News of the Week for january 18^th, 2014

• Obama Scandals
• Gun Rights
• Hide the Decline
• Obamacare
• War & Terror
• National News
• Economy & Taxes
• International News
• Opinion

 

Obama Scandals

 

What Not Even the King of England Could Do
A federal researcher points out George III couldn’t suspend laws — as many say Obama just did.

Lois Lerner Tried To Block Supervisor’s Visit Because She Feared Targeting Would Be Exposed
Former IRS official Lois Lerner tried to block an IRS supervisor’s visit to the Cincinnati office that she oversaw during the period in which her division was targeting conservative groups.

 

Gun Rights

 

Audio Tapes Reveal How Federal Regulators Shut Down Gun Store Owner’s Bank Accounts
Conversations recorded by a Wisconsin gun store owner provide perhaps the clearest glimpse yet into how the federal government uses regulators to target legal firearm and ammunition sellers.

Obama DOJ Caught Targeting Legal Gun Dealers – Threaten Banks to Close Their Accounts
A gun dealer in Hawkins, Wisconsin says the Department of Justice forced Heritage Credit Union to close his recently opened bank account because he’s in the business of legally selling guns.

NRA Sues PA Cities over Illegal Gun Control Measures
Pro-gun groups like the NRA are going after municipalities in Pennsylvania which are violating a 40-year-old state law prohibiting them from regulating firearms. The cities of Philadelphia, Lancaster and Pittsburgh have “openly defied” state law, says Chris Cox, the NRA’s executive director for legislative action.

Paris Terrorists Bought Their AKs, Rocket Launcher at a Belgian Train Station
So much for strict European gun control. From ilfattoquotidiano.it via the magic of Google Translate, we get the news that Paris terrorist, Amedy Coulibaly (above), who murdered four Jewish hostages in a kosher grocery store, bought Kalashnikovs and a rocket launcher for himself and the Kouachi brothers (who carried out the murders at the offices of Charlie Hebdo) at a Belgian train station.

 

Hide the Decline

Environment &
“Green Energy”

 

Obama moves on methane emissions
The Obama administration unveiled the first regulations targeting methane emissions from industrial sources on Wednesday, seeking to add to the president’s legacy on climate change.

Nasa climate scientists: We said 2014 was the warmest year on record… but we’re only 38% sure we were right
Nasa’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies claimed its analysis of world temperatures showed ‘2014 was the warmest year on record’

On the Biases Caused by Omissions in the 2014 NOAA State of the Climate Report
I hadn’t read the NOAA State of the Climate (SOTC) Report for 2014 when I prepared the post Does the Uptick in Global Surface Temperatures in 2014 Help the Growing Difference between Climate Models and Reality? (WattsUpWithThat cross post is here.) I simply presented data and climate model outputs in that post.

 

Obamacare

Government in Healthcare

 

Eligible Americans Turn Down Obamacare Tax Credits
Some consumers are ditching subsidies out of principle, opting to pay more for health insurance.

 

War & Terror

 

US Centcom Twitter account hacked by pro-IS group
The Twitter and YouTube accounts of the US military command were suspended for a few hours after being hacked by a group claiming to back Islamic State.

Will the UK roll back anti-terror legislation?
Pushback imminent?

Boko Haram: Shocking footage shows devastation after bomb strapped to 10-year-old girl explodes in marketplace
The explosion, in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Saturday, killed at least 16 people and injured more than 20

Turkish daily braves Muslim backlash to print Hebdo cartoons
A leading Turkish daily on Wednesday printed excerpts from the first issue of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo since Islamist gunmen killed 12 people in an attack on its offices, defying a growing outcry in the Islamic world.

Belgium – Verviers: 2 dead in a police operation against Muslim terrorists – Usual Suspects just back from Syria
“As part of an anti-terrorist operation against Islamist groups conducted in several locations in Belgium, the prosecutor confirmed that two people died and another was seriously injured following an assault given by the police in the station area in Verviers center shortly before 18h Thursday night. This would involve three individuals who watched had just returned from Syria, according to Belga. Several people were also arrested.”

14-year-old bomb plot boy on the run
A 14-year-old boy who was arrested in October for plotting to explode a bomb at a crowded railway station has gone missing, according to police reports.

