On Leaving Church

There are many Christians who have stopped going to church. They have not given up on God, have not renounced their faith, have not denied Christ, and have not become pagans. They simply are no longer going to church. That this is happening is not a matter of doubt, but why this is happening is in fact a difficult question to answer.

One recent article spoke about this trend. Entitled “The Rise of the ‘Done With Church’ Population,” it looks at this scene – primarily in America – but does not offer us any clear indications as to why this is becoming such a problem. The article begins:

John is every pastor’s dream member. He’s a life-long believer, well-studied in the Bible, gives generously and leads others passionately. But last year he dropped out of church. He didn’t switch to the other church down the road. He dropped out completely. His departure wasn’t the result of an ugly encounter with a staff person or another member. It wasn’t triggered by any single event.

John had come to a long-considered, thoughtful decision. He said, “I’m just done. I’m done with church.”

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DEMOCRATS CALL FOR 'FLOOD' OF MUSLIMS TO U.S.

'We must dramatically increase the number of Syrian refugees that we accept'

A group of 14 Democrat senators has written a letter to President Obama urging him to “dramatically increase” the number of Syrian refugees being resettled into American cities and towns.

They say the U.S. needs to take in at least 65,000 Syrians as permanent refugees over the next year-and-a-half.

“While the United States is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees, we must also dramatically increase the number of Syrian refugees that we accept for resettlement,” says the four-page letter to Obama, copied to Secretary of State John Kerry and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.

More than 3.5 million Syrians are registered with the United Nations as refugees, and the U.N. wants to assign about 350,000 of them to so-called “third-party countries.”

The 14 senators, led by Richard Durbin, D-Ill., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., cite the research of the Refugee Council USA to make their case for 65,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2016. RCUSA is the main lobbying arm of the nine agencies that contract with the federal government to resettle refugees in cities and towns across America.

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Be Careful What You Wish For

Snail Venom Yields Potent Painkiller, But Delivering The Drug Is Tricky

Researchers are increasingly turning to nature for inspiration for new drugs. One example is Prialt. It's an incredibly powerful painkiller that people sometimes use when morphine no longer works. Prialt is based on a component in the venom of a marine snail.

Prialt hasn't become a widely used drug because it's hard to administer. Mandë Holford is hoping to change that. She and colleagues explain how in their study published online Monday in the journal Scientific Reports.

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SEN. JEFF SESSIONS SLAMS OBAMA ADMIN’S ’LAWLESS’ WORK PERMIT ‘PRINTING PRESS’

The Obama administration’s issuance of millions of work permits to illegal aliens beyond the congressionally mandated admissions limits amounts to a “lawless printing press,” according to
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL).

“The record admission of new immigrant workers is reducing wages and job opportunities for our own struggling workers. The Administration’s lawless printing press supplements that already huge annual inflow by work-authorizing many millions more,” Sessions, the chairman of the Immigration and the National Interest Subcommittee, said in a statement Wednesday.

The Alabama lawmaker was reacting to confirmation from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that the administration has issued more then 7.4 million work permits to foreign nationals from FY 2009 – FY 2014 beyond the approximately one million lawful permanent residents and 700,000 foreign guest workers admitted to the U.S. each year.

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So You Flunked A Racism Test. Now What?

You're probably at least a little bit racist and sexist and homophobic. Most of us are.

Before you get all indignant, try taking one of the popular Implicit Association Tests. They measure people's unconscious prejudice by testing how easy — or difficult — it is for the test-takers to associate words like "good" and "bad" with images of black people versus white people, or "scientist" and "lab" with men versus women.

These tests find that — regardless of how many Pride parades they attend or how many "This is what a feminist looks like" T-shirts they own — most people trust men over women, white people over minorities, and straight people over queer people. These trends can hold true regardless of the gender, race or sexuality of the test-taker. I'm from India, and the test found that I'm biased against Asian-Americans.

There is research indicating that these types of implicit prejudices may help explain why cops are more likely to shoot unarmed black men than to shoot unarmed white men, and why employers are more likely to hire white candidates than they are equally qualified black candidates.

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Court: Cops need warrants for cellphone location data

A federal court ruled on Wednesday that the government cannot obtain information about a cellphone's location without a warrant.

The split decision from the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that warrantless searches of cellphone data are unconstitutional, a victory for privacy advocates who have sought new protections for people’s information.

“We conclude that the government’s warrantless procurement of the [cell site location information] was an unreasonable search in violation of appellants’ Fourth Amendment rights,” Judge Andre Davis wrote on behalf of the majority of the three-judge panel.

“Examination of a person’s historical [cell site location information] can enable the government to trace the movements of the cellphone and its user across public and private spaces and thereby discover the private activities and personal habits of the user,” he added. “Cellphone users have an objectively reasonable expectation of privacy in this information."

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Asian Pears Can Ease Hangovers, Study Finds

Anticipate a booze-fueled, night of free-flowing drinking? You might want to hit the grocery store and pack in a few pears to head off a hangover.

Because preliminary findings out of Australia’s national science agency show that eating a pear -- but not just any pear -- could keep hangovers at bay the next day.

Want to test the theory?

According to scientists at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the best varietal is the Korean or Asian pear, which differs from their hourglass cousins by resembling apples in shape.

The fruit is also known as the nashi pear.

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O’Malley: Dems tilting race toward Hillary Clinton

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA — Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley in an exclusive interview Wednesday with The Hill accused party insiders of trying to tilt the primary contest in Hillary Clinton's favor.

O’Malley lit into the Democratic Party for seeking to limit the number of presidential debates, which he said would help Clinton glide to the nomination.

O’Malley said he raised the issue with the chairwoman of the Democratic Party, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), during last week’s National Urban League conference in Fort Lauderdale.

