Saturday, March 29, 2014

In the news, Friday, March 14, 2014


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MAR 13      INDEX      MAR 15
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from Ancestry.com

What Do Boston, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh Have in Common?
They all make the Top 10 list of most Irish cities. AncestryDNA's Dr. Julie Granka maps concentrations of Irish ethnicity to develop the most and least Irish cities and states in the U.S.

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from The Blaze
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from CBS News (& affiliates)

Job Seekers Swarm Marijuana Career Fair As Colorado’s Green Rush Continues

Survey: Unflattering Selfies May Be Responsible For Increase In Cosmetic Procedures

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from CNN

CNN Exclusive: Analysis shows two possible Indian Ocean paths for airliner

Is this an alien landing site, ancient monument, or something else?
In 1997, Danae Stratou joined with industrial designer Alexandra Stratou and architect Stella Constantinides to create a breathtaking spiral made up of alternating conical dips and protrusions in the Sahara Desert, near the Egyptian town of El Gouna just off the Red Sea. The project, known as Desert Breath, spreads over one million square feet of sand.

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from Discover Magazine

Celebrating 40 Years of the Rubik's Cube
An interactive exhibit all about the famous mathematical puzzle will open April 26 in New Jersey.

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from Discovery News
from The Farmacy (& Strawbale City)
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from The Federalist

Have We Turned Into A Nation Of Isolationists?
Always war or never war. Are those really our choices?

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*from The Federalist Papers

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from Fox News (& affiliates)
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from Freedom Foundation (WA)

Union Kills Accountability
Among the highest priorities of government unions is to shield government employees from accountability.

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from Greatist

27 Non-Toxic Recipes for DIY Cleaning

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from The Guardian (UK)

Nasa-funded study: industrial civilisation headed for 'irreversible collapse'?
Natural and social scientists develop new model of how 'perfect storm' of crises could unravel global system

Gravitational waves: have US scientists heard echoes of the big bang?
Discovery of gravitational waves by Bicep telescope at south pole could give scientists insights into how universe was born

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from The Heritage Foundation

WATCH: Cruz Explains in Under Two Minutes Why Ukraine Aid and IMF Changes Shouldn't Be in Same Bill

How Big Business Is Promoting Common Core

Obama Administration Eyes New Obamacare Delay

Poll: Putin Stronger Than Obama

Indiana Legislature Ends Common Core, Contemplates New Standards, Sets Precedent

Israel Intercepts Missile Shipment from Iran as U.S. Shortchanges Missile Defense

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from Huffington Post
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from iFIBER ONE News (WA)

Soap Lake building collapses Friday due to wind, no one injured

Moses Lake man found hiding in a clothes dryer to avoid arrest

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from International Christian Concern
(PERSECUTION.org)

Global Rise In Use Of Blasphemy Law: U.S. Report
ICC Note: A new report has highlighted the rising trend of the abuse of blasphemy laws. The most flagrant violator is Pakistan. At least 14 people are on death row and 19 others are serving life sentences for alleged blasphemy against Islam. Many more have been accused and still face trials or have already suffered from a sort of vigilante justice system. While blasphemy accusations can be brought against Muslims, they disproportionately are used against Christians, the USCIRF report found.

Islamic Extremists in Somalia Behead Two Christians
ICC Note: The terrorist group Al Shabaab has reportedly publicly executed two Somalis because of their Christian faith. The mother of two girls and her cousin had previously lived in Kenya, a majority Christian country, and according to neighbors “did not take Friday prayers seriously.” Al Shabaab has made a public statement that they want to wipe-out any Christian fellowships in the area.

Nigeria’s Churches Will Not Stay Silent During Violence, Leader Says
ICC Note: The absolute horrors being committed throughout Nigeria by the terrorist group Boko Haram have devastated the country. The Christian community continues to speak out, despite a military enforced “state of emergency” the attacks continued unabated. On March 8, three more churches were burned to the ashes. Weekly attacks have occurred throughout the region and the death toll just in the month of February exceeded 400 in three states alone.

Baghdad Postcard: The Perils Of Being Christian In Cradle Of Civilization
ICC Note: Somewhere near a million Christians have left Iraq over the past decade. For those who have stayed behind they continue to risk danger from fighting that in some cases shows no discrimination, and at other times extremists who target Christians to make a point. For those who have stayed behind, it is largely a love of country that has kept them there, despite the dangers.

