spring Celebration, April 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The celebration will coincide with the Berlin Little League Parade on Saturday at 8 a.m. Then the day will be filled with themed games and crafts, screenings of the Alice in Wonderland movie in the Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center, characters from the book throughout town, pictures with the White Rabbit, a Mad Hatter Hat Contest, musician Ray Owen, a moon bounce, face-painting, story time and more.

All games and crafts will be covered by the one-time purchase of a wristband for $5. Carriage rides will be available at cost. A kids “tea” party will be featured in the Visitor’s Center with baked goods, “tea” (water, milk and juice), sweets and a take home tea cup for $5. There will be three seatings — 11 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. Reservations are required; please contact the Chamber at 410-641-4775 to confirm your spot.

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OCPD Seasonal Cop Shortage Still Exists, But Not As Significant As Last Summer

OCEAN CITY — Whether it’s a decrease in the number of applicants or fewer applicants that meet the standards, finding enough seasonal officers to meet the Ocean City Police Department’s needs continues to be a challenge.

OCPD Chief Ross Buzzuro presented the department’s requested fiscal year 2017 budget to the Mayor and Council on Monday as part of the ongoing budget work sessions. During a discussion of the OCPD’s proposed fiscal year 2017 budget of around $20 million, the discussion came around to the number of seasonal officers recruited and hired, and the chief told the elected officials a variety of factors continued to create challenges in filling out the ranks.

After hiring just 68 seasonal officers last year while seeking around 100, Buzzuro said the department would likely come in closer to 80 this year although reaching even that number is challenging. However, shifts in personnel responsibilities and duties somewhat lessen the impact of a decidedly smaller seasonal officer pool.

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Wicomico County Budget Hearing Last Night



The hearing went really well last night with much support from the residents and taxpaying citizens on the proposed budget. It was good to hear that for the second year in a row there isn't a proposed tax increase. 

There are some really good things that have been proposed and within the revenue as not to raise taxes. 

It's nice to have a true conservative leader and staff who continue to deliver RELIEF to Wicomico County residents. 

Filming Opens On Assateague For 13th Century Docudrama

ASSATEAGUE ISLAND — Smoke from a nearby battlefield drifts over the ancient sands of Egypt. Soldiers are preparing themselves for battle. Arms and armor are being donned. A powerful sultan, nephew of a legendary leader, stands clad in steel and gold and consults with his generals before the army marches to war. He is resolute and decisive laying out his strategy for the struggle ahead. One can almost hear the din of the battle and the clash of armies on the breeze coming off the Nile River. Suddenly, another man’s voice is heard over the sultan’s commands.

“Alright, that looked good. Lets take a look at that on the monitors before we try and shoot it again,” he said.

The Nile delta snaps back to the Eastern Shore hearing Director Alex Kronemer’s voice. The breeze reverts back to the whipping Atlantic wind, and the sands of ancient Egypt are once again the beach dunes of Assateague Island. The beach appears to hover in time between the 13th and the 21st centuries. The very old and the very new intermix freely on the set. Cell phones are seen on tables alongside six foot tall steel spears and wooden wheeled wagons are parked next to four-wheel drive SUV’s. There are seemingly miles of cables running into three flat screen monitors, all located inside a medieval Beaudoin tents.

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Tax Quotes

""Our government has found that the most effective way to control a person is not by the ballot or the bullet, but rather by the 'bucket'. Today, in a country that fought a revolution to rid itself of a repressive government and excessive taxes, government takes 40 percent of everything we earn in the form of taxes." -- Byron C. Radaker Chairman and C.E.O., Congoleum Corp. Source

"Eight decades of amendments... to (the) code have produced a virtually impenetrable maze... The rules are unintelligible to most citizens... The rules are equally mysterious to many government employees who are charged with administering and enforcing the law." -- Shirley Peterson Former IRS Commissioner 2/28/2002 Source: Citizens' Truth-In-Taxation Hearing, Washington D.C. 

Md. House race no easy comeback for ex-lieutenant governor

WASHINGTON (AP) — Eighteen months after he lost a bid for the state’s highest office, Maryland’s former lieutenant governor is finding that a safely Democratic seat in Congress is no easy consolation prize.

Anthony Brown is in a three-way battle with a former prosecutor and a state delegate for an open seat in the state’s 4th District, which borders Washington. He’ll have to persuade Democrats who were either disappointed he lost the race for governor or didn’t vote for him. He also has to ask for fresh contributions from donors who helped him raise $21 million only to see him lose to Republican Larry Hogan.

