Soldiers allegedly plotted to kill Obama, oust government

thehill/Army soldiers formed a militia group in Georgia that plotted to overthrow the U.S. government — and they killed a fellow soldier and his girlfriend to keep the plot secret, prosecutors alleged Monday, according to the Associated Press.
Prosecutors in the Long County, Ga., case say that the militia group planned to overtake the nearby Fort Stewart, to bomb a dam in Washington state and poison the state’s apple crop and ultimately overthrow the government and assassinate the president, according to reports.

The group of former and activity duty U.S. service members spent at least $87,000 on guns and bomb components, prosecutors said.
The anarchist allegations emerged Monday during the trial where four soldiers are accused of killing former soldier Michael Roark and his 17-year-old girlfriend Tiffany York, to stop their plan from being revealed.
"This domestic terrorist organization did not simply plan and talk," prosecutor Isabel Pauley told the judge. "Prior to the murders in this case, the group took action. Evidence shows the group possessed the knowledge, means and motive to carry out their plans."
The militia group’s name is F.E.A.R, which stands for Forever Enduring Always Ready. Prosecutors did not know how many members the group had, according to published reports.
The four soldiers accused of killing Roark knew each other at Fort Stewart. One of the four soldiers charged, Pfc. Michael Burnett, backed up the prosecutor’s claims Monday, after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and agreed to testify against the others, the AP reported.
The other defendants, Pvt. Isaac Aguigui, Sgt. Anthony Peden and Pvt. Christopher Salmon, have been charged in criminal court with murder and criminal gang activity, among other charges. The Army also filed charges against the four soldiers, according to reports, although it has not acted on them.

 

Extinct Sotará volcano: an eruption first in recorded history

nprotocol/According to INGEOMINAS, the Observatorio Vulcanológico and Sismológico de Popayán reported that during 8-14 August seismic activity at Sotará increased. The seismic network recorded 110 magnitude 0.2-1.6 events mainly located in an area 0.1-5 km NE of the peak, at depths of 2-6 km. Inflation was detected in the NE area, coincident with the zone of increased seismicity. Web-camera views showed no morphological changes. The Alert Level was raised to III (Yellow; “changes in the behavior of volcanic activity”), or the second lowest level. (Smithsonian Institute)  -Earthquake Report

 

Billboard Controversy Comes To North Texas

(CBSDFW.COM) - A billboard that sparked a protest in Indiana because of its reference to the Navy Seals, and removing the President from office, has appeared along I-35 in North Texas.
The ad in Gainesville depicts two men in camouflage holding weapons. The text next to the picture, in a military style font, says “The Seals removed one threat to America,” a reference to the killing of Osama bin Laden. It continues, “Remove the other in November.”
The bottom of the sign says it’s a political ad, paid for by TJ Schad, and has a Gainesville address.
At his home Monday, Tom Schad said he’s not acting for any political party, committee or candidate. He simply saw a similar picture in an email, with an accompanying note that said it should be on every billboard across the country.
“It just started out as something fun to do,” he said. “Let’s see if I could do it. I didn’t have a clue how to do it.”
Schad said he knew the owner of TerryCo., the company who leased him the billboard space through the November election. He had an artist at an advertising agency design the ad and it was up within a week.
“I think we were just trying to make a statement,” he said. “We felt we needed to change direction in the country, and that’s what we did.”
A similar ad in Elkhart, Indiana prompted a small protest last week. The ad specifically referenced voters removing the president.
Some demonstrators said though that comparing military action to take out a terrorist, with removing a president from office, was too far. Schad said he didn’t see how people could take the ad that way.
“Other than the fact it’s got some seals in there with a gun,” he said. “But I think it’s pretty obvious what they did and what the statement is.”
TerryCo said it only received a few curious phone calls about the board, and Schad said he hasn’t received a single complaint.
Rather people keep forwarding him a picture that he took of the board, that has made its way onto internet blogs. The retired Air Force mechanic said his only previous entry into the political world was a spot on the town airport and appraisal boards. He said he wasn’t looking for publicity, but realized over the last couple weeks he was starting to get it.
“If you’re going to I guess you may as well jump in with both feet,” he said.
View the billboard

Mass aerial sprayings 'anti-West Nile Virus' pesticides

 

(NaturalNews) Dallas County, Texas, and several nearby towns and cities in the Dallas area are currently being forcibly sprayed with toxic insecticides as part of a government effort to supposedly eradicate mosquitoes that may be carriers of West Nile virus (WNv). The mass sprayings, which are ramping up all across the country, involve blanketing entire areas with chemicals sprayed via airplanes, a highly controversial protocol that threatens not only all other insects and animals exposed, but also humans.

According to the City of Dallas, more than 380 state-confirmed cases of WNv have been reported throughout Texas this year, and at least 16 people in the Lone Star State have died in conjunction with the virus. The specifics of these cases and deaths have not been publicly released, but authorities insist that the situation is serious enough to warrant a series of at least three conjunctive aerial sprayings throughout Dallas County, including in Highland Park and University Park.

Aerial spraying chemicals linked to causing Colony Collapse Disorder

The chemical product being sprayed is known as Duet, an "advanced dual-action mosquito adulticide" that contains both sumithrin, the active ingredient in another mosquito pesticide known as Anvil, and prallethrin. Both chemicals are known to be highly-toxic neuropoisons that target not only mosquitoes, but also bees, bats, fish, crickets, and various other animals and insects (http://www.clarke.com/images/pdf/MSDS/2012MSDS/duet-msds.pdf).

Sumithrin, a synthetic pyrethroid, is known to kill bees, and is linked to the widespread bee die-off phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). In tests, sumithrin has been shown to damage human kidneys and the liver, and is also linked to causing both liver and breast cancers. Household pets exposed to sumithrin are also at risk of serious health complications, as are fish and other aquatic animals (http://www.pesticide.org).

Prallethrin, another synthetic pyrethroid, is hardly any better. A 1993 study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives suggests that prallethrin is a human endocrine disruptor. And like sumithrin, prallethrin is highly toxic to bees and other creatures besides just mosquitoes, threatening to very seriously disrupt the natural ecosystem of areas sprayed with it (http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC35755).

Trust us, we're from the government

Despite all this, officials continue to publicly insist that the spraying chemicals, the details of which are not being openly disclosed, are harmless to humans, though there is no legitimate scientific evidence to back this claim. Instead, residents are simply being told that the sprayings are safe and necessary -- and many local residents seem content with this, having little or no concern about the harmful consequences of exposure.

