News Clips
1) Democrats Defeat Bill to Ban Sex-Selection Abortions... Eugenics/Democrats/Abortion
2) Skeletons treated for vampirism found in Bulgaria... History/Interest
3) Alabama Takes a Stand Against Soros-Backed ‘Agenda 21’... Environmentalism/Economy & Freedoms
4) ‘He Got What He Deserved’: Texas Dad Beats His Daughter’s Molester to Death... Crime/Interest
5) Rare blue lobster caught in Canada... Nature/Interest
6) Lake detected near equator of Saturn's massive moon Titan... Science/Interest
7) Parents Outraged After School Principal Allegedly Teaches 5th Graders About Oral & Anal Sex... Sex Education/Public Schools
8) Obama suspends deportation for thousands of illegals, tells GOP to pass DREAM Act... Obama/Pro Illegal Immigration
9) Obama mocks marriage traditionalists... Obama/Anti Traditional Marriage
1) Democrats Defeat Bill to Ban Sex-Selection Abortions... Eugenics/Democrats/Abortion
http://www.lifenews.com/2012/05/31/democrats-defeat-bill-to-ban-sex-selection-abortions/
5/31/12
Democrats in the House of Representatives prevented passage of a bill that would ban sex-selection abortions. The legislation needed a two-thirds vote and Democrats voted overwhelmingly against the legislation after President Barack Obama and Planned Parenthood came out in opposition.
With a 246-168 vote, the bill did not obtain the two-thirds majority necessary to pass. Republicans voted for the bill on a 226-7 margin while Democrats opposed banning sex-selection abortions on 161-20 vote margin.
The bill would make it a federal offense to knowingly do any one of the following four things: (1) perform an abortion, at any time in pregnancy, “knowing that such abortion is sought based on the sex or gender of the child”; (2) use “force or threat of force. . . for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection abortion”; (3) solicit or accept funds to perform a sex-selection abortion; or (4) transport a woman into the U.S. or across state lines for this purpose. However, the bill says “A woman upon whom a sex-selection abortion is performed may not be prosecuted or held civilly liable for any violation . . .”
The bill also specifically states, “Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require that a healthcare provider has an affirmative duty to inquire as to the motivation for the abortion, absent the healthcare provider having knowledge or information that the abortion is being sought based on the sex or gender of the child.”
Leading pro-life groups were aghast that Democrats would stand in the way of passing what should be a common sense bill.
Tom McClusky, Senior Vice President for Family Research Council Action (FRC Action), had the following to say: “We are deeply saddened that the U.S. House of Representatives would vote to keep sex-selection abortion legal in this country. That anyone on either side of the political aisle would vote against a bill preventing gendercide in the United States is profoundly troubling. Given that CDC data suggests sex-selection abortion is occurring in our country, and a recent undercover video released this week by Live Action showing Planned Parenthood’s willingness to facilitate a sex-selection abortion, the American public cannot ignore this sexist practice.
“But because of lobbying by Planned Parenthood and the White House, the bill to protect against sex-selection abortion failed. We applaud the 246 Members on both sides of the aisle who voted for the bill. We thank Rep. Trent Franks and the Republican leadership for holding a vote on this legislation to ban this tragic and discriminatory practice. We will continue to work with them to pass this legislation in the future, so that pre-born women across the nation will be protected from gendercide and sex discrimination,” McClusky concluded.
NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson said: “We are heartened that a strong majority of House members voted to ban performing or coercing abortions for the purpose of eliminating unborn babies of an undesired sex - usually, girls. Shamefully, President Obama, and a minority of 168 House members, complied with the political demands of pro-abortion pressure groups, rather than defend the coerced women, and their unborn daughters, who are victimized by sex-selection abortions.”
Among the organizations that warned House members not to vote for the bill was the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). PPFA sent an email memo to House members on May 29 warning of its “intent to score” a vote for the bill as a vote against “women’s health.” Also on May 29, the Huffington Post reported that “no Planned Parenthood clinic will deny a woman an abortion based on her reasons for wanting one, except in those states that explicitly prohibit sex-selective abortions (Arizona, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Illinois).”
“We commend the House Republican leadership for bringing this bill to the floor today under the fast-track procedure,” Johnson said. “Today’s groundbreaking majority vote was a stepping stone to this bill ultimately becoming law - perhaps after the replacement of some of the lawmakers who today were unwilling to protect victimized women and their unborn daughters from sex-selection abortions, because they were more concerned with maintaining favor with the abortion industry, pro-abortion advocacy groups, and Hollywood donors.”
Obama’s opposition comes after after a new video exposing how Planned Parenthood encourages women to have sex-selection abortions. A second video showing another Planned Parenthood clinic okaying sex-selection abortions has followed it up.
A few years ago, a national study showed the possibility that the practice of sex-selection abortions has made its way from Asia to the United States. Researchers Douglas Almond and Lena Edlund of the National Academy of Sciences say their analysis of the 2000 Census shows the odds prematurely increasing for Asian-American families from China, Korea and India to have a boy if they already have a girl child.
The data “suggest that in a sub-population with a traditional son preference, the technologies are being used to generate male births when preceding births are female,” they wrote in the paper.
Previously, abortion advocates not only opposed the bill in great hysteria but also denied the very existence of sex selection abortions. Nancy Northup, President of the Center for Reproductive Rights, called it a “trumped up bill for a trumped up problem.” Meanwhile at the pro-abortion blog Jezebel, a writer called sex selection abortions “a problem rampant only in its rampant nonexistence.”
A recent poll conducted by the Lozier Institute found that 77% of respondents would support the enactment of laws prohibiting abortion in cases where “the fact that the developing baby is a girl is the sole reason for seeking an abortion.” Illinois, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Arizona already have laws on the books which prohibit this practice, according to the Lozier Institute.
Meanwhile, a 2006 poll showed a majority of Americans would likely support the bill. A 2006 Zogby International poll showed that 86% of the American public desired a law to ban sex-selection abortion. The poll surveyed a whopping 30,117 respondents in 48 states.
ACTION: Click here to see how your lawmakers voted and tell them what you think of their votes.
2) Skeletons treated for vampirism found in Bulgaria... History/Interest
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/05/skeletons-treated-for-vampirism-found-in-bulgaria/?intcmp=features
June 05, 2012
SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgarian archaeologists say they have unearthed centuries-old skeletons pinned down through their chests with iron rods -- a practice believed to stop the dead from becoming vampires.
