PrairiePundit

Telegraph: As North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un boasts of his military prowess and flaunts his high tech weapons to the world, his malnourished soldiers are said to be stealing corn from fields to stave off hunger pangs. Officers are ordering their troops to supplement their meagre food rations by plundering local fields, in order to keep up their strength for battle, according to a report in the Daily NK. “The military officers are instructing their soldiers, exhausted after training, to eat corn in the fields because war is imminent,” a source in North Hamgyong Province told the news website. “They are even threatening their soldiers, saying: if you become malnourished despite permission to eat the corn, you will face difficulties.” Another source in Ryanggang Province claimed that soldiers carrying big sacks of unripened corn had frequently been spotted trying to sell their wares at markets. ... South Korea needs to closely guard food warehouses near any invasion route a

The Sun: FIRE AND FURY US nuke-ready jets drop bombs near North Korea border as Kim Jong-un blasts ‘wild military acts of the enemies’ Four US F-35B fighter jets joined two US B-1B bombers and four South Korean F-15 fighter jets in the joint military operation   The North Koreans seemed rattled by the US saber rattling in response to their missle flight over Japan.

Washington Post: Harvey is a 1,000-year flood event A new analysis determined the storm flooded a section of Southeast Texas that was equivalent in size to the state of New Jersey. There is no way to engineer away the damage done by a 1000 year flood.  If the same amount of rain fell on Washington DC, the results would have been similar for the city and the region.   Houston required all new builds since the 1970's to be above the 100-year flood plain.  In some cases that was probably enough, but a 1000-year flood is not something drainage engineers plan for anywhere.

Technology Review: On a small lot between Houston and the Gulf Coast, in an industrial zone packed with petrochemical factories and gas pipelines, a little-known company is finalizing construction of a demonstration power plant that could represent a genuine energy breakthrough. If it works as expected, Net Power’s $140 million, 50-megawatt natural gas plant will capture effectively all of the carbon dioxide it produces, without significantly higher costs, in part by relying on the greenhouse gas itself to crank the turbine that generates electricity. The technology could enable a new generation of plants that provide clean power, without the development risks of nuclear (see “ Meltdown of Toshiba’s Nuclear Business Dooms New Construction in the U.S. ”), the geographic restrictions of hydroelectric, or the intermittency issues of solar and wind. Crucially, future plants of this type could also rely on the nation’s abundant supply of cheap natural gas. “If it plays out as advertised

Washington Times: Comey drafted announcement closing Hillary Clinton probe before key witnesses interviewed: Senators ‘Conclusion first, fact-gathering second — that’s no way to run an investigation’ He will probably have to add a new chapter to his book to explain this.  I suspect he will be asked to explain it to the Senate first.

NY Times: Hundreds of Towns in Harvey’s Path Hit by Devastating Rain Harvey, downgraded to a tropical depression, moved to the east and punished a region of roughly 11 million people. In Houston, after the first night of a citywide curfew, many residents went outside for the first time in days to survey the wreckage. Officials have reported at least 38 deaths. Houston, the Limitless City, Is Forced to Consider Its Limits A muscular metropolitan area that embraced growth now wonders whether growth made its flooding woes worse. The first story appears to contradict the second one.  Some people resent Houston's growth and they use it as an excuse for the flooding.  But I think if you dropped 50 inches of rain on Washington DC you would have seen the same kind of flooding and Democrats would resist limiting the growth of government.   What seems clear is that in towns that did not have Houston's explosive growth, they still had unprecedented flooding caused by

Washington Times: A Houston-area chemical plant that lost power after Harvey engulfed the area in extensive floods was rocked by two explosions early Thursday, the plant’s operator said. Arkema Inc. said in a statement on its website that the Harris County Emergency Operations Center reported two explosions and black smoke coming from the plant at about 2 a.m. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said in a tweet that a deputy was taken to the hospital after inhaling fumes. Nine other deputies drove themselves to the hospital as a precaution. The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office said there had been “a series of chemical reactions” at the plant and advised people to stay away from the area. A spokeswoman for the plant in Crosby, Texas, said late Wednesday that the flooded facility had lost power and backup generators due to the flooding, leaving it without refrigeration for chemicals that become volatile as the temperature rises. The plant is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast

Bloomberg/Fuel Fix: Venezuela, still reeling from a fresh round of U.S. sanctions that make it harder to raise financing in capital markets, offered $5 million to help victims of Hurricane Harvey in parts of Texas through its subsidiary Citgo Petroleum Corp. Citgo, which operates the Corpus Christi Refinery with a capacity to process 157,000 barrels a day, will provide the aid to affected families through local mayors and allot a percentage of gasoline revenue to the construction of homes and shelters in and around Houston, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on state television. “We express our solidarity with the Americans affected by the hurricane,” Arreaza said, flanked by Nelson Martinez, the head of state-run oil company PDVSA. “When an American fills his tank at a Citgo gas station, he’ll be contributing to the rebuilding of the affected communities.” ... I think the Venezuelans probably need the food and shelter more.