Boko Haram killed woman in labour
Nigerian militants shot woman midway through giving birth to baby boy, says witness cited by Amnesty International

Belgian Terror Raids Attacked Sleeper Cells of “Between 120-180 People”
The series of counter-terror raids conducted by Belgian law enforcement last night across the country served to neutralize a network of up to 20 sleeper cells operating in Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, according to a source speaking to CNN.

Revealed – how the threat of ISIS is spreading: Extremist group has DOUBLED the land it controls in just a few months despite more than 800 coalition airstrikes
New map reveals ISIS has expanded its control in Syria since the summer

Isis to launch first 24-hour online TV channel featuring British hostage John Cantlie
The Isis militant group is reportedly launching its own online TV channel, featuring a series from the British hostage John Cantlie and a weekly programme called “Time to Recruit”.

 

National

 

Eric Holder, top U.S. officials no-shows at Paris unity rally
The U.S. attorney general, in Paris for a terrorism summit with French President Francois Hollande, did not join world leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for the march and rally that drew a million people days after 12 were shot at satirical paper Charlie Hebdo. Others such as Obama and Vice President Biden were also not in attendance.

Gay couples’ children oppose same-sex marriage, tell of unpleasant upbringings
Majority disagrees, says parents’ inability to marry denies them legal protections, stability

US House to Vote on 20 Week Abortion Ban
On the 42nd anniversary of Roe V. Wade coming up on January 22, the US House of Representatives will vote on banning abortion after the 20th week of gestation.

Jeff Sessions Pens 25-Page Roadmap for New Republican Majority
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) is explaining what he thinks the Republican Party position on immigration should be in a 25-page document delivered to all Republican members of Congress and all their key staffers on Capitol Hill.

Follow the Money: Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
Anyone watching the NFL playoffs has undoubtedly seen the ads for this week’s release of American Sniper, the biopic of decorated Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle. Kyle, who served four tours in Iraq, was an American hero. He saved countless lives and worked with disabled veterans after he was honorably discharged. He made the rounds on cable news and positively influenced just about every single person he touched. He was tragically killed by a fellow veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder on February 2, 2013.

Gang of Six Unveils High-Tech Immigration Bill
A bipartisan group of six senators — including Senator Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), the Gang of Eight member mulling a run for president — released the first bipartisan immigration bill of the new Congress, in the form of legislation to expand high-tech visas and green cards for immigrants.

FBI says John Boehner’s West Chester bartender planned to poison him
Feds: Man said he was Jesus, Boehner was the devil

Gender-neutral single-stall restrooms now required in West Hollywood
A West Hollywood law requiring all single-stall restrooms in businesses and public places to be gender-neutral will go into effect this week.

Walker prepares 2016 bid
As Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) moves toward a presidential bid, he’s hoping that a series of in-state accomplishments can help him vault ahead of more outsized personalities.

IRS to lose tax collectors, do fewer audits in 2015
The Internal Revenue Service will lose 1,800 tax collectors through attrition and do 46,000 fewer audits this year because of congressional budget cuts to the tax agency, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen told IRS employees Tuesday.

Huffington Post: The Real Threat Is the European Right
On Tuesday, The Huffington Post attempted to spin Islamic radicalism in Europe as a secondary threat to both Europeans and Jews. The primary threat? As their headline put it, “Far-Right Parties On The Rise Across Europe.”

Muslims In Suburban Paris: Charlie Hebdo Attack Committed By “Magical Shape Shifting Jews”
DAMN! We Jooos Are Good!! I just wish someone had told me we had these powers, I could make myself look much skinnier.

Naya Rivera: Showering every day is a ‘white people thing’
Naya Rivera has called daily showering a “white people thing.”

Virginia County to Interrogate Homeschool Teens about Their Religious Beliefs
A school board in Virginia is considering the repeal of a policy that would have forced 14-year-old minors to stand before the school board to be interrogated about their religious beliefs.

Grotesque Double Standards on Religious Liberty in Atlanta
Beginning in 2006, I had the privilege of representing two brave young women in perhaps the most egregious Establishment Clause case I’d ever seen. The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) had implemented a so-called “safe space” program designed to mandate acceptance of LGBTQ lifestyles. This manual — prepared by state officials, created with state funds, and taught by university employees, including deans — compared religious objectors to homosexual behavior to slave-owners and purported to evaluate various religious denominations.