'These two skeletons stabbed with rods illustrate a practice common up until the first decade of the 20th century.'
- National history museum chief Bozhidar Dimitrov
According to Bozhidar Dimitrov, head of the National History Museum in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, two skeletons from the Middle Ages were found in such a state last weekend near the Black Sea town of Sozopol.
He said Tuesday that corpses were regularly treated in such a way before being buried in some parts of Bulgaria, even until the beginning of the last century.
Widespread superstition led to iron rods being hammered through the chest bones and hearts of those who did evil during their lifetimes for fear they would return after death to feast on the blood of the living.
According to Dimitrov, over 100 corpses stabbed to prevent them from becoming vampires have been discovered across Bulgaria over the years.
"I do not know why an ordinary discovery like that [has] became so popular. Perhaps because of the mysteriousness of the word "vampire," he said.
3) Alabama Takes a Stand Against Soros-Backed ‘Agenda 21’... Environmentalism/Economy & Freedoms
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/alabama-takes-a-stand-against-soros-backed-agenda-21/#
June 8, 2012
Although the U.N.’s George Soros-backed plan for “Sustainable Development” (also known as “Agenda 21”) seems to have gone largely unnoticed by many Americans, the shadowy, backdoor attack on personal property rights didn’t slip past the people of Alabama.
“Alabama recently passed Senate Bill 477 unanimously in both of its houses. The legislation bars the taking of private property in Alabama without due process,” Investor’s Business Daily reports.
The bill specifically states the following:
Alabama and all political subdivisions may not adopt or implement policy recommendations that deliberately or inadvertently infringe or restrict private property rights without due process, as may be required by policy recommendations originating in or traceable to Agenda 21.
But let’s back up for a bit and talk more about “Agenda 21.” If you haven’t heard of it, you owe it to yourself to read up on it. Simply put, it’s an international initiative that overrides personal property rights all in the name of the environment and “sustainability.”
Here’s a good rundown via The Blaze’s Mike Opelka:
Agenda 21 is a two-decade old, grand plan for global ’Sustainable Development,’ brought to you from the United Nations. George H.W. Bush (and 177 other world leaders) agreed to it back in 1992, and in 1995, Bill Clinton signed Executive Order #12858, creating a Presidential Council on ‘Sustainable Development.’ This effectively pushed the UN plan into America’s large, churning government machine without the need for any review or discussion by Congress or the American people.
[…]
The seeds for Agenda 21 were planted back in 1987 when the writings of Gro Harlem Brundtland (a woman who was first Vice-President of the Socialist International) caught the eye of the UN. Dr. Brundtland wrote a report for the UN called, ‘Our Common Future’ eventually got into the business of environmentalism as a tool to control all the people of the world and establish a global government. The growth of ICLEI [International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives] and the framework being put in place by supporters of Agenda 21 appear to be bringing Dr. Brundtland’s ideas closer to reality
As mentioned in the above, “Agenda 21” is little more than an all-out attack on personal property rights. Indeed, as Opelka notes, the body that drafted the initiative (the U.N.) has openly and without hesitation stated its opposition property rights:
Land… cannot be treated as an ordinary asset, controlled by individuals and subject to the pressures and inefficiencies of the market. Private land ownership is also a principal instrument of accumulation and concentration of wealth and therefore contributes to social injustice; if unchecked, it may become a major obstacle in the planning and implementation of development schemes. The provision of decent dwellings and healthy conditions for the people can only be achieved if land is used in the interest of society as a whole.*
Oh, and if that’s not reason enough to be wary of the U.N.’s “sustainability” project, consider the following: “In 1997, George Soros’s Open Society gave ICLEI a $2,147,415 grant to support its Local Agenda 21 Project.”
But despite the slow and steady growth of the project in the United States, Alabama proves that, contrary to what some would have you believe, not everyone’s asleep at the wheel.
However, even though Alabama’s Senate Bill 477 will be viewed by many as a victory over “Agenda 21,” it doesn’t mean that the U.N. or the Feds are anywhere near through with their “sustainable” agenda. In fact, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson will attend the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development later this month in Rio de Janeiro, IBD reports.
“Specifically, in a transition to a green economy, public policies will need to be used strategically to reorient consumption, investments and other economic activities,” a U.N. document describing the conference explains.
“We don’t need ‘environmental governance,’” IBD writes, “just a governance of, by and for the people of the United States.”
“Nor do we need to ‘reorient’ our consumption and economic activities. Alabama has just told the U.N. and the EPA what they need to be told - don’t tread on us,” the report concludes
* Source: United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat I),Vancouver, BC, May 31 - June 11, 1976. Preamble to Agenda Item 10 of the Conference Report.
4) ‘He Got What He Deserved’: Texas Dad Beats His Daughter’s Molester to Death... Crime/Interest
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/he-got-what-he-deserved-texas-dad-beats-his-daughters-molester-to-death/
June 11, 2012
A Texas father beat a man to death after catching him molesting his 4-year-old daughter in a horse barn, The Houston Chronicle reports. The incident happened Saturday evening near Shiner, Texas.
Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon identified the deceased as a 47-year-old man from Gonzales, Texas. He was reported dead at the scene, however, his name will not be released until his next of kin is notified.
Harmon said the father and daughter were with several other people at the family’s barn to groom and tend to the horses, according to The Chronicle. The alleged attacker was reportedly an acquaintance of the father.
The sound of the little girl’s screams were later heard coming from the barn and instinctually, the father rushed to his daughter’s aide. After reaching the barn, he found a man sexually assaulting his daughter - undoubtedly a dad’s worst nightmare.
After pulling the attacker off of her, the father repeatedly struck the man in the head.
The young girl was taken to DeTar hospital in Victoria where doctors ran tests to determine whether sexual assault had occurred, The Houston Chronicle reports. She was eventually released.
In the aftermath, nearby residents are having a hard time feeling any sympathy for the alleged child molester.
“He got what he deserved, big time,” Sonny Jaehne, a Shiner resident, told the Victoria Advocate.
Another Shiner resident Mark Harabis said he agreed with the father’s action “totally.”
