“While not the focus of our investigation, we also developed evidence that the security culture of the State Department in general, and with respect to use of unclassified e-mail systems in particular, was generally lacking in the kind of care for classified information found elsewhere in the government,” said Comey."
Wednesday, July 06, 2016
State Department: FBI Is Wrong; We're Not Lax On Protecting Classified Information - Matt Vespa
State Department: FBI Is Wrong; We're Not Lax On Protecting Classified Information - Matt Vespa:
"State Department Spokesman John Kirby was not happy about FBI Director James Comey’s assessment of the culture at federal agency regarding handling classified information. Comey said that there were egregious lapses in security protocols regarding how Clinton and her team disseminated such information.
“While not the focus of our investigation, we also developed evidence that the security culture of the State Department in general, and with respect to use of unclassified e-mail systems in particular, was generally lacking in the kind of care for classified information found elsewhere in the government,” said Comey."
“While not the focus of our investigation, we also developed evidence that the security culture of the State Department in general, and with respect to use of unclassified e-mail systems in particular, was generally lacking in the kind of care for classified information found elsewhere in the government,” said Comey."
Chores: The Canary in the Coal Mine of Kids’ Character
Chores: The Canary in the Coal Mine of Kids’ Character | Intellectual Takeout:
"Last month, Business Insider ran a list of 13 things parents can do to turn their child into a successful adult.
The first item on the list was to make a child do chores.
Given the fact that only 28 percent of parents require their children to do chores, it seems that we’re destined for a generation of unsuccessful adults.
And according to recent statements by pediatrician Deborah Gilboa, children who don’t do chores will not only be unsuccessful in material achievements, they will also be unsuccessful in the area of moral character.
“Chores,” Gilboa noted, “are the canary in the coal mine of kids’ character.” She goes on to say that parents who allow children to get out of chores because they are too busy are raising children to be selfish:
“If we see teens as selfish, it is only because we have given them the opportunity to focus on themselves. …
Taking out the garbage builds character. Family work proves to kids that they’re not above serving the needs of the group – that they’re not exempt from helping. We’re convincing our kids that their character isn’t quite as important to us as their achievements.”
Furthermore, Dr. Gilboa notes that parents who worry chores will make their children unhappy are barking up the wrong tree:
“Their happiness is not my responsibility. Their character is my responsibility.”
Would you agree with Dr. Gilboa?
Is it time that parents realize that sparing their children from work is not a service, but a detriment to them socially, physically, and morally?
“Idleness, and its Amusements are in the End more tiresome than Labour itself.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1757"
"Last month, Business Insider ran a list of 13 things parents can do to turn their child into a successful adult.
The first item on the list was to make a child do chores.
Given the fact that only 28 percent of parents require their children to do chores, it seems that we’re destined for a generation of unsuccessful adults.
And according to recent statements by pediatrician Deborah Gilboa, children who don’t do chores will not only be unsuccessful in material achievements, they will also be unsuccessful in the area of moral character.
“Chores,” Gilboa noted, “are the canary in the coal mine of kids’ character.” She goes on to say that parents who allow children to get out of chores because they are too busy are raising children to be selfish:“If we see teens as selfish, it is only because we have given them the opportunity to focus on themselves. …
Taking out the garbage builds character. Family work proves to kids that they’re not above serving the needs of the group – that they’re not exempt from helping. We’re convincing our kids that their character isn’t quite as important to us as their achievements.”
Furthermore, Dr. Gilboa notes that parents who worry chores will make their children unhappy are barking up the wrong tree:
“Their happiness is not my responsibility. Their character is my responsibility.”
Would you agree with Dr. Gilboa?
Is it time that parents realize that sparing their children from work is not a service, but a detriment to them socially, physically, and morally?
“Idleness, and its Amusements are in the End more tiresome than Labour itself.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1757"
Read of the day!-----Islam—Facts or Dreams?
Islam—Facts or Dreams? - Imprimis:
"...For our present purposes, however, the fact is that the Blind Sheikh’s summons to jihad was rooted in a coherent interpretation of Islamic doctrine.
He was not perverting Islam—he was, if anything, shining a light on the need to reform it.
Another point, obvious but inconvenient, is that Islam is not a religion of peace.
There are ways of interpreting Islam that could make it something other than a call to war.
But even these benign constructions do not make it a call to peace.
Verses such as “Fight those who believe not in Allah,” and “Fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem of war,” are not peaceful injunctions, no matter how one contextualizes.
Another disturbing aspect of the trial against the Blind Sheikh and his fellow jihadists was the character witnesses who testified for the defense.
