Mom Facing Child Abuse Charges for Showing Kids Pro-Life Video

/6 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Life News By Amanda Read. A few days before Christmas, a U.K. mother of two reached out to Christian radio show program Stand Up For Truth with a plea for prayers and support. She had been notified that Child Protection Services would be contacting her because she had permitted her children to watch the pro-life documentary 180.

The controversy began when the mother (who wishes to remain anonymous) included Gospel tracts and a card advertising the 180 movie in party favor jars for a Christmas fair. She distributed these favors at the Church of England Primary School her children attend, and where she was employed at the time. The U.K. mother noted in her letter to the radio program:

I was immediately suspended and told not to reveal any of the details to anyone. I was made to attend an investigative meeting with strict instructions that no legal representation was allowed. The school leadership and the HR representative were pressing…that the film “180” was horrific, had it been watched by a child, even a child who is 10 to 11.

The mother turned in her resignation, but that did not end the investigation. The school’s Board of Directors allegedly equated the parental discretion of showing the pro-life film – which displays nothing more graphic than what one would see on the History Channel – with potential child abuse. (Read more about the pro-life video story HERE)

_____________________________________________

Church Hosting Planned Parenthood Event Celebrating 42 Years in Service

By Steven Ertelt. An Episcopal Church in Wichita, Kansas is hosting an event sponsored by the Planned Parenthood abortion business to celebrate 42 years of legalized abortion. The United States marks the grim anniversary on January 22, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion on demand.

Why would a church support the nation’s largest abortion business?

One pro-life person called the church and a representative said Planned Parenthood doesn’t do abortions.

The abortion giant Planned Parenthood has released its 2013 annual report and the new numbers indicate it did more abortions than the year before — killing 327,653 babies in abortions while taking in millions in taxpayer funds. (Read more from this story HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Religious Freedom Violated When a Teacher Bans Student from Using Bible

/3 Comments/in , /by

By Billy Hallowell. Parents are accusing a teacher of violating their child’s First Amendment rights by allegedly refusing to allow him to read his Bible in school.

They claim that their son, Loyal Grandstaff, a middle school student at Bueker Middle School in Marshall, Missouri, was told by his teacher that he couldn’t read the book after he brought the Bible in and silently studied it during free time.

“I feel like it violated his freedom of religion but also his freedom of speech,” Justin Grandstaff, the 12 year old’s father said.

Loyal said that he wasn’t being loud and that he wasn’t sharing the book with his peers at the time.

“I like to read my Bible because it’s a good book,” the 7th grader told the outlet. “I was just reading, just reading because I had free time. A time to do what I wanted to, so I just broke it out and read.” (Read more about “Religious Freedom Violated” HERE)

_____________________________________________

EEOC Says School is Wrong for Firing Teacher Who Gave Student Bible

By Todd Starnes. A New Jersey school district violated the law when it fired a teacher who handed a Bible to a student, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled on December 15, 2014. The ruling was made public Tuesday.

The EEOC determined there was reasonable cause to believe the Phillipsburg School District discriminated against Walt Tutka, a substitute teacher. The EEOC also said religion and retaliation played a factor in Tutka’s firing.

“This is a great indication the EEOC is taking religious liberty seriously and they are going to enforce the law — and in this case make sure Walt’s rights are protected,” Liberty Institute attorney Hiram Sasser told me.

“This sends a message to school districts that their natural allergic reaction to religion is misplaced, and not only is it wrong — but it’s also an egregious violation of the law,” Sasser said. (Read more from this story HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Former Governor Bob McDonnell Gets Two Years in Prison

/2 Comments/in , /by

Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is vowing to keep fighting the bribery accusations that on Tuesday landed him a two-year prison sentence.

Outside the federal courthouse in Richmond, the Republican said he was “deeply, deeply sorry” for the actions that led to his conviction on 11 felony public corruption charges, but that he “never, ever betrayed my sacred oath of office.”

McDonnell and his attorneys vowed to appeal the convictions immediately.

