News of the Week for May 27th, 2017
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Gun Rights
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to reject 2nd Amendment claim by men who lost gun rights over nonviolent crimes
Trump administration lawyers are urging the Supreme Court to reject a 2nd Amendment claim that would restore the right to own a gun for two Pennsylvania men who were convicted more than 20 years ago of nonviolent crimes.
Hide the Decline
Environment &
“Green Energy”
EPA setting aside millions for buyouts and early retirement. Wait… what?
Remember when the President set a target of reducing staffing at the EPA by thousands of people? It was one of his first initiatives upon taking office and while the process is taking some time it’s definitely moving forward. But I’m not sure he was anticipating the way these reductions are being rolled out.
Ocean Absorption of Carbon Dioxide More than Makes Up for Methane Emissions from Seafloor Methane Seeps
U.S., Norwegian, and German scientists report back on the surprising results of an Arctic Ocean research expedition.
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
Single-Payer Slayer
Out here in California the latest Progressive cause—after high speed rail and solving climate change all by ourselves—is a state-based single-payer health care system. There is a bill (SB 562) that has passed out of one state Senate committee already, along with talk of a ballot initiative, and if those fail, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a certain candidate for governor next year, is talking about universal single-payer health care as a centerpiece of his campaign. (Aside: I’ll predict right now that Newsom will be California’s next governor, because isn’t it obvious that in its advanced state of decadence, California deserves a governor named Gavin.)
California’s Single-Payer Healthcare Plan’s Price Tag is Twice the Current State Budget
“This is the gigantic brick wall…”
Youth Issues Cry for Help from Manchester Arena
“We don’t know yet,” said one NHS official, “whether the victim suffered from the normal trauma brought on by income inequality, the social isolation associated with gender dysphoria, or if he was subject to bullying at school. We do know that the system failed him, because conservatives in Parliament have refused to adequately fund the National Health Service.”
UN health agency spends more on travel than on AIDS and malaria combined
The primary role of the World Health Organization (WHO) is to “direct and coordinate international health within the United Nations’ system.” But a new report finds that the UN agency is directing more money toward travel expenses than to fighting global diseases.
What the CBO’s “Uninsured” Score Really Means
Voluntarily opting out of coverage is not the same as losing health insurance
Emotions run high as Nevada Senate passes assisted suicide bill
The Nevada Senate, after emotional floor debate, approved a bill Tuesday allowing terminally ill patients to request life-ending medication from their physicians.
$400 Billion Price Tag For California Single-Payer Healthcare
State experts say a California bill that would provide government-funded health coverage for everyone in the state would cost $400 billion and require significant tax increases.
The price tag on universal health care is in, and it’s bigger than California’s budget
It would cost $400 billion per year to remake California’s health insurance marketplace and create a publicly funded universal heath care system, according to a state financial analysis released Monday.
Friends Don’t Let Friends Take Glamour’s Horrific Advice On DIY Abortions
That’s right, America: Abortion-rights advocates have gone from warning of back-alley abortions to promoting black-market ones!
War & Terror
A Sad Tale of a Chinese Counterintelligence Triumph
At some point during the Trump administration, we’re going to hear about something going terribly wrong in the intelligence community. It’s just the way it is; this is exceptionally difficult work, going up against relentless and insidious enemies. The list of recent spy scandals is long and depressing: Aldrich Ames, Robert Hanssen, the Convicted Spy Formerly Known As Bradley Manning, Edward Snowden… This isn’t even mentioning the Office of Personnel Management hack or Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s e-mails…
Suicide bomber kills 22 and injures 119 by detonating ball bearing bomb at packed Ariana Grande concert
At least 22 people killed after explosions rang out at the end of an Ariana Grande gig in Manchester Arena
British investigators arrest one suspected accomplice in Manchester bombing; ISIS claims credit
The attack on Manchester teens and young adults killed 22 people and wounded dozens more, and British investigators have already determined that the bomber took his own life in the blast. CBS News reports that they have recovered the pieces of the perpetrator and have identified him as Salman Abedi. Investigators have acknowledged that Abedi was already on their radar, and have arrested another young man from the Manchester area as a potential accomplice
Philippines martial law declared after Islamic State deadly clashes in Marawi
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law in southern Mindanao province, promising a “harsh” Marcos-style crackdown after Islamic State-aligned militants attacked the city of Marawi late and raised the black IS flag at its town hall.
