The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
Featuring:
The Job Thieves of Albany
Clark Whelton
"Rise up together as one voice"
"Be careful where you stand"
~~~lll~~~
DC Judge Rejects Lawsuit Against nObama's Amnesty
A federal judge kicked the fight to block Barack nObama's executive immigration action back into Congress. Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for District of Columbia denied a lawsuit from Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona. Howell said the sheriff didn't demonstrate how nObama's actions harmed him and his county -- figures, she's an nObama appointee. But in the ruling, Howell did provide a path for conservatives to attack Obama's immigration action. "Should Congress disagree with the enforcement priorities set out by DHS in the challenged policies," she wrote, "Congress has the ability to appropriate funds solely for removal, and the president cannot refuse to expend funds appropriated by Congress." Moreover, the fight over Obama's executive actions is not over in the courts, as the lawsuit against the executive legislation brought by 24 states continues to move forward. Put this way, about half of the states stand against Obama's executive action. Congress should not waver in February when the budget fight is renewed. More... -The Patriot Post
Presidential Golf Disrupts Wedding
Barack nObama loves golf. He loves it so much that he golfed with the radical Islamist prime minister of Malaysia, who has praised ISIL. And he loves it so much that two Army captains had to move their wedding to accommodate him. Bloomberg reports, "Natalie Heimel and her fiancé, Edward Mallue Jr., a pair of captains in the Army, were walking from their wedding rehearsal on Saturday at the 16th tee box at Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course in Hawaii when they were informed they'd have to move their wedding, scheduled for the next day. President Barack nObama wanted to play through." To make matters worse, the pair invited nObama to the wedding but received his regrets, albeit with congratulations and well wishes. And naturally, he heard about the whole episode on the news. When asked by Bloomberg about the faux pas, nObama said, "I feel terrible. Nobody told us." He then called the bride to apologize. She was upset but took it in stride, saying, "We knew there were two things that could mess up the wedding: One was weather and the other was the president." And one is more predictable than the other. More...
-The Patriot Post
Too Good to Check: The Racist Republican
Republicans haven't even officially taken control of both houses of Congress yet and they're already embroiled in a drummed-up scandal. Specifically, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) is a "racist" -- like all other Republicans. Why? Because in 2002 he allegedly spoke to a Louisiana white supremacist group affiliated with infamous racist and anti-Semite David Duke, a former KKK leader who ran for multiple elected offices in Louisiana. Reactionary head hunting aside, Scalise didn't actually speak to the supremacist group in question but to a civic-association meeting before the racist conference began. The two happened to be in the same venue, but at different times. As National Review's Quin Hillyer, who knows Scalise personally, sums up, "In short, the more we find out about that event, and about Scalise, the more this whole 'scandal' looks like a case of guilt not just by association, but by unintentional, second-degree association -- a guilt wrongly assessed against a man with a long record of working not to divide the races but to bridge the differences between them." Even Democrat Rep. Cedric Richmond of New Orleans said Scalise "does not have a racist bone in his body." But never mind the facts when the Leftmedia can claim a Republican scalp. Still, Scalise took the high road and apologized, while condemning the supremacist group. Perhaps now the media could look into Democrat Sen. Cory Booker, whose website featured David Duke propaganda. -The Patriot Post
Cops Still Protesting de Blasio
When two NYPD police officers were assassinated last month in a racially motivated attack in retribution for the death of Eric Garner, it was clear the blame rested with the race-bait rhetoric spewed by Barack nObama, Eric Holder, Al Sharpton and Bill de Blasio. New York City's mayor particularly exasperated cops by blaming "centuries of racism" and criticizing law enforcement. When de Blasio visited the hospital where the bodies of the two officers were taken, other officers there turned their backs on him. They did so again at the funeral for Officer Rafael Ramos last Saturday -- for which de Blasio was two hours late. No matter the sentiment, police commissioner Bill Bratton called the move "very inappropriate." Former mayor Rudy Giuliani likewise said, "[It] doesn't matter if you like the mayor or you hate the mayor, you have to respect the mayor's position." However, de Blasio's main problem is that he hasn't proved himself worthy of respect. -The Patriot Post
New Year Rings in Barrage of State Laws
Can we have just one year where lawmakers make a New Year's resolution to trim the pork spending and simplify the law books? The first day of 2015 saw many laws go into effect around the nation, from raising the minimum wage in seven states to banning photographs with big cats in New York. Among the more burdensome pieces of legislation, New York residents are now required to recycle old electronics, and students in Nevada can lose their driving licenses if they skip school one too many times. There are, however laws to ensure government doesn't micromanage daily life. The Associated Press reports, "In Utah, cities and towns can no longer ban specific dog breeds within their limits. At least 10 cities now have restrictions that ban ownership of breeds such as pit bulls." And a Pennsylvania law goes into effect Jan. 5 that gives gun owners and the NRA more leverage in challenging -- and ultimately repealing -- burdensome local ordinances that tread on the Second Amendment. While some laws continue to ensure Liberty and Rule of Law, most of the legislation only adds meddlesome red tape. More...
