From the Trenches World Report

National Iranian American Council – by Samia Basille

Washington DC – In the latest case of broad sanctions impacting ordinary Iranians, Iranian nationals in the United States were recently contacted by Bank of Hawaii and informed that their accounts would be terminated due to their Iranian citizenship.

The National Iranian American Council has called on the bank to reverse its decision. In a letter addressed to the Bank’s President, NIAC has warned that the policy likely constitutes discrimination on the basis of national origin. If the policy is not reversed, further action may be required to ensure the bank cannot discriminate against Iranians.   Continue reading “Bank of Hawaii Closes Bank Accounts for Iranians Living in U.S.”

Fox News

EPHRATA, WASH. –  A 65-foot-long crack in a Columbia River dam in central Washington has prompted officials to begin lowering the water level by 20 feet so inspectors can get a better idea of how serious the damage is.

Grant County Public Utility District spokesman Thomas Stredwick said Friday there’s no immediate threat to public safety from the crack in the Wanapum Dam, located just downstream from where Interstate 90 crosses the river.   Continue reading “65-foot-long crack found in Washington dam on Columbia River”

Before It’s News – by Monday Morning

On Tuesday morning, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will provide $3 million to help the one animal that will make or break U.S. food prices: bees.

Commercial honeybees pollinate an estimated $15 billion worth of the nation’s agricultural produceeach year, as reported by The Associated Press on Tuesday. Bees and other pollinators account for one out of every three bites of food Americans consume.   Continue reading “This One Animal Could Send Food Prices Soaring”

Before It’s News – by Mort Amsel

Russia & China send aircraft carrier to the coast of Venezuela The Russian aircraft carrier “Alexander Kuznetsov “heads to the coast of Venezuela, in theory, for military exercises With the Bolivarian Navy.

Moreover, According to some sources, the Chinese aircraft carrier “Shilang -07″ escorted by warships, Also in September to change its course towards Caribbean waters and engage the Russian aircraft, to-sources-According To support  Venezuela from a possible U.S. military intervention.   Continue reading “Unconfirmed: China, Russia Send Aircraft Carriers To Venezuela”

The Sun

LOS ANGELES — Intermittent heavy rain and possible thunderstorms were expected today, causing power outages, dangerous mudslides, localized flooding, high surf and evacuations as the strongest storm in three years continued to pound the Southland.

The saturating rain from this series of storms and wet roads may have been contributing factors in a number of serious accidents overnight, one of them fatal.   Continue reading “Heavy rain, thunderstorms to pound Southland on Saturday”

As I was lying around, pondering the problems of the world, I realized that at my age I don’t really give a darn anymore.

… If walking is good for your health, the postman would be immortal.

… A whale swims all day, mainly eat fish, drinks water, but is still fat.   Continue reading “Déjà vu all over again?”

CNN – by Laura Smith-Spark. Diana Magnay and Ingrid Formanek

Simferopol, Ukraine (CNN) — Russia’s upper house of parliament voted unanimously Saturday to approve sending Russian military forces into Ukraine, amid mounting tensions in the country’s Crimea region.

The vote followed a request from Russian President Vladimir Putin for approval to send Russian troops into Crimea to normalize the political situation there.   Continue reading “Russian upper house approves use of military force in Ukraine”

Before It’s News – by Deborah Dupre

California Rain Storm Update March 1, 2014, 7:30 A.M. PST

A strong low-pressure storm system still off California’s coast will move inland during this weekend, bringing up to 3 more inches of rain, up to 10 inches of snow in some mountain areas, 12-ft waves, flash flooding, possible tornados and hurricane force wind gusts. From San Bernardino and Riverside to San Diego counties, residents brace for wind gusts of 65 mph or more.   Continue reading “California Rain Storm Updates: Brace For Worse, Hillsides Unstable, 12-Ft Waves, More Evacs”

The Examiner

Today Pope Benedict, Queen Elizabeth, Jesuit Superior General Adolfo Nicolas Pachon and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby were delivered a summons to appear before a Brussels international court on 31 March 2014. www.itccs.org

They were charged with aiding and abetting the torture, trafficking and murder of children, plus concealing evidence regarding:   Continue reading “Pope Benedict, Queen Elizabeth and Jesuit Superior charged, pretrial set”

CenturyLink – by NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — While one of the newer double-walled nuclear waste storage tanks at a Washington state complex has leaked, six others have “significant construction flaws” that could lead to additional leaks, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

The 28 double-walled tanks at Hanford nuclear waste complex hold some of the worst radioactive waste at the nation’s most contaminated nuclear weapons site.   Continue reading “Washington nuke waste tanks flawed?”

Pakistan Today – by SHUMAILA RAJA

If one goes by the American measurement, the saying goes that they do not start a venture unless they are sure about its cost not going from their own kitty. The Afghan venture does not seemingly pay them as does Iraq’s but permitting poppy cultivation to the Afghan warlords and bigwigs favouring the US intervention was the bid to justify finances of their stay in that country.   Continue reading “CIA’s secret drug trade goes on unchecked in Afghanistan”

Politico Magazine – by JOSHUA KUCERA

It’s perhaps not surprising that Tajikistan, which shares a poorly guarded, 750-mile border with opium-rich Afghanistan, has become a major global drug-trafficking hub—in fact, more than 80 percent of Afghanistan’s heroin exports to Russia and Europe now pass through Tajik territory. Over the past decade, the United States, worried that the drug trade would soon be accompanied by all the other security problems that plague Afghanistan, has cooperated closely with Tajikistan’s government to help it stem the narcotics trade. Seems reasonable, right?   Continue reading “The Narcostate”

Militia News

The U.S. Postal Service is currently seeking companies that can provide “assorted small arms ammunition” in the near future.

The U.S. Postal Service joins the long list of non-military federal agencies purchasing large amounts of ammunition.

On Jan. 31, the USPS Supplies and Services Purchasing Office posted a notice on theFederal Business Opportunities websiteasking contractors to register with USPS as potential ammunition suppliers for a variety of cartridges.   Continue reading “U.S. Postal Service Announces Giant Ammo Purchase.”

Mass Live – by Jack Flynn

SPRINGFIELD — City officials have agreed to pay $28,000 to settle a lawsuit by two women claiming they were strip searched by Springfield police officer Carla Daniele in front of male officers and passing traffic in 2009.

The women, Meredith Blakeslee and Darlene Palazzi, will receive $14,000 each in exchange for dropping the suit filed in U.S. District Court after police stopped their vehicle on Plumtree Road and searched them for drugs.    Continue reading “Strip search lawsuit against Springfield police officer Carla Daniele is settled for $28,000”

Policy Mic – by Tom McKay

Which countries are at the highest risk of a coup d’état this upcoming year? While in any individual country a coup seems highly unlikely at any given time, this map from dartthrowingchimp shows the relative risks each country faces from a revolution instigated by its own armed forces.

The above heat map sorts the world by fifths into various levels of risk. The map’s creator, Jay Ulfelder, says that at around 80% of the countries which undergo coup attempts this year are likely to fall into the uppermost category (red). Meanwhile, this chart plots the unweighted average of two different forecast models to determine the “single-best” forecast of the risk of a coup.   Continue reading “This Map Shows Where The Next Military Coup Will Likely Happen”