[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] You mean those nice people totalitarian pipsqueaks who’ve been working so hard to drive the half of the American population whom they consider deplorables off the internet and out of society altogether?
Posted by: Fred ||
12/15/2018 00:00 ||
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#1
U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth sided with the argument put forward by a coalition of Republican-leaning states, led by Texas, that Obamacare could no longer stand now that there's no penalty for Americans who don't buy insurance.
The U.S. Supreme Court had upheld the law in 2012, by classifying the legislation as a tax. But since Congress removed the individual mandate in 2017, O’Connor ruled, there's no way the ACA can be allowed to stand.
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/15/2018 7:02 Comments ||
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#2
The Dallas Spews article on the front page this morning noted the law had been ruled constitutional, twice.
Wrong. SOCTUS said this part is OK and that specific issue is not unconstitutional.
This judge has said it ain't a tax if everyone is not required to pay.
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/15/2018 8:53 Comments ||
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#3
BTW, taxes have to originate in the House not the Senate. Another little Constitutional nicety that SCOTUS choose to overlook in its 'narrow' review of the issue.
h/t Gates of Vienna
The leader of a South African political party has called for the killing of white women and children in a row over the taxi industry.
Andile Mngxitama, president of Black First Land First (BLF), was speaking at a rally on the weekend in Potchefstroom near Johannesburg when he made the violent comments.
He tells the cheering crowd: 'For each one person that is being killed by the taxi industry, we will kill five white people.
'For every one black person we will kill five white people.
#3
If I could find them, I could probably dust off all of those training plans I used to teach self-defense tactics to Rhodesian white farmers back in the day.
It really worked out well in "Zimbabwe" so I guess they want to give it a go and crash the last stable economy in Africa.
#12
The white SA's should either leave or make it clear the day the pogrom against them starts, everyone of these so called leaders stops breathing along with every member of their family.
[PULSE.NG] She called on the authorities in Kinshasa to ensure that "the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly -- essential conditions for credible elections -- are fully protected."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/15/2018 00:00 ||
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[PULSE.NG] The Ibile Vigilante Group, in Epe, has tossed in the slammer Please don't kill me! 120 suspected cultists and hoodlums between January and November in Epe, Lagos State.
Mr Olajide Monday, the Team Head of the group made this disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Epe on Friday.
He said that the suspected cultists were arrested in some areas of Epe, including Oke-Balogun, T-Junction, Lagos Road, Okemagba, Aiyetoro, Poka, Temu, Noforija and Papa.
"These arrests were made during the initiation of new members into secret cult groups.
"Some of the suspects were also nabbed during their usual gyration in some crime prone areas in the town and in the suburb areas of the community.
"After the arrest, we hand them over to the police for further investigations," he said.
He said that the hoodlums were usually found disrupting peace in the community as well as invading political and other social activities in town, which led to their arrest.
Monday said that since the last few years, Epe had always been a hideout for cultists, hoodlums and kidnappers.
But after establishing this vigilante group in 2009, we have been able to reduce the activities of the cultists in the community through the arrests.
"The reduction of cult activities in the town was achieved with the support of police and other security agencies.
"The vigilante group works closely with government security agencies to ensure a peaceful atmosphere in Epe," he said.
He, however, lamented poor funding of the group.
"The Epe Local Government pays our salary but the group has not been enjoying good welfare since the past one and a half years.
"The previous council chairman, Mr Segun Agbaje, was the one, who inaugurated our group and we enjoyed working with him as a vigilante group then.
"The group enjoyed good welfare package during his tenure but we are not getting similar treatments again," he alleged.
He urged the current council administration to gear up support for the welfare of his members in order to discharge their responsibility effectively.
Monday said that the group lacked basic ammunition to tackle cultists, hoodlums, and kidnappers.
"We have been working with the little ammunition at our disposal, such as, machetes, knives and other local weapons, " he said.
Monday lauded the financial, moral and physical support of traditional rulers in the area, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Epe division and other well meaning individuals.
In his response, Mr Adedoyin Adesanya, the Chairman, Epe Local Government, said that the council was aware of the complaints and would look into their demands.
The chairman complained of the vigilante group’s poor performances recently, adding that members of the group needed to be trained and retrained in order to discharge their duties responsibly.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/15/2018 00:00 ||
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[Dhaka Tribune] The new beauty queen in a country that loves this kind of pageant is Isabella Rodriguez, 25, from a Caracas shantytown called Petare - home to well over half a million people
The title of Miss Venezuela went Thursday to a woman from the country's largest slum after a ceremony that traded glitz for frugality reflecting an acute economic free fall.
