America Isn’t Getting More Liberal — It’s Getting More Libertarian.
America Isn’t Getting More Liberal — It’s Getting More Libertarian.
This week the New York Times’ “Room for Debate” columnists discussed the question “has America become more liberal?” Debater Molly Worthen, a professor at UNC Chapel Hill, is no libertarian, but even she sees what many others have been saying: America isn’t getting more liberal or more conservative — it’s getting more libertarian. A wide range of Gallup polls agree. Take guns. In 1990, just 19 percent opposed “stricter laws covering the sale of firearms.” In 1991, barely half opposed a law that would “ban the possession of handguns.” In 2014, those numbers had risen to 52 percent and 73 percent, respectively. On gay rights, Americans have also turned dramatically libertarian. In 1988, just a third of Americans thought gay and lesbian relations should be “legal.” In 1996, only 27 percent thought gay marriage should be legal. In 2014, Americans favored legalizing both homosexuality and same-sex marriage by 69 percent and 60 percent, respectively. Views on marijuana underwent a similarly quick turn. In 1995, just 25 percent of Americans favored legalizing marijuana. In 2014, it was a 51 percent. On immigration, Americans are also much more open today. In 1996, only 38 percent opposed further restrictions on immigration; in the 1980s, just 41 percent favored legalization of unauthorized immigrants. In 2013, those numbers were 63 percent and 69 percent, respectively. On economic issues, Americans are also growing skeptical of bigger government. In 1993, 37 percent thought businesses should be regulated less; in 2014, a plurality, 49 percent, wanted fewer regulations. In 2000, just 38 percent said it was not the federal government’s responsibility to ensure every American had health care; last year, 52 percent said health care was not the government’s job. This corresponds with an increase in the percentage of respondents indicating that the federal government has “too much power.” In 2003, the first year the poll was taken, 39 percent agreed. In 2013, the number hit 60 percent. This isn’t a fluke. Political scientists Peter Ens and Julianna Koch pooled together hundreds of thousands of poll responses over the last fifty years to measure the public’s “policy mood” (a measure of preference for more or less government). They found the public has become dramatically more economically conservative...
Protesters storm Saudi embassy in Tehran, set it ablaze
Protesters storm Saudi embassy in Tehran, set it ablaze
Iranian protesters broke into the Saudi embassy in Tehran after launching several Molotov cocktails into the building. The rally in front of the embassy was triggered by Riyadh’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. Footage uploaded on Twitter showed angry Iranian protesters pillaging the ground floor of the Saudi embassy, tearing apart furniture, flags, and documents. It was then engulfed in one big blaze, seemingly after the angry mob, outraged over the Saudi execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh al-Nimr, threw Molotov cocktails at the building. One of the protesters was also pictured holding a torn Saudi flag, which was reportedly brought down at the compound, outside the embassy. Police eventually resorted to tear gas to scatter the protesters and managed to force the crowd out of the building and cordon it off again. There were no immediate reports of casualties or injuries due to the violence. Photos from inside the ravaged ground floor appear to show it is now empty. Earlier, images of fire breaking out at the embassy building were shared on Twitter. A Mehr editor has reported a gas explosion, while photos from the scene show the building engulfed in flames. Iran’s security forces had cordoned off the area around the embassy. Photos from the scene showed a heavy police presence. Protesters gathered in several cities across Iran on Saturday angered by the Gulf kingdom’s execution of al-Nimr, who was put to death along with 46 other prisoners. Nimr had been the most vocal critic of Saudi Arabia’s ruling family prior to mass protests that erupted in 2011. He called for regular demonstrations against the ruling elite. Shiites have long complained that they are victims of discrimination in the Sunni powerhouse. Nimr had often called for better protection for the country’s Shiite minority. READ MORE: MidEast leaders lash out at Saudi Arabia over Shiite cleric’s execution, protests erupt Protesters in the city of Mashhad in northwestern Iran gathered on Saturday near the Saudi consulate, throwing Molotov cocktails at the building. Photos showed several protesters trying to climb the fence around the building. There were reportedly some clashes with police. The predominately Shiite Iran has bashed Riyadh, accusing the Kingdom of supporting terrorism and executing...
Court Rules President Can Use Drones To Assassinate American In Secret.
Court Rules President Can Use Drones To Assassinate American In Secret.
A federal appeals court has upheld the Obama administration’s secrecy surrounding the controversial targeted assassination program. Washington D.C. — While much of the media has focused on the recent violence in Paris, Georgia, and San Bernardino, as well as the escalating conflicts in Iraq and Syria, another profound and troubling domestic issue seems to have been overlooked. Indeed, the issue at hand was first reported on November 24th — and covered for roughly a day — before it was quickly forgotten in the daily barrage of news stories. But we should not be so quick to dismiss the possibility of a future president (maybe one with fascist leanings?) choosing to exercise “targeted killings” against the American public. This practice, of course, is embodied by the Obama administration’s program of assassinating individuals suspected of terrorism, also known as the “disposition matrix.” The Washington Post first reported on the disposition matrix in 2012: “Over the past two years, the Obama administration has been secretly developing a new blueprint for pursuing terrorists, a next-generation targeting list called the ‘disposition matrix.’ The matrix contains the names of terrorism suspects arrayed against an accounting of the resources being marshaled to track them down, including sealed indictments and clandestine operations. U.S. officials said the database is designed to go beyond existing kill lists, mapping plans for the ‘disposition’ of suspects beyond the reach of American drones. “Although the matrix is a work in progress, the effort to create it reflects a reality setting in among the nation’s counterterrorism ranks: The United States’ conventional wars are winding down, but the government expects to continue adding names to kill or capture lists for years.” For the last four years, New York Times journalist Charlie Savage has waged a legal battle against the Obama administration, seeking to reveal the government’s legal justifications for assassinating terror suspects without a trial. Specifically, Savage sued the Obama administration in an attempt to obtain details about the murder of al-Qaeda affiliated cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki. Al-Awlaki was born in New Mexico and eventually found himself on the U.S. government’s radar under suspicion of terrorism. On September 30, 2011, drones sent by the CIA and Joint Special Operations Command flew into Yemen and...
