Monday, April 14, 2014

Accused Kansas Shooter Called Hitler 'Greatest Man that Ever Walked the Earth'

 

The accused shooter in the Overland Park Jewish Community Center shooting once praised Hitler as the “greatest man that ever walked the earth” in an interview with radio host Howard Stern.

Frazier Glenn Miller, Jr. was interviewed by Stern in 2010 after he launched an independent campaign for Senate in Missouri.

Miller used his media opportunity to launch a stream of vitriolic hatred against the Jewish people, calling them “parasites” that had bought the Republican and Democratic parties in America.

When asked by Stern about his opinion of Hitler, Miller proclaimed that he was the “greatest man that ever walked the earth” and also “the most lied about man.”

Miller also ranted about “neo-con Jews” like Paul Wolfowitz and Bill Kristol during the interview who were responsible for America's aggressive foreign policy and “murdering millions of people in the Middle East."





Accused Kansas Shooter Called Hitler 'Greatest Man that Ever Walked the Earth'
Mon, 14 Apr 2014 15:30:00 GMT

To Stop Russia, Cancel Obama's 'New Start'

 

Among the many dubious legacies of "moderate" Republicans is the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, also known as "New START," which the Senate ratified in December 2010, just after the electorate had delivered a resounding condemnation of the Obama administration's left-wing agenda. New START was the centerpiece of President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's ill-conceived and ill-fated "reset" with Russia.

As conservatives, such as former UN Ambassador John Bolton, noted at the time, New START amounted to a policy of unilateral disarmament by the United States. It was a disastrous and unwarranted step, taken in the wake of Russia's aggression in Georgia, and was done partly because of Obama's conviction that U.S. power is itself the central problem of international affairs, and partly because he had "moderate" Republican help.

Sen. Dick Lugar, then representing Indiana but barely living there, was a staunch advocate of "New START," and the mainstream media praised his statesmanship as a way of attacking his fellow Republicans. Ronald Brownstein of National Journal, for instance, lauded Lugar as an exemplar of "traditional internationalism inside the GOP," while disdaining those Republicans who wanted "unilateral American freedom of action."

So before the Tea Party hobbits arrived on Capitol Hill, inspired by the (well-informed and prescient) Sarah Palin, Lugar delivered the necessary votes to ratify New START. Relations with Russia have been a disaster since then, with Vladimir Putin backing the genocidal dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad, continuing to support the Iranian nuclear program, and now annexing the Crimea and threatening the stability of Eastern Europe.

Instead of sending weapons to shore up the defenses of the beleaguered Ukraine--who sent troops to fight with us in Iraq, by the way--the Obama administration is sending rations, i.e. Spam. Unless the luncheon meat has Kryptonite-like qualities on Russian troops and Russian-supporting paramilitaries, it is unlikely to have much of an effect. Sadly, few Republicans are offering anything more substantive as a response to the Ukraine crisis.

But there is one very simple way to begin a response: cancel New START. Doing so would not require sending U.S. troops overseas, or involving ourselves in international affairs we clearly have no patience to unravel. It simply means undoing something we ought never to have done in the first place--and sending a strong signal to Putin that his actions have strategic costs that will actually set back Russia's overall geopolitical position.

Treaties are not set in stone, after all. After all, Russia itself has violated the Budapest Memorandum of 1994 by violating Ukraine's territorial integrity. In 2012, it withdrew unilaterally from the Nunn-Lugar arrangement to monitor nuclear weapons in the former Soviet republics. Obama ought to have registered that signal of Russia's aggressive intent. It is well past time for the U.S. to signal back that we will defend our interests.

President Obama would, no doubt, resist any attempt to unravel what he considers (tellingly) part of his foreign policy legacy. But Congress can put pressure on him to withdraw from New START--and, in addition, pressure Democrats to indicate where they stand, with a view to both 2014 and 2016. If Putin is certain that another weak administration will replace Obama's, he will press forward. If he is unsure, he is likelier to relent.