The new beauty queen in a country that loves this kind of pageant is Isabella Rodriguez, 25, from a Caracas shantytown called Petare - home to well over half a million people.
"From Petare to the world, dreams can in fact come true," Rodriguez, who works as a model, said during the question and answer session of the contest. Girls in her crime-ridden slum want to emulate her, she added.
The ceremony lasted four hours and some people on Twitter called it tedious and boring.
It had its share of gaffes, such as one contestant walking out on stage without the sash indicating what state she represented and another whose dress slipped off during a dance number.
With the organizers seeking to cut costs, the 65th edition of the pageant was moved from its historic home at an arena with room for 20,000 people to a 200-seat television studio.
The economy of this oil rich country is in ruins after five years of recession. People endure severe shortages of food, medicine and other basics, and inflation for 2019 is forecast by the IMF to come in at a mind-boggling 10 million percent. An estimated 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled since 2015.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/15/2018 00:00 ||
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[Hot Air] The new Mexican government of incoming president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (or "AMLO") continues to pleasantly surprise me. Not only have we seen increased cooperation with Mexican law enforcement on our own southern border, but he seems to be serious about attacking the illegal immigration problem at its source. The latest announcement coming from Mexico City indicates that they’re seeking to shut off the flow of migrants and caravans by cracking down on their own southern border.
There aren’t many details on precisely how they plan on closing off that border, but it’s not nearly as daunting of a task as closing the Mexican-American border. The land bridge at the southern end of Mexico is only 540 miles long, compared to their border with the United States which runs nearly 2,000 miles. Of course, it runs through some fairly brutal territory, including stretches of rivers which can be forded fairly easily.
#2
The "temporary" shutdown at SD/Tijuana supposedly cost US businesses $5.8 Million. It cost Mexican businesses much more, especially with lingering concerns prompting cancelling or postponing trips south
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/15/2018 18:20 Comments ||
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[Hot Air] A group of 44 Republican members of Congress from the House and Senate sent President Trump a letter Friday asking that he make every possible effort to get the Keystone XL pipeline "over the finish line." The letter reads in part:
Last month a federal judge in Montana halted progress on construction of the Keystone XL pipeline saying the Trump administration did not do a thorough job of evaluating its environmental impact. From CNBC:
#1
Brian Matthew Morris (born September 5, 1963) is a U. S.District Court Judge for the District of Montana. He is a former Justice of the Montana Supreme Court, having been elected to Court by the voters of Montana in 2004. He is also a former fullback for the Stanford Cardinal football team.
Who was it that said they're are no Republican judges and no Democratic judges, and what planet was he/she/whatever from?
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/15/2018 11:43 Comments ||
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[Washington Examiner] Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus has been chosen to be commissioned as a Navy Reserve officer after saying he was inspired by the family of a Navy SEAL member who was killed in action in Yemen.
Priebus met the family of Senior Chief William "Ryan" Owens during an Oval Office event with Trump. Owens was killed in Yemen during a special operations raid. In his letter to the Navy, Priebus said he felt a call to serve his country after meeting with Owens' family.
"At that moment, the gravity of every action we take in the West Wing rushed down upon my shoulders," Priebus wrote in his letter, according to the Washington Post. "Everything suddenly became extremely real and raw. As some time passed, a few other senior aides joined me in the Cabinet Room and we discussed the consequences, harsh realities and weight of what we do every day."
The Navy review board issued a "professional recommendation" earlier this month for Priebus and four others to serve as human resource officers. Forty-two people had applied, but only five were approved. Priebus, 46, required a waiver to serve over the usual maximum age limit on joining of 42.
Priebus had help from Secretary of State Jim Mattis, who wrote that Priebus' background makes him an "ideal fit" for the Navy Reserve. Some are already complaining that Priebus' acceptance is a political favor. But the Post reported that the Navy review board decided against recommending Priebus as a reserve intelligence officer.
If commissioned, Priebus will be required to spend two weeks of training in Newport, R.I., and attend drill training once a month. Other political operatives who have joined the Navy as reserve officers include former White House press secretary Sean Spicer and Hillary Clinton's former presidential campaign manager Robby Mook.
Priebus' sister was a Navy doctor and his father taught at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois.
[Hot Air] Mulvaney does have some free time on his hands. Not only does he run OMB, you may remember that he’s spent months as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Board. That changed eight days ago, though, when the CFPB’s new permanent director was confirmed. Time to give Mulvaney another small side gig to occupy his time. Like running the White House.
