No Agenda Episode 738 - "Busted Router"

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No Agenda Episode 738 - "Busted Router"
  No Agenda Episode 738 - "Busted Router"
    Busted Router
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  Cover Art
    Art By: Uncle_Dave
    See All The Art in the Generator
  Credits
    Busted Router
    Executive Producers: Sir Anthony Seven, Sir Mark , Baron of Tokyo, Nicholas Stowe,
    Associate Executive Producers: Rosalind Furness, Sir Gavin Boyd of Saint George, Craig Harms, Sir DH Slammer, Stuart Rushing, Sir Timnonymous,
    Club 737 Member: Sir Anthony Seven
    Become a member of the 739 Club, support the show here
    Sign Up for the newsletter
    Knighthoods: Anthony Seven - Sir Anthony Seven
    Titles: Sir DH Slammer - > Baron of Central California Coast
    Art By: Uncle_Dave
    ShowNotes Archive of links and Assets (clips etc) 738.noagendanotes.com
    New: Directory Archive of Shownotes (includes all audio and video assets used) archive.noagendanotes.com
    The No Agenda News Network- noagendanewsnetwork.com
    RSS Podcast Feed
    Get the No Agenda News App for your iPhone and iPad
    Get the NoAgendDroid app for your Android Phone
    Torrents of each episode via BitLove
    New! BitTorrent Sync the No Agenda Show

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    TODAY
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      CORPUS OF HISTORICAL AMERICAN ENGLISH
      Theodore Kasczinski "Industrial Society and Its Future"
      Smith Mundt Act - A reminder that you are living in a Smith-Mudt Act repealed media landscape
        NDAA and Overturning of Smith-Mundt Act
        The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (NDAA) allows for materials produced by the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) to be released within U.S. borders and strikes down a long-time ban on the dissemination of such material in the country.[14][15][16]
      Propaganda in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sun, 21 Sep 2014 15:00
        Propaganda in the United States is propaganda spread by government and media entities within the United States. Propaganda is information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to influence opinions. Propaganda is not only in advertising; it is also in radio, newspaper, posters, books, and anything else that might be sent out to the widespread public.
        Domestic[edit]World War I[edit]The first large-scale use of propaganda by the U.S. government came during World War I. The government enlisted the help of citizens and children to help promote war bonds and stamps to help stimulate the economy. To keep the prices of war supplies down, the U.S. government produced posters that encouraged people to reduce waste and grow their own vegetables in "victory gardens." The public skepticism that was generated by the heavy-handed tactics of the Committee on Public Information would lead the postwar government to officially abandon the use of propaganda.[1]
        World War II[edit]During World War II the U.S. officially had no propaganda, but the Roosevelt government used means to circumvent this official line. One such propaganda tool was the publicly owned but government funded Writers' War Board (WWB). The activities of the WWB were so extensive that it has been called the "greatest propaganda machine in history".[1]Why We Fight is a famous series of US government propaganda films made to justify US involvement in World War II.
        In 1944 (lasting until 1948) prominent US policy makers launched a domestic propaganda campaign aimed at convincing the U.S. public to agree to a harsh peace for the German people, for example by removing the common view of the German people and the Nazi party as separate entities.[2] The core in this campaign was the Writers' War Board which was closely associated with the Roosevelt administration.[2]
        Another means was the United States Office of War Information that Roosevelt established in June 1942, whose mandate was to promote understanding of the war policies under the director Elmer Davies. It dealt with posters, press, movies, exhibitions, and produced often slanted material conforming to US wartime purposes. Other large and influential non-governmental organizations during the war and immediate post war period were the Society for the Prevention of World War III and the Council on Books in Wartime.
        Cold War[edit]During the Cold War, the U.S. government produced vast amounts of propaganda against communism and the Soviet bloc. Much of this propaganda was directed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under J. Edgar Hoover, who himself wrote the anti-communist tract Masters of Deceit. The FBI's COINTELPRO arm solicited journalists to produce fake news items discrediting communists and affiliated groups, such as H. Bruce Franklin and the Venceremos Organization.
        War on Drugs[edit]The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, originally established by the National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988,[3][4] but now conducted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy under the Drug-Free Media Campaign Act of 1998,[5] is a domestic propaganda campaign designed to "influence the attitudes of the public and the news media with respect to drug abuse" and for "reducing and preventing drug abuse among young people in the United States".[6][7] The Media Campaign cooperates with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and other government and non-government organizations.[8]
        Iraq War[edit]In early 2002, the U.S. Department of Defense launched an information operation, colloquially referred to as the Pentagon military analyst program.[9] The goal of the operation is "to spread the administrations's talking points on Iraq by briefing ... retired commanders for network and cable television appearances," where they have been presented as independent analysts.[10] On 22 May 2008, after this program was revealed in the New York Times, the House passed an amendment that would make permanent a domestic propaganda ban that until now has been enacted annually in the military authorization bill.[11]
        The Shared values initiative was a public relations campaign that was intended to sell a "new" America to Muslims around the world by showing that American Muslims were living happily and freely, without persecution, in post-9/11 America.[12] Funded by the United States Department of State, the campaign created a public relations front group known as Council of American Muslims for Understanding (CAMU). The campaign was divided in phases; the first of which consisted of five mini-documentaries for television, radio, and print with shared values messages for key Muslim countries.[13]
        NDAA and Overturning of Smith-Mundt Act[edit]The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (NDAA) allows for materials produced by the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) to be released within U.S. borders and strikes down a long-time ban on the dissemination of such material in the country.[14][15][16]
        Ad Council[edit]The Ad Council, an American non-profit organization that distributes public service announcements on behalf of various private and federal government agency sponsors, has been labeled as "little more than a domestic propaganda arm of the federal government" given the Ad Council's historically close collaboration with the President of the United States and the federal government.[17]
        International[edit]Through several international broadcasting operations, the US disseminates American cultural information, official positions on international affairs, and daily summaries of international news. These operations fall under the International Broadcasting Bureau, the successor of the United States Information Agency, established in 1953. IBB's operations include Voice of America, Radio Liberty, Alhurra and other programs. They broadcast mainly to countries where the United States finds that information about international events is limited, either due to poor infrastructure or government censorship. The Smith-Mundt Act prohibits the Voice of America from disseminating information to US citizens that was produced specifically for a foreign audience.
        During the Cold War the US ran covert propaganda campaigns in countries that appeared likely to become Soviet satellites, such as Italy, Afghanistan, and Chile.
        Recently The Pentagon announced the creation of a new unit aimed at spreading propaganda about supposedly "inaccurate" stories being spread about the Iraq War. These "inaccuracies" have been blamed on the enemy trying to decrease support for the war. Donald Rumsfeld has been quoted as saying these stories are something that keeps him up at night.[18]
        Psychological operations[edit]The US military defines psychological operations, or PSYOP, as:
        planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence the emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of foreign governments, organizations, groups, and individuals.[19]
        The Smith-Mundt Act, adopted in 1948, explicitly forbids information and psychological operations aimed at the US public.[20][21][22] Nevertheless, the current easy access to news and information from around the globe, makes it difficult to guarantee PSYOP programs do not reach the US public. Or, in the words of Army Col. James A. Treadwell, who commanded the U.S. military psyops unit in Iraq in 2003, in the Washington Post:
        There's always going to be a certain amount of bleed-over with the global information environment.[23]
        Agence France Presse reported on U.S. propaganda campaigns that:
        The Pentagon acknowledged in a newly declassified document that the US public is increasingly exposed to propaganda disseminated overseas in psychological operations.[24]
        Former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld approved the document referred to, which is titled "Information Operations Roadmap." [22][24] The document acknowledges the Smith-Mundt Act, but fails to offer any way of limiting the effect PSYOP programs have on domestic audiences.[20][21][25]
        Several incidents in 2003 were documented by Sam Gardiner, a retired Air Force colonel, which he saw as information-warfare campaigns that were intended for "foreign populations and the American public." Truth from These Podia,[26] as the treatise was called, reported that the way the Iraq war was fought resembled a political campaign, stressing the message instead of the truth.[22]
        See also[edit]References[edit]^ abThomas Howell, The Writers' War Board: U.S. Domestic Propaganda in World War II, Historian, Volume 59 Issue 4, Pages 795 - 813^ abSteven Casey, (2005), The Campaign to sell a harsh peace for Germany to the American public, 1944 - 1948, [online]. London: LSE Research Online. [Available online at http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/archive/00000736] Originally published in History, 90 (297). pp. 62-92 (2005) Blackwell Publishing^National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988 of the Anti''Drug Abuse Act of 1988, Pub.L. 100''738, 102 Stat. 4181, enacted November 18, 1988^Gamboa, Anthony H. (January 4, 2005), B-303495, Office of National Drug Control Policy '-- Video News Release, Government Accountability Office, footnote 6, page 3 ^Drug-Free Media Campaign Act of 1998 (Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999), Pub.L. 105''277, 112 Stat. 268, enacted October 21, 1998^Gamboa, Anthony H. (January 4, 2005), B-303495, Office of National Drug Control Policy '-- Video News Release, Government Accountability Office, pp. 9''10 ^Drug-Free Media Campaign Act of 1998 of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, Pub.L. 105''277, 112 Stat. 268, enacted October 21, 1998^Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006, Pub.L. 109''469, 120 Stat. 3501, enacted December 29, 2006, codified at 21 U.S.C. § 1738^Barstow, David (2008-04-20). "Message Machine: Behind Analysts, the Pentagon's Hidden Hand". New York Times. ^Sessions, David (2008-04-20). "Onward T.V. Soldiers: The New York Times exposes a multi-armed Pentagon message machine". Slate. ^Barstow, David (2008-05-24). "2 Inquiries Set on Pentagon Publicity Effort". New York Times. ^Rampton, Sheldon (October 17, 2007). "Shared Values Revisited". Center for Media and Democracy. ^"U.S. Reaches Out to Muslim World with Shared Values Initiative". America.gov. January 16, 2003.
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    PR
      DefCon Meetup
        In the morning!
        I hope everyone had a well deserved break this last week.
        I'm going to DefCon again this year and we will be having another No Agenda Meetup. Details will be on noagendacd.com. I don't have a date, time or place chosen yet as I need some feedback from potential attendees. If anyone wants to join me, please have them contact me via noagendacd@gmail.com or @noagendacd on the tweeters.
        We will try to be a little more organized this year...
        Hail Apple!
        Sir Ramsey Cain
    EuroLand
      ''Rock Star'' Yanis Varoufaki Resigns After Being Given a Clear ''No to Austerity'' Mandate
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Source: American Everyman
        Mon, 06 Jul 2015 17:44
        by Scott Creighton
        He once stated that Syriza was never given a mandate to reject all austerity proposals and move Greece out of the Euro.
        He also said if the referendum returned a 'YES'' decision by the people of Greece, he would facilitate the signing of the agreement and then resign.
        Well, yesterday 60% of the voting population made their opinions known on the subject of austerity in Greece when only 40% was needed for the referendum to be valid. And 61% of them voted ''NO'' to austerity.
        That is the mandate that Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufaki claimed he never had.
        So what does he do now that he got his ''NO'' vote and his mandate? He resigned.
        ''Soon after the announcement of the referendum results, I was made aware of a certain preference by some Eurogroup participants, and assorted 'partners', for my'... 'absence' from its meetings; an idea that the Prime Minister judged to be potentially helpful to him in reaching an agreement. For this reason I am leaving the Ministry of Finance today. I consider it my duty to help Alexis Tsipras exploit, as he sees fit, the capital that the Greek people granted us through yesterday's referendum. And I shall wear the creditors' loathing with pride.'' Yanis Varoufaki
        On his blog, the ''rock star'' tried to play the martyr roll and endow himself with as much credit for the outcome of the referendum as possible. He claims that the foreign creditors decided they wanted him out as a result of this defeat so Tsipras asked him to oblige the wishes of the masters of the universe and he resigned.
        Aw'... poor rock star.
        For so long forces outside Greece have determined their economic policies to the crippling effects we see now.
        And it would appear they also have a say in who serves in office in Greece as well. When TMOTU say you need to go, the Greek finance minister from that neo-liberal economics program in Austin, Texas packs his bags and complies.
        Could you imagine someone from Germany or Brussels telling Obama or Bush who they could or could not have serving as Secretary of Treasury? You think that happens? Probably more than we know. You think we would ever admit it publicly?
        In his exit blog, Yanis also gives us a clue as too how Syriza intends to use this new anti-austerity mandate from the people: to get more austerity.
        ''It is, therefore, essential that the great capital bestowed upon our government by the splendid NO vote be invested immediately into a YES to a proper resolution '' to an agreement that involves debt restructuring, less austerity, redistribution in favour of the needy, and real reforms'' Yanis Varoufaki
        The people didn't vote for ''less'' austerity. They didn't stand up to the threat of a continued bank holiday (imposed BY Vanis Varoufaki, by the way) and even a possible military coup for the promise of ''less'' austerity. They came out in droves and voted for the END of austerity, the END of privatizations'... the END of the Troika dictating neo-liberal ''Miracle of Chile'' bricks being dumped on their heads. That's what they voted for. That's the 'capital' he speaks of so often. That is the mandate of Syriza ONCE AGAIN.
        And once again, Yanis' own words don't hold true. He said he would leave if the people said ''YES'' but instead, given this mandate, a fresh bunch of political capital to do the bidding of the people of Greece, he takes a powder and exits stage right.
        For those who saw him and Syriza as nothing more than fake-left cover to pass still more austerity down to the people of Greece, this move of his does nothing but solidify their theories as it looks more like he's being reprimanded for a failed project than crucified as a martyr.
        It's hard too say where Greece is headed at this point but Yanis' future seems pretty obvious. He goes back to his tenured position in Austin teaching globalist economics to young impressionable minds with his leather jackets and his motorcycles and his ''rock star'' image barely intact.
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    GLITCH!
      UAL insider email
        "Dude named Ben" here. I work with the woman responsible for installing the server in New Orleans that brought our network down yesterday. It wasn't a "glitch" or six weeks cyber attack. Just crappy hardware and software that effectively DDOSed us, jamming up the bandwidth till we found out the problem was "in the house" and pulled the plug. She said it was the worst day of her career. Guess thats what we get running our airline on Microsoft...
      New York Stock Exchange Reopens After Tech Glitch
      No, Anonymous Did Not Hack NYSE
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Source: TheBlot Magazine » Matthew Keys
        Sat, 11 Jul 2015 14:22
        http://www.theblot.com/no-anonymous-did-not-hack-nyse-7747134
        People are losing their minds over a tweet sent by an Anonymous-affiliated Twitter account predicting Wednesday's NYSE glitch that halted trading. Above, a trader sits at his desk during the three-plus hour halt. (USA Today photo)
        The New York Stock Exchange suffered from a large-scale computer interruption Wednesday in the middle of the trading day, adding a layer of worry to what was already a troublesome day on Wall Street.
        The interruption came as computer systems used by United Airlines also went down, causing a temporary disruption of flights across the country. The homepage of The Wall Street Journal, one of the largest financial news publications in America, also suffered from a brief outage Wednesday.
        The combined computer issues left many people speculating about a coordinated cyberattack at a time when such malicious interruptions have become somewhat routine (Sony Pictures, Target and the latest involving a software development company known as the Hacking Team).
        Fanning the fuel of such speculation was a tweet widely cited by news organizations originating from a Twitter account affiliated with the activist group Anonymous that ominously warned of a ''bad'' day for Wall Street.
        ''Wonder if tomorrow is going to be bad for Wall Street,'' the tweet sent from the account ''Your Anonymous News'' read. ''We can only hope.''
        The tweet, brought to light shortly after issues at the New York Stock Exchange began, led many news organizations to speculate if Anonymous had some involvement in the computer issues impacting trades.
        ''Anonymous targeted Wall Street in cryptic tweet on eve of NYSE shutdown,'' read a tweet from the political publication The Hill.
        ''Did Anonymous take down the NYSE?'' asks the headline on a Huffington Post story.
        Read more: Benjamin Wey: The Greatest Rogues in the Wall Street Trading GameAnd on Twitter, Facebook and other social-media websites, conspiracy theories were flying, questioning how Anonymous could have accurately predicted a problematic trading day for the exchange. Several commenters drew the conclusion that the prediction couldn't have been just a coincidence.
        But it's almost certainly a coincidence.
        First, the Twitter account at the center of the speculation was started years ago as an aggregate service to collect and promote news stories on Anonymous-oriented initiatives. It had traded hands between journalists and activists several times over the last few years. Rarely, though, does the account tweet Anonymous-oriented initiatives before they come to light; instead the account usually promotes Anonymous activities after the fact.
        Second, the tweet in question is incredibly broad and likely has very little to do with a cyber campaign. Instead, it's more likely that the tweet was speculative of troubles in the stock market brought on by investment issues in China and an economic crisis in Greece. The ongoing crisis in Greece, for example, has caused a dip in foreign markets all week.
        And third, officials at the NYSE and in federal law enforcement believe the issue on Wednesday was triggered by a glitch caused by a software upgrade, not by a malicious cyberattack. According to The New York Times:
        ''Federal regulators and law enforcement agencies monitored the situation for any sign of an outside attack and ultimately saw nothing indicating anything other than an internal software error.''
        That software error could have been caused by any number of factors, including the recently observed ''leap second'' which has been known to cause computer glitches in the past.
        Sometimes hacking groups will take advantage of a computer glitch or a website error in order to bring itself more attention (the hacking group known as Lizard Squad has done this a handful of times). In this case, though, even the Your Anonymous News account appears to concede that its tweet hours before the glitch on Wall Street was nothing more than a eerily timed coincidence.
        ''YAN successfully predicts NYSE fail yesterday,'' the group tweeted. ''Hmm.''
