Obamacare Taxpayer Funded Insurance Company Insolvent

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Don't Tread On ObamacareAn Obamacare-created and taxpayer-funded insurance company in Iowa has been taken over by the state due to a financial crisis.

CoOportunity Health is Iowa’s insurance cooperative — a nonprofit insurance company created by the Affordable Care Act to supposedly undercut the large, for-profit insurers that Democrats castigated as “greedy” and “evil” during the debate over health care reform.

After just beginning to offer plans in 2013, the company’s already insolvent and has now been taken over by the state of Iowa, insurance commissioner Nick Gerhart announced Wednesday. CoOpportunity doesn’t have enough cash on hand to be sure it can pay claims for its 120,000 customers, if necessary. The company has only $17 million in cash and assets, Gerhart said.

The federal government’s Obamacare administrator the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services initially gave CoOportunity a $112 million loan award in Feb. 2012, but doled out an additional $32.7 million emergency award to keep the company solvent in September of this year.

That wasn’t enough to keep it in business. CoOpportunity’s management expected to receive more federal money than they did, putting them in continuing financial peril.

Read more about how this Obamacare taxpayer funded insurance company went insolvent HERE.

Obama Admin. Publishes Over a Thousand New Regs During Holidays

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Photo Credit: White House

Photo Credit: White House

The Obama administration is cramming like a college student trying to study for a final exam, publishing more than 1,200 new regulations in the last 15 days alone, according to data from Regulations.gov.

Energy and environment rules are the biggest category, with 139 published by the federal government in the last 15 days, according to Regulations.gov.

One of the most contentious new regulations is the EPA’s coal ash rule. The rule has been criticized by the coal industry and environmental groups — though for entirely different reasons — and has a price tag of up to $20.3 billion. The rule was finalized last Friday.

Before that, the Obama administration finalized a new ozone standard that could become the costliest rule ever proposed by the EPA. The EPA released the rule while millions of Americans were getting ready to eat some turkey and pie for Thanksgiving.

Regulations listed on Regulations.gov include “Notices from the Federal Register; Proposed Rules; Final Rules.” The government website shows that 309 rules were proposed or finalized in the last 15 days and 892 notices from the federal register were received — some of which could lead to new rulemakings.

Read more about Obama’s new regs HERE.

Unexpected Christmas Miracles

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Christmas WWIIDad used to tell us his favorite Christmas story. In the boiling Pacific of World War II, Dad was on USS Cleveland and saw the intensity of naval warfare at places such as Midway, Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal and Manila.

On Christmas Eve, 1944, the men got good news: A priest would come aboard for Midnight Mass! Dad would recall how they sure needed the “good news” of the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, during those clashing days.

But, when the priest arrived for Mass, the hundreds of gathered, expectant sailors began to growl, “He’s a Jap!” (to use the politically incorrect word of that time).

Dad would tell us that, although they would later learn he was actually a Filipino priest, the understandable hostility of the war still led the men to grumble, as they wondered about the worthiness of this “Oriental” (to use another outdated term) to offer Mass. . .

But . . . then came “O Come All Ye Faithful”; then came the sign of the cross; then the gospel of the first Christmas, and the suspect priest’s simple and sincere sermon of love for family at home and longing for peace on earth and sea; then came prayer and Holy Communion; finally came the priest’s blessing and “Silent Night,” with men crying and hugging, and the “Jap priest” cheered and engulfed with affection as he left the ship to visit another awaiting congregation.

Prejudice, hatred, suspicion and antagonism were changed into love, acceptance and joy on USS Cleveland. That’s the miracle of Christmas!

Read more from this story HERE.

Americans having a Holly Jolly, Stress Free Christmas

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Christmas Cheer‘Tis indeed the season to be jolly for Americans, who are experiencing their lowest levels of holiday stress in years, according to a new CNN/ORC nationwide poll.

The poll suggests they’ve already decked their halls with boughs of holly, as only 30% of the public said they’re feeling a great deal or fair amount of stress from all the things they need to do to get ready for Christmas.

