By Reuters. U.S. officials said on Sunday they did not believe nine U.S. citizens were among 33 suspects detained on terrorism charges in Saudi Arabia over the past week, as reported by a Saudi newspaper.
The English-language daily Saudi Gazette, citing an unnamed source, on Sunday reported that four Americans were detained last Monday, followed by another five in the following days. Saudi authorities also detained 14 Saudis, three Yemenis, two Syrians, an Indonesian, a Filipino, a United Arab Emirates citizen, a Palestinian and a citizen of Kazakhstan, the report said.
Six U.S. officials told Reuters that the U.S. government could not confirm that any Americans were among the 33 suspects detained.
However, two officials said U.S. authorities were still checking names against databases. Saudi authorities were also investigating the citizenship of those detained, one of the officials said.
None of the U.S. officials was authorized to speak publicly, and the U.S. embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Read more from “Americans Not Believed Among Militants Detained by Saudis” HERE)
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Saudi Police Arrest 9 American ‘Terror’ Suspects
By AFP. Saudi authorities have arrested nine American citizens among 33 “terror” suspects rounded up over the past week, the Saudi Gazette newspaper reported Sunday.
Four Americans were arrested last Monday and five others over the past four days, the paper reported, citing an unidentified source.
Washington, a strong ally of Riyadh, confirmed it was aware of the report but declined to elaborate.
A US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP: “We are aware of reports alleging that several US citizens were detained in Saudi Arabia.
“The Department of State takes its obligation to assist US citizens abroad seriously. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment.” (Read more from “Saudi Police Arrest 9 American ‘Terror’ Suspects” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-01-31 23:54:572016-04-11 10:53:15Americans Not Believed Among Militants Detained by Saudis
Portland, Ore., is No. 1 on the list of metropolitan areas with the most religiously unaffiliated residents (42%), according to the nonpartisan and nonprofit Public Religion Research Institute’s American Values Atlas, a survey of 50,000 people. Seattle and San Francisco were tied at second place (with 33%) on the list, and Denver (32%) and Phoenix (26%) were third and fourth.
On the other end of the spectrum, Nashville was the metropolitan area with the fewest people without any religious affiliation (15%), followed by Charlotte, N.C. (17%), and Atlanta, Dallas, Orlando and Pittsburgh (all with 18%). Some caveats: While many people who don’t believe in God may not attend religious services, there are (of course) faith traditions such as Unitarian Universalism that welcome and include humanists and atheists; many people who might not believe in God may just as likely go to church for spiritual reasons too, or merely because they like it . . .
“The strong religious culture in the South reflects a variety of factors, including history, cultural norms and the fact that these states have high Protestant and black populations — both of which are above average in their self-reported religious service attendance,” according to a separate Gallup survey of over 177,030 U.S. adults this year on church attendance. And 10 of the 12 states with the highest self-reported religious-service attendance are in the South, along with Utah and Oklahoma. (Utah ranked as No. 1 because of the 59% Mormon population there, and Mormons have the highest religious attendance of any major religious group in the U.S.) (Read more from “This Is the Most Godless City in America” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00kathleenhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngkathleen2016-01-31 23:53:182016-04-11 10:53:15This Is the Most Godless City in America
Photo: Screenshot of Satanic Temple websiteMembers of a satanic group are set to give the prayer at an upcoming meeting of the Phoenix City Council, triggering a debate about religious freedom and whether such a display is appropriate for the venue.
Satanic Temple members Michelle Shortt and Stu de Haan are expected to give the invocation at the council’s Feb. 17 meeting after the group submitted a request in December. Despite the objections of some council members, the city has decided to let the satanists speak as scheduled.
Phoenix City Attorney Brad Holm released a statement Thursday evening, defending the city’s position. The city typically holds a short invocation at the start of formal council meetings and has included members from a variety of faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Sikhism.
“Consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s direction, the city cannot dictate religious viewpoints or the content of a prayer,” Holm wrote. “In addition, government may not exclude a denomination or a religion from praying under these circumstances.”
