May 26, 2015
BLOOMBERG
Iraqi forces had “no will to fight” when they lost control of the city of Ramadi to Islamic State militants this month, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said.
Orders for capital equipment rose in April for a second straight month, a sign U.S. business investment could pick up in the second half of the year.
Home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose at 5 percent, a faster pace than projected in the year through March, reflecting a limited number of available properties on the market.
Nestle’s plan to bottle Oregon’s spring water is stoking a fight with lawmakers and environmental activists who say a corporation shouldn’t be allowed to profit from a natural resource as drought spreads across the state.
The International Monetary Fund dropped a long-held view that the yuan was undervalued, contradicting the U.S. assessment and strengthening China’s case for the currency to win reserve status at the lender in a coming review.
Taco Bell, which won over younger customers with unorthodox creations like Doritos-shelled tacos and fried cinnamon-bun balls, is now trying to appeal to millennials in a different way: cutting unnatural ingredients. Taco Bell will remove artificial colors and flavors, high-fructose corn syrup and trans fats from 95 percent of its menu by the end of the yearPizza Hut, another brand owned by Yum, said Tuesday it would remove artificial colors and flavors from “nationally available” pizzas by the end of July.
Iraq announced the launch of a major military operation to drive the Islamic State from the western Anbar province and retake the Sunni heartland where the extremist group captured the provincial capital, Ramadi, earlier this month.
AP Top Stories
At least 800 people have died in a major heatwave that has swept across India, melting roads in New Delhi as temperatures neared 122 Fahrenheit.
Rescue workers searched on Tuesday for 12 people missing in Texas after torrential rains slammed the state and Oklahoma during the Memorial Day weekend, killing six people and causing floods and tornadoes that destroyed homes and swept away bridges.
Fighter jets scrambled following at least 6 reports of threats to passenger planes, officials said. At least six flights were impacted by threats at airports in New York, New Jersey and Boston today, according to airlines and law enforcement.
An elderly husband and wife stranded for two weeks in Southern California’s high desert ate oranges and a pie and drank rain water that they collected in cups, but the 79-year-old husband died at some point before the couple’s rescue, authorities said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has hailed the recent test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) — which was viewed with wary skepticism outside the reclusive state — as a miraculous leap forward.
Boko Haram fighters hacked to death 10 people in a remote village in northeast Nigeria, a local government official told AFP.
China said it would project its military power further beyond its sea borders and more assertively in the air, defending the construction of artificial islands which sparked concern in Washington.
The thaw in relations between the U.S. and Cuba has led to a stunning 36 percent increase in visits by Americans to the island, including thousands who are flying into Cuba from third countries like Mexico in order to sidestep U.S. restrictions on tourism.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s new Russia looks more like a copy of a totalitarian state from Europe’s dark past, dressed in 21st century clothing.
BBC
A volcanic eruption on the Galapagos Islands has raised fears the ecosystem that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution may be under threat.
Up to 50 Australians fighting overseas with terror groups could lose their citizenship under new government rules.
Malaysia has begun exhuming bodies suspected to be migrants buried in 139 grave sites close to the Thai border. Authorities believe they were held for ransom by gangs of human traffickers.
A 14-year-old boy has been convicted of terrorism offences in Austria, including a potential plot to bomb a railway station in the capital, Vienna. The court sentenced him to a minimum of eight months in detention with another 16 months of his sentence suspended.
Russia’s military forces have begun a large exercise involving around 250 aircraft and 12,000 service personnel, according to its defense ministry. The tests began on the same day as Nato and some of its partners started an Arctic training exercise.
WND
Washington lawmakers are demanding an accounting of how many airport security badges have been lost or stolen around the country as an NBC News investigation reveals the problem may be bigger than originally thought.
The rich are set to become God-like cyborgs in what could be the ‘biggest evolution in biology’ since life emerged. This is according to Yuval Noah Harari, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who believes the radical shift will take place in the next 200 years.
It’s no accident that America’s education system is struggling, according to international journalist and educator Alex Newman, who believes American children are being intentionally dumbed down so they can be more easily controlled.
Hackers working for Islamic terror groups and the Chinese government set their sights on America’s media outlets, breaking into several U.S. news organizations’ websites recently.
The parents of a healthy 21-year-old woman who collapsed at her home and died in a hospital three days later, say doctors told them the birth-control pill their daughter had been taking for just 25 days was to blame.
Top News – 5/26/2015
13 trillion electronvolts! Large Hadron Collider sets new record.
Scientists operating the world’s biggest particle collider say they have set a new energy record ahead of the massive machine’s full restart in June. The European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, says it succeeded late Wednesday in smashing together protons at 13 trillion electronvolts.
WASHED AWAY At least 9 dead in Texas, Okla. floods
Recovery teams were resuming the search early Tuesday for 12 people who are missing after a rain-swollen river in Central Texas carried a vacation home off its foundation, slamming it into a bridge downstream. The hunt for the missing picked up after a holiday weekend of terrible storms that dumped record rainfall on the Plains and Midwest, caused major flooding and spawned tornadoes and killed at least nine in Oklahoma and Texas.
Japan to join U.S., Australia war games amid growing China tensions
Japan will join a major U.S.-Australian military exercise for the first time in a sign of growing security links between the three countries as tensions fester over China’s island building in the South China Sea.
Germany sees progress on Greece, EU officials to confer on Thursday
A senior German official said on Tuesday there was no reason to believe Greece would be in default after a 300 million euro payment to the IMF falls due on June 5.
Westminster Abbey accused of ‘denial of Christ’s Lordship’ in Muhammad prayer row
Westminster Abbey has been accused of “denial of the Lordship of Jesus Christ” after the prophet Muhammad was described as “the chosen one” in a prayer at a First World War service.
USGS: Magnitude 4.8 earthquake in Fox Islands region
The Alaska Earthquake Center says there were no reports of the quake being felt or causing damage. The Fox Islands are more than 950 miles southwest of Anchorage.
