Cargo containers sit idle at the Port of Los Angeles as a back-log of over 30 container ships sit anchored outside the Port in Los Angeles, California, February 18, 2015. REUTERS/Bob Riha, Jr.Reuters – by ANN SAPHIR AND STEVE GORMAN

Shipping executives and union leaders for dock workers at 29 U.S. West Coast ports remained locked in a dispute on Friday as talks, brokered by the U.S. labor secretary, headed into a fourth straight day.

Negotiations ended late Thursday with no deal, two sources close to the talks told Reuters Friday, adding that there is more work to do in discussions set to resume in the morning.   Continue reading “No deal yet in U.S. West Coast port dispute; talks to continue”

ABC News – by BLAKE NICHOLSON and JAMES MacPHERSON

The Canadian company behind the long-delayed Keystone XL oil pipeline will seek U.S. government approval for another pipeline — this one going north.

Industry officials in North Dakota say the proposed Upland Pipeline could reduce reliance on the railroads to ship crude following recent concerns about safety.

TransCanada Corp.’s proposed $600 million Upland Pipeline would begin near the northwestern North Dakota oil hub of Williston and go north into Canada about 200 miles. At peak operation it would transport up to 300,000 barrels of oil daily, connecting with other pipelines including the Energy East pipeline across Canada.   Continue reading “TransCanada to Seek US Approval for $600M Upland Pipeline”

NBC San Diego – AP

California issued 59,000 driver’s licenses to immigrants who are in the country illegally during the first month their applications were accepted, state officials said Wednesday.

Overall, a total of about 236,000 immigrants in the country illegally began the application process during January, the state Department of Motor Vehicles said in a statement.   Continue reading “California Provides 59000 Illegals With Driver’s Licenses in First Month of 2015”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

The totalitarian arm of the ever-growing government appears to know no limit. In today’s “oh no they didn’t” moment, the US Government’s diet panel has dictated proposed one more oppression of American’s freedom to choose:

  • *GOV’T PANEL PROPOSES SUGARY-FOOD TAX TO FUND NUTRITION PROGRAMS, CURB OBESITY

On the bright side, the government approves of “lean meat” as compatible with healthy eating. The bill, introduced by Rep. Juan Candelaria, D-New Haven, would impose a tax of 1 cent per ounce on soft drinks – including sweetened teas, energy drinks and soda – and candies that are high in sugar and calories.   Continue reading “US Government Proposes “Sugary-Food Tax” To Curb Obesity”

Fox News

Las Vegas police took a suspect into custody Thursday afternoon in the killing of a mother of four following a road rage incident last week, officials said.

Continue reading “Suspect in Las Vegas road rage shooting taken into custody following standoff”

National Journal – by Dustin Volz, January 27, 2015

Sen. Marco Rubio wants Congress to permanently extend the authorities governing several of the National Security Agency’s controversial spying programs, including its mass surveillance of domestic phone records.

The Florida Republican and likely 2016 presidential hopeful penned an op-ed on Tuesday condemning President Obama’s counterterrorism policies and warning that the U.S. has not learned the “fundamental lessons of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.”   Continue reading “Marco Rubio Wants to Permanently Extend the Patriot Act”

The chilly weather in Maryland was in stark contrast to the sunny climate at Palm Springs International Airport earlier in the dayDaily Mail – by Darren Boyle

The Obamas have spent an estimated $2.5 million after Barack and the rest of his family took separate weekend breaks.

President Obama spent Valentine’s weekend in California, where he managed to squeeze in three rounds of golf at a California course owned by Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison.

Meanwhile, his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia flew to Aspen in Colorado for a skiing trip on board a separate presidential aircraft.    Continue reading “The First Family’s Valentine’s Day apart cost the taxpayer at least $2.5m”

The Columbus Dispatch – by Alan Schwarz, NY Times

As gun-rights advocates push to legalize firearms on college campuses, an argument is taking shape: Arming female students would help reduce sexual assaults.

The carrying of concealed firearms on college campuses is banned in Ohio and 40 other states by law or by university policy. Carrying guns openly generally is not permitted.

But this year, lawmakers in 10 states who are pushing bills that would permit the carrying of firearms on campus are hoping that the spotlight on sexual assault will help them win passage of their measures.   Continue reading “Allowing guns at colleges would deter rapists, gun-rights advocates argue”

Sent to us by the author.

The Daily Bell – by Ron Holland

“Are you ready for total war?” “Sind Sie bereit für totalen Krieg?” – Joseph Goebbels

On February 18, 1943, German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels delivered a rousing speech at the Berlin Sportpalast, asking the German people, “Sind Sie bereit für totalen Krieg?” or “Are you ready for total War?” Germany had planned for Blitzkrieg and a short war and was unprepared for a world war as the combined military forces of the United States, England and the Soviet Union crushed the Reich relentlessly and systematically. Although the people and economy rallied in defense of Germany, total war only prolonged the horrors of war and delayed their inevitable defeat.   Continue reading “Are You Ready For Total Currency War?”

