Mainstream News

President Obama Calls for Conscience Vote On Syria, Even If Public Opposed

"'It's conceivable that, at the end of the day, I don't persuade a majority of the American people that it's the right thing to do,' Obama said in response to a question from ABC News during a solo press conference at the conclusion of the G20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia. But, Obama said, members of Congress need to consider the lessons of World War II and their own consciences and vote 'yes' to authorize the use of force, even if it means going against the opinion of the majority of their constituents. 'Each member of Congress is going to have to decide if [they] think it's the right thing to do for America's national security and the world's national security,' Obama said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPresident Obama Calls for Conscience Vote On Syria, Even If Public Opposed

Who funds Syrian rebel advocate O’Bagy and her ‘Task Force’? You do

"The Syrian Emergency Task Force, the pro-rebel lobbying outfit that employs widely quoted intervention advocate Elizabeth O’Bagy as its political director, receives funding from the U.S. Department of State and related government contractors. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Caller earlier last week, O’Bagy explained how she got paid. O’Bagy has been roundly condemned for working for a pro-Syrian lobbying group at the same time she was casting the Syrian rebels in a positive light. She works as an analyst at the neoconservative think tank, the Institute for the Study of War." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWho funds Syrian rebel advocate O’Bagy and her ‘Task Force’? You do

AIPAC to deploy hundreds of lobbyists to push for Syria action

"The influential pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee will deploy hundreds of activists next week to win support in Congress for military action in Syria, amid an intense White House effort to convince wavering U.S. lawmakers to vote for limited strikes. 'We plan a major lobbying effort with about 250 activists in Washington to meet with their senators and representatives,' an AIPAC source said on Saturday. Congressional aides said they expected the meetings and calls on Tuesday, as President Barack Obama and officials from his administration make their case for missile strikes." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAIPAC to deploy hundreds of lobbyists to push for Syria action

Map: All the Countries John McCain Has Wanted to Attack

"Even before he was caught playing poker on his iPhone at a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) had already sent a message: Anything less than an extensive aerial assault on the Syrian regime by American forces would be an unacceptable approach to the conflict in the Middle East. This was hardly surprising. Over the last two decades, McCain has rarely missed an opportunity to call for the escalation of an international conflict. Since the mid-1990s, he's pushed for regime change in more than a half-dozen countries—occasionally with disastrous consequences." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMap: All the Countries John McCain Has Wanted to Attack

Gun rights advocates stand armed outside bagel shop to educate public

"Some customers at a southwest Houston bagel shop were startled to see people standing around with guns outside the store. The people outside the Einsten Bros. Bagels on Montrose were with Open Carry Texas -- a group dedicated to the safe and legal carry of firearms openly in the State of Texas. They say they want to remove the stigma on the appearance of guns in the community and educate people about firearms. Members of the group claim some people are afraid of weapons because of misinformation from the media and the government. Police responded to a call about the men, but say they weren't breaking any laws because it is legal to open carry long guns in Texas." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGun rights advocates stand armed outside bagel shop to educate public

Colorado Democrat: Legislature, not guns, will keep you safe

"Colorado House Majority Leader Dickey Lee Hullinghorst said in an interview on YouTube last week that firearms ownership is redundant because the state Legislature keeps citizens safe from harm. 'As a woman, I have the right not to carry a gun and to feel safe on the streets, and that’s what we provide for in the state Legislature is for all of us in the state of Colorado — to feel safe on the streets without having to carry a gun,' said Mrs. Hullinghorst. She also took a swipe at gun owners. 'The thought that the only way we can protect ourselves is to wield our own weapon is completely absurd and an argument that I absolutely discount as frivolous,' Mrs. Hullinghorst said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingColorado Democrat: Legislature, not guns, will keep you safe

Former Sheriff Speaks Out Against Federal Gun Laws

"The former Sheriff of Graham County, Arizona rose to fame when he sued the Clinton Administration over the Brady Act, requiring sheriffs departments to issue background checks on anyone looking to purchase a handgun. 'It said the sheriff will work for us whether he likes it or not, and do so at his own expense and if he doesn't do it, we can arrest him for failure to comply. That's how stupid Congress in our country has gotten,' said Mack. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where the act was ruled unconstitutional. Now, Mack is an advocate for telling the federal government to back off." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer Sheriff Speaks Out Against Federal Gun Laws

Cardboard officer cuts crime by 67% at Mass. subway stop

"The burly officer watching over the bike racks at a Boston-area transportation hub is a real stiff. As part of an effort to cut crime at the Alewife MBTA subway and bus station in Cambridge, transit police placed a cardboard cutout of a police officer in the bicycle cage. Hundreds of people use the racks daily. Deputy Chief Robert Lenehan says the fake cop, along with video cameras and a new lock, has cut bike thefts by 67 percent. It’s also a money saver. Lenehan estimates it would cost $200,000 a year to have an officer watch over the cage full-time. The cutout is actually a picture of real MBTA Officer David Silen. Silen says the split second thieves take to glance at the cutout is enough to discourage them." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCardboard officer cuts crime by 67% at Mass. subway stop

CDC calls rising E-cigarette among teens ‘deeply troubling’

"Some 1.78 million US middle and high school students — around 11 to 18 years old — smoked so-called e-cigarettes in 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a new study. CDC smoking and health office director Tim McAfee noted that 'about 90 percent of all smokers begin smoking as teenagers.' 'We must keep our youth from experimenting or using any tobacco product.' The US government is due to announce in October its plans for regulating electronic cigarettes. For the moment, the laws are different according to each state, though a number of them have already forbidden their sale to minors." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCDC calls rising E-cigarette among teens ‘deeply troubling’

Washington State issues how-to regs on growing, selling marijuana

"The details announced this week include the number of shops that will be able to sell pot around the state (334, with locations based on population), the number of shops or growing facilities that a single business can operate (three per individual or corporation), the size of marijuana 'grows' (30,000 square feet, or about three-quarters of an acre), the kinds of security systems that must be in place (alarms and video surveillance), and how far such shops must be from schools, parks, and other places where children may gather (1,000 yards). In all, according to the Washington State Liquor Control Board, the overall harvest for next year will be capped at 40 metric tons." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWashington State issues how-to regs on growing, selling marijuana