Networks Ignore Major Story on Failure of Obama’s DOJ to Seek Contempt Charges for Lois Lerner

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Lois LernerLast week, the Department of Justice announced it would not be seeking contempt charges against Lois Lerner for refusing to testify to Congress on the IRS targeting scandal.

The Big Three (ABC, CBS, NBC) networks, so far, have refused to report on this big development in the Obama IRS scandal that they apparently just don’t want to talk about any more.

On April 1 Politico’s John Breshnan and Rachal Bade reported the following:

“The Justice Department will not seek criminal contempt charges against former IRS official Lois Lerner, the central figure in a scandal that erupted over whether the tax agency improperly targeted conservative political groups. Ronald Machen, the former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, told House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in a seven-page letter this week that he would not bring a criminal case to a grand jury over Lerner’s refusal to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in March 2014. The House approved a criminal contempt resolution against Lerner in May 2014, and Machen’s office has been reviewing the issue since then….Lerner cited her Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate herself during congressional testimony on March 5, 2014, although then-Oversight Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said she had waived that right by giving an opening statement at a hearing 10 months earlier when she asserted her innocence. Issa wanted her charged by the Justice Department with criminal contempt of Congress for failing to answer questions about her role in the scandal.”

(See “Shocker! Obama’s DOJ Won’t Seek Contempt Charges for Lois Lerner, Networks Ignore”, originally posted HERE)

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You’ll Never Guess Which State is Most Likely to Attend Church

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churchA recent Gallup poll confirms previous reports that Alaska is one of the nation’s least religious states.

According to the most recent poll, nearly three out of four Alaskans say they do not attend weekly religious services and almost 60 percent say they seldom or never attend religious services.

Conducted in 2014, from January to December, the poll included 537 responses from Alaskans and 177,000 responses nationwide.

States with the lowest church attendance are Vermont (17 percent), New Hampshire (20 percent), Maine (20 percent), Massachusetts (22 percent), Washington (24 percent), Oregon (24 percent), Hawaii (25 percent), Colorado (25 percent), Connecticut (25 percent) and Alaska (26 percent).

But the 57 percent of Alaskans who say they seldom or never attend religious services make up the sixth highest in the nation.

This contrasts with states like Utah where slightly more than half of residents say they attend religious services every week, highest in the nation. Residents in the four Southern states of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas are the next most likely to attend church, with 45 to 47 percent reporting weekly attendance.

Church attendance provides an important measure of the way in which Americans view their “personal, underlying religiosity,” The Gallup report states. “In particular, the focus on the top category of ‘weekly’ attendance yields a good indicator of the percentage of each state’s population that is highly religious, and for whom religion is likely to be a significant factor in their daily lives.”

Five of the six New England states rank among the bottom 10 states for church attendance. All other states in the bottom 10 are in the West, including the nation’s three states that are as far as one can go in the northwest corner of the country — Alaska, Washington and Oregon.

Church attendance is related to “Americans’ views on life, culture, society in general and politics,” the Gallup report states. “Church attendance also provides ties that bind members to their communities, and research shows that at the individual level, those who are most religious have higher well-being than those who are less religious.”

The margin of sampling error is ±1 percentage point for the recent poll. Margins of error for individual states are no greater than ±6 percentage points, and are ±3 percentage points in most states. (See “You’ll Never Guess Which State is Most Likely to Attend Church”, originally posted HERE)

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Closing Argument: Prosecutor Claims Boston Bomber Wanted to Punish US for Wars in Muslim Countries

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A courtroom sketch shows accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev during his trial at the federal courthouse in BostonAs he planted a backpack containing a bomb near a group of children, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev made a coldblooded decision aimed at punishing America for its wars in Muslim countries, a federal prosecutor told the jury during closing arguments Monday at Tsarnaev’s death penalty trial.

“This was a cold, calculated terrorist act. This was intentional. It was bloodthirsty. It was to make a point,” Aloke Chakravarty said. “It was to tell America that `We will not be terrorized by you anymore. We will terrorize you.’”

Defense attorney Judy Clarke countered by arguing, as she did at the trial’s outset, that Tsarnaev took part in the attack but did so under the malevolent influence of his now-dead older brother, Tamerlan. Clarke repeatedly referred to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev – then 19 – as a “kid” and a “teenager” . . .

The jury is expected to begin deliberating Tuesday morning in the case against Tsarnaev, 21, almost two years after the twin bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed three people and wounded more than 260. It was the nation’s deadliest terror attack since 9/11.

If Tsarnaev is convicted – and that is considered a near certainty, given his lawyer’s admission – the jury will then begin hearing evidence on whether he should get life in prison or a death sentence. (Read more from “Prosecutor: Boston Bomber Wanted to Punish US for Wars in Muslim Countries” HERE)

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Ron Paul: The IRS and Congress Both Hold Our Liberty in Contempt [+video]

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Ron PaulBy Ron Paul. Last week, the Justice Department announced it would not charge former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner with contempt of Congress. Some members of Congress requested that Lerner be charged with contempt after she refused to testify at a congressional hearing investigating her role in denying or delaying the applications for tax-exempt status of Tea Party and pro-limited-government organizations.

