Density Weighting Visualization

Showing 500 samples with most similar (semantic) neighbors on top and 500 least similar on bottom

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New statistics show that net immigration to the UK (the surplus of people immigrating over people emigrating) in the year to December 2009 was 196,000. This compares with 163,000 in the year to December 2008, an increase of around 20 per cent (but is significantly lower than the peaks of around 220,000 seen in 2005 and 2007). Poorer families are in fact paying nearly five times more than the richest to bring down the budget deficit at a speed and value greater than anything tried before. This comes on top of evidence from the House of Commons Library that women will bear 73% of the impact of the budget as tax credits and child benefit and scaled back.
More solar panel companies have filed for bankruptcy despite being given subsidies and having the Obama Administration impose tariffs on their Chinese competitors. SolarWorld with operations in Germany and the U.S. and Suniva, both claim they can't compete with the Chinese. Struggling green companies are asking President Trump to increase already hefty tariffs on Chinese manufacturers in order to keep them from competing in the United States. But massive subsidies and protectionist measures like increasing taxes on incoming goods couldn't even save these solar companies. The fact is, if businesses need these kinds of measures in place, it means they're not able to compete and they'll all go bankrupt eventually. This is happening in Germany too where the industry expanded rapidly thanks to heavy subsidies. In the end, subsidies and protectionist measures cost taxpayers and the economy, and the public shouldn't have to pay to run a business. If you need taxpayer subsidies and government protection to run a business, you probably shouldn't be in business at all. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Los Angeles public school teachers have to choose between wearing a badge to celebrate the gay lifestyle or possibly being labeled a homophobe. The Out for Safe Schools initiative, which began Friday, called on teachers and staff members to wear rainbow "ally" badges to identify themselves as allies of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, according to the Los Angeles Times. "It is safe to be you. We are proud of who you are," Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy told the local CBS affiliate. "Our campuses don't want tolerance, we want acceptance." Leaders of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center and the school district announced the initiative Thursday to help commemorate Friday's designation as "National Coming Out Day." "Beginning tomorrow, every one of L.A.'s 655,000 public school students will know and see there are adults at their school who support and care about LGBT kids," said Alan Acosta, the center's director of strategic initiatives. Any teacher who chose not to wear the badge faced intimidation in its purest form. And while the school district seeks to move beyond simple tolerance for the gay lifestyle, the intolerance of Christian beliefs continues unabated in America. Ironically, The Daily Caller reported that local media did not ask about possible repercussions for teachers who decline to wear the badge. Who would dare say no under the circumstances? In effect, a non-participant might as well wear a badge that reads, "homoph
The unexpected death of Justice Scalia throws a wrench into an already volatile 2016 election and what happens next will largely depend on a variety of factors and political calculations made by President Obama and the Republican controlled Senate.Here are some scenarios that can happen as the President and Senate battle it out over who will replace the late justice. "They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed." And just like that, marriage equality is the law of the land.Today is a day millions of our citizens--both gay and straight--will never forget. What should happen if someone threatens to kill you on social media? Are they protected by the First Amendment right guaranteeing the right to freedom of speech, or are they breaking the law? We will soon know now the answer after the Supreme Court rules on a case that may have far reaching ramifications well beyond the single case they are hearing. An investigation by CNN has exposed that the National Republican Congressional Committee and Super PAC's associated with Republican candidates in the 2014 election cycle set up fake Twitter accounts to share internal polling data, which seems to violate campaign finance laws in the post Citizens United world. When is it time to throw in the towel and accept that the tide has turned? Napoleon must have asked himself this very question after being humiliated in the
Not content with beheadings, throwing men off buildings, or burning them alive, the Islamic State has moved on to yet another gruesome method of killing prisoners: blowing them up. In a new propaganda video released by the terrorist group, the jihadists are seen burying explosives in the ground in an undisclosed location in Afghanistan . The prisoners, whom the group referred to as "apostates," are blindfolded and forced to kneel where the bombs have been buried. The jihadists then detonate the bombs, killing all 10 men. The Daily Mail has more details: All the victims are described as 'apostates', according to the ISIS video, which appeared on jihadi social media accounts last night. It is believed the victims are from the Shinwari tribe and were accused of aiding the Taliban in the Afghan province of Nangarhar, where ISIS was recently expelled. Several of the other victims were also condemned to death for helping the Afghan government counter the longstanding insurgency in the troubled country. [...] The final scenes are too graphic to describe but represent the inhumane brutality of the jihadi organisation, who are continuing to grow in strength in Afghanistan. What is perhaps even worse than the group's brutality is the vast number of people who sympathize with the terror group . According to a survey conducted by AlJazeera.net this spring, 81 percent of respondents said yes in regard to a question over whether they support the Islamic State's conquests in Iraq and Syria.
The ippr's senior economist Tony Dolphin looks at the key economic indicators and reviews the state of the UK economy in his latest economic update for Left Foot Forward. While Ed Miliband has got it wrong on housing policy, Boris Johnson has the answer, writes Vidhya Alakeson, Director of Research and Strategy at the Resolution Foundation. The listening exercise report is being released today, and it remains unclear whether Clegg will get his way on the healthcare bill. A focus on responsibilities of both benefit claimants and the high paid could help the UK economy. Miliband hints at policies that could make a real difference.
Amidst all the debates on wind farms, and the publication of the Energy Bill last week, DECC today published the latest energy trends. Even after the very public failings of the government's Work Programme, Boris Johnson is pushing forward with his own mandatory work experience scheme. After a sustained period of silence from the shadow front bench on green issues, Ed Miliband and Ed Balls have emerged on the right side of the debate. The lack of any coherent manufacturing and industrial strategy from the current government is proving to be a disaster for the UK economy, writes Tony Burke. David Cameron has finally made his energy policy position clearer - it turns out it is somewhere near to suggestions from IPPR. The Institute for Fiscal Studies have said today's public sector finance figures will result in a feeling of "deja vu" for the chancellor. Energy secretary Ed Davey insisted he was "in charge" of coalition energy policy last night., following the row with energy minister John Hayes. CentreForum's submission to the Autumn Statement calls for measures to ensure the vulnerable in society don't feel the brunt of austerity.
The subject no one seems to want to quiz the party leaders on Glaring in its absence thus far in the General Election campaign has been foreign policy. Ed Miliband and David Cameron have been thoroughly quizzed on such important matters as their favourite pop music, but we are still none the wiser when it comes to what they would do in the area of defence. The same holds true for the other parties. We know the SNP don't like Trident but we know little in terms of how they plan to support the fight against IS - which presumably they do support? And do the Greens really still view NATO as as big a threat to European peace and security as Russia? The howling void where a discussion of foreign policy should be is taking place against an alarming backdrop. Britain is winding down its armed forces at an alarming rate. The Commons Defence Committee recently reported that the failure by the UK to maintain the defence spending target of 2 per cent of national income, set by NATO, risks undermining the alliance. All this at a time when global security threats are multiplying. A coherent and robust foreign policy will be hugely important in the years to come; yet no one seems to want to ask our politicians about it. Here, then, are a few questions for the party leaders the next time they face the cameras. 1) Should Britain try to meet its 2 per cent NATO spending commitment (which it is set to miss next year)? If not, why sign up to the commitment in the first place? At a time when Vlad
Marchers swarm NYC, other cities in second night of protests over chokehold death By Robert MacMillan and Frank McGurty Reuters December 04. 2014 11:46PM Crowd protesting recent police grand jury decisions chants 'No justice, no peace' at Boston Christmas tree lighting, storms State House grounds NEW YORK - Mostly peaceful protests flared for a second night on Thursday over a New York grand jury's decision declining to bring criminal charges against a white police officer in the choking death of an unarmed black man. The reaction in New York and other cities to Wednesday's decision not to indict officer Daniel Pantaleo for his role in the videotaped confrontation that left 43-year-old Eric Garner dead echoed a wave of outrage sparked nine days earlier by a similar outcome in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white policeman in Missouri. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday promised a full investigation of the New York case. Pantaleo could still face disciplinary action from an internal police investigation, his lawyer said, adding that he expects that process to move quickly and that his client would be exonerated. A departmental investigation will likely focus on whether Pantaleo employed a chokehold, banned by New York Police Department regulations, in restraining Garner as he and other officers sought to arrest him for allegedly selling cigarettes illegally on a Staten Island sidewalk in July. In addition to triggering protests around the countr
Palm Springs, California, made history, electing the first all-LGBTQ city council in the country, according to the Los Angeles Times . The council currently includes three gay men, with two new members -- Lisa Middleton, who is a transgender woman, and Christy Holstege, who identifies as bisexual -- being sworn in next month. The Hill added : Holstege said representation is important, but she is focused on the issues in the city. "We really focused on local issues, we are not running because of those identities," Holstege told the newspaper. "But it is still historic for the movement. I do think representation matters, and we should continue to be a model city for civil rights." Middleton concurred, saying she intends to "stick to the important issues of local municipal government." "None of those issues have anything to do with one's sexuality or one's gender identity," she said, according to the Los Angeles Times. Earlier this month, the LGBTQ community made many political strides and historic firsts. Virginia House of Delegates candidate Danica Roem (D) became the first openly transgender person elected to a state legislature in U.S. history, defeating one of the most notoriously anti-LGBTQ politicians in the country. Andrea Jenkins won a seat on the Minneapolis City Council, becoming the first openly transgender woman of color elected to public office in the United States. And Liliana Bakhtiari won a seat on the Atlanta City Council, becoming the first queer Muslim woman
A parade in Chicago celebrating the lesbian community banned three Jewish women carrying Jewish Pride flags. Organizers of the 21st annual Chicago Dyke March told the women that the rainbow flags with a white Star of David in the center would be a trigger to people who found it offensive. div-gpt-ad-BTF_MPU_2 A Dyke March collective member told the Windy City Times that the women were told to leave because the flags "made people feel unsafe," and that the march was "anti-Zionist" and "pro-Palestinian." One of the Jewish marchers, Laurel Grauer, Midwest manager of A Wider Bridge, a group that forges ties between LGBT Jews in Israel and North America, told the publication that she has carried her Jewish Pride flag in the same parade for more than a decade, and said that it "celebrates my queer, Jewish identity." She also said she lost count of the number of people who harassed her over the flag on Saturday.
On Saturday 14 September the people of Lewisham will host a victory parade and party to celebrate the High Court ruling which - for now at least - has saved their hospital. By the standards of judicial language, this ruling ... Continued The government's proposed Lobbying Bill has come under heavy criticism amid fears that it will adversely affect charities and other organisations. The Bill would place a cap on the amount that organisations, not including political parties, can spend during elections. ... Continued
The U.S. Supreme Court is reconsidering a longstanding decision preventing states from requiring out-of-state businesses to collect and remit sales taxes on purchases made by residents of their states. Oral arguments in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. began on April 17. In the 1992 case Quill v. North Dakota , the Court established the "nexus" standard for business taxation, declaring a business need not remit sales taxes unless it maintains a physical location, or nexus, in the taxing jurisdiction. Consumers are supposed to pay the tax directly to governments, but compliance is rare. Lawyers representing 41 states, including South Dakota, are asking the court to overturn the Quill decision. Matter of Jurisdiction Tim Huelskamp, president and CEO of The Heartland Institute, which publishes Budget & Tax News , says state governments lack the constitutional authority to tax people outside their borders. "The United States is essentially 50 free markets," Huelskamp said. "The Quill decision made it clear that, [for example] New York has no authority to tax folks in Kansas if the business doesn't have a presence there, which matches all kinds of constitutional standards. We're going to let the state of California reach into every state in the Union? It's certainly scary to proponents of limited government." More Taxes, More Problems Andrew Moylan, director of the National Taxpayer Union's Interstate Commerce Initiative, says reversing the Quill decision would hit small business own
With the outlook for output growth deteriorating, it is hard to see how the UK can avoid falls in employment in the third and fourth quarters of 2010 - a jobs recession. The UK economy grew by 0.5% in the third quarter of 2011 according to preliminary real GDP figures released by the Office for National Statistics today. Over the last year output was up 0.5% - a significant slowdown from the 2.6% growth recorded in the previous four quarters; 0.5% is the lowest annual growth rate recorded in the UK since the final quarter of 2009. In the last four quarters growth has been -0.5%, +0.4%, +0.1% and +0.5%. Chart 1: But the quarterly pattern has been distorted by last December's bad weather, the extra bank holiday in April and the effect of the Japanese tsunami on global supply lines. Our best guess is that the underlying growth picture over the last four quarters is 0.0%, -0.1%, +0.5%, +0.1%. On economists' now widely accepted definition that a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative growth, therefore, the UK has so far avoided a return to recession. But it has been a very close run thing and growth has fallen well short of what the government hoped for when it argued a year ago that cuts in activity in the public sector would be more than offset by a surge in activity in the private sector. One consequence of today's data is the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will have to make substantial cuts to its growth forecast for 2011 when it publishes new projections al
It's safe to say the tomahawk missile strikes against the Syrian airbase last Thursday have solidly divided the Trump train , but I think it's important to look at this strike for what it really is. This was a renaissance of American military might after eight years of leading from behind, slowly seeing American power and resolve degraded by Barack Obama, and the message that sends around the world today. It's a clear, concise and moral message that chemical weapons use is not something this President is going to ignore, even if his predecessor did. The US is putting itself in the strongest position in over six years. The US and President Trump will find they can start to lean on Russia and Iran to begin to have Assad resign and his Alawite infrastructure and dynasty preserved with a suitable replacement. This will help avoid the escalation many fear. You don't have to agree with me or Trump or John McCain on these strikes, but to assume that this will develop into another Iraq war, or even worse, is a little premature. Let's see where we get in the coming days and weeks. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Steven Crowder breaks down the top 5 easy, foolproof, and readily available solutions to "complicated" liberal problems. Hint: they just don't like the solutions! What percentage of major issues would you say are nuanced and [...] Laci Green is a feminist who works to advance the sex-positive movement. Generally, not someone you'd think would sit down for a conversation with Crowder. But that's the point. The two discuss Laci's recent openness [...] By now you've heard about the changes to Miss America. Question of the day: what's the purpose of removing these events? Why take away the swimsuits, or the EVENING gowns from Miss America, why remove [...] Woke feminists everywhere love to berate men about "Don't tell me what to do with my body." Then in the same breath, tell men to stop "manspreading." Which is feminist shriek speak for: "Men who [...]
1. Muslim prayer at Toronto City Hall speaks against Jews and Christians The Maghrib Salah/ Prayer includes the recitation of the first chapter of the Quran (Surah Al-Fatihah) at least three times. The following is the translation of Surah (chapter) al-Fatihah as provided by Omar Subedar, Imam at Brampton Makki Masjid, The Islamic society of Peel, Vice president of Mathabah Institute and CEO & Founder of Bukhari Publications: [In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful] All praise is for Allah, the Sustainer of every creation The Most Merciful and the Ever Merciful Master of the Day of Compensation It is only You who we worship and only You Who we seek assistance from Guide us to the straight path The path of those you bestowed favours upon, not those who have incurred [Your] wrath and those who have deviated Video can be seen HERE . 2. Dutch police shoot man reportedly waving axe on balcony THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Dutch police say they shot and wounded a man who was standing on the balcony of a residential apartment block and reportedly was waving an axe and shouting "Allahu akbar." In a series of tweets, Rotterdam police say the shooting happened early Wednesday afternoon in Schiedam when police tried unsuccessfully to calm the man. When an arrest team entered the apartment, the man attempted to attack them and injured a police dog. 3. Paris police clear out "Millennaire" migrant camp France: Authorities begin eviction of Millennium migrant camp in Paris Free Free
Print The city of Philadelphia is prioritizing "political grandstanding over the needs of children," advertising an "urgent" need for foster care even as it cuts off offers of help from Catholic Social Services, charges a lawsuit. Represented by the non-profit Becket, Sharonell Fulton and other foster parents are asking a Philadelphia court to overturn a new city policy that banishes them from the foster care system. Philadelphia ended CSS participation in foster care programs "solely because the city disagrees with the agency's religious beliefs," according to Becket. The legal team explained that in March the city issued an urgent call for 300 new foster parents to provide loving homes for some of the more than 6,000 children in Philadelphia foster care. The need for foster parents is urgent. At any given time, nearly 6,000 children and youth are in foster care in Philly. Become a foster parent [?] https://t.co/xpDY7l4iUy pic.twitter.com/E1AzS3lQBG -- City of Philadelphia (@PhiladelphiaGov) March 8, 2018 But at virtually the same time, city officials "abruptly barred Catholic Social Services, one of the city's top-rated foster agencies, from placing children with foster families." Consequently, foster homes are empty while the city begs for help. "What justice is there in taking stable, loving homes away from children? If the city cuts off Catholic Social Services from foster care, foster moms like me won't have the help and support they need to care for special-needs kid
1. Minnesota daycare fraud scheme has possible link to terror 2. EU considers direct Iran central bank transfers to beat US sanctions European proposal is the strongest challenge yet to newly reimposed US sanctions. The European Commission is proposing that EU governments make direct money transfers to Iran's central bank to avoid US penalties, an EU official said, in what would be the most forthright challenge to Washington's newly reimposed sanctions. The step, which would seek to bypass the US financial system, would allow European companies to repay Iran for oil exports and repatriate Iranian funds in Europe, a senior EU official said, although the details were still to be worked out. 3. Andrew Bolt explains why he disinvited world's most famous atheist from his program BOLT: I'd asked famous atheist @RichardDawkins , to come on the show. He accepted - then we started to get a very long list of demands, restrictions of what we could talk about. #theboltreport @SkyNewsAust pic.twitter.com/RJxLNbY8MA -- The Bolt Report (@theboltreport) May 18, 2018 4. Syrian living in Sweden held "for financing terrorism" The man was involved in a people-smuggling ring and sent profits to fund terrorism in Syria, according to the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper. The suspect, who is reportedly in his mid-forties, has lived in Sweden with his family since 2012 and was arrested in Denmark at the Kastrup airport. He worked for the network from his apartment in Finspang, to the south east of Swede
WOAI 1200 News reported Tuesday that Texas Rep. Steve Toth has had it with talk that the federal government may restrict his Second Amendment rights. Toth is concerned especially about limitations on the sale or possession of semi-automatic weapons as well as restrictions of magazine sizes. Instead of complaining, he decided to do something about it. Taking a cue from Wyoming's HB-104, he intends to submit his own version of a Firearms Protection Act in the state legislature soon. "If a federal official comes into the state of Texas to enforce the federal executive order, that person is subject to criminal prosecution," Toth told 1200 WOAI's Joe Pags Tuesday. He added that his bill as proposed would make any attempt to enforce a federal gun ban in Texas punishable by a $50,000 fine and up to five years in prison. He's aware that simply passing a state law won't be the end it it -- it'll eventually entail a fight with the federal government. "At some point there needs to be a showdown between the states and the federal government over the Supremacy Clause," he said on the program, adding that, "It is our responsibility to push back when those laws are infringed by King Obama." Toth indicated that before submitting the proposed bill, he'll meet with Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. Abbott is already on record as saying he would go to court to block any Congressional gun ban. "I've been to the Supreme Court twice," Abbott said in an earlier interview with 1200 WOAI's Joe Pag
Electoral College has failed us - but Supreme Court can reject Donald Trump before inauguration Bill Palmer | 3:58 pm EDT December 19, 2016 The Electoral College has cast its votes today, handing the victory to Donald Trump with very few defectors. History will record that the five hundred and thirty eight members of that body had an opportunity to prevent an unfit and unstable Russian puppet from taking power, and failed to do its solemn duty. But it's still not a given that Trump will take office. In fact, now that the voting has taken place, the matter can be put in front of the Supreme Court - and in fact there is existing precedent for it to overturn the election. As was documented in a Palmer Report article just before the Electoral College voted, various entities including Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig have been attempting to establish that Donald Trump is constitutionally disqualified from being eligible to be President. If he or another individual makes a move to put the election in front of the Supreme Court, it can issue essentially any ruling it wants. There is a lower court ruling from twenty years ago which saw federal court overturning a state election due to its illegitimacy. At the time, the Supreme Court declined to intervene, allowing the lower court ruling to stand. That means the high court has already signed off on the constitutionality of legally overturning an election result. So if the 2016 election is challenged in front of the Supreme Court, it
An order paper question from Conservative MP Harold Albrecht has revealed Minister of Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr's extreme level of vanity and the cost of his ego. Albrecht's question asked: With regard to the purchase of likes on Facebook by government departments, agencies, Crown corporations or other government entities since January 1st 2016, A) what are the details of all such purchases including amount, date, number of likes purchased, title of page or post which received the likes; and B) what is the total expenditures for these likes. Across all departments, no taxpayer dollars were spent on the purchase of Facebook likes, with the exclusion of Natural Resources Canada, which showed two separate purchases. The first was from October 23rd to November 6th 2017, when they spent $3,500 to buy 2,668 Facebook likes for a post about Energy Star Canada on their English language page. At the same time, for the same post on their French language page, they spent $1,500 to buy another 943 likes. That's a total of $5,000 Canadian taxpayer dollars to buy 3,611 Facebook likes. For those keeping track at home, that's $1.38 for each and every fake Facebook like, and is an indication of how completely shallow, gross and misdirected the Liberals are. They spend $5,000 to make themselves seem popular and liked on Facebook, and spend money on glamour projects like Bollywood vacations, while Canadian veterans get accused of asking for too much back at home. Jim Carr can't get an
Remember when Hillary Clinton and President Obama said that Australia served as a good model for gun control? The land down under already had low homicide rates. It wasn't the landscape depicted in the post-apocalyptic classic Mad Max, where biker gangs exploited society's decline by taking over the highways; pillaging, murdering, and raping their way through a desolate wasteland. Yet, ironically, given that Australia's gun control policy included gun buybacks, bans, and confiscation, not only have biker gangs exploited the dangerous black market created by this policy, which includes access to automatic weapons, but compliance with the buyback program was horrifically low (via Reason ): In Australia, part of the supply of banned firearms comes from defiance of the original prohibition. The Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia estimates compliance with the "buyback" at 19 percent. Other researchers agree. In a white paper on the results of gun control efforts around the world, Franz Csaszar, a professor of criminology at the University of Vienna, Austria, gives examples of large-scale non-compliance with the ban. He points out, "In Australia it is estimated that only about 20% of all banned self-loading rifles have been given up to the authorities." But that defiance was mostly on the part of peaceful civilians who just didn't want to bend their knees to politicians, and it was 20 years ago. What about the bad actors supposedly targeted for disarmament by the governmen
Respect MP George Galloway walked out of a debate at Christ Church college at Oxford University last night after being asked a question by an Israeli citizen. Galloway's response before walking out was "I don't debate Israelis". Given that George Galloway has been trending today on Twitter , I gather many of you will have seen the video from last night of the MP for Bradford West refusing to debate a student, one Eylon Aslan-Levy, because he is an Israeli citizen. Galloway stated very clearly: " I don't debate with Israelis . I have been misled, sorry ... I don't recognise Israel and I don't debate with Israelis." This morning he tweeted this: [blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/georgegalloway/status/304519852691976192''] But has Galloway always felt this way towards Israeli citizens? Take Sheikh Raed Salah, for example. In 2012 Salah visited the UK to attend and host a number of pro-Palestine events . He was permitted to stay in the UK for six months and as an Israeli citizen did not need a passport to do so. However the Home Secretary Theresa May saw fit to detain Salah in his hotel in London and then in an immigration centre for 21 days . Later he won his application to be released on bail, no doubt causing embarrassment to May and her colleagues. Before being arrested he was scheduled to "participate in a speaking tour with Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood figure Ahmed Nofal, Viva Palestina leader George Galloway and other radicals [as well as] speak at a meeting at the UK
BY Lawrence Sellin, PhD | AUGUST 6, 2014 The establishment's fear of the truth empowers Obama What would happen if Americans learned that Barack Obama is not just an individual with a history of radical, anti-American associations, but an illegal President and an unindicted felon? What would happen if Americans learned that the US government, including all members of Congress, and leading figures in American media knew it and deliberately hid the truth from us? If such a scenario were true, the political system and the media, as we now know it, would collapse, most politicians and journalists would lose their jobs and many would go to jail. Who in government and the media have the greatest incentive to remain silent and run out the clock on Barack Obama? Obama and his inner circle know that there is a limit to the opposition's ability to investigate governmental corruption without exposing their own possible complicity. Does it explain Obama's promotion of policies seemingly detrimental to the United States, his ability to lie without accountability and his constant use of political brinkmanship? Neither Kapiolani Medical Center nor Queens Medical Center, both in Honolulu, Hawaii have ever confirmed from their hospital records that Obama was born in either hospital. Between November 20 and December 2 of 2008, 13 separate Hawaiian hospitals were contacted to determine if Obama had been born there, none of which could or would confirm that it was the facility where he was born
Is racism the underlying reason why congressional Republicans oppose the president's decision to stop deporting some five million illegal immigrants? That's preposterous , Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) said emphatically at a congressional hearing earlier this week. The Blaze has the details: Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) interrogated Marielena Hincapie, the executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, during a Tuesday House hearing on President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration reform after she seemingly suggested race may be the basis behind the GOP's opposition to the unilateral action. If anything, this gave Rep. Gowdy a golden opportunity to finally clear the air and address a charge that's been thrown around for weeks now; namely, all opposition to the president's immigration order is racist. He noted, for example, that when Democratic lawmakers opposed a certain Republican president not so long ago, the "discrimination" charge was rarely, if ever, levied. How interesting. He also gently reminded the witness on the hot seat that President Obama opposed amnesty before he was staunchly in favor of it. "Harry Reid had a very different perspective on recess appointments when there was a Texan in the White House and none of us accused him of geographic discrimination," he said. "In fact -- hell -- for that matter, Sen. Obama had a different perspective on executive overreach than President Obama , and nobody runs to race as an explanation for that. So I would j
As college students hit their campuses and get back to class, many are facing an unprecedented attack on their First Amendment rights to religious freedom and free speech. Just as sure as atheists will sue to remove Nativity scenes at Christmastime, the new school year will no doubt bring many lawsuits on campuses across the country that seek to suppress viewpoints that the university administration holds to be contrary to their own. Many would say that suing to remove something that represents exactly what Christmas stands for is absurd and it is no less ridiculous what is happening at universities across the country. Student groups are being forced to either disband or let anyone who wants to run their student groups do so - as in, a Christian student group would be forced to allow an atheist to be its president, the Republican group on campus would be forced to let a Democrat lead their organization, a pro-choice person leading the pro-life group, etc. Some universities didn't bother to wait until the new school year started to start enacting these policies. At the nation's largest university system, Cal State, the administration has already announced that they are preparing to withdraw official recognition of evangelical student groups because they supposedly discriminate against their leaders based on religion. Read that again. Evangelical groups, by their very definition, support a specific theology and doctrine of Christianity and strive to live out their faith in the
Trump's vicious attack on families is only hurting him. If there were any Republicans left who thought Trump's plan to heartlessly rip families apart at the border was going to translate into a political win, a wave of new polling data has dashed those dreams. Not only did Trump's approval rating drop a net nine points in the latest Gallup poll -- the largest one-week decline of his presidency -- but Trump's favorite, Republican-friendly pollster, Rasmussen, now shows him tumbling. "With the debate over immigration policy continuing, the president's overall job approval rating has fallen to its lowest level since late March," Rasmussen notes . Well known as a consistent outlier in the polling industry, Rasmussen's results regularly peg Trump's approval rating approximately five points higher than most surveys. And that's why Trump has championed the polling firm in the past. The new Rasmussen Poll, one of the most accurate in the 2016 Election, just out with a Trump 50% Approval Rating.That's higher than O's #'s! -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2017 The latest plummet comes after Trump enjoyed a brief upward blip in the polls following his photo-op summit in North Korea. Engaging with the North Korean leader is one of the few issues of his presidency that has drawn bipartisan support. But the wildfire controversy over ripping migrant families apart appears to have completely undone any goodwill Trump may have gained from the summit. Meanwhile, a batch of new
A widespread phenomenon is arising in Illinois. Sanctuary cities for guns are flooding the state. The adoption of ideas to protect gun laws from impending new state regulations has reached a fever pitch. Guns.com had more to report: "Last week the Mercer County Board unanimously approved a measure to make the county the 30th gun sanctuary county in Illinois, The Dispatch-Argus reported . 'We're telling the state they cannot pass laws that impinge on our Second Amendment rights,' said Mercer County Board member Brian Anseeuw, R-New Windsor. Described as largely symbolic, counties and cities across the state have moved since March to declare their local region a 'sanctuary' for gun owners, starting with the Iroquois County Board. This came as a grassroots backlash against a package of gun control bills ranging from restricting those under age 21 from purchasing guns to bans on bump stocks and various licensing schemes for gun dealers that have seen success in the state legislature. In addition, two other counties, Madison and Williamson, reportedly have plans to put the gun sanctuary question to voters in November. With almost a third of the state's 102 counties doubling down on their support of gun rights, Second Amendment groups are encouraged. 'I love this kind of pro-gun rights pushback,' Alan Gottlieb, with the Second Amendment Foundation, told Guns.com. 'It sends a message that the right to keep and bear arms must be protected not attacked.'" This kind of rejection was ex
Allegra-D: it's just like guns. Not safe in the hands of dangerous drug-dealers, but excellent for when you have problems of your own that need solving. At least, that's the newest analogy that Cosmopolitan is using to dumb down the gun-control debate. The magazine is confused as to why so many people protest new gun legislation because, as they say, "the Second Amendment is not going anywhere." Author Andy Kopsa enters third-grade teacher mode when he writes "here's an example most of us can identify with. I have really bad allergies." The poor guy treats his bad allergies with Allegra-D, which contains pseudoephedrine. But pseudoephedrine is a main ingredient in meth. So, "since crystal meth is a dangerous drug, Congress chose to regulate my Allegra-D. Now I have to go to the pharmacists and ask to buy my allergy pills." Kopsa can still buy his medication, "it's just more of a pain. Same with gun control. You can still buy a gun, piles of them if you want; you are just going to have to jump through a few hoops to get it." The ability to treat a runny nose, buying a tool to defend yourself, it's all the same thing. Newsflash, Cosmo : no one buys allergy medication to prevent a problem; Allegra is only useful once the attack of the violent sneezes has already begun. Guns don't work that way. Kopsa's allergies must be particularly awful. So much so that they have caused him to misread the Constitution and think that the second amendment says "the right of the people to purchas
A northern Virginia school board voted overwhelmingly to adopt what WRC-TV called a "more inclusive sex education curriculum" for next year. By a 10-1 vote Thursday night, the Fairfax County board approved a change to the Family Life Education Curriculum replacing "biological sex" with "sex assigned at birth" in order to recognize transgender students, the station said. The present sex-ed curriculum for eighth-, ninth- and 10th-graders says "the development of individual identity occurs over a lifetime and includes the component of sexual orientation and gender identity" and that "biological sex" is one of four components of individual identity, WRC reported. And the change went through despite what appears to have been overwhelming opposition to it. School district records show that between May 10 and June 8, the district got 192 emails supporting the terminology change -- and 941 emails opposing the change, the station said. Spirited public opinion Groups ranging from the Fairfax County Republican Committee to the Catholic Diocese of Arlington opposed the change in terminology, the station said. "A lot of the people who are opposed to the change are making the point that what we want the kids to learn is biology, not ideology," Father Thomas P. Ferguson of the Arlington diocese said, WRC reported. A woman -- her voice breaking at one point as she spoke to the board -- said the proposed curriculum change will "imprison students in half truths and lies ... 'biological sex' is
WATCH as Conservative MP attempts to get an honest yes or no about the government's intent to remove FGM as a prohibited practice in Canada from our Immigration Minister. From MP Michelle Rempel's Facebook page : Female Genital Mutilation is a human rights violation, but Trudeau has decided to remove listing it as an intolerable practice from Canada's Citizenship Guide. Watch me ask his immigration minister if he will reverse the decision. Share this video and sign this petition : Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
A national religious liberty law firm has accused a church in Florida of heresy after it hosted a public forum in partnership with an organization that supports the LGBT community. (PHOTO: PIXABAY/MARY BETTINI BLANK) According to New Now Next , Liberty Counsel accused the Northland Church of going against the teachings of the Bible when it hosted The Reformation Project group's open discussion. The Reformation Project's website described itself as a "Bible-based, Christian grassroots organization that works to promote inclusion of LGBT people by reforming church teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity." Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver expressed outrage at Northland Church for holding the event, CBN News reported. "It's frankly shocking that any church would invite this organization," said Staver. "One would have to be blind or complicit to allow the Reformation Project to put on an LGBTQ propaganda presentation in the church." "The name and mission of the organization declare its purpose is to reform church teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity," Staver said. He also noted that the dialogue is an avenue for Christians to be confused and an attempt to distort the Bible's teachings on sexuality. Pastor Joel Hunter of the Northland Church explained their stand on why they allowed a forum from an LGBT organization to be held in their church. (PHOTO: FACEBOOK/NORTHLAND, A CHURCH DISTRIBUTED) Pastor Joel Hunter of the Northland Church in F
A detailed rebuttal of the ridiculous Lord Lawson, a man competely wrong, wrong, wrong, just plain wrong on climate change. The former Conservative chancellor Nigel Lawson - who has argued that "green is the new red" - writes today in The Times that the Copenhagen summit should fail. He says: "Mr Brown's Copenhagen objective will, happily, not be achieved." His article is riddled with inaccuracies and falsehoods. Here is our point-by-point rebuttal: 1) "The Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012." Kyoto does not expire in 2012, we merely reach the end of the current so-called "commitment period". It is perfectly feasible that the parties signed up to Kyoto would agree to continue into another "commitment period" with fresh agreements - indeed, that is the position that more than one hundred developing countries including China aspire towards. 2) "There is a strong moral argument (to keep emitting) ... for the developing world, the overriding priority has to be the fastest feasible rate of economic development, which means, inter alia, using the cheapest available form of energy: carbon-based energy." This is actually quite sick if you reflect upon what he's saying for a minute. * Kofi Annan's Global Humanitarian Forum research shows 300,000 people die each year from climate impacts. * The Pentagon warns of the risk of "endemic warfare". * The Lancet describes climate change as the "biggest health threat". * A study in Nature Journal suggests a million species face extinction f
On Friday, the LGBT group Human Rights Campaign (HRC) published a "guide" for LGBT people in evangelical Christian churches. The guide twisted the Bible, painted traditional Christianity as hateful, downplayed the crucial role of repentance in the Christian life, identified people with their sin, and pushed a radical acceptance of LGBT ideology on churches. The great spiritual threat in this message was apparent from the very title of the guidance: " Coming Home to Evangelicalism and to Self ." C.S. Lewis, channeling Jesus' humility in Philippians 2, described pride as "the great sin," explaining that a turning in on self is the "complete anti-God state of mind." HRC's push to encourage churches to accept people who suffer with same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria is laudable, and Christians have been too dismissive of these people in the past. But Christians must be careful to preserve the teachings of Jesus while extending His grace to those who struggle with these issues. God calls Christians to love LGBT people, but not to affirm LGBT identity, and HRC's "guidance" undermines that crucial mission. Without further ado, here are the five ways in which the HRC "guide" poses a serious threat to the spiritual health of evangelical Christians, whether they identify as LGBT or not. 1. Twisting the Bible on sexuality. LGBT activists have long pushed a reinterpretation of scripture in order to justify claims that Jesus would approve of same-sex marriage , transgender identity,
1. Hungary sentences Syrian migrant to seven years for border riot BUDAPEST/SZEGED (Reuters) - A Hungarian court sentenced a Syrian-Cypriot man to seven years in prison for illegally crossing the border and for being an accomplice in "an act of terror" during clashes with police in September 2015, state news agency MTI reported on Wednesday. The preliminary ruling after a retrial of the case, which is milder than the original 10-year sentence issued in 2016, comes as Prime Minister Viktor Orban campaigns on an anti-immigrant platform ahead of an April 8 election he is expected to win. Ahmed Hamed was part of a group that crossed illegally into Hungary on Sept. 16, 2015 and also spoke to the crowd using a loudspeaker before hundreds of migrants forced open the border gate and police fired water cannon and teargas. Videos of riots and response by Hungarian authorities : 2. Belgium: Afghan migrant murders young mother, and her children discover her body A 27-year-old Belgian mother of two has been stabbed to death in her home in the Belgian city of Herentals. The woman had a new relationship with an Afghan man, who has been arrested while he was on the run. The horrible events took place during the night of Monday to Tuesday. A local resident saw a car speeding through the street after someone left the house near 4:30 am. Around 9:00 am the woman's two young daughters, aged 4 and 7, were walking in pyjamas through the streets and alarmed one of the neighbours. The neighbour, cal
1. Kosher store near Paris hit by arson attack on anniversary of Jewish supermarket shooting A suspected arson attack that burnt down a French kosher grocery store near Paris on Tuesday has revived anti-Semitism fears in France, three years to the day since a deadly assault on a Jewish supermarket by a jihadist gunman. The incident took place in Creteil to the south east of Paris in France's Val-de-Marne department. The fire at the store Promo & Destock in Mont-Mesly in Creteil was signaled to the authorities at around 5am on Tuesday morning. 2. London Islamic State Sympathiser Planned to Bomb "Smart People" A self-described "simple man" who had an apparent hatred for people of intelligence planned a suicide bombing in London to take out "smart people", a British court has heard. Whitechapel resident Mohammed Kamal Hussain, 28, was arrested with Mohammed Ashfaqur Hemel, 31, last year as he planned to launch an attack, which he identified in communications in code as a "barbeque party", reports The Times . Calling himself "Captain the illiterate" -- a pseudonym he later explained to police was missing the word "of", communications by Hussain intercepted by officers included the confession that he considered himself "a simple man" and that "I hate the smart people", who he wanted to kill. 3. British Army Recruitment Campaign Focuses on Islam, Sexual Diversity The British Army has been slammed for bowing to "political correctness" after spending PS1.6 million on a campaign engag
farminator3000 (2,117 posts) Queens AK-47 Gunman Shoots, Kills Teen Outside Party- the inquisitr http://www.inquisitr.com/460161/queens-ak-47-gunman-shoots-kills-teen-outside-party/ that gun is just a pistol with fancy stuff all over it, really. that's all. Queens AK-47 Gunman Shoots, Kills Teen Outside Party- the inquisitr (Original post) farminator3000 Dec 2012 OP Well at least it wasn't a Bushmaster nadinbrzezinski Dec 2012 #1 Sun Dec 30, 2012, 12:00 AM nadinbrzezinski (154,021 posts) Sun Dec 30, 2012, 12:01 AM NutmegYankee (13,232 posts) 2. Oh, it's certainly NOT a pistol. The AK 7.62x 39 round has far more power. Sun Dec 30, 2012, 12:10 AM farminator3000 (2,117 posts) 3. it looks like a pistol with bells on why? more power? so what? are you defending yourself from a rhino? Sun Dec 30, 2012, 12:19 AM NutmegYankee (13,232 posts) 6. No, you'd need a much bigger round for a rhino. The 7.62x39mm round of the AK-47 was designed specifically for machine guns by the Soviets. You know, just in case a nasty herd of Capitalist humans was descending upon the motherland. Sun Dec 30, 2012, 12:55 AM Remmah2 (3,291 posts) 15. Looks like the picture was truncated. Only the media will know if it was done intentionally. Sun Dec 30, 2012, 12:12 AM Sun Dec 30, 2012, 12:15 AM NutmegYankee (13,232 posts) 5. usually 30. The 39 is the length of the cartridge in mm. The cartridge (bullet) is a 7.62x39mm round. Sun Dec 30, 2012, 12:19 AM bongbong (5,436 posts) 7. Very imporatant to get the minutia
1. Spain: Caretaker tackles Moroccan man who screamed 'Allahu Akbar' and threatened to slaughter children 'like lambs' after breaking into school A CARETAKER tackled a man who broke into a school shouting Allahu Akbar and threatening to slaughter children "like lambs." Witnesses said the 46-year-old was carrying a bottle thought at first to contain poison - although it was later found to be empty - when he entered the school in Madrid. He sparked panic after managing to get into a classroom where there were three-year-old children. A caretaker held him with help from other staff before police reached the scene. The ugly incident happened just after 9am last Friday at state school Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba in Madrid's popular La Latina neighbourhood. He was arrested for breaking and entering, criminal damage and threats. 2. Greece: MMA trained schoolgirl beats up migrant who tries to rob and assault her A migrant in Greece chose the wrong victim for a robbery on the island of Samos last Friday. A schoolgirl was on her way to her mother when the unknown man tried to rob her. The immigrant tried three to four times to grab her bag but the girl didn't let it go. He also made obscene gestures and moves towards the girl which would probably be categorised as sexual assault. The migrant obviously had no idea the young girl trained in martial arts and had her own plan. She kept her cool and suddenly attacked him. As a result the migrant fell to the ground. The young girl escaped a
Delaware on Monday became the 15th state to ban the practice of gay conversion therapies, The Hill reports. Gov. John Carney signed a new law into place that fines or revokes the license of a licensed medical practitioner who performs the practice. Senate Bill 65, which prohibits the use of conversion therapy on LGBTQ youth, was approved by the Senate last year. The Delaware House in early June voted to approve the same measure. Conversion therapy is now banned in Connecticut, California, Nevada, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New York, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Washington, Maryland, Hawaii and New Hampshire. "So-called 'conversion therapy' is dangerous, cruel and uniformly rejected by every major mental health and child welfare organization," said Sarah McBride of the Human Rights Campaign . "Today's signing is a critical step forward in the fight to ensure that Delaware is a safe and affirming state for all LGBTQ youth, and we hope that the values and progress reflected in this law guide the ongoing conversation in Delaware about protecting LGBTQ students from discrimination." Conversion therapy is a practice that aims to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity. Talk therapy is currently the most commonly used technique, but some practitioners have also used aversion treatments, such as "induced nausea, vomiting or paralysis; providing electrical shocks," according to a 2009 report.
1. ISIS jihadi who wanted to bomb Big Ben had TWO council houses including one for his wife A JIHADI who was part of a gang which plotted to bomb more than 30 landmarks across London had two council houses - one for himself and another for his wife, who "wanted her independence." Qualified cupping therapist Muhammad Abid has been living in a flat given to him by Newham Council, while his wife took the keys to another taxpayer funded pad in Canning Town. He said: "She wanted to maintain her independence from myself and, number two, because of her health conditions." The 27-year-old has now been jailed for four years and three months at the Old Bailey for failing to report his gang's plots. The gang told children to drive cars "like Mujahideen", encouraging them to go armed to Big Ben, Heathrow airport and Westfield shopping centre to carry out attacks. 2. "I've never felt so much guilt in all my life": Firefighters who were BANNED from helping Manchester bombing victims by bungling bosses ask for forgiveness Firefighters have asked for forgiveness after it was revealed they were banned from helping victims the night of the Manchester bombing. Rank-and-file firefighters today told of their devastation at the decisions made by senior management during the attack which left 22 dead and 119 injured. A probe by Lord Bob Kerslake revealed that fire crews were delayed by two hours and six minutes after the bombing. The fire service "stuck to the rules" of an operation designed to kee
MY girlfriend has just ended our relationship by email. She is Muslim and her father told her that if he finds out she is seeing a non-Muslim he will kill her. I am a Hindu man aged 28 and my girlfriend is 26. We met at university in India and were in a serious relationship. We spoke about marriage and settling down. Things were perfect between us and I knew she was the one for me. But she started to seem a bit distant and one weekend she told me that she needed time to think about us and our relationship. I agreed and gave her space. On the Monday morning I opened this long email from her ending our relationship. In part she said it was because we hardly spend time together because of our jobs - we both work in IT - but religion came into it too. Her father's threat sounded very real - he said he would go to jail for killing her rather than have his 50 year reputation ruined. That really shocked her and she said she couldn't let that happen. My family would have started out saying they didn't want me to marry a Muslim but I know they would have come round to it. I know she loved me and still loves me, but she has sacrificed her love for her family. I have tried to speak to her but she acts all cold towards me. I really do miss her but I know she's not coming back. My sister and brother-in-law - the only ones I've told about our relationship - say I'll get over it soon but I'm hurting. What can I do to help myself? I walk around with a brave face and try to keep myself busy w
Unemployment decreased by 76,000 in the three months to February 2015 to 1.84 million, with the unemployment rate now at 5.6 per cent, today's labour market statistics reveal Unemployment decreased by 76,000 in the three months to February 2015 to 1.84 million, with the unemployment rate now at 5.6 per cent, today's labour market statistics reveal . Comparing the estimates for the 3 months ending February 2015 with those for September to November 2014, employment continued to rise and unemployment continued to fall. These changes maintain the general direction of movement since late 2011/early 2012. There were 31.05 million people in work, 248,000 more than for September to November 2014 and 557,000 more than for a year earlier. The proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 in work (the employment rate) was 73.4%, the highest since comparable records began in 1971. There were 1.84 million unemployed people, 76,000 fewer than for September to November 2014 and 416,000 fewer than for a year earlier. The proportion of the economically active population who were unemployed (the unemployment rate) was 5.6%, lower than for September to November 2014 (5.8%) and for a year earlier (6.9%). The economically active population is those in work plus those seeking and available to work. There were 8.99 million people aged from 16 to 64 who were out of work and not seeking or available to work (known as economically inactive), 104,000 fewer than for September to November 2014 but 11,000 more
On, March 19, 2017, the annual Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade will march through South Boston. However, what will not go reported is the latest assault on the First Amendment against American citizens. How? A homosexual group finally forced its way into this very Catholic event. "Forced" is the key word, people. What happened? How could this happen?! Over the past few weeks, the Allied War Veterans Council (the organizers of the annual Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade) endured vicious attacks in the Boston media from major Boston politicians and other groups to cave in and allow an LGBT group, even though such a move would violate their principles and prime convictions. Corporations also threatened to pull their financial support, too. Sadly, it appears that this bullying worked. On Friday afternoon, March 10, Tim Duross, the main parade organizer, announced that they would welcome OUTVets into the parade. What can we say now? The First Amendment is dead in Boston. Where's the Luck O' the Irish when you need it? Now the Boston liberal (forgive the repetition) establishment is crowing that their pressure, intimidation, and extortion tactics made the Veterans Council "see the light." Uh ... No! The parade organizers had every intention of sticking to their Shillelaghs . The Veterans Council ultimately capitulated to the homosexual group because of widespread violence and deaths. You read that correctly. But what about police protection? The Boston Police Commissioner's office w
Mainstream media push conspiracy theories as Venezuelan leader survives assassination attempt On 4 August, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro survived an assassination attempt. Several drones armed with explosives were blown up overhead as the Latin American leader was giving a speech in Caracas. Some mainstream media outlets, however, decided to push conspiracy theories rather than showing due concern. Attempted assassination... (c) Canary Media Limited 2015-18. All rights reserved. Canary Media Ltd, PO Box 3301, Bristol, BS5 5GD. Registered in England. Company registration number 09788095. Please contact us .
* Individual employment conditions ( 91/533/EEC ) established the employer's obligation to inform employees of the conditions applicable to the employment contract or employment relationship. * Fixed term employment framework agreement provided for equal treatment for fixed term contract workers to prevent the abuse of workers subjected to successive fixed-term contracts. * The part time workers framework agreement required that part-time workers' employment conditions were not be less favourable than those of comparable full-time workers, with employers, required to take account of employees' preferences and their requests to transfer from full-time to part-time employment or vice versa. This legislation helped thousands of low paid women workers who worked in part time jobs. * And of course the temporary agency workers directive which aims to guarantee a minimum level of effective protection to temporary and agency workers. Although its transposition into UK law has been controversial, it does provide some protection from the gross exploitation agency workers have suffered over the years. I would suggest this was the 'hire and fire' Gove referred to. * This was coupled with the health & safety in fixed term and temporary employment - an EU directive ( 91/383/EEC ) which ensured that fixed-term and temporary agency workers, who are more exposed to the risk of accidents at work and occupational diseases than other workers, have the same level of safety and health protectio
A glimpse into the mind of a bigot, published as comment in a national newspaper Daily Mail columnist Richard Littlejohn has written a bizarre attack on a women he knows nothing about. He points to a story in the London Evening Standard, in which police officers helped deliver a baby in Marble Arch after a woman suddenly went into labour. Littlejohn accepts the story could be seen as 'heart-warming'. However, our intrepid scribbler believes the story has a broader significance. He notes that the identity of the women, described as 'homeless' or a 'rough sleeper' in reports, has not been released to the public. Littlejohn writes: "A couple of the reports do say she is a 'migrant' and point out that Marble Arch has become a magnet for Eastern European vagrants [...] So I think it's fair to assume that she's one of the many Eastern European gypsies camped out around Hyde Park, who do so much to enrich the diversity of our capital city, bringing with them their traditional skills such as aggressive begging and pickpocketing. " Really? It's 'fair to assume' all that? Based on this 'fair assumption', Littlejohn goes on to defame the woman by association: "A group of these valuable and talented folk recently decided to make their home at the memorial to all those slaughtered by Islamist suicide bombers on the London transport network ten years ago. They had converted the memorial plaque into a dinner table, and were using the nearby bushes as a toilet ." He then laments: "Even in
Among the absurdities I've heard during this election season are the following assertions: "It doesn't matter who gets elected President - it's been over 40 years since Roe v. Wade and abortion is still legal." "Even if a politician says he's pro-life and that he'll appoint pro-life judges, nothing changes." "Overturning Roe v. Wade would only be a symbolic victory." Maybe you've heard statements like these from people who identify as pro-life. They express a frustration with what some think is a lack of progress in protecting the unborn from brutal deaths. In fact, though, the above charges are just plain wrong. What's more, they serve only to prevent progress, protect the abortion industry, and hurt babies, their mothers, and their families. The undisputed truth -- documented by researchers such as Dr. Michael New -- is that pro-life laws save lives. And these laws now exist because the judges who upheld them were appointed by presidents who sought to protect human lives. If anyone thinks it doesn't matter who gets elected to make judicial appointments, consider what's happened in the last four months. Last June, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Texas laws that would have required abortionists and abortion businesses to meet minimum health and safety standards, which in turn would have caused some unsafe clinics to close. Because of this decision, below-standard clinics in Texas - and in Wisconsin, Alabama and Mississippi - where similar laws have subsequently been rend
Ontario PC nominations have become contentious in recent months and last week was no exception from the cosmically crazy controversies we've seen in various riding nominations. Riding association presidents are appealing the outcome of at least two recent contests. At issue: numerous irregularities. Earlier this month there were concerns about ballot-box stuffing in Ottawa West Nepean and officials with the Newmarket-Aurora PC riding association are challenging the April 8 nomination noting that the process and election had been tainted by a blatant breach of the nomination rules. Watch as I fill you in on the details and speak to some of the people involved. At the end of the day, yet another PC riding nomination ended in controversy and bitterness, peppered with allegations of rule-breaking and improper conduct.
Trump's War On Transgender Service Members This week LGBTQ Americans received a one-two punch from the Trump administration. By Rev. Irene Monroe Published: 2017.07.30 05:52 PM The first punch was President Trump's ban against transgender service members. In his inimitable style of communicating to the American public the order came in the form of a tweet: "After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military," Trump tweeted. "Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you" Ironically, Trump's tweet comes on the 69th anniversary of President Harry Truman's executive order desegregating the U. S. military in 1948, and from a Vietnam draft dodger who received five deferments, one of which was a medical diagnosis for bone spurs in his heels. The second punch occurred on the same day of Trump's ban. The Justice Department filed court papers citing Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination in the workplace based on "race, color, religion, sex or national origin," but it does NOT bar discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. For LGBTQ service members, the fight for LGBTQ employment nondiscrimination protections was never more urgent than now.
1. Sweden lorry attacker who killed shoppers wanted to build caliphate Rakhmat Akilov says he wanted to hit as many people as possible when he stole a beer lorry and drove it into a crowd in Stockholm. An asylum seeker who drove a lorry through crowds of shoppers in Stockholm, killing five people, has said he wanted to build a caliphate. Rakhmat Akilov stole the beer lorry and swerved wildly through the Swedish capital's city centre, aiming at pedestrians and mowing them down in April last year. The 40-year-old Uzbek national has told a court that he wanted Sweden to "end its participation in the fight against the caliphate, to stop sending its soldiers to war zones". Related : 2. Somali Father Arranged for Daughter to Have Genitals Mutilated to Stop Her "Feeling Sexy" A Somali heritage Uber driver allowed his seven-year-old daughter to be subjected to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) because he said it stops "women feeling sexy all the time", a court has heard. The case represents one of the first times a prosecution for the crime - common in some migrant and Muslim cultures - has been brought to court in the UK, despite being illegal here since 1985 and hundreds of successful prosecutions in France. "The case concerns... a practice that is illegal in this country and is becoming illegal in countries around the world," Anna Vigars QC, prosecuting, told the court as the case began Monday. "But, there are communities in Africa and the Middle East where it is common," she added,
Kristen Bell. You were so great as sassy, wisecracking teen detective in Veronica Mars. And I teared up right along with you about sloths on the Ellen Show. But while your Mary Poppins spoof to pump up support for raising the minimum wage was definitely cute and well-produced, it was a little fact-challenged. Bell's argument, made in rhyme, boils down to: raise the minimum wage three bucks to bump all workers over the poverty line. Seems simple, doesn't it? And appealing. Who doesn't want fewer people living in poverty? Who could object to a "living wage?" But in politics, the simplest answer isn't always the best one. (Which is a good enough reason on its own to hate politics.) Raising the minimum wage only works to alleviate poverty if two things are true. First, it must be true that low wages, and not unemployment, is the biggest factor in poverty. Second, it must be true that raising the minimum wage does not, in fact, lead to decreased employment. Unfortunately for Bell, and us, neither is true. Wouldn't it be nice if the Democratic narrative on the minimum wage were even closely aligned with reality. All we'd have to do is fight those greedy CEOs who don't want to have to pay their workers more and pass a law to raise the federal minimum wage $3 and *poof* millions of people are boosted above the poverty line and are finally able to enjoy a living wage. The reality is quite different. CEOs actually love to raise the minimum wage, and actively lobby for it. Walmart, that
Some of the most intriguing ideas are also among the simplest. While the firearm industry scrambles every year to come up with new and previously unseen firearms to capture the consumer's imagination, Browning got the bright idea to take the single-most beloved semi-automatic handgun of the past century and--rather than radically altering or "improving" it--simply shrink it so it fits the hands of more shooters. A single-action-trigger .380 ACP handgun is a welcome addition, as they are a rare breed. "Shrink" is used advisedly here. The company didn't merely chop down a full-size .45 ACP-caliber 1911; it created a 1911 that's 85 percent of the size (and less than half the weight) of the original and chambered it in .380 ACP. The wonderful symmetry here is both the .380 ACP cartridge and the 1911 were created by John M. Browning. If this were music, it might be described as a J.M. Browning mashup. The logic behind producing a reduced-size 1911 is obvious. The pistol has legendary virtues: simplicity, reliability, balance, ergonomics and a good-quality trigger pull. The only drawbacks have been its size and chambering--related issues that have made it less-than-ideal for some shooters. Left: Fabricated of composite material, the frame is lightweight and rigid, and has molded checkering. Right: Premium features include speed hammer, ambi thumb safety and high-sweep beavertail. Further, while the 1911 is a serious fight-stopper and can usually be carried with just a little thoug
A riot broke out in Quebec City on Sunday afternoon when several masked Alt-left groups showed up at an anti-illegal immigration protest held by the right-wing group, La Meute. Whatever you feel about La Meute and their rally and their ideas, the footage shows La Meute marching in silence near the Quebec legislature. But the masked counter-protestors, the alt-left, can be seen throwing bottles and cans at police and lighting smoke bombs in garbage bins. The violent left-wing protestors even assaulted a Global News camera crew and smashed their camera. And yet still Global refuses to name the group that did it. They call them "counter-protesters," which a scaredy cat's way of saying the alt-left. But there is a reason why politicians and the media are tongue tied and measured about who the mob is now that the mob has turned on them: They defended that same mob as "right fighters" last week and painted anyone who said otherwise as supportive of Neo-Nazis . Watch my video to see a couple of conservative politicians -- including one I really admire -- whose tweets last week haven't aged well. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Former Trump campaign aide Sam Nunberg has done a 180 on his decision to cooperate with special counsel Robert Meuller. His change of heart comes after a series of bizarre interviews in which he declared he'd sooner be arrested than appear before a grand jury this week. During one interview, CNN host Erin Burnett even said she smelled alcohol on his breath. "Why do I have to do it?" Nunberg told CNN of the subpoena. "I'm not cooperating," he said later as he challenged officials to charge him. In the earlier interviews, Nunberg said he thought Mueller may already have incriminating evidence on Mr. Trump directly, although he would not say what that evidence might be. "I think he may have done something during the election," Nunberg told MSNBC of the president, "but I don't know that for sure." He later told CNN that Mueller "thinks Trump is the Manchurian candidate." A reference drawn from a Cold War novel and film , a "Manchurian candidate" is an American brainwashed or otherwise compromised to work on behalf of an adversarial government. Shortly after Nunberg lobbed the first allegation, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders rebuffed him during the White House press briefing . "I definitely think he doesn't know that for sure because he's incorrect. As we've said many times before, there was no collusion with the Trump campaign," Sanders said. "He hasn't worked at the White House, so I certainly can't speak to him or the lack of knowledge that he clearly has.
1. Four Syrians held for Molotov attack on mosque Four Syrians have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of attempted murder and arson for their alleged roles in a Molotov cocktail attack on a mosque frequented by Turkish Muslims, police said on Thursday. The attack in the southern city of Ulm on March 19 caused only material damage and the eight people inside the building at the time were unharmed, local police said in a joint statement with Stuttgart prosecutors. The suspects, aged 18 to 27, were arrested on Wednesday. One of the men has already confessed to the crime, according to the statement. Related : DITIB [Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs] mosque attacked in Berlin 2. Matthew Schrier was kidnapped by al-Qaida in Syria. He believes Canadians were involved A U.S. photojournalist kidnapped and tortured by al-Qaida in Syria in 2012 laments in a new book that the RCMP has still not arrested any of the Canadians who were allegedly involved. In The Dawn Prayer, or How to Survive in a Secret Syrian Terrorist Prison: A Memoir, Matthew Schrier writes about "the Canadian connection" to the seven months he was held captive in Aleppo. A month into his kidnapping, he was brought before three Canadian-sounding jihadists who wanted his online passwords. His credit cards were subsequently used to make thousands of dollars worth of purchases. Some of the items were delivered to an address in Montreal. Schrier believes one of the suspects bought the goods using his real nam
As discussed in previous articles on the subject, Soviet Spetsnaz troops played a key role in Soviet military doctrine, in both local operations (mostly in third world countries such as Afghanistan) and in possible global war in Europe. In either case, Spetsnaz required, among other things, weapons that could be used with at least some degree of stealth. The silenced 9x18 PB pistol , as well as 9x18 APB machine pistol , filled the bill for military-type silenced pistols, but only to the certain extent. What was more important to our story is that there was another customer to highly specialized small arms within Soviet 'power' system - the almighty Committee of the State Security, or the KGB in short. Among other things KGB was deeply engaged in secret espionage and counterespionage operations across the world, with many undercover agents looking for western secrets while trying to keep Soviet secrets from Western rivals. This game, obviously, was quite dangerous, and undercover agents sometimes were required to protect themselves with lethal force while maintaining maximum stealth. Another part of the game was political murders and termination of defectors, which also required highly specialized weapons for stealth execution. The father of the current breed of such weapons in Soviet service was the already mentioned Igor Stechkin, author of the famous APS machine pistol . During mid-fifties he was requested by KGB to create a deep-concealment weapon, disguised as something t
Until this week, I'd never heard of Nick Freitas, an Iraq war veteran and a Republican member of Virginia's House of Delegates. But several people have sent me the clip below of his floor speech from earlier this month, in which he strenuously defends the Second Amendment in the wake of the Parkland massacre. He also calls out the anti-gun Left over some of their policy preferences, and especially over their 'end of discussion'-style debating tactics -- which prevent the sort of "open and honest" debate lawmakers on both sides often claim to desire. One doesn't need to find every one of his points entirely compelling in order to share his palpable frustration with the opposition party's incessant impugning of motives in these discussions. And one doesn't need to be an unwavering opponent of any and all new gun regulations to at least partially relate to his candidly-stated concern that Second Amendment supporters do not trust their counterparts to limit proposed restrictions to a handful of relatively small changes. Watch: He begins with a number of familiar arguments about the inefficacy of gun free zones, societal ills he attributes to the breakdown of the nuclear family, and high gun crime rates in cities with strict gun laws. He then cites data like this, suggesting that a number of gun control 'solutions' do not and would not achieve their stated goals. Next, he comes to an important point about self-defense: A prime anti-gun claim is that documented incidents of f
In a Benson & Harf radio exclusive this week, Marie and I sat down with House Speaker Paul Ryan on Capitol Hill for a wide-ranging discussion. Among the topics we covered were Ryan's reflections on surrendering power on his own terms, post-Speakership plans, the Jerusalem embassy move and Gaza violence , the House Intelligence Committee and the Russia probe, deficits, the GOP's 2018 agenda (which includes the now-imperiled Farm Bill), immigration (on which House leadership may not be able to avoid an election-year debate, as they would likely have preferred), and tax reform's economic gains . Here is the entirety of our interview , which runs approximately 15 minutes. If you're interested in the Speaker's responses on certain topics, a rough outline of the conversation's progression -- with time stamps -- click through : On the subject of tax reform, the good news keeps rolling in : Survey: US manufacturers are bullish on new hiring, boosting wages and increasing investments -- and hold overwhelmingly positive views on the overall US economy -- largely thanks to #TaxReform , which every Congressional Democrat opposed. pic.twitter.com/XE6LLSR7ki -- Guy Benson (@guypbenson) May 18, 2018 NEW: Tax cut windfall seen lifting U.S. companies' business investments https://t.co/N4gy7Bfo4c -- Michael Shapiro (@mis2127) May 18, 2018 U.S. companies could plow more of the money saved from sweeping tax cuts into business investment later this year, perhaps even surpassing a jump in fir
I'm at the Edmonton Courthouse today covering final submissions in the Syrian refugee West Edmonton Mall sexual assault trial. Soleimen Hajj Soleimen, a 39 year old Syrian refugee and father of six, stands accused of six counts of sexual interference and six counts of sexual assault against six girls aged 13 to 15. The charges stem from a series of alleged gropings and sexual assaults that took place at Edmonton's World Waterpark February 4 2017. Once again, the accused required full Arabic to English word for word translation, despite being in Canada for two and a half years, again a lone CBC reporter was in the courtroom. The prosecution's closing argument focused on the positive identifications from the minor victims, the police officers, security guards and lifeguards as well as another unrelated witness to the incidents. All identified the accused at trial from the stand and all described the accused on the day of the incident as a brown or olive skinned man with a beard, in blue swimming trunks and goggles. The closing from the defence focused on the possibility of a false identification, despite very similar descriptions from every witness, pointing out inconsistencies in the descriptions of the length of the man's beard, hair length and shade of swimming trunks. That's the legal wrangling story of today, but there was so much more than legal machinations in the courtroom. For much of the two weeks of trial at the end of January and beginning of February, I was the sol
LIZA ROSIE commented 3 hours ago 'I hope the world creams Trudeau for this settlement. "What kind of sick and twisted ivory tower do you have to live in as the Prime Minister of Canada...." Powerful words. Are you listening Trudeau? Gerry ? Are you receiving the message?!' Good question, Liza but you're directing it at the wrong people. You need to direct it at the morons who voted these guys into office. If morons didn't vote this way Mr Pinko Socks wouldn't be our PM. Don't blame the politicians- blame the people. ""What kind of sick and twisted ivory tower do you have to live in, ..." And, that is it in a nutshell. An ivory tower full of Ivory Tower Trash: turdo la doo and the legions of arrogant, entitled, greasy fart-suckers who have infested our legislatures, courts, bureaucracies, and business sectors. Worse than useless - totally antithetical to everything that has value. Hey Rebels, I received more responses from Liberal MP's, I have modified my replies to their lies, and included a blurb from another Rebel poster (I think it was Don MacDonald, if I have the name wrong, I apologize) Dear MP Arnold Chan, Thank you for taking the time to respond to my e-mail. A normal Prime Minister would have vehemently disputed a payout to a convicted terrorist in court. This was a political decision which backfired on the Liberal government. It was two Liberal Prime Ministers before Stephen Harper who grappled with this mess, which later became his mess. Consider this: High treason
President Barack Obama said he is proud that his "administration has made advancing the human rights of LGBT individuals a specific focus of our engagement around the world," emphasizing "the great strides that our nation has made at home in recent years." In a statement marking the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, Obama said it is important to reaffirm "the dignity and inherent worth of all people, regardless of who they love or their gender identity." The president added that despite the advances, "in too many places, LGBT individuals grow up forced to conceal or deny who they truly are for fear of persecution, discrimination, and violence." He stressed that the goal must be to remember "the simple truth that LGBT rights are human rights." The president's remarks come just a few days after his administration issued a directive to schools nationwide that transgender students should be permitted to use bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity. When asked in an interview with BuzzFeed News about Republican governors who are ignoring the directive, Obama said "it is part of our obligation as a society to make sure everybody is treated fairly, with dignity and to be protected," and that these young people should not be left at the mercy of bullying just because they are a minority." (c) 2018 Newsmax. All rights reserved. Click Here to comment on this article
We need to emphasise that for most Muslims it is a huge leap from being offended to justifying violence The recent BBC survey of British Muslims addresses multiple issues related to the Muslim community in the UK. The spotlight in the British media, however, has been on opinions about Islamist extremism. And understandably so. The answers to the survey triggered a classic 'glass half-full/half-empty' situation, with everyone seemingly highlighting what they want to highlight, with regards to British Muslims. 'Most British Muslims 'oppose Muhammad cartoons reprisals'' was the BBC 's headline. 'Quarter of British Muslims sympathise with Charlie Hebdo terrorists', was The Telegraph 's. Both headlines are absolutely accurate, and yet reflect completely contradictory perceptions. And when the matter pertains to ideologically motivated terrorism and backlash against an entire community, the rush to obfuscate the respective flipsides should make way for a well-rounded analysis. 11 per cent of British Muslims believing that organisations publishing Prophet Muhammad's cartoons should be attacked and 27 per cent sympathising with the motives behind the Charlie Hebdo attack are terribly high numbers. While the Muslim Council of Britain would be first to jump to highlight the fact that nearly half (46 per cent) of the respondents claim that prejudice against Islam makes things difficult for Muslims in the UK, what they need to be equally, if not more, vocal about is the fact that an ex
Today we will urge the government to come clean about the impact of delays, chaos and failing programmes at the Department for Work and Pensions. The total annual cost of the monarchy is estimated by Republic to be around PS300m - nine times higher than the official figure. Incomes in the West Midlands are significantly lower than in the poorest regions of Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. The contemporary agitation for a Caliphate is a struggle to establish a totalitarian state that bears little resemblance to Muslim empires of the past.
Listen to the voters by all means. But recognise that they aren't calling for a cut in child tax credits As it is apt to do, Twitter went into meltdown yesterday at the announcement by Labour interim leader Harriet Harman that the party would not oppose the Conservative proposal to limit tax credits to two children. Harman also stated that Labour would not oppose other specifics in chancellor George Osborne's planned cap on household welfare benefits. Some of the backlash came from Harman's contemporaries in the race to be the next Labour leader. Three of the four leadership candidates have so far come out in opposition to the limiting of tax credits to two children, with only Liz Kendall yet to set out her position. In justifying Labour's apparent support for Osborne's plan to cut tax credits, Harman claimed that Labour could not tell the public they were wrong after two general election defeats: "We cannot simply say to the public you were wrong at the election...we've got to wake up and recognise that this was not a blip; we've had a serious defeat and we must listen to why." In other words, the Conservatives have a mandate from the voters to cut tax credits (and benefits more generally) and therefore the Labour party should 'listen' (i.e. vote them through). The problem is that this analysis doesn't stand up to scrutiny. It's certainly arguable, regrettably, that the voters have given the government a mandate for swingeing departmental cuts - the chancellor has even rowed
Here's the official rebuttal to this story from Monday night by the man himself: I am not trying to get "top level security clearance" for my children. This was a typically false news story. -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2016 That was part of a series of tweets (we've entered the age of the presidential tweetstorm) pushing back on too-bad-to-check stories in the media about the state of his transition process, from HuffPo claiming that Trump aides are asking Obama's staff for recommendations on Republican hires to the NYT reporting that world leaders are having to dial in blindly to Trump Tower to speak to him because there's no communications protocol in place yet. In reality, Trump insisted, the transition is going "so smoothly." As for the clearances, an aide who spoke to ABC says it's true that Trump himself didn't request them. But someone inside the campaign did: The Trump transition team is saying that a low-level staffer requested security clearances for three of Donald Trump's children, according to a top aide. According to the aide, the request was made "without authorization" and the staffer, who is no longer with the team, "overstepped his boundaries." Sources say the request was not made by the president-elect. Hard to believe an unnamed "low-level staffer" would take it upon himself to push for security clearances for the inner circle without being asked to do so by someone more senior. Maybe the news that the kids were going to be looped in
The tables were turned on the Democrats during Wednesday's Senate hearing for Environmental Protection Agency nominee and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt. During the opening remarks, Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman John Barrasso (R) berated Barack Obama and intrusive EPA policies during his time in office. "The regulatory zeal of the last eight years has violated a fundamental principle of environmental stewardship, which is 'do no harm,'" Barrasso said. "This failed environmental leadership has contributed to two of the worst government-created environmental disasters in decades: the Gold King Mine spill, and Flint, Michigan's water crisis." However, Pruitt did say that he doesn't believe climate change is a hoax. . @ScottPruittOK , Donald Trump's pick to lead @EPA : "I do not believe that climate change is a hoax." https://t.co/vJQwvKEPYE pic.twitter.com/aSucQHlnWR -- ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 18, 2017 "I believe the ability to measure with precision the degree of human activity's impact on the climate is subject to more debate on whether the climate is changing or whether human activity contributes to it," Pruitt said.
1. University in Dammam draws fire for making a mockery of research DAMMAM -- A research conducted at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in Dammam has drawn a barrage of criticisms and ridicule for claiming that the sound waves produced while uttering "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) have the power to extinguish fire. [...] Dr. Hani Al-Sayed, one of the lead researchers of the project, insisted that the hypothesis was successfully tested in the US two years ago. However, he did not announce it at the time for fear of drawing ridicule from the public, he said, adding that his findings were patented by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and would be registered soon. 2. Egyptian knifeman killed outside Iran ambassador's Vienna home A 26-year-old Austrian was shot dead outside the Iranian ambassador's residence in Vienna after a knife attack on a soldier guarding the building, police said on Monday. The assailant, who police said was of Egyptian origin, "died on the spot" after the soldier opened fire, police spokesman Harald Soeros told AFP , saying the attack occurred just before midnight (2300 GMT). Police were searching the assailant's home to try and understand what was behind the attack, with Soeros saying they had "not ruled out, nor confirmed" any terrorist motivation. The incident took place in a residential neighbourhood when the soldier was on duty at a security booth. During the attack, the two men wrestled on the ground and the attacker stabbed the soldie
An Ontario man is suing the government and their affiliated healthcare providers for violating his Vharter rights to life, liberty and security of the person, and for failing to provide him with medically assisted life. Roger Foley is dying. The 42-year-old has a progressive incurable neurological disease called cerebellar ataxia, which makes it hard for him to move his arms and legs. He needs round the clock home care. It's getting hard for him to speak, but while the disease is taking Foley's body, it's not taking his mind, his positive outlook, or his will to live every day he has left to the fullest. It's that desire to live each day the best he can that prompted his lawsuit. Foley says his home care workers have mixed-up his meds, given him food poisoning and have exacerbated his condition. He ended up in the hospital but they say he can't stay there and, according to Foley, have threatened to slap him with an $1,800 per day bill if he doesn't leave. But he says he can't safely go home unless he has the ability to be in charge of his own home care. Then the hospital offered Foley a second option as a solution to the stand-off over his care: Since he's terminally ill, he qualifies for medically assisted death. Even the most libertarian types among us -- those who are okay with euthanasia and want the right to do whatever they want with their own bodies -- should be horrified that the province's response to a man asking to be treated well is, "If you don't like it. you can
The editorial team here at Townhall would like to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. Here's some of the things we're thankful for in 2014: Another year has flown by and here we are again celebrating Thanksgiving, hopefully surrounded by family and friends. As cliche as it sounds, I am grateful for nearly everything in my life. It's the big things, the little things, the good things and even the bad things each day that remind me of just how blessed I am. I'm grateful for my health, my incredibly supportive family, loyal friends, life lessons, a warm place to go home to, my work, a good boss, my colleagues, plentiful food, my cell phone, the Internet, chapstick, my upcoming deer hunt, the opportunity I had to travel to Israel this year and so much more. I am thankful today and every day for many blessings, including the blessing of being born an American. As you sit down with your families today, please remember the men and women serving in our armed forces who won't be at home with theirs, I am certainly grateful for their sacrifice and dedication to keeping us safe. Happy Thanksgiving everybody. -Katie Pavlich, News Editor I am truly thankful for my loving family, my fantastic friends, my good health, my fulfilling job, and my wonderful colleagues, both at Townhall and Fox News. It's all too easy to lose sight of seemingly mundane blessings during our frenetic day-to-day shuffle, so I'm also thankful that we as Americans observe a holiday each year that encourages us t
John Bash, Former Clerk from 2006-2007 and Former Clerk to Justice Scalia: The President has nominated a judge who is as humble as he is brilliant. Judge Kavanaugh exemplifies the values that Americans want in a Justice of the Supreme Court: personal integrity, intellectual rigor, fairness, open-mindedness, and fundamental decency. Zina Bash, Former Clerk from 2007-2008 and Former Special Assistant to the President and Clerk to Justice Alito: Judge Kavanaugh was my first boss out of law school, and--11 years later--he is still the first person I turn to for career advice. His role model was his mother: the original Judge Kavanaugh. And he in turn serves as an enthusiastic role model to so many women who have been fortunate enough to have clerked for him or been his students. I am honored to call Judge Kavanaugh a mentor and a friend. Marguerite Colson, Former Clerk from 2015-2016: Brett Kavanaugh loves being a judge. But even more than being a judge, he loves being a father, friend, and mentor. He takes responsibility for each and every one of his clerks (no matter their ideological stripe), striving for their personal and professional success as if it were his own. No matter how silly my question or small my problem, Judge Kavanaugh always makes time for me. He makes time for all of us. Caroline Edsall Littleton, Former Clerk from 2011-2012: At the end of my clerkship, my parents sent a short note to Judge Kavanaugh, thanking him for having been such a wonderful boss and
In 2015, as a bisexual woman, I believe that the LGBT youth deserves an inclusive sex education that didn't just take into account people who identify as heterosexual. 1 in 20 young people does not identify as straight, so traditional sex ed is practically useless for them. Since schools do not provide adequate education, they are forced to seek guidance, education and tips elsewhere, often in porn--and porn is rarely an adequate, realistic, or even healthy representation of sex. Right now, according Human Rights Foundation Peter Tatchell, there are 215,000 LGBT estimated] pupils . As a result of homophobic bullying, 52,000 of these pupils will truant from school ; 37,000 will c hange their future education plans ; and 70,000 will suffer deterioration in their school work. According to a report from 2012, 2 out of 5 young people who have suffered from homophobic willing will attempt suicide. Homosexual and bisexual men are almost twice as likely to get HIV as result of a lack of sex education. According experts and to statistics and researches led, among others, by Stonewall foundation, LGBT-inclusive education would lower homophobia rates. Sign the petition if you think that LGBT sex education should be made compulsory in all British schools because every child, teenager and young adult needs to be informed about safe sex and deserves a safe environment to grow in.
The UK government must set the right tone as discussions begin this week. They can do so by tightening up their own procedures and pushing for strong and comprehensive multilateral measures as this week's negotiations begin. On Friday, Left Foot Forward published a guide to faking up a benefits story in five easy steps using publicly available data; somebody followed the steps almost to the letter in concocting a story in today's Sun. First held in 2009, where more than 1,000 people took part, the aim of 6 Billion Ways is to highlight the interconnections between environmental, social, political and economic injustice and help build a broad movement for progressive change. Liu Xiaobo is undoubtedly one of those flowers that Mao beckoned from the ground and like his predecessors, he too was weeded out. Yet as any gardener is aware, some plants will not be eradicated, writes Kate Allen, director of Amnesty UK.
On Monday, Philippine Speaker of the House of Representatives Pantaleon Alvarez announced his intention to file a bill to legalize divorce and same-sex unions. Alvarez said all citizens should be allowed to divorce and same-sex couples allowed to have legally recognized unions. "We must also be considerate of the fact that marriage may not be for everyone," he said. "Presently, it even excludes certain groups of people from its fold. Our citizens should not be excluded from society just because of the person they love. They must also be treated with equality before the law," he added. Congressman Teodoro Baguilat described the proposal as "bold, clear and progressive", but representative Tom Villarina said Congress should focus on passing an anti-discrimination bill put forward by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community because that proposal already had broad support. Alvarez said divorce would strengthen the rights of minors and would be less tedious and expensive than annulling marriages, which can take years. "They (would) no longer have to sling mud at each other in front of a judge just to convince the magistrate that their marriage should be declared void," he said. But, Alvarez - who is a top ally to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte - will likely face resistance from the religious leaders in the majority Catholic country. Filipinos overwhelmingly rejected same-sex marriages in a 2015 survey, showing nearly 70 percent of the 1,200 participants strongly
Labour have criticised Boris Johnson's delay in approving plans for an east London river crossing, calling the wait "four years longer than it should have been". Alex Hern runs through the government's record on social mobility, and argues Nick Clegg's minor success today doesn't undo the damage he's caused so far. Daily Express editor Hugh Whittow today told the Leveson Inquiry the paper withdrew from the PCC because it failed to stop them publishing defamatory material about the McCanns. This month's Report on Jobs tells two stories: the deepening of the 'jobs recession' and a downturn in temporary employment, reports Richard Exell.
I have one question for New York Governor Cuomo: Is that really the best you've got? In an attempt to define his gubernatorial opponent before voters have the chance to get to know him, Cuomo has invoked a popular liberal tactic to paint conservative Rob Astorino as racist: "Rob Astorino: so far right he's wrong for New York," a narrator intones, over a background of ominous music. The ads capitalize on a dispute that Astorino, the Westchester County Executive, is having with the federal government over a plan to build fair housing in the county. The lawsuit requires the county to analyze its zoning laws to find potentially discriminatory practices, and build affordable housing units in some of the county's predominately white towns. But Astorino contends the county zoning is not discriminatory, and has so far refused to authorize the housing projects. As a result HUD is withholding over $5 million dollars in funds. Democrats have seized on the issue. The ads say, in part, accuse Astorino of "civil rights violations," and say he's been "threatened by the Department of Justice with contempt," for his refusal to stop "discrimination." Here's the misleading 30-second ad in its entirety : In addition to this ominous sounding video, Reverend Al Sharpton has threatened to protest at the Republican's campaign events. I'm sure Astorino's shaking. Actually, the conservative Westchester County Executive is fighting back, producing a video of his own in which he directly calls out Cuomo
What a coincidence -- so are Republicans! And that's the point , of course. In order to win back control of the House, Democrats have to compete in swing seats where Nancy Pelosi's brand of progressivism amounts to ballot-box poison. By Politico's count, at least 20 Democrats running for House seats this fall are taking a page from the GOP by pledging to oust Pelosi as caucus leader and deny her a path to a return as House Speaker: A trend that started in earnest with Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), who won a special election deep in Trump country, has spread rapidly to encompass a growing cadre of candidates -- many in must-win districts for Democrats -- that threatens Pelosi's nearly sixteen-year grip on the party's leadership. If Democrats win the House by a narrow margin, the 78-year-old leader could lose only a handful of lawmakers' support and still secure the 218 votes needed to clinch the speakership in a floor vote. In that scenario, Pelosi would face a freshman class with a significant bloc of Democrats who are on record promising to oppose her or calling for new leadership. Of the more than a dozen Democratic candidates who have survived their primaries and rejected Pelosi, most are in districts that top the list of targeted 2018 seats. Whether those statements translate into "no" votes against Pelosi -- when she'll have enormous sway over new lawmakers' committee assignments and other perks, and a presumably fierce whip effort on her behalf -- is impossible to know. Oh,
Part of the plan of Jihadi Justin and the Lieberals to get troops out of the country should Jihadi Justin make a play for his "admired" dictatorship quest. The Lieberals have figured out rank and file military personnel are more likely to stand with the citizens than support a tyrannical Gov't. His whole plan is to stir up a bunch of shit there and then create a human pipeline from their country to Canada... The only reason they're going here is because it is a new place of untouched Muslim potential ... Be prepared folks .... We are about to enter a whole brand new place for mass migration and forced integration of angry Muslims .! Canada has no interests in Mali. The place is a cesspool of Muslim corruption. There are more Muslim terrorists in Mali than all of the Middle East. 250 NATO personnel have already died for nothing. Our armed forces are poorly equipped for the task, outdated PPE , antiquated and poorly maintained vehicles, obsolete weaponry, inadequately trained young people. A significant number of our children are going to be coming back in body bags. AND FOR WHAT ??? .... So Trudeau can say Canada participated in a UN mission. The blood of these kids is on Trudeau's hands............. Get the tombstones ready. Never mind sending troops to Mali, pretty soon we will need troops here in Canada. What with all the Jihadis that Little Trudie Tater Tot is importing and allowing to violate our border. Maybe "Mission Mali" is an attempt to make things safer in that area
On last night's show , Toronto Sun columnist Sue-Ann Levy joined me to discuss the impact safe-injection sites are having on neighbourhoods in Toronto. The sites serve as an attraction for law-breaking drug addicts who use them to shoot-up and before wandering into surrounding residential neighbourhoods. Property owners have complained about trespassers and finding needles on their property, but the city isn't doing anything to protect them. Despite the spread of lawlessness into busy parts of downtown Toronto, police have been told to stand-down and not intervene until it's too late. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Five active duty service women have filed the first lawsuit against President Donald Trump for what they say is an unconstitutional effort to stop transgender personnel from serving. RELATED: As a group, they have more than 60 combined years of military service, with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. The women, who serve in the Air Force, the Coast Guard and the Army, were previously men who have transitioned. All have come out as transgender to their commanding officers but are anonymous in the lawsuit, named only as Jane Doe, for fear of retribution, said Jennifer Levi, a lawyer from GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders. The group filed the lawsuit along with the National Center for Lesbian Rights. The American Civil Liberties Union said it was preparing its own case. In 2016, the Obama administration lifted a prior ban, allowing transgender members currently serving to come out openly while openly transgender people are due to be allowed to join the military from next year. But on July 26, Trump stated on Twitter that the government "will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military." The announcement caught the military off guard, and there was no plan for what to do about those now serving openly. The lawsuit said Trump's tweets violate the rights of the service members to due process and equal protection under the law. It asks the court to declare Trump's directive as unconstitutional and to issue injunctions to stop it. The
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AT THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION PRESIDENT'S CLUB LUNCHEON Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Washington, D.C. November 11, 2003 THE PRESIDENT: Ed, thank you very much. It's an honor to be here. I appreciate your invitation. I want to thank you for your decades of leadership in the conservative movement. Presidents come and go, except here at the Heritage Foundation. (Laughter.) I appreciate being with your good bride, Linda; the trustees of the Heritage; the longtime Heritage supporters; and the Ronald Reagan Fellow at Heritage, a man who is a fine leader and a fine Attorney General, Ed Meese. (Applause.) It's appropriate that we gather in the building named for Ronald Reagan. The Heritage Foundation emerged as an important voice in Washington during the Reagan years. The American people gave Ronald Reagan his mandate for leadership. Yet, it was the Heritage Foundation, with a book by that title, from which he drew ideas and inspiration. Ever since, in the councils of Washington, Heritage has been an advocate for free enterprise, traditional values and the advance of liberty around the world. My administration has benefited from your good work, and so has our country. Thank you for what you do. (Applause.) We meet on Veterans Day, and I know there are many veterans in this room. On behalf of the nation, I thank you for your service to our country. (Applause.) The title of veteran is a term of great respect in Ameri
The restaurant business is a people business, and after scraping up enough dough to dine out, most people want good food, and friendly service. But unsmiling bureaucrats in Quebec apparently think snarly attitudes should be accommodated in the private sector, too. Caroline Daunais, a waitress working at the Coco Frutti restaurant in Victoriaville, Quebec was dismissed for allegedly having a bad attitude and not smiling enough. After being axed, she went crying to Quebec's labour tribunal, and not only did they order the restaurant to reinstate her, but she was also awarded $30K in damages. The details have a bit of a he said/she dynamic, but regardless, tribunal judge Christian Drolet didn't recognize the restaurant's bad attitude/no smiling excuse as legitimate. And that's where I take issue with Drolet, who likely never managed a restaurant himself. If the restaurateur is telling the truth, a waiter or waitress that doesn't smile is very serious indeed. An eatery can have the best decor, the most delicious food, but if the service is harsh, that can be a death sentence for a restaurant . Think of all the other restaurants this could set a precedent for if a server with a poor attitude isn't deemed grounds for firing? Too bad for customers and too bad for restaurant owners who must now, by government edict, accommodate those who offer service with a snarl. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Three times this year imbecilic partisan judges struck down an executive order by President Trump restricting immigration from failed states and a state sponsor of terrorism. They used the novel theory that anything a candidate says on the campaign trail can be used as evidence despite existing law and the documentary evidence supporting the decision. We should probably be thankful that Trump wasn't promising a chicken in every pot or if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor. The last round of challenges resulted in this tortuous logic : "A nationality-based travel ban against eight nations consisting of over 150 million people is unprecedented," wrote Judge Theodore D. Chuang of the Federal District Court in Maryland. Citing statements from Mr. Trump, some made as a presidential candidate and some more recent, Judge Chuang found that the new proclamation was tainted by religious animus and most likely violated the Constitution's prohibition of government establishment of religion. Similarly, Judge Derrick K. Watson of the Federal District Court in Honolulu found that the September proclamation "suffers from precisely the same maladies as its predecessor," adding that it "plainly discriminates based on nationality" in violation of federal law "and the founding principles of this nation." Apparently the moron in Hawaii never heard of the Chinese or Japanese exclusion laws and doesn't realize that Korematsu is still the law of the land. Alex Parker Well, third time is t
With Bill S-5, the federal government is trying to pass legislation that targets electronic cigarettes and vaping. It hasn't come into effect yet but did pass second reading and is now in committee so it's important for Canadians to know what's wrong with this bill. First, it lumps vaping into the same category as smoking tobacco, but there's a big difference between the two. Vaping serves as a harm reduction tool because there's no combustion involved as there is with tobacco. And while media and government tend to demonize electronic cigarettes, a U.K. study has shown it to be 95% less harmful than smoking traditional tobacco. Derek From, a lawyer with the Canadian Constitution Foundation, wrote a report that compares vaping legislation across the country, so he knows a lot about the laws surrounding both vaping and tobacco. Watch as I speak with Derek about the barriers the government of Canada is putting up that will stop tobacco users from accessing much less harmful e-cigarettes. According to the Canadian Journal of Public Health , the annual average health care cost per traditional tobacco smoker is $3,071 resulting in a direct health care cost of $4.4B per year. Further, they say the overall economic burden of smoking in 2008 was $18.4B. Smoking rates have decreased since that time and by 2012 smoking rates decreased to 17.5%. To show what kind of savings taxpayers could realize with decreases in smoking, if that number was down to 12.5% like it is in B.C., this coul
Migration stories continue with Yvette Cooper providing more detail on Labour's policy and a statistical correction from the Office for National Statistics, reports Jill Rutter. David Cameron told an audience last night that divine inspiration was at work when he came up with the concept of the Big Society. But would Jesus really have been a Cameroon? The government is jeopardising the future of higher education as a successful export due to its backward-looking approach to international students, writes Chuka Umunna.
Nobody wants to take your guns. That's what most mainstream pro-gun control Democrats say ad nauseam at various rallies. There's also the "I support the Second Amendment, but..." that advocates of gun control say prior to offering some pie-in-the-sky policy proposals that usually venture into bans on so-called assault rifles, limiting magazine sizes, or an all-out ban on semi-automatic firearms. That's essentially a gun ban. Both Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama have praised the Australian-model of gun control, which the National Rifle Association decided to explain at length in a recent video. It deals with gun buybacks, confiscation, and bans. Oh, and personal protection isn't a sufficient reason to own firearms down under. The clip also includes the president invoking the United Kingdom as well. According to the Library of Congress, their laws are just as strict , and unconstitutional if applied here in the U.S: Handguns are prohibited weapons and require special permission. Firearms and shotguns require a certificate from the police for ownership, and a number of criteria must be met, including that the applicant has a good reason to possess the requested weapon. Self-defense or a simple wish to possess a weapon is not considered a good reason. The secure storage of weapons is also a factor when licenses are granted. There are a number of firearms that are prohibited in Britain. It is an offense to possess, purchase, acquire, manufacture, sell, or transfer thes
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has issued a warning ahead of an all-out junior doctors strike planned for next month The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has called on both Jeremy Hunt and the British Medical Association (BMA) to return to negotiations about the junior doctors contract. Supported by the presidents of all the medical royal colleges and faculties, the statement describes 'a state of unprecedented crisis for the NHS' and emphasises the need to prioritise patient welfare. "We call on both sides in the dispute to step back from the brink by suspending imposition of the contract and the all-out strike and urge a return to negotiations. We believe that this is essential if the current impasse is to be broken and progress made in resolving this extremely damaging stand-off for the benefit of all NHS stakeholders, particularly our patients and trainees." Next month, junior doctors plan to stage the first all-out strike in the history of the NHS, marking an escalation from previous strikes, which have excluded A&E services. So far, the public has decisively sided with the doctors , but an all-out strike will test the limits of public sympathy. The Academy's warning will be a blow to the BMA, which has enjoyed near-universal support within the profession. Commenting on the statement, Heidi Alexander, Labour's Shadow Health Secretary, commented: "Jeremy Hunt has four weeks until the next period of industrial action. It is vital that he uses that time to find a so
CNN appears to be on a mission to help Hamas destroy Israel. CNN has spent the past month actively assisting Hamas terrorists with media propaganda dissemination as the terrorists continue their attempt to overtake Israel. CNN headlines always point the finger at Israel as a culprit, and always shower Palestinian terrorists with white lies to bolster them. CNN stories are propagandizing art. A story about months of continuous attacks on Israeli border and infrastructure by terrorists and their recruits becomes a story of a nurse killed due to Israeli overreaction to what CNN described as "largely unarmed" "protests," a regurgitation of Hamas terrorist allegations. I snapped at CNN immediately after they spread FAKE NEWS last month by misreporting violence as "protest." Last night , CNN doubled down on this deceitful "protest" terminology when reporting on the alleged nurse. This has never been a "protest." This has always been violence against the country of Israel. CNN praises the terrorists as being "largely unarmed." LARGELY UNARMED? CNN noticed that some were unarmed, while others were heavily armed, but CNN prefers the "unarmed protestor" narrative and is comfortable with concealing terrorism, so the fallacious "largely unarmed" terminology was forced down our throats. Let's be clear: the Palestinians are heavily armed with grenades, guns, and firebombs, and are trying to cause death and destruction. CNN does not explain why the alleged nurse was killed. Maybe she was
When interviewing Ed Balls on the Today programme this morning, John Humphreys cited a McKinsey study to claim the UK's debt-to-GDP ratio was 469 per cent - "the highest in the world", yet fails to clarify the full meaning of this figure nor put it into context. When interviewing Ed Balls on the Today programme this morning, John Humphreys cited a McKinsey study to claim the UK's debt-to-GDP ratio was 469 per cent - "the highest in the world", yet fails to clarify the full meaning of this figure nor put it into context. The report in question, 'Debt and deleveraging: The global credit bubble and its economic consequences' in fact shows the 469% figure to be the debt ratio for "domestic private and public secor debt" (exhibit 1, page 10); when broken down into different sectors, however, government debt is 52 per cent (exhibit 20, page 7) - lower than Japan (188%), Italy (101%), France (73%), Germany (69%), Brazil (66%), India (66%), Canada (60%) and the USA (60%). The report also says (page 14): Many historic examples, from the US in the 1930s to Japan in 1997, show the danger of withdrawing support of the economy too soon. Listen to the interview in full here , and read a transcript of the key lines below: John Humphreys: "You dismissed entirely the question of how much we are now in debt and you say that I got it from a book [Rawnsley's book] I didn't, I got it from a McKinsey study, an outfit that you respect hugely, of debts of the world's major economies, and on that bas
While a number of localities have adopted or are considering implementing anti-immigrant ordinances modeled after Hazleton, Pennsylvania's "Illegal Immigration Relief Act," Hazleton's measure was almost directly adopted from a failed petition drive in San Bernardino , California, written by Joseph Turner, head of a group called Save Our State. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports on how the effort spread from California to the small town of Valley Park, Missouri, where - despite a lack of problems with its immigrant community - police have begun enforcing the new law: From the beginning, this is how Joseph Turner envisioned his idea to target illegal immigrants would play out: Local communities taking up his cause and moving the issue from the halls of Congress into the chambers of city council. Today, the 29-year-old activist from California is watching cities across the country enact or consider laws to crack down on illegal immigration. They are working off a blueprint he wrote. And some, including Valley Park, have already made it law. ... Turner, founder of the anti-illegal immigration group Save Our State and an aide to a state legislator, touted his plan on the radio and sent out hundreds of e-mails to city officials throughout the nation. He failed to get enough signatures to force a vote on the law in San Bernardino. But word of his cause spread. And eventually, a handful of municipalities adopted ordinances nearly identical to the one he championed. Turner describes
Well, if there is one thing that could cause the gun control movement to get a face full of buck shot, it's identity politics. Yes, believe it or not, it could be rearing its head in this debate, as some are asking whether the anti-gun movement if it's "too white." The post, which was published on BBC, also wondered if March for Our Lives' growth was so explosive because of the socioeconomic background of its leaders (via BBC ): Protesters are being accused of hypocrisy, as some ask why they didn't turn out for the Black Lives Matter movement, which was set up in 2013 to end police violence against black people and highlight the impact of gun violence in ethnic minority communities. In 2016 more than 52% of murder victims (73% killed by guns) in America were black, even though black people make up 13% of the population. "Where were y'all when black people were getting shot though? If gun control don't include police and your protesting doesn't include innocent black people, I do not want it!" tweeted @frankpuddles. Some critics suggested that Never Again has attracted so much attention because of the race and economic background of its founders, who are students at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland. "The Never Again movement has been spearheaded by white teens - that's why it's garnered so much attention," tweeted @gideonsvid. A post shared by Blackout For Human Rights (@unitedblackout) on Mar 26, 2018 at 8:05am PDT BBC did add that David Hogg, one of the l
8 U.S. states craft Trump lawsuit on 3D-printed guns Democratic Party attorney generals of Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia join the petition, to be filed in federal court Published 6:24 PM, July 31, 2018 Updated 6:24 PM, July 31, 2018 3D-PRINTED GUNS. A Liberator pistol appears on July 11, 2013 next to the 3D printer on which its components were made. File photo by Robert MacPherson/AFP NEW YORK, USA - Eight US states are filing a lawsuit on Monday, July 30 to block a Trump administration decision enabling 3D printers to make plastic handguns that opponents say will be almost impossible to control. Democratic Party attorney generals of Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia have joined the petition, to be filed in federal court. The suit will seek a temporary restraining order nationwide and argue that the decision violates states' rights to regulate firearms, officials said. "This decision is unconstitutional. It is unlawful. Frankly it is terrifying," said Bob Ferguson, Washington state attorney general, taking the lead on the suit to be filed in Seattle. "This unprecedented move is not only disastrous for public safety but undermines our state laws meant to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals." After a lengthy legal battle, the government reached agreement last month with Cody Wilson
The Taxpayers Alliance has released a new report on welfare dependency, but the proposed solutions do little to save costs and only adds to hardship. The right wing organisation the TaxPayers' Alliance has released a new report on welfare dependency, arguing that the amount the country spends on benefits is too high and it is necessary to implement a 'Work for Dole' scheme. The report's proposed Work for Dole scheme will do little to solve the costs it moans about and only add to the hardships of the poorest in society. The report begins: "Over the past 50 years, welfare spending has relentlessly grown and now consumes 28 per cent of all government spending. 57 per cent of this goes on benefits for working age people." At first glance the TaxPayers' Alliance's picture of a Britain suffering the costs of paying for benefit claimants seems shocking, but the statistics reeled off here - similar stats often emblazoned in Daily Mail articles - are not so shocking when you take a look at the detail. So, where has the 28% figure come from? Yes 28% of government spending goes on welfare, but welfare isn't just made up of the benefits this report attacks. A huge amount of welfare spending, 43%, actually goes on pensions. So the author could have simply started off with the less startling fact that 16% of all government spending goes on 'benefits for working age people', but I guess this is a less eye-catching figure. It's good that in the second line the TaxPayers' Alliance does admit
Howard Dean, who is thought to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party, told reporters the other day that he supports our policy of using drones to kill people (and all those who happen to be near them) without warning. He also has no objection to the National Security Agency listening to his phone calls and monitoring his email. Donny Deutsch, the reliable voice of the left on "Morning Joe," told TV viewers that he supports the CIA's torture activities - recently revealed in a Senate committee report. These views are very different from what one typically finds in the unsigned editorials of The New York Times - causing one to wonder what exactly is happening to left-of-center thinking. Meanwhile, three pillars of liberal thought - The American Prospect, The Washington Monthly, and The New Republic - are all in trouble. As Ezra Klein reports, the Prospect laid off much of its staff and is retrenching to its roots as a policy journal. The Washington Monthly has downsized to a bi-monthly. The New Republic is facing mass resignations and may not survive. All this is happening against the backdrop of much soul searching and more than a few recriminations within the Democratic Party itself. So this is a good time to ask: What does the Democratic Party stand for? And if the answer is: liberalism, what does it mean to be a liberal? Or if you prefer, what does it mean to be a progressive? You would think that liberalism is a belief in a set of public policy ideas. But a
If there were one business I didn't want to get into it would be opening a gun store. Don't get me wrong, I love guns and I love shooting. It would be a lot of fun to be around firearms all day long and talk about guns with all kinds of people. The problem is that the paperwork required by Uncle Sam is a pain. Further, screwups can cost you your FFL and possibly land you in prison, all for clerical screwups. Further, when it's presented to the public, it'll be impossible for anyone from the outside to tell if you're getting in trouble for a paperwork error or whether you did everything you could to arm terrorists and gang members. Then, of course, you have the San Francisco Chronicle ready to lament a whopping six gun stores in Northern California getting smacked by the ATF. But records recently released by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives show there's more to the story than many -- including Farrell, now San Francisco's mayor -- realized. Just months before the closure, ATF officials found that High Bridge Arms had violated 10 federal gun laws, including allegedly selling a firearm to a prohibited possessor and failing to record the sales of 71 guns. An ATF operations director agreed it was best to revoke the dealer's license "due to the numerous, repeated serious violations of the Gun Control Act." The report was part of a trove of documents recently released to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence after the advocacy group sued the ATF
The Conservative Party of Canada caved to pressure from Khalistan supporters and removed their motion that stood with a united India. After Trudeau's circus in India - a junket that saw more costume changes than a Cher concert and a Khalistani would-be assassin as a dinner party guest, the Conservatives wanted to bring forward a motion to distinguish themselves from the soft-on-terror Liberals. As late as Wednesday evening, they planned to bring forward a motion that asked the House of Commons to: A) value the contributions of Canadian Sikhs and Canadians of Indian origin in our national life; That b) condemn in the strongest terms all forms of terrorism including Khalistani extremism in the glorification of any individuals who have committed acts of violence to advance the cause of an independent Khalistani state in India; and c) stand with United India. The motion renounced political violence and affirmed the valuable contributions of Indo-Canadians. A real no-brainer. But by Thursday morning, Conservatives snatched defeat from the jaws of terror the way they always do. Watch as I show you why they caved. Conservative party leader Andrew Scheer is doing exactly what Trudeau is doing. He's courting extremists for votes and he's insulting normal conservatives along the way. I like Andrew Scheer, and want him to do well but he needs to do more than that. He must be the strong principled adult foil to the SJW adolescent kook we have in the PM's office right now. So let's do wha
President Obama's executive actions on gun control have resulted in a resolution censuring him for abuse of power. Today, Mississippi Congressman Steve Palazzo introduced the resolution to censure the president for his past "unconstitutional executive actions," and his "blatant executive overreach" on gun control (via the Hill ): "For seven years, the President has gradually expanded his powers through executive overreach," Palazzo said in a statement. "His actions this week to take away the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens is just the latest, if not most egregious, violation of the separation of powers found in the United States Constitution." "Congress must go on record to stand up as an equal branch of government -- both against this President and any future president who attempts to use his authority to write the law instead of enforce the law." Congressman Steven Palazzo: "Today I am introducing a resolution to censure President Barack Obama..." Posted by C-SPAN on Thursday, January 7, 2016 It's dubious to see whether this censure resolution goes anywhere, but there is precedent for presidential censure. In 1833, President Andrew Jackson was the first president to be censured after vetoing a motion to re-charter the First Bank of the United States, removing the funds from it, and refusing to turn over a document he read to his cabinet when asked by Congress. When President Bill Clinton found himself embroiled in a sex scandal that almost destroyed his pres
Townhall Magazine's April 2014 issue is here! Subscribe now for an exclusive sneak peak at these can't-miss articles: - *Cover Story* - Obama's War on Coal President Obama promised to send electricity prices skyrocketing, and his minions at the EPA are delivering on that promise. Americans for Tax Reform's Chris Prandoni takes a detailed look at how Obama is using the power of the regulatory state to wipe out the coal industry. - Wind Blows It subsidizes millionaires, raises energy costs, and destroys the environment. Other than that, wind energy is awesome. Townhall Magazine contributing editor and Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich travels to Texas to examine the true costs of wind power. - Clean Energy Isn't Clean Freelance journalist Brian McNicoll takes a look behind the dirty reality of clean energy. From solar, to hydro, to wind, there are big environmental drawbacks to every alternative energy source. - Should Marijuana Be Legal? Townhall editors Leah Barkoukis and Christine Rousselle debate whether or not the federal government should pull the plug on the War on Drugs. - Every Patient Deserves a "Right to Try" The federal government is allowing terminally ill patients to suffer while the FDA drags out the approval process. Townhall contributing editor and Fox News contributor Mary Katherine Ham looks at how some states are fighting back. Each of these features will be a available in full, on-line, after April 1st. But if you want to get them first, you have to subscr
"This idea is going to get more people killed, rather than save a single life," said a seven-year Army veteran. A vocal group of retired military veterans thinks the idea of arming teachers to possibly open fire on students as complete madness, and they're taking aim at Trump and the NRA for the dangerous plan. For many who served in the military, unlike Trump, the obvious and horrific red flags are obvious. "At the end of the day, all of these arguments on what to do that don't involve getting rid of these guns is a distraction, and the NRA knows it. That's why they put out ridiculous proposals like arming teachers," said Will Fischer, an Iraq War veteran and VoteVets director of government relations, in a statement to Shareblue Media. "More guns makes any firefight just rife for more death -- period. Kids caught in crossfire, teachers hit by stray bullets, it turns a deadly situation into potentially a more deadly situation," Fischer continued. Some veterans are ripping up their longtime memberships to the gun group in the wake of the Florida mass murder, according to BuzzFeed News. "For too long, the @NRA has been able to influence politicians and silence debate on common sense and necessary measures to keep our children safe... Two of us are former NRA members. We resigned in disgust." #VetsForGunReform #VetsVsTheNRA https://t.co/Oe6dsvaVoL -- VoteVets #VetsVsTheNRA (@votevets) February 22, 2018 I also renounce my @NRA endowment membership as it is clear that their idea o
Mayor Herta Holly, and Councilmen Jim McCoy and Hunt Davis voted against the resolution, while Vice Mayor Walters and Councilwoman Ivonne Ledesma voted for it. The proposal prompted larger than usual public attention to be placed on the council, and a few dozen people attended the Tuesday meeting. After welcoming the assembled crowd to the meeting, Holly allowed time for public comment. And boy, did the public have something to say. Here are some of the best lines from the video, which you can watch in full here . Shores resident Elizabeth Little opposed the resolution. She said that she didn't think the council should be involved in the issue and supported the 2008 statewide vote that supported "traditional marriage" between one man and woman. After Little sat down, a small older woman stepped up to the podium and proceeded to almost give her wrong address (she gave her "North Carolina address"). Then she went into conservative talking points. "I believe that we should have man and woman as man and wife," She said. "It's the way I was brought up and raised and I guess I'll live till I die the same way." Carter Winkle, a professor at Barry University in Miami Shores and resident of the community also spoke. "Marriage has been defined over and over and over again throughout history and if you think that marriage has been between one man and one woman from the beginning of time, I would suggest you go back to university and do some studying," Winkle said. Winkle said that he an
1. UK: Huge Rise in Knifepoint Rapes, Fatal Stabbings While Police Focus on "Hate Crime" Crime figures released this week revealed that fatal stabbings in England and Wales are at the highest level since 2010-2011, while rapes at knifepoint rose by 23 per cent in the past year. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded 413 rapes involving a knife in the year to March, up from 334 the previous year, while in 2010-2011 the number stood at 258. The statistics show fatal knife attacks also rose last year and revealed that while the number of female victims was the lowest in a decade, at 51, the number of males murdered in deadly knife attacks was the highest since 2009, standing at 164. [...] Lancashire Police, along with the forces of Greater Manchester, Cheshire, and North Wales on Monday launched a new regional Hate Crime Awareness Week in which officers across the North West of England are holding events urging people to report so-called hate crimes. Related : Tweet thread launched by Surrey UK Police on FGM mocked by public 2. Germany: Islamic State Flag, Drugs Found at Residences of EUR140,000 Fake Identity Benefit Fraud Migrants An Islamic State flag and drugs were found at several residences after German police cracked down on a ring of young migrants who had used fake identities to defraud German taxpayers. Police raided the residences of 43 families this week on suspicion that they had participated in a scheme to defraud the government using fake ident
Welcome to summer in the American ghetto. In large urban centers, Memorial Day weekend rang in the unofficial start of summer with a spate of killings in major cities. Eight dead with 30 wounded by gunfire in Chicago , four dead with nine wounded in D.C. , and three dead with 12 wounded in Milwaukee . Unfortunately, city officials responded in a predictable fashion - commitment to more police patrols, public relations campaigns to end the violence, and candlelight vigils at the scene of the carnage. Despite all of this, the violence continues. Americans deserve pragmatic and successful policy solutions from their communities, not status quo talking points from the left. As President Trump recently tweeted , leftist policies aren't working in Chicago and it's time to let the police do their jobs. When you see this level of violence it is evidence that social order has collapsed in said areas. In other words, we must look at what prompted the shootings in the first place. In these cases, it was prompted by cultural rot in the form of dysfunctional behavior. Behavior like gang involvement, drug and alcohol abuse, ineffective parenting, lack of engaged fathers, and poor education are a handful of situations that breed dysfunctional behavior. Criminals take property by force, settle inane disputes with gunfire and intimidate their neighbors. It's the law of the jungle where people foolishly react to circumstances instead of using rational thought to settle disputes. The worst part
Young Europeans-who are mostly Liberal- are sick of the status quo. In fact, according to a European Union sponsored survey titled, "Generation What?" millions of young people would take part in an uprising against their government if given the chance. According to the survey, 67% of youth in Greece would take part in a large-scale uprising against the government. 65%, in Italy. 63%, in Span. 61%, in France. 59%, in Czech Republic. 57%, in Wales. And 54% in Ireland. Most of the countries mentioned have faced severe economic recessions like Greece whose youth unemployment rate is 34%. With so many unemployed youth in Greece, is it any surprise then that the far, nationalistic right [Golden Dawn] and the far-left [anarchist groups] are gaining momentum in Greece? Many of the countries mentioned are going through versions of political populism like France with Marine Le Pen National Front . With the terrorist attacks in Paris and Nice, and the jobless rate in France grows or stagnates, is it any surprise then that the youth would be willing to join an uprising if it occurred? Young Europeans-who are mostly Liberal- are sick of the status quo. In fact, according to a European Union sponsored survey titled, "Generation What?" millions of young people would take part in an uprising against their government if given the chance. The two major issues they're facing are joblessness and a loss of identity . Good thing the European Union took this survey so they can know what the sympt
On last night's show , guest host Faith Goldy explained why the "feminist" Trudeau government must conduct a federal investigation into occurrences of FGM within Canada . Canadian border officials are already screening luggage for equipment used in this barbaric cultural practice, so clearly it's a problem . FGM has been illegal in the UK since 1985, but it continues to be imported by African and Middle Eastern immigrants . The British government recognizes this threat and has records of 8650 cases of FGM in one year. WATCH my video to see why Canada needs to take a lesson from the UK and find out how many girls have been subject to this inhumanity. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
1. Mozambique "jihadists behead" villagers At least 10 people have been beheaded in northern Mozambique by suspected Islamist militants, officials say. Children are reported to be among those targeted in the attack on Monjane village in Cabo Delgado province, a hub for mining and petroleum exploration. An Islamist militant group has carried out sporadic attacks in the region in the last year. It is believed to be making millions of dollars from selling timber and rubies. Known locally as al-Shabab, the group was formed in 2015 as a religious organisation and has no known links to the Somali jihadist group of the same name. 2. VICTORY: Tommy Robinson Reporting Restrictions Lifted 3. Far-right group banned after marching in Nova Scotia Apple Blossom Festival parade 4. Liege "terror" attack: Gunman whose "goal was to target police" stabbed two female officers before taking their firearms and shooting them dead WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT: Benjamin Herman, who was released from prison one day ago - also killed a passer-by and injured four other cops. A "radicalised" gunman whose "goal was to target police" killed two female officers and a bystander during a suspected terror attack in Belgium. The attacker - named as Benjamin Herman - shouted "Allahu Akbar" as he carried out the massacre. Anti-terrorist officers killed the 36-year-old Belgian man in a shootout, bringing an end to the rampage. Chilling images posted online show the gunman - named as Benjamin Herman - wielding two han
"Could this argument be any dumber?" That's how I began a column over a month ago in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks. My point was that by making it an ideological priority to deny the Islamic nature of Islamic terrorism, the White House was in fact encouraging people to talk more about terrorism and Islam, not less. It's a simple fact of human nature that if you deny the obvious, you invite people to debate the obvious. If you don't believe me, walk into a bar and insist that Michael Jordan didn't play basketball. Or proclaim that we didn't win World War II. One month later, the answer to my rhetorical question -- "Could this argument be any dumber?" -- is, on the one hand, absolutely yes. On the other hand, maybe not. Let's start with the dumber part. Ever since the Paris attacks, when Muslim terrorists shouted "Allahu akbar" as they slaughtered people in the name of their god, the Obama administration has continued to twist itself into lexicological pretzels, insisting that Islam had nothing to do with those attacks or any others committed by self-declared mujahedeen around the world. Indeed, the just-concluded White House summit on "Countering Violent Extremism" is a perfect example of the rhetorical and logical cul-de-sac President Obama has crashed into. It was a community-organizing confab dedicated to a problem the community organizer in chief refuses to acknowledge exists. He found himself arguing that Islamic terrorism is an oxymoron, like "jumbo shrimp" or "g
By Tim Nichols Ed Miliband's speech contained some tremendously important and bold attacks on powerful elites that have helped create and perpetuate today's social and economic inequalities. Despite much to welcome it is important understand why many may be upset ... Continued As yesterday's round-up of reactions to Ed Miliband's speech shows, it could be interpreted in a number of ways. Some saw it as a deliberately low-content affair, others as "actually quite funny", while Left Foot Forward's own Ed Jacobs saw ... Continued Hugh Grant last night spoke at a fringe event held by the Hacked Off group at the Labour Party conference. Although self-deprecatingly referring to himself as the bait so that others could discuss the issues, he proceeded, "humbly", to make ... Continued Emily Thomas is former Treasury Special Adviser and Director of Aequitas Consulting. This is an edited version of a speech she gave at a Work Foundation Labour Party Fringe Event, Innovate or Fail - the UK's only route to recovery, ... Continued Ed Miliband has just finished his second speech as Labour Party leader, and the reaction from the press is mixed. Michael White from the Guardian is balanced but ultimately negative: Some good lines uttered, some false notes struck, some bad ... Continued
As Exeter University, the first outside the Russell Group, declares its intention to charge the PS9,000 top fee for its degree courses the government's plans to change the higher education funding landscape continue to unravel at an amazing pace. The Police Federation has warned that Theresa May's speech on reform of the police service today was "a euphemism for cuts", and that the home secretary "does not value us as much as she says she does". Tory MP Andrew Tyrie has written to William Hague demanding the Department for International Development foots the bill for the BBC World Service - and slammed his own party's ring-fencing of the aid budget.
1. VIDEO: Canadian imam on sin 2. Plainclothes Police Officers Severely Beaten by Drug-Dealing Migrants Three Austrian plainclothes police officers were injured after they attempted to arrest two teenage Afghan asylum seekers who tried to sell them drugs. The incident took place in the Prater area of Vienna's Leopoldstadt district which contains one of the city's main train stations and has become a hub for drug dealing and violence, often involving migrants. The officers were offered drugs by the Afghans and when they attempted to arrest the 16- and 19-year-old, they were met with heavy resistance Kronen Zeitung reports. One officer suffered a broken nose after one of the asylum seekers punched him in the face, another had a major wound on his leg, and the third officer escaped the ordeal with bruises and cuts on his hands. 3. Taboos and Fear among Muslim Girls Young Muslim women are often forced to lead double lives in Europe. They have sex in public restrooms and stuff mobile phones in their bras to hide their secret existences from strict families. They are often forbidden from visiting gynecologists or receiving sex ed. In the worst cases, they undergo hymen reconstruction surgery, have late-term abortions or even commit suicide. [...] Gulay is thinking about how best to sum up her dilemma. She nervously stirs her tea before launching into a litany of complaints. "The boys can screw around as much as they want, but if a girl does it she can expect to be shot," she says.
Proceeds from sale of new rainbow colored Doritos will go to the It Gets Better Project. (Photo: Twitter) The fight for LGBT equality has gone from the Supreme Court to the snack cabinet. Doritos announced this morning that it has teamed up with the It Gets Better Project to create a line of rainbow colored tortilla chips . Never fear, Doritos lovers--Doritos Rainbows still have that classic Cool Ranch flavor. As always, there is a catch: the chips are only available online, and you can only get a bag if you donate $10 or more to It Gets Better. Doritos is using the hashtag #BoldAndBetter to promote the campaign. Reaction on Twitter has been positive so far: Sorry, all future swag. You'll never live up to this. #BoldandBetter pic.twitter.com/66BG3hEmW8 -- Kevin Fallon (@kpfallon) September 17, 2015 Supporting an amazing cause and getting the BEST CHIPS! NOW BEST FRIENDS! Props to @Fritolay for their efforts. #BOLDANDBETTER #ITGETSBETTER -- Judd Jacobs (@juddjacobs) September 17, 2015 I'm not a big fan of doritos, but the rainbow ones at least look cool and support a good cause. http://t.co/EWreCfLxqm -- Zack Ford (@ZackFord) September 17, 2015 The chips are also being marketed with the tagline "There's Nothing Bolder Than Being Yourself."
This is an 18-point improvement for the gay or lesbian candidate: in 2006, 43 percent of Americans said they'd support a gay or lesbian person running for president. But the numbers for evangelical Christians have been roughly the same for years, rising from 41 percent since 2006 but hovering around 50 percent since 2008, according to previous polls from the Wall Street Journal and NBC News. More broadly, this latest survey shows growing support for LGBT rights, which evangelical Christians by and large oppose. Gallup surveys show that support for same-sex marriage has climbed from 27 percent in 1996 to 55 percent in 2014, while 66 percent of Americans said in 2014 that consensual gay and lesbian relationships should be legal, up from 43 percent in 1977.
Arizona's new bill allowing for discrimination based on sexual orientation is rightfully attracting a lot of pushback from LGBT activists. One of the go-to arguments is that the law revives Jim Crow, the practice of segregating African Americans from whites. While there does seem to be a natural logic here, I think the LGBT movement should take stock of the racist and settler colonial implications of this strategy. My thoughts here are inspired by Scott Lauria Morgensen's book Spaces Between Us: Queer Settler Colonialism and Indigenous Colonization (University of Minnesota Press, 2011). In the 20th century, white American anthropologists constructed the "berdache." The berdache, according to these scholars, was a figure of Native American culture, usually a male, who assumes the gender identity and is granted the social status of the opposite sex. As Morgensen explains, the berdache was constructed and mobilized by American anthropologists to support claims for the acceptance of lesbian and gay peoples. Two of the most important founders of modern American anthropology, Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead portrayed sexual variation in primitive cultures as lessons to a modern settler society (excluding the Native peoples it occupies) to accept its (non-Native) gender and sexual diversity... Anthropologists used berdache to deploy a modern theory of sexuality and gender in which subjects 'express' a natural sexuality and sex, which societies do not produce but simply recognize t
En el ano 2000 Holanda decidio dar el primer paso y legalizo a adopcion homoparental conjunta en todo su territorio, a partir de entonces varios paises se han ido sumando a esta iniciativa y han desestimado que la orientacion sexual sea determinante para aprobar o no al solicitante, la adopcion. Actualmente, 16 paises han aprobado plenamente esta opcion, mientras que otras tres naciones solo lo permiten en algunas jurisdicciones o estados. A continuacion presentamos una lista cronologica de los paises que permiten la adopcion igualitaria: America -En 1999 solo algunas provincias de Canada ofrecia a las parejas del mismo sexo la oportunidad de tener hijos. Sin embargo, la la ley sobre el matrimonio de parejas homosexuales y el derecho a adoptar entro en vigor en julio de 2005. -En Uruguay las parejas homosexuales tienen derecho a la adopcion desde el ano 2009. -Mexico desde diciembre de 2009, permite la adopcion. Fue el Distrito Federal el primero en autorizarla. -Argentina el 15 de julio de 2010, autoriza el matrimonio homosexual y la adopcion homoparental. -En Brasil desde el 2010, el Tribunal Superior de Justicia avalo la adopcion igualitaria. -Colombia desde noviembre 2015. Europa -En el ano 2000 Holanda permitio a los matrimonios igualitarios la adopcion de ninos, con la particularidad de que fuesen de nacionalidad holandesa y en 2005 se permitio la adopcion de menores de extranjeros. -En Suecia desde el 2003, los homosexuales pueden adoptar hijos, inclusive
The Masterpiece Cakeshop case can be summed up thus: Good decision, BAD OPINION. Before we as an evangelical community jump to thank the Supreme Court for any decision (or inversely, rebuke them), we must pay close attention to their reasoning because that's what matters for future litigants and ultimately for ourselves, our families, and the whole of the faith-based communities in terms of First Amendment guarantees. The Supreme Court handed down the long-anticipated decision in Masterpiece v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission on Monday morning, and immediately (and predictably) the evangelical community declared an enormous victory, particularly because the majority opinion was a 7-2 decision for the baker. But far from celebrating, I'm incredibly disappointed in the Court for its ridiculously narrow opinion that was based more on recognizing flagrant procedural bias than the substantive merit of protecting religious liberty. Sure, I am absolutely delighted that Jack Phillips won. For him and his case and this particular instance, of course the Court correctly handed him the win. But the reasons the Court sided with Jack are indeed narrow and frankly disturbing, even though the vote was a 7-2 majority victory for Masterpiece. This decision read like an open invitation from Justice Kennedy for future litigants to simply cure the problem of an overtly-biased arbiter and give the Court better facts to protect what Kennedy calls "indignities" toward the LGBT community, rather th
1. Intelligence services concerned about "forked-tongue" of As-Sunnah Mosque in The Hague Dutch TV current affairs program investigates As-Sunnah Mosque in The Hague after reports of foreign funding, ties to terrorism and speakers preaching religious intolerance and sharia compliance on matters such as FGM, the treatment of women, apostasy and adultery. 2. Germany: "Decapitating" Freedom of the Press? In an apparent attempt to sweep under the rug a recent double homicide in Hamburg, Germany, authorities there censored the story. They also raided the apartments of a witness who filmed a video describing the murder, and a blogger who posted the video on YouTube. The murder, which made headlines worldwide, occurred on the morning of April 12. The assailant, Mourtala Madou, a 33-year-old illegal immigrant from Niger, stabbed his German ex-girlfriend, identified as Sandra P., and their one-year-old daughter, Miriam, at a Hamburg subway station. The child died at the scene; her mother died later, at the hospital. The woman's three-year-old son witnessed the murders. According to the prosecutor's office, Madou -- who initially fled the scene, but then called the police and was arrested shortly thereafter -- acted "out of anger and revenge," because the day before the incident, the court had denied him joint custody of his daughter. Massacre at Jungfernstieg Station Hamburg / Germany ( WARNING: Graphic content ) 3. Iran arrests teenage girl over Instagram video of her dancing in bedr
The LaserLyte TGL package for the SCCY pistols fits two guns for the price of just one laser. LaserLyte TGL Master Module Laser for the SCCY pistols LaserLyte COTTONWOOD, AZ ( Ammoland.com )- LaserLyte , innovators in firearms laser technologies, introduces the latest in the TGL series featuring the LaserLyte Master Module system. The versatile TGL Master Module fits into the gun's housing seamlessly; matching the gun's dust cover and trigger guard with perfect fit. The LaserLyte TGL SCCY Kit fits the SCCY CPX-1 and CPX-2 models. The TGL package comes with one housing to fit both models and will fit two guns for the price of just one laser. The switching is ambidextrous on or off from either side. The laser has a two modes pulse and constant on. The auto-off feature will turn your laser off in 6 minutes if it accidently is activated. All these features in a custom fit package that perfectly the SCCY pistol. The LaserLyte TGL Kit Laser gets sport shooters and professionals on the target faster, increasing accuracy and overall hits. For more information, visit www.laserlyte.com . LaserLyte UTA-FR Specifications: Compatible Firearms: SCCY CPX-1 and CPX-2 models Power Output: 650NM, 5MW, Class IIIA Programmable: Dual mode constant on and pulse Batteries: 3 x 392 Battery Life: Actual usage 5 hours constant on,
Three years ago, voters in Maine narrowly overturned legislation that would legalize same-sex nuptials in the state. The legislature had passed the bill, and former Democratic governor John Baldacci signed it into law. But in 2009 the economy was bad and the Tea Party was gaining steam (the next year it would usher in a widely derided radical-right governor Paul LePage). A surge of conservative turnout in an off-election year killed the law by public referendum before any couples could step up to the altar. In the aftermath, marriage-equality foes trumpeted that the tide was beginning to turn against progress toward equal rights for gay and lesbian couples. As a gay man born and raised in Maine, I cringed as opponents like Maggie Gallagher reveled in the possibility that Martin Luther King Jr.'s long arc of the moral universe did not, as it turned out, bend toward justice. "The events of the last few months have put a serious dent in the idea that gay marriage is inevitable," the National Organization for Marriage boss told the A.P., in a story that was reprinted throughout the state. Writing for New York magazine at the time , I observed that it was fitting that Gallagher--who is from Oregon, went to school in Connecticut, and lives in New York--would so underestimate gay advocates, and the people of Maine. Same-sex couples don't think that universal marriage equality is inevitable--that's why they haven't stopped fighting for it for a single day. And they've never given up
In the lead up to the G8 summit in Belfast this week, two narratives have featured heavily in the media's coverage of the organisational build up: the pre-summit wrangling over Syria and the anti-capitalist protesters who've been causing a 'scene' in various symbolically 'neo-liberal' locations. Is there no alternative for the members of the Co-operative other than a demutualisation? Must they stand back and let the stock market decide whether basic bank accounts, prisoner bank accounts, and the back office for credit unions, be assessed on the basis of return on capital rather than return to community?
Nous demandons le maintien "permanent" des passages pietons au couleurs arc en ciel dans le Marais, afin de promouvoir la lutte contre la LGBT+phobie, encore presente en France en 2018, et pour donner plus de visibilite a la communaute LGBT+ a Paris. En effet, a quatre jours de la Marche des fiertes du 30 juin 2018, des passages pieton peints aux couleurs de l'arc-en-ciel pour la quinzaine des fiertes, ont ete vandalises et assortis d'un message a caractere homophobe. Nous demandons a Anne Hidalgo, Maire de Paris, et Ariel Weil, Maire du 4eme arrondissement de Paris, leur soutien pour cette demarche.
The PC-ers strike again. Appalachian State University in North Carolina is asking students to use gender-neutral pronouns in their papers, so that all readers feel "included" in what they've written. The university's writing center recently released a guide on " Inclusive Language & Gender Neutral Pronoun Use ," offering students two options: change all their sentences so that the subject is plural (for example, switch out "a student" for "students"), or simply replace the singular pronoun "he" or "she" with "they" (proper grammar be damned). To avoid confusion, the guide recommends students who choose to use "they" as a singular third-person pronoun place a disclaimer at the top of their papers. Surprisingly, "xe" or "ze," or any of the other gender-neutral pronouns which have caught on at other universities , weren't suggested in the guide. Jeff Crouere Director of University Communications Megan Hayes told Campus Reform that the use of gender-neutral pronouns isn't mandatory but a mere suggestion, adding that there is "no university-wide practice or policy related to penalizing students for grammar use." It sounds like professors at App State are going to have a much harder time grading papers this semester.
Washington state's I-594 has massive money pouring into it, because it's apparently the only gun-control measure on the ballot this fall anywhere across the country. There are actually two dueling gun measures in the state. The first one, I-594 , the Washington Universal Background Checks for Gun Purchases Initiative, is being bankrolled by billionaires on the left in favor of gun control, including anti-gun activist and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, as well as former wealthy Microsoft execs Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. Thanks to them, the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility has raised nearly $9 million for the initiative this far, massively outspending the other side, which has raised only $1.3 million. I-594 has been cleverly drafted to sound like it merely makes small changes to gun laws, not a flat-out ban or gun registration scheme. This is why it is so dangerous. People are less likely to oppose it; in fact, polls show that even a majority of gun owners - 54 percent of the 35 percent of Washington residents who own a gun - are in favor of it. The reality is, the bizarrely-long 18.5 page initiative is so confusingly and vaguely worded - with many terms and phrases left undefined - that former Washington State Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders warned protesters at a rally against I-594 how impossible it will be to comply with. Gun owners will easily make honest mistakes, making it easy to prosecute them. Many will just give up trying to own a g
Why is Canada letting ISIS terrorists come back to Canada and live a normal life? Why have they not been arrested and prosecuted -- or even, put in a POW-style camp until the war is over? (I'll show you the many provisions in the Criminal Code that could apply in these cases.) Instead, we have a confessed ISIS terrorist back in Canada, hanging out in Oakville at the family restaurant, and doing media interviews. A few months back, we played you footage of the CBC interviewing him, where he admits in great detail that he was a terrorist. But the CBC hid his identity. (He's not a minor child. There is no court ordered publication ban.) Now we learn that that ISIS terrorist actually confessed to committing murder -- to the New York Times . But the CBC still won't identify him. Why? If you lived in Oakville, wouldn't you want to know if the terrorist was living next to you? Isn't that pretty much the definition of "news"? What about the people who actually have the legal, constitutional duty to implement the laws? Well, that would be Ralph Goodale, Trudeau's Minister for Public Safety. When asked about ISIS terrorists in Parliament , hesays, in effect: Stop asking about terrorists, or I'll call you a racist. If you have a worry or a criticism about terrorists and murderers walking through our neighbourhoods, you're "divisive," and your voice should be silenced. NEXT: James O'Keefe joins me to talk about the latest Project Veritas hidden camera expose, of a Michigan union boss adm
1. Linda Sarsour raises money to repair vandalized Jewish cemetery -- but fails to hand over the money Linda Sarsour is the dedicated Muslim who led the woman's march against Donald Trump, and more recently asked Muslims to wage jihad on President Trump and his administration. " A Jewish cemetery in Colorado that has fallen into severe disrepair has yet to receive a check for some $100,000 from a group associated with Palestinian-American BDS activist Linda Sarsour, despite being promised the money several months ago, The Algemeiner learned on Tuesday. Neil Price of the Golden Hill Cemetery in Lakewood, CO said he had left three unreturned voicemails for Tarek El-Messidi, the founder of non-profit Islamic education organization Celebrate Mercy, who led the high-profile effort by the Muslim community in February and March to raise money for vandalized Jewish cemeteries in the US. El-Messidi's partner in the effort was Sarsour." 2. Terrifying look inside life for children in Islamic State FOR children half a world away , the nightmares don't stop. Five-year-old Shadi and his older sister and brother are among thousands of children who have seen more terrors than most of us combined in their short lifetime; children sold as sexual slaves, suicide bombings, blood, guts and gore, forced torture and mutilation. But most of all, they've stared death in the eye. "Deflowered (sex) slave for sale, age 13," one ad in an online jihadi marketplace reads. "Body: slim, tall. Price: $9,000.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stunning presentation of damning evidence against the Iranian regime yesterday appears to officially prove what we've known all along: The anti-American, rogue, terrorist-supporting regime in Iran cannot be trusted. Netanyahu's methodical powerpoint-aided indictment of Tehran's treachery and mendacity wasn't stunning because of its allegations; it was stunning because of how he was able to prove those allegations. Israeli spies apparently managed to steal tens of thousands of physical Iranian nuclear documents and digital files ( the originals ), and deliver them to an undisclosed location -- "a very safe place," according to Netanyahu, presumably meaning somewhere inside Israel. That, unto itself, is an unbelievable feat of spy craft and an astonishing intelligence coup: BREAKING: Netanyahu: 2017 Iran moved nuke secret weapons files to Shorabad district secret location. Weeks ago Israeli mossad found half ton material inside these walls. 55,000 pages in 183 safes. -- Yonah Jeremy Bob (@jeremybob1) April 30, 2018 So the only story I'm interested in now is how the Israelis got those files. A staggering intelligence operation. -- Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) April 30, 2018 If you haven't already, I strongly urge you to watch 'Bibi's' calm, detailed explanation of what the pilfered documents definitively prove -- including his comment that US intelligence has authenticated the files, which the Israeli government will share with th
Written by Marilyn La Jeunesse almost 3 years ago Written by Nick Jaynes almost 3 years ago Written by Lindsey Robertson almost 3 years ago Written by Kimberly Truong almost 3 years ago Written by Nick Jaynes almost 3 years ago Written by Elizabeth Pierson almost 3 years ago "I think a new generation of musicians is understanding that just doing concerts isn't enough. You have to open the conversation." Written by Lance Ulanoff almost 3 years ago NEW YORK -- Keurig Green Mountain, the company best known for getting millions of people hooked in single-cup coffee brewing, is now hitching its wagon to fizzy bubbles as it prepares to take on instant carbonated drink-making king Soda Stream with K... Written by Matt Petronzio almost 3 years ago Written by Josh Dickey almost 3 years ago
The government of Quebec (a Liberal government, by the way) voted to ban government workers, and those doing business with the government, from wearing face-obscuring masks, such as the burqa and niqab. This law doesn't go very far. It doesn't apply to the private sector. But hearteningly, Quebec opposition parties want this law to go even further. Quebeckers in general agree. They still care about their culture. Justin Trudeau tells us being Canadian doesn't mean anything -- we're post-national. He only says that in English, though -- he doesn't dare tell Quebeckers that their culture is meaningless. He simply tweeted this yesterday: "When it comes to what people can & cannot wear - my position has always been known, and it's where I'll always be" Remember when Stephen Harper's government defended citizenship courts that asked would-be Canadians to take off their masks? Trudeau made opposing that into a signature campaign issue -- and the media did, too. But now Trudeau is just tweeting. No suing or going to court. Because he knows support of this in Quebec is enormous. And for all of Trudeau's claims to love the burqa, he loves his Quebec votes even more. But if you think he's a coward, what about the other nine provinces and three territories? And what about so-called Conservative MPs? What about Andrew Scheer...? TONIGHT'S GUESTS: Barbara Kay with more on Quebec's burqa ban; Germain Belzile of the Montreal Economic Institute on how the Energy East pipeline cancellati
CNN contributor Angela Rye and HLN host S.E. Cupp took part in a gun control debate Wednesday night on CNN following President Trump's roundtable discussion with mass shooting survivors. The two women tried to focus on solutions, but those solutions quickly and vastly differed and before long the two women kept interrupting one another. Rye reiterated what many Democrats in Congress and gun control activists have proposed: ban the AR-15, the firearm used by Nikolas Cruz in his shooting spree last week at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Cupp wasn't so sure that would work, citing congressional history. Lawmakers banned the category of gun for 10 years, yet one of the guns on that list still ended up in the Columbine massacre, she noted. "I understand the desire" to want to be a part of something big and historic and impactful, Cupp told Rye. But, AR-15s are responsible for less than 2 percent of gun crime, she pointed out. Her solution? "If you talk to people who have researched this, the more targeted, discreet, narrow policies that address mental health" and other issues "actually have the bigger impact," Cupp said. "There are still people dead," Rye countered when Cupp mentioned the less-than-2 percent statistic. Cupp agreed these young deaths are horrifying, but so is the majority of gun crime in inner cities and the suicide rate. Why not work to address these issues with "passable legislation?" Despite Cupp's insistence, Rye said she's not only trying to be "impact
1. On the menu for asylum seekers -- meals that meet religious needs $770K spent on snacks and meals at Canadian borders in 2017-18 fiscal year. The Canada Border Services Agency has been making sure religious dietary concerns are respected and has been keeping frozen dinners stocked up, according to documents CBC News obtained under the Access to Information Act. Meals get high praise from asylum seekers. Those meals have come at a high cost. In the 2017-18 fiscal year, approximately $770,500 was spent on food and drinks given to asylum seekers who walked into Canada. Most recent numbers from the federal government show 10,744 asylum seekers have been apprehended by the RCMP for crossing between points of entry in the first six months of this year. 2. IDF has launched "massive air strikes" on Gaza in response to hundreds of rockets fired into Israel Today an IDF combat soldier was killed during operational activity near the southern Gaza Strip. A terrorist squad shot at IDF troops and the IDF soldier was severely injured. He later succumbed to his wounds. His family has been notified pic.twitter.com/V0ppoDyKZV -- IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 20, 2018 Israeli Air Force fighter jets are currently striking military targets throughout the Gaza Strip. So far, the IDF has struck 15 military targets located in a Hamas battalion headquarter in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF significantly damaged the headquarters capabilities -- IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 20, 2018 Among the targets
Correctional Service Canada will be handing out free needles to intravenous drug users inside two Canadian prisons starting in June. The needle exchange program will eventually expand to federal prisons all across the country. Hard time in the big house used to mean three square meals and a cot, but now it means all of those things plus all the hypodermics you can stick in your arm. Phase 1 of the program begins with the Atlantic Institution for men in Renous, New Brunswick, and a women's facility, the Grand Valley Institution in Kitchener, Ontario. Done under the auspices of harm reduction, Correctional Service Canada says the lack of clean needles in jail is putting inmates at risk of blood borne illnesses like HIV and Hepatitis when they use their illegal smuggled drugs. What's next? Giving the prisoners knives so they don't have to turn their toothbrushes into shivs as part of a commitment to inmate dental health? Why not give them wine too, so they don't have to percolate pruno in their toilets? Watch as I examine where this crazy idea came from and where inmates are getting their contraband. Instead of spending money to help inmates avoid the rehabilitation part of prison - the part the Left tells us is so important - wouldn't it be more compassionate to ensure prisons are safe for everyone? And that means getting dangerous drugs out of our prisons altogether. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
1. Britain's "worst ever" child grooming scandal exposed: Hundreds of young girls raped, beaten, sold for sex and some even KILLED SPECIAL SUNDAY MIRROR INVESTIGATION : Authorities failed to act over 40 years - despite repeated warnings to social workers - with up to 1,000 girls, some as young as 11, abused in Telford UP to 1,000 children could have suffered in Britain's worst known abuse scandal - where sex gangs targeted girls as young as 11. The rape hell of vulnerable young girls in one town - Telford - went on for a shocking 40 years, the Sunday Mirror can reveal. As many as 1,000 children could have suffered at the merciless hands of perverts and torturers in Telford since the 1980s. The Daily Mail has more HERE . 2. UK bans conservative Polish journalist from entering country Related : According to some reports, Martin Sellner of Generation Identitaire, and Brittany Pettibone, are being held in detention in the UK Breitbart reports on these detentions HERE . 3. Paris Police Officer Says Majority Of Sex Attackers On Metro Come From North African Backgrounds A French police officer , who works as part of a plainclothes team on the Paris metro to prevent crime, has claimed that the majority of sex attackers he arrests come from North African backgrounds. The officer, named Fabien, is part of the special force of eighty or so police who travel the metro in plain clothes to prevent violent attacks and sexual assaults, Le Figaro reports. According to Fabien, the sex assaults
This video is almost certain to start your day off right. One U.K. farmer got so mad at Oscar winning actress Emma Thompson and her sister for breaking a court injunction protecting a fracking site on his land that he sprayed raw manure at them. The stars were filming a Great British Bake Off parody for Greenpeace when the owner of the field they trespassed on drove his muck spreader in circles around the demonstrators. A group of protesters were hit by the manure but the actresses remained dry in their tent, complete with Bake Off-inspired bunting. Police were also called and also spoke to the actresses, who climbed over a gate and set up camp on land earmarked for gas exploration in Fylde, Lancashire. Emma and Sophie, who won Celebrity Masterchef, filmed a pastiche episode of the Great British Bake Off called Frack Free Bake Off to voice their opposition to the fracking plans. But this afternoon the landowner, who leases the contested patch of land to fracking company Cuadrilla, drove his muck spreader in circles around the demonstrating group. After a couple of circles around the group, who were shouting for him to stop it, the farmer drove off. Protesters are banned from the site, near Preston, after company Cuadrilla applied for an injunction in 2014. It is not clear if the fracking company will now take civil action - but it appears unlikely. It's too bad he wasn't able to get close enough but it was a valiant effort nonetheless.
