News of the Week for January 8^th, 2017

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

 

Gun Rights

 

Opinion by Nevada AG Spanks Bloomberg’s Background Check Initiative
Mike Bloomberg just wasted a lot of money.

Liberals Mock and Celebrate Shooting Death of Conservative Columnist
Coldhearted gun control advocates have gone ecstatic after the news broke that conservative Portland Press Herald columnist Michael D. Harmon died at his home, when a handgun he was showing to a teenage boy went off.

Nevada’s universal gun background check law deemed unenforceable, put on ice
A universal gun background check measure, approved by Nevada voters and touted as a victory by gun control advocates, was supposed to take effect after the clock struck midnight Saturday and residents rang in the new year.

Rep. Hudson Introduces National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Bill
Today, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08) released the following statement after introducing the bipartisan Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 (H.R. 38) with 58 original cosponsors

Sen. Jeff Sessions will fight for the Second Amendment: Column
Unlike his predecessors, Jeff Sessions knows that law-abiding gun owners are not the problem.

Washington Post Journalist Learns What Happens When You Violate Basic Gun Safety Rules
Washington Post journalist David Fahrenthold learned a very difficult lesson about what happens when you ignore the four gun safety rules.

Parent: Teacher shamed 9-year-old daughter for shirt commemorating first deer kill
A teacher at Hinkley Elementary School in Ohio is under the microscope for allegedly belittling a 9-year-old (female) pupil for her shirt … which features an image of her very first deer kill.

But who will fact-check the fact-checkers?
There’s a lot to be said for not focusing too much on year-to-year changes in homicide statistics, which can be volatile.

 

Hide the Decline

Environment &
“Green Energy”

 

Why Tillerson and Perry may fuel the uranium, nuclear sectors
In a world anxious about notable political shakeups, but hopeful about new paths for public policies both here at home and abroad, the U.S. nuclear sector may be reenergized under President-Elect Trump through his nomination of Rex Tillerson (CEO of Exxon-Mobil) for secretary of State, and Rick Perry (former governor of Texas) as Energy secretary.

Staunch EPA opponent takes helm of Senate’s top oversight panel
A staunch opponent of President Obama’s environmental agenda was formally made the head of the Senate environment committee Wednesday.

The “Craziness” of the Climate Science Echo Chamber
I spent much of Wednesday guest-hosting America’s Number One radio show. You can find a few moments from today’s show here – including a reference to the story of most personal interest to me, the news that the distinguished climate scientist Judith Curry had decided to resign from her position at Georgia Tech

Earth Cooling At The Fastest Rate On Record
Global temperatures have plummeted this year at a record rate. Over the last ten months, temperatures have dropped more than three quarters of a degree, breaking the previous global cooling record set in 1999.

Trump to tap Coats for national intelligence director
President-elect Donald Trump will name former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats to direct the nation’s sprawling intelligence community, multiple media outlets reported Thursday.

Disappearing Glaciers
Climate fraudsters say that glaciers melting is an “early sign of global warming.”

A Coal-Fired Power Plant in India Is Turning Carbon Dioxide Into Baking Soda
But most impressive of all, it’s running without subsidies.

“CRAZINESS” in climate field leads dissenter Dr. Judith Curry to resign: “I have resigned my tenured faculty position at Georgia Tech”
“High Priestess of Global Warming” No More! Former Warmist Judith Curry Admits To Being “Duped Into Supporting IPCC” – “If the IPCC is dogma, then count me in as a heretic”

“Rebel Nerd of Meteorology” has Twitter meltdown over Trump election
“I know many ppl feel deep despair about climate, especially post-election”

 

Obamacare

Government in Healthcare

 

Judge blocks Obama’s transgender mandate
A Texas judge has temporarily blocked the Obama administration’s new requirements for transgender care, granting a preliminary injunction Saturday to several states and religious health organizations suing over the rules.

In Religious Freedom Victory Federal Court Blocks Obama Abortion, Transgender Regulations
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas Judge Reed O’Connor issued a preliminary injunction Saturday, blocking the federal government from enforcing an Obama administration regulation which “forbids discriminating on the basis of ‘gender identity’ and ‘termination of pregnancy'” under Obamacare. The regulation would have taken effect on January 1.

