Wednesday - September 30, 2015 - Today in History:

1777 - The Congress of the United States moved to York, PA, due to advancing British forces.
1787 - The Columbia left Boston and began the trip that would make it the first American vessel to sail around the world.
1946 - An international military tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany, found 22 top Nazi leaders guilty of war crimes.
1949 - The Berlin Airlift came to an end. The airlift had taken 2.3 million tons of food into the western sector despite the Soviet blockade.
1954 - The U.S. Navy commissioned the Nautilus submarine at Groton, CT. It was the first atomic-powered vessel. The submarine had been launched on January 21, 1954.
1963 - The Soviet Union publicly declared itself on the side of India in their dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir.
1971 - The Soviet Union and the United States signed pacts that were aimed at avoiding an accidental nuclear war.
1971 - A committee of nine people was organized to investigate the prison riot at Attica, NY. 10 hostages and 32 prisoners were killed when National Guardsmen stormed the prison on September 13, 1971.
1983 - The first AH-64 Apache attack helicopter was rolled out by McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company.
1989 - Thousands of East Germans began emigrating under an accord between the NATO nations and the Soviet Union.
1989 - Non-Communist Cambodian guerrillas claimed that they had captured 3 towns and 10 other positions from the residing government forces.
1990 - The Soviet Union and South Korea opened diplomatic relations.
1993 - U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell retired.
1994 - The space shuttle Endeavor took off on an 11-day mission. Part of the mission was to use a radar instrument to map remote areas of the Earth.
1997 - France's Roman Catholic Church apologized for its silence during the persecution and deportation of Jews the pro-Nazi Vichy regime.
1998 - Gov. Pete Wilson of California signed a bill into law that defined "invasion of privacy as trespassing with the intent to capture audio or video images of a celebrity or crime victim engaging in a personal of family activity." The law went into effect January 1, 1999.
1999 - In Tokaimura, Japan, radiation escaped a nuclear facility after workers accidentally set off an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction.
2014 - Amazon filed for a patent for a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) configured to autonomously deliver items to customers. The patent was related to Amazon's plan for their Prime Air service.

Pentagon to open ‘lines of communication’ with Russia over strikes in Syria
RT - The US will open “lines of communication” with Russia to avoid “misjudgment and miscalculation” as a US-led coalition conducts strikes against ISIS in Syria. Moscow is assisting government forces in their fight against the terror group.... Pentagon officials have stressed the need for “deconfliction” with regards to the coalition and Russian forces. The two sides are set to discuss their respective actions in order to reduce the risk of accidents.

Russian parliament unanimously approves use of military in Syria to fight ISIS
RT - The upper chamber of the Russian parliament has unanimously given a formal consent to President Putin to use the nation’s military in Syria to fight terrorism at a request from the Syrian President Bashar Assad. Consent was necessary for use of the country's military for foreign combat missions under the Russian constitution. The request for use of force was sent by the president after considering the large number of citizens of Russia and neighboring countries, who went to join terrorist groups fighting in Syria, head of the presidential administration Sergey Ivanov told media. There are thousands of them, and Russia’s national security would be under threat, should they return home, he added. “This is not about reaching for some foreign policy goals, satisfying ambitions, which our Western partners regularly accuse us of. It’s only about the national interest of the Russian Federation,” the official said. Ivanov stressed that no ground operations are planned in Syria.

ISIS planning ‘nuclear tsunami’
Washington Times - Nuclear annihilation across the globe. This is what a German reporter who successfully embedded with the Islamic State says the terror group is planning. Jurgen Todenhofer released his findings in a book titled “Inside IS - Ten Days in the Islamic State,” reports the UK’s Daily Express. “The terrorists plan on killing several hundred million people. The west is drastically underestimating the power of ISIS. ISIS intends to get its hands on nuclear weapons,” says Todenhofer, calling the group a “nuclear tsunami preparing the largest religious cleansing in history.”

U.S. halts effort to train Syrian opposition forces
CBS News - … the Pentagon was forced to concede a key part of the president's Syria policy is a dismal failure. The program to train and equip Syrian opposition forces has been suspended. The $500-million program had once been a linchpin of the strategy to defeat ISIS but so far has proved a fiasco. It was put on hold after a band of fighters turned over their U.S.-supplied equipment to terrorists linked to al Qaeda. An embarrassing development Russia's Putin could not resist mentioning in his address to the United Nations. "First, they are armed and trained and then they are defect," he said in Russian.

Israel Prepares Ground Invasion of Syria
Kurt Nimmo - Israeli Likud Minister Yuval Steinitz will tell the United States, Russia and other world powers Israel will not tolerate Iranian forces near its border, the Jerusalem Times reported on Tuesday. Steinitz made the remark as Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, flew to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday. “In all of our discussions, first and foremost with the United States, but also with Russia and the rest of the world powers, we must make sure that the Iranian forces will stay in Iran,” Steinitz told Israel’s Army Radio. “Nobody wants to see Russian forces in the area of the Golan Heights, but we definitely don’t want to see Iranian forces near Israel,” he added.

Kingdom in Crisis: Saudi Arabia Pulls up to $70 Billion from Global Markets
Sputnik News - "Fund managers we've spoken to estimate SAMA [Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency] has pulled out between $50 billion to $70 billion from global asset managers over the past six months," Nigel Sillitoe, chief executive officer of the Dubai-based firm, told Bloomberg. "Saudi Arabia is withdrawing funds because it's trying to cut its widening deficit and it's financing the war in Yemen," he said. As oil prices halved over the past year, SAMA's foreign reserves have fallen about 10% from a peak of $737 billion in August 2014 to $661 billion in July. The government has turned to bond sales to help sustain spending and fund its military campaign in Yemen.

Volkswagen facing £4.3 BILLION bill after revealing it will recall 11 MILLION cars to be refitted because of emissions testing scandal
Daily Mail - Volkswagen is facing a £4.3billion bill after promising to to refit up to 11million vehicles fitted with software designed to cheat emissions tests. Today the German car giant signalled it would recall all affected vehicles, as it attempts to resolve biggest business-related crisis in its 78-year history. The news follows admission by Spanish car maker Seat, which is owned by the Volkswagen group, that it fitted 700,000 of its cars with the pollution cheating software to dupe emissions tests. It will ask customers 'in the next few days' to have diesel models equipped with manipulated software refitted and brief authorities on technical fixes in October, Matthias Mueller told a closed-door gathering of about 1,000 top managers at Volkswagen's Wolfsburg headquarters late on Monday.

US Customs is collecting the personal information of every Amtrak passenger
MassPrivateI - Documents released by Amtrak suggest that since 2012, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has had direct access to Amtrak’s reservation system, possibly including access to reservations for Amtrak passengers traveling entirely within the USA. The Amtrak documents Papers Please received are the fourth in a continuing series of long-overdue interim responses (1st interim response, 2nd interim response, 3rd interim response) to a FOIA request they made in October 2014 for records related to Amtrak’s data-sharing and other collaboration with DHS and other US and foreign law enforcement agencies.... The CBP/DHS knows you address, credit card numbers, telephone numbers and email address...

U.S. Gives 1,519 Engaged in Terrorism “While Under Duress” Residency, Asylum
Judicial Watch - As if the President Obama’s sweeping amnesty measures haven’t compromised national security enough, the administration let 1,519 “inadmissible” foreigners embroiled in terrorism into the U.S. last year because the crimes were committed “while under duress.” Before the Obama administration tweaked a federal law last year, these foreign nationals would have been banned from the country for supporting terrorist causes. But under the changes the Secretary of Homeland Security has “discretionary authority” to waive certain grounds of inadmissibility relating to terrorism. We’ve seen this discretionary authority abused in the last few years and in fact, the administration has eliminated a zero tolerance policy for granting asylum or residency to individuals who have provided any sort of terrorism-related support.

Planned Parenthood Admits Over 86% of Revenues From Abortions
Kit Daniels -Abortions account for over 86% of Planned Parenthood’s revenues, according to President Cecile Richards, who makes over $520,000 annually. Richards made the admission while testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Tuesday. She also claimed that abortions only account for 3% of Planned Parenthood’s total procedures, which prompted Rep. Cynthia Lummins (R-Wy.) to ask Richards to explain the discrepancy. “Let’s talk about Planned Parenthood revenue for abortions,” Lummins told Richards. “If you look at the 2013 statistics that you report, abortions from revenue would have been over 86% of your non-government revenue.” “How do you explain this massive disparity between the amount of revenue you collect from abortions and the fact you report only 3% of your services being abortions?”

Last Gun Store in San Francisco Closing in Response to Flood of Gun Controls
Breitbart - In October, High Bridge Arms—the last gun store in San Francisco—will be closing its doors for good due to gun controls with which the store refuses to comply. For decades, High Bridge Arms has adapted to the passage of each new gun control, but it views the latest push as a step too far. According to SFist, the newest control push “comes from Supervisor Mark Farrell (District 2), and proposes to require that all gun sales in San Francisco be videotaped.” It would also “further require that all gun and ammunition buyers’ names, birthdates, addresses and driver’s license numbers be supplied to the San Francisco Police Department. Sup. Farrell proposed the idea in July, and it may be voted on this month.” Fox News reports that High Bridge Arms’ general manager, Steven Alcairo, said the store’s owners are tired of keeping up with the new regulations and equally tired of trying to guess what might come next.

Public school suspends 8-year-old girl for wearing wrong shade of green
Blacklisted News - An elementary school in the pleasantly named town of Sicklerville, New Jersey suspended an 8-year-old girl for the crime of wearing a kelly green polo shirt. According to AP, "Winslow Township School's code on dress and grooming says 'school attire can influence a pupil's behavior and potentially impact the academic environment.'" School clothing must be white, dark green or navy.

Fox: Teamsters Withholding Hillary Endorsement
Newsmax - The Teamsters union has decided to withhold an endorsement of Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton, Fox News reports. The union's 26-member board decided unanimously in a closed-door meeting in South Carolina to keep back its endorsement... Also, the union wants to wait and see whether Vice President Joe Biden enters the race, and they want to talk to Republican candidates as well, especially frontrunner Donald Trump, who has worked with unionized workers throughout his career, Rosen said. "It's a very significant development, not least because the Teamsters is such a big, powerful and wealthy union. You're talking about well over a million unionized workers, a lot of them in key states," University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato told Fox. "It's one more piece of evidence that Hillary Clinton's effort to lock down the nomination have utterly failed."

Trump backs Russia, Iran efforts to fight Islamic State
Reuters - Asked whether he backed those like Russia who supported Syrian President Bashar al Assad or those who see him as the source of Syria's current crisis, Trump told NBC's "Today" program: "I side with the group that says 'if Russia wants to go and fight ISIS, you should let them', as opposed to saying 'we're jealous, we don't want you to do that'."… Asked about whether Assad was the source of the country's ills, Trump said it was not clear and questioned who would replace him if he were ousted. "The people that want to come in and replace Assad, nobody knows who they are and they could end up being worse," he said. "We're constantly going out and siding with people and they turn out to be worse than the people who were there before."

Cruz, Rubio Vote to Increase Debt By $400 Billion; Paul, Sanders Vote No
Truth in Media - On Friday, the United States Senate failed to pass a short-term continuing resolution, which increased the federal deficit by $400 billion. Of the four Republican Senators running for president, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was the only one to vote against it. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) all voted in favor of the continuing resolution moving forward by ending cloture. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who is running for President on the Democratic ticket as a socialist, also voted against the continuing resolution. Paul says that although the bill defunded Planned Parenthood, he couldn’t vote for it due to the spending that was attached.

Rand: My Tax Plan The Only One That Eliminates Payroll Tax, Trump’s ‘Will Continue A Lot of The Cronyism’
Breitbart - Kentucky Senator and Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul touted his tax plan over those of his GOP rivals on Tuesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Wolf.” Asked about fellow Republican candidate Donald Trump’s tax plan, Rand stated, “I think my tax plan is better. I get rid of all 70,000 pages of the tax code. I have one single rate, 14.5% for individuals, and 14.5% for corporations. I also do something that no other tax plan does, and I get rid of the payroll tax. So, every working class American will have a couple thousand dollars left in their paycheck. So, I like our plan better. It’s simpler. His plan will continue a lot of the cronyism, and a lot of the special interest politics that go with the tax code. Ours would eliminate all of that, and you can file your tax return on one single postcard.”

This Is For The ‘Nothing Is Happening’ Crowd…
Economic Collapse - A lot of people out there expected something to happen in September that did not ultimately happen. There were all kinds of wild theories floating around, and many of them had no basis in reality whatsoever. But without a doubt, some very important things did happen in September.

The Stunning "Explanation" An Insurance Company Just Used To Boost Health Premiums By 60%
Zero Hedge - It may not have been easy for Blue Cross Blue Shield to admit to their clients their premiums are set to rise by 60% due to Supreme Court-mandated tax known as "Obamacare" but it would have been the right thing. Instead, in justifying the boost to the two-month medical premium from $867 to $1.365, the health insurer decided to use the following excuse: "With advances in medical technology, prescription drugs and ways to treat injuries and illnesses, Americans are living healthier lives. [i.e., living longer] Because of these changes, we must adjust your premium to stay in line with increased costs." In other words, if you want lower costs, and avoiding 60% healthcare inflation, just do everything in your power to prevent Americans from "living healthier lives."... Finally, for those who are likewise confused how companies like Valeant can boost the prices of their drugs anywhere between 90% and 2300% in 2-3 years, and get away with it without nobody noticing...

83% of Mortgages Sold by Government to Banks and Hedge Funds End in Foreclosure
AllGov - Five years ago, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) launched a mortgage sales program called the Distressed Asset Stabilization Program (DASP) so it could unload teetering mortgages to the private sector. DASP was supposed to not only help HUD improve its finances, but also assist homeowners facing the risk of foreclosure work out new terms with the banks or hedge funds buying the mortgages. But things haven’t worked out that way for the vast majority of homebuyers. DASP has resulted in more than 98,000 mortgages—representing more than $16.7 billion in total debt—being sold to investors “at times as little as 41 percent of the mortgages’ collective value,” the Center for Public Integrity reported. The struggling Federal Housing Administration, which insures mortgages, became solvent as a result of the sales. However, only 16.9% of the mortgages sold between 2010 and 2014 avoided foreclosure.

“Smart” Water Meters Vulnerable To Attack
Activist Post - Of all critical infrastructure, the public water system might seem the least vulnerable to a cyber attack. But that might be changing, with the increasing adoption of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) that controls the water supply remotely, according to John McNabb, water expert and security researcher. In a speech at Black Hat USA in Las Vegas, McNabb said because wireless water meters are data collecting, embedded devices, they are therefore vulnerable to attacks that could cause service disruption, or even enable attackers to execute malware.

Tuesday - September 29, 2015 - Today in History:

1789 - A regular army was established by the U.S. War Department with several hundred men.
1829 - The 1st appearance by London's re-organized police force was met with jeers from political opponents. The force became known as Scotland Yard.
1943 - U.S. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Italian Marchal Pietro Badoglio signed an armistice aboard the British ship Nelson.
1962 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy nationalized the Mississippi National guard in response to city officials defying federal court orders. The orders had been to enroll James Meredith at the University of Mississippi.
1967 - The International Monetary Fund reformed monetary systems around the world.
1982 - In Chicago, IL, seven people died after taking capsules of Extra-Strength Tylenol that had been laced with cyanide. 264,000 bottles were recalled.
1983 - The War Powers Act was used for the first time by the U.S. Congress when they authorized President Reagan to keep U.S. Marines in Lebanon for 18 more months.
1984 - Irish officials announced that they had intercepted the Marita Anne carrying seven tons of U.S.-purchased weapons. The weapons were intended for the Irish Republican Army.
1988 - The space shuttle Discovery took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. It was the first manned space flight since the Challenger disaster.
1990 - "Millie's Book" by First Lady Barbara Bush was the best-selling non-fiction book in the U.S.
1993 - Bosnia's parliament voted overwhelmingly to reject an international peace plan unless Bosnian Serbs returned land that had been taken by force.
1994 - The U.S. House voted to end the practice of lobbyist buying meals and entertainment for members of Congress.
1998 - Hasbro announced plans to introduce an action figure of retired U.S. General Colin Powell.
2008 - The Dow Industrial Average lost 777 points. It was the largest one-day decline to date. The drop came after the U.S. House of Representatives had voted down a $700 billion bank bailout plan.

US starts bombing Kunduz area after Taliban captures the city
RT - US warplanes hit Taliban positions near the city of Kunduz, captured the day before by Taliban forces. Afghan government troops have launched a counterattack to retake the city. "US forces conducted an air strike in Kunduz today to eliminate a threat to coalition and Afghan forces operating in the vicinity of Kunduz," said Colonel Brian Tribus, a spokesman for the NATO-led coalition. The takeover of Kunduz in Afghanistan’s north was a major success for Taliban forces. They launched an attack from three directions on Monday morning and seized control of the city from government forces hours later.

Is Glencore The Next Lehman? The World’s Largest Commodities Trading Company Is Toast
Economic Collapse - Glencore has been known as the largest commodities trading company on the entire planet, and at one time it was ranked as the 10th biggest company in the world. It is linked to trillions of dollars of derivatives trades globally, and if the firm were to implode it would be a financial disaster unlike anything that we have seen in Europe since the end of World War II. Unfortunately, all signs are pointing to an inescapable death spiral for Glencore at this point. The stock price was down nearly 30 percent on Monday, and overall Glencore stock has plunged nearly 80 percent since May. There are certainly other candidates for “the next Lehman” (Petrobras and Deutsche Bank being two perfect examples), but Glencore has definitely surged to the front of the pack. Right now many analysts are openly wondering if the firm will even be able to survive to the end of next month.

38 Dead After Saudi Arabia, Head of UN Human Rights Panel, Bombs Wedding in Yemen
Liberty Blitzkrieg - Nothing screams out human rights like bombing women and children at a wedding party. Saudi Arabia sure is on a roll. Having just been rewarded with the head position on a UN’s human rights panel for its unmatched capacity for barbarism and civil rights abuse, the Saudis can now add another massacre to its long list of war crimes. The Associated Press reports: SANAA, Yemen (AP) — The Saudi-led coalition targeting Yemen’s Shiite rebels mistakenly struck a wedding party on Monday, killing at least 38 people, Yemeni security officials said. The strikes hit the celebration in al-Wahga, a village near the strategic Strait of Bab al-Mandab, said the officials, who remain neutral in the conflict that has splintered Yemen. At least 40 people were wounded in the two airstrikes, they said. The strikes, a senior government official said, were “a mistake.” Many of the victims were women and children, according to several villagers.
* Update: 131 civilians killed in alleged Saudi airstrike on Yemen wedding

China's industrial profit suffers biggest fall in 4yrs
RT - Chinese industrial companies have reported their biggest decline in profits since 2011 in August. The reasons appear to be a plunging stock market, a devalued yuan and weak demand. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China's stock market drop cut investment returns along with fluctuations in the yuan have increased corporate financial expenditures. Industrial companies’ profits dipped 8.8 percent in August from a year earlier. Producers of coal, oil and metals were the biggest losers.... The NBS survey shows slowing demand has dragged China's manufacturing sector into its sharpest contraction in six-and-a-half years.

Swiss open major bank probe into precious metals market rigging
Hang The Bankers -The Swiss competition regulator has opened an investigation into possible collusion in the precious metals market by several major banks, it said on Monday, the latest in a string of manipulation probes. Switzerland’s WEKO watchdog said its investigation, the result of a preliminary probe, was looking at whether UBS, Julius Baer, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Barclays, Morgan Stanley and Mitsui conspired to set bid/ask spreads. “It (WEKO) has indications that possible prohibited competitive agreements in the trading of precious metals were agreed among the banks mentioned,” WEKO said in a statement. A WEKO spokesman said the investigation would likely conclude in ei

Fukushima Daiichi: 100% meltdown in reactor 2 likely, Tepco ignored tsunami risk assessment
InvestmentWatch - Nuclear Expert: US West Coast being continuously exposed to Fukushima radioactive releases, it's an ongoing tragedy. Marine Chemist: Impossible to stop nuclear waste flowing into ocean; "It never will be... that's what keeps me up at night." A group of researchers says it is highly likely that 70 to 100 percent of fuel has melted at one of the damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The group includes researchers from Nagoya University. It has been probing the plant's No. 2 reactor since April of last year, using a device that uses elementary particles called muons to see into its interior. The researchers say the results of their study show few signs of nuclear fuel at the reactor core, in contrast to the No. 5 reactor where fuel was clearly visible at its core. This led them to believe that 70 to 100 percent of fuel at the reactor has likely melted. The researchers say further analyses are needed to determine whether molten fuel penetrated the reactor and fell down.

Obama to UN: US ready to work with Russia and Iran on Syria
RT - US President Barack Obama addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, telling world leaders that the United States is willing to work with Russia and Iran to solve the current crises in Syria. In discussing the spread of Islamic State militants throughout Syria and Iraq, as well as the flood of migrants and refugees fleeing conflict there, Obama promised to work with the international community because the US “by itself, cannot impose stability on a foreign land, unless we work with other nations.” “And unless we work together to defeat the ideas that drive different communities in a country like Iraq into conflict, any order that our militaries can impose will be temporary,” the US president added.

Violence instead of democracy: Putin slams ‘policies of exceptionalism and impunity’ in UN speech
RT - The export of so-called ‘democratic’ revolutions has continued, but has unleashed poverty and violence instead of the triumph of democracy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said addressing the UN General Assembly. Attempts to push for changes in other countries based on ideological preferences have led to “tragic consequences and degradation rather than progress,” said Putin in his speech to world leaders and policy makers gathered at the UN General Assembly’s anniversary 70th session in New York on Monday. We should all remember what our past has taught us,” Putin said. “We, for instance, remember examples from the history of the Soviet Union.” It seems however that some are not learning from others’ mistakes, but keep repeating them, he said, adding that “the export of so-called ‘democratic’ revolutions continues.”

More than 30,000 new UN peacekeepers to be added by 50 countries – Obama
RT - More than 30,000 new troops from over 50 nations will be added to the UN’s peacekeeping mission, US President Barack Obama announced on Monday. Obama stressed that for the UN to keep its peacekeeping mission from bending under “unprecedented strains,” more nations will need to commit troops. “Our collective security depends on it,” he said. Obama said the US itself will expand its support for peacekeeping missions, promising additional resources, more military officers, logistical support and construction projects. The news comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that Beijing will commit 8,000 troops and $1 billion to the UN’s peacekeeping efforts.

Obama Warns Christians: Gay Rights Trump Religious Freedom…
Breitbart - As Pope Francis flew back to Rome, President Obama issued a stern warning to Christians, warning them their attempts to assert their religious liberty to oppose gay rights would fail. “We affirm that we cherish our religious freedom and are profoundly respectful of religious traditions,” he insisted during a dramatic speech at a LGTB fundraiser in New York City on Sunday night, praising the progress made on gay rights under his administration. “But we also have to say clearly that our religious freedom doesn’t grant us the freedom to deny our fellow Americans their constitutional rights.”

School Asks Students For Number of Guns, Political Views Held by Family
Kit Daniels - The gun survey given to journalism students at Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville, Texas, also asks students for their parents’ political views.... “[The Second Amendment] is a great conversation for kids to have in the classroom and definitely for journalism because it applies directly to our Constitution… but the questions that concern me are the ones that ask ‘how many firearms does your parents have at home?’ and ‘what political affiliations do your parents have?'” radio host and gun rights activist Michael Cargill said, who brought the survey to the public’s attention. “That’s private.” And the survey can be used against the student and his family. “Have you or anyone in your family ever used a gun in a self-defense situation?” another question asks. “If so, please describe.” That question is particularly alarming because there’s no statue of limitation prohibiting an anti-gun prosecutor from charging someone with murder for using a gun in self-defense. And Child Protective Services could also use the survey as a pretext to take kids away from a family.

3 Oppressive Texas CPS Agents Receive Felony Indictments
Health Impact News - Indictments were handed down last Thursday to 1 of the 3 Child Protective Services (CPS) subordinates who were charged with Oppression, a (misdemeanor), tampering with evidence, and falsifying and forging documents to conduct illegal searches and seizures, which are third degree felonies, punishable upon conviction by a maximum sentence of from two to 10 years in prison and an optional fine of up to $10,000. 60 year-old Laura Marsh Ard, the former program director for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services office in Rockwall, received one indictment for tampering with physical evidence. Reynolds, of Fate, received three indictments for official oppression, and one indictment for tampering and fabricating physical evidence. All these charges stem from an alleged case where all three conspired to use false documents in an investigation of the mother of a murdered teenager Alicia Moore from Greenville.

Hillary Lawyer Ejected From Court For Practicing Law Without a License
Breitbart - The law-evading Hillary Clinton campaign-staffer who was recently snared by undercover video-journalist James O’Keefe was also kicked out a courtroom when she tried to practice law without a law license in 2014. Christine Gupana, a law graduate and a Hillary For Nevada fellow, was caught urging apparent Clinton staffers and volunteers to register voters without first getting a needed license from a county clerk. “Do whatever you can. Whatever you can get away with, just do it, until you get kicked out, like, totally,” Gupana said in O’Keefe’s video.

Austin Petersen to Run for President as a Libertarian (Video)
Truth in Media - Last week Truth In Media’s Joshua Cook spoke with Austin Petersen, Editor-in-Chief of The Libertarian Republic, who is seeking his party’s nomination for the President of the United States. Petersen made it clear that he is seriously running for president and that he will be old enough next year to qualify when he turns 35 years old next spring.,,, Petersen’s platform...

The Goals Of Donald J. Trump’s Tax Plan
Too few Americans are working, too many jobs have been shipped overseas, and too many middle class families cannot make ends meet. This tax plan directly meets these challenges with four simple goals...
* Related Video: The Washington Post - Donald Trump outlines tax plan (Speech begins at 7:00 minute mark)

Why did a Ted Cruz super PAC give $500,000 to Carly Fiorina's?
Washington Post - A super PAC supporting former tech executive Carly Fiorina's run reported raising $3.5 million -- with a half-million dollar lift from a super PAC supporting GOP presidential rival Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.). The pro-Cruz PAC, Keep the Promise I, reported the disbursement Friday in a document filed with the Federal Election Commission. That is...unusual, to say the least.

Gov’t Data: Federal Reserve Swindled Trillions From American Savers
Breitbart - Federal Reserve data reveals that its post-crash interest-rate manipulation “economic stimulus” actually stripped American savers of trillions of dollars by forcing down interest rates. The Federal Reserve cost American savers — usually older Americans — more than $550 billion per year in lost interest-income, and will likely cost young taxpayers much more once President Barack Obama’s huge government debts have to be repaid at normal interest rates, said Seeking Alpha’s financial analyst, Peter Knight.

Whole Foods Market to cut about 1,500 jobs
CNBC News - Upscale food market operator Whole Foods Market said it would cut about 1,500 jobs, or about 1.6 percent of its workforce, over the next eight weeks. The cuts are aimed at reducing costs as the company invests in technology upgrades, Whole Foods said in a filing. The affected positions were mainly in stores, but “back of house” positions that were not customer facing, the company said in an email to Reuters. Whole Foods said it would offer employees options including transition pay, severance, or allow them to apply for other jobs. The job cuts come as the retailer is working to shed its “Whole Paycheck” nickname and its reputation for high prices. Whole Foods said in May that it would launch a new chain of smaller, more value-focused shops next year.

More Reports Of Debtors Prisons Surface In Louisiana And New Hampshire
Mint Press News - A federal lawsuit in New Orleans, Louisiana, and a report by the ACLU of New Hampshire, document the practice of jailing people unable to pay their court debts, violating the due process rights of the poor by failing to provide them with legal counsel and ability-to-pay hearings. In New Orleans, a class action lawsuit was brought this month by five people charging the government with levying fines and court fees against poor residents without first assessing their ability to pay. According to Courthouse News, “An estimated 104,900 people, or more than a quarter of the population, [live] below the poverty line” in New Orleans. Half of all adult black men in the city are unemployed and receive no unemployment compensation.... In New Hampshire, poor residents who come before the court for unpaid fines are jailed without being informed of their rights or provided an attorney, according to a new report by the state’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

The Average American Worker Earns Less Today Than 40 Years Ago
Fast Company - Because most everything we buy gets more expensive over time, we have to earn more money each year just to maintain our existing standard of living. When we're not given raises that keep up with this rate of inflation, we're effectively suffering a pay cut. That's why many American workers are actually poorer today than four decades ago. They may be earning more money. But, in real terms, they're getting less for it. Measured in 2014 dollars, the median male full-time worker made $50,383 last year against $53,294 in 1973, according to new U.S. Census Bureau figures. At $50,383, the figure is the lowest it's been since 2006. It's also $450 lower than in 2013. Women have seen bigger increases in real pay in the last few years, though from a lower (unequal) base. The median female worker earned $30,182 in 1973 (in 2014 dollars), but $39,621 last year.

A Quarter of Fish Sold at Markets Contain Man-made Debris
Natural Blaze - The researchers sampled 76 fish from markets in Makassar, Indonesia, and 64 from Half Moon Bay and Princeton in California. All of the fragments recovered from fish in Indonesia were plastic. In contrast, 80 percent of the debris found in California fish was fibers, whereas not a single strand of fiber was found in Indonesian fish. Indonesia has little in the way of landfills, waste collection or recycling, and large amounts of plastic are tossed onto the beaches and into the ocean. Meanwhile, the U.S. has highly advanced systems for collecting and recycling plastics. However, most Californians wash their clothing in washing machines, the water from which empties into more than 200 wastewater treatment plants offshore California. The authors theorize that fibers remaining in sewage effluent from washing machines were ingested by fish sampled in the state.... However, researchers are still studying whether chemicals in plastic can transfer into the meat.

State Using Taxpayer Funds to Implant 10-Year-Olds With Birth Control
Adan Salazar - Taxpayers in the State of Washington are funding the disturbing practice of fitting extremely young public school girls with implantable long-lasting birth control devices, according to documents received by conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch. Girls as young as 10 attending public schools in Seattle have been implanted with intrauterine devices (IUDs), the documents show, and as exposed by Life News in July, the children do not need to obtain parents’ permission before the procedure is performed. While data is still incomplete for 2015, the documents, provided by the Washington Health Care Authority, reveal children as young as 10 and teens from all age groups received implants throughout 2013 and 2014.

5-Year-Old Girl Died from the MMR Vaccine, Holly’s Law Created
Natural Blaze - Robin Stavola is a mother who tragically lost her young daughter, Holly, to the second MMR vaccine dose, which was a requirement for Holly to attend kindergarten in New Jersey. After Holly suffered a severe reaction to the vaccine, leaving her convulsing, brain damaged and on life support, her family was told by the doctors that Holly would remain in a vegetative state and would not recover. Holly’s parents felt helpless and they reluctantly agreed to have their daughter removed from life support. Robin was awarded compensation for Holly’s death after it was determined the MMR vaccine caused Holly to suffer acute encephalopathy. After a long battle and without success, Robin fought to change the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. She learned most parents that file a vaccine injury claim get denied compensation. With support from the governor of New Jersey, Holly’s Law was created. This law can save your child from receiving a potentially lethal second dose of the MMR vaccine, required for some children to attend school, if no vaccine exemption was filed on their behalf.

Don't feed Candida - replace your sodas and juices with this lemonade recipe
(NaturalNews) Candida multiplies in the gut causing inflammation and irritation to the tissues, breaking down the biofilm that lines the intestinal walls. The end result is leaky gut syndrome, the precursor to a number of autoimmune diseases and allergies. While Candida and leaky gut's association to other diseases is a real and ever-present threat, Candida itself can cause untold damage. Once the gut wall is compromised, Candida easily travels throughout the body, infiltrating tissues and organs.

Monday - September 28, 2015 - Today in History:

1781 - During the Revolutionary War, American forces began the siege on Yorktown, VA.
1787 - The U.S. Congress voted to send the new Constitution of the United States to the state legislatures for their approval.
1789 - In the U.S., the first Federal Congress passed a resolution that asked President George Washington to recommend to the nation a day of thanksgiving. Several days later Washington issued a proclamation that named Thursday, November 26, 1789 as a "Day of Publick Thanksgivin." The fixed-date for Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday of November, was established on December 26, 1941.
1850 - The U.S. Navy abolished flogging as a form of punishment.
1915 - The British defeated the Turks in Mesopotamia at Kut-el-Amara.
1924 - The first around-the-world flight was completed by two U.S. Army planes when they landed in Seattle, WA. The trip took 175 days.
1939 - During World War II, Germany and the Soviet Union agreed upon a plan on the division of Poland.
1950 - The United Nations admitted Indonesia.
1967 - The first mayor of Washington, DC, Walter Washington, took office.
1972 - Communist China and Japan agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations.
1974 - First Lady Betty Ford underwent a mastectomy to remove a lump in her breast.
1978 - Heavy fighting occurred in Lebanon between Syrian peacekeeping troops and Lebanese Christian militiamen.
1991 - In response to U.S. President Bush's reduction of U.S. nuclear arms Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev promised to reciprocate.
1995 - Yasser Arafat of the PLO and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed an accord that transferred control of the West Bank.
2000 - The U.S. Federal Drug Administration approved the use of RU-486 in the United States. The pill is used to induce an abortion.
2004 - The U.S. Federal Reserve and the U.S. Secret Service introduced the first newly redesigned $50 bill.

Putin: All countries should respect Ukraine’s sovereignty
RT - The sovereignty of all states, including Ukraine, should be respected, Russian President Vladimir Putin told CBS’s ‘60 Minutes,’ stressing that he knows “for sure” that the US was involved in the ouster of President Yanukovich in 2014. Speaking to veteran journalist Charlie Rose, Putin said that Russia respects the sovereignty of Ukraine, adding that “at no time in the past, now or in the future has or will Russia take any part in actions aimed at overthrowing the legitimate government.” He added that Moscow “would like other countries to respect the sovereignty of other states, including Ukraine. Respecting the sovereignty means preventing coups, unconstitutional actions and illegitimate overthrowing of the legitimate government.” It is “absolutely unacceptable” to address issues through unconstitutional means, he said referring to the coup in Ukraine in February 2014.

Chinese troops to join Russian marines in Syria soon, says report
IB Times - After the Russians and Iranians, Chinese troops reportedly are teaming up with the Syrian regime forces in what is being termed as the deal that will allow President Bashar al-Assad to stay in power. A report claims that a Chinese naval vessel carrying dozens of "military advisers" is on its way to Syria and the Chinese troops will then join with the "hundreds" of Russian soldiers. "The Chinese will be arriving in the coming weeks," a Syrian army official told Lebanon-based news website -Al-Masdar Al-'Arabi. The Chinese ship has crossed the Suez Canal in Egypt and is currently in the Mediterranean Sea. However, according to Israeli military news website - DEBKAfile, the aircraft carrier, Liaoning-CV-16, is already docked at the Syrian port of Tartus, accompanied by a guided missile cruiser.
* Related: Chinese Aircraft Carrier Reportedly Docks at Tartus, Syria

In Latest Embarrassment, US-Trained Syrian Fighters Surrender "Pick-Up Trucks, Ammo" To Al-Qaeda
Zero Hedge - Well, just when you thought things couldn’t possibly get any more ridiculous, the Pentagon now says the “four or five” fighters still operating under the latest effort to train “moderate” Syrian rebels were forced to hand over six “pickup trucks” and an ammo cache to al-Qaeda in order to secure safe passage to who knows where. Here’s Reuters: Syrian rebels trained by the United States gave some of their equipment to the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front in exchange for safe passage, a U.S. military spokesman said on Friday, the latest blow to a troubled U.S. effort to train local partners to fight Islamic State militants. The rebels surrendered six pick-up trucks and some ammunition, or about one-quarter of their issued equipment, to a suspected Nusra intermediary on Sept. 21-22 in exchange for safe passage, said Colonel Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, in a statement. If accurate, the report of NSF members providing equipment to al Nusra Front is very concerning and a violation of Syria train and equip program guidelines".

The UN Releases Plan to Push for Worldwide Internet Censorship
Liberty Blitzkrieg - ... the UN now wants to tell governments of the world how to censor the internet. I wish I was kidding. From the Washington Post: On Thursday, the organization’s Broadband Commission for Digital Development released a damning “world-wide wake-up call” on what it calls “cyber VAWG,” or violence against women and girls. The report concludes that online harassment is “a problem of pandemic proportion” — which, nbd, we’ve all heard before. But the United Nations then goes on to propose radical, proactive policy changes for both governments and social networks, effectively projecting a whole new vision for how the Internet could work. Under U.S. law — the law that, not coincidentally, governs most of the world’s largest online platforms — intermediaries such as Twitter and Facebook generally can’t be held responsible for what people do on them. But the United Nations proposes both that social networks proactively police every profile and post, and that government agencies only “license” those who agree to do so.

Deutsche Bank Is Part of the Euro Crisis
Armstrong Economics - QUESTION: Do you think they will allow Deutsche Bank to fail? ANSWER: This is why the central bank of Germany advised the ECB to hide the stress test results from the public. This is, at least in part, why the Fed did not raise rates at this moment. There is serious trouble on the horizon. They cannot prevent the crisis; they can only prolong it. The crisis is the failed structure of the euro combined with Merkel’s austerity program, and the flood of refugees is turning into an invasion rather than a migration. The economic stress level is boiling.

Priests Accused of Child Sex Crimes Are Moved to Poor Countries Instead of Prosecuted
Anti Media - As news in the U.S. is saturated with stories about Pope Francis visiting Philadelphia, the Vatican continues to ignore and excuse the rampant culture of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. It was reported recently that instead of firing priests accused of sexual assault, the Vatican has simply been moving them to poorer countries — where the abuse is less likely to get media attention. A recent Global Post investigation uncovered the cases of five priests in particular who were accused of sexually assaulting children in the United States and Europe. Many of the priests who stand accused actually have significant evidence against them, including video evidence they sexually abused children. In some cases, the charges were dropped after large settlements were offered out of court. These priests were not fired, but instead quietly moved to areas of South America. The priests were reportedly relocated to Paraguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, and Peru.

The UN Wants To Censor The Entire Internet To Save Feminists’ Feelings
Breitbart - In a report released yesterday, entitled “Cyber Violence Against Women And Girls: A Global Wake-up Call,” UN Women, the group behind last year’s risible “He for She” campaign, called on governments to use their “licensing prerogative” to ensure that “telecoms and search engines” are only “allowed to connect with the public” if they “supervise content and its dissemination.” In other words, if search engines and ISPs don’t comply with a list of the UN’s censorship demands, the UN wants national governments to cut off their access to the public.

Ontario Moves to Ban ‘Mother,’ ‘Father’ on Government Forms
Adan Salazar - The Canadian province of Ontario is moving to ban the terms “mother” and “father” on government forms, an endeavor which follows in line with similar politically correct efforts across the globe. On Thursday, the Ontario legislature passed a motion which calls for striking the words “mother” and “father” from forms in the name of “inclusiveness.”.. The motion would alter documents, “including, but not limited to replacing the terms ‘mother’ or ‘father’ with terms such as ‘parent’ or ‘guardian’ to better recognize the rights of LGBTQ parents and others,” The Sun reports.

‘If we stop training, arming jihadists, the war will end’ – Virginia state senator to RT
RT - Virginia state Senator Dick Black told RT that “if the US stopped training jihadists and arming jihadists, the war will end.” In a lengthy interview, the Republican state senator connected the crisis in Syria to the actions of countries such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey, who he said have armed extremists like Islamic State militants that are fighting against the Syrian government. He also blamed US meddling in the Middle East for the rise of terror groups like Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS/ISIL). It is my hope and prayer that the United States wakes up and says it is time to end this slaughter. It is time to stop trying to topple regimes, bring order to the Middle East [and] stop the bloodshed. If we stop training jihadists and arming jihadists, the war will end.”

TPP Negotiators Meeting This Week to Finalize Corporate Trade Deal
Activist Post - On September 26, a meeting between negotiators from all 12 nations involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will commence in Atlanta, Georgia. The meeting will run through September 30, followed by two days of meetings with trade ministers. The Atlanta meetings come on the heels of a joint meeting in San Francisco that included negotiators from the U.S., Japan, Canada, and Mexico. The San Francisco meeting reportedly dealt with rules related to the auto industry. The upcoming Atlanta meeting is expected to be one of the final meetings as President Obama attempts to close the deal before the end of the year.

Government Finds Emails With David Petraeus That Hillary Clinton Didn’t Hand Over
Vice News - The US Defense Department has found an email chain that Hillary Clinton did not give to the State Department, the State Department said on Friday, despite her saying she had provided all work emails from her time as secretary of state. The correspondence with General David Petraeus, who was commander of US Central Command at the time, started shortly before she entered office and continued during her first days as the top US diplomat in January and February of 2009.... The exchange of 10 or so emails, the existence of which were first reported by the Associated Press on Friday, largely dealt with personnel issues, according to the State Department.... The emails with Petraeus also appear to contradict the claim by Clinton's campaign that she used a private BlackBerry email account for her first two months at the department before setting up her clintonemail.com account in March 2009.