Bill De Blasio doesn’t want illegal aliens to “feel like second class citizens”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, said on Monday that giving identification cards to illegal aliens allows them to feel like citizens and enjoy some of the same benefits as actual citizens.

Virginia Democrat Re-Elected while Serving Jail Time for Sex w/ 17-Year-Old Staffer
A Virginia lawmaker (Democrat) was re-elected to the House of Delegates yesterday after he previously resigned from office amid a sex scandal. The scandal involved one of his teenage employees.

Good news, America! Our kids have a new Food Czar!
“Food Justice Warrior” wants “transformation of the current food system”.

#BlackLivesMatter Protesters Shutdown Boston’s I-93
Protesters from the BlackLivesMatter group have shut down Boston’s I-93 after several of them arrived in a truck with 1,200 pound barrels filled with cement and began chaining themselves to them.

Cities Forge Policy Apart From States
Republicans have seized their largest state lawmaking majorities since the 1920s, but many Democratic-dominated cities are likely to take matters into their own hands this year by passing progressive measures that go beyond or even conflict with state laws.

Administration details eased travel, trade restrictions on Cuba
Americans can now visit Cuba with little resistance from the U.S. government as part of President Obama’s bid to normalize relations with the communist nation for the first time in a half century.

Walker Tackles Common Core And Government Efficiency
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker delivered an optimistic speech Tuesday on government efficiency and defeating Common Core.

“A PETULANT CHILD”: Former Secret Service Agent Blasts Obama For Blaming Service For Skipping Paris March
Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino blasted President Obama’s decision to blame security concerns for his decision not to attend an anti-terrorism rally in Paris.

World’s Second Largest Private Foundation Denies Crony Philanthropy
The Ford Foundation stands to make a lot of money if the millions it’s spending on advocacy tighten the big boys’ Internet monopoly.

Jailed Sex Offender Wins Special Election In Virginia
Last month, my colleague Moe Lane reported on the antics of Democrat Virginia Delegate Joe Morrissey. Morrissey, who had been most noted for his propensity for trying to grab guns, had branched out and started grabbing juvenile pudenda.

Joni Ernst to Deliver GOP’s SOTU Response
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell announced Iowa’s freshman senator Joni Ernst will deliver the Republican response to the president’s State of the Union next week.

Feds target fried food, juice at day cares
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing strict new dietary guidelines for day cares that would prohibit them from frying food that is served to children.

A day of reckoning for “disparate impact” housing discrimination cases
Next Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in a Texas case in which the issue is whether claims of “disparate impact discrimination” can be brought under the Fair Housing Act. The case is Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc.

All-women’s college cancels “Vagina Monologues” because it’s not feminist enough
Mount Holyoke College, an all-women’s school, announced in a campus-wide email that the Theatre Board has cancelled its annual production of the “Vagina Monologues.”

Pope to Canonize California’s “Founding Father”
In a surprise announcement on his plane trip to Manila Thursday, Pope Francis said that he is planning to canonize the founder of California’s first missions and the father of the California wine industry when he visits the US next fall.

GOP Retreat: Rep. Jeff Denham Says Party’s Quietly Crafting Broad Immigration Bill
The GOP’s most outspoken proponent of comprehensive immigration reform let loose in an interview with reporters here, detailing quiet efforts to draft far-reaching legislation, saying House leadership is “committed” to bringing the hot-button topics on the floor and criticizing President Obama for carrying out too many deportations.

Mexico Providing Birth Certificates to Illegal Immigrants in U.S.
In an effort to make it easier for illegal immigrants to benefit from the Obama administration’s executive amnesty, the Mexican government started issuing birth certificates at their consulates in the United States Thursday, according to a new report.

Too much pot: Growers struggle with glut of legal weed
Washington’s legal marijuana market opened last summer to a dearth of weed. Some stores periodically closed because they didn’t have pot to sell. Prices were through the roof.

Native Hawaiians debate best for path to sovereignty
Native Hawaiians could be in line for federal recognition similar to many American Indian tribes. But the issue is inflaming distrust between moderates who support the idea and others who want to see the Hawaiian Kingdom restored.

Gay Republicans Mistake Crasher Justin Bieber For “Butcher Version Of Miley Cyrus”
Justin Bieber crashed a meeting of the Log Cabin Republicans at a West Hollywood gastropub earlier this week.