“I would probably do worse,” he said. “The family will have to deal with that the rest of their lives, no matter what happens to the father. Even if they let him go, he and his child will have to deal with that the rest of their lives.”
Further, Howard Gloor, the owner of Howard’s convenient store, a popular Shiner hangout spot, told The Advocate that the whole town had pretty much come to a “consensus” about the incident.
“Everybody wants to know who it is,” Gloor said. “Everybody’s very curious about it. A lot of people have said that he got what he had coming to him. That’s been the consensus. They’ve been supportive of doing what needed to be done to take care of the problem.”
So far, no arrests have been made. A grand jury will likely decide whether any charges will be brought against the father, whose identity has not been released in an attempt to protect the 4-year-old girl.
An autopsy on the alleged attacker is expected to be performed by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office to establish the cause of death.
5) Rare blue lobster caught in Canada... Nature/Interest
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/rare-blue-lobster-caught-canada-215839742.html
Jun 12, 2012
Bobby Stoddard is a second-generation lobster-boat captain. But the rare blue lobster Stoddard caught off the coast of Nova Scotia was something his father had seen only once before in more than a half century as a professional fisherman.
"This is the only one that I've ever seen," Stoddard told CNN. "And my dad has been a lobsterman of about 55 years, and he caught one about 45 years ago, but hadn't seen one since."
The University of Maine Lobster Institute says that blue lobsters are a 1-in-2-million phenomenon, with their unique hue originating from a genetic variation that triggers a protein in the lobster creating the blue shell coloring. In 2009, a even more rare yellow lobster was caught in Canada. The yellow lobster has an orange and yellow hue, similar to lobsters that have been cooked. Yellow lobsters are a 1-in-30-million occurrence.
Stoddard has unsuccessfully tried to donate the blue wonder to a local ocean institute that "didn't seem too interested," in his find. His girlfriend suggested Stoddard sell the lobster on a classified-ad site. But after several "weird" emails and phone calls, Stoddard pulled the ad.
"I'm kind of a shy guy," he said. "When things get controversial, I kind of go hide. This is what I do for a living; I catch lobsters and sell them. I'm just trying to do the right thing. I thought, 'I just don't need this hassle.' "
In the meantime, the blue lobster is residing safely inside a holding tank at Stoddard's business. If only to uphold the standards of truth in advertising, the crustacean hopefully won't end up on the menu at Red Lobster. However, the Associated Press notes that blue lobsters turn the same color as other lobsters when they are cooked.
"I don't know what the best thing is to do," Stoddard told CNN. "It probably belongs back in the ocean, but I'd like for as many people as possible to see it."
A few other blue lobsters have been found in recent years. In 2011 another blue lobster was caught off the coast of Canada. "Fluffy," as the blue lobster was dubbed, was displayed at a local museum before being returned to the waters off Prince Edward Island.
And in April, a new species of purple-hued crab was discovered in the Philippines.
6) Lake detected near equator of Saturn's massive moon Titan... Science/Interest
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/13/lake-detected-near-equator-saturn-titan/
June 13, 2012
In a surprise find, scientists say they have spotted hints of a methane-rich lake and several ponds near the equator of Saturn's biggest moon.
Lakes were previously spied near Titan's polar regions. It was long thought that bodies of liquid could not exist near the tropics because they would evaporate.
"This discovery was completely unexpected because lakes are not stable at tropical latitudes," said planetary scientist Caitlin Griffith of the University of Arizona, who led the discovery team.
'The observation suggests oases of liquid methane - which might be a crucible for life - lie beneath the moon's surface.'
- Nature magazine
By measuring reflected sunlight from Titan's surface and atmosphere, the international Cassini spacecraft detected a dark region near the landing site of Huygens, a companion probe that parachuted to Titan's equator in 2005.
Scientists said further analysis of the dark feature suggests the presence of a 927-square-mile (2,400-square-kilometer) hydrocarbon lake -- twice as big as Lake Champlain, a freshwater lake that borders upstate New York and Vermont. Near the tropical lake were hints of four shallow ponds similar in size and depth to marshes on Earth.
The findings were detailed in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.
Titan is among the few bodies in the solar system with a dense atmosphere, but scientists have wrestled over the source of the thick blanket of nitrogen and methane. Methane gas in the atmosphere is constantly broken up by sunlight and falls to the surface where it is transported back to the poles, condensing to form lakes.
Scientists do not believe this process is driving the presence of tropical lakes and ponds. Rather, they think there may be an underground source of methane that periodically vents to the surface to form the hydrocarbon bodies of liquid.
"Titan may have oases," Griffith said.
David Stevenson, a planetary scientist at the California Institute of Technology, said the latest find was interesting, but noted that the evidence was indirect.
If a subterranean source of methane is confirmed, it's a step toward understanding the persistence of methane in Titan's atmosphere, said Stevenson, who was not part of the research team.
7) Parents Outraged After School Principal Allegedly Teaches 5th Graders About Oral & Anal Sex... Sex Education/Public Schools
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/raping-their-innocence-parents-outraged-after-school-principal-allegedly-teaches5th-graders-about-oral-anal-sex/
June 14, 2012
A disturbing story is making its way out of a small community in Washington State, where residents are outraged over a school lesson that was delivered to fifth-grade children. During a sex education class led by the Onalaska Elementary School principal, graphic descriptions of oral and anal sex were purportedly delivered.
According to Fox News’ Todd Starnes, the 11-year-old students were being given a lesson on HIV-AIDS. However, the lesson took a bizarre turn when a student reportedly asked about other forms of sexual activity. At that point, the principal then delved into subjects many would deem too advanced for the children.
While the school hasn’t offered comment, Superintendent Scott Fenter defended the principal’s actions, claiming that she only gave “factual information” and “no demonstrations.“ Fenter also claims that the lessons that were offered came from ”state-adopted curriculum.”
“In reality, she stuck to the curriculum,” the district leader told Seattle’s Q-13 Fox News. “It’s pretty difficult to talk about STDs or sexually transmitted diseases without explaining what that is, or how it’s transmitted.”
Parents are reacting harshly to the lesson, though, claiming that the principal went too far.
“I’m one pissed off cowboy, I didn’t appreciate them teaching my daughter - who is innocent of that - at all,” James Gilliand said in an interview with Starnes.
