From the Trenches World Report
Enforce our Bill of Rights
Reuters – by PAVEL POLITYUK AND ELIZABETH PINEAU
The leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukrainehave agreed a deal to end fighting in eastern Ukraine, participants at the summit talks said on Thursday.
The deal reached after all-night negotiations in the Belarussian capital Minsk included a ceasefire that would come into effect on Feb. 15, followed by the withdrawal of heavy weapons. Continue reading “Ceasefire agreed for eastern Ukraine after Minsk summit”
Sent to us by a reader.
SMITHFIELD (WGME) — Police arrest a man after they say he swore at a police dog and then challenged a cop to a fight.
Officers say they found 22-year-old Jonathan Damon drunk and pounding on the door of a home in Smithfield Sunday morning.
According to the morning sentinel, deputies say Damon started taunting a police dog in the back of a cruiser and challenging the dog to come get him. Continue reading “Police arrest man after for allegedly swearing at police dog”
Police officers and firefighters who helped save lives in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing and the shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin were honored with the Medal of Valor in a White House ceremony Wednesday.
Vice President Joe Biden draped the purple and yellow striped ribbons around the necks of 20 public safety officers, and presented medals to the families of two officers killed while responding to armed robberies. The two were off-duty at the time. Continue reading “Medal of Valor: Officers Saved Lives in Boston, Wisconsin”
Here is the full text of the proposed war authorization bill sent to Congress by President Obama:
JOINT RESOLUTION
To authorize the limited use of the United States Armed Forces against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Continue reading “Text of Obama’s ISIS War Authorization”
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”
Sent 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)”
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”
America 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”
Breitbart – 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”
Bloomberg – 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?”
Natural 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”
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%”
Herald 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”
New 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”
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”
ABC News – by Josh Ledeman
Weekly Standard
ABC News
MLive – by Dillon Davis