By Ben Johnson. Kansas will become the first state in the country to ban a procedure in which unborn children are dismembered in the womb, [when] Gov. Sam Brownback signs a bill that recently passed the state legislature.
The state House passed a ban on dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortions, called dismemberment abortions in common parlance, by 98-26 on Wednesday.
The Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act, which had already passed the state Senate in February 31-9, now heads to Gov. Brownback’s desk.
Brownback, a staunch defender of life, is expected to sign the act into law.
“Because of the Kansas legislature’s strong pro-life convictions, unborn children in the state will be protected from brutal dismemberment abortions,” said Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, which has made banning dismemberment abortions a national legislative focus. (Read more from “Guess Which State Protects and Values Life and Which One is Expanding the Culture of Death” HERE)
New York State Assembly Passes Dangerous Expansion of Abortion in the Third Trimester
By National Right to Life News Today. Today in a vote of 94-49 the New York State Assembly approved passage of AB 6221, the extreme stand-alone 10th point from the previously packaged 10-point Women’s Equality Act, which would expand third-trimester abortions and allow non-doctors to perform abortions.
Since 2013, abortion advocates had held the Women’s Equality Act hostage to this single dangerous bill, refusing to break the 10-point bill up. This session, however, the will of the voters was finally heard, and the stand-alone bills have been considered.
“Expanding cruel and brutal third-trimester abortions has long been a goal of the anti-life lobby who never met an abortion they didn’t like,” said Lori Kehoe, New York State Right to Life executive director. “With no regard for the fully developed unborn baby who is violently dismembered, or otherwise killed, the New York State Assembly once again put the abortion lobby above New York State women and their children.” (Read more from this story HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-03-27 03:33:092015-03-27 03:33:09Guess Which State is Increasing Protections for Life and Which One is Expanding the Culture of Death
The family of a Tulsa man who shot himself Saturday night in Keystone is blaming his suicide on his ingestion of edible marijuana candies.
“It was completely a reaction to the drugs,” Kim Goodman said about her son Luke’s Saturday night suicide.
Luke Goodman’s death is now the third death in Colorado linked to marijuana edibles.
The 23-year-old college graduate was in the midst of a two-week ski and snowboard vacation with family members. Saturday afternoon he and his cousin, Caleb Fowler, took a bus from Keystone to Silverthorne where Fowler says they bought $78 worth of edibles and marijuana . . .
When the young men got back to Keystone, Fowler said they began ingesting the edible pot. He said his cousin favored some peach tart candies, each piece of candy containing 10 mg of the active ingredient in marijuana, the recommended dose for an adult consuming an edible. (Read more from “Man Shoots Himself After Eating Marijuana Candies [+video]” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-03-27 03:31:522015-03-27 03:31:52Family: Son Shoots Himself After Eating Marijuana Candies [+video]
Crashing drones are spilling secrets about U.S. military operations.
A surveillance mission was exposed last week when a Predator drone crashed in northwest Syria while spying on the home turf of President Bashar al-Assad. U.S. officials believe the drone was shot down, but they haven’t ruled out mechanical failure. Regardless, the wreckage offered the first hard evidence of a U.S. confrontation with Assad’s forces.
The mishap in Syria follows a string of crashes in Yemen, another country where the U.S. military keeps virtually all details of its drone operations classified.
Yemeni tribesmen have reported three cases in the past 15 months in which U.S. drones have fallen from the sky, pulling back the curtain on likely surveillance targets. Air Force spokesmen said they could not confirm any crashes in Yemen, but Air Force records obtained by The Washington Post show the dates match up with official acknowledgments of accidents that occurred in classified locations.
Since January 2014, the Air Force has reported 14 crashes of Predator and Reaper drones that either destroyed the aircraft or inflicted more than $2 million in damage. Three of the accidents took place in Afghanistan, but six happened elsewhere in classified or undisclosed sites, a sharp increase from prior years. (Read more from “How Crashing Drones Are Exposing Secrets About U.S. War Operations [+video]” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-03-27 03:30:592015-03-27 03:30:59How Crashing Drones Are Exposing Secrets About U.S. War Operations [+video]
California will alter its 8-year-old ban preventing all registered sex offenders from living near schools or parks, state officials announced Thursday, instead imposing the restriction only on pedophiles and others whose sex crimes involved children.