The Right To Download Arms: 3-D Printed Firearms Ignite Free Speech Battle
The Right To Download Arms: 3-D Printed Firearms Ignite Free Speech Battle
AUSTIN, Texas — As legislation struggles to keep pace with technology, the Internet is the modern Wild West. For the past two years, Defense Distributed has been embroiled in a legal showdown at the intersection of the growth of the 3-D printed weapons industry and Internet free speech. “Let’s be honest, there are so many CAD [computer-aided design] websites online, people have been sharing their gun culture online for a long time,” Cody Wilson, director and co-founder of Defense Distributed, told MintPress News. “Even if there was an ATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] for the Internet, a regulatory agency tasked with only policing the gun culture on the Internet, you could still see how that agency could not keep up with the spread and the speed of human thought.” The former University of Texas School of Law student has gained notoriety in the tech world for his involvement in a series of controversial digital projects, including Dark Wallet, an application to make bitcoin transactions anonymous and untraceable, and his efforts to spread firearms blueprints to the public via downloadable files. In January, Wired named Wilson one of the “most dangerous people on the Internet right now,” putting him in league with Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. To say he’s a gun rights advocate may be an understatement. But that, mixed with an affinity for anarchist philosophy and technology, informs his “goal,” as described by Wired, “to let anyone create a lethal plastic weapon with a click anywhere in the world, and in doing so demonstrate how new technologies can render the entire notion of regulation obsolete.” Wilson has his hands in open-source firearms plans which would allow anyone from India to Indianapolis to “print” a gun as long as he or she has access to the Internet and a 3-D printer. He’s designing programs to make cryptocurrency transactions untraceable, ungovernable and untaxable. And, through all of this, he’s found himself at the eye of a legal storm that’s perhaps less about the Second Amendment and untraceable weapons, and more about the First Amendment, digital rights and the public domain. Downloading controversy from the Liberator to Ghost Gunner A...
US Officials: Israel Spying On America Has Reached ‘Terrifying’ Levels
US Officials: Israel Spying On America Has Reached ‘Terrifying’ Levels
Israel spies on the United States more than any other ally does and these activities have reached an alarming level, Newsweek magazine reported on Tuesday. The main targets are US industrial and technical secrets, the weekly said, quoting classified briefings on legislation that would make it easier for Israeli citizens to get visas to enter America. Newsweek said a congressional staffer familiar with a briefing last January called the testimony “very sobering … alarming … even terrifying”, and quoted another as saying the behavior was “damaging.” “No other country close to the United States continues to cross the line on espionage like the Israelis do,” said a former congressional staffer who attended another classified briefing in late 2013, according to Newsweek. It said that briefing was one of several in recent months given by the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department, the FBI and the National Counterintelligence Directorate. The former congressional staffer said the intelligence agencies did not give specifics, but cited “industrial espionage — folks coming over here on trade missions or with Israeli companies working in collaboration with American companies, [or] intelligence operatives being run directly by the government, which I assume meant out of the [Israeli] Embassy.” Israel’s espionage activities in America are unrivaled and go far beyond activities by other close allies, such as Germany, France, Britain and Japan, counter-intelligence agents told members of the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs committees, Newsweek said. “I don’t think anyone was surprised by these revelations,” the former aide was quoted as saying. “But when you step back and hear … that there are no other countries taking advantage of our security relationship the way the Israelis are for espionage purposes, it is quite shocking.” Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman rejected the allegations. “We’re talking about lies and falsehood, simply libel which is baseless and unfounded,” he said. Lieberman added Israel was not involved in any form of espionage against the United States, either direct or indirect in nature. The minister said Israel had “learned its lesson” from the case of Jonathan Pollard, a US naval analyst who was arrested in Washington in 1985 and sentenced to life in jail for spying on the United States for Israel....
The Vaccine Hoax is Over. Documents from UK reveal 30 Years of Coverup
The Vaccine Hoax is Over. Documents from UK reveal 30 Years of Coverup
Andrew Baker ( FFN),- Freedom of Information Act in the UK filed by a doctor there has revealed 30 years of secret official documents showing that government experts have 1. Known the vaccines don’t work 2. Known they cause the diseases they are supposed to prevent 3. Known they are a hazard to children 4. Colluded to lie to the public 5. Worked to prevent safety studies Those are the same vaccines that are mandated to children in the US. 800px-Smallpox_vaccineEducated parents can either get their children out of harm’s way or continue living inside one of the largest most evil lies in history, that vaccines – full of heavy metals, viral diseases, mycoplasma, fecal material, DNA fragments from other species, formaldehyde, polysorbate 80 (a sterilizing agent) – are a miracle of modern medicine. Freedom of Information Act filed in the US with the CDC by a doctor with an autistic son, seeking information on what the CDC knows about the dangers of vaccines, had by law to be responded to in 20 days. Nearly 7 years later, the doctor went to court and the CDC argued it does not have to turn over documents. A judge ordered the CDC to turn over the documents on September 30th, 2011. On October 26, 2011, a Denver Post editorial expressed shock that the Obama administration, after promising to be especially transparent, was proposing changes to the Freedom of Information Act that would allow it to go beyond declaring some documents secret and to actually allow government agencies (such as the CDC) to declare some document “non-existent.” Simultaneous to this on-going massive CDC cover up involving its primary “health” not recommendation but MANDATE for American children, the CDC is in deep trouble over its decades of covering up the damaging effects of fluoride and affecting the lives of all Americans, especially children and the immune compromised. Lawsuits are being prepared. Children are ingesting 3-4 times more fluoride by body weight as adults and “[t]he sheer number of potentially harmed citizens — persons with dental fluorosis, kidney patients tipped into needing dialysis, diabetics, thyroid patients, etc — numbers in the millions.” The CDC is obviously acting against the health of the American people....
