The Front Page Cover
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened"
Featuring:
Ending Broken Windows?
Matthew Hennessey
"Rise up together as one voice"
"Be careful where you stand"
~~~lll~~~
GOOD ECONOMIC NEWS MEANS HILLARY IS READY TO EMBRACE nOBAMA POLICIES
The Hill: “Hilly Clinton is ready to run on President nObama’s record when it comes to the economy. Clinton allies say that if the former secretary of State does in fact announce a second bid for the presidency this year, they expect that she’ll tether herself to a main slice of nObama’s legacy. A series of economic reports including Friday’s positive jobs numbers is adding to Democratic confidence that the economy will finally be a winner for nObama in his last two years in office, and that it will help the Democratic White House candidate in 2016. But even as Clinton embraces nObama’s economic record, they expect her to telegraph that more needs to be done to help the middle class, a message nObama will highlight in his State of the Union address later this month. They also predict that Clinton will present policies distinct from those of the nObama administration she served, and even her own husband’s administration, which is regularly credited with presiding over years of strong economic growth.”
[Politico reports that Democrats held 52 of the top 100 biggest spots for campaign contributions of 2014 with a combined effort of nearly $174 million as compared to $140 million to Republicans.] -Fox News
The Hill: “Hilly Clinton is ready to run on President nObama’s record when it comes to the economy. Clinton allies say that if the former secretary of State does in fact announce a second bid for the presidency this year, they expect that she’ll tether herself to a main slice of nObama’s legacy. A series of economic reports including Friday’s positive jobs numbers is adding to Democratic confidence that the economy will finally be a winner for nObama in his last two years in office, and that it will help the Democratic White House candidate in 2016. But even as Clinton embraces nObama’s economic record, they expect her to telegraph that more needs to be done to help the middle class, a message nObama will highlight in his State of the Union address later this month. They also predict that Clinton will present policies distinct from those of the nObama administration she served, and even her own husband’s administration, which is regularly credited with presiding over years of strong economic growth.”
[Politico reports that Democrats held 52 of the top 100 biggest spots for campaign contributions of 2014 with a combined effort of nearly $174 million as compared to $140 million to Republicans.] -Fox News
HEADING TO PARIS, Hanoi KERRY CALLS CRITICISM FOR MISSING MARCH ‘QUIBBLING’
Lambasted over President nObama’s decision not to join world leaders in Paris who marched to show unity against terrorism Sunday, the White House is attempting a belated rebound. Fox News: “Secretary of State Hanoi John Kerry called criticism that no top U.S. officials attended Sunday's massive march against terrorism in Paris ‘quibbling’ Monday, even as he announced a trip to the French capital later this week for talks on countering Islamist violence. Hanoi Kerry announced his plans at a press conference in the Indian city of Ahmedabad…’I would have personally very much wanted to have been [in Paris]," Hanoi Kerry said, "but couldn't do so because of the commitment that I had here and it is important to keep these kinds of commitments.’ When asked about criticism directed at the nObama administration for not sending a high-ranking official to take part in the march, Hanoi Kerry said, ‘I really think that this is sort of quibbling a little bit in the sense that our Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland was there and marched, our ambassador [to France Jane Hartley] was there and marched, many people from the embassy were there and marched.’…Hanoi Kerry said he is going to France to reaffirm U.S. solidarity with America's oldest ally. He said as soon as he heard about the march, he asked his team what the earliest time was that he could go. ‘That is why I am going there on the way home and to make it crystal clear how passionately we feel about the events that have taken place there,’” -Fox News
Lambasted over President nObama’s decision not to join world leaders in Paris who marched to show unity against terrorism Sunday, the White House is attempting a belated rebound. Fox News: “Secretary of State Hanoi John Kerry called criticism that no top U.S. officials attended Sunday's massive march against terrorism in Paris ‘quibbling’ Monday, even as he announced a trip to the French capital later this week for talks on countering Islamist violence. Hanoi Kerry announced his plans at a press conference in the Indian city of Ahmedabad…’I would have personally very much wanted to have been [in Paris]," Hanoi Kerry said, "but couldn't do so because of the commitment that I had here and it is important to keep these kinds of commitments.’ When asked about criticism directed at the nObama administration for not sending a high-ranking official to take part in the march, Hanoi Kerry said, ‘I really think that this is sort of quibbling a little bit in the sense that our Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland was there and marched, our ambassador [to France Jane Hartley] was there and marched, many people from the embassy were there and marched.’…Hanoi Kerry said he is going to France to reaffirm U.S. solidarity with America's oldest ally. He said as soon as he heard about the march, he asked his team what the earliest time was that he could go. ‘That is why I am going there on the way home and to make it crystal clear how passionately we feel about the events that have taken place there,’” -Fox News
