From the Trenches World Report
Enforce our Bill of Rights
Bloomberg – by Alex Webb and Stefan Nicola
Warren Buffett wants to tell you the best time to wash your clothes.
Or at least his energy company in the U.K does. Buffett’s Northern Powergrid Holdings Co. is working with Siemens AG (SIE) to test a so-called smart grid that has the ability to control when consumer appliances will be used in the home. Continue reading “Buffett’s Smart-Grid Idea Takes Over Your Washing Machine”
Target Liberty – by Robert Wenzel
Lyn Ulbricht, the mother of the Ross Ulbricht who is sitting in jail because the government alleges he was the operator of Silk Road, emails:
Bob,
I thought you’d be interested to know that the government has asked the judge to limit the defense by not allowing any of Ross’ political or philosophical beliefs to be introduced to the jury as they might influence the jury in his favor. The prosecution goes so far as to say that they fear that exposing the jury to his political thought could invite a jury nullification verdict. Continue reading “Government Prosecutors Fear Liberty and Jury Nullification”
Sleuth Journal – by Professor James Tracy
Close to three weeks have passed since the mass shooting incident at Florida State University where three individuals were injured and Attorney Myron May perished in a hail of police gunfire.
Major news media consider the FSU shooting more or less a closed case. After all, what more is there to hype? Let’s see. A madman with a gun. Check. Terrified witness interviews publicized. Check. Alleged shooter’s bizarre online statements suggesting derangement highlighted. Check. Official pleas for “unity,” “strength,” and “healing.” Check. Photo op candlelight vigil providing ideal narrative closure. Check. Continue reading ““Media Partners” In Mass Shooting Events”
CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) – Former Chicago cop Steve Mandell was sentenced to life in prison plus five years Thursday after a federal judge ruled that the public needs to be protected from him, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Convicted at the end of a spectacularly lurid trial in February, Mandell, 64, plotted to abduct Riverside businessman Steve Campbell, take him to a purpose-built Northwest Side torture chamber, extort him into turning over property, then kill him and chop him up with a meat cleaver and a buzz-saw on a man-sized butcher’s block. Much of his planning was captured on tape secretly by the FBI. The feds arrested him before the scheme could be carried out. Continue reading “‘Psychopath’ ex-cop gets life in prison plus five years for torture plot”
On April 2, 2013, in an article entitled Economics 101: Production, coercion and theft, I wrote about the coming looting of pension plans, stating:
When societies approach collapse, coercion shifts to outright theft: Stealing money right out of your bank account, for example, like we recently witnessed in Cyprus. Government also routinely target pension funds and even private retirement accounts, attempting to keep itself afloat by any means necessary. Continue reading “LIKE CLOCKWORK: Pension plans to be looted nationwide as Congress okays institutional theft of funds”
In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published yesterday in the Federal Register, the Coast Guard has proposed that all so-called “cruise ship” ports be required to carry out airport-style searches (”screening) and check identity credentials of all embarking and disembarking passengers and any other visitors entering the port.
Entities responsible for the operations of large passenger vessels and ports are already required to submit “security” plans to the Coast Guard. Because those current plans are filed in secret, it’s not entirely clear how the proposed requirements differ from current practices. Continue reading “DHS proposes ID and search rules for passengers on ocean-going ships”
The Common Sense Show – by Dave Hodges
The churches of America continue to fail in their primary duty to their members, namely, to preach the word of God for the purpose of saving souls. There are the continuing assaults upon our churches and there are new threats to the viability of the Christian churches in America as well. There is only one inescapable conclusion, the Christian spirit in America’s churches is largely dead on arrival. It is highly likely that your pastor is bought and paid for by DHS or the EPA or some other alphabet soup federal agency. The message of the Bible has been subverted to promote the message of the government. Continue reading “DHS, FEMA & The EPA Have Taken Over Your Church”
WMAZ 13 News – by Paula Rotondo
David Hooks was shot in the back and head as he was lying face down on the floor during a drug raid by Laurens County deputies.
That’s according to the lawyer representing his family.
It’s been nearly four months since David Hooks was shot to death during a drug raid at his East Dublin home. Continue reading “Attorney: Hooks shot in the back and head during raid”
Last night an undercover cop in Oakland drew his firearm on a group of demonstrators before arresting a black man from among the crowd.
Protesters at the scene reported on Twitter that the cop pulled his gun after he was ‘outed’ as an undercover. One person tweeted that the undercovers were “instigators of looting,” while another said they were “banging on windows.” After they were unmasked, one of the cops drew his baton and then pulled a gun on the crowd. After the first officer drew his weapon, someone allegedly punched the other cop in the face, knocking him down. Read the tweets below. Continue reading “Undercover cop, discovered by activists at Oakland protest, pulls gun on crowd”
WASHINGTON – When I was last at the D.C. police headquarters, they explained to me that I can’t apply for a gun carry permit just because I need to defend myself in a city with high crime. I had to prove a “special” danger, according to the new law. So that’s what I set out to do.