Russia launches massive air force exercise with 250 aircraft
The Russian military has launched a massive exercise involving 250 aircraft and other weapons. The Defense Ministry said…the drills will involve air force and air defense units of the Central, Western and Southern Military Districts totaling 12,000 servicemen. Combat aircraft will deploy to temporary bases and air defense systems will be sent to the Ashuluk and Kapustin Yar shooting ranges in southern Russia…
HSBC fears world recession with no lifeboats left
The world economy is disturbingly close to stall speed. The United Nations has cut its global growth forecast for this year to 2.8pc, the latest of the multinational bodies to retreat. We are not yet in the danger zone but this pace is only slightly above the 2.5pc rate that used to be regarded as a recession for the international system as a whole.
Texas and Oklahoma flooding: Three dead and several missing
At least five people have died and hundreds of homes have been destroyed in flash flooding in the southern US. Two people were killed in weather-related accidents in Oklahoma and three lost their lives in San Marcos, Texas. Some areas saw up to 10 inches (25cm) of rain over a 24-hour period, with more predicted across the region.
Iraq starts operation to drive Islamic State from Anbar
Iraqi government forces have formally launched an operation to drive Islamic State (IS) out of Anbar province. The announcement was made by a spokesman for the Popular Mobilisation (al-Hashd al-Shaabi), a volunteer force comprising dozens of Shia militias. The operation would see troops and militiamen move southwards from Salahuddin province and seek to cut off IS militants in Ramadi, he said.
Wolf volcano erupts on Galapagos island
A volcanic eruption on the Galapagos Islands has raised fears the ecosystem that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution may be under threat. On Monday, the Wolf volcano on Isabela Island erupted for the first time in 33 years, spewing fire, smoke and lava. Experts say the eruption poses no risk to people living on the island.
Mexico and Texas hit by deadly storms
At least 13 people have been killed by a tornado that hit the northern Mexico border city of Ciudad Acuna. Hundreds of homes have been damaged or destroyed in the city, in Coahuila state, just across the border from Del Rio, Texas. The US state has had big floods, with at least three dead and 12 missing.
India heatwave toll ‘nears 800’
The death toll in the heatwave sweeping India has reached nearly 800 with temperatures nearing 50C (122F) in some areas. Most deaths have taken place in the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, where more than 750 people have died since last week. Reports say 24 people have died from the heat in West Bengal and Orissa.
Chinese navy to focus on ‘open seas’, paper says
China is to focus on projecting its military presence beyond its borders at sea, according to a strategy document. The navy will shift its focus to “open seas protection”, rather than “offshore waters defence” alone. It will also speed up developing its cyber force to tackle “grave security threats”, the State Council said.
Syrian state TV jammed, Damascus points fingers at foreign enemies
Syria’s government-run satellite television channels were interrupted on Tuesday due to…interference by enemy countries…to “block out the voice of truth.” Syria TV…flickered on and off and then issued a news flash, before going totally dark, saying that signals were being interrupted. Its broadcasting was then switched to the frequency of another state-run channel, Syrian Drama TV.
China and Chile sign currency swap agreement
China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet signed a currency swap deal on Monday seeking to deepen economic ties by boosting trade and investment.
Greece rules out capital controls if bailout talks fail
Greece’s government on Monday ruled out restricting access to bank accounts and the free movement of money if there is no breakthrough soon in tortuous talks with bailout creditors and its dwindling cash reserves dry up.
The world is drowning in debt, warns Goldman Sachs
The world is sinking under too much debt and an ageing global population means countries’ debt piles are in danger of growing out of control, the European chief executive of Goldman Sachs Asset Management has warned.
Twitter trend ‘Charlie Charlie Challenge’ has teens trying to summon demon
The latest topic to create some commotion on Twitter has teens trying to summon a demon named Charlie. The Charlie Charlie Challenge surfaced Thursday on Twitter and has gone viral across social media platforms. The challenge includes putting two pencils on a piece of paper in the shape of a cross. The words “yes” and “no” are written in boxes outlined by the pencils. Then the participants say “Charlie, Charlie are you here?”
Russia, Iran talks on S-300 missiles end in ‘success’
Moscow and Tehran have concluded talks on the delivery of Russian S-300 missiles to Iran which should take place “quite” soon, Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Monday. “The negotiations on the subject have ended in success. I estimate that the S-300 delivery will take place in quite a short time,” Amir-Abdollahian said in Moscow.
28 Shootings, 9 Fatal, Over Memorial Day Weekend In Baltimore
It’s been a violent weekend in Baltimore after a surge of shootings–some deadly across the city. Amy Yensi has more. Police say 28 people were shot, 9 of them killed over this weekend, adding to the record-breaking violence.
