From the Trenches World Report
Enforce our Bill of Rights
Washington (AFP) – The US government said Friday it has lodged an appeal against a judge’s ruling that the National Security Agency’s “almost Orwellian”bulk collection of telephone records is illegal.
Separately, spy chief James Clapper revealed that a secret court had renewed the NSA’s authority to gather call “metadata,” despite the controversy triggered when the program came to light. Continue reading “US challenges ruling on ‘Orwellian’ NSA snooping”
The Obama administration has announced two new executive actions aimed at strengthening federal background checks for gun purchasers.
One of the proposed rule changes aims to clarify who is prohibited from purchasing a gun for mental health reasons, while the other would make it easier to add mental health information to the background check system. Continue reading “Obama Admin Proposes Gun Background Check Changes”
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A judge says the mother of a 13-year-old girl who was declared brain dead after having tonsil surgery can remove the child from a Northern California hospital as long as she assumes full responsibility for the move.
Jahi McMath has been on a ventilator for nearly a month, and her family has been fighting with medical officials to have her transferred out of Children’s Hospital Oakland. Continue reading “Jahi McMath’s mom clear to take her from hospital”
Starting Jan. 1, every woman in the Marines Corps was supposed to meet a new physical standard by performing three pullups. But that has been put off.
The Marine Corps announced it quietly. There was no news conference — just a notice on its social media sites and an item on its own TV show, The Corps Report.
Lance Cpl. Ally Beiswanger explained that the pullup test had been put off until sometime next year, to gather more data and “ensure all female Marines are given the best opportunity to succeed.” Continue reading “Marines: Most Female Recruits Don’t Meet New Pullup Standard”
Federal officials are ticked about a New York Times editorial published Thursday, not so much over its call for clemency or a plea deal for leaker Edward Snowden, but for accusing intelligence agencies of intentionally violating the law.
Drawing the particular ire of Obama administration officials is the Times’s suggestion that Snowden should be off the hook because he revealed that the government set out to act illegally on a broad scale. Continue reading “Feds steamed at New York Times Snowden editorial”
The Daily Caller – by Caroline May
The Department of Justice called on the Supreme Court to not exempt a group of Catholic nuns from Obamacare’s contraception mandate on Friday.
Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor granted the Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged a temporary injunction from the requirement that the nuns offer insurance that covers contraception or face hefty fines. Continue reading “Obama administration demands Catholic nuns comply with contraception mandate”
Whether you’re new to the preparedness community or you’ve been stockpiling for years, information is the most valuable prep item. That’s why the brand new resource, Top Prepper Sites, is an excellent addition to your bookmarks.
The site introduction states: Continue reading “Looking for Information on Prepping? Check Out the Brand New “Top Prepper Sites””
Global Warming and the Fickle Finger of Fate
The 52 people transported off of a stranded research ship in the Antarctic will have to wait a little longer to begin their journey home, as the Australian icebreaker carrying them has been advised that it may be needed to help a Chinese vessel also involved in the rescue effort.
Chinese polar resupply ship Xue Long (Snow Dragon), which provided the helicopter used to transport scientists and passengers from the MV Akademik Shokalskiy to the Aurora Australis Thursday, is now concerned that it could also become trapped in the heavy sea ice, Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) officials told CNN.com early Friday morning. Continue reading “Chinese Ship Involved In Antarctic Rescue May Also Become Stranded”
I guess some felonies have no consequence.
SAN FRANCISCO – The California Supreme Court granted a law license Thursday to a man who has lived in the U.S. illegally for two decades, a ruling that advocates hope will open the door to millions of immigrants seeking to enter other professions such as medicine, accounting and teaching.
The unanimous decision means Sergio Garcia, who attended law school and passed the state bar exam while working in a grocery store and on farms, can begin practicing law immediately. Continue reading “California grants law license to illegal immigrant”
The Washington Free Beacon – by Elizabeth Harrington
The Justice Department is spending more than $500,000 to “enhance” its company profile on LinkedIn and increase its “brand awareness.”
The contract, awarded on Christmas Eve, gives the government “unlimited access” to each of the networking site’s 250 million users through LinkedIn’s “Recruiter” service. Continue reading “Justice Department spending $544,338 for an ‘enhanced company profile’ on LinkedIn”
The Washington Times – by Emily Miller
For the first time in the United States, a citizen who has legally registered a gun will have to submit to a renewal process. The consequences of not knowing about this new law or missing the specific 60-day window are dire.