Schoen: nObama abdicated role - New in Fox News Opinion, Fox News Contributor Doug Schoen writes that in deciding to stay home instead of standing with world leaders in Paris, President nObama has “morally abdicated his place as leader of the free world.” “To speak about the most serious terrorist attack on Western soil since 9/11 in between speeches about his free community college plan demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding for the gravity of the situation in Paris and, indeed, the world. To this end, it is not surprising that President nObama is the only Western leader who has refused to call this attack Islamic terrorism, even though President [Francois Hollande] has declared that France is it at war with radical Islam. And to not even send Vice President Loose Lips Joe Biden or Secretary of State Hanoi John Kerry in his place shows a level of disrespect that makes me ashamed of our nation. We are at war with radical Islam. And President nObama needs to say it.” -Fox News
White House omits ‘Islamic’ in announcing soft-sided event to fight terror - WashEx: “On Sunday the White House announced that President nObama will convene a "Summit on Countering Violent Extremism" on Feb. 18. By ‘violent extremism,’ the White House means the Charlie Hebdo and kosher grocery attacks carried out in Paris last week by Islamic jihadists. The White House has long made a point of leaving the word ‘Islamic’ out of discussions of Islamic terrorism, choosing instead to refer to it as ‘violent extremism.’… The summit will emphasize the soft side of the problem, seeking social scientists and other professionals to address the root causes of what administration officials refer to as a ‘really negative’ ideology. -Fox News
WITH YOUR SECOND CUP OF COFFEE...
What time is it? Well, depends on who you ask. The Atlantic examines a unique and relatively unknown phenomenon that could have major implications over time, more precisely the evolution of time and the precise calendar. Demetrios Matsakis, the chief scientist for Time Services at the U.S. Naval Observatory, “believes that the world should abandon ‘leap seconds,’ the global fiction that keeps a year of Coordinated Universal Time the same length as a solar year.” Leap seconds derive from the evolution that humanity no longer relies on the sun and moon to determine time. As a result, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service adds or subtracts a second to keep everything on time. Official policy as determined by the State Department leaves the United States against leap seconds. As to why, Matsakis said, “[Y]ou know [the leap second] exists. Your readers will know it exists for a month, then they’ll forget.” But for those who don’t account for it, including commercial software programmers, the results can be catastrophic. When the last leap second was added in 2012, Reddit, LinkedIn, Yelp and Qantas Airlines all suffered issues including flight delays. But such a slow gap will only be one minute between now and the end of this century, such a gradual march will be worth it Matsakis said. -Fox News
What time is it? Well, depends on who you ask. The Atlantic examines a unique and relatively unknown phenomenon that could have major implications over time, more precisely the evolution of time and the precise calendar. Demetrios Matsakis, the chief scientist for Time Services at the U.S. Naval Observatory, “believes that the world should abandon ‘leap seconds,’ the global fiction that keeps a year of Coordinated Universal Time the same length as a solar year.” Leap seconds derive from the evolution that humanity no longer relies on the sun and moon to determine time. As a result, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service adds or subtracts a second to keep everything on time. Official policy as determined by the State Department leaves the United States against leap seconds. As to why, Matsakis said, “[Y]ou know [the leap second] exists. Your readers will know it exists for a month, then they’ll forget.” But for those who don’t account for it, including commercial software programmers, the results can be catastrophic. When the last leap second was added in 2012, Reddit, LinkedIn, Yelp and Qantas Airlines all suffered issues including flight delays. But such a slow gap will only be one minute between now and the end of this century, such a gradual march will be worth it Matsakis said. -Fox News
1.
Fight erupts over university's censorship of student speech
(Michael F. Haverluck) - The censorship of student speech at Marquette University has drawn the attention of several outside organizations, with one legal team demanding the reinstatement of a professor...who blogged about an argument in which a teacher allegedly warned a student that any criticism of same-sex “marriage” and its related issues was banned. The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, or WILL, has written a letter demanding that the school reinstate professor John McAdams to his tenured position because the university’s suspension over his advocacy for academic freedom violated the school’s own commitment to that cause, as well the professor’s contract. WILL’s letter noted that because of the extremely narrow confines of freedom of speech on campus, the university itself would be considered guilty of harassment. http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/fight-erupts-over-universitys-censorship-of-student-speech/
2.
Wall Street Journal No Longer Politically Correct on Islam
(Bryan Fischer) - The Wall Street Journal is the most widely read newspaper in America. When it speaks, people listen. And they should, especially to today’s editorial on the dangers of Islam, written in the aftershock of the Muslim attack in Paris...The Journal points out that Syria has become the “Grand Central Station” of jihad, and quotes Andrew Park of Britain’s MI5: “A group of core al Qaeda terrorists in Syria is planning mass casualty attacks against the West…We face a very serious level of threat that is complex to combat and unlikely to abate significantly for some time.” In other words, Islam is at war with us, and the war is a long way from being over. http://sonsoflibertymedia.com/2015/01/wall-street-journal-no-longer-politically-correct-islam/
3.
