“SEND IT!” the kid next to me screamed into the night, as three cop cars tore through the intersection where a slammed Volkswagen had done a front-wheel drive burnout only moments before. A police helicopter buzzed over the bay nearby. H2Oi was technically cancelled this year. But 78 arrests, 2,735 calls to police and one charge for attempted murder later, it’s clear that the most ticketed car show in America only got rowdier than ever before.
(Full disclosure: We went to H2Oi to shoot an episode of Car vs. America, premiering Oct. 18 on Fusion. You should watch it.)
Every year at the close out of summer, tuned and stanced Volkswagens, Audis and youth cars of all types descend on the hokey little beach town of Ocean City, Maryland.
The Instagram-famous cars that the show is known for are illegally low, and every year the cops come out in force to rain down tickets on every chrome-wheeled vehicle that cruises the town’s one long main street.
Some examples:
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, October 06, 2017
Breaking News: The U.S. economy lost 33,000 jobs last month, as major hurricanes apparently took a toll on hiring
| The Labor Department released its official hiring and unemployment figures for September on Friday morning, providing the latest snapshot of the American economy. The unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent. August’s jobless rate was 4.4 percent. |
| The hurricanes that roared through Florida, Texas and neighboring states knocked down September’s national payroll totals. |
| Read More » |
What this Las Vegas victim did when Trump visited him is getting millions of views
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Are The Social Security Number’s Days Numbered?
Though we may treat our Social Security numbers like confidential information, those nine digits are just about everywhere: Your bank, school, cable company, phone company, and more probably have this information, and may not be storing it securely. In a world where everything from fast food chains to massive global accounting firms are vulnerable to cybercrime, some are wondering if it’s time to say goodbye to the SSN.
Thursday, October 05, 2017
Breaking: DirecTV Delivers Devastating News to NFL
That’s exactly what many football fans are doing to the NFL in the wake of the growing disrespect by playersduring the national anthem.
In an unprecedented turn of events, one of the biggest premium TV providers in the nation has just made a stunning announcement: They’re providing full refunds to customers who cancel their NFL Sunday Ticket packages because of the protests.
The ESPN network — hardly a bastion of conservatism — confirmed on Tuesday evening that DirecTV is altering its own policy which normally prevents package cancellations after a sports season has started, and will return the full amount of money for any viewer who wants to cancel their NFL bundle.
Those viewership packages allow die-hard sports fans to watch games that are outside their local viewing area, and run about $280 per season.
DirecTV’s surprising move came after President Donald Trump spoke out about professional players who kneel or make other disrespectful gestures during the national anthem.
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Report: That Grocery Store Salmon You Bought May Be Subsidizing North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Program
It may look like an ordinary package of salmon, but according to a new investigative report, that fish you bought for dinner may actually be funneling money into the pockets of the North Korean government, and possibly supporting less than ideal working conditions for factory workers in the process.
American Optimism about the Economy Hits all-time High
The four-quarter average for every economic metric in the poll is at a record 10-year high.
But just 38 percent of the public approves of Trump's job as president, up 1 point from June, while 52 percent disapproves, also up 1 point.
Overall, the Republican and Democratic pollsters described the president's rating as "sticky" and unlikely to move much no matter how sensational the story.
The public's views on the economy continue to cruise at lofty levels but the optimism does not appear to be lifting the president's approval rating.
The third-quarter CNBC All-America Economic Survey found 43 percent of the public believes the economy is excellent or good, a record high in the 10-year history of the survey. Thirty-six percent believes the economy will get better, down a couple of points from last quarter, but just 23 percent say it will get worse, down 6 points.
The four-quarter average for every major economic metric in the poll --- the outlook for the economy, housing, wages and the stock market --- is at a record 10-year high. Those four quarters cover the time span since President Donald Trump's election.
However, just 38 percent of the public approves of Trump's job as president, up a point from June, while 52 percent disapproves, also up a point.
