Yahoo News – by Ben Klayman

DETROIT (Reuters) – Three Michigan state and local officials were criminally charged on Wednesday in connection with the state attorney general’s investigation into dangerous lead levels in Flint’s drinking water, a crisis that has fueled widespread public outrage.

Genesee District Judge Tracy Collier-Nix authorized charges against Flint employee Michael Glasgow and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) employees Stephen Busch and Michael Prysby.   Continue reading “Michigan officials charged in Flint water crisis”

CNS News – by Robert J. Olson and Herbert W. Titus

On Wednesday, April 20, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the case ofBirchfield v. North Dakota, an important Fourth Amendment case that should be of interest to everyone who drives a car.

In recent years, the legislatures of some states have criminalized a driver’s choice to assert his constitutional right not to be subject to an unlawful search and seizure.  These legislatures have enacted laws which make it a crime for a driver to refuse to consent to searches and seizures via breathalyzer and blood chemical tests after being placed under arrest after a routine traffic stop.    Continue reading “Drive a Car — Waive Your Constitutional Rights”

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Zinn Education Project

Shortly after Woodrow Wilson took office there began in Colorado one of the most bitter and violent struggles between workers and corporate capital in the history of the country.

This was the Colorado coal strike that began in September 1913 and culminated in the “Ludlow Massacre” of April 1914. Eleven thousand miners in southern Colorado … worked for the Colorado Fuel & Iron Corporation, which was owned by the Rockefeller family. Aroused by the murder of one of their organizers, they went on strike against low pay, dangerous conditions, and feudal domination of their lives in towns completely controlled by the mining companies. …   Continue reading “Ludlow Massacre: April 20, 1914”

LA Times – by Patrick McGreevy

Four months after the San Bernardino mass shooting, state lawmakers on Tuesday gave initial approval to five gun control bills, including measures that would outlaw assault rifles with detachable magazines, ban possession of clips holding more than 10 rounds and require homemade guns to be registered with the state.

The bills approved by the state Senate Public Safety Committee were introduced in response to the December shooting in San Bernardino that left 14 people dead and 22 others wounded at the hands of two terrorists.   Continue reading “California lawmakers advance gun control measures in response to San Bernardino massacre”

CNS News – by Terence P. Jeffrey

“Lawfully” does not mean “legally.”

Welcome to what Solicitor General Donald Verrilli told the Supreme Court on Monday is the “immigration world.” Or, more accurately, welcome to the new world President Barack Obama — through his solicitor — is asking the Supreme Court to join him in declaring.   Continue reading “Obama Administration Tells Supreme Court ‘Lawfully’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Legally’”

Politico – by Nolan D. McCaskill

Chaos erupted at a Virgin Islands Republican Party Territorial Committee meeting regarding delegates over the weekend, and the pandemonium has been further muddled by wildly differing tales from the Virgin Islands’ GOP leadership that now include accusations of battery and defamation.

The Territorial Committee sought to correct the record Monday, issuing a “statement of facts to correct false representations.” In it, the committee charges Gwendolyn Hall Brady “physically attacked” its parliamentarian after Saturday’s meeting adjourned.   Continue reading “Virgin Islands GOP meeting descends into chaos”

Fox Sports

DENVER (AP) Colorado officials and tribal leaders are urging public schools to eliminate Native American mascots unless they partner with tribes, calling it a unique way to address a national debate over what many consider derogatory symbols in high schools and sports such as the National Football League.

A state commission on Monday recommended the partnerships to ensure mascots, nicknames and logos respect Native American history. A collaborative approach honors school traditions while educating the community about tribal culture, said Gov. John Hickenlooper, who appointed the panel.   Continue reading “Colorado panel urges schools to drop Native American mascots”

The Tennessean – by Joel Ebert

The House of Representatives on Monday voted to let Tennessee become the first state in the nation to sue the federal government over refugee resettlement on the grounds of the 10th Amendment.

The 10th Amendment states that the federal government possesses powers only delegated to it by the U.S. Constitution and that all other powers are reserved for the states.

The move comes as a result of the chamber’s 69-25 vote on a resolution that directs the state’s attorney general to sue the feds.   Continue reading “Tennessee set to sue federal government over refugee resettlement”

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Washington Examiner – by Rudy Takala

The IRS is struggling to ensure that illegal immigrants are able to illegally use Social Security numbers for legitimate purposes, the agency’s head told senators on Tuesday, without allowing the numbers to be used for “bad” reasons.