Right-wing extremists have a new way to foist their repulsive beliefs on us. After suffering a humiliating defeat in the Supreme Court in their battle against same-sex marriage, they have hit upon a formula designed to lure gullible Americans into believing that transgender people are sexual predators lurking in restrooms, eager to prey on the opposite sex. They have declared their first victory in North Carolina, where a wide-ranging so-called bathroom bill, HB2, was passed by the Republican-dominated Legislature during a special session and speedily signed into law by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory. The innocuously named Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act blatantly overrides protections against transgender discrimination (and other forms) in cities and municipalities in North Carolina--specifically, the protections offered by a newly passed ordinance in the city of Charlotte that was to take effect Friday. The state bill is primarily designed to force transgender people to use public restrooms that match the gender on their birth certificates rather than their gender identity. So far more than 20 states are considering variations of such bills. Among them is Michigan , which, one might imagine, has more urgent things to worry about (such as Flint's poisoned water), and Kansas, which has gone further than others by adding a clause that would offer a $2,500 bounty to those who catch transgender people in prohibited restrooms. Mississippi even includes a section allow
Low-paid health workers including nurses look set to lose jobs or pay. The move would break one of two promises made by David Cameron and George Osborne. Low-paid frontline health workers, including nurses, are set to lose either pay or jobs in what would amount to a breach of one of two key Tory promises. The latest unwinding follows the news, first reported by Left Foot Forward , that the Tory-led Government's promise to protect NHS spending had come unstuck. The Observer today reports that: The NHS plans to make 35,000 nurses, cleaners and medical secretaries redundant unless staff accept a pay deal that will see them lose up to several thousand pounds a year... The 1.1 million workers facing the dilemma are mostly the lowest-paid, who, in common with other public sector workers, are already facing two years with no pay rise from April. They are on NHS pay bands 1-6, earning between PS13,653 and PS34,189. In an interview with Andrew Marr on the Sunday before the general election, David Cameron said: "any cabinet minister if I win the election, if we win the election, who comes to me and says, "Here are my plans" and they involve frontline reductions, they'll be sent straight back to their department to go away and think again." Cuts to frontline jobs in the health service would follow the cuts already announced in the police force and justice system . Meanwhile, George Osborne used the Budget to announce : "That is why the Government is asking the public sector to accept
Saturday was the 150th anniversary of Canada, but the Ryerson Student Union wasn't feeling patriotic. Rather than celebrating 150 years of Confederation , the students union referred to the anniversary as "Colonialism 150". This is just more proof that universities are becoming SJW breeding grounds . WATCH my video to see how students at Ryerson feel about the latest outburst from their radical student union . Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Last night, the U.S. launched a massive missile strike against the Shayrat airbase, where the sarin gas attack against the town of Khan Shaykhun in the Idlib Province of Syria was reportedly carried out. At least 80 people, including women and children, were killed in the horrific chemical weapons attack. In response, President Trump ordered 60 tomahawk missiles to be fired at the airfield. As networks covered this event, CNN's Fareed Zakaria said he agreed with the moral imperative of this action, but worried about the political strategy. Are we going to take out Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who reportedly ordered this chemical attack? If so, that is going to require a ground invasion. In the absences of clarity, Zakaria said that we might be acting as ISIS' air force with this military action. Newsbusters clipped the exchange the CNN host had with colleague Don Lemon: FAREED ZAKARIA: There is a civil war in Iraq [Syria] between Assad essentially and ISIS and a bunch of other jihadis. Are we now saying we're against Assad? Do we want to strengthen ISIS? Do we want the Assad regime to fall? If so, are we willing to commit ourselves to that goal? If not, we've just thrown bombs in the middle of one of the most complex civil wars in the country and now we're going to step back and say, "Well that's it, we're done." DON LEMON: And the reason it's hard to answer many of the questions you're asking is because this is such a young presidency and we really don't know what the f
On last night's show , I announced that international law attorney and activist Jennifer Breedo n will be taking over production of our full-length documentary on the genocide of Christians in Iraq. Earlier in the year, we traveled to Iraqi Kurdistan to document firsthand the persecution of Christians by ISIS , we found ancient communities that had seen their churches desecrated and their cultures nearly erased. Kurdistan is one of the only Muslim jurisdictions where Christians can practice their faith, but Iran and Turkey are using their militaries to prevent Kurdish independence . The footage we collected in Kurdistan will be featured in the documentary Jennifer is producing, and it wouldn't have been possible without the generous support of our donors. WATCH my interview hear about our plans to help rebuild an Iraqi Christian community, and how we're ensuring our humanitarian effort will be carried out with transparency and that the money will reach those in need. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Last week, the comic book world found it had gotten covertly political when it was revealed Indonesian Muslim freelance artist, Ardian Syaf, inserted coded anti-Christian and anti-Jewish messages into the first issue of the Marvel comic, X-Men Gold. In a career-limiting move, Syaf decided to unilaterally sneak political messages into the artwork of X-Men Gold #1. Watch as I share the coded messages with you and explain why it was all so controversial. In the aftermath, Marvel Comics issued a statement noting it will no longer employ Syaf and that the offending images will be removed from future reprints of X-Men Gold. For his part, in a Facebook posting, Syaf stated: "My career is over now. It's the consequence [of] what I did. Please, no more mockery, debate, no more hate. My apologies for all the noise. Goodbye. May God bless you all." I sort of feel sorry for Syaf, who is indeed an accomplished artist. He does deserve to be disciplined, though Marvel banning him forever might be extreme. But let's be clear - this is not a freedom of speech issue. Syaf is a freelance artist hired to visually render the writer's script, he's not the publisher or comic book owner. If Syaf wants to start his own comic book and go full Sharia, go for it . But what's really ironic about the Syaf affair is that if an illustrator wanted to insert subtle messages of bigotry into a comic-book, the last title he should pick is the X-Men. When comic co-creator Stan Lee came up with the idea of a group
In late 2015, to meet yet another Trudeau imposed quota , the Canadian government sponsored 50,000 migrants who, the public were assured, were all Syrian refugees fleeing a civil war. To accommodate the rush to bring them to Canada, hotels were turned into makeshift migrant camps and today, I bring you the fourth installment of my exclusive investigation into the consequences of this action. The investigation has been fuelled by a few hundred exclusive access to information documents. The documents, primarily emails from hotel management to their contacts at the federal government, and internal government memos, reveal a chilling and often disgusting tale of vandalism, sexual harassment and child neglect. Watch as I tell you about how Sharia law came to the hotels , under the advice of the refugee wranglers in the federal government. Special Sharia swim times were set up, before and after regular pool hours, because refugee parents were not permitting their little girls to use the hotel pools as freely as the little boys. So much for integrating. To see all the reports in our ongoing investigation into the Liberals practice of housing migrants in Canadian hotels, visit RefugeeInvesigation.com .
In the wake of terror attacks in Manchester and London , one immigrant community has stood out in its dedication to British values like freedom, secularism, and democracy. I'm talking about the Sikhs . While mass Muslim migration is bringing immigrants who don't assimilate or adhere to our values, the Sikh community represents a refreshing change. WATCH my video to hear the facts about how Sikhs have contributed to British communities in a time of Islamic terror . Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
You already know that former president Barack Obama left office by taking a breathtaking parting shot at Israel by orchestrating a United Nations Security Council vote designed to guarantee that anti-Israel zealots would prevail. The move elicited swift, bipartisan condemnation on Capitol Hill, but Obama couldn't have cared less. He's never respected Congressional authority, and his contempt for Israel's leader has never been a secret. And thus, it was somewhat fitting that Obama -- whose first phone call to a foreign leader upon taking office in 2009 was to Mahmoud Abbas -- concluded his tenure by raising a lasting and historic middle finger to Israel, the only liberal democracy in the region, and a staunch American ally. But harming Israel in the realm of international legal precedent wasn't quite enough, it turns out. The Associated Press now reports that in the waning hours of their administration, Obama and ex-Secretary of State John Kerry gifted $221 million taxpayer dollars to the Palestinian Authority -- who, it must be said, have repeatedly formed unity coalitions with Hamas, which Kerry's own State Department designates a terrorist organization: Officials say the Obama administration in its waning hours defied Republican opposition and quietly released $221 million to the Palestinian Authority that GOP members of Congress had been blocking. A State Department official and several congressional aides said the outgoing administration formally notified Congress
I have a new book out this week titled "You Will Be Made to Care." I chronicle the disturbing trend of persecution in the United States against people of faith. Several years ago, I had an encounter with a young man who told me in no uncertain terms that he did not care about the rapid movement to legalize same sex marriage in the United States. It did not affect him, would not affect him and he did not care about the issue at all. I replied to him that he would be made to care by the secular left in America. They will abide no dissent on the issue. If he decides, because of his faith, that same sex marriage is a sin, he will be made to change his mind or shut up. He could lose his job, his home, and see his career annihilated if he cared the wrong way. Sadly, since that time, I have been proven right. The secular left in America has its own religion -- the state. Worship of the state and the self cannot tolerate dissent or competition, and therefore is moving aggressively to shut down, silence, and drive from the town square any competing ideas. Evil has been preaching tolerance, but now that it is dominate, it seeks to silence good. A devout Mennonite couple in Iowa, Betty and Dick Odgaard, declined a request to organize, facilitate, and host a same-sex ceremony in a seventy-seven-year old church building in which they run an art gallery. The Odgaards refused on the basis of their religious beliefs, which include "the importance of living one's faith in all aspects of life.
Radio host and television pundit Tammy Bruce has somehow managed to live her life as an openly homosexual woman, without it completely dominating the content of her character. A reformed liberal, she is a worthy adversary who is rarely shrill and generally prone to reasoned dialogue. And that's where she parts ways from much of the rest of the LGBTQ crowd. If Bruce was the face of homosexual politics, it is doubtful I would have ever had the occasion to coin the phrase "Rainbow Jihad." As a Christian I would still be concerned about the mainstreaming of what the Bible calls "sin" given the potential eternal consequences at stake. However, there would be no reason for that discussion to escalate into a full-blown culture war. Co-existence would still be possible in a free society. We would be free to pursue our happiness, and the church still free to call sinners to repentance when what makes us happy is wrong. Yet the unrelenting militancy of the Rainbow Jihad forced my hand. Bruce felt similarly compelled when she took to Fox News and Twitter last week in the face of the Rainbow Jihad's targeting of children. She was addressing how a school in Maine stirred up controversy after a book about a child "with a boy's body but a girl's brain" was read to children in kindergarten through third grade. Bruce said on Twitter that "after working for marriage, adoption & family rights, turning to the notion of 'transgendered' 5 y/olds is an inexplicable, bizarre move" for the LGBT movem
Unemployment decreased by 18,000 between June 2013 and August 2013 to 2.49 million, with the unemployment rate now at 7.7 per cent, today's labour market statistics reveal. To turn RBS into a network of community banks, looking at German Sparkassen for inspiration, would be a step closer to the kind of relational finance our communities desperately need. Yet again inflation has outpaced wages as figures realeased today by the Office for National Statistics show the Consumer Price Index at 2.7 per cent - unchanged from August.
Of course he's 100% right, but that doesn't mean the Pink Mafia won't go ballistic. Via leftist rag Raw Story : Toronto Mayor Rob Ford on Friday ordered a rainbow flag flying at City Hall to be removed, saying that that the Sochi Olympics were "not about someone's sexual preference." According to CBC, the rainbow flag had been raised outside City Hall to show solidarity with the LGBT community because of Russia's laws outlawing homosexual "propaganda." When reporters asked Ford to confirm reports that he had banned the rainbow flag on Friday, he quipped that he had put a Canadian flag in his office window. "I'm going to go look at it now," he said. "This is about Olympics, this is about being patriotic to your country, this is not about someone's sexual preference." "No, I do not agree with putting the rainbow flag up." "They put up the flag in opposition to what's been happening in Russia," one reporter pointed out. "Let Russia do what they want, we're Canadians here," Ford replied while walking to get a salad for lunch. "I support the Canadian Olympics."
The Chinese takeover of Vancouver continues. Late last week it was reported that local ski hill and tourist destination, Grouse Mountain, will be sold to China Minsheng Investment Group, a company with strong ties to the Chinese government and the Communist party. With the number of deals involving Chinese state controlled or connected companies buying Canadian businesses, some with national security risks ignored by Justin Trudeau and his cabinet, Canadians should be feeling a little uneasy. By now, Vancouverites are noticing how quickly our city is changing as hundreds of millions of dollars in mainland Chinese money has been parked in our real estate market. This creates havoc as wages and economic opportunity in the city aren't keeping up with the increase in housing and rent prices due to this influx of foreign money. The concern many feel isn't coming from a bigoted or anti-immigrant place. Rather, many are weary of so much influence coming from mainland China that is deeply connected to the communist dictatorship of Xi Jinping. There's a sense of alienation in our own city leaving people wondering Vancouver is essentially becoming a colony for the Chinese 1% to park their money in and inhabit. Watch as I show you how well connected China Minsheng Investment Group is, and how their chairman recently conceded that it's natural for Chinese companies to act in line with the Chinese state and the Communist Party. If pictures speak a thousand words, notice this image on Chi
The war on OHVs is heating up and it's getting dangerous. I've told you about the environmentalist war on Off Highway Vehicles in Alberta with the NDP listening to astroturf groups like Yellowstone to Yukon who want to turn the rockies into a park, so the government is kicking traditional users out of some parts of our public lands, but that's not where it ends. A group of dirt bikers in southern Alberta fell victim to some trail sabotage and one was injured after riding into barb wire purposefully strung across the trail at neck height. The RCMP are investigating the incident and the dirt bikers think it was "psychopathic OHV hating radicals who attempted to kill" them. I don't know if it was, but would I be surprised to find out that it was eco-terrorism? Not one bit. It's not a stretch at all. Weibo Ludwig, Clayoquot, and the repeated sabotage of Line 9 in Ontario are just a few closer to home examples of environmentalists thinking violence is a reasonable response to normal people doing legal activities they disagree with. Watch my video to see some other crazy examples you may not have heard about. Endangering innocent lives to save a tree or stop development is just another tool in the environmentalist tool box . It's just what they do at this point. And now these maniacs have added fun to their list of things they can justify trying to kill you over meaning no one is safe. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
By Charles Marshall | November 11, 2009 | More I couldn't find one of my old bottles of prescription pills the other day so I asked my wife if she knew what happened to them. She told me that she had thrown them away. When I asked her why on earth she would do such a thing she told me she had gotten rid of them because the expiration date had passed. That's right. Just because the expiration date had passed. Have you ever heard of such a ridiculous thing in your whole life? I tried explaining there is nothing magical about the expiration date on a medicine bottle. It's just a date. If the expiration date is July 26, the pills don't magically transform into cyanide on July 27, do they? No, I believe a medicine bottle expiration date is just like a speed limit sign -- they have to put it there but nobody expects you to actually pay attention to it. That's the way it's always been in my family. I remember my mom was injured back in 1982 and the doctor prescribed some pain medication for her. She wound up not using all the medication so she left the rest of the pills to me in her will. In my family, it's not just a medicine bottle. It's a family heirloom. And one day, God willing, I hope to pass on all my old medicine bottles to my kids. It's the right thing to do. But why on earth would anyone throw away good medicine? It's like money in the bank. One might suggest that, if I'm hurt, I should go to the doctor, get a new prescription, and then go get another bottle of pills from
Apple's ongoing dispute with the FBI over whether to develop a key that would allow free reign on guessing a locked iPhone password has inspired some compelling arguments from both sides. On the one hand, allowing the FBI to unlock iPhones would give them more evidence when it comes to pursuing threats to public safety. On the other hand, Apple's stringent encryption standards make it a lot harder for private information to fall into the wrong hands -- and that's of particular concern for marginalized communities, such as LGBTQIA folks. Did you know that there are 32 states in the US where it's legal for employers to discriminate against LGBTQIA employees? In many other countries, that discrimination often goes much further; according to the Stop Homophobia initiative , there are 76 countries "with criminal laws against sexual activity by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex people." In other words, LGBTQIA people in those countries are required by law to remain closeted and abstinent -- which means complete isolation. Naturally, many people in that situation use the anonymity of the internet to get around these discriminatory laws. If they lose their phone, so long as it's password-protected, they don't need to live in fear of the authorities breaking into that encryption and discovering their "criminal" activity. If the authorities had the ability to break that encryption, however, it would take away the only haven available to LGBTQIA folks. That's just one of
As summer gets well underway, gay pride parades continue to be a popular tradition within the LGBT community and its supporters. These events have become the norm for a number of reasons. They provide a sense of acceptance for those who have been outcast from society purely based on their sexual identity and orientation. The marches also help to create a buzz around important LGBT social and political causes while providing nondenominational organizations with a chance to show support for the community while creating awareness for themselves. Additionally, pride parades in 2014 will be honoring the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Stonewall Inn was a popular hangout of homosexuals located in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. On June 28, 1969, patrons of the bar were engaged in a physical altercation with police officers when they raided the venue. Customers were escorted to the restroom by female officers to have their sex verified, and police began arresting any men who were dressed as women. Shortly thereafter, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn began refusing to present any identification, and the police decided to take everyone down to the station for processing. The patrol wagons called to haul away bootlegged alcohol from the premises took some time in arriving, and a few individuals were released from the bar after the police managed to sort through those present to find the cross-dressers. Rather than vacating the area, they began to loiter outside th
Nigel Stanley assess the IFS' green budget report, and finds that they are understating the effect of pension changes. UUP MLA David McNarry has declared that he feels "abused" over how he has been treated over revelations about co-operation discussions between the UUP and DUP. With 25 of the European Union's 27 states agreeing to join a fiscal treaty, more questions are being asked about what exactly David Cameron's EU veto achieved. Dr Kailash Chand OBE highlights the global nature of the occupy movement by showing its links with the Anna Hazare anti-corruption movement in India.
The Trump administration released its funding announcement Friday for $260 million in Title X grants for federal family planning. The application emphasizes new priorities including listing "natural family planning services" as one of a list of "core family planning services" that grantees should include in their project proposal. HHS also said that "none of the funds appropriated under this title shall be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning." Valerie Huber, acting deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Population Affairs at HHS, told reporters on a call that "all eligible organizations, including Planned Parenthood, are free to apply for this funding announcement." According to the application, each potential recipient should "optimally" offer primary health services onsite or have "robust referral linkages to primary health providers in close proximity." That could exclude Planned Parenthood facilities that only offer a range of reproductive services. The application also asks potential funding recipients to cooperate with "community-based and faith-based organizations." Planned Parenthood claims that the new priorities are "designed to penalize reproductive health care providers and make it harder for women to access expert reproductive health care under the program." "The Trump-Pence administration is quietly taking aim at access to birth control under the nation's program for affordable reproductive health care, which more than four mill
1. How police hunted down an Ontario terror suspect from anonymous online posts Ten weeks after the October 2014 terrorist attacks that targeted Canadian soldiers in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. and Ottawa, the so-called Islamic State received an encrypted message from Ontario. 'In Canada there's a school called Canadian Royal Military College in Kingston," it began. "Loads of students dressed in military uniform. I believe they have some agreement to serve in army after graduation.' 'All over town students walk around in uniform. They're probably unarmed, but there is police squad cars constantly roaming the city, more than regular cities," read the Jan. 2, 2015 dispatch. "It's kind of important on my end to let me know when you've read.' When the RCMP came across the message during an investigation, they had a problem. It appeared that someone had visited the military college of the Canadian Armed Forces and sent his observations to ISIS. 2. Canada to admit nearly one million immigrants over next three years Canada will welcome nearly one million immigrants over the next three years, according to the multi-year strategy tabled by the Liberal government today in what it calls 'the most ambitious immigration levels in recent history.' The number of economic migrants, family reunifications and refugees will climb to 310,000 in 2018, up from 300,000 this year. That number will rise to 330,000 in 2019 then 340,000 in 2020. The targets for economic migrants, refugees and family
It's not enough for Justin Trudeau that you can get a legal abortion at any point in your pregnancy in Canada and taxpayers will pay for it. Now the Trudeau Liberals want Canadians to pay for abortions abroad. In response to the culture of death funding shortfall caused by President Trump's repeal of American taxpayer funding to foreign aid organizations that provide abortion counselling, Trudeau is giving $20M to the same groups, including Planned Parenthood International. It's a typically Trudeau passive-aggressive stick in the eye to the Trump administration and it's a 180 degree turn from where Canada used to be. Worse yet, it's bad for the women these Liberals say they're trying to help. For a bunch of people who say they're against colonialism, these Liberals really are abortion colonialists . This is just a bunch of white, Western liberals, imposing their values on poor women in the developing world, many of whom don't even have a word for abortion in their cultures. And they want you and me to pay for it. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
One of the victims of Saturday night's terrorist attack was Luis Vielma, 22, of Florida. Vielma was employed at Universal Orlando Resort and worked the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at the park's Wizarding World of Harry Potter. To show support and to stand in solidarity with Vielma and the other victims of the attack, theme park employees from across the country are taking pictures making the "heart hands" symbol. Kevin O'Brien, a cast member at Walt Disney World, compiled the pictures in a series of Facebook posts. Images from Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World, Sea World, and Legoland, among others, were submitted. Author J.K. Rowling also tweeted a moving memorial to Vielma: Luis Vielma worked on the Harry Potter ride at Universal. He was 22 years old. I can't stop crying. #Orlando pic.twitter.com/Nz2ZCWxNsS -- J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 13, 2016 In the face of unspeakable horrors, it's always good to remember that there are still good people out there who seek to spread love to counter hate.
Coral Gables has joined seven other local municipalities and Miami-Dade County in passing a Domestic Partnership ordinance which grants LGBT city employees partnership benefits. The issue came to a head after an openly lesbian police officer was denied bereavement leave after the death of the father of her longtime partner. Acting Major Rene Tastet has served with the Coral Gables Police Department for 22-year, but wasn't able to receive the same benefits for her partner as her straight co-workers did. Though, she was able to take time off through other means to grieve her partner's father, she decided to take a stand for LGBT rights. With the help of SAVE Dade and the backing of the Fraternal Order of the Police, Tastet lobbied for the city to pass a domestic partnership ordinance. The battle took more than a year, as the Coral Gables commission seemed to drag its feet. SAVE Dade even accused the commission as using the ordinance as a "negotiating tool in its collective bargaining negotiations with its labor unions." If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters. You have successfully signed up for your selected newsletter(s) - please keep an eye on your mailbox, we're movin' in! Well, according to South Florida Gay News , the commission finally took the ordinance up yesterday and passed it unanimously. "I have been a police officer with the City for 22 years and today I finally have the same rights as my fellow officers," Tastet told the paper. Miami
Judi Lynn (123,254 posts) Feds Ignore Science, Imperiling Wolverines Published on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 by Common Dreams Feds Ignore Science, Imperiling Wolverines "Wolverines are in real trouble," biologist says. by Deirdre Fulton, staff writer Despite evidence that climate change threatens their habitat, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday that it was withdrawing a proposal to list North American wolverines as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Environmental groups decried the decision, saying it ignored "the best available science" and threatening to sue "unless the Service takes action to protect the wolverine as the Endangered Species Act requires." The wolverine, described by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as "a large but elusive member of the weasel family," requires deep snow to build sheltered dens in which to raise its young. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, global warming over the next 75 years is projected to wipe out 63 percent of the snowy habitat wolverines need to survive. Experts say there are only 300 wolverines left in the lower 48 states. But the FWS said: "While it is clear that the climate is warming, after carefully considering the best available science, the Service has determined that the effects of climate change are not likely to place the wolverine in danger of extinction now or in the foreseeable future." Whereas with polar bears, scientists were able to point to specific evidence of
Between Christmas and New Year's, we're reviving a tradition we began last year: Bringing you in-depth conversations with some of The Rebel's most popular, fascinating and knowledgeable guests. Tonight: I like to say that Guidy Mamann has "a soft heart and a hard head"! He's a seasoned immigration lawyer whose first-hand expertise on official Canadian immigration and refugee policies (along with the messy realities on the ground) has brought unique perspectives to my program that you quite literally haven't heard anywhere else in Canadian media. For years, he's been dedicated to helping deserving people build a new life in Canada, as well as keeping the country safe. I ask Guidy Mamman about scams he's seen, Canada's criteria for admitting newcomers, profiling, his worries about the future and so much more. PS: See what "makes him crazy" when he goes to the airport. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
A Seton Hall University priest who worked with its athletic teams claims he was fired from that position after showing support for the "NOH8" LGBT campaign. The Rev. Warren Hall posted a message about his firing on Twitter Friday, which has now been taken down, according to the Washington Post . Hall had worked as director of the university's campus ministry, noted the newspaper. "I've been fired from SHU for posting a pic on FB supporting LGBT 'NO H8,'" Hall wrote on the deleted tweet, noted the Post. "I'm sorry it was met with this response. I'll miss my work here." Seton Hall, which is run by the Archdiocese of Newark, declined to respond directly to Hall's charge. "Seton Hall University does not comment on personnel matters," Laurie A. Pine, a spokeswoman for Seton Hall, said in a statement to the Post. "The Archbishop of Newark appoints the director of campus ministry, who serves at his discretion." Archdiocese of Newark spokesman Jim Goodness confirmed to NJ Advance Media that Hall's "term as director of campus ministry is ending," but would not say for what reason. Goodness said Hall will have a new assignment in the archdiocese. "Just as a priest may change (parish assignments). ... they change from time to time," said Goodness. A student-generated petition on Change.org was created to support Hall. Ethan Kraft, a student at Seton Hall, created the petition with an attached letter to Seton Hall asking for the priest to be reinstated. "This action is not in line with t
Scott Pruitt Attorney General, State of Oklahoma Scott Pruitt was elected Attorney General of Oklahoma in 2010. Prior to that, he served for eight years in the Oklahoma State Senate. A past president of the Republican Attorneys General Association, he established Oklahoma's Federalism Unit to combat unwarranted regulation and overreach by the federal government. Mr. Pruitt received his B.A. from Georgetown College and his J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law. Moving to the Second Amendment, the next justice will likely cast the deciding vote on whether to continue to recognize an individual right to "keep and bear Arms," or whether to interpret that right so narrowly as to effectively do away with it. For example, just this month, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in California held that the Second Amendment does not forbid laws that prohibit most people from carrying (i.e., bearing) a firearm in public. Without a justice willing to stand up for an effective right to bear arms, the Second Amendment might very well become a dead letter. Other issues that hang in the balance include the death penalty, affirmative action, regulation of the abortion industry, and voting laws. But I want to focus on one final set of constitutional questions that have reached their tipping point in recent years--questions having to do with the structure of our Constitution. Contrary to what many believe, the primary guarantee of our liberty in the Constitution is not the Bill of Rights
Salman Shaheen, a member of Left Unity's national co-ordinating group, replies to Left Foot Forward editor James Bloodworth, who wrote a piece for the Guardian yesterday in which he argued that the left should stick with the Labour Party. Of the brands involved in sourcing from the Bangladesh garment factory at the heart of the disaster in April, only nine out of the 29 companies have attended a meeting convened to discuss compensation payments. Laura Rodrigues is Policy Officer for The Children's Society The creation of Sure Start children's centres to provide a local hub of integrated services and support for families with young children, was one of the most inventive and far-reaching government ... Continued Britain's most senior female judge, Baroness Hale of Richmond, has criticised the extent to which most judges come from sheltered and privileged upbringings. Baroness Hale said, "If the life-blood of the law is experience and common sense, then whose experience ... Continued
On last night's show , Bradley Martin a Senior Fellow with the Haym Salomon Center joined me to discuss his Jerusalem Post op-ed called "Excusing Jew-Hatred in Canada". Canada is facing a border crisis with migrants illegally coming into the country from the United States at an unsustainable rate, thanks to Justin Trudeau tweeting about how everybody is welcome in Canada. Many of these illegal aliens are bringing with them practices and views that have no place in Canadian society, including anti-Semitism. Polls have shown anti-Semitism to be particularly strong in nations like Syria and Iraq where many of the migrants originate. Thanks to the Liberals refusal to properly vet these migrants , we are important large populations of anti-Semites. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Videos and news reports on an ongoing situation in France. A gunman is believed to have killed at least two people during a hostage-taking at a supermarket in Trebes, southern France. An operation involving elite police is continuing at the Super U shop, where others were wounded. Reports say the gunman, who remains in the supermarket, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. Earlier, a policeman was shot and wounded while jogging with colleagues in Carcassonne, a 15-minute drive away. BBC video :
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi vowed revenge for the execution of 21 of its Coptic Christian citizens at the hands of ISIS, and it didn't take long for the military to follow through . The airstrikes against ISIS's weapons caches, training grounds, and camps in Libya, meant to "avenge the bloodshed and to seek retribution from the killers," were announced on state radio Monday. "Let those far and near know that Egyptians have a shield to protect and safeguard the security of the country and a sword that amputates terrorism and extremism," the statement continued. A five-minute propaganda video of the execution of the men was released on Sunday. In it, the Coptic Christians from Egypt are paraded onto a beach, each accompanied by a masked jihadist. They are then forced to kneel as one jihadist addresses the camera in English. "All crusaders: safety for you will be only wishes, especially if you are fighting us all together. Therefore we will fight you all together," he says. "The sea you have hidden Sheikh Osama bin Laden's body in, we swear to Allah we will mix it with your blood." The Egyptians are then forced to lay face-down in the sand and are simultaneously beheaded, at which point the same jihadist speaker points to the sea and says "We will conquer Rome, by Allah's permission." BREAKING: Screen grabs from the latest #ISIS video where they behead 21 Egyptian Copts - @zaidbenjamin pic.twitter.com/MQ39XlaS6u -- Conflict News (@rConflictNews) February 15, 2015 #PT
Since its inception, Lord Lawson's climate-denying Global Warming Policy Foundation has been dogged by questions about funding. Since the Global Warming Policy Foundation was established last year, just in time for the Copenhagen climate change conference, it has set about its aim of casting doubt over the science of global warming. Its chairman, Lord Lawson of Blaby, has made much noise in the media claiming that the issue of global warming is grossly exaggerated. Sadly these claims seem to have attained some degree of credibility in the minds of the British public and, as revealed by a survey for Conservative Home, nowhere is doubt stronger than amongst grassroots Tories. Since its inception, though, the GWPF has been dogged by questions about funding . Lord Lawson yesterday again refused to divulge information about the source of the seed funding but told Left Foot Forward: "We will not take any money either from the energy industry or any individuals who has any significant links or stakes in the energy industry." The GWPF website claims that GWPF has no ties to any energy companies but, as reported here on Left Foot Forward, many questions remain unanswered. Why, for example, does the GWPF share its offices with a major mining company? And what of Lord Lawson's ties to the Central European Trust (CET), a lobbying group whose clients include, amongst others, Royal Dutch/Shell Group and Texaco? This is not, of course, to forget one of the most ominous figures at GWPF, Dr B
Can we be honest about illegal immigration? It is a common challenge to almost every advanced Western country that is adjacent to poorer nations. American employers and ethnic activists have long colluded to weaken border enforcement and render immigration law meaningless. The former wanted greater profits from cheaper labor, the latter wished more political clout for themselves. Mexico conspired, too. It received billions of easy dollars in remittances from its expatriates in America. Mexico had few qualms about letting millions of its own citizens illegally cross its northern border into the United States -- even though the Mexican government would never tolerate millions of Central Americans illegally crossing the border to become permanent residents of Mexico. For better or worse, illegal immigration is tied to race and ethnicity. No doubt, ignorant racism drives some to oppose illegal immigration. But by the same token, the advocates of open borders, many of them with strong ties to Mexico, would not be so energized about the issue if hundreds of thousands of Europeans or Africans were entering the U.S. illegally each year. There is too often a surreal disconnect about the perception of the U.S. in the immigration debate. Millions, we sometimes forget, are fleeing from the authoritarianism, racism, corruption and class oppression of Mexico. They have voted with their feet to reject that model and to choose a completely different -- and often antithetical -- economic, soc
On the eve of the Democratic National Convention, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) was discussing on ABC's This Week how Donald Trump is dangerous to the country. He noted that not only are his positions worrisome, but his attacks on the press is another reason to be fearful. "We do have the worst Republican nominee since George Wallace," he declared. Ellison prefaced these remarks by saying he's with Sen. Bernie Sanders concerning doing everything he can t defeat Trump come November. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) was also on the panel and fact checked his colleague on Wallace's party affiliation. "Well, first I want to correct my friend. George Wallace was a proud Democrat and ran for the Democratic nomination. It was on that stage down there," Cole said. "Thank God he got rejected and lost," replied Ellison. Well, the fact of the matter is that this isn't the first time Democrats have botched their won party history from Wallace to the roots of the Ku Klux Klan. Wallace was an avowed segregationist, though he later recanted and rejected his racist views later in life. The point is that when we have folks saying how Trump is going to bring about the End of Days--you need to step away from the table for a second. It won't be the end of the world. It won't be the death of the country. Even actor Tom Hanks knows that this narrative about Trump being inherently dangerous is ridiculous --and that's a member of the Hollywood Left. Moreover, it was a failed attempt to slide in a thinly veiled accu
Editor's note: This article is cross-posted at JohnHanlonReviews.com . When terrorist attacks occur overseas, their impact is often underestimated by Westerners who simply see the story on the news and then forget about it. The new HBO documentary Terror at the Mall (premiering tonight at 9 PM) brings such an attack into our living rooms by displaying real surveillance camera footage of a September 2013 terrorist attack in Kenya. It's easy to forget about a terrorist attack when it doesn't occur in your backyard. It's hard to forget one that looks and feels like something that you could experience while shopping at a local outlet. "It was more than just a mall. It was really a part of our lives," one shopper-- who experienced the attack firsthand--notes in talking about Westgate, her local mall in Nairobi, Kenya. Like some American malls, Westgate houses several restaurants near the front and a grocery store at the back. These two locations play a pivotal role in this drama as four Somalian psychopaths invade these stores-- killing men, women and children alike. Sixty-one people were eventually murdered by the terrorists in the attack including a dozen children and three pregnant women. Terror at the Mall vividly portrays these events by mixing real surveillance footage with interviews with those who survived the attack. From the mothers who clung to their children to a set of brothers that was separated from their Mom in the midst of the crisis, this movie never holds back o
Yeah, it's The View. And yes, Meghan McCain has been pushing back against the overwhelmingly liberal tilt of the show. She tripped up Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) over her conveniently timed criticism of the Clintons; she thinks Bill should have resigned over his sexual misconduct allegations. She asked Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) if he hurt immigration negotiations by weighing in on President Trump's "s**thole" countries remark, which he says occurred in a meeting at the White House. He's been caught lying about past White House meetings with Obama, which she brought up. Yet, yesterday's show took an offensive turn when co-host Sunny Hostin brought up Vice President Mike Pence's faith. Well, first, she had to say that because she went to law school in Indiana--she knows that Pence is not popular in the state, and that he's a hated figure. Second, she brought up how Pence thinks the lord savior Jesus Christ talks to him. Hostin is triggered by all this religious stuff, especially when he calls people values voters--she thinks we're entering dangerous territory. She went onto say that she's a Catholic and a faithful person, but she doesn't want a vice president who speaks in tongues. Joy Behar then said that this is a sign of mental illness (via Fox News ): Joy Behar then said: "It's one thing to talk to Jesus. It's another thing when Jesus talks to you." Behar said hearing voices is a "mental illness" before Sherri Shepard offered a limited defense of Pence. "As a Christian, t
TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned of the scourge of terrorism in the region, underscoring that Tehran is against sorting terrorists into "good or bad" ones. The Iranian foreign policy point man made the remarks in a meeting with Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani in Tehran on Monday, where he emphasized all terrorist and extremist groups must be countered. "Afghanistan's stability is of greatest importance for Iran," the Iranian foreign minister said. "The issue of security is very important for both Afghanistan and Iran and the two sides should hold successive talks to discuss the issue," he added. The Iranian top official further said that Iran sees Afghanistan's progress and security its own. Visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, for his part, highlighted the importance of the bilateral talks for the Afghan government and people. Rabbani hailed a decree by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, under which all Afghan children in Iran were allowed to attend schools in Iran. Rabbani arrived in Tehran on Sunday to hold formal talks with senior Iranian officials on mutual interests. In a separate meeting on Sunday with Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, Rabbani applauded Tehran's role in supporting stability in Afghanistan, adding that Kabul has succeeded in improving its national security. "Despite the enemies' actions to destabilize the country, the Afghan people and government see
Daily Express editor Hugh Whittow today told the Leveson Inquiry the paper withdrew from the PCC because it failed to stop them publishing defamatory material about the McCanns. The editor of the Daily Express today told the Leveson Inquiry the paper withdrew from the Press Complaints Commission because it failed to stop them publishing defamatory material about the McCanns. Hugh Whittow said: "Because of the McCanns I think that was a huge problem for us and I think they should have intervened... No one was intervening at all. Everybody had too much leeway, it just went on and on." When asked by Robert Jay QC whether he was seriously saying the Express left the PCC because it didn't stop them printing defamatory articles, he repeated his extraordinary answer, adding: "I don't blame the PCC. I just think in hindsight they might have been able to intervene and perhaps this will reflect in the body that you set up." He was then quizzed on a number of seriously misleading front page headlines in the Express, including: On the EU story, Full Fact concluded: While it would be fair to assume that 75 per cent had expressed some scepticism of the EU by indicating in this poll that they would either vote to leave the EU or to renegotiate the terms of our membership, it isn't true that three quarters support withdrawal. In fact, when the terms of the referendum are reduced to a simple 'in/out' choice, just over half would vote to leave. While on the 'chippy salt ban shocker', Roy Green
If there remained any doubts that academia is among the most thoughtless places in the cosmos, the University of New Hampshire just put them to rest once and for all. The breathtaking Political Correctness embodied by UNH's recently released, "Bias-Free Language Guide" (BFLG), proves that higher education has become a one-dimensional caricature of itself. Indeed, right-wing reactionaries couldn't have done a better job in calling attention to the intellectual and moral shallowness, the remarkable lack of seriousness--or is it the remarkable abundance of deadly seriousness?--of academia. And before anyone objects that the entire academic establishment shouldn't be judged on the basis of the actions of one school, it should be borne in mind that the zeitgeist expressed by UNH's latest de facto speech code is one and the same left-wing orthodoxy that has long achieved a stranglehold over the university. The BFLG "is meant to serve as a starting point" in rethinking "terms related to age, race, class, ethnicity, nationality, gender, ability, sexual orientation and more" for the purpose of promoting "inclusive excellence in our campus community." In short, words that are infected with "bias" are "problematic" or "outdated;" those that are alleged to be "bias-free" are "preferred." "People of advanced age" and "old people" are preferred. Terms like "older people," "elders," "seniors," and "senior citizen" are problematic and outdated. Yes, believe it or not, "'old people' has been
Ken Macintosh argues Scotland needs to get its infrastructure in order to send out a clear message it's a good country to do business in. Alex Hern covers the response from Macmillan cancer support to the government's welfare reform bill, now in the House of Lords. Alex Hern covers Baroness Thorton's proposed amendment to the NHS bill. Will Tories and Lib Dems betray their own words as well as the NHS? A new report today reveals education spending will be slashed by more than 13 per cent over this parliament - the largest cut since at least the fifties. Dan Ashley writes about the ongoing disaster that is the government's tuition fee policy; now, they are apparently surprised that applications have gone down. Jos Bell writes about the Andrew Lansley's NHS bill's failure to deal with complex long term conditions like rheumatoid arthritis in a coherent manner. Carwyn Jones has urged the government to rethink plans to downgrade Wales's busiest coastguard station in Swansea, while Alex Salmond has attacked Chris Huhne. Alex Hern writes about the transport chaos set to descend on London for the Olympics, and details Ken Livingstone's calls to the mayor for better preparation. Peter Hain has called for better resources for mine rescue services after saying the Swansea Valley Gleision mine disaster highlighted "potentially lethal" flaws.
A Liberal assembled panel has decided to get rid of the National Energy Board altogether and move its new incarnation out of Calgary to Ottawa. The panel that recommended moving from the NEB from the home of the oilpatch to the home of the Laurentian elites was stacked with liberal cronies and activists . The chair of the panel, Joanne Gelinas, was fired from her role as Canada's environment commissioner for being too much of an activist. This whole affair was a solution in search of a problem. The NEB was actually doing the work and approving pipelines and the Liberals just couldn't have that so they sat a panel designed to make sure there is no functioning agency to approve anything. Problem solved. Worse still, the panel recommended the formation of a new Canadian Energy Information Agency- which sounds pretty Orwellian - and a new Canadian Energy Transmission Commission. Typical Liberals. Why have one agency do something when you can create extra government paycheques through duplication of work, inefficiency and plain old fashioned redundancy? Oh and if you can give those jobs to easterners to piss off westerners then what could be a more perfect Liberal government strategy? This isn't the first time the Liberals have used federal agencies to reward Liberal voters on the backs of conservative minded folks. Watch my video to see the other time the Liberals used government agencies to punish us for not being nice enough to them. Do you think the east coasters would be co
Three sport teams are among the 379 large companies to join an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to strike down state bans on same-sex marriage, claiming the laws negatively affect their ability to do business. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on April 28 on gay marriage, which is legal in 37 states and the District of Columbia, and will rule in June. But for the New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Rays, and San Francisco Giants, all of which signed on to yesterday's amicus brief, this isn't about ideology, or fairness, or even basic human decency. It's just good business to treat all your employees the same. From the brief: Some of the states in which amici do business make marriage equally available to all of our employees and colleagues; others prohibit marriages between couples of the same sex and refuse to recognize existing same-sex marriages. This dual regime burdens amici . It creates legal uncertainty and imposes unnecessary costs and administrative complexities on employers, and requires differential employer treatment of employees who are similarly situated save for the state where they reside. State laws that prohibit or decline to recognize marriages between same-sex couples hamper employer efforts to recruit and retain the most talented workforce possible in those states. Our successes depend upon the welfare and morale of all employees, without distinction. The burden imposed by inconsistent and discriminatory state laws of having to admini
OMG IT'S FACEBOOK YOU GUYS (Getty) For the first time since expanding to New York in 2008, Facebook will have a contingent in the city's famed Pride March this Sunday. "There will be 100 or 150 employees, as well as interns, family and friends joining us," Facebook engineering manager Matt Bush told Betabeat. "We all plan on walking... We hope everyone dresses in really festive outfits." Though they've participated in Pride marches in other cities, like San Francisco, for years, this is the first time Facebook will march in the NYC parade. The idea was mainly employee-generated, Mr. Bush said. "I really wanted to see the Facebook office participate, and so did the other employees," he said. "We got support from our headquarters in Menlo Park to coordinate t-shirts, posters and some of the swag we'll be handing out during the parade. It's great to be part of a company that wants to make this happen." Besides ingratiating themselves to LGBT users, Facebook also hopes that participating in the march will help them forge "a connection with the broader culture of New York City," Mr. Bush explained. "In the same sense, the Facebook office is really trying to integrate itself into the NYC tech scene," he continued. "The tech scene is growing, and Facebook wants to be part of that... Participating in events around the city is something we've been doing across a lot of different areas." Getting in on the Pride March is a savvy PR move, of course. But whatever their motives, it's nice
The headline employment and unemployment figures may be about to take a turn for the worse, writes Richard Exell, Senior Policy Officer at the TUC. Today's job figures are good, but the news on public sector employment is turning gloomy much faster than expected - and there are quite a few other worries. Richard Exell takes a look at the latest job figures, which show some positive movement but also worrying signs for women and the over 50s. Unemployment fell and employment rose in today's labour market statistics, and most of the growth is accounted for by full-time employee jobs. But is it a blip? Social Fund cuts announced yesterday by Steve Webb will hit the poor and needy and plans for handing the Fund over to local authorities will make things even worse. If today's figures mark the start of a widely predicted increase in unemployment, more and more people could find themselves getting less and less help. The proportion of university leavers out of work has nearly doubled since before the recession, an increase from 10.6 per cent to 18.5 per cent.
The newly elected Israeli Labour leader Isaac Herzog sat down to discuss the Britain-Israel relationship with Toby Greene, the deputy editor of Fathom, and Richard Pater, head of BICOM in Israel. The newly elected Israeli Labour leader Isaac Herzog sat down to discuss the Britain-Israel relationship with Toby Greene , the deputy editor of Fathom , and Richard Pater , head of BICOM in Israel Part 1: Britain and Israel - a special relationship? Toby Greene: Your father served in the British Army. Does that affect the way you look at the UK? How important is Britain for Israel today? Isaac Herzog: I have a special affinity and respect for Britain and its history, not least its heroic role in the defeat of Nazism in World War Two. I take special pride in the fact that my late father, Chaim Herzog, served as an officer in the worst of battles in the war against the Nazis and was one of the liberators of Holland. Prior to becoming chairman of the Labour Party and Head of the Opposition, I served as the chairman of the UK-Israel Parliamentary friendship group. Lastly, I've been watching The Politician's Husband , which is a British TV series! TG: You're more up to date with British TV than we are! IH: And of course we respect British football. There are a lot of good things that come from Britain. To be more serious, Britain is a very important player in the region and globally, not only because of its historic role, not only because it is part of the P5+1, but due to its leadership
1. "India should nurture its Islamic population": Barack Obama 2. Turkey Rejects "Moderate Islam" At a conference on women's entrepreneurship, held in Ankara on November 9 and hosted by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected the concept of 'moderate Islam'. Referring to the vow by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Oct. 25 -- to turn his country into a bastion of "moderate Islam," Erdogan said, 'Islam cannot be either 'moderate' or 'not moderate.' Islam can only be one thing.' He also claimed that the 'patent of this concept originated in the West,' which "really want[s] to weaken Islam.' Erdogan has consistently communicated his thoughts about the term 'moderate Islam' often used in the West to describe his Justice and Development Party (AKP). As early as 2007, he said: 'These epithets of moderate Islam are very ugly, it is disrespectful and an insult to our religion. There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that's it.' Erdogan was even sent to jail for reading a famous poem about Islam and its nature in 1997 when he was mayor of Istanbul. 3. UK: Muslim cleric explains the status of the non-Muslims Instructions include "never give any food any kafir" (unbeliever.) 4. Germany: Woman stabbed after rejecting advances 5. Australia: Muslim who mutilated, murdered wife says it's "normal" behaviour in Middle East A RADICALISED Muslim who
The mainstream media achieved a new low recently when the New York Times published a column by Beppe Severgnini which seemed to suggest that Italians are becoming racist. Why? Well, apparently it all comes down to border security. Italians have had enough with people waltzing into their country illegally and have elected a government that's finally pulling away that well-worn welcome mat for those gaming the system. Contrary to the facts, Severgnini says Italy's illegal migrant problem isn't about the numbers but about the perception of losing control. Except, a look at those numbers confirms that it is about the numbers and the reality of losing control. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
The new owner of the Independent, Alexander Lebedev, is to be inundated with emails from the 3,500 strong facebook group opposing the Independent's mooted appointment of Rod Liddle as editor. Members of the group were emailed last night by creator ... Continued Sign up to receive this daily email by 9am every morning. All today's papers lead on the devastation in Haiti, with the Guardian and Sun reporting fears that up to 100,000 people have been killed in Tuesday's earthquake. The Times ... Continued With the BBC reporting that the death toll in Haiti could hit 100,000 and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issuing an urgent call to the international community to assist Haiti, Left Foot Forward sets out how concerned readers can help. As ... Continued
Gay Pride parades are for teaching the world love is love and accepting everyone as they are. With a dash of showing off one's glitter-bombed mammaries and leather collection. It's a gay getaway readily available to anyone sans judgement. Except, apparently, if you are Jewish ... Jewish people celebrating LGBT Pride in Chicago were told not to display Star of David flags because other people found them 'offensive.' The Jewish Star of David flag was banned from the city's annual Dyke March celebrations, and several people carrying the flag were removed form the march because their presence "made people feel unsafe," LGBT paper Windy City Times reported. The Dyke March is described by organisers as being a "more inclusive, more social justice-oriented" march than the city's main Pride parade. Yep, Dyke March is a thing. Of course, it seems tolerance for Jewish dykes is not. I'm sure you can guess why... Dyke March organizer explains the group's decision to expel Jews from Chicago Pride parade. https://t.co/9mgKhbXNig pic.twitter.com/8XYs109bUP -- John-Paul Pagano (@johnpaulpagano) June 25, 2017 There's so much wrong going on here. It's rivaled only by that of Anthony Weiner's texting history . But, gay things first -- let's indulge some LOLage at the fact that normal Gay Pride isn't social justicey enough for these people. It has to be "intersectional," which is code for even more inclusive than normal inclusive. It's SJWism of the highest order. Now let's talk about Palestine;
PM's surrender ON the pivotal referendum issue of Britain's out-of-control immigration the Government simply has no answer. It has given up. Faced with yesterday's astonishing new totals, David Cameron literally had no comment. Neither did Theresa May. Her only contribution was to disgracefully cover up a report on border exit checks which could further embarrass the Remain campaign she backs. Net migration is now at 333,000 a year. That rate adds one million to Britain's population every three years, with no attempt to equip the country for it. And this is the official figure, the bare minimum. The true total, including illegal migrants and the many others unaccounted for, will be far higher. The Prime Minister knows this is toxic for his Remain campaign. If he had any cause for optimism he would have piped up. Instead he and his Home Secretary stuck their heads in the sand. The Immigration Minister feebly claimed the benefits tweak from the PM's Brussels renegotiation could make a difference. Who's he kidding? Almost all migrants come for wages, not handouts. Some have jobs lined up. More and more now turn up on spec, ready to work for peanuts -- and driving down pay -- because there is nothing back home. Of course there are pro-immigration arguments. We don't blame the migrants for coming. The fact they do so in such numbers is a testament to our economic success under the Tories. But the pressure on hospitals, schools, transport and housing is at critical levels in places
The social safety net that Canada's most vulnerable citizens rely upon is being crushed by illegal immigrants to Canada. The inconvenient truth was buried in a Reuters article that blamed Canada's recent immigration backlog and social safety net burdens on president Trump's travel ban . After the illegal immigration crackdown, people in the U.S. illegally, began streaming across Canada's southern border to avoid deportation to their countries of origin. However, this flight from justice wasn't a result of Trump enforcing immigration law but rather, because Trudeau isn't. The burden on Canada's social welfare system was caused by Justin Trudeau's stupidity and his adolescent attention-seeking. In response to Donald Trump's travel ban, Trudeau tweeted: To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada Toronto's Mayor Tory added: "We understand that as Canadians, we are almost all immigrants and that no one should be excluded on the basis of their ethnicity or nationality". Now, Toronto is being mugged by reality . The same article notes: "Thirty-one percent of people sleeping in Toronto city-run shelters in January were refugee claimants to Canada, up from nearly 19 per cent a year ago." Toronto booked hotel rooms to house refugee claimants until the end of 2018 costing $20 million. Now, after sucking up to Trudeau to oppose Trump, he isn't helping Tory deal with the fallout from his twee
1. "Sickening attack": City gang kicks and stomps on unconscious man more than 100 times (VIDEO) CCTV footage shows the teenagers stamping on the man more than 100 times before leaving him for dead. The 49-year-old man was brutally assaulted at the Metrolink station in Chadderton, Greater Manchester. His ordeal continued even after he was knocked unconscious by the boys, described as Asian males aged between 15 and 18. A tram arrived during the attack, and the gang still did not stop. Instead detectives said the gang "played to the audience." 2. India: Woman is flogged 100 times by her husband as punishment for adultery before collapsing unconscious in front of baying mob who sexually assault her This is the shocking moment a woman was flogged 100 times by her husband as punishment for adultery before collapsing in front of a mob - who then sexually assaulted her. The terrified woman, tied by her hands to a rope hanging from a tree, can be heard screaming in pain as her husband repeatedly whipped her with a leather belt in northern India. A group of men and boys standing around in a circle watched as she collapsed unconscious after the frenzied beating yesterday in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. But her ordeal did not end there with reports claiming some of the villagers then sexually assaulted and tried to rape her. When she regained her senses, they warned her against telling the police before running off. [...] On March 10, her husband sent a people to convince her to return
Today, I'm bringing you a roundup of some of the latest lawlessness happening around the Kinder Morgan work sites in British Columbia. On Monday Global News visited the hobo squat that anti-pipeline protesters in Burnaby BC call, Camp Cloud. Global reporter, Jordan Armstrong, said his news crew was threatened with violence, accused of racism and told not to film on public property where the protesters had set up their tents. Also on Monday, an anti-pipeline protester named Ian Angus pled guilty in British Columbia to violating Kinder Morgan's court injunction. One of 175 people arrested so far at Kinder Morgan's worksite, Angus received a $500 fine. Greenpeace protesters are currently occupying a piece of drilling equipment belonging to Kinder Morgan at a Delta BC Industrial Park. And what are Canadian leaders doing about all of this? A lot of nothing. Last month, Justin Trudeau talked about a law that he would enact to assert and reinforce the government of Canada's jurisdiction over pipelines. Where's this law ? And will it come too late to save the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion before Kinder Morgan's self-imposed May 31st deadline to make a decision on the project? I think the battle for the pipeline is already lost . Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Article Goal Inform Share Tweet In January, a panel of federal appeals judges ruled that North Carolina's congressional voting map was unfairly drawn to favor Republicans. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court told those judges to take a second look based on how the nation's highest court ruled in a gerrymandering case in Wisconsin last week, Bloomberg reported. Instead of taking up the case themselves, the Supreme Court sent it back down to the appeals court, which will now ask those challenging the map to prove that a voter in each district has been harmed. What happened before? North Carolina's map was redrawn after federal courts ruled that the map of congressional districts, drawn by Republicans in 2011, unconstitutionally weakened the influence of black voters. Republicans re-drew the map in a way that allowed Republicans to win 10 out of the state's 13 House seats. A notable quote from Republican state Rep. David Lewis at that time was used to fuel the case against the current map. "I propose that we draw the maps to give a partisan advantage to 10 Republicans and three Democrats because I do not believe it's possible to draw a map with 11 Republicans and two Democrats," Lewis said at the time, according to the Raleigh News & Observer . The 2011 map was challenged in court, and that's when the three-judge panel ruled that the map was drawn "with the intent of discriminating against voters who favored non-Republican candidates." According to the court, the map violated the
In the Rotherham by-election, the Respect Party and Yvonne Ridley have been implicated in a campaign leaflet that accuses Labour of racism. Egypt is braced for mass rallies after President Mohamed Mursi, fresh from brokering the Gaza ceasefire, passed a decree giving himself sweeping new powers. Culture secretary Maria Miller was questioned by MPs on the Olympic legacy today, specifically the decline in school sport participation. David Cameron has finally made his energy policy position clearer - it turns out it is somewhere near to suggestions from IPPR.
The UK's position at the UN climate conference has been seriously undermined by George Osborne's decision to pull the plug on carbon capture storage David Cameron is preparing to speak alongside other world leaders in Paris this afternoon, on the opening day of the UN climate talks. Cameron will set out his priorities for the conference, including calling for rich nations to increase funding to poor countries who will be the worst affected by climate change, and reiterating the UK's demand for countries to agree to a legal framework that will ensure they deliver on their climate change targets. "The issue of climate change is too large for governments alone to deal with. That is why business and private donors must play an active role in shaping our response to climate change, and enabling trillions of dollars of investment in clean technology," he is expected to say. However, that doesn't mean governments don't need to play their part. Cameron likes to paint the UK as a world leader when it comes to clean energy, but this picture is not consistent with some of the decisions that have been made on his watch, like rolling back support for solar power and ending subsidies for wind farms. (See here for more examples.) Most recently, chancellor George Osborne quietly announced that he would be axing the government's PS1bn support for a carbon capture scheme, which would capture and bury harmful carbon dioxide emissions from power stations. Not only did this break one of the Conse
By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld President Donald Trump's ban on travel from several mostly Muslim countries, rejecting a challenge that it discriminated against Muslims or exceeded his authority. The 5-4 decision Tuesday is the court's first substantive ruling on a Trump administration policy. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, joined by his four conservative colleagues. Roberts wrote that presidents have substantial power to regulate immigration. He also rejected the challengers' claim of anti-Muslim bias. But he was careful not to endorse either Trump's provocative statements about immigration in general and Muslims in particular. "We express no view on the soundness of the policy," Roberts wrote. The travel ban has been fully in place since the court declined to block it in December. The justices allowed the policy to take full effect even as the court fight continued and lower courts had ruled it out of bounds. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a dissent that based on the evidence in the case "a reasonable observer would conclude that the Proclamation was motivated by anti-Muslim animus." She said her colleagues arrived at the opposite result by "ignoring the facts, misconstruing our legal precedent, and turning a blind eye to the pain and suffering the Proclamation inflicts upon countless families and individuals, many of whom are United States citizens." Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsb
A report to "produce a feasible set of reforms that deal with the economic crisis in an alternative way" is being drawn up by a group of progressive think tanks. Shamik Das reflects on the capture of Bosnian Serb war crime suspect Ratko Mladic, and looks back at the bloody massacre, the genocide in Srebrenica in 1995. Until the recession New Labour spent less as a proportion of GDP than Thatcher - any deficit was a result of taxing at a much lower rate than Thatcher did. The news that anti-abortionists LIFE have been appointed to the new government advisory group on sexual health is a serious wake-up call for all who belive in liberty. The real agenda of the backers of Andrew Lansley's ill thought out health reforms is to cut the front line and introduce upfront payments, writes Daniel Elton. Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones has called for urgent talks with Westminster to discuss leaked plans for cuts to the BBC services in Wales, reports Ed Jacobs. New figures show the importance of Labour winning the argument about the impact of immigration on lower-paid jobs and wages, writes ippr's Matt Cavanagh. A poll of 1,000 Londoners reveals people are unhappy with the management of policing, housing and ticket pricing in the city on Mayor of London Boris Johnson's watch.
ThinkStock.com Zanele Muholi has a long story of activism. A member of black lesbian organizations during the '90s, in 2002 the South African photographer co-founded the Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW), which is "the only black lesbian organization that has lasted for long in South Africa, if not Africa as a whole." Five years later, she left FEW to advance her knowledge at Ryerson University in Toronto, where she worked on the thesis " A Visual History of Black Lesbians in Post-Apartheid South Africa ." One thing is for sure: The picture is grim. Lesbians often suffer "curative rape"--an assault that is supposed to change them into heterosexual women--"from gangs, from so-called friends, neighbors, sometimes even family members," explains Muholi, who fights for lesbian rights through art. "Some of the curative rapes are reported to the police, but many others go unreported." Despite its gay-friendly legislation, South Africa continues to struggle with homophobia. The abolition in 1991 of apartheid, a segregationist, racist, sexist and homophobic regime instituted in 1948 by the white minority, did not put an end to violence against gays and lesbians. Nor did the 1996 constitution, which prohibits any kind of discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation. As a result, gay people, or those perceived to be gay, continue to experience discrimination, stigmatization, and verbal or physical attacks--sometimes lethal. And South Africa is not an exception wit
A new organization called Working Ontario Women is going to be running anti-Conservative ads in the run up to the Ontario election. The ads by Working Ontario Women (WOW) imply that a vote for a Conservative candidate could bring" Donald Trump style politics" to the province. A spokesperson for WOW told the Toronto Star that the group is nonpartisan, but they're particularly concerned about protecting a woman's right to choose. Except that all the major parties in Ontario currently support abortion rights. So what's really the point of WOW? It's a union front group feigning girl power as a way to dump advertising support towards progressive liberal candidates. WATCH as I reveal who's bankrolling this "nonpartisan" group.
David Cameron today performed yet another u-turn, this time over justice policy - here Left Foot Forward catalogues the Tory-led government's litany of flip-flops. Katharina Klebba, events manager of the Fabian Society, on the many attacks on European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Baroness Catherine Ashton. In an inspirational lecture the Burmese pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi spoke of her and her movement's struggle for liberty and democracy in Burma. The government's response to the criticism of the NHS reforms is disappointing - previous concerns are still unresolved, writes Lib Dem MP Andrew George. Labour have accused the Tory-led coalition of putting the public at risk due to their cuts - as a senior counter-terrorist officer becomes their latest victim. Barnet council's audit committee was held in front of a packed room last Thursday - as residents heard a dmaning indictement of the Tory council. The Scottish finance secretary is expected to criticise the UK government's public service pension reforms and outline the SNP's reform plans, reports Ed Jacobs.
In honor of Pride, people around the world are uniting to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community . Fun costumes and parades are staples of the annual event, and the fact that people on opposite ends of the globe are joining forces in honor of equality proves that love is love, no matter what. Have a look at how different cities are participating. Throughout the month of June, people have been ringing in the occasion in a number of ways -- be it hosting a movie night , taking Lyft rides with proceeds that go toward the Human Rights Campaign, and donating to various organizations. It has certainly been an active few weeks, though people are not pleased with the president's lack of response about the celebration. All eyes are on President Trump today, who has yet to formally acknowledge Pride Month . In fact, there have been a number of things he's mentioned on Twitter other than Pride, including Obamacare, James Comey, and Fox & Friends, among other topics. Though Trump did send out a tweet commemorating those who lost their lives last year in the Orlando nightclub, Pulse, Trump was criticized for not mentioning LGBTQ+ rights. Former Vice President Joe Biden is among one of the critics. This week, Biden attended a private LGBTQ+ gala and said, "Just because you don't have Barack and me in the White House doesn't mean it's time to give up, keep quiet, stay on the sidelines," also stating that people should hold Trump accountable for not standing by the LGBTQ+ community. But regardles
I see in today's National Post a column by Robert Fulford, flogging a book by Gregory Woods (of Nottingham Trent) that appears later this month from Yale University Press. The column is headed, "Nothing in the life of Canada and the United States has changed so much, so fast, as the status of gays and lesbians," while the book is entitled Homintern : How Gay Culture Liberated the Modern World . The book's title, points out Fulford, "revives an old joke among gays." There was never really a serious strategy or organization to effect the new sexual rights and privileges, except in the imaginations of conspiracy theorists on the bigoted, anti-gay side of things. Of course there were efforts to get interested parties on the same page and to seek public support, but it all happened--well, quite naturally. "Their great coup evolved as a matter of analogy. They encouraged the public to see their needs were, by analogy, much like equality for women, civil rights for non-whites and justice for aboriginals. A liberalizing society agreed to welcome another demand for fairness. In this atmosphere, gay became normal." And so it all fell out just as the non-existent Homintern would have had it. Now I have not yet seen Woods' book and have nothing to say about it except that it has a very ambitious subtitle to live up to. Fulford himself doesn't try to say much about it. But Fulford is remarkably naive in offering this happy-ever-after tale, unless he is being remarkably disingenuous, which
1. Two arrests following murder of Holocaust survivor in Paris Death of 85-year-old victim Mireille Knoll is being treated as an antisemitic killing. Jewish organisations have expressed "deep concern" for the community in France following the murder of a Holocaust survivor in her Paris apartment. A court investigation is underway after the body of 85-year old Mireille Knoll was discovered over the weekend. Police found she had been stabbed at least eleven times before being set alight. The case is being treated as a murder motivated by antisemitism. The National Bureau for Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism (BNVCA), said Ms Knoll had previously reported a neighbour of hers to the police for threatening to "burn her". Two suspects are understood to be in custody. Related articles : 2. Major Victory: U.S. to Stop Funding Palestinian Authority over "Pay for Slay" Payments to Terrorists at War With Israel In a big victory for America and our ally Israel, and a fitting tribute to an American soldier, one of the most heinous misuses of U.S. tax dollars ever has come to an end. For years, the "pay for slay" program used American aid money to subsidize terrorists at war with Israel. The Palestinian Authority (PA) utilized hundreds of millions of free U.S. tax dollars as it recruited and rewarded new jihadists to murder Americans and Israelis. The American people should not be paying for terrorism. We've been aggressively calling on Congress to end this atrocious program for years. Now w
Last Friday, Bill Maher was on his weekly show, "Real Time", when he openly criticized the notion that Muslims share the same values as other religions. Maher is known for his anti-religious rhetoric and receives backlash from groups that he criticizes. Usually Maher attacks conservative values, but from time to time, he attacks his own liberal base by challenging them to see religion in a different light. "This idea that all religions share the same values is bull***t and we need to call it bull***t... if you are in this religion (Islam), you probably do have values that are at odds (with American values). This is what liberals don't want to recognize," Maher said. Warning (Language): Maher also points out an inconvenient truth that while most Muslim countries do not consist of terror groups, there are many within those countries who are sympathetic towards terror groups. There is growing belief that the more accepting Americans are towards Islam, then more moderate countries like Indonesia will join in and help eradicate the more radical views of Islam. "What about Indonesia? The moderate country of Indonesia (where) only 18 percent believe in honor killings. Really? One out of five people in the country that you're holding up as the moderate country believes if a woman is raped, we blame and kill her?" Maher said. For as much as Bill Maher gets wrong, he is right on this issue. All religions are not the same.
Haynes, a Republican state senator from California, recently introduced legislation in Sacramento that would have required public school teachers to send their children to public schools. Teachers cried out in opposition from the Redwood forests of northern California to the Mexican border. "People," said CTA spokesman Mike Myslinski, "have the right to put their children in [private schools]." Teachers' union officials for school choice? Before Haynes' bill, that group could have met comfortably in a phone booth. Just last fall, that same union led the fight -- ultimately successful -- against California's Proposition 38, an initiative to offer parents private-school vouchers. A dollar for vouchers, the union argued, moved the public-school system a dollar closer to starvation and further from excellence. So why did Haynes' legislation strike a nerve? As it turns out, one-third of California's teachers send their kids to private schools, a CTA study shows. But they're not the only school-choice hypocrites around. Federal lawmakers also have opted out of public schools in significant numbers. A Heritage Foundation survey last year found that, among respondents with school-aged children, 40 percent in the House of Representatives and 49 percent in the Senate send or have sent at least one child to private school. Never mind that each attempt to pass a bill to give the rest of America's parents this same opportunity faces staunch opposition from many of these same lawmakers. No
London (AFP) - Britain on Tuesday unveiled its "action plan" to tackle discrimination against the gay community, which includes bringing forward legislation to ban the practice of conversion therapy. The plan was drawn up using data from an online survey that received 108,000 responses, making it the largest ever national survey of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people anywhere in the world. Around two percent of respondents said they had received some form of conversion therapy, while another five percent had had it offered to them but refused. LGBT rights group Stonewall defines conversion therapy as "any form of treatment or psychotherapy which aims to reduce or stop same-sex attraction," although the survey did not provide a definition. "These activities are wrong, and we are not willing to let them continue," said the government plan. "We will fully consider all legislative and non-legislative options to prohibit promoting, offering or conducting conversion therapy." Just over a half of those receiving conversion therapy said it was conducted by a faith group, 19 percent by a healthcare professional and 16 percent by a parent or family member. "We are not trying to prevent LGBT people from seeking legitimate medical support or spiritual support from their faith leader in the exploration of their sexual orientation or gender identity," added the report. - 'Lasting change' - More than two thirds of LGBT respondents said they had avoided holding hands with a sa
The ugly side of the beautiful game reared its head again this weekend, with the England captain accused of racially abusing an opponent, reports Shamik Das. The ugly side of the beautiful game reared its head again this weekend, with the England captain accused of racially abusing an opponent. The incident, in which Chelsea's John Terry allegedly called QPR's Anton Ferdinand a "****ing black ****", has been widely viewed on YouTube , and will be the subject of police and FA investigations. It follows the row last weekend in the wake of Manchester United's clash with Liverpool, during which Utd left back Patrice Evra said he was racially abused by Liverpool striker Luiz Suarez . And it comes on the same weekend Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas was accused of racially abusing Sevilla's Fredereric Kanoute. The ex-Arsenal midfielder, like Terry and Suarez, denies the claims. On the Terry case, today's Independent reports : The prospect of the England captain being accused of racism hangs over the game today with Anton Ferdinand expected to ask Queen's Park Rangers to petition the Football Association to investigate allegations that John Terry abused him during Chelsea's defeat at Loftus Road on Sunday... The Independent understands that his inclination is to take the matter further. Ferdinand and Terry clashed during the match, and afterwards the England captain was accused by television viewers, via Twitter and the internet, of using foul and racist language towards Ferdinand. He put
We are likely to see more migration from Bulgaria, Romania and Poland, but not the large numbers we saw in 2004 and certainly not the millions predicted by UKIP. Instead of making symbolic promises to stem benefit tourism, progressives should consider how to build good community relations in areas that are receiving EU migrants. Migration stories continue with Yvette Cooper providing more detail on Labour's policy and a statistical correction from the Office for National Statistics, reports Jill Rutter. It is a significant day for migration policy, with a government announcement on access to benefits for EU nationals and an important legal judgement on asylum support.
According to James's Joyce's character Leopold Blum, reading your own obituary gives you a new lease of life. Proponents of the two-state solution should perhaps then be grateful to those declaring it dead. As I argue in a new paper for the Foreign Policy Centre, the two-state solution is not dead, and in fact remains both attainable and indispensable. This weekend a coterie of British businessmen including the arms dealer Rolls-Royce were jetted around Kazakhstan on board the private plane of its dictator Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has ruled the large Asian republic for 23 years by filtering oil revenues into his private bank account and cracking down on dissent.
1. ISIS members allegedly from group that beheaded hostages say revoking U.K. citizenship unfair Two British members of the Islamic State group believed to have belonged to a cell notorious for beheading hostages in northern Syria said Friday that their home country's revoking of their citizenship denies them the possibility of fair trial. One of them said the killings of captives was "regrettable" and could have been avoided. ( See Item 9 below for first interview with accused ISIS members ) 2. Pulse shooter's widow sobs with joy as she's acquitted of helping her husband plan mass shooting that left 49 dead The Pulse nightclub shooter's widow has been acquitted of charges of helping her husband plan the mass shooting that left 49 dead. Noor Salman, 31, sobbed with joy as she was found not guilty by a federal jury on Friday of helping her husband Omar Mateen in the attack that killed 49 people in 2016. Her family gasped as jurors acquitted Salman on charges of obstruction and aiding and abetting the commission of a terrorist act. She faced life in prison if convicted. On the other side of the courtroom, the families of the victims of the Pulse shooting sat stone-faced and silent. The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for more than 11 hours and were in their third day of deliberations when they reached their verdict Friday morning. 3. VICE News Video: We Spoke To Rohingyas Taking Up Arms Against Myanmar's Government 4. Klein: Here's Why Hamas Is Stirring Deadly Bord
JFC. Ballooning power consumption is a huge, existential problem for cryptocurrencies (assuming they, y'know, survive the current nosedive, the next one when Tether officially implodes, the next one when the next major government officially criminalizes them, etc. etc.), but the only way this proposal makes the first bit of sense is if Bram Cohen recently dumped all his Nvidia stock and went long on Western Digital. Please pretty please, stop trying to solve this with proof-of-stake, bigger-hard-drive-bingo, or the next sweep-it-under-the-rug stopgap when an actual solution exists - if the problem is all this useless computational work miners are doing, why not just have them, IDFK, do useful computational work instead? Coins like Golem, Render Token, and Curecoin are already using Etherium's smart contracts to replace proof-of-work with actual work, simulating protein folding and rendering realistically-lit computer-generated movie scenes. It's likely we've reached the blade of the hockey-stick-curve demand for parallelizable computation, but if everyone dumped Bitcoin and pumped genuinely useful cryptocurrencies that satisy that demand, we might at least get a cure for cancer out of the widening GPU crisis. Heck, if any of these efforts actually arrive at something like a cheap, widely-distributed blockchain-based TensorFlow farm, I might have to order myself a glass of the Singularity Kool-Aid. The fact that none of this is even mentioned as an option whenever the power co
Donald, Donald, Donald. Your approval ratings could be in the mid-50s if only you and your administration would quit stepping on your own good news. Tuesday was a perfect example -- the latest in a sad series. First we got word from the South Korean government that North Korea might be willing to "denuclearize" its weapons program. It sounded too good to be true, and it probably was. But for a few hours this week the Trump Hate Media were so giddy with hope they stopped beating you up. They had no choice but to grudgingly point out that "Rocket Man's" surprise pivot toward sanity might have had something to do with your tough talk to North Korea. You were actually getting some favorable mainstream media coverage -- but then later on Tuesday your top economic adviser Gary Cohn announced he was going to resign. Boom. Cohn's departure became the top news story of the day. Of course, the Trump Hate Media pinned the blame for Cohn's leaving on you and the tariffs you originally threatened to put on steel and aluminum imports from every country. Goodbye, North Korean peace talk. Hello more White House chaos. The previous week you also stepped on your own necktie when you dropped the tariff bomb on America. You instantly obliterated the good coverage in the media about the strong economy your policies have brought the country. You also instantly wiped away the real political capital you were beginning to bank because of your massive income tax cuts. It was good that you've backed of
Actress Sigourney Weaver offered a dark picture of the world's future during her speech at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night. In her remarks, Weaver warned Americans that if we don't act to combat climate change, doom is imminent. The DNC then aired a video featuring Weaver as the narrator. "It's happening now," Weaver says in the video. "The droughts, the record heat waves," etc. "This is not something we've seen before," she claims. "Our children are at risk." Using remarks from everyone from Pres. George H.W. Bush to Pope Francis, the short film insists the world is at risk thanks to global warming. The video also uses sound bites from families whose homes have been destroyed by natural disasters to prove Weaver's point. In one particular scene, a man who claims to be a conservative Republican expresses his own concerns about climate change. "A thermometer is not Republican," he says. "A thermometer is not Democrat." The film also highlights Donald Trump's climate change denial and contrasts it with Hillary Clinton's promise to tackle it. "Together we can do this," she says. "For our future, for our children." The video was inundated with footage of homes burning in wildfires and cars drowning in hurricanes. This, after liberal pundits claimed Trump's speech at the RNC last week was too dark.
Katrina Gajevska, vice-chair of the Labour Campaign for Human Rights, explains the threat from the Communication Data Bill, known as the 'Snooper's Charter'. Katrina Gajevska is Vice-Chair of the Labour Campaign for Human Rights. E-mail her at [email protected] , or visit the website at www.lchr.org.uk , to find out more. Civil liberties advocates should gear up for battle as the number of politicians coalescing around the idea of mass surveillance increases. While the Communications Data Bill has been rejected in its initial form, we are likely to see it again. The 'Snooper's Charter' is merely dormant, waiting to resurface when the right moment comes. Given the recent revelations about Tempora and the increasing support for snooper-style legislation, the British public must have a clear understanding of what infrastructure is in the making. In the proposed surveillance system, private companies are forced to pass on digital intelligence about all individuals to a designated public body. The idea is that if a criminal investigation should arise, the data could be sifted through to detect suspicious activity. Even though the proposals do not include the content of communications, communications data are an equally powerful resource. Thanks to the deep packet inspection (DPI) technology, companies are able to gather data regarding who you email and when, which websites you visit and the length of your Internet calls. They are also able to track down communications to IP addres
There's no other explanation: The Beams experienced a miracle. Christy and Kevin Beam were out of options for their daughter Annabel. Their precious little girl suffered from two life threatening and painful illnesses. There were no cures for Pseudo-Obstruction Motility Disorder and Antral Hypomotility Disorder. One day, however, that all changed when Annabel decided to climb a tree. In December 2011, Annabel was playing with her sister in a tree in the backyard of their home in Burleson, Texas. Annabel was dangling off of a fragile branch, when she suddenly plummeted 30 feet through the hollow cottonwood tree. She hit her head three times on the way down. Yet, it what can only be described as a miracle, Annabel was removed from the tree without injury. That's not all. Soon after her frightening tumble, Annabel was mysteriously healed of the chronic diseases that had plagued her her whole life. Three years later, she is still a picture of health. That's also not all. A few days after Annabel was rescued from the tree, she told her parents that she had gone to Heaven. For the next few years, she would share more and more vivid details about her trip to the afterlife. Oh and as for that tree, the Beams carved a cross into its base, and when a storm knocked the tree down earlier this year, the trunk and the cross was the only part left standing. Knowing her daughter's miraculous healing was too significant to keep to herself, Christy decided to put Annabelle's amazing story int
The Peel District School Board (PDSB) says the debate over Muslim prayers in publicly funded schools is over. But parents from many different faiths are speaking out against public officials giving preferential treatment to one religion. The PDSB has a charter that says they are committed to "gender equity", yet these mini-mosques are gender segregated with boys at the front and girls at the back. Girls on their menstrual cycle are forced to sit in hall! I tried to ask school board officials about their decision, but the cowards were all too scared to defend it. Watch me speak with the patriots who came out to defend secular education, many of whom were freedom loving immigrants that are proud to stand up for Canadian values. I also found some counter-protesters who supported the PDSB's decision, but all they had to offer were baseless claims of "Islamophobia". Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
1. Trump at NATO: "Immigration Is Taking Over Europe" U.S. President Donald J. Trump has told press at the NATO summit on Thursday that he warned the defence union that "immigration is taking over Europe". "I told them today that the EU better be careful because immigration is taking over Europe and I said that loud and clear," President Trump told a press conference in Brussels, Belgium. "You see what's going on throughout the world with immigration. I probably -- if not partially -- won an election because of immigration," President Trump said, observing that the issue of mass, uncontrolled migration is inspiring voters in Europe -- and the United States -- to elect leaders who are tough on border control. Remarking on the formation of the anti-mass migration Five-Star Movement (M5S) and the League (Lega) coalition in Italy, President Trump said: 'If you look at Italy, [Prime Minister] Giuseppe [Conte] won his election on his strong immigration policies. 2. Rep Ron DeSantis opens hearing on Muslim Brotherhoods Global Threat The House Subcommittee on National Security heard testimony regarding the Muslim Brotherhood's Global Threat on Wednesday, July 11, 2018. 3. ITALY: Matteo Salvini warns migrants, "it is money spent badly that you give to the human traffickers and the mafia" Matteo Salvini did a live stream in which he discussed the connection between human trafficking and the mafia who he says have made millions these last few years taking advantage of vulnerable people,
The anti-gun Left tried to push expanded background checks and failed. Now, they're harping on increasing the age limit to buy long guns to 21; it's 18 in most states. Florida recently passed a law that increased the age limit, with President Trump jostling with increasing the age at the federal level. Of course, this is a gross infringement on Second Amendment rights, but the pro-gun control crowd is pushing it. Why the hell not. They've had some legislative success here. Yet, the complete ignorance of basic firearms knowledge has led to them stepping on a rake again, with Moms Demand Action's Shannon Watts tweeting an image of a scary AR-15-style rifle to push for more gun control. The only problem is that it wasn't an AR-15. It was a .22 caliber bolt-action rifle, which is quite common. We all know that an overwhelming majority of Democrats want to ban semiautomatic firearms, especially these so-called weapons of war. Well, the first step in making that horrible argument is knowing what these firearms look like, and knowing the difference between a bolt-action rifle and one that is semiautomatic--both of which are not scary or unusual, by the way. This is gonna be a thread pic.twitter.com/wxPrzGHXAp -- Phil (@philthatremains) March 13, 2018 The reason we need people who know something about guns to be involved in writing legislation is on display in that pic. That is a BOLT ACTION rifle chambered in .22lr. It is not a "military" rifle in ANY way. Pretty sure no military u
Watching the Sochi Olympic ski-runs melt beneath the feet of athletes, global warming alarmists have decided to take action. Over 100 Olympic athletes, including 85 Americans, have signed a letter that calls on the UN to take action against anthropogenic global warming... Because the palm trees that line the streets of Sochi, Russia, are clearly the result of too many SUVs on the road, and not the result of typical sub-tropical weather patterns. "The once consistent winters that I saw as a young kid are no more, especially near my home in Vermont," wrote US cross country skier Andrew Newell, who penned the Al-Gore-esque letter to the United Nations. Aside from the fact that Newell is basing his understanding of global weather patterns off of his 30 years of existence (only a fraction of which he has had the intellectual awareness to contemplate things such as weather fluctuations), the letter comes at a time when the US is struggling through one of its worst winters in decades. Just to put this into context: when Newell was born, the world was desperately concerned about "global cooling"... And now, as southern states struggle with an apocalyptic 2 1/2 inches of snow, we're concerned about global warming. My how things have changed! "Snow conditions are becoming much more inconsistent, weather patterns more erratic, and what was once a topic for discussion is now reality and fact. Our climate is changing and we are losing our winters." Newell continued. Somehow I think Amer
On last night's show , I reported on the Liberals demanding increased internet censorship in the wake of the Toronto van attack . Heritage Minister Melanie Joly wants "web giants" to crack down on "hate speech" and Employment Minister Patty Hajdu is tying the attack to the "alt-right". I believe the "alt-right" is a form of white nationalism, but Alek Minassian isn't white. Neither was the half Malaysian Elliot Rodger, who inspired Minassian. Months ago, Trudeau told Facebook that he'll introduce new regulations if they don't step-up their censorship of the news . It seems like the Liberals don't want to let a tragedy go to waste. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Pau (France) (AFP) - A furious debate is disturbing the peace in the French mountains: do plans to release two bears into the countryside represent a victory for biodiversity, or an intolerable threat to farmers? Back in the early 20th century around 150 brown bears roamed the French Pyrenees along the Spanish border, but by the 1990s they had been hunted close to extinction. The government released three Slovenian bears into the mountains from 1996 onwards, followed by five more after a hunter killed the last "native" French one, a female named Cannelle (Cinnamon). Their numbers are now back up to around 40, causing headaches for local farmers even before French environment minister Nicolas Hulot, a celebrity green activist, announced in March that he wanted to add two more females with the hope they would have cubs. "Farmers are ready to do everything, even if it's illegal. They will not let this go," warned Bernard Layre, head of the FDSEA farming union. Echoing the battle over the wolves which roam parts of the Pyrenees and other mountainous areas of France, animal rights activists have passionately defended efforts to increase bear numbers while farmers say they are the ones bearing the costs. According to an official count, livestock breeders lost 700 animals to bear attacks last year in the Ariege border area alone. Farmers put the figures at double this. Hundreds of people joined a protest in the southwestern French city of Pau on April 30 against the arrival of the t
The World Health Organization no longer classifies transgender people as having a mental condition and is instead listed under "conditions related to sexual health." The WHO issued a new catalog Monday covering 55,000 diseases, injuries, and causes of death, in which it discreetly recategorized transgenderism, AFP reported. The new catalog, which still needs to be approved by U.N. member countries, so-called "gender incongruence" is now listed under "conditions related to sexual health" instead of "mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders." "We expect (the re-categorisation) will reduce stigma," Lale Say, the coordinator of WHO's department of reproductive health and research, told AFP Tuesday. WHO says gender incongruence is characterised as a "marked and persistent incongruence between an individual's experienced gender and the assigned sex." Several new chapters appear in the first update of WHO's International Classification of Diseases catalog since the 1990s, including the one on sexual health. "We think it will reduce stigma so that it may help better social acceptance for these individuals," Say said, adding that since the catalogue is used by doctors and insurers to determine coverage, the move away from a mental disorder could "even increase access to healthcare". The document, which member states will be asked to approve during the World Health Assembly in Geneva next May, will take effect from Jan. 1, 2022, if it is adopted. Several countries have alrea
In the wake of dictator Fidel Castro's death, President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to reverse President Obama's executive order "normalizing" relations between the United States and Cuba. If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal. -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2016 When Obama issued the order in December 2014, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie asked for the return of Black Panther and convicted cop killer Assata Shakur, also known as Joanne Chesimard. Shakur has been living in Cuba for three decades after killing New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973. She was convicted of murder in 1977, escaped prison and in 1984, fled to Cuba. She is on the FBI's most wanted terrorist list. "I urge you to demand the immediate return of Chesimard before any further consideration of restoration of diplomatic relations with the Cuban government," Christie wrote to Obama at the time. "If, as you assert, Cuba is serious about embracing democratic principles then this action would be an essential first step." I'm very disappointed that returning a convicted killer of a NJ State Trooper was not already demanded and accomplished. -- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) December 21, 2014 RT If you agree that President Obama should demand the return of Chesimard from Cuba to the US to finish her sentence pic.twitter.com/tztku57vf1 -- Governor Christie (@GovChristie) De
ESPN anchor and NBA reporter Sage Steele has once again ruffled the feathers of the world's largest sports broadcasting network with her comments at a forum in Tampa Bay, Florida directed at discussing "the intersection of race and faith in America today." Steele called African-Americans hypocritical and said that 99 percent of the racist comments she receives are from people with her skin color. "There are times that I believe that we, as African-Americans, can be hypocritical, and that is to not look ourselves in the mirror when we are saying certain things and blaming other groups for one thing when we are doing the exact same thing," she said according to the Daily Wire . "The worst racism that I have received [as a biracial woman married to white man], and I mean thousands and thousands over the years, is from black people, who in my mind thought would be the most accepting because there has been that experience. But even as recent as the last couple of weeks, the words that I have had thrown at me I can't repeat here and it's 99 percent from people with my skin color. But if a white person said those words to me, what would happen?" Steele was slammed for her comments regarding President Donald Trump's first immigration order. She expressed concern for all the people who had their travel plans delayed because of the chaos caused by the protesters. A post shared by Sage Steele (@sagesteele) on Jan 29, 2017 at 11:12pm PST She was then ridiculed on social media with rac
As Florida's leaders spent this session in Tallahassee yet again trying to make life more difficult for gay residents, an unlikely nation in South America proved once more that it's a regional pioneer in championing diversity and equality. It's Argentina, where authorities last week allowed a one-year-old boy to become the child of three legal parents--his two moms and his biological father. That's a Latin American first. "This is about a boy who's loved by his parents, and this is about happiness," Esteban Paulon, president of the Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Trans (FALGBT), tells New Times . "We're showing that these things should be accessible to all people." It's just the latest in a string of groundbreaking moves for LGBT rights in Argentina. In 2010, the South American country became the first in Latin America to legalize gay marriage, including full adoption rights for gay couples. In 2012, it became the world's most transgender friendly country, with a gender-identity law that allows people to change their legal gender and name without permission from a court or doctor, and access sex-change surgery or hormone therapy through public or private health care plans. Last Thursday, the family at the center of the latest breakthrough appeared in a press conference alongside lawmakers in Mar del Plata, the capital of Buenos Aires Province, where provincial Cabinet Chief Alberto Perez said that none of the child's parents should have to give up the
It's been said ad nauseum over the past few months: 2016 could be the year of the third party. You can read about it here , here , here , here , and here . With crooked Hillary Clinton and Deplorable Donald Trump (no, I don't think he's deplorable; Hillary does) winning the Democratic and Republican nominations for president respectively, these two candidates' historically high unfavorables had pundits and pollsters declaring that now could be prime territory for a third party candidate to emerge as the rational choice. Yeah, that lasted all about five seconds. Green Party candidate Jill Stein has a murky history with vaccines and pretty much has no idea what she's talking about on a whole host of issues. Libertarian Gary Johnson has had trouble with geography and foreign affairs. Earlier this month, he blanked on Aleppo, the Syrian city that's at the epicenter of the nation's brutal civil war, which is becoming a more salient news item due to the consistent bombing by Russian air jets that some say isn't falling within the realm of anti-terror operations, but instead taking on the face of abject barbarism. It's a humanitarian crisis. Johnson didn't know. And he made things worse when he couldn't name one single foreign leader that he admires during a MSNBC town hall event with Chris Matthews (via Politico ): Pressed by "Hardball" host Chris Matthews to "name one foreign leader that you respect and look up to," Johnson stumbled. "I guess I'm having an Aleppo moment in the for
The Election of Doug Ford close a Very Dark Chapter for the people of Ontario! It marks the end of an Evil Empire... No more choosing between having Xmas lights or eating , no more promoting sexual deviance and the Office of the Premiere shall no longer serve as a opportunity for Evil to utilize it to further their own personal agenda/beliefs. "Drew Wakariuk commented 8 hours ago Andrew who is going to replace us? You mean idiots with their heads buried in their phones walking into fountains and in front of trains? LMAO ! There are more conservatives than you think , try going outside your echo chamber. " Guess who gave Trudeau his majority? Or who keeps re-electing Nenshi? Even in Ontario the PCs only got 40% of the vote, and a lot of that was just "hold your noses". Six months ago they were polling at more than 50%, when they had a candidate palatable to the centre. I mean, a real "toss'em out" populist surge would have given the PCs almost every seat in the leg. Very interesting to see the gender divide on opinion of Ford. I used to be annoyed when leftists list minority groups to make their point, as if they speak for them or something, but now I'm just bored with it. Martin said, "The answer just struck me, they come from our lefty inspired universities and colleges where you have to be a complete idiot with a bent, warped brain in order to pass." Yes. It takes a strong personality to do what is necessary to get the degree from the universities and colleges and still kee
Money Advice Service has shown that the proportion of people struggling to keep up with their bills and credit commitments has risen from 35 per cent in 2006 to 52 per cent in 2013. Figures abound about financial hardship in the UK. Money Advice Service has shown that the proportion of people struggling to keep up with their bills and credit commitments has risen from 35 per cent in 2006 to 52 per cent in 2013. This is one of the reasons why the payday lending industry continues to grow so well, with 9 out of the 10 largest lenders making at least double their profits in the last financial year. Critics of the industry were given a huge boost at the end of last year. Lord Parry Mitchell successfully added an amendment to the Financial Services Bill, now Act, which said the new regulator (the Financial Conduct Authority [FCA] which has taken over from the Financial Services Authority and will begin to regulate consumer credit come April 1 2014) will be able to cap the total cost of credit. Four months later a report written by the Personal Finance Research Centre at the University of Bristol and published by the Department for Business, Industry, and Skills said that if the FCA were to use its power and cap the cost of credit, it would reduce the supply of consumer credit products to individuals potentially leading them into the hands of illegal loan sharks. A month later the FCA itself jotted down in an Occasional Paper that: "caps on APRs or restrictions on how often [consum
A summary of why it seems like green investment and jobs could solve all (ok, almost all) our problems. Faiza Shaheen is senior researcher on economic inequality at the New Economics Foundation There's something about green jobs that sets off a very British 'believe it when I see it' reaction in a lot of people I talk to. It's the kind of scepticism usually reserved for predictions of a hot summer: it sounds too good to be true, so it probably is. The fact that key green investment schemes, like the government's New Green Deal (derided daily in the papers as a rip off for taxpayers), have failed to deliver is undoubtedly a major factor in this. But the way I see it, our labour market is in crisis; we need something to believe in. At a session I'm chairing at this Saturday's CLASS conference , we'll examine whether green investment - with the multiple promises of good jobs for non-graduates, re-balancing and carbon reduction it is argued they would bring - is a pipe dream. Below is a summary of why it seems like green investment and jobs could solve all (ok, almost all) our problems. Green investment: Filling the good jobs gap We have an hour-glass shaped jobs market. This is feeding income polarisation across society and corroding our well-being. Our economy is increasingly dominated by the service sector which tends to deliver highly skilled jobs at the top of the pay scale - primarily for graduates - and low skilled, insecure and dismally paid jobs at the bottom for everyb
So, in China there is Chinese privilege, in Africa there is Black African privilege, in the Far East there is East Asian privilege, in Muslim countries there is Islamic privilege, and so on. In Europe, North America, and Australia the populations are mostly white, but that number is decreasing (now down to 62% in North America when not that many years ago it was 78%). So, why is it OK for every other race and creed to have "privilege" where they are the majority, but not so for whites? And what exactly is that privilege that whites have? Work hard, be inventive, functional government, non-dictatorship rule, equal opportunity for those who work? The woman from the Islands telling us she is educated: back home, who runs the country? Whites? I doubt it. So, why did she leave that heavenly oasis to come to freezing cold and white privileged Canada? BTW , since David is alumni, should he be tossed from his alma mater? I would demand a formal apology from the school president/principal. Andrew Stephenson sorry but where i work i am a minority and the 2 heads of my department are from Pakistan and the Philippines. So spare me your imagined reality. YOU ARE WRONG AGAIN ! If you think you have benefited from imagined privilege then make your own reparations and limit yourself ,do not presume the burden of your liberal guilt should be shared by anyone else, it is your own problem. Wow Andrew, right back at ya! Did you choke on your words as you typed them this am? A message from the Ma
It's been another wild week in the saga of the Trans Mountain Pipeline in the Balkan States of Canada. Former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall spit hot fire at the Trudeau Liberals for their silence on the ongoing trade rift between Alberta and BC over the Trans Mountain pipeline. He's concerned that Canada's in danger of losing its national cohesion and accuses the Federal government of being ashamed of Canada's oil and gas sector. Former BC Premier Christy Clark said her successor John Horgan's opposition to Kindermorgan's $7.4B project is illegal and unconstitutional. Alberta United Conservative Party leader Jason Kenny said he will not forget Horgan's actions against Alberta saying "if the BC government is threatening to violate the constitution , they can't do it without repercussions." And over in BC, Rachel Notley 's OSAG hire, Tzeporah Berman is willing to go back to the slammer if it means stopping the pipeline saying: "Nobody likes conflict. I've been to jail and it's not a pleasant place and I'm not looking forward to going back there. But we'll do what it takes." In the BC legislature, the right of centre BC Liberals want to know why BC's Environment Minister George Heyman met with Tzeporah Berman at an eco-radical planning retreat -especially after she promised illegal civil disobedience. And Trudeau still isn't stepping in to resolve any of this. What is it that he does around here , exactly? Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share T
You've already heard the candidates debate hot button issues from the economy to immigration in the televised debates. Now, it's your turn to ask the questions. Townhall Media teamed up with Change Politics to bring you Conservatives Speak! , an online form that allows our reader to ask their questions to the Republican presidential field. Here are 10 of some of the most interesting submissions so far, with a full list available to view in the forum. Upvote your favorites before midnight on Feb. 19 for a chance to see them answered by the participating GOP candidates. 1. Gary Vogel | Colorado Springs, CO: If elected president of the United States of America, what would your legacy be known for 20 years from now? "This is important to me because every president that I have witnessed, walks in the front door of the White House with smiles and promises and is remembered existing through the back door with excuses not accomplishments." 2. Tammy Gray | Elkhart, IN: It is obvious the American people are sick and tired of politics as usual. What will you do to help rebuild trust with government? "Americans are tired of politics becoming the power of elite, corporate lobbyists, and politicians excusing themselves from laws they pass in congress. Politicians vote themselves pay raises, but fail to pass a balanced budget. Lobbyists have become big business in Washington. While in any other private sector, these lobbyists would be seen as illegal bribes. The American people are tired o
Secretary of Defense James Mattis appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation" this morning and spoke with John Dickerson about a number of national security issues, including ISIS, North Korea, the Manchester bombing, NATO, and the Paris climate agreement. Mattis, a retired General and former Commander of the United States Central Command, had a storied Marine career and was hailed as "The most revered Marine of his generation" upon his retirement in 2013. To say that he's probably seen some things is an understatement. He's previously said, "I don't lose any sleep at night over the potential for failure. I cannot even spell the word." What does he lose sleep over? Dickerson asked him what keeps him awake at night: Sec. Mattis on what keeps him awake at night pic.twitter.com/KtNgTfYeB2 -- Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 28, 2017 His answer? "Nothing. I keep other people awake at night." Michael Busler Exactly the attitude ISIS, North Korea, and anyone else who seeks to harm the United States needs to see from our military. Given that a well-known Mattism (the name reporters have given his phrases) is "Be polite, be professional, and have a plan to kill everyone you meet," this answer shouldn't be surprising at all.
William Bain MP details the four basic realities about the British economy which the government is ignoring, to its peril - as well as all of ours. Matthew Butcher argues, with Duncan Exley, that the Living Wage is the only way to reconcile the seemingly conflicting desires to end child poverty but also to decrease taxation. Duncan Exley argues the lessons we should draw from the British Social Attitudes Survey are to push for a living wage and retain the 50p top rate of tax. Ben Fox reports from Brussels with the latest on the eurozone crisis, looking at whether Herman Van Rompuy will save David Cameron from a referendum. Declan Gaffney looks at the British Social Attitudes Survey 2011 and asks whether the child poverty agenda now belongs to Iain Duncan Smith's Conservatives. Sally Hunt argues that the experience of the USA in its experiment with for-profit universities shows the danger of importing that model to the UK The family of murdered solicitor Pat Finucane are set to launch legal proceedings against David Cameron's refusal to establish a full independent judicial inquiry.
1. Video: Eleven shots fired in immigrant area of Hamburg, Germany 2. FBI Bombshell: Far-Left U.S. Radicals Colluding With ISIS In his latest book , All Out War: The Plot to Destroy Trump, set to be released today, Edward Klein reveals to the public findings from an FBI investigation into the shocking ties between far-left radicals in America and Islamist extremists. The FBI report was delivered to Acting Director Andrew McCabe on July 11, 2017. While certain names have been redacted, Klein reveals how the FBI followed a group of Americans anarchists/radicals who traveled to Germany to join their German counterpart Antifaschistische Aktion to protest Trump's attendance at a meeting of G20 leaders and central bank governors. Evidence gathered from a variety of intelligence sources showed the Americans took part in the violence there. "There is also evidence of meetings between these individuals and associates of ISIS...Making some sort of common cause with Americans who are determined to commit violence against the U.S. makes them potentially very useful to radical Islam," writes Klein based on the report. 3. Outrage as ISIS jihadis to go to the 'front of the queues for council houses and jobs Leaked plans for a scheme called Operation Constrain suggest putting returning jihadis at the front of the queue for social housing, and helping them into education or employment. The project would reportedly target up to 20,000 extremists known to MI5, while Britons returning from forme
1. GERMANY: Police Arrest Man For Killing Baby, Ex-Wife A man from Niger stabbed to death his German ex-wife and their one-year-old daughter in a brutal attack in a busy train station Thursday, police said. The bloody knife killings took place mid-morning in the busiest subway station of Hamburg, Germany's second-biggest city. "The crime was very, very terrible in its execution, very targeted and very, very extreme," said police spokesman Timo Zill. "We currently assume it was a crime of passion." The 33-year-old suspect initially ran off but then phoned the police, who arrested him inside the Jungfernstieg underground station. Police said the child died immediately in the attack around 0850 GMT and the 34-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries in hospital. Police and firefighters responded in large numbers, and trauma counselling was offered to witnesses and emergency responders. WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES 2. Convicted sex attacker who groomed and abducted 12-year-old girl to be repeatedly gang-raped by "pack of ravenous wolves" is jailed for 23 years A convicted sex attacker , who groomed and abducted a 12-year-old girl to be repeatedly gang-raped, has been jailed for 23 years. Ibrahim Hussain, 35, from Bradford, raped the youngster three times over a three day period before taking her to a house where she was attacked by the five unknown men. Judge David Hatton QC told the court she was raped by "what can only be described as essentially a pack of ravenous wo
You know there are times when former Obama adviser Van Jones makes sense and when he just goes off the deep end. On election night, he said that President-elect Donald J. Trump's upset win over Hillary Clinton was a "whitelash ," despite the 2016 electorate almost being a mirror image of 2012. Then, he goes on The View earlier this month and says that he wasn't saying that the 60 million voters who cast their ballots for Trump are racists, adding that would be unfair. But he did say that to ignore the alt-right element, which dabbles in white nationalism, is just not being honest and "unfair" to the rest of the country concerning discussions about the election. He also said that the Democratic Party has major problems with snobby elitists who are killing the party. Jones appeared on the daytime show on December 1 (via The Hill ): "[The GOP] have created a space for a small number of racially hateful people," @VanJones68 says. "Both parties got problems!" pic.twitter.com/3GCdgHvrd1 -- The View (@TheView) December 1, 2016 "Everybody knows we have a problem with elitism," he said on ABC's "The View"... "Liberals and Democrats, we see ourselves as champions of the poor and downtrodden," added Jones, a former adviser to President Obama. "But we have somehow let a little camp of elitist-sounding, snobby people come into the party, and it's obnoxious. They talk down to people, and everybody hates it." The Republicans see themselves as the party of color-blind individualism, and that
Guy wrote an excellent interview with Parkland shooting survivor Kyle Kashuv, who isn't going around with fellow peers, Cameron Kasky, David Hogg, and Emma Gonzalez pushing the anti-gun agenda of the far left. He describes himself as politically conservative and a Second Amendment supporter: "I'm a very strong Second Amendment supporter and I will continue to be throughout this entire campaign." he tells me. "As of right now, my main goal is to meet with legislators and represent to them that there are big Second Amendment supporters in our community. Through this entire thing, my number one concern has been making sure that the rights of innocent Americans aren't infringed upon." He says that when he visited the state capitol to talk to lawmakers shortly after the tragedy, he consistently asked for guarantees that the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners wouldn't be attacked or abridged. He's waded into this debate "kind of reluctantly," he admits, observing that at some point he realized that he was one of the few conservatives in his school who were speaking up in public. "It's not even by my choosing, it's just come to that," he remarks. "I feel somewhat obligated to do this because the other half of America needs to be heard. I'm doing this because I have to." Kashuv counts himself as a believer in the 'Never Again' cause, but feels ostracized and ignored by those -- including students and the adults supporting them -- who disagree with his conservative po
The European Union's austerity measures and the dismantling of collective bargaining in a number of countries is unlawful, according to a professor at the University of Bremen. The European Union's austerity measures and the dismantling of collective bargaining in a number of countries is unlawful, according to a report by professor Andreas Fischer-Lescano of the University of Bremen in Germany. The report, drawn up for the Austrian Trade Union Federation (OGB), the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), claims that the European Commission and the European Central Bank (because of their involvement in the troika) are breaching the primary law of the EU because the Treaty Of Lisbon (which provides the constitutional basis of the European Union) also includes the Charter of Fundamental Rights. EU countries which approve of the Memoranda Of Understanding in the Governing Council of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) are bound to Fundamental and Human Rights, argues Professor Fischer-Lescano, who also says the crisis does not render EU law inoperative. On a national level this approach was objected to by constitutional courts, Fischer-Lescano says, citing Portugal as an example. The European Parliament has to take action. "Across Europe, trade unions have fought long and hard against austerity, and demand a fundamental political change of course," says Bernhard Achitz, general secretar
While Buzzfeed videos are generally an entertainment source, a little accuracy and clarification has never killed anyone. A video produced by the site titled, " A Priest, Rabbi, and an Imam Walk Into a Bar... " was published on Sunday and depicts three religious figures discussing various social issues from abortion to feminism to religious extremism. During the video, all three endorsed abortion (in certain circumstances) and religious pluralism. Both the priest and rabbi argued in favor of homosexual relationships. On Twitter, Catholics were aghast at the man apparently "chosen" to represent their faith. Buzzfeed made a new video with a priest, a rabbi, and an Imam. Of course they chose a heretic priest. Of course. -- Rachel Claire (@misstrinity3n1) January 19, 2016 What Buzzfeed neglected to note, however, was that the priest in the video was not a priest of the Roman Catholic Church. While the man is only identified as "Rev. Garcia," someone in the comments recognized him from an Episcopal parish in Pasadena, CA. A quick Google search revealed that the man in the video is Rev. Francisco Garcia, a self-described "labor activist turned Episcopal priest." The tags of the article, however, tell a different story and conceal the truth. The article is tagged with "Catholicism," "Catholic," "Pope," and "Francis"--all of which, obviously, concern Catholicism, and imply that one of the subjects in the video is actually a Catholic. Yet, no member of the Church is actually portrayed
1. IDF Tweet: Hamas official, Dr. Salah Al-Bardawil is clear about terrorist involvement in the riots Hamas official, Dr. Salah Al-Bardawil is clear about terrorist involvement in the riots pic.twitter.com/p5My6JGQRr -- IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) May 16, 2018 Full interview can be heard HERE . Related : NPR journalist tries to give Palestinian strategic advice on their use of swastikas on incendiary kites 2. Danish comic mocks Sweden's extreme political correctness 3. Pro-Palestine protest at San Francisco Consulate: "They were screaming for the death of the Jewish people" 4. RT Report: ISIS fighter admits he executed people, keeps living freely in Canada 5. Mother arrested, child found safe after Tulsa stabbing TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Tulsa police on Tuesday arrested a woman who they say bound and gagged her three daughters, stabbed the eldest repeatedly and set their house on fire. Police said a patrol officer found 39-year-old Taheerah Ahmad around midday in a vehicle in downtown Tulsa. Ahmad was taken into custody and her 7-year-old daughter who had been reported missing was found safe, police said. Investigators said that following her arrest, Ahmad told them she became upset after observing two of her children reading a book. It was not immediately known what book they were reading, police said. 6. Qaradawi: Palestine is a cause for all Muslims Chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars Yusuf Al-Qaradawi said that all Muslims around the world should be concerned abo
By MEGHAN PIERCE Union Leader Correspondent February 27. 2014 8:12PM NEWPORT -- Ramping up the war on increased drug activity, mostly heroin, the Sullivan County Superior Court grand jury seated in Newport has indicted several men recently charged with possession and selling drugs. Father and son, Roger Colby, 49, and Mark Colby, 30, were arrested after Claremont police executed a search warrant at their residence, 87 Summer Street, on Feb. 13. Mark Colby was indicted on possession of controlled drugs with intent to distribute that carries the penalty of life in prison and a $500,000 fine. And possession and intent to distribute oxycodone that carries the penalty of seven and half to 15 years in prison and a $200,000 fine. He was also indicted on felon in possession of a firearm, which carries a three and half to seven year prison sentence and a $4,000 fine. His father Roger Colby was indicted on six charges of selling controlled drugs including heroin, buprenorphine and oxycodone and the subsequent offense of selling within 1,000 feet of a school. Eric Bastian, 43, of Alden Road, Claremont and 2nd NH Turnpike in Unity, was indicted on three counts of sale of heroin that each carry a penalty of three and half to seven years in prison and a $100,000 fine and one count of possession of heroin with intent to sell that carries a penalty of 15 to 30 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Jeffrey Talbert, 49, of Route 4A in Enfield was indicted on possession of heroin, which carries
In the past hour the Twitter account belonging to U.S. Central Command was hacked by someone or a group of individuals claiming to be from ISIS. JUST IN: U.S. defense official confirms @CENTCOM has been hacked, scrambling to deal with the issue - @JimMiklaszewski pic.twitter.com/Tjd8GkRAfC -- NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) January 12, 2015 A series of tweets were sent out with sensitive information about U.S. military strategy toward North Korea and China. The tweets also threatened military personnel and their families. UPDATE: The information that was posted on the account has been verified by intelligence sources as real information hacked directly from CENTCOMM, meaning this wasn't simply a hack of a Twitter account, but against CENTCOMM itself. It is unclear whether CENTCOMM itself was hacked or if the hack was limited to a hack on Twitter. Since the breach, Twitter has suspended the CENTCOMM account. UPDATE : The CENTCOM YouTube page was also hacked and filled with ISIS propaganda videos. President Obama was giving a speech about cyber security when the breach happened. "I hope Congress joins us in this national movement to protect the privacy of our children." --President Obama #Cybersecurity -- Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 12, 2015 Over the weekend, hacking group Anonymous officially declared it will engage ISIS and radical Islam through cyber warfare in response to the Islamic terror attack on Charlie Hebdo last week.
It's No Longer Enough to be Gay to March in Gay Pride Parade On Saturday in Washington, D.C., the annual D.C. Capital Pride Parade, a massive showing of the rainbow colors by gays, lesbians, transgenders, and others, was nearly halted in its tracks. No, not by religious fundamentalists or MAGA hat-wearing Trumpistas. The disrupters of the Pride Parade were . . . other gays and lesbians infuriated by the fact that the organizers of the D.C. Pride weren't as far to the left as they were. It's yet another sign of the increasing gap between traditional American liberalism that values freedom of speech and expression and a militant left determined to push the mainstream liberals to join them and to punish them severely when they won't. The D.C. Capital Pride Parade dates back to 1975 , and its participation has grown from about 2,000 during that first year to an estimated 400,000 some 42 years later. On the way it has attracted a raft of corporate sponsors who have obviously realized that gays and lesbians have consumer dollars to spend. Such entities as the Marriott hotel chain, Heinken beer, MacDonald's, Lockheed Martin, UPS, and Nissan have all have lent their names to the annual June event. It has seemed all in the spirit of the business of America being business. You don't have to sign on to gay causes--but it sholdn't be hard to sign on to the principle that people are entitled to express themselves peacefully, socialize with the likeminded for a weekend, and try to garner
On last night's show , RedState.com writer Brandon Morse joined me to talk about the case of British toddler Alfie Evans and the dangers of state-run healthcare. The British government has backed-up the decision of the National Health Service (NHS) to take away Alfie's life support, against the wishes of his parents. The decision has sparked international outrage and speaks to the danger of taking healthcare decisions away from parents and patients and granting them to the whims of government bureaucrats. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
In a typical handgun injury that I diagnose almost daily, a bullet leaves a laceration through an organ like the liver. To a radiologist, it appears as a linear, thin, grey bullet track through the organ. There may be bleeding and some bullet fragments. I was looking at a CT scan of one of the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who had been brought to the trauma center during my call shift. The organ looked like an overripe melon smashed by a sledgehammer, with extensive bleeding. How could a gunshot wound have caused this much damage? The reaction in the emergency room was the same. One of the trauma surgeons opened a young victim in the operating room, and found only shreds of the organ that had been hit by a bullet from an AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle which delivers a devastatingly lethal, high-velocity bullet to the victim. There was nothing left to repair, and utterly, devastatingly, nothing that could be done to fix the problem. The injury was fatal. A year ago, when a gunman opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale airport with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, hitting 11 people in 90 seconds, I was also on call. It was not until I had diagnosed the third of the six victims who were transported to the trauma center that I realized something out-of-the-ordinary must have happened. The gunshot wounds were the same low velocity handgun injuries as those I diagnose every day; only their rapid succession set them apart. And all six of the victims who arr
The focus of the world has been on a viral video, 'Kony 2012', which exposes the actions of Joseph Kony, leader of the Lords Resistance Army in central Africa. The absence in Red Toryism and Blue Labour thinking around personal liberty, social mobility & environmental awareness can be filled by a Green Democrat vision. Ed Jacobs rounds up the week's news from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, plus the week's local council by-election results. Jos Bell reports from the House of Lords on the latest debates on the health and social care bill, asking where next for the Lib Dems? The government's cuts to legal aid came under renewed fire this week - with the opposition led by Conservative and Crossbench peers, reports Shamik Das. As the Lib Dems gather for their spring conference, Lord Owen tonight called on the party to pause the third reading of the health and social care bill. Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan calls on Secretary of State Ken Clarke to listen to the House of Lords and abandon his proposed legal aid cuts.
Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from Ann Coulter's new book, "!Adios, America! The Left's Plan to Turn Our Country into a Third World Hellhole" CAN WE TRUST ANYTHING THE NEW YORK TIMES SAYS ABOUT IMMIGRATION? In 2008, the world's richest man, Carlos Slim Helu, saved the Times from bankruptcy. When that guy saves your company, you dance to his tune. So it's worth mentioning that Slim's fortune depends on tens of millions of Mexicans living in the United States, preferably illegally. That is, unless the Times is some bizarre exception to the normal pattern of corruption--which you can read about at this very minute in the Times . If a tobacco company owned Fox News, would we believe their reports on the dangers of smoking? (Guess what else Slim owns? A tobacco company!) The Times impugns David and Charles Koch for funneling "secret cash" into a "right-wing political zeppelin." 1 The Kochs' funding of Americans for Prosperity is hardly "secret." What most people think of as "secret cash" is more like Carlos Slim's purchase of favorable editorial opinion in the Newspaper of Record. It would be fun to have a "Sugar Daddy-Off" with the New York Times : Whose Sugar Daddy Is More Loathsome? The Koch Brothers? The Olin Foundation? Monsanto? Halliburton? Every time, Carlos Slim would win by a landslide. Normally, Slim is the kind of businessman the Times --along with every other sentient human being--would find repugnant. Frequently listed as the richest man in the world, Sl
There are lots of people telling you what the race for control of the Senate is about. Maybe it's about Republicans turning the Senate into a temple of bipartisan governance . Or it's about stopping President Obama from making deals to cut Social Security, or transferring terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to prisons in Kansas (where they will break out and rampage through the countryside). It's not actually about any of those things. The contest to control the Senate is about one thing: whether Obama can confirm judges and staff his administration. This can all be seen through the power of political science. Consider, first, what the race to control the Senate is not about. It's not about passing legislation of any kind. The possibility that the Republican Senate might lead to legislative compromise has been suggested by professional bipartisans like Gerald Seib (" full GOP control of Congress might well shift Republicans' focus from stopping him to making things happen ") and some of the more pragmatic Republicans, like Senator Rob Portman : Portman, a fiscally focused Ohio Republican who is generally conservative but believes in bipartisan compromise, sees several areas of potential cooperation with the administration. He mentioned tax reform, a "grand bargain" on the budget, an energy bill--perhaps something that combines Keystone XL pipeline approval with reductions in carbon emissions--and new free-trade agreements, which Obama has supported but Senate Majority Leader H
The headline employment and unemployment figures may be about to take a turn for the worse, writes Richard Exell, Senior Policy Officer at the TUC. The headlines in today's labour market statistics ( pdf ) will satisfy the government. Employment in the three months March to May reached 29,279,000, an increase of 50,000 from December to February. The number unemployed (using the ILO definition) fell 26,000 to 2,452,000 between the same dates. There was also a 53,000 fall in the number of economically inactive people who say they want a job, to 2,301,000. The number of unemployed people under 25 was down by 42,000 and the number of all ages unemployed for more than a year fell 37,000. To put a bit more perspective on these figures, compared with a year ago, employment is up 309,000 and unemployment is down 23,000. This is the twelfth consecutive month in which the employment level has been higher than it was 12 months previously. As Graph 1 below shows, it is also the fourth month where unemployment is lower than it was twelve months previously. Graph 1: This perspective allows us to see that employment is doing well but the story is less encouraging when it comes to unemployment, which has been falling throughout 2011 but not very quickly. And even the headlines may be about to take a turn for the worse. Indeed, the theme music for this month's figures could have been written by Noel Coward ; 'There are bad times just around the corner, there are dark clouds hurtling through t
The Russians are coming -- and Trump left the door wide open. Nearly three-quarters of our nation's federal agencies are "not equipped" to deal with cyberattacks , according to a new governmentwide review of cybersecurity risks. That finding would be alarming on its own, but that's not even the worst part. Thanks to the negligence of the Trump White House, the 71 federal agencies deemed at "risk or high risk" of cyberattacks due to inadequate cybersecurity programs are also woefully ill-equipped to develop better policies to detect and mitigate threats. As The Washington Post describes , "the results of this report spotlight how the federal government is still struggling to organize its cybersecurity efforts. And former White House and DHS officials worry that the Trump administration lacks a path forward without proper leadership at the top." Typically, the White House cybersecurity coordinator would lead such efforts. But earlier this month, the White House eliminated that position, which was created nine years ago to designate a point person to take the lead on cybersecurity-related policies. At the time, cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier slammed the decision to axe the job as " a spectacularly bad idea ." The move also flatly contradicted Trump's campaign rhetoric and exposed his hypocrisy on issues related to cybersecurity. After spending months on the campaign trail berating Hillary Clinton for her email server and portraying her as a threat to national security, Trum
A cringe-worthy answer to a blatantly biased question. On Monday, Piers Morgan asked Lee Daniels, the director of the new film 'The Butler,' if he thought America had become a more racist country since Barack Obama became president. After claiming people were 'angry' Obama was president and referencing the Trayvon Martin case, his answer was, "Sadly, yes." Daniels' claim should come as no surprise. His film 'The Butler,' which follows the life of Eugene Allen, an African-American butler who served eight presidents, has already been criticized for its portrayal of President Ronald Reagan as racially insensitive. For instance, the film suggests the 40th president was indifferent to suffering under South African apartheid. Reagan biographer Paul Kengor sets this skewed record straight: (via The Hollywood Reporter ) Ronald Reagan was appalled by apartheid, but also wanted to ensure that if the apartheid regime collapsed in South Africa that it wasn't replaced by a Marxist-totalitarian regime allied with Moscow and Cuba that would take the South African people down the same road as Ethiopia, Mozambique, and, yes, Cuba. At another racially tinged scene in the movie, the main character suggests the Reagans are using him as a prop by inviting him to a dinner party, instead of doing so out of friendship. This leaves another close Reagan confidant to correct the misinformation. As Edwin Meese III, Reagan's former Attorney General put it , Ronald Reagan did not have a racially discrimin
By Brendan Kirby, LifeZette Immigrants detained longer than six months are not entitled to bond hearings, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, in a decision that delivers a major victory for President Donald Trump's efforts to ramp up deportations. The 5-3 decision overturns a sweeping ruling from the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that guaranteed a hearing to any immigrant with a pending deportation case. Significantly, the appeals court ruled that the burden fell on the government to demonstrate that the immigrant was a danger or a risk to flee. Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the main opinion that Alejandro Rodriguez, a legal Mexican immigrant slated for deportation because of a 2004 conviction on drug and auto theft charges, was not entitled to a bond hearing. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote separately, in an opinion joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch, that the courts did not even have jurisdiction to consider the matter because of a 1996 law passed by Congress. Alito ridiculed the lower court ruling and the Supreme Court dissent, which cited the doctrine of "constitutional avoidance" in justifying the requirement for a bond hearing. That doctrine holds that when there are multiple ways to interpret a statute, the courts should do so in a way that avoids constitutional doubts. "But a court relying on that canon still must interpret the statute, not rewrite it ... Spotting a constitutional issue does not give a court the authority to rewrite a statute as it
1. La Meute members explain why they demonstrated in Quebec City on November 25: How the CBC represents them: Ezra Levant and Eric Duhaime also discussed the media's coverage: 2. UK Security Services Foil Jihadist Terror Plot Counter-terror officials believe a serious, well-advanced Islamic extremist terror plot against the UK has been foiled after two alleged jihadists were arrested. The plot is thought to have been inspired by the Islamic State group, with attacks planned in the capital London and the UK's second city Birmingham. The young suspects, aged 20 and 21, were held on Wednesday night 'on suspicion of being involved in the commission, preparation and instigation of terrorism', a statement from the Metropolitan force revealed." The article gives no indication of whether or not the arrests are connected to the car that caught fire near a Christmas fair in London yesterday. 3. Pakistan: Three men in burqas go on killing spree in agricultural college From the RT Youtube page: Three gunmen shot dead at least nine people after entering an agricultural college in Peshawar on Friday. At least 36 people are believed to also have been injured in the attack. Gunmen dressed in burkas entered the Peshawar Agriculture Training Institute by rickshaw before opening fire. Police have now killed all three gunmen. Military re-enforcement and police officers cordoned off the campus, as ambulances worked to bring the injured away from the scene. A student who managed to escape the coll
1. Avi Yemini: "This Is Why We Need To Ban The Burqa" Australian activist, Avi Yemini, reacts to a news report about the wife of an Islamic State recruiter who was convicted for refusing to stand for the judge during her husband's trial. 2. Police shoot suspect after three stabbed in The Hague Dutch Police shoot knife attacker after three stabbed in The Hague pic.twitter.com/AOWNVWTz7e -- Old Holborn (@Holbornlolz) May 5, 2018 Close up photo of suspect: "Dave" pic.twitter.com/91hlt8QNyZ -- FURIOUS IN TUNBRIDGE WELLS (@seanblackcab) May 5, 2018 3. FRANCE: Thousands party at Paris protest to show anger at Macron PARIS (AP) -- Tens of thousands of protesters in Paris danced, picnicked and railed against President Emmanuel Macron at a "party" marking his first year in office. Police fired tear gas on troublemakers on the margins of the largely festive protest Saturday, and eight people were arrested. Authorities deployed 2,000 police to the event after violence and ransacking scarred a May Day protest in the French capital earlier this week, shocking many. "Stop Macron!" read placards at Saturday's rally in front of Paris' famed Opera Garnier. Demonstrators then marched through tourist-filled neighborhoods toward the Bastille plaza in eastern Paris. Organizers of Saturday's march, the far-left party Defiant France, planned the event around the one-year anniversary of Macron's May 7, 2017 election. He was inaugurated a week later, and quickly launched broad changes to France's lab
Because I showcased some of the most ridiculous rhetoric and "outrage" surrounding the immigration issue earlier in the week, I figured I owe it to you to highlight this surprisingly rational and measured take from a fairly unlikely source. First, imagine watching your spouse get detained and deported by ICE agents after he or she had lived and raised a family in America for three decades, having otherwise being a law-abiding and productive member of society . Now imagine being invited to talk about that ordeal on CNN and saying...this (via the Free Beacon ): "I am not upset at our government due to the fact that I am a U.S. citizen and that our laws come first. Our laws are just broken and need to be fixed, but I can't be mad at Trump for doing his job because that is his job to protect us , as U.S. citizens, from criminals. The only thing is my husband was not a criminal and those are the laws that need to be fixed because they are broken for the people ... brought as children, doing the right thing, and have never committed a crime. For the criminals that have come here illegally, they need to go back." That's a pretty damn strong answer from a woman whose life has been turned upside down by the enforcement of our immigration laws against her husband -- whom she stresses is not a criminal. She's basically saying, "don't hate the player, hate the game," in response to questions about any anger she may want to direct at the Trump administration: Our laws say X, and it's
GREELEY, Pa. -(Ammoland.com)- In 2015, when Magnum Research first introduced the new lightweight Desert Eagle L5 in .357 Magnum, it quickly gained widespread appeal, especially among loyal Desert Eagle fans. Now, new for 2017, the Mark XIX L5 is now also offered in .44 Magnum. The new L5 is offered with a 5" barrel, and features a hard-coat anodized black aluminum frame, black carbon steel slide and barrel, and Hogue finger groove rubber grips. The pistol also has Magnum Research's widely popular integral muzzle brake . The new lighter version of this popular Desert Eagle .44 Mag puts it under 50 oz. which also makes it New York State compliant. Overall length is 9.75", height is 6.25" and the slide width is 1.25". The DE44L5IMB ships with one 8-round magazine and suggested MSRP is $1,790. Kahl Firearms Also new for 2017, Magnum Research now offers the aluminum frame L6 with stainless slide and barrel both in a .44 Mag and a .357 Mag in addition to the popular .50 AE which was also introduced in 2015. Both the Desert Eagle L6 DE357ASIMB and the L6 DE44ASIMB feature a 6-inch stainless steel barrel and slide with a hard-coat anodized black aluminum frame with a stainless steel slide and integral muzzle brake. It also has attractive black appointments and features a picatinny rail on the frame. And like the L5, the new L6 also features a Hogue finger groove rubber grip. Overall length is 10.75", height is 6.25", and the slide width is 1.25". The single action pistol has a 4-po
On last night's show I exposed the Muslim rape gangs blackmailing British girls into prostitution, while the police and politicians are too afraid of being perceived as "racist" to take any action. The Rebel UK team have pursued these issues fearlessly, our own Tommy Robinson was even arrested at his home in a 4AM raid for committing "attempted journalism" . We also started a campaign, "Justice for Chelsey" , to help a mom of three who was drugged, kidnapped, and gang raped by Muslim migrants - who the police refuse to prosecute. WATCH my video to see how Muslim rape gangs are blackmailing girls into sex slavery and how the British police shutdown to attempts to bring these barbarians to justice. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
We need to see civic action at a local level, giving voters practical examples of how Labour would govern Is there a different way to do Labour Party politics, beyond simply asking people to pay PS3 to vote in the occasional selection process? I have been a member of the Labour Party for 41 years. Labour was like a religion in our household when I was growing up, but the truth is that Labour party membership has barely changed in that time. You join, get some sort of introductory message then invitations to local meetings which are (mostly) male dominated, can be a bit cliquey and are run according to what appear like arcane procedural rules designed to deter all but the most intrepid. The only significant difference in my lifetime has been the introduction of digital communication, although, as many commentators in the current leadership election have pointed out, relentless e-mails from candidates, interspersed with requests for money, can become irritating and yield diminishing returns. Over the years I have remained an active Labour campaigner and sometime attendee at meetings. But I have also realised that I now get more satisfaction from different types of local activism, which I believe communicate and put Labour values into action in a more tangible way. In my case this has been as a parent, school governor and campaigner, trying to ensure that my local schools remain at the heart of very mixed local communities, that they are responsive, inclusive and provide the bes
This is the seventh instalment in a series about a criminal rape trial that took place in Toronto late last year. The trial lasted eight days; the judge announced his verdict earlier this month. At the time of the actions that led to the criminal charges, the female accuser was seventeen years old, entering her final year of study at a Toronto high school. The male defendant was a year older, a star athlete on his way to winning a scholarship to a US college. She had substantial credibility problems on the witness stand. His testimony seemed far more convincing--at least at first. But this was more than just a "she said, he said"--or, as it turned out, "she lied, he lied"--case. There was an element of physical evidence against him: bruises on her arms and legs. The judge had to decide if the totality of the prosecutors' case against the defendant was enough to send him to jail, brand him a sexual offender, and destroy his promising future. Despite its sensational nature, this was a case that never made headlines. What I observed during my reporting was the farthest thing from a Jian Ghomeshi courthouse scene, with mobs of press and police. I was the sole reporter at the superior court trial and, on most days, the only observer not directly related to the case. The mother and grandmother of the accused, whom I will call Matthew in the reports that follow, attended throughout the trial. The complainant, who will be known as Ava, was supported by a representative from victim se
Free sign up cp newsletter! If elected president of the United States in 2016, brash billionaire Donald Trump "will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency," according to a report from his personal physician Dr. Harold Bornstein. While Bornstein doesn't provide any actual evidence to support that claim or qualify it in any way, he notes in the report shared on Trump's website that the 2016 GOP presidential frontrunner has no history of using alcohol or tobacco products and has "astonishingly excellent" blood pressure. If elected, Trump would be 70 when he takes office, which would make him the oldest president to take office. The current oldest elected president, Ronald Reagan, was 69 when he took office. "I am pleased to report that Mr. Trump has had no significant medical problems. Mr. Trump has had a recent complete medical examination that showed only positive results. Actually, his blood pressure is 110/65, and laboratory test results were astonishingly excellent," wrote Bornstein in the report on the health of the 69-year-old real estate baron whose "physical strength and stamina are extraordinary." Expand | Collapse (Photo: Twitter) Dr. Harold Bornstein. "Mr. Trump has suffered no form of cancer, has never had a hip, knee or shoulder replacement or any other orthopedic surgery. His only surgery was an appendectomy at age ten. His cardiovascular status is excellent," Bornstein added. Reacting to the report, Trump credited his health to good genes he
On last night's show , Jim Hanson , president of the Security Studies Group, joined me to discuss the Utah high school student who tried to blow up his school in the name of ISIS . Given the growing reluctance to call out radical Islam out of fear of being labeled "Islamophobic", we're fortunate this attack was thwarted before any lives were lost. WATCH my video to see how this is evidence of the continued threat of ISIS, despite facing total defeat in the Middle East . Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has seized a trove of U.S. military equipment and weaponry, according to newly released images from the intelligence website SITE . #ISIS 'Amaq posted photos of documents and gear of #American soldiers allegedly taken by ISIS fighters in #Nangarhar pic.twitter.com/UDat7qOFvX -- SITE Intel Group (@siteintelgroup) August 6, 2016 A rocket launcher, the ID card of a U.S. soldier, grenades and other weapons can be seen in the pictures. The American soldier whose identification was pictured, U.S. Army Specialist Ryan Jay Larson, was not captured by ISIS according to defense officials. "Obviously, SPC Larson is not captured - he is accounted for and with his unit despite having lost his ID card and possibly some of his equipment during recent operations," Brigadier General Charlie Cleveland said . "Beyond that, there is a lot of equipment in those pictures." Michael Busler The location near Pakistan is where 150 Army Rangers recently had a skirmish with ISIS affiliates.