To Stop Russia, Cancel Obama's 'New Start'
Mon, 14 Apr 2014 15:41:00 GMT

Feds to Pursue Bundy Ranch ‘Judicially’ After Standoff

 

Despite aborting their roundup and allowing “trespassing” cattle returned to the Bundy ranch in southern Nevada, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently offered public statements claiming it would continue to pursue the ranchers in court. Should the agency choose to do so, it would be the third time federal courts were utilized in the matter.

BLM spokesman Craig Leff told the Associated Press the agency was in no way ceasing its efforts with Cliven Bundy, claiming he would be pursued “administratively and judicially." Leff added that the BLM will “figure out how to move forward with this” and that “the door isn’t closed.”

According to the wire report, what may have appeared to be a resolution to the standoff evidenced by the returning of the cattle was only a temporary measure, according to Las Vegas Police Lt. Dan Zehnder. Lt. Zander claimed that that Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie negotiated a short-term resolution with the Bundy family without the BLM or the National Park Service (NPS) not being direct parties to the discussion.

The BLM affirmed local law enforcement’s claims on the matter.

"The BLM and National Park Service did not cut any deal and negotiate anything," BLM spokesman Leff said. "There was no deal we made."

As Breitbart News recently reported in detail, the Bundy family and the U.S. Department of the Interior are no strangers to one another in “administrative” and “judicial” conflict resolution scenarios. The parties locked horns beginning in 1994 after the BLM revoked the family’s grazing permit for alleged failure to renew use rights. Around the same time, BLM changed the terms of grazing rights forcing users to reduce herd sizes in an effort to protect a tortoise that inhabited the area. The following two decades were filled with administrative threats, federal court orders with appeals and claimed attempts to cut deals.

It was not until April 2014 that the BLM acted to impound “trespassing” cattle in compliance with a court order that was originally issued in late 1998. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a fresh court order from 2013 to perform the same action.

It remains to be seen if the BLM and NPS will actually seek a third order.

Follow Logan Churchwell on Twitter @LCChurchwell





Feds to Pursue Bundy Ranch ‘Judicially’ After Standoff
Mon, 14 Apr 2014 15:44:56 GMT

How Paramount Blew It with 'Noah'

 

What could have been a financial windfall for Paramount has turned into a film that might not break even. Hopefully, the box office history of "Noah" will tell Hollywood two things:

1. If you build it, we will come: The Faithful will flock to what they believe is a well-made biblical epic. "Noah's" Opening weekend proves that. No one expected a $44 million opener. People showed up to enjoy their Bible on the big screen. Until…

2. Don't bait-and-switch The Faithful: "Noah" could not hold on to the promise of its boffo opening weekend because it is a bait-and-switch flick that was only able to sucker The Faithful for a few days. After word got out that "Noah" is nothing close to the story of Noah but really an anti-God epic filled with nonsensical pieces of Kabbalah, Gnosticism, and environmental lunacy, the box office collapsed.

Imagine the money Paramount would be making if the film kept its promise?

Currently, "Noah" sits at $247 million worldwide. That means it has made back its $125 million production budget. With a promotion budget that has to be somewhere around $50 to $75 million, "Noah" will need to clear another $100 to $150 million. In North America, Box Office Mojo is now questioning if it can haul in another $10 million.

So at the very best, "Noah" is going to squeak out a break even.

It didn’t have to be like this. The opening weekend proves there's a demand for these kinds of films. But director Darren Aronofsky and Paramount just couldn’t bring themselves to be decent. And now what could have been a blockbuster is a financial wash.  





How Paramount Blew It with 'Noah'
Mon, 14 Apr 2014 15:55:00 GMT

Texas Border Official Admits to Public Corruption

 

40-year-old Maria Patricia Medina, the former chief of staff for the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office, pled guilty  to covering up a felony related to elections in her district. As a result she could spend up to three years in prison and a hefty fine, according to local media outlet KRGV. 

More specifically, reports state that Medina attempted to cover a trail of money given to former Sheriff Lupe Trevino's election campaign by an alleged drug trafficker. Medina reportedly covered up records of the donations, which were given in cash from 2011-2012. 

Breitbart Texas’ Contributing Editor Syliva Longmire considers the episode to be representative of a larger issue involving public officials getting wrapped up in a culture of greed fuled by drug cartels.