That’s a steep drop from 2005, when a vast majority of Americans must’ve left the tree-trimming to the last minute, as 86% said they felt a great deal or fair amount of stress that year. In 1989, 76% felt the same, perhaps because they waited too long to buy the new Nintendo Game Boy, the hot toy released that year.

Read more from this story HERE.

SWAT Teams Posted After Gang Members Threaten to Attack NYPD Station Houses

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Two NYPD cops shot deadThe NYPD set up SWAT teams at two Bedford-Stuyvesant police precincts Tuesday night — after a confidential informant told cops about overhearing a gang plot to “shoot it out” at the station houses.

Four Emergency Services Unit officers, outfitted with helmets and assault weapons, were stationed at the 79th precinct. Another two were at the 81st.

The beefed up security was prompted by a confidential informant, who told cops of overhearing a member of the Baltimore-based Black Guerrilla Family talking with fellow gang members about plans to “shoot it out with police” at the two precincts, law enforcement sources told The Post.

The gang member served three years in jail for robbery and attempted murder.

Read more from this story HERE.

State Dept Offering Millions to Recapture Terrorist Freed From Gitmo

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Photo Credit: Reuters

Photo Credit: Reuters

On December 18, 2014, the State Department put Ibrahim al-Rubaysh, a senior leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, on a Specially Designated Global Terrorist watch list. Al-Rubaysh plays a key role in operational planning for the terrorist group and provides justification for their attacks. He’s also made public statements on more than one occasion calling for war against the United States. For these reasons, there’s been a $5 million reward offered since October for information that could lead to his capture.

The problem is not the terrorist per se, or the State Department’s decision to place him on the global watch list; it’s the fact that the U.S. already had him once—and let him go.

Judicial Watch explains:
“Hundreds of Gitmo terrorists have been discharged over the years under a program that started with President George W. Bush and continued full-throttle with this administration. Intelligence report after intelligence report has revealed that many rejoin terrorist missions after leaving the military prison. In fact, Judicial Watch has been reporting this for years. Back in 2010 JW wrote about a report that the Director of National Intelligence gave Congress documenting that 150 former Gitmo detainees were confirmed or suspected of “reengaging in terrorist or insurgent activities after transfer.” At least 83 remained at large, according to the document.”

Read more from this story HERE.

George H.W. Bush Rushed to Hospital

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Photo Credit: Helen Thorgalsen/Facebook

Photo Credit: Helen Thorgalsen/Facebook

Former President George H.W. Bush was hospitalized on Tuesday after experiencing what a spokesman called a “shortness of breath.”

Bush, 90, was taken by ambulance to Houston Methodist Hospital Tuesday evening as a precaution. The former president will remain there under observation.

In late 2012, he was admitted to the hospital with a bronchitis-related cough. Bush was released Nov. 19 but returned the day after Thanksgiving with a persistent cough. He was later admitted to intensive care with a stubborn fever. Bush spent that Christmas at the hospital, only leaving intensive care on Dec. 30.

He spent nearly two months at the hospital until his release in mid-January 2013.

The oldest former president, Bush has health problems that have forced him in recent years to rely on a wheelchair or motorized scooter to get around.

Read more from this story HERE.

Rand Paul Hints at 2016 Run in ‘Festivus’ Grievances

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Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore

Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, hinted at a possible 2016 run for president Tuesday in his annual airing of grievances for Festivus.

In a lengthy series of tweets — some mostly serious, all at least somewhat humorous — Mr. Paul said having a “fashion forward” campaign is one key to success in politics, posting pictures of both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and former presidential candidate Rick Santorum in sweater vests, but said he prefers to wear something different.

“Of course, everyone has to be themselves, and I have my own style. I think this will be a popular item this year,” he said, posting a picture of a black sweatshirt that said “Rand Paul 2016.”

Mr. Paul and Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, have been feuding over the president’s recent change to U.S. relations with Cuba, but in the holiday spirit, Mr. Paul left the other possible 2016 contender out of his annual grievance list, a “custom” of Festivus.