In a recent photo published by the San Francisco Gate, for instance, local residents can be seen enjoying themselves on an outside patio at a local Dallas bar while spraying planes bombard them with chemicals overhead. As you will notice, these individuals appear to be amused by the large, toxic plumes in the sky (http://www.sfgate.com).

The same report explains that many local residents have been largely "unfazed" by the sprayings, and even the warnings to stay indoors while they are taking place. Many local residents have reportedly continued on with their normal routines despite the sprayings, including jogging on outside trails and engaging in other outdoor activities (http://www.sfgate.com).

Meanwhile, cities in Illinois (http://www.suntimes.com), California (http://www.nctimes.com), Massachusetts (http://www.boston.com), Pennsylvania (http://salisbury.patch.com), and elsewhere are also conducting their own aerial sprayings for WNv at the recommendation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Aerial mosquito spraying ineffective, unsafe

According to research compiled by the group Stop West Nile Virus Spraying Now (http://www.stopwestnilesprayingnow.org/), aerial spraying endeavors are not even effective at preventing the transmission of WNv. Dr. Wallace LeStourgeon, a molecular biologist from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, says there is no evidence to show that aerial sprayings legitimately fight West Nile Virus (http://www.stopwestnilesprayingnow.org/Evidence.htm).

Contrary to the reassurances of public officials, there is also no evidence that aerial spraying chemicals are safe for humans. A Center for Public Integrity review of data compiled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that pyrethrin chemicals can cause severe reactions in many people, and may be responsible for injuring and killing far more people than they theoretically save from dying of WNv.

"Both peer-reviewed scientific research and mathematical modeling demonstrate that spraying is ineffective for WNv," says a recent report by California Progress Report. "A model widely used for infectious diseases produced two important conclusions when applied to WNv transmission: 1) early, sufficient treatment for mosquito larvae is the key to control; 2) treatment aimed at adults later in the season cannot possibly eradicate the virus."
Sources for this article include:

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/video?clipId=7602631

http://www.dallascityhall.com/westNile_aerial-spraying.html

http://www.westnile.state.pa.us/

http://www.stopwestnilesprayingnow.org/

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036877_aerial_spraying_West_Nile_virus_chemicals.html#ixzz24Om6ZlKn

 

Google Shopping blocks all vitamins and natural products

(NaturalNews) If you have ever done any sort of comparison shopping online, chances are you have probably used Google's Shopping portal to pull up product information and compare prices. But if you live in the U.S. and try to use Google Shopping to buy vitamins, supplements, personal care products, and even many health foods, your search queries will now turn up blank, as Google has apparently blocked access to all vitamins and natural products for American customers.

Right around June 28 of this year, Google Shopping users first began noticing that search queries for many common health products like "vitamin C" and "fish oil" began turning up zero results, whereas before they would generate a copious list of vendors that offered these products, as well as corresponding price information. In the days and weeks that followed, these same users learned that vitamins and natural products in general were no longer showing up in Google Shopping.

When asked about the issue by several concerned shoppers, Google's public relations team reportedly gave vague and incomplete answers about why natural products are no longer showing up in its Shopping section, even though they are still showing up in Google's general web search area. Others with inside information claim that Google has quietly, without any announcement to the public or its venders, added vitamins, supplements, and other nutritional products to its "sensitive category" of products, which means they are completely blocked from Google Shopping searches.

In either case, Google Shopping users are now unable to search for nutritional products, which means it has become that much harder for the average person to access vitamins and dietary supplements online. And the venders that used to sell such products through Google's site -- many of these businesses had been paying Google to include their products as part of Google Shopping searches -- are now watching their businesses decline, as Google holds a significant monopoly on the product search and comparison market.

"Google publishes a list of products in [the natural health] category that are blocked as a matter of corporate policy in the public interest. So shopping results for (things like) steroids are always blocked," says the Healthy Chronicle, an online health blog sponsored by California-based supplement company iMedmart.com. "(But) we're talking about something completely different here -- Google is blocking whole categories of respected, brand-name products ... from online shoppers for no stated reason."

You can watch a video demonstration by iMedmart.com that illustrates the problem here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNDyS0tF4dY

And if you are still not convinced, try searching for the following vitamin and superfood items in Google Shopping yourself. Note that several of these items are merely health foods that Google has blocked, and are not even isolated vitamin or dietary supplement products:

• Vitamin C
• Camu camu
• Coconut water
• Vitamin B12
• Spirulina
• Zinc
• Glucosamine

This is just a sampling of the many products that are no longer available through Google Shopping. And many other products, including some of the ones referenced in the above YouTube video from iMedmart.com, will pull up two random listings that, once clicked, lead to a useless selection page with no actual listings.

Vitamins, natural products still show up in Google Shopping searches in other countries

Oddly enough, these very same products appear to be showing up normally for Google Shopping users in other countries. Individuals in France, Australia, the U.K., and elsewhere say that they are not having any problems pulling up nutritional and dietary supplement products in Google Shopping -- only American users seem to be having this problem.

Since Google does not provide live support over the phone, we were unable to speak with someone from the company to get an explanation. However, after reviewing Google's list of "unacceptable product categories" (http://support.google.com), there is no official indication that vitamins, supplements, and other health products are prohibited from Google Shopping.

Meanwhile, if you search for things like Hostess Twinkies, Frito-Lay Doritos, and other unhealthy "junk" foods, you will pull up hundreds of search results in Google Shopping.

Glitch or deliberate censorship?

So what exactly is going on here, and why is Google refusing to plainly answer questions about the matter, or issue a public statement about it? And why is Google now quietly refusing the advertising dollars of a multi-billion dollar industry, which is being completely excluded from its Shopping module?

A vitamin vender who claims to have been able to reach a Google AdWords Specialist says he was told to contact Google's legal department at legal@google.com for more information. This department could not immediately be reached for comment about the Google Shopping anomaly, but the vender believes the issue stems from the European Union (EU)'s recent ban on vitamins and herbs, and Google's attempt to thwart potential trade sanctions by this socialist body (http://wearechangetv.us).

Call to Action: Contact Google and demand answers

At this point, it is unclear whether or not we are dealing with a unintentional glitch in Google's system, or a deliberate censorship effort that seeks to withhold access to natural health products. So we are calling on all NaturalNews readers to utilize Google's "Give us feedback" portal to inquire about the issue:
http://www.google.com/quality_form

Upon accessing the form, select the "Something is broken and I can't use Google properly" option, and explain that you are having trouble pulling up items like fish oil and vitamin C in the Google Shopping portal. Request that the issue be addressed, and also ask to have someone from Google contact you, whether by email or phone, with a followup.