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Rep Begs Congress: Investigate Vaccine-Autism Link Coverup

Florida Congressman Bill Posey spoke before the House of Representatives last week to plead with his fellow representatives to be more open about the damage vaccines can cause, and to investigate charges against the Centers for Disease Control that they covered up data which changed the results of an important study.

Last summer, a senior epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control, admitted that he had helped the CDC hide data from a study that linked the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism. Although the official study said no link was found, Dr. William Thompson said the study actually found that giving a child the vaccine before the age of 36 months increased the risk of autism by 69 percent, and giving it to an African-American child increased the risk of autism by 240 percent.

A year later, Congress has yet to act.

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MSP Trooper Charged In Domestic Assault

(WORTON, MD) – A Maryland state trooper has been charged with assault and suspended without pay following a physical altercation with a woman he was in a previous relationship with.

The trooper is identified as Sergeant Daniel T. Baxter, 32, of Worton, Md. He is charged with first degree assault, second degree assault, attempted second degree assault, and reckless endangerment. After processing, he will be taken before a District Court commissioner in Kent County for his initial appearance.

Early on the morning of August 2, 2015, members of the Maryland State Police were contacted by the Kent County Sheriff’s Office regarding an assault investigation that involved a trooper. Criminal investigators from the State Police Criminal Enforcement Division responded and continued the investigation.

The investigation has determined Baxter and Kelly Hurd have been estranged, but met early on the morning of August 2nd and went to Baxter’s home. A physical altercation ensued during which each is reported to have assaulted the other. During the altercation, Baxter is reported to have threatened to kill Hurd. Hurd fled the residence and went next door to Baxter’s parent’s home. Baxter reportedly followed with an unloaded shotgun and a box of shells. His father reportedly intervened at that time.

Hurd went to the Chester River Medical Center for treatment of injuries she sustained to her head and face and was later treated at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Those injuries have been documented by State Police as part of the investigation.

State Police investigators contacted the Kent County State’s Attorney’s Office regarding this investigation on August 2nd. They were referred to the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office, which was reviewing the investigation and making a determination regarding charges.

In the interim, State Police investigators learned Ms. Hurd obtained a warrant for Baxter that was issued last night. State Police served that warrant on Baxter today about 1:30 p.m., when he turned himself in at the Kent County Sheriff’s Office.

Baxter was suspended with pay on August 2nd, after State Police commanders were advised of his involvement in this incident. Following the charges today, Baxter was suspended without pay. He has been a member of the Maryland State Police since 2002. He was most recently assigned to the State Police Criminal Enforcement Division.

The investigation is continuing.

Meet Solyndra 2.0: This US-Taxpayer-Subsidized Spanish "Renewables" Firm Is Collapsing

News that bonds and stocks of Abengoa SA - the Spanish renewable-energy company - plunged after a plan to shore up capital failed to reassure investors that it can stop burning cash is likely to have passed many by. But coming just one day after President Obama unleashed his Clean Power Plan, the fact that the company - that is now facing significant liquidity concerns - received over $230 million in US taxpayer subsidies in 2014 - despite two ongoing federal investigations - may raise an eyebrow or two as images of Solyndra's government-sponsored farce come to mind... as Diane Feinstein, Ken Salazar, and Bill Richardson - with the help of subsidies and Ex-Im bank loans alledgely exerted their influence to keep this zombie alive.

In 2014, as FreBeacon reports, the Spanish renewable energy company under investigation by at least two federal agencies unveiled a new biofuel production facility on Friday that will receive hundreds of millions of dollars in federal subsidies.

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Report: Mansion fire that killed 6 accidental

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — An exhaustive six-month probe found that wiring under a large Christmas tree sparked a mansion fire that spread so quickly a Maryland couple and four of their grandchildren couldn’t escape, despite a functioning alarm system, a report released by federal investigators.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Anne Arundel County Fire Department report, which concluded the fire was accidental, identified numerous hazards at the castle-like mansion near Annapolis, Maryland. The primary hazard was that although it was a residential building, it was built like a commercial building with about 16,000 square feet, not including the basement.

“Additionally, the building had been built to look like a castle so there were numerous round turrets located throughout the building,” the report said. “All of these factors created potential collapse issues.”

Investigators determined a 15-foot Fraser fir Christmas tree in the mansion’s Great Room was capable of generating enough energy to fuel the blaze. They also found there were no timers on the Christmas lights, which had been left on for about six weeks leading up to the fire. The tree also had shown signs of moisture loss at the time of the Jan. 19 fire near Annapolis, Maryland, that killed Donald and Sandra Pyle and four of their grandchildren.

As many as 15 strands of lights were plugged into a power strip, which was plugged into a floor receptacle.

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Governor Larry Hogan to Hold Press Conference on Redistricting Reform

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Larry Hogan will hold a press conference on redistricting reform tomorrow, August 6, 2015, in the Governor's Reception Room.

WHO: Governor Larry Hogan

WHAT: Press conference on redistricting reform

WHERE: Governor's Reception Room

WHEN: 1:30 PM - Thursday, August 6, 2015

Startling Video Could Cause Democrats to Lose White House

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State Rep. Made Allegations About ‘Nasty’ Officer During Hearing on Sandra Bland Case — So the Sheriff Released the Video

A Texas county sheriff’s office is hitting back against a state legislator’s allegations that one of its officers was “rude and nasty” during a traffic stop and released video evidence of the encounter to let the public judge for themselves.

“He talked to me like I was a child,” said State Representative Garnet Coleman, a democrat for the 147th district in Texas, at a hearing last week regarding the Sandra Bland case, according to KHOU-TV. ”He was so rude and nasty. Even when he found out I was a legislator, he became more rude and nasty. And I didn’t understand why this guy was continuing to go on and on and treat me like a child. And basically like I’m saying is treat me like a boy. I want to be very clear about that.”