Most of these people were moderate, peaceful Muslim Americans who would no more commit terrorist acts than the rest of us.
But when questions about Islamic doctrine would come up—“What does jihad mean?” “What is sharia?” “How might sharia apply to a certain situation?”—these moderate, peaceful Muslims explained that they were not competent to say.
In other words, for the answers, you’d have to turn to Islamic scholars like the Blind Sheikh.
Now, understand: there was no doubt what the Blind Sheikh was on trial for.
And there was no doubt that he was a terrorist—after all, he bragged about it.
But that did not disqualify him, in the minds of these moderate, peaceful Muslims, from rendering authoritative opinions on the meaning of the core tenets of their religion.
No one was saying that they would follow the Blind Sheikh into terrorism—but no one was discrediting his status either..."
Lots here.
Read it all!
"...For our present purposes, however, the fact is that the Blind Sheikh’s summons to jihad was rooted in a coherent interpretation of Islamic doctrine.
He was not perverting Islam—he was, if anything, shining a light on the need to reform it.
Another point, obvious but inconvenient, is that Islam is not a religion of peace.
There are ways of interpreting Islam that could make it something other than a call to war.
But even these benign constructions do not make it a call to peace.
Verses such as “Fight those who believe not in Allah,” and “Fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem of war,” are not peaceful injunctions, no matter how one contextualizes.Another disturbing aspect of the trial against the Blind Sheikh and his fellow jihadists was the character witnesses who testified for the defense.
Most of these people were moderate, peaceful Muslim Americans who would no more commit terrorist acts than the rest of us.
But when questions about Islamic doctrine would come up—“What does jihad mean?” “What is sharia?” “How might sharia apply to a certain situation?”—these moderate, peaceful Muslims explained that they were not competent to say.
In other words, for the answers, you’d have to turn to Islamic scholars like the Blind Sheikh.
Now, understand: there was no doubt what the Blind Sheikh was on trial for.
And there was no doubt that he was a terrorist—after all, he bragged about it.
But that did not disqualify him, in the minds of these moderate, peaceful Muslims, from rendering authoritative opinions on the meaning of the core tenets of their religion.
No one was saying that they would follow the Blind Sheikh into terrorism—but no one was discrediting his status either..."
Lots here.
Read it all!
Disgraced State Department Official Blamed Ambassador Chris Stevens for His own Death in Benghazi
Disgraced State Department Official Blamed Ambassador Chris Stevens for His own Death in Benghazi:
"The placement of blame for Stevens’ death was made in testimony by Charlene Lamb, then Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security and International Programs. Lamb was one of four State Department officials disciplined in response to the attacks for her alleged role in denying security requests to the U.S. Benghazi mission. She was placed on administrative leave but was subsequently reinstated to a State Department job by John Kerry.
The final Benghazi report reveals that Lamb told the Committee:
The RSO [Regional Security Officer] and the Ambassador are ultimately responsible "
The final Benghazi report reveals that Lamb told the Committee:
The RSO [Regional Security Officer] and the Ambassador are ultimately responsible "
Learning "English" no longer necessary?-----Dem immigration platform courts Hispanics
Dem immigration platform courts Hispanics | TheHill:
"The Democratic Party delivered a huge win to immigration activists in its party platform draft released Friday, taking a liberal stance in sharp contrast to Republican proposals.
...The platform calls for a path to citizenship "for law-abiding families who are here," the defense of President Obama's executive actions on immigration, the end of immigration raids against children and families, due process for "those fleeing violence in Central America," and to rescind statutory bans on immigrants who modify their status in the country.
...The 2016 document contrasts sharply with the 2012 version, which also touted the need for comprehensive immigration reform, but stated that undocumented immigrants should "get right with the law, learn English, and pay taxes in order to get on a path to earn citizenship," language unpopular with Hispanic and immigrant rights groups..."
"The Democratic Party delivered a huge win to immigration activists in its party platform draft released Friday, taking a liberal stance in sharp contrast to Republican proposals.
...The 2016 document contrasts sharply with the 2012 version, which also touted the need for comprehensive immigration reform, but stated that undocumented immigrants should "get right with the law, learn English, and pay taxes in order to get on a path to earn citizenship," language unpopular with Hispanic and immigrant rights groups..."
After Slaughter, Bangladesh Reels at Revelations About Attackers
After Slaughter, Bangladesh Reels at Revelations About Attackers - The New York Times:
"DHAKA, Bangladesh — Bangladesh’s capital city reeled in shock on Sunday as clues began to flood social media about the privileged backgrounds of the half-dozen attackers believed to have butchered 20 patrons of a restaurant during a bloody siege here late last week.
