OooooKay.....Demand is so great they need to give 'em more money?-------Demand for Detroit housing leads to expanded cash incentive program

Demand for Detroit housing leads to expanded cash incentive program | Detroit Free Press | freep.com: "Strong demand among professional-class workers to live in or around downtown Detroit has led to an expansion in the boundaries of a program offering cash incentives for certain employees to move to the city.
Midtown Detroit announced Monday that the boundaries for the Live Midtown program are now extended to the historic Boston-Edison district.
The expansion applies only to a purchase incentive — $20,000 toward the purchase of a primary residence.
The boundaries for the rent incentive — $2,500 toward rent for a first year in Detroit and $1,000 for a second — will stay within Midtown and downtown."

Why is the Pentagon Destroying $1 Billion Worth of Ammunition?

Why is the Pentagon Destroying $1 Billion Worth of Ammunition?:
"The Obama Administration’s love of wasteful spending is, perhaps, only equal to their hatred for all things firearm-related. For the last few years, multiple sites have reported about the federal government’s purchase of millions of rounds of ammunition. However, the Pentagon now plans to destroy $1.2 billion worth of ammunition simply because they do not keep adequate purchase records.

Or so they say…"

History for April 30

History for April 30 - On-This-Day.com

Happy Birthday! Kirsten Dunst, Willie Nelson, Burt Young

0030 - Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. 


1789 - George Washington took office as first elected U.S. president. 


1803 - The U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million. 


1900 - Casey Jones was killed while trying to save the runaway train "Cannonball Express." 


1943 - The British submarine HMS Seraph dropped 'the man who never was,' a dead man the British planted with false invasion plans, into the Mediterranean off the coast of Spain. 


1945 - Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide. They had been married for one day. One week later Germany surrendered unconditionally. 


1993 - Monica Seles was stabbed in the back during a tennis match in Hamburg, Germany. The man called himself a fan of second- ranked Steffi Graf. He was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and received a suspended sentence. 

Exclusive: Kerry Warns Israel Could Become ‘An Apartheid State’ - The Daily Beast

Exclusive: Kerry Warns Israel Could Become ‘An Apartheid State’ - The Daily Beast:
"It wasn't the only controversial comment on the Middle East that Kerry made during his remarks to the Trilateral Commission, a recording of which was obtained by The Daily Beast. Kerry also repeated his warning that a failure of Middle East peace talks could lead to a resumption of Palestinian violence against Israeli citizens. He suggested that a change in either the Israeli or Palestinian leadership could make achieving a peace deal more feasible. "

Well, This is Awkward: Watch Americans Fail Miserably Trying to Answer Some of the Easiest Questions on the U.S. Citizenship Test | Video | TheBlaze.com

Well, This is Awkward: Watch Americans Fail Miserably Trying to Answer Some of the Easiest Questions on the U.S. Citizenship Test | Video | TheBlaze.com:
"Who is the vice president of the United States?
That’s just one of the many questions immigrants might face when they take the civics test for U.S. citizenship — and if you think most Americans can easily answer, you might want to think again.
A new video posted online last week by the Immigrant Archive Project features 15 randomly selected individuals attempting to answer some of the easiest questions on the test.

Only one passed."

When the Famous Comedian Who Once Said ‘I Really Love Barack Obama’ Says This About Common Core, It Makes News | TheBlaze.com

When the Famous Comedian Who Once Said ‘I Really Love Barack Obama’ Says This About Common Core, It Makes News | TheBlaze.com:
"Louis C.K., recently named “America’s undisputed king of comedy” by GQ, seemingly came out against Common Core and standardized testing on Monday. He also found support from people across the Internet.
“My kids used to love math,” the comedian tweeted on Monday. “Now it makes them cry. Thanks standardized testing and common core!”"

No money for potholes, but plenty for "welcome to our potholes" center-------MDOT building $5.5M Port Huron welcome center

MDOT building $5.5M Port Huron welcome center | Crain's Detroit Business:
"PORT HURON — Michigan Department of Transportation crews plan to begin building a new $5.5 million Port Huron welcome center this week.
The agency says the 7,200-square-foot facility is expected to be completed in early summer 2015."