In North Carolina last week, Governor Pat McCrory made national headlines for all the wrong reasons--signing into law the most anti-LGBT legislation in the country. The discriminatory law prevents "local governments from passing anti-discrimination rules to grant protections to gay and transgender people." Backlash has been swift. More than 80 of the country's most influential CEO's, including Apple's Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai, sent a letter to McCrory saying the law will hurt tourism, impede business and stifle economic growth. Their tourism industry has already been impacted. The High Point Market Authority announced that "hundreds and perhaps thousands" of customers are pulling out of its renowned High Point Market because of the anti-LGBT law, impacting the state's $5 billion furniture trade show. And the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority has "had prospective conventions withdraw interest in Charlotte as a host destination as a result of recent legislation." Here in New Hampshire, Governor Hassan called the law "reprehensible" and Democratic candidates for governor Colin Van Ostern and Mark Connolly were quick to condemn North Carolina's discriminatory law and called on the Republican candidates to do the same. But we're still waiting. More than a week later, not a single Republican candidate for governor has denounced the anti-LGBT law or said what he or she would do should a similar bill land on their desk. Executive Councilo
Federal NDP leadership candidate Niki Ashton has been forced to decline the endorsement of a Holocaust denier. The man in question is Nazih Khatatba, someone Ashton posed for pictures with at a fundraiser two weeks ago at the Mississauga Palestine Aid Society. Khatatba is also a Mississauga publisher who has called Jewish suffering a "fairytale" and has questioned the murder of millions of Jews by Nazis. After B'nai Brith uncovered the endorsement, Ashton was forced to issue a statement saying she in no way supports anti-Semitic views, and she will not accept support from people who hold them. But is that really true? Is Ashton being honest? Watch as I lay out evidence of Ashton playing footsie with the pro-Palestinian version of the neo-Nazi movement . All week long , the media and politicians on the right and the left have been worried about the anti-Semitism that lives in a small part of the very far-right fringe. And we should worry about it. It's disgusting. But the MSM and the left are pointing fingers as a distraction from the very real anti-Semitism that dwells everywhere on the mainstream Left.
In a case titled NIFLA, et al. v. Becerra, the Supreme Court is asked to opine on whether Beccera's injunction to stop enforcement of California's FACT Act should be granted. California's FACT Act requires pro-life clinics to inform their clients on how and where to get abortions. This government-forced message, Beccera claimed, is unquestionably contrary to their practices and beliefs and is therefore a violation of their freedom of speech. The Supreme Court rightly agreed with Beccera and granted the injunction and sends the case to the lower courts to finish its legal process. This is truly a victory for freedom of speech and also for the unborn's right to life; however, it may have some unintended consequences for pro-life supporters. Justice Clarence Thomas wrotes in the majority opinion: "Content-based regulations 'target speech based on its communicative content.' As a general matter, such laws 'are presumptively unconstitutional and may be justified only if the government proves that they are narrowly tailored to serve compelling state interests.'" Thomas remarks that California's licensed notice is a content-based regulation of speech. And since this particular notice is forced upon clinics like Beccera's, who are morally opposed to abortion, this particular notice only serves to "alte(r) the content of (their) speech." Justice Breyer, writing for the dissent, claims that the government has traditionally held the power to regulate speech through professional licensin
HIDALGO, Mexico -- The gunmen nabbed watermelon farmer Jesus Manuel Guerrero as he drove from his ranch to buy supplies and held him for five painful days in the trunk of a car. When family members finally paid a $120,000 ransom and they released him, he was urinating blood. He's just one of hundreds of victims of a wave of kidnapping that's swept this once peaceful farming town, about 130 miles south of Texas. But almost three years after his brutal abduction, Guerrero, who is now the mayor, says his town has become safer, the kidnappers scared to enter. This change is not due to the police, he says, but to a clandestine vigilante group known as the Pedro Mendez Column, named after a local general who fought the French in the 19th century. The column hands out leaflets declaring it operates night patrols to defend the community from the feared Zetas cartel, which is behind most of the kidnapping. The vigilantes have also claimed responsibility for several murders of alleged Zeta members, including two men shot dead in January. "The column only kills kidnappers and drug traffickers. They don't allow extortion or threaten honest people," Guerrero told GlobalPost, speaking in his town hall, which is decorated with paintings of Mexico's independence and revolutionary heroes. "It is much safer with them." This is the latest expression of a vigilante movement in Mexico that's expanding from the southern mountains to areas near the United States border like Hidalgo, in Tamaulipas s
The Ruger SR40 is a striker-fired handgun that offers a host of unique features, exceptional reliability, great ergonomics, and excellent accuracy. It is also modestly priced, with an MSRP of only $525. Recently, the SR40 and SR40c were introduced in the super-popular .40 Smith & Wesson cartridge. This makes a lot of sense, since many justifiably think any defensive caliber ought to begin with a "4." Both frame sizes have their place, depending on the intended use. The compact models shave about .64-inch off the barrel and 3.1 ounces off the weight of the standard models. This is not to say the standard models are big. They're not, but they are a bit larger than the compacts. All four versions have a coordinated set of synergetic features that produce a comfortable, efficient, and reliable shooting system. The Ruger SR40 is striker-fired and offers a host of unique features, exceptional reliability, great ergonomics, and excellent accuracy. (I might mention that it is also modestly priced, with an MSRP of only $525.) It features a glass-filled nylon grip frame. The pistol fits my hand like a glove, and--praise be--its angle is exactly the same as a 1911, important to those of us trained on the old .45. When I raise the SR40 to shooting position, the sights are pointed right at the target. The trigger has a trigger safety lever that prevents firing unless the trigger is completely pulled. An ambidextrous manual safety is also provided at the rear of the slide, which not only p
1. Open to United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland residents aged 18 or over only, except employees of the Promoter, News Corp UK & Ireland Limited, and their associated, affiliated or subsidiary companies, their families, agents or any other person(s) connected with the competition, including third party promotional partners. 2. Competition closes at 11.59pm on June 30, 2018 (the "Closing Date"). Entries received after the Closing Date will not be counted. 3. One entry per person. Bulk, automatically generated or third party entries are void. 4. To enter you must click the 'click to enter' link on the FIFTY SHADES FREED page before the Closing Date. 5. There will be 10 winners. 6. The winners will be selected at random from all valid entries for this competition received before the Closing Date. 7. Winners will be notified by email or phone or using the other contact details provided by the winner within fourteen days after the Closing Date. All reasonable endeavours will be made to contact the winner during the specified time. If a winner cannot be contacted or is not available, the Promoter reserves the right to re-draw another winner from the valid/correct entries that were received before the Closing Date. 8. The prize is a copy of FIFTY SHADES FREED on DVD. 10. The prize is non-transferable and there are no cash alternatives to the prize in whole or in part. 11. The promoter of this competition is News Group Newspapers Ltd (publishers of The Sun) (the "Promoter"). 12. Ge
1. US suspends funding to UNWRA The video below from Honest Reporting , asks, "Should America Stop Funding UNRWA?" 2. Iran's Deal With Bombardier Nears Conclusion Canadian planemaker Bombardier has submitted a draft contract for 10 brand-new CRJ-900 NextGen regional jets to Iran's Qeshm Free Area Organization for review and finalization, Reza Baqerinejad, the CEO and Chairman of Qeshm Investment and Development Company told the Financial Tribune on Monday, noting that the final contract will be officially unveiled within a month. "The planemaker has obtained the sales license from the US Treasury's Office for Foreign Assets Control and is ready to finance 80% of the order. The remaining 20% would be funded by Qeshm Free Area," he said without providing further details about the total value of the contract. The contract with Qeshm Free Area marks Bombardier's first foray into the Iranian market as no Iranian airline has ever operated planes manufactured by the Canadian company. Deliveries are expected to begin ten months after the deal is unveiled, Baqerinejad said. "Bombardier is expected to deliver two planes every three months." 3. Muslim husband found guilty of murdering convert wife and burning her body after he had banned her from seeing her family A Muslim man who killed his convert wife by bludgeoning her with a claw hammer and then stabbing her was today found guilty of her murder. Akshar Ali, 27, murdered 26-year-old Sinead Wooding with friend Yasmin Ahmed, 27, befor
Temple University's soon-to-be executive vice president and provost has some interesting views on the English language's racial bias. JoAnne Epps, the nominee, has served as Temple's law school dean since 2008. The decision to nominate Epps came Tuesday, after the recent firing of Hai-Lung Dai during a financial aid crisis. Dai was removed in June. Epps, an experienced trial lawyer and teacher, received the "Spirit of Excellence" award in February from the American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession. During Epps' acceptance speech , after she advocated for education reform, and after she explained that diversity is more than "not a white male," the provost-to-be listed several examples in Americans' speech of "implicit bias" against people of color: ...One of the reasons is the proliferation of suggestions that, as a person of color, I am equated with all that is wrong and bad in the world. Stay with me for a minute. Black Sheep, black mark, black cloud, here's one of my favorites; angel's food cake - devil's food cake. We've all seen the ads for Star Wars, the Force Awakens. What color is Luke Skywalker (hero) wearing? Darth Vader? Oh, I could go on and on and on and on. An internet search will confirm that none of the things Epps just listed have origins in racism or race. "Black mark" originates from putting an actual black mark next to a name of a criminal in a list, according to Allen's Dictionary of English Phrases . This re
If you were trying to expand acceptance for "LGBT rights" where would you launch a public relations blitz? Well, the Human Rights Campaign, which calls itself "the largest national LGBT organizer in the South," has decided the answer is Mississippi. Yes, deeply conservative Mississippi, where just 22 percent of the voters believe that so-called same-sex marriage should be legal. It's the focus of a $310,000 PR campaign called "All God's Children" and it's promoting tolerance for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered people, as well as their lifestyle decisions. The initiative includes television commercials, phone calls, door-to-door canvassing, and online advertising. It sounds a lot like the work that goes into an evangelistic campaign, as does the language being used: "We are all God's children," the campaign says. "It is only for God to judge, not us. We need to treat everyone with respect." The campaign in the Magnolia State is part of a larger, $8.5 million effort that includes the Bible-belt states of Arkansas and Alabama. HRC says that "a faith-driven, Christian values-focused message is the most effective way to boost support for LGBT equality in the South." So how should Christians respond? Well, as Christians, we should already be teaching and demonstrating the inherent dignity of all people, because we are all made in the image of God. This is a powerful message for two reasons. First, it's true . And second, the Human Rights Campaign is trumpeting one o
On last night's show , I reported on the charges levied against the Somali "refugee" behind the terrorist attack in Edmonton . Abdullahi Sharif has been charged with five counts of attempted murder, dangerous driving, and related offenses. But he hasn't been charged as a terrorist yet . I believe this is a political decision made by an NDP Alberta Justice Minister and Liberal federal Justice Minister, who want to pretend Sharif's ISIS-inspired rampage wasn't terrorism . Sharif was deported from the United States six years ago, so he moved to Canada while Jason Kenney was Minister of Immigration. Under Justin Trudeau, new "Sharifs" enter Canada every day . Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Coloradoans, apparently, like their guns. The great state of New New York (AKA: Colorado) is on track to break the previous record of total gun sales in the state... At least, that's according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. By year end, Colorado will have conducted tens of thousands more background checks for gun purchases than ever before in state history. Some of the up-tick in firearm purchases could be contributed to gun enthusiasts' desire to buy up firearms before legislators and a certain governor (ahem*Hickenlooper*ahem) choose to outlaw the practice. Advocates of recent gun control laws, however, are suggesting the increase in background checks are a result of "universal background checks'; and are therefore proof that the new laws are keeping Coloradoans safer. "Dozens of criminals would be walking around with a gun right now if not for the new law," said Rep. Rhonda Fields , a Colorado legislator with no apparent capacity to digest the meaning of the word "criminal". Because, ya know, dozens of criminals tried to purchase a firearm from drug dealers, gun runners, and fellow gang members - only to find out that they were unable to pass the required background check. "Oh well," they said to themselves when their fellow criminal reported the unfortunate denial from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. "I guess I'll just go back to being an unarmed, and passive, member of society." Field's comment almost takes the cake for the stupidest liberal utterance of
In their ongoing quest to expand their bloated mandate into uncharted territory, waste your money , and poorly replicate services already perfected in the private sector, the Government of Canada is creating a mobile weather app for Smartphones and other devices. This app was the brainchild of Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna, who told the CBC : We're really excited. It's clear Canadians care greatly about weather. They care about good weather. They care about bad weather ...So I just thought it was important to go where people are at. People are using apps. That's a great way to get updated information, targeted information for your community. The Weather Network and a gazillion other apps already take Environment Canada weather information and use it in their apps, so why make a new one, using the same data sets, ten years late to the weather app game? McKenna tipped her hand and told us exactly why Environment Canada is getting into the mobile apps biz in her comments to the CBC when she said the app will alert Canadians about severe weather events near their homes, and offer information about climate change. McKenna is using government resources to make an app that re-enforces Liberal climate change policy narratives. All those other apps just tell you the weather. They don't tell you how to feel about it, and those other apps won't scare you into supporting a Liberal carbon tax . Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Sh
Over the course of 2014 and the months leading into 2015, the issue of alleged police brutality from Ferguson to Baltimore has been a hot topic of news cycles, race baiters like Al Sharpton and advocacy groups. But despite what many in the media would have us believe, police are human beings too and they get up everyday to do a dangerous job not many thank them for. They too deserve justice when things go wrong and especially when they lose their lives. According to new statistics and data released today by the FBI, police shootings were up 89 percent in 2014 one officer was killed with his own gun. Preliminary statistics released today by the FBI show that 51 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2014. This is an increase of almost 89 percent when compared to the 27 officers killed in 2013. (Note: From 1980-2014, an average of 64 law enforcement officers have been feloniously killed per year. The 2013 total, 27, was the lowest during this 35-year period.) By region, 17 officers died as a result of criminal acts that occurred in the South, 14 officers in the West, eight officers in the Midwest, eight in the Northeast, and four in Puerto Rico. By circumstance, 11 officers died from injuries inflicted as a result of answering disturbance calls (one of which was a domestic disturbance). Ten officers were conducting traffic pursuits or stops, eight were killed as a result of ambushes (six due to entrapment/premeditated situations and two during
About 4.1 percent of American adults -- or more than 10 million people -- identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender in 2016, a new Gallup poll reveals. The poll notes the current figures show a 1.75 million increase when compared to 2012 poll results. Here is how the poll breaks down: 7.3 percent of Millennials (those born between 1980-1998) identify as LGBT, compared to 5.8 percent in 2012. 3.2 percent of General X (those born between 1965-1979) call themselves LGBT - the same percentage as those surveyed in 2012. 2.4 percent of Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964) identify as LGBT, compared to 2.7 percent in 2012. 1.4 percent of Traditionalists (born between 1913-1945) calls themselves LGBT, compared to 1.8 percent in 2012. 3.7 percent of males identify with LGBT, compared to 3.4 percent in 2012. 4.4 percent of women identify with LGBT, compared to 3.5 percent in 2012. "Millennials are more than twice as likely as any other generation to identify as LGBT," Gallup says. "In 2012, they accounted for 43 percent of LGBT-identified adults. As a result of their disproportionate increases in identification since then, they now account for 58 percent. Millennials comprise 32 percent of the general adult population"
Following her debut appearance on The View , in which she outed herself as pro-choice, Tomi Lahren's program has been suspended from The Blaze for a week. While I'm usually #TeamTomi, I'm not buying that she thought this one through. I dissect her dimwitted arguments in support of abortion and tell you why -- according to science, the US Constitution and libertarian political philosophy -- it's time for Tomi to rethink her stance and not give in to the temporary flattery from her natural enemies on the Left. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
1. Populist talkshows fuel rise of far right, German TV bosses told Political shows' negative focus on Islam erodes social cohesion, says cultural council The head of Germany's most powerful cultural body has called for the plug to be pulled on the nation's multitude of political talkshows for a year, arguing that their populist agenda has helped fuel the rise of the far right. Olaf Zimmermann, who heads the German cultural council, an umbrella group for organisations from art galleries to television companies, said public broadcasters needed to step back and rethink a format that has helped cement gloom-ridden public attitudes towards refugees and Islam, and propelled the AfD into parliament at last September's election. "I'd suggest for them, take a break for a year ... though the length of the intermission isn't the decisive factor. What is crucial is that they return with new talkshow concepts and try to come up with more suitable contents with regards to social cohesion in our society," Zimmermann said, arguing that the public broadcasters ARD and ZDF were obsessed with refugee-related issues, often framing them negatively. 2. Child sex gang JAILED for 89 years: Eight "predatory" men abused girls as young as 13 The gang , aged 36 to 48, were branded "predatory and cynical" by a judge as the court heard the men plied the girls with drink and drugs at parties in Oxford. Judge Peter Ross said the case uncovered "systematic and widespread grooming". The sex attacks took plac
Parents concerned about the Peel Board's accommodation of Muslim religious practices in public schools, continued their efforts to be heard by attending a meeting on Wednesday night adamantly expressing their objections. Watch what happened when several parents refused to be silenced and police and security were called upon to "help" these people with an "orderly exit". You will also see what happens when yours truly attempts to re-enter the meeting as a member of the press . For some reason, they didn't want me in there but these parents aren't fooled. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Iceland is a good example of the fallibility of the rating agencies. During Iceland's financial crisis, no one - and least of all the rating agencies - seemed to wonder why three banks from a tiny island with no history of banking could out-earn foreign banks despite borrowing at a relatively high cost. The coalition is still failing to get banks lending to businesses, new figures from the British Bankers' Association (BBA) reveal, despite the introduction of the government's Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS), which gives cheap funding to banks on the basis that they lend money to households and businesses.
On Tuesday, March 25, the United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two landmark cases that have everything to do with the kind of country we will leave our children and grandchildren. In both Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp v. Seblieus, the Supreme Court will look at whether businesses are entitled to the fundamental right of religious liberty. Four years ago, President Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act. It's doubtful any other piece of legislation has done as much harm to our Constitution as much as Obamacare has. Under one controversial provision, businesses are required to offer health insurance plans that violate their religious beliefs. The families that own Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Woods, however, have a First Amendment right to be able to live according to their deeply-held religious beliefs. On Tuesday, Tea Party Patriots will be standing with them, arguing the same thing. We will stand for the First Amendment right of freedom of religion, and protest on the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., beginning 9:00 a.m., until 2:00 p.m. At the conclusion of oral arguments, Tea Party Patriots Co-Founder Jenny Beth Martin will hold a press conference, along with other supporters of the First Amendment. We invite you to come and stand with us as we remind all Americans that no part of the First Amendment should be sacrificed or taken for granted. We will be holding signs that support the importance of religiou
In light of a jury finding George Zimmerman not guilty of murder or manslaughter over the weekend, the folks over at MSNBC are becoming even more unhinged than usual. Monday during a panel on NOW with Alex Wagner, MSNBC contributor, fill-in host and Georgetown Professor Michael Eric Dyson suggested America won't understand racism until more white children are killed. Via Twitchy : So now we get more approximate to the truth of what race is in this country. As for Eric Holder, look: the reality is you gotta act now. The president, you won the second term. You're in office. You are ensconced. Do something courageous, bold, and helpful. Not only to African American people but to America. Because unless we do this, white Americans and others will feel that this was a justifiable verdict, this is how things happen. Not until, and unless, the number of white kids die that approximate the numbers of black and other kids who die, will America see. It's beyond logic. It's about rationality. It's about let's get something done. I think the attorney general will look at this and I think it's time for him to act." There's just one huge problem with this whole thing outside of how offensive it is: the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin case had zero to do with race according to the jury that acquitted him. Not to mention, Zimmerman is Hispanic who helped mentor and care for black children inside his home. The George Zimmerman trial was not about race and the Florida neighborhood watch volunt
Seldom can any electorate have been offered a less attractive electoral choice than Sepp Blatter versus Mohammed Bin Hammam for the FIFA Presidency, writes Sunder Katwala. Barcelona v Real Madrid tonight has been overshadowed by accusations of racism, with Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets accused of calling Real left back Marcelo a "mono" - monkey. There's a long way to go in improving the accountability of professional sport in England, but the success of the Green Bay Packers shows there is a better way.
Last week, Speaker Paul Ryan insightfully noted how the leverage Republicans once held over the DACA issue was obliterated by recent court decisions that delayed President Trump's order to invalidate the prior Obama edict providing amnesty for younger illegal aliens. This week, the Supreme Court finally rendered a decision validating the president's travel ban, yet this conservative court has been far too reluctant to get involved to settle the illegal alien controversy once and for all. Take the sanctuary city controversy. Not since George Wallace stood in front of a school to halt desegregation has there been such a flagrant, abrasive violation of federal law by local authorities. What's worse, radical leftists are threatening to arrest local officials who simply seek to assist federal officials in ridding our streets of violent criminal illegal aliens. What would happen if the Trump administration ordered federal agents to arrest state or local officials who thumb their noses at federal immigration laws, as Governor Wallace did to our civil rights laws? By all accounts, these officials should be told to stand down or face arrest. But there's a reason the administration is trepidatious. The liberal media will side with the sanctuary crowd because of their hatred of the president and their predilection to support liberal causes such as open borders, and to illogically equate the plight of foreigners, who voluntarily entered our country without permission, to young Black Amer
The Toronto Sun , one of the few publications asking tough questions about the Danforth shooting, recently ran a guest-column entitled, "The extremist group that cried wolf", written by someone from the "Muslim Writers of Canada." The author completely rejects the idea that gunman Faisal Hussain had any links to terrorism, scolds anyone who raises the issue and applauds the mainstream media who quickly dismissed the Islamic State's claim of responsibility for the attack. But the jury's still out on whether or not ISIS had any involvement, and who decided that mental illness and terrorism must be mutually exclusive? And why is that merely speculating that a Muslim gunman might have had links to Islamic terror organizations, makes somebody guilty of Islamophobia? It seems we're expected to ignore the volume of world-wide terrorism committed in the name of Allah lest we be called racist . Yet, Islam isn't a race and ISIS will take anyone who's willing to strap on a suicide bomb and carry out some carnage. In the final analysis, even the writer knows that the little shepherd boy in that fable was indeed right on at least one occasion. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
BY STEVE LAMAR | DECEMBER 17, 2014 The holidays, a time to get back to our roots With the holidays upon us many of us are working through a pledge to ourselves that this is the year we are not going to get caught up in the real and imagined obligations and expectations that confound and dampen the 'Holiday Spirit'. For most of us just getting through the work week; dealing with all the 'personal stuff' to get out the door in the morning - getting the kids off to school, back home, fed, home-worked, and to bed, responding to this weeks disaster that has us cringing as we call the plumber, or the roofer, or the vet - is a miracle befitting the season. Then just about this time in December we again find ourselves in a tight jawed race to get the presents bought, the cards to the post office, the house decorated and make the right appearances at the right parties. Throw in dealing with relatives eager to escape snow drifts and reconnect for a week or two and Christmas starts feeling like just more work. There are many of us who long for the days when the kids, home repair, a not so nice boss and fighting the urge to choke the chatty person in line at the post office were the challenges life had in store for us. But the truth is most of us need only look around to realize we have much to be thankful for. If it isn't clear at first glance, we should look a little harder. We who are blessed to live in the great Sonoran foothills and exercise our rights as citizens of this great co
Numerous reports have emerged in recent days claiming that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a U.S. airstrike. However, the Pentagon cannot confirm Mideast reports that he was killed or severely wounded in an airstrike on Sunday in Syria, a U.S. defense spokesman said Wednesday . "We don't have any confirmation of that," Army Col. Chris Garver said. "We didn't strike in Raqqa that day. We can't confirm one way or the other" but "if we get an opportunity to get him, we will take it." However, some reports claim that ISIS may be covering up the death of Baghdadi in an effort to maintain morale. Baghdadi, born to a lower-class Sunni family in 1971 in Samarra, Iraq, claims to be a descendant of Muhammad. He carries himself notably different than Osama bin Laden, who would often appear in videos waging war against the Western world. His only appearance came during an Islamic propaganda video last summer, when he led a sermon in a mosque in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. A bounty of $10 million has reportedly been set on his head.
Lately the news media has enthusiastically quoted some of the more idiotic politicians about the need for banning "high-capacity bullet clips" and "automatic assault weapons." Movies likewise continually give poor representations of firearms use and knowledge. First off, they're not bullets. Nor are bullets held in clips. Firearms ammunition consists of cartridges of which bullets are merely one component. They are the projectile that leaves the firearm and proceeds to where ever it was pointed. That's all. Clips for holding ammunition do exist. They are specifically called "stripper clips" or "charger clips." Such clips are not attached to the firearm. They are inserted into slots in the firearm's receiver, the ammunition then pressed into the firearms' magazine and the clip is then pushed out of the way. There is a different type of ammunition feeding device often mistakenly referred to as "clips." They are actually en-bloc loaders with the most commonly known type being the 8-round capacity ones needed for feeding M1 Garand rifles. An en-bloc loader stays with the ammunition (Not bullets!) when it is inserted into the firearm. With M1 rifles the en-bloc loader is ejected from the firearm after the last round is expended. Alternately, in the case of some elderly bolt-action rifle designs such as Italian Model 1891 Carcanos, Austrian or Hungarian Model 1895s, the en-bloc loader falls out the bottom of the magazine when the last round is chambered. Magazines are from where am
Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the University and College Union, on a new report showing "Two Britains", with the gap between the haves and have nots widening. We desperately need funds now to deal with the East Africa famine, but also long term fund commitments from developed countries, write Christian Aid. Ministers are trying to claim that the eurozone is to blame for fragile growth. But it is falling consumption and poor investment that is the problem. James Murdoch faces a maximum sentence of being "committed to prison during the life of the Parliament" if he is found to have misled the media select committee. Lisa Nandy, Labour MP for Wigan, and chair of the cross-party group on international corporate responsibility, on why the political system needs to change. James Dixon of the League Against Cruel Sports writes about how environment secretary Caroline Spelman's claims her badger cull is "science-led" are complete nonsense. An eye-opening report by the Information Commissioner today reveals the shocking scale of 'blagging' and other breaches of privacy, going well beyond hackgate. Those hoping the eurozone's sovereign debt crisis would finally be resolved today will be disappointed, reports Left Foot Forward's Ben Fox from Brussels.
Reports today that the national high street vacancy rate might stabilise at around 10% in the long term are further evidence of the need for a new planning system. Rich people will end up paying back less than the middle classes for tuition fees because they will clear their debts quicker and avoid bigger interest payments. Chris Huhne will denounce the "Tea Party tendency" within the Conservatives in his speech to the Liberal Democrat conference this lunchtime - but who does he mean? Lord Mandelson will deliver a passionate defence of the euro in a speech in Singapore today, insisting it is in everyone's interest it is saved. Martin McGuinness has been confirmed as Sinn Fein's candidate in next month's Irish Presidential elections, and has been busy rebranding himself as a statesman. The "Occupy Wall Street" protests that have hit the heart of New York's financial district could be coming to the City of London.
Lord Robert Skidelsky says Osborne is "interviewed a lot, but people haven't really nailed him." Left Foot Forward sets out a questions for interviewers. In this week's New Statesman , Keynes biographer and crossbench peer, Lord Robert Skidelsky says: "Someone like George Osborne gets away with leaving out assumptions behind his arguments because he's not confronted with them. He's interviewed a lot, but people haven't really nailed him. There hasn't been enough debate about the stimulus and national debt." To help this process, Left Foot Forward presents a series of questions that interviewers should ask George Osborne on his party's economic policy: 1) Why did you oppose the nationalisation of Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley? In February 2008 during passage of the Banking (Special Provision) Bill, which gave the Government the powers to take Northern Rock into public ownership, George Osborne said, " I am not in favour of nationalisation, full stop " and voted against the second and third reading of the bill. He told the Today programme that the plan was " completely unacceptable ." He reiterated this position when Bradford and Bingley was being nationalised when he told Sky News in September 2008: "But in the end what nationalisation means, nationalisation of the mortgages means, is that we are bailing out the very large institutions who took a bet, who lent money to B&B when times were good and made money out of it, and now that times have turned hard and the bets ha
1. Geert Wilders reacts to Dutch government welcoming back two ISIS fighters 2. Violence erupts in Nantes after police kill young man in traffic stop 3. Germany Deports Largest Group Yet Of Failed Afghan Asylum Seekers Germany has deported 69 Afghan nationals , whose asylum requests were rejected, back to their home country, German and Afghan officials say. A plane carrying the men from Munich to Kabul, arrived in the Afghan capital early on July 4, Afghan migration officials said. It was the largest collective deportation since the start of the direct deportation flights from Germany in December 2016. Germany has vowed to step up the removal of foreigners whose asylum requests have been rejected. Joachim Herrmann, the state minister of Bavaria, where 51 of the deported men had been living, said that unlimited deportations to Afghanistan had recently been approved by Germany's federal government. 4. Syrian Government Appeals for Refugees to Return, Help Rebuild Country BEIRUT (AP) -- The Syrian government on Tuesday called on refugees to return, saying it has successfully cleared large areas of "terrorists." The rare appeal reflects the government's growing confidence after more than seven years of war. While officials usually appeal to Syrians abroad to return during television appearances and interviews, this is the first formal appeal broadcast on official media. Syrian government forces, with crucial support from Russia and Iran, recently retook large areas near the capit
In another analysis of President Obama's lackluster address to the nation last night, NBC News' Richard Engel, like The Daily Beast's Michael Weiss, essentially threw cold water on the president's four-point plan to defeat ISIS on MSNBC's Morning Joe today. "He's already talked about staying a course that we've already been on, and it hasn't been working, " Engel said. He did credit the president for the first point of his strategy-going after the plotters of terrorism-which has been in the form of raids by special operations forces and drone strikes. Yet, it pretty much goes downhill from there. Engel added that maintaining the training and equipping program for rebel forces in Syria "has been incredibly fraught with problems," and one of the ways in which ISIS was able to obtain arms. The $500 million program has pretty much been viewed as an unmitigated failure, with Hot Air's Ed Morrissey calling it the "Solyndra" of Obama's foreign policy . As for sealing the border between Turkey and Syria, Engel added, "Turkey has been a major base for ISIS; that border isn't sealed." Then, there's this pie-in-the-sky notion of a ceasefire in Syria, which could bring Russia onboard. Engel said, "That would be amazingly good," which drew chuckles from the panel on Morning Joe. "I think that's pretty far off," he added.
Many LGBT people who run in leftie circles were pleased with last month's ejection of women carrying Star of David pride flags from Chicago's Dyke March. Seeing the "intersectionality" between lesbian equality and Palestinian rights, they didn't want any hint of support for Israel at their event, even if only vaguely via symbols carried by Jewish women. Though that clash appeared spontaneous, the coordinators of a "Slut Walk" in Chicago next month have Tweeted their intention to follow suit: "We still stand behind Dyke March Chicago's decision to remove the Zionist contingent from their event, & we won't allow Zionist displays at ours." These radical lesbian and feminist organizers insist that in a free country they have the right to control their message - and they're correct. Constitutional jurisprudence on this the freedom of association and assembly is clear: any organization has the right to exclude groups and even whole classes of people from its membership and its events if it feels welcoming them would dilute its message. The irony, though, is that the Dyke March would not have the freedom to expel people it considers Zionists without two important Supreme Court cases from twenty years ago in which - get this - the people suing for the right to participate were gay themselves. In 1995, the Supreme Court unanimously decided in Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, & Bisexual Group of Boston that St. Patrick's Day officials had the right to exclude gay and lesbian cont
Having spent the past two years as a justice on the Arizona Supreme Court after 33 as a litigator, I've gained unexpected insights into judicial decision-making. Most cases involve judges rolling up their sleeves and combining their talent and expertise to reach the right outcome. But cases involving constitutional or statutory issues demand something more: a philosophy of legal interpretation. And what that philosophy is matters a great deal. All judges have a philosophy of legal interpretation, even if they don't think much about it. For many, particularly at the trial court level, it is often a matter of simply trying to get it right; that is, reading the law and higher court precedents and trying to make sense of them. Others place a high priority on their notions of fairness, justice, or efficiency. Even going along to get along is a type of judicial philosophy, though not exactly what most of us might expect from our judges. For those who are the ultimate judicial decision-makers--U.S. and state supreme court justices, and lower state and federal appellate court judges in cases that proceed no further--the dominant philosophy of legal interpretation has important ramifications for preserving the rule of law and our constitutional freedoms. That is why judicial nominations are so important--and often so contentious. The judiciary's method of interpreting the Constitution and statutes will play a large role in determining the relationship between individuals and their gov
Bruce Berke: A minimum wage hike would hurt NH's young people December 09. 2013 7:03PM This week the U.S. Senate may vote to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $9.15 next year (26 percent), $10.10 the following year (37 percent) and then every year there after based on inflation. The sharp initial increase and the automatic annual hikes would put upward pressure on wages all the way up the scale. The issue has strong emotional appeal to politicians and advocates who worry about the so-called working poor who are struggling to raise their kids on minimum wage. There are two problems with their argument: the truth and basic economics. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, only three percent of hourly workers over the age of 25 earn the minimum wage. In New Hampshire, only 1.4 percent of all hourly workers, about 5,000 people, make $7.25 per hour. According to the same data, only 1.6 percent of never-married adults (25 and over) and less than one percent of married adults earns the minimum wage. Based on the facts, it isn't possible for more than a handful of minimum wage workers to be full-time working adults raising kids. What the advocates say about all of those desperate parents just isn't true. Who is making minimum wage? Exactly whom you'd expect. They're typically teenagers and young adults working part time. A relative few are married adults who are not the primary bread-winners. In New Hampshire, many work in the tourism and hospitality
Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster and Vice Mayor Robert Garcia raised a gay pride flag at the Long Beach City Hall Plaza yesterday morning to show support for same-sex marriage as the U.S. Supreme Court hears marriage equality cases on Tuesday and Wednesday. A vigil also took place at City Hall for supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage to voice their opinions on Proposition 8, Garcia said. Prop. 8 - which was passed in 2008 - would establish in California that only marriage between a man and a woman can be considered valid. According to ballotpedia.org, 52 percent of Californians voted "yes" on Prop. 8 in the November 2008 election. After numerous protests and appeals made by gay marriage supporters, however, a federal judge ruled Prop. 8 as unconstitutional in 2010, according to the Southern California Public Radio ( KPCC ) website. The proposition then made its way to the Supreme Court in December after the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling against Prop. 8, according to the KPCC website. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments against Prop. 8. On Wednesday, the court will hear arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act ( DOMA ), which would establish that same-sex marriages in one state need not be recognized by all other states, according to the bill's text. DOMA was found unconstitutional by a federal appeals court last year. "We raised the flag over Long Beach City Hall for the first time to show support and solidarity for equality in marriage,"
On last night's episode , Brad Trost , Conservative MP for Saskatoon-University, joined me to discuss the impact of Canada's growing migrant crisis. When Donald Trump first announced his travel ban, Trudeau tweeted: To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength # WelcomeToCanada Ever since that tweet, Canada has experienced a surge in migrants sneaking into Canada illegal from the United States. These illegal migrants are threatening the sustainability of Canada's socialized healthcare system , and are flooding shelter's in Toronto. John Tory now has to seek assistance from the federal and provincial governments to deal with the migrants who now make up 37.6% of Toronto shelter claimants. Rather than address the crisis they caused, Trudeau's Liberals are using this to smear Conservative MPs raising the issue as "racists" and "bigots". We also discussed the performance of Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer, Brad thinks that because Trudeau is doing "so many dumb stupid things" that Scheer is having trouble deciding which issue to focus on. WATCH our full interview to see why LEGAL immigrants are among the strongest opponents to ILLEGAL immigration, and what Brad has in mind for his political future. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
President Donald Trump issued a warning to California after Democratic lawmakers in the state advanced legislation earlier this month to make it the first sanctuary state in the nation. In an interview with Fox News' Bill O'Reilly that aired Sunday, Trump threatened to withhold federal funds from "out of control" California if it makes good on its promise. "If we have to, we'll defund," Trump said. "We give tremendous amounts of money to California, California in many ways is out of control, as you know." If the state becomes a sanctuary state, state and local law enforcement would be restricted from helping the feds with immigration enforcement. "I think it's ridiculous. Sanctuary cities, as you know, I'm very much opposed to sanctuary cities. They breed crime, there's a lot of problems," Trump said. Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Francisco are sanctuary cities and have said they will will challenge in court any attempt by Trump to withhold federal funds from them. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he doubted the 10th amendment to the Constitution, which reserves power to the states, would allow Trump to defund. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg has said he would "join, if not lead, any effort to fight (the sanctuary city threat) with litigation." Trump said he didn't want to have to take that route, but he may be forced to. "I don't want to defund anybody. I want to give them the money they need to properly operate as a city or a state," Trump said. "If they're going
Based on final figures for January through October 2017, and preliminary estimates for November through December 2017, the city of Philadelphia is set to fall nearly 15% short of its $92.4 million revenue target for the first full year of its controversial soda tax. Overall, Philadelphia is set to collect $78.8 million from its 1.5 cents-per-ounce tax imposed on all pre-mixed naturally and artificially-sweetened beverages, including regular and diet drinks, distributed for retail sale within the city during 2017, which will fall $13.6 million short of the city's planned $92.4 million of revenue from the new tax. That kind of a miss will have an impact on how much money is available to support the spending that Philadelphia city officials had planned for the proceeds of its soda tax. The following chart shows how the city had planned to spend the money it expected from its tax on sweetened drinks from Fiscal 2017 through 2021. Instead, if the city's projected beverage tax revenue of $78.8 million represents the amount of money that it will be capable of collecting from the tax, the city can expect to only have $349.3 million to spend from 2017 through 2021, falling $60.3 million short of the $409.6 million that city officials planned they would be able to spend. Philadelphia's city leaders will now have to make some choices. They can divert the revenue from other city taxes to make up the soda tax revenue shortfall so that they can still spend the same amount on the things the
On Valentine's Day, a Chicago-area music teacher received flowers. When first grade students asked who sent them, he identified the sender as his husband. Some parents complained about their young children learning about same-sex marriage, but the teacher himself claimed discrimination from the school because administrators reportedly told him to "stick to the curriculum." "Ewww," students reportedly said when Nathan Etter, a first-year music teacher at Prairie View Grade School near Elgin, Ill., said the bouquet came from his husband. The 30-year-old Etter decided to used the interaction as a "teachable moment," encouraging respect and tolerance and telling the young children that some families have "two moms" or "two dads." At least one parent contacted the school district with "serious concerns" about the teacher's comment, prompting the principal to sit down with the teacher, the Chicago Tribune reported . After this meeting, Etter and the teachers' union complained to the school board. They claimed that "school leaders treated Mr. Etter in a discriminatory manner." While there is no evidence such discrimination actually took place (and a statement from Central Unit School District 301 vehemently denied it), Etter arranged a protest for LGBT inclusion. They used this effective mob to defend their claims of discrimination. A "rally for equality" took place last Monday, supported by the statewide Illinois Education Association. Etter reported receiving letters of support
Well, we're about to enter week three of "destroy the Second Amendment, and as usual it's exhausting. It's tiring to see the liberal media show clips of an AR-15 rifle's firepower; only to actually see that the firearm featured is a shotgun. It's exhausting to hear the endless Moms Demand talking points, the pervasive failure to grasp basic firearms facts and terms by the media, and the outrage mobs forcing companies to cut ties with the National Rifle Association. Yet, this is all as expected. The Left will push for gun control and they'll fail. They can have all the marches they want. They'll fail. And I will bet a) Marco Rubio will be re-elected in 2022; and b) any candidate who gets challenged over NRA ties will survive. The country is not liberal. Yes, heavily Democratic Broward County gave NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) a tongue-lashing during CNN's town hall event on February 21; that's not representative of the country. Oh, and the polls--well, if the media can't get the terms right, be suspect about how these questions for gun control measures are framed. I guarantee if people knew semiautomatic meant pretty much every firearm in the country--support would sink faster than the Lusitania. Yet, for now, there's a force field that's protecting the anti-gun push--and that's because the face of the movement are the survivors of the Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School shooting on February 14. Shooter Nikolas Cruz killed 17 that day. It was avoi
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the go-ahead Monday to begin enforcing part of the president's executive order restricting travel from six predominately Muslim countries. The court also agreed to take up the Trump administration's appeal of lower court rulings that have prevented the government from carrying out the president's policy, which the White House said was necessary to help prevent terrorists from entering the country. It was an important legal victory for the White House after a string of defeats over the issue. The Supreme Court's actions mean much the travel ban can be enforced for the next several months, at least until the justices hear the case when their new term begins in the fall. Monday's ruling said the ban cannot be applied to visa applicants who have a close relationship to a family member in the U.S. or who want to come here to study or accept a job offer. But the ban can now be enforced against all other visa applicants in the six affected countries. The court's unsigned order was unanimous on granting the administration's appeal. The only noted dissent came from Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch, who said they would have allowed the travel ban to be enforced in full. The executive order calls for a 90-day ban on issuing visas to citizens of Iran, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen who want to come to the U.S. But unlike the first executive order, this one does not apply to anyone who ha
The news media is really going hard on this latest gun control push after the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. I mean we've reached new levels on insanity when it comes to peddling the talking points. We all know liberals want to ban AR-15s and other so-called assault weapons, which is lefty speak for this gun scares me and I'm too close-minded, scared, or stupid to try shooting one for myself. We all know this is going to expand to banning high capacity magazines, expanding background checks, which will have a database component; it's not effective without one regarding private sales, which by the way--are mostly relegated to family members. It's a confiscatory ethos that liberals have with gun politics, which is why we cannot give up an inch. Give them an inch; they'll take several thousand miles. Period. Now, the news media crew has an endless stream of students spouting misinformation about gun laws and straight up peddling pure nonsense on this subject. It keeps the narrative alive. Then, we have MSNBC, which trotted out a would-be school shooter, Aaron Stark, who questioned the need for an AR-15 rifle. The Free Beacon clipped the exchange . Katy Tur interviewed him: Aaron Stark wrote an open letter this week and read his story aloud in a video, where he said he desired to kill a lot of people and then himself in a mass shooting at his Colorado high school in 1996. Describing himself as bullied, Stark said he became suicida
The Courts are at it again. And with Republicans planning to confirm another Obama judge as their first vote of the week, it's time for conservatives to pay attention to the judiciary. If you thought the last term at the Supreme Court was just an anomaly, think again. The court system is irremediably broken, and that includes the majority of lower courts as well as the majority of judges on the Supreme Court. Over the past few weeks, we've been observing a pattern of cases in which the high court refuses to overturn lower court decisions that struck down state laws that were clearly constitutional, all the while refusing to reverse lower court decisions that upheld lawlessness. For example, while the courts had no problem overturning state marriage laws, they have upheld state gun laws that are clearly unconstitutional . The Supreme Court has refused to take up any of these appeals, even though the lower courts are violating the McDonald decision. The court agreed to take Obama's appeal to possibly overturn the lower court decision placing an injunction on the DAPA amnesty. At the same time, the court denied the appeal from Sheriff Arpaio to reverse the lower court decision upholding the DACA amnesty. Last week, the court refused to grant cert to those representing power plants languishing from Obama's carbon rules that clearly violate congressional statutes. The general theme is that what is in the Constitution is regarded as unconstitutional and what's not in it i
A lot of weird things happen in Florida. We're here every Friday morning to give you the week's weirdest. This week: Coke in vaginas, terrible mugshot T-shirts and a neighborhood terrorized by wild pigs. Woman Caught Hiding Cocaine in Her Coochie KathyAnn Ferguson, a 26-year-old Broward resident, flew into the Fort Lauderdale Airport after a stay in Jamaica, but after being obtained by Customs and Border Protection authorities admitted that she was hiding a package of cocaine in her vagina. Ferguson voluntarily took the package out, and the contents did in fact test positive for cocaine. In a bond hearing a judge said that it seemed as if Ferguson was working as a "drug mule," but she did not own up to why the drugs were in her vagina in the first place. Wild Pigs Threaten Trick or Treaters Incidences of wild hogs showing up in neighborhoods in one area of Brevard County have become so prevalent that some people are worried they may interfere with Halloween festivities. Yards in 17 homes were uprooted in the past week, and eight hogs have been captured. According to WESH , some are worried that the hogs may be so treat-hungry that they may run afoul of Halloween revelers. Though, the county has a novel idea. They'll fight animal with animal and plan to release a pack of dogs beforehand to scare off the pigs. Man Arrested in "Go Directly to Jail" shirt A 20-year-old man in Lee County, Florida, was arrested wearing a "Go Directly to Jail" shirt this week for possession of less
After former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was fired for cause -- based on the recommendation of the Bureau's nonpartisan ethics office, which reviewed the findings of the DOJ's nonpartisan Inspector General -- a number of observers quickly began to question whether McCabe had dropped James Comey into hot water, too. Comey testified before Congress that he'd never engaged in unauthorized leaking and had also never approved such a leak. But on his way out the door, McCabe stated that the impropriety for which he was fired was green-lit by his boss at the time. So did Comey perjure himself? According to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and CNN's sources , McCabe didn't just mislead IG investigators. He also misled Comey: The internal FBI report that served as grounds for the firing of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe includes key testimony from his former boss that shows a discrepancy with McCabe's public statements, sources say https://t.co/zqlEbCf179 -- CNN (@CNN) March 31, 2018 Former FBI Director James Comey told internal investigators at the Justice Department that he could not recall McCabe telling him about having authorized FBI officials to talk to a reporter about an ongoing investigation, the sources said. Comey's comments to the Justice Department's inspector general's office, which were later included as part of the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility report on McCabe that prompted his firing earlier this month, put him at odds with the statements McCabe has
If you only listen to the liberal media, you're most likely under the impression that there are no problems with Muslim immigration in Europe. However, I'd argue that one of the biggest problems in Europe is immigration, especially from Africa and the Middle East. Over a million migrants recently entered Europe in a single year, and those numbers are growing. According to the European Union, four out of five migrants from the years 2014-15 were not Syrian refugees. But clearly, the vast majority of these people are Muslim. Most of these migrants -- 60 per cent -- are men; 25 per cent are children, and 17 per cent are women. Keep these figures in mind when we talk about the core domestic problems Europe has with immigration. Muslim migrants tend to commit more crime than naive European populations. Take France, as an example. Right now, 66 per cent of France's prison population is made up of foreign born Muslims. In addition, according to the French government, over 15,000 people (including 2,000 children and teens) are on an Islamic radical watch list. The centres that monitor terrorist activity costs French taxpayers over $40 million per year. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, a 2009 report commissioned by the Dutch government showed that 63 per cent of the 447 teenagers convicted of serious crimes were children of parents born outside the Netherlands. Native Dutch citizens committed 37 per cent of violent crime, while Muslim criminals accounted for 73 per cent . Keep in mind t
"liza rosie commented 12 hours ago "Freedom of religion is freedom of religion. If you have freedom of religion, that includes freedom to worship as a Muslim. No asterisks. " Andrew that is absurd, We are under no obligation to accept a parallel political system." The question isn't whether you like them or not or want them to be there, it's whether they have a right to be there. And, as it turns out, they do. Because we're a free country with a constitution that protects those freedoms of association and religion. It's inevitable that the demographics of Canada will change over time. They've never been particularly static. "Freedom of religion is freedom of religion. If you have freedom of religion, that includes freedom to worship as a Muslim. No asterisks. " Andrew that is absurd, We are under no obligation to accept a parallel political system. Its wrong and a threat to our laws and our peaceful sovereign country. There is nothing that will make me accept political Islam in my country. No law, no coercion, no threat and no sentence. Its wrong, and I will never stand with Islam as long as its purpose here is to take over and grow their caliphate whether by violence or 'peaceful' population jihad. I will fight against this demographic murder of Canada until the problem is fixed and balanced or eradicated. What the government and the Islamists are undertaking, is never going to be okay. I will never accept political Islam. I love apostates. " Common Sense commented 2 hours a
I have great news -- a victory that you made happen. Do you remember just before Christmas , when some fatcat Toronto bankster named Richard Nesbitt mocked unemployed Albertans? He was hosting a panel of economists in Toronto, and he said unemployment in Canada is going great, but another economist said, well, not in Alberta it's not, and this buffoon, this fat-cat bankster Richard Nesbitt, laughed and said, who cares -- it's just Alberta? Oh, and he said he wanted the video edited, to hide his boorish comment. Now Richard Nesbitt runs this banking think-tank called the Global Risk Institute. Well, we looked through their membership -- all fellow fat-cats, including Liberal governments giving him cash -- but there was this one western-based group that actually maybe cared about Albertans, a bank called Farm Credit Canada. (The chairman is a former Canadian Alliance MP, actually.) So you and I signed a petition to get Farm Credit Canada to quit their membership in Richard Nesbitt's club, and punish him in the only way that matters: Take away his membership fees. We got more than 6,000 people signing that petition in a week, right over the Christmas holidays. Then nothing seemed to happen. But WATCH as I give your some great news we only got through an Access to Information request. And it's all because thousands of Canadians like you signed our petition!
Jonny Mulligan of the Sound Off For Justice campaign looks at who will really pay the price of the government's new Justice Bill, debated before the Commons today. The Mirror this morning recount the different ways women are under attack from the coalition's economic policy, reports Left Foot Forward's Daniel Elton. Tory backbencher Philip Davies caused outrage today by telling Parliament that disabled people should work for less than the minimum wage, reports Shamik Das. The vast profits made by contractors and banks selling equity in Private Finance Initiative project companies was exposed this week, reports Dexter Whitfield. The price of international data roaming is too high and regulators and policy makers should step in to boost competition according to a new report by the OECD. Seldom can any electorate have been offered a less attractive electoral choice than Sepp Blatter versus Mohammed Bin Hammam for the FIFA Presidency, writes Sunder Katwala.
Step aside AP Poll, get out of the way Coaches Poll. All of you traditional, lame, college ranking systems need no longer apply. Why? Because now we have the ultimate, most woke college ranking system one could ever devise: the Athletic Equality Index. An LGBT group called Athlete Ally, an organization that dedicates itself to "fostering inclusive athletic communities," ranked all 65 schools in the NCAA's five power conferences. Though, they didn't look at strength of schedule, or records against common opponents. No, this ranking focused on how the various schools in those conferences compared when measured against each other for inclusiveness. According to Athlete Ally, the primary purpose of the ranking is to measure transparency and accountability. According to USA Today , "A weighted scale was used, with several categories focusing on nondiscriminatory policies or level of resources for student-athletes. A school that was deemed to have an anti-LGBT policy was deducted points, while a school that made a pro-LGBT campaign received bonus points. The results, by conference, showed the Pac-12 outpacing other power conferences with a score of 79.7. The ACC (72.0) was second, with Big Ten (65.7), Big 12 (56.8) and SEC (56.4) rounding out the five leagues. "Athlete Ally founder and executive director Hudson Taylor told USA TODAY Sports the NCAA was aware of the index but not directly involved in the process of examining schools' policies. He said now institutions can "no longe
1. Swedish Police Attacked By 100 Masked Migrant Youths Swedish police in the city of Trollhattan were attacked by up to a hundred masked migrant youths armed with sticks and bats during a riot in the Kronogarden suburb on Thursday. The masked migrant youths attacked the officers during the second night of rioting in the area. They also attacked the officer's vehicles, slashing the tyres of two police cars. Only one man was arrested in connection with the riots, Swedish paper Aftonbladet reports. The riot is said to have dramatically escalated after several youths attempted to set a tyre on fire in the street and a security guard intervened to put out the fire. The guard was then attacked by the youths who threw stones at him. 2. "Un-Australian and un-democratic": Cory Bernardi demands firing of army's imam Maverick federal senator Cory Bernardi has called on the Australian army to sack its Muslim imam, who has a history of supporting islamic extremist group hizb ut-Tahrir. Imam Mohamadu Nawaz Saleem, the chief Australian Defence Force imam, allegedly supports the controversial group in its calls to introduce worldwide Sharia Law and opposition to the war against ISIS. And now Mr Bernardi has slammed the ADF over his hirign, questioning how it can keep the imam employed in the role given his 'radical' views and support of Islamic State - an enemy Australian soldiers are currently fighting overseas. 3. Russian Foreign Minister speaks to the rumours of the death of Islamic Sta
The West Edmonton Mall sex assault trial starts today, and I'm in the courtroom bringing you the details you won't hear in the mainstream media . Soleiman Hajj Soleiman was one of Justin Trudeau's first wave of 50,000 Syrian refugees. He's a father of six, currently facing trial for 12 charges-- six counts of sexual assault and another six counts of sexual interference against six minor girls all under the age of 16. The charges stem from a series of gropings that occurred at West Edmonton Mall World Waterpark February 4th 2017. There's a publication ban covering the six minor victims but watch as I share what I can tell you so far from day one of this five-day trial. We heard from the first victim today, who was 14 at the time of the offences against her. In her video taped statement given the day after the incident, she looks every bit a 14 year old child. I can also tell you the prosecutor, the Zebra Child Protection Centre and the Edmonton City Police are doing everything they can to ease the trauma of testimony on the victims including bringing in a therapy dog to aid them as they testify. I'll be here for most of the rest of this 5-day trial bringing you updates every day. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
So the NRA is opposing a law that would deny those on the FBI's Terrorist Watchlist the ability to legally purchase firearms : "The NRA -- and their gun-loving Republican cohorts -- are refusing once more to stop terrorists intent on getting armed in the U.S.A. A legal loophole allows suspected terrorists on the government's no-fly list to legally buy guns, but a bill to fix that will likely wither on the vine. The federal Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act, even in the wake of last week's terrorist killing of 129 people in Paris, remains a long shot due to its rabid pro-gun opponents. 'Anything which they feel restricts the use or the ability to retain a gun they're opposed to,' bill co-sponsor Rep. Pete King (R-L.I.) told the Daily News. 'It's sort of a knee-jerk reaction,' he said Tuesday. 'The National Rifle Association is strongly opposed to it and the fact is we have only a handful of Republican co-sponsors.'" The NRA is, once again, being a giant dick. The Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act is, no doubt, a fine piece of law. Except, as laws go, it's basically just a bit of feel-good legislation that, in the end, isn't going to accomplish all that much. To be sure, I don't object to the act -- I'm simply not terribly concerned about the threat it alleges to address. Consider that, between 2004 and 2014, over 2000 people on the FBI's Terrorist Watchlist successfully purchased guns . Unless one of those guys was named Dy
Kathryn Moody : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? Manuel Schiffres Mutual Fund Rankings, 2014 Meghan Streit : Pitching In When Caregivers Need Help Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D.N., F.A.N.D : How to prevent a second (and first) heart attack thru diet The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington : Caprese is a light, fresh salad; the perfect quick and easy accompaniment to any summer meal Mark Steyn : You Want Nazis? Jonathan Tobin : Care about the Jewish state's future? Obama, in interview, reveals even more reasons to worry Alan M. Dershowitz : Confirmed: Needless death and destruction in Gaza Katie Nielsen : As a mother, I'm all I need to be Cameron Huddleston : 18 Retailers That Offer Price Adjustments Nellie S. Huang : The Best Health Mutual Funds to Buy Now Brierly Wright, M.S., R.D. : Try these 'secret-weapon' foods to boost your changes of losing weight The Kosher Gourmet by Jessica Yadegaran : Take some relish in pickled goodies (5 recipes!) Kimberly Lankford : 50 Ways to Cut Your Health Care Costs James K. Glassman : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? The Kosher Gourmet by Nick Malgieri : Chocolate molten delight with creme anglaise is a simple yet elegant make-ahead dessert This week, the Supreme Court ruled on the Masterpiece Cakeshop case. That case involved a religious Christian man, Jack Phillips, who decorates cakes for a living. Two men came into his shop one day and demanded that Phillips decorate a cake for their same-se
British universities are in trouble. Lord Browne today proposes a huge cut in the Hefce budget, while the govt. plans to cut funding for scientific research. Hidden in Mr Cameron's appeal to mobilise people in the national interest, is a further, pernicious attack on law that in fact protects all of us. The economic turmoil of the past 2 years is absent from the coalition government's ambitious prescription to reduce unemployment, explains ippr's Tess Lamming. A new study has shown that Alistair Darling's 'bankers' bonus tax' reduced the amount paid out in City bonuses, reports Left Foot Forward's Claire French. Britain should heed the lessons of the US when understanding what has gone wrong for the 'squeezed middle', argues Harvard research associate Sophia Parker.
The Prime Minister's crackdown on legal gun owners in Canada continues. Trudeau tweeted: "We are also introducing stronger and more rigorous background checks on gun sales. If you want to buy a gun by law you'll have to show a license at the point of purchase. Right now that's not a requirement." But this is the law now. Not only should Trudeau know this, but he does know this, based on statements he himself made to the Hill Times in 2011 when he said he was a gun owner. A registered gun owner would have taken and passed the Possession and Acquisition Licensing course where one learns about the requirements to hold and present the appropriate level of license to buy guns and ammo. How did Trudeau pass the course without knowing this? Or was he just concocting a huge story to seem like a normal, relatable person who in reality, never was a licensed gun owner at all? I've got a lot of questions that nobody in the mainstream media seems to be asking, and before Trudeau slaps more rules on law-abiding people, he needs to prove that he followed the law himself. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn So, Wendy Cukier, where did you come up with that statistic? If you know where the "over one million restricted or prohibited guns" are; why don't you go confiscate them? Law abiding citizens and merchants follow protocol. Guess what; criminals do not. Go after the criminals and leave the ones that are playing by the rules alone. This
Turkey's "Olive Branch" incursion against Kurdish positions in Northern Syria this week looked bad for Washington. It's worse than it looks: Turkey cemented a new set of strategic and economic relationships after defying the United States, its erstwhile main ally. Ankara now has financial backing from China and Qatar and the strategic acquiescence of Russia and Iran. Most of all, it has the financial backing to pursue its regional ambitions. Turkey reportedly killed several hundred Kurdish and allied Arab fighters this week, reducing an American-supported force that had done most of the fighting against ISIS in Syria. US-Turkish relations are at an all-time nadir, but Turkey's financial markets remain unruffled. Washington has hard words for Turkey, but no sticks and stones. Money is the decisive variable for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose domestic position depends on his ability to hand out economic benefits in the traditional style of third-world dictators. During 2016, Erdogan spurred Turkish banks to increase their lending to business and consumers, and set in motion a credit boom that inevitably led to a bigger trade deficit. Import booms driven by credit-fueled demand have been the undoing of Turkish markets in the past. This time is different. Turkish stocks have risen during the past month, right through the week of the "Olive Branch" offensive, and the cost of hedging the Turkish currency's exchange rate has remained relatively low. The US-traded Turki
The mass shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 people dead has sparked calls for walkouts, sit-ins and other actions on school campuses across the United States aimed at pushing lawmakers to pass tougher gun laws. Organizers behind the Women's March, an anti-Trump and female empowerment protest, called for a 17-minute walkout on March 14 to "protest Congress' inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods." The Network for Public Education, an advocacy organization for public schools, meanwhile, announced a "national day of action" on April 20, the anniversary of the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, in which two students opened fire on their classmates, killing 12 students and one teacher. The organization is encouraging teachers and students to organize sit-ins, walkouts, marches and any other events to protest gun violence in schools. "The politicians sit on their hands as our children and their teachers are murdered in their schools," Diane Ravitch, the group's president, and Carol Burris, its executive director, said in a post online. You Might Like The protest plans circulated widely on social media on Saturday, signaling that the outcry for new gun legislation may not fade away as it has after other recent mass shootings. Many of those shootings, including the deaths of 20 first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012,
There's a lot of interest percolating about the impressive California GOP congressional candidate , whose campaign ad -- which discusses her family surviving the Cambodian Genocide -- has been blocked by Facebook : This morning she appeared on Fox & Friends First to discuss Facebook's censoring House majority leader Kevin McCarthy is pressing a #StopTheBias effort via Twitter Victor Davis Hanson came out swinging on Powerline (had Heng "been a progressive, she would have received national attention as the 'new face' of the next generation of congressional office-seekers, and courted by talk shows and the media") And from his Golden EIB Microphone yesterday, Rush Limbaugh made a huge deal about Facebook's gagging this "brilliant Republican and conservative": As I say, she's obviously conservative. She is educated and reasonable. She's exceptionally bright, and she's a very attractive young woman. Everything about her is appealing. Her track record and resume are exactly what you would want in anybody that you are hiring. But she believes in the United States because it saved her family. The United States was the only nation in the world to deal with Cambodia during the Vietnam War and all that, Laos and the genocide of Pol Pot. The United States is a place she loves. She has a great and reverence appreciation for it, and everybody running for office on the left wants you to know how desperately wrong this country is and how disappointed in it they are and how so disliking of i
TEHRAN - Kuwait has told Iran to close down its cultural mission and to reduce its embassy staff, a decision state news agency KUNA said was made after "Iranian parties" were found implicated in a terror cell in 2015. Last year Kuwait convicted 23 men - one Iranian and the rest Kuwaiti - of spying for Iran and Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah after a cache of guns and explosives were discovered in a raid of the so-called "Abdali cell" in 2015, according to Reuters. Iranian state television said Kuwait's Foreign Ministry summoned Tehran's ambassador and ordered the number of diplomats to be cut from 19 to four and the closure of the cultural and military missions. KUNA, citing a foreign ministry source, said Kuwait had also decided to freeze any activities involving joint committees between the two countries. "The government of the state of Kuwait decided to take actions in accordance with diplomatic norms and in abidance with the Vienna conventions with regards to its relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran," acting Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Mubarak al-Sabah said in a separate statement. The row comes as Kuwait attempts to mediate an end to the Persian Gulf's worst diplomatic crisis in years, after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates cut ties with Qatar over accusations it supports "terrorism", an allegation Doha rejects as "baseless". Tehran has summoned the Kuwaiti charge d'affaires to explain the decision and protest agains
1. Uber driver "who ploughed into 11 people outside the Natural History Museum used a fake PASSPORT to get his private hire licence" An Uber driver was allegedly using false documents in order to work when he "ploughed into a group of people outside the Natural History museum", leaving 11 injured. Juma Ali Omar allegedly mounted the busy pavement at around 2.20pm in the London tourist hotspot, colliding with two cars and then striking pedestrians. The 47-year-old, who was working at the time of the collision, was charged with dangerous driving and having a fake passport, driving licence and private taxi hire licence. Eleven people suffered non-life threatening injuries in the collision, involving the Black Toyota Prius, in South Kensington, west London, on October 7 last year. Nigerian-born Omar was previously charged with dangerous driving, using a motor vehicle without third party insurance and driving without a licence. Related : Car "ploughs into pedestrians" outside London museum, 11 injured 2. IDF: This is how the terrorists use children as human shields 3. Government should look at bringing Rohingya refugees to Canada, minister says Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada needs to look into bringing Rohingya refugees here to reunify families. "We can just imagine if it were our brothers, sisters, uncles, who were in these dire straits, we would be desperate to bring them to join us in Canada," she told reporters on Saturday. "I think that is an issue we
Record set in March during push for new gun-control laws... Hand gun/photo by CapCase (CC) (Washington Free Beacon) Last month saw the most gun-related background checks run by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of any March on record, documents released by the agency on Tuesday show. With 2,767,699 checks conducted by the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) in March 2018, the month beats the previous record of 2,523,265 set in March 2016 by 244,434 checks. That represents a 9.68 percent increase. The March results put 2018 on pace to see more gun-related background checks than 2017, the second-best year on record , but still behind 2016, the best year on record . The number of checks run through NICS in a month is considered one of the strongest indicators for how well gun sales are doing because each sale made by a federally licensed dealer, such as a gun store, is subject to a check. The state, however, is not an exact representation of gun sales due to a number of factors. For instance, the vast majority of states don't require checks on the sale of used guns between private parties, some states use the checks in their process for issuing gun-carry permits, and sales of multiple guns during a single transaction by a dealer generally only requires a single background check... The spike in background checks comes as gun-control activists made their most publicized and successful push for new gun-control laws in years. In the wake of the shooting
Collectively, the changes to employment law amount to the biggest assault on workers' rights ever. They very significantly weaken worker bargaining power, and will increase job insecurity for millions. And like so many of the coalition government's policies they impact particularly on the most vulnerable. The graph below, produce by Canadian-based bank Scotiabank, shows the evolving nature of GDP forecasts as applied to the UK economy. As we can see, this is the third consecutive year where the consensus for growth has started out at around 2 per cent before gradually being pushed down towards zero as time has passed. When visiting a factory in Wallsend in 1985, Margaret Thatcher famously turned on a reporter who challenged her over her impact on the region (with unemployment standing at 20 per cent at that time). She replied that the correct response was to highlight success stories "not always standing there as moaning Minnies". The files released from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) may finally put faces to the offshore accounts scandal whose numbers are quite astounding. A recent report by the Tax Justice Network found that the equivalent to the total combined GDP of U.S. and Japan is being hidden away by those rich enough to use offshore accounts. It might seem unpopular to say it now but I once had hopes for Bitcoin. Anarchists and libertarians may predictably have been excited about the potential of a currency that was neither linked to
A Massachusetts liberal has announced a proposal to require new guns to be equipped with features that will limit who can fire them, but the American public isn't likely to buy it. Literally. Sen. Edward Markey , D-Mass., says a government mandate for "smart guns" that have fingerprint-reading capability so they can only be used by their owners or those authorized by the owners, would be a practical way of reducing violence through accidental shootings by children or when a gun is stolen. Photo: Smart Planet A Massachusetts senator has proposed requiring all newly sold guns to be equipped with "smart technology," such as sensors that can read the fingerprints of users to make sure only gun owners can fire them. "This is the type of gun safety legislation that everyone - regardless of political party or affiliation - should be able to support," Markey said in a statement, according to Fox News. Actually, it's the kind of gun safety legislation gun owners don't support at all. According to a November survey commissioned by the National Shooting Sports Foundation , an overwhelming majority of gun owners - 84 percent - don't think so-called "smart guns" would be reliable, and even most non-gun owners - 60 percent - think the technology would be unreliable. And as to actually purchasing a smart gun? Seventy-four percent of gun-owners surveyed said they would be unlikely to shell out money for one. That means the market for a gun with restrictive firing capability would be vanishin
Russian authorities are suggested to organizers of an LGBT pride parade in St. Petersburg, Russia that they hold this year's event in a landfill, representing just the latest in the country's ongoing effort to humiliate the community. Since 2010, the government has denied the group, Ravnopraviye (Equality), permission to host rallies in public areas and has instead suggested alternative out-of-the-way sites in far off villages. This year, City Hall designated what The St. Petersburg Times described as "a landfill on Vasilievsky Island near the Gulf of Finland covered with tall grass." The designated area is "a narrow path in the grass for the march and a two-meter-deep, 10-meter-wide square pit in the ground for the stationary rally." The group, however, is not deterred and says it plans to hold the event in an area where events can be held without a permit. "We are confident in our right to public assemblies stated in the constitution and we will insist on it by any means possible, including taking to the street in case of another groundless ban from the city authorities," the group said in a statement. LGBT groups sought to defy authorities and staging a gay pride parade in 2013, but the effort was met with swift arrests and violence from Russian nationalists. About 200 counter protesters held signs reading "Sodomy will not pass" and threw "eggs and rocks" at the activists. Police arrested dozens of people, but purportedly stood by while the anti-gay counter protesters stru
George Osborne may face a fight over the planned PS10 billion welfare cuts, with DWP ministers Chris Grayling and Iain Duncan Smith at odds with the chancellor. Will Horwitz reports that MPs' surgeries will see a dramatic surge in people seeking legal help after the legal aid cuts are introduced in April 2013. Left Foot Forward looks at the legal aid cuts, and the costs to services, people and the taxpayer of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. The fact that some families have PS2 per person per day for food is a stark reality for many - but this hardship is lost on the government, report Family Action.
And I thought my phone bill was ridiculous The TV series "Gunsmoke" featuring James Arness aired for 20 full seasons. The character Matt Dillon (portrayed by six foot six Arness) survived a total of 59 gunshot wounds during the 635 episodes. Do you have large rodents in your area? The nation of Brazil boasts (or complains) of rodents (capybaras) that weigh in excess of 170 pounds. Should it be later determined that two legged animals are eligible for consideration, unnamed members of congress might establish new maxima in all "biggest rodent" categories. Diamonds can naturally occur in quite a range of colors: steel gray, white (colorless), blue, yellow, orange, red, green, pink, purple, brown and black. The rarest of the colors is red and it is difficult for the untrained to distinguish a red diamond from a fine ruby. However, some experts maintain that the most expensive diamonds (per carat) are generally classified as "D," or totally without color. I purchased what I thought was a 5 carat diamond, but have become suspicious since a plastic soda straw scratched the stone. Denmark has used the same flag design since 1625. This Scandinavian banner is recognized as the world's oldest flag in continuous use. Some are aware that particular phone numbers can be purchased. When more than one party desires the same number, bidding wars can result. Case in point: an anonymous person recently purchased the cell # 666-6666 for $2,750,000. And I thought my phone bill was ridiculous. Ho
In our toxic age of political correctness, nothing is immune from liberal political attacks, even the beautiful, majestic and endangered tigers. It seems obvious that tigers should be supported since their numbers are dwindling the in the wild and their natural habitats are constantly shrinking. Most people probably think it is innocent for Louisiana State University (LSU) to feature tigers as their mascot and display a well maintained "Mike the Tiger" in an air conditioned, deluxe enclosure right outside the football stadium. This $3 million habitat is a mansion that tigers in the wild or any animal for that matter would love to call home. Unfortunately, all those assumptions are incorrect in an age of stifling political correctness. Today, it seems that the "Fighting Tigers" are racist symbols of oppression to African American students at LSU. In 1895, the nickname "Fighting Tigers" was adopted at LSU to honor the famed Louisiana infantry of the Civil War. These fighters were known as "Tigers" and were celebrated for being particularly courageous and battle-hardened warriors. The name was given to LSU by the original football coach of the school, Dr. Charles E. Coates. He wanted his football teams to display the same fight on the gridiron that the Civil War soldiers showed on the battlefield. Since that time, the nickname has honored both the beautiful big cats of the jungle and the Louisiana Confederate soldiers. Sadly, in our age of historical revisionism, when Confederat
David Cameron's speech to East London entrepreneurs about the government's long-term commitment to transform London's East End into "a world-leading technology city to rival Silicon Valley" is laudable in its intent. The prime minister said a number of companies including Vodafone, Google, Facebook, Intel and McKinsey & Co were interested in investing in the region over the longer term. If Ed Miliband were to set out a radical programme for climate change that urged the EU to join forces with China to create a joint carbon market establishing an international price for carbon around the globe it could be a game changer. More than that: it could be a game changer that market makers in the US suddenly find threatening. America can resist any opposition to its policies. What it cannot take is being sidelined. Whilst others are busy comparing competing views on the coalition's environmental record after Chris Huhne's speech on the Green Deal at the LSE on Tuesday, all the papers - The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian - seemed to miss a significant aspect of the story behind the climate change and energy secretary's speech. In a searing critique of government policy, business minister Mark Prisk has written to his boss, Vince Cable, warning that the introduction of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) across England to replace the eight regional development agencies has generated "considerable friction" from the business community, running the risk that they "become detach
Get our newsletter delivered directly to your inbox I have already subscribed | Do not show this message again The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously on Thursday to end its 13-year-long peacekeeping mission in Haiti and replace it with a smaller police force, which will be drawn down after two years as the country boosts its own force. The peacekeeping mission, one of the longest running in the world and known as MINUSTAH, has been dogged by controversies, including the introduction of cholera to the island and sexual abuse claims. The 15-member Security Council acknowledged the completion of Haiti's presidential election, along with the inauguration of its new president, as a "major milestone towards stabilization" in the Caribbean country. "What we now need is a newly configured mission which is focused on the rule of law and human rights in Haiti," British U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said on his way into the meeting. "Peacekeepers do fantastic work but they are very expensive and they should be used only when needed," Rycroft said. "We strongly support the ending of this mission turning it into something else. And I think we'll see the same thing elsewhere." The shutdown of the US$346 million mission, recommended by U.N. chief Antonio Guterres, comes as the United States looks to cut its funding of U.N. peacekeeping. Washington is the largest contributor, paying 28.5 percent of the total budget. There are 2,342 U.N. troops in Haiti, who will withdraw ove
Ed Jacobs rounds up the week's news from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. As former Labour chancellor, Alistair Darling, came out in support of the Scottish parliament gaining further powers, the Scotland Office published a timetable for a referendum to take place next September, a year before the 2014 date suggested by Alex Salmond. Outlining the government's thinking, junior Scotland Office minister, David Mundell, argued : "There is no reason why the Scottish people should have to wait nearly three years to have their say in an independence referendum. "We have produced a timetable that shows how you can give people their say on independence next September. "No corners are cut and all processes are properly followed. But instead of working with us to put the Scottish public firmly in the referendum driving seat, the Scottish government have resorted to insults and mistakes. This is a very poor show and people will be mystified. "The Scottish government claim the 2013 proposal is a 'silly distraction' and 'full of holes' but they don't say why and they don't say what. People want action not insults." Political columnist Iain MacWhirter, meanwhile, had a warning for the pro-union camp, writing in the Herald this week: The problem faced by the Unionist campaign thus far is that it lacks a proper leader, is intellectually confused, politically divided, widely mistrusted and fatally associated with a party - the Conservatives - which as we all know has fewer MPs in Scotla
Russia has warned the United States against more military strikes in Syria, which didn't worry former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. Panetta served as Obama's defense secretary and CIA director. He told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Friday that the U.S. is in a good position of leverage, noting the mounting intelligence reports that show that Syria was involved in this chemical weapons attack, and that the world now knows we're not hesitant to use military action. There's more than enough to keep up the pressure on the government of President Bashar al-Assad, who Panetta says needs to step down. We also need to keep up the fight against ISIS. Concerning the red line that President Obama established, Panetta added that it's important for presidents to set red lines, but also enforce them, which the Obama administration failed to do. "I think it's important when Presidents set red lines when they say we're going do something, you've got to stand by your word. Otherwise, it sends a message of weakness to the world," he said. On April 6, the U.S. launched a massive missile strike against Syria in response to the chemical weapons attack in Idlib Province earlier that week, which killed at least 80 people.
Last night, Caitlyn Jenner joined Fox News' Tucker Carlson, whose memoir, "The Secrets Of My Life," was released today. Jenner, the former Olympic athlete who came out as transgender in 2015, had also gained considerable attention due to her political beliefs. She's a self-described conservative Republican, which is viewed as anathema in the gay community. Jenner reminded Tucker that she was never outwardly supportive of Donald Trump's candidacy--the media did that for her--but she did say that she veers towards the conservative side. When Trump won the Republican nomination, she said she was going to vote for him. The former Olympian also said that she thought Trump would be good for LGBT issues. Yet, she also said that her loyalties aren't with President Trump or the Republican Party, they're with the LGBT community. On that front, she said that he's a disappointment. . @Caitlyn_Jenner : I thought @POTUS would be pretty good [on LGBT issues] but he's kind of disappointed me in the first hundred days. #Tucker pic.twitter.com/asGGwtdgX7 -- Fox News (@FoxNews) April 25, 2017 Some of the issues Jenner is passionate about are the murder rates among trans people, where she said it's high; along with the suicide rate that's nine times higher than the general public. She stressed that it's important to protect every American, adding that most homicides of trans persons are cast aside by the authorities and not fully investigated. Still, she wants the GOP to do a better job at addre
This time they have the right man, or at least German authorities hope so . After detaining the wrong man in the confusion surrounding the Christmas market terror attack in Berlin, police found papers in the truck that killed twelve people belonging to a Tunisian national granted asylum earlier. Police now want to grab Anis Amri before he manages to slip out of the country, but no one seems to have any idea where he is: Law enforcement sources told CBS News that police are searching for Anis Amri, a native of Tunisia. The sources said Amri left personal documents in the truck that rammed into the market on Monday, killing 12 people and injuring nearly 50 others. German media outlets have identified the Tunisian man as an asylum seeker who was registered in the North Rhine-Westphalia in Western Germany. In what appears to be the first big break since this investigation began, law enforcement sources said they found the suspect's ID and asylum papers under the driver's [seat.] Amri, believed to be 23 or 24 years old, was known to police. The suspect is probably armed, obviously dangerous, and the hunt is on to find him, reports CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata. ... The hunt for the killer -- or killers -- took on an added urgency after ISIS claimed responsibility. German police released the photo of Amri, but German police curiously pixilated the eyes in both photographs. Perhaps they're concerned that they may not yet have the right suspect, and after the initial arrest,
We hit another benchmark in "transanity" recently when Trystan Reese of Portland, Oregon, a woman pretending to be a man, gave birth to a baby boy. Well, a boy for now anyway. Check back in a year or three when that poor kid might be living life as a non-binary gender-fluid spirit unicorn ... Papa Trystan claims to be "trapped" in a gal's body but for some reason kept the female plumbing intact south of the equator. Real men don't get pregnant. Real men have no desire to get pregnant. Watch as I explain why this is obvious both for biological reasons and as reflected in cinema! If Trystan wants to pretend to be a fake man, I say go for it, but did you have to bring an innocent child into this freak show tent? Years from now, poor baby Leo Reese will have to explain to friends that Trystan is both his father and mother . And then there's parent-teacher night where he'll have to explain to classmates that mommy's got a beard - and no, she's not doing a handstand while wearing a miniskirt. Yikes! Let the psychotherapy sessions begin. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
The United States Supreme Court recently handed down two opinions that reveal a deep inconsistency in its basic constitutional jurisprudence. In Matal v. Tam , the Court wisely rejected the effort of the Patent and Trademark Office to deny registration of the trade name of the Asian band "The Slants" on the ground that the name disparages Asians. The Court unanimously held first that trademark registration does not convert the name "The Slants" into government (rather than private) speech, which would allow the state vast discretion in deciding whether or not to grant the trademark. Second, the Court held that the First Amendment protects hate speech. In the words of Justice Samuel Alito, "Speech that demeans on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, disability, or any other similar ground is hateful; but the proudest boast of our free speech jurisprudence is that we protect the freedom to express the thought that we hate." The Court's approach could not have been more different in the much watched takings case of Murr v. Wisconsin . There, a divided Supreme Court could not frame a coherent rule to determine when government regulation goes "too far" so as to constitute a taking of property for public use, such that just compensation is owed. Murr involved Wisconsin landowners who unwisely put two adjacent plots of land under common ownership instead keeping their respective titles in two separate entities. The state pounced on this conveyancing misstep, insistin
In a Washington Post editorial-page hatchet-job that seems likely to take a place at the heart of the far-Left's gospel, Vincent Schiraldi takes aim at newly appointed Bush-administration civil-society czar John DiIulio (" Will the Real John DiIulio Please Stand Up? "). He misses. Schiraldi, head of the far-left Justice Policy Institute, derides DiIulio - a University of Pennsylvania professor who now heads the new White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Groups - as a right-wing goon who engages in dishonest crime analysis and favors punitive imprisonment policies. Schiraldi's attacks are false in both substance and spirit: DiIulio is a solid scholar and compassionate human being who ironically represents the Left's best shot at influencing Bush-administration policy. DiIulio has an impressive academic record. On topics ranging from the value of faith-based organizations to the efficacy of home-security measures in high-crime areas, DiIulio's writings draw little controversy. It's only when it comes to his most media-friendly super-predators theory that DiIulio has made a few minor mistakes. In the early 1990s, DiIulio attracted uncritical attention from the left and the right for his talk of the growth of a "super-predator" caste of feral young males born of the absence of civil society, families, and churches in many parts of America. In the 1996 book Body Count that he co-wrote with William Bennett and John Walters, DiIulio suggests that a late 1990s juvenile-crime
As we covered yesterday, Ann Coulter has been forced to cancel her planned speech at UC Berkeley after university officials -- who previously tried to shut it down over security concerns -- could not guarantee the safety of the speaker or her audience. Coulter challenged the school to provide an "appropriate room" for her lecture, but administrators said they could not comply with the request due to the security challenges. Sponsoring student groups started backing away from the event amid threats of violence, and then the author and polemicist pulled the plug, too: UPDATE: Conservative commentator Ann Coulter says she has canceled her speech planned for this week at UC Berkeley -- Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 26, 2017 Thus concludes a pathetic spectacle in which a torch-and-pitchforks mob successfully stamped out an event featuring someone with controversial and acerbic viewpoints. It's remarkable watching lefties on social media gloating over the cancellation (other liberals have been critical ), mocking Coulter and the groups who invited her as cowardly "snowflakes" who can't take the heat. This is a perversion of truth. Conservative speakers and their supporters are standing down in the face of credible threats from bona fide fascistic silencers who are confronting and stifling speech they find objectionable with physical violence. Threatening or violating other people's literal safety in order to protect an emotional safe space is actual snowflakery, not the othe
In the wake of yet another mass shooting at a school, it is sickening how the feelings of fear and helplessness come over us in a familiar way. Every time I read a headline about a shooting, I have the same reaction: my hands go cold, my stomach drops, and I shove the lump in my throat away like I'm dry-swallowing a big pill. Portland-based community college instructor Melissa Duclos has had enough with politicians and their lack of action to protect the safety of our country. Duclos published "An Oregon teacher's letter to lawmakers: We don't need your prayers, we need your courage" on Oct. 2, the day after the shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, which took the lives of 10 people and injured seven more. Should teachers be allowed to have a gun in class? Two teachers with opposing views weigh in @MelissaDuclos http://t.co/6yLFizVcAy -- Poppy Harlow (@PoppyHarlowCNN) October 4, 2015 "According to my school's Emergency Response Guide, I should attempt to evacuate my students if it is deemed safe to do so... The next option, according to my college, is to lock the door. This unfortunately is not possible, as the door to my classroom can only be locked with a key, a key that I do not have and won't ever be given. Left, then, in my third-floor classroom with its unlocked door, I am instructed to turn off the lights and lower the blinds, to use the tables to build a barricade, and get everyone out of the line of fire. I am further instructed to "arm [myself] with cl
You are not signed in as a Premium user; we rely on Premium users to support our news reporting. Sign in or Sign up today! DETROIT ( ChurchMilitant.com ) - The latest scientific studies refute the ideology of that one is born with same-sex attraction (SSA). Studies show that SSA is actually the result of developmental factors rather than genetics. Father Thomas Loya, current pastor of Annunciation of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Parish in Homer Glen, Illinois, spoke with ChurchMilitant.com on the topic. "We have to make a distinction between predisposition and predetermination," he explained. "In other words, a person can have what's called predisposition that could be because of what happens to them or doesn't happen to them, developmentally, to develop same-sex attraction ... but they're not born this way. Nothing predetermines them to become this way." He added, "Scientifically there is nothing that predetermines someone for a sexual disorder, especially a disorder of sexual identity." People suffering from SSA usually experience similar upbringings, in which they are two to three times more likely to have experienced childhood sexual abuse. Most children who identify as a gender opposite their biological sex will no longer do so by the time they reach adulthood. The New Atlantis reported, "One study estimated that as many as 80 percent of male adolescents who report same-sex attractions no longer do as adults." Compared to the general population, LGBT people have
Instantly, the predictable characters began harrumphing about how preposterous such a notion was. A law professor at Fordham pronounced that the Constitution "gives no answer" to whether a President can self-pardon, while other scholars lamented that such a move "would erode the bedrock of our Constitution." Alan Dershowitz and Rudy Giuliani , two frequent Trump defenders and legal dynamos, found themselves at loggerheads. Even the Department of Justice has held since 1974 and the halcyon days of Richard Nixon that "[u]nder the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case, the President cannot pardon himself." Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution states that the President "shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment." The Constitution itself never limits whom the President may pardon, so long as the pardon is for a federal offense. Thus there is nothing in the text of the Pardoning Clause of the Constitution that would prevent President Trump from exercising the presidential pardon on his own behalf. Many critics of Trump's pronouncement are convinced that the "rule of law" would somehow prevent Trump from pardoning himself. After all, isn't it true that "no man may be a judge in his own case?" This is essentially Jonah Goldberg's position over at National Review , and his arguments have a good deal of truth to them. A presidential pardon would indeed be "way outside what the founde
The chair of the UK Statistics Authority Sir Michael Scholar has ordered an investigation into the way the Department of Work and Pensions uses statistics, following a string of concerns over the nature and presentation of stats by the department - often in secret lobby briefings, with press releases and tables not made publically available on the DWP's website for scrutiny - despite the coalition's commitment to 'throw open the doors' of public bodies. The chair of the UK Statistics Authority Sir Michael Scholar has ordered an investigation into the way the Department of Work and Pensions uses statistics. The move follows a string of concerns over the nature and presentation of statistics by the department. Despite the coalition's commitment to ' throw open the doors ' of public bodies, the DWP has frequently used secret lobby briefings, with press releases and tables not made available for public scrutiny on the DWP's website. The investigation follows a request by FullFact.org , the independent fact-checking website which, along with Left Foot Forward, has highlighted several instances of opacity in the way the DWP distributes statistics to the press. The decision takes place as Secretary of State Iain Duncan Smith launches his welfare white paper this lunchtime. Earlier this year, Sir Michael rebuked IDS's deputy Chris Grayling, then shadow home secretary, for using misleading statistics on violent crime after he compared two sets of statistics without explaining that the
Much has been asked about Margaret Thatcher's contribution to feminism during the past week. But what of lesbian and gay equality? Two moments last week made me wonder. Chris Creegan writes on equality and social justice and has previously worked at NatCen Social Research Much has been asked about Margaret Thatcher's contribution to feminism during the past week. But what of lesbian and gay equality? Two moments last week made me wonder. The first was Alex Massie's Spectator article, Margaret Thatcher: An Accidental Libertarian Heroine. Massie argues that the triumph of economic liberalism begat the victory of social liberalism as exemplified by the shift in support for gay marriage. The second was during the debate in the House of Commons when Mike Freer, the Conservative MP for Thatcher's former constituency, spoke . Openly gay, Freer is emblematic of the shift that Massie refers to. I'm grateful to Massie and Freer for reminding me of the gains and the losses on lesbian and gay rights during Thatcher's premiership. For me, four powerful memories stand out. Important victories The first took place in Rugby in 1984 where the council had decided that it didn't want to employ gays. It was at a rally there that Chris Smith, the MP for Islington South, came out . It's an odd moment in retrospect when the sexuality of politicians causes barely a murmur. The second memory that stands out occurred when the 1985 Trades Union Congress passed a ground breaking motion on lesbian and ga
On Saturday, I joined over 5,000 Texans who took to the streets of downtown Austin for the Texas Right to Life March. Marching feet remind us of battle, but for what are we really fighting when we say: "Right to Life?" "Words matter," a writing mentor of mine--who happened to be a pro-life attorney--once advised me. A core lesson that I gleaned from attending the 2018 Texas Right to Life March is that words--especially the words we use repeatedly; those words that roll off our tongue without thought--truly do matter. Right is one such word. We who support legislation that honors life from conception until natural death use the word "right" in the phrase "Right to Life." But if a stranger asked us, could we explain what we mean? More than likely, we'd find ourselves struggling for the right words to convey our intended meaning. After all, our antagonists employ the same word to defend their positions: "Abortion Rights!" "Reproductive Rights!" "Women's Rights!" "Right to Choose!" and the "Right to My Body!" are their chants. We each must know what we mean when we say we support the "Right to Life," so that our words come from the heart and not routine. After all, it is not in preaching (words alone) but by action (words brought to life by prayer and example) that we will draw others to our way of thinking. An Unjust Law Cannot Create Rights Forty-five years ago, the landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade created a situation whereby women began to believe they possessed
1. Rape and sexual abuse ubiquitous in Pakistani Islamic schools 2. Residents of Swedish 'No Go Zone' Suburbs Afraid to Leave Their Homes Almost half the residents in many troubled no-go zones in Sweden say they are too afraid to leave their homes in the evening and at night due to rampant violence and criminality. According to a survey conducted by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Bra), residents of troubled suburbs in heavily migrant populated cities like Malmo are increasingly fearful of being robbed or injured by criminals. Nearly half, 48 per cent, of respondents in the survey who live in Malmo suburbs feel that the area is too dangerous to go out at night, SVT reports. The number of fearful residents is high in other areas of the city, the population of which, according to reports, is growing solely due to mass migration. In Northern Malmo, 36 per cent said they were afraid to go out in the evenings and in the nearby city of Lund, 22 per cent said they felt unsafe at night. 3. NYC terror suspect, indicted on murder, terror charges Sayfullo Saipov , the man accused of driving a truck through a bike lane in downtown New York City on Halloween, was indicted in federal court Tuesday. Saipov, 29, was indicted in Manhattan on 22 counts, ranging from terrorism to both murder and attempted murder in aid of racketeering in connection to the Oct. 31 terror attack, which left eight people dead and 12 wounded. 4. Teenage suicide bomber kills at least 50 in Nigeria
"I was at the NRA museum today," country artist Justin Moore told his fans at a Fairfax, VA concert Friday night. "And if you don't like that you can get the hell out - respectfully." The audience roared with applause, before he proceeded to sing the chorus of his crowd-pleasing hit, "Guns." Moore is currently on tour with fellow country star Lee Brice for the American Made Tour, and was joined by special guest William Michael Morgan. Before he stepped on stage Friday night, Moore chatted with Townhall on his tour bus about life on the road and his new album Kinda Don't Care . He also vented about political correctness and the "misguided" mission of gun control activists. Chatting with Justin on his tour bus before the show. After geeking out about the day he spent at the NRA headquarters in Fairfax, Moore shared his theory as to why lawmakers are bothering law abiding gun owners. "'Misguided' is the perfect word," he said. "I think 'misinformed' is another." To attack the Second Amendment, Moore continued, is a "cop out" from getting to the root of the problem. "Mental health is the real problem," he explained. "If it wasn't guns, it would be knives, etc. To blame it on the tool being used, in my opinion, is ignorant. They want to put a Band-Aid over a gaping wound in my opinion. You're trying to rationalize with irrational people. It's impossible. The problem isn't the NRA, we're not the ones out there doing extreme things." Moore, who came out as a Donald Trump supporter a
What former Democratic Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear showed last night when he delivered the Democratic response to President Trump's joint address to Congress is that the Democratic Party is in deep trouble. Sure, he comes off as a likable grandfather figure. He spoke about how it is wrong to repeal and replace Obamacare, roll back regulations that make it harder for families to buy homes, and imbrue American values by leading a de facto (and non-existent) war on immigrants. Look, I may be old-fashioned, but I still believe that dignity, compassion, honesty and accountability are basic American values. And as a Democrat, I believe that if you work hard, you deserve the opportunity to realize the American dream, regardless of whether you're a coal miner in Kentucky, a teacher in Rhode Island, an autoworker in Detroit or a software engineer in San Antonio. Our political system is broken. It's broken because too many of our leaders think it's all about them. They need to remember that they work for us and helping us is their work. Kentucky made real progress while I was governor because we were motivated by one thing: helping families. Democrats are trying to bring that same focus back to Washington, D.C. Americans are a diverse people. And we may disagree on a lot of things, but we've always come together when we remember that we are one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Wait, the Dem response is from a former governor who was replaced
Telling a girl to calm down works about as well as trying to baptize a cat. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. If God is watching us, the least we can do is be entertaining. Why wasn't Jesus born in the USA? Because God couldn't find three wise men and a virgin. Moses was leading his people through the desert for 40 years. It seems, even in Biblical times men avoided asking the way. I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who believe it. Atheism is a non-prophet organization. I have noticed that everyone who is for abortion, has already been born. Deja Vu - When you think you're doing something you've done before, it's because God thought it was so funny, he had to rewind it for his friends. The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close. Visit www.onelinefun.com .
MSNBC's Katy Tur interviewed Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) today to discuss the Trump White House's immigration policy. During the discussion, Murphy was seemingly pressed by Tur to compare President Trump to a terrorist. Murphy, as with all Democrats, was criticizing the Trump administration's immigration policies. Democrats have been slamming the White House for separating families during arrests. Some have been peddling the falsehood that 1,500 children have been lost in the enforcement push. Murphy then said that Trump's policies are "terrorizing" kids. That's when Tur decided to have her moment. "Senator, it sounds like what you're saying is you don't negotiate with terrorists, and you're calling the president a terrorist in this scenario," Tur said. "No, I'm not saying..." said Murphy before Tur cut him off. "You said he's terrorizing kids. I mean, the policy is don't negotiate with terrorists because when you give them what they want, they'll only hold more people hostage, or etc., I mean that is what you just said," she added. "If you give the president what he wants, he'll hold more vulnerable population groups hostage." "Well, I did not call the president that name," replied Murphy, but added that Trump's policies are inflicting terror on these illegal immigrant children. Jeff Crouere Tur was referring to Trump's border wall proposal and the continued stalled talks on the Hill concerning hashing out a comprehensive deal on immigration. At the same time, calling Trump a
"Red flag" laws that allow for temporary gun violence restraining orders are gaining momentum in the U.S. following the deadly Parkland, Florida, mass shooting, which left 17 dead in February. Florida has become the sixth state to pass a bill enabling family members and law enforcement officials to request a court order to restrict a person's access to firearms should they display warning signs of posing a danger to themselves or others, USA Today reported . The legislation allows individuals and law enforcement officers to request a court order that could result in the seizure of a person's weapons for up to a year, provided they provide sufficient evidence of that person being a threat, The Washington Post reported . "As we mourn those killed in Florida, our elected leaders need to take action to prevent gun violence, or we will elect new lawmakers," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown For Gun Safety . "Policies like Red Flag Laws empower families and law enforcement officials to keep communities safe. There is no excuse to delay these types of common-sense solutions." A week after Florida signed the legislation, a Broward County judge issued the state's first order to temporarily remove four firearms and 267 rounds of ammunition from a 56-year-old Lighthouse Point man believed to be a potential risk to himself and others, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported . Now Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson have joined forces to encourage other states to pass t
Former News of the World phone hacker Paul McMullan gets secretly taped then gets destroyed by John Prescott on last night's 10 O'Clock Live. James Mills reports on the OECD's calls for the coalition government to bring back EMA to help reduce its huge debt, and return growth to the UK economy. Does poverty in childhood inevitably lead to poverty in adulthood? Is it passed from parents to children, 'cascading down the generations'? Special report by Declan Gaffney. George Osborne's economically flawed argument today about Portugal has been quickly rebutted. The OECD's new report includes even more evidence that Britain is not Portugal.
P resident Obama's timing is off. Just as he tries to assure us that there's no conspiracy to take away our guns, Democrats across the country are calling for banning most firearms. From Georgia to California , Democratic legislators have introduced bills to ban all semi-automatic rifles or even all semi-automatics, period. In the New York Times this month, Thomas Friedman called for " bans on the manufacture and sale of all semi-automatic and other military-style guns. " The city council of Lexington, Mass. , is seeking to "ban the ownership of semi-automatic or fully automatic weapons able to hold ammunition clips containing more than ten rounds." Well over half of the guns sold in the U.S. are semi-automatic. And, if a gun can accept a magazine, that magazine can be of pretty much any size. So the "ten round" rule is meaningless. So, with the exception of a few specialty guns, these rules would in effect ban all semi-automatic guns. This Democrat goal is nothing new, of course -- in 1998, Illinois state senator Barack Obama supported a " ban on the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons " -- but for years, gun-control advocates wanted to ban guns based on appearances. Now, instead of arbitrarily going after guns because of how they look, Democrats are at least being logically consistent and talking about banning guns based on how they function. The AR-15 became a popular target because it resembles the military's M-16. But AR-15s use essentially the same b
The Times urges the Coalition to reconsider the proposed cuts of PS1500 for the low income families' childcare costs. The Government would be wise to heed their advice. It will not take long for the coalition's Libyan operation to be seen across the Middle East as hypocritical and self-serving, and resisted as such, says George Irvin. Guido Fawkes and Tim Worstall claim that Keynesianism doesn't work. But the academic they cite says that there's no compelling reason for the Government's "extreme austerity measures". Simon Bullock, senior economics campaigner at Friends of the Earth, reveals FoE's ten-point plan for how the chancellor can wean the country off its addiction to oil in his Budget on Wednesday.
Liberty Counsel's case, Mountain Right to Life v. Becerra, will be held at the Court until it resolves the NIFLA case. The facts and arguments are almost identical. Liberty Counsel represents three pro-life crisis pregnancy centers in Southern California, all of which offer women experiencing crisis pregnancies resources, counseling, advice, and alternatives to abortion. All of the centers are faith-based and will not refer women for abortions. Under the California law, Pregnancy and Family Resource Center (San Bernardino), and all other licensed pregnancy counseling centers in the state, are required to post the following government-prescribed message in their facilities and in their advertising or be fined $500 for the first violation and $1,000 for each additional violation: "California has public programs that provide immediate free or low-cost access to comprehensive family planning services (including all FDA-approved methods of contraception), prenatal care and abortion for eligible women. To determine whether you qualify, contact the county social services office at [insert the telephone number]." His Nesting Place (Long Beach), Birth Choice of the Desert (La Quinta) and other centers not licensed by the State of California must post a notice that they are not a licensed medical facility in all print and online advertising and in their physical facilities or face the same fines. The notice for unlicensed clinics consists of an announcement that the clinic is a not a m
States that have adopted gun control are now, in addition to killing the freedom to which Americans have grown accustomed, killing jobs. More than simply being bad public-safety-policy, gun control is shaping up to be bad economic policy. Beretta has announced that they will be moving their Maryland manufacturing facility to a state more amicable to firearm production. In an open letter, the CEO of the world famous firearm manufacturer articulated his reason for leaving Maryland in no uncertain terms: My family has operated our business from the same small town in northern Italy for 500 years. This means that when we make a commitment to a local community, our hope is to do so for decades, if not centuries, to come. We apply this same philosophy to all of our factories and locations throughout the world. Such a commitment is not a one-way street, though. In return for our investment in jobs, facilities and assistance to the local economy, we ask for respect and a supportive business climate. We deserve such respect. We make the standard sidearm for the U.S. armed forces. We also make firearms that police and consumers use to save their lives and the lives of others. Beretta decided, after Maryland's recent adoption of restrictive gun control measures, that the state no longer deserves his companies hard earned tax dollars. The decision came as the company was preparing to expand its Maryland facility. As Ugo Gussalli Beretta pointed out in his letter, there is no reason to re
Our former reporter, Lauren Southern , was banned from entering the United Kingdom this week-- questioned and detained under the Terrorism Act. Let's start by saying the obvious: We believe in borders, and the right to exclude others -- though the UK government doesn't seem to... There are 23,000 Muslim jihadis on a UK police watch list -- of course, you can't "watch" 23,000 people. Like Justin Trudeau in Canada , the UK welcomes back ISIS terrorists: murderers and rapists who are the explicit rationale for the Terrorism Act. And now that law is being used to stop Lauren Southern from entering the UK. I'll show you the so-called "racist material" the authorities presented as evidence. Southern's "racist material" were peaceful activist pranks. One of them included Brittany Pettibone, a YouTuber who talks about ethnic nationalism. Some people call that racism; some people just say it's anti-open borders, anti-globalism. Pettibone was detained last week, too, trying to go to the UK, because her boyfriend's organization is "a right wing organization," and because she was, "seeking admission (...) to interview Tommy Robinson -- a far right leader whose materials and speeches incite racial hatred." I know Tommy pretty well after working with him for a year. To Tommy, race is irrelevant. He's against Islamism. That's not racist. But even if he were -- is it now against the law to meet with people who have bigoted beliefs? Yesterday news broke about a small city in the UK called Te
Since Toronto is a city presided over by a milquetoast mayor , the same day the unlawful, odious and anti-Semitic al-Quds rally was taking place, an illegal naked bike ride played out with police escort no less! Bike Lives Matter, I suppose. Fortunately, the Toronto Sun 's Joe Warmington was on scene to cover those uncovered bike riders and ask the most relevant of the five w's: "Why?" Organizer Gene Dare said they were "protesting oil." Yes, the oil that was needed to forge all that steel, aluminum, carbon-fibre, rubber and plastic into bicycles, and the oil that was needed to fuel the freighters that brought those bikes from China! It's one thing to stage your anti-oil naked bike ride on a balmy June day in Toronto but I don't think we'll see this repeated in January! Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn "Drew Wakariuk commented 19 hours ago Andrew Stephenson what does an article about LONDON have to do with Toronto?" I never specified Toronto. Your incorrect assumption isn't my fault. And yes, the Rebel seems to be doing a lot in the UK these days, probably because they never really gained a lot of traction in Canada. "Drew Wakariuk commented 19 hours ago Andrew also shipping and the store. And the green kooks do not want any oil , what part of that are you too dense to get. They even hate natural gas. Now go be a good sheep. " How does it compare to an F150 or even something like a Micra, in terms of energy used during pr
HELSINKI (AP) -- Finnish lawmakers on Friday rejected a petition from more than 100,000 people demanding the repeal of a law allowing same-sex marriage that takes effect on March 1. The petition was considered a last-minute attempt to revoke the law that made Finland the last Nordic country to allow gays to wed. In Friday's 120-48 vote with two abstentions and 29 absentees, Finland's Parliament rejected a public petition demanding that marriage remains "a genuinely egalitarian union between man and woman" and calling for "repealing the gender-neutral marriage law." In Finland, any petition with at least 50,000 signatures is automatically considered by Parliament. Those backing the petition were the populist Finns Party, a member of the country's three-party, center-right Cabinet, and the opposition Christian Democrats. The plea argued that a child was entitled to have both a mother and a father, and an earlier law allowing registered partnership was sufficient. The petition was discussed in Parliament's legal affairs committee on Tuesday and a rejection was recommended because "consistency, stability and predictability must be pursued when Parliament passes legislation, particularly when the legislation comes to important legal institutions as marriage." The Eduskunta assembly then rejected the petition. "Once again we see harassment in the name of government cooperation although it is less than two weeks to the day when people have booked wedding venues" and are looking forw
You've heard that accent, that accent existing nowhere in nature, that accent picked up through osmosis by new citizens of a nation you might call Gay-Land. The Big Gay Accent; it's the lingua franca of gay men from Santa Monica to Chelsea and everywhere in between. For all we know gay men in downtown Timbuktu speak their native Koyra Chiini with the same lilt of stretched out vowels, odd emphases and that same rise at the of sentences spoken by their gay brothers on the Sunset Strip. Gay-Land is a place without borders but it seems almost all the citizens speak the same way. Who started all this? You can be sure it started somewhere. There was a time in America when gay men were as reticent as post-Obergefell Christians to reveal their identity. They certainly wouldn't have alerted friends, family and employers by using what has become the telltale sign. Did it start with every Grandma's favorite gay, Liberace? Check out black and white clips of Liberace and boy even wearing a regular tux way back then he sounded so gay. Maybe it was Truman Capote? Who knows? And then, how did it spread? Kevin Fallon writes about his Big Gay Accent at the Daily Beast . Apparently like many gays with that accent, he says it gives him self-loathing A new documentary called " Do I Sound Gay ? " takes a look at the phenomenon of gay men trying to sound less gay. It seems they are taking voice lessons like actors from Texas trying to sound British. David Thorpe, the director and star of " Do I S
OTTAWA, August 25, 2015 ( LifeSiteNews ) -- A pro-family organization has criticized the Ottawa Children's Aid Society (CAS) for "abandoning their responsibility" to protect children by marching in Ottawa's annual pro-homosexual 'Pride' parade that took place Sunday. "CAS is responsible to look after vulnerable children in need of care and who need to be protected. They are absolutely abandoning their responsibility by endorsing [same-sex] behaviors that are known to create enormous complications for children, both morally and emotionally," Gwen Landolt, a lawyer and National Vice-President of REAL Women of Canada, told LifeSiteNews. While CAS has participated in the parade in previous years, this year the children's organization made its presence very obvious. On August 19, CAS organized a "Picnic in the Park" as part of the city's week-long "pride festival," stating in a promotional piece that appeared in the homosexual news service Xtra that the "LGBT community is a strong ally of the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa, and we are proud to work with the LGBT community for Pride again this year." The organization ran a float in the parade as well as manned an information booth. It's almost time! Getting set up for the #PrideParade ! pic.twitter.com/OvB6srGvnA -- CASOttawa (@OttawaCas) August 23, 2015 In 2013 LifeSiteNews' Patrick Craine attended the Ottawa 'Pride' parade and described it as "a large-scale, state-backed celebration of kinky sex," observing that "the drive to g
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), has started to outline the Senate's plan to come after your guns , and it includes just about everything including handguns. From the Senator's website : In January, Senator Feinstein will introduce a bill to stop the sale, transfer, importation and manufacturing of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition feeding devises. The Ban will include over 120 specifically named firearms and will include any gun that has a detachable magazine with one "military characteristic." As we know from past attempts, these characteristics have nothing to do with the actual guns performance and are often only cosmetic. This means almost every modern gun on the market could be included in this ban. Not only will the ban stop the sale, transfer and importation of these guns, but it could also go after existing guns that are already legally owned. According to the Senator's website, all existing weapons would have to be registered under the new National Firearms Act. This would mean that everyone who now legally owns these guns would have to go through new background checks, fingerprinting, certification from local law enforcement and the registration of all firearms. Here are the details that have been announced so far: The Bill Bans the sale, transfer, importation, or manufacturing of: 120 specifically named firearms Certain other semiautomatic rifles, handguns, shotguns that can accept a detachable magazine and have one military character
Kathryn Moody : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? Manuel Schiffres Mutual Fund Rankings, 2014 Meghan Streit : Pitching In When Caregivers Need Help Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D.N., F.A.N.D : How to prevent a second (and first) heart attack thru diet The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington : Caprese is a light, fresh salad; the perfect quick and easy accompaniment to any summer meal Mark Steyn : You Want Nazis? Jonathan Tobin : Care about the Jewish state's future? Obama, in interview, reveals even more reasons to worry Alan M. Dershowitz : Confirmed: Needless death and destruction in Gaza Katie Nielsen : As a mother, I'm all I need to be Cameron Huddleston : 18 Retailers That Offer Price Adjustments Nellie S. Huang : The Best Health Mutual Funds to Buy Now Brierly Wright, M.S., R.D. : Try these 'secret-weapon' foods to boost your changes of losing weight The Kosher Gourmet by Jessica Yadegaran : Take some relish in pickled goodies (5 recipes!) Kimberly Lankford : 50 Ways to Cut Your Health Care Costs James K. Glassman : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? The Kosher Gourmet by Nick Malgieri : Chocolate molten delight with creme anglaise is a simple yet elegant make-ahead dessert Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas waded into the post- Parkland debate on Tuesday - with an opinion denouncing what he sees as the high court's insufficient support for the right to keep and bear arms. The lower federal courts, Thomas charged, have been g
President Donald Trump on Friday slammed NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for losing "control of the hemorrhaging league" over players kneeling during the national anthem. "Can you believe that the disrespect for our Country, our Flag, our Anthem continues without penalty to the players," the president tweeted. "The Commissioner has lost control of the hemorrhaging league. Players are the boss!" President Donald Trump on Friday slammed NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for losing "control of the hemorrhaging league" over players kneeling during the national anthem. "Can you believe that the disrespect for our Country, our Flag, our Anthem continues without penalty to the players," the president tweeted. "The Commissioner has lost control of the hemorrhaging league. Players are the boss!" Trump didn't stop there, however. He also workshopped Texans owner Bob McNair's "inmates running the asylum" quote, saying that "players are the boss!" of the NFL. Vernon, of course, has been kneeling since Week 3 so this protest isn't necessarily news. And the lack of support for Thanksgiving games has a lot of factors beyond this protest. One of those factors is the fact that three games back to back to back can create football fatigue quickly, especially for people that had to watch the Lions' run defense.
It's day two of the five day trial of 39 year old father of six, Syrian refugee Soleiman Hajj Soleiman. Hajj Soleiman is standing trial on six counts of sexual interference and another six counts of sexual assault against six minor victims -- all girls under the age of 16. The charges stem from a series of separate incidents all on the same evening at at the World Waterpark wave pool at West Edmonton Mall. Supporters of the accused have dwindled down from ten down to two today. Media interest is waning also, with just one mainstream media reporter in the courtroom. The 15-year-old witness continued her testimony from behind a screen, coming out just once to identify the accused as the man who had groped her two times while she was in the wave pool. During cross examination, the defence tried to cast doubt on the reliability of the identification of the accused by the witness, implying that his contact with her was accidental. Another young girl, one of the six victims, takes the stand this afternoon. She was 13 at the time of the alleged offences against her. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Odds are if Planned Parenthood gives a movie four stars, you can save yourself a trip to the theater. A new film from Gillian Robespierre called " Obvious Child " is making headlines for its pro-abortion plot line -- one not often apparent on the big screen. And the media is loving it. The film, which is being described as a "comedy," stars Jenny Slate, who's biggest claims to fame prior to the film were voicing a talking shell on YouTube and infamously saying the 'F' word during the premiere of Saturday Night Live . Producers did not ask her to come back next season. In "Obvious Child," Slate plays Donna, a woman who has a one-night stand after being dumped by her boyfriend, gets pregnant and decides to have an abortion. Because most films even hinting at abortion opt for pro-life story lines, "Obvious Child"'s pro-choice stance has been noticed and heralded by the liberal media. The Guardian describes Donna as "a girl who gets an abortion and lives happily ever after." Variety called it "fresh and funny" and the New York Times even spent a night courting its main star. The media has been gushing over the director as well. On MSNBC , Krystal Ball praised Robespierre for her film while making sure her audience knew that pro-lifers are " violent ." But of course, it wouldn't truly be a piece of pro-abortion beauty without Planned Paretnhood's endorsement:
T here's a fun game for long car rides called "Mametspeak." It involves a nerdy group of friends talking without communicating -- stumping every sentence, repeating words with random variations in emphasis, stuffing utterances with modifiers and starving them of syntax -- in the style of David Mamet's dialogue in plays such as Glengarry Glen Ross , whose characters can make nothing but their anxiety understood. Done well, it's an absurdist riot. The way Mamet speaks in real life is nothing like Mametspeak, but it does say a lot about him. His raced syllables retain the hard, sharp vowels of a boyhood in Chicago. His soft, almost therapeutic tone suggests the progressive schools and hippie circles of the 1960s. His unpretentious diction -- he drops his gs, and talks about what "we gotta" do -- conjures a busboy or cab driver (Mamet was both). And, unsurprising for a playwright, he brings fresh metaphors -- even to discussions of politics. #ad#But the most peculiar, and novel, thing about what Mamet says is the content: Lately it's become conservative , and assertively so, especially in his latest book, The Secret Knowledge . It wasn't always this way, as Mamet told me while he was in New York last Sunday ("shootin' a movie," he explained). Up until eight years ago, he was innocent of conservative ideas. By default, he held a liberalism that was "inchoate." It was a matter of "being in a group, and reflexively nodding and nodding at each communal evisceration of the Right -- co
A City AM Editorial today defends British finance and business interests. It described George Osborne's policy as "short-sighted, ignorant of the empirical evidence" The official inquiry into the scientific research conducted by the UEA CRU has cleared the scientists at the centre of the so-called 'climategate' controversy. William Hague said "we are not looking for tax rises". But analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows the Tories have a blackhole in their tax plans. As negotiators convene at the Bonn climate talks to wrangle over a post-Copenhagen treaty, people across the UK are standing up for radical emissions cuts. This week has been dominated by Conservatives blocking three Labour tax rises and introducing two new tax cuts. They are not committed to fiscal responsibility. Paul Krugman has written a lengthy essay which explores climate economics. He suggests that political will, rather than costs, is the key to managing the problem.
The Irish Family Planning Association is Ireland's "leading sexual health charity" which "provides sexual health, family planning, pregnancy counselling and training services," according to its website. More accurately, however, it is a pro-choice organization that likes to suggest having an abortion is no different than getting your tonsils removed. The "charity," along with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (surprise), recently released a video called, " Women Have Abortions Every Day: It's Just One Choice ," suggesting an abortion is as normal as opening a business, going to school, or even getting your tonsils out: In addition to having abortions, all of the women featured in the video emigrated from Ireland, where the procedure is illegal. The website Upworthy.com got hold of it and posted it with this description, " All of These Women Made the Same Choice, and We Don't Get to Judge Them ." Challenging readers to look past the stigma of abortion, the video included this asterisk, *In Ireland, where these women live, the decision they made can come with a potential 14-year sentence. So looking a little uncomfortable in front of a green screen to bring attention to such an important issue is actually a very risky and an incredibly brave thing for them to do. Ireland should be applauded, not demonized for its abortion restrictions. As LifeNews reported , the procedure being illegal in Ireland saves over 11,000 Irish pre-born babies from abortion every year. Je
A mass shooting in Orlando at the popular gay nightclub Pulse Orlando left 50 people dead, including the gunman, and 53 people wounded, making this the largest mass shooting in U.S. history. Authorities continue to investigate the attack as the country mourns the victims and searches for appropriate ways to respond. Here are a few ways you can help the victims and their families. 1. Send snacks, water, juice, and fruit to blood donation centers: The OneBlood center sent out an urgent call for blood donations that was met with an overwhelming response. The blood bank has reached capacity for now, but those who want to donate are encouraged to return in the next few days. This response has led to a shortage of food and drinks to give the donors after the donation. 2. Donate to the GoFundMe page for victims: All funds raised on this page will go directly to the victims and families affected by Orlando's Pulse Nightclub. To ensure proper distribution of funds, Equality Florida, who posted the page, is working with local organizations, who are also helping raise funds. Donate to the GoFundMe here . 3. Sign a condolence card to the Orlando community and vow to do more in the fight to end gun violence: Add your name to this condolence message to Orlando. Let the Orlando community know that they do not stand alone in the wake of this horrific tragedy. Sign the card here . 4. Support the LGBT community: The details behind the shooting are still being unraveled. We do not know much
On Friday's show , I reported on Canada's growing border crisis and how it's connected to George Soros . Illegal immigrants in the United States understand that President Trump isn't going to permit them to flood the country, so they're flocking to Canada thanks to Justin Trudeau tweeting about Canada's open border. WATCH my video to see how this plays into Soros and Trudeau's plot to stifle opposition to their radical policies and fill the country with refugees. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Alex Salmond's dream of an independent Scotland based on North Sea oil revenue to keep it afloat was dealt a fresh blow last night as new research by the Office for Budget Responsibility showed the extent of decline in revenue from North Sea oil taxes. Alex Salmond's dream of an independent Scotland based on North Sea oil revenue to keep it afloat was dealt a fresh blow last night as new research by the Office for Budget Responsibility showed the extent of decline in revenue from North Sea oil taxes. In its Fiscal Sustainability Report for July 2013, the OBR has concluded that the total amount the UK could expect from taxation between 2018 and 2041 from oil revenue was PS56 billion, down from the PS67 billion last year. The report goes on to continue: "Revenues from the UK oil and gas sector fell from 0.7 per cent of GDP in 2011-12 to 0.4 per cent in 2012-13 and are forecast to reach 0.2 per cent of GDP by 2017-18. Our central long-term projection shows revenues falling to 0.03 per cent of GDP over the subsequent two decades. Sensitivity analysis suggests that this broad conclusion holds across a variety of reasonable assumptions for the sector." The figures are likely to raise yet further questions over the feasibility of the SNP's ambitions for independence, based as they have long been on an assumption by the Scots Nats that the good times from oil revenue will somehow keep going. Declaring it to be "madness" to base independence on the basis of North Sea oil, Alistair Dar
As I approached the crowd, a Planned Parenthood clinic escort in a bright orange vest offered to stand alongside me as I walked, presumably to "protect" me from the big bad pro-lifers holding a rally. Unfortunately for him, I didn't need his services. Led by Live Action President Lila Rose, Tuesday's pro-life rally in front of Washington, DC's downtown Planned Parenthood clinic was anything but rowdy. Rose and her fellow pro-life warriors exposed Planned Parenthood's dangerous sex advice to teenagers, the organization's devastating abortion statistics and Obamacare's funding of abortion, among other atrocities. Here's just a glimpse of the powerful rally, which not even a protester who shouted, "Shame on you! Let women make their own health care decisions!" could disrupt. "I want to draw attention to their sexual agenda for teens," Rose said. Rose wasn't kidding. She went on to discuss how her group Live Action produced an eye-opening investigation this year revealing that Planned Parenthood employees were encouraging girls as young as 15 to engage in sadism . No wonder, Rose insisted, "The vast majority of Americans do not want to fund this." Rose also made the somber point that women who walk into abortion clinics never do so feeling powerful - they go to their appointments in a state of weakness. There is a way, however, to empower women who are facing unplanned pregnancies so they can understand abortion is not their only option, Rose told Townhall : "I think it's importa
Author May 7, 2018 The Episcopal Church in the United States has decided to scrap the terms "husband" and "wife" from its marital liturgy in its latest move to find favor with the LGBT community. Phrases related to "procreation" will also be deleted, as they may offend those who do not identify as heterosexual. According to LifeSite News, the change aims to make the church's marriage ceremonies more "gay-friendly." Indeed, Gay and lesbian Episcopalians have been increasingly vocal in their complaints that the language of the current liturgy is both offensive and exclusionary. Being a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the US Episcopal Church comes under the loose governance of the Church of England, and consequently the Archbishop of Canterbury. According to the Telegraph , the Church of England's Secretary General William Nye has been heavily critical of the change to such a sacred text and even threatened to cut ties with the U.S. church if it decides to introduce the new service as standard, and toss out the current wording in its Book of Common Prayer. The drastic change would see the new service replace the phrase "the union of husband and wife" with "the union of two people." Couples will still be able to opt for the most traditional "husband" and "wife" when making their vows, but this will not be included in the standardized version. In his letter, Nye urged that using the new language as standard would lead to a growing "pressure to dissociate" the Church of
A new documentary examines whether it's Christians to own guns. A documentary produced by a Walt Disney relative, "The Armor of Light," takes a look at the Second Amendment through Christian eyes to suggest: it's not really right for those of the faith to defend gun ownership. The film from Abigail Disney, the grand niece of Walt Disney, examines if pro-gun people can simultaneously be pro-life, Fox News reported . As Teo Bugbee from the Daily Beast put it: "Namely, we experience this film through the eyes of two evangelical Christians determined to make a change in this country's gun policy - Lucy McBath, the mother of Florida shooting victim Jordan Davis, and Reverend Rob Schenck, a pastor whose connection with McBath moved him to action. The Armor of Light is about the issue of guns, but it is also a document of Christian life in America at this heightened moment of political discontent." But as other reviews found, the documentary is not simple Disney magic. "'Brothers and sisters. Fox News and the NRA are not spiritual authorities.' It's one of the many mic-drop moments at the pulpit for Rob Schenck, the evangelical minister speaking out against what he sees as an unholy marriage of Christianity and gun culture in 'The Armor of Light,'" Variety's Justin Chang wrote. "Here are principled believers willing to preach against the choir, and doing so with a nuanced conviction born of painful personal experience. It's precisely the sort of faith-based provocation that Christia
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) could be a presidential hopeful in 2020, but her interview with CBS' 60 Minutes have some wondering if her explanations for her flip flopping on issues, like guns and immigration, could hurt her. Gillibrand was grilled (or at least they didn't let her just skip on past this area) by the network over her reversals. She had an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association, and she was more Trumpian on immigration. She now says that she's a bit embarrassed to have held those views. Her reason was that she didn't really have a view that extended past the New York's 20 th congressional district. She also pretty much insinuated that she was representing country bumpkin constituents back then, but not anymore--being a hard core liberal Senator from deep blue New York. Yes, she knows she will be hot with being a political opportunist. Yesterday, NBC's Chuck Todd interviewed former Clinton and Obama strategist Joel Benenson, who said this, could be a problem for Gillibrand. He noted how she changed positions on guns and immigration long before the 2020 rumblings, but added that her explanation that she "didn't look beyond my own backyard to think about issues more broadly" will hurt her. He juxtaposed how Barack Obama made his entrance into the national spotlight, and how he had a big agenda--a big vision for the country. Whether it was the right one is subject to debate, but Benenson noted how voters want that from their president and this we
As a mom of two millennials, I've gotten a glimpse into the world of ironic meta-meta-ness (characters in TV shows commenting on the fact that they're characters in TV shows, who comment on the fact that they're...etc.). And as a political junkie/satirist who's been following this election cycle with rabid, horrified fascination, I've seen quite a bit of often unintentional irony. (Melania Trump announcing that her platform as a First Lady would be to fight cyber-bullying will now be listed in the dictionary under the definition of the term.) Sometimes those two ideas converge, as in the recent news that the only documented example of voter fraud - you know, the supposed scourge that motivates Republicans to enact harsh Voter ID laws and to complain that the election will be rigged - was a Trump voter . She was apparently motivated by his constant claims of voter fraud to vote twice in order to 'make sure her vote was counted.' (I'd say she's giving Melania a run for her money in the irony department.) Voter fraud has been a long-time right-wing scare tactic, but that myth has been debunked time and time again. (The latest bipartisan research came up with 31 documented cases in over 1 billion votes counted, which makes it statistically even less likely than my chances of being attacked by a shark AND injured by an exploding Rachael Ray teakettle, which would be a weird but interesting way to go...) So in the interests of both comedy and meta-irony, I've responded to these fra
The death toll at Grenfell Tower in west London has risen to 30 -- and it will continue on that trajectory. The Metropolitan Police Service has admitted that it may eventually exceed 100 and many may never be identified. Those who made it out of the 24-storey tower block alive are either seriously hurt -- 74 people have been treated in six hospitals, according to the London Ambulance Service -- or have had their livelihoods irrevocably ruined. First responders are still at the scene. Fire investigators are wading through the blackened building. Undertakers are carrying bodies to the morgue. And Jeremy Corbyn? The staunch socialist is in full-on campaign mode, championing the cause of wealth redistribution. The Labour Party leader is calling for the 'requisitioning' of private property to house the now homeless Grenfell Tower residents. "Kensington is a tale of two cities -- it is among the wealthiest parts of the country but the ward where this took place is one of the poorest [...] Residents must also be re-housed, using requisition of empty properties if necessary, in the community they love," said Corbyn in an official statement. His call -- which would almost certainly be illegal -- has the backing of more moderate Labour MPs, including Harriet Harman and David Lammy. Corbyn is shamelessly generating political capital from a catastrophe -- it's completely uncalled for. His words, pitting the poor against the rich, amount to nothing more than an unsavoury attempt to sow di
An Essex newspaper has come in for severe criticism for an "article" on its website which reads almost word-for-word like a BNP press release. BNP leader Nick Griffin today said civil parterships "shouldn't be there" in an anti-gay rant on the Nicky Campbell programme on BBC Radio Five this morning. A BNP leader has called for kissing between men to be banned in public. The BNP leader in East Sussex, also attacked the "morals and honesty" of a gay Tory MP. Nick Griffin is to appear at an "academic conference" in Belgium next week shoulder-to-shoulder with holocaust denier Bruno Gollnisch of the Front National. Nick Griffin has hijacked the devastation in Haiti to push his political agenda. He said compared the death toll in Haiti to pensioner deaths in the UK. The media overlooked Nick Griffin's appointment to the European Parliament's environment committee in July - a story picked up by Left Foot Forward.
When "global warming" data was exposed as a fraud a few years ago, big government control freaks changed its name to climate change, enabling the anti-capitalist movement to blame pretty much any natural disaster on the phenomenon and justify limiting the use of fossil fuel energy. Polling shows that not only is global warming/climate change not a major concern for most Americans, but that the use of the different terms doesn't make a difference in peaking a person's interest on the issue. Now, the UN is changing the name of global warming, climate change again. UN Chief: 'I don't use the term climate change - I think the more accurate term is climate disruption' http://t.co/whQ891rjBE -- Marc Morano (@ClimateDepot) September 23, 2014 French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who also marched on Sunday, said people ought to "act every day as though every week should be a climate week". France has been chosen to host key U.N. climate talks in December 2015, where governments are due to agree a new global deal to tackle climate change. Paris is already working to bring nations together in a united effort, Fabius said. "If we let emissions grow, catastrophic climate change will accelerate," he said. That would mean more droughts, floods, human misery and international security challenges. "I don't use the term climate change - I think the more accurate term is climate disruption," he added. Same propaganda, different name. President Obama is at the UN in New York Tuesday to give
Birmingham considered a top target for extremists after series of terror arrests in the region THE second-biggest force in England plans to boost its armed response unit by nearly a third in the wake of the Paris attacks. Sources say West Midlands Police wants to train 46 more gun cops to swell the current 148. Birmingham has seen a series of counter-terrorism arrests in recent years and is considered a top target. A source said: "There are some areas of policing you try to protect at all costs and one is counter-terrorism. "Armed officers have been told their ranks will be increased by 46." Yesterday the force said there was "no definite decision" on numbers.
When I first heard that Youtube recently started to restrict LGBT videos and users, I was so angry and hurt. Youtube is my 2nd home where I've freely expressed myself in my videos and show off my talent for almost a decade. Now that I have a 2nd channel where I want to live off as a gamer and entertainer, I was shocked to hear they ban anything of LGBT or even "coming out videos". Kids are not allowed to see this because they deem it as sensitive material. I can't come out yet unless this issue is resolved. You're not protecting anyone or educating, this is discrimination. Whether if it was intended to come off as that way or not, Youtube, you need to look into this more. I want to be in a community that I can be comfortable with and not be judged for my sexual orientation. We need to fix this, please listen and work with the community, Youtube.
On Monday, the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University announced their upcoming "conversation" with the Parkland shooting survivors. The conversation will include Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students Ryan Deitsch, Matt Deitsch, Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, Cameron Kasky and Alex Wind, all of whom have come out as outspoken proponents of gun control. Meighan Stone, who has a deep-rooted history in the progressive movement, will be the "conversation's" moderator. Notice what name is missing from the list? That's right, Kyle Kashuv, the pro-Second Amendment student who has been meeting with various congressmen and senators on both sides of the aisle, as well as the Trump administration. It's highly unlikely that they simply "forgot" to invite Kashuv, considering Stone's background. After all, she does sit on the Board of Directors for Indivisible, the Progressive group that opposes anything and everything that the Trump administration does. Kashuv is also the only outspoken Parkland student who favors gun rights and the Second Amendment. Kashuv initially called out his classmates for failing to include him in the conversation. Thank you for the nonexistent invite. I look forward to not going.. https://t.co/xOeO15wLQ3 -- Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) March 12, 2018 Conservatives across Twitter called on Harvard to do the right thing and invite Kashuv to join the discussion. Hey @Kennedy_School you need to invite this Parkland survivor. When I was a student there
Doritos released a new snack honoring the LGBT community. The snack is inspired by the pride flag and features the iconic rainbow color scheme. The limited edition product is part of the It Gets Better project. Donors who choose to support the campaign by donating $10 or more will receive the new Doritos Rainbows chips. Aside from the Frito-Lay brand's new line of chips, supporters are urged to raise awareness about the movement by using the hashtag #BOLDANDBETTER throughout their social media channels. Interested in supporting the cause and testing the new munchies for yourself? Check out the Doritos Rainbows website ! Doritos created a new limited edition line of chips called the Doritos Rainbows. Each bag of chips features the iconic pride flag color scheme in support of the LGBT community. The product is part of a campaign for the It Gets Better non-profit organization, which looks to raise awareness regarding the LGBT community. Supporters who donate $10 or more to the cause will automatically receive a bag of the new Doritos Rainbows.
Leonardo is an jaguar and a magnificent creature. Leonardo was bred for the entertainment industry and was born in a cage. His first two years of life were spent entertaining people in a Las Vegas show. So that he would be "safe" for his handlers and audience, his canine teeth and all of his claws were pulled out. No one cared that his teeth gave his jaw support and without them eating would be difficult, or that his mutilated feet would be painful and crippling. No one cared for his welfare at all. When his owners tired of him, they sold him to a small zoo and pet store in Douglas, Arizona. MULLET OVER BY JAMES K. WHITE | MAY 11, 2016 Sir Robert Walpole served as Great Britain's first Prime Minister. He held the high office from 1721 to 1742. There have been 54 British PM's with David Cameron being #54. Nail polish originated in China about 3000 years ago. The Zhou Dynasty chose royal hues for their leaders' nail coloring. For decades, gold and silver polish were the royal trademarks for nails, but later years found that red and black had become dynasty favorites. Mummified remains indicate that some Egyptian pharaohs used henna as fingernail paint.
When Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) suggested we are still trying to "make sense" of the Orlando terror attack at Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Islamic terrorism, he all but proved Chairman Ted Cruz's point - political correctness is jeopardizing our national security. One is only still trying to "make sense" of Orlando if one ignores the killer's pledge to ISIS terrorism, the Texas senator insisted. "We cannot combat and defeat radical Islamic terrorism without acknowledging it exists and directing our resources to stopping it," Cruz said in his opening remarks. "And an Orwellian doublethink that seeks to excerpt any reference to it, as the Administration did to the president of France, or erase pledges of allegiance to ISIS, as the administration did with the Orlando terrorist, is counterproductive to keeping this country safe." The White House's decision to redact the Orlando 911 transcript so there was no mention of ISIS was an action that would especially "make George Orwell proud," he said at the hearing. In another example of the administration's ability to make key words disappear, a 2013 Judicial Watch report revealed that the FBI scrubbed its law enforcement training material of any language that might be deemed "offensive" to Muslims. Per those guidelines, hundreds of references to "Muslim," "Islam" or "jihad" were removed from the 2004 9/11 commission report. The witnesses provided more evidence to corroborate these findings. Mr. Philip Haney, a reti
The government's 'New Homes Bonus' scheme, which will match the council tax raised on each new house for six years, was slammed by shadow housing minister John Healey for being an expensive con, with the money coming mostly from existing local authority support grants - as revealed in a pre-election Tory green paper. One issue yet to be dissected by contenders to the Labour crown is taxation - and more specifically its principles. We may still be licking our wounds from one of our worst electoral defeats in history, but timidity is no recipe for renewing and building a revitalised progressive force to counter the growing threat posed by the ConDem coalition government.
