European Union Abandoning Crop-Based Biofuels Due to Food Crisis, Environmental Concerns

Photo credit: Sweeter Alternative

The European Union will impose a limit on the use of crop-based biofuels over fears they are less climate-friendly than initially thought and compete with food production, draft EU legislation seen by Reuters showed.

The draft rules, which will need the approval of EU governments and lawmakers, represent a major shift in Europe’s much-criticized biofuel policy and a tacit admission by policymakers that the EU’s 2020 biofuel target was flawed from the outset.

The plans also include a promise to end all public subsidies for crop-based biofuels after the current legislation expires in 2020, effectively ensuring the decline of a European sector now estimated to be worth 17 billion euros ($21.7 billion) a year.

“The (European) Commission is of the view that in the period after 2020, biofuels should only be subsidized if they lead to substantial greenhouse gas savings… and are not produced from crops used for food and feed,” the draft said.

A Commission spokeswoman said the EU executive would not comment on the details of leaked proposals.

Read more from this story HERE.

FBI Launches $1 Billion Biometric ID System Using Nationwide Array of Cameras, Receivers

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has begun rolling out its new $1 billion biometric Next Generation Identification (NGI) system. In essence, NGI is a nationwide database of mugshots, iris scans, DNA records, voice samples, and other biometrics, that will help the FBI identify and catch criminals — but it is how this biometric data is captured, through a nationwide network of cameras and photo databases, that is raising the eyebrows of privacy advocates.

Until now, the FBI relied on IAFIS, a national fingerprint database that has long been due an overhaul. Over the last few months, the FBI has been pilot testing a facial recognition system — and soon, detectives will also be able to search the system for other biometrics such as DNA records and iris scans. In theory, this should result in much faster positive identifications of criminals and fewer unsolved cases.

According to New Scientist, facial recognition systems have reached the point where they can match a single face from a pool of 1.6 million mugshots/passport photos with 92% accuracy, in under 1.2 seconds [PDF]. In the case of automated, biometric border controls where your face and corresponding mugshot are well lit, the accuracy approaches 100%. Likewise, where DNA or iris records exist, it’s a very expedient way of accurately identifying suspects…

Imagine if the NGI had full access to every driving license and passport photo in the country — and DNA records kept by doctors, and iris scans kept by businesses. The FBI’s NGI, if the right checks and balances aren’t in place, could very easily become a tool that decimates civilian privacy and freedom.

Read more from this story HERE.

Video: Hoping to Fool US Again, Obama Regurgitates Identical Lines from 2008

This is a “must watch” video. The video below compares Obama’s 2008 statements to his nearly identical statements in 2012. Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, shame on me…

FAA Tells Employees They’ll Lose Their Jobs if GOP Wins

Two federal agency supervisors allegedly warned employees earlier this year that a Republican takeover in Washington could threaten their jobs — comments that some workers apparently took as guidance on “how to vote” and that one group claims may have violated federal law.

Nonprofit watchdog Cause of Action wrote a letter Wednesday asking the Department of Transportation’s inspector general to launch a probe into the incident, involving senior officials with the Federal Aviation Administration. The incident occurred in May during a meeting at the FAA’s Seattle office, according to the letter.

Emails obtained by FoxNews.com show one FAA employee recalling what John Hickey, deputy associate administrator for aviation safety, said at the meeting.

“I would not be able to quote Mr. Hickey (sic) exact words but what I took out of it was, if the conservative (Republicans) gain control of congress then the FAA could be looking (at) as much as a 15% cut in budget and we (may) be looking at furloughs. If the liberal Democrats take control of congress then we would be looking at a flat budget,” the email said. “In short if the Republicans win office our jobs may be (affected) … if the Democrats win office then our jobs would not be (affected).”

The recipient of that email then relayed the account, and others, to apparent higher-ups at the FAA. He said, “there seems to be some energy within the office as a reaction to Mr. Hickey’s, inappropriate at best, comments and more than a few employees took umbrage that a person in such an elevated position in the agency would make those remarks.