Top GOP official seeks McConnell ouster as Senate leader
Washington Times - With John Boehner now departing as House speaker, an influential Republican Party official is now seeking the ouster of another GOP leader who has frustrated conservatives: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. “McConnell needs to resign!!” Louisiana GOP Chairman Roger Villere wrote in a Facebook posting. Mr. Villere isn’t just any Republican. He’s the longest-serving state GOP chairman in the nation, with 12 years on the job, and is the vice chairman of the Republican National Committee, the GOP’s national governing body. He also serves on the RNC’s executive committee that makes decisions alongside Chairman Reince Priebus.

Indictment of Shane Harger Dismissed: Was It Politically Motivated?
Sam Bushman - Indictment Dismissed! On September 24th, 2015, District Court Judge Eichwald ruled that the indictment of former Police Chief Shane Harger was in violation of state law. The prosecution was found by the judge to have committed prosecutorial misconduct in that they violated the rules of the grand jury proceedings and that the state withheld exculpatory evidence that would have cleared the chief of any wrongdoing. The state’s witness provided false and misleading testimony to the grand jury in order to prejudice the jury; therefore the case was dismissed. Mr. Harger is currently represented by Ray Towig and State Representative Lisa Torraco, as well as the Rutherford Institute!

Parents Threatened with Arrest for Treating Daughter’s Epilepsy with Legal Cannabis Oil at School
Free Thought Project - In a precedent-setting case, a state judge ruled this month that the mother of a New Jersey teenager with epilepsy, who is also her legal medical caregiver, cannot go to her school to administer her daughter’s cannabis oil. The oil treatments, which are legal in the state, control the young girl’s seizures and allow her to function normally in school, according to her parents.... In his 11-page ruling, the judge wrote that the family failed to show that their daughter would suffer “irreparable harm” if she were denied her medicine during the school day.

California Vaccine Refusers to Get “Court Order” or “CPS Visit” Under SB277
Health Impact News - The language of SB277 left enforcement and vaccine noncompliance up to the school’s governing authority for each district. Orange County’s Department of Education’s Legal Division interprets that a court order to vaccinate will be an option. Will all California school districts, by way of their legal counsels, be directed to file court orders against noncomplying parents of all school children in 2016? It is essential that all California parents that believe in medical freedom file a personal belief vaccine exemption before the January 1st deadline. This is the only method known at this stage to grandfather a waiver into your child’s 2016 school year.

Donald Trump: America Needs ‘Fair Trade,’ Not ‘Free Trade’
Breitbart - During an interview with 60 Minutes, GOP frontrunner Donald Trump was questioned about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), calling it a “disaster” and saying America needs “fair trade,” not “free trade.” Trump told interviewer Scott Pelley that NAFTA is “a disaster” and the agreement shouldn’t exist. Reports and studies have been in conflict for roughly a decade as to whether or not NAFTA caused millions of American jobs to be lost.... “If you’re president, you’re going to have to live with it,” Pelley said to the billionaire businessman during the interview, referencing NAFTA. Trump fired back: “Excuse me, we will either renegotiate it or we will break it. Because, you know, every agreement has an end.” Pelley said Trump can’t just break the law. “Excuse me, every agreement has an end. Every agreement has to be fair,” Trump reiterated. “Every agreement has a defraud clause. We’re being defrauded by all these countries.”

Money Talks: Donors Tell Seventh-Place Jeb Bush It’s ‘Make or Break Time’
Breitbart - Jeb Bush is entering a critical phase of his Republican presidential campaign, with top donors warning that the former Florida governor needs to demonstrate growth in the polls over the next month or face serious defections among supporters. The warnings, expressed by numerous senior GOP fundraisers in recent days, come as Bush and an allied super PAC are in the early stages of an aggressive television ad campaign that they believe will help erase doubts about his viability. But Bush continues to battle against a steady decline in the polls, sinking to fifth place at just 7 percent in a national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday and similarly languishing in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

US Futures Resume Tumble, Commodities Slide As Chinese "Hard-Landing" Fears Take Center Stage
Zero Hedge - It was all about China once again, where following a report of a historic layoff in which China's second biggest coal producer Longmay Group fired an unprecedented 100,000 or 40% of its workforce, overnight we got the latest industrial profits figure which plunging -8.8% Y/Y was the biggest drop since at least 2011, and which the National Bureau of Statistics attributed to exchange rate losses, weak stock markets, falling industrial goods prices as well as a bigger rise in costs than increases in revenue. In not so many words: a "hard-landing."

Report: VW was warned about cheating emissions in 2007
Ars Technica - Newspapers in Germany are reporting that Bosch (the company that supplies electronics to the auto industry) warned VW only to use the cheat mode internally back in 2007, and that a whistleblower tried to raise the alarm internally in 2011. These findings both emerged from an internal audit at VW in response to the scandal.

Shell halts Alaska offshore drilling project
RT - Royal Dutch Shell on Monday announced it’s stopping offshore oil exploration in Alaska for the foreseeable future after finding deposits uneconomic. The decision comes after the company got final approval to drill in the area a month ago.... The decision also reflects the high costs associated with the project and challenging regulations, according to Shell. The explorer which drilled to a depth of 6800 feet beneath Alaska’s Chukchi Sea, has already spent $7 billion. The balance sheet carrying value of its Alaska position is about $3 billion, with additional future contractual commitments of about $1.1 billion, the statement said.

Another Truck Carrying Uranium Caught Fire at Honeywell Plant
Daily Sheeple - You probably didn’t hear about this one in the national news... Last Sunday, a semi carrying uranium ore caught fire near the Honeywell Plant in Metropolis, Illinois. The fire began in the engine of the truck cab and was subsequently put out by the fire department. Officials stated that the truck was not at the facility itself and there was no immediate danger. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been notified.... According to one commenter who claims to live near the plant on one of the few local news outlets that even reported on the incident, this is the third “accident” of a similar nature regarding uranium in the past four months at this location alone.
 

The Dangerous Feeding Practice I Can't Condone
Dr. Becker - Today I want to talk about a dangerous practice that seems to be growing in popularity: feeding dogs and cats a vegan or vegetarian diet. First of all you should know that I'm a vegetarian.... While I appreciate the personal decision to adopt a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, or alternatively, to eat only animal products from free-range food animals, what I will never understand is why many vegans and vegetarians think it's okay to force their personal viewpoints – their personal dietary choices – onto other species.... Dogs are scavenging carnivores; cats are obligate carnivores. Nature designed the bodies of carnivores to thrive on nutrients provided by animal flesh and organ meat. Obligate carnivores (cats) must eat meat to sustain life. As scavenging carnivores, dogs can survive on plant material but they can't thrive on it alone. To thrive means to grow vigorously – to flourish.
 

Friday - September 25, 2015 - Today in History:

1492 - The crew of the Pinta, one of Christopher Columbus' ships, mistakenly thought that they had spotted land.
1493 - Christopher Columbus left Spain with 17 ships on his second voyage to the Western Hemisphere.
1513 - The Pacific Ocean was discovered by Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa when he crossed the Isthmus of Panama. He named the body of water the South Sea. He was truly just the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.
1789 - The first U.S. Congress adopted 12 amendments to the Constitution. Ten of the amendments became the Bill of Rights.
1847 - During the Mexican-American War, U.S. forces led by General Zachary Taylor captured Monterrey Mexico.
1890 - The Sequoia National Park was established as a U.S. National Park in Central California.
1957 - 300 U.S. Army troops stood guard as nine black students were escorted to class at Central High School in Little Rock, AR. The children had been forced to withdraw 2 days earlier because of unruly white mobs.
1981 - Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female justice of the U.S. Supreme Court when she was sworn in as the 102nd justice. She had been nominated the previous July by U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
1990 - The U.N. Security Council voted to impose an air embargo against Iraq. Cuba was the only dissenting vote.
1991 - The U.N. Security Council unanimously ordered a worldwide arms embargo against Yugoslavia and all of its warring factions.
1992 - The Mars Observer blasted off on a mission that cost $980 million. The probe has not been heard from since it reached Mars in August of 1993.
1995 - Ross Perot announced that he would form the Independence Party.
2002 - U.S. forces landed in Ivory Coast to aid in the rescue foreigners trapped in a school by fighting between government troops and rebel troops. Rebels had attempted to take over the government on September 19.
2012 - China launched its first aircraft carrier into service.

ISIS Works with Saudi Arabia to Kill Yemeni Women and Children
Kurt Nimmo - On Thursday an Islamic State suicide bomber disguised as a woman killed ten Muslim worshippers performing Eid al-Adha prayers in a Houthi mosque in Taiz, a city in the southwest of Yemen. The ISIS group in Yemen said the terror attack was intended to kill “rejectionists,” a term Sunni Wahhabists use to describe Shia Muslims. “In a security operation facilitated by God as part of the acts of revenge for Muslims from the rejectionist Houthi, brother Abu Omar al-Hadidi waded into a crowd of apostate Houthis at al-Balili temple, detonated his suicide belt causing dozens to perish or to be injured,” the statement said.

Israel officially permits use of live ammo in answer to ‘civilian-threat’ stone-throwers
RT - Israel has decided to allow its police troops to fire on Palestinian and other stone-throwers when civilian lives are deemed to be at risk, and not just in self-defense. The Security Cabinet has also approved a 4-year minimum sentence for stone throwing.... Until recently, police officers were only allowed to fire when their own lives were in danger. Speaking at a Thursday meeting, Netanyahu stressed that his cabinet wants to change the situation where stone throwers “can hurl these lethal and murderous objects without response and without being foiled,” Haaretz reported.

Diplomats: US won't negotiate on Russia's UN draft on Syria
AP - Diplomats said Thursday the United States has refused to negotiate over a draft statement that Russia had hoped the U.N. Security Council would approve to bolster its position on Syria ahead of a major gathering of world leaders. A draft of Russia's council statement, obtained by The Associated Press, urges countries to fight extremist groups "in coordination with the governments of the affected states." That language can be seen as a reference to Syria's government, which Russia supports… Sheba Crocker, the assistant U.S. secretary of state for international organization affairs, confirmed that the U.S. told Russia it couldn't support its proposed statement on Syria. "We have concerns that a council presidential statement could be perceived as endorsing an approach that could set back efforts to reach a negotiated political transition in Syria," Crocker told reporters in Washington. She said the draft was at "significant variance with the ongoing efforts of a coalition of more than 60 countries, including all of Syria's neighbors to counter ISIL."

Upper House: No request from Putin to dispatch troops in Syria
RT - Russian Upper House officials and the Kremlin spokesman have dismissed media reports about an alleged request to sanction the use of Russian military forces in Syria, adding that such document never existed even in preparatory stage. “I know nothing about this, I have seen no documents on this issue. I cannot explain where this information could be coming from,” Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday... The comments came after US news agency Bloomberg reported, quoting its own unnamed sources, that Vladimir Putin’s administration had already prepared the request for the Federation Council’s license to send troops to Syria. The US journalists went further to suggest that Moscow planned to start an independent campaign against ISIS in the Middle East if no agreement with Washington is reached.

Ukraine Should Be Given Legal Cover to 'Walk Away' From Debt - Chris Murphy
Sputnik News - The United States and other international players should take actions to help Ukraine avoid honoring a $3 billion debt to Russia, US Senator and member of the Foreign Relations Committee Chris Murphy told Sputnik. "The international community should make it clear that we should take whatever steps necessary to give Ukraine the legal cover it needs to walk away from that debt," Murphy said on Thursday of the debt Ukraine owes Russia… The United States, a number of European countries as well as some of Ukraine’s private creditors agreed in August to write-down an $18 billion debt the country has been unable to pay. While other creditors have agreed to take as much as a 20 percent write-down on the principal of the bonds issued to Ukraine, Russia has insisted that Ukraine repay in full the amount Moscow loaned it in December 2013.

CIA Refuses for Fifth Time to Help Poland's Investigation of Torture Carried Out by CIA
AllGov - Polish prosecutors have repeatedly—five times—attempted to get information out of the Obama administration about the torture of detainees by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Poland during the war on terror launched by President George W. Bush. Each time the Department of Justice has denied the requests from the Appellate Prosecutor’s Office in Kraków… The inquiries relate to the use of a Polish intelligence base from 2002 to 2003 to question terrorism suspects, using so-called enhanced interrogation techniques—or to put it another way, torture. The U.S. rejected all of the requests by “relying on an annex in the Polish-U.S. agreement on legal assistance, according to which such assistance may be refused if reasons of national security are cited,” Piotr Kosmaty, spokesman for the Appellate Prosecutor’s Office in Kraków, said.

Uruguay Does Unthinkable, Rejects Global Corporatocracy
Wolf Street - After months of intense pressure led by unions and other grassroots movements that culminated in a national general strike on the issue – the first of its kind around the globe – the Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez bowed to public opinion and left the US-led trade agreement. Despite – or more likely because of – its symbolic importance, Uruguay’s historic decision has been met by a wall of silence. Beyond the country’s borders, mainstream media has refused to cover the story. This is hardly a surprise given that the global public is not supposed to even know about TiSA’s existence, despite – or again because of – the fact that it’s arguably the most important of the new generation of global trade agreements. According to WikiLeaks, it “is the largest component of the United States’ strategic ‘trade’ treaty triumvirate,” which also includes the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Pact (TTIP).

The Stock Markets Of The 10 Largest Global Economies Are All Crashing
Economic Collapse - Over the last sixty days, we have seen the 8th largest single day stock market crash in U.S. history on a point basis and the 10th largest single day stock market crash in U.S. history on a point basis. You would think that this would be enough to wake people up, but most Americans still don’t seem very alarmed. And of course what has happened to U.S. stocks so far is quite mild compared to what has been going on in the rest of the world.

Germany warns auto makers of follow-up tests after VW scandal
RT - German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Thursday that following the Volkswagen scandal random emission tests would be conducted on cars made by other manufacturers. "It is clear that the Federal Office for Motor Traffic will not exclusively concentrate on the VW models in question, but that it will also carry out random tests on vehicles made by other carmakers," Dobrindt was cited by Reuters. The minister also announced that emissions manipulations by Volkswagen took place In Europe as well as the US.... Reports on Thursday suggest one of BMW’s diesel models also exceeded EU emission regulations.

Austria and Italy Celebrate Bans on GM Crops with EU Opt-Out
Sustainable Pulse - Austrian Health Minister Sabine Oberhauser and a number of Italian Ministries have confirmed that both countries are officially requesting an opt-out from growing the eight varieties of GM maize permitted or set to be permitted at the EU level, thus there will now be a full ban on GM crops in both countries under new EU regulations.

Chinese Companies are Still Mass Producing Fake Plastic Rice
Natural Blaze - The rice in question China’s Wuchang rice. The rice is very popular because the real Wuchang rice is famous for its smell, and it costs more for its quality (almost double the price), according to Blue Ocean Network (BON) TV report, a popular English Channel in China.... An undercover journalist has found out that in order to make the fake rice, a small amount of real Wuchang rice is mixed with plastic rice, sprayed with a fragrance to replicate the original rice smell, packaged and shipped to stores across China. It was reported that annually 800,000 tons of real Wuchang rice is produced, yet 10 million tons of “Wuchang” rice is sold – whether plastic or another type of rice; more than 9 million tons of it is fake. Eating three bowls of this rice is equal to consuming about one plastic bag; it can be dangerous and can cause serious digestive issues, and even be fatal if consumed daily.... So far no reports of plastic rice in the United States have surfaced, and most countries’ officials have dismissed it as a major concern.

Chicago Tribune Sues Rahm Emanuel for Using Private Email to Escape Open Records Law
Breitbart - If a lawsuit filed by the Chicago Tribune against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is any indication, it looks like another Obama operative is under fire for using private email addresses to escape accountability and open records laws. This week, the Tribune filed its lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court, demanding that former Obama chief of staff Emanuel release his email to comply with the state’s Freedom of Information Act. The lawsuit further asks that Emanuel be declared in violation of the Illinois Local Records Act. The paper says that, for the last few years, Emanuel has engaged in “a pattern of non-compliance, partial compliance, delay and obfuscation” that has resulted in a lack of transparency.

UN Sets Up Mysterious 'Field Hospital' In Sandy Hook New Jersey Ahead Of Pope Francis Visit
All News Pipeline - With everything else now going on around the world on this long dreaded day of September 23rd, we learn in the 1st video below that the Pennsylvania State Police has sent out a memo to law enforcement warning that terrorists might be using the uniforms and identification cards of 1st responders such as law enforcement, firefighters and EMT's to get access into secure areas and launch attacks against the Pope and/or innocent Americans. We also see in the 2nd video below that the United Nations has set up a mysterious field hospital in Sandy Hook, New Jersey after which the tweets showing this facility being set up were deleted.

Pope Kid: Amnesty Activists Stage PR Stunt to Promote Illegal Immigration (Video)
Kit Daniels - The incident involving a little girl who “broke” through Pope Francis’ security to “ask” him to promote amnesty was a staged event orchestrated by illegal immigrant activists who used the girl as a propaganda tool. As the story goes, little Sophie Cruz slipped past security to approach the Popemobile to not only give the pope the t-shirt but to also deliver him a handwritten letter which advocates amnesty for illegals. “All [illegal] immigrants just like my dad help feed this country,” the note read. “They deserve an immigration reform.” The t-shirt Cruz gave the pontiff read: “Pope: rescue DAPA [Deferred Action for Parents of Americans], so the legalization would be your blessing.” Although the story sounds heartwarming, it was actually a staged PR stunt to promote amnesty, and Cruz’s parents are illegal alien activists pushing DAPA, a proposed ‘open borders’ policy which would prevent the deportation of ‘anchor baby’ parents.

248 Armed Conflicts After WW2; US Started 201 (81%), Killing 30 Million so Far
Washington's Blog - People around the world view the US as the greatest threat to peace; voted three times more dangerous than any other country. The data confirm this conclusion: Since WW2, Earth has had 248 armed conflicts. The US started 201 of them. These US-started armed attacks have killed ~30 million and counting; 90% of these deaths are innocent children, the elderly and ordinary working civilian women and men. The US has war-murdered more than Hitler’s Nazis. US official reports now confirm all “reasons” the US told for current armed attacks were known to be false as they were told. These lie-started US wars are not even close to lawful. US wars and rhetoric for more wars continue a long history of lie-began US Wars of Aggression. The most decorated US Marine general in his day warned all Americans of this fact of lie-started wars for 1% plunder.

Pope’s call for immigration leniency unlikely to change debate
Washington Times - Pope Francis is more than head of the Catholic Church — he’s also the head of state of the Vatican, which as a government has possibly the most restrictive immigration and citizenship policies of any nation in the world. The pope, traveling to the U.S. for the first time, has made a special appeal to Americans to welcome immigrants, using his address to a joint meeting of Congress Thursday to invoke the Golden Rule in demanding generosity toward the millions of Central and South Americans seeking to come to the country. “Thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children?” he said. “We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’”

Gabby Giffords Uses Pope Francis’s Address for Gun Control Fundraising
Breitbart - On September 24 the gun control group founded by Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly used Pope Francis’s address to Congress as an opportunity to request a $3 donation from gun control supporters. The gun control group–Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS)–quoted the Pope as saying, “We have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict pain untold suffering on individuals and society?” David Levinthal then tweeted that Giffords’ gun control group added the following request: “Add your $3 contribution to Americans for Responsible Solutions PAC to help us continue our work of making our communities safer by keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and the dangerously mentally ill.”

EPA’s fondness for high-end furniture costs taxpayers $92 million
Washington Times - The Environmental Protection Agency over the past decade has spent a whopping $92.4 million to purchase, rent, install and store office furniture ranging from fancy hickory chairs and a hexagonal wooden table, worth thousands of dollars each, to a simple drawer to store pencils that cost $813.57. The furniture shopping sprees equaled about $6,000 for every one of the agency’s 15,492 employees, according to federal spending data made public by the government watchdog OpenTheBooks.com.

VIDEO: A Random Act of Kindness: Photo Goes Viral of McDonalds Employee Helping Disabled Man Eat His Meal
Breitbart - The image, along with a description, was posted to Facebook Sept. 16 by user Destiny Carreno. Carreno stated she was waiting in line at McDonald’s when a handicapped man wheeled himself to the cashier, identified as Kenny, and asked for help. Kenny, confused at first by the request, came out from behind the counter with gloves on, sat down next to the man and began to cut his food.... Carreno later added that she was brought to tears by Kenny’s compassion, saying in her post, “My heart was so appreciative for what he did. I couldn’t contain my emotions in the crowded restaurant.”

Donald Trump Questions Pope Francis on Climate Change: ‘It’s Weather’
Breitbart - The Pope, in his speech at the White House, said climate change is “a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation.” Trump was asked during his interview if he agreed with the Pope on climate change. “I think that clean air is a pressing problem. You want to have clean air, clean water. That’s very important to me, and I’ve won many environmental awards. I am not a believer in climate change,” Trump stated.... Trump adds: Look, it’s weather. We have bad floods. I can’t watch the evening news anymore. Every time you turn on the evening news, they show there’s a big rain storm, there’s a tornado, there’s this. I mean, you can’t watch the news anymore. And so it’s weather, and it’s been that way for so long. He said America shouldn’t “imperil the companies within our country” by mandating environmental regulations that would “imperil jobs … actually the middle class, and actually the lower classes are going to be the people with no money.”

Rubio Keeps Hope Alive for Illegal Alien Welfare, Citizenship Amid World’s Migrant Crises
Breitbart - Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is using his presidential campaign to promote citizenship for those who come here illegally and take American jobs, benefits and residency. In a September 21 interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Rubio said that within 10 or 12 years — which would be after the U.S. foreign-born population has swelled above 51 million on current trends — “you could have a broader debate about how has this worked out and should we allow some of them [the illegal foreign-born] to apply for green cards and eventually citizenship.”... A “green card” is the document that entitles foreign nationals to collect welfare, draw Social Security and Medicare, bring their foreign relatives into the U.S., and become voting citizens. In fact, the Obama Administration is currently working to get as many people on green cards as possible to vote before the 2016 election.

Trump Credited With ICE Agents Ability to Deport Illegal Aliens from L.A. Jails
Breitbart - Donald Trump is being given credit for a new L.A. County policy that lets federal agents “interview [jail] inmates who have committed serious crimes” to gauge if they need to be deported. “It appears the ‘Trump Effect’ is now having an impact on Los Angeles County policy,” complained Pablo Alvarado, a spokesman for the pro-migrant National Day Laborer Organizing Network. “It appears the ‘Trump Effect’ is now having an impact on Los Angeles County policy,” complained Pablo Alvarado, a spokesman for the pro-migrant National Day Laborer Organizing Network.... The county’s popular pro-American shift, announced Sept 22, came amid public anger after five-time illegal migrant Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez allegedly shot and killed Kathryn Steinle on Pier 14 in San Francisco. “The [new] policy appears politically motivated and impacted by sensationalized tragedy,” Alvarado complained. Prior to this shift, county officials had imposed rules that stopped federal agents from checking jailhouses for illegal migrants.

American Airlines Bars Vet From Boarding With Service Dog, Issues Apology
BarkPost - No one should be told that his/her service dog cannot board a plane, but Captain Jason Haag experienced just that when boarding a recent American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Virginia. Haag and his K9s For Warriors service dog, Axel, traveled to Los Angeles because the pup was named Best Service Dog at The Hero Dog Awards. Upon boarding, Haag and Axel were pulled off the line and interrogated over the service dog’s authenticity. Haag and his family were informed the flight was filled and were not allowed to fly. Axel supports his owner who has PTSD, who is a former Marine and served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Furthermore, Axel was wearing his service harness and vest at the time of the incident.

McConnell tees up vote on spending bill to avoid government shutdown
The Hill - The Republican leader filed cloture on a short-term government funding bill that includes money for Planned Parenthood. He said the Senate will take a procedural vote at 5:30 p.m on Monday, sparing lawmakers a rare weekend session. The move comes after nearly every Democrat, and eight Republicans, blocked the Senate earlier Thursday from moving forward with a bill that would fund the government through Dec. 11, but redirect federal funding for Planned Parenthood to other community health providers… The new short-term bill is widely expected to overcome Monday's procedural hurdle and be sent to the House early next week… What House Republicans will do with the funding bill remains to be seen.

VIDEO: Caterpillar to cut up to 10K jobs; lowers guidance
CNBC News - Caterpillar announced Thursday that it expects to permanently reduce its workforce by 4,000 to 5,000 by the end of 2016. This comes as part of a corporate restructuring that the firm said will lower operating costs by about $1.5 billion annually once implemented. The company also lowered its guidance for 2015, saying sales and revenues for the year are now expected to be about $48 billion—$1 billion lower than the previous outlook of about $49 billion. The Thursday announcement also said that expected 2016 sales and revenues will be about 5 percent below this year. Beyond the short-term expected layoffs, Caterpillar said that its total workforce reduction could amount to more than 10,000 people—including possible manufacturing closures through 2018.

St. Louis landfill fire could reach radioactive waste in months
Al Jazeera - A fire smoldering underneath a landfill north of St. Louis since 2010 could reach radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project in as little as three months, according to a report released by Missouri's attorney general. Much of the uranium used to make the first nuclear weapons was processed in downtown St. Louis, and the waste was moved around the region for decades. In 1973 a private company that bought some of the waste from the U.S. government illegally dumped it at the West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton, Missouri, a northern suburb of St. Louis...One of the reports released by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster concluded that the underground fire could reach the West Lake Landfill's known radioactive waste in three to six months -- the consequences of which remain largely unknown.

The Disturbing Cause Of Dental Disease In Dogs
Dogs Naturally - According to Dr Brooke Niemiec of the American Veterinary Dental College, dental disease is the number one medical problem among pets today! In fact, over 70 percent of dogs and cats will suffer periodontal disease by the age of two.... Dr Lonsdale [who became] accustomed to seeing drastic improvements in dental health with the change from kibble and commercial pet foods to a raw diet, he wondered “How quickly will healthy dogs start to deteriorate if we feed them junk food?” And a very interesting study was begun … Dr Lonsdale recruited four raw fed dogs and, for the next 17 days, he fed them kibble – Science Diet veterinary food to be exact. The results were visible. Each photo shows the subject dogs’ teeth while they were eating a raw, species appropriate food, and the stinky breath, yellow teeth, and sore bleeding gums that occurred just 17 days after feeding a veterinary diet. Because they haven’t been scrubbed away by the appropriate food, the bacteria multiplied,” explains Dr Lonsdale. “And they’re now gaining access to these dogs’ mouths, and from the mouth to the rest of the body. And that, we think, is the reason why animals end up with many diseases of the liver, the kidneys, the heart, the immune system, and so on.”

Bio-Inappropriate: The Dangers of Dry Food
FelineNutrition - I have never seen a single case of serious obesity, diabetes, urinary tract disease, or IBD in a cat fed meat instead of commercial dry foods. Many other people have seen the same results. Further, I do not see nutritional deficiencies in cats fed properly balanced raw-meat diets." "I want to emphasize a point here. The incidence of these problems has not just declined on a raw-meat diet, they have entirely disappeared. These results are too dramatic to ignore." – Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM.
 

Thursday - September 24, 2015 - Today in History:

1789 - The U.S. Congress passed the First Judiciary Act. The act provided for an Attorney General and a lower federal courts.
1869 - Thousands of businessmen were financially ruined after a panic on Wall Street. The panic was caused by an attempt to corner the gold market by Jay Gould and James Fisk.
1929 - The first all-instrument flight took place in New York when Lt. James H. Doolittle guided a Consolidated NY2 Biplane over Mitchell Field.
1955 - U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower suffered a heart attack while on vacation in Denver, CO.
1957 - U.S. President Eisenhower sent federal troops to Little Rock, AR, to enforce school integration.
1960 - The first nuclear powered aircraft carrier was launched. The USS Enterprise set out from Newport News, VA.
1963 - The U.S. Senate ratified a treaty that limited nuclear testing. The treaty was between the U.S., Britain, and the Soviet Union.
1995 - Three decades of Israeli occupation of West Bank cities ended with the signing of a pact by Israel and the PLO.
1996 - The United States, represented by President Clinton, and the world's other major nuclear powers signed a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty to end all testing and development of nuclear weapons.
1998 - The U.S. Federal Reserve released into circulation $2 billion in new harder-to-counterfeit $20 bills.
2001 - U.S. President George W. Bush froze the assets of 27 suspected terrorists and terrorist groups.

Endgame: Putin Plans To Strike ISIS With Or Without The U.S.
Zero Hedge - As Bloomberg reports, "President Vladimir Putin, determined to strengthen Russia’s only military outpost in the Middle East, is preparing to launch unilateral airstrikes against Islamic State from inside Syria if the U.S. rejects his proposal to join forces, two people familiar with the matter said."... " Russia is hoping common sense will prevail and Obama takes Putin’s outstretched hand,” said Elena Suponina, a senior Middle East analyst at the Institute of Strategic Studies, which advises the Kremlin. “But Putin will act anyway if this doesn’t happen.

”Russia Threatens To Deploy Ballistic Missiles In Retaliation For US Nuclear Escalation
Zero Hedge - …the US is set to deliver 20 new nuclear bombs to Germany, each of which has four times the destructive power of the one that was dropped on Hiroshima... Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, said the move blurs the line between tactical and strategic nuclear weapons,” while one member of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats warned that the “new attack options against Russia” constitute “a conscious provocation of [Germany’s] Russian neighbors.” … Well sure enough, The Kremlin is now hitting back. Russia may deploy Iskander ballistic missiles to its enclave of Kaliningrad if the United States upgrades its nuclear weapons in Germany, the Interfax news agency cited a military source as saying on Wednesday. "A final decision well be taken after detailed analysis of the potential threat," the agency cited the source as saying.

Swedish kids asked by school to write a suicide note… while thinking about their moms
RT - Parents at a school in Sweden are furious after learning that their kids were asked to write fictional suicide notes, while also imagining they were writing these to their own mothers. The task was part of a class dealing with mental health issues. The 13 year-old school children from the town of Skelleftea in the north east of Sweden, were reportedly listening to an audio book about a girl who was planning to commit suicide. After listening to the harrowing story, which was part of lesson looking at mental health issues, their teacher asked them to write a letter to the girl’s mother, to explain to her that the child’s thoughts about suicide were not the parent’s fault. However, to make the task ‘easier,’ their teacher suggested that when writing the fictional letter, they should instead think about their own mother’s, the angry parents claimed.

Sec. State Kerry Warns U.S. and Russia May Clash in Syria
Kurt Nimmo - On Wednesday The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Russian support for the government of Bashar al-Assad and its targeting of the Islamic State in Syria may lead to confrontation between the United States and Russia. “These actions could provoke a further escalation of the conflict and lead to the loss of more innocent lives, increasing the flow of refugees and risking a confrontation with the anti-ISIS coalition operating in Syria,” Kerry told the Italian newspaper La Stampa. The “anti-ISIS coalition operating in Syria” is comprised of the United States, Great Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada. The coalition is reportedly conducting airstrikes and providing intelligence on ISIS. Israel has also said Russian support for the al-Assad government may lead to confrontations between its forces and the Russians.

German Police Covering Up Rapes so as ‘Not to Legitimize Critics of Mass Migration’
Paul Joseph Watson - Police in Germany are keeping quiet about a spate of rapes targeting children committed by Muslim migrants in and around refugee camps so as not to “legitimize” critics of mass migration, according to local media reports. The Gatestone Institute has compiled a list of the innumerable rapes committed by predominantly Muslim asylum seekers over the last few months. One of those cases involved a 13-year-old girl who was raped at a migrant camp in Detmold, a city in west-central Germany. The girl and her mother originally fled the Middle East to escape from sexual abuse in their home, only to be targeted by an asylum seeker from the same country. Fearing that public knowledge of the rape could lead to “right-wing demonstrations,” the police buried the incident.

Pope Francis set to address fractious U.S. Congress
Reuters - Francis, who arrived Tuesday in Washington on a U.S. trip that also will take him to New York and Philadelphia, is set to become the first pope to address a joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives at 9:20 a.m. EDT. The pope is expected to address climate change as well as the need to help migrants fleeing wars, international efforts to resolve conflicts, the U.S. role in helping poorer nations, religious freedom and the "right to life" issues of abortion and euthanasia.... In an example of Republican wariness of the pope's climate change stance, a conservative Republican U.S. congressman, Paul Gosar of Arizona, has said he will boycott the address over the pope's views on climate change. Gosar said on Wednesday he did not think the pope should "prioritize climate change over speaking out against religious intolerance happening across the world."

NYPD officer known for intimidating activists served at Abu Ghraib torture prison in Iraq – report
RT - A New York Police Department Deputy Inspector served in the US Army military command in Iraqi at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison at the same time human rights abuses were being committed there, an investigation by the Gothamist discovered. The officer has a reputation for using aggressive tactics against street protesters.Deputy Inspector Andrew J. Lombardo is well known to New York activists for his seemingly arbitrary arrests and intense questioning techniques, but what they may not know was that he was part of the military chain of command at Abu Ghraib.

America’s Other Al Qaeda
Tony Cartalucci - It is no longer tenable for the United States and its regional allies in and near the Middle East to claim they are backing “moderate rebels” in the proxy war raging in Syria, Iraq, and parts of Lebanon. There is the Syrian government on one side, and terrorists including Al Qaeda and its various franchises such as the Al Nusra Front and the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS/ISIL) on the other. If one is not supporting the Syrian government, it is very clear they are supporting Al Qaeda. So obvious is this fact, that the Western press and the corporate-financier think tanks that produce for them their talking points, have begun a campaign to re-brand Al Qaeda as a lesser evil vis-a-vis ISIS. In reality, there is virtually no difference, with the US and its regional allies clearly arming, funding, and supporting both.

ISIS Czar Allen Stepping Down Amid Second Scandal, Support For ISIS
Brandon Turbeville - IIt was revealed on September 22 that Barack Obama’s hand-picked ISIS Czar, disgraced Gen. John Allen, will be leaving his post in the coming weeks. The information was transmitted to the Bloomberg View from four separate administration officials who said that the White House was not ready to announce Allen’s resignation officially but that the twice disgraced General would be stepping down in early November. Karin Von Hippel, Allen’s Chief Of Staff, will also be resigning according to reports. ISIS Czar Allen’s reputation has been marred by controversy and scandal as well as an attempt to push the United States into further direct military involvement in Syria, particularly against the one fighting force that actually opposed ISIS – i.e. the Syrian government.

Pope Francis to Bishops: ‘Do Not Be Afraid to Welcome Immigrants’
Breitbart - Pope Francis urged Catholic bishops in the United States to open their doors to immigrants, asserting that “these people will enrich America and its Church.”

Pope’s Flights to Cuba, U.S. Emit More CO2 Than 557,000 Lbs of Coal
Kit Daniels - While demanding “urgent action” against “man-made climate change,” Pope Francis is flying around on a Boeing 777-200 which spews nearly 100 pounds of carbon dioxide per mile. Yet the pope is demanding that Americans cut back on their lifestyles and pay carbon taxes to fight so-called “man-made climate change.” “It seems clear to me also that climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation,” he said at a speech outside the White House on Wednesday. “When it comes to the care of our common home, we are living at a critical moment of history.” “We still have time to make the changes needed to bring about a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change.”

Trump Announces Personal Boycott of Fox News – Fox Hits Back
Breitbart - Using his Twitter account, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump announced Wednesday that “for the foreseeable future” he is boycotting Fox News. Upset with his coverage on the “fair and balanced” network, Trump tweeted, “Fox News has been treating me very unfairly & I have therefore decided that I won’t be doing any more Fox shows for the foreseeable future.” Trump probably holds the most leverage in this fight. He’s a ratings juggernaut who can dash over to CNN or MSNBC and boost their ratings with a single appearance. A couple of hours later, Fox responded with a statement calling Trump’s attacks “stale and tiresome.”... Hillary Clinton is also boycotting Fox News.

Rep. Mark Sanford Invites Dr. Ben Carson as Guest to Pope’s Congressional Address
Breitbart - Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC) invited GOP presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson as his guest to attend Pope Francis’ address to Congress on Thursday. “I appreciate the invitation from Congressman Mark Sanford and am looking forward to hearing the thoughts of the Holy leader,” Carson says.... Carson is a devout Christian and recently made media headlines by stating he didn’t support a Muslim becoming President of the United States – specifically a Muslim who wouldn’t renounce Sharia Law.

The Fed Can’t Fix It: “All That’s Left is a Reset, Shutdown of the System”
Mac Slavo - As far as many experts can tell, there is no right way or good way out of this crisis under Fed control... Not raising rates means yet another round of QE – QE Round 4 – which will lead to a further strain on the real economy as those on top get continued easy free, while interest rates on investments, pensions, insurance and savings sit at zero, or even go negative, destroying wealth. Derivatives continue to rule the day, and everything remains in jeopardy. That’s why the Fed will eventually raise rates, at least just a little bit. But it will be too little way too late. The Fed has, in fact, lost control, according to many experts.
* Related: The Worst Part Is Central Bankers Know Exactly What They Are Doing

IRS Agent Busted for Attempting to Extort $20,000 from Cannabis Shop Owner
Activist Post - An IRS agent was arrested this week after he was caught attempting to con a Seattle marijuana shop owner out of $20,000. The 42-year-old agent, Paul G. Hurley, reportedly demanded a $20,000 bribe from the shop owner, in exchange for a break on an audit. In fact, Hurley had said that he saved the business owner over a million dollars on his tax return, and that his current tax bill was just under $300,000. The shop owner was not even concerned with getting a break, so when the agent left he contacted federal authorities who set up a sting operation wherein the shop owner gave the IRS agent money for the bribe.... Hurley is currently facing up to 15 years in jail for charges of soliciting and agreeing to receive a bribe and two counts of receiving a bribe by a public official.

Los Angeles to Declare Homeless ‘State of Emergency’
Breitbart - The City of Los Angeles is preparing to declare a state of emergency on the epidemic levels of homeless population and is planning to use $100 million dollars to spearhead the fight that one councilman suggested is a precursor to L.A. winning a 2024 bid to host the Olympic Games.... Cedillo made further statements indicating that the effort is tied to the city’s attempt to win a bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics. “If we want to be a great city that hosts the Olympics and shows itself off to the world,” he said, “we shouldn’t have 25,000 to 50,000 people sleeping on the streets.”... The announcement that a “state of emergency” will be declared was made on Tuesday, with Mayor Eric Gracetti and City Council Members leading the charge. According to the Times, the announcement is in line with Gracetti’s Monday proposal to capture $13 million in tax revenues for short-term housing projects.

Cameras catch Obama with ‘horns’ next to Pope
The American Mirror - While President Obama was escorting Pope Francis today, cameras captured something coincidental — or subliminal.While President Obama was escorting Pope Francis today, cameras captured something coincidental — or subliminal. Others saw President Obama appearing to having horns, too, and it wasn’t just from one angle: It wouldn’t be the first time it appeared Obama had a set of horns. Last year, while giving a speech in the White House, observers noted it appeared the president had horns coming out of his head.
 

Wednesday - September 23, 2015 - Today in History:

1779 - John Paul Jones, commander of the American warship Bon Homme, was quoted as saying "I have not yet begun to fight!"
1780 - John Andre, a British spy, was captured with papers revealing that Benedict Arnold was going to surrender West Point, NY, to the British.
1806 - The Corps of Discovery, the Lewis and Clark expedition, reached St. Louis, MO, and ended the trip to the Pacific Northwest.
1846 - Astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle discovered the planet Neptune.
1952 - The first Pay Television sporting event took place. The Marciano-Walcott fight was seen in 49 theaters in 31 cities.
1952 - Richard Nixon gave his "Checkers Speech". At the time he was a candidate for U.S. vice-president.
1957 - Nine black students withdrew from Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas due to the white mob outside.
1981 - The Reagan administration announced its plans for what became known as Radio Marti.
1986 - Japanese newspapers quoted Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone as saying that minorities lowered the "intelligence level" of America.
1990 - Iraq publicly threatened to destroy Middle East oil fields and to attack Israel if any nation tried to force it from Kuwait.
1991 - U.N. weapons inspectors find documents detailing Iraq's secret nuclear weapons program. The find in Baghdad triggered a standoff with authorities in Iraq.
1993 - The Israeli parliament ratified the Israel-PLO accord.
1993 - Blacks were allowed a role in the South African government after a parliamentary vote.
1999 - The Mars Climate Observer apparently burned up as it was about to go into orbit around the Red Planet.

