Oregon Strikes Down Law Banning Self-Service Gas Stations… Residents Freak Out

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People are raising cane on social media about a law in Oregon making it legal for citizens to pump their own gas.

A law passed through Oregon’s legislature in May and signed into law in June will allow counties with 40,000 residents or fewer to pump their own gas.

Oregonians are not pleased about the change.

The law, which takes effect Monday, has created a minor firestorm in rural parts of Oregon, where full-service gas stations have ruled the day since 1951.

A local CBS affiliate in Medford, Oregon, asked its viewers on Facebook about the new law – the responses have ranged from anger to confusion.

“I don’t even know HOW to pump gas and I am 62, native Oregonian…..I say NO THANKS! I don’t want to smell like gasoline!” one woman wrote in a comment on a survey the new station posted Dec. 29.

The poll elicited more than a thousand responses.

Another shared her opinion, with several commenters suggesting full-service gas stations are safer than those permitting residents to feel the exhilaration of filling their own tanks.

“It is safer for people, if a station attendant does the service. The only advantage of pumping the gas yourself, would be paying a few cents less a gallon. Getting older, and being disabled, I’d rather have the help!” another person wrote, noting there are times when attendants are welcomed.

Still other Facebook denizens were dismissive toward those expressing concerns about a change to the six-decade old law.

“It’s official. Oregon is full of mentally defective, full grown children, incapable of the most mundane of adult task,” wrote one person whose reaction was a common one on the thread.

Oregon reformed the law in 2015.

The change allowed motorists to pump their own fuel at night, but the state is still one of two in the country that ban self-service.

Motorists in New Jersey, for instance, face stiff penalties for touching pumps – fines range between $50 and $250 for the first offense and up to $500 for subsequent offenses. (For more from the author of “Oregon Strikes Down Law Banning Self-Service Gas Stations… Residents Freak Out” please click HERE)

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Here’s How Countless Californians Spent the First Day of Their New Year

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When the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1, 2018, the state of California ushered in the era of legal recreational cannabis use, a long-awaited dream for many that became a reality roughly a year since the passing of Proposition 64.

The bill, which passed in November of 2016, largely decriminalized the substance and allowed for the commercial sale of marijuana products to patrons ages 21 and up. Patrons lined the streets outside of cannabis dispensaries across the state waiting to get their hands on the initial sales of the newly-legalized substance.

Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin was present outside the Berkeley Patients Group awaiting the shop’s first sales of 2018.

“I’m stoked about this historic moment, not just for Berkeley, but for the state of California,” Arreguin stated. “This is a long time coming.”

As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, the first patrons to purchase the legalized cannabis from the Berkeley dispensary were Mikki Norris, 65, and Chris Conrad, 64. The two, who are longtime advocates for the plant, purchased three joints while a crowd cheered.

“When we started, George Bush the first was president,” Norris said. “Zero tolerance was the policy of this country.”

“We waited a long time for this,” Conrad added.

In Santa Cruz, a dispensary hung a sign that read “Prohibition is Over!” while other cannabis stores across the state held ribbon-cutting ceremonies and other festivities, according to the Chicago Tribune.

While the majority of the state celebrated the breakthrough, a few notable cities remained ostracized from the big day.

Fresno and Riverside both outlawed recreational sales of the substance, while San Francisco and Los Angeles were unable to authorize state licenses to shops in time for New Year’s Day.

Another speed-bump likely to be encountered by cannabis entrepreneurs in California is the inability to store their profits in banks.

Forbes noted that the cannabis industry is expected to amass $5.2 billion in revenue, but due to marijuana’s classification as a “schedule one” substance, businesses will likely be unable to find any banks willing to store their money.

“Financial institutions need to go on record with the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen) when they establish a relationship with a known Marijuana Related Business, and (Matt) Karnes (an industry analyst) estimates that just 5% of all banks have done that,” Forbes contributor Julie Weed wrote. “He believes that fewer than 1% of all banks in the United States are currently working with cannabis related companies.”

