In the news, Wednesday, February 24, 2010

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FEB 23      INDEX      FEB 25

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________

from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

What Ended the Great Depression?
What finally ended the Great Depression? That question may be the most important in economic history. If we can answer it, we can better grasp what perpetuates economic stagnation and what cures it.

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from The Spokesman-Review

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In the news, Friday, April 14, 2017

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APR 13      INDEX      APR 15

________

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

________

from EUobserver

Turkish referendum pivotal in EU-Turkey relations
The outcome of the upcoming Turkish referendum, which would grant president Erdogan sweeping new powers, is almost too close to call. The result will have a huge impact on EU-Turkey relations.

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from The Guardian (UK)

[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

What is the historical evidence that Jesus Christ lived and died?
Today some claim that Jesus is just an idea, rather than a real historical figure, but there is a good deal of written evidence for his existence 2,000 years ago

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from The Heritage Foundation

[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

Handouts to the Agriculture Industry Are Out of Control
Congress created two new massive handout programs in the 2014 farm bill. They are now projected to cost nearly double the original estimates — $32 billion over five years, instead of $18 billion. Congress needs to stop fleecing American taxpayers to further enrich large agribusinesses.

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from The Inlander

Drumheller No! When Spokane County Dems used scholarship money to pay for operations, some members were furious

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from LifeZette (& PoliZette)

What You Didn’t Know About Easter Traditions
Here are theories about the origin of the Easter Bunny and of dyeing eggs — from German, pagan, and Christian practices

From the White House to Greece: Easter Traditions Around the World
Some people fly kites, throw pots, or have water fights — all to celebrate the most significant Christian holiday of the year

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from Miami Herald

Leonard Pitts Jr.: It’s decision time, America — which way do we go?

‪My latest column is in response to a reader who feels I've been entirely too negative since the election. America is threatened as it has never been before. And it occurs to me that faith in inevitable salvation is a luxury we can no longer afford.

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from New Statesman

"The leading voice of the British left, since 1913."

Turkey's referendum could hand power on a plate to President Erdogan
A win for the government-led “Yes” campaign would destroy checks and balances applied to the parliamentary system

________

from PBS (& affiliates)

The problem with thinking you know more than the experts
More and more, people don't care about expert views. That's according to Tom Nichols, author of "The Death of Expertise," who says Americans have become insufferable know-it-alls, locked in constant conflict and debate with others over topics they actually know almost nothing about. Nichols shares his humble opinion on how we got here.

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from SPIEGEL International (Der Spiegel)

Life After Islamic State
'They Taught Us How To Decapitate a Person'
For over two years, Islamic State controlled the Iraqi city of Mosul, including its schools. Now that the U.S.-led coalition has pushed the Islamists out, the city's teachers face a dilemma: How do you reshape the minds of children who were taught to fight and kill?

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from The Spokesman-Review

Semitruck crashes into school bus near Colville; bus driver seriously injured
A school bus carrying 25 elementary students collided with a semitruck Friday morning on U.S. Highway 395 north of Colville, seriously injuring the bus driver and leaving a number of students with minor cuts and bruises.

U.S. Highway 395 washed out in Ferry County
Overnight flooding washed out a portion of Highway 395 about 10 miles north and west of Kettle Falls.

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from Sputnik

(Russian government-supported propaganda channel)

This is What Can Prompt China Not to Defend N Korea in the Event of War
Recently, there have been a growing number of suggestions by Chinese diplomatic and military commentators that Beijing is not obliged to defend Pyongyang in the event of a military attack, an article in the South China Morning Post read. The assumption comes as senior officials in the United States have warned of a strike against North Korea.

He Is Risen (Again): Christian Artisans Revive Ancient Imagery in Old Bethlehem
Less than a block from what is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, a group of Palestinian Christian art students are recreating the ancient iconography of early Christianity. "Icons are not commercial objects for us, but holy images that we honor," said Nicola Juha, who heads the Bethlehem Icon Center. He claims his group to be part of a tradition stretching back as far as 60 AD, where Luke the Evangelist (he of the Gospel of Luke) supposedly painted the first icons of the Virgin Mary and a young Christ.

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from UPI News Agency - United Press International

Trump White House will keep visitors logs secret
"The president's promise to 'drain the swamp' has never rung more hollow than it does today," Sen. Tom Udall said Friday.

California judge questions Trump order to cut funds to 'sanctuary cities'
"What is this executive order about, then?" the judge asked a government lawyer who said Trump's order doesn't really ask anything more than what existing federal law already does.