US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt In Estonia: Amid Russian Hostility, Aircraft Arrive In The Baltics
IB Times - Twelve U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft arrived Monday at an Estonian air force base as part of an operation to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe, according to a U.S. Air Force report. The aircraft landed in the Baltic country after flying from Germany and are expected to spend the next six months training with NATO allies and other European partners. The aircraft are originally from the 23rd Wing at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, and are being used to augment the U.S. military's attempts to bring security and stability to Europe, according to the statement. The exercise, which is part of a cross-continental mission known as Operation Atlantic Resolve, is designed to be a show of force against Russian intimidation after the Kremlin annexed Crimea in March 2014 and continues to be involved in the eastern Ukraine conflict.

Greeks Take Up Bartering After Trade With Troika Bites
Sputnik News - An online version of the agora is reinventing the age-old bartering system in Greece in response to the economic crisis and introduction of capital controls in June. Tradenow has more than 20,000 members who operate on a points based system to barter for anything from goji berries to an apartment in Athens or a plot of land for sale on a Greek island. "After the capital controls were imposed in June, companies began to call us to find out how they could benefit from bartering," Yiannis, Delyiannis CEO and co-founder of Tradenow told Sputnik.

Pentagon-Trained ‘Moderate Rebels’ Hand Weapons Over to Syrian Al-Qaeda
Mikael Thalen - A group of Pentagon-trained “moderate rebels” known as Division 30 handed their weapons over to Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate Jahbat al-Nusra this week immediately after entering the country, reports say. Division 30 fighters, who recently graduated from a US-led training program in Turkey, are believed to have given both weapons and vehicles to the terrorist group in exchange for safe passage into Syria.... According to The Telegraph, Abu Khattab al-Maqdisi, another purported member of al-Nusra, also indicated that the commander of Division 30 had told al-Nusra leaders he had tricked his Western-backers in order to receive a large cache of weapons.

Norway gets first of US’s controversial F-35 jets, citing ‘increased Russian activity’ in region
RT - Norway has welcomed the roll-out of the first two of 22 Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets purchased by the Scandinavian state. They are seen as a counter measure to what Norway considers Russia’s boosting military capabilities in the region. Norwegian Defense Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide celebrated the occasion at American weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin’s F-35 production line in Fort Worth Texas on Tuesday.... Speaking to Reuters on the eve, Defense Minister Soereide alluded to an “obvious projection of power” by Russia in the Baltic region, where NATO members have been ringing alarms over a possible Russian incursion.

US Drones Responsible For More Civilian Deaths in Yemen than Al Qaeda
Activist Post - According to a U.N. report published last week, U.S. drone strikes have killed roughly 40 Yemeni civilians in the past year. The figure is 60% greater than the number of civilians killed by al Qaeda in that same period; al Qaeda is reportedly responsible for 24 civilian deaths. The government’s ongoing drone strikes in Yemen are little-known to the general American public. Many Americans still believe the U.S. military is only involved in Iraq and Afghanistan. In reality, the military is running offensive operations in Libya, Somalia, Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries in the region. The data comes from the U.N.’s Office of the High Commissioner For Human Rights (OHCHR), which compiled statistics stretching from July 1, 2014 to June 30 of 2015.

Longtime U.S. Policy in Afghanistan Allows Military Allies to Rape Children
AllGov - The United States has been turning a blind eye to a culture practice in Afghanistan where men of power rape young boys as a sign of status. he practice, called bacha bazi (“boy play”), has abhorred American soldiers serving in Afghanistan. But most did nothing to stop the rampant pederasty on orders from commanders, who in turn were told by the Obama and Bush administrations to not interfere with the raping. “The American policy of nonintervention is intended to maintain good relations with the Afghan police and militia units the United States has trained to fight the Taliban,” according to The New York Times.

Europe Will Force Countries To Accept Refugee Quotas As Migrant "Dictat" Approved
Zero Hedge - the EU has agreed on a plan to relocate 120,000 migrants across the bloc and despite the fact that the deal was opposed by Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania, the allocation will be mandatory. Here’s WSJ: The European Union reached agreement Tuesday on a plan to relocate 120,000 migrants who have arrived in the bloc across the continent over the next two years, European officials said. Four governments, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania opposed the proposal, possibly setting the stage for intensified friction within the blocover the contentious issue.... The plan will be mandatory for all EU member states except the three who have a partial opt-out from EU migration rules; the UK, Ireland and Denmark, officials said. That means that even countries which opposed the decision will have to take in asylum seekers if they are allocated migrants under the scheme.

Fukushima disaster was preventable, new study claims
RT - Fukushima, the worst nuclear disaster in Japan’s history was preventable, a new USC study claims. Design problems, negligence and inadequate pre-tsunami surveys all contributed to the failure that led to the nuclear catastrophe, the study claims. According to the research carried out by the University of Southern California, one of the main faults was the decision to install critical backup generators in low-lying areas, as this was the first place the 2011 tsunami would strike, following the massive earthquake. Backup generators are a key part of any nuclear power plant – they are essential to cool the plant in the event of power loss, in order to prevent a reactor meltdown. These generators were the first to be affected by the disaster, which the author describes as “a cascade of industrial, regulatory and engineering failures.”

10 controversies swirling around Pope Francis’ visit to the US
RT - Pope Francis has finally landed in the US for his first-ever visit to the country. The papal swing through the Northeast is guaranteed to captivate Americans, but the popular pontiff is likely to draw praise and criticism on numerous contentious issues.

Report: FBI Finds Hillary Clinton’s Deleted Emails on Her Server
Breitbart -The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has successfully recovered personal and work emails from Hillary Clinton’s private email server, according to a new report. Sources told Bloomberg News that some of Clinton’s emails have been extracted from the server, thus disproving the claim that Clinton managed to wipe her server clean after she deleted all of her emails earlier this year. Therefore, some of the emails that Clinton deleted — the ones that she determined were NOT relevant to federal investigations — are now in the hands of the FBI. The federal investigation, therefore, is now out of Clinton’s control.
* Related: Hillary Clinton Email Company Was Hacked By Foreign Attackers in 2011

Democrats block defense spending bill in Senate
Reuters - Democrats blocked the fiscal 2016 defense spending bill in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, amid a fierce fight with Republicans over tax and spending policy days before a potential Oct. 1 government shutdown. The vote was 54-42, largely along party lines with Republicans voting yes and Democrats no. It meant the appropriations measure failed to achieve the 60-vote majority needed to advance to final passage in the 100-member Senate.

Kentucky clerk Davis rejects marriage licenses as invalid: ABC
Reuters - The county clerk from Kentucky who went to jail rather than issue marriage licenses to gay couples said the licenses being granted by her staff are invalid, according to an interview that aired on Tuesday. Davis added that she was prepared to return to jail over the controversy, according to ABC. She returned to work on Sept. 14 after a five-day stint in jail for refusing to issue any marriage licenses following a Supreme Court ruling in June that made gay marriage legal across the United States. On Monday, lawyers for couples suing Davis said that she made material changes to the forms since returning to work and is not in compliance with a federal court order.

Federal Appeals Court Okays Fingerprinting of Gun Owners in D.C.
AllGov - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 that the city can allow gun owners to be fingerprinted and photographed, complete a firearms safety training course and pay specified fees. The ruling also requires rifles and shotguns be registered along with handguns. The court approved fingerprinting, along with the $35 fee charged by the city, because the judges said it can keep people from obtaining firearms by using a counterfeit driver’s license.

CPS Workers Now Being Installed In Public Schools
Activist Post - NBC 2 News is reporting a new “partnership” between the Erie County Department of Social Services and New York public schools that would place a Child Protective Services (CPS) employee in the Erie County local suburban schools several days per week. The media unsurprisingly reports this as a way to give school staff faster access to child welfare “expertise” and also “streamlining and expediting” the CPS investigation process. That is, the news is being spun to get parents – who are now seemingly potential criminals up for investigation – to accept this new, intrusive development while your child remains a ward of the State for eight hours a day, five days a week.
* Related: Now it's a social worker for every child - in Scotland

Gallup: Almost Half of Americans View Government as Threat to Freedom
The New American - A Gallup Governance poll conducted from September 9-13 found that 49 percent of Americans believe the federal government poses “an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens.” An equal percentage denied that government posed such a threat, with the other two percent apparently having no opinion. Gallup provided a history of its polls asking the same question back to 2003, when just 30 percent viewed the federal government as a threat to their freedom.

24 Place Names You’ve Probably Been Mispronouncing Your Whole Life
Boredpanda - When traveling, a great faux-pas to avoid if you want to get in good with the locals is mispronouncing the name of the place you’re in. Luckily, this collection of images from Thrillophilia will take some of the most commonly mispronounced place names and show us how we SHOULD have been saying them.

Hillary Clinton Hires Daughter of Planned Parenthood’s President
Breitbart - As Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton defends Planned Parenthood from the fallout over its baby part-selling scandal, the mainstream media conveniently ignores one very important detail: the Planned Parenthood president’s daughter is a top Hillary campaign operative. Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, has seen her abortion-providing organization come under fire after a series of videos caught top employees trying to trade aborted baby parts in callous fashion. Hillary Clinton, who said that she has only seen excerpts from the videos, strongly defended Planned Parenthood in her appearance this past weekend on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” Clinton called the videos “misleadingly edited” and “intentionally taken out of context” and condemned a Republican “attack on Planned Parenthood.”

Carly Fiorina Just Got Hit With Some News That Could Derail Her Campaign
The Political Insider - Here are some basic facts. Under Carly’s leadership thousands of American workers lost their jobs and HP jobs were shipped overseas, while she enriched herself beyond what any of us could imagine [Omaha-World Herald, 9/29/03]. The stock price took a huge hit compared to the rest of the market. When she was fired she still received severance pay of about $100 million, when the average American loses his/her job all that worker gets is unemployment insurance for six months and maybe two weeks of severance pay [Business Insider 9/13/15]. She did run for the U.S. Senate on her record as a business person and lost to Barbara Boxer in a landslide. It was one of Boxer’s easiest elections.
* Related: Carly Fiorina illegally sold millions in HP products to Iran in violation of an Executive Order

Trump threatens multi-million-dollar suit over attack ad
WND - In a conflict that is growing more intense by the day, GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s lawyer is threatening the conservative-leaning Club for Growth with a lawsuit over an attack ad that reportedly misrepresents the billionaire’s tax plan. Trump on Tuesday released a copy of a letter sent to Club for Growth chief David McIntosh about the organization’s “attack ad” that, citing a 2000 “Advocate” article, charges Trump with supporting a “one-time net worth tax of 14.25 percent on the superwealthy” to address the national debt. “Your Attack ad is not only completely disingenuous, but replete with outright lies, false, defamatory and destructive statements and downright fabrications which you fully know to be untrue, thereby exposing you and your so-called ‘club’ to liability for damages and other tortious harm,” the letter states.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) dumps live polio virus into Belgian rivers used for swimming and fishing
(NaturalNews) Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) dumped 45 liters (12 gallons) of live, concentrated polio virus into a Belgian river on September 2, according to a press release by the country's Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment's Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP).... According to the press release, "human error" resulted in the polio virus entering the water supply in Rixensart city, Belgium, at a plant manufacturing the polio vaccine. The contaminated water then flowed to a water treatment plant, and from there into the Lasne and Dyle rivers.... The WIV-ISP said that, because polio vaccination rates are so high in Belgium (vaccination is compulsory, and compliance is estimated at around 95 percent), the risk to swimmers and fishermen in the contaminated rivers is "limited." Nevertheless, workers at the water-treatment plant were all re-vaccinated, and the WIV-ISP recommended that people exposed to the river water consult their doctors about that possibility as well. The WIV-ISP also advised avoiding contact with the water.

Four Vital Tips for Liver Regeneration
Kim Kalendar - [...] the liver plays a vital role in the health of your pet. It regulates sugar, protein, and fat entering the blood stream. It filters out toxins from the blood. It creates cholesterol to protect arteries and manufactures hormones. It processes nutrients from food and prepares them for the intestines to absorb. It supports nearly every organ system in the body. When congested with toxins, the liver can effect the function of the gallbladder and pancreas.... Many pets appear to be healthy for several years eating low quality, high carbohydrate pet foods. The problem is over time the liver is collecting and storing toxins until it reaches a critical state. We meet a lot of animals between six and seven years of age with sever liver damage. Here is the good news. There are simple steps you can take allowing the liver to detoxify and regenerate.

Tuesday - September 22, 2015 - Today in History:

1789 - The U.S. Congress authorized the office of Postmaster General.
1792 - The French Republic was proclaimed.
1862 - President Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. It said that all slaves held within rebel states would be free as of Jan. 1, 1863.
1914 - Three British cruisers were sunk by one German submarine in the North Sea. 1,400 British sailors were killed. This event alerted the British to the effectiveness of the submarine.
1949 - The Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb successfully.
1961 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy signed a congressional act that established the Peace Corps.
1980 - A border conflict between Iran and Iraq developed into a full-scale war.
1986 - President Ronald Reagan addressed the U.N. General Assembly and voiced a new hope for arms control. He also criticized the Soviet Union for arresting U.S. journalist Nicholas Daniloff.
1988 - Canada's government apologized for the internment of Japanese-Canadian's during World War II. They also promised compensation.
1990 - Saudi Arabia expelled most of the Yememin and Jordanian envoys in Riyadh. The Saudi accusations were unspecific.
1992 - The U.N. General Assembly expelled Yugoslavia for its role in the war between Bosnia and Herzegovina.
1998 - The U.S. and Russia signed two agreements. One was to privatize Russia's nuclear program and the other was to stop plutonium stockpiles and nuclear scientists from leaving the country.
1998 - President Clinton addressed the United Nations and told world leaders to "end all nuclear tests for all time". He then sent the long-delayed global test-ban treaty to the U.S. Senate.
2005 - John Roberts' nomination as chief justice cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 13-5 vote.
2008 - The U.S. Mint unveiled the first changes to the penny in 50 years, with Abraham Lincoln's portrait still on the front, but new designs replacing the Lincoln Memorial on the back.

Russian Marines Battle ISIS in Syria
Kit Daniels - Russian marines clashed with ISIS near Latakia, Syria, on Sunday, according to Russian media. During the fight the marines allegedly killed several militants and captured others after ISIS attempted to attack an airbase operated by Russian military, reported the Russian newspaper Segodnya. Interestingly, the newspaper also reported the ISIS militants “possessed a detailed plan of the air base and clear satellite imagery with the marked key military installations,” but Russia has only been operating the airbase for the past week or so. That begs the question: who provided ISIS with that kind of intelligence? Russian activity at the airbase ramped up Friday upon the arrival of advanced Russian fighter jets, including four Su-30SM Flankers which are loose equivalents to the U.S. F/A-18F Hornet.

France ready to bomb Syria 'in self-defense' – foreign minister
RT - France says it may carry out airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria as an act of self-defense. Last week French aircraft started to undertake reconnaissance missions over Syria. On Monday, French President Francois Hollande said French military sorties in Syria would soon expand to include airstrikes against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL). We are part of the coalition in Iraq [against ISIS],” Hollande said in a news conference with his Nigerian counterpart Muhammadu Buhari. “We started reconnaissance flights [in Syria] to enable us to consider air strikes if they were necessary and they will be necessary in Syria.” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the use of weapons on Syrian territory is justified due to a string of Islamist attacks in Europe.

Syrian war spurs first withdrawal from 'doomsday' Arctic seed vault
Sydney Morning Herald - Syria's civil war has prompted the first withdrawal of crop seeds from a "doomsday" vault built in an Arctic mountainside to safeguard global food supplies. The seeds, including samples of wheat, barley and grasses suited to dry regions, have been requested by researchers in the Middle East to replace a collection in the Syrian city of Aleppo that has been damaged by the war.

Putin to Netanyahu: Syrian army too busy saving country to threaten Israel
RT - Benjamin Netanyahu is in Moscow on Monday to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East and clarify Russia’s position. “Israel and Russia have common goals – to ensure stability in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said. “Iran and Syria are arming the radical Islamist terrorist group [Hezbollah] with advanced weapons, which they use to target our country.” The PM alleged that Damascus and Tehran are working to “create a second terrorist front in the Golan Heights.” The Israeli concerns are exaggerated, Vladimir Putin assured his guest. “We have always condemned the rocket attacks on Israel, but as far as I know those rockets are home-made,” Putin said. “As for Syria, we know and understand that the Syrian army and the country in general are not in a condition to open a second front. The Syrians are busy fighting for their own statehood.”

U.S. Will Station New Nuclear Weapons in Germany Against Russia
Washington's Blog - Germany’s ZDF public television network headlines on Tuesday September 22nd, “New U.S. Atomic Weapons to Be Stationed in Germany,” and reports that the U.S. will bring into Germany 20 new nuclear bombs, each being four times the destructive power of the one that was used on Hiroshima. Hans Kristensen, the Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, says, “With the new bombs the boundaries blur between tactical and strategic nuclear weapons.” A former Parliamentary State Secretary in Germany’s Defense Ministry, Willy Wimmer, of Chancellor Merkel’s own conservative party, the Christian Democratic Union, warns that these “new attack options against Russia” constitute “a conscious provocation of our Russian neighbors.”

There Are Indications That A Major Financial Event In Germany Could Be Imminent
Economic Collapse - Most observers tend to regard Germany as the strong hub that is holding the rest of Europe together economically, but the truth is that serious trouble is brewing under the surface. As I write this, the German DAX stock index is down close to 20 percent from the all-time high that was set back in April, and there are lots of signs of turmoil at Germany’s largest bank. There are very few banks in the world that are more prestigious or more influential than Deutsche Bank, and it has been making headlines for all of the wrong reasons recently.

Lithuania Bans GM Crops as Biotech Industry Loses More Ground
Sustainable Pulse - Lithuanian Agriculture Minister, Virginija Baltraitienė, announced last week that the Baltic country has demanded an EU opt-out regarding the growing of genetically modified (GM) crops. Commercial GM crop cultivation has never been allowed in Lithuania, and the majority of previous Biotech company requests for trials for GM maize, GM oilseed rape and GM potatoes in the country were not given permits by the Environment Ministry, however the official opt-out has strengthened Lithuania’s position on this issue even further.... On Monday, Northern Ireland also joined the massive wave of EU countries that have decided to ban the cultivation of GM crops under new EU regulations that were passed earlier in 2015.

Intervention blowback: Blame America? No, Blame Neocons!
Ron Paul - Is the current refugee crisis gripping the European Union “all America’s fault”? That is how my critique of US foreign policy was characterized in a recent interview on the Fox Business Channel. I do not blame the host for making this claim, but I think it is important to clarify the point. It has become common to discount any criticism of US foreign policy as “blaming America first.” It is a convenient way of avoiding a real discussion. If aggressive US policy in the Middle East – for example in Iraq – results in the creation of terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda in Iraq, is pointing out the unintended consequences of bad policy blaming America? Is it “blaming America” to point out that blowback – like we saw on 9/11 – can be the result of unwise US foreign policy actions like stationing US troops in Saudi Arabia?

FBI refuses to cooperate in Hillary Clinton email server probe
Washington Times - The FBI refused to cooperate Monday with a court-ordered inquiry into former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s email server, telling the State Department that they won’t even confirm they are investigating the matter themselves, much less willing to tell the rest of the government what’s going on. udge Emmet G. Sullivan had ordered the State Department to talk with the FBI and see what sort of information could be recovered from Mrs. Clinton’s email server, which her lawyer has said she turned over to the Justice Department over the summer.

House Passes Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood for One Year, Pending Investigation
Breitbart - A measure in the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Friday to temporarily suspend the availability of any funds to Planned Parenthood of America, Inc. or any of its affiliates, for one year during an investigation of the abortion provider. The moratorium of federal funding is entitled the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015. The measure would defund the largest abortion provider unless the company certifies that the affiliates and clinics will not perform, and will not provide any funds to any other entity that performs, an abortion during such period.

VIDEO: U.S. House Votes to Make Killing Babies Born Alive During Abortion a Crime
Breitbart - The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Friday that would protect babies born alive during abortion by making it a federal crime to kill the baby after it is born, either by an overt act, or through gross negligence. The bill, entitled the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act was introduced by Congressman Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ).

Scott Walker Quits, Tells Other Candidates to ‘Clear Field’ For ‘Optimistic’ Message
Breitbart - GOP presidential candidate Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker dropped out of the presidential race for the 2016 GOP nomination on Monday evening and encouraged other presidential candidates to do the same in order to narrow the GOP field. Walker, once the favorite in Iowa according to July polls, recently dropped to tenth place in the Real Clear Politics average.

2016 Presidential Candidates
There are more of them than you think (or more than you have been told about).

Rand Paul blames Hillary for refugee crisis
The Hill - Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) says Hillary Clinton’s actions while secretary of State contributed to the current migrant crisis in the Middle East. “And I think, frankly, that Hillary Clinton bears some responsibility for the crisis,” Paul said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. The dovish senator said Clinton’s policy of providing arms to Syrian rebels in the ongoing civil war only enflamed the situation. “They say, ‘Oh, we’re going to give them to good people,’ but it really wasn’t possible I think to find the good people and so many of the people were al Qaeda, al-Nusra and some of these people became ISIS,” Paul said. “So it was really a bad idea and continues to be a bad idea to arm the allies of ISIS, to arm the allies of al Qaeda.”

Trump on Presidential Salary: ‘I Won’t Take Even One Dollar if I Become President’
Breitbart - During GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump’s Twitter #AskTrump question and answer, the GOP front-runner was asked if he would “forgo the presidential salary if elected.” Trump replied by first saying he is totally self-funding his campaign, and then he said he would decline the presidential salary, not taking “even one dollar” if elected.

Broke U.S. government needs millions of new Obamacare enrollees to prevent program from collapsing
(NaturalNews) Obamacare is in trouble again, and it will take a massive infusion of members and taxpayer money to save it. The Washington Times reports that Obamacare exchanges will have to enroll as many as 21 million members next year, according to the figure set in budget projections, in a development that will prove to be a major test of the Affordable Care Act. However, as of June, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Obamacare, said that only 9.9 million Americans had purchased health insurance plans through the federal HealthCare.gov portal and a handful of state-run exchanges, leaving a gap of more than double the amount required in projections.

Soros, Icahn and Major New Players Rushing Into the Gold Sector: “Things Are In The Works As We Speak”
Mac Slavo - The price of gold and silver is set to explode according to one of the most well known CEO’s in the precious metals mining space. Keith Neumeyer, the CEO of one of the world’s lowest-cost primary silver producers, says that the negative headlines surrounding history’s most trusted monetary instruments will soon give way and the smart money, including the likes of George Soros and Carl Icahn, is taking massive positions ahead of the breakout. Neumeyer, who has created two billion-dollar companies and recently founded the mineral bank First Mining Finance, argues that the fundamentals are simply too great to ignore.

VW shares sink 25% after $18bn air pollution scandal
RT - Volkswagen AG lost almost a quarter of its value on Monday after it admitted cheating US air pollution tests since 2008. The company is facing a $37,500 fine for each car not compliant with Federal rules with a possible 482,000 vehicles involved. "Put simply, these cars contained software that turns off emissions controls when driving normally and turns them on when the car is undergoing an emissions test," Cynthia Giles, an enforcement officer at the US Environmental Protection Agency was quoted by Reuters as saying on Friday. The device allowed VW vehicles to pollute 10 to 40 times over the legal limit, the EPA stated. The vehicles in question are four-cylinder diesel Volkswagen and Audi cars - Volkswagen Jetta (2009-2015), Volkswagen Beetle (2009-2015), Audi A3 (2009-2015), Volkswagen Golf (2009-2015) and Volkswagen Passat (2014-2015).

Leaked Seattle Audit Concludes Many Mortgage Documents Are Void
The Intercept - A Seattle housing activist on Wednesday uploaded an explosive land-record audit that the local City Council had been sitting on, revealing its far-reaching conclusion: that all assignments of mortgages the auditors studied are void. That makes any foreclosures in the city based on these documents illegal and unenforceable, and makes the King County recording offices where the documents are located a massive crime scene. The problems stem from the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS), an entity banks created so they could transfer mortgages privately, saving them billions of dollars in transfer fees to public recording offices. In Washington state, MERS’ practices were found illegal by the State Supreme Court in 2012. But MERS continued those practices with only cosmetic changes, the audit found.

Rising CO2 levels are re-greening Africa's deserts, bringing abundance that lifts people out of poverty
(NaturalNews) Climate change, a phrase that typically instills fear in society, is being eyed by Arizona State University as something that could be beneficial. Contrary to those who view climate change as only having catastrophic consequences, experts from the university suggest that it is responsible for re-greening parts of the world and changing lives for the better.... Unfortunately, there are some people cling tightly to negative views about change of any kind, and climate change is no different. The alarmist web site DeSmog is one such outlet, and it is said to have jumped on Arizona State University's Sahel findings. They vehemently stated that, "The greening is unreliable. It is thus hardly an encouraging example of a 'positive impact' from global warming."

Oklahoma Sees 2800% Increase in Earthquakes over 5 Years - Here's Why
Natural Society - Earthquakes used to be more of a rarity in Oklahoma. An average of 2 quakes typically shook the state in a year’s time. But that was long ago. Now, the ground rock Oklahomans’ world hundreds of times a year.... Oklahoma has 4,500 disposal wells, and about 3,200 operate on a daily basis. Many lawmakers and industry experts have been slow to accept fracking as the cause of the violent spike in earthquakes, but the numbers over the years tell the story: there were 20 quakes in 2009, 35 in 2010, 64 in 2011, 35 in 2012, 109 in 2013 and 585 in 2014. As fracking increased, so did the shaking.

Monday - September 21, 2015 - Today in History:

1893 - Frank Duryea took what is believed to be the first gasoline-powered automobile for a test drive.
1897 - The New York Sun ran the "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" editorial. It was in response to a letter from 8-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon.
1931 - Britain went off the gold standard.
1931 - Japanese forces began occupying China's northeast territory of Manchuria.
1949 - Communist leaders proclaimed The People's Republic of China.
1957 - "Perry Mason", the television series, made its debut on CBS-TV. The show was on for 9 years.
1966 - The Soviet probe Zond 5 returned to Earth. The spacecraft completed the first unmanned round-trip flight to the moon.
1973 - Henry Kissinger was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become 56th Secretary of State. He was the first naturalized citizen to hold the office of Secretary of State.
1981 - The U.S. Senate confirmed Sandra Day O'Connor to be the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
1984 - General Motors and the United Auto Workers union reached an agreement that would end the previous six days of spot strikes.
1985 - North and South Korea opened their borders for their family reunion program.
1993 - Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin announced he was ousting the Communist-dominated Congress. The action was effectively seizing all state power.
1996 - The board of all-male Virginia Military Institute voted to admit women.
1998 - President Bill Clinton's videotaped grand jury testimony in the Monica Lewinsky scandal was publicly broadcast, showing him answering one question from prosecutors by saying, "It depends on what the meaning of 'is' is."
1998 - Olympic gold medal track star Florence Griffith Joyner, 38, died in her sleep after suffering an epilectic seizure.
2001 - Congress approved $15 billion to help an airline industry reeling from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Not a Joke – Saudi Arabia Chosen to Head UN Human Rights Panel
Michael Krieger - If you were trying to put together a global all-star team of the most authoritarian, human rights abusing nations on earth, not only would Saudi Arabia be at the top of the list, it would be captain of the squad. In a move as embarrassing, laughable and tragic as Barack Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize just as he was about to embark upon several overseas wars and drone countless civilians to death without due process, the United Nations has, remarkably, named Saudi Arabia head of it’s human rights panel. Of course, this is something I warned of back in May in the post, Saudi Arabia is Making a Play to Head the U.N. Human Rights Council. Here are a few excerpts...

Greek Syriza Party Wins Parliamentary Elections With Over 35% of Votes
Sputnik News - The left-wing Greek Syriza party has won a snap election with 35.46 percent of support after over 99.5 percent of the votes have been counted, according to official results published by the Greek Interior Ministry on Monday.

US Syria Strategy Officially Unravels: Kerry Admits Timetable For Assad Exit Is Completely Unknown
Zero Hedge - With both Russia and Iran seemingly prepared to do what's necessary to ensure Bashar al-Assad isn't toppled in Syria, John Kerry admits that the US strategy of brining about regime change in Damascus is now in serious jeopardy. Speaking from London on Saturday, Kerry attempted to hang on to the “Assad must go” narrative, but in what might fairly be described as the most conciliatory language yet, Washington’s top diplomat essentially admitted that the timetable for Assad’s exit is now completely indeterminate. Meanwhile, Moscow and Tehran are set to hash out Syria's future seemingly without any input from the Americans.

US Says Ready to Negotiate With Russia, Assad on Syria
Sputnik News - US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the US is willing to negotiate with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resolve the Syrian crisis. The statement is the first time that the US has stated that it is willing to negotiate with the Syrian president on the issue. The Syrian conflict, in which the country has since 2011 battled rebels backed by the US diplomatically and later militarily, has led to numerous political and humanitarian crises from the rise of the Islamic State group to Europe’s refugee crisis.

Over 700 Fukushima waste bags swept away by torrential floods
RT - Extensive and destructive floods across eastern Japan have swept more than 700 bags containing Fukushima-contaminated soil and grass into Japan’s rivers, with many still unaccounted for and some spilling their radioactive content into the water system. Authorities in the small city of Nikko in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture, some 175 km away from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, have said that at least 334 bags containing radioactive soil have been swept into a tributary of the Kinugawa river, The Asahi Shimbun reports. According to the city’s authorities, the washed-away waste was only part of hundreds of bags being stored at the Kobyakugawa Sakura Koen park alongside the river. Another 132 bags of waste reportedly rolled down the slopes.

Kenyan Farmers Sue Government to Stop Lifting of GMO Ban
Sustainable Pulse - In a petition filed Thursday against the Kenyan government, the group that represents small scale farmers, argues that the impending lifting of the ban without public participation will undermine indigenous crops. The Kenya Small Scale Farmers Forum, argues that lifting the ban will adversely undermine their rights and the public rights to health, safety and economic interest. The group further argues that the public has not been well educated on the risks posed by GMOs to enable informed decisions.

Pope’s visit will produce largest security operation in U.S. history
The Washington Post - Federal authorities are mobilizing one of the largest security operations in U.S. history ahead of Pope Francis’s arrival Tuesday, an effort that is straining law enforcement resources in Washington, New York and Philadelphia. Hundreds of thousands of onlookers are expected to gather in all three cities for a glimpse of the Catholic Church leader, whose unrivaled global popularity and proclivity to wade into public crowds has added to security concerns. Thousands of federal and local personnel will be deployed to keep the pontiff and the public safe.... His Big Apple visit coincides with the 70th U.N. General Assembly, where more than 150 foreign delegations are also expected, creating a virtual lockdown in portions of midtown.

11th Alternative Health Doctor Dies, Famed Holistic Oncologist Found Dead in Woods
Natural Blaze - Another alternative health care practitioner, famed NYC holistic Oncologist Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, was found dead in the woods near his upstate New York home. Gaynor’s death brings the total to 11 alternative health care providers that have been found dead in less than 90 days, according to Erin Elizabeth of Health Nut News. Dr. Gaynor reportedly died a few days ago, after walking away from a car accident. His body was discovered over the weekend in the woods behind his upstate country home, according to Health Nut News. This respected physician was assisting in healing cancer naturally according to his website... In addition to the deaths, earlier this month, the Free Thought Project reported on a holistic health conference in northern Germany. During the conference, 30 different doctors, aged 25 to 55 were, by some accounts, poisoned with a psychoactive drug and had to be taken to the hospital.

Cancer-stricken children, parents ejected from park near White House
The Washington Post - The U.S. Secret Service ordered hundreds of parents and their cancer-stricken children out of Lafayette Square on Saturday night, barricading the park for at least two hours and disrupting the group’s plans for a candlelight vigil to raise awareness and research funding for childhood cancer, participants said. Some of the parents and children expressed hurt and disappointment that the Secret Service and Park Police, citing security precautions, virtually shut down part of a two-day event called CureFest for Childhood Cancer. Police officers and agents on the scenes told some parents that the closure was necessary because President Obama had left the White House from an entrance near the square to address the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual gala.... The group had a permit to stage an event from 7 to 9 p.m., Stoddard said.

Pentagon updates plans for war with 'potentially aggressive' Russia – media
RT - The Pentagon is reportedly reviewing and updating its contingency plans for a war with Russia for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, with a defense official telling US media that Russia's “actions” prompted the assessment. Given the security environment, given the actions of Russia, it has become apparent that we need to make sure to update the plans that we have in response to any potential aggression against any NATO allies,” a senior defense official familiar with the plan told Foreign Policy.

Vatican Recoils at White House Invitation List
The New American - The White House is planning a welcome ceremony on the South Lawn the morning of Wednesday, September 23. Though it is not clear how many impoverished Americans have tickets to this invitation-only event, Obama has invited homosexual activists, dissenting Catholic groups, an openly gay Episcopalian bishop, and a pro-abortion Catholic sister reprimanded in 2012 by the Vatican for her "radical feminist" views. "According to a senior Vatican official," writes Francis Rocca for the Wall Street Journal, "the Holy See worries that any photos of the pope with these guests ... could be interpreted as an endorsement of their activities."

John Kerry: U.S. to Accept 85,000 Refugees in 2016, 100,000 in 2017
NBC News - The U.S. is offering new details about its plan to ease the Syrian refugee crisis by significantly increasing the number of worldwide refugees it will take in over the next two years. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the U.S. will accept 85,000 refugees from around the world next year, up from 70,000, and the number will rise to 100,000 in 2017. Aides to Kerry say that many, though not all, of the additional refugees would be Syrian.

Obama Will "Accept" 100,000 Refugees In The US Starting 2017
Zero Hedge - In a move 'spun' by John Kerry as "keeping with America’s best tradition as a land of second chances and a beacon of hope," NYTimes reports the Obama administration is willing to accept to 100,000 annually in 2017, a significant increase over the current worldwide cap of 70,000. Kerry further added that the US would explore ways to increase the limit beyond 100,000 in future years while carrying out background checks to ensure that the refugees have not been infiltrated by terrorists.

Fake Hate? Is Clock Kid Furor All A Big Setup?
Steve Watson - Fourteen-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was taken into custody by police earlier in the week after he brought a device to school, that resembled a bunch of wires in a suitcase. The incident suddenly blew up, with Islamic groups jumping on the bandwagon, the media pushing the story, and eventually, Barack Obama sending the following tweet out.... Many are pointing out that the incident seems a trifle staged to fit the agenda of the groups pushing to publicize it, such as the Muslim lobbying group The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). A little digging has revealed that Mohamed’s father, Mohamed ElHassan Mohamed, is a known activist who has engaged in several stunts to call out what he has perceived to be anti-Islamic activity.
* Related: VIDEO: Clock Kid: What They’re Not Telling You

VIDEO: The GOP Debate: Lying to Your Face
InfoWars - Here's the truth presidential candidates are hiding. David Knight exposes the lies pushed by presidential candidates you may not know about. (2:51 hour video)

Liberal Media Says Rand Paul Won Debate
Kit Daniels - Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) won the latest GOP presidential debate, says the Chicago Tribune. The left-leaning media outlet said Paul “spoke like a thoughtful grown-up” during the Wednesday debate and overshadowed the rest of the Republican field on foreign policy. “Donald Trump wanted to kick him off the debate stage,” the Chicago Tribune’s John Kass wrote. “Fox News ignored him. CNN limited his time, then called him a loser.”... The Chicago Tribune also revealed why blue-blood Republicans are viciously attacking Paul. “What the Republican establishment cannot afford is Paul as their nominee,” Kass said. “That would expose the neocons and the war party, and the security surveillance state, and it might help remind Americans that conservatives once opposed foreign adventures, meaning wars, because wars by definition lead to the aggrandizement of federal power.”

Trump: ‘Concealed Carry a Right, Not a Privilege’
Breitbart - In a policy paper released to explain the importance of key Second Amendment issues, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump stresses “concealed carry…is a right, not a privilege” and contends for national recognition of the concealed carry permits from every state.... According to Trump, the push for national right to carry recognition is one that needs to succeed. Trump explains: The right of self-defense doesn’t stop at the end of your driveway. That’s why I have a concealed carry permit and why tens of millions of Americans do too. That permit should be valid in all 50 states. A driver’s license works in every state, so it’s common sense that a concealed carry permit should work in every state. If we can do that for driving – which is a privilege, not a right – then surely we can do that for concealed carry, which is a right, not a privilege.

Carson: Muslim shouldn’t be elected president
Carson, a devout Christian, says a president’s faith should matter to voters if it runs counter to the values and principles of America. Responding to a question during an interview broadcast Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he described the Islamic faith as inconsistent with the Constitution. "I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation," Carson said. "I absolutely would not agree with that."... In the NBC interview, Carson said he believes that Obama was born in the U.S. and is Christian, saying he has "no reason to doubt" what the president says. Carson also made a distinction when it came to electing Muslims to Congress, calling it a "different story" from the presidency that "depends on who that Muslim is and what their policies are, just as it depends on what anybody else says." Congress has one Muslim member, Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota. "If there's somebody who's of any faith, but they say things, and their life has been consistent with things that will elevate this nation and make it possible for everybody to succeed, and bring peace and harmony, then I'm with them," Carson said.
* Related: Trump: ‘We certainly do have a problem’ with some Muslims

Janet Yellen's "Fedspeak" Translated
Zero Hedge - For those of you who don’t want to take the time reading through the ponderous 7000-word transcript of yesterday’s FOMC press conference, we bring you the shorter Janet Yellen, translated from Fedspeak into plain English.

US stocks drop as investors mull Fed's rate decision
Washington Post - U.S. stocks dropped in midday trading Friday after the Federal Reserve's decision to hold off raising interest rates. Investors interpreted the move as a signal that the global economy is weak. Bonds rose and the price of oil fell, pushing down energy stocks. Financial stocks, which would benefit from higher rates, also dropped. KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average fell 220 points, or 1.2 percent, to 16,451 as of 12:52 p.m. Eastern time. The Standard & Poor's 500 dropped 23 points, or 1.2 percent, to 1,967 and the Nasdaq composite declined 44 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,849. HE FED: The Federal Reserve decided Thursday to keep interest rates at record lows, citing low inflation, weakness in the global economy and unsettled financial markets. Investors appear to have interpreted the decision to mean that the Fed thinks the slowdown in China and other emerging markets is signaling a much weaker global economy. The Fed meets again next month and in December.

Radiation From Manhattan Project Causing “Cancer Clusters” In US City
Activist Post - The Manhattan Project was the military program that developed the atomic bomb. This project was considered by most people to be a conspiracy theory for years until the bombs eventually dropped. Whole towns were built to test the first nuclear weapons. All of the residents were sworn to secrecy and spread out between one of the 30 testing sites across North America and the UK. The Manhattan project started out as a small testing operation in 1939, but in the few years it was in operation, it grew to employ over 130,000 people, all under strict secrecy. Although the program is over it has left a nasty mess behind at the various test sites, as well as sites that were used to harvest and process uranium. it was admitted by The US Army Corps of Engineers last month that residential areas of St. Louis County in Missouri have been contaminated with radiation from the Manhattan Project.

Tornado rips through Kansas, hits houses, trees & powerlines (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
RT - A tornado swept through Kansas and continued through to Missouri on Friday, leaving behind ripped roofs and uprooted trees. A flash flood warning remains in effect for parts of Illinois as foul weather continues its path to the east. Spotted near Paolo, Kansas, at around 7:00pm local time, the tornado has been described by local media as “extremely large and dangerous.”

Air Canada Pilot Diverts International Flight to Save a Dog’s Life
Dogington Post - An Air Canada pilot is being praised for making a decision that delayed an international flight for more than an hour and cost the airline more than $10,000 in fuel and landing charges – all to save a dog’s life! Simba, a 7-year old French Bulldog, was on board for his first ever flight, in the plane’s cargo hold, when the pilot noticed that the airplane’s heating system had malfunctioned just before the flight reached the Atlantic Ocean, where temperatures would plummet. Without second thought, the pilot turned the plane, which was bound for Toronto from Tel Aviv, and landed in Frankfurt, Germany instead. Simba was removed from the cargo hold of the Air Canada flight and placed on another plane headed to Toronto. Once reunited in Toronto, Simba’s dad was undeniably grateful. “It’s my dog, it’s like my child. It’s everything to me,” he explained to 680 News.
 

