[Wash Times] A retired police captain accused of fatally shooting another moviegoer inside a Florida cinema can’t defend himself using the state’s controversial "Stand Your Ground" law, a circuit judge ruled Friday.
Curtis Reeves, 74, argued he acted in self-defense when he opened fire inside a Wesley Chapel movie theater in 2014, killing Chad Oulson, 43.
Pasco-Pinellas Circuit Judge Susan Barthle disagreed in a two-page court order, denying his motion to dismiss the case in accordance with the state’s "Stand Your Ground" law -- a statute that gained relevance following the 2013 slaying of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin.
"Because the defendant’s testimony was significantly at odds with the physical evidence and other witness testimony, this court has considerable doubts about his credibility, and is not willing to come to the conclusion that these circumstances are those envisioned by the legislature when the ’stand your ground’ law was enacted," the judge ruled.
"After careful consideration of all of the evidence provided in this case, this court finds that the defendant did not credibly demonstrate that he reasonably believed it was necessary for him to use deadly force in this situation," she said.
[Wash Times] WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange blamed the CIA’s "devastating incompetence" Thursday for allowing his website to acquire a trove of information involving the agency’s vast hacking capabilities, drawing fire from the U.S. intelligence community following its release this week of the so-called "Year Zero" files.
Mr. Assange credited the agency’s own ineptitude with causing details about its hacking techniques to recently become compromised during his first press conference since WikiLeaks’ disclosure Tuesday of previously unpublished documents devoted to the CIA’s stockpiling of computer exploits and cyberweapons.
"This is a historic act of devastating incompetence, to have created such an arsenal and then stored it all in one place and not secured it," Mr. Assange said during an online press conference streamed live from his residence with the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
"It is impossible to keep effective control of cyberweapons," he said. "If you build them, eventually you will lose them."
Mr. Assange added that WikiLeaks has only published a portion of the documents it’s obtained from the CIA’s Center for Cyber Intelligence, the likes of which has resulted in the release of thousands of files this week related to the agency’s ability to compromise and commandeer the world’s most widely-used electronic devices.
[PJ] Remember how the Obama administration was always claiming that "the border has never been more secure than it is now"? And you didn't believe it because you knew Border Patrol agents were suffering from low morale because they weren't allowed to do their jobs?
Now you can believe it.
The number of people illegally crossing the U.S. southern border has dropped 40 percent since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly announced late Wednesday.
The Homeland Security chief said that the drop represents "an unprecedented decline in traffic" and that it coincides with Trump's new executive orders dealing with immigration laws.
January and February are usually busy months for illegal border crossings, but since Trump's inauguration, border jumping is significantly down.
It looks like the president's "controversial" immigration policies are working.
[Free Beacon] Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly is looking to move away from hard news reporting with hopes "to help people the way Oprah did" on her new NBC show.
A source told Page Six on Thursday that Kelly is looking to move her new show in a different direction from "combative interviewing."
"There was a lot of tough news to report on her show at Fox News. A lot of combative interviewing, going after people. Doing that every night was difficult. Megyn feels she has more to offer," the source said.
The source added that Kelly will host "real people" and "celebrities" on her NBC show.
"She wants to help people the way Oprah did, and do something more positive. She’ll be focusing on issues and bringing in real people as well as celebrities," the source continued. "Plus, she has a sense of humor and she wants to use that."
Kelly signed a deal with NBC in January worth between $12 million and $15 million. But she is still under contract with Fox until July 1, so she cannot sit in production meetings for the NBC show.
NBC president Noah Oppenheim is currently interviewing executive producers to help produce Kelly's show, and is hopeful that the show will debut during the 9 AM or 10 AM hour sometime in September.
It seemed like a set up to a tired joke: A lawyer's pants caught on fire in court. I thought Hot Pants went out in the 70's.
But on Wednesday, it was Stephen Gutierrez's reality when the Florida defense attorney's pants began smoking during an arson trial, Eleventh Circuit Court Public Relations Director Eunice Sigler confirmed to NBC News Thursday. Is that a fire in your pants or are you just happy to see me?
Gutierrez, 28, was in the in the Miami-Dade county courtroom defending 49-year-old Claudy Charles, who was accused of setting his car alight. My car spontaneously combussed once. It was a short in the wiring.
