A hearing examiner affirmed the suspension of an Anne Arundel County boy who chewed his breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun in what many have come to know as “the Pop-Tart case.”
In a 30-page opinion, hearing examiner Andrew W. Nussbaum supported a principal’s assertion that the suspension was based on a history of problems, not the pastry episode. “The evidence is clear that suspension is used as a last resort,” Nussbaum wrote.
The boy’s family asked to have his school records cleared of the incident, which occurred early last year, when he was 7 years old and in second grade. The findings and recommendation will go to the county Board of Education for a decision.
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, July 02, 2014
Pamela Harris fought the law, and she won
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pamela Harris says she had one reason for going to battle with the powerful Service Employees International Union.
“ … I don’t want anyone to get between me and caring for my son,” Harris said Monday, shortly after learning the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow to government unions that sought to organize home-care workers and others not directly employed by government.
The high court ruled 5-4 that groups, such as home-care workers, cannot be compelled to pay representation fees or dues to labor unions.
Harris, a Lake County mother, is caring for her adult disabled son, Josh, and receiving assistance from the state of Illinois to do so.
More
“ … I don’t want anyone to get between me and caring for my son,” Harris said Monday, shortly after learning the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow to government unions that sought to organize home-care workers and others not directly employed by government.
The high court ruled 5-4 that groups, such as home-care workers, cannot be compelled to pay representation fees or dues to labor unions.
Harris, a Lake County mother, is caring for her adult disabled son, Josh, and receiving assistance from the state of Illinois to do so.
More
Santelli Slams America's 'Debt-Is-Wealth' Mentality
In American society, 'debt' and 'income' have become increasingly synonymous over the past 3 decades; but as Rick Santelli blasts (commonsensically), "they certainly shouldn't be." It appears the average joe has been led to this conclusion by the Central Banks. Rhetorically asking "where's the horsepower in the economy coming from?" Rick reflects on the auto-loan fears we discussed earlier, santelli notes that 55% of used cars (and 30% of new cars) are financed by subprime lenders... and rages, "if we continue as a country to fuel our consumerism with debt, there is no way the bond market's going to be wrong."
More
More
Howard Vendors Question Rules On Festival Fare
On Friday, vendors running booths at the county's flagship fireworks event will have to comply with new regulations on their food and drink offerings for the first time since Howard County Executive Ken Ulman passed an executive order to ban sugary drinks and restrict other junk food in county buildings and at county-sponsored events.
While Ulman and health advocates have touted the regulations — the first and only of their kind in the state — as an important step in the fight against obesity, some vendors have balked at what they consider unnecessarily restrictive rules.
More
Sorry, But It's Time To Remind You About The Possibility Of A Stock Market Crash
The stock market has had another good year so far.
Despite concerns about high prices (from people like me), stocks have meandered higher over the past 6 months. And they are now, once again, setting new all-time highs.
That's good for me, because I own stocks. But I'm not expecting this performance to continue.
In fact, the higher stocks move, the more concerned I get about a day (or days) of reckoning. Why? Because the higher stocks move, the farther their prices get farther away from the long-term average. This doesn't mean the market will crash anytime soon — or ever. But it does mean that, unless it's "different this time," stocks are likely to perform very poorly from this level over the next 7-10 years.
And it's not just price that concerns me.
More
Despite concerns about high prices (from people like me), stocks have meandered higher over the past 6 months. And they are now, once again, setting new all-time highs.
That's good for me, because I own stocks. But I'm not expecting this performance to continue.
In fact, the higher stocks move, the more concerned I get about a day (or days) of reckoning. Why? Because the higher stocks move, the farther their prices get farther away from the long-term average. This doesn't mean the market will crash anytime soon — or ever. But it does mean that, unless it's "different this time," stocks are likely to perform very poorly from this level over the next 7-10 years.
And it's not just price that concerns me.