Top Headlines – 5/26/2015
Hamas Declares Jerusalem ‘Eternal Capital’ of Islamic World
Jews, Muslims Arrested in Temple Mount Confrontation
Israel’s first Jordanian PhD wants to bring peace through water
Netanyahu proposes talks on borders of settlement blocs
‘World encourages violence by condemning Israel constantly’
Ex-IDF chief: Hezbollah knows price of a future war, so it won’t start one
Hezbollah seizes hilltops from al-Qaida in Syrian province bordering Israel
Hebrew inscriptions, jewels of Palmyra’s Jewish past, may be lost forever
Islamic State’s Gains Reveal New Prowess on Battlefield
Obama has not done a ‘d-mn thing’ to confront ISIS, Iranian commander says
Carter saying Iraqi forces losing ‘will to fight’ sparks more criticism, concern about Obama plan
Shock Poll: 81% Of Al Jazeera Arabic Poll Respondents Support Islamic State
Blast in downtown Damascus kills Syria general
Cameron and Putin Agree to Start Talks on Syria Crisis
Turkey says it struck deal with US on air support for Syria rebels
Sunnis Seize Key Military Sites from Houthis in Yemen
Rising fears of chemical attack by UK jihadists
Ethiopian Christian Ordered at Gunpoint to Murder Two Pastors or Have His Children Killed
Iran hopes sanctions will be lifted by December
Russia, Iran talks on S-300 missiles end in ‘success’
Russia launches massive air force exercise with 250 aircraft
Amid Russia Tensions, 100 U.S., European Jets Hold Drills in Arctic
American destroyer joins large-scale military exercise in the Black Sea this week
Budget cuts impact US ability to fight the enemy, Air Force general warns
Fighter Jets Scramble Following at Least 6 Reports of Threats to Passenger Planes, Officials Say
Air France flight to New York’s JFK escorted after threat
Drone Crashes, Hits 2 People During Marblehead Parade
Greece rules out capital controls if bailout talks fail
The world is drowning in debt, warns Goldman Sachs
HSBC fears world recession with no lifeboats left
Japan rocked by 5.6 magnitude earthquake
Quake Hits Tokyo Days After Japan OK’s Third Nuclear Restart
5.3 magnitude earthquake hits the Western Indian-Antarctic Ridge
5.3 magnitude earthquake hits South of Tonga
5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Preobrazheniye, Russia
Two tremors struck Nepal today amid rehabilitation attempts
UN: Donor Fatigue Hits Nepal One Month After Mega Earthquake
India rescues children from traffickers exploiting Nepal earthquake aftermath
Popocateptl volcano in Mexico erupts to 21,000ft
Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 15,000ft
Volcano “Wolf” erupts in Galapagos Islands after 33 years of dormancy
Galapagos volcano’s eruption raises fear for world’s only colony of rare pink iguanas
Catastrophic flooding hits Texas and Oklahoma
Flash Floods Force Thousands in Texas to Flee
At Least 5 Are Killed and 12 Are Missing as Storms Ravage Texas and Oklahoma
Texas governor says deadly flooding is worst ever seen
Texas Governor Declares State of Disaster After Violent Tornado Ravages U.S.-Mexico Border
Twister kills 13 in Mexico border city; 12 missing in Texas
Turning sewage into drinking water gains appeal as drought lingers in California
March Against Monsanto: Thousands Worldwide March to Protest Against GM Crops
Mystery over 1,300 birds found dead on Chilean beach
Hundreds of starving sea lion pups stranding on California beaches; rescue centers overwhelmed
Social Media Blamed in Part for HIV, Syphilis Spike in Rhode Island
FDA ticks off first drug to treat radiation sickness after nuclear disasters
Humans ‘will become God-like cyborgs within 200 years’
Brain-Controlled Bionic Legs Are Finally Here
Women are buying more sex than ever before, new research claims
Sweeping Maryland LGBT measures to take effect without new gov’s signature
Obama: Churches should spend less time focusing on abortion and same-sex marriage
Church of England to consider ‘transgender baptism’ service
Twitter trend ‘Charlie Charlie Challenge’ has teens trying to summon demon
Prison riot in Brazil ends, leaving 8 inmates dead, one decapitated
6 Of The Most Ridiculous Stunts Pastors Have Pulled To Get People To Church
“God” tells NAR “prophet” about Dominionist Seven Mountains plans
Video – Fake or Demonic? Glory Feather Cloud from an “Apostolic and Prophetic” ministry
Frank Viola – Shocking Beliefs of D.L. Moody
Pope Says The Devil Is Keeping Evangelicals and Catholics Divided: ‘We Are One….’
City Harvest trial: Twists, turns and tears enough to fuel a Korean drama
From Southern Baptist to Goddess Worship, Sue Monk Kidd
Biology Professor: Humans ‘will become God-like cyborgs within 200 years’
Convert to Islam or Die! Mayor of Antwerp Given Ultimatum by Muslims
Iran’s Kurdish Rebellion :: Schwartz in Huffington Post
by Stephen Schwartz
The Huffington Post
May 22, 2015
http://www.meforum.org/5258/iran-kurdish-rebellion
Research on the Islamic State :: Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi
by Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi
various publications
April 1-May 15, 2015
http://www.meforum.org/5257/research-isis-syria-iraq
The McAvany Intel Memo
The idea of a common core of educational standards sounds terrific on the surface. Who wouldn’t want all of our children to get an education that exceeds the standards of other nations? Who wouldn’t want all of our children to reach some basic standard of education? Going against such ideals makes you seem unkind and anti-child. However, even its very name should suggest that the new Common Core educational curriculum is anything but pro-child. Any time our government uses the word “common,” there is only one way to interpret it – socialism.
After all, that’s the heart of socialism, that we hold all things in common. It strips us of individuality. It strips us of our identity. And it strips us of all that America was built on – and that made it great. At its core, Common Core is about indoctrination and dumbing down America’s children to a lowest common denominator so that they can be controlled. It is designed to eradicate a child’s thinking, reasoning, discerning, and creative skills – so the children can become mindless serfs in the coming world socialist society.