-The Patriot Post
1.
U.S. publishing giant erases Israel off map
(Leo Hohmann) - A Middle East with no Israel? That’s what students in that region of the world will see when they open their new world atlases as provided by the American-based mega-corporation HarperCollins...And apparently this batch of maps did not come from the company’s fiction department. The Telegraph of London has reported the global publishing house sells English-language altlases to schools in the Middle East that show Syria and Jordan extending to the Mediterranean Sea. The West Bank and Gaza Strip are also shown, but Israel is nowhere to be found on the map.
2.
Bill Whittle at the David Horowitz Freedom Center 2012
(Bill Whittle@com) - Great Speech that I’m only hearing now. If I’m not alone, you should see this and share it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgxlp2UJI5I
3.
UN Seeks to Criminalize Free Speech, Citing “Human Rights”
(By Alex Newman) - Under the guise of advancing what the United Nations refers to as “human rights,” the dictator-dominated global body is waging a full-blown assault on free-speech rights by pressuring governments to criminalize so-called “hate speech.”...Indeed, working alongside radical government-funded activist groups and anti-liberty politicians around the world, the UN and other totalitarian-minded forces have now reached the point where they openly claim that what they call “international law” actually requires governments to ban speech and organizations they disapprove of. Critics, though, are fighting back in an effort to protect freedom of speech — among the most fundamental of all real rights. http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/19817-un-seeks-to-criminalize-free-speech-citing-human-rights?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=b991ef6b02-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-b991ef6b02-289778381
4.
VOA Calls Prospects of “Immigration Reform” in 2015 Unlikely
(By Warren Mass) - A report in Voice of America (VOA) on December 29 predicted that President nObama’s recent executive action to protect some illegal aliens from being deported may actually have killed prospects of the president reaching a comprehensive immigration agreement with Congress in 2015...Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the U.S. federal government, which fully funds the news outlet. The report observed that while nObama’s recent executive action allows about four million illegal immigrants in the United States to seek temporary legal status, without congressional approval, he cannot achieve “comprehensive immigration reform.” http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/immigration/item/19815-voa-calls-prospects-of-immigration-reform-in-2015-unlikely?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=b991ef6b02-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-b991ef6b02-289778381
5.
Muslim Girls Can Be Married “Even If They Are In The Cradle”
(Published by VIE via RaymondIbrahim.com) - Muslim attempts at “reformation” continue to be limited to words not actions. A few days ago, efforts to set a minimum age for marriage in Saudi Arabia “received a blow after the Grand Mufti said there was nothing wrong with girls below 15 getting married.”... http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/12/raymond-ibrahim-muslim-authorities-say-girls-can-be-married-even-if-they-are-in-the-cradle?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=9493e5915a-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-9493e5915a-123451509
6.