On July 14, Coleman was stopped on I-10 by an Austin County Sheriff’s sergeant who clocked him going 94 mph.

“It’s a state official car. Had him at 94,” the sergeant relayed over radio to a dispatcher before stepping out of his vehicle.

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THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH – SAN FRAN RESIDENTS PAY $1,000 A MONTH TO LIVE IN SHIPPING CONTAINERS

A criminally corrupt American oligarchy

There’s nothing quite like a grotesquely lopsided “economic recovery” in which a handful of cities boom, while the rest of the nation stagnates. Even worse, millennials living in such chosen cities face one of two options. Either live in mom and dad’s basement, or face a standard of living far more similar to 19th tenement standards than the late 1990’s tech boom.

With that out of the way, I want to introduce you to what a $1,000 per month rental in the San Francisco Bay area looks like. Shipping containers:

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FBI: Middle Eastern Men Intimidating U.S. Military Families In Colorado & Wyoming

DENVER (CBS4) – An alert has been issued by the FBI to all law enforcement agencies in Colorado and Wyoming involving U.S. military families and concerns about who may be watching them.

The alert says Middle Eastern men are approaching families of U.S. military members at their homes in Colorado and Wyoming. It mentions Greeley, Colorado, and Cheyenne, Wyoming, as the specific areas.

In one case last May the wife of a military member was approached in front of her home by two Middle Eastern males. The men stated that she was the wife of a U.S. interrogator. When she denied their claims the men laughed. The two men left the area in a dark-colored, four-door sedan with two other Middle Eastern males in the vehicle.

“The woman had observed the vehicle in the neighborhood on previous occasions,” the alert states.

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UN: Jail Parents Who Spank Their Children

The UN “Human Rights Committee” released a report urging U.K. authorities to prosecute parents who smack or spank their children

Under the guise of advancing what the United Nations characterizes as “human rights,” the UN “Human Rights Committee” released a report urging U.K. authorities to prosecute parents who smack or spank their children — even when used as a disciplinary tool. The UN report continued, advocating that the government launch a tax-funded propaganda campaign against corporal punishment and parents who choose to use it in disciplining their children, highlighting the alleged “harmful effects.” A broad list of other demands — more abortion, more UN agreements, and more censorship, among others — was also provided by the UN’s “human rights” bureaucracy in its report on the United Kingdom.

It was not the first time that UN bureaucrats have claimed that spanking, smacking, and all forms of corporal punishment must be banned worldwide in favor of UN-approved parenting strategies, and it certainly will not be the last. In fact, a similar UN “human rights” report about the United States released last year called on the U.S. government to ignore the Constitution’s limits on federal power and pass legislation banning all corporal punishment of children across America — including mild spankings by parents in the home used as a disciplinary tool. Schools that use corporal punishment are also in the UN’s crosshairs.

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Md. Lawmaker Focus Of Major Media Campaign On Iran Nuclear Deal

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The Iran nuclear deal is the focus of a major media campaign in Maryland. National groups are mounting an aggressive ad war in the state for and against the agreement. That’s because Senator Ben Cardin will play a pivotal role in whether the deal lives or dies.

Meghan McCorkell spoke to the senator.

Millions of dollars have been spent on a massive ad campaign trying to sway undecided lawmakers–like Senator Cardin.

Competing ads are taking over Maryland airwaves. All of them are vying for one man’s vote.

Maryland Senator Ben Cardin is considered a vital vote on the Iran nuclear agreement.

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Mexican Cartels Smuggle Terrorists into U.S. Through Rural Texas Border Region

Mexican drug cartels are smuggling foreigners from countries with terrorist links into a small Texas rural town near El Paso and they’re using remote farm roads—rather than interstates—to elude the Border Patrol and other law enforcement barriers, according to Judicial Watch sources on both sides of the Mexico-U.S. border.

The foreigners are classified as Special Interest Aliens (SIA) and they are being transported to stash areas in Acala, a rural crossroads located around 54 miles from El Paso on a state road – Highway 20. Once in the U.S., the SIAs wait for pick-up in the area’s sand hills just across Highway 20. Terrorists have entered the U.S. through Mexico for years and in fact, an internal Texas Department of Public Safety report leaked by the media months ago documents that several members of known Islamist terrorist organizations have been apprehended crossing the southern border in recent years.

Now they’re also being smuggled in through border region airfields, according to JW’s civilian, law enforcement and intelligence sources. The renowned Vicente Carrillo Fuentes cartel is using the Horizon Airport (formerly “West Texas Airport”) in El Paso’s lower valley to smuggle SIAs into the U.S. from Mexico, JW’s inside sources say. The facility is convenient because it’s located only 11 miles from El Paso’s central business district yet it’s small enough that security is virtually nonexistent.

More here

Ray Rice Pleading For 2nd Chance In NFL: ‘I’m A Rehabilitated Man’

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Former Raven Ray Rice goes on national television, saying he’s been rehabilitated. He’s pleading for a second chance in the NFL. So far, no team has hired him.

Sports Director Mark Viviano with the running back’s emotional words on ESPN.

Ray Rice says he understands why some people call him a monster and why they will never forgive him, but says he’s moving forward with hope and faith.

His glory days with the Ravens are long gone, but Ray Rice hasn’t given up on his football career.

In an interview with ESPN, Rice makes an appeal for his return to the NFL.

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BREAKING NEWS: Report of an active shooter at a Nashville, Tenn., movie theater

Police and SWAT teams reportedly are responding to an active shooter at the Carmike Hickory 8 Cinema movie theater in the Nashville, Tenn., community of Antioch.

UPDATE: A gunman is dead after a shootout with police at the Carmike 8 Cinema in the Nashville, Tenn., community of Antioch.