“In a place like south Texas that is economically disadvantaged in many areas, it's increasingly difficult for some public officials to turn away from the large amounts of money involved in the drug business,” Longmire said. “It's tragic to see a border agency tainted this way, but good that the transparency of the investigation is shining a spotlight on the lesser known impacts of the drug war in our border communities.”

A spokesperson from the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office confirmed to Breitbart Texas that Sheriff Lupe Trevino resigned, but refused to answer further questions at this time. KRGV reported that Trevino stepped down on March 28 and was not charged with a crime.

County records confirm that J.E. "Eddie" Guerra took Trevino's place and is now the Interim Sheriff. Reacting to Medina's guilty plea, Guerra told  Channel 5 News, "They resigned for a reason and now we know why they resigned...I will tell the citizens of Hidalgo County, I've only been on the job for a week, but there is a lot of good men and women working for the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office."

The recent incident involving Medina is only the most recent in a string of events involving corruption and town officials. 

In early April, Breitbart Texas reported on a bribery case in Progreso, Texas, involving Mayor Omar Leonel Vela. Vela, along with his brother Michael Vela, President of the Progreso Independent School District (PISD), and his father Jose Guadalupe Vela Jr., admitted to accepting more than $300,000 in bribes from contractors bidding to do work for the district. 

The Velas were able to carry out their scheme, undetected, for many consecutive years due to the power they collectively held in local government. A plea agreement obtained by Breitbart Texas said, "The Velas were able to extract bribes from contractors as a result of their political control of Progreso and PISD... In addition, Jose Vela controlled the PISD School Board by rewarding with bribe money board members who voted as he directed."

Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate





Texas Border Official Admits to Public Corruption
Mon, 14 Apr 2014 16:08:21 GMT

Kids Whose Parents Opted Out of Common Core Left Out of Sweet Treat

 

A New York school district apologized after it held an ice cream party for third- through sixth-graders who took the Common Core language arts exams, but excluded the children whose parents opted out of the controversial education standards.

Houstyn Lehman 5, works on math work as she waits for her mother in the gallery of the State House of Representatives Thursday, March 13, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. A proposal to delay further implementation of the state’s Common Core standards was approved in the House on Thursday. (AP Photo/The Tennessean, George Walker IV )

Arkport Central School District in Arkport, N.Y., spent much of the last week answering questions about the disparate treatment, fending off what the school’s chief called “ugly” comments on social media and drawing a big crowd at the education board meeting Wednesday night, according to WLEA-AM.

One parent even labeled it “ice cream gate.”

“Very sorry that it was taken in the light that it was taken,” Arkport School Superintendent Glenn Niles told WLEA. “We try to do a simple token, as we’ve done every year that we’ve ever tested, this year was no different. We just had more kids that didn’t take the tests, and therefore, it was a little bigger deal, so we will evaluate what we do in the future.”

Common Core refers to the English and math standards developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. While 44 states, including the District of Columbia, adopted the standards, many of them have since backpedaled: Indiana repealed Common Core altogether, while New York and others are reviewing the implementation of the standards.

Arkport Elementary Principal Catlin Dewey read a prepared apology at the board meeting.

Niles, however, also accused the public of not responding properly.

“I am very disappointed in the reaction, quite honestly.  We were never asked to explain ourselves, we were just basically attacked through social media and through other venues, and it was really unfortunate,” said Niles. “Some of the things said about me, about Mrs. Dewey and about the school, are really just plainly ugly.”

(H/T Biz Pac Review)

Follow Fred Lucas (@FredVLucas3) on Twitter

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Mon, 14 Apr 2014 15:44:50 GMT

Obama: ‘No One Should Ever Have to Fear for Their Safety When They Go to Pray’

 

President Barack Obama used his remarks at the White House Easter Prayer Breakfast to call for Americans to fight religious-based bigotry and intolerance one day after a former Ku Klux Klan leader allegedly shot and killed three people at Jewish centers in Overland Park, Kan.