Texas to become largest state to allow ‘open carry’ of guns
Texas to become largest state to allow ‘open carry’ of guns
With New Year in Lone Star State, licensed Texans for the first time since 1871 can carry a holstered pistol in public December 31, 2015 6:00PM ET When the New Year begins in the Lone Star State, licensed Texans for the first time since 1871 will be allowed to carry a holstered pistol in public under an open carry law passed in the Republican-dominated 2015 legislative session. Supporters said the law would enhance public safety in the state of 27 million people. Texas will be the most populous U.S. state to allow open carry. Opponents have said it could be chilling for the public to see armed people on city streets and inside public buildings and designated stores. Under the new law, nearly 1 million people in Texas who have passed a required safety course and have a concealed handgun permit will be allowed to carry holstered handguns. “Jan. 1 is just the jumping point for returning the right to keep and bear arms to Texans after almost 150 years,” said C.J. Grisham, the president of Open Carry Texas, which pushed for the law and wants to see open carry expanded. The law allows individual property owners and companies to bar open carry inside their establishments. If businesses opt out, they are required to display a specifically worded sign on their doors. Many Texas companies, like H-E-B grocery, the state’s largest private employer, have said they would continue to allow concealed carrying of firearms but not open carry. H-E-B noted that many customers have said they would be uncomfortable with people in store aisles openly carrying a pistol. State Rep. Diego Bernal, a Democrat representing San Antonio who voted against the bill, said the law is a mistake. “I don’t see how introducing firearms into everyday life makes anything better,” he said. One of the most debated aspects of the law was a provision allowing police to ask to see the permit of anyone openly carrying a handgun. Groups like Open Carry Texas said that would allow police to harass law-abiding citizens. Law enforcement officials have voiced concern about how to approach an unfolding crime scene in which multiple people could be seen with weapons, which could cause deadly...
Should anti-gun politicians be denied armed security?
Should anti-gun politicians be denied armed security?
There’s a move in Virginia to unfund armed security for anti-gun Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Fox News is reporting this morning that a Virginia state senator is making good on his promise to push for defunding armed bodyguards for anti-gun Gov. Terry McAuliffe unless the Democrat does an about face on an October order to prohibit firearms in most state office buildings. It brings up an interesting question that could apply to any government official anywhere, from mayors on up. If an elected official is opposed to the carrying of defensive sidearms by average citizens, should that official automatically lose his/her security guards? Virginia State Sen. Charles Carrico, a Republican, is quoted by Fox News observing, “It’s easy for someone who is surrounded by armed state policemen to tell someone else they can’t carry a weapon to protect themselves.” If the idea were to spread, it’s likely that herds of liberal politicians would be running for cover, complaining that they “need” the protection. This would be the perfect way to test the “needs” standard for issuing carry permits in such states as New York, New Jersey and Maryland by applying it to officials who insist they need security. Could it be that this elitist double standard might be part of the reason that, according to Rasmussen Reports, only about one in four Americans think the country is headed in the right direction? Rasmussen’s daily polling update revealed Monday that only 26 percent of likely U.S. voters think the country is headed in the right direction. That comes from a telephone survey conducted last week among 2,500 likely voters. The result follows a pattern that has been consistent for more than a year with a large majority of survey respondents saying the country is headed in the wrong direction. By no small coincidence, the Daily Caller reported yesterday that lawmakers in various states are prepping for new gun control battles in their respective Legislatures. The same story also noted that anti-gun billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s lobbying organization is sending troops to several states to push his gun control agenda. Therefore, it probably came as something of a surprise the other day when Trevor Hughes, the Denver-based correspondent for USA Today, revealed that...
Affordable Care Act Hasn’t Made Health Care Affordable, Study Finds
Affordable Care Act Hasn’t Made Health Care Affordable, Study Finds
Despite its name, the primary goal of the Affordable Care Act was to expand health care coverage to millions of Americans who had been uninsured. And while it’s done that — 15 million non-elderly adults have gained coverage — making that insurance “affordable” remains a significant challenge. Government subsidies for enrollees with incomes below 400 percent of the federal poverty level were designed to help with that, but rising premiums and high deductibles mean that getting health care coverage and treatment remains a financial burden for many Americans. A new study from the Urban Institute shows just how high the toll can be. Related: Two Big Problems for Obamacare: Cost and Confusion The study found that the median single enrollee earning between $35,310 and $47,080, or a family of four earning between $72,750 and $97,000, will spend almost 15 percent of their income next year on Obamacare insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs in 2016, even with federal government subsidies. The percentages increase for those with worsening health and those over age 45. And 10 percent of people in the income range the Urban Institute researchers looked at, between 200 percent and 500 percent of the federal poverty level, will spend more than 21 percent of their income on health care costs. .Obamacare Income Although there’s no objective standard for how much people should spend on health care, “a lot of people make the judgment that it’s unaffordable and that makes a real impact,” says Matthew Buetggens, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute and co-author of the study. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that cost is the main reason the uninsured give for why they lack coverage. Those costs could become a threat to the Obamacare program overall. “The affordability of marketplace premiums and out-of-pocket limits need to be further addressed to reduce the risk that enrollment and reductions in the number of uninsured will be well below the law’s objectives,” the report reads. The health care law created penalties for not signing up, and those fees rose this year and will climb again next year. But once the penalties flatten, if the cost of health care continues growing, more people will face financial pressure to drop...
