Friday, July 17, 2015

In the news, Thursday, July 2, 2015


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JUL 01      INDEX      JUL 03
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Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.

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from ABC News (& affiliates)

Stone Mountain Confederate Flag To Remain In Place
The head of a state authority that oversees the park says it will keep flying at a memorial plaza because state law prevents its removal. He says the law would have to be changed for the flags to take them down. The flags were donated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1964 and are considered a memorial, protecting them under Georgia law.

Dr. Ben Carson steps off campaign trail to visit Emanuel AME memorial
Dr. Ben Carson took a step off the campaign trail Wednesday to visit Emanuel AME Church and pay tribute to the nine people who were shot and killed during a Bible study last month.

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from The Blaze (& Glenn Beck)
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Parents Confront School Board, Demand ‘Opt-Out’ for Controversial Lessons — See Why the Room Erupted at End of Meeting
Angry over a controversial curriculum that teaches young students about same-sex marriage and “gender identity,” several parents in Fairfax County, Virginia, confronted school board members during a regular meeting on June 25. The parents in question argued they should have the choice to “opt-out” of the controversial lessons.

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from Breitbart
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from Conservative Post
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Survey: 70% Want Feds To Keep Hands Off Confederate Flag

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from Defense News

Pentagon Releases National Military Strategy
The Pentagon has released a new National Military Strategy, the first update to that document since 2011 — one that warns the threat of major war with another nation is "growing." The strategy is being updated to reflect the new global security situation, one in which the US is facing near-peer adversaries like Russia and China while simultaneously having to handle diffuse militant groups like the Islamic State.

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from Eat Clean

The One Crazy-Delicious, Weight-Loss Food We Know You're Not Eating
Besides being the culprit of an old-timey pratfall, most Americans give nary a thought to banana peels, let alone consider eating them. But this overlooked "food waste," a culinary staple in places like India and the Caribbean, not only transforms dishes from ho-hum to delicious, it can also help you lose weight.

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from Freedom Outpost
from Gopthedailydose.com

Muslim Day : “HOMOSEXUALS MUST BE KILLED” Muslims Speak Out
Disturbing video of Shariah Law anti-gay sentiment uncovered by ACT for America Randy McDaniels (Jacksonville, FL) during Muslim Day prayer event Washington, DC

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from The Heritage Foundation

State Silences Bakers Who Refused to Make Cake for Lesbian Couple, Fines Them $135K
Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian finalized a preliminary ruling today ordering Aaron and Melissa Klein, the bakers who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, to pay $135,000 in emotional damages to the couple they denied service. In the ruling, Avakian placed an effective gag order on the Kleins, ordering them to “cease and desist” from speaking publicly about not wanting to bake cakes for same-sex weddings based on their Christian beliefs.

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from Huffington Post
[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

Thank You, Donald Trump!
I don't want to spend my time chastising you. I'll leave that to your business partners like Univision and NBC, who have the power to scold you where it hurts. Instead, I'm writing to say thank you! You see, what you just did with your straight talk was send more Latino voters to the polls than several registration rallies combined!

Internet Reminds Donald Trump His Signature Collection Is Made In Mexico

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from KING 5 (NBC Seattle)
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from Mad World News
[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

Bikers Catch Wind Of Flag Burning Rally, Pure AWESOMENESS Ensues
On Wednesday, a group of black activists set out to burn the American flag at a New York City park, but things didn’t go as planned after a group of patriotic bikers and veterans caught wind of what they were doing, then waited for them at the park. What happened next was absolutely awesome and should serve as a warning to other anti-American idiots who think we’re going to lie down while they disrespect our nation.

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from Newsmax

Macon Walmart Trashed: Teens Ransack Georgia Store
A Macon Walmart was trashed by an estimated 40 to 50 teenagers around 1:45 a.m. Sunday in an incident caught on video. The teens raided the aisles of the Georgia store “destroying merchandise displays and items,” said a Bibb County sheriff’s report issued after the incident. The report also says the vandals caused $2,000 worth of damage.

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from The News Tribune (Tacoma, WA)

LOSING PARADISE
CLIMATE CHANGE IS CHANGING MOUNT RAINIER

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from New York Times

The Man Who Saw America
Looking back with Robert Frank, the most influential photographer alive.

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from POLITICO
from The Spokesman-Review

Brush fire destroys outbuilding near Airway Heights, homes saved
Firefighters battled a three-alarm brush fire in the area of 21600 W. Jacobs Road north of Airway Heights Thursday afternoon. One outbuilding was destroyed and some homes were temporarily evacuated. Spokane County Fire District 10 firefighters we aided by crews from Airway Heights, Fairchild Air Force Base, Medical Lake and the Department of Natural Resources. Airplanes and helicopters dropped water and fire retardant on the flames. The fire grew to 17 acres before being stopped Thursday evening, said Eric Keller of DNR. “I don’t anticipate it getting any bigger,” he said shortly after 7 p.m. “There’s a fire line around it, but it’s not contained.”

