McConnell (majority leader), and Cornyn (majority whip), lost this one.

(Via The Hill) Mitch McConnell staged an epic gamble over U.S. spying powers — and lost.
The Republican leader pledged to keep senators in Washington through the weekend to finish work on expiring provisions of the Patriot Act, but Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) called his bluff.
Instead, when the smoke cleared in the early hours of Saturday morning, the 2016 presidential contender was the one with bragging rights.
The battle between the two Kentucky Republicans spilled over on the Senate floor, with Paul using procedural tactics to force the chamber into an early Saturday vote. He then used his leverage to kill off McConnell’s repeated attempts to reauthorize the expiring National Security Agency (NSA) programs — first for two months, then for eight days, then for five, then three, then two. (more…)

Prediction: Over the next few years the stability advancement shown here by Catalian Duru will lead to collaborations with gyroscopic engineers (think Segway) and by Christmas 2020 the hottest gift under the tree with be a Hoverboard. 

It’s a world record-setting flight by Canadian inventor Catalin Alexandru Duru aboard a homebrew hoverboard. He recently piloted this prototype nearly 1000 feet across a Quebec lake to set the record. (link)

Tell me again what benefit there was to re-electing Mitch McConnell, or giving Republicans the victory in the Senate?

Trade Promotion Authority or TPA contains fast-track provisions would allow Congress, under strict timelines, to consider trade deals with a simple up-or-down vote without any amendments or requirements of a Senate super-majority to end debate.
This would grant new power to the executive branch and reduce congressional ability to modify of block the TPP bill itself.  Obviously this would help Obama complete the final details of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), with the other 11 nations, a bloc that represents about 40 percent of the global economy.

(Via Washington Post)  President Obama won a big victory for his trade agenda Friday with the Senate’s approval of fast-track legislation that could make it easier for him to complete a wide-ranging trade deal that would include 11 Pacific Rim nations.

A coalition of 48 Senate Republicans and 14 Democrats voted for Trade Promotion Authority late Friday, sending the legislation to a difficult fight in the House, where it faces more entrenched opposition from Democrats.

(more…)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

(CNSNews.com) – The Trans-Pacific Partnership that President Barack Obama is negotiating with 11 other nations seeks to eliminate both tariff and nontariff trade barriers with these countries, according to the Congressional Research Service. One of those countries is Vietnam, which the State Department says maintains a Communist regime.
In 2014, the U.S. ran a $24,858,700,000 trade deficit with Vietnam, according to U.S. government trade data published by the Census Bureau. U.S. producers sold $5,724,900,000 in goods to purchasers in Vietnam. At the same time, producers in Vietnam sold $30,583,600,000 in goods to purchasers in the United States.
Documents related to the TPP are currently classified. Members of Congress can only review them in a secured room. But a report published in March by the Congressional Research Service—“The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Negotiations and Issues for Congress”–describes the basic purpose of the deal the administration is seeking. (read more)

We’ve received some questions on this bumper sticker.  If you are interested in knowing more, please check out “chocorat” from Orwell’s “1984”.

[HatTip Re-NewsIt] Remember the Valdosta State University student, Eric Sheppard Jr., who became a wanted armed felon after making threats against the university students following his flag stomping protest? (Full Backstory)

We previously exposed Sheppard’s affiliation with radical Islamic terrorists, and his affinity for, and expressions of, violence.
Apparently Eric Sheppard Jr. is still on the loose, and now he’s making terrorist threats against a local school community while thumbing his nose toward law enforcement who are making feeble, if any, efforts to capture him.

“Many still question the possibility of my surrendering to the people who call themselves ‘authorities’”. “To give you a simple answer, No. I will not turn myself over to any white man”.
Sheppard has contacted local Georgia media to state his intentions to cause a violent confrontation at Lownde’s High School graduation ceremonies and has stated he will “annihilate” anyone who comes after him.
(Via Valdosta Times) […] The comments were made in a rambling, profanity-laced “memorandum ultimatum” sent to The Valdosta Daily Times condemning white people and local police.
A brief video showing Sheppard wearing sun glasses and inside what appeared to be an SUV accompanied his statement. The video referenced a protest planned in conjunction with the graduation over the disputed death of teenager Kendrick Johnson at the high school more than two years ago. (more…)

Alternate Headline = Waco Police Now Claim They Are Being Attacked By Clint Eastwood and an Orangutan Named Clyde. (ie. Waco PD Leak Security Bulletin To CNN)

♦ Waco Research Thread 1 – The initial Shooting As Reported
♦ Waco Research Thread 2 – LEO Affidavits Inconsistent With Spokesperson Claims
♦ Waco Research Thread 3 – The Waco Police Narrative Continues To Evolve
♦ Waco Research Thread 4 – CCTV Video Refutes Original 3 Days of Police Claims
♦ Waco Research Thread 5 – Listen to the Waco PD Radio Traffic
♦ Waco Research Thread 6 – 14 Officers Were Shooting – Report: “Thousands of rounds”
NEW – To fully understand the following discussion about threats to law enforcement you must first travel back to February 20th of this year to understand the backdrop.
Previously CNN’s Evan Perez reported on an explosive story about a report leaked to him via the Department of Homeland Security, and Perez reported on the content saying DHS claims right-wing terror groups known as Sovereign Citizens were a bigger risk to national security than ISIS.

[…]”from sovereign citizen groups as equal to — and in some cases greater than — the threat from foreign Islamic terror groups, such as ISIS”.  (link)

What CNN was proclaiming -as content within the DHS report- was transparently helpful to an administration surrounded by increasing focus on ISIS terrorism, and ongoing ISIS brutality viewed on TV screens throughout the preceding several months.
The Perez claim seemed targeted to change the discussion and point the defining finger toward domestic white terrorism as a greater threat.  Actually, that’s exactly what he said. (more…)

State Dept. FOIA website keeps crashing – Try Here – We’ll keep trying to locate alternatives:  Update – Here They Are 

[scribd id=266273670 key=key-O4yewxM0fhUbEZ8FCYLM mode=scroll]
*Context Note* ALL of these emails were previously shared with the House Select Committee on Benghazi (Trey Gowdy – chair) several months ago.
When Hillary Clinton first admitted to the exclusive use of a private email system, during her tenure at Secretary of State, one of her main points of emphasis was that none of the emails she received (or sent) -from the non-secure network- were classified.

However, today the State Department has released a few (approx. 300) of those emails and many are redacted, some due to classified content. (more…)

What do you think about the big picture?