Double Whammy

The governor giveth and he taketh away. The catch is, the Carroll commissioners don't want any part of the giveth side of the equation.Under the fiscal 1993 state budget proposed by Gov. William Donald Schaefer Thursday, scheduled increases in aid to Carroll would be reduced by $6.4 million for the year beginning July 1. The current county budget is about $112 million.The catch is that the county could make up for all of that lost revenue if the General Assembly enacts legislation enabling counties to raise local income tax rates and the commissioners use that authority.

Historians note the American alliance with King Louis XVI sustained the American cause during the darkest days of the Revolution. The history is impossible to escape. But for the deal struck in February 1778, General Washington and his Continental Army would likely not have survived. Nevertheless, and despite a successful alliance in two world wars, taking the French to task has become a popular American sport. French resistance to U.S. foreign policy moves is one reason.

MARYLAND FARMERS are facing a double whammy during this, the worst drought in at least three decades. Their crops of corn and soybeans have withered in the enduring heat and aridity, while nationwide production is expected to be at or near record levels.The result is lower prices, and less product to sell, for farmers in most of this state. Corn yield in Maryland is projected to fall by 40 percent, soybean output by 20 percent. Net farm income for Maryland will fall 30 percent, predicts state Agriculture Secretary Lewis R. Riley, and will "be felt in Main Street of rural towns all across the state," as farmers spend less.

To anyone who might believe printing is a dying industry in a digital age, Kerry Stackpole says this: Look in your cupboard. "Imagine opening your kitchen cabinets and having no labels on the cans," said Stackpole, president of the Printing & Graphics Association MidAtlantic. "Imagine a world without print. " Despite the challenge that digital platforms and electronic media pose to traditional printing companies, printing remains the third-largest manufacturing employer in the state, the association says.

SAN FRANCISCO --Azhar Usman, a burly American-born Muslim with a heavy black beard, says he elicits an almost universal reaction when he boards an airplane at any U.S. airport: Conversations stop in mid-sentence, and the look in the eyes of his fellow passengers says, "We're all going to die!" For Ahmed Ahmed, a comedian, it is even worse. His double-barreled name matches an occasional alias used by a henchman of Osama bin Laden. "It's a bad time to be named Ahmed right now," he riffs in his stand-up routine before describing being hauled through the Las Vegas airport in handcuffs.

With good jobs available for the asking, and confidence among shoppers still high, Maryland consumers continued their free-spending ways during this year's first quarter as the U.S. economy continued its record run. Still, there were a few signs of slowing in this year's first three months. In the housing market - important because of the ripple impact it has on the economy - the double whammy of rising interest rates and few homes for sale in some of Maryland's most desirable neighborhoods led to a statewide decline in home settlements for the second straight quarter.

The earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan on Friday were natural disasters of epic proportions that left the country to cope with not one but two huge challenges. Many thousands perished under the towering waters that swept ashore after the first temblor and wiped away dozens of coastal villages. In their wake, millions more were stranded without electricity, drinking water, food or shelter, and communications with the rest of the country have been virtually cut off. Compounding the humanitarian crisis is the specter of an environmental catastrophe stemming from the potential meltdown of one or more of three nuclear reactors at an electrical generating plant.

ENOUGH POSITIVE economic signs abound these days that -- in theory, at least -- there ought to be more smiling faces around. America's economy is still growing at a decent rate. Productivity gains remain healthy. Inflation is hard to find. The housing market could be cooling down but is still strong from a boom that has buttressed homeowners' net worth. Mortgage rates hit a 31-year low last week, continuing to provide sizable windfalls from refinancing -- projected at $200 billion this year.

To anyone who might believe printing is a dying industry in a digital age, Kerry Stackpole says this: Look in your cupboard. "Imagine opening your kitchen cabinets and having no labels on the cans," said Stackpole, president of the Printing & Graphics Association MidAtlantic. "Imagine a world without print. " Despite the challenge that digital platforms and electronic media pose to traditional printing companies, printing remains the third-largest manufacturing employer in the state, the association says.

The Ravens' recent losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals not only consigned them to a disappointing season, but also emphasized the biggest reason they have fallen behind their AFC North rivals - in the big-picture developmental sense, not just in the standings. When the Steelers needed a late score on Halloween night, Ben Roethlisberger - their star second-year quarterback - drove them to a game-winning field goal. When the Bengals needed to hold on to the ball to snuff out a Ravens rally last Sunday, Carson Palmer - their star third-year quarterback - led them on a 12-play, 91-yard touchdown drive that wrapped up a victory.

The earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan on Friday were natural disasters of epic proportions that left the country to cope with not one but two huge challenges. Many thousands perished under the towering waters that swept ashore after the first temblor and wiped away dozens of coastal villages. In their wake, millions more were stranded without electricity, drinking water, food or shelter, and communications with the rest of the country have been virtually cut off. Compounding the humanitarian crisis is the specter of an environmental catastrophe stemming from the potential meltdown of one or more of three nuclear reactors at an electrical generating plant.