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What Hillary Clinton REALLY Thinks of American Gun Owners

Are tens of millions of American gun owners all terrorists?

Hillary Clinton thinks so.

And she even believes gun manufacturers are part of an Internet conspiracy to arm terrorists.

The Daily Caller reports:

“If we all get angry enough we can start saving lives and stop making…our citizens are the terrorists,” said a woman who took part in a gun violence forum in Port Washington, N.Y...

...“We’re so worried about terrorism but we have terrorism on our own soil. Our gun manufacturers, our ammunition manufacturers are making terrorists out of our citizens. A sobering fact,” the panelist continued.

“Go online,” she said as Clinton continued to nod approvingly. “Go buy a semi-automatic weapon. They’re all available online with not much to prove because mom and pop somewhere out there are making them, and there’s nothing to prevent people who are mentally ill and people who are on terrorist watch lists to making our citizens become terrorists.”
Despite her wild claims, no one can buy a gun online without a background check. Guns purchased online must be picked up at a federally-licensed dealer, who must conduct a background check.


Source: AAN

New Poll Shows Donald Trump Adding Delegates in Maryland

Donald J. Trump has opened a wide lead in Maryland, according to a new poll that shows the leading Republican presidential candidate poised to sweep the state’s delegates later this month.

A survey from the Monmouth University Polling Institute released on Wednesday finds that Mr. Trump has the support of 47 percent of likely Republican primary voters in Maryland. He is trailed by Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, who has 27 percent, and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, with 19 percent.

Mr. Trump’s support in Maryland is fueled largely by men who do not have college educations. He also does well with “very conservative” votes while splitting the moderate vote with Mr. Kasich.

“If Trump’s current level of support translates to each of Maryland’s eight congressional districts, he may be able to run the table in the all-important delegate contest,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth group.

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Mikulski looking for ‘bonus money’ for NIH, appropriations for federal pay raise

The longest-serving woman in Congress promised during her last year in office that she would work to find “new money” and “bonus money” for the National Institutes of Health to help meet its mission, as well as continue to work on a proposed 5.3 percent pay raise for all federal employees.

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) said she would “work my earrings off that the last appropriations for the NIH under Barbara Mikulski’s watch is going to be the best damn appropriations you’ve ever seen.”

“Do no harm. What do I mean by that? No sequester, no shutdown, no slamdown, let’s get our job done. You do your job, we need to do our job,” Mikulski said during a speech at NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. “Capitalize existing programs. You’re all doing great work. We need to make sure what you’re doing gets funded. You need something that’s realizable, undeniable, sustainable; don’t screw around, keep going, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. We’re also going to see if we can find new money for our new ideas and some of the ideas that are already on the books: the [Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies] Initiative, precision medicine. Let’s not forget our young investigators. But let’s look at where we can find bonus money, called mandatory funding, to make sure you even get a bigger shot at the [Cancer] Moonshot, or all the other great things that you’re working on.”

Mikulski announced her retirement in March 2015. Her fifth term in office ends January 2017. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 1976 and took office in the Senate in 1987.

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New organization targets opiates

Residents across Worcester gather to fight against drug addiction; next mtg. May 24

About 50 people – advocates, teachers, nurses, lawyers, parents and children of addicts, and those on the road to recovery – came to the first meeting of the Worcester County Warriors Against Opiate Addiction last Thursday at the Ocean Pines Library.

Jackie Ball and Heidi McNeely, two local mothers who have watched their children struggle with heroin addiction, organized the meeting.

“It makes me cry to see so many people tonight,” McNeely, a Bishopville resident, said. “I think we are all so thrilled.

“We have formed this group out of a passionate desire to eradicate opiate abuse and deaths in our county,” she continued. “We want to be able to help the people that we love, whose lives have been altered by opiate abuse, and to help each other in this tumultuous journey of loving someone who is addicted to opiates, or having loved someone whose life was ended as a result of opiate addiction.”

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So it’s official CNN just broke the news that Ted Cruz is buying delegates

Beverly Perkins Long said: Well what do you expect from sleazy man like Cruz?? Something about him just creeps me out!!! Just another slimey crooked politician!! Bought and paid for!!! Vote Trump!!!

Paul Wolf said: That’s the problem with this delegate voting crap. The delegates can be bought. It should be based on who got most of the votes of We the People.

Sandie Angel said: He should be ashamed of what he’s doing. He has set a very bad example for his two little girls. I feel sorry for them. How would you like a daddy that everyone knows he’s a cheater, a liar?