Police Say It’s Unconstitutional to Mandate Drug Tests on Officers
Police Say It’s Unconstitutional to Mandate Drug Tests on Officers
In an incredibly backwards display of irony, the union representing the Pittsburgh police has filed a most unusual lawsuit. A civil rights grievance has been filed against the city, claiming that officers being required to undergo mandatory drug testing is not only a violation of their contract, but of the Constitution as well. Curiously enough, it appears that this unconstitutionality only applies to police officers, not to the public that they are meant to protect and serve. The officers’ argument is that a urine drug analysis constitutes an “illegal search and seizure,” and police would be forced to “forfeit their constitutional rights to protect the city from a civil liability.” Officers may be subjected to drug testing in three circumstances: If an officer is suspected of being under the influence on the job; If an officer fires their weapon; If the officer is involved in a car crash. The lawsuit arose as a result of a car chase and crash on Baum Boulevard. As the officers were involved in the car chase that led to the car crash, both were ordered to submit to testing. Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay contends that the contract allows the squad to test officers involved in pursuit, regardless of whether or not they were involved in the crash. Workplace drug testing, particularly unwarranted drug testing, is certainly a hot button issue, and one for which constitutionality can easily become a concern. Some might say that if you have nothing to hide, why object to drug testing at all? Truly, what it comes down to is a right to privacy and a right to be left alone, according to the National Workrights Institute. Drug testing can be a degrading process in and of itself. It involves an embarrassing bodily function and may even require the employee to strip in the presence of an observer to prevent cheating. Additionally, the analysis of a urine test may be more revealing than simply the presence or absence of drugs, as it could disclose personal medical information about the employee being tested. A big problem with drug tests is that they’re not a measure of job performance. In fact, even if the employee being tested is under suspicion...
America Isn’t Getting More Liberal — It’s Getting More Libertarian.
America Isn’t Getting More Liberal — It’s Getting More Libertarian.
This week the New York Times’ “Room for Debate” columnists discussed the question “has America become more liberal?” Debater Molly Worthen, a professor at UNC Chapel Hill, is no libertarian, but even she sees what many others have been saying: America isn’t getting more liberal or more conservative — it’s getting more libertarian. A wide range of Gallup polls agree. Take guns. In 1990, just 19 percent opposed “stricter laws covering the sale of firearms.” In 1991, barely half opposed a law that would “ban the possession of handguns.” In 2014, those numbers had risen to 52 percent and 73 percent, respectively. On gay rights, Americans have also turned dramatically libertarian. In 1988, just a third of Americans thought gay and lesbian relations should be “legal.” In 1996, only 27 percent thought gay marriage should be legal. In 2014, Americans favored legalizing both homosexuality and same-sex marriage by 69 percent and 60 percent, respectively. Views on marijuana underwent a similarly quick turn. In 1995, just 25 percent of Americans favored legalizing marijuana. In 2014, it was a 51 percent. On immigration, Americans are also much more open today. In 1996, only 38 percent opposed further restrictions on immigration; in the 1980s, just 41 percent favored legalization of unauthorized immigrants. In 2013, those numbers were 63 percent and 69 percent, respectively. On economic issues, Americans are also growing skeptical of bigger government. In 1993, 37 percent thought businesses should be regulated less; in 2014, a plurality, 49 percent, wanted fewer regulations. In 2000, just 38 percent said it was not the federal government’s responsibility to ensure every American had health care; last year, 52 percent said health care was not the government’s job. This corresponds with an increase in the percentage of respondents indicating that the federal government has “too much power.” In 2003, the first year the poll was taken, 39 percent agreed. In 2013, the number hit 60 percent. This isn’t a fluke. Political scientists Peter Ens and Julianna Koch pooled together hundreds of thousands of poll responses over the last fifty years to measure the public’s “policy mood” (a measure of preference for more or less government). They found the public has become dramatically more economically conservative...
Jimmy Carter: “Medical Marijuana Cured My Cancer”
Jimmy Carter: “Medical Marijuana Cured My Cancer”
The Nobel winner thanked his doctors and family for their support through his brain cancer ordeal. He also thanked Terrance ‘Scooby’ Williams of Dr. Green’s Greenery, a pot dispensary in Oakland, CA, for helping him find the right strain of cannabis. Carter told his medicinal regiment to Sawyer“I smoke two joints in the morning, I smoke two joints at night, I smoke two joint in the afternoon, and it makes me feel all right. “Edibles are also good when traveling when smoking is not permitted.” The future is bright for the 91-year-old humanitarian. Carter has resumed his house building for Habitat for Humanity and continues his weekly prayer service. “Marijuana is God’s medicine. I find indica is better than sativa, but there are plenty of good hybrids.“ Carter wasn’t endorsing pot smoking for everyone. “There is the right place and the right time to spark up a bowl. Don’t be a pothead but also be aware of the potential benefits of cannabis when used in moderation with the right music. “I was never of big fan of alcohol but weed is the medicine I need. It also revived my love for peanuts. Have you ever eaten a peanut… on weed?” With legal weed available in Colorado and Washington State and several states likely to pass the legalization next November during the Presidential elections, Carter will help support the cause in California, Oregon, and Massachusetts. “Help build a house for those that need one and peace and sex above all else. I forget, what were we talking...
