It’s Nuts to Censor Ads for Man in the High Castle, a Show About Freedom

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Americans increasingly support free speech as a concept but make lots of exceptions. A new Pew Research poll found that 40 percent of Millennials (ages 18 to 34) believe the government should be able to prevent people from making offensive statements about minority groups.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City, certainly agree. Often rivals, they teamed up to remove a set of controversial subway ads advertising a new Amazon series that depicts an alternate history in which the Nazis and the Japanese won World War II and divided control of America between them. The show’s creators include director Ridley Scott (Alien and Blade Runner) and writer Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files). It has won rave reviews, including a 96 percent positive rating at Rotten Tomatoes.com.

The ads for Man in the High Castle, which appeared on a single subway line linking Times Square with Grand Central Station, featured a version of Japanese Rising Sun flags and Nazi-inspired imperial eagles (but no swastikas). The Metropolitan Transit Authority approved the ads because they did not violate MTA guidelines against political statements.

When controversy about the ads first arose last week, the MTA at first stood its ground. Adam Lisberg, a spokesperson for the MTA, explained that the public agency had no choice but to allow the ads. “We cannot pick and choose the way WCBS radio can — whether it likes an ad or doesn’t like an ad,” he told WCBS Radio. “This advertising, whether you find it distasteful or not, obviously they’re not advertising Nazism; they’re advertising a TV show.”

Then the politicians got involved, with Mayor de Blasio blasting Amazon. “While these ads technically may be within MTA guidelines, they’re irresponsible and offensive to World War II and Holocaust survivors, their families, and countless other New Yorkers,” he said. Governor Cuomo turned up the heat. Last Tuesday, the MTA acknowledged that “Cuomo called the head of the MTA and asked him to ensure the ads came down.” The MTA quickly took the subway cars out of service. (Read more from “It’s Nuts to Censor Ads for Man in the High Castle, a Show About Freedom” HERE)

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Supreme Court Justice Blocks Native Hawaiian Vote Count

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A U.S. Supreme Court justice on Friday issued a temporary stay blocking the counting of votes in an election that would be a significant step toward Native Hawaiian self-governance.

Justice Anthony Kennedy’s order also stops the certification of any winners pending further direction from him or the entire court.

Native Hawaiians are voting to elect delegates for a convention next year to come up with a self-governance document to be ratified by Native Hawaiians. Voting ends Monday. (Read more from “Supreme Court Justice Blocks Native Hawaiian Vote Count” HERE)

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Decade Long Ice Age Predicted as Sun ‘Hibernates’

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A team of European researchers have unveiled a scientific model showing that the Earth is likely to experience a “mini ice age” from 2030 to 2040 as a result of decreased solar activity.

Their findings will infuriate environmental campaigners who argue by 2030 we could be facing increased sea levels and flooding due to glacial melt at the poles.

However, at the National Astronomy Meeting in Wales, Northumbria University professor Valentina Zharkova said fluctuations an 11-year cycle of solar activity the sun goes through would be responsible for a freeze, the like of which has not been experienced since the 1600s . . .

Professor Zharkova said two magnetic waves will cancel each other out in about 2030, leading to a drop in sun spots and solar flares of about 60 per cent.

Sunspots are dark concentrations of magnetic field flux on the surface that reduce surface temperature in that area, while solar flares are burst of radiation and solar energy that fire out across the solar system, but the Earth’s atmosphere protects us from the otherwise devastating effects. (Read more from “Decade Long Ice Age Predicted as Sun ‘Hibernates'” HERE)

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Suspect Spoke of ‘Baby Parts’ After Planned Parenthood Shooting

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Suspected Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooter Robert Lewis Dear mentioned “baby parts” to investigators and in later interviews expressed anti-abortion and anti-government views, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told CNN.

Law enforcement officials caution it’s too early to determine a motive in the case until all evidence is gathered and examined. That process is still ongoing. Though the state is taking the lead, the FBI is conducting its own investigation to determine whether federal charges would be filed.

The official told CNN that propane tanks were found in the area of Dear’s car in the parking lot, and that authorities believe he was trying to shoot them to cause an explosion.

The siege ended Friday when the suspect dropped his gun and surrendered in a hallway once the SWAT team brought in a BearCat armored vehicle and Dear was cornered . . .

Based on a public records search, Dear appears to have lived in Colorado for only about a year. In October 2014, Dear purchased property in Hartsel, a rural community about 65 miles west of the clinic, for $6,000. Zigmond Post, a neighbor, said one of the few interactions he had was when Dear brought him some anti-Obama pamphlets. “That’s about all I’ve run into him,” he said. (Read more from “Suspect Spoke of ‘Baby Parts’ After Planned Parenthood Shooting” HERE)

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Homeless Veteran Who Was Beaten Into Comatose State Has Died [+video]

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A homeless veteran from Philadelphia who was beaten into a comatose state in April died on Nov. 25.

According to NBC Philadelphia, a security camera showed a vehicle driving up to a Sunoco gas station during the April 7 incident. Six women and children attacked the man using a hammer, Mace and part of a rocking chair (video below).