Also, be sure to share this information with others, especially those who purchase vitamins, supplements, and natural health products online. It is important that we nip this in the bud as quickly as possible to ensure that our online access to the health foods of our choice remains uninhibited and uncensored.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036862_Google_Shopping_vitamins_censorship.html#ixzz24OgHwkgq

Lies: US government's one billion rounds of ammunition

(NaturalNews) The alternative media scored a huge victory last week with the joint coverage of the U.S. government's purchase of over one billion rounds of anti-personnel "hollow point" ammunition. The ammunition is to be use domestically, not by the military.

The story broke on sites like www.DrudgeReport.com www.InfoWars.com and www.NaturalNews.com - all top sites run by independent, intelligent journalists who dare to report the truth rather than the corporatized fictions spewed by the mainstream media. Breaking the story, InfoWars.com uncovered documents revealing huge purchases of hollow-point ammunition, which is illegal to use in war because it violates the Geneva convention. Those purchases include:

• 750 million rounds of ammo purchased by the Department of Homeland Security (http://www.infowars.com/dhs-to-purchase-another-750-million-rounds-of...)

• 174,000 rounds of ammo purchased by the Social Security Administration (http://www.infowars.com/social-security-administration-to-purchase-17...)

NaturalNews covered this earlier in the week in an article entitled "The U.S. government's coming war with the American people: Insane quantities of govt. ammo purchases point to only one purpose"
www.naturalnews.com/036802_DHS_ammunition_shooting_war.html

We had also covered the DHS's previous purchase of 450 million rounds of hollow-point ammo in an article published in April of 2012:
www.naturalnews.com/035649_DHS_ammunition_domestic_war.html

Lamestream media tries to downplay ammunition stockpiling by domestic government agencies

Thanks to InfoWars, Drudge, NaturalNews and other alternative news websites, word about these ammo purchases -- which total over 1.4 billion rounds of ammo when you add up all the contracts -- has begun to spread so far and wide that the mainstream media was forced to try to destroy the story.

So now, in a desperate effort to try to diffuse this story -- which is really a story about the U.S. government stockpiling ammo to be used against the American people -- the media is focusing on the Social Security Administration ammo purchase of 174,000 rounds... a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the 1.4 billion rounds of ammo so far acquired by the Department of Homeland Security.

The SSA, it turns out, explains away the 174,000 rounds of ammo it purchased by saying, essentially, "We needed the ammo."

The SSA has hundreds of armed agents running around the country with guns, didn't you know? As the SSA itself states, "These investigators have full law enforcement authority, including executing search warrants and making arrests. They use traditional investigative techniques, and they are armed when on official duty." (http://cnsnews.com/news/article/social-security-administration-explai...)

Okay, so wait a second. First of all, since when did the social security administration need hundreds of armed agents with .357 rounds of hollow point ammo running around the country? What exactly are they doing with these guns? Shouldn't they technically be calling local sheriffs if they need assistance from peace officers? I'm pretty sure that when Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law in 1935, it didn't say anything about the SSA having "hundreds of armed social security agents running around the country with hollow point ammunition." Somehow, the SSA granted themselves this power and just ran with it.

But the bigger fact is what they're not telling you: 174,000 rounds of ammo is almost nothing compared to the 1.4 billion rounds of ammo being purchased by the DHS. And to my knowledge, nobody has explained why the DHS needs 1.4 billion rounds of ammo.

Look at it this way: If the "B" shown below represents 174,000 rounds of ammo:

B

(This is how much ammo the Social Security Administration is buying.)

... then the following list of B's represents 1.4 billion, which is what DHS is buying:

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

That's what 1.4 billion bullets looks like. In case you haven't yet done the math, that's enough bullets for the government to shoot every single American more than four times.

But the mainstream media only wants you to focus on the single "B" -- the 174,000 rounds of ammo purchased by the SSA. You're supposed to ignore the other 8,000 "B's" representing the bullets being purchased by the DHS.

This is called media sleight of hand, and it's a mind game being played by the mainstream media, including Fox News which is playing right along with the SSA's attempted dismissal of all this:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/17/agencies-tamp-down-specula...

In contrast to Fox News and its dumbed-down coverage, a far more intelligent article on the matter appeared in the Daily Caller, written by Major General Jerry Curry, USA (Ret.):
http://dailycaller.com/2012/08/17/who-does-the-government-intend-to-s...

What is the purpose of all this ammunition?

The federal government, when asked about the ammo, essentially says, "We need it!"

And why do they need it? For their own "safety," of course. "[Armed SSA personnel] also are called to respond to threats against Social Security offices, employees, and customers," explains the SSA. So the government, in other words, needs ammo for its safety.

So why are American citizens who "stockpile" ammo for the exact same reason considered "radical" or "extreme" or even "terrorists?"

When the government buys ammo for the safety of its workers, that's a good thing, you see. But when YOU buy ammo for the safety of your own family, that's a BAD thing, we're told. Citizens don't need ammo. Only the government needs ammo. That's the big media lie you're being told right now.

This idea of the government having a monopoly of force is, by the way, the principle arms control argument of Adolf Hitler, who penned his famous "Nazi Weapons Law of 1938" which was copied virtually word-for-word into the U.S. Gun Control Act of 1968.

Just as in Nazi Germany, the modern U.S. government believes only the government needs ammo, not the citizens!

Self defense is a "Divine Right"

I've just released a new two-part documentary called "The Divine Right of Self Defense."

It shows how weapons -- including the right to hurl projectiles at predators -- are found throughout the natural world in plants, mammals, insects and birds. This right is common across the natural world because it is a "divine right."

Watch "The Divine Right of Self Defense" at:
http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=21F2EDD44025A69C37A90B15A1B11971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCk90Xvv3EI

and watch part two -- "Gun Control is Genocide" -- at:
http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=E2BF95DC2CBE9A1ED0E3E5B347911D5E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9LWioXYaic

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036847_ammo_purchases_government_stockpiling_media_lies.html#ixzz24OdXUf60

 