Iran’s Oppressed Christians
ICC Note: What does it mean for an Iranian to convert from Shi’a Islam and embrace another faith, especially Christianity? It usually results in intense persecution. Even for those Christians who stay “underground” it is not unusual for them to end up in prison, serving out long sentences, if they return at all. Many Christians have since fled the country, making their way to neighboring countries or eventually to Europe or the United States. For those who don’t leave their fate in Iran is an uncertain one.

Final Push Begins in Senate for Passage of Middle East Special Envoy Bill
ICC is asking two Senators to release their hold on a religious freedom bill that has spent more than 3 years working its way through Congress. The “Near East and South Central Asia Religious Freedom Act of 2013” would create a position for a “Special Envoy” at the State Department to focus on the rapidly deteriorating conditions for religious freedom in the Middle East. The bill had overwhelming support in the House, where it was passed last September. With more than a million Christians having fled their homes in the Middle East over the past decade, there has never been a more important time to create this position. The Senators preventing the bill from passage are Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Mike Lee of Utah.

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from Money Talks News

8 ‘Gotchas’ Your Credit Card Company Doesn’t Want You to Know

We’ll Spend $255M for Beer on St. Patrick’s Day

A Tip at Your Fingertips for Your Starbucks Barista
Starbucks will soon let you tip your barista right through your phone. Will you use it?

How to Keep Amazon Prime for Cheap, Plus Other Options

N.J. Teen Who Sued Her Parents Returns Home

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from Mother Jones

10 Things Elizabeth Warren's Consumer Protection Agency Has Done for You
The new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is already shielding Americans from shady dealings by mortgage lenders, student loan servicers, and credit card companies.

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from Mother Nature Network

Yurts: Everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask
[from 17 Jun 2013] Here's your 101 guide on the structure that helped Genghis Khan conquer Eurasia — from how they're made to where you can stay in one or where you can buy one.

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from National Geographic

Causes of the Furred and Feathered Rule the Internet
New study points to surge in young people's opposition to using animals for medical testing.

Behind the Headlines: Who Are the Crimean Tatars?
Could the Tatars face the nightmare of repression from Russia again?

Animation: Fly Through Thousands of Galaxies in 3-D
On large scales, galaxies tend to line up and form filaments. Those strands then twist themselves into an immense cosmic web. Between the strands are voids, or regions of mostly empty space. Or so we thought.

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from Natural Society
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

LSD-Tainted Meat Sickens FL. Family, A Throwback to CIA Experiment in France

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from NBC News (& affiliates)
Word! Scrabble asks Facebook fans to help them add to official game dictionary

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from The New Republic

Teddy Roosevelt, Not-So-Great Reformer
What Washington-focused liberals miss about Progressivism

On Einstein's birthday, a look at his life.

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from NWCN (ID-OR-WA)

USA Today Investigation: Fugitives Next Door
The NW has thousands of fugitives able to escape justice by crossing state lines.

Legal lines drawn over detainees right to starve themselves
Immigration detainees at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma have the right to starve themselves, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

'Kissing sailor' from iconic World War II photo dies
The sailor kissing the nurse in the famous end of World War II celebration of V-J day photo taken Aug. 14, 1945 in Times Square has died.

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from The Oregonian

Food stamps: Oregon official insists decision is 'right thing to do'
Amid a growing national uproar, Gov. John Kitzhaber’s office on Friday defended his decision to sidestep food stamp cuts.

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from Popular Science

The U.S. Constitution On A Receipt And Other Amazing Images From This Week

Genius, As A Tot

The Week In Numbers: Google's Robot Army, A Beautiful View Of Pi, And More

Leaves In Chernobyl Area Are Decaying Unusually Slowly
They just linger in a thick layer on the forest floor.

It's Not Just Pi Day, It's Pi Month!

Forgetting Is An Actively Controlled Process In The Brain
A study of genetically-modified roundworms has turned up a protein that is involved in eroding memory.

Robotic Fish And Inflatable Tentacles: How MIT Is Solving Hard Problems With Soft Robots

The Week In Drones: Flying Into A Volcano, Delivering Drugs, And More

More Proof That Health Care Is A Mess
[Infographic]

FYI: Why Do We Hate The Sound Of Nails On A Chalkboard?