Councilman Jim Waring said he thinks the city should have told the Satanic Temple members “no,” and let them fight the issue in court. He said he thinks the action is intended to be offensive to residents and questioned whether it’s a gimmick to get the city to stop doing a prayer at council meetings altogether. (Read more from “Satanists to Give ‘Prayer’ at Arizona City Council Meeting” HERE)
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The city’s police department has temporarily folded as it searches for its fourth police chief in 18 months, according to city officials.
“The police department currently is not open,” Deputy Clerk Jennifer Baranowski said Friday.
The decision was made at a Thursday evening city council meeting, Mayor Eric Schneider said. He requested the move after he and the council lost confidence in the department.
“We’ve gotten to the point where we’re not sure what’s going on over there,” Schneider said. “We didn’t have a second in command. We demoted our previous chief (last year) and we were kind of in turmoil, then our new chief died (in January) . . .
(Memphis) city’s six part-time officers are on paid administrative leave, Schneider said. They have been asked to turn in all department-issued equipment, including their weapons, radios, badges and identifications. The locks also have been changed at the department, he said. (Read more from “Michigan City Shuts Down Police Force Amid Turmoil” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-01-31 23:51:392016-04-11 10:53:15Michigan City Shuts Down Police Force Amid Turmoil
Apple customers should check the inside slot of their wall plug adapters because they could pose an electrical shock risk.
The mega tech company initiated a voluntary recall of wall plug adapters sold between 2003 and 2015 because they could break, leading to safety concerns of electrical shock.
“Customer safety is always Apple’s top priority, and we have voluntarily decided to exchange affected wall plug adapters with a new, redesigned adapter, free of charge,” the company said in a public statement on Thursday.
The two-prong AC wall plug adapters can be identified by four or five characters, or no characters, on the inside slot that attaches to the power adapter. The redesigned versions have only three characters. The company hasn’t stated how many of the products were sold, but most were sold outside the United States. They were sold in continental Europe, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and Korea for Macs, iPads and some IOS devices. They were sold in the U.S. as part of the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit. Asian countries are not included in the worldwide recall. (Read more from “Apple Just Announced Recall on This One Item Due to Major Safety Risk” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-01-31 23:51:212016-04-11 10:53:15Apple Just Announced Recall on This One Item Due to Major Safety Risk
Photo Credit: YouTubeThe militia spokesman killed in a confrontation with law enforcement in Oregon said in an interview the day before he died that the government appeared to be ramping up for action.
“They’re doing all the things, they’re doing all the things that shows that they want to take some kinetic action against us,” said Robert “Lavoy” Finicum.
Although the identification of the dead protester has not been formerly released, family members identified Finicum as the one killed Tuesday. One of the group’s leaders, Ryan Bundy, was reportedly wounded after law enforcement initiated arrests at a traffic stop of some of the militia group traveling to a community meeting in the city of John Day. According to reports, Fincum and Ryan Bundy refused to obey orders to surrender . . .
The anti-government group took over an unoccupied outpost in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Ore., in Harney County almost four weeks ago as a protest against government encroachment on private lands. The group said after Tuesday’s incident that they intend to stay and continue to protest.
There have been decades of complaints that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has allegedly taken over private lands and uses unscrupulous methods to do so. The arrest and conviction of rancher Dwight Hammond, 73, and his son Steven Hammond, 46, on terrorism charges for performing a controlled burn on federal land was the catalyst for the refuge takeover, even though the Hammonds’ family is not connected to the militia movement.
Finicum’s death lacks details, and this has prompted questions as well as accusations from his family, friends and those watching the scenario unfold. Finicum told a reporter in his last interview that the group had no plans to disrupt public meetings held nearby and did not want violence. (Read more from “Watch: The Haunting Words Oregon Protester LaVoy Finicum Said the DAY Before He Was Killed” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-01-30 00:22:472016-04-11 10:53:15Watch: The Haunting Words Oregon Protester LaVoy Finicum Said the DAY Before He Was Killed
By Laura Collins. A known Islamic terror suspect was placed in charge of Hillary Clinton’s local security detail during a trip by the US Secretary of State to Libya, Daily Mail Online can reveal.
