Hearing ‘Under God’ in Pledge of Allegiance Does Not Violate Rights of Atheist Students, Judge Rules

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Photo Credit: mrsdkrebs

Photo Credit: mrsdkrebs

Hearing the Pledge of Allegiance at school every day – including the words “under God” – does not violate the constitutional rights of atheist students, a state judge has ruled.

A student filed a lawsuit last year against the Matawan-Aberdeen school district in Monmouth County, arguing that the phrase “under God” fostered a climate of discrimination in the classroom because it exalted religion and made non-believers feel like “second-class citizens.”

The student and his parents – who are not identified in court papers – filed suit along with the American Humanist Association, a national group of atheists that teaches social responsibility. Attorneys argued that the student felt marginalized hearing the pledge every day “just as America’s Jews, Hindus, and Muslims would feel excluded, marginalized and stigmatized if they were told by their government on a daily basis that the United States is one nation ‘under Jesus.’”

State Superior Court Judge David F. Bauman dismissed the case in February, noting that the student was free to skip the pledge. The judge upheld a New Jersey law that says pupils must recite the Pledge of Allegiance unless they have “conscientious scruples” that do not allow it.

Quoting George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Dwight D. Eisenhower and the New Jersey Constitution, Bauman said the United States for centuries has woven small aspects of religion and references to God into its customs and traditions – not as an endorsement of any faith, but as an acknowledgement of the role religion played in the country’s founding. (Read more from “Hearing ‘Under God’ in Pledge of Allegiance Does Not Violate Rights of Atheist Students, Judge Rules” HERE)

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Iowa Oil Company Allegedly Tried to Bribe Man With a Teen Prostitute for Access to His Land

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Photo Credit: Latest

Photo Credit: Latest

A southeast Iowa landowner claims he was offered the services of a prostitute in exchange for allowing a crude oil pipeline to go through his property.

Hughie Tweedy of rural Montrose told reporters Monday that a regional representative of Dakota Access LLC on three separate occasions offered “the sexual services of a woman” if Tweedy would allow the pipeline to run through his property . . .

Dakota Access, a subsidiary of Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, wants to construct a 1,134-mile pipeline to carry crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois. The $3.8 billion pipeline would span 343 miles and 18 counties in Iowa, from the state’s northwest corner to the southeast corner . . .

Tweedy said he has expressed his position multiple times to Dakota Access officials. Tweedy said the company’s regional representative offered “a $1,200 teenage prostitute” in exchange for his cooperation.

Tweedy also claims the company representative, whom Tweedy would not name, told Tweedy an archaeological survey performed on Tweedy’s property was illegal, fake and, in Tweedy’s words, “nothing more than a hoop Dakota Access was jumping through” for the state utilities board that is considering whether to approve the pipeline project. (Read more from “Iowa Oil Company Bribed a Man With a Prostitute for Access to His Land” HERE)

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Frozen Assets: Inside the Spy War for Control of the Arctic

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Photo Credit: Foreign Policy

Photo Credit: Foreign Policy

In August 2014, two Norwegian scientists set off with 21 tons of supplies—food, equipment to measure ocean depth, an instrument to clock water currents, computers, and a specially designed hovercraft named Sabvabaa (Inuit for “flows swiftly over it”)—loaded onto a jagged-edged slab of ice about 200 miles from the North Pole. Unlike their cargo, the researchers’ plan was simple: For the upcoming months, the frozen island would float aimlessly, ferrying a then 72-year-old Yngve Kristoffersen and his younger colleague, Audun Tholfsen, around the Arctic, taking them where even icebreakers could not go.

They were there to drill hydroholes through the ice, film the ocean floor, and collect sediment cores that are millions of years old. After weeks adrift, their ice floe eventually led them into an Arctic no man’s land where temperatures can drop to minus 45 degrees Celsius and trigger powerful gales. The two men were alone but for the occasional white fox. That’s why, in October 2014, the hardy researchers were stunned to spot something unmistakable about two miles from their base: visitors.