Has The Reintroduction Of Wolves Really Saved Yellowstone?
Recent science suggests that, while important to restoring Yellowstone Park's ecological health, wolves are not the primary solution. Let the fighting commence.

Gravitational Waves: Einstein Was Right, Again, Maybe
Cosmologists hope for a field-rocking announcement next week.

Federal Chief Of Academic Integrity In Science Quits Due To 'Remarkable Dysfunction'
The job is probably about as thankless as you might imagine.

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from Space.com (& CollectSpace)
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from The Spokesman-Review

Situated near what is now the Sprague curve of Interstate 90, the East Sprague held a thousand cars, making it a busy place on weekend nights. It closed in 1993 in anticipation of a rerouted off-ramp. Some of the other drive-ins were the West End, the North Cedar and the East Trent Motor-In.

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from Statesman Journal (Salem, OR)

Oregon ACLU urges school to remove records of suspensions related to tweet

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from The Wall Street Journal

The Future of Brain Implants
How soon can we expect to see brain implants for perfect memory, enhanced vision, hypernormal focus or an expert golf swing?

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from The Weekly Standard

Obama: You Might Lose Your Doctor Under Obamacare
President Obama is warning Americans that they might have to change doctors because of Obamacare.

Scott Brown Announces Exploratory Committee to Run for Senate from New Hampshire
Scott Brown is officially exploring a run for U.S. Senate from the state of New Hampshire, he announced today.

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from The Western Center for Journalism
(Western Journalism)

MSNBC Host Outraged That Even Liberal ABC Dared To Question Obama
An annoyed Rachel Maddow on Thursday lectured ABC News for daring to run a segment questioning Barack Obama's appearance earlier this week on an internet comedy show.

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from WIRED

Scientists May Get Best View Yet of a Black Hole in Action

Car Dealers Are Terrified of Tesla’s Plan to Eliminate Oil Changes
Car dealers fear Tesla. In states across the country, powerful car dealer associations have lobbied to ensure the electric car maker and its direct-sales model are kept out. This movement claimed another victory this week when New Jersey banned Tesla stores in the state.

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In the news, Thursday, March 13, 2014


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MAR 12      INDEX      MAR 14
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from ABC News (& affiliates)

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from ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice)

from AMAC - The Association of Mature American Citizens

Will Gallup Remind the GOP to Wake Up?

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from The American Spectator

DAVID JOLLY’S NEXT PROBLEM: BOEHNER AND MCCONNELL
Now let us praise the conservative groups.

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from Breitbart
from CBS News (& affiliates)

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from CNSNews.com (& NewsBusters)
from Facecrooks

Report: NSA Impersonates Facebook to Spread Malware

Top Ten Facebook Scams to Avoid
[Scam Alert] Malaysia Airlines shocking footage. Number 5 on our list of tops scams is "Breaking News Stories." We have seen this time and time again. Scammers love to take advantage of sensational and catastrophic news. Stick to mainstream media outlets and avoid clicking on suspicious links.

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from The Farmacy (& Strawbale City)
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Study Shows Fast Food Burgers Can Contain As Little As 2% Actual Meat[from 27 Jun 2013]

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from The Federalist

Do You Like to Be Nudged?
Do you want society’s so-called best and brightest “nudging” your decisions about what to consume – whether it’s for news, soft drinks or light bulbs? If so, chances are you call yourself progressive. If you snort at the mere notion, however, you are almost certainly a conservative.

War Stories: An Interview With David Mamet

Five Things Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “Cosmos” Gets Wrong
Science is cool. Should we care if it's accurate?

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from Forbes

5 Ways The Government Keeps Native Americans In Poverty
Imagine if the government were responsible for looking after your best interests. All of your assets must be managed by bureaucrats on your behalf. A special bureau is even set up to oversee your affairs. Every important decision you make requires approval, and every approval comes with a mountain of regulations. How well would this work? Just ask Native Americans. The federal government is responsible for managing Indian affairs for the benefit of all Indians. But by all accounts the government has failed to live up to this responsibility. As a result, Native American reservations are among the poorest communities in the United States. Here’s how the government keeps Native Americans in poverty.

