LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program have been extended until Wednesday, the State Department said Tuesday.

Iran nuke talks to continue tomorrow. "We've made enough progress in the last days to merit staying until Wednesday," says @marieharf

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 31, 2015

"There are several difficult issues still remaining," says Harf in announcing extension of tonight's Iran nuke talks deadline.

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 31, 2015

A few hours before the self-imposed midnight Tuesday deadline ran out, State Department acting Spokesperson Marie Harf told reporters, ‎”We’ve made enough progress in the last days to merit staying until Wednesday. There are several difficult issues still remaining.” (more…)

Germany’s Bild News is reporting a cell phone “SIM card” (Micro SD, Memory card) has been recovered from the wreckage of Germanwings flight 9525. According to reporting by the German media outlet there is video on the SIM card showing what was taking place in the cabin prior to, and up to the moment of, the crash.

Bild is reporting the video appears to be taken from the rear of the passenger compartment, possibly by a cell phone, and shows absolute panic as the passengers on board were aware of the crisis. Passengers are reported to be crying out to God in numerous languages and shouting throughout the video.

There are three distinct sounds which accompany the video – appearing to be attempts by the pilot and others to break down the cockpit door. Massive panic and confusion is visible amid the passengers, then the sound of metal scraping – then the video stops.

From the report via google translate: Paris – were from the last moments on board German Wings flight 4U9525 there is a video that BILD and the French magazine “Paris Match” view. (more…)

As we have outlined (with considerable criticism) over the past year, the only substantive inquiry into the Benghazi scandal will have to be held in non-public settings. When you dig into the substance, and avoid the political aspects, everything that matters regarding the Benghazi fiasco is covered under U.S. national security protections.

There is little of value available to discuss in public hearings. If you understand the Benghazi Brief you understand why.

The CIA and the State Department were conducting a joint covert operation labeled “Zero Footprint” in Libya. That operation was expanded into Syria after Panetta left the CIA. The congressional intelligence oversight known as the Gang of Eight were fully briefed.

Hence, if House Select Committee Chair Trey Gowdy wants to discuss email use, or communication methods therein, during the tenure of Clinton and Panetta, around Operation Zero Footprint, Gowdy has to make those inquiries in private.

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House select committee investigating the Benghazi attacks asked Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday to appear for a private interview about her exclusive use of a personal email account when she was secretary of state.

“The committee believes a transcribed interview would best protect Secretary Clinton’s privacy, the security of the information queried, and the public’s interest in ensuring this committee has all information needed to accomplish the task set before it,” the chairman, Trey Gowdy, Republican of South Carolina, said in a letter sent Tuesday morning. (more…)

Hillary Clinton said the construct of her secret communication network was specifically because she only wanted to carry one device – obviously she lied right out of the gate.

The Associated Press has gained a total of FOUR emails from a FOIA request regarding correspondence between Hillary Clinton and her personal aide Huma Abedin search term “drone strikes”.

The emails show the Clinton led U.S. State Department focused an inordinate amount of time and energy discussing articles written by the media. It would appear at least a substantive portion of time in/around the State Dept was spent reviewing what reporters were writing about U.S. foreign policy outcomes.

One of the emails (Sept 18th 2011 – last in the pdf below) shows Hillary answering a question about floral arrangements amid a chain email discussing Pakistan’s efforts to battle the Taliban. Ms. Abedin responds curiously. (more…)

It might have been a long shot, but it worked.  Wolverine Mom found disrespected movie lady – STORY HERE via VIDEO – Way to go mom !!

To arms ! Quick everyone grab a bag of Chick-fil-a sandwiches and start chucking them with random disregard  (they work like hand grenades against the rainbow Moonbats).  …And into the valley in the shadow of Hobby Lobby rode the doomed Christians…. 

It appears Indiana has become the epicenter of all things dangerous and scary for the progressive left.  “BIGOTS” they shout !!  The polar ice-caps are melting, planets have fallen askew, random rainbow monkeys are rushing toward the alarm.  Everyone from Miley Cyrus to heads of other states are shocked, shocked, that a religious freedom law would pass. Oh the humanity. Cher and Hillary Clinton are marching arm in arm (Huma is jealous) my god this is slavery again!.

CNN’s John Avalon says Mike Pence is George Wallace.  Aiiieeeeee !  Charge of the cashmere coming next.  The mayor of Seattle has banned vacations and public travel to the Who’s Her state.  It has been rumored a baker didn’t bake a rainbow cake.  