The extremely small pool of banks willing to work with marijuana-related businesses leaves the majority of the industry dependent on cash-only transactions or cryptocurrency.

According to Weed, operating with cash-only “means they need to spend extra money on safes, video camera systems, security guards, and armored car pick-ups.” She added that “safety issues” can arise when an abundance of cash is stored in a known location.

Cryptocurrencies also pose a big risk to cannabis businesses because, as noted by Weed, cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin “fluctuate in value,” making it “much less stable than regular currency.”

Although there are still roadblocks facing the cannabis industry in California, the significance of the substance’s legalization was not lost on its advocates.

“I feel like it’s been a struggle and a fight,” said Nicole Rice, a patron waiting for the doors to open at the Berkeley Patients Group. However, the 28-year-old added that voter persistence paid off.

“It’s historic,” she said. (For more from the author of “Here’s How Countless Californians Spent the First Day of Their New Year” please click HERE)

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Todd Palin Is Seen for the First Time Since Being Attacked by His Son Track

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Todd Palin, husband of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, was seen for the first time since being attacked by his 28-year-old son Track in December 2017.

“Trailering snowmachines to trailhead for trek out to the cabin… perfect way to usher in the new year! May 2018 be a year of breakthrough, joy & victory for all!” former Gov. Palin wrote in a Monday Instagram post.

In the photo, Todd Palin can be seen sporting a black eye and a cut on the bridge of his nose, the result of an attack that resulted in three criminal charges for his eldest son.

As noted by the U.K. Daily Mail, Todd Palin had shied away from the public eye in the wake of the family conflict that began after his son Track Palin broke into the family home in late 2017.

According to an incident report from the Wasilla Police Department, Track, who wasn’t welcome on the property, began arguing with his father about a truck on Dec. 16, 2017.

Then, Sarah Palin reportedly called 911 and told the operator that her son was “freaking out and was on some type of medication.”

According to the arrest affidavit, “Track told him he was (going to) come anyway to beat his a–,” after his father had told him he would not be allowed to drive the family truck while intoxicated from alcohol and pain medication.

The threat prompted Todd Palin to reportedly pull out a pistol in an attempt to protect himself and his family.

The Western Journal reported that Track witnessed the gun through the window of the home and attempted to goad his dad into shooting him.

However, Todd Palin told police that he couldn’t bring himself to fire the weapon at his son.

Track Palin then broke into the home through a window and reportedly struggled with his father.

He disarmed his father, before taking him to the ground and striking him in the head multiple times.

Todd Palin was able to escape the house with his wife and was reportedly seated in a car outside the home when police arrived.

After the attack, the eldest Palin son held police off from inside the home for at least 15 minutes. He reportedly called the officers “peasants” and demanded that they disarm themselves before the standoff ended, resulting in Track Palin’s arrest on charges of first-degree burglary, fourth-degree criminal mischief and fourth-degree assault.

The U.K. Daily Mail reported that Track Palin is now under house arrest after walking free from a pretrial facility five days after the attack when his friend, Kaleb Westfall, posted his bail of $5,000. (For more from the author of “Todd Palin Is Seen for the First Time Since Being Attacked by His Son Track” please click HERE)

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Trump’s ‘Lock Her up’ for Huma Called Political

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After eight years of a politicized Washington “swamp,” where the IRS under Barack Obama openly targeted conservatives and Christians, where Islamists were invited to set policy for the nation’s law enforcers, where the president himself actively ridiculed police officers trying to protect the public, now there’s a claim that the Department of Justice is being politicized.

The claim comes from an official with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which calls itself a Muslim civil-rights organization.

The move was prompted by President Trump’s call for the law to be enforced regarding Huma Abedin, a Muslim who was a top aide to Hillary Clinton while she was U.S. secretary of state . . .

That, claimed Robert McCar, the government affairs chief for CAIR, is just wrong.

