10:28pm MDST
Does Our Perception Precede Our Decisions?
*Josh Richardson* - Have our decisions been made far before we make them?
Russian Aircraft Over Syria (Video)
*Sputnik*:* WATCH: Russian High-Tech Aircraft Conducting Flights in Syria (VIDEO) * The Russian Defense Ministry published a video of the Russian Aerospace Forces conducting flights in Syria on its official YouTube channel. The video shows the incredible Su-25 fighter jet, Mi-8 transport-combat helicopter, Su-35s, the Su-24M and fighter-bomber Su-34. The video was made using action cameras and unmanned aerial vehicles. *Read more* .... *WNU Editor*: No comment necessary.
Trump’s Establishment Yes Men
[image: Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland.] Back in September of 2015 -- ah, those wonderful days, when someone might still merrily laugh like a gin-soaked Daisy Buchanan if you told them Donald Trump was a presidential candidate to be reckoned with -- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal... more »
Conservative Democrats Are On The Verge Of Taking Over The Democratic Party Entirely
Earlier today we talked about a partisan re-alignment that sees an acceleration of socially quasi-moderate but fiscally conservative Republicans migrating to the Democratic Party, the way Hillary Clinton, Charlie Crist and Patrick Murphy did, all of whom have worked diligently to undermine core Democratic values and hard-fought policies. The Republican-wing of the Democratic Party is more and more dominant, with the right-leaning, Wall Street owned New Dems, having completely captured, for example, congressional recruitment. Almost all the candidates being pushed by the DCCC and ... more »
"The Medication U Were Given Has Put U in Suspended Animation"
*ART OFFICIAL AGE* *ARTIFICAL CAGE* *"Mr. Nelson...?* *Mr. Nelson, can u hear my voice...?* *"We just want to let U know, the medication U Were Given Has Put U in Suspended Animation 4 quite some time...* *Well, in fact : about FOURTY-FIVE YEARS...."*
Did Pakistan's Intelligence Service Poison The CIA Chief After The Osama Bin Laden Raid?
*Washington Free Beacon*: *Report: CIA Operative Thought He Was Poisoned By Pakistan’s ISI After Bin Laden Raid* The CIA chief in Pakistan who oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011 left the country with an ailment and suspicions that he had been poisoned by the country’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency. The Washington Post reported: *The CIA station chief was so violently ill that he was often doubled over in pain, current and former U.S. officials said. Trips out of the country for treatment proved futile. And the cause of his ailment was so mysterious,* *the of... more »
Now is never the time ....
PM Kim Campbell : An election is not the time to discuss serious social policy issues. PM Stephen Harper after Boston Marathon bombing : Now is not the time to figure out 'root causes' of terrorism. PM Justin Trudeau : Now is not the time to link Ft Mac wildfires to the global climate crisis. So when is the right time? Other than, you know, when it's on everyone's mind because a disaster is affecting people where they live and it's your job to tell us what you're doing to alleviate the broader context in which it will only get worse. .
Western Shoshone Bad Bear: Raising teepee symbol of hope on Peace and Friendship Run
Photos by Carl Bad Bear Sampson Western Shoshone On the Western Shoshone Peace and Friendship Run today, in Western Shoshone land recognized in the Treaty of Ruby Valley of 1863, the raising of the teepee is a symbol of hope, an affirmation of Treaty Rights and an harbinger of a new generation healing the scars of the United States atomic bomb testing here,
A Big Disease With a Little Name
Those people who always tell me they think I'm paranoid, distrusting and borderline psychotically delusional should understand something : *You cannot know what it means to grow up being taught by your Government that rain is poison, sex is death and the sun would cause you to die of cancer.* *This "health advice" was mailed to EVERY HOUSEHOLD in Britain by the Thatcher Government in 1987.* I was made afraid of sex before I even knew what it was, because I had been told by the State that making love was fatal, and the main way of catching *The Worst Disease in The World.* *My ... more »
Video Shows Intense Fire-Fight In Iraq Where U.S. Navy SEAL Was Killed
*The Guardian:* *Video shows Navy Seal's death was result of intense combat with Isis* Exclusive footage obtained by the Guardian shows firefight between US special forces, Kurdish commandoes and Isis fighters, in which Charles Keating IV died. Video footage obtained by the Guardian shows the grueling firefight between US special forces, Kurdish commandoes and Islamic State fighters this week, in which a US Navy Seal was killed. The footage – filmed on a cellphone during the battle, which lasted more than half a day – reveals the extent to which the US military is once again eng... more »
Taking it to the max: The life of a serial obsessionist
I’ve always been mad for the rush of falling head-first into new things. It’s a habit that made my love life a bit challenging for many years, but I’m much better at channeling that intensity into more constructive pursuits now that I’m older. Whatever it is that I’m falling into, it’s got all my attention. If it's romance, you're going to feel profoundly treasured, at least for a little while (and much longer if you're Paul). If it’s a work project, I’m going to be your dream employee, because I will think non-stop about that project from a million different angles...more »
Telecom Oligopoly 4, Smart bro's inefficient service
I bought a Smart bro prepaid pocket wifi in late December 2015. Earlier it was good. Then about 3 week ago, April, I experienced service interruption despite having a load. I reported it to their Ayala office, the lady asked several questions, I answered them, then said something like I reached the data cap because I used frequently some data-heavy sites like youtube, fb, etc. Then said that the service will resume after about 12 hours. The problem was indeed solved that time when I reloaded my pocket wifi number. Then two days ago, Wednesday, I experienced the same problem, first a... more »
Our Final Video from Odessa Before Heading Home
Regis Tremblay and I return back to Maine tomorrow after several days in Odessa, Ukraine. It's been a heart breaking trip to this beautiful city on the Black Sea. Sadly Ukraine is coming apart at the seams following the 2014 US sponsored coup d'état in Kiev that installed a puppet regime fully under the control of corporate interests. Today Regis and I were able to go to the Trades Hall and we made this short video about the entire incident. I urge you to take a look at it and to share it widely with your contacts. Many thanks.
Best Film Yet on Odessa Massacre
A film examining the arson attack on Odessa's Trade Unions House at the start of the civil war in Ukraine and the role played by ultranationalism, the police and politics in post-Soviet space. It is the best film on the subject that I have yet seen. Several survivors of the massacre are interviewed. By Ulrich Heyden & Marco Benson - produced by leftvision.de
UNICEF: 460 Million Children Live In Countries Facing War, Famine, And Other Catastrophes
Internally displaced children run inside a refugee camp in Dana town after fleeing Palmyra, in northern Idlib province, Syria April 2, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS/KHALIL ASHAWI *Annalisa Merelli, Quartz*: *Half a billion of our children are growing up in war, famine and other catastrophes* An estimated 462 million children of school age live in countries affected by humanitarian crises—including war, famine, and deadly epidemics—a UNICEF report published on May 4 found. It’s an astonishing number, nearly one and a half times the total population of the US. For many of these children, liv... more »
An Anti-Trump Tsunami? DCCC Incompetence Will Protect The GOP Majority In The House
*No one likes to blame her, but Steve Israel is Nancy Pelosi's fault-- 100%* Otherwise sane commentators have been repeating an absurdist DCCC line that Trump is so toxic and the Republican Party brand so polluted that November could see the Democrats take back the House. It can't. Dream all you want, it cannot happen. Now, had Pelosi cleaned out that nest of corrupt vipers last year or the year before or the year before that-- as they managed to lose dozens and dozens of Democratic seats-- and replaced the leadership with capable Democrats like Keith Ellison or Mark Pocan or Donna E... more »
Obama Commutes Sentences for 58 Federal Prisoners
[image: In this photo taken May 4, 2016, President Barack Obama speaks in Washington. The Obama administration on Thursday, May 5, 2016, commuted the prison sentences of 58 federal convicts, including 18 who were given life sentences. The action is part of a broader effort to overhaul the criminal justice system and ease punishments for nonviolent drug offenders.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- More than a decade ago, a judge bemoaned that the life sentence she was about to impose on Charles C. Brown was overly harsh. This week, relief finally came to Brown, along with 57 other offenders. Presid... more »
THE ULTIMATE REALITY SHOW / PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP
*The Donald with Attitude* *I used to think that America had achieved the pinnacle of H.L.Mencken’s famous quote about the eventual election of a moron with the disputed election of George W Bush but that was just a rung above the growing possibility of a President Trump. Donald Trump represents the last desperate hope of an American electorate who have been left out of the political process and have lost respect for our Oligarchy ~ so in their powerless dilemma, many have turned to a billionaire huckster who will gleefully voice their fears and concerns while creating a gra... more »
FDA Bans Sale Of E-cigarettes To Minors
For the first time e-cigarettes are to be regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. The sale of electronic cigarettes and cigars will be prohibited to under 18s. RT reports: Under the new regulations, businesses will not be allowed to sell e-cigarettes, cigars, hookah tobacco, and other tobacco products to people under 18 years of age, nor will they be allowed to hand out free samples of these products. E-cigarettes and others will also be prohibited from being sold in vending machines, except in adult-only locations. Additionally, e-cigarette manufacturers will have to plac... more »
The Trump Quake and the Aftermath
[image: Donald Trump2 - 900] WASHINGTON -- What lies behind Donald Trump’s nomination victory? Received wisdom among conservatives is that he, the outsider, sensed, marshaled and came to represent a massive revolt of the Republican rank and file against the “establishment.” This is the narrative: GOP... more »
Stream Exclusive: Interview With Going Red Author Ed Morrissey
[image: Going Red Book Cover - 900] In 2016, Hot Air senior editor Ed Morrissey is making his mark not just as a blogger, columnist and radio host, but also with a new book he says outlines a presidential path to victory for both the conservative movement... more »
This Is Not The Time To Cut Fire-Prevention And Fire Fighting Budgets
*Reuters:* *Canada fire hit as government cut spending on prevention, planes* CALGARY (Reuters) - Alberta's cash-strapped government cut funding for wildfire prevention, including millions for programs created in response to the province's last major fire disaster, just weeks before a raging fire swept across the city of Fort McMurray, forcing a mass evacuation as hundreds of homes burned to the ground. The cuts, some of which have not previously been reported, came as Alberta struggled to cope with a prolonged slump in oil prices that has reduced tax revenue, and as climate chan... more »
The Ramey Memo Negative
Since this has become an issue in the last couple of days, and there are those who wonder if the new scans were made from the original negative, I thought this might be of help. Those who traveled to Fort Worth to examine the negative were experts in photography and forensic photographic analysis. Those at the University of Texas at Arlington, who received the negatives from the Fort Worth Star - Telegram, assured us that these were the original negatives, and there is no reason to doubt them. Others have suggested that the negatives needed to be examined on a light table and under ... more »
Evidently Tony Blair doesn't subscribe to the old proposition "Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies"
*by Ken* If you believe that Tony Blair is "one of the most respected and admired world leaders of the last 50 years," you're going to seethe with envy that I got this e-mail from NYC's 92nd Street Y and you didn't. I got it, as the e-mail explained, "because you are a loyal patron of 92Y" -- by which they mean, I presume, that back in June 2011 I indeed bought a ticket for Keith Olbermann's lollapalooza of a tribute to James Thurber, one of my idols, with participants including Calvin Trillin, another of my idols. (And it was a grand night. I wrote about it here in a post called ... more »
Army Captain Sues President Obama For Sending Him To Fight Illegal War
US Army Captain Nathan Smith filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against President Obama arguing that the administration failed to obtain congressional authorization for Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria and that he was deployed to fight an illegal war. The administration is still relying on the “Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF)” that congress passed within days of the 9/11 attacks to deal with terrorists from Al Qaeda to ISIS and beyond. Lawyers for the 28-year-old military intelligence officer say that the conflict against ISIS/Daesh , is an illegal war without c... more »
The Evil of Two Lessers
That's a fantastic title, first off. The thing is - if you make a conscious choice between what you tell yourself and rationalise as being *the lesser of two evils* : guess what? You're still choosing *EVIL*.
