Israel must remove all Jewish settlers from occupied West Bank - UN inquiry
RT - A UN human rights inquiry has called on Israel to remove all Jewish settlers from the West Bank and cease expansion. The report said the settlements violate international law, and are an attempt to drive out Palestinians through intimidation. "Israel must, in compliance with article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, cease all settlement activities without preconditions,” the report read, adding that Israel must immediately begin to withdraw all settlers from the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT).

Russia says ‘deeply concerned’ over Israeli airstrike in Syria
Press TV - The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a Thursday statement that Moscow was “deeply concerned” about reports of the airstrike deep inside Syria.... “If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked strikes against targets located on the territory of a sovereign state, which brazenly infringes on the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motive used for its justification,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

Toothless sanctions? Iranian oil trade booming, China top buyer
RT - Iran has quickly found ways to circumvent the EU sanctions imposed on its oil trade in July. After dipping sharply in summer of 2012, Iranian crude oil exports rose again by the end of the year. So far, Iran’s December crude oil sales were the highest recorded since the sanctions were first imposed. Iran exported 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) in December, compared to less than 900,000 bpd in September. Pre-sanctions oil exports stood at 2.2 million bpd in late 2011.

Russia pulls out of US drugs agreement
The Australian - The Russian government website on Wednesday published a decree from Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev saying Moscow had informed Washington it was withdrawing because the deal "does not address today's realities and has exhausted its potential".

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Clashes in Athens as protesters break into govt. building
RT - The protest, by a few hundred people, was organized by a Communist backed labor union, and took place in front of the Labor Ministry building. The protesters were voicing their anger by the severe austerity measures that have gripped Greece since the financial crisis took hold in the country in late 2009.

New al Qaeda threat
Washington Times - A jihadist website posted a new threat by al Qaeda this week that promises to conduct “shocking” attacks on the United States and the West. The posting appeared on the Ansar al Mujahidin network Sunday and carried the headline, “Map of al Qaeda and its future strikes.”

France plans to withdraw after retaking north Mali
USA Today - France plans to leave northern Mali soon, now that its troops have retaken northern Mali from jihadist militias. Its strategy relies on handing control of an area the size of Texas to an African force that is unprepared and has yet to fully materialize.

Israel Attacks Lebanon
Global Research - Lebanon’s Naharnet news site said 12 Israeli fighter jets entered Lebanese air space in the last 24 hours. Flights overflew the Beka Valley.On Saturday, Lebanon’s Al-Mustaqbal daily said a southern weapons storage facility was struck. No official confirmation followed. Lebanon’s Daily Star headlined “Israel hits target in Lebanon-Syria border area – sources,” saying: According to four unnamed Western diplomats and regional security sources, “Israeli forces attacked a convoy on the Syrian-Lebanese border overnight.”

Chuck Hagel to face grilling by Senate
Press TV - Chuck Hagel will face tough questions on Pentagon spending cuts and U.S. relations with Israel and Iran on Thursday as he faces a deeply skeptical Senate panel considering his nomination to be President Barack Obama's next secretary of defense.

US high school allows Muslims time for prayer if they earn good grades
RT - A high school near Washington DC has taken a rare step of accommodating Muslim prayer during class hours. Parkdale High School now allows a handful of its students to be excused to pray. The decision has made some Christian staffers "unhappy".

Obama admin approves sale of sensitive military technology to China for $256 million
Human Events - A Chinese company will take charge of sensitive military and battery technology following the Treasury Department’s decision on Tuesday to permit the sale of a U.S. company that was bankrolled with tax dollars to the Shanghai-based Wanxiang firm.

Obama Administration Repositioning Homeland Security Ammunition Containers
Gateway Pundit - Reader Don sent this in recently: Jim – I passed a convoy of olive drab unmarked 40 foot tractor trailers each with four 10 yard ammo bunker boxes chained to them and unmarked armored Hum-Vee’s heading north on I-95 in Brevard County, Florida this past Thursday morning....

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz writes Banks: Deny Chicago, embrace Texas
guns.com - In response to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s letter to Bank of America and TD Bank urging them to deny companies like Smith & Wesson and Ruger financial services until they embrace “commonsense” gun laws, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz distributed and shared an open letter Tuesday night to the same establishments asking them to instead deny Chicago and embrace Texas.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: MSNBC Edit Deliberately Smears Gun Owners as Sandy Hook ‘Hecklers’
Aaron Dykes - Cable propaganda network deliberately edits out Sandy Hook family member asking audience a question, which gun rights advocates responded to.... See the comparison of the actual testimony with the MSNBC edit below...

NYPD cops handcuff and interrogate boy, 7, over missing $5, family claims
Fox News - Instead of earning himself a simple trip to the principal’s office, a terrified 7-year-old boy was hauled out of class, handcuffed like a hardened criminal and “interrogated” by police for a grueling 10 hours — all over a playground dispute involving $5, his family is charging.... The bizarre overreaction by cops came after the child had been accused of swiping $5 from another student after school.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Five-Year-Old Faces Suspension After Building Lego Gun
Steve Watson - A five-year-old boy was threatened with suspension by school officials in Massachusetts after he built a small toy gun out of lego bricks and started to play-shoot his classmates. Joseph Cardosa was given a written warning by officials at Hyannis West Elementary School, Cape Cod, when he fashioned the crude toy in an after-school activity program. The boy was told that if he commits the crime a second time he will be suspended for two weeks.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Woman Sues Police Over ‘Flash Grenade’ SWAT Raid
Paul Joseph Watson - An Indiana woman falsely raided by a SWAT team is suing the city of Evansville and the police department after cops smashed down her door and threw flash grenades into her home in response to “threatening” Internet posts that she wasn’t even responsible for.

US Mint Sells Another 300k Silver Eagles, Extends Monthly Sales Record to 7.42 Million!
silverdoctors.com - With allocated/rationed silver eagle sales beginning again on Monday 1/28, the US Mint reported another 300,000 silver eagles sold Tuesday, nearly 1.5 million since production was restarted Monday, and increased January’s all-time monthly sales record to an astonishing 7.42 million silver eagles, 53 times the volume of gold purchased from the US Mint in January!

US taxpayers are set to lose $27 billion from financial bailout says Report
Press TV - US taxpayers can expect to lose even more than the estimated USD 22 billion made in the fall last year, due to increased losses for the Treasury Department on sales of shares in bailed-out companies, according to a report released on Wednesday by the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

Nearly Half Of American Households Are 1 Emergency Away From Financial Disaster says Report
Huffington Post - Nearly 44 percent of American households don’t have enough savings to cover their basic expenses for three months in the event of a financial emergency like losing a job or paying for unexpected medical care, according to a recent report from the Corporation for Enterprise Development. That figure has changed little from last year, the Assets and Opportunity Scorecard found.

Green Beret Group Lobbies Against Gun Control
military.com - More than 1,100 former and current Army Special Forces troops -- Green Berets -- have reportedly put their names to a letter condemning any efforts to restrict gun ownership following the massacre of 20 students and six staff at Sandy Hill Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The 2,900-word letter has been distributed to media outlets and posted on Professionalsoldiers.com, which is operated by retired Army Special Forces Master Sgt. Jeff Hinton.

'French troops seize Kidal airport'
Press TV - French troops have taken control of the airport of the major city of Kidal, located in northern Mali, following days of clashes with local fighters in the African country, local sources say.

Donors pledge $455mn to Mali war
Press TV - During a conference held at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Tuesday, African leaders and international donors pledged more than USD455 million in aid to war in Mali.

Israel jets increase activity in Lebanese airspace
AP - The Lebanese military said Wednesday that Israeli warplanes have sharply increased their activity over Lebanon in the past week, including at least 12 sorties in less than 24 hours in the country's south. The flights come amid Israeli concerns about the civil war in neighboring Syria and fears that advanced weapons could reach hostile groups in Syria or the militant anti-Israel Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

UN concerned about Israel’s use of live ammo against Palestinians
Press TV - James W. Rawley said in a Wednesday statement, “The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator is seriously concerned by the increased casualties resulting from the use of live ammunition by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.” The statement added that some eight Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in separate incidents since mid-November 2012. The victims included three minors and one woman.

Britain to send forces to Mali as part of EU mission
RT - British representatives are attending a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss the provision of troops as part of an EU mission to the African country. The EU estimates that 500 supplementary troops will be sent to Mali, some 350 of which will be British. This will include approximately 40 military advisers who will train soldiers in Mali and 200 British soldiers to be sent to neighboring African countries.

France to expel radical imams to tackle 'global Islamic jihad'
RT - Paris says it will deport a number of radical religious imams to tackle extremism in Europe and "global jihadism". French Interior Minister warned the eviction would happen "in the coming days".

France is 'totally bankrupt', jobs minister admits as concerns grow over Hollande's tax-and-spend policies
Daily Mail - France's government was plunged into an embarrassing row yesterday after a minister said the country was ‘totally bankrupt’. Employment secretary Michel Sapin said cuts were needed to put the damaged economy back on track.

Israel blows off UN review, buying time to whitewash human rights record
RT - Israel has boycotted the UN human rights forum over fears of scrutiny of its treatment of residents of the occupied territories. Israel is now the first state in history to win a deferment of the periodical review of its human rights record. Tel Aviv has refused to send a delegation on Tuesday to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva for the Universal Periodic Review procedure where UN member states have their human rights record evaluated every four years.

Belgian police fire water cannons to disperse striking ArcelorMittal workers
RT - Water cannons have been used against stone-throwing demonstrators in the Belgian city of Namur, as thousands rallied against the closure of a factory that will put an end to 1,300 jobs.... The rally followed an announcement by ArcelorMittal, the world's biggest steelmaker, that the company will permanently shut down a cola plant and six finishing lines in the Liege region due to declining steel demand in Europe.

Some Marine combat jobs may remain closed to women
usatoday.com - The Marines will not lower physical standards for certain specialties, Gen. James Amos told USA TODAY. "We can't afford to lower standards," he said. "We can't make adjustments on what's required on the battlefield.... The Marine Corps, like the Army, is reviewing the physical and other standards required for direct combat fields that had previously been closed to female servicemembers.

Sheriffs Bushwhacked
AFP - Sheriff Jeff Christopher of Sussex County, Delaware, when he was elected to the office in 2010, thought he was handpicked by the people to represent them as the highest-ranking law officer in the county. Instead, he has found himself in the middle of a fight for the future of American law enforcement as a result of a nationwide effort to abolish the sheriff’s office altogether.... This time it is Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, son of Vice President Joe Biden, sending out mandates to commissioners informing them that their sheriffs no longer have arrest powers.

Government to Enforce No Fly Zone Over Super Bowl
Paul Joseph Watson - In another illustration of how law enforcement in America is becoming increasingly militarized, the government plans to enforce a no fly zone over the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for this Sunday’s Super Bowl. Pilots have even been warned that if they enter the restricted area over New Orleans their aircraft could be targeted by missiles.

CHARLIE DANIELS: Nanny State Policies of this President Will Result in 'Chaos and Bloodshed'
Charlie Daniels - I fear the rampant apathy and lackadaisical work ethic of the entitlement society will become so deeply ingrained in the coming generations that the nanny state policies of this president and others like him who are likely to be elected will gradually drain the wealth and the will of the population until the well is bone dry and the confusion and anger of those who are suddenly left to fend for themselves will overrun the streets of this nation resulting in chaos and bloodshed.

Police state gone wild: Couple facing 60 days in jail for rescuing injured baby deer
(NaturalNews) An Indiana couple saved a wounded baby deer and nursed it back to life, saving its life and giving it a home. They named it "Little Orphan Dani." When Indiana state officials got word of this courageous act of compassion, they ordered the deer euthanized.

Nobody's fault Guantanamo prison has not closed: Reid
Press TV - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said at a Tuesday press conference that it was "nobody's fault" the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is still open four years after President Barack Obama promised to close it. Reid blamed Congress for making it "legislatively impossible" to shutter Guantanamo -- but offered no sign he will push to loosen restrictions on closing the facility this congressional session.

DHS Boss Praises Trampling of Posse Comitatus at National Police Confab
Kurt Nimmo - Department of Homeland Security boss Janet Napolitano addressed a joint session of the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Major County Sheriffs’ Association winter meetings on Monday. During remarks boasting about the wonderful job the federal government has done in violating and rendering irrelevant Posse Comitatus, Napolitano conflated “gun violence,” “active shooter incidents” and “violent extremism.”

Chinese Communist Party Mouthpiece Demands Obama Disarm Americans Again
Paul Joseph Watson - [Global Times] January 17 front page editorial entitled Political inertia hinders gun control action, states that there is “clearly an urgent need for gun control in the US,” lamenting that it will “be impossible for the country to ban guns.” Striking an authoritarian tone, the editorial notes how, “The difficulties in promoting gun control show that US society lacks authorities willing and able to push forward reform.” Presumably, if the United States were a one party dictatorship like China, such “reforms” would be far easier to implement.

YouTube: Incredible Speech on Gun Violence
Gun Violence Prevention Working Group Public Hearing - Hartford, CT - 1/28/2013

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Father Of Slain 6-Year-Old Sandy Hook Victim: “Gun Laws Are Not The Problem”
freedomoutpost.com - On Monday in Hartford, Connecticut, Mark Mattioli spoke in front of a gun violence task force. Mattioli lost his six-year-old son James in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut back in December. “Gun laws are not the problem,” he said.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: School Shooting Drill To Include Blanks Fired In Hallway To Familiarize Students With Sound Of Gunfire
CBS Chicago - CBS 2’s Derrick Blakley reports, during the drill, teachers will keep students in their rooms, lock their doors, and draw their curtains. Police will sweep the building, while someone will fire two shots – blanks – from a starter pistol... But any gunfire at a school – even blanks – had some parents and students shaking their heads.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Discussion About Toy Nerf Gun Causes Lockdown at Bronx Elementary Schools
Paul Joseph Watson - A discussion between two children about a toy nerf gun caused a lockdown and a massive armed police response at two elementary schools in the Bronx today in yet another example of how hysteria is sweeping America’s education system in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shootings. ...the child in question hadn’t even brought the toy to school.

Arkansas: State Senate Passes Church Gun Carry, Bill Advances to House
AmmoLand - Today, the Arkansas Senate passed Senate Bill 71 by a 28-4 vote, with three senators not voting. This legislation, introduced by state Senator Bryan King (R-5), would remove the absolute prohibition on concealed carry permit holders from being able to defend themselves in any church or other place of worship.

BACKFIRE: Seattle Gun Buyback Turns Into Gun Show
Intel Hub - While thousands of Seattle residents lined up for hours to trade their handguns, rifles and family heirlooms away in exchange for up to $200 in gift cards as part of the city’s latest gun buyback program, gun collectors who have seen prices for assault rifles and firearms accessories almost triple since November took advantage of a huge opportunity.
* Related Video news report

ALERT: Ammunition Out-of-Stock, No Backorders
Intel Hub - Nearly all ammunition throughout the United States is now Out-of-Stock as the country remains in a buying frenzy from the failed media delivery of the Sandy Hook School shooting. Even corporations themselves are limiting and forfeiting ammunition stocking orders willingly to disrupt the flow of ammunition to the disgruntled populace.

Federal Reserve Money Printing Is The Real Reason Why The Stock Market Is Soaring
Economic Co;;apse - You can thank the reckless money printing that the Federal Reserve has been doing for the incredible bull market that we have seen in recent months. When the Federal Reserve does more "quantitative easing", it is the financial markets that benefit the most. The Dow and the S&P 500 have both hit levels not seen since 2007 this month, and many analysts are projecting that 2013 will be a banner year for stocks.

Inflation unchained: US dollar down 23 percent from 2000, Tuition up 72 percent, and home values up 44 percent. Incomes adjusting for inflation are back to 1990s levels
mybudget360.com - It is hard to believe that people in the US are still denying the obvious impact of inflation. The slow erosion of purchasing power has occurred for many decades now. What people tend to forget in a completely fiat based system is that the Fed can print as much money as it likes. And they have in digital format but also monetizing debt via mortgage backed security purchases.... Debt in a fiat system is money.

US considering new drone base in Africa says report
RT - The US is planning to consolidate its position in Africa with a new drone outpost in Niger, with the stated purpose of providing unarmed surveillance support to French efforts in Mali and keeping tabs on al-Qaeda elements on the continent... If the plan is approved, up to 300 US military servicemembers and contractors could be sent to the base to operate the drone aircraft, the New York Times reported.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Canadian special forces on ground in Mali, sources say
CBC News - Canadian special forces are on the ground inside the troubled West African country of Mali to protect Canadian assets there, CBC News has learned. The Special Forces are not there to train Malian troops — and they are not involved in any combat role, as the government has repeatedly stressed and Prime Minister Stephen Harper repeated again Monday in the House of Commons.

Britain’s ‘Taranis’ Drone Picks Its Own Targets, but Experts Warn Could Mark Start of ‘robot wars’
Daily Mail - This is Taranis, Britain’s latest pilotless combat aircraft, which is even capable of selecting its own targets. The revolutionary superdrone is due to make its maiden flight in the next few weeks and could spearhead the fight against terrorism in Africa.... But the new developments in pilotless aircraft are controversial as they allow the possibility of autonomous computers targeting and killing enemy combatants outside human control.

Syrian army clears Damascus area from militants
Press TV - Syrian army has cleared Arqaba area in capital Damascus from militants fighting against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Hacked Emails Reveal ‘Washington-Approved’ Plan to Stage Chemical Weapons Attack in Syria
Paul Joseph Watson - Alleged hacked emails from defense contractor Britam reveal a plan “approved by Washington” and funded by Qatar to stage a chemical weapons attack in Syria and blame it on the Assad regime, fulfilling what the Obama administration has made clear is a “red line” that would mandate US military intervention.

Saudi Arabia overthrow imminent: Obama advisor
Press TV - A close aide to US President Barack Obama has warned the president about the imminent downfall of the ruling monarchy in Saudi Arabia. Bruce Riedel, an adviser on foreign policy to US President Barack Obama and also director for Near East and North African Affairs in the US National Security Council, recently penned a memorandum to the president noting that “Saudi Arabia is the world's last absolute monarchy” and that “like [France's] Louis XIV, King Abdullah has complete authority.”

Netanyahu Deploys ‘Syrian’ Iron-Dome As Israeli Minister Claims US Preparing ‘Surgical’ Strikes Against Iran
Zero Hedge - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says his nation must prepare for the threat of a chemical attack from Syria, amid concern at enemy efforts to test a post-election coalition Israel, and, as Bloomberg reports, has deployed its new Iron Dome anti-missile system near the border with its northern neighbor. Along with this concern, as many have perhaps suspected, the Israeli Defense Minister confirmed yesterday that the US has prepared plans for a ‘surgical’ military operation to delay Iran’s nuclear program.

YouTube: FLASHBACK: Sept 11 was good for Israel." -- Netanyahu
Democracy Now - Segment reporting Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's words regarding the September 11 attacks as originally reported in Israeli daily Ma'ariv. Netanyahu made these comments during a conference at Bar Illan University.

Iceland Wins Case on 2008 Refusal to Honor Foreign Deposits
Bloomberg - Iceland was found to have acted within its rights in its 2008 refusal to cover U.K. and Dutch depositors in a failed Icelandic bank, escaping damages as high as 20 percent of its economic output.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Army drill scares residents on Houston's south side
ABC News - The sight of Army helicopters and the sound of gunfire created a lot of concern Monday afternoon in one Houston neighborhood.... The U.S. Army along with other agencies took over the old Carnegie Vanguard High School near Scott and Airport. There were armed men in fatigues, plenty of weapons and what many thought were real live rounds

Rubio, Senate ‘Gang of Eight’ unveil ‘tough but fair’ bipartisan immigration deal
Miami Herald - The most-controversial proposal: giving a pathway to residency — and even citizenship — to many of the estimated 11 million immigrants unlawfully in the United States. An estimated 825,000 live in Florida. While some conservatives call it amnesty, Rubio says it’s not because immigrants would be penalized. They would have to pay fines, back taxes and undergo a criminal background check — a similar proposal made by President Barack Obama in May 2011.

DHS estimates 136 ‘snitch visa’ applications per year; could allow terrorists and criminals into U.S.
Activist Post - According to a notice published in the Federal Register on January 25, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates that 136 people will apply for so-called “snitch visas” this year which allow people to enter the U.S. who might otherwise be barred from entry, including terrorists. ... the government apparently thinks it is fine to allow known terrorists into the U.S. in the name of law enforcement, further showing the so-called war on terror to be a fraud.

VIDEO: Piers Morgan Admits Defeat In Gun Control Debate
Infowars.com - Piers Morgan has conceded "victory" to the NRA in the gun control debate as it looks increasingly likely that Dianne Feinstein's draconian gun control bill will not pass the Senate.

DHS buys 7000 full-auto assault rifles, calls them 'personal defense weapons'
(NaturalNews) In yet another huge blow to the rhetoric and narrative of the Obama administration and its desire to disarm the American public, a DHS bid has been uncovered (see documents below) showing that the Department of Homeland Security recently put out an offer to purchase 7,000 full-auto "assault weapons" to be used domestically, inside the USA.... The juiciest part of this bid is the use of the phrase "Personal Defense Weapons" to describe the full-auto AR-15s being purchased by DHS.

VIDEO: Police barred from Vermont gun range over proposed semi-automatic rifle ban
From the Trenches - The battle over the right to bear arms is flaring in Vermont, where a local gun range has moved to prohibit the Burlington Police Department from training at its facilities after the City Council voted to advance a measure banning semi-automatic rifles and large-capacity magazines. The leadership of the Lamoille Valley Fish and Game Club explained that it’s “difficult” for the club to support the city — even its officers — given the actions of the council.

Virginia Approves Bill To Undermine Obama Gun Control
Steve Watson - Gun owners say bill doesn’t have any teeth.... Republican state delegate Todd Gilbert told the Pilot that the bill will ensure that “no employee of the commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions should help the federal government tread upon our long-held belief that Second Amendment rights are highly individualized and very important.”

San Diego Police Chief: We Can Disarm Americans Within a Generation
Breitbart - Lansdowne has gone on record saying: “I could not be more supportive of the president for taking the position he has. I think it’s courageous with the politics involved in this process. [And] I think it’s going to eventually make the country safer.” He made it clear that it may take “a generation,” but new laws could eventually take all guns off the streets.

Swartz prosecutor slammed again for bullying after court rules she can't seize property
Activist Post - The same prosecutor accused of bullying Internet freedom hero Aaron Swartz to commit suicide, Carmen Ortiz, is once again being defined as a bully after her failed attempt to seize a mom-and-pop motel.... A Tewksbury motel owner who just beat back U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz’s three-year bid to seize his business has become the latest critic to accuse the Hub’s top fed of prosecutorial bullying.

Boy Scouts may soon welcome gay youths, leaders
Washington Times - The Boy Scouts of America is actively considering removing its decades-long ban on openly gay members and Scout leaders, NBC reports. The new policy would eliminate the rule from the national organization, leaving local sponsoring organizations the freedom to admit gay Scouts at will.

Clinton backers launch ‘Ready for Hillary’ super-PAC in hopes of 2016 campaign
The Hill - A group of Hillary Clinton supporters is launching a campaign to draft her to run for president — the first major push from an outside group for her to run. The group, “Ready for Hillary,” filed as a super-PAC with the Federal Election Commission late last week and plans to roll out a website in the coming weeks.

Marines, Army shrinking force size under budgetary restraints
freebeacon.com - The United States Marine Corps is set to shed more than 20,000 active duty positions in the coming years and have already commenced a process meant to force some senior officers into an early retirement. The Marines are on course to cut around 4,000 positions a year through 2017, decreasing the total number of Marines to 182,100 from its peak last year of 202,100, according to a major scale-down order that was quietly issued last year.

VIDEO: Senior Obama Official: “We Are Going To Kill The Dollar”
alt-market.com - Kyle Bass, who knows a thing or two about economics and finance, recently spoke to a senior member of the Obama administration about their planned solutions for fixing the U.S. economy and trade deficit. The answer shouldn’t surprise you. When I asked a senior member of the Obama administration last week, ‘How are we going to grow exports if we won’t allow nominal wage deflation?’ He says, ‘we’re just going to kill the dollar.’

Israel places missiles near Syria border
Press TV - On Sunday, an Israeli Army spokesman confirmed reports that two “Iron Dome” missile batteries were moved to the Haifa area. The official, however, insisted that the move is not due to any specific security situation but part of a routine of rotating these missile systems.

Israel vows Syria strike at any sign of chemical arms transfer
Reuters - Any sign of Syria’s grip on its suspected chemical weapons slipping as it battles an armed uprising could trigger Israeli military strikes, Israel’s vice premier said on Sunday. Silvan Shalom confirmed a media report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had last week convened a meeting of security chiefs to discuss the civil war in Syria and the state of its suspected chemical arsenal.

Egypt clashes continue after Morsi’s ‘emergency’ announcement
RT - Police tear-gassed protesters Cairo on Monday as clashes still gripped Egypt despite a state of emergency being declared. Some 50 people have died in five days of unrest, and there are reports of yet another death near Tahrir Square. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi declared a 30-day state of emergency in Egypt starting Monday evening after ongoing clashes and protests led to multiple deaths and left hundreds injured.

Iran imposes preemptive oil, gas ban on EU
Press TV - Iran has banned crude oil and gas exports to the European Union (EU) in retaliation for the 27-nation bloc’s embargo on the Iranian energy sector.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Kissinger Predicts Nuclear War with Iran
Kurt Nimmo - Speaking at the one-worlder confab held in Davos, Switzerland, Kissinger said a crisis involving a nuclear Iran in the “foreseeable future” will lead to a nuclear war and “a turning point in human history,” the BBC reports.

French troops advance across north of Mali
Press TV - On Sunday, Malian military sources said on condition of anonymity that French troops along with Malian forces have reached Mali’s strategically important town of Timbuktu. Reports say that local fighters have also retreated further north to avoid airstrikes by French warplanes.

Moscow regrets US pullout from bilateral commission on human rights
The United States has delivered the latest setback to Russia-US relations by announcing it will no longer participate in the Russian-American Bilateral Presidential Commission on Civil Society.... The US–Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission was inaugurated on July 6, 2009 by US President Barack Obama and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as part of the so-called ‘reset’ in relations between the two former Cold War foes.

‘3 killed, over 400 injured in Egypt’
Press TV - Egypt's medical sources say at least three people have been killed and over 400 others wounded in clashes over an unpopular court verdict in the city of Port Said.... Violence broke out after a court issued 21 death sentences on Saturday in connection with last year’s deadly football riots in Port Said in which 74 people were killed and 1,000 others injured.
* Related RT Video: 'West feeds Egypt unrest to make govt follow its course'

Gold Bank Run Accelerating…Now the Swiss Want Their Gold Back - All 1040 Tons of It!
silverdoctors.com - It appears that Switzerland may be next to the game, much to the dismay of the SNB. The Swiss gold initiative, an initiative to Secure the Swiss National Bank’s Gold Reserves, launched in March 2012 by four members of the Swiss parliament, has grown to 90,000 supporters. Once 100,000 supporters are achieved, the Swiss Parliament must take up the referendum.