As the scientists approached lights they had spotted in the distance, they made out the hulking black bow and sail of a submarine poking up through the ice. But before they reached the site, it quickly disappeared. Based on photographs taken by the scientists, the Norwegian team later determined that the vessel was likely the Orenburg, a Russian sub—which carries with it a nuclear-powered mini-sub—used for deep-dive intelligence missions . . .

The run-in was anything but coincidental. Like Kristoffersen and Tholfsen, the Orenburg was there to drill into undersea ranges in order to collect geological samples from the Lomonosov Ridge, a little-known underwater mountain chain that rises about 12,000 feet above the seabed and stretches for more than 1,000 miles. Under and around this formation lies nearly a quarter of the Earth’s remaining fossil fuel resources. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the Arctic holds a staggering 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil, approximately 90 billion barrels, as well as 30 percent of its natural gas, or about 1,669 trillion cubic feet.

Worth an estimated $17.2 trillion, an amount roughly equivalent to the entire U.S. economy, these resources have been trapped for eons under a dome of ice and snow. . . (Read more from “Frozen Assets: Inside the Spy War for Control of the Arctic” HERE)

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Frequent Tanner Shares Grisly Skin-Cancer Selfie

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Photo Credit: Facebook

Photo Credit: Facebook

Tawny Willoughby grew up in small-town Kentucky, where, she said, it was normal to use a tanning bed four or five times a week.

“I had my own personal tanning bed in my home, and so did a lot of my friends growing up. … Everyone tanned,” Willoughby said. “I didn’t really even think about the future or skin cancer at the time.”

After one of her classmates in nursing school was diagnosed with melanoma, Willoughby made her first dermatology appointment at age 21. Sure enough, she had skin cancer.

Photo Credit: Facebook

Photo Credit: Facebook

Now 27, Willoughby says she has had basal cell carcinoma five times and squamous cell carcinoma once. She goes to the dermatologist every six to 12 months and usually has a cancerous piece of skin removed at each checkup.

She’s become a cautionary tale about the hazards of tanning beds, thanks to a selfie she posted last month on Facebook. The grisly image, taken after one of her cancer treatments, shows her face covered with bloody scabs and blisters. It’s since been shared almost 50,000 times. (Read more from “Frequent Tanner Shares Grisly Skin-Cancer Selfie” HERE)

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With Help of Pope, United Nations Is Launching a Major Sustainable Development Agenda for the Entire Planet

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Photo Credit: The Economic Collapse

Photo Credit: The Economic Collapse

The UN plans to launch a brand new plan for managing the entire globe at the Sustainable Development Summit that it will be hosting from September 25th to September 27th. Some of the biggest names on the planet, including Pope Francis, will be speaking at this summit. This new sustainable agenda focuses on climate change of course, but it also specifically addresses topics such as economics, agriculture, education and gender equality. For those wishing to expand the scope of “global governance”, sustainable development is the perfect umbrella because just about all human activity affects the environment in some way. The phrase “for the good of the planet” can be used as an excuse to micromanage virtually every aspect of our lives. So for those that are concerned about the growing power of the United Nations, this summit in September is something to keep an eye on. Never before have I seen such an effort to promote a UN summit on the environment, and this new sustainable development agenda is literally a framework for managing the entire globe.

If you are not familiar with this new sustainable development agenda, the following is what the official United Nations website says about it…

The United Nations is now in the process of defining Sustainable Development Goals as part a new sustainable development agenda that must finish the job and leave no one behind. This agenda, to be launched at the Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015, is currently being discussed at the UN General Assembly, where Member States and civil society are making contributions to the agenda.

The process of arriving at the post 2015 development agenda is Member State-led with broad participation from Major Groups and other civil society stakeholders. There have been numerous inputs to the agenda, notably a set of Sustainable Development Goals proposed by an open working group of the General Assembly, the report of an intergovernmental committee of experts on sustainable development financing, General Assembly dialogues on technology facilitation and many others.