Immigration agents sue to stop Obama’s non-deportation policy

washingtontimes/Saying they’re fed up with being told they can’t do their jobs, 10 immigration agents on Thursday sued the Obama administration to try to halt the president’s new non-deportation policy and an earlier memo instructing them not to go after rank-and-file illegal immigrants.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Texas, adds a legal controversy to the political fight that has been brewing over President Obama’s immigration policies, which have steadily narrowed the range of immigrants the government is targeting for deportation.
The 10 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and deportation officers said Mr. Obama’s policies force them to choose between enforcing the law and being reprimanded by superiors, or listening to superiors and violating their own oaths of office and a 1996 law that requires them to put those who entered the country illegally into deportation proceedings.
Upping the ante, the agents are being represented by a high-profile lawyer, Kris W. Kobach, secretary of state in Kansas and the chief promoter of state immigration crackdowns such as Arizona’s tough law.
“ICE is at a point now where agents are being told to break federal law, they’re pretty much told that any illegal alien under age of 31 is going to be let go. You can imagine, these law enforcement officers are being put in a horrible position,” Mr. Kobach said.
Last week, at Mr. Obama’s direction, the Homeland Security Department began taking applications from those 30 years of age or younger who came to the U.S. as children and who have kept a fairly clean criminal record. They are being granted “deferred action,” which is an official notice they are not to be deported, and will be allowed to obtain work permits to stay and get jobs legally in the U.S.
ICE officials didn’t have an immediate comment on the lawsuit, but the Obama administration has repeatedly defended the legality of its actions.
At a House Judiciary Committee hearing in July, Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican, warned of the possibility of a lawsuit and asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano if she would rescind the order before it came to that.
“Representative, I will not rescind it,” she replied. “It’s right on the law. It’s the right policy. It fits within our prosecutorial priorities. And although it came out of the Department of Homeland Security, let me say that president is foursquare behind it, embraces this policy as the right thing to do.”
She said the administration doesn’t have the ability to issue a stay of action for a broad category of people, but said the new policy is different because it invests decisions on a case-by-case basis with agents and officers, who are instructed not to pursue cases for those who meet the guidelines she laid out.
Ms. Napolitano said she’s acting in accordance with Supreme Court rulings that have established a wide latitude for discretion by the executive branch, and said federal law directs the administration to establish immigration enforcement priorities.
But in their 22-page complaint, the agents say they’ve been told in broad terms to ignore a whole class of illegal immigrants. They said they have been instructed not to bother asking for proof, but to take an illegal immigrant’s word that he would qualify for the president’s more liberal policy.
One of the instances the lawsuit cites is a now well-known case in El Paso where ICE Agent Samuel Martin picked up an illegal alien from the El Paso County jail. Agent Martin says the man tried to escape and, in the process, assaulted him and another agent — but when they got the man to ICE’s processing center agency supervisors said he had to be released under the new policies.
In that case, the issue wasn’t Mr. Obama’s recent policy on immigrants eligible under the so-called “Dream Act,” which stalled on Capitol Hill, but an earlier memo by ICE Director John Morton that said agents should focus on criminals and repeat-immigration offenders.
Chris Crane, an ICE deportation officer, president of the National ICE Council and one of those suing to stop the policy, said morale is low among rank-and-file employees at the agency.

Read more: Immigration agents sue to stop Obama's non-deportation policy - Washington Times

West Nile Virus on Track for Worst Year Ever

abc/The West Nile virus outbreak that has infected people in 38 states is on track to be the worst in history, a top official at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told a news teleconference today.

The CDC has recorded 1,118 infected people with 41 deaths, but health officials say they expect reported cases to rise dramatically. The disease generally peaks in mid-August, and the new infections generally take a couple of weeks to show up in the tally.

"Thus, we expect many more cases to occur," said Dr. Lyle R. Petersen, director of the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases at the CDC.

Petersen said the number of people infected has risen substantially in the past few weeks. Just one month ago, a mere 29 cases had been detected. As of Tuesday, he said, 47 states had reported indications of the virus in humans or animals; only Alaska, Hawaii and Vermont have so far been spared. Human cases have been detected in 38 states.

The total, he said, is the highest number of West Nile virus cases reported to the CDC by this time in the summer since the disease was first detected in the United States in 1999. In short, this outbreak is on track to be the worst in the country's history.

The worst year on record is 2003, in which the country saw 9,862 cases of West Nile virus infection and 264 deaths.
He described more than half of these cases -- 56 percent -- as neuroinvasive, meaning the infection had spread to the brain in these patients.
While it is unclear why this year has been harder hit than others, many think it is possibly because of the weather.
"It is a very complicated ecological cycle," Petersen said. "Hot weather, we know from experiments in the laboratory, can increase the transmission of the virus."
It is possible that the mild winter and the hot summer also increase the number of mosquitoes, which spread the virus.

The health departments and blood banks are also making efforts to protect the blood supply. To date, the virus has been detected in the blood of 242 donors. Donated blood is routinely screened for West Nile virus.

Seventy-five percent of the cases have been reported from five states: Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Illinois. Texas appears to be the hardest hit, with 586 reported cases in total. The death toll so far in Texas is 21, but it appears that at least four additional deaths will soon be added to the total. Dallas County has been hardest hit, with a total of 270 cases and 11 deaths.

"We are talking about hundreds, if not thousands, of people whose lives will be changed," said Dr. David L. Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. "Texas has really been the center of this outbreak."

The totals are creeping closer to the 2003 figures in Texas, which were the worst ever for the state. In that year, Texas recorded 438 cases and 40 deaths statewide.

There are several components to the Texas government's response. It has been coordinating with local health departments to obtain as much data as possible and track the areas hardest hit. Additionally, a new lab test to detect the virus has been implemented, allowing doctors to get an answer in two days while previous tests took 10.

Initially, they were using ground sprays to kill the mosquitoes harboring the virus, but aerial spraying has since been added to the strategy. "It would have been impossible for us to cover the county with land-based spray," Lakey said.

To prevent spread of the disease, the CDC encourages the public to use insect repellent, wear long sleeves, replace or repair screens on windows and doors, empty standing water and to support local mosquito control.

 

Waterspout breakout reported over Lake Michigan

Extinctionprotocol/ The National Weather Service is now reporting nine waterspouts from two separate storms were witnessed on Lake Michigan. Waterspouts have been spotted over Lake Michigan today and forecasters say it’s possible more could spawn tonight and Sunday night. The National Weather Service said three of the tornado-like vortices were reported to them shortly before noon on Saturday, by people who were out on a fishing boat in Lake Michigan this morning. The spouts were spotted about 24 miles west of the South Haven lighthouse. The storms that caused them were small, 15-minute “pop-ups,” said William Moreno, a meteorologist in the NWS office in Grand Rapids. Conditions were right this morning for the waterspouts, Moreno said, with a land breeze converging over lake water warmed by the summer heat. The water in that part of the lake, the widest part of Lake Michigan, is about 72 degrees, he said. Winds in spout areas often reach 40 to 60 mph. Boaters or swimmers are advised to seek shelter when they are spotted. Waterspouts are relatively rare, but have been seen already this summer off Holland. Five were seen falling from sky simultaneously in the video below. –Mlive

 