Live by reconciliation, die by reconciliation
Senate Republicans just introduced an Obamacare repeal plan Democrats can’t stop.

Steve King introduces bill to bar Supreme Court from citing Obamacare rulings
Rep. Steve King introduced legislation on Tuesday to prevent the Supreme Court from citing previous Obamacare rulings as precedent in future cases.

Battle lines drawn on ObamaCare repeal
Democrats and Republicans are honing their lines of attack for a battle over ObamaCare repeal that is likely to consume Washington for much of the year.

Obamacare Repeal Budget Resolution Passes Senate With 51 Votes
Pence, congressional Republicans meet to discuss Obamacare

Bad Language Can Cost the GOP the Obamacare Repeal Battle
The GOP still has a majority in the House and Senate, and two weeks, a Republican* President will take the Oath of Office. Republicans promised the first order of business is to repeal The Affordable Care Act. The GOP is learning quickly, however, that simply having a majority is not all that is needed. There is going to be a political fight, and on that front, they are already losing. It’s about bad language.

6 Alarming Findings in House Panel’s Planned Parenthood Probe
Planned Parenthood affiliates profited by transferring parts of aborted babies to outside organizations in violation of the law, a special House panel has concluded after a yearlong investigation.

Trans Woman Sues To Force Catholic Hospital To Remove Her Healthy Uterus
If you want a perfect picture of the terminal insanity of twenty-first-century American progressive politics, look no further than Jionni Conforti v. St. Joseph’s Healthcare System, Inc, et al. This lawsuit, filed in the District Court of New Jersey, encapsulates both the psychosis of liberal dogma and the existential threat that liberalism poses to many of core constitutional liberties.

New Legislation Could Open Up Health Care Options After an Obamacare Repeal
Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., has introduced a bill in the House that, if passed, will allow individuals to decide how they want their health care funds to be spent, without the influence of the government or health insurance providers.

 

War & Terror

 

Terrorist caught on CCTV dressed as Father Christmas shoots 35 dead and wounds 40 in Istanbul celebrity nightclub as terrified New Year’s Eve revellers dive into Bosphorus to survive
The gunmen appear to be wearing Santa costumes in CCTV footage

Obama’s Next “Last” Betrayal
Obama and Kerry aren’t done yet – they have a big date coming up in Paris on January 15.

Pentagon to Accelerate Rail Gun Projectile Weapon – Fires From Army Howitzer
The Navy is accelerating developmental testing of its high-tech, long-range Electro-Magnetic Rail Gun Hyper Velocity Projectile — such that it can fire from existing weapons platforms such as an Army Howitzer.

NATO Allies “Desperate For Leadership” Under Obama, US General Says
NATO Baltic allies are becoming increasingly worried about a Russian incursion amid the Kremlin’s aggressive actions in Ukraine and are looking for leadership from the U.S.

Cuomo’s contemptible pardon for a terrorist
Count Gov. Cuomo as another gullible bleeding heart taken in by a onetime domestic terrorist’s claims to have “transformed” herself.

The Other Reciprocity Argument that Conservatives Should Make: Gun Rights
The Constitution may require states to recognize each other’s firearms permits.

Navy Admiral: We CAN Build More Virginia-Class Attack Submarine Faster – 2-per Year in the 2020s
Navy analysis now says the service can increase the pace of construction for new Virginia-class attack submarines to better keep pace with Russian and Chinese undersea advances.

UK military to build prototype “laser weapon”
The UK Ministry of Defence has officially awarded a £30m contract to produce a prototype laser weapon.

Ft. Lauderdale shooting suspect made confused visit to FBI, said US intelligence forced him to watch ISIS videos
Estaban Santiago, the 26-year-old airline passenger accused of shooting up a baggage claim area at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood airport Friday, leaving five dead and eight injured, visited the FBI Anchorage field office and told officers he was being forced to watch ISIS videos, law enforcement sources told Fox News.