“Basically, how I feel is, it’s just the same as raping somebody, but you’re raping their innocence instead of their physical being,” he added in the Q-13 appearance.
Another parent, Curtis Pannkuk, believes that the curriculum must be changed. Echoing Gilliand’s declarations, he said, “children were traumatized.”
Starns provides the graphic details of what the parents claim their children heard in the classroom:
“You take a man’s penis and you put it in your mouth - that’s what the girls do to the boys,” their daughter told the couple. “The boys spread the girls legs apart and put their mouths down on the vaginas.”
Pannkuk said he became enraged as his 11-year-old daughter recounted what the principal had told the classroom.
“Steam was coming out my ears,” he said. “I was very, very upset. I understand that they need to teach these kids sex education - but 11-year-olds? I have a problem with that. The wife and I were very - very upset.”
Gilliland said another child explained to their parents that it “was basically like a lollipop.”
Read more about the traumatic story, here.
8) Obama suspends deportation for thousands of illegals, tells GOP to pass DREAM Act... Obama/Pro Illegal Immigration
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/06/15/obama-administration-to-offer-immunity-to-younger-immigrants/
June 15, 2012
President Obama said Friday the United States will stop deporting hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants and give them work permits, a move praised fellow Democrats but criticized by Republicans on Capitol Hill who said the administration has side-stepped the country’s legislative process.
The executive order will apply to illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. before they were 16 and are younger than 30. They also must have no major criminal offenses, have been in the country for at least five continuous years, have graduated from a U.S. high school or have earned a GED, or served in the military.
Individuals who have been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, or three or more other misdemeanor offenses not occurring on the same date and not arising out of the same act, omission, or scheme of misconduct are not eligible to be considered for deferred action under the new process.
“These are young people who study in our schools and play on our playgrounds,” the president said. “They are Americans in every single way but one - on paper.”
Those now eligible also can apply for a work permit that will be good for two years with no limits on how many times it can be renewed.
The change is expected to impact roughly 800,000 illegal immigrants.
The election-year announcement was met with surprise and question by several GOP lawmakers.
“This is another example of executive overreach,” Florida GOP Rep. Allen West told Fox News.
West said he just learned about the policy change Friday morning and that such a move should have come through legislation on Capitol Hill where it could be debated.
“That’s how we do business in the United States,” said West, R; Fla.
New York GOP Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, vowed an “immediate review" into the possibility that the Department Of Homeland Security will direct U.S. Border Patrol agents to conduct selective enforcement.
GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney said the president's order makes reaching a long-term solution more difficult.
"If I'm elected president, we'll do our best to have the long-term solution," he said.
Obama suggested he ordered the policy change because Capitol Hill Republicans have blocked the so-called DREAM Act, buts said the lawmakers still have time to pass such legislation.
“I’ve said this time and again to Congress,” the president said at the Rose Garden press conference. “Send me the DREAM Act, put it on my desk, and I’ll sign it.”
In urging Congress to pass the legislation, the president said his change was “stop gap” and not “a permanent fix.”
The president also made clear he change was not amnesty, immunity or a path to citizenship.
The policy is similar to one by Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio in that it is an alternative to the DREAM Act. However, the first-term senator did not support the president’s order.
“Today’s announcement will be welcome news for many of these kids desperate for an answer, but it is a short-term answer to a long term problem,” Rubio said. “And by once again ignoring the Constitution and going around Congress, this short-term policy will make it harder to find a balanced and responsible long term one.”
The president was briefly interrupted by a reporter who asked: "Mr. President, why do you favor foreign workers over Americans?"
Obama sternly told the reporter - identified as Neil Munro of The Daily Caller - not to interrupt.
“Excuse me, sir, but it’s not time for questions," Obama responded.
“Are you going to take questions?” Munro asked.
“Not while I’m speaking.” Obama said.
The reporter later said he though the president was finished talking.
Earlier in the day, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the change takes effect immediately and is needed to ensure enforcement resources are not expended on “low-priority cases.”
“Young people brought to U.S. by no fault of their own and meet several criteria no longer are removed from country or entered into removal proceedings,” Napolitano said in a conference call with reporters.
The policy change was reported first by the Associated Press.
The move comes in an election year in which the Hispanic vote could be critical in swing states like Colorado, Nevada and Florida.
While Obama has support from a majority of Hispanic voters, Latino enthusiasm for the president has been tempered by the slow economic recovery, his inability to win congressional support for a broad overhaul of immigration laws and by his administration's aggressive deportation policy.
Romney and many Republican lawmakers want tighter border security measures before considering changes in immigration law. Romney opposes offering legal status to illegal immigrants who attend college but has said he would do so for those who serve in the armed forces.
An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll last month found Obama leading Romney among Hispanic voters 61 percent to 27 percent. But his administration's deportation policies have come under fire, and Latino leaders have raised the subject in private meetings with the president. In 2011, Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported a record 396,906 people and is expected to deport about 400,000 this year.
Under the administration’s plan, immigrants whose deportation cases are pending in immigration court will have to prove their eligibility for a reprieve to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which will begin dealing with such cases in 60 days. Any immigrant who already has a deportation order and those who never have been encountered by immigration authorities will deal with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Last year, Napolitano announced plans to review about 300,000 pending deportation cases and indefinitely suspend those that didn't meet department priorities. So far, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has reviewed more than 232,000 cases and decided to stop working on about 20,000. About 4,000 of those 20,000 have opted to keep fighting in court to stay in the United States legally. For the people who opted to close their cases, work permits are not guaranteed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
9) Obama mocks marriage traditionalists... Obama/Anti Traditional Marriage
http://www.onenewsnow.com/politics-govt/2012/06/16/obama-mocks-marriage-traditionalists
June 16, 2012
President Barack Obama is telling "gay" supporters that they will have a friend and "fellow advocate" in the White House as long as he is president.
Obama spoke to lesbian, "gay," bisexual and transgender guests during a White House reception marking LGBT Pride Month. He touted his administration's work on homosexual rights issues, including repealing the military's ban on openly homosexual service members. He said even though it may have taken more time than they would like, homosexuals have seen progress and lasting change under his administration.
The president also referenced his recent public embrace of same-gender "marriage." He said that while some Americans may still be "evolving" on same-sex marriage, he and wife, Michelle, "have made up our minds on this issue." The remark drew extended applause.
