From the Trenches World Report
Enforce our Bill of Rights
Veteran Today – by Jonas E. Alexis
James Madison, back in 1795, prophetically underscored a central point that must be echoed here at this critical time in our history, when the debt ceiling crisis has already reached a point of no return.[2]
Madison declared that “the testimony of all the ages forces us to admit that war is among the most dangerous of all enemies of liberty.”[3] Continue reading “Perpetual Wars and the Dreadful Few–”The Jews” (Part I)”
Washington Post – by Eric Yoder
The budget measure that ended the partial government shutdown allows for a 1 percent raise for federal employees in January in addition to providing back pay for those furloughed, according to two Democratic Maryland senators.
“The promise of a modest pay raise and back pay for furloughed government employees are good first steps in recognizing the value of federal workers,” said Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee in a joint statement with Sen. Ben Cardin. Continue reading “Budget deal allows for January federal pay raise”
JUDICIAL REFORM: All valid evidence stands. To convict the innocent is a crime in itself and the worst of all possible situations involving order within the society, but is a crime against only the person or persons involved. However, to allow the guilty to go free to continue their crimes, is a gross absurdity, and in fact is a crime against the whole of society. If evidence is obtained unethically or illegally, that is dealt with as a separate issue.
ELECTION REFORM: The first three things that must be acted on in campaigns-
a. All money for any campaign must come from the district of that campaign, and very definitely no money can cross state lines.
b. Shorten the election cycle. For elections in November all primaries begin in June.
c. Limits on campaign spending,(overall election reform was discussed in a 2 part series 1/24/92 & 2/7/92 in the North Chicago Tribune). Continue reading “Ideas for Problem Resolution”
New York Post – by Jeane MacIntosh
The Holy Spirit made her do it.
The court scribe who went on a crazed rant about the Constitution, religion and Freemasons after Wednesday’s vote to reopen the government said God spent the shutdown urging her to speak her mind. Continue reading “Crazed House ranter: ‘God made me do it’”
The Daily Caller – by Robby Soave
Sixth graders were initially terrified to learn that a masked gunman was on the prowl inside their North Carolina middle school.
But once they learned the gunman was a school employee unwittingly putting them through an emergency preparedness exercise, their minds were set at ease — and their parents became the terrified ones. Continue reading “Insane school unleashes fake masked gunman for civics experiment”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) new facial recognition system is far from flawless. The technology can accidentally target an innocent person up to 20% of the time, according to a 2010 report (pdf) just released.
The FBI document, obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, revealed the effectiveness (and ineffectiveness) of the agency’s “Next Generation Identification” (NGI) system. Continue reading “FBI’s Facial Recognition System Targeted an Innocent Person up to 1 out of 5 Times”
Washington Post – by Scott Wilson and Juliet Eilperin
President Obama, fresh off a trouncing of congressional Republicans over the government shutdown, plans to renew his push for immigration legislation in the House while also pressing ahead with climate change policies and efforts to fix problems plaguing his signature health-care program.But White House officials also acknowledged that many Republicans, particularly in the House, remain ardently opposed to much of Obama’s agenda and may be unwilling to help him accomplish key legislative goals. Continue reading “Obama plans to renew immigration, climate change efforts”
Despite the government shutdown, the Obama administration has continued secret negotiations to complete what is known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP.
The expansive plan is a proposed free-trade agreement between the U.S., Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Continue reading “Obama Secretly Signing Away U.S. Sovereignty”
ABC News – by JOHN SEEWER Associated Press
A review of a deadly police chase in Cleveland nearly a year ago has led to suspensions for 63 patrol officers who violated orders and department rules, the city’s police chief said Tuesday.
A fleeing driver and passenger were killed when officers fired 137 shots at them in the 23-minute chase that involved five dozen cruisers and wove through residential neighborhoods before ending in gunfire. Continue reading “Ohio Police Suspend 63 Officers Over Deadly Chase”
The Washington Times – by Kellan Howell
After months of anguished debate over mass shootings, gun control and Second Amendment rights, the Justice Department finds itself on the defensive after a training manual surfaced that suggests federal agents could face a firing squad for leaking government secrets.