Teaching the Truth About Islam
(fixthisnation.com) - Recently, it’s become glaringly obvious how important this cause is to America’s educators. We’ve seen news stories about schoolchildren being taught Islam not from a historical...unbiased perspective (which would necessarily include, you know, all the terrorism), but rather from a perspective that borders on a violation of church and state. Kids being taught the five pillars of Islam. Kids being forced to memorize phrases like “there is no God but Allah.” Students being taught, wrongly, that Allah is the same God as the one in the Bible. These aren’t one-off incidents; they are warning signs of a full-scale attempt to indoctrinate a generation of Americans. In addition to their high-profile beheadings, ISIS is believed to have killed more than 10,000 civilians in their march across Syria and Iraq. But they aren’t emblematic of Islam. According to some – like the president of the United States – they aren’t Islamic at all. http://www.fixthisnation.com/conservative-breaking-news/teaching-the-truth-about-islam/
7.
The Immigration Sham
(leanrightamerica.org) - When President nObama announced his plans for executive amnesty, conservatives feared the worst. But the actual wording of the, whatever it was – memo, executive action, presidential shoutout, what have you – was not nearly as intense as many suspected it would be...But if you thought you could breathe a sigh of relief about immigration, a new report proves that no matter what the laws on the books have to say about illegal aliens, this administration has given up enforcing them. As part of their investigation, the Houston reporters went straight to the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) for the numbers. They found that of the 30,467 families and unaccompanied minors who jumped the fence from July to October 2014, only 22 percent have received final judgment on whether or not they will be deported. These illegal aliens, however, are not waiting in detention in the meantime. Because “there’s no space,” they’ve been released into the country. 15,614 illegal aliens, therefore, are simply missing. More than 4,000 have been ordered to be deported, but even that number is misleading. 96 percent of the orders were made “in absentia,” meaning the offenders didn’t show up for their court date. http://www.leanrightamerica.org/uncategorized/the-immigration-sham/
8.
nObama and Holder lied, cops died
(By Erik Rush) - In the ongoing saga of the communist cabal currently driving policy in the White House, we have yet another instance of the most treacherous subversion in high places. Sadly, in this instance, it is costing lives...As reported last week by the Heritage Foundation’s Daily Signal news outlet, there is evidence that the nObama-Eric Holder Department of Justice was involved in funding a “community organization” linked to a controversial rap music video glorifying the murder of New York City police officers. http://www.wnd.com/2014/12/obama-and-holder-lied-cops-died/
(By Erik Rush) - In the ongoing saga of the communist cabal currently driving policy in the White House, we have yet another instance of the most treacherous subversion in high places. Sadly, in this instance, it is costing lives...As reported last week by the Heritage Foundation’s Daily Signal news outlet, there is evidence that the nObama-Eric Holder Department of Justice was involved in funding a “community organization” linked to a controversial rap music video glorifying the murder of New York City police officers. http://www.wnd.com/2014/12/obama-and-holder-lied-cops-died/
9.
Joel Osteen caught in financial scandal
(Chelsea Schilling) - The National Enquirer alleges that New York attorney Richard Garbarini – who previously helped two musicians in a lawsuit against Osteen and his Lakewood Church accusing the church...of unauthorized use of a song – is charging that Osteen uses his Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit to hawk his bestsellers. “He’s leveraging the church as a money-making vehicle! The church pays (to air) his sermons, which are just de facto infomercials to promote his books,” Garbarini purportedly told the Enquirer. “The Lakewood Church is a shell to funnel people to his website so he can sell his books.” http://www.wnd.com/2014/12/enquirer-joel-osteen-caught-in-financial-scandal/
10.
