Oil StrikeBloomberg – by Lynn DoanAngela, Greiling Keane

U.S. oil workers at two BP Plc plants in the Midwest are joining the biggest strike at refineries across the nation since 1980 as negotiations on a new labor contract were suspended until next week.

Workers at BP’s Whiting refinery in Indiana and the Toledo plant in Ohio that it co-owns with Husky Energy Inc. notified management that they’ll be joining the strike at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Scott Dean a spokesman for BP, said by e-mail Friday. The United Steelworkers, which represents 30,000 U.S. oil workers, has suspended negotiations with Royal Dutch Shell Plc, bargaining on behalf of employers, until next week.   Continue reading “U.S. Oil Workers’ Strike Expands to BP Plants With Talks on Hold”

In These Times – by David Sirota

The trade rules of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership between the United States and 11 Asian nations would cover nearly 40 percent of the world economy—but don’t ask what they are. Access to the text of the proposed deal is highly restricted.

Nevertheless, at last month’s World Economic Forum in Switzerland, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman defended the Obama administration from intensifying criticism of its refusal to release the full text of the proposed trade pact.   Continue reading “The Trans-Pacific Partnership Is a Huge Deal. So Why Is It Being Kept Secret?”

radiation_fukushima_world_735_350Natural Society – by Christina Sarich

As reports from individuals like Chieko Shiina, a supporter of the Fukushima Collaborateive Clinic talk about exploding rates of thyroid cancer in children, as well as an epidemic of leukemia, heart attacks, and other health problems, the Abe-led government and US continue to sweep the fall out of the Fukushima disaster under the rug.

Cancer rates have exploded at an increase of almost 6000% in areas near the reactor meltdown. Aside from people-on-the-street interviews that a rare media outlet like “Hodo station” will report on, mainstream media stays completely silent. One Japanese resident, Carol Hisasue, laments that as the incident has disappeared from the media, it has also disappeared from people’s consciousness.   Continue reading “6000% Increase in Cancer Rates at Fukushima Site”

PHOTO: Construction workers install exterior beaded vinyl siding to a new home in Ashburn, Va. on Jan. 2, 2015.ABC News – by CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER

U.S. employers added a vigorous 257,000 jobs in January, and wages jumped by the most in six years — evidence that the job market is accelerating closer to full health.

The surprisingly robust report the government issued Friday also showed that hiring was far stronger in November and December than it had previously estimated. Employers added 414,000 jobs in November — the most in 17 years. Job growth in December was revised sharply up to 329,000 from 252,000.   Continue reading “Happy Days: US gains strong 257K jobs, pay jumps; jobless rate 5.7%”

Frank SkrahHerald and News – by Samantha Tipler

Klamath County, Oregon – Commissioners don’t want the federal or state government to tread on the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of Klamath County. But at the same time, at least two commissioners don’t want to tread on the sheriff’s ability to enforce the law and uphold the Constitution.

At their regular Tuesday meeting, the commissioners spent an hour debating a few words in a resolution letter telling the Oregon Legislature the county does not support any future laws that could restrict the citizens’ right to bear arms.   Continue reading “Putting the state on notice – Commission backs right to bear arms”

Investment banker, art curator among 6 killed in train crashNew York Post – by Aaron Short, Lorena Mongelli, Larry Celona and Joe Tacopino

A chemist, an art expert and three Wall Street executives were the five men killed when their Metro-North train slammed into an SUV, friends said Wednesday.

Robert Dirks, a 36-year-old father of two, was remembered by his father for not only being a brilliant scientist, but a doting dad to his kids.   Continue reading “Investment banker, art curator among 6 killed in train crash”

One-year-old Cameron Fierro is vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine in Northridge, Calif. A measles outbreak in Ohio drew far less attention than the one at Disneyland in southern California.Reuters – by DAN WHITCOMB AND MICHAEL FLEEMAN

Responding to an outbreak of measles that has infected more than 100 people, two California lawmakers said on Wednesday they would introduce legislation to end the right of parents in the state to exempt their children from school vaccinations based on personal beliefs.

California public health officials say 92 people have been diagnosed with measles in the state, many of them linked to an outbreak that they believe began when an infected person from outside the country visited Disneyland in late December.   Continue reading “California lawmakers seek to end ‘personal belief’ vaccine exemptions”

Wall Street Journal – by Hannah Karp

There are plenty of people listening to talk radio. But over the past three years, it has become increasingly difficult to make money off it.

More than 50 million people in the U.S. tune in each week to news-talk radio stations that carry advertising, making it radio’s second-most popular format, behind country music, according to Nielsen.

But many national advertisers have fled from such stations in recent years, seeking to avoid associating their brands with potentially controversial programming. As a result, advertising on talk stations now costs about half what it does on music stations, given comparable audience metrics, according to industry executives.   Continue reading “Talk Radio’s Advertising Problem”

Emergency workers stand near a burned out Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Metro North Railroad commuter train that hit at least one car near the town of Valhalla, New York, February 3, 2015. REUTERS-Mike SegarReuters – by DAVID GAFFEN AND SEBASTIEN MALO

Investigators examining the circumstances of a New York commuter train accident that killed six people said on Wednesday they were collecting recording devices from the site where the train hit a vehicle stalled on the tracks in the railroad’s worst-ever accident.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said five passengers died in the Metro-North train crash near the suburb of White Plains on Tuesday evening, not six, as he had previously announced. The woman driving the Jeep Cherokee that the train struck while it was stuck on the tracks also died.   Continue reading “Investigators seek clues at deadly New York train crash site”

ABC's 'Fresh Off the Boat' stars Forrest Wheeler as Emery, Ian Chen as Evan, Hudson Yang as Eddie, Constance Wu as Jessica and Randall Park as Louis. REUTERS-ABC-Bob D'Amico-HandoutReuters – by Alex Dobuzinskis

Hip-hop loving 12 year-old Eddie Huang just wants to fit in. His Taiwanese immigrant dad Louis is trying to make a go of running a country-style steak house, and mom Jessica finds little in common with her new, white, roller-blading Florida neighbors.

