News of the Week for Febuary 1st, 2015
- Obama Scandals
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Obama Scandals
Saudi King Abdullah “Could Not Stand” Obama
“King Abdullah did not like President Obama”
Obama Knocked for Chewing Gum in India: “Ungainly Sight”
President Obama is being knocked by local press for chewing gum today at the Republic Day parade in India.
Behind Obama’s love affair with Iran
In downtown Buenos Aires there is a cream painted building locked down like Fort Knox. Alongside the building is a billboard, but it’s no suave ad for Kelvin Klein. The billboard is black, and eighty five names, handwritten in white, cover it from top to bottom.
Obama Sends Political Team To Israel To Defeat Netanyahu (Funded By State Dept.)
Remember when Obama said he wouldn’t meet with Israeli PM Netanyahu because it was too close to the Israeli Election. That was only part of the reason. Apparently this president has a horse in the race. First revealed in its Hebrew edition, Ha’arez is reporting The group V15, which denies that its motto is ‘anyone but Bibi,’ is working with U.S. political strategist Jeremy Bird who worked on the Obama campaign to replace the Israeli government in March.
Gun Rights
Obama Admin Tells Banks To Shut Up About Its Targeting of Consumers, Gun Dealers
The Obama administration’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is threatening banks to be silent about the administration’s new programs supervising and investigating private bank account holders.
Hide the Decline
Environment &
“Green Energy”
Fracking moratorium rejected by MPs
MPs have overwhelmingly rejected a bid to suspend fracking for shale gas.
Greenpeace Activist Calls for Climate Change ‘Deniers’ to be Beheaded
A climate change advocate, believed to be a Greenpeace activist and Guardian contributor, has called for the beheading of so-called “climate change deniers”, arguing the world would be a better place without them. The comments are merely the latest in a long history of warmists advocating the killing of people who question global warming dogma.
Montana’s Sen. Jon Tester Flip-Flops On Keystone XL Pipeline
Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, new chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), has flip-flopped from his previous support for the Keystone XL pipeline.
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
Unions Exploit Obamacare to Grow in Size & Power
Across the country, unions are reeling. Union membership is at historic lows. Federally, card check legislation has now been dead for years. In Wisconsin, Scott Walker took on public sector unions and won. Michigan has put right-to-work laws on the books. Even in blue states (New Jersey, Illinois, California) some steps have been taken to try to rein in out-of-control unions.
War & Terror
Nigeria Loses City Of 100,000 to Boko Haram
Following a Sunday predawn attack, Nigerian forces lost the town of Monguno, in northeastern Borno state, to Boko Haram fighters.
Bowe Bergdahl Has Been Charged With Desertion
The Army came to this decision months ago, but the White House has been stonewalling the announcement because the decision to trade five dangerous Taliban commanders for one weaselly American deserter makes Obama look weak and foolish. To put it mildly. Reportedly, Assistant National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes (of BenghaziGate fame) is behind the stonewall.
Kyrgyz Claim That IS Allocated $70 Million To Destabilize Central Asia
Against a backdrop of ever-growing Central Asian fears over the threat posed by Islamic State (IS) militants, the director of a Bishkek-based think tank has claimed that the Sunni extremist group has allocated around $70 million to destabilize the situation in Central Asia.
As You Drive, So You Are Watched
The Justice Department’s plan may be legal, but it’s politically unacceptable.
Here’s what moviegoers in Baghdad think of “American Sniper”
When Gaith Mohammed, a young man in his twenties with a degree in accounting, went to see “American Sniper” during its opening week at Baghdad’s Mansour Mall, he says the theater was full and rowdy.
White House: Taliban An “Armed Insurgency,” Not A “Terrorist Group” Like ISIL
At Wednesday’s White House press briefing, deputy press secretary Eric Schultz wouldn’t call the Taliban a terrorist group, instead referring to it as “an armed insurgency.”
Russia says nuclear arms to keep military edge over NATO, United States
The chief of Russia’s armed forces said on Friday a strong nuclear arsenal will ensure military superiority over the West as Russia seeks to fulfill a multi-billion dollar plan to modernize its forces by 2020.