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from The Wall Street Journal

The Profound Connection Between Easter and Passover
First Things editor R. R. Reno writes in the Wall Street Journal: “Over the years, I have come to see that Christianity’s most important day recapitulates Passover. Both holidays face head-on the daunting power of death—and both announce God's greater power of life.” It’s not just that the Last Supper was a Passover Seder. Both holidays are about the dead rising to new life.

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from The Weekly Standard

Wellesley's Student Paper Mounts a Barely Literate Defense of Censorship
All the while bemoaning the lack of education that keeps people from having "correct" opinions.

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from Zero Hedge

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Atlanta Fed Slashes Q1 GDP Forecast To Just 0.5%, Lowest In Three Years
Just over two months ago, the Atlanta Fed "calculated" that Q1 GDP was going to be a pleasant 3.4%, confirming that the Fed had made the correct decision by hiking not only in December, but also last month. Since then, the Fed's own GDP estimate has crashed in almost linear fashion, and as of this morning - after the latest disappointing retail sales report - it had plunged to just 0.5%, which if accurate would make Q1 the weakest quarter going back three years to Q1 2014.

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In the news, Thursday, April 13, 2017

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APR 12      INDEX      APR 14

________

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

________

from Allen West

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

I’m starting to get a sick feeling about what just happened in the White House
There are some interesting things happening in the President Trump White House. Recently President Trump seemed to make comments about his “strategist” Steve Bannon. Anytime someone says “I like you, BUT” — well, the separation is coming. There have been dismissals, but it appears it’s no longer rumor and innuendo. There will be some who won’t survive the first 100 days. I didn’t care for Valerie Jarrett and the power she wielded in the Obama administration. And I’m starting to get that same sick feeling in my belly about Jared Kushner.

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from Anglican Journal

The cross of Christ and the power of his resurrection
"Christ breaks down the barriers we are so prone to erect, and he gives us the grace to make of all the debris the very paths on which we can walk reconciled and renewed in our love and respect for one another as children of God." An Easter message from Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.

‘Limitless possibilities’ seen after B.C. diocese-‘Namgis First Nation meeting
The bishop of British Columbia and the chief of the ‘Namgis First Nation are hoping a meeting last month will prove the crucial first step in a long and fruitful relationship. “I think this is the beginning of many more conversations to come. We really appreciate the church reaching out and starting the conversation,” Debra Hanuse, chief of the ‘Namgis First Nation, said of the weekend meeting March 24-25. “There are limitless possibilities that could come out of this.”

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from BBC News (UK)

Queen hands out Maundy coins in Leicester
The Queen has handed out commemorative Maundy coins in a traditional service at Leicester Cathedral. The monarch distributed money in recognition of services to the church and community to 91 men and 91 women - representing each of her 91 years.

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from Competitive Enterprise Institute

Feds Back Down After Seeking to Unmask 'Rogue' Agency Twitter Account
A government agency wrongly sought to unmask an anonymous Internet critic, and it wasn't the first time. Hopefully this saga marks the end of this administration’s efforts to unconstitutionally unmask anonymous critics.

A '21st Century Glass-Steagall' Would Be Bad for the Financial System
To re-impose a firewall between commercial and investment banking now would be to inject risk into the financial system, not reduce it. Lawmakers shouldn't work to resuscitate this outdated banking regulations. Instead, they must bring to the financial sector what virtually every other field of American business possesses: competition.

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from Daily Mail (UK)

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Historic Civil War-era home from where Ulysses S. Grant launched a victorious and pivotal battle is vandalized by thieves who strip it of valuable flooring and support beams
A Civil War-era house in Mississippi where Ulysses S. Grant launched a major military campaign has been vandalized. Thieves vandalized and destroyed and took away much of the wood, bricks, and beams of historic 200-year-old A.K. Shaifer House in Port Gibson, Mississippi's Department of Archives and History said Thursday. The Shaifer House sits on the Port Gibson Battlefield in Claiborne County. Its construction began in 1826 and was the site of the opening salvo in Grant's successful campaign to capture Vicksburg during the Civil War. The house was restored in 2006. A Civil War expert says they were probably taken for some other historic project

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from East Oregonian

Man charged with allegedly killing, wasting a dozen elk in Wallowa County
A Wallowa County man is suspected of poaching and wasting at least a dozen elk on his property — and perhaps 13 more found dead on adjoining land.

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from EUobserver

Border controls extended without justification
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Norway maintain internal Schengen border controls despite scant evidence that they are still needed.

Commission pleads with nations to protect child refugees
Member states were asked to do more to protect migrant children from violence, trafficking and other traumatic experiences after their arrival to the EU.

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from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Does Canada Have More Economic Freedom Than the United States?
When speaking of Canada, conservatives laugh at our “socialist neighbor to the north” with its lavish social programs. The main point of contention is, of course, Canada's infamous “socialized healthcare," which has been viewed as the epitome of a system NOT to imitate because of its high costs and long waiting times. While, yes, Canada is dangerously close to Bernie Sanders’ dream of a single-payer system, the very structure of its system explains why Canada constantly ranks higher on the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom – #7, compared to the U.S. #17 ranking. And that structure is federalism.

Still Waiting for Republicans to Drain the Swamp
On major economic issues, it does not appear that Republican control of Washington makes much of a difference. Hopefully regulatory reform will be a different story.

Is Trump Accidentally Promoting Liberalism?
Based on how people are reacting to his policy ideas, Trump may be inadvertently promoting the classicly liberal ideas of free trade and mobility.

World War I: The Progressive War
The American entry into the war was the apotheosis of progressivism – the high-water mark of its crusading zeal – not a betrayal of its central tenets. America joining the war was clothed in progressive rhetoric with the goal being nothing less than ending war forever as a blight on humanity.

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from First Things

UNCOVERING CARNAGE
Sometimes heeding first principles uncovers something of pressing public concern, right under everyone's noses—like the opioid crisis and the moral and economic deregulation that brought it about. Ending the devastation wrought by opioids in American communities requires us to acknowledge that the crisis exists.

WE SHOULD ALL BE GRATEFUL FOR GORSUCH
Liberals who are dismayed by the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch should cheer up. Things could be a lot worse. If the mass of conservatives get the idea that constitutionalism is a loser’s game, then originalism might be replaced by a right-wing jurisprudence as vindictive as current left-wing jurisprudence. God help us all when the day comes that there are no more constitutionalists.

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from The Heritage Foundation

[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

The Macroeconomic Impact of Dodd Frank—and of Its Repeal
President Donald Trump’s recent executive order detailed seven core principles for regulating the U.S. financial system. The order calls for “efficient, effective” financial regulations that “foster economic growth,” which means that it is incompatible with the bulk of the Dodd–Frank Act.

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from The Hill

Congress needs CBO to crunch the numbers on Dodd-Frank repeal
When lawmakers passed the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010, they didn’t bother to sweat the details. They left it up to the executive branch to fill in all the regulatory blanks. As a result, there was no way the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) could have accurately estimated the likely macroeconomic effects of the Dodd-Frank Act while the bill was under discussion. Four hundred rule-makings and seven years later, analysts have both law and real-world results to work with. If the repeal of Dodd-Frank comes before Congress, CBO is capable of making a reasonable estimate of the likely budgetary effect of repeal.

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from Indian Country Today Media Network

[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

A Right-Wing Think Tank Is Trying to Bring Down the Indian Child Welfare Act. Why?
Native Americans say the law protects their children. The Goldwater Institute claims it does the opposite

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from Intellihub

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

War is coming: U.S. plans PREEMPTIVE strike on North Korea in the near future   Sources confirm large-scale attack on North Korea in the works
The United States is planning a preemptive strike on North Korea in the likely event that the rogue nation moves to carry out yet another nuclear test, according to multiple reports in the mainstream media that Intellihub News can now confirm. With U.S. officials believing that a promised “big event” from the communist nation means yet another nuclear weapons test, the apparent planned attack could happen at literally any moment.

ISIS bunker facility hit with biggest non-nuclear bomb in Air Force arsenal
The U.S. dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb onto an Islamic State bunker facility Thursday marking its debut to the battlefield. The 21,600 pound GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB) (a.k.a. the Mother of All Bombs) was dropped just after 7:30 a.m. local time decimating the facility.

Syrian President Assad: ‘The chemical attack was fabricated, 100 percent fake’
President al-Assad suggests that perhaps crisis actors were used to set him up and justify a military response

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from Investor's Business Daily

Myth Busted: Taxpayers Are Not Subsidizing Wal-Mart's Low Wages
Wages: It's tax season, which means that union groups are once again out in force claiming that because Wal-Mart (WMT) doesn't pay its workers enough, taxpayers are forced to make up the difference. This is, to put it politely, pure poppycock. If the facts actually supported the case made by self-serving union propagandists and their "progressive" friends, they wouldn't have to make stuff up.

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from The Library of Congress (& Medium)

Inquiring Minds: Researching Justice at the Library of Congress

Many college students head for the beach or perhaps to a city with a lively night life for spring break. The students in Joe Kobylka’s honors seminar on the Supreme Court had a strikingly different kind of destination this year: the Library of Congress.

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from LifeZette (& PoliZette)

Democrats Dominate College Commencement Addresses
High-profile liberals vastly outgun conservative voices for university speaking slots

Notre Dame Students Feel ‘Unsafe’ with VP Mike Pence on the Way
Coddled college kids fret about an upcoming commencement speech when they should be proud instead

Leftist Group Tries to Intimidate Le Pen Supporters
'Combat Xenophobia' claims credit for firebombing of French candidate's headquarters

Kansas Conviction of Illegal Voter ‘Tip of the Iceberg’
Voter-integrity advocates contend voter fraud is more common than acknowledged

Vegas Company: Build Self-Sustaining Solar Border Wall
Liberal-friendly plan could put pressure on progressives, allow wall to 'pay for itself'

North Korea Puts World on Edge with ‘Day of the Sun’ Suspense
Pyongyang uses communist holiday to stoke speculation over possible nuclear incident

Jared Kushner’s Rough Deals
Two ill-fated investments cost Trump son-in-law and ascendant adviser millions

Mediterranean Migrant Crossings Down 80 Percent
Mass refugee flow into Europe slows, nations left to grapple with domestic aftermath

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from Mere Orthodoxy

Family Worship as Spiritual Formation

Family worship is an important aspect of a family's spiritual formation because it provides a regular time when they worship together.

________

from New Statesman

"The leading voice of the British left, since 1913."

Donald Trump's U-turns show his greatest loyalty is to opportunism
The US president's stunning reversals underline his volatility and untrustworthiness.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

EPA head tells coal miners ‘regulatory assault is over’
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has told workers at the nation’s largest underground coal mining complex the “regulatory assault” on the coal industry is over.

Canada introduces legislation to legalize marijuana
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government introduced legislation Thursday to let adults possess up to 30 grams of marijuana in public – a measure that would make Canada the largest developed country to end a nationwide prohibition on recreational marijuana.

________

from Sputnik

(Russian government-supported propaganda channel)

Busted! US Mainstream Media Ends Up Supporting Daesh in Syria
The New York Times' recent opinion editorial has gone even so far as to suggest that Washington should treat Daesh in Syria "the same way" the US "encouraged the mujahedeen fighters to bleed Russia in Afghanistan." Believe it or not, after unfounded accusations of chemical weapons' use in Khan Sheikhoun by Bashar al-Assad the US mainstream media has ended up with supporting Daesh (ISIS/ISIL) in Syria.

________

from Tri-City Herald

Love wildflowers? 15 Mid-Columbia hikes you can try this spring

________

from UPI News Agency - United Press International

Trump signs bill allowing states to cut funding to abortion providers
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a bill that allows states to block federal family planning funding for abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood by eliminating an Obama-era rule. The bill, House Joint Resolution 43, allows state governments to block federal Title X family planning funds from organizations that perform abortions. Title X is a federal grant program dedicated to family planning and reproductive health services prioritized for low-income families and people who are not insured.

First Muslim female judge found dead near NYC's Hudson River
Sheila Abdus-Salaam, the first Muslim woman in U.S. history to serve on the bench, was found dead Wednesday near the Hudson River, New York City police said. The pioneering Abdus-Salaam, 65, was an associate judge on the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, and the first African-American woman appointed to that bench in 2013. Her body was discovered on the banks of the Hudson River fully clothed. Authorities said there were no signs of criminality.

________

from The Washington Post

‘13 Reasons Why’ depicts a graphic suicide. Experts say there’s a problem with that.
Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why” offers a well-intentioned message about being kinder to others and asking for help when you need it, but some suicide prevention experts say the series could do more harm than good.

________

In the news, Wednesday, April 12, 2017

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APR 11      INDEX      APR 13

________

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

________

from Breitbart

Socialism Has Destroyed Venezuela – So Why Does the Opposition Trust the Socialist International?
Socialism has destroyed Venezuela. State corporate takeovers, strict price controls, and a food rationing system have left the country poor, sick, and literally starving. Socialist political repression has killed countless Venezuelans in the past decade and put an untold number of others in the nation’s notoriously violent prisons.

________

from Business Insider

Walmart has a new kind of discount — and it's impossible for Amazon to beat
Starting April 19, the retailer will offer a discount to customers who ship purchases to one of Walmart's more than 4,700 US stores instead of to a home or elsewhere.

