News of the Week
Election 2012 *************** The Bad History Behind ’You Didn’t Build That’ The controversy surrounding President Barack Obama’s admonishment that “if you’ve got a business -- you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen” has defied the usual election-year pattern. *************** Lech Walesa all but endorses Mitt Romney during meeting in Poland Polish human rights icon and former President Lech Walesa all but endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Monday, urging him to “be successful.” *************** Tenn. Dems disavow Senate nominee, cite hate group The Tennessee Democratic Party is disavowing the man who won the party's nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Bob Corker in November, saying the little-known candidate belongs to an anti-gay hate group. *************** London mayor swipes at Romney at Olympics rally for criticizing UK’s preparation If you’d asked me last week how I saw Mitt’s big foreign policy trip playing out, having him name-checked as a naysaying stooge before a huge crowd at the start of the Olympics — by a Tory, no less — would not have popped to mind. It’s like a scene from a lost “Naked Gun” movie in which Frank Drebin runs for president. *************** Republican Party in California Is Caught in Cycle of Decline This would seem a moment of great opportunity for California Republicans. The state has become a national symbol of fiscal turmoil and dysfunction, the Legislature is nearly as unpopular as Congress and Democrats control every branch of government. Occupy *************** Ohio bridge bomb plot suspect pleads guilty One of five men charged with plotting to bomb an Ohio highway bridge pleaded guilty Wednesday and agreed to testify against his co-defendants. Hide The Decline *************** IPCC’s Secret Letter On Feb 26, 2010, as part of their first response to Climategate, Thomas Stocker, a Climategate correspondent of Phil Jones and by then Co-Chair of AR5 WG1, sent a still secret letter to all WG4 Lead Authors, Coordinating Lead Authors and Review Editors under the letterhead of WG1, purporting, it seems, to represent the parent IPCC organization. *************** U.S. Temperature trends show a spurious doubling due to NOAA station siting problems and post measurement adjustments. *************** Inside the strange world of 'green energy' politics and how it's ruining the US The United States is leading the world in reducing its emissions of carbon dioxide. And it’s doing so by a wide margin. Obamacare *************** Rationing Begins: States Limiting Drug Prescriptions for Medicaid Patients Sixteen states have set a limit on the number of prescription drugs they will cover for Medicaid patients, according to Kaiser Health News. War & Terror *************** Beijing Proves Its Aggressive Intentions For years, Asia watchers have debated whether China’s growing military power really represented a threat to stability in the Pacific. Some observers, including myself, worried that China’s strength could ultimately undermine norms of behavior and force smaller states to accommodate Chinese positions on territorial disputes. That China had not yet actually moved to unilaterally change borders, interfere with shipping on the high seas, or attack its neighbors made much of the discussion academic. *************** Wrap-up on Y-12 events Three peace activists -- including an 82-year-old nun -- infiltrated the highest-security area of the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in a predawn protest Saturday, reportedly evading guards and cutting through three or four fences in order to spray-paint messages, hang banners and pour human blood at the site where warhead parts are manufactured and the nation's stockpile of bomb-grade uranium is stored. *************** Iran nuclear facilities 'Thunderstruck' by AC/DC malware *************** NSA whistleblowers: Government spying on every single American *************** Feinstein: National Security Leaks Coming from White House 'Ranks' Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Monday said the White House appears to be responsible for leaking classified national security information. *************** Syria says will use chemical weapons if attacked The Syrian regime threatened Monday to use its chemical and biological weapons in case of a foreign attack, in its first ever acknowledgement that it possesses weapons of mass destruction. *************** FAA Has Authorized 106 Government ‘Entities’ to Fly Domestic Drones Since Jan. 1 of this year, according to congressional testimony presented Thursday by the Government Accountability Office, the Federal Aviation Administration has authorized 106 federal, state and local government “entities” to fly “unmanned aircraft systems,” also known as drones, within U.S. airspace. *************** Syria moves chemical weapons before wider offensive: defector A senior Syrian military defector said President Bashar al-Assad's