President Barack Obama speaks at the Easter Prayer Breakfast at the White House in Washington, D.C., April 14, 2014. (AFP/Yuri Gripas)

“Nobody should have to worry about their security when gathering with their fellow believers,” Obama said. “No one should ever have to fear for their safety when they go to pray.”

Police said Frazier Glenn Miller, said to be a former “grand dragon” with the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, killed two people at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and then killed another person at the Village Shalom Retirement Center.

Obama pointed out that the shooting occurred during a holy time for both Jews and Christians. Two of the victims, a grandfather and his teenage grandson, attended the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection and were at the community center for an event.

“As a government, we’re going to provide whatever assistance is needed to support the investigation,” Obama said. “As Americans, we not only need to open our hearts to the families of the victims, we’ve got to stand united against this kind of terrible violence, which has no place in our society, and we have to keep coming together across faiths to combat the ignorance and intolerance, including anti-Semitism that can lead to hatred and to violence, because we’re all children of God.”

Obama also spoke at the Easter breakfast about meeting with Pope Francis during his trip through Europe last month.

“I had a wonderful conversation with Pope Francis, mainly about the imperatives of addressing poverty, inequality, and I invited him to come to the United States, and I sincerely hope he will,” he said.

Obama, a Protestant, said Pope Francis has moved all Christians by his example.

“Some of it is his words; his message of justice and inclusion, especially for the poor, the outcast, he implores us to see the inherent dignity in each human being,” Obama said. “But it’s also his deeds, hugging the homeless man, washing the feet of somebody normally that ordinary folks would just pass by on the street. He reminds us that no matter what our station have an obligation to live righteously and we all have an obligation to live humbly.”

Follow Fred Lucas (@FredVLucas3) on Twitter

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Obama: ‘No One Should Ever Have to Fear for Their Safety When They Go to Pray’
Fred Lucas
Mon, 14 Apr 2014 15:03:47 GMT

Authorities Arrest 14-Year-Old Girl Who Tweeted Threat at American Airlines

 

Authorities have arrested the 14-year-old girl who ignited an Internet firestorm after tweeting a threat at American Airlines Sunday.

Police in Rotterdam, Netherlands tweeted Monday morning from their official account that the Dutch girl has been arrested and that the investigation into the matter continues.

Dutch girl (14) from Rotterdam arrested after American Airlines threat. Investigation continues. #Rotterdam #Police #Force @americanair

— Politie Rotterdam eo (@Politie_Rdam) April 14, 2014

The girl, who identified herself as Sarah online, initially tweeted at American Airlines that she was a member of Al Qaeda and was going to “do something really big” on June 1. She later said she was joking.

Image source: Twitter

Image source: Twitter

The airline tweeted back at her saying they “take these threats very seriously” and said that her IP address and details would be forwarded to security and the FBI.

Image source: Twitter

Image source: Twitter

Both Sarah and American Airlines eventually removed their initial tweets. Sarah’s account was later suspended by Twitter.

Follow Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) on Twitter

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Authorities Arrest 14-Year-Old Girl Who Tweeted Threat at American Airlines
Oliver Darcy
Mon, 14 Apr 2014 15:16:06 GMT

Plane Makes Emergency Landing After Man, Soaking Wet From Bathroom, ‘Decided That He Wanted Us to Visit the Lord Today’

 

A Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Sacramento was forced to land in Nebraska Sunday after a man became unruly and tried to open one of the plane’s back hatches.

The suspect was arrested in Omaha after the emergency landing. It is unclear what charges, if any were filed. (Image source: KABC)

The suspect was arrested in Omaha after the emergency landing. (Image source: KABC)

“Some gentleman just decided that he wanted us to visit the Lord today, and decided to open up the back hatch of Southwest Airlines flight while we were already up in the air,” Monique Lawler from Diamond Bar, Calif., told KABC-TV after the plane landed safely at its intended destination two hours late.

Lawler added that the man, who was not yet identified by name, was acting strangely before he tried to open the door. At one point, he emerged from the plane’s bathroom soaking wet.

When he started to open the hatch, a flight attendant and passengers screamed for help, prompting a male passenger to jump up and take the suspect down, KABC reported.