All Americans –- not just Washingtonians — can apply for a D.C. permit to carry a concealed handgun. But you have to prove you have specific threats against you or previous attacks. So far, the police have only gotten 47 permit applications. Police Chief Cathy Lanier has approved only two of those people to legally carry a gun. Continue reading “How to prove a ‘special’ danger to get a gun carry permit in DC”
Free Thought Project – by Jay Syrmopoulos
Washington, D.C. – In a sneak attack on the civil liberties of all Americans, the Intelligence Authorization Act for 2015 was rushed to the House floor with virtually no debate.
The legislation was scheduled for only a “voice vote,” which means that it is simply declared “passed” with voice votes and no record.
This is considered the simplest and quickest voting method, not what one would expect from such an important piece of legislation. For most pieces of major legislation, a roll call vote would be the standard operating procedure. Continue reading “Congress Passes Bill Giving Police Unlimited Access to Citizens’ Private Communications”
The CIA paid at least a million dollars to Poland for it to host secret prisons, where it incarcerated alleged 9/11 terror suspects, according to the recent US torture report.
Warsaw had initially tried to halt the transfer of suspects, but after a generous offer, it suddenly became more “flexible.” Continue reading “Hush money: CIA paid Poland to host its secret prisons and detainees”
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) seems to be the catalyst each year for passing tyrannical laws that couldn’t stand on their own without its cover of “defense.”
Previous NDAAs gave us an open declaration of war on US citizens, indefinite detention without due process, and funding for the domestic spy grid and police militarization.
Buried deep in this year’s 1600-page NDAA (likely that not one lawmaker even read) is a massive federal land grab for special interests. Continue reading “Massive Federal Land Grab Hidden In This Year’s NDAA”
My News 13 – by Amanda McKenzie
ORLANDO — Orange County Public Schools approved a plan that would give the school district a police force.
According to both Orange County Public Schools and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office there has been no increase in violent crimes on school campuses. Continue reading “Orange County schools approves police force plan”
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plans to launch a pilot program in New York City to place body cameras on police officers and conduct training seminars to help them reduce their adrenaline rushes and abusive language, along with the establishment of a less stringent marijuana policy, are merely cosmetic reforms. The killing of Eric Garner in Staten Island was, after all, captured on video. These proposed reforms, like those out of Washington, D.C., fail to address the underlying cause of poverty, state-sponsored murder and the obscene explosion of mass incarceration—the rise of the corporate state and the death of our democracy. Mass acts of civil disobedience, now being carried out across the country, are the only mechanism left that offers hope for systematic legal and judicial reform. We must defy the corporate state, not work with it. Continue reading “The Corporate State Gets Stronger Every Time a Cop Kills a Citizen with Impunity”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The CIA director said that enhanced interrogation techniques (EITs), condemned in a Senate Intelligence Committee report as ineffective, did help thwart terrorist attacks against the United States, capture terrorists, and save lives.
“Our review indicates that interrogations of detainees on whom EITs were used did produce intelligence that helped thwart attack plans, capture terrorists, and save lives,” CIA Director John Brennan said in a statement Tuesday. “The intelligence gained from the program was critical to our understanding of al-Qa’ida and continues to inform our counterterrorism efforts to this day.” Continue reading “B.S. Warning: CIA Director Claims Enhanced Interrogations ‘Helped Thwart Terrorist Attacks, Saved Lives””
FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday left open the possibility that an agent might again pose as a journalist as part of an investigation, though he said such a tactic ought to be rare and “done carefully with significant supervision, if it’s going to be done.”
Comey told reporters at a roundtable discussion that he was “not willing to say never” when asked if the FBI would swear off future use of the tactic in response to an Associated Press demand made last month. Continue reading “FBI Leaves Door Open on Media Impersonation”
NJ.com – by Naomi Nix, December 5, 2014
NEWARK — Newark mayor Ras Baraka will hold press conference today to urge lawmakers to pass legislation making the state’s red light camera program permanent.
The five-year-old pilot program is set to expire and the cameras at 73 intersections across the state will go dark unless the state legislature and Gov. Chris Christie take legislative action by the middle of this month.
“We need that money. I think it’s a good program,” Baraka said Thursday during a brief interview. “The city is bringing in about $4 million dollars a year…that’s why we (are) speaking out about it.” Continue reading “‘We need that money,’ Baraka says as he urges lawmakers to keep red light cameras”
My Fox Chicago
Natural News – by Mike Adams
Papers Please
Privacy SOS
My Fox DC – by Emily Miller
RT
Activist Post – by Eric Blair
Alternet – by Chris Hedges
Breitbart – by Edwin Mora
ABC News – by Eric Tucker