How to Pass a Detroit Bailout the Majority Party Opposes

How to Pass a Detroit Bailout the Majority Party Opposes [Mackinac Center]
Republicans hold majorities of 59 to 51 in the House and 26 to 12 in the Senate, yet none of them represent Detroit.
Given these obstacles, Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposal earmarking $350 million in state money to Detroit over 20 years must be “dead on arrival,” right?
Not hardly.
In fact, even though it won’t solve Detroit’s fiscal or infrastructure problems, and diverts money that could be used for critical needs elsewhere, (like filling potholes; MDOT estimates it costs $20 to fix a pothole, so that $350 million could fix 17.5 million potholes statewide), the bailout has a good chance of being approved thanks to a tactic I’ll call the “budget shuffle.”
Here’s how it works:
Every year the Michigan Legislature passes an annual budget authorizing billions of dollars of spending.
Total spending this year is around $51.3 billion, and the governor has proposed $52 billion in the next fiscal year (which begins Oct. 1).
Read the rest at link

13 Worst Predictions Made on Earth Day, 1970 | CNS News

13 Worst Predictions Made on Earth Day, 1970 | CNS News:
"In 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated - okay, "celebrated" doesn't capture the funereal tone of the event. The events (organized in part by then hippie and now convicted murderer Ira Einhorn) predicted death, destruction and disease unless we did exactly as progressives commanded.
Behold the coming apocalypse as predicted on and around Earth Day, 1970:"


Even a few extra days didn't help their claims.

Hot Trailer: Dinesh D'Souza's 'America'

Hot Trailer: Dinesh D'Souza's 'America' - Deadline.com
"Having made the second-highest-grossing political documentary of all time, the team behind 2016: Obama’s America is now, as promised, following up with America.
Sending up some fireworks of his own to rival the ones 2016 generated, producer-writer and kind-of host Dinesh D’Souza says of his new documentary.
“We answer the central moral challenge of America’s critics, which is that America’s greatness is based on theft, plunder and oppression.”
Listen for other red-button phrases from interviewees describing the USA as “the new evil empire” and a “predatory colonial power” as well as referring to Mount Rushmore as “a symbol of oppression and genocide to our people.” 
Director John Sullivan’s film comes out two years after its predecessors — hitting theaters on the Fourth of July.
Here’s the new trailer. which was first unveiled tonight on Fox News Channel’s The Kelly File:"

Repeating Inaccurate Claim About School Funding Does Not Make It True

Repeating Inaccurate Claim About School Funding Does Not Make It True [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
Except, according to state data, neither statement Schauer made April 23 was accurate.
The Oakland Press reported Schauer's claims of a reduction in spending on K-12 education without challenging them.
"Public education has been cut dramatically, it's been systematically privatized," said Schauer, walking alongside running mate Lisa Brown, Oakland County's clerk.
"What I've seen here at (West Bloomfield High School) is amazing.
They're doing more with less, they've felt the state budget cuts, but there are great students, incredible teachers that are motivated and highly trained and we need to support them more."
Overall, state and federal funding for K-12 education has increased from $12.7 billion in 2011-12 to $13.4 billion in 2013-14, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency. 
State dollars spent on K-12 education have increased every year Gov. Rick Snyder has been in office, going from $11.01 billion in 2011-12 and $11.21 billion in 2012-13 to $11.6 billion in 2013-14, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency.
And, according to state financial documents, the West Bloomfield School district receives about $357 more per student this school year than it did in 2010-11, which was Gov. Jennifer Granholm's last budget.
The West Bloomfield School District has lost just under 800 students since 2010-11.

State pension funds allow for 13th check

State pension funds allow for 13th check | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com
State laws that provide for — and in certain circumstances require — payment of the 13th check remain on the books.
Michigan’s Office of Retirement Services has not paid such a bonus to state government retirees since 2001 or to school retirees since 2002 and “does not expect to issue a 13th check in the foreseeable future,” said Kurt Weiss, a spokesman for the state’s Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
However, “there are no active plans right now to amend or repeal the legislation” providing for the 13th checks, Weiss told the Detroit Free Press.
That’s a mistake, even if relatively few retirees are eligible to receive the checks if and when they are issued, said Steve Harry of Lansing, a former employee of the Office of Retirement Systems who writes a blog about public policy issues and has researched the 13th check issue.
“It’s a crazy idea: 
Pensioners get a bonus when a strong stock market results in big gains for the pension fund, but they don’t suffer when stocks are down,” Harry said. 
“It is a great deal for them — not so great for the taxpayers who are forced to make up the difference when those pension funds are short.”
The state “should make it clear that there’s nothing like that any more — at all.”