“He kind of subdued him, held him down, and he tried a couple of times to open up the back hatch,” Lawler told the news station, adding that they “were applauding the gentlemen.”

Dr. Scott Porter was one of a few men who jumped up to tackle the suspect.

“He was going to do bad things to the plane, so it was pretty scary,” Porter told KCRA-TV. “We basically tackled […] the guy who was back there and then pinned him down. I got the sense he was probably on some sort of drugs or that he was psychotic.”

“You got this bad feeling that wasn’t going right, especially when a bunch of big guys got up and immediately jumped into the aisle and ran to the back of the plane,” passenger Lori Depalma added to KCRA about the incident.

Watch KABC’s report:

Officials boarded the plane when it landed in Omaha and arrested the suspect. The plane was then allowed to continue on to Sacramento.

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Liz Klimas
Mon, 14 Apr 2014 16:01:44 GMT

U.S. Military Official: Russian Fighter Jet Made Repeated, Close-Range Passes Near American Warship

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Russian fighter jet made multiple, close-range passes near an American warship in the Black Sea for more than 90 minutes Saturday amid escalating tensions in the region, a U.S. military official said Monday.

In the first public account of the incident, the official said the Russian Fencer flew within 1,000 yards of the USS Donald Cook, a Navy destroyer, at about 500 feet above sea level. Ship commanders considered the actions provocative and inconsistent with international agreements, prompting the ship to issue several radio queries and warnings.

US warship, the USS Donald Cook, sails through the Bosporus in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, April 10, 2014, en route to the Black Sea. According to a US Department of Defense press release, the guided missile destroyer's deployment is part of " the U.S. commitment to mutual goals in the region," and that it will participate in operations and exercises in the area. Istanbul's two landmarks Haghia Sophia, right, and Blue Mosque are in the background.(AP Photo/Emrah

US warship, the USS Donald Cook, sails through the Bosporus in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, April 10, 2014, en route to the Black Sea. According to a US Department of Defense press release, the guided missile destroyer’s deployment is part of ” the U.S. commitment to mutual goals in the region,” and that it will participate in operations and exercises in the area. Istanbul’s two landmarks Haghia Sophia, right, and Blue Mosque are in the background.(AP Photo/Emrah

The fighter appeared to be unarmed and never was in danger of coming in contact with the ship, said the official, who was not authorized to talk publicly by name about the encounter so spoke on condition of anonymity. The passes, which occurred in the early evening there, ended without incident.

The official also said that a Russian Navy ship, a frigate, has been shadowing the U.S. warship, remaining within visual distance but not close enough to be unsafe.

The USS Donald Cook has been conducting routine operations in international waters east of Romania. The ship, which carries helicopters, was deployed to the Black Sea on April 10, in the wake of the Russian military takeover of Ukraine’s Crimea region and ongoing unrest there.

Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr Turchynov on Monday called for the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping troops in the east of the country, where pro-Russian insurgents have occupied buildings in nearly 10 cities. The gunmen are demanding more autonomy from the central government and closer ties with Russia.

The West has accused Moscow of fomenting the unrest. And European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg Monday to consider additional sanctions against Russian officials because of Moscow’s annexation of Crimea.

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Associated Press
Mon, 14 Apr 2014 16:11:21 GMT

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Boehner calls GOP rep 'a--hole' in front of Dems

 

(CNSNEWS) — House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the most powerful Republican in Congress, called his GOP colleague Rep. Steve King of Iowa an “a–hole” while speaking with two Democratic members on the House floor, according to Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas).

Castro described what happened in a story he wrote for the February issue of Texas Monthly magazine.

Back in July 2013, Rep. King, a conservative popular with the Tea Party, commented on illegal immigrants in an interview with Newsmax, saying that not all young illegals are valedictorians but that many smuggle drugs into America.

Re-Blogged from WND

Boehner calls GOP rep 'a--hole' in front of Dems
-NO AUTHOR-
Wed, 05 Feb 2014 01:08:40 GMT

Justice Scalia: You Are ‘Kidding Yourself’ If You Think World War II-Style Internment Camps Will Never Happen Again

 

HONOLULU (TheBlaze/AP) — Don’t fool yourself into believing that the Supreme Court will never again allow a wartime violation of civil rights like it did in allowing internment camps for Japanese-Americans during World War II, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia warned law students at the University of Hawaii on Monday.