The six attackers were killed when the army stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery to end an 11-hour siege early Saturday.
The police declined to name the young men because nobody had shown up as of Sunday night to identify their bodies, but friends and relatives recognized photographs that were posted on a messaging app by the Islamic State, along with praise for the violence.
The men, all in their late teens or early 20s, were products of Bangladesh’s elite, several having attended one of the country’s top English-medium private schools as well as universities both in the country and abroad.
Among them was the son of a former city leader in the prime minister’s own Awami League, the governing party.
“That’s what we’re absolutely riveted by,” said Kazi Anis Ahmed, a writer and publisher of the daily newspaper The Dhaka Tribune.
“That these kids from very affluent families with no material want can still be turned to this kind of ideology, motivated not just to the point of killing but also want to be killed.”
That children of the country’s upper classes appear to have joined militant Islamists in an act of such brutality highlighted the radicalization among the largely moderate Muslim population here, a process that has accelerated in recent years."
"DHAKA, Bangladesh — Bangladesh’s capital city reeled in shock on Sunday as clues began to flood social media about the privileged backgrounds of the half-dozen attackers believed to have butchered 20 patrons of a restaurant during a bloody siege here late last week.
The six attackers were killed when the army stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery to end an 11-hour siege early Saturday.
The men, all in their late teens or early 20s, were products of Bangladesh’s elite, several having attended one of the country’s top English-medium private schools as well as universities both in the country and abroad.
Among them was the son of a former city leader in the prime minister’s own Awami League, the governing party.
“That’s what we’re absolutely riveted by,” said Kazi Anis Ahmed, a writer and publisher of the daily newspaper The Dhaka Tribune.
“That these kids from very affluent families with no material want can still be turned to this kind of ideology, motivated not just to the point of killing but also want to be killed.”
That children of the country’s upper classes appear to have joined militant Islamists in an act of such brutality highlighted the radicalization among the largely moderate Muslim population here, a process that has accelerated in recent years."
BOOM: Swiss Carry Out Stunning Orders Targeting Muslims Across Their Country
BOOM: Swiss Carry Out Stunning Orders Targeting Muslims Across Their Country:
"The issue of Muslim immigration has become the focal point for many elections around the globe as a result of the flood of refugees fleeing war-torn nations in the Middle East.
Europe in particular has been hard hit by this crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people swarming into various European nations, stretching resources to the limits and often times causing outbreaks of violence.
While some countries have welcomed these refugees with open arms, and paid the price, other nations are very hesitant to do so. Switzerland is one of these countries, and will not fully integrate Muslims unless they conform to Swiss standards, reported USA Today"
"The issue of Muslim immigration has become the focal point for many elections around the globe as a result of the flood of refugees fleeing war-torn nations in the Middle East.
While some countries have welcomed these refugees with open arms, and paid the price, other nations are very hesitant to do so. Switzerland is one of these countries, and will not fully integrate Muslims unless they conform to Swiss standards, reported USA Today"
TSA Fails 95 Percent Of Airport Security Tests Conducted By Homeland Security
TSA Fails 95 Percent Of Airport Security Tests Conducted By Homeland Security: Report:
"As thorough as the Transportation Security Administration screeners may be as they rifle through your belongings, the agency isn’t performing where it counts.
In a series of trials, the Department of Homeland Security was able to smuggle fake explosives, weapons and other contraband past airport screeners in major cities across the country, according to ABC News.
Officials briefed on the Homeland Security Inspector General’s investigation told the station that the TSA failed 67 out of 70 tests conducted by the department’s Red Teams — undercover passengers tasked with identifying weaknesses in the screening process, NJ.com reports.
During the tests, DHS agents each tried to bring a banned item past TSA screeners.
They succeeded 95 percent of the time.
The internal investigation was designed to find the TSA’s most egregious vulnerabilities.
The TSA has said Red Team agents are “super terrorists” who “push the boundaries of our people, processes, and technology,” but DHS officials told ABC the test results were frustrating at the very least..."
"As thorough as the Transportation Security Administration screeners may be as they rifle through your belongings, the agency isn’t performing where it counts.
Officials briefed on the Homeland Security Inspector General’s investigation told the station that the TSA failed 67 out of 70 tests conducted by the department’s Red Teams — undercover passengers tasked with identifying weaknesses in the screening process, NJ.com reports.
During the tests, DHS agents each tried to bring a banned item past TSA screeners.
They succeeded 95 percent of the time.
The internal investigation was designed to find the TSA’s most egregious vulnerabilities.
