From the Trenches World Report

RT News

Colorado prison inmates who have spent time in solitary confinement should prepare to see their conditions change after the new executive director of the state’s department of corrections said spending 20 hours in isolation has inspired him to reform it.

Rick Raemisch announced his intentions in an editorial for the New York Times, using the space to remind the public that prisoners who have committed even minor infractions in prison can often spend nearly two years in what is known as the solitary housing unit (SHU), or administrative segregation (ad-seg).   Continue reading “Colorado prison director to reform solitary confinement after enduring it himself”

RT News

Following the revelations that Britain’s spy agency intercepts Yahoo users’ private data, three outraged American senators plan to launch an investigation into the NSA’s involvement in the GCHQ operation.

The scandal with the British GCHQ intelligence agency collecting images of Yahoo users by secretly connecting to people’s webcams has made American lawmakers curious about whether their own National Security Agency has been cooperating with British intelligence in this respect.   Continue reading “US senators plan probe into NSA’s role in Yahoo webcam spying scandal”

RT News – by Patrick L Young

Having spent all the money they can possibly borrow, the West’s rapacious governments are, like a drug-addled addict, desperate for more. To that end, taxes are on the up and a mantra of wealth redistribution is at the top of political wish lists.

This is of course a woeful state of affairs as the ability of governments to spend other people’s money wastefully is endless. The ability of governments to spend other people’s money in a useful fashion has always proven limited. The road to prosperity involves empowering innovation, small business and bottom-up growth. Top-down government meddling and rapacious taxes don’t help.   Continue reading “Why govt wants to steal your money”

RT News

Russian senators are going to ask President Vladimir Putin to consider recalling Moscow’s Ambassador to the US following President Barack Obama’s “aggressive” comments on the situation in Ukraine, the speaker of the chamber said.

The upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, has ordered the committee on international affairs to apply to Putin and ask him to recall Moscow’s ambassador to the US, council speaker Valentina Matvienko said.   Continue reading “Senators suggest recalling Russia’s ambassador from US over Obama speech”

RT News

Twenty-six of the most powerful American corporations – such as Boeing, General Electric, and Verizon – paid no federal income tax from 2008 to 2012, according to a new report detailing how Fortune 500 companies exploit tax breaks and loopholes.

The report, conducted by public advocacy group Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ), focuses on the 288 companies in the Fortune 500 that registered consistent profit every year from 2008 to 2012. Those 288 profitable corporations paid an “effective federal income tax rate of just 19.4 percent over the five-year period — far less than the statutory 35 percent tax rate,” CTJ states.   Continue reading “26 top American corporations paid no federal income tax from ’08 to ’12 – report”

SF Gate

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey police officer has been sentenced to three years in prison for taking a joyride in a sports car then crashing into a pole and killing a fellow officer.

Keith Buckley of the North Brunswick Police Department was sentenced Thursday in state Superior Court in New Brunswick.   Continue reading “NJ officer in deadly joyride gets prison sentence”

CBS Philly

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., (CBS) — A grieving family is demanding answers tonight — after their loved one died in the Borgata’s parking garage.

They say they gave authorities and the casino all the information they needed to try and save their father’s life.   Continue reading “NJ Man Dies In Borgata Parking Garage”

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?”