Izmir, Turkey Jun 9, 2018 -- 10 Haziran Pazar gunu Izmirde onur yuruyusu gerceklestirilecektir. Izmirde yasayan, LGBT'yi destekleyen ve haklarini sonuna kadar savunmak isteyen herkesin katilimi bekliyorum. Unutmayin ve umutsuzluga kapilmayin hicbir hak durduk yerde kimseye verilmedi diger tum ulkelerde insanlar bunun icin savasti, varini yogunu ortaya koydu ve hakettikleri seyi aldilar. Ayni performansi sizdende bekliyorum :) Programin ayrintilarina gecicek olursak saat 3 gibi Alsancak cimlerde bulusuyoruz yaninizda kalem, karton, yuz boyasi getirirseniz cok iyi olur sonra pankartlar hazirliyoruz daha sonrada saat 6 gibi Osym binasi onunde yuruyuse basliyoruz :) Merak etmeyin bayraklar dernekler tarafindan dagitilacaktir evinizde de varsa getirebilirsiniz. Simdiden katiliminiz icin tesekkurler rengarenk kalin :) Not: Sizden kucuk bir ricam var Onur yuruyusune haklarimizi aramak icin gidiyoruz LGBT'ye yakisir bir bicimde davranin lutfen ve homofobiklerin eline koz vermeyin tesekkurlerr Keep fighting for people power! Politicians and rich CEOs shouldn't make all the decisions. Today we ask you to help keep Change.org free and independent. Our job as a public benefit company is to help petitions like this one fight back and get heard. If everyone who saw this chipped in monthly we'd secure Change.org's future today. Help us hold the powerful to account. Can you spare a minute to become a member today? I'll power Change with $5 monthly We were unable to post your comment. Please
The Supreme Court issued a 7-2 ruling in the case of the Colorado baker who said that his religious beliefs prevented him for baking a wedding cake for a same-sex wedding. However, in siding with the baker, the Court sidestepped the issue of religious liberty. Here is the Wall Street Journal's description of the ruling: The Supreme Court ducked deciding whether religious merchants have a constitutional right to deny service to gay people, but did rule Monday that a Christian baker didn't get a fair hearing before a state civil-rights commission and therefore shouldn't be penalized for turning away a same-sex couple. The ruling , by a 7-to-2 vote, is a victory for Jack Phillips , who turned away Charlie Craig and Dave Mullins when they came to order a wedding cake from his Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colo. The couple filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which found the baker in violation of state law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. Still, the opinion by Justice Anthony Kennedy went no further than saying the commissioners, based on comments in hearing transcripts, had failed to give "neutral and respectful consideration" to Mr. Phillips's claim that his constitutional right to religious exercise entitled him to disregard the state civil-rights law. A news story on Fox notes tthe narrowness in the ruling in the Mastercake case: The narrow ruling here focused on what the court described as anti-religious bias on the Colorado
Immigration means different things to different people. The left should recognise that. The government has suppressed a report showing that the number of UK workers unemployed because of non-EU immigration is well below the figure cited by ministers, according to the BBC . Number 10 has denied the claim but Labour has called for the report to be published. Downing Street has responded by insisting that the report will be published "in due course". Critics of the government have jumped on the news as evidence that Downing Street is attempting to shape the data to fit its anti-immigration narrative. And there is some merit to this view. At times the government has been happy to portray migrants as potential 'benefit tourists' but has also played upon fears about migrants 'stealing British jobs'. It should be blindingly obvious to most people that immigrants cannot do both. As repeatedly demonstrated by mountains of evidence, most migrants come to the UK to work rather than to claim benefits. Migrants who came to the UK after the year 2000 have made a 'substantial' contribution to public finances, according to a 2013 study by University College London . Those from the European Economic Area (EEA - the EU plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) made a particularly strong contribution in the decade up to 2011, contributing 34 per cent more in taxes than they received in benefits. According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) , 16.6 per cent of working age UK nationals cl
Personal freedoms have been debated since the United States came into existence as an independent country. As a society, there have been battles for independence from the rule of another country, there was a war over the ability to govern each state based on the beliefs, and long held traditions of the area and there have been fights over civil liberties. Freedom is a founding principle of the nation and the country has also made it clear that it is a melting pot. The U.S. has established itself as a place where everyone is welcome, no matter what race, creed, religion or sex. Yet the freedoms that the country holds so dear, are being tested by the ability to openly discriminate based on the idea of religious freedom. There has been a furor in recent days as Indiana signed into law what is known as the Religious Freedom Act. A law that would basically allow a business to turn away customers based upon their beliefs. Many have accused this law of being anti-LGBT people and yet it is so much worse than that. This is a law that allows for open discrimination. There are currently 31 states that have extended protections for religious beliefs. Of those 31 states, 18 had laws based upon the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act that was never in regards to same sex marriage or even gay rights. The original bill was based on the idea that there are customs associated with religion that should not be regulated by the government. Now it appears that the original premise of the Religi
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers are wrong to say that Britain can't reduce greenhouse gases by 80% without geo-engineering. More engineers is the key. The Times and Guardian both cover a new report published today by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, which claims that the UK will not be able to meet the Government's target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 without resorting to geo-engineering. The basis for this claim is an analysis of likely rates of decarbonisation, based on the experience to date of the UK and a number of other developed countries. The report says: "To decarbonise the nation and achieve the 80% reduction in GHG output by 2050, the UK will need to undertake a monumental task at a scale it has never seen before. Using work undertaken by Professor Roger Pielke of the University of Colorado, the UK would need to reduce carbon output per unit of GDP by over 5% annually until 2050. Between 2001 and 2006, we achieved an average of 1.3% annual reduction." This approach fails to take into account how new technologies and a tougher policy regime will accelerate emission reductions in the future. Studies using the MARKAL-MACRO model (also used by the Government for the 2007 Energy White Paper) and a model developed by Professor Dennis Anderson at Imperial College, (employed by the Stern Review on the economics of climate change) have shown that it is feasible to reduce the UK's emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 (and at costs th
Justin Trudeau and his Liberals are attacking Western Canada once again, this time by forcing a carbon tax on Saskatchewan. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna announced the Feds' national carbon tax and it is nothing but an attack on Brad Wall and his province . The announcement comes in the same week the Liberals began talking about moving the National Energy Board out of Calgary and putting it, or its replacement in Ottawa. It looks like the Feds and Saskatchewan are dug in, and this will end up in court. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Now is the time for the left in Britain learn from the electoral successes of the right The belief that Ed Miliband did not take the party far enough to the left is at best naive, at worst a potentially catastrophic piece of advice for those now charged with picking a new leader. Sadly if the polls are to be believed, it is a message that is resonating with supporters intent on pushing Jeremy Corbyn into a position as leader of the opposition. What the wider left has to realise is that the majority of the British people are not living in hope of a socialist utopia, simply waiting for a credible party to put forward that prospectus to lead us away from the horrors of Conservative rule. As much some may wish it - there will never be a sufficient number of people who back a party with policies like those that the Green party stood on in 2015 - it just doesn't seem credible to most people. The only Labour government I, and many others, have known in our lifetime was elected on broadly centrist policies with a leftist tinge. Tony Blair's Labour was by no means perfect - and the Iraq war has left an indelible mark on a whole generation of progressive voters - but the party have spent too long distancing themselves from the popular, election winning, and importantly, left of centre policies that were implemented under Blair's watch. Imagine what more he may have achieved if there had been a bit more mature, persuasive, internal pressure from the left within New Labour. Now is the ti
It's been a little while since we heard anything about Canadian environmentalist and CBC star David Suzuki. But he's back and he's accidentally let it slip that his lifestyle is way more carbon-intensive than he lets on. Normally when we do hear from David Suzuki he's scolding the rest of us normal people about our wasteful lifestyles while jet-setting across the globe and living in four different houses, worth millions of dollars. Hilariously, he co-owns one property on Nelson Island, with an oil company, Kootenay oil distributors. And this week, Suzuki accidentally let it slip in an interview with the Guardian that he also owns a house in Port Douglas, Australia. So we started researching that house. I don't know the value of that Australian home yet, but here's what's certain: It doesn't matter how big your home is, if you have to fly halfway around the world to get to it. WATCH me calculate the carbon emissions Suzuki racks up on the average return trip. David Suzuki got rich telling us the world was going to end because of global warming and our carbon emissions. I might take him seriously when he starts living like the threat is real. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Stupid, but unfortunately this stupidity is baked into the jurisprudential cake due to the intractability of the underlying problem. It'd be nice to set a bright-line rule about religious symbols on state land, where they're either always okay or never okay. But neither of those positions works. You can't have a system where they're always okay or else you're inviting overt attempts at religious indoctrination by the government. That would violate the Establishment Clause. At the other extreme, you can't have a system where religious symbols are never permitted. Imagine trying to remove the crosses at Arlington National Cemetery. Necessarily the analysis in cases about monuments is ad hoc, and just as necessarily that sort of analysis depends on the judge's subjective view. Courts are left trying to feel their way case by case, essentially taking a "I know it when I see it" approach to unconstitutional government-financed religious symbolism. Normally that involves applying something called the "Lemon test," drawn from a SCOTUS case of the same name, which tries to standardize judicial reasoning in analyzing cases like these. But it ends up as a hash in practice, with judges essentially using it to wrestle with the concept of de minimis indoctrination. Every religious symbol on government land risks indoctrinating the observer a little bit . Invariably the symbols are tied to virtues like heroism in war, in law enforcement, and so on. If you admire the valor of a soldier and
Islam kills again The news from Paris about the killing of twelve journalists highlights Islam's war on the West that represents a fundamental truth about this cult of Mohammad. Most are familiar with the Islamic schism between the majority Sunnis and the minority Shiites. It dates back to the very earliest days of Islam when the two groups disagreed over who should be the successor to Mohammad. There is a new schism in Islam these days and it is between a moderate interpretation of Islam and fundamentalism. We have all seen what fundamentalism produces. The past year had dramatic and tragic slaughters by the Islamic State (ISIS) in the Syrian-Iraqi area they control, the murder of more than 140 school children in Pakistan by the Taliban, and the kidnapping of 276 girls by Boko Haram in Nigeria. These acts represent a strict interpretation of Shia law based on the Koran. That is why an address by Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, on New Year's Day to clerics at Al-Azhar and the Awqaf Ministry is particularly significant. As reported by Raymond Ibrahim of the Middle East Forum, Sisi "a vocal supporter for a renewed vision of Islam, made what must be his most forceful and impassioned plea to date." His speech was a warning that "the corpus of (Islamic) texts and ideas that we have made sacred over the years" are "antagonizing the entire world." Referring to the 1.6 billion Muslims, Sisi said it is not possible that they "should want to kill the rest of the world's inhab
1. Ramadan Rage: Jihadists Kill 41, Injure 102 in First 4 Days Islamic terrorists have massacred at least 41 people and injured 102 in the first four days of the holiest month for Muslims, Ramadan, a time when some adherents of Islam believe jihad and martyrdom to be especially heroic and rewarded in paradise. This year, Muslim leaders declared Thursday to be the start of the holy month, when most Muslims abide by Ramadan's fasting tradition: abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking, having sex, and other physical needs each day, starting from before the break of dawn until sunset. The various calls for jihadist groups to halt their campaign of terror has fallen on deaf ears, particularly in Afghanistan, home to the majority of attacks. 2. Forced marriage: Mum guilty of making daughter wed older man A mother who forced her daughter to marry a relative almost twice her age has been convicted in the first successful prosecution in England. The woman duped the 18-year-old into travelling to Pakistan to wed the man, who was 16 years her senior. Years before the ceremony, the girl was entered into a "marriage contract" with the man and became pregnant aged 13. A jury at Birmingham Crown Court found the mother guilty of two counts of forced marriage. 3. Paris - Video: Muslim Man Arrested Outside French Jewish School For Shouting Insults Paris - A man shouted about Allah outside a Paris-region Jewish school and accused the people inside of killing children. The man was arrested and
The Supreme Court 's next term starts in three weeks. From October to April, the justices will hear roughly 70 cases -- and several promise to be blockbusters. High-profile cases such as those dealing with President Trump's travel order or the baker who refuses on religious grounds to make custom cakes for same-sex weddings are sure to make headlines. But here are some under-the-radar cases that could have huge impacts on Americans' everyday lives. If you carry a cellphone, police can track your whereabouts simply by requesting the data from Verizon , AT&T and other service providers. In Carpenter v. United States, the justices will ponder whether this warrantless seizure of cellphone location records violates the Fourth Amendment. The court frequently evaluates how police may take advantage of rapidly changing technology. In the past decade, it has ruled against tracking a suspect's car with a GPS device and required police to obtain a warrant before viewing data -- call log, contacts, etc. -- on the cellphone of someone they've arrested. In Carpenter, the government argues that police may use cellphone location records because the Fourth Amendment offers no expectation of privacy regarding information shared with third parties. But does it matter that, for all practical purposes, cellphone users have no choice in giving up these records? The court will decide. For a half-century, most states have barred sports betting. Recently, however, cash-strapped states have conte
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal to revive the Republican-backed Texas voter ID requirements signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry in 2011. Chief Justice Roberts explained the case was not taken up as litigation is continuing in the lower courts and the appeal may return at a later time. The law has been challenged by civil rights groups, individual voters and the U.S. Justice Department under President Obama's administration . The law was originally rejected under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (Section 5 required localities with a history of discrimination to obtain federal permission before changing voting procedures and was struck down in Shelby v. Holder in 2013), and was again blocked repeatedly after 2013 for discriminatory effects against Blacks and Hispanics. The 15-judge panel in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 9-6 in July 2016 that the Texas law had a discriminatory effect, thus violating the Voting Rights Act. Challengers of the law assert that the law could leave 600,000 people unable to vote. J. Gerald Herbert of the Campaign Legal Center said in a statement that Texas ranks poorly in voter participation and should be working to ensure eligible voters are able to vote. Regarded as one of the strictest voter ID laws, the law accepts seven forms of government issued photo IDs including: driver's license, handgun license, military ID, and U.S. passport. Under the law, university IDs and welfare IDs are not acceptable. Texas Attorney Ge
President Donald Trump. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images President Donald Trump stunned Americans--and the world--with his bold attack on Syria after their use of chemical weapon on their own civilians. In doing so, he sent a message to the Syrian regime, Russia, North Korea and Iran that he is tougher than his predecessor President Barack Obama and will retaliate President Bashar al-Assad's regime--with or without congressional authorization. Trump Clearly Changes Obama's Stand on Syria In 2013, Obama also expressed outrage at Syria's use of chemical weapons. He announced that a line had been crossed, but sought congressional authorization for a military mission to attack Assad instead of going-it-alone. He never got it . Obama knew that such a mission would be unpopular, as much within his own party as with Congress as a whole. In seeking permission from Congress, he probably figured he wouldn't have to attack Assad and could point to inaction on Capitol Hill as the excuse. Early into his presidency, Trump showed that he was no President Obama. Less concerned with approval ratings, the opinion of Congress, or even his own party (some of whom oppose any foreign adventures), Trump ordered the launch of dozens of Tomahawk Cruise Missiles at Syria, not long after U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley outlined the case against Syria. Supporters of Obama will no doubt point out that America has been conducting airstrikes in Syria since 2014 , trying to rebut charges of inaction.
I'm quite aware that we will be branded haters and bigots if we simply teach that marriage is the union of one man and one woman or if we believe that kids deserve a mom and a dad. And I know only too well that if we hold to historic Judeo-Christian sexual morals, we will be vilified in the ugliest imaginable terms. No matter how gracious and respectful we are, no matter how carefully we present our views, we will be attacked, and there's nothing we can do about that other than continuing to speak the truth in love. Some of those reacting in anger have been deeply hurt and feel personally wounded by our words, believing that we are dehumanizing and condemning them. And so, rather than calling them hypersensitive, we should be as sensitive as possible when sharing the gospel with them. Others simply respond with, "Hater! Bigot! Homophobe!" the moment we present the truth. It's reflex as much as it is rhetoric, and we can't be discouraged or disheartened in the least when treated like this. Jesus told us to expect as much (see John 15:18-20). Unfortunately, there is a real stream of homo-hatred in the Church, even if it represents the tiniest, fringe minority of the Body. It is there, and it must be rebuked in the clearest possible terms, especially since the secular media will focus on the very few hateful voices and ignore the vast multitude of loving voices. For the record, I have been in numerous, closed-door meetings with conservative Christian leaders, and not once have I
BY rICK MANNING | OCTOBER 9, 2013 Government's big fear: What if no one notices we are gone? The official federal government report on the nation's Employment Situation didn't happen on Friday, and nobody seemed to miss it. Economists and others referenced a payroll report released by the paycheck processing company ADP earlier in the week that showed that the private sector had grown by 166,000 jobs. The Gallup Company found that the unemployment rate on Oct. 3 was 7.7 percent (without seasonal adjustments.) Unlike the government unemployment rate which is also determined by a survey of American households that is completed sometime in the third week of the month, the Gallup poll provides a moving unemployment rate average reflecting in real time what is happening in the employment market, rather than a two week old snapshot. These private sector employment reports are not as robust as the government report, but based upon the market's reaction to a day without official government labor data (hint, the stock market went up), it is hard to discern the universal mourning for the "official numbers" short-term demise. It is enough to make a reasonable person wonder why the government spends taxpayer money to produce and release these reports at all. This question becomes all the more acute when you realize that the Labor Department has to engage in an elaborate spy versus spy game with reporters who are granted special access in advance of the release of economic data. Most d
During Breast Cancer Awareness month in October 2013, the White House was lit pink. After the Supreme Court ruled a ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional, the White House was bathed in rainbow colors. After five police officers were executed in Dallas and another four were assassinated in Baton Rouge, the Obama administration refused to light the White House blue in their honor. @kevincorke : "Has there been any consideration or any thought given to lighting The White House blue..." pic.twitter.com/xUpLtUVGla -- T. Grant Benson (@GrantB911) July 14, 2016 Over the weekend a group of conservatives, led by Michelle Malkin, took matters into their own hands by descending on the White House with blue lights as a tribute to fallen law enforcement officers around the country. They've deemed every Friday as #BlueLightFriday so people never forget the sacrifices made every day. A photo posted by Michelle Malkin (@misstripleem) on Jul 25, 2016 at 7:44am PDT A photo posted by Michelle Malkin (@misstripleem) on Jul 22, 2016 at 6:05pm PDT A photo posted by Michelle Malkin (@misstripleem) on Jul 22, 2016 at 6:10pm PDT Honoring the memories of fallen law enforcement officers when the White House won't, well done.
Two columns about tourism and terrorism lay out different moral universes One boring and annoying hallmark of some critics of 'the meeja' is their tendency to lump all conservative press outlets together. True, the right-leaning newspapers often sing from the same hymnsheet on both the big issues and the small ones. But distinctions can and should be made in order to criticise effectively. Two columns published today on the recent plane crash over Egypt are a good example. The first is from Richard Littlejohn in the Daily Mail . Today's piece is titled: 'Where next for cut-price package hols - the Gaza Strip?' One can assume from the sarcastic tone that Littlejohn is trying to be humourous here, but as usual he provides only his special blend of flippant xenophobia. Discussing his recent holiday, he writes: "...you've probably guessed I wasn't stranded in Sharm el-Sheikh like thousands of other British tourists. You couldn't pay me to spend five minutes in Egypt or any other North African or Middle Eastern hell-hole." That's sentence three. (In sentence two he beams that 'the natives spoke English', referring to Americans. This cute tapdance is characteristic, sounding a dog whistle with a margin of deniability, so he can plead innocence if caught out like a naughty child.) There's plenty of waffle - wordcounts must be met - but the meat of the piece is Littlejohn's asking why British tourists take holidays in dangerous and unpleasant places. He writes: "So I simply fail to
Guest Editorial The shabby secret of the welfare statists of both political parties By Craig Cantoni | March 3, 2010 Long before he traded his principles for fame and power by becoming Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan was a devotee of Ayn Rand. In 1966, he wrote an essay for her periodical, The Obectivist Newsletter, in which he revealed the shabby secret of the welfare statists of both political parties. To wit: ... the gold standard is incompatible with chronic deficit spending (the hallmark of the welfare state). Stripped of its academic jargon, the welfare state is nothing more than a mechanism by which governments confiscate the wealth of the productive members of a society to support a wide variety of welfare schemes. A substantial part of the confiscation is effected by taxation. But the welfare statists were quick to recognize that if they wished to retain political power, the amount of taxation had to be limited and they had to resort to programs of massive deficit spending, i.e., they had to borrow money, by issuing government bonds, to finance welfare expenditures [and wars] on a large scale. This is the shabby secret of the welfare statists' tirades against gold. Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the "hidden" confiscation of wealth. Gold stands in the way of this insidious process. It stands as a protector of property rights. Of course, Greenspan knew that the Federal Reserve was the vehicle for turning government bonds into money. He also kne
A Democratic congressional candidate from the state of New Mexico, Pat Davis has found himself in the national spotlight for his viral "F*** the NRA" advertisement. Davis is getting even more attention for his interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson on Tuesday night over another one of his controversial, and false, advertisements where he claims an AR-15 can fire 150 rounds in 15 seconds. But Pat Davis' controversial gun control advertisements aren't the only controversial thing about the candidate and current Albuquerque city councilor. In 2013, while chairman of the Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers, Pat Davis was arrested on an aggravated DWI charge, where he blew a .16, twice the legal limit. The arrest ultimately forced Davis to resign as chairman, according to the Albuquerque Journal . However, Davis decided he was going to keep his position as executive director of ProgressNow New Mexico, a leadership role that now belongs to Stephanie Maez . According to Davis' campaign website , ProgressNowNM is "one of New Mexico's largest advocacy organizations fighting right-wing fake news and helping to elect progressive champions to school boards, city councils, and the state legislature." The Albuquerque Journal also reported that Davis, 35 at the time of his arrest, is a former Washington, D.C. police officer who failed to secure the Democratic nomination for another elected position in 2010. Ironically, a few years before his DWI, Davis supported a more aggressive approach to
Here's some advice to the White House: it might be time for President Obama to cancel the rest of his economic "mission accomplished" tour and help figure out how to get the U.S. growing again. The Department of Commerce delivered the miserable news Wednesday morning that economic growth nearly ground to a halt during the first quarter, up a microscopic 0.2%. Even more disturbing, because the population is growing at about 0.8%, real per capita GDP is actually negative. Remember we also had an abysmal jobs growth number for March. Once again economists blamed the frigid and blizzard conditions on the east coast; and no doubt weather was a factor in the subpar performance. But this is a long-term pattern under Obama, not a seasonal blip. Back in 2009, Vice President Biden promised us a "Summer of Recovery" and nearly six years later we are all still eagerly waiting for it. The tepid growth rate so far in 2015 merely extends the track record of the 23 quarter post-Great Recession recovery. The annualized growth rate of 2.24% dead last compared to the six other recoveries since 1960, which averaged 3.97% after 23 quarters. This translates into nearly $1.7 trillion (in constant 2009 dollars) in absent economic growth. But the more amazing comparison is that of the Reagan - which trounces this current so-called recovery. That recovery's sizzling 4.8% annualized growth through 23 quarters was more than twice the rate of the current recovery. In other words, for every $1 of economic
July 25, 2018 ( LifeSiteNews ) -- The National LGBT Bar Association is attempting to organize a blacklist of sorts targeting legal nonprofits dedicated to protecting religious liberty and resisting the homosexual and transgender agendas. On Tuesday, the group launched its "COMMIT to INCLUSION" campaign, which seeks to get attorneys across the United States to sign a commitment that they won't assist or associate with socially-conservative legal groups in any way. "We, the undersigned members of the legal community, wish to publicly object to the anti-LGBT legal groups which operate within the United States legal system, including groups operating as Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and Liberty Counsel," the statement read. "We commit to inclusion by ensuring that our personal pro bono and volunteer capacity and personal financial resources will not be used to support the work of ADF and Liberty Counsel." "For more than 25 years, groups like Alliance Defending Freedom and Liberty Counsel have overseen an army of litigators and waged a systematic, insidious, and well-funded crusade to strip protections from LGBT people," LGBT Bar Association executive director D'Arcy Kemnitz claimed in a press release . "With the recent Supreme Court decision in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, the announced retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, and more and more court victories for those seeking a license to discriminate, fair-minded attorneys committed to diversity must push back. "When you he
The mainstream media give a select group of think tanks and corporate interests air space in the name of balance. The blogosphere can help rubbish much of the bias. A systematic campaign by neo-fascist climate-denying BNP supporters seems to have achieved just what it wanted; the BNP campaigned against these ads and won. Gordon Brown put internet connectivity at the centre of his manifesto today in a speech which aimed for "Britain to be the world leader in the digital economy". The public are unprepared for public service cuts, according to a new report. The public favours increases in business taxes and inheritance tax above all others.
If you watch any film or television show that features any aspect of contract killing or the intelligence community, you're bound to see the typical scene where some agent, or hitman, whips out a gun and attaches a suppressor at the end in order to carry out their mission undetected. Yet, this is only for entertainment purposes. The bill that aims to make suppressors more available for civilian use revolves around hunting and sports shooting, where such a device could prevent hearing loss for avid shooters. Oh, and the gun control community isn't happy about it. Right now, a civilian may obtain a silencer in certain state, but only after going through a background check conducted by the ATF under the National Firearms Act (via the Hill) : "Suppressors significantly reduce the chance of hearing loss for anyone who enjoys the shooting sports," Chris Cox, executive director of National Rifle Association's lobbying arm, said in a statement. Gun silencers, or suppressors, not only reduce the noise, but also the recoil from firing a shot, advocates say. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), Gun Owners of America (GOA), and American Suppressor Association are also backing the legislation. GOA executive director Larry Pratt said it is "not only unconstitutional but embarrassing" that the government places so many restrictions on the purchase of gun silencers. "Silencers are not used in crime, nor would they be if more widely available," Pratt said. Gun silencers are prohib
A recent Wall Street Journal article has surprisingly good news: US companies are seeing the highest profit growth in two years with "two consecutive quarters of double-digit profit growth for the first time since 2011." This surprisingly comes not from policies pursued in Washington, but the hard work of the private sector. Economic freedom is the greatest gift ever bestowed on man. In the United States, we saw the greatest industrial revolution the world had ever experienced. We set the bar for achievement with the production of the automobile, we put men in the air and built ships of amazing size. We revolutionized steel production and built bridges that stand strong to this day as a symbol of American ingenuity. Breaking with the Trump administration, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) ecently announced that he intends to protect the health insurance company subsidies that had previously been a part of ObamaCare. This is all in line with the Senate Majority Leader's desire to stabilize the market which he believes is "collapsing" (in large part thanks to ObamaCare). Though reform in this field is absolutely necessary, doling out handouts to well connect insurance companies who helped write the bill are only going to help prevent necessary reform and continue a crony mindset in Washington that needs to go the way of the dinosaur. Is this spike in job growth a sign that businesses are hopeful for the economy under the Trump administration? According to the May 2017: ADP Employmen
Note: The segment referred to in this column can be viewed by clicking on this link. Last week, I had a chance to film a segment on "The Kelly File" with Megyn Kelly. It was a short interview, running a total of just five minutes. For many viewers, one small portion of the interview, running less than thirty-seconds, overshadowed the rest of our exchange. Take a moment to watch the video portion between the 2:20 -and 2:45 mark. This was the point where many viewers perceived that Megyn was correcting me for using the label "pro abortion" instead of the label "pro choice." This was followed by her observation that "whatever your views on abortion" celebrating the end of a pregnancy is "a little beyond." By using the term "beyond," she seemed to be saying that such a celebration was "beyond the pale." As you can see during the segment, I had an opportunity to justify my use of the "pro abortion" label. Indeed, the event I was talking about was one where "I Had an Abortion" tee shirts were being sold to students so they could walk around campus advertising the fact that they had aborted their babies. That the event was indeed pro abortion certainly seemed to register with Megyn, as one would expect. She's a sharp interviewer. So I was perplexed by the correction. Perhaps Megyn was just trying to keep the attention of abortion supporters. But time did not permit me to address the part I think Megyn got wrong, which is the idea that celebrating abortion is beyond the pale regardle
Christianity is a tough sell in Hollywood. Just ask real estate moguls and brothers David and Jason Benham. If their Home & Garden Television Network show had gone according to plan, the two probably would have been famous for their knack for buying and selling houses. Instead, they have become more recognized as leaders for religious freedom. You're probably familiar with the Benhams' story . Last year, HGTV signed the Christian brothers for a new show called, "Flip it Forward." They did so knowing full well about the Benhams' faith and beliefs. It wasn't long after, however, that special interest groups like GLAAD and Right Wing Watch bullied the network into firing them. Apparently being pro-life and pro-marriage was too controversial. In their new book, " Whatever the Cost: Facing Your Fears, Dying to Your Dreams, and Living Powerfully ," which will hit shelves tomorrow, the Benhams explain their having to endure religious persecution and how they ultimately overcame it. They actually began writing the book two years ago before even being discovered by HGTV , but altered the message after losing their TV gig. David and Jason were in high spirits when I spoke with them Friday about their new book. I started by focusing on the title. Since I'm sure I'm not the only who was stumped by the line, "Dying to Your Dreams," I asked them to explain just what that meant. "Jason and I dreamed of being major baseball players when we were kids and that's something that we really pushe
When it comes to immigration reform, we all know what conservatives are against. We are against the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. We are against the 2013 Gang of Eight bill. And we are against the 2014 Deferred Action for Parental Accountability program. But what are we for? The system is clearly broken. It takes way too long for law-abiding immigrants to become citizens, the wealthy and powerful game the system for their friends , and, now that the economy is revering, the number of illegal immigrants is rising again . Sure every conservative wants to "secure the border." But when it comes to how that should be done (a wall, mandatory e-verify, doubling the border patrol, etc.), consensus quickly falls apart. And don't even ask about what to do with those illegal immigrants already in the country. Establishment Republicans are locked into the amnesty-for-enforcement model. Details may vary but the plans are still fundamentally the same: Devote more resources to some border security efforts now ("secure the border") and then grant legal status to the 11 million illegal immigrants currently in the United States. There are two main problems with this position. First, border security is not a one-and-done proposition. It is not like going to the moon. "Securing the border" will always be an ongoing process. You could build a wall. But then that wall has to be maintained, improved, and monitored. Even then, roughly 45 percent of illegal immigrants curre
Author's Note: The idea for this column isn't terribly original, as this YouTube video attests . Some readers have written questioning my series of columns lampooning the lavender graduation at UNC-Wilmington. That is the ceremony where UNCW graduates are given purple cords to show that they are gay and lavender cords to show they approve of homosexuality. Students then wear these cords when they get their degrees at the university-wide graduation ceremony. Some self-proclaimed conservatives have reasoned that since participation in the ceremony is optional, lavender graduation isn't a topic worthy of column space. That view is misguided as it fails to account for ingrained patterns in our institutional history, which show that today's "option" is often tomorrow's mandate. So these columns are about more than sexual identity politics. They also have implications for freedom of speech and freedom of conscience. Consider the example of our now-infamous Seahawk Respect Compact. Some years ago, a staff member wrote to me in distress because he was being pressured into signing the respect compact. He feared that there would be repercussions for not signing it, even though it was said to be optional. Since then, there have been three developments with regard to the compact. 1. The compact is now mandatory for staff and students . Whether enrolling as a student at UNCW or accepting a job at UNCW, members of our university community are now simply told that they are bound by the resp
On last night's show , Jennifer Breedon joined me to discuss how she assembled the footage with filmed for our new film, Saving the Christians: The Forgotten Refugees. The mainstream media and liberal politicians are obsessed with the plight of Muslim refugees, but they completely ignore the genocide being waged against Christians by Islamic extremists. Churches are being destroyed , Christians are being forced to convert to Islam or face execution, and Christian communities dating back hundreds of years are being wiped out. WATCH my interview with Jennifer to see footage from our new film and see what the media won't tell you about Christian refugees. PS: You can buy tickets to the Toronto premiere of the film HERE . Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
The sketchy details surrounding the shooting in Las Vegas of two police officers as they ate pizza, gives me cause for grave concern. People armed with guns, killing cops and shouting "revolution" should always concern us, much as the Manson "Helter Skelter" murders concerned the country in 1969. Because while some may say that the shooting is an isolated incident, I think it could be a trend if the country doesn't draw away from the precipice from which we are currently perched. Like the Manson murders, the shooting represents in microcosm much of the action and reaction created by a decade of hate disguised as love. I'm concerned of course for the families of the victims above all else. And I'm concerned for the city of Las Vegas, which is kind of a second home to me. I spent most of 2010 in Las Vegas educating voters about the issues important to conservatives. So I know and love many people who call Las Vegas home. But I'm concerned on another level for the country right now. And if, as initial reports indicate, this was the work of white supremacists, I lay it off all on Obama. In fact, it almost doesn't matter who it was shooting and shouting "revolution"--it could have been liberals from union local 1180-- somewhere down in there the motive drive at work was the worst, most divisive president we have ever had in this country. That he's a black man just makes matters even worse and more concerning. Because we have come full circle in race relations where the party on th
Dear Holy Father, It has been about 42 years since my last confession, but that's not why I am writing. I read with great interest your recent Encyclical Letter on climate change, which spoke so poignantly about how we must all find a way to help heal our badly wounded earth that we have ruthlessly plundered for so long now. You probably don't have time for a sequel before your road trip to the United States, but please consider at your earliest convenience taking up the long ignored global youth unemployment crisis which now is reaching epic proportions. (As far as an encyclical title, something in Latin about the perils of wasting our planet's youth through prolonged idleness would be good.) In your current encyclical you write compellingly about a "real social decline" and "the silent rupture of the bonds of integrity and social cohesion" that is part and parcel of a world situation where "whatever is fragile like the environment, is defenseless before the interests of a deified market which becomes the only rule." I respectfully submit that these very same selfish and short sighted capital market forces that result in the wholesale ruination of our natural environment are also ignoring the wasting of a generation. Predictably, some of this idle youth cohort turn to gangs and violent extremist movements for the social cohesion and purpose that supporting a family through honest labor can provide. Many of them are homeless or are brutally exploited in the global sex tra
Pope tells moms to breastfeed in Sistine Chapel 'without fear' Pope Francis further cemented his status as the coolest pope ever this past Sunday when he told mothers attending a service in the Sistine Chapel to feel free to breastfeed if their babies were hungry. The comments took place during an annual ceremony commemorating the baptism of Jesus, where the Pope baptized 28 children. "The ceremony is a little long, someone's crying because he's hungry," he said. "That's the way it is. You mothers, go ahead and breastfeed, without fear. Just like the Virgin Mary nursed Jesus." The pontiff isn't afraid to take on other topics that are typically taboo according to the Church. This past November he gave priests the authority to forgive abortions . In 2013 , shortly after becoming Pope, he said, "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?" This isn't the first time the Pontiff has spoken out in support of public breastfeeding. At the same ceremony two years ago he encouraged mothers to feed their hungry babies as well. In 2013, during an interview with an Italian journalist, he mentioned a young mom he had met and how he didn't want her to feel ashamed for breastfeeding in front of him. "She was shy and didn't want to breast-feed in public, while the pope was passing," he said. "I wish to say the same to humanity: give people something to eat! That woman had milk to give to her child; we have enough food in the world to feed everyone." Can this be i
Florida Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Chris King dropped a TV ad aimed at current Governor Rick Scott (R). According to King, "Governor Rick Scott did nothing" when the Pulse Nightclub shooting took place in Orlando in June of 2016. King promises to take on the NRA. Here's the ad: Now, King proposes the "Every Kid Fund," which would: * Invest in prevention and intervention programs. * Invest in school safety measures. * Implement programs to study and reduce the epidemic of gun violence. * Reimburse trauma centers for medical costs of treating victims of mass shootings. King says funding will come from: * Implementing a six percent sales tax on the sale of ammunition. The only exception would be for law enforcement officers. * Dedicating funds from said sales tax to implement the goals of the "Every Kid Fund." * Utilizing additional funds from King's "Turning the Tide" criminal justice plan , which would be generated by ending mass incarceration and legalizing, regulating and taxing marijuana. "I'm proposing the 'Every Kid Fund' for Gun Violence Prevention because every child deserves to grow up in a state free from the scourge of gun violence, whether it's everyday gun violence or mass shootings," King said in a statement. "We should be investing in new and innovative ways to keep Floridians safe and that's why I'll bring my bold, progressive policy to Tallahassee and send 'proud NRA sellouts' like Adam Putnam packing." The candidate took to Twitter to advocate for his
Political correctness is a pathological disorder. You can't say "niggardly" or "black holes" or "chink in the armor" without provoking protests or risking your job. You can't invoke the Constitution or call illegal behavior "illegal" without being accused of hatred. And now, you can't goof around at a high school basketball game in silly costumes without the world accusing you of "racial insensitivity." Last week, thanks to hyperbolic grievance-mongers and irresponsible reporters, the students of Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, N.J., garnered international headlines and Internet infamy. "Shocking moment students at Catholic school dressed as monkeys and a banana and taunted black basketball players ... and DIDN'T get punished," the U.K. Daily Mail blared last week. "Students who taunted black players at New Jersey basketball game get warning, no punishment," USA Today decried. Bossip.com, "the premier destination for African-American pop culture and entertainment," exclaimed: "Really?!? White High School Students Taunt Black Basketball Team in Monkey and Banana Costumes." No, not really. If any of these media outlets had bothered breathing into paper bags before making abject fools of themselves, they might have actually committed journalism. Holy Spirit is a tight-knit community with a 50-year tradition of excellence in academics, sports and character education. I know more than a little about the school and its student body because I am a proud alumna of H.S.H.S. and ha
It was a great honor to be invited to host the latest 'Prager U' video -- which have collectively racked up more than one billion views since the organization's inception, overcoming a censorship battle with YouTube to become a content juggernaut. The purpose of my talk was to launch a cheerful but forceful assault on the soulless and imagination-limiting tyranny of identity politics, which the Left has cultivated for years (the Right should guard against embracing its own form of the practice). As a right-leaning member of the LGBT community, I often find myself essentially justifying my own existence. I know I'm not unique in this respect. The aggressive gay Left labels me a self-loathing sellout, while truculent anti-gay bigots insist that my sexual orientation precludes me from being a conservative. Ironically, these small-minded people end up agreeing that it's unacceptable and contradictory to identify as LGBT and right-leaning. They're wrong. As I explain below, immutable characteristics are not the only elements that define who I am -- or who any of us are. Ideas and values matter immensely; I've said before that no free-thinking citizen of a free country should feel crammed into a claustrophobic ideological box solely because other people think that's where they "belong," by dint of their sex, race, creed, or sexual identity: I noted in the clip that over recent election cycles, a small but significant contingent (roughly 15 to 30 percent) of self-identified
We knew pro-abortion activists would be upset by Donald Trump's win, but we didn't quite know how low the rhetoric would go. One unfortunate case in point was stand-up comedian Jena Friedman's guest appearance on Stephen Colbert's live election special on Comedy Central. As the election results came in and it was clear Trump was going to be elected our next president, she made a disgusting suggestion . (Warning: graphic language.) "It feels like an asteroid has just smacked into our democracy," she began. "It is so scary and sad and heartbreaking. And I just wish I could be funny. Get your abortions now because we're going to be f**ked and we're going to have to live with it." The audience did not laugh - they gasped. Presumably, Friedman is terrified, in part, because Trump has pledged to appoint pro-life justices to the Supreme Court. He will also be cooperating with the Republican-led Congress as they continue to try and defund Planned Parenthood. It's not just because they feel like it - it's because Planned Parenthood has been caught treating unborn babies inhumanely. Yet, pro-abortion activists like Friedman like to define any kind right to life legislation as counterproductive and probably thinks a Trump presidency will end women's rights once and for all. Liberals everywhere have been shouting their end-of-the-world prophecies after Trump's historic win on Tuesday. How can the free world survive with him at the helm, they wonder? Instead of acknowledging the politic
This weekend's episode of Saturday Night Life had a cold opening featuring Kate McKinnon as Jeff Sessions in a Forrest Gump-style skit . Sessions was acting like Gump, eating chocolates, telling anecdotes about his life to strangers, and sitting on a bench by a bus stop. It was trolling. Period. It brought up the absurd outrage hurled at Kellyanne Conway for putting her shoes on the couch of the Oval Office and the allegations about Russian collusion with the Trump campaign for which there is still zero evidence. Yet, the context of the skit reminded me of something. In 2012, I was fortunate to attend Americans For Prosperity Foundation's Right Online conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was at the Venetian, Sheldon Adelson's base of operations, and I remember commentator Bill Whittle describing Forrest Gump within the cultural divide between liberal and conservative America. He said in some ways, Gump is a swipe at conservatives. He's pretty much mentally challenged, with an IQ of 75, he's from the Deep South, he's not all that well-educated, and is portrayed as a simpleton. Remember the scene where he outruns his high school bullies in a pick-up truck and turns onto a football practice being watched by legendary University of Alabama coach Bear Bryant? "Who in the hell is that?" asked Bryant. "That there is Forrest Gump, coach. Just a local idiot," replied another coach. Whittle said that's how liberals see us: stupid--and evil, repugnant, and Southern. The latter part I'v
Officials from Barack Obama's outgoing administration have made Congress aware that they intend to transfer 17 or 18 of the 59 remaining detainees from Guantanamo Bay by the end of next month, according to the New York Times . By law, the Pentagon must notify Congress 30 days before a prisoner transfer, a deadline that Obama made on Monday. In June, Obama made sure to release Abdel Malik Ahmed Abdel Wahab al-Rahabi, the bodyguard, 9/11 planner, and possible relative of Osama bin Laden, from Guantanamo Bay. In September, Obama's administration informed the American people that two more Islamic terrorists released from Guantanamo Bay returned to the battlefield to fight against the United States. That news lifted the total to nine people freed from Guantanamo who rejoined militant groups since Barack Obama took office in 2009. And earlier this year, a senior Defense Department official told lawmakers that Americans have been killed by prisoners released from the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. Jeff Crouere "What I can tell you is unfortunately there have been Americans that have died because of (Guantanamo) detainees," Paul Lewis said. "When anybody dies, it is a tragedy and we don't want anybody to die because we transfer detainees."
Bob Irwin highlights the latest self defense and other shootings of the week. Read them and see what went wrong, what went right and what we can learn from self defense with a gun. CPD Chief Kim Jacobs holds an image of the BB Gun recovered at the scene. (WCMH) Bob Irwin USA - -( Ammoland.com )- NBC News 4 reported 9-15-2016 a Columbus, Ohio, that around 7:45 p.m. Officers responded to an armed robbery call near the corner of South 18th Street and East Capital Street. The victim told Officers a group of individuals approached him. One had a gun and demanded his money. The victim apparently refused and the suspects fled. Responding Officers in the area saw three men matching the description in front of 33 Hoffman Street and tried to talk to them. Two of the men then ran away and officers followed them to an alley behind 27 Hoffman Street. When officers tried to take those two into custody, one of the suspects pulled out a gun. One of the officers fired and hit the 13 year old suspect. He was taken to Children's hospital and pronounced dead around 8:30 p.m. The handgun was later determined to be a BB gun fitted with a laser sight. Comments: Kids with fake guns again. Hopefully the threatening suspect will survive for the Officers mental well-being. These cases are really tough. If your life is apparently in danger, you have no choice but to fire. There is no winning this type of engagement. Some jurisdictions are reacting to these incidents by trying to outlaw toy guns. Liberal
LONDON, United Kingdom - Donald Trump has raised eyebrows throughout his campaign for the Republican Presidential nomination with comments he has made in the past constantly coming back to haunt him. However, across the pond in the UK it is his actions, in meeting the former boss of the Irish terrorists group the IRA, that are causing concerns. For decades the IRA's spokesman, Gerry Adams, had been banned from the US because of his involvement in terrorism. But all that changed under Bill Clinton, when he was granted a 48-hour visa to visit the country. It was granted despite bitter complaints from officials in the British Foreign Office, and the US State Department. Both sides felt the 'Special Relationship' was put at risk by the presence of Adams on American soil. Mr Adams used a second trip the following year to attend a $200 a head fund-raising dinner with the glitterati of New York society. At the time AP said: "Barred from the United States until last year, Adams drew celebrities and supporters to a posh Manhattan hotel for an unprecedented fund-raiser Wednesday. "Bianca Jagger, Tom Hayden, moviemaker Michael Moore and ex-mayor David Dinkins were among those paying $200 a plate to rub shoulders with Adams as Irish nationalist fund raising came out of the closet." As photos from the time show, Donald Trump was also at the fund-raiser, but he was not joined by any other Republican Presidential hopefuls. The meeting gave Trump the opportunity to shake the hand of a man wh
The Islamic State Caliph, while instructing all his devout Muslim followers to choose martyrdom over surrender, has fled the besieged city of Rawa, Iraq in a yellow cab. Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has reportedly fled from Iraq to Syria in a yellow taxi in a bid to avoid drawing suspicion. An intelligence source claimed the terror group's chief was hiding out in Rawa, northwestern Iraq, when troops entered Qaim some 50 miles away near the Syrian border. Al-Baghdadi felt his presence in Rawa 'threatened his life', so he scampered over the border to Deir ez-Zor in a vehicle synonymous with the western world of New York City.
1. "Christmas terror plot foiled": Bomb squad called in after police arrest four men over "Islamist-related" plans Police have raided five properties and arrested four men on suspicion of plotting a "Christmas terror attack". Specialist counter terrorism police officers arrested three men, aged 22, 36 and 41, at addresses in Sheffield on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. A 31-year-old man was arrested at an address in Chesterfield on suspicion of the same offence. All four were arrested by anti-terror police working with MI5 in the "Islamist related" investigation, with people evacuated from their homes and schools placed on lock down. 2. Sex robot expo in venue switch after "terror threat from OFFENDED Islamic extremists" The Third International Congress in Love and Sex with Robots has been rocked by terror threats from Muslim extremists. The two-day conference, which started today, was supposed to take place at Goldsmiths University, where it was held last year. But organisers have been forced to move the controversial meeting of computer scientists, AI experts and robot ethicists to a secret venue for security reasons. The second annual conference was due to be held in Iskamdar, a Malaysian state, in 2015, but was banned by police for being "illegal". [...] He said: "The event was originally supposed to be held at Goldsmiths University." "There were some threats that police had found from Muslim extremists. "W
If you paid attention, you knew it was coming. Justin Trudeau and the Liberals have completely revamped a key committee that advises the government on Canada's gun laws. Gone are the people that actually know about firearms and in are the people that fear them and don't want you to have them. But of course the Liberals telegraphed this by promising to do it in their 2015 election platform: "modify the membership of the Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee to include knowledgeable law enforcement officers, public health advocates, representatives from women's groups, and members of the legal community;" Then at the beginning of February they announced John Major, the retired Supreme Court justice as chair of the new committee. He has a reputation of being a fair and reasonable man, not a huge record on gun rulings, so not bad. The two vice-chairs I didn't know but the government seemed to be sending a message; one was an Olympic shooter, the other an advocate for more control, so a split. Watch as I tell you who makes up the rest of the committee. If you just glance at it and don't pay attention, it doesn't tell you much and you might even think it's not a bad list, right? Wrong. This is a well-stacked committee struck with the sole intention of advising the government to bring in tougher and more expensive gun control, which we know is the Liberal goal . They were upfront in their election platform with promises on background checks, a proposal for a gun registry in all but
Joseph A. Cahill with his son Joseph Jr.Courtesy Woman indicted for fatal drug death in Portsmouth PORTSMOUTH -- A York, Maine, father of a young son died early Monday morning from what police believe was a heroin overdose. Joseph A. Cahill, 27, was found unconscious and not breathing about 1:30 a.m. when police were called about screaming coming from the Gosling Meadows public housing development. Lifesaving efforts by patrol officers and firefighters were unsuccessful. Cahill was pronounced dead at the scene. Police and the New Hampshire Office of the Medical Examiner are investigating his death as a heroin overdose. According to his online obituary, Cahill was born in Melrose, Mass., had worked at Jumpin' Jay's restaurant in the Port City and was well liked, known for his big heart, who loved spending time with his family, which includes his son, Joseph A. Cahill Jr. A funeral Mass is set for 11 a.m. on Friday in St. Christopher's Church, 4 Barrell Lane, York, Maine.
It's the second quarter fiscal update from Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci, and you know what that means: Sunny, albeit delusional, spin from the NDP about Alberta's finances, and another credit downgrade. The two really go hand in hand. Nearly every time Joe Ceci steps to the mic each quarter to tell us what a good job he's doing, some bond rating agency issues a warning , an admonishment or worse . This time is no different. Less than 24 hours after Joe Ceci told a press conference that, "Alberta is back in the saddle" and economic recovery was imminent, bond rating agency DBRS dropped Alberta's rating from AA (high) stable to AA with a negative outlook , saying the downgrade reflects large operating deficits and rapid debt accumulation. It's may be testament to how shallow the NDP benches are that Joe Ceci, man of many downgrades, is able to hang onto his job. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Behold, the junior ( and retiring ) Senator from California pushing gun control amendments in the immediate aftermath of radicalized Islamists' deadly mass shooting in California ( via Grabien ): "Sensible gun laws work. We've proven it in California. And we're not going to give up." Surreal. Boxer's defenders would say that gun violence in California has fallen substantially since the state implemented a series of restrictions decades ago (none of which stopped the apparent jihadist massacre this week). But gun crime is down sharply across the board in the United States, including in states and jurisdictions with very permissive gun laws. Indeed, despite terrible incidents and prominent headlines, gun homicides have been cut in half over the last 20 years. And gun crime has is down overall since the 2004 expiration of the federal ban on "assault weapons," a state-level version which failed to prevent this week's calculated horror. In any case, yesterday's tone-deaf gem will be added to the pantheon of awful that is the career of Senator Ma'am . I'll leave you with my debate over gun control on Fox News yesterday afternoon (courtesy of Right Sightings ): Serious question for gun control advocates: If radical Islamist terrorists aren't deterred by laws against murder and bomb-making, in what way would tighter gun laws stand in their way? The primary San Bernadino shooter was a US citizen and government employee with a clean record. The guns used were purchased legally .
In case you missed it earlier this week, the New York Times published an extensive piece detailing how U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan have been told to ignore rampant sexual abuse of young children, mostly boys, by Afghan allies because "it's their culture." U.S. soldiers were not only told they would be punished for intervening or stopping a sexual assault, they have been punished for doing so. Green Beret Charles Martland was discharged from the Army after roughing up an Afghan military commander who admitted, and laughed about, being a child rapist. After an Afghan police commander admitted to repeatedly raping a little boy after chaining him to a bed for seven days, he was brought on base for questioning by Army Special Forces. When the commander laughed about his atrocities, in addition to beating the boy's mother when she tried to intervene and stop him from assaulting her son, he got roughed up. Now Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland, a Green Beret with 11 years of outstanding Army service, is being kicked out of the military as a result of doing the right thing. Now, according to a Fox News exclusive, Martland has lost his appeal. Even as the U.S. military denies reports that American troops were told to ignore Afghan child abusers, an 11-year Green Beret who was ordered discharged after he confronted an alleged rapist was informed Tuesday that the Army has denied his appeal. Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland earlier this year was ordered discharged by Nov. 1. He ha
Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed SB149, a discriminatory bill that targets LGBTQ citizens and other minorities. The bill, which passed the House of Representatives and the Senate in the state of South Dakota , allows adoption agencies to refuse to provide service based on religious or moral grounds. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has joined forces with the American Civil Liberties Union to fight the bill. The HRC quotes their legal director, Sarah Warbelow, as saying: This is the first anti-LGBTQ bill that any state has signed into law this session. Governor Daugaard's action not only puts the best interests of the more than a thousand vulnerable children served by South Dakota's foster care system at risk, it signals the potential of a dark new reality for the fight for LGBTQ rights. These children could now wait longer to be placed in a safe, loving home at the whim of a state-funded adoption or foster care agency with a vendetta against LGBTQ couples, mixed-faith couples or interracial couples -- all while being taxpayer-funded. LGBTQ children in South Dakota's foster care system face the risk of staying in a facility that does not affirm their identity and actively works against the child's well being by refusing to give them appropriate medical and mental health care. There are an estimated 1,174 children in the foster care system in South Dakota. SB 149 will allow placement agencies, which are funded by the taxpayer, to turn away qualified, loving citizens, "including LG
Where EDNA failed, the Equality Act will succeed. At least that is the hope of Congressional Democrats hoping to seize the landmark ruling in favor of same-sex marriage at the Supreme Court earlier this summer to expand LGBTQ rights to the workplace, the classroom and in public spaces. In 28 states, gay and lesbian Americans have no protection from workplace discrimination while transgender Americans are only protected in 19 states. Democrats in Congress are looking to change that statistic once again. Congressional democrats will introduce the Equality Act in both the House and Senate today, a bill that would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity to the existing list of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin, protected against discrimination. The bill would also clarify that the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act cannot be used as a defense for anti-LGBTQ discrimination. The Equality Act would also expand the types of public accommodations covered under the Civil Rights Act to include banks, grocers, retail outlets, bars and taxi cabs. In 2013, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act died in the Republican-led House after passing the Senate in a historic vote. This time, the same senator who ushered EDNA through the upper chamber is a co-sponsor of the Equality Act. Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley co-sponsored the bill will the first openly gay Senator Tammy Baldwin and New Jersey's first African-American Senator Cory Booke
Neil Coyle is the director of policy and campaigns at Disability Rights UK and a Labour councillor and Deputy Cabinet Member for Welfare in Southwark The prime minister has claimed disability organisations support his government's welfare reform agenda - and the DWP Minister for Disabled People has suggested disabled people are protected from cuts. These two myths need debunking. Firstly, many disability organisations do support welfare reform which delivers improvements in the way benefits are delivered or which cut the bureaucracy involved . Some aspects of current reforms deserve support - for example the taper in Universal Credit which allows people to keep more of their earned income when starting work. But there is no disability organisation supporting the total package of government reform because the combined effect is catastrophic. Just a quick recap on some headline figures: * 100,000 disabled children to lose under Universal Credit; * 600,000 disabled people 16-64 years of age to lose Disability Living Allowance (DLA); and * 300,000 disabled people to be cut off from all out of work support after just 365 days despite 75% receiving regular NHS treatment. So it's no surprise the most representative group - the Disability Benefits Consortium (almost 60 national disability, advice and welfare-focused organisations) - doesn't support the government agenda. Nor is it a surprise the prime minister can't name any relevant, representative organisation which does. If there
David Cameron is expected to make a speech today following up on his "go for growth" comments to Andrew Marr yesterday. But the policies leaked to the Times, Mail and Express will cost at least PS3.9 billion and would require ... Continued Orpington councillor Peter Hobbins has been exposed for making racist comments about candidates who do not have "normal" names. The email to the Orpington Conservative Association said: "I have been contacted by a Mr Dilon Gumraj and a Zerha Zaidi ... Continued Britain landed one of the top two EU jobs last night as Baroness Catherine Ashton became EU high representative for foreign and security policy and promised to pursue a strategy of "quiet diplomacy". Belgian PM, Herman Van Rompuy, becomes Council ... Continued The shortest Queen's Speech since 1900 receives a mixed reaction in the papers. The FT and Guardian lead on a scheme to help young people find work using "windfall savings from lower-than-expected unemployment." According to The Guardian, the social care ... Continued
Back in 1993, a band of TV and radio preachers came together to form a new Religious Right group called Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) that would focus on the courts. Although there had been previous efforts by the Religious Right to influence the legal system, the original idea behind ADF was a little different: It would serve as a funding pool. The radio and television evangelists would tap the power of their massive audiences for $25 million in donations that would be parceled out to Religious right legal groups. I once referred to the group as a "giant ATM for the Religious Right's legal work." But that model didn't last. Soon, ADF was hiring its own lawyers and taking on cases itself. (The group also changed its name to Alliance Defending Freedom.) As the organization grew with an annual budget topping $40 million, many of the legal groups it had once funded became less prominent. The ADF pioneered a more sophisticated legal strategy , basing many of its arguments on "religious freedom" and "free speech." Today's Washington Post includes a profile of the ADF , focusing mainly on one of the group's attorneys Kristen Waggoner. The Post refers to the ADF as a "powerhouse," and the feature highlights the string of victories the group has won lately, including the Masterpiece Cakeshop case. The extent of that victory is debatable. The ADF represented a Colorado baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex couple's wedding. The ADF and its allies in the Religious Right had hop
July 16, 2015 ( ThePublicDiscourse ) -- Conjured as it was from Justice Kennedy's imagination, the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges has little to teach us about the Constitution. It does, however, afford us keen insights into the liberal worldview. In the opinion, it is less Anthony Kennedy the Supreme Court Justice than Anthony Kennedy the aspiring liberal political theorist who speaks. Woven throughout his musings on the dynamic synergies between the various clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment is the central premise of modern liberalism: individual autonomy. It is the very first argument that the Court offers on behalf of the newfound constitutional right to same-sex marriage. Indeed, in the opening sentence of the decision, Kennedy proclaims all individuals free "to define and express their identity," thereby echoing his even more grandiloquent pronouncement in Planned Parenthood v. Casey that at "the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life." On this foundation, the edifice of modern liberalism is built. We are all sovereign individuals, radically free to fashion and refashion ourselves into anything we so please at any point in our lives. Man is the undefined animal. He is auto nomos --self-legislating. Neither God, nor nature, nor tradition, nor the obligations he previously contracted may hem him in. Bruce Jenner may become Caitlyn whenever she so ple
Leading City journalist Anthony Hilton has said the government needs to "move on from tough talk about cuts", and concentrate on restoring economic growth. High profile celebrities join former world leaders in campaigning for a reason and evidenced based debate on drug policy reform writes Dominic Browne. The coalition are starting to pray the price for making unrealistic promises on immigration and asylum, Ruth Grove-White explains A film delivered to the Department for Education calls for more support for public transport. Buses should be a positive transport option now and in the future US State Department cables leaked by WikiLeaks have alleged that the DUP and Sinn Fein held discussions far earlier than their official first talks in 2007. A new Labour project for government must call upon both its major traditions - mutual as well as Fabian - to create an attractive synthesis, writes Kevin Gulliver. Age UK, with an alliance of health charities, is calling on all three main party leaders to put aside their political differences and work to reform social care. Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, writes about how the coalition's policies are a programme for social engineering - not social mobility.
Trump unilaterally imposes sanctions on Iran, but keeps giving Israel a free pass Donald Trump has now unilaterally imposed sanctions on Iran. But he continues to give Israel a free pass. As the US-Iran nuclear deal is formally destroyed, little attention is given to the obvious hypocrisy of Washington's stance toward Israel - the only country in the Middle East with a nuclear arsenal, which gets the opposite... (c) Canary Media Limited 2015-18. All rights reserved. Canary Media Ltd, PO Box 3301, Bristol, BS5 5GD. Registered in England. Company registration number 09788095. Please contact us .
The mainstream media has just discovered how illegal asylum seekers are making their way into Canada through New York State. Thank goodness the dinosaur media has finally awoken and is covering a story the Rebel broke well over a year ago. According to French language news outlet, TVA , pamphlets are floating around Plattsburgh, New York that are encouraging illegal immigration into Canada. The leaflets are being distributed around hotels and bus stations informing the surge of migrants headed to the Canadian border about the best way to submit an asylum application at an illegal point of entry. They include contact information for Montreal immigration lawyers, social service agencies and the best taxi company to take to Roxham Road, the main illegal entry point into Quebec and maybe the most lawless strip of road in Canada. An organization called Plattsburgh Cares developed the brochure, showing total disregard for the laws and the people of Canada and unwittingly publishing a how-to manual to avoid detection by authorities that can also be used by MS-13 and human traffickers. Watch as I show you excerpts from former Rebel reporter, Faith Goldy's exclusive undercover investigation into the migrant railroad in Plattsburgh, NY from last year. She discovered an entire network of business and people that help the illegal migrants break Canadian immigration laws. They're a little late to the game but it's nice to see the mainstream media finally wake up to the crisis on the Quebe
Union Leader staff June 17. 2018 9:34PM LEBANON -- The city has lifted a water boil alert after a test found no bacteria in a previously affected area. The city issued the boil alert as a precaution and in compliance with state requirements for activation of an emergency water service. An emergency water main bypass was necessary because of scheduled construction and unforeseen complications. Testing done after the bypass showed no bacteria in the affected areas of Worthen Street, Cameron Avenue, and Bliss, Guyer, Mascoma, Young and Granite streets. The city announced the boil alert had been lifted in a statement Sunday morning.
Super Bowl commercials make us smile, they make us laugh, they make us cry, and, sometimes, they save lives. Susan Wood is a young woman who was pressured by her boyfriend to have an abortion in 2010. But, thanks to a trip to her friend's Super Bowl party and one particular commercial, she decided to choose life. Today, she has a beautiful four-year-old daughter named Avita Grace. In a four-minute video featured online, Wood explains how a Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad saved her unborn child the night of Feb. 7, 2010. In the ad, football player Tim Tebow's mother, Pam, explains how she rejected pressures to have an abortion and gave birth to her talented son. Wood was moved by Mrs. Tebow's story: "That was the night that I saw Tim Tebow's commercial. That's really what brought me to Focus on the Family. I went home and I watched the commercial again on YouTube. I explored the site, I watched video after video, then I emailed Focus on the Family...Then I got an email back and literally within reading that email it was almost instantly that decision, the things that she said just clicked. And I knew that all along that was what I wanted to do, that I needed to have the strength to do it. There was nothing after that, I knew I'm keeping the baby. I'm having her. " Today, Susan says being a single mom to Avita Grace is challenging and exhausting, but that's okay because she "would do anything for her." What a beautiful testimony. Chilling reports have revealed that 64 percent
SCOTS Labour leader Iain Gray yesterday pledged to stop the "ticking time bomb" of youth unemployment. Mr Gray promised guaranteed apprenticeships for all suitably-qualified youngsters as he visited a wood processing company in Stirling. He said: "I remember the dark days of the 1980s. "I saw first-hand youth unemployment destroy a generation. We must act today to stop the ticking time bomb of youth unemployment. I will give people who have been unemployed for six months or more the chance of a real job." The Tories promised "second-chance centres" for disruptive pupils to tackle classroom indiscipline. Leader Annabel Goldie said the centres would allow problem pupils to be removed from mainstream education "until they learn to refocus their lives".
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of a Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple , David Mullins and Charlie Craig, The Washington Post reports. Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colorado, lost in lower courts when it was ruled he'd violated the state's public accommodations law. The law prohibits refusing service to customers based on such things as race, sex, marital status, or sexual orientation. Phillips justified refusing to bake the cake on the basis of his religious beliefs. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear Phillips' case and will decide whether he unlawfully discriminated against Mullins and Craig. Same-sex marriage might be legal nationwide , but the fight for LGBTQ+ rights is clearly far from over. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU Colorado are representing Mullions and Craig in the case. James Esseks, director of the ACLU's LGBT Project , said, The law is squarely on David and Charlie's side because when businesses are open to the public, they're supposed to be open to everyone. While the right to one's religious beliefs is fundamental, a license to discriminate is not. Same-sex couples like David and Charlie deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect as anyone else, and we're ready to take that fight all the way to the Supreme Court. Speaking on the case, Mullins said it "has always been about more than a cake," adding that "businesses should not be allowed to violat
In Texas City, Texas, Mark Oberholtzer's plumbing business has been in decline since a video was posted showing his work truck being used as an anti-personnel vehicle for ISIS. Oberholtzer sold his Ford F-250 to a local dealership in Texas City without removing the decals. The truck ended up in an auction in Turkey, which obviously led to its sale to ISIS. Once the public saw the video, Oberholtzer received thousands of phone calls and even death threats. "By the end of the day, Mark-1's office, Mark-1's business phone, and Mark's personal cell had received over 1,000 phone calls from around the nation... these phone calls were in large part harassing and contained countless threats of violence, property harm, injury and even death," Oberholzer's lawyer said. Jeff Crouere Oberholtzer fled town and had to temporarily shut down his business. After having to deal with the FBI and Homeland Security, Oberholtzer filed lawsuit against the Ford dealership who bought the truck for not removing his company's decals.
The American Library Association has released its annual list of the most controversial books--an ingenious mechanism for tricking kids into reading when they would otherwise be using Snapchat to fax. . . Blu-Ray discs. . . of their. . . Quaalude parties to rock-n-roll clubs. Among this year's inductees: The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, popular with sexually frustrated 13-year-old housewives, as well as "Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants books (offensive language, unsuited for age group), followed by Sherman Alexie's prize-winning The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (offensive language, racism, sexually explicit), and Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why (drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide)," The Huffington Post reports . But what are some of the year's least controversial books? Books about which the American Library Association has received zero complaints, zero challenges, and, frankly, zero interest? The winners (losers): Seven Habits of Highly Appreciative Grand-children Chicken Soup for the Kid-Who-Just-Wants-to-Do-Right-by-His-Mom-and-Dad's Soul Charlotte's Web: The Charlotte Church Songbook
Last weekend Border Patrol Agent Javier Vega was shot and killed by two illegal immigrants while fishing off duty with his parents, wife and children in Santa Monica, Texas. Last night on the Kelly File, National Border Patrol Council Vice President Chris Cabrera, who works in the Rio Grande Valley, explained that the border is anything but secure and that in fact it has become more dangerous. "We hear a lot on TV that the border is secure, that the border is safer and that couldn't be any farther from being true. It seems to be getting more and more dangerous as the days go by," Cabrera said. "It seems with all of this talk about amnesty or comprehensive immigration reform, getting [legislation] through people seem to be more and more desperate to get into this country." When asked about the illegal status of the men charged with murdering Vega, Cabrera said he isn't surprised. "Unfortunately it's not surprising to me, the laws that we have on the books aren't enforced the way that they need to be. The time served, the detention time that they're giving is often very short," he said. "It's frustrating to see and then when something like this happens, whether or not it's a Border Patrol agent that gets killed, there's multiple people killed everyday, some of them by illegals and it's just frustrating."
I'm torn. Is the worst part of this abortion-promoting "comedy" sketch its preposterous premise, or its irredeemably anti-funny lameness? Tough call. I think I'll go with the former, because let's face it: Is it really fair to expect the abortion lobby to be a barrel of laughs -- even when they enlist the comedic genius of such household names as, er, Alice Wetterlund and Nato Green? So let's begin by address the lesson they're trying to teach us; namely, that it's extremely difficult to kill your unborn child in America, due to barriers erected by a bunch of Bible-thumpin' anti-choice hicks and their meddling politicians. This is, in a word, fantastical. Unfortunately. By this important measure , America's abortion laws are among the least restrictive in the civilized world. Most Western European nations impose more reasonable restrictions and regulations on the practice than we do. Our extreme status quo, it's always worth mentioning, was installed by robed judges, not the people or their elected representatives. Speaking of the activist judicial branch, NARAL and friends very recently scored a big SCOTUS victory wherein five justices determined that holding abortion clinics to the same medical and sanitary standards as other medical facilities represents an unconstitutional burden on the so-called right to terminate a pregnancy. This ruling guaranteed that abortions will be both less safe for women and more readily available. Big win. Relatedly, NARAL's bough
1. Now un-banned, German documentary showing the stunning increase of violent anti-Semitism in Europe, primarily from Muslims: 2. Policewoman stabbed to death in Jerusalem attack " A female Border Police officer died of her wounds late Friday, soon after she was critically injured in a coordinated stabbing and shooting attack in two areas near Jerusalem's Old City on Friday evening. [...] "Malka was stabbed in the upper torso by a Palestinian assailant on Sultan Suleiman Street near Damascus Gate while responding to gunfire nearby which later turned out to be the site of the first part of the attack." 3. Texas enacts anti-sharia law Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 45, more commonly known as "American Laws for American Courts," or ALAC. It prohibits the use of any foreign law in the state's courts, specifically in family cases that involve marriage or parent-child relationship matters. "One of the bill's co-authors Representative Jeff Leach (R-Plano) thanked the governor, who signed HB 45 on Wednesday. Leach called the law "vitally important bill to further safeguard and protect our Constitutional rights!" In the last legislative session, Leach authored the comparable yet unsuccessful ALAC measure, House Bill 562. 4. RAW: Philippine Air Force drop bombs on ISIS-linked militants in Marawi 5. Dual Canadian citizens will no longer lose citizenship if convicted of terrorism under new bill OTTAWA--A Liberal bill that would make it easier for people to become C
Manufacturers remain worried a double dip recession is looming as the slight revised increase was based on higher growth in agriculture, construction and services. In the second of our two-part analysis on North Korea following Kim Jong-il's death, Frank Spring argues that history suggests the time for reform time has come. Shamik Das profiles some of the leading British sportswomen, asking why not one of them was nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 2011. Christmas is just three days away, but thousands of people, particularly young people, will be out on the street on Christmas Day, writes Rory Weal. Alex Hern writes about the public accounts committee's report on tax collection and HMRC's dealings with big businesses, letting them off the hook.
Look at this CBC headline: "City may spend $20M more on settling rising number of refugees in local hotels". And then: "Toronto considering extending contracts with hotels to house refugees until end of 2018". Hotels! With maid service, room service. You couldn't find a more expensive way to house people. The CBC calls them "refugees," even though they aren't, but the Syrian civil war is ending anyway. Syrians can go home now, to rebuild their own country. (In time to miss out on a Canadian winter, too.) Imagine how much further that $20 million could go in the Middle East. Samaritans Purse, a reputable charity working in Iraq, can rebuild damaged homes for as little as US$2,500 each. And more to the point: If we've got $20 million to spend on homelessness in Toronto -- why don't we start with Torontonians? One study shows a homeless Canadian dies more often than once a week in Toronto. But who cares? They're not sexy and exciting and political. Syrian migrants are. And now U.S. fake refugees. And next it will be those Rohingya Muslims the Liberals are getting excited about bringing in from Burma. It's always someone else, anyone else, except for Canadians, isn't it? NEXT: Our favourite immigration and refugee lawyer Guidy Mamman talks about the questionnaire the RCMP was using to screen migrants, until the Trudeau Liberals forced them to stop. THEN: The Washington, DC newspaper The Hill (which is hardly left-wing) reported today that the FBI has uncovered a Russian bribery p
Still think voting is pointless? A Labour council has just saved an award-winning school which the Tories had planned to close. Still think voting is pointless? A Labour council has just saved an award-winning school which the Tories had planned to close If it were in my gift, and if he weren't a wildly inappropriate influence, I'd invite Russell Brand to meet the pupils of Sulivan Primary in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Thanks to the recent ousting of Cameron's favourite council these children still have their award-winning school, a school which the Tories were about to shut down so that its land could be given to a free school. I'm not sure that even Brand could tell these children that voting is pointless. It was last night that the newly elected Labour administration, in fulfilment of its election promises, formally approved proposals to revoke the closure order issued to Sulivan school. The story behind the decision to close Sulivan is one of deceit, cronyism and almost-certainly unlawful behaviour by the Tories' flagship council. The way in which the staff, pupils and parents of Sulivan Primary were treated is one of the ugliest episodes I have witnessed in politics, although it didn't surprise those more familiar with the practices of the previous administration. Sulivan's Head Teacher, Wendy Aldridge, was told shortly before last year's summer holidays that the council wanted to close her school (this was before any consultation had taken place). The
The model does indicate that there are grounds for optimism in Tunisia. The proportion of its working age adults who are young adults is xxx, which translates to a probability of liberal democracy of 0.48, or around one in two, similar to Chile's probability as it democratised. Meanwhile Egypt, with its young-adult proportion of 0.48, translates to a probability of liberal democracy of 0.31 - less than one in three. Can social science tell us anything about the likelihood of Egypt or Tunisia adopting democracy or a new form of authoritarianism if their revolutions are successful? It turns out it can, and while there is room for optimism in Tunisia, the picture is far bleaker in Egypt. One explanation for whether countries can sustain liberal democracy that does hold evidential water is the youth-bulge theory , that revolutions and civil wars are driven by demographic changes to a society, particular as it moves from high to low fertility and mortality rates. This produces a 'youth bulge' of young working age adults who, especially under conditions like high unemployment and limited opportunities can drive internal conflict. Working with the general framework of youth-bulge theory, Dr Richard Cincotta of the Stimson Center has uncovered a correllation between how free a country is and its age structure. In essence, once a nation's youth bulge has passed into middle age its chances of adopting and sustaining liberal democracy are higher. He has developed a model which can be
Add 'sex trafficking' to the growing list of horrific practices carried out by ISIS. The jihadist group has been attacking Christians, Yezidi, Shaback, and Kurdish families, killing the men and using or selling the women and children as sex slaves. At least 7,000 people are believed to be held captive. ISIS defended the practice Sunday in its online English-language magazine the Dabiq : One should remember that enslaving the families of the kuffar -- the infidels -- and taking their women as concubines is a firmly established aspect of the Shariah, or Islamic law. The horrors of ISIS' daily practices seem so removed and archaic, that Kurdish activists decided to bring a reality check to the people of London by reenacting a scene one might commonly see in the so-called "Islamic State." IJReview spoke with Karam Kruda , who used the megaphone in the video, to find out why they took this demonstration to the streets: We wanted them to see how ISIS is bringing back practices from centuries ago. In reality, the barbaric nature of their actions and why it so desperately needs to be kept from spreading. When women are sold like poultry in a bazaar it is inhumane and tear-jerking. Many of the girls managed to call their families on mobile phones whilst in the brothels and said please, please bomb us. When you hear about instances like that, you just want the world to feel it According to a recent report by the United Nations women and children who refuse to convert to Islam are bei
Despite US pull out, Rouhani says Iran may remain part of nuclear accord Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated on Sunday that Tehran would remain committed to its 2015 nuclear deal if its interests can be protected and said the US withdrawal from the accord was a "violation of morals". "The US withdrawal ... is a violation of morals, the correct way to carry out politics and diplomacy and against international regulations," Rouhani during a meeting with visiting Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena. "If the remaining five countries continue to abide by the agreement, Iran will remain in the deal despite the will of America," Rouhani said in remarks carried by state television. US President Donald Trump's decision on Tuesday to pull out of the nuclear deal has upset European allies, cast uncertainty over global oil supplies and raised the risk of conflict in the Middle East. Iran has said it will stay committed to the deal, to which Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia are also signatories, if powers still backing the agreement can ensure it is protected from sanctions against key sectors of its economy such as oil . In what is seen as a last-ditch effort to save the accord after Washington's withdrawal, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has embarked on a tour of world powers . This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License . If the image(s) bear our credit, this l
As many Townhall readers now know, Senate Democrats have refused to support an anti-human trafficking bill because of an anti-abortion provision that would ban the use of taxpayer funds for abortion. Democrats are crying foul, despite numerous reports and evidence that suggest they already knew this language existed. As a sort of counter punch to these radical pro-abortion Democrats' shameful priorities (protecting abortion over sex trafficking victims?), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced he is blocking the confirmation vote for Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch until his stubborn colleagues move their feet on this important legislation. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) apparently wasn't briefed on all of this context. Wednesday afternoon, Durbin basically accused Senate Republicans of racism . "Loretta Lynch, the first African-American woman nominated to be attorney general, is asked to sit in the back of the bus when it comes to the Senate calendar." Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), never one to take an insult easily, took the floor of the Senate Thursday and ridiculed Durbin for his offensive charges. "I deeply regret that the senator from Illinois chose to come here yesterday and question the integrity and motivation, mine and my Republican colleagues," McCain went on. "It was offensive and unnecessary and I think he owes this body, Ms. Lynch, and all Americans an apology." Drop the mic . (I've always wanted to say that.) Durbin responded with a poor defense of his com
On last night's show , Immigration lawyer Guidy Mamann joined me to discuss how Trump's decision to ramp up the deportation of criminals will worsen Canada's migrant crisis . Canada recently saw a wave of Haitian migrants crossing into the country illegally from the United States when Trump decided not to renew the temporary protected status Obama granted them after the 2010 earthquake. Border Officers and the Ministry of Immigration were caught unprepared; now the migrants wander freely in Canada, waiting months for meetings with ministry representatives thanks to massive backlogs. With Trump taking an even tougher stance on illegal immigrants, Canada's situation is likely to get worse . WATCH my interview with Guidy to see why he thinks, "2018 will make 2017 look like the good old days." Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
1. US Supreme Court allows Trump's "Muslim ban" The ban is now set to go into "full effect", although it is not clear on what timescale this will happen. Legal challenges against the controversial measure are still making their way through the US courts, and have not yet reached the Supreme Court. However it will nonetheless go into full effect as the legal proceedings continue. The ban will prevent citizens of six majority-Muslim countries from entering the US. 2. Christmas Market Cancelled; Organisers Couldn't Afford EUR20,000 Security Bill The Christmas market on la Croix-Rousse hill in Lyon, France, has been cancelled because organisers cannot afford the EUR20,000 security budget. The annual Christmas market, with its stalls, marquee, and farm animals, has been cancelled because the cost of securing the site day and night was prohibitively expensive, whilst towns and cities across Europe are fortifying their Christmas markets with anti-terror barriers, reports Le Progres. 'For the past year, requests to secure our events have increased,' explained Mailys, the project manager for the southern French city's merchants' association." A number of Christmas Markets in Germany have been cancelled for insurance costs. 3. Multiple reports say that Iran is building a military base near Israeli border One analyst says that Iran is following Shiia eschatology by building this base: 4. Video: Swedish police accompanying joggers 5. UK foreign aid money "diverted to extremists" in Syria
Bethany Mandel has a lengthy essay up at the Federalist which already has the LGBTQRSZXYXYC3PO community up in arms. (But then, when are they not?) The title was what originally caught my attention... How The Trans Crusade Made Me Rethink Support For Gay Marriage . That immediately sent up a red flag for me because those are two debates which I see in very different lights and conflating the two seems problematic from the start. But as it turns out, that's not really what Bethany is doing at all and the concerns she shares are valid ones. (I'll be getting to those in a moment.) Just as a reminder, when it came to the gay marriage question I always took the small government approach. I don't "support" gay marriage any more than I support traditional marriage. I support my marriage and the rest of you are pretty much on your own. But I believe it's clearly beyond the mandate of the government at any level to demand a permission slip (a license) or extract a tax (even if you call it a "fee") from two consenting adults just so they can hold a private ceremony before family and friends which impacts no other citizen. Personally I think the word marriage should be struck from the tax codes entirely and from nearly all other laws as well. I understand that many other conservatives of good faith hold a different view based on religious beliefs and I respect their right to that opinion. We can agree to disagree. The ongoing debates over transgender issues are another matter entirely a
Republican nominee Donald Trump's newly opened International Hotel in Washington, DC, was vandalized with with graffiti reading "No Justice No Peace" and "Black Lives Matter" on Saturday. D.C. Police are searching for the man who spray-painted the walls in front of a side entrance of the building. A video caught the man in the act of vandalizing the property and spread on social media. A spokeswoman for Trump International Hotel declined to comment. By Sunday afternoon, sheets of plywood had been placed in front of the messages and a security guard stood at the top of the steps. Plywood now covers #BlackLivesMatter message spray-painted on Trump hotel in DC. pic.twitter.com/mzzUwCUsSZ -- Joe Heim (@JoeHeim) October 2, 2016
Fox News military analyst Lt. Col. Oliver North made an appearance on The Kelly File last night to assess President Obama's latest strategy against ISIS. His message is a discouraging one, saying what President Obama is asking the military do is mission impossible and that it's time someone step up and be honest about it. "In my military mind what you have is Operation Enduring Confusion. You have a President who cannot make up his mind about what he wants," North said. "Megyn, I've spent my whole life hanging around the U.S. military. I've been on plenty of times with you from Iraq and other places. I've spent my life with these young guys. I'm waiting for the general or admiral who will stand up on his hind feet and say this is mission impossible. Given the constraints that you've [Obama] given we cannot accomplish the objective you have set. It is impossible to do." "Somebody has to tell the truth," he continued. "Some general or admiral at the Pentagon or somewhere else in Central Command has got to stand up and say, 'The mission we've been given we can do but we can't with the constraints you've places upon us.'" This isn't the first time Obama has been at odds with U.S. Generals and based on history, those who speak out against him have a high chance of being fired.
Two gay male high school graduates were shocked to find the space underneath their senior portrait in the yearbook was blank despite each submitting quotes. Missouri School Yanks Gay Teens Yearbook Quotes https://t.co/iBWrqHCDIF pic.twitter.com/vK9si1fh6I -- Zesty America News (@zesty_usa) August 15, 2017 Two gay former high school students spoke out against their local school district's decision to remove their senior quotes from the 2017 yearbook. Joey Slivinski and Thomas Swartz both recently received their yearbooks after graduating from Kearney High School in Kearney, Missouri, earlier this year. However, they quickly noticed that the space beneath their names where a quote should have been was empty, HuffPost reports. Read More "I put a very innocent quote as my senior quote and they took it away from me with absolutely no warning or option to change it," Slivinski wrote on Facebook. "Our schools are supposed to be a place that you can express being who you are. Today I realized Kearney isn't ready for me being me," he added. Swartz also expressed disappointment in the removal of his quote. "They need to know what they did is wrong," he told KCTV 5 . "I want to be able to tell other people my story about what happened." Both of the students' witty quotes sarcastically referenced the "coming out of the closet" metaphor used almost exclusively to describe when a gay person who has kept their sexuality hidden decides to become open with it. "Of course I dress well. I didn
For the nearly four years I've been writing this column, I'm aware that I've mostly been preaching to the queer. That, when I talk about things like LGBTQ rights, the words ping around the gay lefty echo chamber for a bit, before losing momentum. This time though, I want to talk specifically to people like me. I need a word. Straight people, by all means read this too - I can't stop you - but please know it isn't for you. Last week, a person the colour of processed cheese, otherwise known as President-Elect Donald Trump, was given a mandate to potentially bulldoze decades of hard work for gay rights. For most of my life, the equality narrative has been comfortably linear. We demand a better world and, admittedly quite slowly, it's delivered to us. Then we move onto the next thing. So what do we do when someone threatens to take us backwards? In recent years, we've seen this happen in Russia with Cheese Man's new best buddy Vladimir Putin and his anti-gay legislation. We've also seen it happen in Uganda, with the 2014 Anti-Homosexuality Act. In both cases, many LGBT Russians and Ugandans --in the face of extreme violence -- took to the streets and started demanding again. To be quite honest, I doubt I'd be so brave. Even if whatever globule of arse sweat the US electorate just sent globule-ing towards the White House makes good on his post-victory promise not to repeal the 2015 Supreme Court ruling on same sex marriage , everyday homophobia and transphobia have still been give
In a world where everyone must be equal and religious tolerance is now mandatory law, Barack Obama has invited 12,486 Muslims into the United States in 2016, while only deeming 68 Christians worthy of admission. Of the 12,486, the vast majority are Sunni Muslims - 12,363 (98.2 percent) - while another 103 are identified as simply Muslims and a further 20 as Shi'a Muslims. A concerning number of people coming from Syria (the bulk of refugees admitted into the United States) have been labeled by the United Nations. According to the report , 4,806,702 million Syrians are registered as "persons of concern" in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and North Africa. Over the course of the Syrian civil war that began in 2011, the U.S. has resettled a total of 14,460 Syrian refugees - 87 percent of them in 2016. Of those 14,460, 14,082 (97.3 percent) are Sunnis, 196 (1.3 percent) are Shi'a and other Muslims, and 124 (0.8 percent) are Christians. The rest are 25 Yazidis, six Zoroastrians, three atheists, two Baha'i, 14 refugees with "other" religion and eight with "no religion." Jeff Crouere With this mark, Obama has successfully admitted the most refugees to the United States in 17 years. A new map released in August shows exactly which states received the refugees. States like California, Arizona, Texas, and Michigan all received in excess of 500 refugees. Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Arkansas, Delaware, and Vermont all received none.
Last week, I brought you an update to the story about how one Alberta school board - the Battle River School Division -- tried to censor the Bible as it was bring taught in a private school, Cornerstone Christian Academy. (You can catch up on all our coverage of this anti-Christian censorship at TheRealBigots.ca ) We learned through Access to Information requests that the school board chair - a woman names Laurie Skori -- called the police to report her hurt feelings because The Rebel told the world what she was trying to do behind closed doors. But they didn't stop there. We just found another email where the school board mused that a pastor who spoke up against them in a private email should be subject to an ethics complaint. The pastor made a mistake we all have made before -- He cc'ed the wrong person on the email, which reads: I agree I think we already have everything we need if Laurie and others will sign off on her promise of no more censorship or interference on Bible teaching. We took out the bad words that got them all worked up. Get it all written up and signed up and I think I have all I need to be content. -Mark. Looking forward to seeing which Laurie we get Monday morning: scared Laurie or mad Laurie. I like scared Laurie better. When the pastor realized what he had done, he was apologetic and tried to explain himself to the board vice chair, Lorrie Sitler. WATCH to see the email Sitler sent to her fellow board members in reaction. And I'm not done with this s
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale claims the government plans no changes to the scope or scale of the BBC, as he releases his white paper on the broadcaster's future today. The reality is that damage is being done to the BBC's scope and scale with every passing day. Today, here and now, there are departments across the BBC whose projects are at a standstill because of uncertainty over future funding. How can it be possible to expect the BBC's operations to remain intact when it is set to lose 20 per cent of its income due to the government's decision to make the BBC bear the cost of free licence fees for the over-75s? To date the cost of free licence fees has been met from the welfare budget. In the 2010 licence fee settlement, the government froze the licence fee for a five-year period and forced the BBC to take on responsibility for the funding of S4C, the Welsh language channel, and the World Service. The result has been less innovation, substantial production cutbacks, and the loss of services not only at the BBC but at S4C and the World Service. Thousands of BBC jobs have been shed since 2010. This recent experience demonstrates the bad practice of setting the licence fee settlement, as was done last July, and then decide on what the BBC is required to do. Surely the most effective way to plan, honestly, for the BBC's future is to set the BBC's responsibilities by way of the Charter Review and then decide on the funding needed to deliver on those responsibilities. As t
The problem of creating a rabidly anti-gun culture like the one we see in much of the urban northeast is that you end up with severe knowledge deficits in those professions where a knowledge of firearms is required. The New York City Police Department is now and has long been a disturbing example of what happens when you put "gun clueless" people in charge of firearms procurement and training, and they are showing no signs of their idiocy abating any time soon. They've recently decided to purchase 4th Generation Glock 17 (G17) pistol for rookies, leading older NYPD cops to have a hissy fit that the younger cops are getting "more accurate" pistols for free, while they'll have to pay to change over from their more compact G19s. But that's not the worst of it. Here's where the stupid really takes hold (My bold below). The department introduced the Glock 17, Generation 4, to newbies in the Police Academy in July, and is offering it free to all new classes of recruits. The gunmaker touts "revolutionary" design advances over other models because it features a longer barrel, textured grip, customizable back strap and a reversible, enlarged magazine catch that makes it easier to swap out the magazine. "It's the ergonomics of this gun . . . that makes this a better gun," said Inspector Raymond Caroli, commander of the NYPD firearms and tactics section. Recruits, who are issued a service weapon in the academy at no cost, get to pick between the Glock 17 and two other guns that have b
Tony Blair said it would have been inconceivable to let Gaddafi stay in power and that the West should warn all regional dictators "change or be changed" Those within the coalition are not concerned about the principle of the Archbishop Rowan Williams speaking out, but that his remarks make uncomfortable reading. The coalition government's considered approach to justice was welcomed by penal reformers, who considered it a once in a generation opportunity for change. The Islington Fairness Commission shows there are concrete things we can do on our own patch to try to close the gap between the rich and poor. City Hall Tories were accused of "playing games" with cyclists' safety today after walking out of a meeting on maintaining the 20mph speed limit on Blackfriars Bridge. The price of international data roaming is too high and regulators and policy makers should step in to boost competition according to a new report by the OECD. Threatening to tighten the UK's already strict labour laws highlights a coalition government focused on conflict not consensus, writes Unite's Mik Sabiers.
Kathryn Moody : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? Manuel Schiffres Mutual Fund Rankings, 2014 Meghan Streit : Pitching In When Caregivers Need Help Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D.N., F.A.N.D : How to prevent a second (and first) heart attack thru diet The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington : Caprese is a light, fresh salad; the perfect quick and easy accompaniment to any summer meal Mark Steyn : You Want Nazis? Jonathan Tobin : Care about the Jewish state's future? Obama, in interview, reveals even more reasons to worry Alan M. Dershowitz : Confirmed: Needless death and destruction in Gaza Katie Nielsen : As a mother, I'm all I need to be Cameron Huddleston : 18 Retailers That Offer Price Adjustments Nellie S. Huang : The Best Health Mutual Funds to Buy Now Brierly Wright, M.S., R.D. : Try these 'secret-weapon' foods to boost your changes of losing weight The Kosher Gourmet by Jessica Yadegaran : Take some relish in pickled goodies (5 recipes!) Kimberly Lankford : 50 Ways to Cut Your Health Care Costs James K. Glassman : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? The Kosher Gourmet by Nick Malgieri : Chocolate molten delight with creme anglaise is a simple yet elegant make-ahead dessert Raymond Kethledge, one of President Donald Trump's finalists for the U.S. Supreme Court, has never explicitly stated his views on abortion or same-sex marriage. But he has spoken loudly on an issue that is just as important to conservative court-watchers. In
Doug Ford was adamant that unlike in the dark days of Patrick Brown, the new PC Party would be beholden to the grassroots , but consider Meredith Cartwright, the Ford appointed candidate in Toronto Centre . She's a human rights lawyer and a lifelong Liberal who once ran one of the largest Liberal women's clubs in the country. There was no nomination process , and Meredith is about as left-of-centre as you can get. Prior to the Ontario leadership debate on Monday, I spoke to a few Cartwright supporters, and Meredith herself, assembled outside the CityTV studio in downtown Toronto. They didn't really seem all that engaged on the issues. We found out why later. As for Meredith, she didn't seem to know very much about human rights commissions. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is your hand-picked PC Candidate for Toronto Centre, and yet another stellar example of why the PCs might just blow this election come June 7th. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
The Trump administration's authoritarian crackdown is happening, folks. The United Nations passed a resolution on Friday condemning the use of the death penalty in a discriminatory manner. The list includes using the death penalty to punish "apostasy, blasphemy, adultery, and consensual same-sex relations." The United States joined a small number of nations who voted AGAINST the resolution. Excuse me? I think we can all agree that the United Nations' proposal is reasonable. Don't murder your citizens for being members of the LBGTQ community. Don't murder your citizens for breaking their marriage vows. Don't murder your citizens for saying things you don't like. Don't murder your citizens for their religious or political beliefs. Agreed? "The Question of the Death Penalty" passed anyway. The resolution asked countries that have yet to abolish the death penalty to ensure that they will not apply it "arbitrarily or in a discriminatory manner," according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association ( ILGA ) The United States joined Botswana, Burundi, Egypt, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, China, India, Iraq, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates in refusing to commit to not sentencing their citizens to death for same-sex relations. The ILGA reports that there are currently six countries (eight, if the parts of Iraq and Syria occupied by ISIS are included), where the death penalty is a punishment for same-sex relations. In an additional fiv
Trussell Trust says benefit delays and changes are driving the need for new food banks The Conservative's only MP in Scotland will open a foodbank in his constituency on Friday, amid growing controversy over his stance on food poverty. The secretary of state for Scotland, David Mundell, will open the Trussell Trust Foodbank at Dumfries' Apex Centre tomorrow despite arguing that growing food bank usage was not linked to welfare reforms. In February, Mr Mundell used an appearance before Holyrood's welfare reform committee to argue : "The three issues that are most commonly raised in relation to foodbanks are sanctions, delays in benefit payments and low income. I do not accept that those three issues are welfare reform issues." The Trussell Trust press release announcing Mr Mundell's visit to open the new foodbank however, has contradicted his remarks, arguing that welfare reform is causing hardship for families. Ewan Gurr, Scotland Network Manager for the Trussell Trust, has argued : "Like many small rural towns, Dumfries has seen the impact of the rising cost of food and fuel, insecure nature of employment and welfare reform, which has created financial hardship for many individuals and families throughout the entire local authority of Dumfries & Galloway. "The Trussell Trust is pleased to work with Apex Scotland given their shared commitment to partner with organisations working with people in crisis and complement the other food providers available in Dumfriesshire." Crucia
Again, liberal Bill Maher isn't right on everything. He's no friend to conservatism, though he isn't afraid to slam his own side for their own idiocy. Whether that is the deafening silence from liberals when it comes to defending liberal values (free speech, freedom of religion etc.) against the tide of radical Islam, or--in this instance, gun control. Maher is a gun owner . He hasn't made that a secret, nor does he present himself as an expert, unlike his progressive brethren. But he notices that a lot of liberals who have been talking about firearms, don't know "s**t" about guns. In his typical fashion, Maher equated liberals talking about guns to the "Pope talking about vaginas." Friday's episode of his program Real Time on HBO featured former RNC chairman Michael Steele, The Daily Beast's Betsy Woodruff, Democratic operative Paul Begala, and comedian Larry Wilmore on the panel. While the segment that led into the Second Amendment started off with Maher bashing our system of government, saying that our Constitution needs a rewrite, Begala noted how the current Democratic gun control push, specifically the "no-fly, no-buy" bill (which Gawker found odious ) is common sense. Wilmore and Woodruff noted the problems with using secretive government lists that a) tells people what they can and cannot do; b) have an appalling lack of due process; and c) disproportionally impacts those from the Middle East and southeast Asia. Woodruff added how it might sound like a sensible bill
Editor's note: I was in Israel this week on a trip sponsored by the National Religious Broadcasters and hosted by Israel's Ministry of Tourism. Israel - On Wednesday morning I walked downstairs at my hotel in Jerusalem to grab breakfast before jumping on a bus headed south to Gaza's northern border with Israel. The plans for the day had changed as a result of the ceasefire agreement falling apart late Tuesday, so we left around 8: 30. When I got to breakfast at 7:30, my Red Alert application on my cell phone already showed dozens of rockets had been launched into Israel from Hamas overnight. In fact, one siren had gone off in Jerusalem around 10 p.m. the night before a barrage of rockets had been fired at Tel Aviv. By the time breakfast started and ended, 12 rockets had been launched. More rockets were launched that day than during anytime so far in this war. As we headed south and down the hill away from Jerusalem, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Being on a bus when rockets are being launched is not ideal. Roadways are considered open areas and often times the Iron Dome allows rockets headed for open areas to fall and running to shelter after the bus is pulled over isn't an option. Regardless, I needed to get down to see how Israeli's live under constant attack from Hamas terrorists. There are plenty of reporters stationed in Gaza and the West Bank, but it's hard to find stories about the hell Israeli civilians go through when rockets are fired hundreds of times a day. S
Civil rights groups are upset with a recent crackdown on illegal immigration that's taking place far from the U.S. Southern border. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) Border Patrol agents said they made nine drug seizures and two arrests during an 11-hour checkpoint operation, CBS Boston reported . The checkpoint was set up near the remote town of Lincoln, Maine, where U.S. agents are asking motorists for proof of citizenship. Customs and Border Protection told CBS that the New England checkpoints are "a means of preventing smuggling organizations from exploiting existing transportation systems to travel to the interior of the United States." "Travelers have the right to remain silent," according to the agency statement. "Travelers who cooperate are passed through quickly, unless the agent suspects they are in violation of federal law. Travelers who refuse to cooperate may be referred to a secondary examination area to allow agents to conduct additional questioning to determine the traveler's citizenship or residency." Another three-day checkpoint in New Hampshire resulted in five arrests of illegal aliens from Mexico, China, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Brazil, CBS reported. The New Hampshire checkpoint is the first of its kind in five years and was located about 90 miles south of the U.S. Northern border, according to CBS. "Immigration police in this country are emboldened," Gilles Bissonette, legal director of the ACLU of New Hampshire, said in statement after 17 people were
Our guest writer is Dr Faiza Shaheen, researcher on economic inequality at nef (the new economics foundation) and author of Filling the Jobs Gap The employment figures released today show a small decline in the number of people unemployed in ... Continued The Tory council which last year unveiled plans for an 'easy council' model in which residents would be charged extra for services has voted through massive pay increases - doubling the allowances received by cabinet members and increasing the allowances ... Continued
Election year politics generates much rhetoric and confusion. And the media often adds its spin. But, fortunately, there are some books around that deal with reality and can cut through the nonsense. Most of these books were not written during this election year, but what they presented can be very eye-opening on the issues raised by politicians this year. If you are concerned about issues involved when some people want to expand the welfare state and others want to contract it, then one of the most relevant and insightful books is "Life at the Bottom" by Theodore Dalrymple. It was not written this year and is not even about the United States, much less our current presidential or other candidates. What makes "Life at the Bottom" especially relevant and valuable is that it is about the actual consequences of the welfare state in England -- which are remarkably similar to the consequences in the United States. Many Americans may find it easier to think straight about what happens, when it is in a country where the welfare recipients are overwhelmingly whites, so that their behavior cannot be explained away by "a legacy of slavery" or "institutional racism," or other such evasions of facts in the United States. As Dr. Dalrymple says: "It will come as a surprise to American readers, perhaps, to learn that the majority of the British underclass is white, and that it demonstrates all the same social pathology as the black underclass in America -- for very similar reasons, of cours
It's one thing to criticize President Trump for conducting foreign policy via impulsive, half-cocked tweeting, often while watching cable news. Scrambling the official US posture toward nuclear-armed Pakistan may be defensible on the merits , for instance, but only if it's properly thought-out and implemented strategically. Tauntingly tweeting at a rogue dictator about whose nuclear "button" is bigger may also be defensible on the merits -- but, uh, probably not . In any case, the president's social media habits are among his most self-destructive vices and contribute significantly to the widely-held view that he lacks the temperament for the job. This is an entirely legitimate vein of presidential criticism; one that I've engaged in myself . But then there's absurdity in response to absurdity. Over to you, Brian: After a round of speculation about Trump's mental health, we're informed that Twitter management had not yet replied to inquiries about whether tweets like this are ban-worthy under the platform's rules because they 'threaten violence,' or something: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the "Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times." Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works! -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Ill-advised? Yes. Worrisome? To many, sure. A breach of Twitter's policy again
Virginia's House Bill 1257 prohibits the state from adopting sanctuary city policies that allow local officials to avoid working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, essentially harboring illegal immigrants. Virginia State Senator Jennifer McClellan spoke out against the legislation Tuesday because she is convinced it does not help solve "specific problems." What's it really intended to do, she argued, is to discourage non-citizens from reporting crimes for fear of being captured and deported. HB1257, McClellan said, is not about addressing MS-13 violence, although that is what is being "trotted out all the time as the boogeyman" to scare people into supporting it. MS-13 gangs, she said, especially prey on vulnerable communities and other immigrants because they know they will be too afraid to report the crime. "They prey on their fear," she said. "They're banking on the fact that their victim will be too afraid to report it to police because they're afraid when they show up at courthouse, ICE is going to be waiting for them." The bill, McClellan said, is essentially telling non-citizens they're "not welcome here." She put the bill in the context of America's racial history. She saw the films Black Panther and Selma over the weekend and it gave her time to "reflect" on how black people used to be afraid to step out in public for fear of what would happen if they used the wrong water fountain or sat in the wrong seat on the bus. She sees similarities to today. After the
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis declared on Wednesday that divorced Catholics who remarry and their children deserve better treatment from the church, and he urged pastors to avoid treating these couples as if they were excommunicated. Catholic teaching says divorced Catholics who remarry are living in sin and are not allowed to receive Communion, leaving many of these people feeling shunned by their church. Francis' emphasis on mercy in church leadership has raised hope among many such Catholics he might lift the Communion ban. The Vatican this fall is holding a monthlong follow-up meeting on family issues, after a similar gathering last year left divorced Catholics who remarry hoping in vain for an end to the ban. In his latest remarks on divorce, Francis didn't go that far. But he insisted the church must change its attitude. "How do we take care of those who, following the irreversible failing of their family bond made a new union?" he said. "People who started a new union after the defeat of their sacramental marriage are not at all excommunicated, and they absolutely must not be treated that way," Francis told pilgrims and tourists at his first general audience after a summer break. "They always belong to the church." Francis wondered how the church could insist that the children of these failed marriage be raised by their parents "with an example of convinced and practiced faith, if we keep them (the parents) far from the community life (of the church) as if they were exc
After Justin Trudeau made an unpopular and sneaky $10.5 million dirty deal with convicted jihadi terrorist Omar Khadr, what does he do for an encore? Well, in politics, it's called changing the channel . So it was that the next pronouncement from our beloved Boy Blunder was the release of his summer music playlist. As tempers continue to boil over the Khadr capitulation , our substitute drama teacher is playing the role of feel-good camp counsellor, telling Canadians to come sit down 'round the campfire and belt out a rousing rendition of "Kumbaya"! Watch as I analyze Justin's playlist and give my thoughts about his choices. Whatever I may think, maybe we owe the PM props for picking downbeat tunes that kind of reflect the mood of the nation these days thanks to his policies. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Vested interests mean we cannot leave it to politicians to take urgent action on climate change This weekend, the Paris climate talks known as COP21 are drawing to a close. The talks are aiming to secure a global agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions enough to keep us safe from catastrophic climate change. But it's clear that if we want real action to be taken, we can't leave it to those around the negotiating table. Governments with austerity agendas and corporations motivated by profit and shareholder dividends don't care about young people's futures. I'm 24 and can expect to live to around 90. This means I will likely live to see 2100. By this point, scientists predict that , without radical action on climate change and a transition to renewables, we'll experience some of the most damaging aspects of climate change like extreme droughts and floods, and associated effects like mass migration. These are the effects of climate change which are already known about and preventable today. The global climate science community represented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that we must take action to prevent the worst effects of climate change by limiting warming to 2C . That is based on conservative estimates, and with the assumption that yet again, world leaders will fail to grasp the urgency of the need for action. A coalition of the world's countries most vulnerable to climate change like Bangladesh and Kiribati called the Climate Vulnerable Forum
1. Right after being evacuated, the hordes of invading migrants are back in Porte de la Chapelle in Paris: 2. Spain sees 75% jump in illegal migrants from Africa And just because this is guaranteed to come up: This campaign has nothing to do with Soros' Jewish background. 4. EU rights court upholds Belgian ban on full-face veil The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday upheld a Belgian ban on wearing the full-face niqab veil in public. The court ruled that the restriction sought to guarantee social cohesion, the "protection of the rights and freedoms of others" and that it was "necessary in a democratic society", a statement said. Belgian banned the wearing of the full-face veil under a June 2011 law. It prohibits appearing in public "with a face masked or hidden, in whole or in part, in such a way as to be unidentifiable". Violations can result in fines and up to seven days in jail. France was the first European country to ban the niqab in April 2011. The question now is, how will they enforce it? If they even try. 5. This past weekend, Canada sent a senior member of the Trudeau government, to an OIC conference Omar Alghabra, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs), announced today that he will visit Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, from July 10 to 11, 2017, to attend the 44th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The council's central theme this year is Youth, Peace and Development in
Newspapers throw kindling on the fire and justify the cuts to come Fears that after the general election the right-wing press would cheerlead for every Tory policy, however awful, were realised almost instantly. First it was their 'war on the BBC' mere days after the vote. Then they urged repeal of the Human Rights Act at the earliest convenience. (It must have been embarrassing to see David Cameron drop this from the Queen's speech. Either way, the same newspapers helpfully dropped the subject too.) Today it's the turn of tax credits and the Child Poverty Act. The Daily Mail complains about the cost of tax credits , especially on fraudulent claims or credits awarded by mistake, (which it puts at PS17billion over ten years). Even if we grant this figure, (arrived at by the Mail itself), since the government spends PS30billion on tax credits each year, that's PS17billion out of PS300billion - all of 5.6 per cent. This hardly seems like a reason to scrap the whole thing. Yet the Mail's editorial pages seem to beckon just that, calling tax credits 'A discredited subsidy': "Of all Labour's legacies, among the most poisonous are Gordon Brown's hugely complex tax credits, which have made 4.5million families part-dependent on the state ..." The editorial even seeks to discredit objections ('howls from the Left, accusing the Tories of hammering society's most vulnerable..') before the reading public has heard them being made. The Mail also commissions a former aid to the pri
The State of California has once again gone off the deep end, and has approved a whole range of new gun control bills that will make it even harder on law abiding citizens to own a gun in California. The California Senate approved a package of bills this week that goes directly after law-abiding gun owners. The bills make the state's already draconian gun laws even more ridiculous, by outlawing detachable and large-capacity magazines (which they define as anything over 10 rounds), tracking anyone who buys ammunition and reporting orders over 3,000 rounds, imposing large fees for those who do buy ammo, and expanding the category of offenders prohibited from owning guns for 10 years. One of the most controversial bills will require the State's residents to submit personal information and a $50 fee anytime they want to purchase ammunition. The State will then determine whether the buyer will be allowed to purchase the ammunition, which means depending on how the background checks come back, the same day purchase of ammunition in California may be a thing of the past. The California Senate also OK'd a bill that will outlaw the sale, purchase and manufacture of semiautomatic rifles that can accommodate detachable magazines. It also requires that anyone who currently owns one of these weapons, immediately register it with the State. Guilty until Proven Innocent This is nothing more than targeting and criminalizing law-abiding gun owners. In no way do any of these laws make it hard
While things kicked off in Charlottesville , The Sun was busy stoking our own far right. As a white supremacist rally in the US city turned into a violent protest, the UK paper published a provocative column asking what we should do about "The Muslim Problem". Hateful words Commentators have linked Donald Trump to the rise of the far right in the US, with his own rhetoric providing the movement with energy. And some indicated this is why we should be worried about what columnist Trevor Kavanagh wrote on Sunday 13 August: Kevin Kavanagh radicalises more Nazis by writing in The Scum Newspaper about "The Muslim Problem". This hate-speech has gotta stop!! pic.twitter.com/UOl36ztteZ -- JammyDodger (@mrjammyjamjar3) August 14, 2017 Kavanagh wrote that it was important to end free movement because immigrants that are already flooding Europe threaten our national and personal security. He used the apparent presence of Muslim grooming gangs in the UK to make his point, including the case of the Newcastle grooming gang , which came to light the previous week. In that case, 17 men and one woman were convicted of sexually grooming nearly 300 girls . The disturbing charges include the rape, trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors, using drugs and alcohol to lure them. And the reports suggest that the abusers - of mostly South Asian and Muslim backgrounds - targeted white victims. Ethnicity is not the issue The horrific detail is reminiscent of revelations that came out of Rotherh
Welcome to The Morning Pride, ThinkProgress LGBT's daily round-up of the latest in LGBT policy, politics, and some culture too! Here's what we're reading this morning, but please let us know what stories you're following as well. Follow us all day on Twitter at @ TPEquality . - President Obama has nominated the first Hispanic lesbian to the federal bench, Nitza I. Quinones Alejandro. - Arkansas for Equality has begun efforts to repeal the state's ban on same-sex marriage. - U.S. officials dispute claims that Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill has advanced out of committee, pointing out also that the panel is incapable of removing the death penalty provision. (Here's how a bill becomes law in Uganda.) - With some peculiar timing, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops just approved over $1 million in grants for evangelical efforts in African nations including Uganda. - Pocatello, Idaho is considering nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. - A Maryland court has ruled that marriages conducted over the phone are valid. - Maryland trans activists are gearing up for 2013. - Faculty at the University of Memphis will vote next week on whether to offer same-sex domestic partner benefits.
By now you've heard journalist Kevin J. Johnston is facing a charge of hate speech for upsetting the sensibilities of certain Muslims and their cheerleaders who don't want commentators to stray off the politically correct reserve on Islam. The rules say we're supposed to refer to this particular faith as "the religion of peace " even if the terrorism fatality statistics suggest otherwise. We're supposed to say, "Peace be upon him" when referencing the Prophet Mohammed even though history tells us his reign was anything but peaceful. Apparently, we're never supposed to utter a discouraging word . What else can one interpret from the outrageous, politically-motivated charges that have been levelled against Johnston? Watch as I share points that demonstrate just how ludicrous the hate speech charges are and show how the unspoken strategy of the state seems to be to economically penalize those who dare to speak out. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
I wrote a post about the Islamic State's now-deceased press officer two weeks ago ; he was a central figure in part 1 of Vice News' multi-part documentary profiling the terrorist army organization and their warped ideology. You'll recall he gracelessly insulted our men and women in uniform and vowed to " raise the flag of Allah " inside the White House. Thankfully, that'll never happen. Why? Because he's already met his maker (via Noah Rothman ): An #ISIS leader and press officer both killed in Tabqa Airbase attack in #Syria #thinkagainturnaway pic.twitter.com/hEyv6CJ2Fn -- Think AgainTurn Away (@ThinkAgain_DOS) August 21, 2014 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) put it rather well this week when describing the rabidity of death-loving fanatics like the late Abu Mosa : "ISIL cannot be reasoned with, they can't be negotiated with, and their view of the world is irreconcilable with civilized society." I don't disagree. Therefore, the more Abu Mosas we send to an early grave, the better.
In a brief order, the court granted a request by abortion providers seeking to reinstate a lower-court injunction that blocked the law, which required doctors to obtain a formal affiliation with a local hospital. The order noted that one of the eight justices, conservative Clarence Thomas, said he would have denied the application. The order said the court's action was in line with its decision in June to temporarily block part of a Texas abortion law that was challenged by abortion providers in a high-profile case. The eight justices heard oral arguments in that case on Wednesday. The Louisiana law mandates that physicians who perform abortions have "admitting privileges" at a hospital within 30 miles (48 km) of the facility where abortions are performed. The regulation matches one in the Texas law.
Trouble Ahead Beyond the axis of evil, there are other rogue states intent on acquiring weapons of mass destruction--particularly biological weapons. Given our vulnerability to attack from biological agents, as evidenced recently in the anthrax releases, it is important to carefully assess and respond to potential proliferators. Today, I want to discuss three other state sponsors of terrorism that are pursuing or that have the potential to pursue weapons of mass destruction or have the capability to do so in violation of their treaty obligations. While we will continue to use diplomatic efforts and multilateral regimes with these countries, it is important to review the challenges we face and to underline the issues that these states must address. As the President has said, America will do what is necessary to ensure our nation's security. We'll be deliberate. Yet time is not on our side. I will not wait on events while dangers gather. I will not stand by as peril draws closer and closer. First, Libya. There is no doubt that Libya continues its longstanding pursuit of nuclear weapons. We believe that since the suspension of UN sanctions against Libya in 1999, Libya has been able to increase its access to dual use nuclear technologies. Although Libya would need significant foreign assistance to acquire a nuclear weapon, Tripoli's nuclear infrastructure enhancement remains of concern. Qaddafi hinted at this in a recent (25 March) interview with Al-Jazirah when he said, "We dema
SB 219 was a bill proposed by Senator Scott Wiener in February 2017. The bill was to support LGBT senior citizens in long term care facilities. This would require facilities in California to respect the gender of a transgender human being. This means not forcing them to share rooms or use bathrooms that identify with their biological sex, but rather their "new" gender. This also means not allowing discrimination based on gender identity or sexuality. If a worker at a facility continues to misgender a patient they can face fines or possibly up to a year of jail time. Many republican organizations are against SB 219 and argue that "forcing" someone to use correct pronouns is against the first amendment and that making females share rooms with transgender males could lead to sexual assault. Help convince those who oppose SB 219 how beneficial the bill will be.
The Mayor's free market, help-the-investors strategy will leave London with an inadequate number of homes. Are we surprised, any more, when we see developers marketing luxury developments abroad with " no social housing !" as a selling point? Are we resigned to councils unnecessarily demolishing thousands of council homes rather than refurbishing them, and then watching developers sell homes that are priced at more than eleven times local incomes to investor landlords? The Mayor's own research suggested that two thirds of newly built homes across Greater London are bought by investor landlords, and that one third of buyers are from overseas. That is staggering, and hints at why prices have been rising so much faster than average incomes in London. By stoking up demand through overseas investment, Help to Buy and buy-to-let, the Mayor and the government are increasing demand far faster than supply. I am all for encouraging overseas investment in London businesses, but I can't see any benefits to 'investing' in our property market, which should be about providing homes. In my report, Crumbs for Londoners , I look at why the Mayor is so keen on investor buyers, and the downsides he isn't considering. The problem is that his approach won't work. He says London is growing, so we need to developers to build 320,000 homes in the eight years up to 2020, and investors can help get them built. But even if the private sector could increase supply by five to ten per cent a year - develop
Chhattisgarh PUCL Condemns The Abduction And Killing Of Four Constables By People's Union for Civil Liberties, Chhattisgarh The People's Union for Civil Liberties, Chhattisgarh condemns in no uncertain terms the abduction and killing of four constables belonging to the Chhattisgarh Auxiliary Force (erstwhile SPOs) attached to Police Station Bedre, district Bijapur by the Maoists 16 May, 2015 Curious Case Of Chhatradhar Mahato By Nisha Biswas The judgment of May12, 2015 of Midnapore session court to sentence Chhatradhar Mahato to life imprisonment is a travesty of justice and an attempt by the state to send a clear message to the people's movement across West Bengal and India that any dissent against the state and the ruling classes will be answered in a ruthless manner 01 March, 2015 We are once again reminded of the goondaism that prevails in regions like these, where communities face threats of abuse, intimidation and forced eviction due to mining and other so called development projects; where human right defenders and activists who believe in and abide by the law are made to feel like criminals and where the rich corporates who violate the law, rule the land 21 February, 2015 Kerala's Maoist Question By Aishik Chanda The state should immediately start considering Adivasis as very-much residents of Kerala. Then Forest Rights Act, Panchayati Raj Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA), distribution of "cultivable land" to Adivasis and reduction of malnutrition deaths will follo
By Frosty Wooldridge | JUNE 17, 2015 Immigration Shutdown Now! The Oceans Sustain Our Lives Part 9: Contaminating our food supply, collapsing fish populations I recently spoke to a young man who said, "Whether people live in their own countries or come to America, they still consume the same food and need housing, so what's the difference?" I replied, "Once they reach America's shores, their consumption rates grow by 10 percent and as high as 30 percent. They change from a hut to a house, from walking to an automobile, from no heat to gas heat, from growing their own food to shopping at the grocery store." "Oh," he said, "I guess that's a problem." "Yes," I said. "A very big problem." Again, as the title of this series commands your attention, remember that our U.S. Congress continues adding 1.2 million legal immigrants annually which equates to 100,000 every 30 days. The U.S. Census Bureau projects a total of 100,000,000 (million) added legal immigrants, their offspring and chain-migrated relatives within the next 35 years. With that 100,000,000 (million) new immigrant Americans, we must feed them. Just about everyone consumes tuna, salmon, cod and dozens of other fish from our oceans. However, with 100 million more people, we plunder the oceans for food faster. Oceanographer Callum Roberts said, "The oceans of today are filled with ghost habitats, stripped of their larger inhabitants. Our dismantling of marine ecosystems is having destructive and unpredictable consequences.
Appearing on the Catholic television channel Eternal World Television Network program World Over, Republican nominee Donald Trump spoke on a variety of topics from abortion, to religious liberty, to Obamacare, to his prayer life. Trump gave measured answers and stressed the importance of preserving religious freedom in the United States. After first asking Trump about his mother, host Raymond Arroyo cut right to the chase and asked Trump about his temperament on the campaign trail and how that would translate to a presidency. Trump said that as president, he would have a more measured attitude and would drop the "nastiness" that some have accused him of during the campaign. Trump assured Arroyo that he would be more measured as president than he was during the campaign. The interview then shifted to social issues, and Arroyo questioned Trump about how he has shifted on the issue of abortion. Trump cited a couple that he knew that got pregnant and had differing views on abortion; one wanted to abort, and one didn't. They had the baby, the baby is a "magnificent person" and the person who was pro-choice is now pro-life. Trump said that this couple was one of the reasons as to how he also evolved on the issue. He also compared his change of heart to that of Ronald Reagan, who also was pro-choice early in his political career. "I made the personal change, and I'm very happy with it." On the topic of religious liberty, Trump said that it was in "tremendous trouble" in this country
2. Almost Half Of 'Underage' Migrants In Hamburg Are Adults 49 per cent of the migrants who have claimed to be underage in the city of Hamburg this year are actually adults, according to a new report from the Social Security Board. The number is up from figures from last year which showed that 47 per cent of those claiming to be underage were adults. The new 49 per cent figure covers the 482 unaccompanied asylum seekers who came to Hamburg from January to September of this year, Die Welt reports. Across Germany this year there have been a total of 55,890 asylum seekers claiming to be under the age of 18 but according to the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, 24,116, or 43 percent, were officially adults. 3. Merkel's Gift to Europe: Anti-Terror Barriers 'Lovingly Wrapped' for Christmas Anti-terror barriers "lovingly wrapped" in Christmas paper to disguise their grim purpose are springing up across Germany. "Suddenly, overnight, they were there: huge Christmas parcels in Bochum's city center; wrapped in pretty wrapping paper with stars, firs -- and as a topping a red bow," reads a Welt report on the new "decorations" in the North Rhine-Westphalia city of Bochum. "It was important for us to fit the ugly barriers into the beautiful overall ensemble," explained a Bochum Marketing spokesman. 'That's why we wrapped the 1.2-ton sandbags and provided them with red ribbons.' 4. Quebec City police arrest 44 people at a protest and counter demonstration Quebec City police said they arre
If you didn't watch President Obama's invite-only "town hall" event on CNN last night , you'd actually find that there were some participants who favored strong Second Amendment rights. Kris Jacob, vice president of the American Firearms Retailers Association, and Taya Kyle, the wife of the late American war hero Chris Kyle, were called on to ask questions. Yet, a rather emotionally charged question came from a rape survivor, Kimberly Corban, who is now a mother of two, and asked why didn't the president see that, his gun control agenda was actually making it harder to protect her family: As a survivor of rape and now a mother to two small children, it seems like being able to purchase a firearm of my choosing, and being able to carry that wherever me and my family are, it seems like my basic responsibility as a parent at this point. I have been unspeakably victimized once already, and I refuse to let that happen again to myself or my kids. So why can't your administration see that these restrictions that you're putting to make it harder for me to own a gun, or harder for me to take that where I need to be is actually just making my kids and I less safe? The president congratulated Kimberly for having the courage to share her story, rise above it, and thanked her for being part of the event. Yet, he also reiterated that nothing in his executive actions would prevent her from buying a firearm, and that carry rights are state-based issues. At the same time, he weaved in the us
BY alan CARUBA | APRIL 29, 2015 The White House is lying about climate change and health Let us begin with the understanding that there is no connection between the climate and health. The climate is something measured in decades and centuries, so what happened in the last century has nothing to do with whether you are sneezing today. The weather surely can help generate health problems. For example in the northeastern states, the Lyme disease season is beginning. Between 1992 and 2010 reported cases of Lyme disease doubled to nearly 23,000 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but CDC officials believe the actual number of those infected may have been three times that number. Lyme disease is transmitted by deer ticks and since these tiny insects will hitch a ride on birds, squirrels, mice and small animals as well, even if you live in an area without deer, the possibility of being bitten by a deer tick is just as likely. This increases for people who love gardening or outdoor recreational activities such as hiking and camping. Children, too, are particularly susceptible. The fact that Lyme disease shows up in the Spring simply tells you that the warm weather facilitates the tick population. The weather has always been tied the mating habits and activities of various species, but that does not mean that is constitutes a massive threat to everyone's health. That's not the way the White House sees it. On April 7 the administration made it official. It
Comprehensive sex-ed programs across the country have one recurring theme: Intrusiveness by the state into the sanctity of the family. Parents often feel left out of the formal sex-ed discussion altogether. They feel the government is imposing the state's values, with the state's timeline, onto other people's kids without the parent's consent or consultation. But a rising tide of people are fighting back. Donna Trimble of Parents for Choice in Education in Alberta, Tanya Granic-Allen of Parents as First Educators in Ontario and Chilliwack school board trustee Barry Neufeld are the new public faces in the fight for parents rights in Canada . These folks aren't scared of being called a bigot by politicians and activists just because they oppose the introduction of gender theory to younger and younger children. And more people from some high profile places, are stepping forward to oppose comprehensive sex-ed. My guest tonight is an author and Christian broadcaster living in British Columbia. Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson is the host of the 700 Club and Laura-Lynn and Friends. She is one of the most vocal and visible opponents of BC's new SOGI 123 sex-ed curriculum. Tonight she explains her opposition to what she calls the "sex activist" agenda in BC and now she joins the list of people whose careers are under attack because they spoke up. Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
Liberalism is, in its essence, Utopian. Every liberal policy, no matter how trivial, points to the bright horizon of a better day, like the vanishing points in a surreal de Chirico painting. That liberals can't agree amongst themselves about the particulars of their earthly paradise -- other than that it will be harmoniously rainbow-colored and that we will all eat locally grown produce -- does not undermine their faith in it. The arrow of time is taking us to some final society that, whatever it contains, is bound to be just swell. The fact that Utopia, as they conceive i,t would be mind-numbingly boring does not disturb liberal composure. They don't, after all, have to live in it. They are driven to construct it -- and driven to heights of grandiosity -- by their profound incapacity to cope with their own mortality. Take my word for it. Examine any liberal notion closely enough and you will find in it - lurking in a darkened corner, yellow eyes glowing: a fear of death. Hence the need for a heaven on earth in which to hide. One of the more explicit and conspicuous aspects of liberal Utopia is that promulgated by the lesbian-gay-transgender-bisexual (LGBT) fanatics. Amidst the recent defenestration of Mozilla's CEO Brendan Eich, you could hear the LGBT "mafia" (thanks, Bill Maher) regularly describe gay marriage as "inevitable" or "on the right side of history." I want to ask: where do they think history is taking us? Because I think that, irrespective of the morality of the
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On Tuesday the Bee Informed Partnership, in collaboration with the Apiary Inspectors of America and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), released its annual report on honey bee losses in the U.S. Beekeepers reported losing 44 percent of their total number of colonies managed over the last year--close to the highest annual loss in the past six years. These losses are considered too high to be sustainable for U.S. agriculture and the beekeeping industry. "These honey bee losses reinforce what sciences continues to tell us; we must take immediate action to restrict pesticides contributing to bee declines," Tiffany Finck-Haynes, food futures campaigner with Friends of the Earth , said. "The longer we wait, the worse the situation becomes. If we do not suspend neonicotinoid pesticides immediately, we risk losing our beekeepers and harming important ecosystem functions upon which our food supply depends." A large and growing body of science has attributed alarming bee declines to several key factors, including exposure to the world's most widely used class of insecticides, neonicotinoids. States, cities, universities, businesses and federal agencies in the U.S. have passed measures to restrict the use of these pesticides due to delay by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, these pesticides are still widely used despite mounting evidence that they kill bees outright and make them more vulnerable to pests, pathogens and other stressors. Summary of the tota
Published 9:37 AM, January 08, 2016 Updated 9:37 AM, January 08, 2016 EFFIGY. South Korean activists shout slogans as they hold up portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un during a rally against North Korea's apparent hydrogen bomb test, in Seoul, South Korea, January 7, 2016. Photo by Jeon Heon-Kyun/EPA SEOUL, South Korea - The United States and its two main military allies in Asia, South Korea and Japan, pledged a combined push Thursday, January 7, to secure a comprehensive, hard-hitting international response to North Korea's latest nuclear test. The leaders of the three countries, who have long sought to project a united front against the North Korean nuclear threat, spoke by phone a day after Pyongyang's shock announcement that it had tested its first hydrogen bomb. While the announcement prompted widespread condemnation and calls for new stiff sanctions against the secretive state, it was also greeted with some scepticism, with experts suggesting the apparent yield was far too low for a thermonuclear device. In Seoul, the government took unilateral action by announcing the resumption of high-decibel propaganda broadcasts into the North - a tactic that had prompted Pyongyang to threaten military strikes when it was last employed during a cross-border crisis last year. The consultations between the US, Japan and South Korea followed a meeting of the 15-member UN Security Council in New York which, with backing from China, Pyongyang's sole major ally, strongly condemne
Parents and allergy advocacy groups are asking parents to beware that the movie may teach children that bullying others for having allergies is OK. gmafb the movie also shows people and rabbits attacking each other with electric shocks and dynamite #boycottpeterrabbit pic.twitter.com/dDt9Pba8EI -- Brandt (@UrbanAchievr) February 11, 2018 The movie '"Peter Rabbit" is getting pressure from parents who believe that one particular scene is a bad influence on children. And if they are successful, the boycott movement they started could keep a lot of people from spending money on the franchise. Read More In a scene in "Peter Rabbit," the main character and his forest friends have an encounter with their arch nemesis, Mr. McGregor. As they throw blackberries at him, he begins to choke due to his allergies. To avoid experiencing a serious outcome, he then has to inject himself with an epinephrine injector. Because this scene may give children the idea of attacking people with allergies, CNN reports, some parents launched a campaign on Twitter using the hashtag #boycottpeterrabbit. The movement became so serious that it prompted Sony Pictures to respond. In a statement, the company behind the big screen take on the classic character says that they are sorry about adding the scene. "Food allergies are a serious issue. Our film should not have made light of Peter Rabbit's arch nemesis, Mr. McGregor, being allergic to blackberries, even in a cartoonish, slapstick way. We sincerely regret
Andrea Mitchell talks with NPR's Steve Inskeep about his interview with President Obama where the two discussed the midterm election, immigration, and his views on the Republican Party. Jeanne Cummings also joins the conversation. Andrea Mitchell Reports - 12:24 PM 12/29/2014 North Korea is pushing back at the U.S.' accusations that they are responsible for the cyber-attack on Sony, including a racial slur in its statement about President Obama. Victor Cha, senior adviser and Korea Chair at Georgetown University, discusses. Andrea Mitchell Reports - 12:14 PM 12/29/2014 NewsNation with Tamron Hall - 11:44 AM 12/29/2014 The divide between New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD continues to widen following a controversial moment at a slain officer's funeral, where some officers turned their backs to the mayor when he began to speak. The Daily Beast's Michael... The Rundown with Jose Diaz-Balart - 9:45 AM 12/29/2014
It has been alleged that there are 152 British spies operating in Iran. These men and women are not just shadowy attaches at the British Embassy in Tehran, or secretive returned emigres, lurking in the shadows of Revolutionary Guard get-togethers. These people are journalists, and if they really are spies, then the Iranian government has just busted one of the largest spy-rings in any country, ever. The Iranian security services are no doubt very capable, of course, but they haven't busted twelve dozen spies all at once before. All of the criminal charges brought against these 152 journalists, which were complained about at the United Nations last week by the BBC , are false. These ordinary press-hounds are the unfortunate victims in an inter-state war that goes back to 2007, when Iran's Press TV first began broadcasting from London. This is also a war which Iran started. As in 2007, Press TV still plays the role that the BBC played for Britain during the Second World War and afterwards; an obvious propaganda wing pushing its own state's interests. In that time, "the Beeb" freely offered British propaganda against the Nazis and then in favour of former Shah Reza Pahlavi of Iran; of that there is no doubt. While the BBC has moved on from that period and role, Press TV has not. It maintains its position as a state mouthpiece, while the BBC is largely independent of the British government. Historically, the Islamists who rule Tehran today are being ungrateful. Were it not for th
Stress Test is a series about the science behind our busy lives and how stress affects our bodies. The biweekly column uncovers the latest research and explains how to put it to use in a practical way. Look for the science behind epigenetic markers of stress, mindfulness, meditation and deep brain stimulation. More studies are linking stress to sickness, and some are making a direct connection to autoimmune diseases, or conditions that cause the immune system to attack healthy tissues. When the term "autoimmune disease" comes to mind, that often prompts thoughts about well-known conditions such as lupus , thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis . A growing category of autoimmune diseases have caught media attention lately, especially as they relate to stress and lifestyle factors, including Celiac disease , Crohn's disease, Hashimoto's disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Another category is burgeoning as well. Often hard to diagnose, these diseases seem to come from nowhere. They're often classified as "idiopathic," meaning they have no known cause and no known cure. In fact, I was diagnosed with one of these stress-induced idiopathic diseases in 2010. After a year in a mind-blowingly stressful job, where I kept working even when I was sick in bed, I developed idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura , an autoimmune disease that destroys the platelets in the blood. Essentially, if I got a cut, it would take a long time to clot. That's nerve-wracking if you think about accidenta
During the eight years the Bush Administration denied that climate change was a problem, they were concealing spy satellite images showing the frightening loss of summer artic sea ice. The de-classified images were released last week by the Obama Whitehouse in an effort to build support for the beleaguered Waxman Markey bill now moving through the Senate. The satellite pictures clearly show how rapidly the arctic is vanishing due to climate change. In years such as 2007, more than one million square kilometers of summer ice disappeared and has never recovered. The one-meter resolution images produced by the military spy satellites were far better than anything available to the world's climate scientists. Too bad that few other than the military and the oil friendly Bush Administration ever saw them - until now. NASA researcher Thorsten Markus of the Goddard Space Flight Center is thrilled to finally have access to better images than have ever been made available to climate experts. "One meter resolution is that dimension that has been missing...that is why web are so thrilled about it." Previous images available to researchers provided up to 30 times less detail, hiding much detail vital to predict the pace of climate change in the arctic. Summer sea ice not only provides critical habitat for keystone species like polar bears, it also reflects enormous amounts of solar radiation back into space. Scientists now worry that as more white ice becomes dark water, the artic ocean w
The head of an immigration enforcement think tank believes Democrats - contrary to the stance they're taking publicly - are perfectly willing to see a DACA "amnesty" fail in 2018. It was a major victory for President Donald Trump as Senate Democrats on Monday gave up on the government shutdown without any action on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (aka, DACA). But with another government shutdown deadline approaching February 8, Democrats insist they'll keep fighting for illegal immigrant "DREAMers." Gary Bauer with American Values contends Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (pictured above) - one of the DACA stalwarts in the Senate - was "putting the interests" of illegal immigrants ahead of the interests of every American citizen for one simple reason: "the left sees illegal immigrants as the voting bloc that will give it a lock on future elections." In fact, one report suggests a DACA deal could flip as many as four or five traditionally "Red" states in favor of Democrats. But the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies isn't so sure that getting a deal on DACA is a hill the left is willing to die on. Mark Krikorian actually thinks the Democrats are willing to let DACA die this year. "They're okay with the DACAs or a large portion of them losing their work permits because they're going to use this as a campaign issue in November," he tells OneNewsNow. Krikorian is concerned the Democrats will gain control of the House following this yea
The H-1B visa is a highly coveted, temporary visa awarded to just 65,000 foreign workers in specialized fields per year. But the world's best and brightest face a new and dangerous(ly sexy) threat: fashion models. Bloomberg has an interesting take. Their story begins: Ravi Shanker makes weekly pilgrimages to Chilkur Balaji temple outside Hyderabad, India, asking for a little help on a visa from an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Shanker, a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, a top engineering school, is praying for an H-1B visa to enter the U.S. He needs all the divine intervention he can get, because he's not just vying with other software engineers for the high-skill work permits. His other rivals? Fashion models. Oh noooooooooooo! Not models! Fashion models are almost twice as likely to get their visas as computer programmers, by one rough measure. There were 478 initial applications made for fashion models in 2010, according to U.S. Labor Department data compiled by Bloomberg. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved 250 visas for models. More than 325,000 H-1B petitions were filed for computer-related occupations; about 90,800 visas were distributed to foreign information-technology workers, including immigrants whose visas were being renewed or changed. Wait. So out of over 91,000 H-1B visas that were approved or renewed in 2010, 250 were given to models. Models are getting just less than 0.3% of all H-1B visas. Poor Ravi Shanker's chances of missi
Economy continues to tank Meanwhile, as the economy continues to tank, job creation at an all time low; and against the ruling of a federal judge, Obama passes out work permits to illegals like candy, sanctuary cities protect them while their own citizens are being raped and murdered, and Democrats across the country now pursue the passage of laws that allow illegal immigrants to vote in our local and national elections. Is there any surprise that, as a result of Obama's private war on legal immigration, that the majority of the American people are angry and demanding all immigrants be deported? This pendulum effect of emotion has been fueled from the beginning by a President who refused to lead the Congress to common sense reform and as a result has pushed the American people to drastic measures to stop the flow of taxpayer dollars, American jobs and unchecked support for those who have entered our country illegally. The polarization and division of the American people, created and sustained by the current administration has made the problem worse, now amping up hate and discord for anyone crossing the border illegally. Those in the hispanic community that continue to support Obama and vote for democrats (basically and action of cutting off your own nose to spite your face) represents the truest definition of an oxymoron . Actions by President Obama and democrats produce incongruous and self-contradictory results in an issue that requires leadership, and common sense refor
It happened again: another mass shooting. In San Bernardino, California yesterday, a heavily armed man and woman killed at least 14 people and wounded at least 17, according to the New York Times. As Obama said after a previous mass shooting, "We are the only advanced country on earth that sees these kinds of mass shootings every few months....Somehow this has become routine. The reporting is routine. My response here at this podium ends up being routine. The conversation in the aftermath of it. We've become numb to this." It's even worse than that: mass shootings don't happen every few months in the US. They happen every single day. Sometimes multiple times a day. Specifically, there have been 355 mass shootings in the US in 2015. The Washington Post has a chart showing just how often mass shootings occur - defining mass shootings as "incidents in which four or more people, including the gunman, are killed or injured by gunfire." It's horrific. This isn't okay. This needs to change. If it doesn't change, it will happen again - soon. Images via Washington Post Erika W. Smith is BUST's digital editorial director. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @erikawynn and email her at erikawsmith@bust.com.
So, first of all, I have to admit I'm a little bit in love with Lady Gaga. I mean, we are talking about a woman who gave an interview in a Kermit the Frog pelerine and matching fascinator: So I was admittedly a little shocked and disappointed when I saw the headline on CNN: I mean, sure, it happens--Alice Cooper is a Republican, after all, but still. How could you, Lady Gaga? Of course, if one actually bothers to read the article, one finds the headline is totes bullshit: GOP congressman Dave Reichert (R-Wanker) just used a video by some douche parodying one of Lady Gaga's songs ("Just Tax" instead of "Just Dance," ho ho ho) to "show his colleagues the video to encourage them to get young people involved using new media," because, according to his spokesperson, Reichert "wanted them to encourage the youth in their district, and share the message on a level that young people can relate to." Don't let big tech control what news you see. Get more stories like this in your inbox, every day. Melissa McEwan writes and edits the blog Shakespeare's Sister .
What to do about global warming, or "climate change," is the most consequential political war of our era. The Heartland Institute's primary goal over the next four years is to win the global warming war. Here is why, and how we plan to do it. Why We Must Win Global warming isn't just one of many public policy debates that free-market advocates need to win. It is a war, the most important and most consequential war of our era. Progressives have declared war on capitalism and the technologies, fuels, and industries critical to its survival. This is why they took over the environmental movement in the 1980s and 1990s; not to protect the environment, but to wage war on capitalism. Global expenditures to "stop global warming" already exceeded $1.5 trillion a year in 2015, or approximately $4 billion a day. Progressives want to spend even more. They claim stabilizing the global climate would require reducing carbon dioxide emissions 80 percent or even more by the middle of the century. Solar and wind energy typically costs five to ten times as much as energy produced from fossil fuels. Because they are intermittent and unreliable sources of energy, they cannot be scaled up to meet current levels of demand for energy, much less the higher levels of demand that are expected to prevail decades from now. Energy in the Progressive's fantasy world would have to be rationed. Choices of housing and occupations and cars, among other goods and services, would be severely limited. Economic g
TransCanada said it discovered the leak in the town of Amherst after systems detected a drop in pressure, prompting crews to shut down parts of the pipeline. TransCanada Corp shut part of its Keystone oil pipeline system after a 5,000-barrel leak in South Dakota, the company said on Thursday, four days before neighboring Nebraska was set to decide on the company's long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline. Opponents of TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL pipeline seized on the spill, saying it highlighted the risks posed by the XL project - which has become a symbol for environmentalists of fossil-fuel pollution and global warming. TransCanada said in a statement it discovered the leak in the town of Amherst at 6 a.m. on Thursday after systems detected a drop in pressure, and that it was working with authorities as it investigates the cause. South Dakota Department of Environmental and Natural Resources spokesman Brian Walsh said the leak came from an underground pipeline and that it had been contained at the site. U.S. President Donald Trump has made Keystone XL a key plank in his energy policy and handed TransCanada a federal permit in March, reversing former President Barack Obama's decision to reject the line on environmental grounds after years of study. Trump has argued that the 830,000-barrel pipeline, which would serve as an extension of the existing Keystone system linking Alberta oil to U.S. refineries, will lower fuel prices, shore up national security and bring jobs. Trans
Every Monday, "Science and the Sacred" features an essay from one of The BioLogos Foundation's co-presidents: Karl Giberson and Darrel Falk. Today's entry was written by Karl Giberson. Bill Dembski, on his anti-evolution blog Uncommon Descent , has launched a peculiar assault on Darrel Falk's recent piece on this site about irreducible complexity. Dembski's complaint is so naive, it has me wondering whether he has simply given up on serious engagement with ideas. Falk's post made a basic point that believers have wrestled with as long as there have been believers: The natural world has some terrible creatures in it, and it is hard to imagine God intentionally designing such nasty things. In 1860 Darwin even raised this in a letter to the American biologist Asa Gray: "I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent & omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae (wasp) with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars [see picture above] , or that a cat should play with mice." Creationists have long tried to wriggle off this particular hook by arguing that the nasty features of the world are the consequences of human sin-by-products of the curse. But the truly nasty stuff precedes the appearance of humans, which makes this argument suspect at best. More serious, though, is the point that Falk was making, calling attention to the dark underside of the Intelligent Design movement, where he notes that "some of the by-products of natu
Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker and President of the Cologne Police Wolfgang Albers (R) hold a news confernece in Cologne, Germany, January 5, 2016. (AINA) -- The sexual molesting of over 100 women in several German cities on New Year's Eve has triggered outrage in Germany and throughout the Western world. It strikes at a core value of the contemporary West: the right of women to be treated with dignity and respect and not to be subjected to unwelcome sexual advances. The reports that the perpetrators were hundreds of men of North African and Arabic appearance have unleashed a bitter debate in Germany between those who have linked the event with the massive influx of refugees to Germany in 2015 against those who refuse to link the sexual attacks with the refugee issue. Can a direct line be drawn between the sexual assaults and refugees? To answer that question, thought should be given to the profile of refugees entering Germany last year. They represent many nationalities: Syrians, Iraqis, Libyans, Moroccans, Algerians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Nigerians and a host of other nationalities. The diverse nationalities involved suggest that it would be impossible to link the sexual attacks with a particular national grouping. What if we divide refugees along religious lines? The majority of refugees are Muslim by faith, but there are also Christians, Yazidis and other minority religious groups. Such a consideration carries us forward; it is virtually certain that the perpetrators o
Ribbon candy has been around since at least 1856. F.B. Washburn's popular coconut bar cookie prompted him to look into candy making. Because of ribbon candy's success, Washburn added sour balls, peppermint starlights and lollipops to his repertoire. In 1986, Washburn purchased Sevigny's Candy and became the nation's major provider of ribbon candy. In 2009, Washburn Candy occupies five floors in a 150,000-square-foot building. Ribbon candy is a hard candy, typically between 4 and 6 inches long and about 1 inch thick. Some companies make round ribbon candy. Flavors include peppermint, cinnamon, bubble gum, lime, berry and peanut butter. Read more: Where Was the First Ribbon Candy Invented? Please SHARE this story as the only way for CFP to beat Facebook anti-Conservative Suppression.
