Joe Biden camp to allies: Be ready - CNNPolitics.com

Joe Biden camp to allies: Be ready - CNNPolitics.com:

CNN)Vice President Joe Biden has personally made a series of calls this week to Democratic strategists from Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, asking a final round of detailed questions about how -- not whether -- to launch a 2016 presidential campaign.

People familiar with the conversations tell CNN that Biden has been making the calls throughout the week, including on Wednesday, just as many leading Democrats argued the window to a potential candidacy was closing in the wake of Hillary Clinton's strong performance in the party's first presidential debate. He is asking these people to work for him if he runs.

Obama ignores generals on troop levels for unprecedented 6th time in Afghanistan, Iraq - Washington Times

Obama ignores generals on troop levels for unprecedented 6th time in Afghanistan, Iraq - Washington Times:
In the end, President Obama was forced to listen to his generals — not his political instincts — on Afghanistan troop levels, and he decided to split the difference.

Mr. Obama is keeping 5,500 troops in Afghanistan beyond his presidency, about half the strength recommended by his top general in-country. It marks the sixth time he has rejected the advice of a ground commander on the force size in the long Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Military experts call that streak unprecedented for a commander in chief.

Proposal for world's tallest roller coaster hits snag | News - Home

Proposal for world's tallest roller coaster hits snag | News - Home:

ORLANDO, Fla. -

The Orange County Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday voted down a request for the complex that would house what would be the tallest roller coaster in the world.

[MORE: Local 6 Theme World | VOTE: Would you ride world's tallest coaster? | VIDEO:Polercoaster in Orlando]The board voted against Skyplex, which would be home to a 570-foot tower, complete with an observation deck on top of the 500-foot roller coaster dubbed "The Skyscraper." The complex is proposed to be built along International Drive and Sand Lake Road.

Katy man arrested with $1.2 million hidden in trailer

Katy man arrested with $1.2 million hidden in trailer:
A Katy man is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after a serious chunk of change was found inside his tractor trailer along the Texas-Mexico border.



© Department Of Public Safety Ramon M. Sanchez, 51, of Katy, was arrested and charged with federal money laundering after more than $1.2 million was found hidden inside his trailer in Hidalgo County.Roman M. Sanchez, 51, of Katy, was driving at about 6:45 a.m. Monday in Hidalgo County, just north of the Mexican border, when he was pulled over by a Texas Highway Patrol trooper for a routine traffic violation.However, when the trooper inspected the trailer which Sanchez allegedly was towing, he discovered 12 hidden bundles of cash, totaling $1,239,755.Sanchez was arrested and charged with federal money laundering and taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.

New Obama czar will hunt ‘right-wing’ extremists

New Obama czar will hunt ‘right-wing’ extremists:

"The brains behind these mind-control programs belong to Cass Sunstein, the former Obama adviser who wrote the book on “Nudge.” Britain is the world model, with “Nudge squads” that influence people to perform certain tasks and think certain ways, Fox News reported.

“So we’re dealing with an entity that has no idea about representative government. They’ve made up their mind who constitutes an extremist, and an extremist is a terrorist, an enemy of the state,” Whitehead said. “Veterans are already on the list, as are abortion activists, tea-party activists, constitutionalists. I know the vets are because we have them calling us every day.

“These are all things that should be debated openly, but now you’re having cities moving into U.N. programs, police being federalized and internationalized and now targeting their own people as enemies of the state,” he added. “I’m a student of history, and I see us repeating history. We’re following the Chinese model, which is basically the old Soviet model.”

Fitton said the Obama administration has effectively put certain groups “on notice” that they will be watched, and watched closely."

Mudslide buries I-5 north of Los Angeles in 5 feet of mud

Mudslide buries I-5 north of Los Angeles in 5 feet of mud:
Emergency teams rescued 14 people from a section of Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles late Thursday after flash floods unleashed mudslides that stranded hundreds of vehicles and forced many drivers to scramble to the roof tops of their cars.
Up to five feet of mud covered some parts of the northbound lane of the freeway 75 miles north of L.A., around Fort Tejon State Park. Hundreds of vehicles remained stuck in the mud as of Friday morning, the Associated Press reported.

More than 45 miles of I-5 is closed from Santa Clarita to north of Fort Tejon State Park, according to the California Department of Transportation.

"Boulders were just coming down the mountain and we were just like, 'We can't see' and it was just really crazy," said Gabby Vasquez, who was among those stranded, KABC-TV reports.

Mud also surrounded homes in the Elizabeth Lake area, the Los Angeles Times reports. Emergency teams used a helicopter to rescue two people trapped in an SUV partially submerged in rushing water.