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from The Heritage Foundation  (The Foundry)

How Harry Reid Is Trying to End Debate in the Senate

Congressman Rips Obama for His Abuse of Executive Power (VIDEO)

Delaying Obamacare's Individual Mandate Due to 'Hardship' -- Caused by Obamacare

School Lunch Program Results Show Why Government Shouldn’t Dictate What Kids Eat
Maybe this is crazy, but the number one dietary concern when it comes to school lunches should be that kids actually eat lunch.

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from Huffington Post
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from iFIBER ONE News (WA)

Review of Wanapum Dam will take engineers nine days to complete

________

from International Christian Concern
(PERSECUTION.org)

After Three Years, Who Is Standing With Syria?
International Christian Concern (ICC) joins with millions around the world in calling for an end to the hostility that has torn apart the country of Syria over the past three years. The protests following the detention of 15 children for writing pro-democracy graffiti have descended into one of the most brutal conflicts in recent history. In the three years since the conflict began, militant Islamic jihadists have streamed into the country fighting not just against the brutality of Bashar al-Assad, but also to establish an Islamic state. The Christian community, in 2010 estimated as 10 percent of the population, and other ethnic or religious minorities are being explicitly targeted and killed or driven out of the country.

Catholicism Growing in Heart of Muslim World
A surprising fact that many are not aware of is that the Arab peninsula is home to more than 2 million Catholics. At a time when the region is seeing an exodus of its Christian population, there are hundreds of thousands of Catholics coming to the region, largely as foreign workers. This is creating challenges regarding the treatment of minority faiths in the heartland of Islam. There have been some steps towards the opening of a church in Bahrain that would serve as the cathedral for Northern Arabia. Protecting the rights of foreign workers – both their personal and religious rights – is a topic that the countries of the Arab peninsula most seriously consider.

New Film Portrays Suffering of Underground Church in North Korea
Relatively few people in the world today are aware that North Korea is perhaps the most hostile nation on earth to people of faith. It's believed that as many as 450,000 Christians risk imprisonment, torture, and execution to practice their faith in a nation known before the rise of Communism as a major center for Christian activity in East Asia. A new South Korean film set for release this month is set to accurately depict, albeit through a fictional plot, the almost impossible to imagine difficulties faced by followers of Jesus in the North.

American Pastor Saeed Abedini Taken to Hospital, But Shackled and Forced to Return Untreated
Pastor Saeed Abedini, who is serving an eight-year sentence in Iran for his Christian faith, has once again received bizarre treatment by the Iranian judicial system. Saeed has suffered from internal injuries as a result of beatings received during his detention. Just last week he was moved to a hospital and provided better treatment, though not the surgery he needs. This move took place just prior to a visit by the European Union’s High Representative Catherine Ashton. Following her departure, Saeed was shackled and told he would be returned to prison.

Air Force Academy Erases Scripture from Cadet Whiteboard After Protest
Air Force Academy personnel quickly erased a New Testament scripture from a cadets whiteboard after receiving a complaint from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Retired General Jerry Boykin of the Family Research Council pointed out ""Once the academy allowed cadets to use these whiteboards for their personal use, censorship of religious commentary is unacceptable," Boykin told me. "Either the Air Force Academy is very confused about the Constitution of the United States or they don't really believe in the liberties that are provided by that document."

Christian Pastor attacked by Buddhist extremists
A mob of over 250, led by a dozen of Buddhist extremist monks, beat a pastor and his wife after breaking into their home and calling them traitors for their Christian faith.

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from Money Talks News

from Mother Nature Network

NASA joins hunt for missing Malaysian jetliner
The space agency is using data from its space-based satellites to help locate Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.

The 5-second rule is supported by science, maybe
A new scientific study about the safety of food that has fallen on the floor will make parents feel less guilty for invoking the 5-second rule.

20 uses for leftover fruit and vegetable peels
[from 30 Nov 2012] The skins of fruit and vegetables are full of flavor and vitamins — and they've got a lot to give.

9 of the most beautiful places in the spring

Use baking soda for easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs
[from 15 Jun 2012] Our food blogger couldn't figure out why her hard-boiled eggs, which she's cooked for years, were looking so beat up — until she learned this trick.

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from National Geographic

New Pygmy Tyrannosaur Found, Roamed the Arctic
At 20 feet long, Nanuqsaurus hoglundi measured about half the size of T. rex.

Extinct Porpoise Found to Be First Mammal With Major Underbite
Elongated lower jaw may have helped extinct porpoise probe the seafloor for food.

