From the Trenches World Report
Enforce our Bill of Rights
A couple of weeks ago we a had a virtual currency heist, now we’ve got Chinese biotech espionage in the middle of Iowa. Man, this world gets a little more cyberpunk with every passing day. I wonder if Google Glass comes in a mirrorshade edition? Continue reading “Chinese Spy Busted Stealing Iowa Corn Seeds”
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve. Continue reading “A Different Christmas Poem”
The Independent Institute – by Mary Theroux
Despite Dianne Feinstein’s claims to the contrary, there’s no actual evidence that the U.S. surveillance apparatus has foiled any actual, independent plots of terrorism. There is, in fact, far more actual evidence that the surveillance state has missed numerous signals of plots: from 9/11 to the Boston bombings.
In its latest attempt at P.R. smoke-and-mirrors, the FBI ensnared a Wichita, KS airport employee, Terry Lee Loewen, in an FBI-created conspiracy and “sting” operation. The FBI stalked Loewen for six months following their seeing allegedly positive online comments he made about jihad. Continue reading “FBI Successfully Foils Another FBI Plot”
A federal judge ruled Monday that the National Security Agency program which collects information on nearly all telephone calls made to, from or within the United States is likely to be unconstitutional.
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon found that the program appears to run afoul of the Fourth Amendment prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures. He also said the Justice Department had failed to demonstrate that collecting the so-called metadata had helped to head off terrorist attacks. Continue reading “Judge: NSA phone program likely unconstitutional”
New York Daily News – by Joe Kemp
Harvard University issued an evacuation notice after possible explosives were found on campus Monday.
Authorities with Cambridge Police Department and school officers descended on four sites at the Ivy League school that included it’s science center and freshman dorms.
“Alert: Unconfirmed reports of explosives at four sites on campus,” the school said in a Twitter message. Continue reading “Evacuations underway at Harvard University after reports of explosives on campus”
ABC News – by JOHN HEILPRIN Associated Press
The United Nations said Monday it needs almost $13 billion to meet some of the world’s biggest humanitarian needs in 2014, and almost half of that amount would go to Syria and its surrounding region.
The request is meant to reach 52 million people in 17 countries, and is the largest amount that the U.N. and its partner agencies have ever asked at the start of the year to meet global humanitarian needs, officials said. Continue reading “UN: $12.9 Billion Aid Needs in 2014, Half to Syria”
A clash between knife-wielding assailants and police officers in China’s restive Xinjiang region left 16 people dead, including two police, state media said Monday.
The region’s official news portal, Tianshan Net, said “several thugs” threw explosives Sunday night at the officers, who were pursuing unidentified suspects, and attacked them with knives. Continue reading “16 Die in Clash in Restive Western China”
New York Times – by ERICA GOODE
GREELEY, Colo. — When Sheriff John Cooke of Weld County explains in speeches why he is not enforcing the state’s new gun laws, he holds up two 30-round magazines. One, he says, he had before July 1, when the law banning the possession, sale or transfer of the large-capacity magazines went into effect. The other, he “maybe” obtained afterward.
He shuffles the magazines, which look identical, and then challenges the audience to tell the difference. Continue reading “Sheriffs Refuse to Enforce Laws on Gun Control”
The Morning Call – by Manuel Gamiz Jr.
When a state trooper pulled the couple over along Interstate 78 last month, he said he stopped them because they were going 5 miles over the speed limit and hugging the side of the lane.
The trooper said he smelled marijuana. The driver of the new Mercedes-Benz, 26-year-old Annadel Cruz, told him she had smoked the drug before she left New York City, but had not done so in the car.
Continue reading “Drug suspects had soap, not cocaine bricks. Pair spent month in prison before lab results came back.”
Tikkun Daily – by David Harris-Gershon
Over a year ago, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to adopt a historic, 6,000-page report which contains “startling details” about CIA misdeeds related to its torture program.