        The account has called for a protest at the New York Stock Exchange for 5 p.m. Thursday, or about a half-hour after the close of the trading day. So perhaps the group will cause some disruption on Wall Street after all.
        Matthew Keys is a contributing journalist for TheBlot Magazine.
        About Matthew KeysMatthew Keys is a California-based independent journalist who covers global current events for TheBlot Magazine with a focus on policy, tech and security. He previously worked at Thomson Reuters in New York City. He can be reached by phone, e-mail and on social media here.
    CYBER!
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      Justice Dept. seeks new authorities to fight cybercrime
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Source: FCW: The business of federal technology
        Sat, 11 Jul 2015 15:15
        Cybersecurity
        Justice Dept. seeks new authorities to fight cybercrimeBy Adam MazmanianJul 09, 2015The Justice Department and some lawmakers are concerned about potential gaps in the government's ability to prosecute cybercrimes under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and are seeking to update the law to reflect the challenges of cyberspace.
        The law dates back to 1986. "Technology has changed a great deal since then," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) at a July 8 hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Crime and Terrorism Subcommittee.
        David Bitkower, deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Department's Criminal Division, agreed. "We do have currently authorities and capabilities to address a vast array of cybercrime," he said, "but we have observed through prosecutions and investigations we've done that there are gaps in certain areas."
        He added that a recent federal appeals court decision has led circuit courts to differ in their application of parts of the law. Additionally, some uses of technology by cybercriminals are not covered in the statute.
        Security experts have expressed concerns about an Obama administration proposal that would target certain categories of insider threats by punishing individuals who exceeded their authorized access to a computer. The goal is to prosecute employees who use private information on their company or its customers for nefarious purposes.
        However, security researchers said the measure could compromise their efforts to probe sites and services for weaknesses.
        "We understand that creating a carve-out is a challenge as often researchers' efforts mirror those of cybercriminals, despite radically different intentions," said Jen Ellis, senior director of community and public affairs at security firm Rapid7. "We strongly urge the committee to consider this problem and whether there is a way to create an exemption for research, perhaps based around intent or outcomes."
        Bitkower said the administration's efforts to update the law were not intended to apply to trivial or unknowing violations or to researchers or security professionals. "We're not interested in prosecuting those cases," he said.
        The administration is also seeking to update the law by banning the sale or rental of botnets, giving the Justice Department the authority to seek injunctions in cases where 100 or more computers have been hacked and transformed into botnets. The proposed change would add the selling of illegal spyware as a predicate offence for money laundering, and allow officials to make forfeiture claims against spyware vendors.
        About the Author
        Adam Mazmanian is FCW's senior staff writer, and covers Congress, health IT and governmentwide IT policy. Connect with him on Twitter: @thisismaz.
      The private-sector focus of the Pentagon's annual cyber exercise
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Source: FCW: The business of federal technology
        Tue, 07 Jul 2015 11:06
        Cybersecurity
        The private-sector focus of the Pentagon's annual cyber exerciseBy Sean LyngaasJul 06, 2015An annual cyber defense exercise held last month by the departments of Defense and Homeland Security and the FBI simulated a ''whole-of-nation response'' to attacks on critical infrastructure, with an emphasis on the private sector, where most of the potential targets reside.
        The exercise held at a Joint Staff J-7 facility in Suffolk, Va., from June 8 to June 26 had more than 1,000 participants from over 100 organizations, including information-sharing hubs for the electric and financial sectors. All five military services, including National Guard and Reserve units, took part, as did the Federal Aviation Administration, according to a U.S. Cyber Command statement.
        ''Most critical infrastructure in the United States, particularly in the information technology area, is owned by the private sector,'' said Rear Adm. Kevin Lunday, Cyber Command's director of training and exercises, according to the Pentagon's official news service. ''So we rely on them, particularly when we are responding to a major incident or attack on the private sector.''
        National Security Agency Director Adm. Michael Rogers, who heads Cyber Command, said the exercise was an opportunity to practice inter-service and inter-agency coordination. ''Cyber Guard is designed to exercise the interface between the Department of Defense -- the active and Reserve and Guard components -- that are focused on the cyber mission, and to partner with other elements of the U.S. government as well as state and local authorities,'' he said. A more detailed list of federal participants can be found here. The list does not name private firms that participated, and a Cyber Command spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
        The Cyber Command statement referenced the participation of ''allied partners,'' and that included British officials, according to a Wall Street Journalreport. British participation makes sense in light of deepening bilateral cooperation in the field.
        Jim Penrose, a former senior NSA official who has participated in Pentagon cyber drills, said the exercises were crucial in helping identify cyber vulnerabilities in advance of a real-world incident because ''once those cyber bullets are flying, all bets are off.''
        By involving critical-infrastructure firms in the exercises, federal officials are ''going to the next level '... when it comes to cyber readiness,'' said Penrose, who is now an executive vice president at cybersecurity firm Darktrace. Involving private-sector executives in the exercises also encourages them to share the latest cybersecurity best practices with their boardrooms, he added.
        About the Author
        Sean Lyngaas is an FCW staff writer covering defense, cybersecurity and intelligence issues. Follow him on Twitter: @snlyngaas
      What cyber insurance can do for contractors
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Source: FCW: The business of federal technology
        Wed, 08 Jul 2015 07:23
        Comment
        What cyber insurance can do for contractorsBy Justin Chiarodo, Philip BesharaJul 07, 2015Justin Chiarodo (left) is a partner and Philip Beshara (right) is an associate in Dickstein Shapiro's Government Contracts Practice.
        Cybersecurity compliance for government contractors is an ever-growing challenge. Companies face current and emerging obligations arising from a patchwork of executive orders, standards from the Office of Management and Budget and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, rulemaking in the Federal Acquisition Regulation and agency supplements, contract terms, and legislative action (and inaction). Not to mention the scrutiny that comes with endless press coverage.
        But how well is your business financially protected in the event of a cybersecurity incident? (Or if you are on the government side, how safe are your industry partners?)
        The financial costs of cyber events can be staggering. The highly publicized attack on Target cost the retailer and financial institutions a reported $348 million. And for government contractors, the implications can be existential. In 2014, a high-profile provider of background checks to the Office of Personnel Management fell victim to a suspected state-sponsored cyberattack that potentially exposed confidential information regarding 27,000 government employees.
        OPM not only declined to renew the company's contracts (which in one year totaled $417 million in revenue), but the contractor's parent company filed for bankruptcy, citing the cyberattack as a key cause.
        Following a 2011 data breach at a major contractor for the military's Tricare health benefits program, the government required the company to pay the costs of notifying 5 million affected Tricare recipients. On top of that, the contractor faced years of class-action litigation.
        Those numbers reinforce the notion that contractors should focus not only on cyber compliance practices but also on ways to mitigate the financial impacts of inevitable cyber incidents. Those investments should complement more traditional cyber compliance measures (e.g., system security and training).
        Two such measures in particular are worth a closer look: corporate insurance and liability protections under the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act of 2002.
        Although the cybersecurity insurance market is still evolving, contractors would be well-served to review their current policies and assess their current coverage portfolio. Advance review and planning will help identify potential coverage issues and gaps before a cyber event takes place, position contractors to maximize their potential recoveries in the event of a cyber incident and even enable contractors to negotiate more favorable policy language to maximize their liability protections.
        As a complement to insurance coverage, the SAFETY Act might also provide critical liability protections to approved businesses that use or provide approved products or services that can reach cybersecurity vulnerabilities. For example, FireEye recently announced that the Department of Homeland Security had certified two of the company's cybersecurity products as ''qualified anti-terrorism technologies'' under the SAFETY Act, and the company touted the approval as the first such certification for cybersecurity software.
        Government contractors and other businesses that use DHS-certified technology may cloak themselves in the law's liability protections, effectively avoiding the tort liability that can arise from a cyberattack when such technology is used. FireEye's DHS approval is a welcome step that further confirms that the SAFETY Act's protections extend beyond terrorism concerns to include the cybersecurity threats facing American companies and, through them, U.S. economic and national security interests.
        Those threats '-- particularly for government contractors '-- show no signs of abating. Contractors that are waiting for financial protection from federal regulators or Congress will likely be disappointed. Given the financial risks presented by recent and future cyberattacks on federal contractors, companies should take every advantage of the financial and liability safeguards currently at their disposal and include the assessment of those safeguards as an integral part of their cybersecurity compliance strategies.
        About the Authors
        Justin Chiarodo is a partner in Dickstein Shapiro's government contracts practice.
        Philip Beshara is an associate in Dickstein Shapiro's government contracts practice.
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      OPM director refuses to resign amid new hack revelations
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Source: FCW: The business of federal technology
        Sat, 11 Jul 2015 16:41
        Cybersecurity
        OPM director refuses to resign amid new hack revelationsBy Zach NobleJul 09, 2015In a call with reporters, OPM Director Katherine Archuleta said again that she would not resign over the security breaches.
        A mere half-hour after releasing the long-awaited official estimate of how many people had been exposed in the massive background investigation breach -- 21.5 million, higher than some previous unofficial estimates -- the Office of Personnel Management hosted a conference call for media that shed a bit more light on the situation.
        In the brief and carefully controlled call, OPM Director Katherine Archuleta said she would not resign over the breaches.
        When the first reporter asked about congressional calls for her resignation, Archuleta repeated her stock speech about how she had inherited a flawed legacy system and has worked "aggressively" to improve OPM's cybersecurity.
        The next reporter asked a similar question: Would Archuleta or OPM CIO Donna Seymour resign, and if not, why not?
        "No," Archuleta said. "I am committed to the work that I am doing at OPM. I have trust in the staff, including Donna Seymour."
        The timeline and numbers, clarified
        "This was a challenging investigation," said Andy Ozment, assistant secretary of the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications at the Department of Homeland Security.
        He told reporters that it appears both breaches -- the first of which exposed 4.2 million personnel files of current and former feds and the second of which affected millions of background investigations -- were conducted by the same actor moving between systems.
        "Separate but related" was his description of the breaches.
        Multiple members of Congress have named China as the culprit, but Ozment declined to identify the suspected actor.
        Using compromised contractor credentials, hackers first accessed OPM systems, then breached an Interior Department database in which OPM personnel files were stored, Ozment said.
        Hackers had access to OPM networks from May 2014 through April 2015, he said, but were most active from June 2014 to January 2015 on OPM systems and from October 2014 to April 2015 on Interior's database, which was the source of the 4.2 million-record breach.
        Although the Interior breach was discovered second, it was a less challenging investigation, while investigating the background check breach was ''extremely complicated,'' which is why it took so long to determine how many people were affected, Ozment said.
        Archuleta pledged three years of credit monitoring and other support for the 21.5 million individuals affected by the background check breach.
        According to OPM, 3.6 million of the 4.2 million people whose records were exposed in the personnel file breach were also affected by the background investigation breach, making the total number of those affected 22.1 million.
        Those 3.6 million will receive three years of credit monitoring rather than the 18 months initially offered by OPM through contractor CSID, Archuleta said. She added that she did not yet know whether the remaining 600,000 affected only by the personnel file breach would receive expanded coverage.
        Archuleta said credit monitoring might be added to the standard benefits package for federal employees.
        The call was kept short, and only a handful of reporters were allowed to ask questions. At least two other reporters, including this one, attempted to ask questions but were cut off.
        About the Author
        Zach Noble is a staff writer covering cloud, big data and workforce issues. Connect with him on Twitter: @thezachnoble.
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      BlueshieldHack email
        Hi Adam,
        Please keep me anonymous on the air as knowing my
        name could potentially lead nosey people back to
        my source.
        I recently spoke with a higher up at a major
        health insurance provider.
        She said that when they looked at the data
        that was stolen, it wasn't useful data like
        social security #s, or payment info. It was just random
        info.
        Now, the next thing she said was that as soon as
        you report a "hack", the FBI shows up at your company
        and basically embeds itself into your organization for
        some period of time (forever for all we know).
        So I came up with two theories:
        (1) The stolen data was actually useful but only for
        blackmail purposes. ie: People who have an embarrassing
        disease like genital herpes that they contracted AFTER
        they got married.
        (2) The hack was done by the FBI itself or someone they
        hired to get their foot in the door so they can start downloading
        everyone's data for whatever reason.
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Ministry of Truth
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      U.S. Official Talks to Alhurra About New Communication Hub in the UAE - BBG
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 13:47
        Under Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy Richard Stengel sat down with Alhurra Television to discuss the newly opened Sawab Center in Abu Dhabi and the fight to counter messaging from ISIL. Stengel stated that the goal of the Center, a joint American/Emirati project is ''to create content, messages, that counter Daash's social media strength and sophistication.'' Daash is another term used for ISIL. He went on to say that the Sawab Center will coordinate the messaging and content from among the coalition partners that are united against ISIL.
        During the interview in Dubai, Stengel stated that the Sawab Center will produce messaging that attempts to stem the flow of foreign fighters to ISIL, by showing them that the messaging created by ISIL ''is false and that the Caliphate isn't a paradise.'' He went on to say that they are trying to prevent people from going to join ISIL by reporting ''there is no plumbing, there is no electricity, there is no internet access.''
        Stengel added that he hopes it ''will inspire other countries to create similar centers,'' noting that Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have ''mobilized their own social media.'' The interview was also featured on Alhurra.com.
      Sawab Center
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 13:42
        Who We Are: Sawab is a joint initiative by the Governments of the United Arab Emirates and the United States in support of the Global Coalition against DAESH. We work with members of the Global Coalition around the world, as well as many other engaged individuals and organizations in order to counter DAESH propaganda and reveal its true criminal nature and intent.
        What We Do: The word Sawab in Arabic signifies ''doing the right thing'' or being on the ''right path''. Sawab seeks to do just that by giving a voice to the millions of Muslims and others around the world that stand united against the terrorism and falsehood propagated by DAESH. Sawab will use online communication and social media tools to put things in the right perspective and to amplify those many moderate voices that too often get drowned out by the noise of the extremists.
        What We Stand For:
        Diversity: A Middle East region in which religions, ethnicities and peoples live peacefully side by side and respect each other's cultures and creeds.
        Progress: A Middle East region that promotes education, opportunities and personal progress for all of its citizens and in particular the youth.
        Transparency: The truth about DAESH and how it is abusing Islam.
        Tolerance: Tolerance for different opinions and creeds in the online space.
        Moderation: Promoting moderate voices representing Islam and its many schools in its many diverse manifestations.
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Nepal Hospital, CNN Differ on Reported Surgery After Quake - ABC News
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 13:24
        A Nepal hospital said Friday that CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta incorrectly reported that he operated on an 8-year-old girl after the country's devastating earthquake in April. A CNN spokeswoman said Gupta did perform surgery, and the news channel was trying to verify the patient's identity.
        A top official at the Bir Hospital in Kathmandu, Dr. Ganesh Bahadur Gurung, said Friday that the girl, Salina Dahal, never had brain surgery and has recovered from minor head injuries.
        Gupta, a practicing brain surgeon, reported days after the April 25 earthquake that he operated on Dahal. Gurung said Gupta did observe the surgery of another 14-year-old girl, but it was unclear whether he actually assisted Nepali doctors because of the chaotic situation.
        Gupta did perform surgery at the hospital, CNN spokeswoman Neel Khairzada said Friday. She said apparently different people at the hospital had given conflicting information to two CNN representatives.
        CNN provided smartphone-shot video of the operation that it said was taken at the hospital by CNN producer Tim Hume. The video clips show Gupta in surgical scrubs and, at one point, using a hand-operated drill on a patient.
        The Global Press Journal first reported this week that according to the girl's family and doctors, Dahal was never operated on. Instead, it reported Gupta operated on a 14-year-old girl, Sandhya Chalise.
        Gurung said Gupta was allowed inside the hospital by a Nepali surgeon because Gupta said he wanted to observe and was also a surgeon himself.
        Dahal and her family said she was in the hospital for eight days with minor injuries and a broken wrist but did not have any surgery. She showed minor scars on her head. Her grandfather '-- 61-year-old Ram Bahadur '-- said her wounds needed only stitches after being injured by falling debris on April 25.
        She was taken to two different hospitals before ending up at Bir hospital. She said she was visited by many doctors, including foreign ones, but was not sure if one was Gupta. Dahal's family does not own a television.
        On CNN's "New Day" on Friday, Gupta addressed the issue of how the names of two patients could have been confused.
        "When you think about reporting these types of stories, it is a chaotic situation," he said, adding that the hospital's lobby turned into a "massive triage area."
        '--'--'--
        Associated Press writer Lynn Elber contributed.
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Agenda 21
      Is a mini ICE AGE on the way? Scientists warn the sun will 'go to sleep' in 2020 | Daily Mail Online
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 11 Jul 2015 03:20
        New study claims to have cracked predicting solar cycles Says that between 2030 and 2040 solar cycles will cancel each other outCould lead to 'Maunder minimum' effect that saw River Thames freeze over By Mark Prigg For Dailymail.com
        Published: 12:40 EST, 10 July 2015 | Updated: 15:42 EST, 10 July 2015
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        The Earth could be headed for a 'mini ice age' researchers have warned.
        A new study claims to have cracked predicting solar cycles - and says that between 2020 and 2030 solar cycles will cancel each other out.
        This, they say, will lead to a phenomenon known as the 'Maunder minimum' - which has previously been known as a mini ice age when it hit between 1646 and 1715, even causing London's River Thames to freeze over.
        Scroll down for video
        A silent sun: In 2011 this image was captured showing an almost clear sun - which experts say could happen for almost a decade from 2030.
        THE SOLAR CYCLEConventional wisdom holds that solar activity swings back and forth like a simple pendulum.
        At one end of the cycle, there is a quiet time with few sunspots and flares.
        At the other end, solar max brings high sunspot numbers and frequent solar storms.