forces were moving chemical weapons across the country for possible use in a military retaliation for the killing of four top security officials. National *************** Cop Harasses Dad for Holding Hands With Daughter, Demands Gratitude *************** Amtrak takes flak over food service losses A day after publicly pressing the General Services Administration over its travel and conference spending, a House panel turned its focus on Amtrak, charging that the national rail service regularly loses millions each year on its food service for passengers and has done little to rein in those costs. *************** Liberal profs admit they’d discriminate against conservatives in hiring, advancement ‘Impossible lack of diversity’ reflects ideological intimidation on campus *************** What We Learned from @OWS and @ChickFilA: A Photo Essay of Left and Right Protests *************** Ethics Committee finds Rep. Laura Richardson guilty on seven counts The House Ethics Committee issued a blistering report on Wednesday finding Rep. Laura Richardson guilty of improperly pressuring her official staff to campaign for her, destroying evidence and tampering with witness testimony. *************** Refusing To Put A Normal Child On Psych Drugs Results In Swat Teams and a TANK. the land of the free, as long as you play ball.... *************** Rep. Kelly's Rousing Floor Speech Receives Standing Ovation and Chants of "USA!" *************** Gun Carrying Man Ends Stabbing Spree A citizen with a gun stopped a knife wielding man as he began stabbing people Thursday evening at the downtown Salt Lake City Smith’s store. *************** Is Salazar the New Holder? Charges of cover-ups, data manipulation, and junk science; noncompliance with congressional requests and mandates; putting a chokehold on energy: Interior scandals stack up. *************** Behind the UN Gun Treaty There’s a lot of commotion right now about the forthcoming UN treaty proposing to regulate the international arms trade that critics think, with justification, would be the handgun equivalent of the Kyoto Protocol for the United States. *************** Feinstein: National Security Leaks Coming from White House 'Ranks' Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Monday said the White House appears to be responsible for leaking classified national security information. *************** Media Underplays Successful Defensive Gun Use Burying the lede when a law-abiding gun owner is the hero. *************** UCLA to Offer Illegal Aliens Classes at 'National Dream University' Former SEIU Attorney Kent D. Wong, the Director of UCLA's Center for Labor Research and Education, announced this past week that UCLA has joined forces with the National Labor College, the academic arm of organized labor, to create a new partnership, National Dream University, which enables illegal aliens residing anywhere in the United States to earn up to 18 college credits online. *************** Concealed weapons save lives The evidence is clear: Massacres are stopped by legally armed citizens *************** An Academic Auto-da-Fé A sociologist whose data find fault with same-sex relationships is savaged by the progressive orthodoxy *************** Scattered crowds roam Anaheim streets to protest officer shootings Scattered crowds of protesters in Anaheim continued to roam the streets late Tuesday after violence erupted earlier around City Hall even as officials voted to ask federal authorities to investigate two deadly police shootings that have rocked the community. *************** Media Underplays Successful Defensive Gun Use Burying the lede when a law-abiding gun owner is the hero. *************** Sex-crime victim could be jailed for tweeting her attackers' names A Kentucky girl who was sexually assaulted now faces jail time for talking about it publicly. *************** Aurora's Strict Gun Laws Didn't Prevent Shooting, But If One Law-Abiding Person In The Theater Had Been Carrying One... Purdue student and Young America's Foundation Intern Scholar Hillary Cherry provides her thoughts on the Colorado shooting, stressing the importance of protecting our Second Amendment rights *************** Republicans have the votes to sink sea treaty Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) joined the list of treaty opponents on Monday, creating the one-third majority that would be needed to prevent ratification of the global maritime pact. Economy