Andrea Tantaros Drops a Bombshell About nObama and Terrorism
(conservativetribune.com) - Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly was recently taken to school by fellow Fox News host Andrea Tantaros on a key issue surrounding the fight against terrorism and nObama’s soft stance toward radical Islam...The debate on whether the United States and the rest of the West are doing enough to stop the spread of Islamic terrorism has exponentially increased over the past week due to the cowardly terrorist attack that claimed the lives of ten journalists at the offices of French newspaper Charlie Hebdo. When O’Reilly asked Tantaros if it was true that America doesn’t have a hard and fast policy to defeat Islamic jihadists, Tantaros not only agreed, but took a bold step into the realm of truth. http://conservativetribune.com/tantaros-bombshell-on-obama/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=936184&utm_campaign=0
4.
Judge Jeanine Pirro: We Need to Kill Them!
(Joe Saunders) - Savaging the nObama administration’s sorry record of dealing with Islamist terrorism, Judge Jeanine Pirro warned Saturday night...that a six-year record of appeasement toward Islamists had only placed American lives in danger. “It is time for this to be over,” Pirro said in the beginning of her “Opening Statement” on “Justice with Judge Jeanine.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w2ZS231BAQ
5.
Attacks of Radical Islam Know No Boundaries
(Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein) - If these audacious and despicable attacks teach us anything, the lesson was summed up for us by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video address to the French people... “The attacks of radical Islam know no boundaries … The terrorists want to destroy our freedoms and our civilization.” Another one of our strongest world leaders, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, echoed Netanyahu’s words, when he said, “The international jihadist movement has declared war … They have declared war on any country like ourselves that values freedom, openness, and tolerance … And we may not like this and wish it would go away, but it is not going to go away and the reality is that we are going to have to confront it.” As Christians and Jews, we are all part of this fight, and it is a fight we must engage in – and win – together. Our response must be clear and unambiguous, and we must speak with one voice. As Jews and Christians we should be just as quick to defend the principle of individual rights – a principle based on our shared Judeo-Christian heritage – as others are to attack them. We must be as quick to reject violence in defense of some misbegotten idea of faith as others are to resort to it. And we must redouble our efforts to fight terror wherever and whenever it occurs. http://www.ifcj.org/site/News2?abbr=sfi_&page=NewsArticle&id=46117&news_iv_ctrl=3342&s_src=SFIEN&s_subsrc=EN11501XXEXXA&utm_campaign=sfi%20enews&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
6.
Yes They Are: U.S. Weapons Going to Iranian-backed Militias
(Thomas R. Eddlem) - According to a damning report from Bloomberg News January 8, “U.S. weapons intended for Iraq’s beleaguered military are winding up in the possession of the country’s Shiite militias,” militias that are allied with Iran...nObama administration officials publicly denied the weapons transfers even as other nObama officials privately confirmed the transfers to Bloomberg. “We have no reason to believe that there is any effort by the Iraqi government to transfer U.S.-supplied weapons to Shia militia,” White House spokesman Alistair Baskey told Bloomberg News. Bloomberg posted one photo from Facebook of an Iraqi militia member with a U.S.-made Abrams tank draped in a Hesbollah flag. Hesbollah, which means “party of God” — a Lebanese Shiite political party that used guerrilla warfare and terrorism against Israel during its occupation of the Golan Heights — has been labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. I don't believe this admin and they would cover up anyting negative towards them. http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/19879-of-course-they-are-u-s-weapons-going-to-iranian-backed-militias
7.
Holder, in Paris for terror talks, not seen at unity march
(FoxNews.com) - Secretary of State Hanoi John Kerry announced Monday that he would travel to Paris later this week amid sharp criticism that no top U.S. official attended Sunday's march against terrorism in the French capital...More than 40 world leaders marched arm in arm through Paris to rally for unity and freedom of expression and to honor the 17 victims killed over three days of terror attacks. However, neither President nObama nor Vice President Loose Lips Biden nor Hanoi Kerry were among them. Attorney General Eric Holder, in Paris to attend a meeting on fighting terrorism, also did not participate. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/11/holder-is-top-administration-official-in-paris-for-terror-talks-not-seen-in/
8.
What is Ignorance, Tolerance and Corruption Breeding in America?