But During his closing argument, Gutierrez began to feel heat coming from his pocket where he had several electric cigarette batteries, he told NBC News in an email.
Gutierrez argued Charles' car had merely spontaneously combusted, the lawyer's pants seemed to do the same.
Witnesses in the courtroom told the Miami Herald the moment was "surreal," as Gutierrez rushed out of the courtroom while smoke billowed from his pocket. A scene from the Three Stooges?
Gutierrez said as the heat intensified, he hurried into the bathroom where he tossed the battery in water. He was able to return to the courtroom with a singed pocket.
"This was not staged," Gutierrez said. "No one thinks that a battery left in their pocket is somehow going to 'explode. After careful research, I now know this can happen. I am not the only one this has happened to, but I am in a position to shed light on the situation."
Reports of electronic cigarette batteries exploding have been documented across the country. Battery malfunctions have been known to cause burns on the hands and face, fractured bones and even loss of eyesight.
In 2016, a 19-year-old's e-cigarette exploded in his pants pocket, setting his pants on fire and causing serious burns on his upper thigh.
But because e-cigarettes aren't regulated, there's no record of how many faulty devices have exploded or injured people.
Luckily, it seems Gutierrez came away from the explosion unscathed.
"The dangers of these devices, and accessories, have led me to quit using e-cigarette products," Gutierrez said.
A Florida State Attorney's Office spokesman said he could neither confirm or deny an investigation was ongoing into the incident, but said no arrest had been made.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/11/2017 00:00 ||
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"This was not staged," Gutierrez said.
Sure. Pull the other one
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/11/2017 0:30 Comments ||
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Hundreds of boars ... one of them 182 feet tall...
carrying highly radioactive material are reportedly stalking residents hoping [to come home to] the Japanese town of Fukushima six years after the meltdown of the nuclear plant.
The New York Times reported that city officials are working to clear out the contaminated boar population in the area. Japan is set to allow residents to return to their homes in some areas near the plant. These city officials worry that these boars will attack returning residents. Some of these animals are reportedly living in abandoned homes.
“We need a strong hunting plan,” Hidekiyo Tachiya, the mayor of a nearby town called Soma. “I wish for the day to come when we can eat wild game again.”
Hunters have been reportedly hired and have so far killed about 800.
The report points out that boar meat is a delicacy in northern Japan, but the animals in the area are considered too toxic to eat.
The country is working to stabilize the region in general. Most residents in Fukushima say they will not return to their homes due to fear of radiation. What’s more, it will take 40 years to dismantle to plant.
#1
The report points out that boar meat is a delicacy in northern Japan, but the animals in the area are considered too toxic to eat.
Open some offshore fronts and sell them to China which doesn't appear to have strict Quality Control for foods. If nothing else, transship the meat to the Norks who are even less concerned about QA.
Sultan Recep Tayip Erdogan I "the much beloved" is finding uses for that which was confiscated from all those accused of being horrible Gulenists.
[ShabelleNews] Turkey has provided Somalia with humanitarian aid worth 456 million Turkish liras ($121.9 million) since 2011, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said Thursday.
How much of it was spent to benefit the ordinary people there?
AFAD contributed 255 million liras ($68.1 million) worth of aid while the Turkish Red Crescent provided 176 million liras ($47 million) and the Religious Affairs Directorate gave 25 million liras ($6.7 million).
The aid was made up of 43,946 tons of food, 10,320 tons of clothes, 48 prefabricated homes, 12,400 blankets and 649 tons of medical supplies. Mogadishu airport, water projects, hospitals, schools and mosques benefited from the aid, AFAD added.
According to the annual Global Humanitarian Assistance report, Turkey was the second-largest donor of humanitarian assistance last year.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/11/2017 00:00 ||
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More than 90 U.S. congressmen have signed a latest congressional resolution calling for the swift deployment of an advanced anti-missile system in South Korea to counter North Koran threats since its proposal early last month, a U.S. broadcaster reported Friday.
As of Thursday, a total of 93 Democratic and Republican congressmen have signed the H. Res. 92 since it was proposed by Rep. Joe Wison on Dec. 7, Voice of America (VOA) said. In particular, 16 legislators left their signature on Monday alone, one day after the North test-fired four Scud-ER missiles with a range of 500-700 kilometers, the broadcaster said.
