Washington Post – by Mark Berman and Carissa Wolf

BURNS, Ore. — This small community has been the focus of national attention since an armed group arrived and occupied a nearby wildlife refuge, holding periodic news conferences to say they had no plans to leave and to insist that they were there to help residents. But the sheriff has his own message for the occupiers: Please go home.

“They’re welcome to leave, and I’ll escort them out of the county,” Harney County Sheriff David Ward said at a community meeting Wednesday evening.   Continue reading “Oregon sheriff meets with armed group occupying wildlife refuge and asks them to leave”

Bloomberg – by Rebecca Penty

TransCanada Corp. opened one of the largest trade appeals ever brought against the U.S., seeking to recoup $15 billion tied to the Obama Administration’s rejection of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

The Canadian company intends to start a claim for costs and damages under the North American Free Trade Agreement against the U.S. after President Barack Obama’s rejection of the $8 billion project in November, according to filings Wednesday. The pipeline builder also sued the U.S. government, arguing Obama didn’t have the constitutional power to decide on the cross-border line.   Continue reading “TransCanada Fights Keystone Denial With $15 Billion Trade Appeal”

Huffington Post – by Dominique Mosbergen

It was the selfie seen around the world; a toothy snap taken inadvertently by a grinning macaque monkey.

As the selfie went viral, a question arose: Just who owned the copyright to this extraordinary photograph — the monkey, the photographer whose camera was left unattended or the public?   Continue reading “Monkey Cannot Own Copyright To Viral Selfie, Says Federal Judge”

Fox News

A man who authorities say was wearing a homemade tactical-style vest, carrying a BB gun and taking photographs of schools was shot and killed by police in a far suburb of Chicago Wednesday.

Lake County Sheriff’s Detective Christopher Covelli said the man was shot after he led officers on a foot chase and a struggle ensued. Investigators did not release any identifying information about the man, except to say that he was a white 38-year-old.   Continue reading “Man photographing schools and carrying BB gun shot and killed by Illinois police”

USA Today

Iran on Thursday accused Saudi Arabia of deliberately launching an air strike on its embassy in Yemen’s capital Sanaa.

The state-run IRNA news agency reported that a number of guards at the embassy were injured, and part of the building’s wall was damaged in the strike by Saudi warplanes on Wednesday night.   Continue reading “Iran accuses Saudis of attacking Yemen embassy”

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Anna Von Reitz

Although it may come as a surprise to many Americans we have been mischaracterized and misidentified as British Crown Subjects for the better part of a hundred years. This travesty has never been corrected; instead, the British Crown, a commercial investment organization, has kidnapped and press-ganged American land assets into the international jurisdiction of the sea and has pillaged our labor and our resources without mercy in criminal conspiracy and contempt of our Constitution. They have been aided and abetted in this activity by members of the American Bar Association and the Internal Revenue Service acting as licensed privateers.   Continue reading “Regarding the Take Over of BLM Facilities in the Western States”

Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — As many as a million Americans will be kicked off food stamps this year thanks to the return of federal rules targeting unemployed adults without children.

That’s according to a new analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal Washington, D.C. think tank, which finds that no fewer than 500,000 people will lose benefits.    Continue reading “Don’t Expect Food Stamps If You’re Unemployed And Childless”

Fox 5 Atlanta

Atlanta, GA – A Georgia State Senator wants to make it harder for certain people going through a divorce to buy a gun.  State Senator Doc Rhett, Democrat from Marietta, said SB250 would prevent a person who is going through a divorce and has a violent history or a restraining order, from buying a gun without a judge’s permission. SB250 would not pertain to a spouse who wants a gun for protection.  “If they want to purchase a gun to protect themselves, that’s fine because they’re not the aggressor,” said Sen. Rhett.    Continue reading “Ga Senator Wants New Gun Laws For People Going Through Divorce”

CNN

Ammon Bundy, a leader of the armed protesters who took over a federal building in Oregon, and his family are known for battling the federal government.

But Bundy told CNN on Tuesday that he’s not opposed to government and said that taking a six-figure loan from the Small Business Administration doesn’t conflict with his political philosophy.   Continue reading “Leader of armed protesters in Oregon took out $530,000 federal loan”

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Jim Stone Freelance – by Christian Yingling

Ok …Everybody… please gather around and listen to what I am about to say..Then either shut your mouth, or share this far and wide. If you have ANY faith in me as a leader you will heed what I am about to say. If not..I want nothing to do with you. simple as that.   Continue reading “Here is real word from the Oregon standoff”

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

SALT LAKE CITY —  In response to news media inquiries, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement Monday, January 4 (for more context on this issue, see this story from the Washington Post):    Continue reading “Mormon Church and Cattlemen’s Association Condemn Actions in Harney County, Oregon”

Huffington Post

JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — A Jacksonville man is facing a 120-year sentence for firing two shots that caused no injuries, The Florida Times-Union reported on Sunday.

The trial of Army Veteran Randal Ratledge, 58, is scheduled to start with jury selection on Monday. Defense attorneys have asked the judge to waive the mandatory guidelines, but court officials said Judge Jack Schemer is bound by the state law.
Continue reading “Army Veteran Faces 120-Year Sentence For Firing 2 Shots Into Air”

Fuel Fix

BEMIDJI, Minn. — Enbridge Energy will pay the Red Lake Nation in northern Minnesota $18.5 million to settle a nearly decade-long dispute over unauthorized use of a small parcel of tribal land.

In a split vote, the Red Lake Tribal Council accepted the Enbridge settlement in late December. The settlement pays for less than a half-acre of land and restitution for 65 years of unauthorized use, Minnesota Public Radio News reported.   Continue reading “Enbridge settles pipeline dispute with Red Lake for $18.5M”

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Investor’s Business Daily

Skirting Congress once again, President Obama seeks to admit another 100,000 foreigners to work here when jobs are few and labor-market participation is low. Whatever this is, it’s not in the interest of U.S. workers.   Continue reading “Obama Floods The U.S. Job Market With Foreign Competition”

Seattle PI – by Geoff Mulvihill

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Laws taking effect at the start of the new year show states diverging on some hot-button issues.

Restrictions on carrying guns eased in Texas, for example, but got tighter in California. It is easier to register to vote in Oregon, but there is another step to take at the polls in North Carolina.   Continue reading “New laws in 2016 show states are diverging on guns, voting”

Times of Israel

One person is dead, as many as five are in critical condition and at least one is seriously hurt in a shooting attack in Tel Aviv just before 3 p.m. Friday.

Initial reports say the shooter may have been caught, but authorities could not confirm the report. A police manhunt remains underway for the attacker, with roads around the attack site closed by police.   Continue reading “One dead, one critically hurt among 10 casualties in Tel Aviv shooting”

Yahoo News – by Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters) – Nearly 200 workers, mostly Somali immigrants, have been fired from a meat-packing plant in Colorado after staging a walkout to protest what they said were insufficient prayer accommodations, the company and Islamic advocacy groups said on Thursday.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said the workers were treated in a “discriminatory manner” by managers at the Cargill Meat Solutions [CARGIL.UL] facility in Fort Morgan, about 75 miles northeast of Denver.   Continue reading “Somali workers fired at Colorado packing plant in prayer dispute”