Scientists ‘delete’ HIV virus from human DNA for the first time Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2701304/Scientists-delete-HIV-virus-human-DNA-time.html#ixzz3vciE9i5Q Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Scientists ‘delete’ HIV virus from human DNA for the first time Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2701304/Scientists-delete-HIV-virus-human-DNA-time.html#ixzz3vciE9i5Q Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Once HIV conquers a human cell, it will stay there forever. It inserts its deadly genome permanently into its victims’ DNA, forcing them to require medical treatment for the rest of their life. But now, for the first time, researchers in Philadelphia have found a way to completely delete HIV from human cells by ‘snipping’ them out. Scroll down for video For the first time, researchers in Philadelphia have found a way to completely delete the HIV virus (pictured) from human cells by ¿snipping¿ them out. The process could also provide a cure for other latent infections +2 For the first time, researchers in Philadelphia have found a way to completely delete the HIV virus (pictured) from human cells by ‘snipping’ them out. The process could also provide a cure for other latent infections The team of Temple University School of Medicine said the breakthrough marks the first successful attempt to eliminate latent HIV-1 virus from human cells – and could be a cure for other latent infections. ‘This is one important step on the path toward a permanent cure for AIDS,’ said Kamel Khalili, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Temple. ‘It’s an exciting discovery, but it’s not yet ready to go into the clinic. It’s a proof of concept that we’re moving in the right direction,’ he added, Temple University makes promising steps towards cure for HIV In a study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr Khalili and colleagues detail how they created molecular tools to delete the HIV-1 proviral DNA. HOW THE PROCESS WORKS Researchers based the two-part HIV-1 editor on a system that evolved as a bacterial defence mechanism to protect against infection. When deployed, a combination of a DNA-snipping enzyme called a nuclease and a targeting strand of RNA called a guide RNA (gRNA) hunt down the viral genome and remove the HIV-1 DNA. Dr Khalili’s lab engineered a 20-nucleotide strand of gRNA to target the HIV-1 DNA and paired it with a DNA-sniping enzyme called Cas9 and used to edit the human genome. From there, the cell’s gene repair machinery takes over, soldering the loose ends of the genome back together – resulting...
Breaking the Law to Feed the Homeless.
Breaking the Law to Feed the Homeless.
Three Icelandic Bankers to Prison
Three Icelandic Bankers to Prison
Former CEO of Glitnir bank Lárus Welding was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for breach of trust in the so-called Stím Case, RÚV reports. Jóhannes Baldursson, former director of capital markets at Glitnir, received a two-year prison sentence, and Þorvaldur Lúðvík Sigurjónsson, former head of Saga Capital, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, both for breach of trust. The sentences were announced in the Reykjavík District Court. The defendants are also to pay defense costs. All three were charged because of loans given to the company Stím for the purchase of stocks in Glitnir Bank and FL Group. The stock purchase amounted to almost ISK 25 billion (USD 192 million, EUR 176 million). It was financed in large part with a loan from Glitnir bank, the only collateral being the stock itself. The accused all pleaded not guilty . Despite extensive questioning in the Reykjavík District Court, it’s still not clear who was in charge of the holding company Stím. Registered leaders of the company did not appear to be its actual directors. Lárus was previously acquitted by the Icelandic Supreme Court in the so-called Vafnings Case. Moreover, he was acquitted in the Reykjavík District Court in the Aurum Case, a verdict which was revoked by the Supreme Court. Jóhannes recently received a three-year prison sentence in a case regarding a loan given by Glitnir bank to a company owned by Birkir Kristinsson. Þorvaldur Lúðvík has decided to appeal the verdict and still proclaims his...
McAfee will run as Libertarian Party candidate for president
McAfee will run as Libertarian Party candidate for president
SAN MATEO, Calif. — John McAfee, Libertarian Party candidate for president of the United States. The mercurial McAfee, who this year announced his run for the presidency under the Cyber Party to “disrupt the political status quo” and warn of the “dangerously ignored issue of cybersecurity,” said in a phone interview today he will join the Libertarian Party, where he is likely to land the nomination. “They have (10) candidates (for president), none of whom have personality,” said a laughing McAfee, who is is running on a platform to pardon all marijuana users in prison and “stop the U.S. from being the world’s policeman.” The unconventional presidential run is McAfee’s latest headline-grabbing adventure. The 70-year-old cybersecurity pioneer, who was named as a “person of interest” in an unsolved 2012 murder case in Belize and later claimed he is a target of a Central American hit squad for his criticisms of the Belize government, has been the subject of profiles in USA TODAY, network news, Wired magazine and the international press. His fame has also landed him the role as subject of a forthcoming miniseries on cable network Spike. McAfee said a representative from the Libertarian Party contacted him Tuesday about representing the party. The party’s convention is in late May in Orlando, Fla. MCAFEE16 John McAfee – 2016 The Lexington, Tenn., resident, whose campaign headquarters is in Opelika, Ala., said he is confident he’ll get the nomination, and have his name on ballots in 50 states. “For me, it’s important to get boots on the ground,” he said. Doug Craig, a national board member of the Libertarian Party, said he recently discussed ballot access with McAfee, and the challenges an independent candidate faces. “He fits right in with our political philosophy,” Craig says. Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, who was the Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee in 2012, has repeatedly said he is likely to run but has not yet declared. Expect to see plenty of McAfee in the coming months, and not just on the campaign trail. He is the subject of a TV miniseries from Billy Corben, who directed Cocaine Cowboys and ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary on the University of Miami football program, that is...