        It's a regular rhythm that repeats every 11 years.
        Reality is more complicated.
        Astronomers have been counting sunspots for centuries, and they have seen that the solar cycle is not perfectly regular.
        The new model of the Sun's solar cycle is producing unprecedentedly accurate predictions of irregularities within the Sun's 11-year heartbeat.
        It draws on dynamo effects in two layers of the Sun, one close to the surface and one deep within its convection zone.
        Predictions from the model suggest that solar activity will fall by 60 per cent during the 2030s to conditions last seen during the 'mini ice age' that began in 1645, according to the results presented by Prof Valentina Zharkova at the National Astronomy Meeting in Llandudno.
        The model predicts that the pair of waves become increasingly offset during Cycle 25, which peaks in 2022.
        During Cycle 26, which covers the decade from 2030-2040, the two waves will become exactly out of synch and this will cause a significant reduction in solar activity.
        'In cycle 26, the two waves exactly mirror each other '' peaking at the same time but in opposite hemispheres of the Sun,' said Zharkova.
        'Their interaction will be disruptive, or they will nearly cancel each other.
        'We predict that this will lead to the properties of a 'Maunder minimum''
        'Effectively, when the waves are approximately in phase, they can show strong interaction, or resonance, and we have strong solar activity.
        'When they are out of phase, we have solar minimums.
        'When there is full phase separation, we have the conditions last seen during the Maunder minimum, 370 years ago.'
        Solar cycle: The sun's 11-year heartbeat explained
        THE MAUNDER MINIMUMThe Maunder Minimum (also known as the prolonged sunspot minimum) is the name used for the period starting in about 1645 and continuing to about 1715 when sunspots became exceedingly rare, as noted by solar observers of the time.
        It caused London's River Thames to freeze over, and 'frost fairs' became popular.
        This period of solar inactivity also corresponds to a climatic period called the 'Little Ice Age' when rivers that are normally ice-free froze and snow fields remained year-round at lower altitudes.
        There is evidence that the Sun has had similar periods of inactivity in the more distant past, Nasa says.
        The connection between solar activity and terrestrial climate is an area of on-going research.
        Some scientists hypothesize that the dense wood used in Stradivarius instruments was caused by slow tree growth during the cooler period.
        Instrument maker Antonio Stradivari was born a year before the start of the Maunder Minimum.
        Maunder Minimum (also known as the prolonged sunspot minimum) is the name used for the period starting in about 1645 and continuing to about 1715 when sunspots became exceedingly rare, as noted by solar observers of the time
        It is 172 years since a scientist first spotted that the Sun's activity varies over a cycle lasting around 10 to 12 years.
        But every cycle is a little different and none of the models of causes to date have fully explained fluctuations.
        The Frozen Thames, 1677 - an oil painting by Abraham Hondius shows the old London Bridge during the Maunder Minimum
        Many solar physicists have put the cause of the solar cycle down to a dynamo caused by convecting fluid deep within the Sun.
        Now, Zharkova and her colleagues have found that adding a second dynamo, close to the surface, completes the picture with surprising accuracy.
        'We found magnetic wave components appearing in pairs, originating in two different layers in the Sun's interior,' she said.
        'They both have a frequency of approximately 11 years, although this frequency is slightly different, and they are offset in time.
        'Over the cycle, the waves fluctuate between the northern and southern hemispheres of the Sun. Combining both waves together and comparing to real data for the current solar cycle, we found that our predictions showed an accuracy of 97%,' said Zharkova.
        Montage of images of solar activity between August 1991 and September 2001 taken by the Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telecope, showing variation in solar activity during a sunspot cycle.
        Zharkova and her colleagues derived their model using a technique called 'principal component analysis' of the magnetic field observations from the Wilcox Solar Observatory in California.
        They examined three solar cycles-worth of magnetic field activity, covering the period from 1976-2008.
        In addition, they compared their predictions to average sunspot numbers, another strong marker of solar activity.
        All the predictions and observations were closely matched.
        Share or comment on this article
    Six Week Cycle
      Comey: Federal authorities disrupted Islamic State-linked July 4 plots
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Thu, 09 Jul 2015 17:54
        FBI Director James Comey testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 8.(Photo: Carolyn Kaster, AP)
        FBI Director James Comey said Thursday that federal authorities disrupted an undisclosed number of plots timed to the July 4th holiday to "kill people in the United States."
        The plots, Comey said, were linked to the Islamic State terror group.
        More than 10 people have been arrested in the past four weeks on charges related to their association with ISIL.
        Some of those, Comey said, involved plots timed to July 4th.
        In advance of July 4th, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security had issued a warning of possible terror activity timed to the holiday.
        That bulletin, the director said, was prompted by the "overall threat" posed by ISIL and other extremists.
        "This is sort of the new normal," Comey said, referring to the continuing threat posed by ISIL.
        He said "dozens" of suspected ISIL recruits in the U.S. have eluded the reach of federal surveillance capability as they have moved to encrypted communications with the terror group.
        USA TODAY
        Justice Department won't seek bill (for now) to gain access to encrypted data
        The director's comments come a day after testifying before members of Congress about the security risks posed by the government's limited investigative capabilities as suspects increasingly use encrypted applications to "go dark."
        Follow @bykevinj on Twitter
        Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1IMFMkN
    Moral Self Licensing
      Cosby's moral self licensing results in the release of his Quaaludes confession.
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Source: newest submissions : inthemorning
        Wed, 08 Jul 2015 18:38
        Comedian/actor Bill Cosby performs at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino on September 26, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller / Getty Images) Getty Images
        Layla A. JonesPosted: Wednesday, July 8, 2015, 10:28 AMIn an ironic twist of events, the "Pound Cake" speech in which Bill Cosby famously (or, perhaps, infamously) criticized the black family and black neighborhood for what he deemed unsavory behavior was used to open the comedian to public scrutiny surrounding sexual assault allegations against him.
        In December 2014, the Associated Press submitted a request to unseal court documents from a 2005 deposition in which a Temple University employee accused Cosby of molestation. It was the second of such requests made by the AP, the first of which was denied when a judge decided to seal the documents temporarily. This time, though, Judge Eduardo C. Robreno of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania justified the unsealing of the documents using Cosby's own outspoken behavior.
        Judge Robreno said in his memorandum, ''The stark contrast between Bill Cosby, the public moralist, and Bill Cosby, the subject of serious allegations concerning improper (and perhaps criminal) conduct, is a matter as to which the AP '-- and by extension the public '-- has a significant interest.''
        Despite the fact that Cosby isn't a ''public figure,'' in the traditional sense, Judge Robreno decided that ''This case, however, is not about a Defendant's status as a public person by virtue of the exercise of his trade as a televised or comedic personality. Rather, the defendant has donned the mantle of public moralist and mounted the proverbial electronic or print soap box to volunteer his views on, among other things, childrearing, family life, education, and crime.''
        The judge cited Cosby's "Pound Cake" speech in his decision.
        Philadelphia funnyman Cosby made his often-cited speech while speaking at an NAACP awards ceremony in 2004. In the speech, he lambasted the failures of black parents, the behavior of black children, and justified police force in a matter of minutes.
        On black parents:
        ''In the neighborhood that most of us grew up in, parenting is not going on'...I'm talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit. Where were you when he was 2? Where were you when he was 12? Where were you when he was 18, and how come you don't know he had a pistol?''
        And again:
        ''I can't even talk the way these people talk'...I don't know who these people are. And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. This is all in the house. Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads.''
        On black crime and the police:
        ''Looking at the incarcerated, these people are not political criminals. These are people going around stealing Coca-Cola. People getting shot in the back of the head over a piece of pound cake! Then we all run out and are outraged: 'The cops shouldn't have shot him.' What the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand?''
        At the time, the speech was praised by some who commended Cosby for his willingness to acknowledge such issues in the black community, and criticized by others who stated Cosby's speech ignored a large part of black American history.
        Ultimately, Judge Robreno decided that Cosby, with his civic-minded outspokenness and specifically his "Pound Cake" speech, ''has voluntarily narrowed the zone of privacy that he is entitled to claim.''
        In the newly unsealed court documents, the AP found that Cosby admitted to drugging a woman prior to having sex with her.
        [Washington Post]
    Vaccine$
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Controversial autism researcher, Jeff Bradstreet, commits suicide after FDA raid in Buford, authorities say | Gwinnett Daily Post
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 27 Jun 2015 22:42
        Dr. Jeff Bradstreet, shown in a Facebook photo speaking at a conference. (Special Photo)
        BUFORD '-- Dr. Jeff Bradstreet, an autism researcher hailed as a hero by some, dismissed as a fringe conspiracy theorist by others, is believed to have committed suicide following a visit to his Buford office by federal agents, authorities confirmed Thursday.
        Multiple law enforcement officials said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration searched Bradstreet Wellness Center last week. On Monday, plastic sheets covered the windows of the two suites the office takes up in a complex off Commerce Drive, and the doors were locked.
        Employees who answered the door said they couldn't give any information, that it was too soon to speculate on how he died. By Wednesday night, some of Bradstreet's supporters were speculating that his death wasn't a suicide, but a conspiracy.
        The Rutherford County, N.C. Sheriff's Office says the doctor, 61, of Braselton, was found dead by a fisherman in the Rocky Broad River on Friday afternoon, not far from the lake Bradstreet and his wife often visited on vacation.
        ''Mr. Bradstreet had a gunshot wound to the chest, which appears to be self inflicted,'' a statement from the office said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
        The FDA has yet to reveal why agents searched the office of the doctor, reportedly a former pastor who has been controversial for well over a decade. Robert Hiser, an assistant special agent in charge with the federal agency's criminal investigations division, referred questions to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta, which couldn't immediately be reached Thursday.
        The Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency aided the FDA with the raid, but director Rick Allen said Thursday he wasn't immediately able to give information on the purpose of the search.
        Bradstreet has been criticized for using methods of treating autism that were dismissed by mainstream medical professionals. He has also been blasted for reportedly treating patients for ''mercury toxicity,'' based on the belief that an ingredient in a childhood vaccination caused autism, a theory which the leading voices in medicine say is inaccurate.
        As news of his death spread, many of his supporters began posting messages online, saying that he had saved their children's lives, that he was champion for the movement to cure autism. They posted story after story in which his therapies and drugs were successful.
        Others, including a man who said he was his brother, called him a martyr for autism and insinuated that the truth about his death wasn't yet known. The man, Thomas Bradstreet, is shown as the creator an online fundraising page, asking for $25,000 from supporters for ''Finding out the TRUTH.''
        More than $5,000 had been donated by shortly after noon Thursday.
        Jamie Keever, the investigator from the sheriff's office on the case, said he was aware of the theories.
        ''I've talked to some of those people today,'' he said Thursday. ''I don't know what to say. They have a right to their opinion.''
        Efforts to reach the Bradstreet family were not successful this week.
        Return to gwinnettdailypost.com for updates.
      Dr Richard Matt who claimed vaccines caused autism found dead of apparent suicide | Daily Mail Online
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 27 Jun 2015 22:40
        Dr Jeff Bradstreet found dead in an apparent suicide in North CarolinaBradstreet died of what seems to be self-inflicted gunshot wound to chestFound in Rocky Broad River in Chimney Rock on June 19 by a fishermanBradstreet published research based on claim vaccines cause autismThe medical community says such claims have been disprovedUS FDA agents searched his office for reasons unknown before his deathBy Associated Press and Daily Mail Reporter
        Published: 22:30 EST, 26 June 2015 | Updated: 13:11 EST, 27 June 2015
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        Anti-vaccine Dr Jeff Bradstreet was found dead in an apparent suicide in North Carolina after agents from the US Food and Drug Administration searched his office for reasons unknown.
        The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said in a news release issued this week that Bradstreet, 61, died of what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.
        Bradstreet's body was found in the Rocky Broad River in Chimney Rock on June 19 by a fisherman and rescue team divers responded to the scene and recovered a handgun from the river.
        Scroll down for video
        Anti-vaccine Dr Jeff Bradstreet was found dead in an apparent suicide after FDA agents searched his office
        Bradstreet published autism research based on the disputed claim that vaccines cause autism (stock photo)
        Bradstreet ran the Bradstreet Wellness Center clinic in Buford, Georgia, and published autism research based on the disputed claim vaccines cause autism.
        The medical community says such claims have been disproved.
        The clinic was raided by agents from the FDA who were receiving assistance from the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency, the Gwinnet Daily Post reported.
        Bradstreet is from Braselton, Georgia.
        His body was sent to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center for an autopsy on June 23 and the case is still under investigation by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office.
        Bradstreet's clinic was raided by FDA agents with assistance from the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency
        His family is raising funds online to investigate his death as some do not believe it was a suicide.
        The investigator from the sheriff's office, Jamie Keever, said: 'I've talked to some of those people today.
        'I don't know what to say. They have a right to their opinion.'
        A GoFundMe page raising money to 'find the answers to the many questions leading up to the death of Dr Bradstreet, including an exhaustive investigation into the possibility of foul play' has already raised more than $15,000.
        Fiona O'Leary of Autistic Rights Together [ART], responded to Bradstreet's death and the call for an investigation into his death.
        She said: 'While it is very sad to hear of the death of Dr Bradstreet in such tragic circumstances, it is important to consider his position as one of the world's leading practitioners in the field of bio-medical treatments for autism.
        'Many of these so called 'treatments' are unlicensed and unproven to be of any benefit to autistic people, indeed many can have serious and dangerous side effects on an individual's health and well being.
        'Many supporters of Dr Bradstreet and the bio-medical industry are hailing him as a hero, claiming foul play at the hands of the government, yet the truth is more simple perhaps.
        'None of the many so called treatments or cures could ever be substantiated and proven to be effective or beneficial outside of the bio-medicals own propaganda machine.'
        How children with the autism perceive the world (related)
        Share or comment on this article
      CA SB277 on vaccines moves toward disastrous passage | American Everyman
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 27 Jun 2015 22:38
        Posted on April 30, 2015 by willyloman
        by Jon Rappoport
        California Senate Bill 277 has passed through the Judiciary Committee, and needs another Committee's rubber stamp before it arrives on the Senate floor for debate'--and what looks like a ride into law.
        Governor Brown will sign the Bill. Brown has become a standard fool. He's worn out. Whatever interesting ideas he may have entertained in his former ''moonbeam'' incarnation are gone in the wind.
        Bill SB277 eliminates the personal belief and religious exemptions from vaccination. It also states that children cannot attend public or private school unless they are vaccinated according to the State's schedule.
        Medical exemptions are still allowed, but these won't be easy to come by, because physicians who grant them will be scrutinized and harassed.
        [read more here]
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        Filed under: SB277, vaccines
      The Strange Story of Dr. Bradstreet, SB277, the FDA and the Struggle Against Mandatory Vaccinations | American Everyman
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 27 Jun 2015 22:38
        by Scott Creighton
        On June 19th, the Rutherford County sheriff's office received a report from a fisherman who said he spotted a body floating in the Rocky Broad River in Chimney Rock, N.C.
        The body was later identified as that of Dr. James Jeffrey Bradstreet of Braselton, Georgia.
        The body displayed a single gunshot wound to the chest and divers later recovered a pistol from the river.
        Officials immediately declared it ''appears to be'' a suicide but their investigation continues.
        This information, reported by Fox Carolina, is just about the sum total of coverage Dr. Bradstreet's death has received from the so-called ''legitimate press''
        Let me see if I got this right: a working doctor taking care of patients with autism, which his son also suffers from, decides to kill himself so he travels a hundred miles to some obscure little river in North Carolina where he somehow manages to shoot himself in the chest in a deep enough part of the river that it requires divers to locate the gun that drops out of his hand when he pulls the trigger. Did he swim out there and shoot himself? Was he in a canoe which disappeared after the fact? Did he wade out in the river and shoot himself and linger long enough to toss the weapon out in the deep water as he slumped to his death?
        Does anyone think any of those possibilities wouldn't be laughed out of court were the local sheriff's office to present them as the official story of what happened to Dr. Bradstreet?
        Or, does it make more sense that someone killed him and transported his body and the murder weapon to some lazy backwoods river a hundred miles away where a search for the missing doctor would never reach and then dumped his body and the murder weapon in such a shoddy way that it resurfaced and was found by some fisherman?
        I guess a little more information on Dr. Bradstreet is required at this point. If someone is going to suggest a murder and subsequent cover-up, then one must first examine the potential presence of motive and in this case, the motive might very well be a big one.
        Our recent history is littered with accidental deaths and suicides of folks who had the potential to stand in the way of very important agendas.
        The story of Aaron Swartz comes to mind. He was one of the founders of Reddit who led the charge against SOPA and CISPA and was very effective doing it. He also hacked into a library at the school he attended in order to release thousands of documents and studies to people on the internet for free. The Justice Department wanted to use that act to prosecute him but the school wasn't really behind the idea and they eventually tried to offer him a 3 month sentence if he simply pleaded guilty so it wouldn't go to trial. He refused. He said knowledge shouldn't be reserved only for the wealthy and that it should belong to the people. He would have won his case and set a precedent in the courts that may very well have changed the way we view education.
        Two months before the honey-dipped ''Edward Snowden'' psyop began and one month before hundreds of lobbyists traveled to D.C. to push for the new CISPA (which part of it was finally garnered for them via the new Freedom Act, thanks to ''Edward Snowden'') Aaron Swartz was discovered by NYDP's Special Ops division hanging in his closet, dead from an apparent suicide because, as the official story goes, he couldn't face those 3 months in jail.