Smoking causes lung cancer. That much is known. But three new studies published today suggest that genes might play a role in why some longtime smokers get the deadly disease and others do not. The scientists say these common genetic variations might also make smokers more likely to become addicted to tobacco and to smoke more cigarettes. The findings, which several experts said mark the first time that a genetic variation has been linked to lung cancer, could lead to a greater understanding of how smoking and genes interact to cause the disease.

SAN FRANCISCO --Azhar Usman, a burly American-born Muslim with a heavy black beard, says he elicits an almost universal reaction when he boards an airplane at any U.S. airport: Conversations stop in mid-sentence, and the look in the eyes of his fellow passengers says, "We're all going to die!" For Ahmed Ahmed, a comedian, it is even worse. His double-barreled name matches an occasional alias used by a henchman of Osama bin Laden. "It's a bad time to be named Ahmed right now," he riffs in his stand-up routine before describing being hauled through the Las Vegas airport in handcuffs.

The Ravens' recent losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals not only consigned them to a disappointing season, but also emphasized the biggest reason they have fallen behind their AFC North rivals - in the big-picture developmental sense, not just in the standings. When the Steelers needed a late score on Halloween night, Ben Roethlisberger - their star second-year quarterback - drove them to a game-winning field goal. When the Bengals needed to hold on to the ball to snuff out a Ravens rally last Sunday, Carson Palmer - their star third-year quarterback - led them on a 12-play, 91-yard touchdown drive that wrapped up a victory.

HEALTH INSURANCE is a bit like a hospital gown. From the front it appears to shield the essentials. Closer inspection, however, reveals a lot uncovered behind - and only a tenuous thread prevents full exposure. Most Americans think they're covered, except the 45 million who are uninsured ("going bare," in insurance industry parlance). But few of us are really shielded from the financial ravages of illness. Each year, 1 million people are bankrupted by illness or medical bills, according to the Harvard Consumer Bankruptcy Project, the first in-depth study of medical bankruptcy.

East Columbia homes have increased in value at an average of 33.4 percent, bringing in millions of dollars to the Columbia Association and causing residents to complain about skyrocketing assessment bills. The association's homeowners fees - which are tied to a home's assessed value - have gotten so high since the state's recent property reassessment that the Columbia Association's board of directors and staff are investigating alternatives to deal with the increase. The board is scheduled to report on its progress at tonight's board meeting.

Finding out what caused last month's train derailment and fire in the CSX tunnel beneath the heart of Baltimore may turn out to be one of the most difficult challenges ever faced by the National Transportation Safety Board, experts say. The five-day fire and the process of fighting it destroyed or altered evidence investigators typically rely on to determine the causes and consequences of rail accidents. One investigator characterized the wreck July 18 of the 60-car, chemical-bearing CSX train in the Howard Street tunnel as a "Murphy's Law" sort of accident and aftermath, where anything that could go wrong did. Rail cars were moved from their crash positions, new debris was carried onto the site, and the fire consumed cargo and affected the track and tunnel in ways that tainted the scene for investigators.

BROOKLYN PARK Middle School pupils Krystina Engel, Danielle Evans, Jessica Horton, Richard Rebstock, John Cosner, Emily Fador, Scott Mauller, Victoria Vykol, Crystal Marion and Patricia Wood were inducted last week into the school's Society for Social Studies Scholars. The society is a program designed by Brooklyn Park teacher Jan Meaney to reward and encourage pupils in the study of history, geography and other social studies. To achieve this honor, the pupils were required to successfully complete a study of ancient Egypt and present their findings in a PowerPoint slide show with animation and sound effects.

ENOUGH POSITIVE economic signs abound these days that -- in theory, at least -- there ought to be more smiling faces around. America's economy is still growing at a decent rate. Productivity gains remain healthy. Inflation is hard to find. The housing market could be cooling down but is still strong from a boom that has buttressed homeowners' net worth. Mortgage rates hit a 31-year low last week, continuing to provide sizable windfalls from refinancing -- projected at $200 billion this year.

BROOKLYN PARK Middle School pupils Krystina Engel, Danielle Evans, Jessica Horton, Richard Rebstock, John Cosner, Emily Fador, Scott Mauller, Victoria Vykol, Crystal Marion and Patricia Wood were inducted last week into the school's Society for Social Studies Scholars. The society is a program designed by Brooklyn Park teacher Jan Meaney to reward and encourage pupils in the study of history, geography and other social studies. To achieve this honor, the pupils were required to successfully complete a study of ancient Egypt and present their findings in a PowerPoint slide show with animation and sound effects.