More
But just 38 percent of the public approves of Trump's job as president, up 1 point from June, while 52 percent disapproves, also up 1 point.
Overall, the Republican and Democratic pollsters described the president's rating as "sticky" and unlikely to move much no matter how sensational the story.
The public's views on the economy continue to cruise at lofty levels but the optimism does not appear to be lifting the president's approval rating.
The third-quarter CNBC All-America Economic Survey found 43 percent of the public believes the economy is excellent or good, a record high in the 10-year history of the survey. Thirty-six percent believes the economy will get better, down a couple of points from last quarter, but just 23 percent say it will get worse, down 6 points.
The four-quarter average for every major economic metric in the poll --- the outlook for the economy, housing, wages and the stock market --- is at a record 10-year high. Those four quarters cover the time span since President Donald Trump's election.
However, just 38 percent of the public approves of Trump's job as president, up a point from June, while 52 percent disapproves, also up a point.
More
NJ Mega Car Dealer pulls TV Ads over NFL Protests
RARITAN TWP. -- In response to the ongoing controversy surrounding NFL players kneeling during the national anthem, the owner of Flemington Car and Truck Country has pulled the dealership's ads from broadcasts of games for the remainder of the 2017 season.
"The National Football League and its owners have shown their fans and marketing partners that they do not have a comprehensive policy to ensure that players stand and show respect for America and our flag during the playing of the national anthem," Steve Kalafer said in a statement. "We have cancelled all of our NFL advertising on the Optimum and Infinity (cable) networks."
Kalafer is also part of the Somerset Patriots' ownership group, an independent professional baseball team based in Somerset County.
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"The National Football League and its owners have shown their fans and marketing partners that they do not have a comprehensive policy to ensure that players stand and show respect for America and our flag during the playing of the national anthem," Steve Kalafer said in a statement. "We have cancelled all of our NFL advertising on the Optimum and Infinity (cable) networks."
Kalafer is also part of the Somerset Patriots' ownership group, an independent professional baseball team based in Somerset County.
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Kirstie Alley Blames Las Vegas Mass Shooting on Psychiatric Drugs
Kirstie Alley spoke about the Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock, who killed at least 58 people and injured more than 500 others at the Route 91 Harvest Festival on Sunday, October 1, in the most lethal mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
The Cheers alum, 66, sparked controversy on social media when she blamed 64-year-old Paddock’s actions on prescription medication. “We have to solve the mystery of why there are no ‘shooters’ or almost 0 before the 1980s. I know one common denominator other than guns,” Alley tweeted on Monday, October 2. “One additional common denominator of ‘shooters’ is U.S.A.’s mass usage of psychiatric drugs. A % do have side effects of violence and suicide.”
“Did you really just say that? Sit down. 58 people are dead,” Florida-based ABC reporter Derek Shore told Alley.
“Yes I did say it,” she responded. “It happens to be a common denominator in shooters..one that didn’t exist before the ‘80s.. not my opinion. Statistic based.”
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The Cheers alum, 66, sparked controversy on social media when she blamed 64-year-old Paddock’s actions on prescription medication. “We have to solve the mystery of why there are no ‘shooters’ or almost 0 before the 1980s. I know one common denominator other than guns,” Alley tweeted on Monday, October 2. “One additional common denominator of ‘shooters’ is U.S.A.’s mass usage of psychiatric drugs. A % do have side effects of violence and suicide.”
“Did you really just say that? Sit down. 58 people are dead,” Florida-based ABC reporter Derek Shore told Alley.
“Yes I did say it,” she responded. “It happens to be a common denominator in shooters..one that didn’t exist before the ‘80s.. not my opinion. Statistic based.”
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Las Vegas gunman reportedly was prescribed anti-anxiety medication in June
Stephen Paddock, the gunman who opened fire on a crowd at a country music concert on the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday, was prescribed an anti-anxiety drug in June, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
The paper, citing records from the Nevada Prescription Monitoring Program, reported Tuesday that Paddock was prescribed 50, 10-milligram diazepam tablets by a physician on June 21. The brand name of the drug is Valium. The report said the drug could trigger aggressive behavior.