Andrea Ruth: Elderly Houston Couple Rescued After Ordering Lunch And A BOAT From Chick-Fil-A (Video) The manager's husband showed up on a boat with two people on jet skis to rescue the couple.

Red States: BREAKING: Judge Blocks Portions Of Texas Anti-Sanctuary City Law The judge blocked the part of the law which held scofflaw local officials criminally liable if they did not cooperate with ICE.   I disagree with the judge on this ruling and so did Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton who says the law will eventually be upheld. The law has already had a positive effect as sheriff's in several counties are now cooperating openly with ICE.

American Thinker: ... Charlottesville has been used for political purposes to attack Donald Trump and conservatives as racists. The false narrative even underlying those claims appears to be worse than originally suspected. Thomas Lifson adds: McAuliffe has been acting like someone with something to hide. He praised the local authorities for a " magnificent job ," as the rest of the nation reeled from the horrific, even lethal violence that resulted from the police channeling the two groups together into a tight space. He falsely claimed that local authorities were " outgunned ." The state police denied his assertion that weapons caches were secreted around the city, in effect calling him a liar. When asked to denounce Antifa, he took the approach that earned President Trump hysterical denunciations: blaming both sides but, unlike the president, refusing to name names. Despite denials of a "stand down" order, it has become obvious, even to the

Daily Mail: Hundreds of ISIS fighters surrender to Iraqi forces in the desert after fleeing key town of Tal Afar amid intense fighting Footage circulating online purports to show ISIS fighters surrendering in desert  Video could be from Iraqi town of al-Ayadieh, which was partly liberated today ISIS fled to al-Ayadieh when the key town of Tal Afar was recaptured last week Iraqi forces said battle had been 'multiple times worse' than for Mosul's Old City PJ Media reports that Syria and Hezballah are sending 300 ISIS fighters to the Iraqi border on air conditioned buses.  The Iraqis are not pleased by the move that deposits more terrorists on their doorstep. What seems clear is that ISIS is totally crumbling on all fronts.

Mark Perry: Private sector to the rescue in Texas: Never underestimate the power of the private sector to rise up to any challenge ... 2. Also from IBD, here are examples of compassionate activities from the private business sector: Gallery Furniture, a Houston-based chain store, opened two of its nearby locations to residents seeking shelter. HEB Grocery, which has more than 150 stores in Texas, sent its mobile kitchens to Houston to provide meals, pharmacy services, and ATMs. Wal-Mart is delivering nearly 800 truckloads of supplies to the region. It says it plans to send another 1,700 next week. KL Outdoor in Michigan is paying the shipping costs to send 2,000 kayaks to the region. Bass Pro is providing 80 boats. Duracell is sending out free batteries to anyone impacted by the storm. Anheuser-Busch InBev has sent more than 155,000 cans of drinking water. Airbnb activated its disaster response program, called “Urgent Accommodations,” which lets evacuees find lodging, wi

CNN: With floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey swallowing entire Texas cities, the US military is mobilizing its resources from states across the country to help local law enforcement and civilian volunteers in the rescue effort. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has activated the entire Texas National Guard, which is made up of roughly 12,000 troops. State, local and military rescue units have plucked thousands of stranded residents from the water and deluged homes. On Sunday, the Defense Department and Abbott agreed to establish a "dual-status command" that would allow a single commander for both federal and state forces overseeing and coordinating the response efforts. "It is imperative that we give our military and first responders on the ground the most efficient method of execution when responding to the urgent needs of Texans," Abbott said in a statement. On Monday, Military surgical teams, communications teams, maintenance and other military support eleme

Washington Examiner: In times of crisis, a prime directive is "do not panic." Lawmakers need to heed that wisdom as Harvey's devastation of Houston continues to unfold. Congress will take up disaster funding next week. Moving resources to parts of the country demolished by a freak act of God is a long-established role for government, and typically, even the stingiest fiscal conservatives are onboard with such disaster aid. Where disputes have occurred, and they're being refought these days, is over the cynical practice of using emergency relief bills to cram through non-emergency items. That's what Congress did a few months after Hurricane Sandy whacked the Northeast. Lawmakers passed a $51 billion relief package in January 2013. While most of the money was for parts of the country damaged by the storm, appropriators stuck in money for Alaska fisheries. Also, two-thirds of the money wouldn't even go out the door until 2014 or later. That's not emerge