The Huang family is “Fresh Off the Boat” in U.S. network television’s first Asian-American family comedy in 20 years, premiering on ABC on Wednesday. And despite a title taken from a common put-down for immigrants, the Asian-American community appears ready for the program.   Continue reading “‘Fresh Off the Boat’ puts focus on Asian-American families”

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen confirmed Tuesday that illegal immigrants granted amnesty from deportation under President Obama's new policies would be able to get extra refunds from the IRS for money they earned while working illegally, as long as they filed returns during those years. (Associated Press)Washington Times – by Stephen Dinan

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen confirmed Tuesday that illegal immigrants granted amnesty from deportation under President Obama’s new policies would be able to get extra refunds from the IRS for money they earned while working illegally, as long as they filed returns during those years.

Illegal immigrants who are granted the amnesty will be given official Social Security numbers, which means they can go back and amend up to three years of previous tax forms to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit, potentially claiming billions of dollars in additional payments they were ineligible for before the amnesty.   Continue reading “IRS offers extra tax refunds to illegal immigrants granted amnesty by Obama”

A man purported to be Islamic State captive Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasaesbeh is seen standing in a cage in this still image from an undated video filmed at an undisclosed location made available on social media on Feb. 3, 2015.Voice of America

Jordan vowed a “strong, earthshaking and decisive” response to Islamic State’s grisly murder of a Jordanian pilot captured when his jet crashed in Syria in December.

An online video emerged Tuesday appearing to show Muath al-Kaseasbeh locked in a cage, doused with gasoline and burned alive. He apparently was killed on January 3 after carrying out U.S.-led coalition airstrikes on the Islamic State militants.   Continue reading “Jordan Vows Revenge for Pilot’s Grisly Death”

Measles virus (credit: CDC)CBS Denver

DENVER (CBS4) – Lawmakers including Colorado Congresswoman Diana Degette are asking the Committee on Energy and Commerce to hold a hearing on the measles outbreak and the importance of vaccinations.

The letter points out important facts regarding the recent spread in measles, which began at Disneyland in December 2014.   Continue reading “Lawmakers Ask For Hearing On Measles Vaccination”

Collage created by GawkerThe Free Thought Project – by Cassandra Rules

The Officer Down Memorial Page, which tracks the deaths of police officers, is reporting zero officer deaths from gunfire in 2015.

Line of Duty Deaths: 13
Automobile accident: 5
Heart attack: 3
Struck by vehicle: 2
9/11 related illness: 1
Gunfire (Accidental): 1
Vehicle pursuit: 1

Continue reading “Nearly 100 People Killed By Police in First Month of 2015- Zero Officers Killed By Suspects”

face-of-boy-with-measles-third-day-of-rash-cdcFront Page Mag – by Daniel Greenfield

The usual clickbait sites are gleefully blaming “anti-vaxxers”, parents opposed to vaccines for their children, for the measles outbreak. They are certainly a safe target, but overlooked is the simple fact that there would be no outbreaks without immigration from countries where measles is widespread.

So much vitriol is spent on blaming parents who don’t vaccinate, while blaming those who import the disease, especially Obama with his border rush amnesty, is politically incorrect.  Continue reading “Why Blame “Anti-Vaxxers” Instead of Immigrants for Measles Outbreaks?”

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MLive – by Roberto Acosta

LAPEER COUNTY, MI — An 11-year-old girl was able to scare off a suspect — later taken into custody — during a home invasion in Lapeer County’s North Branch Township.

Deputies from the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Department responded around 3:45 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30 to a Five Lakes Road home where the girl was home alone when a vehicle pulled into the driveway.   Continue reading “11-year-old uses shotgun to scare off suspect during Lapeer County home invasion”

Screen Shot 2015-02-02 at 1.38.59 PMLiberty Blitzkrieg – by Michael Krieger

During the fiscal year that ended on September 30, 2014, U.S. Special Operations forces (SOF) deployed to 133 countries — roughly 70% of the nations on the planet — according to Lieutenant Colonel Robert Bockholt, a public affairs officer with U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM).  This capped a three-year span in which the country’s most elite forces were active in more than 150 different countries around the world, conducting missions ranging from kill/capture night raids to training exercises.  And this year could be a record-breaker.  Only a day before the failed raid that ended Luke Somers life — just 66 days into fiscal 2015 — America’s most elite troops had already set foot in 105 nations, approximately 80% of 2014’s total. Continue reading “The Golden Age of Black Ops – In Fiscal 2015 U.S. Special Forces Have Already Deployed to 105 Nations”

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Yahoo News

Donetsk (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukraine’s pro-Russian rebel chief on Monday branded the country’s leaders “miserable” Jews in an apparent anti-Semitic jibe.

Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, claimed that Kiev’s pro-Western leaders were “miserable representatives of the great Jewish people”.   Continue reading “Ukraine run by ‘miserable’ Jews: rebel chief”

The Daily Caller – by Neil Munro

President Barack Obama has quietly handed out an extra 5.46 million work permits for non-immigrant foreigners who arrived as tourists, students or illegal immigrants since 2009, according to federal documents released by a Freedom of Information Act request.

“The executive branch is operating a huge parallel work-authorization system outside the bounds of the [immigration] laws and limits written by Congress [and which] inevitably reduces job opportunities for Americans,” said Jessica Vaughan, the policy director at the Center for Immigration Studies, while filed the FOIA request.   Continue reading “Obama Quietly Adds 5.46 Million Foreigners To Economy”