        The story of Mike Connell also comes to mind. He helped rigged the election of 2004 which kept George Bush, and more importantly, Dick Cheney, in the White House. He's the one Karl Rove supposedly threatened just before he was scheduled to testify in the King Lincoln Bronzeville Neighborhood Association v. Blackwell case in 2008. Supposedly Rove told Connell if he didn't take the fall for the election fraud in Ohio back in 2004, his wife would be prosecuted for some other offense.
        On September 22, 2008 Connell was served with a subpoena in the case. On Dec. 19th, 2008, the plane he was piloting crashed on approach at Akron-Canton Airport. He never gave that testimony.
        These are just a few. There are more like Vince Foster for example or better still, Dr. Bruce Ivins. You get the picture.
        The point is, taking out people who stand in the way of what some view as progress is not something that just happens in the movies. It's real and simply screeching ''conspiracy theorist'' at someone who calls these mysterious and timely deaths into question doesn't work anymore. At least, not like it used to.
        And that's what they are doing in the case of Dr. Bradstreet's rather mysterious end.
        Over at Autism News they posit the following question: Death of Dr. James Jeffrey Bradstreet '' should we believe the conspiracy theorists?
        Only hours after his death, the conspiracy theorists were out in force. Erin Elizabeth on the HealthNut website stated'...
        Doubtful News offers more of the same: Anti-vax doctor dead of apparent suicide; conspiracists fired up . They even go so far as to suggest the ''antivax'' crowd's ''paranoia'' is at the heart of this ''conspiracists'' theory:
        'There is speculation not only that Bradstreet was murdered but that another alternative practitioners death over the weekend suggests that there is some plot. There is ZERO evidence for this and the paranoia reflects the mentality of the anti-vax crowd who think they are right but everyone is out to get them. Of course the family doesn't help by saying he gave his life for Autism. Will he be thought of as a martyr?!
        The influence peddlers always do this. They always attempt to marginalize, early on in any discussion of any questionable event, anyone and everyone who dares to wonder about or discuss the circumstances of the official story in any way that sheds light on flaws in the story. They did this too me 2 weeks after the ''Edward Snowden'' story first broke calling me and a few others ''Edward Snowden Truthers''
        The idea is as old as the hills. Frighten people with public shaming into silence regarding whatever issue or event they are researching and writing about. It's institutionalized bullying. Fox News was great at it back in 2002 and early 2003 when they were demonizing anyone who dared raise questions in public about how the various stories justifying the invasion of Iraq kept falling apart. It is as American as apple pie at this point. In fact, our current system of government probably wouldn't survive for very long if it wasn't so widespread and casually accepted as it is.
        Funny thing is, when you see this kind of behavior launched so quickly and uniformly across the media spectrum, it should itself raise some red flags.
        In this case the vaccine choice crowd is being warned to avoid discussion of any possible other explanation of this mysterious death because they fear they are already being labeled as ''paranoid'' and thus a further marginalization as ''conspiracy theorist'' regarding this certainly wont help their cause.
        However, there is good reason to be suspicious, if not just due to the manner in which he supposedly took his own life, but also in the timing of it.
        You see, Dr. Bradstreet was a leading advocate for vaccine choice in this country. He was firmly in the camp that believes and with good reason that some of these vaccines being pushed on parents to give their children are not only not necessary but are in fact unnecessarily harmful to kids. Again, he has very good reason to believe that. Like I said before, his own child has autism which Dr. Bradstreet believes was caused by a vaccine he was given at the age of only 15 months or so.
        Dr. Bradstreet also treated children with autism through a controversial process of mercury cleansing. Mercury is an additive in some vaccines that many believe to be the cause of autism in these cases.
        Upon mention of his death in various social media platforms, a number of people claiming to be parents of children he treated have left messages praising his work. In some cases they claim the effects of the autism have been completely reversed in their children and are thankful for his tireless efforts.
        It's hard for me to understand how some people would disregard the odd circumstances surrounding his death when one thinks about how he led his life and how much he seemed to enjoy helping so many children with autism. Had Dr. Bradstreet remained mum on the subject of mercury in vaccines, his passing would have been something that required a good deal more sympathy and national attention. But because he spoke out against something he thought was wrong, something that needlessly endangered a significant number of children for the benefit of Big Pharma.
        You see, right now there is something underway in California which Big Pharma is definitely interesting in taking nationwide and that is the mandatory vaccination program they just passed via SB277.
        Without getting too deep into it, SB277 is a majorly controversial bill which mandates public and private school students get at current standards, 12 vaccinations before being allowed to enroll. I have covered the unconstitutional mandate a little. I should have done more.
        Back in April of this year, the fight was well underway when I started paying attention to it. Thousands of people showed up at the California legislature in order to voice their disapproval of SB277. So many in fact they had to postpone the vote on the legislation they were scheduled to take.
        Well, that vote did take place and Big Pharma got what they wanted. Of course it comes in the wake of the clearly staged Disney outbreak, which was also conveniently timed when you think about it.
        Here's the timing: The FDA along with the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency raided Dr. Bradstreet's offices the week before his so-called ''suicide'' which took place sometime around the 19th of this month. His offices could have been raided earlier the same week, which was last week. This week, on Thursday the 25th, six days after his body was found, SB277 goes back for the vote and is approved.
        In a sense you have the same storyline developed here that you did with Aaron Swartz.
        The Justice Department initiates some form of prosecution or threat of it via the raid which closed down his offices and the target ends up ''committing suicide'' rather than suffer the consequences of that prosecution.
        It's the same fucking story.
        Dr. Bradstreet was an educated man and a clear, outspoken voice against the vaccine industry which stands to profit to the tune of billions of dollars in California alone with this new mandatory vaccination program they got shoved down the throats of the people of California.
        Imagine just how much they will make if it goes nationwide.
        That's a lot of money and Bradstreet threatened to get in the way of that much like Swartz did with the telecom industry and the new CISPA they've been dreaming about.
        And that's a hell of a motive.
        Now that he's gone and there will be no prosecution, they can say they found whatever they want to say they found in his offices. They can claim he was selling child porn from his computers or crack out of his back door. Maybe he secretly worshiped the confederate battle flag if they want to be current or funded ''ISIS'' in Mexico.
        The sky's the limit.
        But more importantly, with him gone they can now discredit his work in any way they can come up with, perhaps they write an unsigned suicide note in which he declares his work to be a fraud.
        Like I said, the sky's the limit.
        By getting rid of him, they remove a vocal and believable foil to their nationwide mandatory vaccination ambitions.
        By discrediting his work, they can effectively erase his scholarly contributions post mortem, thus diminishing their future effectiveness as well.
        There's a motive for you that makes sense. It doesn't involve a doctor swimming out in the middle of a river shooting himself in the chest and it doesn't involve him driving a hundred miles to the middle of nowhere to do it. It also doesn't involve him abandoning his family and patients at a time when they needed him the most.
        My theory involves an industry that stands to make billions and trillions of dollars on a product they put out which they know for a fact causes suffering and death in a certain, acceptable, percentage of the CHILDREN they force it on.
        You tell me which makes more sense.
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        Filed under: Dr. Jeff Bradstreet, SB277, Scott Creighton, vaccines
      Jeff Bradstreet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 27 Jun 2015 22:37
        James Jeffrey "Jeff" Bradstreet (July 6, 1954 '' June 19, 2015), was a controversial American doctor, alternative medicine practitioner, and a former Christian preacher[2] who ran the International Child Development Resource Center in Melbourne, Florida,[3] a medical practice in Buford, Georgia[4] and in Arizona, where he practiced homeopathy.[5]
        Education and career[edit]Bradstreet has held a Florida medical license since 1984. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Florida in 1976 in Natural Sciences, where he also went to medical school beginning three years later. His postgraduate research focused on aerospace medicine, and received his training in this field from Wilford Hall Medical Center. He was an adjunct professor of child development and neuroscience at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona.[6]
        Vaccines and autism[edit]Bradstreet has published some controversial autism research, which implicates vaccines in the causation thereof, in the fringe journal Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, which is not indexed by PubMed. This research has concluded that autistic children have a higher body burden of mercury,[7] as well as that three autistic children have measles virus RNA in their cerebrospinal fluid.[8] This research was originally presented to the Institute of Medicine before they published their report concluding that the evidence favors rejection of a relationship between vaccines and autism.[9]
        Bradstreet treated an autistic child named Colten Snyder (who was one of the test cases in the autism omnibus trial) with chelation therapy. This he did in spite of the fact that, according to Denise Vowell, "The April 29, 2000 hair test for mercury demonstrated a low level of mercury in Colten's hair, but one within the reference range of normal for the laboratory, and one well below the 90th percentile for U.S. children ages six to eight." In addition, Vowell stated, "The more disturbing question is why chelation was performed at all, in view of the normal levels of mercury found in the hair, blood and urine, its apparent lack of efficacy in treating Colten's symptoms, and the adverse side effects it apparently caused."[10] Over an eight-year period, Colten visited Bradstreet's office 160 times.[11]Stephen Barrett has stated, "It appears to me that Bradstreet decides which of his nonstandard theories to apply and records diagnoses that embody them," and describes Bradstreet's mercury provoked tests as "phony".[10]
        Alternative autism therapies[edit]In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Bradstreet defended the use of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) as an autism treatment, saying, "Every kid with autism should have a trial of IVIG if money was not an option and IVIG was abundant."[12] Bradstreet also published some research regarding the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for autism,[13] some of which has concluded that it is ineffective,[14] as well as a paper arguing that autistic children have an increased vulnerability to oxidative stress.[15] Further treatments Bradstreet frequently used on autistic children included Gc-MAF, which he claimed to have treated 600 children with;[16] this was partially supported by parents reporting their gratitude for his treatment of their children.[17] In an article in Autism Science Digest, Bradstreet endorsed stem cell therapy as an autism treatment, writing, "By natural design, the purpose of stem cells in the brain is regulation, healing, and repair. Biologically, therefore, stem cells appear to be better suited to heal the brain than any other current therapy. No matter how challenging the task of repairing the brain may appear to be, case reports have built an argument for supporting the reversibility of autism using immunological interventions."[18]
        Personal life and death[edit]Bradstreet was found deceased in Rutherford County, North Carolina in June 2015, after his Buford, Georgia medical office was raided by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).[4][19][20] At the time of his death, he lived in Braselton, Georgia and ran his medical practice in Buford, Georgia.[4]
        Bradstreet's son is autistic, which Bradstreet attributed to a vaccination his son was given at age 15 months.[21]
        Selected Publications[edit]Siniscalco, D.; Sapone, A.; Giordano, C.; Cirillo, A.; Magistris, L.; Rossi, F.; Fasano, A.; Bradstreet, J. J.; Maione, S.; Antonucci, N. (2013). "Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2, but not Type 1, is Up-Regulated in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Children Affected by Autistic Disorders". Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders43 (11): 2686''95. doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1824-9. PMID 23585028. editSiniscalco, D.; Bradstreet, J. J.; Antonucci, N. (2013). "Therapeutic Role of Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Autism Spectrum Disorder-Related Inflammation". Frontiers in Immunology4: 140. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2013.00140. PMC 3677147. PMID 23772227. editAdams, J. B.; Baral, M.; Geis, E.; Mitchell, J.; Ingram, J.; Hensley, A.; Zappia, I.; Newmark, S.; Gehn, E.; Rubin, R. A.; Mitchell, K.; Bradstreet, J.; El-Dahr, J. (2009). "Safety and efficacy of oral DMSA therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders: Part A - Medical results". BMC Clinical Pharmacology9: 16. doi:10.1186/1472-6904-9-16. PMC 2774660. PMID 19852789. editBradstreet, JJ; Dahr, JE (2004). "Detection of Measles Virus Genomic RNA in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Three Children with Regressive Autism: a Report of Three Cases"(PDF). Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons (Association of American Physicians and Surgeons) 9 (2): 38''45. Retrieved 26 August 2013. References[edit]^Allison, Wes (14 May 2000). "Secretin: miracle drug or a quack remedy?". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 19 September 2013. ^Allen, Arthur (1 April 2009). "Treating Autism as if Vaccines Caused It". Slate. Slate.com. Retrieved 25 August 2013. ^"In Memory of Jeff Bradstreet". CECIL M. BURTON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY. Retrieved 20 June 2015. ^ abcAlastair Jamieson. "Anti-Vaccine Doctor Jeff Bradstreet Dead in Apparent Suicide". NBC News. Retrieved 27 June 2015. ^""Autism Specialist"Blasted by Omnibus Special Master". Quackwatch. Retrieved 27 June 2015. ^Jeff Bradstreet Curriculum Vitae^Bradstreet, Jeff (Summer 2003). "A Case-Control Study of Mercury Burden in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders"(PDF). Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons8 (3): 76''79. ^Bradstreet, JJ; Dahr, JE (2004). "Detection of Measles Virus Genomic RNA in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Three Children with Regressive Autism: a Report of Three Cases"(PDF). Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons (Association of American Physicians and Surgeons) 9 (2): 38''45. Retrieved 26 August 2013. ^Immunization Safety Review. Institute of Medicine. 2004. p. 182. ^ abBarrett, Stephen (15 March 2009). ""Autism Specialist" Blasted by Omnibus Special Master". Quackwatch. Retrieved 24 August 2013. ^Offit, Paul (2011). Deadly Choices. Basic Books. p. 102. Retrieved 28 August 2013. ^Tsouderos, Trine; Callahan, Patricia (23 November 2009). "Autism treatment: Science hijacked to support alternative therapies". Chicago Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved 25 August 2013. ^Rossignol, D. A.; Bradstreet, J. J.; Van Dyke, K.; Schneider, C.; Freedenfeld, S. H.; O'Hara, N.; Cave, S.; Buckley, J. A.; Mumper, E. A.; Frye, R. E. (2012). "Hyperbaric oxygen treatment in autism spectrum disorders". Medical Gas Research2 (1): 16. doi:10.1186/2045-9912-2-16. PMC 3472266. PMID 22703610. edit^Granpeesheh, D.; Tarbox, J.; Dixon, D. R.; Wilke, A. E.; Allen, M. S.; Bradstreet, J. J. (2010). "Randomized trial of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for children with autism". Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders4 (2): 268. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2009.09.014. edit^James, S. J.; Melnyk, S.; Jernigan, S.; Cleves, M. A.; Halsted, C. H.; Wong, D. H.; Cutler, P.; Bock, K.; Boris, M.; Bradstreet, J. J.; Baker, S. M.; Gaylor, D. W. (2006). "Metabolic endophenotype and related genotypes are associated with oxidative stress in children with autism". American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics141B (8): 947. doi:10.1002/ajmg.b.30366. edit^"GcMAF '' the beginning of the end for autism". PRWeb. 8 September 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2013. ^"Dr. James Bradstreet Condolences - Sign the Guest Book - CECIL M. BURTON FUNERAL HOME and CREMATORY". CECIL M. BURTON FUNERAL HOME and CREMATORY. Retrieved 27 June 2015. ^"Stem cells and autism: one year later"(PDF). Autism Science Digest. Autism One. Retrieved 25 August 2013. ^Joshua Sharpe (June 26, 2015). "Controversial autism researcher, Jeff Bradstreet, commits suicide after FDA raid in Buford, authorities say". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved June 27, 2015. BUFORD '-- Dr. Jeff Bradstreet, an autism researcher hailed as a hero by some, dismissed as a fringe conspiracy theorist by others, is believed to have committed suicide following a visit to his Buford office by federal agents, authorities confirmed Thursday. Multiple law enforcement officials said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration searched Bradstreet Wellness Center last week. ^Heather Carpenter (23 June 2015). "Body located in Rocky Broad River in Chimney Rock identified". FOX Carolina. Retrieved 27 June 2015. ^Olmsted, Dan (28 June 2005). "The Age of Autism: Homeschooled". UPI. Retrieved 25 November 2014. External links[edit]
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      California mandates poisoning children: SB277 Vaccine Bill Passes
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        Archived Version
        Source: Signs of the Times
        Sat, 27 Jun 2015 22:54
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      New AMA policy favors ending nonmedical vaccine exemptions - Yahoo News UK
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 20 Jun 2015 11:49
        CHICAGO (AP) '-- The American Medical Association has adopted policies against nonmedical vaccine refusals and for transgender people in the military.
        The nation's largest doctors' group says parents should not be able to refuse to have their kids vaccinated for personal or religious reasons. That's because of the health risks unvaccinated kids pose to others.
        At its annual policymaking meeting in Chicago on Monday, the AMA said it would support efforts to end those exemptions in state immunization mandates.
        The AMA also adopted a policy saying there's no medically valid reason for the military's ban on transgender service members. And it agreed to organize efforts to create guidelines for assessing whether older physicians remain competent to safely treat patients.
        The group has considerable lobbying clout and its positions tend to influence policymakers.
      Medical tyranny: California Vaccine (SB277) Bill passes Health Committee
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Source: Signs of the Times
        Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:53
        California is going full totalitarian, but is anyone surprised?The state's controversial and tyrannical mandatory vaccine bill has jumped another hurdle on its path to becoming law.
        Yesterday, California lawmakers approved the bill, which requires all schoolchildren be vaccinated before being permitted to attend public or PRIVATE schools unless they have a MEDICAL exemption.
        That's right: they are not going to allow religious or philosophical/personal belief exemptions to vaccinations any longer if this passes the full Assembly.
        From the text of the bill:
        (a) As used in this chapter, "governing authority" means the governing board of each school district or the authority of each other private or public institution responsible for the operation and control of the institution or the principal or administrator of each school or institution.
        (b) The governing authority shall not unconditionally admit any person as a pupil of any private or public elementary or secondary school, child care center, day nursery, nursery school, family day care home, or development center, unless, prior to his or her first admission to that institution, he or she has been fully immunized.
        If you have an unvaccinated school-aged child in California, your only option for education will be homeschooling (which is arguably far better than public indoctrination centers anyway, and likely better than most private schools).If the bill becomes law, California would join Mississippi and West Virginia as the only states with such authoritarian requirements.