Authorities investigating the mass killing may look to a “psychological autopsy” to try to uncover what led Paddock to open fire into a crowd at a country music concert.
Jim Clemente, a retired FBI profiler, said in an interview that if Paddock's suicide did not destroy his brain, experts could find some kind of neurological disorder or malformation.
“The genetics load the gun, personality and psychology aim it, and experiences pull the trigger, typically,” Clemente said. He pointed out that Paddock’s father — a bank robber — was diagnosed a psychopath.
Clemente speculated that there was “some sort of major trigger in his life — a great loss, a breakup, or maybe he just found out he has a terminal disease.”
New York forensic psychiatrist James Knoll in 2008 described a ”psychological autopsy” as a procedure that originated in 1958 that “involves a thorough and systematic retrospective analysis of the decedent’s life, with a particular focus on suicide risk factors, motives, and intentions.”
More
The paper, citing records from the Nevada Prescription Monitoring Program, reported Tuesday that Paddock was prescribed 50, 10-milligram diazepam tablets by a physician on June 21. The brand name of the drug is Valium. The report said the drug could trigger aggressive behavior.
Authorities investigating the mass killing may look to a “psychological autopsy” to try to uncover what led Paddock to open fire into a crowd at a country music concert.
Jim Clemente, a retired FBI profiler, said in an interview that if Paddock's suicide did not destroy his brain, experts could find some kind of neurological disorder or malformation.
“The genetics load the gun, personality and psychology aim it, and experiences pull the trigger, typically,” Clemente said. He pointed out that Paddock’s father — a bank robber — was diagnosed a psychopath.
Clemente speculated that there was “some sort of major trigger in his life — a great loss, a breakup, or maybe he just found out he has a terminal disease.”
New York forensic psychiatrist James Knoll in 2008 described a ”psychological autopsy” as a procedure that originated in 1958 that “involves a thorough and systematic retrospective analysis of the decedent’s life, with a particular focus on suicide risk factors, motives, and intentions.”
More
POLITICS: 80 Years Ago This Week, Marijuana Prohibition Began With These Arrests
The first thing you notice about the mug shot of Samuel R. Caldwell is that the man is wearing overalls. The balding, middle-aged Caldwell’s brow is furrowed, his lips tightly pursed. “Colo State Pen 18699” hangs around his neck, snug to the top of his tightly cinched denim shoulder straps. His eyes stare defiantly into the prison photographer’s lens, just shy of seething. A few years after the photo was taken, the serially incarcerated Caldwell would be picked up by police at a Denver flophouse and sent to federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. There he served four years for an act that had become a federal crime just a few days before his arrest on October 5, 1937: selling marijuana.
In the decades since, Caldwell has become an unlikely poster child for cannabis legalization advocates. His mug shot adorns t-shirts, posters, and coffee cups canonizing Caldwell as “The First Pot POW.” Although Caldwell was undeniably early collateral damage in America’s war on drugs, his story isn’t a straightforward march to marijuana sainthood. In fact, it’s quite messy.
A laborer with an 8th grade education and a lengthy rap sheet, Caldwell was hardly the innocent farmer that his overalls might suggest. He was, in the words of one of his prison evaluations, a “career criminal” and former bootlegger who owned more than just the four pounds of cannabis found in his Lothrop Hotel room on Denver’s Laurence Street. Caldwell also possessed a comically bad sense of timing. According to one of his friends, the 57-year-old Caldwell had only begun selling marijuana a few months before the new federal law kicked in. It was a pure financial play—he never smoked the stuff. Four years earlier, in January 1933, federal agents arrested Caldwell for selling a gallon of contraband whiskey for $5—less than a year before the 21stAmendment overturned Prohibition. Caldwell’s first tour in Leavenworth was for peddling white lightning, not Panama Red.
