From the Trenches World Report
Enforce our Bill of Rights
The Obama administration said Monday it has “indications” chemical weapons were used in Syria earlier this month, and is investigating whether the Assad regime might have been responsible.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki discussed the allegations a day after French President Francois Hollande said France also had indications the regime is still using chemical weapons. Continue reading “Obama administration: ‘Indications’ chemical weapons used, again, in Syria”
While the White House has continually threatened further sanctions against Russia for non-de-escalation (even as it un-de-escalates itself), the specifics of the additional sanctions have been sparse. German CEO warnings over blowback from economic sanctions… the “nonsense” of replacing Russian gas with US gas… the Russian warnings of “interdependence” and “boomerangs”… all reduce the West’s arsenal of financial sanctions. But, as The Times of London reports, perhaps the US has found a crucial pain point for Putin – a sanctions regime that would target Putin’s personal wealth, which includes a reported $40 billion stashed in Swiss bank accounts. Continue reading “This Means War: US To Target Putin’s Personal $40 Billion Stash”
BOSTON, MA — Warrantless bag searches at have become commonplace at travel checkpoints in Boston as concerns for Homeland Security have overridden citizens’ right to be free of unreasonable searches. Travelers are forced to “security inspections” of their handbags, briefcases, and other personal possessions.
Large signs indicate that public spaces under the authority of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) are void of privacy rights. The first bullet point on one of the signs displayed the following: Continue reading “Warrantless bag searches become ubiquitous for Boston subway, bus travelers”
Sent to us by a reader who asked for any confirmation on this.
Though officials at the World Health Organization are feverishly working to stop the spread of the Ebola virus in what is now seven African nations, their efforts may be for naught. In Guinea, a hot spot for the deadly contagion, government health officials have said that the outbreak is nearly under control. Yet, Reuters reports that the government “planned to stop publicly releasing the death toll to avoid causing unnecessary panic.” Continue reading “Report: Ebola Suspected In Europe: “Broken Through All Containment Efforts””
The Motley Fool – by Amanda Alix
As it does every year on April 1, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made available tens of thousands of H-1B visas, the kind that allow U.S. businesses to bring highly skilled workers into the country to work, full-time, for up to six years. Since 2004, the number of visas was set at 65,000; two years later, another 20,000 were added for foreign graduates of U.S. colleges and universities.
By April 7, the government announced that the cap for 2015 was reached. Companies had filed 172,500 H-1B petitions within that time period, meaning that a lottery would be held to determine which businesses would receive the available 85,000 visas. Continue reading “Did We Just Lose 85,000 U.S. Jobs to Foreign Workers?”
Yahoo News – by Brad Knickerbocker
Like a mustang tied to a fence post, many westerners for years have resisted Uncle Sam’s control of land they say more properly belongs to states or counties – or to nobody at all except the ranchers, miners, and loggers who work the land for its natural resources.
The tussle over Cliven Bundy’s 400 cows – grazing on federal land, although he refuses to pay the required fees now amounting to more than $1 million – sharpens this debate, which has featured state legislators, county officials, environmentalists, and federal judges (all of whom have ruled against Mr. Bundy). Continue reading “Nevada range war: Western states move to take over federal land”
On Tuesday morning, a plane owned in trust by the Bank of Utah showed up in a very visible area of the Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, the capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
What was it doing there exactly? Nobody knows, reports The New York Times.
Under President Barack Obama, the United States has eased some of the long-standing punitive economic sanctions against Iran. Still, very little American – or European – economic activity is allowed inside the religious theocracy. Continue reading “What the hell is this American plane owned by the Bank of Utah doing in IRAN?”