The state corrections department said it is changing its policy in response to a state Supreme Court ruling that found the blanket prohibition unconstitutional. The high court ruled this month that restrictions imposed by California voters in 2006 go too far to limit where sex offenders can live.
Parole agents can still force sex offenders to live more than 2,000 feet from schools and parks where children gather, as required by the ballot measure commonly known as Jessica’s Law. But they will have to make the decision for individual cases.
The March 2 ruling applied only to registered sex-offender parolees in San Diego County, but prison officials will apply the ruling statewide. Some local governments outside San Diego County also have begun repealing their local residency restrictions in response to the high court’s ruling. (Read more from “California Loosens Sex Offender Residency Restrictions” HERE)
What started as a way to put a smile on a 5-year-old’s face has become an international phenomenon beyond his mom’s wildest dreams.
Seth, who was born without an immune system, has a big smile, an even bigger personality and a simple message: Wear yellow [today] on March 27 to show him support.
Seth’s disorder, called severe combined immunodeficiency, is also known as the “bubble baby” disease because children like Seth must live in extremely clean environments.
Leanne (occasionally joined by Seth’s dad, Nik) has been keeping supporters updated on Seth’s condition through her blog. He is due for another bone marrow transplant in about five weeks, she said, when he’s well enough. His first transplant in 2010 was unsuccessful.
She’s thankful for the supportive responses her blog has gotten, she said. (Read more from “Why Everyone is Wearing Yellow Today for This Little Boy [+video]” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-03-27 03:29:422015-03-27 03:29:42Why Everyone is Wearing Yellow Today for This Little Boy [+video]
Drug Enforcement Administration agents allegedly had “sex parties” with prostitutes hired by local drug cartels overseas over a period of several years, according to a report released Thursday by the Justice Department’s watchdog.
The report did not specify the country where the parties occurred, but a law enforcement official familiar with the matter identified it as Colombia.
Seven of the 10 DEA agents alleged to have participated in the gatherings — most of which took place at an agent’s “quarters” leased by the U.S. government — admitted to having attended the parties, the report found. The agents, some of whom had top-secret security clearances, received suspensions of two to 10 days.
Former police officers in Colombia also alleged that three DEA supervisory special agents were provided with money, expensive gifts and weapons from drug cartel members, according to the report.
“Although some of the DEA agents participating in these parties denied it, the information in the case file suggested they should have known the prostitutes in attendance were paid with cartel funds,” according to the 131-page report by Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz. (Read more from “Report: DEA Agents Had ‘Sex Parties’ with Prostitutes Hired by Drug Cartels” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-03-27 03:00:592015-03-27 03:00:59Report: DEA Thoroughly Corrupted, Federal Agents Had ‘Sex Parties’ with Prostitutes Hired by Drug Cartels
By B. Christopher Agee. Soon after he became the first 2016 presidential hopeful to formally announce his candidacy, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz became the subject of numerous media reports. One such article, penned by the New Yorker’s John Cassidy, described the Tea Party favorite as he believes “many Americans” see him.
Cruz “is the uppity loudmouth who, in the fall of 2013, less than a year into his first term as a senator, helped bring the federal government to a halt.”
Of course, many Americans believe the term ‘uppity’ has racial connotations and using it against the Hispanic Cruz is tantamount to a slur.
After radio host Rush Limbaugh referred to the “uppity-ness” of Michelle Obama following her chilly reception at a NASCAR event, The Wire published an article titled: “Yep, ‘Uppity’ Is Racist.”
The entire piece served as an effort to support the headline’s claim while disparaging Limbaugh and those who supported him. Despite the fact that the author’s most reliable source appeared to be an entry on the website Urban Dictionary that claims the word ‘uppity’ is “often followed by the n-word,” a certain segment of the population obviously believes the term is steeped in racial discrimination. (Read more from “New Yorker Under Fire For Describing Ted Cruz With Racist Term” HERE)
Ted Cruz Bashed by Fox Hosts, Appears Later on Hannity
By Joshua M. Patton. One of Fox News’ conservative big dogs Eric Bolling, during a long segment on Cruz’s announcement, started by saying that Cruz is inexperienced.
“I love the Constitutional conservative in him,” Bolling said, “I think he would be a great president, but I just don’t think he is ready yet.” He then compared him to Barack Obama, since both of them have only spent two years in the Senate before running for President.