Daily Mail: 'This is the new normal': Intense storms like Harvey are becoming more common due to global warming, warn scientists Researchers are quick to say that climate change didn't cause Harvey in Texas, but they do note that warmer air and water mean wetter and possibly more intense hurricanes in the future. Dr. Roy Specer a climatologist  disputes the contention of the researchers with his analysis showing such storms are not that unusual.   Other hurricanes have actually dumped more water.  What made this one unusual is that it did not move over land as rapidly as past hurricanes which dumped more water. ... There is no aspect of global warming theory that says rain systems are going to be moving slower, as we are seeing in Texas. This is just the luck of the draw. Sometimes weather systems stall, and that sucks if you are caught under one. The same is true of high pressure areas; when they stall, a drought results. ... Spencer's piece is worth readin

Fox News: Trump attorney delivers point-by-point rebuttal of 'totally false' dossier The denials leave little wiggle room for challenge.  The Russian lawyer who met with Donald Trump Jr. said the dossier was laughable.   This looks like another aspect of the Russian collusion allegations that is crumbling.  The story is worth reading to get a taste of how ridiculous the allegations are.

Power Line: ... 7. During several days of hearing, Judge Snow -asked leading questions, -gave his own version of the facts, -conducted his own investigation outside the courtroom, -argued with witnesses, and -was extremely interested in what evidence existed concerning the statement he made to his wife that he would do all that he could to make sure that Sheriff Arpaio is not elected. 8. One thing is very clear. Several witnesses heard Judge Snow’s wife say, in substance, that her husband (Judge Snow) wanted to do whatever he could to make sure that Sheriff Arpaio [was] not reelected. The witnesses may not recall or agree on the exact language that Judge Snow’s wife used, but they do agree on the substance and import of the statement. 9. Judge Snow has never denied making such a statement under oath. In fact, he has never denied it at all. ... 13. [I]n the case of Melendres v. Arpaio [the case that is the vehicle for Snow’s investigation of Arpaio], the brother-in-law of Ju

Houston Chronicle: The Marines assisted in the Friendswood neighborhood along Clear Creek.  The Creek flows into Clear Lake which empties into Galveston Bay.  The high tides from the storm may have added to the drainage problem in the area. The Marines are now headed to Beaumont to deal with flooding in that community. The vehicles seem like an ideal way to navigate between flooded are3as and the high ground.

NY Times: Trump Says U.S. Is Paying ‘Extortion Money’ to North Korea In a Twitter post, the president said the country has been paying North Korea for 25 years, though it was not clear what money he was referring to. They should check their own archives.  Clinton's failed deal with the Norks included giving them money in return for their illusory promise to stop their nuclear weapons program.  It was another failure of diplomacy that the liberals choose to ignore when it comes to North Korea.

NY Times: Blue-Collar Volunteers, Rushing to the Rescue in Boats Using a fleet of Cajun-style airboats, Jet Skis and fishing boats, a massive volunteer rescue effort patrolled the roads turned rivers. Houston is a multi-ethnic community and people from every group rushed to save lives and were doing it out of a sense of need and dare I say it patriotism.  I recall seeing black people saving those in white neighborhoods and vice-versa.  One black man did not hesitate when asked why he was doing it,  He said, "We are Americans.  This is what we do to save lives."   One of the iconic pictures from the storm is of a white swat team member carrying an Asian woman still cuddling her baby to her chest. When officials asked for help in the rescue effort hundreds rushed to the scene of the flooding with boats of all types.  I saw two Hispanic guys using truck inner tubes to help people evacuate.  These people are doing the rescues from daybreak to sundown. As much as this i

Washington Times: It took a while, but Democrats may finally have had enough of the antifa. In a Tuesday statement, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called out by name the antifa, or “anti-fascists,” for the first time since Sunday’s leftist violence in Berkeley. “Our democracy has no room for inciting violence or endangering the public, no matter the ideology of those who commit such acts,” the California Democrat said in a statement. “The violent actions of people calling themselves antifa in Berkeley this weekend deserve unequivocal condemnation, and the perpetrators should be arrested and prosecuted.” SEE ALSO: Berkeley mayor urges univ. to cancel Free Speech Week as Milo Yiannopoulos prepares return: Report More than 100 antifa members, many wearing black clothing and masks, jumped police barriers Sunday at a Berkeley protest, chasing down and attacking a small number of Trump supporters, resulting in six injuries and 13 arrests. Mrs. Pelosi initially made no public comment,

Daily Mail: Vladimir Putin orders 1,500 Russians to move away from North Korean border after Kim Jong-un's latest missile launch Vladimir Putin ordered 1,500 citizens to leave the area on North Korea's border Russia and the hermit state share a 24-mile long international frontier by a river The Russian Ministry of Emergencies warned citizens to leave the area Dictator Kim Jong-un ordered a missile fired over Japan in a provocative move This is a prudent move to keep them out of the line of fire when there is retaliation against the North Koreans in response to their aggression.

Washington Free Beacon: Obama Admin Hid Intel on Iranian Militants in Syria to Push Nuclear Deal Admin likely knew Iran shipping militants on commercial aircraft, but promoted sales He left this out of his pitch to Congress and voters.  It demonstrates teh dishonesty of those who pushed the deal.  If Trump decides to abandon the deal this should be mentioned in the explanation of reasons why.