(Bradlee Dean) - Friends, can you imagine our forefathers George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, etc. sitting across the table from the likes of Barack Hussein nObama, dinky Harry Reid, Nancy Pulosi, Hanoi John Kerry etc.?...They would be speaking two different languages, would they not? The forefathers advocated freedom by establishing the rights that God gave. On the other side of the table, we have the devil and his lawless minions distorting every word that our forefathers intended in an attempt to bring a people into bondage by enslaving them through slow and incremental encroachments. Our forefathers would call for a reformation with a call back to the Christian religion and morality, which are the essential pillars of American society! http://patriotupdate.com/articles/ignorance-tolerance-corruption-breeding-america/
9.
Oh Goodie: nObama To Host “Anti-Violent Extremism” Summit
(nicedeb) - President No-Show will host an “anti-violent-extremism” summit next month. This will be worse than useless, because not only is nObama determined not to name the enemy that actually threatens us, thus not diagnosing the problem and making no headway toward solving it...But he will be tempted to name phantom “enemies” that pose no threat to anyone – just to be fair. “On February 18, 2015, the White House will host a Summit on Countering Violent Extremism to highlight domestic and international efforts to prevent violent extremists and their supporters from radicalizing, recruiting, or inspiring individuals or groups in the United States and abroad to commit acts of violence, efforts made even more imperative in light of recent, tragic attacks in Ottawa, Sydney, and Paris,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement. If you think that nObama won’t use this as an opportunity crack down on conservative religious groups, you haven’t been paying attention for the past 6 years. https://nicedeb.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/oh-goodie-obama-to-host-anti-violent-extremism-summit/
10.
nObama's math doesn't add up on free tuition, critics say
(Brian Hughes) - President nObama’s plan to provide free tuition to community college students has landed with a thud among number crunchers, who argue that overburdened states cannot afford to fund the White House idea...As a political strategy, “free tuition” is as appealing a message as nObama could devise heading into his final two years in office. But when pressed on funding the measure, it gets messier for the White House. Even if nObama had the backing of Republicans to spend $60 billion in federal funds on the education program — he doesn’t — the White House still would have a money problem. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obamas-math-doesnt-add-up-on-free-tuition-critics-say/article/2558466
Ending Broken Windows?
Matthew Hennessey
(city-journal.org) - It’s hard to miss the irony: the same people who have called for an end to Broken Windows-style policing in New York City now blast cops for engaging in a work slowdown. According to the New York Post, the NYPD essentially stopped writing tickets for minor offenses in the week following the December 20 assassination of officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu. A New York Times editorial called the slowdown a “public act of extortion” and called on the leaders of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association to abandon it. “Do your jobs,” the Times said. “The police are sworn public servants and refusing to work violates their oath to serve and protect.”
Perhaps the Times should first resolve for itself what the cops’ job is. In a July 2014 editorial titled BROKEN WINDOWS, BROKEN LIVES, the Times called for “a serious discussion of the future” of Broken Windows, which, it said, has “pointlessly burdened thousands of young people, most of them black and Hispanic, with criminal records.”
The Times and other critics have never understood Broken Windows and how it brought crime down in New York, Los Angeles, and other cities. Some claim—falsely—that no study has shown it to be effective in reducing crime. They say that crime was going down anyway in the 1990s, due to the booming economy and the waning of the crack epidemic. The NYPD, on this view, simply rode that wave, and the crime reductions that we associate with Broken Windows were merely coincident with the strategy, not the result of it. “Correlation does not imply causation,” they intone, but anyone who lived in New York City in the late 1980s and early 1990s—criminals especially—can testify to the changed attitudes of the NYPD during that period and the resultant effect on civic life. Correlation may not imply causation, but it doesn’t rule it out, either.
Any reluctance now by cops to enforce against quality-of-life offenses such as public urination, solicitation, and subway-fare jumping—whether the result of anger at Mayor de Blasio or concern about the threats coming in against the department—is a detriment to the city. If it persists, it would mark a glaring contrast with the practices of the last 20 years, during which the NYPD trained a new type of cop, one who aggressively acts to stop crime for the benefit of all—including the 54 million tourists that now visit the city each year. Of course, cops will still arrest criminals and detectives will still solve crimes—after they happen. What they may not do is go out of their way to prevent crime from happening in the first place, which was the great contribution of Broken Windows to the life of the city, to the annoyance of both liberals and libertarians. “The Broken Windows metaphor is one of deterioration,” wrote NYPD commissioner William Bratton and Manhattan Institute senior fellow George Kelling, an original proponent of Broken Windows. “A neighborhood where minor offenses go unchallenged soon becomes a breeding ground for more serious criminal activity and, ultimately, for violence.”
A new class of police officers was sworn in just last week. They enter an institution in flux. We will find out shortly whether the NYPD’s culture of excellence can survive the current crisis.
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