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from The New Republic

Germany Looks at Russia and Ukraine and Sees 1914
Not 1939, but 1914. World War I analogies are everywhere in the German press right now.

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from POLITICO

Florida loss exposes Democrats' disarray on Obamacare

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from PoliticusUSA

As Ratings Plunge NBC Considers Dumping David Gregory From Meet The Press

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from Popular Science

Researchers Create Dairy-Based Flame Retardant

Spacewalk Terror: When Water Floods Your Helmet [Video]
This exclusive video shows what happened when water began covering the head of an astronaut on a spacewalk.

Pangolin Smuggling At "Shocking" Levels
The scaly mammals are being illegally trafficked on a massive scale.

Waste Heat Is Free Energy. So Why Aren't We Using It?

Modern Scientists Validate Alan Turing's Theory About Biology
The creator of the Turing test was adept at all kinds of science.

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from Power Line

HARRY REID BLOCKS “CLEAN” LEGISLATION TO AID UKRAINE

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from PreventDisease.com
from RedState

Right-Wing Mobs? No, A Cleaning Crew.

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from Riel World View (Dan Riehl)

from Slate

Should I Just Quit Academia?
It’s the last thing I want to do, but I may have no choice.

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from Space.com (& CollectSpace)

from ThatsNonsense.com

Guide dog Daisy leads 967 people from World Trade Center - Internet/Facebook Rumour
Despite being an inspiring story, it is totally false. Similar messages outlining extraordinary tasks carried out by guide dogs have been circulating for well over a decade, in various formats, but many have turned out to be nothing more than works of fiction.

Is this the most unethical email scam ever?
Scammers have really plunged to new depths with this latest email scam – an email purporting to come from NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) that tells the recipient that they may have cancer. The email claims that a recent blood test has indicated the presence of cancer and that the recipient should print the attachment and visit their doctor as soon as possible. However the attachment, according to reports, harbours malware.

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from The Wall Street Journal

If It's Purim in Portland, the Battle of the Hamentaschen Is On
Sisters of Shaarie Torah Synagogue Defend Their Holiday Pastry Turf

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from The Washington Times (DC)

EXCLUSIVE: FBI blocked in corruption probe involving Sens. Reid, Lee
Agents quietly working with Utah prosecutors to make case in DOJ absence

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from The Weekly Standard

Sebelius Testimony on Paid Obamacare Enrollment Contradicts HHS Guidance

Putin's Popularity Soars
Pollsters call it the “rally effect.”  In a crisis, people tend instinctively, if abstractly, to support their leaders.

Obama: 'I Don't Have Time to Waste. The Clock Is Ticking.'
President Obama knows that his time is almost up. It's a point he's making to liberal Democratic donors to get them to donate generously in this year's mid-term election.

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from Western Free Press
from WIRED

How to Keep the NSA From Spying Through Your Webcam

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from WorldTruth.TV
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Baking Soda – True Enemy of the Pharmaceutical Industry

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In the news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014


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MAR 11      INDEX      MAR 13
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Some links to some sources may require subscription.

________

from ABC News (& affiliates)
________

from ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice)

Huffington Post Author Soft-pedals Dangerous Illegal Abortions

American Pastor Saeed Abedini Taken to Hospital, But Shackled and Forced to Return Untreated

Religious Freedom Priority: Congress Reminds India of the Importance of its Religious Plurality

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from Allen West

Obama suggests people cancel cable and cell phones to afford Obamacare
If the Affordable Care Act is unaffordable, it's YOUR fault. Obama says you should cancel cable tv and cell phones to pay for it.

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from AMAC - The Association of Mature American Citizens


from The Blaze
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from Breitbart

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from CNSNews.com (& NewsBusters)

CNN's Cuomo Revolted By 'Price Is Right' Music at GOP Victory Party; Omits Bob Barker Backed Candidate

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from Columbia Basin Herald

State closes water access sites near Wanapum Dam

PUD working to allow fish to pass Wanapum

Former county clerk arrested Friday
Former Grant County Clerk Kenneth Kunes, 60, who served two terms as county clerk from 1999 to 2006, was charged in superior court with felony harassment with threats to kill, unlawful imprisonment, fourth-degree domestic violence assault and interfering with reporting domestic violence stemming from an incident early Friday morning.

