News of the Week for September 20th, 2015
- Obama Scandals
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Obama Scandals
Report: we had the chance to get rid of Assad in 2012 but turned it down
From the Things That Might Have Been file.
Gun Rights
Major Change Proposed for Florida Self-defense Immunity Law
Shift in burden of persuasion not just a tweak, but YUUUUUGE!
Appeals court quashes some District of Columbia gun laws
In a mixed decision, a federal appeals court on Friday struck down as unconstitutional parts of a gun-control law in the nation’s capital that imposed strict registration requirements on handguns and long guns.
Ray, Et Al. v. Wal-Mart
A decision by the Utah Supreme Court on Wal-Mart’s firing of employees who exercised self-defense when confronting an armed shoplifter.
Ray, Et Al. v. Wal-Mart by Ben Winslow
Hide the Decline
Environment &
“Green Energy”
Scientists Ask Obama To Prosecute Global Warming Skeptics
The science on global warming is settled, so settled that 20 climate scientists are asking President Barack Obama to prosecute people who disagree with them on the science behind man-made global warming.
How many children died because peer reviewed data was buried and results cherry-picked?
This example below shows the dangers of cherry picked and buried data. It shows how great news and joy can be reported from rancid results, and the only protection against this is open access. When the taxpayer funds research that is not fully and transparently public, and immediately available, the people are funding PR rather than science. “Peer review” does little to stop this, little to clean up the mess after it happens, and the truth can take years to be set free.
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
Judge clears way for House lawsuit challenging health law
A federal judge cleared the way Wednesday for a legal challenge by congressional Republicans to President Obama’s health care law to proceed.
Obamacare Took a Big Hit in the Last Three Months, Analysis Finds
Obamacare enrollment has dropped in more than half the states in the country over the past three months, according to analysis by Americans for Tax Reform, which claimed the decline could mark the “beginning of the death spiral for Obamacare exchanges.”
War & Terror
Prince Harry gives up Battle of Britain flypast Spitfire seat for last surviving RAF veteran
As Prince Harry sports rugged beard as he inspects planes taking part in 75th anniversary flypast, he gives up aircraft place for veteran Tom Neil
Blonde Danish teenager, 15, murdered her mother with a kitchen knife after watching ISIS videos of the beheading of British hostages online
Lisa Borch became obsessed with Islam after going out with older Muslims
Wary of Russia, Estonian volunteers rush to join militia
Members of Estonia’s part-time militia crouch in a sandy trench on a hilltop as machine gun fire echoes through rain washed forest. Russia may be some way off but it is wariness of a vast neighbour that is swelling the force’s ranks, drawing labourers and office workers alike to a gruelling exercise.
China’s Video War GameShare article on Facebook
The 70th anniversary of the end of World War II was earlier this month, and the Chinese Communist Party celebrated it with a parade to show off its military capabilities.
Side Effects – From David Zucker
Hollywood comedy legend David Zucker (“Airplane,” “Scary Movie,” “Naked Gun” films among many others) has written and produced this hilarious spoof on the disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal. In his trademark style, Zucker skewers the deal’s primary architects – President Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry warns of the possible “Side Effects” that may result from the absurd agreement.
China’s creeping influence in Djibouti
China is increasingly undermining US strategic interests in Djibouti as the Obama administration stands aside
South China Sea: China Building Airstrip for “Constant” Surveillance Power
Experts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies warn satellite evidence shows the Chinese military is developing a new airstrip in the South China Sea, one that could allow for “more or less constant” surveillance of the internationally disputed waters.