Are there hidden planets in our solar system? There could be TWO dwarf worlds still to be discovered, study claims
Astronomers noticed objects beyond Neptune were behaving strangely

Exclusive: White House says net neutrality legislation not needed
The White House on Thursday said legislation was not necessary to settle so-called “net neutrality” rules because the Federal Communications Commission had the authority to write them.

Apology Tour: John Kerry Brings James Taylor To Paris To Play ‘You’ve Got A Friend’
Under fire for being a no-show at the Paris March Against Terrorism, the Obama administration sent Secretary of State John Kerry to Paris today to give a “big hug” to the French.

Obama threatens to veto new Iran sanctions from Congress
New sanctions against Iran could derail progress toward a comprehensive nuclear deal and heighten the chances of war, President Obama warned Friday.

Governor Throne of Skulls (Scott Walker) Telegraphs 2016 Bid
With the three establishment-favored Governors (Jeb, Christie, Romney) having already all but declared, the time has come for other contenders to telegraph their intentions or face being left behind in the fundraising/operations cycle. One of my two favorite candidates for 2016 has always been Scott Walker, but the looming question has always been whether Walker would run at all given that a campaign would interfere fairly severely with the remainder of his second term. However, in a recent speech to the RNC, Walker seems to be attempting to remove the doubts about whether he will run.

GOP Schedules Slimmed-Down Primary Debate Calendar for 2016
Mindful of the palpable debate fatigue felt last round by candidates and viewers alike, on Friday the Republican National Committee released a slimmed-down primary debate schedule for 2016.

Rick Perry Rides Again
And it looks like he’s ready.

Gay marriage: High court sets stage for historic ruling
Setting the stage for a potentially historic ruling, the Supreme Court announced Friday it will decide whether same-sex couples have a right to marry everywhere in America under the Constitution.

Rapists Rape and Rape Again
100 serial rapists identified after rape kits from Detroit Crime Lab are finally processed

Woman Allegedly Sets Baby On Fire In Pemberton, New Jersey
Police say a newborn child was found burning in the middle of a road in Pemberton Township, New Jersey.

Michigan Recognizes Birthplace of Students for a Democratic Society
Much to the delight of left wing radicals everywhere.

Who Was Behind Obama’s “Free” Community College Plan?
Every plan has a mastermind; this one is no exception.

Ray Bradbury’s house, sold for $1.76 million, is being torn down
Ray Bradbury lived in his 1937 Cheviot Hills home for more than 50 years. After the author of “Fahrenheit 451” died in 2012, the house was readied for sale.

The remarkable California turnout curve
On Friday, we explored whether or not young people vote using data provided to the Post by California political firm Political Data. The upshot: Younger voters are among those with the lowest turnout — except for 18 year-olds. We speculated on why that might be, which you’re invited to read.

Democrat Hypocrisy: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who attacks corporate greed, stands to make millions from husband’s USPS government contract
Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein, who has attacked energy and health care companies for “corporate greed,” stands to make millions of dollars from her husband’s government contract.

Were Kamala Harris and Antonio Villaraigosa cutting a deal?
State Attorney General Kamala Harris and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa were spotted having dinner the other night. I assume they were talking about her — and possibly his — bid to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer in 2016.

Black-Free Black Lives Matter Dance Protest in San Francisco
These San Franfreakshow Black Lives Matter moonbats may not have any sacred blacks among them, but at least they honor diversity by including a creature with green hair

WTF? Daughter who plans on marrying her father talks about their taboo relationship
A young girl who is planning her upcoming wedding to her father is opening up about their taboo relationship.

Feminist Author @PennyRed Quotes Bolshevik Commissar’s Anti-Love Advice
In her most recent book, controversial British feminist Laurie Penny treats her unsuspecting young readers to Soviet propaganda, quoting a Bolshevik commissar’s denunciation of romantic love — without bothering to identify Alexandra Kollontai as the top female official in Vladimir Lenin’s Communist revolutionary regime.

Analyst: Harry Reid Most Vulnerable Democrat in 2016
Between his low approval numbers and the existence of at least one, if not more popular potential Republican challengers, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has emerged as the most vulnerable Democrat in the upcoming election cycle according to Larry Sabato.

 

Economy & Taxes

 

Two Cheers for Bad Governance!
I come to praise the sequester and continuing resolutions, not to bury them.