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from Conservative Infidel

Oliver North: ‘Any Other President Would Be Impeached’

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from The Daily Caller
from EarthSky

Stellar luminosity: The true brightness of stars
Nearly every star that you see with the unaided eye is larger and more luminous than our sun. Astronomers speak of a star’s true brightness as its “luminosity.”

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from East Oregonian

A hole in the heart of Pendleton
Albertsons looking to sublet property
Albertsons stands empty as of last month, the building’s windows covered with particle board and the parking lot deserted. The distinctive blue letters have vanished and only a grimy remnant of each remains.

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from Facecrooks

Why you should NOT install ‘Fun & Entertaining’ Facebook Applications
[from 26 Jan 2012]  We often have readers ask us questions about specific Facebook applications. It's impossible for us to check them all out. Some apps generate an enormous amount of spam and can annoy the heck out of your Facebook friends. Others are outright scams and should be avoided entirely. For example, any application offering to show you who has viewed your profile, who your Facebook stalkers are etc., are guaranteed to be fraudulent. Facebook doesn’t allow developers access to the data required to create apps like this.

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from The Farmacy (& Strawbale City)
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from The Federalist

VIDEO: Obama Blames Texas For Obamacare’s Unaffordable Health Care Costs

Who’s Throwing Stones At The Duke Porn Star?

Has Ezra Klein Made a Huge Mistake?It is striking and puzzling to see people who made the leap from the outsider status of blogs to the big league mainstream outlets deciding to go in the other direction.

When Will Fox News Recognize Other Views on Foreign Policy?

Guess What Millennials: You’re Going To Be Just Like Your Parents
Times change. People don't

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from Fox News (& affiliates)
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from Freedom Foundation (WA)

The Green Mafia Strikes Again
Friends of the San Juans styles itself an environmental protection group. It might better be described as a protection racket.

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from Gizmodo (& SPLOID)


from The Guardian (UK)

Israel passes law to conscript ultra-Orthodox Jews into military
Law passed in Knesset on Wednesday will require army to conscript increasing number of ultra-Orthodox Jews each year

________

from The Heritage Foundation  (The Foundry)
Rep. Marlin Stutzman: 'Common Core Not the Answer' on Education 

Why These Senators Talked About Climate Change All Night

The Obama Administration's About-Face on Medicare

Lerner Likely Waived the Fifth and Can Be Held in Contempt

Report: U.S. Is One of Seven Countries That Allows Late-Term Abortion

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from Huffington Post
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from iFIBER ONE News (WA)

Citizen groups to fix Moses Lake sidewalk for man with cancer
A collection of groups, businesses and people are fixing a man’s sidewalk after the city threatened to fix it and charge him for it.

Mick Hansen resigns from MLIRD board, notes taxes, voting issues
Mick Hansen resigned from the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District board of directors.

Both sides claim win, man awarded $3,842 for dog shot by deputy

Water replacement project moves forward for Odessa aquifer

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from Independent Journal Review

This New Video About ObamaCare’s ‘War On Seniors’ Hits The Nail On The Head

Watch Trey Gowdy’s Epic Speech on the Floor of Congress That May Be a Defining Moment for America
Five Democrats joined Republicans in passing a bill that directs Obama to follows the laws – clearing the House by a 233 to 181 vote.

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from International Christian Concern
(PERSECUTION.org)

Beijing: Church Members Released from Jail, but Thugs Harass Fellowship
In January, 15 Christians belonging to the Holy Love Fellowship in Beijing were arrested and held in criminal detention for a month. Although all but one has been released, the church has now been banned from meeting and unidentified thugs have shown up and harassed church members. The church is now faced with the decision to continue meeting at the risk of further arrests and harassment, though one source reported the church is determined to do so despite the risks. While China publicly claims to offer complete religious freedom, in practice the Communist Party still maintains a close eye on religious adherents and allows local governments to routinely arrest Christians. In addition, by law, no one under the age of 18 is allowed to attend a church service

Pakistani Christians Move from Hardship to Hardship
From hardship to hardship: the reality of life for Pakistani Christian asylum seekers
As Pakistani Christians seek asylum in other Asian countries in search of safety, they find they face new challenges and dangers.