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen made the statement in response to a question from Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., during a session of the Senate Finance Committee about why the IRS appears to be collaborating with taxpayers who file tax returns using fraudulent information. Coats said that his staff had discovered the practice after looking into agency procedures.    Continue reading “IRS chief: Agency encourages illegal immigrant theft of SSNs to file tax returns”

Yahoo News

BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. has agreed to deploy more than 200 additional troops to Iraq and to send Apache helicopters for the first time into the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq, the first major increase in U.S. forces in nearly a year, U.S. defense officials said Monday.

The uptick in American fighting forces — and the decision to put them closer to the front lines — is designed to help Iraqi forces as they move to retake the key northern city of Mosul.   Continue reading “US to send 200 more troops, Apache helicopters, to Iraq”

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Antonius Aquinas

The Oppressed U.S. Taxpayer

This year, Americans’ day of tribute to their federal overlords falls on April 18.  As calculated by the Tax Foundation, the average American will work from January 1 to April 24 (Tax Freedom Day) to pay his share of taxes to all levels of government with some $3.3 trillion to be forked over to the federal government and $1.6 trillion to state and local jurisdictions.*   Continue reading “A Morally Sound Tax Reform Proposal”

Sent to us by Cleatus.

The first two are pictures taken in upstate JooYork on Friday at a job site, not a damn cloud in the sky, seriously nothing no planes dropping Chem no natural clouds. Then on Saturday Erving further upstate it seriously looked like missile launches across the sky. 30 years ago I’d have to imagine people would think we were under attack. Most didn’t even bat an eye when I pointed this out. Heavy heavy heavy metals, our creeks are mostly dead save the Chem trout “the state” stocks.   Continue reading “Upstate Spray”

Yahoo News – by Elena Holodny, Business Insider

Saudi Arabia threatened to sell up to $750 billion worth of US assets held by the Kingdom if Congress passes a bill that would allow the Saudi government to be sued over 9/11, reports The New York Times’ Mark Mazzetti.

Saudi Foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, personally passed on the message last month during a trip to Washington, according to The Times.   Continue reading “Saudis threaten to sell $750 billion US assets if Congress passes bill that would let 9/11 victims sue Saudi Arabia”

Fox News

The impassioned election-year debate over President Obama’s immigration executive actions lands Monday before a short-handed Supreme Court, where justices will consider a fundamental question: how much power does the president truly have?

The justices plan to hold 90 minutes of oral arguments dealing with Obama’s bid to spare millions of illegal immigrants from deportation.   Continue reading “Battle over Obama immigration actions lands before Supreme Court”

Reuters

A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck off the coast of Ecuador late on Saturday, sending confused residents streaming into the streets of the capital Quito and spurring warnings of strong waves on the Andean nation’s coast.

“I was in my house watching a movie and everything started to shake. I ran out into the street and now I don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Lorena Cazares, 36, a telecommunications worker in Quito.   Continue reading “Strong 7.8 earthquake hits off coast of Ecuador”

CNN

Tokyo (CNN)[Breaking news update at 1:01 p.m. ET]

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck early Saturday morning in Japan’s Kyushu island, the same region a magnitude 6.2 quake struck late Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that tsunami advisories have been issued for parts of the Asian island nation following the latest earthquake.   Continue reading “7.0 quake strikes Japan after earlier one kills 9”

Breitbart – by Bob Price

A previously deported illegal alien is now facing federal charges after he allegedly killed a Texas fire captain and two of his children.

Following the Texas death of Nevada Volunteer Fire Department Captain Peter Hacking and his two children in a car crash, Margarito Quintero adds a federal charge of illegally re-entering the United States after being deported to his list of state charges, according to a CBSDFW report by L.P. Phillips.   Continue reading “Feds Charge Previously Deported Illegal Alien After Death of Texas Firefighter, Two Children”

Yahoo News

On Friday, President Barack Obama announced he would sign an Executive Order directing every relevant agency of the Federal government to take steps in identifying bottlenecks to competition and to create new ways to increase competition in the economy. The Executive Order puts agencies on a fast-track path to, within 60 days, identify the steps they’ll take.

“Competition is good for consumers,” Obama told Yahoo Finance in an interview at the White House on Thursday. “And ultimately it’s good for business. That’s the way the free market works. The more competition we have, the more products, services, innovation takes place.”   Continue reading “Obama to sign executive order to ignite corporate competition”

Blue Mountain Eagle – by Sean Hart

Sheriff Glenn Palmer has given notice he intends to sue the city of John Day and its employees for a list of allegations stemming from actions related to the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Palmer’s attorney, Benjamin Boyd from Hostetter Law Group in Enterprise, sent a tort claim notice received by the city April 4 that states Palmer will assert claims for damages against the city, John Day dispatch employees, City Manager Peggy Gray and Police Chief Richard Gray. The notice is required before filing a lawsuit against a public body.   Continue reading “Sheriff Palmer intends to sue city of John Day, employees”