Photo Credit: The Daily Signal The Daily Signal has exclusively learned that the government agency responsible for enforcing Oregon’s anti-discrimination law appears to be working closely with a powerful gay rights advocacy group in its case against Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa.
Communications between the agency, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, and the LGBT organization, Basic Rights Oregon, raise questions about potential bias in the state’s decision to charge the Kleins with discrimination for refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding.
In April, a judge for the agency recommended the Kleins be fined $135,000.
Communications obtained through a public records request show employees of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries—which pursued the case against the Kleins—participating in phone calls, texting, and attending meetings with Basic Rights Oregon, the largest LGBT advocacy group in the state . . .
It is unclear what occurred during these meetings and phone calls, but the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries commissioner, who is in charge of determining the Kleins’ final punishment, met with Basic Rights Oregon on multiple occasions and purchased tickets costing hundreds of dollars benefiting the advocacy group. (Read more from “Emails Raise Questions of Bias in Case Against Bakers Who Refused to Bake Homosexual Cake” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-06-02 02:53:352016-04-11 11:00:30Emails Suggest Bias in Case Against Bakers Who Refused to Bake Homosexual Cake [+video]
World famous comedian and movie star Vince Vaughn came out with a double barrel defense of gun rights during a recent interview, calling for guns in schools and arguing the Second Amendment is intended to defend against “the supreme power of a corrupt and abusive government.”
The star of the new season of the hit HBO series “True Detective,” outlined his pro-gun views during an interview with British GQ, which released excerpts of the sit down June 1. Vaughn — who has outlined his distinctly libertarian views in recent press sit-downs — stands in sharp contrast to many of his Hollywood colleagues who call for bans on firearm ownership.
“We have the right to bear arms to resist the supreme power of a corrupt and abusive government,” Vaughn told British GQ. “It’s not about duck hunting; it’s about the ability of the individual. It’s the same reason we have freedom of speech. It’s well known that the greatest defense against an intruder is the sound of a gun hammer being pulled back” . . .
“Take mass shootings. They’ve only happened in places that don’t allow guns,” Vaughn explained, mirroring arguments from noted gun crime researcher Dr. John Lott. “In all of our schools it is illegal to have guns on campus, so again and again these guys go and shoot up these f***ing schools because they know there are no guns there.” (Read more from “Huge Hollywood Actor Is as pro Gun as It Gets” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-06-02 02:53:272016-04-11 11:00:30Huge Hollywood Actor Is as Pro Gun as It Gets
Students and parents are rallying to the defense of a teacher who is accused of violating federal school snack rules.
The Williamson PreK-8 teacher, who was not identified, would give her students “wrapped candy” as a reward for their hard work and good behavior.
Because the practice was an alleged violation of the federal rules championed by first lady Michelle Obama, Mingo County Schools Director of Child Nutrition Kay Maynard “placed a call to officials at the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) to report the incident,” the Williamson Daily News reports.
Maynard also spoke to Williamson PreK-8 principal Shannon Blackburn, telling him about the possibility of a monetary fine for the teacher . . .
Administrators at the WVDE decided the teacher’s violation was not a “deliberate attempt” to break Michelle Obama’s rules and said instead of fining the teacher, they required the department to “develop a corrective action plan to include training on child nutrition policies.” (Read more from “Teacher Threatened With Fine for Violating Michelle O’s School Snack Rules” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-06-02 02:53:182016-04-11 11:00:30Teacher Threatened With Fine for Violating Michelle O’s School Snack Rules
As a heart patient with a defibrillator and pacemaker due to life threatening arrhythmias, I must live with taking a certain amount of daily heart medications to survive. Months ago, I was hospitalized due to a shock by my defibrillator. The medications I take are supposed to control these deadly arrhythmias, but thankfully I have back-up when medications do not work.