So it’s official CNN just broke the news that Ted Cruz is buying delegates & bribing them with money! You Scumbag!!!

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Funding for post-secondary education at Wor-Wic mused

County commissioners will hear public input May 5 in Snow Hill during meeting
The Worcester County Commissioners are considering a proposal to provide funding for graduating high school students in Worcester to pursue post-secondary education at Wor-Wic Community College.

The idea was presented by Dr. Ray Hoy, Wor-Wic president, and is based on a Wicomico County program.

The Economic Impact Scholarship initiative grants money to cover tuition and fees for eligible graduates who live in Wicomico and attend Wor-Wic immediately after high school.

“Public funding to higher education has been reduced,” he said. “The cost went up to the consumer because of the changing landscape of funding.”

The intent is to expand the number of county residents with an associate degree or higher to advance economic growth and strengthen the community.

According to 2013 census data, approximately 37 percent of adults in Worcester met this criterion, compared to 46 percent statewide.

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Could Republican Convention delegates be bought? Legally, maybe

Washington (CNN)Buying votes is illegal. But, it turns out, buying delegates might not be.

This summer's Republican National Convention is shaping up to be an all-out brawl for every delegate's vote -- and legally, that could mean plying some of them with gifts, experts say.

There are federal and state laws prohibiting bribery of elected officials -- and restrictions on campaigns themselves -- but there isn't much on the books governing what private citizens serving as delegates at their parties' conventions can take in exchange for their votes on a nominating ballot. And in a fight between Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, John Kasich and perhaps an alternative not currently in the race, every delegate vote will matter.

"I think the legal term is s*** show," said Ken Gross, an election law specialist at Skadden and former associate general counsel of the Federal Election Commission. "I think it's going to be a circus, to say the least."

Why Does Hillary Think Women Are Worth Less?

Part of Hillary Clinton's pitch to voters is that she cares very deeply about women, and that she's the candidate who will finally close the gender pay gap. You might think that a two term senator with a multi million dollar non-profit who cares so deeply about these issues has a record of doing her part to close that gap. You'd be wrong. As Townhall notes:

The "of course" piece of that headline is, needless to say, a reference to the many other "pay gap" violations of which Hillary Clinton has been guilty over the years. Under the Democrats' clumsy calculations, she has under-paid women in her Senate office and at her State Department. The Daily Caller documents the latest transgression. Why must the Clinton Foundation wage this brutal, mean-spirited war on women? Are they unsatisfied with their separate war on transparency and good government? Questions abound. Details:

Male executives at the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation earn 38 percent more than women executives, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation review of the foundation’s latest IRS tax filings. The foundation’s 2013 IRS form 990 reveals that nearly three times as many men as women occupy the executive suites at the Little Rock, Arkansas-based foundation. On average, top male executives at the foundation earn $109,000 more than the top female executives with positions in the C-suite.

First things first: the gender pay gap is a myth. It's true that men do make more money on average in the workplace, but there are a variety of factors that come into play. Men are likely to choose risker positions, or positions that include high level commissions; men are less likely to settle for a 9 to 5, and men don't take time off to have children. Writing at Opportunity Lives, Ellen Carmichael explains:

On Tuesday, April 12, social justice activists commemorated what they’ve deemed “Equal Pay Day,” or the point in time through which women must work to catch up to their male peers’ earnings from the previous calendar year. But, as Rachel Greszler of the Heritage Foundation points out, it seems that so-called women’s advocacy groups have miscalculated this alleged date:

“Even based on a very broad measure of pay — one that ignores the types of jobs men and women perform, their education and their experience, their work schedules, the benefits they receive and just about everything else that employers consider when deciding pay — women make 83 cents on the dollar compared to men.

According to this more recent statistic, Equal Pay Day would have occurred on March 17.”

Oops.

Obama touts robots, US ingenuity at White House Science Fair

The annual White House Science Fair is an opportunity to show off the nation's budding inventors, engineers, astronauts and researchers — and to impress the nation's science fan-in-chief.

WASHINGTON (AP) — They came with eco-glue and Lego launchers. Their tag board displays were filled with charts, graphs and research on pollution. There were no little kids with plaster volcanoes in this crowd. But there was a trash-eating robot.

This was the White House Science Fair, an annual opportunity to show off the nation’s budding inventors, engineers, astronauts and researchers — and to impress the nation’s science fan-in-chief.

“You remind us that together through science we can tackle some of the biggest challenges we face,” President Barack Obama told the more than 130 students gathered at the White House on Wednesday. “You are sharing in this essential spirit of discovery that America is built on.”

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