GPS expert stuns Congress: Drones in US airspace can easily be hijacked by criminals, terrorists

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A House Homeland Security subcommittee today heard sharp warnings about the plan to allow drones to fly widely in U.S. airspace starting in 2015.

GPS expert Todd Humphreys of the University of Texas was the star witness: “I am worried that it could be a weapon in the arsenal of organized crime, or state actors, or organized terrorists,“ Humphreys told a stunned committee.

In a Fox News exclusive last month, Humphreys demonstrated how, with a relatively inexpensive GPS “spoofer,” he could take control of a GPS-guided drone in flight, and make it do whatever he wanted. The potential is there, he told the panel, for terrorists to do the same thing.

“The nightmare situation that I articulated here as a panelist,” Humphreys told Fox News, “was that five or ten years from now we haven’t fixed the problem and now the drones are much larger, maybe delivering FedEx packages. I don’t want it to get to that point before we say ‘ok it’s a problem.’”

Committee Chairman Rep. Mike McCaul of Texas was clearly alarmed by Humphreys’ testimony:  “This is astounding that you could hijack a UAV and bring it down,” he said.

Read more from this story HERE.

 

Egypt’s new leadership renounces terms of 1978 peace treaty with Israel in front of a silent Hillary Clinton

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was silent as a senior Egyptian official stated during a joint press conference that his country would only uphold its peace treaty with Israel if the Jewish state returns to its 1967 borders and gives Palestinians control over portions of Jerusalem.

During a press conference Saturday in Cairo, Clinton and Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr were asked about Egypt’s longstanding peace treaty with Israel, which has come under scrutiny in recent months by officials of Egypt’s new, Muslim Brotherhood-led government.

“Egypt’s understanding of peace is that it should be comprehensive, exactly as stipulated in the treaty itself,” Amr said, referring to the original 1978 Camp David peace accords between Israel and Egypt.

“And this also includes the Palestinians, of course, and its right to—their right to have their own state on the land that was—the pre-June 4, 1967, borders with Jerusalem as its capital.”

Clinton remained silent following Amr’s statement.  The Obama administration also backs a return to the pre-1967 borders—a decision that was roundly condemned by Jewish leaders when it was announced by the president in May 2011.

Read more from this story HERE.

The ABC’s of being Joe Miller’s Wife

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Many people regularly ask how I handle the media, family dynamics, politics, as well as work, travel and being on the Alaska Judicial Council.  So, I decided I would start to pen a few articles on these different areas starting with perhaps the most difficult, yet inspiring . . . drum roll please . . . being Joe Miller’s wife!  Since we do wake up beside each other on more days than not, I will tackle this with some humor and easy to understand points:

 

The ABC’s of being Joe Miller’s Wife

A  Always remember to admire him

B  Be cheerful more days than not

C  Communicate- this is very important!

D  Do remember that I appreciate his reasons for doing what he does even though it may not seem sane at times

E  Enjoy the simple things in life because when he does the thing he does that may be all we have

F  Focus yes, FOCUS, on his good qualities

G  Give and forgive a lot!

H  Hope he remembers to thank everyone for coming, to pay attention to the little things, and HOLD NO GRUDGES!

I    Invite his crazy ideas into the conversation of what I would like to get done around the house and watch that turn into what he would like to get done around the nation

J  Join in his endeavors and enthusiasms

K  Keep my mouth shut about something stupid he did until we are out of earshot of others

L  Love him and try to listen when he’s speaking

M Magnify the good in him because sometimes I may be the only one who did that day

N  Never forget his heart and intentions in everything he does-yes they are not just a benefit to others, but also to myself and our family

O  Oust the negative as often as possible

P  Pray for him

Q  Quickly point out what I think and then let him ponder and bring about a discussion

R  Remember that behind every great man there is an even better woman so I need to encourage him

S  Speak highly of him

T  Treat him as a King because I will be treated as his Queen

U  Unconditionally love him

V  Value his desires, insights and strong demeanor

W  Welcome him with open arms when he’s had a rough day or Welcome his ambition and fight for truth and liberty

X  X-ercise my voice but try my best to keep all of the above because then I can be a happy, productive wife and mother. So,

Y  Y’all now know a few of my secrets and I think they sure help because as you can

Z  Zee for yourself, we make a pretty good team!

 

Until next time – Be Blessed!

Kathleen

 

Photo credit: Joe Miller, All Rights Reserved

Alaska Native Corporations suffer devastating loss of billions in federal contracts

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As I predicted in 2010, federal money to Alaska Native Corporations (ANC’s) has begun to dry up.  This year, the drop has been dramatic, falling from $4.4 billion in fiscal year 2011 to $1.8 billion for the first three quarters of 2012.

The gravy train for the ANC’s, sole source contracts over $20 million, took even a bigger hit.  These no bid contracts, illegal in the European Union and widely criticized in the US  due to suspicions that “illegal or immoral means [are used] to exclude competitors (usually by cronyism or bribery),” cratered from $2.5 billion in 2011 to $587 million in the first three quarters of 2012.