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 5, 2016
*Tin Arango and Ceylan Yeginsu, New York Times*: *How Erdogan Moved to Solidify Power by Ousting a Pivotal Ally* ISTANBUL — In pursuit of more power, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has purged the judiciary of enemies, jailed journalists and crushed anti-government protests. Now, he has ousted his closest political ally, the country’s prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, whose modest effort to check Mr. Erdogan’s ambition was too much for the president. Mr. Davutoglu, publicly loyal to Mr. Erdogan even as he pushed back privately on some of his excesses, said Thursday that he... more »
Economic News , Data & Views ( May 5 , 2016 ) Overview For Cinco De Mayo ( 1. Markets - Japan Back Tonight After Three Days Off , European Stocks Break 4 Day Skid , US Stocks End Mixed For The Day , Bond Markets News - NIRP Annual Toll About 24 Billion , Atlantic City Ten Days From Running Out Of Money , Hong Kong / China Early Items . 2. Greece Block Of News - Creditor Talks , Strikes , State Of Pension Funds . 3. UK Issues Of Note - Brexit , TTIP , EU- Turkey Deal . 4. Libya In Focus - Security Remains A Key Issue As Political Insecurity Continues , Refugee Crisis Shifting To Libya , Military Intervention Looms. 5. Brazil Political Free For All Continues - Even As Rousseff Awaits Inevitable Impeachment , The Lower House Speaker Cunha Has Been Suspended And Vice President Temer Ineligible To Take Over For Rousseff. 6. Odds & Ends - Around Global Horn . )
Markets........ *RANsquawk* @RANsquawk 10m 10 minutes ago #HappyFriday Asia!! Japan back after 3-day close.. Note: S&P500 and Nky futures down 0.73% & 0.65% respectively since last Nikkei cash close *Venezuela News Links* @dlVenezuelanews 1h 1 hour ago Europe Markets: *European* stocks break four-day losing run as oil prices rally:
*European* *stock markets* ros... http://bit.ly/24vgrrL *Danilo Masoni* @damasoni 5h 5 hours ago European shares edge higher led by BT and Repsol | Reuters http:// mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSL5N1825NJ … *zerohedge* ... more »
*European* *stock markets* ros... http://bit.ly/24vgrrL *Danilo Masoni* @damasoni 5h 5 hours ago European shares edge higher led by BT and Repsol | Reuters http:// mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSL5N1825NJ … *zerohedge* ... more »
EPA Shut Down Enough Coal Power in US to Blackout Great Britain
[image: Castle_Gate_Power_Plant,_Utah - 900] America shut down enough coal power plants last year to blackout Great Britain, according a report published by pro-industry Institute For Energy Research (IER), citing data from The Sierra Club. The total amount of electrical power generation going offline in America is equivalent... more »
House Speaker Paul Ryan Refuses to Back Donald Trump
[image: In this March 23, 2016, file photo, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Trying to win over conservatives, House Republicans are sweetening their budget proposal by putting several programs on the chopping block, including President Barack Obama’s health care law and tax credits for children of immigrants living in the country illegally. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Speaker Paul Ryan is refusing to support Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for president, insisting Thursday that the businessman must do mor...more »
$15 Minimum Wage Advocate Sets Sights On $21
[image: Protesters demonstrate at a Fight for $15 rally outside of McDonald's Canadian Headquarters in Ontario on April 15, 2015.] The leader of a group fighting to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour revealed she actually wants an increase that goes much higher, according to a video released Wednesday. The Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC) has done a lot... more »
Chart: Wood Produces More Energy Than Wind and Solar
[image: Wood Pellets Burning, Biomass, Renewable Energy] Burning wood for power still produces more energy than wind or solar, according to an infographic published Wednesday by a global warming researcher. Burning wood provides nine percent of the world's energy, according to the United Nations' Food And Agricultural Organization. Solar power provides...more »
High Speed Car Chase On Belgian-French Border Ends In Shootout
At least one person died on Thursday in a car chase and motorway shootout that started in Belgium and ended in France. The Belgian police pursued people smugglers through Belgium and France in a dramatic chase that included three crashes and a pile-up. The Irish Examiner reports: The 140mph pursuit which, left a motorcyclist dead and at least four others seriously injured began on a main road in Belgium and ended in Dunkirk in France. Media reports state that the incident began around 5.30am this morning when a lorry driver discovered 17 immigrants in his vehicle and was threatened ... more »
Friday Morning Ramble–06.05.16
*Clearing my tabs again …* “Gareth Morgan’s “Foundation” was at it again last week. Attacking personal freedoms to achieve the society Gareth wants. ‘Instead of a facile debate over whether a sugar tax would work or not, we should be discussing which we value more – living in a free society where you can eat what you like and burden the state, or whether we value having a healthy, productive society. …” *Morgan Foundation attacks personal freedom ... again* – LINDSAY MITCHELL "Another nasty and stupid Government scheme bites the dust." We hope. *'Social Bond' programme stalled b... more »
Russian Orchestra has concert at recently liberated Palmyra ruins
*"Prayer for Palmyra" - St Petersburg Orchestra* *Concert filmed by RT at Palmyra, Syria* Amazing tribute to and triumph of freedom and civilization...*no wonder Kerry was having a coniption fit yesterday...demanding that Assad be gone by August! *He had to DO SOMETHING! to desperately distract from this Russian public relations coup. *Vive la difference!*....between the liberation of Syria by the Russians...contrasted with the "liberation" of Libya and other middle eastern nations by the US. BTW, is *the solo cellist (Sergei Rogulin at 43.00 in the video) the same musician frie... more »
College retracts press release about sociologist reviewing manuscript
The Pennsylvania College of Technology, aka Penn College, has retracted a press release about a sociologist there reviewing a manuscript. Now, although we’ve covered a few retracted press releases, we don’t typically write about such events. This one, however, struck us as odd: Is reviewing a paper really the bar for sending out a press release? […] The post College retracts press release about sociologist reviewing manuscript appeared first on Retraction Watch.
World News Briefs -- May 5, 2016 (Evening Edition)
*Reuters:* *Canadian wildfire explodes in size, forces more evacuations* A catastrophic wildfire that has forced all 88,000 residents to flee Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada exploded tenfold in size on Thursday, cutting off evacuees in camps and shelters north of the city. The out-of-control blaze has burned down entire neighborhoods of Fort McMurray in Canada's energy heartland and forced a precautionary shutdown of some oil production, driving up global oil prices. Three days after the residents were ordered to leave Fort McMurray, firefighters were still battling to protect ho... more »
Apocalypse Programming and “Knowing” the End of Days
*Zen Gardner* - The social programmers love the subject of the end of days.
Digging Deeper Into Conventional vs. Organic & Why We Should Grow Our Own
*Dr. Ben House* - Being able to attain healthy, nutritious, clean food should be your right as a human.
NATO Needs to Be Ready to Fight Russia ‘Tonight’ Says New Commander
[image: NATO's supreme allied commander Europe U.S. Army General Curtis M. Scaparrotti addresses the media after a change of command ceremony at NATO military headquarters in Mons, southern Belgium on Wednesday May 4, 2016. U.S. Army General Curtis M. Scaparrotti was installed as NATO's 18th supreme allied commander Europe (SACEUR). The commander, by tradition an American general or admiral, is responsible for the overall direction and conduct of NATO's global military operations.] The newly minted Supreme Allied Commander of NATO said Thursday that the alliance needs to be prepared ... more »
Poll: Almost Half of Americans Say US is Just Not as Important as It Used to be
[image: American flag - 900] Almost a majority of Americans think that the United States is in decline as a world power, according to a new survey released by Pew Research Center. A total of 46 percent of Americans think the U.S. is not as... more »
ISIS Style Killing Spree In Bangladesh Concerns India
Bangladesh has recently suffered at the hands of Islamic Jihadist terrorists, with the government and media labeling the terrorists as Al Qaeda, ISIS or home-grown fanatics. The fact remains that Islamic State terrorism has spread eastward from the Middle East and is now a major concern for the Indian subcontinent. Whatever label you give it, ISIS, Islamic State(IS), ISIL, Daesh, the ideology is the same, and their victims will suffer for it all over the world, from the Middle East to China. English professor Karim Siddiquee was hacked to death in Rajshahi two weeks ago. Last week B... more »
Hacker Who Broke Into Clinton’s Server Says ’10 Other’ Outsiders Had Access
[image: Hillary Clinton Emails - 900] Now sitting in a Virginia jail cell, the legendary hacker known as Guccifer has described just how easy it was to break into Hillary Clinton's private email server in early 2013. In an interview with Fox News, Guccifer, also known... more »
Canadian Wildfire Explodes Tenfold Forcing Even More Evacuations
The devastating wildfire that has already forced all 88,000 residents to flee Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada, exploded tenfold in size on Thursday, cutting off evacuees in camps and shelters north of the city. Firefighters are trying to battle the out-of-control blaze, which has already destroyed homes and is threatening infrastructure. Wildfire Spreads in Fort McMurray https://t.co/WP4HnKjL7T#NASApic.twitter.com/7dUTDAmqRd — NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) May 5, 2016 Officials estimated that 1,600 structures had been damaged or destroyed by Wednesday night. As flames fanned south on Thu... more »
President Obama's Deputy National Security Adviser Reveals How The White House Spins Its Media Message On Foreign Policy
Rhodes (center) and Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, listening as President Obama spoke to reporters during an off-the-record discussion. Credit Stephen Crowley/The New York Times *New York Times:* *The Aspiring Novelist Who Became Obama’s Foreign-Policy Guru* How Ben Rhodes rewrote the rules of diplomacy for the digital age. Picture him as a young man, standing on the waterfront in North Williamsburg, at a polling site, on Sept. 11, 2001, which was Election Day in New York City. He saw the planes hit the towers, an unforgettable moment of sheer disbelief followed by... more »
We've Forgotten Recent History
Now that Donald Trump has become the one and only Republican candidate for president, it's worth returning to a column that Henry Giroux wrote in December of last year. Its title was Fascism in Donald Trump's United States. Giroux wrote the column after Trump proposed banning Muslims from the country: Donald Trump's blatant appeal to fascist ideology and policy considerations took a more barefaced and dangerous turn this week when he released a statement calling for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States." Trump qualified this racist appeal to voters'... more »
Princess Books for Every Age
When I was a little girl, I loved Princess books and now that I am an adult, I still love them. The books have changed over the years, but I have found some truly delightful books featuring princesses for every age. The princesses in these books are strong, witty and willing to stand for what they believe it. I am not sure why princesses get such a bad rapt, it is definently not from these books. Picture Books: *The Paper bag Princes*s- Quite possibly my favorite princess book of all time. The princess ends up saving the princes from the dragon and then discovers he might not h... more »
British Arms Company Defends Weapons Sales To Saudi Arabia
The chairman of British arms manufacturer, BAE systems, has defended his company’s extensive deals with Saudi Arabia, describing the Saudi monarchy as an appropriate customer for its weapons and services. “We are not here to judge the way that other governments work, we are here to do a job under the rules and regulations we are given,” Sir Roger Carr said Wednesday, after being confronted by shareholders affiliated with Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) movement, during an annual general meeting. Press TV reports: The shareholder-turned-activists interrupted Carr five minutes into... more »
Romanian Hacker ‘Guccifer’ Claims He Hacked Hillary Clinton’s ‘Completely Unsecured’ Email Server
*FOX News*: *Romanian hacker Guccifer: I breached Clinton server, 'it was easy'* EXCLUSIVE: The infamous Romanian hacker known as “Guccifer,” speaking exclusively with Fox News, claimed he easily – and repeatedly – breached former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s personal email server in early 2013. "For me, it was easy ... easy for me, for everybody," Marcel Lehel Lazar, who goes by the moniker "Guccifer," told Fox News from a Virginia jail where he is being held. Guccifer’s potential role in the Clinton email investigation was first reported by Fox News last month. The ha... more »
Is War Between The U.S. And Russia Possible?
*Stephen F. Cohen, The Nation*:* Is War With Russia Possible?* The US is undermining opportunities for cooperation in Syria and Ukraine, while escalating NATO’s military presence near Russia. *Nation contributing editor Stephen F. Cohen and John Batchelor continue their weekly discussions—after a two-week “sabbatical”—about the new US-Russian Cold War. (Previous installments are at TheNation.com.) Cohen laments that during the past two weeks the Obama administration appears to have been undermining cooperation with Moscow on three Cold War fronts.* Refusing to accept President Puti... more »
NATO's New Commander Sparks Criticism From Moscow
United Nations Commander Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti. © Jeon Heon-kyun / Reuters *TASS:* *Kremlin comments on remarks of new NATO commander in Europe* *New commander of NATO’s armed forces in Europe US General Curtis Scaparotti mentioned Russia among NATO’s main security challenges in his first speech at the ceremony of assuming command* MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/. Russia will safeguard its national interests should there be any threat to them, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said about statements by the newly appointed commander of NATO’s forces in Europe, US General Curtis Scapar... more »
Maddow watch: Obama takes the waters in Flint!
*THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016Maddow forgets to say so:* Yesterday, Barack Obama spoke at a community event in Flint. Before he spoke at that event, he received a briefing about the state of the city's water. In the New York Times, Shear and Bosman report what happened there: SHEAR (5/5/16): Mr. Obama had been under pressure for months to visit Flint. White House aides said he had decided to make the trip after receiving a letter from an 8-year-old girl, Amariyanna Copeny, who is known among many in the city as Little Miss Flint. *After receiving a briefing from federal officials who hav... more »
Preparing for National Race, Trump Moves on Fundraising
[image: Donald Trump - 900 - 2] NEW YORK (AP) -- Donald Trump is taking his first steps toward raising the massive amounts of money needed for a national presidential race, aiming to broaden his primary insurgency into a full-fledged general election campaign and unite the fractured... more »
Army Captain Sues Obama Claiming ISIS War Is Illegal
An Army Captain is suing US President Barack Obama, claiming that the war against ISIS is illegal because it was not authorized by Congress. In court documents filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, Captain Nathan Michael Smith, a 28 year old military intelligence officer said: “Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, when the President introduces United States armed forces into hostilities… he must either get approval from Congress within sixty day to continue the operation, in the form of a declaration of war… [the] President did not get Congress’s approval for ... more »
Author: I’ll sue if publisher doesn’t retract my retraction
An author is preparing to sue a publisher for retracting his paper. John Bishop, the CEO of an independent media company called Crocels, argues that by taking down his paper, De Gruyter is breaching a contract — their agreement to publish his work. Perhaps appropriately, the paper suggests ways to combat negative online comments — including litigation. Bishop told us he […] The post Author: I’ll sue if publisher doesn’t retract my retraction appeared first on Retraction Watch.
NATO's European Missile Defense System Goes Live Today
© Flickr/ US Army Corps of Engineers Europe District *New York Times*: *NATO Ratchets Up Missile Defense Despite Russian Criticism* LONDON — NATO’s European missile defense system will go live on Thursday when a base in Romania becomes operational. The next day, Poland is scheduled to break ground on its NATO missile-defense base. The decision by the United States and its allies in Eastern Europe to proceed with ballistic missile defense in the face of increasingly loud Russian criticism is an important stage in the alliance’s new stance toward Moscow. Those deployments will be c... more »
Majority Of Americans Sceptical Of U.S. Involvement Overseas
*PEW Research Center:* *Public Uncertain, Divided Over America’s Place in the World* *Growing support for increased defense spending* The public views America’s role in the world with considerable apprehension and concern. In fact, most Americans say it would be better if the U.S. just dealt with its own problems and let other countries deal with their own problems as best they can. With the United States facing an array of global threats, public support for increased defense spending has climbed to its highest level since a month after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when 50% favored... more »
The Impact On Oil Prices From Tthe Fort McMurray Fire Disaster
*CBC*: *Oil prices jump as Fort McMurray wildfire slows down oilsands production* What's the impact on the oil market? And on the workers? The price of crude is rising this morning as the wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta., slows oilsands production. The Wood Buffalo region of Alberta is the economic heart of the province, and key to world oil markets. It produces more than half of Canada's oil each day and is an important exporter to the United States. While the oilsands plants themselves are not at risk at this moment, production has not just slowed down, but in some cases has st... more »
Dramatic Footage From The Fort McMurray Disaster
*CTV News:** Fort McMurray in flames: The most dramatic footage from the disaster zone* Fort McMurray residents fleeing a ferocious wildfire are sharing jaw-dropping footage of their escapes through what resembled apocalypse-like conditions. More than 80,000 people have fled the municipality on a mandatory evacuation order that was expanded late Wednesday night. Residents travelling on the main highway out of the city captured footage of towering trees being devoured by flames, while burning debris fell onto the roadway. *Read more* .... *Update:* 11 jaw-dropping videos from th...more »
Fire Disaster In Fort McMurray -- News Updates
*CTV*: *Evacuation zone expanded in Fort McMurray* Wildfires continue to burn out of control in Fort McMurray on Thursday and the situation prompted officials to expand the evacuation zone overnight. Residents, many of whom who had already escaped the city, were now told to evacuate further as the fire expanded, threatening Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation. The communities are about 50 km south of Fort McMurray itself. All residents were transported to Lac La Biche. *Read more* .... *Fire Disaster In Fort McMurray -- News Updates* LIVE BLOG: Breaking u...more »
Neither Former Presidents George HW Bush Or George W Bush Will Endorse Donald Trump
*The Guardian*: *Neither George HW nor George W Bush will endorse Donald Trump* Non-endorsements come as Trump has become presumptive nominee and many have tried to come to terms with fact that he will be party’s standard-bearer Neither George HW nor George W Bush, the only two living former Republican presidents of the United States, will endorse Donald Trump. In statements released to the Guardian on Wednesday evening, spokesmen for both former presidents said they would be sitting out the 2016 election. Freddy Ford, a spokesman for George W Bush, told the Guardian: “President ...more »
World News Briefs -- May 5, 2016
*Reuters*: *Truce takes hold in Aleppo but fighting goes on elsewhere in Syria* A cessation of hostilities agreement brokered by Russia and the United States brought a measure of relief to the battered Syrian city of Aleppo on Thursday but President Bashar al-Assad said he still sought a total, crushing victory over rebel forces. Syrian state media said the army would abide by a "regime of calm" in the city that came into effect at 1 a.m. (6.00 p.m. ET on Wednesday) for 48 hours, and relative calm prevailed on Thursday morning after two weeks of death and destruction. The army b... more »
Trump Invictus? - Indiana Primary Postmortem
*Trump wins Indiana Primary and is now* *(unofficial) Republican Presidential Nominee* Surfing the Internet and blogosphere this morning...as the dust continues to settle after the definitive Trump victory in the Indiana Primary...I have a few thoughts as to what the future holds in the US Presidential campaign. First of all, I was wrong. Yes, folks, I miscalled the GOP race from the beginning. I felt sure that Cruz would take the nomination and that Trump was beatable...perhaps not even a serious candidate. But like many other "pundits" I'm eating crow this morning...wait...is tha... more »
Newark Showed the Way: Chan-Zuckerberg Ramp Up Drive to Treat Students and Teachers as Waste Products
by Susan Ohanian *Philanthropic Effort* Synonyms for effort: *try, push, struggle, stab* The Thesaurus is way behind-the-curve on synonyms for Philanthropic, linking it to *big-hearted, bountiful, liberal*. Forget verbal shortcuts. Instead, I suggest reading No Such Thing as a Free Gift: The Gates Foundation and the Price of Philanthropy by Linsey McGoey, which provides solid research on the mega-rich replacing governments on issues of social policy, and The Falling Rate of Learning and the Neoliberal Endgame by David J. Blacker, which makes critical connections showing the sh... more »
The Natural West
Dan Flores is an environmental historian. His book, *The Natural West*, focuses on the region of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. This ecosystem has been radically changed in the last 300 years, and a number of these changes have resulted in irreversible degradation. Flores has a misty vision of restoring the West, and his work explores issues that contributed to ecological imbalances. We can’t address challenges that we don’t understand. At the time Flores was writing, many green thinkers were indulging in a fantasy that imagined an environmental Golden Age, when the c... more »
Politics/The Economy: “Dawn In America?”
*“Dawn In America?”* by Karl Denninger “Is that the sun I see this morning? It might be. Look folks, I don't trust Trump. Then again I don't trust politicians generally, no matter who they are, simply because they have a proven record of lying and yet while their lies are never punished ours are turned into felonies whenever those they empower are asking the questions- including themselves! So here's the challenge before us: As I've pointed out repeatedly in these pages since 2009 when the health care debate came into the forefront of American politics, and turned into Obamacare, ... more »
"Together..."
"My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together." - Desmond Tutu
"How to Effectively Antagonize Latino People on Cinco De Mayo"
*"How to Effectively Antagonize Latino People on Cinco De Mayo"* by Ellie Guzman "Ah, Cinco De Mayo. I can smell it now: the tacos, the margaritas, the racism. Cinco De Mayo is about Mexicans, but all other Latinos get lumped in with Mexicans so often that on Cinco De Mayo we know that more than any other day, we’re all Mexican and we’re all vulnerable and we’re all going to be treated as subhuman (more than usual, at least). Here’s how to show the Latino people around you that you don’t really care for them as humans: *1. Wear a Costume:* Yes, these are actually being sold by Party... more »
Musical Interlude: Medwyn Goodall, "Eyes of Heaven"
Medwyn Goodall, "Eyes of Heaven" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC0-RJ3P1G0
"A Look to the Heavens"
"Near first quarter, the Moon in March lights this snowy, rugged landscape, a view across the top of Tenerife toward La Palma in the Canary Islands Spanish archipelago. The large Teide volcano, the highest point in Spain, looms over the horizon. Shining above are familiar bright stars of Orion, the Hunter. *Click image for larger size.* Adding to the dreamlike scene is the 1 meter diameter prototype telescope of the global network project called the Stellar Observations Network Group or SONG. The SONG's fully robotic observatory was captured during the 30 second exposure while the ob... more »
Chet Raymo, "Life"
*"Life"* by Chet Raymo "ACCTCCTCTAATGTCA ACCTCCCCTAATGTCA The first string of letters above represents an actual sequence of amino acids on human chromosome 10. The second string is the corresponding sequence for an elephant. I copy the strings from a New Yorker article on Neanderthals by Elizabeth Kolbert. She tosses them in more or less at random just to show what a DNA sequence looks like. Still, they jump off the page. Humans and elephants. A four-letter code. Four molecules called neucleotides, arranged in pairs along a spiraling ladder, the double-helix - adenine, thymine, g... more »
Kahlil Gibran, "On Time"
* "On Time"* "You would measure time the measureless and the immeasurable. You would adjust your conduct and even direct the course of your spirit according to hours and seasons. Of time you would make a stream upon whose bank you would sit and watch its flowing. Yet the timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness, And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream. And that which sings and contemplates in you is still dwelling within the bounds of that first moment which scattered the stars into space. Who among you does not feel that his power to love is ...more »
Musical Interlude: Medwyn Goodall & Twilight, “Invocation Part 3”
Medwyn Goodall & Twilight, “Invocation Part 3” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfLtNRIKzTI
The Daily "Near You?"
Saint Denis, Centre, France. Thanks for stopping by!
"How Do You Know When Your Society Is In The Midst Of Collapse?"
*"How Do You Know When Your Society Is In The Midst Of Collapse?"* by Newsroom "As economic turmoil worldwide becomes increasingly apparent, We have been receiving messages from readers expressing some concerns on the public “perception” of collapse. That is to say, there are questions on the average person’s concept of collapse versus the reality of collapse. This is a vital issue that I have discussed briefly in the past, but it deserves a more in-depth analysis. What is collapse? How do we define it? And, are some of the notions of collapse in the public consciousness completely... more »
“The Coming Financial Collapse of PENSION Programs Across America”
*“The Coming Financial Collapse of PENSION Programs Across America”* by Mike Adams "• Pension programs across America are under-funded by $3.4 trillion. • The strategy for pension programs is to cook the books and then, when they can no longer cover up the financial facts, claim to be “too big to fail” and demand a bailout. • Pensions all across America are going into default. How many pension plans can the federal government bail out? • Most of these pensions provide monthly retirement incomes to former government workers. • The government repeatedly LIES to you about all economic num... more »
"How It Really Is"
Special snowflakes, indeed...
"On Border Incident, US Sources Give One Perspective, Own, While Russian Source Gives Multiple, Including US"
*"On Border Incident, US Sources Give One Perspective, * *Own, While Russian Source Gives Multiple, Including US"* by Robert Barsocchini "These two stories make a fine illustration of why it is crucial to read broadly, pushing one’s comfort zone and challenging the tendency towards confirmation bias. This one, by Buzzfeed (an outlet funded, for example, by a $200 million dollar investment from the NBC Universal corporation, a division of Comcast and General Electric), reports on Trump saying the US should shoot down Russian planes when they intercept US spy-planes that have their tr... more »
The Economy: Gregory Mannarino, “ALERT! More Proof Of A Global Meltdown: Prepare For Impact”
*“ALERT! More Proof Of A Global Meltdown: Prepare For Impact” * by Gregory Mannarino - https://www.youtube.com/ ◆ *“Governments Will Fall As The Financial System Fails”* ◆ *Related:* • "’Nothing Has Been Fixed’- Citi's Five Reasons Why This Sucker Is Going Down” • “Eight ‘New Normal’ Charts That Are Insanely Abnormal–and Dangerous”
"A Trump Landslide in November?"