More
Economic Freedom
A couple of years ago, President Barack Obama, speaking on the economy, told an audience in Osawatomie, Kansas: "'The market will take care of everything,' they tell us. ... But here's the problem: It doesn't work. It has never worked. ... I mean, understand, it's not as if we haven't tried this theory."
To believe what the president and many others say about the market's not working requires that one be grossly uninformed or dishonest.
The key features of a free market system are private property rights and private ownership of the means of production. In addition, there's a large measure of peaceable voluntary exchange. By contrast, communist systems feature severely limited private property rights and government ownership or control of the means of production.
More
To believe what the president and many others say about the market's not working requires that one be grossly uninformed or dishonest.
The key features of a free market system are private property rights and private ownership of the means of production. In addition, there's a large measure of peaceable voluntary exchange. By contrast, communist systems feature severely limited private property rights and government ownership or control of the means of production.
More
Breaking News: Mandatory Evacuation Ordered For Hatteras Island
.jpg)
Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency Wednesday as Tropical Storm Arthur moved toward the state. Later in the day, the National Weather Service issued a hurricane warning for all of Dare County.
Around 6 p.m., Dare County emergency management issued a mandatory evacuation for both visitors and residents of Hatteras Island, beginning at 5 a.m. Thursday. After that time, there will be no access to the island.
More
Assateague Horse Recovering After Being Struck By Vehicle
Sometime last Thursday evening, Assateague wild horse N6EM, or Maggie, is believed to have been struck by a vehicle on the barrier island and suffered an injury to her right front leg along with other injuries characterized as “road rash.” There were no witnesses and the driver did not report the incident, but the evidence is fairly clear Maggie was struck by a vehicle and injured.
“We assume she got hit by a vehicle,” said Assateague Island National Seashore Science Communicator Kelly Taylor. “No one witnessed it, but it’s a safe assumption based on the evidence and the horse’s condition. She was limping badly and had road rash and black markings on her side because the road in that area was recently paved.”
Taylor said a visitor to the island reported the injured horse to park rangers, who then found Maggie and assessed her condition to make sure she was okay.
More
EXTREME HEAT AND THUNDERSTORMS
(Salisbury, MD) The National Weather Service is predicting continued high temperatures through tomorrow with the potential for high heat indices. Temperatures will be in the upper 90 degrees with the heat index reaching over 100 degrees. As temperatures and heat indices rise, so does the risk for heat related illness.
Infants, young children, young athletes, obese persons, those older than 65 years of age, and those persons with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or a mental illness are at highest risk for heat related illness. Family, friends, and neighbors who are at high risk will need extra help and residents should consider how they can help someone they know get to an air-conditioned place, if needed. “Air-conditioning is the number one protective factor against heat-related illness and death” says Lori Brewster, Health Officer for the health department. “If your home is not air-conditioned, go to any public facility such as the mall or library to seek relief.”
Health Officials are offering some tips to help you and others stay healthy and safe during extreme weather:
· Seek air-conditioned environments such as malls, libraries and public places. Stay indoors.
· Schedule outdoor activities before 10:00 am and after 6:00 pm.
· Minimize direct exposure to the sun; if you must be outdoors, seek shade.
· Stay hydrated – regularly drink water or other nonalcoholic fluids.
· Eat light, cool, easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads.
· Check on others: co-workers, the elderly, and those living alone.
· Wear loose fitting, light-colored clothes.
· Bring pets indoors. If they must remain outside make sure they have shade and plenty of clean,fresh water.
· Be sure listen to local news or NOAA Weather Radio for emergency updates. Watch for signs of a storm, like darkening skies, lightning flashes or increasing wind.
· Bring in all loose items from outside. Objects that are too big to bring in must be securely anchored.
Conserve energy during a summer heat wave:
· Set air conditioning unit to "low" or your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher, especially when not at home.
· Keep your shades drawn during the day. At night, open your windows to let the cool air in.
· Limit the use of appliances that use a lot of energy.