Czech government tells its citizens how to fight terrorists: Shoot them yourselves
A couple of months ago, Czech President Milos Zeman made an unusual request: He urged citizens to arm themselves against a possible “super-Holocaust” carried out by Muslim terrorists.

 

National

 

Pussy-Hat Protests planned for Trump’s Inauguration
Reducing feminism to its most ridiculous denominator.

Obama could still force Merrick Garland onto court during “intersession recess”
President Obama will have one last chance to force Judge Merrick Garland onto the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday – but it’s a legal gamble and one that has so many pitfalls that even those who say he could get away with it believe it isn’t worth the fight.

House Republicans Gut Independent Congressional Oversight
All this talk of draining the swamp and making things better and more transparent on Capitol Hill is apparently a crock of… well, it’s not a very pleasant crock. Anyway, the House GOP has decided, despite clear warnings from leadership, to remove the independence of the Office of Congressional Ethics.

Male college students to undergo “critical self-reflection” of masculinity
“Goal is to create a sense of security in vulnerability …”

College says it can retroactively apply new sexual-consent policy because it’s not really new
“Effective” equals “affirmative”?

Inside Trump’s strategy to remodel the Supreme Court
The president-elect is narrowing his short list while his advisers look beyond the current opening.

House GOP scraps plan to gut ethics watchdog after emergency meeting
House Republicans abruptly withdrew a proposal to weaken an independent ethics watchdog on Tuesday, in a rocky start to the new Congress.

New York Proposed Free College, but Not Everyone’s Buying It
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced an “aggressive” new plan to provide free college tuition to families earning up to $125,000 a year. Under the proposal, nearly a million families would qualify.

She Got the Car the Government Seized Back. But Her Fight Isn’t Over
An Albuquerque, New Mexico, woman whose car was seized last year by New Mexico police received her vehicle back from the city last month after challenging the seizure in court.

2017 Races: Los Angles Mayor
Current Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has to be feeling pretty good about his upcoming re-election. Steve Barr, founder of the Green Dot Schools, had planned to bludgeon him on the issue of education, but decided to drop out last month. The remaining opponents include a mishmash of perennial local candidates, so the Mayor is looking good to clear over 50% of the vote in the March 7th primary. Any city primary race won with a simple majority is decided then and there with no general election. Mr. Garcetti may have faced a tough fight getting into office, but staying there seems a certainty, at least this time.

California Hires Eric Holder as Legal Bulwark Against Donald Trump
Girding for four years of potential battles with President-elect Donald J. Trump, Democratic leaders of the California Legislature announced Wednesday that they had hired Eric H. Holder Jr., who was attorney general under President Obama, to represent them in any legal fights against the new Republican White House.

Obama taps Harvard for new “War on Men” Czar
College men, meet Mia Karvonides, your new worst nightmare. Currently she’s the head of the “Title IX and Gender Equity” office at Harvard University, charged with ensuring there is no safe space for men anywhere at Harvard.

Report: Jill Stein To Net $2 Million From Failed Recounts
Former Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein stands to net about $2 million in refunds following her failed attempts at voter recounts in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Special-needs man tortured while attackers stream it on Facebook
The brutal torture of a special-needs man was live-streamed to Facebook as he was bound and gagged in Chicago.

Judge forces Georgia to give illegals in-state tuition
A judge ruled Tuesday that Georgia must allow students who qualify for Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to receive in-state tuition at state colleges and universities.

Federal Court: Wisconsin Has Too Many Republicans
If a court can rule the Wisconsin state legislature does not have enough Democrats, it takes voting power away from the citizenry.

FBI Didn’t Analyze DNC Servers Before Issuing Hacking Report
Buzzfeed is reporting that, six months after the agency’s investigation began, the FBI has never requested access to or investigated the Democratic National Committee’s hacked servers. In addition, “no US government entity has run an independent forensic analysis of the system,” according to a source within the intelligence community.

Bella’s birthday surprise
Watch this homeless young girl’s surprise when she receive toys for her birthday.

GOP senator: Let’s cut Obama regulations “24/7”
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) says the Senate should get to work immediately on repealing President Obama’s regulations.