DOJ Suspends Asset Forfeiture Equitable Sharing Payment Program
DOJ Suspends Asset Forfeiture Equitable Sharing Payment Program
Arlington, VA – On Monday, following the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016, the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Program announced that it would defer all equitable sharing payments for forfeitures, both civil and criminal, to state, local, and tribal partners for the foreseeable future. Following the DOJ’s announcement, the International Association of Chiefs of Police issued a statement, saying that the decision was “detrimental to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.” Following these announcements, Lee McGrath, Legislative Counsel at the Institute for Justice, issued the following statement: “Law enforcement revealed that its true interest in forfeiture is policing for profit—not public safety,” said Lee McGrath, Legislative Counsel for the Institute for Justice, in response to releases from the Department of Justice and International Association of Chiefs of Police. “The recently enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act does not stop police and prosecutors from chasing criminals. They’re frustrated because Congress put on hold their chasing cash.” “State legislators from Florida to Ohio to California should take notice of law enforcement’s reaction to the DOJ’s announcement” McGrath added. “Many police, sheriffs and prosecutors want to circumvent state laws because outsourcing forfeiture litigation to the federal government is lucrative. State lawmakers should enact an anti-circumvention provision that respects federalism and refocuses law enforcement’s attention on stopping crime by allowing only seizures greater than $50,000 to be forfeited under federal law.” ...
Cahill vs. Kalma “Future Shock” brand new song out now!
Cahill vs. Kalma “Future Shock” brand new song out now!
“Future Shock” by Cahill vs. Kalma New song available now! Get it at iTunes, Google Play or BandCamp “Future Shock” ©2015 Dave Cahill / Brian Herman A.I… Designed… To trap all of you, inside your hives. Divine… Blood lines… The serpents hide, behind their best disguises…from you. What if all of this is just a simulation? Get down on your knees and beg for your salvation… I, want to be stronger…I want to live longer than anyone’s…ever lived before. Upgrade… Crusade… Adjust and modify your DNA. Betrayed…and… Surveyed… Your secrets are numbered in a database…at the NSA. What if we exist inside a simulation? Reality is just another math equation. I, want to be stronger…I want to live longer than anyone’s…ever lived before. What if all of this is just a simulation? Get down on your knees and beg for your salvation… I, want to be stronger…I want to live longer than anyone’s…ever lived before....
Mexico issues first permit to grow and use marijuana
Mexico issues first permit to grow and use marijuana
Mexican health authorities issued Friday the first permit allowing four individuals to grow and use their own marijuana for recreational purposes, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling. While the permit opens a crack in Mexico’s prohibitionist policies, the government health watchdog Cofepris stressed that the authorization is limited to those four people only. The group, part of the Mexican Society for Responsible and Tolerant Personal Use (SMART), is pushing for full legalization of marijuana, arguing that it will help reduce the country’s relentless drug violence. Their legal victory has set a potential precedent for others to seek similar permits while forcing President Enrique Pena Nieto and Congress to debate whether to change the country’s marijuana laws. For now, Cofepris underlined in a statement that under the current laws marijuana “is still an illegal substance” and its cultivation and sale remain forbidden. But the four SMART members — two lawyers, an accountant and a social activist — are allowed to “sow, grow, harvest, prepare, possess, transport and consume marijuana for recreational uses,” Cofepris said. They are not permitted, however, to sell it to other people or use marijuana in front of children, pregnant women “or people who do not give their consent.” The SMART members say they have no intention of using marijuana. Their goal, they say, is to force the government’s hand. While Pena Nieto has repeatedly voiced his opposition to legalization, he has convened experts to a national debate in several states between January and March to decide potential new regulations. Congress, meanwhile, is discussing a bill that would legalize the import and consumption of medical...
Monsanto to be Finally Put on Trial for Crimes Against Humanity
Monsanto to be Finally Put on Trial for Crimes Against Humanity
Source: Sustainable Pulse The Organic Consumers Association (OCA), IFOAM International Organics, Navdanya, Regeneration International (RI), and Millions Against Monsanto, joined by dozens of global food, farming and environmental justice groups announced today that they will put Monsanto MON (NYSE), a US-based transnational corporation, on trial for crimes against nature and humanity, and ecocide, in The Hague, Netherlands, next year on World Food Day, October 16, 2016. Since the beginning of the twentieth century according to the groups, Monsanto has developed a steady stream of highly toxic products which have permanently damaged the environment and caused illness or death for thousands of people. These products include: • PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl), one of the 12 Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) that affect human and animal fertility; • 2,4,5 T (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid), a dioxin-containing component of the defoliant, Agent Orange, which was used by the US Army during the Vietnam War and continues to cause birth defects and cancer; • Lasso, an herbicide that is now banned in Europe; Continue reading...
