WASHINGTON DC –  It is rare for news events, even as momentous as the past week’s, to drown out absolute proof that a candidate for president has lied willfully to the public and Congress. Yet precisely such proof has emerged, and it has appeared not only in this newspaper but also in The New York Times (albeit with a headline designed not to draw attention).

Americans learned this spring that Hillary Clinton, in contravention of federal records rules and current law, conducted all her State Department business using a private email address, housed in a server at her home in Westchester County, N.Y.

But not to worry — the former secretary of state swore that she had diligently preserved and passed to the State Department every email she had written in the course of her job. Even though she destroyed all the evidence by wiping the server afterward, she assured the public that everything related to her conduct of official business had been kept and turned over, as the law requires. (more…)

It’s the DinDuNuffin’ employment law:

(New York City) In front of emotional supporters, Mayor de Blasio signed legislation Monday that will prohibit employers from inquiring about a candidate’s criminal record prior to a job offer.

“Today I see hope for people like me,” said Marilyn Scales, 52, of the Bronx, who said she never has had a full-time job because of her record for dealing heroin.

The mayor also signed legislation to step up regulation of the car wash industry. Car washes will have to obtain biannual city licenses as well as a $150,000 bond to cover costs if they are sued for wage theft.  (more)

Confederate Flag Syndrome in hyper-drive. 

BALTIMORE – Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is asking for a special commission to review Baltimore’s Confederate statues and historical assets.

The commission will review of Confederate-era statues in the city to make recommendations for “their future in Baltimore.”

The Mayor said in statement that she believes the review will lead to a more “reasoned approach to these Confederate-era monuments” rather than just taking them down.

(more…)

In a 5-4 ruling, the justices ruled that the EPA should have taken into account the financial costs to utility companies, states and affected citizens before deciding whether to set limits for the toxic air pollutants it regulated in 2011.  SCOTUS forcing the EPA to consider the wholesale costs to the people benefiting from the power generation.

This case arises from the EPA’s efforts to regulate pollution – and in particular mercury – from power plants. The question before the Court was whether, when determining whether to regulate the emissions from power plants, the EPA should take into account the cost to the plants of complying.

States and industry groups had argued that the EPA must do so, while the EPA argued that it does not have to consider costs until later in the process, when it issues specific pollution standards. Today the Court agreed with the states and industry groups, holding that the EPA’s refusal to consider costs when deciding whether to regulate was unreasonable.

The opinion remands the case to the D.C. Circuit for further proceedings. But from the opinion (embedded below) it seems likely that the agency will have to scrap their plans, try again and finding some mechanism to consider costs, before it can act on this issue.

(more…)

Prior to his election in 2008 President Obama told everyone his intent was to “fundamentally change” the United States of America.  Not enough people were paying attention to what that actually meant, because everyone was filled with their own self-interpretation of “Hope and Change”, or “Change They Can Believe In”.

However, recent events have brought a few more people to seek a greater understanding of what’s going on in 2015.  This outline is simply going to point out a couple of visible footprints, amid the dozens possible, and show how all the modern activism stems from, and traces back to, the Obama White House.

Obama For America, or OFA, was one of the primary organizational change agents that contained all of the visible sub-sets of various activists working diligently to elect their commander-in-chief organizer, Barack Obama.

From OFA a myriad of splinter groups dispersed following the successful election.  Some began working on new social justice endeavors immediately, others began organizing in preparation for things to come in the years that followed ’08.

If you were to look up “Black Lives Matter” on Wikipedia you would note the following: (more…)

SCOTUS – Justice Kennedy begins his opinion for the Court with a paean to the institution of marriage:  he describes it as “essential to our most profound hopes and aspirations,” “sacred to those who live by their religions” and offering “unique fulfillment to those who find meaning in the secular realm.”

But it is also, he continues, an institution that “has evolved over time” from an “arrangement by the couple’s parents” to a voluntary agreement between a man and a woman.  Similarly, although being gay was once considered an “illness,” public attitudes have shifted significantly.

The Supreme Court, Kennedy’s opinion explains, has long recognized the right to marry as a fundamental right.  And although until today it has always done so in the context of opposite-sex couples, he continues, all of the same principles on which the Court has relied in cases involving opposite-sex couples apply equally to same-sex marriage and the recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages.  (more…)

Florida is, on average, 3 feet above sea level…

(CNSNews.com) – Speaking at an event held in a private home in San Francisco on Friday evening, President Barack Obama warned:

“Well within our children’s lifetimes, on our current pace, the oceans go up maybe two, maybe three, maybe four feet.”

In the speech, the president said:

“There are two things in particular that these days I’m spending a lot of time thinking about. The first is the changing nature of the economy.” The other, he said, is “climate change.” (read more)

So investing in Florida real estate is definitely out of the question.

The bigger question is:

Are we a Constitutional Republic, or a Democracy?

This won’t stop folks, it just won’t.

As soon as South Carolina caved under public pressure to remove the Confederate flag from government buildings etc., the next phase went into full effect.

The confederate flag is proclaimed as a symbol of racism and oppression.  Those same activists view the U.S.A stars and stripes the same way.

What is to become of monuments and memorials to Southern generals and history.  Surely, all of that is just as offensive to the same crowd of activists.  Mississippi State university?  Ol Miss?   “The Rebel” sports groups?

Ponce De Leon, Christopher Columbus, General Lee…. where do you stop?  When will you reach a point that no-one is offended?  The Alamo?  Washington Park?  Gettysburg?  Penns Landing? (more…)

(Via Daily Mail) Hillary Clinton reportedly charged a Boys and Girls Club chapter $200,000 for an appearance, then left the premise without saying hello to children who benefit from the program.

The massive fee, which she donated back to her family foundation, was the largest the Long Beach, California, organization had ever paid a public figure for a speech, Politico reports.

By contrast, the club made $106,000 off the lunchtime, charity event – it’s lowest yield in 25 years. A contributing factor to the diminished proceeds: Clinton’s large entourage that took up seats that would have otherwise been sold to donors.

The details of the 2014 closed-press event were published in a Politico report today that cites a volunteer with the group as the source of the unflattering information. (more…)

Drops mic:

Recap HERE