ERIE, COLO. – Unnoticed amid dozens of tract homes in the Denver suburbs, a nondescript industrial building is suddenly in the middle of the gun control debate in Colorado.
The company, started in an ex-Marine's basement in 1999, is in a standoff with Colorado Democrats who want to restrict the size of ammunition magazines after mass shootings in a suburban Denver movie theater and a Connecticut elementary school. Magpul has issued lawmakers an ultimatum potentially worth millions: Pass the bill, and the business will move.
It's a bold threat from a company that, by its founder's admission, has distanced itself from politics. More
Toward the end of the much-heralded PBS Makers documentary, a retrospective of influential and trailblazing doyennes who are the past and future of the women’s movement, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer comes on to decry feminism. The timing was far from ideal, considering that days earlier she issued a much-criticized edict requiring Yahoo employees to close up their home offices and report to work in an office come June. “When Marissa Mayer directed all employees never to work from home, I understood why she said she isn’t a feminist,” activist Gloria Steinem wrote in an email. “Maybe she really isn’t!” Steinem, prominent in Makers, elaborated Tuesday night on PBS Newshour, noting that “not everybody in this film is a heroine either.”
In a hearing that many lawmakers say was the longest of their career, two committees of the Maryland House of Delegates continued to hold a hearing early Saturday on Governor Martin O’Malley’s gun control bill.
The hearing of the House Judiciary and House Health and Government Operations Committees started just after noon on Friday. It ended at 3:45 this morning.
Baltimore City Delegate Peter Hammen told his colleagues that more than 1,300 people signed up to testify. All but 34 of the people who signed up opposed the bill. Hammen told lawmakers that he felt the final number of witnesses to testify would only be around 500, as many people who signed up to testify left Annapolis as the hearing continued into the night. More
Oral arguments begin today in a Supreme Court case challenging Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act as out of date. SCOTUS blog is reporting that "a majority of the Court seems committed to invalidating Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act." In August, a panel of federal court judges ruled that new district maps drawn by Texas' Republican-controlled legislature weakened the influence of Latino voters and in some cases evinced "discriminatory intent" against both Latinos and African Americans. Two days later, another panel of federal judges unanimously struck down a voter-ID law passed by the legislature in March 2011, arguing that it would disproportionately harm African-American and Latino voters. The judges did not address whether there was discriminatory purpose behind the legislation, but they noted that the legislature failed to pass amendments that would have mitigated the law's discriminatory impact.
After 26 years of living off the land, and teaching scores of people about the American Heritage way of getting back to nature, Eustace Conway, who was featured on featured on The History Channel’s “Mountain Men“, has been forced to close his nature school.
Eustace, who purchased a large amount of land outside Boone, N.C., has been using his land to teach people how to live closer to nature. But now, thanks to government officials who don’t agree with his lifestyle, Eustace is being forced to fight for his way of life, and to keep his school open.
Like many of the stories we’ve covered over the last couple of years, Eustace is another in a long string of people who are being “zoned” out of existence. From the heartbreaking story of Andrew Wordes, who took his life after code enforcement teams seized his home, to the Off-Griders in California who are being illegally forced back on to the grid, what’s happening to Eustace seems to be a calculated attack on anyone who dares live a self-sufficient lifestyle. More
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services haven’t had a Senate-confirmed administrator since 2006. The Federal Labor Relations Authority has had only a single member since January and can’t issue decisions. And the Election Assistance Commission hasn’t had any commissioners at all since 2011.
All presidential administrations have vacancies. But an analysis of appointments data by ProPublica shows that President Obama hasn’t kept up with his predecessors in filling them. A greater share of presidentially appointed positions that require Senate confirmation were sitting vacant at the end of Obama’s first term than at the end of Bill Clinton’s or George W. Bush’s first terms.
LEWES - The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, including a stretch of ocean beach and dunes, and a half mile along the bay shoreline, will close beginning Friday, March 1, for the benefit of piping plovers, oystercatchers, least terns and other threatened and endangered beachnesters and migratory shorebirds.
The nesting habitat on the ocean side will reopen Sunday, Sept. 1, when the season’s young birds are typically able to fly. The bayside beach will remain closed until Oct. 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter.
DNREC’s Divisions of Parks and Recreation, Fish and Wildlife, and Watershed Stewardship have been working together since 1990 to implement a management plan to halt the decline of beachnester and migratory shorebird populations. The Point has been closed annually since 1993.
“We appreciate the public’s cooperation in this effort,” said Park Superintendent Paul Faircloth. “DNREC is committed to providing protection for these species, hopefully to prevent them from disappearing in Delaware,” For more information, the public can contact the Cape Henlopen State Park office at 302-645-8983.