The shocking security blunder occurred in October 2011 when Clinton made an unannounced visit to Libya following the toppling of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
Ironically the Secretary of State’s trip was shrouded in secrecy due to security concerns.
The trip was intended as a triumphant tour to show Mrs Clinton’s support for the Libyan people and build diplomatic ties at a torrid time. During her visit fierce fighting erupted in Sirte – the last stronghold of the country’s former leader.
Unwittingly flanked by a man known to British security forces as a member of the banned Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) and considered a threat to British and US national security Mrs Clinton held talks with top officials from the National Transitional Council (NTC) and spoke of her ‘pride’ at standing ‘on the soil of a free Tripoli.’ (Read more from “Something Terrifying Was Just Revealed About Hillary Clinton’s Guard on Her Tour of Libya” HERE)
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Official: Some Clinton Emails ‘Too Damaging’ to Release
By Catherine Herridge and Pamela K. Browne. The intelligence community has deemed some of Hillary Clinton’s emails “too damaging” to national security to release under any circumstances, according to a U.S. government official close to the ongoing review. A second source, who was not authorized to speak on the record, backed up the finding.
The determination was first reported by Fox News, hours before the State Department formally announced Friday that seven email chains, found in 22 documents, will be withheld “in full” because they, in fact, contain “Top Secret” information.
The State Department, when first contacted by Fox News about withholding such emails Friday morning, did not dispute the reporting – but did not comment in detail. After a version of this report was first published, the Obama administration confirmed to the Associated Press that the seven email chains would be withheld. The department has since confirmed those details publicly. (Read more from “Official: Some Clinton Emails ‘Too Damaging’ to Release” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-01-30 00:21:132016-04-11 10:53:15Something Terrifying Was Just Revealed About Hillary Clinton’s Guard on Her Tour of Libya
A public high school has been accused of radical Islamic indoctrination by forcing children to profess the Muslim statement of faith, ordering them to memorize the Five Pillars of Islam and teaching that the faith of a Muslim is stronger than the average Christian, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday.
Thomas More Law Center filed the lawsuit on behalf of John and Melissa Wood. They accuse La Plata High School in Maryland of subjecting their teenage daughter to Islamic indoctrination and propaganda. And when Mr. Wood complained – the school banned him from campus.
“Defendants forced Wood’s daughter to disparage her Christian faith by reciting the Shahada, and acknowledging Mohammed as her spiritual leader,” Thomas More president Richard Thompson said.
The Shahada is the Islamic Creed, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah” . . .
If La Plata High School wanted to teach children about jihad, they should’ve replayed the video footage of what happened on September 11, 2001 – or the Boston Marathon bombing – or the San Bernardino massacre or the Chattanooga attacks. (Read more from “Parents Say Public School Forced Their Child to Convert to Islam” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00kathleenhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngkathleen2016-01-30 00:20:182016-04-11 10:53:16Parents Say Public School Forced Their Child to Convert to Islam
As Iowans prepare to cast the first votes in the 2016 nomination process, we owe you our thoughts. While we are not officially endorsing a candidate at this time, we believe it is important to share some critical thoughts on the race, or at least on one candidate in particular.
As Catholics, we are called to participate in the democratic process. The Church does not endorse candidates for public office. That job rests with us, the laity. No candidate is perfect, and no simple checklist is sufficient. Prudence is a necessity. Some candidates ought to be disqualified from receiving the support of a Catholic voter. Others must be weighed in light of the moral principles given to us by our Church.
We have asked for your feedback on multiple occasions. Thousands of CV members have written. We’ve read them all. In addition we follow the daily news, analysis, polling, and have crafted our strategy for 2016.