India to become fastest-growing economy in PM Narendra Modi government’s 4th year: World Bank
India is set to become the fastest-growing big economy in the world in the fourth year of Narendra Modi’s government, edging past China.

Is American Business On Road To Extinction?
Business Formation: An economy that does not produce new companies is an economy with a grim future. That’s why the virtual collapse in startups in this country is a problem that requires an immediate solution.

RadioShack prepares to file for bankruptcy
Electronics retailer RadioShack Corp (RSH.N) might prepare to file for bankruptcy protection by next month, the Wall Street Journal reported citing people familiar with the matter.

Gov. Sandoval unveils budget with $1.1 billion tax increase
Gov. Brian Sandoval has unveiled a budget that would raise taxes by $1.1 billion and give the majority of that back to Nevada schools.

All Swiss government bond yields out to nine years go negative
All Swiss government bill rates and bond yields out to nine- year maturities traded below zero on Thursday, after the Swiss National Bank stunned markets by scrapping its exchange rate cap on the franc and lowered interest rates to -0.75 percent.

Greek Bank Run Spreads To All Four Largest Banks
While moments ago Greece was downgraded by that paragon of analytical and timing virtue, Fitch, to a negative outlook from stable, that is largely meaningless for a nation, devoid of tax revenues and increasingly deposits, which is suddenly imploding at an ever-faster motion.

 

International

 

Moroccan-born mayor of Rotterdam tells fellow Muslims who do not appreciate the “freedoms” of living in the West to “pack your bags and f*** off” on live TV
Ahmed Aboutaleb, a Moroccan-born Muslim, spoke after Paris attack

Saudi cleric issues fatwa on snowmen
Religious leader forbids building of anti-Islamic idols that might resemble human beings, after winter storm in north of country

Venezuelan Bishops: Corrupt Marxist Government Caused National Crisis
In a stinging public letter, the Catholic bishops of Venezuela have accused their government of totalitarian oppression of citizens and widespread violations of human rights.

UK prime minister suggests banning encrypted apps like WhatsApp, iMessage
The U.K. may ban online messaging services that offer encryption such as WhatsApp and Apple’s iMessage, under surveillance plans laid out by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Oxford University Press bans sausages and pigs from children’s books in effort ‘to avoid offence’: Bizarre clampdown branded ‘nonsensical political correctness’
Ban is apparently aimed at avoiding offence among Jews and Muslims

It Took These Leaders Present in Paris Three Days to Start Criminalizing Speech Again
After world leaders gathered this weekend, alongside millions of Frenchmen, to honor the memory of people killed by terrorists who want to frighten people into never airing antagonistic speech, two of those leaders’ governments are cracking down on antagonistic speech.

Japan Cabinet OKs record military budget with eye on China
Japan’s Cabinet approved the country’s largest ever defense budget on Wednesday, including plans to buy surveillance aircraft, drones and F-35 fighter jets to help counter China’s rising assertiveness in the region.

Europe plunged into energy crisis as Russia cuts off gas supply via Ukraine
Russia cut gas exports to Europe by 60 per cent today, plunging the continent into an energy crisis ‘within hours’ as a dispute with Ukraine escalated.

Russia to cut EU gas transit via Ukraine
Russia has said it will stop EU gas transit via Ukraine and do it via Turkey instead in the second shock announcment on energy in as many months.

Russia to Shift Ukraine Gas Transit to Turkey as EU Cries Foul
Russia plans to shift all its natural gas flows crossing Ukraine to a route via Turkey, a surprise move that the European Union’s energy chief said would hurt its reputation as a supplier.

Muslim who helped hide kosher market’s customers to become a French citizen
Lassana Bathily risked his own life to help save others, a Muslim who protected Jews in the face of an armed terrorist.

General Election 2015: Nigel Farage to get same BBC airtime as David Cameron
The BBC says: ‘UK-wide programmes must ensure that UKIP is given appropriate levels of coverage in output to which the largest parties contribute and, on some occasions, similar levels of coverage.’

Pope on Charlie Hebdo: There are limits to free expression
Pope Francis said Thursday there are limits to freedom of speech, especially when it insults or ridicules someone’s faith.

