Obama Unveils New Gun Control Plan, Including ‘Smart Gun’ Requirements and More

Obama Unveils New Gun Control Plan, Including ‘Smart Gun’ Requirements and More | TheBlaze.com
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama announced new steps Friday to help curb gun violence, including by identifying the requirements that “smart guns” would have to meet for law enforcement agencies to buy and use them as well as sharing mental health records with the federal background check system.
Smart guns use various technologies to prevent an accidental shooting or help track down a missing gun.
“These common-sense steps are not going to prevent every tragedy, but what if they prevented even one?” Obama wrote in a Facebook post. “We should be doing everything we can to save lives and spare families the pain and unimaginable loss too many Americans have endured.”
As Obama unveiled a plan last January to expand federal background checks for gun purchases, he directed the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Justice to conduct or sponsor research into smart-gun technology.
Obama also instructed the agencies to regularly review the availability of such technology and to promote its use..."

This Childless Author Thinks All Women Deserve Maternity Leave

This Childless Author Thinks All Women Deserve Maternity Leave  - Us Weekly
Childless author Meghann Foye has come under fire.
The reason: She believes that maternity leave is, in her words, a “time and space for self-reflection.”
...“After 10 years of working in a job where I was always on deadline, I couldn’t help but feel envious when parents on staff left the office at 6 p.m. to tend to their children, where it was assumed co-workers without kids would stay behind to pick up the slack,” wrote Foye.
That’s when the 38-year-old dreamed up the term “Meternity,” which she describes as “a sabbatical-like break that allows women and, to a lesser degree, men to shift their focus to the part of their lives that doesn’t revolve around their jobs.”
The New Jersey-based writer also feels that parents have an advantage in the work place..."

ICE Director Says 'Sanctuary' Policies Put Agents At Risk | The Daily Caller

ICE Director Says 'Sanctuary' Policies Put Agents At Risk | The Daily Caller:

"Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Sarah Saldana acknowledged on Thursday that “sanctuary city” polices put federal immigration officers at risk, but she declined to support measures that would force local law enforcement agencies to scrap them.

“Does the sanctuary city program put your field personnel at more risk than they would be otherwise?” South Carolina Rep. Mick Mulvaney asked the Obama appointee during a contentious House Oversight Committee hearing."

Steyn on Big Climate and its ever more naked hostility to free speech and intellectual inquiry.

A Se'nnight of Steyn, April 25-May 1 :: SteynOnline:
This week The New Criterion posted Ben Weingarten's in-depth interview with Steyn on Big Climate and its ever more naked hostility to free speech and intellectual inquiry. 
Here's their exchange on the similarities between the Islamic supremacists and the climate mullahs:

If you enjoyed that, you can watch the full Steyn/Weingarten interview here.

AM Fruitcake

History for May 2

History for May 2 - On-This-Day.com:
Catherine The Great (Ekaterina Alekseevna) 1729 - Russian leader Catherine II, Baron Von Richthofen (The Red Baron) 1892 - German fighter pilot, Dr. Benjamin Spock 1903 - Baby doctor, author ("The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care")


Bing Crosby 1903 - Singer, according to Bing Crosby his birthday is May 2nd, his birthday is actually May 3, real name: Harry Lillis Crosby, Engelbert Humperdinck (Arnold George Dorsey) 1936 - Singer, Lesley Gore 1946 - Singer


1863 - Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was wounded by his own men in the battle of Chancellorsville, VA. He died 8 days later.


1885 - The Congo Free State was established by King Leopold II of Belgium.


1885 - The magazine "Good Housekeeping" was first published.


1902 - "A Trip to the Moon," the first science fiction film was released. It was created by magician George Melies.


1941 - The Federal Communications Commission agreed to let regular scheduling of TV broadcasts by commercial TV stations begin on July 1, 1941. This was the start of network television.


1969 - The ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) made its maiden voyage.


1970 - Student anti-war protesters at Ohio's Kent State University burn down the campus ROTC building. The National Guard took control of the campus.


1982 - The British submarine HMS Conqueror sank Argentina's only cruiser, the General Belgrano during the Falkland Islands War. More than 350 people died.