US News: Kelli Ward was standing inside a community center here fielding a question on the Senate filibuster when she stopped midsentence to answer her cellphone. It might seem strange or rude for a U.S. Senate candidate to interrupt a publicly scheduled presentation to 100 supporters in order to field a call. But this was no ordinary call. Sean Hannity was on the line. It was the morning after President Donald Trump's rollicking rally inside the Phoenix Convention Center. The nation's eyes were trained on Arizona, and Ward was eager to seize the energy and attention around the moment, booking a flurry of media appearances to position herself as the early and leading torchbearer of the president's movement in next year's midterm elections. Ward, a 48-year-old physician and former state senator challenging first-term Sen. Jeff Flake in Arizona's Republican primary, stood before her audience with her phone affixed to her ear, waiting for a producer to tran

Washington Examiner Editorial: Early Tuesday morning, North Korea fired an intermediate range ballistic missile over Japan's northern Hokkaido island. It broke up shortly afterwards over the western Pacific Ocean. With this provocation, North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un has blunted American optimism that he might be willing to trim his ballistic saber rattling. It is clear that further U.S. action is required to force him into constructive diplomacy. The time has come for the Trump administration to take action. An invasion of North Korea would entail an immense loss of life and is clearly not on the cards. But there are measures a long way short of such hostilities that could prove effective and which President Trump should now employ. He should issue a clear statement of policy that the U.S. military will from now on shoot down North Korean intermediate or intercontinental ballistic missiles if Kim launches them in a way that poses a threat to America and its allies. Trump

Reuters: Japan is worried the United States has so far declined to arm it with a powerful new radar, arguing the decision makes the U.S. missile defense system it plans to install much less capable of countering a growing North Korean threat, three sources said. Japan wants to have a land-based version of the Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) system operational by 2023 as a new layer of defense to help counter North Korea’s missile advances. Yet, without the new powerful radar, known as Spy-6, Japan will have to field the system with existing radar technology that has less range than a new generation of BMD interceptor missiles, the sources who have knowledge of the discussion told Reuters. That could mean that while the interceptor has enough range to strike a missile lofted high into space, the targeting radar may not be able to detect the threat until it is much closer. Japanese officials have witnessed a demonstration of Spy-6 technology, which boosts the range of BMD

Daily Mail: Shark infested highways, planes underwater and fridge rescues: Influx of hoax photos emerge after Hurricane Harvey wreaks havoc It is interesting to see just how crazy people can be in dealing with a huge tragedy.

Daily Mail: Home and dry: Heartwarming picture emerges of the Texas senior citizens from THAT viral flood picture now safe and happy in their new residence The residents of a Texas nursing home who were seen up to their waists in murky water in a viral photo on Sunday are now safe and sound in a new home after being airlifted out on Sunday. The picture of one of the women knitting while sitting in the rising water was one of the more striking ones to come out of the flooding so far.  I am glad they have found a safe place.

Guardian: 'It is beautiful': volunteer army fans out to help communities flooded by Harvey People bringing boats, brawn and life vests throng the suburb of Woodlands north of Houston to help because ‘it feels good’ A Brit paper notices the community spirit of Texans to pitch in to help people they don't know.

CNN: The toll that Harvey is taking on Texas is staggering. Already, it has dumped 11 trillion gallons of rain over the state, says Ryan Maue with WeatherBell, a weather analytics company. And by the time Harvey dissipates, the state will have seen 25 trillion gallons of rain, he predicts. Between midnight Friday and 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, 49.20 inches of rain fell in Texas -- a record for continental US from a landfalling tropical cyclone, the National Weather Service said. ... The graphics included in the story present more stark statistics about how bad things are to date and it could get worse.

LA Times: For years, engineers have warned that Houston was a flood disaster in the making. Why didn't somebody do something? Houston is built on what amounts to a massive flood plain, pitted against the tempestuous Gulf of Mexico and routinely hammered by the biggest rainstorms in the nation. It is a combination of malicious climate and unforgiving geology, along with a deficit of zoning and land-use controls, that scientists... In the 1970's Houston developed a requirement that all new construction must be above the 100-year flood plain.  This led to new drainage requirements and new minimum building height requirements for areas not only within the city but those in its extra territorial jurisdiction.  The problem with Harvey is that it is about 10 times more water than could be expected in a 100-year flood. The kind of rain that was dropped in a concentrated time period would flood any city in America including Denver, and in the case of a place like Los Angeles, it

