From the Trenches World Report

Ad Week – by Kristina Monllos

The debate around gun violence in America has long been heated (and will likely be even more so after this weekend’s deadly rampage in Isla Vista, Calif. and the multiple shooting deaths in Myrtle Beach, N.C.), but ongoing efforts by new advocacy groups that came out of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings are hoping to change the conversation.

The nonprofits, which include Sandy Hook Promise, Evolve and Everytown for Gun Safety—a coalition funded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg—have all recently come out with novel campaigns.   Continue reading “New Ads Take On Gun Control Spots aim to hit their mark”

Examiner – by Dave Workman

The aftermath of Friday night’s murder spree in California could provide a serious setback for gun prohibitionists now trying to pander Golden State-style laws around the country, including the so-called “universal background check” (UBC) that alleged killer Elliot Rodger passed to purchase three handguns legally at retail, a detail now appearing in Sunday’s updated report in the Seattle Times.   Continue reading “Isla Vista shooting lays bare gun control failures”

RT News

A team of American lawmakers is in Ukraine to observe the presidential election which Washington has called a historic milestone and provided over US$ 11.4 million to support the vote despite ongoing violence in eastern Ukraine.

US senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Benjamin Cardin (D-Maryland) arrived in Ukraine’s capital Kiev as a part of the American monitoring mission. The US team is led by former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright.   Continue reading “‘Vote at gunpoint,’ anyone? US keen to legitimize ‘good’ election in Ukraine”

Mail.com

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — When Warren Buffett announced in 2006 that he would give away his billions, he was flooded with individual requests for help that still flow in today.

Instead of tossing the letters aside, Buffett packages them up and sends them to his big sister Doris. With the help of seven women, her Sunshine Lady Foundation scrutinizes each request to find people who have come upon bad luck through no fault of their own.    Continue reading “Buffett’s older sister works one-on-one to help”

Mail.com

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Europe’s moves to rein in Google — including a court ruling this month ordering the search giant to give people a say in what pops up when someone searches their name — may be seen in Brussels as striking a blow for the little guy.

But across the Atlantic, the idea that users should be able to edit Google search results in the name of privacy is being slammed as weird and difficult to enforce at best and a crackdown on free speech at worst.   Continue reading “Europe’s order to mute Google angers US”

Mail.com

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s hugely popular female pop group AKB48 canceled fan events Monday after a saw-wielding man attacked two members and a staffer, shocking the nation and raising questions over security.

The two group members, Anna Iriyama, 18, and Rina Kawaei, 19, suffered hand and head injuries, and the male staffer who tried to stop the attack Sunday at a fan event in northern Japan had cuts on his hand. All three left the hospital by late Monday.   Continue reading “Japan pop group cancels events after saw attack”

Yahoo News – by Dana Feldman

SANTA BARBARA, California (Reuters) – With a California town grieving the deaths of six college students killed by a mentally ill man, one victim’s father on Monday blamed the killings on politicians who failed to tighten gun laws after a mass school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

Richard Martinez, whose son Christopher Michael-Martinez, 20, was gunned down on Friday night in Isla Vista, California, said similar rampages would continue until lawmakers took action on guns.   Continue reading “Father blames government ‘idiots’ as California town mourns killings”

Fox News – by William La Jeunesse

A U.S. Marine who has been held in a Mexican jail for two months after mistakenly crossing the border with guns could have been spared his continuing ordeal with a simple phone call – and the kind of courtesy American border officials extend to wayward Mexicans, including members of the military.

Andrew Tahmooressi, 25, was trying to visit a friend near the border in San Ysidro March 31 when he missed the last exit on Interstate 5 and inadvertently crossed into Mexico. While his mistake was apparently due in part to a poorly marked – and recently changed – sign marking the last chance to make a U-turn back toward the U.S., some reasonable discretion by border officials could have spared him nearly two months in a Mexican prison, sources told Fox News.   Continue reading “Mexican cooperation could have spared Marine from ordeal, say border sources”

SlideShare

What is an NGO?

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization that is neither a part of a government nor a conventional for-profit business. Usually set up by ordinary citizens, NGOs may be funded by governments, foundations or businesses. Some avoid formal funding altogether and are run primarily by volunteers. Continue reading “Global power structures masterlist of 1,150 NGOs and 300 key people in them”

The New American – by Thomas R. Eddlem

The USA Freedom Act — written in its original form by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and designed to ban the omnipresent collection of private U.S. citizens’ data by the NSA without a judicial warrant — was passed in gutted form May 22. The act is likely to be further watered down as it heads to the Senate, as senators have generally been less skeptical of warrantless surveillance of Americans than have members of the House.   Continue reading “USA Freedom Act Gutted Before House Passage; Heads to Senate”

Press TV

Indictment filed by US Attorney Paul Fishmen accuses rabbis Mendel Epstein, Martin Wolmark, Binyamin Stimler and Jay Golstein aka ‘Yaakov’ of abducting or conspiring to kidnap men and torturously forcing them to divorce their wives. These men were a part of a larger group that was charged in the alleged plot.  Continue reading “Four US rabbis indicted on kidnapping charges”

Huffington Post – by Ashley Alman

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) joined the charge of politicians calling for a review of gun control legislation on Sunday in the wake of a gunman’s deadly rampage on the campus of University of California, Santa Barbara.

King, a longtime advocate of stricter gun control policies, told the Washington Post that the incident reinforces the argument for expanding background checks for gun owners.   Continue reading “Peter King Calls For Enhanced Gun Control Legislation In Wake Of California Rampage”

Fox News

An 89-year-old Navy veteran who came under heavy enemy fire aboard a landing craft on D-Day is accusing bureaucrats at the Department of Veterans Affairs of slashing his veterans benefits to $6 a month from $300.

Joseph Teson, of Watervliet, N.Y., told WNYT-TV he used to get $300 a month in benefits, about a third of which he would donate to veterans groups. He said the VA cut his benefits to recoup an overpayment of more than $3,000 that he never even noticed.   Continue reading “VA cuts D-Day veteran’s benefits to $6 a month”

Yahoo News

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A wildfire chewing through the forest of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula has expanded in size, prompting authorities to order the evacuation of 1,000 structures, officials said.

The massive fire south of Anchorage covered nearly 243 square miles and was 30 percent contained, according to a posting Sunday night on the Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team’s Facebook page. It was burning in the 1.9 million-acre Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.   Continue reading “Area evacuated as Alaska wildfire grows”

Fox News

Former Florida congressman Allen West told Fox News’ Andrea Tantaros Friday the Obama administration’s reaction to the plight of the Marine jailed in Mexico on gun charges is “very embarrassing.”

Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, who grew up in Southern Florida, was arrested March 31 after he says inadvertently crossed into Mexico with weapons in his truck.   Continue reading “Allen West: Obama administration’s response to jailed Marine’s plight ‘very embarrassing’”