Abu Sayyaf allies abduct priest, 13 others from Catholic church in Philippines
The Philippine government has imposed martial law on Mindinao after radical Islamic extremists launched attacks, but it didn’t stop the terrorists from conducting operations. The rebels took a Catholic priest and 13 parishioners and parish employees hostage this morning after attacking the church, despite a blackout in the city of Marawi in which the church was located
Manchester bomb hidden in a £20 backpack was remote controlled, made by a professional and as “sophisticated as an IRA device”
Images from inside the Manchester Arena foyer where 22 were killed are the latest details leaked in the US
FISA Court Reveal: NSA under Obama Illegally Spied on Americans
FISA Court: Illegal searches constituted a “very serious Fourth Amendment issue,” yet media reaction subdued.
Yemeni rebels claim heavy Sudanese losses
Yemen’s rebels have claimed that they had inflicted heavy casualties on a Sudanese force fighting on Saudi Arabia’s behalf in northern Yemen.
Obama intel agency secretly conducted illegal searches on Americans for years
The National Security Agency under former President Barack Obama routinely violated American privacy protections while scouring through overseas intercepts and failed to disclose the extent of the problems until the final days before Donald Trump was elected president last fall, according to once top-secret documents that chronicle some of the most serious constitutional abuses to date by the U.S. intelligence community.
Germany Is Quietly Building a European Army Under Its Command
Berlin is using a bland name to obscure a dramatic shift in its approach to defense: integrating brigades from smaller countries into the Bundeswehr.
Egypt Coptic Christians killed in bus attack
Gunmen have attacked a bus carrying Coptic Christians in central Egypt, killing at least 26 people and wounding 25 others, state media report.
Las Vegas authorities on alert over new ISIS propaganda video
An ISIS propaganda video posted on social media last week featured a brief clip of Las Vegas’ famed strip, prompting Sin City law enforcement authorities to perceive a credible threat.
National
US Allots $200K In Europe To Promote “Positive Narratives” About Refugees
A grant from the U.S. embassy in Belgium designates $200,000 for a group to promote positive narratives about refugees and immigrants in Europe.
PC Police: Seattle cops told to replace “suspect” with “community member”
In an effort to be more sensitive and less judgmental, an edict was recently issued to law enforcement in the liberal paradise of Seattle that from now on, the correct term for “suspect” when writing up reports should be “community member”.
Frustrated Utah Republicans, Democrats form new centrist political party
Some disaffected Republicans and Democrats who say extreme views are co-opting their parties have decided to carve out a middle ground in Utah politics.
Sessions Readies Crackdown on “Sanctuary” Jurisdictions
Attorney general issues memo establishing legal footing for DOJ to challenge rogue localities
Democrats look to veterans, businessmen to retake House majority
The Democratic Party is trying to build a new House majority with a collection of political neophytes who hail from business, medicine, philanthropy and the military.
Professor who called diversity training a “waste” resigns after dean punishes him
A Duke University Divinity School professor who called diversity training a “waste” of time has resigned after disciplinary proceedings were launched against him and he was barred by his dean from faculty meetings.
Teacher faces SIXTH investigation for sex with students, still teaching high school science
An Ohio high school teacher is facing a sixth investigation into allegations of inappropriate sexual relationships with students, though the first five resulted in no charges due to a lack of evidence.
California memorabilia law could tank small bookstores
Author signings are an important source of traffic for many small community bookstores, but the new California law discussed in this space last year could make them impractical. The bill requires that retailers provide witnessed certificates of authenticity for signed items of value, which must record extensive information on matters such as the size of the edition and price paid, all on pain of steep penalties.
Portland Burrito Shop Forced to Close After Getting Hounded for “Stealing From Mexico”
Kali Wilgus and Liz “LC” Connelly, owners of Portland pop-up shop Kooks Burritos, just wanted to make and sell some really great burritos. So when they were on a trip to Puerto Nuevo, Mexico, they “picked the brains” of the local tortilla ladies and brought those recipes back to the States.
Davidson College students furious after they’re tricked into rejecting socialist ideal
Many students at Davidson College recently responded in anguish and outrage after some conservative students filmed a video asking people on campus if they would sign a petition to redistribute GPAs for the sake of “education equality.”