VIDEO: Iceland President: Let Banks Go Bankrupt
xrepublic.tv - Iceland President: In our case we decided to let the banks fail.

Italy police catch 56 bn euros in tax evasion in 2012
france24.com - Italy's financial police said Thursday they had busted close to 12,000 people last year for evading over 56 billion euros ($74 billion) worth of taxes.... The financial police also uncovered over 16,000 people working on the black market, the statement said.

Honduras on brink of bankruptcy, suspends public services
stratrisks.com - The Central American country has been on the brink of bankruptcy for months, as politicians put off passing a budget necessary to pay for basic government services. Honduras is also grappling with five billion dollars (£3.16 billion) in foreign debt, a figure equivalent to last year’s entire government budget.

Trillions of dollars worth of oil found in Australian outback
Telegraph - Up to 233 billion barrels of oil has been discovered in the Australian outback that could be worth trillions of dollars, in a find that could turn the region into a new Saudi Arabia.

YouTube: Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk 1/28/13: Blowback Leads to Intervention in Mali, yet
Full transcript coming soon!

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Law Professor on CBS Says ‘Let’s Give Up On The Constitution’
Infowars.com - Breitbart.com has posted yet another scholar who advocates destroying a centuries-long battle to uphold protections for the individual and discourage despots. Louis Michael Seidman, a law professor from Georgetown University, shamelessly calls for tearing off the chains on government, joining a chorus of individuals ready to undo the country’s foundations in the wake of tragedy.

Homeland Security training TSA workers to save themselves in shooting
Press TV - Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint screeners are receiving training to prepare them for the possibility of a mass shooting at one of the agency’s airport checkpoints, and those TSA personnel are being instructed to “save themselves” should a shooting occur. “Every day when I arrive for work, I look for an escape route in case someone opens fire”, said the TSA worker. “We have been told to save ourselves”. Does the TSA already have intelligence about a possible future checkpoint shooting?

Emanuel To Banks: Stop Supporting Gun Makers
CBS Chicago - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is putting more pressure on gun makers to get behind his push for an assault weapons ban and criminal background checks for gun purchasers. This time, he wants to go after their bottom line.

Assault Weapons Ban Lacks Democratic Votes to Pass Senate
Bloomberg - At least six of the 55 senators who caucus with Democrats have recently expressed skepticism or outright opposition to a ban, the review found. That means Democrats wouldn’t have a simple 51-vote majority to pass the measure, let alone the 60 votes needed to break a Republican filibuster to bring it to a floor vote.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show Shut Down Due to Boycott
wnep.com - This all started with the ban on assault weapons and controversial high capacity magazines at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg. Then, one by one, vendors that were signed up for that popular event started backing out, part of a boycott that’s grown big enough to shut down the show.
* Related Article: List of celebrities, sponsors, and vendors who pulled out

NY gun owners statewide are organizing a mass boycott of Gov. Cuomo’s new gun law
NY Post - Gun-range owners and gun-rights advocates are encouraging hundreds of thousands of owners to defy the law, saying it’d be the largest act of civil disobedience in state history. “I’ve heard from hundreds of people that they’re prepared to defy the law, and that number will be magnified by the thousands, by the tens of thousands, when the registration deadline comes,’’ said Brian Olesen, president of the American Shooters Supply, one of the largest gun dealers in the state.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Milwaukee Sheriff Urges Citizen Firearm Defense: "We're Partners Now"
Activist Post - A public service radio announcement from Sheriff David Clarke encourages Milwaukee citizens to consider getting certified safety training for handling firearms to protect themselves. He reminds them that with police force cutbacks and furloughs, police arrival time has changed and waiting for police after calling 911 is not the best option. He gives three options - begging for mercy from criminals, hiding under the bed, or fight back.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey vows to challenge federal gun control measures
wvgazette.com - "If a federal law is enacted that is similar to Senator Feinstein's legislation, the West Virginia Attorney General's office would actively participate in legal efforts to ensure that such law does not infringe upon the rights of West Virginians," Morrisey said in a statement. "These efforts may include a wide range of legal and educational actions."

YouTube: Dennis Kucinich: The Constitution Guarantees the Right To Bear Arms
Fox News newest contributor, ex-Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich discusses gun control.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Miami Martial Law Drill: Machine Gun Fire & Black Hawk Helicopters Invade Miami Skyline
Before It's News - Has America been invaded by hostile forces? If not, then what are 'they' preparing for? The streets and skies of Miami turned into what sounded like an Iraqi war zone or the streets of Chicago as the eternal, global war on terror gave Miami residents a sense of what it might sound like to live in Afghanistan as machine gun fire (blanks) filled the air and black hawk helicopters filled the midnight skies.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Obama recess appointments unconstitutional
Washington Times - In a case freighted with major constitutional implications, a federal appeals court on Friday overturned President Obama’s controversial recess appointments from last year, ruling he abused his powers and acted when the Senate was not actually in a recess. The three-judge panel’s ruling is a major blow to Mr. Obama. The judges ruled that the appointments he made to the National Labor Relations Board are illegal, and hence the five-person board did not have a quorum to operate.

Rape-abortion bill causes uproar in N.M.
CBS News - New Mexico Rep. Cathrynn Brown on Wednesday introduced House Bill 206, which would criminalize "procuring or facilitating an abortion," or "compelling or coercing" someone else to get an abortion after rape or incest, as destroying evidence.

Tens of thousands march in Washington anti-abortion rally
RT - A massive anti-abortion march hit Washington, DC, on Friday as tens of thousands opposed to the right to choose descended on the National Mall to protest Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1971 decision that legalized the termination of pregnancies.

Man With 4th Amendment Written on Chest Wins Trial Over Airport Arrest
Wired - A Virginia man who wrote an abbreviated version of the Fourth Amendment on his body and stripped to his shorts at an airport security screening area won a trial Friday in his lawsuit seeking $250,000 in damages for being detained on a disorderly conduct charge.

Pentagon laying off 46,000 employees
CNN News - The Pentagon has begun laying off 46,000 contract and temporary civilian employees in an effort to cut back on military spending, the No. 2 Pentagon official said on Friday.... The moves are part of a Defense Department effort to reduce spending given the potential for billions in mandatory cuts beginning as early as this spring should Congress fail to reach a deal on deficit reduction.

YouTube: "This Is A Sick Joke On ALL Of Us!" Obama Nominates Mary Jo White
January 24, 2013 Current TV News.

YouTube: Ron Paul: I’m Waiting for the Fed to Self-Destruct
Ron Paul gets a standing ovation at the Von Mises Institute on 01/26/2013.

Illinois’ credit rating downgraded; state drops to worst in the nation
wgntv.com - A warning came Saturday morning from state treasurer Dan Rutherford (R) IL State Treasurer. The Standard and Poor’s downgrade from A to A-minus puts Illinois last on the list– and means a higher cost to borrow money.

More Than 50 San Francisco Restaurants Accused Of Scamming Customers & Employees By Pocketing Health Care Surcharge
consumerist.com - For more than four years, dozens of restaurants in San Francisco have been tacking on surcharges to diners’ bills, claiming that the money was to go toward health care costs. But it turns out that millions of those dollars were just going into restaurant owners’ pockets.

Attention shoppers: Another credit card fee is here
NBC News - It could soon cost you more to shop with a credit card at some stores. As of this Sunday, Jan. 27, merchants who accept credit cards issued by Visa and MasterCard will be allowed to add a service charge to the purchase price.... Merchants still cannot add a surcharge to debit card transactions.... Credit card surcharges are banned by law in 10 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma and Texas.

Gulf War syndrome symptoms persist in 1 in 3 vets, according to IOM report
Remember Gulf War Syndrome, the vague illness that struck one in three veterans of the 1991 war in the Persian Gulf? Well, 175,000 to 250,000 of them are still experiencing symptoms of overwhelming fatigue, memory loss, anxiety, depression, and joint and muscle pain with little relief and sometimes little compassion from doctors, according to a new report issued by the Institute of Medicine.

Report: New vets showing Gulf War illness symptoms
Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may be suffering from the 20-year-old set of symptoms known as Gulf War Illness, according to a new report released Wednesday by the federal Institute of Medicine. "Preliminary data suggest that (chronic multisymptom illness) is occurring in veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as well," the report says.

Bomb blast in Afghanistan kills 12 US troops, Taliban say
Press TV - Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack which took place at a market in Tagab district of Kapisa Province, northeast of Afghan capital of Kabul, Friday morning. Meanwhile, provincial governor General Mehrabuddin Safi said that at least five civilians have also been killed and 20 others injured in the Kapisa blast. Civilian casualties inflicted by US-led troops have increased anti-US sentiments in the country.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Criticism grows of France war on Mali
Press TV - On Thursday, France 24 Editor in Chief, Atmane Tazaghart told Press TV that “If France try to occupy Mali with a long ground operation, they will find themselves in the same situation that the Americans found themselves in Afghanistan and Iraq, they will be in a war of attrition against an enemy which can easily attack and then hide among the local population.” This comes after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday the United Nations would not be engaged in France’s war on Mali.

Greeks protest govt. economic reforms
Press TV - Thousands of Greeks have demonstrated in Athens to protest against the government's economic reforms, saying the reforms target the ordinary people while leaving the rich unaffected... Thursday's demonstration was accompanied by a nationwide strike by metro workers. The metro staff, who barricaded themselves inside the network’s headquarters near Athens, are against the government’s pay cuts in the public sector and have refused to return to work.

'France bombs fighter positions in Mali'
Press TV - The French Air Force has conducted airstrikes on several bases of the Malian fighters near the northern city of Gao, military and security sources say.... Meanwhile, French special forces have reportedly been ordered to shield uranium mines run by the French nuclear giant Areva in the Nigerien towns of Imouraren and Arlit.

'Leave immediately': Britons in Benghazi warned to get out due to 'specific and imminent threat'
Independent - The Foreign Office today urged all British nationals in the Libyan city of Benghazi to leave immediately in response to a ‘specific and imminent’ threat against Westerners.... The Government was unable to provide further details about why the advice has been issued, but stated that the British embassy in Tripoli had been in contact with all British nationals for whom it had details to alert them of the threat.

TEPCO plans to dump water from Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean
Kyodo News - The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant said Thursday it plans to dump contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean after removing radioactive substances to reduce contamination to legally permissible levels.... Still, the utility acknowledged that it needs to win approval of local governments and other parties concerned in actually discharging the water into the ocean. An official said, "Nothing specific has been decided at this moment."

YouTube: Sen. Rand Paul Questions Sec. of State Nominee John Kerry
C-Span Jan 24, 2013 - Sen. Rand Paul Questions Secretary of State Nominee John Kerry at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Feinstein Rolls Out Draconian Attack on Second Amendment
Kurt Nimmo - On the chopping block are 158 specific kinds of semiautomatic firearms listed by name (see the entire list here) and others – including handguns and shotguns – with at least one specific military characteristic. In addition, the legislation will outlaw all ammunition magazines that contain more than 10 rounds. More draconian yet, the proposed legislation will target millions of so-called assault weapons already in the hands of Americans by subjecting owners to government background checks.

Number Of Nation's Sheriffs Refusing To Enforce Unconstitutional Gun Laws Snowballs
CNS News - From Florida to California, a growing number of the nation's sheriffs are standing up to gun control measures proposed by both the administration and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). Many law enforcement officials have written letters to President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden voicing their concerns over what they believe is an effort to infringe upon the Second Amendment.

Knife Rights Bill Filed in Kansas – Indiana Bill Advances
Ammoland - Knife Rights Bill Introduced in Kansas: Kansas State Representative Richard Carlson has introduced a Knife Rights requested bill, HB2033, that would enact Knife Law Preemption and repeal the Kansas ban on Switchblades, Dirks, Daggers and Stilettos.... Knife Rights has passed similar Knife Preemption Laws in Arizona, Utah, New Hampshire and Georgia and repealed irrational knife bans in New Hampshire, Washington and Missouri.

West Point Defines "Domestic Enemies" to Prepare Troops to Take On Americans
Activist Post - In a study recently published by the West Point Combating Terrorism Center entitled, “Challengers From The Sidelines: Understanding America’s Violent Far-Right,” Arie Perliger, the author of the study, attempts to present a picture of an America infested with dangerous “Right Wing” domestic terrorists lurking in the shadows and waiting to launch an attack on government establishments, agents, and minorities.

40 Ways to Hide Your Guns
poormansurvival.com - What will you do when they come for your guns?

VIDEO: Ben Swann Reality Check: One Question Sec. of State Clinton Was Not Asked About Benghazi
Liberty Crier - (FOX19) - Her testimony on the attack against the U.S. facility in Benghazi has been delayed by over a month. Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went before members of Congress to answer questions. What questions did the Secretary of State answer? What was one question the Senators failed to ask?

Ben Swann currently #3 in Shorty Awards for #journalist category!
Daily Paul - If you have twitter VOTE for him!

Want To Tell The State To Stick It? Homeschool Your Kids
Forbes - The swelling legions of homeschoolers poke a subtle rebuke at America’s ever expanding nanny state. Under both parties, Washington has systematically invaded private spheres and co-opted public services historically performed by local bodies. But a spontaneous groundswell of freedom minded folks has continued America’s rich inheritance of rugged individualism.

YouTube: AGENDA - Grinding America Down (Trailer)
Join Bowers for a fascinating look at the people and groups that have successfully targeted America's morality and freedom in their effort to grind America down. It's not just another conspiracy theory. It's a well documented agenda.

Fed’s Holdings of U.S. Gov't Debt Hit Record Under Obama
CNS News - In data released Thursday afternoon, the Federal Reserve revealed that its holdings of U.S. government debt had increased to an all-time record of $1,696,691,000,000 as of the close of business on Wednesday. The Fed's holdings of U.S. government debt have increased by 257 percent since President Barack Obama was first inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2009, and the Fed is currently the single largest holder of U.S. government debt.

Obamacare Penalty Could Make Health Insurance Too Expensive for Smokers
CNS News - The Affordable Care Act — "Obamacare" to its detractors — allows health insurers to charge smokers buying individual policies up to 50 percent higher premiums starting next Jan. 1. For a 55-year-old smoker, the penalty could reach nearly $4,250 a year. A 60-year-old could wind up paying nearly $5,100 on top of premiums.

Withdrawn: $114 Billion From Big U.S. Banks and nobody’s quite sure why
Bloomberg - The Federal Reserve releases data on the assets and liabilities of commercial banks every Friday. The most current figures, covering the first full week of 2013, show the largest one-week withdrawals since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Even when seasonally adjusted, the level drops to $52.8 billion—still the third-highest amount on record, and one for which bank experts and analysts were reluctant to give a definitive explanation.

Confused professors shocked schools are cutting their hours to avoid Obamacare penalties
Liberty Crier - The Wall Street Journal reports: The Affordable Care Act requires large employers to offer a minimum level of health insurance to employees who work 30 hours a week or more starting in 2014, or face a penalty. The mandate is a particular challenge for colleges and universities, which increasingly rely on adjuncts to help keep costs down as states have scaled back funding for higher education.

UN will probe US terror drone attacks
Press TV - The UN special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, Ben Emmerson, is responsible for the inquiry, which will look into the extent of civilian casualties caused by the airstrikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia.... The UN official denounced as indefensible Washington’s claim that it can carry out assassination drone operations anywhere in the world because it is deemed to be an ‘international conflict.’

North Korea says missiles ‘aimed at’ US
Press TV - North Korea says it will launch more long-range rockets and carry out a high-level nuclear test, aimed at the United States. “We do not hide that the various satellites and long-range rockets we will continue to launch, as well as the high-level nuclear test we will proceed with, are aimed at our arch-enemy the United States,” said North Korea’s National Defense Commission on Thursday. The defense commission statement offered no timeframe of when the country intended to perform the test.

'Japan to close its embassy in Mali'
Press TV - According to a statement released by the ministry on Wednesday, “Japan will temporarily close the embassy in Mali due to the worsening security in the country, including in the capital of Bamako. The staff will continue the operation in the embassy in France.” Earlier on January 20, Canada evacuated the majority of its staff and their families from its embassy in Mali for security reasons.

Mali accused of ‘summary executions’
Press TV - The international group said on Wednesday that the government troops killed some people simply because they did not have identity documents. According to the FIDH, the executions were carried out in several towns including Sevare, Mopti and Niono. It said that at least 11 people were executed in a military camp near the central town of Sevare.

Up in arms: Turkey Patriots ready by weekend amid local protest
RT - Patriot missile batteries sent to Turkey from NATO countries will start operating this weekend, despite continuing protests from local activists unhappy at their deployment. In the latest incident German troops were mobbed by protesters.

Spain’s Catalonia declares sovereignty
Press TV - The parliament of Spain’s northeastern region of Catalonia has approved a declaration of the region’s sovereignty as a major step towards its independence from Spain.... The declaration, which states that the people of Catalonia have a democratic right to decide on their sovereignty, sets up a potential showdown with the central government in Madrid.

Bibi still in charge despite losing ground on Iran and settlements
RT - With nearly all the votes counted, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud-Beitenu bloc is claiming victory in Israeli parliamentary elections. The Prime Minister has lost seats in the Knesset, but still remains the only likely head of the new government.

VIDEO: Benghazi Hearing: Hillary Clinton: ‘There Are Other Things I’d Prefer To Do On Sunday Mornings’
mediaite.com - “I have to confess, here in public, going on the Sunday shows is not my favorite thing to do. There are other things I’d prefer to do on Sunday mornings. And, you know, I haven’t been on a Sunday show in way over a year. It just isn’t something that I normally jump to do. And I did feel strongly that we had a lot that we had to manage, that I had to respond to, and that that should be my priority.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein to introduce assault weapons ban today
Washington Examiner - The bill is expected to ban 120 specific guns and ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The legislation is also expected to require gun owners to register semi-automatic rifles categorized as “assault weapons” with the Federal Government under the National Firearms Act – which may require assault rifle owners to pay a $200 registering fee and submit photographs and fingerprints to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

U.S. Conference Of Mayors President Philadelphia Mayor Nutter To Stand With Senator Dianne Feinstein
U.S. Conference of Mayors President Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter will participate tomorrow in a press conference on Capitol Hill to support CA Senator Dianne Feinstein's introduction of The Assault Weapons Ban of 2013.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Missouri Proposed Bill Requiring Parents to Inform Schools if They Own a Gun
The Blaze - A Missouri lawmaker has proposed a bill that would require parents to inform their children’s school if they possess a firearm. Not only that, it would criminalize parents that “[fail] to stop the possession [of a firearm] or report it to law enforcement” for children in the house under the age of 18. The American Thinker relates the three main components of the bill, via the Missouri Senate...

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Bill proposed in Oregon would make cigarettes prescription-only drugs
kptv.com - Rep. Mitch Greenlick, from Portland, is sponsoring a bill that makes cigarettes a Schedule III controlled substance, meaning it would be illegal to possess or distribute cigarettes without a doctor's prescription. Under the proposal, offenders would face maximum punishments of one year in prison, a $6,250 fine or both. Other drugs and substances that are considered Schedule III controlled substances are ketamine, lysergic acid and anabolic steroids.

VIDEO: Anonymous Calls for Civil War to Overthrow the US Government
Activist Post - In the latest video from Anonymous, they have called for the most aggressive action yet. They're asking the American people to join them in a "call to arms" for the destruction and overthrow of the US Government. In the statement, Anonymous says the government is calling them "terrorists" because they truly fear a people's uprising.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Clinton testifies: ‘Algerian terrorists got weapons from Libya’
RT - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Islamists who attacked a gas plant in Algeria got their weapons in Libya. She also blamed Northern Africa's security vacuum on the Arab Spring while testifying on the September 2012 attack in Benghazi.

YouTube: Rand Paul Grills Sec. of State Clinton on Benghazi: I Would Have Relieved You Of Your Post
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky grills Secretary of State Hilary Clinton on her lapse of leadership resulting in the terrorist attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya which resulted in the death of Ambassador Stevens and 3 other Americans.

On the day of his death, US ambassador to Libya warned that he was in danger
RT - Hours before US Ambassador Christopher Stevens died in a terrorist attack in Libya, he sent Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a cable warning that local militias were threatening to take away security officers guarding the US diplomats.

Former Special Forces Commander: Was U.S. Running Guns to Syrian Rebels Via Benghazi?
CNS News - Retired Army Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin—who is the former commander of the U.S. Special Forces Command, the former deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and who, in the 1990s, worked with the CIA—told CNSNews.com in a video interview last week that he believes it is a reasonable supposition that the U.S. was supporting or planning to support the Syrian rebels via Benghazi, Libya.

Panetta Said to Be Ending U.S. Combat Ban for Women
Bloomberg - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta made the decision on the recommendation of the military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a defense official, who asked not to be identified in advance of a planned announcement.... The lifting of the ban will open as many as 200,000 positions to women by January 2016, the date set for final implementation, according to a second defense official who also asked not to be identified.

US Supreme Court: ‘law’ repugnant to the Constitution is void
Examiner - A useful place for Americans to stand is with the US Supreme Court in one of its most cited decisions that anything passed as law in obvious violation of the US Constitution is not law, but void.... Supreme Court Chief Justice Marshall’s crystal-clear wording is below. This definitive legal ruling empowers Americans acting upon or enforcing such non-laws to reject them in full confidence of their Oaths to support and defend the US Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

NYPD to restart 'stop and frisk'
RT - A Manhattan judge said she will allow the NYPD’s “stop-and-frisk” program to go on in the Bronx until she comes up with a solution to prevent police officers from violating the rights of their subjects.... Allowing the stop-and-frisk program to continue in the Bronx will subject more New Yorkers to police stops and interrogations, nearly 90 percent of which involve innocent people and 87 percent of which involve African-Americans or Latinos.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Elementary School Girl Threatened With Arrest Over ‘Paper Gun’
Paul Joseph Watson - Hysteria in aftermath of Sandy Hook reaches new heights. A South Philadelphia elementary student was searched in front of classmates and threatened with arrest after she mistakenly brought a “paper gun” to school, yet another example of the hysteria sweeping America’s school system in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook massacre.

Why Bitcoin Is The Banking Industry’s Newest, Biggest Threat
macleans.ca - Bitcoin’s big advantage is that it is essentially the cold, hard cash of the Internet. Instead of bills, Bitcoin’s software keeps a public ledger of every transaction among users. If a buyer and seller are running the software on their computers, they can directly exchange Bitcoins, anonymously and with no taxes or bank fees. Others can pay a company to process the payment. Bitcoin accounts are listed simply as a string of letters and numbers with no names attached, giving a level of anonymity impossible with debit and credit cards or even PayPal accounts.

House Votes to Temporarily Suspend U.S. Debt Ceiling
Bloomberg - The measure, passed 285-144, lifts the government’s $16.4 trillion borrowing limit until May 19. It goes to the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid said lawmakers will pass the bill unchanged and send it to President Barack Obama.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Four Years And $50 Billion Later, Obama Pushes More 'Green Jobs'
Daily Bail - When Obama pledged $150 billion over ten years, he said it would create 5 million green jobs — in fact, about 30,000 jobs have been created by the Department of Energy’s 4,000 or so green energy projects.

Central banking with ‘other people's gold’: A $368bn treasure trove in Lower Manhattan (Op-Ed)
RT - The total value of the New York Federal Reserve's gold bullion trove of 6700 tonnes is a staggering $368.5 billion. But according to the New York Federal Reserve: "We do not own the gold. We are mere custodians." The gold is in "safe-keeping" on behalf of more than 60 sovereign countries and a few organizations. Close to 98 per cent of the gold bullion stored in the NY Fed's lower Manhattan vaults, according to the Fed, belongs to central banks of foreign countries. The remaining 2 per cent "is owned by the United States and international organizations such as the IMF."

Does China Plan To Establish “China Cities” And “Special Economic Zones” All Over America?
Economic Collapse - Over the past several years, the Chinese government and large Chinese corporations... have been systematically buying up businesses, homes, farmland, real estate, infrastructure and natural resources all over America. In some cases, China appears to be attempting to purchase entire communities in one fell swoop.... Some have speculated that China may be intending to establish "special economic zones" inside the United States modeled after the very successful Chinese city of Shenzhen.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Mayor Backs Second Amendment After Councilman Tries to Eject Armed Veteran
Paul Joseph Watson - A fascinating scene played out at a small town council meeting last week when a Mayor stood up for the second amendment after a council member tried to pass a motion that would have forced an armed veteran with a concealed carry permit to have his gun confiscated by police.

CCHR Exposes Psychiatry’s Military Spending to Create Drugged-Out Super-Soldiers
cchrint.org - In an effort to create the “Super Soldier,” the U.S. military spends hundreds of millions of dollars on psychiatric research programs that can only be described as science fiction-esque experimentation. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a mental health watchdog group, is dedicated to exposing these mental health abuses.

US-led drones kill dozens in Afghanistan
Press TV - There have been conflicting reports about the identity of the victims. Local officials say the strikes targeted Taliban militants, but villagers report that those killed were all unarmed civilians.

'UN to impose sanctions on North Korea'
Press TV - According to reports, the 15-member council is expected to apply sanctions in a resolution to be passed on January 23. “The resolution condemns the launch and reiterates the Security Council's previous demands that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons program and not proceed with further launches,” the diplomat added.

U.S. Begins Transporting French Troops, Equipment to Mali
Reuters - The United States has started transporting French soldiers and equipment to Mali as part of its logistical aid to French forces fighting Islamist militants in the north of the country, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: CIA Operative Takes Responsibility for Algerian Gas Plant Attack
Kurt Nimmo - In the video below, Mokhtar Belmokhtar — said to be the mastermind behind the terrorist attack by the Islamist al-Mulathameen (Masked) Brigade on the In Amenas Gas complex in Algeria — takes credit for the operation. Belmokhtar was recruited and trained by the CIA in Afghanistan.

China's Buying A Fleet Of 36 Russian Bombers Perfect For Taking On The US Navy
Business Insider - Chinese websites are again reporting that Russia has agreed to sell Beijing the production line for the Tupolev Tu-22M3 bomber at a cost of $1.5 billion.... The Tu-22 bombers will give China another tool to pursue the area denial strategy in the South China Sea and the Pacific theatre; a fast platform to launch cruise missiles, conventional or nuclear weapons in various regional war scenarios. In other words, a brand new threat to the U.S. Navy in the region.

Embarrassment for MoD because new £650million spy planes cannot refuel in mid-air
Daily Mail - In a fresh humiliation for the Ministry of Defence, it emerged that Britain must rely on other nations to fill up the RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft once it is in the skies. Military analysts warned that crucial reconnaissance missions could be jeopardised by the UK's failure to act independently.

Leveson: EU wants power to sack journalists
Telegraph - A European Union report has urged tight press regulation and demanded that Brussels officials are given control of national media supervisors with new powers to enforce fines or the sacking of journalists.

First-Hand Account of Gold & Silver Mania in China
silverdoctors.com - With the Chinese New Year less than a month away [Feb 9th], Ichban describes Chinese demand for gold and silver in Beijing as a tidal wave, and states that the demand for gold and silver is more intense than Thanksgiving/ Black Friday mobs in the US, despite the nearly 60% premiums retail dealers are asking for silver bullion!!