Cruz spent the entire hour with Hannity on his show last night, especially since the host is known for his softball, puff-piece candidate interviews. (Read more from this story HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-03-26 03:59:452015-03-26 03:59:45New Yorker Under Fire For Describing Ted Cruz With Racist Term
For the first time this year, Congress will get a chance to directly question the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) over its involvement in Operation Choke Point.
In a hearing this afternoon led by Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., who calls Operation Choke Point “the greatest government overreach that no one is talking about,” the Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will probe FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg.
“The FDIC should send a strong message that it will not tolerate this kind of abuse within the agency,” Duffy told The Daily Signal Monday in an email interview.
Those that led the efforts should be reprimanded—and fired if necessary—so that they aren’t out there conducting the same biased exams.
Operation Choke Point was launched in 2013 by the Justice Department as a way to reduce consumer fraud by “choking” certain businesses’ access to banks and other financial services.
The Justice Department maintains it has no interest in pursuing legal industries, but since then, the program has come under fire by Republicans in Congress for blocking many legal but politically unpopular business owners, like firearms and ammunition sellers, from the financial sector.
Emails unearthed in a 20-page investigative report by the House Oversight Committee last year detailed regulatory officials at the FDIC scheming to influence banks’ decisions on who to do business with by labeling certain industries “reputational risks,” ensuring banks “get the message” about the businesses the regulators don’t like, and pressuring banks to cut credit or close those accounts.
The FDIC is the primary agency responsible for regulating and auditing more than 4,500 U.S. banks.
Much of the criticism arose from a list that was adopted into Operation Choke Point, which labeled a range of both legal and illegal industries “high risk” for fraud.
The FDIC has since removed the list and says it has walked back its involvement in Operation Choke Point, but banks still appear hesitant to do business with firearms sellers and other industries targeted on their list.
On Monday, The Daily Signal obtained an application from a customer applying to open a bank account with Wells Fargo. The bank still labeled gun dealers as a “person of high risk.”
The customer wished to remain anonymous, but a portion of the application is embedded below.
For the first time this year, Congress will get a chance to directly question the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) over its involvement in Operation Choke Point.
In a hearing this afternoon led by Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., who calls Operation Choke Point “the greatest government overreach that no one is talking about,” the Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will probe FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg.
“The FDIC should send a strong message that it will not tolerate this kind of abuse within the agency,” Duffy told The Daily Signal Monday in an email interview.
Those that led the efforts should be reprimanded—and fired if necessary—so that they aren’t out there conducting the same biased exams.
Operation Choke Point was launched in 2013 by the Justice Department as a way to reduce consumer fraud by “choking” certain businesses’ access to banks and other financial services.
The Justice Department maintains it has no interest in pursuing legal industries, but since then, the program has come under fire by Republicans in Congress for blocking many legal but politically unpopular business owners, like firearms and ammunition sellers, from the financial sector.
Emails unearthed in a 20-page investigative report by the House Oversight Committee last year detailed regulatory officials at the FDIC scheming to influence banks’ decisions on who to do business with by labeling certain industries “reputational risks,” ensuring banks “get the message” about the businesses the regulators don’t like, and pressuring banks to cut credit or close those accounts.
The FDIC is the primary agency responsible for regulating and auditing more than 4,500 U.S. banks.
Much of the criticism arose from a list that was adopted into Operation Choke Point, which labeled a range of both legal and illegal industries “high risk” for fraud.
Photo Credit: Daily Signal
The FDIC has since removed the list and says it has walked back its involvement in Operation Choke Point, but banks still appear hesitant to do business with firearms sellers and other industries targeted on their list.
On Monday, The Daily Signal obtained an application from a customer applying to open a bank account with Wells Fargo. The bank still labeled gun dealers as a “person of high risk.”
The customer wished to remain anonymous, but a portion of the application is embedded below.
Photo Credit: Daily Signal
The Daily Signal reached out to the FDIC, which declined to provide comment for this report.
A number of Operation Choke Point victims in the firearms industry will be present at today’s hearing. Duffy says the committee will use personal stories to hold the FDIC accountable.
“By calling on the first hand accounts of constituents who have been victims of this program, we will not allow the Chairman to hide behind the [Justice Department],” Duffy said. “Some of these victims will be in the room, and will be looking for the Chairman to account for the FDIC’s involvement.”
Among the victims attending today’s hearing is Mike Schuetz, owner of Hawkins Guns LLC in Hawkins, Wis., which is Duffy’s home state.