Barnes was in a comatose state following the attack and 40 percent of his skull was removed. Diane Barnes, Robert’s sister, said he eventually opened his eyes, but was in a vegetative state . . .

He suffered from alcoholism and chose to be homeless instead of staying sober in order to live with family members, according to Diane . . .

According to the Philadelphia Media Network, Aleathea Gillard, 34, Shareena Joachim, 23, and Kaisha Duggins, 24, were charged with aggravated assault, attempted murder and conspiracy, among other crimes. The three children involved, two of whom were one of the adult attacker’s children, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and conspiracy charges in June 2015. All were sentenced to juvenile detention centers. (Read more from “Homeless Veteran Who Was Beaten Into Comatose State Has Died” HERE)

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Karl Rove Opens His Rolodex for Ben Carson

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Republican strategist Karl Rove helped set up a meeting between top fundraisers for Ben Carson and casino mogul Steve Wynn.

Rove confirmed to Bloomberg Politics that he acted as the go-between for the Carson camp and Wynn, a sometimes business competitor of Donald Trump, the rival Carson has been batting all fall for the Republican nomination . . .

The mastermind of George W. Bush’s presidential victories in 2000 and 2004, Rove has not signed on with any of the presidential candidates this year, though he says he has dispensed advice to a number who have asked. Trump’s camp is viewing the effort to help the billionaire real estate mogul’s chief rival as an attack on the front-runner.

“Karl Rove is at the center of the GOP establishment — fearful of what real leadership in Washington D.C. will accomplish,” said Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in a statement when asked about Rove’s role in facilitating the meeting between Carson and Wynn. “Mr. Trump continues to expose the all-talk, no action politicians propped up by their dark money super PACs that have failed the American people for far too long.” Rove helped found one of the pioneering dark money groups, Crossroads GPS, which as a non-profit does not have to disclose the identities of its donors.

Lewandowski did not address the role of Wynn, who, according to a Fox Business Network report in September, has repaired his sometimes rocky relationship with Trump and become a campaign adviser. Wynn and Trump have a complicated history dating back to the 1990s, where the two businessmen battled in the casino real estate market. (Read more from “Karl Rove Opens His Rolodex for Ben Carson” HERE)

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Top Biologists Debate Ban on Gene-Editing

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Delegates at a crucial scientific summit this week are expected to debate a ban on the use of the controversial technique of gene-editing. Hundreds of the world’s leading biologists will gather in Washington to discuss the procedure, in which genes are removed from or added to human embryos.

Some researchers say gene-editing of humans could have unpredictable effects on future generations and is ethically unacceptable. They also warn that the technology could be used to create lineages of “enhanced” humans and want all work in the area halted until its implications are fully assessed.

As a result they are expected to call for a moratorium on future research at the summit, which is to be attended mostly by researchers from the UK, US and China, where gene-editing is most widely practiced. But other scientists say a moratorium would be harmful. Gene-editing has the potential to rid the planet of some fatal illnesses, they argue. Academics in favor of continuing the current research programe point to the work of Chinese scientists, who earlier this year reported they had used a gene-editing procedure called Crispr to modify an aberrant gene that causes beta thalassaemia, an inherited life-threatening blood disorder. This was done in IVF embryos obtained from fertility clinics. The embryos were not implanted into women once the modifications were made, however.

Other scientists say versions of genes that predispose humans to Alzheimer’s disease or make them susceptible to HIV and other infections could be removed from embryos and so free future generations from these conditions. The technology also offers ways to improve stem cell research, boost the effectiveness of IVF techniques and reduce human miscarriage rates. For good measure, techniques like Crispr will allow researchers to rewrite the genomes of plants and animals and transform agricultural science.

“There is a great deal to be gained through the use of gene-editing, but obviously we have be careful how we proceed,” said one conference organizers, Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, of the Francis Crick Institute, in London. “The point of this meeting is to determine just how quickly we should move.” (Read more from “Top Biologists Debate Ban on Gene-Editing” HERE)

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Texas AG: ‘In God We Trust’ Decals on Cop Cars Constitutional

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There’s nothing wrong with stickers or decals featuring the phrase “In God We Trust” on police vehicles, the Lonestar state’s top cop assured lawmakers.

Attorney General Ken Paxton weighed in on the matter on Nov. 4 with a letter to two Republican state senators who asked if police departments were inviting legal trouble by including the phrase on patrol cars. Pointing to precedent in a series of court cases, Paxton noted challenges to “In God We Trust” on money, police vehicles and goverment property haven’t been successful.

“Displaying ‘In God We Trust’ on police vehicles is a passive use of a motto steeped in our nation’s history that does not coerce Citizen approval or participation,” Paxton wrote to the state senators. “A law enforcement department’s decision to display the national motto on its vehicles is consistent with that history. Thus, a court is likely to conclude that a law enforcement department’s display of ‘In God We Trust’ on its patrol vehicles is permissible under the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.”

Slapping the phrase on police vehicles has become a contentious issue in recent months, with more than 60 police departments — most of them in the south and midwest — approving decals or stickers on patrol cars, according to the National Constitution Center, a Philadelphia-based non-profit dedicated to civic education.