While in the hospital, it came to my physician’s attention that I was being given the generic form of one of my heart medications. He asked me when this switch occurred and told me to tell the pharmacy that I was absolutely, under NO circumstances, to be taking the generic form of the drug! Apparently, many people with my condition have reported problems with the generic form, although it seems to work well in people with other conditions, and even though the active ingredient in generic brands is supposed to be the same as the brand-name drug.
It is important to note, however, that the FDA allows generic drugs to use different inactive ingredients such as binders and time-release agents than their original counterparts. I wondered if anyone else experienced problems with generic drugs and found that an alarming number have. So much so, that ABC Dateline did an investigation and reported in September 2014 that the FDA had actually lied about testing certain generic drugs for safety . . .
Furiously, I questioned, “…even when my doctor is demanding that I take the brand name?!” The pharmacist was flippant and told to contact my health insurance provider to inquire. I found out that my insurance company would in fact “allow” me to take the brand-named drug my physician prescribed, but the caveat was that I had to pay for it myself. My insurance company (like most I presume) will only pay for brand-named prescription drugs now whenever the generic form is not available. No amount of arguing about it was going to change the situation . . .
When I helped my fiance with his taxes last month, he told me he thought he would meet the threshold in order to qualify for a deductible due to medical expenses. I told him the threshold was fairly high, and I was sure he would not reach it, not really wanting to look for all the receipts for the year and calculate them all. But I agreed to do it, and I was absolutely shocked to discover that his out-of-pocket medical expenses were well over $10,000 for the year! That did not include any insurance premiums or deductibles he pays for himself or his two children. (Read more from “Heart Patient Learns Firsthand: The Affordable Care Act Is NOT Affordable” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-06-02 02:53:112016-04-11 11:00:31Heart Patient Learns Firsthand: The Affordable Care Act Is NOT Affordable
Even for a president whose term will be defined by demonstrable lies, Monday’s whopper stood out for sheer brazenness.
In a nearly three-minute video released by the White House, President Obama declared that “one of my core principles is that I will never engage in politics in which I’m trying to divide people.”
“That’s not something I will violate,” he vowed.
Not something he will violate? Does the president — or his speechwriters — think someone other than the American public has been watching the news for the past six years? Reading the papers or cruising the Internet?
“One of my core principles is that I will never engage in a politics in which I’m trying to divide people” —@POTUShttps://t.co/eKYB5zdKnE
Or does he think that that those repeated party line votes in the battle for Obamacare during the disastrous two years that Democrats controlled both houses of Congress meant nothing? Does he forget — or does he think we forgot — the incident involving Harvard Professor Louis Gates (the one where the police “acted stupidly”) or how he and his attorney general deliberately fanned the flames of racial hatred in the country over the death of a thug named Trayvon Martin (the one who looked like the president’s imaginary son) who died committing a violent crime. (Read more from “Obama Beats His Own Lie of the Year – YES, It’s That Big of a Whopper” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-06-02 02:52:542016-04-11 11:00:31Watch: Obama Beats His Own Lie of the Year – YES, It’s That Big of a Whopper
Photo Credit: Foreign Policy Along the vast mountain range that marks the Lebanon-Syria border, Hezbollah fighters point out recently captured al-Nusra Front training sites and military positions, and describe how they’ve been able to clear the area of the jihadis. They pick their way over the remnants of the al Qaeda affiliate’s makeshift camp, where clothes, tins of foods, and shell casings are strewn across the ground.
“They were fighters with nothing to lose, so some of them fought fiercely — at some points it was hand-to-hand combat,” said one Hezbollah commander. “But our weapon is our will, our passion, and our conviction.”
For the last two weeks, Hezbollah has been fighting along the Qalamoun mountain range, a 450-square-mile area that straddles both Lebanon and Syria, and overlooks the organization’s heartland in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. Their enemies are an assortment of fighters belonging to the Islamic State, al-Nusra Front, and elements from the Free Syrian Army. Hezbollah has touted the ongoing Qalamoun battles as a victory, saying it successfully reopened a clear path from Lebanon into Syria and constrained the threat from Sunni militants posed on Lebanon’s border.