“Tempting to air a grievance @marcorubio again, but we’ve done that enough for this week. Instead I will say an early Merry Christmas,” he said.

Read more from this story HERE.

Sheriff Joe: War on Police is Likely to Spread Throughout US

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Cop KillerBy Robert Wilde. [Sheriff Joe Arpaio] said that he believes the heightened rhetoric coming from politicians and community leaders about police brutality and racism “at least indirectly” caused the death of Officers Liu and Ramos on Saturday. The two NYPD officers were shot execution style by an assassin while they were eating their lunch in a patrol car.

Arpaio contends that there is no one more incendiary than Al Sharpton when it comes to race baiting. “We better tell him to chill out, knock it off, stop going to the White House sitting next to the president and talking about race,” he said. According to Arpaio there is a war against cops and he strongly believes our leaders and the media should be siding with the cops.

Critical of NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio for not supporting the police after the death of Eric Garner, the Maricopa County sheriff said, “If I was the Mayor [of NYC] right from the beginning I would have sided with the cops. At least give them the benefit of the doubt. That’s the least you can do.”

Arpaio pointed out that police officers report to the Mayor and they need to be supported. “It’s sickening what’s going on,” he lamented. “I was on a show in New York a couple of nights ago and at that time I said I’m afraid some cops are gonna get killed and fourteen hours later it happened. It’s sad for the families, sad for the NYPD, and I’m afraid it’s going to spread across the nation.”

Bannon asked Arpaio what was it that prompted his prediction: “Was it protesters chanting in the streets for hours at a time, What do we want? Dead Cops. When do we want them? Now. And then not have Mayor De Blasio and other senior non-police officials condemn that?” Read more from this story HERE.
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Cop Killer Was Tracking NYPD Using Online App

By Kerry Picket. NYPD Cop killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley was using a traffic app called Waze to track law enforcement’s movements, NYC Alerts tweeted on Monday. According to an available screenshot, Brinsley was tracking two officers who were almost 4 miles away from him in Staten Island at 10:44 PM EST since the beginning of December. Read more from this story HERE.
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Taxpayers Fund Legal Group With Role in Rap Video About Killing Police Officers

By Evan Gahr. The Obama administration’s Justice Department funneled at least $1.5 million in grants to a New York legal-aid group featured in a new rap video that depicts two young black men aiming handguns at a white police officer.

Some may find the lyrics eerily similar to the social media postings of the man accused of shooting and killing two New York City police officers execution-style in Brooklyn on Saturday.

The video for “Hands Up,” which also shows a white police officer gunning down a black motorist wearing a hoodie, contains lyrics suggesting revenge for much-publicized deaths of black men in confrontations with police.

Credited to rappers Uncle Murda and Maino, the video is subtitled “Eric Garner Tribute,” a reference to a black man who died while being pinned and restrained on a sidewalk by New York police officers.

The taxpayer money that went to the organization shown in the video, the Bronx Defenders, comes from a Justice Department program named for Edward Byrne, a New York Police Department officer who was shot dead at close range in 1988. Read more from this story HERE.

Gates Continues to Bankroll Common Core in the Face of Public Opposition

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Photo Credit: Bebeto Matthews/AP

Photo Credit: Bebeto Matthews/AP

The Common Core State Standards had a tumultuous year across many states in 2014, but Microsoft founder Bill Gates – among the biggest proponents of the standards – was undeterred in his support, according to grant information reported by the Washington Post.

The Post named the 15 largest education grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, two of which were made to organizations focused heavily on promoting the controversial K-12 standards.

The Gates Foundation gave a $10.3 million grant to the Washington, D.C.-based New Venture Fund and another grant of $3.4 million to the San Francisco-based WestEd. . .

Gates has been credited by some and blamed by others for the spread of Common Core, which was initially adopted by 44 states and the District of Columbia. Since then, several states have repealed Common Core altogether, while others are making changes to the testing or are reviewing the standards.

Read more from this story HERE.