By next summer, after all the remaining regulars have either quit or been fired, 97 percent of the top jobs in this administration will be filled by people in an "acting" capacity. And given the way we’re going, 94 percent of those will be filled by Mick Mulvaney.
A mystery: Why does Trump need an "acting" chief of staff right now when John Kelly will still be on the job for a few more weeks? Especially since Trump’s first pick for the job, Nick Ayers, had reportedly already agreed to serve as "acting" chief for a few months. That arrangement fell apart when Trump demanded a commitment longer than what Ayers was willing to provide. So Ayers walked. And now here’s POTUS with an "acting" chief anyway.
[BBC] Eleven people have died and dozens more have fallen ill after eating rice at a temple in India, police say.
About 70 people have been admitted to hospital after eating the food following a ceremony in the southern state of Karnataka.
A police spokesman told the BBC that 11 patients are in a critical condition.
Two people have reportedly been arrested following the incident, and one health official told local media that the food may have been poisoned.
"We were offered tomato rice [which] was smelling," one person who attended the ceremony told reporters.
"All those who threw it away are fine," they added. "Those who ate [it] started vomiting and complained of stomach pain."
Mr. Wife used to alternate food poisoning and dysentary until he learned what to eat in Third World countries. The first rule is to avoid things that smell off.
The incident happened at the Maramma temple in the Chamarajanagar district on Friday, where a special event was taking place.
#2
Hah. Lemme pull this off the pile and see if I can trick someone into eating it...
Advice from a traveler: No soup.
No salads or stuff made of poop.
No insects or sputum
(those just didn't suit him).
Uncapped or unwrapped?
Nope, nor kneaded nor slapped;
No undercooked meat
Nor things flattened by feet
Or left out in the heat
Or inside should you eat!
Eschew items germy
Or wormy or squirmy,
And foods from the pesticide group.
Oh, ice cream? Just one little scoop.
#1
The power to tax is the power to control. When governments increase taxes they increase the cost of living for the lower and middle class. Solar Panels, Wind Turbines, Ethonal to name a few.
[Daily Caller] The Nashville diocese removed a deacon from ministry after he questioned the thoroughness of their list of predatory priests and called for an independent investigation.
Rev. Joe McMahon sent a Nov. 30 letter to Deacon Ron Deal instructing him not to minister in the diocese until he settled his "public disagreement" with the diocese. Deal called into question the thoroughness of the diocese’s investigation into priests credibly accused of sexual abuse after noting their mistakes in releasing a list of such priests.
"My question to them is how do you propose ending it?" Deal told The Associated Press concerning the diocesan admonishment to end his dispute. "I would love to find a way to keep this issue front and center, but I’m not sure how we make that (resolution) happen if it doesn’t involve speaking openly."
Deal noted that names were missing from the diocese’s initial version of the list and that one of the priests listed as dead was actually alive. The diocese issued corrections, but Deal called for an independent investigation into cases of alleged sexual abuse at a November press conference.
Rick Musacchio, spokesman for the diocese, clarified that Deal still received a pension and had not been officially suspended from ministry. He added that the path to resolving the issue would be for Deal to cease criticizing the church in public.
"The pastor has asked him to resolve the issue," Musacchio told The AP. "It’s fair to say the public statements are tending to cause the confusion."
[DAWN] Sri Lanka's strongman leader Mahinda Rajapakse will step down from his disputed position of premier, his son said on Friday, signalling an end to a crippling seven-week long power struggle.
Rajapakse's politician son Namal said he will quit on Saturday "to ensure stability of the nation", after the Supreme Court ordered that he should not exercise the powers of the office he has claimed since October 26.
Namal Rajapakse said they will join a coalition with President Maithripala Sirisena who triggered the political crisis on October 26 by sacking Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replacing him with former foe Rajapakse.
The latest decision of Rajapakse to back down came as the Supreme Court ruled that he and his purported cabinet should not exercise the powers of the office they claim until he could prove his legitimacy.
The court ruling also meant that the country was effectively without a government and heading for a shut down in the absence of parliament voting for a budget for 2019.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/15/2018 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Dhaka Tribune] The new beauty queen in a country that loves this kind of pageant is Isabella Rodriguez, 25, from a Caracas shantytown called Petare - home to well over half a million people
[Washington Examiner] Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus has been chosen to be commissioned as a Navy Reserve officer after saying he was inspired by the family of a Navy SEAL member who was killed in action in Yemen.
[BBC] Eleven people have died and dozens more have fallen ill after eating rice at a temple in India, police say.
[Daily Caller] The Nashville diocese removed a deacon from ministry after he questioned the thoroughness of their list of predatory priests and called for an independent investigation.