Chinese Admiral on South China Sea: “It Belongs to China”
A Chinese commander, sitting alongside a fellow military leader from the United States and another one from Japan, defiantly said China owns the South China Sea at a conference in London
MailOnline reporter buys Syrian papers being sold to ISIS fighters sneaking into Europe hidden among refugees
Reporter bought $2,000 Syrian passport, ID card and driving licence in Turkey under the name of a real man who was killed in the conflict
Obama Blocks Navy from Sailing Near Disputed Chinese islands
Failure to assert passage rights in South China Sea bolsters Beijing’s illegal maritime claims
Al-Aqsa Mosque Address: Europe Wants the Muslim Refugees as Labor; We Shall Conquer Their Countries
In an address delivered at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Ayed said that the European countries are not motivated by compassion toward the refugees, but by their need for labor. “We shall conquer their countries,” he declared in the address, which was posted on the Internet on September 11, 2015.
Marines seek to close combat jobs to women
The Marine Corps is expected to ask that women not be allowed to compete for several front-line combat jobs, inflaming tensions between Navy and Marine leaders, U.S. officials say.
Pulling Germany’s Armed Forces Back From the Brink
In his recent article “Is Germany’s Military Dying?” Kyle Mizokami worries that massive underfunding might sound the death knell for the long-suffering German armed forces. But for the Bundeswehr, an old German saying might apply: Those declared dead live longer.
Khamenei threatens “criminal America” in chilling new video
Iranian supreme leader says should war break out, US will be defeated, humiliated
The South China Sea is Not Beijing’s Next Battlefield
No one likes to admit they made a mistake, especially in Washington. But what if America’s top strategic thinkers have gotten China’s military buildup all wrong?
The Pentagon Is Preparing New War Plans for a Baltic Battle Against Russia
But the really troubling thing is that in the war games being played, the United States keeps losing.
National
Microaggressions: A Case Study
We have a major microagression situation at, get this, Oberlin College.
Walker pledges to end federal public-employee unions
In 2012, American taxpayers shelled out some $156 million to do the bidding of big-government union bosses. Federal workers spent more than 3.3 million hours that year doing union work, instead of serving the government.
Child Protective Services Forces Raped 10-Year-Old Girl to Have Abortion
Officials with Child Protective Services in Wynne, Arkansas have forced a 10-year-old girl victimized by rape to have an abortion.
Christian cop loses appeal, must attend mosque
Event included discussion of Islamic beliefs, Muhammad, Mecca, prayer, Quran
Hidden in Einstein’s Math: Faster-than-Light Travel?
Although Einstein’s theories suggest nothing can move faster than the speed of light, two scientists have extended his equations to show what would happen if faster-than-light travel were possible.
Sanders: America Was Founded on “Racist Principles”
Monday at at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said America was founded on “racist principles,” but as the election of the first African-American President Barack Obama shows we have come a long way.
Black Employee Wins $1.6 Million in Racial Discrimination Suit From Black-Owned Restaurant
Legendary restaurant Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘n Waffles has to cough up $1.6 million in an unlawful termination suit to an African American man who claimed he was discriminated against because he was black.
The International Olympic Committee just got an eyeful of the City of Angels.
Los Angeles is amazing and diverse. That is the message in a new promotional video released Monday by Los Angeles’ 2024 Olympic bid organizers.
Should Texas secede? Question may appear on Republican primary ballot
Texas already seceded once — in 1861, by popular vote in a statewide election.
10th Planned Parenthood Video Reveals Strategy To Hide Organ-Trafficking Involvement
The Center for Medical Progress has released another video revealing that Planned Parenthood officials were worried about the media and legal troubles if their organ-trafficking scheme was revealed.
Berkeley attempts to circumvent ban on affirmative action
In 1996, California citizens passed a constitutional ban on racial discrimination by the state, ending affirmative action. As the scholarship pertains to recruitment and yield rather than admissions, administrators believe the move will not run afoul of the state constitution.
DC Comics Says Batman To Fight Racist Police Officers In New Issue “Inspired By Trayvon Martin”…
The latest issue of DC Comics’ flagship Batman series throws itself headfirst into the agonising conversations roiling America more than a year after Ferguson officer Darren Wilson killed 18-year old Michael Brown. The globally iconic superhero confronts racialised police brutality and its intersection with urban poverty and gentrification – problems Batman comes to realise he exacerbates in his secret identity as billionaire industrialist Bruce Wayne.