*"A Trump Landslide in November?"* by Bill Bonner BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – "First, we would like to thank you, dear reader, for your many words of encouragement, sympathy, and pity. We read the Mailbag every day. We’re sorry we cannot respond, but we get ideas… thoughts… suggestions. Many readers have offered helpful thoughts on how to run the ranch more profitably… or how to get more water… or how to make the electrical system function better. We can’t implement all these suggestions… but we listen! *Objective Reality: *After spending three weeks with objective truth at the ranc... more »
Satire: “Saddest People In America: Senate Officially Mourns Return Of Ted Cruz”
*“Saddest People In America: * *Senate Officially Mourns Return Of Ted Cruz”* by Andy Borowitz WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)— “The United States Senate declared an official day of mourning on Wednesday to mark the impending return of Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to the legislative body. Ordering all flags at the U.S. Capitol to half-staff, the Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, announced the day of mourning in a somber proclamation. “We mark this day with a deep personal sense of loss that will never completely heal,” he said. To recognize Cruz’s return, which is expected to ...more »
The Insanity Of Judaism: Israeli Man Seeks Restraining Order Against "God" (This Is NO Joke!)
I have constantly come under fire for my stance that ALL religion is a fraud and nothing but mind control for suckers.... There have been so many comments sent my way from those bible (the book of lies I call the "buy- bull") thumpers and other brainwashed fools that have called me every name under the sun and have even come in forms of "threats"... I always ignore these idiots and refuse to publish their trash... And of course I also get those weird and obnoxious comments from what I call my "favorite fan club", which is of course the members of the JIDF/Hasbara group of rejects fro... more »
Very Important Video: Ken O'Keefe Tells The Truth About The Middle East
I am doing a bit of catching up as usual today... Many readers, colleagues, and friends, have been sending me a wealth of links and videos pver the last little while, and in many cases have asked me to put them up here at this blog..... I have been spending a lot of time over the last few days finally looking at the material sent my way, and I will be presenting a lot of that material here at this blog over the next while... About three weeks ago, Ken O'Keefe released another very amazing and truthful video that I finally got around to viewing.. And as usual it is dynamite..... In t... more »
ISIS In Control Of Key Gas Field In Syria’s Homs
ISIS militants have captured the al-Shaer gas field, located 120 kilometers east of Homs. The pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV said the terrorists came to the rear of the Syrian army which is advancing eastwards into the desert and the Iraqi border. The key gas field in the central province of Homs has changed hands several times in the past between Syrian government forces and ISIS. The Islamic Sate is now partially in control of the al-Shaer gas field following three days of intense fighting. Tass reports: Al Mayadeen said Islamic State groups unexpectedly came into the rear of the Syrian ... more »
North Carolina Leaders Denounce Federal Threat on Bathroom Law
[image: McCrory - 900] RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Giving no indication of yielding to pressure, North Carolina’s Republican leaders called a federal warning about the legality of the state’s new law limiting LGBT anti-discrimination rules a broad overreach by the government. Gov. Pat McCrory... more »
Untitled
*From* *Jenna Orkin* 'Kill! Kill! Kill! - How China Recruits For Its Massively Underpaid Army Can you say ‘rubber stamp?’ FBI and NSA requests never denied by secret court Woman Who Made Viral ‘Naked Trump’ Painting Was Assaulted, Beaten Near Her Home (IMAGES) NBC Nightly News with Lester HoltLike Page "JUST IN: Pres. George H.W. Bush and Pres. George W. Bush say they will not participate in the 2016 presidential race." Perhaps that's why we're suddenly hearing about how Laura Bush plans to vote (Hillary over Trump.) That allows the prezes to appear more loyal to the party ... more »
Anonymous Declares War On Big Pharma
Anonymous have declared war on Big Pharma, the CDC, FDA and Monsanto over the poisoning of our children #Op_Pharma is focused on exposing and spreading awareness on the lies and corruption of the Medical establishment, Big Pharma Corporations and their cronies. HealthyFoodPro reports: An “Anonymous” YouTube user named “TheAnonMessage” has just announced #Op_Pharma, a coordinated effort to expose the “lies and corruption of the medical system” and Big Pharma. War has been declared. But it’s not the tax increasing, lie and slavery inducing wars like President Johnson’s war on poverty,... more »
Does Cruz Exit Help Sanders? Will Hillary Appoint Bill Her "Minister of Jobs and Trade"?
*Clinton wants to bring her husband "out of retirement."* *by Gaius Publius* The two topics in the headline are related. We're in the next phase of the campaign, with an uncontested candidate in the Republican Party (who knew that would happen first?) and a still-contested race on the Democratic side. How much does this change the dynamic? For one thing, if Sanders continues to battle to the convention, as he's promised again and again to do — and also to combat Clinton regarding the culture of corruption (my phrase) in the Democratic Party — Clinton will have to fight on two fr... more »
Thousands Pay Homage to Holocaust Victims in Auschwitz March
[image: Holocaust march - 900] OSWIECIM, Poland (AP) -- Thousands of people from around the world, many draped in Israeli flags, have paid homage to the victims of the Holocaust with a somber march from the barracks of Auschwitz to nearby Birkenau. Organizers of the... more »
THE ART OF THE CON: The craziness of Donald Trump's steaks!
*THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016Part 3—The craziness of Matthews and Dowd:* Yesterday, in the 5 PM hour, we're fairly sure we saw Mark Preston make an unusual statement. Preston is "executive editor for CNN Politics, reporting on campaigns, polling and politics across the network's platforms, including CNN, CNN International and CNN.com." We're fairly sure we saw him compliment Donald J. Trump for the way he had dropped all that "Lyin' Ted" blather. We say we're fairly sure we saw Preston compliment Trump because CNN has failed to post a transcript for yesterday's 5 PM hour of The Situation...more »
Lost Alligator Attempts To Ring Door Bell, No One Home
An alligator was captured on video attempting to ring a door bell and enter a house in South Carolina. A passer-by saw the cold blooded reptile crawling up the front door of a family’s home, scratching at the door, attempting to gain entry. abc4 News reports: Gary Rogers says he was walking his dog down a street in Foxbank Plantation Monday morning when construction workers stopped what they were doing to watch an alligator meander into the yards of two homes. Rogers says he reached for his phone as the big reptile headed for the front porch of one home. “He was walking around in f... more »
Robert Stacy McCain: The Despicable David Brooks...
*my sentiments exactly.* In my opinion, Stacy McCain is one of the great writers of our time. His background in journalism hearkens back to a time when journalists actually knew what they were doing. While he devotes this column to the fisking, with fisking being too mild of a word, of David Brooks of the New York Times, I would gladly add some of the other anti-Trumpers like George Will, Erick Erickson, Mark Levin (oh, how you've disappointed me, Mark), and the elitist cabal over at National Review. These people, who live in their very own rarefied bubble of isolation, do not sp... more »
How Full is Your Stadium?
*Susan V. Lacerra is an awakened former investment banker living in San Francisco. -AK* By Susan V. Lacerra http://inspiredstrategies.com/2015/09/20/how-full-is-your-stadium/#more-296 *How Full is Your Stadium? * This week, I’m back to MY THEME SONG from a few weeks ago, BUDAPEST by George Ezra, and this awesome line, *“give me one good reason why I should never make a change.” * *One day a DREAM gave me a darn good reason to want to change * For years I fondly held the memory of my childhood dreams. Growing up, how I wished the world was different. But in my dreams, there e... more »
North Dakota Will Dump Common Core, Write New Standards
[image: common core - 900] North Dakota is going to dump Common Core and replace it with rewritten standards crafted by the state's teachers, the state's top education official announced Tuesday. Superintendent for Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler said the state will create two committees of about... more »
Data manipulation flushes paper on gut bacteria
Data manipulation in a Cell Reports paper blew the importance of a kind of bacteria out of proportion. Retracted this month — less than three months after it was published — the paper showed, according to a summary on the cover page: B. subtilis is a symbiont that resides in the gut of C. elegans and generates nitric oxide that […] The post Data manipulation flushes paper on gut bacteria appeared first on Retraction Watch.
The Rolling Stones Tell Donald Trump To Stop Using Their Music
The Rolling Stones have issued a stern warning to Donald Trump telling him not to use their songs during his presidential campaign. The Legendary British band released a strongly worded statement telling the Republican presidential nominee that he does not have permission to use the their music. “The Rolling Stones have never given permission to the Trump campaign to use their songs and have requested that they cease all use immediately” Russia Today reports: For months, Trump has featured numerous songs from the group including the 1969 hit, You Can’t Always Get What You Want. The...more »
Cruz’s Long White House Run Could Mean Newfound GOP Clout
[image: Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas pauses while speaking to the media about events in Brussels, Tuesday, March 22, 2016, near the Capitol in Washington. Cruz said he would use the "full force and fury" of the U.S. military to defeat the Islamic State group. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)] AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- In finishing the Republican presidential race well ahead of Donald Trump’s other rivals, Ted Cruz is likely to be a leading GOP voice for the foreseeable future. Less clear is whether Cruz harnesses that clout to... more »
House Bill Counters New FDA Move to Regulate E-Cigs
[image: vaping - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vape away. Increasingly popular e-cigarettes and cigar varieties could be exempt from new Food and Drug Administration rules if House Republicans have their way. The effort alarms Democrats and public health advocates who argue it could lead... more »
Russians Post Billboards Honoring Stalin
[image: People walk past a billboard with WWII Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. The campaign to honor Stalin was sponsored by a local branch of the Communist Party celebrating Victory Day in Novosibirsk, Russia, Thursday, May 5, 2016. Russia celebrates victory in WWII on May 9. (AP Photo/Ilnar Salakhiev)] MOSCOW (AP) -- Billboards honoring Soviet dictator Josef Stalin have appeared across Russia’s third-largest city ahead of Monday’s celebration of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. The Communist Party branch in Novosibirsk said it put up dozens of... more »
More On Syria’s Support For Iraq’s Insurgency 2011-2012
The Syrian government was one of the earliest supporters of the Iraq insurgency. Fearing that U.S. presence next door, Damascus began allowing its nationals and other foreign fighters go to Iraq even before the 2003 invasion. The Syrians maintained that backing all the way up to 2012 even when their own country fell into war. Iraqi officials complained about Syria’s support for militants throughout 2011. At the end of January a group of insurgents were caught in Anbar crossing over from Syria. (1) The head of the provincial security committee claimed they got aid from the Syrian... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 5, 2016
*Reuters*: *Russia warns of retaliation as NATO plans more deployments in Eastern Europe* Russia will reinforce its western and southern flanks with three new divisions by the year-end, officials said on Wednesday, threatening retaliation to NATO's plans to boost its military presence in eastern members Poland and the Baltic States. While Moscow accuses the Western alliance of threatening its Russia's security, NATO says intensified military drills and its plans for increased deployments on its eastern flank are purely defensive after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea in 2014 and b... more »
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu Resigns As Turkish President Erdogan Tightens Grip
*Washington Post*:* Turkey’s prime minister resigns amid high-level rifts and deepening crises* ISTANBUL — Turkey’s prime minister stepped down Thursday, possibly paving the way for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to consolidate power amid complaints from opponents over his increasingly hard-line policies. The decision by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to bow out of upcoming elections marks another potential step by Erdogan to move Turkey toward a presidential system and reduce the powers of parliament — further cementing the president’s authority and probably stirring more outrage...more »
North Korea Workers’ Party Congress To Start Friday
*CNN*: *North Korea prepares for highest political gathering in 3 decades* Pyongyang, North Korea (CNN)The sound of loudspeakers blaring at 6 a.m. is something I've come to expect when traveling to the North Korean capital. The citywide alarm signals the beginning of each new workday. But on this particular morning, the wake-up call went off an hour earlier -- at 5. For more than two months, most Pyongyang citizens have been expected to rise early and go to bed late. Sometimes they go without sleep at all, so they can fully maximize productivity during the "70-day battle" -- a nat... more »
A Look At Britain's 'Propaganda' War Against The Islamic State In Syria
Free Syrian army fighters, one of the groups often considered to be part of the moderate armed opposition. Photograph: Reuters *The Guardian:* *How Britain funds the 'propaganda war' against Isis in Syria* Government contractors effectively run a press office for opposition fighters but communications conceal UK’s role. The British government is waging information warfare in Syria by funding media operations for some rebel fighting groups, in the foreign front of what David Cameron has called “the propaganda war” against Islamic State. The campaign aims to boost the reputation of ... more »
What Are U.S. And NATO's Rules Of Engagement When Russian Planes Buzz NATO Aircraft Or Ships
A Russian Su-24 fighter jet buzzes the USS Donald Cook, a guided-missile destroyer, on April 12 in the Baltic Sea. (Photo: U.S. Navy/Sipa USA/Newscom) *In From The Cold*: *Grounded* Our friends in Western Europe can sleep well; NATO's air forces are on guard, and ready to defend the alliance against potential airliner threats. For the second time in less than a week, NATO fighters scrambled to intercept a commercial jetliner that lost radio contact in European skies. In the latest incident (which occurred yesterday), a pair of RAF Typhoons escorted an Air France jet traveling fro... more »
A Former Special Forces Officer Explains Why You Only Need To Be 70% Certain Before You Act In Battle
("60 Minutes"/CBS News) Former Delta Force commander Dalton Fury, a pseudonym, appeared on "60 Minutes" wearing prosthetics and colored contact lenses in 2008. *Richard Feloni, Business Insider:* *Former Delta Force officer says the elite military unit taught him you only have to be 70% certain before you act — here's why* Over more than 20 years in United States Army special operations, first as a Ranger and then a Delta Force operator, Dalton Fury learned that effective leaders never wait for perfect certainty to act. Fury is the pseudonym he uses for both his nonfiction and fi... more »
What Science Fiction Movie Inspires The 'Wonks' At The Pentagon?