“Calling for the imprisonment of political rivals is a clear attempt by President Trump to further politicize the Department of Justice. Every American who values the constitutional guarantee of due process should be outraged by the president’s statements.” (Read more from “Trump’s ‘Lock Her up’ for Huma Called Political” HERE)

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Israel Has Problems With Illegals, Issues Ultimatum

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Israel has issued an ultimatum to thousands of Africans who illegally entered the country – get out in the next three months or go to prison.

The Population and Immigration Authority demanded this week that migrants from Sudan and Eritrea leave “to their country or to a third country,” meaning Rwanda or Uganda.

Those who cooperate and leave by the end of March will receive $3,500, along with airfare and other incentives, as reported by multiple outlets.

This is all part of an Israeli campaign to expel roughly 42,000 illegal African migrants from the country. These migrants entered Israel before it built a fence along its border with Egypt. Many of them seek refugee status, claiming they fled conflict and persecution in their home countries.

However, the Israeli government has termed them “infiltrators” and says they are mainly economic migrants whose presence in large numbers threatens Israel’s Jewish character. (Read more from “Israel Has Problems With Illegals, Issues Ultimatum” HERE)

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Will Top Republican Go to Prison for Exposing Russia Probe?

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Leftists are demanding Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes, R-Calif., be put in prison for probing how federal law enforcement conspired to stop Donald Trump from becoming president.

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence expanded its investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election to include the so-called Steele dossier, a memo produced by a former British intelligence agent that was paid for by Trump opponents and contains many fraudulent allegations.

Republicans insist the report reveals malfeasance by the Clinton campaign, and they say it should be the primary focus on any investigation into the 2016 election.

In a December 28 letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Nunes blasted the Department of Justice for ignoring the committee’s August request to turn over dossier-related FBI interview summaries, known as 302s, claiming the documents “did not exist.”

Nunes revealed the DOJ suddenly backtracked and located the summaries pertaining to the dossier after being subpoenaed, essentially accusing Justice and the bureau of a cover-up. (Read more from “Will Top Republican Go to Prison for Exposing Russia Probe?” HERE)

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Trump Responds to Kim’s ‘Button on Desk’ Comment

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President Trump on Tuesday said that the nuclear launch button on his desk is “much bigger” and “more powerful” than that of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un – and that his button actually “works.”

“North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times,'” Trump tweeted. “Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!”

Trump’s comments came after Kim said in a New Year’s Day speech that he had a nuclear launch button at his desk, and that the international community would have to accept North Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed nation as a “reality.”

In that address, Kim also said he was willing to send a delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February and engage in talks with Seoul about easing military tensions between the two countries.

South Korea responded to Kim’s remarks on Tuesday, calling for a dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang aimed at de-escalating tensions ahead of the Winter Games. (Read more from “Trump Responds to Kim’s ‘Button on Desk’ Comment” HERE)

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UN Brings Back Image of Pagan God

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Experts in Israel are expressing concern that the United Nations’ goal is warping toward the promotion of idolatry after word was released that the organization is playing a key role in the image of a third pagan god – the goddess of “extra-marital relations.” . . .

Joe Kovacs, author of “Shocked By The Bible 2,” says the whole sad spectacle is part of an old story.

“The promotion of pagan gods is certainly nothing new, and it again shows we’re all living in what I call ‘Opposite World,’” he explained. “It’s a world where most people do the very opposite action of what God has instructed. Our Creator tells us to have no other gods but Him, but folks do the opposite, honoring false gods.