Know Thy Enemy: a Classier Take on Class Warfare - Texas Millennial Institute

Know Thy Enemy: a Classier Take on Class Warfare - Texas Millennial Institute:

"In case you didn’t know it, the ultra-rich are widely vilified—particularly within movements such as Occupy Wall Street and the political campaign of Bernie Sanders, which has captured the hearts of many a burgeoning millennial. Who are the ultra-rich? And why are they widely vilified? Many are executives, or work in industries such as finance, law, medicine, and technology—with the top 1% having an average household income of $1.2 million in 2008, according to federal tax data.⁠1 While some inherited substantial wealth, many are self-made.

As for their vilification, it has a lot to do with what is called greed. Did ever a word sound more vicious? Greed is ugly, sinful avarice; the root of all evil; or so, at least, many of us are taught. While some look at the ultra-rich and see success, others see only greed."

Meme Team: Taking Things Litter-ally — The Patriot Post

Meme Team: Taking Things Litter-ally — The Patriot Post:

The Death of a Nation

The Death of a Nation | PJ Media:
Adam Smith once observed that "there's a lot of ruin in a nation". 
A lot, but not an infinite amount.  
Venezuela proves that given enough stupidity it is possible to run through even the biggest design margin.
"From the 1950s to the early 1980s the Venezuelan economy was the strongest and most prosperous in South America.
..Unfortunately riches on that scale attract what economists call the curse of plenty, after the observable fact that "countries with an abundance of natural resources, specifically non-renewable resources like minerals and fuels, tend to have less economic growth, less democracy, and worse development outcomes than countries with fewer natural resources."
The problem is that easy money attracts the wrong kind of leaders and incentivizes the wrong kind of public behavior.  
"Countries that rely on natural resource exports may tend to neglect education because they see no immediate need for it.
Resource-poor economies like Singapore, Taiwan or South Korea, by contrast, spent enormous efforts on education."
...But when the Venezuelans sought relief from the ordinarily corrupt governments in a Marxist named Hugo Chavez, they found it was possible to go from bad to worse..."

Atlantic City, America’s Worst-Rated Town, Stares at Default

Atlantic City, America’s Worst-Rated Town, Stares at Default - WSJ:
"Atlantic City has so little money left that it could miss a $1.8 million bond payment due Sunday, a step that would make it the first New Jersey municipality to default on debt since the Great Depression.
The Jersey Shore gambling destination has endured years of strain as a third of its casinos shut down. But now its cash levels are low enough that bankruptcy is a possibility for the 39,000-population city, according to Mayor Don Guardian.
“We’re down to a couple million dollars on any given day,” the mayor said in an interview.
Once prized as a vacation destination because of its giant casinos and boardwalk, Atlantic City is in this position because of a declining economy and mounting debt. 
Its predicament is more severe than most distressed U.S. municipalities because it has the worst credit rating of any American city.
...As recently as a year ago, bondholders purchased about $50 million in Atlantic City bonds backed by state aid payments..."

Army Retains Decorated Green Beret Who Punched Afghan Child Rapist | Glenn Beck

Army Retains Decorated Green Beret Who Punched Afghan Child Rapist | Glenn Beck:

"FOX EXCLUSIVE: In a stunning reversal, the U.S. Army decided late Thursday to retain a decorated Green Beret it had planned to kick out after he physically confronted a local Afghan commander accused of raping a boy over the course of many days."

Kansas governor’s withdrawal decision has the refugee contractors defiant; NJ withdraws too!

Kansas governor’s withdrawal decision has the refugee contractors defiant; NJ withdraws too! « Refugee Resettlement Watch:
"See our previous two posts on Kansas here and here.  And, come on Texas, join the crowd!!!Now here is the lengthy and informative article from Miss Elise at the Huffington Post (we have reported on her pro-open borders writing previously) about Governor Sam Brownback’s (former great enthusiast for the refugee program) change of heart.

Emphasis below is mine:

Fifteen years ago, then-Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) gave an impassioned speech in support of refugee resettlement. He called helping and taking in refugees “some of the most noble and ennobling things we can do,” and said the United States should admit “substantially” more than 80,000 people, the ceiling at the time.

“I want to ensure that any refugee dealing with our system sees the best of who we are and what we represent,” he said at an event ahead of World Refugee Day in 2001. “We are a better nation because of the refugees and asylees amongst us.”