Read more from this story HERE.

Despite Earlier Promises to Repeal, Romney Plans to Keep Parts of Obamacare

Photo credit: Ars Skeptica

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, who promised early in his campaign to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, says he would keep several important parts of the overhaul.

‘Of course there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I’m going to put in place,’ he said in an interview broadcast Sunday on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press.’ ‘One is to make sure that those with pre-existing conditions can get coverage.’

Romney also said he would allow young adults to keep their coverage under their parents’ health-insurance.

Those provisions have been two of the more popular parts of Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

‘I say we’re going to replace Obamacare. And I’m replacing it with my own plan,’ Romney said. ‘And even in Massachusetts when I was governor, our plan there deals with pre-existing conditions and with young people.’

Read more from this article HERE.

Video: Are You an Evil Income Earner?

In this video, Bill Whittle explains the “Progressive” approach to taxation. He gives a breakdown of who pays what and explains why welfare recipients should pay taxes at the same rate that billionaires pay.

France’s Socialist President Defends his 75% Tax Rate

Photo credit: DonkeyHotey

Francois Hollande last night tried to justify his plans for multi-billion-pound tax rises to an increasingly disillusioned France.

The Socialist president, whose popularity has slumped, appeared on live television to convince the public his policies could help turn the country’s economy around.

During the 25-minute appearance, he unveiled plans for tax increases of ‘between 15 to 20 billion euros’ (£12billion to £16billion), targeting wealthy households, savings and firms.

The money raised will be used for public services, including thousands of new civil servant jobs.

He confirmed that ‘all earnings over one million euros will be taxed at 75 per cent’, adding: ‘It’s symbolic, it will show an example.’

Read more from this story HERE.

Obama Raises More Campaign Cash than Romney in August

Photo Credit: Cain & Todd Benson

President Barack Obama squeaked out a fundraising victory over Mitt Romney in August as the candidates gear up for the final stretch of their closely contested campaign.

Obama raised more than $114 million in August, while Romney brought in just over $111 million, according to numbers released early Monday by the rival campaigns. It’s the first time in four months the Democrats have outraised the Republicans. And it’s a sharp increase for the president, who raised $75 million in July.

Despite Obama’s advantage in August, it’s the third straight month Romney has collected more than $100 million, and the figure represents his best one-month fundraising total. And Romney has socked away more money for the general election campaign.

The Republican hopeful showed signs of taking a new, more centrist tack toward health care and defense spending as he starts the next leg of his campaign with a Monday rally in Mansfield, Ohio, a pivotal region in a battleground state. Obama, who spent the weekend campaigning in Florida, is scheduled to be at the White House.

After weeks of pushing conservative GOP themes leading up to the party convention in Tampa, Fla., Romney’s less partisan tone comes as the race shifts toward the Nov. 6 election, which is expected to be decided in fewer than 10 states where neither Romney nor Obama has a significant advantage.

Read more from this story HERE.

God and Jerusalem

In retrospect, I regret not watching a small part of day 3 of the DNC. Initially, I made the decision of completely avoiding the entire DNC, as I concluded a long time ago, that watching any event which solely consists of masses of Democrats, let alone staunch Obama supporters, can only have serious negative effects on my health. It’s not as if I needed the “balance of opinions” following the RNC to decide who I’ll be voting for in November. I don’t regret not watching the four-day clowns’ parade. But I greatly regret not watching live the 3 minute and 22 second circus portion of day 3, conducted by Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. This may have just been the single most important day of this election season.

It is no news to most Americans, regardless of their political affiliation, that Obama has been one of the most anti-Israel presidents to ever occupy the White House. Even Carter, who certainly did not harbor any lost love for the Jewish state, doesn’t rate next to Obama. The Democratic party – a long time home for the “Nation of Islam,” “Consul for American Arab Relations” (CAIR is nothing less than a forefront and a fundraising organization for Hamas and Hezbollah), as well as many other venomously anti-Semitic and anti-Israel organizations – is not trailing far behind in its love for the Jewish state.

