ABC News

One of the most liberal states in the country also is one of the most passionate about defending the right to bear arms, a fact that is coming to the fore following proposed legislation to expand background checks and add other gun regulations.

Hundreds of Vermont residents are expected to pack the state House chamber for a public hearing Tuesday night on Senate Bill 31, which would expand background checks from retail to private gun sales, step up reporting about people deemed psychologically unfit to have a gun and add state jurisdiction to what is now just federal enforcement of the ban on convicted felons possessing guns.   Continue reading “In Liberal, Gun-Loving Vermont, New Restrictions Face Fight”

Sent to us by the author, Brett Redmayne-Titley

The Hamas Movement on Thursday warned it would not remain passive any more if the blockade on the Gaza Strip continued.

As reported by Ma’an News Agency, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called for swiftly moving to lift the siege on Gaza from all sides or else the Movement and its armed wing al-Qassam Brigades would have to escalate the situation and break the blockade.   Continue reading “Israeli Crimes in Gaza Force Hamas to War”

Alexis Tsipras | Source: PressenzaSent to us by Human Wrongs Watch.

Human Wrongs Watch – by Tony Robinson, Pressenza

Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, addressed parliament on 8 February 2015 to outline a number of measures that seek to end the enormous suffering inflicted on the population over the five years of austerity imposed by the troika of institutions.

Included in the first wave of policies are:   Continue reading “Greece says, “Antio litotita” (Goodbye austerity)”

G H CG ATTACKMLive – by Dillon Davis

GRAND HAVEN, MI – A suspect is in custody this morning after breaking into the  U.S. Coast Guard Station in Grand Haven and assaulting Coast Guard personnel, according to a release by the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety.

Per the release, the male suspect crashed his truck through the gate of the Grand Haven Coast Guard Station, 601 S. Harbor Drive, before breaking into the facility at approximately 6:07 a.m, on Sunday, Feb. 8.   Continue reading “1 arrested after crash into Grand Haven Coast Guard Station, personnel assaulted”

Washington and Oregon Milky Ash Source Still Not ConfirmedAmerica Herald – by Eran Shayovich

In the last few days emergency authorities from Washington and Oregon have reported the appearance of a smooth white, ashy substance. Even if there are active volcanoes close-by the two states authorities suggest that this mysterious substance must be originating from thousands of miles away or may be leftovers  floating in the environment from an close by wildfire. Another theory is that the milky substance is simply some kind of dust lifted up from a close-by storm that took place recently.   Continue reading “Washington and Oregon Milky Ash Source Still Not Confirmed”

AP Photo/AJ MastBreitbart – by Dr. Susan Berry

Fourth graders in Wake County, North Carolina have been assigned one book that involves the Black Panthers and racism, and another involving a father’s murder, police crackdowns on Mexican unions, and immigration to the United States.

According to Stop Common Core North Carolina, a parent reported 4th graders have been told to read the book One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia, in which three sisters are sent by their negligent mother to a camp run by the Black Panthers.   Continue reading “4th Grade Reading Assignments: Black Panthers, Police Brutality, Need for Amnesty”

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”