If refugees currently dealing with the system are going to see the best of America, though, it will be in spite of Brownback. Now governor of Kansas, he announced Tuesday that his state would no longer work with the federal government to resettle refugees, the final step in a months-long effort to keep out Syrians that now is directed toward refugees in general.[….]

His decision won’t have a major impact on refugee resettlement to Kansas — although the governor has implied that he’s effectively banning the program in the state, all his withdrawal means is that another agency will have to coordinate the services for it to function in Kansas.  [Remember “services”=your financial support of refugees.—ed][….]

But Brownback’s shift was troubling for refugee resettlement groups.

Here we learn something we didn’t know about those regulations that the Office of Refugee Resettlement crafted from thin air (with no legislative authority!)..."

Lunch video-----Fracking Facts: Benefits of Fracking

Noon-toon

Obama Unveils New Gun Control Plan, Including ‘Smart Gun’ Requirements and More | TheBlaze.com

Obama Unveils New Gun Control Plan, Including ‘Smart Gun’ Requirements and More | TheBlaze.com:

"WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama announced new steps Friday to help curb gun violence, including by identifying the requirements that “smart guns” would have to meet for law enforcement agencies to buy and use them as well as sharing mental health records with the federal background check system."

Michigan Senate Committee Passes Bill to End Common Core After Child’s Compelling Testimony

Michigan Senate Committee Passes Bill to End Common Core After Child’s Compelling Testimony | Tenth Amendment Center Blog:
 "LANSING, Mich. (Apr. 27, 2016) – Yesterday, an important Michigan Senate committee passed a bill to withdraw the state from Common Core standards after compelling testimony by a 7-year-old boy.
Passage of the legislation would take an important step toward nullifying nationalized education in the state.
Senate Bill 826 (SB826) was introduced on Mar. 1 by Sen. Patrick Colbeck and six co-sponsors.
The legislation would void Common Core standards and create a framework to establish new state standards to replace them.
The bill passed in the Senate Education Committee by a 4-1 vote on Apr. 26.
It will now move on to the full Senate for further consideration..."

Blog: Nursing student robbed and beaten in broad daylight on Chicago 'El' train as other passengers ignore her plight

Blog: Nursing student robbed and beaten in broad daylight on Chicago 'El' train as other passengers ignore her plight:
It has taken a lot of concerted effort on the part of the grievance industry, but the bonds of civil society are finally fraying to the breaking point.  
In broad daylight at 10 AM Thursday, 19 year old nursing student Jessica Hughes was attacked and beaten by a pair of muggers whose... 

• race the media do not care to mention, as 
• other passengers on the train did not lift a finger to help her. 

Chicago TV Station WLS interviewed her:

"If you were seeing someone else getting abused, wouldn't you want to step in?" Hughes said.

I look at Ms. Hughes’s face and see a heartbroken young woman, probably an idealist judging by her chosen profession that aims at helping others. As her question indicates, she cannot comprehend that others did not care about her plight, for she automatically would come to the aid of another under trying circumstances..."

She do look like a hoe-----Black students issue demands to college after black student's racially offensive cartoons are printed

Black students issue demands to college after black student's racially offensive cartoons are printed - The College Fix:
Black students at Wesley College in Dover, Delaware have issued a set of demands to the school administration after the student newspaper published two racially insensitive cartoons.

The images, drawn by (black) student Bryheim Muse, depict “a caricature of a black woman saying, ‘Would you look at the time… I’m late for my abortion’ while wearing a shirt that reads ‘Black Lives Matter,’” and “a gardening hoe asking a black man ‘Who is you calling a hoe?’”

The man responds “I’m sorry ma’am, you just look like a hoe.”

Some took the cartoons as a joke, but others found them “racist and sexist.”

HuffPost Black Voices reports:

Shaylynn Bivens, vice president of the university’s black student union, sent a statement to The Huffington Post about the problematic nature of the drawings, especially when a racial divide already exists on campus.