Some crimes, like the Parkland massacre in Florida, earn the outraged attention of The New York Times, which is fitting . But when Trump wages a rhetorical war on the murderous immigrant gang MS-13 who bludgeon teens to death, the paper responds with hand-wringing explainers, like Friday's front-page corrective suggesting the threat is overblown and unrelated to Obama's negligent immigration policy: " A Gang's Fearsome Reputation, Further Inflated by the President ." Here was the video caption: "President Trump has used MS-13 to justify hard-line immigration policies. But the gang he's trying to root out was born in the United States." The clip slides over the fact that it was born in outgrowth from fights with Mexican gangs here, and that deported gang members often return to commit more mayhem: Few dispute the violent menace that MS-13 is to pockets across the United States . Its members wield machetes, kill with abandon and terrorize -- for the most part in immigrant communities. But law enforcement officials at local, state and federal levels describe the Trump administration's hard-charging campaign against MS-13 as out of proportion with the threat. President Trump has seized on the gang's brutality and violence to symbolize the risks of illegal immigration. The reporters unloaded some strangely benign-sounding sentences about MS-13: Not all members of MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, are illegal immigrants. Nor does the gang survive on the global trafficking of drugs, guns
Davidson's & 'Gallery of Guns' Completes Expansion Ammoland Inc. Posted on October 11, 2012 December 9, 2012 by Ammoland Davidson's & 'Gallery of Guns' Completes Expansion Davidson's PRESCOTT, ARIZONA - -( Ammoland.com )- Made necessary by the firm's phenomenal growth over the last five years, Davidson's has completed expansion of their distribution facilities in Prescott, Arizona. The new 40,000 square foot facility on Stearman Road "came on-line" starting to process and ship orders the end of June. The addition of this facility more than doubles the firm's warehousing capablities and will enable Davidson's to enhance and deepen its firearms inventory. "I am especially proud of the way our team minimized any customer disruption during this expansion", said Davidson's CEO Bryan Tucker. "A key company philosophy is that we do business for the convenience of our customers, not ourselves. The transition was clear evidence of our dedication to that philosophy. We never stopped taking orders, we did not close for even one day, and the only shipping standard we relaxed was to change our cut-off time for overnight shipping from 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time to 3 p.m. Eastern for a very short period." Davidson's maintains the latest same day cut-off times in the industry. Dealers can order as late as 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time for next-day shipping and 8 p.m. Eastern for two-day, three-day express, and ground shipments. About Davidson's: Founded in 1932 Davidson's has grown into one of the nati
Wrong Turn: Learning to Drive Loses its Way Wrong Turn: Learning to Drive Loses its Way Unlike the bracing feminist essay it is based on, Learning to Drive struggles to move beyond fantasy and stereotypes. Maxine Phillips ▪ August 28, 2015 A scene from Learning to Drive (Broad Green Pictures) Early on in her wrenchingly funny tell-all essay about being left by her lover, feminist writer Katha Pollitt fantasizes that after she learns to drive she mows him down at a crosswalk, where he just happens to be standing with his new wife and at least one other former lover. Pollitt imagines she will be sent to prison for decades, where she will reorganize the library and become a lesbian. Her story will be made into a movie. Well, it has been made into a movie, and that's not the story it tells. First published in the New Yorker in 2002, the essay is a clear-eyed account of a middle-aged woman finally taking charge of her life, symbolized by her learning to drive. In the process, she skewers the unnamed lover with the literary leftist version of revenge porn. Pollitt is not afraid to expose her own insecurities even as she verbally flays the philandering lover. The essay caused a stir when it came out, because women like Pollitt, that is to say, strong feminists, aren't supposed to slash their wrists over men, even if metaphorically. She was excoriated for being too personal, but the essay struck a chord among many and eventually became the title of a collection of perceptive a
Buying a Valentine's Day gift for a new guy is tricky. You really like him, but you haven't been together all that long. Unfortunately, that leaves you open for the possibility of getting a present that seemed right in the moment and afterwards ... you realize it was so, so wrong. He Says : "One month into dating, a girl gave me a cat for Valentine's Day. She knew I had just parted with a cat from a previous ex, and she thought that if she replaced that cat with a new one, maybe I'd stop thinking about my ex. It was way too permanent for such a short relationship - and I never said I wanted another cat! I wound up having to give it to the Humane Society." Advertisement - Continue Reading Below - Justin N. "Just three months into dating a girl, I received a scrapbook of 'our memories' for Valentine's Day. It contained ticket stubs from events we'd gone to together, and other mementos. I pretended to think it was awesome, but it actually freaked me out a little. I thought it was way too soon." - Stefan K. "I had a girlfriend of a couple months who gave me clothes on Valentine's Day. She told me she'd bought the clothes before we even got together, to give to whoever she ended up dating." - Dave R. "I'd been on one date with a girl who was definitely on the wild side. Since neither of us had plans, we decided to meet for drinks on Valentine's Day. I gave her a pair of earrings. She, in turn, surprised me with a pair of boxers covered in hearts AND A BONDAGE GAG BALL a la pulp fi
The 45 House Republicans most willing to grind government to a halt, based on an analysis of six votes this year by the Washington Post blog The Fix. Photos: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom (Collins, Rothfus, Amash, Gohmert, Massie, Mulvaney, Schweikert); Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/Newscom (Sensenbrenner, Wenstrup, Desantis, Franks); Pete Marovich/ZumaPress/Newscom (Goodlatte); Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call/Newscom (Salmon, Desjarlais, Labrador); Action Press/ZumaPress/Newscom (Bachmann); Newscom (Chabot); Richard Ellis/ZumaPress/Newscom (Sanford); The Augusta Chronicle/ZumaPress/Newscom (Broun); Michael Allen Jones/Sacramento Bee/ZumaPress/Newscom (McClintock); William B. Plowman/NBC/NBC NewsWire/Getty Images (Cotton); The Washington Times/ZumaPress/Newscom (Price); Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Lamborn); Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images (Posey, Huelskamp) A few months ago, Eric Cantor was ready to bring his latest brainchild, the Helping Sick Americans Now bill, to the House floor. The move was pure Cantora smarmy, ultrapartisan ploy. The bill proposed to eliminate funds the Obama administration needs to set up and run the health-care exchanges that are the central mechanism in the health-care law, but then Cantor's bill would use those funds to help a handful of sick people get health insurance. There was no chance this, or anything like it, would be signed into law, as Obama obviously would not agree to tear down a program to insure millions of Americans in
By Doug Bandow, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute (@Doug_Bandow) | 8/12/2014 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has begun to transform Japan into a normal country. Tokyo plans to take a more active role internationally. Eventually it should take over responsibility for defending itself. As military occupier after World War II the U.S. imposed Article Nine of the Japanese constitution, disarming Tokyo. But in recent years the U.S. has pushed Japan to do more militarily. A serious debate has been percolating within Japan at least since the early 1990s, especially after North Korea and China reminded the Japanese that they faced potential threats. So far Tokyo simply has revised its interpretation of Article Nine. Japan's "Self Defense Force" will be allowed to cooperate with other countries in combat. However, noted the Prime Minister: "There is no change in the general principle that we cannot send troops overseas." Overseas the response was mixed. Naturally, the U.S. was pleased. China was unhappy. The Republic of Korea explained it was "paying sharp attention to" the policy. Other nations--in a break from the past--were supportive. Australia endorsed the move. So did the Philippines and Singapore. Some critics still worry about Tokyo's ultimate intentions, as if the Japanese had a double dose of original sin. But Japan, with a stagnant economy, middling (and declining) population, and pacifist ethos, doesn't look much like the next global dominatrix. Instead, Japan'
Censorship by Facebook has become a thorn in the side of nearly anyone with an opinion differing from the narrative touted by the corporate press -- for instance, sentiments not praising Hillary Clinton -- and now, through both a new report from Reuters and emails published by Wikileaks, we have insight into why certain posts are targeted. By: Claire Bernish This article first appeared at FreeThoughtProject Facebook relies on a combination of artificial intelligence and human judgment to remove posts deemed offensive, violent, or otherwise unacceptable to its community standards -- but precisely how the ultimate call to take down posts, pages, and groups are made remains unknown. And Facebook takedowns, no matter the improvements to the process the social media behemoth claims to make, have been no less controversial or questionable -- and those whose posts are censored have little if any recourse to argue their case. Recent examples of head-scratchers which led to an international uproar, include Facebook's removal of the iconic Vietnam War photograph of Phan Thi Kim Phuc -- who, at just 9-years-old, was captured on film by an Associated Press photographer fleeing the aftermath of an errant napalm attack near a Buddhist pagoda in the village of Trang Bang. That photograph helped cement in the collective American mind the horrors of the war, and ultimately fueled the success of the anti-war effort -- but Facebook arbitrarily pulled the image for nudity -- and proceeded even
Rep. Will Ainsworth has begun drafting legislation that would establish a framework for some teachers to be trained and armed with firearms, to prevent more massacres like the one that occurred yesterday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. "I think just common sense tells you if that coach would have had a gun, you know, as soon as that guy had stepped into the classroom, he could have ended the situation," Ainsworth told Yellowhammer News. Ainsworth was referring to Aaron Feis, a football coach at the Florida high school, who was shot yesterday while shielding students from gunfire. Feis later died from his wounds. Ainsworth said that he has been considering this kind of legislation for some time. "Michigan just passed a bill, so we're looking at a lot of different states, and hopefully have a piece of legislation at the start of next week that we're going to drive." This offers another state legislature an opportunity to act upon the issue of mass shootings, on which the United States Congress has made little progress over the years. "My phone has been blowing up with people asking us to get something passed. Educators, teachers, parents that are concerned about this, and I think it's something we've got to look at and have a conversation about, and try to address in Alabama," Ainsworth said. Ainsworth's legislation has a few priorities: arming teachers who want to be armed, setting up a framework of approval for those to be armed from school princ
For its analysis of the shooting of a GOP baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, The Washington Post used a pro-gun control definition of mass shootings in order to include the recent Alexandria attack. When first advertised on social media, the Post doesn't mention Gun Violence Archive (GVA), the name of its source. Analysis: The GOP baseball shooting is the 154th mass shooting this year https://t.co/9HCGrhzorz -- Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 14, 2017 In the piece, The Washington Post says the Alexandria shooting fits into the category of a "mass shooting" according to "one definition." The entire piece is based on what Gun Violence Archive calls a mass shooting. According to it, the recent attack makes it the "154th mass shooting this year." No. It isn't. Not by any reasonable definition of the term "mass shooting." https://t.co/8EDVmVwXqt -- Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) June 15, 2017 It's not. cc: @markfollman -- Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) June 15, 2017 On its website, the GVA describes itself as "an online archive of gun violence incidents collected from over 2,000 media, law enforcement, government and commercial sources daily in an effort to provide near-real time data about the results of gun violence." They also claim they're not "by design, an advocacy group." GVA's definition of a mass shooting is, "FOUR or more shot and/or killed in a single event [incident], at the same general time and location not including the shooter." The Fre
Famine. Nuclear threats. Sexual assault. Genocide. Regional warfare around the globe. A Spice Girls reunion. These are just a few of the most pressing issues of our time. Our neighbors to the north may not have figured out how to solve any of those problems, but that doesn't mean they're not hard at work in the justice arena. Sure, people need to eat and not be murdered, but more importantly people need to be free from the oppression of the patriarchal language of the national anthem. To that end, and in keeping with the feminist philosophy of flannel-onesie-come-to-life Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the Canadian senate has voted to make their national anthem more gender neutral. The line "True patriot love, in all thy sons command" has been changed to "in all of us command". Canadians took to twitter to voice their opinions. While some applauded the changes, many Canadians said they couldn't have cared less about the words and felt the change was a waste of time. (LANGUAGE WARNING) The fact that Canada is literally in the process of changing our national anthem to be "gender neutral" is ridiculous... if you get offended by the word "sons" in O' Canada then that's your fuckin problem -- Sarah (@Sarahwebber_) February 1, 2018 Oh thank goodness. I don't think any of us could have managed in the absence of a 'gender neutral' O Canada. As an added bonus, the new lyrics are nonsensical. Well done boys. Sorry! I mean well done folks. #cdnpoli https://t.co/tjORKflPMz -- Quentin Gar
May 6, 2016 ( CardinalNewmanSociety ) -- Bill Clinton. Cecile Richards. Joe Biden. Wendy Davis. What do they have in common? For us, it's this: Catholic colleges this spring have invited these public figures to enjoy prominent campus platforms and public honors, despite their public opposition to Catholic teaching on abortion and marriage. Why does this matter? Because it's a betrayal of the mission of Catholic education and a scandal. It concerns not only The Cardinal Newman Society but also, apparently, bishops and pro-life leaders who have spoken out against the colleges' choices. Any college, if it is to fulfill its mission, must seek and teach truth. But an authentic Catholic college has far more to offer, because it teaches the truth revealed by God -- truth that is excluded by the modern academy, because its only accepted means to truth are human experience and reasoning. A Catholic college, by definition, embraces divine revelation through Christ and His Church as truth that is foundational and consistent with discovered truth. It is right for a Catholic college to embrace academic freedom and dialogue as means of discovering truth, and the college should also respect the rights of conscience, helping students form their behaviors and understanding by the free encounter with truth. But the members of a college community, as well as invited guests, still have the responsibility to communicate in a reasonable manner with the genuine intention of seeking truth , not t
During the holiday, I read the excellent biography by Alan Jacobs, The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis . There are several things in it that are perhaps worth sharing. In the book we're told that the theater critic and essayist Kenneth Tynan, himself not a believer, after having read Lewis's The Hideous Strength , said, "How thrilling he makes goodness seem -- how tangible and radiant!" (Lewis had been a tutor of Tynan's at Oxford; Tynan considered Lewis the greatest English literary critic of the 20 th century and one of the best writers of English prose who ever lived.) That's a lovely attribute of a rare, prized gift Lewis possessed - the ability to make goodness, and the Good Life, seem thrilling, radiant, and enchanting; to convince people that the right ordering of our loves can lead to greater fulfillment and to genuine human flourishing. That connection has often been lost, including by those who, when they speak out on behalf of morality and decency, sometimes come across as moral scolds, dour, and utterly unappealing; what we once referred to as a killjoy. Mr. Jacobs, a Distinguished Professor of the Humanities in the Honors Program at Baylor University, also writes of how Lewis described his dear friend Owen Barfield, the British philosopher, poet and fellow member of The Inklings: He [Barfield] is not so much the alter-ego as the antiself. Of course he shares your interests; otherwise, he would not become your friend at all. But he has approached t
Wyclef Jean was on the the set of Good Morning America Wednesday, to talk about his recent run-in with the law. The Haitian-born musician was detained by Los Angeles police Tuesday, after being mistaken for the suspect in a nearby assault and robbery. As it was happening, Jean had someone record the incident and then post it on social media criticizing the Los Angeles deputies involved. "I was targeted as a black man. It was clear and it was obvious," Jean told Robin Roberts. "I was scared for my life to the point where I could have acted different, and had I acted different, something else could have happened." "We have seen that in the past," said Roberts. "When I was pulled over, and when I got out the car, I was not told why," Jean continued. "If I'm not told why and guns are drawn on me, how am I supposed to react?" Also on GMA, was Mediaite Founder and ABC News Chief Legal Analyst Dan Abrams , who said it was important that viewers consider the police perspective too. "Older gold car with a female driver, and a passenger, male, wearing some sort of bandana, the actual suspects are captured four blocks away," said Abrams recounting the similarity between the suspect and Jean's car. "Does that mean that they got it right? No. But does that mean what they did was improper? Also no." Jean took pains to stress he was not anti-police, but only that he took exception to the individual actions of the officers involved in his case. "Not until I'm put inside of the car and I'm in
Comrade Marcus Garcia , from the Venezuelan Embassy delivers a message to the CPGB-ML's celebration of the 98th anniversary of the Great Socialist October Revolution - held on November 7th 2015 in Saklatvala Hall, Southall. Cde Garcia delivers this message before the defeat of Nicholas Maduro's PSUV at the recent Legislative Assembley elections of 6 December , which has led Maduro to call for a class offensive against the Venezuelan Bourgeoisie, who are always ready to sell the interests of their country to the US imperialists, in their desire to protect their relative privilege and do down the working and peasant masses of their country. The powers of the Legislative Assembly to cause trouble to the Venezuelan government are significant: "A two-thirds majority gives the opposition all of the institutional weapons necessary to reverse many of the key transformations of the Venezuelan state achieved by the Bolivarian Revolution over the last seventeen years. "They will now be empowered to revoke critical revolutionary legislation such as the Organic Law of Communes, the Organic Work and Workers' Law (LOTTT), among numerous others, repeal international treaties such as the ALBA-TP and PetroCaribe, as well as pack the Supreme Court with an eye towards impeaching President Nicolas Maduro ." (Lucas Koerner,'Facing Opposition Onslaught, Chavismo Must Return to Roots', venezuelanalysis.com, 9 December 2015). Read the important article on the Venezuelan election and Bolivarian Revolu
The well-being and political interests of African-Americans are routinely sacrificed on the mantle of political expediency in the United States. To wit. During an interview last week, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders made a declarative statement about reparations for the descendants of those many millions of black Americans whose lives, labor, blood, inventions and other property were stolen by centuries of bondage in the United States, and across the Black Atlantic: No, I don't think so. First of all, its likelihood of getting through Congress is nil. Second of all, I think it would be very divisive. The real issue is when we look at the poverty rate among the African American community, when we look at the high unemployment rate within the African American community, we have a lot of work to do. So I think what we should be talking about is making massive investments in rebuilding our cities, in creating millions of decent paying jobs, in making public colleges and universities tuition-free, basically targeting our federal resources to the areas where it is needed the most and where it is needed the most is in impoverished communities, often African American and Latino. Sanders' comment is another chapter in a long-running and still ongoing debate among liberals and progressives about the relationship between race and class. As the late Stuart Hall, the essential scholar of the global color line, so incisively observed, race is: "the modality in which class
No not another one! Yes, another one! We will do some liveblogging on this, maybe? To give Kirsten Boyd Johnson a break so she can "do something at night" (cry), maybe? Yes! We do hope you've picked up the usual giant-sized condoms full of vodka and ice axes, and that you're ready to join us for this special thing. How will the Fox News GOP Debate celebrate today's 391-point drop in the Dow Jones Stock Market and similar plunges worldwide? How can you watch it without watching Fox News on the cable teevee? Go to this debate view-y thing! Weep a lot. Let's go. (PS: The video of this crowd of jackals booing a veteran soldier who served in Iraq can be found at the bottom of this timeline of indignities.) 9:01 PM -- Newt Gingrich is openly booed, the first boo of the night. 9:01 PM -- And unknown spammer Gary Johnson from ... what is he? A dope dealer from Mexico? Nobody knows. Welcome, Gary! 9:02 PM -- Oh for god's sake -- or for DOG's sake , apparently -- the "bell sound" will instead tonight be the "bloink" sound of someone bothering you on G-chat. This is a gift from Google/Satan. 9:04 PM -- Annnd, three minutes in, the Fox News video feed has failed and started over again from three minutes ago. Oh man. 9:05 PM -- Rick Perry, speaking of his hell state that is actually on fire, and has no jobs at all, says with a smile is something about shoving something down his throat. 9:05 PM -- Haha, there is a "google element" to this debate, in that each candidate will be asked about
After many hours of hard work, I've put together an exhaustive list of the prominent celebrities who chose not to perform at President Obama's inaugural ceremonies in 2009 and 2013 because they were threatened with death, boycotts, or ostracism. The grand total, to my knowledge, is zero, despite the right's deep antipathy of Barack Obama. But when it comes to the inauguration of Donald Trump, Andrea Bocelli, the wonderfully gifted, blind operatic tenor, has decided not to perform, despite being a friend of the president-elect. And reports indicate that it was not just because he was threatened with a boycott; rather, it was because of death threats that his security team deemed too serious to ignore. Broadway star Jennifer Holliday has also dropped out of the inaugural festivities after being branded an "Uncle Tom." (I thought Uncle Tomes were male, by definition.) Claiming she didn't realize that performing at the inauguration would be interpreted as supporting the president (really?), she wrote , "My only choice must now be to stand with the LGBT community and to state unequivocally that I will not perform for the welcome concert or for any of the inauguration festivities." Ironically, Trump offended some of his most conservative supporters by having his openly gay friend Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, speak at the Republican National Convention, while Thiel remains a key member of Trump's transition team. Trump also proudly held up a gay flag at one of his rallies, ce
TEHRAN - The 3rd international symposium of regenerative nanotechnology will be held in the northwestern city of Tabriz on February 18. The event will take place with the cooperation of the council for stem cells sciences and technologies, stem cell and regenerative medicine institute and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Nasimonline reported on Sunday. The conference will focus on topics such as the application of nanotechnology in tissue engineering, stem cell technology and regenerative medicine among others. The explosion in the number of papers dedicated to nanotechnology and regenerative medicine combined with the proliferation of journals that focus explicitly on this topic demonstrate that nanotechnology has been advancing in recent years at an exponential rate. From nanoscale drug delivery to biologically-inspired materials for medicine, nanotechnology and regenerative medicine is poised to address human diseases in the 21st century. MAH/MQ/MG
"You think it's new but it isn't." - Dr. Nicole M. Guidotti-Hernandez for Torn Apart A new activist digital project aims to map the still-unfolding horror of the United States' " zero tolerance " immigration policy. Torn Apart/ Separados is, in the words of its organizers, "a rapidly deployed critical data & visualization intervention in the USA's 2018 'Zero Tolerance Policy' for asylum seekers at the US Ports of Entry and the humanitarian crisis that has followed." The site (also available in Spanish and French) prompts you to walk through charts, pictures, and graphs to explore different facets of the infrastructure that enables the mass incarceration and family separation of immigrants. It focuses on different sites -- the U.S.-Mexico border, ports of entry, policies of exclusion like the Muslim ban -- but always implicates the entire U.S., past and present. Number of people in ICE detention via Torn Apart / Separados The canvas of each visualization is a topographical map of North America, populated with data points that tell overlapping stories of the U.S. immigration system and its violence, through the numbers. The maps are accompanied by reflections from immigrant scholars and activists, who tell their own stories of encounters with borders, showing a crisis that spans time and place. Financial charts break down the private companies that profit from keeping families in cages. Creeping blank space re-makes the map of the U.S. based on who it excludes. The borde
Unspeakable truths: Lady Jenkin was widely criticised for her remarks on 'the poor' We know the classic story of the little boy who said the king was wearing no clothes. Or do we? Here is how it goes in the Britain of 2014. The king, whose word must never be questioned, appears in the street having announced that he will be wearing a coat of the most gorgeous silks. No one says anything except for this little boy who, quite factually, and quietly, observes 'the king has no clothes'. Up goes a terrible gasp from the leaders of the crowd. The boy is denounced. The boy trends on Twitter and disobliging stories about him are soon run on newspaper websites. His boss disowns him, saying his remarks were 'unacceptable' and 'not appropriate for the 21st century'. Within an hour, the terrified boy has issued a grovelling apology. The king's closest advisers express grim satisfaction that another rebellious voice has been silenced. That'll learn him! Forgive the fantasy. Or is it a fantasy? After recent events, including this week's public evisceration of Tory peer Lady Jenkin -- not to mention the likes of fellow politicians Michael Fallon, Lord Freud, Nick Boles and many others -- I am not so sure. Lady Jenkin, who is known in political circles as a decent and well-read Tory liberal, was a member of the parliamentary group reporting on food banks and hunger. She and this group, which included the Archbishop of Canterbury, looked into the matter closely and identified several problem
Ryan McCarthy, a gay Chicagoan, was shocked by the violent reaction of a stranger when he sat down on a subway train Friday night. February 16 2016 2:47 PM A new ad supporting the self-described democratic socialist taps into the power of collective organizing, asking all progressive Americans, including gay people, to 'vote together.' February 11 2016 1:46 PM Activists are demanding that California's Biola University and Oklahoma Baptist University withdraw waivers the schools requested to ignore Title IX protections against sex-based discrimination. February 09 2016 4:50 PM Bradley Roberts was harassed and barred from using the men's bathroom at work unless he provided 'proof' that he'd had gender-affirming surgery, his lawsuit claims. February 08 2016 2:55 PM The Republican governor says a 2014 ruling in favor of a trans student's equal access requires the legislature to take action, not his administration. February 05 2016 2:22 PM
WASHINGTON - Despite media hype, missteps by federal health agencies, and apparent efforts by right-wing and some neo-conservatives to foment fear about the possible spread of the Ebola virus in the U.S., most of the public remain at least "fairly" confident in the authorities' ability to deal with the virus. Concern about the potential threat posed by the virus has clearly grown over the past two weeks, especially after two nurses at a Dallas hospital who helped treat a fatally infected Liberian man contracted the virus. But a major poll released Tuesday found that a clear majority or respondents expressed little or no concern that they or someone in their family will be exposed. "On the one hand, it is a genuine crisis in the countries where's it's happening, and therefore it deserves all the attention it can get. On the other hand, the nature of that attention is inappropriate, misleading, and scare-mongering." -- Andrew Tyndall The survey , which was conducted Oct. 15-20 by the Pew Research Center, found that about six in 10 respondents (61 percent) said they have "a great deal" or a "fair amount" of confidence in U.S. hospitals "to diagnose and isolate possible cases of Ebola," compared to 38 percent who said they have little or no confidence. And 54 percent - only three percent lower than in another Pew poll taken in the days that followed Thomas Eric Duncan's much-publicised hospitalisation -- said they have a "great deal" or "fair" amount of confidence that the federa
Selected ... Words matter ... Yesterday the communist government of Cuba selected Miguel Diaz-Canel as the only candidate to replace outgoing president Raul Castro. But that's not how all media organizations reported the news. For instance, here's a tweet from the Associated Press this morning: "BREAKING: Miguel Diaz-Canel elected president of Cuba." Note that word "elected." Diaz-Canel was not elected; he was in fact selected by Communist Party members. Words have meaning. BREAKING: Miguel Diaz-Canel elected president of Cuba. -- The Associated Press (@AP) April 19, 2018 The AP characterization was so egregious that even the social media team at Dictionary.com called the news organization out in a tweet : "Elected" means "chosen by vote, as for an office." #Cuba #Castro https://t.co/c6Leqeovpj https://t.co/dQAsxSJ579 -- Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) April 19, 2018 Bravo. A first time for everything ... This week James Comey has been on a media love fest book tour. He's faced many friendly questions from reporters eager to hear Comey dish on President Donald Trump. While most of the questions have been friendly, it's good to know that there is at least one harder-hitting journalist left in the world. In an interview for Washington D.C.'s WTOP morning drive program, Joan Jones asked Comey, "Why wouldn't the smashing of cell phones and destruction of thousands of emails during an investigation clearly be obstruction of justice?" Comey, stunned, said it was the "first time I'v
3 Things We Need to Do To Rise Up & Defeat Corporatocracy By Bruce E. Levine, www.alternet.org February 6, 2015 3 Things We Need to Do To Rise Up & Defeat Corporatocracy 2015-02-06 2015-02-06 https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/12/popres-shorter.png PopularResistance.Org https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2015/01/Screen-Shot-2015-01-24-at-12.57.04-PM-150x95.png 200px 200px Transforming the United States into something closer to a democracy requires: 1) knowledge of how we are getting screwed; 2) pragmatic tactics, strategies, and solutions; and 3) the "energy to do battle." The majority of Americans oppose the corporatocracy (rule by giant corporations, the extremely wealthy elite, and corporate-collaborator government officials); however, many of us have given up hope that this tyranny can be defeated. Among those of us who continue to be politically engaged, many focus on only one of the requirements--knowledge of how we are getting screwed. And this singular focus can result in helplessness. It is the two other requirements that can empower, energize, and activate Team Democracy--a team that is currently at the bottom of the standings in the American Political League. 1. Knowledge of How We Are Getting Screwed Harriet Tubman conducted multiple missions as an Underground Railroad conductor, and she also participated in the Union Army's Combahee River raid that freed more than 700 slaves. Looking back on her career as a f
On July 5, Rob Kardashian launched an Internet assault against his former fiance, Blac Chyna. He alleged the model cheated on him with other men and posted screenshots of Chyna's text messages and several explicit pics -- including a photo of Chyna's vagina on Instagram. Slut-shaming tactics are used to humiliate and bring emotional harm to women. Whether it is spreading rumors of promiscuity or leaking explicit private photos, it all boils down to the desire to control a woman's sexuality. Black women's bodies have always been overpoliced . In the U.S., African women were viewed as innately oversexual and utilized for the sexual pleasure of slave masters and to bear additional children for slave labor. They were forced to wet-nurse white children. Their bodies were used for medical experimentation without consent. Some were exhibited in the circus or the human zoo . Images of black women in popular media help perpetuate negative stereotypes . By depicting us as aggressive and hypersexual, American culture fosters an environment in which sexism combined with racism thrives. This is what likely influenced Kardashian's reckless decision to break the law and harm Chyna by detailing her sexual exploits, exposing her private phone number, circulating damaging rumors and leaking explicit photos. His claims only echoed the tired gold digger and jezebel stereotypes black women have combated for decades. His blatant disregard for Chyna's privacy was an open acknowledgement of contempt
A conservative student club at Virginia Tech has been denied funding for the rest of the school year because it hosted a talk on how illegal immigration hurts America. In late October, Young America's Foundation brought in former U.S. Treasurer Bay Buchanan for a lecture on illegal immigration and student leadership at Virginia Tech in a talk titled "Alien Invasion: How Illegal Immigration is Hurting America." A flier advertising the event - put up around campus three weeks prior to the talk - included an image of a family running across the border. When the standing-room-only discussion took place Oct. 28, that's when it prompted outrage among some in the campus community, who described it as "...offensive, insensitive and a blatant act of disrespect towards the immigrant community and Virginia Tech Community at large" in a statement signed by some students, faculty and administrators. This month, the student leaders who oversee student-fee allocations have told the group that their organization is no longer eligible for funding for the rest of the school year. With that, they were denied $200 for a patriotic Freedom Week display, and can no longer try and secure $5,000 to help fund a speech by Herman Cain later this year. Associate Vice President of University Relations Lawrence Hincker has said the group's original request was to bring Buchanan to talk on student leadership, and the subject of illegal immigration was added after the group secured funding for her visit. Be
It's happened to all of us. You're planted in front of the television, laughing through another Seinfeld rerun, when the channel cuts to Sarah McLachlan's ASPCA commercial and things get ... rough. You and your friends, chatty and giggling just a moment ago, quiet down and stare at the floor, trying to hide the tears welling up in your eyes. After the longest two minutes of your life, the ad ends and you breathe a sigh of relief. That is, until the latest Google Chrome commercial comes on. There's something strangely satisfying about watching a commercial that makes you feel something (other than the urge for your TV show to come back on). Check out our top 10 list of the saddest TV spots ever to hit the airwaves. Pro tip: Consider grabbing a tissue before scrolling down. 10. Budweiser Super Bowl Ad, "Brotherhood" (2013) Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" provides a bittersweet tone to this tear-triggering spot from the 2013 Super Bowl. 9. Pantene, "Chrysalis" (2008) In this advert, a deaf girl fulfills her dream of becoming a violinist and shows up her bully in the process. While this commercial is certainly over-the-top, standing up to a bully is a theme we can all appreciate. 8. Cesar, "Love Them Back" (2013) In this UK spot, a widower and his canine pal spend the day together. Everyone knows that there's something about human-animal friendships that turn people to mush. 7. Pfizer, "Graffiti" (2008) This commercial from Pfizer starts out suspiciously, but includes a happy twist y
Think we never went to Iraq? Think again. In March 2008 , when the invasion of Iraq by George W. Bush's "coalition of the willing" marked its fifth anniversary, Canadian media outlets were in a self-congratulatory mood: "Canada isn't involved" there, one reporter wrote. "The further we get away from the actual date, the better Canada's decision to not get involved with the U.S. invasion of Iraq looks," wrote another. Another referenced the anti-war demonstrations that "stopped the Canadian government's support for the invasion of Iraq." It was a fact to be proud of: "We didn't go to Iraq." Didn't we? In fact, Canada has been involved with the Iraq conflict in many ways--political, economic, military--some subtle, some overt. But the notion that Canada "didn't go to Iraq" is, at best, wishful thinking. And though the war has slipped off the front page of the newspaper, Canada's involvement in Iraq hasn't decreased--in fact, today we're in it deeper than ever. Since the beginning of the Iraq invasion , a handful of Canadian military personnel have served with the U.S. and U.K. military as part of ongoing troop exchanges. When it originally emerged in November 2003 that Canadian General Walt Natynczyk was going to be serving in Iraq (along the fast track to becoming Chief of Defence Staff), NDP leader Jack Layton expressed his outrage in the House of Commons. "When it comes to having someone in charge of thousands and thousands of troops in a war which is illegal and should neve
Author February 19, 2018 The first victim to accuse serial sex abuser Larry Nassar has spoken out about her lack of trust in many churches to adequately deal with victims of abuse. Rachael Denhollander was the last woman to make a statement against the former Team USA Gymnastics physician, convicted on multiple counts of sexual abuse and sentenced for up to 125 years in prison for his heinous crimes. "You have become a man ruled by selfish and perverted desires, a man defined by his daily choices over and over again to feed that selfishness and perversion," Denhollander said as she looked directly at her abuser. "You chose to pursue your wickedness no matter what it cost others and the opposite of what you have done is for me to choose to love sacrificially, no matter what it costs me." But the former gymnast has raised another concerning trend - the lack of support shown to victims of abuse by the church community. "Church is one of the least safe places to acknowledge abuse because the way it is counseled is, more often than not, damaging to the victim," Denhollander, now working as a lawyer, said in a recent interview with Christianity Today. "There is an abhorrent lack of knowledge for the damage and devastation that sexual assault brings. It is with deep regret that I say the church is one of the worst places to go for help." Denhollander noted that her advocacy for victims of sexual assault "cost me my church and our closest friends." Part of the problem, she argued, i
It's not pretty, but this hole in the ground is the sign of an expert drug smuggler. It's part of a 600-yard tunnel under the California-Mexico border and it connects a warehouse in Tijuana with one in San Diego. Now while some might think that a smuggling tunnel like this is little more than a plot device in Weeds , it seems it's not terribly uncommon--in fact, about 125 have been discovered since the 1990s. The only trouble is that it's quite tough to actually find them. There are special U.S. border tunnel task forces dedicated to tracking them down and they use the latest ground-penetrating technology as well as robot scouts to search for and through them. Despite all that tech, there aren't too many details available to us about the recently discovered tunnel in the photo above. We do know that it definitely housed a reasonably high-tech operation considering that it contained proper rail, lighting and ventilation systems as well as 30 tons of marijuana. [ CNN ]
In the fashion world, I track a number of trends and fads. Many of them make a quick appearance on the scene and are just as quickly gone. But others, and those tend to be the long-lasting trends, make their appearance slowly growing gradually in popularity until one year they are completely pedestrian. Leggings for example. But now a rising trend in the beauty and fashion industry is the all-natural. Women, and men, are forgoing soaps and shampoos. They are neglecting to purchase deodorant and don't bother to deep cleanse their hair. And no, these aren't some hippie recluses who walk around in their own smelly oblivion. These are normal every day people - and it's a number that is growing by the month. The first time I heard of someone not wearing deodorant was two years ago. At the time I worked retail and a number of my co-workers had a crush on a manager who always smelled good. Imagine our shock when he announced one day when we were all out for after-work drinks that he hadn't used deodorant in more than 5 years. *gasp* His theory, which he happened to be right about, was that the use of deodorant is a kind of addiction, the more you use the more your body needs. Hmmm... Then late this summer a number of beauty bloggers challenged each other to go a couple weeks without washing their hair with traditional shampoos. They had to go all-natural. The results were amazing. Most of the bloggers swore off shampoo for good. By the end of the two weeks they were all-natural all
Janet Yellen was announced by President Obama today as his nomination for the next head of the Federal Reserve. With widespread support from Senate Democrats, a distinguished career, and a reputation for building consensus, she is likely to be confirmed, becoming the first woman ever to lead America's 100 year-old central bank. Yellen has been with the Fed on and off since the 70's. In fact, she met her husband, Nobel Prize winning economist George Akerloff, while both worked at the Fed in 1977. Yellen is considered a team player, but is also considered a crusader for higher employment, even when those around her are more concerned with inflation. The current Fed chair, Ben Bernanke, will be retiring January 31 at the end of his second four-year term. Obama's original pick for the job, Larry Summers, removed himself from consideration after it became increasingly clear that leading Democrats opposed his nomination. Yellen is widely perceived as someone who will maintain far more continuity with the policies of her predecessor Bernanke, under whom she served as vice-chair, than Summers would have. Yellen steps into the job at a crucial and difficult time for the Federal Reserve. The current shutdown of the federal government by House Republicans, combined with a possible default on the nation's debt, stands to create an economic crisis for America. Already, because of anemic growth from the previous financial crisis, the Fed is providing unprecedented economic stimulus and kee
A number of you have suggested I read Scott Adams' blog, where he advances the thesis that Trump has "master persuader" skills . I did. It's fun, if you have a few hours to waste, and he makes a few shrewd observations. Adams is probably better-known to you as the author of the comic strip Dilbert. He's also a trained hypnotist. Back when all the professionals and pollsters were predicting Trump's campaign would soon fizzle out, he was arguing that to the contrary, Trump would win a general election in a landslide. Trump, he claims, is basically the most effective mass hypnotist he's seen in his life. "The evidence," writes Adams , is that Trump completely ignores reality and rational thinking in favor of emotional appeal. Sure, much of what Trump says makes sense to his supporters, but I assure you that is coincidence. Trump says whatever gets him the result he wants. He understands humans as 90% irrational and acts accordingly. ... Trump knows psychology. He knows facts don't matter. He knows people are irrational. So while his opponents are losing sleep trying to memorize the names of foreign leaders - in case someone asks - Trump knows that is a waste of time. No one ever voted for a president based on his or her ability to name heads of state. People vote based on emotion. Period. You used to think Trump ignored facts because he doesn't know them. That's partly true. There are plenty of important facts Trump does not know. But the reason he doesn't know those facts is -
Hillary's campaign memoir, What Happened , is as awful as expected, serving as yet another cracked window on her phoniness. She remains the baby-boomer feminist fraud, still pouting over alleged sexism even as she hurls herself upon various fainting couches. She writes about her defeat with the emotional intensity of a parent who lost a child -- a chilling and neurotic proof of her clawing, bottomless and now forever thwarted political ambition. She is a failed Lady Macbeth, but a Lady Macbeth who wants us to feel sorry for her, what with her chardonnay-chugging and alternate nostril breathing after the election. She writes: "If you've never done alternate nostril breathing, it's worth a try.... It may sound silly, but it works for me. It wasn't all yoga and breathing: I also drank my share of chardonnay." But in the course of acknowledging her post-election emotional tailspin, she gets in a curious dig at her husband and friends. She wants us to know that she is not as screwed up as they are. "I remember when Bill lost his reelection as Governor of Arkansas. He was so distraught at the outcome that I had to go to the hotel where the election night party was held to speak to his supporters on his behalf," she writes. "For a good while afterward, he was so depressed that he practically couldn't get off the ground. That's not me. I keep going." About her friends, she writes that they "advised me on the power of Xanax and raved about their amazing therapists.... But that wasn't
Peace, love and Donald Trump? I get the skepticism regarding the tentative nuclear disarmament agreement the president and Kim Jong-un reached last week, but not the cynicism -- not the outright dismissal. It's too easy to hate Trump, but he isn't the point. In his reckless unpredictability -- in his lust for applause and desperation to steal headlines from the Robert Mueller investigation -- he snatched an opportunity to meet with the leader of North Korea . . . "Little Rocket Man" . . . and talk about reducing the danger of nuclear war. Say what? It hardly seems possible -- but maybe Trump has a mission far beyond anything he himself envisions: visiting creative destruction, you might say, on the planet's geopolitical infrastructure, loosening the certainties of nationalism and armed self-defense. Perhaps the salvation of Planet Earth begins with cluelessness and ego: a superpower leader who has no idea what he's doing. "It is unclear if President Trump knew the full implications of accepting a meeting with Kim or the fact that a direct meeting with the leader of the United States was a prize three generations in the making," Alexandra Bell , senior policy director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, wrote recently in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists newsletter. "It is also unclear if President Trump had a grand design for a nuclear agreement with North Korea in mind all along, or if he was equally willing to go to war. "Regardless of the underlying impe
Fabrice Drouin Ristori is a Member of the Goldbroker.com Editorial Team Introductory Remarks by PT: Readers may recall that Mr. Jean Pierre Chevallier and Mish were heavily fined in 2013 by France's financial market regulator AMF for allegedly having published "incorrect information about the leverage of Societe Generale". Mish's account of the event can be found here . By issuing the fine, the AMF mainly achieved an increase in the popularity of Mr. Chevallier's blog and as a result, his views about SocGen's leverage probably attracted a lot more attention than they otherwise would have. Note here that his analysis merely eschewed the practice of 'risk weighting' assets, instead taking the bank's published numbers at face value - which we incidentally believe is precisely as it should be (a more detailed explanation of his method can be found below). For example, in light of the sovereign debt crisis in euro-land, attaching a 'zero risk weighting' to government bonds seems a laughable practice (in the meantime, this non-weighted ratio is simply referred to as the 'leverage ratio', and new regulations that were designed to limit it have just been diluted again at the beginning of the year). On to the interview: Fabrice Drouin Ristori : Mr. Chevallier, thank you for this interview. Before we talk about the banks' situation in France, could you quickly introduce yourself ? Jean-Pierre Chevallier : As an associate professor, I mostly taught financial analysis at the Universi
MSNBC's Thomas Roberts has repeatedly flaunted his liberal bias over the years , but he took it to a new level in a recent ad that not only marked his network's 20th anniversary, but also celebrated the Supreme Court's 2015 decision legalizing same-sex "marriage." Roberts held up his hand with a ring on it, and gushed, " It's a victory -- I've got the ring to prove it . Recognizing this is a constitutional right to Americans whether you're gay or straight is pretty fantastic .... I kind of like what the Supreme Court did. " [ video below ] The anchor's boast about his ring is actually misleading, because he actually got it back in September 2012 -- over two years before the Court's ruling in the Obergefell v. Hodges case. This isn't the first time that Roberts has participated in a MSNBC ad that boosted the social left's LGBT agenda. Back in June 2015, mere days after the high court's decision, Roberts, along with fellow MSNBC personalities Tamron Hall and Alex Witt, promoted "Pride Month" in an online video . The transcript of the Thomas Roberts ad for his network's "MSNBC 20 Years" campaign: PETE WILLIAMS (from 2015 live coverage on MSNBC): This is a -- a total victory for the advocates of same-sex marriage. (clip of people cheering) THOMAS ROBERTS: Yup! It's a victory -- I've got the ring to prove it. Recognizing this is a constitutional right to Americans whether you're gay or straight is pretty fantastic. I'm a proud American; I like who I am; but I'm also a part of the
NOTE: This is Part Three of the Iowa Caucus Dispatches. Part One : What the HELL are the Iowa Caucuses, and How Do They Work? An Angry Q&A Part Two : Fear, Apathy, Passion, Hope, Hate: The American Spirits Rise in Iowa University of Iowa Political Science professor Timothy Hagle has forgotten more about the Iowa caucuses than most of us will ever know, so I was glad to grab an hour with him this afternoon before the biggest day on the state's political calendar. It won't surprise you to learn that experts like Hagle are in high demand around caucus time, and mine was not the only media request he fielded this week. We met in his office on campus to chat about his history in Iowa politics, who he expects to win on both sides, and why the Iowa caucuses aren't as absurd as they might look on the surface. The interview has been condensed for space. (Check out Hagle's book on the 2012 Repoublican caucuses, Riding the Caucus Rollercoaster , follow him on Twitter , and read his official predictions for tonight over at Medium.) Tell me about your experience in politics, and Iowa specifically. Well, I guess I got my start in politics back in high school, and as much as I hate to date myself, my senior year of high school was at the height of the Watergate stuff, and my government teacher absolutely hated Nixon. So I kinda got involved, but I less so in law school and grad school. But obviously as a political science professor when I came to Iowa, I started to get more involved with st
"And if you look back at the heatwave from 2003 as an example, we expect that to become a normal summer by 2040 under a sort of medium level of global warming." When asked about what this would mean, Ms Brown told Channel 4 News: "So there are costs across the board, there are also a few benefits, but not as many as the cost. "So there are impacts on health and wellbeing. So we know that mortality starts to rise above temperatures of actually about 20C. "There are impacts on productivity and well-being because people can't sleep at night when temperatures are over 26C. "And also, obviously, if you're overheating in the work environment your productivity goes down. "There are impacts on agricultural production at the moment, due to, mainly lack of water as well as the high temperatures. "And, increasingly as well, impacts on the natural environment for again, water and high temperatures." The highest temperature recorded so far this year is 33.3 degC at Santon Downham on July 23. The all-time temperature record in the UK is 38.5C at Faversham on 10 August 2003. The Met Office said several places have had 54 consecutive dry days - the longest spell since 1969, when 70 days passed with no significant rainfall. The Met Office also said: "The last day of very widespread rainfall for East Anglia and the south-east was 29 May." Paul Gundersen, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "The heatwave conditions will continue across much of England, with temperatures into the mi
Wednesday, May 30th, 2018 Camp Cloud: Fighting Pipelines by Building a Radical Community Space Report and interview from those in so-called British Columbia resisting Kinder Morgan at Camp Cloud. This is a call out for support and report back from Camp Cloud in unceded Coast Salish territory in so-called British Columbia. Located at the gates of the Kinder Morgan (KM) facility on Burnaby mountain, Camp Cloud has been surveilling KM's activities and supporting those engaging in direct action to stop work on the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion since November. During that time, they have overcome state oppression and police violence and grown a thriving front-line community hub. Here, water protectors are living their resistance and working through what it means to fight colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchy by building a space that honors indigenous sovereignty, communal values, healing, art, women and children, and living with the land. Centered around the Sacred Fire that has been burning since winter solstice, Camp Cloud is an open space where all water protectors and well intentioned neighbors are welcome to sit down, share their feelings, pray, and live in a revolutionary space. The camp relies on the local community and supporters from around the world for all its needs and resources. Neighbors come by regularly bringing food and other needed supplies. There is a communal pantry, kitchen, and dishwashing area, a library, port-o-potty, shower, plenty of space to re
Black Panther is on its way to becoming one of the biggest movie hits of all time, and a group of activists are using that to educate and register voters ahead of the 2018 midterms. The Electoral Justice Project (EJP), an organization which is part of the greater Black Lives Matter movement, was launched by Kayla Reed, Jessica Byrd and Rukia Lumumba in October of last year. Their new initiative called #WakandaTheVote was purposely planned to coincide with the anticipated release of Black Panther, to mobilize political engagement at Black Panther screenings around the country. Byrd and Reed recently explained to Blavity the motivation for their now-viral plan to capitalize on the popularity of a film filled with social and political nuance. "The Movement for Black Lives is an ecosystem of black leaders and organizations fighting every single day for the healthy and happy lives of Black folks. We are effective because we meet our communities where they are, whether that's in the streets, at the city council meeting, or in the movie theater." Fresh Wakanda inspired outfit (check) Black Panther ticket (check) Squad ready (check) Registered to vote so we can build our own Wakanda? (we got you!) Text PANTHER to 91990 to create your own voter registration event. Need to register to vote? Text WAKANDA to 91990. pic.twitter.com/rpGdkM729Y -- Mvmt 4 Black Lives (@mvmt4bl) February 15, 2018 "This weekend we wanted to meet our people in Wakanda. We know that for some it's a superhero w
Speculating about the Jewish identity of celebrities has been a popular parlor game for generations of Jews, most notably played in recent years in Adam Sandler's "The Chanukah Song," in which the comedian lists famous people who are Jewish or "half-Jewish." The song itself is a mark of a people's progress. Where once the presence of an identifiable Jew in a position of prominence was rare enough to serve as a source of comfort and encouragement to members of a minority that was suffering from widespread discrimination, the subject is more a matter of humor today than anything else. American Jews are as much a part of the establishment as the Episcopalians that once sought to exclude them. But this record of achievement has not cooled the desire in some to extol famous Jews, whose glory is still presumed to reflect to some degree on their co-religionists, no matter how tenuous the celebrity's connection to Jewish peoplehood or faith might be. This reflects both the vanity of a community determined to draw attention to its importance as well as its lingering insecurity. This impulse to self-commemoration has been taken to new heights with the creation of a sparkling new $150 million museum that has arisen on Philadelphia's Independence Mall. The National Museum of American Jewish History unveiled in November represents more than a considerable investment on the part of Philadelphia's Jewish community (aided in part by a national fundraising campaign and considerable contributi
Just when you thought the Obamas couldn't possibly denigrate the hallowed halls of the White House any further, Michelle Obama went and invited Jimmy What's-His-Name from that late night TV show that slandered Michele Bachmann recently over to the White House to, get this, have a potato sack race and a tug-of-war -- basically have Field Day inside the White House -- as part of her on-going plot to use exercise and fitness as a ruse to indoctrinate children into socialism under the guise of her "Let's Move" campaign. I can only assume she was too lazy to go outside, where most people conduct such activities. Folks, think about this for a second: can you imagine Nancy Reagan or Barbara Bush or Laura Bush engaging in a potato sack race inside the White House? Because I sure can't! You know why? Because those First Ladies had respect for the White House, that's why. Just like her husband, who has been photographed plopping his feet up on the furniture and not wearing a jacket in the Oval Office , Michell Obama has no respect for America's house. It's just further proof that the Obamas hate America and want to destroy it and turn it into Europe, where everyone is on welfare and butt-f*cks each other all the time. Period! (ED. note: If you're visiting this site for the first time, I wrote this post in the voice of a conservative wingnut commentator, just for sh*t and giggles. I'm not really that moronic. I swear!) (Pic via WH Flickr feed )
The News Story - More unmarried moms are living with partners A new study by the National Center for Health Statistics reveals "a baby frenzy happening among unmarried couples who live together." According to the report, 58% of all unmarried births now occur to cohabiting couples, compared to 41% in 2002. Reports NBC , "Although some studies show that living together may be less stable than traditional marriage, the new report shows that half of births to non-married, cohabitating women were planned." "We don't feel the need to rush to the altar," one such mother told NBC--though she also says that the couple does in fact plan to marry when they feel more financially prepared. Finances, it seems, often play a crucial role in such decisions to forego marriage, even while welcoming children. Child Trend senior research Elizabeth Wildsmith comments that the desire for marriage continues, but that these couples "just don't want to get married until they are more economically secure." But are such couples actually sacrificing both the very financial stability they seek, and a far greater emotional stability for their children? The New Research - Children in broken homes--twenty more years of research Almost two decades ago, the flagship journal Social Forces published a landmark 1994 study analyzing the well-being of children living in different kinds of family structure. Now Elizabeth Thomson and Sara McLanahan, two of the authors of that original study, have published a retr
California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency to combat a hepatitis A outbreak that has claimed 18 lives in San Diego. Brown said the federally-funded supply of vaccines is inadequate. His proclamation allows the state to buy vaccines directly from manufacturers and distribute them. The declaration "allows us to move very swiftly," Dr. Gil Chavez, epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health, told reporters. He said the state would place an order Monday or Tuesday and supplies would reach the state soon after. California has distributed 81,000 federally-funded vaccine doses since the outbreak began and local jurisdictions have acquired more but the supply is insufficient, Chavez said. California is experiencing the largest hepatitis A outbreak in the United States transmitted from person to person -- instead of by contaminated food -- since the vaccine became available in 1996. The state says the majority affected are homeless, using drugs or both. There have been 576 cases throughout California, including 490 in San Diego County, 71 in Santa Cruz County and eight in Los Angeles County. Out of those, 386 people have been hospitalized, including 342 in San Diego, 33 in Santa Cruz and six in Los Angeles. No deaths have been reported outside San Diego County. U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa on Friday called on the federal government to provide emergency funding to halt the spread of hepatitis A. He said the outbreak has brought statewide totals to three times
Since the harrowing events of October 3, 2016, when Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in her Paris apartment and left bound and gagged in her bathroom, police have been meticulously reviewing video footage and other evidence from that night. And now, after having made 17 arrests, investigators suspect that the... Last month, when Iyanla Vanzant's Fix My Life returned to television for its fifth season, it marked the second decade of her relationship with America as television's tell-like-it-is auntie. For 20 years, she's been offering life advice and therapeutic expertise, perhaps more enduring than any other self-help expert... The only thing better than Magic Mike Channing Tatum shaking his junk in front of a fictional, film-cast crowd is Channing Tatum shaking his junk atop a float in front of a real, live crowd while tossing promotional trinkets for Magic Mike XXL . Sometimes the snow comes down in June, sometimes the sun goes 'round the moon, and sometimes a young and notoriously flaky celebrity with only a couple weeks left to complete 115 of her 125 court-ordered community service hours actually manages to achieve her goal. That's right, everyone. Lindsay Lohan has pulled it... Lindsay Lohan and Dina Lohan aren't so different than you and your mom! They too fight over which old items to sell at a garage sale (she wants to turn your childhood bedroom into an office and who can blame her!) and who's allowed to go on Celebrity Big Brother . Here's a question: Why are
7:14 AM ET ROBIN ROBERTS: Now to a major court decision in Mississippi saying businesses and government employees can deny services to LGBT couples because of religious objections. ABC's David Wright is here, has the details for us. Good morning, David. DAVID WRIGHT: Good morning, Robin. The Fifth Circuit's decision means Mississippi could soon begin enforcing the so-called religious objections law, which would allow people in that state to deny services to same-sex couples on religious grounds. But representatives of the LGBT community say they're not giving up. [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Appeals Court Upholds "Religious Freedom" Law; Allows Service to be Denied to LGBT Couples] Even though the U.S. Supreme Court says same-sex couples have a constitutionally guaranteed right to get married, Mississippi's law says people who disagree have a right to refuse to serve them. RENICK TAYLOR [PLAINTIFF]: I'm afraid this is going to be yet another excuse to hate. My wedding is July 4th and it throws it all into question. WRIGHT: This ruling, reminiscent of Indiana's controversial religious freedom bill, which then- Governor Mike Pence signed into law. That law allowed business owners to discriminate based on sexual orientation. The owners of this pizza place in Walkerton, Indiana, refused to cater a gay wedding. UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN [MEMORIES PIZZA]: I do not think it is targeting gays personally - I don't think it's discrimination. WRIGHT: Mississippi's law, House Bill 1523, passed at the s
Israeli MPs passed a motion on December 3 paving the way for early elections, Morning Star Online said that day. Further votes were expected in coming days to officially dissolve Israel's parliament, ushering in new polls on March 17 next year. The coalition government has been riven by divisions and on December 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired rebellious finance minister Yair Lapid and justice minister Tzipi Livni, declaring that elections would be held "as soon as possible". The ruling coalition had included Lapid's centrist Yesh Atid party and Livni's peace-oriented Hatnuah. It is now left with Jewish Home, a hard-line party linked to the West Bank settler movement, Yisrael Beitenu, a nationalist party that seeks to redraw Israel's borders to rid the country of its Arab citizens and Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party. The differences came to a head in recent days when Netanyahu pushed laws defining Israel as "the Jewish state". Although its 1948 Declaration of Independence already does this, Netanyahu insisted the country must enshrine this at the constitutional level. However, his critics said the wording would undermine the rights of Arab citizens. Both Lapid and Livni condemned the legislation. Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki said opinion polls indicated the next Israeli government may be even "more right-wing and extreme". Maliki said would likely bolster international support for the Palestinian cause. Below, Abbey Zimet writes about the
While news media outlets search high and low for negative stories about GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, they've ignored an interesting factoid about the people whom they hope to call America's First Family, the Clintons: Chelsea Clinton's father-in-law is an ex-convict. When Chelsea married Marc Mezvinsky, the news media fawned over the young couple and characterized Chelsea's husband as a modern day Prince Charming who is the son of a former Democratic Party stalwart, U.S. Congressman (See video at end of column). Unfortunately, as has occurred with her own parent, Chelsea's father-in-law was involved in a huge scandal that caught the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecutors at the Department of Justice and led to his being locked up in a federal penitentiary According to the FBI, through a " Nigerian " email scam and several Ponzi schemes, Congressman Mezvinsky illegally obtained upwards of $10-million. The scams are familiar to most Americans especially those that are generated on the Internet through bogus emails promising huge sums of money. The elder Mezvinsky was convicted in 2001 of 31 counts of fraud and served a mere five years in federal prison. Originally he was facing 69 counts of fraud that included bank and mail fraud, as well as criminal activity that included phony oil and trade deals in Nigeria. The former Democratic member of Congress -- from Iowa's 1st Congressional District served two terms, from 1973 to 1977. He reported
#NeverAgain. This is the motto of our youth. Thousands of this countries next generation of voters, along with support from their adult counterparts have organized a protest advocating for sensible gun control. The March For Our Lives is scheduled this Saturday, March 24. Thousands of supporters and students from across the country will be holding a rally in Washington, DC, joined by countless others marching throughout the country. Set to begin at 12:00 noon Eastern, this is not the first time in recent weeks that we have seen our youth step up to have their voices heard. Since the tragedy that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school on February 14, this year, we have seen a new era of teenage activism. Just last week, we saw more than a million students leave their classrooms and schools as they participated in perhaps the largest school walkout in this nation's history. The National School Walkout was a way to honor the lives of the 17 victims who were fatally shot on Valentine's Day, and also to demand that our elected officials hear the people and pass new legislation on gun control immediately. Next month, on April 20, there is another walkout planned as well, which goes to show just how much momentum this grassroots movement among our students truly has. April 20th is also the 19th Anniversary of the terrible Columbine High School Massacre where 13 people lost their lives in addition to the two shooters. Lane Murdock, who initiated the petition for the April 2
Representatives from Cuba and the United States will meet once again to work toward the normalization of bilateral relations. This time the meeting will take place in Washington on March 31, when they will discuss the controversial and frequently thorny issue of human rights. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriquez announced the meeting in a press conference Thursday. The Deputy Director For Multilateral Affairs Pedro Luis Pedroso also spoke at the news conference highlighting that at the meeting they will be discussing issues of interest to both countries. As always, the United States will hypocritically express concerns over human rights in Cuba, whose government is prepared to highlight its achievements in the promotion and protection of human rights. Washington will also have to respond, however, to Cuban concerns about the human rights situation in the United States, Pedroso said. "[Cuba] hopes this dialogue will unfold in a constructive tone, on the basis of reciprocity, without conditions or discriminatory treatment and in full respect of sovereignty, independence and non-interference in the countries' internal affairs," Pedroso told reporters. Pedroso emphasized that Cuba and the United States have profound differences regarding their respective political systems, democracy and human rights, as well as international law. Havana and Washington officials have held three rounds of talks since President Barack Obama and his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro announced Dec. 17 n
Since 2015, Russia has been deeply involved in the Syrian conflict. Sending conflicting messages to opposing sides, Moscow is now the only player in the crisis maintaining diplomatic channels with all the parties involved. Here's how it has managed. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Iran's Hassan Rouhani, meet in Sochi, Russia November 22, 2017. ( Reuters ) Russia has been involved in the Syrian crisis, co-operating mainly with its ally Iran. Its aim has been to keep the Assad regime in power. Moscow conducted an air campaign in Syria in September 2015, which it says was to fight the terrorist group Daesh, but its real targets were the opposition groups fighting against the regime. At the same time, it was able to create several diplomatic channels with political and military groups on opposing sides, and also regional and international actors such as the US, Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. After more than six years of civil war, how is Russia handling the Syrian crisis in terms of its relations with different actors? The rubble of a hospital destroyed in Syria's northern province of Idlib in suspected Russian air strikes. ( AFP ) Turkey: ongoing co-operation despite opposite positions Turkey and Russia have been on opposite sides in the Syrian conflict. While Turkey has been backing the opposition against the Syrian regime, Russia intervened militarily in 2015 to keep Assad in power. At the end of 2016, when US support for the PYD
With Benjamin Franklin poking out between her boobs, Miley Cyrus proved that she was "in the money" when she was spotted out shopping with her mother Tish on Friday at Trader Joe's in Toluca Lake, California. Her on-the-money outfit consisted of a mini-skirt and a tummy baring top that had "dollar bills" printed all over each garment. Hence the cheeky Benjamin Franklin peering out from between Miley's breasts! The 20 year-old singer obviously thought her mom could use a little retail therapy after all the problems she's been having with the impending break-up with Billy Ray Cyrus. So the two ladies went to buy some grocerys at the shop. You have to admit, that Miley shows a flair for style and she knows that she looks like a million dollars in an outfit that looks good on her slender yet sexy figure! She's topped off her monied look, or should we say bottomed off, with a pair of black sneaks with very high white soles, looking very punkish and flashy there Miley. For once she isn't going all the way with her punkish fashion sense and she left her hair to look a bit more natural and it wasn't just her hair that was au naturale, Miley appeared to have given the old makeup a miss and it suited her, she looked fabulous with her girl next door swept over locks and fresh makeup free face. Miley was definitely "on the mark" with her "in the money" outfit. She and mother Tish both looked happy to be spending some "girl-time" together. Miley looked relaxed and carefree as she and her
Religious leaders gathered in the Oval Office laid hands on President Donald Trump to pray that God gives him guidance, wisdom and protection. A photo of the gathering made the rounds on social media but didn't sit well with the Rev. William Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP. Such an honor to pray within the Oval Office for @POTUS & @VP . pic.twitter.com/JrDOSJyFeN -- Johnnie Moore n (@JohnnieM) July 12, 2017 On MSNBC's "AM Joy" on Saturday morning, Barber called the prayer "theological malpractice bordering on heresy." "It is a form of theological malpractice that borders on heresy when you can p-r-a-y for a president and others when they are p-r-e-y, preying on the most vulnerable," Barber said. "You're violating the most sacred principles of religion." Read more at the Charlotte Observer Rating: 5.0/ 5 (7 votes cast) Rating: 4.7/ 5 (3 votes cast) Rating: 5.0/ 5 (4 votes cast) Rating: 5.0/ 5 (5 votes cast) Rating: 4.3/ 5 (4 votes cast) Rating: 1.8/ 5 (4 votes cast) Rating: 4.0/ 5 (2 votes cast)
Former US President Obama complained on Friday of "a rise in nationalism" and warned that new media would accelerate social divisions. "We see a rise in nationalism" Obama told his audience in Madrid, Spain. "Today because of the internet, and because of the multiplicity of media what we see more and more is that we don't agree on the same reality." The former Democrat president highlighted in particular the US Fox News network. "If you watch Fox News you see a different reality than if you read the New York Times, he said. The world needs to carefully consider how to use the new technology to ensure that it "does not accelerate division", he added, hinting at open borders and unchallenged immigration. "We're in a difficult time, politically, socially ... people feel very anxious," Obama said. "Change is happening very quickly. People are wondering can I adapt to these changes? People are fearful," the former president told an audience of 2 000 people at a conference in Madrid on technology. Difference "has been "exploited by some forces internationally", which "feed their biases" he said. The solution, according to Obama, is to train young people "to think differently" essentially suggesting brainwashing people into following a globalist agenda. Spain's new Socialist government has meanwhile agreed to offer free reproductive treatment to lesbians and single women, something the former conservative administration stopped for those groups in 2014. "Today the misogyny is over,"
Why would an Indian farmer want to worship the controversial American president? For Krishna, it all started in February 2016. President Donald Trump may not be popular in the United States but at least in one country he is worshipped like a god -- quite literally. In India's Jangaon district, Bussa Krishna, a 31-year-old farmer has framed a photograph of the U.S. leader. For nearly a year now, Krishna has regularly worshipped Trump and even placed turmeric and flowers as offerings near the portrait. But why would a farmer working in a remote village in India want to worship the controversial American president? It all started in February 2017 when a Kansas man killed Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an Indian immigrant who had been working as an engineer in the U.S., in an alleged act of hate crime . "I was very much pained at the incident. I thought the only way the US president and his people could understand the greatness of Indians is to display our love and affection towards them. That is why I started worshipping Trump with a hope that the prayers would reach him one day," Krishna told Hindustan Times. He believes the only way to "win over" Trump would be via spiritual powers. Read More Krishna's unusual admiration of Trump is not an isolated case, though. In fact, Trump became popular among many Indians even before he became president, but not for the same reason as Krishna's but mostly because of Trump's anti-Muslim views. For instance, in 2016, a right-wing Hindu group made i
Her body was overrun with cancer. She didn't have a doctor, but needed the Special Diet Allowance. So she went to Dr. Wong. "To literally save my life," said Freed B. "I was sick and I was on death's door. Dr. Wong signed that form for me so that I could live and be here today. And I'm eternally grateful for him doing that for me." For doing his job. For helping a poor patient. For making sure she was healthy. For saving her life. "And that's all he did," said Freeda. "He took an oath to save people's lives. And it's not really a special diet. It's just money to have health food." The Special Diet Allowance "helps eligible social assistance recipients with the extra costs of a special diet for a medical condition listed on the Special Diets Schedule," said the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services on its website. "I was buying herbs and organic food," said Freeda. "I wasn't buying drugs, booze, cigarettes or anything like that. I didn't go out to the movies or the clubs. I stayed home and focused on curing myself of cancer." Ten years later, Freeda said she's living cancer-free. But struggling to find work after a great deal of time out of the workforce. "I still get the Special Diet now but it's $130 (a month) or something like that," she said. "And my doctor (her current doctor, not Dr. Wong) really had to finagle the form to get me that much money." Similar moves by Dr. Roland Wong over a four-year period earned him a six month suspension, a $35,000 fine and
Most Popular This deeply held belief is on some level understandable in a labor movement that is itself staring down extinction. But overcoming this attitude among unionists is more critical by the day, as the planet's prognosis grows ever more dire. To move past the divisive politics of the Keystone battle, it is imperative that we find a way to build a movement that puts both economic justice and climate action at the center of its demands. This is not a new challenge. Thirty years ago this year, a book called Fear at Work: Job Blackmail, Labor and the Environment , by Richard Kazis and Richard Grossman, was published in an attempt to get labor and environmentalists to realize that they share common enemies and common goals. Grossman had been running an organization aptly called Environmentalists for Full Employment. The book showed how key institutions of the corporate class sought to destroy both movements through an assault on labor and environmental regulations: "In conjunction with a reinvigorated U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and a long list of trade associations and lobbying groups, the [Business] Roundtable has spearheaded an intense campaign against both recently-won environmental and health rights and older labor protections." Since its founding in 1972, the Roundtable has been wildly successful in this effort. But labor and environmentalists remain mired in their old mindsets, operating in large part as separate movements wi
Author March 22, 2018 Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee labeled actor Jim Carrey a "Christophobe" after the comedian posted an ugly portrait of Huckabee's daughter, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, on social media: This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous! pic.twitter.com/MeYLTy1pqb -- Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) March 17, 2018 Huckabee was quick to respond to Carrey on Twitter, and he did not hold back, calling him a "pathetic BULLY," as well as a "sexist," "hater" and "bigot." Pathetic BULLY, sexist, hater, bigot & "Christaphobe" @jimcarrey attacks @PressSec for her faith; what would be hypocritical Hollywood reaction if he called someone a "so-called Muslim" or "so-called Jew?" #classlessCarrey https://t.co/HCqHoER0Ru -- Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) March 19, 2018 Carrey responded to the comments in an interview with the progressive online talk show, The Young Turks: "I am so gratified by the reaction to my little drawings," he said. "It is the job of a political cartoon to vex those who abuse power or enable those abuses." He continued: "This administration has been lying to the American people from day one while plundering the country and debasing our values. And those who cover for this shameful mobster of a president are putting makeup on a melanoma and telling the cancer patient that everything's fine. Monstrous? You bet!" Carey has fiercely voiced his opposition to Donald Trump ever
I am a University of Texas Moody College of Communication student, and almost every single internship opportunity I've been able to find has been unpaid. College students are already faced with overwhelming expenses, and it is ridiculous to think that we are expected to work for free to build our resumes and gain experience. Sure, these internships are "optional", but it is next to impossible to find a halfway decent job out of college with no work experience related to your field of work. I understand that companies may not have extensive budgets to fund internships, but if a company needs an intern, it should put forth the funds to pay him or her at least minimum wage for the valuable contributions the intern will contribute to the company. If almost anybody who applies can receive $7.25 per hour working for McDonald's, why can't I receive the same amount working for a company when I have a high gpa at a competitive university and ample work experience on my resume?
The 2018 Bilderberg Meeting is currently taking place in Turin, Italy. The meeting is scheduled to begin today, and end on June 10th. According to an official press release , participants will give special focus to political issues such as the growing wave of populism in Europe and the Middle East's regional conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran. In a growing trend among groups such as the Council on Foreign Relations , Bilderberg participants will also discuss what they term as the "post-truth" world. The meetings are held under the "Chatham House Rule," which states that participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speakers nor of any other participant may be revealed. Although the Bilderberg Group was shrouded in secrecy for several decades following its inaugural meeting in 1954, it has in recent years taken on a more public profile and become a prestigious networking opportunity for the world's elite (although security and privacy policies surrounding the event remain fairly stringent). Notable participants for this year's event include Henry Kissinger, Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg, Founder of Alphabet Inc.'s Jigsaw Jared Coehn, President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace William J. Burns, Director of the University of Milan's Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology Elena Cattaneo, Royal Dutch Shell plc CEO Ben van Beurden and billionaire Peter Thiel. The entire participants list for the
U.S. President Donald Trump plans to meet with Egyptian President General Sisi in the coming month. Join us in calling on Trump to cancel the meeting. According to the Human Rights Watch, at least 34,000 people have been arrested and detained since General Sisi came to power in Egypt in 2013. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms additionally reported that 912 people were victims of politically motivated forced disappearances from August 2015- August 2016. And throughout 2016, 433 detainees -- including eight children -- reported mistreatment and torture while in custody. But apparently, these human rights abuses do not dishearten the new U.S. President, as Trump has previously complimented the Egyptian dictator by stating that he has " done a very good job " and that " he' a fantastic guy, he took control of Egypt ". Trump is either missing the irony that Sisi literally took control of Egypt via military coup -- or simply finds this action praiseworthy. Trump has also lauded Sisi for reducing Egypt's terrorist problem. In truth, however, Sisi's brutal tactics that include extrajudicial killings, torture, and other abuses of human rights has caused the youth to become more easily swayed by local and international terrorist groups. In addition, Sisi's policies are contributing to the larger refugee problem, as many Egyptians are trying to escape the politically based violence. This phenomenon is a straightforward example of the double standard that occurs within the
The Egyptian government's decision to impose taxes on goods and gifts brought by passengers coming in to the country as of 1 July has raised criticism and anger among expatriates. The list of goods covered by the new tax includes clothes, watches and personal equipment. The Customs Authority said the decision will exempt new goods worth up to 1,500 Egyptian pounds ($83.83) and which are for personal use. Journalist Ruqayya Faraj said: "[Egyptian President Abdel Fattah] Sisi has issued a decree imposing taxes on all goods and gifts brought by the expatriates which coincides with the holiday season and while many Egyptian families are returning to Egypt after Saudi Arabia imposed monthly taxes on them." This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License . If the image(s) bear our credit, this license also applies to them. What does that mean? For permissions beyond the scope of this license, please contact us . Spotted an error on this page? Let us know
How could anyone ever forget the election night of November 8, 2016? It was just as intense as it was gut-wrenching, especially for many Christians in particular. For a significant portion of the nation, here was anxiety, frustration and even fear. It seemed that there was no choice for them except to gird their loins and simply stand . Stand in what was anticipated to become the most fearful moments of Christian persecution that America would ever experience. How could we forget? Apparently many have, if they believed in the power of prayer in the first place, but let us briefly review... From early that Tuesday morning, the signs for many Believers were ominous. All polls and indications had all but declared Hillary Rodham Clinton to be not only the president of the United States of America, but also the first woman ever elected to the highest office in the nation, if not the world itself! This election cycle was also revealing to many, much of the inner cores of congressional candidates as well as the presidential contenders. For the presidential candidates, things had deteriorated to the point that many voters had decided to vote for the proverbial "lesser of two evils," but even then, there was plenty debate about which as which! Above all, many constituents were literally stricken with outright fear--they were terrified of the possibility of waking the next morning to the ascension of a President Hillary Rodham Clinton to the center of world power. The presidential can
REASON FOR ALERT This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate. ALERTER'S COMMENTS Non-factual. There are glaring errors on this, this shouldn't be posted on DU at all. It lies about a democratic candidate and that isn't the point of DU. You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Sun May 10, 2015, 08:02 AM, and the Jury voted 1-6 to LEAVE IT. Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE Explanation: Putting up a chart is considered hurtful? WOW! Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE Explanation: Oh my, what a bad alert. I'm guessing the alerter is blocked from this group. Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT Explanation: No explanation given Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE Explanation: Don't waste my time with such an alert...sheesh. Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE Explanation: WTF?! Why was this alerted on? Don't waste my time. If you think there is something wrong with it provide whatever you think the facts are instead of trying to shut down discussion. Lame, lame, lame alert. Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE Explanation: My god people will alert on anything lately! Grow up and discuss your point with the poster. DU is a democratic site. Sorry, but posting positive positions of a democratic candidate, in the group for that candidate, is allowed. 10 to nothing a HC supporter alerted Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE Explanation: No explanation given
(AINA) -- A new English book titled 'Year of the Sword - The Assyrian Genocide, A History' has been published by Prof. Joseph Yacoub, an emeritus Professor at the Catholic University of Lyon, France. The book is an English edition of the French book published last year and titled "Qui s'en souviendra ?: 1915 : le genocide assyro-chaldeo-syriaque." The Armenian genocide of 1915 has been well documented. Much less known is the Turkish genocide of the Assyrian (also known as Chaldean and Syriac) people, which occurred simultaneously in their ancient homelands in and around ancient Mesopotamia -- now Turkey, Iran and Iraq. The advent of the First World War gave the Young Turks and the Ottoman government the opportunity to exterminate the Assyrians in a series of massacres and atrocities inflicted on a people whose culture dates back millennia and whose language, Aramaic, was spoken by Jesus. Systematic killings, looting, rape, kidnapping and deportations destroyed countless communities and created a vast refugee diaspora. Hundreds of thousand Assyro- Chaldean-Syriac people were murdered and a larger number forced into exile. The 'Year of the Sword' (Seyfo - The Sword) in 1915, as Assyrians recall the events, was preceded over millennia by other attacks on the Assyrians and has been mirrored by recent events, not least the abuses committed by Islamic State. Joseph Yacoub, whose family was murdered and dispersed, has gathered together a compelling range of eye-witness accounts and
WWE Raw vs. SmackDown Survivor Series News 2017: Lopsided Brand War Starts on Nov. 19 Free sign up cp newsletter! By Edward Leano , Christian Post Contributor | Oct 31, 2017 9:44 AM "Survivor Series," WWE's upcoming pay-per-view event, pits "Monday Night Raw" stars against "SmackDown Live" wrestlers in the red-brand-versus-blue-brand event. Taking place on Sunday, Nov. 19, the line-up of the matches is just about complete as early as today. That's three weeks early to have the card at this level of completion, so fans will have little to be surprised about by late next month, as Cageside Seats noted. Still, it's a set of excellent matches all around, as it looks like WWE is not wasting any time getting the hype up for one of the major PPV events of the season. Reuters/Joshua Dahl Mark Hunt (blue gloves) is elbowed by Brock Lesnar (red gloves) during UFC 200 at T-Mobile Arena. It's a champion-versus-champion match as Jinder Mahal calls out Brock Lesnar for the November event. It all started with Mahal issuing his challenge to Lesnar, which was immediately booked for the PPV. Brock saw no reason to decline the chance to give the current WWE champ a good elbowing. "Raw" women's champ Alexa Bliss turned down Natalya when the "SmackDown" came to visit during the WWE invasion event last week. They are due to settle it in the "Survivor" ring instead. Its part of the continuing saga of "Raw" tries to survive a siege from "SmackDown," as Gamespot noted. Likewise, Intercontinental cham
In June, the Supreme Court announced that they will be hearing Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission , otherwise known as the case of the "gay wedding cake." Just saying those words, or "christian baker," sends both the left and right into a crazed hysteria. Truly, this has become one of the more heated debates of the last few years, and rightfully so, as it has some serious implications and consequences that will affect this country long after any of us are gone, and is way more in-depth than either side understands. These are difficult and uncomfortable conversations, but they need to be had. How much does religious liberty play a role in this case? Do business owners have the right to deny service to any one for any reason? What is the difference between what discrimination the government should allow and which society should permit? Does the customer have a right not to be discriminated against, does the owner have the right to discriminate, and, if both are true, which is more important to maintaining liberty? Let's quickly identify a careful use of language by both sides. Those on one side will ask "should they be forced to provide service?" And those on the other will use "should they be allowed to deny service?" This distinction is important, though they mean essentially the same thing. If the business owner is "not allowed to deny service" they will be "forced to provide service." If you find yourself using the phrase "forced to serve," you'r
As President Obama hosts the world's 17 largest economies to discuss a new desperately-needed global binding treaty on climate change, the oil, coal and gas companies are in overdrive trying to undermine the process and maintain their profits. And Avaaz.org is calling out the worst of the bunch, ExxonMobil Corp., in a new commercial they want to run on CNN . The video plays off an ExxonMobil ad that might look familiar given its heavy rotation on the major networks lately. Here's a screenshot of the original ad - and below that is the much more reality-based Avaaz version: If you want to see this ad run on CNN you might consider throwing a couple of bucks Avaaz's way to help with the ad buy - think of it as offsetting the big polluter's hot air.
The billionaire Koch brothers have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to gain political influence and change America. Their work and spending is driven by the goal of increasing their own profit through decreasing regulations. The expansive and diverse nature of their efforts makes it overwhelming to keep tabs of all they've done that has caused harm. And that's why Brave New Foundation is going to keep connecting the dots and telling the full story of what they've done to our country. Our work at Brave New Films has always focused on the best way to tell the full story, to connect all the moving pieces and to highlight how one example of a problem in our democracy is always representative of a larger problem. Our producers did this with Outfoxed , where they exposed the unbalanced propaganda that is Fox News. And they did this with Wal-Mart , where they uncovered the damage done to our country by the high cost of low prices. In Iraq For Sale , they exposed the war profiteering and they were on the front line of questioning the reasons for war in Rethink Afghanistan. With Sick for Profit , they fought against insurance company greed in the battle for health care. And they worked to stop the History Channel from hosting fiction and smearing President Kennedy . And now we aim our focus at the Koch brothers . With a net worth of $43 billion the Kochs have already spent decades of their lives and over $324 million of their wealth exerting their influence. The Kochs accomplis
A Virginia couple has been banned from a local restaurant for refusing to tip an American citizen. Apparently unfamiliar with this uniquely American custom, the couple instead wrote the server a note, and went on their freeloading way: Oh, that was my mistake, they didn't refuse to tip because they're ignorant foreigners, they refused to tip because they're homegrown, patriotic racists . Now somebody write a hot take about how restaurants shouldn't be shaming racist assholes, because that's the real racism. In fact, write it on a receipt instead of a tip. Better yet, while you're murmuring "Fuck those assholes," remember to vote Democratic, because Republicans have been keeping the tipped minimum wage at $2.13 an hour for twenty years . All politics is local.
Bolshoi ice dome under construction in the Olympic park in Sochi, Russia / AP BY: Adam Kredo Follow @Kredo0 April 19, 2013 1:45 pm The events unfolding in Boston underscore the threat Chechen radicals with ties to al Qaeda pose to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, experts said. Boston police revealed early Friday that Chechen brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev had been identified as the prime suspects in the marathon bombing that killed three people and wounded nearly 200 others. Tamerlan was killed in a shootout with police, while Dzhokhar is being sought in a citywide manhunt that has shut down the city of Boston. Experts worry that similar operations could be carried out at next year's Olympics in Sochi, a Black Sea coastal town that borders the conflict-plagued North Caucasus region where al Qaeda has been gaining a foothold. "The attack on the Boston Marathon may be a ringer for Sochi Olympics, which are next door to strife-ridden North Caucasus," Ariel Cohen, a Russia expert at the Heritage Foundation, told the Washington Free Beacon . "It is a combination of luck and good security work that no such events were attacked so far. However, now all bets are off." While the longstanding ethnic conflict rarely registers in the American media, the Boston bombings could be a sign that al Qaeda is trying to expand hostilities outside of the region. There is an increasing "internationalization of these local conflicts because the participants are being radicalized t
Some legal experts say that the word "terrorism" is being applied too broadly today, both under the law and by people who want to emphasize the horror of the crime. "After 9/11, the definition expanded and continues to lose its coherence and continuity," said Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law expert at George Washington University who has served as counsel in a number of national security and terrorism cases. The notion of terrorism "has almost become an exclamation point for criminal cases," he said. If someone like Mr. Paddock, the Las Vegas shooter, is considered a terrorist, "then every serial killer in history would be a terrorist," Mr. Turley said. "If everybody is a terrorist, then the actual crime loses its definition and meaning." And ultimately, he said, there could be an expansion of the government's power to investigate, as well as tougher sentencing.
Ready to join the resistance? Sign up for Take Action Now and we'll send you three actions every Tuesday. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation's journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Thank you for signing up. For more from The Nation , check out our latest issue . Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Support Progressive Journalism The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. Fight Back! Sign up for Take Action Now and we'll send you three meaningful actions you can take each week. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation's journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Thank you for signing up. For more from The Nation , check out our latest issue . Travel With The Nation Be the first to hear about Nation Travels destinations, and explore the world with kindred spirits. Sign up for our Wine Club today. Did you know you can support The Nation by drinking wine? Mark Baker/AP Images Novecento by Maurizio Cattelan In recent decades the philosophy of art has been much preoccupied with the enigma of why a given object does or doesn't count as a work of art. Since the challenge of Duchamp's Fountain and other readymades, according to the Belgian writer Thierry de Duve, the form of aesthetic judgment has undergone a shift: from "this is beautiful" to, simply, "this is art." For the philosopher, art status is l
By Candance Moore | April 7, 2010 11:06 PM EDT The national media are outraged this week by an announcement from Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to observe April as Confederate History Month. Several news outlets have jumped on the story, but the most energetic complaints came from the Washington Post, which published more than half a dozen pieces in the same day. At this point it's safe to say the Post suffers from McDonnell Derangement Syndrome. During last year's campaign, the Post enthusiastically endorsed his Democrat challenger, went into overdrive to push a faux-scandal that backfired rather epically, and then, upon McDonnell winning, immediately set to work undermining him with demands for higher taxes. Some six months later, the animosity lives on as McDonnell tries to shore up Virginia's economy by emphasizing its historical significance. Observe this entry Wednesday at the paper's official Post Partisan blog by one Jonathan Capehart, with the not-so-subtle headline "Gov. McDonnell (R-Va.): Slave to the Confederacy":
God appears to be alive and well at the 2016 Olympics! Simone Manuel, 20, made history August 11 by becoming the first African-American woman to win an Olympic medal in an individual swimming event. Manuel tied Canadian Penny Oleksiak in the 100-meter freestyle, giving each a gold medal. But only moments after her win, Manuel refused to take the credit for it. Emotionally charged, she immediately sought to properly allocate credit for her win with the statement, "All I can say is all glory to God." She then added she wished to share the medal's ownership with others who had helped and inspired her on her journey to win the gold. Gold medalist Michael Phelps of the United States celebrates during the medal presentation for the Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final on Day 4 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 9, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) God wracked up two Silver medals only three days earlier in the Olympic dive competition. U.S. divers David Boudia and Steele Johnson won silver medals in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform. It was Boudia's third all-time Olympic medal and Johnson's first. But both attributed their success to their Christian faith. The immense pressure of the competition presented both Boudin and Johnson with an "identity crisis"--one between diver and believer. Speaking for Johnson as well, Boudin said in the role of diver, the mind "goes crazy;" but, in the role of believer, bo
In a ruling that surprised some observers, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the right of a pro-life group to display photos showing the bodies of babies dismembered during abortions. The conservative Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., had brought suit on behalf of the Center for Bioethical Reform (CBR), a California pro-life group. The case involved police detention for 75 minutes of two CBR pro-life activists who in March circled Rancho Palos Verdes Middle School in Los Angeles, driving a large truck displaying on three sides photos of aborted babies. School officials and the LA County Sheriff's Department claimed the photo displays were "disruptive," in violation of California law. The 9th Circuit ruled on July 3 that in detaining the activists, sheriff's deputies violated the demonstrators' First and Fourth Amendment rights to free speech and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. In its ruling, the court cited the "heckler's veto," which states that citizens' speech cannot be curtailed because of listeners' reactions to that speech's content. CBR activists' "speech was permitted until the students and drivers around the school reacted to it, at which point the speech was deemed disruptive and ordered stopped," wrote Judge Harry Pregerson. "This application of the statute raises serious First Amendment concerns." At trial, school officials testified to some students' angry reactions to the graphic images; for example, a
By Rodney Howard-Browne and Paul L. Williams (authors of "The Killing of Uncle Sam: The Demise of the United States of America" ) Note: This is the first in a series of columns. The statement that Uncle Sam is dead seems absurd. How is it possible to kill a nation? America, we are told, is not a flesh and blood entity but rather an ideology - a shared belief in the principles set forth in such documents as the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. This concept of America dates back to 1910, when British author G. K. Chesterton wrote: "America is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed, one set forth with theological lucidity in the Declaration of Independence." This concept, known as Creedalism, has been advanced by sociologists, historians and political theorists, such as Gunnar Myrdal, Allan Bloom and Arthur M. Schlesinger. It has been endorsed by modern U. S. presidents including George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Creedalism has been ingrained in the contemporary American psyche. It has been proclaimed by Democrats and Republicans. It has been taught in schools and upheld in courts of law. It remains a "truism" virtually beyond dispute in the public forum and serves as the basis of political correctness. Who can argue that America is not unique; that, aside from the remnants of the Indian tribes, the United States has no native population; that all of the 323 million people who inhabit our nation are either themselves immigrants or descendents of more or less
Last month, Selma director Ava DuVernay made headlines when she said that being a black woman in Hollywood meant facing "a whole bunch of closed doors." "When you just imagine that there's one type of voice that's really being pushed to the forefront is the white male voice. In terms of cinema, it's really clear that the rest of us are locked out," she said. Film and media incubator Big Vision Empty Wallet is opening those doors with their new incentive program, Kickstart Diversity. The program is open to projects with a writer, director or producer who is a woman, person of color or member of the LGBTQ community. Selected projects receive significant discounts from vendors and service providers in partnership with the incubator, and sister company Big Vision Creative will choose several projects each year to co-produce or represent for distribution. In short: it helps diverse movies get made and seen. "We're absolutely at a pivotal moment" in diversity in film and media, Big Vision Empty Wallet co-founder Dani Faith Leonard told BUST. "I think especially in these past few months there have been so many different things happening at different levels. The ACLU has investigated gender inequality and hiring in Hollywood and there's been such a controversy about diversity surrounding Project Greenlight. I think it's becoming so much more of a mainstream conversation that we're at a time when it's finally going to be handled behind the scenes." And, like Effie Brown told Matt Dam
"It's a three-letter word: It's the NRA, and it's Trump and the Republicans who don't have the guts to stand up to these people." The latest school shooting finally exasperated Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders who lashed out at the Congress after the tragic incident at the Santa Fe High School in Texas claimed 10 lives. The former Democratic presidential nominee appeared on the MSNBC's "Meet the Press" and was asked if the Senate had done enough to prevent school shootings. "Of course not. But it's like every other issue," Sanders said , "the American people are united overwhelmingly -- gun owners, non-gun owners -- on common sense gun safety legislation. Expand background checks, do away with the gun show loophole." "It is unspeakable," he added. "It really is, to see that kids all over this country who go to a place where they should feel safe where they can focus on learning are now worried about the things we saw in Texas or Florida a few months ago. It's unspeakable." Sanders, who has a mixed record on guns, didn't hesitate from blaming the National Rifle Association (NRA) for obstructing a legislation that would have prevented these deadly weapons to end up in young hands. "The NRA, frankly, which once was believe it or not a gun safety organization, teaching kids how to use guns safely, has moved to become part of, to become, a right-wing political organization far beyond guns, as a matter of fact," said the senator. At the time of the 2016 presidential campaign, Sanders an
On Monday, 38-year-old Matthew Apperson, the man who shot at George Zimmerman during a road-rage incident in May of 2015, received a 20-year prison term from a district court in Seminole County, Florida. Apperson was convicted of second-degree murder, shooting into a vehicle, and armed aggravated assault last month. In court, his defense team argued that he acted in self-defense against Zimmerman. The jury didn't buy it. "Zimmerman disputed Apperson's claim, testifying that Apperson pulled up next to his pickup and shot him -- the bullet missing and striking the passenger side window. Zimmerman suffered minor injuries from the broken glass," reports USA Today. Zimmerman managed to walk away from the incident with only minor injuries. During the trial, the prosecution cited a 911 call made to Lake Mary Police in 2015. In the recording, you can hear the voice of an unidentified male speaker telling the dispatcher the following: A guy just said he had to pull a gun on a guy ... he had to shoot at somebody...He's driving an Infinity. He said it was George Zimmerman. The road-rage incident in May of 2015 wasn't the first time Zimmerman and Apperson had engaged in an altercation. "Back in September 2014, the two men reportedly shouted at each other, with Apperson claiming Zimmerman threatened to kill him during a confrontation in their vehicles. Apperson -- who called the authorities -- decided not to press charges," notes USA Today. Zimmerman first gained notoriety following the s
According to the Labor Department, employers added a greater-than-expected 280,000 jobs in May. However, the nation's unemployment rate increased to 5.5 percent. Politico Magazine columnist Zachary Karabell breaks down the numbers. NewsNation with Tamron Hall - 2:51 PM 6/05/2015 Lucas Vazquez and Kasey O'Brien, TRMS World Cup Correspondents, dig into the controversy surrounding the use of artificial turf at the 2015 World Cup, and preview the United States' first game against Australia. Previously: Episode 1 http://on.msnbc... The Rachel Maddow Show - 2:06 PM 6/05/2015 MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts - 2:02 PM 6/05/2015
Former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) held three rallies in Southern California on Saturday, accompanied by Disney employees and port workers who are seeking better wages and working conditions. Sanders, who ran as a Democrat in the 2016 primaries, has long advocated for a national minimum wage increase, or a "living wage." "If a corporation like Disney has enough to pay its CEO over $400 million in a four-year period, it damn well has enough to pay its workers at least 15 bucks an hour," Sanders said during his first rally stop in Anaheim, where Disneyland is based, according to the Orange County Register . In March, Breitbart News reported : "Employees at Disneyland are reportedly struggling to put food on their tables and keep a roof over their heads, painting a different picture of the site billed as "the happiest place on earth." In a statement to ABC News, a spokesperson for Disney said: We currently are negotiating one of the largest union contracts at Disneyland Resort, with an offer that increases starting wages 36 percent over three years, paying $15 an hour by 2020 - two years ahead of California's minimum wage. In addition, we are launching an education program that will help hourly cast members pursue skills and degrees to further their careers. We are proud of our commitment to our cast, and the fact that more people choose to work at Disneyland Resort than anywhere else in Orange County. While Mr. Sanders continues to criticize Disney to kee
Staff Reports BOSTON -- Organizers of the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade that takes place in South Boston have rejected applications submitted by two LGBT advocacy groups to participate in Sunday's parade. The parade organizers -- the Allied War Veterans Council -- cited a 1995 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston , which held that parade organizers are legally able to exclude lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people from participating. "The LGBT community in Massachusetts faces many issues more urgent than the ability to participate in a parade - youth homelessness, bullying, anti-transgender discrimination, HIV/AIDS, elder abuse, and more. But public rejection by parade organizers is significant in that it's emblematic of the more life-altering rejection our community members face every day," said Kara Suffredini, Executive Director of MassEquality , one of the two groups denied participation. "It is disappointing that in this climate, parade organizers would choose to reject our application to participate in Sunday's parade," Suffredini said, in a statement. Join the Impact , another LGBT group in Boston, was also denied permission to participate in the main parade this year. Members of both groups are expected to take part in an alternative march known as the St. Patrick's Peace Parade, which is scheduled to begin an hour after the main one along the same route. The alternative parade is organized
Now that their wanted status has been revoked and Victor Frankenstein has worn out Queen Victoria's favor, Cardia and crew are treading on dangerous waters on the Japanese action anime series, "Code:Realize: Sousei no Himegimi (Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~)." Will finding out the location of Isaac Beckford's research facility make things any easier for them? After their failed attempt to take Finis captive ended in a train explosion, the incident was reported to have been a terrorist attack masterminded by none other than the former royal alchemist, Victor. And in order to set things straight, Victor thought of going to the palace to convince Queen Victoria to revoke this accusation. With a little blackmail, Victor managed to achieve his goal, but not without a warning from the Queen that the next attempt to upset her like this would no longer be met with such a favorable response. Now that they're free to roam the town again, without the palace guards hounding them for suspected terrorism, the next order of business for Victor and crew is to locate Beckford's research facility. Victor has also been able to reveal an intriguing detail about the Horologium. As it turned out, Victor was once part of a project aiming to create the fabled Philosopher's Stone. What he ended up making, however, was a dangerous element known as the Zicterium, which was, in turn, used by Queen Victoria's army during the infamous Vampire War. When Isaac took over the project, he created yet ano
Last night on MSNBC, Chris Hayes interviewed Spike Lee about his upcoming film "Chi-Raq", a musical remix of Aristophanes's farce "Lysistratawhich" that chronicles the violence, murder and mayhem occurring in the streets of Chicago every day. Lee has faced some criticism for the film, including from the left and particularly from the #BlackLivesMatter crowd over the fact that, to put it simply, it's not all about cops killing kids. The film essentially works on the idea of women in the city withholding sex to put a stop to the insane number of murders that occur on its streets. It is an explicit recognition of the problem of black-on-black crime and gangs, which is becoming a forbidden topic among progressives on the grounds that it derails "the movement." Chris Hayes confronted Lee with this criticism in a way that suggested he was enabling a white conspiracy to divert attention from crimes against the black community from outside it, and the sparks flew sudden and hot. The director simply wasn't having it, and gave Hayes a quick but unforgettable lesson in loss, and how Black Lives Matter even when they are taken by other Black Lives. Video and transcript via Mediate . Caleb Howe Spike immediately goes on offense over the suggestion he's aiding some right-wing white conspiracy. "Look at my body of my work," says Lee. But then he really gets down to it. Sir ... It doesn't matter to me what color or complexion that pulls the trigger. As an artist, I'm going to look at it, and
By Kathy Kelly - Gaza Dr. T., a medical doctor, is a Palestinian living in Gaza City. He is still reeling from days of aerial bombardment. When I asked about the children in his community he told me his church would soon be making Christmas preparations to lift the children's spirits. Looking at his kindly smile and ruddy cheeks, I couldn't help wondering if he'd be asked to dress up as "Baba Noel," as Santa Claus. I didn't dare ask this question aloud. "The most recent war was more severe and vigorous than the Operation Cast Lead," he said slowly, leaning back in his chair and looking into the distance. "I was more affected this time. The weapons were very strong, destroying everything. One rocket could completely destroy a building." The 8-day Israeli offensive in November lasted for fewer days and brought fewer casualties, but it was nonstop and relentless, and everywhere. "Civilian services and civilian administrative buildings along with a Palestinian bank building were affected." "At 1:00 a.m. the bank was bombed, and everyone in the area was awakened from sleep. Doors were broken and windows were shattered. There was an agonizing sound, as if we were in a battlefield." "The bombing went on every day. F16 U.S. jets were hitting hard." "This is more than anyone can tolerate. We were unsafe at any place at any time." U.S. media and government statements are full of accounts about the scattershot Hamas rocket fire that had taken one Israeli life in the months befor
How do you say "like" in Russian? ... Russians "helped" both Hillary and Donald ... Yesterday, CNN reported that "Russians" used Facebook to geo-target sponsored posts on "Black Lives Matter" to Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore during the 2016 election. The most salient point of the article is that CNN reported what a lot of us have been saying all along. The Russian interference was more to sow discord in the U.S. than it was to help any one candidate over another. WaPo's "embarrassment" after having to correct Russia story ... In related news, Brian Flood reported at Fox News that the Washington Post had to correct its "scoop" about a meeting between Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and President Barack Obama. The headline said that Obama warned Zuck about Russia and the election and how the Russians would use Facebook. The problem is that never happened. Politico op-ed writer sad about freedom of speech ... The speech that the Founders were most concerned with was political speech. After just having fought a war for independence, they knew the power of a free press and how that ensured liberty. The Left, like author Richard Hasen, a law and political science professor at UC Irvine , thinks political speech is something to be regulated. That's why he writes that it's the "conservative" jurists on the Supreme Court who will block any efforts to stop foreign people from buying Facebook ads to sway opinion in the U.S. Sorry, Professor Hasen, but that's what free speech is. Speaking
A quite common and accepted method of seeking sources of employment for the unemployed is to officially negotiate with countries seeking work force and to commission sending of at least part of its labor force seeking jobs to these countries. Observers believe that international labor markets provides the opportunity for countries to secure a technology and skills transfer in addition to influx of the incomes from working cohort to their native countries; this provides another possibility: to use world labor markets to reduce their unemployment rate. In Iranian context, the dynamics of seeking jobs overseas is quite different than that in other countries, since Iranian young population face with language barriers, sanctions, and the possibility of lower payments in host countries for their work, and difference in their university education and the requirements of skills needed in labor markets of the host countries. These factors effectively restrict the scope for Iranian unemployed university graduates in seeking their favorable jobs overseas. This is however not to say that there is no possibility for Iranian work force to find jobs overseas; nevertheless, there are difficulties in the process, which now is thought to be facilitated a bit with the removal of sections and the new opportunities embracing Iranian markets, for unemployed average university graduate. Analysts believe that sending fork force to overseas should take measures to guarantee the returning back of the
Attorney General Jeff Sessions' New Drug War Strategy 0 August 31, 2017 Drug War , U.S. Wisconsin -- While speaking at an annual conference of the National Alliance For Drug Endangered Children in Green Bay on Tuesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions called upon social workers and law enforcement professionals to "create and foster a culture that's hostile to drug use." By: Anti-Media Team This article first appeared at ANTIMEDIA Calling the nation's epidemic of overdoses "the top lethal issue" in the United States, Sessions -- whose anti-drug stance is well-documented -- claimed Tuesday that data shows the number of overdose deaths in 2016 was the highest ever. "Our current drug epidemic is indeed the deadliest in American history," he said. "We've seen nothing like it." Donald Trump's attorney general, who back in May reversed policy and told federal prosecutors to push for mandatory minimum sentencing for certain drug offenses, also blamed those with societal influence on Tuesday. Stating the media, Hollywood, and certain government officials were guilty of sending "mixed messages about the harmfulness of drugs" to the public, Sessions told conference attendees they "must not capitulate, intellectually or morally" to substance abuse and that they "must create and foster a culture that's hostile to drug use." In July, when Sessions announced the Justice Department would roll back federal curbs on the controversial practice of civil forfeiture, his deputy
The Appalachian State University Student Government is demanding the school assist illegal immigrants with free legal resources, online courses, safe spaces, and mandatory faculty training. In an official statement urging the university to become a sanctuary campus, the SGA decries Trump's recent executive order regarding immigration and, in addition to traditional sanctuary campus policies, "requests" an additional 10 measures to aid and abet illegal immigrants. "We must resist an unjust measure that will tear apart families and deport people from the place they call home." "Our campus must resist this discriminatory and invasive federal measure which could prohibit many students fulfilling their dream to attain a college education," the statement reads. "We must resist an unjust measure that will tear apart families and deport people from the place they call home." On top of an official university statement denouncing Trump's executive order and a refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, the SGA demands that the school provide free legal counsel "specializing in immigration law" to illegal immigrant and international students. The document also piles on additional financial responsibilities for App State, including "funds for a general 'Teach In' on the Executive Order" and funds for faculty, employees, and students who are either illegal immigrants or have family who are illegal immigrants. Further, to ensure a "community experience that is free of hos
Here are five key things to know about the state of play on this issue: 1) There's still a long way to go The Judiciary Committee's 13-5 vote was significant partly because three Republicans -- Arizona's Jeff Flake, South Carolina's Lindsey Graham, and Utah's Orrin Hatch -- joined the panel's Democrats in backing the measure. Now, however, attention turns to the full Senate, where the level of GOP support remains an open question. Assuming every member of the Democratic caucus backs the bill, five Republicans will be needed to ensure it receives the 60 votes needed to pass the 100-member chamber. The bill's backers have been hoping for as many as 70 votes, in order to give the proposal significant bipartisan momentum heading into the tougher GOP-controlled House. And make no mistake -- serious momentum will be needed in the House, where conservatives remain deeply skeptical about any measure offering a path to citizenship. A lot of conservatives consider that to be amnesty, which may as well be a four-letter word in this debate.
I don't know about West, but I do know that Michael Moore gets invited to Democratic National Conventions . So, someone must think he belongs there. I also know that in 2012, he argued that Obama had to be the Democratic nominee . But, he criticized Obama recently, so now, according to some DUers, he's not a Democrat anymore? There are many like him (Cornell West, Michael Moore, etc) whose ideological hopes and dreams were not fulfilled to their satisfaction, and now they are running full speed to leftwing libertarianism. It says nothing about "party" but suggests where his views appear to be aligning. You are conflating "Libertarian Party" with "libertarian" (of any stripe or side). But this is not surprising as a knee-jerk reaction.
Australia's Parliament has voted to approve same-sex marriage less than a month after Australians overwhelmingly voted to approve same-sex marriage in a National Referendum. "What a day! What a day for love, for equality, for respect! Australia has done it," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in a speech following the vote. "This is Australia. Fair, diverse, loving and filled with respect. For every one of us this is a great day," he added. The country is now the 24th in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. Applause thundered up from the House gallery after the chamber on Thursday followed Australia's Senate in approving the Marriage Amendment Bill of 2017. Watch: The moment same-sex marriage became legal in Australia. https://t.co/m7iFbfEyqp #auspol #SSM #7News pic.twitter.com/0lhZXph8ig -- 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) December 7, 2017 Public gallery erupts into chorus of 'I Am Australian' after Parliament votes to legalise same-sex marriage #auspol #SSM pic.twitter.com/uuoePCJamD -- ABC News (@abcnews) December 7, 2017 "Going to the chapel and we're gonna to get married." Campaigners celebrate after same-sex marriage passes Parliament. #auspol #ssm @abcnews pic.twitter.com/OHGrZI3v4g DEMOCRACY UK To Ban Gay Conversion Therapy In Effort To Make The Nation More Inclusive To LGBT Community By Guardians of Democracy Staff July 3, 2018
After a Bad Brains show in D.C. in 1981, Vic Bondi went home to Chicago and instructed his group Direct Drive to play faster and harder. In spring '82, he changed the band's name to Articles of Faith . Later that year they put out their first seven-inch EP, just in time for the heyday of American hardcore. In general, though, the band seemed slightly out of sync with the scene. The speedy aggression of their first three releases was tempered by the same funk and reggae influences that would find an exponentially wider audience in hardcore just a few years later via Fugazi. Unlike other Chicago punk bands, AOF was loudly leftist, and unlike other lefty hardcore bands of their day--MDC, Dead Kennedys--they played their politics straight, without gags or wild theater. (When drummer Bill "Virus X" Richman joined AOF, he was already a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party.) And the shift from overt politics to coded introspection on their second and final studio album, 1985's In This Life , foreshadowed the boomlet of late-80s indie rock and the mushroom cloud of emo 15 years later. Worse, Articles of Faith apparently picked the wrong town to be from. Despite its metropolitan bulk, the Second City lagged far behind D.C., Los Angeles, and New York in terms of punk. AOF's rivalry with the Effigies may have had political undertones (overtly leftist band versus covertly conservative band), but what it looked like was the small-scene infighting you see in much tinier towns. In th
In response to How Long Until Tim Howard Gets Tim Tebow'd? : I can't give you a calendar date for the potential end of Tim Howard-mania, but I can tell you the event that would precipitate it: if he says anything negative about same-sex marriage. It would be a fascinating sociological experiment if he tendered some mild criticism of SSM right now, at the height of his popularity craze, in the middle of a mighty media push to get soccer on the same cultural plane as baseball, basketball, and football. Would their investment in Howard - who really is the perfect man to bring soccer into the lasting limelight, with his charisma and superb performance - be enough to stave off the ritual destruction of anyone who objects to the gay marriage crusade? My crystal ball says no, especially if he was more than mildly critical of it. He might be able to get away with an ardent pro-life statement, at least for the next couple of weeks, without getting the full Tebow treatment. I have no idea if Howard would feel inclined to make either of those statements. He doesn't seem eager to dive into the culture wars, although some of his modest comments would be very powerful, if the media shows any interest in transmitting them to America's youth. For example, from the article you linked: "Today, I am blessed to be living a dream. And yet, if it all went away tomorrow, I know I would still have peace. That probably sounds crazy to most people, but that's the kind of peace Christ gives. It is
I hope to start this article off right, it's my first time writing an article on an issue other than my vibrant high school years. Toronto Pride is running from June 19 - 28. The sheer excitement has inspired me to delve into some key LGBT issues that'll be the talk of the town (not a small town that is), and a new online campaign to document and hopefully help end hate laws worldwide. Celebrating our successes and solidarity Let's start this off on a high note, MPP Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo passed Bill 77 and shared the great news at this year's 5th Annual INSPIRE Awards, which was celebrated at the University of Toronto's Hart House, May 29th of this year. Bill 77 was a bill she had hoped to pass before Pride. The anti-reparative therapy bill makes it illegal in Ontario to use conversion therapy to attempt to make an LGBT person straight or "heteronormative." I hadn't been to Pride until last year. I had always been told that it wasn't an age appropriate event to attend. In defiance, I attended the parade and many community events. I'm proud to attend Pride again this year. I've learned that there is a Toronto naked bike ride that isn't covered nearly as much as Pride. If a naked bike ride isn't an issue, LGBT Pride shouldn't be either. We should have a say in what we do with our bodies. Interestingly enough, folks at Pride often are nude to stand in solidarity with those who've been beaten, or worst yet killed, at the height of the bathhouse riots. It is understood to be an ac
Trump promised to be America's dealmaker in chief. "We need a leader that wrote The Art of the Deal ," he said in the speech announcing his candidacy. "I'm a negotiator. I've done very well over the years through negotiation," he said during a Republican debate. "That's what I do, is deals," he said in May. "I know deals, I think, better than anybody knows deals." Rubbish. So far, Trump has made no deals at all, and the ones he thinks he's made have unraveled. He has no deal with North Korea. Following his June 12 summit with Kim Jong Un, Trump declared on Twitter that "there is no longer a nuclear threat" from North Korea. In fact, recent satellite images show that North Korea has upgraded a nuclear facility. It also appears to be finalizing the expansion of a ballistic missile manufacturing site. Instead of surrendering its nuclear stockpile, American intelligence says North Korea is considering ways to conceal it at secret production facilities. As if to drive home the point that there's been no deal, just after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Pyongyang to start filling in the "nitty-gritty details" of Kim's vague commitment, the North accused the Trump administration of pushing a "unilateral and gangster-like demand for denuclearization," calling it "deeply regrettable." Trump apologists say the supposed deal with North Korea will take time. Maybe. But Kim got everything he wanted from the summit - an American president appearing to grant North Kor
PETA continues its streak of sexist ad campaigns with a new TSA ad depicting a disembodied, bikini-clad female torso with the words "Be Proud of Your Body Scan: Go Vegan" emblazoned across the breasts. So far the ad's been rejected by airports in New York, North Carolina and Las Vegas, with the latter on the grounds that Vegas' McCarren Airport does not run political adverts. According to PETA VP Dan Matthews, "the ads are meant to be humorous." PETA is notorious for using sex to spread its animal rights message, constantly resorting to hypocritical and base imagery at the expense of potential women supporters. Even a campaign in support of breast cancer awareness-and opposing animal testing-featured a video game that involved clicking on cleavage -again, disembodied. They also, apparently, have a little problem with heteronormative fat-phobia . And let's not forget Pam Anderson's photo shoot for PETA that had her lady parts carved up like a piece of meat -not subtle, but at least they were being straightforward that time. The point is driven home time and again... even with a woman at its helm , PETA would sacrifice feminist vegetarians-who would be awesome advocates-for the titillation of its male audience. And that sucks.
A radical draft National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Elimination of TB that proposes to bring down new tuberculosis (TB) infections by nearly 80% over the next eight years says India must expand the programme to the private sector, offer direct benefits transfer to patients, improve surveillance and monitoring of patients, and increase funding for the existing TB control programme. India's ongoing TB programme is inadequate, the NSP says, seeking five times the funding allocated to TB control over the last three years put together. "If the new NSP can be fully funded, and fully implemented, it could be a game changer for India," said Madhukar Pai, associate director of the McGill International TB Centre at McGill University in Canada. "Even if elimination by 2025 is unlikely, the country will at least get closer to the End TB Strategy timeline of 2035." The World Health Organization's (WHO) End TB strategy targets reducing new cases to under 10 persons per 100,000 a year. At 2.8 million, India had 27 percent of the world's new TB cases in 2015, according to WHO data . Tuberculosis is treatable, but the WHO estimates TB treatment does not reach 41% of India's estimated patients, as IndiaSpend reported in October 2016. The proposed NSP puts forth an ambitious target-reducing the incidence of TB from 217 new cases per 100,000 people in 2015 to 44 cases per 100,000, a 79.7% reduction over a decade. In comparison, TB incidence in India reduced 22% in the decade to 2015. India's gains
"Trump is a racist"? "Kanye is a coon"? "We need to be color blind"? "The races need to unite"? Sound familiar? Currently the racial tension among the human family is at fever pitch. Here at home in the U.S. tempers are flaring, emotions are boiling over the "skin color war." Can we please take a much needed time out? In Scripture, Acts 17:26 clearly teaches us that we are One Blood/One Human Race. Yet, for thousands of years, skin color wars, religious disputes, class, and caste disputes have divided the humanity. For purposes of this article, let's address only the skin color factor breeding the lie of separate races -- and racism. In the realm of sociology color blindness is a concept based upon ignoring or pretending not to see the color of a person's skin. Color blindness is a premise describing a desired ideal of a society where racial classifications do not exist to limit a person's opportunities. In seeking such race-neutral policies proponents seek to promote the goal of racial equality. This ideal was promulgated by Frederick Douglass in the 19th century, and by supporters of the 20th century civil rights movement as well as international anti-racist movements of the 1950s and 1960s. The challenge to these efforts is that while well meaning, abolition-minded citizens were genuinely seeking to bring unity and equality to all people; there were those who were seeking to actively and aggressively continue the racial and social inequities that would provide superiority
Joar Ulsom, an Iditarod musher from Norway, won the world's most famous sled dog race on Wednesday after a grueling dash across Alaska's rough terrain. "It's pretty unreal I pulled it off," Ulsom told reporters at the finish line in Nome, Alaska. After nearly 1,000 miles, Ulsom and the eight dogs on his team came off the Bering Sea ice onto Nome's main street. He slapped hands with fans who lined the streets and went under the finish line at 3 a.m. local time. "I don't know what to say about it. It's out of this world," he said before hugging each of his dogs. His supporters crowded the finish line, one waving Norway's flag. Ulsom's victory generated heavy media attention in Norway, a winter sports nation still basking in the glory of winning the most medals at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. "This is completely insane. It's fantastic to win this race here," Ulsom said, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK. "It was rather tough. It was hard to keep my tears back when I crossed the finish line." The 31-year-old, who took the lead Monday when Nicolas Petit got off course in a blizzard, became the third person born outside the U.S. to claim the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. He's also the second Norwegian after Robert Sorlie, a two-time winner who cheered Ulsom's progress along the trail. Ulsom said he had no idea he had taken the lead when Petit got off course. He saw a sled track ahead of him, and figured he would find someone resting at the checkpoint. It wa
Itai Vardi | June 18, 2017 By Itai Vardi * Sunday, June 18, 2017 - 04:58 Dominion Energy, the lead company behind the proposed Atlantic Coast pipeline, last year hired SKDK nickerbocker, a powerful communications and Democratic consulting firm that previously produced campaign ads for Virginia's Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe, according to a DeSmog investigation. McAuliffe, a long-time ally of the Clinton family and former head of the Democratic National Committee, has been a staunch supporter of the controversial natural gas pipeline since it was first proposed in 2014. Guest | June 17, 2017 By Guest * Saturday, June 17, 2017 - 07:56 This post originally appeared on Climate Feedback . A June 12 Winnipeg Free Press story titled " U of M climate change study postponed due to climate change " describes a climate study delayed by unusual sea ice conditions around Newfoundland that necessitated the reassignment of an icebreaker vessel. (Similar stories were run by CBC News , The Guardian , and others.) It might seem to you that unusually thick local sea ice contradicts scientists' predictions of declining Arctic sea ice cover, but that would be an overly simplistic and incorrect assumption. That misconception of both climate science and the behavior of sea ice has surfaced in the past when polar research vessels encountered difficulties with sea ice, and this time is (sadly) no exception. Guest | June 16, 2017 This is a guest post by ClimateDenierRoundup It goes withou
German right demands nuclear "weapons of mass extermination" 31 July 2018 Just weeks after the right-wing coalition government in Germany announced its intention to massively increase military spending, a major national newspaper has called for the creation of an arsenal of nuclear weapons. In its latest edition, published this past weekend, the Welt am Sonntag features a front-page picture of a nuclear bomb, painted in the colours of the German flag. The headline reads: "Do we need the bomb" [ Brauchen wir die Bombe? ] The answer is an unequivocal and bloodcurdling "Ja!" The author of the article is Christian Hacke, a leading academic with close ties to leading figures in the government, the military and the foreign policy establishment. His political career dates back to the 1960s, when he made a name for himself as a leader of the right-wing Association of Christian-Democratic Students (RCDS). He has taught at the military university in Hamburg and is a member of the German Council on Foreign Relations, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Committee on Atlantic Studies, and the World Security Network. Clearly, Hacke is not merely expressing his personal opinion. The Welt am Sonntag features a front-page picture of a nuclear bomb draped in a German flag Arguing that Germany cannot leave the defense of its strategic interests to the United States and other NATO members, Hacke's article calls for "a review of the contractual cornerstones of German defense po
George W. Bush takes an artistic shot at redemption George W. Bush, tortured artist? George W. Bush's recent public relations tour designed to remake his image as a tortured artist wrestling with demons - a flawed but morally introspective tragic figure - has been remarkably effective. Bush has been the lucky recipient of dozens of friendly write-ups, interviews and TV appearances, all with only the mildest of liberal chiding around the margins. In all the fawning press coverage [of his Portraits Of Courage: A Commander In Chief's Tribute To America's Warriors ], one thing has been notably absent: Bush's Iraqi victims. This winter's PR tour has focused on Bush's paintings of wounded American veterans as the primary negative consequences of the invasion of Iraq. In 10 of the most prominent articles praising Bush in the past few months in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian and on NPR among others, not a single one mentions his Iraqi victims. Only one article makes vague reference to the Iraqis killed and injured (Washington Post's Philip Kennicott opaquely mentions "the trauma here and in Iraq"), but none notes the number of deaths (estimates range from 500,000 to 1 million) that resulted from Bush's war of aggression. None profiled an Iraqi who suffered or continues to suffer as a result. This is likely for the same reason Bush didn't bother to find any to paint - they simply don't factor into the U.S. moral calculus. "W" And The Art Of Redemption, a glowin
The Indo-China Conference hall (Indian side, BSF maintained) ( Image by Abhishek_Kumar ) Permission Details DMCA - Advertisement - The US is "closely and carefully" the month-long border standoff between China and India, the Trump administration said Friday, urging the two Asian giants to engage in direct dialogue to reduce the tension. "This is a situation that we are following closely and carefully. I'd have to refer you to the governments of India and China for more information on that," State Department spokesman Heather Nauert told reporters. Earlier, Gary Ross, a Defense Department spokesman, was quoted by the Press Trust of India (PTI) as saying "We encourage India and China to engage in direct dialogue aimed at reducing tensions and free of any coercive aspects." Mr. Ross, however, refused to take sides on the issue, the PTI said adding: "We refer you to the governments of India and China for further information... We are not going to speculate on such matters," Mr. Ross said when asked if the Pentagon fears the tension may escalate between India and China. - Advertisement - The U.S. State Department too has made similar statements over the past week, the PTI said. Don't bank on US and Japan, you'll lose: China warns India - Advertisement - Not surprisingly, the Global Times, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, Friday issued another warning that if India doesn't withdraw its forces from Doklam, China may get prepared for a military confrontation an
205 W. Read St., (410) 225-3100 Yeah, go ahead and make your erection jokes. But it was a real boner-kill when the Liquor Board decided not to renew The Drinkery's license, and it was even worse walking down a deserted stretch of Read Street. Less than two blocks away, folks are lobbying to put up a statue of Divine eating dog shit, but a small cadre of snooty Mount Vernonites didn't want anything that might actually be distasteful to them lowering their property values. If they were actually worried about crime, they made it worse. It is but the latest sally in the ongoing battle for the soul of Mount Vernon between the property-owning elites and all the rest of the people they feel don't belong in the neighborhood. But it fit nicely with the Liquor Board prudery that ordinary leftists engage in around these parts, too. The only thing we like about Gov. Hogan is his pro-bar Liquor Board, so we were disappointed to see it succumb to the Puritans with The Drinkery and delighted when arch-fear-monger Jason Curtis caused the petition to be disqualified and the license reinstated because he is on the liquor license at the Hotel Indigo just up the road.
Following the death of Keith Lamont Scott, officials claimed that he was armed with a handgun when Charlotte, North Carolina police fatally shot him. As riots erupted throughout Charlotte, North Carolina following the shooting death of disabled black man, Keith Lamont Scott, details of the initial investigation began to unfold. Preliminary Investigation: Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney held a press conference Wednesday morning, during which he described the sequence of events leading up to Scott's death from his officers' perspective. Read More According to Putney, Scott exited his vehicle holding a handgun and was given "loud, clear, verbal commands" to drop it before the officers shot and killed him. Putney said that they uncovered the alleged weapon from Scott's vehicle, which was in "close proximity" to his body -- apparently using that detail as a means to further validate his officers' account of what happened. #BREAKING #Charlotte police chief says officers gave armed man #KeithLamontScott #KeithScott 'loud, clear, verbal commands' to drop weapon pic.twitter.com/EMDpFUepZY -- LucidTheDeplorable(tm)? (@LucidHurricane_) September 21, 2016 It was previously believed that the African-American father of seven was unarmed and holding a book when he was killed while waiting to pick his son up from school. His family maintains that he had only a book, despite what the police have said. Community Demands Answers: The black community is outraged that, yet again, an innocent b
American presidential candidates hit the campaign trail this year as the race for the White House heated up . National security, gun violence and the greater war on terror became key issues in the campaign, in the wake of mass shootings, accusations of police brutality and fear of homegrown terrorism. Once considered a longshot for the Republican nomination, Donald Trump has outlasted many of of his critics and managed to capture the media spotlight and a leading position in the polls. The year was also shaped by an international refugee crisis , brought about by prolonged war in Syria and the greater Middle East, as Western nations grappled with how best to restore stability to the region and stem the tide of those desperately trying to flee. Wildfires and drought in the Western United States, devastating earthquakes in Nepal and Pakistan and other natural disasters emphasized the importance of addressing climate change , as was done in Paris in December, when ministers from nearly 200 countries finally reached an agreement to reduce carbon emissions and put the brakes on global warming. Hopefully this year will also be remembered for some uplifting moments. Scientists found water on Mars, the U.S. women's national soccer team clinched the World Cup title for the first time since 1999, and American Pharoah was the first horse to win the Triple Crown since 1978. Pope Francis visited the U.S., and Cuba and the U.S. normalized relations after more than 50 years.
As last Tuesday's election results began to roll in the despair of nearly every big network anchor and pundit was palpable. The evening went from giddy delight to utter shock in a matter of 40 minutes. As the talking heads tried desperately to process the electoral upsets rolling in one by, one several phrases began to be repeated... Angry white, male voters. Setting aside the obviously insulting assertion that anyone without a college degree is considered "uneducated" in the eyes of the left-wing media, the "angry white voters" particularly needled at me. I have no doubt anger is a huge part of Trump's election to the highest office in the land. Many Americans feel disenfranchised for many reasons. Racial strife, Obamacare causing drastic insurance spikes, gun rights battles, inflation, negative job growth in the black community - Americans on both sides of the aisle are angry, and they feel betrayed on by a do-nothing government that only seems to make daily life more challenging. Alex Parker The first black president's mandate of "hope and change" has deflated into skepticism and status quo. Even the powerful historical symbolism of the first woman president was not enough to motivate the Democrat base. A lot of people are angry, not just white people. The "angry, white males" constituency is not nearly big enough to elect a president all on their own. Obviously, other groups were casting their votes for Trump as well. Data is still coming in, but it looks like Trump pulle
People Magazine took an unprecedented step to push for gun control laws this week. The magazine published the contacts for every member of Congress and urged their readers to use the information to send a clear message to their representatives. After yet another mass shooting claimed nine victims at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon last week, People's Editorial Director Jess Cagle felt compelled to do something apart from the magazine's usual response to these horrific tragedies. Instead of just gathering up information about the victims or shooters and presenting it, he wanted to do something tangible to help push our representatives in Congress to hear those of us who are fed up with our country's inaction. So he and his staff gathered up the phone numbers, emails, and Twitter handles of all 535 members of Congress . He says in his Editor's Letter : "I think about mass shootings when I'm on a train, and when the lights go down in a movie theater, and when I see children in a classroom. We need to know that our representatives in Washington, D.C., are looking for solutions and not giving up, and they need to know if we agree or disagree with their strategies. Below, we've provided phone numbers, email addresses (provided by the Sunlight Foundation's OpenCongress project) and Twitter handles (when available) for all 535 voting members of the House and Senate. Let's make sure they know that from now on, "routine" responses just won't cut it." This is a huge statem
Ammoland Inc. Posted on January 7, 2013 January 29, 2018 by Ammoland Gun Girl Radio - Who's Who of Gun Girl Radio Gun Girl Radio DeKalb, IL - -( Ammoland.com )- Jake Challand and the Firearms Radio Network launches Gun Girl Radio. Featuring some of the finest ladies of the shooting world. Randi Rogers of Comp-tac Holsters and Julie Golob of Team Smith & Wesson will be bringing you the latest insider scoop on the shooting sports. On this pilot episode Julie & Randi give a little background on who they are and what plans they have for this new show. They also put out a request for listener questions & feedback. Email them to [email protected] Listen to the entire episode at http://www.gungirlradio.com/ 001/ or subscribe to the show on iTunes . About Gun Girl Radio: Information and insider perspective on shooting sports, training, hunting and all things outdoors by two of the firearms industry's most talented female shooters, Julie Golob and Randi Rogers. Gun Girl Radio releases every Wednesday at 12:00 pm CST. Subscribe to the GGR email list and listen via apple iTunes , Stitcher Radio or gungirlradio.com. Leave a Comment No Comments Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The family of a black man shot by a Minnesota police officer during a traffic stop is seeking a federal investigation into his death... Rafaela Silva has made her country proud by winning the first gold medal of the Olympic games in judo. Overcoming poverty in Brazil's most notorious favela, the "City of God" Silva took up the sport because she loved-- and had... A managing director at New York Life, one of the largest life insurers in the United States, has been fired after telling a Black Lives Matter activist to die... BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -- CBS' entertainment president defended his network's efforts to air more inclusive series even as it introduces a fall slate of new sitcoms and dramas with white male stars... PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- A candidate for Rhode Island poet laureate said he was racially profiled and unjustly arrested by a Providence police officer... NEW YORK (AP) -- John Saunders, the versatile sportscaster who has hosted ESPN's "The Sports Reporters" for the last 15 years, has died, the network announced Wednesday. He was 61. Saunders joined ESPN in 1986. The Canadian did play-by-play, led... Dwayne Stafford, the inmate who attacked Dylann Roof in jail and is now out on bond after his supporters paid for his bail, is now speaking out and telling his story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq0T1g07oUo Stafford claimed that he had conversations with Roof, and... During a campaign rally in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Wednesday, Repu
Kathryn Moody : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? Manuel Schiffres Mutual Fund Rankings, 2014 Meghan Streit : Pitching In When Caregivers Need Help Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D.N., F.A.N.D : How to prevent a second (and first) heart attack thru diet The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington : Caprese is a light, fresh salad; the perfect quick and easy accompaniment to any summer meal Mark Steyn : You Want Nazis? Jonathan Tobin : Care about the Jewish state's future? Obama, in interview, reveals even more reasons to worry Alan M. Dershowitz : Confirmed: Needless death and destruction in Gaza Katie Nielsen : As a mother, I'm all I need to be Cameron Huddleston : 18 Retailers That Offer Price Adjustments Nellie S. Huang : The Best Health Mutual Funds to Buy Now Brierly Wright, M.S., R.D. : Try these 'secret-weapon' foods to boost your changes of losing weight The Kosher Gourmet by Jessica Yadegaran : Take some relish in pickled goodies (5 recipes!) Kimberly Lankford : 50 Ways to Cut Your Health Care Costs James K. Glassman : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? The Kosher Gourmet by Nick Malgieri : Chocolate molten delight with creme anglaise is a simple yet elegant make-ahead dessert US President Barack Obama's eulogy of Shimon Peres at Mount Herzl last Friday was a thinly disguised assault on Israel. And he barely bothered to hide it. Throughout his remarks, Obama wielded Peres's record like a baseball bat. He used it to club the Israeli
No more killer cops patrolling our neighborhood streets. JC Nobles remains a 12 year veteran in the Jacksonville Sheriff Office. Yet Nobles has been involved in multiple police shooting of young black men. February 2008, in the Springfield area Nobles approach 3 young black men whom he assumed were participating in illegal drug transaction. Nobles shot and wounded one man as he attempted to ran from him. On June 15, 2009, Kiko Battle a 24 year old young black man and another young man was innocently walking in the middle of W.18th Street. The two men were approached by Nobles and Timothy Terrell. After the situation was handled , which consisted of, Kiko being repeatedly shot by both officer he was later pronounced dead. Also, during the spring of 2015, Nobles fatally shot and killed 16 year old Kendra Alston while in pursuit of a stolen vehicle he had just crashed. Nobles has had countless complaints from neighbors. His character is rude and very racist towards young black men and women in our community. We demand that State Attorney Angela Corey and Sheriff Mike Williams, suspend JC Nobles from Jacksonville Sheriff's Department.