Justice Scalia: World War II Style Internment Camps Could Happen Again

FILE – In this March 8, 2012 file phoo, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia speaks at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. Scalia says the nation’s highest court was wrong 70 years ago to uphold the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. But he told students and faculty at the University of Hawaii’s law school on Monday, Feb. 3, 2014, the case came during a time of panic about the war. Scalia says he wouldn’t be surprised if the court ruled similarly during another conflict. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

Scalia said the nation’s highest court was wrong to uphold the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, but something similar could easily happen during a future conflict.

In a 1944 decision in Korematsu v. United States, the Supreme Court upheld the convictions of Gordon Hirabayashi and Fred Korematsu for violating an order to report to an internment camp.

He also cited a Latin expression meaning, “In times of war, the laws fall silent.”

“Well of course Korematsu was wrong. And I think we have repudiated in a later case. But you are kidding yourself if you think the same thing will not happen again,” Scalia told students and faculty during a lunchtime Q-and-A session.

“That’s what was going on – the panic about the war and the invasion of the Pacific and whatnot. That’s what happens. It was wrong, but I would not be surprised to see it happen again, in time of war. It’s no justification, but it is the reality,” he added, according to the Associated Press.

Avi Soifer, the law school’s dean, said he believed Scalia was suggesting people always have to be vigilant and that the law alone can’t be trusted to provide protection.

Soifer said it’s good to hear Scalia say the Korematsu ruling was wrong, noting the justice has been among those who have reined in the power of military commissions regardless of the administration.

“We do need a court that sometimes will say there are individual or group rights that are not being adequately protected by the democratic process,” Soifer said.

Scalia was appointed to the nation’s highest court in 1986, making him the longest-serving justice currently on the court.

Re-Blogged from The Blaze

Justice Scalia: You Are ‘Kidding Yourself’ If You Think World War II-Style Internment Camps Will Never Happen Again
Jason Howerton
Wed, 05 Feb 2014 01:00:25 GMT

Vandal Burns Jesus Statue’s Face Right Off Outside Catholic Church

 

Someone burned the face of a statue of Jesus completely off outside a Catholic church in eastern Pennsylvania over the weekend, rendering its features totally unrecognizable.

Monsignor John Mraz, pastor at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Emmaus, Pa., said the incident happened Sunday morning around 7 a.m. He noticed a bright orange light outside before Mass and realized that the statue of Jesus had been set ablaze.

It’s not clear what prompted the act, though statues at St. Ann’s have been vandalized in the past: Statues of Jesus and of Mary have been repeatedly toppled over and the church’s wall was once spray-painted with “666″ and other satanic references, The Christian Post reported.

This is the first time the church has reported an act of vandalism involving fire.

Vandal Burns Jesus Statues Face Right Off Outside Catholic Church

A Jesus statue at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Pennsylvania sustained major damage after it was set ablaze. (Image source: Monsignor John S. Mraz via The Christian Post)

“It’s probably hooliganism — some young adults letting off steam or something, because if it was something aimed at the Catholic Church, for defense of traditional marriage, I would think they would have lit the statue of Mary rather than Jesus,” Mraz told The Christian Post.

Mraz said the culprit put lighter fluid on the statue’s head and then set it on fire. While the individual might have assumed the statue was made of concrete, it was actually made of resin and so the blaze ignited rather quickly.

An empty can of lighter fluid was later found on the ground.

Some parishioners got emotional upon learning of the charred Jesus statue, Mraz told The Express-Times of Lehigh Valley, Pa.

“They were upset,” he said. “Some were crying, some were angry and some were upset and talking about the senselessness of it.”

The cost to replace the statue will be $2,000. The matter is under police investigation.

Re-Blogged from The Blaze

Vandal Burns Jesus Statue’s Face Right Off Outside Catholic Church
Billy Hallowell
Tue, 04 Feb 2014 16:30:25 GMT

Students Allegedly Forced to Disclose Whether They Have Ever Considered Suicide During Middle School Game

 

Nearly a dozen parents are upset after their children were allegedly forced to play what they consider a personally invasive game at a Wisconsin middle school last week.