Waterspout breakout reported over Lake Michigan

Extinctionprotocol/ The National Weather Service is now reporting nine waterspouts from two separate storms were witnessed on Lake Michigan. Waterspouts have been spotted over Lake Michigan today and forecasters say it’s possible more could spawn tonight and Sunday night. The National Weather Service said three of the tornado-like vortices were reported to them shortly before noon on Saturday, by people who were out on a fishing boat in Lake Michigan this morning. The spouts were spotted about 24 miles west of the South Haven lighthouse. The storms that caused them were small, 15-minute “pop-ups,” said William Moreno, a meteorologist in the NWS office in Grand Rapids. Conditions were right this morning for the waterspouts, Moreno said, with a land breeze converging over lake water warmed by the summer heat. The water in that part of the lake, the widest part of Lake Michigan, is about 72 degrees, he said. Winds in spout areas often reach 40 to 60 mph. Boaters or swimmers are advised to seek shelter when they are spotted. Waterspouts are relatively rare, but have been seen already this summer off Holland. Five were seen falling from sky simultaneously in the video below. –Mlive

 

Duff Foreign Cash Disqualifies Romney from Presidential Bid

Romney Faces Prosecution for Campaign Finance Violations

…by  Gordon Duff,  Senior Editor

No other American presidential candidate has ever left the US to garner campaign contributions from foreign citizens.
VT/There is a reason for this, one that Romney and his staff seem oblivious to and the mainstream media had ignored until just recently.

Using foreign contributions in any American election is a felony. Hello Romney campaign…is anybody home, hello?

Below, Fox News identifies illegal fundraising in both Israel and in London, no donor is identified, no records are kept. Gosh, does that look like someone might be trying to circumvent the law?

__________________

YouTube - Veterans Today -

If you go outside the US, if you stay inside the US, if your contributor is living in the US but not a citizen, any money you get can mean years in jail.
Romney went the whole way, personally campaigning outside the US, soliciting foreign citizens, and humiliating himself and his country with his ignorance and flagrant attempts to trade illegal cash for promises of illegal war.  One could hardly break more laws if one wanted.
Romney has raised millions in foreign cash at fundraising events across Israel and London, those that we know of so far.  One table alone gave him a million in cash.  None was from American citizens.  Fewer than 10% of Romney’s contributors in Israel are estimated to be “dual citizens.” Others may have just flown the money in.

A real question many might ask, why would a presidential candidate travel outside the US to seek campaign money at all?  As the Supreme Court points out, in the decision Bluman, et al., v. Federal Elections Commission, no foreign cash, especially collected overseas, can ever be used in an American campaign.

__________________

Here is what the New York Times reports on recent court decisions that disqualify Romney as a candidate:

January 9, 2012, 3:34 pm

Supreme Court Retains Ban on Foreign Campaign Donations

By JOHN H. CUSHMAN JR.

In a terse four words, the Supreme Court on Monday issued an order upholding prohibitions against foreigners making contributions to influence American elections.

The decision clamped shut an opening that some thought the court had created two years ago in its Citizens United decision, when it relaxed campaign-finance limits on corporations and labor unions. On Monday the Supreme Court, upholding a lower court’s decision in Bluman, et al., v. Federal Election Commission, refused to extend its reasoning in Citizens United to cover foreigners living temporarily here.
Foreign nationals, other than lawful permanent residents, are completely banned from donating to candidates or parties, or making independent expenditures in federal, state or local elections.
The Supreme Court’s order did not discuss the merits or suggest that there was any dissent among the justices.

_________________

The iconic photo below, from the Washington Post, hands Romney out to dry:

A man with some real problems to wail about;  “Please g-d, don’t let them catch me…”

Here is what the Washington Post reported on Romney’s illegal fundraising efforts inside Israel:

JERUSALEM — Mitt Romney held an intimate breakfast fundraiser here Monday with some of his campaign’s biggest benefactors, telling them about the spiritual impact his trip to Israel had had on him.
Seated around a U-shaped conference table with roughly 40 donors, with Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson immediately to his left, Romney said he was “overwhelmingly impressed with the hand of providence.”
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee was expected to raise more than $1 million from the donors, who each were required to raise or donate $25,000 to $50,000 to attend the event. All of the donors are U.S. citizens, and many of them flew here from the United States to be with Romney during his 36-hour visit to Jerusalem.
Many of those in attendance at the posh King David Hotel are major bundlers for Romney’s campaign, raising tens of thousands of dollars from their business associates and friends. Adelson, for instance, has personally committed to giving tens of millions of dollars to a pro-Romney super PAC.

He sure has a big smile on his face

No filming, no photographs were allowed, no donor IDs were checked.
No due diligence done, only one reporter attended who surprise, surprise, had no access to donors.
This is one of many fundraisers including one in Tel Aviv just for diamond merchants as Fox reported, held in total secrecy.
We have word that Romney and Sheldon Adelson met a group of large donors from among the Jewish community of Russia who flew from Moscow to offer their financial support.
The problem stems with bad legal advice Romney received from his campaign finance staff.
The Romney campaign had been laundering money through corporations, money moved into the US under the “Citizen’s United” decision of the US Supreme Court.

Romney figured he could then go anywhere in the world, peddle foreign policy, promise war, play president and collect cash from foreigners though this is specifically prohibited by US law.
In doing so, he is no longer qualified for office and, if challenged by Ron Paul, has no standing at the Republican Convention. With such a clear violation of law, not just blatant but massive, Romney could face years in prison.

The Romney/Bain legal team was not available for comment.
It is now for Romney to prove that not one cent of contributions collected from thousands in Israel was actually collected from Israel.  We wish him good luck with that.
One source of untapped information on Romney’s activities is his Secret Service detail. As federal law enforcement officers, though they are not directly tied to the Federal Election Commission, they are obligated to report any suspicious activity.
Considering Romney’s secret meetings with diamond merchants, many of whom are on international terror watch lists, perhaps the secret service might want to meet their sworn obligation.

_________________

Israel is now the largest source for “blood” or “conflict” diamonds, the major source of funds for terrorism, illegal arms dealing and drug trafficking in the world.
Here is how this works, taking advantage of “loopholes” purposefully written into handling procedures that let billions in illegal diamonds enter the US:

Since the KP, at least in its current form, only tracks the movements and origins of uncut diamonds, countries specializing in the cut variety of stones can churn out billions of dollars worth of diamonds each year, incubated from the sometimes awkward propriety questions the KP has been known to raise.
Due in part to this glaring KP loophole, Israel has become the world’s largest diamond exporter, with revenues from the precious stones accounting for more than a third of its total annual exports. In 2008, Israel generated $9.4 billion through diamond exports, an amount increasing annually.
Since the process of cutting diamonds removes all traceable hallmarks, cut diamonds purchased from Israel are close to impossible to track, indistinguishable from diamonds sent from South Africa, Australia or North America, and end up at major trading hubs such as New York or Hong Kong, where they are purchased wholesale by diamond sellers across the globe.