2) Skeletons treated for vampirism found in Bulgaria... History/Interest
3) Alabama Takes a Stand Against Soros-Backed ‘Agenda 21’... Environmentalism/Economy & Freedoms
4) ‘He Got What He Deserved’: Texas Dad Beats His Daughter’s Molester to Death... Crime/Interest
5) Rare blue lobster caught in Canada... Nature/Interest
6) Lake detected near equator of Saturn's massive moon Titan... Science/Interest
7) Parents Outraged After School Principal Allegedly Teaches 5th Graders About Oral & Anal Sex... Sex Education/Public Schools
8) Obama suspends deportation for thousands of illegals, tells GOP to pass DREAM Act... Obama/Pro Illegal Immigration
9) Obama mocks marriage traditionalists... Obama/Anti Traditional Marriage
1) Democrats Defeat Bill to Ban Sex-Selection Abortions... Eugenics/Democrats/Abortion
http://www.lifenews.com/2012/05/31/democrats-defeat-bill-to-ban-sex-selection-abortions/
5/31/12
Democrats in the House of Representatives prevented passage of a bill that would ban sex-selection abortions. The legislation needed a two-thirds vote and Democrats voted overwhelmingly against the legislation after President Barack Obama and Planned Parenthood came out in opposition.
With a 246-168 vote, the bill did not obtain the two-thirds majority necessary to pass. Republicans voted for the bill on a 226-7 margin while Democrats opposed banning sex-selection abortions on 161-20 vote margin.
The bill would make it a federal offense to knowingly do any one of the following four things: (1) perform an abortion, at any time in pregnancy, “knowing that such abortion is sought based on the sex or gender of the child”; (2) use “force or threat of force. . . for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection abortion”; (3) solicit or accept funds to perform a sex-selection abortion; or (4) transport a woman into the U.S. or across state lines for this purpose. However, the bill says “A woman upon whom a sex-selection abortion is performed may not be prosecuted or held civilly liable for any violation . . .”
The bill also specifically states, “Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require that a healthcare provider has an affirmative duty to inquire as to the motivation for the abortion, absent the healthcare provider having knowledge or information that the abortion is being sought based on the sex or gender of the child.”
Leading pro-life groups were aghast that Democrats would stand in the way of passing what should be a common sense bill.
Tom McClusky, Senior Vice President for Family Research Council Action (FRC Action), had the following to say: “We are deeply saddened that the U.S. House of Representatives would vote to keep sex-selection abortion legal in this country. That anyone on either side of the political aisle would vote against a bill preventing gendercide in the United States is profoundly troubling. Given that CDC data suggests sex-selection abortion is occurring in our country, and a recent undercover video released this week by Live Action showing Planned Parenthood’s willingness to facilitate a sex-selection abortion, the American public cannot ignore this sexist practice.
“But because of lobbying by Planned Parenthood and the White House, the bill to protect against sex-selection abortion failed. We applaud the 246 Members on both sides of the aisle who voted for the bill. We thank Rep. Trent Franks and the Republican leadership for holding a vote on this legislation to ban this tragic and discriminatory practice. We will continue to work with them to pass this legislation in the future, so that pre-born women across the nation will be protected from gendercide and sex discrimination,” McClusky concluded.
NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson said: “We are heartened that a strong majority of House members voted to ban performing or coercing abortions for the purpose of eliminating unborn babies of an undesired sex - usually, girls. Shamefully, President Obama, and a minority of 168 House members, complied with the political demands of pro-abortion pressure groups, rather than defend the coerced women, and their unborn daughters, who are victimized by sex-selection abortions.”
Among the organizations that warned House members not to vote for the bill was the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). PPFA sent an email memo to House members on May 29 warning of its “intent to score” a vote for the bill as a vote against “women’s health.” Also on May 29, the Huffington Post reported that “no Planned Parenthood clinic will deny a woman an abortion based on her reasons for wanting one, except in those states that explicitly prohibit sex-selective abortions (Arizona, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Illinois).”
“We commend the House Republican leadership for bringing this bill to the floor today under the fast-track procedure,” Johnson said. “Today’s groundbreaking majority vote was a stepping stone to this bill ultimately becoming law - perhaps after the replacement of some of the lawmakers who today were unwilling to protect victimized women and their unborn daughters from sex-selection abortions, because they were more concerned with maintaining favor with the abortion industry, pro-abortion advocacy groups, and Hollywood donors.”
Obama’s opposition comes after after a new video exposing how Planned Parenthood encourages women to have sex-selection abortions. A second video showing another Planned Parenthood clinic okaying sex-selection abortions has followed it up.
A few years ago, a national study showed the possibility that the practice of sex-selection abortions has made its way from Asia to the United States. Researchers Douglas Almond and Lena Edlund of the National Academy of Sciences say their analysis of the 2000 Census shows the odds prematurely increasing for Asian-American families from China, Korea and India to have a boy if they already have a girl child.
The data “suggest that in a sub-population with a traditional son preference, the technologies are being used to generate male births when preceding births are female,” they wrote in the paper.
Previously, abortion advocates not only opposed the bill in great hysteria but also denied the very existence of sex selection abortions. Nancy Northup, President of the Center for Reproductive Rights, called it a “trumped up bill for a trumped up problem.” Meanwhile at the pro-abortion blog Jezebel, a writer called sex selection abortions “a problem rampant only in its rampant nonexistence.”
A recent poll conducted by the Lozier Institute found that 77% of respondents would support the enactment of laws prohibiting abortion in cases where “the fact that the developing baby is a girl is the sole reason for seeking an abortion.” Illinois, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Arizona already have laws on the books which prohibit this practice, according to the Lozier Institute.
Meanwhile, a 2006 poll showed a majority of Americans would likely support the bill. A 2006 Zogby International poll showed that 86% of the American public desired a law to ban sex-selection abortion. The poll surveyed a whopping 30,117 respondents in 48 states.
ACTION: Click here to see how your lawmakers voted and tell them what you think of their votes.
2) Skeletons treated for vampirism found in Bulgaria... History/Interest
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/05/skeletons-treated-for-vampirism-found-in-bulgaria/?intcmp=features
June 05, 2012
SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgarian archaeologists say they have unearthed centuries-old skeletons pinned down through their chests with iron rods -- a practice believed to stop the dead from becoming vampires.
'These two skeletons stabbed with rods illustrate a practice common up until the first decade of the 20th century.'
- National history museum chief Bozhidar Dimitrov
According to Bozhidar Dimitrov, head of the National History Museum in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, two skeletons from the Middle Ages were found in such a state last weekend near the Black Sea town of Sozopol.
He said Tuesday that corpses were regularly treated in such a way before being buried in some parts of Bulgaria, even until the beginning of the last century.
Widespread superstition led to iron rods being hammered through the chest bones and hearts of those who did evil during their lifetimes for fear they would return after death to feast on the blood of the living.
According to Dimitrov, over 100 corpses stabbed to prevent them from becoming vampires have been discovered across Bulgaria over the years.
"I do not know why an ordinary discovery like that [has] became so popular. Perhaps because of the mysteriousness of the word "vampire," he said.
3) Alabama Takes a Stand Against Soros-Backed ‘Agenda 21’... Environmentalism/Economy & Freedoms
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/alabama-takes-a-stand-against-soros-backed-agenda-21/#
June 8, 2012
Although the U.N.’s George Soros-backed plan for “Sustainable Development” (also known as “Agenda 21”) seems to have gone largely unnoticed by many Americans, the shadowy, backdoor attack on personal property rights didn’t slip past the people of Alabama.
“Alabama recently passed Senate Bill 477 unanimously in both of its houses. The legislation bars the taking of private property in Alabama without due process,” Investor’s Business Daily reports.
The bill specifically states the following:
Alabama and all political subdivisions may not adopt or implement policy recommendations that deliberately or inadvertently infringe or restrict private property rights without due process, as may be required by policy recommendations originating in or traceable to Agenda 21.
But let’s back up for a bit and talk more about “Agenda 21.” If you haven’t heard of it, you owe it to yourself to read up on it. Simply put, it’s an international initiative that overrides personal property rights all in the name of the environment and “sustainability.”
Here’s a good rundown via The Blaze’s Mike Opelka:
Agenda 21 is a two-decade old, grand plan for global ’Sustainable Development,’ brought to you from the United Nations. George H.W. Bush (and 177 other world leaders) agreed to it back in 1992, and in 1995, Bill Clinton signed Executive Order #12858, creating a Presidential Council on ‘Sustainable Development.’ This effectively pushed the UN plan into America’s large, churning government machine without the need for any review or discussion by Congress or the American people.
[…]
The seeds for Agenda 21 were planted back in 1987 when the writings of Gro Harlem Brundtland (a woman who was first Vice-President of the Socialist International) caught the eye of the UN. Dr. Brundtland wrote a report for the UN called, ‘Our Common Future’ eventually got into the business of environmentalism as a tool to control all the people of the world and establish a global government. The growth of ICLEI [International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives] and the framework being put in place by supporters of Agenda 21 appear to be bringing Dr. Brundtland’s ideas closer to reality
As mentioned in the above, “Agenda 21” is little more than an all-out attack on personal property rights. Indeed, as Opelka notes, the body that drafted the initiative (the U.N.) has openly and without hesitation stated its opposition property rights:
Land… cannot be treated as an ordinary asset, controlled by individuals and subject to the pressures and inefficiencies of the market. Private land ownership is also a principal instrument of accumulation and concentration of wealth and therefore contributes to social injustice; if unchecked, it may become a major obstacle in the planning and implementation of development schemes. The provision of decent dwellings and healthy conditions for the people can only be achieved if land is used in the interest of society as a whole.*
Oh, and if that’s not reason enough to be wary of the U.N.’s “sustainability” project, consider the following: “In 1997, George Soros’s Open Society gave ICLEI a $2,147,415 grant to support its Local Agenda 21 Project.”
But despite the slow and steady growth of the project in the United States, Alabama proves that, contrary to what some would have you believe, not everyone’s asleep at the wheel.
However, even though Alabama’s Senate Bill 477 will be viewed by many as a victory over “Agenda 21,” it doesn’t mean that the U.N. or the Feds are anywhere near through with their “sustainable” agenda. In fact, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson will attend the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development later this month in Rio de Janeiro, IBD reports.
“Specifically, in a transition to a green economy, public policies will need to be used strategically to reorient consumption, investments and other economic activities,” a U.N. document describing the conference explains.
“We don’t need ‘environmental governance,’” IBD writes, “just a governance of, by and for the people of the United States.”
“Nor do we need to ‘reorient’ our consumption and economic activities. Alabama has just told the U.N. and the EPA what they need to be told - don’t tread on us,” the report concludes
* Source: United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat I),Vancouver, BC, May 31 - June 11, 1976. Preamble to Agenda Item 10 of the Conference Report.
4) ‘He Got What He Deserved’: Texas Dad Beats His Daughter’s Molester to Death... Crime/Interest
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/he-got-what-he-deserved-texas-dad-beats-his-daughters-molester-to-death/
June 11, 2012
A Texas father beat a man to death after catching him molesting his 4-year-old daughter in a horse barn, The Houston Chronicle reports. The incident happened Saturday evening near Shiner, Texas.
Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon identified the deceased as a 47-year-old man from Gonzales, Texas. He was reported dead at the scene, however, his name will not be released until his next of kin is notified.
Harmon said the father and daughter were with several other people at the family’s barn to groom and tend to the horses, according to The Chronicle. The alleged attacker was reportedly an acquaintance of the father.
The sound of the little girl’s screams were later heard coming from the barn and instinctually, the father rushed to his daughter’s aide. After reaching the barn, he found a man sexually assaulting his daughter - undoubtedly a dad’s worst nightmare.
After pulling the attacker off of her, the father repeatedly struck the man in the head.
The young girl was taken to DeTar hospital in Victoria where doctors ran tests to determine whether sexual assault had occurred, The Houston Chronicle reports. She was eventually released.
In the aftermath, nearby residents are having a hard time feeling any sympathy for the alleged child molester.
“He got what he deserved, big time,” Sonny Jaehne, a Shiner resident, told the Victoria Advocate.
Another Shiner resident Mark Harabis said he agreed with the father’s action “totally.”