How the Vatican built a secret property empire using Mussolini's millions
Guardian - Few passing London tourists would ever guess that the premises of Bulgari, the upmarket jewellers in New Bond Street, had anything to do with the pope. Nor indeed the nearby headquarters of the wealthy investment bank Altium Capital, on the corner of St James's Square and Pall Mall. But these office blocks in one of London's most expensive districts are part of a surprising secret commercial property empire owned by the Vatican.

Who are the real "bad guys" in the world today?
Michael Rivero - Since the 1979 Iranian revolution and the downfall of the US Puppet Ruler the Shah, Iran has been an Islamic state. In that interval of time, 1979 to the present, Iran has not invaded anyone. Not once. People of all religions live in peace in Iran, even Jews, who find life so comfortable in Iran they refused an offer by the government of Israel to emigrate!

FICTION: Controversial survey of U.S. Troops
THIS IS FICTION - "The U.S. Military Has Distributed a Survey Among Soldiers That Prepares Them For Shooting Civilians Who Resist Gun Control" - CHECK OUT THE ABOVE LINK FOR MORE DETAILS.

Another School Shooting: Houston, Texas - Piers Morgan Embellishes Gang-Related Shootout at Lone Star College to Push Gun Control Agenda
Paul Joseph Watson - CNN host Piers Morgan embarrassingly exploited what soon turned out to be a gang-related shootout to push his agenda for gun control... As soon as news emerged that there had been a shooting, Morgan went into overdrive on Twitter, screeching that there were “horrific scenes” on the campus and that there were, “Bodies on ground, others being stretchered away,” portraying the scene as a massacre despite news footage showing only one or two injured people.

Top Psychiatrist: Meds Behind School Massacres
WND - If lawmakers and authorities are truly concerned about stopping gun violence in schools, they need to take a close look at the prescription of psychotropic drugs for children and young people, says a leading psychiatrist. In an exclusive in-person interview in New York City with WND, London-based Dr. David Healy criticized pharmaceutical companies that have made billions of dollars marketing Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, known as SSRIs.

Investigators find State Department drew down Libya security as threats rose
Washington Guardian - Congressional investigators have pieced together a series of decisions that led State Department officials to inexplicably draw down security in Libya last year even as threats and attacks against Western diplomats were rising in the violent, chaotic city of Benghazi where America’s ambassador was killed last Sept. 11.

YouTube: Judge Napolitano on Obama's Inaugural Address: 'Nothing In There About Freedom'
Fox & Friends Jan 22, 2013.

VIDEO: Chinese Survivor of Tiananmen Square Cautions Against Gun Control in America
Daily Paul - Massachusetts State House Firearms Rally Speech - January 19, 2013. This gentleman was kind enough to share his perspective on the second amendment and its importance in keeping us a free society. His perspective is like no other, as he has seen first hand the powerful fist of tyranny when allowed to act with impunity.

YouTube: President Obama Wants To Protect Children? Why Not End U.S. Drone Strikes?
Jan 22, 2013 - Ben Swann Full Disclosure takes a look at statements by President Obama that he wants to prevent even one more child's death at the hands of a mass shooter. Ben is asking why the President isn't ending a drone strike policy that is responsible for 11 times the number of child deaths.

Shock claim: Obama only wants military leaders who 'will fire on U.S. citizens'
Examiner - On Monday, renowned author and humanitarian Dr. Jim Garrow made a shocking claim about what we can expect to see in Obama's second term. Garrow made the following Facebook post: I have just been informed by a former senior military leader that Obama is using a new “litmus test” in determining who will stay and who must go in his military leaders. Get ready to explode folks. “The new litmus test of leadership in the military is if they will fire on US citizens or not.” Those who will not are being removed.

YouTube: Official TragedyandHope Channel Trailer
This is the first official TragedyandHope promotional video.

Pro Gun Defenders, Your Last Chance To Speak On The UN Arms Trade Treaty
ammoland.com - The United Nations is now accepting applications by established gun, hunting, and self-defense rights civil society groups to speak at the final plenary meeting of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty Conference on Monday, March 18th. The Deadline to submit an application is January 31, 2013.

YouTube: Obama's supporters groped before the Inauguration
Most of the 700,000 went through a layer of Security Checkpoints that concluded with hundreds of TSA agents thoroughly searched through peoples bags and use of multiple metal detectors. Was the use of TSA agents needed when National Guard Troops, FBI agents, Secret Service agents, ATF, DHS, DC Police were all present near and around the National Mall?

Airport Security Toy Outrages Amazon Shoppers
Business Insider - We've covered some bizarre toys before, but this one is priceless ... literally. The toy is unavailable right now on Amazon, and we're not surprised reading the comments.

12 Sneaky Ways That Big Retailers Track Your Every Move
Business Insider - In the age of smartphones, online shopping and data, it has become easier than ever for companies to monitor the consumers who give them business. Retailers employ all sorts of clever tactics from using facial recognition devices to devising customer loyalty programs and cell phone signal trackers.

Wisconsin GOP Tries To Purge Liberty Activist From Party Membership, Mails Back Check With Letter
Daily Paul - This is an outrage. If anyone wants to send words to Dunn County Chairman Richard Rust, please by all means do. Keep it cordial though and don't get mean.... The person they're trying to purge is Todd Welch, an outstanding Liberty activist here in WI.

37 Statistics Which Show How Four Years Of Obama Have Wrecked The U.S. Economy
Economic Collapse - Despite what the Obama administration tells us, the U.S. economy has been in decline for a very long time, and that decline has accelerated in many ways over the past four years. Just consider the statistics that I have compiled below. The following are 37 statistics which show how four years of Obama have wrecked the U.S. economy...

VIDEO: Banks Parking $1.46T in Excess Reserves at Federal Reserve, Balance Sheet Set To Pass 3 Trillion
xrepublic.tv - Fox Business News Liz MacDonald on the cash U.S. banks have at the Federal Reserve.

VIDEO: The Single Chart That Should Force The Fed Out Of Business
Daily Bail - Behold the chart that, in a more just and sane world, would force Bernanke and Krugman to retire and drive the Fed out of business. Consumer prices are now 30 times higher than when the Fed was created in 1913.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Independent Tax Preparers Defeat IRS Licensing Requirement
Institute for Justice - A federal court today just struck down the IRS’s new licensing rules. In 2011, the IRS imposed an unlawful licensing scheme that benefits powerful industry insiders and harms hundreds of thousands of tax preparers across the country and the tens of millions of taxpayers who rely on them to prepare their taxes.

In times of austerity, it's good to know....
January 21, 2013 by 21wire.

New, frothing bubble site found southwest of sinkhole
Eleven new bubble sites have been found in inundated swampland west of an 8.5-acre sinkhole in northern Assumption Parish, including a frothing spot dubbed the “mother of all bubble sites,” officials said Tuesday.... The sites bring to 34 the number of known bubble sites in the Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou areas in the vicinity of the sinkhole on Texas Brine Co. LLC’s leased property.

UK ready to further boost French war
Press TV - Addressing a parliament session on Monday, Cameron said that the UK government's National Security Council will hold a meeting on the issue later on Tuesday. Britain has already sent two C17 transport planes to support the French war.

‘Used as human shields’: Survivors of Algeria hostage crisis recall brutality and terror
RT - In the wake of Algeria's In Amenas crisis, the hostage death toll rose to almost 60. The survivors have revealed tales of shocking brutality – captives were used as human shields, forced to wear explosive jackets and witness to horrific executions.

Philippines takes China to intl court over S. China sea
RT - The Philippines will sue China over its claim on disputed territory in the South China Sea. This is the first legal case over land to be launched against the Asian powerhouse, despite a number of current territorial rows with neighbors.

Davos call for $14trn 'greening' of global economy
Independent - Only a sustained and dramatic shift to infrastructure and industrial practices using low-carbon technology can save the world and its economy from devastating global warming, according to a Davos-commissioned alliance led by the former Mexican President, Felipe Calderon, in the most dramatic call so far to fight climate change on business grounds.

China poised to play debt card – for U.S. land
WND - Could real estate on American soil owned by China be set up as “development zones” in which the communist nation could establish Chinese-owned businesses and bring in its citizens to the U.S. to work? That’s part of an evolving proposal Beijing has been developing quietly since 2009 to convert more than $1 trillion of U.S debt it owns into equity.

Mali extends state of emergency for 3 months
Press TV - The government issued a statement on Monday, saying the state of emergency had to be extended because of “the need to install a peaceful social climate throughout the country," AFP reported. The decision was taken on the same day that Malian forces, aided by the French military, retook control of the central towns of Diabaly and Douentza.

France imposes media blackout on war
Press TV - French networks TF1 and France Televisions have also sent several teams to Bamako, but a media blackout on images of the clashes has confined all journalists to the city. This comes as French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said the number of French troops on the ground in the West African country could top the initially-planned number of 2,500.

Egypt does not accept war in Mali: Morsi
Press TV - President Mohamed Morsi said on Monday, “We do not accept at all the military intervention in Mali because that will fuel conflict in the region.”... “Also we do not want to create a new bloodbath,” he said, adding that any intervention in Mali “should be peaceful.” In addition, the Egyptian president called for financing “development” in the African nation.

Russia sending two planes to pick Russians who want to leave Syria
RT - Russia’s Emergencies Ministry is sending two planes to the Lebanese capital to pick those Russians who want to leave Syria torn by the ongoing civil conflict. The aircraft leave for Beirut on Tuesday, some 100 Russians are expected to be evacuated.

US preparing counterterrorism manual establishing rules for targeted killings
Press TV - According to the Washington Post report, some of the subjects covered in the manual are “the process for adding names to kill lists, the legal principles that govern when US citizens can be targeted overseas and the sequence of approvals required when the CIA or US military conducts drone strikes outside war zones.” Pundits say the decision to draft the counterterrorism manual marks a turning point, since it is an attempt to “legalize” and “legitimize” targeted killings.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: The Lies of Chuck Schumer: NRA is Extreme Fringe Group
Kurt Nimmo - Democrat gun-grabbers will do almost anything to get the American people to surrender their right to own firearms. For instance, New York senator Chuck Schumer, during an interview with the liberaleoisie at AOL’s Huffington Post, called the NRA a “fringe group” of extremists.

Texas Gun Shop Owner Calls for Groupon Boycott after Deal is Nixed
Adan Salazar - In what may prove to be a detrimental move for the deal giant, Internet coupon retailer Groupon.com has reportedly decided to snip any deals related to guns, and one Texas gun shop owner is hell-bent on calling them out on it.

The Trans-Pacific Slam Job
Green Med Info - There are 26 chapters to the Agreement; but, unsurprisingly, only two of them deal with trade matters.... From what we do know, the TPP threatens to extend restrictive intellectual property laws into its partner countries and rewrite international rules for their enforcement. Leaked drafts of the Agreement reveal the negotiators' plans to limit freedom of speech, right to privacy and due process, as well as cripple individuals' abilities to innovate. This includes making copyright infringement a criminal offense!

How does UN Agenda 21 look and feel in your community?
Activist Post - The video below is essential viewing for a concise breakdown of what Agenda 21 really means and how it is being directed.... This video is the perfect introduction to James Bennett's list of what you're likely to feel if Agenda 21 arrives in full force to your community.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: 70-year-old Charity Told to Stop Feeding Homeless in Seattle
Activist Post - In each case it seems the motivation for these bans is to give the cities the appearance of low homelessness instead of actually helping them. However, in every instance the authorities use the excuse that they are protecting the homeless against potentially unhealthy food, as if that's their responsibility.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: 50 State Open Carry Demonstration Feb. 8th; Getting Out The Word
Intel Hub - On February 8th 2013, in accordance with state law and the 2nd Amendment, there will be peaceful Open Carry demonstrations taking on the Capitol steps of all 50 states. In Michigan a team of volunteers is organizing the event, and this writer will be speaking in support of the Constitution, exercising my 1st Amendment right to free speech in defense of the 2nd Amendment.

New Osage sheriff won't enforce new federal gun control actions
connectmidmissouri.com - On the day of President Barack Obama's inauguration, Michael Dixon said in a news release that he wants the president to "stop his attempts to block the purchase, possession and use of firearms for law abiding Americans. "Dixon also confirmed his support of Missouri House Bill 170, which would make it illegal to enforce new federal gun control laws on gun owners and manufacturers.

Here we go again... New Mexico teen suspected of killing family was planning Walmart massacre
RT - The New Mexico teen accused of killing his parents and three siblings over the weekend is now reported to have been planning to continue his rampage at the local Walmart. He envisaged the massacre ending with a shootout with police and his own death. nvestigators are still trying to put together 15-year-old Nehemiah Griego's actions on Saturday night. They have discovered several guns, including an AR-15 assault rifle and a .22 caliber pistol, though no owner to match them, the Albuquerque Journal reports.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Time Warner Bans Gun Ads, Continues to Produce Movies Full of Gun Violence
Paul Joseph Watson Despite the fact that its subsidiary Warner Bros. routinely distributes blockbuster movies that are replete with gratuitous gun violence, Time Warner Cable has issued a company-wide ban on television ads that show “guns pointed at people,” another illustration of how firearms ownership is being made taboo to coincide with the Obama administration’s gun control agenda.

DHS Looks To Install Microphones In “Urban Areas” That Can Listen to Conversations
Paul Joseph Watson - According to a Request for Information (RFI) posted on the FedBizOpps website on January 18 (PDF), the DHS, in tandem with the Secret Service, “Is seeking information on commercially available gunshot detection technologies for fixed site surveillance applications. Typical coverage areas are expected to be from 10s to 100s of acres per site, located within urban areas.

20 ways to become more self-sufficient before 'the crunch' arrives
(NaturalNews) One thing you don't want to be during the coming "crunch" -- a polite word for "collapse" -- is dependent on the system. The more you can take care of yourself, the better off you'll be physically, financially, emotionally and even spiritually. Here are 20 ways to become more self-sufficient while you still can...

The Sovereign Debt Bubble Will Continue To Expand Until – BANG – The System Implodes
Economic Collapse - Why are so many politicians around the world declaring that the debt crisis is “over” when debt to GDP ratios all over the planet continue to skyrocket?... The truth is that government debt is becoming a monstrous problem all over the globe. Just check out how debt to GDP ratios all over the planet have grown over the past five years...

House Votes On Debt Ceiling Suspension Wednesday As Pelosi Calls It "Gimmick Unworthy Of Challenges We Face"
Zero Hedge - While it is not news that the GOP has proposed a temporary debt ceiling extension that would suspend the provisions of the debt ceiling target until May 19, as was reported last week, however which would demand that the Senate do something unthinkable, and something it has not done for 4 years, namely pass a budget by April 15, it is news that as The Hill reports, the vote to suspend the debt ceiling in the House will take place "as soon as Wednesday."

James Turk - Germany’s Gold Is Being Held Hostage
King World News - “It’s quite clear that the German gold is being held hostage. They are not getting what they want. They are getting what the Federal Reserve is telling them they can have. The fact that they are doing it over 7 years rather than 7 weeks, is just an indication that gold probably isn’t in the Federal Reserve, and the Federal Reserve doesn’t want to have to go out and buy it overnight to fulfill the German demand. They are trying to stretch it out as long as possible in order to keep gold prices controlled.”

VIDEO: Frigid temps to hit coast to coast; MN set for -50 wind chill
weather.com - The coldest air of the season is now plunging through the Midwest and on its way into the Northeast. Live Map.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Arkansas gets radioactive sleet and snow but no warnings
Activist Post - The sleet and snow that fell on January 15 2013 in White County Arkansas was not normal. Background levels in this area are 35cpm. The sleet and snow was showing an alert level above 100cpm. The high levels only lasted about 24 hours indicating a short half life of the hot particles.

YouTube: Stewart Rhodes, Second Amendment Rally Speech
Stewart Rhodes, Founder/President of Oath Keepers Second Amendment Rally Coeur d'Alene, ID Jan 19, 2013.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: 'Al-Qaeda threat used by NATO as smoke screen for re-colonization of Northern Africa’
RT- With more western countries getting indirectly involved in the conflict in Mali, there’s increasing speculation about their motives.... Journalist Neil Clark told RT he believed economic reasons were behind every single western military adventure of the last 30 years – and Mali was no different.

Israel attacks Palestinian protest camp
Press TV - Israeli troops have attacked Palestinians at a protest encampment consisting of four tents set up by activists at a site designated for new illegal settler units. Activists established the encampment on Friday to protest against Israel's plan to seize 124 acres (50 hectares) of land near the Palestinian village of Beit Iksa, located on the northwestern outskirts of al-Quds.

Profiting off hunger: Wall Street makes big gains over food price spikes
RT - World food prices tracked by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have more than doubled in the past 10 years. The FAO’s Food Price Index, which baskets prices for five prime food commodities, peaked in 2008 and 2011, each time rising more than 50 percent from the previous year. The latest price spike was one of the key factors that triggered the series of uprisings in the Arab world resulting in the fall of several governments.

Algerian gas complex siege leaves 23 hostages, 32 militants dead
RT - A lethal four-day siege of the Algerian natural-gas plant has left 23 hostages and 32 militants dead. Terrorists executed the last seven foreign hostages during a 'final assault' by Algerian troops on Saturday.... So far, Algerian authorities have not announced the nationality of the 23 hostage victims, while the Interior Ministry warned that the death toll was still provisional and could rise.

‘Russia to help transport troops to Mali’
Press TV - In an interview with Europe 1 radio on Sunday Fabius said the transportation of troops to the West African nation will be provided “partly by the Africans themselves, partly by the Europeans and partly by the Canadians." "And the Russians have proposed to provide means of transport for the French, so it's fairly diverse," he added.

Russia starts major naval drills in Mediterranean Sea amid Syria crisis
Press TV - The maneuvers will continue until January 29 and comprise more than 60 drills, including anti-submarine warfare missions, missile and artillery firing practices. Russia’s Black Sea, Northern and Baltic fleets, strategic bombers, tactical aircraft, air defense units, paratroopers and naval infantry will take part in the naval exercises.

US terror drones kill 8 in central Yemen
Press TV - Yemeni military officials said that the attacks were carried out by two American unmanned aerial vehicles in Abieda valley in the central province late on Saturday. Local residents also said that two Saudi nationals were among the victims of the drone strikes.

US assassination drone kills 5 in northeastern Afghanistan
Press TV - Kunar which is located near the border with Pakistan has been the scene of frequent US assassination drone attacks. Washington claims the targets of the drone attacks are al-Qaeda militants, but local officials and witnesses maintain that civilians have been the main victims of the attacks over the past few years.

US planned 9/11 attacks to invade Middle East: Iran cmdr.
Press TV - “The US, looking for a pretext to invade the Middle East, masterminded the 9/11 incident and pointed an accusing finger at Muslim countries,” Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Forces Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan said on Saturday.

Russians draft 'Guantanamo list' to sanction U.S. officials
LA Times - Russia has prepared the “Guantanamo list” of U.S. officials who will be denied entry visas, officials in Moscow said Friday, the latest apparent retaliation for a U.S. law imposing sanctions on Russians over the death of an activist lawyer.

King: I Have a Dream. Obama: I Have a Drone
Global Research - A simple twist of fate has set President Obama’s second Inaugural Address for January 21, the same day as the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday. Obama made no mention of King during the Inauguration four years ago — but since then, in word and deed, the president has done much to distinguish himself from the man who said “I have a dream.”

#FiascoGate: US rapper pulled off stage over inauguration anti-Obama rant
RT - American rapper Lupe Fiasco was thrown off stage by security guards as he performed a 40-minute anti-Obama song during a pre-inauguration event at a Washington, DC, concert hall Sunday night.... During the concert, the singer played a lengthy anti-war song and told the audience he didn’t vote for Barack Obama, according to witnesses. When he was told to move on to the next song, he refused, and “a team of security guards came on stage and told him to go.”

Police trick entire school full of students into providing handwriting samples for crime investigation
(NaturalNews) In a tactic that is not likely to inspire future cooperation or confidence in police, officers in Northampton, Mass., have tricked every student in the local high school into providing them with handwriting samples as part of an investigation.

Design flaw in 'Lightning II' F-35B jet raises fears of lightning-induced explosions
RT - It’s the world’s most expensive combat aircraft, but don’t expect it to fly in bad weather: The $237-million F-35B has been banned from traveling within 25 miles of a thunderstorm, amid fears that lightning could cause its fuel tank to explode.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Ron Paul Slams America’s ‘King Of The World’ Foreign Policy On Fox News
Mediaite - Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) did not hold back about his thoughts on the “blowback” consequences from America’s “kings of the world” style of foreign policy. Host Neil Cavuto appeared to have reservations about Rep. Paul’s claims, but the real pushback came from the guest following the retired congressman.

Holder Begs Court to Stop Document Release on Fast and Furious
Breitbart - Attorney General Eric Holder and his Department of Justice have asked a federal court to indefinitely delay a lawsuit brought by watchdog group Judicial Watch. The lawsuit seeks the enforcement of open records requests relating to Operation Fast and Furious, as required by law.

Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show Bans Modern Rifles & Magazines
PA Gun Blog - We saw news from a credible source last Friday that the show was putting a ban on modern sporting rifles & magazines... People boycotting the show have already started to organize, and they are also doing great work in highlighting the exhibitors who are taking a significant financial loss and pulling out of the show over this decision – even when their products aren’t being banned (yet).

'Guns Across America' Rally: Thousands of protestors gather at state capitols across the country
Daily MAil - Thousands of gun advocates gathered peacefully Saturday at state capitals around the U.S. to rally against stricter limits on firearms, with demonstrators carrying rifles and pistols in some places while those elsewhere settled for waving hand-scrawled signs or screaming themselves hoarse.
 * Related Videos: CA, CT, DC, IL, MA, MD, NY.

YouTube: A Cop Espouses Concealed Carry
Robert R.Surgenor Sr, retired police detective, makes the (convincing) case for concealed carry and gun ownership by law abiding citizens... The audio of 911 calls, beginning and end, show a stark and tragic contrast with regard to being defenseless or armed. Warning: disturbing 911 calls.

New Proposal Will Force Gun Owners to Store Assault Weapons At Government Authorized Storage Depots
Mac Slavo - Massachusetts State Representative David Linsky has filed a new bill that would, among other things, force gun owners to undergo mental health background checks, acquire liability insurance, pay an additional 25% tax on all forms of ammunition, and require firearms categorized as “assault weapons” to be stored outside of their homes and only at government approved storage depots.

Texas AG ad targets N.Y. gun owners
Politico - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is inviting New Yorkers who aren’t pleased by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new gun regulations to move to his home state to keep their Second Amendment rights. A series of Web ads were launched Wednesday, popping up across screens on various media websites accessed in Manhattan and Albany, including that of The New York Times, reported the Austin American-Statesman. One particular Facebook ad reads...

Burglars steal two guns from home featured on weapons permit map published by newspaper, just days after break-in at another address on the list
Daily Mail - Thieves ransacked a house that features on the gun map published by the Journal News, just days after another home on the list was also targeted. Burglars broke into the house in New City, New York, on Wednesday and pried open two safes, before leaving with another one.

Journal News Takes Down Controversial Map of Gun Owners
Politicker - This evening, the publication announced it was was pulling the map, but claimed it was due to New York State’s new gun control law, passed at the start of the week, rather than a response to criticism.

33 Changes To The CT Statewide Emergency Radio Network Hours Before the Newtown Shooting?
From The Trenches - The Newtown truth tug of war is getting stranger with each day. Below you will see some screenshots from radioreference.com of information on the Connecticut Statewide Emergency Radio Network (CSERN). There is a list of changes made beginning approximately 5 hours before the shooting at Sandy Hook. The system is briefly explained from the same site.

Reporter Ben Swann Smeared For Questioning Media's Sandy Hook Narrative
policymic.com - Salon published a piece on Monday about him, attempting to disguise itself as balanced, but it falters throughout. The author, Alex Seitz-Wald, repeatedly portrays Swann’s commentary with a not-so-subtle amount of sarcasm. It is quite obvious that Ben Swann is striking a nerve with the national media.

City Of Aurora Asks Judge To Lift Gag Order In Movie Theater Rampage
Huffington Post 1/16/2013 - The Colorado city of Aurora has asked a judge presiding over the criminal case of last summer's movie theater massacre to lift a gag order barring police and emergency personnel from publicly discussing the rampage, a court filing made public on Wednesday showed.

Controversial X-Ray Scanners at American Airports to be Replaced
VOA News - The U.S. Transportation Security Administration says it is removing full-body airport scanners that produced what appear to be naked images of a traveler’s body. The TSA said it will replace the scanners with new scanners that allow greater privacy.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: TSA VIPR team patrols California train station
Activist Post - Get ready America, the TSA is coming to a train station or high-profile event near you.

Here's How the Obama Administration Defended DEA Agents Who Put a Gun to a Little Girl's Head
reason.com - The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that the DEA’s use of force against the 11-year-old and 14-year-old daughters of Thomas and Rosalie Avina--which included putting a gun to the youngest girl's head--was “excessive,” “unreasonable,” and constituted “intentional infliction of emotional distress.” Attorneys for the Obama administration defended the raid...

YouTube: Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk 1/21/13: Fiat Currency is NOT Wealth!
Full transcript coming soon!

US Mint Out Of Silver Coins - Suspends Sales
Zero Hedge - As we noted earlier this month, the demand for both gold and silver 'physical' coins has been record-breaking as 2013 began. So much so, that now after selling over 6 million silver coins in 2013 so far, the US Mint has run out of silver eagles and has suspended sales. Furthermore, the Mint is saying that it will not restart sales until January 28th!

Mark Gongloff: Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein Gets 75 Percent Raise: Report
Huffington Post - Lloyd Blankfein made $21 million last year, including a $2 million salary and a $19 million bonus, CNN/Money reports. That bonus includes $5.6 million in cash. Bloomberg pegs the total pay at $19 million, but what's a couple of million dollars, really?

Do You Want To Scare A Baby Boomer?
Economic Collapse - The United States is headed for a retirement crisis of unprecedented magnitude, and we are woefully unprepared for it. At this point, more than 10,000 Baby Boomers are reaching the age of 65 every single day, and this will continue to happen for almost the next 20 years.... The following are 35 incredibly shocking statistics that will scare just about any Baby Boomer...

Suicides spike again at Fort Hood
The number of Fort Hood soldiers who killed themselves nearly doubled in 2012, jumping to 19 from 10 in 2011, and trending upwards even as the war in Iraq ended and troops began withdrawing from Afghanistan.

VA Re-awards $543 Million RTLS Contract to HP
RFID Journal - HP Enterprise Services has regained its contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide real-time location system technology to VA medical centers nationwide, following a reevaluation ordered by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Algeria attacks center of gas plant; toll unclear
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) -- A deadly Algerian military raid to free hostages from at least 10 countries and wipe out their Islamist militant captors moved closer to the heart of the natural gas complex on Friday, the government news service said.

Desert Massacre Threatens Africa’s Largest Gas Industry
Bloomberg - The killing of foreign workers in the Algerian desert threatens production from North Africa’s largest oil and gas industry, the main source of revenue for a country that avoided unrest when the Arab spring swept away regimes across the region.