(Read more from “In September, the UN Is Launching a Major Sustainable Development Agenda for the Entire Planet” HERE)

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Feds Order Insurance Companies to Provide Mammogram Coverage for Men Who Have Undergone Sex Change Ops

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Denee-Mallon-638x425[Editor’s note: the following fair-use excerpt is from ultra-liberal Thinkprogress.org] Transgender people face two prominent hurdles to equitable health care: coverage of procedures related to their actual gender transition (hormones, surgery, etc.) and coverage of sex-specific procedures that are as important for transgender people as for others, like mammograms, prostate exams, and cervical Pap tests. New guidance issued this week from the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury affirms that insurance companies must provide the services in this second category without discriminating on the basis of gender identity.

When a doctor or other health care provider determines that an exam is medically appropriate for a patient, the guidance instructs, “the plan or issuer must provide coverage for the recommended preventive service, without cost sharing, regardless of sex assigned at birth, gender identity, or gender of the individual otherwise recorded by the plan or issuer.” A talking point memo accompanying the guidance offers, “This means, for example, that a transgender man with an intact cervix can get coverage without cost sharing for a pap smear, if recommended by his provider. . .”

In the 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey, a full 50 percent of respondents reported that they had postponed pursuing preventive care services because they could not afford it. This included a transgender man who was told by Blue Cross of California, “Unfortunately we are unable to process claims for one member under both genders,” and thus he could not be covered for procedures related to his anatomy. One 55-year-old transgender man was denied coverage for a bone density scan because according to the insurer’s policies, only women could qualify as “at-risk” for osteoporosis. Another transgender man sought treatment for an infection from an LGBT-friendly health provider; when he asked for additional preventive services, he was told that because his documents identify him as male, it wasn’t possible to submit a claim for a Pap test without compromising coverage for the other tests and treatments he received related to the infection. (Read more from “Feds Order Insurance Companies to Provide Mammogram Coverage for Men Who Have Undergone Sex Change Operations” HERE)

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Catholic University Investigated for Offending Muslims by Having Too Many Crosses

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Pope-Francis-Reuters-640x480“Complaint says crosses at Catholic school offensive, prevent Muslim prayers,” reads the headline at BeliefNet.

It’s one of those headlines that sounds like a bad joke, but it isn’t. It’s not exactly a serious complaint, either, and it isn’t coming from actual Muslim students in any event. “Baffled Catholic University officials say they have never received a complaint from any of the schools Muslim students,” writes BeliefNet.

In fact, the university expressed its bafflement in a full-length statement: “Catholic University’s faithfulness to our Catholic tradition has also made us a welcome home to students of other religions. No students have registered complaints about the exercise of their religions on our campus. We understand that a professor unaffiliated with Catholic University has made public allegations claiming that we are discriminating against our students on religious grounds, but we have not seen any legal filing – and will respond to them if we do.”

The sixty-page complaint was filed with the Washington, D.C. Office of Human Rights by a one-man nuisance-lawsuit factory, George Washington University Law School Professor John Banzhaf. Muslim students are but pawns in Banzhaf’s game against Catholics. Taken to its logical conclusion, his lawfare would wipe out mosques and Islamic learning centers as well. The rules of engagement in the Establishment’s War on Religion have a funny way of changing to accommodate Islam, however, so perhaps those hypothetical logical conclusions will never be reached.

Banzhaf’s complaint alleges that the large amount of Catholic imagery draping the halls of Catholic University creates an “offensive” environment in which Muslims are intimidated out of proper reverence for their own religion. (Read more from “Catholic University Investigated for Offending Muslims by Having Too Many Crosses” HERE)

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Rainwater Collection Being Criminalized in U.S. To Solidify Total Government Dependence

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Photo Credit: Natural News

Photo Credit: Natural News

You might be aware that it is illegal to collect rainwater on your own property in some states, but did you know that doing so could actually land you in jail? That is exactly what is happening to Gary Harrington of Eagle Point, Oregon. He is now facing a 30-day jail sentence and fines of more than $1,500.