Cynics might suggest it is not surprising that a former government official would avoid prosecution for refusing to tell Congress about how federal employees abused their power to help the incumbent administration. These cynics have a point, but the problem goes beyond mere partisanship. Government officials are rarely prosecuted for even the most blatant violations of our liberties. In contrast, federal prosecutors routinely pursue criminal charges against whistleblowers. For example, the only American prosecuted and imprisoned in relation to the government’s use of torture was whistleblower John Kiriakou.

While some officials like Lerner who find themselves at the center of a high-profile scandal or partisan dispute can expect harsh treatment from Congress, this is the exception, not the rule. Executive branch officials usually receive deferential treatment from members of Congress. I recall one hearing on government surveillance where a representative actually apologized to a government official because Congress had the gall to ask that official to testify about the government’s ongoing surveillance of the American people.

In contrast, private citizens called before Congress are harangued and even bullied. Congress should stop using the hearing process to intimidate private citizens and start using it to intimidate those government officials who are threatening our liberty. For example, Congress should continue to investigate the IRS’s ongoing attempts to silence organizations that work to advance free markets and individual liberty. (Read more from “Ron Paul: The IRS and Congress Both Hold Our Liberty in Contempt” HERE)

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Ron Paul Will Attend Rand’s Presidential Campaign Launch

By David Weigle. Former Texas Congressman Ron Paul will attend Tuesday’s expected launch of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s presidential bid. Reached on Monday, Ron Paul’s Texas office confirmed that he was heading to Louisville for the event after his son’s aides scored him a charter flight that would let him keep a long-scheduled commitment in Minneapolis.

For most political campaigns, “will the candidate’s father show up” wouldn’t be much of a question. In Rand Paul’s successful 2010 campaign for Senate, it wasn’t a question at all. In June 2009, Ron Paul’s congressional campaign sent an e-mail to donors credited to the man himself, asking members of the “liberty movement” to back his son.

“During the Presidential election he traveled to ten states giving speeches for me,” wrote Ron Paul. “He appeared on hundreds of radio programs for me. I am grateful for his contribution and very proud of the thoughtful, principled man Rand has become. So, it is with great enthusiasm that I endorse my son Rand’s venture into electoral politics.”

The younger Paul went along with this. He built on his father’s donor network, and shrugged when his opponent attacked the influx of out-of-state money. He talked to the same outsider news networks that had obsessively covered his father. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Watch: What Obama’s Former Intel Chief Just Said Destroys His Old Boss In 2 Words

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imagesIn a stunning interview on “Fox News Sunday” in which he spoke bluntly and pulled not a single punch, the former head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency was sharply critical of President Obama’s Middle East policies, especially the emerging nuclear deal with Iran.

Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn used two words to characterize the administration’s approach to “almost a complete breakdown of order in the Middle East” — those two words: “willful ignorance.”

Flynn told Fox News’ Chris Wallace that Iran is “clearly on the march” and will undoubtedly exert increasing influence in growing sectarian wars now spreading across a number of countries — an influence that could be made even more threatening if they finalize the developing nuclear arms deal with the Obama administration.

“At the end of the day, we have just this incredible policy confusion — never mind what our strategy is to execute that policy,” Flynn said. “We have to stop what we’re doing and take a hard look at everything going on the Middle East because it’s not going in the right direction.”

Lt. Gen. Flynn’s stinging criticism of Obama’s foreign policy comes hot on the heels of other sharp rebukes from experts on international relations who described to Politico how the Obama years have had a harshly negative impact on stability and security in the Middle East. (Read more from “Watch: What Obama’s Former Intel Chief Just Said Destroys His Old Boss In 2 Words” HERE)

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This State Wants to BAN Soda and Chips … but There’s a Catch

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chipshelf1_newsThe state of Missouri has been slacking as far as welfare reform is concerned, which is somewhat odd given the fact that it’s a heavily red state in any given election year — but that’s all about to change in a big way.

One Missouri lawmaker decided enough is enough and is attempting to push legislation that would limit the types of foods that welfare leeches can purchase using their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program EBT cards, including “cookies, chips, energy drinks, soft drinks, seafood or steak.”

But liberals argue that seafood and steak are healthy and that the language could include low-grade cuts of beef and canned tuna. It’s difficult to officially know what welfare leeches are buying, as the Department of Agriculture, responsible for overseeing the welfare program, refuses to release bar code data that shows what’s being bought.

However, Brattin went on record to say he’s personally witnessed welfare abusers purchasing high-end seafood and beef with their SNAP cards.

“I have seen people purchasing filet mignons and crab legs with their EBT cards. When I can’t afford it on my pay, I don’t want people on the taxpayer’s dime to afford those kinds of foods either,” Brattin said. (Read more from “BREAKING: This State Wants to BAN Soda and Chips… but There’s a Catch” HERE)

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Fukushima Radiation Has Officially Reached North American Shores

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RadiationSeaborne radiation from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster has reached North America.

Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution detected small amounts of cesium-134 and cesium-137 in a sample of seawater taken in February from a dock on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

It’s the first time radioactivity from the March 2011 triple meltdown has been identified on West Coast shores.

Woods Hole chemical oceanographer Ken Buesseler emphasized that the radiation is at very low levels that aren’t expected to harm human health or the environment.

“Even if the levels were twice as high, you could still swim in the ocean for six hours every day for a year and receive a dose more than a thousand times less than a single dental X-ray,” Buesseler said. “While that’s not zero, that’s a very low risk.” (Read more from “Fukushima Radiation Has Reached North American Shores” HERE)

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URGENT: Here’s What Iran Was Secretly Doing During Obama’s Negotiations

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mr obamaWhile President Obama and other world leaders were negotiating the framework for a nuclear deal with Iran, Iranian government forces were conducting secretive operations that prove, once again, their intentions are far from good.

Iranian officials were allegedly funneling tens of millions of dollars to the Palestinian-backed Hamas terrorist group in an effort to rebuild tunnels between Gaza and Israel, as well as bolster Hamas’ dwindled missile supply after they launched thousands of them against Jewish communities last summer.

During the summer war, Israeli forces destroyed multiple tunnels that acted as an underground Hamas weapon smuggling operation to transport thousands of projectiles that would eventually be used on targets throughout Israel, according to Britain’s Telegraph newspaper.

Israeli media outlets have recently reported that Hamas is focusing on rebuilding their military capability, which suggests they may be gearing up for a near-future conflict.

Just last month, the Times of Israel reported that Israeli military leaders believe that fresh tunnels have been excavated, further cementing the idea that another deadly conflict could be right around the corner. (Read more from “URGENT: Here’s What Iran Was Secretly Doing During Obama’s Negotiations” HERE)

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Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide in Alaska Scheduled for Public Comment

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AssistedA bill to legalize doctor-prescribed suicide in Alaska has been scheduled for public testimony, via teleconference, on Thursday, April 9 at 3 p.m. House Bill 99, sponsored by Anchorage Democrats Rep. Harriet Drummond, Rep. Andy Josephson and Rep. Max Gruenberg, would permit doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to patients for the purpose of suicide.

Opponents of the practice believe that patients – including those with terminal illness – need proper care, not destruction.

Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz, who leads 30,000 Catholics across Southcentral Alaska, strongly opposes the bill, saying it is not about granting people a so-called “right to die,” but pushing “doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to kill people.”

“In a state with a suicide rate twice the national average, we are now proposing that it should be legal in some instances,” Archbishop Schwietz told the Catholic Anchor. “What kind of message does this send to our youth? In their young minds, they look at life without the practical experience that comes from age. They may view their situation as equally depressing or as terminal as someone with an illness. They see no way out. ‘If it’s okay for those who have no hope of regaining their health to kill themselves, why can’t I?’”

The proposed Alaska bill is part of a national drive by an outside group called Compassion & Choices, formerly the Hemlock Society. To date, doctor-prescribed suicide is legal in Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Montana.

In a press release on her HB 99, Drummond lauded the Oregon law in particular, which has resulted in over 300 deaths since 1998.

Access Alaska, a disability advocacy group in Anchorage, posted a strongly worded rebuttal to doctor-prescribed suicide shortly after Drummond introduced HB 99.

“What looks to some like a choice to die begins to look more like a duty to die to many disability activists,” Access Alaska posted to its Facebook page. “If the values of liberty dictate that society legalizes assisted suicide, then legalize it for everyone who asks for it, not just the devalued old, ill and disabled. Otherwise, what looks like freedom is really only discrimination.”

The post was a quotation from Diane Coleman, president and CEO of Not Dead Yet¸ a national disability rights group that opposes doctor-prescribed suicide. (See “Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide in Alaska Scheduled for Public Comment”, originally posted HERE)

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Marine Sentenced to 26 Years for Rape, Kidnap of Anchorage Woman

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LawA U.S. Marine has been sentenced to 26 years in federal prison for the sexual assault and kidnapping of an Anchorage woman in August 2013, according to Anchorage police.

James Hale III, 35, was convicted Thursday of first-degree sexual assault, kidnapping and other misdemeanors.

Hale was a staff sergeant stationed in Anchorage at the time of the rape, police said. He was dishonorably discharged and stripped of his rank following a court-martial, they said.

The police department originally investigated the case. On Aug. 26, 2013, Special Victims Unit detectives began investigating the rape of a woman in the Spenard neighborhood the night prior.

“It was reported to police that the adult female was driven by the suspect to a location in Spenard and held at gunpoint while the male sexually assaulted her,” police said in a news release Friday. (Read more from “Marine Sentenced to 26 Years for Rape, Kidnap of Anchorage Woman” HERE)

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