Yes, this is real: Michigan just banned banning plastic bags
A new law in Michigan will prohibit local governments from banning, regulating or imposing fees on the use of plastic bags and other containers. You read that correctly: It’s not a ban on plastic bags – it’s a ban on banning plastic bags.

Surprise! Monster Burst of Radio Waves Arose in Tiny Galaxy
For the first time, scientists have directly traced an incredibly intense, blindingly bright burst of radio waves — known as an FRB — back to its home galaxy. Surprisingly, this impressive cosmic radio flasher has somewhat humble origins, according to three new studies detailing the findings.

Puerto Rico’s new governor promises immediate push for statehood
Puerto Rico’s new governor was sworn in Monday, promising an immediate push for statehood in a territory facing a deep economic crisis.

Wisconsin Spring Elections Could Further State’s Rightward Shift
Many Wisconsin residents heaved a great sigh of relief after the election in November: the long, grueling campaign was over, the nightmarish prospects of both Hillary Clinton in the White House and the return of Russ Feingold had been averted, and they now could look forward to an “off-year,” devoid of politics.

A teacher and his husband were found dead in August. Police say they had sexually abused 8 boys.
Aric Babbitt was not just a teacher to some of his former students; he was also a mentor.

New Peanut Allergy Guidance: Most Kids Should Try Peanuts
Parents worried about peanut allergies now have some surprising new guidance: Give some peanut to your babies.

Former Bush operative Matthew Dowd mulls challenging Cruz for Senate
Matthew Dowd, a longtime Texas operative in both Republican and Democratic politics, is considering running against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Clinton Mulling NYC Mayoral Run
Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is “talking about” running for New York City mayor, Newsmax reports.

Congress Probes FBI Over Top Obama National Security Advisor’s Security Clearance
Ben Rhodes, Iran deal ‘echo chamber’ architect, was declined interim clearance status by the FBI

Hate crime charges filed in Chicago beating streamed on Facebook Live
Hate crime and aggravated battery charges were filed Thursday against four African American suspects who police say tortured a mentally challenged white man for as long as 48 hours, while shouting racial and anti-Donald Trump slurs — and part of the attack was streamed on Facebook Live.

UW-Madison’s Young Americans for Freedom labeled hate group
The Student Coalition for Progress at the University of Wisconsin-Madison recently pushed a petition that alleged University of Wisconsin Madison’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter is a hate group and its members and efforts “create a hostile environment on campus.”

Berkeley students want to fight fascism by banning speech
Socialist and “anti-fascist” student groups are demanding that the University of California, Berkeley cancel a planned appearance by Milo Yiannopoulos.

A General Joins the House’s Conservative Ranks as New Congress Convenes
Six months shy of serving 30 years, Brig. Gen. Don Bacon decided to end his Air Force career so he could speak out on the concerning direction he saw the country taking.

House Republicans revive obscure rule that allows them to slash the pay of individual federal workers to $1
House Republicans this week reinstated an arcane procedural rule that enables lawmakers to reach deep into the budget and slash the pay of an individual federal worker – down to $1 – a move that threatens to upend the 130-year-old civil service.

In Break With Precedent, Obama Envoys Are Denied Extensions Past Inauguration Day
President-elect Donald J. Trump’s transition staff has issued a blanket edict requiring politically appointed ambassadors to leave their overseas posts by Inauguration Day, according to several American diplomats familiar with the plan, breaking with decades of precedent by declining to provide even the briefest of grace periods.

Trump tells Obama’s ambassadors to leave by Inauguration Day
President-elect Donald Trump is not allowing for any diplomatic dawdling. His transition team has issued a directive that all ambassadors appointed by President Obama must leave their posts by Inauguration Day, a source confirmed Friday.

Children return parents’ degrees to protest inauguration plans
The children of two Talladega College graduates have decided to return their deceased parents’ Doctoral degrees because of the school marching band’s decision to play at Trump’s inauguration.

Students in Bible class get trigger warning before studying crucifixion of Jesus Christ
An “Introduction to the Bible” class at the University of Glasgow in Scotland is reportedly giving trigger warnings to students before studying the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Roosevelt “Rosey” Grier to launch “fearsome” run for governor
It won’t look like the recall, but the 2018 governor’s race will have a little celebrity sizzle.

