From the Trenches World Report

Yahoo News – by MATTHEW BROWN and JAMES MacPHERSON

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Following a string of explosive accidents, federal officials said Thursday that crude oil being shipped by rail from the Northern Plains across the U.S. and Canada may be more flammable than traditional forms of oil.

A safety alert issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation warns the public, emergency responders and shippers about the potential high volatility of crude from the Bakken oil patch. The sprawling oil shale reserve is fueling the surging industry in eastern Montana and western North Dakota, which is now the nation’s second-largest oil producer behind Texas.   Continue reading “Warning issued about oil shipped from ND, Mont.”

The Washington Times – by Emily Miller

For the first time in the United States, a citizen who has legally registered a gun will have to submit to a renewal process. The consequences of not knowing about this new law or missing the specific 60-day window are dire.

Starting on Jan. 2, every single D.C. resident who has registered a firearm since 1976 must go to police headquarters to pay a $48 fee and be photographed and fingerprinted.   Continue reading “Gun re-registration begins in D.C., may lead to arrest and confiscation”

The DC Caller – by Robby Soave

Now that New York City Mayor and far-left Democrat Bill de Blasio has chosen Carmen Farina to become chancellor of NYC schools, city residents can expect a sharp turn to the left on education policy.

Farina, a former teacher and long-time adviser to de Blasio, shares the mayor’s desire to foist a “progressive agenda” upon NYC schools, she said at a news conference earlier this week.   Continue reading “It begins: New NYC schools chancellor will push ‘progressive agenda’”

Mail.com

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The FBI said Thursday a fire at the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco was ignited in front of the building, leading to an arson investigation and calls from the Chinese government for better protection of diplomats in the U.S.

No one was hurt in the fire Wednesday night fire that charred the building’s doorway, damaged the lobby and burned upward toward the roof. FBI spokesman Peter Lee said the blaze was caused by an “incendiary device,” but didn’t specify what it was. No bomb-making materials were found, and there were no traces of an explosion, he said.   Continue reading “FBI: SF Chinese Consulate fire set intentionally”

Mail.com

BEIRUT (AP) — An explosion tore through a crowded commercial street Thursday in a south Beirut neighborhood that is bastion of support for the Shiite group Hezbollah, killing at least five people, setting cars ablaze and sending a column of black smoke above the Beirut skyline.

The nature of the blast that hit during rush hour in the Haret Hreik neighborhood was not immediately clear, but a Lebanese security official said it appeared to be caused by a car bomb. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.   Continue reading “Blast in Hezbollah-run area of Beirut kills 5”

Why do American taxpayers have to pay for this foreign chemical cleanup?

WVEC News 13

PORTSMOUTH (AP) — A cargo ship is being outfitted in Virginia with sophisticated technology capable of destroying Syria’s chemical weapons.

The 648-foot MV Cape Ray is undergoing work in a Portsmouth shipyard before sea trials and its expected voyage to the Mediterranean. The vessel in the Maritime Administration’s ready reserve is rolling out the gangplank Thursday for media visits.   Continue reading “Portsmouth yard preparing ship for Syria chemical weapons disposal”

Radix Journal – by Jack Donavan

The following was delivered as a speech at the second National Policy Institute’s conference, which was held at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC, on October 26th.

***

There may be a collapse. It could happen. It could happen tomorrow. Vengeful gods could hurl boulders from the sky, cleansing the earth with fires and floods. There could be blood in the streets and gnashing of teeth. A plague of locusts or killer bees, some Chinese flu, or the Zombie Apocalypse. Your debit cards might run empty and your “smart”phones might get real dumb. We may be forced to band together in primal gangs and fight for survival. We may be forced by circumstances beyond our control to rediscover lifeways more familiar to our species—to our ancestral brains—than this endless, banal sprawl of corporate parks and shopping malls.   Continue reading “Becoming the New Barbarians”

New York Daily News – by NINA GOLGOWSKI

He’s back from the dead and federal authorities are delighted to see him.

A banker wanted for $21 million wire fraud who fooled many into believing he had committed suicide in 2012 has been arrested in south Georgia.

