The Guardian – by John M Glionna and Jason Wilson

Federal authorities are planning to cut off the power of the wildlife refuge in Oregon that has been taken over by militia, exposing the armed occupiers to sub-zero temperatures in an effort to flush them out.

Armed militants will begin their third day at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, a remote federal outpost in eastern Oregon, on Tuesday, and have vowed to remain for months in protest over the treatment of two local cattle ranchers.   Continue reading “Authorities plan to cut off power to militia at occupied Oregon refuge”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

Despite Ammon Bundy’s best efforts to explain the motives of the militiamen who over the weekend seized control of a remote federal building in Oregon, it’s still not entirely clear why several dozen US citizens decided to occupy the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

WaPo is probably correct to say that there “are gun rights issues, religious overtones, broad strains of anti-government sentiment and even the tactics of the Occupy Wall Street movement” at play, but like the Occupy movement, those holed up in the snowy government outpost have yet to articulate a coherent set of grievances to justify their cause.   Continue reading ““It’s Time For You To Leave”: Oregon Sheriff Demands Militiamen “Peacefully” Depart”

CBS News – by Mike DeNardo

HADDON HEIGHTS, N.J. (CBS) —  Students at a Haddon Heights Elementary School are getting a real-life lesson in Constitutional law.

Staffers at Glenview Elementary School say it became a daily ritual for students to say “God bless America” after the morning recital of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Continue reading “New Jersey School Skips Legal Battle, Will No Longer Recite “God Bless America””

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

SALT LAKE CITY —  In response to news media inquiries, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement Monday, January 4 (for more context on this issue, see this story from the Washington Post):    Continue reading “Mormon Church and Cattlemen’s Association Condemn Actions in Harney County, Oregon”

Mail.com

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A former South Carolina policeman charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist will remain under house arrest until his trial begins in the fall.

The release of Michael Slager on bond Monday was a disappointment to the family of the victim, Walter Scott, said Justin Bamberg, the attorney for the family. “The family is not happy about Mr. Slager getting bond,” Bamberg said shortly after Circuit Judge Clifton Newman said Slager could be released on $500,000 surety bond.   Continue reading “Family not happy officer out on bond in motorist’s death”

Mail.com

CHICAGO (AP) — A top city of Chicago lawyer stepped down after a federal judge accused him of hiding evidence in a fatal police shooting, the latest allegation of wrongdoing amid ongoing scrutiny of how the city deals with such cases.

Separately, the city agency that investigates police shootings vowed greater transparency, saying Monday that it would start divulging some details of active cases as it tries to bolster public confidence in the process.   Continue reading “Chicago lawyer resigns after judge rules he hid evidence”

Mail.com

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — When the U.S. wanted to show the world it didn’t recognize what it called China’s “excessive” territorial claims in disputed waters of the South China Sea this fall, it sent a warship near one of Beijing’s newly built artificial reefs.

The move came amid a debate about whether the U.S. has enough ships to meet challenges posed by a fast-growing, increasingly assertive Chinese navy that is unsettling some of its neighbors. In its latest move, China announced last week that it would build its second aircraft carrier, this one with domestic technology.   Continue reading “US Pacific Fleet shrinks even as China grows more aggressive”

Cincinnati – by Amber Hunt and Bowdeya Tweh

The police department in Arlington Heights – a village that area motorists for years had branded a speed trap before two of its officials were convicted with pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayers’ fines – has disbanded, tapping the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office with patrolling the tiny village.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, who called for the village’s dissolution in 2012, on Friday applauded the move, saying it was long overdue.   Continue reading “Arlington Heights disbands its PD; Hamilton County Sheriff will patrol instead”

Breitbart – by AWR Hawkins

“We will be looking for those individuals who seek to avoid registering,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch told reporters following a Jan. 4 meeting with President Obama regarding executive gun control.

Lynch was referencing the portion of Obama’s pending executive-action gun-control measure that will require gun-sellers to register as federally licensed gun dealers if they meet criteria demonstrating they are “engaged in the business of dealing in firearms.”   Continue reading “AG Lynch Explains Obama’s Gun-Control: Gov’t Looking For ‘Individuals Who Seek To Avoid Registering’”

Tech Dirt – by Tim Cushing

No surprises here, although the contempt for government authorities that aren’t the NYPD is a bit audacious.

Most of former NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly’s emails on his desktop computer were deleted at the end of his tenure despite an order they be preserved for a high-stakes class-action suit alleging a summons quota system within the department.  

Continue reading “Former NYPD Boss Ray Kelly’s Emails ‘Inadvertently’ Wiped Despite Court Order To Preserve Them”

Politico – by David Pittman

Delivering on its promise to deliver “common sense” gun control, the Obama administration on Monday finalized a rule that enables health care providers to report the names of mentally ill patients to an FBI firearms background check system.

The action was one of a series of steps that President Barack Obama had called for in January 2013 in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., shootings to curb gun violence, but the rule was not published until today.   Continue reading “Doctors can report some mentally ill patients to FBI under new gun control rule”

Jon Rappaport

Suppose Obama tired of hearing his critics assail him on his foreign policy.

Suppose President Obama took time out from his busy schedule ramming through executive orders, in his last year in office, and gave the following speech about Syria—because he wanted credit for being smart and crafty, not naïve, not weak, not misinformed:   Continue reading “Obama: “I am not a doofus.””

Watchmen News – by Valerie Love

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo believes in tough love. Tough as in, he’ll do the loving and compassion his way and if you don’t agree with it voluntarily, then tough on you as you will be arrested or involuntary transferred to a psychiatric hospital for an evaluation.

The compassionate, loving governor signed an executive order to remove homeless people off the streets when the temps dip below 32 degrees and place them into homeless shelters. According to the New York Times:   Continue reading “Gov. Cuomo’s Orders: Love, Compassion, Arrest or a Psych Eval, if necessary”

The Daily Sheeple – by Joshua Krause

If you were pulled over for driving drunk, I don’t think you would expect any mercy from the law. Your absolute best case scenario, would be spending the night in jail, and facing heavy financial penalties for your crime. But just like every other crime, when a cop does it, the same rules and consequences don’t necessarily apply.   Continue reading “This Is How Drunk Driving Cops Are Treated By Other Cops”

Breitbart – by Warner Todd Huston

As December came to a close, U.S. Border Patrol Agents announced two raids, one on an apartment on the Texas-Mexico border and another on a truck with a secret hiding place. The action resulted in the arrests of 41 illegal immigrants.

On December 31, the agency announced that an apartment in Palmview, Texas, a small town on the border, was raided and 31 illegal immigrants were found within. All were arrested and slated for deportation.   Continue reading “U.S. Border Patrol Arrests 31 Illegals Hiding in One Texas Apartment”

Huffington Post – by Ryan Grenoble

Will the showdown in Burns, Oregon, end with bloodshed, the way similar incidents in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and Waco, Texas, did in the 1990s?

Not according to Clint Van Zandt. The FBI’s former chief hostage negotiator told The Huffington Post on Monday that he’d be surprised if the bureau responded aggressively to the armed occupation of a federal building in Burns. Instead, Van Zandt says officials would be smart to treat the militants in Oregon with “infinite patience.”
Continue reading “Here’s What The Waco And Ruby Ridge Standoffs Taught The Feds About Oregon”