State Route 58 in Kern County was closed near Mojave, Calif., about 95 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. In a statement, the California Department of Transportation said it expected the State Route 58 shutdown would be “a long term closure” and advised motorists to seek alternative routes.

Hunter shoots biggest elephant killed in Africa for 30 years

Hunter shoots biggest elephant killed in Africa for 30 years:
A hunter has shot dead what is believed to be the biggest elephant killed for “sport” in Africa for 30 years, according to reports.

The animal, one of the largest elephants ever seen in Zimbabwe, was killed on 8 October in an area set aside for private hunting, which borders the Gonarezhou National Park, The Daily Telegraph reported.

A German hunter reportedly paid about £39,000 (77,681 CAD) for a permit to shoot a large bull elephant and was led by an experienced local guide. 

Organisers of the hunt declined to name the hunter, who went to Zimbabwe to shoot the so-called Big Five of targets: an elephant, a leopard, a lion, a buffalo and a rhinoceros.
Elephants are being killed at such a rate – mainly by poachers – that there are fears they could become extinct within a generation.

Anthony Kaschula, who runs a photographic safari company, took pictures of the hunt and posted them on his Facebook page, but appeared to have removed them.

He wrote on the page that the elephant should not have been killed.

“We have no control over poaching but we do have control over hunting policy that should acknowledge that animals such as this one are of far more value alive (to both hunters and non-hunters) than dead,” he said

Former "SEAL Team Six" Commander Makes Massive Move to Take on Barack Obama PERSONALLY

Former "SEAL Team Six" Commander Makes Massive Move to Take on Barack Obama PERSONALLY:

"This Tuesday, Rep. Ryan Zinke, a former Navy SEAL Team Six commander, confirmed with Brandon Tyler Webb, founder of the SofRep special operations news site, that he is considering running for House speaker so as to take a stand “against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” including President Barack Hussein Obama."

Liberals Argue that Climate Change Denial is Worse than the Holocaust! - Eagle Rising

Liberals Argue that Climate Change Denial is Worse than the Holocaust! - Eagle Rising:

"Yeah. This argument, like most arguments concerning climate change, skates on thin ice (pah-doomp-tsh). It hardly needs to be pointed out that lying about future murders is only conspiracy to commit murder if and only if people are actually murdered. Climate change “deniers” are not attempting to kill anyone, and as far as I know, you can’t prosecute someone on the potential deaths their beliefs might cause. I mean, how arrogant do you have to be? Prosecuting climate change “doubters” now for the presumed impact you are sure they will have in the future is begging the question at the very least.

Furthermore, Holocaust denial nearly always influences future action and behavior. As Santayana famously said, “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” I would include those who deny history to the group of people who can’t learn from it. Rosenberg’s entire argument—though typically alarmist, arrogant, and demeaning—is also typically fallacious."

Wheel of Fortune Host in Hot Water After Blunt Tweet About Obama's America

Wheel of Fortune Host in Hot Water After Blunt Tweet About Obama's America:

"Pat Sajak, long-time host of the beloved game show “Wheel of Fortune,” has gotten himself into some hot water yet again for a comment he made on his Twitter account about the state of American culture under President Barack Obama."

Gov’t Tells Texas Rancher His Land No Longer Belongs to Him — He Knew It Was Serious When He Claims Official Said These Six Words | Video | TheBlaze.com

Gov’t Tells Texas Rancher His Land No Longer Belongs to Him — He Knew It Was Serious When He Claims Official Said These Six Words | Video | TheBlaze.com:

"He told TheBlaze on Wednesday that the BLM has claimed up to almost half the acreage on his property — including where his home sits — after redefining the boundary line.

Aderhold told TheBlaze he discovered his home was in danger during an early 2014 phone call with a BLM official who laid out what acres now belonged to the agency. When Aderhold remarked, “That’s gonna get my home,” he said the official replied,"

History for October 17

History for October 17 - On-This-Day.com
Charles Kraft 1880 - Founder of Kraft, Arthur Miller 1915, Evel Knievel (Robert Craig) 1938 


Michael McKean 1947 - Actor ("This is Spinal Tap," "Laverne and Shirley"), George Wendt 1948 - Actor ("Cheers"), Margot Kidder 1948 - Actress ("Superman") 


Alan Jackson 1958 - Singer, musician , Norm MacDonald 1963 - Actor, comedian ("Saturday Night Live"), Eminem 1972 - Rapper 


1777 - American troops defeated British forces in Saratoga, NY. It was the turning point in the American Revolutionary War. 


1888 - The first issue of "National Geographic Magazine" was released at newsstands. 


1931 - Al Capone was convicted on income tax evasion and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was released in 1939. 