Sickness and Injury . Hardly sexy topics when it comes to travel. Yet anyone who has been waylaid with a bug or worse, or had an accident, while far from home is sure to give healthcare a premium spot on any trip's checklist. Take Coleman Sperando, for instance. Last month, the 21-year-old BASE jumper from Florida smashed into a cliff during a jump in Switzerland suffering major injuries. He was stranded on a ledge for 13 hours until rescuers could reach him. One has to wonder how many times in those long hours Sperando thought, "Man, I'm glad I have travel insurance." His World Nomads policy covered emergency medical, plus getting him home--an expensive undertaking involving a private air ambulance and onboard MD. Sure, that's an extreme example. Humanitarian photographer David Duchemin thought his coverage would be most important for travel in remote or risky regions. Turns out, his time of need came in tourist-friendly Tuscany, where he fell from a wall, shattering his feet and pelvis. Duchemin relied on evacuation coverage through MedjetAssist to return home and begin a long process of treatment and recovery. From tripping over a curb and breaking a toe to contracting a tropical disease (yeah Zika, we're thinking about you,) smart travelers know things can go wrong anywhere, anytime. While good planning doesn't make us bulletproof, it can go a long way toward providing peace of mind along with a safety net in time of need. Get Covered Today most airlines make obtaining tr
(Photo: Corbis) Paranormal Investigation at the Lawrence Cemetery 216th Ave. at 42nd Ave., Bayside; 718-352-1548; Oct. 26 and Nov. 2, 35 p.m.; $10 ($8 for Bayside Historical Society members), reservations suggested Bored with the five Paranormal Activity movies? Go to the nineteenth-century Lawrence Cemetery in Queens for a chance to see the real thing. The Seekers Club, a group of hobbyist detectives of the occult, will lead attendees on a live paranormal investigation where you can learn their techniques and find the spiritual ambiguities all around you. (Was that creak you heard just warped wood? Are you sure?) Murder & Mayhem in Sleepy Hollow 540 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.; Oct. 20 and 27, 7 p.m.; $25, advance reservations required Take the train north to Sleepy Hollow (and pass the time rereading Washington Irving's famous short story if you're so inclined) for the village cemetery's themed Murder & Mayhem tour. You'll hear about more obscure, local tales of horror like grave robberies, the wickedest woman in New York (a persecuted nineteenth-century abortionist), and a black widow whose seven husbands all met unfortunate demises. You can visit Irving's grave while you're there, too, but remember to watch out for Ichabod. Note: Take the Metro NorthHudson Line to Philipse Manor station. From there, the cemetery is within walking distance. A Spirited Stroll Through Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, at Fifth Ave., Brooklyn; 718-210-3080; Oct. 2627, 13 p.m.; $20
Posted 2015-05-16 18:24 GMT Attorney Robert DeKelaita, who has been indicted for immigration fraud, will stand trial on May 19. Chicago (AINA) -- Hundreds of supporters are expected to attend the trial of Assyrian-American attorney Robert DeKelaita. DeKelaita faces federal immigration fraud charges alleging that the long-time activist has falsified accounts of Christian persecution in Iraq. A protest will take place outside the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago beginning at 9:00am on Tuesday, May 19, 2016 as his trial begins. The trial is expected to last throughout the week. His supporters, many of whom are survivors of Christian persecution, believe the charges are not only wrongful, but offensive and disgraceful. DeKelaita was charged ( indictment ) back in September of 2014. Since then, the Stand with Robert committee has garnered support from thousands of individuals nationwide who've expressed their concern over the charges. The allegations are especially painful to the Assyrian-American community, as Assyrian Christians are actively being persecuted in both Iraq and Syria today. "My sister and her three young children are among the Assyrian hostages in Syria," says Mimi Odicho, a refugee and former client of DeKelaita's. "We don't even know if they're still alive. Instead of trying to help save them--save these innocent people--the US government is trying to take down a man who has been our people's only hope for years." Hundreds of DeKelaita's former client
Russia's Supreme Court may declare Jehovah's Witnesses an extremist organization at a hearing Wednesday, which means the Jehovah's Witnesses headquarters would be seized and their organized worship banned in the country. "If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the authorities, it will be the first such ruling by a court declaring a registered centralized religious organization to be 'extremist,'" the UN human rights' high commissioner's office said in a statement, Time reported . David Semonian, an international spokesperson for Jehovah's Witnesses, said the decision is troublesome the religious group. "They would basically be prosecuting Jehovah's Witnesses as criminals," Semonian said, according to Time magazine. "Anyone who would actually would have our publications could be criminalized. It is of great concern." According to Newsweek , Thomas J. Reese, chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, said, "The Russian government's latest actions appear designed to eliminate the legal existence of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia," "USCIRF calls on the Russian government to stop its harassment of this peaceful religious group," Reese added. "The treatment of the Jehovah's Witnesses reflects the Russian government's tendency to view all independent religious activity as a threat to its control and the country's political stability." The Russian branch of Jehovah's Witnesses argued that "extremism is profoundly alien to the Bible-based beliefs and mora
U.S. gun control movement pushing Congress to act, but lawmakers say pressure must continue By Peter Szekely Reuters March 25. 2018 11:16PM Marjory Stoneman Douglas students wave to the crowd at the end of the March for Our Lives to demand stricter gun control laws on Saturday in Washington. (Mike Stocker/Sun Sentinel/TNS) NEW YORK -- The youth-led U.S. gun control movement that flexed its public muscle with huge weekend rallies has already nudged Congress to enact minor firearms changes, but must remain active if it hopes to win more meaningful regulations, lawmakers said on Sunday. The movement that erupted after the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, has generated a national conversation about gun rights and has chipped away at legislative gridlock on the issue, they said. "The activism of these young people is actually changing the equation," Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, said a day after hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied in Washington. Tucked into a $1.3 trillion spending bill Congress passed last week were modest improvements to background checks for gun sales and an end to a ban on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studying the causes of gun violence. "These are two things we could not have done in the past," Kaine said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. "But the active engagement by young people convinced Congress we better do something." The spending bill, which President Dona
Couldn't happen in America, right? Wrong. In fact, it's increasingly common, for in today's "Amerika," our rights are being systematically whittled away. Making the sin mortal, many Americans accept this erosion of freedom, where hard evidence is replaced by "probablies." The recent travesty at a Philadelphia Starbucks shows that guilty until proven innocent is becoming the new norm, but it's just the latest situation where people are demonized first, and facts are investigated later -- if at all. Former New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez was suspended for an entire season for steroid use, despite the irrefutable fact that he never failed a single drug test. That suspension cost him $25 million. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was handed a four-game suspension for his unproven role in "Deflategate." The NFL justified its punishment by stating that it was "more probable than not" that Brady was aware of underinflated footballs. Three white members of the Duke University men's lacrosse team were accused of rape in 2006 (by a black woman) -- an accusation later proven to be completely false. But before being exonerated, the players were demonized on campus and in the media, and suspended from school. The race to inject "race" led many to immediately pronounce guilt without the benefit of facts -- including the district attorney, who was subsequently disbarred and jailed for deliberately withholding evidence. Former U.S. Senator Larry Craig's arrest on a misdemeanor charg
"M" is for Math, "V" is for Verbal This piece appeared in the Los Angeles Times recently, and it deserves a lot more notice from conservatives than it's received so far. It's not that it doesn't tell us things we didn't already know -- it's that the Left is so blatant about its prejudices, and so determined to tear down any semblance of meritocracy regarding college admissions. And, mostly, it reminds us that Asian-Americans need to recognize who their enemies are: In a windowless classroom at an Arcadia tutoring center, parents crammed into child-sized desks and dug through their pockets and purses for pens as Ann Lee launches a PowerPoint presentation. Her primer on college admissions begins with the basics: application deadlines, the relative virtues of the SAT versus the ACT and how many Advanced Placement tests to take. Then she eases into a potentially incendiary topic -- one that many counselors like her have learned they cannot avoid. "Let's talk about Asians," she says. Lee's next slide shows three columns of numbers from a Princeton University study that tried to measure how race and ethnicity affect admissions by using SAT scores as a benchmark. It uses the term "bonus" to describe how many extra SAT points an applicant's race is worth. She points to the first column. African Americans received a "bonus" of 230 points, Lee says. She points to the second column. "Hispanics received a bonus of 185 points." The last column draws gasps. Asian Americans, Lee says, are p
NASHUA - Over the past six weeks, the police department's Problem Oriented Policing Unit arrested 22 people on a variety of charges involving the sale and possession of drugs with more than half of the cases involving heroin. The undercover investigations, conducted by detectives in the Narcotics Intelligence Division, were carried out over several months. All those arrested were later arraigned in 9th Circuit Court-District Division-Nashua. They included: Kevin Cole, 47, of 27 Trout Brook Drive, arrested Sept. 15 for possession of a controlled drug, heroin. Joseph Crowley, 49, of 5 Epping St., arrested Sept. 18 for sale of cocaine, second offense. Phillip De Los Angeles, 26, of 10 Badger St., arrested Sept. 4 for three counts of sale of marijuana. Nicole Denman, 25, of 36 Gillis St., arrested Oct. 5 for possession of heroin. Jesus Figueroa, 40, of 80 Chestnut St. #4, arrested Sept. 29 for sale of cocaine, second offense, and sale of crack cocaine, second offense. Ferdinand Gracia, 26, of no fixed address, arrested Oct. 5 for three counts of sale of heroin, second offense. Luis Jiminian, 22, of 174 Arlington St., Lawrence, Mass., arrested Sept. 1 for possession of marijuana and possession of oxycodone hydrochloride. Nasah Johnson, 27, of Souderton, Penn., arrested Oct. 1 for sale of crack cocaine; possession of crack cocaine; possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute; five counts of criminal liability to sale of crack cocaine; possession of marijuana; possession o
Late night television host Jimmy Kimmel became visibly choked up as he described the death of Cecil, a beloved Zimbabwean lion, as a "disgusting tragedy." In addition, a diverse array of stars like Olivia Wilde, Alyssa Milano, Newt Gingrich, and Judd Apatow all weighed in with disgust or anger at the allegations that Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer paid $50,000 to illegally lure Cecil from his home before decapitating him. "I hope that #WalterPalmer loses his home, his practice & his money. He has already lost his soul..." tweeted Sharon Osbourne on Wednesday. The backlash came on the same day a University of Cincinnati police officer was indicted for the shooting death of Samuel Dubose, an unarmed black man. The differing levels of outrage for the two deaths did not go unnoticed. Many on social media pointed out that while celebrities and politicians seem quick to denounce Palmer and pay reverence to a dead lion, some don't feel the need to similarly speak out about the recent spate of violence faced by people of color at the hands of police. Writer and activist Luvvie Ajayi posted on Facebook , "Jimmy Kimmel cried about Cecil the Lion. Who else has he cried for or is that level of sadness reserved for murdered animals? I'll be here waiting." Black ppl might need to start rocking lion costumes if that's how u get late night tv tears to flow -- Desus Nice (@desusnice) July 29, 2015 Writer Roxane Gay took to Twitter to ask if black people would get more concern if the
A Florida company that was founded in late August just a month before Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, was awarded a $30 million contract from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help supply the devastated U.S. territory with emergency blue tarps and plastic sheeting -- but it never delivered on those urgently needed supplies. An investigation by the Associated Press reveals that Bronze Star L.L.C., which was formed by two brothers, was awarded the multi-million dollar contract despite never having delivered supplies as part of a large-scale disaster relief operation. The address listed for the business is a single-family home in a residential subdivision in St. Cloud, Florida. FEMA terminated its contract with Bronze Star, without paying any money, after weeks of waiting in vain for the direly needed supplies to arrive. The federal agency must now search for another firm that can provide the plastic sheeting supplies, after waiting four weeks for Bronze Star to make good on its promises. "Thousands of Puerto Ricans remain homeless, and many complain that the federal government is taking too long to install tarps," reports the AP . "The U.S. territory has been hit by severe rainstorms in recent weeks that have caused widespread flooding." Kayon Jones, one of the brothers who founded Bronze Star, claims that manufacturers he contacted before he bidded on the FEMA contract assured him they could provide the tarps but later said they could not meet the
Recently released police body cam footage revealed Topeka police officers lying to an innocent unarmed man moments before arresting him on false charges and beating him while handcuffed. After police suppressed the exonerating video until an hour before his trial, the prosecution violated due process by withholding it from the defense. On September 27, 2014, a Topeka police dispatcher received a 911 hang up call. The dispatcher reportedly called back the phone number, but the person who answered said there was no emergency. Topeka police responded to the residence around 10 p.m. and found Arthur Morris sitting in a chair in his backyard. As Topeka police officer Jeremy Carlisle-Simons shined his flashlight directly at Morris' eyes, Morris stood up in an attempt to avoid the blinding light. While another officer falsely informed Morris that they had received a 911 call from one of his neighbors, Morris knocked on his backdoor to get the attention of his girlfriend, Jeanie Becerra. As officers asked Morris if he had identification, Becerra opened the door and was immediately blinded by the officer's flashlight. When asked if she called the police department, Becerra told the officers, "No, I haven't." As Morris noticed a plainclothes officer leaving the scene, Officer Carlisle-Simons suddenly grabbed Morris' arm and shoved him back into the chair. With Morris accusing the officer of assault, Carlisle-Simons threw him to the ground while another cop helped to restrain Morris. Af
FROM "IN DEFENSE OF RURAL AMERICA" by Ron Ewart, (c)2017, President, NARLO (Feb. 19, 2017) -- "Life is a fight, a fight to stay alive and a fight to keep others and government from taking your life or your liberty from you. Acknowledge that fact and you might just survive as a free man. Those awash in self-pity and think of themselves as victims will never be free and they will be a heavy burden on the rest of society." Ron Ewart In the year 1620 and beyond, they crossed the Atlantic in sailing ships to get to America and freedom. The journey could take anywhere from six to 12 weeks to make the crossing, depending on the winds. Life aboard ship was primitive at best. Firsthand accounts speak of illness, cramped quarters, food and water rations. They had to endure scurvy, diphtheria, dysentery and seasickness. They were at the mercy of the captain, ship owners ..... and the sea. Many of them died during the passage. Because the journey was so long, when passengers died, their bodies were thrown overboard because there was no way to store them on the ship. The bones of thousands of Pilgrims are held forever in the bosom of the Atlantic Ocean, on their failed journey to freedom. There was no government to protect the Pilgrims, pay their fare to the new land, or provide a handout if they got sick or destitute. Those who could not pay were required to remain on board the ship until they were sold into indentured servitude and forced to work to pay for their voyage. W
February 17, 2016 ( LifeSiteNews ) -- I believe that someplace deep down inside the heart of every abortion supporter is the knowledge that abortion is, in fact, wrong, and that it goes against God and his plan for the human family. But, let's say you've convinced yourself that abortion is okay and that it really is a woman's 'right to choose,' then, like this woman in the video, you will likely find yourself at odds with God, even to the point of calling him "horrible." Why is this? Because, God is pro-life. And if you are not, and you hate pro-life people, then you will likely hate God. But is God really pro-life? Sure he is. And in more ways than one. God is the giver of all life. He gives every human being the gift of life and then calls each of us to eternal life with him in heaven. He told the Israelites in the old covenant: "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live" (Deuteronomy 30:19). And Jesus said in the new covenant: "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). Saint Irenaeus once said: "The glory of God is man fully alive." This is an awesome saying to think about. It shows just how pro-life God really is. I feel compassion for this woman who has put herself at odds with the God of life by championing the death of the innocent preborn. Her position, which she knows deep down is at o
Given the current climate in the culture, the Church and politics, Church Militant is expanding, beefing up for battle. More on that in a few moments. But what prompts this is the battle that is now raging, shifting into high gear even. And if you've ever doubted that the final battle for the soul of a nation and the souls of everyone wasn't underway .. all you had to do was witness the outpouring against morality that flooded the streets of Washington DC this past Saturday: an ocean of hate against life in the womb, a lack of tolerance for morality, a flood of judgment and rebellion against the laws of God, a throng of depravity motivated by selfishness and ego. Saint Augustine said in the end the battle comes down to those who believe in God versus those who do not. Well, here we see it plainly. In a way, it's good that so many came out against truth and morality and religion and God; they have stepped into the light, and we have become glaringly aware of the depth of the evil. Imagine how all this would have gone unseen if Hillary had won. And even worse, imagine how all of this would have been channelled quietly behind the scenes into law. The battle lines couldn't be more clear and bright. The evil side understands this is a battle to the death, and they are prepared for war, as you will see when President Trump announces his Supreme Court nominee. It will be a bloodbath because the liberal Left's sacrament of abortion will be threatened -- and sodomy and abortion are th
I have just spent a couple of days in New York City. Returning to Virginia on Wednesday morning, I had a somewhat strange experience. I cleared through my emails before leaving the hotel and also read... On October 25 th , 2002 the last great hero of the common people in the US Senate was very likely murdered by agents of the shadow US crime cabal government otherwise known as the Bush-Cheney regime. His wife and... 30 Apr 2018 - Antidepressants were once considered a short-term therapy to help people get over a troubled time. All that changed with the debut of the so-called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (...
ATHLETES at the top of their game are used to planning their lives down to the finest detail. So it should perhaps come as no surprise that Jessica Ennis-Hill appears to have taken the biggest challenge of all - motherhood - completely in her stride. 13 Jessica Ennis-Hill juggles 22 hours' a week of training with caring for her son,Reggie, who turns two next week Even now with the little matter of Rio 2016 just around the corner, she seems remarkably unfazed - despite training for 22 hours a week while caring for her energetic son Reggie, who turns two next week. "Reggie is my priority and everything has to fit around life with him," she says. "Athletics was my everything, whereas now it's a huge part of my life, but Reggie is the most important thing. "I suppose it's like any mum who goes back to work - you have to be organised. Everything is planned and prepared so I'm ready in the morning and can give Reggie breakfast and get him sorted before getting myself to the track." While Jess trains, Reggie is looked after by her mum Alison, who works for an addiction treatment charity, or he goes to nursery. Jess, 30, spends the afternoon with him, then once he goes to bed it's time for yet another training session. 13 Athletics used to be Jess' priority, but now her life revolves around Reggie These days, however, she does give herself some time off on a Saturday, spending it with Reggie and her construction worker childhood sweetheart (now husband) Andy Hill, 33, rather than pra
Amelia Derienze, 4, from Manchester is dressed as a Pikachu during Free Comic Book Day at Double Midnight Comics & Games in Manchester on Saturday. (Thomas Roy/Union Leader) Sparda Gurung, 7, is a Sonic Hedgehog and frend Amelia Derienze, 4, both from Manchester is dressed as a Pikachu during Free Comic Book Day at Double Midnight Comics & Games in Manchester on Saturday. Thomas Roy/Union Leader (Thomas Roy/Union Leader) Beverly Learned from Pennacook is dressed as a Steam Punk Captain America during Free Comic Book Day at Double Midnight Comics & Games in Manchester on Saturday. Thomas Roy/Union Leader (Thomas Roy/Union Leader) Michael Rennie, 8, from Manchester shows of the autographed Spider-man comic book he won during Free Comic Book Day at Double Midnight Comics & Games in Manchester on Saturday. (Thomas Roy/Union Leader) Sean Myers from Henniker is dressed as the Ghost Rider comic book character while waiting in line for the 6 free comics books everyone receives during Free Comic Book Day at Double Midnight Comics & Games in Manchester on Saturday. (Thomas Roy/Union Leader) Don Higgins, an artist who is published in role playing games, has a booth during Free Comic Book Day at Double Midnight Comics & Games in Manchester on Saturday. (Thomas Roy/Union Leader) A long line of comics fans load up on six free books during Free Comic Book Day at Double Midnight Comics & Games in Manchester on Saturday. (Thomas Roy/Union Leader)
Steven Simpson has a B.A. in Political Science with an emphasis on Middle Eastern studies, as well as a Master's Degree in Library Science. In addition to Canada Free Press, Steven's previous articles have appeared on the American Thinker, Pajamas Media, Front Page Magazine, and Hudson-NY.org. Most Recent Articles by Steven Simpson: Dec 4, 2014 -- Steven Simpson The recent racial hysteria that has engulfed Ferguson, Missouri, and other parts of the United States has shown that Islamist-type jihad is not the only kind of "holy war" plaguing America. The unspoken jihad - or intifada - that plagues America is a racial jihad engendered by radical black urban racial terrorists. This jihad is created, nurtured, perpetrated and perpetuated by the unholy trinity of the mainstream media, black supremacists, and cowardly, spineless and feckless white politicians. And it is a jihad that threatens to engulf America into a racial firestorm not seen since the War Between the States (a.k.a., the Civil War). Sep 11, 2012 -- Steven Simpson On June 13 th of this year, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), and four other Republican House members issued a letter to the State Department's Deputy Inspector General requesting that various Government agencies investigate charges that the Muslim Brotherhood, (MB), has penetrated into the American government in their well known attempt "to destroy Western civilization from within." The letter also named other Islamist organizations attempting to do the same,
And yet talk of Hillarys cackle etc is argued ad nauseum by you that's not sexist Proof of that? You don't want people to think you're making things up again, do you? And how do I even know you are a woman? Because I told you I was, are you really going to go there? You keep implying I'm a dude...are you sure? Judging by your posts here and your continued use of the sexist term 'sweetie', yes reasonably sure. Most women I know won't use sexist terms to demean other women. I could be wrong though. Your whole line of argument is stupid and nothing but drama filled poppycock.
Dear readers of Conservative Woman, please enlighten me on the new panic that stalks the land, namely that 'we' will not able to pay for the care and pensions of the baby boomers? I ask, dear readers, because I was under the impression that all of that was covered by the National Insurance scheme. All that money is just in a pot somewhere surely, waiting to be spent on the care of those who paid into said magical pot when they were working? As such I'm confused by calls from the likes of Lord Willetts that we should now look to taxing wealth, or increasing inheritance tax or overhauling council tax and just generally tax, tax, taxing boomers to pay for all of this? I am indeed perplexed. Tell me it is not the case that the government spent that money paid into the magical pot on other things, and is now looking to use other people's money - the National Insurance of the current working generations - to pay for the previous generation? If so, then this sounds a lot like a Ponzi scheme. Please tell me that government after government have not been running one massive Ponzi scheme complete with a huge debt in order to buy votes, and trumpet their compassion over the fact that they love our NHS, the system that is the envy of the world, but not in fact affordable, and has poor health outcomes? If this was the case I would expect an outcry, I would expect people on the streets. But there are no people on the streets - they seem to be at home watching Dancing On Ice instead. You ca
Next week, at the previously-scheduled Fall League Meetings in New York City, NFL owners will meet with representatives from the NFLPA and select NFL players to discuss the most talked-about issue in the league this season. It's not Ezekiel Elliott, or concussions, or even yet another discussion over what exactly constitutes a catch. This crucial discussion will be about the ongoing protests for racial justice during the national anthem. "There has been no change in the current policy regarding the anthem," the NFL and NFLPA said in a joint statement this week, directly countering a false tweet by President Donald Trump that praised the NFL for making it mandatory for players to stand during the national anthem. "The agenda will be a continuation of how to make progress on the important social issues that players have vocalized." There are a lot of questions that still need to be answered. Will the NFL owners give in to Trump's wish and make standing during the anthem mandatory? If they don't, will the NFL promise to protect players on teams like the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins whose owners have forbidden players from protesting? What, exactly, does "progress on important social issues" look like from both a league perspective, and from a player perspective? And what are any of them going to do about Trump's very public obsession with the subject? It is about time that Roger Goodell of the NFL is finally demanding that all players STAND for our great National Anthem-RES
Some of things I would 'never do' included a) telling a daughter to stand straight so she won't appear stoop-shouldered, b) say to a seventh grader "I don't care WHAT the other students got on their tests, c) turn to the obituary pages before reading the morning headlines, and d) accept a date because the man was good looking. (I could finish off the alphabet on this one but you get the gist.) The things I would never 'be' were a) overbearing, b) a gossip, c) indecisive, and d) lazy. Let's not even go there. And the list of things I would never eat boasted a) beef liver, b) Bamba peanut flavored snacks, c) shwarma, and d) halvah. (Admittedly, in 1994 I thin-sliced a block of halvah that I'd purchased for a cancelled-at-the-last-minute dessert party and - after allowing the thin slivers to melt on my tongue over a period of one hour - I became an addict. But the remainder of the aforementioned list remains solidly intact.) Point being, we are not creations of marble and steel but, rather, flesh and blood animals who have the ability to choose freely and make decisions. Better decisions. Richer selections and more meaningful choices according to the paths we follow. Of course, I suppose it works both ways and we can make dumber choices and lower some personal standards but I'd rather think that my fellow earth-mates (at least my local Jerusalemites) are all striving toward greater good. Yep, we can switch decor and lifestyles even at the price of occasional ridicule. To stay 's
"Majority-minority" is an unusual term--by definition, minorities are no longer such if they're in the majority--but it's a convenient shorthand for what most people expect to happen in the United States over the next few decades. A growing population of nonwhites--driven by Asian and Latino immigration--will yield a country where most Americans have nonwhite heritage, thus "majority-minority." The most recent analysis from the Census Bureau seems to bear this out. Last year was the first year that whites were a minority of all newborns, and based on current rates of growth, they'll become a minority of the under-five set by next year, if not the end of this one. Overall, the government projects that within five years, minorities will compromise a majority of all Americans under the age of eighteen, something to keep in mind when trying to project future political support for both parties. There's more: For the first time in more than a century, the number of deaths among white Americans exceeds the number of births. More than ten percent of the nation's 3,143 counties are "majority-minority," and in 13 states and the District of Columbia, the under-five population is already "majority-minority." By 2043, the Census projects, America's white majority will be gone. One fact stands out in all of this, however. The fastest growing group of Americans--by far--fall under the "multiracial category." If past research is any indication, these Americans are likely the product of inter
New York City parents are furious over a school's call for students to observe a moment of silence in honor of Palestinians who died in Gaza border clashes. The Beacon School in Manhattan came under fire for the tribute to victims of protests organized by Hamas in which more than 60 were killed by Israeli forces last week during clashes. The terrorist group saw 50 members killed in the border violence. "I am extremely upset because I did not send my child to a New York City public school to pray for Hamas operatives," one Jewish parent told the New York Post. A student at the elite school made the announcement on Tuesday, shocking some students and outraging parents, according to the New York Post. "As a Jewish student, I could see a lot of my Jewish friends get very weird when the moment of silence started," student Sophie Steinberg said. "I think that's Beacon's nature -- to not be divisive but to bring up the things that no one wants to talk about." "I just don't think any school should be promoting a moment of silence for terrorists. What if it was Islamic terrorists in ISIS?" the mother of one student said. "No school would be having that over the loudspeaker." "I wish there was that conversation afterwards," Fortune Ndombo, a junior, said.. "There was no follow-up." Parents have reportedly reached out to Principal Ruth Lacey but she has not offered up any comments. "We support civic engagement and advocacy amongst students, and encourage schools to provide inclusive env
I wish there was a magic wand that somebody could wave and all of us would have more money. Or maybe Santa Claus could play that role, or some version of the Tooth Fairy. And if that magic person only had limited powers, I would want more money specifically for those with modest incomes. Unfortunately, we don't live in this fantasy world. As a society, we can't enjoy output unless we first go through the toil and trouble of working, saving, and investing. Heck, even some leftists have admitted that you can't redistribute unless somebody first produces . But that doesn't stop some politicians from practicing free-lunch economics. They tell us, for instance, that government can impose a higher minimum wage with no job losses. And now the Obama Administration is claiming that it can expand overtime eligibility rules without any adverse impact of base pay, hours, or employment. In my role as the designated bad guy who has to inform people there's no magic wand or Santa Claus, here's what I told the New York Times . "There's no such thing as a free lunch," said Daniel Mitchell, a senior fellow with the Cato Institute, who warned that employers might cut pay or use fewer workers. "If they push through something to make a certain class of workers more expensive, something will happen to adjust." I also shared my putative wisdom with the International Business Times , underscoring the principle that government shouldn't intervene in labor markets. "Our view is pretty straightforward,
David Hinds : Well, the records I was collecting was what was happening locally in Britain, like the Searchers and Freddie and the Dreamers, which were affordable for people my age. The Jamaican music wasn't accessible at that time. It was mostly accessible through us bringing the records over to our siblings or our family members in suitcases and stuff. Did you continue listening to stuff like the Dreamers? Or did you grow out of it when you dug deeper into reggae? I obviously grew out of it because those times faded and reggae became a stronger entity. It wasn't only music, but it had a political and social aspect as far as what was going on in Jamaica and also in the UK. By the time it got to the '70s during my teens, there were undertones of racism throughout Britain. There was high unemployment in black communities. And the reggae music was about hope of existence and songs that were very spirit-altering. So you were drawn to the social and political aspects of the music? Yes, that's the part I gravitated toward the most at the time. By 1968, for example, reggae became a household name in England when Desmond Dekker came with "Israelites" and "It Miek." But it was still a novelty type of music. It used to be referred to nationally as a gimmicky type of music. But then came the roots part of it, which wasn't accessible on the radio or the shops because the statements that were uttered. So you had specialized record shops that were set up in Caribbean communities. And that
The million dollar question: where's the line between irony and perpetuating a damaging idea? A proposed answer: substitute the word "ironic" with "lazy" in regards to almost anything and you'll probably be a little closer to the truth. This question comes to us by way of an interaction and the subsequent internet fallout of an exchange that took place at a Q&A session after the sold-out "Kyle Mooney Live" at Thalia Hall in Chicago this week. The part-live-part-video show was done in part to promote their upcoming movie Brigsby Bear and featured three fourths of YouTube-sketch-group-turned-mainstream-stars Good Neighbor (Kyle Mooney, Dave McGary and Nick Rutherford, with Beck Bennett missing from the lineup). Chicago comedian and Good Neighbor fan Lily Reed challenged Rutherford on an "ironically sexist" character he'd performed earlier in the night, and the rest is history. Here's a piece of her account, posted to Facebook the day after the Chicago show (full post available here ): Rutherford appears to have corroborated Reed's account, which went on to detail a one-on-one interaction after the show, on Twitter and says to be "embarrassed" by the incident and "sickened by the way our fans treated her." Reed's question at the Q&A session was in response to a stand-up character bashing women Rutherford had played earlier in the night, deploying lines like: "I wish I was a woman. If I was a woman, I'd put out so much, get so much free shit." "Remember in the old times when wome
By Jim Lakely, Robert Genetski, Bette Grande, S.T. Karnick, David L. Applegate, H. Sterling Burnett, Jesse Hathaway, Michael Hamilton, Jane M. Orient, M.D., Bruno Behrend, Lennie Jarratt, Isaac Orr, Tom Harris, John McAdams, Terry Stoops, Joe Cobb, Christopher Garbacz, James H. Rust, John Dale Dunn, Clifford Thies, Sandra Stotsky, Kenneth Haapala "President Trump's speech should help him gain public support for his programs. Inviting Democrats to put petty politics aside and work with him for the good of the country was a reasonable request." - Robert Genetski By John Dale Dunn, Jerome Arnett
Newspaper Giant Gives CEO $32 Million Severance Package After Laying Off 20,000 Workers In Six Years Travis Waldron Mar 19, 2012, 1:35 pm When Craig Dubow resigned as CEO of the nation's largest newspaper conglomerate amid health problems last year, he ended a six-year stint that "was, by most accounts, a disaster ." Gannett, the parent company of the USA Today and 80 other American newspapers, had seen its revenue plummet $1.7 billion and its stock price fall 86 percent, from $72 a share to just over $10. To counter those losses, Gannett shed jobs, and a lot of them. Industry estimates say the company has laid off at least 20,000 workers since 2005, reducing its workforce from 52,000 to roughly 32,000. Despite those losses, Gannett awarded Dubow a severance package worth $32 million , NPR reports: Dubow's final compensation package includes $12.8 million in retirement benefits, $6.2 million in disability benefits and a $5.9 million severance payment , according to the filing. Gannett stock options and restricted stock, which Dubow had accrued during his years of employment with the company, were also part of the package. Those stock awards are valued at nearly $7 million . Separately, Gannett will pay $25,000 to $50,000 annually for a $6.2 million life insurance policy covering Dubow and another $70,000 annually for benefits such as health insurance, home computer and secretarial assistance and financial counseling . He will receive most of these benefits for three years unl
Democratic Party-endorsed Black Lives Matter movement In Barack Hussein Obama's America, these criminals have every reason to believe they will not be held to account for their actions. And in Mayor Rahm Emanuel's blood-spattered Chicago in the era of the Democratic Party-endorsed Black Lives Matter movement , these people can reasonably expect a slap on the wrist - if that. Predictably, the assembly line at the leftist excuse factory sprang to life as soon as the video received attention. The talking points quickly went viral. Commander Kevin Duffin of the Chicago police shrugged. "Kids make stupid decisions - I shouldn't call them kids. They're legally adults. But they're young adults, and they make stupid decisions." He added, "That will certainly be part of whether or not we determine this a hate crime or whether or not this is stupid ranting and raving." (Why it can't be both is unclear.) On CNN, Daily Caller columnist Matt K. Lewis correctly described the incident as an example of "evil." "That's what this is - it's evil, it's brutality, it's man's inhumanity to man." Award-winning anchor Don Lemon, who famously pondered whether Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 was swallowed by a black hole, calmly demurred. "I don't think it's evil," he said. "I think these are young people and they have bad home training." He added, "I have no idea who's raising these young people, because no one I know on Earth, 17 years old or 70 years old, would ever think of treating another
On special feminist created holidays like " A Day without Women " or the less noxious "International Women's Day" gifs and memes litter social media like actual litter at a climate change meeting. The memes have a theme: "Women should support women!" or some equally banal expression. Except in some cases, "women supporting women" is real. Like when there are handsy creepers lurking amongst the filing cabinets. Hoping for a little slap and tickle between faxes. In Washington D.C., female staffers keep a "creep list" of handsy congressmen . A way to keep track of whom to avoid unless flanked by a cadre of fellow ladies, or a few trustworthy menfolk. These are a few of the unwritten rules that some female lawmakers, staff and interns say they follow on Capitol Hill, where they say harassment and coercion is pervasive on both sides of the rotunda. This report comes from CNN . So when they say "this is on both sides of the rotunda" what they mean is "Democrats do it, so let's include the Republicans and call this baby bi-partisan. Make both parties guilty so it's palatable to all!" Also, probably because some Republicans are dirty perverts . There is also the "creep list" -- an informal roster passed along by word-of-mouth, consisting of the male members most notorious for inappropriate behavior, ranging from making sexually suggestive comments or gestures to seeking physical relations with younger employees and interns. I'd like to note here it says "younger employees and interns
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. WHO IS STAKING IT ALL ON THE HEALTH CARE BILL Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made himself practically the sole arbiter of the bill and will be largely responsible for the outcome, whether it's a win, a loss or a win that turns into a loss over time. 2. QATAR'S NEIGHBORS ISSUE PUNITIVE DEMANDS INCLUDING SHUTTERING AL-JAZEERA Kuwait has given the embattled Gulf nation a list, obtained by the AP, from Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations that also include severing all ties with Iran, immediately closing Turkey's military base in Qatar and ending military cooperation with the NATO member. 3. SUPREME COURT COULD REVEAL TRAVEL BAN DECISION ANY TIME The Supreme Court has almost certainly decided what to do about President Donald Trump's travel ban affecting citizens of six mostly Muslim countries. 4. WHO'S CALLING ITSELF 'BIGGEST VICTIM' AFTER DETAINED AMERICAN'S DEATH In its first comments about Otto Warmbier since he died in Ohio, North Korea defends its treatment of its former detainee while saying it had "no reason at all to show mercy to such a criminal." 5. WHY THERE WILL BE PROTESTS AT GAY PRIDE PARADES The protesters say increasingly corporate pride celebrations prioritize the experiences of gay white men while ignoring issues facing black and brown LGBT people. 6. US JUDGE HALTS DEPORTATION OF IRAQI CHRISTIANS The U.S. district judge halted the deportation f
We've written about Ray Gricar before. He's the former Centre County district attorney who declined to prosecute Jerry Sandusky in 1998, despite a psychologist's warning that Sandusky showed a "likely pedophile's pattern" of behavior. On April 15, 2005, Gricar mysteriously disappeared from central Pennsylvania and, seemingly, from this earthly realm. Gone. No trail. Just an empty car with a cell phone inside. One psychologist's evaluation might have been the reason the now-dead district attorney did... Read more Read Three months later, fishermen discovered Gricar's government-issued laptop in the Susquehanna River. Police later found his hard drive on a riverbank, damaged so badly that no data could be recovered. They also learned about the Internet searches run on the DA's home computer before his disappearance: "how to wreck a hard drive," "how to fry a hard drive," and "water damage to a notebook computer." Cases like this often don't get solved. Rather, conspiracy theories pop up, some more wackadoodle than others. And when news about Sandusky's alleged crimes broke last year, the tinfoil-hat crowd really rolled out the Reynolds Wrap. There was never any evidence to connect Gricar's disappearance to his Sandusky investigation. But so what? We figured his disappearance was bizarre enough that it warranted a FOIA request with the FBI. The documents we got back deal with an "URGENT" 1986 background check the FBI did on Gricar, when he was appointed by the local U.S. attorne
Can you actually "lose" thousands of text messages? It might be a bridge too far for tech savvy Americans to cross. Jack Posobiec, a veteran Naval Intelligence Officer, takes a closer look at five months worth of text messages between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. The gap in recordings was attributed to "misconfiguration issues related to rollouts, provisioning, and software upgrades that conflicted with the FBI's collection capabilities." Um, hold on a second. According to Posobiec, the Federal Records Act provides any failure to archive messages between government agents would be unconstitutional. Constitutionality aside, according to Posobiec, there is no way that the texts could be lost without a determined intervention by somebody with administration level access to the phone devices themselves. In other words, someone tried to "disappear" these records on purpose. According to Posobiec, the phones were equipped with Samsung Knox security encryption archiving every bit of data that is carried through their server. To turn this encryption off would require an above average level of access into the workings of the device. At the very least, qualified personnel would have been necessary to perform the act of shutting the security software down. If these phones were directed to stop encrypting and archiving, the natural progression in any investigation would be to ask who did that? But no questions of that nature have been asked. The entire story seems like it was written by
Here we have D.C. resident Martin Kramer laying down the logic on everyone in a letter to the editor in Wednesday's Washington Post . Kramer is understandably upset with Sally Jenkins comparing Ray Rice to Fred Flintstone : Sally Jenkins described the reprehensible actions of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice as "going all Flintstone on his wife" in her July 29 Sports column, "Provoking debate, and disgust ." As any fan of that venerable show will tell you, Fred Flintstone had his faults, but he loved and respected his wife, Wilma, often referring to her as his queen. Every day, Fred would wear out his feet driving to the rock quarry. He would work until the whistle blew so he could slide down the back of his brontosaurus rock mover and head home to Wilma. What Mr. Rice did could perhaps qualify as a stereotype of caveman behavior, Ms. Jenkins, but yabba dabba don't lump Fred Flintstone in with that type of behavior. Good on you, Martin. Totally agree. Fred might not have been the best role model, but he's not Ray Rice. As a quick exercise, let's look at the pros and cons of both Fred Flintstone and Ray Rice. Photo Credit: Screenshot/Youtube and Getty Images Notice the one glaring difference there? That's right, I don't remember the episode of The Flintstones where Fred beat Wilma, then got a slap on the wrist because he can play a game. Plus, do we really want to compare the guy who tried to become an "ambassador" against domestic violence by committing domestic violenc
President Trump really should have kept it to himself that Time magazine reached out to him for a photo shoot, telling him that he may be 'Person of the Year' for 2017. Trump did receive the honor last year. But this year, as the magazine pointed out, he was not 'Person of the Year.' Former President Obama's White House photographer Pete Souza issued an epic rebuke over the weekend trolling President Trump for his comments by sharing a series of 15 Time magazine covers featuring the Obamas. Pete Souza shared the collage of photos, which was originally posted by an account named @michelleandbarack," on Instagram, with the caption: "Someone has a lot of catching up to do." A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Nov 25, 2017 at 12:51pm PST Last week, Trump tweeted: "Time Magazine called to say that I was PROBABLY going to be named 'Man (Person) of the Year,' like last year, but I would have to agree to an interview and a major photo shoot. I said probably is no good and took a pass. Thanks anyway!" But the magazine quickly responded by replying that President was incorrect and "TIME does not comment on our choice until publication, which is December 6." Then another Time executive called the claim "total BS." This is not the first time the former White House photographer has trolled Trump. After all, as President Obama's photographer, he spent a lot of time with a real leader. Now that Trump is in office, Souza can't help but point out how much more of leader President O
The Republican-controlled House voted for the bill while hundreds of protesters screamed from the gallery. Texas' special legislative session ended at midnight local time, and Democrats spent most of the day trying to talk through the time left to debate the bill, but the Republicans cited rules that eventually to force a vote to end the filibuster. The bill bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and requires that all procedures take place in a surgical centre. Doctors who perform abortions would also need to have patient-admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles. The surgical centre requirement would shut down 37 of Texas' 42 abortion clinics.
Anatomy of a Crisis To effectively counter the threat of authoritarianism posed by today's crisis of democracy, we need to understand the dynamics that produced it. Introducing the special section of our Winter 2018 issue. Leo Casey ▪ Winter 2018 Illustration by Josh MacPhee Over the last few years, a crisis of democracy has emerged onto the world stage. On the electoral front, we have witnessed the 2016 victory of Donald Trump, the Brexit referendum, and the growing strength of the racist and neofascist campaigns of Le Pen in France, Wilders in the Netherlands, and the Alternative fur Deutschland in Germany. Authoritarian regimes have taken shape in Orban's Hungary, Kaczynski's Poland, Erdogan's Turkey, and Duterte's Philippines, and Hindu ultra-nationalists control the Indian government. Powerful authoritarian states such as Putin's Russia and Xi Jinping's China have consolidated their rule. The challenges facing democratic governance are now greater than at any time since the rise of totalitarianism in the 1930s. This crisis of democracy has deep roots in the polity and the economy. The vast inequalities and economic devastation produced by decades of neoliberal economic policy have led to a loss of political trust in democratic government and public institutions. Political parties on the left and center left are in retreat, and civil society is in decay with dramatic deterioration in the ranks of organized labor, organized religion, and local community organization
In late March, the Trump administration wrapped up an investigation of China's trade practices as they relate to unfair business activities, including the theft of American technology. In a piece for RedState , I wrote on March 22 that this "301" investigation was at least part of the reason President Donald Trump initiated tariffs on the Chinese that many fear might lead to a trade war between the two nations. White House officials speaking on background noted that the tariffs come following an extensive investigation conducted by U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer that began last August under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The investigation was conducted after what officials said were years of known violations of free-market trading practices by China under both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations. One senior official called the new tariffs -- the target value of which is approximately $50 billion to offset what the USTR and intra-agency report has calculated as the amount the U.S. has lost due to unfair Chinese trading practices -- "historic", and said President Donald Trump should be applauded for his courage and vision in addressing a problem previous administrations failed to take in hand. According to the initial notice in August announcing the investigation, the USTR was determined to discover if China had been attempting to, most notably, require American companies wishing to do business there to give up a majority of ownership
"That boy did it. They kountered him. When they kounter you, your hands are tied behind you. All your bones are crushed, your sex is a terrible wound. Killed by police in an encounter... unknown male... age 22..." So goes Mahasweta Devi's iconic short story, Draupadi , the title of this essay, and our lives. But in India, we call it love. Sex is dirty, tabooed, unspeakable. In Kya Kehna (2000), a film on premarital pregnancy, our hero and his heroine look at each other intensely, pause to hug in a characteristically filmy fashion despite all that time wasted sheepishly sprinting in the lush meadow, lolling and rolling through the grass to portray the experience of foreplay. A string of pink and blue pullovers slowly takes us to the site of this unspeakable crime - here, we find not the hero and heroine, but two arms, furiously intertwined. After this interesting trope of arm-wrestling, the camera is back on Saif Ali Khan, the hero. He is now naked (or bare-chested, which is as far as imagination is allowed to travel), panting, and curiously dispassionate. The sex ends. By the next scene, Preity Zinta, the heroine, is already pregnant. Was this love? Representational image. Image courtesy: @womensmarch/Twitter Such silences and erasures in India are not limited to Pahlaj Nihalani or, for that matter, Bollywood. Sex is unspeakable because it is so shameful. A similar destiny is forced on survivors and victims of sexual harassment and violence. Only worse. In December 2012, Jyot
SHOCKING footage shows an explosion ripping through a wedding in Turkey as twelve are left dead following a spate of bomb attacks which have rocked the country. The astonishing video shows the happy couple performing the halay, a traditional line dance, when the blast shatters the windows sending guests into a panic - with some terrified revellers throwing themselves to the ground. 7 The jovial wedding celebrations are interrupted by a huge bomb blast 7 Panicked wedding guests run for cover after the explosion shatters the windows of the venue 7 People are seen fleeing the venue after a bomb exploded at a police station nearby The wedding was held near a police which was the target of a terror attack on Wednesday night. Security forces blamed the assaults on Kurdish rebels who appear to have ramped up their campaign of terror in the aftermath of the failed coup. Turkish officials accused the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) of carrying out three bloody attacks in less than 24 hours that for the first time struck areas in the east that are not predominantly Kurdish. "This nation will never surrender to any terrorist organisation," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Thursday on a visit to the scene of one of the bombings. related stories TURKEY'S TERRORIST TIES Germany claims Turkey IS supporting Hamas and Islamist militants in Syria in leaked government report COPS SEEK FOOTIE STAR Turkey 'issue arrest warrant' for ex-footballer Hakan Sukur in connection with failed co
Who has done more to brighten the lives of the world's less fortunate: Hillary Clinton (1947-present)? Or the Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)? Put another (less trollish) way: What has Hillary Clinton done for poor people that distinguishes her from any other liberal celebrity with a massive bank account and a burning desire to prove to the world how much she cares by raising money and attending galas? What has she done recently, now that her salary is no longer funded by the American taxpayer? Obviously, the Clinton Foundation does some laudable work, as do many well-funded charity organizations, such as the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation . On the other hand, it has also gone to great lengths to bolster the Clintons' political and financial aspirations. For example, the foundation has raised a ton of money from corporations and Wall Street firms such as Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and J.P. Morgan Chase. And as the New York Times reported in 2013: For all of its successes, the Clinton Foundation had become a sprawling concern, supervised by a rotating board of old Clinton hands, vulnerable to distraction and threatened by conflicts of interest. It ran multimillion-dollar deficits for several years, despite vast amounts of money flowing in... And efforts to insulate the foundation from potential conflicts have highlighted just how difficult it can be to disentangle the Clintons' charity work from Mr. Clinton's moneymaking ventures and Mrs. Clinton's political
Please Look Again at The PORT ARTHUR Massacre !! MARTIN BRYANT IS INNOCENT!! Nov 15, 2015 -- Please Look Again at The Port Arthur Massacre 29 APPARENT ANOMALIES NEED ADDRESSING OF THE PORT ARTHUR MASSACRE, TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA 1996 for those unfamiliar with the event. The story goes... 28th April 1996. Martin Bryant* went into a cafe with a couple of semi automatic rifles, and open fired on the patrons, killing over 20 people and then moving around the Port Arthur Historic Penal Colony Tourist Site - killing another ten or more, then moved to another site where he was holding hostages and murdered two more before police smoked him out of the burning house the next morning with 3rd degree burns. *or someone with blonde wig and driving his car with his passport on the dashboard What doesn't add up and what multiplies complicity?? 1-Tasmanian Government purchases a 16 - 22 body hearse in the year leading up to the 'event 2- three strange predictions were publicised in the media. The first - 'There is reason to think the Port Arthur massacre was planned as early as1987 when, after a specially called Premier's meeting in Hobart in December 1987, the New South Wales Labour Premier, Mr. Barry Unsworth stated, "there would be no effective gun control in Australia until there was a massacre in Tasmania". Plus - TWO warnings from Roland Browne head of NCGC gun control lobby in the 12 months leading up, about a massacre in Tasmania In Nov 1995 Browne warned there would be a massacre in
(Photo: Philippe Matsas Opale/Courtesy of Knopf) "W ho, among you, deserves eternal life? In Michel Houellebecq's new novel, The Possibility of an Island , the question, in tiny type, inhabits an otherwise blank second page. Despite its demure appearance, the biblically accusative you reminds us that Houellebecq's earlier books have, at least by their author's lights, exposed the crapulousness of human nature, big-time, beyond question. BACKSTORY Clones have been popping up in the service of vastly different literary agendas. Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go featured not some distant future but a near past where clones were given a proper English education before being slaughtered for their organs. A surprisingly smart clone thriller, Cast of Shadows , came out last year from Kevin Guilfoile, author of the Bush parody My First Presidentiary . And around 2003 there was a boomlet of novels about cloning Christ like J. R. Lankford's The Jesus Thief , whose doctor protagonist thinks he can atone for the sins of the Jews by gestating the Messiah within the womb of his virgin maid. Few characters in The Possibility of an Island seem capable of enduring a normal life span, much less endless existence. Houellebecq's counterintuitive solution to their inner emptiness is one that enables them to live foreverafter a fashion, by having their gene sequences and neural networks infused into successive generations of clones. So, the story of Daniel1, a present-day celebrity shock comic, is
If you've been reading Paste 's Young Adult book lists , chances are you recognize Robin Talley. She's one of our favorite authors, and her inclusive contemporary reads about LGBTQ+ teens are so very needed in the literary world. So we're thrilled to reveal the cover and share an exclusive excerpt from her next novel, Pulp . Here's the scoop from the publisher, Harlequin Teen: In 1955, 18-year-old Janet Jones keeps the love she shares with her best friend Marie a secret. It's not easy being gay in Washington, D.C. in the age of McCarthyism, but when she discovers a series of books about women falling in love with other women, it awakens something in Janet. As she juggles a romance she must keep hidden and a newfound ambition to write and publish her own story, she risks exposing herself--and Marie--to a danger all too real. Sixty-two years later, Abby Zimet can't stop thinking about her senior project and its subject--classic 1950s lesbian pulp fiction . Between the pages of her favorite book, the stresses of Abby's own life are lost to the fictional hopes, desires, and tragedies of the characters she's reading about. She feels especially connected to one author, a woman who wrote under the pseudonym "Marian Love," and becomes determined to track her down and discover her true identity. Told in dual narratives, New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley weaves together the lives of two young women connected across generations through the power of words. Harlequin Teen wil
Chris Schenk Reviews May 23, 2018 The Public in Peril: Trump and the Menace of American Authoritarianism Routledge, 2018 This new work by one of the world's leading social critics, the founding theorist of critical pedagogy, represents an attempt to develop both a political discourse and call to action, by examining what is viewed as an impending crisis of authoritarianism, evident in the rise of Donald Trump and the so-called alt-right in the United States. Consisting of several distinct sections, Part I of the book directly highlights the emerging authoritarianism in the United States which the author sees as the "emptying of politics of democratic values, public participation, and justice." "The American Dream has been replaced by an avalanche of nightmares, and the nightmares have morphed into a political reality," he writes (31)." As Giroux tells it, a war is being waged against both the democratic ideals of the United States and simultaneously against minorities of colour and class, Muslims, Syrian refugees and Mexicans, indeed virtually all immigrants. This section also discusses white supremacy and what is termed, "armed ignorance" as a function of "manufactured illiteracy." Part II takes up the issues of domestic terrorism and the impact of a growing authoritarianism upon America's most vulnerable populations, youth, especially black youth, suffering assault from what Giroux terms the "warfare state." Further, this section examines the manner in which the prison
Many Americans are not pleased that Donald Trump is now the U.S. president. (Remember, he lost the popular vote, while winning the Electoral College.) Protesters gathered Friday, during his inauguration, at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. Advocate contributor David Robinson spoke to and photographed several of them. Read on for their stories. Kevin Booker is an educator in Connecticut. His students are from many different cultures. Some are immigrants, and some, along with their parents, are undocumented. Many of his students expressed fear after Trump's election. "I felt like I had to be here," he said. "I had to be here for my students who couldn't be here today. I want them to understand we do have a democracy. And you have to exercise your rights in a democracy, and that's why I am here today. Do not fear the system, because one individual does not have all the power." Cindy and Kip are from Washington, D.C. Cindy said she came out to protest because of "my love of people and my hate of the current president, for everything he stands for -- the divisiveness, the 'wall,' the antigay, the racists that support him, the Cabinet he is filling with racists." Kip said, "I never though this day would come. I feel bad that I rooted for the Republicans to nominate Trump because I thought he would be so easy to beat. I underestimated the fear-mongering and his ability to bring out the worst in us. I stand against just about everything in his agenda -- the isolationism, the vo
US author and ecosocialist Joel Kovel gave the speech below to Occupy Wall Street at New York's Zuccotti Park on October 28. I am honoured to be here this evening because you are the light of the world. I'm not saying this to flatter, but because we have to understand it deeply. Your genius has been to seize upon the emerging hopes of humanity and give them a form of realisation. Now you are on the threshold of a world-transforming process, and you must decide whether to cross over it. Most of you have been spurred to come here by economic and political injustice: vicious indebtedness, precarious employment or unemployment, a nightmarish rise in inequality of wealth. In short, the workings of a system that is corrupt, manifestly broken and, it seems, in terminal crisis. But that is just one side of the problem, and, I fear, the lesser side. The brutal fact of the other side is that our planetary ecology is breaking down. Climate change, species loss, widening circles of pollution are some of its marks. All this, and more, testifies to an ecological crisis of unprecedented proportion that threatens the future of civilisation, and even the extinction of our species along with many others. It is the greatest challenge in all human history. To meet it, we need to begin with a basic truth: that the same system that causes economic and political injustice also causes ecological breakdown. It follows that to understand and change both sides of our predicament, we need to be able to
Please don't get starry-eyed over North Korea's latest "charm offensive." When I say charm offensive, I mean press reports out of South Korea that in meetings with North Korea, Pyongyang offered up some fantastical initiatives to possibly reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula. For instance, Seoul and Pyongyang confirm that they will hold a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, next month. It'd be their first meeting. Wait, it gets better. North Korea is also offering talks with the United States about giving up its nukes and normalizing ties; it won't test nukes or missiles while in negotiations, either. In exchange, Pyongyang wants unspecified security guarantees. Granted, North Korea hasn't confirmed any of this yet. A delegation from Seoul will visit Washington soon to brief us on its meetings, where we'll get more detail about Pyongyang's ploys, er, proposals. But, seriously? These North Korean pitches run 180 degrees from what the Kim regime has been saying and doing on its missile and nuclear programs for some time now. What of the persistent propaganda that portrays America as the enemy? The threats to turn South Korean and American cities into "seas of fire"? Or the fact that Pyongyang has enshrined itself as a "nuclear state" into its own constitution? The idea that Kim has had some sort of atomic epiphany about North Korea's nuclear naughtiness after all the time, effort and money he's put into the program is highly
U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, Axios news outlet reported on Wednesday, citing two unidentified sources with direct knowledge of the decision. CNN and Fox News also cited unidentified sources confirming the pullout. The accord, forged by nearly 200 countries in 2015, seeks to limit global warming by cutting emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases from burning fossil fuels. Under the pact, the United States committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emission by 26 to 28 percent, from 2005 levels, by 2025. Trump had called global warming a "hoax" during his election campaign and vowed to "cancel" the Paris deal within 100 days of becoming president, as part of an effort to bolster U.S. oil and coal industries. At the G-7 summit last week, Trump refused to join the six other countries to endorse the landmark climate change accord, saying he needed more time to decide. "I will make my final decision on the Paris accord next week!" Trump said in a Twitter post on Saturday. Axios said details on how to withdrawal from the accord are being worked out by a team that includes EPA administrator Scott Pruitt. They are now deciding whether to initiate a three-year formal withdrawal or to simply leave the U.N. treaty that the accord is based on, which would be faster, but more extreme, according to Axios. The decision comes after months of internal debate within the Trump administration. Steve Bannon, Trump's chief strategist, had
Christian Bales, who attends a Catholic high school in Kentucky, was denied the chance to speak at his high school graduation. So he improvised. Holy Cross High School valedictorian Christian Bales wanted to deliver a speech about youth advocacy at his graduation tonight, but the diocese said it was inappropriate. So he accepted his diploma, grabbed a megaphone and gave the speech outside. https://t.co/25VRma0PDF pic.twitter.com/k80O4Ns66X -- Sarah Walsh (@sarahbellewalsh) May 26, 2018 A gender-nonconforming student in Kentucky says he was denied the opportunity to speak at his graduation ceremony, even though he was slated to do so as school valedictorian. Christian Bales told BuzzFeed News that he and his best friend, student body president Katherine Frantz, were denied the chance to speak at their graduation from Holy Cross High School in Covington, Kentucky, earlier this month. The school, which is overseen by the local Catholic Church diocese, determined Bales' speech would be "too personal, angry, confrontational, and political," Bales said his mother was told. Bales frequently goes to school in feminine clothing and wears makeup at many school functions. He said he believes its his gender nonconformity that led to the decision, not the context of his speech. "Just myself being visible and existing has threatened them, in their minds," Bales said. A text document of his speech was made public online, and indeed there doesn't seem to be anything outright political, angry
NOTE TO READERS: This is Part 1 of a two-part series, "The Indispensable Movement Can Revolutionize Political Discourse." Part 1 introduces and explains Swampzilla, our movement's crucial meme vilifying our slimy and dangerous "Republocrat" duopoly. Part 2, titled "Indispensable Chic: The Hip Lingo of Grassroots Revolution," provides a sampler of the cool, catchy verbal weapons we've forged to discredit our "Republocrat" enemies and foster solidarity among the politically "woke." Introduction: Meet Swampzilla Don't think of an elephant. Don't even think of a donkey. When voters enter the polls in 2018 and 2020, they need to be thinking of Swampzilla. But what the hell is Swampzilla? As the name strongly hints, he's certainly not Barney the friendly dinosaur. With donkey and elephant heads - and none-too-friendly ones at that - firmly affixed to Godzilla's hulking reptilian body, he's a frightful monster to behold. And just try to drain his beloved swamp - the money-filled political morass he tyrannizes over - and you'll draw down upon yourself the full horror of his resistance and ferocity. "You'll drain this swamp," he fulminates, "over my dead body." But oddly, Swampzilla leads a double life. Strange to fathom, Swampzilla is also someone's fiercely loyal pet - one who would never think of biting the hand that feeds him. And for his two imposing masters - the Indispensable Movement calls them "Wall Street" and "War Street" - Swampzilla indeed might as well be Barney. You al
An in depth portrait of what it is like to work at one of the most conspicuous components of the neoliberal order: the upscale looking, fast-food acting coffee chain, Starbucks. Simon discusses the emotional labors of being a happy and chatty "partner" (employee), the difficulties of the uneven scheduling, the unexpected physical aspects of the job, and the culture of conformity at the nation's largest seller of coffee and affordable luxury. The essay assesses the corporations' reputation for being a good employer and contains extensive interviews with Wobblies trying to organize the chain. It suggests how workers are consumed by and with the brand in what the author calls "New Age welfare capitalism." International Labor and Working-Class History / Volume 74 / Issue 01 / September 2008, pp 193-211.
kpete (60,346 posts) Sun Jun 7, 2015, 08:33 AM Sun Jun 7, 2015, 08:38 AM griffi94 (2,968 posts) 2. i see texas is well represented i swear i sometimes don't know why i still live here. texas repubs are getting loonier and loonier Sun Jun 7, 2015, 09:59 AM uponit7771 (48,566 posts) 3. +1, a majority of this is from the last 3 years Sun Jun 7, 2015, 11:17 AM Sun Jun 7, 2015, 02:19 PM freshwest (53,661 posts) 5. Remember, there's no difference between the two parties... Sigh... n/t Sun Jun 7, 2015, 02:22 PM Sun Jun 7, 2015, 04:03 PM Sun Jun 7, 2015, 04:13 PM hifiguy (33,688 posts) 8. That is so much concentrated stupidity and flat out insanity in one place it is a wonder it doesn't open a rift in spacetime.
Counter-Power And Self-Defense In Latin America By Raul Zibechi, Roarmag.org February 1, 2018 Counter-Power And Self-Defense In Latin America 2018-02-01 2018-02-01 https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/12/popres-shorter.png PopularResistance.Org https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2018/02/5560661135_6ee6980a6b_o-e1517496146400.jpg 200px 200px Above Photo: Paul Turner / Flickr Against the backdrop of state and gang violence, some of the continent's most affected communities have taken radical measures to defend themselves and build new social counter-powers from below. In much of Latin America, the state does not protect its citizens. This is particularly true for the popular sectors, indigenous peoples, people of color and mestizos, who are exposed to the onslaught of drugs trafficking, criminal gangs, the private security guards of multinational corporations and, paradoxically, from state security forces such as the police and the army. There have been several massacres in Mexico, for instance, such as the killing of 43 students in Ayotzinapa in September 2014 -- and they are no exception. There continues to be impunity for the 30,000 who have disappeared and 200,000 who have died since Mexico declared its "war on drugs" in 2007. Slight differences aside, the current situation in Mexico is replicated across the region. In Brazil, 60,000 people meet a violent death every year, 70 percent of them of African descent, mostly y
A New York teen won a lot of money this year by memorizing scripture and studying God's Word - but at the end of the day, she says it's not about the money. The National Bible Bee , a ministry that began in 2009, is geared towards getting young participants and families into the Word of God, both through memorization and a study of scripture. Those who qualify are invited to nationals. Once there, participants can audition to be on the National Bible Bee Game Show , which is broadcast on three networks (NRB Network, CTN, and Parables TV). Hannah Leary, 15, of Buffalo, New York, heard about the National Bible Bee, decided to join in, and eventually made it on the television program where she took home $100,000. Total prize money across all age categories exceeds a quarter of a million dollars. During an interview Tuesday on American Family Radio , Leary shared that the money may stand out to some, but that's not the biggest prize. "After doing it, you just realize the treasure of God's Word - and that's invaluable. It's going to last forever," she told AFR president Tim Wildmon. "And it's not just memorizing scripture; it's studying scripture and being able to dive in deep and just understand what God has to say in his Word. It's a great blessing." Leary said any contestant would say as much about the Bible Bee. "It's about studying God's Word and it's about encouraging other kids to do it," she added. "There is nothing more encouraging to me or the other contestants than to s
A Maryland family is suing its local government school district after its daughter was allegedly disciplined for refusing to complete a school assignment that required the participants to recite an Islamic profession of faith. The assignment was part of a history class lesson on Middle Eastern culture. The plaintiffs, John Kevin Wood and Melissa Wood, claim completing the school assignments would have deprived their daughter of her constitutional rights and subjected her to deliberate religious indoctrination. Andrew Kloster, a legal fellow for The Heritage Foundation, says political correctness run amok in the government school system is a symptom of a larger cultural problem. "The worst part of this is most of the time the schools aren't voluntarily trying to do it; the culture in the schools is so permeated and bad that things like this are just a matter of course," Kloster said. 'Parents Need to Pay Attention' Kloster says giving parents more power over their children's education and getting parents more involved in the educational process would help stop the absurdities in academia. "To prevent these sorts of things from happening in the future, the parents need to pay attention and shine light on them when they do pop up, by writing letters to the editor [to local newspapers]," Kloster said. "They need to get on school boards or vote with their pocketbook and feet. And, when push comes to shove, they need to bring lawsuits against the schools, and sue them if necessar
Doug Bandow, Senior Fellow, Cato institute | 12/13/17 Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have attacked their neighbor, Qatar, for supposedly supporting terrorism. They pretend to be firefighters, but spent years as arsonists. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been consolidating power while posing as a reformer. The only positive so far of his de facto reign is his recent decision to liberalize Saudi social life. Women now can breathe and even drive. However, he has not relaxed political or religious controls. Most important, while limiting the influence of fundamentalist clerics at home, he has not yet dropped the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's longstanding support for radical Islamism abroad. The KSA spends as much as $4 billion annually promoting its uniquely intolerant brand of Salafist Islamic thought, aimed at the "purification" of the faith known as Wahhabism. By enforcing this rigidly intolerant theology the KSA has acted like a housebroken version of the Islamic State. Indeed, the two powers used the same school textbooks. Reported the New York Times, ISIS "circulates images of Wahhabi religious textbooks from Saudi Arabia in the schools it controls. Videos from the group's territory have shown Wahhabi texts plastered on the sides of an official missionary van." Even some Saudi commentators noted that upwards of 4000 Saudi youth may have joined ISIS in Syria, second only to the number of Tunisians. Turkish cleric Mehmet Gormez asked a group of Saudi clerics
When cutting to commercial after the end of the top of the seventh inning, Fox cameras found this Indians fan rocking a headdress and combo blackface and redface and lingered on him for a full ten seconds. Perhaps focusing on this sad-looking man in racist cosplay is their version of a silent protest, because good... Meet Deinster SV, a close-knit soccer club competing in Germany's eighth division. In a recent incident, two of the club's black players (and despite what you see above, there are only two) were subject to insults and even physical violence at the hands of some locals. Shocked and horrified, the club wanted to band... Arizona State football will hold its annual blackout game against Colorado this Saturday, so students and fans will dress in all black and throw off the opponent because a stadium full of fans wearing the same thing always rattles opponents who can't handle color coordination. The university's preemptively asking fans... A group of students at Sullivan High School (Mo.) wore blackface for their Nov. 5 powderpuff football game. That's bad enough. The quote from school principal Jennifer Schmidt, who described her reaction after seeing the blackface, makes it worse. From the Riverfront Times : This starts out as a pretty great shot-for-shot remake of the American Express commercial from Major League . It's funny for a while--the costumes are right, and those Italian dudes are doing a good job at delivering their lines--but then you remember that the o
For more of today's columns, visit Right Opinion . Opinion in Brief Victor Davis Hanson: "In the eternal search for perfect justice and equality, what starts out as liberal can quickly end up as progressively absurd. The logic of equality of result, rather than equality of opportunity, demands that there is always one more group, one more grievance, one more complaint against the shrinking and overwhelmed majority. The conservative ancient Athenian philosopher Plato once made his megaphone Socrates lament that in ancient Athens' nonstop search for perfect equality, soon even the horses would have to be accorded the same privileges as humans. Socrates' fantasy was an exaggeration intended as a reminder about the craziness of always-creeping mandated equality. Now it seems not far from the mainstream positions of animal-rights groups. If we insist that the human experience is not tragic and cyclical but instead must always bend on some predetermined arc to absolute equality and fairness, then unfortunate results must follow. One, what is welcomed as progressive on Monday is derided as intolerable on Tuesday. ... Second, when rules and regulations are always watered down as too exclusionary, the descent to no rules is quite short. The ultimate destination is nihilism and chaos. We see that now in Venezuela and Cuba -- and increasingly in California as well."
OH NO WONKETTE BABY HAS BEEN DRIVEN TO DRINK. Water probably, or juice. Good morning! Have you hidden your wallet from yourself (it's in the freezer) so you will remember to Buy Nothing Today? That's cool, you can buy our shit tomorrow! (If we are pointing you to items in our Redbubble store, you can scroll down on that particular page and click "available products" to see if that item is on a cup or tote bag or whatnot. Click! Click away!) We were going to make a whole bunch of new merches at ya in time for Christmas, but then Donald Trump won the election, and our brains broke, and no new merches came out of them. So let's buy all our OLD items instead! Here are some! First, buy our Wonkette Game of US America Elections: The Game. You can even buy this for a Trumper! It is a fun, collectible 2016 election card game, and if it's too confusing, you can just use it as a deck of regular cards! (That part was my idea, because #ideaschief.) Buy it here, we have so many hundreds left, and it will be delivered USPS Priority! Is that not swell? It is. Good Babby, choose Bernie Next, buy some Wonkette onesies for all the babies in your life. (Does not come in adult sizes, you are very sad, unless Shy puts that on Redbubble in the next 20 minutes or so, IT COULD HAPPEN. OH WAIT IT DID!) Babby not included. OOOOH LOOK AT THAT PUNIM. Free shipping? FREE SHIPPING!!! Now! Buy some women's Warren for Progress T-shirts or men's Warren for Progress T-shirts from the Wonkette Bazaar! If you h
Former Lebanese Information Minister Michel Samaha yesterday confessed that he had transported explosives and money from Syria to carry out a series of assassinations and attacks in Lebanon, AFP news agency reported. "I received from the Syrians $170,000 inside a bag... and put it in the boot of my car with the explosives," Samaha, who was also once an adviser to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad, said during the first session of his long-delayed trial before a military tribunal. However, Samaha claimed that he had been the victim of entrapment because he was not aware that his co-conspirator was a Lebanese security services informer. "I drove the money and explosives to Beirut in August 2012 and handed them over to a man named Milad Kfouri, but I was unaware that Kfouri was tied to the intelligence services," he said. Samaha has been under arrest since August 2012 following allegations that he and two Syrian officials, Syrian National Security Bureau Major General Ali Mamlouk and his assistant whose first name was identified as Adnan, were indicted for transporting explosives from Syria to Lebanon in an attempt to assassinate Lebanese political and religious leaders. He said the plan was to carry out a series of bombings on the border with Syria in order to close them permanently and stop Lebanese Sunni fighters from joining opposition forces against the Syrian regime. Samaha's lawyer, Rana Azoury told AFP that her client "explained to the court that he had fell into a trap
IN THE early morning hours of October 20, 2008, Pfc. Timothy Alderman took his own life in his barracks at Fort Carson, Colo. He died of an apparent prescription drug overdose. The 21-year-old had been stationed in the Iraqi city of Ramadi. Before his long deployment to the Middle East, he had never suffered from any mental health problems. In fact, according to his medical records, he didn't think he would have difficulty returning home because he "mostly had fun killing people and getting paid for it." But like hundreds of thousands of other veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, Alderman left the battlefield, but the battlefield didn't leave him. He began struggling with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the medical condition that has become the signature wound of the U.S. "war on terror." According to an investigative series by Salon.com's Mark Benjamin and Michael de Yoanna , Alderman sought help from his chain of command upon his return, but was met with demeaning comments from his company sergeants, such as, "I wish you would just go ahead and kill yourself. It would save us a lot of paperwork." Col. Elspeth Ritchie at a Pentagon press conference On October 13, only a week prior to his suicide, Alderman joined a small group of soldiers in writing sworn statements about their experiences in Iraq. In his statement, he describes dealing with repeated nightmares about a February 2007 combat experience in which he pulled the dismembered corpse of a fel
bigtree (71,450 posts) Martin O'Malley says 'ducks and dodges' won't help address climate change Jamie Henn @Agent350 23m23 minutes ago @MartinOMalley just blasted his supporters asking them to pressure candidates to oppose Keystone XL. Martin O'Malley @MartinOMalley 50m50 minutes ago RT if you're with me. http://omly.us/oppose-keystone-xl #KeystoneXL Martin O'Malley @MartinOMalley 4h4 hours ago Im opposed to #keystoneXL bc we can't have a clean energy future if we rely on dirty, short-term fossil fuel fixes. http://omly.us/climate-leadership
I began writing the book just published this week -- Sex Matters: How Modern Feminism Lost Touch with Science, Love, and Common Sense -- in 2014. I'd been thinking about the issues it addresses for decades. Yet yesterday, when an interviewer posed the simple question: "What prompted you to write this book?" I had a Ted Kennedy moment. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter was reeling from the Iranian hostage crisis and a terrible economy. Senator Edward Kennedy seemed to have an excellent shot at taking the Democratic nomination away from the incumbent. His campaign-debut TV interview, with CBS's Roger Mudd (a descendant, by the way, of Dr. Samuel Mudd, who set John Wilkes Booth's broken leg after he had shot President Lincoln) was staged at the storied Hyannis Port Kennedy compound. Mudd asked: "Why do you want to be president?" And Kennedy had no answer. He stumbled and bumbled and mumbled, but no coherent message emerged. So, I suppose I failed too by not having a pithy response ready. I wish I had said: "Because I'm happy and want more people to be able to say that." Every year since 1972 the General Social Survey has asked a broad cross-section of Americans how happy they are. At the start, women were on average happier than men. On every survey since, women's reported happiness has declined. In 1990, the sexes passed one another. Women became less happy than men, and less happy than their mothers had been at the same stage of life. This hedonic decline has coincided with t
Once the Spitzer lawsuit was nearing settlement, in the summer of 2005, Murdoch bid $580 million for Intermix. Montgomery and the lawyers invited Viacom to top it. "Viacom's answer was 'We're not sure we can get to that value--we'll get back to you next week,''' says the Intermix adviser. "But Fox wanted to do the deal that same weekend, so we did.'' The Viacom executive disputes this, saying he believed Viacom still had until Monday morning to bid. A meeting of Viacom's board was held, at which Freston and two board members, Redstone's daughter, Shari, and Ace Greenberg, chairman of the executive committee of Bear Stearns, urged Redstone to counterbid. "I remember Ace said, 'Don't be afraid to go for it,''' says a person who attended the board meeting. "But Sumner and Philippe Dauman said it was irrational, that Rupert was irrational, that he would pay anything, that they would end up [paying more than] $800 million.'' Redstone was incensed. His anger only grew after Murdoch, upon completing the MySpace deal, won back the purchase price and more by selling the right to advertise on MySpace to Google for a stunning $900 million. In Redstone's mind, it was bad enough that Freston had let the world's hottest Internet property get away, but losing it to Murdoch was just too much. "No! Not him!'' Redstone bellows, wagging a finger in my face. "I don't want to lose to him. Just like he wouldn't want to lose to me. It was a humiliating experience.... I know Murdoch well. There's no
At long last, our national political convention nightmare is over. (This post will be "sticky" for a while.) It's that time of year when we ask readers to help keep us doing what we do. Reader donations and other help (e.g., using our Amazon link) are extremely important to us . We've discussed before that we don't use the most obtrusive but best... It's that time of year when we ask readers to help keep us doing what we do. You can donate using the Donate buttons below, or in the sidebar. Monthly subscriptions are particularly helpful. Donations are NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE. If Rachel Dolezal didn't exist, someone would have had to invent her because she so embodies everything that is wrong with race-based politics and theories so prevalent in Higher Ed. Dolezal is white. Elizabeth Warren white. As Mark Steyn once put it with regard to Warren, "the whitest white since Frosty the... Over the weekend, Islamic State forces took effective control of the Iraqi city of Ramadi. Yesterday Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren attempted to put the loss of ground in perspective, while emphasizing the unique challenges urban warfare presents to a still-young fighting force. From the DoD : If Hillary Clinton runs for President, she's still the odds-on favorite because she has the Democratic machine behind her. The conventional wisdom is that the nomination is Hillary's to lose. If Hillary's disastrous book rollout and tone-deafness about her wealth are any indication, Hillary might just a
With the Wikileaks dump of Hillary campaign manager John Podesta's emails When Democrats get into some sort of tiff, they immediately circle the wagons and counter-attack. Can anyone forget how they did so, quite effectively, during the impeachment of Bill Clinton? And what is this Trump dustup about, anyway? It's about a man engaging in locker room style talk with the guys about an attractive woman. This is news? Here is the real news. This was an orchestrated hit piece by the Washington Post. Jeff Bezos has made no secret of the fact that he wanted to take Trump out of this election in order to install his favorite socialist Hillary Clinton. The establishment of both parties is in panic mode because no matter what they have thrown at Donald Trump, he keeps staying even in the polls. With the Wikileaks dump of Hillary campaign manager John Podesta's emails on a debate weekend, Bezos pulled out his "magic" video, in order to distract voters from issues that actually matter to the voters, including the utter criminality of their selected candidate. The truly amazing aspect to all of this is how utterly hypocritical Bezos, the Washington Post and the rest of the MSM are when it comes to the "war on women". Bill Clinton has done far, far worse through his actual acts, than Trump (or millions of other men, for that matter) have said. Mrs. Clinton's husband was impeached for lying about sex, has been accused of rape, groping, harassing and more by a multitude of women Mrs. Clinton
Harvard's law school is changing its seal due to complaints it is racist. Harvard University has decided to drop its famous law school emblem after a handful of students said it was racist because it was tied to an 18th-century family of slave holders. The Harvard Corporation, the body that governs the university, voted in favor of a Harvard Law School committee recommendation to drop the seal. Harvard's president, Drew Faust, told the dean of the law school, Martha Minow, he approved the idea, Reuters reported. The emblem has been around since 1936. It shows three sheaves of wheat with the motto, "Veritas," the Latin word for truth, scrolled across the top. The image comes from the coat of arms used by the family of Isaac Royall, a man the media paints as the son of an Antiguan slaveholder - who was also the endower of the first law professorship at the university, Reuters said. The university denied it was revising history. "While we accept the request to change the shield, we do so on the understanding that the school will actively explore other steps to recognize rather than to suppress the realities of its history, mindful of our shared obligation to honor the past not be seeking to erase it, but rather by bringing it to light and learning from it," Faust said, Reuters reported. She said the law school hopes to have a new seal in place by 2017, for bicentennial celebrations.
As if further proof was needed that Trump and many administration officials are pro-white supremacy, White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly, helped seal the deal on this issue with his comments during a Fox TV News interview on Oct. 30. When host Laura Ingraham asked Kelly about the recent struggle to bring down Confederate statues which honor slavery, Kelly defended them: "I would tell you that Robert E. Lee was an honorable man. He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which, 150 years ago, was more important than country. It was always loyalty to state first back in those days. Now it's different today. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War. And men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had to make their stand." When Kelly's views were widely criticized, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary, defended Kelly: "[A]ll of our leaders have flaws," mentioning presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John F. Kennedy. (Huff Post, Oct. 31) Sanders went on to say: "That doesn't diminish their contributions to our country, and it certainly can't erase them from our history. And General Kelly was simply making the point that just because history isn't perfect doesn't mean that it's not our history." Lee, Jefferson and Washington were slave owners. Lee was a commander of the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. Kelly is the former secretary of the Department of Homel
From New Internationalist Easier English Wiki First Indian transgender newsreader. For the first time ever in India, on the Lotus News Channel in August, a transgender person, Padmini Prakash, read the news. When Padmini was young, her life was like other transgender people. When she was 13, her parents wanted nothing more to do with her. But today she is an important person. People respect her and follow her ideas. Transgender and LGBT people are very proud of her. There are more than two million trans people, or 'kinnars', in India. Most live outside normal society and are very poor. To get a little money, many sing and dance door-to-door, ask for money on the streets or become prostitutes. But recently, the Supreme Court in India accepted them as the third gender. This means they will be able to have education and jobs. Before she got her job on the Tamil TV network, Prakash worked in many areas. She was a transgender rights activist, dance teacher, actor in a soap opera, and she entered beauty competitions. At the TV channel she became the main newsreader after a month. This shows how much progress that this group can make if they have the right support and opportunities. Now Padmini is working as a newsreader, her community has more hope. Uttam Senapati, a trans leader, is very happy. 'Her achievement is really good news for us kinnars,' she says. 'It will people understand that we are not "bad" people who only annoy others. Young trans people think Padmini is a star and
The Department of Defense is the largest energy consumer in the nation. It's made significant efforts to wean the military services from their sole dependence on fossil fuels--particularly jet and diesel fuel made from oil--to power their planes, ships, and vehicles. Pollution from burning these fuels contributes to global warming, which, according to military leaders, is a "threat multiplier" for national security. Instead, the services are developing more efficient aviation, naval, and terrestrial heavy equipment, and various cleaner domestic advanced biofuels.* Unfortunately the House Armed Service Committee's National Defense Authorization Act , H.R. 1540, would reverse this progress. Section 844 of the bill would actually allow the military to use alternative fossil fuels that produce more pollution than conventional fuels. The additional pollution would exacerbate global warming, which in turn would make our nation less secure. The House plans to debate H.R. 1540 over the next several days. Congress must remove this provision to enhance national security. U.S. military leaders agree that global warming threatens U.S. security Carbon dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels for transportation is a major source of global warming. Scientists predict that this warming will increase floods, droughts, crop failure, and other serious impacts. The retired generals and admirals on the Military Advisory Board of the Center for Naval Analysis determined four years ago that thes
The not-to-be-missed event this weekend for the anti-Trump, socialism-loving crowd is the Netroots Nation conference in New Orleans. August in New Orleans is hot and steamy and this also seems to describe the mood of #TheResistance faithful. Several Democrats said to be potential 2020 presidential candidates have already spoken to the crowd of about 3,000 attendees. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) addressed the divide in the party while attempting to encourage unity. "The pundits will say it's impossible for us to build a coalition that cuts across issues and communities - that Democrats have to choose between being the party of the white working class and the party of Black Lives Matter," Warren said in a speech that was frequently interrupted by applause. That's an odd comparison, even for her. The whole story about President Trump's victory is that of the mostly white working class who no longer participated in voting coming out to vote for him, including those who identified as old-school Reagan Democrats. He delivered a message to them of hope and jobs, not the socialist promises of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) was there to talk about catering to identity politics, the foundation of the Democratic Party. She gave a special shout-out to African-American women and credited them with recent victories in special elections for the party, like that of Doug Jones in Alabama. (Washington Post) She urged attendees to "speak truth" and called fo
Speaking at the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, Barack Obama denied Islam's influence in terrorism, though he started with a caveat of sorts: "Al-Qaida and ISIL and groups like it are desperate for legitimacy. They try to portray themselves as religious leaders - holy warriors in defense of Islam. That's why ISIL presumes to declare itself the 'Islamic State.' ... We must never accept the premise that they put forward, because it is a lie. ... Al-Qaida and ISIL do draw, selectively, from the Islamic texts. They do depend upon the misperception around the world that they speak in some fashion for people of the Muslim faith, that Islam is somehow inherently violent, that there is some sort of clash of civilizations." And then came the "but." He continued, "Of course, the terrorists do not speak for over a billion Muslims who reject their hateful ideology. They no more represent Islam than any madman who kills innocents in the name of God represents Christianity or Judaism or Buddhism or Hinduism. No religion is responsible for terrorism. People are responsible for violence and terrorism." And then he had the complete lack of self-awareness to say, "We can't paper over problems, and we're not going to solve this if we're always just trying to be politically correct." In fact, his foolish political correctness can better be described as blinding Islamophilia , and it's dangerous. That's why he launched into a lecture about working to bring jobs to Jihadistan .
The planet just keeps warming, as NASA data makes clear (via Tamino ). Perhaps you thought that the whole "planet isn't warming" meme was killed by record-smashing Arctic ice loss and off-the-charts heat waves and extreme weather. Maybe you thought the deniers would move on to another strategy after last summer's bombshell Koch-funded study . After all, it found "global warming is real," "on the high end" and "essentially all" due to carbon pollution. Sadly, the disinformers have a strategic single-mindedness that would make a hedgehog jealous. What has set them rolling up into a spiny ball this time is the UK Met Office, which recently revised its near-term temperature prediction (through 2017) down slightly. If that new projection comes true (which I doubt), then the planet's apparent warming compared to the super El-Nino year of 1998 will be modest. I say apparent warming because the overwhelming majority of manmade warming goes into the oceans, which just keep warming (see charts below) -- and because even the land-based temperature clearly show the warming trend continued unabated. Skeptical Science has an excellent new video on this last point: [O]nce the short-term warming and cooling influences of volcanic eruptions, solar activity, and El Nino and La Nina events are statistically removed from the temperature record, there is no evidence of a change in the rate of greenhouse warming. This replicates the result of a study by Foster and Rahmstorf (2011) under slightly d
Last month U.S. Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, along with Rep. Fred Upton, announced that President Trump would award the Medal of Honor to Vietnam War veteran James C. McCloughan. The award will be presented at a ceremony on July 31, 2017. This follows legislation passed by Sens. Stabenow and Peters and Rep. Upton to make then-Pfc. McCloughan eligible for our nation's highest military honor. Their legislation passed the Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act and was signed into law. McCloughan will be recognized for his valorous actions, which occurred during 48 hours of intense fighting against enemy forces on Nui Yon Hill near Tam Ky, South Vietnam, from May 13 to 15, 1969. The combat medic was serving with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 196th Infantry Brigade (Americal Division). The battle . McCloughan was a private first class when he voluntarily risked his life to rescue wounded and disoriented personnel. Despite being personally wounded by shrapnel and small-arms fire, McCloughan refused medical evacuation. Instead, he opted to stay with his unit, where he continued to brave enemy fire so that he could rescue, treat, and defend his wounded comrades. While moving the wounded onto medical evacuation helicopters, his platoon leader ordered him to join them. But he said he disobeyed the order, telling the lieutenant, "You're going to need me." He was one of the company medics. The next day, elements of his battalion were gettin
Murder capital of the U.S. Baltimore is the most dangerous city in America, according to a new study by USA Today, with 55.8 murders per 100,000 residents. In spite of that fact, the Maryland Democratic Party is touting the "assault weapons ban" the party implemented in 2013 as a way to raise money. "Will USA follow MD's lead?" asks a fundraising email from Maryland Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathleen Matthews. The fundraising email from Matthews, wife of MSNBC personality Chris Matthews, reads, "Following the tragic Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Democrats in Maryland passed one of the toughest assault weapons bans in the country." "Now, as young people in Parkland are leading the Never Again movement against gun violence, all of Maryland's Democratic members of Congress are united against the NRA and their Republican cronies in the fight to pass an assault weapons ban to protect all Americans."
Since the end of August, calamitous hurricanes have dominated the news cycle. From Harvey to Irma to Maria, which grew from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm in just half a day, many people want to stay informed about the struggle and damage these natural disasters are leaving in their wake. By: Carey Wedler This article first appeared at ANTIMEDIA Unsurprisingly, the media's obsessive focus on the disasters has not only jarred some residents trying to keep their families safe -- it has also allowed other important developments to remain on the back burner. Though these other stories have received some degree of attention in mainstream narratives, they haven't received the extensive coverage they deserve. Here are five vital developments from the past few weeks that have taken a backseat to the drama and destruction of hurricanes: 1. Lawmakers approve $700 billion military budget with authorization for endless war On Monday, an overwhelming majority of senators (89-8) approved the massive National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), totaling roughly $700 billion. It is $630 million above what the hawkish Trump administration proposed and was passed after lawmakers rejected an amendment from Senator Rand Paul to rescind the longstanding authorization for use of military force (AUMF) imposed in 2001, which has allowed the U.S. government to wage " unlimited war, anywhere, anytime, any place upon the globe ," the senator said. In June, Paul also introduced an amend
The Black is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations (BIB) is holding our Annual Conference at Chicago State University on August 12 and 13, 2017. The theme of the conference is "The Ballot and the Bullet: Elections, War and peace in the era of Donald Trump." The theme of our Conference contains within it the critical matters of this period that must be addressed to move our struggle for black liberation forward. U.S. military forces are not only occupying countries in the Middle East such as Afghanistan and Iraq. They are also supporting the genocidal Saudi attack on Yemen along with the cruel slaughter of nearly half a million Syrian civilians and the displacement of 10 million more. The U.S. is threatening China in the Asian Pacific region and attempting to foment hostile confrontations between China and its neighbors, especially Viet Nam, the Philippines and South Korea. In addition, the U.S. is busily destabilizing the government of Venezuela, causing political unrest through economic pressures that have resulted in mass unemployment, starvation and social dislocation. In the meantime, the U.S. rulers are fighting to extricate themselves from the outcome of the electoral mess stemming from the capture of the U.S. presidency by Donald Trump, the billionaire political outlier who came to power by trouncing candidates who represented the establishment white bourgeoisie. The US. ruling class has supported or initiated protests of Trump policies in airports a
The conference, which will bring together renowned personalities and speakers, among which are son of martyred Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia Shikh Nimr al-Nimr, Mohammad al-Nimr, Washington mosque's Imam Mohammad al-Asi, Aisha Jumaan, Kevin Barrett, Catherine Shakdam, and several others, will carefully look into the construct of Wahhabism, as promoted by Saudi Arabia and the role it has played in destabilizing the Greater Middle East, and the promotion of violent extremism. Religious freedom today has become a matter of dangerous contention! And while of course the debate has been angled against minorities: most of all Muslims, society has failed to appreciate the implications such a policy of exclusionism will have on communities across not just the United States, but the world. "We stand today before a moral precipice - that of bigotry. Terror is real but it does not hide behind Islam - rather it is powers that have hidden behind the Islamic faith so that an entire community would be blamed for the crimes of a shadowy elite. As American Muslims, we strive to change the perceptions in the west in regards to Islam and Muslims; and effect the US policy in relation to the Muslim world at large that has been mired in a history of conflict via colonialism and imperialism."
The decision by the City of Fremantle to drop its annual Australia Day fireworks has inevitably shaped the contours of the looming council elections, even though no candidate has made it the centrepiece of their campaign. The election is largely pitting a generally socially progressive group of incumbents of different political stripes (Labor, Greens, socialist and independents) against an alliance of conservative challengers headed by mayoral candidate Caroline "Ra" Stewart. Thanks to a passing reference in this column only a week ago about statues and other monuments featuring colonial "founding fathers" that participated in massacres of Aboriginal people and other wrongs, I got lumped into Andrew Bolt's collection of "statue haters". Others in the corporate media suggested that even having the discussion was like Nazi book burning. Right. And we're the ones disrespecting history! What local councils do or don't do on January 26 has burst into the national political debate, and what a good thing that is. No matter the frantic condemnation from the corporate media or the pompous and arse-about assertion by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that councils were "using a day that should unite Australians to divide Australians". These opponents of an honest examination of Australia's history may want to shut down the conversation but the opposite has happened. Last year we wondered where the Australian Bernie Sanders would come from. Now we're asking, who will be our Jeremy Corbyn?
Tuesday, Aug 8, 2017, 12:27 pm * By Richard D. Wolff Protestors march in a rally on Capitol Hill in Washington to push for a raise to the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, on July 22, 2015. (Photo By Al Drago/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images) This article first appeared on Truthout . Once more with feeling, the old debate rises into the headlines and the talk show circuit: Should governments -- state, federal or local -- raise the minimum wage or not? Employers of minimum-wage workers weigh in to say "no." But that raises a PR problem: It looks bad to advocate keeping workers' wages so low. So, they make a better-looking claim: that raising minimum wages causes some employers to fire low-paid workers rather than pay them more. Their opposition to raising minimum wages then morphs into an advocacy for low-paid workers to keep their jobs. Workers and their allies mostly take the bait. They weigh in with counterarguments. These mostly respond directly, claiming that raising minimum wages does not lead to significant job losses. Over the decades, professional economists and statisticians (increasingly overlapping sets) have entered the debate. Their entry resolved nothing. Every few years, the debate has flared up again. The economists write articles and books that enrich their resumes. Some score research grants from foundations, business lobbies and labor groups to prepare shiny new versions of the old arguments. Workers and civil rights organizers marched on the Canton, M
Photo: AFP /Getty Images Today, as you no doubt know, is National Underwear Day. And what better way to celebrate than by picking up some merch from New York's most visible (and slightly overfriendly) icon of underoos? That's right -- the Naked Cowboy has expanded into retail. You can pick up specially tagged briefs from his Website, or a personalized blue guitar, or his touching Every Moment Counts DVD and its sequel, Fear God Hate Sin . But his newest products, like Statue of Liberty-style figurines, are, frustratingly, only available in person. And if you're going to venture into the 92-degree human steamer that is Times Square today, you, too, may find the Cowboy's minimalist look the best way to go. Products [NakedCowboy.com]
A November 10, 2015 news release from the U. S. Geological Survey describes a paper posted in the U. S. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences "Dynamic response of desert wetlands to abrupt climate change". From examination of fossils in a region North of Las Vegas, NV, researchers determined periods of extreme warmth in which wetlands dried up with extinction of wild life. These warm periods were warmer than today in which wetlands exist. The paper mentioned the timing paralleled ice core data from Greenland . Below is the graph of Greenland's temperature in the last 10,000 years. The changes are probably very indicative of temperatures changes across all of the Northern Hemisphere. Temperatures from Greenland. About 1,000 years ago average temperatures were about 1 degree higher than today (which makes our concern about a 0.4 degree rise since 1980 rather minor). About 3200 years ago average temperatures were about 2 degrees above current temperatures; all these changes with a relatively constant atmospheric carbon dioxide level of 280 parts per million. The Las Vegas data is a powerful support for past warming and cooling periods existing during times of constant atmospheric carbon dioxide of 280 ppm. The comparison with Greenland ice core data should be exploited. James H. Rust, professor of nuclear engineering and policy advisor The Heartland Institute.
Saturday, September 19, 2015 (1 comments) China: Incoming Bribe--What To Do? In China, if you don't take the bribe, nobody is going to trust you any more. Sunday, June 7, 2015 (1 comments) Western Propaganda Against China BUSTED Joshua has been hijacked and shamelessly exploited by a Western biblical narrative and sense of mission to civilize China. And if it doesn't comply, according to The Book of Exodus the land will be visited by "ten plagues." Good times for journalism. Saturday, September 27, 2014 (3 comments) World Community Agog Over China Resurrecting Confucianism China's president Xi Jinping aims at resurrecting Confucianism. Wednesday, January 23, 2013 (1 comments) The East Is A Promotion Since Deng Xiaoping's opening-up policy, millions of Western entrepreneurs, scholars and adventurers have swarmed eastward and flocked into China. We got our careers, now we want a promotion. Here's how. Thursday, January 10, 2013 Rethinking the East-West Dichotomy The East-West Dichotomy is one of the most widely read text in Asian Studies on the internet. As the Beijing Foreign Language Press is going to publish a new edition in China, it is maybe time to reflect on the East and the West; why are they so different; how do they harmonize; and when do they inevitably clash. Saturday, January 5, 2013 (2 comments) Chinese Statecraft, Confucian Humanism, and the Ethic of Responsibility On Chinese statecraft, intellectuals, elite class, election, meritocr
Gainesville, Fla., Oct. 19. Pensacola, Fla. -- Nazi and white supremacist leader Richard Spencer descended Oct. 19 on Gainesville, Fla., to the University of Florida, in his first campus appearance since he and other fascists participated in the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Va., back in August. Their extreme-right bigotry led to violence against oppressed people, like the beating of DeAndre Harris, a Black man who is now being arrested and charged for trying to defend himself, and also to the death of Heather Heyer, an anti-fascist protester who was struck and killed by white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr., using his car as a weapon. The anticipation behind Spencer speaking at UF has been building for months. The university had initially denied him permission to speak there, citing safety concerns after the Charlottesville gathering. But after facing legal threats, the school gave him permission to rent space. UF is a public university, meaning that anyone has the legal right to speak on the campus. But the UF administration attempted to distance itself from Spencer's politics and presence, even releasing a message from UF President W. Kent Fuchs, who denounced the speech as "abhorrent." Spencer was scheduled to take the stage at 2:45 p.m. EDT, and was immediately met with hundreds of anti-fascist protesters who shouted him down repeatedly. These protesters inside were backed by thousands positioned outside who were going toe-to-toe with white supremacists w
The Leader stated that Iranians should build a society in which scientific, spiritual, and moral development would all be at a high level. "Attaining such a goal is possible, but it requires devoted, faithful, and brave people as well as an ever-strengthening bond between the government and the people," Ayatollah Khamenei said in an address to well-wishers. In an exemplary Islamic society, talent and social justice can blossom, he added. "Over the past 27 years, the enemies have always been unsuccessful in regard to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The enemies have never succeeded and have never won," he observed. Insecurity, war, and lack of tranquility are the consequences of the imbalance between scientific and spiritual development in the Western civilization, he opined. "In the Islamic civilization, materialistic progress is at the service of promoting security, peace, social welfare, and peaceful coexistence among the people," the Leader said. The victory of the Lebanese people and Hezbollah and the resistance of the Palestinians against the cruel Zionist regime were the result of the Islamic movement in Iran, which has awakened the Islamic world, Ayatollah Khamenei added.
(Pixabay) (Opinion) The Alabama Legislature is considering legislation that would change the way civil asset forfeitures are handled in Alabama. While well-meaning, some of the proposed changes would essentially gut what is an effective crime-fighting tool while making it easier for drug dealers and other criminals to hang on to their ill-gotten gains. The result would be more crime. Unfortunately, several special interest groups have pushed a narrative that law enforcement -police, sheriffs and other authorities - are using civil asset forfeiture to unfairly take money and property from innocent Alabamians. That narrative is false. Law enforcement uses civil asset forfeiture only to go after criminals, and state law already guarantees a process that is clear and fair for any person to challenge forfeiture in court. State law also provides built-in safeguards that protect the property of those who have committed no crime. What is civil asset forfeiture and why is it necessary? First and foremost, civil asset forfeiture is a crime-fighting tool. It is used to both deprive criminals of the ill-gotten gains of crimes like drug-dealing and attack the means by which these crimes are committed. Consider, for example, money seized in a drug raid. Drug dealers trade in cash. Not only do dealers sell their drugs for cash, they also use this cash to buy drugs from their suppliers. Taking just a few thousand dollars in drug money off the street means there is less money to buy drugs
Below is the opening statement of "A Nation at Risk," a 1983 document from Ronald Reagan's National Commission on Excellence in Education that warned of the urgent need to right the ship of the American education system: "Our Nation is at risk. Our once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world. This report is concerned with only one of the many causes and dimensions of the problem, but it is the one that undergirds American prosperity, security, and civility. We report to the American people that while we can take justifiable pride in what our schools and colleges have historically accomplished and contributed to the United States and the well-being of its people, the educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a people. What was unimaginable a generation ago has begun to occur--others are matching and surpassing our educational attainments. If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves. We have even squandered the gains in student achievement made in the wake of the Sputnik challenge. Moreover, we have dismantled essential support systems which helped make those gains possible. We have, in effect, bee
Want to know why you are sitting on your 'fortune'? Then I will share with you a little bit of what has been published, just two days ago, on Italy's major newspaper, the Corriere della Sera . I'm an Italian girl and I happen to find the article quite sexist...maybe you can tell me what you think! Mr Piero Ostellino wrote an editorial about the Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, and his most recent prosecution. A brief overview: Berlusconi is accused of having paid a significant number of women to have sex with him at parties in his villa. He also allegedly provided apartments for the women in return for sex, and last but not least, he's accused of having paid for sex with one of his guests, Karima, when she was 17 (he has also pressured the police to free her from custody when she has been arrested on suspicion of theft). Last year, when criticized for his involvement with underage Karima, Berlusconi declared: "It's better to be passionate about beautiful girls than be gay." It's a long introduction, but I wanted to give some background. You can read more here . But now back to the editorial. Piero Ostellino, the journalist, wrote: "A woman, who is conscious of sitting on her fortune and gives it - so to speak - to those who could help her realize this fortune, is not automatically a prostitute. The world is full of girls who sleep with their professor to have better grades, or with their boss to improve their career. Turning the girls who hang out in Berlusconi's
January 28, 2018: Almost everyone dreads the yearly performance review, but a new management philosophy called Radical Candor is changing how and when you get feedback. We speak to former Google executive Kim Scott about the effects this new way of Your Business - 9:19 AM 1/26/2018 January 28, 2018: The world is full of distractions, and it's easy to feel like you have to constantly alter your company's messaging. Christiane Lemieux, the founder and CEO of The Inside, and Will Dean, the founder and CEO of Tough Mudder, tell us how Your Business - 9:19 AM 1/26/2018 January 28, 2018: Facebook is changing your news feed. The company is adjusting its algorithm, and that means it will affect the way you market on that platform. Keenan Beasley, the co-founder and managing partner of BLKBOX, tells us how your company can Your Business - 9:19 AM 1/26/2018
With Novak Djokovic's win over Roger Federer yesterday at the ATP World Tour Finals in London, the curtain has come down on the 2012 tennis season. Though on paper a routine-looking straight-set affair (7-6, 7-5), it was, as it so often is these days in the men's game, thrillingly close, the exchanges regularly hitting that spectatorial sweet spot of long rallies and relentlessly precise shotmaking. The match was the culmination of a sort of mini-Grand Slam event in which only the top eight players compete, duking it out without the early-round drudgery of a true Slam. A purist's paradise, then, a purged meritocracy of irresistible forces meeting immovable objects? Perhaps. But in the wake of the Lance Armstrong doping scandal, no sport that requires as much training, endurance and sheer athletic grit as does 21st-century professional tennis can insulate itself from the chill winds of suspicion and skepticism. So that now, when confronted with the phenomena of Rafael Nadal's unbefitting (at least for a tennis player) biceps, Federer's serenely sweatless exertions, and 54-stroke rallies (cf. Andy Murray vs. Djokovic at this year's U.S. Open final), an unease creeps into our wonder and admiration. How, exactly, are these guys doing this? The stakes for the game in allaying such anxieties are higher than ever; tennis, at least on the men's side, is efflorescing in a golden age of outsize rivalries between stylish, brand-able players, minting immortals -- first Federer, then Nada
THE POLITICO has published an epic philosophical profile of President Obama, the story of a man whose desire to assume his natural place among the global cultural elite is constantly frustrated by the fact that he is merely President of the United States (and somewhat obligated to serve out the remainder of his second term). He is quite clearly suffering from the Oval Office equivalent of Senioritis. Read the whole thing , as it contains (probably) some of the most bizarre sentences ever written about a sitting president. On Obama's supreme confidence: Obama had always projected the aura of a deeply confident man, someone who on the basis of past experience was justified in assuming that good luck just naturally happened to him. On how the president and the first lady are coping with (almost) empty nester syndrome: With his daughters around less, the Obamas are taking fuller advantage of the perquisites of the office, such as squeezing "A Raisin in the Sun" on Broadway into a recent Manhattan fundraising trip. On Obama's newfound fondness for celebrity soirees: In a departure from a long practice of keeping his personal circle strikingly tight and rarely lingering at official events, Obama has been hosting star-studded dinners that sometimes go on well past midnight and inviting a few newcomers such as former NBA star Alonzo Mourning into his social sphere. On the decline and fall of "hope and change": But a presidency built on finding ways to elude Congress is a remarkable d
Amid the shooting deaths of Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, and five police officers who were gunned down in Dallas, Texas, Thursday night, megachurch pastor Bishop T.D. Jakes offers his advice on what people should do moving forward. "For a long time I've been crying out about the criminal justice system," Jakes said during a 30-minute Facebook livestream titled, " Tragedy in Our Streets ." The Dallas-based minster explained that the tragedy is not only happening in the streets but emphasized that injustice also exists in the courtrooms, prisons, and in big businesses. He also spoke about the prejudices toward poor people, underserved people, and people who sometimes have no voice. "Hear me when I tell you I am very, very frustrated and I stand in solidarity, but I think that the way this is being approached is wrong," Jakes said, as news of the killing of five police officers developed Thursday night. "I feel in my heart that we have to stand together as a country and this cannot be a black issue, or LGBT issue, or a Republican or Democratic issue or a Christian issue -- this has to be an American issue," he continued. "We have to protect our people better than we do right now regardless of the color of their skin because if we allow injustice to raise its head, it's only a matter of time before it comes into other communities and areas. That's why we have to stop it at the gate and we have to stand together and this is the time for the church to stand together." The auth
The Reverend Roland Stringfellow will soon test a new Bible study program he has developed aimed at fostering LGBT acceptance. (Photo: Jane Philomen Cleland) Later this summer three predominantly black Bay Area churches will try out a new Bible study course aimed at fostering LGBT acceptance. Called the Umoja Project, after the Swahili word that means unity, its goal is to help African American faith leaders provide pastoral care to their LGBT parishioners. The congregations have agreed to test the five-week curriculum in August. In the East Bay, Richmond's Sojourner Truth Presbyterian Church and Berkeley's New Revelations Community Church are on board, while in San Francisco City of Refuge agreed to take part. The program is the brainchild of openly gay Reverend Roland Stringfellow, 42, who directs the Coalition of Welcoming Congregations, a program of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Sexuality on the campus of Pacific School of Religion and works with California Faith for Equality. "The purpose of this Bible study, the main point is this is not going to argue the clobber passages aEUR" those passages normally used to speak against same-sex activities. That is not what this is about. The Bible study really focuses on affirmative passages that highlight relationships," said Stringfellow, who will be a community grand marshal in Sunday's Pride Parade. Stringfellow received $25,000 in funding to develop the course material and a corresponding film from t
Make no mistake about it, David Jolly came to bury President Donald Trump, not to praise him. Former Florida congressman David Jolly, now an MSNBC commentator who fancies himself a Republican, attended Trump rally in Tampa on Wednesday and emerged to say it was "the most homogeneous environment I've been in decades." Jolly, a liberal Republican who toyed with the idea of running for governor of Florida on a split ticket with a former Democrat congressman, Patrick Murphy, appeared on MSNBC after the rally to denigrate white working class Americans. "What was most remarkable to me, and probably the thing that I will never forget, and I am wrestling with tonight is how homogeneous the crowd was," Jolly said to host Brian Williams, feigning indignation. The comment reflects an emerging new strategy among Trump's detractors -- Jolly is virulently anti-Trump -- which is to attack his supporters. "And we can decide whether or not we want to assign culpability to the president for cultivating a constituency that tonight was 99 percent Caucasian, working class," he said, before asking whether that's "a broader national conversation we need to have." Echoing the sentiments of the network that now employees him, Jolly broke the rally down to the color of skin of those in attendance -- the method to the madness being to equate being white to being an extremist in order to tag Trump as a racist. An important quest, given his growing appeal to people of color, as seen in the clip below fea
Why Barack Obama was so desperate to do Iran's bidding remains a mystery that has yet to be fully explained. What is known this week is yet another layer has been exposed of that troubling relationship between a U.S. president and the #1 state sponsor of terrorism in the world - a fundamentalist Islamic regime that routinely murders women, homosexuals, and other minorities for nothing more than being different. Supporters of Mr. Obama have long admired his words while detractors point to his actions - actions that so often show a man following a strange and conflicted ideology that always seems to view not only American interests but basic human rights interests, as secondary. The report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations revealed that under President Barack Obama, the Treasury Department issued a license in February 2016, never previously disclosed, that would have allowed Iran to convert $5.7 billion it held at a bank in Oman from Omani rials into euros by exchanging them first into U.S. dollars. If the Omani bank had allowed the exchange without such a license, it would have violated sanctions that bar Iran from transactions that touch the U.S. financial system. The effort was unsuccessful because American banks -- themselves afraid of running afoul of U.S. sanctions -- declined to participate. The Obama administration approached two U.S. banks to facilitate the conversion, the report said, but both refused, citing the reputational risk of doing busines
President Barack Obama says America hasn't gotten past its racist roots. One African-American conservative says the president is right. Obama addressed the issue with comments on a Comedy Central show on December 12 - but he was dead serious about what he said. Obama : "We have by no means overcome the legacies of slavery and Jim Crow and colonialism and racism, but the progress we've made has been real and extraordinary. "The challenge we face today when it comes to race is rarely the overt Klansman-style racism, and typically people have got other stuff they want to talk about and it's sort of uncomfortable." Many African Americans claim they see "micro-aggressions" when it comes to race, such as a parent holding their child a little closer when they pass by a black person, or the second or third look they get from a security guard at a store. Will Addison of Urban Family Radio has seen his share of those types of incidents. "I think there's some truth [that such incidents occur]," Addison tells OneNewsNow. "There are some struggles happening on the race front. But at the same time there have been so many strides made concerning race relations in the country that I wish were highlighted more." He tells OneNewsNow that it hurts him to see America torn apart by racist groups like Black Lives Matter, which don't seem to care that much at all about race. "They want globalism, they want things that will tear down this country," he contends. "So they use blackness, they hijack t
No one wants to go to the dentist, ever. Filling and root canal procedures aside, there is no more objectionable a sound than that of a dental scaler scraping crud off your teeth. So it's crucial for dental practices to entice patrons into thinking a trip to the dentist twice a year may not be so bad. Some take on hip, quick names like Floss or Tooth to appear nonthreatening, but Big Smile Dental (2833 N. Milwaukee) in Avondale opts for a more over-the-top approach. Looming above the storefront's entrance is an incredible shrine to dentistry that features a cartoony, oversize set of teeth being tended to by both a dentist with a mammoth toothbrush and the tooth fairy with a magic wand--what devious operations the tooth fairy is up to with that wand, though, I have no idea. Have a particular observation or favorite oddity about a neighborhood? E-mail it to zoomin@chicagoreader.com .
By Brian Wedderburn, Skylar Lewis, Sophy Ouk, Brady Osborne, Richard Basco, Allison Basham, Dane Stuffy Sonoma State University--Investigative Sociology Spring 2012 Peter Phillips Instructor An investigative sociology report conducted by Sonoma State University sociology students reveals the intricacy of social activism within the Occupy Santa Rosa community. The findings show three distinct core themes within the movement: Activism as the catalyst for change, collective consciousness, and community. Through protests and direct action the Occupy movement is fostering a change of ideology and values, which is affecting their communities' collective consciousness. Occupy seeks to awaken people to the fact that poorly regulated banks and corporations associated with Wall Street are unsustainable institutions, whose economic and political power is at direct odds with democracy in America. The Occupy Movement started on September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, New York City and has since spread globally. The Movement as defined by Occupy Wall Street (OWS), is a leaderless opposition movement and includes people of many HYPERLINK "http://pococcupywallstreet.tumblr.com/""colors, genders and political persuasions" (OWS, 2011). It also brings social activism and solidarity to fight against the 1%, and stands up for the 99%. Not only has the Occupy Movement brought awareness to the issue of global inequality, but it has also strived to educate many around the world and helped encourage th
The Telegraph chose the wrong week to launch its bogus attack on John McDonnell The Telegraph attacked John McDonnell on 8 August for describing an Israeli assault on Gaza as an attempted "genocide". Labour's shadow chancellor made the comment during a speech in 2012. But the Telegraph chose an unfortunate week to dredge up this particular characterisation of Israel's actions from McDonnell's past. Because the... The Telegraph just launched a very bizarre attack on Theresa May The former editor of the Telegraph has written an article questioning why Etonians have been "shunned" from the Cabinet. Charles Moore also asked where "new talent" will come from. Championing pro-Brexit old Etonians like Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, the article also makes a bizarre dig at Theresa May. "Where will the new... The racist tweets of the journalist calling on Jewish Labour MPs to wear yellow stars Telegraph journalist Angela Epstein has called on Jewish Labour MPs to wear the yellow star synonymous with the Nazi holocaust, in order to "show their revulsion with Jeremy Corbyn". But past tweets and articles by Epstein raise serious doubts about her commitment to opposing racism. Double standards In the piece, Epstein equates the... A journalist explains why the tabloids are mysteriously muted about May's softer Brexit On 6 July, Theresa May and her cabinet met at Chequers to agree on a Brexit plan. In the end, May got what she reportedly wanted - a move towards a softer Brexit. It was an
(Daily Caller News Foundation) Conservatives who support withdrawing from the Paris agreement on climate change are "cautiously optimistic" President Donald Trump will live up to his campaign pledge to withdraw from the agreement. Photo by Ilias Bartolini (CC) "We remain cautiously optimistic," a source familiar with the situation told The Daily Caller News Foundation. "The White House counsel has disputed the opinions of the State Department lawyers, who are heavily invested in Paris," the source said. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that opponents of the Paris agreement "gained the upper hand" in the raging debate within the White House over the fate of the deal. Administration officials are split on whether to keep Trump's campaign promise to "cancel" the agreement. WaPo's report came after Trump said Paris is "a broken system of global plunder at American expense" while at a Sunday campaign rally. Trump is expected to make a decision on the U.N. deal in the next two weeks. Conservative and free market groups have largely opposed leaving the Paris agreement, arguing it would make it harder for the Trump administration to roll back Obama-era energy and environmental regulations. Those groups include the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), American Energy Alliance and the Heritage Foundation. WaPo reported "White House counsel Don McGahn informed participants that the United States could not remain in the agreement and lower the level of carbon cuts it would make by
How can U.S. policymakers and taxpayers know the truth if Colombia's victims aren't allowed to speak to them? Dany is a 28-year-old husband, father, and banana vendor from San Onofre, a poor, rural municipality along the Caribbean coast. In the past seven years more than 3,000 people have been killed there. Many of them were buried in the 300-plus mass graves identified in the municipal limits. Leftist guerillas are responsible for much political violence and heartache, but right-wing paramilitaries are responsible for filling these graves. In 2000, the guerrillas and the paramilitaries began their territorial dispute. Unarmed civilians dared to live where armies fought for power and control, and paid the costs. Mass displacements punctuated 2001-2003; at the end of 2003 the "paras" won and established control of this strategic corridor for drug trafficking. Dany lived through it all. The detailed accounts that flow from his lips clash with his easygoing coastal demeanor and sunny smile: He describes cruel and calculated harm. Obvious and systematic collaboration between the government state-armed forces and the paramilitary. Government leaders from his area are in jail and under investigation because of this cozy, blood-letting relationship. Witnesses to the facts are being killed. He was to go to the U.S. to tell you about this first hand. The U.S. Office on Colombia, Mennonite Central Committee, Lutheran World Relief, and Justapaz teamed up for a speaker's tour of Washingt
If you've been alive this past week, you've been witness or party to Cory Booker fever. He's a hero , has a great sense of humor (important in a man!), and is damn handsome. Is it hot in here or is that just the rising temperature of a million vaginas? Let it be known that hero du jour Ryan Gosling is officially on notice. He's just been... Read more Read Oh, and did I mention he's also a friend to animals ? That sound you just heard is the collective internet throwing their collective internet panties at the man. From near and far, we're besieged with comments ranging from, "Cory Booker for Mayor... of my pants," to "Clinton/Booker 2012," to "Me/Clinton/Booker tonight in my dreams. Yum." He's like Rob Lowe on Parks and Recreation (but cooler, and therefore more desirable). This guy is so great that we're starting to think that maybe he has a skin suit made out of puppies and babies that he wears when he sleeps. Seriously, what is wrong with this dude ?? After much searching, we've found it! Cory Booker isn't perfect for you (or any one person) because he's too busy being perfect for the world. You would never be able to have a romantic evening, just the two of you. It'd always be just the two of you, and his 1,262,184 Twitter followers. Imagine sitting down to what you think is going to be a lovely, romantic dinner and then realizing that he invited the entire population of the 7-Eleven parking lot to enjoy his perfectly cooked Fettuccini Alfredo and meatless balls. CORY BOO
All around the globe, record numbers of people from all walks of life are being thrown into jails because they are standing up to protect the most basic of human needs -- uncontaminated water, unpolluted lands, and a liveable climate free from the ramifications of extreme fossil fuel extraction. If the greed-driven fossil fuel extraction corporations -- and the governments that do their bidding to assure sustained record profits -- don't stop endangering our critical and already-compromised life support systems, there is little doubt that the numbers of individuals standing up will grow exponentially. People are increasingly recognizing the critical necessity to safeguard our communities and our ecosystems, and growing numbers around the world are taking that bold step to engage in the time-honored tradition of peaceful civil disobedience as a means of alerting others to the dangers that threaten us all. This map from The Public Society shows some of the major protests against fossil fuel extraction in the past year alone, and the reach is staggering. From Washington D.C. to Mauritania to the Yukon , people are rising up. Those of us who choose civil disobedience as a tactic, often of last resort, do so not because they are looking to get away with a crime, but because we are seeking to shine a light on laws that allow for injustice to prevail. No one wants to go to jail. But the history of righting terrible wrongs is first a history of individuals putting their bodies on the
Note the "i" in Liberal. Far away from the noise of our provincial election, in Fukushima, Japan, authorities announced last week that rice grown 35 miles from the wreck of a nuke plant is now registering elevated contamination levels. The horror story goes on and on - and will for the next couple of hundred years. But don't look for fall-out here. Six months after the disaster many said would finish off the whole notion of nuclear expertise, Liberals are being allowed (with the collusion of some enviros) to use their otherwise fine Green Energy Act to obscure a $26 billion nuke expansion plan. (And eerily, it's windmills that have become the energy scare-story.) As some green folk get set to vote Grit and let the anti-nuclear issue slide down the agenda, I have to wonder if we're watching a collision between climate change activism and the broader enviro movement. Thankfully not everyone's willing to join an atomic denial as scary as the climate one. Besides Andrea Horwath's call for what is effectively a nuclear moratorium, a group of 200 orgs, this week, signed on to nix the addition of new Darlington reactors . The interesting thing about this document is the number of eco energy businesses on board, a sign of the new dynamic in the field and testament to the fact that these companies are worried about the way nuclear hogs the grid. As well, on Thursday, Greenpeace Canada, and three other major orgs went public on a federal court action to stop government agencies from ap
H eaven is hard to conceptualize in terms of space and time. For instance: What kind of memories will we retain? Given that our lives are riddled with sin, the bad things we have done, as well as the bad things that have been done to us, are a large part of who we are. That is true even when we accept God's free offer of forgiveness, since we cannot simply eliminate our memories without falsifying our identities. Some theologians picture heaven's temporality as a timeless point of the pure presence of God, but an eternal now never changes and thus makes no room for making new memories and offers no reason for retrieving old ones. But if the resurrection is a resurrection of the body, then that body will move through a new kind of spaceand, therefore, a new kind of time. Redeemed time will liberate us from the ways in which we are bound to our past as well as anxious about the future, but we will still be the same person, which means we will still have basically the same earthly memory. Even assuming that we can make new memories in our eternal existence, the new will not simply replace the old. How will we be able to remember the past in heaven in ways that do justice to the sequential relations of time and yet do not grant the past any negative power over the present? Surely we will be free to move through time in ways similar to how we will be free to move through space, although it is much easier to imagine spatial freedom than temporal freedom. On earth, we are more bound
Loretta Lynch not too happy about James Comey throwing her under the bus By Monica Showalter James Comey's bid to throw former attorney general Loretta Lynch under the bus isn't going over well, at least with Lynch. According to a report in Axios, which includes a long, blathering statement from Lynch: Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch released a statement on Sunday, saying that she and former FBI Director James Comey have known each other almost 30 years, and "he had ample opportunities to raise" any concerns he had over the Department of Justice's investigation of Hillary Clinton's emails, but "[h]e never did." The backdrop: Per CNN, Comey says in his forthcoming book that he found evidence that "would undoubtedly have been used by political opponents to cast serious doubt on the attorney general's independence in connection with the Clinton investigation." Her objection stems from this report that ran on Fox News a couple days ago: James Comey's cryptic reference in his... (Read Full Post)
By Roger of Radical Think Tank, and Radical Assembly Education group Some time back in the analogue days of the 1980s I was sitting in a room with three other nerdy, design-obsessive anarchists, working out the founding principles of the worker and housing co-op federation Radical Routes. While I was a staunch pacifist, Russ opposite By Lindsay of SisterSupporter and West London Radical Assembly SisterSupporter is a new pro-choice campaign group which formed in October 2015 to tackle the issue of religious campaigners standing outside of the Marie Stopes clinic in Mattock Lane, near Ealing Broadway in West London. Currently in Ealing there are anti-abortion campaigners outside the clinic up
The Privileges Of Being A Hindu, Upper Caste And Elite Class, Male In India By Advocate Dr Shalu Nigam 10 February, 2016 Countercurrents.org W hen Peggy McIntosh[1] referred to the term `White Male Privilege' she describes conditions that systematically `overempower certain groups' and `confers dominance, gives permission to control, because of one's race or sex', in a Western society. These privileges according to her are unjust and unearned. She stated that, "I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group". Similarly, in a conservative, patriarchal, stratified, casteist, hierarchical, unequal modern Indian society, the undeserved `Male Privileges' besides the unwarranted advantage of being a `Hindu' hailing from an `Upper Caste' and `Elite Class' plays a significant role in defining the social status of a person which accordingly confers him the voice, the dominant position, the decision making authority and the power to exercise control over others. These socially sanctioned prerogatives conferred to a person operate together to legitimize his superior and authoritative position, on the basis of which he may tend to subjugate others including poor, women, minorities and those from lower caste or deprived classes. Also, a particular episode of violence that occurs because of such unbalanced power equation is often seen in its micro context without realizing the undesirable systemic macro-structure in
Al-Firjani led the Ahmad al-Muqaryaf Brigade. According to a document obtained from his home, Defense Minister Abu Bakr Yunis Jabr asked another colonel in 2008 "to choose not less than 400 individuals to recruit for the Ahmad al-Muqaryaf Brigade," and asked that they be given a year's training. During the revolution, rebels reported that the unit led by al-Firjani fought them in Zintan, west of Tripoli. Other records reveal how Qaddafi completely bypassed his military in favor of popular militias. An eight-page list details weapons distributed to members of security forces, such as the Military Police and Internal Security Organization. But the file also notes that al-Firjani was responsible for arms provided to civilians and non-military personnel who worked for the Committee to Combat Heresy and Drugs and the General Authority of Youth and Sports. These men received weapons ranging from common Kalashnikovs to specialized Heckler and Koch MP 5 submachine guns. Documents such as these explain why Qaddafi was able to withstand a devastating five-month NATO bombing campaign, in which nearly the entire world sided against him. He created a parallel security apparatus to the institutional one he so distrusted. Relying on people like al-Firjani, who were related to him by blood and whose fate was tied directly to his, Qaddafi was able to repel continuous rebel advances, even when his military capabilities and economic resources were depleted. Al-Firjani was rewarded handsomely fo
How Black Lives Don't Matter In Israel By Abby Martin, www.youtube.co April 16, 2017 How Black Lives Don't Matter In Israel 2017-04-16 2017-04-16 https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/12/popres-shorter.png PopularResistance.Org https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/04/1israel-150x75.png 200px 200px While the Israeli state espouses multiculturalism and diversity, it oppresses not just the Palestinian population, but also any Black person within its borders. From warehousing African asylum seekers in giant prison camps, to criminalizing and carrying out eugenics programs against its Ethiopian Jewish citizens, Israel's treatment of Black people reveals that the Zionist project is not just about Jewish supremacy, but also white supremacy. In this on-the-ground investigation, Abby Martin talks to Osman Ali, a refugee from Darfur, at Holot prison camp about the treatment of refugees by the government, and Tehune Maharat, an Ethiopian Jewish activist whose cousin was killed in an apparent hate crime by Israeli police, about the rampant and institutional racism in the country.
A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO MAKING OBAMA'S RECORDS "TRANSPARENT" January 20, 2011 Can Obama's executive order which coneals his records be repealed? Dear Editor: The following letter was sent to Speaker John Boehner and Rep. Darrell Issa yesterday: Rep. John Boehner Speaker of the House 1011 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515. Rep. Darrell Issa 2347 Rayburn House Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representatives: First of all, I'd like to thank you for moving in the right direction in trying to reverse and eliminate some of the evil things done by this administration and the Dems. Obama must be stopped. However, you're both attacking the wrong items. You have to cut a snake's head off to remove the threat. To start, the very FIRST thing you should do is have Congress REPEAL EXCUTIVE ORDER 13489 (See A). The first thing Obama did as putative president was issue this EO to seal all of his and his family records-criminal. What's he hiding? Let the public have access to these so they can make an honest judgment. Next, investigate why Obama is using a Connecticut social security number,042-68-4425, when he was supposedly born in Hawaii. Their numbers start with 575-576. He even had the gall to use this number on his 2009 tax form. (See B, where three separate investigators confirm that Obama is using a Connecticut number). You might also ask why he used social security number 485-40-5154 when he lived in Jackson, NJ. This number belonged to Lucille Ballantyne of Lamoni, Iowa
Tennessee is tabling its controversial transgender bathroom bill in the wake of recent events -- for now, that is. According to The Associated Press , a transgender bathroom bill in the Tennessee legislature failed Monday after the House sponsor said she was withdrawing the legislation while waiting to see how legal challenges play out in other states that have passed similar measures. The bill's demise follows intense lobbying from both supporters and opponents of the measure and questions about potential economic fallout if it were to become law. Rep. Susan Lynn, the Mount Juliet Republican who sponsored the bill in the House, said she needed to tweak the legislation before bringing it back up again next year. "There's definitely some issues we need to work out," Lynn said. "We know as soon as this bill passes, we're going to be sued. So if we're going to be heading into a lawsuit, we want to make sure we have the strongest position possible." The bill would have required all students in public schools and universities to use bathrooms and locker rooms that matched their gender at birth. Supporters said it would have protected the privacy of students. Opponents called it discriminatory. Lynn had amended the bill so students who objected could be given an alternative, but opponents said it was still hurtful toward transgender students. She pulled the measure the same day that a religious coalition of the Family Action Council of Tennessee and about 30 pastors urged lawmakers
There's no arguing: As the 2000s (the oh's? the aughts?) come to a close, we're finishing a chapter in America history that provided some of the greatest gains in LGBT rights than ever before. There's even a new report saying so! But going through the list of all these achievements, we can't help but notice: there's a helluva lot missing. Not that we're ungrateful, silly. A Decade of Progress on LGBT Rights , compiled by the LGBT Movement Advancement Project and the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr., Fund, notes things like, "The number of Americans living in a state that offers some protections to same-sex couples nearly tripled, from 12.7 percent to 37.2 percent," and, "The number of openly LGBT elected officials in America rose 73 percent between 2000 and 2009, from 257 to 445," and, "The percentage of the public supporting the right of openly gay and lesbian people to serve in the military grew from 62 percent to 75 percent." And then there's the bad news: "New HIV infections among adolescent and adult men who have sex with men grew 10 percent, from 28,000 to 30,800, as did the percentage of new HIV infections overall that occurred among men who have sex with men, which rose from 51 percent to 53 percent," and, "The percentage of LGBT students reporting hearing homophobic remarks in school has remained above 99 percent and LGBT students who report experiencing harassment in school edged up (up from 83.2 percent to 86.2 percent)." But of course, we've got Gay Inc. to handle all th
Editor's Note: This is the second in a series of articles reporting on the American Studies Association's annual meeting, an academic conference held Nov. 9-12 in Chicago. CHICAGO - Believe it or not, Trump voters feel oppressed too, according to one scholar. If academics want to fully understand why so many Americans voted for Donald Trump, an Indiana University professor says it's time they more fully grasp how feelings of resentment and marginalization influence all Americans and their class consciousness -- not just people of color or the LGBT community. Colin Johnson, a gender studies professor, said at a recent academic conference that reconceptualizing how scholars measure social class can better account for why Americans vote the way they do. Specifically, he called for a new class structure built around one's distance from power rather than being based simply on wealth and privilege. Such a model, Johnson said, sheds light onto what he called "the American outer class," a group drawn to Trump because he resonated with them and their own experiences. "They didn't help to put Trump in the White House because they think he belongs there. They helped to put him in the White House precisely because they understand that he will never really belong there, at least in the eyes of people they see as unjustly entitled to pass such judgments," Johnson said at the American Studies Association's annual meeting, recently held in Chicago and dedicated to exploring "pedagogies of di
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Wipro is seen inside the company's headquarters in Bengaluru, India, January 19, 2018. REUTERS/Abhishek N. Chinnappa/File Photo July 20, 2018 By Sankalp Phartiyal and Krishna V Kurup MUMBAI/BENGALURU (Reuters) - Indian IT company Wipro Ltd said it was seeing strong demand for its services from clients in banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), while it faces challenges in its India business and in the U.S. healthcare sector. India's No.3 IT firm said on Friday that BFSI, its biggest segment, now accounted for 30 percent of its revenues, up from 25.7 percent a year ago, as it reported a 2 percent rise in net profit for the three months through June, beating analysts' forecasts. Bengaluru-based Wipro said it expected revenue form its key IT services business for the quarter ending September to be in the range of $2.01 billion to $2.05 billion. That would mean growth of 0.3 percent to 2.3 percent from its current revenue of $2.03 billion, after adjusting for the loss of roughly $23 million in revenue due to the sale of its hosted data services business in the June quarter. "While we see continuing challenges in our India business and the ACA (Affordable Care Act)-related decline in healthcare, we do see stronger momentum in the rest of our business led by BFSI and the Americas," Chief Executive Officer Abidali Z. Neemuchwala told a news conference. More than half of Wipro's sales are in the Americas. Wipro also said it has been trying to restruc
One of the main attacks on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is that he appears not to have any principles , nor the ability to even stick to the principles he claims to have. There are at least two exceptions to this, one of them being his steadfast refusal to release more than two years of his tax returns . The way he acted on the other strongly held principle, during his days as a Bain Capital executive, explains a lot about the candidate. Romney's big defense against charges that he was responsible for outsourcing and offshoring jobs while at Bain Capital is that, while he remained the firm's owner, CEO, sole shareholder, and every other synonym for "guy in charge" you can think of, he wasn't actually in charge. What he's never even tried to assert is that he ever objected to outsourcing, or instructed his company not to engage in it. However, there are some lines that Mitt Romney simply would not cross as a businessman. According to a 2007 Boston Globe article , one such line is profiting from R-rated movies: In 1997, he balked again, at the acquisition of a Los Angeles video distributor and movie producer that would be renamed Artisan Entertainment and become famous for producing the movie "The Blair Witch Project." Romney worried that Bain Capital's image would suffer from the perception it "had gone Hollywood," according to Rehnert, the Bain partner who proposed he deal. Romney had another problem. The studio had an extensive library of R-rated films, whic
Listening to Cardinal Keith O'Brien spluttering into the microphone on the Today programme on 5 March, I felt sorry, even embarrassed, for my Catholic friends. Like the article that the cardinal had written for the Sunday Telegraph a day previously in opposition to plans to allow same-sex marriage, the interview was (to use his word) "grotesque", almost parodic in its extravagance. To allow the unions of same-sex couples to be referred to legally as "marriages" rather than civil partnerships would, O'Brien thinks, represent a violation of human rights equivalent to the legalisation of slavery. Before we knew where we were, he told John Humphrys: "Further aberrations would be taking place and society would be degenerating even further than it already has into immorality." When Humphrys pointed out that many might consider this comparison with slavery to be rather more "grotesque" than legally recognised same-sex marriage, O'Brien was having none of it. The analogy was, he asserted, a "good example as to what might happen in our own country if we go down this path". I mean, really. What we are talking about here is replacing the phrase "civil partnership" with the word "marriage" in official documents. Calling a spade a spade - no more and no less. O'Brien claimed that Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights defines marriage "as a relationship between men and women". This is the basis for his preposterous assertion that to allow same-sex marriage would be a "vio
A small but vocal group of California residents is pushing for the Golden State to secede from the Union. While Doc Thompson thinks California's departure would damage the country, he firmly supports their right to secede because of the fundamental importance of states' rights. "The states created the federal government, the federal government did not create the states." Doc proclaims. "The beauty of the structure of the United States is that it provides for all of this stuff. This is why I say, 'I love my country, but what I really love is the idea and the principles of my country.'" The Morning Blaze with Doc Thompson airs weekdays 6-9am ET, only on TheBlaze Radio Network
Last month 43 Catholic institutions across America joined together to defend the First Amendment and filed a total of 12 lawsuits against the Administration in order to protect the right to freedom of religion on behalf of all Americans. This is the most significant religious lawsuit in U.S. history and Christian leaders all across America have joined in support of the Catholic institutions. This lawsuit is not a single action by a few "out of touch religious leaders," as the liberal national media would like to portray it. In addition to 12 various lawsuits against the mandate with a total of 43 plaintiffs from religious hospitals, colleges and universities, and dioceses, the U.S. Catholic Bishops are preparing for the largest campaign of civil disobedience since the 1960's during the civil rights movement. Despite the unprecedented and historic nature of this event, the media have largely ignored it. Bias by omission has been a repetitive theme among the liberal national media and this obvious showing of bias is almost as scary as the Obama administration's battle against religious freedom. The print media have buried it in the back pages of the newspapers. The Washington Post, USA Today, and New York Times hardly gave the story coverage, with a few paragraphs in the back of the first section. The TV networks also swept the lawsuit under the rug. NBC and ABC completely omitted the newsworthy suit impacting almost all Americans directly. NBC did find time to air a story on c
And, of course, the Libyan bankers and officials and the whole corrupt regime aren't the ones suffering because of this. If they were, I might feel a bit of schadenfreude . No, this is all coming down to hurt the average Libyan citizen, who, instead of getting screwed by a hooker on a private jet, is just getting screwed. In 2006, western leaders decided that Gaddafi's oil was more important than his human rights record and complicity in terrorism and lifted sanctions against Libya... Actually, the process of lifting of sanctions against Libya began in 2004, in response to Libya's decision to dismantle its nuclear weapons program and its chemical weapons stockpile, and also its agreement to compensate the victims of the 1988 Pan Am bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland. Full diplomatic relations with the US were restored in early 2006, after the US Government certified that Libya was no longer a sponsor of terrorism. (How much one believe such an assertion is another matter, but it was made.)
Long Beach noise/punk/post-punk/hardcore band Struckout recently released their sophomore LP "What You Deserve." The Daily 49er caught up with Daniel Speer, bassist and vocalist, and James Goldmann, trumpeter and drummer, both of whom just happen to be California State University, Long Beach alumni. How would you guys describe "What You Deserve" to someone who has never heard your music? Daniel Speer: It's post-hardcore, noise-rock stuff, in the vein of mewithoutYou, Mclusky, or early Modest Mouse. If I were to be more general, it's punk music that's trying to sound as big as it can, and tampering with the genre. James Goldmann: Noise rock is a good genre to toss us in. [Punk music website] AbsolutePunk said we were "Mclusky with Isaac Brock on vocals." That's probably the closest anyone has come to describing our sound. I read in another interview Daniel said it's the album he wanted to make since he was 15. Why is that? DS: Fifteen was the age where the idea that music was something I could do, an art form that I could participate in, solidified in my head. There was a shift from "that's something that other people do" to "that's something I want to do." This album's the first time I felt like I accomplished what I set out to make. Every album, everything before this either fell apart when I tried to record it, suffered from clumsy songwriting, or both. This is the first album that feels like a real accomplishment. I noticed that there was more of an emphasis on song craft
BY STEELE CODDINGTON | JULY 18, 2012 Patient with no doctor One reason I've become such a widely recognized philosopher is because of my dog Arbuckle. It's good to know that even Border Collies can simplify complexities that baffle the supreme leaders of our imperial government. Even a dog can provide a new kind of "hope" unencumbered by the radical "change" that has been the dirty diaper of Obama's liberalism. Here is Arbuckle's July 2012 tale. "First it helps to think of America as a sick patient with a national doctor practicing without a license. Most people know when they are sick. Countries are no different. The national sickness manifests itself in public expressions like, 'We're in deep doo-doo.!' And the ailment soon progresses into a kind of Kevorkian suspicion. 'Is my doctor competent or just another quack?' It's easy to surrender to the Kevorkian rationale. But our leader's persuasive misdiagnosis disguises treatments designed for self destruction. You and the country soon become addicted to the wrong medicine or treatment and regress into the condition psychiatrists label as "the entitlement mentality." A significant majority have recently bought into this new sickness. Arbuckle characterizes it in the dog world as "a mental condition so self-serving you don't care any more whose lawn you poo on. You've been relieved and someone else has to clean it up." The disease is gaining recognition as the Obama Rot, increasingly a public contamination that only a new set o
New Jersey Rocker Jon Bon Jovi has caved in to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and agreed to remove leather from his Hart N Dagger clothing line. And what did the animal rights group have a gripe about? Leather jackets? No. Leather vests? No way. Leather pants? Not even close. All of which Bon Jovi has worn on stage for years, by the way. No, what PETA was rankled about was the small leather patch on the waistband of Hart N Dagger's $275 jeans. As reported by the New York Post , an imitation leather patch will now be used instead, according to Bon Jovi's cousin Joseph Bongiovi, CEO of BandMerch, a merchandizing company that runs Hart N Dagger. PETA spokesperson Anne Brainard, no doubt thrilled by the decision, had another wish, according to the New York Post. Of Bon Jovi's stage attire, she said: "We feel there would be nothing sweeter than having Bon Jovi wearing vegan leather exclusively." Yeah, we got nothin' on "vegan leather." Incidentally, Bon Jovi has long been known for his generous charitable work. In 2011, he was listed No. 1 on Forbes' Most Charitable Celebrity list. His JBJ Soul Foundation fights hunger and homelessness, providing support for affordable housing in 10 states, according the foundation's website. Still, the thought of the New Jersey icon rocking out to "Livin' on a Prayer," decked out in "vegan leather"? Somehow, things just wouldn't be the same.
