Fox Business

Oilfield services provider Halliburton and smaller rival Baker Hughes announced the termination of their $28 billion merger deal on Sunday after opposition from U.S. and European antitrust regulators.

The tie-up would have brought together the world’s No. 2 and No. 3 oil services companies, raising concerns it would result in higher prices in the sector. It is the latest example of a large merger deal failing to make it to the finish line because of antitrust hurdles.   Continue reading “Halliburton and Baker Hughes Scrap $28B Merger”

Washington Post – by Christopher Weber

LOS ANGELES — Hundreds of May Day marchers chanting slogans and carrying signs — and at least one Donald Trump piñata — took to the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday calling for immigrant and worker rights and decrying what they see as hateful presidential campaign rhetoric.

It’s one of several events in cities nationwide to call for better wages for workers, an end to deportations and support for an Obama administration plan to give work permits to immigrants in the country illegally whose children are American citizens.   Continue reading “May Day marchers take to US streets in heated election year”

Yahoo News

PHOENIX (AP) — Leslie Merritt Jr. sat in a police interrogation room, unaware of why he had just been swarmed by SWAT officers and whisked away in handcuffs.

“Why do you think you would be here?” the detective asked.

“I have no idea, man. Traffic ticket or something,” Merritt replied.   Continue reading “New tests lead to Phoenix freeway shooting case’s undoing”

Reuters

A CSX freight train derailed in northeastern Washington, D.C. on Sunday, spilling hazardous material near a city subway station, and emergency workers were cleaning up the site after plugging the leak, officials and the railroad company said.

Thirteen cars were overturned in the early hours of the morning but there were no injuries. The substance that leaked was sodium hydroxide, used to produce household products including paper, soap and detergent.   Continue reading “Derailed train near Washington leaks hazardous material”

Yahoo News

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama announced new steps Friday to help curb gun violence, including by identifying the requirements that “smart guns” would have to meet for law enforcement agencies to buy and use them as well as sharing mental health records with the federal background check system.

Smart guns use various technologies to prevent an accidental shooting or help track down a missing gun.   Continue reading “Obama announces new steps to curb gun violence”

Yahoo News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Supreme Court on Thursday approved a rule change that would let U.S. judges issue search warrants for access to computers located in any jurisdiction despite opposition from civil liberties groups who say it will greatly expand the FBI’s hacking authority.

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts transmitted the rules to Congress, which will have until Dec. 1 to reject or modify the changes to the federal rules of criminal procedure. If Congress does not act, the rules would take effect automatically.   Continue reading “U.S. high court approves rule change to expand FBI hacking power”

Fox News

In a stunning reversal, the U.S. Army decided late Thursday to retain a decorated Green Beret it had planned to kick out after he physically confronted a local Afghan commander accused of raping a boy over the course of many days.

Sgt 1st Class Charles Martland, confirmed the Army’s decision to retain him when reached by Fox News, who has been covering the story in depth for the past eight months and first broke the story of the Army’s decision in August to kick out Martland over the incident, which occurred in northern Afghanistan in 2011.    Continue reading “Army retains decorated Green Beret it planned to kick out over confronting Afghan child rapist”

Sent to us by Ruth.

LA Times, April 3, 2008

The latest advertising campaign in Mexico from Swedish vodka maker Absolut promises to push all the right buttons south of the U.S. border, but it could ruffle a few feathers in El Norte.   Continue reading “Flashback: Mexico reconquers California? Absolut drinks to that!”

Fox News

The protest chaos that engulfed the outside of a Donald Trump event in Southern California on Thursday followed the Republican presidential front-runner to the Bay area on Friday, as hundreds gathered outside the hotel where he was scheduled to address state Republicans.

Trump’s speech was delayed by the demonstrations.

Protesters could be seen breaking through barricades, as well as picking them up and tossing them aside, as they moved toward the front of the hotel hosting the event in Burlingame, Calif.    Continue reading “Protest chaos follows Trump to Calif. GOP convention”

US Election Atlas – by William C. Kimberling

The Constitutional Convention considered several possible methods of selecting a president.

One idea was to have the Congress choose the president. This idea was rejected, however, because some felt that making such a choice would be too divisive an issue and leave too many hard feelings in the Congress. Others felt that such a procedure would invite unseemly political bargaining, corruption, and perhaps even interference from foreign powers. Still others felt that such an arrangement would upset the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches of the federal government.    Continue reading “Origins of the Electoral College”

CNS News

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Lawyers for Ammon Bundy say the leader of the Oregon wildlife refuge occupation offered after his arrest to plead guilty if charges against other defendants were dismissed, but the deal was rejected.

The assertion is made in a pre-trial motion filed in federal court on Wednesday.   Continue reading “Bundy attorney: Feds turned down proposed plea deal”

ABC News

Police in Baltimore evacuated a local TV news station today after it received a bomb threat, according to authorities.

A law enforcement source said the suspect exited the building and did not obey commands as he made an exit, and the suspect was then shot by law enforcement.   Continue reading “Suspect Shot After Bomb Threat Prompts Evacuation of Baltimore TV News Station”

Reuters

Air strikes hit a hospital in a rebel-held area of Syria’s Aleppo and killed at least 27 people, including three children and the city’s last pediatrician, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday.

A new wave of aerial bombing on Thursday on rebel-held districts of the city killed at least 30 more civilians, a rescue worker said. The Observatory put the toll at least 20.

In government-held areas, rebel mortar shelling killed at least 14 people, the Britain-based Observatory and Syria’s state news agency SANA reported.   Continue reading “Air strikes hit Aleppo hospital, at least 27 killed: Observatory”

Daily Caller – by Chuck Ross

Federal immigration authorities last year released 19,723 criminal illegal aliens back onto U.S. streets who have been convicted of 64,197 crimes — including 208 homicides.

That’s according to data that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provided to Congress this week ahead of a House Oversight Committee hearing scheduled for Thursday.   Continue reading “Murderers, Rapists, Kidnappers: Nearly 20,000 Criminal Aliens Released in 2015”

Gov’t Slaves

(MIAMI)  A former Florida Power & Light manager traded nuclear information from the company for cash to assist one of China’s top nuclear power companies, according to federal court records unsealed in Tennessee last week.

The unnamed former FPL employee was recruited by Szuhsiung Ho, also known as Allen Ho, to help China General Nuclear Power Co. develop special nuclear material in China,according to the grand jury indictment unsealed April 14 in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Tennessee in Knoxville.   Continue reading “Former Florida Power & Light Manager Accused Of Trading Nuclear Secrets In Chinese Spy Case”

The Daily Sheeple – by Melissa Dykes

According to the American Trucking Association, there are some 3.5 million truck drivers in the United States alone.

That’s 3.5 million people who may lose their jobs once driverless trucks hit the roads in full force… which appears to be in the not-too-distant future.

Tech Crunch reports that a convoy of these trucks recently drove across Europe and arrived without incident at their destination at the Port of Rotterdam for 75% cheaper than it would have cost had human beings been driving them:   Continue reading “Driverless Trucks Already Being Tested; Three Million-Plus Truck Drivers To Lose Their Jobs Soon”

RT

A massive fire in Canada has engulfed the CN Rail trestle bridge in the community of Mayerthorpe, Alberta. An investigation is underway as this is the 17th suspicious fire in the last six days.

According to police, the fire, which destroyed the bridge some 120km northwest of Edmonton, southern Canada, could have been set deliberately.   Continue reading “Blaze devours CN Rail bridge: Canadian police suspect arson after 17th fire in 6 days”