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the resolution condemns the North's development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and urges the prompt deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea to counter the North's nuclear threat.
The resolution also reaffirms the U.S. support of a layered, interoperable, multi-tier missile defense system to protect Americans and allies on the Korean Peninsula.
In a separate statement on Wednesday, Wilson welcomed the recent start of the South Korea-U.S. THAAD installation, saying the deployment will counter the North's offensive acts, and realize peace on the Korean Peninsula via power.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/11/2017 00:00 ||
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[Wash Times] LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Dr. Todd Johnson of Lincoln is a modern-day pioneer, starting the first membership-based, insurance-free medical practice in Nebraska.
Access Family Medicine opened in mid-July and provides what is called direct primary care, the Lincoln Journal Star (http://bit.ly/2byOOXg ) reported.
His patients pay a monthly membership fee for an old-fashioned relationship with their family doctor - undiluted by insurance rules and paperwork.
Many of his patients have insurance, but Johnson does not do the paperwork or collect payments from insurance companies.
That gives him the freedom to focus on his clients, he said.
#2
I think its enlightening to the public to deal with insurance companies like docs have for decades now. Maybe it will catalyze change. and if "concierge medicine" decreases hospitalizations by 75%, that's a bad thing?
#4
For many years my wife's Gyn refused to accept insurance. His cash charges for all-but-major things was about the same as the insurance co-pay, so she just kept going to him. Didn't run into any major things those years, so it was good. Eventually he was forced to give in though. Then he retired rather than deal with ACA.
[CNN] Some 1.2 billion barrels of oil have been discovered in Alaska, marking the biggest onshore discovery in the U.S. in three decades.
The massive find of conventional oil on state land could bring relief to budget pains in Alaska brought on by slumping production in the state and the crash in oil prices.
The new discovery was made in just the past few days in Alaska's North Slope, which was previously viewed as an aging oil basin.
Spanish oil giant Repsol (REPYY) and its privately-held U.S. partner Armstrong Energy announced the find on Thursday, predicting production could begin as soon as 2021 and lead to as much as 120,000 barrels of output per day. winners: Armstrong, Reposol, the Alaska Pipeline, Alaska sovereign fund, US Economy
losers: Mid East producers, peak oil theory
Posted by: lord garth ||
03/11/2017 00:00 ||
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All the protesters from pipeline now on their way to Alaska?
#3
All the protesters from pipeline now on their way to Alaska?
They'll love the 'balmy' 0-degree (F) average temp for this time of year, and there's usually a nice breeze to go along with it.
Still better than 'mosquito weather' there that occurs during July-August. (Doesn't really matter what the weather is doing, there will be many many mosquitoes)
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
03/11/2017 8:35 Comments ||
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#4
Alan, a lot of geologists now think that oil and gas are produced naturally by the planet itself. They have found hydrocarbons in asteroids and planets as well as organic molecules. When the earth came together the heat and pressure forced them out and it collects together under faults according to the theory.
There is a limited amount true, but oil and gas could be still be produced this very day by the planet itself.
#5
About 30 years ago (not in dog years either) it was surmised that the oil today is from the original material that formed the Earth. It keeps seeping up through the crust and collects in pockets.
[boring geekasm off]
#6
The planet (maybe all planets to a degree) are chemical reactors. Pressure, temperature and time and source materials (CHO(N)) are all there in yuge amounts.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
03/11/2017 10:02 Comments ||
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#7
Peak what?
Posted by: no mo uro ||
03/11/2017 10:06 Comments ||
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Wait, Whiskey, Almost, darth......are you saying the science ISN'T settled???
#9
I number of years ago. I attended an American Petroleum Institute presentation with my Dad. The presenter was up in arms over ANWR and Clinton's decision to forbid drilling.
He said the Clinton Administration DELIBERATELY (Imagine that) understated the amount of oil reserves in ANWR by a factor of more than 10. The amount of oil in ANWR alone is enough to meet the petroleum needs of the ENTIRE US for approximately 100 years according to this guy...vast, I mean freaking vast amounts of oil up there. This is almost old news to me.
[Daily Caller] The Paris region passed a law Thursday that bans foreign languages at construction sites to stop foreign labor.
The "Small Business Act" wants to promote more public contracts for local businesses in the Ile de France region, which includes Paris. It includes a clause that makes it mandatory to use French as the working language at publicly-funded building projects.