Is Fox right, is illegal diamond trafficking going to have its own president?   Are these diamond “merchants” supporting Romney or “blood diamond launderers?”

Are we to wait on hands and knees for federal authorities to make a statement on this, or are they all at the casino?

When you add Sheldon Adelson, Romney’s “host” and his history of involvement in charges of bribery and prostitution and “casino skimming,” according to the Jewish Global News as quoted by Veterans Today.
Romney certainly has chosen an interesting crowd to help enrich his heritage as a Mormon Bishop.
The results of the Romney overseas trip?
We had fundraisers generally barring reporters and others with “no access, sit in the corner with no camera”.
To that you can add in unpublished meetings and a failure to identify not just sources of cash, which wasn’t just Israeli but money channeled from other foreign supporters from Russia, India, Britain, Switzerland and elsewhere.

Is there any doubt why Romney would leave the country to raise money when he has over a thousand Swiss bank accounts?

 

Boats armed with machine guns to patrol RNC

iStock

TAMPA, Fla. -
clickorlando/Law enforcement agencies are planning to boost their patrols of Tampa's waterways during the Republican National Convention.
The RNC will be held later this month on the city's waterfront. Federal and local law enforcement agencies say they'll saturate the waterway with armed boat patrols.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says automatic machine guns and infrared technology that can pick up body heat are among the new tools being mounted onto boats for the patrols.
U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman Judy Silverstein says the marine units are prepared for "everything that could possibly happen."
Tampa Police Cpl. James Reiser says anyone swimming or paddling in security zones will be detained and probably arrested.
Recreational boaters should expect security checkpoints and channel closures throughout the Aug. 27-30 convention.

 

S. Korea heatwave kills more than 830,000 poultry

terradaily/South Korea's extended heatwave has taken its toll on both humans and animals, with more than 830,000 chickens or other poultry reported dead as of Wednesday.
The agriculture ministry said 786,512 chickens, 40,780 ducks, 3,000 quail, 336 pigs and five cows have died since July 20, when the peak temperature began hovering above 33 Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) in most areas.
The stifling heat also killed seven people in June and July, the health ministry said, mostly elderly people working in fields or greenhouses.
Temperatures have stayed above 35 C for 12 days in much of the country, causing massive blooms of algae in rivers.
Sales of electric fans and air conditioners have soared. On Monday the state power company warned that reserves were dangerously low and urged people to switch off appliances, as usage reached a record.
The meteorological administration says relief is in sight starting Friday, with midday temperatures dropping to the customary August figure of 30C from the weekend.

Army reports grim milestone in troop suicides

 

The wider Army is losing this battle with suicide, critics say. | Reuters

politico/Army suicides hit a new single-month record in July, when 38 active-duty and reserve soldiers took their own lives, according to official figures released Thursday.
The toll, up from 24 in June, prompted a wave of renewed anger and frustration among Pentagon leaders and veterans advocates.
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“I was pretty shocked when I saw the number,” said Tom Tarantino, legislative director for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “This has been a continuous problem. This really stems from the military, and the [Department of Veterans Affairs], for that matter, basically the entire military and veteran community, really coming to this issue several years late.”
“It really wasn’t until 2007-2008, really 2009, that they started thinking about it at the level they need to be thinking about it,” he said.
Despite efforts from high-profile military leaders — including Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno, former Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen and former Army Vice Chief Gen. Peter Chiarelli — the wider Army is losing this battle, critics say.
“These guys get it,” Tarantino said. “But until we get that sergeant, that lieutenant, that captain, that corporal to get it, it’s going to take a long time until we turn the tide on this.”
Army officials said 187 active-duty and reserve soldiers have committed suicide so far in 2012. Last year’s total was 283. Many of the cases are suspected suicides under investigation and have not been officially classified as a suicide, officials say, meaning the eventual final total could be higher or lower. And the numbers Thursday do not include statistics for former service members.
“As shocking as the Army numbers are, we have no idea what the veteran numbers are,” Tarantino said.
Gen. Lloyd Austin, the Army’s current vice chief, said the military is focused on trying to reduce the stigma associated with asking for help and address the mental health issues facing U.S. troops after more than a decade of war.
“Suicide is the toughest enemy I have faced in my 37 years in the Army,” Austin said. “And, it’s an enemy that’s killing not just soldiers, but tens of thousands of Americans every year.”
“That said, I do believe suicide is preventable,” he said. “To combat it effectively will require sophisticated solutions aimed at helping individuals to build resiliency and strengthen their life coping skills. As we prepare for Suicide Prevention Month in September, we also recognize that we must continue to address the stigma associated with behavioral health. Ultimately, we want the mind-set across our force and society at large to be that behavioral health is a routine part of what we do and who we are as we strive to maintain our own physical and mental wellness.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0812/79812.html#ixzz23kv77oa6

Sakurajima volcano releasing largest amount of ash in 20 years

 

extinctionprotocol/- Sakurajima Volcano has been steadily erupting for some time now. So much so that residents were asked to cover up and wear masks as a health and safety measure. According to researchers, this active volcano in Kagoshima Prefecture could release its largest amount of ash in two decades this year alone. Going by the current stats available, the mountain has already spewed enough ash from January to July, amounting to twice the amount emitted in all of last year. Masato Iguchi, a professor at the Sakurajima Volcano Research Center said that last year saw a record number of eruptions as well. The ground around Sakurajima indicates the buildup of magma and appears swollen. And if Sakurajima keeps being as active it is right now, we can expect the amount of ash expelled to be a new record. In the past two decades this year’s activity of explosions and ash fall have both risen dramatically. As a part of the Kyoto University’s disaster reduction research institute, keeping a tab on such stats is imperative to avoid another Pompeii. You may recollect the 1914 eruption as one of the deadliest one that killed 58 people. Presently, Minamidake crater erupted last month for the first time in about a year and a half and the Showa crater has been active since 2008. –Japan Daily Press

 

S. S. Admin Explains Plan to Buy 174,000 Hollow-Point Bullets

(AP Image)