The TSA has said Red Team agents are “super terrorists” who “push the boundaries of our people, processes, and technology,” but DHS officials told ABC the test results were frustrating at the very least..."
History for July 6
History for July 6 - On-This-Day.com
John Paul Jones 1747 - First United States' well known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War, Harold Vanderbilt 1884 - American railroad executive, Nancy Reagan (Anne Frances Robbins) 1921 - Wife of U.S. President Ronald Reagan, actress
Pat Paulsen (Patrick Layton "Pat" Paulsen) 1927 - Comedian, satirist, Sylvester Stallone 1946 - Actor ("Rocky" series of movies), George W. Bush (U.S.) 1946 - 43rd President of the United States
1699 - Captain William Kidd, the pirate, was captured in Boston, MA, and deported back to England.
1854 - In Jackson, MI, the Republican Party held its first convention.
1885 - Louis Pasteur successfully tested his anti-rabies vaccine. The child used in the test later became the director of the Pasteur Institute.
1917 - During World War I, Arab forces led by T.E. Lawrence captured the port of Aqaba from the Turks.
1923 - The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was established.
1942 - Diarist Anne Frank and her family took refuge from the Nazis in Amsterdam.
1957 - Althea Gibson won the Wimbledon women’s singles tennis title. She was the first black athlete to win the event.
1967 - The Biafran War erupted. The war lasted two-and-a-half years. About 600,000 people died.
Tuesday, July 05, 2016
AP Fact Check: Clinton’s Email Claims Fall Apart Under FBI Investigation | TheBlaze.com
AP Fact Check: Clinton’s Email Claims Fall Apart Under FBI Investigation | TheBlaze.com:
"WASHINGTON (AP) — Key assertions by Hillary Clinton in defense of her email practices have collapsed under FBI scrutiny.
The agency’s yearlong investigation found that she did not, as she claimed, turn over all her work-related messages for release. It found that her private email server did carry classified emails, also contrary to her past statements. And it made clear that Clinton used many devices to send and receive email despite her statements that she set up her email system so that she only needed to carry one.
FBI Director James Comey’s announcement Tuesday that he will not refer criminal charges to the Justice Department against Clinton spared her from prosecution and a devastating political predicament. But it left much of her account in tatters and may have aggravated questions of trust swirling around her Democratic presidential candidacy."
"WASHINGTON (AP) — Key assertions by Hillary Clinton in defense of her email practices have collapsed under FBI scrutiny.
The agency’s yearlong investigation found that she did not, as she claimed, turn over all her work-related messages for release. It found that her private email server did carry classified emails, also contrary to her past statements. And it made clear that Clinton used many devices to send and receive email despite her statements that she set up her email system so that she only needed to carry one.
FBI Director James Comey’s announcement Tuesday that he will not refer criminal charges to the Justice Department against Clinton spared her from prosecution and a devastating political predicament. But it left much of her account in tatters and may have aggravated questions of trust swirling around her Democratic presidential candidacy."
Suicide Bomber Attacks Near U.S. Consulate in Saudi Arabia | TheBlaze.com
Suicide Bomber Attacks Near U.S. Consulate in Saudi Arabia | TheBlaze.com:
"DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A suicide bomber carried out an attack early on Monday near the U.S. Consulate in the western Saudi Arabian city of Jiddah, according to the Interior Ministry.
The ministry said the attacker detonated his suicide vest when security guards approached him near the parking lot of a hospital. The attacker died and two security men were lightly wounded, according to the ministry statement, which was published by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. Some cars in the parking lot were damaged."
"DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A suicide bomber carried out an attack early on Monday near the U.S. Consulate in the western Saudi Arabian city of Jiddah, according to the Interior Ministry.
The ministry said the attacker detonated his suicide vest when security guards approached him near the parking lot of a hospital. The attacker died and two security men were lightly wounded, according to the ministry statement, which was published by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. Some cars in the parking lot were damaged."
Hordes of Fake Users Scamming Social Media, eCommerce Sites
Hordes of Fake Users Scamming Social Media, eCommerce Sites:
"Inside the World of Fake User Accounts
The online hook-up site Ashley Madison is reportedly overrun by fake accounts.
Most men are real users, but most of the accounts claiming to represent women apparently are fake.
The dating app Tinder also has fake user accounts set up to lure real users off the app and onto another site or app where they can be scammed with cons, identity thieves or malware, according to researchers at Symantec and Panda Security.
Many of these fake accounts are used by spambots, which reportedly imitate the speech patterns of flirtatious women, and sometimes men.
Another reason to create fake accounts is to post phony online reviews.
