DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, April 03, 2017
WARNING: U.S. Ponzi Retirement Market In Big Trouble As Withdrawals Now Exceed Contributions
The U.S. Retirement Market is in BIG TROUBLE as annual benefits paid out are now larger than total contributions. Actually, the amount of net withdrawals were the highest in history. When payouts become larger than contributions... then we have the making of the typical PONZI SCHEME.
Americans who have invested their hard-earned money into a 401K, had no idea that it was the Greatest Ponzi Scheme in history. Unfortunately, when the markets crack, so will the value of the U.S. Retirement market. On the other hand, Americans who were wise enough to purchase physical precious metals will protect their wealth as the U.S. Paper Retirement Market collapses.
According to the most recent data by the ICI - Investment Company Institute, the U.S. Retirement Market ballooned to a new record high of $25.3 trillion at the end of 2016:
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Americans who have invested their hard-earned money into a 401K, had no idea that it was the Greatest Ponzi Scheme in history. Unfortunately, when the markets crack, so will the value of the U.S. Retirement market. On the other hand, Americans who were wise enough to purchase physical precious metals will protect their wealth as the U.S. Paper Retirement Market collapses.
According to the most recent data by the ICI - Investment Company Institute, the U.S. Retirement Market ballooned to a new record high of $25.3 trillion at the end of 2016:
More
Putting American Workers First: USCIS Announces Further Measures to Detect H-1B Visa Fraud and Abuse
Agency Creates Avenue for American Workers to Report Abuse
WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced multiple measures to further deter and detect H-1B visa fraud and abuse. The H-1B visa program should help U.S. companies recruit highly-skilled foreign nationals when there is a shortage of qualified workers in the country. Yet, too many American workers who are as qualified, willing, and deserving to work in these fields have been ignored or unfairly disadvantaged. Protecting American workers by combating fraud in our employment-based immigration programs is a priority for USCIS.
Beginning today, USCIS will take a more targeted approach when making site visits across the country to H-1B petitioners and the worksites of H-1B employees. USCIS will focus on:
Cases where USCIS cannot validate the employer’s basic business information through commercially available data;
- H-1B-dependent employers (those who have a high ratio of H-1B workers as compared to U.S. workers, as defined by statute); and
- Employers petitioning for H-1B workers who work off-site at another company or organization’s location.
Auto Industry Resorts To Biggest Incentives Ever To Slow Decline In Sales
The Last time automakers tried this was in 2009!
In a few days, automakers are going to report their new vehicle deliveries for March. TrueCar, Kelley Blue Book, and LMC Automotive are predicting total vehicle sales slightly above the flat-line compared to March a year ago, though sales were down year-over-year in both January and February.
TrueCar forecasts an increase of 0.2% year-over-year to 1.586 million new cars and light trucks, with retail deliveries (excluding fleet sales) growing 1% to 1.276 million units. J.D. Power and LMC Automotive said on Friday that they expect an increase of 1.9%, to 1.62 million units, with retails sales up 1%, boosted by record incentives.
If sales nevertheless fall, everyone will blame the winter storm that arrived in the winter – “unexpectedly” or something. And it is possible that sales might fall. There was no winter storm in February, which was one of the warmest Februaries on record. Yet, sales in February fell 1.1% year-over year. They edged down in January too. And sales in both months combined fell 1.4% from the same period a year ago.
It’s not like automakers haven’t been trying. They paid out record incentives to accomplish this feat of slowing down the sales decline. In February, the industry in the US shelled out on average $3,587 per vehicle in incentive spending, per TrueCar. It was the highest ever for a February.
We’ll get to the March incentives in a moment. Just a quick word on what transpired in February. The table below shows average incentive spending per unit sold:
More
In a few days, automakers are going to report their new vehicle deliveries for March. TrueCar, Kelley Blue Book, and LMC Automotive are predicting total vehicle sales slightly above the flat-line compared to March a year ago, though sales were down year-over-year in both January and February.
TrueCar forecasts an increase of 0.2% year-over-year to 1.586 million new cars and light trucks, with retail deliveries (excluding fleet sales) growing 1% to 1.276 million units. J.D. Power and LMC Automotive said on Friday that they expect an increase of 1.9%, to 1.62 million units, with retails sales up 1%, boosted by record incentives.
If sales nevertheless fall, everyone will blame the winter storm that arrived in the winter – “unexpectedly” or something. And it is possible that sales might fall. There was no winter storm in February, which was one of the warmest Februaries on record. Yet, sales in February fell 1.1% year-over year. They edged down in January too. And sales in both months combined fell 1.4% from the same period a year ago.