This much is true: Sam Caldwell was one of the earliest targets of the 1937 Marihuana Stamp Act. But in point of fact, he was not the first.
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In the decades since, Caldwell has become an unlikely poster child for cannabis legalization advocates. His mug shot adorns t-shirts, posters, and coffee cups canonizing Caldwell as “The First Pot POW.” Although Caldwell was undeniably early collateral damage in America’s war on drugs, his story isn’t a straightforward march to marijuana sainthood. In fact, it’s quite messy.
A laborer with an 8th grade education and a lengthy rap sheet, Caldwell was hardly the innocent farmer that his overalls might suggest. He was, in the words of one of his prison evaluations, a “career criminal” and former bootlegger who owned more than just the four pounds of cannabis found in his Lothrop Hotel room on Denver’s Laurence Street. Caldwell also possessed a comically bad sense of timing. According to one of his friends, the 57-year-old Caldwell had only begun selling marijuana a few months before the new federal law kicked in. It was a pure financial play—he never smoked the stuff. Four years earlier, in January 1933, federal agents arrested Caldwell for selling a gallon of contraband whiskey for $5—less than a year before the 21stAmendment overturned Prohibition. Caldwell’s first tour in Leavenworth was for peddling white lightning, not Panama Red.
This much is true: Sam Caldwell was one of the earliest targets of the 1937 Marihuana Stamp Act. But in point of fact, he was not the first.
More
Counties grapple with symbols of the Confederacy
After the violence in August in Charlottesville, Va., where one person died during white supremacist rallies protesting the city’s plan to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, counties around the country are coming face to face with what to do about symbols of the Confederacy in their own hometowns.
There are more than 1,500 such monuments in public spaces, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. In all, there are 718 monuments and statues, mostly in the South but scattered across 31 states, as well as 109 public schools named for Confederate war heroes.
In some states, county officials do not have any say over what happens to war memorials due to state laws designed to preserve them. In some states, they do.
A polarizing vote on local control of a 109-year old statue
In Loudoun County, Va., a motion to ask the General Assembly to give local government authority over war memorials was met with a tie vote Sept. 20, with one member abstaining. Twenty residents spoke out on the issue in a meeting that went on past midnight. Some residents are calling for the removal of a statue of a Confederate soldier that stands on the county courthouse grounds there, while others say it should stay. The statue was spray-painted with graffiti Aug. 17.
“I think it should be up to the locality to decide,” said Phyllis Randall, chair of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, who introduced the measure that was voted down.
If given local authority, “I’d hope to have an open community dialogue,” she said. “And at the end of that process, then we could decide.”
As for a suggestion by a fellow supervisor that other statues be added to the lawn? That would be up to residents to decide, she said. But Randall, the first African American elected to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, said she “personally” would find it offensive to have a statue of a slave next to the statue of a Confederate soldier.
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There are more than 1,500 such monuments in public spaces, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. In all, there are 718 monuments and statues, mostly in the South but scattered across 31 states, as well as 109 public schools named for Confederate war heroes.
In some states, county officials do not have any say over what happens to war memorials due to state laws designed to preserve them. In some states, they do.
A polarizing vote on local control of a 109-year old statue
In Loudoun County, Va., a motion to ask the General Assembly to give local government authority over war memorials was met with a tie vote Sept. 20, with one member abstaining. Twenty residents spoke out on the issue in a meeting that went on past midnight. Some residents are calling for the removal of a statue of a Confederate soldier that stands on the county courthouse grounds there, while others say it should stay. The statue was spray-painted with graffiti Aug. 17.
“I think it should be up to the locality to decide,” said Phyllis Randall, chair of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, who introduced the measure that was voted down.
If given local authority, “I’d hope to have an open community dialogue,” she said. “And at the end of that process, then we could decide.”
As for a suggestion by a fellow supervisor that other statues be added to the lawn? That would be up to residents to decide, she said. But Randall, the first African American elected to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, said she “personally” would find it offensive to have a statue of a slave next to the statue of a Confederate soldier.
More
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