Drones interfere with California wildfire efforts
The U.S. Forest Service and other agencies are telling people not to fly drones near wildfires after unauthorized aircraft disrupted firefighting efforts in southern California. Air tanker operations were suspended on two fires burning on the San Bernardino National Forest this week after drones flown by private citizens were detected in the fire areas.

Hotter, drier conditions fuel recent wildfires, 1910 fires
Increases in wildfires in the Northern Rockies over the past 30 years coincide with hotter, drier summer conditions, a recent study says. A research team from the University of Idaho and the U.S. Geological Survey analyzed a century of climate records and wildfire data from Idaho and Western Montana, which is one of the nation’s most fire-prone areas. Since the mid-1980s, the numbers of acres burned annually increased in correlation with warmer temperatures and less moisture. The same was true for the early 1900s when large fires broke out, including “the Big Burn” of 1910 that swept across 3 million acres.

Fire tears through apartment building at Astor and Augusta
Fire crews from Spokane and Spokane Valley are battling a three-alarm fire at an apartment building at North Astor Street and East Augusta Avenue in North Spokane. The fire appears to have swept through the three-story building’s top floor and burned off the roof.

EWU rocket soars to 3rd place in competition
A 10-foot rocket built by Eastern Washington University students soared to 10,676 feet at a recent competition in Utah, landing the team in third place behind teams from MIT and ITA Brazil. More than 50 teams participated in the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition near Green River, Utah, which is hosted annually by the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association.

Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb to run for president
Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb is running for president, joining a field of Democrats challenging Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination. A Vietnam veteran and former Navy secretary under President Ronald Reagan, Webb was elected to the Senate in 2006 and served one term. Webb faces long odds in a field dominated by Clinton that also includes Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker entering 2016 presidential race
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a preacher’s son who withstood a recall election spawned by his fight with public employee unions, is joining the crowded Republican presidential race, aides said. The 47-year-old Walker planned to file the paperwork for his long expected candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday, and kick off the 2016 campaign in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha on July 13, the aides said.

State health department reports death of woman from measles, first in U.S. since 2003
A Clallam County woman died this spring of measles, an infection only discovered during the autopsy, Washington’s health department reported Thursday. The measles death is the first in the country since 2003, the health department said.

Sheriff seeks public help finding dog’s owner
A male shih tzu found Tuesday in North Idaho had hair so matted over 60 percent of his body that the dog had difficulty walking. Now the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating the owner of the dog. The dog was found near Ramsey Road and state Highway 54 in Athol, a news release from the sheriff said.

Gulf states reach $18.7B settlement with BP over oil spill

Washington lawmakers not done with budget squabbles
The Senate failed shortly after dawn Wednesday to change state law to prevent a $2 billion hole from opening up in the 2015-17 operating budget.

Speed cameras going up at three Spokane elementary schools
After months of traffic counts and warnings to drivers passing through school zones, the Spokane City Council agreed to put automated cameras near three Spokane schools to nab speeders. By a vote of 6-1, with Councilman Mike Fagan dissenting, the council agreed to have cameras monitor vehicle speeds near Finch, Longfellow and Stevens elementary schools.

Washington state slashes college tuition
The days of skyrocketing tuition at Washington’s public universities appear to be over. Unprecedented tuition cuts contained in the new state budget will lower the cost of attending the state’s colleges and universities by up to 20 percent over the next two years, and any future increases will be capped at the average annual rate of statewide wage growth.

Poplars’ potential: Rathdrum Prairie grove part of study on cellulose-based biofuel
Seventy acres of poplars on the Rathdrum Prairie rustled in a hot, summer breeze, flashing silvery-green leaves. A $40 million research project, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is studying poplars’ potential to produce cellulose-based biofuels. The grove north of Hayden is one of four test plots in the five-year project, which is being led by University of Washington researchers in cooperation with two private companies and five other colleges and universities.

Report: Coastal erosion threatens northern Alaska
Erosion is eating away at Alaska’s northern coast at some of the highest rates in the nation, threatening habitat and infrastructure, according to a new report published Wednesday.

Polar bear decline imminent, USGS says
About a third of the world’s polar bears could be in imminent danger from greenhouse gas emissions in as soon as a decade, a U.S. government report shows. The U.S. Geological Survey, the Interior Department’s research arm, said updated scientific models don’t bode well for polar bear populations across the world, especially in Alaska, the only state in the nation with the white bears.