It’s not like automakers haven’t been trying. They paid out record incentives to accomplish this feat of slowing down the sales decline. In February, the industry in the US shelled out on average $3,587 per vehicle in incentive spending, per TrueCar. It was the highest ever for a February.
We’ll get to the March incentives in a moment. Just a quick word on what transpired in February. The table below shows average incentive spending per unit sold:
More
Dr. Ben Carson Shocked as AUDIT of Obama’s HUD Dept. Finds BILLIONS of Dollars in Errors!
It has become clear this week that Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been a black hole for taxpayer money.
Of course, HUD has always been known to be one of those departments where abuse runs rampant. As an example, the city of San Antonio, Texas which was run by an up and coming Democrat named Julian Castro, may have misappropriated over 1 million dollars in federal neighborhood stabilization funds. With that in mind, it was very surprising to most government watchdogs that Obama picked Castro to be the HUD secretary during his term.
So, apparently no one saw any potential problems with Castro. But now….
The Daily Caller reports:
Despite officials from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) correcting $520 billion in bookkeeping errors, the department’s financial records have been so poorly kept that HUD’s inspector general (IG) cannot complete an audit of them.
According to a new report from the IG, HUD officials cleaned up $3.4 billion in errors from its 2015 financial records and $516.4 billion in errors from 2016, after the IG was unable to issue an opinion on either year’s financial statements in December.
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Of course, HUD has always been known to be one of those departments where abuse runs rampant. As an example, the city of San Antonio, Texas which was run by an up and coming Democrat named Julian Castro, may have misappropriated over 1 million dollars in federal neighborhood stabilization funds. With that in mind, it was very surprising to most government watchdogs that Obama picked Castro to be the HUD secretary during his term.
So, apparently no one saw any potential problems with Castro. But now….
The Daily Caller reports:
Despite officials from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) correcting $520 billion in bookkeeping errors, the department’s financial records have been so poorly kept that HUD’s inspector general (IG) cannot complete an audit of them.
According to a new report from the IG, HUD officials cleaned up $3.4 billion in errors from its 2015 financial records and $516.4 billion in errors from 2016, after the IG was unable to issue an opinion on either year’s financial statements in December.
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Worcester County proposes water, sewer bill rate hikes in new budget
At this past Tuesday’s budget review session, it was revealed which customers would be affected, and how much more the service would cost if the commissioners don’t make changes.
The Water and Wastewater Department is classified as an enterprise fund, in that the rates paid by customers are supposed to cover the cost of operations. How much or how little the truth of that is can’t be known until the budget is adopted.
The county operates 11 water and wastewater service areas throughout the area, though not all wastewater treatment plants in Worcester are operated by the county.
“The service areas are subject to the same pricing fluctuations and market conditions as consumers and are generally sensitive to fluctuations in items such as electricity, telecommunications and petroleum,” Jessica Wilson, enterprise fund controller, said.
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Salisbury University's Big Event - Date Correction - Sign Up By April 6th
When: April 8th, 2017
Arrival at Job Site: 10:30AM
Big Event is an annual volunteer effort that allows students to reach out to the community, build connections, and give back to the city of Salisbury. The event, sponsored by the Salisbury University Student Government Association, provides outdoor work and clean up for community members and residents who sign up within a five mile radius of Salisbury University!
If you have questions, please call 410-548-4757, email Lael Kelley, Vice President of University Affairs at sgavpofua@gulls.salisbury.edu or look on our website at http://www.salisburysga.com/
The residential sign ups will be capped at 90 job sites*
Event is Rain or Shine. If weather is at a dangerous level, the SGA will make a call as to whether the event is cancelled or not.
FORM DEADLINE MOVED TO THURSDAY APRIL 6TH, 2017
TO SIGN UP, GO TO:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqhv4aXMB5hU38zU3pRbBTf8yv5oG8yLck83x6h2YuNBnakw/viewform
Arrival at Job Site: 10:30AM
Big Event is an annual volunteer effort that allows students to reach out to the community, build connections, and give back to the city of Salisbury. The event, sponsored by the Salisbury University Student Government Association, provides outdoor work and clean up for community members and residents who sign up within a five mile radius of Salisbury University!
If you have questions, please call 410-548-4757, email Lael Kelley, Vice President of University Affairs at sgavpofua@gulls.salisbury.edu or look on our website at http://www.salisburysga.com/
The residential sign ups will be capped at 90 job sites*
Event is Rain or Shine. If weather is at a dangerous level, the SGA will make a call as to whether the event is cancelled or not.