Opponents of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s gun control plan outnumbered advocates 40-to-1 at a hearing many lawmakers called the longest they had ever seen.
Two House committees began the hearing around 12:15 p.m. Friday and listened to testimony until 3:45 a.m. on Saturday. The Senate passed gun control legislation Thursday.
While about 300 people showed up for a rally in support of House Bill 294, more than 1,300 signed up to testify against the bill. Just 34 signed up to testify for the bill, said Del. Peter Hammen, D-Baltimore City, chair of the House Health and Government Operations Committee. More
“It’s Medicaid. It’s the biggest thing. I mean, our Medicaid program is $1.4 billion in deficit this year and because of Obamacare we can’t change the level of benefit that we offer because of the mandates that they’ve put on us. And, I think, you know, if we’re going to pay for 50 percent of it, we should have some control over it and the way this administration’s done it is they just want to control all of it. So, that’s the biggest problem for us,” he said. Beginning in 2014, the health care law requires states to cover every individual under Medicaid whose income is equivalent to 133 percent of the poverty level or less. --New Jersey Governor Chris Christie May 2011
For the past 24 hours it seems as if every liberal pundit was questioning CPAC for neglecting to invite NJ Governor Chris Christie to speak at their conference beginning in two weeks. Today the governor announced a decision which justified the CPAC action. More
Fans showed up to be wowed by the Rascal Flatts’ music, but it was a little boy, instead, who stole the show at the band’s Feb. 23 concert in Pikeville, Ky. A video that was uploaded to YouTube shows the little kid fervently dancing in the stands — and the crowd going wild.
Those around him cheered and clapped as the child jumped, swung his arms and jived to the music. Apparently captured during the concert’s intermission, the music he danced to wasn’t Rascal Flatts; it was LMFAO’s “I’m Sexy and I know It.” More
We already know that Joe was telling women to break the law with his advice to fire a double-barreled shotgun in the air to frighten about bad guys. Would it surprise you to learn that his understanding of shotguns and AR-15s is also fatally, stupidly flawed? No, I didn’t think it would surprise you guys, but I bet you’ll still enjoy this video:
The media is going to have a hard time stereotyping the National Rifle Association (NRA) after the organization just announced its latest contributor to NRA News. TheBlaze was tipped off to the announcement and introduction of the man who calls himself an “urban gun enthusiast,” Colion Noir.
Noir — a young, enthusiastic gun supporter that wears baseball hats and t-shirts — has somewhat of a cult following on social media. His Facebook page, which has over 25,000 likes, is riddled with fans and comments and he has 174 videos on YouTube where he breaks down the latest gun arguments in simple-to-understand terms, reviews gun-related equipment, and even shows off at the range.
“Just A normal guys perspective of concealed carry, guns, 2nd Amendment and the Law,” his profile says. And on Friday morning, he’ll officially be taking that perspective to NRA News. TheBlaze obtained the video announcement that introduced Noir late Friday morning to an even larger section of the gun community: More
Rand Paul’s Third Letter to the CIA: Can You Kill with Drones in the USA? This letter is a few days old, but is very important for every American to be aware of. Essentially, Rand Paul is threatening to filibuster Barack Obama’s nominee for the CIA, John Brennan, due to his refusal to answer a simple question:
Do you believe that the President has the power to authorize lethal force, such as a drone strike, against a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil, and without trial?
This should not be a complicated question to answer, yet it seems Obama, Brennan and pretty much every other little power consumed bureaucrat is incapable of doing so. Below is Rand Paul’s letter reprinted in full (my emphasis added).
H. L. Mencken correctly observed: Government is actually the worst failure of civilized man. There has never been a really good one, and even those that are most tolerable are arbitrary, cruel, grasping and unintelligent.
Mencken also was prescient: As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their hearts desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.
But this is not about Mr. Mencken. Rather it is about some unknown individual who committed the following to the email world:
President Barack Obama on Friday issued pardons for 17 people, largely for minor offenses.
Those receiving pardons came from 13 states and had been sentenced for crimes that included falsely altering a money order, unauthorized acquisition of food stamps, drug violations, and possession of an unregistered firearm.
No one well-known was on the list released by the White House. Some of the crimes drew light penalties in the first place — such as a North Carolina woman sentenced to two years' probation and 100 hours of community service for distributing satellite cable decryption devices. More
The Democratic National Committee has no plans to repay Duke Energy for an unprecedented $10 million line of credit it guaranteed to help the Democratic convention’s local host committee put on President Obama’s three-day nominating convention in Charlotte, N.C., last September.
A Duke company official said the company was claiming the money as a business expense for tax purposes, meaning shareholders will foot $6 million of the cost, according to a report in the Charlotte Observer.