In each case, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has challenged the use of the phrase on government-owned vehicles. The Wisconsin-based group advocates for separation of church and state in all matters, and has said the phrase amounts to “phony pandering” to the nation’s religious demographic, especially in socially conservative states. “In God We Trust” became the national motto in 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law, a move that also made the phrase mandatory on American currency. (Read more from “Texas AG: ‘In God We Trust’ Decals on Cop Cars Constitutional” HERE)

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Major Ice Cream Brand Announces 7 Bernie Sanders Themed Ice Cream Flavors

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Press Release: In a revolutionary new development Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is proud to announce an exciting new partnership with Bernie Sanders! Ben & Jerry’s is proud to call Vermont home and we couldn’t be more proud of Bernie “Socialist” Sanders for representing our state and our mutual values. We would like to introduce to the world our newest line of socially conscious ice creams that are flavored to embody the spirit of Bernie Sanders and his campaign for President Of The United States!!

1) Triple Tax Toffee: This sweet blend of all natural vanilla ice cream is combined with a triple helping of toffee and a triple scoop of tax applied to the price. Every purchase will help to disempower a low risk individual through the reallocation of wealth and increasing resources available to trap them in a vicious cycle of welfare dependency and entitlements.

2) We The People Werthers: This is the perfect flavor to hold you over until your elected Democrats deliver on their campaign promises. Creamy caramel ice cream is paired with an extra helping of long lasting Werthers Originals hard candy, so you can savor the flavor while you wait for Guantanamo to close and Obamacare to finally deliver all of its promised benefits.

3) Occupy Your Arteries: Being in the 99% never tasted so good. What happens when you combine double fudge ice cream and chunks of bacon with ribbons of sour cream and mayonnaise? A sit-in of flavor on your tongue and Type Two diabetes in your future, that’s what!

4) Social Just Ice: This dismal blend of ice sourced from San Diego & Jacksonville’s municipal water supply, will leave your taste buds tingling with hints of arsenic and lead. This ice (cream) flavor is designed to reduce the impact of any possible perceived micro-aggression that might arise from being seen eating a premium branded ice cream in front of those who might not have the opportunity to acquire such a luxury on their own without subsidies or government assistance.

5) Bernt Ends: In this bold new taste creation we’ve combined hand selected cuts of brisket and slow cooked them for 15 hours in the fiery flames of Bernie Sanders’ anti-capitalist and anti-free market rhetoric. In addition to the rhetorical slow cooking we slather on layers of sweet entitlements and incorporate plenty of safe spaces which help each unique ingredient to protect itself from the aggressive flavors of other ingredients. This new flavor is sure to be liked by everyone except billionaires.

6) Carbon Neutral Nut: This all natural nutty harmony of vanilla ice cream and exotic nuts sourced from all over the world is in no way carbon neutral. In fact, all of the nuts traveled by old diesel trucks out of the remote regions of tropical places all over the world to be shipped on rusty old diesel barges across an ocean or two and then placed on diesel trucks and driven to a processing plant. From there the exotic nuts were packaged and sent by more old diesel trucks and shipped to our facility before they were turned into delicious treats and shipped yet again on diesel trucks all over the country to be enjoyed. But don’t feel guilty about the environmental impact of our ingredient sourcing for this flavor medley because each time you purchase one of our $15 packages of Carbon Neutral Nut, we will purchase a carbon credit in your name from Al Gore himself.

7) Socialist Swirl: In the tradition of the United State’s long history of being a cultural melting pot, we have combined literally all of our flavors together into one homogeneous flavor that you are sure to like. And if you don’t like it, it’s probably because you are a racist xenophobe who doesn’t like other people’s cultural palate of flavors. Imagine swirls of Bernt Ends and We The People Werthers, in a complex taste synergy with swirls of Occupy Your Arteries and Triple Tax Toffee. In creating Socialist Swirl, we have set out to radically transform your traditional view of what is tasty and redefine it with a more tolerant, accepting and inclusive perception of what will be delicious in the future. (For more from the author of “Major Ice Cream Brand Announces 7 Bernie Sanders Themed Ice Cream Flavors” please click HERE)

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Amid New Battle, NSA to Shut Down Phone Records Program

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Major new restrictions on the National Security Agency will go into effect on Sunday, amid a rekindled debate about the spy agency’s powers.

When the clock strikes 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, the NSA will halt its sweeping collection of Americans’ phone records, in a major victory for civil libertarians who have pushed for the reforms since the program was first revealed by Edward Snowden more than two years ago . . .

National security hawks insist that ending the program will make America less safe by depriving intelligence agents of the ability of connect the dots between suspected terrorists precisely when fears about the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) are peaking.

The divide is coming into clear focus on the campaign trail, and promises to be a point of contention so long as public fears about terrorism remain high.

“I believe in the Constitution. I’ve spent my whole life fighting to defend the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, and the federal government has no right to be seizing, collecting and holding the phone metadata of hundreds of millions of law-abiding citizens,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said at a tele-forum hosted by the Washington Examiner this month. (Read more from “Amid New Battle, NSA to Shut Down Phone Records Program” HERE)

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