NY Times: Areas of Houston Are Submerged; Death Toll Rises to 10 The Houston area looks like an inland sea dotted by islands, and Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas said people needed to prepare for “a new and different normal for this entire region.” The full scale of the crisis is still uncertain, but officials said about 30,000 people would seek emergency shelter, and 450,000 are likely to seek federal aid. When you consider the scoop of the flooding and the fact that the population of the Houston metro area is around 6.5 million, the casualties and displacements are not as great as might be expected.  I watched the local Houston channels the last couple of days and have been impressed not only by the volunteers and first responders but also by the spirit of those rescued. I remember seeing a large man wading through the water carrying his five-year-old daughter with his wife near by being interviewed as they boarded a vehicle to go to a shelter.  His response to the reporter

Kyle Smith: Hillary Excuse No. 1,756: Trump Stood Too Close to Me Hillary Clinton’s 2016 brand: Tough. Capable. Experienced. Ready. A fighter. Who freaks out when a man stands behind her for a few seconds. ... She was a candidate who was easily "creeped out."

Daniel Greenfield: Freedom of Assembly is the first and most important right of the Bill of Rights. Today it is being denied in cities like Berkeley and Portland where local left-wing governments have contrived to deny rally permits while giving the masked thugs of their leftist Antifa allies a blank check to assault those whose views they oppose. In Berkley, Boston and San Francisco, the First Amendment doesn’t exist anymore. The threat of violence that shut down the Patriot Prayer demonstration in San Francisco, an event scheduled to feature African American, Samoan and Latino speakers, is a case of fascism justifying itself by flying the false flag of “anti-fascism.” And it is the third such case this week – the others being Boston and Berkeley. The founder of Patriot Prayer, Joey Gibson , is a Japanese American who regards himself as a “person of color” and who had made it very clear that he opposes Neo-Nazis and white supremacists, and who has publicly stated that his goal is to

Ben Shapiro: Houston Is The Best Of America. Berkeley Is The Worst. Here's Why. The threat to life in Houston was and is real.  The perceived threats in Berkeley by Antifa are left wing fantasies.

Power Line: DEMOCRATS’ RUSSIA STORY HITS ANOTHER DEAD END ... The Times says there is no indication that Cohen even replied to Sater’s emails. In any event, the Moscow project was investigated briefly and, the Times says, dropped. The Trump organization has properties in 11 countries, and Russia isn’t one of them. So the story is what? A Russian immigrant who didn’t work for Trump had a vision of making Donald Trump look good (and making himself a lot of money) via a business deal with the Russians, which Trump’s people never followed up on. It’s like a joke with no punch line. ... I think the Times has to know these stories are not the basis for a claim of collusion, but it is their way of keeping the narrative alive for the Democrats who must be getting depressed about the lack of support for their argument.

Guardian: Lurid Trump allegations made by Louise Mensch and co-writer came from hoaxer Mensch and Claude Taylor tweeted details of criminal inquires that didn’t exist Hoaxer who fed information said she acted out of frustration over fake news Taylor issues mea culpa on Twitter after being approached by Guardian The Guardian is a left wing British paper that apparently did check on teh claims and found them to be unsupported.  Too many on the left are too desperate to attack President Trump.

American Thinker: Chicago had 14,000 more votes than voters in 2016 general election What is also interesting is that Illinois has more registered voters than voting age people which suggest the problem of vote fraud could be much worse.  But you can see why Democrats really oppose voter ID.  It would make it harder for them to cheat.

Washington Examiner: The Supreme Court Monday temporarily blocked a lower court's order that directed Texas to redraw two "racially discriminatory" congressional districts. The decision by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito — who manages emergency filings from Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana — delays a federal court hearing that was set to take place in San Antonio early in September until the higher court can consider the case, according to the Associated Press . Earlier, a three-judge panel in San Antonio unanimously ruled the two Texas House districts had to be redrawn before the 2018 midterm elections because lawmakers had purposely discriminated against minorities. ... Doggett is a hard left Democrat and Farenthal is a conservative Republican.  I knew Doggett from my days at UT and he was also in law school with me.  He is a nice guy, but way too liberal for my taste.  Farenthal actual won in a district drawn to favor Hispanics.  If anything it indicates that Hi

Daily Mail: Only FOUR people have been arrested for looting in Houston Houston Police Chief Art Avacedo says just four people have been arrested for looting during Hurricane Harvey. This says something about the character of Houston's population.  The contrast with what happened in Baltimore and other cities is striking.

Breitbart: Berkeley Mayor Is Member of Antifa Facebook Group that Organized Riots I had a sailing buddy who was from that part of California who used to call the city Bizerkley.  It seems to fit.  I think the city and its officials may be opening themselves to a suit for violations of civil rights under color of law.  It was used often during the civil rights era in the South.