College Republicans cleared of wrongdoing for highlighting black abortion rate, transgender disorder
The College Republicans at a small liberal arts college in Maryland have been cleared of any wrongdoing for their controversial display that garnered criticism from peers for including quotes that highlighted the black abortion rate and the mental instability of transgender people.
U of I cancels speech by Nobel Laureate James Watson
The University of Illinois has capitulated to faculty complaints and rescinded a speaking invitation to Nobel Laureate James Watson, who has ruffled feathers with past comments about race.
Transgender Professor in South Carolina Attacks Feminists as “Cockroaches”
Until a few years ago, Professor Rachel McKinnon was a Canadian, and was also a male. Rhys McKinnon attended the University of Victoria in British Columbia, where he got a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 2005. Sometime thereafter, Rhys McKinnon decided he was a “she,” so that by the time he/”she” received his/”her” Ph.D. at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, the name on the diploma was “Rachel Veronica McKinnon.”
Democrats Just Flipped Seats In 2 Districts That Voted For Donald Trump
Two districts that voted for Donald Trump in last year’s presidential election selected Democrats for state legislature seats in New York and New Hampshire on Tuesday night.
School suspends teacher for speaking out about rampant bullying
A Kentucky teacher has been suspended through the rest of the school year for speaking out about bullying in her elementary school that she claims administrators have failed to address.
Prof lists surviving “misogyny,” “racism” on “liberated CV”
The University of Hawaii professor who recently wrote a blog post calling on “cisgender” and “white” colleagues to resign in favor of “women of color and trans people” also lists a “liberated CV” on her personal website.
Lawsuit filed over conservative activists’ arrest
A lawsuit is proceeding against Kellogg Community College for its arrest of three conservative activists who were distributing pocket Constitutions on campus last year.
School expels black male, but not white female, for sex video they made together
“The victim” showed her friends the video, too
FEC Complaint Filed Against Rob Quist for Illegal Coordination With Outside Group
A complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission against Montana House Democratic candidate Rob Quist says he illegally coordinated with an unregistered political committee that distributed newspaper inserts aimed at reaching undecided voters.
FLASHBACK: Democratic Congressman Attacked Student Journalist…And Democrats Defended It!
While the media provides wall-to-wall coverage of Montana Congressional candidate Greg Gianforte’s alleged assault on a reporter from the Guardian – while Republicans across Congress are being asked to condemn Gianforte – it’s worthwhile to remember that the media never hold Democrats to the same standard.
Student Mob Shrieks at Professor Who Objected to Event That Kicks White People Off Campus for a Day
Evergreen State College students have berated a professor and called for his resignation after he objected to an event where white students were asked to leave the campus for a day.
4th Circuit upholds injunction against Trump revised travel Executive Order
Executive Order “in context drips with religious intolerance, animus, and discrimination”
Montana GOP Congressional Candidate Charged for Assaulting Reporter
Charged for misdemeanor assault
Montana Assault Witness Changes Story, Says No Neck Grab
Reporter says firsthand account misstated key aspect of Gianforte incident
Murder of Black Student by “Alt-Reich” Suspect Highlights “Dangerous Rising Tide,” Says Congressman
Urbanski belonged to an “Alt-Reich Nation” Facebook group that posted “extreme bias against women, Latinos, members of the Jewish faith and especially African-Americans, which brings up questions as to the motive of this case.” Federal officials are investigating whether the murder was a hate crime.
Political reporter says Montana candidate “BODY SLAMMED” him, has audio
“All of a sudden I heard a giant crash and saw Ben’s feet fly in the air as he hit the floor”
Farmer faces $2.8 million fine for plowing field
A farmer faces trial in federal court this summer and a $2.8 million fine for failing to get a permit to plow his field and plant wheat in Tehama County.
Denver just tried to thwart ICE by reducing sentences for domestic violence
Denver is now changing their maximum sentencing guidelines so that anyone convicted of any of a large number of crimes can’t be sentenced to a full year in jail. And that means anyone, not just immigrants. In this way, the green card holders who commit any of those crimes don’t have to be reported to ICE and face probable deportation.