"This clause is necessary and targets foreign companies who come with their teams, without any of them speaking French," Jerome Chartier, the region’s vice president, told AFP. "These companies need to improve."
Several French regions have already imposed similar language restrictions to promote local labor.
#3
The safety aspect is why we require all workers on our jobsites to speak English.
We don't want to spend 45 seconds telling folks to 'Get OUT!' in fifteen languages if a gas leak, a fire or explosion are imminent.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
03/11/2017 8:29 Comments ||
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#4
It's not just Moslem colonists, but workers from Eastern Europe as well. In Britain half of the problems that led to Brexit were due to migrants from EU countries taking jobs and welfare.
[Free Beacon] The lead attorney for the latest legal challenge to President Trump's executive order implementing a 90-day suspension on visa issuance to U.S.-bound travelers from six countries where terrorism remains a heightened concern, also volunteered to serve as legal counsel for Osama bin Laden's bodyguard, Samir Hamdan on a pro-bono basis.
On Tuesday, Neal Katyal, a former acting solicitor general of the United States during the Obama administration, filed suit on behalf of the state of Hawaii against the Trump administration, seeking to block the president's latest executive order.
Katyal, whose name was once floated as a possible Obama Supreme Court nominee, but whose consideration was ultimately withdrawn due to perceived trouble that his nomination would encounter in the Senate, argues in Hawaii's filing that this new executive order suffers from the same legal problems of the original order.
Neal Katyal sued the U.S. government in 2006 on behalf of Osama Bin Laden's bodyguard, Samir Hamdan in the landmark legal case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld. In his arguments however, Katyal made several questionable arguments, including equating the criminal justice rights of legal U.S. green card holders to captured foreign al Qaeda terrorists under the military commission system at the time.
In addition to his success as an attorney for terrorists suing the United States, Katyal is also an accomplished actor, having appeared as a lawyer in one episode of the Netflix series House of Cards.
#1
Apparently Hawaii has an overabundance of funds available and could use a cutback of Federal reimbursement
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/11/2017 7:30 Comments ||
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This country seems to have an abundance of lawmakers who have very little concern with the safety of American citizens. I call such people (and the others that act in concert with them) "the enemy", though I understand its not yet fashionable to do so. To them, its as if 9/11 never happened.
[Independent] Woman detained for further examination after doctor discovered she is pregnant
A couple have been detained in the United Arab Emirates for having sex outside of marriage, according to a relative.
The South African man and his Ukranian fiancee were reportedly arrested after a doctor in Abu Dhabi Wonder how their recognition of "Day Without a Woman" went...
who treated Ms Nohai for stomach cramps discovered she was pregnant.
Emlyn Culverwell‚ 29, and Iryna Nohai, 27, have not yet been charged by authorities in the Islamic country, who are reportedly still turning diplomatic screws investigating.
"The South African Government is aware of the case, but unfortunately cannot provide legal assistance. As [the] department all we can do is monitor the situation and try to ensure that they are fairly treated."
In 2008, a British couple, Vince Acors and Michelle Palmer, were given jail sentences for having sex in public in the UAE after they were caught together on a Dubai beach ‐ although they had their sentences suspended when they signed a court document agreeing to marry on their return to England.
The promised marriage did not happen, not least because Mr Acors had a wife already. Well, I guess UAE has taken the "fool me once..." position. Gotta be some kind of Karmic timing for the couple. Bummer.
[The Hill] Energy Secretary Rick Perry was spotted Friday reading the Drudge Report at an airport while waiting for a flight to Texas.
A reporter who said he was on the same flight as Perry tweeted photos of Perry, one of which shows the former Texas governor reading the conservative news site run by Matt Drudge.
The front page story on the site viewed by Perry appeared to be "GREAT AGAIN: +235,000," which links to a story about the latest jobs report that President Trump shared earlier in the day on Twitter.
#4
The beltway crowd hates Drudge but they all read him. You can tell by how they react to his releases. They only wish they could get control of his site.
#6
Drudge made a business out of giving the world the news the main stream media chooses to ignore. He does a little packaging with a catchy or puny headline and will group related stories together.
[Moonbattery] The unidentified 16-year-old posted "Straight Pride" posters at Jasper High School last week, and the hilarious notices are not going over so well with school officials, the Dubois County Herald reports.