The two years was a much shorter sentence than the 10 to 12 years that prosecutors had started the day asking for. But it was enough to rock McDonnell’s children, family and friends, many of whom gasped as it was read and were left wiping away tears. When McDonnell left, his wife, Maureen McDonnell, who could face a similar sentence herself, remained in the courtroom, sobbing.

His sentencing was the culmination of the dramatic downfall of the Republican governor once heralded as a rising star — tapped to give the party’s 2010 rebuttal to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union, and a fixture on short lists for national office. (Read more about former Governor Bob McDonnell HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Obama Administration Pushed Through $181.5 Billion in Regulations Last Year

/1 Comment/in , /by

Photo Credit: WNDBy Fox News. The Obama administration pushed through $181.5 billion in regulations last year, according to a new report from a conservative think tank that claimed the rules will lead to higher energy bills, more expensive consumer goods and fewer jobs.

The new rules mostly focus on clean energy and vehicle regulations, said the American Action Forum, which issued the report Monday. The state that was hit the hardest by new regulations was California, which was slapped with $7.9 billion in new rules, followed by Texas ($6.5 billion) and Ohio ($3.4 billion).

“What do these huge sums mean for individuals? Higher energy prices, pricier household goods, a more expensive mortgage, and the promise of yet another year of unrelenting regulatory growth,” concludes the report, which was authored by Sam Batkins, the group’s director of regulatory policy. “No one can accuse the president of abandoning his promises on regulation in 2014.” (Read more about the money Obama Administration used HERE)

______________________________________________

Obama has Threatened to Veto Keystone Pipeline Approval

By The Wall Street Journal. The Obama administration said Tuesday it would veto legislation that would authorize the Keystone XL pipeline or make a change Republicans want to the Affordable Care Act, hardening battle lines on top GOP priorities the day the party took control of both chambers of Congress.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama would veto legislation approving TransCanada Corp. ’s proposed pipeline, which would send up to 830,000 barrels of oil a day from Canada’s oil sands to refineries on the Gulf Coast. Mr. Earnest also said the president wouldn’t sign a potential tweak to the health law to alter its definition of a full-time worker, a move that would allow businesses to cover fewer workers.

Congressional Republicans consider Keystone XL’s approval one of their top legislative goals and placed it at the front of their agenda as the 114th Congress opened on Tuesday. (Read more from this story HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Jeb Bush Launches ‘Right to Rise’ PAC

/4 Comments/in , /by

By Rebecca Berg. Gov. Jeb Bush on Tuesday will take another big step toward potentially running for president, filing the paperwork for a political action committee.

Bush announced the new leadership PAC, called “Right to Rise,” with a video posted to social media in English and in Spanish. In the video, Bush said the PAC will “support candidates that believe in conservative principles to allow all Americans to rise up.”

A website for the fledgling PAC promoted a similar mission statement.

“We believe passionately that the Right to Rise — to move up the income ladder based on merit, hard work and earned success — is the central moral promise of American economic life,” the website reads. “We are optimists who believe that America’s opportunities have never been greater than they are right now. But we know America is falling short of its promise.”

The idea of the “right to rise” has its roots with Abraham Lincoln, who popularized the political idea of rising from rags to riches. He did not use that exact language, although lauded Lincoln scholar Gabor Boritt later did. (Read more about what Jeb Bush launches HERE)

_______________________________________________

Jeb Bush: I will not join the fight against homosexual marriage, respect the tyranny of the federal courts

By Nia-Malika Henderson. With 69 words, likely White House contender Jeb Bush staked out a position on same-sex marriage that boils down to this: I’m not my brother; I’m more like the pope.

Whereas George W. Bush carried the evangelical flag on same-sex marriage, energizing a cross-cultural section of voters in key swing states, Jeb Bush has essentially waved the white flag while also nodding to his Catholic faith. . .