Wisconsin Parents Think Cross the Line Game Students Were Allegedly Forced to Play Actually Crossed the Line

A bullying prevention game played at Marinette Middle School has stirred controversy. (Image source: WLUK-TV)

According to WLUK-TV, students ranging from grades five to eight said Marinette Middle School officials forced them to play a game called “Cross the Line.”

Children were reportedly asked questions including “Do your parents drink?” and “Has anyone in your family been to jail?”

Wisconsin Parents Think Cross the Line Game Students Were Allegedly Forced to Play Actually Crossed the Line

Sarah Maitland said students were asked to disclose whether or not they have ever contemplated suicide. (Image source: WLUK-TV)

One student even told the station that she and her peers were asked to say whether or not they had ever felt the urge to commit suicide or physically harm themselves.

“She asked if you ever wanted to commit suicide to step forward and then after that she asked if you ever experienced or wanted to cut, to step forward,” Sarah Maitland told the local Fox affiliate.

Word of the game has infuriated parents.

“This kind of stuff, I mean, this can’t happen again. These are our little kids. We’re parents. We should’ve been protecting them. You should’ve gave us the benefit of the doubt of contacting us,” mother Lori Saunier, said.

“This kind of stuff, I mean, this can’t happen again. These are our little kids.

Share:

School officials maintain that the game, part of a bullying prevention program, was optional. Students, however, said it would be reflected in their grades if they didn’t participate.

During a meeting with the school superintendent, parents said they were essentially told their children were “lying.”

“They basically told us that all the students were lying — all the students got together and planned it out and if they weren’t lying, it was all misperceptions,” Amanda Fifarek, mother of a seventh-grade student, told WLUK. “They didn’t specifically say, ‘Do your parents do drugs?’”

School officials also said the game was meant to have a positive impact on the student body.

“The intent of the activity was to build stronger, more respectful relationships among students,” they reportedly said.

The school, which sent out a letter Friday about the game, said that in the future parents would be contacted about it ahead of time.

Re-Blogged from The Blaze

Students Allegedly Forced to Disclose Whether They Have Ever Considered Suicide During Middle School Game
Oliver Darcy
Tue, 04 Feb 2014 16:52:22 GMT

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Christie Slams Accuser Who Says N.J. Governor Knew More About ‘Bridgegate,’ Excoriates ‘Sloppy’ NY Times Article

 

Story by the Associated Press; curated by Dave Urbanski

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is going on the offensive after a former loyalist said he has evidence the Republican governor knew more than he has admitted about an apparently politically motivated traffic jam ordered by one of his staffers last year.

Chris Christie Slams Accuser Who Says N.J. Governor Knew More About Bridgegate and Excoriates Sloppy New York Times Article

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie holds a souvenir football helmet as he leaves after a ceremony to pass official hosting duties of next year’s Super Bowl to representatives from Arizona, Saturday Feb. 1, 2014 in New York. (Image source: AP/Bebeto Matthews)

The governor’s political team sent an email Saturday to donors, along with columnists and pundits who might be in a position to defend Christie, bashing the man Christie put in a top post at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the accusations the man’s lawyer made in a letter Friday.

The email says the former Port Authority official, David Wildstein, “will do and say anything to save David Wildstein.”

The action from Christie’s supporters comes as Republicans are debating the implications of the scandal that this year has surrounded the administration of the possible 2016 presidential contender. It was sent at a moment when Christie is in the spotlight with his state hosting Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Christie’s team noted that Wildstein did not present any proof to back up the claims his lawyer, Alan Zegas, made in the letter. The email also denies that Christie knew about the traffic jam or its political motive until after it was over and bashes Wildstein on a variety of fronts, characterizing him as a litigious teenager, a controversial mayor of Livingston, where Christie and Wildstein attended high school together, and for his past career as an anonymous political blogger.