"Celebrate being straight at JHS by not annoying the heck out of everyone about your sexual orientation!" read the flyers, posted in the school’s hallways after classes last Thursday. "It’s easy! Just come to the JHS, then you go about your day without telling everyone about how ’different’ and ’special’ you are!" ...
Principal Brian Wilson told the news site the posters were tacked up on hallway display areas throughout the school but removed before students returned for class on Friday. School officials identified the student responsible for putting them up, but Wilson refused to say whether the student will be punished for the stunt.
#1
"Celebrate being straight at JHS by not annoying the heck out of everyone about your sexual orientation!" read the flyers, posted in the school’s hallways after classes last Thursday. "It’s easy! Just come to the JHS, then you go about your day without telling everyone about how ’different’ and ’special’ you are!" ... What a great idea. Could we extend this concept to other "special group" too?
It took eight years to develop enthusiasm for such nonsense. It will take at least a few months to reorient the enthusiasts toward a focus on efficiently killing bad guys and breaking their things.
[DailyMail] - An email outlining the ban was sent to Airmen at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
- They were advised to study the list and refrain from using the words outlined
- A sacrificial 0-2
spokesman for the Air Base denied that the ban was an official edict Uh, OK, uh, sir.
Also on the list were the words 'colonial' and 'blacklist' and the phrase 'blondes have more fun'. WTF, over?
They were advised to study the list and refrain from using the words outlined on the attachment.
The email read: 'Please be cognizant that such conduct is 100 per cent zero tolerance in or outside of the work climate. Sure glad it isn't an "official edict."
'Let's capitalize on our richly diverse climate, and help others seek assistance if they are struggling with compliance.' I wonder what they are showing at the base theatres these days?
#1
'Please be cognizant that such conduct is 100 per cent zero tolerance
Please be cognizant that such sentence is 100% grammerly not.
Recently, I watched two different movies that involved Air Force drone pilots. In both cases, the airmen (airpersons?) seemed a rather weepy about the fact that their job was whacking bad guys. At the time, this struck me as unrealistic. Perhaps not.
"Recently, a former leader within the command sent an email to airmen discouraging the use of certain words and phrases because they might be found offensive by some. The list included terms that are not offensive in their ordinary meaning, but might become offensive if used in certain ways or contexts. 2.
The email is to be disregarded in its entirety. Airmen are expected to treat one another with dignity and respect. That is all that needs to be said on the subject."
Time to weed these PC assholes out
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/11/2017 7:15 Comments ||
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#6
Said leader needs to be reassigned to a post at the farthest north radar station....counting nuts & bolts in the store room.
#7
The email is to be disregarded in its entirety. Airmen are expected to treat one another with dignity and respect. That is all that needs to be said on the subject."
tl;dr: Act like effing grownups
I like this. Simple and to the point. All to often, progressives deal with problems by creating ever-more-complicated rulesets. As anyone who has ever built software, written specifications or drafted laws knows, the more complicated you make it, the more likely your system leaks and has unforeseen consequences. Yes, ObamaCare is a fine example.
In other news, someone's career prospects just took a nosedive.
#9
Good find, Mike. I particularly like paragraph 3, with its blunt warning that censorship will not be tolerated and in future will be punished. Stunning speed, indeed -- it's not even two months since President Trump was sworn in.
#11
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with two oak leaf clusters
And I look down at my three campaign awards, and quietly cry.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[PJ] Remember how the Obama administration was always claiming that "the border has never been more secure than it is now"? And you didn't believe it because you knew Border Patrol agents were suffering from low morale because they weren't allowed to do their jobs?
[Free Beacon] Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly is looking to move away from hard news reporting with hopes "to help people the way Oprah did" on her new NBC show.
Hundreds of boars 
“We need a strong hunting plan,” Hidekiyo Tachiya, the mayor of a nearby town called Soma. “I wish for the day to come when we can eat wild game again.”
[Wash Times] LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Dr. Todd Johnson of Lincoln is a modern-day pioneer, starting the first membership-based, insurance-free medical practice in Nebraska.
[CNN] Some 1.2 billion barrels of oil have been discovered in Alaska, marking the biggest onshore discovery in the U.S. in three decades.
[Daily Caller] The Paris region passed a law Thursday that bans foreign languages at construction sites to stop foreign labor.