(CNSNews.com) – Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) says his state has been hit by an “avalanche of intolerance” ever since he signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act last week.

“George, look, the issue here is, you know, is tolerance a two-way street or not?” Pence told ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. (more…)

…”don’t give me no look”

As the story is told An 11-year-old Florida girl was suspended from school after she recorded her fifth-grade teacher threatening and bullying other students. The evidence Brianna Cooper recorded was enough to get the teacher fired from Samuel Gaines Academy in Fort Pierce, about two hours north of Miami. But administrators say it was also enough to earn the student a five-day suspension.

After all, they [the principal] claimed, the teacher, had an expectation of privacy in the classroom.  (link)

Which leads to the question, since when is a public school teacher, giving public instruction, to an entire classroom of students, having “an expectation of privacy”? Or is there something else to the story….

Neither the media, nor the school, will identify the teacher. However, the teacher was fired. Rut roh. Oh, how this is starting to sound awfully PC. (more…)

I knew immediately Lufthansa Airlines was sketchy as soon as I saw the CEO, Carsten Spohr, on television being interviewed about the U.S. FAA regulation for two people in the cockpit at all times.  Mr. Spohr said he was unaware of the rule and it sounded like a “carrier specific” guideline. One would think the CEO of an international airline, who is discussing his own co-pilot intentionally crashing a plane – and killing 149 people, might be a little more up to speed on that aspect. I digress…

Unbelievable. The authorities are now stating Andreas Lubitz, the mass murderer who flew 149 people into the French Alps, was previously diagnosed with “Suicidal Tendencies”. He was also currently having psychological treatments for depression; and the transcript of the flight plan being discussed that morning shows him saying “hopefully we make it” and “we’ll see” when discussing landing path requirements into Dusseldorf….. Yet the authorities are scratching their heads trying to identify a motive.

Go Figure.

Note to self – avoid Euro airlines unless flying with Captain Obvious.

(Via CBS) German prosecutors said Monday that Germanwings Flight 9525 co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who deliberately flew his Airbus A320 into French mountainside last week, was treated years ago for suicidal tendencies.

The prosecutors in Duesseldorf said Lubitz received psychotherapy “with a note about suicidal tendencies” for several years before becoming a pilot. (more…)

It is interesting, and not incidental, to see CNNi (CNN International) lead the shift in leftist talking points about Egyptian President Fattah el-Sisi by focusing on their collectivist opinion that el-Sisi is “a hardliner”.

However, actions -what CNN would like to avoid- of Sisi speak louder than the CNN words. Sisi has shown over the past two years his willingness to insure minority protections within Egypt yet he has simultaneously taken a zero tolerance position toward Islamic extremism.

The Muslim Brotherhood, as a political construct, is the extremist bane of all mid-East moderates. The Muslim Brotherhood is essentially the larger construct within ISIS; and yet the Muslim Brotherhood is discussed on leftist news media as if they are not a terrorist entity.

Because of the frequency and scope of this specific media narrative it simply cannot be coincidental; someone is driving this false narrative.

CAIRO (AP) – Arab League member nations formally announced on Sunday an agreement to form a joint military force. While details of how such a force would actually operate remain thin, the agreement is a telling sign of a new determination among Saudi Arabia, Egypt and their allies to intervene aggressively in regional hotspots, whether against Islamic militants or Iran-backed groups.

(more…)

On Sunday, Secretary of State John Kerry announced he’d be extending his stay in Switzerland to continue talks with Iran and the foreign ministers of five other countries. The parties involved in the talks haven’t revealed many details about how close they are to a deal.

“As you know we have never been so close to a deal,” European Commission Vice President Federica Mogherini said.

[…] Add increased instability the conflict in Yemen has brought to the region and the fact that the U.S. is helping in strikes against Iranian-backed rebels there, and progress in the talks suddenly seems more important. (more)

Meanwhile – President Barack Obama kicked off the spring season on Saturday with a weekend golf getaway in Florida, teeing off with former NBA star Alonzo Mourning and former sportscaster Ahmad Rashad.

During his stay at the Floridian National Golf Club, less than 50 miles up the coast from Palm Beach, Obama planned to be out of public view, with no official events scheduled. After arriving midday Saturday, he immediately hit the links with Mourning, Rashad and Cyrus Walker, a cousin of Obama’s senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, the White House said. (more…)