Author: Admin

Oregon Live – by Noelle Crombie

Oregon collected $3.48 million in taxes from recreational marijuana sales in January, far outpacing estimates and offering the first look at how much pot is moving through the state’s newly regulated retail market.

The answer: a lot.

Oregon dispensaries sold at least $14 million worth of recreational marijuana in January alone. That figure doesn’t take into account medical marijuana sales, which remain untaxed.   Continue reading “Oregon collects $3.48 million in revenue from first month of taxed recreational marijuana sales”

Oregon Live – by Les Zaitz

An armed militant who was part of the security team during the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation was in custody Thursday in Grant County on weapons charges after threatening to shoot federal law enforcement officers, according to Grant County District Attorney Jim Carpenter.

Scott A. Willingham, 49, was arrested Wednesday in the small town of Mount Vernon on allegations of unlawful use of a weapon, a felony, and second-degree disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. He was arraigned Thursday in Grant County Circuit Court and held on $35,000 bail.   Continue reading “Oregon standoff figure arrested after threatening to shoot federal officers, DA says”

CBC

Calgary-based pipeline giant TransCanada says it has struck an agreement to acquire U.S. energy company Columbia Pipeline Group in a $13 billion US deal.

The deal will help expand its already vast natural gas pipeline footprint.

Columbia operates a 24,000-kilometre pipeline network that stretches from New York to the Gulf of Mexico.   Continue reading “TransCanada to buy Columbia Pipeline in $13B US deal”

Politico – by Lauren French

The House passed a resolution Thursday that sets the stage for the chamber to file a brief in a Supreme Court case where Republicans argue President Barack Obama overstepped his authority with an executive order on immigration.

The resolution passed along party lines, with 234 GOP lawmakers supporting the move over loud protests from House Democrats. On the Democratic side, 181 voted against the resolution.   Continue reading “House passes plan to file brief in Obama immigration action case”

Fox News

An ex-stripper who went on to law school and later was elected a judge was found dead inside her Nevada home Sunday, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Her body was discovered during a welfare check, the report said, and authorities do not suspect foul play.   Continue reading “Ex-stripper judge found dead inside Nevada home”

Fox News

Secretary of State John Kerry declared Thursday that the Islamic State is committing genocide against Christians and other minorities in the Middle East, after facing heavy pressure from lawmakers and rights groups to make the rare designation.

“In my judgment, Daesh is responsible for genocide against groups in territory under its control, including Yazidis, Christians and Shia Muslims,” Kerry said at the State Department. Daesh is another name for the Islamic State.   Continue reading “Kerry declares ISIS committing genocide against Christians, others”

The Hill – by Mark Hensch

Congress will investigate a federal judge accused of sexually assaulting a witness during his time as a federal prosecutor in Utah, a new report says.

Richard Warren Roberts, then a civil rights attorney for the Justice Department, is accused of repeatedly raping Terry Elrod Mitchell in 1981, according to The Salt Lake City Tribune.   Continue reading “Congress to probe rape allegations against federal judge: report”

LA Times – by Joseph Serna

Days of rain caused a hillside to collapse and part of a state highway through Trinity County to crumble and wash away this week, cutting off a main pass for locals, Caltrans officials said.

A stretch of pavement several car-lengths long was washed away on California 3 north of Weaverville along with the hillside that supported it between Monday night and Tuesday morning, photos posted on Caltrans’ Facebook page showed. The area, along with most of the northern portion of California, has been soaked by a series of storms since the beginning of the month.   Continue reading “Northern California highway crumbles as storm-soaked hillside collapses”

Gun Owners of America

Today, President Obama took the most significant step in his sordid trail toward transforming our nation.

Obama nominated a virulent anti-gunner to fill the seat of Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.   Continue reading “Obama’s Judicial Pick Today Would Reverse Your Ability to Own a Gun”

Breaking Energy – by DAVID MAKOVSKY

When Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu cancelled his planned visit to Washington recently, many speculated that he was protesting the continued lack of agreement on the amount of U.S. military aid to be embodied in a new ten-year memorandum of understanding (MOU). Vice President Joe Biden, who enjoys a close friendship with Netanyahu, visited Israel last week and urged the prime minister to finalize a deal at the level favored by the Obama administration. Although Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon will meet with Defense Secretary Ash Carter at the Pentagon this week, the MOU talks have been spearheaded by the White House and the Prime Minister’s Office, so the Carter-Yaalon talks are unlikely to be a game-changer.   Continue reading “U.S. Military Aid To Israel: Debating An Increase”

Penn Live

Gas prices continue to move upward in the midstate – the average price increased 10 cents in one week from $1.89 on March 7 to $1.99 on March 14.

“The cheapest gas prices of the year are now solidly behind us as the national average will soon again hit $2,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.   Continue reading “Why are gas prices spiking this week?”

Business Insider – by Barak Rabinowitz

Israel is by far the largest exporter of military drones in the world.

Take the AirMule fromUrbanAero. It could have flown right off the pages of a Batman comic book.

Designed to take off and land vertically with up to 1,400 pounds of cargo and zip through the air at over 100mph, this drone is set to transport injured soldiers from urban war zones where standard helicopters simply cannot fly.   Continue reading “Israeli drones are about to take over the world’s skies”

ABC News

A homeless man from San Francisco who pointed police toward two Orange County inmates who had escaped from jail will get the lion’s share of a $150,000 reward set up for their successful capture, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors awarded Matthew Hay-Chapman $100,000, said Jean Pasco, a county spokeswoman.   Continue reading “Homeless Man Who Spotted California Fugitives Gets $100K”

Star Telegram

FORT WORTH A police officer was critically wounded, one suspect killed and another suspect was in custody after “all hell broke loose” in west Fort Worth Tuesday afternoon.

The officer, who has been with the department since 2009, was shot multiple times during a gunfight in a wooded area and was transported by helicopter ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth.
Continue reading “Fort Worth police officer wounded; one suspect dead, another in custody”

Dallas Morning News – by Bobby Blanchard

AUSTIN — A U.S. District Court approved a motion Monday for Texas to intervene and join a lawsuit involving 90,000 acres of land along the Texas-Oklahoma border.

Last year, a group of landowners sued the Bureau of Land Management in a land dispute along the border. The seven families behind the lawsuit were suing for thousands of acres of land that the Bureau of Land Management claims belongs to the government. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — and several other Texas politicians — praised the landowners for suing. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton even filed a motion to join the suit, which the court approved Monday.   Continue reading “Texas allowed in on Red River land grab lawsuit”

Yahoo News

CHEVERLY, Md. (AP) — An undercover narcotics officer was mortally wounded by his own colleagues as he responded to an attack on his police station by a gunman with a death wish, their police chief angrily explained on Monday.

And while Officer Jacai Colson lay dying, the gunman’s two brothers coldly recorded Sunday’s firefight on their cellphones, Prince George’s County police chief Hank Stawinski said, tapping a podium and trying to contain his emotions.   Continue reading “Maryland Police: Officer killed by friendly fire in attack”