Auschwitz defendant says he is not entitled to survivors’ forgiveness
A 94-year-old man charged as an accessory in the murders of about 300,000 people at the Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau told a court Wednesday that he consciously had not asked Holocaust survivors for their forgiveness because, given the dimensions of their suffering, he is not entitled to it. “I can only ask God for forgiveness,” former SS member Oskar Groening said in a written statement that was read by his attorney during his trial before the regional court in the northern German town of Lueneburg.

List of Miss USA pageant no-shows expands
Rapper Flo Rida, the Macy’s department store chain and HGTV “Property Brothers” star Jonathan Scott all had something in common on Wednesday: They’re the latest to distance themselves from Donald Trump following his remarks about Mexican immigrants.

Analysis: Trump’s comments fuel GOP’s ‘Latino problem’
When Donald Trump disparaged Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and drug-runners during his presidential announcement, the slurs were initially dismissed as just another outrageous pronouncement from the blustery billionaire. But as Latinos reel in anger and celebrities and corporate sponsors drop their associations with Trump, the Republican Party’s other presidential hopefuls face an increasingly uncomfortable choice: engage with Trump and elevate his already high visibility, or stay silent and risk appearing to condone his statements. So far, most have said little, hoping the controversy will fade.

In brief: European bank action keeps Greek hopes alive
Greece braced for more chaos on the streets outside its mostly shuttered banks today, as Athens and its creditors halted talks on resolving the country’s deepening financial crisis until a referendum this weekend. Banks have been closed all week to prevent a crash from mass money withdrawals, while a few have been reopened to help pensioners without ATM cards. But they are still in business. The European Central Bank left the terms of its emergency $100 billion cash support to Greece unchanged, a day after Athens slipped into arrears with the International Monetary Fund and its bailout program expired. The move kept chances alive for a settlement between Greece and creditors.
Man admits starting wildfire
A 25-year-old Northern California man has pleaded guilty to starting a wildfire that destroyed 157 homes and other structures in the city of Weed in September and forced thousands of residents to evacuate. Ronald Beau Marshall entered the plea in state court on Tuesday to a felony charge of recklessly causing a fire that burned buildings and forestland, the Siskiyou Daily News reported.
Police chase offer rejected
A prosecutor has offered to drop charges against five white police supervisors accused of failing to stop a car chase that ended in a deadly 137-shot barrage of police gunfire and the deaths of two unarmed black people if they’re willing to say they endangered the public and meet other conditions, attorneys for two supervisors said Wednesday. Attorneys said their clients have rejected the deal and are prepared to go to trial.
Water use cut 29 percent
California’s drought-stricken cities set a record for water conservation, reducing usage 29 percent in May, according to data released by a state agency Wednesday. Regulators hope the savings will last through summer as California communities are under order to cut water use by 25 percent compared to 2013 levels. Gov. Jerry Brown announced his mandatory conservation order in April.

U.S., Cuba agree to reopen embassies
In a milestone accord, President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro agreed Wednesday to swiftly re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies in each other’s capitals, finally ending the half-century diplomatic freeze between the two Cold War adversaries.

Documentary film about Market Basket dispute nears release
One of the more remarkable work stoppages in U.S. labor history will soon be the subject of a documentary film. “Food Fight: Inside the Battle for Market Basket” is being edited and is scheduled to be released in the fall, said director Jay Childs, a New Hampshire-based filmmaker who’s been working on the project for two years.

Legislature sends transportation bill to Inslee
A $16 billion transportation tax and fee bill with an 11.9-cent gasoline tax increase hit some roadblocks early Wednesday but eventually passed the House and Senate and was sent to Gov. Jay Inslee. Lawmakers must still pass bills that approve the list of projects and authorize the sale of bonds for some of them, but that won’t happen until they are called back to the capital sometime after the July Fourth weekend.

Fires at black churches stir fears, ignite online activists
Thousands of social media users are tweeting the same question: Who is burning black churches? Fires at six black churches in the South over the last 10 days have stirred fears that racial violence on houses of worship is making a comeback – perhaps as a backlash to criticism of the Confederate flag since nine black parishioners were slain, allegedly by a white supremacist, at a church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Downtown Steelhead Bar & Grille hopes to reopen Thursday after fire
A downtown Spokane restaurant closed Wednesday after an overheating kitchen exhaust fan caught fire and sent flames crawling up the side of the building. An employee taking a break outside the Steelhead Bar & Grille called 911 after spotting the fire around 1:30 p.m. Another employee tripped while trying to use a fire extinguisher and was taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center with some bruised ribs and possibly some minor burns on his face. Two ladder trucks and four engines from the Spokane Fire Department sped to the building at 218 N. Howard St. Firefighters knocked down the fire, but not before it filled the kitchen with thick smoke and worried nearby patrons and employees.