1933 - Dr. Albert Einstein moved to Princeton, NJ, after leaving Germany. 


1945 - Colonel Juan Peron became the dictator of Argentina after staging a coup in Buenos Aires. 


1973 - The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) began an oil-embargo against several countries including the U.S. and Great Britain. The incident stemmed from Western support of Israel when Egypt and Syria attacked the nation on October 6, 1973. The embargo lasted until March of 1974. 


1978 - U.S. President Carter signed a bill that restored full U.S. citizenship rights to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. 


1979 - Mother Teresa of India was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 


1987 - U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan underwent a modified radical mastectomy at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. 


1989 - An earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter Scale hit the San Francisco Bay area in California. The quake caused about 67 deaths, 3,000 injuries, and damages up to $7 billion. 

Why Clinton’s debate success could come back to hurt her in the end - The Washington Post

Why Clinton’s debate success could come back to hurt her in the end - The Washington Post:
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says that becoming the nation's first female president would be "quite a change." She was asked how her presidency would differ from President Obama's. (CNN)

By David Fahrenthold and Anne Gearan 

If Hillary Rodham Clinton wins the Democratic presidential nomination, her Republican opponents will not let her off so easy.On Tuesday night in Las Vegas, Clinton faced a set of Democratic rivals who seemed to lack the skill — or the will — to challenge her about her record on foreign policy, her changes­ in position, her handling of government data on a private e-mail server, or her claim to be an “outsider” after two decades in national politics.When the former secretary of state praised Libya — now a cauldron of chaos and Islamist militias — as “smart power at its best,” nobody scoffed. When she was challenged about her e-mail practices, a controversy that has concerned many voters, top rival Bernie Sanders actually stepped in to dismiss the question. Americans are “tired of hearing about” it, he said.

X-Rated Audio Shocks Shoppers In San Jose Target Store « CBS San Francisco

X-Rated Audio Shocks Shoppers In San Jose Target Store « CBS San Francisco:

SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) — Shoppers at a Target store in San Jose stopped in their tracks Wednesday morning when a sexually explicit recording began blaring over the store’s public address system.

Chris Minor, who was shopping at the Westgate Mall store, said the material was X-rated and had profanities. Minor recorded the incident, along with the reactions of fellow shoppers, on his cell phone. Customers, which included mothers with babies, were stunned.

Obama’s effort to ‘nudge’ America

Obama’s effort to ‘nudge’ America:

For the past year, the Obama administration has been running an experiment: Is it possible to make policy more effective by using psychology on citizens?

The nickname is “nudging”—the idea that policymakers can change people’s behavior just by presenting choices or information differently. The classic example is requiring people to opt out of being an organ donor, instead of opting in, when they sign up for a driver’s license. Without any change in rules, the small tweak has boosted the number of registered organ donors in many states.

Nudging has gained a lot of high-profile advocates, including behavioral-law guru Cass Sunstein and former budget czar Peter Orszag. Not everyone likes the idea—“the behaviorists are saying that you, consumer, are stupid,” said Bill Shughart, a professor of public choice at Utah State University—but President Obama was intrigued enough that he actually hired Sunstein, a law professor at Harvard who co-wrote the best-known book about the topic, “Nudge.”

Refugees taunt German police by posting pictures of stolen goods online | World | News | Daily Express

Refugees taunt German police by posting pictures of stolen goods online | World | News | Daily Express:

The pick-pocketing teenagers – dubbed the 'klau-kids' by German media – have also shown off designer sunglasses, cameras and cash on Facebook.

There are thought to be up to 150 operating in Berlin alone, most of them from from eastern Europe and North Africa.

Many are waiting for their asylum claims to be processed amid the biggest migration crisis since the Second World War.

See the Tense Moment Sheriff David Clarke Calls Out Juan Williams Over Police, Black Lives Matter | Video | TheBlaze.com

See the Tense Moment Sheriff David Clarke Calls Out Juan Williams Over Police, Black Lives Matter | Video | TheBlaze.com:

"Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke clashed with Juan Williams on “Hannity” Wednesday night over the Black Lives Matter movement and whether “excessive use of police force” is a serious problem in the U.S"

ICE arrests 314 criminals across Florida, four locally - NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral & Naples, Florida

ICE arrests 314 criminals across Florida, four locally - NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral & Naples, Florida:

MIAMI – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested 314 criminal immigrants last month in an enforcement action targeting individuals who pose a threat to public safety. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers made the arrests across the state.

Single arrests were made in Lee, Collier, Desoto and Hendry counties.

All of those arrested during the enforcement action met at least one of the agency’s three enforcement priorities. More than one-quarter had criminal records that included felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as murder, attempted murder, child sex crimes, sex offenses, weapons charges and drug violations.