Mali Army Secures Central Town of Konna
Bloomberg - Mali’s army said it secured the central town of Konna three days after French fighter jets drove out Islamist rebels, as West African soldiers arrived to join the war in the desert north.... French forces have targeted insurgents controlling about two-thirds of the landlocked West African nation, which vies with Tanzania as the continent’s biggest gold producer. Neighboring countries are sending as many as 3,300 troops to bolster the effort to restore government control of the north.

State Department denies Syria's use of chemical weapons despite media reports
RT - A classified State Department cable relayed US officials’ beliefs that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against opposition rebels but an investigation on Monday concluded that Assad was in fact using riot-control gas.

US will provide France airlift help, 'training' for Mali operation
RT - Washington has agreed to provide France with airlifts to help move troops and equipment in the country's operation in Mali, an official told Reuters. Meanwhile, a group of US military trainers are expected to arrive in the region by the weekend.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: EU foreign ministers back Mali mission
euronews.com - Europe’s foreign ministers have approved sending troops to help train the Malian army to fight back against Islamist militants. EU troops are not expected to take part in combat operations, although France’s top diplomat hinted that may change...The mission is expected to last 15 months at the cost of some 12 million euros.
* Related Video: Training the Malian army

FBI director in Libya to review Benghazi probe
AP - The FBI director met with top Libyan officials on Thursday to discuss the probe into last year's killing of the U.S. ambassador in Benghazi where authorities are planning a curfew following an upsurge in violence, Libyan officials said.

UN launches new attempt to control the Internet
RT - Although the United States and dozens of other countries have refused to sign the proposal, the ITU is nevertheless powering through with plans to put new rules and regulations on the world’s Internet, including implement sweeping deep-packet inspection powers and other efforts that could censor the Web.

Sandy Hook Survivors Are Made to Sing “Over the Rainbow” to Commemorate the Shooting
Activist Post Forum - Some of the children who survived the Sandy Hook school shooting recorded a version of Judy Garland’s song Over the Rainbow, one month after the massacre. In one big media event, these young children were brought to a recording studio and made to record the song, all under the never-ceasing clicks and flashes of cameras. They then went on to perform the song on Good Morning America. The song is now on sale iTunes and Amazon.

Drill Characterizes “Disgruntled” Second Amendment Advocates as Terrorists
Paul Joseph Watson - A safety exercise involving police, national guard and emergency management officials in Portsmouth, Ohio was centered around the premise that individuals “disgruntled over the government’s interpretation of the Second Amendment” plotted to use weapons of mass destruction to terrorize the local community. The exercise, which took place yesterday, was run by the Ohio Army National Guard 52nd Civil Support Unit, Scioto County first responders as well as local law enforcement.

VIDEO: Good Discussion on Gun Rights
Activist Post - Interview with West Virginia Citizens Defense League President, Keith Morgan, on The State Journal's Decision Makers. Watch as Keith Morgan repeatedly defeats Bray Cary's empty and baseless arguments on the Second Amendment using facts, logic, and rational arguments.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Hollywood Labels Founding Fathers Terrorists
Infowars.com - ABC has given the go-ahead to Hollywood darlings Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Dan McDermott to produce a “drama” demonizing a fictional Texas militia.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: "CIA” Spokesman Anderson Cooper Sent by Masters to Discredit Independent Sandy Hook Investigations
Intel Hub - Anderson Cooper (known by well researched individuals to be a Central Intelligence Agency operative embedded in within the mainstream media) has seemingly been ordered by his masters to launch a massive disinformation campaign (cover-up) of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

VIDEO: Judge Napolitano: Obama Has Not Hesitated To Kill Foreign And American Innocent Children With Drones
xrepublic.tv - "We have a president who has not hesitated to kill foreign innocent children or American innocent children when they are in a foreign country. He loses credibility when he stands with innocent American children and says 'I'm going to keep you safe,'" Napolitano said.

Gun Confiscation Bill Introduced in Congress
Kurt Nimmo - On January 13, 2013, H.R. 226 was introduced in the House of Representatives by Connecticut Democrat Rep. Rosa DeLauro. The bill will amend the 1986 IRS code and allow a credit if taxpayers “surrender” their guns to the government.... The bill contains an exhaustive list of so-called “assault weapons” that will garner a $2,000 tax credit, including the much demonized Bushmaster AR-15 allegedly used in the Newtown Sandy Hook massacre.

YouTube: Piers Morgan gets angry after losing Gun Control debate and throws his notes towards his guest!
I can only imagine the shock of this guest after being invited onto a CNN prime time show only to have the host lose it and start throwing things in her direction. This man is insane and should be deported at once for being unstable and rude towards guest while at the same time trying to undermine the U.S Constitution.

YouTube: Reality Check: An "Apples to Apples" comparison of U.S. and U.K. violent crime rates
(FOX19) Ben's fact check of arguments made by CNN host Piers Morgan and a look at the violent crime rates in the U.S. and U.K.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Philadelphia Mayor Declares Economic Warfare on Gun Retailers
“Mayor Nutter this morning announced something he’s calling the “Sandy Hook Principles” – a list of 20 measures to curb gun violence – that companies making or selling guns and ammunition must support to avoid “economic divestment actions,” reports Philly.com.... The 20 principles (PDF) include targeting businesses who sell “assault rifles” (despite this being completely legal) as well as “the distribution of of any materials/information that may be used to assist in such conversion.”

Gun Permit Forms Question Possible Affiliation With “Anti-Government” Organizations
Jurriaan Maessen - In good old McCarthy-style questioning, several state- and local firearm permit application-forms have — besides questioning potential alcohol- and drug-use and previous criminal convictions — included the question whether the applicant is, or has ever been, part of an organization “advocating”, or “approving” a violent overthrow of the United States government.

3D Printed Guns Render Gun Control Moot
Activist Post - Forbes has recently published an article about New York Congressman Steve Israel's promise to ban 3D printed high capacity ammunition magazines. The congressman's comments come after Defense Distributed, an open source DIY gunsmith group working to manufacture both guns and their accessories using 3D printing technology, successfully printed and tested a 30-round AR-15 magazine.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Gun Control and Mass Shootings: Facts, Lies and God
Underground Documentaries - “Gun Control and Mass Shootings: Facts, Lies and God” is a mini-documentary answering the critical questions that rarely get asked amidst the gun control debate that explodes after every mass shooting in America.

Fla. Senate Panel Votes To Ban Spying With Drones
CBS Tampa Bay - A Florida Senate panel says police should be banned from using drones to spy on citizens. A bill (SB 92) that would prohibit law enforcement agencies from gathering evidence or other information flew through the Criminal Justice Committee with a unanimous vote Tuesday. It also would ban government agencies from using drones for code enforcement.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: What Information Can Retailers Store When They Scan Your ID For Returns?
Consumerist - For years, we’ve been writing about the now-rapidly growing practice of retailers scanning IDs when customers make returns. It’s never been clear exactly what information is taken when your card is swiped, but we now know that the data could basically include everything on your driver’s license.... The DMV says that it’s completely legal for stores, and TRE, to collect and store this information so long as it’s under the heading of “fraud prevention.” One area lawmaker thinks that definition is a little too open to interpretation.

YouTube: Full Disclosure: Effort To Remove Liberty Republicans From Leadership Of Alaska Republican Party
Ben Swann Full Disclosure talks with Russ Millette the Republican Party Chair-Elect of the Alaska Republican Party. Executive Committee members are trying to block Millette and 4 other liberty Republicans before they are seated to lead the party.

VIDEO: Boeing crisis threatens US economy'
Press TV - Interview with Bill Jones, Executive Intelligence Review: "It is certainly going to be a problem for Boeing’s credibility in terms of the international market with all these planes taken out of operation... Its aerospace and also the automobile industry have this capability and that is really the lifeblood of any industrial economy as your machine-building capability and if this seriously affects the aerospace industry, then it is really a bit major blow to the US economy.”

New Congress even wealthier after millionaire freshmen join its ranks
RT - While US citizens are getting poorer and increasingly applying for food stamps, the nation’s legislators are getting richer. Freshmen members of the 113th Congress have a median net worth that is about $100,000 higher than the net worth of all congressional members combined. All 535 members of Congress are worth an average $966,001 each, according to a new analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.

U.S. CEOs push plan to raise full retirement age to 70
CBS News - An influential group of business CEOs is pushing a plan to gradually increase the full retirement age to 70 for both Social Security and Medicare and to partially privatize the health insurance program for older Americans.

YouTube: Is Bank Of America Blocking Guns and Ammo Purchases?
Description: 1-800-432-1000 This is not to 100% Debunk this but I did Call Bank of America and got to talk to a SUPERVISOR about the word that's going around that they are now blocking guns and ammo orders via their bank of America cards. This is what they said.

Iran deputy foreign minister censures US support for terrorists in Syria
Press TV - An Iranian deputy foreign minister says the US support for the terrorists in Syria has impeded the resolution of the unrest and the implementation of reforms in the Arab country. “By supporting terrorist and extremist groups, the US has treated both the Syrian people and the opposition unfairly and has not allowed [Syrian President Bashar] Assad’s reforms to be completed,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a meeting with Chinese researchers, scholars and members of the media on Wednesday night.

Russia says US blaming Aleppo blasts on Syria govt. ‘blasphemous’
Press TV - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday, “Yesterday I saw a semi-neutral report on CNN that it was not ruled out that this terrorist act had been staged by the government forces themselves.” “I cannot imagine anything more blasphemous,” he stated during his visit to the Tajik capital city of Dushanbe. On January 15, over 80 people were killed and scores of others injured in two explosions at Aleppo University in the second largest city of Syria.

Somali fighters ‘execute’ French agent
Press TV - Somalia’s al-Shabab fighters say they have executed a French secret agent after an operation by French commandoes failed to free the man held by the group for three years.... A senior member of the al-Shabab group has confirmed the report.... The militant group said in a statement on Wednesday that they had "reached a unanimous decision to execute" the hostage in a bid to retaliate "the dozens of Muslim civilians senselessly killed by the French forces during the operation."

7 Americans Seized in Algeria Attack
WSJ - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the U.S. would take "necessary and proper steps" in the hostage situation, and didn't rule out military action. He said the Algeria attack could represent a spillover from Mali. U.S. and European officials said Wednesday that they received reports that three Americans had been kidnapped, out of a total of nine U.S. staff working at the site, a gas field in east-central Algeria, along the Libyan border operated by BP PLC, Norway's Statoil ASA and Algerian energy company Sonatrach.

Greeks Raid Forests in Search of Wood to Heat Homes
libertyblitzkrieg.com/ - Tens of thousands of trees have disappeared from parks and woodlands this winter across Greece, authorities said, in a worsening problem that has had tragic consequences as the crisis-hit country’s impoverished residents, too broke to pay for electricity or fuel, turn to fireplaces and wood stoves for heat.

VIDEO: Hostage Situation Arises as Pentagon Prepares Mali Intervention
Kurt Nimmo - Like clockwork: Days after France invaded Mali following action by the United Nations, “Islamic militants,” predictably described as mixed up with al-Qaeda, have taken Western hostages in neighboring Algeria. “In what could be the first spillover from France’s intervention in Mali, Islamist militants attacked and occupied a natural gas complex partly operated by energy company BP in southern Algeria on Wednesday. Two foreigners were killed and dozens of others, including Americans, were taken hostage,” the AP reports.

Mali Islamists much stronger than expected: France
Daily Star - French forces in Mali have been taken by surprise by the fighting strength of the Islamist radicals they are attempting to drive out of the centre of the country, it emerged on Sunday. Aides to President Francois Hollande admitted the militants were better equipped, armed and trained than they had expected. “What has struck us markedly is how modern their equipment is and their ability to use it,” one said in a reference to the rebels’ hit on a French Gazelle helicopter.

Gold reaches 80% of Mali exports
afrol.com - According to Mali's Mining Minister, gold is y now representing 80.5 percent of the nation's export earnings. But even though gold prices are record high, Mali's low taxation rates leave the country with little earnings.

Warmongers Jump at "Secret" Cable Leak About Syrian Chemical Weapons
Activist Post - With each passing year and with each predictable “crisis,” whether the issue is war, guns, or economic policy, it seems that the level of propaganda becomes more and more infantile each time an agenda is set to unfold. Nowhere is this more evident than with the manufactured crisis in Syria, itself wholly created, directed, and maintained by the Anglo-American, NATO military and intelligence networks.

VIDEO: Sen. Rand Paul Will Introduce Legislation to ‘Nullify’ Obama’s Executive Orders on Guns
The Blaze - Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) will propose legislation early next week to “nullify” President Barack Obama’s executive actions on guns, the senator announced on Fox News’ “Hannity” Wednesday. Paul told host Sean Hannity that Obama’s executive orders are a breach of constitutional separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.,,, To read the one-page summary of the proposed bill, click here.

DHS to 'Expand and Formalize Coordination' on Gun Control Efforts
Weekly Standard - Janet Napolitano, head of the Department of Homeland Security, released a statement Wednesday saying she is "proud to support" the Obama administration's efforts to "combat gun violence in our country." Here's more from Napolitano's statement...

Dennis Kucinich Joining Fox News As Paid Contributor
Fox News Channel has signed former Congressman Dennis Kucinich as a paid contributor to FNC and Fox Business network. Kucinich, who was for years a liberal stalwart in the House of Representatives, will provide analysis and commentary across all of FNC and FBN’s programs, beginning with Thursday’s edition of “The O’Reilly Factor.”

US, Others Ground Boeing Dreamliner Indefinitely
CNBC News - Airlines scrambled on Thursday to rearrange flights as Europe, Japan and India joined the United States in grounding Boeing's 787 Dreamliner passenger jets while battery-related problems are investigated.... It is the first such action against a U.S.-made passenger plane since the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 had its airworthiness certificate suspended following a deadly crash in Chicago in 1979, analysts said.

50 Shocking Questions That You Should Ask To Anyone That Is Not A Prepper Yet
Economic Collapse - Share this list of shocking questions with everyone you know that needs to wake up. Sometimes asking good questions is the best way to get someone that you care about to understand something.

Obama approved F-16 fighter jets as gift to Egypt
RT - Despite instability due to the new Islamic government in Egypt, the US is sending more than 20 F-16 fighter jets to Egypt as part of a $1 billion foreign aid package. The first four Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets are set to arrive in Egypt on Jan. 22, an unnamed source told Fox News.

Obama to Take 23 'Executive Actions' on Guns - THE COMPLETE LIST
Weekly Standard - The White House announced today that President Barack Obama will take 23 "executive actions" to deal with guns. The "executive actions," as introduced and written by the White House, are...
* Related Article/Video: Obama’s “Gun Safety” Executive Actions Create Snitch Culture

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Obama’s Blueprint to Destroy the 2nd Amendment Analyzed
Infowars.com - At least 7 of the 23 executive orders relate to mental health reporting that includes “clarifying” the role of doctors and health care providers in “asking their patients about guns in the home,” reporting “threats of violence” to authorities, and screening for “mental health” will create the backbone for a “no buy” list that disbars Constitutional rights from flagged individuals without due process. At least 8 executive orders relate to new rules on background checks and weapons sales & ownership restrictions.

Obama Asks Doctors to Help Deal With Guns
Weekly Standard - According to a background briefer provided by the White House, President Barack Obama is asking doctors to help deal with guns. Here's the relevant passage:...

VIDEO: House Reads Out Constitution, Only 74 Members Show Up
Steve Watson - Embarrassing display highlights disconnect of elected representatives. In what was supposed to be a symbolic gesture of the enduring greatness of the US Constitution, and the rights it outlines for all Americans, the House read the entire document out aloud on the chamber floor yesterday. However, the symbolism backfired somewhat when only a fraction of representatives bothered to show up.

YouTube: NRA's new ad calls Obama 'elitist hypocrite'
The National Rifle Association released a new video on its Web site Tuesday calling President Obama an "elitist hypocrite" for having Secret Service protection of his daughters at school but saying he was "skeptical" about installing armed guards in all schools.

NRA Member Proposes Federal Implementation Of Strict NJ Gun Control Laws
madison.patch.com - Last Monday New Jersey’s Madison borough council passed a resolution titled “Resolution of the Borough of Madison in Support of Federal Legislation Adopting New Jersey’s Strict Gun Laws”. The resolution proposes that one of the strictest gun laws in the entire US are implemented at the federal level.... On January 5 2012, the MadisonPatch reported that it was an NRA-member who also happens to be the councilman who intended to introduce the resolution...

YouTube: Joyce Riley Interviews Mike Powers 1-16-13 TPH Sandy Hook Special Investigation
Former US Naval Law Enforcement Veteran and US Army Infantry/Reconnaissance Military Veteran MIKE POWERS has found glaring inconsistencies regarding the Sandy Hook shooting and will be breaking it down for us. We must understand that this is the elephant in the living room and must be shared with everyone that you know. This is a CAN'T MISS SHOW and of the utmost importance that we understand what is really going on.

VIDEO: Gun Control Advocates Refuse to Advertise Their Homes as "Gun Free"
Activist Post - Posing as "Citizens Against Senseless Violence," we visit the homes of journalists working for Westchester Journal News, MSNBC, and the Star-Ledger. We also visited the home of Eric Holder. None will take our signs that say "THIS HOME IS PROUDLY GUN FREE."

Oceana targets fishy labeling practices
SFGate - Misbranding food for financial gain is illegal under state and federal law. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration publishes a guide of acceptable market names for certain fish species, but the laws can be complicated. The agency, for instance, lists 14 species that can be labeled "tuna." Oceana has thus far found seafood mislabeling everywhere it has done testing, including Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Monterey.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: House GOP release bill to reverse Obama’s pay raise for federal employees
Washington Examiner - House Republicans proposed a bill today that would cut the pay of Vice President Joe Biden and other federal officials, noting that the executive order that President Obama signed to raise their pay costs $11 billion in new spending.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Obama's limo to carry 'Taxation without Representation' license plate
wjla.com - President Barack Obama's limousine will soon carry the District of Columbia's "Taxation Without Representation" license plate, a subtle, but some say important, protest over the city's lack of a voting member in Congress.... "Attaching these plates to the presidential vehicles demonstrates the president's commitment to the principle of full representation for the people of the District of Columbia and his willingness to fight for voting rights, home rule and budget autonomy for the District," the White House said.

The Interior Secretary’s $222,000 Bathroom
ABC News - Maybe the Pentagon’s legendary $600 toilet seat was a bargain. The personal bathroom used by the secretary of the Interior is so swanky that its renovation cost $222,000. No detail was overlooked: It has a $3,500 sub-zero refrigerator (hey, if you’re going to have a fridge in the bathroom, it might as well be a good one) and a $689 faucet. At least the “vintage tissue holder” was cheap: just $65 bucks.

Bombing kills several in Afghan capital Kabul
Press TV - The bombing was carried out in front of the gates of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency headquarters on Wednesday. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack. “A large number of intelligence workers were killed and wounded,” the group said in a statement.

France launches first ground attack on Mali
Press TV - The attack was carried out on Tuesday after French warplanes heavily bombed the strongholds of the Malian opposition forces. The ground attack came as France initiated its military operation in Mali on January 12 under the pretext of halting the advance of the rebels, who control the northern parts of the West African country.

NATO allies backing France in Mali
Press TV - NATO allies are preparing for extensive intervention in Mali as France dispatches its ground troops to a town controlled by militants in the African country. Foreign ministers of the European Union will attend an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the deployment of a training mission for the African country’s army, GlobalPost reported on Tuesday.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Over 80 dead in two rocket explosions at Aleppo University as students take exams
RT - At least 82 people have been killed and more than 160 injured in two rocket explosions at the University of Aleppo in Syria’s largest city on Tuesday, city officials reported.... Aleppo is Syria's largest city and has been fiercely contested between government forces and rebel fighters, who have battled to a stalemate in the strategically important region.

Rebels in Mali vow revenge at ‘heart of France’
IRIB - According to AFP, AbouDardar, the leader of one of Mali's rebel groups called Movement and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), promised on Monday that the rebels would strike "at the heart of France" in response to its attacks on their bases. When asked about where they would strike, Dardar said, "Everywhere, in Bamako, in Africa and in Europe."

Iran biggest exporter of fuel oil in the world: Official
Press TV - Managing Director of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) Mostafa Kashkouli said on Tuesday that Iran has exported 16.6 million liters of fuel oil per day since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (starting March 20, 2012). Noting that Iran is currently among the biggest exporters of fuel oil in the world and the region, Kashkouli stated that Iran's fuel oil conforms to the highest international standards.

Iran legally, religiously obliged to be nuclear-free - Foreign Ministry
RT - A fatwa, or religious decree, issued by Iran’s supreme leader prohibiting the assembly of nuclear weapons is legally binding for the government, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said ahead of possible progress in talks over the country's nuclear program. “There is nothing higher than the exalted supreme leader’s fatwa to define the framework for our activities in the nuclear field,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast announced on Tuesday. “

Israel election: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is losing votes
globalpost.com - While not an outright majority, that kind of win could have led to an easily constructed coalition with the addition of just one mid-sized party from Israel's turnstile stable of them. But something has happened on the way to the voting booths, which open on Jan. 22. The latest polls show Netanyahu's Likud down to as low as 32 seats.

Netanyahu: If Israel withdraws, Iran will move in
timesofisrael.com - Without closing the door on the possibility of future negotiations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday reiterated his oft-stated stance that, under the current circumstances, Israel could not make peace with the Palestinians. In a pre-election interview with Channel 2 News, Netanyahu said that if Israel were to pull out of the West Bank, it would fall into the hands of the country’s enemies.

US gives Afghanistan fleet of drones
RT - [Afghan President Hamid] Karzai held a news conference on Monday in which he proudly announced the promised fleet of drones, as well as an upgraded fleet of aircraft including 20 helicopters and at least four C-130 transport planes..... The US will also provide Afghanistan with intelligence gathering equipment “which will be used to defend and protect our air and ground sovereignty,”

It Begins: Bundesbank To Commence Repatriating Gold From New York Fed
Zero Hedge - In what could be a watershed moment for the price, provenance, and future of physical gold, not to mention the “stability” of the entire monetary regime based on rock solid, undisputed “faith and credit” in paper money, German Handelsblatt reports in an exclusive that the long suffering German gold, all official 3,396 tons of it, is about to be moved.

All The Gold In The World – The Definitive Infographic
Zero Hedge - In the aftermath of the Chairman’s painful waste of time “interactive” session, which addressed precisely zero of the relevant questions, we would like to ground readers with a real, hard, monetary equivalent, which unlike paper money, has retained its worth over the past 2000 years, and one which no central planning committee can create out of thin air at will. Gold. The chart below should put it all into perspective.

Navy’s $670 Million Fighting Ship Is ‘Not Expected to Be Survivable,’ Pentagon Says
Wired - In less than two months, the Navy will send the first of its newest class of fighting ships on its first major deployment overseas. Problem is, according to the Pentagon’s chief weapons tester, the Navy will be deploying the USS Freedom before knowing if the so-called Littoral Combat Ship can survive, um, combat. And what the Navy does know about the ship isn’t encouraging: Among other problems, its guns don’t work right.

Missouri GOP reps declare war on Obama: We won't follow gun laws
The Turner Report - Sixty-two Missouri legislators, including all of those from the Joplin area, have signed on to a bill sponsored by Rep. Casey Guernsey, R-Bethany, which would stop the federal government from enforcing any gun laws or regulations in the state of Missouri. The text of HB 170, which was posted less than an hour ago, includes the following passage...

Vegas: 60,000 Expected To Attend Gun Show
CBS News - The National Shooting Sports Foundation was focusing its 35th annual SHOT Show on products and services new to what it calls a $4.1 billion industry, with a nod to a raging national debate over assault weapons. The group said it has issued credentials to nearly 60,000 industry professionals, recreational gun owners and law enforcers to attend.

White House Raises Petition Threshold from 25K to 100K Signatures
Activist Post - The White House is making it more difficult for groups of citizens to petition the government. Yesterday, they announced that they're raising the signature threshold for responding to petitions from 25,000 to over 100,000 signatures within 30 days.

NYPD looks to GPS bottles to combat pill bandits
WND - The New York Police Department wants pharmacies in and around the city to fight prescription drug thefts by stocking pill bottles fitted with GPS tracking chips. Police pharmacies to hide fake pill bottles fitted with GPS devices amid the legitimate supplies on their shelves.

Obama plans to surround himself with children during gun control announcement
Washington Examiner - January 15, 2013 - White House Press Secretary Jay Carney announced this afternoon that President Obama will unveil a “concrete package” of gun control proposals including assault weapons bans, high capacity ammunition magazine bans, and closing loopholes on background checks.... “They will be joined by children around the country expressing their concerns about gun violence and school safety, along with their parents,” Carney confirmed. The press conference will take place Wednesday at 11:45 a.m.

Texas Proposal: JAIL Any Federal Officials Trying to Enforce New Gun Restrictions in the State
woai.com - A Texas lawmaker says he plans to file the Firearms Protection Act, which would make any federal laws that may be passed by Congress or imposed by Presidential order which would ban or restrict ownership of semi-automatic firearms or limit the size of gun magazines illegal in the state, 1200 WOAI news reports. Republican Rep. Steve Toth says his measure also calls for felony criminal charges to be filed against any federal official who tries to enforce the rule in the state.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: NY State Senator: Gun Bill Passed In Middle Of Night Turns Law-abiding Citizens Into Criminals.”
Steve Watson - A New York State Senator has lambasted the passing of what is being called the nation’s toughest gun control bill, saying that it was introduced during the middle of the night, and that members were forced to vote on the legislation when they had not even had a chance to read it.... The traditional three-day waiting period for a bill’s adoption is being waived by the Democrat-controlled Assembly, again citing a need to rush the bill through to avoid a rush on gun purchases.

Statements of 19 State Senators who opposed the New York gun ban
libertyfight.com - Following is a collection of official statments available from the 18 New York State Senators who voted NO on S2230, the New York "SAFE ACT" (New York's Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act) passed by the New York State Senate 43-18 on Monday, January 14, 2013.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Citizens File Articles of Impeachment Against Obama
Alex Jones - Articles of Impeachment Against Barack Hussein Obama – Filed by Citizen Alexander Emric Jones, January 15, 2013. - He has clearly communicated his intent to eviscerate the second amendment rights of American citizens by pursuing executive orders to curtail the right to keep and bear arms without congressional authorization and in violation of the second amendment.

Let’s change the terminology in defending our gun rights
GOA - .[..] Americans must begin changing the terminology we use to our favor. So-called "assault weapons" are not designed to assault anyone -- they are "defense weapons" for Americans to defend our families, our country and our Constitution. In colonial times, the “defense weapon” of the day was a musket, and our forefathers used muskets and cannons to fight the British to secure our freedom.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Nerf toy causes lockdown at Long Island school
myfoxny.com - A 911 caller told Nassau County Police she saw a suspicious teen at about 7:38 a.m. Tuesday wearing a black jacket and carrying a black backpack at Elmont Memorial high School in Elmont. The caller said he was also carrying a lime green gun.... They eventually found the toy lime green and yellow lever action Nerf gun in a student locker. Police did not make any arrests and the lockdown was lifted.

35 Statistics About The Working Poor In America That Will Blow Your Mind
Economic Collapse - In America tonight, tens of millions of men and women will struggle to get to sleep because they are stressed out about not making enough money even though they are working as hard as they possibly can. They are called "the working poor", and their numbers are absolutely exploding.

R.I.P. Retirement: 28% of Americans are Raiding Their 401k Plans
libertyblitzkrieg.com - More than one in four American workers with 401(k) and other retirement savings accounts use them to pay current expenses, new data show. The withdrawals, cash-outs and loans drain nearly a quarter of the $293 billion that workers and employers deposit into the accounts each year, undermining already shaky retirement security for millions of Americans.

YouTube: Judge Napolitano: Obama Cannot Use the 14th Amendment to Raise the Debt Ceiling
Jan 14, 2013 - The debt ceiling of $16.4 trillion is set to hit again on March 1, and a report last week found that it could actually be reached as early as Feb. 15. So does the U.S. Constitution actually give President Obama the authority to raise the debt ceiling? Stuart Varney asked the question to Judge Andrew Napolitano on Fox Business Network this morning.

United Airlines to lay off 472 at Newark Airport
nj.com - United Airlines yesterday said it expects to lay off 472 workers at Newark Liberty International Airport as part of a job outsourcing at a cargo facility, according to Rahsaan Johnson, a spokesman for United.

VIDEO: Figures describing military suicides ‘beyond misleading
Press Tv - The report recently released on the number of suicides in the U.S. military are “beyond misleading,” says Gordon Duff, senior editor of Veterans Today. On Monday, it was reported that the number of suicides in the U.S. military reached 349 in 2012, compared with 301 in 2011. Duff says the reported number is “sad” but it’s “misleading” because the real number is actually “tens of thousands.”

Afghans reject US bid to train police
Press TV - Top Afghan officials insist that Obama’s recent offer to remove US troops from Afghan villages must include Special Operations forces tasked with training the so-called Afghan Local Police (ALP), despite assumption by American officials that police trainers would be exempt from the pledged military force drawdown, The Washington Post reports on Tuesday.

Iran to phase out euro, dollar in trade
Press TV - Iran's Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Shamseddin Hosseini says the country plans to phase out dollar and euro in its future international transactions after the US and the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on Iran.... Hosseini stated that Iran’s trade partners have welcomed the decision due to the currency war waged by the US through devaluation of dollar and also because of West's financial crisis which has convinced other countries to phase out vehicle currencies.

‘Morsi invites Iran pres. for OIC summit’
Press TV - During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi had invited Ahmadinejad to attend the summit, which is scheduled for February 6-7.

German activists start campaign to destroy surveillance cameras
Raw Story - German activists are attempting to destroy security cameras in anticipation of the European Police Congress in Berlin in February, according to Michael Ebeling, an opponent of public surveillance writing for France 24′s The Observers.

‘Red October’: Global cyber-spy network uncovered by Russian experts
RT - A sophisticated cyber-espionage network targeting the world's diplomatic, government and research agencies has been uncovered by the Kaspersky Lab, whose experts say the malware's complexity could rival that of the notorious Flame virus. The system's targets include a wide range of countries, with the primary focus on Eastern Europe, former Soviet republics and Central Asia – although many in Western Europe and North America are also on the list.

Report says Assad residing on warship
UPI - Syrian President Bashar Assad and his family have been living on a warship, with security provided by Russia, intelligence sources told a Saudi newspaper.... Assad's presence on the warship suggests he has been granted political asylum by Russia but there has been no official comment from Moscow, the newspaper said.

‘Humanitarian crisis unfolding in Syria’
Press TV - The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said in a 23-page report published on Monday that more than 600,000 Syrians have fled the country because of violence, including gang rape. The New York-based organization described the level of rape and sexual violence taking place in the conflict zones in Syria as "horrific."

Algeria shuts border with Mali
Press TV - Algeria has closed its border with Mali, where the French military has been conducting an aerial bombing campaign to battle rebels in the north of the country.

UK firm sells toxic fuel to the poorest
Press TV - Environmental groups urged the UK government to ban Innospec Ltd, which claims to be the world’s only producer of tetraethyl lead (TEL), from exporting the substance, The Independent disclosed. The TEL is banned to be used on Britain's roads but remains legal in six impoverished nations, including Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Burma, Yemen and North Korea..

Biden: White House eying 19 executive actions on guns
Politico - The White House has identified 19 executive actions for President Barack Obama to move unilaterally on gun control, Vice President Joe Biden told a group of House Democrats on Monday, the administration’s first definitive statements about its response to last month’s mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Rand Paul Slams “King” Obama Over Executive Order Threat
Paul Joseph Watson - As Barack Obama signaled that he would use executive orders to help carry out his gun control agenda, Senator Rand Paul slammed the president for acting like a “king,” usurping the Constitution, and running roughshod over Congress.
* Related Video: Obama: Some Gun Control Measures 'I Can Accomplish Through Executive Action'

N.Y. Assembly Speaker Silver: ‘We Are Going To Ban Assault Weapons’
CBS News - Sources told CBS 2′s Marcia Kramer the deal worked out by the Legislature is wide ranging, but it starts with assault weapons. “To basically eradicate assault weapons from our streets in New York as quickly as possible is something the people of this state want and it’s an important thing to do. It is an emergency,” Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver told CBS 2’s Kramer.... The new state legislation will...

Camden, NJ Agrees to Pay $3.5M to Victims of Police Corruption
Liberty Crier - The settlement stems from a series of lawsuits filed against Camden Police in federal district court and state superior court over the last two years, after five officers were charged with a number of federal civil rights violations from conduct involving evidence planting, fabrication of reports and evidence, and perjury.

Clinton to testify on Benghazi next week
The Hill - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will testify next Wednesday on the Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, incoming chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) announced late Monday.

Watchdogs see pork in Sandy relief bill
Washington Times - As Congress takes up the second slice of relief money for Superstorm Sandy, the influential Club for Growth said Monday it will seek to punish the lawmakers who support the $51 billion package because it includes wasteful spending and pork that have nothing to do with reconstruction efforts in the Northeast.

Aaron Swartz Faced A More Severe Prison Term Than Killers, Slave Dealers
care2.com - On Friday, Internet pioneer and open information activist Aaron Swartz took his own life at the age of 26. At the time of his death, Swartz was under indictment for logging into JSTOR, a database of scholarly articles, and rapidly downloading those articles with the intent to make them public. If Swartz had lived to be convicted of the charges against him, he faced 50 years or more in a federal prison.

GOP congressman threatens impeachment if Obama uses executive action for gun control
Daily Caller - Texas Republican Rep. Steve Stockman threatened Monday afternoon that he would file articles of impeachment against President Barack Obama if he institutes gun control measures with an executive order.... “I will seek to thwart this action by any means necessary, including but not limited to eliminating funding for implementation, defunding the White House, and even filing articles of impeachment,” Stockman said in a statement.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Rahm Emanuel: Take American People Out of 2nd Amendment “Debate”
Infowars.com - Chicago mayor and former Obama chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, has proposed restricting the discussion over firearm ownership in America to law enforcement. “Put the police chief and the law enforcement community front and center,” Emanuel told the Center for American Progress. “Everybody else, from politician to whatever, take a backseat.”

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Former Dem Gov: “The good thing about Newtown is, it was so horrific”
freedomoutpost.com - If you still think the Left really cares about “the children,” especially in light of the Newtown, Connecticut shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, all you need to do is see the glee they display in pushing their agenda against guns and the Second Amendment. The latest example of this is former Governor Ed Rendell (D-PA).

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Patriot Kentucky Sheriff: I Will Not Enforce Federal Gun Grabbing Laws
Steve Watson - In an emotional speech to residents, Sheriff Denny Peyman of Jackson County, Kentucky, held a town hall meeting Saturday to reassure residents that as long as he is in charge, federal gun grabbing laws will not be upheld in his county.

Lawmaker Plans Bill To Lift Immunity For Gun Manufacturers And Dealers
npr.org - Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., says he will introduce legislation this week to roll back legal immunity for gun manufacturers and dealers. Schiff tells NPR there's no need for the 2005 law called the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act to remain on the books.... Schiff says his proposal would allow lawsuits to move through federal and state courts if plaintiffs could show that gun dealers or makers were negligent, for example, by failing to protect their stores of weapons and failing to keep customers who have felony convictions from getting their hands on guns.

Psychiatric Drugs, Not A Lack Of Gun Control, Are The Common Denominator In Murderous Violence
Lawrence Hunter, Contributor Forbes.com - In 2000, New York legislators recognized the ubiquitous and unambiguous connection between violence, especially gun violence and mass murder, and the widespread prescribed use of psychiatric drugs. Senate Bill 7035 was introduced in the New York State Senate that year requiring police agencies to report to the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) on certain crimes and suicides committed by a person who is using psychiatric drugs... [Forbes pulled this article shortly after it was published, but it is still available here.]

Killer teen sues doctors over Prozac
winnipegsun.com - A Manitoba teen who blames the antidepressant Prozac for causing him to fatally stab his friend is taking the controversial step of suing three doctors who treated him prior to the killing, claiming they should be the ones on the financial hook should his victim’s kin win a pending lawsuit against him.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Estimated 10,000 attend gun show
DALY CITY, Calif. (KGO) - Gun show organizers say they had record attendance, about 10,000 thousand people showed up at the Cow Palace. The people we spoke to said they came because they fear that the president's task force on guns will result in tighter restrictions on ammunition, clips, and especially assault weapons. "I cannot believe the number of people and cars," said gun show attendee Bob Daziel.

Report: Walmart Forbids Store Managers From Ordering More Ammunition
Intel Hub - As gun and ammunition sales across the United States skyrocket and store shelves are emptied of just about anything related to weapons and accessories that may soon be banned by the Federal Government, some of America’s largest and most well known corporations are starting to take sides.

Interview - F. Michael Maloof
PBS - A few weeks after 9/11, Michael Maloof, then with the Pentagon's Technology Security Operations, got a phone call inviting him to join the Pentagon's Policy Counterterrorism Evaluation Group... Maloof talks about the process he followed, the inadequacies of the CIA's information, particularly on weapons of mass destruction, and his own disappointment in how the agency reacted to the Pentagon's intelligence initiative.

White House tells Paul Ryan it won’t meet budget deadline
The Hill - The White House has informed House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) that it will miss the legal deadline for sending a budget to Congress. Acting Budget Director Jeff Zients told Ryan in a letter delivered Friday that the budget will not be delivered by Feb. 4, as required by law.

New pay-per-mile scheme would boost taxes 250 percent
Washington Examiner - An on-again, off-again move by the Obama administration to scrap the federal gas tax in favor of a pay-per-mile fee would boost the tab to Americans as high as 250 percent, raising their current tax of 18.4 cents a gallon to as high as 46 cents, according to a new government study.

Get Gold Now: “I Remember 1980… They Were Lined Up Around the Block”
SHTFPlan.com - Mainstream financial analysts want us to believe that gold’s unprecedented rise throughout the last decade is almost over – that it is just another bubble soon to pop.

Chrysler to build Jeeps in China and Russia
detroitnews.com - "As part of our global expansion of the Jeep brand, there are some cars — that because of the price position in the market — can never be made in the U.S. and exported," Marchionne told reporters on the sidelines of the North American International Auto Show. "We're going to be announcing the first step in the globalization of Jeep (in China). There's another one that's going to come in Russia. These things are part of a natural process of expansion."

Obama warns Republicans if debt ceiling isn't raised, then American troops and Social Security checks won't be paid
Daily Mail - 'If congressional Republicans refuse to pay America’s bills on time, Social Security checks and veterans’ benefits will be delayed,' Obama said. 'We might not be able to pay our troops or honor our contracts with small business owners.'... Obama also warned that food inspectors, air traffic controllers and specialists who collect loose nuclear material would not be paid.

716 patients at VA may have been exposed to HIV
Buffalo News - More than 700 patients at the Buffalo VA Medical Center may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C because of the inadvertent reuse of insulin pens that were intended to be used only once. The possible reuse of the insulin delivery devices occurred between Oct. 19, 2010, and Nov. 1, 2012, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said in a memo sent Friday to local members of Congress, which The Buffalo News obtained.

‘Egypt must prevent anti-Iran moves’
Press TV - A senior Iranian lawmaker has called on the Egyptian government to prevent measures that could undermine the relations between Tehran and Egypt. On Monday, Chairman of Iran's Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi urged the Egyptian government to condemn an anti-Iran conference recently held in Cairo and prevent future measures that could undermine the relations between the two countries.

8 civilians killed in failed French operation in Somalia
Press TV - Somali witnesses say at least eight civilians were killed in a recent botched operation carried out by French troops to free an intelligence agent held hostage in Somalia.

Iran stages ‘modern warfare’ drill in Strait of Hormuz
RT - The naval force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is in charge of maintaining security in the Persian Gulf area, held exercises near the port city of Bandar Abbas, which holds a strategic position on the Strait of Hormuz. The main aim was to boost its forces combat readiness, familiarize them with the latest drills, and increase their response time.

China Warns Citizens To 'Prepare For The Worst' As It Sends Fighters To East China Sea
Business Insider - After repeatedly flying surveillance aircraft into disputed airspace with Japan, and Tokyo scrambling F-15s in response, China's now sending fighters of its own on "routine flights" into the East China Sea.

‘N Korea to conduct third nuclear test’
Press TV - "We've heard a North Korean official in Beijing told the Chinese side that the North planned to carry out a nuclear test between January 13-20,” Seoul-based Joongang Ilbo Daily quoted a South Korean official as saying on Saturday.... While the UN Security Council is seeking to impose further sanctions on Pyongyang for its recent launch of a long-range rocket, there were speculations that the country has planned to conduct another nuclear test.

VIDEO: France: Mali intervention to last 'as long as necessary'
RT - On Friday France began air strikes against the rebels. Backed by international forces, the Malian army was able to stop the advance by the Al-Qaeda-linked militants and recapture the key town of Konna, which had been seized by insurgent forces earlier, said the country’s defense officials.

France can use Algeria airspace on Mali
Press TV - French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Sunday that "Algeria has authorized the overflight of its territory." The announcement came after French Rafale fighter jets targeted bases belonging to rebels near the city of Gao in northern Mali.

Britain preparing for new Falklands War?
RT - A series of military options are being considered by UK defense chiefs as tension mounts between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands, a report by the Sunday Telegraph claims. Extra troops, warships and Typhoon combat aircraft could be dispatched to the islands if needed, ahead of the March 11 referendum on the island’s future, the newspaper claims, citing sources in Britain’s military.

Report: Rogue Nation Could “Hijack” Globalist-Patented Geo-Engineering Schemes
Jurriaan Maessen - The [Global Risks] report mentions several possible scenario’s, or X-factors, which could occur in the coming year, among which (page 57) a geoengineering nightmare, according to the report, “in which a country or small group of countries precipitates an international crisis by moving ahead with deployment or large-scale research independent of the global community. The global climate could, in effect, be hijacked by a rogue country or even a wealthy individual, with unpredict­able costs to agriculture, infrastructure and global stability.”

The 25 Rules of Disinformation

Ron Paul warns journalists: You could be next on Obama's 'kill list'
Daily Caller -At a recent luncheon at the National Press Club, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul warned journalists that they could be placed on a “kill list” should the government deem them a threat to national security.... “Can you imagine being put on a list because you’re a threat?” an exasperated Paul asked. “What’s going to happen when they come to the media? What if the media becomes a threat? … This is the way this works. It’s incrementalism.”

Obama’s ‘kill list’ critic found dead in New York City
Press TV - Prominent American blogger and computer prodigy Aaron Swartz, who spoke against US President Barack Obama’s “kill list” and cyber attacks against Iran, has been found dead in New York. Police found the body of the 26-year-old in his apartment in New York City borough of Brooklyn on Friday, said a spokeswoman for the city’s chief medical examiner. Brooklyn’s chief medical examiner ruled the death a suicide by hanging, but no further detail is available about the mysterious death.

NY newspaper's gun permit disclosure leads to burglary, new legislation
Daily Caller - A home burglary in White Plains, N.Y. that appears related to a newspaper’s recent publication of gun-permit holders will bring a legislative response Monday, in the form of a new bill aimed at banning similar public disclosures in the future. Newsday reported Sunday that burglars broke into a 70-year-old man’s home intending to steal his gun safe. The resident, and his address, were among 44,000 disclosures of lawful firearm permits that the Journal News, a Westchester County, N.Y. newspaper, published on Dec. 24.

Sheriff Mack: Sheriffs CAN Block Federal Gun Control
canadafreepress.com - Here is a little known fact: ” ... no matter what gun control laws are passed by the federal government, they can only be enforced in your area if your county sheriff allows them to be.” ” ... the county sheriff is the highest governmental authority in his county and he does not have to bow to the tyranny of the federal government if he deems such actions to be unconstitutional or unlawful. In essence, the county sheriff has more legal authority within his county than the governor or the state or even the president of the United States.”

Obama Opposed Gun Ban Exception to Defend One’s Home
Keith Koffler - As a state senator in Illinois, President Obama opposed legislation providing an exception to handgun restrictions if the weapon was used in the defense of one’s home. Obama’s vote would have maintained the status quo, which made it a violation of municipal gun ban law to use a firearm to save your own life in your own home. But the bill was passed anyway without his support.

YouTube: Ron Paul Texas Straight Talk for January 14, 2013
Ron Paul: Chuck Hagel & John Brennan Will Carry Out Obama's Foreign Policy.

Air Force eyes return of mobile nuclear missiles
nextgov.com - The Air Force has dusted off plans more than two decades old to place fixed nuclear missiles on rail cars or massive road vehicles to protect them from a surprise attack. The service also wants to explore alternatives to traditional missiles to carry nuclear warheads, which could include hypersonic aircraft capable of crossing the Atlantic Ocean in an hour, said Phillip Coyle of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, a former associate director for national security and international affairs in the Obama administration’s Office of Science and Technology Policy.

US Drone Tweets Reveal 'Double Tap' Plan
Business Insider - NYU student Josh Begley is tweeting every reported U.S. drone strike since 2002, and the feed highlights a disturbing tactic employed by the U.S. that is widely considered a war crime. Known as the "double tap," the tactic involves bombing a target multiple times in relatively quick succession, meaning that the second strike often hits first responders.

Sheriff's Office wants to fly drones over Orange County skies
orlandosentinel.com - The Orange County Sheriff's Office is experimenting with two surveillance drones that it hopes to turn loose over Metro Orlando skies this summer. Sheriff's spokesman Jeff Williamson would not reveal specific uses for the drones, larger versions of which are known for flying over tribal regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan to drop bombs on suspected terrorists. But Williamson did say Orange's remote-controlled planes would not be armed.

Police drug search intrudes on husband's final moments with deceased wife
Deseret News - A man says Vernal police disrupted an intimate moment of mourning with his deceased wife of 58 years when they searched his house for her prescription medication without a warrant within minutes of her death... Mahaffey filed a federal lawsuit Thursday, alleging police violated his Fourth and 14th amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure and for equal protection under the law, respectively.

Sandy Hook Scam Confirmed: Hard Evidence of Foreknowledge
nodisinfo.com - This conspiracy involves a vast number of individuals, all working vigorously against the peoples’ interest. A key objective is to exploit the hoax to mobilizes forces against guns rights. One of these individuals who is involved in the premeditated attempt to impugn the right to bear arms is Cheri Lovre, and it is she who helped confirm the scope of this crime.

Patriotic Group To Build Armed 'Defensible' Neighborhood Fortress
CNS News - A group of like-minded patriots, bound together by pride in American exceptionalism, plan on building an armed community to protect their liberty. The group, named Citadel, intends to purchase 2,000 to 3,000 acres for the project in western Idaho. The community will comprise of 3,500 to 7,000 families of patriotic Americans who "voluntarily choose to live together in accordance with Thomas Jefferson's ideal of Rightful Liberty."

Police State Exercise at Missouri Mall
Kurt Nimmo - Considering the fact cops never stop “active shooters,” one has to ask what the point is in closing a mall in Missouri and conducting a training exercise.

Sweeping new gun laws proposed by influential liberal think tank
Washington Post - The Center for American Progress is recommending 13 new gun policies to the White House — some of them executive actions that would not require the approval of Congress... CAP’s proposals — which include requiring universal background checks, banning military-grade assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, and modernizing data systems to track gun sales and enforce existing laws — are all but certain to face stiff opposition from the National Rifle Association and its many allies in Congress.

YouTube: Napolitano: Obama Administration Wants to Go Beyond Current Gun Control Proposals
Tonight on Special Report Judge Napolitano agreed with host Bret Baier that the Obama Administration wants to go further in restricting the Second Amendment than the current proposals they are floating to the press.

NAPOLITANO: The right to shoot tyrants, not deer
Washington Times - The right of the people to keep and bear arms is an extension of the natural right to self-defense and a hallmark of personal sovereignty. It is specifically insulated from governmental interference by the Constitution and has historically been the linchpin of resistance to tyranny.

If They Come for Your Guns, Do You Have a Responsibility to Fight?
The D.C. Clothesline - I feel that a lot of American citizens feel like they have no choice but to surrender their guns if the government comes for them. I blame traditional media sources for this mass brainwash and I carry the responsibility of all small independent bloggers to tell the truth. So my focus today is to lay out your constitutional rights as an American, and let you decide what to do with those rights.

How to End the 'Gun Debate' Forever
Activist Post - Violence is driven by socioeconomic and cultural factors, not the mere presence of firearms. The statistics clearly show this... According to the FBI's 2011 analysis of homicide in the United States, out of 8,500 gun-related homicides, only 323 (3%) were committed using rifles of any kind - including "assault rifles." Compared to knives and other cutting instruments (1,694), blunt objects (496), and bare hands/feet (728), rifles should be the least of the honest "gun control" advocate's concerns.
* Related Article/Video: 5 Facts About Guns, Schools, & Violence

Petition to Try Feinstein For Treason Reaches Threshold For White House Response
Paul Joseph Watson - A petition to try California Senator Dianne Feinstein for treason as a response to her efforts to pass draconian gun control legislation has surpassed the required number of signatures that now mandates a White House response. The petition, which was filed with the We The People website on December 27, has already obtained over 29,000 signatures weeks before the deadline of January 26.

18 Facts That Prove That Piers Morgan Is Flat Out Lying About Gun Control
Activist Post - Piers Morgan is getting on television every night and flat out lying to the American people about gun control. Nearly every statistic that he quotes is inaccurate and he fails to acknowledge a whole host of statistics that would instantly invalidate the arguments that he is trying to make.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Mark Levin: "I Can Barely Contain My Fury At What Is Going On"
Fox News - MARK LEVIN: No discussion on the news programs about an imperial president exercising an authority he does not have under our constitution. Nothing. No discussion about all the lives saved and all the people protected as a result of the Second Amendment. Nothing. They continue to perpetuate the lie, the big lie that somehow, some new regulation, some new government fiat would have prevented what happened in Newtown, Connecticut. And then they pretend that they're for law enforcement. They pretend that they're hard on crime when they're not.

Are Coca-Cola and Pepsi Lobbying the FDA for a GMO Labeling Law?
(NaturalNews) High-level executives from some of the U.S.'s largest food corporations are meeting with the FDA behind closed doors this week to lobby for a mandatory federal GMO labeling law. Could it be that bad press and consumer backlash have dulled the enthusiasm of these former biotech cheerleaders? Or is Big Food just cozying up to the FDA so they can derail the growing organic and anti-GMO movement, and finagle a federal labeling law so toothless it won't be worth the ink it takes to sign it?

REPORT: Harry Reid fingered in bribery case...
sltrib.com - Embattled St. George businessman Jeremy Johnson says new Utah Attorney General John Swallow helped broker a deal in 2010 in which Johnson believed he was to pay Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid $600,000 to make a federal investigation into Johnson’s company go away.

VIDEO: Ben Swann Full Disclosure: The Man Who May Challenge Reince Priebus For RNC Chair
Liberty Crier - Ben Swann of Full Disclosure interviews Mark Willis (a Ron Paul delegate from Maine disenfranchised by the RNC), the man who may bring a challenge to Reince Priebus for RNC chairman position.

APNewsBreak: Rockefeller won't seek re-election
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The 75-year-old Democrat's decision, coming at a time when his popularity in a conservative state had been waning for sparring with the powerful mining industry and supporting President Barack Obama, told The Associated Press ahead of his formal announcement that it was time to retire.
* Related Article: Rockefeller Calls for Gun Control...

Millions noticing paychecks lighter today, due to payroll tax hike
Fox News - Gabriella Hoffman’s paycheck is a little lighter today, thanks to a payroll tax increase that is forcing millions of Americans to make the kind of tough budget cuts their representatives in Washington lawmakers seem unwilling to tackle. Hoffman, a 21-year-old Virginian who works at a nonprofit, estimates her paycheck will be roughly $30 less this biweekly pay period, or about $780 annually, thanks to the end of a two-year cut on payroll taxes, which fund Social Security.

Obama to Dismantle Small Business Administration, Increase Foreign Aid
Lloyd Chapman - President Obama has announced plans to essentially dismantle the Small Business Administration (SBA) by combining it with the Department of Commerce. The Department of Commerce represents the interests of our nation's largest corporate giants, not small businesses.... President Obama claims that combining the SBA with the Department of Commerce will save $300 million per year, but that's chump change compared to the $9 billion he wants to add to our foreign aid budget in 2013.
* Related Video: RT interviews Lloyd Chapman

Iran refutes cyber strike allegations
Press TV - Iran’s mission to the United Nations has dismissed allegations of the Iranian government being behind cyber attacks on the US banking system. The mission said in a statement on Thursday that the Islamic Republic condemns any use of malware that target important service-providing institutes by violating the national sovereignty of states.

Venezuela's government starts new term
Press TV - Despite the absence of President Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s government has launched a new presidential term amid a display of popular support.

Series of bombings kill 115 in Pakistan
RT - A string of bombings across Pakistan killed 115 on Thursday in one of the deadliest days in the country's recent history. A large portion of the victims were killed in twin attacks on a billiard hall in Quetta, in the country's southwest.... The blasts killed and injured rescue workers, police and journalists as well as residents socializing at the pool hall.... Militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which is known for its terrorist acts targeting Shiites, claimed responsibility for the blasts.... Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were also targeted Thursday as a bomb hit a commercial area in Quetta.

They Are Getting Ready: “No Obvious Reason” For Why China Is Massively Boosting Stockpiles of Rice, Iron Ore, Precious Metals, Dry Milk
Mac Slavo - If there were ever a sign that something is amiss, this may very well be it. United Nations agricultural experts are reporting confusion, after figures show that China imported 2.6 million tons of rice in 2012, substantially more than a four-fold increase over the 575,000 tons imported in 2011. The confusion stems from the fact that there is no obvious reason for vastly increased imports, since there has been no rice shortage in China.

India Signs Mandatory GMO Labeling into Law
Natural Society - The country’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs makes declared in a June 5, 2012 notice that all GMO-containing packaged foods must be labeled by January 1, 2013 or face legal repercussions. Each package containing GM ingredients will clearly be labeled directly on the prime real estate of the package as ‘GM’. A warning that many heads of organizations and even bodies within the Indian government are praising for its ability to inform individuals as to what they are really feeding their family.