The Democratic Party Faces a Daunting Future
It won’t be easy for the party to win back voters lost to the GOP.

Cosmo Runs Story Trying To Normalize Incest
Isn’t this crap usually the province of Salon?

New Republican Congresswoman, Puerto Rico’s First, Ignored By Univision
Stumbling into the new year, Univision once again displayed the blind spot it tends to have when it comes not only to conservatives, but also to major news related to the nation’s second most numerous segment of the U.S. Hispanic population: Puerto Ricans.

Freddie Gray Fallout: Judge Allows Malicious Prosecution Lawsuit Against Mosby to Go Forward
A federal judge ruled Friday to allow key parts of a lawsuit against Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby to proceed. The lawsuit was brought by five of the six police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray.

 

Economy & Taxes

 

Leaving for Las Vegas: California’s minimum wage law leaves businesses no choice
California’s minimum wage jumped to $10.50 an hour at the start of the new year. As the founder of a small fashion design house and clothing manufacturer in San Fernando, I’m not a disinterested observer in this change.

The Inequality Hype
The great devil of progressives turns out to be mainly a figment of accounting. Better data gives us a more heartening picture of American well-being.

San Diego Restaurants Serve “Dining Surcharge” After Minimum Wage Hikes
Those who voted to approve the hike may want to chew on the realities of running a business.

 

International

 

Finland to Pay Unemployed Basic Income of $587 Per Month
Finland has become the first country in Europe to pay its unemployed citizens a basic monthly income, amounting to 560 euros ($587), in a unique social experiment which is hoped to cut government red tape, reduce poverty and boost employment.

This is how foodie scenes die: Montreal takes protectionism to its logical conclusion
A lot of people think it is a good idea to place restrictions on competition to protect jobs or small businesses. In fact, this idea was a major plank of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, with promises to levy tariffs on foreign goods to protect American jobs, particularly in the manufacturing sector.

Brexit Is Coming: Prime Minister Theresa May to Trigger Article 50 Before EU Summit in March
It’s happening.

VIDEO satire “Real Housewives of ISIS” attacked as Islamophobic
If you claim mocking ISIS is mocking Islam, you’re not making the point you think you are.

2017 May Be The Year China’s Chickens Come Home To Roost
While Americans embrace their reinstated confidence in both economics and international affairs, China seems to be going the opposite direction.

Why wasn’t foreign killer turned away at the UK border? Afghan who beheaded Dutch woman is allowed into Britain… where he assaulted a Gatwick staff member and two police officers with a HAMMER
Convicted murderer Jamshid Piruz was allowed to enter the UK unchallenged

Researcher turns “SARS mask” into a virus killer
A University of Alberta engineering researcher has developed a new way to treat common surgical masks so they are capable of trapping and killing airborne viruses. His research findings appear in the prestigious journal Scientific Reports.

Another Sign of China’s Looming Crisis
People who behave like this don’t think they live in a rising superpower that is going to sweep all before it

Ghana Is Leading the Way for Democracy in Africa
Ghana, a West African country, has experienced peaceful transitions of power each time there has been a change in government since the country ended military rule in 1992.

“It’s is not merely a religion” Secret party vowing to “reduce Islam” soars in popularity
A SECRETIVE organisation has promised to “reduce Islam” and encourage a “more human rights version” of the religion in the wake of terror attacks.

Choc and Awe
Last Thursday, the creator of Kinder Eggs died at the age of 83.

Trudeau’s “unicorns and rainbows” budgeting comes back to bite him
A couple of days before the last federal election, Stephen Harper told me the economic plan that Justin Trudeau was pitching to the electorate was “all unicorns and rainbows.”

 

Opinion

 

Donald Trump Will Be Our President, Because @Madeleine_Rae Is Crazy
Madeleine Davies (@Madeleine_Rae on Twitter) is insane and a feminist, but I repeat myself. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2010 and went to work for Gawker Media in 2011 and is now a “senior writer” at Jezebel, the feminist site that stumbles onward like a zombie despite the fact that its parent company got bankrupted by a professional wrestler.