Much of the letter quoted newspaper articles that took critical looks at Wildstein, who resigned in December from a $150,000-per-year job that he got with Christie’s blessing. The Christie email notes that a 2012 article in The Record of Bergen County says Wildstein “was a very contentious person.”

But the email does not mention other comments about Wildstein in the story, including from Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak: “He is there in that job because he is well suited to the task of playing a role in reforming the Port Authority in accordance with the governor’s goals,” Drewniak said. “If he’s not liked for that role, and if he’s accused of being zealous in that regard, then we plead guilty.”

The email, headlined “5 Things You Should Know about the Bombshell That’s Not a Bombshell” was obtained by The Associated Press and confirmed by Christie’s office. It was first reported by Politico.

In the email Christie also slams the New York Times, calling its reporting of the Wildstein claims “sloppy,” along with the paper’s insistence that “there was actually ‘evidence’ when it was a letter alleging that ‘evidence exists.’

The email goes on: “Forced to change the lead almost immediately, the Times was roundly criticized and its editor was forced to issue this extraordinary statement to The Huffington Post: ‘We’ve made probably dozens of changes to the story to make it more precise. That was one of them. I bet there will be dozens more.’”

Wildstein, who was the first of four people with Christie connections to lose a job because of the scandal, did not immediately respond to emails from the AP on Saturday. He also could not be reached on his cellphone.

Wildstein is among 20 people and organizations close to Christie who must comply with a new round of subpoenas from a legislative investigative committee by Monday. Most of the recipients have asked for more time.

When Wildstein appeared before a panel of lawmakers in January, he asserted his right against self-incrimination and refused to answer any questions. Zegas said Wildstein would testify if granted immunity from prosecution.

Chris Christie Slams Accuser Who Says N.J. Governor Knew More About Bridgegate and Excoriates Sloppy New York Times Article

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks in Times Square February 1, 2014 in New York City. (Image source: Getty Images/Christopher Gregory)

The implications of the scandal for Christie have become a source of debate not just for Democrats but also for Republicans.

Some said the accusations could derail hopes of Christie running for president if he can’t shake the scandal soon, while others were quick to express faith in the governor.

“It’s not good for him,” said Matt Beynon, a Republican operative who worked on former Sen. Rick Santorum’s 2012 presidential campaign and still has him as a client. “The longer the story goes on, the worse it gets for him. If this is still an issue a year from now, he’s going to have trouble pulling the trigger. … Gov. Christie will have to think long and hard about running.”

But Ken Langone, a co-founder of Atlanta-based Home Depot Inc. and a staunch Christie supporter, expressed no reservations.

“I have complete faith and trust that the governor is telling the truth, and I continue to believe that he would be a superb president if he were elected in the future,” he said.

Matt Mackowiak, a Texas-based Republican consultant, agreed that Christie’s chances on a national stage won’t be harmed as long as he has been honest about what he knew.

“As long as he was telling the truth, he is fine,” Mackowiak said. “But if he knew about this, it brings him in directly and adds — potentially — dishonesty to the charges.”

Christie received a smattering of boos and some cheers during a pre-game ceremony in New York on Saturday. He didn’t appear affected by the crowd’s reaction during the Times Square ceremony.

Also Saturday, the lawyer for a state legislative panel investigating the traffic jams said he was confident the probe can continue without impeding a federal criminal investigation.

Reid Schar, special counsel to the panel, said he had discussed the parallel probes with officials from the U.S. Attorney’s office Friday and said the committee “would be mindful” not to interfere with the ongoing criminal investigation.

The lawmaker who chairs that panel said Wildstein’s new allegations validate the skepticism committee members have expressed throughout the probe, an investigation Christie once referred to as the Democrats’ obsession and some state Republicans have called “a witch hunt.”

Assemblyman John Wisniewski, a Democrat, said he doesn’t know what evidence Wildstein may have but said it could be an email or document that fell beyond the date range called for in the original subpoena.

Re-blogged from The Blaze

Christie Slams Accuser Who Says N.J. Governor Knew More About ‘Bridgegate,’ Excoriates ‘Sloppy’ NY Times Article
Dave Urbanski
Sun, 02 Feb 2014 04:39:30 GMT