Tetanus, diptheria (Td) and tetanus, diptheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination 1. Tetanus Vaccine Tetanus is an often-fatal disease caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani. Contracted through injuries such as lacerations, punctures, and splinters, tetanus is characterized by muscular rigidity rapidly spreading throughout the body, producing pain and stiffness, especially in the neck and jaw -- hence the alternative name lockjaw. The impact on the facial muscles produces a particular characteristic feature called risus sardonicus, or "sardonic grin," in which the angles of the mouth are drawn down, exposing taught clenched teeth. The vaccine for tetanus is co- administered with the diphtheria toxoid called Td, which should be offered to all adults. Administration of a booster dose to all adults who have completed a primary series can be given after ten years. A new onetimesingle dose of Tdap instead of Td is recommended for those between the ages of nineteen and sixty- four in order to provide protection against the spread of pertussis. 2. Hepatitis A and B vaccine Both hepatitis A and B are viruses that can be avoided through vaccination. By the very nature of their sexual practices, gay men are more predisposed to these diseases, and it is strongly recommend that they all get vaccinated, especially those who are HIV- positive. Prior to taking thevaccination, your doctor should check your blood for the antibodies because you could already have been exposed to h
True Conservative voters will need to think outside the box in upcoming Primary and General elections, and we should make the selection of new, fresh blood candidates a priority. Sarah Palin has had her shot at political fame, just as McCain, and Romney had. Running the same 'Party" Candidates time-after-time, particularly a Candidate who willingly abdicated her only political power as Governor of a state, is not the way forward. RNC and GOP Leaders completely misunderstood, and then projected the wrong message regarding what happened in the last Presidential race. As events continue to unfold, we now begin to see the extraordinary efforts that were expended to undermine and devalue Tea Party and Conservative Grassroots organizations, and true conservative voters. Many GOP Leaders, rather than regret or apologize for Republicans lackluster performance, tried, incorrectly, to assign blame for their own political myopia at the feet of the conservative movement. It's regrettable that the GOP Leadership still feels that they should choose who we the voters can elect, and it's tragically dysfunctional that they continue to run with Candidates who have little to recommend themselves other than they've run, and lost before, or that they've created some bi-partisan symmetry while in the House and Senate. We, yes thats you and me, have got to stop funding the RNC/GOP and the PAC's who will not, cannot accept the will of America's Citizens as the guidance in governance. Voters have nev
July 20th 2012 there was a shooting at a theater in which 12 people were killed one of those killed was an infant. The gun laws in this country are a sham and need to revised so that it will be harder for people to obtain guns. This insanity has got to end. The NRA and ACLU are to blame for the terror that is weak gun laws. We need to start standing up to them and start telling Congress and the States this ends and ends now. If you feel as I do then help me and help yourself to stop this. Please help me to take this to everyone in the States and beyond.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Koko the gorilla, whose remarkable sign-language ability and motherly attachment to pet cats helped change the world's views about the intelligence of animals and their capacity for empathy, has died at 46. Koko was taught sign language from an early age as a scientific test subject and eventually learned more than 1,000 words, a vocabulary similar to that of a human toddler. She became a celebrity who played with the likes of William Shatner, Sting, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robin Williams and Mr. Rogers. At her home preserve, where she was treated like a queen, she ran around with Williams' eyeglasses and unzipped Rogers' famous cardigan sweater. In so doing, Koko showed the American public that a giant ape didn't have to be scary but wanted to be tickled and hugged. The Gorilla Foundation said the 280-pound (127-kilogram) western lowland gorilla died in her sleep at the foundation's preserve in California's Santa Cruz mountains Tuesday. Koko was the not the first animal to learn sign language and communicate, but through books and media appearances she became the most famous. Yet there was debate in the scientific community about how deep and human-like her conversations were. Koko appeared in many documentaries, including a 2015 PBS one, and twice in National Geographic. The gorilla's 1978 National Geographic cover featured a photo that the animal had taken of herself in a mirror. "Koko the individual was supersmart, like all the apes, and also sensitive, s
It's a tough climate but it ain't this tough . According to new polling from NBC News and Marist, just 34 percent of Wisconsin's registered voters say Walker should win re-election in the fall, while 61 percent say a new person should be given the chance to lead the state... If [state schools superintendent Tony] Evers faces Walker in the general election, the poll shows the Democrat would start the contest with a significant advantage. Evers leads Walker 54 percent to 41 percent in a hypothetical matchup among registered voters . The only other survey testing Walker versus Evers thus far this year came from the respected Marquette poll , which had Walker leading by four last month. Just last week Marquette followed up with a new poll of Walker's job approval: 47/45, not juggernaut material but not bad for a guy running for a third term in an environment favoring Democrats with Trump's trade war started to pinch midwestern businesses like Wisconsin's Harley-Davidson. Having a job approval that's slightly net positive doesn't mean you're a favorite for reelection but it all but guarantees you're not trailing by double digits unless your opponent is freakishly well-known and popular. And Tony "Who?" Evers isn't freakishly well-known and popular. Data nerds are also skeptical of NBC's numbers. Nate Cohn of the NYT ran through a few of the usual caveats about higher Democratic enthusiasm this year and how tricky it can be to poll midterms accurately, but 13 points? Nuh uh: But de
BY: Brent Scher Follow @brentscher July 17, 2018 2:35 pm The recently launched Freedom from Facebook coalition, which includes anti-Israel groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace and Linda Sarsour's MPower Change as members, showcased signs portraying two top Jewish Facebook officials as an octopus with its tentacles across a globe, an anti-Semitic trope used by the likes of Nazi Germany to push conspiracies of Jewish control. Freedom from Facebook members showcased the signs showing Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg as an octopus in the opening moments of Facebook executive Monika Bickert's testimony to the Judiciary Committee. The signs could be seen clearly in C-SPAN's broadcast , though the protesters were quickly told to put away the signs and removed from the hearing. A clearer image of the sign was posted shortly after they were displayed at the hearing by Eddie Vale, a communications representative for Freedom from Facebook. The signs @FacebookBreakup just held up behind Facebook witness at House Judiciary - homage to infamous Standard Oil Monopoly cartoon. pic.twitter.com/U3Afr2E15u -- Eddie Vale (@evale72) July 17, 2018 The portrayal of Jews with tentacles over the globe is nothing new and has in fact already been used against Facebook's Zuckerberg by German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung , which eventually apologized for publishing it. Cartoon published by German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung Vale, who told the Washington Free Beacon he himself designed the signs,
Ready to join the resistance? Sign up for Take Action Now and we'll send you three actions every Tuesday. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation's journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Thank you for signing up. For more from The Nation , check out our latest issue . Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Support Progressive Journalism The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. Fight Back! Sign up for Take Action Now and we'll send you three meaningful actions you can take each week. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation's journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Thank you for signing up. For more from The Nation , check out our latest issue . Travel With The Nation Be the first to hear about Nation Travels destinations, and explore the world with kindred spirits. Sign up for our Wine Club today. Did you know you can support The Nation by drinking wine? Sarah Beth Alcabes (L) kisses girlfriend Meghan Cleary, both of California, after the US Supreme Court's ruling on cases against the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California's gay marriage ban known as Prop 8, outside the court in Washington, June 26, 2013. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst) There are 1,110 federal benefits, rights and obligations that, until last week, could only be claimed by heterosexual couples. That was clear until the Sup
It is the most honest thing that Hillary Clinton has said during this entire campaign. On Friday, Clinton spoke at an LGBT for Hillary gala in New York City. About Donald Trump's supporters, she stated that : You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic--you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up. He has given voice to their Web sites that used to only have eleven thousand people--now have eleven million. He tweets and retweets their offensive, hateful, mean-spirited rhetoric. She backed away from this, of course, because Hillary Clinton's backbone has the rigidity of water-logged cardboard. But her equivocation to one side, the statement she made was unquestionably true: many of Donald Trump's supporters hail from the far-right and white supremacist political milieu. For example, former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke explicitly endorsed Trump in a robocall he produced as a part of his run for the U.S. Senate from Louisiana. And then there's William Johnson , a Trump delegate from California to the Republican National Convention who also happens to be the head of the so-called American Freedom Party, a white nationalist political group. This holds true of Trump's supporters in the general public as well, if Alabama Trump supporter Jim Sherota 's sentiment is any evidence: Hopefully, he's go
Eugene (36,402 posts) Suicide bomber hits meeting of Afghan religious figures condemning terrorism, killing 14 Source: Washington Post By Sayed Salahuddin June 4 at 8:36 AM KABUL A suicide bomber killed 14 people Monday in Kabul outside a large gathering of Afghanistans top religious figures that had just condemned suicide attacks as violations of Islam. The attack occurred near the main entrance of a large tented compound in the Afghan capital, where about 2,000 Muslim clerics had gathered to deliberate on the current war and attacks by the Taliban and the Islamic State, which are battling the Afghan government as well as U.S. and allied troops. The group, called the Afghan Ulema Council, issued an unprecedented religious edict earlier in the day that declared the insurgency in Afghanistan as being without religious basis. It also proclaimed that suicide attacks, often used by Taliban and Islamic State insurgents, are haram, or contrary to Islamic teachings. Police said seven of the victims were clerics who had been invited from various parts of Afghanistan by President Ashraf Ghanis government, which has been seeking ways to make peace with the Taliban with the strong support of the U.S. government and Western donors. -snip- Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/suicide-bomber-hits-meeting-of-afghan-religious-figures-condemning-terrorism-killing-14/2018/06/04/00c2b53e-67d9-11e8-bea7-c8eb28bc52b1_story.html Suicide bomber hits meeting of Afghan religi
Police in Spain found 200 pounds of cocaine stashed in hollow pineapples that arrived on a ship from Central America. From a statement released by the interior ministry of Spain: John Erik Wagner, 52, appears in a campaign advertisement in his native Copenhagen. The Metro reports that "Penis-flashing Wagner" is well-known for his stunts. An investigation has been carried out to ensure the X-rated images were permissible, but city administrators apparently weren't convinced they would 'disrupt road users' attention'. ... Suggested amendments in his manifesto are thought to include closing down Denmark's job centres, making health and dental care free, changing existing election legislation and passing laws to ensure all employees who work six months are entitled to a six month holiday. Thelocal.dk reports that his latest attention-grabber isn't likely to get him the job . The 52-year-old from the Copenhagen district of Amager has been running in parliamentary, local and regional elections since 2005. Most of that was with little attention but that changed in 2013 when he burst onto the stage in his customary cowboy get-up during a live televised municipal election debate to protest the exclusion of smaller parties. "Why should we [smaller parties] sit here like extras in our own campaign? Huh? Can you tell me that? This is no fair election," he yelled during DR's broadcast before being escorted off the stage. You can follow John on Twitter . Below, the uncensored image, as pos
Aerial photo of the village of 'Azzun 'Atmah and its surroundings. (Source: Bimkom) 'Azzun 'Atmah, a village with 1,800 residents located southeast of Qalqiliya, lies three kilometers from the Green Line (Israel's 1967 border). The settlement Sha'are Tikva was built just east of it, on lands belonging to residents of the village. The settlement breaks the territorial contiguity between the village and two neighboring villages, Beit Amin and Sanniriya. On its western border, the settlement Oranit was built. The separation barrier in this area was completed in October 2003. The barrier separates the village from the rest of the West Bank and places it in the "seam zone," the area between the barrier and the Green Line. Residents of the village reach other parts of the West Bank through a gate in barrier, which is open from six in the morning to ten at night. Only residents of the village and Palestinians with Civil Administration permits are allowed to use this gate. In addition to the barrier, the government decided to surround the village on all sides with another barrier, completely isolating the village within an enclave. The entire route of this additional barrier was approved in principle, but so far the state has only issued orders requisitioning land to enable construction of the section of the barrier south of the village. This section lies north of Route 505. Half of the section, 1.75 kilometers, passes through the village's land, a distance of about one kilometer fro
The ink on the recently enacted health legislation is barely even dry, but right-wing officials are already trying to wipe it away. Eleven conservative state attorneys general are claiming that the new law is unconstitutional in a series of lawsuits, some of which they promised to file immediately after President Barack Obama signed the bill into law. Their arguments, however, have no basis in the Constitution. To understand why, one must first understand how the Constitution allocates power between Congress and the states. Congress's authority is limited to an itemized list of powers contained in the text of the Constitution itself, whereas states have somewhat broader authority. Even though Congress's powers are not unlimited, they are still quite sweeping. One of Congress's broadest powers, for example, is its power to spend money. Congress is free to spend money, so long as it does so to "provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States." For this reason, the provisions of health reform that create new subsidies or otherwise spend federal dollars are clearly constitutional. There is no question that a program designed to ensure that every American has affordable health coverage--no matter what their income or employment status--provides for the "general welfare" of this country. To their credit, the 11 attorneys general do not appear to question this obvious truth. Their suits focus instead on the new law's provisions that require individuals to car
25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 7, 2014. Sean Gallup/Getty Images The Berlin Wall, a marker of tragedy, has also become a symbol of the tragedy of the commons. So many visitors to the famous barrier between East and West Berlin have taken a chunk of it with them, or made a mark to commemorate their visit, that the local government in the Kreuzberg section of the German capital has decided to erect a protective wall for the wall itself, as The Art Newspaper reported . The stretch of the wall referred to as the East Side Gallery has been designated a heritage site since 1991. But that hasn't kept tourists from deciding they're the exception to the rule, breaking off bits of the historical site and regularly adding their own art to the section, which already features a number of paintings. The new outer wall is a way to avoid heavier enforcement, Kani Alavi, head of the collective responsible for maintenance of that section, told TAN . "We have had several people arrested and taken to court, and we want to avoid this," Alavi said. "We have tried to protect it using a construction hoarding but that means you can't see the art." An additional wall sounds like a good idea--at least until humanity develops to the point where the can grasp this basic tenet of 19th century economic theory.
But that answer isn't translating into public safety. Maybe we need to shift from fighting over rights to appealing to the communal good. If you are the law-abiding owners of a semi-automatic, Adam Lanza's horrible act isn't your fault, and your desire to protect yourself and your family is probably heartfelt. But if you shared in a collective sacrifice of your preferred type of weapon, you could help make it just a little bit harder for the next young man experiencing a dangerous psychotic breakdown to go on a shooting rampage. There's so much to think about here. The main thing, though, is to learn more and to hold Obama and other politicians responsible for turning the best ideas into law for the first time in decades. We can do this. We've done it before, with seemingly intractable problems from lynchings to drunk-driving deaths. We just have to stay the course, for as long as it takes.
Last week, when I was writing about the increasingly common problem of people faking a need for "emotional support" animals to get around the rules for airline flights, I deliberately chose the most ridiculous sounding animal I could imagine for an example. If you're flying, please leave your emotional support porcupine home . If I hadn't gone with the porcupine and was forced to pick a substitute, the peacock probably wouldn't be too far down the list. And yet a woman did indeed show up with one of those for a United Airlines flight this month. Yes, this sounded like a made-up story to me, too. But there were plenty of pictures of the bird being shared online. It was going through the airport riding a luggage rack. But in a rare moment of common sense, striking a blow for the rest of the put-upon passengers, United gave both the woman and the bird the boot . (Fox News) Birds of a feather may flock together, but United Airlines recently shot down one traveler's request to bring her emotional support peacock on a flight departing Newark Liberty International Airport. Live and Let Fly reported earlier this week that even though the unidentified woman claimed that she had a second ticket for the peacock, the airline denied her request. A spokesperson for United further tells Fox News that the traveler(s) with the peacock were told they would not be able to bring it on board. "This animal did not meet guidelines for a number of reasons, including its weight and size. We explained
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E-WdjfjMbg Former NCAA athletes shed light on embattled coach's abusive treatment of players in undercover videos Xavier Nixon, OL: "They had a guy's quads explode in the weight room... during what we call the Valentine's Day M... Read more - On Tuesday, May 15th, 2018 the Michigan Education Association issued a statement regarding our undercover video that showed their union official neglecting to report physical abuse of a student. Project Veritas has issued the following statement in response... Read more - UPDATE: The social media panel has been relocated to Chesapeake D, still at 3PM. Project Veritas founder and president James O'Keefe will be involved with two primary activities at CPAC 2018. He will be signing copies of his latest book at noon on Friday an... Read more -
By Kelly Thomas | October 18, 2016, 6:17 EDT Printed from: http://newbostonpost.com/2016/10/18/bcs-red-bandanna-run-commemorates-911-selfless-act/ (Boston College, Flickr Commons) BOSTON - Standing at the finish line of Boston College's Red Bandanna Run this past Saturday, Alison Crowther bounced with energy, tirelessly calling encouragement to each of the nearly 2,000 participants in the race, waving a red bandanna back and forth. Each runner, also wearing a crimson bandanna, gets a congratulations and a smile as Alison thanks them for participating in the race, held at BC every year, in honor of her son, Welles, who lost his life on 9/11. Welles Remy Crowther, known as the " Man in the Red Bandanna " graduated from Boston College in 1999, followed by his two younger sisters, Paige and Honor Crowther. On campus, Welles was known for the red bandanna his father gave him as a child, and which he carried with him always, from the classroom to the sports field. On September 11th, Welles was working in his office, on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center's South Tower. After a plane crashed into his building, Welles called his mother Alison to tell her he was safe before he evacuated the building. That was the last time his family heard from him. Welles' remains were later found among those of New York City's firemen in the rubble. The following spring, Alison saw a New York Times article quoting a woman who said that on 9/11 a "man in a red bandanna" had carried her down 17
To all Jewish people who are wondering whether marijuana is kosher for Passover, worry no longer because a leading Orthodox rabbi has given it the 'green' light. The Times of Israel reports that 88-year-old Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky , widely considered to be the leading ultra-Orthodox halachic authority, ruled that marijuana is kosher for Passover. After sniffing a batch of cannabis leaves, Rabbi Kanievsky said that cannabis can either be eaten or smoked over the eight day Jewish festival, which involves very strict laws and customs. The ruling came as a response to pro-marijuana group Siach. The Times of Israel clarified, "that in normal circumstances the plant is considered a member of the kitniyot group of legumes and pulses that are banned on Passover among Jews of Ashkenazi origin." However, being a leaf "if used for medical purposes, cannabis is permitted for Jews from all backgrounds." In the video, Rabbi Kanievky studied the marijuana leaves and gave them a sniff. "After smelling the leaves of a cannabis plant," reported the Times of Israel, "Rabbi Kanievky and Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein , another leading Orthodox authority, decided that the plant had a "healing smell" and made the blessing for fragrant leaves." In 2013, the distribution and smoking of marijuana was ruled kosher by Rabbi Efraim Zalmanovich of Mazkeret Batya, where he reportedly said that "taking drugs to escape the world" is "certainly forbidden." Facebook Comment June 13, 2017 at 11:17 pm Can I simply s
Last month City Paper ran a photo essay by J.M. Giordano chronicling the lives of homeless youth. Among them were two young people, Missy and Sugar (they did not want their last names published), who were slated to be evicted from a temporary group home they were living in. In the days after the story ran, Missy and Sugar got a reprieve and were told they could stay in their shelter, for the time being. But in the process, they also told a tangled tale of the labyrinthine system for housing the homeless in Baltimore--one that they struggled to make sense of, one that City Paper, too, struggled to make sense of. In fact, City Paper is still trying to make sense of it. What we know now is only that Missy and Sugar--and the other 42 people swept from the streets in an ambitious city-funded pilot project--will not have to move out of their temporary homes right away. We also know that the life of that pilot project, a $252,000 effort to move 40 people to permanent housing, is nearly as confusing and chaotic as the lives of the people it has sought to help. Here is a behind-the-scenes look at Baltimore's homelessness management system through the lens of Missy, 18, and Sugar, 21. Missy and Sugar say they were told on Nov. 10 they had to leave the temporary housing they'd gotten through the Real Care Providers Network, a homeless-services provider that began as a volunteer effort two years ago by Christina Flowers, owner of an assisted-living company. Missy and Sugar say they had t
We all know the story of Operation Fast and Furious. It was a secret secret ATF program, overseen heavily at the highest levels at the Department of Justice, which took place between September 2009 and December 2010. ATF agents repeatedly and knowingly allowed individuals working for Mexican cartels to traffic thousands of pistol and semi-automatic rifles, including at least one .50-cal Barrett that ended up in the personal armory of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. The operation ended when Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered and the weapon was traced to this scheme. The purpose seems to have been to create a fact set-the extensive use of weapons bought in the United States by straw purchasers by Mexican cartels-as a way of stampeding Congress into enacting more restrictive gun laws. In the ensuing investigation by Congress, Department of Justice actively obstructed any attempt to find out what had happened and eventually Attorney General Eric "Obama's wingman" Holder was cited for criminal contempt of Congress. If this is to be believed, people who reported the gun-walking to DOJ were threatened with indictment. Notice our issue with #FastAndFurious , we seeked help and received a letter of threat when trying to expose the gun running issue of our FFL being forged by ATF and CI. We asked @RepPeteKing to help. Nothing from his side, we provided all doc's to him too. pic.twitter.com/LjPn8aSvgO -- Wesley Felix (@wesleyfelixpsi) March 6, 2018 Sarah Quinlan This woul
1.7k SHARES On December 6, 1989, at around 5:00 p.m., a 25 year-old man walked up to the second floor of Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, entered a classroom, and separated students into two groups: male and female. He directed the men to leave the room. "I hate feminists!" he announced, before firing at the women. The man continued up to the third floor, where he shot more female students before taking his own life. Fourteen women were killed, and 14 more people were wounded. In his suicide note, the man explained that he killed himself "for political reasons," and that he had decided "to send the feminists, who have always ruined my life, to meet their maker." In the same note, he listed a number of other women he intended to target, including Quebec's first female firefighter and police officer, as well as well-known feminists. The killer, Marc Lepine, was angry that women were taking up space in areas traditionally dominated by men, and felt he and other men were being unjustly excluded from positions he believed men were entitled to. Women, in other words, were stepping out of line and out from under the thumb of men. Julie Bindel explains that "the pro-choice movement was galvanizing at the time of the massacre." She writes: "Six months earlier, a Quebec woman, Chantale Daigle, had scored an important victory by overturning an injunction, obtained by her violent ex-partner, at the Canadian supreme court, preventing her from ending a pregnancy. More than 10,000 women dem
"Are you incapable of shame?" Samantha Power , the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, asked her Syrian, Russian, and Iranian counterparts on Dec. 13, noting the slaughter accompanying Aleppo's fall to government forces. In France, authorities extinguished the lights of the Eiffel Tower in support of the people of Aleppo. Zeid Raad al-Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that war crimes probably occurred. Rumors continue to swirl about summary executions , and mass rapes and, outside of Aleppo, chemical weapons strikes . Aleppo -- not only the largest city in Syria but the 13th largest city in the Middle East and larger than Chicago -- lies in ruin. In Washington, the political blame game is inevitable: Pundits and policymakers debate whether President Obama was prudent or callous to keep U.S. forces at bay. Debates about strategy and responsibility fill cable news panels, but only until a new crisis pushes that discussion aside. For the human rights community, Aleppo's legacy can't be so easily forgotten. What the world now witnesses in Aleppo was never supposed to happen. A member of forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad sits near damaged buildings in Aleppo's Salaheddine district, Syria December 16, 2016. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki The 1994 Rwanda slaughter and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre were black marks highlighting indifference diplomats swore would not be repeated in the new century. Power's moral standing rested upon her Pulitzer-prize w
Night Watchman (743 posts) Deadly Record-Breaking Heat Wave Scorches Southwest U.S., Worsens Raging Wildfires Source: Alternet By Reynard Loki / AlterNet June 20, 2016 At least four people have died in a record-setting heat wave that has engulfed the southwestern United States. The deaths occurred in Arizona, where the temperature hit 120 degrees in some places. More than 30 million people are currently under heat warnings or advisories. The Red Cross defines a heat wave as a prolonged period of excessive heat, generally 10 degrees or more above average, often combined with excessive humidity. In Phoenix the thermometer climbed to 118 degrees, nearly hitting the citys all-time record of 122 degreesso hot a Mesa Airlines flight to the city on Sunday was routed back to Texas. "There'll be a bunch of records broken again today," said CNN meteorologist Chad Myers. "It's not even cooling down at nightthat's another part of the problem." The record temperatures are making it the hottest-ever start to summer in Arizona, New Mexico and California, said CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri. By midweek, Weather Channel meteorologist Reynolds Wolf said, the range of extreme heat will spread to the middle of the country. The scorching temps are expected to grip the eastern U.S. later this week. Read more: http://www.alternet.org/environment/deadly-record-breaking-heat-wave-scorches-southwest-us-worsens-raging-wildfires Any comments I might make would be preaching to the choir. You all know
Monday, Jun 18, 2012, 2:21 pm In These Times is proud to partner with the Alternative Press Center , a nonprofit dedicated to increasing public awareness of alternative press, to present a monthly round-up of the best of independent media from around the globe. On July 1, the interest rate for student loans is set to double from 3.4% to 6.8%. After this date, as many as 7 million students who take out taxpayer-subsidized Stafford loans will shoulder an average added increase of $1,000 in student debt. Though both parties have offered plans to halt the increase (the Republican plan proposed to offset the $5.9 billion price tag to a loan freeze by cutting preventive healthcare programs; the Democratic one by raising payroll taxes on private companies), no deal has yet been reached to freeze student loan payments. This trillion-dollar sector of the finance industry is the subject of a series of articles and multimedia features in the New York Times: While a generation of U.S. college students is staggering under a combined total of more than $1 trillion in student debt in a job market that offers no guarantees, students across the border have launched a massive campaign against planned increases to the cost of higher education. Though the four month-long student strike in Quebec has only recently made headlines in the U.S., it could hold important lessons for the fight to defend affordable education elsewhere. Gathered below are some recent pieces from the alternative press on t
"This isn't the ghetto and your home looks trashy," the letter read and told Sullivan to cut down his grass. So, apparently, some overgrown grass is reason enough to harass your neighbors. That's what happened to a black family in Fishers, Indiana. The Sullivan family received a nasty letter in their mail box, one which "helpfully" stated the "price" for not taking care of their lawn and informed them they were not living in a "ghetto." On Wednesday, Chris Sullivan, got the surprise of his life, when he opened up the letter and read the words, "This isn't the ghetto and your home looks trashy." It also told him to mow the lawn and get rid of the weeds. "(I) opened it started reading the first few lines and checked to see if anybody was watching and I finished it and was just like here we go," Sullivan said. "The biggest thing is just disheartening." Sullivan believed he was targeted less because of the condition of his lawn and more because of the fact he was black. "Sucks that it happened to me, sucks that it happens to anybody in 2017," the father of two said. Read More A few neighbors, who wished to remain anonymous, told Fox59 the homeowner association was stern about cutting their grass and they did not believe the letter was racist. The letter was signed "the neighborhood Britton Ridge association," however, Sullivan believes the division was not responsible for the memo. Sullivan moved to Indiana just a couple of months ago to be near his family and asked whoever has s
Germany politician Jens Spahn has criticized the increased use of English, highlighting that such "lunacy" would never happen in other countries like France. "You would never find this kind of lunacy in Paris," he also added, referring to the strong preservation of and pride by the French in their unique language. He especially criticized residents of Berlin for excessively speaking English instead of German. "It drives me up the wall the way waiters in Berlin only speak English," he told the German newspaper Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung. "Co-existence can only work in Germany if we all speak German," Spahn, who is currently serving as junior finance minister, told The Telegraph. "We can and should expect this from every immigrant." Spahn is touted as a potential successor to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. English, which is considered an important skill, is taught at an early age. Many restaurants and bars across the country, especially in popular Berlin districts, recruit employees from all over Europe. In 2015, Merkel's administration mandated that immigrants must learn German in order to receive permanent residency and benefits. However, these regulations are not applicable to asylum-seekers under the European Union's freedom of movement rules. Spahn cited increased immigration and globalization as direct threats to German language and culture. "This is the need to have a home, to feel at home," Spahn said. "People want to be able to know what they can expect in everyday lif
Stopping by my local Barnes & Noble store several years ago, I counted ninety-two Amish romance novels. My local Christian bookstore had sixty-six. More formal research for my book about Amish romance fiction confirmed what my bookstore visits first suggested: The sales of Amish-themed romance novels are as brisk as an Amish buggy is slow. A new Amish romance novel appeared on the market about every four days during 2012. Over forty times more Amish romance novels were published in 2012 than a decade earlier. More than sixty different novelists have written at least one Amish novel. Although the Amish themselves make up less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the U.S. population, the novels about them sometimes take up 30 percent of the slots of Christian fiction bestseller lists. No matter how you slice the pie, Amish romance novels are a commercial, religious, and literary force to be reckoned with. Amish novels are not simply the print versions of Amish-themed reality TV shows like Amish Mafia or Breaking Amish , however . Belonging to the genre of inspiration fiction, Amish romance novels are often characterized by readers as clean reads: sweet, gentle stories devoid of sexual content, for which many Evangelical readers are grateful. If Amish Mafia traffics in bad Amish boys, Amish novels major in good Amish girls. Despite the nod-nod-wink-wink of journalists who call the books bonnet-rippers, Amish novels remain some of the squeakiest clean romances around. Observers, especi
Thursday, August 13th, 2015 KXL Opponents Quiz TransCanada About Man Camps As hearings wound down last week on whether the South Dakota Public Utility Commission (PUC) should re-certify the application by TransCanada to run the Keystone XL pipeline through the state, Yankton Sioux Tribal attorneys cross-examined the company's witness, Rick Perkins, on how dangers posed by camps of temporary workers near the Yankton Sioux Reservation would be managed. Under questioning, it became apparent that TransCanada had not consulted with affected tribes and that the camps have no policies in place to deal with [sex work], human trafficking or criminal activity perpetrated by camp residents in the local communities outside the boundaries--all issues that have arisen around similar settlements, known as "man camps" because of the predominance of male workers housed there, in and near the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota. The hearings are required to determine whether TransCanada must resubmit its application entirely, or if it can get the original permit--which was approved in 2010--recertified. Three so-called man camps will be built near treaty and unceded territory of the Yankton Sioux, Rosebud Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes. These camps will be managed for TransCanada by Target Logistics, which presently manages 12 such installations in the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota, housing almost 4,000 workers. The three proposed Keystone XL man camps in South Dakota would be much la
I realize that Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has dreamers and Trump has dreamers, and that the church has dreamers. But what happened to, we, the American people who dreamed about making America great again? As Congress prepares for a showdown on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), I maintain American dreamers have the right to dream first. We have an obligation to encourage this. Dreams by Americans plant seeds that grow and nurture our nation. We are the real dreamers and we are far more numerous than are the interlopers and the invaders. We, the American people who voted for Donald Trump, are the real dreamers. We also have a vision of our nation unified, strong, visionary -- not for this minority or that one -- but for all. That is the heart of our Declaration of Independence. We have a dream and that dream is to make America great again. Do you even remember what your dream is? Have you any memory of the promises that were made? I'll remind you of them as they're all in my book "Trump's War." We dreamed of a country that defended our borders, language, and culture. We hoped for leaders that would be fiscally conservative, restoring our way of life which has been eroded by progressives for decades. Now, Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will parade a selected group of DREAMers for the American people -- the few that are service members or college students. But keep in mind, that only 900 of the DACA beneficiaries serve in the military. While supporters
Two weeks ago, I wrote about my struggle to embrace the new (or not so new, depending on who you ask) Birkenstocks-aren't-ugly-after-all trend. And you guys had a lot to say about that. I got a backhanded f*ck you, I got a lot of feministing folks wondering why I would devote so many words to talking about frickin' shoes already, and I got some fellow shoe lovers saying hell no, we won't go there. Well. This should make some of you happy. (Not that last group.) Those are my feet and I'm wearing my first pair of Birks. I think they look great. From most angles anyway. I'm even rocking them to a work event in NYC today, because I have to schlep about the city in 90-degree heat and I know I need to do so blister-free. And I would end the post there, on such a foot-happy note, except so many of you raised valid questions about all my anti-Birk agita, asking, quite reasonably, if it wasn't at odds with the entire mission of the Beauty Schooled Project. Which makes me want to explain a little further why The Shoe Thing is the main price I've been paying for pretty over the years. With blisters and feet that bleed at inopportune moments. This might sound mundane, especially to those of you who engage in far more intensive beauty labor on a daily basis (I am not, I repeat, not, trying to equate the pain of uncomfortable shoes with the complex emotional anguish of an eating disorder, so let's not even get worked up about that, okay? Just focus on whether any of this resonates with you
Older generations like to bash Millennials for ruining all types of things. They claim we've ruined the normal standard of having a 9 to 5 job (screw your 9 to 5). They claim we're too entitled and are unappreciative of the lives we've been given. Older generations like to accuse Millennials of "ruining" the world, but let's all take a moment to think about who raised us... exactly. I'm proud as hell to be a Millennial. We're woke AF and won't let anything slide through the cracks. If we want to make a statement, you best believe we are going to make sure our voices are heard. And with the election quickly approaching , we definitely don't want this country to crash and burn. Since we're the future of America, we're sure as hell going to make our voices heard on November 8. Personally, I have made sure those who have the privilege to vote are registered. People don't realize how powerful just one vote can be, especially while there are people in this country dying to vote, but can't. Before registration closed, many organizations on my college campus held events solely dedicated to getting students to r egister to vote . I am involved in one of those organizations. We had a little stand with registration forms throughout the day, making sure students on campus didn't miss out on this important opportunity. I understand how people might think one vote doesn't make a difference, but let me tell you, it does. My mom and I were talking about the first presidential debate when the
FUNNY GIRLS AND DYNAMIC DIVAS 12th ANNUAL COMEDY AND MUSIC CABARET https://cause2give.unxvision.com/P2PWeb/Default.aspx?EventId=342&LanguageId=1 Sistering presents Debra Di Giovanni, Cheri Maracle, Jackie Richardson, Eliana Cuevas and Barbra Lica at its annual, Funny Girls and Dynamic Divas. On Thursday, May 29, these talented women will share the stage at the Jane Mallet Theatre with Elvira Kurt, our quirky host, and Jane Bunnett, a soprano saxophonist, flautist and jazz luminary. The event commences at 6 p.m. with a reception, an amazing silent auction, and pop up boutique. At 7:30 p.m. prepare for the laughs and music to begin with our line-up of talented performers. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and desserts, donated by local restaurants and caterers, will be served during the reception and intermission. Tickets are available for $80.00 and can be purchased online at www.stlc.com ; by phone at 416.366.7723/1.800.708.6754; or in person at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts box office, located at 27 Front Street East, Monday to Saturday: Noon - 6 PM; all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling 1.800.265.5566 or can be purchased from the Sistering Office: 416.926.9762 ext. 243.
Frances Byrd is a bold culture warrior, but she is also very annoyed. A conservative painter, Byrd is declaring war back at a society hostile to almost everything she values. This includes independent thought and expression, patriotism and the U.S. Constitution - for a start. Working in the smaller, more rarefied circles of the arts, Bryd had a sad revelation: most of the modern art world is closed-minded and self-referential, censoring and horrifically smug. Conservative artists like Byrd are possibly the only ones to really perceive this, because they are its only targets. Defensive and childish wagon-circling by liberals isn't nearly so vexing to Bryd as the apathy of most fellow conservatives. Liberals will be liberals, but one expects better from independent thinkers. Responding to the lack of interest in the arts or support for conservatives striving there, Byrd and Christopher Cook founded the Liberatchik Art Movement. Devoted to liberty, Liberatchik is for "conservatives and libertarians who understand the power of art." Art has ability to move people with its intrinsic value, as well as "the power to gather people into movements for a cause" - which is their primary focus. Cook, a film researcher, script writer and more, rallies the troops with this call to action: "Are you a libertarian or conservative artist ready to help build this movement? Do you want your art posted in our gallery? Now is the time to say NO MORE! to the relentless march of statism. Some do that
Tony Clark, the chief of staff for Alberta's NDP minister of human services, is a registered lobbyist for the Alberta Federation of Labour. Not was. He is. Clark is registered to lobby the very ministry that he now runs, including pushing for an increase in the minimum wage. And - no surprise - he is in fact pushing for an increase in the minimum wage. Who is he really working for? Clark is also registered to lobby other government ministries on a range of issues, from raising taxes to opposing oil pipelines. Here's the document that shows this: It's incredible that Clark is still a registered lobbyist. But even if he had resigned the day before he took over the ministry, how would that be any better? How can he now make objective decisions on issues - like the minimum wage - about which he was paid to lobby so forcefully? How can his judgment be trusted to be independent and open-minded - rather than an expression of loyalty to those who paid him to hold those opinions? And how can any civil servant, knowing about Clark's lobbying, speak candidly about those issues, either to him or to the minister? Would disagreeing with Clark's bosses at the Alberta Federation of Labour get a civil servant fired? The question is fairly put to the minister Clark supposedly serves, Irfan Sabir. Sabir is an accidental cabinet minister - a political neophyte who won in a riding where the NDP received just 2% of the vote last time. He has no experience in government. He has even less of an abil
riversedge (44,647 posts) Border Patrol Alters Account Of Guatemalan Woman's Death The agency canceled a Friday news conferenc Border Patrol Alters Account Of Guatemalan Womans Death The agency canceled a Friday news conference and instead issued a new statement. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/border-patrol-alters-account-of-guatemalan-woman-shooting_us_5b09daf6e4b0568a880c05a2 LATINO VOICES 05/26/2018 09:26 pm ET Border Patrol Alters Account Of Guatemalan Womans Death The agency canceled a Friday news conference and instead issued a new statement. headshot By Carla Herreria A Border Patrol agent fatally shot Claudia Patricia Gomez Gonzales, an indigenous woman from Guatemala, wh JOHAN ORDONEZ via Getty Images A Border Patrol agent fatally shot Claudia Patricia Gomez Gonzales, an indigenous woman from Guatemala, while responding to reports of illegal activity in Rio Bravo, Texas. 2.9k 35 U.S. immigration authorities have altered their account of the Border Patrols recent fatal shooting of Claudia Patricia Gomez Gonzales, a 20-year-old woman who had traveled from Guatemala to Texas to help pay for her education. After the shooting on Wednesday, Customs and Border Protection released a statement saying a lone Border Patrol agent was responding to a report of illegal activity near a culvert in Rio Bravo, Texas, when he came under attack by multiple subjects using blunt objects. .............................................................. Two days later, the agency cancel
New York Times editorials are often worth reading--stop laughing, I'm serious!--because they provide a window into the mindset of the liberal left, the ideological tendency that dominates many major cultural institutions and, for at least the next nine months, the executive branch of the federal government. Times editorialists write for people who think alike and seek reinforcement of their prejudices. Unconstrained by any need for compromise or sensitivity, they provide an honest distillation of left-liberalism, something you can't always get from politicians who need to appeal broadly enough to win electoral majorities. What you learn from reading Times editorials is that the fundamental attitude of left-liberalism today is one of contemptuous ignorance. A case in point: In late January, as expected, President Obama signed off on an Obamacare regulation deeming contraceptives, including abortifacient drugs and sterilization procedures, to be "preventive" medicine, which employer-provided medical insurance must cover. When he refused to exempt religious organizations that have moral objections, even pro-Obamacare Catholics like E. J. Dionne of the Washington Post and Carol Keehan of the Catholic Health Association objected. But not the New York Times , which sneered at Mitt Romney for "promising to defend the Roman Catholic Church's 'religious liberty.'" Those scare quotes were the most shocking act of punctuation since early in what Reuters called "the 'war on terror.'" By
Yesterday I wrote a post about how some Religious Right activists have been growing alarmed by Glenn Beck's subtle transformation from Tea Party leader to religious leader because Beck is a Mormon, citing a recent radio program by Brannon Howse, president and founder of Worldview Weekend, which focused on how Beck has started merging Mormon doctrine with his lessons on American history. As Julie Ingersoll explained , Howse brought Ed Decker, a former Mormon, on to his program last week to explain the significance behind the theories Beck was promoting on his August 18 show about the history of Native Americans: [O]n his show on Wednesday, Beck discussed an obscure archeological find, the Bat Creek Stone, that Beck believes has been hidden from the public by the Smithsonian Institution and others because it is evidence of ties between ancient Israel and Native Americans -- which, although Beck did not say this explicitly, would also be evidence for claims (albeit recently disputed within the LDS Church) made in the Book of Mormon. Howse, on his radio show, said he was "stunned" to hear Beck "laying down Mormon teaching" and "when [Beck] started talking about the Bat Creek Stone. . . . I didn't stay with it, it was just too weird." (While Howse presented no evidence that Mormons have used the Bat Creek Stone to promote such a view, Beck's use of it was characteristically wacky, as the theory he promoted has long been discredited by archeologists) ... Howse's guest was Ed Decke
A New Zealand Presbyterian church has blasted Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump with an Easter billboard depicting Trump calling Jesus a "loser" at the crucifixion. The Community of Saint Luke in Remuera also made the point of calling out Trump's constant depictions of himself as a "winner," while calling others "losers," by reminding Christians that Christ was rejected by society and died broke without any money. "For those of us at St Luke's, the cross is about politics. Jesus was killed - violently, publically and shamefully - because he spoke truth to power and confronted the leaders of his day about their treatment of the outcasts," said Glynn Cardy, a minister at Saint Luke's. "To the Trumps of his day, and to those who see winners as having money and power, the Jesus of the Bible was a loser who associated with those rejected by society. And he died broke," Cardy added. "Jesus had an alternative vision of reality, however. He was a person who sided with minorities and those who were most vulnerable, and it was this that got him killed." The billboard in question shows Trump holding a hammer looking on at Christ nailed to the cross, saying "I don't like losers." Cardy argued that Trump's stances on Muslims, Mexicans and women are offensive to Christianity, and noted that the ad will stay up throughout the Church's Lenten and Easter season. Trump, the current GOP frontrunner, has insisted that he is a Christian and part of the Presbyterian denomination on
A refugee looks from a window in the Sweden's largest temporary camp for refugges at the former psychiatric hospital Restad Gard on February 12, 2016 in Vanersborg, Sweden. Image via Getty. In the New Yorker , Rachel Aviv has written about " resignation syndrome ," an affliction specific to immigrant children in Sweden who essentially and physically lost the will to live upon being told they will be deported. It's a profoundly heartbreaking story that illustrates the true human cost of denying asylum to those who need it--that the prospect of leaving their peaceful adopted country and going back to their countries of origin (in this case, mostly "former Soviet and Yugoslav states") renders them without the will to live. Aviv writes: By 2005, more than four hundred children, most between the ages of eight and fifteen, had fallen into the condition. In the medical journal Acta Paediatrica , Bodegard described the typical patient as "totally passive, immobile, lacks tonus, withdrawn, mute, unable to eat and drink, incontinent and not reacting to physical stimuli or pain." Nearly all the children had emigrated from former Soviet and Yugoslav states, and a disproportionate number were Roma or Uyghur. Sweden has been a haven for refugees since the seventies, accepting more asylum seekers per capita than any other European nation, but the country's definition of political refugees had recently narrowed. Families fleeing countries that were not at war were often denied asylum. In a h
Over the course of the past day or so, you may have seen some alarming news: Long-term use of birth control pills, according to a study released at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology , may be linked to glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness in the US. If you happen to be one of the more than 80 percent of women who has used oral contraceptives during her life, you'd be forgiven for feeling a little nervous. Long-term contraception is pretty much unavoidable for sexually active women who would rather not get pregnant. The researchers, undoubtedly aware that a link between birth control and blindness would make millions of women just a tad uneasy, were careful to emphasize that their findings are not conclusive. One of the lead authors told NPR that women shouldn't stop using birth control pills based on this study, adding that a lot more work needs to be done to find out if this apparent connection is real or just a coincidence. But most media reports blitzed past the researchers' hedging. After all, everyone loves a good birth control scare story. "Taking birth control pill for years may double glaucoma risk," warned CBS News . "Birth Control Causes Glaucoma? New Study Finds Contraceptives May Lead to Blindness," blared the International Business Times . A blogger for "The Week" even used the study to suggest that women should think about giving up the pill entirely. This framing isn't just inaccurate--it's dangerous. "Think of the damage do
TY KU Sake is hosting an apres yoga happy hour at Pure Yoga. ( Photo: Getty Images ) WEDNESDAY August 19 El Museo del Barrio is teaming up with Lincoln Center to bring you a whole bunch of dancing. And music! Tonight they'll be offering salsa lessons by Carlos Konig , which you can then try out at the silent disco, as music by DJ Mosco , Bill Coleman and Ron McGugins is pumped directly into your headphones. Snacks from Borough Burrito and The Empanada Times will be on hand for when you've danced yourself hungry. El Museo del Barrio, Fifth Avenue and 104th Street, 6-10 p.m., free THURSDAY August 20 Maybe yoga never relaxes you as well as a drink does. In that case, you're in luck. TY KU Sake is hosting an apres yoga happy hour at Pure Yoga today. You don't necessarily need to do yoga beforehand. You can always just hang out and enjoy the drinks, because that awakens your chakra too (maybe?). Pure Yoga East, 203 East 86th Street, 6-8 p.m., free FRIDAY August 21 Perhaps the only thing more terrifying than Cthulhu is, well, any real social issue that exists in the actual world. So, gather for H.P. Lovecraft's birthday party to help fight homelessness in NYC. There will be absinthe, costumes and live readings from the horror master's work. Get your octopus alien mask ready now. Lovecraft, 50 Avenue B, 6 p.m.-1 a.m., $10 SATURDAY August 22 I cannot stress the extent to which you should go to Sir Ivan's Royal Tea Dance . If you don't, you're going to miss telling stories for years a
A voter casts her ballot in Moldova's capital, Chisinau, on Sunday. STORY HIGHLIGHTS NEW: The election pits a loose coalition of liberal-leaning parties against Communist party NEW: Early returns show the Communists with 41 percent of the vote NEW: Alliance has almost 50 percent of the vote with nearly half of the ballots counted The former Soviet republic is holding its third election in two years (CNN) -- The polls are closed, and the votes are being tallied in the former Soviet state of Moldova after it held its third parliamentary election in two years on Sunday. The election pits the ruling Alliance for European Integration, a loose coalition of liberal-leaning parties, against a Communist party that held a firm grip on power for most of the past decade. With nearly half the votes counted, the Communists have secured 41.2 percent of the vote, according to the state news agency MOLDPRES, which cited the Central Election Commission's latest tally. It's an early and somewhat surprising setback for the Eastern European nation's Western-leaning political factions, which had hoped to break a stalemate that has left one of Europe's least economically developed nations without a president since the middle of last year. Among the three leading parties in the so-called Alliance, the Liberal Democratic Party had secured 27.9 percent of the vote, the Democratic Party 13.3 percent, and the Liberal Party had 8.5 percent -- giving the Alliance some 50 percent of the vote with nearly ha
- Advertisement - br /> Even when two valuable statesman are at odds, it doesn't seem fair for one to attack the other on human rights issues, but that is exactly what Democrat Jimmy Carter did in his recent op-ed piece in the New York Times, entitled A Cruel And Unusual Record : After more than 30 airstrikes on civilian homes this year in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai has demanded that such attacks end, but the practice continues in areas of Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen that are not in any war zone. We don't know how many hundreds of innocent civilians have been killed in these attacks, each one approved by the highest authorities in Washington. This would have been unthinkable in previous times. For years, President Obama has been compared in many ways with former President Jimmy Carter: his attempts at diplomacy garnered the same Nobel Peace Prize. Right wing pundits have given the mantle of "worst president ever" to Obama from Carter. Carter recently divorced himself completely from his religious denomination - Southern Baptist - because of what he called " an increasingly rigid creed " while Obama recently angered "social conservatives" around the country by voicing support of gay marriage. Social issues such as abortion and women's rights have always been linked to both presidencies. So it is totally surprising that Jimmy Carter - on the brink of a major presidential election - would slam the Obama administration in any way. - Advertisement - But Obama's war poli
The Daily 49er will host its fourth annual Associated Students Inc. executive debates Thursday at 10:30 a.m. in the Karl Anatol Center. The debate is will provide candidates a neutral forum where they can explain their qualifications and inform students about their plans for ASI, should they be elected. All seven executive candidates have agreed to participate in the debates. Three treasurer candidates will open the debate, followed by two vice presidential candidates and lastly, two presidential candidates. A set amount of time will be allotted for all three debates: Treasurer candidates will have 15 minutes, vice presidential candidates will have 20 minutes and presidential candidates will have 25 minutes. After being asked a question, candidates will have 30 seconds to respond. Following each response, other candidates will also have 30 seconds for a rebuttal or response. Editor in Chief Daniel Serrano and Managing Editor Courtney Tompkins will moderate the debate, and City Editor Shane Newell will be emceeing. The event will be held in the Karl Anatol Center in the Academic Services building from 10:30 to 12:30 Thursday. For more information about the debate, contact Daniel Serrano, Daily 49er editor in chief, at [email protected] or 562-985-8000.
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes in 'Captain America: Civil War' Trailer . (Photo: Youtube) By now, every superhero fan should have seen Captain America: Civil War. And if you haven't, what are you doing reading this? It has your favorite heroes fighting each other and the best on-screen Spider-Man since... ever! Assuming you have seen it though, you may have thought that Steve Rogers liked Bucky Barnes a little more than he let on. In short: -- s t u c k y (@stuckygifs) May 24, 2016 Beginning late Monday night and continuing all day Tuesday, Marvel fans took over Twitter to demand the comics company come out and say it already: #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend! #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend because he literally already has one pic.twitter.com/6P8MFhHYs8 -- Gillian Berry (@mizgillianberry) May 24, 2016 Fans who have called for the relationship to be fully explored are now understandably excited to see the trend has taken off. What an awesome way to start the day!! #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend pic.twitter.com/CZvCwHCsGE -- Amalia (@amaliatown) May 24, 2016 Because seriously, he's no longer living in 1942. He and Bucky shouldn't have to hide it. We saw that #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend was trending on Twitter and thought... doesn't he already have one? https://t.co/ZxxrGXl4Os -- BBC Three (@bbcthree) May 24, 2016 It's not like he's been hiding it particularly well anyway. #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend because Steve lived in one of the biggest queer cruising spots in NYC with his b
Donald Trump Jr. has not stayed away from scandals and controversies. Recently, he posted a picture of his 9-year-old son on a duck hunting trip. His son, Donald Jr. III, who is nicknamed Donnie, is seen holding a double-barreled shotgun. Don Jr. captioned the post, "Donnie helping me out in the #duck blind last season. Definitely the best #hunting buddy out there. Get them outdoors early and often... you won't regret it!!! #throwback #tbt #throwbackthursday" A post shared by Donald Trump Jr. (@donaldjtrumpjr) on Jul 26, 2018 at 2:31pm PDT The internet went wild over the image. Many people were appalled that Don Jr. would allow his young child to hold a gun, others were supportive. The common sentiment is expressed in responses like these, "A gun in a child's hands... Donny. No." "Donald, you know hunting is dangerous, please be careful of your kids. God bless them." Others were not so critical, praising Don Jr. for teaching his son gun safety. One Instagram user responded, "Kudos to you for getting him set up with great ear protection and teaching gun safety at an early age!" There is no general consensus as to at what age it is appropriate to teach children to hunt. The National Rifle Association has the Eddie the Eagle program that begins teaching gun safety to pre-schoolers. The program emphasizes that, if a child sees a gun, they must not touch it. Will Brantley and Michael Pendley of Field and Stream have discussed the fact that age is less determinative than maturity.
I was reminded of a line from a trashy thriller about American mercenaries I read a long time ago, in which the main man sneered 'the only thing in the middle of the road is yellow lines and dead armadillos'. The trouble is that whatever else you can say about the political figure of speech known as 'the centre ground', it's very hard to get passionate about it. But it's even more of a problem for these four crusaders for the common good to get mobilised on it. They have neither finance, grassroots traditions nor followers to draw on. With only noumenal notions of reasonableness and instinctual good sense to offer would-be disciples, it was a miracle the SDP lasted seven years. Today, in a nation of sectarian interest groups, regional tribes, transient populations, socio-economic divides and non-conversant cultures, how can you give meaning to such specious categories as 'the centre ground'? The impossibility of doing so is what makes politicians invoke such flimsy articles of faith as the British sense of fair play. What we do have in common with 1981 is a vacuum at the centre of our political and cultural life. That is partly why it's possible for exhibitionists like Lucy McCormick to succeed. I had hoped that her antics might somehow embody the confusion of our times. Instead her extreme but largely puerile performance has no more vision than did the SDP. Her show at the Soho Theatre, Triple Threat , is what psychologists might call hysterical 'acting-out' - behaviour that
"It's a welcoming, gay-centric, gay-friendly church with amazing sound, light, video system, and seating," he says, noting the Gay Men's Chorus of South Florida has performed there. "Of course Outlandish would be held in the church! It's a unique experience that makes sense in a nontraditional venue... The venue lets you create for the vibe of what Outlandish is about." The series is designed to appeal to both LGBTQ and broader theater audiences, Farber says. "Outlandish is a gay-ish performance series, which means it's something that has a strong connection to the LGBT community but has an appeal that crosses over to a general theater audience... These are acts that have a show and theatrical element, not just straight standup or theater. We have men, women, and men dressed as women." The series begins January 20 with Jackie Hoffman's What Ever Happened to Jackie's Emmy? Hoffman, who has played roles in Broadway shows such as Hairspray and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and on television shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Strangers With Candy , recently rose to popularity when she received an Emmy nomination for her role as Mamacita in the FX series Feud . Hoffman will keep audiences laughing as she shares gossip of the entertainment world through monologue and song. YouTube star Randy Rainbow, hailed for his sharp newsroom-style musical satire of the follies of the Trump administration, will perform at the cathedral January 26 and 27. "People describe him as someone wh
Former Republican Louisiana state Senator Elbert Lee Guillory has a special message about "white privilege" that is sure to make leftist heads explode. "Every one of us recognizes wealth privilege," said Guillory in a video he posted on YouTube. "It is a privilege to be wealthy anywhere on planet earth -- no matter who you are or where you are. But wealth privilege is not white privilege." We ought to be ashamed of ourselves. We have let a few black and white people who want to divide us -- who want to draw us apart -- we've let them place the burden of slavery on every white person from the North, the South, the East, the West, male or female, old or young -- people whose families have never owned slaves -- never had anything to do with slavery. We have placed that yoke of slavery -- that burden of slavery upon all of them. So much so that now just plain hardworking Americans feel a need to sometimes defend their whiteness. This is America -- free and filled with opportunity. That opportunity is available for each and every one of us. Try it -- American privilege!
Staff Reports MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee is asking the Rutherford County school board in Murfreesboro, Tenn., to reconsider a decision to take down posters identifying classrooms as safe spaces for LGBT students. According to the ACLU, the posters were hung at Central Magnet School at the request of the school's Gay Straight Alliance. They hung alongside posters from other student groups for the majority of the last school year. GLSEN> Safe space classroom poster (Click image to enlarge.) Members of the school's Gay Straight Alliance student organization requested last year that teachers display the posters in classrooms. The posters, designed by GLSEN, were hung without incident alongside posters from other student groups for the majority of the prior school year. The GLSEN poster states, "This is a safe and inclusive space for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and their allies. All students deserve a safe and welcoming school environment." The school board, speaking through its attorney, claimed that the poster's content is of an inappropriate sexual nature because it contains the words "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender." In the same conversation, the school board's attorney stated that the poster is inappropriately political in nature. In a letter to the school board on Thursday, the ACLU called the claims an "obvious mischaracterization" that claim "grossly misconstrues the nature of the poster." "Removal of
Kathryn Moody : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? Manuel Schiffres Mutual Fund Rankings, 2014 Meghan Streit : Pitching In When Caregivers Need Help Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D.N., F.A.N.D : How to prevent a second (and first) heart attack thru diet The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington : Caprese is a light, fresh salad; the perfect quick and easy accompaniment to any summer meal Mark Steyn : You Want Nazis? Jonathan Tobin : Care about the Jewish state's future? Obama, in interview, reveals even more reasons to worry Alan M. Dershowitz : Confirmed: Needless death and destruction in Gaza Katie Nielsen : As a mother, I'm all I need to be Cameron Huddleston : 18 Retailers That Offer Price Adjustments Nellie S. Huang : The Best Health Mutual Funds to Buy Now Brierly Wright, M.S., R.D. : Try these 'secret-weapon' foods to boost your changes of losing weight The Kosher Gourmet by Jessica Yadegaran : Take some relish in pickled goodies (5 recipes!) Kimberly Lankford : 50 Ways to Cut Your Health Care Costs James K. Glassman : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? The Kosher Gourmet by Nick Malgieri : Chocolate molten delight with creme anglaise is a simple yet elegant make-ahead dessert The government shutdown is over. Democrats finally realized that closing the government over illegal immigration was a losing political battle. They created a needless crisis and got rolled. So who is to blame for their current predicament? Along with Charles
So let's get this straight. According to the folks at Gawker, pedophilia may well be just another sexual orientation that should not be illegal. But college kids owning guns and living in gun-friendly dorms, well, that's just plain craziness. In a dismissive post published yesterday afternoon, Gawker's Mallory Ortberg scoffed that, at least so far, no one was clamoring to move into a planned dorm at the University of Colorado which will be open only to students who are at least 21 years old and who have concealed-carry permits: Why would some of these students choose to stay in their current living situations? Some of them are undoubtedly too busy clicking their spurs together and shooting multiple revolvers into the air, Yosemite Sam-style, to have heard the news. Others may be buried underneath a pile of commemorative, pearl-handled shooters purchased at the most recent gun show, unable to reach the door. At least two are currently building a recreation of the Fortress of Solitude off-campus in the nearby woods, crafting a sleek, silent Gun Palace where they will never again have to explain to their bemused RAs why they choose to own guns or submit to being corralled into weaponized dorm zones. With cobalt-blue bolt bedframes and state-of-the-art pistol slide door hinges, the Gun Palace is the only choice for the discriminating CU gun owner. The Gun Palace is slated for completion in Spring 2014. Residents will be selected by lottery. A review of other posts filed under the
Former President George W. Bush jokes frequently that President Trump's current administration makes his own administration look "pretty good" in comparison, according to a Republican source who spoke with the National Journal. Bush, who has publicly remained quiet in his criticisms of his successors, is reported to regularly poke fun at the current administration, not understanding why the Trump White House always seems to be in disarray.-- More... Please SHARE this story as the only way for CFP to beat Facebook anti-Conservative Suppression.
Queen Rania of Jordan said at a news conference that the ISIS militant group is tarnishing the Islamic faith. "This fight is a fight between the civilized world and a bunch of crazy people that really want to take us back to mediaeval times," she said in a public interview with Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington at the Future of Work conference in London. "I would love to drop the first 'I' in ISIS because there's nothing Islamic about them," she said. "They have nothing to do with faith and everything to do with fanaticism." The Jordanian Queen said that the war against ISIS and other terrorist groups needs to be led by fellow Muslims. Her husband, King Abdullah II, recently ordered airstrikes against the group in retaliation for them immolating Jordanian fighter pilot Lt. Muath al-Kasasbeh, who was captured by the group in December. She said that every time ISIS commits such atrocities they only strengthen the enmity of moderate Muslims such as herself. "The scare tactics that these terrorists were using backfired because it just angered Jordanians," she said. "We can't let [ISIS] hijack our identity and brand us in the way that they want. We have to write our own narrative," she concluded. (c) 2018 Newsmax. All rights reserved. Click Here to comment on this article Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.
This is not an ordinary petition. In July 2015 a two year Metropolitan Police investigation into Maafa war crimes collapsed after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) chose not to prosecute key suspects. Did you even know this was taking place? If not then please read on. The investigation which 'included extensive research of police indices [and] liaison with British military' was launched in 2013 started after the Ligali Organisation made an official complaint to the UK's Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecution and the International Criminal Court (ICC) about the UK's shameful legacy of war crimes. Detective Constable Alex Phillips of the Metropolitan Polices' SO15 - War Crimes Team apologised for the length of time it took for the investigation to reach this stage and wrote '[despite] an interview of one male under caution. The case against this male will not be proceeded with following the CPS advice'. Ligali's original list of identified perpetrators where access to relevant evidence existed of their justiciable offences included John Cowan, Second Lieutenant David Larder, Terence Gavaghan, Alan Lennox-Boyd, and Eric Griffiths-Jones. There were many more including government officials who approved the orders. However several have since died escaping justice. Furthermore, in a 2013 court case, the historians Professor David Anderson, Professor Caroline Elkins, and Dr Huw Bennett gave evidence as expert witnesses, exposing the government's wilful destruction of a s
Contributor | Pure Flix November 29, 2017 Perhaps you dread the Elf on the Shelf, the tiny, plush toy that has become an absolute holiday craze. Or, maybe you love the relatively newfound Christmas tradition. Either way, there's a new custom that's gaining some traction: The Shepherd on the Search. Josh Helms, who created the Bible-themed tradition alongside his wife Lindsey, told "The Billy Hallowell Podcast" this week that the effort came out of the desire to make sure his kids are "doing all the fun stuff we want to do at Christmastime," while also ensuring that they understand it's really all about Jesus." Listen to Helms break down his family's amazing alternative to the Elf on the Shelf here: The Helms family celebrates Santa as well, but they found themselves looking for something more meaningful than what the Elf on the Shelf brings to the table. "We just wanted to point that toward Jesus." he said, noting that the The Shepherd on the Search is a plush doll on a quest to find the nativity on Christmas morning. Much like the elf, parents move it around every day, though, unlike the elf, kids can touch it -- and it's not intended to be "magical." It's a tradition that the Helms have been doing in their own home for a few years now, and it's one that is now on the market for other parents to partake in, with more than 20,000 units selling during the 2016 holiday season, alone. "It gives us an opportunity to talk about Jesus before the craziness of the day starts," Helms
Expand | Collapse (Photo: Liberty Counsel) Buttons hang from a desk organizer in Lora Jane Riedas' classroom at Riverview High School in Riverview, Florida in this undated photo. Liberty Counsel, a national religious liberty law firm, sent a second letter to a Florida public school district over concerns that a lesbian high school teacher, who says she is a Christian, has been promoting LGBT issues in class and forcing students to remove their cross necklaces. "Liberty Counsel now represents four students who independently confirmed and provided additional information regarding the classroom political activism and bullying" of Lora Jane Riedas, the teacher at Riverview High School, part of the Hillsborough County Public Schools, the law group said. "Her social media confirms her activism during class time. School officials failed to properly address and discipline Riedas' behavior, despite the obvious contradictory evidence." Though the district conducted an investigation, Liberty Counsel called it "pitiful" and said its response was "unsatisfactory." The latest letter cites claims from several students that Riedas told them to remove or cover up their cross necklaces, and confiscated pro-President Donald Trump "Make America Great Again" hats. Concerns were also expressed over the math teacher seeking opportunities to engage in "classroom activism" directed by GLSEN (formally known as the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), and heavily promoting the pro-LGBT "D
Last week, federal immigration agents arrested and detained a survivor of domestic violence, in the El Paso courthouse where she sought help. Local authorities suspect the tip came from her abuser. Ms. Gonzales*, a transgender woman, reported at least three instances of domestic violence in the last year, saying that she had been punched, kicked, and chased with a knife. She left her abuser and sought an order of protection in family court--which is where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) picked her up. That's right: ICE detained a woman while she was seeking an order of protection from an abuser who chased her with a knife, apparently on a tip from that same abuser. This is stunningly cruel, not least because it will deter undocumented survivors from reporting violence, seeking help, and leaving abusers. Domestic violence is already severely underreported . For undocumented survivors, who may be arrested, detained, and separated from their families for coming forward, the threat of deportation is an even greater deterrent to reporting. This fact is so obvious that even the Department of Homeland Security's own task force recognized it. Abusers know it too, and they use the threat of deportation as a weapon . That means that, not only do undocumented survivors fear reporting to the police because of their immigration status, they may fear seeking a protective order or any kind of support--such as staying at an emergency shelter like the one Gonzales was staying at bef
Wednesday February 8, 2017 Less than three weeks into the presidency of Donald J. Trump, there are several troubling signs that the new administration is abandoning its foreign policy mandate and going off the rails. First and foremost is the saber-rattling aimed at Iran. The ostensible reason for this is Tehran's testing of mid-range ballistic missiles which, we are told, are "nuclear capable." But of course any and all ballistic missile systems can be modified to carry nuclear warheads, and since Iran is complying with the JCPOA agreed to by Tehran and the Western powers, this is just rhetorical noise generated for home consumption. Accusations by the Trump administration that the tests violate a UN resolution are inaccurate : part of the Iran deal was a revision of an earlier UN resolution that forbade such tests to read that the international body merely " calls on " the Iranians to refrain from such activities. The Obama administration opposed this, but received no backing from our European "allies." So the tests are "legal," albeit considered provocative. And yet, as Kelsey Davenport and Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association point out : "Given the tensions between Tehran and its neighbors, it is extremely unlikely that Iran will stop developing its ballistic missile capabilities when countries like Saudi Arabia and Israel field ballistic missiles capable of targeting Iran." Indeed, the Saudis have been procuring nuclear capable ballistic missiles from Ch
Waleed Aly, host of the Australian talk show "The Project," gave an incredibly impassioned, now-viral speech following the Paris attacks. While politicians in the US are busy spreading hateful messages and denouncing Muslims and refugees, Aly offered a much-needed call for unity as well as important perspective on ISIS (also known as ISIL, the Islamic State and Daesh) and its objectives. People are hurting right now; they are scared, they are angry and they want someone to blame for the attacks. Aly acknowledged all of this, but aptly stated , We are all feeling a million raging emotions right now. I am angry at these terrorists. I am sickened by the violence and I am crushed for the families that have been left behind, but, you know what, I won't be manipulated. We all need to come together. I know how that sounds. I know it's a cliche but it's also true because it's exactly what ISIL doesn't want. So if you're a member of Parliament or a has-been member of Parliament preaching hate at a time when what we actually need is more love, you are helping ISIL. They have told us that. If you are just someone with a Facebook or Twitter account firing off misguided missives of hate, you are helping ISIL. They have told us that. I am pretty sure that right now none of us wants to help these bastards. Indeed, ISIS wants to spread disunity, which is precisely why our greatest weapon against these terrorists is solidarity. We can't blame all Muslims for the abhorrent acts of a small grou
( Republican angst - hand wringing is timeless ) As the election returns poured in proclaiming Harry Truman the surprise winner in 1948 (much to the dismay of the Mainstream Media, who had declared Thomas Dewey , the Republican candidate, the winner by a landslide, even before votes were counted), a stunned Republican Party wondered aloud if this spelled the end of the GOP. Clearly, history proved otherwise, but in 1948 it was the subject of much gnashing of teeth, weeping and soul searching on behalf of pundits and party members alike. On December of 1948, a few weeks after the stunning upset, The University of Chicago Round Table hosted a panel discussing the subject "Is the Republican Party Over?". The panel featured Senators Raymond E. Baldwin (R - Conn.) , Ralph E. Flanders (R- Vermont) and Congressman Clifford Hope (R-Kansas) . The moderator Robert Horn set the tone: Robert Horn: "I am a Republican and I am disturbed about the future of the Republican Party. After the shock of the election, I am beginning to wonder like millions of others what the future holds for the Republican Party or whether it has any future. This year marked the fifth consecutive defeat for Republican Presidential candidates. This Presidential election was the closest one since 1916. But Governor Dewey in 1948 received fewer votes than he got in 1944, although more votes were cast this year than in 1944. And Republican Congressional candidates generally ran below Dewey this year. In fact, Governor
The midterms are now less than 100 days away. They will be a crucial referendum on whether the American people want to place a check on President Donald Trump. Democrats are trying to overcome obstacles, such as gerrymandering and new voter suppression laws, and hope to ride a "blue wave" to a majority in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, they face even more of an uphill battle as only a handful of the seats that are in play are held by the GOP. There is no clearer sign that these midterms will be of historical importance than the unprecedented amounts of money being spent this year. For Americans in competitive House districts and in swing states, this will primarily mean that they will soon be once again bombarded with TV ads, phone calls, and volunteers knocking on their doors. Those who want to participate, and we urge all voters to do so, have to make sure they are registered and will be able to vote where they live. For most Americans, casting a ballot is the most direct involvement in the political process. While many may feel that their votes do not matter, WhoWhatWhy has shown that this is patently false. Many races for national office often come down to a few hundred votes and local races are much closer still. For example, the majority of Virginia's House of Delegates last year came down to a single vote in the state's 94th district. In addition, Americans need to understand that being able to cast votes remains a privilege in this world. Although the
Police were called when bearded men flying a black flag were mistaken for Islamic extremists. On October 10, a photo shoot was held for the Swedish chapter of the Bearded Villains, a pro-beard movement started in 2014 and since spreading to over 80 countries. It was the chapter in Sweden's turn to monitor the movement's flag, so the 30 or so Swedes took their pictures with the crossed-swords emblem at the ruins of Brahehus castle. But according to the Independent, someone called the police after assuming the group's beards, dark clothing and flag could only belong to members of the Islamic State. Prepared to engage terrorists, officers were relieved to find men dressed in formal attire rather than what was thought to be militant uniforms. Bearded Villains member Andreas Fransson told the Independent, After about an hour the police showed up. They told us they got a call from someone driving past on the highway, saying that there were ISIS terrorists at the ruins... We had a laugh with the police and they left. One of the men admitted the Bearded Villains' flag bears at least a partial resemblance to the Islamic State's insignia. The movement's website names its purpose as "showcasing bearded men with character." The group also sells shirts declaring their beards are not "trend[s]." The men are involved in a great deal of charity work. One member said Saturday's mistake highlights a prejudice against bearded men... ...which is one reason the members of the group always look ou
Boston Beer Company, the company that brews Sam Adams beer, is pulling it support from the South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade in Boston because the organizers will not allow a group of gay veterans to march in Sunday's parade. Talks between the parade's organizers, The South Boston Allied War Veterans, and MassEquality, a Massachusetts gay rights group, ended after the two groups failed to agree on a deal that would allow the gay veterans to march. "We won't be there," said Mass Equality executive director Kara S. Coredini. Mayor Martin J. Walsh supported the efforts of MassEquality to get a place in the parade. Mayor Walsh tried to broker a deal on Thursday, but failed again. The beer company and parade organizers had been negotiating to resolve this dispute but a statement released by the beer company on Friday suggests indicates that the state of negotiations makes it unlikely an agreement can be reached that would allow all interested groups to participate. Sam Adams had been under pressure before entering into negotiations with parade organizers. Cafe Club Cafe, one of Boston's largest gay establishments, posted a letter to its Facebook page stating it would stop offering Sam Adams products until either Sam Adams changed its mind about participating, or the organizers changed their policy. Club Cafe is a popular South End restaurant. According to a report in The Huffington Post , other gay establishments may have made similar moves in support of the veterans group.
Jeffrey Coors President, ACX Technologies A Hillsdale College trustee since 1985 and a current Hillsdale parent, Jeffrey H. Coors is president of ACX Technologies, a publicly traded industrial products manufacturing business in the fields of indistrial ceramics, paper packaging and aluminum container sheet. As a chemical engineer with a strong interest in technology, his career focused on developing these businesses under the Adolph Coors Company prior to their spin-off as ACX in 1992. His many civic responsibilities include service on the boards of such organizations as the Denver Museum of Natural History, the Adolph Coors Foundation, the Colorado Leadership Forum, the Free Congress Foundation, and the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry. He also chairs Hillsdale College's FreedomQuest sesquicentennial campaign. Preview : In this issue of Imprimis , based on a lecture delivered at the 20th annual Ludwig von Mises Lecture Series in April 1993, Hillsdale College President George Roche contrasts the brutal reality of communism with its idealistic promises and false claims about human nature. In so doing, he makes the moral case for the free market and examines how all members of society prosper when individuals are left to make their own decisions. He concludes, "Free men know what tyrants never learn, that the ultimate economic resource is the mind and energy of a free person." Throughout history, most of the world has thought of giving and self-sacrifice as a me
In the United Arab Emirates, a freshwater lake has appeared in the middle of the desert. The oasis is beautiful and full of life, and it's risen 35 feet since 2011. It's also probably accidentally man-made. Hydrologists believe the lake formed from recycled drinking water (and toilet water). The nearby city of Al Ain pumps in desalinated sea water, uses it for drinking and flushing the toilet, cleans it in a sewage treatment plant, and then re-uses it to water plants. All of that water ends up in the soil and, at the lake site, it comes back up. The water is clean, writes Ari Daniel Shapiro at NPR. Don't worry about that. Instead, the major side-effect of the lake is change, as scientists watch the desert ecosystem that used to exist on the site decline, and a new one rise to take its place. It's a great story that shows how complicated discussions about ecology can be. On the one hand, you're losing something valuable. At least in this one spot. On the other hand, you're definitely gaining something valuable, too. "With every species that we lose, it's like rolling the dice. The whole ecosystem could crash down," Howarth says. But Clark, with the U.S. Geological Survey, says he's not so worried about the desert ecosystem. He says the lake is tiny compared to the vast amount of desert in this part of the world. "If I look through the binoculars, there's, like, seven different kinds of herons. There's greater cormorants. Read the rest
Twelve rappers from the group La Insurgencia were sentenced to two years and a day of jail each for "supporting terrorism" in their lyrics. The court also ordered them to pay fines of 4,500 Euro each, and banned them from running for public office for nine years. The trial came a year after the police summoned the group to court following their street performance. Spain's Public Prosecutor claimed La Insurgencia "systematically extols" the clandestine maoist organisation First of October Anti- Fascist Resistance Groups (Grupos de Resistencia Antifascista Primero de Octubre, GRAPO) and "maintains a subversive tone against the constitutional order". During the trial, the prosecutor argued that the songs of La Insurgencia "advocate a violent method to combat a system that [the accused] consider unfair." Comparing them to jihadists, the prosecutor stated that "the defendants have a religion that is the labour union which says the exploitation of the oppressed deserves an armed struggle." The rappers argued during the trial that their lyrics were metaphors and thoughts, but the court decided that "when they mention in their lyrics one or another organization, they are aware of its terrorist connotation." The defendants said that the "highly aggressive" images which appeared in their YouTube videos were not theirs, although the court considered that they can not be separated from the activity of glorifying terrorism because rappers "knew about them and they had no intention of
Jay Z responded to the tragic police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile late Thursday evening with the release of a song titled "Spiritual." In a statement released on Tidal's Twitter, Jay revealed his intention to release the song long before Sterling and Castile's deaths. He wrote, Punch (TDE) told me I should drop it when Mike Brown died, sadly I told him, 'this issue will always be relevant' ...I'm saddened and disappointed in THIS America -- we should be further along. WE ARE NOT. Jay wished blessings upon those suffering the effects of police brutality and ended the tweet with a quote by legendary abolitionist Frederick Douglass. In the song's refrain, Jay raps, I am not poison, no I am not poison Just a boy from the hood that got my hands in the air in despair don't shoot I just wanna do good, ah The Brooklyn-born rapper's release of "Spiritual" closely followed wife Beyonce's open letter -- shared via her website -- condemning police brutality and "the war on people of color and all minorities." Bey wrote, This is a human fight. No matter your race, gender or sexual orientation. This is a gift for anyone who feels marginalized, who is struggling for freedom and human rights... Fear is not an excuse. Hate will not win. The Grammy winner included a link to allow fans, followers and concerned citizens to contact local politicians and legislators in the hope of finally putting an end to the senseless loss of valuable lives.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has sanctioned a bloody drug war that features extrajudicial killing. He called Barack Obama a "son of a whore." This week, he boasted that he murdered a man with his own hands. All that went unmentioned in public by President Donald Trump when the leaders held talks Monday in the Philippines. Reporters saw the beginning of the leaders' bilateral meeting during which Trump praised Duterte's hospitality, the organization of the summit he was hosting and even Manila's weather. Trump said nothing about human rights and both leaders ignored shouted questions about the violent drug crackdown. The two men also shared a laugh in the meeting when Duterte called reporters "spies." Later, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the 40-minute meeting focused on ISIS, illegal drugs, and trade. Human rights, she added, briefly came up in the context of the Philippines' fight against illegal drugs. She did not say if Trump was critical of the violence. That appeared to conflict with the Philippines' version of the meeting. Harry Roque, a spokesman for Duterte, said "there was no mention of human rights. There was no mention of extralegal killings. There was only a rather lengthy discussion of the Philippine war on drugs with President Duterte doing most of the explaining." Breaking with his presidential predecessors, Trump has largely abandoned publicly pressing foreign leaders on human rights, instead sh
Boy, Obamacare sure is great, isn't it? The White House has been trying to tell us that for ages, and with NPR's help, maybe we'll finally be convinced. In a recent episode of "All Things Considered," NPR's Nate Rott talked with some people who lacked health insurance before they "enrolled" in Obamacare. Amanda Shelley is one of those people : Isn't that nice. Dan Simas, deputy senior adviser for communications and strategy at the White House, couldn't wait to pimp the story: Covered on 1/1. Pain on 1/3. Confirm coverage 1/4. Surgery 1/6. Without #ACA . "Would have been bankruptcy for me." http://t.co/4MhB4TfE6F -- David Simas (@Simas44) January 16, 2014 Here's the thing, though: Amanda Shelley isn't just your everyday woman on the street. She's a dedicated cheerleader for Obama and the Democrats. How dedicated? Well, her Twitter feed, which dates back to September 2012, consists of a grand total of 31 tweets. And all but two of those tweets promote Democrats, the 2012 DNC, Dem organizations, Dem hashtags, and, of course, Barack Obama: http://twitter.com/AShelleyinAZ/status/242653175579045888 http://twitter.com/AShelleyinAZ/status/242781227013267457 http://twitter.com/AShelleyinAZ/status/242817225646546944 http://twitter.com/AShelleyinAZ/status/242999563747741696 http://twitter.com/AShelleyinAZ/status/243166794456637440 http://twitter.com/AShelleyinAZ/status/243301575777476608 http://twitter.com/AShelleyinAZ/status/243392735447486464 http://twitter.com/AShelleyinAZ/status/243
This was not their first hit. In August, the Identitarians occupied the Brandenburg Gate, in September they interrupted a radio broadcast by the RBB with Margot Kassmann and the leftist Jakob Augstein. On Saturday, a handful of members of the "anti-constitutional" movement could be seen on a balcony of the Federal Office of the Greens on the square in front of the Neuer Tor in the Mitte of Berlin, unfurling a "gift" to the party: a banner. As yellow smoke wafted from the building, the small group denounced the glaring inconsistencies of the Greens who preach feminism and women's rights but welcome large and extremely misogynist migrant groups unconditionally. The Identitarians had gained access to the balcony from the street by means of a ladder at 2.30 pm. Sympathisers shielded the climbers. As with previous actions of the right, everything seemed to be organized in detail. A police officer confirmed to the Morgenpost in the evening that the balcony occupation lasted only a few minutes. The Identitarians dissappeared as quickly from the scene as they had arrived, leaving behind only the ladder and photos documenting their action on Twitter. The identity movement started in France, but has crossed the border into Germany. It has been monitored since July 2016 by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. "We see in the 'Identity Movement' evidence of challenging certain tenets of the free democratic order," said Hans-Georg Maassen. But it was not immediatly cl
2017 has been a weird, long year, Mary Suevians--and yes, it really was only 365 days! (Unless something changes between now and January 1.) So let's take a look back at how it went, as told by The Mary Sue's most-read stories of the year, in order of popularity: (image: Wikimedia Commons) Kaila read between the lines of fired FBI Director James Comey's farewell letter, and what she found there was dripping with sass. Four times as many people read this post as the next highest on the list, which says a lot about how big this news was. -- Heather Antos (@HeatherAntos) July 28, 2017 No, the misogynist antics don't make any more sense after you click the link. (image: 20th Century Fox) We got some really good geek movies this year, huh? (image: Comedy Central) Solving systemic sexism won't be easy, but more women in charge is definitely a start. Sadie Sink later clarified that she "never objected to [it] or felt pushed into anything." (image: Women's March) The thing to keep in mind right now is hope. The reaction to Donald Trump taking office was swift, and his popularity has only waned since, no matter how much he lies about crowd sizes and denigrates protestors. This one is actually from 2016, but it was near the end of the year in October, so we're going to include it here. It's also a reminder of simpler times, before the election. A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Feb 3, 2017 at 9:51am PST Obama White House photographer Pete Souza has also been reminding us of w
The artist formerly known as Snoop Dogg has been making some major changes in his life over the last year. As he explained to Bill Maher on last week's Real Time , a trip to Jamaica altered his outlook on life, leading him to become a Rastafarian, change his name to Snoop Lion and start recording reggae music . This transformation also led Snoop to rethink he long and complicated relationship with guns. In a preview from Thursday's Piers Morgan Tonight , Snoop shared the inspiration behind a new song called "No Guns Allowed." He explained to Piers Morgan that he went through a situation where authorities raided his house, took his guns and "put my family through a whole lot of unnecessary abuse." After that, he decided he didn't need guns in his life because he was feeling "positive and peaceful." At the same, he was hearing about the recent mass shootings in the country and wanted to "make some music to try to help the next person who was thinking about loading a gun and going to a school and shooting." Morgan asked Snoop why he thinks guns have become such a big "symbol of power" in America. Snoop described how he would see guns in movies when he was little and then started to see them in real life, with people he knew getting killed. "They say it's better to be caught with, than without," he said. "But once you get older, it's better not to have one." CNN will air Morgan's full interview with Snoop Lion tonight during the 9pm ET hour. Watch video below, via CNN:
About 100 people gathered at the Round-Up Saloon to watch Hillary Clinton wipe the floor with Donal Trump in their first -- and possibly last -- debate. Trump began his performance looking very presidenty, He was serious and actually answered a question or two. Then his eye rolling began. Then his interrupting. But as Clinton gave actual answers to questions, she got under his skin. For example, she clearly laid out the reasons Trump, whom she kept calling "Donald" as if they were friends, won't release his tax returns: He's not as wealthy as he claims. His businesses have repeatedly failed. He didn't pay any taxes. Trump's response to her suggestion he didn't pay taxes wasn't a denial, but a smug suggestion that he's smart, implying those of us who actually do pay any taxes are idiots. He tried turning the tax claim on Clinton by saying he'll release his taxes when she releases her deleted emails. Clinton addressed that bluntly saying she made a mistake and learned from it. Trump ranted some more. He was rattled again when Clinton brought up the birther issue. He tried to blame her for first questioning President Barack Obama's birth place, but she handed the issue back to him calling it racist and mentioning other times he's been racist. Early in his career, he was sued by the Department of Justice for preventing African Americans from renting in Trump properties. He claimed that suit was settled without an admission of guilt. His wording was quite interesting. He never sai
What do we do if we are increasingly willing to ignore "facts?" According to Jeff Rivers, "we'll end up in real trouble." Writing for ESPN's The Undefeated blog , Rivers writes that when it comes to public policy "we too often allow ideology and political maneuvering to render facts moot, especially when those facts support inconvenient truths such as global climate change." Rivers is starting from a leftist's predisposition and imposing his worldview on others as so-called "facts." Though he tries to come across as a reasonable man of the middle, it's clear Rivers is in league with the left-stream media and the policy preferences of Barack Obama and the Democrats. Their views on climate, energy and other topics are based on agenda-driven ideology and not on science. Claims of shrinking polar caps, declining polar bear populations and others are myths masquerading as facts , themselves "political maneuvering." Rivers continues: "And morality, if it is acknowledged at all, is presumed to be the province of specific parties or ideologies, instead of governing our thinking, decisions and actions. From public education to health care, we focus more on the politics of changing public policy than the efficacy and morality of making the changes." <<< Please support MRC's NewsBusters team with a tax-deductible contribution today. >>> Whose politics and whose morality? Again he won't acknowledge this, but his leftist leanings give him away. His morality is not everyone's morality
By Vacy Vlazna "Everything depends on our propelling force. And what is that force? The misery of the Jews" (Theodor Herzl , father of Zionism) "If you combine three elements: the idea that we are right, with the notion that we're the victim, and with our great military power," [Halper] says, you have a lethal combination. "It's like being autistic with power. You don't care about other people because you've cast the others as the aggressors. (EI 30-3-03) With regard to Israel's occupation of Palestine, decent people scratch their heads and ask, "Why do the Israelis behave like Nazis to the Palestinians?' or 'Why, having suffered the Holocaust, do Israelis make Palestinian's suffer?" They are important questions, and the answer is shocking and distressing. Speaking personally, this puzzled me. My parents lived under Nazi occupation in then-Czechoslovakia and were Jewish sympathizers so I was enlightened on the evils of Nazism including the Lidice atrocity. When I was 16, I read the The Belsen Trial detailing the horrors of the holocaust in one concentration camp and in my twenties fell under the propaganda spell Uris' Exodus. Then as an activist for Palestinian human and political rights, I was bewildered by the Israeli record of Nazi-like persecution of Palestinians until... .. until I attended a talk by Avigail Abarbanel, former Israeli soldier and now activist for Palestinian rights, who shared with us the state-induced compulsory trauma and victimhood, which is, sadly,
Addressing Iran, Israeli Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz has said that US sanctions on Iran are just the beginning, Shehab.ps reported yesterday. In the wake of popular protests against the deteriorating economic situation in Iran , Katz said: "The Central market in Tehran shut down and the economy is shaking." He added: "They act like the rich, however, their pockets are empty." US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal signed with Iran in 2015 and reinstated economic sanctions. Later on, Washington called for a new deal with new conditions, stating that Iran must disclose its nuclear programme to the International Atomic Energy Agency, stop depleting uranium and close all its thick water reactors. Iran, according to Washington, must stop developing ballistic weapons, stop supporting Hezbollah and the Houthis, withdraw its forces from Syria, stop threatening it will eradicate Israel and stop all cyber attacks. Iran Nuclear Deal or Trump protecting Israel - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor] This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License . If the image(s) bear our credit, this license also applies to them. What does that mean? For permissions beyond the scope of this license, please contact us . Spotted an error on this page? Let us know
The number of American people living in poverty has soared to record-high levels, with African Americans suffering the bulk of the economic hardship in the U.S., reports say. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an astonishing 47 million Americans out of a population of about 310 million live in poverty in the Unites States, a number equivalent to one out of every seven people, a Press TV correspondent in Washington reported on Saturday. Statistics indicate that poverty rates for African-Americans and Latinos are close to three times that of White Americans. African Americans suffered disproportionally during the recession with unemployment rates in that community reaching near depression levels. According to the latest U.S. Labor Department figures, overall jobless rates across the U.S. fell to a better-than-expected 8.8 percent in March, but the unemployment rate for black teenagers, for instance, stood at 50 percent -- more than double the national jobless average for all teenagers. In January, figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau stated that one in five children in the United States live in poverty, with almost half of them living in extreme poverty. The vast disproportion in poverty rates between African Americans and whites as well as the spike in poverty rates among American children have raised serious doubts over the efficacy of the social programs under the administration of President Barack Obama. "We would certainly be concerned that the demographic populati
In a revelation that will be shocking proof to at least 12 or 13 wingnuts who were genuinely undecided on the question, we learn that Barack Obama has to be a Muslim because on Christmas, he totally attended a mosque in Washington DC instead of celebrating the Sacred Baby Festival like a real American. This revelation comes from rightwing darling Kamal Saleem, a fake ex-jihadist who is popular with some fundagelicals because he claims to have converted from being a radical Islamic terrist to doing Jihad for Jebus instead. On fundy wingnut Rick Wiles's "Trunews" podcasty thing Friday, Saleem contrasted what normal Christmas-Americans do on December 25 -- which is the actual birthday of Jesus -- with what Barack Obama does: "We see him on Christmas, he goes to the mosque, on Christmas Day he's in a mosque in Washington D.C. taking his shoes off to celebrate that day on Christmas Day in a Washington D.C. mosque." Also, mosque. Christmas Day. In a mosque. On Christmas Day. With the bowing and the Mecca and the terrorist fist bumps on a Muslim prayer rug, which the president then gave to an ISIS fighter to drop near the Mexican border. Ever the party poopers, Right Wing Watch pedantically explains: In every year of his presidency -- 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 -- Obama and his family were in his home state of Hawaii during Christmas. But perhaps Obama actually spent Christmas surreptitiously flying from Hawaii to Washington to secretly attend a mosque and managed to do so with
BY: Haris Alic Follow @realHarisAlic January 30, 2018 11:55 am Senate Democrats from states that Donald Trump won in 2016 were vital on Monday in blocking a bill, supported by the president, that would ban abortion after the mother reaches 20 weeks of pregnancy. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, introduced by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), sought to make it illegal for a person to perform, or attempt to perform, an abortion after 20 weeks, punishing those in violation with a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. The bill had broad-based support in the Senate Republican conference, garnering 46 GOP co-sponsors. The House version of the bill passed 237-189 in October. But when the motion to advance the Senate version came up for a vote on Monday, it failed despite a 51-to-46 majority, not reaching the 60-vote threshold to overcome the filibuster blocking the bill's passage. Democrats from red states and swing states that Trump won in 2016 provided the nine votes needed to ensure the measure did not advance through the Senate. Senate vote on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act / Screenshot Democratic Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Doug Jones (Ala.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), and Jon Tester (Mont.) all represent safe red states and voted against the legislation. Each lawmaker is up for reelection this year, except for Jones--a newly minted senator who represents a state, Alabama, that voted for Trump over Hillary Clinton by about 28 percentage point
This past August, Curt Schilling tweeted out a meme comparing Muslim extremists to Nazis . He later apologized, but it wasn't enough to pacify the powers that be at ESPN. Schilling was yanked from the network for the remainder of this year. August 25: "ESPN suspends Curt Schilling for comparing radical Muslims to Nazis" https://t.co/vCqMlthqjp https://t.co/qmdVX9WEIv -- Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) October 27, 2015 We can't help but wonder, then, if ESPN will take similar action with "Pardon the Interruption" co-host Tony Kornheiser, who suggested that the Tea Party might have a kindred spirit in ISIS: I would think Kornheiser and @howardfineman would be embarrassed by this exchange, but I know better. https://t.co/nvXXjxnRsB -- David Rutz (@DavidRutz) October 27, 2015 Pretty inflammatory stuff, isn't it, ESPN? The left can go to hell. https://t.co/bUu3OhuzWV pic.twitter.com/nN8x96WqKN -- Countermoonbat (@CounterMoonbat) October 27, 2015 This. What in the world is this? RT @KenShepherd : Tony Kornheiser Sees the Tea Party as Being Like ISIS https://t.co/ELJ0DIW5cp -- Jimmie (@jimmiebjr) October 27, 2015 @espn Are you going to suspend Tony Kornheiser for his comparison of ISIS to Conservatives in Congress or are you a bunch of hypocrites? -- Daniel Snyder (@danmsnyder) October 27, 2015 Has @espn suspended Kornheiser yet, or will they prove yet again what lily-livered lunatic leftists they truly are? -- Smitty Smith (@FLRightWinger) October 27, 2015 What Kornheiser said was WA
Fox Nation Uses Names Of Two Fox News Personalities To Promote "Virtual March For Life" Reported by Priscilla - January 23, 2010 - If there's any doubt about Fox Nation being anti-choice, look no further than the promotion, on Fox Nation, for the "Virtual March For Life." The Fox Nation headline is "Will You Join Palin and Huckabee at Virtual March for Life?" This "virtual march" was an opportunity for those anti-choicers, who couldn't march in the Washington DC annual anti-choice "March for Life," to create "avatars" of themselves in order to join avatars of radical right wing, anti-choicers like Fox News' Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin. There were other avatars marching, including Joe the Plumber and a number of right wing Republican, anti-choice politicians. The avatars, though, are strange and look much younger than the real people; but in the virtual reality of the radical right, it's all good. Thing is, though, that the march was yesterday; but the thread is still on the lede. Wonder if Fox Nation will devote a thread to the annual pro-choice march? Do check out the "avatars" below the fold (courtesy "Right Wing Watch"). I don't think James Cameron has anything to worry about. You can find more, here . Which one is your favorite?
A new report published in the journal Nature Climate Change suggests that the goal set out by the Paris agreement is one we're unlikely to hit. The agreement aims to limit overall warming of the Earth by less than 2 degrees Celsius. But based on recent carbon emissions data, the report's author writes that there is only about a 5 percent chance of us hitting that goal. The Paris agreement was signed by 196 countries, 156 of which have ratified it, with the goal of setting it into motion beginning in the year 2020. Though the U.S. signed the accord under President Barack Obama, President Trump pulled out on June 1, 2017, in a move that was globally controversial and widely considered to be a massive blow to the agreement. Several U.S. states have committed to honoring the rules of the accord separately. The report suggests that population is not a major factor in the equation, and the model was produced taking into account efforts which are already underway to cut carbon emissions. It concludes that the "likely range of global temperature increase is 2.0-4.9 degC" by the year 2100.
Kathryn Moody : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? Manuel Schiffres Mutual Fund Rankings, 2014 Meghan Streit : Pitching In When Caregivers Need Help Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D.N., F.A.N.D : How to prevent a second (and first) heart attack thru diet The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington : Caprese is a light, fresh salad; the perfect quick and easy accompaniment to any summer meal Mark Steyn : You Want Nazis? Jonathan Tobin : Care about the Jewish state's future? Obama, in interview, reveals even more reasons to worry Alan M. Dershowitz : Confirmed: Needless death and destruction in Gaza Katie Nielsen : As a mother, I'm all I need to be Cameron Huddleston : 18 Retailers That Offer Price Adjustments Nellie S. Huang : The Best Health Mutual Funds to Buy Now Brierly Wright, M.S., R.D. : Try these 'secret-weapon' foods to boost your changes of losing weight The Kosher Gourmet by Jessica Yadegaran : Take some relish in pickled goodies (5 recipes!) Kimberly Lankford : 50 Ways to Cut Your Health Care Costs James K. Glassman : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? The Kosher Gourmet by Nick Malgieri : Chocolate molten delight with creme anglaise is a simple yet elegant make-ahead dessert Draylen Mason, the 17-year-old musician killed by the Austin bomber, had a light about him "like a Rembrandt painting." It was late afternoon when I heard that coming over the TV as I was walking through the kitchen. And I had to stop and listen, transfixed.
The progressive city of Seattle pushed its minimum wage up to $15 dollars an hour but a new study from economists at the University of Washington suggests the measure is hurting the very people it was intended to help. This is an issue the left often refuses to understand. If you force a higher wage than the market demands, employers are forced to adjust in ways that are less favorable. Ben Casselman and Kathryn Casteel report at FiveThirtyEight : Seattle's Minimum Wage Hike May Have Gone Too Far As cities across the country pushed their minimum wages to untested heights in recent years, some economists began to ask: How high is too high? Seattle, with its highest-in-the-country minimum wage, may have hit that limit. In January 2016, Seattle's minimum wage jumped from $11 an hour to $13 for large employers, the second big increase in less than a year. New research released Monday by a team of economists at the University of Washington suggests the wage hike may have come at a significant cost: The increase led to steep declines in employment for low-wage workers, and a drop in hours for those who kept their jobs. Crucially, the negative impact of lost jobs and hours more than offset the benefits of higher wages -- on average, low-wage workers earned $125 per month less because of the higher wage, a small but significant decline. "The goal of this policy was to deliver higher incomes to people who were struggling to make ends meet in the city," said Jacob Vigdor, a University
This story has been updated. As the gay marriage debate continues to heat up, prominent Republicans -- and some surprising names at that -- are emerging to voice their support for same-sex unions. Following a blistering loss in the 2012 presidential election, discussion about social issues, particularly gay rights, has emerged as a potentially-problematic area for right-of-center politicians. And in an era colored by increasing support for homosexual marriage, the pressure is mounting. This week, more than 80 prominent Republicans, including top advisers to President George W. Bush, four former governors and two members of Congress signed a legal brief that proclaims gay people have the right to marry under the U.S. Constitution. The document will be submitted to the Supreme Court this week, where it is purportedly intended to add to the voices that will be heard during two upcoming gay rights cases, The New York Times reports . Photo Credit: AP Next month, the High Court will hear a battle over Proposition 8, California's controversial law banning same-sex unions. Additionally, a separate case concerning the Defense of Marriage Act will be argued. The legal brief could have an impact on conservative justices who support traditional marriage, but who are also sympathetic to gay marriage arguments surrounding equal rights. Many of the names on the document argue that legalizing same-sex unions advances conservative values by expanding personal freedom and supporting family
Wait a minute, hang on a minute ! I've just got to strap this cilice onto my left thigh..... ...crikey, those spikes really make your eyes water! It's a bit of a homemade job I know, but as I don't have one of James Cameron's sun-bed contraptions for uploading my consciousness into my Pope avatar, it's the only way to simulate walking a mile in his pretty red (Devil Wears) Prada you- shall -go-to-the-ball loafers, something you left-leaning libertines who are so fond of lambasting his every word and deed might consider once in a while. For unlike you, the Eminence formerly known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope # 265, Benedict XVI, Bishop of Rome, head of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of the Vatican City State, is charged with the pastoral care of the souls of over a billion Catholics. It is to Him they look for moral and spiritual guidance through this vale of tears we call the modern (or even the post-modern) world, not you! So when "the green Pope" chides world leaders for bungling a global climate treaty in Copenhagen and the very next day the Vatican newspaper and radio station denounce the most popular film ever, the $2 billion+ Avatar , for promoting trendy modern credos that substitute religion and God with Nature-worship, 2 billion ears should prick up. According to Vatican Radio , which one would imagine reflects the Pope's views, the film "cleverly winks at all those pseudo-doctrines that turn ecology into the religion of the millennium," so that "nature
By Hasan Abu Nimah 25 February, 2010 The Electronic Intifada Some of the agents suspected of involvement in the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai. (Dubai Police) T he assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a Hamas official in Dubai, almost certainly by a death squad dispatched by Israel's Mossad, is by no means the first such aggression against the sovereignty of another state. While Israel has literally gotten away with murder thousands of times, was this one killing too far? Israel has a long, bloody history of murder, sabotage and outright terrorism all over Europe, in Beirut, Tunis, Amman, Damascus and now Dubai. And that is just what we know about. All of this is allegedly in "self-defense" against "terrorism" even though the Zionist movement in Palestine invented the sort of modern terrorism for which the Middle East became known. It started with countless Zionist bomb attacks on Palestinian civilians from the 1930s, often in markets and cafes, the bombing of the King David and Semiramis hotels in Jerusalem in the 1940s claiming dozens of innocent lives, and the murder of UN mediator Count Folke Bernadotte. These crimes, on top of the long history of massacres of Palestinians, Lebanese and other Arabs over the past six decades, were all worn as badges of honor by Zionist leaders including Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir who later became prime ministers. Current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who according to reports personally approved the killing
The news media around the world is abuzz over the results of Ireland's recent marriage referendum. In the world's first popular vote on gay marriage, voters said "yes" to marriage equality, by a resounding 62 percent to 38 percent. Much of the coverage has been understandably upbeat -- stories of emigrant Irish citizens (many of them economic exiles from the 2008 crash) racing back home to vote, of prominent public figures coming out as gay in the run-up to the referendum, of independent-minded clergy breaking ranks to support the Yes campaign. Not least surprising is that all this should happen in Catholic Ireland, a country that only legalized homosexuality in 1993, has yet to properly legalize abortion, and where, as late as 1979, it was impossible to buy contraception legally. No major party in the Dail, the Irish parliament, advocated a "no" vote; for many in Ireland, the referendum has been yet another sign that the power and institutional authority of the Catholic Church continues its downward spiral. There is obviously much for Irish citizens, and for those who support equality globally, to be pleased about. That the No side was populated by some of the most retrograde elements of Irish public life (David Quinn's Catholic fundamentalist astroturf group, the Iona Institute, and perpetually outraged hard-right columnists like Breda O'Brien , Kevin Myers, and John Waters ) could only add to the euphoria. Little wonder, then, that Ireland's ruling politicians are basking
This content is viewer supported, Support Acronym TV today | The Resistance Report is produced in conjunction with Popular Resistance.org Reflecting on the death of Nelson Mandela, Jerome Ross, writing at Roar magazine states: "The only appropriate way to honor the legacy of the iconic freedom fighter is not to beatify the man but to take his struggle to its logical conclusion." The finality of death, combined with the human need for a neat linear narrative, will work against placing Mandela's impact on a continuum. For, while it may be true that the arc of the moral universe is long, but bends towards justice -- that bending is still not happening for too many in South Africa, and the world over. Additional Stories covered in Resistance Report #14 - Advertisement - Does A Globally Renowned Activist Have Ties To Global Intel Firm STRATFOR? An interview with Carl Gibson, the co-founder of US UNCUT and co-author of the recently published story on Occupy.com that claims that a globally renowned activist whose claim to fame includes being one of the architects of the movement that overthrew Slobodan Milosevic has been collaborating with the intelligence firm Stratfor. Gibson and co-author Steve Horn's conclusions are not without their critics. Andy Bichlbaum of the Yes Men authored a scathing rebuttal that labeled Horn and Gibson Yellow Journalists. The Fight For 15 Fast Food workers walked off their jobs in over 100 cities on Thursday , demanding a living wage. The actions were
Author's note: Though this was originally published in late July 2017 , and was itself built upon previous editions published in March 2017 , November 2016 (pre-election), and July 2016 , even today this analysis is terribly relevant to current development, as the major news outlets still continue to focus on White House palace intrigue and/or fail to place developments in a larger context or give them sufficient attention before moving onto what often amount to be distractions or discussions of Tweets or simply a repeat of the aforementioned. One thing is certain: while the media and politicians fail to see the bigger picture, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is not making the same mistake, as revelation after revelation about the activities of the Special Counsel's Office vindicate the deeply prescient analysis presented below. -March 15th, 2018 Perhaps the main problem with coverage of Trump's Russia ties is that many of the various actors' less salient ties to each other are missed, with much time and complexity often separating these (sub-)connections that greatly increase the level of Team Trump's incrimination, redefining how this entire scandal needs to be discussed and understood. Sometimes seeing the bigger picture requires enough steps back to realize there are parts you didn't even know were there, and in an age of 140-character Tweets, information overload, fake news, short attention spans, and a frequency and scale of scandals unheard of in the history of Western
Whether same-sex marriage is a good idea should be of no concern to us. Under the Constitution, judges have power to say what the law is, not what it should be. The people who ratified the Constitution authorized courts to exercise neither force nor will but merely judgment. Roberts: What about the Aztecs? As a result, the Court invalidates the marriage laws of more than half the States and orders the transformation of a social institution that has formed the basis of human society for millennia, for the Kalahari Bushmen and the Han Chinese, the Carthaginians and the Aztecs. Just who do we think we are? Scalia: The majority is trying to overthrow the government, similar to the Nazis in Germany. But what really astounds is the hubris reflected in todays judicial Putsch. The five Justices who compose todays majority are entirely comfortable concluding that every State violated the Constitution for all of the 135 years between the Fourteenth Amendments ratification and Massachusetts permitting of same-sex marriages in 2003. Thomas: Gay people are fine without government recognition, just like slaves. The corollary of that principle is that human dignity cannot be taken away by the government. Slaves did not lose their dignity (any more than they lost their humanity) because the government allowed them to be enslaved. Those held in internment camps did not lose their dignity because the government confined them. And those denied governmental benefits certainly do not lose their d
Monday, October 5, 2009 (1 comments) Just Say "NO" Mass Non-Compliance as a Means to Ending Tyranny Around the world police states are becoming the dominant form of government. Even citizens from countries trained to perceive themselves as free are fast becoming aware that they are living under an ever enlarging fascist central government. Thursday, July 23, 2009 (1 comments) Cashless Society, Coming Soon to a Store Near You! The agenda to eliminate cash is real and it's coming to a store near you. The perils of a cashless society make the valueless currency system we have now appear a panacea. Already many must pay extra fees in order to pay their bills in cash. The day is not so far off when even going to the store for a soda will be an entirely electronic transaction. There will be no buying and selling permitted that is not electronic. Tuesday, May 5, 2009 (12 comments) Corporate Swine Project Significant Profits for Toxic Flu Vaccines Disease is big business and pharmaceutical corporations are cashing in on the destruction of health worldwide. Akin to their sinister forbearers at IG Farben, who were convicted of crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg Trails, today's pharmaceutical corporations are now perpetuating genocide on a global scale. Friday, April 17, 2009 Worldwide Slavery The abolition of slavery world wide is far from complete. Despite international and domestic laws against the practice of slavery, there are now some twenty-seven million
Kathryn Moody : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? Manuel Schiffres Mutual Fund Rankings, 2014 Meghan Streit : Pitching In When Caregivers Need Help Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D.N., F.A.N.D : How to prevent a second (and first) heart attack thru diet The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington : Caprese is a light, fresh salad; the perfect quick and easy accompaniment to any summer meal Mark Steyn : You Want Nazis? Jonathan Tobin : Care about the Jewish state's future? Obama, in interview, reveals even more reasons to worry Alan M. Dershowitz : Confirmed: Needless death and destruction in Gaza Katie Nielsen : As a mother, I'm all I need to be Cameron Huddleston : 18 Retailers That Offer Price Adjustments Nellie S. Huang : The Best Health Mutual Funds to Buy Now Brierly Wright, M.S., R.D. : Try these 'secret-weapon' foods to boost your changes of losing weight The Kosher Gourmet by Jessica Yadegaran : Take some relish in pickled goodies (5 recipes!) Kimberly Lankford : 50 Ways to Cut Your Health Care Costs James K. Glassman : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? The Kosher Gourmet by Nick Malgieri : Chocolate molten delight with creme anglaise is a simple yet elegant make-ahead dessert History teaches us that during war and international crises, just when things were looking most grim, they were oftentimes already getting better. Consider the dark days of World War II. Seventy-five years ago, 1942 started out as an awful year. The United St
If you haven't heard about Black Bobby , now its time to pay attention. This Harvard grad and D.C. transplant is doing some pretty amazing stuff. He gave up the corporate life in New England and moved down to Miami to pursue a music career. Why Miami? Who the hell knows and who cares. If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters. You have successfully signed up for your selected newsletter(s) - please keep an eye on your mailbox, we're movin' in! Well, in honor of 4/20, Bobby's admittedly "favorite holiday," he'll be releasing Major Blazer , his latest single which in the title track he raps over Major Lazer's club hit "Pon de Floor." How did he come about turning the Diplo/Switch disco dancehall track into his own? "I started learning about electro songs through Lolo [Reskin] and Jason [Jimenez] at Sweat Records," Bobby explains. "I heard a remix of Major Lazer's 'Pon de Floor' and was instantly drawn to the music. I've heard that beat in downtown clubs before without knowing what the song was. Every time I've heard it, these Miami girls were going crazy to it. So, I put my voice on it. I guess I pander to women." The singe, which will be available for download for free, will also feature the track "Exhibit DMV," in which he raps over Jay Electronica's "Exhibit A" beat. Both tracks will be featured in his upcoming mixtape Black Bobby's Negro Dialect which drops in May, so watch out for that. In the meantime, you can catch Black Bobby performing both
A number of foreign ambassadors and diplomats in Islamabad and a number of Pakistani officials were present at the Iranian Embassy to sign the memorial service guest book and express condolences and sympathy to the Iranian government and nation over the martyrdom of ten Iranian border guards by Takfiri militants on April 26 in a cross-border attack on the frontier with Pakistan at Mirjaveh in Sistan-Baluchestan province. A terrorist group calling itself Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. Following the attack, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addressed the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a message to express his deepest concern and regret over the repeat of terrorist attacks launched from Pakistan inside the Iranian territory, calling on the Pakistani government to order the prosecution of the perpetrators of the attack to preserve and promote the good and friendly ties between the two countries.
