Free Thought Project – by Claire Bernish

North Dakota — In what could only be termed a potential gross violation of human rights, the Morton County Sheriff’s Department announced today it plans to block all supplies from entering Standing Rock camps — including deliveries of food.

Reuters reports: “Supplies, including food and building materials, will be blocked from entering the main camp following Governor Jack Dalrymple’s signing of an ‘emergency evacuation’ order on Monday, said Maxine Herr, a spokeswoman from the Morton County Sheriff’s Department.”   Continue reading “Sheriff’s Dept to Fine People $1K for Bringing in Food and Supplies to Standing Rock”

US Uncut – by Tom Cahill

Nestle, which is arguably the world’s leading advocate of water privatization, is about to acquire 100 million gallons of drinking water in Michigan.

In Evart, Michigan, which is just 120 miles from Flint, Nestle is in the process of negotiating a permit with the state of Michigan to increase  its current pumping operations for its private bottled water business to 210 million gallons of water per year. In exchange for the selling off  groundwater normally used by residents for drinking and bathing, Nestle — which is valued at over $200 billion — will only have to pay $200.   Continue reading “Michigan plans to sell 100 million gallons of groundwater to Nestle for $200”

RT

The US has reached a new energy milestone after the volume of the natural gas exported in November exceeded the amount imported during the same period.

The country has become a net exporter of natural gas for the first time in nearly six decades, according to the US Energy Department.

Gas exports totaled 7.4 billion cubic feet per day this month, compared to the 7 billion cubic feet per day the country imported, according to data from S&P Global Platts.   Continue reading “US net exporter of natural gas for first time in 60 yrs”

Daisy Luther

Every few years, some people get mad and burn the American flag and all heck breaks loose.

Currently, flags are being burned on a regular basis all over the country ever since Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton in the race for the presidency, and people are responding in the usual dramatic fashion, with cries for new amendments to outlaw the act, threats of physical violence, and all sorts of hair-rending.   Continue reading “Unless Someone Is Burning YOUR Flag, Flag-Burning Is Not Illegal”

RT

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has approved extending the Trans Mountain pipeline, which may help Canada become the largest oil producer in the Americas.

The pipeline aims to move crude from central Alberta to the Pacific coast. The expansion would triple its initial capacity up to 890,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the current 300,000 barrels.

The project will cost Can$6.8 billion ($5 billion) and is expected to open the Asian market to crude exports from Canadian oil sands.   Continue reading “Canada expands controversial oil pipeline to Pacific”

RT

Congress has managed to finalize a $618.7 billion defense bill for the 2017 fiscal year, boosting it with an extra $3.2 billion for manpower, while stripping extra ships and jets. Requirements for women to register for the draft are also gone from the bill.

After months of negotiations, both legislative chambers have reached an accord on the new National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is set to come to a final floor vote in the House this week and in the Senate next week.   Continue reading “Military draft for women among dropped ideas in compromise 2017 defense bill”

Mail.com

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — For a half-century after the deadliest submarine disaster in U.S. history, Navy Capt. Paul “Bud” Rogers struggled with feelings that it should have been him — and not his last-minute replacement — on the doomed voyage of the USS Thresher in which 129 men died.

This week, at his family’s request, a Navy submarine is bringing his cremated remains to be buried at sea near the Thresher’s wreckage some 200 miles off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. “I’m just so happy. I feel like my husband will be at peace,” said his widow, Barbara Rogers, 86, of Wernersville, Pennsylvania. “He felt he should have gone down with the Thresher.”   Continue reading “Navy to scatter vet’s ashes near site of 1963 sub sinking”

Mail.com

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — The judge in the murder trial of a white former patrolman who fatally shot a black motorist decided Wednesday to let the jury consider a lesser charge of manslaughter, meaning prosecutors won’t have to prove the officer acted out of malice when he shot the fleeing man in the back.

Michael Slager is charged in the April 2015 shooting death of Walter Scott, who fled from a traffic stop and resisted arrest. The final moments of their encounter were captured on a bystander’s cellphone video that shocked the nation.   Continue reading “Judge allows manslaughter in fired officer’s murder trial”

The Hill – by Jessie Hellmann

More than 2,000 veterans have announced plans to assemble in an effort to protect protesters at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota next week.

The effort, called Veterans Stand for Standing Rock, is meant to be a nonviolent intervention to defend protesters from what they described as “assault and intimidation at the hands of the militarized police force.”   Continue reading “2,000 vets vow to defend Dakota pipeline protesters”

Daisy Luther

When Americans aren’t paying attention, sneaky things tend to happen. While we were all distracted by the aftermath of the election, the US Congress decided to get the war ball rolling with Syria.

On November 15, while cities across America were under siege from anti-Trump protesters and rioters, a handful of members of the House of Representatives quietly passed H.R.5732 – the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2016. Of course, they’re going to be “protecting” those civilians with a no-fly zone over the country. Consortium News reported:   Continue reading “Congress Is Sneaking Through Legislation for a No-Fly Zone Over Syria”

Mississippi Today – by Kate Royals

Faced with a public records request from Mississippi Today for the state’s contract with EdBuild, a legislative committee voted Tuesday to adopt a new policy mandating that all contracts it approves be confidential.

The House Management Committee, which approves contracts entered into by the House of Representatives, used a voice vote to pass the policy, which states “All contracts entered into by the House Management Committee shall be confidential and shall not be released to any person or entity, except as specifically directed by the House Management Committee only when the committee deems necessary for the execution of the contract.”   Continue reading “Mississippi Legislature: All our contracts are secret”

Tenth Amendment Center – by Michael Maharrey

AUSTIN, Texas (Nov. 29, 2016) – A “Constitutional Carry” bill filed for the 2017 legislative session would make it legal for Texans to carry a concealed firearm without a license, and foster an environment hostile to federal gun control.

Rep. Jonathan Strickland (R-Bedford) filed House Bill 375 (HB375) on Nov. 16. If passed into law, it would end Texas’ conceal carry licensing requirements and remove the need for government permission to carry a concealed firearm in the state. The new law reads in part:   Continue reading “Permission not Required: “Constitutional Carry” Bill Introduced in Texas”

Nextgov – by Mohana Ravindranath

The Homeland Security Department wants to install more cameras for facial recognition in airports.

Customs and Border Protection is looking for sources to provide “mounted facial recognition cameras” to be deployed in an “airport environment,” according to a solicitation posted earlier this month.

Those would be procured through a “small business track” on DHS’ indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract vehicle, FirstSource II.   Continue reading “DHS Wants New Facial Recognition Cameras in Airports”

Bloomberg

OPEC clinched a deal to curtail oil supply, confounding skeptics as the need to clear a record global crude glut — and prove the group’s credibility — brought about its first cuts in eight years, Bloomberg News reports.

OPEC will reduce production by 1.2 million barrels a day to 32.5 million a day, a delegate said Wednesday in Vienna, asking not to be identified as the decision isn’t yet public. Oil jumped 7.6 percent to $49.90 a barrel in London at 1:23 p.m. local time.   Continue reading “OPEC Agrees to Cut Production in Drive to End Global Glut”