Amazon recently filed lawsuits against three sellers for using sock puppet accounts to post fake reviews.
They posed as consumers but were in fact "reviewing" their own products.
And these sellers were allegedly prolific—some 30 to 45 percent of the companies' reviews were fake. The lawsuits are nothing new, according to Amazon, which claims to have sued more than 1,000 fake-review posters.
...Every recent American presidential election is attended by the creation of massive numbers of fake social media accounts to astro-turf public opinion in favor of one candidate or another..."
"Inside the World of Fake User Accounts
The online hook-up site Ashley Madison is reportedly overrun by fake accounts.
Most men are real users, but most of the accounts claiming to represent women apparently are fake.
Many of these fake accounts are used by spambots, which reportedly imitate the speech patterns of flirtatious women, and sometimes men.
Another reason to create fake accounts is to post phony online reviews.
Amazon recently filed lawsuits against three sellers for using sock puppet accounts to post fake reviews.
They posed as consumers but were in fact "reviewing" their own products.
And these sellers were allegedly prolific—some 30 to 45 percent of the companies' reviews were fake. The lawsuits are nothing new, according to Amazon, which claims to have sued more than 1,000 fake-review posters.
...Every recent American presidential election is attended by the creation of massive numbers of fake social media accounts to astro-turf public opinion in favor of one candidate or another..."
U.S. Military to Allow Soldiers to Crossdress
U.S. Military to Allow Soldiers to Crossdress - Breitbart:
"Military personnel who wish to dress as the opposite sex may now do so, according to an announcement from Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter.
Carter said, however, that new recruits would have to crossdress for at least 18 months prior to joining the military, presumably to avoid last-minute transitions from one mode of dress to another. Still, if a member of the armed forces wishes to swap genders while serving on active duty, that person may be able to do so “if a military medical provider determines it is necessary,” according to reports.
If any soldier would like to take a further step and undergo gender reassignment surgery, the Pentagon would cover the medical costs, Carter added."
"Military personnel who wish to dress as the opposite sex may now do so, according to an announcement from Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter.
Carter said, however, that new recruits would have to crossdress for at least 18 months prior to joining the military, presumably to avoid last-minute transitions from one mode of dress to another. Still, if a member of the armed forces wishes to swap genders while serving on active duty, that person may be able to do so “if a military medical provider determines it is necessary,” according to reports.If any soldier would like to take a further step and undergo gender reassignment surgery, the Pentagon would cover the medical costs, Carter added."
‘Please Do Not Say Islam Is a Religion of Peace. Not Anymore’: Bangladeshi Author Sounds Off After Terror Attack | TheBlaze.com
‘Please Do Not Say Islam Is a Religion of Peace. Not Anymore’: Bangladeshi Author Sounds Off After Terror Attack | TheBlaze.com:
"Following the terror attack in that claimed at least 20 lives in Bangladesh on Friday — and for which the Islamic State claimed responsibility — an exiled Bangladeshi author sounded off against those who defend Islam in the wake of repeated deadly attacks.
“For humanity’s sake please do not say Islam is a religion of peace,” Taslima Nasreen tweeted Sunday. “Not anymore.”"
"Following the terror attack in that claimed at least 20 lives in Bangladesh on Friday — and for which the Islamic State claimed responsibility — an exiled Bangladeshi author sounded off against those who defend Islam in the wake of repeated deadly attacks.
“For humanity’s sake please do not say Islam is a religion of peace,” Taslima Nasreen tweeted Sunday. “Not anymore.”"
Dem party platform calls for prosecuting global warming skeptics
Dem party platform calls for prosecuting global warming skeptics
"Democratic operatives responsible for creating their party’s platform this year have unanimously adopted a provision calling for the Department of Justice to investigate companies who disagree with Democrats on global warming science.
A panel of Democrats voted Friday to approve a final draft of the party’s platform to promote “Progressive Democratic Values,” which apparently includes investigating energy companies who “misled” shareholders about global warming.
“Another joint proposal calling on the Department of Justice to investigate alleged corporate fraud on the part of fossil fuel companies who have reportedly misled shareholders and the public on the scientific reality of climate change was also adopted by unanimous consent,” according to the Democratic National Convention’s website..."
"Democratic operatives responsible for creating their party’s platform this year have unanimously adopted a provision calling for the Department of Justice to investigate companies who disagree with Democrats on global warming science.
A panel of Democrats voted Friday to approve a final draft of the party’s platform to promote “Progressive Democratic Values,” which apparently includes investigating energy companies who “misled” shareholders about global warming.“Another joint proposal calling on the Department of Justice to investigate alleged corporate fraud on the part of fossil fuel companies who have reportedly misled shareholders and the public on the scientific reality of climate change was also adopted by unanimous consent,” according to the Democratic National Convention’s website..."