Friday - September 18, 2015 - Today in History:

National POW / MIA Recognition Day



1789 - Alexander Hamilton secured the first loan for the United States. The Temporary Loan of 1789 was repaid on June 8, 1790 at the sum of $191,608.81.
1793 - U.S. President George Washington laid the actual cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol.
1810 - Chile declared its independence from Spain.
1850 - The Fugitive Slave Act was declared by the U.S. Congress. The act allowed slave owners to claim slaves that had escaped into other states.
1851 - The first issue of "The New York Times" was published.
1891 - Harriet Maxwell Converse became the first white woman to ever be named chief of an Indian tribe. The tribe was the Six Nations Tribe at Towanda Reservation in New York.
1895 - Daniel David Palmer gave the first chiropractic adjustment.
1927 - Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System made its debut with its network broadcast over 16 radio stations. The name was later changed to CBS.
1947 - The United States Air Force was established as a separate military branch by the National Security Act.
1981 - A museum honoring former U.S. President Ford was dedicated in Grand Rapids, MI.
1984 - The 39th session of the U.N. General Assembly was opened with an appeal to the U.S. and Soviet Union to resume arms negotiations.
1991 - President George H.W. Bush said he would send warplanes to escort U.N. helicopters that were searching for hidden Iraqi weapons if necessary.
1994 - Haiti's military leaders agreed to depart on October 15th. This action averted a U.S.-led invasion to force them out of power.
1998 - The U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted to release to videotape of President Clinton's grand jury testimony from August 17.
1998 - The FDA approved a once-a-day easier-to-swallow medication for AIDS patients.
2009 - Tens of thousands of protesters rallied in defiance of Iran's Islamic leadership, clashing with police and confronting state-run anti-Israel rallies.

More than 2,000 refugees stranded at Croatian border town
The Guardian - More than 2,000 refugees were left stranded overnight in a border town near Croatia’s border with Serbia as Slovenia prevented hundreds of others from leaving north-west Croatia, leading to fears that the latest refugee route into the EU may turn out to be a dead-end. Croatia has closed seven of its eight road border crossings with Serbia after complaining of being overwhelmed by the arrival of more than 11,000 migrants and refugees, though many people have continued to cross through via cornfields. Refugees began entering Croatia in large numbers on Wednesday, after Hungary closed its borders.

Drone footage captures the tear gas, tanks, tents and sheer scale of the Hungarian border fence keeping desperate migrants out
Daily Mail - Spectacular drone footage captured the moment defiant migrants were tear gassed by police at the Hungarian border yesterday and shows the staggering scale of the great wall of Europe erected to keep them out. The film, shot for MailOnline yesterday afternoon, records the clouds of gas and pepper spray deployed by Hungarian police as they violently clashed with protesting refugees. The footage provides a bird's-eye-view of the 110-mile barrier, dubbed the new Iron Curtain, erected by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to keep refugees out.

New Chile quake: 6.3 magnitude tremor hits off Valparaiso
RT - A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has struck Chile. The epicenter was located offshore near the city of Valparaíso, according to the US Geological Survey.... The city is home to 284,000 people, making Greater Valparaíso the second-largest metropolitan area in the country It comes after an 8.3 magnitude quake hit off northern Chile on Wedneday evening, killing 10 people. Twenty others were injured, and one million were evacuated from their homes. The previous quake also affected Valparaíso, with two-meter waves striking the city. A total of 1,800 people were left without drinking water in the city of Illapel, according to officials. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands were left without electricity in the worst-affected Coquimbo region.
* Related: Dutchsinse: Earthquake Unrest + Volcanic Activity -- Multiple Large Events Signal Seismic Shift

At Least Nine Killed In Saudi-Led Strikes On Yemen: Medics
(Reuters) - At least nine Yemeni civilians were killed in air strikes by Saudi-led warplanes that targeted the home of a leader in the dominant Houthi movement in the capital Sanaa, medical sources said on Thursday. The leader, Ibrahim al-Shami, was not in the house at the time. The air raids by a Saudi-led coalition have intensified in recent weeks as a Gulf Arab ground force and fighters loyal to exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi prepare a campaign to recapture Sanaa, seized by the Houthis in September 2014. Residents of the Yemeni capital said warplanes made repeated sorties on Yemeni army bases and the vacant homes of relatives of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, an ally of the Houthis, for several hours on Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
* Related: Yemen After Five Months Looks Like Syria After Five Years'

US Military Fails to Track Volunteers Trained to Fight Islamists in Syria
Sputnik News - The US military does not keep track of any of the democratic, secular opposition volunteers they train in Syria, Department of Defense spokesperson Peter Cook admitted to reporters on Thursday. When they reenter Syria they’re no longer under the control of the [US-run] training and equipment program," Cook said during a daily press briefing. Cook, however, told reporters on Thursday that the program now had "100 additional fighters in training [with] more in queue after that."… In 2014, Congress approved $500 million to fund the train and equip program of which $41.8 million has been spent so far, [General Lloyd] Austin testified. Much of the money was spent on providing the volunteers with state-of-the-art expensive US high-tech military equipment, almost all of which has now been lost or has fallen into the hands of ISIL or the al-Nusra Front, Fox News reported on Thursday.

Croatia Closes Border with Serbia, Army Put on Combat Readiness
InfoWars - Refugees in Serbia broke through a line of police on the Croatian border on Thursday as thousands continue to pour into Europe from Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East. The refugees arrived by bus and on foot, determined to cross over into Croatia and enter Germany and Western Europe. Police in Tovarnik and Bezdan were unable to hold back the refugees. Officials estimate nearly 10,000 refugees have crossed over since Hungary closed its border with Serbia earlier this week. “Croatia will not be able to receive more people,” the country’s Interior Minister, Ranko Ostojic, told reporters. Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic put the country’s military on the highest level of combat readiness in response to the tidal wave of illegal immigrants.

Hungarian Military Intelligence Boss: Muslim Refugee Crisis Endangers Europe
Kurt Nimmo - Jozsef Horvath, the Deputy Director-General for Hungary’s military intelligence services, believes his country is a target for Islamic extremists. Horvath said Europe is sitting on a “gunpowder barrel” and the government had no choice but to close its southern border in response to a flood of refugees from the Middle East, according to an interview published by Magyar Idők, or the Hungarian Times. “Europe is in the last hour,” he said. Examining video footage of the refugees, Horvath said “you can see that the majority of these people are well-fed men” who do not display the “weaken constitution” of refugees and arrive with “smart phones, bank cards and cash.” Citing the Charlie Hebo attack in France, Horvath said he is concerned many of the refugees will resort to terrorism after they are integrated into Europe’s Muslim communities.

Israeli police could use live sniper fire against Palestinian rock throwers under Benjamin Netanyahu plan
The Independent - In an emergency meeting with leading defence figures, Mr Netanyahu laid out plans to ask Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to allow Israeli police to use sniper rifles on protesting Palestinians throwing rocks. The Israeli Defence Force is currently permitted to use the rifles to scare off rock throwers when they believe the lives of commanders in the field are in danger and the weapons usually fired at the perpetrators’ legs, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz. It comes amid rising tensions over the death of 64-year-old Israeli man Alexander Levlovitch, who died when he lost control of his car after it was pelted by stones late on Sunday evening.

France Joins Green Wave of GM Crop Bans in Europe
Natural Blaze - In a joint statement Thursday by the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, Ségolène Royal, and the Minister of Agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll, it was announced that France has decided to ask the European Commission for a strong opt-out from growing genetically modified (GM) crops. France has decided to ask the European Commission to exclude its national territory from the release of 9 GM maize varieties already authorized (1 GM Maize variety – MON9810) or awaiting authorization by the EU.

Monsanto teams up with World Wildlife Fund to convert Amazon into giant GMO plantation
(NaturalNews) The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a charity that began in 1961, is on the verge of destroying everything it stands for. For decades, the charitable organization played an integral role in conserving important regions while working on behalf of animal welfare around the world. In the new millennia, however, the WWF has strayed from its roots. It has been watered down and infiltrated by the nature-destroying ideas of the biotech industry.

“Total Failure”: Pentagon Spends $41 Million Training “Four Or Five” Syrian Fighters
Zero Hedge - Wednesday, Gen. Lloyd Austin, head of the U.S. Central Command (mentioned above) and Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Christine Wormuth gave an update on the latest Pentagon effort to train and arm Syrian fighters and conceded that it was highly unlikely the DoD would hit its target of fielding a contingent that numbers more than 5,000 by the end of the year. What are they basing their pessimistic outlook on, you ask? This (via Foreign Policy): Only about “four or five” U.S.-trained Syrian rebels remain on the battlefield to take on the Islamic State. That’s right. “Four or five.” So the only thing that the DoD’s estimate of the actual number of fighters currently on the ground has in common with the Pentagon’s original goal of recruiting 5,400 by the end of the year, is that both figures have a “4” and a “5” in them. And how much taxpayer money was spent to train and arm this anti-ISIS “force”, you ask? Around $41 million.

Military air defense drill set for Philadelphia next week
Philly.com - With Pope Francis due the city in two weeks, military aircraft will conduct an airspace protection exercise in the Philadelphia area next week, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced Friday. The "Falcon Virgo" training flights are slated to take place early Tuesday, from 12:01 a.m. to 2 a.m. The drill is part of series conducted by NORAD in response to the 9/11 terror attacks 14 years ago.

Obama Administration Naturalizing 36,000 Immigrants In One Week
Breitbart - More than 36,000 immigrants will become citizens over the next seven days, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Thursday. As part of the Obama administration’s new multilingual effort to promote citizenship, starting Thursday and into next week, USCIS will be holding more than 200 naturalization ceremonies. The effort, according to USCIS, highlights Constitution Day and Citizenship Day which marks the signing of the Constitution in 1787. “Congress first highlighted the significance of U.S. citizenship in 1940 when it designated the third Sunday in May as ‘I Am an American Day.’ In 1952, Congress shifted the date to Sept. 17 and renamed it ‘Citizenship Day.’ Congress changed the designation of this day to ‘Constitution Day and Citizenship Day’ in 2004,” USCIS explained in a release.

Immigrants Fight Texas Birth Certificate Rules
NY Times - Texas has not challenged the children’s citizenship, but it is enforcing rules limiting the types of ID parents can show to receive the documents.... here on the Texas border some local officials are engaged in activities that go beyond talk, enforcing some of the toughest rules in the country limiting the types of ID parents can show to receive copies of birth certificates. The result has been a refusal to issue birth certificates to many of the Texas-born children of immigrants here illegally.... Without a birth certificate, illegal immigrants say they cannot have newborns baptized, have had difficulty enrolling their children in day care and school and have lost or fear losing Medicaid coverage and other government services and benefits for their families. They said officials required birth certificates for these programs, as proof of parenthood or the child’s Texas birth.

Feds Not Prosecuting Mexican Cartel Drug Smugglers, Says Border Sheriff
Breitbart - The sheriffs in Arizona have been forced to spend millions of dollars to prosecute cartel smugglers, jail them and pay for their legal fees since the federal government refuses to press charges. It has grown to the point of I have upwards of 130 backpackers (slang for cartel drug smuggler) because the U.S. Attorney would not charge them for smuggling, said Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot during an interview with Breitbart Texas. The sheriff voiced his frustration at the government’s lack of cooperation. The political climate in Washington has led to federal prosecutors not charging cartel smugglers and illegal aliens who have been arrested in the U.S. on other criminal charges, Wilmot said. The Yuma Sheriff has since begun to deputize federal agents so that they can have their arrests prosecuted in federal court.

New Data Reveals U.S. Far From Freest Country in the World
Daily Sheeple - According to the annual Economic Freedom of the World report, the United States has dropped to #16 in an index of economic freedom. The list, released by the Fraser Institute, ranks countries around the world by a number of different factors that include the size and scope of government: expenditures, taxes, enterprises, legal structure and security of property rights, access to sound money, freedom to trade internationally, and regulation of credit, labor, and business were all evaluated. The study also considered income levels and poverty rates.

43 States Will Be Using Outdated Voting Machines in 2016 Election
AllGov - At least seven states—Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Texas, Virginia, and Washington— are using machines that are 15 years old, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. m“No one expects a laptop to last for 10 years. How can we expect these machines, many of which were designed and engineered in the 1990s, to keep running?,” Larry Norden and Christopher Famighetti, authors of the Brennan Center report, wrote. “[T]he majority of systems in use today are either perilously close to or past their expected lifespans.” In some instances, producers of these machines have gone out of business, making it difficult for elections officials to find spare parts. This predicament has forced officials to shop on eBay for decommissioned equipment from which to get parts, according to Wired. “Georgia was in such dire straits over the lack of parts for its voting machines that it hired a consultant to build customized hardware that could run its Windows 2000-based election system software,” Kim Zetter reported.

National POW / MIA Recognition Day
POW/MIA Day is always the 3rd Friday in the month of September.
Please have a moment of silence today to remember all former American Prisoners of War and those still Missing in Action who valiantly served our GREAT country.

Federal Reserve Keeps Key Interest Rate at Record Lows
The Blaze - The Federal Reserve is keeping U.S. interest rates at record lows in the face of threats from a weak global economy, persistently low inflation and unstable financial markets. Wrapping up a closely watched meeting, Fed officials say that while the U.S. job market is solid, recent global developments may “restrain economic activity” and further drag down already low inflation. Signs of a sharp slowdown in China have intensified fear among investors about the U.S. and global economy. And low oil prices and a high-priced dollar have kept inflation undesirably muted. Signs of a sharp slowdown in China have intensified fear among investors about the U.S. and global economy. And low oil prices and a high-priced dollar have kept inflation undesirably muted.

El Niño: L.A.’s Biggest 1-Day Rainfall in 4 Years
Breitbart - Los Angeles saw 2.39 inches of rain on Tuesday, making it the wettest calendar day for the city in more than four years, according to the Associated Press. Angelenos are often mocked for their supposed apocalyptic reactions to a bit of rain. But area residents may have had reason to gripe Tuesday when a massive overnight rainstorm drenched L.A., causing flooding in some areas and traffic headaches in others. Further to the northeast, Yucalpa Ridge in San Bernardino County saw an astounding 5.4 inches of rain. Experts have estimated that, over a six-month period, the state would need to see about 12 to 16 inches of rainfall in the Central Valley (where most large reservoirs are located) to be afforded any relief from the extended water shortage.

Spooky: Alzheimer’s Disease may be Spread Through Surgical Tools
Natural Society - A new study suggests the terrifying possibility that Alzheimer’s disease could be transmitted from person to person through some medical procedures.... Here’s where things get scary: the protein “seeds” that eventually lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease have long been known to stick to metal surfaces. These prion proteins can withstand extreme sterilization procedures such as steam cleaning and formaldehyde. All of this leads the scientists to hypothesize that the seeds can be transferred between humans, possibly via surgical equipment.

Too Much Weight at 50 Tied to Early Alzheimer's
Dr. Mercola - People who are overweight at age 50 are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease sooner than those who are not. The study followed 1,400 people who took cognitive tests regularly for a period of 14 years. Among the 142 who went on to develop Alzheimer's disease, those who were overweight or obese at midlife developed symptoms nearly seven months sooner than those of a healthy weight. Further, the onset of symptoms moved up by 6.7 months for each unit increase in midlife body mass index (BMI). Those with a high BMI were also more likely to have greater amounts of amyloid proteins in their brain, which is linked to Alzheimer's.

5 ways to relieve acid reflux with essential oils
Natural Blaze - Acid reflux refers to a condition where the acid produced in the stomach goes back to the esophagus. It is experienced as a burning sensation below your breastbone and results in a number of symptoms, for instance, bloating, difficulty swallowing, and indigestion.
 

Thursday - September 17, 2015 - Today in History:

1778 - The United States signed its first treaty with a Native American tribe, the Delaware Nation.
1787 - The Constitution of the United States of America was signed by delegates at the Constitutional Convention.
1796 - U.S. President George Washington's Farewell Address was read before the U.S. Congress.
1862 - The Battle of Antietam took place during the American Civil War. More than 23,000 men were killed, wounded, or missing. The Rebel advance was ended with heavy losses to both armies.
1930 - Construction on Boulder Dam, later renamed Hoover Dam, began in Black Canyon, near Las Vegas, NV.
1937 - At Mount Rushmore, Abraham Lincoln's face was dedicated.
1939 - The Soviet Union invaded Poland. Germany had invaded Poland on September 1.
1944 - Operation "Market Garden" was launched by Allied paratroopers during World War II. The landing point was behind German lines in the Netherlands.
1953 - The Ochsner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans, LA, successfully separated Siamese twins. Carolyn Anne and Catherine Anne Mouton were connected at the waist when born.
1962 - U.S. space officials announced the selection of Neil A. Armstrong and eight others as new astronauts.
1972 - "M*A*S*H" premiered on CBS-TV.
1976 - NASA unveiled the space shuttle Enterprise in Palmdale, CA.
1991 - The United Nations General Assembly opened its 46th session. The new members were Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, North and South Korea, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.
1992 - Lawrence Walsh called a halt to his probe of the Iran-Contra scandal. The investigation had lasted 5 1/2 years.
1998 - The United States government offered a reward for the capture of Haroun Fazil for his role in the U.S. bombing in Kenya on August 7, 1998.
1998 - The U.S. announced a plan that would compensate victims in the Kenya and Tanzania U.S. Embassy bombings on August 7, 1998.
2014 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at an all time high of 17,156.

Russia doesn’t rule out airbase in Syria, but has no plans for construction
RT - Russia has no plans for the construction of an airbase on Syrian soil, but at the same time does not rule out that such a possibility may arise in the future, a deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian military said. “For the moment, there [are] no such plans. However, everything could happen,” the First Deputy Chief of General Staff, Nikolay Bogdanovsky, told Russian media. So far, Russia only has a logistical support base in the Syrian port of Tartous.

Ukraine sanctions 25 Russian airlines, including 2 which don't exist
RT - All Russian airlines, including Aeroflot, are being fully or partially prohibited from overflying or flying to and from the territory of Ukraine. According to a document on President Petro Poroshenko’s website, the list includes the largest Russian airline Aeroflot and its three subsidiaries - Donavia, Orenburg Airlines and Rossiya Airlines. Kiev has also banned AK Bars Aero which had its license revoked in January, and Polet that stopped operations in December.

This Is The Satellite Image That Supposedly Proves The Presence Of Russian "Troops And Aircraft" In Syria
Zero Hedge - ...our post from Monday in which "anonymous" US officials told Reuters that "Russia has positioned about a half dozen tanks at a Syrian airfield where it has been steadily building up defenses" with Reuters adding that "one of the U.S. officials said seven Russian T-90 tanks were seen at the airfield near Latakia, a stronghold of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad... "We can only hope the "anonymous" US officials will soon provide photographic evidence of their claims." Today, we got this "evidence" when Foreign Policy magazine released a satellite image which, according to the author Jeffrey Lewis "Leaves No Doubt That Russia Is Throwing Troops and Aircraft Into Syria."... Here is FP's before and after satellite image "evidence." It's important because images such as these are the modern equivalent of Colin Powell's vial of WMDs presented to the United Nations in 2003 to justify the war with Iraq....

Poll: Over 80 Percent of Syrians Believe US Created ISIS
Mikael Thalen - More than 81 percent of Syrians believe the United States and its allies are behind the creation of the Islamic State terrorist group, a recent survey found. Conducted by research firm ORB International, the survey questioned 1,365 Syrians throughout the country on matters regarding the Islamic State and the nation’s ongoing turmoil. The poll’s conclusions are unsurprising given both comments and the general sentiment from residents in the Middle East in light of the Islamic State’s continued advance across the region. Just last June, a Wall Street Journal reporter speaking with Iraqi refugees in Baghdad found a growing number of residents believed the United States was directly supporting ISIS terrorists after multiple US weapons airdrops reportedly fell into the hands of jihadists in 2014.

Iceland’s capital declares boycott of all Israeli goods
The Times of Israel - Iceland’s capital’s city council voted Tuesday in favor of boycotting all Israeli-made products. The Reykjavik municipality passed the motion, which approved a boycott of Israeli goods “as long as the occupation of Palestinian territories continues,” Iceland Magazine reported. Council members said the boycott was a symbolic act demonstrating the Icelandic capital’s support for Palestinian statehood and condemnation of Israel’s “policy of apartheid.” Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the move, and, in an apparent reference to Iceland’s status as a hotbed of volcanic activity, said “a volcano of hatred spews forth from the Reykjavik city council building. “For no reason or justification, except hatred for its own sake, calls of boycotting the state of Israel are heard,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We hope someone in Iceland will come to their senses and end the one-sided blindness fielded against Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.”

Russian dairy production up 26% in year after food embargo – Putin
RT - Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed the import substitution in dairy, meat and fish production a success. The government allocated $4 billion to support domestic agriculture.... President Putin said Russia has given top priority to import substitution. The government has formed a select list of investment projects aimed at increasing domestic production of agricultural goods; 255 billion rubles (some $4 billion) has been allocated.

Huge 8.3 quake & 5 aftershocks shake Chile, prompt tsunami warnings, evacuations
RT - A powerful 8.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of central Chile, the United States Geological Survey reports. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami watch for the state of Hawaii. “Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters … widespread hazardous tsunami waves are possible,” the Warning Center said, adding that greatest danger was for Chile and Peru. Tsunami waves “along some coasts” of Chile could reach more than three meters above the tide level, PTWC warned. In Ecuador and Peru waves of up to one meter are possible.

US air force threatens to destroy property next door to Area 51 after owners refuse to sell
Marnie O’Neill - The family own the 400 acre Groom Mine, which overlooks Area 51, one of America’s most closely guarded military secrets and a mecca for UFO spotters and conspiracy theorists from all over the world. Located in the Nevada Desert, the military base officially known as “The Nevada Test and Training Range” borders on the Sheahan’s property, which has been in the family since 1889. The family’s allegations range from illegal government searches and checkpoints to military jet attacks on the mine and a devastating cancer cluster that has seen the premature deaths of several members.

The Obama administration is preparing to announce a plan to admit more refugees
Bloomberg - Wednesday at the White House, the most senior national security officials will discuss raising the limit on the number of refugees from around the world allowed to enter the United States -- from 70,000 this year to 85,000 next year and 100,000 in fiscal 2017, three administration officials told me. If members of the National Security Council Principals Committee agree on the plan, it will be sent to President Obama’s desk, and administration sources say he is likely to quickly approve it.

Obama urges Congress to avoid government closure in abortion dispute
Reuters - President Barack Obama urged the U.S. Congress on Wednesday to avoid a government shutdown, which some conservative Republicans have been threatening if federal funding is not cut off for the women's healthcare group Planned Parenthood. The group faces allegations, which it denies, that it improperly sold fetal tissue after abortions. Some Republicans have said that unless funding for Planned Parenthood was stopped, they would not support new spending measures needed to keep the government running after the end of the federal fiscal year in 15 days.

Illegal Sentenced to 10 Years Probation After Killing Texas Man
Adan Salazar - A Texas family whose loved one was lost in a tragic hit and run accident is disappointed with what they feel is an inadequate punishment meted out to their family member’s killer – an illegal alien from Mexico.... “All I know is my son’s dead and he goes free, and that hurts,” David’s father Don told WFAA. The family’s plight hits at the core of a key discussion being had on the federal level regarding illegal immigration. On one hand, the Obama administration is exacerbating the influx by bending over backwards to accommodate illegals with free handouts and promises to reunite them with families already in the US. On the other, Americans are struggling to cope with criminal immigrants, who – like Lopez-Gil – tend to receive lesser sentencing or deportation, effectively allowing them to get away with various misdeeds or come back to commit more.

White House Invites Transvestite, Pro-Abortion Nun, Gay Bishop to Greet Pope
Breitbart - President Obama will apparently test just how far Pope Francis’ notorious tolerance will go by inviting a rogue’s gallery of people opposed to Catholic teaching to greet the pontiff at the White House during his visit next week. In a stunning show of political indecorum, Obama has invited a series of individuals who publicly flout Catholic teaching, including a pro-abortion religious sister, a transgender woman and the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, along with at least two Catholic gay activists. Though Pope Francis has said that he doesn’t believe in judging persons and is ready to welcome anyone in Christ’s name, he has also said that Catholics do not accept the modern mentality of transgenderism and once said that gay marriage is the devil’s “attempt to destroy God’s plan.”

Texas High School Teen Arrested for Building a Clock
Breitbart - The 14-year-old showed the creation to an engineering teacher and then to an English teacher. The “clock” was confiscated after a teacher said it looked like a bomb. Ahmen Mohamed was called to the school principal’s office and police were waiting for him. The police arrested Mohamed charged him with making a bomb hoax. This occurred despite no one claiming that he called the device anything other than a clock. The school suspended Mohamed for three days. The police handcuffed and fingerprinted him and the “clock” remains in custody as evidence.
* Related: Obama invites Texas boy - and his clock - for visit as authorities defend arrest

Here's Where 2016 Candidates Stand On Vaccinations
Huffington Post - Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) caused a stir on Monday after he called for “balance” on the issue of vaccinating children against disease. (For the record, the scientific community overwhelmingly supports childhood vaccinations, and there is virtually no evidence that the measles vaccine is unsafe.) Since Christie's views are now making the rounds, we thought it would be worth looking at what some other possible 2016 White House contenders have had to say. Here's where some of the most prominent pols stand on the issue...

VIDEO: Full CNN GOP Debate Sept.16 2015
GOP debate on CNN started with, of course, a focus on Donald Trump. After Carly Fiorina avoided saying definitively whether she’d be comfortable with Trump’s finger on the nuclear trigger, Trump responded at the top with a swipe at Rand Paul, by saying he shouldn’t be on the debate stage.

Drudge Report Poll: Who won the 2016 Republican debate on CNN?

Trump: Vaccine Made One of my Employee’s Children Autistic
Adan Salazar - “A week later [the child] got a tremendous fever, got very, very sick, now is autistic.” Billionaire presidential contender Donald Trump made a “huge” splash on the GOP debate stage Wednesday in a sparring match with Dr. Ben Carson over whether vaccines cause autism.

Rand Paul begins shilling for Monsanto
(NaturalNews) In a strange twist, Rand Paul has recently allied with Monsanto and has joined the ranks of academic shill Kevin Folta after coming out against GMO labeling, stating that the labeling requirements would push up the price of food for consumers — particularly poor ones. Rand Paul's excuse for coming out against GMO-labeling falls flat. He is spreading a misconception by saying that requiring GMO labeling would drive up food costs, since most estimates show that GMO labels may cost consumers only $2.30 per person per year, assuming that these costs would be passed on to consumers at all,

Jerry Brown Considering Running for President?
Weekly Standard - California governor Jerry Brown gave signs in a Wednesday interview on CNN that he may be considering running for president. Brown, who has run for president three before, spoke with Wolf Blitzer about the current Democratic field. The Democrat said he has not yet endorsed a candidate, calling frontrunner Hillary Clinton "formidable" and refused to give advice about Vice President Joe Biden, who is reportedly mulling a run. "I will say, though, about the Clintons, with some experience, they are very formidable," said Brown, who ran against Bill Clinton in 1992. "I would not underestimate Hillary Clinton."

Obama gives Muslim refugees priority over homeless military vets
The Examiner - Obama and his minions are in the process of calculating how many refugees fleeing the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) will be brought to U.S. communities, with some claiming as many as 70,000 will be the start of the U.S. humanitarian program. The plan is expected to include housing, food, clothing, healthcare and other necessities which will be waiting for the arrival of those fleeing war-torn Syria and Iraq. Unfortunately, Americans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan or both do not have the benefits being afforded to the Muslim refugees. The veterans who are homeless in America -- between 130,000 and 200,000 -- are between one fourth and one-fifth of all homeless people. Almost 500,000 veterans are struggling with paying their rents and are at risk of ending up on the streets and homeless.

Spy on Your Customers… or Else
Lew Rockwell - Do you distrust the banking system? Prefer to do business in cash? Complain about the encroachment of Big Brother into every facet of your life? -- If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’d better watch out. You’re a “person of interest” – and a growing number of businesses must report your “suspicious activities” to the feds. If they don’t, they can be fined and the responsible parties even imprisoned.... Regulations issued under the BSA require financial institutions to notify the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a Treasury Department bureau, of any unusual transactions in which their customers engage. Reporting is mandatory for transactions that exceed $10,000 and are not the sort in which the particular customer would normally be expected to engage. For money transmitter businesses, a $2,000 threshold applies. The businesses covered by these requirements must file “suspicious activities reports” (SARs) secretly, without your knowledge or consent. FinCEN makes the reports available electronically to every US Attorney’s office and to dozens of law enforcement agencies. No court order, warrant, subpoena, or even written request is needed to access a report. What exactly is suspicious? According to official Treasury guidance, suspicious behavior includes...

The Fed's Long Awaited Decision Day Arrives, And Chinese Stocks Wipe Out In The Last 15 Minutes
Zero Hedge - The long awaited day is finally here by which we, of course, mean the day when nobody has any idea what the Fed will do, the Fed included. Putting today in perspective, there have been just about 700 rate cuts globally in the 3,367 days since the last Fed rate hike on June 29, 2006, while central banks have bought $15 trillion in assets, and vast portions of the world are now in negative interest rate territory.

Obama Lectures Americans on the Economy ’Our Problem Is Us’
Breitbart - During a roundtable discussion with business leaders, President Obama pushed back against the notion that somehow America was losing to China and Russia. Obama’s speech focused largely on economic policy, but he digressed at one point “to go on a quick rant for a second” about the growing uneasiness about America’s position in the world.... “Our problem’s not that China’s going to out-negotiate us or that Mr. Putin is out-strategizing us … that’s not our problem. The problem is us, typically,” he insisted, pointing to “self-inflicted” economic problems like government shutdowns and congressional gridlock in Washington D.C. “I’m being generous when I say we,” he added lightly, likely referring to Republicans. Obama insisted that countries overseas were actually envious of American prosperity. “America’s in the drivers seat if we make some smart decisions,” he said, suggesting that one way to improve the U.S. economy would be to start welcoming more immigrants into the country. “The best talent in the world still wants to come here if we just let them come,” he said.

GM to pay $900 million, settle U.S. criminal case over ignition switches: sources
Reuters - General Motors Co (GM.N) has agreed to pay $900 million and sign a deferred-prosecution agreement to end a U.S. government investigation into its handling of an ignition-switch defect linked to 124 deaths, two sources told Reuters. The deal means GM will be charged criminally with hiding the defect from regulators and in the process defrauding consumers, but the case will be put on hold while GM fulfills terms of the deal, one source said. No individuals would be charged in the criminal case, one of the sources said. The company's expected $900 million payment, confirmed by a second source, is less than the $1.2 billion that Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) paid to resolve a similar case.

This Little-Known Medical Emergency Could Kill Your Pup
Dr. Becker - Water intoxication is a rare but often fatal condition in dogs. Dogs that love being in the water and playing with sprinklers or hoses are at highest risk. Water intoxication causes hyponatremia, a condition in which sodium levels drops to dangerously low levels. Symptoms of water intoxication include staggering, vomiting, pale gums, and dilated pupils; severe cases can cause loss of consciousness and death. Water intoxication is a medical emergency, and even with aggressive veterinary care, many dogs do not survive.... Treatment of the result of water intoxication, hyponatremia, usually involves intravenous (IV) electrolytes, diuretics, and medications to reduce brain swelling. There are several common sense steps you can take to prevent your canine companion from ingesting too much water...

Feed me! Greedy raccoon steals cat food and then demands MORE by banging on a glass door with a rock
Daily Mail - A hungry raccoon has developed an ingenious way to feed herself and her babies - by stealing cat food then knocking on the homeowner's glass door to demand more. Much to the resident's surprise, the greedy mammal developed a habit of using a rock to bang on the door when it wants more food. Capturing its audacious behaviour on camera, she revealed she had nicknamed it Rocksy and despite the raccoon having scratched her glass, said she enjoyed it.
 

Wednesday - September 16, 2015 - Today in History:

1620 - The Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England. The ship arrived at Provincetown, MA, on November 21st and then at Plymouth, MA, on December 26th. There were 102 passengers onboard.
1630 - The village of Shawmut changed its name to Boston.
1782 - The Great Seal of the United States was impressed on document to negotiate a prisoner of war agreement with the British. It was the first official use of the impression.
1810 - The Mexicans began a revolt against Spanish rule. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest of Spanish descent, declared Mexico's independence from Spain in the small town of Dolores.
1908 - General Motors was founded by William Crapo "Billy" Durant. The company was formed by merging the Buick and Olds car companies.
1940 - U.S. President Roosevelt signed into law the Selective Training and Service Act, which set up the first peacetime military draft in U.S. history.
1974 - U.S. President Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for draft-evaders and deserters during the Vietnam War.
1976 - The Episcopal Church formally approved women to be ordained as priests and bishops.
1990 - An eight-minute videotape of an address by U.S. President George H.W. Bush was shown on Iraqi television. The message warned that action of Saddam Hussein could plunge them into a war "against the world."
1994 - Exxon Corporation was ordered by federal jury to pay $5 billion in punitive damages to the people harmed by the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill.
1994 - Two astronauts from the space shuttle Discovery went on the first untethered spacewalk in 10 years.
2002 - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced that Iraq had unconditionally accepted the return of U.N. weapons inspectors.
2004 - Hurricane Ivan plowed into the Gulf Coast with 130 mph wind and a major storm surge; Ivan was blamed for at least 115 deaths, 43 in the U.S.
2007 - A deadly shooting in Baghdad involving the U.S. security firm Blackwater USA left 17 Iraqi civilians dead.
2008 - The federal government announced an emergency $85 billion loan to rescue AIG, the world's largest insurance company.

Australia Overthrows its Prime Minister in the Blink of an Eye
Martin Armstrong - It is really a wonder how these people are elected and what goes through their minds. Abbott appears stunned by the swift pace of the challenge to his leadership. His collapse in the polls warned that he was off the mark, becoming an embarrassment for Australia as a nation on the world stage. Essentially, for the past seven months following a no-confidence vote, Tony Abbott was overthrown this week in a leadership challenge from his popular former communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull, who won the Liberal Party vote 54-44 in Canberra just hours after declaring his leadership bid. This is the peak in government. During the fall of the Roman Empire, between 244 AD and 268 AD, there were 26 Roman Emperors within a period of 24 years. As the economy begins to turn down, we should expect to see this type of response within politics. This is the type of trend we are entering post-2015.75. This is what we should expect to see as people become disillusioned by government and confidence collapses.

China Plunge Protectors Unleash Berserk Buying Spree In Last Hour Of Trading As Fed Meeting Begins
Zero Hedge - For whatever reason starting in the last hour of trading and continuing until the close, the Shanghai Composite - after trading largely unchanged - went from red on the day to up 4.9% after hitting 5.9% minutes before the close - the biggest one day surge since March 2009 - and nearly erasing the 6.1% drop from the past two days in just about 60 minutes of trading, providing a solid hour of laughter to bystanders and observers in the process.

S&P Downgrades Japan From AA- To A+ On Doubts Abenomics Will Work - Full Text
Zero Hedge - On Sept. 16, 2015, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services lowered its long-term foreign and local currency unsolicited sovereign credit ratings on Japan to 'A+' from 'AA-'. The outlook is stable. We also lowered the short-term foreign and local currency unsolicited sovereign credit ratings to 'A-1' from 'A-1+'. We revised our transfer and convertibility (T&C) assessment to 'AA+' from 'AAA'. We believe the likelihood of an economic recovery in Japan strong enough to restore economic support for sovereign creditworthiness commensurate with our previous assessment has diminished.

Brazil raises taxes and cuts spending as recession hits
RT - The Brazilian government has announced plans for $7 billion in spending cuts and $8 billion in additional taxes aimed at plugging the hole in the country’s 2016 budget. The austerity package is designed to balance the harsh economic downturn of the seventh-largest economy, whose sovereign credit rating was cut to ‘junk’ status last week. The measures are going to freeze public sector salaries, cut jobs, eliminate ministries and axe social programs. Brazil officially entered recession last month. The country’s GDP grew by only 0.1 per cent last year and is predicted to fall by 1.49 per cent in the near future. Commodity prices are falling and oil major Petrobras is involved in a corruption scandal.

In an Overlooked War, Saudis Use U.S.-Made Weapons to Kill Civilians in Yemen
AllGov - “The loss of civilian life in Hajja shows why most countries have made a commitment never to use cluster munitions,” said Solvang. “These weapons not only kill or injure people at the time of attack, but the unexploded submunitions go on killing long afterward.” The Obama administration is going through with a deal to sell Saudi Arabia more weapons and missiles. "Bombs have fallen so far from any military target that human rights groups say such airstrikes amount to war crimes," said the Times.

'If you are worried about refugees, stop supporting terrorists' - Assad interview
RT - Europe is "not dealing with the cause" of the current refugee crisis, Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview with Russian media, RT among them, adding that all Syrian people want is "security and safety." “It’s not about that Europe didn’t accept them or embrace them as refugees, it’s about not dealing with the cause. If you are worried about them, stop supporting terrorists. That’s what we think regarding the crisis. This is the core of the whole issue of refugees. "If we ask any Syrian today about what they want, the first thing they would say - 'We want security and safety for every person and every family'," the Syrian president said, adding that political forces, whether inside or outside the government “should unite around what the Syrian people want."...
* Related: * Blame Assad: The world according to State Department
                  * ‘West crying for refugees with one eye, aiming gun with the other’ - Assad (Full interview)

Report: Muslim Migrants Raping Women & Children at German Refugee Camp
Paul Joseph Watson - An explosive document released by top social welfare organizations in Germany reveals evidence that migrants at a refugee camp in Hessen are raping women and children, while also allegedly forcing women into prostitution. The document was made public by LFR (Landesfrauenrat) Hessen, Der Paritätische Hessen, Pro Familia Hessen and the Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Hessischer Frauenbüros. It asserts that women and children at a migrant camp in Hessen are being sexually molested by Muslim “refugees” on such a regular basis that they are afraid to go to the bathroom at night and have to remain fully clothed when they sleep. Women who are not accompanied by men are considered easy prey, with some allegedly being forced into prostitution. The groups behind the letter are calling for women and children to be segregated from male migrants.

Turkey Pushes Refugees To Europe; Part Of NATO War Plan, False Flag, Police State?
Brandon Turbeville - While there has been increased pressure on dislocated Syrians as a result of an ISIS push West, it must be pointed out that a great number of the refugees streaming into Europe are not Syrian at all. It must also be pointed out that much of the emigration from Turkey seems to have taken place at the behest of Turkish intelligence and Turkish officials. In other words, it appears that Turkey may have helped engineer the buildup of thousands upon thousands of refugees within its own borders until the appropriate time where they would release and push them toward Europe. As Tony Cartalucci points out... ” Turkey has “suspiciously maintained a very enthusiastic “open door” policy for refugees, spending inexplicable sums of money and political capital in accommodating them.” Cartalucci finds this policy suspicious because the Turks clearly have no concern for the welfare of the Syrian people.

Hungarian PM Slams Soros-Funded Advocacy Groups: They “Are Drawing A Living From The Immigration Crisis”
Breitbart - Embattled Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has lashed out at pro-migration non-governmental organizations (NGOs) today, singling out those funded by Hungarian-American George Soros for criticism. He said they are “are drawing a living from the immigration crisis” while Hungary is simply trying to protect its standard of living. In an interview with the Hungarian-language TV2 television network, Orban, who has been accused of creating a police state in Hungary since the start of the crisis, said that his actions were simply reflecting the will of the Hungarian people, and mocked the Austrians and the Germans for now following his example and securing the country’s borders. “…one could joke that Austrians are now doing something they had previously continually criticized Hungary for, but this is not the time to do so,” he quipped, adding: “Europe is, after all, the land of democracy and it is impossible to go against the will of the people for a long time and without arguments”.

Obama Issues Executive Order for Government Use of Behavioral Data
Breitbart - A new executive order from President Obama directs all government agencies to use psychological science and data to help connect more Americans to government programs. The order instructs government agencies to use “behavioral science”— a tactic used by Obama’s political campaigns to harness data from their supporters to target them effectively. The program has already existed in an experimental form, but now Obama has formally established the federal “Social and Behavioral Sciences Team,” ordering them to to use psychology and experimental behavior data to make government more user-friendly. n example of these techniques used during Obama’s campaign was that it was better to affirm a positive message rather than denying a negative message. According to reports, behavioral science was used to advise the campaign to focus on Obama’s Christianity instead of trying to deny the notion that he was a Muslim. Other tactics included encouraging supporters to act for the campaign in small ways before asking them to commit to bigger goals.

Strange September 18th Warning Letter Goes Out To Parents From School Near Philadelphia - Do They Know Something We Don't Know?
All News Pipeline - All News Pipeline was recently sent an email that contained a very strange warning that was recently given out by a private school near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ahead of the Pope's visit next week in which the date of September 18th was given to make sure that their children were adequately prepared for an 'shelter in place' emergency in school. The parent whom we got this message from writes that they are 'awake' to what is happening in America and to get a letter like this really gives her a very unsettling feeling as we head towards the nwo 'end game' for America.... After reading this letter, what do you think? The letter begins: "We are living in very difficult times in this world." Why do they specifically mention September 18th?

'Our advantage is shrinking': US general says Pentagon must keep up with Russia
RT - A US Air Force general says the Pentagon needs to develop new tactics to keep up with Russian military advances, stating that Moscow has “closed the gap in capability.” He added that Washington's air advantage is dwindling. General Frank Gorenc, commander of US Air Forces in Europe, said he’s concerned about Moscow's push to increase the quantity and quality of its aircraft and unmanned aircraft, Reuters reported. "The advantage that we had from the air, I can honestly say, is shrinking," Gorenc said at the annual Air Force Association conference. He went on to say that Moscow's investments in modernizing its air force and building formidable surface-to-air missile defenses are “alarming” moves.

Texas Upgrades MS-13 to ‘Tier One’ Level Threat
Adan Salazar - The State of Texas has upgraded the notorious Central American gang Mara Salvatrucha, otherwise known as MS-13, to a “Tier 1” level threat, according to a recent report from the Department of Public Safety. The upgrade coincides with a sudden influx of illegal immigrants into the US, a surge particularly impacting the southern state which shares its extensive border with Mexico. Texas’ Gang Threat Assessment “serves as the annual evaluation of the gang threat” and “provides a reliable overview of gang activity,” the report notes. This year’s assessment, released last week, reveals how MS-13 has seen a steady increase in membership, a startling trend given the group’s ultra-violent nature.... Local police on the border say they’re taking the report seriously and are vigilantly monitoring their towns for any signs of gang activity.

New York National Guard Deploys to Assist with Southwestern Border Security
Breitbart - The New York National Guard is sending one of its two UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopters and a four-man crew to the Arizona-Mexico border on Wednesday to assist with illegal activity and illegal immigration. The Army National Guard helicopter and its crew is being deployed to Marana, Arizona.... Guardsmen will fly aerial reconnaissance missions along the border and will watch for illicit drug and human trafficking and illegal immigration activities.... The NY National Guard spokesman said this is the third time that the New York National Guard has sent support to the Texas border. The last time was in Laredo, Texas, approximately one year ago.

Top Planned Parenthood Exec Agrees Baby Parts Sales “A Valid Exchange,” Some Clinics “Generate A Fair Amount of Income Doing This”
CMP - The fourth episode in a new documentary web series and 10th video by The Center for Medical Progress features several top-level Planned Parenthood executives discussing the organization’s secretive practices around aborted fetal parts harvesting. The video includes comments from Deborah VanDerhei, the National Director of the organization’s Consortium of Abortion Providers, describing the harvesting of fetal body parts as “donation for remuneration.”... “We’ve just been working with people who want particular tissues, like, you know, they want cardiac, or they want eyes, or they want neural,” says Dr. Westhoff to a prospective fetal organ buyer. “Certainly, everything we provide–oh, gonads! Oh my God, gonads. Everything we provide is fresh.” Westhoff continues, “Obviously, we would have the potential for a huge P.R. issue in doing this,” before offering to introduce the buyers to “national office abortion people” from Planned Parenthood.

Battleship Trump: The Donald Sketches Plan to Improve Care for Veterans… ‘Take the System Apart’
Breitbart - GOP frontrunner Donald Trump rallied roughly 1,000 veterans on the USS Iowa battleship, declaring, “the silent majority—believe me—is back.”... “We’re going to make our military so big and so strong and so great,” he vowed. “It will be so powerful that I don’t think we’re ever going to have to use it. Nobody is going to mess with us.” Trump also promised to rebuild the Department of Veterans Affairs. “I am with the veterans one-hundred percent,” he vowed. Long waits at VA hospitals won’t happen if he’s president. “We’re going to create a whole new system, we’re going to take the system apart, and if they’re not doing the job, the veterans are going to go to private doctors, private hospitals, public hospitals. And we’re going to reimburse those doctors and those hospitals,” Trump explained, sketching his plan to improve veterans’ care.... Joel Arends, the President of Veterans for a Strong America—the organization that hosted the event—announced his group’s endorsement of Trump. “2016 is too important to not take a stand,” Arends stated. “Now, it’s time for us to return the favor for someone who will take a stand for us.”
* Related: Video: Donald Trump On The Battleship USS Iowa (Full speech)

Socialist Presidential Candidate Sanders Proposes Raising Government Spending by $18 Trillion
Economic Policy Journal - Bernie Sanders, the self-proclaimed socialist seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, is proposing an array of new programs that would amount to the largest peacetime expansion of government in modern American history, reports WSJ. According to the newspaper, he backs at least $18 trillion in new spending over a decade.This would increase total federal spending by about one-third—to a projected $68 trillion or so over 10 years. To pay for this, Sanders has so far detailed tax increases that could bring in as much as $6.5 trillion over 10 years, according to his staff, reports WSJ. A campaign aide said additional tax proposals would be offered to offset the cost of some, and possibly all, of his health program.

The Unstoppable Trump Juggernaut: How The GOP Establishment Hopes To Crush The Donald's Presidential Run
Zero Hedge - If anyone wants to beat Trump in his own game, they will have to show and prove to the voters of America, that the existing system not only still works, but is worth saving in its current broken form. This is the biggest challenge to everyone - on the right, on the left and in the middle - even if nobody wants to admit it.... And while initial denial by virtually everyone, especially the so-called pundits none of whom anticipated Trump's unprecedented surge in the polls, turned slowly into much publicized anger, now comes the bargaining phase, and as Bloomberg political commentator Mark Halperin who admits spending "about 60 percent of my waking hours talking about Donald Trump" explores, the panicked GOP establishment is now scrambling to find ways to "stop" the Trump Juggernaut. According to him, the core GOP and especially his republicans contenders, may attack Trump through four possible frames...

Comexodus: JPMorgan's Vault Is One Withdrawal Away From Running Out Of Deliverable Gold
Zero Hedge - One week ago, when we reported the record plunge in registered gold held by the various Comex gold warehouses in general, and JPMorgan in particular, which saw the "gold coverage" ratio, or the number of paper claims through open futures interest for every ounce of deliverable gold, soar to what we then thought was a record, and unsustainable 207x, we thought this situation would be promptly rectified as a few hundred thousand ounces of eligible gold would be "adjusted" back into the "registered" category. Not only has this not happened, but with every passing day the situation is getting progressively worse. According to the latest Comex vault data, not only was another 157K ounces withdrawn today, but the conversion of Registered into Eligible continues, and as a result another 10% of total deliverable gold was "adjusted away", leaving just 163,334 ounces of registered gold: the lowest in Comex history.

Are "Self-Service" Checkouts Putting Us Out of Work?
Sputnik News - It's no longer far-fetched to say that soon we will be able to shop, work, travel, and commute, all without interacting with a single person. And, while that may sound appealing to the introverts out there, it's also the reason that we need a basic minimum income. All of that automation and self-service means fewer jobs available for American workers, and that means more people will find themselves unemployed.

This Is Why Hewlett-Packard Just Fired Another 30,000
Zero Hedge - Remember when Hewlett-Packard announced it would fire 58,000 in February just so the company could spend even more billions on stock buybacks to make its shareholders filthier rich? Alas, since then things have gone south not only for HPQ stock but also for the company's buybacks activity... and so Meg Whitman clearly needed to spend even more on buybacks. But where to get the money? Wait, here's an idea: lets fire another 30,000!

Vaccine-Related Shoulder Injuries Are Increasing
Dr. Mercola - Soreness at the site of vaccination is a common vaccine side effect. This includes pain in your shoulder, which is typically regarded as a transient side effect. For some people, however, the shoulder pain doesn't go away but instead progresses and leads to restrictions in range of motion. The condition – shoulder injury related to vaccine administration, or SIRVA – is described as rare, but its incidence appears to be increasing… so much so that the government has proposed adding SIRVA to the federally operated vaccine injury compensation program's (VICP) Vaccine Injury Table.

Magnificent Milk Thistle
Dr. Mercola - Milk thistle is an herb that’s been used for thousands of years to support liver, kidney, and gall bladder health. It contains the flavonoid silymarin, which is thought to be responsible for many of its beneficial effects, including liver protection and antioxidant, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory properties.... Not only is silymarin used to treat alcoholic liver disease, acute and chronic viral hepatitis, and toxin-induced liver diseases, but this powerful compound has been shown in animal studies to reduce liver injury caused by a number of drugs and environmental toxins. [...] it has many additional benefits. Among them are potential anti-cancer effects.

Mango turmeric anti-inflammatory smoothie
STEPin2 - Smoothies are a great way to get the nutrition you and your body needs to thrive into a delicious drink that you love. This mango turmeric anti-inflammatory smoothie is packed with natural compounds like antioxidants and curcumin that lower inflammation naturally. Let’s take a look at the ingredients in this smoothie.
 

Tuesday - September 15, 2015 - Today in History:

1775 - An early and unofficial American flag was raised by Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Mott after the seizing of Fort Johnson from the British. The flag was dark blue with the white word "Liberty" spelled on it.
1776 - British forces occupied New York City during the American Revolution.
1789 - The U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs was renamed the Department of State.
1858 - The first mail service begins to the Pacific Coast of the U.S. under government contract. Coaches from the Butterfield Overland Mail Company took 12 days to make the journey between Tipton, MO and San Francisco, CA.
1883 - The University of Texas at Austin opened.
1923 - Oklahoma was placed under martial law by Gov. John Calloway Walton due to terrorist activity by the Ku Klux Klan. After this declaration national newspapers began to expose the Klan and its criminal activities.
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovered the antibiotic penicillin in the mold Penicillium notatum.
1935 - The Nuremberg Laws were enacted by Nazi Germany. The act stripped all German Jews of their civil rights and the swastika was made the official symbol of Nazi Germany.
1959 - Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev arrived in the U.S. to begin a 13-day visit.
1961 - The U.S. resumed underground testing of nuclear weapons.
1983 - The U.S. Senate joined the U.S. House of Representatives in their condemning of the Soviet Union for shooting down a Korean jet with 269 people onboard.
1990 - France announced that it would send an additional 4,000 soldiers to the Persian Gulf. They also expelled Iraqi military attaches in Paris.
1994 - U.S. President Clinton told Haiti's military leaders "Your time is up. Leave now or we will force you from power."
1997 - The domain name "google.com" was registered.
1998 - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the Iranian military to be on full alert and massed troops on its border with Afghanistan.
1998 - It was announced that 5.9 million people read The Starr Report on the Internet. 606,000 people read the White House defense of President Clinton.

China Stocks Tumble Most Since Late August, BOJ Disappoints Bailout Addicts; US Futures Flat
Zero Hedge - Almost two weeks after we explained why any hope for a QQE boost by the BOJ is a myth, and that any increase in monetization will simply lead to a faster tapering and ultimately halt of Kuroda's bond purchases the market finally grasped this, when overnight the BOJ not only did not easy further as some - certainly the USDJPY - had expected, but kept its QE at the JPY80 trillion level and failed to offer any hints of further easing that many had hoped for, pushing the Nikkei down from up almost 400 point intraday to virtually unchanged and sending the USDJPY back under 120. JGBs also traded lower on concerns there may not be much more QE to frontrun.

Russian Tanks, Artillery Massing Near Syrian Airfield, US Officials Tell Reuters
Zero Hedge - While the build up of Russian military forces in Syria has hardly been unexpected or a surprise, as it is a repeat of what happened in the summer of 2013 when in response to foreign provocations the Assad regime was once again on the edge of collapse and only Russian intervention prevented the fall of Syria to 'western' forces, the question has emerged in the past week: just how much of the military build up is real and verifiable, and how much is a function of the western media euphoria now intent on scapegoating the upcoming land invasion into Syria by US-supported al Nusra (and ISIS) forces as a retaliation for Russian military build up which in itself is a reaction to the now-confirmed western strategy to oust Assad.

Report: Migrants Pretending to be Christians to Get to European Welfare States
Paul Joseph Watson - More reports are emerging of Muslim migrants pretending to be Christians in order gain easy passage to Europe and head for welfare havens like Germany and Sweden. Solveig Gram Jensen, a journalist for Danish broadsheet Jyllands-Posten, was on board a ferry that transported 2,000 migrants from the island of Lesbos to mainland Greece. With Germany as their ideal destination, the migrants, who carry expensive smart phones, have been getting tips from friends and relatives who have already reached European welfare states with the aid of people smugglers. “They have also been told that they should change clothes and put on a chain with a cross when they come to the Serbian border town of Lojane,” reports an English-language summary of the Jyllands-Posten article. “Then Serbs believe that they are persecuted Christians from the Middle East, which will make the border crossing less problematic.”

Europe Approves “Military Action” Against Refugee Smugglers As Germany Warns 1 Million Coming
Zero Hedge - Less than 24 hours after Germany announced it would impose border controls with Austria, followed promptly by the Czech Republic, Slovenia and now the Netherlands, German vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel predicted that as many as 1 million refugees may arrive by the end of the year as other nations moved to fortify their frontiers. As Bloomberg notes, the revised prediction “underscored how quickly the numbers fleeing to Germany are spiraling upward. The official government estimate, released just a few weeks ago, is for roughly 800,000 in 2015, nearly four times the 2014 figure.”
* Related: EU Leaders Set to Approve Massive Detention Camps for Rejected Refugees

Migrants: We Don’t Like Denmark Because ‘Refugee Salaries’ Are Too Low There
Breitbart - Middle Eastern migrants are rejecting Denmark as a country in which to seek asylum, claiming that the “salaries” offered to “refugees” are not as high as other European countries. They are now demanding to go to Sweden or Finland as the terms of asylum there are more favourable.... In the face of hundreds of thousands of migrants entering Europe to claim asylum, the Danish government last week tightened immigration rules. According to the Danish immigration authorities, the Danish Parliament agreed to slash social benefits for newly arrived refugees by 50 per cent; foreign nationals will not be able to bring family to Denmark for a year; and foreign nationals must wait at least five years for a permanent residence permit. In addition, only those who can speak and understand Danish will be granted a permit.

Deutsche Bank to cut workforce by a quarter
Reuters - Deutsche Bank aims to cut roughly 23,000 jobs, or about one quarter of total staff, through layoffs mainly in technology activities and by spinning off its PostBank division, financial sources said on Monday.... Deutsche's share price has suffered badly under stalled reforms and rising costs on top of fines and settlements that have pushed the bank down to the bottom of the valuation rankings of global investment banks.... Other European banks, including Italy's UniCredit, are also in the process of major job cuts.

Hastings District Becomes First Official GMO Free Region in New Zealand
Sustainable Pulse - Hastings District Council has secured a major economic opportunity for local food producers by making the district the first official GMO Free food producing zone in New Zealand. Rules in the newly released Hastings District Plan prohibit both releases and field trials of GM crops and animals.... Twenty-one regions in France and sixteen in Italy are officially GM Free. Among them are Burgundy, Champagne, Provence and Tuscany – regions renowned the world over for their fine food products, good cuisine and rich agricultural traditions. South Australia and Tasmania have similarly prohibited GM releases in order to capture premium markets. In recent months, a number of European countries – including Germany, Greece, Scotland and Latvia– have also announced that they will prohibit release of GM crops in their productive lands.

Fukushima Dumps Tons of Filtrated Radioactive Water into the Sea
Sputnik News - Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant on Monday started releasing once-contaminated water into the sea, saying a filtration process has now made it safe. Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), which operates the plant, discharged 850 tons of formerly contaminated water it had extracted from the ground near the plant into the sea, reported Agence France-Presse. Fishermen had fought the release of the water into the sea, even after it had been decontaminated, but they eventually relented to TEPCO.

VIDEO: Federal Data: U.S. Annually Admits Quarter Of A Million Muslim Migrants
Breitbart - In 2013 alone, 117,423 migrants from Muslim-majority countries were permanently resettled within the United States— having been given lawful permanent resident status. Additionally in 2013, the United States voluntarily admitted an extra 122,921 temporary migrants from Muslim countries as foreign students and foreign workers as well as 39,932 refugees and asylees from Muslim countries. Thus, twelve years after the September 11th hijackers were invited into the country on temporary visas, the U.S. decided to admit 280,276 migrants from Muslim countries within a single fiscal year. To put these numbers into perspective, this means that every year the U.S. admits a number of Muslim migrants larger in size than the entire population of Des Moines, Iowa; Lincoln, Nebraska; or Dayton, Ohio.

Students forced to recite 'Allah is the only god'
WND - Amid a new report of Islamic indoctrination in public schools, the American Center for Law and Justice is fighting back with a petition drive that already has garnered 120,000 signatures. Earlier this year, public-school students in Madison, Wisconsin, were given an assignment to “pretend you are Muslim,” while students in Florida were instructed to “recite the Five Pillars of Islam as a prayer, make Islamic prayer rugs and perform other Muslim rituals,” ACLJ said Monday. Now, parents of public-school students in Tennessee are protesting assignments that include writing a declaration that Allah is supreme and textbooks that recount Islamic doctrines as facts instead of beliefs.

Homeland Security Chairman: “We Don’t Have The Systems In Place To Properly Vet” Refugees
Steve Watson - The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee has urged that facilities are not in place to properly vet Refugees coming to the US from Syria and Iraq, and that it is a “reckless and dangerous policy” to accept at least 10,000 of them, as proposed by the Obama administration. Appearing on ABC News Sunday, Chairman Mike McCaul called the situation “a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions, blaming “a failed foreign policy in Syria with the inability to remove Assad from power and also the rise of ISIS.”... Last week, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters that all refugees attempting to enter the US would be “extensively screened. However, as alluded to by McCaul, senior FBI officials have recently said in Congressional testimony that the resources are simply not there to effectively vet every refugee coming into the country. ISIS extremists claimed earlier this year that they would attempt to export 500,000 terrorists under the guise of being refugees.

State Dept. ‘Transparency Czar’ Was Copied On Clinton’s Classified Email
Breitbart - New State Department “Transparency Czar,” Janice Jacobs, it turns out, is a maxed-out Clinton donor. But before she wrote checks, she apparently failed to check her incoming email. As Breitbart News reported exclusively last week, Jacobs is actually part of the Clinton email scandal. She received some of the questionable emails from Clinton’s illicit home-brew mail server. Patrick Howley reported...

Obamacare Backfires - 400,000 Immigrants Lose Benefits
Zero Hedge - With tens of thousands of "lucky" Syrian immigrants due to arrive on American shores, it appears these hope-full refugees may face life in the US is not as 'free' as they hoped. As AP reports, new government procedures have caused more than 400,000 current immigrants to lose healthcare coverage they received under Obamacare this year. The change in procedure shortens the timeframe during which foreign-born citizens can resolve eligibility issues, which has caused 423,000 people to lose their state-sponsored benefits - more than four times more than last year.

VIDEO: Kentucky Cop Shot Dead; Suspect Lived Near Ferguson
Paul Joseph Watson - The killer of a Kentucky police officer has been identified as a supporter of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. Joseph Thomas Johnson-Shanks gunned down Kentucky State Trooper Joseph Cameron Ponder after a high speed chase last night. Johnson-Shanks posted images on his Facebook page under the pseudonym ‘Jay MileHigh’ of himself attending Michael Brown’s funeral service as well as ‘Black Lives Matter’ demonstrations in Missouri. Johnson-Shanks’s involvement with ‘Black Lives Matter’ is particularly concerning given that the movement’s inspiration is a convicted cop killer on the FBI’s ‘Most Wanted Terrorists’ list, and numerous supporters of BLM have threatened to kill cops in the past, as we document below.

GOP Push Against Boehner Leadership Reaches Critical Number
Breitbart - Before this report, there were 28 GOP members publicly opposed to Boehner’s re-election. Twenty-five of them voted against Boehner at the beginning of the Congress, and three more have come out in public since. The additional conservative House member—who at this time wishes not to be publicly named for leverage purposes in forthcoming negotiations with leadership—has confirmed that if and when a vote on Boehner’s future comes up this fall, he will vote against Boehner’s retention. The number of votes against Boehner “is easily into the 30s, and could well be into the 40s or even up to 50,” the GOP member said. “I think the votes are there.”

FULL SPEECH: Donald Trump Campaign Rally Dallas, Texas Monday 9/14/2015
FULL SPEECH: Donald Trump Campaign Rally Dallas, Texas Monday September 14, 2015. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the American Airlines Center on September 14, 2015 in Dallas, Texas. More than 20,000 tickets have been distributed for the event.

Why Do Transgender People Join the Military in Such High Numbers?
Alan Zarembo - As a young psychiatry resident at Ohio's Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in the 1980s, Dr. George Brown was surprised the first time he saw a transgender patient. Estimates at the time were that for every 100,000 biological males in the general population, no more than three were transgender. Brown figured the rate had to be even lower in the all-volunteer military. It made little sense to him that a transgender person would choose to join an institution that by its nature had no tolerance for deviance.

Half of Navy Contracts Violate Buy American Rules
AllGov - A new report (pdf) from the Pentagon’s inspector general (IG) found that the Navy has ignored domestic preference laws known as the Buy American Act (pdf) and the Berry Amendment. The Buy American Act mandates the federal government give preference to products made in the U.S. when it makes bulk purchases of more than $3,000. Similarly, the Berry Amendment says the Pentagon can’t buy products such as clothing and textiles outside of the U.S. when the purchases are at least $150,000. The IG, however, found that nearly half of the Navy contracts it reviewed violated the Berry Amendment, and a third of another sampling of contracts violated the Buy American Act. Many of the foreign-sourced items purchased were hand and measuring tools, such as crescent wrenches, according to the report. Another item that came to the IG’s attention was foreign-made synthetic fiber to be used in bulletproof vests.

Court overturns EPA’s approval of bee-harming pesticide
The Hill - A federal court ruled Thursday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violated the law when it approved an insecticide produced by Dow AgroSciences. The ruling from the San Francisco-based Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit means that sulfoxaflor, marketed by Dow under the brand names Transform and Closer, is currently not approved for use on U.S. crops. “Because the EPA’s decision to unconditionally register sulfoxaflor was based on flawed and limited data, we conclude that the unconditional approval was not supported by substantial evidence,” the court wrote in its opinion.“We therefore vacate the EPA’s registration of sulfoxaflor.” The decision is a major win for environmentalists, beekeepers and the honey industry, who have been fighting for years against pesticides and other factors that are leading to a sharp decline in bee populations.
* Related: Harvard finds at least one neonicotinoid pesticide in 70% of honey samples tested

Monday - September 14, 2015 - Today in History:

1807 - Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr was acquitted of a misdemeanor charge. Two weeks earlier Burr had been found innocent of treason.
1812 - Moscow was set on fire by Russians after Napoleon Bonaparte's troops invaded.
1814 - Francis Scott Key wrote the "Star-Spangled Banner," a poem originally known as "Defense of Fort McHenry," after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, MD, during the War of 1812. The song became the official U.S. national anthem on March 3, 1931.
1847 - U.S. forces took control of Mexico City under the leadership of General Winfield Scott.
1901 - U.S. President William McKinley died of gunshot wounds inflicted by an assassin. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt, at age 42, succeeded him.
1940 - The Selective Service Act was passed by the U.S. Congress providing the first peacetime draft in the United States.
1948 - In New York, a groundbreaking ceremony took place at the site of the United Nations' world headquarters.
1959 - Luna II, a Soviet space probe, became the first man-made object on the moon when it crashed on the surface.
1975 - Pope Paul VI declared Mother Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton the first U.S.-born saint.
1983 - The U.S. House of Representatives voted 416-0 in a resolution condemning the Soviet Union for the shooting down of a Korean jet on September 1.
1998 - Israel announced that they had successfully tested its Arrow-2 missile defense system. The system successfully destroyed a simulated target.
1999 - It was announced that "US" magazine would change from monthly to weekly and change its name to "USWeekly."
2001 - The FBI released the names of the 19 suspected hijackers that had taken part in the September 11 terror attacks on the U.S.

Propaganda: CNN blames refugee crisis on Russia
Hang The Bankers - The Western media continues to point the finger at Russia, blaming Moscow for fueling the refugee crisis. This time it’s CNN that tried to spin off a story, creating false reports and accusing Russia of causing the refugee crisis in Europe. We’ll give you points, CNN, for trying to James Bond your story — and as every self-respecting US media outlet knows, there is no story without some evil Russians involved — but this is bordering on ridiculous.

The Resurrection of Marx – End of Britain?
Armstrong Economics - Jeremy Corbyn, the infamous Karl Marx admirer, has been elected UK opposition Labour leader. Corbyn is really communist who professes an admiration for Karl Marx. He is the new face of Britain’s opposition Labour party which will help to make a British EU exit more likely. The Marxist sophistry is rob anyone who has more. They never understand that we all provide our piece of the economy that creates the whole. Many are starting to realize that this could be the downturn for Britain.

Crude down on Goldman gloom, Saudi stubbornness & global glut
RT - Oil prices dropped over two percent on Friday, following Goldman Sachs predictions of crude at $20 a barrel due to global oversupply. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, added to the pressure, dismissing OPEC’s emergency summit, which was aimed at stopping crude’s slide. October Brent fell $1.03 to $47.86 a barrel in Friday’s trading session at 14:00 GMT. US benchmark WTI futures for October were down $1.09 at $44.83.

Japan’s largest volcano Mt. Aso erupts, forces evacuation of tourists (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
RT - No nuclear plants have been affected by the eruption, Kyushu Electric Power Co stated, including the Sendai nuclear plant, which was restarted in August and is located about 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Mount Aso. Arrivals and departures have become “irregular” at the Kumamoto Airport because of the eruption, Japan Air Lines said, adding that several flights have already been canceled and more cancellations are expected.... Japan is located in a region known as the “Ring of Fire,” which consists of a horseshoe-shaped band of fault lines and volcanoes running around the edges of the Pacific Ocean. There are over 100 active volcanoes in the area.

It Begins: Europe Flooded With Reports Of “ISIS Terrorists” Posing As Refugees
Zero Hedge - ...a German finance ministry spokesman said that “boxes” of fake Syrian passports, destined for sale and distribution to the hordes of nonwhite invaders seeking to settle in Europe as bogus “war refugees,” had been seized.” That news, carried in a report by the German Tagespiegel newspaper, also revealed that 10,000 fake Syrian passports were seized by police in Bulgaria, on their way to Germany. The Tagespiegel also revealed that the fake Syrian passports are being sold for about $1,500 each—and the fact that many of the “refugees” can afford to buy multiple passports is yet another indication of the bogus nature of their claims to be “asylum seekers.” Significantly, the Tagespiegel article continued, “It is not only Syrians who are interested in Syrian passports. Refugees from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan want to become Syrian in order to secure their recognition as asylum seekers in Western Europe.

Farewell Schengen: Germans, Czechs Return To "Border Controls" With Austria, Riot Police Dispatched To Contain Refugee Crisis
Zero Hedge - ...BBC reports, "Germany is to reintroduce some form of controls on its border with Austria to cope with the influx of migrants, German and Austrian media report." While the BBC said that it is not clear what measures would be introduced, it is likely that a full return to the pre-Schengen era, with extensive customs checks of every border crosser is imminent. Not only that but Express reported that the "German Defence Minister has admitted that the country verges on "an emergency" after cracks have begun to emerge in the 'German generosity' and that some 4000 German troops have been put on standby.

BBC Video Compares Sandwiches Being Thrown to Migrants to Nazi Concentration Camps
Paul Joseph Watson - Emotionally manipulative propaganda piece reinforces media narrative on refugee crisis. Apparently, a video of police throwing sandwiches to hungry migrants at a camp in Hungary is comparable to Jews being gassed in Nazi concentration camps. That’s if you believe an overt propaganda piece published by the BBC which shows footage of a group of migrants clamoring for food at the Roszke migrant camp near the Serbian border. The article, which is currently the top story on the BBC News website, is entitled ‘Migrant crisis: People treated ‘like animals’ in Hungary camp’. The clip, which is backed by an ominous sounding and emotionally manipulative soundtrack, is narrated by an activist named Klaus Kufner, who states, “It reminded me of a concentration camp.”
* Related: VIDEO: Migrant Crisis: The Footage the Media Refuses to Broadcast
* Media Propaganda: Father Of "Drowned Syrian Boy" Was People Smuggler

Iran says finds unexpectedly high uranium reserve
Reuters - Iran has discovered an unexpectedly high reserve of uranium and will soon begin extracting the radioactive element at a new mine, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said on Saturday. The comments cast doubt on previous assessments from some Western analysts who said the country had a low supply and would sooner or later would need to import uranium, the raw material needed for its nuclear program. Any indication Iran could become more self-sufficient will be closely watched by world powers, which reached a landmark deal with Tehran in July over its program. They had feared the nuclear activities were aimed at acquiring the capability to produce atomic weapons - something denied by Tehran.

Russian Bank Caught Using Fake Gold As Reserve Capital
Zero Hedge - Over the past several years, incidents involving fake gold (usually in the form of gold-plated tungsten) have emerged every so often, usually involving Manhattan's jewelry district, some of Europe's bigger gold foundries, or the occasional billion dealer. But never was fake gold actually discovered in the form monetary gold, held by a bank as reserve capital and designed to fool bank regulators of a bank's true financial state. This changed on Friday when Russia's "Admiralty" Bank, which had its banking license revoked last week by Russia's central bank, was reportedly using gold-plated metal as part of its "gold reserves."

Crane That Collapsed in Mecca Killing 101 on 9-11 Was Owned by BIN LADEN FAMILY
Gateway Pundit - At least 101 Muslms were killed and 180 injured when a crane collapsed in Mecca today – on 9-11. The catastrophe was caught on video: The crane was hit by lightning.... The Daily Mail reported, via Weasel Zippers: The crane was owned by the Bin Laden family. The crane belongs to a German crane company operated by the Bin Laden family’s consortium, who are heading the expansion of the Holy Mosque. Saudi BinLaden Group was founded by Osama’s Bin Laden’s billionaire father Mohammed and the sprawling construction conglomerate runs a large amount of major building contracts in the Sunni kingdom.

Exclusive: Obama Admin. Resettling Refugees in Republican States
Kit Daniels - The Obama administration is mainly resettling migrants in Republican-controlled states, according to analysis. Of the 19 states that took in the most refugees per capita in 2013 and 2014, 15 have upper house legislatures dominated by Republicans, a percentage of nearly 80%. In comparison, only three of the 19 states are Democratic and another state, Nebraska, has a nonpartisan legislature but is considered a ‘red state’ in presidential elections. Overall, Republican-controlled states (upper house majorities) represent 62% of the country but 79% of the top states for refugees whereas Democratic-controlled states represent 24% of the country but only 16% of the states taking in the most migrants.

US Military May Have Also Mishandled Plague and Encephalitis Bacteria
Richard Sisk - First it was live anthrax, and now the Pentagon is investigating whether military laboratories also may have mishandled, mislabeled, improperly stored and possibly shipped plague and equine encephalitis bacteria. Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said Thursday that the Defense Department and the Army have expanded the investigation of the shipment of live anthrax spores to all 50 states and several countries to include the mishandling of plague and encephalitis samples by an Army lab in Maryland. Cook said the expanded investigation was seeking to determine "whether or not things were labeled properly" and "whether these substances were shipped to other labs" from the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center in Maryland.

Hillary Email Storage Company: The Emails Could Be Recovered
Breitbart - The Denver-based company that stored Hillary Clinton’s private email server said that the emails might still be recoverable, because there’s no evidence that the server was properly wiped clean.... If the server was not wiped clean, and investigators can still get all of the information off it, then Clinton-World’s attempts to stonewall the investigation could be rendered null and void.

Increased Media Coverage of Gun Attacks Leads to Record-Breaking Summer Gun Sales
AllGov - The past few months have seen dramatic coverage of shootings, including those in South Carolina and Louisiana, which prompted some to call for tighter background checks and other gun safety measures. In August, the FBI received reports of 1.7 million background checks required of gun purchasers at federally licensed dealers, which was the highest number recorded in any August since gun checks began in 1998. Likewise, July broke the record for that month, with 1.6 million requests.

Government-Mandated Kindergarten For Homeschoolers?
Off the Grid News - Homeschooling families could be forced to send children to kindergarten or teach kindergarten at home if a movement that is spreading across the country succeeds. As of now only 15 states require kindergarten, but a growing number of officials in various states are pushing for it to be mandatory for all children, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) says.... Officials in some states have demanded that parents present proof that children had been taught kindergarten before authorizing homeschooling. “The curriculum for California’s 5-year-olds is now aligned with the Common Core academic standards,” The Los Angeles Times editorial board noted in an Aug. 31 piece. In California, the teachers union is trying to get the state legislature to pass a mandatory kindergarten law.

Shock Poll: Donald Trump Leads Republicans in CA
Breitbart - A new poll released Sunday morning by the Los Angeles Times shows Donald Trump leading among Republican voters in California, with 24% of the vote. Fellow outsider Dr. Ben Carson is second, with 18% of registered voters. Jeb Bush and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). were a distant third, tied at 6% in the poll. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Carly Fiorina tied for fifth, with 5%. Scott Walker, who once enjoyed a wide lead, was in seventh place among California Republicans, at 2%. Hillary Clinton led among Democratic voters with 42% of registered voters ahead of 26% for socialist insurgent candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

The GOP’s Donald Trump nightmare may soon get a whole lot worse
Washington Post - Virtually all of the major GOP presidential candidates, including Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and Marco Rubio, all support the TPP, as do Republican Congressional leaders. But, in a little noticed move a few days ago, Trump signaled that he might be headed in a very different direction on the TPP soon enough. After his terrific and wonderful rally outside the Capitol the other day, Trump met with Senator Jeff Sessions, and both men enthusiastically recounted that they had had a good conversation about immigration and …. trade. Said Trump: “The meeting was great!”... Sessions is a leading opponent of the TPP. He has warned that the TPP could harm American workers and allow China to join the deal later without the approval of the U.S. Congress; he has also said that it won’t do anything to counter Chinese currency manipulation and could facilitate the flow of “foreign workers” into the United States.

Republican Rick Perry drops out of presidential race
Reuters - Republican Rick Perry, struggling to raise money and languishing near the bottom in presidential opinion polls, on Friday became the first member of the crowded Republican field to drop out of the 2016 White House race.... "Today I am suspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States," he said during a speech in St. Louis, Missouri, adding that the Republicans have a "tremendous" field of candidates.

For veterans with Gulf War Illness, an explanation for the unexplainable symptoms
ScienceDaily - One in four Gulf War veterans suffers from Gulf War Illness, a condition characterized by unexplainable chronic fatigue, muscle pain and cognitive dysfunction. New research finds for the first time direct evidence that the cells of Gulf War veterans cannot produce enough energy to run the body, explaining the fatigue and slow down of the body.

US Interest Rate Rise Could Trigger Global Debt Crisis
The Telegraph - Global debt levels are dangerously high and central banks cannot keep the game going indefinitely, warns the high priest of orthodoxy. Debt ratios have reached extreme levels across all major regions of the global economy, leaving the financial system acutely vulnerable to monetary tightening by the US Federal Reserve, the world’s top financial watchdog has warned. The Bank for International Settlements said the wild market ructions of recent weeks and capital outflows from China are warning signs that the massive build-up in credit is coming back to haunt, compounded by worries that policymakers may be struggling to control events. “We are not seeing isolated tremors, but the release of pressure that has gradually accumulated over the years along major fault lines,” said Claudio Borio, the bank’s chief economist. The Swiss-based BIS said total debt ratios are now significantly higher than they were at the peak of the last credit cycle in 2007, just before the onset of global financial crisis.

Congress Fiddles While the Economy Burns
Ron Paul - Reports that the official unemployment rate has fallen to 5.1 percent may appear to vindicate the policies of easy money, corporate bailouts, and increased government spending. However, even the mainstream media has acknowledged that the official numbers understate the true unemployment rate. This is because the government’s unemployment figures do not include the 94 million Americans who have given up looking for work or who have settled for part-time employment. John Williams of Shadow Government Statistics estimates the real unemployment rate is between 23 and 24 percent. Disappointingly, but not surprisingly, few in Washington, DC acknowledge that America’s economic future is endangered by excessive spending, borrowing, taxing, and inflating. Instead, Congress continues to waste taxpayer money on futile attempts to run the economy, run our lives, and run the world.

Is Walmart Destroying America?
APWU - Walmart has destroyed tens of thousands of small businesses and countless manufacturing jobs over the past few decades. It has become a gigantic operation that sells five times more stuff than any other retailer in the United States. Unfortunately, a large percentage of the things sold at Walmart are made overseas. What that’s costing the U.S. economy in lost jobs and revenue is incalculable. For every supercenter built, at least two supermarkets and numerous other stores go out of business. Walmart uses the bait-and-switch tactic. It opens stores with rolled back prices, but once the other stores close, Walmart raises its prices, often higher than the prices of stores that it ran out of business. Walmart’s low-wage workers cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $6.2 billion in public assistance, including food stamps, Medicaid, and subsidized housing, according to a report published by the Americans for Tax Fairness, a coalition of 400 national- and state-level groups.
* Related: Walmart Asks More Suppliers To Pay For Space In Warehouses And On Shelves, And They Rebel

Smart Meters: The Real Reason Why This Is All Happening
Take Back Your Power - It’s official. The bits of data that could reveal virtually everything we do offline — in our own homes — are worth TRILLIONS to a wayward global corporate cabal. Earlier this year, the Director of Grants and Research at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) said of so-named “smart” meters: “I think the [surveillance] data is going to be worth a lot more than the commodity that’s being consumed to generate the data.” In case you’re wondering, the commodity of electricity is a $2.2 Trillion market. The data. It’s all about the data. What you do or say in your home, even in your bedroom. Whether you do or eat something that violates your healthcare plan, or your life insurance. All of your online passwords. And everything you do offline. The point is that everything on which they have data can be controlled. And corporations and their puppet governments want it all. All through the convenience of wireless technology. This is the real reason why president Obama was pushing “smart” meters last month, under the guise of, of course, “climate action”. This is the real reason why utilities have declared war on the people.

10,000-acre blaze: 4 firefighters injured, thousands evacuated in California’s Valley Fire (PHOTOS)
RT - Four firefighters received second-degree burns, as a California wildfire in Lake County rapidly spread to consume 10,000 acres in less than six hours, triggering the evacuation of over 3,000 residents, according to Cal Fire. The fire remains uncontained. A state of emergency was declared for Lake and Napa counties on Sunday by California Governor Jerry Brown. The Valley Fire started around 1:24 pm local time on Saturday off Highway Valley Road and Bottle Rock Road in Cobb, California.

8 Things Cat People Understand That Others Don't
Dr. Becker - Living with a cat is unlike living with any other pet. People owned by cats live differently and make concessions that non-cat lovers would never dream of doing. Guaranteed to produce a chuckle or two for anyone who shares his or her home and heart with a feline.
 

Friday - September 11, 2015 - Today in History:



1776 - A Peace Conference was held between British General Howe and three representatives of the Continental Congress (Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Edward Rutledge). The conference failed and the American war for independence continued for seven years.
1777 - American forces, under General George Washington, were forced to retreat at the Battle of Brandywine Creek by British forces under William Howe. The Stars and Stripes (American flag) were carried for the first time in the battle.
1786 - The Convention of Annapolis opened with the aim of revising the articles of the confederation.
1789 - Alexander Hamilton was appointed by U.S. President George Washington to be the first secretary of the treasury.
1814 - The U.S. fleet defeated a squadron of British ships in the Battle of Lake Champlain, VT.
1842 - 1,400 Mexican troops captured San Antonio, TX. The Mexicans retreated with prisoners.
1936 - Boulder Dam in Nevada was dedicated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt by turning on the dam's first hydroelectric generator. The dam is now called Hoover Dam.
1941 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave orders to attack any German or Italian vessels found in U.S. defensive waters. The U.S. had not officially entered World War II at this time.
1941 - In Arlington, VA, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Pentagon took place.
1954 - The Miss America beauty pageant made its network TV debut on ABC. Miss California, Lee Ann Meriwether, was the winner.
1959 - The U.S. Congress passed a bill authorizing the creation of food stamps.
1965 - The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) arrived in South Vietnam and was stationed at An Khe.
1990 - U.S. President Bush vowed "Saddam Hussein will fail" while addressing Congress on the Persian Gulf crisis. In the speech Bush spoke of an objective of a new world order - "freer from the threat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice, and more secure in the quest for peace".
1991 - Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev announced that thousands of troops would be drawn out of Cuba.
1998 - Independent counsel Kenneth Starr sent a report to the U.S. Congress accusing President Clinton of 11 possible impeachable offenses.
1999 - The Wall Street Journal reported that Bayer Corp. had quit putting a wad of cotton in their bottles of aspirin. Bayer had actually stopped the practice earlier in the year.
2001 - In the U.S., four airliners were hijacked and were intentionally crashed. Two airliners hit the World Trade Center, which collapsed shortly after, in New York City, NY. One airliner hit the Pentagon in Arlington, VA. Another airliner crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. About 3,000 people were killed.
2012 - Terrorists attacked the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Four Americans were brutally murdered and ten others were injured.

Islamic State using chemical weapons in Iraq & Syria – report
RT - A research group within Islamic State is alleged to have developed and used warfare poisonous agents in the areas under their control. Russia's Foreign Ministry says ISIS now has the scientific documentation necessary to produce chemical weapons. An anonymous US official cited by the BBC believes Islamic State (formerly ISIS/ISIL) has formed a group to produce toxic chemicals such as mustard and chlorine gas (mustard agent, dichloroethyl sulfide, HD blister agent).... “We've seen them use it on at least four separate occasions on both sides of the border – both in Iraq and Syria,” the official was quoted as saying.

VIDEO: Refugee Crisis: What The Media Is Hiding
Syrian Girl explains how the crisis is being exploited by both governments and economic migrants who aren’t even refugees.

In Major Humiliation For Obama, Iran Sends Soldiers To Support Russian Troops In Syria
Zero Hedge - The latest twist in what we have been warning for months has the makings of the biggest proxy shooting war in years, one that will come as a major humiliation to the Obama administration, today we find out that none other than America's most recent diplomatic sweetheart in the Gulf region, Iran, has deployed ground soldiers into Syria in the past few days in cooperation with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

Ex Marine Drops Truth Bomb, Blows Whistle On Syrian False Flag And War Agenda (Video)
Activist Post - Ken O’ Keefe is an ex-US Marine turned anti-war campaigner who appeared on a Press TV debate called Syria: War of Deception, and absolutely owned his opponent in such an awesome way that you’ll be cheering at his every comment. Recorded in August 2013, this interview is now two years old, but in light of the current European refugee crisis it’s more relevant today than ever before.

Saudi Arabia offers Germany 200 mosques - one for every 100 refugees who arrived last weekend
The Independent - According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which quoted a report in the Lebanese newspaper Al Diyar, Saudi Arabia would build one mosque for every 100 refugees who entered Germany in extraordinary numbers last weekend. It would be unfair to suggest that the Gulf Arab states have done nothing to help the estimated four million Syrians who have fled their country since the start of the conflict in 2011. Just this week, the al Hayat newspaper reported that 500,000 Syrians had found homes in Saudi Arabia since the civil war began – as workers, not refugees.

Palestinian flag to fly at UN HQ after 119 nations vote ‘yes’
RT - UN General Assembly has passed a Palestinian resolution to allow its flag fly in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York, angering Israel and giving hope to Palestinians seeking to gain full UN membership. The vote was passed with 119 votes out of 193 in favor. Among the European countries that voted ‘yes’ were France, Russia, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Belgium, Malta and Poland. The majority of EU member states were among the 45 countries that chose to abstain. A total of eight countries voted against the idea, including the US and Israel. Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah told reporters that he strongly believes this marks another step towards recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Israel nuclear whistleblower Vanunu placed under house arrest over TV interview
RT - Whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu, who served 18 years for exposing details concerning Israel’s clandestine nuclear program in 1986, has been put under house arrest for giving an interview to local media, thus allegedly violating terms of his release. The Magistrate’s Court in Jerusalem on Thursday confined the nuclear whistleblower to a seven-day house arrest, prohibiting him from using the internet or talking to the press, following a police investigation launched the previous day. Local media report that the investigation was initiated by Shin Bet (the Israel Security Agency), which has been monitoring Vanunu’s activities since his release in 2004. The arrest was prompted by an interview the whistleblower gave to the local Channel 2 TV station last week. The news channel said the interview’s content had been cleared for broadcast by the military censor. It added that police also asked for the unedited footage of the interview, suspecting that Vanunu had discussed sensitive information.

French Security Detects ISIS Terrorist in Refugee Camp
Kurt Nimmo - According to the report the man left Syria in late August and intends to travel to Britain and carry out terrorist acts. He is said to be categorized as an S-type criminal and considered a threat to the French state. Police in Calais stated previously that an operation by 40 detectives in the port city had not detected terrorists amidst the refugees there. 3,500 migrants of Asian and African origin are staying at the outdoor Calais encampment and another 1,500 at various locations in what is described as a wasteland near a highway leading into the city. The Daily Mail reports the migrants make nightly attempts to break into the Eurostar station at the French end of the Eurotunnel leading to Britain.

Hungarian Convicts Build 100-Mile, Anti-Migrant Fence Out Of Razor Wire
Zero Hedge - "The fence, in part being built by prisoners along the 175-km (109-mile) border, would be completed sooner than planned, by the beginning rather than the end of October. 'This 3.5-4-metre tall fence can be adequate to protect the country, especially if policemen are patrolling on the other side,"' Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff Janos Lazar told a weekly news conference."

Kuwait & Israel Admit They Refuse to Take ‘Refugees’ Because Migrants Don’t Assimilate
Paul Joseph Watson - While Europe is preparing to take in potentially millions of migrants from African and Middle Eastern countries, politicians in Israel and Kuwait admit that their policy of refusing refugees is because the migrants fail to assimilate and pose a huge threat to social cohesion and democracy. Appearing on Middle Eastern television, a Kuwaiti politician stated, “In the end you cannot accept people from a different ethnicity, culture and environment.” Striking a similar tone, an Israeli politician asserted, “We’ll bring in a million Africans, half a million Filipinos, 2 or 3 million Chinese, and that’s the end of it for Israel.” Asked why it posed a threat to allow a million Africans into Israel, the politician responded, “It’s threatening because this will no longer be a Jewish state….our country is a Jewish state, a Jewish and democratic state.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also asserted that Israel does not have the demographic depths to absorb fleeing migrants.

Saudi Arabia Has 100,000 Air Conditioned Tents That Can House 3 Million People Sitting Empty Yet Has Taken Zero Refugees
Paul Joseph Watson - While European countries are being lectured about their failure to take in enough refugees, Saudi Arabia – which has taken in precisely zero migrants – has 100,000 air conditioned tents that can house over 3 million people sitting empty. The sprawling network of high quality tents are located in the city of Mina, spreading across a 20 square km valley, and are only used for 5 days of the year by Hajj pilgrims. As the website Amusing Planet reports, “For the rest of the year, Mina remains pretty much deserted.” The tents, which measure 8 meters by 8 meters, were permanently constructed by the Saudi government in the 1990’s and were upgraded in 1997 to be fire proof. They are divided into camps which include kitchen and bathroom facilities. The tents could provide shelter for almost all of the 4 million Syrian refugees that have been displaced by the country’s civil war, which was partly exacerbated by Saudi Arabia’s role in funding and arming jihadist groups.

Mapping A Migration: An Infographic Look At Europe's Refugee Crisis Response
Zero Hedge - Well, it’s official, Washington can add “out of control refugee crisis” to the list of bad foreign policy outcomes stemming from America's Mid-East meddling. That list also includes things like accidentally arming an Iran-backed militia with a half billion in sophisticated weapons in Yemen, sponsoring the nullification of a democratic election outcome in Turkey, abandoning support for one Egyptian despot only to see the new US-backed despot sentenced to death after being overthrown in a military coup, and training a group of Syrian freedom fighters who later metamorphosed into a black flag-waving band of marauding jihadists bent on establishing a medieval caliphate. And that’s all in the space of, let’s call it five years.

Fukushima leaks radioactive water after Typhoon Etau busts drainage system
RT - Flooding from Typhoon Etau has caused new leaks of contaminated water to flow from the Fukushima nuclear power station into the ocean. The incident came after a rush of water overwhelmed the site’s drainage pumps. Typhoon Etau brought lashing rains, floods and storm winds to Japan. Tens of thousands of Japanese people have been ordered to leave their homes across the country. Tokyo Electric Power CO. (TEPCO) informed the public today that hundreds of tons of radioactive water had leaked from the facility, but maintained that the incident posed no risk to the environment. Large quantities of contaminated water need to be stored in special reservoirs that were used to cool melted fuel rods from reactors at the TEPCO site, which was damaged by the earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

9/11 Fourteen Years Later
Paul Craig Roberts - Millions of refugees from Washington’s wars are currently over-running Europe. Washington’s 14-year and ongoing slaughter of Muslims and destruction of their countries are war crimes for which the US government’s official 9/11 conspiracy theory was the catalyst. Factual evidence and science do not support Washington’s conspiracy theory. The 9/11 Commission did not conduct an investigation. It was not permitted to investigate. The Commission sat and listened to the government’s story and wrote it down. Afterwards, the chairman and cochairman of the Commission said that the Commission “was set up to fail.”

Democrats filibuster vote on legislation opposing Iran deal in Senate
RT - Senate Democrats have filibustered a vote in the US Senate that would have allowed lawmakers to move forward on a Republican-backed resolution disapproving of the Iran nuclear agreement. Forty-two Democrats voted to keep the resolution from advancing for debate on the floor. Fifty-eight senators voted to move forward with the bill, but they failed to reach the 60-vote threshold required to defeat the Democrats’ filibuster. As long as the bill remains stalled in the Senate, President Barack Obama will not have to exercise a veto to turn back any resolution rejecting the nuclear deal, which was negotiated between Iran and six world powers. He will also remain able to lift sanctions against Tehran as part of the agreement.

Marine killed, 18 injured in accident at Camp Pendleton in California
CNN News - A Marine was killed and 18 others were injured Thursday in a vehicle rollover accident at Camp Pendleton. Officials are investigating the accident, said Lt. Colleen McFadden, a spokeswoman for the 1st Marine Division. They haven't released details about the conditions of the injured.

‘Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death’: The Loss of Our Freedoms in the Wake of 9/11
Rutherford Institute - What began with the passage of the USA Patriot Act in October 2001 has snowballed into the eradication of every vital safeguard against government overreach, corruption and abuse. Since then, we have been terrorized, traumatized, and acclimated to life in the American Surveillance State. The bogeyman’s names and faces change over time, but the end result remains the same: our unquestioning acquiescence to anything the government wants to do in exchange for the phantom promise of safety and security has transitioned us to life in a society where government agents routinely practice violence on the citizens while, in conjunction with the Corporate State, spying on the most intimate details of our personal lives. Ironically, the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks occurs just days before the 228th anniversary of the ratification of our Constitution. Yet while there is much to mourn about the loss of our freedoms in the years since 9/11, there is virtually nothing to celebrate.

U.S. will take in 10,000 Syrian refugees
Reuters - President Barack Obama has directed his administration to prepare to take in at least 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year, the White House said on Thursday. It is the first specific commitment the United States has made toward increasing its acceptance of refugees from the war-torn country. Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the United States has taken in 1,500 refugees, with 300 more expected to be cleared by October. But refugee advocates and some members of Congress said taking in an additional 10,000 refugees did not go far enough toward addressing the humanitarian crisis triggered by the war, which has prompted a massive refugee influx into Europe. In a letter distributed to House members and seen by Reuters, Democratic Representative David Cicilline asked Obama to accommodate 65,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2016. Religious groups have called for the United States to accept 100,000 Syrian refugees.

10 Ways To Spot a False Flag Mass Shooting
Joe Wright - After the Sandy Hook shooting, Connecticut passed strict gun laws and they’re trying to pass invasive homeschooling laws because alleged shooter Adam Lanza was reportedly homeschooled. After the Chattanooga hoax, several Governors signed executive orders allowing the National Guard to be armed at all times. The Charleston church shooting hoax resulted in the banning of the Confederate flag. And all of them have been used to demonize the free flow of information of the Internet. The message is that the shooters were radicalized on the Internet and that type of content must be censored. These lone-wolf shooting events always seem to follow a perfect problem-reaction-solution sequence.

Reality Check: Why Marriage Licenses Have Nothing To Do With God,...
Ben Swann - Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis is still in jail, held in contempt of court because she would not hand out marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Davis says she answers to God, and a lot of people are standing with her. But is she way off base in what she is saying?... Is there any connection between a marriage license and the bible? No. In fact, nationally, marriage licenses in America are less than 100 years old. George Washington didn’t have a marriage license. So where did they come from? Reality Check: They were created to prevent interracial marriage. Get this: for many years, interracial marriage was a crime. In the mid-1800s, certain states began allowing interracial marriages as long as those marrying received a license from the state. Black’s Law Dictionary points to this historical fact when it defines “marriage license” as, “A license or permission granted by public authority to persons who intend to intermarry.” “Intermarry” is defined in Black’s Law Dictionary as “mixed or interracial marriages.”

CNN announces Republican candidates' lineup for 16 September debate, alters rules to ensure Fiorina is included
CNN News - The stage is set for the CNN Reagan Library Debate next week in California, with Carly Fiorina joining 10 other leading Republican presidential candidates at 8 p.m. ET. Thursday marked the close of the two-month window for determining eligibility based on averages of national polls...The top 10 candidates overall -- plus Fiorina, whose average support places her within the top 10 in polls conducted after the first debate held August 6 -- have all qualified for the 8:00 p.m. debate next Wednesday in Simi Valley. The remaining five candidates will appear during an earlier debate beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Goldman Fears "Government Shutdown" Is Looming As Lew Urges Congress "Raise Debt Limit ASAP"
Zero Hedge - With Treasury Secretary Jack Lew sending a letter to Congress this evening demanding they raise the debt limit as soon as possible, warning that cash balances have dropped below the "minimum target," it is perhaps less than surprising that Goldman Sachs is warning that a government shutdown at the end of the month has become much more likely over the last several weeks. While out-months in VIX (beyond the prospective shutdown) remain elevated, Goldman finds a silver-lining claiming that the effect of a potential shutdown on financial markets and the real economy would probably be modest if it did occur.

Barnes & Noble shares tank on mounting losses
America's Markets - Investors are dumping shares of Barnes & Noble Wednesday after the bookseller said its fiscal first quarter loss widened to $34.9 million amid slumping sales of books and digital content. The New York-based retailer said its loss per share totaled 68 cents, falling short of 12 cents per-share profit estimated by analysts. Quarterly sales dipped 1.5% to $1.22 billion. In the year-ago period, Barnes & Noble reported $28.4 million of loss. Shares fell 28% to end the day at $11.80.

What Bubble? 6 Castles That Are Cheaper To Rent Than An Apartment In NYC Or SF
Zero Hedge - America's Renter Nation has never spent more of its paycheck on rent and as Zumper notes, with rent prices in San Francisco and New York at the highest in the nation, affordability does not seem to exist in these two metropolitan areas. For some idea of the scale, there are actually castles in France and Italy that can be rented for about the same price as average apartments in these cities... All of the castles on this list have at least five bedrooms (one has eleven), while the correspondingly priced apartments in San Francisco or New York range from a studio with a murphy bed to a four bedroom. 1. Antic Castle, Tuscany, Italy- 11 bed, 11 bath, $4,040/month... Or you can rent…Stuyvesant Town, New York City, NY- 2 bed, 1 bath, $4,000/month... 2. Chateau Le Mur, Comblessac, France- 8 bed, 5 bath, $2,800/month... Or you can rent… Upper East Side, New York City, NY – 2 bed, 1 bath, $2,995/month.

Real Meat or Fake Meat Pet Food? Consumers Should be Told
Susan Thixton - Fabricated meat pieces in pet food is a well protected industry secret. The Beyond Meat product (from the video) uses no meat – all vegetable proteins to fabricate their ‘chicken’ or ‘beef’ products. But pet food utilizes some meat (meat slurry), various vegetable proteins (wheat gluten, corn starch, pea protein and/or soy protein) and sometimes gums (carrageenan) – this concoction is then extruded (cooked with pressure and steam to produce the meat-like texture) and finally added into the canned pet foods as ‘meat’. The fabricated meat pieces look almost identical to actual meat. How would a consumer know if the pet food is made with real pieces of chicken or beef or made with fabricated meat pieces? They wouldn’t. The pet food industry is not required to tell the consumer if the chunks of meat are actual meat, or a fabricated meat product.

Thursday - September 10, 2015 - Today in History:

1794 - America's first non-denominational college was charted. Blount College later became the University of Tennessee.
1813 - The first defeat of British naval squadron occurred in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. The leader of the U.S. fleet sent the famous message "We have met the enemy, and they are ours" to U.S. General William Henry Harrison.
1913 - The Lincoln Highway opened. It was the first paved coast-to-coast highway in the U.S.
1919 - New York City welcomed home 25,000 soldiers and General John J. Pershing who had served in the First Division during World War I.
1935 - "Popeye" was heard on NBC radio for the first time.
1939 - Canada declared war on Germany.
1940 - In Britain, Buckingham Palace was hit by German bomb.
1942 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt mandated gasoline rationing as part of the U.S. wartime effort.
1943 - German forces began their occupation of Rome during World War II.
1955 - "Gunsmoke" premiered on CBS.
1956 - Great Britain performed a nuclear test at Maralinga, Australia.
1963 - 20 black students entered public schools in Alabama at the end of a standoff between federal authorities and Alabama governor George Wallace.
1979 - U.S. President Carter granted clemency to four Puerto Rican nationalists who had been imprisoned for an attack on the U.S. House of Representatives in 1954 and an attempted assassination of U.S. President Truman in 1950.
1984 - The FCC changed a rule to allow broadcasters to own 12 AM and 12 FM radio stations. The previous limit was 7 of each.
1989 - Hungary gave permission to thousands of East German refugees and visitors to immigrate to West Germany.
1990 - Iran agreed to resume full diplomatic ties with past enemy Iraq.
1990 - Iraq's Saddam Hussein offered free oil to developing nations in an attempt to win their support during the Gulf War Crisis.
1998 - U.S. President Clinton met with members of his Cabinet to apologize, ask forgiveness and promise to improve as a person in the wake of the scandal involving Monica Lewinsky.
2002 - Florida tested its new elections system. The test resulted in polling stations opening late and problems occurred with the touch screen voting machines.
2002 - The "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" exhibit opened at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
2002 - Switzerland became the 190th member of the United Nations.

1yr, 6,700 airstrikes & $4bn after Obama vowed to ‘destroy’ ISIS, jihadists still on offensive
RT - The US and its allies have carried out 6700 airstrikes at an expense of nearly $4 billion in the year since President Barack Obama ordered a campaign against Islamic State. Yet the terror group shows no sign of defeat and has even expanded its reach.... Some 10,000 IS “targets,” from tanks and vehicles to trenches and oil facilities, have been destroyed. While there is no official body count, IS casualties were estimated at over 8,500 in May of this year. The cost of the campaign has been estimated to be $9.9 million per day, totaling over $3.7 billion as of August 2015.

Kremlin: Russia Helps Assad Because Only Syrian Army Can Defeat ISIL
Sputnik News - Russia is providing aid to the Syrian army because it believes this is the only force capable of confronting the Islamic State, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. There are no other organized forces capable of fighting against ISIL except for the Syrian government army, Peskov said.... Earlier on Thursday, it was reported by Russian newspaper Kommersant that Moscow supplies Syrian government forces with firearms, grenade launchers and armored personnel carriers as the country is struggling with radical ISIL militants.

170,000 flee homes after floods hit Japan, Fukushima nuclear plant safety at risk
RT - Tens of thousands of people have been ordered to leave homes across Japan after Tropical Typhoon Etau ripped through the country. Military helicopters plucked residents from the roofs of their homes. Lashing rain pounded the country for a second day, and the Kinugawa River has burst through a flood barrier, sending a tsunami-like wall of water into Joso, about 50 kilometers northeast of Tokyo... The torrential downpour is also threatening safety at the Fukushima nuclear plant, closed since a 2011 disaster, as it has overwhelmed drainage pumps at the site’s contaminated water treatment facility, a spokesman for operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) said.

EU Apparatchik Demands Europe Accept 160,000 Refugees
Kurt Nimmo - Socialist and key architect of the European Union, Jean-Claude Juncker, has used the State of the European Union speech in Strasbourg, France, to call for Europe to accept an influx of 160,000 refugees, primarily from Syria and Libya. “Turning a blind eye to poor and helpless people, that is not Europe,” Juncker admonished. He said so “long as there is war in Syria and terror in Libya, the refugee crisis will not simply go away.” Juncker did not address the root cause of the crises in Syria and Libya, namely U.S. support for a proxy war in Syria and an invasion of Libya by NATO and the United States.

Behind The Euro Immigration Crisis; Who Is Responsible And Why
Brandon Turbeville - The immigration crisis has not formed organically nor has it formed in a vacuum. The people attempting to enter Europe over the last few weeks are a diverse lot, but the overwhelming majority of them are fleeing countries where the West, the United States, and NATO have brought “peace” and “democracy” in the last few years via bombs, troops, or proxy terrorists. In other words, the migrant crisis was created entirely by the West.

Assange to RT: 'US empire' planned to overthrow Syrian govt years before uprising
RT - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has opened up about his new book, 'The WikiLeaks Files,' speaking about the 'US empire' and telling RT's 'Going Underground' program that Washington had plans to overthrow Syria's government long before the 2011 uprising began. Speaking to 'Going Underground' host Afshin Rattansi, Assange referred to the chapter on Syria, which goes back to 2006. In that chapter is a cable from US Ambassador William Roebuck, who was stationed in Damascus, which apparently discusses a plan for the overthrow of the Assad government in Syria.

For The Last Time, No, The Syrian Crisis Was Not Caused By Climate Change
Breitbart -Is there nothing green ideologues won’t do to try to breathe pseudo-scientific life into their bankrupt climate change thesis? Not by the looks of this desperate newspaper story, which attempts – as so many have before – to make hay out of the ragingly fashionable crisis in Syria by linking it to man-made global warming. The report quotes Professor Richard Seager of Columbia University, New York, who says: “Syria was destabilized by 1.5 million migrants from rural communities fleeing a three-year drought that was made more intense and persistent by human-driven climate change, which is steadily making the whole eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region even more arid.” Seager is careful to note that this drought affected several countries besides Syria.

'Frankenvirus': Scientists set to revive giant 30,000yo virus discovered in Siberian permafrost
RT - French scientists have announced they found a new prehistoric virus in the frozen Siberian wastelands, and are planning to bring it back to life. They promise to make sure that the giant virus won’t harm anyone. The virus is called Mollivirus sibericum, translated as ‘soft virus from Siberia’, and measures at 0.6 microns, just over a thousandth of a millimeter… Scientists are now set to ‘wake up’ the virus, but will first make sure that it is inactive and can’t trigger disease in humans or animals… Researchers have often ‘resurrected’ ancient viruses to find out more about them: for instance, back in 2004, US scientists revived the notorious Spanish flu virus, which killed tens of millions of people until early last century… "A few viral particles that are still infectious may be enough, in the presence of a vulnerable host, to revive potentially pathogenic viruses," one of the lead researchers, Jean-Michel Claverie, told AFP.

Pentagon Offers Evacuation to 900 US Military Dependents in Turkey
Richard Sisk - The Defense Department announced Thursday that up to 900 mostly Air Force dependents were being offered voluntary evacuations from the Incirlik airbase in Turkey, which the U.S. began using last month to conduct airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Syria. Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook did not point to any specific threats made against the huge Incirlik base, where about 5,000 U.S. personnel are stationed, but said the action was being taken "out of an abundance of caution" as unrest spreads in the region.

Mysterious September 15th Warning On FEMA Signs Have People Asking - Does FEMA Know Something We Dont Know?
All News Pipeline - With everything else that we are now watching happen across America and the world in September 2015, the mysterious FEMA warning signs seen above and below with a September 15th date have people asking why the date of September 15th is so important? September is National Preparedness Month and FEMA is wisely advising Americans across the country to stock up now and according to the sign above, be prepared for AT LEAST 30 days, something that ANP agrees with completely and applaud FEMA for pushing this advice.

State Dept. Appoints ‘Transparency Czar’ After Clinton Email Scandal
Breitbart - They grow like barnacles on the listing, rust-pitted ship of state, products of a hopelessly corrupt bureaucracy that can no longer handle its daily business without violating its own rules. Czars are often dropped as distractions, like a fighter jet ejecting flares to avoid heat-seeking missiles. The appointment of a powerful new position with great fanfare is the ultimate Washington way of pretending to Do Something and mollify an angry public. And so, there comes unto the State Department a new “transparency czar,” officially to be known as the Transparency Coordinator. The position will be initially filled by Ambassador Janice Jacobs – who, you will not be surprised to learn, donated $2700 to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign less than three months ago.

Shocker: US College Grads Know Nothing About The Constitution
Daily Caller - American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) [...] which promotes high standards and a core curriculum for college students, commissioned a survey of 383 college graduates nationwide and quizzed them on basic American civics via a series of multiple-choice. The result were, for the most part, appalling. When asked to choose among a list of four people which was on the U.S. Supreme Court, only 62 percent correctly chose Elena Kagan, while 10 percent chose Judith Sheindlin, better known to most of America as Judge Judy. One third of respondents couldn’t correctly identify the Bill of Rights as a series of amendments to the Constitution, only 54 percent could correctly state the term lengths for U.S. senators and representatives, and 32 percent thought John Boehner was president of the Senate rather than speaker of the House.

Feds Threaten to Kick Miners Off Land to Expand Area 51
Adan Salazar - The owners of a mining property in Nevada are being forced off their land by the U.S. Air Force, which is seeking to expand its testing capabilities near and around the secretive Area 51 military base. “The land has become an increasingly greater safety and security risk as demand for test and training opportunities have increased,” a press release from Nellis Air Force Base said last month. But the land’s property owners have as yet stood firm, refusing the government’s offer. Mine co-owners and cousins Joseph and Barbara Sheahan say they and 20 other co-owners would rather keep the land their forebearers worked hard to tend for over a century. “What they really want to buy is our property, our access rights and our view,” Henderson, Nevada, resident Joseph Sheahan, 54, told the Associated Press.

Planned Parenthood Clinic Moving Next Door To Charter School
Breitbart - A Washington Post article about the relocation of Planned Parenthood’s new flagship abortion clinic next door to Two Rivers Public Charter School indicates the school’s executive director appears concerned about the images of aborted babies her students could see on the signs of pro-life protesters. But no mention is made about concerns of the abortions going on inside.

VIDEO: Trump on ‘Migrant Crisis’
InfoWars: "We have our own problems," says Trump, backpedaling on comments made yesterday that the U.S. should take in Muslim migrants.
* Related Video: Donald Trump weighed in tonight on the migrant crisis

Trump Challenges CNN’s Jeff Zucker To Donate GOP Debate Profits to Veterans
Breitbart - Wednesday morning, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump challenged left-wing cable news network CNN to donate the profits from next week’s GOP presidential debate to veterans groups. Trump publicly released the letter (addressed to CNN chief Jeff Zucker) via his Twitter account and takes credit for what is sure to be a rare ratings-bonanza for the ratings-troubled network. “[Y]our ad rates have gone from $5,000 to $200,000, or a 4,000% increase,” Trump writes. “I’m self funding my campaign — I do not want money from lobbyists, donors, or special interest groups. Likewise, you should view the second debate broadcast as a public service and not accept the massive profits that this airing will generate. I believe that all profits from this broadcast should go to various VETERANS groups.” Trump said he would eventually provide a list of these groups. This is a brilliant no-lose play on Trump’s part. If CNN gives in, the move will generate a ton of good publicity for Trump. If CNN refuses, Trump has a club to forever beat the left-wing network over the head with.

VA fires veteran for talking to Congress
Washington Examiner - After a disabled VA employee and Army veteran reached out to Congress for help locating his lost benefits folder, the VA fired him out of retaliation.

This Is EXACTLY What The Early Phases Of A Market Meltdown Look Like
Economic Collapse -There is so much confusion out there. On the days when the Dow goes down by several hundred points, lots of people pat me on the back and tell me that I “nailed” my call for the second half of this year. But on the days when the Dow goes up by several hundred points, I get lots of people contacting me and telling me that they are confused because they thought the stock market was supposed to go down. Well, the truth is that if there is going to be a full-blown market meltdown, we would expect for there to be wildly dramatic swings in the market both up and down. A perfect example of this is what we experienced during the financial crisis of 2008. 9 of the 20 largest single day declines in stock market history happened that year, but 9 of the 20 largest single day increases in stock market history also happened that year. If we are moving into another great financial crisis, there should be massive ups and massive downs, and that is precisely what we are witnessing right now.

Wednesday - September 9, 2015 - Today in History:

1776 - The second Continental Congress officially made the term "United States", replacing the previous term "United Colonies."
1836 - Abraham Lincoln received his license to practice law.
1850 - California became the 31st state to join the union.
1898 - In Omaha, NE, Tommy Fleming of Eau Claire, WI won the first logrolling championship.
1904 - Mounted police were used for the first time in the City of New York.
1919 - The majority of Boston's police force went on strike. The force was made up of 1,500 men.
1919 - Alexander Graham Bell and Casey Baldwin's HD-4, a hydrofoil craft, set a world marine speed record.
1926 - The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was created by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA).
1942 - Japan dropped incendiaries over NE in an attempt to set fire to the forests in Oregon and Washington. The forest did not ignite.
1946 - Ben Alexander hosted "Heart’s Desire" for the first time on the Mutual Broadcasting System.
1948 - North Korea became the People's Democratic Republic of Korea.
1957 - The first civil rights bill to pass Congress since Reconstruction was signed into law by U.S. President Eisenhower.
1965 - French President Charles de Gaulle announced that France was withdrawing from NATO to protest the domination of the U.S. in the organization.
1983 - The Soviet Union announced that the Korean jetliner the was shot down on September 1, 1983 was not an accident or an error.
1986 - Frank Reed was taken hostage in Lebanon by pro-Iranian kidnappers. The director of a private school in Lebanon was released 44 months later.
1994 - The U.S. agreed to accept about 20,000 Cuban immigrants a year. This was in return for Cuba's promise to halt the flight of refugees.
1997 - Sinn Fein, the IRA's political ally, formally renounced violence as it took its place in talks on Northern Ireland's future.
1998 - Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr delivered to the U.S. Congress 36 boxes of material concerning his investigation of U.S. President Clinton.
1998 - Four tourists who had paid $32,500 each were taken in submarine to view the wreckage of the Titanic. The ship is 2 miles below the Atlantic off Newfoundland.
2014 - Apple unveiled the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition.

ISIS in Europe? Hungary uncovers two ‘terrorists’ posing as refugees
RT - European politicians have expressed concerns that Islamic State (formerly ISIS/ISIL) militants could be infiltrating EU borders under the guise of refugees. Hungarian media reports that at least two ISIS militants were uncovered after entering an unspecified European country as refugees. The identification of the extremist fighters was made possible after the two revealed their identities by posting photographs on social media, Hungary’s M1 television reported Tuesday. “Islamist terrorists, disguised as refugees, have showed up in Europe. [The] pictures were uploaded on various social networks to show that terrorists are now present in most European cities. Many, who are now illegal immigrants, fought alongside Islamic State before,” the report said.

VIDEO: Greek Island Turns Into War Zone as Migrants Clash
Breitbart - The Greek island of Lesbos has been turned into a war zone by rioting migrants, leaving the island’s 85,000 residents in despair. Around 25,000 migrants are currently camped out on the island with hundreds more arriving daily, leading to frequent violent clashes and rioting despite their claim to be fleeing violence. Located just 6 miles from the Turkish shore, the migrants come over in inflatable boats which they cut up on arrival to prevent being turned back, expecting to be able to quickly travel on by ferry to mainland Europe, German station RTL has reported. Instead, they are being held on the Island while the police issue emigration documents, a delay which can take days. The wait is causing tension between groups as Afghans accuse Syrians of getting preferential treatment by the authorities, leading to vicious violent clashes.

France says taking all refugees would be victory for ISIS
Pamela Geller - “It’s very difficult, but if all these refugees come to Europe or elsewhere, then Daesh has won the game,” said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. And indeed it would. This is immigration jihad. Worse still, Obama is considering bringing thousands of these “migrants” here, adding to the already growing army of ISIS recruits in America. In February, the Islamic State warned us that they would send half a million Muslim migrants in a “psychological” attack against the West. And back in May, I reported that the Islamic State was making a fortune smuggling Muslim “migrants” into Europe. And back in July, I warned that hundreds of ISIS members planned on infiltrating Europe, together with masses of refugees from Libya, Syria, and Iraq. It’s happening — the media are fictionalizing what is essentially the invasion of Europe.

German Schools Order Girls Not to Wear Short Skirts to Avoid Offending Muslim Migrants
Paul Joseph Watson - Schools in Germany are ordering teenage girls not to wear mini-skirts or shorts so as to prevent attacks from Muslim migrants who may be offended by such attire. A school located in Pocking, Bavaria sent a letter to parents advising them of new “security measures” after a migrant shelter was opened at the school’s nearby gym. Parents were warned that their children should not wear revealing clothes for fear of “misunderstandings” that could lead to “attacks” by the migrants. Children were also told that “derogatory or racial remarks” would not be tolerated. Some parents were incensed by the letter but principal Martin Thalhammer said the measures were necessary to protect the children.

China intends to oust dollar from oil trade
RT - China is planning to launch its own oil benchmark in October, similar to Brent and WTI, striving for a more important role in establishing crude prices. Unlike the Western benchmarks, the Chinese contracts will be nominated in the yuan, not the US dollar.

Agenda 21: L.A. to Replace Car Lanes with Slow Public Transportation
InfoWars - "...What are you going to do, take two hours on a bus?" asked resident. This city of fast cars and endless freeways is preparing to do what not long ago would have been unthinkable: sacrificing car lanes to make way for bikes and buses. The City Council has approved a far-reaching transportation plan that would reshape the streetscape over the next 20 years, adding hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes, bus-only lanes and pedestrian safety features as part of an effort to nudge drivers out from behind the wheel. Not surprisingly, in the unofficial traffic congestion capital of the country, the plan has set off fears of apocalyptic gridlock. “What they’re trying to do is make congestion so bad, you’ll have to get out of your car,” said James O’Sullivan, a founder of Fix the City, a group that is planning a lawsuit to stop the plan. “But what are you going to do, take two hours on a bus? They haven’t given us other options.”\

Iran deal set to pass Senate as 41 lawmakers voice support
RT - Enough Senate Democrats have endorsed the Iran nuclear deal to block the vote on the Republicans’ disapproval resolution, and more than enough to uphold President Barack Obama’s veto if the resolution somehow manages to pass. Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Gary Peters of Michigan and Ron Wyden of Oregon, all Democrats, announced Tuesday they would back the deal despite harboring misgivings.... Rejecting the deal, Blumenthal said, would damage US reputation around the world.

Cheney Says Iran Will Nuke America
Kurt Nimmo - In a speech Tuesday at the American Enterprise Institute former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney argued Iran is preparing to launch a nuclear attack on the United States. Cheney’s speech characterized the Obama administration’s brokered nuclear deal with Iran as “madness” and he accused the president of providing the Islamic republic with the means to destroy America. “This agreement will give Iran the means to launch a nuclear attack on the U.S. homeland,” Cheney said. “I know of no nation in history that has agreed to guarantee that the means of its own destruction will be in the hands of another nation, particularly one that is hostile.” “What President Obama is asking the United States Congress to do is unique — historically and dangerously unique. The results could well be catastrophic.”

US seeks fix to failed training of anti-ISIS Syrian rebels
RT - The Pentagon is considering changes to the program of training ‘moderate’ Syrian rebels, admitting that its efforts to create a local fighting force against Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS) militants have been an embarrassing failure so far. Among the proposed options are deploying the trainees in larger groups and in safer portions of Syria, as well as giving them better intelligence about the enemy, senior Pentagon and Obama administration officials told the New York Times on condition of anonymity.

US Aerial Surveillance Impaired Off The East Coast Until October 1st Due To "Military Activities"
Zero Hedge - A notam issued Sept. 1 announced that, beginning Sept. 2, both ADS-B surveillance and TCAS may be unreliable in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, as well as in airspace extending approximately 200 nautical miles off shore. The situation is expected to last through Oct. 1 as a result of military exercises in the area. But similar military exercises in the past have caused no interference with civilian ADS-B or TCAS, and AOPA is asking the FAA to explain both why the notam was issued so late and what has changed to raise these new concerns. “We are working to get answers for our members,” said Rune Duke, AOPA director of air traffic and airspace. “This notam has caused considerable alarm and much confusion, while giving pilots little time to prepare. The long duration, ambiguous language, and short notice of this notam are all cause for serious concern.

Baltimore to pay Freddie Gray family $6.4 million settlement, eclipsing combined previous payouts
RT - The city of Baltimore will pay Freddie Gray’s family a $6.4 million settlement for his April arrest and death. If approved, the payout will be larger than all combined police misconduct settlements by the Maryland jurisdiction over the past several years. The settlement, announced by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on Tuesday, does not admit any wrongdoing by the six Baltimore Police Department officers who are charged in Gray’s death.... The proposal calls for Baltimore to pay $2.8 million during the current fiscal year and $3.6 million in next year, the city said. It will have to be approved by the Board of Estimates, the governing body that oversees the city’s spending. The five members, including Rawlings-Blake, are expected to meet Wednesday.

Trump storms Capitol for Iran protest
The Hill - Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and top conservative leaders will rally at the Capitol on Wednesday in a show of force against the Iran nuclear deal. The star-studded conservative rally on the Capitol’s West Lawn is sure to galvanize opponents of the pact, which President Obama is on the verge of enacting after securing support from congressional Democrats.... The rally will serve as a contrast to Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, who is slated to deliver a speech in support of the Iran nuclear agreement earlier in the day.

Military selects rarely used charge for Bergdahl case
(AP) - Military prosecutors have reached into a section of military law seldom used since World War II in the politically fraught case against Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the soldier held prisoner for years by the Taliban after leaving his post in Afghanistan. Observers wondered for months if Bergdahl would be charged with desertion after the deal brokered by the U.S. to bring him home. He was — but he was also charged with misbehavior before the enemy, a much rarer offense that carries a stiffer potential penalty in this case. "I've never seen it charged," Walter Huffman, a retired major general who served as the Army's top lawyer, said of the misbehavior charge. "It's not something you find in common everyday practice in the military."

Marine Vet Pays for Billboards Saying VA Is Lying
Breitbart - Two huge billboards in Central Florida paid for by a Marine veteran are advertising the message that the Veterans Affairs Administration is lying about their improved service for veterans. Roger Gagnon, of Orange City, paid $775 for an Orlando billboard and $1,400 for another near Daytona Beach to send his message for one month. The billboard, boasting a bright yellow background, read, “VA is lying, veterans are dying.” Gagnon asserted, “It’s not about me, I’m all set. This is about the people who are in the service and the ones who are fixing to go in the service.” He said of the VA, “They got that last nerve of mine that I just got to the point where I said, ‘I’ll eat Ramen noodles for a month, but I’m going to let them know that I’m upset.'”

Obama Orders Federal Contractors to Provide Paid 7 Days Sick Leave
AllGov - President Barack Obama has used his executive powers to force federal contractors to provide seven days of paid sick leave to employees. The new rules, which won’t go into effect until 2017, demand that companies doing business with the U.S. government give their workers (both full-time and part-time) an hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked for a total of up to seven days in a year.... Obama chose to use his presidential authority to effect the change because the Republican-controlled Congress has refused to consider such a plan. The GOP has sided with business lobbyists that insist mandating paid sick leave will only hurt companies and adversely impact their bottom line.

Government Employees Outnumber Manufacturing Employees 1.8 to 1
CNS News - Those employed by government in the United States in August of this year outnumbered those employed in the manufacturing sector by almost 1.8 to 1, according to data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 21,995,000 employed by federal, state and local government in the United States in August, according to BLS. By contrast, there were only 12,329,000 employed in the manufacturing sector.

Social Security Disability Fund Will Be Broke Next Year
Zero Hedge - The 2015 annual report from the Social Security Board of Trustees shows that the program’s disability component is in immediate trouble. Data from the latest report show that the disability fund will be depleted as soon as next year and unable to pay full benefits to beneficiaries.

Labor Day Shock: $187B Federal Student Loan Delinquency
Breitbart - Despite the Labor Day unemployment rate supposedly falling to 5.1 percent, the total delinquent loan amount for the 40 million student loan borrowers is now about $340 billion, according to the US Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid website. The Department of Education’s newly released quarterly report, entitled “Information for Financial Aid Professionals,” reveals that there is a 23 percent delinquency rate on the 55 percent of the $1.47 trillion of total student debt loans outstanding that are now in repayment status.

Nuclear 'regulators' drop cancer risk study
The Hill - Federal nuclear energy regulators have decided to end a study they had started to determine the risks of cancer near nuclear power plants. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which had hired the National Academy of Sciences to conduct the study, said Tuesday that it determined that the cost and time of the second phase of its research would be too high given the agency's budget restraints.... The NRC undertook the study effort in 2010 and completed the first phase in 2012. But the first phase on resulted in recommendations for a second phase, which would focus on analyzing populations near six nuclear power plants to find cancer risks. NRC staff detailed the decision to end the study in an August memo that the agency made public Tuesday. It said that completing the study would take as long as 10 years at a cost of $8 million, and alternatives to the research plan should be explored.

Tuesday - September 8, 2015 - Today in History:

1866 - The first recorded birth of sextuplets took place in Chicago, IL. The parents were James and Jennie Bushnell.
1892 - An early version of "The Pledge of Allegiance" appeared in "The Youth's Companion."
1935 - U.S. Senator Huey P. Long, "The Kingfish" of Louisiana politics, was shot and mortally wounded. He died two days later.
1945 - In Washington, DC, a bus equipped with a two-way radio was put into service for the first time.
1951 - A peace treaty with Japan was signed by 48 other nations in San Francisco, CA.
1952 - The Ernest Hemingway novel "The Old Man and the Sea" was published.
1960 - NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, was dedicated by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The facility had been activated in July earlier that year.
1966 - NBC-TV aired the first episode of "Star Trek" entitled "The Man Trap". The show was canceled on September 2, 1969.
1974 - U.S. President Ford granted an unconditional pardon to former U.S. President Nixon.
1975 - In Boston, MA, public schools began their court-ordered citywide busing program amid scattered incidents of violence.
1997 - America Online acquired CompuServe.
1999 - Russia's Mission Control switched off the Mir space station's central computer and other systems to save energy during a planned six months of unmanned flights.
2006 - A Senate report faulted intelligence gathering in the lead-up to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Putin Puts Central Military District on Full Combat Alert
The Moscow Times - President Vladimir Putin, the supreme commander of Russia's armed forces, on Monday ordered a surprise inspection of all military forces under the command of the Central Military District, one of the Defense Ministry's four regional administrative commands, the TASS news agency reported. “In accordance with [Putin's] order to the forces of the [Central] Military District, parts of the air forces of other military districts, the airborne troops and the military air transport forces have been on full combat readiness from 9:30 a.m. Moscow time,” said Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, TASS reported. Since the start of the Ukraine conflict in early 2014, Russia and NATO have been conducting large numbers of military inspections and exercises amid severely strained relations. Russia has scheduled 4,000 exercises in 2015.

US-led coalition airstrike kills 11 Afghan anti-drug police in opium-dense Helmand province, Interior Ministry says
RT - A US-led coalition airstrike killed 11 Afghan anti-drug police officers in southern Afghanistan, the Interior Ministry said Monday. Amid conflicting reports, NATO has denied responsibility. The airstrike hit the unstable, opium-rich province of Helmand on Sunday, AFP cited officials as saying. "Eleven counter-narcotics police were killed and four others were wounded in an airstrike carried out by international forces in the Garmsir district of Helmand province," deputy Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said.

The Numbers Are In: China Dumps A Record $94 Billion In US Treasuries In One Month
Zero Hedge - ... the pace at which Beijing is burning through its USD assets in defense of the yuan has serious implications not only for investors’ collective perception of market stability, but for yields on core paper, for global liquidity, and for US monetary policy. On Monday we got the official data from China and sure enough, we find out that the PBoC liquidated around $94 billion in reserves during the month of August and as Goldman argues (see below), the “real” figure might have been closer to $115 billion. Whatever the case, it’s a staggering burn rate and needless to say, were the PBoC to continue to liquidate its assets at this pace, it would necessitate a raft of RRR cuts and hundreds of billions in short-term liquidity ops to ensure that money market don’t seize up in the face of the liquidity drain. Here’s some commentary from across sellside desks on the official numbers...

Saudi coalition jets 'purge Yemen of scum' with intensive airstrikes
RT - Delivering on a promise to quickly avenge their heaviest ever military loss, UAE jets have pounded Houthi positions in Yemen, hitting many civilians, in the “most violent” air raid since the Saudi-led bombardment campaign began six months ago. The heavy air raids by the United Arab Emirates jets on Houthi positions in Yemen coincided with the funeral of the 45 UAE soldiers who were killed in Houthi rocket attack on Friday… According to United Nations (UN) figures, over 1,900 civilians have died, 7,870 people have been injured and more than 100,000 have been displaced, since the Saudi-led coalition launched its military campaign in March 2015.

Plan B: Russia May Use New Aid Flight Routes to Syria Bypassing Greece
Sputnik News - On Saturday, the US embassy appealed to the Greek government with a request to prohibit the flights of Russian aircraft providing aid to Syria, however, Athens refused to do so, a source told RIA Novosti… However, Russia can create new flight routes under international agreements, he concluded… A number of Western countries have long supported what they call "moderate" rebel fighters, while Russia has repeatedly stated that Assad is the legitimate president of Syria, and that the people of Syria must choose their government and leaders without outside intervention.

Syria war: France to prepare for IS air strikes
BBC News - President Francois Hollande has ordered preparations to begin for air strikes on Islamic State militants in Syria… Speaking at his bi-annual news conference in Paris, Mr. Hollande said terror attacks had been planned from Syria against several countries, including France… France looks to be moving towards airstrikes in Syria, as well as those it has already launched in Iraq… This is therefore to a large extent symbolic; encouraged in part by the need to be seen to respond to the refugee crisis emanating from Syria.

EU eyes new migrant quotas; reluctant countries can buy out
Reuters - The European Union executive is preparing for a new clash over refugees with national governments, especially in eastern Europe, after officials gave details on Monday of how many it would ask each of them to accommodate. The European Commission will propose national quotas to relocate 160,000 asylum-seekers arriving in Greece, Hungary and Italy, with Germany taking in more than 40,000 and France nearly 31,000. Countries that do not want to take part would be able to make financial contributions to buy their way out of the obligation on a temporary basis… But while Berlin and Paris have thrown their weight behind the scheme to oblige states to take in people to process their claims for refugee status, poorer eastern countries have made clear they oppose such schemes.
Related:
   * Hungary's Orban Vows Rigor to Seal Off Border Against Migrants
   * Austria plans to shut emergency corridor for refugees
   * Netanyahu says Israel not indifferent, but too small to host refugees

Chinese stock markets dive after record $94bn fall in central bank reserves
The Guardian - Chinese stock markets tumbled again on Monday as it emerged that the Beijing authorities spent nearly $100bn last month propping up the yuan. The $94bn (£61bn) fall in central bank reserves was the biggest on record, although in percentage terms it was the biggest for three years. Investors in China returning to their trading desks after a long weekend reacted to falls in stocks in the US and Europe on Friday… It came despite the country’s central bank governor, Zhou Xiaochuan, trying to calm nerves, arguing that the “correction in the stock market is almost done”.

In September 2015, Agenda 21 Will Be Transformed Into The 2030 Agenda
End Of The American Dream - “The 2030 Agenda” at a major conference that will be held from September 25th to September 27th in New York City. The Pope is actually traveling to New York to deliver an address which will kick off this conference. Unlike Agenda 21, which primarily focused on the environment, the 2030 Agenda is truly a template for governing the entire planet. In addition to addressing climate change, it also sets ambitious goals for areas such as economics, health, energy, education, agriculture, gender equality and a whole host of other issues. As you will see below, this global initiative is being billed as a “new universal Agenda” for humanity.

WH ‘Actively Considering’ Approaches to Refugee Crisis
CNS News - “The administration is actively considering a range of approaches to be more responsive to the global refugee crisis, including with regard to refugee resettlement,” National Security Council spokesman Peter Boogaard said in a statement.... While the U.S. is the biggest financial donor – having provided more than $4 billion in humanitarian assistance since the crisis began and more than $1 billion this year, according to Boogaard – it has taken in only around 1,500 Syrian refugees since the beginning of the conflict. The State Department said last month the U.S. expects to welcome between 1,000 and 2,000 Syrian refugees in the current fiscal year and between 5,000 and 8,000 in fiscal year 2016.

DEA is spying on thousands of patient medical files without a warrant
MassPrivateI - The Drug Enforcement Administration has been sifting through thousands of supposedly private medical files, looking for Texas doctors and patients to prosecute without the use of warrants. “It’s not like there’s ten of them. There’s probably thousands — I know there are thousands,” Matt Barden, spokesman for the DEA, told the Daily Caller News Foundation about the DEA’s use of administrative subpoenas. But, as a legal brief filed last week points out, lawyers for the federal government can’t find a single case in which a court has “authorized the use of such a broad array of patient information with such a sparse record as to why it needs such information.”

U.S. Official: "Energetically" Enforce UN Arms Trade Treaty
The New American - The First Conference of State Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) was held from August 24 to 27 in Cancun, Mexico. Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Countryman represented the United States at the conference. He made it very clear in his official statement that he was on board with accelerating the move to give teeth to this globalist gun grab. “We are here to take foundational decisions to operationalize this Treaty, to turn it from mere words on the page into a reality that makes a difference around the world. We are here to breathe life into this Treaty by standing up its international operation,” Countryman declared. Calling the agreement “a tool that we can use, energetically and effectively,” Countryman committed the United States to “continue its commitment to the Arms Trade Treaty.” As of today, the United States Senate has not ratified the treaty, but the Obama administration seems set on changing that before the president leaves office.

Hillary's Computer Tech to Plead the Fifth; Congress May Offer a Deal
The New American - Pagliano — who has said he will take the Fifth when he is called to testify before Congress later this week — maintained the private e-mail server that Hillary used to manage all her e-mails, both work and personal, during her tenure as secretary of state. Hillary's campaign acknowledged only recently that he was paid out of the Clintons' private funds for those services. This new information is in conflict with previous statements. According to a report by the Washington Post, State Department officials "found no evidence that [Pagliano] ever informed the department that he had outside income," even though he was required to disclose any such "outside income" on the standard personal financial documents he filed each year. He will have a hard time selling the idea that the omission was merely an oversight, since he did disclose the payments the Clintons made to him for the same work previous to his employment at the State Department

Feds Say Company Discriminated Against Illegals, Orders Back Pay
Kurt Nimmo - The Justice Department says Nebraska Beef discriminated against illegal alien workers by asking them for proof of citizenship. The Department of Justice’s Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices objected to non-U.S. citizens being “targeted” because of their citizenship status, according to Judicial Watch. Under pressure from the federal government, the company agreed to a $200,000 civil penalty and also to create an uncapped back pay fund to compensate individuals who lost wages because they were unable to prove they are in the county legally, according to the non-partisan educational foundation. In addition, the business will be subjected to “compliance monitoring” by the government. Judicial Watch believes the effort is part of a larger effort by the federal government and the Obama administration to facilitate the entry of illegal aliens in the United States...

Labor Day, 2015: Joe Biden Says He’s for the Workers
Kurt Nimmo - Obama’s vice president told union members on Labor Day he supports the middle class and a “level playing field” on wages and the standard of living. “You built the middle class,” said Joe Biden during the the annual Labor Day Parade in Pittsburgh. “That’s not an exaggeration. And as you’ve declined, the middle class has declined. … Build labor, we build America. Build labor, we build the middle class.”... Biden, however, is no friend of labor. He voted for NAFTA during the 103rd Congress in 1993. NAFTA was designed by the elite and the political class to toss American workers on the globalist labor market and force them to compete with Chinese workers earning on average about $4,755 per year and Mexican workers making $7,668 annually. In Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia the annual wage is far lower. The annual wage in Vietnam, where manufacturing jobs now flourish, was $1,890 in 2013. It is interesting a crowd of labor union members would cheer a man who helped permanently transfer a million manufacturing jobs out of all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Trump: Evidence Suggests Obama Protecting ISIS
Kit Daniels - The fact the Obama administration is leaving known ISIS training camps alone suggests the White House is protecting the terrorist group, according to presidential candidate Donald Trump. “Well, you [as president] would knock the hell out of the training camps, that one’s a given, and it’s incredible we don’t do it [since] we know where they are,” he said on the Michael Savage Show. “It’s almost like, ‘are we protecting these people?'” Trump is closer to the truth than he realizes; a secret U.S. government document obtained by Judicial Watch reveals the U.S. and other NATO nations deliberately backed al-Qaeda in Iraq, which morphed into ISIS, and other Islamic extremist groups to overthrow Syrian president Bashir al-Assad.

Trump Leads Anti-Establishment Candidates to 60 Percent as Bush Crashes
Breitbart - New polls from NBC News and Marist out from New Hampshire and Iowa show that, once again, billionaire Donald Trump is winning a fight with yet another career politician: This time, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Bush’s position in the all-important first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa has deteriorated significantly as he’s at a meager 6 percent—in a poll with a margin of error of 5.5 percent—meaning he’s slipping further and further into the lower tiers of candidates there.

Bernie Sanders leads Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire by nine points
The Guardian - Senator Bernie Sanders has opened a nine-point lead over fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton among party supporters in New Hampshire, according to an NBC News/Marist Poll released on Sunday. The survey showed that 41% of Democratic voters would back Sanders while 32% would cast a vote for Clinton if the poll were held today – and Vice-President Joe Biden were on the ballot. Support for Biden, who has yet to decide whether to run after the death of his son Beau in May, was at 16%.

698K Native-Born Americans Lost Their Job In August: Why This Suddenly Is The Most Important Jobs Chart
Zero Hedge - The one chart that matters more than ever, has little to nothing to do with the Fed's monetary policy, but everything to do with the November 2016 presidential elections in which the topic of immigration, both legal and illegal, is shaping up to be the most rancorous, contentious and divisive… what it shows for just the month of August… a whopping 698,000 native-born Americans lost their job. This drop was offset by 204,000 foreign-born Americans, who got a job in the month of August. But the punchline: since December 2007, according to the Household Survey, only 790,000 native born American jobs have been added. Contrast that with the 2.1 million foreign-born Americans who have found a job over the same time period...

Veterans Used In Secret Experiments Sue Military For Answers
NPR - American service members used in chemical and biological testing have some questions: What exactly were they exposed to? And how is it affecting their health? American service members used in chemical and biological testing have some questions: What exactly were they exposed to? And how is it affecting their health? Tens of thousands of troops were used in testing conducted by the U.S. military between 1922 and 1975. As one Army scientist explained, the military wanted to learn how to induce symptoms such as “fear, panic, hysteria, and hallucinations” in enemy soldiers.
Many of the veterans who served as test subjects have since died. But today, those who are still alive are part of a class action lawsuit against the Army. If they're successful, the Army will have to explain to anyone who was used in testing exactly what substances they were given and any known risks. The Army would also have to provide those veterans with health care for any illnesses that result, in whole or in part, from the testing.

Three Former U.S. Treasury Secretaries and a Facebook Executive Laugh About Income Inequality
Liberty Blitzkrieg - If there was ever a “let them eat cake” moment in modern American history, this is it. Earlier this year, at 2015’s Milken Institute Global Conference, Facebook Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg, was moderating a panel with three former U.S. Treasury Secretaries. The topic of income inequality was raised, and they all burst out laughing. The biggest uproar came from the man who orchestrated the 2008 banker bailouts, former Goldman Sachs CEO, Hank Paulson…

Record 94,031,000 Americans Not in Labor Force; Participation Rate Stuck at 38-Year Low for 3rd Straight Month
CNS News - A record 94,031,000 Americans were not in the American labor force last month -- 261,000 more than July -- and the labor force participation rate stayed stuck at 62.6 percent, a 38-year low, for a third straight month in August, the Labor Department reported on Friday … The number of Americans not in the labor force has continued to rise, partly because of retiring baby-boomers and fewer workers entering the workforce. In August, according to BLS, the nation’s civilian noninstitutional population, consisting of all people 16 or older who were not in the military or an institution, reached 251,096,000. Of those, 157,065,000 participated in the labor force by either holding a job or actively seeking one.

The Elite Have Prepared For The Coming Collapse – Have You?
Economic Collapse - Why are the global elite buying extremely remote compounds that come with their own private airstrips in the middle of nowhere on the other side of the planet? And why did they start dumping stocks like crazy earlier this year? Do they know something that the rest of us don’t? The things that I am about to share with you are quite alarming. It appears that the global elite have a really good idea of what is coming, and they have already taken substantial steps to prepare for it. Sadly, most of the general population is absolutely clueless about the financial collapse that is about to take place, and thus most of them will be completely blindsided by it.

Syngenta Plans $2 Billion Stock Buy-Back to Shore Up Failing Investor Support
Natural Society - Swiss biotech company Syngenta is trying to appease wary investors with a scheme to buy back more than $2 billion in stock shares, and sell a vegetable seed portion of their overall business. In order to keep investors interested in the chemical companies wares, Syngenta plans to ‘return significant levels of investment capital’ according to Bloomberg. Syngenta stock fell significantly after the merger (attempted hostile takeover) with Monsanto failed. Though Syngenta’s vegetable seed business made them over $663 million last year, this is small potatoes compared to its chemical sales.

If Your Pet Likes to Munch on Grass, Here's a Safer, Nutrient-Filled Alternative
Dr. Becker - Sprouts Are a Rich Source of Nutrients for Pets. Seeds are the first life stage of a plant, and sprouts are the second stage of a plant’s life. They are the tiny stems of the plants that emerge from wet seeds before they put down roots and become full-grown plants. After a few days of germinating, these little plants are packed with a ton of nutrients. In fact, pound for pound, many sprouts contain significantly more digestible vitamins, minerals, proteins, and enzymes than the adult versions of the same plants. Sprouts are rich in enzymes, making them almost pre-digested, similar to plant matter that wild dogs and cats ingest from the stomach contents and GI tracts of prey animals. Unlike vegetables, which can be difficult for pets to digest if they’re consumed whole, during sprouting much of the starch that’s contained in the plant seed is broken down into simple sugars by amylase. The proteins are converted into amino acids and amides by protease, and the fats and oils are turned into simple fatty acids by lipase.

The Healing Power of Dogs (w/infographic)
Natural Blaze - Here are the reasons why dogs are often considered best friends or even family members. Did you know that dogs to have an amazing healing power and may improve the physical and mental health of their human companions?
 

Monday - September 7, 2015 - HAPPY LABOR DAY!!!
 

Friday - September 4, 2015 - Today in History:

1781 - Los Angeles, CA, was founded by Spanish settlers. The original name was "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula," which translates as "The Town of the Queen of Angels."
1825 - New York Governor Clinton ceremoniously emptied a barrel of Lake Erie water in the Atlantic Ocean to consummate the "Marriage of the Waters" of the Great Lakes and the Atlantic.
1886 - Geronimo, and the Apache Indians he led, surrendered in Skeleton Canyon in Arizona to Gen. Nelson Miles.
1888 - George Eastman registered the name "Kodak" and patented his roll-film camera. The camera took 100 exposures per roll.
1894 - A strike in New York City by 12,000 tailors took place to protest sweatshops.
1917 - The American expeditionary force in France suffered its first fatalities in World War I.
1944 - During World War II, British troops entered the city of Antwerp, Belgium.
1951 - The first live, coast-to-coast TV broadcast took place in the U.S. The event took place in San Francisco, CA, from the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference. It was seen all the way to New York City, NY.
1957 - The Arkansas National Guard was ordered by Governor Orval Faubus to keep nine black students from going into Little Rock's Central High School.
1957 - The Ford Motor Company began selling the Edsel. The car was so unpopular that it was taken off the market only two years.
1967 - Michigan Gov. George Romney said during a TV interview that he had undergone "brainwashing" by U.S. officials while visiting Vietnam in 1965.
1981 - The Soviet Union began war games with about 100,000 troops on the Polish border.
1993 - Pope John Paul II started his first visit to the former Soviet Union.
1998 - In Mexico, bankers stopped approving personal loans and mortgages.
1998 - While in Ireland, U.S. President Clinton said the words "I'm sorry" for the first time about his affair with Monica Lewinsky and described his behavior as indefensible.
1999 - The United Nations announced that the residents of East Timor had overwhelmingly voted for independence from Indonesia in a referendum held on August 30. In Dili, pro-Indonesian militias attacked independence supporters, burned buildings, blew up bridges and destroyed telecommunication facilities.
2002 - The Oakland Athletics won their AL-record 20th straight game. The A's gave up an 11-run lead during the game and then won the game on a Scott Hatteberg home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
2006 - "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, 44, died after a stingray's barb pierced his chest.
2007 - Toy maker Mattel Inc. recalled 800,000 lead-tainted, Chinese-made toys worldwide, a third major recall in just over a month.

EU refugee crisis ‘absolutely expected’ – Putin
RT - Russia has frequently warned of major problems which Europe would face as a result of Western policies in the Middle East and North Africa and jihadist groups terrorizing people, so the current refugee crisis in the EU doesn’t come as a surprise, said the President of Russia.... According to the Russian president, the main flaw of Western foreign policy is the imposition of their own standards worldwide without taking into account the historical, religious, national and cultural characteristics of particular regions. The only way to reverse the refugee flow streaming into Europe is to help people resolve problems at home. And the first step should be by creating a common and united front against jihadist groups such as Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and fighting them at their core.

The 2030 Agenda: This Month The UN Launches A Blueprint For A New World Order With The Help Of The Pope
Zero Hedge - Did you know that the UN is planning to launch a “new universal agenda” for humanity in September 2015? That phrase does not come from us – it is actually right in the very first paragraph of the official document that every UN member nation will formally approve at a conference later this month. The entire planet is going to be committing to work toward 17 sustainable development goals and 169 specific sustainable development targets, and yet there has been almost a total media blackout about this here in the United States. The UN document promises that this plan will “transform our world for the better by 2030“, and yet very few Americans have even heard of the 2030 Agenda at this point. As I discussed in a previous article, the 2030 Agenda is taking the principles and goals laid out in Agenda 21 to an entirely new level.

Migrant crisis spurs European interest in Israeli border barriers
Reuters - Faced with a surge in migration from the Middle East and North Africa, two European countries are exploring the possibility of erecting towering steel security fences along parts of their borders, similar to Israel's barrier with Egypt. Hungary and Bulgaria have made preliminary inquiries about buying the Israeli-designed fences, according to an Israeli business source who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the discussions. Both EU countries are beefing up their borders to deter migrants, many of them refugees from wars, who are seeking to use them as gateways to richer countries further north and west, particularly Germany.

Hungary PM says refugees ‘German problem,’ slams EU inability to control situation
RT - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that by mid-September, Budapest should have a package of regulations in place to tackle the growing number of migrants. He said Hungarians are 'full of fear' because Europe is unable to 'control the situation.' "We Hungarians are full of fear, people in Europe are full of fear because they see that the European leaders, among them prime ministers, are not able to control the situation," Orban said on Thursday, after a meeting with European Parliament President Martin Schulz in Brussels. The prime minister added: "I came here to inform the president that Hungary is doing everything possible to maintain order. We are creating now in the Hungarian parliament a new package of regulations, we set up a physical barrier and all these together will provide a new situation in Hungary and in Europe from September 15. Now we have one week of preparation time."

German Immigration Hits 20-Year-High, Up by 1.46 MILLION, Asylum Benefits Up 61 Per Cent, Nearly 1 Million Flee
Breitbart - Immigration into Germany last year hit its highest level for 20 years, with nearly 1.5 million people entering the country, and nearly one million people leaving. The number of people claiming asylum seeker benefits jumped by a staggering 61 per cent, the German Statistics Office (GSO) said on Thursday.... On Monday German Chancellor Angela Merkel described coping with the influx of asylum seekers as Europe’s biggest challenge. Poll figures show that voters in Germany agree. A Forsa poll put Merkel’s conservative bloc down one percentage point on 40 per cent after a two-point dip last week, which the pollster blamed on divisions within her party on the third bailout for Greece.

Global Scientists Support Scottish GM Crops Ban
Sustainable Pulse - An open letter signed by 30 scientists and other specialists has today been sent to the Scottish Minister Richard Lochhead in support of the announced Scottish ban on the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops.... The signatories of today’s letter point to increasing use of pesticides, with no intrinsic increase in crop yield (there is no single gene for higher yield ). Thus GM crops are a liability to both farmers and consumers, while proponents of GM continue to make extravagant claims for these crops. The letter also dismisses the claim that GM foods are safe to eat, a claim based on commercially confidential studies performed by the GM-seed developers. On the contrary, peer-reviewed, published toxicology/ safety studies by independent researchers show that lab animals suffer damage to health when fed even small quantities of GMOs.

Democrats in Congress Refuse to Watch Videos Exposing Planned Parenthood Selling Aborted Babies
LifeNews - Reminiscent of the Kermit Gosnell trial when reporters refused to cover the murder charges filed against an abortion practitioner who killed babies born alive during abortions, Congressional Democrats today refused to attend a screening of the videos exposing Planned Parenthood selling aborted babies and their body parts.... Daily Signal reporter Kelsey Harkness attended the screening and took a picture (above) showing a virtually empty room in a Congressional office building indicating that Democrats clearly refused to attend the screening.... Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is planning a vote on legislation in a couple weeks that would de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business. The two votes would follow one the Senate had weeks ago, which saw Senate Democrats filibuster and block legislation to revoke $550 million in taxpayer funding. The Senate is expected to vote soon on a second attempt to de-fund Planned Parenthood.

Christian Clerk to Jail over Same-Sex Marriage
Breitbart - A Christian who refuses to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples—Kim Davis, the county clerk for Rowan County, Kentucky—has been ordered to jail for contempt of court. Davis was ordered by a federal district judge to begin issuing licenses. She asked a federal appeals court, and then the Supreme Court, to put the district court’s order on hold while her case is pending on appeal, but the higher courts declined to do so.... But as Breitbart News previously reported, Davis is claiming the right to use her governmental power to order all of her deputy clerks and other subordinates that they shall not issue marriages licenses, either. Her personal right to religiously object probably does not extend to using her public-office power to order other government workers to conform to her personal faith-based beliefs.

U.S. shadows Russian ship near nuke submarine bases
Washington Free Beacon - U.S. intelligence ships, aircraft, and satellites are closely watching a Russian military vessel in the Atlantic that has been sailing near a U.S. nuclear missile submarine base and underwater transit routes, according to Pentagon officials. The Russian research ship Yantar has been tracked from the northern Atlantic near Canada since late August as it makes its way south toward Cuba. Defense officials familiar with reports on the Russian ship say the Yantar is believed to be gathering intelligence on underwater sensors and other equipment used by U.S. nuclear submarines based at Kings Bay, Georgia. The submarines, their transit lanes, and training areas stretch from the coastal base through the Atlantic to Europe.

State Dept. seeks to oust 16 judges from Clinton email cases in favor of one judge
Washington Times - The State Department asked to halt most of the judges prying into former Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s emails, filing papers Thursday proposing that the cases all be combined into one so that a single judge can oversee the government’s searches and released.... The administration faces the prospect of each of the 17 judges making demands on how and when they do searches. And any one of them could order the department to go back and try to recover the more than 30,000 emails Mrs. Clinton said she deleted as personal correspondence — a prospect neither the Clinton campaign nor the administration would relish. Instead, the State Department wants a single judge to handle all of the searching and deadlines, saying it would bring “order” to the process.

Inside Job: Police Say Officer Shot, Torched Own Vehicle
Mikael Thalen - Police in Massachusetts say an officer shot and set fire to his own patrol vehicle Wednesday despite his claim that he had crashed into a tree after being attacked by a gunman. The officer’s initial claims resulted in a widespread manhunt, which included the deployment of the department’s Air Wing helicopter, as well as the closure of numerous public buildings including schools and libraries. “SkyFOX flew over the scene on Forest Road where an officer said he was checking on a disabled vehicle when he was shot at 3 times,” notes Fox 25. “The officer said he fired back, then crashed when he attempted to follow the vehicle. Then, he told police, his cruiser caught fire.” Police have thus far made no comments regarding a possible motive, only stating that the officer would be relieved of duty. Statements from Fox 25 indicate that the officer will also likely face criminal charges.

SAT Scores In The US Are Collapsing
Common Dreams - New statistics show that average SAT scores countrywide have dropped to their lowest level since the college admissions exam was redesigned in 2005, continuing a 10-year trend that education advocates say illustrates the failures of test-driven schooling. According to the College Board, which reported the statistics on Thursday, the average SAT score for the class of 2015 was 1490 out of a possible 2400, with points declining on all three sections of the test—reading, math, and writing. That raises an alarm for the The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest), an education advocacy group, which said the latest SAT numbers highlight the failings of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and other standards-based scholastic achievement measures.

Deleting American History: Under New Standards, “U.S. Constitution Simply Ignored by Teachers”
Mac Slavo - “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history. […] He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.” – George Orwell, 1984. Common Core and similar corporate-driven efforts to alter education are starting to have some serious consequences. Rewriting history is a major part of the silent takeover that is and has been underway for some time. The powers that be are interested in control, not in freedom. That much is understood. As such, American history – as ugly and bloody as it has been – cannot be told. Knowledge about the U.S. Constitution, the critical Bill of Rights and the revolution for independence are inconvenient facts to the new social engineering. Incredibly, public schools are now actually beginning to rewrite history by omitting this pivotal chapter from classrooms. According to EAGnews.org, South Dakota – which is a Common Core state – is literally leaving it untaught...

SF School Adds Gender-Neutral Kindergarten Bathrooms
Breitbart - The first San Francisco elementary school to make bathrooms gender neutral has proudly removed the circles, triangles, and stick figure signs from the kindergarten and first-grade bathrooms that delineate the differences between the sexes. Principal Sam Bass of Miraloma Elementary said the change at the beginning of the school year was prompted by the needs of six to eight students who are outside calling themselves simply boys or girls, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Bathrooms for children older than first grade will be altered in coming years, even outside bathrooms that have multiple stalls.... The Chronicle reported one first-grade boy at Miraloma prefers long hair and female clothing, while another first-grade boy wears boys and girls clothes, including gold lamé stretch pants.

Trump Says US Would Have to Defend Iran Against Israel Attack
Kurt Nimmo - Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump told CNN the United States would be obliged to defend Iran against an Israeli attack under the terms of the nuclear deal reached between the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, China, Germany and Iran. “You know, there is something in the Iran deal that people I don’t think really understand or know about,” Trump told CNN’s Don Lemon. “And nobody is ever to explain it that if somebody attacks Iran, we have to come to their defense.” “And I’m saying this – that includes Israel? And most people say, yes. So, if Israel attacks Iran according to that deal, I believe… that we have to fight with Iran against Israel.” The agreement calls for Western nations signing the deal to ensure nuclear safety “as appropriate” of Iran’s civilian nuclear facilities. The language of the agreement, however, does not explicitly state the United States or the other nations are required to defend Iran if it is attacked.

Trump to sign GOP pledge, commit to back party nominee
Washington Post - GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump signed a pledge Thursday to support the Republican nominee in next year’s general election, effectively ruling out a third-party or independent run.... He said that he sees “no circumstances under which I would tear up that pledge. ... I have no intention of changing my mind.”... Trump’s latest embrace of the Republican Party is a conundrum not only for the RNC, but for Trump’s rivals. Many of them are pleased that the businessman’s third-party threat has for the moment been diminished, but they know that urging him to do so also means pressure on them to make the same oath, pledging to back whoever wins the nomination, even Trump.

Donald Trump the only mainstream presidential candidate who's spoken out about vaccine-autism dangers
(NaturalNews) There's only one presidential hopeful currently in the running who has been brave enough to speak out about the link between vaccines and autism, and that candidate is none other than business tycoon Donald Trump. In a 2012 interview with Fox News, Trump stated in no uncertain terms that he's seen healthy children fall gravely ill after receiving vaccinations and that there's no doubt in his mind that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are directly linked to vaccines. This powerful interview took place long before Trump decided to run for president in the 2016 race.

‘Hillary for Prison’ signs keep getting stolen in the Hamptons
NY Post - This Hamptonite wants Hillary Rodham Clinton behind bars — and had to put his signs saying so behind an electric fence. Andy Sabin’s first “Hillary for Prison 2016” signs lasted little more than a day before they were stolen from in front of his Amagansett home last week. So Sabin took steps to make sure the placards were secure. The red, blue and white signs now sit atop a pair of 12-foot poles behind an electric fence with yellow warning signs. A surveillance camera keeps watch.... People have been stopping regularly to take pictures with the signs, and one couple even pulled into his driveway to see where they could buy some.

Chicago Veterans Help 8,000 Kids Safely Get to and From School (Video)
The VeteransSite.com - Sometimes, school children have to walk through these rough neighborhoods as they go to and from school, sometimes going so far as becoming either the victim of a violent crime, or even the assailant. Knowing how detrimental it can be to place youth into situations that can quickly sour, Leave No Veteran Behind created the Safe Passage Program, which places veterans and their watchful eyes on the commute paths of the children. Each day, these awesome veterans help 8,000 kids safely get to and from school.

Japanese firms in US are ‘hostages’ of anti-Russia sanctions – bank official
RT - Japanese businesses operating in the United States have become hostages of Washington's sanctions against Russia, according to the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). Many Japanese banks maintain extensive business operations in the United States. In the context of sanctions (against Russia) Washington can impose restrictions on any transactions by these banks," JBIC Senior Managing Director Tadashi Maeda said in an interview to TASS on Thurday at the first Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok. "For instance, the sanction list includes Rosneft. If you do business with Rosneft in the United States, this may be a reason for sanctions on Japanese businesses," he said. "One can say that Japanese companies in the United States are hostages of US sanctions," Maeda added.

2015 Job Layoffs Up 31% Year Over Year in August
Money Morning - After spiking to a four-year high in July amid massive military staff cuts, monthly job layoffs slipped by more than 60% in August. Still, the year-to-date count is up notably compared to August 2014… U.S. employers announced plans to trim headcount by 41,186 last month, according to a report Thursday from global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. That was a 61% decline from the staggering 105,696 layoffs in July. The July tally was the highest since September 2011, when monthly job cuts hit 115,730.... The retail sector was hit hard job in August, with 9,601 planned layoffs reported during the month. Most of those were related to the bankruptcy of east coast supermarket chain A&P. The grocery retailer is shuttering more than 100 stores and laying off a reported 8,500 workers by Thanksgiving.

Number of Americans Living on $2 a Day Has More Than Doubled in 20 Years
Sputnik News - It may be hard to imagine how one can survive earning no more than $2 a day, but for 1.5 million families and 3 million children in the US, this single digit is a severe reality, according to a new book, “$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America”... The US is considered one of the most developed capitalist states in the world, but that doesn’t change the fact that an increasing number of its residents live in conditions one would be forgiven for thinking only those in third world countries have seen.

Fracking Creates Massive Radiation Waste Problem
Green Med Info - With recent news that California's fracking industry will be "repurposing" its toxic wastewater to meet the needs of an agricultural industry driven desperate by the drought, a timely new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives reveals fracking wastewater is not just a source of dangerous petrochemicals but also a highly toxic form of radioactive waste.... Titled, "What's NORMal for Fracking? Estimating Total Radioactivity of Produced Fluids," the new study tested the hypothesis that fracking wastewater contains the same naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) found in the shale deposits that it is produced from as a drilling byproduct. The primary radionuclides of interest include radium, polonium, and lead, which are decay products of uranium and thorium, and which are normally safely locked away deep within millions of years old geological formations.

5 Risky Wives' Tales That Even Your Vet May Believe
Dr. Becker - Some popular folklore about pet care seems to hang on well past its expiration date. And then there are traditions that persist because experts in the veterinary industry promote them. How many of the following pet care myths have you heard of or fallen for?

Add This to Your Pet First Aid Kit
Susan Thixton - To me, this is one of the most important things to have in your First Aid kit (for your pets and yourself) – activated charcoal capsules.... From ASPCA Tips to Manage a Poison Emergency: “Activated charcoal adsorbs a chemical or toxicant and facilitates its excretion via the feces. It basically acts like a magnet, attracting and holding the toxicant to its surface so that it passes through the gastrointestinal tract without being absorbed by the body. It is administered when an animal ingests organic poisons, chemicals or bacterial toxins or if enterohepatic recirculation of metabolized toxicants can occur... The recommended dose of activated charcoal for all species of animals is 1-3 gm/kg body weight. Repeated doses of activated charcoal every 4-8 hours at half the original dose may be indicated when enterohepatic recirculation occurs. Related: Emergency First Aid Kit for Your Dog
 

Thursday - September 3, 2015 - Today in History:

1783 - The Revolutionary War between the U.S. and Great Britain ended with the Treaty of Paris.
1833 - The first successful penny newspaper in the U.S., "The New York Sun," was launched by Benjamin H. Day.
1838 - Frederick Douglass boarded a train in Maryland on his way to freedom from being a slave.
1895 - The first professional football game was played in Latrobe, PA. The Latrobe YMCA defeated the Jeannette Athletic Club 12-0.
1939 - British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, in a radio broadcast, announced that Britain and France had declared war on Germany. Germany had invaded Poland on September 1.
1943 - Italy was invaded by the Allied forces during World War II.
1954 - "The Lone Ranger" was heard on radio for the final time after 2,956 episodes over a period of 21 years.
1967 - Nguyen Van Thieu was elected president of South Vietnam under a new constitution.
1976 - The U.S. spacecraft Viking 2 landed on Mars. The unmanned spacecraft took the first close-up, color photos of the planet's surface.
1981 - David Brinkley left NBC News after 38 years to join with ABC.
1989 - The U.S. began shipping military aircraft and weapons, worth $65 million, to Columbia in its fight against drug lords.
1994 - Russia and China announced that they would no longer be targeting nuclear missiles or using force against each other.
2013 - Hunters in Mississippi caught a 727-pound alligator.

Sanctions could lead to Russia-Japan currency swaps
RT - The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) says the country is leaning towards direct ruble-yen currency swaps, as Western sanctions are making it difficult to conduct business using US dollar transactions. "We're now studying that [the effects of ruble devaluation]. We need some of the swap arrangements with the local banks. We are elaborating opportunities with Russian banks such as Gazprombank, VTB, VEB… Because of the US sanctions, we cannot use the US dollar anymore, we have to switch to other currencies," JBIC’s senior managing director Tadashi Maeda told Sputnik news agency on Thursday on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok. The interest rate is very high and could “hinder” swaps, Maeda added, talking about the use of the Russian ruble.

In Dramatic Escalation, China Sends Five Navy Ships Off Alaska Coast For First Time Ever
Zero Hedge - WSJ: Five Chinese navy ships are currently operating in the Bering Sea, off the coast of Alaska, the first time the U.S. military has seen such activity in the area, Pentagon officials said Wednesday. The officials said they have been aware in recent days that three Chinese combat ships, a replenishment vessel and an amphibious ship were in the vicinity after observing them moving toward the Aleutian Islands, which are split between U.S. and Russian control. They said the Chinese ships were still in the area, but declined to specify when the vessels were first spotted or how far they were from the coast of Alaska. The Pentagon official said there were a “variety of opinions” on how to interpret the Chinese ships’ deployment. “It’s difficult to tell exactly, but it indicates some interest in the Arctic region,” the official said. “It’s different.”

China Scrambles To Enforce Capital Controls (Which Is Great News For Bitcoin)
Zero Hedge - "China is imposing fresh controls to prevent too much money from leaving the country, in an effort to keep badly needed funds at home to battle a deepening slowdown in the world’s No. 2 economy." This is undsiputedly bad news for China, but Blythe Masters would be the first to admit, escalating Chinese capital controls would be just the thing bitcoin needs to surge, and surpass, it previous all time highs.

Putin’s Beijing visit to boost Russia-China trade
RT - Russia and China are expected to finalize a number of agreements on mutual projects, covering finance, transportation and energy cooperation as President Putin arrives in Beijing on a two-day visit. Russia-China relations are developing rapidly and have probably “reached a peak in their entire history,” according to Putin. Around 30 documents are planned to be signed during the visit, Putin’s aide told journalists earlier this week. The new Silk Road project (China’s proposal to establish an economic corridor with Russia and Mongolia), cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS as well as preparations for the G20 and APEC summits are among the key topics on the agenda.

EU set to extend sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian individuals, firms – reports
RT - The European Union has decided to extend sanctions imposed on a number of individuals and firms in Russia and eastern Ukraine until March 15, 2016, several media outlets reported citing diplomatic sources. The decision was made at a meeting of senior EU officials on Wednesday, diplomatic sources told RIA Novosti, Interfax and the Wall Street Journal. The sanctions, which have been imposed on nearly 200 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and legal entities, are due to expire on September 15. The extension of the restrictions is allegedly due to be signed by the EU Council without review in mid-September.

Oil Triple Whammy: Inventory Build, Iran Nuke Deal Has Votes, & China Gives Venezuela $5 Billion Loan
Zero Hedge - Following last night's epic inventory build., according to API, DOE has reported a 4.7mm barrel build but US crude production plunged 1.4% (lowest since March). However, this oil complex has been hit by two other 'issues' this morning as Obama captures the votes he needs to confirm the Iran nuclear deal (guaranteeing more oil supply) and China encumbers more Venezuelan oil ($5bn loan) allowing them to keep pumping at below-cost levels. The reaction for now is notable selling pressure.