(Excerpt from McAlvany Intelligence Advisor, March 2015
If there is one thing that the elite of the world fear more than anything else, it is death. They spend an extraordinary amount of time and energy attempting to shield themselves from potential threats, to separate themselves from the general population and to do whatever they can to extend their lifespans. They travel with multiple bodyguards, they install “safe rooms” in their homes, they buy private islands on the other side of the world and they invest huge amounts of money into life extension technologies and research. They do all of these things in a desperate attempt to battle an enemy that they have never been able to defeat – death. And in this day and age, the elite are becoming more paranoid than ever. They know that as the gap between the wealthy and the poor has exploded that they have become bigger targets than ever. So firms that provide private security, “safe rooms” and high tech “security bunkers” for the elite are doing a booming business these days. Many of the elite live in constant fear and absolutely crave security, and they are willing to pay big bucks to get it. (Read More…)
All over the planet, large banks are massively overexposed to derivatives contracts. Interest rate derivatives account for the biggest chunk of these derivatives contracts. According to the Bank for International Settlements, the notional value of all interest rate derivatives contracts outstanding around the globe is a staggering 505 trillion dollars. Considering the fact that the U.S. national debt is only 18 trillion dollars, that is an amount of money that is almost incomprehensible. When this derivatives bubble finally bursts, there won’t be enough money in the entire world to bail everyone out. The key to making sure that all of these interest rate bets do not start going bad is for interest rates to remain stable. That is why what is going on in Greece right now is so important. The Greek government has announced that it will default on a loan payment that it owes to the IMF on June 5th. If that default does indeed happen, Greek bond yields will soar into the stratosphere as panicked investors flee for the exits. But it won’t just be Greece. If Greece defaults despite years of intervention by the EU and the IMF, that will be a clear signal to the financial world that no nation in Europe is truly safe. Bond yields will start spiking in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and all over the rest of the continent. By the end of it, we could be faced with the greatest interest rate derivatives crisis that any of us have ever seen. (Read More….)
Daily Digest
THE FOUNDATION
“[A]ll speculative politicians will agree, that the happiness of society is the end of government, as all divines and moral philosophers will agree that the happiness of the individual is the end of man. From this principle it will follow that the form of government which communicates ease, comfort, security, or, in one word, happiness, to the greatest numbers of persons, and in the greatest degree, is the best.” —John Adams, Thoughts on Government, 1776
TOP RIGHT HOOKS
Cleveland Settles With DOJ Over Policing Investigation
It’s become a trend in cases involving police shootings: While the individual officer is let off the hook for using lethal force and sparking protests in the community, the Department of Justice usually finds something wrong with the larger department. Cleveland has reached a settlement with the DOJ after the agency accused the city’s finest of engaging in patterns of “unreasonable and unnecessary use of force,” including tasing and punching handcuffed suspects. The investigation was launched after a 2012 car chase involving 100 police officers ended with officer Michael Brelo standing on the roof of the Chevy Malibu used to flee from the police and firing 15 times into the vehicle. On Saturday, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John O’Donnell found Brelo not guilty of killing the two suspects because it was not clear if it was Brelo’s rounds that killed them. When issuing his verdict, O’Donnell said, “Guilty or not guilty, the verdict should be no cause for a civilized society to celebrate or riot.” Still, on Saturday night, some protestors grew violent and 71 were arrested. It just goes to show that improvements still need to be made before we can have a civilized society. More…
House Considers Fast-Tracking Obama’s Pacific Trade Deal
In the coming days, members of the House will decide whether Congress should fast-track approving Obama’s trade deal with Pacific countries, or whether to defend its constitutional role of advisor when the U.S. enters into treaties. Already, 48 Republicans and 14 Democrats in the Senate approved fast-track legislation Friday, a move that would only give the legislative body the ability to approve the treaty with a yes-no vote. While everyone from Obama to the GOP leadership agrees that a trade deal is needed and beneficial (especially because of China’s growing aggression in the South China Sea), lawmakers question the way it’s coming about. Rep. Jim Jordan said, “I’m concerned about giving this president the authority” to be the sole person negotiating deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Furthermore, the House is the young blood of the lawmaking body, as only 55 members were around when Congress deliberated over the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993. Members in office because of the 2014 Republican wave should remember they are in office because voters wanted change, not Obama’s status quo.
Another Holiday Regulatory Dump
Friday was the dawn of a holiday weekend, which could mean only one thing: Time for another big regulatory release from the Obama administration. It wasn’t exactly a Friday news dump, as it came out Thursday, but, as The Hill points out, “The White House is notorious for releasing its Unified Agenda on the cusp of a holiday when most people are headed out of town to celebrate the long weekend. The release of the spring 2015 edition was no exception, coming one day before the long Memorial Day weekend.” According to The Daily Signal, there are 136 significant rules in this release: “These include an Environmental Protection Agency rule tightening already-tight carbon emission regulations for power plants, Food and Drug Administration regulations for all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and cigars, and new Consumer Product Safety Commission safety standards for off-road vehicles.” The cost of Barack Obama’s enormous regulatory burden is a serious drag on the economy. In fact, compliance costs nearly $15,000 per American household, but it’s a cost that’s more easily hidden than taxes. Still, it’s no wonder Obama likes to bury regulation releases just before a holiday.
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FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS
Emails Cast More Guilt on Clinton and Obama
By Lewis Morris
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| Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton attend the Transfer of Remains ceremony for the four Americans who died in the Benghazi attack Sept. 14, 2012. |
On Friday, the State Department made public some 300 messages from Hillary Clinton’s email collection pertaining to Libya and the Sept. 11, 2012, Benghazi terrorist attack that left Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans dead. The Friday afternoon document dump was no doubt timed with the long weekend in hopes that the information contained in these emails would be downplayed in the holiday shuffle.
Fortunately, no such luck. The Benghazi attack and the cover-ups and stonewalling by the Obama administration and presidential candidate Clinton have made this particular embarrassment hard to bury. Despite the best efforts of the administration and its minions in the media, the hunger for more information at this point seems insatiable.
The batch of emails released last week shed a little bit of light on questions that the House Select Committee on Benghazi has been asking since it was formed in May 2014. A number of emails released from Clinton’s once-private collection include information about growing concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Libya going back to April 2011. In fact, Stevens, who at the time was an envoy, voiced concerns about safety.
“The situation in [the Libyan town of] Ajdabiyah has worsened to the point where Stevens is considering departure from Benghazi,” states an April 10, 2011, message. “The envoy’s delegation is currently doing a phased checkout.”
Stevens ultimately stayed in Libya, but his concerns and the concerns of CIA analysts ultimately fell on deaf ears.
Other information drawn from the emails include communications between Clinton and her team in the days following the attack, speech preparation, updates on press coverage, even coverage of how then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney was speaking on the issue.
