From the Trenches World Report

Shark Tank – by Javier Manjarres

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has taken a hard-line stance against medicinal marijuana here in Florida.

Unlike Senator Marco Rubio, who favors the “noneuphoric strains” of medical marijuana, and other possible 2016 Republican presidential candidates, who support broader medicinal marijuana use, Bush is strongly urging voters in Florida to defeat the marijuana amendment that is on the ballot this coming November.   Continue reading “Jeb Bush Urges Floridians To Vote Against Medical Marijuana”

Reuters

The U.S. Energy Department has finalized a plan to revamp its process for approving liquefied natural gas exports, and as originally proposed the changes eliminate conditional approvals for LNG projects.

Beginning Thursday, the department will only issue final rulings on whether exports are in the public interest after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or another authorized agency, has completed an environmental review of the project.   Continue reading “U.S. Energy Dept finalizes overhaul of natural gas export reviews”

Daily Mail – by LOUISE BOYLE

Police in Ferguson named Officer Darren Wilson as the one who fatally shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in the St. Louis suburb.

Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson revealed the officer’s name on Friday morning.

Officer Wilson is a six-year veteran of the Ferguson Police Department and has no history of disciplinary action.    Continue reading “Ferguson police name Officer Darren Wilson as cop who shot dead unarmed teenager Michael Brown”

USA Today

WASHINGTON (AP) — Images of police outfitted in paramilitary gear clashing with protesters in suburban St. Louis after the weekend shooting death of unarmed black teenager is giving new impetus to efforts to rein in a Pentagon program that provides free machine guns and other surplus military equipment to local law enforcement agencies.

Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., says he plans to introduce legislation when Congress returns in September to curb what he describes as an increasing militarization of police agencies across the country.   Continue reading “Congressman wants to curb military surplus program”

The Guardian – by Shaun Walker

The white trucks of humanitarian aid rumbled through Russia in a convoy stretching for miles, moving slowly southwards on the M4 highway, amid a landscape of fertile fields and Ladas stopped at the roadside – their boots overflowing with watermelons for sale.

But, while the trucks came to a halt well short of Ukraine‘s border, a different Russian convoy did make the crossing into Ukrainian territory late on Thursday evening.   Continue reading “Aid convoy stops short of border as Russian military vehicles enter Ukraine”

Militia News – by Gary Hunt

Who will fire the first shot? Who can fire the first shot? Contemplation of these questions causes me to recall a situation, many years ago, when I was first confronted with the thought of aiming, squeezing, and taking the life of another human being. It is not difficult to recall that memory, as it is one that will stay with me the rest of my life; that thought and that first time that I did aim, squeeze and fire.   Continue reading “Liberty or Laws? Jealously Guard Our Liberties”

Militia News – by Gary Hunt

Prior to the Constitution, under the Articles of Confederation, each State (nation) had a right to defend its borders. The Articles created a collective pursuit of defense of borders against the British.

With the ratification of the Constitution, there was a greater consolidation of the collective into a Union. It also imposed upon that Union an obligation to protect each State against invasion, first, within the Powers of the Congress:   Continue reading “The American Militia in Defense of the State”

Mail.com

BAGHDAD (AP) — The decision by Iraq’s embattled Nouri al-Maliki to step down as prime minister revived hopes on Friday for the formation of a new government that could take on a growing insurgency by Sunni militants that has engulfed much of the country.

The move, which followed weeks of international and domestic pressure, defuses a political deadlock that has plunged Iraq into uncertainty at a time of the nation’s greatest turmoil since the 2011 withdrawal of U.S. troops.   Continue reading “Iraq’s al-Maliki steps down, backs rival for PM”

Mail.com

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of people across the country attended protest vigils Thursday for an unarmed black Missouri teenager fatally shot by a white police officer and other victims who organizers say died as a result of police brutality.

The vigils, observed in more than 90 cities as part of a National Moment of Silence, came days after the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown and the death of a New York man caused by a police officer’s chokehold.   Continue reading “Rallies honor people who died at hands of police”

RT

A group of five Muslim American men included on the watchlist of suspected terrorists maintained by the United States government filed a federal complaint on Thursday this week contesting their placement.

“The federal government has unjustly and disproportionately targeted American Muslims by routinely adding their names to the Terrorist Screening Database without affording them their rights to due process,”Lena Masri, a staff attorney for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said in a statement announcing the legal action. “The lawsuit will challenge the government’s broad and unchecked power to secretly label individuals as ‘known or suspected terrorists’ without concrete facts, but based on only a vague standard of ‘reasonable suspicion.’”   Continue reading “Muslim Americans sue feds over placement on terrorist watchlist”

RT

Thousands of people in Tel Aviv rallied to show support for the IDF’s military campaign in Gaza, urging the government forces to stop Hamas rocket attacks on Israel once and for all.

An estimated 10,000 Israelis gathered in Rabin Square for first major demonstration since Operation Protective Edge began on July 8, officially to protect Israeli civilians from the barrage of rockets launched from the militant organization on the Gaza strip.   Continue reading “‘Finish the job!’ Thousands of Israelis rally in support of Gaza offensive”

RT

The government of Argentina is ready to use an anti-terrorism law to seek criminal charges against a US-based international printing company, which unexpectedly closed its plant on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

Workers of RR Donnelley in the Argentinian capital came to work on Monday to be informed of the plant’s closure due to an “insurmountable crisis,” according to AP.    Continue reading “‘Attempt to intimidate’: US firm may face terrorism charges in Argentina”