Russian Bomber Over Channel Was Carrying Nukes
Tensions between Russia and the UK have heightened after it was revealed that the Russian bomber intercepted by RAF fighter jets was carrying a nuclear missile designed to destroy Trident submarines.
National
Woman Drowned Puppy In Airport Toilet After Not Being Allowed To Board Plane With Animal
After Nebraska airport workers refused to allow her to board a plane with a three-week-old puppy, a woman allegedly went into a nearby bathroom and drowned the animal in a toilet bowl, police allege.
Gov. Branstad transported to hospital after falling ill
Gov. Terry Branstad was hospitalized after falling ill Monday at an event at DuPont Pioneer in Johnston, an aide said.
2016: It Begins
Clear winners and losers emerged from the first major candidate huddle in Iowa this weekend.
1st District OC Supervisor’s Race: Lou Correa in trouble as Vietnamese outvoting Latinos 3-to-1
He has a sizable advantage in voter registration, the edge in fundraising and an impressive set of cross-party endorsements from Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and District Attorney Tony Rackauckus.
New GOP Caucus Could Set Stage for Leadership Coup
A group of 30-40 House Republicans — more than enough to prevent House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) from mustering 218 votes for anything — is organizing into a formal caucus and hiring staff.
Obama tweaks Murkowski with proposed drilling ban
While the new GOP majority in Congress seems afraid to attempt anything they promised in order to get elected, Obama seems to have a rather definite strategy in mind for keeping Congress from focusing on real issues. He’s going to barrage them with meaningless distractions.
Charles Curtis, the Indian who became vice president
My American Vignettes on exceptional Americans looks at Charles Curtis, the first Indian elected to national office a President Hoover’s vice president. Today marks the 155th anniversary of the birth of Charles Curtis on the Kaw reservation in what is now Topeka, Kansas.
Amherst College settles suit filed after diploma withheld over rape allegation
A lawsuit filed by an Amherst College student who argued the school unfairly held up his academic career over an old, unproven allegation of an on-campus rape has quietly settled.
Pulling out, California Porn Industry Faces New Risks
25,000 adult film stars, distributors, and fans descended on Las Vegas this week for the 15th annual Adult Entertainment Expo and AVN Award Show, the industry’s equivalent of the Academy Awards. Porn stars showed off for the cameras, toy manufacturers hawked their wares, and 1,000 journalists from hundreds of outlets chronicled the extravaganza.
Wild dolphins exchange names when they meet at sea.
It’s been known for some time that captive dolphins can invent new vocalizations. Although such whistles may be harder for us to pronounce than names like “Flipper” or “Willy”, they nonetheless serve many of the same purposes among porpoises. That’s because dolphins make up new whistles that other dolphins then use to signal each whistle’s inventor. But what happens when dolphins meet for the first time? And what about wild dolphins–do they use “names”? Well, according to this study, the answer to both of those questions is a resounding “yes”!
Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill Introduced in Congress
FAIR Act introduced in Senate, House
Pope Francis Wants to Cross Southern Border to Show “Brotherhood and Support for Immigrants”
“To enter the United States from the border with Mexico would be a beautiful gesture of brotherhood and support for immigrants.”
In Alabama, gay lawmaker threatens to out colleagues’ marital affairs
This sounds like “outing” in reverse. A gay state lawmaker in Alabama is sick and tired of hearing conservatives preaching about family values and is planning to air some dirty laundry if they don’t stop.
Fireman faces ax over anti-affirmative-action T-shirts
A T-shirt could cost this firefighter his job. A judge has recommended the FDNY sack Brooklyn firefighter Thomas Buttaro for wearing anti-affirmative-action T-shirts to work, creating what she called a hostile work environment.
Liberal Jonathan Chait Pens Microgressive Triggering Attack on “Political Correctness”
Worth a read. I put “political correctness” in quotes in deference to Noah Rothman’s observation that the militancy of what we’re seeing now may transcend the notion of “political correctness” and simply become full-on Stalinist thought control or Orwellian newspeak.