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) relies on the JARVIS artificial intelligence to help pilot his Iron Man suit. (Marvel Comics/Paramount Pictures) *Sydney J. Freedberg Jr., Breaking Defense*:* Iron Man, Not Terminator: The Pentagon’s Sci-Fi Inspirations* WASHINGTON: “When most people when they hear me talk about this, they immediately start to think of think of Skynet and Terminator,” said the deputy secretary of defense. “I think more in terms of Iron Man.” The Pentagon wants artificial intelligence, said Bob Work, but it doesn’t want “killer robots that roam the battlefield” without... more »
Should The Pentagon Buy Running Shoes That Are Made In America?
*CBS*: *New Balance's sneaker fight with Pentagon hits Congress* New Balance has taken its nearly decade-long fight with the Pentagon over the sale of athletic shoes to the halls of Congress, which is currently debating the annual appropriations bill that funds the Pentagon. According to the Massachusetts-based company, defense officials are ignoring a little-known 1941 federal law called the Berry Amendment that requires the Pentagon to outfit members of the military in uniforms and other equipment that are "100 percent made in the U.S." The Pentagon has argued that it should be ... more »
Israel Discovers Cross-Border Tunnel From Gaza
[image: Israeli soldiers stand in silence as sirens wailed across Israel for two minutes marking the annual Day of Remembrance for victims of the Holocaust, near the Israel Gaza border, Thursday, May 5, 2016. (AP photo/Tsafrir Abayov)] JERUSALEM (AP) -- The Israeli military discovered a tunnel Thursday stretching from the southern Gaza Strip into Israel, built by Palestinian militants to carry out attacks on Israel, the military said. The military announced the discovery amid a new escalation... more »
Public Housing Execs, Already Making Six Figures, Are Getting HUGE Tax-Funded Bonuses
[image: Julian Castro - 900] Eighty public housing authority officials are paid more than $200,000 annually and 340 receive more than $150,000 every year, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation analysis of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data. At least 74 of... more »
The spherical look
I know the wide-angle camera lens can stretch the image horizontally of anyone caught at either edge of the frame, but even so, it looks as if Jeremy Bowen has been eating as much as he’s been tweeting. Bowen; the rotunda Not quite as flattering as the Twitter image. Anyway, if one looks at Bowen’s Twitter this comment is apt. Four days in J'lem & W. Bank @BowenBBC; lots of photos: Palestinian children; Christian pilgrims; not a single Israeli who's not a soldier — Yiftah Curiel (@yiftahc) 3 May 2016 There is absolutely no hiding Bowen’s biased attitude. The problem that ...more »
Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu to Resign
*Had this bookmarked to post- before the news item, let's read a comment left regarding this breaking news:* *AnonymousMay 5, 2016 at 7:22 AM* *Ahmet Davutoglu resigns. The post Erdogan Phoenix? * Davutoglu as the Pheonix Rising from the Balkanized Turkey? Entirely possible. *Ekurd* Image from Newsweek *ANKARA*,— Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced Thursday he would step down as ruling party chief at an extraordinary party congress on May 22, meaning he would also quit as premier. “I declare that we will hold our congress on May 22,” Davutoglu told reporters in A... more »
Kurds on the Attack in Iran- As Predicted ......
*Here, at the blog, nearly a year ago..... * *The latest: * Reports have emerged that Kurdish insurgents attacked Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) troops near the country’s border with Iraq, an incident only briefly mentioned by Iranian media. Media outlets based in the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government reported on the Wednesday fighting, with ARA News saying that Kurdish combatants staged an assault against IRGC troops in the villages of Hamran, Myouni and Sartaja outside the border town of Sardasht. “This led the Iranian forces to [deploy] additional milita... more »
Mexico Slapped a Big Tax on Sodas. What’s Happened Will Discourage Nanny Staters
[image: Soda - 900] Just a few months ago, Mexico looked like the poster country for soda tax advocates. "One of the world's highest soda taxes appears to be working. After just one year, purchases of sugary drinks in Mexico are down 12 percent,... more »
IDF General Slammed For Comparing Nazi Germany With Israel
A high ranking Israeli general has come under fire following remarks where he suggested a comparison between Nazi Germany and present day Israel. His comments made during during a Holocaust Remembrance speech have fueled heated discussion among politicians and on social media. However, the deputy head of the Israeli military has been forced to backtrack after comparing some attitudes in present-day Israel to “nauseating trends” in 1930s Germany. The IDF deputy chief says he did not intend to compare Israel to Nazi Germany in his speech RT reports: “It’s scary to see horrifying devel... more »
The Syrian War Against The Criminal US/Israel/NATO Cabal Rages On: Insane US Secretary Of State John Kohn Just Told Assad To Get Out By August Or Else!
It should be apparent to anyone by now that the US/Israel/NATO criminal cabal attempts to have Syria destroyed and Assad ousted from power has failed miserably... The good guys, the Syrian government forces and their allies, are now on the offensive and are pushing to take out the ISIS "stronghold" of Raqqa in eastern Syria very shortly... As well, the good guys were definitely about to wipe out the last of the so called "rebel" (US paid and armed mercenaries) in southern Aleppo if not for a new "ceasefire" requested by the US itself.... Everywhere across Syria, the good guys have t... more »
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*Corps could face billions in 'takings' payments for MR-GO misdeeds~Mark Schleifstein*
Biologists earn 5th retraction following Swedish investigation
A team of biologists have earned a fifth retraction for a paper containing manipulated images, following an investigation by the Swedish government. Last year, the investigation found that former Uppsala University doctoral student Apiruck Watthanasurorot had manipulated figures in five papers, four of which have already been retracted. Earlier this year, we reported that his […] The post Biologists earn 5th retraction following Swedish investigation appeared first on Retraction Watch.
UK Govt Wage Information Warfare In Support Of Moderate Syrian Rebels
The British government is waging an information war in Syria by funding media operations for some of the so called moderate rebel fighting groups. The campaign is aimed at boosting the reputation of what the UK government calls the “moderate armed opposition”, those fighting the legitimate Syrian government. Thousands of those moderate terrorists crossed the border into Syria this week. Moon Of Alabama reports: The U.S. government, via its CIA, has financed the “moderate” anti-Syrian mercenaries fighting against the legitimate Syrian government with at least $1 billion a year. The Wa... more »
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*More Freudian projection from the Warmists* *There is no group in this wide world more immune to persuasion by the facts than the Green/Left. They HAVE to be unaffected by the facts because their beliefs are so counterfactual. Could anything be more absurd as statements of fact than classic Leftist slogans such as: "All men are equal", "Man is naturally good" or "All men are brothers"? Yet the article below claims that it is conservatives and climate skreptics who tend to be immune to the facts. Freud would understand. Seeing your own faults in others is a common defenc... more »
My View from Ukraine
- We spent the day yesterday here in Odessa catching up with work and doing two interviews. I posted one with Riley Waggaman and the other is still in process. Today we hope to get back out on the street for some final filming before heading home tomorrow via Istanbul. - The economy here in Ukraine is crashing. Yesterday we got an up close and personal view of the new black market economy when we needed to get across town for a meeting. One of our hosts just stuck out his hand like he was hailing a taxi except ordinary citizens stop and consider if th... more »
Ex-Utah Sen. Bob Bennett, Dead at 82
[image: Obit Bob Bennett] SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Former U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett, of Utah, who shied away from the spotlight but earned a reputation as someone who knew how to get things done in Washington, has died. He was 82. Bennett assistant... more »
Is Trump's Claim To The Nomination A Signal For A Conservative Migration To And A Take-Over Of The Democratic Party?
When Elizabeth Warren tweeted that there's more enthusiasm for Trump among the leaders of the KKK than leaders of the GOP, she was referring to the same sort of narrow slivver of political elites who have propped up the lesser evil in her own party. GOP elites have deployed $43 million worth of ads against Trump during the later stages of the primary and they made him more-- not less-- popular with the Republican masses. GOP hyperbole and Hate Talk Radio/Fox lowest common denominator pandering have created a base strong enough to overthrow the establishment elites within Republican... more »
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*Australia: Calls for Victorian curriculum to say Australia was invaded, not settled* *This is just Leftists stirring up hatred. When the English arrived in Australia, they didn't come waving swords and muskets. They didn't need to. There were no spear-wielding bands of warriors to confront. From behind cover, the Aborigines mostly just stood and stared in amazement and fear. As time went by there were isolated violent clashes but settlement was nothing like an invasion, as we normally conceive itThe picture I have just drawn is a traditional one but in the second half of th... more »
Thousands Of Terrorists Cross Border Into Syria
The Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi announced on Tuesday that thousands of terrorists had crossed the border into Syria in the last few days. According to Arabic-language media outlets, al-Zoubi said: “Around 6,000 terrorists have crossed the border and entered Syrian territories in recent days” Fars News Agency reports: Late in April, Syrian Prime Minister Wael Nader al-Halqi also warned that more than 5,000 fresh militants crossed the border into the Northwestern provinces of Aleppo and Idlib from Turkey, stressing that the ceasefire agreement was being violated by cer... more »
European Union Faces Shakedown Over ‘Refugees.’ Most Muslim Countries Take Few.
[image: refugees - 900] Even as immigration is a major issue in the U.S. presidential campaign, a mass influx of Muslims under the rubric of "war refugees" is reshaping the face of Europe. Each news cycle uncovers a new, unsettling facet of this continent-wide... more »
New York Times Promotes Myth That Man-Made Climate Change Refugees Exist
[image: Isle De Jean Charles, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, after Hurricane Gustav in September 2008.] The New York Times has declared the first American climate refugees. The article, published on May 2, tells the story of families living in southeastern Louisiana on the Isle de Jean Charles who will have to relocate (apparently due to man-made... more »
Following @GeorgeWashington on the National Day of Prayer
[image: WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 5: Hands are lifted during an Easter prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial as the sun rises over the Washington Monument on Easter Sunday in Washington Sunday April 5, 2015.] Today is the National Day of Prayer, an annual effort instituted by President Truman whereby those of faith gather once a year to offer prayers for our country. It is a day to petition our Creator. A day spent looking to Him,... more »
When German readers are less PC than a Czech politician
Some Czech media inform us about an interview of Czech politician Pavel Bělobrádek for Die Welt: Germany and its Chancellor have saved the Balkans Interestingly, the Czech media usually choose a different title, one saying that the "refugee quotas remind Czechs of the Munich Treaty". Bělobrádek (=the Whitebearded One) is the leader of a small, sub-10-percent party. But the centrist party is in the coalition now (and was in it most of the time since 1989) and the party is probably the most PC and certainly the most pro-German one on the Czech political spectrum. Its name is the "Chr... more »
Bush 41, Bush 43: No Plans to Endorse Trump
[image: HOUSTON, TX - NOVEMBER 17: President George W. Bush, left, and President George H.W. Bush at Reliant Stadium before the Oakland Raiders play the Houston Texans on November 17, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush family may not be receptive to any effort by likely Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to reach out to skeptics in the party. A spokesman for George W. Bush said Wednesday the former president does... more »
Study ‘Shows’ You Don’t Have Free Will. Choose Not To Believe It
[image: Hand on Mouse - 900] Here’s the overdrawn headline from the UK newspaper the Independent: “Free will could all be an illusion, scientists suggest after study shows choice may just be brain tricking itself.” The article quotes the authors of a new study who say...more »
Top Israeli Army Official Draws Rebuke for Holocaust Comparison
[image: holocaust] JERUSALEM (AP) -- The Israeli army’s deputy chief of staff drew rebukes from hawkish Israeli ministers Thursday for comparing pre-Holocaust Germany to trends in Israel today. Speaking at a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at a Holocaust study center in central... more »
10 ways you can increase member engagement in your union
#7: Hold a logo contest!Trying to increase member engagement in your union? Here are some ideas that work. 1. Always make time for your members' concerns. This is number one through infinity. If you don't make time for your members’ concerns - if your members don't know that you're fighting for them - everything else you do is a waste of time. I made a pledge to myself and to our members: I will *never* say, "I don't have time for you," or "Your concern is not a priority for us." I often cannot fix the member's problem. But I can empathize. I can affirm and validate. I can let the... more »
Tweet For Today
#NEWSGRAPHIC #Prince Huge rise in US drug-deaths in period that saw near quadruple growth in painkillers @AFP pic.twitter.com/wavZNhPLAR — AFP news agency (@AFP) May 5, 2016 *WNU Editor*: WOW!!!! Over 100,000 Americans die each year because of drugs, alcohol, and car accidents.