· Turn off appliances when not in use.
· Run washing machine and dishwasher during off-peak hours. Save laundry and dishes for nights and weekends, when overall energy use is lower.
· Change or clean the air filters in your air conditioners once a month.
In the event of a power outage, follow these basic safety precautions.
· Follow food safety guidelines during a power outage. If the power is out for less than two hours, the food in your refrigerator and freezer will be safe to eat. But if the power is out for longer, you will want to pack your perishable, non-frozen foods in a cooler with ice. Frozen foods will be OK for about 48 hours. You can find other tips on how to protect your food before a power loss and know whether it's safe to eat afterward on CDC’s website at:http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/poweroutage/needtoknow.asp
· Turn off appliances with sensitive electronics, such as stereos, televisions, and computers. Power surges that often occur when electricity is turned back on can damage appliances.
· Try to conserve water during an outage. The pump systems that remove water and waste from your home into a sewer or septic tank are dependent on electricity and the sewage holding tanks in your home or community have limited storage capacity. So keep showers to a minimum, avoid washing clothes, and flush the toilet as little as possible while the power is out.
At this time, no cooling centers have been opened. For local and updated cooling center information, facts on heat related illness, or additional tips on how to stay cool, visit the Wicomico County Health Department's website at www.wicomicohealth.org.
SHA TO DELAY US 50 KELLEY BRIDGE OPENING BY ONE HOUR FOR FIREWORKS
Bridge Extended Closure Allows Travelers to Safely Exit After Annual Fireworks Show
(July 2, 2014) – The State Highway Administration (SHA) will temporarily keep the eastbound and westbound lanes of the US 50 Harry W. Kelley drawbridge closed to boat traffic for an additional hour to accommodate the large number of motorists who are expected to be traveling out of the resort area after the annual fireworks display.
This Friday, July 4th, the US 50 drawbridge will not open for marine traffic from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. to accommodate the traffic that immediately follows the annual Ocean City fireworks show. Should inclement weather prevent the fireworks event from taking place as planned and it is postponed to the following evening, the drawbridge will not open from 10 p.m. until 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 5th.
The bridge will operate under its normal summer schedule during all other times. Plan ahead to reach travel destinations and events by using MD511 for travel time and “Reach the Beach” information. Visit www.md511.org and www.ocwalksmart.com to learn more about traveling safely by car, bike or on foot.
(July 2, 2014) – The State Highway Administration (SHA) will temporarily keep the eastbound and westbound lanes of the US 50 Harry W. Kelley drawbridge closed to boat traffic for an additional hour to accommodate the large number of motorists who are expected to be traveling out of the resort area after the annual fireworks display.
This Friday, July 4th, the US 50 drawbridge will not open for marine traffic from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. to accommodate the traffic that immediately follows the annual Ocean City fireworks show. Should inclement weather prevent the fireworks event from taking place as planned and it is postponed to the following evening, the drawbridge will not open from 10 p.m. until 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 5th.
The bridge will operate under its normal summer schedule during all other times. Plan ahead to reach travel destinations and events by using MD511 for travel time and “Reach the Beach” information. Visit www.md511.org and www.ocwalksmart.com to learn more about traveling safely by car, bike or on foot.
The Next Global Meltdown Is Baked In: Connecting The Dots Between Oil, Debt, Interest Rates And Risk
The bottom line is the Fed can only keep the machine duct-taped together by suppressing the market's pricing of risk.
One of the Grand Narratives of our era is the substitution of debt for income: as earned income and disposable income have stagnated for 40 years, the gap between the rising cost of living and stagnant household income has been filled by borrowed money.
Money has been borrowed to replace income everywhere: consumers have borrowed money to buy things they otherwise couldn't afford, students have borrowed over $1 trillion to attend college, governments have borrowed money to fund wars and social spending, corporations have borrowed money to buy back their own shares, pushing stock prices higher.