2014 Senate Results by CD: Part I- The South
At AoS HQ, we’re doing a new series breaking down the 2014 Senate results by Congressional districts. This diary will be the first in a three-part series.
California Wants to Ban Public Use of E-Cigs
A new bill introduced in California on Monday would ban the use of electronic cigarettes in public places and also tighten up restrictions on selling e-cigs to minors.
Transgender nominated to be Pennsylvania’s physician general
A man who became a woman five years ago has been nominated to be Pennsylvania’s physician general.
Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick Announces Grassroots Advisory Board
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced the formation of the “Lieutenant Governor Grassroots Advisory Board,” comprised of grassroots conservative leaders and activists from all over Texas.
Nevada delegation seeks to head off Obama grabbing more land in the state Jan26 by
They have this president’s number. They know where he is coming from and what he is capable of.
Islamic Tribunal Confirmed in Texas; Attorney Claims “It’s Voluntary”
An Islamic Tribunal using Sharia law in Texas has been confirmed by Breitbart Texas. The tribunal is operating as a non-profit organization in Dallas. One of the attorneys for the tribunal said participation and acceptance of the tribunal’s decisions are “voluntary.”
Deranged Lefties Want Boehner Tried for Treason for Inviting Netanyahu to Speak to Congress
Sure, we can take these people seriously.
Report: 52 City Managers in Illinois Earn More than Any U.S. Governor Does
Fifty-two village and city managers in Illinois earn more than any U.S. governor does, according to a report from Forbes. Three managers make more than $250,000 while leading municipalities that, combined, have fewer than 100,000 residents.
‘Super Saturn’ with giant rings is first outside solar system
Scientists have discovered an enormous ring system around a star, the first of its kind outside our solar system.
Telomere Lengthening RNA Treatment Lets Cells Divide More
Take away the threat of cancer and I’ll sign up for telomere lengthening.
Sandoval unsure if he can override Laxalt’s decision on immigration lawsuit
Gov. Brian Sandoval said Wednesday that he doesn’t think he legally can override the state’s challenge to an order that would spare more people from deportation, but he plans to talk with Attorney General Adam Laxalt about it in the next few days.
Politico invents nasty Mike Huckabee quote, mocks it
Mike Huckabee’s approach to winning the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 has been … perplexing.
The Tick-Tock Begins for Andrew Cuomo
“If Silver provides new details about Cuomo’s role in the negotiations that led to the commission’s demise, Cuomo’s vulnerability to an obstruction of justice charge increases.”
Seattle government now going through citizens’ trash for public shaming, revenue
Sure, the incentive to compost is the putative reason for this regulation, but exactly how is it enforced? In order for city officials and trash collectors to know you have committed the civic sin of disposing of leftover food in your trashcan, they have to examine the contents of your trashcan.
Lynch defends Obama’s immigration policies
Challenged by Republicans, Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch on Wednesday defended President Barack Obama’s decision to shelter millions of immigrants from deportation though they live in the country illegally.
Arizona SCOTUS Case Could Throw Out CA House Districts
A lawsuit initiated by the Republican-controlled Arizona legislature, which is on its way to the United States Supreme Court, could have major implications for Congressional Districts here in California.
Congressional Dems Propose New Food-Safety Super Agency
Consolidating food-safety functions might be smart, but why create a whole new federal agency?
School Made 11-Year-Old Girls Pull Down Their Pants for Disgusting Inspection
“I felt uncomfortable and I didn’t want to do it”
NASA’s Pluto-Bound Spacecraft Has Arrived
Launched in 2006, New Horizons will awaken this weekend and approach Pluto in the spring and summer of 2015.
Virginia Lawmaker Explains: Dems Need Illegal Immigrants to Vote
As the Senate considers whether to take up a House-passed bill that aims to roll back President Obama’s executive amnesty for illegal aliens, lawmakers might want to check with their constituents.
Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord resigns amid possible federal inquiry
State Treasurer Rob McCord is resigning his post and returning to the private sector, a surprise Thursday announcement that was soon followed by reports that the former gubernatorial candidate is now under federal investigation.
