From the Trenches World Report
Enforce our Bill of Rights
In an effort to condition children to accept the police state, the TSA has released a cartoon depicting an animated family enduring a warrantless federal checkpoint at an airport.
The video casts the the travelers and government agents as cute doggie characters that show how fun it can be to go through a checkpoint. Continue reading “TSA releases cartoon animation to introduce kids to warrantless checkpoints”
A federal judge struck down Utah’s same-sex marriage ban Friday in a decision that brings an increasing nationwide shift toward allowing gay marriage to a conservative state where the Mormon church has long been against it.
U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby issued a 53-page ruling saying Utah’s law passed by voters in 2004 violates gay and lesbian couples’ rights to due process and equal protection under the 14th Amendment. Continue reading “Judge strikes down Utah’s same-sex marriage ban as unconstitutional”
The Daily Star – by Jason Straziuso
KAMPALA, Uganda: Rebel fire hit two U.S. military aircraft responding to the outbreak in violence in South Sudan on Saturday, wounding three U.S. service members and heavily damaging at least one of the aircraft, officials said. South Sudan blamed the attack on renegade troops in control of the breakaway region.
The U.S. military aircraft were heading to Bor, the capital of the state of Jonglei and scene of some of the nation’s worst violence over the last week. One American service member was reported to be in critical condition. Officials said after the aircraft took incoming fire, they turned around and headed to Kampala, Uganda. From there the service members were flown on to Nairobi, Kenya for medical treatment, the officials said. Continue reading “U.S. military aircraft hit in South Sudan”
LA Times – by Brian Bennett and Lisa Mascaro
WASHINGTON — In its last workday of the year, the Democratic-controlled Senate overcame GOP objections Friday to confirm two high-profile Obama nominees to the Department of Homeland Security and the Internal Revenue Service, but put off final approval of Federal Reserve chairwoman candidate Janet L. Yellen until January as part of a late-night cease-fire so lawmakers could adjourn for the holiday recess.
After heated debate, the Senate narrowly approved Alejandro Mayorkas, President Obama’s controversial pick for the No. 2 job at Homeland Security, in a 54-41 vote. No Republicans voted yes. Mayorkas will report to the new Homeland Security secretary, Jeh Johnson, who was confirmed Tuesday. Continue reading “Senate confirms new Homeland Security deputy and IRS chief”
The Senate adjourned Friday afternoon, after a week full of passing a bipartisan budget deal, the Defense spending bill and confirming several of President Obama’s nominees.
On Thursday night, it was unclear if the Senate would have to continue to work on nominations through the weekend, but as it is often threatened and rarely occurs, it was not surprising that Senate leaders reached an agreement to avoid a prolonged schedule. Continue reading “Senate adjourns after passing resolution condemning Iran”
Politics is big business, with millions spent each year trying to sway the electoral process. Which industries, businesses and outside interests have donated the most to which candidates?
How Much Money Are We Talking About?
In short, lots. Here’s a look at what candidates in 2013-2014 have raised for this election cycle: Continue reading “Who Owns Your Congressman?”
As a key part of a campaign to embed encryption software that it could crack into widely used computer products, the U.S. National Security Agency arranged a secret $10 million contract with RSA, one of the most influential firms in the computer security industry, Reuters has learned.
Documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden show that the NSA created and promulgated a flawed formula for generating random numbers to create a “back door” in encryption products, the New York Times reported in September. Reuters later reported that RSA became the most important distributor of that formula by rolling it into a software tool called Bsafe that is used to enhance security in personal computers and many other products. Continue reading “Secret contract tied NSA and security industry pioneer”
Reports came out yesterday in the UK covering Google’s newest release of their “Transparency Report.” Turkey has been known for it’s total lack of press freedom, and now reports show the U.S. is approaching the same leagues as Turkey. Continue reading “U.S. Government asks Google to Remove Almost 4,000 Political Items from Search”
Hang the Bankers – by Clark Kent
ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, DynCorp, G4S, Walmart and McDonald’s are just a few of the companies that the mega ‘charity’ supports.
With an endowment larger than all but four of the world’s largest hedge funds, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is easily one of the most powerful ‘charities’ in the world. According to its website, the organization ”works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives.” Continue reading “The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation exposed”
Planned Parenthood is after the career and livelihood of a distinguished, highly-qualified, good high school teacher, Bill Diss, who had the audacity to tell Planned Parenthood that they were not allowed in his classroom.After a second hearing last night, that pro-life teacher, Bill Diss, has been fired.
The school board for the Portland Public School District voted to terminate Diss’ contract after Planned Parenthood’s lobbying effort. Continue reading “Pro-Life Teacher Fired After Kicking Planned Parenthood Out of His Class”
Here is absolute proof that gun registry leads to gun confiscation. The long gun registry information referenced in this article was supposed to be destroyed, BY LAW, last November, yet the RCMP had access to this supposedly destroyed list of firearms owners and the firearms that they owned. – Jim Stenberg Continue reading “High River – Long-Gun Registry Records used in Firearms Seizures”
Miami Herald – by MICHAEL DOYLE
In a Freedom of Information Act victory, a federal judge has slapped the Obama administration for its secretive ways and ordered officials to turn over a bland-sounding foreign policy document.
Chastising what she called “the government’s unwarranted expansion of the presidential communications privilege at the expense of the public’s interest in disclosure,” U.S. District Judge Ellen Seal Huvelle ruled the Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development is not exempt from FOIA. Continue reading “Judge smacks Obama secrecy in unique FOIA case”
EMMETT– During debate on the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)in the U.S. Senate, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), said “it designates the world as the battlefield, including the homeland.”
The citizens of Emmett, Idaho disagree. Continue reading “Victory: Emmett, Idaho Bans NDAA Detention, Laws of war”
The Telegraph – by Damien McElroy
Saudi Arabia has warned it has been forced to go its own way in foreign policy as its Western allies seek diplomatic solutions to the war in Syria and crisis with Iran.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to London said US-led diplomacy in the region was risking the stability of the Middle East. Continue reading “Saudi Arabia warns it will act against West’s policy in Middle East”
The Federal Reserve has decided to reduce by $10 billion its monthly bond-buying program beginning in January.
The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee says in a statement:
“In light of the cumulative progress toward maximum employment and the improvement in the outlook for labor market conditions, the Committee decided to modestly reduce the pace of its asset purchases. Beginning in January, the Committee will add to its holdings of agency mortgage-backed securities at a pace of $35 billion per month rather than $40 billion per month, and will add to its holdings of longer-term Treasury securities at a pace of $40 billion per month rather than $45 billion per month.” Continue reading “Fed Says It Will Begin Tapering Off Its Stimulus In January”
Washington’s Blog did an absolutely brilliant write up about how the NSA has dealt their own nation an economic death blow with their mass surveillance. Here is a comment on the article:
“Did the idiots at the NSA have no clue that they would kill the US economy if they vacuumed up every electronic transaction on earth? And then allowed it to be used for political and economic purposes? Continue reading “How the NSA destroyed the economy”
Police State USA
Fox News
Ben Swann – by Sonya Sandage
LifeNews – by Steven Ertelt 
PANDA 
NPR – by Scott Neuman