& Taxes *************** Economy Creates 163,000 New Jobs but Rate Rises to 8.3% The U.S. economy followed up a weak second quarter by creating more jobs than expected with 163,000 new positions added in July, but the unemployment rate rose to 8.3 percent. *************** Jobless Claims Increase The number of U.S. workers filing applications for jobless benefits rose last week, continuing an uneven pattern that suggests job creation was likely modest in July. *************** GM profits slip 41% as European struggles take their toll America's largest car firm made $1.5bn in the second quarter of 2012, with European division reporting operating loss of $361m *************** U.S. Consumers Saving More, Spending Less Americans are saving more and spending about the same as before; this news has economists worried about the potential for a recovery *************** The depression is here — it’s just invisible Commentary: The crash wasn’t sudden, but it’s still a tragedy The Great Depression that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke claims to have averted has been part of the background radiation of our economy since at least 2008. *************** 2012 Chevrolet Volt Becomes Centerpiece of Smart Community *************** What The US Government Spends Its Money On In summary: of the 4 biggest categories HHS (Medicare & Madicaid), Social Security or together Welfare, Treasury and Defense, Welfare is higher, Treasury is higher, and Defense is not only lower, but has lost to Treasury as the third biggest expense category year to date. *************** The Unbearable 'Factual' Lightness Of The Chinese Economy Factual data point after factual data point is indicating more than a little stress in the Chinese economy (and the Asian engine of growth in general). *************** Cayman Islands Considers Income Tax The Cayman Islands is famous for being a tax shelter for many of the world's biggest hedge funds and a land where direct taxation is verboten. *************** California: The Road Warrior Is Here Where’s Mel Gibson When You Need Him? *************** U.S. Consumer Sentiment Gauge Falls to Lowest This Year Confidence among U.S. consumers dropped in July to the lowest level this year as the labor market and broader economy showed few signs of improvement. *************** US economic growth slowed to 1.5 pct. annual rate in Q2 as consumer spending weakened U.S. economic growth slowed to an annual rate of just 1.5 percent from April through June, as Americans cut back sharply on spending. The weaker growth adds to worries that the economy could be stalling three years after the recession ended. *************** Is Fresno Next? There is a Citigroup report out that bond watchers are now worried about Fresno following Stockton into bankruptcy — which would be, if true, a much more serious calamity given Fresno’s far greater size and budget. *************** Some Caterpillar Workers Cross Picket Line After nearly three months, a strike by Caterpillar Inc. workers here has become a war of attrition as the number of union members crossing the picket line gradually rises. *************** U.S. Drought Could Cause Global Unrest *************** Is Fresno Next? There is a Citigroup report out that bond watchers are now worried about Fresno following Stockton into bankruptcy — which would be, if true, a much more serious calamity given Fresno’s far greater size and budget. *************** You can’t blame capitalism for this 'shambles’ Real free markets require genuine competition if they are to offer the constantly improving quality of service that is the redeeming virtue of private enterprise *************** Earnings Show Recession May Be 'Fast Approaching' While this quarter's earnings reports have crossed a substantially lowered profit bar, future expectations through the year indicate a recession could be on the way. *************** 'Black Friday' Blame-Game Escalates As Spain Is Out Of Money In 40 Days With Valencia bust, Spanish bonds at all-time record spreads to bunds, and yields at euro-era record highs, Spain's access to public markets for more debt is as good as closed. What is most concerning however, as FAZ reports, is that "the money will last [only] until September", and "Spain has no 'Plan B". *************** The Cost Of Government Regulation: $1.75 Trillion The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is a small “think tank” in Washington DC which puts out an annual report called: “Ten Thousand Commandments”. The report deals with the regulatory agencies of the US federal government and the cost of the regulations they continually introduce - and enforce. This report would be typical of the regulatory function of pretty well every government in the world. *************** International *************** 370M Indians swelter in heat after power fails Northern India's power grid crashed Monday, halting trains, forcing hospitals and airports onto backup power and providing a dark reminder of the nation's inability to feed a growing hunger for energy as it strives to become an economic power. *************** The NHS kills off 130,000 elderly patients every year Professor says doctors use 'death pathway' to euthenasia of the elderly Treatment on average brings a patient to death in 33 hours Around 29 per cent of patients that die in hospital are on controversial 'care pathway' Pensioner admitted to hospital given treatment by doctor on weekend shift *************** Austerity At The Olympics: Each "Gold" Medal Contains 