VIDEO: Piers Morgan stands on Shooting Victims' Graves says Breitbarts' Ben Shapiro
12160.info - Breitbarts Ben Shapiro OWNS Piers Morgan on the gun control debate.

VIDEO: Reality Check: Executive Order For Gun Control. Can It Happen?
(FOX19) - Vice President Joe Biden continues his talks with leaders on both sides of the gun control issue today. But it was what Biden eluded to yesterday that got people talking. The possibility that President Obama might use an Executive Order to regulate firearms. Could it happen?

VIDEO: DHS Source Confirms Alex Was Being Stalked
Infowars.com - After Doug Hagmann, of the Northeast Intelligence Network, learned that Jones was appearing on the CNN program, he contacted his DHS insider source who told him that federal agents were indeed “assigned to follow Alex Jones during his visit to New York.” From HomelandSecurityUS.com: “Bumper lock him. Make it obvious. Do whatever you can, just make sure he knows. Handle him as a hostile.”

Obama signs protection bill for former presidents
CNS News - The measure Obama signed Thursday applies to presidents elected after Jan. 1, 1997, specifically Obama and former President George W. Bush. It reverses a 1994 law that ended Secret Service protection 10 years after a president leaves office. Under that law, the Homeland Security secretary could extend such protection on a temporary basis.

VIDEO/Article: War of the Words in the Gun Debate
Daily Paul - New video by YouTuber AmidsTheNoise, a follow up to his first video Choose Your Own Crime Stats...

Wyoming Lawmakers Propose ‘Gun Protection’ Legislation
Aaron Dykes - Last week, we saw the positive news of a small town Chief of Police in Pennsylvania who is proposing an ordinance to ‘preserve the 2nd Amendment’ and nullify any and all policies or attempts at enforcement from the federal, state or local level that violate the right to keep and bear arms. Now, as predicted, others are modeling legislation on this same, or at least similar, grounds.

All out of ammo: US cops can’t stay stocked up as gun and bullet sales soar
RT - A spike in gun and ammunition sales has caused a nationwide shortage that has delayed police training exercises and is putting a substantial amount of weaponry in civilian hands. Police in Atlanta, Georgia have been forced to delay training exercises due to a shortage of ammunition. The police department has put orders for more bullets on back-order, while officers are being deprived of the training that makes them capable of handling weapons.

Americans never give up your guns
PRAVDA.Ru - These days, there are few things to admire about the socialist, bankrupt and culturally degenerating USA, but at least so far, one thing remains: the right to bear arms and use deadly force to defend one's self and possessions. This will probably come as a total shock to most of my Western readers, but at one point, Russia was one of the most heavily armed societies on earth. This was, of course, when we were free under the Tsar.

Report: Calif. high school; shooter detained after only 2 shot
USA Today - A suspect was taken into custody at Taft Union High School, according to KERO, which reports that it got a tip on the shooting from people hiding in closets inside the school. KGET-TV quotes Kern County fire officials as saying the shooting victim was airlifted to Kern Medical Center with unknown injuries and that a second person, with minor injuries, refused treatment at the scene.

VIDEO: Man Shoots Robbery Suspect, Protects 2-Month-Old Son
10tv.com - The suspect took Smith's money and started to flee the scene as he pointed the gun back at Smith and his child. That's when Smith pulled out his own gun and fired at the robber.

America Can be a Scary Place for Americans
Salem-News.com - We are a nation of rules and laws, with over 40,000 new laws that went into effect on January 1, 2012, alone. With such a minefield, even for the most sober citizen, it is easy to slide down the rabbit hole. Not see a construction zone sign; it could cost you dearly. Overdrawn at the bank; there are fees and penalties. Recently, in Oklahoma there was a 21 car pileup on an icy street and every driver received a $252 ticket.

NYPD ‘get out of jail free’ cards selling for top-dollar on eBay
RT - For $100 or less, eBay users can now purchase the ‘get out of jail free’ cards for personal use. Friends and family of NYPD officers are often handed police union cards, which reportedly lets some traffic offenders get away with minor crimes. Flashing an official “Gold Shield Association” cards to a police officer indicates a close association with another member of law enforcement.

Washington GMO initiative easily clears signatures bar, gets strong poll support
foodnavigator-usa.com - Supporters of a Washington State ballot initiative that would require GMO labeling have turned in more than 340,000 signatures to the secretary of state's office, well in excess of the number required for certification, the campaign said. Supporters said early polls show strong support for the initiative.

Paul’s Mideast tour fuels talk of 2016 White House run
Washington Times - Sen. Rand Paul doesn’t explicitly deny his eight-day visit to the Holy Land represents the launch of a 2016 Republican presidential nomination run. “I consider it as more an effort to become part of an international stage,” the freshman Kentucky Republican said. But at least some of the 40 evangelical Protestant leaders traveling with Mr. Paul think otherwise.

The Federal Government Hands Out Money To 128 Million Americans Every Month
Economic Collapse - The number of Americans receiving money directly from the federal government has grown from 94 million in the year 2000 to over 128 million today. A shocking new research paper by Patrick Tyrrell and William W. Beach contains that statistic and a whole bunch of other very revealing numbers. According to their research, the federal government hands out money to 41.3 percent of the entire population of the United States each month. Overall, more than 70 percent of all federal spending goes to what they call "dependence-creating programs".

VIDEO: MF UNTOUCHABLE: Corzine Wins Again
Daily Bail - A bankruptcy judge on Tuesday rejected a bid by former MF Global customers to depose the collapsed brokerage's former chief, Jon Corzine. In a written ruling in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, Judge Martin Glenn said the Commodity Customer Coalition, which had sought permission to question Corzine and other former MF Global insiders, lacked standing because it is not a direct creditor in the case.

VIDEO/Article: Ben Swann Reality Check: Does President Obama have the authority to sidestep Congress on the debt ceiling?
(FOX19) - Twenty-one Democrats have sent a letter to President Obama telling him not to bother fighting with House Republicans over the debt ceiling. Instead, they say he should just use any authority possible to prevent the nation from going into default. Under the 14th Amendment, those members of Congress say the President has that authority. But does he?

They’re back: Unexplained ‘booming noises’ reported from South Carolina to California
From the Trenches - The loud explosion that jolted North Hollywood on Tuesday night remained a mystery the next morning, authorities said. An officer at the Los Angeles Police Department’s North Hollywood station said police searched the area for a half an hour Tuesday night but had no luck in determining what caused the sound. The officer said police received numerous calls about the noise. At about 9:30 p.m., numerous people began tweeting about a loud explosion.

Australia announces new sanctions against Iran over nuclear program
Press TV - In a statement on Thursday, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said that the new sanctions target Iran’s financial, trade, energy and transport sectors... Carr claimed that the sanctions aim to mount pressure on Iran over its nuclear obligations and to force the country to abide by the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

U.N. wants to use drones for peacekeeping missions
Washington Post - The U.N. Department of Peacekeeping has notified Congo, Rwanda and Uganda that it intends to deploy a unit of at least three unarmed surveillance drones in the eastern region of Congo. The action is the first step in a broader bid to integrate unmanned aerial surveillance systems, which have become a standard feature of Western military operations, into the United Nations’ far-flung peacekeeping empire.

AFRICOM And ICE Conducting Biometric Identity Operations Across East Africa
stratrisks.com - Africa (AFRICOM) command and its Identity Resolution Team now cooperate with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for conducting operations in Eastern Africa. Objective: to identify some “bad actors” (KST to known suspected terrorists, the SIA for special interest alien): traffickers, criminal, terrorists likely to attempt to travel to the United States.

Japan Explores War Scenarios with China
thediplomat.com - As Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party national defense task force announced on Jan. 8 that it would increase the nation’s defense budget by more than 100 billion yen ($1.15 billion), three of five scenarios explored by the defense ministry recently involve the Self-Defense Forces squaring off against the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

European Union Set to Ban Cash Transactions Over 500 Euros
Intel Hub - “Any transaction in excess of 500 euros will soon only be allowed via credit or debit card or by check, according to a plan by the Finance Ministry aimed at combating tax evasion. The ceiling for cash transactions is to be lowered from 1,500 euros today to 500 euros and could be reduced further over in the course of 2013...."

By The Numbers: 20 Facts About The Collapse Of Europe That Everyone Should Know
Economic Collapse - Sadly, most Americans are paying very little attention to what is going on across the Atlantic. But they should be watching, because this is what happens when nations accumulate too much debt. The United States has the biggest debt burden of all, and eventually what is happening over in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Greece is going to happen over here as well.

Police in post offices as Scotland Yard axes 65 stations across London
Guardian - Officers to set up shop in post offices and supermarkets as Met seeks to boost public confidence and meet £500m budget cuts.... Within six months a pilot of putting police officers into post offices will be unveiled.... [Deputy mayor] Greenhalgh said the public would be able to meet police officers in other places such as supermarkets or libraries. The use of post offices as a base for officers was being pursued, he said.

EU launches public consultation on sweetener aspartame
AFP - The EU's food safety agency on Tuesday launched a public consultation on its draft scientific opinion regarding the safety of the artificial sweetener aspartame.... The experts looked at the possible adverse effects of phenylalanine, one of aspartame's breakdown products, on the developing fetus. Phenylalanine is known to be toxic at high intake levels.

First Antibiotic-Resistant Gonorrhea Cases Detected in North America
US News - In a study released Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a group of scientists led by Vanessa Allen of Public Health Ontario, found that 6.7 percent of patients with gonorrhea at a Toronto clinic still had the disease after a round of cephalosporins, the last effective oral antibiotic used to treat the disease.

VIDEO: GOA's Larry Pratt on Piers Morgan
Daily Paul - CNN News Jan 9, 2013.

White House Rejects Petition to Deport Piers Morgan
NY Observer - “When discussing the Second Amendment, Keep the First in Mind,” is the official position the White House is taking in response an online petition to deport Piers Morgan for attacking the Second Amendment. The petition garnered 109,334 signatures since it went up on December 21.

Prominent rifle manufacturer killed in mysterious car crash days after posting psych drug link to school shooters
(NaturalNews) What you are about to read is astonishing. I'm not even sure what's the right conclusion to draw from it. But here's what we know so far...

VIDEO: Pastor Manning: Pray for Alex Jones’ Safety
Infowars.com - Paster James David Manning outlines why Alex Jones needs our prayers now more than ever, as those seeking gun control have called for violence against him in attempt to silence his voice. May God keep Alex from harm.

VIDEO/Article: Gen. McChrystal Throws Weight Behind Effort to Ban Firearms
Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal threw his weight behind the government effort to rollback the Second Amendment on Tuesday.... McChrystal’s comments on Morning Joe were not one-off. Later in the day, the former commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan went on The Daily Show to call for taking firearms away from civilians. “I don’t want them on our streets, I don’t want them in our schools,” McChrystal told host John Stewart. “I don’t think that most people are prepared to carry them.”

One Million AR-15 Magazines On Backorder
CNS News - According to the gun review site, "Haus of Guns," backorders for the Magpul AR-15 30-round magazine ("PMAG") have surpassed one million.

Dana Safety Supply Stops Selling Semi Auto Rifles to Civilians So Sheriff Pulls His Business
gunssavelives.net - Dana Safety Supply has stated that they will no longer sell AR-15 style rifles to civilians and will reserve those rifles for sale only to “law enforcement” only.... One Sheriff in Oconee County wasn’t too fond of the new policy.

VIDEO: Biden Says Obama to Use “Executive Action” to Restrict Second Amendment
Kurt Nimmo - “The president is going to act,” said Biden. “There are executives orders, there’s executive action that can be taken. We haven’t decided what that is yet. But we’re compiling it all with the help of the attorney general and the rest of the cabinet members as well as legislative action that we believe is required.”

Obama’s Gun Task Force Member Has Son Convicted Of Planning School Mass Murder
freedomoutpost.com - In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, Barack Obama established a task force, headed by Vice President Joe Biden, to come up with solutions to end gun violence. However, one of the members of Biden’s task force has a son that has been convicted, not just charged, but convicted, of planning a mass murder at a high school in Massachusetts in 2004.

Georgia Gun Sales and Permit Applications Soar Post-Newtown
Atlanta Journal Constitution - Gun sales and permit requests have surged across metro Atlanta since the Connecticut school massacre last month, a trend many say will continue as Congress considers tougher gun control measures.

The Big List of Who Hates Guns
Daily Caller - The following organizations have lent monetary, grassroots or some other type of direct support to anti-gun organizations. In many instances, these organizations lent their name in support of specific campaigns to pass anti-gun legislation such as the March 1995 HCI “Campaign to Protect Sane Gun Laws.” Many of these organizations were listed as “Campaign Partners,” for having pledged to fight any efforts to repeal the Brady Act and the Clinton “assault weapons” ban. All have officially endorsed anti-gun positions.

Colorado theater shooting "mini-trial" ends
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) -- A hearing laying out the evidence against the accused gunman in the Colorado theater shooting ended Wednesday with the defense deciding not to call witnesses to attest to James Holmes' mental health. The judge said he will rule by Friday on whether Holmes should stand trial. If the judge decides he should be tried, Holmes could enter a plea at a hearing scheduled that day.

Planned Parenthood Touts over 333,000 Babies Aborted in 2011
Breitbart - And the American genocide continues, with 333,964 murders in 2011. That’s the figure proudly released by Planned Parenthood Federation of America in their report delineating how many abortions they performed in fiscal 2011. Doing some simple math reveals that the number of abortions performed equates to one abortion every 94 seconds.

VIDEO/Article: Supreme Court to decide whether police can take your blood without your permission
NBC News - The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a landmark Fourth Amendment case that could clear up almost 50 years of uncertainty over the constitutionality of blood tests that are taken without a suspect's consent. The case involves a traffic stop in Missouri, but its ramifications could range far wider, potentially rewriting drunk-driving laws in all 50 states.

Fake News: LAPD, Media Tout Rocket Launcher Seizure That Wasn't
Breitbart -The L.A. Police Department had big news on December 27. They had seized a pair of rocket launchers! This, of course, would have been shocking news if only they really had found "rocket launchers" in the City of Angels.

Texas Judge Rules Schools Can Force RFID Chips on Students
Activist Post - One student, sophomore Andrea Hernandez, was suspended for refusing to wear the tracking device and took the matter to court. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled in favor of the school district claiming they have the right to expel Hernandez for refusing to abide by school requirements. By default the judge ruled that the school had the right to force children to be treated like cattle while on campus.

VIDEO/Article: Kids Visiting Disney World To Be Tracked By “Magical” RFID Wristbands
Steve Watson - Theme park prepares children for very real police state. NBC reports that Disney World In Orlando, “The Most Magical Place On Earth”, is to implement wireless-RFID tracking wristbands for visitors, enabling theme park officials to collect information such as purchasing and riding patterns as well as location data. The report notes that the wristbands will be linked to customers’ names and credit-card information, and will function as room keys and park entry passes.

VIDEO: 100% foolproof solution to stop TSA from stealing your valuables out of your carry-on bag
tv.naturalnews.com - Here’s a 100% foolproof solution to stop the TSA from stealing your valuables. Watch as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, explains how you can fly with gold coins, expensive electronics, cameras and iPads without having any of them stolen by TSA thieves (who routinely steal such items and sell them on eBay)

Chief of Staff Jacob Lew Picked for Treasury, Despite Bailout Scandal
Aaron Dykes - Jacob Lew has now been chosen for Secretary of the Department of the Treasury, after playing musical chairs in Obama’s cabinet, shifting from Budget Manager (OMB) to Chief of Staff, the position he currently holds. Lew was previously mentioned on Obama’s short list for Treasury once Geithner steps down. He is, predictably, also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the Brookings Institute and other top globalist confab circles.

VIDEO/Article: AIG Rejects Ex-CEO Greenberg’s Bailout Suit Against U.S.
Bloomberg - American International Group Inc. (AIG) opted against joining its former chief executive officer in a lawsuit against the U.S. after lawmakers said the case was an insult to taxpayers who bailed out the insurer.

Federal Reserve May Pause Quantitative Easing
Activist Post - An obscure report that the Federal Reserve may suspend the monetization of purchasing Treasury Bonds has the smell of disinformation. The perennial efforts to lift economic spirits with the beginning of a New Year often are packed with wishful thinking. Quantitative Easing is being treated as a useful tool for turning on and off the spigot of liquidity infusion. In reality, the results of the massive origination of debt created monies fundamental purpose is to save the commercial banks from insolvency.

Infographic: America’s PhDs on Food Stamps
onlinecolleges.net - Find out why some high-level college degree holders are struggling to get out of poverty and reliance of welfare.

'KSA mulls shifting policy toward Syria’
Press TV - The consolidation of Syrian military’s positions across the country and the withdrawal of foreign-backed militants from their strongholds have fuelled speculations that Saudi Arabia is considering shifting its policy towards Syria, a report says. A recent report released by the Lebanese As-Safir daily has suggested a likely withdrawal of Saudi Arabia from among the list of foreign states that are funding and supporting the Syrian opposition.

Syrian rebels free 48 Iranians in prisoner swap
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Syrian rebels freed 48 Iranians held captive since August, Iranian state TV reported Wednesday, part of what appeared to be the first major prisoner swap of the civil war. The deal - reportedly coordinated by a Turkish Islamic aid group - will also involve the release of more than 2,000 held by Bashar Assad's regime,

Over 200 Afghan policemen poisoned
Press TV - Local officials said the incident took place in a police station in Marmul district on Tuesday night. Nobody has yet claimed responsibility for the poisoning whose cause is still unclear. The incident is considered the latest in similar poisoning incidents in the war-torn country.

Sudan: at least 30 Darfur rebels killed in clashes
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) -- The Sudanese army says its soldiers have killed at least 30 rebels in clashes in Sudan's troubled North Darfur region. The army spokesman, Col. Sawarme Khalid, says the rebel forces belong to Justice and Equality Movement. He told the semiofficial Sudan Media Center Wednesday that the army turned back a rebel attack in Jebel Marra area of North Darfur.

AP Exclusive: Richardson pressing North Korea test ban
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) -- Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Wednesday that his delegation is pressing North Korea to put a moratorium on missile launches and nuclear tests and to allow more cell phones and an open Internet for its citizens. Richardson told The Associated Press... that the group is also asking for fair and humane treatment for an American citizen detained in North Korea.

Spain jobless rate hits record 26.6%
Press TV - New data shows Spain’s jobless rate hit a new record high of 26.6 percent for the month of November 2012, amounting to 6.157 million Spaniards.

EU censors Press TV to govern narrative
Press TV - Iran's Press TV reported in their article, "Press TV viewers slam EU move to ban Iran channels as illegal, hypocritical," that "Press TV viewers have condemned as illegal and hypocritical the ban imposed by the European officials on the broadcast of several Iranian satellite channels."

Dutch, German troops arrive in Turkey to operate NATO missiles
Press TV - The United States, Germany and the Netherlands have agreed to deploy two batteries of Patriot missiles each, under the command of NATO, along the Turkish-Syria border. Each Patriot missile battery has an average of 12 missile launchers. All the six batteries are scheduled to be operational by the end of January.

Amid Federal Land Grab in Brazil, Whole Towns Evicted at Gunpoint
New American - Critics and local residents have accused the government of Brazil of mass corruption, saying the end goal is to smash private property ownership and all potential resistance — starting with the rural population. They argue, among other points, that federal authorities are doing the bidding of foreign interests and are in cahoots with the UN, massive international corporations, Western-based non-governmental organizations like Greenpeace, and other interests.

VIDEO: Cuomo Close To Announcing Sweeping New Gun Control Laws
CBS News York - A deal to give New York one of the toughest gun control laws in the nation is being negotiated by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who, sources said Tuesday, is hoping to announce the plan Wednesday during his State of the State speech in Albany.

VIDEO/Article: Spring City councilman wants every household armed
ksl.com - A small Utah town has a population of less than a thousand people, but the City Council is proposing that each one of its citizens own and carry handguns. Spring City Councilman Neil Sorensen, the man behind the bold proposal, wants to take it even further. He wants the city to pay for every elementary school teacher in the town to take a concealed carry permit class.

Blumenthal Seeks To Close ‘Black Hole’ Of Gun Violence With Background Checks For Ammo
CBS News - Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced plans to introduce federal legislation that he said would close a massive loophole in the law involving the sale of ammunition. Blumenthal said that while convicted felons and others are prohibited from purchasing guns, there is nothing to stop them from buying ammunition.

Larry Pratt on Piers Morgan Wednesday on CNN - 1-09-13 - 9PM ET
Daily Paul - Piers Morgan announced at the end of his program, that Gun Owners of America president, Larry Pratt, would be his guest Wednesday night. Live Streams for those without cable...

VIDEO/Article: Piers Morgan and Guests Discuss Shooting Alex Jones
Aaron Dykes - CNN and the gun grabbing media are now calling for Alex Jones to be shot the day after his heated appearance with Piers Morgan.

YouTube: Reality Check: Piers Morgan vs. Alex Jones, and the truth about gun homicide rates
(FOX19) - Over the past few weeks the argument over gun control has raged. Among those demanding stricter gun laws is CNN host Piers Morgan. There is one particular stat that Morgan has been citing for weeks, and it was the center of his argument while debating radio show host Alex Jones on Monday night.

VIDEO/Article: Demonizing Alex Jones, CNN Urges ‘Move to the Middle’ on Gun Control
Aaron Dykes - Predictably demonizing radio host Alex Jones as extremist after his fiery appearance on Piers Morgan’s CNN program last night, the cable network urged its viewers to ‘compromise’ and ‘move to the middle’ by giving support to President Obama’s ‘reasonable’ gun control measures.

Twelve real reasons why Piers Morgan is crazier than Alex Jones
(NaturalNews) On Monday night's CNN broadcast of the barely-watched Piers Morgan show, infowarrior Alex Jones handed Piers Morgan his best ratings ever. He also "lost his cool," according to the mainstream media which blasted Jones all day Tuesday, trying to paint him as a radical with "dangerous" ideas... y'know, like those insane ideas outlined in the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Was Piers Morgan involved in criminal hacking and fraudulent journalism?
(NaturalNews) Throughout his career Morgan seems to have been involved in a litany of ethically questionable issues, but the latest involves charges stemming from his time as editor of Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper, from 1995-2004. Reuters reported in late December that during this time the paper may have engaged in phone hacking.

YouTube: Georgia Mother's Shooting of Home Invader Puts New Spin on Gun Control Debate
Radio host Lars Larson pointed out that while the woman acted heroically, had there been more than one intruder, she would have been in real danger because she wouldn't have had enough bullets in that type of weapon to protect herself and her family. He said many people want a gun that is capable of holding more bullets, but "this is what the president's plan will go after."

Ill. attorney general seeks gun ban review
(UPI) - The Illinois attorney general has filed a petition to have a judicial ruling striking down a ban on concealed handguns reviewed. Lisa Madigan's petition asks the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to review the December appeals panel ruling that the state's longtime ban on carrying concealed weapons in public violates the Second Amendment, the Chicago Tribune said Tuesday.

YouTube: Judge Napolitano: ‘If Congress Keeps Ceding Power to the President, He Will Become a King’
A new Obama administration rule, done without the approval of Congress, will make it easier for many illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S. or apply for permanent residency. The new rule from the Department of Homeland Security would allow a person without U.S. citizenship to stay in the country while applying for a legal visa if they can show that separating from an American spouse, child or other family member during the application process would cause "extreme hardship."

Hillary Clinton Benghazi Testimony Expected On Jan. 22
Huffington Post - Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee said in an interview Tuesday on MSNBC that Clinton probably will testify the morning of Jan. 22. The State Department said the date hasn't been finalized and there was no official word from the committee.... Clinton returned to work Monday. She had promised to appear before the Senate and House foreign affairs panels before stepping down from her job. Obama has nominated Sen. John Kerry to replace her.

Prof stirs controversy by disputing Newtown massacre
sun-sentinel.com - A communication professor known for conspiracy theories has stirred controversy at Florida Atlantic University with claims that last month’s Newtown, Conn., school shootings did not happen as reported — or may not have happened at all. Moreover, James Tracy asserts in radio interviews and on his memoryholeblog.com. that trained "crisis actors" may have been employed by the Obama administration in an effort to shape public opinion in favor of the event's true purpose: gun control.

Court Filing: Cops Seized Prescription Meds Belonging to ‘Batman’ Shooter
Paul Joseph Watson - “Aurora police seized four prescription bottles and immunization records when they searched theater-shooting suspect James Holmes’ apartment in July, according to newly obtained filings in the murder case against Holmes,” reports the Denver Post. However, the documents are heavily redacted and the exact identity of the drug has been withheld.

Giffords, Mark Kelly Launch Gun Control Initiative On Anniversary Of Tucson Shooting
LiveWire - Former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) and her husband Mark Kelly on Tuesday announced Americans for Responsible Solutions, a gun control initiative aimed at offsetting the National Rifle Association's outsized influence in American politics.

WA State residents rise up against anti-self defense bill
Activist Post - Rep. Sherry Appleton from the 23rd district in Washington State pre-filed House Bill 1012 on Dec. 5th of last year to do away with the state's Stand Your Ground law. The Stand Your Ground law state's that a person may justifiably use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of an unlawful threat, without an obligation to retreat first. This law is most notably seen when one is defending their home or property.

VIDEO/Article: Luby’s Massacre Survivor Advocates Concealed Carry
Infowars.com - I made the most stupid decision of my life when I decided, several months before the Luby’s shooting, to stop carrying a revolver in my purse in the event that I would be caught and lose my chiropractor’s license. That decision left me unarmed at the time when I most needed a gun. I’m not mad at the guy that killed 23 people that day. How can I be mad at a rabid dog? I don’t blame guns. I blame politicians that legislated away my right to carry a gun to protect myself and my family.

YouTube: Police & Military - Time to Choose
You took an oath to defend the constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic. The congress, the senate and the executive branch have made themselves into a domestic enemy, and they are going to attempt to use you to help them in their push to eliminate the 2nd amendment.

VIDEO/Article: Top 10 Most Dangerous U.S. Government Agencies
Activist Post - One could argue that every government agency serves the purpose of stifling freedom and wasting taxpayer money. Yet, the 10 listed below go the extra mile for their sheer corruption, draconian regulations, and ultimate impact upon the largest number of citizens.

Serious harm to the country: 77 percent of Americans strongly disapprove of Congress
RT - Nearly 80 percent of Americans say they believe Washington is causing “serious harm to the country,” shedding further light on the low approval ratings of the most recent US Congress and the widespread pessimism regarding the country’s future.

Obama Throwing Medical Marijuana Patients Into Federal Prison at Alarming Rate
Activist Post - "The number of sick patients being locked up by the Obama Administration is unprecedented and deplorable," said Kris Hermes, spokesperson for Americans for Safe Access, the country's leading medical marijuana advocacy organization. "Aggressive enforcement is an unacceptable means of addressing medical marijuana as a public health issue," continued Hermes.
* Related Video: Feds Sentence Aaron Sandusky to 10 Years for Medical Marijuana

50 Tips for Saving on Groceries
frugallysustainable.com - As is the case with most growing families, we go through an awful lot of food. In fact, behind the mortgage and transportation costs (car and gas) groceries can be one of our biggest regular monthly expenses. I have a feeling that this may be the case for many of you too. So today I want to pass on some of my most helpful money saving tips.