US ‘strongly opposes’ Palestinian bid to join ICC
(By TIMES OF ISRAEL STAFF) - The United States said Wednesday that it “strongly opposes” a request signed by the Palestinian Authority to join the International Criminal Court, fearing it will further delay peace talks with Israel...US State Department spokesman Edgar Vasquez warned it would be “counter-productive and do nothing to further the aspirations of the Palestinian people for a sovereign and independent state.” The American statement came hours after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed a request to join the ICC, a move that would establish a new avenue for action against Israel after the UN Security Council rejected a resolution aimed at establishing a timetable for a full Israeli pullout from the West Bank and East Jerusalem. http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-strongly-opposes-palestinian-bid-to-join-icc/?utm_source=The+Times+of+Israel+Daily+Edition&utm_campaign=ef04fc4b85-2015_01_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_adb46cec92-ef04fc4b85-54638825
The Job Thieves of Albany
Clark Whelton
(city-journal.org) - Citing unspecified concerns about health and the environment, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced this month that fracking (hydraulic fracturing) for natural gas is now banned in New York State. Some observers thought the governor might allow test drilling because economic growth from fracking in neighboring Pennsylvania has proved a boon. Though Cuomo seemed to distance himself (“I am not a scientist”) from the issue, a pro-fracking decision was never in the cards.
Since 2011, one of Cuomo’s closest fracking advisers has been Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner Joe Martens. An able and experienced administrator, Martens worked for Governor Mario Cuomo before serving 16 years as executive vice president and president of the rich and influential Open Space Institute (OSI). The OSI is closely linked to the 1.4 million-member National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and other top organizations among America’s 26,000 environmental groups. Through direct purchase, loans, and easements, the OSI specializes in preserving open space, thereby preventing that space from being used for residential and commercial purposes. With OSI insider Martens effectively managing state policy, there is little chance that the natural gas bonanza lying beneath 28 of New York’s 62 counties will be developed.
The biggest losers from Cuomo’s thumbs down will be those who live and work in New York’s “Southern Tier”—the eight counties on the state’s 225-mile border with Pennsylvania. Poverty, unemployment, and dwindling population are endemic in this region. Between 2010 and October 2014, Southern Tier cities Elmira and Binghamton were the only urban areas in New York with shrinking economies.
Winners in New York’s farewell to fracking include the OSI and its allies in the ecology land-acquisition movement. The governor’s decision means the price of prime real estate in the Southern Tier will not spike. The vast supply of natural gas beneath the surface can only be commercially accessed by fracking. The land will therefore be worth much less than it would otherwise. Other winners include environmentalists who remain committed to costly, unreliable wind and solar power. They oppose clean, cheap, abundant natural gas, which tends to liberate consumers from environmental watchdogs.
Also on the winners list is Saudi Arabia, which is currently allowing oil prices to fall, a market-testing maneuver known in the petroleum business as “sweating.” A lower price for oil can sweat competing energy producers out of business. So far, the natural gas industry has weathered the economic pressure, but anything that reduces supply—such as New York’s fracking ban—is welcome news in the global energy field, not only to the Saudis but also to Russia. As the New York Times reported earlier this month, Russia is using intimidation and anti-fracking demonstrations to maintain its stranglehold on Europe’s energy supply. Whether Russia is bankrolling anti-fracking organizations in the U.S. is unknown.Having convinced Albany that craps and blackjack equal economic development, the gaming industry is a winner, as well. On the same day the fracking decision was announced, a state board approved three new casinos in New York. Notably, none will be located in the struggling Southern Tier. Schenectady, a once-great manufacturing center, and two other locations in New York State will get glittering new “destination gaming resorts.” Despite growing evidence that casinos are a losing bet—so far this year, four casinos have closed in Atlantic City and a fifth is on life support—New York has decided to roll the dice on gambling and ignore its own data on the benefits of fracking.
A 2010 state report showed that high-volume hydrofracking would create more than 17,000 construction jobs and some 7,000 production jobs in New York, while adding 29,000 jobs in other sectors of the economy. In 2013, a Manhattan Institute study concluded that, based on Pennsylvania’s experience, “the income of residents in the 28 New York counties above the Marcellus Shale has the potential to expand by 15 percent or more over the next four years—if the state’s moratorium is lifted.”
But New York, where an increase in people moving away in search of opportunity contributed to the state’s recent fall from third to fourth in population, has chosen otherwise. In the name of imaginary threats to the environment, Albany will now deprive thousands of needy citizens of secure and prosperous futures, and offer them casinos instead. This is more than economic folly. It’s job thievery, in the first degree.
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