Authorities say Aubrey Lee Price, 47, was pulled over by police in Brunswick for his vehicle’s illegally tinted windows on Tuesday and after a bit of questioning, they realized who he was.   Continue reading “‘Dead’ banker, Aubrey Lee Price, arrested on $21M fraud charges 18 months after claimed suicide”

Reuters – by Stephen Jewkes and Deepa Seetharaman

MILAN/DETROIT, Jan 1 (Reuters) – Italian carmaker Fiat SpA struck a $4.35 billion deal to gain full control of Chrysler Group LLC, ending more than a year of tense talks that have obstructed Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne’s efforts to combine the two automakers’ resources.

The agreement, announced on Wednesday, cements Marchionne’s reputation as the industry’s consummate dealmaker about a decade after he took the helm of Fiat as a car business newcomer, analysts and bankers said.   Continue reading “Fiat strikes $4.35 billion deal to buy rest of Chrysler”

The Guardian – by Damian Carrington

Temperature rises resulting from unchecked climate change will be at the severe end of those projected, according to a new scientific study.

The scientist leading the research said that unless emissions of greenhouse gases were cut, the planet would heat up by a minimum of 4C by 2100, twice the level the world’s governments deem dangerous.   Continue reading “Propaganda Alert: Planet likely to warm by 4C by 2100, scientists warn”

RT News

Millions of US and Canadian users of popular photo sharing app Snapchat had their phone numbers and usernames exposed online after the data was captured by anonymous hackers. The leak comes months after Snapchat was warned of a major security hole.

The New Year may have only just started, but for Snapchat developers it has already been marked by the greatest security fail in the mobile app’s history.    Continue reading “4.6 million Snapchat photo app usernames, phone numbers leaked”

RT News

Syrian computer hacker conglomerate, the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), has kicked off the New Year with a number of cyber-attacks, compromising Skype’s Twitter, Facebook accounts, and its official blog.

Social media accounts belonging to Skype, Microsoft’s voice-over-IP service, were hacked around 19:30 GMT. SEA posted on Skype’s Twitter account a rogue message saying “Stop spying on people! via Syrian Electronic Army.” The hacker group also urged people not to use Microsoft accounts because the company is “selling the data to the governments.”   Continue reading “‘Stop spying on people!’: Syrian Electronic Army hacks Skype”

RT News

The US has been voted as the most significant threat to world peace in a survey across 68 different countries. Anti-American sentiment was not only recorded in antagonistic countries, but also in many allied NATO partners like Turkey and Greece.

A global survey conducted by the Worldwide Independent Network and Gallup at the end of 2013 revealed strong animosity towards the US’s role as the world’s policeman. Citizens across over 60 nations were asked: “Which country do you think is the greatest threat to peace in the world today?”   Continue reading “US the biggest threat to world peace in 2013 – poll”

RT News

An 85-year-old Palestinian man died after inhaling teargas used by Israeli forces during their clashes with Palestinian youths, who were celebrating the anniversary of Fatah, eyewitnesses told Reuters.

Saeed Jaser Ali died on Thursday in hospital, where he was taken after an Israeli gas canister landed a day earlier in his house in the village of Kufr Qaddoum near Nablus in the northern West Bank.   Continue reading “85yo Palestinian man dies after ‘Israeli teargas canister landed in his home’”

McClatchy DC – by DAVID LIGHTMAN

The current Congress is not only unproductive, but most Americans see it as the worst they’ve ever known, according to a new CNN/ORC International poll released Thursday.

Two-thirds said the 113th Congress, which left for the year last week, is the worst in their lifetime. Twenty-eight percent disagreed.

Nearly three in four said this Congress has done nothing to deal with the nation’s problems.   Continue reading “Most Americans say this Congress is worst in their lifetime, CNN poll says”

The Organic Prepper

If you’re looking for wholesome activities for your kids, you might be considering something like 4-H.  Geared towards an agricultural lifestyle, the 4-H Youth Development Organization seems like a great way for your child to hang out with other kids who are interested in more than the latest TV reality show. Doesn’t this sound great?   Continue reading “Indoctrination: 4-H Sells Its Soul to Monsanto and the US Soybean Council”

ABC News

The California Supreme Court on Thursday will decide whether to grant a law license to a man living in the United States illegally who graduated from law school and passed the state bar exam.

The opinion to be published comes in the case of Sergio Garcia, who is challenging a 1996 law that bars people living in the country illegally from receiving “professional licenses” from government agencies, or with the use of public funds, unless state lawmakers vote otherwise.   Continue reading “California to Rule on Law License for Illegal Immigrant”