NY Times: Nearly 2 Feet of Rain Still Expected to Lash a Paralyzed City With record floodwaters, the Houston region now looks like an inland sea dotted by islands, and officials fear the worst is yet to come. About 30,000 people will seek emergency shelter, and 450,000 are likely to seek federal aid, U.S. officials say. When you consider that the population of the Houston metro area is in excess of 6 million people, the numbers displaced appears to be much smaller than anticipated.  More rain could drive that number up.  So far Houstonians have pitched in to help their neighbors and volunteers from outside the city have joined the first responders to rescue flood victims. Gov. Abbott has mobilized the entire Texas National Guard and it is getting logistic support from the US military.  Texas political subdivisions at all levels have pitched in to deal with the natural disaster.  The Trump administration has also been helpful in dealing with the problems caused by the hur

Washington Times: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday activated the entire Texas National Guard — some 12,000 personnel — to assist with Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts alongside the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) and other officials. “It is imperative that we do everything possible to protect the lives and safety of people across the state of Texas as we continue to face the aftermath of this storm,” Mr. Abbott said. “The Texas National Guard is working closely with FEMA and federal troops to respond urgently to the growing needs of Texans who have fallen victim to Hurricane Harvey, and the activation of the entire Guard will assist in the efforts already underway,” he said. FEMA administrator Brock Long said in a statement accompanying the announcement that his agency was there before the storm hit and will be there “as long as needed.” ... Abbott had previously activated 3,000 members of the Guard.  The new activation will cover all members, not on active

Washington Post: Trump to restore program sending surplus military weapons to police The president is reversing a move by Barack Obama to limit the amount of military equipment provided to local law enforcement agencies. Five officers were killed by a Black Lives Matter sniper in a Dallas garage.  If they had access to a military armored vehicle their lives could have been saved.  Obama canceled the program as he kowtowed to Black Lives Matter who protested a police shooting in Ferguson Missouri. It turns out that the protest was based on the "hands up, don't shoot" lie told by a guy who was involved in the crime that led to the police shooting.  Black Lives Matter is another violent leftist group that the media gives a pass to just as they do Antifa.  They are both much more dangerous than the neo-Nazis at Charlottesville. This is a good move by President Trump that will saves lives.

NY Times: Trump Forges Ahead on Costly Nuclear Overhaul The Air Force has announced new contracts for nuclear cruise and ground-based missiles, even as some experts call the programs, which have been embraced by President Trump, unnecessary and dangerous. Diplomacy has failed to deter the that from rogue states like North Korea and Iran and it looks like some are making the same mistake they made when they opposed missile defense.  Improving the US nuclear deterrent should be a priority. After all, it would be a shame to see all those liberal bastions hit by enemy nuclear attacks.  If you look at the areas targeted by North Korea they all voted for Democrats in the last election.  While I don't agree with Democrats on most things< I do not want to see them exterminated by enemy missiles.

NY Times: Trump’s Idea of Law and Order Leaves Leeway on the Law President Trump has signaled that taking the law into one’s own hands is permissible, within the executive branch or in local police departments, or even against a heckler at one of his rallies. If this is about criticism of his decision to pardon Arpaio, if Obama had been doing his job, Arpaio would have had no need to round up illegal aliens in his area.  Obama was so determined to ignore the nation's immigration law that his DOJ whipped up a political prosecution of Arpaio based on a wrongheaded decision by a left wing judge.  To those who want to see the immigration laws enforced it look like an injustice that was set right by the pardon. And speaking of hecklers, when is the Times going to speak out against Antifa and its violent hecklers' veto of speech it disagrees with?  Or does the Times make leeway for liberal fascism?

Power Line: Neo-Nazis have been around for a long time. I remember learning as a teenager that there was an American Nazi party led by George Lincoln Rockwell. It seemed odd, but no one paid much attention. Neo-Nazis and white supremacists–the terms seem to be used interchangeably these days–have been with us for decades, regarded as irrelevant fringe groups consisting of nuts and watchful FBI agents. Suddenly, though, that has changed. Neo-Nazi/white supremacist groups turned out a few hundred tiki torch-carrying goofs in Charlottesville, and now these fringe kooks have become, we are told, a crisis of the republic. Politicians race to denounce them, and President Trump has been criticized in many quarters for not denouncing them fast enough, or harshly enough, or uniquely–that is, without denouncing anyone else at the same time. If that sounds crazy, you are right. It is crazy. Neo-Nazi sightings, no matter how lame, have become newsworthy. Thus, the Daily Mail reports, breathlessl

Fuel Fix: Chevron Phillips closing massive Baytown chemical complex The plant is currently undergoing a $6 billion expansion. Shell halts operations at Deer Park refinery Drillers evacuate Gulf platforms, shut in wells in wake of Harvey This is another aspect of the economic hit facing the Houston area.