The Bundy Militia Has Actually Taken Native Paiute Land
The Bundy Militia Has Actually Taken Native Paiute Land
Since the story broke of Cliven Bundy’s sons, as well as 150 ‘militiamen’ taking over Malheur National Wildlife Refuge HQ, near Burns, Oregon – many details have been overlooked by news outlets (including this one). But before the details of the Paiute native tribe became fully implicated, alternative news broke this story, as well as exposed extensive double-standards in the thought-processes of those who follow these stories. So hat-tip to those involved. It Wasn’t The Fed’s Land Steve Russell of Indian Country Today details the full history, and full-picture when Native people’s sovereignty are considered. The Maiheur National Refuge, as well as the Burns Paiute Reservation is the remnants of the Maiheur Indian Reservation for the Northern Paiute, of 1872, Federally granted to the Paiute tribe by US President Grant. After the Reservation was established, white-settlers occupied and ate away at the land until the Bannock War in 1878, which finalized the surrender and removal of both the Paiute and the Bannok tribes to Washington state. “The Burns Paiute Reservation is the remains of the Maiheur Reservation and the Maiheur Wildlife Refuge is an alternative use for the federal land, for those who believe the federal government exists.” writes Russell. Bundy has claimed that the only authority over this issue is Harney County Sheriff David Ward whom the party is petitioning to bring them into ‘protective custody’. Below is the only statement from Sheriff David Ward: After the peaceful rally was completed today, a group of outside militants drove to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, where they seized and occupied the refuge headquarters. A collective effort from multiple agencies is currently working on a solution. For the time being please stay away from that area. More information will be provided as it becomes available. Please maintain a peaceful and united front and allow us to work through this situation. Will Native People’s Wishes Be Considered? As with tradition in America, the aboriginal people have either been tossed aside or not thought of when a renegade force takes action. Ammon Bundy – Cliven Bundy’s son – appeared on video proclaiming that he and his ‘militia’ will remain not only peaceful, but will, “… be staying for several years.” So, it’s looking...
Militia Takes Over Federal Building In Oregon With Plans On Taking More
Militia Takes Over Federal Building In Oregon With Plans On Taking More
Nevada Rancher Cliven Bundy’s three sons and 150 ‘hard-core militiamen’ have occupied Malheur National Wildlife Refuge HQ and have stated it will be a ‘headquarters’ for a new movement they are seeking to ignite following a ‘peaceful protest’ of about 300 people. Militia group members occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge @KTVZ pic.twitter.com/M9TXEBJhP7 — Wanda Moore (@WandaKTVZ) January 3, 2016 On Saturday, Sarah Dee Spurlock posted a video to Facebook showing Ammon Bundy, stating: “We’re going to be freeing these lands up, and getting ranchers back to ranching, getting the loggers back to logging, getting the miners back to mining where they could do it under the protection of the people and not be afraid of this tyranny that’s been set upon them,” The second speaker in the video, a militiaman named Blane Cooper asserts the same goal, a US-wide movement. “It doesn’t have to stop here. This could be a hope that spreads through the whole country, the whole United States. Everybody’s looking for this hope because the government has beat us, and oppressed us, and took everything from us; they will not stop until we tell them no,” Video below: Here it is. Please know these men will speak to people civilly. Do not go up there guns blazing. Stay safe and smart. Posted by Sarah Dee Spurlock on Saturday, January 2, 2016 The protest as well as the decision to occupy a Federal building was based upon the imprisonment of two Oregon ranchers who are being tried for arson of Federal property. Steven Hammond, 43, and Dwight Hammond Jr., 73, both participated in using control-burn methods, claiming to kill invasive species and prevent forest fires on their 12,000 acres of land. The Federal government stated the fires burned onto Federal land and the men were using the technique to cover-up their poaching activities. Both Hammonds were indited and tried as terrorists in 2010, but were imprisoned 2012 for destruction of Federal property, with the Judge asserting they must serve more time. Since the story broke, the Hammonds have stated they will still return to serve the time January 4th, and the Bundys, as well as their organization do not represent the Hammonds. Malheur National Wildlife Refuge...
Top 5 Censored News Stories From 2015
Top 5 Censored News Stories From 2015
Why Russia Naming the US a ‘National-Security Threat’ Will Rock the Establishment
Why Russia Naming the US a ‘National-Security Threat’ Will Rock the Establishment
In an official New Year’s Eve document, About the Strategy of National Security of Russian Federation – Russian President Vladimir Putin names the US and allies as a ‘threat to national-security’. The reason why this is the final assessment, will inevitably bite the US and its partners in the backside. According to Reuters, Russia has reached this conclusion because of: “counteraction from the USA and its allies, which are striving to retain their dominance in global affairs,” Beginning of the End for US hegemony It’s worth noting, that in Russia’s last 2009 version of the document, the US and NATO are not labeled under ‘National-Security threats’. This sentence can be over-looked and not fully comprehensive at first glance, but let’s break it down to get the full message. “Counteraction” from the US and allies is the ‘how’, but what about the ‘why’? The ‘why’ is because those who demonize Russia (not that it’s a perfect paradise) are seeking to, ‘retain their dominance in global affairs‘. What has We Are Change been saying all along? We have videos several years old where we say just that. The ‘West’ is seeking to retain its malicious hegemony, at any cost – Russia calling that out will spell trouble for partaking parties. Here’s the reason why: When Russia says something, the world listens. Despite there being little official response to this document from the US and allies, they are quite aware this has been defined in the geo-political sandbox. Just look at the current state of the US and its allies and you’ll see a once strong alliance, being slowly eroded and stripped of its very center, day after day via Russia exhibiting one of the only examples of somewhat-sane leadership in the Middle-East. You also don’t really need to look to hard to assess this. The French premier demonstrated an attitude shift towards Russia after the Paris attacks last November, assisting and cooperating with Russian lead air-strikes on extremist positions in Syria afterward. This was basically a middle-finger to the US, who has been consistently and hypocritically demonizing Russia since the Syria campaign began in 2011. While this unfolded, the UK (supposedly America’s greatest ally) distanced themselves from the US via their...