Tech Dirt – by Timothy Geigner
When we talk about the stupidity that are school-affiliated zero-tolerance policies, those stories usually revolve around an administration’s inability to marry common sense with their reactions to non-issues. This can produce somewhat varied results, from really dumb stories about children being children and ending up in serious trouble, to a far more angering practice of victim-blaming. What it all boils down to, though, is an overreaction to certain tragic situations that results in bureaucratic lunacy on a level I never would have thought possible. School shootings and violence are the impetus in these cases, but we see this elsewhere as well. 9/11 resulted in the s#!*-show we know as airport security and NSA surveillance. The Boston Marathon bombing has resulted in the kind of militarized protection and media-blitzkrieg that would likely have other world nations that deal with far more terrorism shaking their heads. And, in each of these cases, we learn a simple truth that we should have seen coming all along: reactionary policies breed stupidity, corruption, and trouble. Continue reading “The Logical Conclusion Of Zero Tolerance: College Prof Suspended Because Daughter Wore A GoT Tshirt”
JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) – A sudden lurch in a creeping landslide in the northwest Wyoming resort town of Jackson split a house in two and forced workers to abandon just-begun efforts to stabilize the hillside.
A huge crack in the ground that had opened up under the house a couple weeks ago shifted several feet downhill in less than a day, breaking off a room or two and leaving a door swinging above the precipice. Rocks and dirt tumbled down in an almost constant stream and a geologist warned much bigger chunks could fall. The ground had been moving at a rate of an inch a day. Continue reading “Looming, creeping landslide splits home in Wyoming”
A powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake has struck Mexico’s capital and Pacific coast, shaking buildings, shattering windows and sending residents fleeing into the streets.
There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) says the earthquake’s epicentre was 36 kilometres north-west of Tecpan, near the Pacific resort of Acapulco in Guerrero state. Continue reading “Mexico rattled by 7.2-magnitude earthquake”
US prosecutors have unveiled plans to sell an Iran-owned Manhattan skyscraper in the largest terror-related seizure ever, and distribute proceeds to families affected by attacks linked to Tehran.
The settlement approved by a federal judge with 19 plaintiffs is the latest development in a long-running case over the fate of 650 Fifth Avenue. Continue reading “US to sell Iran-owned building in New York”
The Internal Revenue Service and other U.S. agencies awarded about $415,000 in contracts to a license plate-tracking company before Homeland Security leaders dropped a plan for similar work amid privacy complaints.
Federal offices such as the Forest Service and the U.S. Air Force’s Air Combat Command chose Livermore, California-based Vigilant Solutions to provide access to license plate databases or tools used to collect plate information, according to government procurement records compiled by Bloomberg. Continue reading “IRS Among Agencies Using License Plate-Tracking Vendor”
How Stuff Works – by Molly Edmonds
Did you know that two other men accompanied Paul Revere on his famous midnight ride? If you didn’t, then you’re not alone. The story of the midnight ride was stamped on the American psyche by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s popular 1861 poem “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.” And anyone who’s read the poem envisions a lone hero dashing through the night, single-handedly warning his countrymen of a British attack. Continue reading “What happened to the two other men on Paul Revere’s ride?”
David COHEN POSEL, you have already LOST your self-declared “war” and you don’t even realize it yet. Give it up before you hurt yourself more than is necessary and than you can handle because this “war” update below is merely a heads-up to BACK-OFF for it is a fact and promise that slowly but surely we will see to it that your sites will crumble if you really force us to. Back-off and we might allow you to further deceive your remaining readership. Continue reading “Game Over: David COHEN POSEL (Occupy Corporatism – US Independent) Exposed as “Global Depopulation Policy” Pawn”
Portland Press Herald – by Gillian Graham
SANFORD — The federal government is trying to revoke the license of a gun store owner who refused to allow a federal agent to copy gun records during a compliance inspection last year.
Phil Chabot, who owns Pac N Arms on Emery Street in Sanford, was issued a notice of revocation in February by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The bureau got a warrant to search Chabot’s store in February, and court records indicate he is suspected of making “straw sales” – sales through an intermediary – to a convicted felon who was barred from buying or possessing guns. Continue reading “Maine gun store may be shut for refusing to let ATF copy records”
The Palm Beach Post – by The Associated Press
MIAMI — Miami-Dade police have arrested five men who were spotted in a car changing into phony police clothing and gear.
Authorities say the men had hats and shirts with the word “police” on them, authentic-looking badges, handcuffs and other law enforcement items. They also had two semi-automatic handguns and an air pistol. Continue reading “Miami-Dade police arrest 5 in fake officer gear”
Fox News
Police State USA
Yahoo News – The Daily Caller
ABC AU