Trump Says His Position on Trade Is “Very Close” to Bernie Sanders
“I think I can take that paragraph and just use it in my speeches.”
SCOTUS Justice Breyer likes to rely on the laws of other countries
This isn’t too disturbing. Nope. Not at all. Everything is just fine here, folks.
Hillary Clinton jokes about Bill as her veep
A double Clinton ticket has “crossed” Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton’s mind, but she believes the Constitution would prevent her husband Bill from being her running mate.
“Criminals get fed better”: Outraged Maryland school students share photos of their moldy and under-cooked school meals
Students at Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland have taken to social media to complain about school lunches
Portland artist uses period blood for Trump portrait
A Portland artist’s unusual painting is making national headlines.
Government Cracks Down on Little Free Libraries
Thank goodness the government is here to save us from… little libraries?
Majority of Pope Francis’s US Addresses to Be in Spanish
Pope Francis will deliver all but four of his 18 addresses during his forthcoming visit to the United States in Spanish because he is still not comfortable speaking in English, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
Kevin McCarthy for Speaker? Conservatives May Back Him over Boehner
With Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) job in doubt, House conservatives have been holding internal talks about a new leadership coalition that could include Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as Speaker and more conservative members occupying lower rungs on the leadership ladder.
GamerGate: A Year in Review
One year has passed since the start of GamerGate, an online uprising of gamers against poor journalistic standards, political correctness, and moral crusaders in the world of video games.
5th Grade Homework Assignment Tells Kids Who Creates Jobs…
Weaselzippers: This was sent to me by a friend, whose child received it as a 5th grade public school homework assignment
White House Invites Several Opponents of Catholic Teaching to Greet Pope Francis
President Obama will apparently test just how far Pope Francis’ notorious tolerance will go by inviting a rogue’s gallery of people opposed to Catholic teaching to greet the pontiff at the White House during his visit next week.
School bans Confederate flag symbol from vehicles
The debate over displaying the Confederate flag has made its way into school parking lots.
Congressman Tom McClintock resigns from House Freedom Caucus because they collaborated with the Democrats
“I believe the tactics the HFC has employed have repeatedly undermined the House’s ability to advance them”
South Park Takes on P.C. Culture in Season 19 Premiere
Using Bruce Jenner, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, frat boys, and a cameo from former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle, South Park took on America’s problems with political correctness Wednesday in the politically incorrect fashion fans have come to expect.
12 Cuban Refugees, Dog Land to Cheers in Miami on Broken “Sailboat”
A group of thirteen Cuban refugees–11 men, one teenage girl, and a dog–arrived on American soil on Tuesday to the cheers of Miami beachgoers, two days after they had run out of food and the tiny motor on their makeshift sailboat ceased working.
More Wisconsin Emails
How investigators targeted conservative Supreme Court justices
Fiorina’s rivals may seize on 2010 playbook to exploit weaknesses
Carly Fiorina graduates to the main stage for Wednesday’s GOP presidential debate at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, but even as she seeks to expand her appeal to voters, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO’s history may come back to haunt her.
Second arrest in Charleston church shooting… but why?
There have been rumors about this coming out of South Carolina for a while now but it seems that law enforcement officials have made their move and arrested a friend of Dylann Roof. The real question here is… for what?
Rubio’s Campaign Manager PUNCHES Paul’s Campaign Manager in Face
Police are reportedly searching for Rich Beeson, Marco Rubio’s campaign manager, after he punched Rand Paul’s campaign manager in the face last night.
The tragic life of “Baby Doe” Bella Bond laid bare: Conceived in a tent at Occupy Boston, kept secret from her addict mom’s family and “punched until she died by a step-dad convinced she was possessed”
Rachelle Bond, 40, of Mattapan told investigators 35-year-old Michael McCarthy punched Bella in the stomach until body went lifeless
The Real Story of #IStandWithAhmed
The hubbub surrounding Irving, Texas 14-year-old MacArthur High School student Ahmed Mohammed – the kid who brought a homemade clock-in-a-case that looked like a fake bomb to school – continues apace, with the President of the United States inviting him to the White House, and 2016 Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg tweeting out encouragement.