With the battle still unfinished and the sound of explosions continuing to ring in the air, the Hezbollah commander describes how they were able to recapture the territory. “We managed to cleanse the area, which had about 40 positions belonging to the terrorists,” he said. “So far, we have liberated 120 square miles.”
According to another fighter, 80 percent of the recaptured area had been under al-Nusra Front’s control, while Islamic State fighters remain in the northern part of the mountain range, where the battle has yet to come. (Read more from “Hezbollah Is Stronger Than Ever” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-06-02 02:52:432016-04-11 11:00:31Hezbollah Is Stronger Than Ever
A lion killed an American woman and injured a man driving through a private wildlife park in Johannesburg on Monday, a park official said.
The attack occurred at around 2:30 p.m. when a lioness approached the passenger side of the vehicle as the woman took photos and then lunged, said Scott Simpson, assistant operations manager at the Lion Park.
“They had their windows all the way down, which is strictly against policy,” he said. “The lion bit the lady through the window.” The driver then tried to punch the lion and was scratched by the animal . . .
The park would review its policies, said Simpson, but he believes existing safety measures are “more than adequate,” if visitors follow them. Big signs advise visitors to keep their car windows up and drivers entering the park are also handed a paper with the same warning, he said.
Earlier this year, South African media reported that an Australian tourist was bitten by a lion when he was driving in the park with his windows open. In April, a teenager was attacked by a cheetah when he tried to cut through the park on his bicycle, reported local outlet, News24. (Read more from “American Woman Killed in Lion Attack at South Africa Animal Park” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-06-02 02:52:362016-04-11 11:00:31American Woman Killed in Lion Attack at South Africa Animal Park
Bill Clinton, no stranger to controversy, raised eyebrows again with a Clinton Global Initiative gathering last month, as ABC News put it, “at a five-star luxury hotel in Morocco [hosted] by one of the world’s most controversial mining companies, criticized for ‘serious human rights violations’ by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice.” And as is the case with every trip a former president takes (and President Clinton takes a lot of trips), the U.S. taxpayer is on the hook for security expenses.
For the Morocco trip, the hotel costs alone for the Secret Service came to $21,165:
(Read more from “Clinton Foundation Meeting in Morocco Last Month Cost Taxpayers $21K, at Least” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-06-02 02:52:152016-04-11 11:00:31Clinton Foundation Meeting in Morocco Last Month Cost Taxpayers Tens of Thousands
Here’s what happens now that the Patriot Act provisions expired
By Erin Kelly. The Senate voted Sunday to move forward with consideration of the USA Freedom Act, a measure that would end the controversial bulk collection of phone metadata. However, Senate leaders were unable to reach a deal to avoid the expiration of key provisions of the Patriot Act before the midnight deadline. Here are some of the immediate impacts:
• The “lone wolf” provision of the law has expired. This allows U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies to target surveillance at suspected terrorists who are acting alone without any direct ties to terrorist groups or rogue nations. It specifically says that it does not apply to U.S. citizens. It has never actually been used, White House officials said.
• The “roving wiretap” provision has expired. This allows federal agencies to monitor a person rather than a specific phone or electronic device. The government can keep track of suspected terrorists regardless of how many cell phones they use and throw away. Approval for the surveillance must be obtained from a federal court.
• Section 215 of the Patriot Act had expired. (Read more on the Patriot Act showdown HERE)
By Associated Press. The National Security Agency will lose its authority at midnight to collect Americans’ phone records in bulk, after an extraordinary Sunday Senate session failed to produce an 11th-hour deal to extend the fiercely contested program.
Intelligence officials warned that the outcome amounts to a win for terrorists. But civil liberties groups applauded the demise, at least temporarily, of the once-secret post-Sept. 11 program made public by NSA contractor Edward Snowden, which critics say is an unconstitutional intrusion into Americans’ privacy.