        How long until other states follow, though? Some think that this law would encourage lawmakers in other states to limit non-medical exemptions too.
        Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, one of the bill's authors, said
        "SB277 is about freedom. Freedom from deadly, crippling contagions that are now preventable through the science of vaccination."
        I don't know about you, but I think this bill is the antithesis of freedom.The bill was approved after five hours of emotional testimony from hundreds of opponents.
        From the Associated Press:
        Opponents of the legislation say they should have the freedom to decide what's best for their child and that the bill would unfairly deny students a public education.
        Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, said he was not convinced that there was a health emergency because of insufficient vaccinations.
        "I think that really stretches the facts to the point of really almost being sort of a scare tactic," he said before voting against the bill.
        Naturally, those who support the bill cite the Disneyland measles "outbreak" as justification for taking away parental (and children's!) rights - even though measles is a relatively benign disease and the majority of those who contract the illness during "outbreaks" in the US are...vaccinated.Santa Monica pediatrician Dr. Jay Gordon testified against the bill. He sought to separate the bill from the December measles outbreak, noting that all those cases of measles occurred outside a school environment:
        "If SB277 had been in place last year, this outbreak would have proceeded in much the same manner," he said.
        No matter what you personally think about vaccinations, laws like these set a dangerous precedent.This is a violation of civil and religious freedoms.
        It is not moral nor ethical to force people to submit to medical procedures that carry the risk of serious injury or death.
        Who owns your body, or those of your children?
        The government, it appears.
        About the author
        Lily Dane is a staff writer forThe Daily Sheeple, where this articlefirst appeared. Her goal is to help people to "Wake the Flock Up!"
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    War on Crazy
      Text - H.R.2546 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): Firearm Risk Protection Act of 2015 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Fri, 26 Jun 2015 15:41
        H. R. 2546
        To prohibit the sale of a firearm to, and the purchase of a firearm by, a person who is not covered by appropriate liability insurance coverage.
        Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York (for herself, Mr. Lynch, Ms. Tsongas, Mr. Grijalva, and Ms. Clark of Massachusetts) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
        To prohibit the sale of a firearm to, and the purchase of a firearm by, a person who is not covered by appropriate liability insurance coverage.
        Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,SECTION 1.Short title.
        This Act may be cited as the ''Firearm Risk Protection Act of 2015''.
        SEC. 2.Prohibitions on sale of firearm to, and purchase of firearm by, a person not covered by appropriate liability insurance.
        (a) Prohibitions.'--Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
        ''(aa)(1)(A)(i) It shall be unlawful for a person to purchase a firearm unless, at the time of the purchase, the purchaser presents to the seller proof that the purchaser is covered by a qualified liability insurance policy.
        ''(ii) It shall be unlawful for a person to sell a firearm unless, at the time of the sale, the seller verifies that the purchaser is covered by a qualified liability insurance policy.
        ''(iii) It shall be unlawful for a person who owns a firearm purchased on or after the effective date of this subsection not to be covered by a qualified liability insurance policy.
        ''(B) Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to the purchase or sale of a firearm for the use of the United States or any department or agency of the United States, or any State or any department, agency, or political subdivision of a State.
        ''(2) In paragraph (1), the term 'qualified liability insurance policy' means, with respect to the purchaser of a firearm, a policy that'--
        ''(A) provides liability insurance covering the purchaser specifically for losses resulting from use of the firearm while it is owned by the purchaser; and
        ''(B) is issued by an insurer licensed or authorized to provide the coverage by the State insurance regulatory authority for the State in which the purchaser resides.''.
        (b) Penalty.'--Section 924 of such title is amended by adding at the end the following:
        ''(q) Whoever violates section 922(aa) shall be fined not more than $10,000.''.
        (c) Effective date.'--The amendments made by this section shall apply to conduct engaged in after the 180-day period that begins with the date of the enactment of this Act.
    Dinosaurs
      Horseshoe crabs get a helping hand - By Maddy Lauria - CapeGazette.com - Covering Delaware's Cape Region - Inland Bays, Atlantic Ocean, Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Milton, Dewey Beach, USA
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 11 Jul 2015 21:50
        Broadkill Beach '-- Vashica Meades grew up a city girl, but she wanted her son to have a close connection to nature.
        Starting when he was small, she made it a point to take her little boy to Broadkill Beach so he could play in the calm surf along the bay's edge, watch the birds and other animals and experience nature at its finest.
        Now her little boy is a preteen, and 12-year-old Chris Boyd is learning just how important the environment near his hometown is to people and to the creatures that live there.
        ''He loved it as a resort, and now he knows it as our home,'' the Milton resident said as her son helped transport Broadkill Beach horseshoe crabs to safety. ''Now he has hands-on experience of what it takes to keep our environment liveable.''
        Chris is one of more than 50 volunteers who have visited Broadkill Beach since May to lend a hand moving thousands of horseshoe crabs that wash into an active project zone along the bay beach. The crabs and any eggs they lay are in danger of suffocation when New Jersey-based Weeks Marine replenishes the beach, sending nearly 2 million cubic yards of sand along a 15,000-foot long portion of the beach.
        As the sun begins to set and high tide rolls in, volunteers and contractors gather at water's edge, wearing hard hats and reflective vests. They're looking for adult horseshoe crabs coming in with the tide. They try to catch them before the crabs have a chance to lay their eggs in the sand.
        Nearing the end of the spawning season, Boyd stands ankle-deep in the bay, scanning the calm waves for the hard, brown shells of the crabs. He spots one, snatches it up and shows it off.
        ''I'm not afraid of crabs, but I don't usually touch them,'' he said, firmly holding the massive female crab by her sides. ''This is an adventure. It's great to be able to help living things.''
        Thousands of crabs relocated
        Just a few weeks ago, at the peak of the spawning season, Broadkill Beach resident Julie McCall couldn't recruit enough volunteers to move the hundreds of crabs swarming the bay beach.
        The first high-volume night, on May 18, brought about 1,000 crabs to the work zone on Broadkill's shore, McCall said. Since then, she and about 50 volunteers '' including Weeks Marine employees '' have moved more than 5,000 spawning crabs.
        Nourishment project at a glance
        When: April 2015 through April 15, 2016
        What: 1.9 million cubic yards of dredged sand
        Where: 15,000 feet of coastline, from Alaska Avenue south to Beach Plum Island Nature Preserve
        Width: 150 feet from dune to waterline
        Dune specs: 25 feet wide at crest, 16 feet above mean sea level or 8 feet higher than beach
        How: Hopper dredge
        Borrow site: 15 southernmost miles of Delaware River main channel
        Contractor: Weeks Marine of New Jersey
        Cost: $63 million
        Total Delaware River main channel deepening project cost: $310 million
        Funding sources: 75 percent federally funded, 25 percent funded by the Philadelphia Port Authority
        Source: Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District
        When plans were set to pump sand from the dredging of the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project onto a stretch of Broadkill Beach during horseshoe crab spawning season, Weeks Marine's contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District specified workers would have to relocate crabs surfacing in active project areas. So, engineers turned to locals for some insight.
        That's how McCall got involved, she said, being known as the local who handles annual horseshoe crab counts for the beach.
        On the first night she reported to the beach, with about 1,000 crabs crawling in and only one volunteer on hand, McCall said she truly relied on the work crew. McCall said they got an ATV and started loading in the crabs, taking them on a short ride past heavy machinery to the safety of an already completed beach.
        ''We just didn't have any idea what we were going to do until that night,'' she said. ''We developed our plan as we went, but the plan has always involved the work crew there on the beach. Some of them had never seen crabs before, and as time went on, they were out there helping out.''
        Work crews assist
        After working a 12-hour shift in the summer heat, many employees would want to be anywhere but back on the job site.
        But that hasn't been the case for some of the contractors working for Weeks Marine, McCall said. They are returning off the clock for one reason: To rescue and relocate spawning horseshoe crabs.
        In rain and heat and even in darkness, McCall said, volunteers and contractors moved the barnacle-studded crabs. The workers learned what to look for, and they became mesmerized by the creatures, just as McCall and her volunteers did, she said.
        ''It's just been a whole different experience than what I really expected,'' she said. ''I thought they were going to think I was crazy when I talked about moving crabs. But they're really interested in what's going on and what wildlife are out there.''
        The spawning season for horseshoe crabs generally slows by July, although crabs will still be spotted along local beaches.
        The replenishment project at Broadkill is about 20 percent completed, with a massive dune overwhelming what was once a much smaller strip of sand. It's quite a hike to the shore, now that Broadkill's beach has been extended by nearly 150 feet in some areas; fully replenished areas are now open to the public. Weeks Marine has until April 2016 to complete the project.
        Volunteers from surrounding towns, MERR, Delaware Surf Fishing, League of Women Voters, a Coast Guard youth group and the Lower Sussex NAACP Youth Council, among others, all flocked to the beach during high tide to help McCall and Weeks Marine move the marine critters.
        Repeat performances?
        As the number of crabs declined toward the end of the spawning season, McCall found an opportunity to tag some horseshoe crabs to test a theory: Were they actually moving the same crabs?
        That's still to be determined, she said, but at least they were saved, even if it did take a couple tries.
        ''There was no way that we were going to leave those crabs there,'' she said. ''I accept the fact that I'm really not going to know how successful we were right away. But clearly you believe it's having some impact, or you wouldn't be out there.''
        Moving the crabs out of the active project area allowed crabs to safely lay eggs that would not be buried by new sand pumped from the channel. McCall said she's seen the relocated crabs using the new beach face to lay their eggs.
        Perhaps just as important as saving the crabs, McCall said, moving the crabs presented a new opportunity to educate the public about how the crabs live and how important they are to the bay ecology and the medical industry.
        ''More people are now aware of why the crabs are important to us and how we can help them and that's always a good thing, to have more of the public paying attention,'' she said. ''They've been around for millions of years and that's the reason that we have a responsibility to protect them. It was their planet for all those years.''
        MORE ABOUT HORSESHOE CRABS
        At least 11 species of migratory birds depend on crab eggs for food as they migrate north to nesting grounds. Striped bass and many other fish, crabs and sea turtles also eat the eggs.An extract from horseshoe crab blood is used in medicine to ensure that products '' such as vaccines and medical devices '' are free of bacterial contamination.Known for their blue blood, horseshoe crabs do not have hemoglobin but use hemocyanin to carry oxygen.When a horseshoe crab donates blood for medical purposes, it donates 8 ounces, which is worth about $2,000.Horseshoe crabs '' dating back at least 450 million years '' are among the oldest creatures on earth.The living fossil survives today almost identical to its ancient ancestors from hundreds of millions of years ago.Of 1 million eggs laid, only 30 will survive the first year.
        Julie McCall holds a horseshoe crab in front of the project area at Broadkill Beach. (Photo by: Maddy Lauria)
        Joe Pace, night safety supervisor at Weeks Marine's project area on Broadkill Beach, explains the replenishment process to some volunteers. (Photo by: Maddy Lauria)
        Work is underway to replenish Broadkill Beach with nearly 2 million cubic yards of sand, which will create the largest beach face the bay beach has seen. (Photo by: Maddy Lauria)
        At the edge of the project area, it's clear how much Broadkill Beach will be widened. The mounds of sand were under bay water before the project started in April. (Photo by: Maddy Lauria)
        Julie McCall, center, with the help of 14-year-old Victoria Diaz-Hanzer, left, and 12-year-old Chris Boyd, volunteers from the Lower Sussex NAACP Youth Council, measures a horseshoe crab. (Photo by: Maddy Lauria)
        Three horseshoe crabs are on standby before getting a quick ride in an ATV to a safer area of Broadkill Beach. (Photo by: Maddy Lauria)
        Georgetown resident Kimberly Diaz-Hanzer, 13, holds a horseshoe crab that she plucked from the water so it could be moved down the beach to a safe and already replenished area. (Photo by: Maddy Lauria)
        As numbers dwindle, it's easier for Julie McCall to record some information about the crabs coming to spawn at Broadkill. She recently tagged 25 crabs to see if they return to the same area they were moved from. (Photo by: Maddy Lauria)
        This tagged horseshoe crab may provide information in the future about these Broadkill-bound crabs, such as whether volunteers were moving the same crabs more than once. (Photo by: Maddy Lauria)
        Horseshoe crabs return to the bay, after being relocated from an active project zone on Broadkill Beach. (Photo by: Maddy Lauria)
        Milton resident Chris Boyd, 12, poses with a horseshoe crab before setting it free. (Photo by: Maddy Lauria)
        Georgetown resident Liberty Hanzer, 11, returns a crab to the water. (Photo by: Maddy Lauria)
    VIDEO-CLIPS-DOCS
      VIDEO-Hillary Clinton says a woman needs her own bill - Jul. 7, 2015
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        Archived Version
        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 14:10
        Clinton wouldn't name the woman she thinks should be on the redesigned ten, but she bashed Treasury Secretary Jack Lew's decision to keep Alexander Hamilton's portrait and make the leading lady share space.
        "I don't like the idea that as a compromise you would basically have two people on the same bill," Clinton told CNN's Brianna Keilar. "That sounds pretty second class to me."
        See Hillary Clinton's first nationally televised interview of her presidential campaign
        She said the Treasury should have opted for a redesign of the $20 bill, saying it would be a more "appropriate" pick.
        The twenty was the denomination of choice for lobbyists and lawmakers who campaigned to put a female face on U.S. money earlier this year.
        That bill features Andrew Jackson, who lobbyists pointed out was opposed to the federal banking system and was partly responsible for the Trail of Tears in which thousands of Native Americans were displaced to present-day Oklahoma. Many died during the journey.
        Related: Ben Bernanke is 'appalled:' Keep Hamilton on the $10 bill
        The $10 bill, however, was already slated for a redesign and security update, and Lew said he wants that design to include a woman, in part because the new design will be unveiled in 2020, the 100th anniversary of the amendment granting women the right to vote.
        But he didn't want to do it at Hamilton's expense. As the first Treasury Secretary and a pioneer of the federal financial system, Lew said Hamilton is too important to disappear from paper money.
        But Clinton isn't the only one who disagreed. When Women on 20s -- the advocacy group that launched a popular campaign -- posted about the Treasury's announcement on Facebook, angry comments flooded in.
        "Placing a woman on a bill with Alexander Hamilton makes the same sexist statement that our currency has made all along - that a woman cannot be independent or important without a man," one commenter wrote.
        Social media users and even Ben Bernanke have also weighed in with their critiques, but Lew has the final say. He's hearing out public opinions now via a website and social media hashtag (#TheNew10) before picking the woman later this year.
        Lew has also suggested there could be two versions of the new $10 bill, one with Hamilton and one that stars a woman.
        CNNMoney (New York)July 8, 2015: 1:40 PM ET
      VIDEO-CNN's Keilar Lets Hillary Ramble on Clinton Foundation; Poses Gooey Questions on $10 Bill, SNL | MRCTV
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 14:07
        See more in the cross-post on the NewsBusters blog.
        Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's first national TV interview aired during Tuesday's edition of The Situation Room on CNN and while senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar pressed Clinton on her e-mail scandal and tumbling poll numbers, the interview measured up to little more than a stroll in the park.
        Along with gooey questions about which woman she thinks should go on the $10 bill and who plays a better Hillary Clinton on Saturday Night Live, Keilar came at Clinton from the left on the candidacy of socialist Bernie Sanders and allowed the former Secretary of State to pontificate without interruption for over a minute and a half on the work of the scandal-ridden Clinton Foundation.
      VIDEO-Jack Black Grills George Stephanopoulos: Which Dem Do You Love More? | MRCTV
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 13:58
        [See NewsBusters for more.] Even a Hollywood actor knows how much George Stephanopoulos loves Democrats. On Wednesday, star Jack Black appeared on Good Morning America and turned the tables on the former Democratic operative. At the end of an interview for his new movie, Black asked for Stephanopoulos's preference: "Real quick, Hillary Rodham Clinton or Bernie Sanders?" Pressing the host for an answer, Black informed that "America knows the rest." Stephanopoulos dodged, "You know I'm not going to answer." Black demanded, "You just have to say one of the names!"
      VIDEO-Chris Matthews: Donald Trump Can Be as Dangerous as Saddam Hussein | MRCTV
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 13:38
        Video cross-posted here at NewsBusters. During a panel discussion after NBC News reporter Katy Tur's contentious interview of 2016 GOP presidential contender Donald Trump, Chris Matthews -- the long-time host of MSNBC's Hardball weeknight program -- surprised his fellow commentators by asserting that the billionaire can be as deadly as a former dictator in the Middle East.
      VIDEO-NY Post: Is 'Sanjay Gupta the Next Brian Williams' For Medical Mix-Up? | MRCTV
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 13:24
        [More in the cross-post on the MRC's NewsBusters blog.]
        On 8 July 2015, the New York Post's Andrea Morabito spotlighted Dr. Sanjay Gupta's appearance on CNN's New Day earlier in the day, where he issued a "clarification," as he put it, about apparently mixing up two earthquake victims he treated during the aftermath of the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal. Morabito noted that Dr. Gupta is "now under fire for some Brian Williams-like exaggerations of his surgical exploits."
      VIDEO-CBS Acts as Cuban Board of Tourism, Promotes Cruises to Island | MRCTV
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 13:17
        More in the cross-post on the MRC's NewsBusters blog.
        On Tuesday, CBS This Morning devoted a nearly five minute segment to touting Carnival offering cruises to Cuba starting in 2016. Co-host Norah O'Donnell proclaimed: ''The historic reopening of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba creates new business opportunities for both countries. Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise company, is announcing it received permission from the U.S. government to begin travel to Cuba.''