The emails released by the State Department that used to live on Clinton’s private server raise more questions than they answer, which helps ensure this issue will not go away soon. Several gaps in the timeline are evident, which leave open questions about Clinton’s role and input in shaping Libyan policy post-Qaddafi, how State was dealing with growing instability in the country, and the thought process that went into extending the Benghazi mission in early 2012.
Administration stonewalling on Benghazi is bad enough, but the fact the whole matter is tied in to how Clinton mismanaged her emails makes the issue that much worse.
Clinton’s now-famous private email server was politically motivated because she wanted to keep her work from the prying eyes of the “vast Right wing conspiracy.” Instead, she invested in a private server that was hacked at least once and was not nearly as secure as the government server that she was lawfully required to use for classified materials. Apparently, protecting data from the GOP was more important than protecting it from the Russians or the Chinese.
Clinton claimed two months ago that she never broke the law in maintaining her own private server. In Clinton-speak that is true — kind of. Documents related to Benghazi that have recently been reclassified as secret were not secret when they existed on her server. But they were certainly sensitive; otherwise there would be no need for the reclassification. Yet, there is no hard and fast rule that bars Clinton from storing sensitive documents on her server.
There are also different email addresses that Clinton herself used on her server, possibly to help categorize which topic or issue she was addressing. This is just a theory so far. Not enough emails have been released to detect such a pattern. Yet, it is clear that not only was the server itself politically motivated, but how she dealt with the information on that server was politically motivated as well.
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), chairman of the Benghazi committee, put some perspective on Friday’s email release. “More than six months after the Select Committee first discovered Secretary Clinton’s unusual email arrangement with herself … State Department transferred 300 messages exclusively reviewed and released by her own lawyers. To assume a self-selected public record is complete, when no one with a duty or responsibility to the public had the ability to take part in the selection … strains credulity.”
Of course, the partisan wheels continue to turn despite Gowdy’s logical skepticism. Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) issued his own statement praising Clinton for being so forthcoming. “The American people can now read all of these emails and see for themselves that they contain no evidence to back up claims that … Republicans have made for years.”
So, according to Cummings, now that we have access to the slightest fraction of 50,000 emails that have been thus-far out of reach from the public record, we can plainly see that there is no smoking gun — therefore we should leave Hillary Clinton alone and elect her emperor president already.
TODAY AT PATRIOTPOST.US
- Dear GOP Candidates: Solve Rising College Debt
- Former IPCC Researcher Questions Fossil Fuel Claims
- Grand Jury Indicts All Six Baltimore Police Officers
- Cruz Hammers Local Reporter’s Stupid Question
- WSJ: ‘Hillary’s Supreme Court Litmus Test’
- Students Blame Boehner for Deflategate
- Telling a Story of Feminine Heroism
BEST OF RIGHT OPINION
For more, visit Right Opinion.
- Ed Feulner: ‘The Last Full Measure of Devotion’
- Linda Chavez: Better Policing — Not Less
- Arnold Ahlert: Will America Abide a Nuclear Wakeup Call?
- Dennis Prager: Differences Between Left and Right: Part I
- Jeff Jacoby: Millionaire Ex-Presidents Can Pay Their Own Way
- Tony Perkins: Pomp and Circuit Stance
OPINION IN BRIEF
Linda Chavez: “Yes, [Freddie] Gray’s life mattered. Black lives matter, as protesters remind us following every such incident involving the death of a black man at the hands of police. But so, too, should the 87 black lives (and 13 others) lost on the streets of Baltimore this year. By focusing almost all of our national attention on the horrific death of one black victim while in police custody, we avoid the larger problem of violence within the black community. Worse, by making the police out to be the greatest threat to the black community, we risk allowing criminals to go unchallenged within those communities. Justice for Freddie Gray would best be served by better policing in the neighborhood where he lived — not by less policing.”
SHORT CUTS
The Gipper: “In America, our origins matter less than our destination, and that is what democracy is all about.”
Demo-gogues: “This may be the first Memorial Day since the end of our war in Afghanistan. But we are acutely aware, as we speak, our men and women in uniform still stand watch and still serve, and still sacrifice around the world. Several years ago, we had more than 100,000 troops in Afghanistan. Today, fewer than 10,000 troops remain on a mission to train and assist Afghan forces. We’ll continue to bring them home and reduce our forces further, down to an embassy presence by the end of next year.” —Barack Obama
The BIG Lie: “I can say that no U.S. President, no administration has done more to ensure that Israel can protect itself than this one.” —Barack Obama
The annals of the absurd: “[Stopping ISIL’s momentum is] an enormous challenge. And we have to fight it on every front, including the front of social media. That’s a place where they have really made more advances than you would have suspected. And that is where we have to fight them, as well.” —Nancy Pelosi
Non Compos Mentis: “When you have people denying [science], and how we all got here, it’s offensive to me intellectually. And I happen to think it’s unpatriotic. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution says the government shall ‘promote the progress of science and useful arts.’ So if you’re a politician looking to derail the progress of science, I think you’re not doing your job.” —Bill Nye (Context means everything, right? Importantly, the rest of the quote from Article I, Section 8 reads, “…by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.” No wonder Nye left that part out.)
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Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis!
Managing Editor Nate Jackson
Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families.
