From the Trenches World Report

Tea Party

In a clear sign that all is not in harmony in the Democratic Party, several powerful groups of the Democratic base are organizing to block “fast track” authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The partnership – TPP – is a sweeping free-trade agreement the Obama administration is trying to push though Congress.

This past Monday, a group of 564 political insiders from labor, the environmental, family-farm and community organizations drafted a strongly worded letter to the White House stating that the TPP undermines the president’s message on income inequality.   Continue reading “Dems Move Fast to Block ‘New World Order’”

Washington’s Blog

Big Oil Is Gaming the System to Raise Domestic U.S. Prices

Bloomberg notes:

Completion of the entire [Keystone] pipeline would raise prices at the pump in the Midwest and Rocky Mountains 10 to 20 cents a gallon, Verleger, the Colorado consultant, said in an e-mail message.The higher crude prices also would erase the discount enjoyed by cities including Chicago, Cheyenne and Denver, Verleger said.   Continue reading “Why The Keystone Pipeline Will Actually RAISE Gas Prices In the U.S.”

All Gov – by Steve Straehley

Here’s a pitch for a procedural: Cops track down the number of police shootings in the United States in a given year. Why should that require any detective work? It’s that there are currently no national statistics on how many people are shot by police each year.

In some areas, such as Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and Massachusetts, police shootings have increased, according to a report in Salon. Whether those numbers can be extrapolated to a national trend is not known though. Police departments are not required to release data on how many civilians are shot by officers each year and many don’t.   Continue reading “How Many People are Killed by Police in U.S.? Who Knows?”

Fox News

Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has been found dead of an apparent drug overdose at his Manhattan apartment, a law enforcement source told FoxNews.com.

The NYPD responded to the apartment in the West Village shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday morning, the source said.    Continue reading “Philip Seymour Hoffman found dead in NYC apartment from apparent drug overdose”

Consortium of Defense Analysts

JAPAN

Julian Ryall reports for the South China Morning Post, Jan. 21, 2014, that the Japanese government, saddled with a public debt that is running at 214% of GDP, is planning to raid dormant private bank accounts to boost its bottom line.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its main ally in government, New Komeito, are planning to submit a bill to allow the government to access bank accounts that have not been touched for 10 years or more. The funds, expected to be about 50 billion yen ($488.65 million) each year, would be transferred to the government-run Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan and used for welfare and education projects.   Continue reading “Cash-hungry governments across the world seize inactive bank accounts”

RT News

Israel has come under fire from the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories over the demolition of 36 homes in the Jordan Valley. The UN has called for the bulldozers to stop.

The destruction of the homes has displaced 66 people, with 36 of them children, according to the UN data.   Continue reading “UN condemns Israel over destruction of Jordan Valley homes”

RT News

Intelligence minister Yuval Steinitz has lashed out against John Kerry’s warning of a boycott if Israeli-Palestinian peace talks fail, and said the IDF may invade Gaza if Hamas doesn’t end rocket attacks on Israel.

In a heated attack on John Kerry’s speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Steinitz accused the US Secretary of State of holding a gun to Israel’s head in the peace negotiations. Kerry triggered a wave of criticism in Israel when he said there is “talk of boycotts” if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict does not come to an end.   Continue reading “Israeli security minister slams Kerry over boycott threat, warns IDF may invade Gaza”

RT News

The US has deployed a ballistic missile defense destroyer to Spain to boost NATO’s anti-missile shield in Europe. The move, allegedly aimed at curbing the Iranian threat, has sparked talks about Russia possibly scrapping the START nuclear treaty.

The deployment of the Navy destroyer USS Donald Cook, equipped with the Aegis shipboard integrated combat weapons system, was announced by US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.   Continue reading “Russia threatens to quit START as US deploys Aegis destroyer to Spain”

Celebrity Magnet – by Kristyn Clarke

(PCM) Oscar winning actor Maximilian Schell has tragically passed away at the age of 83.  His agent claims his cause of death was from a long battle with an undisclosed illness.

Schell, who was born in Austria in 1930, won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1961 for his role in the film “Judgement at Nuremberg”.  Schell also starred in the TV show version of “Judgement at Nuremberg” a dramatization of the Nazi war crimes tribunal, to which the film was adapted. Schell was the only cast member from the TV show to be asked to reprise his role in the film adaptation. The role was his first Oscar nomination and his only win.   Continue reading “Actor Maximilian Schell Dead At Age 83”

Authority Nutrition – by Kris Gunnars

Wheat is a highly controversial food these days.

One one hand, we’ve got people telling us that it is extremely harmful, with one doctor calling itpoison.

Then on the other hand, we’ve got dietitians and the government telling us that whole wheat is an essential part of a “balanced” diet.

Well… one inescapable fact is that humans have been consuming wheat, in one form or another, for thousands of years.   Continue reading “Modern Wheat – Old Diet Staple Turned Into a Modern Health Nightmare”

Yahoo News – by CAROLYN THOMPSON

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — You’ve heard of flash mobs? Behold the Mass mob.

Playing off the idea of using social media to summon crowds for parties or mischief, mobs of Buffalo-area Roman Catholics have been filling pews and lifting spirits at some of the city’s original, now often sparsely attended, churches.   Continue reading “Mass mobs fill pews, lift prayers at NY churches”

Conservative Daily – by Joe Otto

Did you know that Attorney General Eric Holder has promised that the he and Obama will enact gun control this year by any means necessary?

In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee this past week, Eric Holder promised that gun control was still on President Obama’s agenda and that he was ready to use more executive orders to infringe on YOUR Second Amendment rights!   Continue reading “New Gun Control Executive Orders Are Coming”

Huffington Post – by Joseph Ax

NEW YORK, Jan 31 (Reuters) – A New York man sitting in a car that had a loaded rifle, machete and a container of gasoline was charged on Friday with threatening to kill George W. Bush after professing a romantic interest in the former president’s oldest daughter, prosecutors said.

Benjamin Smith, 44, of Pittsford in upstate New York was arrested in Manhattan by the U.S. Secret Service, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court.   Continue reading “Benjamin Smith Arrested For Allegedly Threatening To Kill George W. Bush”

For those who haven’t heard, Washington State just passed both laws:  gay marriage and legalized marijuana.

The fact that gay marriage and marijuana were legalized on the same day makes perfect biblical sense because Leviticus 20:13 says, “If a man lies with another man, they should be stoned”.

I just hadn’t interpreted it correctly before.