Hillary Clinton Tells The Press To Be Tougher On Donald Trump
*Weekly Standard*:* Hillary Calls on Press to Toughen Up on Trump* "I think reporters now have a chance to ask some tougher questions," said Clinton. "It's not enough to call in and give somebody a platform. It's now the time to make the tough decisions, and you got to the ask him, okay, so what exactly would you replace X, Y, and Z with? If you're going to be against trade agreements how is that going to work?" Clinton later added, "So let's get to the specifics. ... Being a loose cannon doesn't in any way protect him, I hope, from being asked the hard questions that he should ha... more »
David Cameron Too Busy To Attend Libya War Inquiry
British Prime Minister David Cameron has declined to appear before a parliamentary committee to give evidence to its inquiry into Libya. He told the committee holding the inquiry into his 2011 Libyan campaign that he was too busy to answer questions before the panel citing diary pressures. The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee had asked Cameron in March to answer questions before the end of the current parliamentary session this month, in order to clear the way for it to publish its report on the UK’s military intervention in the 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi and its... more »
Fired Up By Sanders, Democrats Shift Left on Health Care
[image: Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at a campaign rally at The Family Arena Monday, March 14, 2016, in St. Charles, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- With the Obama administration counting down its final year, many Democrats are finding less to like about the president’s health care law, unsure about its place among their party’s achievements. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ call for “Medicare for... more »
DOJ Decides It Won’t Call People ‘Felons’ or ‘Convicts’ Because It Hurts Their Feelings
[image: arrest] An official with the Department of Justice said the agency will no longer call people "felons" or "convicts" after they are released from prison because it is too hard on them emotionally. Assistant Attorney General Karol Mason wrote a piece... more »
Another Major Insurer May Leave Obamacare’s Exchanges
[image: obamacare medicaid] Another major insurer announced it is considering leaving some of Obamacare's exchanges after losing money and customers. In financial reports released Monday, Humana said that it is likely to exit some exchanges in 2017 after reporting lower earnings and a... more »
Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 5th May)
Councils 'to sell up to £145m of housing a year to fund right-to-buy' Under plans unveiled in 2015, local authorities will be required to sell “higher value” council homes when these become vacant. A chunk of the money raised would be used to fund discounts of up to £103,900 for housing association tenants who want to buy their homes. Some MPs have already argued that it is wrong to fund a
Court Charges Boy As An Adult Due To His Large Genitals
A Russian court ordered the detention of a Ukrainian teenager on the basis of his teeth and the size of his genitals. The 13-year-old boy who was detained on suspicion of theft was considered an adult by a Russian judge after he was found to have larger than normal genitals for his age. The Moscow Times reports: Tomas, a Hungarian national born in Ukraine, came to Moscow with his aunt in March and was arrested the same month after police accused him of stealing a mobile phone, a charge Tomas denies, newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets reported Tuesday. Following a medical examination of... more »
Republicans in Michigan Vote to Pay Detroit School Debt — Without Democrats’ Help
[image: Detroit teachers march outside the district headquarters, Monday, May 2, 2016, in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed Monday and more than 45,000 students missed classes after about half the district's teachers called out sick to protest the possibility that some of them will not get paid over the summer if the struggling district runs out of cash.] LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- After 15 hours of mostly private meetings, the Michigan House approved a $500 million restructuring plan for the ailing Detroit Public Schools early Thursday. House lawmakers started ... more »
Governor John Kasich Drops Out, Leaves Path Open For Trump
Ohio Governor John Kasich has dropped out of the Republican presidential race. Trump’s main rival Ted Cruz dropped out on Tuesday night after poor results in the Indiana primary. The way is now clear for Donald Trump to be the presumptive GOP nominee. RT reports: Sources from within the campaign confirmed that Kasich would announce his withdrawal on Wednesday afternoon. He is not expected to endorse Trump, CNN reported, citing campaign insiders. Announcing he would be suspending his campaign on Wednesday afternoon, Kasich said he had a “deeper faith that the Lord will show me the wa... more »
Why Jesus’ Ascension Matters
[image: Ascension_of_Christ_Tintoretto] Today is Ascension Day, the 40th day after Easter. In the words of the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (1997), it marks "the solemn close of the post-Resurrection appearances and signifies the rule of Christ in the present (cf.... more »
Logic fail of the day
I'll repeat that: '... "Uncle Tom" is as needlessly abusive as "self hating Jew" don't use this terms. Vote @SadiqKhan' So Meirion Jones thinks that using the term "Uncle Tom" is "needlessly abusive" but that we should vote for the man who used that term... That seems logical, well for a Labour supporter I suppose it may be.
Dellers Puts Down Jimmy Kimmel
By Paul Homewood http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/05/03/jimmy-kimmel-totally-ing-wrong-on-climate-change/ Great Dellers put down of some talk show host, apparently called Jimmy Kimmel: Jimmy Kimmel is great. Probably the most relaxed, amiable, and funny of all the U.S. talk show hosts, not counting James Corden. But after last night he just lost a fan. No, I’m sure […]
Picture Of The Day
*Refueling Practice* Marines refuel in the air over Iwakuni, Japan, April 28, 2016, practicing during the day and night to prepare for any scenario. The Marines are assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 and Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Nathan Wicks
Recent 45 or 30 years: linear warming a better fit than the CO2-related warming
A climate alarmist named Tim Palmer gave a talk about chaos and global warming at the Perimeter Institute For Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada. *The talk was even discussed in The National Post – most actual physics talks at the PI surely don't enjoy this luxury.* He's an okay speaker but the content was very problematic. At the beginning (around 20:00) he started with a good question someone posed to him: At the Perimeter, people are used to talks about quarks and strings. So why would they listen to a monologue about the climate alarmism junk? The correct answer is, of c... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Deception Perception'
. http://mohawknationnews.com/blog/2016/05/04/deception-perception/
Grade Inflation Eats Away at the Meaning of College
It is really pretty simple. If i want to hire a person with finally honed analytic skills, i hire someone who has passed first year calculus. I am not looking for an ace here but a survivor of the course. I know what i am getting.. Otherwise i ask to read his graduating thesis. Everything else demands that or its equivalent. You can then determine how solid his work happens to be for yourself. Beyond that the marks are irrelevant. You pick up key skills or you do not. An Ace on a welding course is pretty meaningless if you end up redoing half the welds. That means tha... more »
Three Reasons Why "Too-Big-to-Fail" Banks Need to Be Broken Up
[image: President Barack Obama with Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), center, and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), waving, after signing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in Washington, July 21, 2010. Despite two rulings that suggest that federal regulators are losing ground against “too big to fail” financial institutions, a wider view shows that Dodd-Frank is mostly intact — and exacting slow, steady results. (Doug Mills / The New York Times)] The ideal purpose of the investment banker is to design and produce financial product that can then be bought b... more »
Putin: Russia Warns It Will Restore Istanbul Back To Christianity
Nothing like freshening old historical wounds to confront a new enemy. Of course the real purpose is to make the Turkish leader think thice regarding his meddling in Syria. Since Russia has also shown a willingness to send troops and to involve the Chinese as well, it is not mere bluster either. Constantinople remains unfinished business with Eastern Christianity. Ongoing Turkish suppression of Christianity keeps it current. The conflict did not end then as the Turks have maintained a culture of supremacy over non Islamic peoples that remains largely ongoing and has mostly d... more »
Humanity Needs Universal Basic Income in Order to Stop Impeding Progress
Of course we do but there is much more to it than that unfortunately and it is not been addressed properly. As we have posted a basic income needs to be tied directly to specific supply price points and be in exchange for an input of base labor in the form of a four hour shift. This is naturally motivating as well as a wonderful check on the citizens health and potential. I have grown tired of folks addressing theses issue in the simplest possible terms little better than a slogan. It has stifled proper debate for years and no creditable action has ever emerge... more »
Military Photo of the Day
[image: EOD-900] U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians fast-rope out of an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter during training in Imperial Beach, Calif., on Apr. 21, 2016. Thank you to the Navy’s entire EOD community for defending our country.
A Word to the Church on the National Day of Prayer
[image: Church American Flag - 900] Today is the National Day of Prayer and I encourage all Christians to join together in prayer for our nation and the future of freedom. Many have put their hope in men rather than God. Don't. The Lord alone is... more »
Music Industry ‘Illuminati’ Kill Their Stars, Says Insider
A music industry insider has come forward with claims the business is ‘rife with the Illuminati’ and that an elite circle of white executives ‘have complete and utter control over their stars’ and ‘they kill them off if they step out of line.’ ‘They have an obituary media pack ready to be rolled out for all their stars and they usually involve a drug overdose or AIDS. They have the AIDS and junkie cards ready to play at a moment’s notice.’ ‘If you’re black, popular and powerful in the industry, the elite almost always have a file on you – ready to use if you step out of line.’ Spea... more »
Push To Fire Chief of SFPD Continues As Hunger Strike Enters Day 15
*Three of the Frisco5, Ike Pinkston, Maria Cristina Gutierrez and Edwin Lindo as they approach San Francisco's City Hall flanked by supporters* *- by Denise Sullivan* "We won," said Maria Cristina Gutierrez, from the steps of San Francisco's city hall on Tuesday afternoon. Gutierrez, her fellow hunger strikers, the Frisco 5 (Ilyich "Equipto" Sato, Sellassie Blackwell, Ike Pinkston, and Edwin Lindo) and nearly one thousand fellow San Franciscans embarked on a march to Mayor Ed Lee's office to demand the firing of police Chief Greg Suhr, leader of a department rife with racism and re... more »
The Next Pearl Harbor Could Happen In Space
*Jonathan Broder, Newsweek*: *Why The Next Pearl Harbor Could Happen In Space* In their techno-thriller Ghost Fleet, authors Peter Singer and August Cole describe a cataclysmic world war that begins with a Chinese sneak attack against the U.S. in space. First, soldiers at China’s Cyber Command Headquarters in Shanghai hack into the Pentagon’s network of GPS satellites and scramble their signals. The cyberattack sows chaos among U.S. forces, which can no longer navigate accurately, track targets or hit them with precision munitions. Then, from a space station orbiting 200 miles ab... more »
Spirituality Vs. Dogmatic Religiosity: A Guide for the Spiritually Perplexed
*Gary ‘Z’ McGee* - Religious indoctrination, like cultural conditioning, is difficult to overcome.