Federal Lab Cooked the Books for Two Decades and No One is Being Punished
Federal Lab Cooked the Books for Two Decades and No One is Being Punished | PJ Media:
"A federal lab has been falsifying environmental data for two decades and officials refuse to name the criminals responsible or say whether they have been punished.
A United States Geological Survey (USGS) lab in Colorado was discovered to have manipulated data from 1996 to 2014 with “serious and far ranging” effects, according to a recent report by the Department of the Interior (DOI) Inspector General (IG)
Daily Caller:
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) officials refuse to reveal who, if anyone, has been punished for nearly two decades of “disturbing” data manipulation.
Someone in the inorganic section of a USGS lab in Lakewood, Colorado manipulated data – some of which related to the environment – from 1996 to 2014, with “serious and far ranging” effects, the Department of the Interior (DOI) Inspector General (IG) recently reported.
The Energy Resources Program lab closed March 1, 2016 as a result of the bad data, but now agency officials won’t say who’s been punished or even if anybody has or will be..."
"A federal lab has been falsifying environmental data for two decades and officials refuse to name the criminals responsible or say whether they have been punished.
Daily Caller:
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) officials refuse to reveal who, if anyone, has been punished for nearly two decades of “disturbing” data manipulation.
Someone in the inorganic section of a USGS lab in Lakewood, Colorado manipulated data – some of which related to the environment – from 1996 to 2014, with “serious and far ranging” effects, the Department of the Interior (DOI) Inspector General (IG) recently reported.
The Energy Resources Program lab closed March 1, 2016 as a result of the bad data, but now agency officials won’t say who’s been punished or even if anybody has or will be..."
Report: Clinton Aide Testifies that Official Schedules Were Burned ‘On More Than One Occasion’ | TheBlaze.com
Report: Clinton Aide Testifies that Official Schedules Were Burned ‘On More Than One Occasion’ | TheBlaze.com:
"Abedin made the admission during her deposition in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch.
Abedin was asked by a lawyer for Judicial Watch, “And during your tenure at the State Department, were you aware of your obligation not to delete federal records or destroy federal records?”
Abedin replied, “If there was a schedule that was created that was her Secretary of State daily schedule, and a copy of that was then put in the burn bag, that… that certainly happened on… on more than one occasion.”"
Abedin was asked by a lawyer for Judicial Watch, “And during your tenure at the State Department, were you aware of your obligation not to delete federal records or destroy federal records?”
Abedin replied, “If there was a schedule that was created that was her Secretary of State daily schedule, and a copy of that was then put in the burn bag, that… that certainly happened on… on more than one occasion.”"
The Cyber Threat: Obama’s Green Policies Threaten America’s Energy Security
The Cyber Threat: Obama’s Green Policies Threaten America’s Energy Security - Washington Free Beacon:
"The threat of a devastating cyber attack on the U.S. electrical grid is increasing due to the Obama administration’s politically correct policies that spend vast sums on green and smart grid technologies while failing to secure power grids from cyber attack.
A report by the Manhattan Institute, a New York think tank, warns that the push to integrate wind and solar electrical power into the $6 trillion electric utility system has created new vulnerabilities that other nations could exploit in a future cyber war.
“Electric grids have always been vulnerable to natural hazards and malicious physical attacks,” writes Mark Mills, a physicist and engineer who authored the Manhattan Institute report.
“Now the U.S. faces a new risk—cyber attacks—that could threaten public safety and greatly disrupt daily life.”
The U.S. electrical power network is not made up of a single grid, but a complex web of eight regional “supergrids” linked to thousands of local grids.
Under a drive for improved efficiency, government policymakers and regulators in recent years have spent tens of billions of dollars on so-called “smart grid” technology.
But the efficiency drive has not been matched with new technology that will secure grids against cyber attacks.
...The threat, according to the report, is not the current state of security but the future use of greener and smarter electric grids, interconnected and linked to the Internet. “These greener, smarter grids will involve a vast expansion of the Internet of Things that greatly increases the cyber attack surface available to malicious hackers and hostile nation-state entities,” the report warns, adding that cyber attacks overall have risen 60 percent annually over the past six years and increasingly include the targeting of electric utilities.
...Unfortunately, Obama’s liberal agenda forced government policymakers and regulators to promote green and smart grid technologies while spending relatively trivial amounts to secure those grids from cyber attacks..."
Read on.
Scary!