Thanks to Samfish.

The Daily Caller – by Chuck Ross

There appears to be no love lost between Attorney General Eric Holder and one of his most pointed critics, Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke.

“What’s up with the hat?” Holder asked Clarke during a meeting of sheriffs and police chiefs at the Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. late last month, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.   Continue reading “Eric Holder Asked Sheriff David Clarke Why He Was Wearing A Cowboy Hat”

Criticism – by Gary W. Potter

During the 1980’s hundred of Savings and Loan Banks failed. Those bank failures cost U.S. taxpayers over $500 billion to cover federally insured losses, and much more to investigate the bank failures (Pizzo, Fricker, and Muolo, 1989; Brewton, 1992; Johnston, 1990). More than 75% of the Savings and Loan insolvencies where directly linked to serious and often criminal misconduct by senior financial insiders (Pizzo, Fricker and Muolo, 1989: 305). In fact, less than 10 percent of bank failures are related to economic conditions, the rest are caused by mismanagement or criminal conduct (Pizzo, Fricker and Muolo, 1989: 305).   Continue reading “The Savings & Loans, the Mob and the Bushs”

tracy-measlesframe2927.jpgCBS News

PORTLAND, Ore. — The measles outbreak is of particular concern in Oregon, home to the highest rate of unvaccinated children in the country. Parents have been warned to get their children vaccinated by Wednesday or face expulsion from school.

The state of Oregon is making Jolynn Reynolds watch an educational video before she can opt out of having her child vaccinated. Reynolds is claiming a philosophical exemption, allowing her kids to go to school without their required vaccinations.   Continue reading “Oregon mulls banning personal belief exemption for vaccines”

Wall Street Journal – by JAMES V. GRIMALDI And REBECCA BALLHAUS

The Clinton Foundation has dropped its self-imposed ban on collecting funds from foreign governments and is winning contributions at an accelerating rate, raising ethical questions as Hillary Clinton ramps up her expected bid for the presidency.

Recent donors include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Australia, Germany and a Canadian government agency promoting the Keystone XL pipeline.   Continue reading “Foreign Government Gifts to Clinton Foundation on the Rise”

The Hill – by Timothy Cama

Towns and cities in Ohio cannot regulate hydraulic fracturing on their own, the state’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

The court ruled 4-3 that Ohio’s legislature gave state agencies exclusive authority over all aspects of oil and natural gas drilling, including fracking, in a 2004 law, and any local ordinances would violate that exclusivity.

“We have consistently held that a municipal-licensing ordinance conflicts with a state-licensing scheme if the local ordinance restricts an activity which a state license permits,” Justice Judith French wrote in the majority opinion.   Continue reading “Ohio court strikes down local fracking bans”

Road Rage Suspected in Shooting of Las Vegas MotherYahoo News – by Ken Ritter

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Las Vegas mother of four killed in a road rage shooting last week got in her car with her adult son and his gun and drove around their neighborhood looking for the assailant who ended up shooting her in a residential cul-de-sac, police said Tuesday.

In a change from earlier accounts, police Lt. Ray Steiber said 44-year-old Tammy Meyers had her teenage daughter run in the house to fetch her armed son, who then went with her as she drove to find the driver who had earlier stopped his car in front of hers, got out and approached her with angry words.   Continue reading “Police: Vegas mom, son searched for vehicle before shooting”

Map of Iraq showing location of al-BaghdadiBBC News

Jihadist militants from Islamic State (IS) have burned to death 45 people in the western Iraqi town of al-Baghdadi, the local police chief says.

Exactly who these people were and why they were killed is not clear, but Col Qasim al-Obeidi said he believed some were members of the security forces.

IS fighters captured much of the town, near Ain al-Asad air base, last week.   Continue reading “Islamic State militants ‘burn to death 45 in Iraq’”

Shipping containers sit idle at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California in this aerial file photo taken February 6, 2015. . REUTERS/Bob Riha, Jr.Reuters – by Steve Gorman

West Coast ports that were closed to incoming cargo vessels during the holiday weekend reopened in full on Tuesday as Labor Secretary Tom Perez arrived in San Francisco seeking to broker a settlement ending months of shipping disruptions.

Perez was sent to meet with the two sides in the conflict at the behest of President Barack Obama, who has come under mounting pressure to weigh in on a labor dispute that has cascaded through the U.S. commercial supply chain and beyond.   Continue reading “West Coast ports reopen as labor secretary arrives for talks”