Why We Should Worry About The World Economy
*Image *from RBS *Satyajit Das, The Independent:* *Why we should all be worried about the global economy* *Since 2007, global debt has grown by US$57 trillion and it's had disastrous results* Debt continues to be a major source of instability for the global economy. Since 2007, global debt has grown by $57trillion, or 17 per cent of GDP. As at mid-2014, global debt was $199trillion, or 286 per cent of the world’s GDP. In comparison, global debt was $142trillion (269 per cent of GDP) in 2007 and $87trillion (246 per cent of GDP) in 2000. Since 2007, no major economies and only fi... more »
The Pentagon's Priorities Are Going To Change Soon Regardless Of Who Wins The White House
Wikipedia *Loren Thompson, Forbes*: *Why Pentagon Priorities Will Soon Change No Matter Who Becomes President* Military planners and defense investors have begun focusing on the fact that President Obama is in his final year as the nation’s commander in chief. Next year, a new president will start putting his or her imprint on the U.S. defense posture. However, new leaders seldom have an immediate impact on Pentagon priorities unless something happens overseas, because the makeup of the joint force reflects political compromises arrived at over many years. Besides, it typically ta... more »
A Researcher Just Accidentally Developed A Battery That Could Last A Lifetime
This is very encouraging although gold costs may slow things down. What it tells me though that the perfect battery is not that far away anymore. It is very good news because we are not likely giving up batteries any time soon. That is true even with free energy. I also know advanced battery tech is also available as well quite up to the task of supporting our electronics for days and weeks,. We are getting there folks, slow and painful as it has been. Nothing has ever really blocked us. . *A Researcher Just Accidentally Developed A Battery That Could Last A ... more »
Britain's Atlantis Found at bottom of North Sea
This is early days for subsea archaeology of the continental shelf generally and the Dogger Bank in particular. What we truly do not understand yet is just how fast everything was inundated. The presently accepted line line for the relatively shallow Dogger Bank is around 8599BC through 6500 BC. Fast matters because it allows limited erosion of local hills and stonework. It also allows rapid innundation to overwelm an uneroded area as well. This matters if you hope to have windows of original terrain. In short i do not prefer gradual but that is likely true for most phases. ... more »
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I cant do this job that I do better than everyone but the latest survey said we must fire the lowest ones and the machine dont care that I will be out on the street in the rain in my underwear cause I cant afford showers any more America is going to need a big shower to wash off a Trump presidency but its not the bad its a boon for the hair transpacany
Welcome to 21st century Britain
This Telegraph article http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/04/women-should-not-travel-more-than-48-miles-without-a-male-escort/ is really rather scary: 'Women should not be allowed to go on long journeys without a male chaperone a British Muslim group has advised followers. Justine Greening, the International Development Secretary and equalities minister condemned the advice from Blackburn Muslim Association as "disgraceful" and said such views had "no place" in modern Britain. Instructions from the association's "Department of Theology" insist that it is "not permissible" f... more »
This Former General Is Advising Donald Trump
Then Defense Intelligence Agency director U.S. Army Lt. General Michael Flynn testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on ''Worldwide Threats'' in Washington February 4, 2014. REUTERS/GARY CAMERON *Reuters*: *Former military intelligence chief advising Trump joins Drone Aviation* Retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, who has been advising Donald Trump informally on foreign policy, will join Drone Aviation Holding Corp as vice chairman of its board of directors, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. Flynn, who was chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency under ... more »
The Revolution's Not Just About Bernie Winning The White House
At one point, one of the shiny lobbyist/consultant types who populate the greasy/well-greased Clinton Machine thought it would be smart to make the ridiculous claim that Her Highness' campaign is raising money for Democratic candidates while Bernie is just a selfish, greedball. Well, of course, they were projecting. As Gaius pointed out Monday and I tried showing Sunday, it's Bernie who has been raising money for progressive challengers while Hillary's much vaunted operation is just a typical scam that sucks up more money for herself, while doing nothing for needy candidates. And ... more »
An Open Letter to Megyn Kelly
[image: In this April 6, 2016 file photo, Megyn Kelly attends The Hollywood Reporter's "35 Most Powerful People in Media" celebration in New York. Kelly will interview Donald Trump for a Fox TV special. It will mark Kelly's first interview with Trump since their encounter during a Fox News Channel debate last August. The GOP presidential contender will be a guest on "Megyn Kelly Presents," a prime-time special airing May 17 on Fox TV, the network said Monday.] Dear Megyn, Along with millions of Americans, I have watched your rise to national prominence with great interest and I was f... more »
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*UK: Ofsted chief condemns families for 'exam strike'* The head of Ofsted has condemned parents who took their children out of lessons yesterday in protest at testing. Michael Wilshaw said grammar and maths assessments for six and seven-year-olds could improve Britain's 'mediocre' position in international education rankings. He stressed the tests helped identify struggling children, pointing out that poorer pupils had the odds stacked against them if they fell behind. Councils had threatened £60 fines for families involved in the 'kids' strike' but it will be left to headmaste... more »
Gaza Declared Military Zone, Heavy Shelling Reported
The Israel Air Force have turned Gaza into a warzone again on Wednesday evening, officially declaring the area a “military zone” after the army fired tank shells at the Palestinian occupied territory. The shelling comes in response to an alleged mortar fire near the border which Israel says Hamas had fired towards Israeli forces in an attempt to deter them from searching for tunnels. haaretz.com reports: According to reports in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, five airstrikes targeted Hamas training camps in the vicinity of the airport and in the center of the enclave. No casualt... more »
Voter Fraud Activist Found Dead Under Suspicious Circumstances
Voter fraud activist, Gary Welsh, who broke the story about the gay foam sex parties that Marco Rubio took part in, has been found dead in his apartment under suspicious circumstances. Authorities are yet to give an official reason for his death, but have hinted that the death was potentially suicide. The political blogger had also written an ominous blog post last week predicting that Donald Trump would win Indiana, shortly before police found his body. Nydailynews.com reports: Gary Welsh, a lawyer who managed his Advance Indiana blog since 2005, was found in his Indianapolis apar... more »
Authorities Shocked After British Fighter Jet Caught Battling UFO
The Ministry of Defense has reported that a squadron of Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled in Northern England this week in order to intercept a UFO that had apparently risen out from the sea. Authorities were left in a state of shock when the fighter jets fired upon the mysterious aircraft causing it to disappear and then reappear again, undamaged by the shots. Whatdoesitmean.com reports: According to this report, multiple Federation, British, NATO and American satellite and radar sources detected this “mysterious object” rising out of the sea off the coast of North England yeste... more »
Justice Minister Says Criticising Israel Is Now ‘Anti-Semitic’
The Israeli justice minister has said that anybody who criticises Israel from now on is to be considered anti-Semitic. Ayelet Shaked told The Washington Post that European leaders who dare to speak out against Israel will be considered anti-Semites – tarnishing their reputation in the world of politics forever. Telesurtv.net reports: “In the past, we saw European leaders speaking against the Jews. Now, we see them speaking against Israel. It is the same anti-Semitism of blood libels, spreading lies, distorting reality and brainwashing people into hating Israel and the Jews,” Shaked... more »
Thousands Of Dead Creatures Appear On Chile’s Beaches
An estimated 40,000 tons of salmon, 8,000 tons of sardines, and masses of dead wales have washed up on the beaches across Chile in recent months. The mass creature deaths are thought to be as a result of the El Niño that arrived at the beginning of 2016, which authorities say have choked the sea life to death. Telesurtv.net reports: That is about 12 percent of annual salmon production in Chile, the world’s second-biggest producer of the fish after Norway. This month, some 8,000 tons of sardines were washed up at the mouth of the Queule River. And thousands of dead clams piled up on t... more »
Goat Born With Human Face Terrifies Village
A goat born with the face of a human baby has caused mayhem in a Malaysian village, as locals began a bidding war to desperately tried to buy the goat from the farmer it belonged to. The newborn goat did not survive long enough after it was born, but sadly that did not stop people from wanting to buy the carcass of the animal they referred to as a “fawn” – a mythical hybrid of goat and animal. Yahoo News reports: Farmer Ibrahim Basir refused all cash offers after the goat was born on his property in Felda, Malaysia, instead choosing to hand it over to the Veterinary Services Departm... more »
New U.S. Law Could Allow Psychological Profiling Of Kids At School
A new bill is being proposed by Congress that will fund the psychological testing and profiling of all children in America. The scheme would force US schools to collect sensitive data on students, including information on their “social and emotional learning,” attitudes, values, beliefs, and much more. The legislation, named Strengthening Education Through Research Act (SETRA), will give the Big Brother nanny state information on how to further indoctrinate and transform the minds of American children. Critics of the radical S. 227 bill have blasted the proposed new law as dangerou... more »
Tennessee on the Road to Becoming Income Tax-Free
[image: Empty Senate chamber in the Tennessee State Capitol pictured on December 1, 2014.] Many people already think Tennessee is one of only a handful of states with no income tax, but as middle-class retirees can attest, it is anything but. While the state does not tax income from labor, it has levied a... more »
Dark Matter Finally Detected By Scientists
Astronomers at Stanford University in California have finally found evidence for the existence of elusive dark matter – something that was, until recently, considered just hypothetical. Dark matter accounts for approximately 27% of the mass and energy in the observable universe – and has remained invisible to scientists until now. The discovery was made by accident as astronomers examining a massive nearby galaxy found a strange distortion on its edge. The distortion, it turns out, was a smaller, invisible galaxy composed entirely of dark matter. Space.com reports: “We can find the... more »
Emergency Powers Under Crises
One of Japan's conservative activist organizations is pushing for a constitutional revision that would insert an "emergency clause" that allows suspension of the nation's constitution during emergency situations: Conservative group behind pro-constitutional amendment petition collecting. The Mainichi, may 4, 2016, http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20160504/p2a/00m/0na/011000c The conservative activist organization Nippon Kaigi (Japan Conference) is behind a pro-constitutional amendment group's campaign for 10 million signatures to call for changes in Japan's pacifist Constituti... more »
TTIP is a "Huge Transfer of Power from People to Big Business"
TTIP LEAK: GreenPeace Netherlands [excerpted] Greenpeace Netherlands has released secret TTIP negotiation documents. We have done so to provide much needed transparency and trigger an informed debate on the treaty. This treaty is threatening to have far reaching implications for the environment and the lives of more than 800 million citizens in the EU and US. Whether you care about environmental issues, animal welfare, labour rights or internet privacy, you should be concerned about what is in these leaked documents. They underline the strong objections civil society and millions ...more »
A widening toxic threat - LIHerald.com
A widening toxic threat - LIHerald.com
Donald Trump: Russian Planes Should Be Shot Down ‘At Certain Point’
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally. Kamil Krzaczynski / Reuters Moscow Times:* Trump Says Russian Planes Should Be Shot Down ‘At Certain Point’* Controversial U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump has called for Russian aircraft showing a "lack of respect" for America to be shot down "at a certain point," the Buzzfeed website reported Tuesday. Trump made the comment in relation to recent reports that Russian planes had barrel-rolled over U.S. aircraft. “Normally, [U.S. President Barack] Obama would call up [Russian President Vlad... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 4, 2016
*New York Times Editorial*: *More Carnage in Syria* Secretary of State John Kerry and Staffan de Mistura, a United Nations envoy, are trying again to revive the cease-fire in Syria that has collapsed in significant parts of the country, including Aleppo. The goal is urgent, but the diplomacy will not have a chance if Russia will not, or cannot, persuade its ally Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s president, to stop using his air force to bomb opposition targets. Few expected the cease-fire, which was brokered two months ago by the United States and Russia, to last as long as it did. It gave... more »
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*From* *Jenna Orkin* Obamacare To Unveil "Price Shock" One Week Before The Elections “Nightmare” Mistake: Visa Free Travel For 80 Million Turks Coming Up Visa Unveils Plan To Burden Millennials With Billions In Debt TTIP Leaked Documents Show Obama Demands Killing Paris Accord Against Climate Change IBM just beat Google to a brand new type of computing Medical error is third biggest cause of death in the US, experts say License To Steal: Italy’s Highest Court Rules “Theft Not A Crime If Hungry” Massive Fire Burns At Gateway Town To Alberta's Oilsands; 30,000 Evacuated "I Don't Know H... more »
Lavrov: Turkey & Saudi Arabia No Ground Operations in Syria- But, Norway....
*Yup, Norway! What's up with Norway? It's as bad there as Canada, I guess?* *Tyranny lovin' gov. As if harboring terrorists wasn't bad enough! Now Norway's government is going to send special op forces to invade Syria????!!! * *Reuters * *May 4: Turkey and Saudi Arabia are unlikely to launch ground operations in Syria in the light of Russian air forces already stationed in the country, RIA news agency cited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Wednesday.* *Sputnik * It is necessary to educate states trying to call for the military invasion in war-torn Syria, as i... more »
Why is the BBC Silent about Tory Electoral Fraud?