Video Shows Cop Handcuffing Elementary School-Age Disabled Child

Willards Vol Fire Co Super Bingo August 22nd

Super Bingo 

Saturday August 22^nd, 2015

at the Willards Lions Club

on Main St in Willards, MD

Doors Open at 5pm

Early bird games at 5:30pm, 6:00pm,  and 6:30pm 

Regular games begin at 7pm

Over $3,500 in guaranteed prize money

Admission Pack Includes: 9 cards for 20 games of Regular Bingo 

paying a guaranteed $125 each, and 1 U-Pick card with 

4 chances to win a  guaranteed $1,000

50/50 Smoke Break Games

Additional 9 card packs and other bingo games will be available for sale

Kitchen will be open with assorted food and desserts

Tickets are $35 

There are no advance ticket sales
all ticket sales will be at the door

Federally Sponsored Racist Rant

The U.S. government paid a controversial civil rights activist/comedian to deliver an anti-white racist tirade at a major federal agency during Black History month and Judicial Watch has obtained the disturbing transcriptof the offensive political rant.

It took place at the United States Census Bureau earlier this year and the paid speaker was Dick Gregory, a self-professed humanitarian and drum major for justice who claims that his social satire changed the way white Americans perceive African American comedians. But Gregory’s angry outburst at the Census Bureau was not funny to some employees and the agency was forced to explain that it will thoroughly review its procedures for selecting future speakers to “ensure their views are appropriate for the federal workplace.”

Based on Gregory’s well-known reputation as a fiery race-baiter, it’s unlikely that the government officials who booked him didn’t know about his discriminating, shock-based performances. The Census Bureau paid Gregory $1,400 to “share a wealth of history as a Civil Rights Activist,” according to the records obtained by JW under the federal public records law known as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Instead, American taxpayers funded a disgusting stand-up routine filled with the “N word” and replete with conspiracy theories about whites and the U.S. government targeting prominent blacks—including Martin Luther King and Malcom X—for assassination or career destruction (golfer Tiger Woods and beleaguered comedian Bill Cosby).

More here

BREAKING NEWS: Plane debris belongs to MH370, Malaysian PM says

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak says plane debris found on Reunion Island belongs to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared in March 2014, Reuters reports.

OH NO! Another Famous Couple Are Breaking Up!

After careful thought, thoughtful consideration and considerable squabbling, Kermit the Frog and moi have made the...

Posted by Miss Piggy on Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Sold One Of The Best Door-To-Door Salesman Ever!

Amy Schumer Opens Up to Jon Stewart About the Lafayette Shooting

“It broke my heart,” the “Trainwreck” actress tells the Comedy Central host

Amy Schumer kicked off Jon Stewart’s final week at the “Daily Show” talking about a tragic topic on Monday.

Just hours after the “Trainwreck” actress joined her cousin Sen. Chuck Schumer at a Manhattan press conference to address the issue of gun violence, she shared her remorse over last month’s Lafayette, Louisiana, shooting with the Comedy Central host.

“I can’t believe I am here, your last week — thank you!” Schumer gushed as she joined Stewart on the show.

“Let me tell you what happened, I’ve been banging it out 22 minutes a night, four days a week,” the outgoing host confessed. “I don’t think anyone can keep up that kind of pace.”

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UK Govt: Landlords Must Evict Illegals or Face Years in Jail

Britain's government promised new measures Monday to crack down on illegal immigrants by making landlords evict them, as the Calais migrants crisis continued to dominate the headlines.

Landlords in England who do not remove people with no right to remain in Britain, or do not check their immigration status before renting them a property, could be jailed for up to five years.

The move, announced by Communities Secretary Greg Clark, is set to be included in a new Immigration Bill that parliament will debate in the coming months.

Immigration is one of the most sensitive issues in British politics and Prime Minister David Cameron's center-right government has been battling to bring the numbers down for years.

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Solitary Confinement: Punished for Life

In 1993, Craig Haney, a social psychologist, interviewed a group of inmates in solitary confinement at Pelican Bay State Prison, California’s toughest penal institution.

He was studying the psychological effects of isolation on prisoners, and Pelican Bay was among the first of a new breed of super-maximum-security prisons that states around the country were beginning to build.

Twenty years later, he returned to the prison for another set of interviews. He was startled to find himself facing some of the same prisoners he had met before, inmates who now had spent more than two decades alone in windowless cells.

“It was shocking, frankly,” Dr. Haney said.

Few social scientists question that isolation can have harmful effects. Research over the last half-century has demonstrated that it can worsen mental illness and produce symptoms even in prisoners who start out psychologically robust.

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Idaho Hunter Defends Her 'Kill' Photos

Hunter Sabrina Corgatelli, of Idaho, is defending "kill" photos she recently posted on Facebook during a legal hunt in South Africa.

Corgatelli has received a firestorm of negative attention on her social media page in the wake of the illegal killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe.

Facebook user Lili Brooksby said, "Wow. Well done. You killed a harmless slow animal. You must feel very big and clever. Enough to post it on Facebook. Sociopath." Another user, Maerwynn Griffin, posted, "You're really a disgusting person, Sabrina. Just a sad, small, disgusting person."

However, not all the comments directed toward Corgatelli were negative. Facebook user Becky Dipasquale defended the female hunter, posting, "You may not like what she hunts but wow seems she has more class then you foul mouthed so called compassionate (people)."

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Missing Md. man rescued after being found trapped under tree

A man reported missing last week has been found alive after being trapped under a tree, Prince George's County Fire and EMS said.

On Monday, a pedestrian walking in the 9000 block of Ardwick Ardmore Road found 66-year-old Larry Shaddy stuck between a downed tree and an upright tree.

"It was a very steep embankment," said Prince George's County Fire and EMS spokesperson Mark Brady. "It was underneath a tree that had already fallen some time ago, but there was a lot of room underneath that tree. So when he fell or slid down this hill, he become wedged underneath of it to the point where he could not free himself."

