Brain-Eating Amoeba Discovered in Louisiana Plumbing System

Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

An investigation is underway to determine how a rare brain-eating amoeba found its way into a plumbing system of a home in Louisiana, according to the Center for Disease Control.

A four-year-old boy from Mississippi became the fourth confirmed infection in 2013 of the amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, last week, after playing in water from the home in St. Barnard Parish, La.

The Department of Health and Hospitals in Louisiana has confirmed that the amoeba was found in the home’s plumbing system.

In previous cases, the CDC has linked the infections to warm water and drought conditions.

“When we go back and look at where exposure may have occurred, we see the infections occur where water levels are low or where there are drought conditions or after a heat wave,” Dr. Jennifer Cope, medical epidemiologist at the CDC, told AccuWeather.com.

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Biden has Tongues Wagging Over 2016 Race with Visit to Iowa

Photo Credit: Reuters

Photo Credit: Reuters

With most Democrats keeping an eye on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for hints about her 2016 plans, Vice President Joe Biden’s appearance at Iowa’s 36th annual “Tom Harkin Steak Fry,” may one day be viewed as a telling sign of his presidential intentions.

The Democratic fund-raiser named for the veteran senator from Iowa is closely watched in this Midwestern state, which helps winnow out the crop of presidential contenders every four years leading up to the Iowa caucuses, the first voting event of each presidential cycle.

Addressing the crowd at the Warren County Fairgrounds, Biden mentioned 2016 in a sideways fashion, making light of the national media presence that showed up for the event.

“It’s amazing when you come to speak at the Steak Fry a whole bunch of people seem to take notice. I don’t know why the hell that is,” Biden said.

The 70-year-old Biden has left open the possibility of a run for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination in order to get a chance to succeed President Barack Obama.

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Feds: FBI Tailed Top Terror Recruiter Al to Pentagon

Picture al-AwlakiThe federal government has released documents that show Anwar al-Awlaki, the former Denver resident and onetime al-Qaida leader who was killed in 2011 in a U.S. missile strike in Yemen ordered by President Obama, was followed by the FBI to the doors of the Pentagon, where he was an invited guest.

WND reported earlier this year that Judicial Watch, the government watchdog agency that investigates and reports on government corruption, found FBI authorities knew Awlaki was linked to several 9/11 hijackers weeks before he was invited to lunch at the Pentagon in an “outreach” to Muslims.

At the time, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said the more “we learn about Anwar al-Awlaki, the more questions arise not only about his activities before and after 9/11, but also about the al-Qaida operational and support network still active in the United States.”

“It is now even more concerning that Awlaki was invited to the Pentagon after 9/11 and then let go by the FBI despite warrants for his arrest,” Fitton said.

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Bachman: Rush, Breitbart ‘Alternative Media’ Outlets Helping Truth Rise to the Top

Photo Credit: Breitbart

Photo Credit: Breitbart

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MI) said that Rush Limbaugh and Breitbart News are “alternative media” outlets that are helping the truth the mainstream media try to hide rise to the top.

Appearing on Breitbart News’ broadcast of the “Exempt America” rally on Tuesday with Breitbart News Executive Chairman Stephen K. Bannon, Bachmann said there is this “big monolithic media, then you have Rush.”

She emphasized that Limbaugh “has the biggest voice out there.” Bachmann said there are “very few places you can go to get the other side,” and noted, “now we have Breitbart.” She said it was refreshing to have voices like Breitbart News that give readers the “unvarnished” truth and represent the voice of Americans outside the beltway.

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David Brooks warns of ‘the rise of Ted Cruz-ism,’ takeover of Republican Party (+video)

Picture David BrooksOn PBS’s “NewsHour” on Friday night, New York Times columnist David Brooks warned that Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and similar legislators’ rise to prominence threatens the traditional Republican Party.

Brooks insists the motives of Cruz are less about legislation and policy and more about the politics of undermining the Republican establishment.

“What’s going on in the House, and a bit in the Senate, too, is what you might call the rise of Ted Cruz-ism,” Brooks said. “And Ted Cruz, the senator from Canada through Texas, is basically not a legislator in the normal sense, doesn’t have an idea that he’s going to Congress to create coalitions, make alliances, and he is going to pass a lot of legislation. He’s going in more as a media-protest person. And a lot of the House Republicans are in the same mode. They’re not normal members of Congress. They’re not legislators. They want to stop things. And so they’re just being — they just want to obstruct.”

“And the second thing they’re doing, which is alarming a lot of Republicans, is they’re running against their own party,” he continued. “Ted Cruz is running against Republicans in the Senate. The House Republican Tea Party types are running against the Republican establishment.” He added, “And so they’re having a very obstructive role which is going on this week, and I think it’s going to make John Boehner’s life even more difficult.”

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