Mail.com

BAGHDAD (AP) — Two Iraqi cities that were strongholds of Sunni insurgents during the U.S. war in the country are battlegrounds once more after al-Qaida militants largely took them over, fending off government forces that have been besieging them for days.

The overrunning of the cities this week by al-Qaida’s Iraqi branch in the Sunni heartland of western Anbar provinces is a blow to the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Malik. His government has been struggling to contain discontent among the Sunni minority over Shiite political domination that has flared into increased violence for the past year.   Continue reading “Al-Qaida sweep in Iraq cities revives battleground”

A worker throws a stone after clashes broke out during a protest in Phnom PenhYahoo News – by Prak Chan Thul

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – Cambodian military police opened fire with assault rifles on Friday to quell a protest by stone-throwing garment factory workers demanding higher pay in a crackdown a human rights group said killed four people.

Chaos during nationwide strikes erupted for a second day as security forces were deployed to halt a demonstration by thousands of workers, who refused to move and threw bottles, stones and petrol bombs at an industrial zone in Phnom Penh.   Continue reading “Cambodian forces open fire as factory strikes turn violent”

C.L. "Butch" Otter, Richard "Rich" Wills, Patti Anne LodgeMail.com

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho will take over the operation of its largest prison from one of the nation’s biggest corrections contractors, abruptly ending an experiment with privatization at a facility that has been plagued by understaffing, multiple lawsuits and allegations of contract fraud.

The state is expected to begin running the 2,080-bed Idaho Correctional Center, located just outside Boise, over the next several months, as its $29 million-a-year contract with the Corrections Corporation of America expires on June 30. Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter made the announcement Friday, saying he is advising the state Board of Correction to shift focus from finding a new contractor to assuming control of the facility.   Continue reading “Idaho to take over troubled privately-run prison”

Mail.com

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The weather warnings are dire: Life threatening wind chills. Historic cold outbreak.

Winter is normally cold, but starting Sunday tundra-like temperatures are poised to deliver a rare and potentially dangerous sledgehammer blow to much of the Midwest, driving temperatures so far below zero that records will shatter.   Continue reading “‘Polar vortex’ to blast frigid air over much of US”

Mediaite – by Andrew Kirell

As Mediaite readers may recall, Glenn Beck recently appeared on CNN for a full hour of talk with S.E. Cupp. Buried within that interview is one especially interesting nugget: Beck said he would gladly stand with GLAAD in the fight against Russia’s “hetero-fascist” laws criminalizing public homosexuality.

Beck told Cupp that he finds it ridiculous that Americans were debating Santa Claus’ race and a comment made by a Duck Dynasty star while, over in Mother Russia, laws have criminalized public homosexuality and a well-known TV celebrity actually called for the burning alive of gay people.   Continue reading “Glenn Beck: ‘I Will Stand with GLAAD’ Against Russia’s ‘Hetero-Fascism’”

Vermont senator Bernie SandersThe Guardian – by Spencer Ackerman

A US senator has bluntly asked the National Security Agency if it spies on Congress, raising the stakes for the surveillance agency’s legislative fight to preserve its broad surveillance powers.

Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent and socialist, asked army general Keith Alexander, the NSA’s outgoing director, if the NSA “has spied, or is the NSA currently spying, on members of Congress or other American elected officials”.   Continue reading “Senator presses NSA to reveal whether it spies on members of Congress”

General MillsNatural News – by Mike Adams

General Mills has now publicly announced that original Cheerios cereal is non-GMO. This announcement, in which General Mills also falsely claims that genetically modified ingredients are “safe” — as if this had been proven or something — is available here.

But Cheerios cereal is made from oats, and there’s no such thing as commercially-produced genetically modified oats. So proclaiming that original Cheerios is non-GMO is not especially meaningful. It’s like an aloe vera juice company claiming its aloe vera juice is non-GMO. To their credit, General Mills explains they did change their sources for a very tiny ingredient in the cereal: corn starch.   Continue reading “GMO victory? General Mills says Cheerios are non-GMO, but they’re made from oats in the first place”

Western Journalism – by Steve Baldwin

Most Americans don’t realize we have elected a president whom we know very little about.

Researchers have discovered that Obama’s autobiographical books are little more than PR stunts, as they have little to do with the actual events of his life. The fact is we know less about President Obama than perhaps any other president in American history and much of this is due to actual efforts to hide his record. This should concern all Americans.   Continue reading “The Mystery of Barack Obama Continues”

The LA Times – by

Phil Everly, who with his brother, Don, made up the most revered vocal duo of the rock-music era, their exquisite harmonies profoundly influencing the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Byrds and countless younger-generation rock, folk and country singers, died Friday in Burbank of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his wife, Patti Everly, told The Times. He was 74.

“We are absolutely heartbroken,” she said, noting that the disease was the result of a lifetime of cigarette smoking. “He fought long and hard.”   Continue reading “Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers dies at 74”

homeless in winter stormHuffington Post – by Emily Thomas

Hercules, the first gripping winter storm of 2014, barreled across 22 states Thursday night, affecting approximately one-third of the nation and killing at least nine. New England was among the strongest hit regions, with some cities in the area receiving over a foot of snowfall, prompting both New York and New Jersey to issue states of emergency.

Those in the path of the storm faced dangerous road conditions and extreme temperatures. For the thousands of homeless people living in these states, seeking shelter was an urgent necessity.   Continue reading “Winter Storm Hercules: Homeless People In NYC, Northeast Face Grueling Weather”

Bloomberg – by David Brin

As if you didn’t already have enough to be nervous about, here’s something creepy to ponder as the new year opens.

This what-if isn’t technological, social, political or even science-fictional. Rather, it’s a bit of wholly unscientific, superstitious pattern-recognition. The last two centuries (and possibly more) didn’t “start” at their official point, the turning of a calendar from 00 to 01. That wasn’t when they began in essence, nor when they first bent the arc of history.   Continue reading “What If the 21st Century Begins in 2014?”

Christian Science Monitor – by Lisa Suhay

As winter storm Hercules takes hold of the East coast, parents have the opportunity to give older kids the mixed blessing of volunteering to help shelter and feed homeless adults, teens, and families before having to turn them back out into the storm.

This morning I woke at 4:30 a.m. after driving home to Norfolk, Va. from our first epic family trip to New York, New Jersey and D.C. with winter storm Hercules nipping at our heels.    Continue reading “Winter storm Hercules: Herculean effort to help homeless”

Chris Faraone says NYPD cops illegally arrested and beat him while he was covering the one-year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street raid in Manhattan in 2012.New York Daily News – by DANIEL BEEKMAN

Queens-bred journalist Chris Faraone says NYPD cops illegally beat and arrested him while he was covering the one-year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, according to a new lawsuit.

Faraone, who was writing for the Boston Phoenix, an alternative weekly, claims he was lawfully “photographing, observing and investigating” a demonstration at One Chase Manhattan Plaza on Sept. 17, 2012 when one police officer ordered additional cops to “stop, tackle, batter, search, arrest, detain and imprison” him, without probable cause.   Continue reading “Journalist says NYPD beat and illegally arrested him during OWS march: suit”

US challenges ruling on Orwellian NSA snoopingAu Yahoo News

Washington (AFP) – The US government said Friday it has lodged an appeal against a judge’s ruling that the National Security Agency’s “almost Orwellian”bulk collection of telephone records is illegal.

Separately, spy chief James Clapper revealed that a secret court had renewed the NSA’s authority to gather call “metadata,” despite the controversy triggered when the program came to light.   Continue reading “US challenges ruling on ‘Orwellian’ NSA snooping”