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The Briefing
1) Irish landslide for gay marriage shows breakdown of cultural shaping power of Catholicism
Ireland approves gay marriage, talks about a revolution, Associated Press (Shawn Pogatchnik)
Landslide, The Economist
Same-sex marriage: Catholic church needs reality check, says Dublin archbishop, The Guardian
Irish Catholicism supports same-sex marriage!, Religion News Service (Mark Silk)
2) Boy Scouts leaders urges capitulation to call for gay leaders to preserve national presence
Boy Scouts’ President Calls for End to Ban on Gay Leaders, New York Times (Erik Eckholm)
National Annual Business Meeting Remarks, Boy Scouts of America (Robert Gates)
The Boy Scouts Fall Short, New York Times (Editorial Board)
Limping Between Two Opinions: The Moral Evacuation of the Boy Scouts of America, AlbertMohler.com (R. Albert Mohler)
In other news…
Texas tornado leaves one dead as 12 missing in floods, USA Today (William Cummings)
Cleveland, Justice Department Reach Policing Deal, New York Times (AP)
‘Skin and bone’: Exhumed bodies confirmed to be migrants, CNN (Euan McKirdy)
Islamic State burned a woman alive for not engaging in an ‘extreme’ sex act, U.N. official says, Washington Post (Ishaan Tharoor)
Stop boring on about feminist role models in books: children don’t care, says Helen Skelton, The Telegraph (Alice Vincent)
Where do people like me go now?
Joseph Farah asks where Christians can escape during ‘suicidal embrace of Islam’
As for me and my offspring – my children and grandchildren – where will we go when America completely loses connection with its Christian roots and heritage? What new world can we dream about as America’s new god of multiculturalism self-immolates in its suicidal embrace of Islam? Where will you go?
Obama’s Memorial Day Ice Cream Gloat
The picture Herman Cain writer Dan Calabrese calls “the worst Memorial Day photo ever” should be going viral now if Obama Google pals don’t bury it.
The photo shows for once and for all how President Barack Obama really feels about Memorial Day, the one day a year set aside to pay respect to the sacrifice of the highly venerated war dead.
Just like the man the photo depicts, the picture not only swaggers across the stage, it leaps, bounds and somersaults into view, walking on stilts across our troubled minds.
Getting You Ready For The Anti-Christ? Fox network launching new TV series that glorifies Lucifer
NOTE: We wish we were making this up but many news sources substantiate this. — OTM
The more subtle side of satanism in Hollywood entertainment is now a thing of the past, as primetime television airs blatantly evil shows like the upcoming Fox drama Lucifer, which glorifies the goings about of the “lord of hell” after he fictitiously leaves the lake of fire and retires to Los Angeles.
Obama Gives Green Light to Force Palestinian Statehood?
Report alleges Obama is plotting with the UN and EU to unilaterally carve up Israel.
According to an exclusive Debkafile report, President Obama has given the “green light to European governments to file a UN Security Council motion proclaiming an independent Palestinian state.”
ISIS Suggests It Can Smuggle a Nuke Into US Through Mexico
The Islamic State is using the latest issue of its propaganda magazine Dabiq to pose the “far-fetched” hypothetical of purchasing its first nuclear weapon from Pakistan within a year and getting it into the United States through the porous Southern border.
Don’t be Left Behind
View two-minute video
1/3 of Americans Say Animals Deserve the Same Rights as People, While Unborn Babies Have No Rights
Bioethics watchdog Wesley Smith noticed a recent polling question from Gallup noting that one-third of all Americans think animals should have the same rights as human beings. This comes at the same time that 34% of Americans think unborn babies should have no rights at all.
As Wesley notes:
Decisions ahead for Irish churches after country adopts same-sex marriage
by Marsha West
DUBLIN — Ireland became the first nation to adopt same-sex marriage by popular vote May 22 after a months-long campaign by advocates of traditional marriage to preserve the institution failed. The referendum drew more than 1.2 million people to the polls for the vote, which has now shifted once-conservative Ireland squarely into the liberal column […]
Catholics Organize to Promote Pope’s Climate Change Message
by Marsha West
Associated Press reports:
There will be prayer vigils and pilgrimages, policy briefings and seminars, and sermons in parishes from the U.S. to the Philippines.
When Pope Francis releases his much-anticipated teaching document on the environment and climate change in the coming weeks, a network of Roman Catholics will be ready. These environmental advocates – who work with bishops, religious orders, Catholic universities and lay movements – have been preparing for months to help maximize the effect of the statement, hoping for a transformative impact in the fight against global warming.
The March To Economic Totalitarianism: Pensions At Risk Of Being Seized By Government In Next Collapse
Economist Martin Armstrong warns that a Supreme Court ruling last week has set the stage for the federal government to begin seizing private pension funds …………. Click here for full story
June 5th Deadline Approaches – What Does A Greek Default Mean For Europe?
All over the planet, large banks are massively overexposed to derivatives contracts. Interest rate derivatives account for the biggest chunk of these derivatives contracts. According to the Bank for International Settlements, the notional value of all interest rate derivatives contracts outstanding around the globe is a staggering 505 trillion dollars …………. Click here for full story
Legion Of Foreign Fighters Battles For Islamic State
One day this April, instead of coming home from school, two teenagers left their valley high in the Caucasus, and went off to war ………… Click here for full story
Chrislam Infiltrates Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey has been accused of “denial of the Lordship of Jesus Christ” after the prophet Muhammad was described as “the chosen one” in a prayer at a First World War service ……….. Click here for full story
Transhumanism Marches On As “Human Chipping” Becomes Trendy
Undergoing a somewhat painful injection to have a microchip implanted into your hand might not be something most sane individuals would ever consider doing voluntarily, but for a growing number of people, it has actually become a fashionable trend………… Click here for full story
Transhumanism
So would you like to live forever armed with superhuman powers? To be your own god? The enemy of our souls would like you to believe that you can do just that. And many people are embracing this idea called transhumanism. It literally means “beyond human”. All over the world, scientists and intellectuals are joining […]
Do Churches Fail the Poor?
“This is the striking story of the last 30 years: Despite the stereotype of religion as something that people “cling to” (to quote a different moment of condescension from this president) in desperate circumstances, actual religious practice has collapsed more quickly among Americans with weaker economic prospects than it has among the college-educated upper class.”