FORM DEADLINE MOVED TO THURSDAY APRIL 6TH, 2017
TO SIGN UP, GO TO:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqhv4aXMB5hU38zU3pRbBTf8yv5oG8yLck83x6h2YuNBnakw/viewform
Hangups over tele-scammers
Eleven tele-scammers called my house recently. I get an average of four or five calls per day. Some days, I get one or two; other days I can get 12-13. The police and government agencies will put out scam warnings, but let me tell you this: if your phone rings and you don’t recognize the number, you have a 98-percent chance of it being a scam. Ask yourself this: Does, or why would, anyone call me with a deal that’s good for me? Some are legal, but most are just plain ripoffs and scams.
I get the usual calls such as the I.R.S. has warrants for my arrest; Microsoft calling to tell me that my computer has been sending them messages. Cardmember Services, Google listings, etc. I get them all, over and over. You can push “2” to get off the list, you can ask nicely, you can ask rudely, I’ve begged, but you’re never removed from any list. If anything, you’re added to more lists.
There’s even a fellow that calls and says he’s calling on behalf of Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). He’s collecting for them; I believe he’s legit, but a hired gun to collect because he’ll answer questions. However, one answer to a question is that the F.O.P. gets 15 percent of money raised, meaning they keep 85 percent. I contacted Dover PD and Delaware State Police, and no one knows anything about this. So, beware of that one. I fully support the police, but I’ll just donate directly when I do. I just learned of a new scam where you answer and can’t understand what is said. Then you hear “can you hear me now?” which is a recording. Then you say “yes,” which gives your permission for them to do whatever it is that they are trying to do.
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I get the usual calls such as the I.R.S. has warrants for my arrest; Microsoft calling to tell me that my computer has been sending them messages. Cardmember Services, Google listings, etc. I get them all, over and over. You can push “2” to get off the list, you can ask nicely, you can ask rudely, I’ve begged, but you’re never removed from any list. If anything, you’re added to more lists.
There’s even a fellow that calls and says he’s calling on behalf of Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). He’s collecting for them; I believe he’s legit, but a hired gun to collect because he’ll answer questions. However, one answer to a question is that the F.O.P. gets 15 percent of money raised, meaning they keep 85 percent. I contacted Dover PD and Delaware State Police, and no one knows anything about this. So, beware of that one. I fully support the police, but I’ll just donate directly when I do. I just learned of a new scam where you answer and can’t understand what is said. Then you hear “can you hear me now?” which is a recording. Then you say “yes,” which gives your permission for them to do whatever it is that they are trying to do.
More
UNDERGROUND BLAST: At least 10 dead, 50 hurt in bombing on subway train in St. Petersburg, Russia
DEVELOPING – At least one bomb blast on a subway train in St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday killed an estimated 10 people and wounded as many as 50 more, Russian officials said, in what President Vladimir Putin called a possible act of terror.
One of the blasts came from a device that appeared to be filled with shrapnel, Sky News reported. Putin said investigators were looking into all possible causes. Russia's Fontanka newspaper reported that an unexploded device turned up at a different subway station as crews worked to deactivate it.
The train was going in between two stations in the center of the city, investigators said. Photos and video from the Sennaya Ploshchad station appeared to show wounded victims on the smoke-filled platform, and a train car with a door blown out. Frantic commuters reached out through the doors and windows, shouting, "Call an ambulance!"
More/Video
One of the blasts came from a device that appeared to be filled with shrapnel, Sky News reported. Putin said investigators were looking into all possible causes. Russia's Fontanka newspaper reported that an unexploded device turned up at a different subway station as crews worked to deactivate it.
The train was going in between two stations in the center of the city, investigators said. Photos and video from the Sennaya Ploshchad station appeared to show wounded victims on the smoke-filled platform, and a train car with a door blown out. Frantic commuters reached out through the doors and windows, shouting, "Call an ambulance!"
More/Video
Russia's April 1 Voicemail: "Press 2 For Services Of Russian Hackers, Press 3 For Election Interference"
With the Russian election hacking scandal having gone from the merely strange, to the bizarre, to the ironic, to the McCarthyist, and most recently, jumping the patently absurd shark - as of last night, anyone who is against Hillary is "influenced by Russia" according to a former Clinton advisor - Russia decided to have some fun at the expense of US paranoia.
On Saturday, the ministry posted the following audio file of the "new" automated telephone switchboard message for Russian embassies.
"You have reached the Russian embassy, your call is very important to us. To arrange a call from a Russian diplomat to your political opponent, press 1. To use the services of Russian hackers press 2. To request election interference, press 3 and wait until the next election campaign. Please note that all calls are recorded for quality improvement and training purposes."