Pope on climate change: Man has “slapped nature in the face”
Pope Francis said Thursday he is convinced that global warming is “mostly” man-made and that he hopes his upcoming encyclical on the environment will encourage negotiators at a climate change meeting in Paris to make “courageous” decisions to protect God’s creation.

Some French Muslims See Conspiracies In Paris Shootings
Last week’s shootings in Paris shocked the French. Many received another jolt when they learned that some Muslim students refused to join in the minute of national silence observed across the country following the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

Nigel Farage is Right: We Must Protect our Judeo-Christian Heritage
Yesterday, Nigel Farage hit out at such delights of modern multiculturalism as female genital mutilation, sharia courts and Pakistani rape gangs, suggesting that what western societies need is “interculturalism” to protect our Judeo-Christian heritage. By invoking God as a moral good, he is being unfashionable but inescapably right.

Worried about Russia? Lithuania says ‘Keep calm and read the war manual’
Lithuania is publishing a manual to advise its citizens on how to survive a war on its soil as concerns grow that Russia’s intervention in Ukraine heralds increased assertiveness in its tiny Baltic neighbors.

Mother and daughter weigh a total of 43 stone and get £34k a year handouts, but refuse to diet
Janice and Amber Manzur both live off handouts and are so obese they have to use mobility scooters, but they say: “We’d rather be fat on benefits than thin and working”

Huge Explosions At Donetsk Airport, Key Battleground In Ukraine
Hours earlier, Russian forces claimed to have control of the Ukrainian airport.

Sweden: From “Humanitarian Superpower” to Failed State
As Europe braces itself for new terror attacks, its political establishments face a choice: Will they finally start listening to their citizens’ growing concerns over Muslim mass immigration and the spread of political Islam, or will they dig in and try to perpetuate decades of failed multicultural policies?

Planning A Life Of Crime? Move To Vancouver! (Feat. Vancouver Police Department)
On the morning of January 11th at about 10am a man walked into the Waves coffee shop at 305 Main Street in Vancouver. Shortly after the young woman working alone behind the counter opened the till, the man grabbed some money, and ran away. Officers were dispatched after someone called 911 and officers from the Vancouver Police Department quickly apprehended the suspect. So far so good, right?

Decomposing Body of Murdered Mexican Actress Found in Water Tank
Many questions remain in yet another unsolved murder in Mexico City where authorities discovered the heavily decomposed body of an aspiring actress in the water tank of her apartment complex. Her body was discovered 11 months after she went missing.

French President: Muslims are “Main Victims”
Even as the bodies of two dead cartoonists from satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were committed to the ground after a terrorist attack last week which killed twelve, French President Francois Hollande has insisted Muslims remain the “main victims”.

Charged with neglect for leaving our 12-year-old son with friends: Middle-class couple tell of ‘police state’ treatment after holiday to Spain
Before they went to Spain to prepare their small cottage for the summer rental season, Sarah and Simon Johnson made what they thought were scrupulous arrangements for the care of their 12-year-old son.

Equalities Minister Wants Boys to Play With Dolls so They Will Be More Nurturing and Caring
For liberal parents concerned that their boys might grow up to be men rather than moonbats, Britain’s Liberal Democrat “Equalities Minister” Jo Swinson has a helpful suggestion—encourage them to play with dolls

“Go F**k Yourself You Communist Turd” Senator Says To Anti-Free Speech Democrat
It appears the Australia’s first libertarian senator has some harsh words for “anti discrimination leftists” who wish to crack down on free speech.

Behead an infidel, get a job
Like local politicians everywhere in Sweden, the ones in the municipality of Örebro are grappling with a surge of radicalized young men going to fight for the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq.

 

Opinion

 

America a house divided over race
The election of Barack Obama six years ago was hailed as a breakthrough both for minorities, particularly African Americans, and for his being the first “city guy” elected president in recent history. Both blacks and urbanistas got one of their “own” in power, and there were hopes that race relations and urban fortunes would improve at a rapid pace.

Which Side Would Today’s BBC Have Rooted For In World War II?
Roger L. Simon wrote on Thursday that the world needs a new Churchill. They won’t find him in the halls of the BBC, that’s for sure.

Sorry, liberals, Scandinavian countries aren’t utopias
Want proof that the liberal social-democratic society works?

Multicultural Suicide
Fueling the Western paralysis in dealing with radical Islam is the late 20th century doctrine of multiculturalism.