And so today we begin with the elephant in the room.
Should Catholics support Donald Trump? No.
We have sifted through the most popular arguments in defense of Trump and listed them below along with our own take. Here they are:
1. “Trump is a leader we can trust”
While we share much of the frustration over the failure of the GOP to make significant progress, we are reminded of Republicans’ once oft-quoted criticism of President Bill Clinton: character matters.
Donald J. Trump left his first wife and married his mistress, only to leave her a few years later for another mistress. Reportedly he left his second wife by leaking the news to a NY newspaper and left the headline on the bed for his wife to find. In his book, The Art of the Deal, Trump bragged about having sex with many women, including some who were married. He has appeared on the cover of Playboy Magazine with a model wearing only his tuxedo jacket. He has mocked the disability of a NY Times reporter. He belittled John McCain for being a prisoner of war. His casino in Atlantic City was the first in the country to open up a strip club. His Twitter account is a running barrage of insults, lies, and personal attacks on anyone who disagrees with him. And did we mention he famously cheats at golf? Now who does that remind you of?
Now ask yourself: does this man have the character becoming of the President of the United States?
2. “Trump can’t be bought because he is rich!”
Trump is a salesmen, and salesmen don’t buy, they sell. So he won’t be “bought.” Instead he will sell out everyone and anyone when it benefits him, as he has his entire career. He was a liberal democrat, pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, pro-universal health care, pro-government bailouts, and a financial backer and friend of Hillary Clinton until he decided to run as a Republican last summer. He is the definition of an opportunist with no guiding principles.
3. “Trump is a leader who will get things done”
Trump markets himself as an effective leader who will get things done simply by making “smart deals.” He refuses to explain precisely how he intends to deliver results, and more often than not, promises to use force or work around or outside the law. Such a leader mirrors what we currently see in the White House. It would be incredibly harmful to our system of government, which is limited by our Constitution — even if we like the policy outcome. We must be a nation of laws. For Trump, it is all about power. For a Christian, the presidency should be about service.
4. “Trump is a successful businessman who will make great deals”
If you believe the headlines, you would assume everything Donald Trump touches turns to gold. Not so. Trump has only demonstrated an ability to make deals that benefit him personally. Four times he bailed on his own casinos to shield himself from their impending bankruptcies. And then there is Trump Magazine, Trump Airlines, Trump Steaks/Steakhouse, Trump Vodka, and most famously Trump University, to name only a few — all bankrupt or closed, and massive failures. “Losers” as Trump is fond of saying.
He has constantly cozied up to big government to trample the little guy, either by abusing private property rights, or selling out small contractors and vendors, many of whom lost their life savings. Just ask elderly widow Vera Coking, whom Trump attempted to displace via eminent domain laws to make way for a limousine parking lot for his New Jersey casino — the same casino he put into bankruptcy. Vera stood tall against the politically-connected billionaire Trump for years in court, enduring his practice of belittling personal attacks. She eventually won and called Trump a “maggot, a cockroach, and a crumb.”
5. “Trump will end illegal immigration”
Trump has pledged to build a massive wall on our southern border and to make Mexico pay for it. Meanwhile he has promised to deport 11 million+ illegals, without explaining how, then plans to allow them all back in legally according to criteria he has yet to fully explain.
We agree illegal immigration is a problem that must be solved. Trump’s solution is delusional, strikes us as xenophobic — and truthfully, will never happen. If anything, Trump’s demagoguery on immigration showcases the emptiness of many of his promises. As President Obama has learned, American presidents don’t dictate laws. The Senate and House would have to pass any change of this magnitude, and such a solution has little to no chance of being approved. Border security and immigration enforcement are realistic fixes. Rounding up 11 million+ people and sending them back to Mexico is not practical or realistic, let alone humane. Those who rightfully want to solve the problem of illegal immigration deserve more than crowd pleasing platitudes. And it’s certainly worth noting that Donald Trump criticized Mitt Romney for being too harsh on immigration back in 2012. This is just another issue where Donald Trump had a very recent and rather convenient conversion.