Security holes in power grid have federal officials scrambling | Business & Technology | The Seattle Times

Security holes in power grid have federal officials scrambling | Business & Technology | The Seattle Times: “There are a lot of people going through various stages of denial” about how easily terrorists, or anyone, could disrupt the power grid, he said. “If I could write a tool that does this, you can be sure a nation state or someone with more resources could.”
In Congress, the vulnerability of the power grid has emerged as among the most pressing domestic security concerns. It is also among the most vexing."

This will bring in the tourists!----With higher parking fines looming, Detroit plans to spend up to $8 million repairing broken meters

With higher parking fines looming, Detroit plans to spend up to $8 million repairing broken meters | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:
If you’ve parked in downtown Detroit often enough, you’ve probably pulled up to a broken meter.
City officials estimate that about half of the 3,404 parking meters are broken at any given time.
But that could change soon:
The city is considering spending up to $8 million to fix the meters.
The repairs are a high priority since the city announced this month thattickets for an expired meter would more than double, to $45.

Societal collapse----Highland Park in financial emergency, Snyder says

Highland Park in financial emergency, Snyder says | Crain's Detroit Business:

"Gov. Rick Snyder has confirmed that a financial emergency exists in the Detroit enclave of Highland Park.

The Highland Park City Council has seven days to select one of four options to deal with the problem.

....... Highland Park owed about $19 million as of January, including $18 million to Detroit for water and sewer services.

State-appointed emergency managers are in charge in Detroit, Allen Park, Flint, Hamtramck and several school districts."

Super deal----Kindle - Best-Selling Ereader - Only $49

Kindle - Best-Selling Ereader - Only $4

Alaskan Polar Bears Threatened…By Too Much Spring Ice

Alaskan Polar Bears Threatened…By Too Much Spring Ice | CNS News
Five meters of ice– about 16 feet thick - is threatening the survival of polar bears in the Southern Beaufort Sea region along Alaska’s Arctic coast, according to Dr. Susan J. Crockford, an evolutionary biologist in British Columbia who has studied polar bears for most of her 35-year career.
That’s because the thick ice ridges could prevent ringed seals, the bears’ major prey, from creating breathing holes they need to survive in the frigid waters, Crockford told CNSNews.com.

U.S., UK advise avoiding Internet Explorer until bug fixed

U.S., UK advise avoiding Internet Explorer until bug fixed | Reuters:
"The Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team said in an advisory released on Monday that the vulnerability in versions 6 to 11 of Internet Explorer could lead to "the complete compromise" of an affected system."

Ted Cruz Demands Answers from the Obama BLM Regarding Texas Land Dispute

Ted Cruz Demands Answers from the Obama BLM Regarding Texas Land Dispute:
"In a show of support to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s pushback against the Obama BLM’s attempted land grab of the Red River Boundary Compact and the associated lands, Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has sent a letter of inquiry to the head of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)."

History for April 29

History for April 29 - On-This-Day.com:

Birth anniversary of media magnate William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951).

Happy Birthday! Andre Agassi, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jerry Seinfeld

1429 - Joan of Arc led Orleans, France, to victory over Britain. 


1813 - Rubber was patented by J.F. Hummel. 


1852 - The first edition of Peter Roget's Thesaurus was published. 


1913 - Gideon Sundback patented an all-purpose zipper. 


1927 - Construction of the Spirit of St. Louis was completed for Lindbergh. 


1945 - In a bunker in Berlin, Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun were married. Hitler designated Admiral Karl Doenitz his successor. 


1945 - The Nazi death camp, Dachau, was liberated. 


1952 - IBM President Thomas J. Watson, Jr., informed his company's stockholders that IBM was building "the most advanced, most flexible high-speed computer in the world." The computer was unveiled April 7, 1953, as the IBM 701 Electronic Data Processing Machine. 


1974 - U.S. President Nixon announced he was releasing edited transcripts of secretly made White House tape recordings related to the Watergate scandal. 

1990 - The destruction of the Berlin Wall began. 


1992 - Rioting began after a jury decision to acquit four Los Angeles policemen in the Rodney King beating trial. 54 people were killed in 3 days. 


1998 - The U.S., Canada and Mexico end tariffs on $1 billion in NAFTA trade.