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The Surveillance State Watches You

Feds can fuse together data from credit card companies, telecommunications providers and social media

When it comes to investigative reporters probing the activities of the rich and powerful, we are the virtual “canaries in the coal mine.”

And nothing points to the current state of surveillance powers as our current investigation, the details of which will become known to all of our members and readers in due time.

So far, there is little doubt that from the National Security Agency and its meta-databases down to small town police departments that have the capability of fusing data from such law enforcement networks as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and the National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System (NLETS) with private data from credit card companies, telecommunications providers, and social media, a reporter on special assignment cannot remain anonymous for very long.

Moreover, such surveillance power for local police departments has been available for 13 years. According to one retired police officer who mastered the data fusion system, the systems were provided to local authorities by the federal government in the wake of the 9/11 attack. The surveillance capabilities have leapfrogged in their effectiveness in the interval between 9/11 and now.

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What's The Difference Between Hillary, Snowden And Manning?

As the race for The White House heats up, it’s looking increasingly likely that the biggest threat to Hillary Clinton’s bid for the US Presidency will in fact be Hillary Clinton.

On the GOP side, Donald Trump has thus far proven to be "gaffe proof", as a series of vitriolic attacks against everyone from Mexicans to war heroes has only served to increase his lead over rivals, prompting some to brand the incorrigible billionaire the "Teflon Don", after the late New York crime boss John Gotti. Fortunately for Hillary, Trump’s popularity has further splintered an already divided Republican party, and in the eyes of some commentators, this makes the road (back) to The White House that much easier for Clinton.

That is unless the controversy surrounding her handling of classified e-mails mushrooms into a bigger public relations nightmare than it already is and as we noted late last month, it now looks as though it won’t be easy for the presumed Democratic frontrunner to shake accusations that she violated protocol.

"It's not that Donald Trump needed help in his juggernaut campaign across the GOP presidential primary, but the flamboyant billionaire got an unexpected present from the WSJ which may have just crippled the chances of his biggest democrat competitor as well, Hillary Clinton," we wrote, introducing a WSJ piece which cited an internal government review showing that the former Secretary of State, "sent at least four emails from her personal account containing classified information during her time heading the State Department." Here’s more from McClatchy:

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Town of Ocean City Announces New Planning and Zoning Director

OCEAN CITY, MD – After conducting a national search, which resulted in several qualified candidates, the Town of Ocean City is pleased to welcome William (Bill) Neville to the position of Planning and Zoning Director. Neville brings over 30 years of community planning experience, including recent experience as Planning Director for the nearby coastal town of Chincoteague, VA.

As Planning and Zoning Director, Neville will oversee the planning and zoning department. The planning division, along with the planning commission, is responsible for preparing and maintaining the town’s Comprehensive Plan, to which Neville brings local expertise and the ability to integrate design and regulatory solutions with comprehensive plan policies. In addition, Neville brings decades of experience in land use planning and design, implementation of land development codes and ordinances, as well as community participation in the planning process.

“I am very pleased to welcome Bill to the Planning and Zoning Director position,” said Mayor Rick Meehan. “A person of Bill’s caliber, including his knowledge, experience and leadership, will be a great asset to our community and the future of Ocean City.”

Take Down The American Flag?

Speed camera tickets down in Maryland

WASHINGTON — Speed cameras might be annoying to some people, but they’re slowing people down, according to new figures obtained by WTOP.

In Prince George’s County, Maryland, speed camera tickets have dropped by one-third over the last two years. In fiscal 2013, police issued 360,548 speed camera tickets. In fiscal 2015, the number dropped to 240,730.

In Montgomery County, Maryland, speed camera tickets dropped 20 percent over the same two-year period. In fiscal 2013, police issued 451,972 speed camera tickets compared with 355,321 issued through the end of March 2015.

As WTOP reported earlier this year, D.C. saw speed camera tickets drop more than 50 percent in 2014. Some blamed the 2013-14 winter and poor maintenance as a cause, although sources at the time downplayed that factor.

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Welcome To The New America

Ben Stein: Iran Deal So Bad, It Can't Be an Accident

Writer, lawyer, actor, comedian and commentator Ben Stein wrote Monday that the deal the Obama administration has reached with Iran is “so bad that it could not be an accident, even for a President as inexperienced and foolish as Mr. Obama or a Secretary of State so filled with anger as Mr. Kerry.”

“There is no meaningful verification,” Stein elaborated, in an opinion piece in The American Spectator. “The sanctions are already basically gone. The President is paying Iran over $100 billion to go forward with making a nuclear bomb and having the rockets to deliver it.

"We have basically been swindled into allowing the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism to have nuclear weapons without any penalty – indeed, with cash and prizes. Iran has sworn to use these weapons to obliterate not only Israel but every Jew on earth.

“Again, this could not have been an accident. It has to have been the working out of some deep unconscious rage at Israel, Jews, and at America by the top players in this administration… many of them Jewish or, like Kerry, partly Jewish. Mr. Obama has – as I have said before – now signed Israel’s death warrant.

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Carlyle Group's Latest Acquisition: The JFK Library

Some things you truly cannot make up. Like this: the museum and archives celebrating and exploring the life (if not really wanting to investigate the death) of John F. Kennedy is getting a facelift—courtesy of….the Carlyle Group.

This development was noted, without much fanfare, in a variety of major media. If there was a smidgen of irony, I missed it.

Yet, consider this: The ultimate globe-girdling corporation is playing a major role in preserving the memory of a president who at the time of his death was engaged in what may be described as mortal combat with outfits not unlike Carlyle—if smaller and less global. (I write about this in my book Family of Secrets but you can learn a lot more about JFK versus the corporations in Donald Gibson’s Battling Wall Street: The Kennedy Presidency.)