In his first run for the presidency in 2008, Obama did not even try to hide the massive financial and moral support he received from virtually every Arab and anti-Israel organization that ever existed in the United States. That, naturally, should have been a massive warning sign to swing Independent voters as well as every Jewish voter in this country. Unfortunately, most liberal Jews turn off their brains when it comes to politics. One of the greatest phenomena of the last century, and one I surely hope to comprehend one day, is the phenomenon of being a liberal Jew. It has so many contradictions, flaws, and false pretenses that they would be comic if the consequences were not so grave.

How otherwise do you explain the likelihood of Jewish voters to support a president who repeatedly stabs their only Jewish homeland in the back? How do you explain the likelihood of Jewish voters electing a president who was a strong supporter of the Islamic world long before he ever became a president? Does anyone need a reminder of Reverend Wright? I haven’t forgotten the Cairo speech either, which was nothing more than bowing down to every Muslim in this world, and undermining American superiority over these hate-filled mongers. Naturally, he had done so literally when he later met with the Saudi king. I used to think that Carter had been the worse president in his attitude for Israel, but not even I can imagine Carter bowing down to a Muslim monarch and undermining American pride and security to such extent.

I will try and be as fair as I can by saying that I do partially understand why voters, many of whom are great American patriots, chose to elect Obama in 2008. I live in the real world, and I do acknowledge that after eight years of George Bush in office, with a couple of wars taking place in Afghanistan and Iraq, with a seriously weakened economy, with trillions of dollars in debt, and with millions out of work, many decent Americans wanted, needed and believed in real change.

I will let you in on a secret. I was one of them. But although I could have never brought myself to elect someone I considered to be a real threat to this country, once Obama was elected, I really hoped he would bring about the change we were all so hoping for.

That was four years ago. A lot has happened since then. Our national debt has over doubled to a staggering 16 trillion dollars, a debt that not even Obama’s grandchildren will be able to repay. Our unemployment rate has almost doubled as well, and surged to the highest level since the great depression. Over 23 million people are out of work. Millions of Americans are losing their homes, and the home foreclosure rate has reached new heights. Gas prices have reached over four dollars a gallon, which consequently affects millions of products we buy daily. The size of our government had become so large, that billions of dollars are spent on programs and projects that are completely needless. We live under the largest government we have ever had in our history, and the behemoth sinks its teeth into every aspect of our lives and intrudes on both our privacy and our wallets.

On the international front, Israel, which has been America’s greatest ally for the past half a century has been degraded, humiliated and betrayed. Other traditional great allies such as the U.K. and Poland have been treated in the same fashion. Our enemies have been receiving the royal treatment, and countries that have been our worst and sworn enemies such as Iran and North Korea, have been dealt with far greater patience, cordiality and respect than some of our allies. Our own military has been receiving the cold shoulder from the Obama administration, and funding to the military has been far from what it used to be. Obama has not only hurt our economy, our pride and our standing in the world, he is also hurting our ability to defend ourselves by slashing military spending

When America is so weak and run by a spineless president, radical Islam goes wild in every corner of this world, mocking the United States and spreading terror and fear anytime and anywhere it finds fit. This is precisely the reason behind Iran’s continuance of their nuclear program, despite severe economic sanctions by the UN, the United States and Europe. Much like the rest of the Muslim world, Iran also perceives the United States and its president, as nothing more than a paper tiger.

So what does this have to do with God and Jerusalem at the DNC convention? Everything, actually. I truly believe that the two greatest countries on this planet are the United States and Israel, simply because of their historical and unique relationship with God and religion. Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people who brought God and the bible to this world. The United States was created in order to enable its people to practice their religion freely and without persecution. The special bond between the United States and Israel is unique, undeniable and unbreakable.

Read more the conclusion of this article HERE.

Video: Gun Sales Surging

Gun sales are surging, especially those made by Smith and Wesson. Find out why here: