Cousin Sam: In the news, Thursday, February 18, 2016

Thursday, February 25, 2016

In the news, Thursday, February 18, 2016

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FEB 17 INDEX FEB 19

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from ABC News (& affiliates)

Pope Francis Says Donald Trump Is 'Not Christian'

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from Allen West

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Yowza: Trump fires back after Pope Francis says “it’s not Christian” to build walls

When you call the VA suicide hotline, THIS is what you hear
At least 23 veterans, troops or family members who called the Veterans Crisis Line in fiscal 2014 were transferred to a voicemail system and their calls never returned, according to a Veterans Affairs Department Inspector General report.

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from Ars Technica

Encryption isn’t at stake, the FBI knows Apple already has the desired key
The FBI knows it can't bypass the encryption; it just wants to try more than 10 PINs.

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from The Boston Globe

The media are misleading the public on Syria

Coverage of the Syrian war will be remembered as one of the most shameful episodes in the history of the American press. Reporting about carnage in the ancient city of Aleppo is the latest reason why. For three years, violent militants have run Aleppo. Their rule began with a wave of repression. They posted notices warning residents: “Don’t send your children to school. If you do, we will get the backpack and you will get the coffin.” Then they destroyed factories, hoping that unemployed workers would have no recourse other than to become fighters. They trucked looted machinery to Turkey and sold it. This month, people in Aleppo have finally seen glimmers of hope. The Syrian army and its allies have been pushing militants out of the city. Last week they reclaimed the main power plant. Regular electricity may soon be restored. The militants’ hold on the city could be ending. Militants, true to form, are wreaking havoc as they are pushed out of the city by Russian and Syrian Army forces. “Turkish-Saudi backed ‘moderate rebels’ showered the residential neighborhoods of Aleppo with unguided rockets and gas jars,” one Aleppo resident wrote on social media. The Beirut-based analyst Marwa Osma asked, “The Syrian Arab Army, which is led by President Bashar Assad, is the only force on the ground, along with their allies, who are fighting ISIS — so you want to weaken the only system that is fighting ISIS?” This does not fit with Washington’s narrative. As a result, much of the American press is reporting the opposite of what is actually happening. Many news reports suggest that Aleppo has been a “liberated zone” for three years but is now being pulled back into misery.

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from Breitbart

Marco Rubio Cancels Conservative Review Event Appearance Five Minutes Before His Speech

Illegal Alien Killer Protected by Nebraska ‘Sanctuary City’ Vanishes After Paying Bond

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from The Center for Public Integrity

Brokers of junk science?
Two scientific journals known for their industry ties have become go-to publications for researchers who minimize risks from chemicals

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