From the Trenches World Report
Enforce our Bill of Rights
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Prosecutors filed charges Friday against two former Boy Scout leaders accused of toppling one of the ancient rock formations at Utah’s Goblin Valley State Park.
Glenn Taylor is charged with criminal mischief and David Hall with aiding criminal mischief, another felony, Utah State Parks and Recreation said. Continue reading “2 Utah men charged with toppling ancient rock”
Damascus (AFP) – Syria’s foreign minister said Saturday his delegation had rejected a US request for direct talks unless Secretary of State John Kerry apologised for his remarks at the Geneva II talks.
“The Americans asked us to negotiate directly with them in Montreux,” Walid Muallem told Syrian state media on the plane home from 10 days of peace talks in the Swiss cities of Montreux and Geneva. Continue reading “Syria rejected US talks bid without Kerry apology: FM”
I smell trouble. The tribe is surely trying to focus attention on the superbowl. I’ll send more after this but this is what I found out concerning the ‘white powder’ being sent to the superbowl hotels and what-not. Certainly didn’t sit well with me.
While I think they are gearing up for a false-flag somewhere, think the superbowl is a total distraction. Maybe they’re testing reactions etc. Who knows. Here’s what I’ve pieced together so far. Continue reading “Super Bowl Powder Bullshit”
USA Today – by John Schoonejongen, Asbury Park Press
There is evidence that Gov. Chris Christie knew of the George Washington Bridge access lane closings as they were happening, says a lawyer for the former port authority official blamed for the politically motivated incident, but Christie’s office denied the allegation.
A Friday letter from David Wildstein’s attorney says “evidence exists as well tying Mr. Christie to having knowledge of the lane closures, during the period when the lanes were closed, contrary to what the Governor stated publicly in a two-hour press conference he gave immediately before Mr. Wildstein was scheduled to appear before the Transportation Committee. Continue reading “Ex-aide: Christie knew about lane closures on bridge”
SACRAMENTO — In a move to protect residents from more severe water shortages, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced Friday it was taking several actions to conserve the state’s water supply.
“The harsh weather leaves us little choice,” DWR Director Mark Cowin said. “If we are to have any hope of coping with continued dry weather and balancing multiple needs, we must act now to preserve what water remains in our reservoirs.” Continue reading “Calif. agency halts water allocations amid drought”
To understand why the United States is the most incarcerated nation in the world, all aspects of the legal system must be scrutinized. One of the least considered points of corruption is the crime lab.
A recent study found that crime labs across the country are literally being incentivized to turn out results that will be favorable to prosecutors in getting criminal convictions. Some say that this introduces a point of compromise in a process that is supposed to be free of bias and partiality. Continue reading “State crime labs are incentivized to get false convictions”
CNN – by Ross Levitt and Shimon Prokupecz
(CNN) — Hazardous materials teams and a bomb squad responded Friday after white powder was found at three hotels near the site of the Super Bowl, New Jersey authorities said.
In New York, authorities also were investigating the contents of a letter sent to the Manhattan office of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, two law enforcement officials said. Continue reading “White powder causes scare at three hotels near Super Bowl site”
Politico – by SEUNG MIN KIM and JAKE SHERMAN
CAMBRIDGE, Md. — The House Republican leadership is trying to sell their colleagues on a series of broad immigration principles, including a path to legal status for those here illegally.
Speaker John Boehner’s leadership team introduced the principles at their annual policy retreat here. Top Republicans circulated a tightly held one-page memo titled “standards for immigration reform” toward the tail-end of a day that include strategy conversations about Obamacare, the economy and the national debt. Continue reading “House leaders sell immigration blueprint”
Vermont is now the 12th state with legislation to take on NSA spying.
On Tuesday, Rep. Teo Zagar (D-Windsor-4-1), along with co-sponsor Reps. Susan Davis (P/D-Orange-1), Patricia Komline (R-Bennington-Rutland) and William Stevens (I-Addison-Rutland) introduced the Fourth Amendment Protection Act to prohibit any state support of the NSA. Continue reading “Twelve and Counting: Vermont Legislation Takes on NSA Spying”
Metro – by MARY ANN GEORGANTOPOULOS
We know, you’re wondering what the deal is with John Kerry’s black and blue face. Don’t worry, he was not beaten up. It’s simply an injury after a friendly pick-up hockey game with friends and family.