        However, back in May, during an interview with CBS's travel editor Peter Greenberg, Republican Senator Jeff Flake '' a supporter of opening diplomatic relations with Cuba '' shot down the possibility of cruising to Cuba under the embargo guidelines.
      VIDEO-Putin allies unveil 'straight pride' flag in Moscow '' video report | World news | The Guardian
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 12:49
        Russian president Vladimir Putin's ruling party unveils a 'straight pride' flag in Moscow in a gesture to counteract the rainbow flag used around the world as a symbol of gay pride and LGBT rights. The Russian government says the flag, which features the silhouette of a man, a woman and three children, is intended to honour the nuclear family and traditional Russian values
      VIDEO-State Department Won't Say if Administration Views Russia as the 'Greatest' Security Threat | MRCTV
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 12:34
        U.S. Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, nominated to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers Thursday that he regards Russia as the greatest threat to U.S. national security, but a State Department spokesman repeatedly declined to say whether that view was shared by the administration.
      VIDEO-Barnicle Bemoaned Police Militarization, Now Calling for National Guard? | MRCTV
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 12:30
        What does it say about Mike Barnicle that, in a discussion of the jump in inner-city crime, Al Sharpton sounded a lot more reasonable than the former Boston Globe columnist?
        On today's Morning Joe, Sharpton almost echoed the NRA's famous "guns don't kill people, people kill people." Said Sharpton: "people, because guns are there don't make you get up and shoot." But there was the blathering Barnicle--who during the Ferguson debate had bemoaned the militarization of police--seeming to condemn the absence of the National Guard in the inner cities.
      VIDEO-Donald Trump Presidential Campaign Announcement | Video | C-SPAN.org
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 12:16
        June 16, 2015Business magnate Donald Trump announced his intention to seek the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in remarks at Trump Tower in New York.'‚He was introduced by his daughter, Ivanka Trump.
        Javascript must be enabled in order to access C-SPAN videos.
        *The transcript for this program was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.
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        January 7, 2000Trump News ConferenceIn a joint news conference prior to a fundraiser for Governor Ventura, potential Reform Party presidential candidate'...
        Clips from This VideoView all clips from this video
      VIDEO-Kohn: Trump's outrageous Mexico remarks - CNN.com
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 12:10
        Story highlightsDonald Trump announces he is running for presidentSally Kohn: Trump isn't in the election to win but to spout off his own fringe viewsPerhaps the lowest point, in a speech filled with low points, was when Trump started bashing Mexico and Mexicans -- and, in so doing, also bashed the fundamental values on which our own nation is founded.
        Sally Kohn
        "When Mexico sends its people," Trump said during his presidential announcement, "they're not sending the best. They're not sending you, they're sending people that have lots of problems and they're bringing those problems. They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. They're rapists and some, I assume, are good people, but I speak to border guards and they're telling us what we're getting."
        Let's spend a moment on that, shall we?
        Trump is explicitly playing into an us-versus-them narrative that is not only factually dumb but divisive and dangerous. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised, given Trump has continually questioned the authenticity of President Barack Obama's birth certificate, but it's shocking nonetheless.
        In Trump's formulation, it's not just Mexicans who are evil -- they're all rapists and drug lords, Trump asserts without any facts to base this upon -- but Mexico the country is also evil, deliberately sending "those people" with "those problems."
        Trump is not only preying on, but feeding the xenophobic fears of mostly conservative white Americans who see immigration not as about economic realities but as a national threat -- people who use rhetoric about "hordes" "swarming" the border, which is also the kind of talk that undermines any notion of humane immigration policy.
        I also hope it goes without saying how deeply offensive such comments are not only to Mexican-Americans, but Latino Americans in general. And frankly, it should offend every American whose own ancestors once came to this country as immigrants, immigrants who were almost all at one point denigrated and demeaned by the majority. Immigration and integration are among the best parts of America's story. Xenophobia and racial bias run through our ugliest chapters.
        "I will build a great, great wall on our southern border," Trump continued in his speech, "and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Never mind that we already have a significant fencing system along key parts of the border, and that Border Patrol agents laying more fencing will not stop desperate migrants and crafty smugglers.
        Facts are nothing to Trump. Nor, apparently, is common sense. How, for example, would he get Mexico to pay for such a wall, especially if the country is as wicked as Trump suggests? One also wonders why he's not concerned there's no fence at all along the northern border. Canada must not be an evil nation.
        "The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everyone else's problems," Trump thundered. But actually, the world has become a dumping ground for U.S. economic policy. And few countries feel this more than Mexico, where our free trade agreements opened the border to cheap American-grown corn -- cheap because it's subsidized by our tax dollars -- which flooded the Mexican market and killed local agriculture.
        By 2001, just seven years after the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect, one out of every three tortillas in Mexico was made with imported corn, one report suggests. And a similar dynamic affected other crops and industries. We've literally been dumping our cheap subsidized crops and low-wage factories in Mexico -- not the other way around.
        Immigrants don't generally leave their families, home countries and everything they've ever known just because they want to -- it's usually because they feel they have no choice. You would think a successful businessman would know the realities of these economic and policy forces. But certainly, we should expect such basic knowledge in our president.
        Of course, there's no way Trump will become president. Polling suggests Trump is, in fact, the most disliked political candidate since 1980. And that's saying a lot. But Trump isn't in this election to win; he's in this election to spout off his own fringe views -- cheered on by a tiny but equally loud right wing of the Republican base. Somehow, like Trump, the more absurd and self-destructive and marginal those views become, the louder they are yelled.
        We are an increasingly pluralistic and global nation, and hopefully increasingly inclusive nation as well. If Trump doesn't like it, there's no one he can fire to change things. He should just quit.
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      VIDEO-CBS This Morning Uses Sanctuary City Policy to Tout Immigration as 'a Tough Issue' for the GOP | MRCTV
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 12:05
        See more in the cross-post on the NewsBusters blog.
        On the heels of the decision by Monday's NBC Nightly News to heavily inject politics into the murder of 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle allegedly by an illegal immigrant, Friday's CBS This Morning used the issue of sanctuary cities to somehow spin it as part of the immigration debate that's ''a tough issue for Republicans.''
        National correspondent Jan Crawford explained that sanctuary cities ''have long been controversial'' even though ''[t]he thinking originally was they were a way to support immigrants, get them help if they got involved with minor offenses'' but with Steinle's murder ''and immigration a contentious issue on the campaign, many politicians now are demanding change.''
      VIDEO-Budget Tax credits limited to families first two children - YouTube
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 12:02
      VIDEO-Osborne unveils 'National Living Wage' in latest budget - YouTube
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 11:58
      VIDEO-Arrival and doorstep FI (Stubb) | EU Council Newsroom
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 10:43
        To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
        Arrival and doorstep by Alexander STUBB, Finnish Minister of Finance, at the Extraordinary Eurogroup Meeting, on 12 July 2015, in Brussels.
        Video detailsDuration:00:05:17Shoot date:12/07/2015Reference:107123Type:DoorstepLocation:Brussels, BelgiumRatio:16:9Talking heads language:English, Finnish, Swedish
      VIDEO-Trump draws thousands to Phoenix rally - CNNPolitics.com
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 10:21
        Story highlightsRepublican presidential candidate tells huge crowd he will release his financial information this weekHe again slams leaders of the United States and says he would be a smarter leaderProtesters briefly unfurl banner before short scuffle breaks out and security intervenesTwo dozen supporters stood behind the Republican presidential candidate holding signs reading, "Trump, Make America Great Again," while an estimated 5,000 supporters looked on.
        Expressing his amazement at the size of the crowd, Trump said, "This is unbelievable. This began as 500 people in a ballroom in Phoenix."
        The campaign was asked to move to a larger venue to accommodate the thousands of people who wanted tickets, according to Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks.
        The Trump campaign said 15,000 tickets were distributed for the event at the Phoenix Convention Center, where the North Ballroom has a capacity of only 4,200, according to the facility's website. The campaign said thousands were turned away because of fire regulations.
        The candidate was welcomed by several high-profile supporters, including Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose stands against illegal immigration and often controversial punishments have earned him a reputation as a hard-nosed, unyielding lawman.
        During his speech, Trump turned the lectern over to Jamiel Shaw Sr., the father of a high school student killed by an undocumented immigrant, who spoke about why he is supporting the candidate.
        Although campaign aides said earlier Saturday that Shaw was going to introduce the candidate, he ended up speaking midway through the speech.
        Shaw's son, a high school football star, was shot and killed in Los Angeles in 2008 by a gang member born in Mexico. On Friday, Trump met in Los Angeles with Shaw and other family members of victims of crimes perpetrated by undocumented immigrants. He then gave a lengthy press conference in which he consistently railed against illegal immigration. Saturday's speech was filled with similar words.
        Brief disturbancePlaying to the crowd, Trump dug in on the controversial themes that have made him loved by some and despised by others. As he mentioned earlier in the day at a Las Vegas campaign rally, Trump claimed China is laughing at U.S. trade negotiations. "They have geniuses and we have people who don't have a clue. We have stupid leaders," he said.
        Trump, who announced his White House campaign bid last month, sparked national outrage by saying that some people crossing the border into the United States from Mexico were "rapists" and "criminals." A slew of corporations, including Macy's, NBC and ESPN, responded to his inflammatory remarks by severing business ties with the real estate magnate.
        "I love the Mexican people," he said. "I love their spirit. I respect Mexico as a country. Their leaders are much sharper and smarter than ours."
        But, Trump said, "They're killing us at the border and killing us in trade."
        Trump also promised to release financial documents next week that will show he is an even more successful businessman than has been reported.
        "I'm not saying that to brag," he said.
        A short protest broke out during the speech. Some protesters held up a banner and Trump supporters started screaming at them. It was unclear what the banner read.
        There was a brief scuffle and for a few minutes it was very tense. Security came and escorted the protesters out.
        "I wonder if the Mexican government sent them over here," Trump said.
        "Don't worry, we'll take our country back," he said, as the crowd cheered.
        'He can inspire a crowd'Robert Bowater said he came to see Trump in Phoenix because he thinks the issues of illegal immigration and sanctuary cities deserve more attention.
        Bowater, a 68-year-old resident of Pinal County, Arizona, said he doesn't expect any President to deport all undocumented immigrants, but he thinks more can be done to punish the ones who commit crimes in the United States.
        "I'd like to see a mass deportation of the criminals," Bowater said.
        Just as Bowater was saying he thought it was possible that Trump could win the presidency, Linda Murtha -- standing behind him -- couldn't help but shake her head.
        "He can't win," said Murtha, a Chandler resident in her early 40s, but "he definitely can inspire a crowd."
        She came to the event with her mother, Provi Murtha, who was interested in seeing "The Donald" in person. Like her daughter, Provi is skeptical of Trump's intentions. She noted that he's donated to Democrats, including Hillary Clinton.
        "Is he a Democrat? Is he a Republican? What is he?" Provi wondered aloud. Even though she came to see the event, "I'm not going to make up my mind to vote for Donald Trump, that's for sure."
        Both Provi and Linda Murtha said they like Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
        Freedom Fest warm-upIn a warm-up to his appearance at the Phoenix campaign rally, Trump stopped by Freedom Fest in Las Vegas, an annual gathering of conservatives, where he addressed a crowd of several hundred people and took questions.
        But first he called Shaw to the stage. The room was hushed as Shaw talked about his son who was gunned down seven years ago by an undocumented immigrant. Shaw said the man who killed his son had been released from a county jail on his third gun charge, four months early. His son was walking home, and was close enough for Shaw to hear the gunshots.
        Shaw said he almost thinks of Trump "as a father figure" even though the two are similar in age. "He's the kind of man you would want to be your dad," Shaw said. "He's a nice guy. He put himself out there for black people. I know I can trust him," Shaw continued.
        He said when Trump spoke out about illegal immigration he saw that "Trump loves America" and is willing to risk his life for it.
        Trump doubles down -- againTrump doubled down once more on comments that have ignited a controversy in the United States
        Illegal immigration is "a major, major problem in this country" that has to be solved, Trump said.
        Promising to secure U.S. borders with a impenetrable fence, Trump claimed undocumented immigrants are coming to the United States from all over the world. "This isn't just Mexico," he said. "They're coming from the Middle East, and we better be very careful," Trump warned.
        And the support that he is receiving from Shaw and others demonstrates that the businessman's message is appealing to some voters who view illegal immigration as a serious problem.
        On the subject of trade, Trump was blunt with his opinion of U.S. trade negotiators, "Chinese leaders are much smarter than (President Barack) Obama and his bunch of clowns," he said to laughter and applause from crowd.
        "I make good deals. I have great respect for China. Their leaders are too smart for our leaders," he said.
        Trump fervor increasingTrump's fervor appears to increase with each campaign rally as he ramps up his rhetoric against illegal immigration.
        Detractors are many, including some in his own party, but Trump is gaining supporters as well -- evidenced by the switch in venues for Saturday's event to the Phoenix Convention Center. Trump tweeted Saturday night that he would not be attending the Miss USA Pageant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Sunday because he had campaign stops scheduled in Phoenix. Trump is a partial owner of the Miss Universe Organization, which oversees the pageant.
        A CNN/ORC poll released July 1 found Trump and Republican rival, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, on the rise nationally.
        The two are the only GOP presidential contenders to enjoy double-digit support among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.
        CNN's Sara Murray, Steve Almasy and Gregory Clary contributed to this report.
      BIDEO-Afghan agency: ISIS leader killed in drone strike - CNN.com
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 10:18
        Story highlightsAfghan agency: Hafiz Saeed was killed with 30 other insurgentsSaeed is believed to have been an ISIS leader who had been with the TalibanSpokesman: Man killed isn't the same one facing $10 million U.S. bountyIn a statement, the National Directorate of Security reported that Hafiz Saeed was killed along with 30 other insurgents in a strike on their compound in the Achin region of Nangarhar Province.
        "As a result of efforts made by the NDS, the location of ISIS fighters' gathering was found and the information was shared with the coalition forces who then carried out an airstrike on them," the Afghan agency said.
        U.S. Army Col. Brian Tribus said American forces conducted a strike in Achin on Friday against "individuals threatening the force." He did not elaborate.
        The strike represents a seemingly big victory in Afghanistan's fight against ISIS, a terrorist group that has been blamed for numerous atrocities and conquered vast swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria while branching out with affiliates elsewhere.
        In March, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told U.S. Congress that the group that calls itself the Islamic State poses a "terrible threat" to his country and others nearby.
        While it isn't anywhere as big or as successful as its Syrian and Iraq counterparts, the ISIS branch in Afghanistan has been tied to violence -- including an April incident in which a suicide bomber on a motorbike killed at least 33 people and injured over 100 more n front of the Kabul Bank in Jalalabad.
        The Afghan government, with help from its allies, has fought back. Earlier this week, the National Directorate reported that Shahidullah Shahid, a former Taliban spokesman who pledged allegiance to ISIS, has been killed in an airstrike in eastern Afghanistan.
        The death of Saeed announced Saturday appears to be another milestone in Afghanistan's fight against ISIS.
        The man killed, however, is not a man with the same name who faces a $10 million bounty.
        That individual is Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the leader of Pakistan's Jamaat-ud-Dawa (Party of Truth), which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States. Among other things, that party's military wing, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, is accused of carrying out a November 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, that killed at least 164 people.
        Asif Khurshid, a spokesman for Jamaat-ud-Dawa, told CNN on Saturday that Hafiz Mohammed Saeed is alive and well in Lahore. He's been there openly for years, even granting a 2012 interview to CNN despite the bounty on him.
        CNN's Brian Walker and Sophia Saifi contributed to this report.
      VIDEO-Sceptical Eurogroup members demand guarantee that Greece will repay debt | euronews, world news
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 10:13
        Sceptical euro zone finance ministers have called for Greece to go beyond the bailout measures it has accepted, if negotiations on Athens' latest bailout proposals are to begin and Greece is to remain in the euro.
        Head of the Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem confirmed questions had been raised about Greece's reliability.
        ''We've had an in-depth discussion on the Greek proposals and the issue of credibility and trust was discussed. And also, of course, the financial issues involved,'' he told press after the meeting. ''But we haven't completed our discussions so we will continue at 11am (local time). It's still very difficult, but work is still in progress. That's all I can say.''
        Finance ministers at a crisis session of the Eurogroup will meet again on Sunday (July 12) after failing to reach an agreement on cash-for-reforms proposals submitted by Athens.
        Greece says it will accept more austerity in return for a third bailout from its troika of creditors.
        EU officials had said they expected a deal to be reached by Sunday evening. However, the consensus among most of the Eurogroup was that Athens must prove it would honour any new commitments and repay its debts. Our correspondent Efi Koutsokosta enlarged on some of their concerns:
        ''The crucial Eurogroup meeting on Greece lasted nine hours. This time, Finland was on the frontline, with Finance Minister Alexander Stubb questioning a third bailout for Greece. According to Finnish media, the True Finns euro sceptic party making up part of the coalition government threatened to step down if the green light is given to the reform proposals.''
        Sunday's Eurogroup meeting will begin five hours before euro zone leaders are due to meet to discuss Greece's fate in the single currency.
      VIDEO-In L.A. to campaign, an unrepentant Trump predicts: 'I will win the Hispanic vote' - LA Times
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        Sun, 12 Jul 2015 08:35
        Donald Trump brought his Republican presidential campaign to Los Angeles on Friday, unrepentant over his inflammatory comments about Mexican immigrants that have drawn national ire and pushback from businesses and fellow party members.
        At a news conference in Beverly Hills, Trump appeared alongside several activists who have lost family members in crimes or traffic accidents involving immigrants in the country illegally.
        "People came into the country illegally and killed their children," Trump said. "The illegals come in and the illegals kill their children."