We live in a democracy, and regardless of our disagreements, we have to respect the rule of law. I hope that we can also show respect for the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage issue — including couples making lifetime commitments to each other who are seeking greater legal protections and those of us who believe marriage is a sacrament and want to safeguard religious liberty. – Jeb Bush

. . . Holding together those evangelicals, who see the march toward legalizing same-sex marriage as an affront to their faith and a culture war worthy of a might fight, will be much trickier for Bush. He has said, quite simply, he won’t join that fight.

This will put him at odds with, especially, Mike Huckabee, who has deep ties to evangelicals and has threatened to leave the GOP if party leaders bow to more a more centrist stance on same-sex marriage. (Read more from this story HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Obama is Killing Young America’s Future

/2 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Personal Liberty President Barack Obama was able to sail into the Oval Office twice thanks largely to his campaign efforts to woe young, idealistic voters into believing that “hope,” “change” and, of course, massive student loan forgiveness and basically free insurance were on the horizon. Now, young people are paying for having been fooled twice as Young America’s Foundation reports that its Youth Misery Index numbers for 2014 reached a record high.

The YMI is calculated by compiling information on youth unemployment, average graduating student debt (in thousands), and national debt per capita (in thousands). For 2014, the foundation reports that the YMI hit 106.5, up from 98.6 in 2013.

The increase is attributed to youth unemployment hovering around 18.1 percent last year as nearly 6 million young Americans between 16 and 24 were unable to find jobs. Making the problem worse, college graduates shouldered an average student loan debt burden of $30,000 for 2014, according to the index.

National debt per capita, meanwhile, was the highest ever for 2014 at $58,400. (Read more on how Obama is killing young America’s future HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

In Another Bloody Attack, Two More NYPD Officers Shot

/4 Comments/in , /by

In another bloody attack on New York’s Finest, two cops were shot by robbers in The Bronx Monday night — and a massive manhunt was underway for at least one suspect early Tuesday.

Officers Andrew Dossi and Aliro Pellarano — who had just finished their shift but came back on to respond to the robbery — were among a group of officers who encountered the gunmen at a Chinese restaurant on Tiebout Avenue at about 10:30 p.m., according to law enforcement sources.

Two suspects were inside the restaurant when the plainclothes cops confronted them. One suspect opened fire as he walked out of the eatery and the other fired shots through the window, leaving Dossi and Pellarano wounded.

The suspects then fled the scene on foot and an exchanged gunfire wit other cops at 184th Street and Tiebout Avenue.

Witnesses said they heard a series of gunshots near the location. (Read more about the NYPD officers shot HERE)

Louie Gohmert’s Run For Speaker Against Ethically-Challenged Boehner Facing “Real Intimidation”

/7 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: The Blaze By Erica Ritz. Texas Republican Louie Gohmert said there is “real intimidation” happening in the fight to determine who will be the next speaker of the House of Representatives.

Gohmert announced Sunday that he is running for speaker to unseat John Boehner (R-Ohio). Glenn Beck warned him Monday that if he doesn’t win, his political future is over.

“If you don’t win, you’re toast,” Beck said. “And that’s exactly what they’re going to be saying [to those who don’t vote for Boehner]. That’s what Boehner is saying to everybody right now. ‘Listen, you don’t vote for me, you don’t play ball with me now, you’re not getting on any committee. You’re not going to be heard from again.’”

“Yes,” Gohmert said. “I tell you what, Glenn, there is some real intimidation going on. Apparently this morning there was a statement released by Boehner’s people saying David Brat was going to vote for him.” (Read more about “Ethically-Challenged Boehner” HERE)

_________________________________________________

Boehner Profits from Obamacare Stocks

By WND. Since the passage of Obamacare, House Speaker John Boehner has been dogged by critics pointing out his investment portfolio has benefited from owning insurance and medical company stocks that have profited from the legislation.

An analysis of Boehner’s current investment holdings includes a number of stocks benefiting from Obamacare in a total portfolio estimated at between $3.5 and $5 million in current market value. . .