Pentagon Now Says Army Mistakenly Sent Live Anthrax to All 50 States
Military.com - Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work has repeatedly said the scandal over the military's mistaken shipment of live anthrax spores around the nation and the world would get worse -- and he was right.
The number of labs that received live anthrax has more than doubled to 194 since Work and Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's top acquisition official, released a report in July on the shipments of the deadly pathogen from the Army's Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah.

Bill Clinton’s Top Adviser Ran Hillary’s Email Server
Breitbart - Hillary Clinton, who is under federal investigation for allegedly allowing classified information to end up in the hands of non-government workers without a security clearance, paid a company called “Perfect Privacy, LLC” to cover up the true identity of the person running her email network. Now we know why. Bill Clinton’s senior adviser Justin Cooper was the man responsible for running the email network, according to archived Internet records. Cooper also works as a top fundraiser for the Clinton Foundation. He also serves as a senior adviser to Teneo Holdings, a private corporate advisory and investment banking firm founded by former Bill Clinton adviser Doug Band. Cooper has never worked for the State Department.

Breaking: Massachusetts Police Cruiser Bursts Into Flames After Coming Under Gunfire
Mikael Thalen & Joe Biggs - A Millis, Massachusetts police cruiser crashed and caught fire Wednesday after being hit with gunfire shortly after 3 p.m. According to the Massachusetts State Police, “preliminary investigation indicates the shots were fired from a dark colored – possibly maroon – pickup truck” that fled the scene. In an attempt to locate the suspect, who was described only as a white male, Massachusetts State Police have deployed a helicopter from the department’s Air Wing unit as well as other police from surrounding areas. “Additionally, State Police detectives, K9 units, crime scene technicians, ballistics technicians, and fire investigators are en route to the scene to assist,” police said. No injuries have been reported thus far. This latest shooting follows Tuesday’s shooting death of an Illinois police officer, the suspected homicide of Abilene, Texas Officer Don Allen Monday and the execution-style shooting of a Harris Co., Texas, deputy sheriff late last week.

Indiana Police Call in the US Military and Raid 146 “Dangerous” Marijuana Plots (Video)
The Free Thought Project - On Wednesday, the Indiana State Police announced that they have raided 146 marijuana grow plots throughout the southern region of the state. In an unprecedented show of force, officers from the Indiana State Police, the Indiana National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Forest Service, Civil Air Patrol, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and local agencies, authorities seized thousands of marijuana plants. In total, some 4,900 ‘dangerous’ plants were plucked from the ground, as well as 4 pounds of processed pot, six weapons, and $3,000 in cash were seized. The Aug. 17-28 operation resulted in 16 arrests. Police ‘protecting’ people from this plant is nothing new. However, training and using the US military to arrest pot growers is certainly worrisome. In June, the Free Thought Project broke the story of the National Guard teaming up with police departments across the country, to train for drug raids, and other prohibition-related policing.

Cops Kill Man with Down Syndrome Over Movie Ticket, Blame it on Medics Who Tried to Save His Life
The Free Thought Project - The three cops facing a wrongful-death suit in connection with the death of a man with Down syndrome will argue that his death was the result of pre-existing medical conditions, according to filings with the U.S. District Court. Tell me if you’ve heard this one before. Police approach an individual regarding an extremely trivial matter. When the he doesn’t immediately comply with the commands of law enforcement he’s taken to the ground and roughed up by numerous cops. In the course of the altercation, the man dies from asphyxiation. While the family is certain that the fractured larynx was a result of the violent altercation, defense attorneys for the cops claimed in their latest court filings that the injuries found on Saylor were from the paramedic’s efforts to save his life, and not their brutal attack.

Sealed: Obama secures votes to override Congress on Iran deal
RT - With a Maryland lawmaker announcing her support for the Iran nuclear deal, President Barack Obama has enough votes in the Senate to veto the disapproval by the Republican majority. Europe, Russia, China and the UN have endorsed the deal already. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland announced on Wednesday she would endorse the agreement, finalized in July after lengthy negotiations between Iran and six world powers.... Congressional approval of a treaty would normally require 67 votes in the 100-member Senate. However, under the law giving Congress review powers over the Iran deal, the legislators would need 67 votes to pass a resolution of disapproval immune to the presidential veto. With Mikulski’s endorsement being the 34th vote in favor of the deal, the Republicans do not have the required majority to sink the deal in the Senate.

G.I. Joe’ Shooting: Massive Multi-Agency, Martial Law Drill Underway in Fox Lake, Illinois
21st Century Wire - This afternoon a mass manhunt was underway by law enforcement in Fox Lake, Illinois to find for three suspects following a local police officer who was fatally shot while in pursuit of the three men on Tuesday morning. We’re told that the downed officer was a lieutenant, Charles Joseph ‘G.I. Joe’ Gliniewicz, 52, a 30-year veteran with the Fox Lake Police Department.... At a brief staged news conference in the morning, authorities announced they were searching for two white men and one black man. No other details were given, and police even admitted they had “no other information” about the three alleged suspects. Regardless, this did not seem to stop law enforcement and the mainstream media from quickly gearing-up for one of the largest’ manhunt’ TV productions staged so far this year in the United States.

Separate trials for six officers in Freddie Gray death
RT - The six Baltimore PD officers charged in the April death of Freddie Gray will be tried separately, judge Barry Williams ordered. He rejected the motions by defense lawyers to dismiss the charges and remove prosecutor Marilyn Mosby from the case. While the prosecutors argued that the entire chain of events leading to Gray's death was relevant to the case, from his arrest to the death inside the police van, the judge's ruling means they will have to make a separate case against every one of the officers involved.

VIDEO: MD Sheriff: ‘It’s Open Season on Law Enforcement’ Cops ‘Scared to Death to Do Their Job’
Breitbart - Wicomico County, MD Sheriff Mike Lewis (R) declared, “it’s open season on law enforcement across this country.... Lewis said, [relevant remarks begin around 5:20] “You bet it’s open season on law enforcement across this country. American law enforcement right now are under siege. We recognize it. We see it everywhere we go. And you can rest assured, as you well know, this all started on the false lie, this premise, down in Ferguson, Missouri, ‘Hands up, don’t shoot,’ Black Lives Matter, all based on a lie. We all know it’s a lie. Law enforcement across this country are under siege. We know we’re under siege. Everybody’s scared to death to do their job, scared to pull the trigger..."

DHS investors are sending police to train in Israel
MassPrivateI - At least 300 high-ranking sheriffs and police from agencies large and small – from New York and Maine to Orange County and Oakland, California – have traveled to Israel for privately funded seminars in what is described as counterterrorism techniques. Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Terrance W. Gainer called Israel “the Harvard of antiterrorism” after taking part in a 2005 trip sponsored by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA). Capt. Brad Virgoe of the Orange County Sheriff's Department in California called the 2013 session he took part in an “amazing experience,” recalling visits to checkpoints in Eilat at the Israeli-Egyptian border and in the West Bank near Bethlehem. Don't forget what happened in Ferguson! The Ferguson police chief was trained in Israel! The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) also sends police to Israel and hosts Israeli police in America. Chief Superintendent Roy Valdman, Head of the Investigations Division for the Israel Police Central Unit in Tel Aviv, visited Denver, Colorado in 2015.

Democrats Hire Illegal Alien to Recruit New Voters
Kit Daniels - The Democratic National Committee knowingly hired an illegal alien to help coordinate DNC outreach to potential voters, according to Judicial Watch. The DNC hired Cindy Nava with full knowledge of her “undocumented status,” the government watchdog reported, pointing out that federal law prohibits foreign nationals from contributing “directly or indirectly in the decision-making process” of federal, state, or local election-related activities. “No wonder this nation has a border and an illegal alien crisis,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Not only do we have a major political party knowingly employing an illegal alien, but also openly boasting about it to the nation’s press.”

Federal Judge Rules Employers do not have to Provide Insurance Coverage for Contraception even if their Objection is not Religious
AllGov - Employers who wish to avoid providing contraception coverage to their workers can do so on moral grounds, a federal judge ruled Monday. The ruling came in a case brought by an anti-abortion group, March for Life, which sued the Department of Health and Human Services over the contraception mandate contained in Obamacare. March for Life contends it should not have to provide contraception coverage because its objections are not that different from those raised by religious groups.

35% of backlogged VA healthcare applicants died waiting for benefit approval
RT - The Department of Veterans Affairs still has a massive backlog of nearly 900,000 healthcare applications ‒ including more than 300,000 from veterans who died waiting for their benefits to be approved, a report by the agency’s inspector general found. The VA’s internal watchdog, the Office of the Inspector General, released a report Wednesday that looked into a whistleblower’s claims of extensive, persistent problems in the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) Health Eligibility Center enrollment records. The OIG found that the VHA’s enrollment system had about 867,000 pending records as of September 30, 2014. On top of that, at least 307,000 applications ‒ or about 35 percent of all pending records ‒ were associated with individuals reported as deceased by the Social Security Administration.

Obama Prophesies Climate Nightmare: Famine, Floods, Fire, Fumes and Fighting
mrc tv - President Obama – who graduated Columbia University with a degree in political science – became an environmental and ecological expert Monday night in time to decry America’s contributions to global warming and the alleged melting of Arctic ice caps at this year’s GLACIER Conference, predicting a dire future for humanity. During the GLACIER event, which stands for Global Leadership in the Arctic: Cooperation, Innovation, Engagement and Resilience, Obama blamed the recent rash of wildfires sweeping parts of Washington State on global warming, insisting that “climate is changing faster than our efforts to address it.” Overall, the speech painted a fairly doom-and-gloom outlook for America and the rest of the world. So if you’re a Doomsday Prepper, here are a few excerpts from the president's speech explaining the climate-related disasters heading to a town near you...

Quote of the week: Obama’s Climate Claim in Alaska
Watts Up With That? - As commenter “Bad Andrew” says: You have got to do a post on this. Meanwhile, other countries laugh: Obama Rebuffed As Superpowers Refuse To Sign Arctic Climate Agreement On Sunday and Monday, foreign ministers and other international leaders met in Anchorage, Alaska to attend the Conference on Global Leadership in the Arctic. After the conference, the representatives of the Arctic Council members signed a joint statement affirming “our commitment to take urgent action to slow the pace of warming in the Arctic.” China said that it needed more time to review the document before signing. But RT had a different take, saying that China and India “opted not to sign the document” because “reducing emissions entails huge expenditure and loss of economic effectiveness.”

President Obama Wants More Heavy Icebreakers
Reuters - President Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed a faster timetable for buying a new heavy icebreaker for the U.S. Arctic, where quickly melting sea ice has spurred more maritime traffic and the United States has fallen far behind Russian resources. The move, part of a push to convince Americans to support Obama’s plans to curb climate change, has long been urged by Arctic advocates as climate change opens up the region to more shipping, mining and oil drilling.... The United States used to have seven icebreakers, but the fleet has dwindled to three creaky vessels, only one of which is a heavy-duty vessel, the White House said. “Russia, on the other hand, has 40 icebreakers and another 11 planned or under construction,” it said. Obama will have to convince Congress to pick up the tab for any new icebreakers, each of which come with a price tag of about $1 billion.
* Related: Call for Arctic icebreakers could hurt Great Lakes

Sick Cats with Higher Levels of This Nutrient Are More Likely to Survive
Dr. Becker - Scientists have recently discovered that higher levels of vitamin D in extremely sick hospitalized cats can increase their chances for survival.... The benefits of vitamin D to human health are well established. Sources of vitamin D include certain foods and dietary supplements. In addition, humans produce vitamin D in the skin after exposure to sunshine. Cats, on the other hand, can only obtain vitamin D from their diet. However, it’s important to remember that too much vitamin D can be dangerous for kitties. It’s a fat soluble vitamin, which means it can build up to toxic levels in the body, potentially leading to fatal kidney and lung damage.... If you have a sick pet, measuring vitamin D levels may be something you want to request to determine if supplementation is necessary.
 

Wednesday - September 2, 2015 - Today in History:

1775 - Hannah, the first American war vessel was commissioned by General George Washington.
1789 - The U.S. Treasury Department was established.
1864 - During the U.S. Civil War Union forces led by Gen. William T. Sherman occupied Atlanta following the retreat of the Confederates.
1897 - The first issue of "McCall’s" magazine was published. The magazine had been known previously as "Queens Magazine" and "Queen of Fashion."
1901 - Theodore Roosevelt, then Vice President, said "Speak softly and carry a big stick" in a speech at the Minnesota State Fair.
1938 - The first railroad car to be equipped with fluorescent lighting was put into operation on the New York Central railroad.
1945 - Japan surrendered to the U.S. aboard the USS Missouri, ending World War II. The war ended six years and one day after it began.
1945 - Ho Chi Minh declared the independence the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
1961 - The U.S.S.R. resumed nuclear weapons testing. Test ban treaty negotiations had failed with the U.S. and Britain when the three nations could not agree upon the nature and frequency of on-site inspections.
1963 - The integration of Tuskegee High School was prevented by state troopers assigned by Alabama Gov. George Wallace. Wallace had the building surrounded by state troopers.
1985 - It was announced that the Titanic had been found on September 1 by a U.S. and French expedition 560 miles off Newfoundland. The luxury liner had been missing for 73 years.
1992 - The U.S. and Russia agreed to a joint venture to build a space station.
1996 - Muslim rebels and the Philippine government signed a pact formally ending 26-years of insurgency that had killed more than 120,000 people.
2004 - President George W. Bush accepted his party's nomination for a second term at the Republican National Convention in New York City.
2005 - President George W. Bush told Michael Brown, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job" during a tour of Hurricane Katrina damage in Alabama.

Russia Begins Unprecedentedly Large Mass Destruction Defense Drills
Sputnik News - The number of Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense troops taking part in the exercises is unprecedentedly high. Russia's Strategic Missile Forces have started drills to identify and assess the consequences of using weapons of mass destruction, a spokesman for the forces said Wednesday. "Over 1,200 servicemen and around 200 pieces of special equipment from the Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense troops are used, which greatly exceeds the number of personnel and means used during drills in previous years," Col. Igor Yegorov told reporters. He added that different scenarios, including terrorist attacks on sites that could potentially represent radiological, chemical or biological hazards, would be tested during the drills.

Defense, You Say? NATO Unveils Six Command Centers in Eastern Europe
Sputnik News - NATO's six new command and control centers have become operational across Central and Eastern Europe as part of the bloc's large-scale campaign aimed at increasing its military presence close to Russia's borders. The centers (NATO calls them small headquarters) are located in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania – the countries often complaining of an imminent but imaginary threat from Russia. NATO claims the move is meant to reassure its members that the alliance is committed to protecting them. It should allegedly be viewed as a measure aimed at boosting defense to tackle "security challenges from the east and the south," as the bloc put it in its press release. However, Russia sees it as a sign of the bloc's growing assertiveness and military buildup in a region that no country, including Moscow, is threatening.

Gaza set to become uninhabitable by 2020, UN body warns
RT - “Almost all of the population” is destitute in the Gaza Strip. Wars and economic blockades have all but destroyed its entire economy, a UN conference has warned. If the trend continues, the territory may become “unlivable” in five years. The report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says that the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip last year drove the country deep into recession and this time recovery may fail to come. The report states that Gaza’s GDP dropped 15 percent in 2014, 72 percent of households suffered from food insecurity and unemployment stood at a record high of 44 percent. “The prospects for 2015 are bleak, due to volatile political conditions, reduced aid flows, the slow pace of reconstruction in Gaza and lingering effects of Israel’s withholding of Palestinian clearance revenue during the first four months of 2015,” the report says.

Over 2,000 Migrants Protest in Budapest Demanding Entry Into Germany
Sputnik News - Hundreds of undocumented migrants have been protesting outside Budapest Keleti railway station, for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, demanding that the Hungarian authorities allow them to travel to Germany, media reported. On Tuesday, Hungarian authorities closed Budapest’s main train terminal to migrants in an attempt to prevent them from traveling to neighboring European countries. The decision came after some 2,500 refugees arrived by train in southern Germany from Hungary and Austria on Monday night.

China central bank sets reserve requirements for all FX derivatives: document
Reuters - China's central bank will require reserves to be set aside for purchases of all currency derivatives from October, according to a document seen by Reuters, as Beijing moves to make it more expensive to bet on further depreciation of the yuan. The move expands the scope of a similar document, seen Tuesday, in which the central bank said it will require banks to hold reserves on behalf of clients' trading of currency forwards, in a move seen curbing speculation and volatility after the Aug. 11 shock devaluation of the currency.

How the US Can Stop ISIS Without Setting Foot in Syria
Tony Cartalucci - An old military maxim states: “an army marches on its stomach.” Logic dictates that an army with empty stomachs is unable to march. Napoleon Bonaparte who is credited with this quote, found out first hand just how true these words were when his army found itself deep within Russia without supplies, leading to its ultimate and catastrophic defeat. Likewise, ISIS’ fighting capacity depends entirely on its supply lines. Cutting these supply lines will lead to its inevitable defeat. For the United States, who is either allied with or has troops operating in all nations bordering Syria, cutting ISIS’ supply lines would be a simple matter – that is – if the United States was truly interested in defeating ISIS and other Al Qaeda affiliates. While the United States has assisted Turkey in erecting missile defenses along its border with Syria in order to create a defacto no-fly-zone providing Al Nusra and ISIS with an invaluable sanctuary, little to no effort has been spent in increasing border security – specifically the searching for and interdiction of terrorist fighters, weapons, and other supplies.

Pentagon deploys drones to Latvia to maintain 'security & stability'
RT - In a bid to show off how the US protects its allies, the Pentagon has deployed two MQ-1 Predator long-range unmanned surveillance drones and 70 airmen to Latvia on a training mission, the US Department of Defense said. The deployment of the two unmanned MQ-1 Predators to Lielvarde Air Base over the weekend was the first time the US military sent a detachment of drones to Latvia to take part in what is referred to as partner training, a Pentagon spokesman, Navy Captain Jeff Davis, told Reuters. The drones will be controlled from Lielvarde Air Base, and their mission is due to end on September 15, according to AFP. Captain Davis said the deployment of the airmen, said to be members of the 147th Reconnaissance Wing of the Texas Air National Guard, was funded by the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI).

US Army Sinks $2.2Mln in Half-Finished Afghan Command Center
Sputnik News - The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) paid a contractor more than $2 million for a partially-built command and control facility at Kandahar airfield in southern Afghanistan, a government watchdog said in a press release. The facility was supposed to be built by July 2013, according to the release, but by October of that year the group that planned to occupy the building terminated the project due to quality and safety issues.

Homicide: Texas Officer Found Dead in Home
Mikael Thalen - The death of an off-duty officer in Abilene, Texas is being labeled a homicide, police confirmed during a press conference Tuesday. Reports indicate that the body of Abilene Officer Don Allen was discovered inside his home by family members Monday in what investigators are describing as “clearly suspicious.” Speaking with reporters, Abilene Police Chief Stan Standridge released few details, only confirming the suspected cause of death. “The circumstances behind his death indicate that the probable cause is homicide,” Chief Standridge said. “Aside from that, I’m not going to comment any further… I don’t want to say anything today that would compromise our ability to hold these people accountable.” After being asked by reporters about a possible link to recent shooting deaths of other officers, Chief Standridge responded by stating that there was no “indication right now that random law enforcement personnel are being targeted.”

Radioactive material sent to Texas A&M goes missing
CBS News - A package of radioactive material that was supposed to be delivered to an on-campus office at Texas A&M University has gone missing... According to an internal email sent by Christopher Meyer, an assistant VP with the Office of Safety and Security, the FedEx shipment of was sent from Science Engineering and Education Company in Edina, Minnesota. The company makes radioactive material for equipment and research, KBTX reported. In a statement to KBTX, a Texas A&M spokesperson said the school is confident the package was not received by the university's Radiation Safety Office. "We obviously want to locate this package as quickly as possible because it does contain radioactive material, but we hasten to add it doesn't present a health threat to the community provided the contents, which are secured in a box with two layers of inner containment, are not disturbed," the statement said.

Huge manhunt for three armed and dangerous suspects who shot cop dead in Chicago suburb: Town on lockdown as SWAT teams go house to house
Daily Mail - A massive manhunt is underway north of Chicago after a 32-year veteran police officer was shot dead while on a routine patrol. Three armed and dangerous suspects, two white and one black, are at large after Lieutenant Charles Joseph Gliniewicz was gunned down in Fox Lake near the Illinois-Wisconsin border, at around 8am. The cop, a father of four nicknamed GI Joe, was found in a marshy area stripped of his gun and other equipment by the trio who then fled the scene. A manhunt is underway in a Chicago suburb after a police officer was reportedly shot dead while on a routine patrol. Heavily armed officers prepare to head out and search for the suspects. Three armed suspects, two white and one black, are at large following the shooting in the Fox Lake area. Hundreds of members of law enforcement have been sent to the area to join the search.

Video Shows Texas Cops Shoot Man With Hands Up
Adan Salazar - Cell phone video obtained by a local news station appears to show the moment two Texas deputies gunned down a man who held his hands up, contradicting police’s version of events. On Friday, deputies responding to a domestic violence call encountered 41-year-old Gilbert Flores on the front yard of a home in San Antonio.`Flores was suspected of assaulting a woman and infant inside the residence. Police said Flores appeared to have a knife when they arrived, and attempted to “resist and fight back,” according to Bexar County Sheriff’s Office PIO James Keith. Deputies Greg Vasquez and Robert Sanchez claimed they attempted to use non-lethal force to stop Flores, including tasers and riot shields, according to Think Progress, but their efforts proved fruitless, they said, and they had to open fire on the man, killing him. However, cell phone video filmed by a neighbor and obtained by ABC affiliate KSAT News shows a shirtless Flores putting his hands up multiple times and little if any effort by law enforcement to employ non-lethal force.

ABC News Has Yet to Release Full Suicide Note of Vester Lee Flanagan
Breitbart - In the five days since the shooting, ABC News has chosen not to publish the full contents of the fax, which was variously described in the media as a manifesto or a suicide note. No explanation has been given for withholding the full contents from the public. Given that Flanagan is dead, there would seem to be no reason not to reveal it (i.e., no pending trial and therefore no reason to worry about an ongoing investigation or influencing potential jurors). ABC did report excerpts from the document on the day of the shooting. A New York Times report, published last Thursday, described the fax as containing 3 separate suicide notes, all of which had been typed in the past few weeks. The Times added some additional detail to the report by ABC, including the fact that, after he was fired by WDBJ in 2013, Flanagan killed his two cats in a rage and later buried them. On Monday, the New York Daily News reported on a separate cache of letters Flanagan sent to his former roommate Robert Avent.

Memorial service held for slain WDBJ reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward
ABC 7 News - Parker's father spoke on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, saying lawmakers who fought stricter gun laws "messed with the wrong family." Andy Parker said he would continue the push for stronger gun legislation and more in-depth background checks. "I just want people to know that I'm going to be working on this for a long time," he said. "I know that this is not a sprint. It's a marathon."
* Related Video: Alison's parents thank community for support and push for gun control on air

Planned Parenthood Baby Parts Vendor ABR Pays Off Clinics, Intact Fetuses “Just Fell Out”
CMP - The ninth video in the Planned Parenthood baby parts scandal focuses on Advanced Bioscience Resources, Inc. (ABR), the small and secretive company that has harvested and sold fetal body parts at Planned Parenthood clinics longer than any other entity... [Dr.]Sheehan tells actors posing as a new human biologics company that at Planned Parenthood Pacific Southwest, “We have already a relationship with ABR.” Sheehan explains, “We’ve been using them for over 10 years, really a long time, just kind of renegotiated the contract. They’re doing the big collections for government-level collections and things like that.” When one of the actors negotiates, “We return a portion of our fees to the clinics,” Sheehan responds eagerly, “Right, get a toe in and make it, make a pro–alright.”
* Related: McConnell: Defunding Planned Parenthood must wait for new president

244 Illegal Aliens Rounded up in California
Breitbart - Over 240 illegally present foreign nationals, including previously deported sexual offenders, were taken into custody over the course of four days last week when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials out of the Los Angeles area conducted an operation in California’s Southland. Every one of the 244 illegal aliens apprehended during the operation had prior criminal convictions. 56 percent of those were for serious or violent felonies including child sex crimes, weapons charges and drug offenses, according to ICE.... The 244 illegal aliens apprehended hail from 21 countries including Peru, Thailand, France and Ghana. The largest contingent, however, was Mexican nationals, comprising 191 of those taken into custody.

The CIA and the Media: 50 Facts the World Needs to Know
Global Research - Since the end of World War Two the Central Intelligence Agency has been a major force in US and foreign news media, exerting considerable influence over what the public sees, hears and reads on a regular basis. CIA publicists and journalists alike will assert they have few, if any, relationships, yet the seldom acknowledged history of their intimate collaboration indicates a far different story–indeed, one that media historians are reluctant to examine.

Cruz: Obama has become the president 'Nixon always wished he could be'
Washington Examiner - First it was Obamacare, now it's Mount McKinley that has Ted Cruz up in arms. During an appearance on "The Hugh Hewitt Show" Monday, Cruz bashed President Obama and his decision to rename the Alaskan peak "Mount Denali" without congressional approval. He called it another example of the Obama administration being is the "most lawless administration" in history. In addition, the Texas senator called the administration's move the "latest manifestation of the megalomaniacal imperial presidency," telling the host that Obama has finally become "the president Richard Nixon always wished he could be."

Trump Now Out-polling Jeb 8-1 in Iowa
Breitbart - Donald Trump is maintaining a commanding 2-1 lead in the latest poll of GOP caucus goers in Iowa, and his only rival in double digits is another political novice, Dr. Ben Carson. Donald Trump is maintaining a commanding 2-1 lead in the latest poll of GOP caucus goers in Iowa, and his only rival in double digits is another political novice, Dr. Ben Carson. In a Gravis Marketing poll of 507 Iowa Republicans conducted last Friday and Saturday, Trump has 31.7 percent to Carson’s 15.8 and Bush’s 4.1 percent. A Monmouth University poll released yesterday had showed Trump and Carson running neck and neck with 23 percent – much to the excitement of the GOP establishment, including Fox News Channel. But today’s Gravis poll seems more in line with other recent surveys in the Hawkeye State, where the first caucuses of 2016 will be held five months from today on Feb. 1.

Hillary confidant rips ‘alcoholic’ and ‘lazy’ Boehner in email
The Hill - Hillary Clinton’s close confidant called John Boehner an “alcoholic,” “lazy” and a weak leader in a scathing email sent the night of the 2010 midterm election, when a Tea Party wave swept House Republicans into power. “He is louche, alcoholic, lazy, and without any commitment to any principle,” Sidney Blumenthal wrote to Clinton, then the secretary of State, in a lengthy “post-midterms” memo. Blumenthal went on to say that the Boehner, who became Speaker shortly after the election, had tried to “buy” some potential GOP opponents in his conference with campaign contributions and plum committee assignments.... Blumenthal’s memo was among 7,000 pages of emails between Clinton and her top aides that the State Department released on Monday night. About 125 pages had been redacted because they contained classified information, and in some of the emails, Blumenthal’s unflattering observations about Boehner were redacted.

Wall Street Panics Over Global Recession Fears
Kit Daniels - Wall Street plunged Tuesday after investors feared weak data from China, the world’s second-largest economy, would lead to a global recession. China’s manufacturing sector suffered its quickest deterioration in over six years, leading to a three-year market low and other sectors of the Chinese economy also slowed down significantly. In response, all three major U.S. stock indices, the Dow Jones, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ, were down two percent in early trading. “While a measure of calm has returned to these markets recently and they have seen relief rallies, many of the underlying negative fundamentals are still in place,” said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist for IHS. “As a result, the downside risks for most commodity prices, exchange rates, and stock markets are likely to persist for some time, while growth in many parts of the world, especially in emerging markets, is likely to deteriorate further.” Investors panicked once China’s official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) dropped to 49.7.

Plunge Protection Team Losing Control of Markets-Jim Sinclair
USAWatchdog - Legendary gold expert Jim Sinclair says what is going on right now in the stock market is just the warm-up act. Sinclair contends, “This is a pre-crash, and we are not making it through September without the real thing. Everybody is on credit. Main Street is on credit. This seems to be a bubble of historical proportion when it comes to the amount of money supporting the accepted lifestyles as being the new normal.... Sinclair stands by his prediction last year of an eventual gold price of $50,000 per ounce. Sinclair explains, “You have to understand we are going into unprecedented deflation, and it’s the reaction of central banks around the world to the concept of deflation that brings about hyperinflation. . . . There will be debt monetization of all kinds of debt to maintain some sort of equilibrium. The price of gold is going to go to a level that is going to surprise everybody.

ConocoPhillips announces massive layoffs
CNBC News - Texas-based energy company ConocoPhillips will cut about 10 percent of its global workforce, with the largest percentage occurring in North America, it confirmed to CNBC. Its pre-reduction workforce numbers 18,100 people. “As we have assessed the implications of lower prices on our business, we’ve made the difficult decision that workforce reductions will be necessary,” wrote Daren Beaudo, director of communications, in an email to CNBC.

Small Business Owners: Feds Are Trying To ‘Destroy’ Us
Daily Caller - Several franchisees urged members of Congress Monday to help reverse a recent federal rule change which could destroy many small businesses. A federal labor case involving Browning-Ferris Industries has allowed the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to expand a critical franchising and contracting rule. Known as the joint-employer standard, the rule helps establish which company has responsibility over employees when multiple companies contract with one another. “Simply put, I believe the NLRB is taking aim at the franchise model and trying to destroy it,” Edward Rothschild, owner of Alphagraphics, said on a call with reporters. “I think it will hurt the employee base.”

Tuesday - September 1, 2015 - Today in History:

1799 - The Bank of Manhattan Company opened in New York City, NY. It was the forerunner of Chase Manhattan.
1807 - Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr was found innocent of treason.
1878 - Emma M. Nutt became the first female telephone operator in the U.S. The company was the Telephone Dispatch Company of Boston.
1884 - The Thomas A. Edison Construction Department and the Edison Company for Isolated Lighting merged.
1897 - The first section of Boston's subway system was opened.
1922 - The first daily news program on radio was "The Radio Digest," on WBAY radio in New York City, NY.
1939 - World War II began when Germany invaded Poland.
1942 - A federal judge in Sacramento, CA, upheld the wartime detention of Japanese-Americans as well as Japanese nationals.
1945 - The U.S. received official word of Japan's formal surrender that ended World War II. In Japan, it was actually September 2nd.
1979 - The U.S. Pioneer 11 became the first spacecraft to visit Saturn.
1982 - Mexican President Jose Lopez Portillo closed all the country's private banks.
1983 - A Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 was shot down by a Soviet jet fighter after the airliner entered Soviet airspace; 269 people were killed.
1985 - The Titanic was found by Dr. Robert Ballard and Jean Louis Michel in a joint U.S. and French expedition. The wreck site is located 963 miles northeast of New York and 453 miles southeast of the Newfoundland coast.
1997 - In France, the prosecutor's office announced that the driver of the car, in which Britain's Princess Diana was killed, was over the legal alcohol limit.
1998 - Vietnam released 5,000 prisoners, including political dissidents, on National Day.
2004 - More than 1,100 people were taken hostage by heavily armed Chechen militants at a school in Beslan in southern Russia; more than 330 people, most of them children, were killed during the three-day ordeal.
2009 - A law allowing gay marriage took effect in Vermont.

Putin says dump dollar
RT - Russian President Vladimir Putin has drafted a bill that aims to eliminate the US dollar and the euro from trade between CIS countries. This means the creation of a single financial market between Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other countries of the former Soviet Union. “This would help expand the use of national currencies in foreign trade payments and financial services and thus create preconditions for greater liquidity of domestic currency markets”, said a statement from Kremlin. The bill would also help to facilitate trade in the region and help to achieve macro-economic stability.

Tens of thousands Lebanese protesters storm Environment Ministry building, call on minister to resign – reports
RT - Anti-government protesters in Lebanon have stormed the Environment Ministry in Beirut, calling on the minister to resign, according to local TV. The demonstrators are organizing a sit-in, refusing to leave until the minister resigns, according to reports on social media. The protesters are part of the "You Stink" campaign, which has given the government until Tuesday evening to meet its demands. Those demands include a sustainable solution to a trash crisis that flared in mid-July, the resignation of Environment Minister Mohammad Mashnuq, and new elections to replace a parliament that has been in power since 2009, AFP reported.

Russia to Begin Airstrikes Against ISIS in Syria
Kurt Nimmo - U.S. airstrikes, however, will soon face competition from Russia. Western diplomats say a Russian expeditionary force has arrived in Syria and will operate, according to the Israeli website YNet, as a Russian forward operating base. “In the coming weeks thousands of Russian military personnel are set to touch down in Syria, including advisors, instructors, logistics personnel, technical personnel, members of the aerial protection division, and the pilots who will operate the aircraft,” writes Alex Fishman. “The current makeup of the expeditionary force is still unknown, but there is no doubt that Russian pilots flying combat missions in Syrian skies will definitely change the existing dynamics in the Middle East.” The presence of the Russian military in the skies over Syria will increase the possibility of encounters with the United States, especially if the US adopts a more aggressive stance against the Syrian government.

UN confirms destruction of ancient Temple of Bel in Palmyra, Syria
Deutsche Welle - The United Nation's training and research agency UNITAR said late Monday that the temple's destruction Sunday by the self-styled "Islamic State" (IS) rendered the 2,000-year-old site a total loss. "We can confirm destruction of the main building of the Temple of Bel as well as a row of columns in its immediate vicinity," UNITAR said, providing satellite images from after a powerful blast in the ruins of the ancient city. An image taken on August 27 showed a rectangular structure surrounded by columns. A shot taken on Monday indicated there was little left apart from a few columns on the very outer edges of the site.

Intelligence Stalemate: Truth About MH17 Crash Shrouded in Secrecy Forever?
Sputnik News - The MH17 flight crash in eastern Ukraine is still under investigation, but the situation is far more complicated than you might imagine, American analyst Phil Butler notes… "Assuming the US and Russia mutually possess similar strategic and intelligence capabilities, we can begin to understand why the MH17 downing was not solved early on. Neither nation can afford to reveal the depth of technologies involved or the lack of capability if there are shortcomings," the American analyst pointed out… "Russia cannot show the missile or aircraft cannon riddling MH17 with projectiles, and neither can the Pentagon. Both capability and weakness can be revealed in IMAX-like video of the plane being hit, and then falling to Earth," Butler underscored.

Explosion Seen at Eastern China Factory
Sputnik News - A massive explosion was seen and heard in the chemical industry zone in the Chinese city of Dongying, in the eastern province of Shandong late on Monday, local media reported. The blast took place at about 23:25 p.m. local time (15:25 GMT), according to the People's Daily newspaper. No injuries or casualties have been reported yet. This is not the first explosion in the Shandong province in recent days. At least nine people were injured in an explosion in a chemical factory in Shandgong on August 22.

Cheney: We Could See Another 9/11 with Much Deadlier Weapons
Breitbart - Monday, CNN ran a preview clip of an interview scheduled to air on Tuesday night’s broadcast of CNN’s “AC360,” in which former Vice President Dick Cheney said because of the unfettered rise of ISIS, “we could see another 9/11-style attack with much deadlier weapons.” Cheney said, “Look at the record. We had a situation in which by the time we got through the surge in ’07 and ’08, President Bush made a courageous decision and correct decision that Iraq was in good shape when we left office. Barack Obama said as much. What happened basically was they failed to follow through. They withdrew as quickly as possible and left no stay-behind force there. They created a vacuum and the vacuum was filled by ISIS.”

Is The Virginia Shooting Hoax Blowing Up in the MSM’s Face?
Activist Post - Gun control false flag crisis actors be warned: Facial recognition search software is going to bust you. Funny, the technology is easy enough to use on Facebook, one has to wonder why the mainstream media and police don’t use it for these alleged mass shooter events..... The latest discovery is that Alison Parker’s alleged fiancé Chris Hurst, who has only eight social media photos of him with Alison, is probably just her “TV” boyfriend. A guy named Daniel Wulz has been outed by facial recognition as her real-world boyfriend. Some of the media’s photos of Alison are taken directly from Wulz’s Facebook account, which is now curiously unavailable.
* Related: 19 Intriguing Coincidences Surrounding the Virginia Shooting

Next Gen B-3 Bomber Will Cost $25Bln More Than US Air Force Thought
Sputnik News - The Air Force this year estimated the cost of the new Long Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) to be $58.2 billion for the next 10 years, up from the previous year’s estimate of $33.1 billion… The Air Force chalked up the $25 billion miscalculation to human error, saying the cost should have actually been $41.7 billion… The price gap for the new aircraft is another budgeting snafu by the Air Force, whose F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is notoriously over budget – it is also the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program ever… The LSRB is estimated to cost $500 million per plane, with a total cost of $55 billion to replace the Air Force’s 77 aging B-52 (first developed in 1955) and 21 B-2 (1989) bombers, Stillwell reported

Hillary Shared An Email Network With The Clinton Foundation
Breitbart - Records reveal that Hillary Clinton’s private clintonemail.com server shared an IP address with her husband Bill Clinton’s email server, presidentclinton.com, and both servers were housed in New York City, not in the basement of the Clintons’ Chappaqua, New York home. Web archives show that the Presidentclinton.com Web address was being operated by the Clinton Foundation as of 2009, when Hillary Clinton registered her own clintonemail.com server. Numerous Clinton Foundation employees used the presidentclinton.com server for their own email addresses, which means that they were using email accounts that, if hacked, would have given any hacker complete access to Hillary Clinton’s State Department emails, as well.

CDC Issues Warning: Doctors on Alert for Bubonic Plague: “There is a Heightened Risk… We Don’t Want People To Panic”
GovtSlaves - Since April 2015, eleven cases of plague have been recorded in the U.S., and three people have died leaving the CDC no other recourse but to issue a warning to alert doctors of potential cases that may arise. “It is unclear why the number of cases in 2015 is higher than usual,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Many of the cases are occurring in rural and semi-rural areas in the western United States. The report lists two cases in Arizona, one in California, four in Colorado, one in Georgia, two in New Mexico and one in Oregon. The cases in California and Georgia have been linked to areas in or near Yosemite National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada. Dr. Natalie Kwit of the CDC emphasizes, “We don’t want people to panic but we do want them to be aware of the heightened risk.”

Wayne Dyer, self-help guru, dies at 75
(CNN) - Wayne Dyer, the prolific self-help guru and motivational speaker, has died, Dyer's family has announced on Facebook… Dyer, who announced in 2009 he had been diagnosed with lymphocytic leukemia, was 75. Dyer was a psychotherapist and a professor before helming his own self-help empire, but perhaps the most important credential one can have when being in the business of inspiring people and instructing how to pick one's self up by their bootstraps and to achieve is to have done just that themselves... Born in Detroit in 1940, Dyer grew up an orphan, an experience that molded a self-reliance as well as an aversion to self-pity.

Trump Is Setting the GOP Agenda
Politico - A week after boasting that it would ignore Trump, with its usual Clouseau-like finesse, JebWorld decided to hit Trump every day. Which means every GOP candidate is now playing Donald Trump’s game instead of their own—and doing about as well as you’d expect.... Practically every candidate in the race is now engaging in and losing a war of insults, aping Trump’s issue agenda and in some instances pilfering his best lines.... Donald Trump has changed the shape of the 2016 race forever. The only question for the rest of the candidates in the field is what to do about it. All of the available options offer serious risks—and most have already failed....

Connecticut Becomes The FIRST State To End Chronic Homelessness Among Veterans
Activist Post - Officials of Connecticut announced last Thursday that the state has officially become the first in the nation to provide housing for every one of its chronically homeless veterans. No doubt national and state officials are celebrating the monumental achievement after having set a goal earlier on to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015. The Connecticut Department of Housing, the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH), and other nonprofits and volunteers who spent time on the streets identifying homeless veterans played a major role in the state’s coordinated efforts.... Nearly 300 veterans previously experiencing chronic homelessness have now been gifted permanent – or at least temporary – housing. Chronically homeless is defined as “those with a disabling condition who have been continuously homeless for a year or have had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.”

VIDEO: ISIS Gold Standard: Will it Work?
Ron Paul Liberty Report - A recent video release -- purportedly by a media service associated with ISIS -- showing how the US fiat currency system will bring about the collapse of the dollar, seems to be an astonishingly good piece of anti-gold/Austrian propaganda. Are Austrians and others who push a gold standard in cahoots with ISIS? Hardly. But, says Ron Paul, some sort of commodity standard is inevitable as all fiat currencies collapse. Who's really behind this video?

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