The report, which cost $40 million to produce and appears to pose no national security threats, has been set for release since December 13, 2012. However, it has yet to see the light of day. Continue reading “Obama Suppressing 6,000-Page Report on CIA Torture Adopted by Senate Intelligence Committee”
A Fla. city is set to evict a widow for her unique lifestyle of “living off the grid.”
Robin Speronis told WFTX-TV that she was given an eviction notice after the station aired a story about how she chooses to live in a home without modern amenities, such as running water and electricity. Continue reading “Widow Faces Eviction in Florida City for ‘Living Off the Grid’”
ARS Technica – by Cyrus Farivar
The Boston Police Department (BPD) has indefinitely halted its use of license plate readers (LPR) following an investigation published on Saturday into their use by the investigative journalism organization MuckRock and the Boston Globe.
David Estrada, a BPD spokesperson, confirmed to Ars that the department had stopped using its LPRs for now and asked that further questions be submitted in writing, which Ars has done. Continue reading “Boston Police indefinitely suspends license plate reader program”
New York Times – by JOHN MARKOFF
SAN FRANCISCO — BigDog, Cheetah, WildCat and Atlas have joined Google’s growing robot menagerie.
Google confirmed on Friday that it had completed the acquisition of Boston Dynamics, an engineering company that has designed mobile research robots for the Pentagon. The company, based in Waltham, Mass., has gained an international reputation for machines that walk with an uncanny sense of balance and even — cheetahlike — run faster than the fastest humans. Continue reading “Google Adds to Its Menagerie of Robots”
China says it has successfully landed a craft carrying a robotic rover on the surface of the Moon, a major step in its programme of space exploration.
On Saturday afternoon (GMT), a landing module underwent a powered descent, using thrusters to perform the first soft landing on the Moon in 37 years.
Several hours later, the lander will deploy a robotic rover called Yutu, which translates as “Jade Rabbit”. Continue reading “China lands Jade Rabbit robot rover on Moon”
Time Magazine is investigating a healthcare telemarketing firm who has been using an amazingly realistic robot caller which seems to operate on advanced and a bit creepy artificial intelligence.
The Florida firm Premier Health Plans Inc. is responsible for “employee” Samantha West heard in the exchanges below. After cleverly filibustering, she repeatedly insists she’s a real person and not a robot. Continue reading “LISTEN: Creepy AI Telemarketer Sounds Human, Denies Being a Robot”
WASHINGTON (JTA) – The final version of the congressional defense budget triples the Obama administration’s request for funding for joint U.S.-Israel defense cooperation.
The $284 million in the budget released jointly on Dec. 10 by the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate budget committees – up from the $96 million requested by the Obama administration – includes funding for the Arrow long-range anti-missile system and the David’s Sling and Iron Dome missile defense systems. Continue reading “Congress triples Obama’s request on defense cooperation with Israel”
The Conservative Post -by Ronak Kallianpur
If there has ever been a speech that everyone needs to see regarding Obama’s plan to take our guns. This is the one!
In this clip we see an army vet that serves as a police officer speak to the motion to repeal the ‘Safe’ act at the Dutchess County Legislature New York State.
His name is Aaron Weiss and he has quite a bit say. At some points he even tears up. It isn’t until he speaks on his friend’s passing away in war that his emotions get the best of him. Continue reading “It Only Took This Army Vet 3 Minutes To Destroy Obama’s Gun Control Plan”
December 13, 2013 – Arapahoe High School Shooting
Shooter – currently unknown Two teens were injured Friday during a shooting at a suburban Denver high school by a fellow student, who then took his own life. The shooting – on the eve of the anniversary of the Newtown school massacre in which 20 students and six staffers were murdered (NA MEME) – sent […] Continue reading “The Six Week Cycle”
Disinfo – by Matt Staggs
Politico – by JOSH GERSTEIN
ABC News
The Blaze – by Oliver Darcy
BBC – by Paul Rincon
Activist Post
JTA 
6WeekCycle