It is the biggest political story of this year in a year of big political stories. Not that you would know if you didn't watch *Channel 4 News*. The reporting Michael Crick and his team have done uncovering dodgy election expenses suggesting the Conservatives overspent in 26 parliamentary seats at last year's general election is dynamite. If electoral law is deemed to have been broken, this could lead to 26 sitting MPs in court and by-elections in each of those seats. As they are all marginal, it's not beyond the realms that each could be lost by the government and their wafer thin... more »
Economic News , Data & Views ( May 4 , 2016 ) Overview For Wednesday ( 1. Markets - Dow Components YTD Returns , Stocks Slump, Dollar Jumps After China Sends Message To Fed , ISM Services Higher For The 2nd Month In A Row , Jeff Gundlach's Take On President Trump , Turkish Political Turmoil Roils Turkish Lira , Brent Spec Net Longs - The Game Is Afoot. 2. Around The Horn In Europe - Greece Bailouts ( Historical ) And Current Talks With Creditors , TTIP On Hiatus As France Gives Firm "Non" , Border Security / Refugee Crisis News De Jour , Visa Free Travel For Turkey News , Ukraine - Russia Debt Battle Continues - Ukraine Extends Moratorium . 3.Emerging Nations News- Brazil's Rousseff A Step Closer To Impeachment Today . 4. MENA News - Focus on Turkey Political Crisis , Syria Political State Of Play , ISIS Crisis - Selling Chickens & Eggs On The Side Of The Road In Libya , Qatar Selling Debt - First Sovereign Bond Since 2011 , IRAQ VS ISIS State Of Play In Mosul . 4. Odds & Ends. )
Markets....... *Charlie Bilello, CMT* @MktOutperform 3h 3 hours ago Dow components, YTD returns. Energy/Industrials/Consumer Staples leading. Tech/Financials lagging. $DIA *zerohedge* @zerohedge 2h 2 hours ago Stocks Slump, Dollar Jumps After China Sends Message To Fed http://www. zerohedge.com/news/2016-05-0 4/stocks-slump-dollar-jumps-after-china-sends-message-fed … *Charlie Bilello, CMT* @MktOutperform 3h 3 hours ago ISM Services higher for the 2nd month in a row, above levels that pointed to increased risk of recession in '01/'08. *zerohedge* @zerohed... more »
Police Shoot Down Drug Smuggling Plane In Peru, Gun Battle Ensues
Dramatic video footage shows a gun battle after a suspected drug smuggling aircraft was shot down by drug enforcement agents in Peru. The Bolivian plane, license no. CP1818, was shot down by the agents on 3 May, who then engaged the suspects in a three hour shoot-out. ITV reports: After the plane crashed to the ground, authorities engaged in a three-hour gun battle in a remote area of central Peru, called the Valley of Pichis Palcazu. One suspect, allegedly a Colombian man, escaped, while another, the 58-year-old Bolivian pilot, was shot and taken into custody. Authorities seized 70 ... more »
May 4: Call me forgetful...
As I write this, I am preparing for a very busy week starting in an hour or so. That means this blog is not likely to appear again until May 11. I remembered only last night that this busy period was starting today. Accordingly, today's blog is likely to be a short one. And we'll start by skipping the Irving press because it is always its same, miserable self. ___________________________________________________________________________ An item to watch for in The Guardian will be any news about a proposed vote in Britain to leave the European Union. (It's referred to, in brief, as brex...more »
So it’s Trump v Clinton
[image: Trump1] So it’s Trump and Clinton – an ideological blank slate offering trade wars and closed borders, and a corrupt collectivist with a Messiah complex. Two varieties of cronyists offering two different flavours of socialism: national socialism or international socialism1, xenophobic protectionism or identity policitics and class hatred. Berzelius Windrip versus the Wicked Witch of the North-East. Not much of a choice. Today is Trump’s day. The Day of Drumpf. He’s earned it. His country has earned it. His supporters have given it to him, just as he will give it ever... more »
Donald Trump Endorses Israeli Settlement Expansion In West Bank
Donald Trump says Israel should continue construction of illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank. The Republican presidential candidate refuted the notion that halting the expansion of Jewish settlements is a prerequisite for peace negotiations In an interview with the British paper Daily Mail Trump was asked if there should be a pause in settlement construction in the occupied territories, to which he responded: “No, I don’t think there should be a pause.” Press TV reports: Trump said the settlement construction must “keep going” and “keep moving forward,” because Palesti...more »
The Horrible Practice of Honor Killings in Pakistan
[image: A Girl in the River - 900] More than 1,000 girls and women die in honor killings in Pakistan each year. The United Nations estimates that there are about 5,000 honor killings around the world annually, including in the U.S. and Europe. Honor killings are murders or...more »
What Jazz Music Can Do for your brain
This is what people need: more jazz! In his new book *Mental Biology,* psychologist and jazz fan William Klemm cites “overwhelming scientific evidence” that the mental challenge of listening to jazz “develops new connections in the brain and with it, new biological capabilities.” *In jazz, such mental enrichment enhances the ability to memorise, not only directly in terms of having to learn a large musical vocabulary and the rules of jazz, but also in terms of basic mental biology…* How so? *First the listening: the most obvious effect is **stress** reduction. Stress …is the ... more »
World News Briefs -- May 4, 2016 (Evening Edition)
*CBC News:* *'Catastrophic' Fort McMurray wildfire surpasses 10,000 hectares* Fire crews expect another bad day as winds pick up and fire searches for more fuel The "catastrophic" wildfire that has destroyed 1,600 homes and buildings in Fort McMurray, Alta., has now consumed more than 10,000 hectares, and is expected to rage out of control through the rest of the day. At an update Wednesday morning, Fire Chief Darby Allen spoke of the fire almost as if it were a living thing. He said by 6 a.m. MT all structure fires in the city had been extinguished, but crews continued to battle... more »
"I'm Perfect."
4, 3, 2, 1 1, 2, 3, 4, Lemme hear u scream if u want some more, Like, *'Ah! Push it, Push it!'* Watch me work it, I'm Perfect! Check it out now.... *Perfection.* - Princess Superstar, Perfect (Exceeder) ^ "To Whom Shall We Go but Jesus Christ?". Watchtower: 23. March 1, 1979. "the *“faithful and discreet slave”* has alerted all of God’s people to the *sign of the times* indicating the nearness of God’s Kingdom rule. *In this regard, however, it must be observed that this “faithful and discreet slave” was never inspired, never perfect. * Those writings by certain members of... more »
Justice Department Says North Carolina LGBT Law Violates Civil Rights
[image: Department of Justice - 900] RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A North Carolina law limiting protections to LGBT people violates federal civil rights protections and can’t be enforced, The U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday. The Justice Department’s intervention puts the state in danger of losing hundreds... more »
Bernie Sanders Beats Hillary Clinton In Indiana Primary
Bernie Sanders has defeated his rival Hillary Clinton in Indiana’s crucial Democratic primary. He beat Clinton by at least seven points in what the mainstream media has called a ‘major upset’. The US Democratic presidential hopeful’s victory on Tuesday has boosted his argument that the party’s superdelegates should support him in July’s Democratic convention. Press TV reports: The senator was ahead of the former secretary of state by 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent with about three quarters of precincts reporting. “We feel great about tonight, not only in winning here in Indiana…but als... more »
Discoverability and the start of a limitation period
Some might wonder if the test as enunciated suggests a certain level of legal knowledge which makes the commencement problematic. Brown v. Baum, 2016 ONCA 325: [17] I do not agree that the motion judge erred in his interpretation of the section. I agree with the motion judge that the fourth condition of discoverability under the Act is met at the point when the claimant not only knows the factual circumstances of the loss she has suffered, but also knows that "having regard to the nature of the injury, loss or damage", an action is an appropriate remedy. Once she knows that, she ha... more »
FDA Advisers Reconsider Training for Painkiller Prescribers
[image: painkillers - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal health advisers are discussing changes to government programs that were intended to improve the safety of painkillers like OxyContin, but which experts say have had an unclear impact. The Food and Drug Administration has assembled more... more »
Study: Turns Out Global Warming Won’t Devastate the Ocean
[image: A photo of a phytoplankton specimen taken in 1973 as part of the NOAA MESA Project.] Global warming won't harm plankton, which most ocean life depends on for food, according to a new study published online Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study found that since plankton travel around the world on ocean currents,... more »
Iranian Commander Threatens to Close Strait of Hormuz to US
[image: Middle East - 900] TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- The deputy commander of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard said Iranian forces will close the strategic Strait of Hormuz to the United States and its allies if they “threaten” the Islamic Republic, Iranian state media reported Wednesday.... more »
50 Families Sue Over Illinois High School’s Transgender Bathroom Policy
[image: Pink Lockers - 900] A group of 50 families whose children attend a high school in Illinois filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday, attempting to reverse a policy that allows a transgender student to use girls' bathrooms, locker rooms and other sex-specific facilities. The families... more »
Kerry Draws Red Line, Says Syria Better Start Removing Assad by Aug 1
[image: John Kerry - 900] Secretary of State John Kerry just gave Syria a hard deadline for starting the political transition to get rid of Syrian President Bashar Assad: Aug. 1. Kerry told reporters Tuesday if Syria doesn't begin the process of removing Assad by Aug. 1,... more »
Donald Trump To Consider Kasich As Vice President
John Kasich could end up serving as vice president for billionaire businessman Donald Trump. Kasich dropped out of the presidential race after struggling to gain traction against the Republican front-runner. With the Ohio Governor and his ally, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, out of the race, Trump told CNN on Wednesday that he would “be interested in vetting John.” According to Press TV: The real estate mogul, whose sweeping victories during the primaries have forced other Republican candidates to give up the race, noted that Kasich could even be “helpful” as the Ohio governor. “I like Jo... more »
A New U.S. 'Red Line' On Syria?
*Reuters*: *Kerry warns Syria's Assad of 'repercussions' if truce, transition fail* WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday of "repercussions" if he does not stick to a ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States and move forward with a political transition aimed at ending Syria's war. But Kerry said he still hoped diplomatic efforts could restore a nationwide Feb. 27 ceasefire to include Aleppo, which has felt the brunt of increased fighting in recent weeks. "If Assad does not adhere to this, there will clearly... more »
Is The U.S. War Against The Islamic State Legal?
*Photo:* Capt. Nathan Michael Smith Credit U.S. Army *New York Times:* *An Army Captain Takes Obama to Court Over ISIS Fight* WASHINGTON — A 28-year-old army officer on Wednesday sued President Obama over the legality of the war against the Islamic State, setting up a test of Mr. Obama’s disputed claim that he needs no new legal authority from Congress to order the military to wage that deepening conflict. The plaintiff, Capt. Nathan Michael Smith, an intelligence officer stationed in Kuwait, voiced strong support for fighting the Islamic State but, citing his “conscience” and his ... more »
Top U.S. Intel Chief: Islamic State Can Stage Europe-Style Attacks In The U.S.
*CNN:* *Top U.S. intel official: ISIS can stage Europe-style attacks in U.S.* Washington (CNN)ISIS has the capability to stage a Paris-style attack in the U.S. using local cells to strike in multiple locations and inflict dozens of casualties, according to the Obama administration's top U.S. intelligence official. "They do have that capacity," Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told CNN's Peter Bergen in an exclusive interviews on "AC 360" on terrorism, Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda's most virulent offshoot -- ISIS. "That's something we worry about a lot in the United... more »
U.S. Defense Secretary Carter: Fight Against Islamic State ‘Far From Over’
*Washington Post*: *After SEAL’s death, Pentagon chief says fight against Islamic State ‘far from over’* STUTTGART, Germany — A day after a U.S. Navy SEAL was killed repelling an Islamic State offensive in Iraq, Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter met Wednesday with representatives from 11 allied countries in an effort to galvanize support for a war soon entering its third year. “This fight is far from over,” Carter told reporters in Stuttgart. “We were reminded of this yesterday, when an American service member, Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Keating … was killed.” Carter’s ment...more »
Some Endorsements Can Mean A Lot-- Like The Nurses Announcement For Bao Nguyen
Two Democrats involved in crowded primaries got very high-level endorsements this week. Blue America-backed progressive Bao Nguyen is competing in a jungle primary with 2 other Democrats and 4 Republicans to replace Loretta Sanchez in the Orange County congressional seat she's giving up to run for Senate. Two great unions-- National Nurses United (NNU) and the California Nurses Association came together to endorse him Monday. Bao, the Mayor of Garden Grove, is the only progressive in the race and he's backing Bernie's campaign and running on the same package of issues and values. ... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Fanning the Embers'
FANNING THE EMBERS Posted on May 3, 2016 Please post & distribute. MNN. May 3, 2016. Corporate democracy has many prongs on its pitchfork. Each will stab us. Everybody goes into one group or another in the divide and conquer paradigm. We are not using the kaia’nereh:kowa, the great peace, to help us bring our minds together for solutions that work for all of us. tewatkenion means we
We'll Know The Answer
When news broke that John Ridsdel had been beheaded by terrorists, Justin Trudeau sounded like William Tecumseh Sherman: “I do want to make one thing perfectly, crystal clear,” Trudeau said, his ministers standing behind him. “Canada does not – and will not – pay ransom to terrorists, directly or indirectly.” Andrew Cohen writes that, at that moment, Justin also sounded like his father: It was a bold, bald refusal. What was striking about his declaration and the subsequent explanation was his tone and delivery. It was largely free of the hesitation – the verbal tick of ums and ah... more »
The Individual vs. The Covert Op – Nine Notes That Clarify Freedom
*Jon Rappoport* - The mind has no obligation to be a container.
Monsanto’s Next Weedkiller Uses RNA and It’s Far Worse Than RoundUp
*Christina Sarich* - While we are obsessed with glyphosate, Monsanto is turning to other genetically-modified atrocities.
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