Spokane County settles over jail medication dispute
The failure to disclose a one-page memo governing how outside medicine may be received at Spokane County Jail has put taxpayers on the hook for nearly $28,000 in penalties. Bigger questions about inmates’ rights to medical care have been posed in a federal lawsuit set for trial in Spokane later this year.

In brief: Sleepy Hollow fire investigated
Investigators looking into the Sleepy Hollow fire near Wenatchee have ruled out natural causes, such as lightning, but they’re still looking into whether the fire was set on purpose or by accident, authorities said at a Wednesday news briefing. The blaze, which began Sunday and has scorched more than 4 square miles and 29 homes, has been the worst so far this season. Just days after that wildfire razed homes, a new blaze in nearby Quincy burned some buildings and forced about two dozen residents to flee. That fire, labeled the Monument Hill fire, has charred more than 3 square miles of dry sagebrush and grass and destroyed five abandoned buildings.
Pill dealer sentenced to 50 years
The ringleader of an illicit painkiller operation that brought thousands of OxyContin pills to the streets of Spokane will spend the next 50 years in federal prison. Arvin T. Carmen, 39, was sentenced last week in Spokane following a three-week jury trial that concluded in November. Carmen and three others – Donta L. Blackmon, Brandon L. Chavez and Karlynn R. Tones – were convicted of multiple crimes tied to the distribution and sale of the prescription opiate that has been targeted by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent abuse and trafficking.
Mower stolen at Humane Society
The Spokane Humane Society is seeking the public’s help to identify a lawnmower thief, following the third burglary at the animal rescue group this year. The Humane Society posted on its Facebook page surveillance video of the theft, which occurred around 4 a.m. Monday, said Dave Richardson, the organization’s executive director. The stolen mower was on loan from a Humane Society employee after another burglar stole the group’s riding lawnmower earlier this year.

Ex-Pasco officer charged with tampering with a witness in murder trial
A former Pasco police officer accused of killing a Spokane prostitute 29 years ago is now suspected of trying to find his former girlfriend and interfere with her cooperation with investigators. Richard Aguirre has made “concerted efforts” from jail to call a friend and a sister to find the woman, according to court documents.

In brief: NIC to charge drivers $5 for Fourth of July parking
For the first time, North Idaho College will charge for parking during Fourth of July festivities Saturday. Parking on the community college campus for major events has always been free, but this year drivers will be charged $5 to park as they enter campus. The fee will help NIC pay for portable restroom rental, custodial costs and security during major events. A portion of proceeds also will be donated to the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce to help pay for the fireworks show over Lake Coeur d’Alene.
SCRAPS warns pet owners of fireworks’ effect on dogs
Not that they aren’t patriotic, but dogs aren’t big fans of fireworks displays.
One dead in helicopter crash in southeastern Washington
A sheriff in southeastern Washington said one person died in a helicopter crash south of Asotin. Asotin County Sheriff John Hilderbrand said the helicopter crash site was found Wednesday afternoon in the area of a wildfire that had been burning in Ayers Gulch in the southeast corner of the state.The crash was unrelated to firefighting activities.
Falling tree hits, injures woman swimming in pool
The Seattle Fire Department said a woman in her 60s was hit and injured by the top of a 100-foot-tall tree that fell on her as she swam in a community pool.
Columbia River temperature 71 degrees, hottest since 1950
The Columbia River is the warmest it has been since 1950. The Seattle Times reported the water temperature in the Lower Columbia River at Bonneville Dam was nearly 71 degrees on Monday.

Idaho students fare well on new testing program
Idaho students scored higher taking new standardized tests compared with the national benchmarks used to measure English language arts and math proficiency.

Witnesses speak in Pasco police-involved shooting
Two witnesses said an unarmed Mexican immigrant fatally shot by police in Eastern Washington fought with an officer, threw rocks and told officers to shoot him before they opened fire, documents released Wednesday show.

U.S. investigates possible airline collusion that kept fares high
The U.S. government is investigating possible collusion among major airlines to limit available seats, which keeps airfares high, according to a document obtained by the Associated Press.

SUVs, luxury vehicles help auto industry maintain momentum
Americans again bought vehicles that sit up high and come loaded with features like backup cameras and smartphone capabilities in June. Horsepower was also in; gas-sipping not so much.