The program is all but certain to be revived in a matter of days, although it also looks certain to be completely overhauled under House-passed legislation that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reluctantly blessed in an about-face Sunday evening. With most senators opposed to extending current law unchanged, even for a short time, McConnell said the House bill was the only option left other than letting the program die off entirely. The Senate voted 77-17 to move ahead on the House-passed bill.
But no final action was expected before Sunday’s midnight deadline after McConnell’s fellow Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul served notice that he would assert his prerogatives under Senate rules to delay a final vote for several days.
“This is what we fought the revolution over, are we going to so blithely give up our freedom? … I’m not going to take it anymore,” Paul declared on the Senate floor, as supporters wearing red “Stand With Rand” T-shirts packed the spectator gallery. (Read more from “Patriot Act Showdown: Surveillance Powers Lapse With No Deal in Senate” HERE)
Pressure on US Senate to Act Before NSA Spy Programs Expire
By Michael Mathes. CIA chief John Brennan warned Sunday that allowing vital surveillance programs to lapse could increase terror threats, as the US Senate scrambled to renew the controversial provisions hours before their expiration.
With key counterterrorism programs under threat of suspension at midnight Sunday, the top intelligence official made a final pitch for Senate action, arguing that the bulk data collection of telephone records of millions of Americans unconnected to terrorism has not abused civil liberties and only serves to safeguard citizens.
“This is something that we can’t afford to do right now,” Brennan said of allowing the counterterrorism provisions to expire at midnight Sunday.
“Because if you look at the horrific terrorist attacks and violence being perpetrated around the globe, we need to keep our country safe, and our oceans are not keeping us safe the way they did century ago,” he said on CBS talk show “Face the Nation.”
Brennan added that groups like Islamic State have followed the developments “very carefully” and are “looking for the seams to operate.” (Read more from this story HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-06-01 02:31:352016-04-11 11:00:31Patriot Act Showdown: Surveillance Powers Lapse With No Deal in Senate [+video]
By Julian Hattem. Sen. Rand Paul burst back into Washington on Sunday evening making clear that he is not relenting in his battle to hobble the Patriot Act.
“Are we going to so blithely give up our freedom? Are we going to so blindly go along and take it?” the Kentucky Republican and presidential candidate said from the Senate floor, raising his voice to reach the approximately two dozen supporters wearing “Stand with Rand” t-shirts in the chamber gallery.
“I’m not going to take it anymore,” he added. “I don’t think the American people are going to take it anymore.”
Paul spoke minutes after an altercation with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a frequent sparring partner over the years who accused the Kentucky Republican of not understanding Senate rules.
The Senate is holding a rare Sunday session on National Security Agency legislation in large part because of Paul, who more than a week ago objected to a short-term extension of the Patriot Act. (Read more from “Rand Paul: ‘I’m Not Going to Take It Anymore'” HERE)
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Rand Paul: My Critics “Secretly Want There to be an Attack on the US so They can Blame it on Me”
People here in town think I’m making a huge mistake. Some of them, I think, secretly want there to be an attack on the United States so they can blame it on me. One of the people in the media the other day came up to me and said, “oh, when there’s a great attack aren’t you going to feel guilty that you caused this great attack?” It’s like the people who attack us are responsible for attacks on us. Do we blame the police chief for the attack of the Boston bombers?
The thing is that there can be attacks even if we use the Constitution, but there have been attacks while collecting your bulk data. So the ones who say when an attack occurs it’s going to be all your fault, are any of them willing to accept the blame? We have bulk collection now, are any of them willing to accept the blame for the Boston bombing, for the recent shooting in Garland? No, but they’ll be the first to point fingers and say, “oh, yeah it’s all your fault, we never should have given up on this great program.” I’m completely convinced that we can obey the Constitution, use the Fourth Amendment as intended, spirit and letter of the law, and catch terrorists.
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-06-01 02:31:002016-04-11 11:00:32Rand Paul: ‘My Critics Want a Terrorist Attack to Blame on Me’ and ‘I’m Not Going to Take It Anymore’ [+videos]