The online manual for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — complete with a photo of a turn-of-the-century firing squad — was obtained by The Washington Times from a concerned federal law enforcement official, and it immediately drew protests from watchdogs who said it showed a lack of sensitivity to gun violence and the continuing hostile environment toward whistleblowers. Continue reading “Sacrebleu! ATF threatens French-style firing squad for agents who leak secrets”
Global Research – by Prof Michel Chossudovsky
The “shutdown” of the US government and the financial climax associated with a deadline date, leading to a possible “debt default” of the federal government is a money making undertaking for Wall Street.
A wave of speculative activity is sweeping major markets.
The uncertainty regarding the shutdown and “debt default” constitutes a golden opportunity for “institutional speculators”. Those who have reliable “inside information” regarding the complex outcome of the legislative process are slated to make billions of dollars in windfall gains. Continue reading “The Speculative Endgame: The Government “Shutdown” and “Debt Default”, A Multibillion Bonanza for Wall Street”
Now we have a number, limited as it may be: the amount in public assistance received by families of people who worked as cooks, cashiers, and in front-line jobs in the fast-food industry – workers who’re dogged by low wages, part-time work, and scarce employer-provided health benefits – amounted to nearly $7 billion per year. This, in essence, is a way for the $200 billion-a-year industry to do something our corporate welfare queens excel at: shuffle off part of the costs of doing business to the hapless taxpayer. Continue reading “Corporate Disease: Workers are a Cost not a Productive Resource”
Be Your Own Leader – by Dana Gabriel
Some of the corporate interests that are steering the U.S.-Canada Beyond the Border integration agenda are not quite satisfied with its progress so far and they would like the implementation process to be accelerated. The bilateral initiative which was launched almost two years ago promotes a shared vision for perimeter security. It seeks to improve information sharing between security agencies. Under the agreement, both countries are moving towards a coordinated entry/exit system and are developing a harmonized cargo security strategy. In addition, the U.S. and Canada are strengthening integrated cross-border intelligence sharing and law enforcement operations. Canada’s own electronic eavesdropping agency is also working hand and hand with the NSA. They are both increasing data collection and surveillance in the North American Homeland. Continue reading “Increasing Data Collection and Surveillance in the North American Homeland”
Northeast Intelligence Network – by Catherine Crabill
This past weekend it was a distinct honor to have participated in the liberation of our war memorials in Washington, D.C. Keep in mind the pretext of closing these sites was because of “budget constraints.” They could not afford to leave open that which has always been left open, but they could afford a massive police presence working overtime. They could afford thousands of rented barricades and printing of thousands of signs. They could afford untold millions for Obama vacations, ‘Obama phones,’ expanded welfare and disability rolls. The list goes on and on, but no money for our military families and in particular, the very sites dedicated to them and because of them. Continue reading “Behind the scenes of tyranny – a first-hand account”
Common Dreams – by Cora Currier, ProPublica
The United States is loosening controls over military exports, in a shift that former U.S. officials and human rights advocates say could increase the flow of American-made military parts to the world’s conflicts and make it harder to enforce arms sanctions.
Come tomorrow, thousands of parts of military aircraft, such as propeller blades, brake pads and tires will be able to be sent to almost any country in the world, with minimal oversight – even to some countries subject to U.N. arms embargos. U.S. companies will also face fewer checks than in the past when selling some military aircraft to dozens of countries. Continue reading “In Big Win for Defense Industry, Obama Rolls Back Limits on Arms Exports”
Consumerist – by Mary Beth Quirk
Gather close, you young folk, and listen to a tale of times past, when everyone had phones that connected them to the rest of the world through wires. In days gone by, people relied on these so-called landlines especially in times of natural disasters or power outages. As such, one New Jersey island’s residents are none too pleased that Verizon won’t reinstall its landlines after Hurricane Sandy destroyed the original lines. Continue reading “New Jersey Island Won’t Get Its Landlines Back After Sandy Because Copper Is Too Expensive”
All Gov – by Noel Brinkerhoff 
WND – by AARON KLEIN