Boys can be princesses too! Disney removes gender-labeling on Halloween costumes to make its trick-or-treating attire for “all kids”
The change comes just a month after Target announced that it would no longer be using gender-specific signs in certain children’s departments
CSGD, Athlete Ally partner to establish Sports and Social Justice Leadership Initiative
The Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity and international non-profit organization Athlete Ally are working together to establish the Sports and Social Justice Leadership Initiative.
Social-justice warriors can’t take the “South Park” heat=
For nearly two decades, “South Park” has lambasted… everything. The cartoon’s raw satire offends left, right and center; all races and religions – and atheists, too. But some are just too dense to get it.
City: Murder victim should have known “risks” of public housing
The family of a college student murdered at her East Harlem housing project doesn’t deserve a dime from the city – because she should have known the “risks” of being on the dangerous grounds, city lawyers claim in court papers.
Dixie State University: School Rejects Student Group Because Its Name Includes Greek Letters
Beginning in November 2012, Dixie State University student Indigo Klabanoff contacted school administrators to discuss the possibility of forming a sorority on campus. Over the course of several months, Klabanoff was repeatedly told that the university would not recognize a sorority or any club identified by Greek letters because of concerns about Dixie State’s “party school” image.
School lunch study: Visual proof kids are tossing mandated fruits and veggies in trash
In perverse effect, USDA mandate decreased consumption, study shows
Economy & Taxes
U.S. drops to 16th on “economic freedom” list, behind Canada, Chile
The United States, ranked second in worldwide economic freedom as recently as 2000, has plummeted to 16th, according to a new report of world economies.
Great News: Lunatic Proposals of Democrat Frontrunner Bernie Sanders Carry a Pricetag of $18 Trillion
This clown makes Obama look like a fiscal conservative.
Berkeley Labor Commission Pushing to Raise Minimum Wage to $19
Congrats to the City of Berkeley. While everyone is discussing the negative effects of raising the minimum wage to $15, they are discussing going to $19. When San Fran made their decision to kill jobs, a study showed that a $15 rate would kill 15,200 jobs in that city. Imagine what $19 could do to the people of Berkeley. Could these raises really be a way to force folks to leave the area? That could be the only excuse for causing businesses to close or to move.
Social-justice warriors can’t take the “South Park” heat
“For nearly two decades, “South Park” has lambasted… everything. The cartoon’s raw satire offends left, right and center; all races and religions – and atheists, too. But some are just too dense to get it.
How Do America’s Poor Really Live? Examining the Census Poverty Report
Today, the Census Bureau will release its annual poverty report. It will almost certainly report that over 40 million Americans “live in poverty.”
International
David Cameron under fire over EU army stance
DAVID Cameron is facing pressure from German Chancellor Angela Merkel to drop his opposition to plans for an EU army, it was disclosed yesterday.
Malcolm Turnbull defeats Tony Abbott in Liberal leadership spill to become prime minister
Malcolm Turnbull will become Australia’s 29th prime minister after beating Tony Abbott in a dramatic leadership ballot in Canberra on Monday night.
A Hunting Ban Saps a Village’s Livelihood
Lions have been coming out of the surrounding bush, prowling around homes and a small health clinic, to snatch goats and donkeys from the heart of this village on the edge of one of Africa’s great inland deltas. Elephants, too, are becoming frequent, unwelcome visitors, gobbling up the beans, maize and watermelons that took farmers months to grow.
Support for German right-wing party rises amid refugee crisis
Support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a right-wing party that backs a tough line on immigration, has risen to its highest level in nearly four months as an influx of refugees from the Middle East gathers pace, a poll showed on Tuesday.