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Practicing Homosexuality Does Not Contradict Christian Doctrine, United Methodists Claim Posted: 26 May 2015 08:06 AM PDT The United Methodist Church took one step closer to apostasy this week. At Nashville meetings, Methodist leadership voted to submit what is aptly called a “compromise” legislative proposal to its 2016 General Conference that removes “prohibitive” language from The United Methodist Book of Discipline concerning homosexuality. Specifically, the proposal would allow United Methodist pastors to perform same-sex marriages in United Methodist churches. As if that’s not defiant enough to God’s Word, this same proposal would also remove the blatant practice of homosexuality and the performance of same-sex weddings from the list of chargeable offenses. But wait, there’s more. The newfangled proposal even removes all language that in any way suggests or even hints that the church does not condone the practice of homosexuality. In other words, this proposal does not consider homosexuality incompatible with Christian teachings even though Methodists have historically recognized the practicing the sin as sinful. FULL REPORT
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| Netanyahu Ready to Create Palestinian State |
Posted: 26 May 2015 08:02 AM PDT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday stated clearly that he supports the creation of a Palestinian Arab state as the outcome of a bilateral agreement to end the present conflict. “I don’t support a one-state solution – I don’t believe that’s a solution at all,” said the Israeli leader. “I support the vision of two states for two peoples – a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish state.”
The prime minister made the remarks just prior to meeting with visiting European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini (pictured), with whom Netanyahu said he was “look[ing] forward to discussing with how we can advance that vision forth in a practical, secure, and responsible way.” Following the recent Israeli national elections, European and American leaders loudly voiced concerns over Netanyahu’s campaign rhetoric, which suggested the Israeli leader saw little justification for permitting the creation of a Palestinian state. FULL REPORT
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Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?
Posted: 26 May 2015 07:52 AM PDT
The theme throughout the New Testament is clear: Only believers are baptized. The Bible says that faith in Christ alone saves. Romans 10:9 states, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” If baptism was the final saving mechanism, then we’d be guilty of baptizing unbelievers.
Here are a few misunderstood passages:
1. Acts 2:38, “Peter said, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins … .’” Repentance is the key to remission (forgiveness), not baptism. Baptism identifies the believer with Christ much in the same way that circumcision identified the relationship that God had with the Old Testament saints. Circumcision did not save, believing did: “Abraham believed in the Lord, and God counted it to him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3). Baptism does not save; it reflects what has already been done in the heart.
The Jews knew of John’s baptism and the baptism of the Gentiles into Judaism, but not necessarily baptism in the name of Jesus. Peter was clarifying that there is a distinct difference: “Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” To be baptized “in the name of Jesus” was a radical step. Unlike today in America, it often resulted in the loss of family, association and employment. A person who was baptized was serious about their conversion. They truly understood Jesus’ words, “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:33). FULL REPORT
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El Nino Data Mimic Record 1997-98 Event as IMF Warns on Food Crisis
Posted: 26 May 2015 07:43 AM PDT
The El Nino taking hold across the Pacific strengthened, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, citing indexes of sea-surfaces temperatures that showed the same trend for the first time since the event in 1997-1998. All five NINO indexes, averaged over the past four weeks, exceeded plus 1 degree Celsius, the bureau said in its fortnightly update on Tuesday. That’s the first time this has occurred since the 1997-1998 El Nino, the bureau said.
Australia this month joined the U.S. and Japan in declaring that the first El Nino since 2010 had begun. The 1997-1998 event was the strongest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The weather patterns can bake parts of Asia, hurting crops from rice to palm oil, while crimping the hurricane season in the Atlantic and bringing more rain across the southern U.S.“The area of warm anomalies in the tropical Pacific now more resembles a classical El Nino pattern,” the bureau said. “Sea-surface temperatures will remain well above El Nino thresholds at least into the southern hemisphere spring.” FULL REPORT
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ISIS Suggests It Can Smuggle A Nuke Into US Through Mexico
Posted: 26 May 2015 07:31 AM PDT
The Islamic State is using the latest issue of its propaganda magazine Dabiq to pose the “far-fetched” hypothetical of purchasing its first nuclear weapon from Pakistan within a year and getting it into the United States through the porous Southern border. The terrorists raise the issue in an op-ed piece entitled “The Perfect Storm” that it attributes to John Cantlie, the British photojournalist whom ISIS took hostage in November 2012, The Independent reports. Cantlie has since appeared in many of the group’s propaganda videos.
Here are the key sections of the piece, according to the Independent Journal Review: “Let me throw a hypothetical operation onto the table. The Islamic State has billions of dollars in the bank, so they call on their wilayah (Province) in Pakistan to purchase a nuclear device through weapons dealers with links to corrupt officials in the region. The weapon is then transported overland until it makes it to Libya, where the mujahidin move it south to Nigeria.
“Drug shipments from Colombia bound for Europe pass through West Africa, so moving other types of contraband from East to West is just as possible. The nuke and accompanying mujahidin arrive on the shorelines of South America and are transported through the porous borders of Central America before arriving in Mexico and up to the border with the United States. FULL REPORT
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Hundreds of Security Badges ‘Missing’ from Airports
Posted: 26 May 2015 06:46 AM PDT
Washington lawmakers are demanding an accounting of how many airport security badges have been lost or stolen around the country as an NBC News investigation reveals the problem may be bigger than originally thought. “Clearly there are an awful lot of things falling through the cracks and there’s just no room for error when it comes to this issue. We need answers. They’re not providing them,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who chairs the Transportation Committee.
Thune and two other committee members have sent a letter to the Transportation Security Administration seeking more information. As NBCDFW reported in March, more than 1,400 of the badges — which allow employees to access secure areas like runways and boarding gates — went missing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport over approximately two years.Now, the station, in partnership with NBC San Diego, has learned that more than 270 badges went missing at the San Diego International Airport in the last two years. FULL REPORT
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Christians ‘Most Persecuted’ Religious Group in the World
Posted: 26 May 2015 06:39 AM PDT
Americans are well familiar, from events and court rulings over recent years, with the diatribes against Christians and Christianity – they are told they legally can’t refuse to promote “gay marriage,” for example. Also, Christian holiday events are forced to be “winter festivals,” Christian symbols are banned from many displays and any statement of biblical belief, such as support for biblical marriage, becomes the latest “phobia,” almost certainly “violating” someone’s rights. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court now is considering whether to make that very belief a federal offense.
