Pentagon Slip May Cause Israel to Fast-Track Plans to Attack Iran

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Analysts fear a dramatic advance in North Korea’s nuclear missile technology, revealed inadvertently during a Congressional hearing Thursday, will quickly find its way to Iran — forcing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fast-track a long-contemplated attack against Tehran’s nuclear-enrichment facilities.

Pentagon officials are playing down a U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment that North Korea probably has the ability to miniaturize a nuclear weapon and place it on an ICBM. U.S. officials say that miniaturization capability, if it exists, is untested and unreliable.

In February, North Korea detonated what is described as a “lighter, miniaturized atomic bomb.” At the time, there was speculation this could signal the Hermit Kingdom had developed a nuclear warhead that it could place on its long-range missiles. Pentagon officials, however, continued to insist North Korea was at least a year away from developing that capability.

Jerusalem Post defense analyst Yaakov Katz, author of “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War,” tells Newsmax that U.S. and Israeli intelligence officials have generally agreed that it would take Iran six to 12 months to build a nuclear device once it tried to break out and enrich its material from the 20-percent to the 90-percent level required. Beyond that, intelligence experts have projected, it would then take Iran another year or two to produce a miniaturized warhead that could be installed on a missile.

Now, Katz says, the time lag between reaching nuclear capability and Iran’s ability to arm a missile with a nuclear warhead appears to have vanished. That means Thursday’s revelation could reduce Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nonmilitary options against Iran, forcing the Jewish state to step up its timetable for attacking the Persian nation should it acquire enough enriched uranium to be a significant threat.

Read more from this story HERE.

DeMint Calls on American Grassroots to Expose Gosnell Story Amid Media Blackout

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Photo Credit: Breitbart

Former South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint continues sending shock waves through the Washington establishment in his new post atop the conservative Heritage Foundation, this time calling on the grassroots citizenry to rise up and replace the mainstream media when it comes to their blackout of coverage of the atrocities of Kermit Gosnell.

“The murder trial of Kermit Gosnell has touched all Americans who have heard about it and brought home to them the unspeakable cruelties that have happened at abortion clinics in our own nation,” DeMint said in a Friday statement. “The trial is now nearing its first solid month of deliberation, holding the 72-year-old abortionist accountable for the unspeakable procedures committed to countless women and children in his abortion facility. Nobody who has read the testimony or seen the pictures can come away unshaken.”

Even so, DeMint argues that not enough Americans have seen this story because most major media outlets have ignored it. But, the former South Carolina senator notes that the mainstream media are hardly the only source of news anymore, and that new media are taking old media’s place.

Read more from this story HERE.

Students Asked to 'Argue that Jews are Evil' and Prove Nazi Loyalty in Assignment Linked to Common Core

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Photo Credit: The Blaze

Students in some Albany High School English classes were asked to participate in the unthinkable this week as part of a persuasive writing assignment. The objective? Prove why Jews are evil and convince the teacher of their loyalty to the Third Reich in five paragraphs or less.

“You must argue that Jews are evil, and use solid rationale from government propaganda to convince me of your loyalty to the Third Reich!” read the description on the assignment, which the school superintendent said reflects the kind of sophisticated writing expected of students under the new Common Core standards and was meant to hone students’ persuasive argument abilities.

The TimesUnion reports that students were asked to digest Nazi propaganda material, then imagine that their teacher was an SS officer who needed to be persuaded of their loyalty by arguing that Jews are the root of all the world’s ills.

“I would apologize to our families,” Albany Superintendent Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard said. “I don’t believe there was malice or intent to cause any insensitivities to our families of Jewish faith.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Arrogant Illegal Alien Mocks Border Patrol Agent: ‘Obama’s Gonna Let Me Go!’

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Photo Credit: Stand With Arizona

As you have read here before, illegal aliens are streaming into Texas like no time since 1986 – trying to get in on the Obama-Schumer-McCain-Rubio amnesty for 20 million (and counting) illegal aliens. And DHS’ own data of a massive increase in border crossings are making a mockery of claims that “the border is secure” by everyone from Obama to Napolitano to Schumer…

Ranchers in South Texas – already under siege by violent cartels – are bearing much of the brunt of the tens of thousands of new arrivals.

Linda Vickers, who owns a ranch in Brooks County, which is Ground Zero for the immigration debate, pins the blame directly on talk of ‘amnesty’ and a ‘path to citizenship’ for people who entered the U.S. illegally.