Marijuana group sues to use online signatures for petition
A group that wants Nashville’s first-ever public vote on marijuana has sued the Davidson County Election Commission as it seeks to use online signatures to boost its referendum efforts.
U.Va. president admits rape story was false; keeps restrictions on fraternities
University of Virginia president Teresa Sullivan finally admitted that she knows the Rolling Stone article detailing a brutal gang rape at the university was discredited.
43-Vote Winner! Andrew Do defeats Lou Correa for OC Board of Supervisors by 43 votes but investigation into Santa Ana polling place incident
Republican Andrew Do has defeated Democrat Lou Correa by just 43 votes in the nail-biter special election to replace Janet Nguyen on the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
A Short History of Proposition 13
Let me take you back to 1966 to Newhall, California right here in Los Angeles County, to an item that appeared in the local Newhall Signal newspaper. It came with a picture of an elderly couple standing before their house. It would not be unkind to call it a shack. The house was assessed for taxes at the property’s highest and best use, a standard used by assessors at the time. Since an apartment building had been built close by, this elderly couple’s home was assessed as if an apartment building was built there. The couple’s tax bill, in 1966 dollars, was $1800 a year. Their total income was $1900 a year.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson bungles science of Deflate-gate scandal
The farce of the NFL’s “Deflate-Gate” affair has become hysterical enough that prominent astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson felt the need to weigh in on Twitter, and in the space of 125 characters, Tyson managed to bungle some straightforward fundamentals of science.
Mary Cheney: Why is drag “socially acceptable” and blackface isn’t?
Mary Cheney wants to know why it isn’t “socially acceptable” for a white person to “put on blackface and act out offensive stereotypes of African-Americans” if drags queens are allowed to imitate female stereotypes?
The New Normal at Berkeley
California Governor Jerry Brown this week said the state’s flagship — the University of California at Berkeley — has closed its doors to “normal” people.
Feminist Game Developer Surprised to Learn Women can Vote, Own Land
Brianna Wu, the little known Head of Development at the game development company “Giant Spacekat,” has taken to twitter to express her hopes and wishes that one day women can own land and perhaps vote.
Nevada assemblyman confirms Metro probe in attempted extortion
Republican Assemblyman Chris Edwards on Saturday confirmed that Las Vegas police are investigating allegations of attempted extortion in exchange for his vote for Assembly speaker.
Anoka-Hennepin Schools May Start Depression Screenings
Minnesota’s largest school district is discussing screening high school students for depression and anxiety in the classroom.
Scott Walker on ABC: “I Wouldn’t Bet Against Me on Anything”
Run For The Hills…Peak Food Is Coming!
Since “Peak Oil” has been debunked as an inevitable result of citizen Morons’ taste for big trucks and warm houses, the Malthusian psychotics in the academy have moved on to peak food.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker wins Kansas GOP presidential straw poll
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker won the two presidential straw polls conducted by the Kansas Republican Party at its state convention in Topeka this weekend.
Economy & Taxes
Middle-class savings like blood in the water: Column
Obama goes where the money is to pay for ‘free’ education programs – your savings account.
The Triumphant Return of DOOM
Good morning, my groovy babies. Long time no smell! (Ah, the sweet sweet thrill of a fourth-grade burn. It makes life worth living.)
Uncle Sam Is Coming After Your Savings
Earlier in the week, I discussed the Obama administration’s proposal to tax earnings on so-called 529 college savings plans, part of a package of tax hikes that will pay for new programs such as his proposal to make the first two years of community college free. This has been touted as a plan to hike taxes on the rich to help the middle class, but in fact it’s more of a plan to redistribute money from the upper middle class to the lower middle class.
California Faces Death by Pension
Here’s what happens when unions control everything.
Economics and Plato’s Cave
If you had occasion to take a Philosophy 101 course in college, you may remember the allegory of Plato’s cave. Plato meant it as a discussion of what “reality” is — whether it is an absolute thing, and whether humans can experience “reality” in its totality or if we are limited only to what we can experience and measure. The idea is that what we can sense and measure is only a subset of a larger reality that we cannot perceive directly.