The large loan and the secrecy surrounding it have government watchdog groups deeply concerned. They say the arrangement raises serious conflict-of-interest issues for Mr. Obama and challenges his claim to be committed to disclosure and transparency. Read More
In a word, too many illegal aliens are recent arrivals and would not benefit from this scheme. Too many thousands are on public assistance. And too many thousands have criminal records. That these latter groups are, of course, a minority amid a much larger hard-working majority matters little to liberals. It is not so much that they are for amnesty for most, as that they are against deportation for some — a group that in aggregate could be in the hundreds of thousands. Watch the eroding negotiations, as Obama casts his alluring bait, hooks his Republican fish, and then yanks them around on requisite border enforcement, prior arrests and convictions, and the unemployed on public assistance. For demagogic purposes, there is only a Dream Act, not a non-Dream Act; all are eligible for citizenship, almost none for deportation; only future brain surgeons crossed the border illegally, not those who sometimes commit felonies or drive while intoxicated. More
As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper’s cemetery in the back country. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn’t stop for directions.
I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch.
I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started to play.
The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I’ve never played before for this homeless man.
And as I played ‘Amazing Grace,’ the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.
As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, “I never seen nothin’ like that before and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.”
Bloggers are not only the pulse of the conservative movement, they are the heartbeat and guide the moral direction of this world. Bloggers have toppled corrupt corporations, tyrannical governments, and exposed what the mainstream media has refused. Free speech may be the only right that’s actually expanding — thank a blogger for that freedom.
It’s easy for me to sit here and pitch that our sponsors are the best in the world. But objectively, these are the groups in the movement that are willing to give bloggers cash money so that they can have 6 hours once a year where many of us can get together face-to-face. Blog Bash is about honoring bloggers, not about relentless pitching.
I’m going to fire this first shot. I’m a member of the consultant-class. I make money from pitching writers, reporters and bloggers stories. I’m pretty good at what I do and sometimes the check (when it comes) is a healthy one.
That’s why I do Blog Bash — bloggers don’t pay a dime and our registration process favors bloggers who live outside of the beltway and aren’t paid for their work. My friends help me take home a check. All too often, there are digital media firms, public relations agencies, and non-profit think tanks that want bloggers to post their fundraising link or the latest oppo research, but don’t do anything for the bloggers. Instead of building relationships and a buck or two back to the blogosphere — they take credit for blogger’s work and take home a fat check. No more.
That’s over. That’s why we have the National Bloggers Club. Together we are strong. In fact, we are the most powerful force for good this world knows.
WASHINGTON — The Homeland Security Department released from its jails more than 2,000 illegal immigrants facing deportation in recent weeks due to looming budget cuts and planned to release 3,000 more during March, the Associated Press has learned.
The newly disclosed figures, cited in internal budget documents reviewed by the AP, are significantly higher than the “few hundred” illegal immigrants the Obama administration acknowledged this week had been released under the budget-savings process.
The government documents show that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement released roughly 1,000 illegal immigrants from its jails around the U.S. each week since at least Feb. 15. The agency’s field offices have reported more than 2,000 immigrants released before intense criticism this week led to a temporary shutdown of the plan, according to the documents.
The states where immigrants were released include Arizona, California, Georgia and Texas. More
Ever watched a classic action flick? Of course, you have. Movies like Die Hard, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lethal Weapon,First Blood, and 300 have become fixtures in the American psyche. All these movies feature either a lone man or a small group fighting in a desperate, violent struggle and yet, somehow, someway coming out on top. Throughout most of America’s history, the average man could more easily relate to the experiences in those movies the way someone who shoots hoops at the park could relate to watching a NBA game. Sure, they might not be able to do what they were seeing on the screen, but they were well acquainted with violence. Either they had inflicted it, suffered it or seen it up close and personal. We’re a nation that was birthed in a bloody revolution, where feuds and dueling were frequent occurrences, where intermittent battles with Indians occurred until the twenties, where roughly twenty percent of the male population served in WWII, and fist fights and brawling were relatively common.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — As a far-reaching gun-control measure aims to ban assault weapons in Maryland, neighboring states are trying to woo away a Beretta factory, whose employees would be unable to buy some of its products.
Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, who represents the district where the factory is located in Accokeek and has received $12,000 in campaign contributions from Beretta since 2005, noted Friday that senators changed the bill with Beretta in mind, but he says the company still isn’t happy.