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from CBS News (& affiliates)

Reality Check: The Cost Of Subsidized Transit
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The Minnesota Legislature is preparing deep budget cuts to Twin Cities transit systems, especially light rail. Critics say taxpayers pay millions of dollars a year to subsidize every passenger. While it’s true that taxpayers subsidize every passenger on the light rail, it’s less than you think and less than other common transit systems, like suburban buses.

________

from CNN

Can coding the brain save or destroy us?
The brain computer interfaces aimed for by Elon Musk and others offer the promise of scientific breakthrough but carry risks to consciousness and individuality, says Ed Finn.

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from CNSNews.com (& MRC & NewsBusters)

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Michelle Obama’s School Lunch Legacy: Big Profits for 'Big Yogurt'
At the moment of its implementation in 2011, Michelle Obama’s revamped federal school lunch program was an unmitigated disaster, seeing kids toss even more food into the trash than they previously did, and causing school districts to shell out more money as the months went by. But there was at least one winner in the political games of the federal school lunch program who, thanks to ties to the powerful lords of the state, made lots and lots of cash: Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani yogurt.

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from Competitive Enterprise Institute

Glass-Steagall Would Not Have Prevented the Financial Crisis
If the Glass-Steagall Act had not been partially repealed in 1999, the 2007-08 financial crisis would have unfolded in largely the same way. Could reviving this outdated banking regulation greatly damage both Main Street banks and our financial system as a whole?

________

from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Syrious Questions of Moral Consistency
With his firing of missiles into Syria, it took our new President about 76 days to start doing exactly what all the others do. I wonder if this one expects a different result?

How Nationalism and Socialism Arose from the French Revolution
Just as liberalism began to transform the world, two pernicious ideas began to vie with it. Nationalism and socialism began to capture the imaginations of intellectuals and would eventually displace liberalism completely in the hearts and minds of the West.

There Are No Good Arguments for Syrian Intervention
Nobody is claiming that America’s national interests are being threatened. Instead, the case for intervention is that Assad is a bad dictator who is doing bad things. If having an oppressive government is what triggers U.S. intervention, there will be perpetual war. President Trump's attack on Syria is plainly illegal, unauthorized, unjustifiable, short-sighted, and wreckless.

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from First Things

PILGRIMS OF PROGRESS
America’s national epic was not written in meter and verse. Nor, for that matter, was it written by an American. Yet The Pilgrim’s Progress is nonetheless the primal American story, the account of our mad flight from order and lonely quest for grace.

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from The Heritage Foundation

[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

The U.S. Should Tread Carefully on Social Media Vetting
The Trump Administration and Congress are looking at social media screening as a method of detecting terrorists trying to come to the U.S. Social media screening is likely to be of little value and consume resources better spent elsewhere in the U.S. counterterrorism enterprise. Depending on how these searches are done, they also raise the prospect of serious cybersecurity concerns and detrimental repercussions for American citizens travelling abroad. The U.S. should carefully consider the usefulness of broad social media vetting before proceeding further.

________

from KHQ Local News (NBC Spokane)

PHOTOS: Washouts close multiple highways in Eastern Washington
The Washington State Department of Transportation says there are several road closures on the east side of the state due to recent rainfall.

________

from KING 5 (NBC Seattle)

7 ways to save at Costco
For true frugalistas, Costco is a way of life. This membership-only warehouse club is the largest in America, and the second largest retailer in the world behind Walmart. Chances are, you or someone you know is a member.

________

from Mashable

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

80 percent of Snapchat users take snaps in restaurants
Snapchat knows which restaurants you snap from, and it has plans to make serious cash from it.

________

from National Catholic Register

The Untold Story of How the CDF Created the Anglican Ordinariate
Benedict XVI gave a tremendous gift to the English-speaking world in 2009, when he finally realized a dream centuries in the making, and established a permanent canonical home for groups from the Anglican tradition seeking to enter the Catholic Church with the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus. Here's why the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith during Benedict XVI’s papacy realized that it had to take charge of the reunion project.