1.34% Gold As every Olympic athlete knows, size matters. The London 2012 medals are the largest ever in terms of both weight and diameter - almost double the medals from Beijing. However, just as equally well-known is that quality beats quantity and that is where the current global austerity, coin-clipping, devaluation-fest begins. The 2012 gold is 92.5 percent silver, 6.16 copper and... 1.34 percent gold, with IOC rules specifying that it must contain 550 grams of high-quality silver and a whopping 6 grams of gold. *************** London protesters decry 'Corporate Olympics' Hours after the opening ceremony fireworks echoed around east London, up to 400 demonstrators marched through a neighborhood near the Olympic Park to protest what they called the "Corporate Olympics." *************** Fifty Shades Of Business While the eyes of the world are beginning to focus on London for the 2012 Olympic Games, my attention is diverted north toward the Lake District of England. This is where you’ll find the Damson Dene Hotel, a 40-bedroom retreat that has made the bold decision to replace the Gideon Bible in each room with the smash hit “Fifty Shades of Grey” by E. L. James. *************** Crime raises in Australia after gun ban Actually, if the Australian Bureau of Criminology can be believed, Americans would be insane to concern themselves with what non-Americans think about American gun rights. *************** Opinion *************** The Civilization of Guns A well-armed society is a polite society. Back in 2007, a blogger named “the Munchkin Wrangler” wrote a wonderful, short essay explaining why the gun is civilization. It’s only six paragraphs, and it’s also more interesting than what I’m writing, so if you have to choose between that or this, just follow the link. So it’s not just that the well-armed society is a polite society, but that without arms there isn’t really “society” at all. *************** Thoughtcrime is Real In Britain, a dangerous precedent is being set. *************** Burn Down the Suburbs? President Obama is not a fan of America’s suburbs. Indeed, he intends to abolish them. With suburban voters set to be the swing constituency of the 2012 election, the administration’s plans for this segment of the electorate deserve scrutiny. *************** Rahm Emanuel, Chick-fil-A, and the easy slide into fascism Several big-city mayors have tried to bully an honest business owner for holding firm to his Christian faith. They ought to be ashamed of themselves *************** The Tolerance Enforcers They’re ever more intolerant of anything less than total ideological homogeneity. *************** ‘Kauft Nicht bei Chick-fil-A’ How quickly does the Left move from “tolerance” (for one of its transgressive ideas) to fascism? This fast: All of a sudden, biting into a fried chicken sandwich has become a political statement *************** 8 Ways Blacks Perpetuate Racism and the Only Way to Thwart It Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock are among the offenders. *************** Criminals For Gun Control *************** What Democracy? A sacred cow is usually defined as that which is regarded as far too valuable or prestigious to even think about altering. Any proposition that comes close to complete abolition is met with astounding ridicule. In the realm of legalized harlotry (politics), careers are made out of defending sacred cows no matter how expensive, socially corroding, or intentionally dishonest they are. *************** CFR Globalists Say Don’t Worry - “Your Guns Are In Safe Hands” It’s funny, I was worried about my Second Amendment rights just a moment ago, but now that the Council On Foreign Relations, a global governance think tank and inbred cesspool of despotic elitism, has explained the situation to me, I suddenly feel at ease… *************** Criminals For Gun Control *************** Yes they did build it, says America Given the depth of his leftism, President Obama manages to avoid striking many egregiously false notes in his public utterances. But a new Rasmussen poll demonstrates just how false a note Obama struck when he insisted that small businessmen don’t build their businesses. *************** Obama of Roanoke: We Saw You Coming Now that Brit Hume, perhaps the best network anchor of our time, is on record that it's fair to say that we know more (after the Roanoke speech) than we ever have about the President's view of business and the economy," the real Obama is finally starting to be recognized in the truly mass media. While Mr. Hume and many others have been reticent, Obama of Roanoke has been out there for all to see for years quite frankly. *************** Deconstructing the American Dream 'That's how we created the middle class.' Wait, what?! *************** Are Obama's Ideas Un-American? If not un-American, the ideas that propel Obama's re-election campaign are certainly unprecedented. *************** |
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