His crime? Harrington has been collecting rainwater in three reservoirs on his property, and the government doesn’t like it. In Oregon, all water is considered property of the state whether it flows from the tap or falls from the sky.

Collecting, storing and using rainwater is permitted if you obtain a permit from the state, but Harrington’s permits were revoked. The reasons why are not clear.

Harrington has been wrangling with Oregon’s Water Resources Department for more than ten years. In 2002, the state informed him that they had received “complaints” regarding three reservoirs located on his property. The reservoirs were used to collect and store rainwater and snow melt. One of the reservoirs has been on the property for nearly four decades.

When Harrington received notice from the Water Resources Department, he applied for the appropriate permits required to house storm and snow water runoff. In 2003, the permits were granted, but the state later reversed the decision. (Read more from “Rainwater Collection Being Criminalized in U.S. To Solidify Total Government Dependence” HERE)

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Pentagon Report: Chinese Ballistic Missiles Can Target Nearly the Entirety of the US

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download (19)China now has dozens of nuclear-capable missiles that could target almost the entirety of the US, according to the Department of Defense’s 2015 report on the Chinese military.

The annual report to Congress focuses on China’s military modernization, possible invasion plans for the self-governing and US-allied island of Taiwan, advances in space technology, and Beijing’s rapidly advancing missile capabilities.

China’s conventional capabilities are improving. But Beijing also now has what could be considered the ultimate military asset for a rising superpower: the ability to deliver nuclear warheads nearly anywhere on earth (outside of South America, at least).

The following map from the report highlights the maximum missile ranges of China’s medium and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The longest-ranging of the missiles, the CSS-4, can target almost the entirety of the US (except for Florida).

Photo Credit: Department of Defense.

Photo Credit: Department of Defense.

The CSS-4 has the largest range of any Chinese ICBM. The missile is nuclear-capable, according to the DoD report, and is housed in silos across the Chinese countryside. Beijing is estimated to have between 50 and 60 silo-based ICBMs. (Read more from “Pentagon Report: Chinese Ballistic Missiles Can Target Nearly the Entirety of the US” HERE)

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A Liberal Studied Conservative Brains and Made a Discovery He Never Expected

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Photo Credit: Western Journalism

Photo Credit: Western Journalism

Generally articles about conservatism vs liberalism basically say that one rules and one drools, depending on who the author voted for in 2012. In this case, it was written by someone at Salon.com, who admitted that this is a problem for the left. We give credit where it’s due here.

He’s also selling a book called “The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science—and Reality,” because his publisher rejected the original titles, “Arbitrary Liberal Buzzwords that Don’t Really Mean Anything.”

Some choice nuggets:

47 percent of conservative Republicans said they were “very happy,” compared with just 28 percent of liberal Democrats…this result could not simply be attributed to the seemingly obvious cause: differences in income levels between the left and the right. Rather, for every income group in the study, conservative Republicans were happier than Democrats.

One striking finding is that conservatives tend to be less neurotic — or, more emotionally stable — than liberals. It is part of the inherent definition of neuroticism that one is less happy — more fretful, more depressed.

That means they probably make more friends and feel more comfortable in groups and communities. They’re more sociable. Once again, this probably helps confer a subjective sense of greater happiness.

To the author’s credit, he didn’t try to make excuses for this. It was more of just sounding the alarm for his leftist followers to stop being so miserable all the time.

Conservatism vs Liberalism: conservatives can haz cupcakes… and liberals can’t enjoy cupcakes when there’s so much alleged income “inequality.” (See “A Liberal Studied Conservative Brains and Made a Discovery He Never Expected”, originally posted HERE)

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