“I would probably do worse,” he said. “The family will have to deal with that the rest of their lives, no matter what happens to the father. Even if they let him go, he and his child will have to deal with that the rest of their lives.”
Further, Howard Gloor, the owner of Howard’s convenient store, a popular Shiner hangout spot, told The Advocate that the whole town had pretty much come to a “consensus” about the incident.
“Everybody wants to know who it is,” Gloor said. “Everybody’s very curious about it. A lot of people have said that he got what he had coming to him. That’s been the consensus. They’ve been supportive of doing what needed to be done to take care of the problem.”
So far, no arrests have been made. A grand jury will likely decide whether any charges will be brought against the father, whose identity has not been released in an attempt to protect the 4-year-old girl.
An autopsy on the alleged attacker is expected to be performed by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office to establish the cause of death.
5) Rare blue lobster caught in Canada... Nature/Interest
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/rare-blue-lobster-caught-canada-215839742.html
Jun 12, 2012
Bobby Stoddard is a second-generation lobster-boat captain. But the rare blue lobster Stoddard caught off the coast of Nova Scotia was something his father had seen only once before in more than a half century as a professional fisherman.
"This is the only one that I've ever seen," Stoddard told CNN. "And my dad has been a lobsterman of about 55 years, and he caught one about 45 years ago, but hadn't seen one since."
The University of Maine Lobster Institute says that blue lobsters are a 1-in-2-million phenomenon, with their unique hue originating from a genetic variation that triggers a protein in the lobster creating the blue shell coloring. In 2009, a even more rare yellow lobster was caught in Canada. The yellow lobster has an orange and yellow hue, similar to lobsters that have been cooked. Yellow lobsters are a 1-in-30-million occurrence.
Stoddard has unsuccessfully tried to donate the blue wonder to a local ocean institute that "didn't seem too interested," in his find. His girlfriend suggested Stoddard sell the lobster on a classified-ad site. But after several "weird" emails and phone calls, Stoddard pulled the ad.
"I'm kind of a shy guy," he said. "When things get controversial, I kind of go hide. This is what I do for a living; I catch lobsters and sell them. I'm just trying to do the right thing. I thought, 'I just don't need this hassle.' "
In the meantime, the blue lobster is residing safely inside a holding tank at Stoddard's business. If only to uphold the standards of truth in advertising, the crustacean hopefully won't end up on the menu at Red Lobster. However, the Associated Press notes that blue lobsters turn the same color as other lobsters when they are cooked.
"I don't know what the best thing is to do," Stoddard told CNN. "It probably belongs back in the ocean, but I'd like for as many people as possible to see it."
A few other blue lobsters have been found in recent years. In 2011 another blue lobster was caught off the coast of Canada. "Fluffy," as the blue lobster was dubbed, was displayed at a local museum before being returned to the waters off Prince Edward Island.
And in April, a new species of purple-hued crab was discovered in the Philippines.
6) Lake detected near equator of Saturn's massive moon Titan... Science/Interest
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/13/lake-detected-near-equator-saturn-titan/
June 13, 2012
In a surprise find, scientists say they have spotted hints of a methane-rich lake and several ponds near the equator of Saturn's biggest moon.
Lakes were previously spied near Titan's polar regions. It was long thought that bodies of liquid could not exist near the tropics because they would evaporate.
"This discovery was completely unexpected because lakes are not stable at tropical latitudes," said planetary scientist Caitlin Griffith of the University of Arizona, who led the discovery team.
'The observation suggests oases of liquid methane - which might be a crucible for life - lie beneath the moon's surface.'
- Nature magazine
By measuring reflected sunlight from Titan's surface and atmosphere, the international Cassini spacecraft detected a dark region near the landing site of Huygens, a companion probe that parachuted to Titan's equator in 2005.
Scientists said further analysis of the dark feature suggests the presence of a 927-square-mile (2,400-square-kilometer) hydrocarbon lake -- twice as big as Lake Champlain, a freshwater lake that borders upstate New York and Vermont. Near the tropical lake were hints of four shallow ponds similar in size and depth to marshes on Earth.
The findings were detailed in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.
Titan is among the few bodies in the solar system with a dense atmosphere, but scientists have wrestled over the source of the thick blanket of nitrogen and methane. Methane gas in the atmosphere is constantly broken up by sunlight and falls to the surface where it is transported back to the poles, condensing to form lakes.
Scientists do not believe this process is driving the presence of tropical lakes and ponds. Rather, they think there may be an underground source of methane that periodically vents to the surface to form the hydrocarbon bodies of liquid.
"Titan may have oases," Griffith said.
David Stevenson, a planetary scientist at the California Institute of Technology, said the latest find was interesting, but noted that the evidence was indirect.
If a subterranean source of methane is confirmed, it's a step toward understanding the persistence of methane in Titan's atmosphere, said Stevenson, who was not part of the research team.
7) Parents Outraged After School Principal Allegedly Teaches 5th Graders About Oral & Anal Sex... Sex Education/Public Schools
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/raping-their-innocence-parents-outraged-after-school-principal-allegedly-teaches5th-graders-about-oral-anal-sex/
June 14, 2012
A disturbing story is making its way out of a small community in Washington State, where residents are outraged over a school lesson that was delivered to fifth-grade children. During a sex education class led by the Onalaska Elementary School principal, graphic descriptions of oral and anal sex were purportedly delivered.
According to Fox News’ Todd Starnes, the 11-year-old students were being given a lesson on HIV-AIDS. However, the lesson took a bizarre turn when a student reportedly asked about other forms of sexual activity. At that point, the principal then delved into subjects many would deem too advanced for the children.
While the school hasn’t offered comment, Superintendent Scott Fenter defended the principal’s actions, claiming that she only gave “factual information” and “no demonstrations.“ Fenter also claims that the lessons that were offered came from ”state-adopted curriculum.”
“In reality, she stuck to the curriculum,” the district leader told Seattle’s Q-13 Fox News. “It’s pretty difficult to talk about STDs or sexually transmitted diseases without explaining what that is, or how it’s transmitted.”
Parents are reacting harshly to the lesson, though, claiming that the principal went too far.
“I’m one pissed off cowboy, I didn’t appreciate them teaching my daughter - who is innocent of that - at all,” James Gilliand said in an interview with Starnes.