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On Saturday, the ministry posted the following audio file of the "new" automated telephone switchboard message for Russian embassies.
"You have reached the Russian embassy, your call is very important to us. To arrange a call from a Russian diplomat to your political opponent, press 1. To use the services of Russian hackers press 2. To request election interference, press 3 and wait until the next election campaign. Please note that all calls are recorded for quality improvement and training purposes."
Russian MFA developed automated voicemail system - please listen (Russian, then English) and tell us your opinion. Feedback appreciated! twitter.com/MID_RF/status/…
AAA: Gas prices projected to rise this summer
Crude oil prices inched above $50 a barrel last month and gasoline refineries are beginning the annual switchover to more expensive summer gas blends.
“We may be looking at $2.60, $2.65, $2.70 by Memorial Day,” said AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman John Townsend.
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CONNECTICUT CONSIDERING WEAPONIZING DRONES
The bill would ban the use of weaponized drones, but exempt police
Connecticut lawmakers are considering whether the state should become the first in the country to allow police to use drones outfitted with deadly weapons, a proposal immediately met with concern by civil rights and liberties advocates.
The bill would ban the use of weaponized drones, but exempt police. Details on how law enforcement could use drones with weapons would be spelled out in new rules to be developed by the state Police Officer Standards and Training Council. Officers also would have to receive training before being allowed to use drones with weapons.
“Obviously this is for very limited circumstances,” said Republican state Sen. John Kissel, of Enfield, co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee that approved the measure Wednesday and sent it to the House of Representatives. “We can certainly envision some incident on some campus or someplace where someone is a rogue shooter or someone was kidnapped and you try to blow out a tire.”
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Connecticut lawmakers are considering whether the state should become the first in the country to allow police to use drones outfitted with deadly weapons, a proposal immediately met with concern by civil rights and liberties advocates.
The bill would ban the use of weaponized drones, but exempt police. Details on how law enforcement could use drones with weapons would be spelled out in new rules to be developed by the state Police Officer Standards and Training Council. Officers also would have to receive training before being allowed to use drones with weapons.
“Obviously this is for very limited circumstances,” said Republican state Sen. John Kissel, of Enfield, co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee that approved the measure Wednesday and sent it to the House of Representatives. “We can certainly envision some incident on some campus or someplace where someone is a rogue shooter or someone was kidnapped and you try to blow out a tire.”
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Md. Mosque Hosts Active Shooter Training After Spike In Hate Incidents
“We encourage local community members and leaders of all faiths to attend and learn how they can prepare themselves in the event of a potentially-deadly crisis situation,” said CAIR Maryland Outreach Manager Dr. Zainab Chaudry.
“In this political climate, it’s more important than ever to adequately increase security for minority communities that face growing threats.”
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WCSO Press Releases Apr. 3, 2017
Incident: Possession of CocaineDate of Incident: 2 April 2017
Location: N. Salisbury Blvd. at Dagsboro Rd., Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Bruce Ernest Johnson, 20, Delmar, DE
Narrative: On 2 April 2017 just after midnight, a deputy stopped a vehicle operated by Bruce Johnson for an equipment violation. Upon making contact with Johnson, the deputy observed what was identified as Psilocybin Mushrooms in plain view inside the vehicle. Further search revealed what the deputy identified as cocaine hidden inside a cigarette back on the vehicle’s dashboard.
The deputy placed Johnson under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Johnson in the Detention Center on a bond of $3,000.00.
Charges: Possession of CDS and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Date of Incident: 2 April 2017
Location: 600 block of Rose Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Briece Antwoine Joynes, 35, No Fixed Address
Narrative: On 2 April 2017 at 8:29 PM a deputy responded to a reported burglary in the 600 block of Rose Street in Salisbury. Upon arrival, the deputy discovered a subject identified as Briece Joynes inside the residence. Investigation revealed that Joynes kicked the front door repeatedly until the door frame broke. The deputy was informed by the residents of the house, that Joynes was not only not welcome inside their residence, but that they had previously told Joynes not to come back or he would be charged with trespassing.
The deputy also detected that Joynes was intoxicated.
The deputy placed Joynes under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Joynes in the Detention Center in lieu of $5,000.00 bond.
Charges: Burglary 4th Degree, Trespassing and Malicious Destruction of Property
Cardin talks infrastructure with Shore lawmakers
Infrastructure, including roads and broadband communications, was one of the main issues legislators voiced at this last delegation meeting of the session at 9 a.m. Friday, March 31, in the Lowe House Office Building.
