Fox News

TOPEKA, Kan. –  A Kansas woman who took her children to perform for occupiers during the armed takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge earlier this year says authorities have removed seven of her children from her home and arrested her for assaulting an officer.

Odalis Sharp, 46, of Auburn was booked into the Shawnee County jail Friday evening for battery of an officer and interfering with a law enforcement officer, jail officials told The Kansas City Star. No charges had been filed as of Tuesday morning. The Shawnee County prosecutor’s office could not be reached for comment.   Continue reading “Kansas woman who took her kids to Oregon refuge standoff arrested”

Fox News

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday suspended his presidential bid for the Republican nomination following a crushing defeat by Donald Trump in the Indiana primary.

Cruz told dismayed supporters the path to victory had been closed.

“I’ve said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory; tonight I’m sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed,” Cruz told a somber crowd in Indianapolis.   Continue reading “Cruz drops out of presidential race following major defeat by Trump in Indiana”

New York Daily News – by VICTORIA BEKIEMPIS, STEPHEN REX BROWN

For two decades, Sheldon Silver served as one of the most powerful men in New York State. On Tuesday, a judge ordered he serve the next 12 years in prison.

The allegedly adulterous ex-State Assembly Speaker, convicted of twin corruption schemes that earned him $4 million, was slammed by was slammed by Manhattan Federal Court Judge Valerie Caproni as being one of the most corrupt elected officials the state has ever seen.   Continue reading “Sheldon Silver sentenced to 12 years for corruption schemes that netted him $4 million”

The Blaze – by Jason Howerton

Connecticut lawmakers have passed legislation to permit law enforcement to confiscate guns and ammunition from anyone accused of domestic abuse. The bill is headed to the desk of Gov. Dannel Malloy and he’s expected to sign it.

Under the legislation, suspects would have 24 hours after being accused to surrender all firearms.   Continue reading “Connecticut Governor to Sign Gun Confiscation Bill — Here Are the Key Details”

Wall Street Journal – by Dan Frosch

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday that municipalities can’t bar hydraulic fracturing, a long awaited decision in a legal battle that has rippled across this energy rich state.

In a pair of rulings, Colorado’s high court found that measures passed by the cities of Fort Collins and Longmont that sought to halt the controversial drilling technique known as fracking “were preempted by state law and, therefore… invalid and unenforceable.”   Continue reading “Colorado High Court Rules Local Bans on Fracking Are Illegal”

Fox News – by Todd Starnes

There is something a bit unsettling about watching violent, foul-mouthed protesters waving the Mexican flag on American soil.

Over the weekend, Hispanic children lined the streets in Fort Wayne, Indiana – hurling filthy insults at Donald Trump supporters.    Continue reading “‘Make America Mexico Again’: Why Americans are fed up with illegals”

Good Housekeeping – by Caroline Picard

A New Mexico mom‘s controversial Facebook post has landed her in some serious trouble — and the offending status is much worse than an embarrassing selfie. The Roswell resident wrote online about a possible school shooting attempt, instead of sharing the information with the police.

“Anyone else’s kids go to Sierra?”  Jeanette Garza Alvarez asked on Facebook several weeks ago. “My son says some 8th graders are planning on bringing guns to school maybe Monday and have a shootout to see who’s the first to die.”   Continue reading “Mom Convicted After Posting to Facebook”

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”