(CNSNews.com) – The Social Security Administration posted a blog on Thursday to explain why it was planning to purchase 174,000 hollow point bullets.
SSA posted a "Request for Quote for Ammunition" on the FedBizOps.gov website on Aug. 7. The request listed the commodity that SSA desired as ".357 Sig 125 grain bonded jacketed hollow point pistol ammunition." The quantity listed was "174 TH."
The SSA’s Office of the Inspector General’s said it posted a new blog on the agency’s website, “Beyond the Numbers,” “as we strive to be a transparent and accountable government organization for all of our stakeholders.
“With those goals in mind, we thought it would be appropriate to address recent media reports regarding the organization’s purchase of ammunition for our special agents’ duty weapons,” the blog post states.
The blog states that the SSA has 295 special agents who work in 66 offices across the United States.
“These investigators have full law enforcement authority, including executing search warrants and making arrests,” the blog post states. “Our investigators are similar to your State or local police officers.
“They use traditional investigative techniques, and they are armed when on official duty,” the blog post states.
Concern expressed in some media reports about the type of ammunition ordered by the agency is unfounded, the blog states, explaining that the .357 Sig 125 grain bonded jacked hollow point pistol ammunition is “standard issue for many law enforcement agencies” and is appropriate for the work agents perform.
“Our special agents need to be armed and trained appropriately,” the blog post states.  “They not only investigate allegations of Social Security fraud, but they also are called to respond to threats against Social Security offices, employees, and customers.”
The blog also links to another post about a fight that broke out near an SSA office in Massachusetts that required action by law enforcement officials.
“SSA is processing more applications than ever, which means more traffic in SSA office,” the blog states. “Employee and visitor safety is the highest priority for OIG, which, together with the Federal Protective Services and local law enforcement, has jurisdiction over SSA workplaces.”
Prior to the blog being posted, CNSNews.com had asked the agency specific questions about its ammunition order. Although some of those questions were addressed by the information provided in the blog, the agency did not say why it needed 174,000 bullets and if that quantity was customary or had increased from previous orders.

Study: 1/2 Of Americans Die With Less Than $10,000 In Assets

Hey this sounds like me! Dang, Now that makes me depressed.

Share if you care!

(CBS Connecticut) – Close to half of Americans die owning very little in financial assets, with senior citizens relying heavily on Social Security to help get them through their retirement years.
More than 46 percent of Americans find themselves with under $10,000 in financial assets by the time they die, according to a new study examining financial status among senior citizens. The study, “Were They Prepared For Retirement?,” looks at the connection between health and wealth and Americans’ increased reliance on the government.
“Many of these households also have no housing wealth and rely almost entirely on Social Security benefits for support,” wrote the study’s three authors, James Poterba of MIT, Steven Venti of Dartmouth and David Wise of Harvard.
Although the study outlines that most households seem well-prepared for retirement, finding that the average income in the final years is not a significant drop from the average income in a person’s late 50s or early 60s, there’s little wiggle room “to pay for unanticipated needs such as health expenses or other financial shocks or to pay for entertainment, travel, or other activities.”
The study, which was published in accordance with the National Bureau of Economic Research, also linked healthier seniors to having higher assets compared to less healthy seniors.
Poterba wrote that an alteration in the Social Security structure could prove to be a problem in a culture where asset-building isn’t as easy as it once was.
“If we were to substantially reduce Social Security benefits for those later in life, that there is a share of the elderly households for whom that would translate very directly into reduced income, because they seem to have accumulated little in the way of financial resources,” Poterba wrote.

British ships banned from docking in Buenos Aires

Argentina’s president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner Photo: AP

The legislature of Buenos Aires province voted to prohibit vessels sailing under the British flag from “mooring, loading or carrying out logistical operations” in any of its ports.

The bill was brought forward by Patricia Cubría, a deputy belonging to President Cristina Kirchner’s Front for Victory coalition.

It was nicknamed ‘Gaucho Rivero’ after Antonio Rivero, nicknamed the ‘Gaucho’, an Argentine cowboy who led an uprising in the Falkland Islands against the British in 1833.

“He fought so that the Argentine flag could fly in the Falklands,” Ms Cubría said.

The law is designed to hinder British ships involved in oil exploration in waters belonging to the islands and will be seen as the latest in a series of provocations in the run up to the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War.

Related Articles

telegraph/Buenos Aires province is the largest in Argentina and is home to nearly 40 per cent of the country's population as well as its most important ports.
Last year the South American trading bloc Mercosur – which includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – decided to shut its ports to ships flying the Falklands flag.
The Argentine government began legal action in June against five British exploration companies operating around the Falklands.
Ships linked to British military or logistical activity are also banned by the law.
“It is a tool that continues our fight for the sovereignty and natural resources of the Malvinas [the name for the islands in Spanish],” Ms Cubría said.
Last year, two ships, thought to be British and headed to the Falklands in search of oil, docked in the port of La Plata, close to the city of Buenos Aires, sparking mass protests.
It was later revealed they were Norwegian vessels contracted by Argentina.
In December, countries belonging to South American trade bloc Mercosur closed their ports to ships flying the Falklands flag.
Two P&O cruise liners were also banned from docking in Argentina in February after they visited the islands.
The British embassy in Buenos Aires did not immediately return a request for comment.

 

Sinkhole In Assumption Parish, La.

I was raised only 20 miles from here. I havent been back in over 21 years but It I still remember this awesome place like it was yesterday! This sink hole is becoming larger and no one knows what it is from. Well it is just from the earth growing and contracting! There is sink holes everywhere!

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For more than two months, officials from federal to local have been unable to pin down the source of a natural gas leak and tremors in assumption parish.
But on Thursday a 200 by 200 foot "slurry area" has appeared in bayou corne in northern assumption parish...
The formation of the slurry area was accompanied by a diesel-like odor that some residents said burned their eyes and noses but dissipated by midmorning Friday...
Assumption parish officials declared an emergency and called for an evacuation of residents living near the nearly 1-acre muddy site.
A potential failure of a cavern operated by Texas brine company may have caused the slurry area, or sinkhole, which swallowed full-grown trees and denuded a formerly forested patch of cypress swamp.
Final determination of a positive link between the failure of the cavern and either the natural gas bubbling or the slurry area has not been made.
In response, gov. bobby jindal declared an emergency Friday.

 

Destructive Oklahoma wildfires rage as capital has hottest day

The heat is jsut getting terrible. Everyday is a new record and this is around the country.

With all-time record heat and significant drought conditions, destructive wildfires exploded across parts of Oklahoma on Friday.
examiner/Dozens of counties reported wildfires with some of the worst hit areas in Cleveland, Oklahoma, Canadian and Caddo, according to KFOR-TV.
Emergency officials reported at least 12 different wildfires around the state, with more than 100 homes destroyed in parched areas north and south of Oklahoma City and south of Tulsa.
The sheriff said at least 50 homes, a day care center and numerous outbuildings had burned in a wildfire that may have been deliberately set near Luther, a town about 20 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.
Deputies were looking into reports about someone in a pickup truck who was seen throwing out newspapers that had been set on fire.
An estimated 40 structures were destroyed by a wildfire near Tulsa with at least 25 other structures, including a handful of homes wiped out near Noble, about 30 miles south of Oklahoma City.