        Trump made the comments the day before he was scheduled to appear at a campaign rally in Phoenix with controversial Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose anti-immigrant policies have made him a hero to those favoring stricter immigration enforcement. Saturday's event is being moved to a larger location to accommodate more people, which Trump cited as proof that his message is resonating with voters.
        "It's this issue," he said. "I must be doing something right."
        In the weeks since he called Mexican immigrants "rapists" and criminals in his campaign announcement speech, Trump has risen in the polls, with several now showing him among the top GOP candidates. But the backlash has also been fierce, with several major companies, including NBC Universal and Macy's, cutting ties with Trump for fear of losing Latino customers.
        Immigrant advocates in Los Angeles made their distaste for Trump clear with a large protest outside another event. Trump spoke to Friends of Abe, a group founded a decade ago by several conservative-leaning Hollywood actors, including Gary Sinise and Clint Eastwood.
        About 150 protesters gathered outside the event, some toting "Dump Donald Trump" signs and others taking whacks at pi±atas created in the business mogul's image.
        Joshua Gonzalez, a 21-year-old Calabasas resident holding a sign depicting Trump in a pink wig, said he came to send a message that Californians won't put up with "his out-of-control antics."
        Gonzalez said Trump was hurting the Republican Party, which might otherwise appeal to conservative Latinos who believe in the importance of education and hard work.
        "Donald Trump creates division among the races in California and across the nation," Gonzalez said. "He is trying to exploit divisions."
        Several dozen Trump supporters also gathered outside the event, many wearing red, white and blue and carrying signs reading, "Trump Tells the Truth."
        Things got heated, with protest organizers and a security officer trying to keep the sides apart as one man jabbed his "Trump for President" sign at protesters while a woman yelled back, "Racist!"
        At the news conference with victim-advocates, Trump acknowledged that he has become a firebrand, saying the head of the Republican National Committee called him recently and asked him to "tone it down."
        "I don't want to tone down important issues," Trump said. "I'm so proud of myself for bringing this issue to bear, to the forefront."
        Trump appeared alongside the family of Jamiel Shaw Jr., an L.A. high school football star who was killed in 2008 by an immigrant in the country illegally, and other victim advocates.
        In recent days, Trump has focused his criticism on San Francisco's sanctuary policies, under which a Mexican immigrant in the country illegally was released from custody and subsequently charged with murder in a high-profile shooting July 1.
        On Friday, Trump repeated his claim that Mexico is sending "criminals" to the United States and pledged again to build a wall along the southern U.S. border to keep them out.
        He seemed unfazed by accusations from some that he is promoting xenophobia, at one point predicting he would win the Latino vote.
        "When it's all said and done, I will win the Hispanic vote," Trump said. "I will win the Hispanic vote because I'm going to create jobs. I'm going to take them away from China."
        His rhetoric would spell political suicide if he were running for office in California, where the Republican loss of statewide power is often attributed to the party's hard line on illegal immigration. Attempts to push through statewide ballot measures ending public benefits for those without legal status and welfare payments for their children have failed.
        But beyond California, Trump's words appeal to a significant slice of the national Republican base, allowing him to distinguish himself among 16 candidates vying to win the party's presidential nomination, one analyst said.
        "There is a highly bigoted group of people who use the GOP as a venue to achieve political power and influence, and Trump is appealing to that element," said Allan Hoffenblum, a Republican consultant and chief author of the California Target Book.
        Trump's attacks on Latino immigrants have won him widespread media coverage '-- he was mentioned on one national cable news network more than 240 times in a 24-hour-period, Hoffenblum said. "It's been effective," he said of Trump's rhetoric. "He won't be nominated, but what will be interesting is to see how far he goes."
        Trump has put many Republicans in a difficult spot.
        U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) called on the Maricopa County Republican Party not to host Trump on Saturday, saying in a statement: "Donald Trump's views are coarse, ill-informed and inaccurate, and they are not representative of the Republican Party."
        Along with Flake, Arizona's senior senator, Republican John McCain, and Gov. Doug Ducey will not attend Trump's Phoenix rally.
        Still, some leaders of the Arizona GOP said they were ready to welcome Trump.
        "In Maricopa County we believe deeply in Reagan's 11th commandment that 'Thou shall not speak ill of any other Republican,'" the party said in a statement. "It is disappointing when our Republican leaders do not share that same commitment to party unity and teamwork."
        kate.linthicum@latimes.com
        richard.winton@latimes.com
        kurtis.lee@latimes.com
        Copyright (C) 2015, Los Angeles Times9:26 a.m.: This story has been updated with more details.
        9 p.m.: This story has been updated with comments from Trump and supporters.
        7:44 p.m.: This story has been updated with comments from Trump protesters and supporters, as well as other details.
        This article was originally posted at 4:04 p.m.
      VIDEO-15-20 mins in-TX REP. GIOVANNI CAPRIGLIONE & JULIANsA TAIMOORAZY (TRUNEWS RADIO 071015) - YouTube
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        Sat, 11 Jul 2015 23:56
      Hollywood Studio Busted Producing ISIS Videos - YouTube
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        Sat, 11 Jul 2015 21:11
      VIDEO-ISIS PRE PRODUCTION BEHEADING ÐšÐ¸Ð±ÐµÑÐ‘ÐµÑÐºÑƒÑ‚, ÐÐ¾Ð>>ÑƒÑ‡Ð¸Ð>>Ð¸ Ð² ÑÐ°ÑÐÐ¾ÑÑÐ¶ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ðµ ÑÐ°Ð¹Ð>> Ñ ÐºÐ¾Ð¼ÐÑŒÑŽÑ‚ÐµÑÐ° Ð'Ð°Ðº ÐšÐµÐ¹Ð½Ð° - YouTube
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      VIDEO-Watch Donald Trump Decimate Hapless NBC Reporter - UlstermanBooks.com
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        Sat, 11 Jul 2015 17:24
        The NBC reporter attempts to regurgitate her manufactured talking points and fails miserably as Donald Trump swats the attempted rhetoric aside like the annoying gnat it is.As stated before, whether you like Donald Trump or not, you have to take some pleasure in finally seeing a political candidate not grovel before the Mainstream Media and instead treat them like the agenda-driven radicals they truly are.
        Above: The reporter has had little experience with politicians actually disagreeing with them on air while Donald Trump clearly has little patience for people who cannot back up what they are attempting to say.
        It should be noted that the primary reason why ''illegal immigrant crime'' is down is because the Obama administration is no longer going after illegal immigration and much of the related crime involved with those immigrants is being ignored/under-reported. It's akin to a local police department refusing to answer any emergency calls and then stating with confidence, ''we have a crime-free city.''
        That is exactly what the Obama White House has been doing with illegal immigration-related crime over the past several years. The liberal media knows this of course, but are themselves complicit in the false narrative. And even with this false narrative actively engaged, a cursory review of a recent FBI study on the subject reveals the following:
        75 percent of those on the most wanted criminals list in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Albuquerque are illegal aliens.One quarter of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals, as are more than 40 percent of all inmates in Arizona and 48 percent in New Mexico jails.Over 53 percent of all investigated burglaries reported in California, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas are perpetrated by illegal aliens.63 percent of cited drivers in Arizona have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that number, 97 percent are illegal aliens. 66 percent of cited drivers in New Mexico have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 66 percent, 98 percent are illegal aliens.Drug or immigration offenses accounted for 45 percent of all offenses, and approximately 12 percent (over 6,600 illegal aliens) were arrested for violent offenses such as murder, robbery, assault, and sex-related crimes. SOURCE
        Isn't it remarkable how sporadic examples of shooting violence by white individuals is seen by the Mainstream Media and the Obama administration as a serious issue deserving of 24/7 attention and calls for action and yet tens of thousands of crimes committed every year by illegal aliens is all but ignored?
        It is ludicrous for anyone to honestly attempt to state that the almost-open border between the United States and Mexico is not an ongoing and very serious problem for citizens on both sides of that border. Wanting a secure border is not racist '' it's common sense, and securing that border is among the most fundamental and critical responsibilities of the federal government. Any discussion of a ''path to citizenship'' without FIRST addressing America's failed border security issue is not a viable discussion in the interests of U.S. citizens but rather an allowance of what has and will remain, an invasion upon this nation's security and sovereignty.
        Donald Trump appears to understand this, and to date is showing no signs of wavering despite what continues to be a formidable media machine that would have him do just that.
        Check out Mr. Trump in action:
        _______________________
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      VIDEO-EPA Chief Gina McCarthy Doesn't Know Percentage of CO2 in Atmosphere | Washington Free Beacon
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        Sat, 11 Jul 2015 10:47
        BY:Ali MeyerJuly 9, 2015 2:06 pm
        Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Gina McCarthy did not know the percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere, information that is fundamental to the EPA's regulations, at a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
        The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology held a hearing titled ''Examining EPA's Regulatory Overreach'' which examined the scientific justifications for EPA's rules and how they impact the lives of the American people. One of the rules in question was the Clean Power Plan, announced on June 2, 2014, which would require that states meet requirements for limiting carbon emissions.
        Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R., Calif.) asked McCarthy, ''What percentage of the atmosphere is CO2?''
        ''What percentage of the atmosphere is CO2? I don't have that calculation for you sir,'' said McCarthy.
        ''Maybe you could tell us what your personal guess is on what percentage CO2 is,'' said the congressman.
        ''I don't make those guesses sir,'' McCarthy said.
        ''You're the head of the EPA and you don't know'--you've based all of these laws based on'--oh you're going to get your staffer to tell you now,'' said Rohrabacher. ''But you're the head of the EPA and you did not know what percentage and now are basing policies that impact dramatically on the American people and you didn't even know what the content of CO2 in the atmosphere was, which is the justification for the very policies you're talking about.''
        ''No that isn't'--if you're asking me how much CO2 is in the atmosphere, not a percentage but how much we have just reached levels of 400 parts per million,'' McCarthy read from her notes.
        ''I was very clear in what I was asking and it was very clear you didn't know,'' said Rohrabacher. The congressman went on to explain that from his understanding CO2 is ''only one half of one tenth of one percent of the atmosphere'' and ''only ten percent of that is actually man made.''
        ''Of course whatever you're suggesting and is being suggested as the basis for creating these'--what we consider draconian controls'--is that one tenth that is man made of the one half of the one percent, that that will have an impact on the weather to the point that it will actually impact peoples health,'' he said.
        Proponents of the Clean Power Plan argue that it is a ''commonsense plan'' that will improve the health of the American people and the environment. The EPA says, ''this proposal will maintain an affordable, reliable energy system, while cutting pollution and protecting our health and environment now and for future generations.''
        Opponents of the plan, such as Rep. Lamar Smith (R., Texas) who chaired the hearing, call it a ''power grab'' and say it gives ''government more control over Americans' daily lives.''
        ''These regulations stifle economic growth, destroy American jobs, and increase energy prices,'' said Smith. ''That means everything will cost more'--from electricity to gasoline to food, which disproportionately hurts low income Americans.''
        ''Even EPA data shows that this regulation would reduce sea level rise by only 1/100th of an inch, the thickness of three sheets of paper,'' he added. ''This rule represents massive costs without significant benefits. In other words, it's all pain and no gain.''
      VIDEO-FBI Director James Comey: Several ISIS-Inspired July 4 Attacks Foiled - NBC News
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        Sat, 11 Jul 2015 01:41
        A New York Police Officer watches crowds before the annual Fourth of July 2015 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Brooklyn, New York July 4, 2015. ANDREW KELLY / Reuters
        Comey added that those inspired by ISIS don't make elaborate plans and often act on the spur of the moment.
        "It's actually hard to figure out when they're trying to kill somebody," Comey said. "And you cannot say, 'Well, we've got to do it on the Fourth.' Because you know you have people who are motivated to kill people, and they are unreliable in terms of when they're going to act."
        Related:
        Worries of ISIS-Inspired Attacks Cloud July 4 Holiday WeekendThe FBI has arrested around a dozen people in the past four weeks, Comey said.
        "We made the arrests to thwart what we thought they were up to," he added. "Some of them were focused on the Fourth of July, and that's as specific as I can get."
        He declined to say how many of those arrested were planning to carry out attacks or to describe the nature of what they were planning.
        Some of those arrested, he said, had been using end-to-end encryption programs to communicate with ISIS. He warned Congress on Wednesday that it's becoming much harder for the FBI to track potential ISIS followers because of the growth in encryption technology.
      VIDEO-FBI: Dylann Roof should not have been cleared to purchase a gun - CNNPolitics.com
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        Fri, 10 Jul 2015 17:31
        25 photos
        Protesters stand on the South Carolina State House steps during a rally to take down the Confederate flag, on Saturday, June 20, in Columbia.
        25 photos
        Louise Brown walks down King Street during a "Black Lives Matter" march on June 20 in Charleston, South Carolina.
        25 photos
        The men of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity lead a prayer outside Emanuel AME Church, Friday, June 19.
        25 photos
        Young people grieve outside Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 19.
        25 photos
        Parishioners applaud during a memorial service on Thursday, June 18, at Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
        25 photos
        Olina Ortega, left, and Austin Gibbs light candles at a sidewalk memorial in front of Emanuel AME Church on June 18.
        25 photos
        The Rev. Jeannie Smalls becomes emotional during a prayer vigil held at Morris Brown AME Church on June 18.
        25 photos
        A woman places flowers outside the church on June 18.
        25 photos
        Mourners gather for a community prayer service at Second Presbyterian Church in Charleston on June 18.
        25 photos
        Walter Jackson, the son of Susie Jackson who died in the church shooting, recalls stories about his mother with his niece Cynthia Taylor at Jackson's home in Charleston on June 18.
        25 photos
        The Rev. Al Sharpton wipes away a tear after praying outside the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston on June 18.
        25 photos
        People sit on the steps of Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston while services are held June 18.
        25 photos
        A woman wipes her eyes at a makeshift memorial near the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston on June 18.
        25 photos
        The Rev. Keith McDaniel, pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, is surrounded by others in prayer on June 18 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
        25 photos
        Tyler Francis, right, hugs Shondrey Dear after praying together June 18 at a makeshift memorial near the Emanuel AME Church.
        25 photos
        A group of women prays together at a makeshift memorial on the sidewalk in front of the Emanuel AME Church on June 18.
        25 photos
        President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, pauses while speaking in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, June 18, on the church shooting in Charleston.
        25 photos
        Members of the U.S. Congress gather in front of the Capitol Building in Washington on June 18, during a moment of silence for the nine killed in a church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina.
        25 photos
        South Carolina state Sen. Vincent Sheheen gets emotional on June 18 as he sits next to the draped desk of Sen. Clementa Pinckney at the statehouse in Columbia, South Carolina. Pinckney was one of the nine people killed in the church shooting.
        25 photos
        Charleston resident Noah Nicolaisen kneels at a makeshift memorial down the street from the church on June 18.
        25 photos
        Kim Hamby prays with her daughter Kayla as they lay flowers at a makeshift memorial in Charleston on June 18.
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        A man leans against a light pole as he visits a memorial in Charleston on June 18.
        25 photos
        Chaplain James St. John leads senators in prayer June 18 at the statehouse in Columbia.
        25 photos
        Sandra Bridges lays a card at a memorial on June 18.
      VIDEO-BINGO! Tsipras Takes the ''NO'' Mandate and Turns it Into ''YES!'' | American Everyman
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        Thu, 09 Jul 2015 15:59
        by Scott Creighton
        UPDATE:
        ''London Telegraph financial writer Ambrose Evans-Pritchard believes Tsipras called for a referendum he expected to lose '' to justify capitulating altogether with Troika demands.'' Steven Lendman
        '--'--'--''
        Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, left, shakes hands with Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, before delivering his speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France. Photo: AP
        ''We demand an agreement with our neighbours,'' he said, declaring the vote on Sunday gave him a mandate for the request. SMH.com
        Alexis Tsipras went before the European Parliament today and asked for a 3rd loan package from the same folks who strapped the crippling debt to the backs of the people of Greece in the first place. In exchange for this money which will be used to pay more debt to the banksters of Europe, he promised to heap still more brutal austerity on the people that just stood with him and shouted ''No More'' in one clear, collective voice.
        ''Let me assure the house that, quite apart from the crisis, we will continue with our reform undertakings,'' Tsipras said. SMH.com
        Yes, he wants to borrow more from the privately owned central banks of Europe and promises to force more austerity on the people in order to do it.
        ''Those include tax and pension reforms, details of which will be presented Thursday at the latest.'' AP
        The whole time he is claiming the ''NO'' vote gives him a mandate from the people to say ''YES'' to more austerity.
        Anymore questions about Tsipras? No? That's what I thought.
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        Filed under: Alexis Tsipras, Greek Elections 2015, Greek referendum, Neoliberalizing Greece, Scott Creighton, Yanis Varoufakis
      Video - Ivar Giaever (2015) : Global Warming Revisited
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        Wed, 08 Jul 2015 04:06
        Because of the following statement from the American Physical Society:
        ''The evidence is incontrovertible: Global warming is occurring.If no mitigating actions are taken, significant disruptions in the Earth's physical and ecological systems, social systems, security and human health are likely to occur. We must reduce emissions of greenhouse gases beginning now.''
        I resigned from the society in 2011. First: nothing in science is incontrovertible. Second: the ''measured'' average temperature increase in 100 years or so, is 0.8 Kelvin. Third: since the Physical Society claim it has become warmer, why is everything better than before? Forth: the maximum average temperature ever measured was in 1998, 17 years ago. When will we stop wasting money on alternative energy?
      VIDEO-Apparent Technical Glitch Halts Trading on New York Stock Exchange - NBC News
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        Wed, 08 Jul 2015 17:27
        Trading in all symbols was halted on the New York Stock Exchange floor Wednesday due to an apparent technical issue. The NYSE tweeted that there was no sign of a cyberattack.