“We have worked hard, especially black women, to defy and break down all of the stereotypes that were thrown at us,” she said in the statement. “It is humiliating to know that we were dehumanized by a fellow African-American male. He essentially gave the white students a reason to disrespect and think less of us. That comic promotes hate speech. Student Tiffany Griffin said she wasn’t satisfied with the forum [set up by the administration and newspaper to discuss the issue]. She told HuffPost that several students felt the administration wasn’t taking the matter seriously. So she, along with Bivens and Damyra Price, created a list of demands which they said they plan on presenting to University President Robert Clark in a meeting on Thursday..."

Bailing out the banks and hedge funds-----On Eve of Default, Puerto Ricans Are Broke and Feel Out of Luck

On Eve of Default, Puerto Ricans Are Broke and Feel Out of Luck - Bloomberg:
"...The island is “broke” and business is bad, Jimenez says, gesturing at his thick wad of unsold tickets -- testimony to a public feeling down on its luck.
Then he looks over to the utility building:
“They made a lot of money, and there were lots of bonds.
But not anymore.”
Of course, Puerto Rico still has bonds -- about $70 billion outstanding.
What it’s short of is cash to repay them with. 
The indebted Caribbean island, home to 3.5 million U.S. citizens, has juggled dwindling resources from one hand to another for months now, to keep creditors at bay.
The crisis is set to tip into a new phase this weekend when $422 million of payments are due and, as things stand, unlikely to be made in full -- threatening the biggest default yet.
Cue a flurry of activity in New York, where hedge funds are consulting their lawyers, and in Washington, where lawmakers are wrangling over a rescue package.
Congress failed to come up with one by this weekend’s deadline, when the island’s Government Development Bank, which lends money to the local authorities that run schools and other services, is the potential defaulter. 
Some of its bonds trade at just 20 cents on the dollar, amid last-ditch talks to defer payments..."

Socialism-----Zimbabwe 100 Trillion Dollars

Zimbabwe 100 Trillion Dollars:

Target Stock Drops After Store Announces Controversial ‘Inclusivity’ Policy | TheBlaze.com

Target Stock Drops After Store Announces Controversial ‘Inclusivity’ Policy | TheBlaze.com:

"Following the Target Corporation’s decision to allow transgender customers and employees to use whichever bathroom they prefer, the retail brand’s stock has slightly fallen.

The drop may be nothing more than a coincidence, but Target’s stock price has dipped by 5.8 percent since April 19, when the store first announced the “inclusivity” policy."

Gonna hurt...someone-----Deadline nears on Teamster pension cuts

Deadline nears on Teamster pension cuts | Duluth News Tribune:
"Hundreds of former truck drivers gathered at Holy Family Catholic Church in Duluth Thursday hoping to hear good news about their retirement pensions.
A special appointee of the federal government must decide by May 7 whether to accept or deny a plan by the Central States pension fund to cut monthly benefits for Teamster retirees by up to 70 percent to keep the pension fund solvent.
The decision will impact some 400,000 current and retired Teamsters in 38 states, including thousands in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
...In Minnesota, the Central States fund pays benefits of about $143 million a year, with the proposed cuts wiping out two-thirds of those payments affecting some 15,000 workers and retirees. 
The proposed cuts average about 34 percent but range to 50 percent or more.
Anyone over 79 or who is disabled is exempt from the cuts..."

AM Fruitcake

History for May 1

History for May 1 - On-This-Day.com:
Benjamin Henry Latrobe 1764 - Architect known for his design of the United States Capitol and the Baltimore Basilica, Kate Smith 1909 - Singer, Glen Ford 1916 - Actor ("Gilda", "The Courtship of Eddie's Father")


Jack Paar 1918 - Radio and television comedian, talk show host ("The Tonight Show"), Joseph Heller 1923 - Novelist, short story writer, playwright, Scott Carpenter 1925 - One of NASA's original seven astronauts


1707 - England, Wales and Scotland were united to form Great Britain.


1898 - The U.S. Navy under Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay in the Philippines.


1937 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed an act of neutrality, keeping the United States out of World War II.

1948 - The People's Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) was proclaimed.


1952 - Production of Mr. Potato Head began.


1960 - Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. Powers was taken prisoner.


1961 - Fidel Castro announced there would be no more elections in Cuba.


1992 - On the third day of the Los Angeles riots resulting from the Rodney King beating trial. King appeared in public to appeal for calm, he asked, "Can we all get along?"