Occupy Silicon Valley: The next populist movement may be aimed at tech wealth, report says
Technology stocks have surged while overall U.S. economic growth has stagnated. Already giant tech stocks’ market value tops the GDP of several major cities. Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Michael Hartnett said in a report that growing populism could call for wealth distribution of the sector.
Declassified memos show FBI illegally shared spy data on Americans with private partiesby John Solomon and Sara Carter
The FBI has illegally shared raw intelligence about Americans with unauthorized third parties and violated other constitutional privacy protections, according to newly declassified government documents that undercut the bureau’s public assurances about how carefully it handles warrantless spy data to avoid abuses or leaks.
“Abolition of Whiteness” course offered at Hunter College
Hunter College will offer students an “Abolition of Whiteness” course this fall to discuss how “white supremacy and violence” influence individual identity.
“Free Thought” rejected at Lawrence University
The student government at Lawrence University has rejected a proposed “Students for Free Thought” group, just days after it hosted a film screening that some students found “triggering” because it endorsed free speech.
Certain crimes will now have lighter sentences in Denver
Denver City Council voted unanimously Monday night to lessen the punishment for people convicted of certain low-level crimes like lying in a public right-of-way, urinating in public and panhandling.
Montana: Rock’em Sock’em Republican KO’s Nudist Resort Singing Cowboy Democrat (#MTAT)
Wins by a neck in steel-cage match for Montana’s solo at-large seat.
College Teacher Eric Clanton Charged With Assault in Anti-Trump “Protest”
Last month, we reported that Eric Clanton, an adjunct philosophy teacher at Diablo Valley College was suspected of being the masked man who attacked Trump supporters at an April 15 rally in Berkeley
Economy & Taxes
Surprise, San Francisco Restaurant Workers! Minimum Wage Hike Is Killing Restaurants By The Dozens
If you’re a leftist in San Francisco or Oakland, California (highly likely), you probably cheered as the city implemented a minimum wage hike last summer raising the wage to $13 an hour, soon to be $14 an hour this July 1, and $15 an hour on July 1, 2018.
Trump seeks historic cuts to government
The Trump administration on Tuesday will propose the deepest cuts to government programs in a generation, delivering the opening salvo in a new round of budget battles in Washington.
Here are the 66 programs eliminated in Trump’s budget
President Trump’s fiscal 2018 budget proposal would completely eliminate 66 federal programs, for a savings of $26.7 billion.
Man dies after contracting botulism from Northern California gas station’s nacho cheese
The family of a man battling a severe case of botulism after eating food at a Sacramento-area gas station said Monday he has passed away.
International
Hugo Chavez’ boyhood home burned by protesters
It’s beginning to look like people have had enough of the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela. Protesters burned the childhood home of deceased socialist leader Hugo Chavez.
Venezuela’s top prosecutor seems to be abandoning Maduro
From the looks of things in Venezuela, Luisa Ortega is either on her way to becoming a hero of the opposition forces in that country or a candidate to be locked up in one of President Nicolas Maduro’s prison cells. (Possibly both?) She’s the top prosecutor in the Maduro government, but for a while now she’s seemed to be uncomfortable with the strong man tactics that Maduro is employing against her own people. Last month she came out in the press saying that she opposed all of the violence in the streets, but she failed to specify exactly who she was blaming for it, leading some to wonder if she was criticizing Maduro.
Radical Canadian bill could mean jail for rejecting transgenderism: critics
Canadians who disavow gender theory could be charged with hate crimes, fined, jailed, and compelled to undergo anti-bias training if the Trudeau Liberals’ Bill C-16 passes, critics told a Senate committee last week.
Berlin: Obama, Merkel Stage Side-Event, As Trump Meets European Leaders
Obama tells Berlin, “We can’t hide behind a wall”
President Trump’s Visit to Brussels “Triggers” European Leftists
“Pussy hats in all shapes and colours to show our resistance against Trump,” declare protest organisers on their website
U.K.: Greens to unveil plans for universal basic income in manifesto launch
Party will promise to scrap Trident to help fund NHS, promise a final Brexit referendum and scrap all existing student loan debts at Monday’s launch.
Venezuelans prepare fecal cocktails to throw at security forces
Venezuela’s opposition protests on Wednesday may be the messiest in a six-week wave of unrest as demonstrators prepare to throw feces at security forces, adding to the customary rocks, petrol bombs and tear gas.