________

from The Seattle Times

Amazon reportedly eyed Whole Foods last year, but didn’t pursue takeover
Though Whole Foods has long been seen as a buyout target, activist investor Jana Partners set off a new wave of speculation this week when it acquired a stake and urged the company to evaluate a sale.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

City, Avista, and golf organization apologize for misunderstanding that led to bulldozed mile-long road on South Hill bluff

________

from Sputnik

(Russian government-supported propaganda channel)

Trump: 'If Russia Didn't Back Assad the Animal, You Wouldn't Have Problem'
US President Donald Trump blamed the current situation in Syria on Moscow's support for country's President Bashar Assad, calling the Syrian leader "an animal," in an exclusive interview with Fox Business on Wednesday. He stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was supporting "a very bad man," and believed such an alliance would be bad for Russia and the entire world.

Google Seeks to Dictate Truth Using Dubious New Technology
Tech giant Google has rolled out a new feature that can purportedly discern fake news from fact. Radio Sputnik’s Loud and Clear spoke with Dr. Robert Epstein from the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology about this feature and the dangerous implications of corporations having the power to define reality.

Putin Calls US Missile Attack on Syria Evident Violation of International Law
Commenting on the recent US cruise missile attack on a Syrian airbase, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday there's no evidence that Damascus used chemical weapons, but there's clear evidence of international law violation by Washington.

________

from UPI News Agency - United Press International

Tillerson says Putin meeting 'productive'; Russia warns U.S. against attacking Syria

"The world's two foremost nuclear powers cannot have this kind of relationship," the chief U.S. diplomat said Wednesday.

City of St. Louis sues NFL, teams over Los Angeles Rams' move
The city of St. Louis is suing the NFL over the Rams' relocation to Los Angeles 15 months ago. The 52-page lawsuit was filed Wednesday in St. Louis Circuit Court by the city, county and the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority. The suit also names the NFL's 32 teams as defendants and seeks unspecified damages and restitution.

________

from The Washington Post

Economists are arguing over how their profession messed up during the Great Recession. This is what happened.
Over the past two weeks, academic economists (and a couple of bystanders) have been arguing about why economics wasn’t able to guide policy better during the Great Recession. Some blame nonacademic economists. Others blame prominent academics. Others still say that economic advice doesn’t really matter, because politicians will pay attention only to the advice that they wanted to hear anyway.

________

In the news, Tuesday, April 11, 2017

________

APR 10      INDEX      APR 12

________

________

from AlterNet

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

How Did America's Wealth Inequality Reach This Level of Toxic?
We are just beginning to understand one further dimension of toxic inequality: a devastating emotional and physiological phenomenon we might call “toxic inequality syndrome.”

________

from The American Spectator

The Fed’s Risky, Unchartered Course
The Federal Reserve Bank, also known as “The Fed,” was created in 1913 to regulate the banks and to ensure a stable dollar. The Fed has strayed from its initial charter and is now the primary enabler of federal deficit spending and debt, which is now almost $20 trillion.

________

from The Babylon Bee  [Satire]

Calvinist Researchers Complete Development Of Elect Detector
In an attempt to increase evangelistic efficiency, Calvinist scientists working at Reformed Theological Seminary’s School of Research have isolated the “elect gene” in test subjects, and have successfully engineered an electronic detector to help evangelists focus their efforts only on those God has preordained unto salvation from eternity past, sources confirmed Tuesday.

________

from CNN

United Airlines shows how to make a PR crisis a total disaster
Last month, United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz was named U.S. Communicator of the Year by the magazine PRWeek. Now he's being raked over the coals for his response to a violent passenger incident on a United Airlines flight.

________

from Competitive Enterprise Institute

Lawmakers Should Shun Long-Repealed Bank Restrictions
With the Depression-era banking act’s return to prominence, it is important to review the history and impact of Glass-Steagall, and just why it should be left in the past.

Want Better Airline Service? Deregulate to Enhance Competition

United Airlines is taking a public relations beating for its, er, remarkably poor customer service. This has spurred a flurry of uninformed calls for more government regulation of airline practices. Derek Thompson in The Atlantic has a point that the federal cap on overbooking compensation for involuntary removal (codified at 14 C.F.R. § 250.5) should be eliminated. But this doesn’t get to the heart of the matter: why would a service provider’s employees feel comfortable treating a customer so poorly? If American consumers wish to enjoy improved service quality in air travel, they should demand that Congress repeal 90 years of anti-competitive federal law. Less regulation of air travel, not more, is the solution.

________

from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

The Racist Roots of Marijuana Prohibition
The history of marijuana (or cannabis/THC) stems back over 10,000 years and is widely recognized as one of the most useful plants on the planet. Yet it was made illegal in the United States in the early 20th century due to political and economic factors. Let’s get one thing clear: marijuana was not made illegal because it caused “insanity, criminality, and death” as was claimed by Harry J. Anslinger. It was made illegal in an attempt to control Mexican immigration into the United States and to help boost the profits of large pharmaceutical companies.

