From the Trenches World Report

East Bay Express – by Darwin BondGraham and Ali Winston

Hundreds of police and sheriffs’ officers — about half of them donning military battle fatigues — converged on downtown Oakland’s Marriott Hotel today for the first day of Urban Shield, one of the nation’s largest security conferences and weapons shows. Outside the Marriott, dozens of community members representing churches and racial and economic justice organizations, rallied against the event. United under the name Facing Urban Shield, the coalition said the militarized tone of the event reflects the worsening human rights records of police forces around America, and the waste of billions on jails and state prisons. They also said the presence of arms dealers in the city undercuts Oakland’s efforts to stem gun violence.   Continue reading “Drones and Automatic Weapons on Display in Downtown Oakland for Urban Shield”

KWCH 12 News – by Sia Nyorkor

A Kansas City man has been arrested and charged for a threat involving Wichita’s water supply.

Last week the city received information from the FBI about the threat.

Friday, federal prosecutors say a 69-year-old man wanted money in exchange for helping to stop the plot against the Wichita supply and the water in three other cities.   Continue reading “Missouri man charged in Wichita’s water plot”

Story Leak – by Mikael Thalen

A ban on armed school employees was lifted by the St. Helens school board in Oregon this week, following a 4-to-1 vote during a district meeting Wednesday.

Last March, school employees including volunteers and contractors were banned from bringing licensed and concealed firearms onto school property. Now, with the ban removed, members of the community are taking sides, with some even offering free training to eligible teachers.    Continue reading “Oregon School District Removes Ban On Armed Teachers”

Press TV

Two giant American firms Boeing and Lockheed Martin are to cooperate on a new long-range bomber project for the US Air Force as the military is seeking to replace its aging bomber fleet.

The companies said in a statement on Friday that Boeing would be the prime contractor and Lockheed would be its primary subcontractor.

“Boeing and Lockheed Martin are bringing together the best of the two enterprises, and the rest of industry, in support of the Long-Range Strike Bomber program, and we are honored to support our US Air Force customer and this important national priority,” Dennis Muilenburg, chief executive of Boeing, said.    Continue reading “Boeing, Lockheed Martin to team up on new US bomber program”

BBC News

Syrian rebels have cast doubt on claims that the head of the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has been killed in western Syria.

State-run TV said he had been killed in the coastal province of Latakia, but provided no details.

A source in Latakia later told the BBC that Mr Jolani was believed to have left the area some time ago.

A rebel commander near Damascus told AP news agency said he believed Mr Jolani was “alive and well”.   Continue reading “Syrian rebels cast doubt on leader’s ‘death’”

Before It’s News – by Mort Amsel

200 police officers with 2 armored vehicles and SWAT teams have a parole barricaded in a house in Roseville, Ca. who shot 4 police officers including 1 federal ICE/DHS agent.  They have also set up an 8 mile containment zone in Roseville.  Updates below..

Time Newsfeed – by Jacob Davidson

A Virginia woman has become an inspiration to fed-up citizens everywhere after she rode her horse to the local DMV in protest of poor service.

NBC 12 reports that, after getting the run around from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, Amelia resident Ashlee Owens decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. Despite sending in her insurance information — both via email and through the postal service — DMV officials claimed they never received proof that Owens was insured. As a result, her license was suspended, and a new one would end up costing the 26-year-old $645 in fees.   Continue reading “Woman Rides Horse to DMV in Protest of Poor Service”

Huffington Post

RIDGECREST, Calif. — RIDGECREST, Calif. (AP) — A homicide suspect was killed by police on a Mojave Desert highway early Friday after a lengthy pursuit in which the man fired at vehicles and two hostages in his car trunk, authorities said.

The suspect called a Ridgecrest police officer’s cell phone and said he wanted to come to the department and shoot officers but because police had too many guns he would “wreak havoc” elsewhere, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood told a press conference.   Continue reading “Mojave Desert Shooting Spree Ends With Dead Suspect”

Air Force Times

The Air Force Academy on Friday announced that it will now be optional for cadets to recite “so help me God” at the end of its honor oath.

The academy made the change in response to a complaint from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which advocates for the separation of church and state in the military.   Continue reading “Academy makes ‘God’ optional in cadets’ oath”

National Geographic News – by Patrick J. Kiger

Back in the early 1970s, U.S. utility companies, frustrated with growing public unease about nuclear power that made it difficult for them to find sites for new plants, came up with a wild brainstorm. Why not put full-sized nuclear power plants on barges and position them offshore, where they wouldn’t be in anyone’s backyard, unless you counted fish?

The scheme never took off, according to a recent article by U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission historian Thomas Wellock. Financing proved to be as challenging at sea as on land. Coastal communities were just as strongly opposed to neighboring nuclear plants as their inland counterparts. A report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), which was then known as the General Accounting Office, raised worries about what would happen to the ocean ecosystem in the event of a meltdown. Continue reading “Russia Floats Plan for Nuclear Power Plants at Sea”

The American Mercury – by Valdis Bell

TODAY MARKS THE 100th anniversary of the largest and most-well funded hate and defamation group in the history of mankind: the Anti-Defamation League, or “ADL.” The organization was originally called the “Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith” after its parent group, the Jewish fraternal order B’nai B’rith (meaning “Sons of the Covenant,” or, literally, “Sons of the Cut” — referring to circumcision). (ILLUSTRATION: Abraham Foxman, director of the ADL)   Continue reading “ADL: 100 Years of Hate”