From the Trenches World Report

Waking Times – by Dylan Charles

Home ownership in America is not what it used to be. For a frugal family who pays off their mortgage according to its terms, they still have to look forward to a lifetime of rising property taxes in order to keep a roof over their heads. In many municipalities, property taxes are arbitrarily raised annually by the maximum amount allowed each year by law, rather by an honest assessment of current property values. For some homeowners, this can mean that regardless of what the market is actually doing, their appraisals can and do rise up to 10% each year. Failure to pay property taxes, of course, can result in liens against the home or even foreclosure.   Continue reading “City Ordinance Nightmare – Texas Homeowner Facing $2600 in Fines for ‘Weeds’ 12 Inches Tall”

RT News

The European Commission is set to authorize the growing of genetically modified maize on European soil, despite 19 member states voting against the move, highlighting the “absurd” rules of weighted votes in the EU.

In a debate on Tuesday, 19 EU member states indicated that they would vote against the authorization of genetically modified maize because of health and environmental concerns and opposition in the European Parliament.    Continue reading “EU to approve new GM crop, ignoring majority members’ opposition”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Eric Holder called on a group of states Tuesday to restore voting rights to ex-felons, part of a push to fix what he sees as flaws in the criminal justice system that have a disparate impact on racial minorities.

“It is time to fundamentally rethink laws that permanently disenfranchise people who are no longer under federal or state supervision,” Holder said, targeting 11 states that he said continue to restrict voting rights for former inmates, even after they’ve finished their prison terms.   Continue reading “AG urges restoring voting rights to ex-inmates”

The Daily Sheeple – by Chris Carrington

California is used to minor earthquakes. Sitting atop a myriad of fault lines, both minor and major, earthquakes are away of life. Most of them are un-noticed as they are too small to feel. But over the last ten days, California has had a series of quakes of magnitude 3.0 or above on the Richter scale.

The LA Times records three such incidents. Another has been reported by the USGS today.   Continue reading “The San Andreas Fault Shows Signs of Awakening”

The Daily Sheeple – by Melissa Melton

Did you know that the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association, one of the biggest lobbies in America, is currently urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to define “natural” on food packages because it intends to petition for genetically modified foods to be allowed in packages that bear that label?   Continue reading ““All Natural” Food…Now with More GMO! (Parody)”

The Daily Sheeple – by Lily Dane

Is Michelle Obama truly oblivious to how most Americans live, or does she just enjoy showing off her extravagant lifestyle to us lowly serfs?

This Tweet from Queen FLOTUS speaks volumes:   Continue reading “Michelle “Marie Antoinette” Obama: Let them eat kibble…but make sure it’s at the table served on fine china”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Five years ago the Air Force considered a series of proposals to boost morale and fix performance and security lapses in its nuclear missile corps, according to internal emails and documents obtained by The Associated Press. But many fell short or died on the vine, and now, with the force again in crisis, it’s retracing those earlier steps.

The new effort is more far-reaching, on a tighter timetable and backed by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. So it appears to hold more promise for an Air Force under scrutiny after a variety of embarrassing setbacks and missteps raised questions about whether some of the world’s most fearsome weapons are being properly managed.   Continue reading “Nuke reform drive features ideas tried 5 years ago”

Mail.com

ATLANTA (AP) — The city dodged the first punch of a dangerous winter storm Tuesday, but forecasters warned of a potentially “catastrophic” second blow in a thick layer of ice that threatened to bring hundreds of thousands of power outages and leave people in their cold, dark homes for days.

The streets and highways in metro Atlanta were largely deserted as people in the South’s business hub heeded advice from officials to hunker down at home, especially after the snow jam two weeks ago saw thousands of people stranded on icy, gridlocked roads for hours when 2 inches of snow fell.   Continue reading “Winter storm wallops the South; 4 killed in Texas”

Mail.com

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington has become the latest state to halt executions, with Gov. Jay Inslee issuing a moratorium on the death penalty for as long as he’s in office.