“Basically, how I feel is, it’s just the same as raping somebody, but you’re raping their innocence instead of their physical being,” he added in the Q-13 appearance.
Another parent, Curtis Pannkuk, believes that the curriculum must be changed. Echoing Gilliand’s declarations, he said, “children were traumatized.”
Starns provides the graphic details of what the parents claim their children heard in the classroom:
“You take a man’s penis and you put it in your mouth - that’s what the girls do to the boys,” their daughter told the couple. “The boys spread the girls legs apart and put their mouths down on the vaginas.”
Pannkuk said he became enraged as his 11-year-old daughter recounted what the principal had told the classroom.
“Steam was coming out my ears,” he said. “I was very, very upset. I understand that they need to teach these kids sex education - but 11-year-olds? I have a problem with that. The wife and I were very - very upset.”
Gilliland said another child explained to their parents that it “was basically like a lollipop.”
Read more about the traumatic story, here.
8) Obama suspends deportation for thousands of illegals, tells GOP to pass DREAM Act... Obama/Pro Illegal Immigration
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/06/15/obama-administration-to-offer-immunity-to-younger-immigrants/
June 15, 2012
President Obama said Friday the United States will stop deporting hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants and give them work permits, a move praised fellow Democrats but criticized by Republicans on Capitol Hill who said the administration has side-stepped the country’s legislative process.
The executive order will apply to illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. before they were 16 and are younger than 30. They also must have no major criminal offenses, have been in the country for at least five continuous years, have graduated from a U.S. high school or have earned a GED, or served in the military.
Individuals who have been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, or three or more other misdemeanor offenses not occurring on the same date and not arising out of the same act, omission, or scheme of misconduct are not eligible to be considered for deferred action under the new process.
“These are young people who study in our schools and play on our playgrounds,” the president said. “They are Americans in every single way but one - on paper.”
Those now eligible also can apply for a work permit that will be good for two years with no limits on how many times it can be renewed.
The change is expected to impact roughly 800,000 illegal immigrants.
The election-year announcement was met with surprise and question by several GOP lawmakers.
“This is another example of executive overreach,” Florida GOP Rep. Allen West told Fox News.
West said he just learned about the policy change Friday morning and that such a move should have come through legislation on Capitol Hill where it could be debated.
“That’s how we do business in the United States,” said West, R; Fla.
New York GOP Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, vowed an “immediate review" into the possibility that the Department Of Homeland Security will direct U.S. Border Patrol agents to conduct selective enforcement.
GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney said the president's order makes reaching a long-term solution more difficult.
"If I'm elected president, we'll do our best to have the long-term solution," he said.
Obama suggested he ordered the policy change because Capitol Hill Republicans have blocked the so-called DREAM Act, buts said the lawmakers still have time to pass such legislation.
“I’ve said this time and again to Congress,” the president said at the Rose Garden press conference. “Send me the DREAM Act, put it on my desk, and I’ll sign it.”
In urging Congress to pass the legislation, the president said his change was “stop gap” and not “a permanent fix.”
The president also made clear he change was not amnesty, immunity or a path to citizenship.
The policy is similar to one by Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio in that it is an alternative to the DREAM Act. However, the first-term senator did not support the president’s order.
“Today’s announcement will be welcome news for many of these kids desperate for an answer, but it is a short-term answer to a long term problem,” Rubio said. “And by once again ignoring the Constitution and going around Congress, this short-term policy will make it harder to find a balanced and responsible long term one.”
The president was briefly interrupted by a reporter who asked: "Mr. President, why do you favor foreign workers over Americans?"
Obama sternly told the reporter - identified as Neil Munro of The Daily Caller - not to interrupt.
“Excuse me, sir, but it’s not time for questions," Obama responded.
“Are you going to take questions?” Munro asked.
“Not while I’m speaking.” Obama said.
The reporter later said he though the president was finished talking.
Earlier in the day, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the change takes effect immediately and is needed to ensure enforcement resources are not expended on “low-priority cases.”
“Young people brought to U.S. by no fault of their own and meet several criteria no longer are removed from country or entered into removal proceedings,” Napolitano said in a conference call with reporters.
The policy change was reported first by the Associated Press.
The move comes in an election year in which the Hispanic vote could be critical in swing states like Colorado, Nevada and Florida.
While Obama has support from a majority of Hispanic voters, Latino enthusiasm for the president has been tempered by the slow economic recovery, his inability to win congressional support for a broad overhaul of immigration laws and by his administration's aggressive deportation policy.
Romney and many Republican lawmakers want tighter border security measures before considering changes in immigration law. Romney opposes offering legal status to illegal immigrants who attend college but has said he would do so for those who serve in the armed forces.
An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll last month found Obama leading Romney among Hispanic voters 61 percent to 27 percent. But his administration's deportation policies have come under fire, and Latino leaders have raised the subject in private meetings with the president. In 2011, Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported a record 396,906 people and is expected to deport about 400,000 this year.
Under the administration’s plan, immigrants whose deportation cases are pending in immigration court will have to prove their eligibility for a reprieve to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which will begin dealing with such cases in 60 days. Any immigrant who already has a deportation order and those who never have been encountered by immigration authorities will deal with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Last year, Napolitano announced plans to review about 300,000 pending deportation cases and indefinitely suspend those that didn't meet department priorities. So far, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has reviewed more than 232,000 cases and decided to stop working on about 20,000. About 4,000 of those 20,000 have opted to keep fighting in court to stay in the United States legally. For the people who opted to close their cases, work permits are not guaranteed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
9) Obama mocks marriage traditionalists... Obama/Anti Traditional Marriage
http://www.onenewsnow.com/politics-govt/2012/06/16/obama-mocks-marriage-traditionalists
June 16, 2012
President Barack Obama is telling "gay" supporters that they will have a friend and "fellow advocate" in the White House as long as he is president.
Obama spoke to lesbian, "gay," bisexual and transgender guests during a White House reception marking LGBT Pride Month. He touted his administration's work on homosexual rights issues, including repealing the military's ban on openly homosexual service members. He said even though it may have taken more time than they would like, homosexuals have seen progress and lasting change under his administration.
The president also referenced his recent public embrace of same-gender "marriage." He said that while some Americans may still be "evolving" on same-sex marriage, he and wife, Michelle, "have made up our minds on this issue." The remark drew extended applause.