Starting on Jan. 2, every single D.C. resident who has registered a firearm since 1976 must go to police headquarters to pay a $48 fee and be photographed and fingerprinted. Continue reading “Gun re-registration begins in D.C., may lead to arrest and confiscation”
Educate Yourself – by Ken Adachi
On December 28, I saw a Fukushima radiation hysteria article titled ” Fukushima Radiation Hits San Francisco! (Dec 2013) ” posted to my Yahoo E-Y discussion forum on Dec. 28, 2013 by a forum member named Greko. It was yet another Japan radiation hysteria article among dozens posted to the internet daily by either paranoid, uninformed individuals (as in this case), or are propaganda presentations (E.g. enenews.com), intended to deceive. This posting referred to a Youtube video (shown further below) taken by a man named “Dave” on December 23, 2013 at a beach near San Mateo (in northern California) called Surfer’s Beach. So far, Dave’s video has registered 353,000 views since he posted it on December 24 (undoubtedly greatly helped by Jeff Rense’s promotion of the video and its sensational title). Continue reading “Latest Rense Promoted Fukushima Radiation Hysteria Video Illustrative of the Triumph of Ignorance Over Informed Observation and Analysis, Part 1”
The DC Caller – by Robby Soave
Now that New York City Mayor and far-left Democrat Bill de Blasio has chosen Carmen Farina to become chancellor of NYC schools, city residents can expect a sharp turn to the left on education policy.
Farina, a former teacher and long-time adviser to de Blasio, shares the mayor’s desire to foist a “progressive agenda” upon NYC schools, she said at a news conference earlier this week. Continue reading “It begins: New NYC schools chancellor will push ‘progressive agenda’”
Why do American taxpayers have to pay for this foreign chemical cleanup?
PORTSMOUTH (AP) — A cargo ship is being outfitted in Virginia with sophisticated technology capable of destroying Syria’s chemical weapons.
The 648-foot MV Cape Ray is undergoing work in a Portsmouth shipyard before sea trials and its expected voyage to the Mediterranean. The vessel in the Maritime Administration’s ready reserve is rolling out the gangplank Thursday for media visits. Continue reading “Portsmouth yard preparing ship for Syria chemical weapons disposal”
Radix Journal – by Jack Donavan
The following was delivered as a speech at the second National Policy Institute’s conference, which was held at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC, on October 26th.
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There may be a collapse. It could happen. It could happen tomorrow. Vengeful gods could hurl boulders from the sky, cleansing the earth with fires and floods. There could be blood in the streets and gnashing of teeth. A plague of locusts or killer bees, some Chinese flu, or the Zombie Apocalypse. Your debit cards might run empty and your “smart”phones might get real dumb. We may be forced to band together in primal gangs and fight for survival. We may be forced by circumstances beyond our control to rediscover lifeways more familiar to our species—to our ancestral brains—than this endless, banal sprawl of corporate parks and shopping malls. Continue reading “Becoming the New Barbarians”
New York Daily News – by NINA GOLGOWSKI
He’s back from the dead and federal authorities are delighted to see him.
A banker wanted for $21 million wire fraud who fooled many into believing he had committed suicide in 2012 has been arrested in south Georgia.
Authorities say Aubrey Lee Price, 47, was pulled over by police in Brunswick for his vehicle’s illegally tinted windows on Tuesday and after a bit of questioning, they realized who he was. Continue reading “‘Dead’ banker, Aubrey Lee Price, arrested on $21M fraud charges 18 months after claimed suicide”
Reuters – by Stephen Jewkes and Deepa Seetharaman
MILAN/DETROIT, Jan 1 (Reuters) – Italian carmaker Fiat SpA struck a $4.35 billion deal to gain full control of Chrysler Group LLC, ending more than a year of tense talks that have obstructed Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne’s efforts to combine the two automakers’ resources.
The agreement, announced on Wednesday, cements Marchionne’s reputation as the industry’s consummate dealmaker about a decade after he took the helm of Fiat as a car business newcomer, analysts and bankers said. Continue reading “Fiat strikes $4.35 billion deal to buy rest of Chrysler”
Au Yahoo News
Voice of America
Yahoo News 
NPR – by Tom Bowman 
Politico – by JOSH GERSTEIN 
The Daily Sheeple