Wildfires breakout across parts of Oklahoma Friday afternoon. (August 3, 2012)

Photo credit:

(News 9)

Hundreds of residents were told to leave their homes as the flames spread through treetops.
The Cleveland County wildfire near Slaughterville prompted an estimated 100 to 150 people to evacuate their homes, an American Red Cross official said.
The wildfires and smoke led the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to shut down part of the Turner Turnpike, which carries Interstate 44 between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Traffic was rerouted onto old U.S. Route 66, the famed two-lane highway that crisscrosses Oklahoma.
With moderate to extreme drought conditions covering the entire state, firefighters had a hard time completely dousing the hot spots with wildfires reigniting in areas that were previously blanketed by fires.
Some firefighter crews were forced to abandon their posts because of the fast moving flames.
All this was going on with all-time record heat across parts of Oklahoma Friday afternoon with widespread 105-plus degree temperatures.
The National Weather Service reported Oklahoma City tied its all-time hottest day on record with a high of 113 degrees. The record was previously set way back on August 11, 1936.
Guthrie was one of the hottest spots in the state, hitting 114 degrees, where a 75-year-old bridge reportedly buckled under the heat.
The extremely hot temperatures, drought conditions and very low humidity combined for the explosion wildfire conditions, said Michelann Ooten, deputy director of the state's Office of Emergency Management.
The high fire weather conditions are forecast to continue through the weekend.
A state of emergency and statewide burn ban are in effect for the extreme weather conditions across Oklahoma, Gov. Mary Fallin announced.

Oregon Man Sentenced to 30 Days for Collecting Rainwater

I cant believe this actually went all the way to court and they really did this! This makes me so mad. I guess were all  going to jail for using solar power for electricity. Because we stole that power from the power companies, I mean where does it stop? 

Please share if you care! Really!

(CNSNews.com) – A rural Oregon man was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in jail and over $1,500 in fines because he had three reservoirs on his property to collect and use rainwater.
Gary Harrington of Eagle Point, Ore., says he plans to appeal his conviction in Jackson County (Ore.) Circuit Court on nine misdemeanor charges under a 1925 law for having what state water managers called “three illegal reservoirs” on his property – and for filling the reservoirs with rainwater and snow runoff.
“The government is bullying,” Harrington told CNSNews.com in an interview Thursday.
“They’ve just gotten to be big bullies and if you just lay over and die and give up, that just makes them bigger bullies. So, we as Americans, we need to stand on our constitutional rights, on our rights as citizens and hang tough. This is a good country, we’ll prevail,” he said.
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Harrington said the case first began in 2002, when state water managers told him there were complaints about the three “reservoirs” – ponds – on his more than 170 acres of land.
According to Oregon water laws, all water is publicly owned. Therefore, anyone who wants to store any type of water on their property must first obtain a permit from state water managers.
Harrington said he applied for three permits to legally house reservoirs for storm and snow water runoff on his property. One of the “reservoirs” had been on his property for 37 years, he said.
Though the state Water Resources Department initially approved his permits in 2003, the state – and a state court -- ultimately reversed the decision.
“They issued me my permits. I had my permits in hand and they retracted them just arbitrarily, basically. They took them back and said ‘No, you can’t have them,’ so I’ve been fighting it ever since,” Harrington told CNSNews.com.
The case, he said, is centered on a 1925 law which states that the city of Medford holds exclusive rights to “all core sources of water” in the Big Butte Creek watershed and its tributaries.
“Way back in 1925 the city of Medford got a unique withdrawal that withdrew all -- supposedly all -- the water out of a single basin and supposedly for the benefit of the city of Medford,” Harrington told CNSNews.com.
Harrington told CNSNews.com, however, that the 1925 law doesn’t mention anything about colleting rainwater or snow melt -- and he believes that he has been falsely accused.
“The withdrawal said the stream and its tributaries. It didn’t mention anything about rainwater and it didn’t mention anything about snow melt and it didn’t mention anything about diffused water, but yet now, they’re trying to expand that to include that rain water and they’re using me as the goat to do it,” Harrington
But Tom Paul, administrator of the Oregon Water Resources Department, claims that Harrington has been violating the state’s water use law by diverting water from streams running into the Big Butte River.
“The law that he is actually violating is not the 1925 provision, but it’s Oregon law that says all of the water in the state of Oregon is public water and if you want to use that water, either to divert it or to store it, you have to acquire a water right from the state of Oregon before doing that activity,” Paul told CNSNews.com.
Yet Paul admitted the 1925 law does apply because, he said, Harrington constructed dams to block a tributary to the Big Butte, which Medford uses for its water supply.
“There are dams across channels, water channels where the water would normally flow if it were not for the dam and so those dams are stopping the water from flowing in the channel and storing it- holding it so it cannot flow downstream,” Paul told CNSNews.com.
Harrington, however, argued in court that that he is not diverting water from Big Butte Creek, but the dams capturing the rainwater and snow runoff – or “diffused water” – are on his own property and that therefore the runoff does not fall under the jurisdiction of the state water managers, nor does it not violate the 1925 act.
In 2007, a Jackson County Circuit Court judge denied Harrington’s permits and found that he had illegally “withdrawn the water at issue from appropriation other than for the City of Medford.”
According to Paul, Harrington entered a guilty plea at the time, received three years probation and was ordered to open up the water gates.
“A very short period of time following the expiration of his probation, he once again closed the gates and re-filled the reservoirs,” Paul told CNSNews.com. “So, this has been going on for some time and I think frankly the court felt that Mr. Harrington was not getting the message and decided that they’d already given him probation once and required him to open the gates and he refilled his reservoirs and it was business as usual for him, so I think the court wanted -- it felt it needed -- to give a stiffer penalty to get Mr. Harrington’s attention.”
In two weeks, if unsuccessful in his appeals, Harrington told CNSNews.com that he will report to the Jackson County Jail to serve his sentence.
“I follow the rules. If I’m mandated to report, I’m going to report. Of course, I’m going to do what it takes in the meantime to prevent that, but if I’m not successful, I’ll be there,” Harrington said.
But Harrington also said that he will never stop fighting the government on this issue.
“When something is wrong, you just, as an American citizen, you have to put your foot down and say, ‘This is wrong; you just can’t take away anymore of my rights and from here on in, I’m going to fight it.”