The British Labour Party Sets Itself on Fire
Last Friday, the British Labour Party introduced an “assisted dying” bill into parliament. The following day, in an attempt to demonstrate that they stood squarely behind the measure, the party’s members elected Jeremy Corbyn as their new leader.
Social sciences and humanities faculties to close in Japan after ministerial decree
Seventeen universities are to close liberal arts and social science courses
Canadian parents not so sure about sex education for 3rd graders
I can’t say precisely how similar Canadian families are to American ones, particularly when it comes to parents with small children. Some things seem to be universal though and this might be one of them. Canada recently implemented a plan where they would be expanding sex education for their students, starting off with some big, need-to-know items for first graders. Who could possibly have predicted that anything would go wrong with a plan like this? Well, when it came time to send the kids to class, as many as 90% of the parents in some areas kept their kids home.
The Receding Waters Of Central Asia
Once, long ago, the Amu-Darya, one of Central Asia’s two great rivers, emptied into the Caspian Sea. There is still evidence of the “Uzboy” canal system in what is now southwestern Turkmenistan and indications that some 4,000 years ago it was a rich agricultural area. Now it is just a desert and there are concerns that mismanagement of water resources and climate change could transform other parts of Central Asia into desert lands.
North Korea’s Gulags: The Real Problem from Hell
There was huge optimism within the human rights community when President Obama took office. Among human rights activists, there was sheer and utter contempt for George W. Bush and his challenge to conventional wisdom on everything ranging from transformative diplomacy to posture toward the Palestinian Authority to the use of force to counter terrorism. Even today, Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa division, “likes” a group on her Facebook page entitled “Not Having George Bush as President (by LeftAction.com).”
Fistfight Erupts over Pacifism in Japan’s Parliament
Anyone watching the debate over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s drive to change the laws governing his nation’s self-defense force and permit overseas military deployments knows it is a highly contentious issue.
British Army “could stage mutiny under Corbyn”, says senior serving general
A senior serving general has reportedly warned that a Jeremy Corbyn government could face “a mutiny” from the Army if it tried to downgrade them.
Opinion
Corbyn and the Same Old Populist Mistake
He is a Sinn Fein-loving, monarchy-baiting, Israel-bashing believer in unilateral nuclear disarmament. This is a man who, for more than 30 years, has made a political career out of being explicitly and avowedly on the Spartist Left. He is a frondist, an inhabitant of the semi-Trot margin, an unrepentant lover of oppositionalism
Stop Saying Same-Sex Marriage is the “Law of the Land”
Recently, Donald Trump was asked if the Kentucky clerk of Rowan County, Kim Davis, should issue same-sex marriage licenses. The Donald responded, “It’s the law of the land.” The purpose of this piece is to assist the Republican candidates in seeing that there are better options than agreeing with the left on this sea change issue.
The Over-criminalization Epidemic: The Need for a Guilty Mind Requirement in Federal Criminal Law
Justice reform is a topic that has received a lot of attention from members of Congress. Front-end sentencing and back-end reentry reforms have dominated the discussion on Capitol Hill, as well as out outside of Washington. Over-criminalization of federal criminal law, however, has not received nearly enough attention.
The Over-criminalization Epidemic: The Need for a Guilty Mind Requirement in Federal Criminal Law by Jason Pye
The Cargo Cult of Trump
Back during World War II, the people of the Melenesian islands experienced a temporary an unexpected period of prosperity that was brought on by their convenience as a staging area for the island warfare that characterized the Pacific theater. The folks who inhabited these islands (who could only fairly be called primitive) watched in wonder as the Japanese and Americans in turn descended on their isolated homes, built airstrips, and generously distributed goods and services that they could only dream of. Thus, one of the world’s most destructive historical periods became a period of unprecedented prosperity for the Melenesians.
In The Common Core Era, Families Flock To Its Opposite
Classical education has been growing inside the United States for several decades. Common Core’s entrance into public and private education has only accelerated the trend.
The Weariness of the Whiners
The cult of the whining victim is now ubiquitous.