There's one little problem with debt: interest must be paid on debt. Let's focus for a second on the difference between cash income and borrowing money. Cash doesn't cost money to maintain; debt does. In a functioning economy (as opposed to the dysfunctional mess we have now), cash would earn income from interest paid by borrowers.
If cash income is saved, the cash can buy stuff without debt or interest payments. That is a powerful advantage over debt.
More
One of the Grand Narratives of our era is the substitution of debt for income: as earned income and disposable income have stagnated for 40 years, the gap between the rising cost of living and stagnant household income has been filled by borrowed money.
Money has been borrowed to replace income everywhere: consumers have borrowed money to buy things they otherwise couldn't afford, students have borrowed over $1 trillion to attend college, governments have borrowed money to fund wars and social spending, corporations have borrowed money to buy back their own shares, pushing stock prices higher.
There's one little problem with debt: interest must be paid on debt. Let's focus for a second on the difference between cash income and borrowing money. Cash doesn't cost money to maintain; debt does. In a functioning economy (as opposed to the dysfunctional mess we have now), cash would earn income from interest paid by borrowers.
If cash income is saved, the cash can buy stuff without debt or interest payments. That is a powerful advantage over debt.
More
Critics Who Claim Voter ID Laws Are Racist Won’t Like the Results of This Study
The findings came before a scheduled hearing next week where the U.S. Justice Department will ask a U.S. District Court for an injunction against the law going into the November midterms. The Obama administration has argued that such a law will make it more difficult for minorities to vote.
Comparing May 4, 2010 North Carolina primary election data with the May 14, 2014 primary data, the study found that voter turnout increased across the board, but particularly among black voters, where it increased by 29.5 percent, compared to an increase of white voter turnout of 13.7 percent. The findings were based on Census Bureau data and public names who signed the voter rolls.
More
Fed Is Ignoring Signs of Inflation
Inflation is soaring, and the Federal Reserve is looking away.
It has printed trillions of dollars to save big banks from their financial crisis debauchery and to keep interest rates low to spur economic recovery, but those have not improved the lot of ordinary Americans.
Here are five things you should know:
1. Inflation Is Heating Up
The Fed target is 2 percent inflation, but since March the pace has quickened. In May, the Consumer Price Index, the data the government uses to adjust Social Security and other benefits, increased at an eye-popping 4.3 percent annual rate.
Troubles in Iraq are pushing up gas prices, and growth in China is creating huge demand for grain on global markets, increasing meat, dairy and other grocery prices.
It has printed trillions of dollars to save big banks from their financial crisis debauchery and to keep interest rates low to spur economic recovery, but those have not improved the lot of ordinary Americans.
Here are five things you should know:
1. Inflation Is Heating Up
The Fed target is 2 percent inflation, but since March the pace has quickened. In May, the Consumer Price Index, the data the government uses to adjust Social Security and other benefits, increased at an eye-popping 4.3 percent annual rate.
Troubles in Iraq are pushing up gas prices, and growth in China is creating huge demand for grain on global markets, increasing meat, dairy and other grocery prices.
July 4th Celebration Rescheduled, Fireworks on Saturday in Two Great Locations
“Due to the passing storm and the probable residual effects of the weather, including wind and rain, it would be logistically challenging to hold the fireworks shows on Friday,” commented Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan. “We are expecting some wet weather on Thursday night and into Friday morning, which makes it nearly impossible to set-up the fireworks show on the beach in enough time for Friday night. Alternatively, the weather over the weekend looks beautiful so Saturday is the safest choice.”
Aside from the date change, operations for the holiday will remain mostly the same. The Town of Ocean City will still host celebrations in two great locations offering music and fireworks displays for free. At Northside Park, 125th Street and the bay, patriotic music will begin at 8 p.m. with the spectacular fireworks display lighting up the sky at 9:30 p.m. The U.S. Army Drum Downrange and Baylee Morrison will not perform.