Why has this happened?  Because of limitations imposed after Senate investigations revealed that ANC’s “passed much of their work to large, non-Native companies, failed to employ Alaska Natives to work on the contracts and returned only minimal benefits from the businesses to Alaska Natives.” Sound familiar?

To make matters worse for Alaska’s native corporations in coming years, Senator Claire McCaskill, chairwoman of the contracting oversight subcommittee, is working to ensure that even fewer of these sole source contracts are awarded to the ANC’s in 2013.  Her objective is to “eliminate ANCs’ ability to receive sole-source contracts larger than what other companies get in the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development program.”

All of this has led to additional workloads for procurement officials as many contracts, formerly sole source, are now open to competition.  But it has also brought significant federal cost savings, the objective of the budget hawks who have pushed for the contracting reforms.

Given the impending loss of even more federal dollars and the fact that their current contracts “fail to employ Alaska Natives,” what should the ANC’s do?  My perspective is that ANC’s need to abandon crony capitalism and join forces with Constitutionalists who seek to regain state control over natural resources.  Removal of federal regulatory restraints on resource development within the State of Alaska would spur explosive economic growth.  The ANC’s could then leave the federal handouts behind and focus on creating real, productive jobs for shareholders and other Alaskans.

The true power of self determination that so many Alaska Natives fought for at ANCSA’s inception is getting back more control over our lands here in Alaska, so that all those who live here can chart their own course, together, as Alaskans.

 

Lawsuit forces Obama to reveal Michelle’s $83,000 luxury skiing weekend

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A February 2012 ski trip enjoyed by first lady Michelle Obama and her two daughters cost taxpayers at least $83,000, according to records obtained by Judicial Watch.

The total cost of the President’s Day weekend getaway was at least $83,182.99. The largest expense was $48,950.38 for Secret Service protection, which included accommodations at the Fasching Haus deluxe condominium and the Inn at Aspen.

The cost of transportation was also hefty. Using official Department of Defense hourly rates, Judicial Watch estimated that the flights cost $22,583.70. This didn’t include in-flight purchases costing $235.44. The cost of rental cars was $6,442.23.

Judicial Watch received the records after filing a May 31 lawsuit against the U.S. Air Force and Secret Service.

“No wonder we had to file a lawsuit in federal court and wait six months to get basic information on Michelle Obama’s luxury Aspen vacation,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The costs of the Obama family ski weekend are staggering. These high-priced luxury vacations, and the lack of transparency about them, are beginning to seem like an abuse of office.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Female Chair of the Democratic National Committee: Electing Women isn’t Always a Good Thing

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The nation’s top Democrat made it clear at a left-wing event for women that electing women to public office is only a good thing is they subscribe to the liberal dogma that advances abortion and birth control.

Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida congresswoman, spoke at the Women 2020 this week and said the focus shouldn’t be electing women to Congress but only supporting women political candidates who support “ensuring access to birth control.” The comment is a clear reference to the national debate over the Obama HHS mandate that forces religious groups to pay for and refer women for abortion-causing drugs and birth control in violation of their religious beliefs.

CNS News caught video of Wasserman-Schultz’s comments: “I think we have to be cautious about who is, you know, just celebrating that a woman got elected to a particular office and make sure that we have women who are running and winning who are going to champion the causes of women — who are going to make the agenda that is important to women like equal pay for equal work and making sure that when it comes to fighting for middle class families and ensuring access to birth control and making sure that health care is a priority and that it’s affordable, making sure that access to education and higher education is a priority.”

“So, electing just any woman shouldn’t be the goal. Electing a woman who is going to make the issues important to women and families is really should be the focus and I don’t know if we made as much progress on that as we should.”

This isn’t the first time the DNC chair has attacks Republicans as supposedly anti-woman for their pro-life views. She said Republicans are “anti-woman” and are waging “war on women” with an “extremely radical social agenda.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Photo credit: mdfriendofhillary

Spouse appeal: Wives help Obama, Romney campaigns

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It’s no coincidence that Michelle Obama and Ann Romney are showing up a lot more as the tight presidential race barrels into the final few months.

The rival campaigns are rolling out their top assets in a big way. The first lady is the public face of a new grass-roots mobilizing effort for Team Obama. And Mrs. Romney’s recent interviews have put her on display cutting through the campaign din – including her blunt statement Thursday that her husband has provided everything that “people need to know” and won’t be releasing more tax returns.

Although Mrs. Romney is still largely unknown to a large swath of the public, both women are well regarded by voters in their own parties, and the campaigns are going all-out to use their appeal in ways that go well beyond the traditional presidential cookie bakeoff.

“They really do appear to be in it to win it, both of them, and sincerely in it to win it,” says Anita McBride, who served as Laura Bush’s chief of staff in the White House.