“We have, I think, helped the company as best we possibly can in terms of them continuing to be able to do business in the state of Maryland,” said Miller, who voted for the bill, although he expressed misgivings about it. “We’ve allowed them to manufacture. We’ve allowed them to sell, and we’ve cut back on their paper work.” More
In a Budget Committee Hearing yesterday, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions was blatantly dishonest about the cost of Obamacare. The Affordable Care Act is projected to reduce the deficit by billions over 10 years, but Sen. Sessions says a new GAO report shows the healthcare law will actually increase long-term debt by $6.2 trillion. That's the claim he made yesterday, saying, "The results of this report confirm everything critics and Republicans have been saying about the health care bill." How'd his so-called cost report determine this huge cost increase, when all other government assessments show otherwise? Well, he just told the GAO to take all cost containment provisions out of the calculations. So Jeff Session's special report removes the Independent Payment Advisory Board, the excise tax on high-cost plans, and reductions in Medicare payments to providers, to compile what he calls a "realistic set of assumptions." Right. The only thing real about Senator Jeff Session's new report is that it's really, really dishonest.
MANASSAS, Va. — A Connecticut man accused of being the “East Coast Rapist” in a series of assaults over more than a decade from Rhode Island to Virginia was sentenced to life in prison Friday.
The three life terms, plus 80 years, imposed on Aaron Thomas of New Haven, Conn., followed his guilty plea last year in Manassas for abducting three teenage trick-or-treaters and raping two of them on Halloween 2009 in Prince William County.
At Friday’s sentencing hearing, two of Thomas’ victims testified that they have forgiven him for the attacks. One of the victims made clear, though, that despite the forgiveness she still believed Thomas should never be allowed out of prison. More
ANNAPOLIS — The Pentagon has sent Gov. Martin O’Malley a letter on the impact of automatic federal budget cuts.
The letter, sent Friday and obtained by The Associated Press, says the Army would lose $95 million in base operations funding across the state, including cuts at Fort Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground. More
(Annapolis) The House Joint Hearing on HB-294, the Governor’s Gun Bill, continues on into the night and is passing 8-hours of testimony at the time of this writing. Well over a thousand signed up to testify against this bill and only a very few testified in favor of the bill. In fact, except for the “professional” panels that came in support of the governor (about 20 people), everyone else has been opposed.
We have heard from retirees and 10-year olds, people in suits and people in working uniforms, people of great means and people of lesser means, people from Worcester and people from Prince George…all in all, we have heard from Maryland and they do not want this bill passed.
There have been a few good exchanges with some of those who have come in to testify. The governor skated today and did not respond to questions as he had surrounded himself with a large panel providing insulation and the right questions were not asked. The Speaker and Chairmen running the joint committee simply did not allow many questions and he quickly escaped out of the chamber and away from questions.
As of 8:00pm, there were still over 600 hanging around to testify against the bill. Sheriff Lewis joined several other Sheriff’s from around the state and provided passionate testimony before the committee in defense of the 2nd Amendment. In fact, we heard from many in law enforcement who stood with the people’s right to defend themselves as they see fit.
We heard from Beretta Arms who strongly indicated that they would look seriously at moving from Southern Maryland to another state. This echoes what we have heard from other manufacturers of firearms in Maryland. Beretta alone would mean over $400 million to our state coffers.
It was nice to see Worcester State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby in attendance as well. It seems the only support the bill had was from inside the beltway. We will be going well into the early morning hours and may well need to come back later in the day on Saturday to insure that every Marylander who wishes to be heard on this issue is heard.
Chicago voters said "no" to the NRA, and "yes" to Robin Kelly. In a special primary election yesterday, Robin Kelly clinched her party's nomination for Representative Jesse Jackson Jr's House seat. It was the first Congressional race since the Newtown massacre, and it was the first time voters rejected the NRA. Ms. Kelly ran against Debbie Halvorson, a former House member, who has an "A" rating from the NRA, and has previously opposed an assault weapons ban. Thanks to a $2 million ad campaign from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's super PAC, Ms. Halvorson had to defend her pro-gun positions in one of our nation's most crime-ridden cities. This is a major victory for gun control advocates, and a warning to future candidates that refuse to stand up to the NRA. Given Illinois Second Congressional District's political make up, it's likely Robin Kelly will win the general election on April 9. Soon, we'll have one more Congressperson who's willing to stand up to the gun lobby, and fight for commonsense gun control in our nation.
Methodology: As we did last year: a gas station was rung up in the most populous city in every state and asked for the price of a pack of Marlboro Reds with tax. All told, 84 separate numbers were dialed. Six stations refused to give cigarette prices over the phone as per store policy. Three clerks in New Mexico refused to believe that I was at least 18 years old and so wouldn't give me cigarette prices (not sure whether it’s a legal issue or they didn’t like my tone). One clerk in Massachusetts cursed at me, apparently under the impression I was a competitor trying to undercut his business.