She recalls one man being arrested on her ranch not long ago:

The Border Patrol agent was loading one man up, and he told the officer in Spanish, “Obama’s gonna let me go.”

Border Patrol agents report that immigrants are crossing the border, and in some cases surrendering while asking, “Where do I go for my amnesty?”

When you have amnesty waving in the wind, you’re going to get an increase.

Read more from this story HERE.

Judge Denies American Airlines' CEO's $20M Severance – For Now

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Photo Credit: Getty

A federal bankruptcy judge denied American Airlines’ plan to give its CEO a $20 million severance package, saying bankruptcy law prevents such rich “golden parachutes.”

But the airline says it will continue to push for CEO Tom Horton to get the payoff. And the judge left the door open to reconsider the request in future, or for the company to approve the windfall for Horton once its merger with US Airways (LCC, Fortune 500) is complete.

Horton is losing his CEO position when American and US Airways merge, which is expected to take place later this year. US Airways CEO Doug Parker, who pushed for the deal that Horton initially opposed, will get the corner office instead, although Horton will hold the position as non-executive chairman for a year.

Horton became CEO the day American parent AMR (AAMRQ, Fortune 500) filed for bankruptcy in November 2011, having served as president of the Dallas-based airline before then.

The $20 million payday, which would be half in cash and half in stock in the new merged airline, was opposed by the bankruptcy court trustee, who is appointed to protect the interests of creditors in the case.

Read more from this story HERE.

RNC's Celeb Plan Falls Flat in Hollywood

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Photo Credit: Reuters

The Republican National Committee is meeting this week in the most touristy part of Tinseltown, but it’s apparent the “Celebrity Task Force” recommended by last month’s “autopsy” report isn’t going to happen.

The proposed task force was the most mocked of 219 suggestions from a five-member committee tasked with looking into why the party fared so poorly in 2012.

“The Party is seen as old and detached from pop culture,” the group said. “Establish an RNC Celebrity Task Force of personalities in the entertainment industry to host events for the RNC and allow donors to participate in entertainment events as a way to attract younger voters.”

The Doonesbury comic strip this week has been devoted entirely to parodying the Republican struggle to find A-list celebrities who might participate in such a task force, and comedian Stephen Colbert ridiculed the idea in a buzzed-about sketch.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in an interview that he’s focused on the mechanics of winning elections – building a ground operation, improving outreach to minorities and investing in technology.

Read more from this story HERE.

Teen Worker at Gosnell Abortion Clinic: “They Looked Like Babies”

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Photo Credit: LifeNews

By Steven Ertelt. Testimony has concluded for the week in the murder trial of abortion practitioner Kermit Gosnell. But, late Thursday, members of the jury heard from a teenage girl who found an odd work-study program at his clinic.

Ashley Baldwin, a 15-year-old sophomore at University City High School, found herself employed at Gosnell’s abortion clinic and, despite no medical license or training, working alongside him performing gruesome late-term abortions.

From an AP report on the testimony:

Baldwin landed the job because her mother already worked there.

She was paid, and in no time went from answering phones to doing ultrasounds, administering intravenous medicine, and, ultimately, assisting in abortions performed by her mentor, Kermit Gosnell.

Now 22 and the mother of a 2-year-old son, Baldwin on Thursday told a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court jury hearing Gosnell’s murder trial of her unusual hands-on medical apprenticeship. Read more from this story HERE.

Shocking Photo Shows Empty Media Benches at Kermit Gosnell Trial

By Steven Ertelt. A shocking photo of empty benches at the trial of abortion practitioner Kermit Gosnell is making the rounds today and it exemplifies the lack of media coverage and attention to the case.

The photo was featured on the religion blog Pathoes, which decried the lack of coverage and focus on the trial outside the pro-life and conservative communities. Mollie Hemingway summed up the lack of media attention this way:

I’ve been writing about media coverage of abortion for many years. And so have many others. If you haven’t read David Shaw’s “Abortion Bias Seeps Into The News,” published in the Los Angeles Times back in 1990, you should. That report also explains why we cover the topic here at GetReligion.

