From the Trenches World Report
Enforce our Bill of Rights
Two people were killed and three were injured in a shooting spree in Lake County, California, Monday, officials said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Alan Ashmore, 61, in connection with the shootings. He faces two counts of homicide as well as multiple other counts of assault with a firearm, the sheriff’s office said in a press release. Continue reading “Suspect captured in California shooting spree that killed 2, injured 3”
In an delightfully ironic lesson why border protection is important for the US, an MSNBC crew was reporting on the prototypes of Trump’s proposed border wall near San Diego, when the interview was interrupted by a group of “migrants not from Mexico” hopping over the existing fence. Continue reading “MSNBC Catches Illegals Jumping Border Fence With Mexico As It Reports On Trump’s Wall”
A jury has been selected in the highly-publicized trial of an illegal immigrant accused of shooting and killing Kate Steinle on a popular San Francisco pier in 2015.
Opening arguments in the case were slated to begin Monday.
Six men and six women were selected Wednesday for the trial of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, 54, who was charged with murder in the death of Steinle, 32, on July 1, 2015.
Steinle was walking with her father on the pier crowded with pedestrians when she was shot. She collapsed into her father’s arm, whimpering “help me, Dad.” The bullet struck her heart and she died in her father’s arms. Continue reading “Jury chosen for Kate Steinle murder trial, opening statements to begin Monday”
There were many unanswered questions following last night’s story from Defense One, according to which the US Air Force would put nuclear bombers on high, 24-hour alert for the first time since the end of the cold war in 1991. There may be even more questions on Monday, when the Air Force denied the report and said it was not preparing to put its B-52 nuclear bombers on 24-hour alert, adding that a “misunderstanding” might have led to a report claiming those preparations are underway.
According to Ann Stefanek, the chief of Air Force media operations at the Pentagon, updates to facilities, exercises, and training related to the B-52 Stratofortress aircraft at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana are done routinely to ensure the service is prepared. Continue reading “Air Force Denies That US Nuclear Bombers Are Being Put Back On 24-Hour Alert”
As Hillary Clinton was beginning her job as President Obama’s chief diplomat, federal agents observed as multiple arms of Vladimir Putin’s machine unleashed an influence campaign designed to win access to the new secretary of State, her husband Bill Clinton and members of their inner circle, according to interviews and once-sealed FBI records.
Some of the activities FBI agents gathered evidence about in 2009 and 2010 were covert and illegal. Continue reading “FBI watched, then acted as Russian spy moved closer to Hillary Clinton”
HOUSTON (Reuters) – Alaska is pursuing foreign investors for its oil and gas industry, hoping to advance recent discoveries while struggling to compete with lower-cost shale projects and reverse a decades-long output decline.
Sovereign wealth funds, banks and state-owned energy companies have met with Alaskan officials, John Hendrix, chief energy adviser to Alaska Governor Bill Walker said in an interview. China Investment Corp (CIC) and state-owned Chinese energy company Sinopec held talks with state officials last month, he said. Continue reading “Cash-poor Alaska eyes foreign capital to jump-start energy projects”
New York Daily News – by Christopher Brennan
The Special Counsel’s probe into Russian election meddling now includes the Democratic-learning Podesta Group, according to a report.
Robert Mueller is looking into the group headed by Tony Podesta, the brother of Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, over its dealings with a Ukrainian government-linked firm, NBC reported Monday. Continue reading “Mueller probe now targeting Podesta Group”
The government of Mexico stepped into the fight against the State of Texas’ new anti-sanctuary city law. Mexico filed an amicus brief in support of the several Texas cities and organizations bringing suit against the state seeking to overturn the SB4 legislation on constitutional grounds.
In a statement on Mexico’s official government website, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs misstates provisions of the Texas law signed by Governor Greg Abbott earlier this year. Secretary of Foreign Relations Luis Videgaray Caso wrote that the law “requires” police officers and other state officers to ask about the immigration status of anyone they stop. That statement is not correct. Continue reading “Mexico Butts into Fight Against Texas’ Sanctuary City Ban”
It’s not necessarily news, that no one watches the Cleveland Browns. After all, Cleveland has lost 22 of their last 23 games and seems determined to set new marks for organizational futility. So the fact that the Browns can’t draw flies, shouldn’t necessarily cause alarm bells to go off.
However, because emptying stadiums seems to be the one thing the Browns do well, let’s give them their due by showing the “crowd” that assembled in Cleveland for the Browns-Titans game this Sunday: Continue reading “NFL Teams Play Before Empty Stadiums As Fan Backlash Spreads”
A new report from the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction warns that the US efforts to bring Afghan troops to America for training have been greatly undermined by the “unacceptably high” number of Afghan troops who run away as soon as they arrive.
Some 13% of Afghan trainees go missing, with the majority of them junior officers. 152 Afghan trainees have gone AWOL in the course of this operation, and more than half, 83 of them, have never been found. Continue reading “Many Afghan Troops Run Away While in US to Train”
It’s hard to believe that four decades have passed since one of rock’s best-known tragedies occurred. On Oct. 20, 1977, a chartered Convair CV-240 plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd — in the midst of a headlining tour and having released their fifth album, Street Survivors, three days prior — crashed in a Gillsburg, Miss., swamp after running out of fuel.