Imprisoned Chinese Christian Leads Fellow Prisoners to Christ
Wenxi Li was arrested by the Chinese government last year for his help in setting up a Christian bookstore. His family recently reported that Li has been spending his two-year prison sentence serving as a witness for Christ, leading fellow inmates to Jesus. China continues to routinely arrest and harass Christians, especially those who practice their faith outside the government controlled "Three-Self" churches. Li's family report they have also been harassed since he was imprisoned, a common practice of government officials attempting to intimidate the family into silence.

Finally, a Little Good News for Nuns and Christians in Syria
After having been held captive for nearly four months a group of Syrian nuns and a few other women were set free. They were part of a prisoner exchange for women who had been arrested by the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad. The news of their release was welcomed even as the fate of other church leaders who have gone missing in Syria remains unknown.

Egyptian Christian Shot in Libya Near Death
An Egyptian working in Libya remains in critical condition after he was shot on March 2. Salama Fawzy Tobia was working as a produce salesman in Benghazi. This was the second attack on Egyptian Christians in the span of a few days. There has been an increase in the targeting of Christians by extremists in Libya in recent weeks. Many Egyptians have gone to Libya to find work, but now it is becoming increasingly dangerous for those who can be identified as Christians.

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from LiveScience

NASA Offers Cash Prizes for Help Hunting Dangerous Asteroids
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from Mises Institute
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

President Obama’s Investment Skills
After the Obama administration bailed out General Motors by purchasing a 60.8% ownership share in the company for $49.5 billion, President Obama said, “We expect taxpayers will get back all the money my administration has invested in GM.” (I do like the way the president takes responsibility for the investment.) Now, the president’s administration has sold all of its ownership in GM and taken a $10 billion loss. It is worth noting that what the president called an investment on behalf of the taxpayers lost 20% of its value, and that the president’s expectations on the investment his administration made did not pan out. I don’t know whether the president actually believed the GM bailout would yield a profit or whether that was just political rhetoric he hoped people would forget over the years. Either way, it turned out not to be true.

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from Money Talks News

from Mother Nature Network

10 health benefits of honey
From fighting dandruff and drunkenness to treating coughs and cuts, honey is a powerhouse of health benefits.  See also from Hub Pages: Top 50 Uses of Honey

8 spices you've never heard of
[from 9 Oct 2013] We know you've heard of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, but what about asafoetida, mahlab, sumac and wattleseed?

Are there more grains of sand on Earth or stars in the sky? Scientists finally have an answer
[from 25 Sep 2012]  It's an age-old inquiry, and it turns out the answer is as awe-inspiring as the question itself.  (It's the stars, by far.)

How to attract hummingbirds to your yard
[from 10 May 2012]  Feeders will do the trick, but creating a habitat with native plants is more effective.

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from National Geographic

Perceiving the Invisible
Black holes can’t be seen, but their location can be plotted by measuring their effect on the orbits of surrounding stars. Clouds of interstellar gas and dust are pulled in, and whole stars that venture too close are torn apart and devoured.

Good News for Animals in Nepal: A Full Year Without Poaching
Bucking the worldwide trend, Nepal continues its successful fight against poaching.

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from Natural Society
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Monsanto Latte? Consumers Tell Starbucks to go Organic and Drop GMO-Milk

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from NBC News (& affiliates)

Chris Matthews inducted into Irish American Hall of Fame
Chris Matthews talks about what his Irish heritage means to him, and thanks Irish America Magazine for inducting him into the Irish American Hall of Fame.

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from NWCN (ID-OR-WA)

Officer wounded, suspect killed in SW Portland

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from PoliticusUSA

Paul Ryan Claims Black Men Are Lazy And The Cause Of Poverty In This Country

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from Popular Science

Audi Traffic Light Recognition Could Save Time And Fuel
The new system tells drivers when a light is about to change.

Big Pic: An Alien Rainbow On Venus
A spacecraft spies a pretty phenomenon.

Three Projects That Wage War On Spring
Rally the garden troops

New Detector Lets People 'See' Radiation
Available now for all of your nuclear fallout needs

Not Just New York: Gas Leaks Are A Problem All Over The U.S.
Some evidence suggests a natural gas explosion triggered this morning's building collapses in New York City. Here's why we should all be worried.

Why Is Google Building A Robot Army?
In short: robotics world domination

Prosthetic Robot Arm Gives Drummer A Third Stick
And it improvises, too.

Big Pic: A Hypergiant Star And Its Clingy Companion
This enormous star is a million times brighter than the sun.