"As this operation makes clear, ICE is committed to prioritizing convicted criminals and those who are public safety threats for apprehension and removal," said Marc J. Moore, field office director for the Miami Field Office of ERO, which oversees all of Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “Our communities are safer today thanks to the hard work of our officers across the state.”

Yahoo aims to phase out passwords with new service | Reuters

Yahoo aims to phase out passwords with new service | Reuters:

Yahoo's next step in password security is to eliminate them altogether.
Starting on Thursday, the company announced, users of the Yahoo Mail app on both iOS and Android will have access to a new service called Yahoo Account Key, which uses smartphones to verify identities in lieu of traditional passwords.

Here's how it works: When users who sign up for Account Key try to access Yahoo Mail, they will no longer need to enter their password. Instead, the Account Key service will send a message to the smartphone connected to the account.

With a tap on yes or no, users can indicate it is a legitimate attempt to get into the account or deny unauthorized access.

If their smartphone is lost or stolen, users can verify identities through an email or a text message sent to alternative accounts and numbers.

Asylum seekers SUE Germany for not paying them benefits FAST ENOUGH | World | News | Daily Express

Asylum seekers SUE Germany for not paying them benefits FAST ENOUGH | World | News | daily Express:

 A GROUP of asylum seekers are SUING Germany for not allowing them to register asylum quick enough so they can access benefits, throwing the Government’s goodwill back in their faces.

Angry migrants are suing Germany for not giving them access to benefits quick enough

Around 20 Syrian migrants have filed a case against the Berlin state Government demanding immediate access to shelter and benefits after waiting for more than a week to be registered by the authorities. 

It comes as serious splits emerged in Angela Merkel's Government over how to divideeconomic migrants from genuine refugees fleeing war-torn countries. 

Hundreds of asylum seekers are still waiting to be registered due to huge backlogs at the city's main refugee centre. 

Netanyahu rejects State Department's claim of 'excessive' force | Washington Examiner

Netanyahu rejects State Department's claim of 'excessive' force | Washington Examiner

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday rejected the Obama administration's assertion that Israel is using "excessive" force in some cases as it fights back against violence from Palestinians.

A day earlier, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Israel has the right to protect its citizens from the rising number of attacks, but said in some cases, Israel has gone too far.

"Now, we have seen some ... I wouldn't call the checkpoints this, but we've certainly seen some reports of what many would consider excessive use of force," Kirby said. "Obviously, we don't like to see that, and we want to see restrictions that are elevated in this time of violence to be as temporary as possible if they have to be enacted."

But Netanyahu reacted by rejecting that, and dismissing Palestinian claims that Israeli forces killed Ahmed Manashra.

Tennessee Muslims Demand 7th Graders Learn ‘Muhammad Is The Messenger Of God’ » 100percentfedUp.com

Tennessee Muslims Demand 7th Graders Learn ‘Muhammad Is The Messenger Of God’ » 100percentfedUp.com:

"The Council on American-Islamic Relations is a bullying organization that wants its way and if they don’t get it they scream, “ISLAMOPHOBIA!” The leaders are pushing Islam into every community across America and there’s no stopping them until Americans understand they DO NOT want to coexist and assimilate into America. Tennessee has been flooded with Muslim refugees over the past few years so CAIR has taken a foothold everywhere. For more information on where Muslims have been sent just check out"

Dr. Ben Carson Is in Trouble Again – This Time for Telling the Truth about Welfare - Eagle Rising

Dr. Ben Carson Is in Trouble Again – This Time for Telling the Truth about Welfare - Eagle Rising:

"On the heels of his gun control-Nazi comparison, Dr. Ben Carson was busy campaigning through Georgia (where people LOVE him, by the way) when he said a few things that have gotten some liberals riled up. He was in Gainesville, Georgia on Sunday speaking to a large crowd at Free Chapel, a mega church with multiple campuses, when he dropped a truth bomb about welfare.

“We shouldn’t give away our values for the sake of political correctness,” he said. Then he added that conservatives have, “no desire whatsoever to hurt the poor ... but I believe in true compassion, providing the poor with a mechanism to climb the ladder of success."

Tennessee County Considers Raising Confederate Flag Above Courthouse | Video | TheBlaze.com

Tennessee County Considers Raising Confederate Flag Above Courthouse | Video | TheBlaze.com:

"GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (TheBlaze/AP) — While governments debate taking down Confederate flag or removing it altogether, a county in Tennessee is considering raising the divisive banner.

The Greene County Commission will take up a resolution Monday to fly the Confederate flag on top of the county courthouse alongside the American flag."