The first-term Democrat said during Tuesday’s announcement that he hopes it will enable officials to “join a growing national conversation about capital punishment.” Inslee said he came to the decision after months of review and meetings with victims’ families, prosecutors and law enforcement.   Continue reading “Washington Gov. Jay Inslee suspends death penalty”

Signs of the Times

The coal slurry spill in West Virginia Tuesday morning wasn’t nearly as bad as this one in Inez, Kentucky, 11 years ago, but the risk is always there, especially when regulators don’t regulate. Officials of the state’s Department of Environmental Protection don’t yet know how much coal slurry has leaked from a facility in Kanawha County, West Virginia. But a DEP spokesman characterized it as “significant.”

It has already blackened Fields Creek not far from where it empties into the Kanawha River. State officials and those at West Virginia American Water say the spill is no threat to drinking water supplies. Indeed, Jimmy Gianato, the director of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management at the state’s Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, said: “I don’t think there’s really anything to it. It turned out to be much of nothing.”    Continue reading “‘Significant’ spill of coal slurry taints creek in West Virginia”

Infowars – by Adan Salazar & Kit Daniels

Atlanta residents ransacked neighborhood grocery stores in frantic preparation for their second major snowstorm of the year, waging fights over food items and leaving destruction and empty shelves in their wake, a stunning precursor to what will ensue once a major crisis impacts the U.S.

After three inches of snow shut the city down two weeks ago, causing major havoc and leaving miles of cars stranded on immobile roadways, the residents of Atlanta took heed and shopped early.   Continue reading “Panicked Shoppers Fight Over Food Amid ‘Snowpocalypse’”

The Organic Prepper

What’s the difference between an arm-chair survivalist and the real deal? The difference between someone who could get by for a few weeks and someone who could thrive indefinitely?

One word – action.

I was lucky enough to meet someone who is the real deal recently.  Mark is a long-term survivalist, and he graciously answered about a million questions about his lifestyle.  The end result was, I learned a lot, including how little I actually know in comparison to someone who lives an off-grid, non-consumer life every single day. Even better, I have permission to share this information with the rest of you in the form of a new series: Long-Term Survival.   Continue reading “Long-Term Survival: These Are the 5 Tools You MUST Have in Your Bug-Out Kit”

Lohud

NEW YORK — An Italian-U.S. investigation into drug smuggling has resulted in two dozen arrests — including seven in the New York City area.

Anti-Mafia police in Italy say the operation targeted a cocaine trafficking route between South America and the Italian port of Gioia Tauro.

Officials say undercover agents in both countries prevented the delivery of cocaine hidden in shipments of coconuts and pineapples. They also confiscated heroin and marijuana.   Continue reading “NYC arrests in Italy-US drug crackdown”

CenturyLink – by LUCAS L. JOHNSON II

LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) — Investigators said Tuesday that a package sent to a rural Tennessee home exploded, killing a lawyer who lived there and injuring a woman.

Killed was 74-year-old Jon Setzer and 72-year-old Marion Setzer was in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Hospital on Tuesday, police said.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officials declined to say what kind of package was sent to the Lebanon home.   Continue reading “Package explodes, killing Tenn. lawyer at home”

This happened right down the road from our house!! Gotta Love It!

KATC News – by Ian Auzenne

A Lafayette man is behind bars after deputies say a gun-toting woman prevented him from stealing her purse.

The incident took place at a convenience store in the 200 block of West Milton Avenue.   Continue reading “Deputies: Victim pulls gun on alleged purse snatcher”

Washington’s Blog

Can American States Rein In An Out-Of-Control Federal Spy Agency?

The American people aren’t falling for NSA’s propaganda. They want the rogue agency reined in.

But Obama refuses to rein in the NSA, Dianne Feinstein says that Congress “doesn’t have the votes” to do anything about mass surveillance, and at least some judges are supporting the NSA’s spying (and it’s not clear what the Supreme Court will do).   Continue reading “11 States Fight Back Against NSA Spying”