"The threat of a devastating cyber attack on the U.S. electrical grid is increasing due to the Obama administration’s politically correct policies that spend vast sums on green and smart grid technologies while failing to secure power grids from cyber attack.
A report by the Manhattan Institute, a New York think tank, warns that the push to integrate wind and solar electrical power into the $6 trillion electric utility system has created new vulnerabilities that other nations could exploit in a future cyber war.
“Electric grids have always been vulnerable to natural hazards and malicious physical attacks,” writes Mark Mills, a physicist and engineer who authored the Manhattan Institute report.
The U.S. electrical power network is not made up of a single grid, but a complex web of eight regional “supergrids” linked to thousands of local grids.
Under a drive for improved efficiency, government policymakers and regulators in recent years have spent tens of billions of dollars on so-called “smart grid” technology.
But the efficiency drive has not been matched with new technology that will secure grids against cyber attacks.
...The threat, according to the report, is not the current state of security but the future use of greener and smarter electric grids, interconnected and linked to the Internet. “These greener, smarter grids will involve a vast expansion of the Internet of Things that greatly increases the cyber attack surface available to malicious hackers and hostile nation-state entities,” the report warns, adding that cyber attacks overall have risen 60 percent annually over the past six years and increasingly include the targeting of electric utilities.
...Unfortunately, Obama’s liberal agenda forced government policymakers and regulators to promote green and smart grid technologies while spending relatively trivial amounts to secure those grids from cyber attacks..."
Read on.
Scary!
Articles: Hillary, Gorelick, and the Corruption of the TWA 800 Case
Articles: Hillary, Gorelick, and the Corruption of the TWA 800 Case
"As I was writing my new book on TWA Flight 800 --TWA 800: The Crash, The Cover-Up, The Conspiracy, now available wherever you buy books -- I wondered how Hillary Clinton’s success would affect the book’s.
...It began at 8:19 p.m. on July 17, 1996, when TWA Flight 800 left JFK Airport in New York bound for Paris.
At 8:31 p.m., the 747 exploded off the coast of Long Island, killing all 230 people on board.
According to Hillary’s logs, at 8:35 p.m. a motorcade whisked the Clintons from a Women’s Leadership Forum nearby to the White House.
Soon after they arrived, Clinton’s chief of staff Leon Panetta called the president with the grim news out of Long Island.
By roughly 9 p.m. Richard Clarke, chairman of the Coordinating Security Group (CSG) on terrorism, had called a meeting of the CSG in the White House Situation Room.
The meeting was prompted in no small part by the news out of New York TRACON that “a primary radar return (ASR-9) indicated vertical movement intersecting TWA 800.”
The eyewitness testimony would reinforce the radar data.
The president chose not to join Clarke.
Instead, as retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Robert “Buzz” Patterson confirmed, Bill and Hillary holed up in the family residence with -- Patterson believes -- one other person, Sandy Berger, the deputy national security advisor.
At the time, Patterson carried the nuclear football for the president, which kept him in close proximity.
By 3 a.m. the Clintons had settled on a strategy.
At that fabled hour -- the one Hillary would mythologize in her run against Barack Obama -- Bill called Berger’s boss, National Security Advisor Tony Lake, with the following message: “Dust off the contingency plans.”
For the time being, the president, in private at least, would blame terrorists for the attack, Iran the chief suspect among them.
Clarke would call the aftermath of TWA 800’s destruction, “The Almost War of 1996.”
Read on!
"As I was writing my new book on TWA Flight 800 --TWA 800: The Crash, The Cover-Up, The Conspiracy, now available wherever you buy books -- I wondered how Hillary Clinton’s success would affect the book’s.
...It began at 8:19 p.m. on July 17, 1996, when TWA Flight 800 left JFK Airport in New York bound for Paris.
At 8:31 p.m., the 747 exploded off the coast of Long Island, killing all 230 people on board.
According to Hillary’s logs, at 8:35 p.m. a motorcade whisked the Clintons from a Women’s Leadership Forum nearby to the White House.
Soon after they arrived, Clinton’s chief of staff Leon Panetta called the president with the grim news out of Long Island.By roughly 9 p.m. Richard Clarke, chairman of the Coordinating Security Group (CSG) on terrorism, had called a meeting of the CSG in the White House Situation Room.
The meeting was prompted in no small part by the news out of New York TRACON that “a primary radar return (ASR-9) indicated vertical movement intersecting TWA 800.”
The eyewitness testimony would reinforce the radar data.
The president chose not to join Clarke.
Instead, as retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Robert “Buzz” Patterson confirmed, Bill and Hillary holed up in the family residence with -- Patterson believes -- one other person, Sandy Berger, the deputy national security advisor.