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from PreventDisease.com
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

15 Facts Most People Don't Know About Fluoride
Advocates of fluoride say its use in municipal water systems poses no adverse health concerns, however results from investigations clearly state the opposite.

Out of the 10 Most Addictive Substances, Guess Which One Is Not On The List?

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from RedState

Obama: You could afford insurance if you gave up your cable and phone

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from The Right Scoop

“He is a menace and a destructive force” – Mark Levin RIPS Harry Reid over Climate Scam remarks
from Science-Based Medicine

Oil Pulling Your Leg
Oil pulling for general health or any other indication is pure pseudoscience. Detox claims are based on nothing, as are all detox claims. There is no evidence or plausible rationale to recommend oil pulling for any indication other than as a poor substitute for oral care.

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from Space.com (& CollectSpace)

Pew! Pew! Pew! Space Station Laser to Beam HD Video to Earth

Largest Yellow Star Ever Seen Revealed in New Light
A powerful telescope in Chile has imaged the largest yellow star ever discovered. The star, called HR 5171 A, shines 12,000 light-years from Earth in the center of a new image released today.

What Would A Rocky Exoplanet Look Like? Atmosphere Models Seek Clues

NASA Joins Hunt for Missing Malaysian Jetliner

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from The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA)

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from The Star (Grand Coulee, WA)

Mayor, officer discuss critical report again
Grand Coulee Mayor Chris Christopherson and police officer Sean Cook had another encounter, this time a brief one, at the council meeting March 4. Cook asked the mayor if he knew who had given a copy of the “Key report” to The Star newspaper. The report stated that the mayor had overstepped his office in regard to issues he had with the police department. The published report was also uncomplimentary to Cook.

Accident cause and cost reported
An accident and resulting fire that put the John W. Keys III Pump Generating Plant at Grand Coulee Dam out of commission has cost the Bureau of Reclamation $990,000 for cleanup, fire response and incident investigation alone, and will lead to a “corrective action plan” by April. An investigative team issued its report last week on the cause of the incident that left one worker severely burned in the Nov. 18, 2013 incident and facing a lengthy recovery. Actual repair costs for damage are still unknown. The accident happened when an employee closed a ground switch and short circuited part of the electric power to the plant. The resulting arc is what burned him and damaged associated equipment.

Commissioners to look for cause to fire hospital CEO
Revelations and rancor dominated a two-and-a-half-hour hospital commission meeting that culminated with steps taken toward the possible ouster of Coulee Medical Center's CEO and for an independent evaluation of physician pay.

Some drivers could see new tab fee next year
Added fee would pay for new ferry

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from ThatsNonsense.com

Lion and Zebra Drinking Side by Side - Internet/Facebook Rumour
An image purporting to show a lion and a zebra drinking water from a lake side by side is actually the result of video manipulation. In fact the image is a still taken from an advertising campaign from Travellers Insurance, called "Take the Scary Out of Life."

The man who created a fake expert
Santiago Swallow. If you’ve never heard of him, we can only assume you’ve been living in a cave for the last few years. But how can such a revered online expert with such an influential social media following be almost totally unknown on the Internet? Well, as it turns out, it’s because he doesn’t exist.

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from Think Progress
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Poll Suggests Americans Think Sugar Is A Bigger Health Threat Than Marijuana

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from Time

Israel Passes Law Drafting Ultra-Orthodox Into the Army
Controversial bill addresses difficult reality that country's fastest growing Jewish population is also poorest. The stated intention of the bill is to share the burden of military service equally, but it’s also aimed at preserving Israel’s economy: Military service is an established gateway to employment and currently fewer than half of ultra-Orthodox men work for a living.

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from Townhall.com
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from The Wall Street Journal

Karl Rove: GOP, Beware of Tuesday's Victory
David Jolly's Florida win shows that opposition to ObamaCare alone won't be enough in November.

Who Needs to Know How to Code
To Build Websites and Apps, People Flock to Coding Classes

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from The Washington Post (DC)
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from The Washington Times (DC)
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from The Weekly Standard
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from Yahoo News

Rare Diamond Reveals Earth's Interior is All Wet
A battered diamond that survived a trip from "hell" confirms a long-held theory: Earth's mantle holds an ocean's worth of water.

The NSA Posed as Facebook to Better Spy on You

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