U.S. President Barack Obama addresses his year-end news conference in the White House briefing room in Washington, December 20, 2013. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstReuters – by ROS KRASNY

President Barack Obama on Thursday signed a compromise budget that reduces the risk of another government shutdown and a defense bill that cracks down on sexual assault in the military and smooths the path for transferring detainees from the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The two-year U.S. budget agreement, negotiated by Congress earlier this month, and the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2104 were among seven pieces of legislation signed by Obama, who is vacationing with his family in Hawaii.   Continue reading “Obama Signs National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014”

Looney Tunes - Photo by Ramon F VelasquezThe Economic Collapse – by Michael Snyder

It is time to crank up the Looney Tunes theme song because Wall Street has officially entered crazytown territory.  Stocks just keep going higher and higher, and at this point what is happening in the stock market does not bear any resemblance to what is going on in the overall economy whatsoever.  So how long can this irrational state of affairs possibly continue?  Stocks seem to go up no matter what happens.  If there is good news, stocks go up.  If there is bad news, stocks go up.  If there is no news, stocks go up.  On Thursday, the day after Christmas, the Dow was up another 122 points to another new all-time record high.  In fact, the Dow has had an astonishing 50 record high closes this year.    Continue reading “The Stock Market Has Officially Entered Crazytown Territory”

AP PhotoABC News – by LINDA DEUTSCH AP

A short, slender man speaking in a hoarse voice pleaded not guilty Thursday to 11 federal charges, including the murder of a Transportation Security Administration screener and the wounding of three other people during a rampage at Los Angeles International Airport last month.

The charges could bring him the death penalty. The decision on whether the government will seek the ultimate penalty will take a long time and will ultimately rest with U.S. Attorney General Erik Holder.   Continue reading “Suspect in LA Airport Shooting Pleads Not Guilty”

bioterrorismfbImagine the nightmare scenario of an attack from a terrorist group or hostile nation. It probably involves a radioactive blast and a mushroom cloud, right? What about an attack that involves germs and surgical masks? How does that factor in? The reality is biological attacks may be just as devastating as the typical terrorist attack. How prepared is the U.S., and what’s the history of biological warfare and terrorism throughout the world?   Continue reading “Biological Attack — Are We Ready?”

Ray Kelly to join Council on Foreign RelationsSalon – by ELIAS ISQUITH

Ray Kelly is soon to leave his post as NYPD commissioner, but that doesn’t mean he’ll fade from the public eye. Not only is he planning to soon cash-in on the public speaking circuit, but according to a release from the venerable think tank, the Council on Foreign Relations will soon add Kelly to its roster of thought leaders, bestowing Kelly with the title of distinguished visiting fellow.  Continue reading “Ray Kelly to join Council on Foreign Relations”

nvcw.jpgFox News – by Stephanie McNeal

When budget woes reduced the sheriff’s department in one rural Oregon county to a bare-bones force, residents decided to take matters into their own hands — creating armed patrol groups in defiance of local officials.

Their decision has raised safety concerns with the county government, which would prefer residents instead hike their own taxes to fund the hiring of trained deputies. But despite the risks, the move stands as a unique, some would say innovative, response to one of the country’s most severe local budget crunches.    Continue reading “Citizens take law into own hands after cash-strapped Ore. county guts sheriff’s office”

AZ Central – by Dennis Wagner

A federal agent who exposed the Justice Department’s flawed gun-trafficking investigation known as Operation Fast and Furious says the FBI played a key role in events leading to the 2010 murder near Nogales, Ariz., of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

John Dodson, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, contends that the bandits who killed Terry were working for FBI operatives and were sent to the border to do a drug rip-off using intelligence from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.   Continue reading “Agent: FBI key in border agent Terry slaying”

Harvest Moon

This is a proposal of how Atheism has become a religion.  I am speaking of a specific kind of atheist, not a buddhist atheist, but an atheist who has faith in science, the scientific method, and worships these entities.  Simply being an Atheist does not make one a religious-atheist according to this proposal.