        "The issue we are experiencing is an internal technical issue and is not the result of a cyber breach," the exchange tweeted. "We chose to suspend trading on NYSE to avoid problems arising from our technical issue."
        Trading stopped around 11:30 a.m. ET.
        Two U.S. officials told NBC News there was no indication the NYSE shutdown was related to the computer issue that temporarily grounded all United Airlines flights on Wednesday morning. They also said there was no indication of a cyberattack.
        Trader Mark Otto of J. Streicher & Co in New York told Reuters from the NYSE floor that the mood was calm despite the unexpected shutdown.
        "It's under control. We're just waiting for word. There's no sign of panic at all," he said. "We're waiting to hear word on if there's going to be a reopening, and when it is or any more details."
        The NYSE said all open orders would be canceled, according to Reuters. The issues seemed to be limited to the NYSE floor, and the exchange said it did not affect the NYSE Arca and NYSE Amex/Arca Options.
        RELATED: Art Cashin: Here's what to do after halt ends
        The Nasdaq reported no technical issues and said it continues to trade NYSE-listed stocks.
        Just after 8 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning, the NYSE put out an alert about "a reported issue with a gateway connection" affecting certain symbols. It put out a notice at 10:37 a.m. ET that the problem was resolved.
        "It's been a little bit of a bumpy day. We had some technical problems even before the opening," said Art Cashin, director of floor operations at the NYSE, in a CNBC interview.
        "This will not cause a move in any particular direction, so I would kind of wait it out and see what happens," he added.
        A complete interruption of trading on the exchange due to a technical issue "has little precedent," the New York Times reported. The NYSE website lists seven closures since the founding of its predecessor exchange in 1817 related to world-changing events, including the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
        This is a breaking news story. Refresh for updates.
      VIDEO-MUST WATCH VIDEO: "Obama Administration Complicit In Murder" - UlstermanBooks.com
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        Wed, 08 Jul 2015 07:27
        Whether you are a fan or not of Bill O'Reilly, he just provided the most precise and factual representation of the current southern border crisis and the Mainstream Media's full on assault of Donald Trump for daring to challenge America to do something about that crisis. Watch here as Mr. O'Reilly goes so far as to charge the Obama administration itself with the preventable murder of 32-year old Kathryn Steinle of San Francisco '' a city that purposefully protects illegal immigrant criminals from deportation in clear violation of federal law '' a violation the Obama administration publicly stated it would allow to continue.
        If anyone needs to be better educated on the real issue of border security, the below video is an excellent start. Bill O'Reilly is correct, and so too is Donald Trump. What is happening now along our southern border is an abomination that is ultimately hurting both American and Mexican citizens alike.
        Enough is enough.
        Please watch and share with others:______________________
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      VIDEO-Subway spokesman Jared Fogle's home raided in child pornography investigation | Fox 59
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        Wed, 08 Jul 2015 06:49
        ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (July 7, 2015) '' Federal authorities raided the home of Subway spokesman Jared Fogle Tuesday morning. FBI sources told FOX59 state and federal investigators were serving warrants at Fogle's Zionsville home in connection with a child pornography investigation.
        The raid started around 6 a.m. Tuesday. Federal, state and local agencies arrived at Fogle's home with a search warrant around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. They spent all day removing items like computers and DVDs. The items were taken out to a large Mobile Forensics Lab that was parked in Fogle's driveway. Fogle could be seen several times being escorted out of the home, into the van, then back into the home again.
        Fogle left his residence shortly after noon. He made no comment as he left the scene in a car with his attorney.
        Fogle's lawyer, Ron Elberger, told FOX59 Fogle was not aware of the FBI search warrant prior to the raid at the Zionsville house Fogle shares with his wife and two children. Fogle's children were in the house when investigators arrived, but they were quickly moved to another location as investigators began searching the property.
        Elberger released the following comment:
        Jared has been cooperating with law enforcement and its investigation of certain unspecified activities and looks forward to its conclusion.
        Jared has not been arrested, detained or charged with anything.
        Fogle has not been arrested or charged with any crime as of late Tuesday afternoon. Some neighbors, and even Subway corporate officials, speculate that the investigation is tied to the April arrest of the former director of the Jared Foundation, Russell Taylor.
        A Subway spokesperson released the following statement at 12:24 p.m. Tuesday:
        We are shocked about the news and believe it is related to a prior investigation of a former Jared Foundation employee. We are very concerned and will be monitoring the situation closely. We don't have any more details at this point.
        Hours later, Subway said they were suspending their relationship with the spokesman.
        Subway and Jared Fogle have mutually agreed to suspend their relationship due to the current investigation. Jared continues to cooperate with authorities and he expects no actions to be forthcoming. Both Jared and Subway agree that this was the appropriate step to take.
        Earlier this year, Taylor, the former director of the Jared Foundation started by Fogle, was arrested in a child pornography case. He was accused of possessing and producing child pornography. Investigators said a search of Taylor's home turned up more than 500 videos with images of child pornography. In May, Taylor unsuccessfully tried to kill himself while in jail.
        Fogle said the foundation severed all ties with Taylor following the arrest. Investigators wouldn't say if Tuesday's raid was connected to that case.
        Fogle gained national fame after attributing massive weight loss to eating Subway sandwiches. He was a freshman at Indiana University at the time. He later became a visible presence in Subway ad campaigns, pitching the restaurant's sandwiches and touting their health benefits.
        NOTE: FOX59 initially reported, citing AP, that Subway was ending their relationship with Fogle. However, the report was corrected to reflect the fast food chain is suspending their relationship pending investigation.
      VIDEO-Obama Slips Up: "We're Training ISIL" - YouTube
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        Wed, 08 Jul 2015 06:42
      VIDEO: FPI Fellow James Kirchick Discussed Russia's Disinformation Campaign in Europe
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        Source:
        Tue, 07 Jul 2015 18:30
        The Foreign Policy Initiative seeks to promote an active U.S. foreign policy committed to robust support for democratic allies, human rights, a strong American military equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century, and strengthening America's global economic competitiveness.Read More
      VIDEO-Six HSBC staff are sacked after filming ISIS-style mock execution Video - YouTube
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        Tue, 07 Jul 2015 12:13
      VIDEO-Big Brother's Forced Vaccinations | Real Jew News
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        Tue, 07 Jul 2015 11:20
        Brother NathanaelJuly 6, 2015 @ 10:38 pmText ''Text'' Text
        Big Brother's Forced VaccinationsBy Brother Nathanael KapnerCopyright 2015
        It's Big Brother in a syringe.
        Vaccine Bill ''SB 277'" was just signed into law by California Governor Jerry Brown.
        Pushed by Jewish State Senator, Benjamin Allen, it requires children to be pumped with needles before they can attend public and private schools regardless of parental consent or religious beliefs.
        No exceptions.
        [Clip: ''There was an article this week that got a lot of attention because this famous non-libertarian governor of California decided he'd get into the practice of medicine, and decided that their law on immunizations was much too lax.
        They actually allowed people '-- of course, I don't believe the law should have existed '-- but the California law actually recognized that there could be some exemptions for medical reasons, or for personal beliefs.
        This law repealed that and said '-- No more exemption. I am the king, I am the dictator, and this is what is done because it is irrefutable. The science is in, and everybody has to take these shots.'']
        The science is not in.
        Formaldehyde and aluminum in vaccines can cause genetic mutations like brittle bones in infants.
        Herd immunity is no remedy either.
        The Disney measles outbreak that sparked the law in the first place afflicted both vaccinated and unvaccinated children.
        There's lots of issues regarding the safety of vaccines.
        MMR vaccines have killed 68 children and disabled many more with autism since 2005.
        Even if vaccines were 100% safe and had no side effects, would you still want Big Brother taking away yet another choice in your daily life?
        It's a Jewish affair beginning with Sabin, Salk, and Katz.
        And now Wasserman and tribe at the RAND Corporation think tank advising HHS has something else up their sleeves.
        It's called ''NAIP'' - National Adult Immunization Program. A syringe to plunge under the sleeves of every adult with an ''electronic'' data base storing your immunization history.
        Full spectrum dominance. Get the children and follow with adults. Big Brother wants everyone and everything.
        It's a fast track to 666.
        It begins with injecting chemicals into your veins and 'electronic' storage of your immunization.
        You'll need a chip identifying your 'immunization status' so you can get a job, go to school, and even shop at your friendly supermarket.
        Just like the same-sex marriage ruling, it's the few deciding what's best for the rest.
        Vaccines may or may not prevent disease.
        But now they come with a big dose of Big Brother too.
      VIDEO-The President Provides an Update on Our Campaign to Degrade and Destroy ISIL | The White House
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        Tue, 07 Jul 2015 11:14
        July 06, 2015 | 19:10 | Public Domain
        Speaking from the Pentagon, President Obama provides an update on our progress against the terrorist group, ISIL. July 6, 2015.
        Download mp4 (706MB) | mp3 (46MB)
      VIDEO-Watch Donald Trump Make CNN Anchor Wilt Under Facts Regarding Southern Border Chaos - UlstermanBooks.com
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        Mon, 06 Jul 2015 11:53
        Donald Trump refuses to allow the media to twist his words into something other than a factual representation of what is really going on around the southern border of the United States. It is a refusal that has cost him potentially tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue from business interests who severed ties with the real estate and media mogul after his comments regarding the atrocities being committed by criminals going back and forth into the United States illegally.
        Watch Mr. Trump lay out the facts and leave the CNN anchor clearly confused over how to respond.
        Trump is right. A slew of liberal-based media articles came out just last year reporting on the atrocities being committed at the southern border between the U.S. and Mexico. Perhaps the most shocking figure was one indicating 80% of all Central and South American females crossing through Mexico into the United States were being raped.
        When the CNN anchor tries to counter Mr. Trump's sharing of those liberal media-produced news items by saying they weren't talking about Mexicans specifically, Trump then corrects both what he himself actually said, and then reminds the CNN anchor that ''someone is doing the raping.'' It's simple math '' 80,000 rapes would require a great number of rapists. Donald Trump said the chaos on our southern border is allowing bad people relatively easy access into the United States '' including rapists, drug dealers, etc. His comments are factual, despite the media's attempts to now portray them as racist.
        In addition to the drug trade, sex trafficking has become increasingly prevalent along the southern border as well, a fact the American liberal media now apparently chooses to ignore since that issue has been brought up by Donald Trump, a Republican candidate for president who his using it to bolster his call for a more secure, and thus safer, U.S.-Mexico border.
        For another report on the sex trade the infects the southern border, including a long since forgotten report on a 13 year old girl who was raped to death by what were likely Mexican human traffickers, see below:
        The above graphic is from the very same CNN network that is now attempted to challenge Donald Trump's facts regarding the atrocities being committed on the U.S.-Mexico border by rapists, drug dealers and other assorted criminals. Check out the following quote from that same 2010 CNN report:
        '...While a prisoner, Maria witnessed a sickening trade in human life and recalls how young girls were drugged, forced into prostitution and then murdered'...Maria, whose real name we aren't using, used to live in the border town of Ciudad Juarez.
        The U.S. State Department estimates that more than 20,000 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year '-- mainly destined for the sex trade.
        CNN appears to have forgotten its own reporting history '' a history Donald Trump is now reminded them of. Because of the Obama administration's nearly non-existent border security enforcement, the very worst human elements are inflicting terrible harm upon some of the most innocent from Mexico and elsewhere. Thousands upon thousands of young women are being raped, murdered, and apparently if the liberal media is now to have its way '' forgotten entirely because it is a situation that reflects poorly on the Obama White House.
        Shame on them, and kudos to Mr. Trump for not letting them get away with it. Many may not care for his often pugnacious manner, the bravado, or the arrogance, but on this subject he is speaking the truth and being vilified by a far left media machine for doing so.
        RELATED: 80% Of Central American Women Crossing Mexico Border Into America Are Raped
        ______________________
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      VIDEO-Greek Referendum UPDATES: Varoufakis Lies, Polls Too Close To Call and Court May Cancel Vote | American Everyman
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Mon, 06 Jul 2015 11:32
        by Scott Creighton
        UPDATE: From Bloomberg News we have an example of the real threat facing the masters of the universe:
        The Other Contagion: What If Greece Thrived After Euro Exit?'...That would challenge the theory that leaving the euro was economic suicide. And it could encourage other members to consider devaluation and default more appealing than life within the euro and so pose an even bigger threat to the currency bloc's sustainability than if Greece stayed.
        '--'--''
        This guy is such a smarmy pompous sleazeball he's hard to watch, but here he is, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis giving an interview in which he claims he would rather cut off his right arm than sign THIS deal with the Troika. He says he will resign if the people vote YES for austerity. Of course, he also says the Prime Minister is of the same mindset without mentioning the fact that the letter he sent to the Troika basically agrees to the deal almost 100%.
        Notice at the 6:20 mark in the video he quickly makes a little statement ''I believe in the independence of the central banks'' meaning, he believes in the sanctity of privately owned and operated central banking systems. He kinda tosses that in the conversation when asked directly about what he thinks the ECB will do if there is a ''NO'' victory on Sunday.
        Yanis was rather disingenuous during his interview, at one time saying it was the Troika that blackmailed the people of Greece by shuttering the banks this week when in fact, it was the Greek government that did that. Being Greece's finance minister, he certainly knew that.
        The curbs on banking imposed by Greece on Sunday are known as capital controls, which are used only at times of extreme stress in a banking system. Greek officials said that banks will stay shut through July 6, and that daily withdrawals would be limited to 60 euros, or about $67. The stock exchange will remain closed for the same period. CNN Money
        He has states that it's clear the ''NO'' voters will win yet in his letter he penned to the masters of the universe this past Sunday, he made it clear he fully expected the ''AYES'' to have it. This is how he concluded his letter:
        Colleagues, refusing to extend the loan agreement for a few weeks, and for the purpose of giving the Greek people an opportunity to deliberate in peace and quiet on the institutions' proposal, especially given the high probability that they will accept these proposals (contrary to our government's advice), will damage permanently the credibility of the Eurogroup as a democratic decision making body comprising partner states sharing not only a common currency but also common values. Yanis Varoufakis
        It seems to me they are starting to realize their little referendum trick isn't going to work the way they thought.
        Earlier I had written an article about Alexis Tsipras' letter of concession supposedly sent to the Troika this past Tuesday when they officially defaulted on the IMF loan. I put forward two ideas regarding the validity of the letter: one, that it was written by Tsipras and therefore a betrayal of the mandate the Greek people set when they elected Syriza to end the brutal austerity plan and two, the idea that it was a fraud designed to break the will of the people.
        Turns out it seems to be legitimately from the Greek government. Not only are they not up in arms about it, screaming that it was a fraud, but in an interview later this week, the Greek finance minister seemed to admit the letter was part of new negotiations and hinted that a deal was currently in the works.
        Varoufakis, who has promised to resign if Greeks vote yes, said the government had been in discussions with its European creditors this week and that a deal was ''in the offing''. Guardian
        Varoufakis and Tsipras have both made it very clear, a ''NO'' vote will not mean that Greece moves out of the Eurozone and declares the IMF debt as odious, making way for the nationalization of the banking system and taking other steps to undo the damage heaped upon the backs of the Greek people. Instead, they both claim a ''NO'' vote will simply mean they have more bargaining power to sign a new debt-slavery deal with the Troika with slightly better terms.
        So I guess sometimes ''NO'' doesn't really mean 'NO''
        So where do the people stand at this point?
        The latest polls show that Greece is split down the middle, raising the prospect of a narrow win for either side pushing the country into deeper political turmoil. In one poll for Ethnos newspaper, the yes side have a narrow lead, with 44.8% of people ready to vote for the creditors' proposals and 43.4% wanting to vote no, with 11.8% undecided.
        Another poll commissioned by Bloomberg put no at 43%, compared with 42.5% for yes. That poll, conducted by the University of Macedonia, has a margin of error of 3%, suggesting that the result is too close to call. Guardian
        Perhaps after reading the polls which claim it's ''too close to call'' at this point, TMOTU have decided the PR value of getting the people to vote for their own demise isn't worth the risk of letting them vote against it. With poll results like these, the banksters and the international globalist cartels who routinely keep their thumbs on the scales to tip the odds in their favor, may simply wish to scrub the idea and go with plan b: Syriza signs a deal regardless of the will of the people.
        That may explain another little tidbit of interesting news that's breaking this morning: Greece's high court is going to rule on the constitutionality of the referendum.
        Greece's highest administrative court will rule on whether the country's bailout referendum violates the constitution, amid growing concern that the hastily organised (sic) vote falls short of democratic standards. Guardian
        Yeah, that's right. Now that they are starting to worry about the vote ''going the wrong way'', it seems the reactionary court might step in and save the day.
        There will be rallies all over Greece today. Some for the ''NO'' group, some for the ''YES''
        It should be easy to figure which is which. The ''NO'' marches will be larger and the ''YES'' marches will feature the well-dressed upper middle classes, the bourgeoisie and the petty bourgeoisie of Greek society. In the ''NO'' camps you'll find the working poor right alongside the unwashed masses, the millions of Greeks forced to bear the brunt of the 5 year austerity plan which has already caused an estimated 11,000 suicides in the country.
        It'll be interesting too see what Syriza does if the court cancels the referendum. And by ''interesting'' I mean ''predictable'' especially in light of the fact that they have already conceded everything TMOTU have asked for.
        If the court does cancel the vote that will just go to show you can't have a democracy in a country anymore if the outcome isn't pre-determined and favors the super wealthy. Such things just aren't allowed. It used to be that was only in the case of little 3rd world countries where the CIA seemed to spend an awful lot of time in the lead-up to various ''elections'' but now apparently it's standard fare everywhere.
        We'll see how it goes.
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