Peter Heck: ... ... a reporter approached an unknown man and his friend who had pulled their boat behind the back of a pick-up truck onto the flooded streets of Texas. The two men, one white, one black, began preparing the boat for launch when the news crew approached them. If you haven’t seen the stirringly simple exchange it went like this: Reporter: You guys just uh, jumping in to help out? Man: Yes sir. Reporter: Yeah? Man: Yes sir. Reporter: Where you coming from? Man: Texas City. Reporter: Texas City? Man: Yes sir. Reporter: What uh, what are you gonna do? Man: I’m gonna go try to save some lives. Reporter: Yeah? Man: Yes sir. No one asked them to go there. No government instructed them to do it. No one provided them money to fill their boat’s gas tank. No one offered them a reward for their work. No one told them a news crew would document their efforts. No one guaranteed them they would be successful or that they would even come back alive themselves. But they were

Washington Examiner: Watch: Antifa protesters beat down apparent alt-right supporter as Berkeley rally turns violent Police arrested 10 of the liberal attackers.  So far there is minimal to no outrage from the mainstream media or Democrats about the actions of liberal fascists.

Engadget: The FBI has arrested a Chinese national from Shanghai linked to the massive data breach that hit the Office of Personnel Management back in 2014 to 2015. Feds took the chance to nab Yu Pingan when he flew into the Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday to attend a conference. He's now facing charges under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and accusations of conspiracy to defraud the United States. His circumstances and connection to the OPM breach are a bit convoluted, though, and the court papers filed to indict him didn't even mention the event. The FBI says Yu, also known as the hacker "GoldSun" runs a site selling malware, including Sakula, a rarely used Trojan that security firms believe was used to infiltrate OPM's computers. That data breach compromised the private information of 21.5 million government employees and applicants, as well as their spouses and close relatives. The attackers got away with almost 30 years' worth of inf

Washington Post: FEMA director: Harvey is probably the worst disaster in Texas history “The recovery to this event is going to last many years, to be able to help Texas and the people impacted by this event achieve a new normal,” William “Brock” Long told The Post. In terms of property damage, that is probably true.  However, It is a long way from the death toll in the 1900 Galveston hurricane which killed 6,000 people.  To date, five deaths have been attributed to the storm with four of those being drownings in Houston. Questions have been raised about why Houston did not order a mandatory evacuation.  The Governor suggested it, but the final decision was made by local officials who remember the fiasco when a couple of million people tried to leave when a hurricane was coming their way in 2005.

Washington Times: Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden re-entered the political fray Sunday, saying President Trump has “emboldened white supremacists” in the wake of the recent violent protests in Charlottesville , Virginia. Mr. Biden said America has fought civil rights battles before, but has a “special challenge” now. “Today we have an American president who has publicly proclaimed a moral equivalency between neo-Nazis and Klansmen and those who would oppose their venom and hate,” he wrote in an essay for The Atlantic. “We have an American president who has emboldened white supremacists with messages of comfort and support,” he wrote. “If it wasn’t clear before, it’s clear now: We are living through a battle for the soul of this nation,” Mr. Biden wrote. Mr. Trump initially condemned hatred, bigotry and violence on “many sides” amid the clash in Charlottesville between white supremacists and anti-racism counterprotesters. He then condemned the KKK, neo-Nazis and white supr

Washington Post: How Charlottesville lost control amid a deadly protest Confusion and conflicting information set the stage for what became one of the most violent white nationalist rallies in decades. I have never known a white nationalist and to my knowledge never seen one from a distance.  I think they are an insignificant political threat .   The evidence that has, so far, emerged from events in Charlottesville suggest there would have been no violence there if Antifa had not interfered with an otherwise peaceful gathering. There was no violence on their first night of the gathering when no one interfered with their rally.  On the second day, there was a deliberate attempt to stop people from attending the rally. Antifa has engaged in violent protest across this country since Trump's inauguration.   They are a far bigger threat to public order and safety than a few racists .  The media seems to be on the side of those who oppose free speech. There is some evidence th

NY Times: Cashless Tolls Could Pave Way for Congestion Pricing For the first time, cashless collection technology is being used in New York City. If it proves to be effective, it could swing the debate on congestion pricing in Manhattan. Why give Bill DeBlazio or anyone else in government an incentive to restrict the flow of traffic so that government can profit from it?  Why reward a city that has failed to take care of the infrastructure it inherited including its crumbling subway system.

Federalist: America’s Post-Charlottesville Nervous Breakdown Was Deliberately Induced Americans are being emotionally manipulated to take up cause with those whose ultimate purpose is the repeal of the First Amendment and erasure of national memory. The left lack of intellectual integrity is being exposed.  Their hissy fit is not popular and their mad dogging criticism should not be excused.