Oh, great. Venezuela has thousands of Russian shoulder fired missiles
Just in case you thought things were too boring in Venezuela lately with all of the riots, murders and starving people protesting in the streets, a new report from Reuters promises to make things even more “interesting.” It turns out that the government of Nicolas Maduro is sitting on a cache of thousands of Russian-built, shoulder fired surface to air missiles. I can’t imagine how this could possibly end badly.
Australian Imam: Make No Mistake, Islamic Scripture Commands Beheadings, Massacre People
Then why continue following Islam?
Opinion
Republicans Go to Jail, Democrats Run Free
Why isn’t it imperative that Republicans do unto Democrats what they continually do unto them?
What’s at Stake in the Left’s Effort to Redefine “Sex” in Pennsylvania Law
State capitals across the country are proving they are not immune to the malady that has afflicted the policy process in Washington.
Is a wave election forming for Democrats?
Democrats are increasingly bullish about the prospect of a wave election in 2018 amid backlash against the passage of the House GOP’s ObamaCare replacement bill and the snowballing revelations coming out of the White House.
No, “Unity, Love and Coexistence” Will Not Resolve the Threat of Terrorism
There’s not too much point in fuming about Katy Perry’s saccharine-to-the-point-of-insulting comments about the Manchester bombing, her declaration that, “I think the greatest thing we can do is just unite, and love on each other… no barriers, no borders, we all need to just coexist.”
America’s Social Fabric Is Eroding. Government Must Avoid Feeding the Problem.
Our nation, today, faces very real economic challenges. Economic growth during the recovery has been meager and uneven.
Reality Check: Public Officials Specialize in Fecklessness, Incompetence and Cowardice
Apparently feckless, neutered police are also impacting the safety and security in the United Kingdom, and not just on California college campuses. The horrific Manchester bombing at the Arianna Grande concert Monday evening, which killed at least 22 and injured more than 150, might have been prevented if politically correct fecklessness within government wasn’t so rampant.
Here’s How Hillary Clinton Will Become President In 2017
Donald Trump’s impeachment is imminent, and the majority of his cabinet is implicated in his treason. Hillary Clinton was supposed to be our president in 2017. It was her turn. She won the popular vote, but lost the rigged election because of Russia. Fortunately, there’s a good chance that Hillary will be sworn in as president before the end of the year.
Yet another argument saying the government can’t restrict immigration
Mondays are probably the best day to tackle craziness when it crops up and this case is no exception. For reasons which are completely beyond me, Ilya Somin of the Volokh Conspiracy has once again taken to the pages of the Washington Post, making yet another argument claiming that the federal government has no power to restrict immigration in any fashion. We’ve already tackled some of his arguments here in the past, but let’s see what he’s up to this time.
Sen. Ben Sasse’s Plan To Save America, One Child At A Time
Sen. Ben Sasse has written “The Vanishing American Adult,” an uncommonly thoughtful book about how to rescue future generations from the cultural dysfunction that threatens to engulf us.
The 4th Circuit’s Travel Ban Decision: An Affront to the Rule of Law
Yesterday the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court order that found President Trump’s second travel ban to be unconstitutional. This is one of those news stories that make me sad rather than angry.
Remember that EU Fairy? She gets “red pilled” in new video featuring cartoon Tommy Robinson
Remember that silly cartoon with the EU depicted as a fairy godmother to Syrian refugees? A new NSFW video mocks her and even features Tommy Robinson.
How French “Intellectuals” ruined the West: Postmodernism and its impact, explained.
Postmodernism presents a threat not only to liberal democracy but to modernity itself. That may sound like a bold or even hyperbolic claim, but the reality is that the cluster of ideas and values at the root of postmodernism have broken the bounds of academia and gained great cultural power in western society. The irrational and identitarian “symptoms” of postmodernism are easily recognizable and much criticized, but the ethos underlying them is not well understood. This is partly because postmodernists rarely explain themselves clearly and partly because of the inherent contradictions and inconsistencies of a way of thought which denies a stable reality or reliable knowledge to exist. However, there are consistent ideas at the root of postmodernism and understanding them is essential if we intend to counter them. They underlie the problems we see today in Social Justice Activism, undermine the credibility of the Left and threaten to return us to an irrational and tribal “pre-modern” culture.