Bernie Sanders wants to cut the “deficits” by spending trillions more
Oh, dear Lord above, I try not to ask for much, but if You could find it appropriate, please let the Democrats nominate Bernie Sanders to run for President.
US Ranks 12th in Index of Economic Freedom
Every year since 1995, the Heritage Foundation has published an Index of Economic Freedom that ranks every country in the world by how free their economy is.
Joe Biden: The Last Six Years Have Been Really, Really Hard for This Country …(No Kidding)
Tell us something we don’t know.
International
Forcing diversity on rural France
Prime Minister Manuel Valls has announced his solution to the problem of ghettos: spread the immigrants around in the rural areas!
Photos Show China Military Buildup on Island Near Senkakus
Tensions high between China and Japan over island chain
How Marine Le Pen is winning France’s gay vote
The Front National now has the support of a quarter of Paris’s gay voters – and only 16 per cent of the straight ones
Women face violence all over Turkey
Women face violence in many fields across Turkey, but the type of harassment differs according to geographical regions, a new Family Ministry report has shown.
Pope Francis opens doors to transsexual dubbed “devil’s daughter”: report
Pope Francis has met a Spanish transsexual and his fiancée at the Vatican, opening his doors to a man dubbed “the devil’s daughter” by a local priest, media reports said Tuesday.
Greece says No to EU statement on Russia
The new far-left government in Greece dropped a bombshell on its first day in office by abjuring an EU statement on Russia.
Rotherham child sex victim says she still sees abusers “driving young girls in their car”, as claims emerge of hundreds of new cases
A victim of the child sex scandal in Rotherham has claimed that her abusers are “untouchable”.
Opinion
Why #GamerGate has won, is winning, and will continue to win
If you followed the GamerGate controversy since it’s inception, you’ve probably heard numerous times that the people who comprise GamerGate are ‘losing’, that they ‘have lost’, and have been ‘soundly defeated’.
Word Fetishes
A reader with the abstract yet addictive name of Concept Junkie leaves this comment regarding the case in favor of marriage, now, for some reason that does not bear close examination, called traditional marriage.
Are Libertarians Looking for Results or Self-Congratulation?
There’s a big difference between trying to win people over and merely trying to feel good about ourselves.
Know Thy Enemy
The modern Western penchant for trusting in the equal rationality of all is strategic folly. Aeschylus understood this well.
Too Many Laws, Not Enough Sense
Congress needs to start repealing laws, not passing more of them
How Dark Were the Dark Ages?
Were the Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages, characterized by oppression, ignorance, and backwardness in areas like human rights, science, health, and the arts? Or were they marked by progress and tolerance? Anthony Esolen, an English Literature professor at Providence College, explains.
The Damaged Feminist
Emily McCombs is a recovering addict with tattoos and a pierced nose, not to mention a history of bulimia and sexual perversion, so it only makes sense that she is executive editor of the feminist blog XOJane.com. Feminism is a movement of “broken people” who blame “society” for their misfortunes and thus feel compelled to avenge themselves by destroying civilization as we know it.
Pope Francis Is A Leftist And Must Be Called Out
Pope Francis has associated with revolutionaries and ideologies that destroy human life and living conditions. The right response is not silence.
Erin May is a Hero Fighting Common Core. More Mothers Will Hopefully Follow.
Erin May is the mother of two boys in the Lafayette Parish School System. She may also be on the verge of launching a revolution to take education back from the bureaucrats. Mrs. May’s sons are required this year to take the PARCC exam in Louisiana. PARCC is the Common Core exam in Louisiana. The exam will not be used to help her children improve their education. In fact, the results will not even be back until after the children are in the next school grade.
Meet the People Who Want Obama to Repeal the Bill of Rights
Meet the Americans who want Obama to repeal the Bill of Rights in order to keep the country safe from terrorists. Political prankster Mark Dice asks Obama supporters if they would support Obama’s plan to repeal the Bill of Rights to protect Americans from terrorists.