But now an international conference speaker has warned that Christians “are the most persecuted religious group on a global level, even in countries where they constitute a majority.” A report from the European Center for Law and Justice documents comments and submissions from several experts at the recent conference held by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on “enhancing efforts to prevent and combat intolerance and discrimination against Christians, focusing on hate crimes, exclusion, marginalization and denial of rights” in Vienna. FULL REPORT
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Boeing Unveils Amazing, Slightly Terrifying New Electromagnetic Pulse Weapon
Posted: 26 May 2015 06:32 AM PDT
Born into Generation X, I grew up with the threat of nuclear war — and all its corollaries, from visions of mushroom clouds to “duck and cover” drills in high school to Terminator movies, and of course, the ever-present worry that one day a sneaky Soviet satellite would detonate way up in the sky and fry all of our electronics with an “electromagnetic pulse.” So imagine my surprise when the U.S. Air Force confirmed last week that it’s developed an electromagnetic pulse weapon of its own, and that Boeing (NYSE: BA ) is helping to build it.
The weapon in question: Boeing’s “CHAMP,” short for Counter-electronics High-powered Microwave Advanced Missile Project. It’s essentially the old nuclear electromagnetic pulse weapon that we used to worry so much about — but without the nuclear part. CHAMP carries a small generator that emits microwaves to fry electronics with pinpoint accuracy. It targets not nations or cities but individual buildings, blacking out their electronics rather than blowing up physical targets (or people). FULL REPORT
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2,000-Year-Old Water Supply System Uncovered in Jerusalem
Posted: 26 May 2015 06:26 AM PDT
Part of an ancient aqueduct built more than 2,000 years ago to transport water into the city of Jerusalem was uncovered during a recent construction project, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority. A section of the so-called Lower Aqueduct was discovered in the modern-day neighborhood of Umm Tuba, in East Jerusalem, during efforts to construct a new sewer line. The Lower Aqueduct was originally built more than 2,000 years ago by kings in the Hasmonean dynasty, who ruled Judea and its surrounding regions from about 140 B.C. to 37 B.C., and preceded King Herod the Great.
The sprawling, 13-mile-long (21 kilometers) aqueduct carried water to the capital, and “operated intermittently until about 100 years ago,” Ya’akov Billig, director of the aqueduct excavation with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), said in a statement.The Lower Aqueduct fed from the En Eitam spring, which is located near three ancient reservoirs known as Solomon’s Pools that are about 3 miles (5 km) southwest of Bethlehem. As water passed through the channel, it flowed down a gentle slope to Jerusalem, passing through the modern-day neighborhoods of Umm Tuba, Sur Bahar, East Talpiot and Abu Tor, according to the IAA. FULL REPORT
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Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake Strikes Ferndale, California
Posted: 26 May 2015 06:21 AM PDT
The USGS has reported a Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake striking the Ferndale, California Region. No reports of injuries or damage at this time. USGS
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Christian Headlines Daily – Tuesday, May 26, 2015
http://www.christianheadlines.com/
Top Headlines
Boy Scouts President Calls for Withdraw of Ban on Gay Leaders
State Department Denies Visas for Assyrian Christians
Nigerian Army ‘Relocates’ 260 Boko Haram Survivors
Christian Rock Band U2 Show Support for Equal Marriage on Instagram
Mother Teresa to be Canonized as Early as Next Year
United Methodists: Practicing Homosexuality Doesn’t Contradict Christian Doctrine
Josh Duggar Sex Abuse Scandal Emerges
Church of England to Consider ‘Transgender Baptism’ Service
Castro Regime Heightens Christian Persecution in Eastern Cuba
Franklin Graham’s Facebook Prayers Target Supreme Court Justices on Gay Marriage
Opinion
Memorial Day | Don’t Let the Stories Die!
The Duggar TV empire made all kinds of people nervous
Yoga Pants and What the Bible Really Says About Modesty
Seeking the complete financial ruin of a Christian family
Josh Duggar and the Problem of Easy Forgiving
Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner?
“My Last Day” — the Jesus Anime
9 powerful minutes of animation that begins with a thief behind bars watching the scourging of Jesus, and it ends with the thief dying next to Jesus, and waking to see Him in a beautiful place.
The dying thief: What was so great about his faith?
Remember the thief.
It can be a difficult situation if someone you are witnessing to asks about the fate of a loved one who died and was not a Christian. Simply say, “Only God knows the eternal destiny of the person, and the Scriptures assure us that He will do what is right. So we can take consolation from that.” Some may be tempted to say that the loved one went to hell, but the truth is that we don’t know what happened minutes before their death. Remember the thief on the cross.
Our Time is Short
Ready to start your new life with God?
Who do you think that I am?
With that brief question Jesus Christ confronted His followers with the most important issue they would ever face. He had spent much time with them and made some bold claims about His identity and authority. Now the time had come for them either to believe or deny His teachings.
Who do you say Jesus is? Your response to Him will determine not only your values and lifestyle, but your eternal destiny as well.
Consider what the Bible says about Him: Read more
Look to Jesus
Have you ever felt a little lost and wished there was a quick-start guide to your relationship with God? This is it!
30 Day Next Steps
John Beckett, a leading Christian businessman, has written a series to read over 30 days for new believers.
New Believers Guide
The New Believer’s Guide is a series of articles designed to show you how to walk in the new life Christ has given you— a life of faith and freedom.
Jesus Booklet
Jesus is the Savior of the world. Discover who Jesus is today in this series.
About Christianity
Know Jesus Christ and your life will be transformed
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