A war on college men
Jared Polis’ idea to deprive college men of due process highlights toxic campus culture of discrimination against men.
Let The Left Destigmatize Racism
When “racism” primarily describes the trivial and the innocuous, it becomes absurd to consider racism consequential and injurious.
Secession in the Modern World: Should Sardinia Leave Italy and Join Switzerland?
So it’s surely true that there are lots of reasons to admire Switzerland. Indeed, it’s such an attractive country that many people in Sardinia want to secede from Italy and have their island become a Swiss canton.
Magna Carta Our Shared Legacy of Liberty
This Runnymede Films documentary tells the story of freedom from its origins in Saxon England to the sealing of Magna Carta, the development of Parliament, the flourishing of liberty under law in the Anglosphere and the challenges freedom faces today in Canada, Britain, the United States and elsewhere.
ABC Politicizes the Muppets and Attacks Christians
ABC is just one of the many reasons my wife and I no longer let the kids watch television in our house.
Why Do Feminists Hate Sex Robots?
In the zero-sum-game worldview of feminism, anything that makes men happy is bad. Kathleen Richardson, a professor at De Montfort University in England, is afraid that having sex with robots will make men happy.
Celebrating the Constitution on its 228th birthday
Thursday, Sept. 17, is Constitution Day, celebrated nationally as Citizenship Day from 1952-2004, and by many states before then. It marks the 228th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
Cultural Suicide: A Do-It-Yourself Guide
Step one: Encourage a massive entry of the unassimilable.
Bernie Sanders, Autarkist?
Bernie Sanders has been getting increasing attention here lately. That’s appropriate, now that he is the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. When you start paying attention to Sanders, you realize how dumb his policy ideas really are.
The $10 Answer: Phyllis Schlafly
When the Republican presidential candidates were asked in Wednesday’s CNN debate which woman they would choose to replace Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill, I was disappointed with their answers. Ben Carson said his mother, Mike Huckabee said his wife and Jeb Bush named Margaret Thatcher, while Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump seemed to agree on Rosa Parks.
The Conservative Case Against Carly Fiorina
Carly Fiorina is surging right now in the GOP Presidential primary and it’s easy to see why many conservatives like her. She’s had a couple of strong debate performances where she’s tossed out good lines, she’s the first woman to lead a Fortune 50 business and she’s portraying herself as an “outsider” in a year when conservatives are justifiably sick of politicians.
How conservative is Carly Fiorina?
Since the last debate, Carly Fiorina has been the flavor du jour among Republicans who have concluded that the zeitgeist demands an outsider and who are beside themselves at the possibility that the outsider might be Donald Trump. RedState is in a unique position to discuss this because in 2010 we supported Chuck Devore in the Republican primary against Carly Fiorina.
Reverse Engineering Ahmed Mohamed’s Clock… and Ourselves.
I have something in common with Ahmed Mohamed: as a youngster, I was also an electronics enthusiast. At his age and even earlier, I frequently took apart electronic devices – anything from my own toys, to broken things around the house, and even that dirty garbage-picked black and white TV my parents dragged home that they knew I’d have a blast playing with (I did.) I’d try and troubleshoot, repair, or sometimes just disassemble things and salvage components for future projects. I’d try and imagine how all those bits and pieces, lengths of wires, mazes of conductive circuit board traces all came together to produce an image, or a sound, or some other useful function. I wanted to know how it all worked.
Nugent Rocks Talk Like A Pirate Day
“Haven’t turned me ‘arpoon on you”
Democrats and George Stephanopoulos (But I Repeat Myself)
The “revolving door” between the Democrat Party and the liberal media functions as a full-employment program for party operatives, who can collect paychecks from TV networks for doing the same work they would otherwise do for Democrats.
People should mold government, not the other way around
This week the White House posted a press release under the hed: “Designing Federal Programs with the American People in Mind.” A better hed might have been: “Designing the American people with federal programs in mind.”