NEW YORK (AP) -- The "meowdels" wore couture and the crowd was cat-tastic at The Algonquin Hotel's annual feline fashion show, presided over by the historic Times Square establishment's 12th resident cat, a ginger boy with a theatrical name, Hamlet VIII. Thursday's theme for the catwalk and lobby party, with some human attendees in cat-ear headbands and feline-adorned finery, was "The Purring '20s." That's the era that Dorothy Parker, George S. Kaufman, Alexander Woollcott and other writers, critics, actors and all-around wits first sat around the hotel's famed Round Table. Hamlet VIII made his party debut this year, perched in his treehouse at the front desk, strutting for guests in a sparkly silver bow tie as about 150 human partiers munched on hors d'oeuvres and sipped wine. Their camera phones were at the ready as four-legged models were held by their owners for a red carpet walk, including a tiny cutie just a month old, a black rescue named Frank Sinatra. His bespoke ensemble included a puffy red newsboy hat. The event is a fundraiser for the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, which helps support more than 150 animal shelters and rescues in New York. Organizers said more than $10,000 was expected to be raised, fueled in part by $75-a-pop ticket sales and a silent auction. As for the fashion, it came courtesy of "certified" pet fashion designer Ada Nieves. Leather? Absolutely not, she told The Associated Press in a pre-show interview. There were Art Deco touches in cryst
New Law in Israel Sparks Backlash from Arab Minority Group OAN Newsroom UPDATED 7:55 AM PT -- Fri. Aug. 3, 2018 A new law in Israel is sparking fury and protests among religious minority group in the country. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walked out of a meeting with Druze leaders Thursday, following the backlash from a newly imposed nation-state law. He was in the meeting to negotiate whether a separate law would be used to protect the religious minority or to add an amendment to the Jewish nation-state law. Israelis hold a banner showing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest against the Israel Jewish nation bill, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, July 30, 2018. Last week Israel's parliament approved a controversial piece of legislation that defines the country as the nation-state of the Jewish people. Opponents and rights groups have criticized the legislation, warning that it will sideline minorities such as the country's Arabs. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) The Druze are the most integrated minority in Israel, but the controversial law has provoked anger and fear. "We see it as a discriminatory law which doesn't give expression to our citizenship, doesn't give expression to our sense of belonging," stated Rafik Halabi, head of the local Israeli-Druze Council. "We told the prime minister unequivocally - we want civilian equality for all residents, we won't be able to live in a state where part of its population, especially such a loyal and good population, fe
Kathryn Moody : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? Manuel Schiffres Mutual Fund Rankings, 2014 Meghan Streit : Pitching In When Caregivers Need Help Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D.N., F.A.N.D : How to prevent a second (and first) heart attack thru diet The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington : Caprese is a light, fresh salad; the perfect quick and easy accompaniment to any summer meal Mark Steyn : You Want Nazis? Jonathan Tobin : Care about the Jewish state's future? Obama, in interview, reveals even more reasons to worry Alan M. Dershowitz : Confirmed: Needless death and destruction in Gaza Katie Nielsen : As a mother, I'm all I need to be Cameron Huddleston : 18 Retailers That Offer Price Adjustments Nellie S. Huang : The Best Health Mutual Funds to Buy Now Brierly Wright, M.S., R.D. : Try these 'secret-weapon' foods to boost your changes of losing weight The Kosher Gourmet by Jessica Yadegaran : Take some relish in pickled goodies (5 recipes!) Kimberly Lankford : 50 Ways to Cut Your Health Care Costs James K. Glassman : Investors, Are You Ready for the Next Global Crisis? The Kosher Gourmet by Nick Malgieri : Chocolate molten delight with creme anglaise is a simple yet elegant make-ahead dessert Barack Obama can't help being who he is. He knows the words but he doesn't hear the music of America. Some of us hear it, and some of us don't. Mr. Obama doesn't want to be a wartime leader Washington at Valley Forge, Lincoln at Fort Sumter, Roosevelt at Pea
Chicagoans is a first-person account from off the beaten track, as told to Anne Ford. This week's Chicagoan is Ryan Shannon, 30, veteran and Warrior Games athlete. " I never really had the military bug. I was in college when the Northern Illinois University shooting happened, and I read about how one man died saving his girlfriend's life. I started reevaluating my life, based off his story. I was like, "I gotta go do something bigger than me." I thought, "You know what, I'm going to be the first person in my family to be in the military." It was exactly the right choice. You grow up real quick in the military. I joined the navy, and I was stationed on a submarine for six of my nine years. I was a radio man. But I had this three-year span of bad luck. We were in New Hampshire, getting the submarine retrofitted. A worker wanted to go home early, so he lit a rag on fire and threw it in a hazmat locker, and all that stuff went up in flames. We fought that fire for ten and a half hours. Anything related to fire now--the smells, the sounds--they trigger that night, and I have nightmares. Then when we left New Hampshire, we had a fire drill. The alarm went off while we were sleeping. A buddy of mine was in his [bunk], the third rack up. He jumped down, and both of his heels hit me where your neck meets the base of your skull. It knocked my head between my legs and bounced my face off the floor. Now, I'm six foot six and I chose to be on a submarine, so stitches in the head weren't u
Un menteur est toujours prodigue de serments. A liar is always lavish of oaths. Pierre Corneille The migrant refugee crisis taking place in Europe is filled with scenes of irony and poetic justice, as European countries smeared in Syria's blood are forced to take a bite of the destabilization they encouraged in Syria. The Syrian rebels' dream of a stone age Syria that cannot resist against foreign wars and oppression has been made a reality in some devastated regions of the country Years of "chemical weapons" lies and calls for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to resign have failed to damage the man. One by one, the people telling these lies have gradually found themselves politically wrecked and themselves forced to resign, going into the history books as losers before they could harm Assad. In trying to set fire to Syria for its resistance to the criminal and illegitimate terrorist campaign by Turkey against its sovereignty, so-called western countries have managed only to set themselves on fire. Ultimately, leaders proved to be as incompetent as the illiterate terrorists and dunces they were training and arming to rule a the new stone age "Syria after Assad". The current so-called crisis of migrant refugees shaking Europe today is but the latest manifestation of blowback against European and American politicians who appear now to be on the brink of self-defeat due to their aggression. Despite their deliberate perpetuation of the conflict and the current stream of refugees who
Separating children from their parents, as Donald Trump, Jeff Sessions and their Myrmidons are doing, is monstrous and has been characteristic of the biggest dictators of the modern era. Here are a few cases, in case you don't believe me: 1. Joseph Stalin's police used to designate some Soviet citizens as "enemies of the people" and then would take their children from those families. Some so designated who had their families confiscated were Jews. 2. Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the 1970s and 1980s: Every family that lived in the cities was forced by Khmer Rouge soldiers to work in the fields in the countryside. This was the time in which husbands and wives, mothers, fathers and their children, and brothers and sisters were all separated from each other. 3. Under Spanish dictator Francisco Franco , Catholic hospitals were encouraged to steal babies from leftist families at the hospital, telling the parents they were stillborn, and then to give the infants to right-wing families to raise. 4. Saddam Hussein , the Iraqi dictator, expelled tens of thousands of Iraqis of Iranian heritage. In some instances, Saddam kept the children but expelled the parents. 5. The Myanmar military junta has separated Muslim children from their families, as part of the ongoing attempt by the Buddhists to expel the Muslims. 6 And, yes, Hitler separated children from their families on a large scale. In some instances, he had children with blonde hair and blue eyes born into "Slavic" fa
LONDON, England (CNN) -- The daughter of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has been axed by a BBC television show after she made an offensive "off-air" remark, the corporation has confirmed. Margaret Thatcher (left) and her daughter Carol Thatcher in Southampton, England in June 2008 According to reports in the British media, Carol Thatcher referred to a tennis player as a "golliwog" back stage during the filming of The One Show last Thursday. The remark was made about a male tennis player taking part in the Australian Open tournament in Melbourne. The term is an offensive word for black people used in several countries. She was immediately challenged about her gaffe but dismissed it as a "joke." The BBC said it considered "any language of a racist nature wholly unacceptable," before adding that it had hoped Thatcher, 55, would issue an unconditional apology but she had declined to do so. The remark is thought to have upset a number of people on the show, with one BBC spokesman quoted by The Times newspaper as saying: "We will no longer be working with Carol Thatcher on The One Show." However, the corporation said on its Web site that she would not be banned from the BBC as a whole. Thatcher's agent is now demanding an apology from the BBC, the corporation reported Wednesday. Meanwhile, Thatcher's spokesman told The Times Wednesday that she made the remark in a conversation with the show's presenter Adrian Chiles back stage. "Carol never intended any racist comm
An exclusive Restoration PAC ad obtained by Breitbart News details how Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) "fakes Montana values around election time," while rancher and state auditor Matt Rosendale "lives them every day." Montana state auditor Matt Rosendale hopes to defeat Sen. Jon Tester in the 2018 Senate midterm election in Montana. The voice-over in the ad declares, "In Montana, you have a choice. Someone who fakes Montana values around election time or someone who lives them every day. Matt Rosendale is the real deal." The ad continues: Unlike Jon Tester, [Rosendale] believes you deserve to keep more of your hard-earned money. And unlike Tester, Matt believes it's wrong to hand over $1.7 billion to the number one state sponsor of terror. Keep it real, Montana. Send Matt Rosendale to the U.S. Senate. Restoration PAC is responsible for the content of this advertising. The ad, titled "Every Day," highlights Rosendale's support for President Donald Trump's America First agenda; Rosendale remains opposed to the nuclear deal with Iran, whereas Sen. Tester supports the deal. The ad buy is for $500,000 and will broadcast on cable in Montana statewide: Doug Truax, the founder and president of Restoration PAC, as well as an Army veteran, said in a statement Thursday: Matt Rosendale will represent real Montana values in the United States Senate every day instead of only faking them when election time comes, like Sen. Jon Tester. Whether it's his support for the dangerous nuclear deal with Ira
Anti-LGBT teachings have driven many away from fundamentalist churches, helping to fuel increase in those with no religious affiliation A new poll by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reveals that a record number of Americans (19.3 percent) have abandoned faith and now consider themselves unaffiliated with any particular religion. According to USA Today: "This group called 'Nones,' is now the nation's second-largest category after Catholics, and outnumbers the top protestant denomination, the Southern Baptists. The shift is a significant cultural, religious and even political change. ... Today, the Nones have leapt from 15.3 percent of U.S. adults in 2007. One in three (32 percent) are under age 30 and unlikely to age into claiming religion, says Pew senior researcher Greg Smith. The new study points out that today's Millennials are more unaffiliated than any young generation ever had been when they were younger." If you want to understand the reasons behind this trend, take a moment to read a disturbing letter that Twin Cities Catholic Archbishop John Nienstedt sent to the mother of a gay son. In it, the holy man told the mother that her "eternal salvation" might depend on whether or not she embraced the anti-gay teachings of the Catholic Church, thus rejecting her own child. Talk about family values! Such a callous admonition might have worked in the past when people had little education. It may have resonated in bygone eras where gays and lesbians were invisible an
Elaborating on his strong words about Judge Sotomayor's hearing performance, Georgetown law professor Louis Michael Seidman writes: I want to elaborate on some of the (perhaps intemperate) comments I made last night. There's no denying that Republicans on the committee put Judge Sotomayor in a difficult moral position, and I need not elaborate on their own culpability for doing so. Either Judge Sotomayor had to misrepresent what she knows judges (all judges, conservative and liberal) do in hard cases, or she had to risk defeat. I'm willing to concede that this is not an easy choice, but I nonetheless think that she made a serious mistake. To his tremendous credit, President Obama has made an effort in his public statements to shift the official ideology of judging so that it has some contact with reality. Yesterday, Judge Sotomayor explicitly repudiated the President. Here are some of the consequences of this kind of unilateral disarmament: 1. It means that the only people who end up on the Supreme Court are either naifs or cynics. 2. It means that every official act that a justice takes deepens the corrosive cognitive dissonance between what she pretends to do and what she actually does. This kind of deep hypocrisy imposes psychic costs that, at some point, are bound to have an effect on decision-making. 3. Anyone who knows anything about law knows that the official version is a lie, but many Americans don't know anything about law. To them, the official version sounds plaus
For the first time since 2009, President Barack Obama was the keynote speaker at tonight's Human Rights Campaign national dinner in Washington, DC. He will be addressing the LGBT rights group on the movement and, unlike two years ago, he has one major achievement to show them under his belt: that he kept his promise to get rid of Don't Ask Don't Tell he made during his last keynote. Addressing the civil rights organization, the President put on the table several issues of great importance to the HRC, a longtime advocate of same-sex marriage, equal employment rights for LGBT couples, the ability to serve in various military capacities and other significant points. Lauding the end of Don't Ask Don't Tell, the President, who has also stated previously that he has no intention of enforcing the Defense of Marriage Act, listed his goals for the improvement in conditions of LGBT Americans within the next stage of his tenure. Watch the Speech below: Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com
US Intelligence Agencies Play Media Critic And Fail By Adam Johnson, www.fair.org January 11, 2017 US Intelligence Agencies Play Media Critic And Fail 2017-01-11 2017-01-11 https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/12/popres-shorter.png PopularResistance.Org https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-11-at-9.47.35-AM-e1484146326849-150x98.png 200px 200px Above Photo: US intelligence presents RT's coverage of fracking as a covert tool to promote Russian oil. From fair.org The much-anticipated Office of the Director of Intelligence (DNI) Report--the combined assessment of the CIA, FBI, DHS and others--on alleged attempts by Russia to influence the 2016 election was released on Friday to a combination of uncritical boosting and underwhelmed perplexity. To many, it was further proof of Russia's involvement in the DNC and Podesta hacks; to others-even to typically bullish Daily Beast -it was remarkably thin on details and evidence. As the New York Times ( 1/6/16 ) noted in paragraph five of their report on the release, "The declassified report contained no information about how the agencies had collected their data or had come to their conclusions." The Guardian ( 1/6/16 ) conceded that the report itself "lacks detail." So what was in it? Filler, mostly. Indeed, the most bizarre part about the release was that it dedicated considerable effort--approximately 40 percent of the report's content--to the Kremlin-f
India will send a delegation led by a joint secretary-level official to an anti-terrorism conference hosted by Pakistan under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), taking the view that it is a multilateral forum, people familiar with the development said. The three-day meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation-Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) legal experts will kick off on Wednesday. India's participation in the first such SCO meeting hosted in Islamabad is being seen as significant given the recent tensions with Pakistan, but a person familiar with New Delhi's position said it took the view that the event is multilateral. "The decision was taken to send a delegation led, most probably by a joint secretary level officer, as SCO is a multilateral forum." Both Pakistan and India became SCO members in June 2017. The Pakistani foreign office said in a statement that it "is pleased to welcome delegations from SCO member states to Islamabad". However, the external affairs ministry didn't make a formal response to that statement, which also said delegations from all SCO member states will attend the meeting. Legal experts from the eight member states -- China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan -- and representatives of the SCO-RATS executive committee will participate in the meeting. They will discuss terrorist threats facing the region and ways and means to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation between SCO member states
Picture the scene. You're pottering about on the internet, perhaps idly looking up cake recipes, or videos of puppies learning to howl. Then the phone rings. It's your internet service provider. Actually, it's a nice lady in a telesales warehouse somewhere, employed on behalf of your service provider; let's call her Linda. Linda is calling because, thanks to David Cameron's "porn filter" , you now have an "unavoidable choice", as one of 20 million British households with a broadband connection, over whether to opt in to view certain content. Linda wants to know - do you want to be able to see hardcore pornography? How about information on illegal drugs? Or gay sex, or abortion? Your call may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes. How about obscene and tasteless material? Would you like to see that? Speak up, Linda can't hear you. "The worst thing about the porn filter, though, is not that it accidentally blocks a lot of useful information but that it blocks information at all." The government's filter, which comes into full effect this month after a year of lobbying, will block far more than dirty pictures. That was always the intention, and in recent weeks it has become clear that the mission creep of internet censorship is even creepier than campaigners had feared. In the name of protecting children from a rotten tide of raunchy videos, a terrifying precedent is being set for state control of the digital commons. Pious arguments about protecting innocence are inv
Vietnamese former diplomat and human rights activist, Dang Xuong Hung, spoke out against Vietnam's anti-democratic regime at the 6th annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy . Full speech below at the 35:21 mark: Extracts: Vietnam joined the UNHRC this year. Does it belong there? Absolutely not, says former Vietnamese diplomat Dang Xuong Hung. #GS14 -- The Geneva Summit (@GenevaSummit) February 25, 2014 Dang Xuong Hung: Why did I break from the Vietnam? They've built an anti-Democratic regime. It wasn't the govt I joined in 1984. #GS14 -- The Geneva Summit (@GenevaSummit) February 25, 2014
A US-UK trade deal would be difficult to pass through Congress, if the UK decide to leave the European Union with a soft Brexit said US trade expert Claude Barfield. Mr Barfield, a Resident Scholar from the American Enterprise Institute told CGTN America : "My interest is in the proposed US-UK free trade agreement. "Without making a judgement one way or another about hard Brexit versus soft Brexit, I would say that in terms of possibilities of getting an agreement through, a soft agreement, which is when the Brits are going along with a number of European regulations, would make it much more difficult here to get the free trade agreement through. "I think it is certainly true that the Trump administration very much wants this agreement. "They have very little to show for their declared intentions of having a series of bilateral agreements." The Prime Minister Theresa May reached a "collective" agreement at Chequers in July on the basis of the future relationship between the UK and the EU. The joint statement signed by the Prime Minister and her Cabinet ministers put forward a plan for an "economic and security partnership" with the EU. The plan, a close regulatory alignment with the EU's single market for British exports, is a firm push towards a Brexit end-state that looks very much like Norway. Leading Eurosceptics Boris Johnson and David Davis resigned as a result of the agreement. Mrs May had hoped to win over Mr Macron with her Brexit blueprint Chequers agreement on Frid
Yet how can we ignore the climate of violence that is sharpening conflicts instead of soothing them? How can we ignore a simple truth: Barack Obama and Eric Holder created much of this atmosphere of anger, bitterness and bile with their disdain of whites and not too transparent belief and actions that we must now pay what are in effect reparations to the black community, even though this generation does not practice or advocate slavery. Obama, Holder and their enablers, like Al Sharpton, have become what they accused President George W. Bush of being: a recruiting tool for terrorists thanks to his invasion of Iraq. Obama and company's biased actions against whites, Christians and Jews have ironically served to draw neo-Nazis and sick Klansman out of their caves and have emboldened them to try to justify criminal acts - people like Dylann Roof. Indeed, Roof was quoted as saying that he struck because blacks had "taken over the country." To fundamentally transform America, Obama, Holder and their fellow travelers have been implementing Saul Alinsky's and Frank Marshall Davis' teachings. They have been inciting one group against another group, race against race and class against class. President Abraham Lincoln warned that "A house divided against itself cannot stand." He was specifically talking about race, a nation half slave and half free. Historically, outside conquerors have ruled over large countries by keeping groups fighting against each other and throwing salt in the wo
Islamists: ISIS, Fox News Channel no different CAIR's Florida head: cable news viewers making violent threats By Brian Maloney September 15th, 2014, 9:55 EDT Islamists may be brutal, but they're not stupid. Maintaining "progressive" support against a backdrop of public beheadings is slightly tougher right now. So what to do? The answer is simple: openly bash Fox News! What could be simpler? That'll have the Maddow crowd back to embracing extremism in a matter of moments. And that's exactly what's occurring in Florida, where the head of that state's Council on American-Islamic Relations has been using social media in recent days to attack the cable news channel. Sadly, CAIR representatives regularly visit the White House and confer with Obama Administration officials. (Note to CAIR: for added impact, throw in "those evil Koch brothers", it works every time.) From Townhall.com : The Executive Director of a Florida Council on Islamic Relations [CAIR] office, Hassan Shilby, took to Twitter last week to rant about how ISIS and Fox News are pretty much the same thing. ISIS is beheading people and has slaughtered thousands but sure, lets compare them to America's most successful news outlet. If Fox News is so "intolerant" then why does the network, producers and its hosts regularly invite CAIR representatives on air to give their point of view? As a reminder, CAIR has a history of supporting terrorist groups like Hamas, was an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation in
ON THE last day of 2016, a solemn procession of nearly a thousand people marched through Chicago's downtown shopping district. They bore 750 heavy wooden crosses--on each was written the name and age of someone who lost their life to gun violence in Chicago. As the year drew to a close, the death toll from shootings put the city in the national spotlight once again. With 781 killed and another 3,500 shot, Chicago had more murders than New York City and Los Angeles combined. But in addition to the powerful statement of mourning in the streets on New Year's Eve, there have been all too many symbols of the false solutions and warped priorities that contribute to the violence in the first place. Employing his typical grotesque opportunism, President-elect and bully-in-chief Donald Trump chided Chicago's Rahm Emanuel in a tweet, saying: "If the Mayor can't [lower the murder rate] he must ask for Federal Help." Trump's "tough on crime" braggadocio is clearly no solution to the plague of shootings. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel speaks at a DOJ press conference alongside U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch (left) and Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson (right) At the same time, it's true that Emanuel's administration is part of the problem, not the solution--because of economic and social policies that defend the interests of the city's elite. Last week, for example, Emanuel was stumping for $1 billion in federal funds for a makeover of the city's downtown Union Station--at the
I'm a card-carrying Eagle Scout. (Yes, there's actually a card.) I know the secret handshake, I can construct a bonfire from little more than dryer lint, and, yes, I still own a pair of those amazing camo-green short-shorts. For the most part, I have fond memories of scouting, so it is with embarrassment, anger--and a total lack of surprise--that I read about yet another charge of sexual abuse against the Boy Scouts of America. Two, in fact. These new stories are horrible and, regardless of their veracity, point to a major problem: Scouting has an unhealthy relationship with sex. Unfortunately however, I suspect little real change in the way of protecting kids will result from taking on the BSA in court. While the national council is, in general, the public face of Scouting, the actual organization of the many local troops within the group is fairly loose. True, the BSA sets general policy, awards high honors, and runs national events, but in local issues like fundraising and, most importantly here, Scout leader vetting, the BSA's involvement is limited. Charging the BSA with responsibility for a local Scout leader's actions, while perhaps legally tenable, is like blaming a national fraternity for the bad actions of a single chapter--it doesn't really address the issue of a corrupt culture. Which is not to say that I don't support the suit; in principle, I do. However, I think that in addition to seeking restitution for the victims, these cases should serve as an occasion to
The United States economy, federal tax revenue, and stock market are booming under the Trump Administration. The federal government set a record high in individual income tax revenue from October, 2017 through May, 2018. According to CNSNews: The federal government collected a record $1,143,141,000,000 in individual income taxes through the first eight months of fiscal 2018 (Oct. 1, 2017 through the end of May). The approximately $1,143,141,000,000 in individual income taxes that the Treasury collected in October through May of this fiscal year was $56,273,800,000 more (in constant May 2018 dollars) than the $1,086,867,200,000 (in constant May 2018 dollars) in individual income taxes that the Treasury collected in October through May of fiscal 2016--which was the previous record. As the Democrats continue to call the tax cuts "crumbs" and downplay record unemployment, the President continues to fight for the American workers. The Democrats have repeatedly admitted they're going to try and raise taxes if they're able to reclaim the House in 2018 midterm elections. At the beginning of June, the Democrats were leading the midterm voter polls by 3.2% which was down from a 13% lead in December. It'll be interesting to see how that changes following President Trump's historic peace talks with North Korea. . @KellyannePolls : "You cannot overstate the effect of the Trump economy on the workers in this country." @foxandfriends pic.twitter.com/OcTBKNMBa0 -- Fox News (@FoxNews) June 13
Last night, CBC's Peter Mansbridge asked Liberal leader Justin Trudeau where he stood on reducing taxes for small businesses. In his shocking answer, Trudeau showed how out of touch he is when he said that many small businesses are just tax avoidance scams. It isn't difficult to understand how he has come to this very negative view of what businesses are if you review the financial disclosure he produced when he became an MP. It shows a dizzying array of numbered holding companies with impressive executive titles for Trudeau that don't really have any responsibilities attached to them. Not surprising, really, since the last Trudeau that had to work for a living was his grandfather. This trust fund kid has spent all his time traveling, even telling one interviewer that he has already visited over 90 countries in his life. Perhaps we can give him some points for honesty though, since in his limited experience , corporations are exactly how he described them -- a way for trust fund kids to avoid paying taxes. It's just unfortunate for the rest of us that this man who would be prime minister has no idea how hard the rest of us work. JOIN TheRebel.media for more fearless news and commentary you won't find anywhere else. SIGN UP FREE for exclusive Election 2015 coverage from The Rebel team! JOIN OUR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN to bring you fearless Canadian election reporting! Share This On Facebook Share This On Twitter Share This By Email Share This On LinkedIn
New Yorkers come together to quickly erase Swastika graffiti on NYC subway Bill Palmer | 11:21 pm EDT February 4, 2017 Even as the racist hatred movement ushered in by Donald Trump continues to leave ugly traces across America, a far greater number of Americans have become more determined than ever to push back against all forms of racism and intolerance. When one anonymous coward defaced a New York City subway car with Nazi Swastikas, the riders came together to immediately erase any trace of the offensive graffiti. The story, posted to Facebook on Saturday night by a New Yorker named Gregory Locke, goes like this: I got on the subway in Manhattan tonight and found a Swastika on every advertisement and every window. The train was silent as everyone stared at each other, uncomfortable and unsure what to do. One guy got up and said, "Hand sanitizer gets rid of Sharpie. We need alcohol." He found some tissues and got to work. I've never seen so many people simultaneously reach into their bags and pockets looking for tissues and Purel. Within about two minutes, all the Nazi symbolism was gone. Nazi symbolism. On a public train. In New York City. In 2017. "I guess this is Trump's America," said one passenger. No sir, it's not. Not tonight and not ever. Not as long as stubborn New Yorkers have anything to say about it. Locke also posted a series of photos documenting his story, with this one being the most striking: As has been repeatedly demonstrated over the past weeks, the numb
The person suspected of vandalizing President Donald Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame star with a pickax early Wednesday morning has surrendered himself to police, KABC-TV reported. Police responded to the call at about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, where witnesses said they saw a man pull a pickax from what appeared to be a guitar case before he began smashing the star to bits. The suspect allegedly called the police to report the crime before he turned himself into the Beverly Hills Police Department about 4:30 p.m., Los Angeles police told KNBC-TV . Trump received his star in January 2007 for his role in the NBC show "The Apprentice." What did the witness say? David Palmer, who witnessed the destruction, said he's used to seeing strange things happen on Hollywood Boulevard, but this time he was surprised. "I'm like, 'Why are you hittin' the star?' Like, you know, like man, 'What did Donald Trump do to you?'" Palmer told KABC. "He just came and started hittn' it. Then he went around the corner and I think he left." Palmer said he saw the man leave after beating the star with the pickax. "I was like, that's not right, that's not cool," he added. The suspect left the pickax at the scene. Has this happened before? Earlier this month, comedian George Lopez shared a video of himself allegedly pretending to urinate on Trump's star, according to TMZ . In 2016, someone spraypainted a swastika and a mute icon on the star, according to KABC. Later that year, a street artist built a miniature wa
Hoy se cumple el 73o aniversario del bombardeo atomico estadounidense a la ciudad japonesa de Hiroshima, que tuvo lugar el 6 de agosto de 1945, y en el que murieron 140.000 personas y otras 100.000 resultaron heridas de gravedad. Estas son las palabras del alcalde de Hiroshima, Kazumi Matsui, hablando hoy durante una ceremonia de conmemoracion. Kazumi Matsui expreso: "Con el actual incremento del nacionalismo egocentrico y la modernizacion de las armas nucleares, estamos siendo testigos de la regresion a una tension entre Naciones que no existia desde la Guerra Fria. Espero que el Gobierno japones cumpla su papel en hacer realidad el pacifismo manifestado en la Constitucion, y que lleve a la comunidad internacional a mejorar el dialogo y la cooperacion para lograr un mundo libre de armas nucleares". Temas: Hiroshima Democracy Now! es una organizacion sin animo de lucro 501(c)3 dedicada a la produccion de noticias. No aceptamos financiamiento publicitario, corporativo o gubernamental. Dependemos de las contribuciones de nuestros oyentes y televidentes para hacer nuestro trabajo. Por favor, haga su contribucion hoy. Donar
Gabrielle Rivera remembers her best friend, LGBT Activist Christina Santiago, a victim of the Indiana State Fair stage crash - "No one on the corner had swagger like us or secret crushes on Angelina Jolie and Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes." By gabby | August 25, 2011 | 30 Comments Slutwalk DC: "I was standing right in front of the Washington Monument. My name tag said "Carmen (Fucking) Rios," and I had cut my shirt into a crop top tank top, and I was still wearing my aviators. Then I gave a speech and I want to share it with you." By Carmen | August 15, 2011 | 23 Comments
You are not signed in as a Premium user; we rely on Premium users to support our news reporting. Sign in or Sign up today! Q: How do conservatives organize a firing squad? A: They form a circle. Ba-dum-tish! Everyone laugh, applause, curtain. It's funny because it is true. We've been accused, accurately enough , of doing just that . And it does seem, pace very recent news stories , liberals and progressives and the rest of the panoply of tree-hugging hippies don't tend to do that. They stick together, closing ranks, united by ... what, exactly? Seriously, what are they united by? There is another joke: Q: What do you get if you put three Protestants in a room? A: Four opinions. I'm here all week. Try the fish. It isn't about conservatives vs. liberal or right vs. left or even Protestant vs. Catholic. It's about truth vs. falsehood . Truth is an absolute, exclusive. It cannot have any truck with falsehood because falsehood itself isn't a positive thing; it's not something that exists. It is the absence of truth, the distortion of truth, the manipulation of truth. The old courtroom adage of "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth" is a cliche, but it is that for a reason: because it is an accurate description of the thing. An impure truth, something not 100 percent truth, or not 100 percent of the truth, is a lie. That's the definition of the thing. And so that is why the idea of "no enemies on the right" or working with pro-contraception people to
Early this Tuesday morning, Donald Trump Jr. began tweeting about CNN's Fake News reporting, as recently seen in Project Veritas' latest video release: Jim I think it's time for a full retraction for this tweet. Its obviously a lie based on the video I ... Read more - James O'Keefe appeared on Stefan Molyneux's show for an interview in March 2017 to discuss journalism, philosophy, and the state of the media today. Copied from Stefan Molyneux's video: MP3: http://www.fdrpodcasts.com/#/3635/spe... Soundcloud: https://s... Read more - CNN's "dirty laundry" revealed #CNNLeaks Clip: 003T_060909_0730.mp3 [00h22m21s] from Part I. First, this short #CNNLeaks clip shows the "bubble-headed bleach blonde" who "comes on at five" who "can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam in her eye." ... Read more - In response to your requests, we have just launched a new website chocked full of features and content to enrich your experience at ProjectVeritas.com. As this new site is somewhat complex, we are sure there will be some minor glitches as we get the site up an... Read more -
A Waco, Texas pastor recently told his church's leadership staff not to wear weaves because they're a distraction from getting in touch with your inner self. Is Dove's "Real Beauty" ad campaign looking for a new spokesman? "Why are women so camera shy?" I dunno, maybe because we don't want to look... Read more Read "Our black women are getting weaves trying to be something and someone they are not. Be real with yourself is all I'm saying" Pastor Aamir told America Preachers . Also, you can't afford a weave: "I lead a church where our members are struggling financially. I mean really struggling. "Yet, a 26 year old mother in my church has a $300 weave on her head. NO. I will not be quiet about this." Of course, some women get weaves to save money -- they like the look and don't want to deal with their hair for a few months. And some women -- wait, why am I defending the right to weave to a random pastor? "Long hair don't care. What kind of mess is that? I don't want my members so focused on what's on their heads and not IN their heads" he said. Maybe he should take his own advice and get over it. Jesus may have worn a weave, for all we know. Sources say his hair was pretty nice. [ America Preachers ]
During Hillary Clinton 's latest visit to South Florida, one local media outlet - Local 10 News - reported a crowd of 30,000 in attendance. There's just one problem: the event venue, B. George Mayer Gymnasium at Broward College , can't hold a fraction of the reported attendance. In fact, the gymnasium wasn't even full! Despite Broward County being a Democratic stronghold, Clinton's event failed to energize her base. Other outlets reported the event at 700 attendees. Out of those who did show up for the rally, many were not even old enough to vote, nor will they be in 2016. Discovery Middle School , a public charter school, bused dozens of their students to the event. The preteens held homemade signs and were eager to talk to citizen journalists. One can only assume class time was spent making posters. Can you say early indoctrination? The Broward GOP isn't too upset about this, just yet. They hope they'll get equal time with the preteens. "It's great to see teachers taking the initiative to engage students in their future by introducing them to presidential candidates," said Broward GOP interim-Chairman Bob Sutton. "We look forward to teachers and students doing the same with the Republican candidates." While some outlets may have reported the Broward College event a smashing success for the Clinton campaign, her dwindling fan base can also be seen in her dropping poll numbers . After pushback and traction from the article at Hypeline, Local 10 removed the phrase "entered the
Global health did not come up in Monday night's final presidential debate , which focused on U.S. foreign policy. Both candidates, however, made reference to women's issues, primarily voicing support for women's empowerment in the Middle East. President Obama's remarks reflected what has become a pillar of his administration's views on foreign policy and international assistance--a strong and integrated focus on women and girls. As the president explained, "because these countries can't develop unless all the population, not just half of it, is developing." And then later, "These countries can't develop if young women are not given the kind of education that they need." Such statements represent the success of Secretary of State Clinton's work to normalize the inclusion of women, girls, and gender equality as a cross-cutting principle central to the State Department's goals. Even Governor Romney cited "gender equality" as a key element of how the U.S. could "help the Muslim world." Perhaps his most quotable quip of the evening, the president took aim at Governor Romney for what he described as a dangerously outdated view of the greatest threats to our nation: "In the 1980s, they're now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because, you know, the Cold War's been over for 20 years." For supporters of women's health, this zinger hit home, harkening to another 1980s policy, the global gag rule . Governor Romney has regularly stated on the campaign trail that he would "re
Photograph by Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos So far, obstruction is winning. The Monday before Vote-o-Rama, the Banking Committee declined a chance to form a bi-partisan deal to reform Wall Street, a decision that Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican, called a major strategic error. Wall Street reform may still squeak through. But Kyl put the odds of passing legislation on climate change and immigration reform, Obama's other top priorities, at almost zero. (This was before Obama gave the nod to offshore drilling, to be fair. But still.) I asked McCain how the bi-partisan agreement on immigration had fallen apart, seeing that he and Ted Kennedy had worked so hard on this issue. The Democrats won't accept a temporary legal-worker program! he said, as he went to vote for the umpteenth time. The unions are opposed! Which suggests that the two parties are more inclined to bicker at this point than get along, all at a moment of huge popular discontent. During Vote-o-Rama, even senators with histories of bi-partisanship were playing an enthusiastic role in the obstructionist theatrics. I asked Bob Bennett, a mild-mannered older Republican from Utah whose father had also served in the chamber, why that was the case. He was offering one of the more lurid amendmentsa provision that would force the residents of D.C. to define marriagebut at least I understood why: He too is facing several challenges from the tea-party right back home. But how could he explain the participation in this cy
Jeffrey A. Rendall | 2/9/2016 The final results of the Iowa Caucuses last week offered Americans their first glimpse of how the Republican presidential race would begin, with real vote tallies backing up or disproving the multitude of pundit theories on who would be the strongest candidates in the large field. Tonight when the winners of the New Hampshire primary are determined, we'll have an even better understanding of how the dynamics of the race are taking shape. Oddly enough, it may not necessarily stem from who wins the state as much as who loses the war between the establishment candidates. Donald Trump leads in all the polls according to the Real Clear Politics average and is a heavy favorite to be the top vote getter tonight. Meanwhile, Iowa winner Ted Cruz is locking down the bulk of evangelical support and looks to be the choice of the most conservative Republican voters. And then there's the establishment group, competing for about forty percent of the vote. For months Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Chris Christie have literally set-up camp in the tiny Granite State, grinding out the type of one-to-one retail politics that is supposedly necessary to do well there (though Donald Trump may disprove that theory this year). Marco Rubio rounds out the establishment contenders, though he's spent considerably less time there than the others...and we know it wasn't because he was too busy tending to his job in Washington. Rubio's debate stumble over the weekend is the biggest
On Thursday, ISIS-mimicking "comic" Kathy Griffin returned to Twitter to smack President Donald Trump for his mean tweets about Morning Joe host Mika Brzezinski. "POTUS likes to punch down. Whether it's anchors, US Attorneys, or standup comics. Meanwhile, millions are about to lose health insurance," wrote Griffin on Twitter. POTUS likes to punch down. Whether it's anchors, US Attorneys, or standup comics. Meanwhile, millions are about to lose health insurance. -- Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) June 29, 2017 Earlier that day, in two tweets, Trump claimed he once saw "low I.Q. Crazy Mika" at Mar-a-Lago "bleeding badly from a face-life." He also dubbed her co-host and fiance Joe Scarborough "Psycho Joe." I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came.. -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017 ...to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no! -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017 Last month, Griffin received severe backlash after posting an ISIS-style photo of herself holding a bloody faux Trump head, which she initially defended as "artistic expression." After losing sponsors and her gig at CNN (yes, CNN employed this lady), the has-been scrubbed the photo from her social media. Her next step was to play the victim during a presser with the help of civil lawyer Lisa Bloom. "A s
An abortion clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina has been shut down in the wake of an investigation that revealed abortionists were incorrectly administering abortion drugs to their clients. The Preferred Women's Health Center (PWHC) failed a second inspection in four months and was found to pose a threat to public health and safety. The Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) summarily suspended PWHC's certificate to operate based on an inspection that was conducted in response to a complaint. The DHSR stated: This Summary Suspension is based on this agency's findings that conditions at A Preferred Women's Health Center, LLC, present an imminent danger to the health, safety and welfare of the clients and that emergency action is required to protect the clients. Operation Rescue, a pro-life advocacy organization, indicates that a report from an inspection conducted on April 20 th revealed that PWHC was found to be improperly dispensing the abortion drug Methotrexate in a dangerous manner, contrary to the manufacturer's specifications and FDA guidelines. The clinic was administering the intravenous version of the drug orally, causing failed abortions that then required surgery. Methotrexate is a drug used to treat cancer, but has been found to be effective in inducing abortions. By dispensing the drug orally, dosages are unpredictable, and the wrong dosage of the powerful drug can cause incomplete abortion, heavy bleeding, liver damage, and even death. According to the rep
Season ticket holders for the NBA's Spurs and Warriors are getting more than just winning basketball for their money. They're getting advocacy for progressive politics whether they want it or not. New York Daily News sports columnist Carron J. Phillips applauds Golden State Coach Steve Kerr and San Antonio Coach Greg Popovich, whom many progressives want to run as a presidential ticket in three years, for becoming the NBA's leading voices for equality and change. "In a time in which sports, politics and social issues are intertwined, the NBA's two loudest voices aren't players at all, they're coaches," Phillips writes. This week the dynamic duo eased up on their criticism of President Donald Trump to call for gun control and to justify the need for white guilt. Popovich said it would be inappropriate to talk about basketball after a gunman murdered 26 people at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas Sunday. Kerr gave his condolences to the people involved, then did a fast-break right to gun control: To solve it, I think we almost have to look at it like a public health issue. Too often, we get caught up in political rhetoric, Second amendment rights, NRA stuff. We have to look at this as it having nothing to do with partisanship, political parties. It's got to be a public safety issue, a public health issue. Kerr said there should be sensible alternatives to taking away people's Second Amendment rights, then attacked the nation's leading proponent of the right to
In a now infamous column, the writer Eliana Benador argued this week that Anthony Weiner (who is a Jew) may have converted to Islam but was hiding it from the world in accordance with the practice of "taqiyya." "It is also important, when looking at this situation, to remember that observant Muslims practice taqiyya, an element of sharia that states there is a legal right and duty to distort the truth to promote the cause of Islam," Benador wrote. In invoking the Arabic term "taqiyya," Benador exemplified a practice we've noticed in the past few years. It's become common for right-wing writers and even politicians to matter-of-factly toss around Arabic terminology when warning of the Muslim threat to America. These references, often made in ominous tones, are almost always without context. So we thought it would be useful to hear explanations of terms like "taqiyya" from an expert. John Esposito, university professor at Georgetown and author of "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam," was kind enough to explain six of the more common Islamic terms we've been hearing. Esposito wrote the "What it actually means" items below, following my introductions. The term: dhimmi How it's used: As a pejorative for non-Muslims who fail to understand -- and unwittingly aid, or even appease -- the Islamic menace Example: "These dhimmi effetes at the Times think their toe licking will save them. They will be the first ones with their heads on the chopping block." -- the blogger Pamela Gelle
The Justice Department and gay rights activists have a "common cause," U.S. attorney general Eric Holder told a gathering of LGBT lawyers Thursday night, calling on his audience to employ their "considerable passion and expertise" to achieve further progress. Holder was the keynote speaker at the LGBT Bar Association's annual Lavender Law Conference in Washington, D.C. He addressed about 1,000 attendees at the Washington Hilton. He highlighted the Obama administration's actions on LGBT rights, including repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," the decision to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court cases, and efforts to address antigay bullying in schools, the Washington Blade reports. "Thanks to the work of tireless advocates and attorneys in and far beyond this room, our nation has made great strides on the road to LGBT equality and the unfinished struggle to secure and protect the civil rights of all Americans," he said. "For President Obama, for me, and for our colleagues at every level of the Obama administration, this work has long been a top priority." He told attendees that they are "uniquely situated to use the power of the law" to fight for LGBT equality. "You have not only the power, but -- I believe -- the solemn responsibility, to do precisely that: to safeguard the rights and freedoms of everyone in this country, and to carry on the critical but unfinished work that lies ahead," Holder said. Holder received standing ovations on his entrance and exit. "Th
Left-wing protesters went forward with a demonstration Tuesday targeting Sen. Johnny Isakson (R., Ga.) despite organizers canceling the event after learning the 72-year-old, who has Parkinson's disease, had back surgery just days earlier. The leftist group Democracy Spring Georgia had originally scheduled a " shame march " against Isakson because he "hasn't made an effort to come speak with his constituents," but the organization nixed the protest after discovering the senator had surgery on Thursday, the Daily Caller reported . The "shame march" was organized around a fundraiser Isakson was expected to attend, but he was not well enough to go because of the back surgery, leading Democracy Spring Georgia to call off its event. "It would be beneath the standard we are upholding them to if we take to the streets to publicly shame someone who is not fit or well enough to be present for their own shaming," organizers wrote on Facebook. That did not sit well with some protesters, who were furious that the march was canceled and went forward with their own demonstration. "Isakson had back surgery but seems well enough to vote in many ways that are a threat to Georgians, use his twitter account, and meet with corporate donors," the protesters wrote on Facebook. They called their protest the "Let's Meet Johnny" rally, rather than the originally planned "shame march." More than 400 people had RSVP'd as attending the demonstration, according to the Daily Caller . The creators added tha
It is well known that in Australia, churches are exempt from taxation, due to religious freedom. Less well known is that the Church of Scientology (CoS) is regarded as a religion, rather than a cult, and is therefore also tax-exempt. This petition is intended to call for the removal of Scientology's tax-exempt status. But 'why?', you might ask. Well, the CoS has been found on numerous occasions to have horrifically abused many in the Church, as well as using immoral methods to get their way, such as blackmail. The CoS is no better than an unethical business scheme. One of the CoS's more notorious methods is their 'Attack the Attacker' policy. Below is L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church, describing the policy. Spot who is attacking us. Start investigating them promptly for felonies or worse using own professionals, not outside agencies. Double curve our reply by saying we welcome an investigation of them. Start feeding lurid, blood, sex, crime actual evidence on the attackers to the press. Don't ever tamely submit to an investigation of us. Make it rough, rough on attackers all the way. You can get "reasonable about it" and lose. Sure we break no laws. Sure we have nothing to hide. BUT attackers are simply an anti-Scientology propaganda agency so far as we are concerned. They have proven they want no facts and will only lie no matter what they discover. So BANISH all ideas that any fair hearing is intended and start our attack with their first breath. Never wait. Never
Senator David Norris, Ireland's first openly gay person elected to public office, appeared on RT's Worlds Apart program this week to dissect Russia's ever-increasing crackdown on LGBT citizens and their rights. Explaining that Russia's attitudes towards gay rights are "30 years behind" Western sensibilities, Norris wasted no time in bringing up the "dishonest" campaign that the Russian Orthodox Church and lawmakers have led in trying to "protect children" with the country's anti-gay 'propaganda' ban. When host Oksana Boyko explained that perhaps Russia's anti-gay efforts were related more to protecting its cultural "heteronormativity" rather than criminalizing homosexuality or perpetuating discrimination, Norris fired back: "What about parades, marches banned by the mayor of Moscow? Why was that? What about the people being beaten up, being dragged out of their homes, being tortured, being subject to vicious, brutal attacks by thugs in Moscow with the police standing by. That's hardly equality...what we should be doing is making sure that our family structures are more rational and they reflect the views of everyone in society and that we protect everyone in society. We don't just do lip service for the individual's rights and say "Oh you can be homosexual in a hole in the ground somewhere as long as nobody knows about it, but we're perfectly alright with you being clobbered and battered to death on the streets of Moscow with the police turning the other way'" It's a 30 m
LGBTQ Nation A majority of Americans support gay marriage, according to an Associated Press poll released this week. In the poll, 52 percent of Americans said yes when asked: "Should the federal government give legal recognition to marriages between couples of the same-sex, or not?" That's an increase of six percentage points from when the question was asked in the AP poll last year. "For the second time, a national poll shows that a majority of Americans support the freedom to marry, reflecting the growing momentum of the marriage movement and a growing awareness in America of who gay people are and why marriage matters to same-sex couples and their families," Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, said in a statement . "Even in a moment in which most people are focused on the economy and unemployment, Americans are still speaking up for our country's core values that the majority should not deny a minority its rights and that we must uphold the Constitution's enduring promise of equal protection for all." In August, a CNN poll in August showed 52 percent agreed that "gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to get married and have their marriage recognized by law as valid." In the AP poll of 1,007 Americans, 58 percent of respondents believe that "couples of the same sex (should) be entitled to the same government benefits as married couples of the opposite sex." And in yet another poll, conducted by CBS News , 77% of Americans now say they know someone
HIV and AIDS were two of the major viral boogeymen of the '90s, but although there'sin treating the disease, a cure seemed out of reach. But there have been two major breakthroughs recently that might make HIV an endangered species. The first is that for the second time, a baby has been completely cured of HIV. The process was pretty simple: Immediately put the baby into treatment, right after birth, according to CBS News : The mom was given AIDS drugs during labor to try to prevent transmission of the virus, and Deveikis started the baby on them a few hours after birth. Tests later confirmed she had been infected, but does not appear to be now, nearly a year later. The baby is continuing treatment, is in foster care "and looking very healthy," Bryson said. Exposing newborns to retroviral cocktails is risky, of course, but it beats them having to live with, and potentially die from, HIV. It also helps researchers understand possible treatments for other, more grown, individuals; if immediate treatment on exposure can kill the virus, that might be a clue to more prevention and a wider cure. Meanwhile, we might also see an HIV vaccine sooner than was thought possible. There's a very promising treatment that's just been tested on mice, according to PBS , and is an odd riff on the concept of a vaccine: University of Miami researchers attached a copy of the HIV virus to an immune cell using a protein (CD40). The hope is to enable the T-cells to "see" the HIV virus before it attack
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Cheering fans lined the streets as mushers took their dog teams for a short sprint in Alaska's largest city Saturday for the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The morning trek along snow-heaped paths in downtown Anchorage gave supporters a chance to mingle with mushers and their furry teams before the competitive portion of the 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometer) race to Nome begins Sunday to the north in the community of Willow. Two hours before Saturday's action got started, a dog on Norwegian musher Lars Monsen's team got loose and disappeared during preparations for the 11-mile (18-kilometer) run through town. The dog, Hudson, was later found, KTVA reported. This year's Iditarod comes amid a plethora of troubles for race organizers, including a former winner's dog doping scandal, the loss of a major sponsor and increasing pressure from animal rights activists following the deaths of five dogs connected to last year's race. But on Saturday, the focus for mushers was on the race ahead. "It's all about the dogs now," said defending champion Mitch Seavey, a three-time winner. "Dogs are what we focus on. I think that's why everybody showed up down here on the streets today, it's because we love the dogs." Veteran musher Scott Janssen of Anchorage said that for now, he is letting all "the negative stuff go in one ear and out the other," but will do everything in his power after the race to change the face of the Iditarod. "I run this race
Last year, Colorado created the world's first full-scale commercial cannabis market. Now, at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday in Boulder, the state is set to mark another milestone, hosting the first presidential debate in a land where marijuana is regulated like alcohol. It could get ugly. The Republican candidates could--without fear of a career-ending arrest--buy up to a quarter-ounce of pot, seven grams of hash oil or food infused with up to 700mg of THC, the chemical that gets you high. But while all have enjoyed the regional delicacies of the campaign trail, don't expect any red-eyed selfies from inside the Centennial State. This GOP field opposes marijuana with an almost Reagan-esque fervor, implying that the drug leads to ruined lives, shattered families and lost productivity. None of the Republican candidates support federal legalization. Their support for state-level legalization, meanwhile, is patchy, tentative and uniformly gruff. Only five of the candidates explicitly support the right of states to legalize just-for-fun cannabis. That includes former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. A quarter-century ago, real estate mogul Donald Trump said he believed in legalizing all drugs, but not any more. And no one in this field has a soft word for pot itself. Drug reformers say marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol, an idea echoed by President Obama last year. But the Republi
Have you ever preferred to simply write a check to charity rather than get involved in people's messy, desperate lives? I confess that I have. Thankfully, some people are more courageous and compassionate than I am. One of them is Jane Knuth , a suburban math teacher from Michigan who began volunteering at a Catholic charity for the poor. She's written a beautiful book about how volunteer work changed her life. Thrift Store Saints: Meeting Jesus 25 Cents at a Time is described as "a collection of true stories based on Jane Knuth s experiences serving the poor at a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in the inner city of Kalamazoo, Michigan. At the outset of the book, Knuth is a reluctant new volunteer at the store, sharing that her middle-class, suburban, church-going background has not prepared her well for this kind of work. By the end of the book, Knuth has undergone a transformation of sorts, and neither she nor we can ever view the poor in the same way again." This excerpt, reprinted with the kind permission of Loyola Press, is from Chapter 16, titled "Four Women." -JKR I am sometimes aware of my own motives. I have secretly hoped it might be possible to get to heaven by learning all I need to know through reading books and articles. After only a short time at St. Vincent de Paul, I can see now where that may not be the way it works. Juris Rubenis, a Latvian pastor, wrote, "Theology is talking about God when God is not in the room." I recognize that situation. I've been in
Sheila Jackson Lee's Long History of Bad Behavior While Flying - by Brian Thomas The new report about how Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee bumped a United Airlines passenger from her seat so the congresswoman could sit in first class isn't the first time the congresswoman has been unbelievably rude on a passenger plane. Jean-Marie Simon, a Washington DC public school teacher, recently alleged that she was bumped from her first-class seat aboard a United Airlines flight to make room for Jackson Lee. Simon's ticket was canceled at the last minute and she was moved to the economy section of the plane, and believes it's because the congresswoman demanded first-class. When Simon complained, the congresswoman accused her of being racist. Simon wrote on her Facebook page that a congressman told her that Jackson Lee "regularly does this." "He told me that it was Jackson Lee," Simon wrote . "a fellow U.S. congresswoman who regularly does this, that this was the third time he personally had watched her bump a passenger. I noted that this individual came toward me and took a picture. I heard later that she might have said "I know who she is." Since this was not any fault of mine, the way the individual continued to act appeared to be, upon reflection, because I was an African American woman, -- Sheila Jackson Lee (@JacksonLeeTX18) December 26, 2017 The Washington Times later reported that Simon worked for years as a human rights activist in war-torn Guatemala during the 80's. As it turns out, th
April 6, 2016 ( ThePublicDiscourse ) -- In the realm of international human rights law, major conflicts are developing today between freedom of conscience and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) policies. In these conflicts, much more is at stake than the rights of religious people. Everyone who cares about human rights for all--LGBT or not--should be concerned about the resolution of these conflicts, for the continued viability of the entire human rights framework hinges on their outcome. Conscience occupies a place of paramount importance in international human rights law for at least two reasons. First, our endowment with conscience and reason is the foundation of the human rights system. Second, conscience has also been the engine of human rights activism--from the abolition of slavery to the condemnation of genocide. Because the architects of the modern international human rights system had a high view of conscience, both as evidence of human dignity and as a faculty for discerning moral truth, they identified it as a "core human right." Therefore, they created the strongest level of legal protection for it. As conflicts between freedom of conscience and other interests arose in the past, legal interpreters consistently gave deference to freedom of conscience. Over the past decade, however, conflicts between freedom of conscience and LGBT policies (particularly same-sex marriage and sexual-orientation nondiscrimination mandates) have grown rapidly and now thre
Managua (AFP) - Hundreds of protesters marched in Nicaragua's capital Saturday in defiance of an iron-fisted crackdown on dissent by President Daniel Ortega that includes a new law threatening them with up to 20 years in prison for "terrorism." The rally, for which police were absent, passed off peacefully, unlike in previous days and weeks when Ortega's police and paramilitary forces violently attacked student demonstrators in Managua and a nearby opposition stronghold city, Masaya, with live ammunition. More than 280 people have been killed since April in the unrest shaking the small Central American nation of six million people. "The people united will never be defeated," yelled the crowd. They reiterated widespread demands that Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, step down. Many of those taking part hid their faces behind masks. But they said they were still turning out despite a law passed last Monday that carries prison terms of 15 to 20 years for those found guilty of vaguely defined actions deemed to constitute "terrorism." "This law doesn't matter to us," one 23-year-old protester who gave her name as Maria told AFP. "Its a risk, but as with every big insurrection there's a risk." She added: "The protests aren't going to stop. We will continue in the streets demanding freedom." The legislation bolstered perceptions that Ortega, 72, and his government were acting in increasingly undemocratic ways. Ortega and Murillo, though, say their government is
While local governments have the authority and responsibility to regulate outdoor signs, one town may have gone too far and trampled on a small church's constitutional rights in the process. That seems to have been the general consensus Monday among the Supreme Court justices during oral arguments in a challenge to a sign ordinance in Gilbert, Arizona. The case was billed by some as a controversial religious freedom issue because the plaintiff, Clyde Reed, happened to be the pastor of a church, and his attorney is a staff member with the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) - the group that successfully challenged the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate in last year's Hobby Lobby suit. But in the end, Reed v. Town of Gilbert looks like it will ultimately be decided on the First Amendment's free speech protections, not on its free exercise clause. "Your argument does not turn on the fact that it's a church's sign, does it?" Chief Justice John Roberts asked David Cortman, senior counsel and vice president of religious liberty with the ADF. "I mean," continued Roberts, "your argument would be the same if this is a temporary sign about where the soccer game was going to be?" "Well, that's right," Cortman replied. "[I]t's equal treatment for that type of sign." Under the disputed ordinance, Gilbert, a town located southeast of Phoenix allows signs promoting noncommercial "events" - in this case, a prayer service - to be displayed no more than 12 hours before, and one hour afte
Photo Credit: Christopher Halloran/Shutterstock.com Be careful what you wish for. The Republican Party sought a crop of new leaders with the vitality and ideological fire both Sen. John McCain and Mitt Romney lacked heading into 2016. Now they've got them, most notably Sen. Ted Cruz, who's leading the charge to either "defund" Obamacare or shut down the government, to the horror of McCain and other so-called "establishment Republicans" (as if there were any such thing.) Even Tea Party Sen. Rand Paul has maybe kinda sorta suggested that shutting down the government to defund Obamacare is a bad idea -- even though he signed Sen. Mike Lee's letter threatening to do so. Cruz has no such qualms. Headlining former Sen. Jim DeMint and the Heritage Foundation's "Defund Obamacare" rally last night in Dallas, he fired up the crowd with his Obama attacks. (Of course, I can't help but note the irony of Heritage sponsoring Cruz's "Defund Obamacare" tour when Heritage was the source of one of the plan's key provisions: the individual mandate to carry health insurance.) Even though some Obama defenders showed up and heckled Cruz, the junior Texas senator and his father were the stars of the night. "We've all seen this movie before," Cruz told the audience. "President Obama and Harry Reid are gonna scream and yell 'those mean, nasty Republicans are threatening to shut down the government.'" He went on: "One side or the other has to blink. How do we win this fight? Don't blink!" Only squish
The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien's classic Lord of the Rings novel, depicted a dire struggle for mankind in which both superpowers, Mordor to the south and Isengard to the north, combined forces to wage war against the free peoples and subjugate them to their despotic will. It is well-known that Tolkien drew upon his devout Catholic faith to weave Christian themes throughout his works about the mythical land called Middle Earth. If Tolkien were alive today, I wonder if he would see in the extraordinary events taking place now on both sides of the US-Canada border, an analogous situation to the battle for Middle Earth. In the USA, President Obama has declared war against the Catholic Church in particular, and religious freedom in general, with his mandate that Catholic institutions must provide contraception and abortifacient drugs to employees, under their health insurance plans. These things are, of course, antithetical to Catholic teaching, and a transparent violation of the Church's first amendment rights. The U.S. Catholic bishops have acknowledged that Obama's mandate is a declaration of war against the Church. So much has this mandate threatened people of faith that Mormons, Evangelicals and Baptists (who do not share Catholic doctrine on contraception) have united in solidarity under the banner, "We are all Catholics now". This slogan acknowledges that if religious freedom is under assault for Catholics, it's under assault for everyone. North of the border in Isengar
COLUMBIA South Carolinas most prominent LGBT advocacy group has endorsed Hillary Clinton in the S.C. Democratic presidential primary. Hillary Clinton has a decades-long record of fighting for equality and has demonstrated her belief that our country is at its best when we are inclusive and open, said Jeff Ayers, S.C. Equality Coalition executive director. She knows our fight for equal rights is far from finished, which is why we need her leadership as we continue to make progress,Ayers said, citing Clintons work fighting AIDS and promoting protections for the lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender community as reasons she won the groups backing. Malissa Burnette, who chairs S.C. Equalitys board of directors, said the decision to endorse Clinton was unanimous. It is refreshing and rare to find a candidate who is unequivocal and fearless in her support of equality for all. Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article58758693.html#storylink=cpy
Christmas music is wafting through the air everywhere you go these days, and the Alabama State Parks System will embrace that theme throughout December. The holiday celebrations began on Dec. 1 with Santa's Underground Workshop at Rickwood Caverns State Park near Warrior, just north of Birmingham. Santa greeted visitors in the cave, which is decorated with Christmas lights. The Underground Workshop will be open through Dec. 23. Admission is $10. Even if you don't want to see Santa, a trip through Rickwood Caverns is worth the effort. The limestone cave is estimated to be about 260 million years old. The cave is about a mile long with a path of 4,962 feet that descends 175 feet underground. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to take the tour of the caverns. A tour of Rickwood Caverns is strictly done on foot, so be aware it's going to take a little effort to see the caverns. The cave features the Bridal Room, where couples once chose to exchange wedding vows. There's the Diamond Room, named for the sparkling quartz and mineral deposits on the ceiling, while the Animal Room gets its name from the formations that appear to be different animals - a rabbit, bear, alligator, shark and Dachshund dog. Heading south, Gulf State Park will hold its Coastal Christmas Party from 1-3 p.m. Dec. 3. Activities include photos with Santa, a children's choir performance, nature holiday crafts, s'mores made in the fireplace and hot chocolate and cookies. One of the most cherished events of th
Thu Nov 14, 2013, 04:38 PM Warren Stupidity (48,181 posts) Thu Nov 14, 2013, 05:01 PM 1. hahaha! Thu Nov 14, 2013, 06:05 PM RebelOne (30,947 posts) 2. Bad hunter joke has been around for a long time. Usually it says vegetarian means bad hunter. Thu Nov 21, 2013, 01:43 PM 3. The top, left one... drives me F'ing crazy. That adults have to have this explained to them is just a shame on our species. How do people make it so far in life, drive, work full-time jobs, without being able to figure this out before it comes out of their dumb mouths? At the showing of Speciesism in DC someone in the audience asked this stupid question. A grown-up! Not my species not my species..
BY: Stephen Gutowski Follow @@StephenGutowski October 12, 2016 3:10 pm Top Clinton campaign staffers worried about embracing the 2013 New York gun control law known as the SAFE Act during a speech at a leading gun control group's awards dinner, and ultimately decided to avoid praising some of the law's more controversial provisions, hacked emails published on Wednesday show. While reviewing the speech Hillary Clinton was slated to give at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence's 2015 Bear Awards, a number of top Clinton staffers discussed how to praise Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's work on gun control without embracing the SAFE Act. After a draft of the speech was circulated to staffers, Huma Abedin said that praise for Cuomo's efforts should be increased. "I'm wondering if we should beef up what she says about Cuomo and what hes doing in Ny about guns," she said. "We had agreed to do a message event with him after he endorsed but schedule was tough so we invited him to tonight. So maybe slightly more love for what he's doing as governor?" Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta responded saying he thought that was a "good catch." Clinton campaign research director Tony Carrk asked if such an approach would mean "embracing the SAFE Act." Corey Ciorciari, a Clinton policy adviser, said fully embracing the law was unnecessary in response. "Don't see a need to fully embrace the SAFE Act," he said. "There are some controversial items in there. We can highlight piec
Sacramento, December 10, 2018 -- In one of his last official acts as governor before Gavin Newsom is sworn in next month, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation today that was passed by an over two-thirds majority of the state legislature and state senate, titled the California Green Mortuary Act. The act prohibits the cremation of deceased humans and animal companions, also known as pets. The comprehensive law also prohibits the burial of humans and animal companions in caskets, boxes, or containers of any sort, even if made from recycled paper or cardboard or from recycled plastic shopping bags, plastic water bottles, aluminum cans, or K-cups. This last addition to the bill was pushed heavily by the state's marijuana growers lobby. Gov. Brown took occasion to comment on the critical importance of the legislation at the signing ceremony: "It's abundantly clear, and the consensus of 99.9% of the world's scientists, that the carbon released into the atmosphere from cremations is a significant contributor to global warming and a threat to life on our planet, especially for Pacific Islanders, Floridians, Californians living in Malibu and in San Francisco's Marina District, and for workers on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport. Let's face it. The dead are killing us. This law will hopefully encourage other states, and even other countries, to follow suit and to put an end to this harmful carbon pollution which is causing California's wildfires, the numerous hurricanes w
Debate has been vigorous at the Copenhagen climate summit, which continues all this week. We shall see if this debate leads to a meaningful global agreement on combating climate change. But it's worth stressing that the American public wishes to see steps against climate change by our country regardless of Copenhagen's result. In a multicountry survey conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org for the World Bank, U.S. respondents said, by 73-24, that our country has a responsibility to take action against climate change even if the other countries at the conference can't come to an agreement. Moreover, most Americans (62 percent) say they would be willing to pay some costs as part of taking action against climate change--either $39 a month (48 percent) or $19.50 a month (14 percent). The public also favors a series of specific steps to help deal with climate change, even though they all involve costs of one kind or another: preserving or expanding forested areas, even if this means less land for agriculture or construction (75 percent favor); limiting the rate of constructing coal-fired power plants, even if this increases the cost of energy (64 percent favor); gradually increasing the requirements for fuel efficiency in automobiles, even if this raises the cost of cars and bus fares (71 percent favor); and gradually reducing government subsidies that favor private transportation, even if this raises its cost (62 percent favor). No matter how Copenhagen turns out, the public is clea
This week, the Peruvian congress voted against a bill that would have legalized abortion in cases of rape, the Guardian reports . This means that the only legal way for women in Peru to get abortions is to prove their lives or health are in danger. Congressman Julio Rosas said the decision was made "to safeguard the life of a mother and the greater interests of the unborn child." Advertisement - Continue Reading Below However, a recent opinion poll in newspaper El Comercio found that 52 percent of Peruvians support legalizing abortion in cases of rape. Pro-choice activists argue that the Catholic church's lingering influence over the country is behind the strict abortion laws. Peru is far from the only Latin American country under fire for its abortion bans right now. Paraguay has been criticized by organizations like Amnesty International for its refusal to let a pregnant 10-year-old -- whose mother's partner raped her -- obtain a potentially life-saving abortion , and El Salvador has come under fire for jailing at least 17 women who have miscarried , because the Salvadoran constitution states that life begins at conception. Follow Alanna on Twitter .
In a precursor of today's politics, these clashes stemmed from heightened anxieties among native white Protestants about the consequences of Irish and German Catholic immigration for American identity and social harmony. Of particular note was the rise of the virulently nativist, anti-Catholic "American Party" (better known as the "Know-Nothing" Party ) in the 1850s. For some Know-Nothings, violence against recent immigrants was an acceptable means to preserve the rights of native whites. The Know-Nothings were hardly a fringe movement: By 1854, they had elected 52 of the then 234 members of Congress , as well as the mayors of several major cities. The rise of the Know-Nothings triggered serious conflicts between native white Protestants and those who had recently immigrated. In a particularly horrifying 1855 event known as "Bloody Monday," 22 people -- mostly recent German and Irish immigrants -- were killed, and many more were injured, in an Election Day riot in Louisville, Kentucky. In a disturbing precedent given Trump's request that his supporters monitor polls in "certain locations," an immediate precursor of the riot was an effort by armed Know-Nothing supporters to prevent eligible immigrant voters from casting ballots. The deadliest conflict It also bears remembering that the Civil War was sparked by the refusal by southern states to accept the results of the 1860 election. That unusual contest, which had featured four major presidential candidates, had been won by R
As Parliament passes sweeping, repressive immigration legislation, Toronto filmmaker Ali Kazimi's timely book, Undesirables , is a welcome and necessary contribution that should be required reading not only for Jason Kenney and his cohorts, but also those good-hearted folks who claim the new law violates Canada's mythic "humanitarian traditions." The Komagata Maru was a shipload of South Asian immigrants forced to dock a half mile off the B.C. coast for two months in 1914 as a battle to determine whether they could land played out in the media, the courts, on the docks and in a variety of communities. Denied access to counsel, blockaded from receiving food and water, demonized in the press, and eventually forced to leave when a Canadian court ruled that race could be a grounds for excluding newcomers, their struggle was a signature moment reflecting an ingrained xenophobia that undergirds contemporary Canadian policies. The book is visually stunning, thorough and wholly accessible in its historical, political and social presentation. Kazimi, whose documentary Continuous Journey also portrayed this period, outlines the extent to which Canada was built as "a white man's country," and how specific communities (largely South Asian, Chinese and African American) were systematically excluded from Canada. He also illustrates how limited numbers from these communities, in a mirror to today's wretched treatment of temporary foreign workers, were allowed in to Canada to perform menial
To countless people, Afghanistan appears to be a mystery. A faraway, dry piece of land, perched between forbidding mountains, in the heart of Asia's colossal landmass, sparsely populated by a resilient people. That some historians have labeled it "the graveyard of empires" adds to its enigma. Compared with many other countries, Afghanistan is, in some ways, without equal. Within the span of about two decades, this incredibly backward and poverty-stricken land was invaded by both the Soviet Union and the United States -- the two post-World War II superpowers. The Soviet Union left Afghanistan in February 1988, economically broken and militarily in disgrace. The United States, the sole remaining superpower, finds itself mired in a war that after 17 years it seems to be unable to win and reluctant to quit. And Afghanistan, this riddle of a country, is still at it, now fighting an internal war for about 40 years and, yes, with no end in sight. In October of 2001, when American military forces -- and later NATO soldiers -- were dispatched to Afghanistan to kill Osama ben Laden and finish off the scourge of the Taliban, the blaze of the battle has swallowed thousands of their lives and sent other thousands of them back to their countries, marred physically and mentally, to begin lives of pain and need. Many more thousands of Afghan civilians and soldiers lost their lives in this internal strife the fire of which doesn't seem to exhaust itself. What's to be done? That's the questi
Does free college threaten our all-volunteer military? That is what writer Benjamin Luxenberg, on military blog War on the Rocks says. But the real question goes deeper than Luxenberg's practical query, striking deep into who we are as a nation. Unlike nearly every other developed nation on earth, which offer free or low cost (Korea's flagship Seoul National University runs about $12,000 a year, about the same as Oxford ) higher education, in America you need money to go to college. You need the bucks for tuition and books, and for most students you need the bucks to not work full-time for a couple of years. Typical of American top end schools, Harvard charges $60,659 for tuition, room, board and fees. That's close to a quarter of a million dollars for a degree. Right now there are only a handful of paths to higher education in America (and good luck to you trying to land a decent job without it): have wealthy parents; be low-income and smart to qualify for at least some financial aid, take on crippling debt (how long will it take to pay back that quarter mil with interest with your middle management job?), or... Or join the military. The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides up to $20,000 per year for tuition, along with an adjustable living stipend. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Harvard is located, that stipend is $2,800 per month. There is also a books and supplies stipend. Universities participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program may make additional funds available without affect
A Russian advocacy group announced plans to nominate President Vladimir Putin for a Nobel Peace Prize at a press conference Tuesday. Members of the International Academy of Spiritual Unity and Cooperation of Peoples of the World cited Putin's work in persuading Syria to relinquish its chemical weapons stockpile, therefore preventing a missile strike threatened by President Obama, a 2009 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. In addition to the organization, the nomination has the support of members of the State Duma. "Barack Obama is the man who has initiated and approved the United States' aggressive actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now he is preparing for an invasion into Syria. He bears this title nevertheless," singer and Duma member Iosif Kobzon said at the press conference according to UPI . As The New York Times observes, however, Putin has been involved in many nefarious acts, including waging war against Chechen people, approving an attack against Georgia over a border dispute, and continuing to allegedly sell weapons to the Syrian government. He also has approved multiple antigay laws across Russia this year, garnering international attention. The laws condemn so-called LGBT propaganda and bar foreign same-sex couples from adopting Russian children. The nomination was received too late for the 2013 award, which had to be postmarked by February 1. The nomination letter, which was sent in September, will be for the 2014 award.
I'm beginning to think the DHS, NSA, FBI and TSA are largely extraneous entities. We appear to have a shortage of terrorists to defend against. We can't seem to find enough terrorists worldwide to justify needlessly intrusive surveillance programs. The FBI can't seem to land any big fish without dropping the line into its stock pond . And what we have managed to scare up as prime terrorist suspects have been captured by zealous local law enforcement teams, utilizing a blend of expansive anti-terrorism laws and a credibility not normally granted to foul-mouthed teens using social networks . Never miss out again! Start your day with our Daily Rundown of posts on Crooks and Liars.
"We required modesty from women. Now, are we beyond those days where a woman can behave as a slut, but you can't call her a slut?" the congressman said. In a supremely misogynistic and sexist series of audio, a Republican congressman from Minnesota exclaimed how women, particularly women voters, were "sluts," according to CNN'S KFile . The investigative team uncovered several months of audio clippings of Rep. Jason Lewis on his syndicated radio show "Jason Lewis Show" that the congressman hosted from 2009 to 2014. In one segment of the show, which had the tagline "America's Mr. Right," Lewis lambasted "young single women," whom he said voted based on the issue of free contraceptives. In early 2012, a young student activist at Georgetown, Sandra Fluke, testified to a Democratic congressional group that students paid as much as $1,000 a year for birth control pills and argued religiously affiliated institutions, such as universities and hospitals, should pay for the cost of contraceptives. In response, a radio show host, Rush Limbaugh, called her a "slut." Backing Limbaugh's shocking comments, Lewis said , "Now Limbaugh's reasoning was, look, if you're demanding that the taxpayers pay for your contraception, you must use a lot of them and therefore, ergo, you're very sexually active and in the old days, what we used to call people who were in college or even graduate school who were sexually active, we called them sluts." "Well, the thing is, can we call anybody a slut? This i
Why was I bestowed such a dishonor? Well, Thers was either displeased with the suggestion that Saturday's announcement of "24" going carbon neutral proves the show not to be conservative, or he disagrees with my view of anthropogenic global warming. As I noticed vulgarity Friday from Markos Moulitsas, the proprietor of Daily Kos, I decided to search for other instances of obscenity from this ilk to see whether this is a random or frequent occurrence. What I discovered was clearly the latter: According to the Daily Kos search function, there have been 88 "Diaries" (comments apparently excluded) in the past week which included the F-word , and 67 that used the S-word or versions thereof. Not bad for seven days. Even more amazing, the DK search function identified 1,567 comments in the past seven days which included the F-word , and 1,310 with the S-word . Over at Firedoglake, where there are far fewer submissions each day, the search function identified seven articles in July that contained the F-word , and seventeen with the S-word . Wonkette's search function identified an astounding five F-bombs and two S-words just on Friday! *****Update: The Whiskey Fire blogger's name in the original posting was incorrectly stated as "Wingnuttery." That has since been corrected. Please support NewsBusters today! (a 501c3 non-profit production of the Media Research Center) DONATE Liberals & Democrats Wonkette Markos Moulitsas
Sinead O'Connor, the troubled Irish singer, posted an explicit video online, saying she was living in a New Jersey motel and was suicidal. Police making a welfare check on her said she was gone. In the 12-minute video, O'Connor said she'd "be gone" if it wasn't for the few people in her life she claimed she's remaining alive for, Fox News said. "I'm all by myself. And there's absolutely nobody in my life except my doctor, my psychiatrist, the sweetest man on earth, who says I'm his hero, and that's about the only thing keeping me alive at the moment... and that's kind of pathetic," O'Connor said as tears rolled down her face. O'Connor said she was currently suffering from three mental illnesses and had been for some time. Hollywood Life said O'Connor was diagnosed with bipolar disorder more than 10 years ago. "I want everyone to know what it's like, that's why I'm making this video. Mental illness, it's like drugs, it doesn't give a s*** who you are, and equally what's worse, it's the stigma, it doesn't give a s*** who you are," she said, according to Hollywood Life. "Suddenly all the people who are supposed to be loving you and taking care of you are treating you like s***. It's like a witch hunt." O'Connor entitled the Facebook video, "#Oneofmillions," considering the fact that there are millions of people in the world today suffering from mental issues. The "Nothing Compares 2 U" singer has two kids, who are currently living in Ireland. In the video, O'Connor calls out the
With the controversy surrounding families being separated after being caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, TIME Magazine ran a cover depicting a crying, 2-year-old, Honduran girl being looked down upon by President Donald Trump. It was later revealed by her father and the Honduran deputy foreign minister that the girl was never separated from her mom when they were in custody of U.S. law enforcement As a result, TIME's magazine cover was widely criticized for being misleading since the girl was not affected by the separation policy . In a statement , TIME's Magazine's editor-in-chief said the publication was standing by the cover: The June 12 photograph of the 2-year-old Honduran girl became the most visible symbol of the ongoing immigration debate in America for a reason: Under the policy enforced by the administration, prior to its reversal this week, those who crossed the border illegally were criminally prosecuted, which in turn resulted in the separation of children and parents. Our cover and our reporting capture the stakes of this moment. The statement was met with even more criticism: Integrity be damned. We care about your emotional reaction! -- Justen Charters (@JustenCharters) June 22, 2018 Doubling down on fake news is a great look for the media -- Eric Hartmane (@erichartmane) June 22, 2018 "We stand by our story but not the truth" -- Foghorn Leghorn (@FoghornBLeghorn) June 22, 2018 "Our cover and our reporting capture the stakes of this moment." Th
As the White House prepares to turn the page on 2013, there are positive new signs in the rollout of the Affordable Care Act. But Democrats may be looking towards income inequality for a winning issue in 2014. NOW With Alex Wagner - 1:46 PM 12/30/2013 Thomas Roberts talks with Scouts for Equality director of operations Justin Wilson about the historic announcement for the Boy Scouts of America, who will begin accepting openly gay members on Jan. 1. MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts - 12:08 PM 12/30/2013 The latest Benghazi investigation from the New York Times is casting doubt on the narrative of the 2012 attack. Plus, the red state/blue state divide takes center stage for 2014. Irin Carmon, Victoria Soto, and Corey Dade discuss. MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts - 12:06 PM 12/30/2013
Do you ever worry that we have lost the spirit of Christmas? The sight of all those people shopping, and drinking, and talking to those they would normally shun, is demoralising for many. It makes them worry that we have lost sight of the true meaning of the holiday season. This is a time for moral grandstanding, quiet reflection on how to boost our profiles and ostentatious taking offence on behalf of others. It is a time when we consolidate our sense of spirituality, by accusing others of being racist, an act that simultaneously creates social division and becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. For inspiration about the true celebration of Christmas, we should look to the BBC. Picture the staff holiday season party, where every department has been asked to wear a slogan that sums up their spirit. On one table, there is an aggrievance of wealthy and privileged white women looking unhappy with their lot. Their t-shirt slogan tells us that they are the presenters and producers of Woman's Hour . It says, "Don't You Know Who I Am?" They are mingling with the reporters from BBC News, who are drowning their sorrows rather heavily. They had some terrible news this morning: the economy is buoyant, unemployment is down and the stock market is looking healthy. All this is "Despite Brexit" as the legend on their t-shirt says. Yes, good things might happen, but it is always despite Brexit. Meanwhile, lurking ominously in the corner, there's a Protective Custody (I believe that is the colle
Today, ABC and Gretchen Carlson announced that the Miss America Pageant, which people somewhere probably still watch, will no longer have swimsuit or evening gown competitions, and also will no longer judge women on their appearances like cattle at auction: "We are no longer a pageant," Gretchen Carlson, the first former Miss America to be named chair of the Board of Trustees of the Miss America Organization, said on "GMA." "We are a competition." Rather than being judged on their looks, contestants will now be judged on things like intellect, personal character and charitable behavior: We're changing out of our swimsuits and into a whole new era #byebyebikini #MissAmerica2019 pic.twitter.com/pgyHotpoYz -- Miss America Org (@MissAmericaOrg) June 5, 2018 Given that this comes, oh, 50 years after the big Miss America protest -- you know, the one where they burned bras, among other things, and then everyone was all "FEMINISTS BURN BRAAAAAAAS!" forever? -- some might say they are a bit slow on the uptake. However, perhaps unsurprisingly, others aren't quite "ready." Let's laugh at them! This guy thinks women were having a contest in which they are judged based on their beauty for their own benefit : So by eliminating judging based on appearance, as well as removing the swimsuit competition, Miss America will end up being a very boring version of "America's Got Talent". Why can't women have a contest based on appearance if they want one? -- Mark Kern (@Grummz) June 5, 2018 There's
This broadcast with TheBlaze Editor-in-Chief Scott Baker will begin at 3pm ET. To join the chat -- there is a button on the top right of the player window or you can hover your cursor over the player window for options. To ask a question -- click the button at the bottom. We'll be able to display your question or comment in the player window! And as always you can leave other comments in the regular comment section below! Community Rules Speak your mind. Please be respectful of our rules and community. No spam, abuse, obscenities, off-topic comments, racial or ethnic slurs, threats, hate, comments that incite violence or excessive use of flagging permitted. Please be respectful of our community and spread some love. Any of the following may result in a permanent ban: Spam Abusive Obscene language Obscene photos Off-topic comments Racial or ethnic slurs Threats of any kind Hate messages Excessive use or the flagging (report as spam) feature For more information, please see our Terms of Use. Now, go have fun and speak your mind!
The Republican Party is having a meltdown Republicans decided to attack women as a political strategy and it backfired. Now blowhard Rush Limbaugh launches an ill-informed vile attack on the woman that Republicans denied an opportunity to testify at their all-men hearing on contraception. Seriously, how stupid can some people be? They could have left the issue die down, but no. Evidently, women must be stopped and put in their place. A handful of Republican members of Congress scrambled to issue their lame condemnations of Limbaugh only days after they voted in support of the offensive Blunt-Rubio amendment. To make matters worse, the GOP Presidential candidates are cowards and hypocrites who have aligned themselves with these right-wing assaults. Mitt Romney is so confused he's still flip flopping on support for Blunt-Rubio. Also, Romney is apparently so terrified of criticizing Limbaugh that he issued a statement to the effect that "it's not the language I would have used." ( http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002376195 ) He's likely searching a thesaurus for a kinder gentler word for "slut." Only Romney can mess up a simple condemnation. Who on earth told these fools that a war on women was a good election-year strategy? http://thinkprogress.org/progress-report/the-gop-candidates-war-on-womens-health-care/ http://www.democraticunderground.com/101712361 Republicans stepped in it big time. They have mobilized a huge anti-blowhard bully movement. Rush Limbaugh 'Slut' Comme
No one could deny that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation cares deeply about science. The foundation, by far the nation's largest philanthropic organization, donates hundreds of millions of dollars every year to promising medical research, including vaccines and treatments for malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis. The foundation also cares about education. In 2004, it donated $720 million to improve American schools. Both Bill and Melinda Gates themselves frequently argue for schools to ramp up their science and math programs to create a competitive American workforce for the future. It comes as no small surprise, then, to learn that during the past five years the Gates Foundation has pledged more than $10 million to the Discovery Institute, the Seattle think tank that is leading the charge to bring "intelligent design" to the masses. Advocates of I.D. say Darwin's theory of evolution is flawed and that certain complex biological features -- such as, for instance, the human eye -- point to the presence of a "designer" at the source of creation. The scientific establishment roundly rejects I.D. They say it represents a back door through which religious views are being snuck into public education. Due to the Discovery Institute, I.D. is popping up in school districts all over the country, fueling a renewed controversy over evolution that has even made its way into national politics. George W. Bush recently espoused Discovery's views by urging teachers to make sure "both sides" --
Liberal_in_LA (44,397 posts) Kelsey Grammer wears anti choice t shirt (Original post) Liberal_in_LA Oct 2015 OP JI7 (68,487 posts) 1. bit off topic but is it true grammer did cocaine with w bush ? Fri Oct 9, 2015, 09:29 PM Dawson Leery (17,140 posts) Scootaloo (25,699 posts) 3. He's always been a part of the "got mine, fuck you" club Fri Oct 9, 2015, 09:36 PM 4. Very very small minority in Hollywood believes this. Fri Oct 9, 2015, 09:50 PM UTUSN (47,504 posts) 6. Never-EVER liked this a-hole, is he Libertarian (good for drugs/sex)? Never funny. & what was with that "Brit" accent?!1 Sat Oct 10, 2015, 12:32 PM Gormy Cuss (30,884 posts) 14. That's not a Brit accent, it's a WASP prep school accent. The proper diction for wealthy white people, doncha know. Fri Oct 9, 2015, 09:57 PM oberliner (54,281 posts) 7. The "Abortion73" group is subdivision of Loxafamosity Ministries Here is their "About Us" page: http://www.abort73.com/about_us/ Fri Oct 9, 2015, 09:58 PM City Lights (25,171 posts) MiniMe (16,788 posts) 9. Let me know when you get vasectomy Kelsey Then we can talk about it Sat Oct 10, 2015, 07:08 AM Lars39 (21,285 posts) 11. He's getting to the age where he might need a TURP I think we need a voice in whether he gets one or not. Stardust (3,834 posts) 10. He flipped us off at an anti war vigil. eom Sat Oct 10, 2015, 08:20 AM smirkymonkey (34,145 posts) 12. I always found him repulsive. Even before I knew anything about his politics. There was always something about him that
Demographers and policy wonks have been talking about this idea for years . It's based on the growth of life expectancy. In many countries, as things stand, the increasing number of years in which people draw benefits will overwhelm the unchanged number of years in which they're paying into the system. The logical solution is to raise the retirement age, so that the benefit-drawing years are matched by an increase in the number of paying-in years. May 13 2014 10:12 AM The Tragedy of Donald Sterling By William Saletan In his interview with CNN , aired last night, Donald Sterling insisted that the Los Angeles Clippers still loved him. Sterling's host, Anderson Cooper, asked him why no players had come forward to defend him. Sterling replied that the controversy was too hot. "People are intimidated by even the thought of racism," he said. That's true. These days, many people freak out over the slightest insinuation of racism. Part of Sterling's problem is that he's one of these people. He can't stand the idea of anyone thinking he's a racist. That's what blinds him to his racism. The good news is that pain is healthy. Seeing and feeling the damage we're doing is what will finally make us deal with the problem. May 5 2014 10:45 AM Kenya's Polygamy Problem By William Saletan Americans are accustomed to a marriage debate between traditionalists and egalitarians. The traditionalists say marriage is the union of a man and a woman. The egalitarians say all marriages, gay or straight,
Nordine Amrani had an extensive rap sheet, and spent a substantial part of his adult life in prison. His latest conviction came in September, 2008. when he was sentenced to 58 months for conspiracy, drugs, and weapons violations. Amrani, a welder by trade, was caught with 9,500 gun parts and a dozen AKs, along with a rocket launcher. By some news accounts, the parts were evidently autosears to convert AK style semi-automatics to full auto. Amrani also had 2,800 cannabis plants in his possession. In addition to marijuana plants, weapons, and gun parts, he was also convicted on what are described as healing and sexual offenses. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/14/MNQB1MCEN1.DTL A Belgian of Moroccan descent whose troubled history showed no sign of Islamic extremism, Amrani had been summoned to appear before the police about a case of sexual abuse at around the same time as the attack. Instead, he armed himself and mounted a desperate, final lashing out. Good thing dope makes people mellow, can you imagine what he'd have done if he was a juicer? Belgium suspended conscription on 31 December 1992 by amending the 1962 Law on Conscription, which became applicable only to conscripts drafted in 1993 and earlier. In practice this meant that the law no longer applied to those born in 1975 and later. Since 1 March 1995 the Belgian armed forces consist of professional volunteers only http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis#Belgium Individual or solo use
The Liberals are currently being investigated by the OPP for allegedly offering a bribe to a potential candidate in the Sudbury by-election to step aside in favour of the candidate the premier wanted. The police are also investigating the gas plant scandal where the Liberals spent billions of dollars to move two gas plants under construction in order to save two seats in the 2011 election. Police are looking into allegations that crucial emails concerning the scandal were deleted to cover up the details. The government is now negotiating with supermarket chains to allow 300 stores throughout the province to sell spirits and beer. Naturally the government union, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), is upset about the potential loss of jobs. The employees of liquor and beer stores make big bucks to do such tasks as stocking shelves, putting goods in bags and accepting payment from customers, the same worked performed in other retail outlets by employees who make minimum wage or close to it. After Wynne made the announcement, a media release was issued by OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas. Thomas gave not one, not two, not three, but four reasons why allowing the sale of booze in grocery store is a bad idea and life as we know it in Ontario will come to an end. One reason Thomas gives for not allowing sales in supermarkets is the government will be giving up some of the profits it makes selling alcohol at a time when the government needs the revenue. Using th
An orca whale performs during the One Ocean show at SeaWorld. Photo: K.C. Alfred/TNS The 11 orcas housed at SeaWorld's flagship park in San Diego will be the last killer whales in the state to perform choreographed routines for the cheering masses, the San Diego Union Tribune reports . The announcement comes after a series of bruising campaigns by animal-rights activists, coupled with a ruling by the California Coastal Commission that calls for the company to stop breeding orcas. Just two weeks ago, SeaWorld vowed to fight the decision , but now the tides have turned. The San Diego park will now try to win back animal lovers with a new "orca experience" -- no circusesque performance included. The company saw ticket sales drop after the release of the documentary Blackfish , which exposes animal abuse and neglect in the park's killer-whale breeding program. The park responded with an aggressive $15 million campaign to counter the animal-cruelty narrative. The company has referred to the documentary as " propaganda " on a seaworldcares.org page titled "The Truth About Blackfish." SeaWorld moved quickly today to bury the bad press spurred by the California Coastal Commission's ruling -- or what the company calls a "dubious decision" with "no legal basis" -- by announcing plans to start this brand-new "orca experience" in 2017. SeaWorld has yet to file lawsuit, or even a formal complaint for that matter, over the commission's ruling. Meanwhile, in RealWorld, as he
I'm not exactly sure how this works in Nevada (I mean Colorado), so there may be some slight differences but there's nothing odd about this situation. In many states and I think generally under common law there's a presumption that a child born during a marriage is the product of the marriage. There are ways to disprove parentage, but like everything else in court there's a procedure (a parentage action and a burden of proof,) so in general when one's spouse or the state (collecting on behalf of itself to recoup entitlement payments most likely) goes in to start collecting support it gets it at least temporarily, and the amount it gets is determined with a dandy mathematical formula. Custody is a separate issue, though frequently determined at the same time at least on a temporary basis. Custody of course isn't a sure thing, the law wants visitation, but this can be impractical for a lot of reasons (location/travel time being the most common along with denying custody to those who may present a danger to the child). In this specific case we don't know when the custody and support orders were established. We know that there was visitation ordered and that the mother is engaging in gate-keeping behavior preventing visitation against court order. That's generally frowned upon, but it's hard to get a contempt order on visitation, or at least a meaningful one. Alternatively there may be reasons that the mother wants to keep the father from having custodial time - like real meaning
Sarah Wasko / Media Matters Twitter briefly prevented Blackburn's campaign from promoting an ad that relied on anti-abortion lies from CMP Blackburn claimed Twitter was censoring her ad including the phrase "baby body parts" after the platform wouldn't let her campaign post it as paid, promoted content. On October 9, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) claimed that Twitter was censoring a video announcing her run for retiring Sen. Bob Corker's (R-TN) seat. In the video, Blackburn alleged that she "fought Planned Parenthood, and we stopped the sale of baby body parts" in reference to her time as chair of the House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives -- which was convened following the release of the Center for Medical Progress' (CMP) deceptively edited videos about Planned Parenthood. Twitter initially refused to let Blackburn's campaign pay for the video to appear as promoted content but backtracked the next day. [ Media Matters , 10/12/17 ] CMP's claims have been consistently debunked, and the organization now faces multiple legal challenges CMP's videos have been consistently debunked as deceptively edited. CMP claims that its videos show covertly recorded conversations with Planned Parenthood personnel and employees of private, for-profit biomedical procurement companies discussing the sale of fetal tissue or "baby body parts." An independent analysis commissioned by Planned Parenthood and conducted by forensic experts found that CMP's videos "contain intentionally decepti
What do conservatives think of liberals today? Here's the view from the Heritage Foundation: Liberalism creates self-indulgent, licentious hedonists willing to cede every other kind of freedom to an increasingly authoritarian government. "Give up your economic freedom, give up your political freedom, and you will be rewarded with license," said Heritage's David Azerrad, describing the reigning philosophy of the left. "It's all sex all the time. It's not just the sex itself--it's the permission to indulge." Liberals, said editor Bill Voegeli, want to create "the United States of Feeling Good About Ourselves." What's more, they think that those who disagree with them ought "to imprisoned--not to be debated, to be locked up on criminal charges and imprisoned," said the National Review 's Kevin Williamson, citing stray calls from the left to "arrest climate change deniers." The event at Heritage--which prides itself as being the intellectual backbone of the conservative movement--was intended to address where liberalism was headed. "Twenty-five years ago, marriage meant what it had always meant, Madonna was considered risque, and liberals worried about mass immigration, threats to religious liberty and the vulgarity of pop music. The times, they have a-changed. And they will continue to change as the Left presses on," Heritage said in announcing the event. At the Tuesday's event, a curious portrait of modern-day liberalism emerged. Liberalism meant Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and G
Locally, as in the Northeast, garage sales remain largely middle- and upper-middle-class enterprises. They are found disproportionately, though not exclusively, in suburban enclaves such as Miami Shores, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, and Miami Beach. The people who attend them, though, come from almost every socioeconomic corner of Miami-Dade: from those same communities, as well as from immigrant and working-class neighborhoods and towns such as Little Haiti, Little Havana, Hialeah, and North Miami. The contrast between buyers and the typical garage-sale setting often is striking. In the Gables and Shores, a buyer might pull up to the driveway in a rusted-out Buick and park next to the host's gleaming Mercedes. The black children running around on the lawn, playing with some just-acquired toy, might be the first anyone can remember seeing on the block. And, while the sound of Kreyol or Spanish being spoken anywhere in Miami-Dade is not unusual, the two rarely are heard in concert as frequently as they are at these gatherings. The result is that garage sales often function as a kind of carnival, a temporary -- and, for participants, welcome -- suspension of the rigid rules and social circumstances that govern our lives. This is especially true because most sales take place in communities that otherwise are inaccessible to the public at large. On the Upper Eastside of Miami alone, the neighborhoods of Morningside and Belle Meade, both popular destinations for garage sale regula
Today I read the tragic news that Deputy Darren Goforth of the Harris County, Texas Sheriff's Office was executed yesterday, while he was pumping gas into his police cruiser. He was killed simply because he was a police officer. As a 33-year federal law enforcement veteran and the Immediate Past President of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), I call upon Attorney General Lynch, our nation's top law enforcement officer, to come out and publicly condemn the senseless killing of police officers throughout the US. This epidemic of violence against law enforcement officers must stop. I ask that all law enforcement officers, all police chiefs, all police organizations and those who support law enforcement, to contact the Attorney General and the President today and ask that they speak out now for the men and women in law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day to keep our nation safe. Call and email the President and the Attorney General today. Show your support for law enforcement.
Without Empathy For Trump Voters, Movements Can't Succeed By George Lakey, www.wagingnonviolence.org November 11, 2016 Without Empathy For Trump Voters, Movements Can't Succeed 2016-11-11 2016-11-11 https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/12/popres-shorter.png PopularResistance.Org https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2016/11/Screen-Shot-2016-11-11-at-10.01.42-AM-e1478876585737-150x96.png 200px 200px Above Photo: Supporters of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump cheer as election day results are announced during the Colorado GOP Election Night Party in Greenwood Village, Colorado on November 8, 2016. / AFP / Jason Connolly This was a highly emotional election, and we need time to feel our feelings and sort out what it means for us and for the country. Donald Trump is a con man; his game is to manipulate emotions and activists can be as vulnerable as anyone else. Knowing that, we can give ourselves some space to breathe rather than hype each other's fear. We can also begin to ask, what does his victory mean for social activists on the left? First, and most obviously, Bernie Sanders was not Trump's opponent. Many Trump voters liked Sanders for the same reason they supported Trump: He was an outlier who was an alternative to the establishment that has for decades been implementing what billionaire Warren Buffett calls the economic elite's "class war." We activists on the left, even with some disagreements with Sanders, cou
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood revealed in a new interview he feared the worst after he was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year. The 70-year-old guitarist told the Daily Mail he thought it was "time to say goodbye" after a doctor performing routine tests offered the news that he "had this supernova burning away on my left lung." "There was a week when everything hung in the balance and it could have been curtains, time to say goodbye," Wood said. [lz_ndn video=32458108] The musician says he just told the doctor to get it out of him. He added that he had decided not to have chemotherapy if results turned out to be bad. "I wasn't going to lose my hair. This hair wasn't going anywhere," he said. Despite his concerns, Wood said he was "prepared for bad news." "But I also had faith it would be OK," Wood shared. The rocker also explained the reason to keep his diagnosis a secret. "Apart from the doctors, we didn't tell anyone because we didn't want to put anyone else through the hell we were going through." He thanked doctors in May for treating a small lesion in his lung and will undergo checks every three months. This Fox News article is used by permission.
Washington: The House of Representatives has voted to approve a budget bill which includes $1.6 billion requested by the White House to begin the construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border, the media reported. Representational image. Reuters In a 235-192 vote on Thursday, the lower house gave the green light to a $788 billion defence, veterans and energy budget bill for fiscal year 2018 - which runs from 1 October, 2017, through 30 September, 2018, reports Efe news. "Every single dime the President requested to start building a wall on our southern border he's going to get. Most importantly, we're sending more to the VA (Veterans Affairs) to fix veterans' health care and reform outdated VA systems," said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican. Republican lawmakers included the wall budget proposal in the defence budget bill with the aim of forcing House Democrats to vote in favour of the wall, one of the key campaign promises made by Donald Trump during his presidential campaign but a measure that has been opposed head-on by Democrats. Lawmakers could not agree on a comprehensive budget to finance the government as a whole and, therefore, they have been dividing the total funds into smaller bills for different departments. Not included in the bill approved on Thursday are funds for the Department of Homeland Security, which is in charge of the wall project and financing for which will be considered in a separate bill. In May, the White House, vi
The media don't just make the news, they frame it. Journalists did it this week, pushing business CEOs to quit President Donald Trump's American Manufacturing Council. After one CEO resigned in response to Trump's comments on the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, the media urged others to follow. The fallout resulted in Trump shutting down the group entirely. Merck CEO Ken Frazier decided to leave the council after Trump's comments on violence between white supremacists and counter protesters which included Antifa. Antifa are "anti-fascists" who show up to protest hateful speech and shut it down and have demonstrated willingness to use violence to accomplish those goals, according to CNN. There were at least seven times liberal journalists and media outlets chose to apply pressure on business leaders themselves. From journalism teachers, to business news anchors and columnists; liberal media activism was on full display. New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin asked if other executives would take "a stand," while a Los Angeles Times columnist called out those still "kissing up" to Trump and others tried to shame CEOs on Twitter. "America's leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal," Frazier wrote in part of his resignation announcement. Frazier's decision quickly led to media activists pressuring other CEOs to quit Trump a
Cost of living is going up three times as much as benefits. Photo: Images_of_Money , under a CC License . Shameless is too honest a word to describe the decision, voted through Parliament on Tuesday 8 January, to cap benefit rises to just one per cent over the next three years, although the cost of living is going up by almost three times as much. Vicious more accurately sums up this latest volley in the campaign against people that this cabinet of millionaires has decided are 'scroungers' and 'shirkers'. Sadly, the mythology that welfare recipients are at the root of our economic ills has traction in a mainstream media that is shockingly lax when it comes to truth-telling. And that affects public opinion. According to a recent poll, people think 27 per cent of welfare is claimed fraudulently. The government's own estimates put it at just 0.7 per cent - or just one seventieth of the amount the treasury loses through tax avoidance and evasion. And, as repeatedly pointed out by the Institute of Fiscal Studies and other reputable bodies, 60 per cent of those who will be affected by the raft of new measures affecting welfare and child tax credits are actually in work. They are claiming benefits because wages are too low and rents are too high. The publicly funded welfare system has been used to bolster companies that drive down workers' wages while ramping up senior executive pay to obscene levels. It's putting money in the pockets of greedy landlords and property speculators. As
We've all heard that researchers are currently working to refine self-driving cars and other autonomous vehicles . The revolution is coming . It turns out, though, that they're also setting their sights on using artificial intelligence to navigate situations you may not have expected--like aerial combat in fighter jets. Fighter pilots undergo extensive specialized training to be able to outwit opponents in battle, and that professional experience seems like it would be hard, even impossible, to replicate. But a new artificial intelligence system , ALPHA, has been besting expert pilots in combat simulations, even when the A.I. is given a handicap. Given years of discussion about military drones, it seems like a fighter plane piloted by A.I. wouldn't be so surprising. But unmanned aerial combat vehicles are usually remote-controlled by a person, at least in part, and are used for things like attacks and reconnaissance, not one-on-one fighting. This has been changing, though. Last summer, P.W. Singer wrote in Popular Science that, "More than 80 nations already use unmanned aerial systems, or drones, and the next generation is now emerging. They will be autonomous, jet-powered, and capable of air-to-air combat." ALPHA was developed by aerospace engineer Nick Ernest, a recent doctoral graduate of University of Cincinnati whose company Psibernetix works with the Air Force Research Laboratory. ALPHA has been victorious in numerous simulated battles against top fighter pilots, includ
Like many of us, I exist on the surface of life at times. Skating on the frozen pond, yet knowing that beneath the shiny facade of the ice lies fathom deep waters. I try not to think about it, since I also wonder if sharks with sharp teeth circle in anticipation that it will melt just enough for me to fall through and they can feast. Hard to imagine that this Opti-Mystic/Bliss Mistress could entertain such wild imaginings. When they show up, I do my best to shoo them away when perhaps it would be better to face them down and take a chomp out of them. I am blessed to have healer friends who have faced their own version of marauders. One such is Rod Schichtel who I met something like five years or so ago. We share a love of color and creativity, music, spirituality, healthy food, massage and hugs. He is one of the most resilient people I know, having bounced back from some daunting challenges that would have knocked other less hardy souls on their butts and kept them there. He emerged with life lessons that he generously shares with people who cross his path. He is also an extremely talented artist whose limitless imagination astonishes me. Rod has designed a healing experience as a result that I had the privilege of immersing in recently. He calls it Half Day Getaway and it consists of sitting with him as you express what is on your mind for at least thirty minutes as he holds space and simply listens. How often does that happen in our lives? He video tapes it so that you
Dec 15, 2017 -- Thank you for your support! This week the campaign made news with coverage in the Rugby Advertiser and on their Facebook page. With more than 6,200 signatures on the petition you're helping highlight how damaging this proposal for an intensive pig rearing unit in Grandborough will be - for the pigs, the neighbouring riding stables, rare breed farms, camp site and the environment! Please spread the word, promote the petition and join in the conversation. If you live in Rugby, please keep on writing to the Council and join the campaign group on Facebook. Keep fighting for people power! Politicians and rich CEOs shouldn't make all the decisions. Today we ask you to help keep Change.org free and independent. Our job as a public benefit company is to help petitions like this one fight back and get heard. If everyone who saw this chipped in monthly we'd secure Change.org's future today. Help us hold the powerful to account. Can you spare a minute to become a member today? I'll power Change with $5 monthly
Photo Credit: aslysun/Shutterstock.com Gov. Dave Heineman signed a bill Wednesday making Nebraska the 11th state that bars employers from asking prospective employees if they have a criminal record. The prohibition is a provision in a law designed to reduce prison overcrowding. It removes a box that asks job applicants whether they have been arrested or convicted of a crime. Checking that box instantly keeps many job seekers from getting hired for the lowest-paid jobs. In fact, unemployment among ex-convicts, studies indicate, can be as high as 75 percent. A study in New York City found applicants admitting they have a criminal record were 50 percent less likely to be offered a job. Not surprisingly, in one more impact of the racist nature of the criminal-justice system, black applicants with records were far less likely than white applicants with the same background to get job offers. Besides banning the box, the Nebraska law also includes provisions for job training, mental health and transitional programs, reports Annie-Rose Strasser: The bill passed with "little fanfare," said a spokesperson for the Governor. It was approved by the legislature on a vote of 46-0. State Senator Brad Ashford (D-Omaha), who authored the bill, said that the potential budget savings from helping keep people out of prisons was one of the keys to getting everyone on board. But he also said the state has been focused on criminal justice issues for a while--they started with juveniles--and th
1. There will be lots of positive measures in the bill that conservatives will support. That does not matter. A massive amnesty will overwhelm all the positive affects of visa reforms, added security workplace enforcement , and even establishing temporary worker programs. That is exactly what happened when the same approach was tried in 1986. 2. The first thing we have to do is deal with the illegal population that is already here. Wrong. Starting with amnesty will pretty much insure that none of the other issues get addressed. Once the "800 lbs guerrilla" is off the table the left will lose all interest in immigration and border security. 3. Legalization is not amnesty. Wrong. It is. No matter how its portrayed-rewarding people who broke the law by allowing them to stay here lawfully will only encourage more illegal migration. 4. There is no alternative to amnesty. Wrong a phased approach to implementing reforms will address the underlying problems driving illegal immigration-that should be first priority. 5. Conservatives are part of the party of NO. They have no compassion, no sense of doing what's fair. Wrong. Conservatives believe that America is and should remain a "nation of immigrants" But the challenge of illegal immigration must be addressed in a manner that respects the rule of law, protects our sovereignty and security and gets employees employers need to grow the economy.
U.S. filings for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week to the lowest level since January 1973, further evidence that the labor market remains tight, Labor Department figures showed Thursday. Highlights of Jobless Claims (Week ended March 24) Jobless claims decreased by 12k to 215k (est. 230k) Continuing claims rose by 35k to 1.87m in week ended March 17 (data reported with one-week lag) Four-week average of initial claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, fell to 224,500 from the prior week's 225,000 Key Takeaways Claims at the lowest level in 45 years underscore a persistent shortage of qualified workers that has made employers reluctant to fire staff. Applications for jobless benefits below the 300,000 tally are typically considered consistent with a healthy labor market. Other aspects of the job market remain robust, with payrolls continuing to exceed expectations and an unemployment rate near the lowest since late 2000. Steady employment will help to sustain consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy. The report reflects the annual revision to seasonal adjustment factors for initial and continuing claims from 2013 to present. Other Details Prior week's reading was revised to 227,000 from 229,000 Unemployment rate among people eligible for benefits held at 1.3 percent Colorado, Maine and Hawaii estimated initial claims last week, according to the Labor Department
Iggy Azalea has had a tough time on Twitter lately. Fellow rapper (and name sharer) Azealia Banks keeps calling her out for allegedly being ignorant about racism, and hacker group Anonymous has threatened to leak a sex tape of her until she publicly apologizes to Banks. And she's been facing lots of criticism from rappers like Q-Tip, who took to Twitter to teach her a hip-hop history lesson. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below But in a series of tweets Monday night, Azalea tried to set record straight. She thanked Lupe Fiasco and Will.i.am for having her back; both musicians defended her right to make the music she wants to make. She then noted that even though she's white and from Australia, she is a passionate student of hip-hop. And so it upsets her that people look down their noses at her and assume she knows nothing about the work she does. She doesn't have the time or the energy to try to prove herself to her doubters, and haters don't have to buy her albums. But overall, she says she's used to all the criticism, and she doesn't "lose any sleep over it." She's too busy enjoying the holidays to deal with trolls on Twitter, famous or otherwise. https://twitter.com/IGGYAZALEA/status/547191933966110720 https://twitter.com/IGGYAZALEA/status/547192287399120896 https://twitter.com/IGGYAZALEA/status/547192495839277056 https://twitter.com/IGGYAZALEA/status/547192597618249729 https://twitter.com/IGGYAZALEA/status/547192784411561984 https://twitter.com/IGGYAZALEA/status/54719
At a moment when our government is trying to take away our healthcare while pushing for a massive increase in Pentagon funding, we need to listen to one of the most powerful moral voices of our time: Reverend William Barber. Arrested last week in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office to protest the repeal of Obamacare, the Reverend said: "There are times when silence is no longer an option and you must engage in the dangerous ministry of truth telling. I'm standing with millions across America today to say the fight for healthcare is a fight for the soul of America." The Reverend rails against politicians who want to "steal from the poor to give budget increases to a bloated military" and instead calls for Healthcare, Not Warfare. "What will make us safer," Rev. Barber asks, "$54 billion dollars more to a war machine or jobs, education, healthcare, and infrastructure? $54 billion could provide healthcare to 22 million low-income children. What would make fewer people around the world hate us--lifting up the world or bombing and invading? It's not that we don't have the money, it's that our moral priorities are wrong." The Reverend says that instead of feeding the bloated Pentagon, we should be feeding hungry children. Instead of talking about repealing the Affordable Care Act, we should be talking about how to move to universal healthcare. "We have to be clear: Healthcare is a human right. Period," he said. The Reverend's call to action is prophetic: We mu
In South Carolina's 4th Congressional District, Rep. Trey Gowdy's retirement has invited a large field of Republicans to throw their hats into the race and battle for his seat. There are thirteen GOP candidates, each trying to qualify for the runoff election. The standout candidates are former state Sen. Lee Bright, State Sen. William Timmons, radio host Josh Kimbrell, and State Rep. Dan Hamilton. Bright has been endorsed by Reps. Steve King, R-Iowa and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Timmons has been endorsed by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and once noted his admiration for Speaker Paul Ryan during a candidate forum in Greenville. Kimbrell has been endorsed by the Club for Growth and is a former Fox News contributor. The National Association of Realtors has spent nearly $400,000 supporting Hamilton. South Carolina is an open primary state, meaning voters do not need to register with a political party to vote in that party's primary. The polls close at 7:00 p.m. ET. Live results: Want to keep up with what's going on in Washington without the liberal media slant, establishment spin, and politician-ese? Sign up to get CRTV's Capitol Hill Brief in your inbox every evening! It's free!
There is no recession. Despite all the doom and gloom from the economic pessimistas, the resilient U.S economy continues moving ahead'"quarter after quarter, year after year'"defying dire forecasts and delivering positive growth. In fact, we are about to enter the seventh consecutive year of the Bush boom. The pessimistas are a persistent bunch. In 2006, they were certain a recession was just around the corner. They were wrong. Instead, the economy posted two consecutive quarters of near or above four-percent growth. Earlier today, a doom and gloom economic forecast from Macro Economic Advisors was released predicting zero percent growth in the fourth quarter. This report is off by at least two percentage points. These guys are going to wind up with egg on their faces. Here are the facts: Americans are working. The 4.7 percent unemployment number remains at an historical low. On a three-month rolling basis, the U.S. economy has added over 100,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the household job count shows that an average of 303,000 jobs have been added in the last three months. This is noteworthy because it suggests that the job market is turning around. Hours worked are growing more than 1-percent annually, while workers' wages are running 3.8 percent, a full percentage point ahead of inflation. As for this week's productivity report, it was nothing short of spectacular: the 6.3 percent productivity gain was the best in four years. A rise in productivity is good for growth. It's good for
This morning, I was grazing the great expanse of the internet looking for some good ol' fashioned ~inspiration~ when I came across the story about the Chloe Grace Moretz and Khloe Kardashian Twitter feud . The 19-year-old actress Chloe articulately tweeted her teenage thoughts and feelings about the T. Swift/Kanye West squabble : Everyone in this industry needs to get their heads out of a hole and look around to realize what's ACTUALLY happening in the REAL world Finishing off with a very wise, Stop wasting your voice on something so petulant and unimportant. Our young girl had a valid point. I mean, honestly, I'm sick of giving men who minimize women by calling them hateful names like "bitch" my precious clicks, too. With all the shit going on in this cruel, cold world, Moretz was suggesting we focus our energy on other things. But of course, hell hath no fury like a Kardashian scorned. And Khloe K was quick to come back with a pretty viscous rapid fire response, one that made me feel like a disgusting human being for even bearing visual witness (and they say us gays are tarnishing the purity of the world. Le sigh). "Is this the a hole, you're referring too?" the 32-year old reality star recklessly tweeted into the Twittersphere, including a picture of what she thought was Moretz's exposed bum (a very exploitive picture that I don't feel comfortable posting here). Just as I was about to vomit the contents of my $9.00 green juice into the trash after seeing that god awful pi
The television evangelist was in Paris at the time of the raid, as federal agents could be seen removing boxes from the offices on the property, The Associated Press reported . "It looked like a big raid: people everywhere, police people everywhere out there, and just rushing in," said John Ebert, who works next door to the headquarters, according to Christian News . Lisa Slimak, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Dallas, said she couldn't confirm whether an investigation is underway, the AP noted. Special Agent Michael Moseley with IRS Criminal Investigations said, "Today, we are here on official business, we are conducting a search warrant on the premises, basically that's all I can tell you today. We are primarily investigating Title 26, which is tax evasion and general fraud against the government," Christian News reported. This comes 10 years after Hinn and five other TV evangelists were investigated by the Senate Finance Committee, AP noted. They were each cleared in 2010, though. Ole Anthony, president of the nonprofit Trinity Foundation, said he's been keeping a close eye on Hinn's ministry for 20 years, according to Christian News. "There is more fraud in the name of God - not just in America, but in the world - than any other kind of fraud," he said.
The Age of Aging: How Demographics Are Changing the Global Economy and Our World George Magnus John Wiley & Sons, 256pp, PS18.99 With the ageing of the world's population, the numbers of those aged 65 and over is due to double in the next 25 years in most countries. The most rapidly expanding age group will be those over 80 years of age, which will multiply sixfold by 2050. The ageing effect will, of course, be greater in countries, such as Japan, that have low birth rates and little immigration. Japan's population is expected to shrink from 130 million to fewer than 100 million by mid-century. Such population forecasts have to be treated with care, as they project current trends. Forecasting the numbers of a population cohort, where its size today is already known, relies on fewer assumptions than forecasting what proportion of the overall population it will comprise. After nearly half a century of increasing life expectancy and falling birth rates in a large number of countries, some aspects of the ageing trend are unavoidable. The over-65s and over-80s I have referred to are already born - and, equally, the smaller size of younger age-group cohorts is a given. Because only cohorts yet unborn could be larger, it would still take three decades or more before a sharp increase in the birth rate began to enlarge the labour force. Although the ageing trend is most pronounced in the developed world, it is a global phenomenon. The rise in life expectancy has extended the trend by
In this letter, Kevin Nance analyzes the development of class consciousness across the Americas, including the United States. The author of the letter goes on to show the problems of leadership and the need for a mass party of labor. Across the Americas, from Canada to Argentina, a growing revolutionary mood is developing. Americans are yearning for change. They seek to replace the old with the new. This shift in consciousness is reflected in the recent elections in Latin America, and even in the U.S., where many of those who voted for Obama did so believing he would in fact bring real change. But the main problem is the leadership. We have mostly elected center-left, reformists who are ultimately defenders of capitalism into office, when the people of the Americas need more. The United States of America is in many ways the best example of such revolutionary masses with the wrong leadership. With the conditions presented to them, Americans are beginning to become more class conscious. Class consciousness is knowing what class you are in and how to make things better for yourself and your peers. The seeds of class consciousness are being sown though, which is unusual in the U.S.A., at least in recent years, but great sign. People are beginning to see that electing officials that are in bed with the corporations of America is a bad idea. Although they have elected Obama (he is very much in the same bed with the bosses), his election is a necessary stage in the development of t
Low pay, job insecurity, debt, workplace discrimination and a lack of hope - the results of the Young Women's Trust's new report, Worrying Times , certainly make for grim reading. However, if you're a young person, I doubt there's much in the report that could be described as surprising. After all, 40 per cent of us expect to have a less comfortable life than our parents, and why shouldn't we? Uncertainty over Brexit, housing costs and worries about our financial futures are at the forefront of the millennial mind. As someone on not one but two different zero-hour contracts, this uncertainty is something that I deal with on a daily basis. I do casual work as a cleaner but my main source of income is working as a science communicator, which means that I tell your children that science is great. It's a wonderful job but I'll only get shifts if I can get my hands on the rota before everyone else does. My idea of long-term financial planning involves taking on as much work as I can and spending as little as possible this month, just in case next month's pay cheque is a little lean. How can I possibly think about setting aside reasonable sums towards a stable future? I'm not alone in this; two in five young women say that it's a struggle to make their money last to the end of the month and 41 per cent of young people are worried about being able to buy a home. To me, home ownership is a fairytale. At PS7.65 an hour I'm not doing too badly compared to some - one in six young people
It seems the United States has been plagued in recent years by an increasing number of politicians willing to take highly destructive stands on public policies to win the support of poorly informed voters. Unfortunately, we share that problem with a lot of other countries around the world. One of the most egregious examples is a rising star in the volatile politics of Egypt, a woman by the name of Fayza Abul-Naga. She is Egypt's Minister for Planning and International Cooperation and she could teach the likes of Huey Long, Joe McCarthy, and George Wallace a thing or two about demagoguery and the exploitation of populist bias. Her skills have not won her high marks from the international community for statesmanship or enlightened policy, but when it comes to political agility she is a gold medal winner. Abul-Naga entered the political arena under the tutelage of former President Hosni Mubarak, who appointed her Egypt's foreign minister in 2001. Later she moved to the Ministry for Planning and International Cooperation, a position that might be considered more politically sensitive with respect to Egypt's domestic politics. Following Mubarak's ouster in February 2011, Abul-Naga retained that post in an interim government and even when last fall's demonstrations resulted in a cabinet shakeup, the appointment of a new prime minister, and the departure of nearly all of Mubarak's cabinet holdovers, Abul-Naga held on to her powerful perch at Planning and International Cooperation. S
A North Carolina lawmaker is proposing a bill that would require the state Lottery Commission and its welfare entitlement agency to verify lottery winners aren't also collecting government benefits, such as food stamps. House Bill 1047, sponsored by state Rep. Bert Jones (R-Rockingham), proposes requiring the North Carolina Lottery Commission to report to the Department of Health and Human Services and Division of Social Services when recipients of food and nutrition benefits win lottery prizes exceeding $2,250. HB 1047 was approved by the North Carolina House of Representatives in June and is currently under consideration by the state Senate. Help for the Truly Needy Jones says researching solutions to entitlement reform inspired him and his colleagues to do something about fixing a broken system that was failing the "truly needy" in his state. "We had been studying the issue of welfare waste, fraud, and abuse, in which precious, limited resources are wrongly allocated that should be preserved for the truly needy," Jones said. "As good stewards, we must address waste, fraud, and abuse wherever we can find it." 'Couple of Good Things' Mitch Kokai, director of communications for the John Locke Foundation, says the bill contains several positive elements. "I think that the bill has a couple of good things going for it," Kokai said. "One is that you want to ensure that, to the extent that the government is going to be providing benefits to people who have a need to have some sor
PICKS are stories from many sources, selected by our editors or recommended by our readers because they are important, surprising, troubling, enlightening, inspiring, or amusing. They appear on our site and in our daily newsletter. Please send suggested articles, videos, podcasts, etc. to picks@whowhatwhy.org . Rare Earth Mineral Reserves Discovered in North Korea (Trevin) A British private equity firm estimated the country's reserves in 2013 to be at 216M tons, "a figure that is more than double the current global stockpile." Stuck Between NATO Countries and Russia (Dan) Belarus is wedged between volatile forces: NATO countries and Russia. Thus it has become a battleground. And it's only getting worse. 1953 Iran Coup: New Docs Confirm British Approached US About Ousting Mosaddeq (Jimmy) From the National Security Archive : "The British Foreign Office approached the Truman administration on more than one occasion in late 1952 to propose a coup to overthrow Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq, according to freshly declassified State Department documents. North Korea's Missiles are Russia's Fault, Says NYT (Dan) Because the new long-ranging weapons are " possibly " from a post-Soviet Ukrainian factory, which was destabilized after the 2014 coup (exacerbated by Russian separatists), and thus gave rise to a black market in the country that is accessible to North Korea. This makes the Saddam-Al-Qaeda connection look simple. Where else do you see journalism of this quality and
They will be maintaining a long distance relationship when Frank Lampard moves to the US to join New York City FC later in the summer. And Frank and his fiancee Christine Bleakley were seen spending some quality down time together in the South of France on Thursday. Christine showed off her toned figure in the blue animal print bikini as they pair soaked up the sun at popular Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc hotel. Scroll down for video Fun in the sun: Frank Lampard and his fiancee Christine Bleakley were seen spending some quality down time together in the South of France on Thursday Christine, 36, proved that she is in great shape as she showcased her slim line physique in the blue two-piece whilst sweeping her locks up into a simple bun. The natural beauty appeared to be sporting minimal make-up for her day in the sunshine with her partner and their friends. Christine recently said that she hasn't had time to plan her wedding. Beach babe: Christine showed off her toned figure in the blue animal print bikini as they pair soaked up the sun at popular Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc hotel Quality time: They will be maintaining a long distance relationship when Frank Lampard moves to the US to join New York City FC later in the summer Soaking up the sun: The 36-year-old proved that she is in great shape as she showcased her slim line physique in the blue two-piece whilst sweeping her locks up into a simple bun Chilling: The natural beauty appeared to be sporting minimal make-up for her day in the
President Obama is throwing a lavish party for close friends and mega-donors on Friday. To show he hasn't lost his touch at wasting OPM (Other People's Money), the lame duck and First Lady Michelle Obama will host one final bash at the White House two weeks before he leaves office. The details of the swanky affair will be kept secret until the last minute, but the star-studded bash will include many longtime Obama sycophants, the Daily Mail reported. Guests will include: Oprah Winfrey and BFF Gayle King Beyonce Samuel L. Jackson Usher Stevie Winder George Lucas Director J.J. Abrams. Many on Twitter reacted by wondering how much another Obama party is going to cost us -- the hard-working taxpayers footing the bill. The Obamas are throwing one more taxpayer-funded shindig, ya'll! https://t.co/LK5HNQhNOt -- Amy Moreno (@VivaLaAmes) January 4, 2017 @mcgilh @washingtonpost THATS ALL OBAMAS DO....RUN UP BILLS FOR AMERICAN TAX PAYERS...WHILE SCREWING UP THE ENTIRE COUNTRY... -- INFIDEL CRUSADER (@kalaniluning) January 4, 2017 @GOPjenna @FiveRights @washingtonpost Oh the Obamas know how to spend!!!!!??? -- Mimi874 (@Marie903) January 4, 2017 @GOPjenna @FiveRights Obama all you have done is piss away millions of tax payers money !! This is not your money to do whatever u want -- pr brooks (@paila) January 4, 2017 The Obamas have set new records for vacation travel expenses. The total cost of the Obamas' vacations tops $96 million over his 8-year presidency. The amount was so obscen
For years, filmmaker Cynthia Mort sought to bring Nina Simone's story to the screen, yet when the door finally opened, a wave of anticipation and controversy mounted before production even began. The upcoming film Nina , aimed for release this year, will be Mort's first feature length film project, and the first narrative centered on the famed singer and civil rights activist, played by A-list actress Zoe Saldana. The choice to cast Saldana stands at the center of a debate over the film. Those displeased with Saldana's selection have petitioned for Mort to recast the part. Celebrities such as India.Arie , Aretha Franklin , and even Simone's daughter (a noted jazz singer) have voiced concerns over the choice. Critics feel that Saldana does not adequately resemble Simone, who was known for celebrating her strong African features. Director: Surprised by backlash Mort is not offended by the backlash, only surprised. She wants the public to give Nina a chance. "This was a creative endeavor, and to judge and to hijack a creative endeavor before it's finished is the only thing I take any issue with," the director told theGrio. "When it's done you can say whatever you want." Yet, Mort understands the public's need to share strong emotions about Nina 's casting. It's something the diva would have done herself. "It's fine. They should," she said. "Nina was about how you feel. Now, I wouldn't go so far as to say she was about some of the stuff that's going on, but that's not my
Rebecca Prozan is a fighter, and a lover, too. She fights for what she loves: her community. This year, her community is celebrating her for that. The San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee selected Prozan to be a community grand marshal for this year's Pride Parade and she couldn't be more honored to participate as a local LGBT leader. "Millions of people have come to a Pride parade event aEUR" gay people from all over the world," she said. "To know that I'm one of maybe 100 people that's been a grand marshal is a pretty incredible feeling." Prozan, an out lesbian, has 17 years of community organizing and advocacy experience and a resume so long you wouldn't believe she's only 40 years old. She is currently the director of community outreach at the San Francisco District Attorney's office where she is facilitating a new community relations model to provide specific communities with renewed self-determination. The new approach involves creating different steering committees for women, LGBT people, Asian and Pacific Islanders, African Americans and Latinos, identifying problem areas within those communities, and devising solutions. "We're hoping to do some work around immigration with the Latino community," Prozan said, "making sure that people understand that when they report crime there are no immigration consequences to that. The African American steering committee really focused on mentoring and job training. It's a very new way to look at things." District Attorne
Bon voyage? In what's reportedly her last solo appearance before she retreats into baby-hiding, the Duchess of Cambridge christened a new ship in the cruise fleet of Princess Cruise lines called, naturally, the Royal Princess . Wearing an animal-print overcoat from high-street chain Hobbs--we see snow leopard; the intent was "dalmatian" --the duchess cut a ceremonial ribbon to allow a 15-liter bottle of Moet & Chandon called a "nebuchadnezzar" to smash against the hull of the new ship, thereby making it fit for the high seas. Anchors aweigh, cruise denizens! May your fate exceed that of your fecally fecund pals on the Carnival Triumph. Now. Besides being the king of Babylon and the only arcane Biblical reference in the British rags today, what is a "nebuchadnezzar" bottle and why do we not have one of our very own? Just because we don't have $2,000? Equivalent to 120 glasses of champagne and standing a very huggable two and a half feet tall , a nebuchadnezzar like Kate's exceeds both a "balthazar" (12 liters) and a "jeroboam" (the next size up from the lowly magnum). The full bottle weighs somewhere in the range of 100 pounds, which we understand to be Kate's eight-month weight. Seriously, could she look better? As VF.com's health and fitness editor inquires indignantly: " Where are her jowls?! "
WORKERS at Bernard Matthews feel "betrayed" after finding out yesterday that 128 jobs will be axed, Unite said. A total of 69 chicken production jobs and 59 managerial, technical and clerical positions will be chopped at the poultry firm. Workers were led to believe that when the company was purchased by the Private Office of Ranjit Singh Boparan last September more business for chicken production would be generated -- according to Unite. Mr Boparan -- founder and owner of 2 Sisters Food Group, which has Fox's Biscuits as a subsidiary -- bought Bernard Matthews from previous owners Rutland Partners. Unite officer Steve Harley said: "We are obviously disappointed by the announcement that the new owners will cease all year round chicken production at Great Witchingham." The union has worked with management to minimise redundancies and some of them were stalled through redeployment across other parts of the business.
When it was announced that HBO had commissioned a fourth and final season of the New Orleans musical drama "Treme" for a lump sum representing a fraction of previous seasons' budgets, co-creator David Simon said he appreciated HBO allowing he and partner Eric Overmyer to bring their nichiest of niche shows to its conclusion. "It's half a loaf," he said , adding, " We'll do the best we can with the story arcs and try to conclude 'Treme' in a resonant way." Read more at https://uproxx.com/sepinwall/hbo-renews-treme-for-abbreviated-fourth-and-final-season#tPmQ1YfWfmeue6TO. "We'll do the best we can with the story arcs and try to conclude 'Treme' in a resonant way." We'll do the best we can with the story arcs and try to conclude 'Treme' in a resonant way." Simon and Overmyer took their half a loaf and essentially made half a season. Starting Sunday night at 9, there will be five episodes instead of the usual 10 or 11 of previous years. Most of the show's impressive cast appears throughout the abbreviated season, but some actors only pop up sporadically. Even for a show with as casual an interest in plot as "Treme" has always been, significantly storytelling decisions had to be made. Over the course of any one episode of the series, or a collection of episodes, not much seems to happen, when in fact "Treme" covers a lot of ground in telling the stories of both its characters and of the city of New Orleans in the months and years after Hurricane Katrina. Michiel Huisman's Sonny, f
Celebrities Don't Like Being Mocked for Their Trump-Victory Hysteria Charlotte Allen Did you laugh out loud when Lady Gaga, clad in a strapless black jumpsuit, leaped onto a sanitation truck parked outside NYC's Trump Tower on Nov. 9 to protest the tower's namesake's surprise win of the presidency? Or did you just chuckle to yourself? Did you barely suppress a mile-wide smile when you read that another NYC Hillary supporter, Lena Dunham, fled Gotham immediately after the election t o seek "guidance" from a rock formation in desert-y Sedona, Arizona? Hadn't Lena vowed to move to Canada if Trump won? Geography lesson: Sedona is in the opposite direction from the Great White North, Lena. Well, wipe that grin off your face right now. The New York Times's Amanda Hess says you're bad, bad, bad if you dare to make fun of the Nigara-level waterfall of celebrity despair that has followed Donald Trump's election on Nov. 8: Conservative news outlets -- most notably Breitbart News Network, the right-wing populist enclave -- are perfecting the art of sapping Democratic stars' name recognition and repurposing their words and actions into pro-Trump material. How dare they? This new battle in the culture wars is being waged not by bombastic, big-name right-wing commentators like Rush Limbaugh, but by nimble, often nameless online aggregators who quickly churn through popular culture and throw the most evocative stories to their readers, often without much commentary. All it takes is a pointe
As the one of the country's largest civil rights organizations, the Human Rights Campaign has a responsibility to withdraw its endorsement of Senator Mark Kirk in response to his racist remarks mocking Rep. Tammy Duckworth's mixed-race heritage. In the Oct. 27 televised debate , Rep. Tammy Duckworth explained her commitment to highlighting the cost of war as rooted in her own commitment and her family's commitment to military service dating back to the American Revolution. Sen. Kirk responded: "I forgot that your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington." After Sen. Kirk came under pressure, he released a statement clearly intended to distract from his racist attack on the first disabled female veteran serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the first Asian-American from Illinois serving in Congress. His subsequent 95 character apology via twitter--which fails to acknowledge the racist nature of his attack--is resoundingly insufficient.* As people who share HRC's vision for a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society, we strongly urge HRC to withdraw its endorsement of Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL). Many of us are members of the LGBTQ community and supporters of HRC. We urge HRC to withdraw Sen. Kirk's endorsement and endorse Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a steadfast champion of LGBTQ rights , which has earned her the endorsement of the Lesbian Political Action Committee ( LPAC ). We strongly urge HRC to support the candidate
Cristina Zenato, the "shark whisperer," has such a close relationship with Caribbean reef sharks after diving off the Bahamas for 24 years that she even removes fish hooks from their ferocious mouths. This dentist to the sharks has removed about 250 hooks from their mouths over the past 15 years, according to USA Today Sports website BNQT.com , not something anyone besides a top-level diver like Zenato should try. "I've received some injuries on my fingers from twisting and turning of the animals trying to become free as I tug on the hook," the renowned shark conservationist said. "Not to mention the hooks themselves sometimes piercing my skin." Zenato said over the years she has learned the sharks' mannerisms and can sense when they are in distress, per BNQT, with some of them coming to her more than one time to remove hooks. "I know each and every one of them physically but also temper wise, who is a fast feeder, who is calm feeder, who likes to be touched, who doesn't," Zenato said. "Some of my sharks can go into a relaxed state and sink slowly into my lap which allows me to see better, but some don't do that and the process is to figure it out on the fly, as they swim by. "Some hooks remain lodged with the barb inside the thick skin and that takes a lot of attempts. The sharks seem to know I am trying to remove the hook but like any other animal they don't understand pain and they tend to swim away as soon as I start to work with the hook. Then they might come back in a t
Kate Spade, a few days ago, and now Anthony Bourdain. Source: CNN New York (CNN) Anthony Bourdain, a gifted storyteller and writer who took CNN viewers around the world, has died. He was 61. CNN confirmed Bourdain's death on Friday and said the cause of death was suicide. "It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain," the network said in a statement Friday morning. "His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time." Bourdain was in France working on an upcoming episode of his award-winning CNN series "Parts Unknown." His close friend Eric Ripert, the French chef, found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel room Friday morning. If you or someone you know is in trouble, call this number.
Thousands of inmates in state and federal prisons in up to 24 states are planning an organized strike and protest on Friday -- potentially the largest prison strike in U.S. history. Planned for the anniversary of the Attica Prison riot , the protest aims to bring widespread attention to inhumane living conditions, "slave-like" labor, and daily injustices that plague the shadowy cell-blocks of the justice system. Across the country, it's common practice for American inmates to be forced to work in "slave-like" conditions, doing long hours of hard labor with little or no compensation, and they've had enough. Though the strike on Friday, as planned, is the largest yet, the national prison work stoppage comes after a long, largely unreported build-up in collective action among America's prisoners protesting these conditions. CREDIT: Dylan Petrohilos In 2010, thousands of inmates at 10 different facilities throughout Georgia refused to leave their cells to protest unpaid labor -- which is the standard in Georgia. They demanded wages for their work , along with other grievances around education, communication with their families, meals and solitary confinement. In 2011 and 2012, prisoners in California, Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina waged hunger strikes. In 2013 in Northern California, nearly 30,000 prisoners went on a mass hunger strike. Throughout 2014 and 2015, planned work stoppages, hunger strikes, and riots happened in prisons in Alabama, Illinois, Washington, Georgia
Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker has written a powerful commentary today on the appalling issue of forced abortion in China. Miss Parker interviewed Reggie Littlejohn, a women's rights activist, who testified at yesterday's hearings on Capitol Hill. Reggie Littlejohn is a petite woman who heads Women's Rights Without Frontiers. Attorney Littlejohn gave up a profitable practice to work for human rights. Dr. Littlejohn showed how China's brutal policy actually works. Women in China pregnant with their second or third "unauthorized" child, are rounded up and harassed until they submit to abortion--even in the eighth or ninth month. Estimates range as high as 50 million a year. China's communist rulers claim it's all voluntary. Littlejohn knows better. She provided congressional members of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission with incontrovertible evidence that forced abortion is official government policy and that it is widespread. Dr. Littlejohn is calling upon Planned Parenthood and NARAL to speak up for the women of China who are daily denied their rights. She also hopes President Obama will raise the issue of human rights when he visits Asia this week. What Reggie Littlejohn will learn is what Stephen Mosher learned more than 25 years ago. Steve Mosher was a young researcher from Stanford University. He was studying village life in rural China. Then, Steve was "pro-choice." But he discovered--in fact he was the first Westerner to discover--the way pregnant Chinese
For over three months there's been an 800lb gorilla in the corner of the discussion desperately being avoided by an incurious corporate media. In the fall of 2017 Fusion-GPS founder Glenn Simpson and Clinton-Steele Dossier author Christopher Steele were in frequent media stories. However, on December 2nd 2017 the first outline of previously invisible FBI Agent Peter Strzok and FBI Attorney Lisa Page hit the headlines. Pete and Lisa were soon joined by other previous DOJ/FBI invisibles like Bruce Ohr, Nellie Ohr, Jim Rybicki, James Baker and 'he-who-shall-not-be-named'. Eventually the ripple effect expanded to include David Laufman (DOJ) and Mike Kortan (FBI). However, one thing has been brutally missing throughout the three months.... there's been no media interviews or statements by anyone. Additionally, in a rather odd dynamic there's no appetite by any media to get any of the names on record,... for anything.... not.a.word. Not a single satellite truck outside any house. No-media knocking on doors for comment(s). No TV pundits seeking 'exclusive' interviews to set the record straight , etc. It's as if everyone in the DOJ/FBI 'small group' is carrying an Ebola virus that destroys healthy narrative cells. Zylch. Not a single Washington beat journalist writing a sentence about any of the crew to include any actual statement or inquisitive question of them. Nothing. Pete, Lisa, Bruce, Nellie, Jim, James, Bill, David, Mike, Andy... nothing. All of them collectively create the
Despite putting up $60 million last time and looking at 20,000 potential suitors for the gig, Hong Kong property magnate Cecil Chao Sze-tsung hasn't yet succeeded in finding a straight match for his daughter Gigi Chao, a 33-year-old out lesbian and LGBT activist. So, Time reports, he's upped the already-massive dowry to a cool $120 million. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Cecil, hilariously, says he's not meddling: "I don't want to interfere with my daughter's private life. I only hope for her to have a good marriage and children as well as inherit my business." Gigi has repeatedly told Cecil to stop offering the bounty, since it upsets her longtime partner Sean Eav -- but it's also clear that the tycoon's daughter is hardly taking the proposals seriously (pictured above). Follow Anna on Twitter . Photo credit: Buro24/7 via Fashion Bomb Daily
In the early 1900s telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell became interested in kite building as part of his research into powered flight. He focused in kites made of tetrahedron cells. From Mashable : Bell built tetrahedral cells with 10-inch spruce rods, with two sides of each pyramidal polygon covered in crimson silk, weighing about an ounce in total. Creating compound assemblies of these pyramid-shaped cells, with shared joints and spars, allowed Bell to scale up his designs without increasing the weight-to-surface area ratio. Bell's largest tetrahedral design, the "Cygnet," was composed of 3,393 cells. It successfully flew and carried a human passenger when towed behind a steamship, but was destroyed on landing. That passenger, U.S. Army Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge, would later become the first person to die in a powered airplane flight as a passenger on a Wright Brothers invention. By the way, Mashable has a bunch of great photos of Bell's kites. They are licensed by National Geographic, which charges over $700 per photo to run on the web: I don't get it. If these photos are from the early 1900s, shouldn't they be in the public domain now? Read the rest "There will be a day sometime in the near future when this guide will not have to be published," reads the introduction. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"
Charles Phoenix and his traffic cone-molded lighted holiday gelatin Christmas tree. In his books, TV appearances and touring slideshow events, Charles Phoenix celebrates the fabulousness of eras gone by, from colorful cuisine to retro designs and pop culture icons. He'll bring his irreverent yet reverent Retro Holiday Slideshow about kitschy food, architecture and more to the Empress of China restaurant and bar; a rather appropriate venue, since the ornately designed building will also soon become kitsch history. Based in Los Angeles, where some of his favorite 1950s architecture still remains, Phoenix was busy cooking brownies for an upcoming Food Channel taping as we spoke by phone. Phoenix said he looks forward to his visit north. "It's interesting to see the places that haven't budged," said Phoenix of the rapid changes taking place in our city. "I have my favorite little haunts, the classic old school places, including, of course The Tonga Room." The bar's decor is known for its camp bamboo chic. Phoenix described San Francisco as a sort of "big amusement park for tourists," from the cable cars, to Fisherman's Wharf and old-time diners. Even the Ferry Building has a retro appeal that Phoenix finds charming. "Back in the day there was even more," said Phoenix of San Francisco's past. "It's not a city that gets a lot of credit, but there were tons of themed restaurants years ago." From clown-themed cafes to Doggy Diners, the Bay Area does have a festive past. Even the Em
Anti-government protests throughout Iran are heating up, with security forces reportedly killing four protesters Saturday night. The unrest is driven by Iran's crippling economic conditions. Unemployment is soaring as Iran's currency, the rial, plummets by more than 50 percent. The city of Khorramshahr, in southwest Iran near the Iraqi border, has been without drinkable water for more than two weeks. Iran's economy was supposed to be aided by the elimination of economic sanctions under the nuclear deal reached with the United States and five allied nations. Instead, the regime chose to invest heavily in proxy wars in Yemen, in sending its own troops to protect Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, and to underwrite Hamas and Hezbollah's endless terror campaigns aimed at annihilating Israel. Now the U.S. has withdrawn from the nuclear deal and is imposing new sanctions, promising to make Iran's economy worse. Ordinary Iranians in dozens of cities have taken to the street to curse their leaders, curse the terrorists in far-away lands and to say, essentially, Iran First. In many of the clips, you will see dozens of people holding their phones up to record the action. Some of those Iranians sent their videos to an Investigative Project on Terrorism source to provide an inside look at the latest uprising against the Iranian regime. The video starts with images from Khorramshahr, scene of the most intense demonstrations so far. Reports say four people killed by government forces. Iran d
Bush administration foot-dragging and ineptitude in handling the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans has profoundly demoralized his supporters on the right. The hawkish intellectuals who gathered around George W. Bush to support his "War on Terror" once used language that suggested his machine-like omnicompetence. The Afghanistan War was to be "Operation Infinite Justice" until it was pointed out that Allah was the only one in that part of the world generally permitted to use that kind of language. The images of civilians abandoned to their fates and unchecked looting from New Orleans, however, reminded everyone of Bush's disastrous policies in Iraq, and suggested a pattern of criminal incompetence. These bellicose intellectuals--a band of Wilsonian idealists, cutthroat imperial capitalists, Trotskyites bereft of a cause, and neo-patriots traumatized by Sept. 11 are now increasingly divided and full of mutual recriminations. Among them all, the combative British essayist Christopher Hitchens continues most forcefully to uphold the case for the war, most recently in a piece for the Weekly Standard. In contrast, this week Francis Fukuyama, long since upbraided by History for his Hegelian fantasies concerning the end of History, openly castigated the Iraq war as an unfortunate detour in the War on Terror, in an opinion piece in the New York Times. Hitchens, fighting a rear-guard battle against public disillusionment with the war, suggested 10 reasons why Americans shou
The human animal seems hard-wired for tribalism, and the ties that bind are shaped by our compelling need to group together, obeying calls for loyalties and exclusions. Some groupings not only contribute to the gratifications of bonding, whether in family, clubs, choirs or loyalty to sports teams, but also provide the glue that holds a community together. But tribes become the "factions" that former President George Washington warned against in his Farewell Address, heightening differences and rivalries that the Founding Fathers hoped to dilute through checks and balances in the three branches of government. In the age of the internet, tribalism asserts itself in the flood of outrage stories that bombard us hourly, and make us angry and hostile toward those with whom we disagree. Former President Barack Obama, who had all but vanished from public life, opened a conversation about identity politics in a speech in South Africa the other day during the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nelson Mandela, warning that democracy is served poorly when identity is the organizing principle. "But democracy demands that we're able also to get inside the reality of people who are different than us," he said, "so we can understand their point of view. Maybe we can change their minds, but maybe they'll change ours." It's tempting to dismiss an argument offered by a former president and the current one if we don't like things that are said, even when it's reasonable. There's no room for debat
This term's last oral argument ends next week with yet another blockbuster case-- Arizona v. United States , the challenge to Arizona's harshly anti-immigrant S.B. 1070 . This case poses vitally important questions about individual rights, racial profiling, and the future of individual equality in the United States. But don't expect to hear them argued openly next week. Instead, arguments will be couched almost entirely in the language of "federal preemption," a subject so abstruse and technical that it induces coma in even the hardiest law-review editors. But lurking underneath the talk of "conflict preemption" and cigarette-labeling statutes are issues of human equality and the emerging constitutional question of our time: When, if ever, are Congress and the executive branch owed deference by the states and by their special protector, the Roberts Court? The issue is whether four sections of S.B. 1070 usurp the federal government's role in regulating immigration matters--a power the Court, over the years, has described as "plenary." The ambiguity between state and federal policy appears in the first words of the statute: The legislature finds that there is a compelling interest in the cooperative enforcement of federal immigration laws throughout all of Arizona. The legislature declares that the intent of this act is to make attrition through enforcement the public policy of all state and local government agencies in Arizona. The federal government argues that Arizona has p
This mom is here to let you know there's no need to be concerned about her barefoot baby If you have a toddler or have at one point raised a toddler, then this is the post for you. Mothers of toddlers need encouragement and a sense of camaraderie like no other. Which is why this mom's post about her barefoot toddler in a Target shopping cart is a must-read. Ashley Moore is the mother behind Puzzle of Five, a mom-friendly Facebook page where she recently shared some thoughts for the mom-shamers who cast judging glances her way when they saw her toddler sitting barefoot in a Target shopping cart. "Hi. You know that mom you're judging because her kid has no shoes or socks on at the store? Yeah, that's me," she writes. She sees your concern-trolling, Judgy Janices, and she's got a message for you: save your judgment. "I'm aware his feet are bare," she says. "I'm aware it might be a little chilly out (or maybe it's warm, I still get the same looks) I'm fully aware his poor little toes may have gotten a tad bit chilly on the walk from the car to the store. How. Dare. I." This is why it's so important to keep ourselves in check when we see moms with young kids out in public. If you don't have kids, or it's been so long since you've had toddlers you forgot how borderline torturous it is to be in public spaces with them at times -- just keep your wayward glances and commentary to yourself. "Here's the thing...in the midst of your judgement on my parenting I've become extremely tired o
Author April 4, 2018 It is an underlying Christian principle that without God, life has no meaning. Christian pastor Rick Warren, Christian scholar William Lane Craig and others have claimed this principle to be true. The magazine "Real Clear Science" and others have challenged this view, however, positing that atheists also see life to be meaningful. In 2018, David Speed, et al, published a study titled, "What Do You Mean, 'What Does It All Mean?' Atheism, Non-religion, and Life Meaning." The study used different surveys to determine whether atheism breeds nihilism or meaning. For the purpose of the study, they defined someone as nihilistic if he or she believed, "In my opinion, life does not serve any purpose." Not surprisingly, the study argued that atheists and non-religious people find meaning in life, despite disbelief in religion and an afterlife. Photo: firebrandphotography/iStock/Getty Images Plus The study concluded that atheists and non-religious people have a purpose in life, which brings forth meaning. Despite the study's findings, there is a problem with the results. When atheists and non-religious people answered the surveys, the meaning they cited was self-invented. They embraced the position, on the survey: "Life is only meaningful if you provide the meaning yourself." Kat Arney, an atheist scientist and journalist, responded that she rejected religion because the true meaning of life came from elsewhere for her. She said her dismissal of religion "was an in
A mic. A stage. A pen. A page. You don't have to be a poet to love Louder Than a Bomb , a documentary of the 2008 Chicago Louder Than a Bomb youth poetry slam competition. Although it's certainly a poet's movie: scored by poets, written by and about poets, filmed by directors/producers with poetic hearts. The prize-winning film (a large handful of Best awards, including Portland International Film Festival's Best New Directors) follows four teams and several individuals through the months leading up to the slam competition's final rounds. While the story alone is worth the price of admission - drama, heartbreak, laughter and totally compelling characters - the poetry (like the ad says) is priceless. Some movies break your heart. You watch them anyway, knowing that the story is larger than difficulty, larger than losing or winning. This is a movie about that moment when one dream dominated your life - when you wanted something so badly you were willing to do whatever it took, no matter how hard, no matter who said it wouldn't happen. This is a story that demands we watch, listen and remember. The students profiled are not ordinary. But this is also a teacher's movie, and any teacher can tell you: no student is like any other. These students, however, as Jesus from Steinmetz says, 'live for poetry.' Working together, memorizing lines, ceding the stage to someone who's felt to be a superior performer... This is teamwork and artistry and family, as another of the young poets argu
A New York school district has launched an investigation into a student art show that included profane references to President Donald Trump. The art show at Shenendehowa High School featured a dozen drawings of the president's face. Above the drawings was a sign that read, "Draw on Me." On a nearby table was a box filled with markers. Let's just say the youngsters did not hold back. "Burn in Hell, Trump," wrote one person. Another person scrawled the word, "a**wipe." [lz_ndn video=31623402] One of my readers sent me a photograph of the art display. (Click here to see the hateful rhetoric for yourself.) "I think it's horribly disrespectful," parent Erica McGowan told me. She said the art display inside a classroom reflected what she called the school district's glaring hypocrisy. "They preach tolerance and no bullying and safe spaces and all that nonsense -- as long as you are not a conservative," she said. "If somebody had put up pictures of Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama -- they would mow you down." Mrs. McGowan told me her son, Peter, was lectured about wearing an iconic "Make American Great Again" ball cap to school. "They told him it was hate speech," she said. Peter told me the art display was "awfully disgusting." "It's hypocritical for the school to pledge tolerance and then allow photos of a sitting president to burn in hell," he said. But the Shenendehowa Central School District said the art exhibit was never meant to include derogatory or profane messages about Pr
You are not signed in as a Premium user; we rely on Premium users to support our news reporting. Sign in or Sign up today! CLEVELAND ( ChurchMilitant.com ) - Laity in Cleveland are urging the diocese's bishop to strike the name "Catholic" from a dissident theological society. Faithful in Ohio are calling on Bp. Richard Lennon of Cleveland to strip the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA), one of the world's largest theological associations, of its permission to use the word "Catholic" in light of the organization's recent recognition of an openly gay theologian who is "married" to another man. The controversy was sparked in June following a conference held in San Juan in which the CTSA honored Prof. Orlando Espin with the society's John Courtney Murray Award for having "wrestled with problems associated with the historical and contemporary legacies of colonization, slavery, racism, and prejudice against LGBT persons." During his acceptance speech, Espin thanked his "husband" for being an example of living out Church principles. Espin currently teaches systematic theology at the Catholic University of San Diego and is founder of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States; additionally, Espin has led workshops for Latino and LGBT Catholics. In his 2007 book "Grace and Humanness," the professor stressed the purported need for theologians to speak up for the Latin and African-American queer communities. Queer Latinos, he claims , are "gendered, ra
Print A local newspaper ran a two-page article on the concert titled "Calling All Christians," and that's exactly what Jim Plack and the organizers of Jubileefest are doing, seeking to gather 1 million people to a farm outside of tiny Houston, Del., this summer for a praise and prayer event for the nation. "Every Christian should be there," quipped the Jubileefest website , "but we only have room for a million." Never mind that Jubileefest is in its inaugural year. Never mind that the crowd Plack is hoping to gather is more than three times larger than any Christian concert event in history and twice as big as 1969's "Three Days of Peace and Music." Plack is trusting God to fulfill the vision he says the Almighty has given him, a vision for a concert that will impact the nation even more than the fabled Woodstock. "If half a million hippies can gather on farm in New York to do drugs and have sex," Plack told WND, "certainly God can bring a million Christians to a farm in Delaware." Christian music festivals like Minnesota's four-day-long Sonshine draw tens of thousands of fans every summer across America. Pennsylvania's mega-rally CreationFest draws hundreds of thousands. And while Plack doesn't expect record-setting crowds for all four days of the July 29 - Aug. 1 Jubileefest, he is calling for a million Christians to come on one night, July 31, for a prayer and praise event that will boldly proclaim to the nation's "PC (politically correct) police" that America's faithful
As dozens of students passed the campus bookstore at Cal State Long Beach on Monday, one stood frozen for hours, holding a sign in support of conservative commentators Milo Yiannopoulos and Ben Shapiro . "I'm here to stand up for the rights of free speech," said Jose Espinoza, religious studies major. "People on college campuses always want to to censor individuals like Milo [Yiannopoulos] and [Ben] Shapiro." Espinoza said he feels that there are different interpretations of hate speech and as long as someone doesn't use their words to target a specific person, it's their right as a U.S. citizen to voice their opinion. However, some CSULB students see Yiannopoulos in a different light. "I disagree with [Yiannopoulos], you should never say something to hurt someone else," said Gabriella Torres-Ortega, a freshman studying chemistry. Espinoza said he will be attending the Milo Yiannopoulos event at Cal State Fullerton tomorrow and would like to see a conservative speaker come to CSULB. "A lot of students are passionate about shutting him down," Espinoza said. "Just because Milo speaks out against feminists and other groups, who's to say it's hate speech." According to Espinoza, the College Republican chapter and conservative student group Turning Point has been working to bring either Shapiro or Yiannopoulos to campus in the future. "If [Yiannopoulos] were to come here I'd want to get away from the area," said Torres-Ortega. "It would make me feel very uncomfortable." Espinoza s
Charles Murray's the Bell Curve About Race and IQ Has Bad Policy Ideas Though he tends to back away from it under pressure, Murray is admirably clear in the conclusion to The Bell Curve and elsewhere about why he thinks it's important to discuss IQ and heredity -- he believes that focusing on this issue will build political support for restricting immigration from poor countries and reducing economic assistance to poor families. As a bonus, he hopes that throwing in specific hypotheses about group differences will build political support for eliminating race-conscious policymaking and curbing efforts to address race-specific disadvantage. The truth, however, is that these are not underrated policy ideas that are in need of amplification in the public arena. They are, rather, terrible policy ideas that currently exert more influence over policymaking than they deserve and ought to be rebutted.
Using results from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey, with supplemental data from an Urban Institute analysis of transfer payments, the new CBPP study challenges the frequent assumption that government anti-poverty programs primarily benefit minority communities. Instead, by examining the experience of working-age adults ages 18 to 64, the study presents evidence that education levels, not race, are the key dividing line in the programs' reach. "Safety-net programs are particularly beneficial for adults without a college degree," wrote the study's authors, Isaac Shapiro, Danilo Trisi, and Raheem Chaudhry. "The vast majority of working-age adults lifted above the poverty line by government benefits and tax credits are people lacking a college degree." The study's biggest surprise may be how many of those beneficiaries are the non-college-educated whites critical to GOP fortunes. The study found that without accounting for government benefits, the poverty rate stood at nearly 25 percent for working-age white adults in families where no one holds at least a four-year college degree. That represents 14.1 million people in all. But after accounting for the impact of federal anti-poverty and income-support programs--including Social Security, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (known formerly as food stamps), Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (generally described as welfare), and the earned-income and children's tax credits
What is going on in the Middle East? Glenn turned to the chalkboard today to give us the scoop on what he called the "Change of Thrones." It all started when... Truth be known, the trouble in the Middle East has been brewing for eons, but has recently begun to boil when Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and future Saudi king launched an "anti-corruption" purge of the kingdom's most powerful elite. Dozens of affluent Saudis, including several members of the royal family and very senior Saudi government officials, have been arrested and are being held in, of all places, the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh. With Saudi Arabia's corrupt elite (i.e. anyone Mohammed bin Salman considers a rival to the throne) locked up in a five-star prison, the crown prince, who also happens to be the Saudi defense minister, has been turning up the heat on their old rival: Iran. Watch the above excerpt from today's show to learn more, or read our explainer here . To see more from Glenn, visit his channel on TheBlaze and watch full episodes of "Glenn" live weekdays 5-6 p.m. ET or anytime on-demand at TheBlaze TV .
Escape has become a shared desire for many trapped in the neoliberal nightmare. Britain as its character has morphed into that of David Cameron's has become an island from which practically everyone wants to exit." That's the thrust of Carl Cederstrom and Peter Fleming's short essay , "Escape from Cameron Island: Trapped in a Neo-Liberal Nightmare," published in the July issue of Strike Magazine! They riff on the news that in 2012 nearly 25,000 "illegal immigrants" gave themselves up to the UK Border Agency for deportation, a 7000% increase from 2005, when 330 gave themselves up in the same way. This they argue is not just the island's most desperate people manifesting a sense of unease and a desire for escape and emancipation, but rather something that all British people living in conditions of "neoliberal nihilism" fantasize about. Cederstrom and Fleming run through the other ways sections of British society seek to escape from Neoliberal Island. The cheap flights to "drink all you want" resorts on sunny southern European coasts, the candy floss of "reality" television, the middle-class fantasies of the Guardian 's food supplement and the Sunday Times 's property pages. What Cederstrom and Fleming missed, in the relatively calm early summer days when they penned their piece, is the imminent opportunity part of the United Kingdom has to declare independence from Neoliberal Island. On September 6, the British establishment got their greatest jolt since the 1973 Miners' Strike
Because the Democrat Party continues to implode, I thought it would be helpful to write my third annual "Suggestions for Liberals" column. So here goes: Understand that political correctness and despotism go hand-in-hand. The First Amendment makes America a politically-incorrect zone, so deal with it. That means everyone gets to voice their opinion, not just those with whom you happen to agree. Political correctness is just another word for control. As Voltaire said, "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize." Hale-and-hardy debate helps make America great, so try joining the conversation. After all, a conversation only works if it's more than just you-sided. Use a dictionary. Dictionaries are cheap. Look up the difference between racism and prejudice. You'll quickly come to understand that everyone is prejudiced...biased...predisposed in one way or another. Some people prefer city life and designer clothes while others enjoy small towns and Carhartt jeans.In the same way, a person's life experiences might motivate him to cross the street if he sees a light-skinned person on a dark night or maybe a dark-skinned person in the daylight if either is wearing sagging pants and angled baseball caps. That's prejudice. Conversely, racism is when someone believes their race is superior to others. Racism is abhorrent. It's also rare. What's not rare, however, is how often liberals hurl accusations of racism to silence their opposition. Practice
August 24, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) -- In the weeks since my daughter Charlotte was born, I've tried to write a column about her arrival several times. Writing about the moment we discovered her existence was easy, but when our beautiful daughter officially arrived, my thoughts log-jammed. How could I possibly explain the feeling of seeing the doctor hand our little girl to my wife for the first time, and the look of complete awe on Charmaine's face? Or seeing my parents joyfully meet their second grandchild, their first granddaughter? Or when I talked quietly to Charlotte when we were alone in the hospital suite for a while, and she stopped crying because she recognized my voice? These things are in many ways perfectly ordinary -- I'm sure millions of new fathers and mothers can conjure up their own similar experiences easily. Meeting a tiny stranger who is yet so obviously yours , a little person that you don't know yet but already love -- it is, in a word, wonderful. Terrifying, too. But still wonderful. I caught myself wondering, as I often do, about the kind of world our little daughter would grow up in. Considering that both my wife and I work in the pro-life movement and my first book , The Culture War , detailed state of society and the disturbing trajectory we're currently on, I have a pretty good idea of what it looks like right now. But what will it look like when Charlotte is my age? Things can change so quickly. After all, I was born in Washington State during the las
Some stories just leave you shaking your head in awe, confusion and perplexity. This is one of them. On Friday, a naked man caused a serious ruckus in Scottsdale, Arizona, when he went on a bizarre and dangerous rampage. According to police, the suspect, John Brigham, 45, caused major car accidents, stripped naked, jumped on top of a car and hijacked a Toyota Prius -- and these are only a few of the details. Let's do a play-by-play, as the events are so bizarre and convoluted that it's best to examine the whole mess chronologically. First, Brigham allegedly hit a convertible, ejecting the passenger from the car and leaving him with serious injuries, KTAR reports . But the chaos didn't end there. He allegedly got out of his car, stripped naked, jumped on top of a vehicle and took command of the Prius. Brigham apparently pulled the female driver out of the car and then drove away from the scene. Then, just a short time later, he allegedly struck several more vehicles. And when we say "several," we mean that he caused massive damage that included 10 to 12 cars, according to witness testimony. KTAR-TV has more: At this point, serious injuries were sustained once again. But, alas, the perpetrator wasn't done yet. Among those who he hurt in the bizarre scenario was a pregnant woman, near term, who broke both of her legs. Brigham, too, sustained some injuries. The car he was driving rolled numerous times and the impact from the accident purportedly sent him through the windshield of
In normal circumstances we in the West spend far more time discussing how to restrict and outlaw harmful or hateful speech than how to defend and extend that precious liberty. Almost everybody in public life, barring perhaps the Islamic State supporters' club, pays lip service to the principle of free speech. Scratch the surface, however, and in practice most will add the inevitable 'But...' to button that lip and put a limit on liberty. Even in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo massacre, it was not long before the 'Buts' were back, from the feminist blogger who called the attack on the offensive magazine 'understandable', to the European editor of the Financial Times who accused the 'stupid' Charlie Hebdo of 'editorial foolishness'. Nobody said they were asking for it, but... Of course, everybody with a shred of humanity condemned the cold-blooded mass murder by Islamist gunmen. Well done. Now, what have you got to say about the right of Charlie Hebdo or any other section of the Western press to publish whatever it believes to be true or just funny, regardless of whether it upsets Muslims or Mumsnet, Tories or the transgender community? The right to be offensive is about more than offending Islam The right to be offensive has been a theme pursued by some of us for 25 years, since the backlash against Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses . Suddenly after Charlie Hebdo , it seemed that everybody was talking about it. Yet most appear to endorse a very restricted idea of that 'right
Persuasion Requires Being Personal Not Passionate Sabrina Schaeffer During a presidential election year we hear a lot about persuasion. Candidates not only want to get their supporters out to the polls in November, but they're hoping to persuade voters on the fence to hop over to their side. This morning on NPR's Morning Edition, Shankar Vedantam reported on new political science research out of Candada that suggests "if you want to persuade people you should frame your points using your opponents' moral framework." So often when candidates are speaking, Vedantam explained, they use passionate arguments that resonate with the framework of their existing base. For instance in discussing ISIS, Republicans might speak passionately about patriotism; while Democrats speaking about income inequality might speak passionately about fairness. The problem, however, is that this simply reinforces support among existing supporters and does little to broaden a candidate's appeal. That's why Vedantam emphasized that if you want to persuade new voters you must start by working within their framework, rather than your own. IWF's own social science research reinforces this theory and has helped guide us in how we speak about certain critical issues. For instance, a recent randomized controlled trial we conducted on wage equality and the Paycheck Fairness Act (PFA) left us with two critical findings: 1) It revealed that 74 percent of women believe discrimination in the workplace is at least so
Low-level offenders who have been arrested and can't come up with enough money to get out of jail can get a rehearing of their bail amount, under a plan signed into law Friday by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Known as the Bail Reform Act, the new law creates new rights for people in custody at Illinois jails and aims to move away from requiring people charged with relatively minor crimes to post cash bail as a condition of their release. Read more The downgrade of Illinois' bond rating to one step above junk status earlier this month makes one thing very clear: The state's municipal bonds are no place for faint-of-heart investors. S&P Global Ratings and Moody's, citing the state's budget impasse and its $14.5 billion in unpaid bills, gave Illinois the lowest bond rating on record for a state. Read more Illinois general obligation bond prices plummeted and yields soared in the U.S. municipal market today, a day after a federal judge ordered the cash-strapped state to find more money to pay Medicaid providers. Yields on bonds due in 2024 climbed to 5.15 percent in secondary market trading, according to Municipal Market Data, while Illinois' so-called credit spread over MMD's benchmark triple-A scale jumped to as much as 380 basis points. Read more More local homeowners are underwater on their mortgages than in any metro area in the nation, according to a new report. In the first quarter, 162,613 Chicago-area homeowners owed more on their home than the property was worth, accord
"Ben Shapiro is a 33-year-old who supports small government, religious liberty, and free-market economics and opposes identity politics, abortion, and Donald Trump," Bari Weiss announces in her latest column for The New York Times . " He is, in other words, that wildly exotic creature: a political conservative." What a travesty, then, that the University of California, Berkeley's president issued a letter to students indicating his concern about Shapiro's forthcoming appearance at the campus and the " impact some speakers may have on individuals' sense of safety and belonging." To Weiss, this letter is evidence that the left just can't handle conservatives without calling them fascists. Weiss glosses over Shapiro's extremism--he once called for the forcible expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza , and marked Trayvon Martin's birthday by tweeting that he'd be alive " if he hadn't taken a man's head and beaten it on the pavement before being shot." But her characterization of Shapiro isn't the worst part of her piece. I n the process of attacking " the sloppy conflation between actual white supremacists and, well, run-of-the-mill conservatives, libertarians, and classical liberals," she defends Joey Gibson, the organizer behind the West Coast's Patriot Prayer events. In Weiss's account, Gibson is just a conservative, and the left has unfairly castigated him and his events by affixing the label "white supremacist" to both. Weiss acknowledges that Gibson's events h