The dangers of Trump’s private guard
In the Rhetoric (1357b), Aristotle talks generally about inductions and examples

Who Democrats Really Are: @joshtpm Displays His, Uh, Feminist Theory
Friday night, while endeavoring to make another attack on Donald Trump, the editor of the left-wing blog Talking Points Memo made a minor mistake.

Tranny “Feminist” @RileyJayDennis Is Here to Educate You About Science
Justin Dennis, a/k/a Riley J. Dennis, is a transgender activist who describes himself/”herself” as an “intersectional feminist” who is “also super queer (transfeminine lesbian to be specific).” Justin/Riley become notorious in November after he/”she” declared it is “discriminatory” for anyone not to want to date him/”her.” Being normal is now a hate crime, according to the Cult of Social Justice to which Justin/Riley belongs.

The First Casualty
Trump won.

HISTORY BEGINS
How 2016 rekindled the historical imagination.

The Trans-Train Trolls On
Readers might recall that I caused a bunch of trouble during my year at CU/Boulder for a post here on Power Line about not being able to keep up with the protean gender-identity acronyms (though that was nothing compared to Wesleyan University).

America Is Rapidly Becoming Insane
Barack Obama kept his promise to fundamentally transform America, and our country is turning into a coast-to-coast lunatic asylum

I Guess We’re Just Not Going to Make a Fuss About That.
Remember throughout the summer when Republicans had great fun counting the number of days it had been since Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton had held a press conference?

The World Needs More Men
Not Boys. Not Social Justice Indoctrinated College Weenies. Men.

The Democrats’ Successor to Hillary
This GOP can smile if Kamala Harris is the Dems’ next great presidential hope.

Pickup trucks: A media Rorschach test
Newsrooms were caught off guard by President-elect Trump’s Nov. 8 victory. Save for only a few pundits and reporters, no one in the press saw it coming.

Smug liberal journalists are in complete meltdown over John Ekdahl’s simple question
If you’re on Twitter, John Ekdahl is a great follow for unique and interesting insights on politics, but last night he inadvertently made liberals self-combust over one innocent question.

One Innocent Question Exploded Twitter In A Liberal Manhood Identity Crisis
This most non-political tweet started a firestorm on Twitter, because somehow fragile snowflakes are offended that political eclectic John Ekdahl would question their manhood (or something like that).

For Conservatives, Donald Trump Shifts The Window Of What’s Possible
He may not be a conservative, but he is a maverick—and he’s not afraid to destroy the New Deal’s progressive, regulatory legacy.

Free Trade, Automation, And Were the Luddites Wrong?
Yesterday in the comments on Dan Spencer’s post on Trump’s threat to slap a tariff on some Cheverolet’s manufactured in Mexico there was a discussion of free trade versus protectionism from a job protection point of view. Because, ultimately, protectionism is as much about protecting jobs as it is about protecting businesses.

Seven Tests That Can Keep Republicans from Screwing Up
It didn’t take long for Republicans to make their first tin-eared mistake after winning a broad victory in November. In fact, they had barely opened the new session of Congress before performing a pratfall that called into question whether they learned anything from the populist revolt that struck both parties over the past two years.

Devolving Federal Lands
The federal government owns 28 percent of the land in the United States, including about half of the land in the 11 westernmost states. Federal agencies are poor land managers in many ways, and the government’s top-down regulations on land use are frustrating to many Westerners.

California as Alt-America
In 1949 the historian Carey McWilliams defined California as the “the Great Exception” — a place so different from the rest of America as to seem almost a separate country. In the ensuing half-century, the Golden State became not so much exceptional but predictive of the rest of the nation: California’s approaches to public education, the environment, politics, community-building and lifestyle often became national standards, and even normative.

Men and Women
When I was little, periodically, a scream echoed over the village. I don’t think I could give a description of that scream that would make you hear it, but I think it might be the sort that gave rise to legends of banshees. It was a high, piercing lament, without words, an ullulation that carried for miles, so primal that it always sounded more or less the same, without one being able to distinguish who made it: young or old, man or woman.