“The Bible says Solomon, one of the wisest men who ever lived, built shrines to pagan gods such as Molech, a pagan god to whom people would burn their children alive in fires. It’s just sickening. Even God-fearing Christians today don’t realize they’re doing the very opposite of God’s instructions when they decorate trees with silver and gold and stand them up in their homes and churches every December. God personally says in the tenth chapter of Jeremiah not to do that precise heathen custom, and yet people have been tricked into decorating trees with all sorts of silver tinsel, gold garland and hanging ornaments, and they have no scriptural basis for it. For those interested in eternal life, we need to wake up and start obeying the instructions of our Maker, and stop all this pagan worthlessness.” (Read more from “UN Brings Back Image of Pagan God” HERE)

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Now FBI Probed for 2016 Election Interference

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What began as an investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election has now become a probe into how federal law enforcement conspired to stop Donald Trump from becoming president.

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has expanded its investigation that began with claims of Russian collusion and a fraudulent memo paid for by Trump opponents to one that focuses on members of federal law enforcement – both in the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI – and how they actively worked against the Trump campaign and the eventual Trump presidency.

In a startling turnabout, committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., is accusing the Justice Department and the FBI of misleading him in “a pattern of behavior that can no longer be tolerated.” He charges that Justice claimed it possesses no documents related to the infamous Trump dossier, then, under pressure, produced “numerous” such papers.

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is already opposing the move, even though he and other Democrats have conceded recently that finding a Russia-Trump conspiracy has produced no real evidence.

Nunes has put in place what amounts to a separate investigation of the FBI and the Justice Department hierarchy. (Read more from “Now FBI Probed for 2016 Election Interference” HERE)

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Trump Issues First Tweet of 2018

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In his very first tweet of the new year, President Donald Trump directed fire at the government of Pakistan, suggesting that the U.S. should stop sending them billions in foreign aid while they continue to spread “lies & deceit” and harbor terrorists.

While the tweet may have been intended as a warning to Pakistani government officials to be more cooperative in the fight against Islamic radicalism, it was certainly not the first time the Republican president has openly pondered slashing aid to the country, long accused of harboring terrorists and undermining U.S. military efforts.

In August, Trump explained that the “next pillar” of his strategy for battling radical Islamic terrorism would include a “change in our approach to Pakistan.”

Addressing military personnel at Fort Meyer, Trump outlined a new strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia and accused Pakistan of giving “safe haven to agents of chaos, violence and terror,” according to First Post.

In that same speech, Trump also issued a warning shot to Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan.

“Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan,” he explained. “It has much to lose by continuing to harbor terrorists.”

“We will also expand authority for American armed forces to target the terrorist and criminal networks that sow violence and chaos throughout Afghanistan,” he went on. “These killers need to know they have nowhere to hide — that no place is beyond the reach of American arms.”

During pivotal moments when American forces executed operations to rescue civilians or take down high-ranking terrorists inside Pakistan, that government has often been described as dragging its feet or working against U.S. efforts entirely.

After Osama bin Laden was killed by American forces in the northern part of the country in 2011, the Pakistani government jailed the man largely credited with helping the CIA locate the world’s most wanted terrorist — Dr. Shakil Afridi.

Afridi is accused of running a fake vaccination campaign and having ties to militant Islamists — charges Afridi and the U.S. have labeled ridiculous. Pakistan is refusing to hand the doctor over to American forces or even release him from prison, according to Reuters.

More recently, the Pakistani government rescued an American-Canadian family held hostage by the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network for years. However, the operation only came to fruition in October after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson gave them the ultimatum of saving the family themselves or seeing the U.S. act on its own.

The Pakistani government has since refused to allow U.S. interrogators access to a captured Haqqani terrorist involved in the hostage taking.

Viewing Pakistan as an unreliable partner, Trump will likely slow the gravy train of millions in foreign aid the U.S. hands Pakistan annually.

The White House is now reportedly considering cutting $255 million in military assistance to the Muslim-majority country until its government decides to become more cooperative.

Plans to cut aid to Pakistan come after U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley announced major cuts to the United Nations, announcing in late December a plan to cut $285 million from funds the U.S. will provide to the international body’s 2018-2019 budget. (For more from the author of “Trump Issues First Tweet of 2018: ‘Nothing but Lies and Deceit'” please click HERE)

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