Is the White House a “Sleeper Cell”?
I’m still trying to figure out why Obama — or any high-level U. S. government official other than Eric Holder, who was in Paris but evidently had better things to do — didn’t join the nearly 4 million people who marched throughout France protesting the terror killings at #CharlieHebdo and the Hyper Cacher market. White House press secretary Josh Earnest has admitted the mistake and apologized (perhaps a little wishy-washily, but we’ll give him a pass), informing us that, unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough time to arrange presidential security for the trip.

Drift Compatible
In the first ever Drift Compatible podcast, we discuss Speaker Boehner’s election, the Charlie Hebdo attack, the UVA rape hoax and even a little football.

A Crisis Of Faith
No, not Muslims; it’s the the western press. The Press have created an ideology over the last fifty years or so that approaches the level of a secular religious dogma. They believe that the Press are like the referees in a football game, present everywhere but not involved in the action. Surrounded by violence, they themselves never contribute to the violence and are never the objects of violence. And they are strictly neutral, favoring no one but simply calling it all like they see it.

New York Times Endorses Thought Crimes
Kelvin Cochran, the Fire Chief of Atlanta, published a book (with permission from the Ethics Office for the City of Atlanta), in which he expressed his Christian faith on sex, marriage, and life. For that, the New York Times says he included “virulent anti-gay views.”

The Tyranny of the Easily Offended
The history of humanity is defined by the battle between two opposing forces: tyranny and liberty. There are those who wish to enslave humanity and there are those who wish to set humanity free. Tyranny will do everything it can to keep humanity in chains. Tyranny will try to fool people by disguising itself in the noblest of causes, but tyranny under any other name is still tyranny. Tyranny has taken many forms throughout the ages. It has held many names just in the past century. During World War II, it was known as fascism. During the Cold War, it was known as communism. Now tyranny has adopted a new name: social justice.

Lost in translation: Charlie Hebdo, free speech and the unilingual left
In the 48 hours after the Paris massacre, much of the anglophone activist and academic left were quick to sneer at public displays of solidarity with the murdered cartoonists and journalists of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and criticized the vigils, demonstrations and editorial cartoons from other artists as siding with racists.

Dylan Has Down Syndrome But Is Just One Of The Boys
Dylan Magyar is a bit of rock star in Dublin, Ohio. As the youngest child in a family with four boys, he has an active schedule. Dylan is an average 6-year-old with lots of friends.

McClintock Interview: A Good First Week in Congress
Taking a page from the experienced, aging Jerry Brown political playbook, Democrats in Congress and the Obama White House appear to have been trying to destroy the economy and bankrupt the government given their policies the past six years. However, they’ve been stopped in their tracks, thanks to American voters, who in November resoundingly thrashed President Barack Obama, together with the Democrats in Congress, and their destructive policies. By defeating Democrats across the country, voters ushered in a Republican controlled House and Senate.

The Common-Core Standards’ Undemocratic Push
One of the most influential books in social science in the last 50 years is economist Albert O. Hirschman’s Exit, Voice, and Loyalty.

Money for Nothing – Public Administrators Have Minimal Authority or Accountability
On October 14th the Orange County Board of Education will meet to consider, among other things, approving a 2% increase for the Orange County superintendent’s salary. Using data provided by the Orange County Dept. of Education to Transparent California, it can be seen that in 2013 the superintendent, Al Mijares, earned a base salary of $293,500, along with additional employer paid “benefits” of $50,482, for a total of $338,482.

The demographic shriveling of the Democratic party continues.
Oh, dear. It’s worse for the Democratic party than I thought.

As Steyn Goes, So Goes Mann
The other day, a reader at Climate Audit quoted an old Maclean’s column of mine from 2009

The California Donnybrook: Start the Popcorn Machine
I have a good conservative friend who has lived in Washington, DC most of his adult life, where he is a registered Democrat, so that he could vote for Marion Barry in Democratic primaries, on the theory that “if you can’t have effective government, at least you can have entertaining government.”

Making the World Safer for Liars and Crooks
It’s all the Antis have ever done.

Why Pope Francis Is Wrong About Free Expression
We heathens can leave the theological debate to others.