Kennedy was locked in grim battle with oil and steel and banking interests, hated by mining giants and soda pop companies, resisting pressures from the burgeoning defense industry, and on and on. The list of the offending and the aggrieved was endless. Executives were taking out ads to excoriate him, and even showing up at the White House to practically spit in his face.

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GE saves $3.3 billion with cuts to retirees' benefits

NEW YORK (TheStreet) --General Electric (GE - Get Report) booked $3.3 billion in savings last quarter by widening retiree-benefit cuts from salaried positions to hourly production jobs, prompting a backlash from former employees who believed a career with the company would guarantee a comfortable retirement.

The savings on retiree benefits is the largest for the Fairfield, Conn.-based company since the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010. Starting Jan. 1, hourly production retirees who turn 65 by the start of 2018 will be cut off from GE's traditional retiree health plan and, instead, reimbursed about $1,000 a year on the cost of Medicare coverage supplements purchased through Towers Watson's (TW) OneExchange, the company said in a letter to employees. Current employees who retire by June 23, 2019, will be offered the same reimbursement.

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Maryland board to review abolishing 63 positions

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Maryland Board of Public Works is scheduled to consider whether to abolish 63 positions in the state’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

The board, which includes Gov. Larry Hogan, Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot, is scheduled to take up the proposal on Wednesday.

Hogan, a Republican, made the proposal to the board to save roughly $3 million.

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Vladimir Putin’s Spokesman Wears a Golden Skull Watch Worth $620K

The Internet went gaga Monday over what seemed to be the ultimate in wristwear decadence: a new offering called the Skyview Pinnacle from Swiss watchmaker Nico Gerard — so new, in fact, that you have to pay $200 for the privilege of pre-ordering the $9,500 item.

What makes the Skyview Pinnacle so special? The traditional clock-face watch on one side of the watchband is complemented by a 38mm Apple watch that sits opposite, resting against the inside of the wrist.

Really.

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5 Reasons Why Hillary Is in Trouble over Private Email Server

Hillary Clinton is already in trouble over the email story and that trouble could get a lot worse.

The problem for Hillary and her defenders is that once you get past the outraged cries of media bias related to a NY Times report, the email story still represents a real and growing threat to her campaign. Here are five reasons why Hillary is in serious trouble:

1) Her Private Server Was Unique and Violated the Rules – Hillary has repeatedly claimed that other Secretaries of State had similar arrangements. “Previous secretaries of state have said they did the same thing…. Everything I did was permitted by law and regulation,” Hillary claimed in a July 7th interview with CNN. Neither statement is true.

As Washington Post Fact Checker Glenn Kessler points out, no previous Secretary of State had a private email server running in their home from which they sent and received all of their correspondence while in office. Only one previous Secretary, Colin Powell, admitted to sending any email from a personal account.

In addition, regulations in place at the time Hillary was Secretary of State required her to turn over all official communications before leaving her job. She did not do that. In fact, it was only after the State Department came to her and after they negotiated with her attorneys that Hillary turned over a hand-sifted group of emails, nearly two years after leaving her job.

Hillary’s claim that she violated no rules (and, anyway, others did too) earned three out of four Pinocchios from Kessler. He concludes, “She goes too far in suggesting her actions were ordinary – -and did not stretch the limits of existing laws and regulations.” And because Hillary can’t reasonably claim what she did was normal or even reasonable, it leaves her open to scrutiny.

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Madoff Employee Must Pay $170 Billion, Can Keep Stamps

The first employee hired by Bernard Madoff has agreed he owes the government a Rolex watch, a painting by the comedian Red Skelton and $170 billion cash.

Irwin Lipkin, 77, is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday for conspiracy and making false statements in employment records. As with Madoff and more than a dozen others convicted in the scandal, the government is also seeking to recover the full $170 billion proceeds of the fraud from Lipkin.

Prosecutors filed a forfeiture agreement Monday in which Lipkin, who said he retired from Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC in 1998, agreed to a judgment for the cash forfeiture, which is about the same as the annual gross domestic product of Iowa.

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Drug Task Force Arrest Georgetown Man after Cocaine Investigation

Georgetown, DE – The Delaware State Police Sussex County Drug Task Force have arrested a Georgetown man after the culmination of a month long investigation into illegal drug sales from a residence on Sandy Drive in Millsboro.

On Tuesday August 4, 2015 around 3:15 p.m., the Sussex County Drug Task Force with the assistance of the Sussex County Governor's Task Force conducted a traffic stop on Tevon Norwood, 18 of Georgetown while he was operating his BMW in the Georgetown area. A search warrant was conducted on the vehicle which yielded 152 grams of cocaine, 4 grams of crack cocaine, as well as over $3,300.00 in suspected drug proceeds. A search warrant was conducted at his residence in the 24000 block of Kruger Drive where detectives located 11 rounds of .380 caliber ammunition, a digital scale, and an additional $6,900.00 in suspected drug proceeds. A search warrant was also conducted at a residence where Norwood was known to frequent and distribute illegal drugs located in the 27000 block of Sandy Drive, Riverwinds Mobile Home Park. A digital scale was located in the residence and the 23 year old female resident was issued a criminal summons for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and released.

Tevon Norwood was transported back to Troop 4 where he was charged with two counts of Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine, Possession of a Controlled Substance (Cocaine), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was arraigned at JP3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $125,250.00 cash bond.

Billary Clinton And The Perfection Of Consumerist Narcissism

In this perfection of consumerist narcissism, the only goal is maximizing private gain by whatever means are available.

I don't think it's coincidence that Bill Clinton's presidency and Christopher Lasch's landmark analysis The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations both date from the same year, 1993.

Clinton solidified the modern presidency's narcissistic obsession with public approval (the political equivalent of "likes" on Facebook) and the exploitation of that popularity for maximum self-enrichment.