At the time, Patterson carried the nuclear football for the president, which kept him in close proximity.
By 3 a.m. the Clintons had settled on a strategy.
At that fabled hour -- the one Hillary would mythologize in her run against Barack Obama -- Bill called Berger’s boss, National Security Advisor Tony Lake, with the following message: “Dust off the contingency plans.”
For the time being, the president, in private at least, would blame terrorists for the attack, Iran the chief suspect among them.
Clarke would call the aftermath of TWA 800’s destruction, “The Almost War of 1996.”
Read on!
Americans!!-----Drunk Idaho man, 21, spreads panic after praising Allah in bar
Drunk Idaho man, 21, spreads panic after praising Allah in bar | Daily Mail Online:
"...Police were on the scene within two minutes, but the bartenders already had Bell under control.
Christopher Ozuna ripped Bell's backpack off and immediately began to run.
'All this is going on real fast and I'm just trying to get him away,' Ozuna told KTVB.
Ozuna ran into a nearby alley with the backpack, scared something might be inside.
'Everybody is telling me throw the bag, don't carry it,' he told KIVI.
'But, you know, I'm trying to get it as far away as I possibly can.
You know, better me than a hundred people.'
Staff members tackled Bell to the ground and held him until police arrived.
'Instincts kicked in that this may be a terrorism attack,' owner Aaron Horsewood told KTVB.
'Whether it was legitimate or not, that's how you view it at the moment.' ... "
"...Police were on the scene within two minutes, but the bartenders already had Bell under control.
Christopher Ozuna ripped Bell's backpack off and immediately began to run.
'All this is going on real fast and I'm just trying to get him away,' Ozuna told KTVB.Ozuna ran into a nearby alley with the backpack, scared something might be inside.
'Everybody is telling me throw the bag, don't carry it,' he told KIVI.
'But, you know, I'm trying to get it as far away as I possibly can.
You know, better me than a hundred people.'
Staff members tackled Bell to the ground and held him until police arrived.
'Instincts kicked in that this may be a terrorism attack,' owner Aaron Horsewood told KTVB.
'Whether it was legitimate or not, that's how you view it at the moment.' ... "
Are Scientists Preparing for a FlipFlop Back to Global Cooling Predictions? | Watts Up With That?
Are Scientists Preparing for a FlipFlop Back to Global Cooling Predictions? | Watts Up With That?
The alleged weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation appears to be triggering a growing amount of speculation about abrupt cooling, like the plot of the movie “The Day After Tomorrow”.
The alleged weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation appears to be triggering a growing amount of speculation about abrupt cooling, like the plot of the movie “The Day After Tomorrow”.
Crippled Atlantic currents triggered ice age climate changeThe last ice age wasn’t one long big chill. Dozens of times temperatures abruptly rose or fell, causing all manner of ecological change. Mysteriously, ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica show that these sudden shifts—which occurred every 1500 years or so—were out of sync in the two hemispheres: When it got cold in the north, it grew warm in the south, and vice versa. Now, scientists have implicated the culprit behind those seesaws—changes to a conveyor belt of ocean currents known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).These currents, which today drive the Gulf Stream, bring warm surface waters north and send cold, deeper waters south. But they weakened suddenly and drastically, nearly to the point of stopping, just before several periods of abrupt climate change, researchers report today in Science. In a matter of decades, temperatures plummeted in the north, as the currents brought less warmth in that direction. Meanwhile, the backlog of warm, southern waters allowed the Southern Hemisphere to heat up.
AMOC slowdowns have long been suspected as the cause of the climate swings during the last ice age, which lasted from 110,000 to 15,000 years ago, but never definitively shown. The new study “is the best demonstration that this indeed happened,” says Jerry McManus, a paleo-oceanographer at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and a study author. “It is very convincing evidence,” adds Andreas Schmittner, a climate scientist at Oregon State University, Corvallis. “We did not know that the circulation changed during these shorter intervals.”… Another question is whether the AMOC—currently known to be in decline—could drop off suddenly today, as depicted in the 2004 movie The Day After Tomorrow, causing temperatures to plummet across northwestern Europe. Schmittner says the past provides an eye-opener. “It’s evidence that this really did happen in the past, on short time scales.” But McManus says that studies looking deeper into the ice ages have found that the 1500-year climate oscillations tend not to be nearly as strong during interglacial periods. “It would suggest that this kind of thing isn’t so likely to happen today,” he says. On the other hand, he adds, “In most interglacials, Greenland didn’t melt … and Greenland is currently melting.”
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