The U.S Just Lost Syria To Russia and Putin
The U.S Just Lost Syria To Russia and Putin
In this video Luke Rudkowski covers the latest breaking news from U.S Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Russia in order to negotiate with Vladimir Putin. The negotiations focused around the tensions between the two world powers and their proxy war over Syria. In a Stunning revelation Kerry shifted the main U.S geopolitical goal and said that Bashar Al Assad will stay in power. Sources http://21stcenturywire.com/2015/12/18… https://www.rt.com/news/326564-damasc… http://dailysurge.com/2015/09/isis-le… http://theantimedia.org/wikileaks-us-… http://dailycaller.com/2015/12/15/joh… https://www.rt.com/uk/325994-isis-dwp… http://sputniknews.com/politics/20151… http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/6… http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/artic… Support WeAreChange by Subscribing to our channel HERE http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c… Visit our main site for more breaking news http://wearechange.org/ Patreon https://www.patreon.com/WeAreChange?a… SnapChat: LukeWeAreChange Facebook: https://facebook.com/LukeWeAreChange Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lukewearechange Instagram: http://instagram.com/lukewearechange Rep WeAreChange Merch Proudly: http://wearechange.org/store OH YEAH since we are not corporate or government WHORES help us out http://wearechange.org/donate We take BITCOIN too...
Cahill vs. Kalma “Future Shock” brand new song out now!
Cahill vs. Kalma “Future Shock” brand new song out now!
“Future Shock” by Cahill vs. Kalma New song available now! Get it at iTunes, Google Play or BandCamp “Future Shock” ©2015 Dave Cahill / Brian Herman A.I… Designed… To trap all of you, inside your hives. Divine… Blood lines… The serpents hide, behind their best disguises…from you. What if all of this is just a simulation? Get down on your knees and beg for your salvation… I, want to be stronger…I want to live longer than anyone’s…ever lived before. Upgrade… Crusade… Adjust and modify your DNA. Betrayed…and… Surveyed… Your secrets are numbered in a database…at the NSA. What if we exist inside a simulation? Reality is just another math equation. I, want to be stronger…I want to live longer than anyone’s…ever lived before. What if all of this is just a simulation? Get down on your knees and beg for your salvation… I, want to be stronger…I want to live longer than anyone’s…ever lived before....
Shocking Poll Reveals Only 30% of Republicans Would Bomb Aladdin’s City of Agrabah
Shocking Poll Reveals Only 30% of Republicans Would Bomb Aladdin’s City of Agrabah
(This article is a work of satire writing. Even so, these links lead to actual facts and are properly sourced. Enjoy!) A recent poll from Public Policy Polling reveals that only 30% of Republican Primary voters would bomb the Disney city of Agrabah. Democrats fell even deeper in the poll with only 20% of Democratic Primary voters feeling compelled to shell Agrabah relentlessly from the air, sea, land and underground. Jeb Bush was quick to establish condemnation in response to the devastating revelations, being “unable to believe this pol” and asserting a dire need for, “new bombey bombs”. Bush also received flack from criminal conscientious-objectors for not “flip-flopping” on the issue, as is expected from him. Being an adamant proponent and supporter of free-market drug and banking cartels, CIA black-operations, foreign dictatorships, the Miami cocaine free-market and biological weapons that can, “target specific geno-types” – Jeb Bush has a life-long history of both Democrat and Republican values. Yet not even Jeb can stop what the Center for American Progress highlighted in a recent report – the aimless decline in the Republican party. GOP leadership have since speculated that the 89% approval rating in Agrobah’s leader, The Sultan, to be an integral reason for the plummet or, “that poll isn’t real”. Aladdin’s Carpet had no comment on the...
Internet Rejoices as Pharma Bro is Arrested on Fraud Charges
Internet Rejoices as Pharma Bro is Arrested on Fraud Charges
(AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) Pharma Bro is back in the news again, and this time it isn’t due to raising the price of an HIV medicine up by 5,000% – he’s been arrested for fraud and security charges. Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceutical ‘entrepreneur’ was apprehended in his Manhattan apartment December 17th by Brooklyn authorities based upon security fraud. Shkreli rose to infamy after using an acquired Turing Pharmaceuticals to raise the price of the HIV drug Daraprim, up from $13.50 to $750. Retrophin, a company originally founded by Pharma Bro, was essentially being used as his own private piggy-bank, using the companies assets and stock to by siphoned into his own bank account. He was actually ousted out of Retrophin before the arrest as well. New York lawyer Evan Greebel, was also arrested this morning for conspiring with Shkreli to defraud his old companies. If convicted he will be barred from running any company. Also, Wu-tang Clan’s one-of-a-kind album was also sold to Shkreli for $2 million dollars. Which makes me wonder – were there any songs about security fraud on there? The internet didn’t waste time to respond to the news of his arrest: With much more to...
Fukushima Hero Speaks Out
Fukushima Hero Speaks Out
3 Facts That You Will Not Hear At The GOP Debate
3 Facts That You Will Not Hear At The GOP Debate
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