His aides did not give too many details on what happened, but the Massachusetts Democrat suffered two black eyes and a broken nose. The Washington Post reported that it wasn’t a stick or a puck that’s to blame for Kerry’s bruises. The injury apparently occurred when he fell amid a multi-player pile-up during the game. Continue reading “What’s up with John Kerry’s face at the State of the Union address?”
Dozens of children at a Utah school had their lunches seized and thrown away because they did not have enough money in their accounts, prompting an angry response from parents, it was reported.
“She took my lunch away and said, ‘Go get a milk,’” Sophia Isom, a fifth-grader at Salt Lake City’s Uintah Elementary School, told NBC affiliate KSL.com. “I came back and asked, ‘What’s going on?’ Then she handed me an orange. She said, ‘You don’t have any money in your account so you can’t get lunch.’” Continue reading “Reports: Lunches seized from Utah schoolkids because of unpaid bills”
US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has warned that foreign-backed terrorist groups in Syria are preparing to attack Western targets.
Presenting an annual intelligence assessment on Wednesday, Clapper told the Senate Intelligence Committee that al-Qaeda-linked groups operating inside Syria have launched camps “to train” the foreign-backed militants to go back to their countries and carry out terrorist acts. Continue reading “US spy chief warns of Syria terror backlash”
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has authorized the government to seek the death penalty against Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev, according to Carmen Ortiz, the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts.
Authorities accuse Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his younger brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev of planting the bombs that exploded April 15 near the finish line of the marathon.
Three people were killed there and more than 260 wounded. Continue reading “DOJ to seek death penalty for Boston bombing suspect”
Publius Forum – by Warner Todd Huston
As the State of Connecticut went through the process of gearing up to push more gun bans and bans on high capacity ammunition magazines, it was estimated that The Constitution State had at least “2.4 million” of the offending magazines within its borders. But now, after the new forced registration law set in, only about 38,000 high capacity magazines were registered. So, where did they all go? Continue reading “How Did ‘Millions’ of High Capacity Magazines Disappear in Connecticut?”
NAPERVILLE, ILL. – Dozens of former elected officials in suburbs surrounding Chicago are collectively receiving tens of thousands of dollars a year in pension benefits, even though they mostly worked part time.
Besides the question of whether part-time work as an alderman, mayor or clerk deserves such benefits, critics say the payouts are an unfair burden on local taxpayers. Some say they also demonstrate a failure of the state’s pension reform plan to go far enough in easing a crisis that has left Illinois mired in debt. Continue reading “Part-time Illinios workers receiving lifetime pensions”
To better enable Americans to save for retirement, President Obama said he would order a new “starter” savings plan called MyRA geared at low-income households. It’s a fine idea. But as with any personal savings account, you must be able to fund it for it to matter. That may be the biggest problem with the program. Continue reading “The Problem With President Obama’s ‘MyRA’ Savings Accounts”
Drive-through customers at a Pittsburgh McDonald’s who asked for “a toy” got a little something extra with their Happy Meal — heroin, local authorities said Wednesday.
Officers arrested 26-year-old Shania Dennis after buying the drug at the McDonald’s where she worked, in the city’s East Liberty section, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. Officers from the Allegheny County District Attorney’s narcotics unit found 10 bags of heroin in a Happy Meal box and recovered 50 more bags from Dennis. Continue reading “McDonald’s worker busted for Happy Meal heroin”
Yahoo News – by LUCAS L. JOHNSON II
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Italian gun maker Beretta said Wednesday that Tennessee’s support for gun rights was a major factor in its decision to build a manufacturing and research facility in the Nashville suburb of Gallatin.
The $45 million plant is projected to be complete this year and create 300 new jobs.
Gun rights were “the first criteria for deciding to even consider a state,” said Jeff Reh, a member of Beretta USA Corp.’s board of directors. Continue reading “Beretta to build new firearms plant in Tenn.”
Yahoo News – by PAUL FOY 
Yahoo News
USA Today, KXTV
Police State USA 
Tenth Amendment Center
NBC News – by Henry Austin
Press TV
WPTZ 5 News 
Time – by Dan Kadlec
USA Today- by Michael Winter