The relentless charm offensive and rapacious exploitation of Billary's proximity to power has yielded a fortune once reserved for tech titans and hedge fund superstars:

Hillary And Bill Clinton Report $139.1 Million In Taxable Income Since 2007

This sum doesn't include the tens of millions vacuumed up by the Clinton foundation machine, which distributes tribute to further the interests of the Clinton dynasty under the convenient guise of charity.

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Commission: Police Body Camera Video "Clearly Public Records"

Videos of police actions recorded by body cameras are "clearly public records" that fall under the Maryland Public Information Act, the chairman of a state commission said Tuesday.

Frederic Smalkin, a former federal judge who is chairman of a 22-member commission tasked with recommending statewide best practices for police body cameras, made his remarks during the panel's first meeting. As it begins its work, the commission is reviewing a document on other states' policies that has been put together by the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention.

The panel will meet on Sept. 1 to vote on recommendations. It will submit the suggestions on Oct. 1 to state lawmakers and the Maryland Police Training Commission, which is tasked with putting the regulations together by Jan. 1.

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City Sues Resident Who Used City Council Footage In YouTube Videos

Section 107 of the Copyright Act permits “fair use” of copyrighted materials “for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching…, scholarship, or research.” But the leaders of one California city don’t think this applies to critical videos made using footage from its city council meetings.

Earlier this year, the City of Inglewood in Los Angeles County sued a YouTube user after he uploadedvideos that criticize Mayor James Butts and others.

The clips utilize video from Inglewood city council meetings to illustrate his issues, but the lawsuit [PDF] alleges that the YouTuber violated Inglewood’s copyright and that the city “has suffered, and will continue to suffer, irreparable harm and damages” as a a result.

The city claims that the YouTube videos made from the copyrighted council footage do not fall under the fair use exception because they “have no critical bearing on the substance or style of the original composition.”

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Delta Air Lines Bans Shipments Of Big Game Trophies

Following the recent news about and backlash against a Minnesota man who killed a beloved lion during a paid hunt in Africa, Delta Air Lines says the company is banning shipments of all lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo trophies worldwide.

Reports of a dentist who’s accused of luring a lion named Cecil from a national park in Zimbabwe and killing him has caused uproar worldwide. Hunters like him won’t be able to send trophies of their exploits back home — or to anywhere else, for that matter — on Delta from now on.

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Court Will Hear Arguments Against Net Neutrality In December

Though the telecom and cable industry was unable to prevent new net neutrality rules from kicking in earlier this summer, the legal battle over the FCC’s authority to regulate broadband continues. A federal appeals court has agreed to hear arguments in the matter later this year.

The neutrality rules, spelled out in the 2015 Open Internet Order, prevent Internet service providers from manipulating any content they carry on their lines to consumers. So a company like Comcast, which competes directly with Netflix through both its pay-TV offering and its NBCUniversal broadcasting empire, couldn’t deliberately slow down or block access to the streaming video service. Nor could an ISP boost the speed or quality of access to a particular service that is willing to pay more for it.

Those rules are effectively unchanged from the original 2010 Open Internet Order. However, that order was gutted in early 2014 after a legal challenge by Verizon, which claimed the FCC lacked legal authority to regulate broadband. At the time, Internet service was not classified as a “Title II” telecommunications service, but as much more lightly regulated information service.

And so with the 2015 attempt at neutrality, the FCC reclassified broadband to put it under the same regulatory umbrella as telephone service — though FCC Chair Tom Wheeler has repeatedly promised no “utility style regulation” of Internet access.

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Salinas California Officers Beat Mentally Ill Man With Batons

Meanwhile On The Bypass...

Smart Move

Warning

DC SHOES: ROBBIE MADDISON'S "PIPE DREAM"

Leaked Copy Of Obama’s Iran Deal Goes Public… Paragraph 36 Will Blow Your Mind

Last Tuesday, a 159-page PDF of President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal was leaked online. Paragraph 36 was the most shocking of the agreement — a part the president would probably prefer hadn’t become public, as it demonstrated just how much of a joke the pact actually was.

According to the deal’s 36th paragraph, any party — Iran or any future U.S. president — can essentially end the Iran nuclear deal with 35 days notice.

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Phase Two of Obama’s Plan to Federalize the Police Force Just Happened in Baltimore

President Barack Obama’s administration has begun the second phase in federalizing the police. And as predicted, he is again using Baltimore to expand his agenda.

As you may recall, I wrote in May that Obama would use the recent events in Baltimore to convince the American public that federalization of the police force was necessary in order to fix the problems of Baltimore and other cities.

I also said that in order for the administration to succeed in their plan, several “actors” would be required to play their role.

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Politicians from Both Sides of the Aisle: Corruption Has Destroyed America

We’ve thoroughly documented pervasive corruption in America.

There are some very juicy quotes from high-level insiders about corruption in the USA.

Jon Schwarz has rounded up a good collection of recent quotes on corruption from both sides of the aisle:

• “Now [the United States is] just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president. And the same thing applies to governors and U.S. senators and congressmembers. … So now we’ve just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors …” —Jimmy Carter, former president, in 2015.

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Maryland State Police Arrest Pennsylvania Man on Child Pornography Charges

(Columbia, MD) Investigators from the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) arrested a Pennsylvania man on child pornography related charges yesterday.

The suspect is identified as Patrick Edward Alpaugh, 29, a registered sex offender from the 1000 block of Twaddell Drive in Upper Chichester, Pennsylvania. He was arrested on August 3, 2015, in Pennsylvania without incident. Alpaugh was charged with child pornography related charges while he was visiting friends in Cecil County, Maryland. Alpaugh is currently being held at the Delaware County Detention Center pending an extradition hearing back to Maryland.