But the thing is that I’m getting kind of sick of pointing out egregious bias only to see things not just remain bad but get worse. Just think, in the last year, we saw the media drop any pretense of objectivity and bully the Susan G. Komen Foundation into funding Planned Parenthood. And then we had how many months of coverage focused on someone calling a birth control activist a bad name? And who can forget every pro-life person in the country being asked to respond to Todd Akin’s stupid remarks about rape?

So our abortion-drenched media would certainly want to cover what is arguably the country’s most horrific serial murder trial of abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, right? Well, far from the front-page, top of the news, daily update coverage you rightfully would expect, it’s been downplayed. Majorly downplayed. Read more from this story HERE.

Wikipedia Considers Deleting Entry Regarding Kermit Gosnell

By Steven Ertelt. Wikipedia, the online dictionary and research web site utilized by millions of people every day, is considering deleting the entry associated with Kermit Gosnell, the infamous abortion practitioner on trial for murder.

“This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedia’s deletion policy,” a Wikipedia headline reads in red at the top of the Gosnell entry. “Please share your thoughts on the matter at this article’s entry on the Articles for deletion page.”

The Wikipedia note instructs its web site editors, “Feel free to edit the article, but the article must not be blanked, and this notice must not be removed, until the discussion is closed.”

Wikipedia’s deletion policy includes 14 reasons for deletion ranging from “2.Copyright violations and other material violating Wikipedia’s non-free content criteria” to “9.Articles that breach Wikipedia’s policy on biographies of living persons” to articles about hoaxes.

One of the reasons “this article is being considered for deletion?” Read more from this story HERE.

Remington Opts to Stay in New York and Expand Operations After Getting $80m Gov't Contract

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Photo Credit: Guns Save Lives

This story seems to have managed to stay in the local NY media until now.

According to a report from Albany Watch, Despite concerns from local officials and residents that the Remington Arms plant in the Mohawk Valley could close or move because of New York’s tough gun-control law, the company is actually looking to expand its existing plant, the Associated Press reported, citing local media reports.

Local lawmakers apparently talked to Remington about its $20 million expansion. The company has received $5.5 million in state incentives over the past five years.

NY Congressman Richard Hanna released the following statement on his website:

UTICA, N.Y. – U.S. Representative Richard Hanna today announced that Remington Arms has been awarded a nearly $80 million contract to produce more than 5,000 sniper rifles for the U.S. military. The work will be done in Ilion by Mohawk Valley employees.

The federal contract comes from the Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), a division of the U.S. Department of Defense. The contract will be awarded over the course of 10 years.

Read more from this story HERE.

Story of American Diplomat's Death in Afghanistan Changes (+video)

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Photo Credit: The U.S. Army

State Department employee Anne Smedinghoff was killed in Afghanistan last weekend. At first reports suggested the young diplomat was part of an armed convoy that was bombed, but new reports say that she was actually on foot. And that the group she was with got lost on its way to deliver books.

ABC reported earlier in the week:

Afghan security officials told ABC News that the State Department convoy had just left its headquarters in Qalat and joined the convoy of the local provincial governor who was also headed to the school book giveaway.

That’s when two suicide attackers attacked the convoy. The security officials said there was an initial car bomb detonated by a remote device. Then a suicide bomber wearing a suicide vest appeared and caused more casualties.

Afghan sources say the school event had been announced a day in advance, which possibly allowed attackers enough time to plan the attack.

And here’s CBS’s report:

Read more from this story HERE.

Teacher Tells Fourth Graders to Write, 'I am Willing to Give up Some of my Constitutional Rights…to be Safer'

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Photo Credit: The Blaze

The words are written in crayon, in the haphazard bumpiness of a child’s scrawl.

“I am willing to give up some of my constitutional rights in order to be safer or more secure.”

They’re the words that Florida father Aaron Harvey was stunned to find his fourth-grade son had written, after a lesson in school about the Constitution.

Harvey’s son attends Cedar Hills Elementary in Jacksonville, Fla. Back in January, a local attorney came in to teach the students about the Bill of Rights. But after the attorney left, fourth-grade teacher Cheryl Sabb dictated the sentence to part of the class and had them copy it down, he said.

The paper sat unnoticed in Harvey’s son’s backpack for several months until last week, when his son’s mother almost threw it away. The words caught her eye in the trash, and she showed it to Harvey, who said he was at a loss for words. He asked his son, who said Sabb had spoken the sentence out loud and told them to write it down. Harvey said he asked some of his son’s classmates and got a similar answer.

Read more from this story HERE.