Several other presidential candidates have outlined more realistic policies to deal with problem. And that’s what real leaders do. They outline solutions and build consensus. Hyperbole and demagoguery are tools of salesmen (see above) out for your money or your vote. Trump’s lack of detail reminds us of another famous politician who proclaimed: “we have to pass the bill before you can see what’s in it.”
6. “Trump will fight the Establishment!”
This defense of Trump is somewhat rich, given the irony that Trump himself has boasted of playing the game, paying off politicians and enriching himself from the very system he now purports to reform. Case in point: in the past week a growing number of so-called “establishment Republicans” have warmed to supporting Trump, people like Bob Dole and Trent Lott — including establishment Republicans in Iowa like Gov. Terry Branstad. Why? Because they believe, rightly in our view, that Trump doesn’t have any principles at the end of the day. He’s someone who will wheel and deal — and you and I will be stuck with the bill.
Electing Donald Trump would send the pro-life movement back to the 1990s, when the Republican Party wanted to run away from defending the unborn. In fact, Trump recommended his own sister, Maryanne Trump Berry, for the Supreme Court. She’s the federal judge who overturned New Jersey’s ban on grisly partial-birth abortions. The next President may choose as many as three or more new justices. Trump’s suggestion of his pro-abortion sister as an example ought to worry anyone who cares about the Court. And let’s not forget he once said Oprah would make a great Vice President. Enough said.
7. “Trump is one of us”
Trump’s political conversions have all happened at very convenient times. As recently as 2000, Trump was firmly “pro-choice,” even refusing to oppose partial birth abortion! He was in favor of gay civil unions. He is open, even now, to subsidizing abortion giant Planned Parenthood with our tax dollars. He considers gay marriage a settled issue and has offered no plan to protect religious freedom. He is pro-universal health care, supported the stimulus package and government bailouts, supported gun control and a host of radical positions. Trump is like many Democrats we know. He is a political opportunist.
Conclusion
Trump is right about something — it is time for a change. We do need to shake things up and make America great again. And his awakening of working class voters who are often sidelined by terrible policy and poor leadership is a lesson every Republican must take seriously or they will lose in November.
But the power to change does not require a fear mongering business mogul, appealing to our worst fears instead of our best hopes.
With other good candidates in the race, we encourage our members to look beyond Trump.
This is an historic opportunity to win back the White House with someone we can be proud to have as President.
Iowa, New Hampshire… we’re looking to you to lead the way. (For more from the author of “Truth on Trump” please click HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-01-30 00:19:552016-04-11 10:53:16What Should A Catholic Do With Trump?
By Daniel Halper. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said today that “based on what we know” it does not look like Hillary Clinton will be indicted. Earnest made the remarks the White House podium.
(Read more from “White House: Clinton Won’t Be Indicted” HERE)
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Former House Oversight Chairman: ‘FBI Director Would Like to Indict Clinton and Abedin’
By Gabby Morrongiello. California Congressman Darrell Issa, who previously led an investigation into Benghazi as former chairman of the House Oversight Committee, says the FBI “would like to indict both Huma [Abedin] and Hillary Clinton” for conducting sensitive government business on an unsecure, private email server.
“I think the FBI director would like to indict both Huma and Hillary as we speak,” the Republican heavyweight told the Washington Examiner Thursday, during a debate watch-party at Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s New Hampshire campaign headquarters.
“I think he’s in a position where he’s being forced to triple-time make a case of what would otherwise be, what they call, a slam dunk,” Issa said, referring to FBI Director James Comey, who previously told the Senate Judiciary Committee he would conduct a “competent,” “honest” and “independent” probe into Clinton’s handling of classified information during her tenure as secretary of state.
Still, Issa suggested Clinton’s wrongdoing is obvious. (Read more from “Former House Oversight Chairman: ‘FBI Director Would Like to Indict Clinton and Abedin'” HERE)