________

from Fortune Magazine

United Airlines Stock Drops $1.4 Billion After Passenger-Removal Controversy
Even as the internet kicked up a maelstrom of outrage, investors still thought United Airlines' decision to forcibly eject a customer from an overbooked flight would have little effect on the company's profits. But that changed Tuesday, when shares of United fell as much as 6.3% in pre-market trading, dropping $1.4 billion from the now $21 billion company by market cap. By early trading Tuesday, shares were down 4%.

________

from The Heritage Foundation

[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

Balkan Issues Once Again Threaten U.S. Security
Tucked away in the southeast corner of Europe, the Balkans are 4,500 miles from the East Coast. So your average American would be forgiven for wondering, “What does this region have to do with me?” But stability and security in the Balkans is important to the U.S. for many reasons.

Why Preserving the Legislative Filibuster Is Critical for Conservatives
Removing the legislative filibuster would represent a monumental shift in how the Congress operates—particularly in how quickly the government’s whims could be enforced on the public, without the deliberation the framers sought to ensure.

The Trump Administration and the 115th Congress Should Support Ukraine
Ukraine is in the midst of a national struggle that will determine its future geopolitical orientation: the West or Moscow. The outcome of this struggle will have long-term implications for the transatlantic community and the notion of national sovereignty.

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from The Hill

United's lousy service is a reason for more competition, not regulation
The United Airlines fiasco has led, inevitably, to calls for even regulation. But banning overbooking would be no boon to consumers—it actually helps keep fares down. Want airlines (and airports) to treat customers better? Then let ‘em compete. More regulation only restricts consumer choices.

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from HumanProgress.org  Education Website

Data as History: Charting the Last 2000 Years of Progress
The historical evidence in favor of free minds and free markets is there for everyone to see.

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from Indian Country Today Media Network
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Tribes Get a Say in Keystone XL Hearings
The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota are among dozens of individuals and entities given permission to testify about the Keystone XL pipeline’s route through the state during public hearings this summer. “We belong to the land; it doesn’t belong to us,” declared Ponca tribal chairman Larry Wright Jr. after the tribe was granted official intervener status in upcoming hearings before the Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC). “Although we may not physically own the geographic location that is our homeland in Nebraska, it does not diminish our ties to it.”

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from InfoWorld

You need your ‘cloud brain’ more than ever
Old-school, datacenter-based tactical thinking will lead you to oblivion in the new cloud-based world of IT

Datacenters decline as users turn to rented servers
Consolidation and the move to the cloud are behind the mega change in the industry

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from The Inlander

Hundreds will have no place to sleep after Spokane's 24-7 homeless shelter runs out of money
In January 2017, House of Charity expanded its overnight sleeping capacity to women, couples who didn't want to separate and animals (they historically only housed adult men). The extra capacity was bolstered by a surge of funds from the city of Spokane, Downtown Spokane Partnership and other businesses that donated money to fill the shelter's budget gap. But that money has run out. Currently, there is no clear sense for how many hours per day House of Charity will be open, or how and when the shelter will provide daily meals. The shelter will continue providing overnight beds for 109 adult men.

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from Intellihub

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Putin: More false flag chemical attacks being prepared in Damascus

Putin also pointed out similarities to the 2003 incident when no chemical weapons were found in Iraq.

Just before U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson landed in Moscow on Tuesday Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that Russia has received intelligence from “trusted sources” that more chemical attacks are being prepared in the Damascus region for the sake of blaming Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Clemson University claims that wanting someone to be on time might be racist   Leftist propaganda now being pushed on faculty
In yet another shocking example of the hard-left propaganda being pushed on college campuses throughout the country, Clemson University has spent over $26,000 on “training” that includes the ludicrous claim that expecting someone to be on time might not be inclusive.

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from LifeZette (& PoliZette)

Trump Restoring Free-Market Balance to U.S. Energy Industry
Canceling overwrought Clean Power Plan allows coal a chance to compete on fair footing.
The CPP would have prematurely forced 25 percent of America’s coal generation capacity off the electric grid.

Sessions Declares End to Border Lawlessness: ‘This is the Trump Era’
Attorney general unveils new measures to enhance border security, immigration enforcement
Attorney General Jeff Sessions proclaimed an end to the “lawlessness” of illegal immigration, “the abdication of duty to enforce our laws” and “the catch-and-release policies of the past” as he unveiled new immigration policies during a speech Tuesday at the U.S.-Mexico border.