A Bill to Register Buyers of Gold and Silver Coins
teapartyeconomist.com - It had to come. It has been introduced in Illinois, the most anti-gun state in the USA. Creates the Precious Metal Purchasing Act. Provides that a person who is in the business of purchasing precious metal shall obtain a proof of ownership, create a record of the sale, and verify the identity of the seller.... Bill Status of SB3341.

Rescued by a Bailout, A.I.G. May Sue Its Savior
NY Times - The board of A.I.G. will meet on Wednesday to consider joining a $25 billion shareholder lawsuit against the government, court records show. The lawsuit does not argue that government help was not needed. It contends that the onerous nature of the rescue — the taking of what became a 92 percent stake in the company, the deal’s high interest rates and the funneling of billions to the insurer’s Wall Street clients — deprived shareholders of tens of billions of dollars and violated the Fifth Amendment, which prohibits the taking of private property for “public use, without just compensation.”

If Obama Can Just Create A Trillion Dollar Coin, Then Why Do We Have To Pay Taxes?
Economic Collapse - As another debt ceiling showdown approaches, many in the liberal media are suggesting that if Congress does not raise the debt ceiling that Obama should just have the U.S. Treasury create a trillion dollar platinum coin and use it to pay our bills. It sounds crazy, but many notable voices (including Paul Krugman of the New York Times) are supporting this idea.

Militants shoot dead 11 Syrian civilians
Press TV - The militants in Syria have shot dead at least 11 Syrian civilians in the city of Homs as the fighting rages on between the country's army forces and the militants.

‘Enemies seek to target Iran poll turnout’
Press TV - The Leader said on Tuesday that one of the schemes of Iran’s enemies is to prevent a mass turnout in the election by distracting people by creating a political, economic or security incident. The Iranian nation, however, is too prudent to be deceived by the hostile plots of the enemies or their agents, Ayatollah Khamenei added.

Mystery as American drone is found floating off the coast of the Philippines... 1,000 miles away from the nearest U.S. base
Daily Mail - The BQM-74E drone, marked 'Navy', was found by a diver and fishermen on Sunday off the coast of Masbate Island, towards the centre of the island chain. A Filipino naval officer said officials did not know how the UAV ended up near the island, more than 200 miles from the capital Manila. The drones are frequently used by the U.S. military as targets during training exercises and weapons testing.

Eurozone jobless rate hits record high
Press TV - Official data show that the unemployment rate in the eurozone hit a new record high of 11.8 percent in November, 2012, as the 17-nation bloc continues to grapple with a worsening financial crisis.

Al Qaeda carves out own country in Mali
bostonglobe.com - Deep inside caves, in remote desert bases, in the escarpments and cliff faces of northern Mali, Islamic fighters are burrowing into the earth, erecting a formidable set of defenses to protect what has essentially become Al Qaeda’s new country. They have used the bulldozers, earth movers, and loaders left behind by fleeing construction crews to dig what residents and local officials describe as an elaborate network of tunnels, trenches, shafts, and ramparts.

Pamplona's locksmiths join revolt as banks throw families from their homes
Guardian - In the years of the housing boom, Spain's banks offered 100% mortgages. Now, while receiving millions in public aid, they are throwing people out of their homes. But there's a rebellion under way.

Bilderbergers Arrive in North Korea to Examine Economy and Social Media
Intel Hub - Google Chairman Eric Schmidt and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson both Bilderberg Group and Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) members have arrived in North Korea Monday on a commercial flight to initiate a series of talks with North Korean officials pertaining to the countries economy and social media. Google Chairman Schmidt claims that the trip is not related to Google business in anyway. However, rest assured there is an agenda on the table.

VIDEO: Showdown: Alex Jones vs. Piers Morgan
Infowars.com - Alex takes Piers to task on guns during a primetime CNN debate, vowing that the Republic will rise again if the establishment attempts to confiscate firearms and violate the 2nd Amendment. Sign the petition to deport Piers here.

VIDEO: Armed Mafia Stalk Alex Jones Post Piers Morgan Debate
Infowars.com - After the appearance on CNN’s Piers Morgan, Alex Jones and Infowars video producer Rob Dew noticed they were being followed, watched and approached by possibly undercover agents claiming to be fans. Alex was promised three segments on Morgan’s show; however, his producers apparently cancelled the last segment after Jones continued bashing Morgan with unscripted truths and facts.

White House responds to 'Deport Piers Morgan' petition
Politico - Breaking news during tonight's edition of Piers Morgan Tonight: On the heels of Morgan's fiery interview with Alex Jones, the man who started the petition to deport the CNN host, the White House addressed the petition.

Kitty Werthmann survived Hitler and wants to warn America
beliefnet.com - “What I am about to tell you is something you’ve probably never heard or read in history books,” she likes to tell audiences. “I am a witness to history. “I cannot tell you that Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history. “We voted him in.” Related videos: Kitty Werthmann on the Rise of Fascism and Kitty Werthmann Interview Part 1

VIDEO: FLASHBACK: Obama: I Will NOT Take Your Guns Away
CNS News - At a campaign event in Lebanon, Virginia in 2008, then-Senator Barack Obama said that he will not take Americans' guns away.

REPORT: BANK OF AMERICA Freezes Gun Manufacturer's Account
CNS News - “My name is Joe Sirochman owner of American Spirit Arms...our Web site orders have jumped 500 percent causing our Web site e-commerce processing larger deposits to Bank of America. So they decided to hold the deposits for further review. “After countless hours on the phone with Bank of America, I finally got a manager in the right department that told me the reason that the deposits were on hold for further review -- her exact words were -- ‘We believe you should not be selling guns and parts on the Internet.’”(emphasis added)

Obama nominates Hagel for Secretary of Defense, Brennan for CIA head
RT - President Barack Obama nominated two new members to his administration on Monday, endorsing current counterterrorism advisor John Brennan and former Sen. Chuck Hagel to serve as CIA director and secretary of defense, respectively.

Obama’s pick for CIA director defended drone attacks
Raw Story - President Barack Obama will nominate his top counterterrorism advisor, John Brennan, to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Associated Press reported on Monday. Earlier this year, Brennan defended the Obama administration’s use of targeted drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan, a practice that has garnered criticism from human rights advocates.

Rand Paul Visits Jerusalem, Calls For Gradual Reduction Of U.S. Aid To Israel
Huffington Post - Paul, a longtime opponent of foreign aid, acknowledged he was expressing a "minority opinion" and doubted Congress would end foreign aid in his lifetime. "It's unlikely anything changes, but I think it is worth discussing," he said during his first trip to Israel. Israel gets about $3 billion a year in military aid from the U.S.

VIDEO: Austin Officialdom Moves to Outlaw Gun Shows on Private Property
Infowars.com - Officialdom in the city and county are preparing to pass legislation that will outlaw gun shows not only on public property, but private property as well, according to The American Statesman. KEYE-TV reports that the ban will not prevent citizens from purchasing guns. However, Austin Council Member Mike Martinez told The Statesman citizens do not have the right to organize and hold gun shows on private property.

Dear Mr. Law Enforcement
Western Rifle Shooters Association - For widespread distribution, more cutting-edge commentary from Matt Bracken, former SEAL and author of the Enemies Foreign and Domestic trilogy... This essay is directed to you, because in the end, how this turmoil about gun control turns out will depend largely upon your decisions and actions over the coming months and years.

Illinois gun ban debated again before the House Judiciary Committee on Sunday
ISRA - From all appearances, this was the end of the push for gun control in the legislature this session. But, don’t be confused – the session ends Wednesday. There is nothing saying that the legislature couldn’t call the bills anyway.... Also, be advised that the newly elected legislature, the 98th General Assembly, gets gaveled into action on Wednesday as well. With several pro-gun stalwarts leaving the legislature, and several brand new gun grabbers to contend with, the next session of the General Assembly promises to be turbulent times for law-abiding gun owners.

Anti-Gun Senator Shoots Intruder - 74-year-old N.C. state senator shoots, wounds intruder at his home
Citizen Review Posted 1/27/2010 - In typical hypocritical liberal fashion, the "Do As I Say And Not As I Do" Anti-Gun Activist Lawmaker picked up his gun and took action in what apparently was a self-defense shooting. Why hypocritical you may ask? It is because his long legislative record shows that the actions that he took to protect his family, his own response to a dangerous life threatening situation, are actions that he feels ordinary citizens should not have if they were faced with an identical situation.

11 Secret Documents Americans Deserve to See
allgov.com - Many documents produced by the U.S. government are confidential and not released to the public for legitimate reasons of national security. Others, however, are kept secret for more questionable reasons.

If it works for them . . . Cat mayor celebrates 15 years on the job in Alaska town
Sun News - Stubbs, a part-manx cat with a short tail, has been the mayor of Talkeetna since he was elected shortly after his birth, KTUU-TV reported. Back then, several of the town's 900 residents didn't like the human candidates who were running for mayor so they encouraged everyone to vote for Stubbs the cat as a write-in candidate. The cat won the election and has been mayor ever since, the station reported.

Ron Paul Republicans Slowly, but Surely Taking Over State GOP Parties; Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Michigan"
spreadlibertynews.com - "Since former Rep. Ron Paul’s last Presidential run, the Liberty Movement’s influence on the Republican Party has thickened and spread. Just in the past few weeks, multiple state GOPs have elected the Libertarian-leaning supporters to key positions within the party. As SLN reported, “The new additions to Michigan’s Republican Party are Andrew Fink, chairman; Amy Preston, vice chairwoman; Brad Shafer, secretary; and Eric Rothoff, treasurer.”

Ron Paul Texas Strait Talk: ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Vote Shows How Washington Really Works
Ron Paul January 7, 2013 - Last week the Senate and House demonstrated again why their approval ratings are so low. The 154 page “fiscal cliff” bill was made available to Senators just three minutes before the vote was taken on the legislation. No one can read 154 pages in three minutes, so it is safe to assume that the legislation was passed without being read....

IRS Looks to Force Obamacare on Employers Who Cut Staff
lifenews.com - Businesses will try to cut their losses by reducing employee hours or by keeping their workforce under 50. The technocrats will respond by changing the rules, say, by lowering the full-time employment requirement to 40 and/or reducing the number of hours worked that qualify as “full time employment.” Businesses will react again, and the government will respond. The chase will be on.

VIDEO/Article: Former Marine On Gun Control: 'In The Third Reich...No One Saw That Coming Until It Was Too Late'
xrepublic.tv - Joshua Boston, the Marine who is making viral waves because of his open letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on his opposition to gun control, told Fox & Friends' Steve Doocy Monday that he's worried about the government coming after guns because "it's something we've seen happen time and time again in history." It happened, Boston said, "with Stalin, it happened in Cambodia." What does Boston find most concerning of all? That it happened, "of course," in the "Third Reich." No one "saw that coming until it was too late," he said.

Foreign investment in Iran's oil sector stands at $20bn: Minister
Qasemi said on Sunday that development contracts have been finalized for 23 out of 27 oil fields Iran shares with neighboring countries.... Considering the illegal sanctions imposed against Iran, Tehran should increase its oil output to maintain its production position in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Qasemi added.

Ecuadorian president warns of possible 'CIA attack' before elections
RT - Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has said the CIA may try to kill him prior to upcoming elections. Citing reports of a plot to “destabilize the region,” Correa said the threats were “credible,” given the history of US involvement in Latin America.

Portugal warns EU-IMF troika to back off on austerity demands
Telegraph - Portugal's president has ordered a legal inquiry into the country’s austerity policies and threatened a showdown with creditors over the draconian terms of its EU-IMF bail-out. President Anibal Cavaco Silva called for urgent action to halt the “recessionary spiral”, warning Europe’s leaders that the current course had become “socially unsustainable”.

Spain Plunders 90% Of Social Security Fund To Buy Its Own Debt
Zero Hedge - Spain has been quietly tapping the country's richest piggy bank, the Social Security Reserve Fund, as a buyer of last resort for Spanish government bonds, raising questions about the fund's role as guarantor of future pension payouts. Now the scarcely noticed borrowing spree, carried out amid a prolonged economic crisis, is about to end, because there is little left to take.... In addition, there are worries that Social Security reserves for paying future pensioners are running out much quicker than expected.

Australia Tobacco Tax: Price Of Cigarettes To Exceed $20 A Pack
Huffington Post - If you think cigarettes are expensive in the United States, be glad you don't live in Australia, where the price of a pack of smokes is set to rise to above $20, according to The Australian. The higher price for cigarettes is the result of a rise in the tobacco tax, which government officials say they hope will not only increase revenues by billions of dollars over the next few years, but encourage smokers to kick the habit.

Poland bans genetically modified maize and potatoes
Raw Story - Poland on Wednesday imposed new bans on the cultivation of certain genetically modified strains of maize and potatoes, a day after an EU required green light for GM crops took effect.

Video: Sandy Hook False Flag - "School Nurse Sally Cox" Doesn't Show Up As A Nurse In CT Online Database
disclose.tv - "Either this "nurse of 15 years" needs to register with the state, or the state of Connecticut needs to update their eLicensing."

Agenda Prevails Over Truth - by Dr. Paul Craig Roberts
paulcraigroberts.org - Article written Dec. 28, 2012

DHS Buys 200,000 More Rounds of Ammunition
Paul Joseph Watson- This new purchase adds to the staggering figure of 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition already secured by the DHS over the last 9 months alone. A solicitation originally posted on the FedBizOpps.gov website on December 17 on behalf of the DHS Federal Law Enforcement Training Center advertised the need for 200 cases of 13–40 Cal, 180 Grain, Jacketed Hollow Point bullets, with each case containing 1000 rounds, to be delivered almost immediately as soon as the contract is awarded.

VIDEO/Article: Four dead in Aurora townhouse shooting
Daily Caller - Just days before prosecutors begin presenting evidence against “The Dark Knight Rises” Aurora theater shooter James Holmes, another multiple shooting has rocked Colorado’s third largest city. Four people were killed in an Aurora townhouse early Saturday, including the gunman.

Journal News gun permit map endangers officers, officials say
Newsday - Criticism of The Journal News, which published a gun permit database last month, broadened Friday with Rockland law enforcement officials saying the map listing the names and addresses of those with gun permits is endangering lives. Inmates at the Rockland County jail are taunting corrections officers by saying they know the guards' home addresses -- information they got from the list published by Westchester-based newspaper, Rockland County Sheriff Louis Falco said.

Montana Lawmaker Moves to Protect Second Amendment
Kurt Nimmo - Rep. Jerry O’Neil, a Republican from Columbia Falls, has vowed to work with the Montana state legislature to adopt amendments protecting the Second Amendment and national sovereignty. O’Neill is concerned about gun laws – including possible confiscation of all semi-automatic firearms in the country – currently being drafted by California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

More People Killed with Hammers and Clubs than Rifles
Kurt Nimmo - According to the FBI’s annual crime statistics, the number of murders committed annually with hammers and clubs far outpaces the number of murders committed with a rifle.... Moreover, nearly twice as many people are killed by hands and fists each year than are killed by rifles.

Connecticut Town to Burn Violent Video Games as Sandy Hook Returns to School
Guardian - Organisers Southington SOS plan to offer gift certificates in exchange for donated games, which will be burned. The group, a coalition of local organisations, says its actions do not assert that video games were the cause of the killings in nearby Newtown, but argues that violent games and films desensitize children to "acts of violence".

Waterbury, CT Chief Ends Permits For Gun Shows
CBS News - The police chief in a Connecticut city has halted permits for gun shows, saying he’s concerned any firearms purchased there might one day be used in a mass shooting.

Woman hiding with kids shoots intruder
wsbtv.com - A woman hiding in her attic with children shot an intruder multiple times before fleeing to safety Friday.... The woman was working in an upstairs office when she spotted a strange man outside a window, according to Walton County Sheriff Joe Chapman. He said she took her 9-year-old twins to a crawlspace before the man broke in using a crowbar.

VIDEO: Ron Paul: Switzerland The Decentralized State, A State With Big Guns And Low Crime
xrepublic.tv - If everyone has a gun, criminals would think twice or probably never.

Unmanned Military Planes Fly Over Virginia
The Virginian-Pilot - Small unmanned surveillance planes routinely hum over Virginia Beach, but few residents seem to know about them. The military aircraft are some of the same drones the U.S. government uses regularly to spy on Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. Here, the Air Force planes are used to train members of Special Operations Forces, who in turn will be expected to pilot the drones overseas.

Drone Toy For Kids Draws Sharp Response From Amazon Reviewers
Business Insider The Amazon page for Maisto's miniature RQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has become a sounding board for Americans disgusted with their government's targeted killing program. The armed RQ-1 Predator drone is a MALE (medium-altitude, long-endurance) UAV system that has been deployed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bosnia, Serbia, Iraq, Somalia and Yemen. Here are just a few of the reviews...

White House finally releases 1st briefing photo of Obama on night of Benghazi attack; Update: 3 months old?
hotair.com - It took that much effort to release this? Both Fox and The Blaze note that this is only the first picture released and that more are expected to come, but I’m not sure why the White House bothered to withhold this. We knew these men were at the White House that evening.

Proposed H.J.RES.15 would abolish Presidential term limits
govtrack.us - H.J.Res. 15: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment. Sponsor: Rep. José Serrano [D-NY15]. Status: This resolution was assigned to a congressional committee on January 4, 2013, which will consider it before possibly sending it on to the House or Senate as a whole. Prognosis: 0% chance of getting past committee. 0% chance of being enacted or passed. Only 15% of House joint resolutions made it past committee and only 10% were enacted or passed in 2009–2010.
Related Article: House Resolution Introduced to Remove Presidential Term Limits

Sandy Aid: Senate Passes Partial Relief Bill
Huffington Post - A $9.7 billion bill to pay flood insurance claims from Sandy sailed through the House earlier Friday, following outrage from Republicans when much larger relief bill failed to come up for a vote before the end of the 112th Congress.

Ron Paul's leadership will be greatly missed
ocregister.com - Timothy C. Mason: While most Americans are following and being mislead about the fiscal cliff, we are losing 12-term Rep. Ron Paul to retirement. A great loss to all Americans who understand what the “role of government” is under constitutional law. Paul has always honored the oath of office to uphold the Constitution while serving in Congress (sadly while most other members serve political parties or special interests).

VIDEO: Full Disclosure: Liberty Republicans Fight For Control of Miami-Dade County GOP
Liberty Crier - Ben Swann takes a look at the fight between Liberty (Ron Paul) republicans and establishment republicans for control of the Miami-Dade County GOP.

Ron Paul Supporter AJ Spiker Re-Elected Iowa GOP State Chairman! Virtual Sweep!
Daily Paul - Two great candidates ran for Republican Party State Chairman today. Congratulations to AJ Spiker who defeated Bill Schickel by a vote of 13-5.

U.S. Borrowing Limit Already Breached By $7.5B & Counting
Daily Paul - Raising the debt ceiling will be ex post facto in 2 long months from now. The debt ceiling is already being raised by Congress simply not addressing this issue. The present rate of increase is about $4B/day. If nothing is done by March 1st, the debt ceiling will have been breached by nearly $0.25T. Does Congress even know that the Debt Ceiling has already been breached? With a Congress without Ron Paul, the answer is no. See change in Debt Clock...

YouTube: Rand Paul: Fiscal Cliff Bill Was Brought to Floor at 1:36AM, We Voted at 1:39AM
Fox News 1/3/2013 - Rand Paul discusses his vote againt the 'fiscal cliff' deal and the nation's spending problem on Fox News' Hannity.

Workers making $30,000 will take a bigger hit on their pay than those earning $500,000 under new fiscal deal
Middle-class workers will take a bigger hit to their income proportionately than those earning between $200,000 and $500,000 under the new fiscal cliff deal, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. Earners in the latter group will pay an average 1.3 percent more - or an additional $2,711 - in taxes this year, while workers making between $30,000 and $200,000 will see their paychecks shrink by as much as 1.7 percent - or up to $1,784 - the D.C.-based think tank reported.

Former Marine Pens Response To Dianne Feinstein Gun Control Bill: ‘I Am Not Your Servant’
Huffington Post - A United States Marine veteran has penned a response to California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s gun control proposal, saying the government has no right to take away his weapon: “I am not your servant. I am the person whom you serve.”

Israel disarmament key to resolve Iran nuclear issue says Gul
Press TV - Turkish President Abdullah Gul has stressed the importance of eradicating nuclear weapons in the region, saying the atomic disarmament of Israel would be the key to resolving outstanding issues pertaining to Iran’s nuclear energy program.... The Israeli regime rejects all the regulatory international nuclear agreements -- the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in particular -- and refuses to allow its nuclear facilities to come under international regulatory inspections.

US Patriot missile battery crews arrive in Turkey
RT - A group of 27 US troops has arrived in Turkey to operate NATO Patriot surface-to-air (SAM) missile batteries. At least six of those will be deployed along the country’s border with Syria. The troops arrived in the southeastern province of Gaziantep on Thursday and were taken to a local hotel by Turkish security forces, local media reported.

US imposes sanction on Iranian media
Press TV - The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on Iran that include bans on the country’s media despite Washington’s claims of protecting freedom of speech. The new bans are included in the $633-billion military bill for 2013 which US President Barack Obama signed into law on Wednesday night.

Israel's new barrier with Syria: Another brick in the ‘apartheid’ wall?
RT - The walls around Israel are growing as the country’s army builds a new physical barrier, this time on its border with Syria. The wall will reportedly begin in the southern part of the occupied Golan Heights, extending north from there.

Clashes explode at West Bank outpost over farm land
RT - Clashes over disputed farm land in the West Bank are erupting for a second day in a row. Violence renewed after security forces forcefully removed Israeli settlers occupying the land, reportedly using tear gas and batons against women and children.

UK: 12,000 people WRONGLY branded criminals due to inaccurate police record checks
Daily Mail - People branded criminals incorrectly have been paid £1.9million in redress over the last five years. Nearly 12,000 people have been wrongly convicted according to figures published by campaign group Big Brother Watch. Figures showed the most common errors involved information being disclosed by local police forces or the police national computer.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Navy's disturbing new anti-drug PSA features a demonic sailor to warn against the dangers of experimenting with 'bath salts'
Daily Mail - In a bid to warn against the dangers of ‘bath salts’, the U.S. Navy has launched a bizarre PSA featuring a sailor who suffers violent hallucinations in which his girlfriend and roommate turn into demons and he is eventually sectioned.

Illinois lawmakers commit open treason
SavaShip - An Illinois Senate committee passes through strict gun restrictions, that go against the constitutional grain of all federal rulings on the topic. The public health committee voted to go ahead with legislation that is intended to ban all semi-automatic rifles, AND pistols.... The treason portion comes from Governor Quinn when he made this statement: “There is no place in Illinois for weapons designed to rapidly fire at human targets at close range,”

Sheriff Joe Arpaio's solution to protecting school children: An armed volunteer posse
(NaturalNews) In a bold statement Dec. 28, Arpaio said he favors putting an armed sheriff's posse member in each school and that he would be prepared to do so within a week. Currently, there are roughly 50 schools in Maricopa County's district.

Pennsylvania Police Chief Proposes ’2nd Amendment Preservation’ Ordinance
Aaron Dykes - A police chief in Gilberton, Pennsylvania, a small burough in Schuylkill County with a population of only 867 people, is proposing a ’2nd Amendment Preservation’ Ordinance that he plans to present to the city council during its January 24, 2013 meeting.

Sign the petition to demand White House, govt. buildings become 'gun free zones'
(NaturalNews) ...a new petition posted on the White House's We the People website is calling on the administration to practice what it preaches for ordinary Americans. Specifically, the petition demands that the president issue an executive order amending the 1990 Gun-Free School Zones Act to "establish the White House, all federal buildings and federal events as gun free zones and all federal security personnel will turn in their guns."

Washington Free Beacon Reports Radiation Leak at Iran’s Isfahan Nuke Site
Kurt Nimmo - Adam Kredo, writing for the neocon website the Washington Free Beacon, reports that Iran has evacuated the city of Ishahan due to a radiation leak.

YouTube: Full Disclosure: CO, WI, CT shootings.. Are These The Work of "Lone Wolf" Gunmen?
Jan 3, 2013 - Ben Swann Full Disclosure looks at eyewitness accounts from the scenes of the Colorado theater.

Senate Democrats Plan “Nuclear Option” to Enact Anti-Second Amendment Legislation
Kurt Nimmo - Soon after the 113th Congress convenes today, Senate Democrats led by Harry Reid of Nevada will move to destroy the filibuster and put the “nuclear option” in place.“.... “This is a trick which anti-gun Democrats intend to use the first day of the Senate session in order to obliterate the Senate rules and clear the way for 50-vote passage of gun control,” warns Gun Owners of America.

Bullet-tax proposal is new twist in gun-control debate
WND - The Hartford Courant reported last week that two Democratic legislators were proposing a new 50 percent tax on bullets as part of a broader gun-control bill. The Connecticut legislation is one sign that the gun-control debate that the shootings will prompt next year in statehouses around the country could morph into an ammunition-control debate, too.

Illinois Democrats Lose Bid to Pass Firearms Confiscation Bill
Kurt Nimmo - Democrats in the Illinois Senate have failed to gain enough support for legislation that would have outlawed 50 percent of long guns on the market in the state and would have confiscated weapons owned by citizens. On Wednesday, we reported that Illinois Senate President John Cullerton planned to introduce a draconian bill that would have effectively banned all modern firearms, criminalized their owners, and subjected their guns to confiscation by the Illinois State Police.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Meet the man behind the ‘Guns are Welcome’ sign: The intriguing back story and where you can get one
theblaze.com - When Charles Vaught created the now viral “Guns Are Welcome” sign for his safety supply store in North Carolina, he thought it was a one time thing. Now, he’s stocking up as people from Texas, Nevada, Pennsylvania and even Switzerland want to get their hands on the pro-Second Amendment signs.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Demand A Real Plan
Infowars.com - In response to an incredibly misleading Hollywood propaganda piece calling for the state to disarm the American people, Infowars created a video response to call attention to the most potent and deadly threat to humanity: government.

VIDEO/ARTICLE: Innocents Betrayed – Governments Disarm Populations and Genocide Follows
Infowars.com - Warning: Graphic Violence. This disturbing video clearly demonstrates the consequences of centralizing government power and disarming citizens. Genocide always follows, leaving millions of innocent victims dead. From the University of Hawaii, Democide: Murder by Government

Violence Against Women Act Expires On Senate Floor
Donna Anderson - Proving once again that the GOP doesn’t give a flying fig about the rights of women, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) refused to allow the the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to hit the Senate floor, choosing instead to allow the 19-year old bill to die a bloody, battered death, portending a similar fate for millions of American women.

GMO Food Fight: Round Two 2013
nationofchange.org - On Jan. 4, activists in Washington State delivered approximately 300,000 signatures to the state legislature to guarantee that a mandatory GMO labeling Initiative, I-522, will be on the ballot in November. Initial polling shows that Washington state voters will likely pass this Ballot Initiative, no matter how much money the biotech industry and large food corporations put into an anti-labeling campaign.... Vermont’s pro-organic, anti-GMO proponents fully expect to pass a labeling bill by May. Connecticut is right behind them, with plans to introduce a similarly popular GMO labeling bill early this year.