On the south end of town, you can head to Ocean City’s famous Boardwalk with its bright lights, assortment of food, family fun and more fantastic fireworks. Performing the first show on the new Caroline Street Stage, Frankie & the Pack will take the stage at 8 p.m. with fireworks filling the sky beginning at 9:30 p.m.
The $50 flat-fee for all day parking in the Inlet Lot will now be applied on July 5. The fee, which is good for one-entry, will allow visitors to come as early as 5:30 a.m. and stay as late as midnight, without being charged an hourly parking rate. In addition, a late entry fee will be permitted based on availability at 3 p.m. for a fee of $30, also allowing one-entry only. Once the lot fills, visitors will be encouraged to use neighboring parking lots, including Worcester Street, Somerset Street, Dorchester Street, North Division Street, 4th Street and the West Ocean City Park & Ride. The normal “ticketed” parking operations will return at 12 a.m. on July 6.
Parking is extremely limited at both locations. It is recommended that visitors take the bus. Bus service is $3 ride all day. The West Ocean City Park & Ride on Route 50 is just west of the Route 50 Bridge and offers free parking and $3 ride-all-day shuttle service to downtown. Also, area boaters should note that on the evening of July 5, the span of the Route 50 Bridge will remain closed to marine traffic at the usually scheduled 10:25 p.m. and 10:55 p.m. opening times. The Route 50 Bridge will reopen for boaters at 11:25 p.m. on the evening of July 5.
“The expected weather left a lot of uncertainty and several logistical complications on Friday evening,” Meehan continued. “We know a lot of our guests are traveling a long distance to watch our holiday celebration and we would hate to have had to disappoint them. The weather for Saturday, on the other hand, looks beautiful.
With a beautiful setting and two great fireworks events, we hope our guests will come early and stay late to celebrate America’s birthday at the beach.”
For more information about the holiday activities, call Town of Ocean City Communications Manager, Jessica Waters, at 410.289.8967.
###
Video: Cop Goes Ballistic On Wheelchair-Bound Man
The entire command staff of the police department in Lafayette, Indiana recommended Lt. Tom Davidson be fired for shoving a man in a wheelchair onto the street last year, but the department’s Civil Service Commission decided instead to issue a 30-day suspension and place the officer on supervisory probation for a year.
Police Chief Patrick Flannelly made that revelation Tuesday as he released a dashcam video of the Oct. 1 wheelchair incident, nine months after it happened.
In the video, Lt. Tom Davidson, who has been on the force since 1995, is engaged in a conversation with Nicholas Kincade, 25, who uses a motorized wheelchair.
More
Hillary Clinton's air of 'inevitability' evaporating
Hillary Clinton needs a conscience transplant, and she needs it now. Her book tour is in a shambles, the fate of her $14 million advance from her publisher is marooned somewhere in limbo. She’s under 50 percent approval for the first time in the presidential polling for 2016, and, scariest of all, she’s having to call on Bubba for help. She knows better than to become merely “a wife of,” but 2014 is beginning to smell like 2008, and she’s Miss Inevitability once more. This is dj vu all over again.
Some of the learned pundits, who only yesterday were writing about “the five reasons why Hillary is a lock for the White House,” are writing now about “five reasons why Hillary won’t run.” The budding consensus is that (1) she’s just not very good at politics; (2) there’s no “fire in the tummy”; (3) who wants to clean up after Barack Obama, any way; (4) the country wants real change; and (5) another round of “Clinton, Bush, Clinton” with children of both families waiting in the wings, is thrilling nobody.
More
Some of the learned pundits, who only yesterday were writing about “the five reasons why Hillary is a lock for the White House,” are writing now about “five reasons why Hillary won’t run.” The budding consensus is that (1) she’s just not very good at politics; (2) there’s no “fire in the tummy”; (3) who wants to clean up after Barack Obama, any way; (4) the country wants real change; and (5) another round of “Clinton, Bush, Clinton” with children of both families waiting in the wings, is thrilling nobody.
More
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)