Nothing is more moral than the market
That’s all well and good, my Leftie friends often tell me, but what about morality? Let’s accept, they say, that markets are efficient, that they raise living standards, that they encourage people to invent and exchange things. Let’s even allow, for the sake of argument, that they alleviate poverty. Surely – this line is always delivered with a hint of smugness – surely there is more to life than economics. What about friends and family and acts of kindness? What about visiting the sick or caring for the environment? What about being a good parent, husband or friend?
How do identity politics work? A quick refresher course
Tim Stanley has already drawn your attention to a perfectly odious video of Dan Savage’s recent appearance on the Australian show Q&A, in which he “jokes” about mandating abortion to combat “overpopulation.”
Obama the Sentimentalist
There’s no room in the president’s comfort zone for assessing the practical costs of his ideas.
Ben Shapiro: The First Amendment is Dead
The first amendment is dead; long live the reign of sensitivity. Ben Shapiro explores how Americans have forfeited their fundamental rights in the name of political correctness.
Language Policing Doesn’t Pervert Liberalism, It Is Liberalism
Modern liberalism depends on the language police, and Jonathan Chait himself is Exhibit A.
For Republicans, a 2016 Tie Is a Win
GOP virtually guaranteed to hold edge in event of deadlocked Electoral College
Forging the Black-GOP Alliance in California
On Sunday, January 18, 2015, two interesting things happened in the history of Republican outreach to the black community in Los Angeles. The first is that, at 3:00 in the afternoon, the libertarian leaning Republican Liberty Caucus held its first meeting in South Los Angeles, (featuring addresses from inner-city figures such as host of Compton Politics Lorenzo Murphy). Then at 6:00, officers were elected to fill seats for the first chapter of the conservative California Republican Assembly ever established to represent Inglewood and South Los Angeles.
Is The GOP Going To Confirm A Woman As Attorney General Who Thinks Illegal Aliens Have “A Right” To Work In This Country? Spoiler: Of Course They Are.
During yesterday’s confirmation hearing for Loretta Lynch to be Attorney General, Jeff Sessions of Alabama asked her if she thinks illegal immigrants have the right to work in the US.
How Obama’s 529 College Tax Plan Debacle Proves the Welfare State is Doomed
Someone has to pay for it—but no one wants to foot the bill.
Hostility to Tradition
In the nineties, the Clinton Administration formed a bipartisan coalition to pass the federal “Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” or “RFRA.” Nineteen states followed suit. The legislation came in response to a Supreme Court decision that had seen an American Indian suffer legally for having used a drug during a well established American Indian religious ceremony.
A Lifestyle So Good, It’s Mandatory
In California, it’s lifestyle liberalism versus nicotine vapors.
The Scott Walker Racial Rorschach Test
Some people see a racist inside every head that formerly wore a mullet.
Fundamental Concepts – Winning at War
Can the US ever win another war? It’s a question that everyone should face up to, and facing up to it isn’t easy. It isn’t easy because the answer is hard and brutal, and we as a culture don’t like to face hard and brutal truths if we can help it. I pray that if the time ever comes (and if history is any indication it will, sooner or later) we in the West are able to gaze into the abyss with unflinching eyes and do what needs to be done.
What the Hell Does ‘Politically Correct’ Mean?: A Short History
The many meanings of ‘political correctness’
“Beyond parody”: Lefties’ unbelievable take on stay at home parents
Astoundingly un-American ideas like this caused a stir on Twitter thanks to an article in The Nation and a New York Times blog post
Must read for conservative students: Jonah Goldberg equips you for battle
As a conservative student, have you ever wondered why fighting intellectual battles on campus is like banging your head against a wall? No one wants to debate the merits, just call you a bunch of names.
The Errors of ‘Democracy’
We are heirs of a tradition. Each of us is born into circumstances that were created by our parents, by our grandparents, by our ancestors, and by the civilization in which they lived. Human life existed before we born and will continue after our deaths. As children we inherit the past. As parents we create the future. Wisdom requires us to understand ourselves as a single link in an infinite chain of human existence, rather than to imagine ourselves as free-floating atoms unconnected to others.