The toll was dire. Three band members (Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines, Steve’s older sister) perished; the others were all severely injured. Drummer Artimus Pyle, one of the few survivors able to walk, staggered out for help and was allegedly shot at by an alarmed farmer. Record label MCA scrambled to replace Skynyrd’s Street Survivors album cover, which eerily forecast the accident by depicting the band members engulfed in flames. Continue reading “The legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, 40 years after plane crash tragedy”
Sent to us by Tony.
Continue reading “Civil unrest Nov. 4th”
Human Domain Solutions (HDS), LLC is now hiring Casualty Role Players (CRP) to participate in an Oklahoma Vigilant Guard training event October 30, 2017 thru November 2, 2017 at Warr Acres Fire Training Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This exercises will be an Oklahoma emergency response to a simulated incident involving contamination elements. CRPs will be moulaged (injury makeup and fake blood) to portray various physical and emotional injuries and conditions, and will go through medical triage, decontamination, and medical treatment several times during each day of the exercises. Arrival times will be early morning, and the exercises will run between 6-8 hours each day. CRPs will wear cut-away prop clothing and will be washed in decontamination lines to simulate the cleaning off of contamination substances. Continue reading “Oklahoma – Vigilant Guard Disaster Response Training Exercise”
Houston Chronicle – by Jordan Blum
The Texas Gulf Coast is leading the way as the nation ships record levels of crude oil and petroleum products to foreign markets, including China, which is buying more American oil as its economy expands and middle class grows
The United States is routinely exporting more than 1 million barrels of oil and 6 million barrels of petroleum products a day, the U.S. Energy Department said in report released Wednesday. More than two-thirds of those petroleum exports are leaving Gulf Coast ports. Continue reading “U.S. crude and petroleum exports, led by Texas, hit record levels”
When Hurricane Irma was bearing down on Florida last month, Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency. On Monday, he did the same thing in Alachua County, ahead of a speech by white nationalist Richard Spencer at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
“We live in a country where everyone has the right to voice their opinion, however, we have zero tolerance for violence and public safety is always our number one priority,” Scott said in a statement. “This executive order is an additional step to ensure that the University of Florida and the entire community is prepared so everyone can stay safe.” Continue reading “Florida’s Governor Declares State Of Emergency Ahead Of Richard Spencer Speech”
Mandalay Bay security guard Jesus Campos had virtually disappeared before he surfaced on Wednesday’s episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
The 25-year-old, who was shot in the leg after encountering the Mandalay Bay gunman on Oct. 1, refused repeated requests to tell his story. His home was plastered with “NO TRESPASSING” and “NO MEDIA ON PROPERTY” signs. And on Oct. 12, hours before he was supposed to be interviewed on Fox News’ “The Sean Hannity Show” — followed by scheduled interviews with NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN — Campos simply walked away from a hotel suite. Continue reading “‘Ellen’ producers mum on how they landed Jesus Campos interview”
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As the clock ticked closer to white nationalist Richard Spencer’s speech at the University of Florida, the campus was on edge amid concerns over potential violence between supporters and counterprotesters.
Students and faculty expressed fear and worry about Spencer’s Thursday appearance and the increased security presence.
“The students are scared, especially our students who are from minority communities,” said Vincent Adejumo, a lecturer in African-American studies. “Many of them have already left town. Parents have great concern. Continue reading “University of Florida braces for Richard Spencer speech”
Back in 1925, the American Legion erected a memorial in Bladensburg, Md., to honor the memory of 49 men who perished during World War I.
The 40-foot tall memorial became known as the “Peace Cross.”
In 2014, the American Humanist Association — a group that believes in “being good without a god” — filed a lawsuit alleging the cross-shaped memorial is unconstitutional and demanding it be demolished, altered, or removed. Continue reading “Federal court rules World War I memorial cross must be torn down”
Clarion Ledger – by Bracey Harris
A predominately black public school in Mississippi named after Confederate President Jefferson Davis will be stripped of that moniker next year and replaced with that of another president whose character students, parents and teachers have said is more fitting — Barack Obama.
Davis Magnet IB PTA President Janelle Jefferson announced at the Jackson School Board meeting Tuesday evening that school stakeholders voted on Oct. 5 to rename the school Barack Obama Magnet IB. Continue reading “JPS school honoring Jefferson Davis to be renamed after Barack Obama”
A top Senate Republican is probing potential “conflicts of interest” for Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration regarding the 2010 approval of a controversial uranium deal with a Russian company, amid new details about donations from “interested parties” and an FBI corruption probe involving employees of the same Russian firm.
“This committee has an obligation to get to the bottom of this issue,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Wednesday, at the start of a hearing with Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Continue reading “Grassley probes Clinton ‘conflicts of interest’ amid new questions in Russia uranium deal”