But underlying that concern was the lawmakers’ collective need for assurances the tax reform they desire won’t mean federal funding cuts to programs affecting their constituents.
Attracting and retaining industries and jobs, tax relief for businesses, backfilling possible federal cuts in funding state programs and Pennsylvania sharing the burden for the health of the Chesapeake Bay were the other concerns presented to Cardin.
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American Students Moving To Europe For Free College
With the average recent college graduate leaving campus with a diploma and$30,000 in debt, it’s no surprise that would-be-students are looking for ways to get an education without taking on such a financial burden. While they could opt to live in certain cities or states, or go to work for any of a number of the companies offering free schooling, many are moving… to Europe.
CNN Money reports that the lure of free or deeply discounted tuition is enough for thousands of students to cross the pond each year to make their dreams of a higher education a reality.
While tuition in the U.S. can range from $9,000 to $32,000 each, the price tag in Europe is much less, with many programs charging under $2,500 or no more than $9,000 each year, according to college advising service Beyond the States.
But that cost might even be on the high side, CNN reports, as there are at least 44 schools in Europe that don’t charge anything for students to obtain a bachelor’s degree.
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CNN Money reports that the lure of free or deeply discounted tuition is enough for thousands of students to cross the pond each year to make their dreams of a higher education a reality.
While tuition in the U.S. can range from $9,000 to $32,000 each, the price tag in Europe is much less, with many programs charging under $2,500 or no more than $9,000 each year, according to college advising service Beyond the States.
But that cost might even be on the high side, CNN reports, as there are at least 44 schools in Europe that don’t charge anything for students to obtain a bachelor’s degree.
More
OCEAN PINES KNIFE-WIELDING MAN ARRESTED AFTER BARRICADE SITUATION
The Ocean Pines Police Department received a complaint just after noon on April 2, regarding a domestic incident. A female complainant told police dispatch that she and her father, Alberto Dacanay, were involved in a verbal argument and that he had a knife.
Ocean Pines Police Chief David Massey and members of the Maryland State Police and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office responded to the address. Upon arrival, police said the complainant ran towards responding officers crying, and stating that Dacanay had chased her, her mother, her husband and her three-year-old son out of the house with a knife.
While instructing the family with the three-year-old son, police observed the exterior garage door to open. The female complainant frantically announced that her father was walking out of the garage and was still holding a knife, police said. Chief Massey observed the suspect standing within the garage with a large fixed-bladed knife in his right hand. After seeing police, officers said Dacanay placed the knife behind his lower back, and then went back into the home and barricaded himself inside. Dacanay had secured the exterior doors within the residence with several items of furniture, preventing anyone to enter. Police said Dacanay then opened a window on the second story to the residence and began speaking with officers involved. He refused to exit the residence and insisted for his family to leave the premises. Officers feared that Dacanay would present an imminent threat to himself and made numerous attempts to have Dacanay to exit the residence.
Officers executed a safe entry into the residence where, Dacanay was taken into custody without incident. Dacanay was arrested for first and second degree assault.
Amazon Vs. Walmart Battle Means Lower Prices For You; Headaches For Manufacturers
Amazon can now deliver many things in one or two days, so Walmart has to have lower prices for the many customers who can wait. Similarly, Amazon has to undercut Walmart’s grocery prices if it’s going to stake out any significant portion of that $800 billion market. For shoppers at either of these two retail giants, this can mean lower prices, but it’s also forcing manufacturers and suppliers to rethink how they do business.
Consumer brands have been increasingly dedicated to figuring out ways to deal with this pricing war, one executive told Re/code, noting that “it’s dominating the conversation every week.”
Though Amazon made headlines this week for gathering some of the biggest packaged food brands together to pitch them on the idea of frustration-free packaging, as part of a push to attract more customers to online shopping instead of buying in physical stores, Walmart has also been meeting with its suppliers in an effort to ramp up the battle for shoppers.
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Consumer brands have been increasingly dedicated to figuring out ways to deal with this pricing war, one executive told Re/code, noting that “it’s dominating the conversation every week.”
Though Amazon made headlines this week for gathering some of the biggest packaged food brands together to pitch them on the idea of frustration-free packaging, as part of a push to attract more customers to online shopping instead of buying in physical stores, Walmart has also been meeting with its suppliers in an effort to ramp up the battle for shoppers.
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UMD students find body while volunteering near Indian Creek Trail
“We just expected trash, recyclables and that was it,” said Peters.
She later found something unexpected in the water around 9:30 a.m.
“I think all of us were kind of in shock; we really didn’t know exactly what it was until the police got there and did identify it as a body,” said Peters. “It still hasn’t sunk in yet.”
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