The Sidelines of Chaos
In 2012, Andrew Breitbart gave a rabble-rousing pep talk at the CPAC Conference. He offered a dire warning about the current Democrat party and where Barack Obama was taking us as a society

Amanda Marcotte, Eugenicist
The main reason that the abortion movement cannot quite disentangle itself from its roots in 19th-century eugenics is the niggling, persistent fact that it doesn’t really want to. Consider this from Amanda Marcotte, who is clutching her ironically worn thrift-store pearls over the fact that Indiana may pass a law that would make it a crime for parents to kill their children over a disability.

The Pope Got It Completely and Utterly Wrong
I’m given to understand that the media tends to misreport the words of the Pope, and, more generally, to misrepresent what Catholics and their church actually believe. As such, I tend to take what I read about the Vatican with a large pinch of salt.

If I Only Commit a “Microaggression,” I’ve Underachieved
If it wasn’t clear before, it should be clear now: There is a segment of the population that will interpret virtually any form of communication from the “wrong” people as offensive or provocative.

Peeking in on #LAGov
With Bobby Jindal’s term as governor nearing an end, 2015 will be a gubernatorial year for Louisiana. So far, five candidates have declared their intentions to run – three Republicans and two Democrats. Here’s a little breakdown of the candidates in so far.

Demography Is Not Destiny for Democrats
Redistricting and GOP dominance among white voters have offset the growing racial diversity that was supposed to give Democrats an unbeatable edge.

Feminism’s Big Lie
One of the things you recognize, if you pay close attention to feminist rhetoric, is how the “patriarchy” or “male supremacy” — and other concepts like “misogyny,” “the beauty myth,” etc. — function as all-purpose scapegoats for whatever any woman may be unhappy about.

Here Are 5 Facts Vox Ignored When It Declared the Oscars Racist
Here are the 5 crucial facts Vox chose to ignore when it declared the Oscars racist

The Republican majority in the state Senate is a myth, Mr. Roberson Jan13 by Thomas Mitchell
State Senate Majority Leader Michael Roberson should just end the charade right now, cross the aisle and caucus with the Democrats. He might have run for office under the Republican banner but now he talks like a Democrat and votes like a Democrat.

Clash of the Gaming Titans!
Part One of the Epic Battle that Shook the Heavens!

Can the West Stand Up for Free Speech?
False moral equivalence and blatant cowardice threaten our tradition of free expression.

Would the Left Really Reject a Steyer Senate Bid?
Apparently, the only thing bigger than billionaire Tom Steyer’s political checkbook is his ego.

They’d Rather All the Babies Die
This story of Solomon is playing out in the pro-life movement in horrific ways that fly under the radar of a press too scornful of nuance to recognize differences.

Renee Ellmers is Basically a Liar
Congresswoman Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC)51% is a lying waste of oxygen.

Topic for discussion: was Prohibition the Progressive movement’s *greatest* disaster?
Having been reminded that today (January 16th) is the anniversary of one of the greatest social policy disasters (if not the absolute worst) in American history

Nothing to do with Islam
The death rattle of a dhimmi society.

Arguing with Moral Relativists on Twitter
Every time there is a terrorist attack, the moral relativists can be counted on to come out of the woodwork to educate the world about how all belief systems are equal, and western civilization is just as evil and horrible and awful and blah blah friggin’ blah. Then it is all of the usual leftist self-loathing nonsense about the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and What Have You Done For Me Lately bullshit! (built civilization?).

You’ll read this Fundamental Concepts thread if you know what’s good for you!
The Left thinks they know what’s good for you better than you do

5 Songs the French should have played for John Kerry
All is fair in love.

Planet SJW: A World Without Joy
Nothing but the naked Will to Power.

A Guide to 2016 Republican Candidates’ Positions on Illegal Immigration
With Republicans in Congress split over the best approach to President Obama’s executive amnesty – and with many establishment Republicans splitting from grassroots Republicans on the issue of illegal immigration more generally – it’s clear that immigration will be a hot-button primary issue in 2016.

Positively Living Lies
A couple of days ago, I offended one of you who thought I was being facetious at Canada’s expense (which I only do in terms of accent, and which is my right as a linguist. Also, because my accent is the funniest of them all) when I said they’d had something like 10 constitutions. I was in fact repeating the claim of a Canadian (and patriotic) commenter who thought this flexibility of their uniting legal principle made Canada superior to us, hide bound Americans.

In the World of The Red Queen
How did we get here? And why is it so dark? And why does everything look so strange?