AUDIO: Federal Reserve turns $90 billion profit
marketplace.org - New data capture the scope of profits at the U.S. Federal Reserve, estimated to be $90 billion this year. "The last five or six years their profits have roughly tripled," says Allan Sloan, senior editor-at-large at Fortune Magazine. According to Sloan, the Federal Reserve owes its success to its practice of buying securities with newly printed money. "If you go out an buy $2 or $3 trillion of securities that pay interest and you don't have to pay any interest on the money used to buy the securities, you make a lot of money," says Sloan.

Fiscal cliff deal avoids budget cuts with food safety implications
vaccinenewsdaily.com - A deal cleared by Congress late on Tuesday delays automatic budget cuts to food safety, biosecurity and public health-related agencies... If the cuts do go into effect in two months, the FDA would see a $318 million budget reduction with $71 million coming out of the agency’s food program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service would lose $86 million in funding. The service ensures the safety of poultry, meat and processed egg products.

MDP Shuts Down; USDA Testing of Produce for Pathogens Halted
foodsafetynews.com - The Microbiological Data Program, which used to conduct 80 percent of all federal produce testing for pathogens like Salmonella and Listeria, officially shut down on December 31, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official confirmed. The $4.5 million program had been in shutdown mode since mid-November.... Congress did not fund the program in the last round of appropriations.

Oregon proposes tax for fuel-efficient cars due lost gas taxes
kpic.com - Oregon state officials are proposing an alternative tax for drivers who have bought efficient or electric vehicles that seldom or never stop at the gasoline pump, where government has traditionally collected money to build and fix roads.... In its upcoming session, the Oregon Legislature is expected to consider a bill to require drivers with a vehicle getting at least 55 miles per gallon of gasoline or its equivalent to pay a per-mile tax after 2015.

Barack Obama signs sweeping US defence spending bill
Telegraph - President Barack Obama has signed into law a $633 billion (£390 billion) US defence spending bill that funds the war in Afghanistan and boosts security at US missions worldwide.

VIDEO: REPORT: Geithner Leaving Treasury At End Of January
Daily Bail - Jan. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner plans to leave the administration at the end of January, even if President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans haven’t reached an agreement to raise the debt ceiling, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Figures on government spending and debt
AP - Figures on government spending and debt (last six digits are eliminated). The government's fiscal year runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.Total public debt subject to limit Jan. 2 16,393,975Statutory debt limit 16,394,000Total public debt outstanding Jan. 2 16,432,706...

Transocean Pleads Guilty, Agrees To Pay $1.4 Billion To Settle Charges Related To Gulf Oil Spill
Consumerist - Transocean, the offshore drilling company that operated, on BP’s behalf, the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon rig whose collapse resulted in multiple deaths and untold amounts of oil being released into the Gulf of Mexico, has agreed to plead guilty to violating the Clean Water Act and to pay a total of $1.4 billion in civil and criminal fines and penalties.

US drones kill 13 in Pakistan
Press TV - Multiple U.S. drone strikes in the tribal regions bordering Afghanistan have killed at least 13 people, according to Pakistani intelligence officials. The officials say the missile strikes occurred early Thursday in the South and North Waziristan tribal areas. Islamabad has repeatedly condemned drone attacks as violation of its sovereignty and called on Washington to stop them. Most of the victims of such attacks are civilians-- many of them women and children.

Israeli military preparing hospitals for chemical attacks says report
Rt - Israeli military command is running drills to prepare the country's medical facilities for a variety of security threats, including missile and chemical attacks, the Jerusalem Post reported, quoting a senior IDF source.

Israel tries to avert Palestine awakening
Press TV - An unnamed Israeli security source said on Wednesday that the arrest operations “started in the past few days and will increase.” “There is a certain (Palestinian) awakening,” said the source, adding, “As a consequence a decision was taken within the security establishment to increase intelligence activity and arrests among members of Hamas or activists against Israel.”

Israel evicts 500 Palestinians from WB
Press TV - Many of the Palestinian residents were forced to vacate their homes in the Wadi al-Maleh area in the north of the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, AFP reported. Israel called the homes in the area “illegal” and said the evacuation is temporary and for a military exercise. "Due to a military exercise... temporary eviction notices were distributed today,” the Israeli military said in a statement.

VIDEO: Bahrain meets 2013 with intensified crackdown on protesters
RT - Popular unrest has reignited with renewed vigor in 2013 in Bahrain as Shiite protesters took to the streets to demand a transition government and the removal of Prime Minister Khalifa, who has been premier for almost 40 years.

Iran says captures two U.S.-made miniature surveillance drones
Reuters - Iran has captured two miniature U.S.-made surveillance drones over the past 17 months, Iranian media reported on Wednesday.... The lightweight RQ11 Raven drones were brought down by Iranian air defense units in separate incidents in August 2011 and November 2012, Rear Admiral Amir Rastegari told Fars news agency. "Much of the data of these drones has been decoded by the Army's jihad and research center," he said, without elaborating.

Russian Navy to hold biggest war games in decades
RT - The four major Russian Navy fleets will hold a joint exercise in late January in the Mediterranean and Black seas. It will be the biggest such event in decades. Commands for the Northern, Baltic, Black Sea and Pacific fleets have been preparing for the exercises since December of last year, the Russian Defense Ministry has announced. Warships detached for the event are currently sailing to those regions.

Venezuelan Leader Hugo Chavez In a Coma ‘only kept alive by life support’ After Cancer Surgery
Daily Mail - Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is in an induced coma being kept alive by life support following complications during cancer surgery, it was claimed today. Sources at the hospital in Cuba where he is being treated told a Spanish newspaper he was showing ‘very weak’ vital signs, adding that doctors could decide to switch off the machines ‘at any moment’.

Cash Strapped Red Cross Predicts Violent Riots in Europe
Kurt Nimmo - The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Tuesday that the organization’s staff experienced working in conflict areas will now concentrate on Europe.

Drug-resistant malaria in Thailand threatens deadly global ‘nightmare’
NBC News - The malaria parasite -- carried by infected mosquitoes from person to person -- still kills an estimated 655,000 people a year. That's almost 2,000 a day, mostly in Africa, with children being most at risk. If the world loses its front-line drug, the impact could be devastating.

White House wins fight to keep drone killings of Americans secret
RT - A federal judge issued a 75-page ruling on Wednesday that declares that the US Justice Department does not have a legal obligation to explain the rationale behind killing Americans with targeted drone strikes. United States District Court Judge Colleen McMahon wrote in her finding this week that the Obama administration was largely in the right by rejecting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and The New York Times for materials pertaining to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to execute three US citizens abroad in late 2011 [pdf].

US general retires with rank intact despite bullying claims
RT - US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has permitted the former director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to retire as a three-star general, rather than demote him first. Lt. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly previously faced criticism for his style of command.

N.Y. county vows to withhold pistol permit data from the Journal News
USA Today - Putnam County officials, who say they will refuse a newspaper's request to release the names and addresses of residents with pistol permits, would break New York law in withholding the data, a state official said.

Gun checks soar 39 percent, set new record: FBI
Reuters - The FBI said it recorded 2.78 million background checks during the month, surpassing the mark set in November of 2.01 million checks - about a 39 percent rise.

VIDEO: ATF Agent Seizes 30 Toy Guns!
liveleak.com - Says They can be Converted!

NYPD loses crucial evidence, guns and drugs to Sandy
RT - The New York Police Department lost tons of crucial DNA and other evidence when two of its warehouses were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Now, Gotham's justice system is struggling to produce the materials in court.

Al Jazeera buys Current TV in bid for US airtime
RT - After announcing in October that it was considering looking for a buyer, struggling American cable channel Current TV has been purchased by Al Jazeera. The move will see the Qatar-based international news outlet gain new access to American viewers.

DHS Says ‘Report Neighbors Who Have Coffee Grinders and Goggles
Intel Hub - In a December 27, 2010 “Roll Call Release,” the DHS informed law enforcement and first responders that they should be on the lookout for certain people; but it’s not gun owning patriots or citizen journalists; it’s coffee drinkers and scientists. The document intends to show indicators to the law enforcement and first responders which may suggest that a person is making or has the ability to make CBR (chemical, biological, and radiological) weapons.... Well, here’s a full list of these ‘dangerous indicators.’...

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2012
judicialwatch.org - Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released its 2012 list of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” The list, in alphabetical order, includes...

Hillary Clinton Released From NYC Hospital After Being Treated For Blood Clot
CBS News - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was discharged from New York Presbyterian Hospital Wednesday evening and her medical team is confident she will “make a full recovery.”

Next Prop 37? New Mexico Law Calls for Mandatory Labeling of GMOs
Natural Society - The New Mexico bill, which was introduced by State Senator Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe), goes into debate this year and will likely be hit (in a similar manner to Prop 37) with a ton of corporate-backed roadblocks. Nevertheless, it’s statistically what the consumers want. Over 90 percent of United States citizens have repeatedly voiced their support of GMO labeling legislation. And that’s using very conservative figures; many show 96% or higher.

Hillary Clinton in hospital amid speculation of plane accident in Iran
debka.com - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s admittance to the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Monday, Dec, 31 - with a blood clot caused by concussion - gave wings to a cloud of rumor and conspiracy theories surrounding her state of health.

YouTube: Fox News: Are SSRI Antidepressants Causing School Shootings?
Fox News - "Both clinical trial and pharmacovigilance data point to possible links between these drugs and violent behaviors... Many jurisdictions appear not to have considered the possibility that a prescription drug may induce violence..."

Giles County cancels school Wednesday after website asks if Narrows could be site of next school massacre
Roanoke Times - [Sheriff] Millirons said Virginia State Police informed local law enforcement last week that they had received a tip about an article on a website that pointed out that “Sandy Hook” was referenced on a map in a scene from the Batman movie “The Dark Knight Rises.” Also on the map in the movie was “Narrows,” Millirons said.
* Related Video: Batman Movie Map Closes School in Virginia

Gun Ranges to be Regulated Under Draconian Bill
Paul Joseph Watson - As Infowars reported earlier today, second amendment activists are incensed about an upcoming bill in the Illinois legislature which, according to the Illinois State Rifle Association, would leave gun owners with, “a very short window to turn in your guns to the State Police to avoid prosecution.” The bill, the precise text of which has not yet been released, would virtually ban all modern firearms including semiautomatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns, and pump action shotguns. The legislation could be signed into law as early as Friday, leaving most guns “subject to confiscation by the Illinois State Police.”

Texas Cops Cite Gangs As Justification For Unconstitutional Checkpoints
Steve Watson - In a practice that officials acknowledge has been ongoing for more than a year now, cops in Texas are setting up roadside checkpoints and photographing “suspects”, citing gang culture as a justification. The McAllen Monitor reports that the South Texas Civil Rights Project, based in Alamo, has taken up issue with the San Juan Police Department, noting that “what they’re doing could be unconstitutional.”

VIDEO: Veterans For Peace and Anti-War Groups Retreat From Meaningful Action to Stop War on Syria
Philip C. Restino, Jr. - After a year’s worth of bloodshed in Libya and simultaneous drum-beating for invading Syria in the same manner, H. Con. Res. 107 was introduced on March 7, 2012 by Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) threatening impeachment of the President if he were to take the U.S. to war without a proper authorization by Congress.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly From The Fiscal Cliff Deal
Economic Collapse - The fiscal cliff bill was more than 150 pages long, and our Senators got the bill into their hands just 3 minutes before they voted on it. So none of them actually read the bill. But that is the way things work in America today. The blind are leading the blind and everyone is mindlessly hoping that everything will turn out okay somehow. For a few moments, let's take a closer look at the fiscal cliff deal. There are some good things in there, there are some bad things in there, and there are some things about the deal that are downright ugly.
* Related PDF File of the Fiscal "fraud" Cliff Bill: American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012

Everything Is Going To Come Down To March 1
Business Insider - Here's a day you have to circle in your calendar: March 1, 2013.
Make sure you pre-block off all of your other social engagements, because you're going to want to be around a computer and a TV. First, that's the day that the "sequestration" (mandatory spending cuts) go into effect. But beyond that, it looks like that will also be the day that the debt ceiling hits, according to Goldman's Alec Philips...

VIDEO: Judge Napolitano: Republicans Did Opposite Of What They Were Elected For With Fiscal Cliff Bill
xrepublic.tv - Judge Napolitano didn't mince words this morning as he reacted to the vote on Fox and Friends, saying that Republicans "caved" last night, an action that is "churning the acid in the stomach for a lot of us this morning who believe Republicans were elected to shrink government, reduce spending, stop borrowing and lower taxes."

SNC demands more arms for Syria militants
Press TV - Syria’s main foreign-backed opposition group has called on the international community to provide more weapons to militants fighting against the Syrian government. George Sabra, the chairman of the so-called Syrian National Council (SNC), made the remarks in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Tuesday.

Iranian forces warn off 30 spy drones in drill: Iran cmdr.
Press TV - On the fifth day of the military maneuvers on Tuesday, the spokesman for the Velayat 91 naval drills Rear Admiral Amir Rastegari noted that Iranian forces have so far stopped 30 intrusion attempts by foreign spy drones and reconnaissance aircraft into the maneuver zone.

VIDEO: Israeli settlers raid, vandalize West Bank village
Press TV - The attackers also caused serious property damage to houses and farm machineries in al-Qusra village on Tuesday. “The settlers cut off all the olive trees and threw stones at the houses. This is the second time this has happened this week. The settlers have been harassing us for three years. They have shot and injured our people,” a villager told Press TV.

Japan plans 'nationalisation' of factories to save industry
Telegraph - Japan's government is to take the unprecedented step of buying factories and machinery directly with taxpayer funds, the latest in a series of radical steps to lift the country out of its deep slump.

'Tsunami bomb' tested off New Zealand coast
Telegraph - The tests were carried out in waters around New Caledonia and Auckland during the Second World War and showed that the weapon was feasible and a series of 10 large offshore blasts could potentially create a 33-foot tsunami capable of inundating a small city. The top secret operation, code-named "Project Seal", tested the doomsday device as a possible rival to the nuclear bomb. About 3,700 bombs were exploded during the tests, first in New Caledonia and later at Whangaparaoa Peninsula, near Auckland.

China's Newest And Deadliest Warship Has Entered The South China Sea
Business Insider - As five other countries claim ownership of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, and its supposed billions in oil and gas deposits, China's backing its claim by sending the newest warship it has to the region.

Turning up the heat: Probe finds 'inadequate fireproofing' in Japanese reactors
RT - A number of Japanese nuclear plants are ill-equipped to deal with fires, a report in the Japanese media has revealed. In the wake of the country’s Fukushima disaster, poor fireproofing could set back the reactivation of nuclear stations by years.

Tens of Thousands march in rival protests over Hong Kong’s leader
RT - Up to 130,000 people have held rival marches in Hong Kong both for and against the city’s chief executive, Leung Chun Ying.... Leung’s critics say he should step down over allegations he lied about illegal renovations to his mansion. Leung secretly extended his $64 million home without getting government planning permission or paying real estate fees.

U.S. Can't Account for $200 Million in NATO Gas Receipts for Afghan Army Fuel
allgov.com - Thanks to unauthorized shredding of documents, U.S. officials in Afghanistan have been unable to account for about $200 million spent by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on fuel for the Afghan Army over a two-year period.

New report highlights ethics and policy dangers of 'military human enhancements'
Activist Post - In a new 108-page report prepared for the Greenwall Foundation by Patrick Lin, PhD, Maxwell Mehlman, JD and Keith Abney ABD, the many risks are outlined along with some of the many “human enhancement projects recently or currently pursued by militaries worldwide.”

NY area lawmakers: House GOP scraps vote Sandy aid
AP - New York area-lawmakers in both parties erupted in anger late Tuesday night after learning the House Republican leadership decided to allow the current term of Congress to end without holding a vote on aid for victims of Superstorm Sandy.

VIDEO: Top 10 Events that Prove Obama Planned Gun Control Long Before Newtown Tragedy
Aaron Dykes - It should be painfully obvious that the gun grabbers — including the likes of President Obama, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Vice President Joe Biden, among many others — are not responding to the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting alone, but are using that terrible tragedy to implement a gun control agenda they have long ago planned, waiting for the right timing to achieve their aims.

VIDEO: Media Distorting Crime States For An Agenda
Activist Post - Must see. Crime stats they'd rather you not hear.

'JOURNAL NEWS' hires armed security guards after 'name and shame' of armed citizens
rocklandtimes.com - According to police reports on public record, Journal News Rockland Editor Caryn A. McBride was alarmed by the volume of “negative correspondence,” namely an avalanche of phone calls and emails to the Journal News office, following the newspaper’s publishing of a map of all pistol permit holders in Rockland and Westchester.

VIDEO: US Government murdered more children at WACO than were killed at Sandy Hook
Daily Paul - Where is the outrage?

YouTube: Emilie Parker Found 2 Days After Shooting

VIDEO: Three shooters involved in Sandy Hook carnage: Shrimpton
A specialist in National Security and Constitutional Law said that there were three shooters at Sandy Hook massacre that left 26 people, including 20 children, dead. “The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was the work of three. I say again three shooters. It’s possible that Adam Lanza was one of those three, although there is some doubt about that. Some people within the intelligence community don’t accept… I think he was involved,” Michael Shrimpton told Press TV’s U.S. Desk on Tuesday.

White House Petition: Eliminate armed guards for the President, Vice-President, and their families, and establish Gun Free Zones around them
Gun Free Zones are supposed to protect our children, and some politicians wish to strip us of our right to keep and bear arms. Those same politicians and their families are currently under the protection of armed Secret Service agents. If Gun Free Zones are sufficient protection for our children, then Gun Free Zones should be good enough for politicians.

Obama Returns to Hawaii at an Added Cost of Over $3 Million
.whitehousedossier.com - In a move that is rich in irony, President Obama this morning agreed to sign an emergency deficit reduction bill that does almost nothing to rein in spending and then jetted out to Hawaii to resume his vacation at an extra cost of more than $3 million to taxpayers. The price tag is in addition to more than $4 million that is already being spent on the Obamas’ Hawaii idyll, bringing the total cost of the excursion to well over $7 million.

50 Predictions For 2013
Economic Collapse - I openly admit that I won't get all of these predictions right, and that is okay. Hopefully I will at least be more accurate than most of the other armchair prognosticators out there. It is important to look ahead and try to get a handle on what is coming, because I believe that the rest of this decade is going to be extraordinarily chaotic for the U.S. economy.

Fiscal Cliff: White House declares victory
Politico - The White House issued a “fact sheet” statement Tuesday declaring the fiscal cliff agreement a victory, though the House has yet to vote on the measure.
* Related Article/Video: $1 in Spending Cuts for Every $41 in Tax Increases

Senate-Passed Deal Means Higher Tax on 77% of Households
Bloomberg - More than 80 percent of households with incomes between $50,000 and $200,000 would pay higher taxes. Among the households facing higher taxes, the average increase would be $1,635, the policy center said. A 2 percent payroll tax cut, enacted during the economic slowdown, is being allowed to expire as of yesterday.

6 Things You Won't Believe That Are In The Fiscal Cliff Bill That The Senate Passed At 2 AM
Business Insider - The bill is pretty straightforward. Income tax rates will only rise on those making over $400K (liberals wanted $250K, GOP wanted no taxes to rise). Spending cuts will be delayed for 2 months to give the sides more time to address them. So why is the bill 157-pages long? Because when Washington does business and passes a huge bill, there are all kinds of little other pre-existing tax things most Americans have never heard of, but which needed to be extended, that also get into the bill. It's just how it works.

UH-OH: Republicans Are Threatening To Amend To Fiscal Cliff Bill With Spending Cuts
Business Insider - GOP House leaders are now suggesting that they plan to amend the bill to include spending cuts — an outcome that will almost certainly be unpalatable to Democrats in the Senate. The new deadline for the fiscal cliff is Thursday, when the 112th Congress officially ends. If lawmakers can't reach a deal by that date, then the whole ordeal has to start over in the new Congress.

Soaring cost of military drugs could hurt budget
statesman.com - Last year, the Pentagon spent more on pills, injections and vaccines than it did on Black Hawk helicopters, Abrams tanks, Hercules C-130 cargo planes and Patriot missiles — combined.

What the mainstream media and the politicians are NOT telling you about military spending
Ian Shilling - The politicians outright lie about military spending every day. Boehner: "the military cuts (in the fiscal cliff sequestration) will have a drastic effect on our National Defense." Total garbage - they could find the $24bn in the fiscal cliff from petty cash. But nobody - not from the GOP or the Dems or the mainstream media calls him out about it.

Opposition grows to congressional pay raise
Press TV - Democratic Rep. John Barrow of Georgia is urging House leadership to block an executive order authorizing raises for members of Congress and Vice President Joe Biden. At a time when American families face real hardship, it would be irresponsible to allow Congressional pay to increase. Too many families face uncertainty in the New Year for Congress to get a bonus”, Barrow said in a statement Monday.

ABC News Investigations of the Year: Phantom Debt Collectors
ABC News - Hundreds of thousands of cash-strapped Americans were being targeted by abusive debt collectors operating out of overseas call centers, part of what authorities were calling a massive scam that targeted struggling Americans -- especially those who have gone online to apply for payday loans.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE!!!!
To all our wonderful supporters for TPH and the homeless vets in Houston. Look what all we did together. Our sincere thanks to those who donated, who helped pack (Joshs' family) for shipping costs (Vic our incredible UPS manager) and especially the workers at Vintage store in Versailles, Scott and Becky.  Also, a special thank you to Joyce who encouraged all to help!!  Together we put some smiles on many faces this year!!

Click on the links below to view a few photos:

* Houston Homeless - Christmas Day 2012

* US Vets Christmas Party 2012

$10 Billion Settlement Expected on Past Abuses in Home Loans
NY Times - Banking regulators are close to a $10 billion settlement with 14 banks that would end the government’s efforts to hold lenders responsible for foreclosure abuses like faulty paperwork and excessive fees that may have led to evictions, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. Under the settlement, a significant amount of the money, $3.75 billion, would go to people who have already lost their homes...

Iran Stages ‘Cyber Warfare Drill’
Rachel Hirshfeld - Iranian forces have combined cyber warfare tactics and maritime war games in a drill for the first time as the Islamic republic's naval units staged maneuvers in the Strait of Hormuz, media reports said on Monday.

Reports: Russia sends another naval ship to Syrian port
Washington Post - Russian news agencies say the navy is sending another ship to the Syrian port of Tartus, where Russia has a naval base.... The reports gave no information on the ship’s intent. But Russian diplomats have said that Moscow is preparing a plan to evacuate thousands of Russians from Syria if necessary.

The Tri-Command Strategy and Merging U.S.-Canada Arctic Foreign Policy
Dana Gabriel - On December 11, 2012, the U.S. and Canada signed the Tri-Command Framework for Arctic Cooperation which will further integrate United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

Obama authorizes five more years of warrantless wiretapping
RT - Federal detectives won’t need a warrant to eavesdrop on the emails and phone calls of Americans for another five years. President Obama reauthorized an intelligence gathering bill on Sunday that puts national security over constitutional rights.

YouTube: Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk 12/31/12: New Year's Message to Congress: Follow the Constitution!
As I prepare to retire from Congress, I’d like to suggest a few New Year’s resolutions for my colleagues to consider. For the sake of liberty, peace, and prosperity I certainly hope more members of Congress consider the strict libertarian constitutional approach to government in 2013. Video text here.

Hillary Clinton hospitalized after doctors discover blood clot
CNN News - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was hospitalized Sunday after doctors discovered a blood clot during a follow-up exam related to a concussion she suffered this month, her spokesman said.
Related Article: Clinton's Clot 'Between the Brain and the Skull Behind the Right Ear'

VIDEO: Dianne Feinstein Says Her Goal is to Disarm All Americans
Alex Jones - Dianne Feinstein: “If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States, for an outright ban, picking up [every gun]… Mr. and Mrs. America, turn ‘em all in.”

SRO Crowds Attend Gun Shows Across America in Response to Fed Gun Grab Plan
Kurt Nimmo - Americans understand that Obama and Feinstein are coming for the guns. In response, they are attending gun shows — that will soon be illegal — in large numbers.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Faces Customer Outrage Over Gun Ban
Fox News - Dick’s announced just before Christmas that it was suspended sales of rifles out of respect for the victims of the school shooting. But some customers allege the company is also refusing to honor sales made the day after Thanksgiving. And thousands have joined a Facebook page calling for a boycott of the company.

AUDIO: NC Police Lieutenant: 30-45 days until Martial Law
Daily Paul - Listen to the audio clip from "The Pastor Butch Paugh Show". Summery: Law enforcement is being trained to confiscate, disarm, and take down the American Patriots. Law enforcement is training with Military Drones. The Police Officers who are volunteering to train to kill Patriots are young and use steroids.... Predicts that in the next 2-3 months individual patriots will be killed, arrested, and have their weapons and prep gear confiscated.

Iowa implementing face recognition program to track sex offenders
RT - The Iowa Department of Public Safety has secured $110,000 in federal funds that will be used to implement a state-wide face recognition program that will start with tracking convicted sex criminals.

British Olympic hero held as suspected terrorist by US customs
RT - Mo Farah, a British citizen who won two gold medals for running during London 2012 was held by US customs when leaving the country to see his family for Christmas, as they suspected he might be a terrorist, because he was born in Somalia.

Big Sis Spy Drone At Vikings-Packers Game?
Paul Joseph Watson - TSA agents were out in force during yesterday’s Vikings-Packers game at the Metrodome in Minnesota, in addition to a surveillance drone that was spotted keeping tabs on fans – another illustration of how the federal agency is expanding its remit well outside the realm of transportation.

20 dark predictions for 2013, the year of oppression and insanity
(NaturalNews) 2013 will go down in history as the year of global insanity. The Earth isn't going crazy, but many of the people who inhabit it certainly are. Madness is about to be unleashed on many fronts: economic, social, political, financial and more. In the near future, you will look back on the Christmas of 2012 and think, "Wow, those were the GOOD times!"

Pentagon To "Temporarily" Fire 800,000 If No Cliff Deal; Chaos To Ensue
Zero Hedge - Illustrating the gravity of the cuts, the Pentagon plans to notify 800,000 civilian employees that they could be forced to take several weeks of unpaid leave in 2013 if a deal isn't struck, and other agencies are likely to follow suit.

VIDEO: US fiscal cliff, a political jockeying: Dr Paul Craig Roberts
xrepublic.tv - A former US Assistant Treasurer says the US Fiscal cliff is mainly hoax and that it amounts to a mere one tenth of the growth of the US public Debt per year. In the background of this, the fiscal cliff deadline looms with politicians unable to strike a deal on a package to prevent a 'potential crisis that could send the US back into recession' according to American media.

VIDEO: Happy New Year Middle Class: The Fiscal Cliff Is Going To Rip You To Shreds
Economic Collapse - The middle class has quite a gift welcoming them as the calendar flips over to 2013. Their payroll taxes are going to go up, their income taxes are going to go up, and approximately 28 million households are going to be hit with a huge, unexpected AMT tax bill on their 2012 earnings. So happy New Year middle class!