Peter Schweizer, in his 2011 book on Washington corruption, “Throw Them All Out: How Politicians and Their Friends Get Rich Off Insider Stock Tips, Land Deals, and Cronyism that Would Send the Rest of Us to Prison,” noted on Page 20: “Congressman John Boehner, who was leading the opposition to Obamacare in the House of Representatives, may have been fighting John Kerry on policy matters, but he was entirely allied with him when it came to investment decisions.”

Schweizer continued:

On December 10, 2008, Boehner bought numerous health insurance company stocks, including tens of thousands of dollars in Cardinal Health, Cigna, and Wellpoint. On the same day, Boehner purchased shares in the Big Pharm companies Amgen, Johnson & Johnson, Forest Labs, Covidien, and Pfizer. He also bought shares in CareFusion, which provides systems for countering infections. Just days later, on December 15, the Washington Post declared that the ‘public option’ was officially dead.

Schweitzer drew a causal link, noting that Boehner’s heavy investment in Obamacare stocks meant his political opposition to the legislation was undermined by his personal interest. (Read more from this story HERE)
_________________________________________________

Gohmert Details Ethically-Challenged Boehner’s Broken Promises

By Sarah Rumpf. [A] major driving force behind [Gohmert’s] efforts to oust Boehner are the “broken promises” from the Speaker, and he elaborated more on these issues with Breitbart Texas. According to Gohmert, these broken promises include:

*Promising to “fight tooth and nail” against Obama’s executive amnesty orders, but then allowing the CRomnibus bill to proceed forward with it still being funded;
*Promising every debt ceiling increase would be paired with a spending cut, but that has not happened;
*Promising Members would have time to properly read bills, then allowing only a three day period, which in reality was actually only two days;
*Promising a regular order of bills through committees, but bills keep coming to the floor without having followed that process;
*Promising that sequestrations would not happen, but then later declaring that they were necessary;
*Promising he would only serve one term as Speaker when he first ran; and
*Promising to have more transparent and open Speakership than Pelosi, who would not allow amendments, but instead running what Gohmert dubbed “the most closed Speakership in the history of the country.”

(Read more from this story HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Widest Wealth Gap Ever Recorded in American History

/3 Comments/in , /by

A Pew Research Center report shows that the wealth gap between America’s middle and upper-income families is the widest ever recorded.

In fact, the median wealth of America’s most affluent families is nearly seven times that of their middle-income countrymen. . .

The chart below shows the wealth gap between upper- and middle-income households over the last 30 years:

Photo Credit: Wall Street Daily

As if that’s not bad enough, America’s upper-income families have a median net worth that’s 70 times greater than lower-income families.

Meanwhile, net income has remained dismal for years now. It’s no surprise that most Americans aren’t feeling the effects of the economic recovery… after all, median income is still 8% lower than in 2007, just before the recession. (Read more about the widest wealth gap ever recorded HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Reporter Shayrl Attkisson Suing Feds Over Illegal Surveillance of Her Cell Phone, Computer

/2 Comments/in , /by

Former CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson has sued the Justice Department over the hacking of her computers, officially accusing the Obama administration of illegal surveillance while she was reporting on administration scandals.

In a series of legal filings that seek $35 million in damages, Attkisson alleges that three separate computer forensic exams showed that hackers used sophisticated methods to surreptitiously monitor her work between 2011 and 2013.

“I just think it’s important to send a message that people shouldn’t be victimized and throw up their hands and think there’s nothing they can do and they’re powerless,” Attkisson said in an interview.

The department has steadfastly denied any involvement in the hacking, saying in a 2013 statement: “To our knowledge, the Justice Department has never compromised Ms. Attkisson’s computers, or otherwise sought any information from or concerning any telephone, computer, or other media device she may own or use.”

In the lawsuit and related claims against the Postal Service, filed in Washington, Attkisson says the intruders installed and periodically refreshed software to steal data and obtain passwords on her home and work computers. She also charges that the hackers monitored her audio using a Skype account. (Read more about Sharyl Attkisson suing Obama Administration HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.