Schuetz recorded a series of conversations between himself and employees at Heritage Credit Union telling him they couldn’t offer his gun business credit because of pressure from bank examiners.
“We have to answer to the examiners. Whoever they are,” a bank teller told Schuetz.
While gun sellers have been somewhat outspoken regarding the impact Operation Choke Point has had on their industry, critics say the program is hurting a whole range of legal merchants.
“The victims who are attending the press conference will be but a small representation of the numerous cases we’ve heard of in our industry of businesses that are being unduly harmed by Operation Choke Point,” Amy Cantu, Communications Director for the Community Financial Services Association of America, which represents the payday lending industry, told The Daily Signal via email.
“The [Community Financial Services Association of America] has members that, even today, continue to lose banking relationships and are having their bank accounts closed despite being legal, licensed businesses.”
Duffy worries that if Operation Choke Point is not held in check now, the program could extend its tactics into other industries.
Today, our government is targeting gun shops, what happens if tomorrow they decide to target your family business? That’s why this hearing is important and that is why it’s crucial that we stay on this until those responsible are held accountable.
(See “What to Expect From Today’s Operation Choke Point Hearing”, originally posted HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-03-26 03:59:182015-03-26 03:59:18What to Expect From Today’s Operation Choke Point Hearing
For months, the agency charged with protecting the president has been rocked by revelations of alleged misconduct. These incidents have fueled a congressional investigation and led to the resignation of former Secret Service Director Julia Pierson last October.
With scrutiny mounting, the normally tight-lipped agency is now consumed by an intense, high-level guessing game over who was motivated to leak information to the Washington Post’s Carol Leonnig, who first reported many of these allegations.
A source within the Secret Service told Business Insider there is furious and widespread discussion within the agency about who might be talking to Leonnig.
“There’s a lot of speculation,” said the insider, calling the leaks “problematic.”
Leonnig’s latest bombshell was published on March 11. It detailed an incident that took place seven days earlier when a pair of Secret Service agents drove a car into a barricade that was set up next to a suspicious package that had been placed in front of the White House. The agents, including a top member of the president’s security detail, had reportedly just come from a party and the area had been cleared to investigate the package. (Read more from “The Secret Service Wants to Know Who’s Leaking Damaging Stories to the Washington Post?” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-03-26 03:58:302015-03-26 03:58:30The Secret Service Wants to Know Who’s Leaking Damaging Stories to the Washington Post
By Dan Lamothe. Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. soldier who slipped away from his patrol base in Afghanistan in 2009 and was held in captivity for five years, has been charged with desertion and misbehaving before the enemy, Army officials said Wednesday, setting the stage for emotionally charged court proceedings in coming months.
The charges were announced by the service at Fort Bragg, N.C., hours after the 28-year-old was handed a charge sheet, according to one of his attorneys. Bergdahl will next face a preliminary Article 32 hearing, which is frequently compared to a grand jury proceeding in civilian court.
If convicted, he faces the possibility of life in prison.
The Army’s decision comes after nearly 10 months of debate about whether Bergdahl should face charges and about the circumstances of his recovery. Critics — and an independent review by the Government Accountability Office — said President Obama broke the law in authorizing the release of five Taliban detainees held by the United States in exchange for Bergdahl without consulting Congress. Others have insisted that Washington had a responsibility to bring Bergdahl home by any means necessary.
Army officials declined Wednesday to elaborate on the decisions they made, citing the ongoing investigation. The charges were authorized by Gen. Mark A. Milley, the commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command. (Read more from “Bowe Bergdahl, Once-Missing U.S. Soldier, Charged with Desertion [+video]” HERE)
Susan Rice Flashback: Bergdahl Served ‘With Honor and Distinction’
By Ian Hanchett. National Security Advisor Susan Rice defended the prisoner swap for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl on the June 1, 2014 brodcast of ABC’s “This Week” by saying Bergdahl “served the United States with honor and distinction.”
Regarding the desertion allegations, she said Bergdahl, “served the United States with honor and distinction. And we’ll have the opportunity eventually to learn what has transpired in the past years.” (Read more from this story HERE)
By Ben Johnson. Kansas will become the first state in the country to ban a procedure in which unborn children are dismembered in the womb, [when] Gov. Sam Brownback signs a bill that recently passed the state legislature.