As a result of the investigation, multiple search and seizure warrants were executed in Cecil County, Maryland by the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit, Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Northern Central Criminal Enforcement Division. After interviewing the occupants at the residences where the search warrants were conducted, investigators identified Alpaugh as the focus of the investigation.

Further investigation confirmed Alpaugh was present at these locations during the times the child pornography was distributed. Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Alpaugh on August 3, 2015 charging him with eight counts of distributing child pornography and eight counts of possession of child pornography. With the assistance of the Pennsylvania ICAC and Upper Chichester Police Department, Alpaugh was arrested at his Pennsylvania residence.

The Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is part of the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Section and is comprised of police agencies from around the state. Its primary mission is to protect children from computer-facilitated sexual exploitation. The Task Force works cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to provide resources to combat these crimes. Additionally, the Task Force provides community awareness campaigns helping to prevent the spread of these crimes through education.

Wicomico Recreation Introduces River Otter Paddle Excursions

Registration Open for American Canoe Association Eco-Tours

Salisbury, Md – Wicomico Recreation is proud to introduce River Otter Paddle Excursions (R.O.P.E.), American Canoe Association guided eco-tours throughout Wicomico County. These excursions are great opportunities for individuals, couples, families, organizations or corporate groups of all skill levels to spend a day outdoors exploring Wicomico County's waterways. Four different excursions are available this summer/fall and each includes a guided tour, meal and bus transportation (if necessary). Both canoes and kayaks are available for the tours; participants may indicate their preference upon registration.

Tyaskin Sunset Eco Tour

Launch from Tyaskin Park for a romantic, calm paddle through the Nanticoke River. As the sun sets on the water, head back ashore to continue your night at Boonies Burgers, Beer & Bait.

Location (Start/End): Tyaskin Park

Duration: 2.5-3 Hours

Price: $45 Per Participant

Dates/Times: Aug. 8 at 5 p.m., Sept. 5 at 4:30 p.m., Oct. 3 at 4 p.m.

Kayak Eco Tour

Begin at Roaring Point and paddle the Nanticoke River, stopping at several secluded beaches until you reach Cedar Hill Marina & Park, After lunch from Boonies, participate in crabbing and oystering or explore the park's trails and playgrounds.
Location (Start/End): Roaring Point / Cedar Hill
Duration: 5-6 Hours
Price: $65 Per Participant
Dates/Times: Aug. 15, Sept. 12, Oct. 10; Bus leaves at 10:30 a.m. from Cedar Hill Marina & Park.

Wicomico Amazon

Wind your way through the "Amazon" of Wicomico County on Leonard's Mill Pond as our guides unlock its ecosystems and the wildlife who call them home. Lunch from Café Sun Perks will be provided.
Location (Start/End): Leonard's Mill Park
Duration: 3-4 Hours
Price: $35 Per Participant
Dates/Times: Aug. 22, Sept. 19, Oct. 17 at 11 a.m.

Paddle Back in Time

Launch from Pemberton Historical Park and explore the shores of Salisbury's founding fathers along the Wicomico River. End with lunch at Café Sun Perks.
Location (Start/End): Pemberton Park / Café Sun Perks
Duration: 3-4 Hours
Price: $55 Per Participant
Dates/Times: Aug. 29, Sept. 26, Oct. 24; Bus leaves at 9:30 a.m. from Café Sun Perks.

Registration is available online at www.PembertonPark.org or in person at the WY&CC Box Office (M-F, 9am-6pm). For more information about R.O.P.E., contact Allen Swiger at 410-548-4900 x108 or aswiger@wicomicocounty.org.

Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Investigators Make Child Pornography Arrest

(Columbia, MD) Members of the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) arrested a Montgomery County man on child pornography related charges.

The accused is identified as Brad Respondek, 37, of the 12,000 block of Teaberry Road in Silver Spring, Maryland. He was arrested without incident around 2:00 p.m. on Friday, July 31, 2015. Respondek was charged with distribution and possession of child pornography. He was transported to the Montgomery County Detention Center.

As a result of the investigation, a search and seizure warrant was executed at Respondek’s residence on July 31, 2015 by the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit, Department of Homeland Security, Rockville Barrack and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Apprehension Task Force. Investigators identified Respondek as the focus of the investigation.

Execution of the search warrant resulted in numerous types of digital media being seized. While on scene, a digital forensics team found several images and videos of child pornography. Respondek was arrested on scene and transported to the Montgomery County Detention Center. He was later released after posting a $10,000 bond.

The Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is part of the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Section, and is comprised of police agencies from around the state. Its primary mission is to protect children from computer-facilitated sexual exploitation. The Task Force works cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to provide resources to combat these crimes. Additionally, the Task Force provides community awareness campaigns helping to prevent the spread of these crimes through education.

Where Candidates Fear To Tread - Pervasive Racketeering Is Destroying America

That the snarkier circles of political commentary thrill to the elephantine bellowings of Donald J. Trump only shows the pathetic limitations of the snarkists. They enjoy Trump’s filterless mouth, his harsh goadings of the other presidential wannabes, and his supposed telepathic empathy for the suffering public outside the magic kingdom of DC.

Trump has one legitimate issue, immigration, plus a brief against the general incompetence of professional politicians, and a pocketful of grandiose claims about his majestic skills in business and deal-making. As business goes in this huckster’s paradise, being a real estate developer is perhaps one click above being a car-dealer, and the fact that some of Trump’s artful deals end up in bankruptcy court might argue against his self-proclaimed mastery. Hence, his relegation to the clown category.

What Trump represents most vividly in this moment of history is the astounding lack of seriousness among people who pretend to be political heavyweights. No one so far, including the lovable Bernie Sanders, has nailed a proper bill of grievances to the White House gate. A broad roster of dire issues facing this society ought to be self-evident. But since they are absent so far in the public discussion, here is my list of matters that serious candidates should dare to talk about (all things that a sitting president could take action on):

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