Breitbart: The “negative heat” that the legacy media and Hollywood continually direct at President Donald Trump may be helping him, according to MSNBC analyst Steve Kornacki, who pointed out that Trump is “central” to all of American popular culture unlike any other president before him. “If you look on paper, the poll numbers are terrible. But the position Donald Trump occupies not just in the media landscape but in all of culture … he is central to all … of American popular culture—he has been since before the election and he’s gonna be as far out as we can see,” he said on Thursday’s MTP Daily . “We haven’t had that with other presidents before.” He added that there is “so much negative heat coming in … from the media, from popular culture” that “it raises the question” whether those who voted for Trump in 2016 even though they had low opinions of him did so as a reaction to the media and “all of culture pushing so hard against Trump.” ... Breitbart News recently pointed out

Power Line: FAR-LEFT BULLIES SUPPRESS CIVIL RIGHTS IN CALIFORNIA The “heckler’s veto” is not recognized in American law, but it is increasingly becoming a fact of life in American cities. The hecklers are always from the far left, and they generally come armed. This is a scandal of major proportions, but is rarely recognized as such. ... Rather than defending Patriot Prayer’s First Amendment rights, local authorities slandered the group in order to justify their own inaction.... “White supremacist” has become a catch-all epithet for anyone the Democrats don’t like. Patriot Prayer has a vague, pro-unity message that has nothing to do with race. Apparently its critics’ theory is that it is secretly white supremacist. But it is hard to find any support for that speculation.... ... There is much more. I think it may take legal action against the leftists who try to suppress speech and the public officials who under color of law deny the groups civil right to free speech.  The l

Washington Examiner: ... The Democrats have long pushed the theory that they're coming strictly for jobs. But the House Committee on Homeland Security has debunked that theory saying, "Not all illegal aliens are crossing into the United States to find work," a report by the Homeland Security Committee reveals. "Law enforcement officials indicate that there are individuals coming across the border who are forced to leave their home countries because of criminal activities. These dangerous criminals are fleeing the law in other countries and seeking refuge in the United States." There are no two ways about it: Many illegal immigrants are coming here to commit crimes. According to FBI crime statistics, a stunning 95 percent of arrest warrants issued in Los Angeles are for illegal immigrants, not American citizens. A shocking 75 percent of criminals on law enforcement's "Most Wanted" listd in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Albuquerque, N.M., are

Houston Chronicle: City officials urged people to call 911 only if they are in "imminent danger" as flood water in the Houston area continued to rise. Tropical Storm Harvey hovered over Houston early Sunday and dumped 20 to 30 inches of rain on already saturated streets, killing at least five people and prompting evacuations of apartment complexes and dramatic rescues, according to the National Weather Service. "It's catastrophic, unprecedented, epic -- whatever adjective you want to use," said Patrick Blood, a NWS meteorologist. "It's pretty horrible right now." Across the region, rising waters pinned some into their homes or on rooftops, as low-lying areas turned into massive lakes and streams. Freeways in some parts were so deluged, water was lapping at overhead freeway signs. ... The entire Texas Gulf coast is under a "catastrophic" flash flood emergency until 10:45 a.m. The 12 counties under a flash flood emergency are t

CNN: Iraqi forces have now seized control of most of the strategically significant city of Tal Afar from ISIS, the Iraqi Joint Military Command said Saturday. Iraqi Joint Military Command spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool said units from the joint Iraqi forces are in full control of 60% of the "operational area" and 90% of the city center of Tal Afar. The offensive to retake the key northwestern city from ISIS started Sunday . Several divisions of Iraqi security, including the American-trained Counter Terrorism Forces, were advancing on Tal Afar from different sides. The commander of the Tal Afar operation, Abdulamir Yarallah, said Saturday that units of the 9th Armored Division and the Popular Mobilization Units, also known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, had captured al-Muthanna 2 district and the Tal Afar Hospital. Earlier in the day, Yarallah said counterterrorism forces had "raised the Iraqi flag" in the central areas of The Citadel and al-Basateen. Only a

PJ Media: According to a Shin Bet statement, last month's terror attack on Jerusalem's Temple Mount that killed two Israeli Druze police officers was directly aided by a mosque official tied to the banned "Islamic Movement" — the Muslim Brotherhood affiliate in Israel. Security measures imposed by Israel after the attack sparked weeks of riots and protests, and a Jewish family preparing their Sabbath meal was murdered in their West Bank home. ... There is much more. The refusal of the US State Department to list the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group makes no sense.

David Horowitz: Let’s start by noticing the obvious. The biggest hate group in America - by a wide margin - is the anti-Trump chorus, which has advanced from calling him “unfit to be president” to accusing him (in the words of CNN’s Ana Navarro) of being “unfit to be human.” In between are malignant accusations that he is a “neo-Nazi,” a “white nationalist” and a “white supremacist” – all revelations about Trump’s character that somehow remained hidden during the thirty years he was a public figure and before he ran against Hillary Clinton. Nor is the hate confined to Trump alone but includes his aides and supporters. Congressman Jerrold Nadler and other House Democrats have even attacked Trump’s policy adviser Stephen Miller as a “white supremacist” for defending a merit-based immigration reform. The attacks from the anti-Trump left also include the charge that America itself is a “white supremacist” country. In a nation which for eight years was headed by a black president, had t