Online National Day Calendar behind many pseudo-holidays
To most Americans, July 4 is Independence Day. But on Marlo Anderson’s calendar, it’s also Caesar Salad Day and Barbecued Spareribs Day. Anderson is the mastermind of the National Day Calendar, an online compendium of pseudo-holidays that has become a resource for TV and radio stations looking to add a little levity to their broadcasts, among others.

In brief: China scrambles to reassure jittery stock traders
Chinese authorities are scrambling to reassure jittery investors after soaring stock markets plunged, threatening to set back economic reform plans. The market benchmark soared 150 percent from the start of the boom late last year in one of the world’s fastest runups. It hit a peak June 12 and then reversed course and plunged 28 percent. It rebounded temporarily Tuesday before losing 5.2 percent Wednesday.
Robot kills VW contractor
A robot has killed a contractor at one of Volkswagen’s production plants in Germany, the automaker said Wednesday. The man died Monday at the plant in Baunatal, north of Frankfurt. The 22-year-old was part of a team that was setting up the stationary robot when it grabbed and crushed him against a metal plate. Initial conclusions indicate that human error was to blame, rather than a problem with the robot.
U.S. construction spending gains in May
U.S. construction spending posted a solid gain in May, pushing total activity to the highest point since fall 2008, with the strength led by a big jump in nonresidential projects. Total construction spending increased 0.8 percent in May, following an even bigger 2.1 percent advance in April, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. The gains pushed total activity to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.04 trillion, the highest level since October 2008.

Ruth Marcus: Backlash to gay marriage ruling will fade

Editorial: Knezovich’s warnings of far-right extremism a needed message

5th Circuit orders courts to issue same-sex marriage rulings
A federal appeals court Wednesday instructed judges in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas to wrap up gay marriage cases in their states in line with last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Episcopalians vote to allow weddings for same-sex couples
Episcopalians voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to allow religious weddings for same-sex couples, solidifying the church’s embrace of gay rights that began more than a decade ago with the pioneering election of the first openly gay bishop.

Stefanie Pettit: Gay marriage ruling doesn’t fix everything, but it’s something

Ask Dr. K: Checklist to detect melanoma

Misty Copeland named first black female principal at American Ballet Theatre
Misty Copeland, the Missouri-born dancer who has become a forceful voice for diversity in ballet and a rare celebrity in that field, was named principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre on Tuesday — the first African-American ballerina to achieve that status in the company’s 75-year history.

Food banks welcome gardeners’ surplus produce
For the past three years, many gardeners have turned to a local branch of the national Plant A Row For the Hungry program. Second Harvest Food Bank no longer has AmeriCorps volunteers to administer the Plant A Row program, which has led some gardeners to mistakenly believe they can no longer donate homegrown vegetables to Second Harvest Food Bank. “They can always give vegetables to Second Harvest,” said Jandyl Doak, the food bank’s member services coordinator. “We can’t get the AmeriCorps volunteers anymore, but we still keep track of the pounds of fruits and vegetables donated.”

Longer school days coming in fall
A court ruling in Washington that calls for 1,000 hours of instructional time each year for elementary school students is prompting local districts to change school hours. High schools now are required to offer 1,080 hours of instructional time, but most were already meeting that requirement.

Spokane Valley to work on historic preservation ordinance
The Spokane Valley City Council unanimously decided Tuesday evening to ask staff to work on the wording of a historic preservation ordinance.

Landmarks: Phelps House in Browne’s Addition had intriguing original owners
The historic Phelps House in Browne’s Addition has any number of remarkable elements that speak to its elegance and architectural stature. Perhaps its most important contributions to the culture of the area, however, have to do with who lived there and the fact that it’s an example for owners of classic older homes to restore them to their original single-family residence status.

Weather: More records in sight after hottest June day ever

Pat Munts: Certain larvae infest summer lawns

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from Universal Free Press
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Beware Seattle…Obama Has Released Illegal Alien Rapists Into Your Neighborhoods
Last week, a team of investigative reporters with KIRO 7 in Seattle, released a rather shocking report, which discovered that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has recently released at least 11 illegal aliens, convicted of sex crimes, into Seattle-area neighborhoods.

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from U.S. Navy

SECNAV Announces New Maternity Leave Policy
July 2, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that effective immediately, women who serve in the Navy and Marine Corps will have 18 weeks of maternity leave available to use during the first year of her child's life.

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from Vox
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]


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from Washington Weekly News (DC)
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

While America was distracted by a the Confederate flag debacle, the U.S. Congress forfeited the entire economic future of the country by quietly passing so-called “fast-track authority” which will allow President Obama to approve the TPP “free trade” agreement.

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