White House Unveils Evidence of Syrian Chemical Attack
Trump administration pushes back against Russian ‘disinformation campaign’
Senior administration officials Tuesday provided evidence the Syrian government is responsible for last week’s chemical weapons attack that killed almost 90 people and that Russia is trying to cover it up, during a conference call with reporters. That attack prompted President Donald Trump to order a cruise missile strike at the Syrian airbase from which U.S. officials claim the chemical attack was launched.

PR Nightmare: United Posts Job Listing for Public Affairs Exec
Airline caught in media firestorm advertises job to 'help United reclaim its reputation'
Barely 48 hours after United Airlines employees created a national scandal by dragging a doctor violently from his seat, America’s newly controversial airline posted a job listing for a public-relations manager on District Daybook, the “premier resource for political and policy professionals in Washington D.C.”

Beaten United Airlines Doctor Convicted of Exchanging Drugs for Sex
New details are emerging about Dr. David Dao, the United Airlines forcibly removed from United flight 3411, and he’s not as innocent as he seems.

Assange: CIA ‘Has No Credibility’ on Chemical Weapons
WikiLeaks editor says Assad gas attack should be reported as 'alleged' until evidence made public

Survey Spotlights Severe Danger for Democrats in 2018
50-state poll finds obstruction taking toll on vulnerable Senate Democrats in red states

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from Miami Herald

Leonard Pitts Jr.: Let’s just tell Attorney General Sessions 'No' to a new War on Drugs
Jeff Sessions wants a new War on Drugs. It's hard to imagine a dumber or more dangerous idea.

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from The National Interest

America Can't Afford to Keep Losing the War in Afghanistan

As the Taliban launch their spring offensive, the Trump administration has yet to announce its strategy for the war in Afghanistan. Experimenting with another troop surge will not reverse the stalemate.

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from Reason Magazine

San Diego's Experiment With Higher Minimum Wage: 4,000 Fewer Restaurant Jobs
San Diego's restaurant recession is another data point suggesting that making it more expensive to employ people causes fewer people to be employed. Shocker.

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from spokaneproisrael.org

Socialist Alternatives abound in Spokane
The Socialist Alternative’s April magazine is entitled Shut Down Trump’s Agenda. In the magazine there is an explanation of Socialist beliefs. You may have already heard these “blip narratives” in the media or on college campuses. Social Justice Activists regurgitate it all the time.

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from The Spokesman-Review

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from Sputnik

(Russian government-supported propaganda channel)

Hope for Millions: Russian Scientists Invent Nanoparticles That Kill Cancer
Russian scientists have proposed a new kind of cancer treatment based on nanoparticles which induce more damage to cancer cells than conventional treatments and may even work on cells which are resistant to drugs. In a cell culture, researchers from Moscow State University, Northeastern University in Boston and the Russian Academy of Sciences demonstrated that the nanoparticles stimulate the death of cancer cells by acting on the cell membrane and/or mitochondrial membrane. They published their findings in the journal Pharmaceutical Research.

Here We Go Again: Central Banks 'Hiding' Risk of Impending Global Recession
While analysts place the chances of a global recession in the near future at around 10 percent, investment firm Saxo ranks the risk closer to 60 percent, as borrowing reaches unsustainable levels across the Western world, and US President Donald Trump loses his market luster.

Trump Ratifies Protocol for Montenegro’s Accession to NATO
US President Donald Trump has ratified the protocol for Montenegro’s accession as the twenty-ninth member to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a release on Tuesday.

'Russia Does Not React Well to Ultimatums': What Tillerson Can Offer Moscow
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will arrive in Moscow Tuesday for two days of talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Political observer Vladimir Ardaev says there are three basic proposals the secretary can make to his Russian colleague: empty threats, an ultimatum, or a deal respecting both Russian and Syrian interests.

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from Townhall.com

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Government Makes the Poor Poorer
For all the obsessing in Washington over income inequality, why isn't there more outrage over government policies that exacerbate the problem? There are hundreds of programs that increase poverty in America. Social Security is the greatest swindle of all. Social Security robs nearly every low- and middle-income family with a full-time worker of at least $1 million over their lifetime.

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from Yahoo News

'The dominoes are starting to fall': Retailers are going bankrupt at a staggering rate
Retailers are filing for bankruptcy at an alarming rate that's quickly approaching recessionary levels. It's only April, and nine retailers have already filed for bankruptcy since the start of the year — as many as all of last year.

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