Some religions have worshiped statues and objects as their god. I am proposing Atheism is not impervious to Idolatry.   Continue reading “Atheism As A Religion”

US army soldiers stand guard as a US army aircraft remains on the runway awaiting the arrival of American nationals who are being evacuated due to recent unrest and violence in South Sudan, on December 21, 2013, in Juba. (AFP Photo / Samir Bol)RT News

A small team of US Marines was deployed to Uganda on Tuesday to prepare for more evacuations of Americans from the escalating turmoil in South Sudan.

Pentagon spokesman Col. Steven Warren said a “platoon-sized” team of Marines and a C-130 aircraft would be detached from a deployment in Djibouti to travel to Entebbe, Uganda, AFP reported.   Continue reading “US sends Marines to Uganda to aid South Sudan evacuations”

All Gov – by Noel Brinkerhoff

Even after months of stories exposing the breadth and depth of National Security Agency (NSA) spying on Americans’ communications, the Obama administration insists federal courts should stop hearing cases challenging the agency’s warrantless surveillance on grounds that they might expose the existence of this spying.

Last week, federal lawyers asked a judge, Jeffrey S. White, in Northern California to dismiss cases that could lead to a ruling on the constitutionality of warrantless surveillance programs authorized during the George W. Bush administration.   Continue reading “Obama Administration Tries to Stop Courts from Ruling on Constitutionality of Warrantless Spying”

Observation Deck IO9

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a movement permit to S. Claus to “allow reindeer to enter and exit the United States between the hours of 6 PM December 24, 2013 and 6 AM December 25, 2013, through or over any northern border port.”

Since this is a government agency, things are not quite that simple:   Continue reading “USDA allows Santa’s reindeer to enter the country”

South sudan army offensive rebelsGlobal Post

As South Sudan’s army signaled Monday that it was poised for a major offensive against rebel forces, the leaders of both sides said they were ready to talk.

President Salva Kiir told US special envoy Donald Booth that he was ready for talks with rival Riek Machar “without preconditions.”   Continue reading “South Sudan president and rebel leader signal willingness to talk”

CNN – by Holly Yan

(CNN) — A compounding pharmacy at the center of a fungal meningitis outbreak last year has agreed to a preliminary settlement that would create a $100 million fund for victims.

The fund will also be used to pay off creditors of the bankrupt New England Compounding Center, attorneys in the case said. A judge will have to approve the plan before it goes into effect.   Continue reading “Pharmacy owners agree to $100 million settlement after meningitis outbreak”

The Motley Fool – by Bob Ciura

The United States becoming a net exporter of natural gas is an idea that seemed virtually impossible just a few years ago. The increase in domestic natural gas production has been dramatic, thanks to technological developments that have made previously untapped resources suddenly viable. Due to new ‘fracking’ technologies, the vast ocean of natural gas the United States is currently sitting on may hold the keys to our national energy independence.   Continue reading “Natural Gas Storage Tanks are Drying Up With Exports on the Horizon”

FILE - In this Tuesday, June 2, 2009 file photo, former South African President Nelson Mandela reacts at the Mandela foundation, in Johannesburg, South Africa, during a meeting with a group of American and South African students as part of a series of activities leading to Mandela Day on July 18th. Israel's state archive has published a 50-year-old letter stating that the Mossad spy service unwittingly offered paramilitary training to a young Nelson Mandela in 1962, and released a number of other documents showing a tense relationship between the Jewish state and apartheid-era South Africa. The release of the documents in the wake of Mandela’s death appear to be aimed at blunting criticism of Israel's close alliance with South Africa's apartheid rulers. (AP Photo/Theana Calitz-Bilt, Pool, File)Yahoo News – by JOSEF FEDERMAN

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s state archives has published a 50-year-old letter from the Mossad spy agency claiming it unknowingly offered paramilitary training to a young Nelson Mandela, along with documents illustrating the Jewish state’s sympathy for the anti-apartheid struggle in the 1960s.

The release of the documents on the archives’ website in the wake of Mandela’s death appear to be aimed at blunting criticism of the close alliance Israel later developed with South Africa’s apartheid rulers.   Continue reading “Document: Israeli Mossad trained Mandela”