Mrs. Obama on Thursday made her debut as the leader the Obama campaign’s new “It Takes One” program, which asks supporters to do one thing to promote the campaign – and to engage someone else to do likewise.

Read more from this story HERE.

Photo credit: DonkeyHotey

The Establishment Wars Against Another Tea Party Leader

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With growing dismay, I’ve read a number of recent press reports on the increasingly vicious bipartisan attack on Representative Michele Bachmann.  What on earth did she do?  Rep. Bachmann (and a few of her colleagues, including my friend, Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas) had the audacity to request a federal investigation into “potential Muslim Brotherhood infiltration into the United States Government.”

What prompted Rep. Bachmann to ask for this?  Nothing less than evidence from a myriad of FBI reports and federal court cases identifying a number of Muslim Brotherhood front groups, some of which are currently advising departments and agencies of the federal government.

In her investigation request, Rep. Bachmann also noted that Huma Abedin, deputy chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, had close family connections to the Muslim Brotherhood.  This spawned a sharp reaction from Senator John McCain, calling the linkage “nothing less than an unwarranted and unfounded attack on an honorable woman.”  The State Department also joined in, stating that Ms. Bachmann’s allegations were “absolutely preposterous.”

But the worst was leveled by her former campaign chief, Ed Rollins, yesterday:

I have been a practitioner of tough politics for many decades. There is little that amazes me and even less that shocks me. I have to say that Congresswoman Michele Bachmann’s outrageous and false charges against a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Huma Abedin reaches that threshold.

Her unsubstantiated charge against Abedin, a widely respected top aide to Secretary Hillary Clinton, accusing her of some sort of far-fetched connection to the Muslim brotherhood, is extreme and dishonest.

And then this below-the-belt hit:

Having worked for Congressman Bachman’s campaign for president, I am fully aware that she sometimes has difficulty with her facts, but this is downright vicious and reaches the late Senator Joe McCarthy  level.

So what exactly did Rep. Bachmann say that was so injurious?  Here it is in her own words:

The Department’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Huma Abedin, has three family members – her late father, her mother and her brother – connected to Muslim Brotherhood operatives and /or organizations. Her position affords her routine access to the Secretary and to policy making.

Although she never accused Abedin of being a Muslim Brotherhood loyalist herself, Ms. Bachmann stated later that the

concerns about the foreign influence of immediate family members is such a concern to the U.S. Government that it includes these factors as potentially disqualifying conditions for obtaining a security clearance, which undoubtedly Ms. Abedin has had to obtain to function in her position.

For us to raise issues about a highly-based U.S. Government official with known immediate family connections to foreign extremist organizations is not a question of singling out Ms. Abedin.  In fact, these questions are raised by the U.S. Government of anyone seeking a security clearance.

Given the reasonable assumption that Ms. Abedin has a high-level security clearance, as a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence I am particularly interested in exactly how, given what we know from the international media about Ms. Abedin’s documented family connections with the extremist Muslim Brotherhood, she was able to avoid being disqualified for a security clearance. If these known and documented family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood would not disqualify someone for a security clearance, what specifically is the standard to be disqualified on foreign influence grounds?

Nothing factually inaccurate there.  Of course, none of her detractors bother with that; they deal in hyperbole, hoping to shoot the messenger with the now-politically routine ad hominem attack.  Fortunately, their over-the-top efforts seem to have backfired, giving Congresswoman Bachmann a new platform to address the increasing risk of Islamic fanaticism in the U.S.

Please join her in this effort.  And if you have the resources, send a donation her way.  After all, I suspect that what this “outrage” is really about is this:  the Establishment wants to remove a troublesome Tea Party leader from the U.S. House of Representatives.  As recent elections have shown, they’d much rather seat a liberal Democrat (or RINO) who loves big government than a committed constitutionalist who stands by the principles of our Founders.

 

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore

Undercover Video: NY union bosses – “$112 million in green jobs is ‘bulls__t’, but we’ll take the money”

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If you want to understand the idiocy of green jobs, this is a must-see video.  A word of warning: you’re going to hear “bulls__t” a dozen or so times, but that’s because the union bosses are talking about green jobs where people can get paid for doing digging holes and filling them back in.  It gets really good at 3:18, so stay with it.

Photo credit: aflcio

TSA allows dozens of illegal aliens to attend flight school owned by . . . an illegal alien

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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approved flight training for 25 illegal aliens at a Boston-area flight school that was owned by yet another illegal alien, according to the Government Accountability Office.

The illegal-alien flight-school attendees included eight who had entered the country illegally and 17 who had overstayed their allowed period of admission into the United States, according to an audit by the GAO.

Six of the illegal aliens were actually able to get pilot’s licenses.

Discovery of the trouble at the flight school began when local police–not federal authorities–pulled over the owner of the school on a traffic violation and were able to determine that he was an illegal alien.

Rep. Mike Rogers (R.-Ala.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security, said he found the GAO’s findings “amazing.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Photo credit: TSA Public Affairs